bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract IA10: Inhibition of the Hippo pathway by AMPK-family kinases
Authors: Attisano Liliana
Published: September 2020

Inactivation of the Hippo pathway is a common feature in numerous cancers, yet mutations in pathway components are relatively rare. To uncover novel Hippo pathway regulators, we conducted multidimensional high-throughput screens. These efforts uncovered two AMPK family kinases, MARK4 and NUAK2, as negative regulators of the Hippo pathway. MARK kinases, including MARK3 and MARK4, phosphorylate both SAV1 and MST1/2 and inhibit MST1/2-dependent activation of LATS. Moreover, we showed that DLG5 acts as a scaffold to promote MARK-mediated phosphorylation of MST. In contrast to MARKs, NUAK2 interacts with and phosphorylates LATS. Interestingly, NUAK2 is induced by YAP/TAZ in cooperation with AP-1 and this is required for robust YAP/TAZ signaling. Inhibition or loss of NUAK2 reduces the growth of cultured cancer cells and mammary tumors in mice. In human patient samples, NUAK2 expression is elevated in aggressive, high-grade bladder cancer and strongly correlates with a YAP/TAZ gene signature. Thus, we identified a positive feed-forward loop in the Hippo pathway that establishes a key role for NUAK2 in enforcing the tumor-promoting activities of YAP/TAZ.

Citation Format: Liliana Attisano. Inhibition of the Hippo pathway by AMPK-family kinases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Hippo Pathway: Signaling, Cancer, and Beyond; 2019 May 8-11; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(8_Suppl):Abstract nr IA10.
Abstract IA21: The Hippo pathway in cancer
Authors: Guo Xiaocan , Liu Huan , Cao Xiaolei , Zhao Bin
Published: September 2020

The Hippo pathway plays a critical role in organ size control in development. Deregulation of the Hippo pathway leads to drastic enlargement of organs due to increased cell proliferation, inhibition of apoptosis, and dedifferentiation of differentiated cells. Interestingly, deregulation of the Hippo pathway also plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. However, precise roles of the Hippo pathway in tumorigenesis are unclear. By generating genetically defined liver tumor-initiating cells (TICs) with Hippo pathway inactivation or YAP activation, we found that the Hippo pathway unexpectedly mediates a crosstalk between TICs and the immune system. Via cytokines induced by YAP, TICs actively recruit M2 macrophages from as early as the single-cell stage. Elimination of TIC-associated macrophages (TICAMs) abolishes tumorigenesis in a manner dependent on the immune system. Furthermore, YAP activation has been observed in TICs induced by pathologically relevant oncogenes in murine livers and in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) precancerous lesions. These results demonstrate for the first time that macrophages play a decisive role in the survival of single TIC in vivo and provide a proof of principle for TIC elimination by targeting YAP or M2 macrophages. Furthermore, we found that YAP induces leukocyte-specific integrin β2 (ITGB2) expression in cancer cells, thereby promoting cell invasion through the endothelium in a manner mimicking leukocytes. Through independent biochemical purification and a functional screen, we further identified PR/SET domain 4 (PRDM4) as a transcription factor interacting with the WW domains of YAP to mediate ITGB2 expression and cell invasion. Consistently, ITGB2 and PRDM4 mRNA levels are significantly increased in metastatic prostate cancer. In addition, PRDM4 contributes to YAP-induced tumorigenesis, possibly via mediating the expression of other YAP target genes. Our results demonstrate that YAP promotes cell invasion by inducing leukocyte-specific integrin expression and identify PRDM4 as a novel transcription factor for YAP targets.

Citation Format: Xiaocan Guo, Huan Liu, Xiaolei Cao, Bin Zhao. The Hippo pathway in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Hippo Pathway: Signaling, Cancer, and Beyond; 2019 May 8-11; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2020;18(8_Suppl):Abstract nr IA21.
Abstract IA11: Reversal of immunotherapy resistance through hypoxia reduction
Authors: Jayaprakash Priyamvada , Ai Midan , Curran Michael A.
Published: September 2020

Across multiple cancers, we find that T cells fail to accumulate in regions of hypoxia that can occupy as much as 50% of the volume of some solid tumors. In mouse models of both prostate cancer and head and neck cancer, we find that the hypoxia-activated prodrug TH-302 (evofosfamide) can reduce hypoxia by triggering a tissue-remodeling process that culminates in revascularization with organized, functional vessels. In the TRAMP-C2 model of prostate cancer, combining TH-302 with blockade of the T-cell immune checkpoint receptors CTLA-4 and PD-1 cures nearly all mice of 7-day established tumors and the majority of larger, 2-week established malignancy. TRAMP transgenic mice, which do not respond at all to immunotherapy alone, treated with the combination of TH-302 and either CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade or CTLA-4 blockade and 4-1BB agonist show exceptional tumor control at 36 weeks of age. Mechanistically, hypoxia favors accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and reduction of hypoxia using TH-302 significantly decreases both their frequency and density in prostate tumors. In addition, the capacity of MDSC from mice receiving hypoxia reduction and checkpoint blockade to suppress T-cell proliferation is significantly diminished. Tumor-infiltrating T cells benefit both directly and indirectly from hypoxia reduction as evidenced by increased proliferation, cytotoxicity, effector cytokine production, and survival. Immunofluorescence reveals a lack of T-cell infiltration of hypoxic zones even in the context of CTLA-4 and PD-1 blockade. In contrast, coadministration of TH-302 with checkpoint blockade promotes nearly equivalent T-cell densities across normoxic and hypoxic tumor areas. Clinically, we are evaluating the combination of TH-302 and ipilimumab in patients with checkpoint refractory melanoma, HPV- head and neck cancer, metastatic prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer (NCT03098160). Correlative studies in these patients reveal advantageous skewing of the tumor immune microenvironment in tumors where hypoxia is reduced on therapy. Further studies of the response of patient cancers to this therapy are ongoing. In addition, we seek to understand the molecular mechanisms linking hypoxia to impaired suppression in stromal myeloid and fibroblast compartments, and to identify additional pharmacologic interventions capable of disrupting hypoxia.

