bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Escape of TLR5 Recognition by Leptospira spp.: A Rationale for Atypical Endoflagella
Authors: Holzapfel Marion , Bonhomme Delphine , Cagliero Julie , Vernel-Pauillac Frédérique , Fanton d’Andon Martine , Bortolussi Sophia , Fiette Laurence , Goarant Cyrille , Wunder Elsio A. , Picardeau Mathieu , Ko Albert I. , Werling Dirk , Matsui Mariko , Boneca Ivo G. , Werts Catherine
Published: August 2020

Leptospira (L.) interrogans are invasive bacteria responsible for leptospirosis, a worldwide zoonosis. They possess two periplasmic endoflagellae that allow their motility. L. interrogans are stealth pathogens that escape the innate immune recognition of the NOD-like receptors NOD1/2, and the human Toll-like receptor (TLR)4, which senses peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), respectively. TLR5 is another receptor of bacterial cell wall components, recognizing flagellin subunits. To study the contribution of TLR5 in the host defense against leptospires, we infected WT and TLR5 deficient mice with pathogenic L. interrogans and tracked the infection by in vivo live imaging of bioluminescent bacteria or by qPCR. We did not identify any protective or inflammatory role of murine TLR5 for controlling pathogenic Leptospira. Likewise, subsequent in vitro experiments showed that infections with different live strains of L. interrogans and L. biflexa did not trigger TLR5 signaling. However, unexpectedly, heat-killed bacteria stimulated human and bovine TLR5, but did not, or barely induced stimulation via murine TLR5. Abolition of TLR5 recognition required extensive boiling time of the bacteria or proteinase K treatment, showing an unusual high stability of the leptospiral flagellins. Interestingly, after using antimicrobial peptides to destabilize live leptospires, we detected TLR5 activity, suggesting that TLR5 could participate in the fight against leptospires in humans or cattle. Using different Leptospira strains with mutations in the flagellin proteins, we further showed that neither FlaA nor Fcp participated in the recognition by TLR5, suggesting a role for the FlaB. FlaB have structural homology to Salmonella FliC, and possess conserved residues important for TLR5 activation, as shown by in silico analyses. Accordingly, we found that leptospires regulate the expression of FlaB mRNA according to the growth phase in vitro, and that infection with L. interrogans in hamsters and in mice downregulated the expression of the FlaB, but not the FlaA subunits. Altogether, in contrast to different bacteria that modify their flagellin sequences to escape TLR5 recognition, our study suggests that the peculiar central localization and stability of the FlaB monomers in the periplasmic endoflagellae, associated with the downregulation of FlaB subunits in hosts, constitute an efficient strategy of leptospires to escape the TLR5 recognition and the induced immune response.
Neuroprotective Effects of Celastrol on Transient Global Cerebral Ischemia Rats via Regulating HMGB1/NF-κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Bo , Zhong Qi , Chen Xuhui , Wu Xi , Sha Rong , Song Guizhi , Zhang Chuanhan , Chen Xiangdong
Published: August 2020

Cerebral ischemia is a major cause of brain dysfunction, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathophysiological process of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Celastrol is a potent inhibitor of inflammation and oxidative stress that has little toxicity. The present study was designed to evaluate whether celastrol has neuroprotective effects through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions, and to elucidate the possible involved mechanisms in transient global cerebral ischemia reperfusion (tGCI/R) rats. Celastrol (1, 2, or 4 mg/kg) was administrated intraperitoneally immediately after reperfusion and the effect of celastrol on reverting spatial learning and memory impairment was determined by Morris water maze (MWM) task. Inflammatory response and oxidative stress, hippocampal neuronal damage and glial activation, and HMGB1/NF-κB signaling pathway proteins were also examined. Our results indicated that celastrol dose-dependently reduced hippocampal and serum concentration of pro-inflammatory markers (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and oxidative stress marker (MDA), whereas the anti-inflammatory marker IL-10 and antioxidant markers (GSH, SOD, and CAT) were increased significantly in celastrol treated tGCI/R rats. Celastrol alleviated apoptotic neuronal death, inhibited reactive glial activation and proliferation and improved ischemia-induced neurological deficits. Simultaneously, we found that mechanisms responsible for the neuroprotective effect of celastrol could be attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions via inhibiting HMGB1/NF-κB signaling pathway. These findings provide a proof of concept for the further validation that celastrol may be a superior candidate for the treatment of severe cerebral ischemic patients in clinical practice in the future.
RETRACTED: PRDM16 Upregulation Induced by MicroRNA-448 Inhibition Alleviates Atherosclerosis via the TGF-β Signaling Pathway Inactivation
Authors: Liu Dongxing , Song Jiantao , Ji Xianfei , Liu Zunqi , Li Tao , Hu Bo
Published: August 2020

