bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
L’Eurasie, champ d’expression de la puissance russe
Authors: Teurtrie David
Published: June 2021

Cet article est consacré à la dimension eurasiatique de la politique extérieure russe. L’intégration eurasiatique, qui n’avait pas la faveur des élites russes dans les années 1990, s’est progressivement imposée dans les années 2000 du fait de l’échec des projets d’union incluant l’Ukraine, comme des tentatives de rapprochement avec l’Europe occidentale. Désormais, Moscou s’appuie sur l’Union économique eurasiatique (uee) et sur l’Organisation du Traité de sécurité collective (otsc) pour tenter de réaffirmer son leadership en Eurasie postsoviétique et établir des partenariats internationaux à l’échelle continentale afin de structurer le projet de Grande Eurasie. Si cette politique a connu certains succès, notamment dans la coopération avec la Chine pour la mise en place des Nouvelles routes terrestres de la soie, elle continue de se heurter à l’incompréhension des puissances occidentales qui refusent toute forme de partenariat entre les structures euro-atlantiques et les organisations eurasiatiques.
Plasticidad cerebral y entrenamiento musical en niños. Una revisión sistemática.
Authors: Benítez María Angélica , Diaz Abrahan Veronika , Justel Nadia
Published: June 2021

Los primeros años son extraordinariamente importantes para todos los aspectos del desarrollo. Diferentes investigaciones dan cuenta de que el entrenamiento musical podría incidir sobre diferentes áreas del desarrollo del infante. El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es rastrear y analizar en la literatura las investigaciones que indican que el entrenamiento musical afectaría las habilidades cognitivas, la anatomía y la actividad cerebral en infantes. Se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en bases de datos científicas indexadas (Scielo, Redalyc, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, WOS y Scopus), utilizando las palabras clave: music, music training, music education, child, cognition, brain, development. Se utilizaron como variables de análisis: el instrumento de evaluación empleado, el tipo de intervención empleada y el tiempo de entrenamiento. Los estudios revisados mostraron resultados contrapuestos acerca del efecto del entrenamiento musical en los infantes, aunque, mayoritariamente se ha encontrado que el entrenamiento musical promueve el desarrollo cognitivo e influye en otras áreas.
Més enllà de la doble hèlix: L’estructura G-quàdruplex de l’ADN
Authors: Pont Isabel , Gonzàlez-Garcia Jorge
Published: June 2021

L’ADN és la biomolècula fonamental per al correcte funcionament cel·lular i fins fa poc s’ha associat a l’estructura de doble hèlix descoberta fa més de seixanta anys per Crick, Watson i Franklin. Tanmateix, s’han descrit altres estructures i conformacions diferents que l’ADN pot adoptar com els G-quàdruplex. Aquests G-quàdruplex es formen en regions del genoma riques en guanines amb una estructura tetràmera i controlen processos biològics com l’expressió genètica, la protecció contra l’envelliment o la transmissió de la informació neuronal. En aquest article descrivim les seues característiques químiques i estructurals a més d’introduir les seues principals funcions cel·lulars. Per finalitzar, presentem els G-quàdruplex com a dianes moleculars per a futures teràpies contra el càncer.
De cigalas y humanos. Perspectiva evolucionista de la adicción
Authors: Ferrer-Pérez Carmen , Miñarro López José
Published: June 2021

La adicción es una enfermedad compleja cuya manifestación es única en cada individuo que la padece. A pesar de eso, el conocimiento que poseemos apunta a que muchas de las consecuencias de las drogas de abuso se deben a alteraciones en el cerebro, que serían similares de un sujeto a otro. Específicamente, las drogas ejercen sus efectos conductuales actuando sobre el sistema de recompensa cerebral. En el presente artículo desentrañaremos las funciones y raíces filogenéticas de este sistema para, posteriormente, explicar cómo las drogas de abuso son capaces de afectar a su funcionamiento. La investigación y tratamiento de la adicción requiere de un enfoque biopsicosocial, y considerar la vertiente filogenética de este problema ayuda a completar una visión holística de la enfermedad.
Siltumapgādes ilgtspējas indikatori virzībā uz klimatneitralitāti
Authors:   , Prodaņuks Toms
Published: June 2021