Citation Format: Priyamvada Jayaprakash, Midan Ai, Michael A. Curran. Reversal of immunotherapy resistance through hypoxia reduction [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-AHNS Head and Neck Cancer Conference: Optimizing Survival and Quality of Life through Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research; 2019 Apr 29-30; Austin, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(12_Suppl_2):Abstract nr IA11.
Abstract B28: Optimizing DNA processing and ovarian cancer methylation-specific PCR assays for the detection of early-stage ovarian cancer
Authors: Warton Kristina , Yuwono Nicole , Henry Claire , Hacker Neville , Ford Caroline
Published: September 2020

Background: Ovarian cancer screening has the potential to greatly reduce mortality by shifting the time of diagnosis to an early stage when the tumor is confined to a single site and can be completely cured by surgical removal. Ovarian cancer DNA is present in blood and has a distinct methylation profile that distinguishes it from healthy blood cells, thus making it a target for ovarian cancer diagnosis via a blood test. However, while the presence of this DNA in the blood of cancer patients is well established, low abundance and DNA fragmentation present a barrier to developing clinical applications that target it.

Methods: We are systematically evaluating and optimizing each step of DNA extraction, processing, and analysis to increase the sensitivity of cancer DNA detection by PCR. At the same time, we are developing PCR assays to detect ovarian cancer specific methylation based on a previous tumor and blood screen that identified 73 methylated candidate biomarker regions.

Results: We have found that inhibitors of the PCR reaction introduced into the sample during DNA extraction and bisulphite treatment limit the total amount of DNA that can be analyzed, and thus the sensitivity of the test. Precipitation of the DNA samples prior to PCR analysis removes the inhibitors and increases useable sample volume and thus sensitivity. We have also developed methylation-specific PCR assays for DNA regions that are methylated in ovarian tumor tissue, and unmethylated in white blood cells.

Conclusions: We are progressing our candidate methylated DNA ovarian cancer biomarkers closer to testing in clinical samples. Our results on sample processing and DNA analysis methods to enable ovarian cancer DNA detection are relevant to all cancer types for which cell-free tumor DNA has clinical applications.

Citation Format: Kristina Warton, Nicole Yuwono, Claire Henry, Neville Hacker, Caroline Ford. Optimizing DNA processing and ovarian cancer methylation-specific PCR assays for the detection of early-stage ovarian cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr B28.
Abstract PR12: Genetic aberrations dictate distinct tumor immune landscape and chemosensitivity in HGSOC
Authors: Zhang Shuang , Iyer Sonia , Ran Hao , Wei Wei , Weinberg Robert A. , Neel Benjamin G.
Published: September 2020

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most common and deadly subtype of ovarian epithelial cancer and is known for its aggressiveness, high recurrence rate, metastasis to other sites, development of resistance to conventional chemotherapy, and general lack of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. The absence of genomically relevant, immune-competent HGSOC models represents a major barrier to developing new therapies. Taking advantage of a mouse fallopian tube organoid system that we developed, along with lentiviral gene transduction and/or CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated multiple new HGSOC models containing combinations of mutations seen in human HGSOC, including homologous recombination (HR)-proficient (Tp53-/-;Ccne1amp;Akt2ampand Tp53-/-;Ccne1amp;Krasamp) and -deficient (Tp53-/-;Brca1-/-;Pten-/-and Tp53-/-;Brca1-/-;Mycamp), and poorly characterized (Tp53-/-;Pten-/-;Nf1-/-) models. These models differ in proliferation, differentiation, and polarity/organoid structure in vitro, as well as tumorigenic capacity and behavior upon orthotopic injection into syngeneic mice. Organoids bearing different mutational spectra show differential sensitivity to conventional HGSOC chemotherapies, signal transduction inhibitors and DDR inhibitors, and evoke distinctly different immune microenvironment in vivo. In particular, the immune microenvironment induced by HR-deficient tumors shows more T-cell infiltration/Treg cells, whereas HR-proficient lines show lower T-cell infiltration but higher levels of myeloid-derived suppressor cells and macrophages. The results of these studies suggest novel, genotype-informed combination therapies for this devastating disease.

This abstract is also being presented as Poster B19.

