bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Translational Inhibition of α-Neurexin 2
Authors: Ding Xiaoting , Meng Shasha , Zhou Jiahong , Yang Juan , Li Hongmei , Zhou Weihui
Published: February 2020

Neurexins are extensively investigated presynaptic cell-adhesion molecules which play important roles in transmitting signals and processing information at synapses that connect neurons into a vast network of cellular communications. Synaptic transmission of information is a fast and dynamic process which relies on rapid and tight regulation of synaptic protein expression. However, the mechanism underlying those regulation is still not fully understood. Therefore, we explore how the expression of NRXN2α, one of encoding genes for neurexins, is regulated at the translational level. NRXN2α transcript has a long and conserved 5′-untranslated region (5′UTR) suggestive of the rapid regulation of protein expression at the translational level. We first demonstrate that the 5′UTR has negative effects on the expression of the NRXN2α and find a critical subregion responsible for the major inhibitory function. Then we identify a particular secondary structure of G-quadruplex in the 5′UTR. Moreover, we find that the synergistic roles of G-quadruplex and upstream AUGs are responsible for most of NRXN2α-5′UTR inhibitory effects. In conclusion, we uncovered 5′ UTR of neurexin2 potentially inhibits neurexin2 translation by multiple mechanisms. In addition, this study underscores the importance of direct protein quantitation in experiments rather than using mRNA as an indirect estimate of protein expression.
Inhibition of Grb14, a negative modulator of insulin signaling, improves glucose homeostasis without causing cardiac dysfunction
Authors: Ding Xunshan , Iyer Rugmani , Novotny Christopher , Metzger Daniel , Zhou Heather H. , Smith Gordon I. , Yoshino Mihoko , Yoshino Jun , Klein Samuel , Swaminath Gayathri , Talukdar Saswata , Zhou Yingjiang
Published: February 2020

Insulin resistance increases patients’ risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and a host of other comorbidities including cardiovascular disease and cancer. At the molecular level, insulin exerts its function through the insulin receptor (IR), a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase. Data from human genetic studies have shown that Grb14 functions as a negative modulator of IR activity, and the germline Grb14-knockout (KO) mice have improved insulin signaling in liver and skeletal muscle. Here, we show that Grb14 knockdown in liver, white adipose tissues, and heart with an AAV-shRNA (Grb14-shRNA) improves glucose homeostasis in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. A previous report has shown that germline deletion of Grb14 in mice results in cardiac hypertrophy and impaired systolic function, which could severely limit the therapeutic potential of targeting Grb14. In this report, we demonstrate that there are no significant changes in cardiac function as measured by echocardiography in the Grb14-knockdown mice fed a high-fat diet for a period of four months. While additional studies are needed to further confirm the efficacy and to de-risk potential negative cardiac effects in preclinical models, our data support the therapeutic strategy of inhibiting Grb14 to treat diabetes and related conditions.
Investigation of sirtuin 1 polymorphisms in relation to the risk of colorectal cancer by molecular subtype
Authors: Hrzic Rok , Simons Colinda C. J. M. , Schouten Leo J. , van Engeland Manon , Brandt Piet van den , Weijenberg Matty P.
Published: February 2020

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a histone deacetylase, is involved in maintenance of genetic stability, inflammation, immune response, metabolism (energy-sensing molecule) and colorectal tumorigenesis. We investigated SIRT1’s specific role in colorectal tumorigenesis by studying SIRT1 polymorphisms in relation to colorectal cancer (CRC) risk by microsatellite instability (MSI) and CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) status. The Netherlands Cohort study (NLCS) was initiated in 1986 and includes 120,852 participants in a case-cohort design. CRC tumour samples were available for incident cases between 1989 and 1993. Toenail deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was used for genotyping of two SIRT1 tagging variants (rs10997870 and rs12778366). Excluding the first 2.3 years of follow-up, subcohort members and CRC cases with no toenail DNA available and those with low sample call rates, and CRC cases with no tumour DNA available left 3478 subcohort members and 533 CRC cases. Cox regression was utilised to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for MSI and CIMP positive and negative tumours by SIRT1 genotypes. The results were that the rs12778366 TC/CC versus TT genotype was inversely associated with MSI CRC (HR = 0.41, 95% confidence interval: 0.20, 0.88), while no association was found with the risk of an MSS tumour (TC/CC versus TT carriers: HR = 1.13, 95% CI: 0.89, 1.44). No significant associations were found between other SIRT1 genotypes and CRC subtypes. In conclusion, the results suggest a role for SIRT1 polymorphisms in colorectal tumorigenesis, particularly MSI CRC.
Linagliptin and telmisartan induced effects on renal and urinary exosomal miRNA expression in rats with 5/6 nephrectomy
Authors: Delić Denis , Wiech Franziska , Urquhart Richard , Gabrielyan Ogsen , Rieber Kathrin , Rolser Marcel , Tsuprykov Oleg , Hasan Ahmed A. , Krämer Bernhard K. , Baum Patrick , Köhler Andreas , Gantner Florian , Mark Michael , Hocher Berthold , Klein Thomas
Published: February 2020

