bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with depression and the relationship to quality of life among Saudi women with breast cancer
Authors: Al-Shammari Monefah , Khalil Amani
Published: December 2020

Background and objective: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, diagnosis and treatment and the months following primary therapy associated with different psychological symptoms that affect quality of life (QoL) in most women with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between depression and quality of life QoL among Saudi women with breast cancer.Methods: Design: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Methods: A convenience sample of 370 women with breast cancer was recruited from the out-clinic in King Faisal Specialist Hospital \& Research Center (KFSH&RC). Data were collected using self-report tools derived from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Emotional Distress-Depression-Short Form; the EORTC quality of life questionnaire (QLQ) (EORTC QLQ-C30, v.3.0 and EORTC QLQ-BR23); and from the Demographic and Clinical Data Sheet.Results: The correlation between depression and global health status with functioning subscales for the women was negative (Pearson’s r = -.357, p < .001; r = -.368, p < .001); whereas a positive correlation was found between depression and symptom subscales, together with its items.Conclusions: This study shows that depression is associated with QoL among Saudi women diagnosed with breast cancer. Therefore, depression affects upon QoL among the breast cancer population. However, enhancement of mental health statuses and psychological interventions helps to reduce the severity of depression and improves health related QoL among this population.
REGIONAL DIVERSIFICATION OF INVESTMENT OUTLAYS AND LABOUR PROFITABILITY IN AGRICULTURE IN POLAND
Authors: Kusz Dariusz , Zając Stanisław , Dziekan Ryszard
Published: December 2020

The main purpose of the study was to assess changes in labour profitability against changes in the level of investment outlays in Poland in a regional approach. Empirical material consists of statistical data from the Central Statistical Office for the years 2000-2017. The following diagnostic variables were used for the analysis: (1) characterizing the profitability of the labour factor – gross value added in agriculture per one agricultural employee; (2) characterizing the investment activity of farmers – the value of investment outlays in agriculture per one employee in agriculture, the value of investment outlays in agriculture per 1 ha of agricultural land, the value of investment outlays in agriculture in relation to the value of gross fixed assets in agriculture, the value of investment outlays in agriculture in relation to gross value added in agriculture. On the basis of a set of diagnostic features describing the investment activity of farmers, a classification of voivodships was carried out using cluster analysis using Ward’s method, and a statistical evaluation of the relationship between the investment activity of farmers and the profitability of labour was performed. There has been a significant diversification of farmers’ investment activity and labour profitability in terms of regions. It was found that the level of investment outlays is a crucial factor in the process of improving the efficiency of the use of the labour factor. A level of investments that is loo low does not allow for favourable structural changes and for modernization and restructuring of agriculture to take place.
A memória em Caminho como uma casa em chamas de António Lobo Antunes
Authors: Giacomolli Dóris Helena Soares da Silva
Published: December 2020

Esse artigo apresenta, como objetivo, refletir as concepções de tempo e suas relações com a memória no que se refere à constituição das narrativas e analisa a concepção de memória em A Memória, A História e o Esquecimento, de Paul Ricoeur e como esta se apresenta em Caminho como uma casa em chamas, de António Lobo Antunes, bem como expõe algumas singularidades do romance através de uma revisão narrativa baseando-se na obra de Ricoeur. Sendo a memória uma capacidade de lembrar, de guardar subsídios, indícios e vislumbres, ela é de importância fundamental para o indivíduo. Caminho como uma casa em chamas, o romance de António Lobo Antunes forma uma conexão com o trabalho de Paul Ricoeur quando esse no diz que lembrar-se de algo não é tão simples como somente receber uma imagem do passado, não é um ato passivo, mas ativo; o sujeito deve ir buscá-la, ativamente sendo a memória, portanto, exercitada. Os resultados evidenciaram que Ricoeur entende a memória como uma experiência que o indivíduo tem de ressignificar ou representar; a memória se transforma em elemento primordial, é tratada e discutida na perspectiva de conferir um dever de legitimação. As lembranças são usadas durante toda narração, de um modo constante, de forma a se refletir no presente dos narradores. A memória, enquanto construção de caráter mutável e repleta de subjetividades, aparece em Caminho como uma casa em chamas como um arquivo de lembranças, intensamente marcadas, bem como de esquecimentos e vazios que podem se preencher de ruínas, rasgos de sonhos e pesadelos.
As revoluções educacionais na história da educação e a democratização da escola básica no Brasil: implicações para os objetivos da escola na contemporaneidade
Authors: Pataro Ricardo Fernandes
Published: December 2020

Este artigo busca entender a escola como instituição dinâmica, que sofre influências da sociedade ao mesmo tempo em que a influencia. Apresentamos três momentos da história da educação nos quais ocorreram revoluções educacionais com mudanças profundas para a sociedade e para a escola. Dentre tais revoluções, destaca-se a democratização da escola básica, que promoveu abertura a parcelas da população antes excluídas. Se, até então, o objetivo era ensinar conteúdos a estudantes de uma elite selecionada, a democratização levou à escola crianças pouco habituadas a esse universo, dando visibilidade à necessidade de repensar os objetivos da escola e responsabilizar-se pela aprendizagem de um novo perfil de estudantes – tarefa diferente daquela desenvolvida anteriormente pelas escolas. Argumentamos que a democratização é um movimento sem precedentes na história da educação brasileira, que estabeleceu a noção de educação como direito e nos colocou o desafio de repensar os objetivos da escola na contemporaneidade para atender à totalidade da população do Brasil.
Nosotras contamos. Notas en torno a construir genealogía feminista en el campo de la historieta y el humor gráfico (Argentina, 1933 - 2019)
Authors: Acevedo Mariela
Published: December 2020