The dysregulated expression of microRNAs (miRs) has been associated with pathological and physiological processes of atherosclerosis (AS). In addition, PR domain-containing 16 (PRDM16), a transcriptional mediator of brown fat cell identity and smooth muscle cell activities, may be involved in the hypercholesterolemia during development of AS. The bioinformatic analysis identified a regulatory miR-448 of PRDM16. Hence, the current study aimed to explore whether miR-448 influenced the activities of aortic smooth muscle cell (ASMCs) in AS. We validated that miR-448 was highly expressed in peripheral blood of patients with AS and aortic smooth muscle of AS model mice. Whereas, PRDM16 was downregulated in the aortic smooth muscle of AS model mice. PRDM16 overexpression was observed to inhibit oxidative stress injury and cell proliferation, and promote apoptosis of ASMCs. Mechanistic studies revealed that miR-448 targeted PRDM16 and negatively regulated the PRDM16 expression, while PRDM16 blocked the TGF-β signaling pathway. Furthermore, Downregulated miR-448 alleviated oxidative stress injury, and attenuated ASMC cell proliferation, migration and enhanced cell apoptosis through upregulation of PRDM16. Taken together, silencing of miR-448 upregulates PRDM16 and inactivates the TGF-β signaling pathway, thereby impeding development of AS by repressing the proliferation, migration and invasion of ASMCs.
A Novel Nanobody Directed against Ovine Myostatin to Enhance Muscle Growth in Mouse
Authors: Ou Kepeng , Li Youjian , Wu Peng , Guo Jixing , Hao Xiujing , Sheng Jinliang , Chen Chuangfu
Published: August 2020

Myostatin (MSTN) is a member of the transforming growth factor beta superfamily and is a negative regulator of myogenesis. It has been shown to function by controlling the proliferation of myoblasts. MSTN inhibition is considered as a promising treatment for promoting animal growth in livestock. Nanobodies, a special antibody discovered in camel, have arisen as an alternative to conventional antibodies and have shown great potential when used as tools in different biotechnology fields, such as diagnostics and therapy. In this study, we examined the effect of MSTN inhibition by RMN on the muscle growth of mice. The results showed that RMN could specifically detect and bind MSTN, as well as inhibit MSTN activity. A significant increase in skeletal muscle mass was observed after intramuscular injection of RMN into mice. Enhanced muscle growth occurred because of myofiber hypertrophy. These results offer a promising approach to enhance muscle growth that warrants further investigation in domestic animals.
TGF-β1-Mediated FDNCR1 Regulates Porcine Preadipocyte Differentiation via the TGF-β Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Zhe , Meng Yu , Gao Fei , Xiao Yue , Zheng Yi , Wang Hao-Qi , Gao Yan , Jiang Hao , Yuan Bao , Zhang Jia-Bao
Published: August 2020

Adipocyte differentiation and lipid metabolism have important regulatory effects on the quality of meat from livestock. A variety of transcription factors regulate preadipocyte differentiation. Several studies have revealed that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1) may play a key role in epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, little is known about the effects of TGF-β1 treatment on porcine preadipocytes. To explore the role of TGF-β1 in porcine adipocyte differentiation, porcine preadipocytes were treated with 10 ng/mL TGF-β1, and two libraries were constructed for RNA-seq. We chose an abundant and differentially expressed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which we named fat deposition-associated long noncoding RNA1 (FDNCR1), for further study. RT-qPCR was used to detect mRNA levels of genes related to adipocyte differentiation. Triglyceride assay kits were used to detect lipid droplet deposition. TGF-β1 significantly suppressed porcine preadipocyte differentiation. We identified 8158 lncRNAs in total and 39 differentially expressed lncRNAs. After transfection with FDNCR1 siRNA, the mRNA expression of aP2, C/EBPα, and PPARγ and triglyceride levels significantly increased. Transfection with FDNCR1 siRNA significantly decreased protein levels of p-Smad2/Smad2 and p-Smad3/Smad3. These results demonstrate that FDNCR1 suppresses porcine preadipocyte differentiation via the TGF-β signaling pathway.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle Characteristics Change Analysis Using Mileage Interval Data
Authors: Woo Jiyoung , Yang Inbeom , Pyon Chongun
Published: August 2020

In this work, the relationship between the accumulated mileage of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and the data provided from vehicle parts has been analyzed. Data were collected while traveling over 70,000 km in various paths. The collected data were aggregated for 10 min and characterized in terms of centrality and variability. It has been examined whether the statistical properties of vehicle parts are different for each cumulative mileage interval. When the cumulative mileage interval is categorized into 30,000–50,000, 50,000–60,000, and 60,000–70,000, the statistical properties contributed in classifying the mileage interval with accuracy of 92.68%, 82.58%, and 80.65%, respectively. This indicates that if the data of the vehicle parts are collected by operating the HEV for 10 min, the cumulative mileage interval of the vehicle can be estimated. This makes it possible to detect abnormality or characteristics change in the vehicle parts relative to the accumulated mileage. It also can be used to detect abnormal aging of vehicle parts and to inform maintenance necessity. Furthermore, a part or module that has a significant change in characteristics according to the mileage interval has been identified.
Exploring the Impact of a District Sharing Strategy on Application Capacity and Carbon Emissions for Heating and Cooling with GSHP Systems
Authors: Zhang Yi , Qi He , Zhou Yu , Zhang Zhonghua , Wang Xi
Published: August 2020