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers attenuate chronic kidney disease progression in experimental diabetic and non-diabetic nephropathy in a blood pressure and glucose independent manner, but the exact molecular mechanisms remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA species that are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and play an important role in the pathogenesis of nephropathy. miRNAs are present in urine in a remarkably stable form, packaged in extracellular vesicles. Here, we investigated linagliptin and telmisartan induced effects on renal and urinary exosomal miRNA expression in 5/6 nephrectomized rats. In the present study, renal miRNA profiling was conducted using the Nanostring nCounter technology and mRNA profiling using RNA sequencing from the following groups of rats: sham operated plus placebo; 5/6 nephrectomy plus placebo; 5/6 nephrectomy plus telmisartan; and 5/6 nephrectomy plus linagliptin. TaqMan Array miRNA Cards were used to evaluate which of the deregulated miRNAs in the kidney are present in urinary exosomes. In kidneys from 5/6 nephrectomized rats, the expression of 13 miRNAs was significantly increased (>1.5-fold, P < 0.05), whereas the expression of 7 miRNAs was significantly decreased (>1.5-fold, P < 0.05). Most of the deregulated miRNA species are implicated in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition and inflammatory processes. Both telmisartan and linagliptin suppressed the induction of pro-fibrotic miRNAs, such as miR-199a-3p, and restored levels of anti-fibrotic miR-29c. In conclusion, the linagliptin and telmisartan-induced restorative effects on miR-29c expression were reflected in urinary exosomes, suggesting that miRNA profiling of urinary exosomes might be used as a biomarker for CKD progression and monitoring of treatment effects.
Modeling of One-Dimensional Thermoelastic Dual-Phase-Lag Skin Tissue Subjected to Different Types of Thermal Loading
Authors: Youssef Hamdy M. , Alghamdi Najat A.
Published: February 2020

This work introduces a mathematical model of thermoelastic skin tissue in the context of the dual-phase-lag heat conduction law. One-dimensional skin tissue has been considered with a small thickness and its outer surface traction free. The bounding plane of the skin tissue is subjected to three different types of thermal loading; thermal shock, ramp type heating, and harmonic heating. The inner surface has no temperature increment and traction free. Laplace transform techniques have been used, and its inversions have been calculated by using the Tzuo method. The numerical results have been represented in figures. The thermal shock time parameter, the ramp-type heat parameter, and the angular thermal parameter have significant effects on the temperature increment, the strain, the displacement, and the stress distributions, and they play vital roles in the speed propagation of the thermomechanical waves through the skin tissue.
Engineering Meteorological Features to Select Stress Tolerant Hybrids in Maize
Authors: Mimić Gordan , Brdar Sanja , Brkić Milica , Panić Marko , Marko Oskar , Crnojević Vladimir
Published: February 2020

In this study we used meteorological parameters and predictive modelling interpreted by model explanation to develop stress metrics that indicate the presence of drought and heat stress at the specific environment. We started from the extreme temperature and precipitation indices, modified some of them and introduced additional drought indices relevant to the analysis. Based on maize’s sensitivity to stress, the growing season was divided into four stages. The features were calculated throughout the growing season and split in two groups, one for the drought and the other for heat stress. Generated meteorological features were combined with soil features and fed to random forest regression model for the yield prediction. Model explanation gave us the contribution of features to yield decrease, from which we estimated total amount of stress at the environments, which represents new environmental index. Using this index we ranked the environments according to the level of stress. More than 2400 hybrids were tested across the environments where they were grown and based on the yield stability they were marked as either tolerant or susceptible to heat, drought or combined heat and drought stress. Presented methodology and results were produced within the Syngenta Crop Challenge 2019.
Blood Pressure measurements are site dependent in a cohort of patients with neurological illness
Authors: Siaron Kathrina B. , Cortes Michaela X. , Stutzman Sonja E. , Venkatachalam Aardhra , Ahmed Khalid Mohamed , Olson DaiWai M.
Published: February 2020

Blood pressure (BP) management is a crucial part of critical care that directly affects morbidity and mortality. While BP has become a mainstay in patient care, the accuracy and precision of BP measures across commonly used sites (left upper arm, right upper arm, etc.) and methods have not been established. This study begins to fill this gap in literature by testing the null hypothesis that BP measurement does not vary according to site. This is a prospective, non-randomized, cross-sectional study of 80 neurocritical care unit patients. Near simultaneous non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) readings from 4 different locations (bilateral upper arm, bilateral wrist) and, when available, intra-arterial blood pressure readings (IABP) were included. Pearson correlation coefficients and one-way repeated measures ANOVA were used to observe the systolic, diastolic, and mean arterial pressure (MAP) correlations. The BP measured at the four most common sites (left upper arm, left wrist, right upper arm, right wrist) had adequate correlation coefficients but were statistically significantly different and highly unpredictable. The median inter-site systolic variability was 10 mmHg (IQR 2 to 10 mmHg). The median inter-site MAP variability was 6mmHg with an interquartile range (IQR) of 3 to 9 mmHg. As expected, the values correlated to show that patients with high BP in one site tended to have high BP in another site. However, the unpredictable inter-site variability is concerning within the clinical setting where oftentimes BP measurement site is not standardized but resulting values are nevertheless used for treatment. There is prominent inter-site variability of BP measured across the 4 most common measurement sites. The variability persists across non-invasive (NIBP) and invasive (IABP) methods of assessment.
Distribution and curing reactions of melamine formaldehyde resin in cells of impregnation-modified wood
Authors: Altgen Michael , Awais Muhammad , Altgen Daniela , Klüppel André , Mäkelä Mikko , Rautkari Lauri
Published: February 2020