El artículo presenta la propuesta de "Nosotras contamos. Un recorrido por la obra de autoras de historietas y humor gráfico de ayer y hoy" una iniciativa de construcción de genealogía feminista en el campo de las viñetas humorísticas y artes secuenciales gráficas llevado adelante por la agrupación “Feminismo Gráfico” (Buenos Aires, 2019). El proyecto inicial se enmarca en abordajes de ginocrítica desde el que se propone redescubrir un arte hecho por mujeres (Showalter, 1981) y la genealogía feminista como metodología de investigación (Restrepo, A., 2016). Los resultados se plasmaron en un sitio web, una muestra itinerante y un catálogo que presentó un recorrido por la obra de más de ochenta autoras entre 1930 y la actualidad e implicó un proceso de investigación en hemerotecas, colecciones y archivos. La propuesta nos llevó a cuestionar la categoría "mujer" y a utilizar "autorías" como una categoría que fuera abarcativa no solo de feminidades sino también de identidades disidentes o transfronterizas que producen en el campo de las historietas y las viñetas de humor. Esto permitió reconstruir un mapa que vincula las luchas emancipatorias de mujeres, lesbianas, travestis/trans y personas no binarias con la plasmación de un registro gráfico en revistas de circulación popular. Parte de este proceso es recopilado en el sitio www.feminismografico.com.
Palabras clave: Historieta. Genealogía Feminista. Autorías.
Rir juntas é o melhor remédio contra os tempos temerosos: crítica e humor nas tiras de Thaïs Gualberto e de Fabiane Langona (2016-2018)
Authors: Queluz Marilda Lopes Pinheiro
Published: December 2020

O objetivo deste texto é refletir sobre os mecanismos do humor gráfico produzido entre o impeachment de Dilma Rousseff, destituída do cargo de presidente em 2016, e o final do governo de Michel Temer, em dezembro de 2018. Durante um levantamento das tiras da sessão Folha Cartuns / Cartuns Diários da Folha de S. Paulo, feito de dezembro de 2015 ao final de 2018, foi possível observar posicionamentos contrários ao golpe, colocando em xeque a pretensa neutralidade do periódico. A mistura de elementos da charge e dos quadrinhos deu origem a um produto híbrido que procurava explicar, rir e criticar as situações inusitadas que se seguiram no temeroso panorama nacional. Para este artigo, foram consideradas apenas as tiras feitas por mulheres, especificamente os quadrinhos de Thaïs Gualberto e Fabiane Langona. O interesse é pensar sobre o modo como as personagens criadas por essas duas desenhistas dialogaram com as questões feministas e as pautas de luta das mulheres, em plena conjuntura de golpe. Foram analisadas as tiras com temáticas em torno das caracterizações do governo Temer, do olhar sobre o Brasil e a política marcada pela campanha eleitoral e pela eleição a presidente em 2018, levando em conta as escolhas de recursos e procedimentos técnicos que causavam o efeito humorístico. Na interpretação dos acontecimentos do impeachment e do governo de Temer, as quadrinistas buscaram inspiração nas notícias, no cotidiano das cidades e nas experiências pessoais, construindo outras narrativas, do ponto de vista das lutas e das práticas de resistência das mulheres.
Palavras-chave: Thaïs Gualberto. Fabiane Langona. Humor Gráfico. Quadrinhos.
Interpelações à História do Tempo Presente - Entrevista com Américo Freire
Authors: Rocha Junior Geovanni , Freire Américo
Published: December 2020

Entrevista com Américo Freire
Alfabetização em contexto de pandemia: algumas ideias sobre transcriação
Authors: Willms Elni Elisa , Parteka Thamara
Published: December 2020

Este texto, fruto de uma pesquisa acadêmica desenvolvida no Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação (PPGEDU) da Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), traz como ponto central a problemática da alfabetização e letramento no Brasil, práticas que têm sido alvo de debates e ataquesno atual governo de Jair Bolsonaro. O trabalho evidencia, mais especificamente, a relevância acerca das implicações e reverberações de uma alfabetização desvinculada do letramento. Diante das transformações pedagógicas acarretadas pela pandemia, o texto também discute sobre a importância e o desafio de práticas lúdicas e corpóreas para o desenvolvimento de uma alfabetização e um letramento sensíveis, subsidiados pela ideia de transcriacão, conceito apresentado por Almeida e Araújo (2020).
Neuronal hyperexcitability is a DLK-dependent trigger of herpes simplex virus reactivation that can be induced by IL-1
Authors: Cuddy Sean R , Schinlever Austin R , Dochnal Sara , Seegren Philip V , Suzich Jon , Kundu Parijat , Downs Taylor K , Farah Mina , Desai Bimal N , Boutell Chris , Cliffe Anna R
Published: December 2020

Herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) establishes a latent infection in neurons and periodically reactivates to cause disease. The stimuli that trigger HSV-1 reactivation have not been fully elucidated. We demonstrate HSV-1 reactivation from latently infected mouse neurons induced by forskolin requires neuronal excitation. Stimuli that directly induce neurons to become hyperexcitable also induced HSV-1 reactivation. Forskolin-induced reactivation was dependent on the neuronal pathway of DLK/JNK activation and included an initial wave of viral gene expression that was independent of histone demethylase activity and linked to histone phosphorylation. IL-1β is released under conditions of stress, fever and UV exposure of the epidermis; all known triggers of clinical HSV reactivation. We found that IL-1β induced histone phosphorylation and increased the excitation in sympathetic neurons. Importantly, IL-1β triggered HSV-1 reactivation, which was dependent on DLK and neuronal excitability. Thus, HSV-1 co-opts an innate immune pathway resulting from IL-1 stimulation of neurons to induce reactivation.
Adaptive evolution of an essential telomere protein restricts telomeric retrotransposons
Authors: Saint-Leandre Bastien , Christopher Courtney , Levine Mia T
Published: December 2020

