bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dimensions of the ‘Body’ in Tranquility Meditation
Authors: Anālayo Bhikkhu
Published: July 2021

A perusal of selected forms of early Buddhist tranquility meditation brings to light the complexity of the roles assumed by the Indic term kāya, usually translated as “body,” which corresponds to the domain of the first establishment of mindfulness. The present exploration of such complexity, which proceeds in critical dialogue with positions taken by Eviatar Shulman, covers the significance of the supernormal feat of conjuring up a mind-made body, the mindful contemplation of the somatic dimensions of absorption attainment, and the transition from these to the immaterial spheres. The patterns of early Buddhist thought that emerge in this way make it preferable to understand the compass of the term kāya to cover a continuum of somatic experiences that can range from gross materiality to more subtle types of embodiments. Even immaterial experiences, based on the complete transcendence of materiality, can still be conceptualized with the help of the term kāya in a phrase that serves to convey direct and personal experience.
Fano 3-folds from homogeneous vector bundles over Grassmannians
Authors: De Biase Lorenzo , Fatighenti Enrico , Tanturri Fabio
Published: July 2021

We rework the Mori–Mukai classification of Fano 3-folds, by describing each of the 105 families via biregular models as zero loci of general global sections of homogeneous vector bundles over products of Grassmannians.
The direct and interactive effects of elevated CO2 and additional nitrate on relative costs and benefits of legume-rhizobia symbiosis
Authors: Oono Ryoko , Ho Randy , Jimenez Salinas Andres
Published: July 2021

Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) is likely to have important effects on growth and development of plants and on their relationship with symbiotic microbes. A rise in CO2 could increase demand by plant hosts for nutrient resources, which may increase host investments in beneficial symbionts. In the legume-rhizobia mutualism, while elevated CO2 is often associated with increased nodule growth and investment in N2-fixing rhizobia, it is yet unclear if this response depends on the mutualistic quality of the rhizobia. To test if host carbon allocation towards more-beneficial nodules are similar to less-beneficial (but still effective) nodules when plant N demand changes, we manipulated plant C and N status with elevated CO2 and additional nitrate. We used two isogenic Rhizobium etli strains that differ in their ability to synthesize an energy reserve compound, poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), as well as their efficiencies for nitrogen fixation and nodulation rates, resulting in two Phaseolus vulgaris host groups with either large number of small nodules or small number of large nodules. The addition of nitrate negatively affected carbon allocation towards nodules, and elevated CO2 reversed this effect, as expected. However, this alleviation of nodule inhibition was greater on plants that started with greater numbers of smaller nodules. If smaller nodules indicate less-efficient or low-fixing rhizobia, this study suggests that increased demand for nitrogen in the face of elevated CO2 has the potential to disproportionately favor less-beneficial strains and increase variation of nitrogen fixation quality among rhizobia.
Diffusion dynamics of influence in a social network of intellectuals
Authors: Ghawi Raji , Petz Cindarella , Pfeffer Jürgen
Published: July 2021

The history of intellectuals consists of a complex web of influences and interconnections of philosophers, scientists, writers, their work, and ideas. To understand how did these influences evolve over time, we mined a network of influence of over 12,500 intellectuals, enriched it with a temporal dimension dividing the history into six eras. We analyze time-sliced projections of the network into within-era, inter-era, and accumulated-era networks, and identify various patterns of intellectuals and eras and studied their development in time. We also construct influence cascades, analyze their properties: size, depth and breadth, and analyze how the cascades of influence evolve over the consecutive eras. We find out that the cascades are clustered into two categories, namely small- and large cascades. An interesting finding here is that the fraction of small cascades increases, while the fraction of larges cascades decreases over time. We also briefly analyze the community structure within the influence network of scholars.
Holomorphic functions, relativistic sum, Blaschke products and superoscillations
Authors: Alpay Daniel , Colombo Fabrizio , Pinton Stefano , Sabadini Irene
Published: July 2021

Superoscillating functions are band-limited functions that can oscillate faster than their fastest Fourier component. The notion of superoscillation is a particular case of that one of supershift. In the recent years, superoscillating functions, that appear for example in weak values in quantum mechanics, have become an interesting and independent field of research in complex analysis and in the theory of infinite order differential operators. The aim of this paper is to study some infinite order differential operators acting on entire functions which naturally arise in the study of superoscillating functions. Such operators are of particular interest because they are associated with the relativistic sum of the velocities and with the Blaschke products. To show that some sequences of functions preserve the superoscillatory behavior it is of crucial importance to prove that their associated infinite order differential operators act continuously on some spaces of entire functions with growth conditions.
Up-Scalable Fabrication of SnO2 with Multifunctional Interface for High Performance Perovskite Solar Modules
Authors: Tong Guoqing , Ono Luis K. , Liu Yuqiang , Zhang Hui , Bu Tongle , Qi Yabing
Published: July 2021