Wood modification improves the properties of wood as a building material by altering the wood structure on a cellular level. This study investigated how dimensional changes of wood on a macroscopic scale are related to the cellular level chemical changes on the micron level after impregnation modification with melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin under different heat curing conditions. Our results showed that the curing conditions affected the polycondensation reactions and the morphological structure of the MF resin within the cell lumen. The diffusion of the resin into the cell wall was estimated based on the triazine ring vibration of melamine in the Raman spectrum at 950–990 cm−1. Thereby, it was shown that macroscopic changes in wood dimensions do not provide a reliable estimate for the cell wall diffusion of the resin. The removal of cell wall constituents during the modification, which was facilitated by the alkaline pH of the impregnation solution, counterbalanced the cell wall bulking effect of the resin. This was particularly evident for wet cured samples, where diffusion of MF resin into the cell wall was observed by confocal Raman microscopy, despite a reduction in macroscopic wood dimensions.
DNA damage and expression of DNA methylation modulators in urine-derived cells of patients with hypertension and diabetes
Authors: Hishikawa Akihito , Hayashi Kaori , Yoshimoto Norifumi , Nakamichi Ran , Homma Koichiro , Itoh Hiroshi
Published: February 2020

Diabetes and hypertension have become the primary causes of chronic kidney disease worldwide. However, there are no established markers for early diagnosis or predicting renal prognosis. Here, we investigated the expression profiles of DNA repair and DNA methylation factors in human urine-derived cells as a possible diagnostic or renal prognosis-predicting marker. A total of 75 subjects, aged 63.3 ± 1.9 years old, were included in this study. DNA and RNA were extracted from 50 mL of urine samples. We evaluated DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) by the quantitative long distance-PCR method and performed real-time RT-PCR analysis to analyze the expression of renal cell-specific markers, DNA DSB repair factor KAT5, DNA methyltransferases DNMTs, and demethylation enzymes TETs. In patients with hypertension and diabetes, DNA DSBs of the nephrin gene increased with decreased urine KAT5/nephrin expression, consistent with our previous study (Cell Rep 2019). In patients with hypertension, DNA DSBs of the AQP1 gene were increased with elevated urine DNMTs/AQP1 and TETs/AQP1 expression. Moreover, urine DNMTs/AQP1 expression was significantly correlated with the annual eGFR decline rate after adjustment for age, baseline eGFR, the presence of diabetes and the amount of albuminuria, suggesting a possible role as a renal prognosis predictor.
Author Correction: Hidden diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest: the discovery of Jurasaidae, a new beetle family (Coleoptera, Elateroidea) with neotenic females
Authors: Rosa Simone Policena , Costa Cleide , Kramp Katja , Kundrata Robin
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Establishment of sperm cryopreservation and in vitro fertilisation protocols for rats
Authors: Nakagata Naomi , Mikoda Nobuyuki , Nakao Satohiro , Nakatsukasa Ena , Takeo Toru
Published: February 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Exploring exchange processes in proteins by paramagnetic perturbation of NMR spectra
Authors: Hunashal Yamanappa , Cantarutti Cristina , Giorgetti Sofia , Marchese Loredana , Molinari Henriette , Niccolai Neri , Fogolari Federico , Esposito Gennaro
Published: February 2020

The effects induced by extrinsic paramagnetic probes on protein NMR spectra, widely used for surface mapping, can also be exploited to detect the sites of slow and intermediate exchange due to structural or intermolecular interaction dynamics.
MEDEAS: a new modeling framework integrating global biophysical and socioeconomic constraints
Authors: Capellán-Pérez Iñigo , de Blas Ignacio , Nieto Jaime , de Castro Carlos , Miguel Luis Javier , Carpintero Óscar , Mediavilla Margarita , Lobejón Luis Fernando , Ferreras-Alonso Noelia , Rodrigo Paula , Frechoso Fernando , Álvarez-Antelo David
Published: February 2020

Description of the open-source MEDEAS integrated assessment modeling framework, which focuses on the biophysical and economic dimensions, restrictions and interactions arising during energy transitions.
Systematic over-estimation of lattice thermal conductivity in materials with electrically-resistive grain boundaries
Authors: Kuo Jimmy Jiahong , Wood Max , Slade Tyler J. , Kanatzidis Mercouri G. , Snyder G. Jeffrey
Published: February 2020

The inverse trend between carrier mobility and lattice thermal conductivity is found to be an artifact of grain boundary electrical resistance. A two-phase transport model is required to properly account for the effect.
Stereoisomer specific reaction of hexabromocyclododecane with Fe(ii) associated with iron oxides
Authors: Zhang Xianmiao , Roopnarine Kristian K. , Dong Shirley , Jans Urs
Published: February 2020

We investigated the stereoselective degradation of the brominated flame retardant HBCD by Fe(ii) in aqueous suspensions of different iron oxides.
Impact of nano-TiO2 on horizontal transfer of resistance genes mediated by filamentous phage transduction
Authors: Han Xue , Lv Peng , Wang Lu-Guang , Long Fei , Ma Xiao-Lin , Liu Chang , Feng Yu-Jie , Yang Ming-Feng , Xiao Xiang
Published: February 2020

The spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment has aroused growing concern for human health and ecological safety.
Nanomaterials for radioactive wastewater decontamination
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyuan , Liu Yu
Published: February 2020

Nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be an effective adsorbent or an ion exchanger for selectively removing various radioactive species present in contaminated water while preventing radionuclides from entering and interacting with the biosphere.
A promising anticancer drug: a photosensitizer based on the porphyrin skeleton
Authors: Zhang Qizhi , He Jun , Yu Wenmei , Li Yanchun , Liu Zhenhua , Zhou Binning , Liu Yunmei
Published: February 2020