Eiropas Savienība (ES) ir noteikusi mērķi 2050. gadā sasniegt klimatneitralitāti, kas paredz nodrošināt ekonomiku ar nulles neto SEG emisijām. Šī mērķa sasniegšanai ES apstiprinājusi Eiropas Zaļo kursu, kas ietver darbības plānu, lai paātrinātu efektīvu resursu izmantošanu, virzoties uz aprites ekonomiku, atjaunotu bioloģisko daudzveidību un samazinātu piesārņojumu. Pāreja uz klimatneitralitāti ir neatliekama un piedāvā iespēju veidot labāku nākotni. Lai sasniegtu klimatneitralitāti, visām sabiedrības grupām un visiem ekonomikas sektoriem ir jāsniedz savs pienesums. Siltumenerģijas ražošanas efektivitātes paaugstināšana un patēriņa samazināšana tiek uzskatīta par vienu no galvenajiem līdzekļiem ES klimata un enerģētikas mērķu sasniegšanai līdz 2030. gadam, kas paredz vismaz 40 % SEG emisiju samazinājumu, kā bāzes scenāriju izmantojot 1990. gadu, vismaz 32 % atjaunojamās enerģijas īpatsvaru un energoefektivitātes paaugstināšanu par 32,5 %. Atbilstoši ES klimata un enerģētikas politikai ir izstrādāts Latvijas Nacionālais enerģētikas un klimata plāns 2021.–2030. gadam, kurā noteiktie nacionālie mērķi un galvenie rīcības virzieni tieši vai pastarpināti ir saistīti ar siltumenerģijas ražošanas efektivitātes paaugstināšanu un patēriņa samazināšanu, izmantojot atjaunojamo enerģiju. Darba mērķis ir novērtēt Latvijas siltumapgādes sistēmu, izmantojot ilgtspējas indikatorus, ietverot siltumenerģijas ražotājus un patērētājus, kā arī sniegt priekšlikumus par metodikām, kas izmantojamas siltumapgādes sistēmas efektivitātes paaugstināšanai un SEG emisiju samazināšanai, liekot uzsvaru uz atjaunojamo enerģijas resursu izmantošanu. Promocijas darbā izstrādāts dažādu tehnoloģiju un metožu izvērtējums, kas piedāvā kompleksus risinājumus siltumenerģijas ražotāju energoefektivitātes paaugstināšanai.
Kinesin-6 Klp9 orchestrates spindle elongation by regulating microtubule sliding and growth
Authors: Krüger Lara Katharina , Gélin Matthieu , Ji Liang , Kikuti Carlos , Houdusse Anne , Théry Manuel , Blanchoin Laurent , Tran Phong T
Published: June 2021

Mitotic spindle function depends on the precise regulation of microtubule dynamics and microtubule sliding. Throughout mitosis, both processes have to be orchestrated to establish and maintain spindle stability. We show that during anaphase B spindle elongation in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, the sliding motor Klp9 (kinesin-6) also promotes microtubule growth in vivo. In vitro, Klp9 can enhance and dampen microtubule growth, depending on the tubulin concentration. This indicates that the motor is able to promote and block tubulin subunit incorporation into the microtubule lattice in order to set a well-defined microtubule growth velocity. Moreover, Klp9 recruitment to spindle microtubules is dependent on its dephosphorylation mediated by XMAP215/Dis1, a microtubule polymerase, creating a link between the regulation of spindle length and spindle elongation velocity. Collectively, we unravel the mechanism of anaphase B, from Klp9 recruitment to the motors dual-function in regulating microtubule sliding and microtubule growth, allowing an inherent coordination of both processes.
Dorsal raphe nucleus to anterior cingulate cortex 5-HTergic neural circuit modulates consolation and sociability
Authors: Li Laifu , Zhang Li-Zi , He Zhi-Xiong , Ma Huan , Zhang Yu-Ting , Xun Yu-Feng , Yuan Wei , Hou Wen-Juan , Li Yi-Tong , Lv Zi-Jian , Jia Rui , Tai Fa-Dao
Published: June 2021

Consolation is a common response to the distress of others in humans and some social animals, but the neural mechanisms underlying this behavior are not well characterized. By using socially monogamous mandarin voles, we found that optogenetic or chemogenetic inhibition of 5-HTergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR) or optogenetic inhibition of serotonin (5-HT) terminals in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) significantly decreased allogrooming time in the consolation test and reduced sociability in the three-chamber test. The release of 5-HT within the ACC and the activity of DR neurons were significantly increased during allogrooming, sniffing, and social approaching. Finally, we found that the activation of 5-HT1A receptors in the ACC was sufficient to reverse consolation and sociability deficits induced by the chemogenetic inhibition of 5-HTergic neurons in the DR. Our study provided the first direct evidence that DR-ACC 5-HTergic neural circuit is implicated in consolation-like behaviors and sociability.
Planarian stem cells sense the identity of the missing pharynx to launch its targeted regeneration
Authors: Bohr Tisha E , Shiroor Divya A , Adler Carolyn E
Published: June 2021

In order to regenerate tissues successfully, stem cells must detect injuries and restore missing cell types through largely unknown mechanisms. Planarian flatworms have an extensive stem cell population responsible for regenerating any organ after amputation. Here, we compare planarian stem cell responses to different injuries by either amputation of a single organ, the pharynx, or removal of tissues from other organs by decapitation. We find that planarian stem cells adopt distinct behaviors depending on what tissue is missing to target progenitor and tissue production towards missing tissues. Loss of non-pharyngeal tissues only increases non-pharyngeal progenitors, while pharynx removal selectively triggers division and expansion of pharynx progenitors. By pharmacologically inhibiting either mitosis or activation of the MAP kinase ERK, we identify a narrow window of time during which stem cell division and ERK signaling produces pharynx progenitors necessary for regeneration. These results indicate that planarian stem cells can tailor their output to match the regenerative needs of the animal.
"Macho": The singularity of a mock Spanish item
Authors: Galván Torres Adriana Rosalina
Published: June 2021

This paper scrutinizes the path of the semantic extension of the originally neutral Spanish term macho ‘male animal’ to the pejorative ‘animal-like man’. Semantic pejoration belongs to one of the techniques that Hill (1995b) identifies when describing Mock Spanish, a type of racist discourse used by monolingual English speakers when using single Spanish words. Prototypically, the author of the semantic change from a positive or neutral to a negative connotation of a Spanish term is the monolingual speaker of American English. This seems not to be the case with respect to macho. In the same theoretical vein as Mock Spanish, many voices attribute the semantic pejoration of macho to the US-English discourse. The objective of this paper is to identify  the origin of this pejoration. Methodologically, this is conducted by means of a lexical search of the oldest pejorated macho items in Spanish, and the semantic content of the first macho borrowings in English. For this purpose, I consulted different sources, like diachronic corpora, etymological dictionaries and specialized references on the macho concept for Spanish as well as English. My analysis leads me to conclude that the semantic shift of macho, at least in its written form, developed in both sides of the Mexican-American border at the beginning of the XX century.
¿Qué es 'Puentes entre trincheras'?
Authors: Fábregas Antonio
Published: June 2021