Citation Format: Shuang Zhang, Sonia Iyer, Hao Ran, Wei Wei, Robert A. Weinberg, Benjamin G. Neel. Genetic aberrations dictate distinct tumor immune landscape and chemosensitivity in HGSOC [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Ovarian Cancer Research; 2019 Sep 13-16, 2019; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2020;26(13_Suppl):Abstract nr PR12.
Haploidentical Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Using Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide for Sézary Syndrome
Authors: Kanda-Kato Madoka , Yoshioka Satoshi , Ishikawa Takayuki
Published: September 2020

Patients with advanced-stage mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS) have a poor prognosis. Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a potentially curative treatment option; however, since most patients with MF/SS are elderly, they often have difficulty in finding HLA-matched donors. In recent years, HCT from HLA-haploidentical donors (haplo-HCT) using posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy) as graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis has been conducted for patients without HLA-matched donors. Infectious complications, particularly cutaneous bacterial infections, are common among patients with MF/SS. The lower incidence of severe infectious complications after haplo-HCT than after an unrelated cord blood transplantation could lead to lower transplant-related mortality. Here, we report on a patient with SS who was treated successfully with haplo-HCT with PTCy. The patient has remained in complete remission for more than 24 months.
Durable Complete Response of a Recurrent Mesencephalic Glioblastoma Treated with Trametinib and Low-Dose Dabrafenib in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Authors: Awada Gil , Serruys Daphne , Schwarze Julia Katharina , Van De Voorde Lien , Duerinck Johnny , Neyns Bart
Published: September 2020

Patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) have an increased lifetime risk for the development of nervous system tumors, including high-grade gliomas (glioblastoma). NF1 is associated with the loss of expression of neurofibromin 1 (NF1 gene product). This hyperactivates the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, leading to cellular proliferation and survival. MEK-inhibitor monotherapy is a promising treatment strategy in this setting, but is associated with distinct adverse events, most prominently cutaneous toxicity. We report the case of a young NF1 patient with a recurrent, heavily pretreated mesencephalic glioblastoma who was treated with the MEK-inhibitor trametinib (2 mg once daily). A partial response was documented, but unfortunately, he developed dose-limiting cutaneous toxicity (rash, paronychia). Based on interim results of a phase 2 trial in advanced BRAFV600 wild-type melanoma indicating that a low dose of the BRAF-inhibitor dabrafenib is able to counter trametinib-related cutaneous toxicity, dabrafenib 50 mg twice daily was added. The cutaneous adverse events gradually recovered after addition of dabrafenib to trametinib. The patient eventually achieved a durable complete response, has excellent tolerance of his treatment and remains fully active.
Fragmentos de nossa brasilidade, contracultura e utopia
Authors: Paixão Fernando , Gouveia Inês , Galvão Luciana Suarez
Published: September 2020

Editorial da Revista do Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros, n. 76.
Cultura no enfrentamento do agora
Authors: Retroz Sergio Ricardo
Published: September 2020

O livro objeto desta resenha é constituído pela tradução de importantes textos de García Canclini sobre políticas culturais, com destaque para um publicado em 1987. Conta ainda com uma coletânea de ensaios de especialistas brasileiros que comentam o pensamento do intelectual argentino. Propõe, dessa forma, uma reflexão sobre a influência de Canclini nas políticas culturais latino-americanas, com especial atenção ao caso brasileiro.
Os arquivos pessoais de Gilda de Mello e Souza e Antonio Candido
Authors: Ribas Elisabete Marin , Escorel Laura
Published: September 2020

Doados ao Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros da Universidade de São Paulo em 2017, os arquivos de Gilda e Antonio Candido de Mello e Souza começam a ter seus dados abertos ao acesso público no segundo semestre de 2020. O presente trabalho tem por objetivo compartilhar a experiência do tratamento técnico aplicado aos arquivos dos professores e apresentar o conteúdo dos fundos e alguns dos instrumentos de pesquisa elaborados, convidando os interessados na vida e na obra dos titulares da documentação ao desenvolvimento de futuras pesquisas
Trends in Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction for Patients With a New Diagnosis of Heart Failure
Authors: Tisdale Rebecca L. , Haddad François , Kohsaka Shun , Heidenreich Paul A.
Published: September 2020

Background:

The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) guides treatment of heart failure, yet this data has not been systematically collected in large data sets. We sought to characterize the epidemiology of incident heart failure using the initial LVEF.

Methods:

We identified 219 537 patients in the Veterans Affairs system between 2011 and 2017 who had an LVEF documented within 365 days before and 30 days after the heart failure diagnosis date. LVEF was obtained from natural language processing from imaging and provider notes. In multivariate analysis, we assessed characteristics associated with having an initial LVEF <40%.

Results:

Most patients were male and White; a plurality were within the 60 to 69 year age decile. A majority of patients had ischemic heart disease and a high burden of co-morbidities. Over time, presentation with an LVEF <40% became slightly less common, with a nadir in 2015. Presentation with an initial LVEF <40% was more common in younger patients, men, Black and Hispanic patients, an inpatient presentation, lower systolic blood pressure, lower pulse pressure, and higher heart rate. Ischemic heart disease, alcohol use disorder, peripheral arterial disease, and ventricular arrhythmias were associated with an initial LVEF <40%, while most other comorbid conditions (eg, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, malignancy) were more strongly associated with an initial LVEF >50%.