This article reviews the research status of porphyrin photosensitizers; future perspectives and current challenges are discussed.
Highly boosted gas diffusion for enhanced electrocatalytic reduction of N2to NH3on 3D hollow Co–MoS2nanostructures
Authors: Zeng Libin , Li Xinyong , Chen Shuai , Wen Jiali , Rahmati Farnood , van der Zalm Joshua , Chen Aicheng
Published: February 2020

Transition metal chalcogenide MoS2catalysts are highly selective for the electrochemical reduction of dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) in aqueous electrolytes.
Nanoparticle rearrangement under stress in networks of cellulose nanofibrils using in situ SAXS during tensile testing
Authors: Engström J. , Jimenez A. M. , Malmström E.
Published: February 2020

This study aims to describe and evaluate the mechanism for increased strain-at-break of composites made of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) reinforced with nanoscopic latex particles (<200 nm) stabilized by a cationic polyelectrolyte as corona.
Manganese carbonyl induced cationic reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (C-RAFT) polymerization under visible light
Authors: Li Jiajia , Kerr Andrew , Häkkinen Satu , Floyd Thomas , Zhang Mengmeng , Pan Xiangqiang , Zhu Xiulin , Perrier Sébastien , Zhu Jian
Published: February 2020

Vinyl ethers were polymerized by C-RAFT polymerization on the basis of halide abstraction reaction of manganese carbonyl and organic halide.
Synthesis of large-area ultrathin graphdiyne films at an air–water interface and their application in memristors
Authors: Li Wanhui , Liu Jie , Yu Yanxia , Feng Guangyuan , Song Yaru , Liang Qiu , Liu Lei , Lei Shengbin , Hu Wenping
Published: February 2020

A simple approach was developed to fabricate large-area homogeneous GDY films at an air/water interface; the obtained GDY films exhibit steady nonvolatile resistance switching behavior with excellent data retention capability and high on/off ratio.
Cooperative CO2 absorption by amino acid-based ionic liquids with balanced dual sites
Authors: Chen Xiaoyan , Luo Xiaoyan , Li Jiaran , Qiu Rongxing , Lin Jinqing
Published: February 2020

Cooperative CO2 absorption by anion functionalized ILs with dual sites including amino acid group (AA) and basic anion (R) could be achieved through regulating the relative activation of two sites.
Photoelectric current as a highly sensitive readout for potentiometric sensors
Authors: Hun Xu , Xiong Xiaoli , Ding Jiawang , Qin Wei
Published: February 2020

The photocurrent at a working electrode coated with a ZnSe/r-GO composite can be modulated by a polymeric membrane ion-selective electrode that works as a reference electrode.
Influence of the Sc cation substituent on the structural properties and energy transfer processes in GAGG:Ce crystals
Authors: Spassky Dmitry , Kozlova Nina , Zabelina Evgeniia , Kasimova Valentina , Krutyak Nataliya , Ukhanova Alisa , Morozov Vladimir A. , Morozov Anatolii V. , Buzanov Oleg , Chernenko Kirill , Omelkov Sergey , Nagirnyi Vitali
Published: February 2020

Modification of band structure induced by Sc in a novel material Gd2.97Ce0.03Ga2.5Sc1Al1.5O12 results in the enhancement of energy transfer to Ce3+.
Biomimetic regioselective and high-yielding Cu(i)-catalyzed dimerization of sinapate esters in green solvent Cyrene™: towards sustainable antioxidant and anti-UV ingredients
Authors: Mention Matthieu M. , Flourat Amandine L. , Peyrot Cédric , Allais Florent
Published: February 2020

β–β′ dimers of sinapate esters are anti-UV and antiradical chemicals.
Synthesis and antiproliferative activity of 6-naphthylpterocarpans
Authors: Szappanos Ádám , Mándi Attila , Gulácsi Katalin , Lisztes Erika , Tóth Balázs István , Bíró Tamás , Antus Sándor , Kurtán Tibor
Published: February 2020

The Heck-oxyarylation of 2H-chromenes afforded (6S*,6aR*,11aR*)-6-naphthylpterocarpans with potent antiproliferative activity. Absolute configurations and conformations of the separated enantiomers were determined by TDDFT-ECD calculations.
Correction: Synthesis of a furfural-based DOPO-containing co-curing agent for fire-safe epoxy resins
Authors: Xie Weiqi , Huang Shiwen , Tang Donglin , Liu Shumei , Zhao Jianqing
Published: February 2020

Correction for ‘Synthesis of a furfural-based DOPO-containing co-curing agent for fire-safe epoxy resins’ by Weiqi Xie et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 1956–1965.
Fc-binding antibody-recruiting molecules exploit endogenous antibodies for anti-tumor immune responses
Authors: Sasaki Koichi , Harada Minori , Miyashita Yoshiki , Tagawa Hiroshi , Kishimura Akihiro , Mori Takeshi , Katayama Yoshiki
Published: February 2020

Fc-binding antibody-recruiting molecules provide robust and sufficient opportunities to employ endogenous antibodies for anti-tumor immune responses.
Dearomatization of aryl sulfoxides: a switch between mono- and dual-difluoroalkylation
Authors: Huang Xin , Zhang Yage , Liang Weijian , Zhang Qifeng , Zhan Yaling , Kong Lichun , Peng Bo
Published: February 2020