El editor de la revista escribe un breve comentario donde presenta al lector 'Puentes entre trincheras', la nueva sección de Borealis que iniciamos en su décimo aniversario.
A Tomographic Reconstruction Method using Coordinate-based Neural Network with Spatial Regularization
Authors: Koo Jakeoung , Brenne Elise Otterlei , Dahl Anders Bjorholm , Dahl Vedrana Andersen
Published: June 2021

Tomographic reconstruction is concerned with computing the cross-sections of an object from a finite number of projections. Many conventional methods represent the cross-sections as images on a regular grid. In this paper, we study a recent coordinate-based neural network for tomographic reconstruction, where the network inputs a spatial coordinate and outputs the attenuation coefficient on the coordinate. This coordinate-based network allows the continuous representation of an object. Based on this network, we propose a spatial regularization term, to obtain a high-quality reconstruction. Experimental results on synthetic data show that the regularization term improves the reconstruction quality significantly, compared to the baseline. We also provide an ablation study for different architecture configurations and hyper-parameters.
Replacement Blood Donation Denials in Children: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Alim Muniba , Rahman Rafey Abdul , Goel Prabudh
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Developing countries like India still depend on Replacement Donors (RD) for their blood requirements. Healthcare providers in India often face Replacement Blood Donation (RBD) denials in children especially in rural areas. Aim: To find reasons for RBD denials in children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done over six months at a tertiary care centre located in rural part of Northern India. Children requiring Blood Transfusion (BT) whose parents refused RBD were included in the study. Children were divided into three groups based on their age and data on various parameters were collected. Observation parameters included sex, birth order, number of siblings, disease for which admitted, duration between admission and need for transfusion, indication for transfusion, decision maker in the family, resistance to decision of denial by any other member of family, parental education, socio-economic status and reasons for denial. Data were analysed using SPSS software (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 17.0, SPSS Inc, Chicago, Ill, USA). The p-values were computed for categorical variables using Chi-square (χ2) test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of 356 children requiring BT, parents and relatives of 130 children (36.51%) refused RBD. Of these 130 children, 84 were females and 46 were males with male-female ratio of 1:1.8. Females were more likely to be denied RBD (p-value=0.001). Of these 130 children, only 77 could be included in the study because of various reasons. Age of the study group ranged between 2 days to 15 years. Denials were significantly higher (p-value=0.0032) in children with 3rd or higher birth order. Little benefit in terms of life expectancy was the commonest reason for denials in neonates and was found statistically significant (p-value=0.00368). Fear of donation was the most common reason for denial in all the groups combined (38.9%). Considering themselves ineligible and religious beliefs were the other reasons for denials. Conclusion: RBD denial in children is common in India. Misconceptions, Illiteracy, poverty, sex discrimination and false beliefs are major contributory factors for denial.
Fluorescent labeling in size‐controlled liposomes reveals membrane curvature‐induced structural changes in the KcsA potassium channel
Authors: Ueki Misuzu , Iwamoto Masayuki
Published: June 2021

Biological structures with highly curved membranes, such as caveolae and transport vesicles, are essential for signal transduction and membrane trafficking. Although membrane proteins in these structures are subjected to physical stress due to the curvature of the lipid bilayers, the effect of this membrane curvature on protein structure and function remains unclear. In this study, we established an experimental procedure to evaluate membrane curvature‐induced structural changes in the prototypical potassium channel KcsA. The effect of a large membrane curvature was estimated using fluorescently labeled KcsA by incorporating it into liposomes with a small diameter (< 30 nm). We found that a large membrane curvature significantly affects the activation gate conformation of the KcsA channel.
Activation of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase ERK1/2 signaling pathway suppresses the expression of ChREBPα and β in HepG2 cells
Authors: Li Lan , Sakiyama Haruhiko , Eguchi Hironobu , Yoshihara Daisaku , Fujiwara Noriko , Suzuki Keiichiro
Published: June 2021

The carbohydrate response element‐binding protein (ChREBP), a glucose‐responsive transcription factor that plays a critical role in the glucose‐mediated induction of genes involved in hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis, exists as two isoforms: ChREBPα and ChREBPβ. However, the mechanism responsible for regulating the expression of both ChREBPα and β, as well as the mechanism that determines which specific isoform is more responsive to different stimuli, remains unclear. To address this issue, we compared the effects of several stimuli, including oxidative stress, on the mRNA and protein expression levels of ChREBPα and β in the hepatocyte cell line, HepG2. We found that H2O2 stimulation suppressed the expression of both mRNA and protein in HepG2 cells, but the mRNA expression level of ChREBPβ was < 1% of that for ChREBPα levels. In addition, the reduction in both ChREBPα and β mRNA levels was reversed by PD98059, a selective and cell permeable inhibitor of the MEK/ERK pathway. Additionally, the administration of 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol 13‐acetate (TPA) and staurosporine (STS), activators of extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling, also resulted in a decrease in the levels of both ChREBPα and β mRNA in HepG2 cells through ERK signaling. These collective data suggest that oxidative stress, including STS treatment, suppresses the expression of ChREBPα and β via the activation of ERK signaling in HepG2 cells. Such a decrease in the levels of expression of ChREBPα and β could result in the suppression of hepatic glycolysis and lipogenesis, and this would be expected to prevent further oxidative stress.
Advancing early gastric cancer detection
Authors: Gillen Sarah
Published: June 2021