Conclusions:

For patients with heart failure, particularly at the extremes of age, an initial preserved LVEF is common. In addition to clinical characteristics, certain races (Black and Hispanic) were more likely to present with a reduced LVEF. Further studies are needed to determine if racial differences are due to patient or health systems issues such as access to care.
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Inhibitors and Risks of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection
Authors: Chan Chieh-Kai , Huang Yu-Shan , Liao Hung-Wei , Tsai I-Jung , Sun Chiao-Yin , Pan Heng-Chih , Chueh Jeff S. , Wang Jann-Tay , Wu Vin-Cent , Chu Tzong-Shinn ,   on behalf of the National Taiwan University Hospital Study Group of ARF, the Taiwan Primary Aldosteronism Investigators and the Taiwan Consortium for Acute Kidney Injury and Renal Diseases
Published: September 2020

The viral spike coat protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) engages the human ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) 2 cell surface receptor to infect the host cells. Thus, concerns arose regarding theoretically higher risk for coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) in patients taking ACE inhibitors/angiotensin II type 1 receptor antagonists (angiotensin receptor blockers [ARBs]). We systematically assessed case-population and cohort studies from MEDLINE (Ovid), Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews PubMed, Embase, medRXIV, the World Health Organization database of COVID-19 publications, and
ClinicalTrials.gov
through June 1, 2020, with planned ongoing surveillance. We rated the certainty of evidence according to Cochrane methods and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. After pooling the adjusted odds ratios from the included studies, no significant increase was noted in the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection by the use of ACE inhibitors (adjusted odds ratio, 0.95 [95% CI, 0.86–1.05]) or ARBs (adjusted odds ratio, 1.05 [95% CI, 0.97–1.14]). However, the random-effects meta-regression revealed that age may modify the SARS-CoV-2 infection risk in subjects with the use of ARBs (coefficient, −0.006 [95% CI, −0.016 to 0.004]), that is, the use of ARBs, as opposed to ACE inhibitors, specifically augmented the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in younger subjects (<60 years old). The use of ACE inhibitors might not increase the susceptibility of SARS-CoV-2 infection, severity of disease, and mortality in case-population and cohort studies. Additionally, we discovered for the first time that the use of ARBs, as opposed to ACE inhibitors, specifically augmented the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in younger subjects, without obvious effects on COVID-19 outcomes.
Tax Culture and Trust
Authors: Ogorodnikova Irina Ivanovna , Pecherkina Irina Fedorovna , Baksha Nadezhda Vladimirovna , Tarasova Anna Nikolaevna
Published: September 2020

The purpose of this research is to study the influence of the level of public trust in various social institutions and structures on shaping tax culture. The authors identify three components of tax culture, namely, tax morality, tax literacy, and tax behavior. Institutional trust as the main component of a tax paying culture has a strong impact on tax morality. The groups with a high level of institutional trust have only about a third as many tax deviations as the groups with a low level of institutional trust. Over the past decade, Russia has seen a gradual increase in trust, which contributes to strengthening tax morality and raising the level of tax culture in the population. This is manifested in increased tax collection and reduced tax arrears. Nevertheless, tax opportunism still persists in Russian society. Almost a third of citizens do not consider themselves obliged to pay taxes and are tolerant of tax deviations. This fact may serve as a factor in the reproduction of deviant forms of taxpayer behavior, together with a low level of tax literacy in the population.
Attitudes towards Gender Equality
Authors: Zagrebina Anna
Published: September 2020

This study contributes to a societal vision of contemporary democracy, a subject that is not sufficiently considered in the research literature, by analyzing the mechanisms underlying the production of egalitarian gender attitudes in less democratic and more democratic societies and concluding on the democratic social context. A comparative analysis of gender attitudes in 72 countries shows that citizens of the most democratized countries have more egalitarian gender attitudes in politics, business and access to university education and employment, and that determinants of gender attitudes vary by sex and socio-political context.
Social Change and the Accommodation of Religious Minorities in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Burg Wibren , de Been Wouter
Published: September 2020

The toleration of religious minorities is changing in the Netherlands. In this paper we analyze three recent developments in Dutch society that are important for understanding the way the Dutch regime of religious tolerance is adjusting to 21st century circumstances. The first one concerns the growing homogenization of Dutch society and the emergence of a secular and liberal majority. The second is the dominance in policy and public debate of a “Protestant” conception of what religion amounts to. The third development is the fragmentation of religion and its simultaneous combination into new networks and groups made possible by new information and communication technologies. These developments pose challenges to constitutional rights and principles. There are no simple solutions to these challenges, but the Dutch tradition of consociationalism, as a liberal tradition in its own right, may provide some valuable perspectives.
Grammatical Categories of Verbs in German and Thai: A Corpus-Based Contrastive Study
Authors: Attaviriyanupap Korakoch
Published: September 2020

This paper presents the results of a contrastive study of grammatical categories expressing temporality and modality through verb forms in German and Thai. In order to discover systematic uses of pre- and postverbal temporal and modal markers in Thai in relation to the German tense and modality system, I analyzed the first German-Thai bidirectional corpus consisting of contemporary German and Thai short stories and their translations into the other language. Although German and Thai express temporality differently, certain conceptual relationships between German tenses and Thai aspects can be identified. In terms of modality, Thai has grammaticalized two different sets of modal verbs providing either deontic or epistemic meanings but has not developed any markers equivalent to the German subjunctive mood.
Species of Cerambycinae (Insecta, Coleoptera, Cerambycidae) from east Paraná State (Brazil), with new geographic records
Authors: BARROS RAFAEL C. , FONSECA MAILSON G. , JARDIM MARCELO T. , VENDRAMINI VINICIUS E. , DAMIANI BRUNO C.B. , JULIO CARLOS E. A.
Published: September 2020