Herein we describe the dearomatization of aryl sulfoxides with difluoroenol silyl ether (DFESE) using a rearrangement/addition protocol.
Thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-based organic sensitizers with improved spectral properties for application in greenhouse-integrated dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Dessì Alessio , Calamante Massimo , Sinicropi Adalgisa , Parisi Maria Laura , Vesce Luigi , Mariani Paolo , Taheri Babak , Ciocca Manuela , Di Carlo Aldo , Zani Lorenzo , Mordini Alessandro , Reginato Gianna
Published: February 2020

Semitransparent dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) for greenhouse integration were manufactured by using especially designed organic dyes featuring different heterocyclic moieties integrated into a thiazolo[5,4-d]thiazole-molecular scaffold.
Controlling the film structure by regulating 2D Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite formation enthalpy for efficient and stable tri-cation perovskite solar cells
Authors: Liang Chao , Salim K. M. Muhammed , Li Pengwei , Wang Zhuo , Koh Teck Ming , Gu Hao , Wu Bo , Xia Junmin , Zhang Zhipeng , Wang Kaiyang , Liu Tanghao , Wei Qi , Wang Sisi , Tang Yuxin , Shao Guosheng , Song Yanlin , Mathews Nripan , Xing Guichuan
Published: February 2020

High-performance (22.86%) and high-stability (3000 h) perovskite solar cells are obtained by introducing a novel polyfluorinated cation to form a new film structure.
Regulation of basal expression of hepatic PEPCK and G6Pase by AKT2
Authors: He Lina , Li Yang , Zeng Ni , Stiles Bangyan L.
Published: February 2020

Hepatic glucose metabolism signaling downstream of insulin can diverge to multiple pathways including AKT. Genetic studies suggest that AKT is necessary for insulin to suppress gluconeogenesis. To specifically address the role of AKT2, the dominant liver isoform of AKT in the regulation of gluconeogenesis genes, we generated hepatocytes lacking AKT2 (Akt2−/−). We found that, in the absence of insulin signal, AKT2 is required for maintaining the basal level expression of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxyl kinase (PEPCK) and to a lesser extent G6Pase, two key rate-limiting enzymes for gluconeogenesis that support glucose excursion due to pyruvate loading. We further showed that this function of AKT2 is mediated by the phosphorylation of cyclic AMP response element binding (CREB). Phosphorylation of CREB by AKT2 is needed for CREB to induce the expression of PEPCK and likely represents a priming event for unstimulated cells to poise to receive glucagon and other signals. The inhibition of gluconeogenesis by insulin is also dependent on the reduced FOXO1 transcriptional activity at the promoter of PEPCK. When insulin signal is absent, this activity appears to be inhibited by AKT2 in manner that is independent of its phosphorylation by AKT. Together, this action of AKT2 on FOXO1 and CREB to maintain basal gluconeogenesis activity may provide fine-tuning for insulin and glucocorticoid/glucagon to regulate gluconeogenesis in a timely manner to meet metabolic needs.
Deep learning approach for device‐free localisation based on internet of things
Authors: Yang Menghuan , Wu Hong
Published: February 2020

The device‐free localisation, which neither requires the targets to carry any electronic device nor participate in the position process proactively, is an innovated and prospective technique. Traditional device‐free techniques include computer vision, infrared sensor, indoor radar etc. Since there is a rapid development of the internet of things (IoT) brings massive wireless radio links, it is possible to achieve the device‐free localisation by investigating the link quality indicator of wireless links. In this Letter, the authors propose a device‐free localisation procedure to position the target by acquiring all the wireless link indictors in the IoT network, utilising deep learning to train the deep neural network. The experiment shows the average positioning error can be <0.2 m in an experimental environment of 160 square metres.
Fault detection method in subsea power distribution systems using statistical optimisation
Authors: Nademi Hamed , Vanfretti Luigi , Pretlove John
Published: February 2020

Developing automation solutions that enable remote communications, monitoring and control for subsea applications are key steps in designing subsea power distribution systems. These systems require fast local control to protect the multiple electrical loads and the capability of transferring prompt real‐time trip signals. This study introduces a data‐driven distributed fault detection and identification algorithm to monitor multiple subsea loads. The proposed scheme is divided into three steps. First, a stochastic hidden‐Markov model (HMM) is developed to model the dynamic evolution of different potential conditions of multiple subsea loads. Simultaneously, the second step computes a model of the transition probability between the current operating condition and the potential response of an individual load. In the third step, using real‐time measurements, the HMM is updated to predict an unobserved degradation of the load's current condition. This is achieved through an integrated perturbation analysis and sequential quadratic programming method. An assessment of case studies on subsea AC power system is presented, which includes different subsea motor loads for compressors and pumps. Results show robustness against uncertainty in measurement noise and changes in equipment mean time between failures, providing enhanced reliability.
Will the vehicle restriction policy maintain a long‐term deterrent effect?
Authors: Liu Zhiyong , Li Ruimin
Published: February 2020

As one of the efficient travel demand management approaches, vehicle restriction policy has been widely implemented worldwide. However, non‐compliant behaviours occur and undermine such a policy. Maintaining a long‐term deterrent effect on individuals is crucial. This study conducts an empirical analysis to investigate whether the vehicle restriction policy can prevent non‐compliant behaviours in the long run. On the basis of a newly implemented vehicle restriction policy, i.e. odd‐and‐even policy in Langfang, China, compliance duration that represents the period from the beginning of the policy to the first rule‐breaking behaviour of an individual is investigated by applying survival analyses. Moreover, this study proves the existence of inertia in rule‐breaking behaviour. Findings reveal that a considerable proportion of vehicles would commit their first offence within a short period of time after the policy coming into force. Inertia would further increase the frequency of rule‐breaking behaviour. Thus, vehicle restriction policy can hardly maintain a long‐term deterrent effect. This study provides implications for understanding the deterrent effect of transportation policies and offers insights into policy improvement.
Geothermal reservoir heat transfer, temperature modelling and electrical power potential estimation: Gisenyi hot spring
Authors: Nshimyumuremyi Esdras , Junqi Wang
Published: February 2020