Important factors in combating cancer are early detection and accurate assessment of the best course of treatment. In a study published in this issue, Wang et al. identify possible miRNA biomarkers for improved determination of gastric cancer stage and prognosis. In particular, they show increased miR‐194 levels are a predictor of more favourable gastric cancer prognosis, at least in part due to miR‐194 downregulating production of a key protein for cancer development: CCND1.
miRNA identification by nuclease digestion in ELISA for diagnosis of osteosarcoma
Authors: Lei Jie , He Meng‐Yin , Li Jie , Li Hao , Wang Wei , Gopinath Subash C.B. , Xu Liang‐Zhou
Published: June 2021

Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer formed by the cells of the bone. Children, young adults, and teens are highly affected by osteosarcoma. Early identification of osteosarcoma is mandatory to improve the treatment and increase the lifespan of the patients. MicroRNA‐195 (miR‐195) was shown to be a suitable biomarker for osteosarcoma, and the present study describes a sensitive method of miR‐195 identification by nuclease digestion in ELISA to detect and quantify the level of miR‐195. S1 nuclease catalyzed endo‐ and exonucleolytic digestion of single‐stranded (ss) RNA and DNA on ELISA polystyrene substrate, which helped to identify duplexed miR‐195. This method selectively and specifically identified miR‐195 without any biofouling interactions and reached the limit of detection at 10 fM within the range from 10 fM to 10 nM. Due to complete digestion of ssDNA, single‐ and triple‐mismatched sequences failed to increase the ELISA signal, indicating specific miRNA detection. Furthermore, human serum spiked with miR‐195 did not interfere with the detection, confirming selective identification. This method identified miR‐195 at a lower level and will help to diagnose earlier stages of osteosarcoma.
Design and in silico analysis of a whole‐cell biosensor able to kill methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Benítez‐Chao Diego Francisco , Balderas‐Cisneros Francisco de Jesús , León‐Buitimea Angel , Morones‐Ramírez José Rubén
Published: June 2021

The rise of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has gained concern throughout the world over the past decades. Alternative therapeutic agents to antibiotics are rapidly growing to impede the proliferation of MRSA‐caused infections. Lately, synthetic biology techniques have developed whole‐cell biosensors by designing gene circuitry capable of sensing quorum‐sensing (QS) molecules of pathogens and triggering expression of an antimicrobial moiety that kills MRSA and therefore prevents its further proliferation. Here, an E. coli was engineered in silico to act as a whole‐cell biosensor that senses QS molecules from MRSA and triggers the expression of a bacteriocin that kills MRSA. To achieve this functionality, biosensor and bacteriocin modules were constructed and assembled into a vector. Both modules were codon‐optimized to increase the yield production of the recombinant proteins. We then demonstrate in silico that the construction of a dual biosensor‐killer plasmid, which holds two genetical modules known as biosensor and bacteriocin modules, enables the recombinant host to sense QS molecules from MRSA. Our designed whole‐cell biosensor demonstrates in silico its ability to produce and secrete the bacteriocin as a function of the external concentration of autoinducer peptide from MRSA. These in silico results unravel the possibility of designing antimicrobial smarter therapeutics against resistant pathogens.
Combination of two miRNAs has a stronger effect on stimulating apoptosis, inhibiting cell growth, and increasing erlotinib sensitivity relative to single miRNA in A549 lung cancer cells
Authors: Amri Jamal , Molaee Neda , Karami Hadi , Baazm Maryam
Published: June 2021

Despite the dramatic efficacy of EGFR‐TKIs, most of non‐small cell lung cancer patients ultimately develop resistance to these agents. In this study, we explored the effects of miRNA‐125a‐5p and miRNA‐145, alone or in combination, EGFR expression, cell growth and sensitivity of the NSCLC cells to erlotinib. The expression of EGFR was measured using RT‐qPCR and Western blotting. The effect of miRNAs and erlotinib on cell growth and survival was assessed by trypan blue assay and MTT assay, respectively. Apoptosis was measured using ELISA cell death assay. We found that transfection of miRNA‐125a‐5p and miRNA‐145 significantly inhibited the expression of EGFR mRNA and protein in a time‐dependent manner (p < 0.05 vs. blank control or negative control miRNA). ANOVA and Bonferroni's test were used to ascertain significant differences between groups. Other experiments indicated that upregulation of each of miRNA‐125a‐5p or miRNA‐145 inhibited cell growth, induced apoptosis, and markedly decreased the IC50 value of erlotinib in A549 lung cancer cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, the combination of two miRNAs showed a stronger effect on cells survival, apoptosis, and drug sensitivity, relative to single miRNA (p < 0.05). The results of our study indicate that the therapeutic delivery of miRNA‐145 and miRNA‐125a‐5p to lung cancer may inhibit cell proliferation, trigger apoptosis, and sensitize lung cancer cells to EGFR‐TKIs.
Content of minerals and deoxynivalenol in the air‐classified fractions of durum wheat
Authors: Cammerata Alessandro , Marabottini Rosita , Allevato Enrica , Aureli Gabriella , Stazi Silvia Rita
Published: June 2021

Background and objectives

Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), such as other cereals, contains several interesting bioactive compounds mostly found within the coating structure of the kernel; also, these structures included in the bran fractions, contain the highest concentration of both minerals and organic contaminants (mycotoxins). The purpose of this project was to employ the micronization and air‐classification technology to obtain fewer refined milling fractions with an adequate good quality in regard to safety and nutritional aspects to manufacture end products (e.g., pasta).