A list of species of Cerambycinae (Cerambycidae) collected in Iguaçu National Park (PNI) during the period from March 2012 to December 2018 is provided. A total of 135 species were sampled using different collection methods, all recorded for the first time in the PNI and including 21 new distribution records for the state of Paraná, and two new records for Brazil. The geographic distribution and material examined are stated for each species. A photograph of each newly recorded species is also provided.
Two new species of the genus Xiphidiopsis Redtenbacher, 1891 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae: Meconematini) from Yunnan, China
Authors: CUI PENG , LIU QING , CHANG YANLIN
Published: September 2020

The paper reports two new species of the genus Xiphidiopsis Redtenbacher, 1891 from Yunnan, China, i.e. Xiphidiopsis (Dinoxiphidiopsis) bifurcatis sp. nov. and Xiphidiopsis (Xiphidiopsis) spoona sp. nov., and provides characteristic photographs of external morphology. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Hebei University, Baoding, P. R. China.
Bryophila perloides Guenée, 1852 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Bryophilinae), an overlooked member of the European Noctuidae fauna, with upgrading of Bryopsis Boursin, 1970 to generic level (Taxonomic studies on the western Palaearctic Bryophilinae, No. 1)
Authors: VARGAS-RODRÍGUEZ SURAYA M. , FIBIGER MICHAEL , HONEY MARTIN R. , RONKAY GÁBOR , YELA JOSÉ LUIS , ZILLI ALBERTO , RONKAY LÁSZLÓ
Published: September 2020

The generic level segregation of the formerly unified taxa Nyctobrya Boursin, 1957 and Bryopsis Boursin, 1970 is discussed; the second one is reinstated as a genus, on the basis of apomorphic features in the male genitalia (Bryopsis stat. rev.). The large genus Bryophila Treitschke, 1825 is briefly characterized, in order to assess the specific identity of the formerly misinterpreted Bryophila perloides Guenée, 1852, the only European member of its species-group. So far as is known, B. perloides (stat. rev.) inhabits the southernmost, pericoastal area of Andalusia (Spain), and is known to date from five specimens. It is, thus, to be included in the Iberian and European checklists of Noctuidae. All other described species of the perloides species-group are North African. They are reviewed and their types checked; the adults, as well as their genitalia, are illustrated. Genitalia of all holotypes/syntypes are studied. Also, lectotypes are designated for B. perloides, B. squamosa Schwingenschuss, 1936 and B. barbaria Schawerda, 1934.
A new species of Psectrascelis (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Pimeliinae) from the coastal dunes of the Atacama Desert, Chile
Authors: LARREA-MEZA SEBASTIÁN , PINTO PABLO , COLLADO GONZALO A. , ZÚÑIGA-REINOSO ÁLVARO
Published: September 2020

Psectrascelis is one of the most specious genus of darkling beetles of South America, comprising 82 species that inhabit arid and semiarid environments. The species are distributed mainly in Argentina and Chile. In general, the taxonomy of several species in this group has been difficult to approach. An example is Psectrascelis pilosa Solier and Psectrascelis conjugens Fairmaire, species morphologically similar which presents a rather poor original description and mislabelled. These species are distributed sympatrically in coastal terraces at the northern side of Huasco river, northern Chile. We collected several specimens of Psectrascelis on the southern side of Huasco river which are morphologically similar to P. pilosa. Morphological and genetic analysis support the description of the species Psectrascelis ammophila sp. nov., which is more closely related to Psectrascelis elongata and Psectrascelis pilipes specularis than other morphologically similar species (Psectrascelis pilosa and Psectrascelis conjugens). The importance of the Huasco river as barrier and the evolutionary convergence is discussed to explain the crypsis and the phylogenetic pattern found.
Physiological Time Series Processing via Empirical Wavelet Transform
Authors: Singh Omkar
Published: September 2020

This paper presents the efficacy of empirical wavelet transform (EWT) for physiological time series processing. At first, EWT is applied to multivariate heterogeneous physiological time series. Secondly, EWT is used for the removal of fast temporal scales in multiscale entropy analysis.
Empirical mode decomposition is an adaptive data analysis method in the sense that it does not require prior information about the signal statistics and tend to decompose a signal into various constituent modes. The utility of Standard EMD algorithm is however limited to single channel data
as it suffers from the problems of mode alignment and mode mixing when applied channel wise for multivariate data. The standard EMD algorithm was extended to multivariate Empirical mode decomposition (MEMD) that can be used analyze a multivariate data. The MEMD can only be applied to multivariate
data in which all the channels have equal data length. EWT is another adaptive technique for mode extraction in a signal using empirical scaling and wavelet functions. The multiscale entropy (MSE) algorithm is generally used to quantify the complexity of a time series. The original MSE approach
utilizes a coarse-graining process for the removal of fast temporal scales in a time series which is equivalent to applying a finite impulse response (FIR) moving average filter. In Refined Multiscale entropy (RMSE), the FIR filter was replaced with a low pass Butterworth filter which exhibits
a better frequency response than that of a FIR filter. In this paper we have presented a new approach for the removal of fast temporal scales based on empirical wavelet transform. The empirical wavelet transform is also used as an innovative filtering approach in multiscale entropy analysis.
Study of Copernicium Nanoparticles Delivery Process in Human Cancer Cells, Tissues and Tumors Under Gravitationally Accelerating Ions Through the Super Contorted 'Tubular' Polar Areas of Magnetic Fields
Authors: Heidari Alireza , Schmitt Katrina , Henderson Maria , Besana Elizabeth
Published: September 2020

