bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative study on immunophenotypic characterization and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stromal cells derived from periodontal ligament and gingiva
Authors: Abedian Zeinab , Jenabian Niloofar , Moghadamnia Ali Akbar , Zabihi Ebrahim , Pourbagher Roghayeh , Hossein‐Nataj Hadi , Mohamadnia‐Afrouzi Mousa
Published: January 2020

Background

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from periodontal ligament (PDL) and gingiva can be used for the development of cell‐based regenerative approaches in dentistry and medicine. The purpose of this investigation was to establish a method for isolation of human stem cells from the PDL and gingiva, multilineage differentiation of those cells, and comparison of periodontal ligament mesenchymal stem cells (PDLMSCs) and gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs).

Methods

PDL and gingival tissues of third molar teeth were digested enzymatically and the proliferative potential of human PDLMSCs and GMSCs was compared by MTT assay. The expression of cell surface epitopes was analyzed by flow cytometry. To investigate the multilineage differentiation capacity of these stem cells, osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation was achieved. The specific staining of nodules was performed to evaluate differentiation, whereas the expression of alkalin phosphatase (ALP) and collagen A I (COL I) genes was analyzed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The outgrown cells derived from PDL and gingival tissues were similar, fibroblast‐like, and spindle‐shaped. Further, the proliferation potential of GMSCs was greater than PDLMSCs. Both types of stem cells expressed MSC precursor markers, including CD73, CD90, and CD105, whereas they were negative for hematopoietic markers, including CD34 and CD45. PDLMSCs demonstrated more osteogenic potential compared to GMSCs with strong mineral noduls, and significantly greater expression of up‐regulated bone‐related markers ALP and COL I.

Conclusion

MSCs derived from PDL and gingiva demonstrated multipotent characteristics, suggesting new therapeutic approaches in tissue engineering and PDLMSCs are more appropriate candidates for this purpose.
Effect of water‐extractive components from funazushi, a fermented crucian carp, on the activity of fibrinolytic factors
Authors: Ito Koji
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Japanese fermented foods, including funazushi, have have been studied insufficiently. Related research into fermented products has led to the hope that they might have positive effects on blood circulation, including anti‐thrombosis effects. The possible antithrombotic effects of funazushi on the fibrinolytic system were examined.

RESULTS

The administration of extracts from funazushi increased the activity of plasmin and tissue plasminogen activators in the fibrinolytic system but decreased the activity of plasminogen activator inhibitor type‐1 (PAI‐1). This decrease was positively correlated with the decreased plasma triglyceride levels. Funazushi extract directly inhibited PAI‐1 activity in vitro despite alimentary enzyme digestion, although direct PAI‐1 inhibition was not observed in an extract from salted crucian carp.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that funazushi extracts are closely involved in the antithrombotic effects of the fibrinolytic system, and that they exert their effect through a reduction in PAI‐1 activity. The findings also indicate that fermentation processing is necessary to achieve the antithrombotic effects of funazushi. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Biotransformation of phenolics and metabolites and the change in antioxidant activity in kiwifruit induced by Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation
Authors: Zhou Yan , Wang Ruimin , Zhang Yefang , Yang Yuhui , Sun Xiaohong , Zhang Qinghai , Yang Na
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

Changes in antioxidant activity of fruit during fermentation are related to changes in the composition of phenolic acids and flavonoids. In this study, we investigated the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum on the phenolic profile, antioxidant activities, and metabolites of kiwifruit pulp.

RESULTS

Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation increased scavenging activity of 1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,20‐azinobis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radicals. The content of phenolics and flavonoids was increased after fermentation. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the phenolic and flavonoid content was responsible for increasing the scavenging activities of DPPH and ABTS. Lactobacillus plantarum influenced the phenolic profile of the pulp. Protocatechuic and chlorogenic acids were the predominant phenolic acids in fermented kiwifruit pulp. Gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, epicatechin, and catechins were degraded by L. plantarum. The content of 6,7‐dihydroxy coumarin and p‐coumaric acid, and especially protocatechuic acid, was increased by fermentation. Metabolic differences in lactic acid, fructose, phosphoric acid, gluconolactone, and sugar were evident between non‐fermented and fermented kiwifruit.

CONCLUSION

Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation increased antioxidant compounds and antioxidant activity in kiwifruit pulp. These results provide the foundation to target the functional benefits of L. plantarum‐fermented kiwifruit pulp for further human, animal, and plant health applications. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Contribution of connective tissue components, muscle fibres and marbling to beef tenderness variability in longissimus thoracis, rectus abdominis, semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles
Authors: Listrat Anne , Gagaoua Mohammed , Normand Jérome , Gruffat Dominique , Andueza Donato , Mairesse Guillaume , Mourot Benoît‐Pierre , Chesneau Guillaume , Gobert Christelle , Picard Brigitte
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

The present study aimed to identify relationships between components of intramuscular connective tissue, proportions of the different fiber types, intramuscular fat and sensory tenderness of beef cooked at 55 °C. Accordingly, four muscles differing in their metabolic and contractile properties, as well as in their collagen content and butcher value, were obtained from dairy and beef cattle of several ages and sexes and were then used to create variability.