Essential, conserved cellular processes depend not only on essential, strictly conserved proteins but also on essential proteins that evolve rapidly. To probe this poorly understood paradox, we exploited the rapidly evolvingDrosophilatelomere-binding protein,cav/HOAP, which protects chromosomes from lethal end-to-end fusions. We replaced theD. melanogasterHOAP with a highly diverged version from its close relative,D. yakuba. TheD.yakubaHOAP ('HOAP[yak]') localizes toD. melanogastertelomeres and protectsD. melanogasterchromosomes from fusions. However, HOAP[yak] fails to rescue a previously uncharacterized HOAP function: silencing of the specialized telomeric retrotransposons that, instead of telomerase, maintain chromosome length inDrosophila.Whole genome sequencing and cytogenetics of experimentally evolved populations revealed that HOAP[yak] triggers telomeric retrotransposon proliferation, resulting in aberrantly long telomeres. This evolution-generated, separation-of-function allele resolves the paradoxical observation that a fast-evolving essential gene directs an essential, strictly conserved function: telomeric retrotransposon containment, not end-protection, requires evolutionary innovation at HOAP.
Individual differences in honey bee behavior enabled by plasticity in brain gene regulatory networks
Authors: Jones Beryl M , Rao Vikyath D , Gernat Tim , Jagla Tobias , Cash-Ahmed Amy C , Rubin Benjamin ER , Comi Troy J , Bhogale Shounak , Husain Syed S , Blatti Charles , Middendorf Martin , Sinha Saurabh , Chandrasekaran Sriram , Robinson Gene E
Published: December 2020

Understanding the regulatory architecture of phenotypic variation is a fundamental goal in biology, but connections between gene regulatory network (GRN) activity and individual differences in behavior are poorly understood. We characterized the molecular basis of behavioral plasticity in queenless honey bee (Apis mellifera) colonies, where individuals engage in both reproductive and non-reproductive behaviors. Using high-throughput behavioral tracking, we discovered these colonies contain a continuum of phenotypes, with some individuals specialized for either egg-laying or foraging and ‘generalists’ that perform both. Brain gene expression and chromatin accessibility profiles were correlated with behavioral variation, with generalists intermediate in behavior and molecular profiles. Models of brain GRNs constructed for individuals revealed that transcription factor (TF) activity was highly predictive of behavior, and behavior-associated regulatory regions had more TF motifs. These results provide new insights into the important role played by brain GRN plasticity in the regulation of behavior, with implications for social evolution.
Visualizing the metazoan proliferation-quiescence decision in vivo
Authors: Adikes Rebecca C , Kohrman Abraham Q , Martinez Michael A Q , Palmisano Nicholas J , Smith Jayson J , Medwig-Kinney Taylor N , Min Mingwei , Sallee Maria D , Ahmed Ononnah B , Kim Nuri , Liu Simeiyun , Morabito Robert D , Weeks Nicholas , Zhao Qinyun , Zhang Wan , Feldman Jessica L , Barkoulas Michalis , Pani Ariel M , Spencer Sabrina L , Martin Benjamin L , Matus David Q
Published: December 2020

Cell proliferation and quiescence are intimately coordinated during metazoan development. Here, we adapt a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) sensor to uncouple these key events of the cell cycle inCaenorhabditis elegansand zebrafish through live-cell imaging. The CDK sensor consists of a fluorescently tagged CDK substrate that steadily translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to increasing CDK activity and consequent sensor phosphorylation. We show that the CDK sensor can distinguish cycling cells in G1 from quiescent cells in G0, revealing a possible commitment point and a cryptic stochasticity in an otherwise invariantC. eleganscell lineage. Finally, we derive a predictive model of future proliferation behavior inC. elegansbased on a snapshot of CDK activity in newly born cells. Thus, we introduce a live-cell imaging tool to facilitate in vivo studies of cell-cycle control in a wide-range of developmental contexts.
A structure of substrate-bound Synaptojanin1 provides new insights in its mechanism and the effect of disease mutations
Authors: Paesmans Jone , Martin Ella , Deckers Babette , Berghmans Marjolijn , Sethi Ritika , Loeys Yannick , Pardon Els , Steyaert Jan , Verstreken Patrik , Galicia Christian , Versées Wim
Published: December 2020

Synaptojanin1 (Synj1) is a phosphoinositide phosphatase, important in clathrin uncoating during endocytosis of presynaptic vesicles. It was identified as a potential drug target for Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and TBC1D24-associated epilepsy, while also loss-of-function mutations in Synj1 are associated with epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Despite its involvement in a range of disorders, structural, and detailed mechanistic information regarding the enzyme is lacking. Here, we report the crystal structure of the 5-phosphatase domain of Synj1. Moreover, we also present a structure of this domain bound to the substrate diC8-PI(3,4,5)P3, providing the first image of a 5-phosphatase with a trapped substrate in its active site. Together with an analysis of the contribution of the different inositide phosphate groups to catalysis, these structures provide new insights in the Synj1 mechanism. Finally, we analysed the effect of three clinical missense mutations (Y793C, R800C, Y849C) on catalysis, unveiling the molecular mechanisms underlying Synj1-associated disease.
Kirigami Engineering—Nanoscale Structures Exhibiting a Range of Controllable 3D Configurations
Authors: Zhang Xu , Medina Lior , Cai Haogang , Aksyuk Vladimir , Espinosa Horacio D. , Lopez Daniel
Published: December 2020