To meet long-term climate change targets, the way that heating and cooling are generated and distributed has to be changed to achieve a supply of affordable, secure and low-carbon energy for all buildings and infrastructures. Among the possible renewable sources of energy, ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems can be an effective low-carbon solution that is compatible with district heating and cooling in urban areas. There are no location restrictions for this technology, and underground energy sources are stable for long-term use. According to a previous study, buildings in urban areas have demonstrated significant spatial heterogeneity in terms of their capacity to demand (C/D) ratio under the application of GSHP due to variations in heating demand and available space. If a spatial sharing strategy can be developed to allow the surplus geothermal capacity to be shared with neighbors, the heating and cooling demands of a greater number of buildings in an area can be satisfied, thus achieving a city with lower carbon emissions. In this study, a GSHP district system model was developed with a specific embedding sharing strategy for the application of GSHP. Two sharing strategies were proposed in this study: (i) Strategy 1 involved individual systems with borehole sharing, and (ii) Strategy 2 was a central district system. Three districts in London were selected to compare the performance of the developed models on the C/D ratio, required borehole number and carbon emissions. According to the comparison analysis, both strategies were able to enhance the GSHP application capacity and increase the savings of carbon emissions. However, the improvement levels were shown to be different. A greater number of building types and a higher variety in building types with larger differentiation in heating and cooling demands can contribute to a better district sharing performance. In addition, it was found that these two sharing strategies were applicable to different kinds of districts.
Valve Internal Leakage Rate Quantification Based on Factor Analysis and Wavelet-BP Neural Network Using Acoustic Emission
Authors: Zhao Hanxue , Li Zhenlin , Zhu Shenbin , Yu Ying
Published: August 2020

Valve internal leakage is easily found because of various defects resulting from environmental factors and load fluctuation. The timely detection of valve internal leakage is of great significance to the safe operation of pipelines. As an effective means for detecting valve internal leakage, the acoustic emission technique is characterized by nonintrusive and strong anti-interference ability, which can realize the in situ monitoring of the valve running status in real time. In this paper, acoustic emission signals from an internal leaking valve were obtained experimentally. Then, the dimensionality reduction technology based on factor analysis was introduced to the processing of valve internal leakage detection data. Next, the wavelet decomposition was carried out to decompose the sample feature set into four subsets. Finally, the decomposed sample feature sets were inputted into the error backpropagation (BP) neural network quantitative model, respectively. The optimized results show that the predicted internal leakage rate by the wavelet-BP neural network model has good precision with an error of less than 10%. The wavelet-BP neural network model can realize the analysis of the valve internal leakage rate quantitatively and has good robustness, which provides technical support and guarantees the safe operation of natural gas pipeline valves.
A Multi-Objective Train Operational Plan Optimization Approach for Adding Additional Trains on a High-Speed Railway Corridor in Peak Periods
Authors: Liu Yutong , Cao Chengxuan
Published: August 2020

Passenger demand for railway transportation rapidly increases in peak periods, and the transport capacity for existing trains is not sufficient. Railway companies usually adopt the strategy of adding additional trains in peak periods to meet the higher passenger demand. Designing a good operational plan for additional trains becomes a challenge for operators, though. A new optimization approach for designing an operational plan for additional trains is proposed in this paper. The number of trains, the operational plan, the stop plan, and the timetable for each train can be considered simultaneously in the new optimization approach, which will make it easier to design an operational plan for additional trains. A multi-objective nonlinear model with three objectives of minimizing total running distance, dwelling time, and unsatisfied passengers is proposed. Big-M is introduced to transform the nonlinear model into a linear model. The solver CPLEX is used to solve the transformed linear model and obtain the optimal operational plan. Small-scale numerical experiments are implemented to show the effectiveness of the optimization approach. The large-scale case of the Beijing‒Shanghai railway corridor is studied to demonstrate that the optimization approach can be applied to real-word and large-scale situations.
Dendrochronological Reconstruction of June Drought (PDSI) from 1731–2016 for the Western Mongolian Plateau
Authors: Shi Liang , Li Guangxin , Liu Hongyan , Dech Jeffery P. , Zhou Mei , Zhao Pengwu , Ren Zhong
Published: August 2020

Droughts are a recurrent phenomenon in the semiarid forest-steppe ecotone of Mongolia with negative consequences for tree growth and agricultural management. In order to better cope with the uncertainty of a changing climate, the study of historical drought and its effects on forests could provide useful insights into ecosystem responses to climate variability. Siberian larch (Larix sibirica) is a dominant tree species in Western Mongolia that provides a valuable source of proxy data in the form of annual rings. We used dendrochronological techniques to establish a standard master chronology and analyze the relationship between annual ring widths and climatic factors. Correlation analyses revealed that the strongest associations of tree-ring index (TRI) values for the master chronology to direct climate variables were June temperature (r = −0.36, p < 0.01) and precipitation (r = 0.39, p < 0.01). The master chronology was strongly correlated to Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) for June (r = 0.606, p < 0.001), and this variable (PDSIJun) was chosen for reconstruction. A simple linear regression of PDSIJun based on TRI explained 35.4% of the total variance for the period 1965–2016 and based on this model the PDSIJun changes from 1731–2016 were reconstructed. Split–sample calibration–verification tests were conducted to evaluate the quality of the model used for climate reconstruction. In the past 286 years, the number of non-drought years (PDSI > 0) was low, with a frequency of only 14.1% of the total reconstruction years. Extreme drought (PDSIJun < −2.70) occurred frequently in the 19th and early and late 20th centuries. Multi-taper method (MTM) spectra and wavelet analysis showed that the reconstructed PDSI series had high and low frequency periods (2.4–3.3 and 85–92 years). Our findings provide an understanding of the drought history of the semiarid forest-steppe ecotone of western Mongolia.
Targeting Mutant KRAS in Pancreatic Cancer: Futile or Promising?
Authors: Nollmann Friederike Inga , Ruess Dietrich Alexander
Published: August 2020