RESULTS

Correlation analyses and/or stepwise regressions were applied on Z‐scores to identify the existing and robust associations. Tenderness scores were further categorized into tender, medium and tough classes using unsupervised learning methods. The findings revealed a muscle‐dependant role with respect to tenderness of total and insoluble collagen, cross‐links, and type IIB + X and IIA muscle fibers. The longissimus thoracis and semitendinosus muscles that, in the present study, were found to be extreme in their tenderness potential were also very different from each other and from the rectus abdominis (RA) and semimembranosus (SM). RA and SM muscles were very similar regarding their relationship for muscle components and tenderness. A relationship between marbling and tenderness was only present when the results were analysed irrespective of all factors of variation of the experimental model relating to muscle and animal type.

CONCLUSION

The statistical approaches applied in the present study using Z‐scores allowed identification of the robust associations between muscle components and sensory beef tenderness and also identified discriminatory variables of beef tenderness classes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Application of targeted panel sequencing and whole exome sequencing for 76 Chinese families with retinitis pigmentosa
Authors: Dan Handong , Huang Xin , Xing Yiqiao , Shen Yin
Published: January 2020

Background

This study aimed to identify the gene variants and molecular etiologies in 76 unrelated Chinese families with retinitis pigmentosa (RP).

Methods

In total, 76 families with syndromic or nonsyndromic RP, diagnosed on the basis of clinical manifestations, were recruited for this study. Genomic DNA samples from probands were analyzed by targeted panels or whole exome sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis, Sanger sequencing, and available family member segregation were used to validate sequencing data and confirm the identities of disease‐causing genes.

Results

The participants enrolled in the study included 62 families that exhibited nonsyndromic RP, 13 that exhibited Usher syndrome, and one that exhibited Bardet–Biedl syndrome. We found that 43 families (56.6%) had disease‐causing variants in 15 genes, including RHO, PRPF31, USH2A, CLRN1, BBS2, CYP4V2, EYS, RPE65, CNGA1, CNGB1, PDE6B, MERTK, RP1, RP2, and RPGR; moreover, 12 families (15.8%) had only one heterozygous variant in seven autosomal recessive RP genes, including USH2A, EYS, CLRN1, CERKL, RP1, CRB1, and SLC7A14. We did not detect any variants in the remaining 21 families (27.6%). We also identified 67 potential pathogenic gene variants, of which 24 were novel.

Conclusion

The gene variants identified in this study expand the variant frequency and spectrum of RP genes; moreover, the identification of these variants supplies foundational clues for future RP diagnosis and therapy.
Positive periodic solutions for impulsive differential equations with infinite delay and applications to integro‐differential equations
Authors: Buedo‐Fernández Sebastián , Faria Teresa
Published: January 2020

Sufficient conditions for the existence of at least one positive periodic solution are established for a family of scalar periodic differential equations with infinite delay and nonlinear impulses. Our criteria, obtained by applying a fixed‐point argument to an original operator constructed here, allow to treat equations incorporating a rather general nonlinearity and impulses whose signs may vary. Applications to some classes of Volterra integro‐differential equations with unbounded or periodic delay and nonlinear impulses are given, extending and improving results in the literature.
Algebraic techniques for least squares problems in commutative quaternionic theory
Authors: Zhang Dong , Guo Zhenwei , Wang Gang , Jiang Tongsong
Published: January 2020

Due to the rise of commutative quaternion in Hopfield neural networks, digital signal, and image processing, one encounters the approximate solution problems of the commutative quaternion linear equations
and
. This paper, by means of real representation and complex representation of commutative quaternion matrices, introduces concepts of norms of commutative quaternion matrices and derives two algebraic techniques for finding solutions of least squares problems in commutative quaternionic theory.
Regularization of a terminal value problem for time fractional diffusion equation
Authors: Anh Triet Nguyen , Van Au Vo , Dinh Long Le , Baleanu Dumitru , Huy Tuan Nguyen
Published: January 2020

In this article, we study an inverse problem with inhomogeneous source to determine an initial data from the time fractional diffusion equation. In general, this problem is ill‐posed in the sense of Hadamard, so the quasi‐boundary value method is proposed to solve the problem. In the theoretical results, we propose a priori and a posteriori parameter choice rules and analyze them. Finally, two numerical results in the one‐dimensional and two‐dimensional case show the evidence of the used regularization method.
Design and analysis of a compact ultrathin polarization‐ and incident angle‐independent triple band metamaterial absorber
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Singh Hari Shankar
Published: January 2020

This article reports a compact ultrathin metamaterial absorber with three resonances in S‐band, X‐band, and Ku‐band. The geometry of the proposed absorber consists of a square ring, a splitted square ring, and a plus shaped resonating structure. The plus shaped structure is enclosed within a split ring resonator and it is further enclosed by an outer square ring. The proposed absorber is fabricated on a low cost FR4 substrate of thickness 1 mm that is, 0.011 λlowest (where, λ is the lowest resonating frequency). The size of unit cell is 10 × 10 mm2. It exhibits 99.6%, 99.1%, and 99.1% absorption at 3.4, 9.6, and 13 GHz, respectively. Moreover, the physical insight of the design is explained by surface current distribution and equivalent circuit analysis. Stability of the proposed design is validated with different incident (for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes) angles and different polarization angles. Finally, a prototype of the absorber is fabricated and validated experimentally.
MR safety watchdog for active catheters: Wireless impedance control with real‐time feedback
Authors: Özen Ali Caglar , Silemek Berk , Lottner Thomas , Atalar Ergin , Bock Michael
Published: January 2020

Purpose

To dynamically minimize radiofrequency (RF)‐induced heating of an active catheter through an automatic change of the termination impedance.