Kirigami structures provide a promising approach to transform flat films into 3D complex structures that are difficult to achieve by conventional fabrication approaches. By designing the cutting geometry, it is shown that distinct buckling‐induced out‐of‐plane configurations can be obtained, separated by a sharp transition characterized by a critical geometric dimension of the structures. In situ electron microscopy experiments reveal the effect of the ratio between the in‐plane cut size and film thickness on out‐of‐plane configurations. Moreover, geometrically nonlinear finite element analyses (FEA) accurately predict the out‐of‐plane modes measured experimentally, their transition as a function of cut geometry, and provide the stress–strain response of the kirigami structures. The combined computational–experimental approach and results reported here represent a step forward in the characterization of thin films experiencing buckling‐induced out‐of‐plane shape transformations and provide a path to control 3D configurations of micro‐ and nanoscale buckling‐induced kirigami structures. The out‐of‐plane configurations promise great utility in the creation of micro‐ and nanoscale systems that can harness such structural behavior, such as optical scanning micromirrors, novel actuators, and nanorobotics. This work is of particular significance as the kirigami dimensions approach the sub‐micrometer scale which is challenging to achieve with conventional micro‐electromechanical system technologies.
Liquid Exfoliated SnP3 Nanosheets for Very High Areal Capacity Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Tian Ruiyuan , Griffin Aideen , McCrystall Mark , Breshears Madeleine , Harvey Andrew , Gabbett Cian , Horváth Dominik V. , Backes Claudia , Jing Yu , Heine Thomas , Park Sang‐Hoon , Coelho João , Nicolosi Valeria , Nentwig Markus , Benndorf Christopher , Oeckler Oliver , Coleman Jonathan N.
Published: December 2020

Increasing the energy density of lithium‐ion batteries requires the discovery of new electrode materials capable of achieving very high areal capacity. Here, liquid phase exfoliation is used to produce nanosheets of SnP3, a 2D material with extremely high theoretical capacity of 1670 mAh g−1. These nanosheets can be fabricated into solution‐processed thin films for use as lithium storing anodes. To maximize their performance, carbon nanotubes are incorporated into the electrodes to simultaneously enhance conductivity and toughness. As a result, electrodes of thickness >300 µm can be produced, which display active‐mass‐normalized capacities (≈1657 mAh g−1Active) very close to the theoretical value. These materials show maximum specific (≈1250 mAh g−1Electrode) and areal (>20 mAh cm−2) capacities, which are at the state‐of‐the‐art for 2D‐based electrodes, coupled with good rate performance and stability. In combination with commercial cathode materials, full‐cells are fabricated with areal capacities of ≈29 mAh cm−2 and near‐record energy densities approaching 1000 Wh L−1.
Entropy Engineered Cubic n‐Type AgBiSe2 Alloy with High Thermoelectric Performance in Fully Extended Operating Temperature Range
Authors: Zhu Huaxing , Zhao Ting , Zhang Bin , An Zibing , Mao Shengcheng , Wang Guoyu , Han Xiaodong , Lu Xu , Zhang Jiangwei , Zhou Xiaoyuan
Published: December 2020

Developing high performance n‐type thermoelectric (TE) materials is fundamentally important for developing high efficiency TE devices. AgBiSe2, which reveals superior n‐type TE performance in a cubic phase, crystallizes in a hexagonal phase at room temperature, and typically, undergoes phase transitions to a cubic phase at a temperature above 580 K. Here, for the first time, through entropy optimization with lead‐selenides (≥9.9 mol%), the high‐temperature cubic phase of AgBiSe2 is stabilized from 300 to 800 K. Furthermore, the AgBiSe2‐PbSe pseudo‐binary diagram is established. The resultant alloys with optimized entropy possess unique local distorted cubic lattices, which contribute low lattice thermal conductivity approaching 0.3 W m−1 K−1 in extended operating temperature range. Consequently, a peak figure of merit zT value of ≈0.8 at 800 K and a record‐high average zT value of 0.42 for n‐type I‐V‐VI2 compounds are attained in pure phase cubic n‐type (AgBiSe2)1−x(PbSe)x solid solutions. These results pave the way for developing new TE materials via entropy engineering.
Scalable, All‐Printed Photocapacitor Fibers and Modules based on Metal‐Embedded Flexible Transparent Conductive Electrodes for Self‐Charging Wearable Applications
Authors: Jin Won‐Yong , Ovhal Manoj Mayaji , Lee Hock Beng , Tyagi Barkha , Kang Jae‐Wook
Published: December 2020