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most fatal cancers with a dismal prognosis for the patient. This is due to limited diagnostic options for the early detection of the disease as well as its rather aggressive nature. Despite major advances in oncologic research in general, the treatment options in the clinic for PDAC have only undergone minor changes in the last decades. One major treatment advance would be the successful targeting of the oncogenic driver KRASmut. In the past, the indirect targeting of KRAS has been exploited, e. g., via upstream inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinases or via downstream MEK or PI3K inhibition. However, the experience gained from clinical trials and from the clinic itself in the treatment of KRASmut cancer entities has dampened the initial euphoria. Lately, with the development of KRASG12C-specific inhibitors, not only the direct but also the indirect targeting of KRASmut has gained momentum again. Though preclinical studies and preliminary early clinical studies of monotherapies have shown promising results, they have been overshadowed by the swift development of resistances resulting in inconsistent responses in patient cohorts. Currently, several different combination therapies for KRASmut cancer are being explored. If they hold the promise they have made in preclinical studies, they might also be suitable treatment options for patients suffering from PDAC.
Use of Oral Anticoagulation and Diabetes Do Not Inhibit the Angiogenic Potential of Hypoxia Preconditioned Blood-Derived Secretomes
Authors: Moog Philipp , Jensch Maryna , Hughes Jessica , Salgin Burak , Dornseifer Ulf , Machens Hans-Günther , Schilling Arndt F. , Hadjipanayi Ektoras
Published: August 2020

Patients suffering from tissue ischemia, who would greatly benefit from angiogenesis-promoting therapies such as hypoxia preconditioned blood-derived secretomes commonly receive oral anticoagulation (OA) and/or have diabetes mellitus (DM). In this study, we investigated the effect of OA administration on the in vitro angiogenic potential of hypoxia preconditioned plasma (HPP) and serum (HPS), prepared from nondiabetic/diabetic subjects who did not receive OA (n = 5) or were treated with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, n = 8), ASA + clopidogrel (n = 10), or nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (n = 7) for longer than six months. The effect of DM was differentially assessed by comparing HPP/HPS obtained from nondiabetic (n = 8) and diabetic (n = 16) subjects who had not received OA in the past six months. The concentration of key proangiogenic (vascular endothelial growth factor or VEGF) and antiangiogenic (thrombospondin-1 or TSP-1 and platelet factor-4 or PF-4) protein factors in HPP/HPS was analyzed via ELISA, while their ability to induce microvessel formations was examined in endothelial cell cultures. We found that OA use significantly reduced VEGF levels in HPP, but not HPS, compared to non-OA controls. While HPP and HPS TSP-1 levels remained largely unchanged as a result of OA usage, HPS PF-4 levels were significantly reduced in samples obtained from OA-treated subjects. Neither OA administration nor DM appeared to significantly reduce the ability of HPP or HPS to induce microvessel formations in vitro. These findings indicate that OA administration does not limit the angiogenic potential of hypoxia preconditioned blood-derived secretomes, and therefore, it does not prohibit the application of these therapies for supporting tissue vascularization and wound healing in healthy or diabetic subjects.
Identification of Cancer-Associated Circulating Cells in Anal Cancer Patients
Authors: Carter Thomas J. , Jeyaneethi Jeyarooban , Kumar Juhi , Karteris Emmanouil , Glynne-Jones Rob , Hall Marcia
Published: August 2020

Whilst anal cancer accounts for less than 1% of all new cancer cases, incidence rates have increased by up to 70% in the last 30 years with the majority of cases driven by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Standard treatment for localised anal cancer is chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Localised progression is the predominant pattern of relapse but well under 50% of cases are salvaged by surgery, predominantly because confirming recurrence within post-radiation change is very challenging. Identifying cancer-associated circulating cells (CCs) in peripheral blood could offer a corroborative method of monitoring treatment efficacy and identifying relapse early. To study this, nucleated cells were isolated from the blood of patients with anal cancer prior to, during, and after CRT and processed through the Amnis® ImageStream®X Mk II Imaging Flow Cytometer, without prior enrichment, using Pan-cytokeratin (PCK), CD45 antibodies and making use of the DNA dye DRAQ5. Analysis was undertaken using IDEAS software to identify those cells that were PCK-positive and DRAQ5-positive as well as CD45-negative; these were designated as CCs. CCs were identified in 7 of 8 patients; range 60–876 cells per mL of blood. This first report of the successful identification of CCs in anal cancer patients raises the possibility that liquid biopsies will find a future role as a prognostic/diagnostic tool in this patient group.
Interplay of tRNA-Derived Fragments and T Cell Activation in Breast Cancer Patient Survival
Authors: Shan Nayang , Li Ningshan , Dai Qile , Hou Lin , Yan Xiting , Amei Amei , Lu Lingeng , Wang Zuoheng
Published: August 2020