Methods

A prototype wireless module was designed that modifies the input impedance of an active catheter to keep the temperature rise during MRI below a threshold, ΔTmax. The wireless module (MR safety watchdog; MRsWD) measures the local temperature at the catheter tip using either a built‐in thermistor or external data from a fiber‐optical thermometer. It automatically changes the catheter input impedance until the temperature rise during MRI is minimized. If ΔTmax is exceeded, RF transmission is blocked by a feedback system.

Results

The thermistor and fiber‐optical thermometer provided consistent temperature data in a phantom experiment. During MRI, the MRsWD was able to reduce the maximum temperature rise by 25% when operated in real‐time feedback mode.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the technical feasibility of an MRsWD as an alternative or complementary approach to reduce RF‐induced heating of active interventional devices. The automatic MRsWD can reduce heating using direct temperature measurements at the tip of the catheter. Given that temperature measurements are intrinsically slow, for a clinical implementation, a faster feedback parameter would be required such as the RF currents along the catheter or scattered electric fields at the tip.
A randomized controlled study of the efficacy of tadalafil monotherapy versus combination of tadalafil and mirabegron for the treatment of persistent overactive bladder symptoms in men presenting with lower urinary tract symptoms (CONTACT Study)
Authors: Yamanishi Tomonori , Kaga Kanya , Sakata Koichi , Yokoyama Teruhiko , Kageyama Shinji , Fuse Miki , Tokunaga Shoji
Published: January 2020

Aim

To evaluate efficacy and safety of combination of tadalafil + mirabegron for overactive bladder/benign prostatic hyperplasia (OAB/BPH).

Methods

Male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (50 to 89 years), with remaining OAB symptoms even after administering tadalafil for more than 8 weeks were randomly assigned to either tadalafil monotherapy group (5 mg/day) or tadalafil/mirabegron combination therapy group (5 mg/50 mg/day). The primary endpoint was change from baseline in total OAB symptom score (OABSS) at week 12. The secondary endpoints were changes in International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), NIH‐chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH‐CPSI), and micturition chart parameters at weeks 4 and 12.

Results

A total of 176 patients were randomized to either monotherapy (87 patients) or combination therapy (89 patients). The baseline characteristics of patients in the two groups were similar. The total OABSS (95% confidence interval) of combination therapy was significantly decreased by 1.78 (1.05‐2.50) points compared with that of monotherapy (P < .001). Changes from baseline in OABSS nighttime voiding score, urgency score, urgency incontinence score, IPSS storage subscores, NIH‐CPSI total score, and numbers of voids, nighttime‐voids, and urgency episodes/day in micturition chart were significantly reduced in combination therapy (all P < .001). Patient‐reported outcome was significantly more satisfactory in combination therapy than in monotherapy (P < .001). One moderate adverse event (pain in hip joint) with hardly presumed causal relationship with therapy and seven mild adverse events were noted in monotherapy and combination therapy group, respectively.

Conclusions

The effect of tadalafil/mirabegron combination therapy on relieving OAB symptoms appeared to be greater than that of tadalafil monotherapy and can be safely used.
Loss of BAP1 expression is associated with an immunosuppressive microenvironment in uveal melanoma, with implications for immunotherapy development
Authors: Figueiredo Carlos R , Kalirai Helen , Sacco Joseph J , Azevedo Ricardo A , Duckworth Andrew , Slupsky Joseph R , Coulson Judy M , Coupland Sarah E
Published: January 2020

Immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) induces durable responses in many metastatic cancers. Metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM), typically occurring in the liver, is one of the most refractory tumours to ICIs and has dismal outcomes. Monosomy 3 (M3), polysomy 8q, and BAP1 loss in primary uveal melanoma (pUM) are associated with poor prognoses. The presence of tumour‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) within pUM and surrounding mUM – and some evidence of clinical responses to adoptive TIL transfer – strongly suggests that UMs are indeed immunogenic despite their low mutational burden. The mechanisms that suppress TILs in pUM and mUM are unknown. We show that BAP1 loss is correlated with upregulation of several genes associated with suppressive immune responses, some of which build an immune suppressive axis, including HLA‐DR, CD38, and CD74. Further, single‐cell analysis of pUM by mass cytometry confirmed the expression of these and other markers revealing important functions of infiltrating immune cells in UM, most being regulatory CD8+ T lymphocytes and tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs). Transcriptomic analysis of hepatic mUM revealed similar immune profiles to pUM with BAP1 loss, including the expression of IDO1. At the protein level, we observed TAMs and TILs entrapped within peritumoural fibrotic areas surrounding mUM, with increased expression of IDO1, PD‐L1, and β‐catenin (CTNNB1), suggesting tumour‐driven immune exclusion and hence the immunotherapy resistance. These findings aid the understanding of how the immune response is organised in BAP1
− mUM, which will further enable functional validation of detected biomarkers and the development of focused immunotherapeutic approaches. © 2020 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Spherical filler‐promoting thermally conductive pathway in graphite‐containing polymer composites for high heat radiation
Authors: Takafuji Makoto , Kawamoto Naoki , Hano Nanami , Sasahara Kazufusa , Nagaoka Shoji , Ihara Hirotaka
Published: January 2020