Cancer is a major cause of death with more than 10 million annual patients. It is possible that this number reaches 15 million patients per year by 2020. Though chemotherapy has largely been successful in controlling and treating cancer, live tissue damage, systemic toxicity and side
effects in this method are among the issues that cannot be overlooked. In order to reduce the negative effects of anticancer drugs on normal tissues, we need to design Nano-sized carriers that can pass the safety barriers and body tissues and reach their target site. In this article, the size
and zeta potential of Nano-carriers PLGA–Cs–Paclitaxel were evaluated. Chitosan connection in physical or conjugated forms may lead to a significant increase of polydispersity. According to the study carried out on the concentration of Chitosan and the type of absorption, it was
concluded that nanoparticles size increases with higher concentrations of Chitosan. The zeta potential will increase, provided the conjugation of Chitosan is higher than physical adsorption.
Evaluation of Crosslink Density Using Material Constants of Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer/Styrene-Butadiene Rubber with Different Nanoclay Loading: Finite Element Analysis-Simulation and Experimental
Authors: Vishvanathperumal S. , Navaneethakrishnan V. , Anand G. , Gopalakannan S.
Published: September 2020

Nanoclay is used to enhance the mechanical properties of ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM)/styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) blends. Sulphur (S), dicumyl peroxide (P), and mixed systems (S + P) were used as crosslinking or vulcanizing agents for the EPDM/SBR nanocomposites. The experimental
data of the stress–strain behavior of EPDM/SBR blends with different nanoclay loading have been determined through a tension test. Nonlinear mechanical behaviors of the rubbers are described by strain energy functions in order to assurance that rigid body motions play no role in the
constitutive law. The mathematical model such as the Mooney-Rivlin model based on the existence of strain energy density functions depends on the right Cauchy-Green's deformation tensor or Green's strain tensor. The experimental data are fitted to the Mooney-Rivlin model in order to find the
rubber material constants. These constants are used to find the crosslinking density. A comparison between the experimental stress–strain behavior and finite element analysis of a uniaxial tension test at different nanoclay loading is presented.
Adsorption Mechanism and Electrochemical Performance of Congo Red onto Magnetic CuFe2O4 Nanoparticles
Authors: He Ao-Lin , Huang Yu-Wei , Fang Lei , Xu Jing
Published: September 2020

Magnetic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by the facile alcohol-solution combustion approach, and they were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction
(XRD) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The magnetic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles were employed to adsorb Congo red (CR) from aqueous medium. The study of magnetic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles for CR adsorption at room temperature was performed, and the
Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second kinetics model matched well with the adsorption process, those suggested that the mechanism of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles for CR adsorption followed the adsorption behavior of monolayer. The adsorbance descended with the increase of pH value,
especially the pH value exceeded 7, and the adsorbance amounted to 77% of the initial one via 10 recycles. While, the electrochemical performances of bare magnetic glassy carbon electrode (MGCE), MGCE/CuFe2O4 nanoparticles, and MGCE/nanoparticles adsorbed CR were measured
by EIS and CV.
A Quantitative Fluorescence Study of α-Amylase with Different Sizes of Colloidal Silver Nanoparticles and Its Effect on Human Lung Carcinoma A549 Cells
Authors: Khade Bipin S. , Waghmare Manik N. , Bhatawale Nandini , Gawali Poonam G. , Khobragade Chandrahasya N. , Dongre P. M.
Published: September 2020

Silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were synthesized using fungal -amylase. Different sizes of stable SNPs were characterized using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) revealed 30 nm, 45 nm, 60 nm and 75 nm, X-ray diffractometer (XRD) showed face centric cubic and High Resolution Transmission Electron
Microscopy (HR-TEM) represented spherical in shape. UV-Visible spectroscopy displayed absorption at 412 nm due to Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Fluorescence and Fourier Transform Infra Red (FTIR) spectroscopy has shown the mechanism of structural interaction between SNPs and α-amylase.
The thermodynamic parameters viz. free energy (ΔG0), enthalpy (ΔH0) and entropy (ΔS0) suggests that the binding process occurs spontaneously by involving hydrogen bond and van der Waals interactions. Cytotoxic studies
on lung cancer cell line (A-549) showed that the synthesized largest size (75 nm) SNPs were more effective than smallest (30 nm).
Otolaryngology Residency Interviews in a Socially Distanced World: Strategies to Recruit and Assess Applicants
Authors: Chou David W. , Pletcher Steven D. , Bruss David , Sung C. Kwang , Diaz Rodney C. , Liang Jonathan , Durr Megan L.
Published: September 2020