As the energy demand is increasing every day, the environmental pollution has been a main concern. To reduce environmental pollution while satisfying the energy demand, renewable energy is a good solution and attracted many researchers not only to produce clean energy but also to find sustainable energy solution. Among renewable energy, geothermal energy is one of promising renewable sources and is recently given a high consideration. The tectonic position of Rwanda and volcanism show that Rwanda may have promising geothermal resources. One of the evidences is the hot springs originated from tectonic. Gisenyi hot spring is located in Northern Province nearest to the Kivu Lac on the base of volcanoes with surface water temperature of 71°C. In this paper, the conceptual and numerical models were made on Gisenyi hot spring based on geological, geochemical, hydrochemistry and geophysical data to estimate the temperature profile of the spring. This paper assesses the reservoir temperature of Gisenyi hot spring by using various geothermometers along with existing data and information using MATLAB software. The electrical power potential using Organic Rankine Cycle and Carbon dioxide as a working fluid have been assessed together with the optimum depth by considering the dominant mode of heat transfer.
Advanced model order reduction and artificial intelligence techniques empowering advanced structural mechanics simulations: application to crash test analyses
Authors: Limousin Victor , Delgerie Xavier , Leroy Emmanuel , Ibáñez Rubén , Argerich Clara , Daim Fatima , Louis Duval Jean , Chinesta Francisco
Published: February 2020

This paper proposes a general framework for expressing parametrically quantities of interest related to the solution of complex structural mechanics models, in particular the ones involved in crash analyses where strongly coupled nonlinear and dynamic behaviors coexist with space-time localized mechanisms. Advanced nonlinear regressions able to proceed in the low-data limit, enabling to accommodate heterogeneous parameters, will be proposed and their performances evaluated in the case of crash simulations. As soon as these parametric expressions will be determined, they can be used for generating large amounts of realizations of the quantity of interest for different choices of the parameters, for supporting data-analytics. On the other hand, such parametric representations allow the use advanced optimization techniques, evaluate sensitivities and propagate uncertainty all them under the stringent real-time constraint.
Le SAHOS du sénior
Authors: Soyer Yves , Legris Sylvie
Published: February 2020

La notion de sénior varie suivant les situations et les variations du curseur utilisé. Les problèmes de santé apparaissent avec l’âge et la fonction physiologique liée au sommeil s’altère avec le vieillissement. Il convient de bien connaître les variations physiologiques du sommeil pour bien cerner l’apparition des troubles obstructifs du sommeil et d’en comprendre les mécanismes.

La prise en charge du SAHOS chez le sujet âgé fait partie de l’arsenal thérapeutique de l’orthodontiste qui est donc un acteur clé de la chaine du traitement médical du patient sénior.
Le parodonte des séniors
Authors: Guillot Anne Emmanuelle , Arzouni Coralie
Published: February 2020

La compréhension des acteurs du vieillissement est nécessaire pour adapter nos stratégies thérapeutiques et de prévention lorsque la démographie s’oriente vers une augmentation importante du nombre des plus âgés. En ce qui concerne le parodonte, le vieillissement s’additionne au risque de maladies parodontales déjà présent chez une personne sur deux, et reste au cœur des problématiques du vieillissement bucco-dentaire et de santé. Une meilleure compréhension des effets de l’âge et de ses conséquences permettrait une meilleure prise en charge thérapeutique pour rester en bonne santé plus long-temps.
Determination of radioactive contaminants in sediment and sand samples from the Black Sea by HPGe Gamma-ray spectrometry
Authors: Yücel H. , Güven R. , Demirel İ.
Published: February 2020

The radionuclide activities were measured in sea sediment and coastal sand samples taken from the Black Sea to improve the understanding on coastal pollution as sediments and sand act as a sink for inorganic contaminants from various sources. The core sediments were taken from the Black Sea near to Varna city and sand samples were collected from in the Black Sea Coastal of North Anatolia. Their radionuclide contents were measured using a high resolution gamma-ray spectrometry. The activity results are found to be on the average, 65 ± 9 Bq · kg−1 for 210Pb, 13 ± 1 Bq · kg−1 for 137Cs, 36 ± 4 Bq · kg−1 for 226Ra, 25 ± 3 Bq · kg−1 for 232Th, and 403 ± 13 Bq · kg−1 for 40K in slices from the sediment core. The radionuclide activities in sand samples collected from the Black Sea coastal are measured for 7Be (2.4 ± 0.4 to 5.8 ± 0.4 Bq · kg−1) and for 137Cs (2.0 ± 0.1 to 3.7 ± 0.2 Bq · kg−1). In sand samples, other natural occurring radionuclides 226Ra (6.8 ± 1.1 to 12.5 ± 1.3 Bq · kg−1), 232Th (6.5 ± 0.8 to 16.9 ± 1.4 Bq · kg−1) and 40K(139 ± 8 to 376 ± 16 Bq · kg−1) were also observed, as expected. The present results indicate that there is still noticeable radionuclide contamination in sediments and coastal sands due to mainly the Chernobyl nuclear accident and other conventional industrial wastes.
FGF-23 als Knochenmarker bei metabolischen Osteopathien
Authors: Dietrich Oliver , Danneberg Rainer , Böttcher-Lorenz Juliane , Keil Maik , Jehle Peter M.
Published: February 2020

Die Osteoporose ist die führende metabolische Knochenerkrankung des höheren Lebensalters. In den aktuellen Leitlinien des DVO spielen klinische Risikofaktoren ein zunehmend größere Rolle, sowohl im Hinblick auf die Diagnostik als auch auf die Therapie der verschiedenen Formen der Osteoporose. Neben verschiedenen Ko-Morbiditäten weisen diese Patienten häufig eine Einschränkung der Nierenfunktion auf.