Graphite is an efficient and affordable filler for polymer composites, allowing the control of thermal conductivity. In comparison to other thermally conductive fillers, graphite is lightweight and flexible but affords anisotropic thermal conductivity. Herein, the control of thermal conductivity of graphite‐containing polymer composite sheet using spherical polymer particles as additional fillers is described. The thermal conductivity in the through‐plane direction (λt) of the composite sheet is enhanced by varying the composition ratio of the two fillers (flaky graphite and spherical particles), and optimizing the forming temperature and pressure. Graphite‐containing (25 wt%) polymer composite sheet formed by compression at 150 °C and 10 MPa exhibits λ
t value of 0.66 W/m K. Upon mixing of polystyrene microspheres, λ
t is successfully increased. The maximum value of thermal conductivity for a composite sheet with 35 wt% of graphite and 50 wt% of spherical particles is 7.51 W/m K, at 180 °C and 10 MPa. The graphite‐containing polymer matrix forms a sequentially connected network‐like structure in the composite sheet. Excess polymer microspheres lead to the formation of void structures inside the composite sheet, reducing the thermal conductivity. Thermo‐camera observations proved that the composite sheets with higher λ
t value showed comparably high heat radiations. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020, 58, 607–615
Asthma mortality among Mexican children: Rural and urban comparison and trends, 1999‐2016
Authors: Hernández‐Garduño Eduardo
Published: January 2020

Objective

Although there are more studies showing higher asthma prevalence in urban rather than rural zones, few assessed asthma mortality by zone in children. The objective of this study is to compare asthma mortality rates (AMR) by zone of residence of Mexican children.

Design

Using national death certificate and population projections data, AMR were compared in children aged 0 to 14 years by gender, age group, and zone of residence from 1999 to 2016. AMR trends were calculated using Joinpoint regression.

Results

Of the 680 823 deaths, 2464 (0.36%) were due to asthma. Asthma mortality was higher in rural (0.65%) than urban (0.26%) zones, P < .0001. Whole period AMR median was also higher in rural vs urban zones (0.6 vs 0.3, respectively), P < .05. The average annual percent change (AAPC) of AMR for the whole period was −5.1 in all children with a higher percent decrease in rural vs urban zones (girls' AAPC = −6.3 vs −4.1, respectively and boys' AAPC = −4.8 vs −4.2, respectively). AMR decreased in children aged 0 to 4 from both zones (rural's AAPC: girls = −7.9, boys = −5.2; urban's AAPC: girls = −5.1, boys = −5.4), P < .05. No trend was found in children aged 5 to 14.

Conclusions

Asthma mortality in Mexican children is higher in rural than urban zones. The decrease of mortality over time in early childhood is reassuring. More research is needed to determine reasons for higher mortality in rural Mexico and for the lack of a favorable decreasing trend in children aged 5 to 14 from both zones.
Curvature‐sensitive trans‐assembly of human Atg8‐family proteins in autophagy‐related membrane tethering
Authors: Taniguchi Saki , Toyoshima Masayuki , Takamatsu Tomoyo , Mima Joji
Published: January 2020

In macroautophagy, de novo formation of the double membrane‐bound organelles, termed autophagosomes, is essential for engulfing and sequestering the cytoplasmic contents to be degraded in the lytic compartments such as vacuoles and lysosomes. Atg8‐family proteins have been known to be responsible for autophagosome formation via membrane tethering and fusion events of precursor membrane structures. Nevertheless, how Atg8 proteins act directly upon autophagosome formation still remains enigmatic. Here, to further gain molecular insights into Atg8‐mediated autophagic membrane dynamics, we study the two representative human Atg8 orthologs, LC3B and GATE‐16, by quantitatively evaluating their intrinsic potency to physically tether lipid membranes in a chemically defined reconstitution system using purified Atg8 proteins and synthetic liposomes. Both LC3B and GATE‐16 retained the capacities to trigger efficient membrane tethering at the protein‐to‐lipid molar ratios ranging from 1:100 to 1:5,000. These human Atg8‐mediated membrane‐tethering reactions require trans‐assembly between the membrane‐anchored forms of LC3B and GATE‐16 and can be reversibly and strictly controlled by the membrane attachment and detachment cycles. Strikingly, we further uncovered distinct membrane curvature dependences of LC3B‐ and GATE‐16‐mediated membrane tethering reactions: LC3B can drive tethering more efficiently than GATE‐16 for highly curved small vesicles (e.g., 50 nm in diameter), although GATE‐16 turns out to be a more potent tether than LC3B for flatter large vesicles (e.g., 200 and 400 nm in diameter). Our findings establish curvature‐sensitive trans‐assembly of human Atg8‐family proteins in reconstituted membrane tethering, which recapitulates an essential subreaction of the biogenesis of autophagosomes in vivo.
Parathyroid Hormone Derivative with Reduced Osteoclastic Activity Promoted Bone Regeneration via Synergistic Bone Remodeling and Angiogenesis
Authors: Huang Jinghuan , Lin Dan , Wei Zhanying , Li Qi , Zheng Jin , Zheng Qixin , Cai Lin , Li Xiaolin , Yuan Yuan , Li Jingfeng
Published: January 2020

Osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and angiogenesis are the most important processes in bone repair. Parathyroid hormone (PTH) has pro‐osteogenic, pro‐osteoclastogenic, and proangiogenic effects and may be a candidate for use in bone defect repair. However, the local application of PTH to bone defects is counterproductive due to its excessive osteoclastic and bone resorptive effects. In this study, a PTH derivative, PTHrP‐2, is developed that can be applied to local bone defects. First, a modified peptide with a calcium‐binding repeat glutamine tail undergoes controlled local release from a ceramic material and is shown to be a better fit for the repair process than the unmodified peptide. Second, the modified peptide is shown to have strong pro‐osteogenic activity due to mineralization and its facilitation of serine (Ser) phosphorylation. Third, the modified peptide is shown to maintain the pro‐osteoclastogenic and proangiogenic properties of the unmodified peptide, but its pro‐osteoclastogenic activity is reduced compared to that of the unmodified peptide. The reduced pro‐osteoclastogenic and increased pro‐osteogenic properties of the modified peptide reverse the imbalance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts with local PTH application and shift bone resorption to bone regeneration.
The holographic landscape of symmetric product orbifolds
Authors: Belin Alexandre , Castro Alejandra , Keller Christoph A. , Mühlmann Beatrix
Published: January 2020

Abstract

We investigate the growth of coefficients in the elliptic genus of symmetric product orbifolds at large central charge. We find that this landscape decomposes into two regions. In one region, the growth of the low energy states is Hagedorn, which indicates a stringy dual. In the other, the growth is much slower, and compatible with the spectrum of a supergravity theory on AdS3. We provide a simple diagnostic which places any symmetric product orbifold in either region. We construct a class of elliptic genera with such supergravity-like growth, indicating the possible existence of new realizations of AdS3/CFT2 where the bulk is a semi-classical supergravity theory. In such cases, we give exact expressions for the BPS degeneracies, which could be matched with the spectrum of perturbative states in a dual supergravity description.
Anomaly inflow, accidental symmetry, and spontaneous symmetry breaking
Authors: Bah Ibrahima , Bonetti Federico
Published: January 2020

Abstract

We consider the 6d (1,0) SCFT on a stack of N M5-branes probing a ℂ2
/ℤ2 singularity. In particular, we study its compactifications to four dimensions on a smooth genus-g Riemann surface with non-trivial flavor flux, yielding a family of 4d CFTs. By tracking the M-theory origin of the global symmetries of the 4d CFTs, we detect the emergence of an accidental symmetry and the spontaneous symmetry breaking of a U(1) generator. These effects are visible from geometric considerations and not apparent from the point of view of the compactification of the 6d field theory. These phenomena leave an imprint on the ’t Hooft anomaly polynomial of the 4d CFTs, which is obtained from recently developed anomaly inflow methods in M-theory [1]. In the large-N limit, we identify the gravity dual of the 4d setups to be a class of smooth AdS5 solutions first discussed by Gauntlett-Martelli-Sparks-Waldram. Using our anomaly polynomial, we compute the conformal central charge and a non-Abelian flavor central charge at large N , finding agreement with the holographic predictions.
Mechanisms underlying the protective effects of mesenchymal stem cell-based therapy
Authors: Fan Xing-Liang , Zhang Yuelin , Li Xin , Fu Qing-Ling
Published: January 2020

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been extensively investigated for the treatment of various diseases. The therapeutic potential of MSCs is attributed to complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of action including differentiation into multiple cell lineages and regulation of immune responses via immunomodulation. The plasticity of MSCs in immunomodulation allow these cells to exert different immune effects depending on different diseases. Understanding the biology of MSCs and their role in treatment is critical to determine their potential for various therapeutic applications and for the development of MSC-based regenerative medicine. This review summarizes the recent progress of particular mechanisms underlying the tissue regenerative properties and immunomodulatory effects of MSCs. We focused on discussing the functional roles of paracrine activities, direct cell–cell contact, mitochondrial transfer, and extracellular vesicles related to MSC-mediated effects on immune cell responses, cell survival, and regeneration. This will provide an overview of the current research on the rapid development of MSC-based therapies.
Convolutional networks for appearance-based recommendation and visualisation of mascara products
Authors: Holder Christopher J. , Ricketts Stephen , Obara Boguslaw
Published: January 2020