Findings

The results have identified the milling fraction as the best compromise among satisfactory technological traits, high decrease of cadmium (−83%) and lead (−59%) in comparison to the whole grain, high content of iron (+37%), and the maintenance of useful elements (calcium, potassium, and magnesium). A significant decrease of the deoxynivalenol (−16%) content, as compared with the micronized sample, and a not significant increase (+19%), if compared with semolina, have occurred.

Conclusions

The air‐classification process has been used as an appropriate tool to reach a good compromise between minerals and deoxynivalenol content in milling fractions.

Significance and novelty

The same process has proved to be a proper technology to produce high‐quality mixtures suitable to obtain both healthier end products and better raw matter exploitation.
Electronic, mechanical, and thermal properties of [Ca24Al28O64]4+(4e−) electride ceramic
Authors: Waetzig Katja , Schilm Jochen
Published: June 2021

The compound [Ca24Al28O64]4+(4e‐) named as C12A7:e‐ has outstanding properties because of a low work function and high electron conductivity due to a cage‐like crystal structure. For the application of the material as hollow cathodes in small satellite propulsion systems, its preparation as sinterable glass‐ceramics via the powder route is purposeful. However, the mechanical and thermal properties of the C12A7:e‐ glass‐ceramics have only been insufficiently measured so far. In this study, the measured Vickers hardness (HV0.5) is 6.7 ± 0.2 GPa. The ceramic has a fracture toughness of 1.6 MPa m0.5 (calculated by Shetty model) and a 4‐pt. bending strength of σ = 75 ± 12 MPa (σ0 = 90 MPa). The coefficient of thermal expansion CTE is between 4.2 and 6.0 × 10−6 K−1 (RT‐1000°C), and the thermal conductivity ranges between 2.3 W m−1 K−1 (20°C) and 1.7 W m−1 K−1 (1000°C). For calculating the thermal conductivity, the heat capacity and the thermal diffusivity are measured.
PhICl2/NH4SCN‐Mediated Oxidative Regioselective Thiocyanation of Pyridin‐2(1H)‐ones
Authors: Tao Shanqing , Xiao Jiaxi , Li Yadong , Sun Fengxia , Du Yunfei
Published: June 2021

Main observation and conclusion

The reaction of pyridin‐2(1H)‐ones with PhICl2 and NH4SCN enables an efficient regioselective thiocyanation, leading to the synthesis of the biologically interesting C5 thiocyanated 2‐pyridones in good to high yields. The mechanistic pathway of this metal‐free approach is postulated to involve the formation of the reactive thiocyanogen chloride from the reaction of PhICl2 and NH4SCN followed with the regioselective electrophilic thiocyanation of the pyridin‐2(1H)‐one ring.
Facile Generation of Strained Peptidyl Thiolactones from Hydrazides and Its Application in Assembling MUC‐1 VNTR Oligomers†
Authors: Dao Yuankun , Wang Biao , Dong Weidong , Zhang Jun , Zhong Chao , Zhang Zhili , Dong Suwei
Published: June 2021

Main observation and conclusion

An efficient method for the activation of C‐terminal 4‐mecaptoproline‐ or penicillamine‐containing peptide hydrazides in ligation reactions is reported herein. The corresponding peptide hydrazides can be readily prepared using solid‐phase peptide synthesis, and subsequently activated by acetylacetone (acac) without exogenous thiol additives. Strained peptidyl thiolactones could be the possible reactive intermediates that drastically accelerate the reaction rates at the sterically demanding proline and valine sites. This developed protocol allows for sequential peptide ligations in a one‐pot manner, and expedites the assembly of mucin 1 (MUC‐1) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) trimers in various glycosylated forms.
Effect of injection timing on combustion and IMEP variation of a bi‐fuel compressed natural gas SI engine
Authors: Sahoo Sridhar , Srivastava Dhananjay Kumar
Published: June 2021

Compressed natural gas (CNG) is a gaseous fuel stored under high pressure in a cylindrical tank. When the CNG is injected into the intake manifold, it expands in the manifold and displaces the air which reduces the volumetric efficiency of the engine. Thus, the corresponding overall energy inside the combustion chamber is also reduced, resulting in reduced power output. CNG injection timing with respect to intake valve opening and closing can be optimized to minimize the losses in volumetric efficiency loss and hence, the power output of the engine. In this study, the combustion instability of the CNG fueled engine has been studied under low throttle condition and compared with gasoline. A comparative investigation of the effects of the start of injection (SOI) timing on combustion stability was conducted on a single‐cylinder spark‐ignition (SI) engine fuelled with gasoline and CNG at 25% throttle opening condition. The ignition timing was kept fixed at 35°, and 40° CA bTDC for gasoline and CNG, respectively, and the SOI timing was varied from 240° CA bTDC to 100° CA aTDC of the intake stroke. The results indicated that SOI timing significantly affects in‐cylinder air‐fuel mixture formation and combustion stability for gasoline and CNG engine. SOI timing corresponds to the closed valve period, shows the higher fluctuation in combustion for gasoline compared to CNG. CNG shows lower fluctuation throughout SOI timing due to homogeneous air‐fuel mixture formation. Early SOI timing forms fuel stratification in the intake port and forms a rich air‐fuel mixture, which reduces the net power output of the CNG engine. CNG requires optimum SOI timing for improved combustion compared to gasoline. It reduced the combustion instability and fluctuation in indicated mean effective pressure. The results will benefit the development of a closed‐loop engine control system for a CNG system.
Novel functional weights for improving the third‐order WENO schemes
Authors: Tang Shujiang , Li Mingjun
Published: June 2021