Effector CD8+ T cell activation and its cytotoxic function are positively correlated with improved survival in breast cancer. tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) have recently been found to be involved in gene regulation in cancer progression. However, it is unclear how interactions between expression of tRFs and T cell activation affect breast cancer patient survival. We used Kaplan–Meier survival and multivariate Cox regression models to evaluate the effect of interactions between expression of tRFs and T cell activation on survival in 1081 breast cancer patients. Spearman correlation analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis were conducted to identify genes and pathways that were associated with tRFs. tRFdb-5024a, 5P_tRNA-Leu-CAA-4-1, and ts-49 were positively associated with overall survival, while ts-34 and ts-58 were negatively associated with overall survival. Significant interactions were detected between T cell activation and ts-34 and ts-49. In the T cell exhaustion group, patients with a low level of ts-34 or a high level of ts-49 showed improved survival. In contrast, there was no significant difference in the activation group. Breast cancer related pathways were identified for the five tRFs. In conclusion, the identified five tRFs associated with overall survival may serve as therapeutic targets and improve immunotherapy in breast cancer.
Cancer Management during COVID-19 Pandemic: Is Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors-Based Immunotherapy Harmful or Beneficial?
Authors: Vivarelli Silvia , Falzone Luca , Grillo Caterina Maria , Scandurra Giuseppa , Torino Francesco , Libra Massimo
Published: August 2020

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is currently representing a global health threat especially for fragile individuals, such as cancer patients. It was demonstrated that cancer patients have an increased risk of developing a worse symptomatology upon severe acute respiratory syndrome associated coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, often leading to hospitalization and intensive care. The consequences of this pandemic for oncology are really heavy, as the entire healthcare system got reorganized. Both oncologists and cancer patients are experiencing rescheduling of treatments and disruptions of appointments with a concurrent surge of fear and stress. In this review all the up-to-date findings, concerning the association between COVID-19 and cancer, are reported. A remaining very debated question regards the use of an innovative class of anti-cancer molecules, the immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), given their modulating effects on the immune system. For that reason, administration of ICIs to cancer patients represents a question mark during this pandemic, as its correlation with COVID-19-associated risks is still under investigation. Based on the mechanisms of action of ICIs and the current evidence, we suggest that ICIs not only can be safely administered to cancer patients, but they might even be beneficial in COVID-19-positive cancer patients, by exerting an immune-stimulating action.
Aerobic Exercise-Induced Changes in Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Maginador Guilherme , Lixandrão Manoel E. , Bortolozo Henrique I. , Vechin Felipe C. , Sarian Luís O. , Derchain Sophie , Telles Guilherme D. , Zopf Eva , Ugrinowitsch Carlos , Conceição Miguel S.
Published: August 2020

While performing aerobic exercise during chemotherapy has been proven feasible and safe, the efficacy of aerobic training on cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy has not yet been systematically assessed. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine (a) the efficacy of aerobic training to improve CRF; (b) the role of aerobic training intensity (moderate or vigorous) on CRF response; (c) the effect of the aerobic training mode (continuous or interval) on changes in CRF in women with breast cancer (BC) receiving chemotherapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted as per PRISMA guidelines, and randomized controlled trials comparing usual care (UC) and aerobic training in women with BC undergoing chemotherapy were eligible. The results suggest that increases in CRF are favored by (a) aerobic training when compared to usual care; (b) vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (64–90% of maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max) when compared to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (46–63% of VO2max); and (c) both continuous and interval aerobic training are effective at increasing the VO2max. Aerobic training improves CRF in women with BC undergoing chemotherapy. Notably, training intensity significantly impacts the VO2max response. Where appropriate, vigorous intensity aerobic training should be considered for women with BC receiving chemotherapy.
Histopathologic Response Is a Positive Predictor of Overall Survival in Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant/Perioperative Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Gastric or Gastroesophageal Junction Cancers—Analysis from a Large Single Center Cohort in Germany
Authors: Schirren Rebekka , Novotny Alexander , Friess Helmut , Reim Daniel
Published: August 2020

There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of neoadjuvant/perioperative chemotherapy (NCT) for gastro-esophageal cancer (GEC) on overall survival. This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of multimodal treatments in a large single center cohort. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients treated with NCT, followed by intended curative oncological surgery for locally advanced gastric cancer. Uni- and multivariate regression analysis were performed to identify the predictors of overall survival. From over 3000 patients, 702 eligible patients were analyzed. In the univariate analysis clinical stage, application of preoperative PLF, requirement of surgical extension, UICC-stage, grading, R-status, Lauren histotype, and HPR were the prognostic survival factors. In multivariate analysis PLF regimen, UICC-stages, R-status, Lauren histotype, and histopathologic regression (HPR) were significant predictors of overall survival. Overall HPR-rate was 26.9%. HPR was highest in the cT2cN0 stage (55.9%), and lowest in the cT3/4 cN+ stage (21.6%). FLOT demonstrated the highest HPR (37.5%). Independent predictors for HPR were the clinical stage and grading. Kaplan Meier analyses demonstrated significant survival benefits for the responding patients (p < 0.0001). HPR after NCT was an important prognostic factor to predict overall survival for locally advanced GEC. FLOT should be the preferred regimen in patients undergoing NCT ahead of surgery.
Numerical Simulation of Methane and Propane Reforming Over a Porous Rh/Al2O3 Catalyst in Stagnation-Flows: Impact of Internal and External Mass Transfer Limitations on Species Profiles
Authors: Karadeniz Hüseyin , Karakaya Canan , Tischer Steffen , Deutschmann Olaf
Published: August 2020