The popularity of wearable smart electronic gadgets, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and medical sensors, is inhibited by their limited operation lifetime due to the lack of a sustainable self‐charging power supply. This constraint can be overcome by developing a flexible, self‐charging photocapacitor that can synchronously harvest and store energy. Here, ultrathin, all‐printed, and metal‐embedded transparent conducting electrodes (ME‐TCEs) are designed for the fabrication of large‐area, flexible organic solar cells (F‐OSCs) and flexible supercapacitors (F‐SCs). Stripe‐shaped F‐OSCs (SF‐OSCs) and F‐SCs (SF‐SCs) are obtained via slitting the as‐fabricated F‐OSCs and F‐SCs with a surgical scalpel, respectively. The SF‐OSCs and SF‐SCs fully retain their performance after slitting, achieving a power conversion efficiency of ≈6.43% and areal capacitance of ≈52 mF cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, photocapacitor fibers are obtained by vertically stacking one SF‐OSC and seven SF‐SCs. Each fiber is fully encapsulated using UV‐curable resin. When woven into a textile, the photocapacitor module (2 series × 4 parallel connections) is able to charge up to a voltage of 3.2 V in 5 min under one‐sun illumination. The photoelectric‐conversion‐and‐storage efficiency (η) of the photocapacitor module is 4.94%. The highly tailorable, mechanically robust photocapacitor demonstrated herein can be a secondary, self‐sustainable power supply for futuristic wearable applications.
Synthesis of stimuli‐responsive ionic cyclopolymers in search of phosphorous‐free antiscalants
Authors: Yaagoob Ibrahim Y. , Aldahdooh Mohammed K. , Al‐Taq Ali A. , Al‐Muallem Hasan A. , Mazumder Mohammad A. J. , Ali Shaikh A.
Published: December 2020

Ammonium persulfate‐initiated cyclopolymerization of maleic acid (HO2CC=CCO2H) (MA) with diallylamine (–NR2, R = CH2 = CH‐CH2) derivatives (DADs): R2NH+CH2CO2− (I), R2NCH2CO2−Na+ (II), R2NCH2CO2Et (III), R2NH+(CH2)3CO2− (IV), R2N(CH2)3CO2Et (V), R2NH+(CH2)3SO3− (VI) and R2N(CH2)3SO3−Na+ (VII) gave a series of new pH‐responsive alternate copolymers: –[(DAD‐alt‐MA)]n– VIII‐XIV, respectively. Homopolymers XV and XVI of the corresponding monomers IV and V·HCl were also synthesized. The evaluation of the synthesized polymers as potential antiscalants in reverse osmosis (RO) plants was examined. An effective scale inhibitor must arrest the formation of scale for a residence time (≈15 min) of feed water in the RO chamber. R2NH+(CH2)3CO2− (IV)‐alt‐MA copolymer XI at a concentration of 5 ppm imparted 99% scale inhibition for 360 min, while at 2.5 and 1 ppm concentrations, the CaSO4 scale inhibitions were found to be 99% and ≈ 100% during 120 and 20 min, respectively, at 40°C. Homopolymers XV and XVI, at a 20‐ppm concentration, demonstrated ≈ 95% efficiency in inhibiting mild steel corrosion in 1 M HCl. In some important oilfield applications, requirement of simultaneous scale and corrosion inhibition make these polymers potential candidates for desalination and oilfield applications.
Anti‐neuroinflammatory effect of daidzein in human hypothalamic GnRH neurons in an in vitro membrane‐based model
Authors: Morelli Sabrina , Piscioneri Antonella , Guarnieri Giulia , Morelli Annamaria , Drioli Enrico , De Bartolo Loredana
Published: December 2020

Phytoestrogens can control high‐fat diet‐induced hypothalamic inflammation that is associated with severe consequences, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. However, the phytoestrogen anti‐neuroinflammatory action is poorly understood. In this study, we explored the neuroprotection mediated by daidzein in hypothalamic neurons by using a membrane‐based model of obesity‐related neuroinflammation. To test the daidzein therapeutic potential a biohybrid membrane system, consisting of hfHypo GnRH‐neurons in culture on PLGA membranes, was set up. It served as reliable in vitro tool capable to recapitulate the in vivo structure and function of GnRH hypothalamic tissue. Our findings highlighted the neuroprotective role of daidzein, being able to counteract the palmitate induced neuroinflammation. Daidzein protected hfHypo GnRH cells by downregulating cell death, proinflammatory processes, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. It also restored the proper cell morphology and functionality through a mechanism which probably involves the activation of ERβ and GPR30 receptors along with the expression of GnRH peptide and KISS1R.
Web‐based imaging viewer for real‐color volumetric reconstruction of human visible project and DICOM datasets
Authors: Borgbjerg Jens
Published: December 2020

Anatomy remains a cornerstone of medical education. It is vital that students achieve a robust understanding of the spatial relationships between anatomical structures in three dimensions. Volumetric medical imaging studies and true‐color cryosectional three‐dimensional images of visible human datasets are useful for enhancing anatomy education. However, the software systems available for viewing these datasets have important limitations. A web‐based application called Mulrecon Color, which can overcome a number of those limitations, is introduced. Mulrecon Color enables volumetric medical and full color cryosectional datasets to be explored without requiring installation, and can therefore be used on a broad range of desktop, mobile, and even virtual reality devices. The web‐based application has an interface that resembles a DICOM viewer used in radiological practice, and can be used both in anatomical labs and off campus for self‐study. The Mulrecon Color application is released as an open source tool. It can be retrieved at a project website where sample datasets are also available.
A clinical model to predict distant metastasis in patients with superficial gastric cancer with negative lymph node metastasis and a survival analysis for patients with metastasis
Authors: Chen Jingyu , Wu Lunpo , Zhang Zizhen , Zheng Sheng , Lin Yifeng , Ding Ning , Sun Jiawei , Shi Liuhong , Xue Meng
Published: December 2020

Background

Distant metastasis (DM) is relatively rare in superficial gastric cancer (SGC), especially in patients without lymph node metastasis. This study aimed to explore the main clinical risk factors for DM in patients with superficial gastric cancer‐no lymph node metastasis (SGC‐NLNM) and the prognostic factors for patients with DM.