In this article, we improved the nonlinear weight of the classical third‐order WENO scheme by using the limiter of the MUSCL scheme and got a new WENO scheme, the WENO‐F scheme, and developed three new nonlinear multiple‐parameter weight functions by improving the nonlinear weight of WENO‐JS, WENO‐Z, and WENO‐Z+ schemes. After selecting appropriate parameters of these new weight functions, three new high‐resolution schemes are comparing with three kinds of classical WENO schemes. Theoretical analysis and numerical results show that the new scheme with these multiparameter functional weights can achieve third‐order convergence in smooth regions. And the new scheme has lower dissipation and better resolution than the classical third‐order WENO schemes for smooth and discontinuous solutions.
Your Data are (Not) My Data: The Role of Social Value Orientation in Sharing Data About Others
Authors: Demmers Joris , Weihrauch Andrea N. , Mattison Thompson Frauke H.
Published: June 2021

The personal data consumers share with companies on a daily basis often also involves other people. However, prior research has focused almost exclusively on how consumers make decisions about their own data. In this research, we explore how consumers’ social value orientation impacts their decisions regarding data about others. In contrast to the notion of proselfs as “selfish” decision‐makers, across four studies we find that proselfs are less likely than prosocials to share data about others with third parties. We show that this effect arises because proselfs feel less ownership over data they hold about others than prosocials, which in turn reduces their willingness to share it. Overall, this work contributes to literature on social value orientation as well as privacy decision‐making and helps marketers and policy makers in designing interdependent privacy choice contexts.
Detection of respiratory viruses in primary cholesteatoma tissues
Authors: Viana Rosa M. M. , Souza Juliano P. , Jorge Daniel M. M. , Martins Ronaldo B. , Castro Italo A. , Cardoso Ricardo S. , Volpini Lays P. B. , de Souza Luna Luciano K. , Spano Liliana C. , Bellei Nancy C. J. , Chahud Fernando , Arruda Eurico , A. Hyppolito Miguel
Published: June 2021

Cholesteatomas are frequent middle ear benign tumors of unknown etiology. Infectious agents have been considered as possible contributing factors in the pathogenesis of cholesteatomas. Aiming to investigate the presence of respiratory viruses in primary cholesteatoma tissues, 26 formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded primary cholesteatoma tissues obtained from patients seen at the of the Clinical Hospital of the University of São Paulo School of Medicine, in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil were tested by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Considering the PCR results, 35% of the tissues were positive for human rhinovirus (HRV), 15.3% for human enterovirus (EV), 3.8% for human metapneumovirus (HMPV), and 3.8% for human bocavirus (HBoV). Serial immunohistochemistry for virus antigens and cell surface markers evidenced that the viruses were associated with fibroblasts, dendritic cells, macrophages, B lymphocytes, CD4+, and CD8+ T lymphocytes. These findings indicate for the first time the presence of active respiratory virus infection in primary cholesteatoma tissues, suggesting that persisting virus infection in the middle could play a role in the pathogenesis and evolution of cholesteatomas.
Epidemiology and genetic characterization of human sapovirus among hospitalized acute diarrhea patients in Bangladesh, 2012–2015
Authors: Rahman Rajibur , Rahman Sezanur , Afrad Md M. H. , Talha Muhammad , Islam Deen , Uddin K. M. Main , Ahmed Shahnawaz , Afrad Mokibul H. , Faruque Abu S. G. , Hossain Mohammad E. , Rahman Mustafizur
Published: June 2021

Human sapovirus, which causes acute gastroenteritis, is not well studied and poorly understood. This study aims to investigate the contribution of sapovirus in diarrhea, their clinical association, and genotypic diversity. Fecal specimens (n = 871) were randomly selected from diarrheal patients who attended International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh during January 2012–December 2015 and tested for the presence of sapovirus RNA using real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Sapovirus RNA was identified in 2.3% (n = 20) of the samples. Seventy‐five percent of the sapovirus positive cases were coinfected with other pathogens, such as rotavirus, norovirus, enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, adenovirus, Shigella spp., and Vibrio cholerae. A vast genetic diversity was observed among sapovirus with at least seven common genotypes (GI.1, GI.2, GI.7, GII.1, GII.4, GII.6, and GIV), and a new genotype GII.NA1. Some of the GI.1 strains detected were similar to GI.4 in the polymerase region sequence and were confirmed as recombinant strains. Our findings suggest that the overall contribution of sapovirus in hospitalized diarrheal illness is low but highlight enormous genetic diversity.
Correlation between interleukin gene polymorphisms and current prevalence and mortality rates due to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐2019) in 23 countries
Authors: Karcioglu Batur Lutfiye , Hekim Nezih
Published: June 2021

Background

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) infection may rely on a potential genetic background for the variations in the inflammatory response. We aimed to investigate the possible correlation between polymorphisms inthe IL‐6gene at rs1800796/rs1800795, inIL‐6Rat rs2228145, inIL‐10at rs1800896 and rs1800871, inIL‐17at rs2275913 and rs763780 loci, and COVID‐19 prevalence and mortality rates among populations of 23 countries.