Hydrogen production by catalytic partial oxidation and steam reforming of methane and propane towards synthesis gas are numerically investigated in stagnation-flow over a disc coated with a porous Rh/Al2O3 layer. A one-dimensional flow field is coupled with three models for internal diffusion and with a 62-step surface reaction mechanism. Numerical simulations are conducted with the recently developed computer code DETCHEMSTAG. Dusty-Gas model, a reaction-diffusion model and a simple effectiveness factor model, are alternatively used in simulations to study the internal mass transfer inside the 100 µm thick washcoat layer. Numerically predicted species profiles in the external boundary layer agree well with the recently published experimental data. All three models for internal diffusion exhibit strong species concentration gradients in the catalyst layer. In partial oxidation conditions, a thin total oxidation zone occurs close to the gas-washcoat interface, followed by a zone of steam and dry reforming of methane. Increasing the reactor pressure and decreasing the inlet flow velocity increases/decreases the external/internal mass transfer limitations. The comparison of reaction-diffusion and Dusty-Gas model results reveal the insignificance of convective flow on species transport inside the washcoat. Simulations, which additionally solve a heat transport equation, do not show any temperature gradients inside the washcoat.
Picosecond Lifetime Hot Electrons in TiO2 Nanoparticles for High Catalytic Activity
Authors: Li Bochao , Li Hao , Yang Chang , Ji Boyu , Lin Jingquan , Tomie Toshihisa
Published: August 2020

A large number of studies have examined the origins of high-catalytic activities of nanoparticles, but very few have discussed the lifetime of high-energy electrons in nanoparticles. The lifetime is one of the factors determining electron transfer and thus catalytic activity. Much of the lifetime of electrons reported in the literature is too short for a high transfer-efficiency of photo-excited electrons from a catalyst to the attached molecules. We observed TiO2 nanoparticles using the femtosecond laser two-color pump-probe technique with photoemission electron microscopy having a 40 nm spatial resolution. A lifetime longer than 4 ps was observed together with a fast decay component of 100 fs time constant when excited by a 760 nm laser. The slow decay component was observed only when the electrons in an intermediate state pumped by the fundamental laser pulse were excited by the second harmonic pulse. The electronic structure for the asymmetry of the pump-probe signal and the origin of the two decay components are discussed based on the color center model of the oxygen vacancy.
Progress in Graphene/Metal Oxide Composite Photocatalysts for Degradation of Organic Pollutants
Authors: Hong Xiaodong , Wang Xu , Li Yang , Fu Jiawei , Liang Bing
Published: August 2020

The sewage discharge of industrial wastewater seriously pollutes the water source and rivers, which is very harmful to the health of humans and wildlife. Among those methods for treating wastewater, photocatalysis is a sustainable and environmental-friendly technique for removing the organic pollutants with no secondary pollution. As a popular photocatalyst, graphene/metal oxide nanocomposites have been widely reported in the photocatalysis field. In this review, the recent progress of graphene/metal oxide composites including binary and ternary composites is summarized in detail. The synthesis, microstructure design, and application performance of graphene/TiO2, graphene/ZnO, graphene/SnO2, graphene/WO3, graphene/Fe2O3, and graphene/Cu2O composites are introduced firstly. Then, the synthesis, the selection of components, and the performance of various ternary composites are summarized specifically, including graphene/TiO2-, graphene/ZnO-, graphene/SnO2-, graphene/Cu2O-, graphene/FexOy-, and graphene/Bi-containing ternary composites. At last, the possible research directions of graphene/metal oxide nanocomposites are put forward. The main purpose is to provide a theoretical guidance for designing high-performance graphene/metal oxide photocatalysts for wastewater treatment.
Role of Brain Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Decoding Sex Differences Associated with Nicotine Self-Administration
Authors: Koul Sneh , Schaal Victoria L. , Chand Subhash , Pittenger Steven T. , Nanoth Vellichirammal Neetha , Kumar Vikas , Guda Chittibabu , Bevins Rick A. , Yelamanchili Sowmya V. , Pendyala Gurudutt
Published: August 2020

Smoking remains a significant health and economic concern in the United States. Furthermore, the emerging pattern of nicotine intake between sexes further adds a layer of complexity. Nicotine is a potent psychostimulant with a high addiction liability that can significantly alter brain function. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying nicotine’s impact on brain function and behavior remain unclear. Elucidation of these mechanisms is of high clinical importance and may lead to improved therapeutics for smoking cessation. To fill in this critical knowledge gap, our current study focused on identifying sex-specific brain-derived extracellular vesicles (BDEV) signatures in male and female rats post nicotine self-administration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are comprised of phospholipid nanovesicles such as apoptotic bodies, microvesicles (MVs), and exosomes based on their origin or size. EVs are garnering significant attention as molecules involved in cell–cell communication and thus regulating the pathophysiology of several diseases. Interestingly, females post nicotine self-administration, showed larger BDEV sizes, along with impaired EV biogenesis compared to males. Next, using quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics, we identified BDEV signatures, including distinct molecular pathways, impacted between males and females. In summary, this study has identified sex-specific changes in BDEV biogenesis, protein cargo signatures, and molecular pathways associated with long-term nicotine self-administration.
Marine Antibiofouling Properties of TiO2 and Ti-Cu-O Films Deposited by Aerosol-Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Villardi de Oliveira Caroline , Petitbois Julie , Faÿ Fabienne , Sanchette Frédéric , Schuster Frédéric , Alhussein Akram , Chaix-Pluchery Odette , Deschanvres Jean-Luc , Jiménez Carmen
Published: August 2020