In this work, we explore the problems of recommending and visualising makeup products based on images of customers. Focusing on mascara, we propose a two-stage approach that first recommends products to a new customer based on the preferences of other customers with similar visual appearance and then visualises how the recommended products might look on the customer. For the initial product recommendation, we train a Siamese convolutional neural network, using our own dataset of cropped eye regions from images of 91 female subjects, such that it learns to output feature vectors that place images of the same subject close together in high-dimensional space. We evaluate the trained network based on its ability to correctly identify existing subjects from unseen images, and then assess its capability to identify visually similar subjects when an image of a new subject is used as input. For product visualisation, we train per-product generative adversarial networks to map the appearance of a specific product onto an image of a customer with no makeup. We train models to generate images of two mascara formulations and assess their capability to generate realistic mascara lashes while changing as little as possible within non-lash image regions and simulating the different effects of the two products used.
Varus alignment of the proximal tibia is associated with structural progression in early to moderate varus osteoarthritis of the knee
Authors: Palmer Jonathan S. , Jones Luke D. , Monk A. Paul , Nevitt Michael , Lynch John , Beard David J. , Javaid M. K. , Price Andrew J.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Lower limb malalignment is a strong predictor of progression in knee osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study is to identify the individual alignment variables that predict progression in early to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.

Method

A longitudinal cohort study using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. In
total, 955 individuals (1329 knees) with early to moderate osteoarthritis (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1, 2 or 3) were identified. All subjects had full-limb radiographs
analysed using the Osteotomy module within Medicad® Classic (Hectec GMBH) to
give a series of individual alignment variables relevant to the coronal alignment of the
lower limb. Logistic regression models, with generalised estimating equations were
used to identify which of these individual alignment variables predict symptom
worsening (WOMAC score > 9 points) and or structural progression (joint space
narrowing progression in the medial compartment > 0.7mm) over 24 months.

Results

Individual alignment variable were associated with both valgus and varus
alignment (mechanical Lateral Distal Femoral Angle, Medial Proximal Tibial Angle and
mechanical Lateral Distal Tibial Angle). Only the Medial Proximal Tibial Angle was
significantly associated with structural progression and none of the variables was
associated with symptom progression. The odds of joint space narrowing progression
in the medial compartment occurring at 24 months increased by 21% for every one
degree decrease (more varus) in Medial Proximal Tibial Angle (p < 0.001)

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the risk of structural progression in the medial
compartment is associated with greater varus alignment of the proximal tibia.

Level of evidence

Level III, retrospective cohort study.
Study of optical and dielectric constants of hybrid SnO2 electrospun nanostructures
Authors: Matysiak Wiktor , Tański Tomasz , Smok Weronika
Published: January 2020

The aim of this paper was to prepare SnO2 nanowires using electrospinning and calcination processes from a poly(vinylpyrrolidone), dimethylformamide, ethanol and tin(IV) chloride pentahydrate solution. The composite PVP/SnCl4 nanofibers obtained via electrospinning method were dried and calcined in a vacuum to remove the polymer matrix at a temperature of 500 °C for 10 h. Three types of nanowires with a polymer to precursor ratios of 2:1, 1:1, 1:3 were produced. The morphology and chemical composition of as-spun PVP/SnCl4 nanofibers and SnO2 nanowires obtained after heat treatment were carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDX). The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the prepared nanomaterials were also investigated. To determine the topography of PVP/SnCl4 nanofibrous mats, an atomic force microscope (AFM) was used. A 100-fold measurement of the nanowire size showed that, depending on the amount of precursor in the spinning solution, nanowires with diameters ranging from 20 to 260 nm were obtained. The optical property analysis was performed on the basis of absorbance spectra recorded over UV–Vis spectral range. The complex refractive index n and complex dielectric permeability ε of obtained tin oxide nanowires were determined as a function of the radiation energy. Depending on the precursor content in spinning solution, the one-dimensional SnO2 nanostructures were characterised by a refractive index in the range of 1.51–1.56, whereas the dielectric constant ranged from 2.26 to 2.30. The optical properties and the structure of one-dimensional SnO2 nanomaterials allow to use this type of materials in the construction of novel type photovoltaic cells and electronic devices.
Reference-free digital shadowgraphy using a moving BOS background
Authors: Gardner A. D. , Raffel M. , Schwarz C. , Braukmann J. N. , Wolf C. C.
Published: January 2020

A method of measuring density second derivative (shadowgraph) as a variant of background oriented schlieren (BOS) is presented. Pairs of images of a moving background with a small time difference are analysed using moving-window cross-correlation, giving the second derivative of density in the axis of background travel. The advantage over standard BOS is that no reference image is required. In contrast to the existing “reference-free BOS” method, no double-image is produced, making the data interpretation simpler. The sum-of-correlation (ensemble correlation) method can be used on an image series, where the flow is constant over the series time, to significantly reduce the size of the cross-correlation window. The reduction in the window size and sharpening of the resulting image is similar to that achieved by optical flow, but this method is easily automatable, without knowledge of the flow, and can be used with any existing BOS analysis software.