Due to concerns surrounding travel during the COVID‐19 pandemic, the 2020‐2021 otolaryngology residency application cycle will be conducted virtually for the first time. Residency programs should consider the logistics of video interviews, drawing on experiences of other programs that have successfully performed virtual interviews in the past. The lack of in‐person interviews will create challenges in assessing applicants, and we recommend that programs develop structured and targeted questions and even consider having candidates answer standardized questions prior to the virtual interview day. From an applicant perspective, gauging the intangibles of individual residency programs, such as resident camaraderie, program culture, and program location, will be difficult. To address this, programs should consider hosting informal virtual gatherings, create videos that highlight the resident experience, and ensure that program websites are up‐to‐date. Ultimately, adaptability, resilience, and innovation will allow residency programs to achieve a successful 2021 otolaryngology match.
Derbylite and graeserite from the Monte Arsiccio mine, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy: occurrence and crystal-chemistry
Authors: Biagioni Cristian , Bonaccorsi Elena , Perchiazzi Natale , Hålenius Ulf , Zaccarini Federica
Published: September 2020

New occurrences of derbylite, Fex2+Fe3+4–2xTi4+3+xSb3+O13(OH), and graeserite, Fex2+Fe3+4–2xTi4+3+xAs3+O13(OH), have been identified in the Monte Arsiccio mine, Apuan Alps, Tuscany, Italy. Derbylite occurs as prismatic to acicular black crystals in carbonate veins. Iron and Ti are replaced by V (up to 0.29 atoms per formula unit, apfu) and minor Cr (up to 0.04 apfu). Mössbauer spectroscopy confirmed the occurrence of Fe2+ (up to 0.73 apfu), along with Fe3+. The Sb/(As+Sb) atomic ratio ranges between 0.73 and 0.82. Minor Ba and Pb (up to 0.04 apfu) substitute. Derbylite is monoclinic, space group P21/m, with unit-cell parameters a = 7.1690(3), b = 14.3515(7), c = 4.9867(2) Å, β = 104.820(3)° and V = 495.99(4) Å3. The crystal structure was refined to R1 = 0.0352 for 1955 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo). Graeserite occurs as prismatic to tabular black crystals, usually twinned, in carbonate veins or as porphyroblasts in schist. Graeserite in the first kind of assemblage is V rich (up to 0.66 apfu), and V poor in the second kind (0.03 apfu). Along with minor Cr (up to 0.06 apfu), this element replaces Fe and Ti. The occurrence of Fe2+ (up to 0.68 apfu) is confirmed by Mössbauer spectroscopy. Arsenic is dominant over Sb and detectable amounts of Ba and Pb have been measured (up to 0.27 apfu). Graeserite is monoclinic, space group C2/m, with unit-cell parameters for two samples: a = 5.0225(7), b = 14.3114(18), c = 7.1743(9) Å, β = 104.878(3)°, V = 498.39(11) Å3; and a = 5.0275(4), b = 14.2668(11), c = 7.1663(5) Å, β = 105.123(4)° and V = 496.21(7) Å3. The crystal structures were refined to R1 = 0.0399 and 0.0237 for 428 and 1081 reflections with Fo > 4σ(Fo), respectively. Derbylite and graeserite are homeotypic. They share the same tunnel structure, characterised by an octahedral framework and cuboctahedral cavities, hosting (As/Sb)O3 groups and (Ba/Pb) atoms.
Energetics of the distribution of cell wall in wood based on an eigenvalue analysis
Authors: Tsutsumi Harusa , Haga Hirokazu , Fujimoto Takaaki
Published: September 2020

Wood is a highly heterogeneous material characterized by a number of properties that vary significantly among samples. Even in woods of the same density, substantial differences in properties show up depending on the distribution pattern of their cell walls. With the aim of deep understanding of the wood variation, we examine this pattern from the physical perspectives using samples of the same density but with significantly different shrinkages. The power spectrum, which represents the regularity of the occurrence of cell walls or lumen, was obtained through Fourier transform processing of micrographs of the transverse sections of wood samples. The set of eigenvalues calculated from the variance–covariance matrix comprising the spectra is identified with a Hamiltonian representing the energy eigenstate of the wood. The cell wall distribution can then be analyzed from within thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. The eigenvalues from the images of latewood were widely distributed compared with those from earlywood. The first eigenvalue is equivalent to the Helmholtz free energy, and thus the high-shrinkage samples showed large Helmholtz free energy because of the high presence of latewood. The Shannon entropy calculated from the probability associated with each energy eigenstate was larger in images of earlywood than latewood. That is, low-shrinkage samples have a more homogeneous structure than high-shrinkage samples. These results were strongly consistent with observations from micrographs and previous knowledge of the physical properties of woods. The physical approaches proposed in this study is independent of the origin of the data and therefore has a wide application.
Prevalence and factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Kiwango Frank , Mboya Innocent B. , John Beatrice , Hashim Tamara , Msuya Sia E. , Mgongo Melina
Published: September 2020

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends early initiation of breastfeeding within 1 h as it confers many benefits to the child and prevents neonatal mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding in the Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania.