Die Entdeckung des phosphatsenkenden Hormons FGF-23 und das zunehmende Verständnis zu dessen Rolle im Calcium-Phosphat Stoffwechsel eröffnen neue Einblicke in das Verständnis der komplexen pathophysiologischen Vorgänge metabolischer Osteopathien. FGF-23 wird im Knochen bei ansteigenden Phosphatspiegeln vermehrt gebildet. An der Niere wirkt FGF-23 phosphaturisch. Durch ansteigende FGF-23-Spiegel gelingt es auch bei nachlassender Nierenfunktion, möglichst lange ein Ansteigen des Serumphosphats zu vermeiden. In einer Vielzahl von Studien konnten signifikante Korrelationen zwischen FGF-23-Spiegeln, Phosphatwerten und der kardiovaskulären Mortalität von Patienten mit und ohne Niereninsuffizienz aufgezeigt werden. Studien zur Rolle von FGF-23 im Knochenstoffwechsel liegen bislang nur vereinzelt vor.

Ziel der durchgeführten Untersuchung war es, bei Patienten mit Osteoporose und noch weitestgehend erhaltener Nierenfunktion die mögliche diagnostische Bedeutung von FGF-23 im Vergleich zu etablierten Knochenmarkern wie Knochenspezifische alkalische Phosphatase (BAP) und der Tartrat-resistenten sauren Phosphatase Isoform 5b (TRAP-5b) zu betrachten.

In einer prospektiven Pilotstudie wurden 55 Patienten mit metabolischen Osteopathien (überwiegend Osteoporose) aus der endokrinologischen Ermächtigungssprechstunde von Prof. Dr. Jehle untersucht. Neben den klinischen Daten und den routinemäßig bestimmten Laborparametern (Calcium, Phosphat, Kreatinin, eGFR, PTH, 25-OH-Vitamin D3, BAP, TRAP-5b) wurde FGF-23 einmalig mit einem spezifischen ELISA gemessen. Zusammenfassend kann gesagt werden, dass die Daten der Pilotstudie zeigen, dass FGF-23 für einzelne Patienten von diagnostischer Relevanz sein kann. Insbesondere erniedrigte Phosphatspiegel können durch die Messung von FGF-23 besser eingeordnet werden. Die weitere Erforschung von FGF-23 und dessen Rolle beim Knochenstoffwechsel scheint vielversprechend.
Physical, Laboratory, Radiographic, and Endoscopic Workup for Clostridium difficile Colitis
Authors: Baker Samantha J. , Chu Daniel I.
Published: February 2020

Clostridium (reclassified as “Clostridioides”) difficile colitis is a common nosocomial infection associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Like many clinical encounters, a focused history and physical examination will help to guide initial management. Further laboratory testing will assist with diagnosis through stool studies, and blood tests, such as white blood cell counts and serum creatinine, can help to stratify patients into illness severity groups for treatment decisions. Radiographic evaluation can be helpful in patients with severe disease and concern for complicated colitis. Endoscopic evaluation should be carefully considered in patients with suspected mucosal injury secondary to infections and plays a role when an alternative diagnosis is suspected. Treatment options depend on the clinical presentation and can range from antibiotic therapy to emergent surgery to fecal transplantation for recurrent episodes. Care for these patients is often challenging, but through a systemic workup the appropriate treatment may be delivered.
Hospital Infection Control: Clostridioides difficile
Authors: Turner Nicholas A. , Anderson Deverick J.
Published: February 2020

Clostridioides difficile remains a leading cause of healthcare-associated infection. Efforts at C. difficile prevention have been hampered by an increasingly complex understanding of transmission patterns and a high degree of heterogeneity among existing studies. Effective prevention of C. difficile infection requires multimodal interventions, including contact precautions, hand hygiene with soap and water, effective environmental cleaning, use of sporicidal cleaning agents, and antimicrobial stewardship. Roles for probiotics, avoidance of proton pump inhibitors, and isolation of asymptomatic carriers remain poorly defined.
Deglobalization in a hyper-connected world
Authors: Balsa-Barreiro José , Vié Aymeric , Morales Alfredo J. , Cebrián Manuel
Published: February 2020

In the age of hyperconnectivity, we are undergoing an explosive increase in the interdependence of the political, commercial, financial, and social spheres. The recent rise ofdeglobalizationmovements across the world highlights the local negative externalities of poorly designed networked structures at the global scale: high social complexity derived from immigration shocks, elevated risk of contagion in financial downturns, as well as increasing inequality and social polarization. While global interdependencies on networks enable opportunities for cultural and economic growth, they also establish channels for unresolved conflicts and design errors to propagate across social systems. We analyze failure propagation on networks as a function of density and centralization of inter-dependencies. We show that the risk of failure in both overly distributed and centralized systems behave similarly when the number of connections exceeds a system-dependent threshold number. The scale of interdependencies matters and must be considered for the design of policies targeted at increasing or decreasing the connectivity of social systems.
Language as shaped by the environment: linguistic construal in a collaborative spatial task
Authors: Nölle Jonas , Fusaroli Riccardo , Mills Gregory J. , Tylén Kristian
Published: February 2020