Methods

Records of patients with SGC‐NLNM between 2004 and 2015 were collected from the public Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Both univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to analyze the clinical risk factors for DM. The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression model were used to identify prognostic factors for patients with DM. A nomogram was built based on multivariate logistic regression and evaluated by the C‐index, the calibration, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

Results

We developed and validated a nomogram to predict DM in patients with SGC‐NLNM, showing that race, age, primary site, depth, size, and grade were independent risk factors. The built nomogram had a good discriminatory performance, with a C‐index of 0.836 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.813–0.859). Calibration plots showed that the predicted DM probability was identical to the actual observations in both the training and validation sets. AUC was 0.846 (95% CI: 0.820–0.871) and 0.801 (95% CI: 0.751–0.850) in the training and validation sets, respectively. The results of the survival analysis revealed that surgery (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.249; 95% CI, 0.125–0.495), chemotherapy (HR = 0.473; 95% CI, 0.353–0.633), and grade (HR = 1.374; 95% CI, 1.018–1.854) were independent prognostic factors associated with cancer‐specific survival (CSS), but radiotherapy was not (log‐rank test, p = 0.676).

Conclusions

We constructed a sensitive and discriminative nomogram to identify high‐risk patients with SGC‐NLNM who may harbor dissemination at initial diagnosis. The tumor size and primary site were the largest contributors to DM prediction. Compared with radiotherapy, aggressive surgery, and chemotherapy may be better options for patients with DM.
“3‐Day Surprise Question” to predict prognosis of advanced cancer patients with impending death: Multicenter prospective observational study
Authors: Ikari Tomoo , Hiratsuka Yusuke , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Maeda Isseki , Mori Masanori , Uneno Yu , Taniyama Tomohiko , Matsuda Yosuke , Oya Kiyofumi , Tagami Keita , Inoue Akira
Published: December 2020

Background

The study aimed to clarify the efficacy of the “3‐Day Surprise Question (3DSQ)” in predicting the prognosis for advanced cancer patients with impending death.

Patients and Methods

This study was a part of multicenter prospective observational study which investigated the dying process in advanced cancer patients in Japan. For patients with a Palliative Performance Scale ≤20, the 3DSQ “Would I be surprised if this patient died in the next 3 days?” was answered by their physicians. In addition to the sensitivity and specificity of the 3DSQ, the characteristics of patients who survived longer than expected were examined via multivariate analysis.

Results

Among the 1896 patients enrolled, 1411 were evaluated. Among 1179 (83.6%) patients who were classified into the “Not surprised” group, 636 patients died within 3 days. Among 232 (16.4%) patients of “Yes surprised” group, 194 patients lived longer than 3 days. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the 3DSQ were 94.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 92.7% to 95.8%), 26.3% (95% CI: 24.8% to 27.6%), 53.9% (95% CI: 53.0% to 54.7%), and 83.6% (95% CI: 78.7% to 87.7%), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed palpable radial artery, absent respiration with mandibular movement, SpO2 ≥ 90%, opioid administration, and no continuous deep sedation as characteristics of patients who lived longer than expected.

Conclusions

The 3‐Day Surprise Question can be a useful screening tool to identify advanced cancer patients with impending death.
Hollow Concave Zinc‐Doped Co3O4 Nanosheets/Carbon Composites as Ultrahigh Capacity Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Liang Jin , Kong Jie , Zhang Jian
Published: December 2020

Composition‐structure strategy is an effective method to improve the electrochemical performance of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). Ideal active materials combined with unique structure can lead to potential candidates for next‐generation LIB anode materials. In this research, we designed a hollow concave Zn‐doped Co3O4 nanosheets/carbon composites as active electrodes for LIBs. The hollow concave structure could shorten the path length of Li+ and electron transfer. The interconnected Co3O4 nanosheets could construct a conductive network and enhance the composites’ conductivity. Moreover, defects produced by Zn doping in the Co3O4 phase improves the electronic structure of Co3O4, endowing superior electrochemical performances for the doped Co3O4‐based composites. As expected, the optimized hollow concave Zn‐doped Co3O4/C composites exhibited high specific capacities with stable cyclability (750 mA h g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 300 cycles) and excellent rate performances (723.5 mA h g−1 at 3.0 A g−1).
Rotating Ring‐Disc Electrode Method: Dissecting Oxygen Reduction Reaction Through a Different Lens
Authors: Wu Kuang‐Hsu
Published: December 2020

Analyzing multi‐product electrochemical reactions using a quantitative feedback system, such as a rotating ring‐disc electrode scheme, usually adopts a product‐defined path‐based view (jH2O2, jH2O) to deconvolute the reaction current response. However, the product path‐based analysis aborts the useful information of a process‐based lens, which is so often overlooked in the one‐sided analysis. This Viewpoint aims to highlight the importance of a stepwise process‐based deconvolution analysis and explain its fundamental difference from a product‐defined path‐based dissection analysis, as well as the application in electrocatalysis research, using the oxygen reduction reaction as a classical example.
Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles as Antifouling Materials for the Electrochemical Detection of Methylparaben
Authors: Javaid Shaghraf , Lee Junqiao , Sofianos M. Veronica , Douglas‐Moore Zac , Arrigan Damien W. M. , Silvester Debbie S.
Published: December 2020