Tin dioxide (SnO2) has been demonstrated as one of the promising electron transport layers for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, scalable fabrication of SnO2 films with uniform coverage, desirable thickness and a low defect density in perovskite solar modules (PSMs) is still challenging. Here, we report preparation of high-quality large-area SnO2 films by chemical bath deposition (CBD) with the addition of KMnO4. The strong oxidizing nature of KMnO4 promotes the conversion from Sn(II) to Sn(VI), leading to reduced trap defects and a higher carrier mobility of SnO2. In addition, K ions diffuse into the perovskite film resulting in larger grain sizes, passivated grain boundaries, and reduced hysteresis of PSCs. Furthermore, Mn ion doping improves both the crystallinity and the phase stability of the perovskite film. Such a multifunctional interface engineering strategy enabled us to achieve a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 21.70% with less hysteresis for lab-scale PSCs. Using this method, we also fabricated 5 × 5 and 10 × 10 cm2 PSMs, which showed PCEs of 15.62% and 11.80% (active area PCEs are 17.26% and 13.72%), respectively. For the encapsulated 5 × 5 cm2 PSM, we obtained a T80 operation lifetime (the lifespan during which the solar module PCE drops to 80% of its initial value) exceeding 1000 h in ambient condition.
Learning low-dimensional manifolds under the L0-norm constraint for unsupervised outlier detection
Authors: Ishii Yoshinao , Koide Satoshi , Hayakawa Keiichiro
Published: July 2021

Unsupervised outlier detection without the need for clean data has attracted great attention because it is suitable for real-world problems as a result of its low data collection costs. Reconstruction-based methods are popular approaches for unsupervised outlier detection. These methods decompose a data matrix into low-dimensional manifolds and an error matrix. Then, samples with a large error are detected as outliers. To achieve high outlier detection accuracy, when data are corrupted by large noise, the detection method should have the following two properties: (1) it should be able to decompose the data under the L0-norm constraint on the error matrix and (2) it should be able to reflect the nonlinear features of the data in the manifolds. Despite significant efforts, no method with both of these properties exists. To address this issue, we propose a novel reconstruction-based method: “L0-norm constrained autoencoders (L0-AE).” L0-AE uses autoencoders to learn low-dimensional manifolds that capture the nonlinear features of the data and uses a novel optimization algorithm that can decompose the data under the L0-norm constraints on the error matrix. This novel L0-AE algorithm provably guarantees the convergence of the optimization if the autoencoder is trained appropriately. The experimental results show that L0-AE is more robust, accurate and stable than other unsupervised outlier detection methods not only for artificial datasets with corrupted samples but also artificial datasets with well-known outlier distributions and real datasets. Additionally, the results show that the accuracy of L0-AE is moderately stable to changes in the parameter of the constrained term, and for real datasets, L0-AE achieves higher accuracy than the baseline non-robustified method for most parameter values.
Atomic-Scale Friction Studies on Single-Crystal Gallium Arsenide Using Atomic Force Microscope and Molecular Dynamics Simulation
Authors: Fan Pengfei , Goel Saurav , Luo Xichun , Upadhyaya Hari M.
Published: July 2021

This paper provides a fresh perspective and new insights into nanoscale friction by investigating it through molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and atomic force microscope (AFM) nanoscratch experiments. This work considered gallium arsenide, an important III–V direct bandgap semiconductor material residing in the zincblende structure, as a reference sample material due to its growing usage in 5G communication devices. In the simulations, the scratch depth was tested as a variable in the fine range of 0.5–3 nm to understand the behavior of material removal and to gain insights into the nanoscale friction. Scratch force, normal force, and average cutting forces were extracted from the simulation to obtain two scalar quantities, namely, the scratch cutting energy (defined as the work performed to remove a unit volume of material) and the kinetic coefficient of friction (defined as the force ratio). A strong size effect was observed for scratch depths below 2 nm from the MD simulations and about 15 nm from the AFM experiments. A strong quantitative corroboration was obtained between the specific scratch energy determined by the MD simulations and the AFM experiments, and more qualitative corroboration was derived for the pile-up and the kinetic coefficient of friction. This conclusion suggests that the specific scratch energy is insensitive to the tool geometry and the scratch speed used in this investigation. However, the pile-up and kinetic coefficient of friction are dependent on the geometry of the tool tip.
Extreme Events, Entrepreneurial Start-Ups, and Innovation: Theoretical Conjectures
Authors: Gries Thomas , Naudé Wim
Published: July 2021