What causes cultural groups to favour specific conventions over others? Recently, it has been suggested that cross-linguistic variation can be motivated by factors of the wider non-linguistic environment. Large-scale cross-sectional studies have found statistical differences among languages that pattern with environmental variables such as topography or population size. However, these studies are correlational in nature, revealing little about the possible mechanisms driving these cultural evolutionary processes. The present study sets out to experimentally investigate how environmental factors come to shape the emergence of linguistic conventions. To this end, we adapt the classical Maze Game task to test the hypothesis that participants routinise different linguistic strategies to communicate positions in the maze contingent on particular environmental affordances (i.e. structure of the mazes). Our results confirm that subtle environmental motivations drive the emergence of different communicative conventions in an otherwise identical task, suggesting that linguistic adaptations are highly sensitive to factors of the shared task environment. We speculate that these kinds of mechanisms found at a local interactional level, through processes of cultural evolution contribute to the systematic global variation observed among different languages.
Density determination of the thermonuclear fuel region in inertial confinement fusion implosions
Authors: Volegov P. L. , Batha S. H. , Geppert-Kleinrath V. , Danly C. R. , Merrill F. E. , Wilde C. H. , Wilson D. C. , Casey D. T. , Fittinghoff D. , Appelbe B. , Chittenden J. P. , Crilly A. J. , McGlinchey K.
Published: February 2020

Understanding of the thermonuclear burn in an inertial confinement fusion implosion requires knowledge of the local deuterium–tritium (DT) fuel density. Neutron imaging of the core now provides this previously unavailable information. Two types of neutron images are required. The first is an image of the primary 14-MeV neutrons produced by the D + T fusion reaction. The second is an image of the 14-MeV neutrons that leave the implosion hot spot and are downscattered to lower energy by elastic and inelastic collisions in the fuel. These neutrons are measured by gating the detector to record the 6–12 MeV neutrons. Using the reconstructed primary image as a nonuniform source, a set of linear equations is derived that describes the contribution of each voxel of the DT fuel region to a pixel in the downscattered image. Using the measured intensity of the 14-MeV neutrons and downscattered images, the set of equations is solved for the density distribution in the fuel region. The method is validated against test problems and simulations of high-yield implosions. The calculated DT density distribution from one experiment is presented.
Liquid-like dielectric response is an origin of long polaron lifetime exceeding 10 μs in lead bromide perovskites
Authors: Miyata Kiyoshi , Nagaoka Ryota , Hada Masaki , Tanaka Takanori , Mishima Ryuji , Kuroda Taihei , Sueta Sota , Iida Takumi , Yamashita Yoshifumi , Nishikawa Takeshi , Tsuruta Kenji , Hayashi Yasuhiko , Onda Ken , Kiwa Toshihiko , Teranishi Takashi
Published: February 2020

Lead halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronic applications because of their exceptional performances in carrier lifetime and diffusion length; however, the microscopic origins of their unique characteristics remain elusive. The organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites show unique dielectric functions, i.e., ferroelectric-like phonon responses in the 0.1–10 THz region and liquid-like rotational relaxation in the 1–100 GHz range. To reveal the role of the dielectric responses is of primal importance because the dielectric screening is a key to understanding the optoelectronic properties governed by polarons in the perovskites. Here, we conducted comparative studies of broadband dielectric spectroscopy on both all-inorganic CsPbBr3 and organic–inorganic hybrid (CH3NH3)PbBr3 single crystals to uncover the origin of the liquid-like dielectric relaxation in the 1–100 GHz range. We confirmed the absence of the dielectric response in the range of 106–1010 Hz in CsPbBr3, which was clearly present in the hybrid (CH3NH3)PbBr3. This suggests that the response is almost purely due to the rotational motions of the organic dipoles in the hybrid perovskites. We evaluated the lifetimes of the polarons using surface-free transient photoluminescence. The lifetime in CsPbBr3 was up to 1.6 µs, while the lifetime in (CH3NH3)PbBr3 was 18 µs. The lifetime in the hybrid (CH3NH3)PbBr3 was significantly longer than in CsPbBr3, also confirmed by transient infrared spectroscopy. We concluded that the liquid-like dielectric response inhibits polaron recombination due to the efficient separation of opposite charges by the additional dynamic disorder.
The Cu photoluminescence defect and the early stages of Cu precipitation in Si
Authors: Vincent T. M. , Estreicher S. K. , Weber J. , Kolkovsky V. , Yarykin N.
Published: February 2020

This theoretical–experimental study focuses on the formation of the substitutional-tri-interstitial cluster Cus1Cui3, which has been proposed as the photoluminescence defect CuPL. The configurations and electronic properties of the intermediate defects Cus1Cui1 and Cus1Cui2 are calculated, and their electrically active levels are obtained from conventional and Laplace deep-level transient spectroscopy. The vacancy formation energy near copper-related defects is calculated and found to be much smaller than in the perfect crystal. Then, we show how Cus1Cui3 could become the seed of agglomerates of Cus1Cui3 “units.” The discussion focuses mostly on unanswered questions about the discrepancies between the calculated and measured properties of CuPL and Cus1Cui3.