The actual interest in developing light-induced catalytic coatings to act as an antibiofouling alternative has recently prompted interest in the incorporation of Cu into TiO2 films, working as a visible light sensitizer catalyst. TiO2 and new Ti-Cu-O films with Cu contents ranging between 16% and 75% Cu/(Cu + Ti) are deposited by aerosol-assisted metalorganic chemical vapor deposition at a substrate temperature of 550 °C. The films are composed of TiO2 anatase phase, mixed with Cu2O when including Cu in the composition. Pure TiO2 films’ morphologies are characterized by the formation of microflower-like structures with nanometric petals, which induce a high specific surface. These features are not present in Ti-Cu-O films. A UV-Visible study revealed that the optical band gap energy decreases with increasing Cu content. Interestingly, Ti-Cu-O films presented a highly photo-catalytic activity in the orange-G degradation. Marine biofouling field tests in Lorient’s Harbor in France and in vitro tests were carried out in order to evaluate the antifouling performance of the films, revealing that topography and chemical composition can act differently on different species. Field tests revealed that TiO2 microflowers reduced the fouling coverage. Besides, Ti-Cu-O films with 16 at.% Cu presented lower fouling coverage than films containing 58 at.% Cu. In vitro tests using two diatoms (P. tricornutum and N. perminuta) showed that the spaces between microflowers play a significant role in the adhesion of diatoms: microalgae adhere less when spaces are bigger than their cells, compared to when spaces are of the same size as cells. Films containing Cu did not alter N. perminuta growth nor adhesion, while they affected P. tricornutum by lowering its growth rate and adhesion without noticeable toxicity. Indeed, Cu-Ti-O is a very promising non-toxic fouling release film for marine and industrial applications.
Analysis of Metal-Insulator Crossover in Strained SrRuO3 Thin Films by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
Authors: Nardi Andrea , Bigi Chiara , Kumar Chaluvadi Sandeep , Ciancio Regina , Fujii Jun , Vobornik Ivana , Panaccione Giancarlo , Rossi Giorgio , Orgiani Pasquale
Published: August 2020

The electronic properties of strontium ruthenate SrRuO3 perovskite oxide thin films are modified by epitaxial strain, as determined by growing on different substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Temperature dependence of the transport properties indicates that tensile strain deformation of the SrRuO3 unit cell reduces the metallicity of the material as well as its metal-insulator-transition (MIT) temperature. On the contrary, the shrinkage of the Ru–O–Ru buckling angle due to compressive strain is counterweighted by the increased overlap of the conduction Ru-4d orbitals with the O-2p ones due to the smaller interatomic distances resulting into an increased MIT temperature, i.e., a more conducting material. In particular, in the more metallic samples, the core level X-ray photoemission spectroscopy lineshapes show the occurrence of an extra-peak at the lower binding energies of the main Ru-3d peak that is attributed to screening, as observed in volume sensitive photoemission of the unstrained material.
Kinetics of Capability Aging in Ti-13Nb-13Zr Alloy
Authors: Lee Myoungjae , Kim In-Su , Moon Young Hoon , Yoon Hyun Sik , Park Chan Hee , Lee Taekyung
Published: August 2020

Metals for biomedical implant applications require a simultaneous achievement of high strength and low Young’s modulus from the viewpoints of mechanical properties. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards suggest two types of processing methods to confer such a mechanical performance to Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy: solution treatment (ST) and capability aging (CA). This study elucidated the kinetics of CA process in Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy. Microstructural evolution and mechanical change were investigated depending on the CA duration from 10 min to 6 h. The initial ST alloy possessed the full α′-martensitic structure, leading to a low strength, low Young’s modulus, and high ductility. Increasing CA duration increased mechanical strength and Young’s modulus in exchange for the reduction of ductility. Such a tendency is attributed to the decomposition of α′ martensite into (α+β) structure, particularly hard α precipitates. Mechanical compatibility (i.e., Young’s modulus compensated with a mechanical strength) of Ti-13Nb-13Zr alloy rarely increased by changing CA duration, suggestive of the intrinsic limit of static heat treatment.
Primary Retroperitoneal Mucinous Carcinoma with Carcinosarcomatous Mural Nodules: A Case Report with Emphasis on Its Histological Features and Immunophenotype
Authors: Park Sujin , Kim Hyun-Soo
Published: August 2020