The use of personal care products (PCPs) containing methylparaben (MePa) has been linked with coral reef damage, breast cancer, and endocrine disruption. To monitor such pollutants, the development of simple, fast, and sensitive detection methods is needed. This study reports the electrochemical detection of MePa using a zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle modified glassy carbon electrode. We addressed two main challenges posed by the use of sensing electrodes, that is, the instant fouling of electrodes for the detection of phenolic compounds and the use of expensive or highly complex, multicomponent materials for the detection of water contaminants. By controlling the pH of the reaction solution, ZnO nanoparticles with three different morphologies were synthesized: nanowires, nanocuboids, and nanospheres. The impact of these morphologies on the performance and sensitivity of the fabricated modified electrode was investigated. Under optimum conditions, ZnO nanowires demonstrated the best response compared to the other geometries, with a linear calibration response in the range of 0.02–0.12 mM, and the lowest limit of detection (LOD) of 7.25 μM. The proposed sensor not only offers simplicity and the use of low‐cost materials, but also successfully overcomes the electrode passivation associated with phenol‐containing chemicals and can, therefore, be an attractive candidate for further antifouling applications.
Tungsten‐Catalyzed Direct N‐Alkylation of Anilines with Alcohols
Authors: Lan Xiao‐Bing , Ye Zongren , Yang Chenhui , Li Weikang , Liu Jiahao , Huang Ming , Liu Yan , Ke Zhuofeng
Published: December 2020

The implementation of non‐noble metals mediated chemistry is a major goal in homogeneous catalysis. Borrowing hydrogen/hydrogen autotransfer (BH/HA) reaction, as a straightforward and sustainable synthetic method, has attracted considerable attention in the development of non‐noble metal catalysts. Herein, we report a tungsten‐catalyzed N‐alkylation reaction of anilines with primary alcohols via BH/HA. This phosphine‐free W(phen)(CO)4 (phen=1,10‐phenthroline) system was demonstrated as a practical and easily accessible in‐situ catalysis for a broad range of amines and alcohols (up to 49 examples, including 16 previously undisclosed products). Notably, this tungsten system can tolerate numerous functional groups, especially the challenging substrates with sterically hindered substituents, or heteroatoms. Mechanistic insights based on experimental and computational studies are also provided.
Reduction of histamine and enhanced spinning behavior of Daphnia magna caused by scarlet mutant
Authors: Ismail Nur Izzatur Binti , Kato Yasuhiko , Matsuura Tomoaki , Gómez‐Canela Cristian , Barata Carlos , Watanabe Hajime
Published: December 2020

The ABC transporter, Scarlet, and its binding partner, White are involved in pigment synthesis in the insect eye and mutations in these genes are used as genetic markers. Recent studies have suggested that these transporters also have additional functions in the neuronal system. In our previous study, we generated scarlet mutant in the small crustacean, Daphnia magna and showed that the mutant lacked the eye pigment in the mutant. Here, we show that the scarlet mutant exhibits spinning behavior. This phenotype is partly associated with the presence of light. Metabolomic analysis of a juvenile mutant revealed that the scarlet mutant has approximately one‐tenth of the histamine content of the wild type. Application of histamine to the scarlet mutant rescued the spinning behavior in juveniles, suggesting that the spinning behavior of the mutant is caused by the reduction of histamine. However, the altered behavior was not rescued in the adult mutant by the addition of histamine, suggesting that Scarlet plays an irreversible role in the development of histaminergic neurons. These results suggest that Scarlet plays an important role in histaminergic signaling, which might be related to control the spinning behavior, in addition to its role in eye pigmentation.
Seed size and capitulum position drive germination and dormancy responses to projected warming for the threatened dune endemic Cirsium pitcheri (Asteraceae)
Authors: Gijsman Finote , Vitt Pati
Published: December 2020

Among coastal plant species at risk from rapid environmental changes is the North American Great Lakes dune endemic Cirsium pitcheri. Despite being listed as federally threatened, little is known about how C. pitcheri seed attributes influence germination and dormancy‐break patterns in the context of climate change. Following a previous work where we found differences in the number and weight of C. pitcheri seeds among capitulum positions and study sites, here we examine the effects of seed attributes (capitulum position, seed weight, and site of origin) on the proportion and timing of C. pitcheri seed germination under temperature treatments that simulate projected warming in the Great Lakes (20/10, 25/10, and 30/10°C day/night). Our results demonstrate that C. pitcheri produces diverse cohorts of seeds with seed attributes that significantly influence the timing and probability of germination over a 3‐year soil seed bank. Cirsium pitcheri seed germination proportions were highest at 20°C and decreased successively at 25 and 30°C. Seeds from terminal capitula also had higher germination proportions and took longer to germinate than those from secondary capitula. Lastly, the effect of seed weight on germination probability depended on site of origin and capitulum position, with all effects varying in size and significance over time. Ultimately, our results highlight the considerable differences in germination patterns exhibited by seeds from different capitulum positions and sites of origin and provide insight into the dormancy‐break patterns that C. pitcheri might experience under predicted temperature rise in the Great Lakes region of North America.
CCL25 and CCR9 is a unique pathway that potentiates pannus formation by remodeling RA macrophages into mature osteoclasts
Authors: Umar Sadiq , Palasiewicz Karol , Van Raemdonck Katrien , Volin Michael V. , Romay Bianca , Ahmad Imran , Tetali Chandana , Sweiss Nadera , Amin M Asif , Zomorrodi Ryan K , Shahrara Shiva
Published: December 2020