Graphic abstract
Neurons and astrocytes of the chicken hypothalamus directly respond to lipopolysaccharide and chicken interleukin-6
Authors: Grabbe Niklas , Kaspers Bernd , Ott Daniela , Murgott Jolanta , Gerstberger Rüdiger , Roth Joachim
Published: January 2020

In 4–5-month-old chicken, intravenous injections of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced a dose-dependent fever response and a pronounced increase of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6). To assess a possible role for IL-6 in the brain of birds, a hypothalamic neuro-glial primary culture from 1-day-old chicken was established. Each well of cultured hypothalamic cells contained some 615 neurons, 1350 astrocytes, and 580 microglial cells on average. Incubation of chicken hypothalamic primary cultures with 10 or 100 µg/ml LPS induced a dose-dependent release of bioactive IL-6 into the supernatant. Populations of hypothalamic neurons (4%) and astrocytes (12%) directly responded to superfusion with buffer containing 10 µg/ml LPS with a transient increase of intracellular calcium, a sign of direct cellular activation. Stimulation of hypothalamic cultures with buffer containing 50 ng/ml chicken IL-6 induced calcium signaling in 11% of neurons and 22% of astrocytes investigated. These results demonstrate that IL-6 is produced in the periphery and in the hypothalamus in response to LPS in chicken. The observed cellular responses of hypothalamic cells to chicken IL-6 indicate that this cytokine may readily be involved in the manifestation of fever in the avian hypothalamus.
FISH and chips: a review of microfluidic platforms for FISH analysis
Authors: Rodriguez-Mateos Pablo , Azevedo Nuno Filipe , Almeida Carina , Pamme Nicole
Published: January 2020

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) allows visualization of specific nucleic acid sequences within an intact cell or a tissue section. It is based on molecular recognition between a fluorescently labeled probe that penetrates the cell membrane of a fixed but intact sample and hybridizes to a nucleic acid sequence of interest within the cell, rendering a measurable signal. FISH has been applied to, for example, gene mapping, diagnosis of chromosomal aberrations and identification of pathogens in complex samples as well as detailed studies of cellular structure and function. However, FISH protocols are complex, they comprise of many fixation, incubation and washing steps involving a range of solvents and temperatures and are, thus, generally time consuming and labor intensive. The complexity of the process, the relatively high-priced fluorescent probes and the fairly high-end microscopy needed for readout render the whole process costly and have limited wider uptake of this powerful technique. In recent years, there have been attempts to transfer FISH assay protocols onto microfluidic lab-on-a-chip platforms, which reduces the required amount of sample and reagents, shortens incubation times and, thus, time to complete the protocol, and finally has the potential for automating the process. Here, we review the wide variety of approaches for lab-on-chip-based FISH that have been demonstrated at proof-of-concept stage, ranging from FISH analysis of immobilized cell layers, and cells trapped in arrays, to FISH on tissue slices. Some researchers have aimed to develop simple devices that interface with existing equipment and workflows, whilst others have aimed to integrate the entire FISH protocol into a fully autonomous FISH on-chip system. Whilst the technical possibilities for FISH on-chip are clearly demonstrated, only a small number of approaches have so far been converted into off-the-shelf products for wider use beyond the research laboratory.
How images combine meaning: quantum entanglement in visual perception
Authors: Arguëlles Jonito Aerts , Sozzo Sandro
Published: January 2020

Various empirical tests performed on human participants and also by means of search engines on the Web reveal that, whenever the conceptual combination The Animal Acts is considered as a combination of the individual concepts Animal and Acts, the ‘Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt’ version of Bell’s inequalities (‘CHSH inequality’) is violated. We work out in this paper a quantum representation in Hilbert space for a dataset collected on the same combination of concepts using ‘Google Images’ as search engine, which ‘significantly violated’ the CHSH inequality. This result proves the existence of non-classical structures in visual perception and strongly indicates the presence of ‘quantum entanglement’ as an explanation for the meaning connection between the component concepts, also when this meaning connection is expressed through images.
Optimising Evidence-Based Psychological Treatment for the Mental Health Needs of Children with Epilepsy: Principles and Methods
Authors:   MICE Research Study Team, Shafran Roz , Bennett Sophie , Coughtrey Anna , Welch Alice , Walji Fahreen , Cross J. Helen , Heyman Isobel , Sibelli Alice , Smith Jessica , Ross Jamie , Dalrymple Emma , Varadkar Sophia , Moss-Morris Rona
Published: January 2020