Mucinous carcinoma of the retroperitoneal origin is extremely rare. The existence of mural nodules in association with retroperitoneal mucinous carcinoma is an even rarer condition and indicates a worse prognosis. We present a case of primary retroperitoneal mucinous carcinoma with carcinosarcomatous mural nodules in a 27-year-old woman. We found a histological spectrum of mucinous tumors encompassing a mucinous borderline tumor, microinvasive carcinoma, and overt carcinoma with an expansile invasive pattern. The mural nodules had two morphological components. The sarcomatous component consisted of diffusely proliferating pleomorphic spindle or polygonal cells, while the carcinomatous component exhibited infiltrative glands showing a complex and cribriform architecture as well as distorted and poorly formed small glands. The carcinomatous component, comprising approximately 20% of the entire tumor volume of the mural nodules, was randomly distributed within the sarcomatous component. In a few areas, the carcinomatous component transformed and merged into the sarcomatous component. Immunostaining revealed a mutually exclusive pattern of expression of cytokeratin and vimentin in the carcinomatous and sarcomatous components, respectively, supporting the presence of a dual tumor cell population and confirming the diagnosis of carcinosarcoma. In summary, our case exhibited a histological spectrum of mucinous tumors and a metaplastic transformation from the carcinomatous to sarcomatous component in mural nodules. The immunostaining results of a mutually exclusive expression pattern of epithelial and mesenchymal markers confirmed the histological evidence of a dual population. Although rare, the specific histological features and immunophenotype are helpful in establishing the diagnosis of carcinosarcomatous mural nodules. Since the pathogenetic mechanism and treatment strategies for primary retroperitoneal mucinous carcinoma remain unclear, pathologists have an essential role to play in correctly evaluating the presence of mural nodules and determining their nature, to be later utilized to predict patients’ outcomes and provide appropriate treatment.
Correction: Xiang, Y.M.; Pan, W.F.; Jiang, H.B.; Zhu, Y.F.; Li, H. Measuring Software Modularity Based on Software Networks. Entropy 2019, 21, 344
Authors: Xiang Yiming , Pan Weifeng , Jiang Haibo , Zhu Yunfang , Li Hao
Published: August 2020

The authors wish to make the following corrections to the paper [...]
A Time-Varying Information Measure for Tracking Dynamics of Neural Codes in a Neural Ensemble
Authors: Rezaei Mohammad R. , Popovic Milos R. , Lankarany Milad
Published: August 2020

The amount of information that differentially correlated spikes in a neural ensemble carry is not the same; the information of different types of spikes is associated with different features of the stimulus. By calculating a neural ensemble’s information in response to a mixed stimulus comprising slow and fast signals, we show that the entropy of synchronous and asynchronous spikes are different, and their probability distributions are distinctively separable. We further show that these spikes carry a different amount of information. We propose a time-varying entropy (TVE) measure to track the dynamics of a neural code in an ensemble of neurons at each time bin. By applying the TVE to a multiplexed code, we show that synchronous and asynchronous spikes carry information in different time scales. Finally, a decoder based on the Kalman filtering approach is developed to reconstruct the stimulus from the spikes. We demonstrate that slow and fast features of the stimulus can be entirely reconstructed when this decoder is applied to asynchronous and synchronous spikes, respectively. The significance of this work is that the TVE can identify different types of information (for example, corresponding to synchronous and asynchronous spikes) that might simultaneously exist in a neural code.
Neural Network Based AMP Method for Multi-User Detection in Massive Machine-Type Communication
Authors: Sun Mengjiang , Chen Peng
Published: August 2020

In massive machine-type communications (mMTC) scenarios, grant-free non-orthogonal multiple access becomes crucial due to the small transmission latency, limited signaling overhead and the ability to support massive connectivity. In a multi-user detection (MUD) problem, the base station (BS) is unaware of the active users and needs to detect active devices. With sporadic devices transmitting signals at any moment, the MUD problem can be formulated as a multiple measurement vector (MMV) sparse recovery problem. Through the Khatri–Rao product, we prove that the MMV problem is transformed into a single measurement vector (SMV) problem. Based on the basis pursuit de-noising approximate message passing (BPDN-AMP) algorithm, a novel learning AMP network (LAMPnet) algorithm is proposed, which is designed to reduce the false alarm probability when the required detection probability is high. Simulation results show that when the required detection probablity is high, the AMP algorithm based on LAMPnet noticeably outperforms the traditional algorithms with acceptable computational complexity.
Design and Analysis of Magnetic Coils for Optimizing the Coupling Coefficient in an Electric Vehicle Wireless Power Transfer System
Authors: Yang Yang , Cui Jinlong , Cui Xin
Published: August 2020

Although the wireless power transfer (WPT) system for electric vehicles (EVs) provides numerous advantages, there is still a low coupling coefficient and the misalignment between the primary coil and the secondary coil needs to be solved. In this paper, the transmission efficiency and transmitted power were calculated based on Series-Series (SS) compensation topology. The coupling coefficient is related to the coil parameters and misalignments. A simulation study was carried out to explore the variation in the coupling coefficient for different coil configurations under different air gaps and coil misalignments. Moreover, the influence of the internal parameters of the square coil on the coupling coefficient was further studied. Finally, this paper discusses the influence of ferrite cores with a square coil on the coupling coefficient. The results of this paper show that designing the optimal internal parameters of the square coil and the ferrite core can increase the coupling coefficient between the coils, which can also provide guidelines for the design and optimization of the magnetic coupling coils for a wireless charging system for electric vehicles.