Methods

We searched the literature for polymorphisms in China, Japan, India, Spain, Mexico, Sweden, Turkey, Brazil, Russia, Poland, Italy, South Africa, Netherlands, Greece, Germany, UK, Iran, Finland, Czechia, Tunisia, Norway, Egypt, Croatia. We recorded the prevalence and mortality rates (per million) caused by the Coronavirus infection recorded on 7th September 2020 and 6th December 2020.

Results

There was a significant positive correlation between the frequency of AG genotype of rs1800896 and prevalence recorded on 6th December 2020 (r: 0.53,r2: 0.28,p < .05). There was a significant negative correlation between the mortality rates recorded on 7th September, and the AG genotype of rs2275913 (r: −0.51,r2: 0.26,p < .05). There was a significant positive correlation between the prevalence recorded on 6th December, and TT genotype at rs763780 (r: 0.65, r2:0.42,p < .05) while a negative correlation between prevalence and TC genotype at rs763780 (r: −0.66,r2: 0.43,p < .05). Also, a significant negative correlation was found between mortality rates recorded on 6th December 2020 and CC genotype at rs763780 (r: −0.56,r2: 0.31,p < .05).

Conclusion

The variations in prevalence of COVID‐19 and its mortality rates among countries may be explained by the polymorphisms at rs1800896 inIL‐10, rs2275913 inIL‐17A, and rs763780 loci in theIL‐17Fgene.
On the electron transmission control by a direction of magnetic field
Authors: Popov Igor Y. , Blinova Irina V. , Shamionova Elvina A. , Smolkina Maria O.
Published: June 2021

The electron transmission through a system of two orthogonal quantum rings in a magnetic field with one input and two output wires is studied. It is shown that the transmission to only one of the two output leads can be governed by a change in the construction orientation in respect to the field. A model of nonplane quantum graph embedded in three‐dimensional space is used.
Acute Liver Failure Etiology Is an Independent Predictor of Waitlist Outcome but Not Posttransplantation Survival in a National Cohort
Authors: Wong Natalie Z. , Reddy K. Rajender , Bittermann Therese
Published: June 2021

The impact of acute liver failure (ALF) etiology on waitlist (WL) and posttransplantation outcomes, independent of severity of illness, is incompletely characterized. All adults (n = 1691) listed for primary liver transplantation (LT) between 2002 and 2019 with ALF due to acetaminophen toxicity (APAP), drug‐induced liver injury (DILI), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and hepatitis B virus (HBV) were identified in the United Network for Organ Sharing database. ALF etiology was evaluated as an independent predictor of WL mortality and spontaneous survival (SS; versus outcome of LT), as well as post‐LT overall survival, graft survival, and in‐hospital mortality using multivariable models accounting for differences in clinical parameters at listing. Accounting for severity of illness at listing, WL mortality and SS for DILI, AIH, and HBV were each lower than those for APAP toxicity (adjusted relative risk ratio <1 in all analyses with P < 0.001 for both outcomes). ALF etiology was not associated with adjusted overall survival after LT (P = 0.09) or graft survival (P = 0.13). Inpatient mortality rate after LT was high at 9.0%. While ALF etiology was also not associated with adjusted inpatient mortality (P = 0.42), cause of death (COD) was different. For example, the rate of post‐LT brain death was 5.3% for APAP toxicity, 3.0% for other DILI, 1.1% for AIH, and 3.0% for HBV (P = 0.02). ALF etiology is an independent predictor of WL outcome, even after adjusting for severity of illness, but is not associated with post‐LT outcomes with the exception of COD. The majority of post‐LT deaths for all ALF etiologies studied occurred during the index hospital stay, suggesting a continued need for enhanced prognostic tools to ensure efficient organ utilization and ALF‐ and etiology‐specific post‐LT care to prevent brain death.
Advance selling, competition, and brand substitutability
Authors: Loginova Oksana
Published: June 2021

I analyze how information structure influences the profitability of advance selling in the presence of a competitor. Two firms produce different brands serving heterogeneous consumers. In advance, consumers know the utility they will get from their preferred brand but can be uninformed about its identity, how much they will dislike their nonpreferred brand, or both. The firms set prices in the main selling season (when uncertainty is resolved) simultaneously, but one firm can set an advance selling price (while there is still uncertainty). Competition enhances the profitability of advance selling when consumers are uninformed about which brand they will prefer.
Effects of cardiac medications on ventricular function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy–related cardiomyopathy
Authors: Murphy Alexander P. , Johnson Anna , Straub Volker , Heads‐Baister Alison , Lord Stephen , Bourke John P.
Published: June 2021

Introduction/Aims

The DMD Care Considerations Working Group Guidelines 2010 recommended treating cardiac dystrophinopathy with angiotensin‐converting enzyme‐inhibitor (ACEi) and beta‐blocker (BB) therapy to prevent the progressive decline in left ventricular function expected from earlier, natural history studies. The aim of this research was to audit change in measures of left ventricular function over 8 years to 4 years before and 4 years after deploying an ACEi/BB combination systematically at a dedicated “cardiology‐muscle” clinic.

Methods

This is an institutionally registered, retrospective, case‐file–based audit of serial echocardiographic measures of left ventricular fractional shortening accumulated over the period 1995 to 2015.