This study elucidates the mechanism of CCL25 and CCR9 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). RA synovial fluid (SF) expresses elevated levels of CCL25 compared to OA SF and plasma from RA and normal. CCL25 was released into RA SF by fibroblasts (FLS) and macrophages (MΦs) stimulated with IL‐1β and IL‐6. CCR9 is also presented on IL‐1β and IL‐6 activated RA FLS and differentiated MΦs. Conversely, in RA PBMCs neither CCL25 nor CCR9 are impacted by 3‐month longitudinal TNF inhibitor therapy. CCL25 amplifies RA FLS and monocyte infiltration via p38 and ERK phosphorylation. CCL25‐stimulated RA FLS secrete potentiated levels of IL‐8 which is disrupted by p38 and ERK inhibitors. CCL25 polarizes RA monocytes into nontraditional M1 MΦs that produce IL‐8 and CCL2. Activation of p38 and ERK cascades are also responsible for the CCL25‐induced M1 MΦ development. Unexpectedly, CCL25 was unable to polarize RA PBMCs into effector Th1/Th17 cells. Consistently, lymphokine like RANKL was uninvolved in CCL25‐induced osteoclastogenesis; however, this manifestation was regulated by osteoclastic factors such as RANK, cathepsin K (CTSK), and TNF‐α. In short, we reveal that CCL25/CCR9 manipulates RA FLS and MΦ migration and inflammatory phenotype in addition to osteoclast formation via p38 and ERK activation.
Examining foreign direct investment determinants of tourism industry in Oman and Egypt: The moderating role of investment environment
Authors: Alkathiri Nasser A. , Soliman Mohammad
Published: December 2020

Limited research has examined foreign direct investment (FDI) determinants within the tourism industry, particularly in the MENA region. Thus, based on the internationalization framework of Dunning (Multinational enterprises and the global economy, Addison‐Wesley, 1993), this article aims to empirically investigate and compare the FDI determinants of the tourism industry in Oman and Egypt not only through the investors perceptive but more importantly through other stakeholders perspective such as experts in economy and tourism sector due to their vital role in decision making. It also examines the moderating role of investment environment on the relationship between the determinants and attractiveness of FDI. Further, PLS‐SEM was employed for data analysis purposes. The results revealed that resource‐seeking and efficiency‐seeking have a significant role in both countries. However, though market‐seeking was positive and significant in Egypt, it was found insignificant in Oman. Interestingly, the investment environment has a significant moderating role in both countries. The current study contributes to the literature by providing an obvious understanding of tourism FDI determinants with a special emphasis on the essential view of the related experts. It also presents a clear sight to tourism authorities on the essential factors that attract FDI in tourism.
Ab initio effective one‐electron potential operators: Applications for charge‐transfer energy in effective fragment potentials
Authors: Błasiak Bartosz , Bednarska Joanna D. , Chołuj Marta , Góra Robert W. , Bartkowiak Wojciech
Published: December 2020

The concept of effective one‐electron potentials (EOPs) has proven to be extremely useful in efficient description of electronic structure of chemical systems, especially extended molecular aggregates such as interacting molecules in condensed phases. Here, a general method for EOP‐based elimination of electron repulsion integrals is presented, that is tuned toward the fragment‐based calculation methodologies such as the second generation of the effective fragment potentials (EFP2) method. Two general types of the EOP operator matrix elements are distinguished and treated either via the distributed multipole expansion or the extended density fitting (DF) schemes developed in this work. The EOP technique is then applied to reduce the high computational costs of the effective fragment charge‐transfer (CT) terms being the bottleneck of EFP2 potentials. The alternative EOP‐based CT energy model is proposed, derived within the framework of intermolecular perturbation theory with Hartree–Fock noninteracting reference wavefunctions, compatible with the original EFP2 formulation. It is found that the computational cost of the EFP2 total interaction energy calculation can be reduced by up to 38 times when using the EOP‐based formulation of CT energy, as compared to the original EFP2 scheme, without compromising the accuracy for a wide range of weakly interacting neutral and ionic molecular fragments. The proposed model can thus be used routinely within the EFP2 framework.
Assessment of long‐range corrected density functional theory on the absorption and vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectrum of carbon nanobelts
Authors: Ahn Dae‐Hwan , Song Jong‐Won
Published: December 2020

Time‐dependent (TD) density functional theory (DFT) and Franck‐Condon Hertzberg‐Teller (FCHT) calculations of various DFT functionals [B3LYP, CAM‐B3LYP, ωB97XD, and optimally tuned (OT) long‐range corrected (LC)‐BLYP] were performed to examine how well DFT functionals can predict the experimental absorption and fluorescence spectra of a 12‐carbon nanobelt (CNB). OT‐LC‐BLYP reproduced the experimental absorption spectrum well in terms of the peak position and intensity in the case of using a basis set with a diffuse function, such as 6–31+G(d,p) and 6–311+G(d,p), whereas B3LYP showed a red‐shift in the peak positions and CAM‐B3LYP and ωB97XD, which have a long‐range HF exchange, showed blue shifts. Regarding the fluorescence spectrum calculations with FCHT using 6–311+G(d,p), the OT‐LC‐BLYP reproduced both the peak intensities and positions closest to the experimental spectrum. B3LYP, however, showed red‐shifted peaks, and ωB97XD showed blue‐shifted peaks. CAM‐B3LYP provided less blue‐shifted peaks, but the relative peak intensities mismatched the experimental ones. Furthermore, calculations of the absorption and vibrationally resolved fluorescence spectra of 16‐CNB and 24‐CNB using OT‐LC‐BLYP/6–311+G(d,p) showed absorption and fluorescence spectra close to the experimental spectra with high accuracy. Moreover, the application of a polarizable continuum model (dichloromethane) produced a red shift in the peak positions of the absorption spectrum with increasing intensity but an increase in the peak intensities of the fluorescence calculations without shifting the peak position.