There are potent evidence-based psychological treatments for youth with mental health needs, yet they are rarely implemented in clinical practice, especially for youth with mental health disorders in the context of chronic physical illness such as epilepsy. Implementation science, the study of the translation of research into practice, can promote the uptake of existing effective interventions in routine clinical practice and aid the sustainable integration of psychological treatments with routine health care. The aim of this report was to use four implementation science methods to develop a version of an existing effective psychological treatment for mental health disorders [the Modular Approach to Treatment of Children with Anxiety, Depression or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC)] for use within paediatric epilepsy services: (a) literature search; (b) iterative focus groups underpinned by normalisation process theory; (c) Plan–Do–Study–Act methods; and (d) qualitative patient interviews. Findings: Three modifications were deemed necessary to facilitate implementation in children with both mental health disorders and epilepsy. These were (a) a universal brief psychoeducational component addressing the relationship between epilepsy and mental health; (b) supplementary, conditionally activated interventions addressing stigma, parental mental health and the transition to adulthood; and (c) additional training and supervision. The intervention needed relatively little alteration for implementation in paediatric epilepsy services. The modified treatment reflected the scientific literature and the views of clinicians and service users. The multi-method approach used in this report can serve as a model for implementation of evidence-based psychological treatments for children with mental health needs in the context of other chronic illnesses.
The resurgence of everyday experiences in school science learning activities
Authors: Kervinen Anttoni , Roth Wolff-Michael , Juuti Kalle , Uitto Anna
Published: January 2020

Science education can be alienating for students, as it is apart from the mundane world with which they are familiar. Science education research has approached the gap between everyday understandings and science learning largely as a challenge arising while learning about science concepts and the kinds of instructional approaches that may support this. However, the forms of everyday ways of relating to the world fundamentally expand beyond conceptual understandings. In this study, we use data from an outdoor science learning setting to examine a range of non-conceptual but culturally possible and intelligible ways in which students actually connect science learning processes to their everyday world and its characteristic commonsense understandings. Our study shows how students’ (a) spontaneous embodied explorations, (b) humor in all of its bodily and grotesque forms, and (c) narrative representation and interpretation of the world are used to contextualize science learning, namely its environment and content, within their familiar world. We show how students draw on these fundamental cultural forms of understanding the world even without particular instructional support while, at the same time, completing their science tasks according to the goals set by their teachers. Our findings suggest that the ways in which students connect their everyday world with science learning do not have to be explicitly related to the particular conceptual learning goals but can parallel conceptual learning while contextualizing it in affectively meaningful ways.
Multi-Target Stool DNA Testing for Colorectal Cancer Screening: Emerging Learning on Real-world Performance
Authors: Eckmann Jason D. , Ebner Derek W. , Kisiel John B.
Published: January 2020

Purpose of Review

Multi-target stool DNA (MT-sDNA) was approved in 2014 for use in screening average-risk patients for colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we highlight recent literature from post-market studies to provide an update on clinical use and utility not possible from pre-approval studies.

Recent Findings

MT-sDNA has been included in major society guidelines as an option for colorectal cancer screening, and has seen exponentially increasing use in clinical practice. MT-sDNA appears to be attracting new patients to CRC screening, and patient adherence to diagnostic colonoscopy after a positive MT-sDNA test is high. Approximately two-thirds of these patients are found to have colorectal neoplasia (CRN), 80% of whom have at least one right-sided lesion; 1 in 3 will have advanced CRN. High yield of CRN is due not only to post-screening increase in probability but also likely improved endoscopist attention. In those with a negative high-quality colonoscopy after positive MT-sDNA test (“false positive MT-sDNA”), further interventions do not appear to be necessary.

MT-sDNA is a promising tool to improve rates and quality of CRC screening. Further investigation should examine MT-sDNA performance in populations at increased risk for CRC, and as an interval test after colonoscopy to detect potentially missed lesions.
Positive influence of peers' interpersonal character on children's interpersonal character: The moderating role of children's and peers' social status
Authors: Liu Lisha , Xu Liangyuan , Xiao Xue , Liu Lu , Li Yanfang
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Peers are an important source of influence on children's social development. This study investigated the positive association between peers' and children's interpersonal character (i.e., humanity and justice) and the moderating role of children's and peers' social status including wealth (family SES), power (class leadership), and prestige (social preference and social visibility).

Methods

The participants were 1555 fourth‐to ninth‐graders (Mage = 12.76; 46.9% boys) and their reciprocal playmates in China. Questionnaires and peer nomination methods were used to measure interpersonal character and social status. Children's reciprocal playmates were used as the source of peer influence.

Results

The playmates' humanity and justice were positively associated with the children's humanity and justice regardless of the child's grade, gender, or sibling status. Children's level of social visibility moderated the associations between the playmates' and the children's humanity and justice, with children of low social visibility being more strongly influenced by their playmates. The moderating role of playmates' social status was displayed in two modes and appeared in the secondary school and singleton samples. First, playmates with a higher social preference were more closely related to secondary school children's justice; second, playmates with lower social visibility were more closely related to secondary school children's and singletons' justice.

Conclusions

The findings confirm the positive relationships between peers' and children's interpersonal character and reveal an important moderating role of prestige status, especially social visibility, among the relationships. This study extends the research on positive peer influence and contributes to knowledge of peer influence mechanisms.
Nondivergence form quasilinear heat equations driven by space-time white noise
Authors: Gerencsér Máté
Published: January 2020

We give a Wong-Zakai type characterisation of the solutions of quasilinear heat equations driven by space-time white noise in

1 + 1

dimensions. In order to show that the renormalisation counterterms are local in the solution, a careful arrangement of a few hundred terms is required. The main tool in this computation is a general ‘integration by parts’ formula that provides a number of linear identities for the renormalisation constants.