Methods

We analyzed secondary data for 866 participants from a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in April 2016 among mothers with children aged less than 5 years in three districts; Rombo, Same, and Moshi Municipal council in Kilimanjaro region, northern Tanzania. A multistage sampling selected study participants and interviewed using a questionnaire. The generalized linear model, with Poisson family and log-link function was used to estimate the prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for factors associated with timely initiation of breastfeeding.

Results

The prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding was 71.1%. The vast majority of mothers (90.7%) gave colostrum, and less than a tenth (6.4%) gave pre-lacteal feed to their children. Adjusted for other factors, not giving children prelacteal feeds remained was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding (PR: 2.22, 95%CI 1.38, 3.56, p = 0.001). There was no significant association between other characteristics and the likelihood of timely initiation of breastfeeding in this study.

Conclusion

The prevalence of timely initiation of breastfeeding in the Kilimanjaro region was higher than the national estimate. The practice of not giving infants prelacteal feeds increased the likelihood of timely initiation of breastfeeding. There is a need to encourage mothers on the significance of recommended ANC visits and early initiation of breastfeeding to their infants to improve the practice.
Comprehensive profiling of immune-related genes in soft tissue sarcoma patients
Authors: Hu Chuan , Chen Bo , Huang Zhangheng , Liu Chuan , Ye Lin , Wang Cailin , Tong Yuexin , Yang Jiaxin , Zhao Chengliang
Published: September 2020

Background

Immune-related genes (IRGs) have been confirmed to have an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor microenvironment formation. Nevertheless, a systematic analysis of IRGs and their clinical significance in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients is lacking.

Methods

Gene expression files from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) were used to select differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs) were determined by matching the DEG and ImmPort gene sets, which were evaluated by functional enrichment analysis. Unsupervised clustering of the identified DEIRGs was conducted, and associations with prognosis, the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune checkpoints, and immune cells were analyzed simultaneously. Two prognostic signatures, one for overall survival (OS) and one for progression free survival (PFS), were established and validated in an independent set. Finally, two transcription factor (TF)-IRG regulatory networks were constructed, and a crucial regulatory axis was validated.

Results

In total, 364 DEIRGs and four clusters were identified. OS, TME scores, five immune checkpoints, and 12 types of immune cells were found to be significantly different among the four clusters. The two prognostic signatures incorporating 20 DEIRGs showed favorable discrimination and were successfully validated. Two nomograms combining signature and clinical variables were generated. The C-indexes were 0.879 (95%CI 0.832 ~ 0.926) and 0.825 (95%CI 0.776 ~ 0.874) for the OS and PFS signatures, respectively. Finally, TF-IRG regulatory networks were established, and the MYH11-ADM regulatory axis was verified in three independent datasets.

Conclusion

This comprehensive analysis of the IRG landscape in soft tissue sarcoma revealed novel IRGs related to carcinogenesis and the immune microenvironment. These findings have implications for prognosis and therapeutic responses, which reveal novel potential prognostic biomarkers, promote precision medicine, and provide potential novel targets for immunotherapy.
Determinants of non-recovery in physical health-related quality of life one year after cardiac surgery: a prospective single Centre observational study
Authors: Rijnhart-de Jong Hilda , Haenen Jo , Bol Raap Goris , Jekel Lilian , Vossenberg Tessel , Bondarenko Olga , Boerma Christiaan
Published: September 2020

Background

Recent studies show that substantial percentage of patients experienced worsening of health related quality of life (HRQoL) 1 year after cardiac surgery. The aim of this study is to identify risk factors that interfere with improvement of HRQoL.

Methods

From December 2015 till July 2017 a prospective single centre observational study was carried out in 1920 patients participated who underwent non-salvage cardiac surgery. All patients were requested to complete a Short Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire before and 1 year after surgery. Primary aim of the study was to identify risk factors for non-recovery in the physical domain of the SF-36 in all cardiac surgery patients. Secondary aim was to identify identical risk factors in patients with isolated coronary artery bypass grafting.

Results

After cardiac surgery, the questionnaires for physical and mental health were completed by respectively 803 and 807 patients. Median age was 69[62–75] years, and 77% was male. In comparison to the preoperative status, 176 patients (21.9%) did not display an improvement in the SF-36 physical domain score 1 year after cardiac surgery. In a multivariate analysis independent risk factors for non-recovery in the SF-36 physical domain were baseline SF36 physical domain score (OR 0.954[0.942–0.965], P < 0.001), diabetes (OR 0.437 [0.265–0.720], P 0.001), female sex (OR 0.492 [0.307–0.789], P 0.003), post-operative infection (OR 0.240 [0.109–0.525], P < 0.001) and PCI within 1 year (OR 0.113 [0.036–0.349], P < 0.001) For isolated CABG, 23.2% of patients did not display an improvement in the physical domain score and risk factors appeared to be identical.

Conclusions

Twenty two percent of all cardiac surgery patients did not show an improvement in the physical domain score of the HRQoL between the preoperative period and 1 year after surgery. Independent risk factors for non-recovery after cardiac surgery were baseline SF-36 physical domain score, diabetes, female sex, any postoperative infection and the need for PCI in the first year. Further research is needed to tailor the patient selection procedure prior to surgery and potentially modify risk factors in the perioperative process.

Trial registration

Due to type of study not applicable. https://www.ccmo.nl/metcs/erkende-metcs/regionale-toetsingscommissie-patientgebonden-onderzoek.