Results

Data from 104 genetically confirmed Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients, aged 22.2 ± 5.3 years at data censure, were included. Mean age at first detection of left ventricular dysfunction was 15.1 ± 4.2 years, but older in those on maintenance steroid therapy (16.8 ± 4.2 vs 14.5 ± 4.1 years; P = .04). Group mean fractional shortening fell by 1.5%/year over the 4 years before therapy, but this decreased to 0.9%/year over the first 4 years after starting therapy. Analysis of limited left ventricular ejection fraction measures showed similar but nonsignificant changes. Neither age at detection of left ventricular dysfunction nor fractional shortening percent at time of therapy initiation affected the beneficial response.

Discussion

The results support the international DMD recommendations of the time. This combination of cardiac medications helps stabilize heart function. For the best long‐term effects, therapy needs to be initiated no later than on first detection left ventricular impairment.
Stability and failure of compressed thin‐walled composite columns using experimental tests and advanced numerical damage models
Authors: Rozylo Patryk
Published: June 2021

The current study investigates the stability and failure analysis of thin‐walled composite columns with a top‐hat and channel cross section, subjected to axial compression. The analyzed structures were made of composite material (carbon fiber reinforced polymer) by autoclave technique. The study included experimental tests on actual specimens and numerical simulations on numerical models using finite element method (in ABAQUS® program). Experimental‐numerical analysis was conducted over the full range of loading (until failure phenomenon). Regarding the experimental tests, postbuckling equilibrium paths as well as acoustic emission signals were registered, which directly allowed for comprehensive analysis of failure phenomenon of composite material. In case of numerical simulations, two independent numerical damage models were used. The first one constitutes the progressive failure analysis, considering the damage initiation criteria using Hashin's theory and damage evolution based on the energy criterion. The second one constitutes the cohesive zone model, which was used to simulate failure of composite material caused by delamination phenomenon. Both experimental and numerical results show high agreement. Furthermore, the obtained results reveal an interesting relationship between buckling, postbuckling, and failure phenomenon of the analyzed structures.
Detection of cancerous lesions in skeletal remains using visual methods and radiographs
Authors: Fatula Sara
Published: June 2021

The recognition and diagnosis of pathological conditions can provide identifying characteristics that lead to the identification of unknown remains. While pathological lesions on dry bone are usually detected by gross visual examination, potentially individuating lesions may not be detected without radiographic analysis. Radiography may be especially important to diagnose metastatic cancer, where lesions may begin on the inner surface of the bone. The objective of this study was to determine if and on what skeletal elements metastatic cancerous lesions are detected more frequently when using radiographs compared to dry bone examination. Multiple skeletal elements from 30 individuals with reported soft tissue cancers were examined for the presence of visible lesions on dry bone and on radiographs. Results show that 63% of the sample with reported soft tissue cancers exhibited visible lesions. Of these, 42% of the lesions were identified solely on radiographs and 58% exhibited distinct lesions using both dry bone and radiographic analyses. A comparison of the two methods of lesion detection indicates that macroscopic analysis alone cannot capture the range of cancerous lesion manifestations. Here, I suggest a method for practitioners that minimizes time and expense in radiographing to prioritize skeletal elements that best exhibit cancerous lesions that would have otherwise been hidden on dry bone.
Biological histories of an elite: Skeletons from the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral (NW Spain)
Authors: López‐Costas Olalla , Müldner Gundula , Lidén Kerstin
Published: June 2021

This study aims to reconstruct the biological histories of the people buried at the Royal Chapel of Lugo Cathedral, an important religious center of NW Spain, by using anthropological, geochemical, and historical perspectives. We conducted a macroscopic and radiographic study on 955 skeletal elements, a multi‐isotope (δ13Ccol, δ15N, δ34Scol, δ13Cap, δ18Oap) analysis of human (n = 12) and animal (n = 4) samples, and the study of 1407 documents from the cathedral archives. There was a minimum of 15 individuals, including six subadults (<7 years), seven mature males, and one possible female. Several traumatic healed injuries, a pelvis osteochondroma, and a case of DISH have been detected. Males were enriched in15N (up to 15.7‰, Δhuman‐animal avg = 5.1‰) suggesting consumption of animal protein including freshwater fish. Cathedral documents reflectforapayments in the form of rye, eggs, poultry, sheep, pigs, and eels as well as the hiring of two physicians. All individuals, except one, lived between the 14thand the early 15thcenturies and show characteristics of high standard of living. Males were likely members of the cathedral—chaplains, administrators, sacristans, but not bishops—or noblemen relatives of the former according to preserved documents. Isotopic and paleopathological study suggest that they had an active and traveling life and at least one of them had connections with Central Spain. Children were local and possibly connected to the nobility. Lugo Cathedral is a prime example about the possibilities of transdisciplinary research in the identification of lifestyle in past populations.
Gut microbiota and bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Authors: Yang Kun , He Shasha , Dong Wenbin
Published: June 2021

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a relatively common and severe complication of prematurity, and its pathogenesis remains ambiguous. Revolutionary advances in microbiological analysis techniques, together with the growing sophistication of the gut–lung axis hypothesis, have resulted in more studies linking gut microbiota dysbiosis to the occurrence and development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. The present article builds on current findings to examine the intrinsic associations between gut microbiota and bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Gut microbiota dysbiosis may insult the intestinal barrier, triggering inflammation, metabolic disturbances, and malnutrition, consequences of which might impact bronchopulmonary dysplasia by altering the gut–lung axis. By evaluating the potential mechanisms, new therapeutic targets and potential therapeutic modalities for bronchopulmonary dysplasia can be identified from a microecological perspective.