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, we scrutinize what has been established in the literature on whether entrepreneurship can cause and resolve extreme events, the immediate and long-run impacts of extreme events on entrepreneurship, and whether extreme events can positively impact (some) entrepreneurship and innovation. Based on this, we utilize a partial equilibrium model to provide several conjectures on the impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship, and to derive policy recommendations for recovery. We illustrate that while entrepreneurship recovery will benefit from measures such as direct subsidies for start-ups, firms’ revenue losses, and loan liabilities, it will also benefit from aggregate demand-side support and income redistribution measures, as well as from measures that facilitate the innovation-response to the Keynesian supply-shock caused by the pandemic, such as access to online retail and well-functioning global transportation and logistics.
Health and safety control measures and MR quality control results in the MRI units of two public hospitals within the Mangaung metropolitan
Authors: Rathebe Phoka C.
Published: July 2021

This study aimed to identify risks and hazards in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) units, and assess the quality compliance of the scanners within two public hospitals in Mangaung. This is a follow-up study from a previously published study that measured static magnetic fields and radiofrequency magnetic fields in the MRI units included here. An observational checklist was used to identify risks and hazards which were later fed into a baseline risk assessment to classify and review existing control measures in the MRI units of hospitals A and B. The availability of MRI Health and Safety measures were benchmarked against the latest American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI safety requirements. The probability of risk occurrence and severity of hazards were assigned a score ranging from improbable (1) to very likely (5) and minimal (1) to irreversible effect (5). The weekly quality control test results obtained from both units were measured against the ACR quality control acceptable criteria. Similar risks were observed in both MRI units but the multiplication of probability and consequence in all risk categories resulted in a moderate risk-rating score of 12.3 for hospital A and 13.1 for hospital B. Lack of demarcation of four MRI safety zones, ferromagnetic detectors, 5-gauss line, and access control in both units scored above 15 and were classified as high risk. The defective air-cooling systems influenced the temperature of the scanner room, which affected the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements performed from 1.5 T Siemens. On a 3.0 T Philips, a low contrast object detectability had 29 spokes for ACR T2, while the percent integral uniformity for image intensity uniformity was 78.2 %. High and moderate risks observed in both units could be reduced by the implementation of an effective health and safety programme. The ambient temperature within the scanner room should be maintained at 21 °C to attain well-performing ADC measurements and RF subsystems should be visually inspected and maintained regularly to obtain optimal image quality.
Collision Avoidance Using Deep Learning-Based Monocular Vision
Authors: Rill Róbert-Adrian , Faragó Kinga Bettina
Published: July 2021

Autonomous driving technologies, including monocular vision-based approaches, are in the forefront of industrial and research communities, since they are expected to have a significant impact on economy and society. However, they have limitations in terms of crash avoidance because of the rarity of labeled data for collisions in everyday traffic, as well as due to the complexity of driving situations. In this work, we propose a simple method based solely on monocular vision to overcome the data scarcity problem and to promote forward collision avoidance systems. We exploit state-of-the-art deep learning-based optical flow and monocular depth estimation methods, as well as object detection to estimate the speed of the ego-vehicle and to identify the lead vehicle, respectively. The proposed method utilizes car stop situations as collision surrogates to obtain data for time to collision estimation. We evaluate this approach on our own driving videos, collected using a spherical camera and smart glasses. Our results indicate that similar accuracy can be achieved on both video sources: the external road view from the car’s, and the ego-centric view from the driver’s perspective. Additionally, we set forth the possibility of using spherical cameras as opposed to traditional cameras for vision-based automotive sensing.
Regulation of α‐cell glucagon secretion: The role of second messengers
Authors: Acreman Samuel , Zhang Quan
Published: July 2021

Glucagon is a potent glucose‐elevating hormone that is secreted by pancreatic α‐cells. While well‐controlled glucagon secretion plays an important role in maintaining systemic glucose homeostasis and preventing hypoglycaemia, it is increasingly apparent that defects in the regulation of glucagon secretion contribute to impaired counter‐regulation and hyperglycaemia in diabetes. It has therefore been proposed that pharmacological interventions targeting glucagon secretion/signalling can have great potential in improving glycaemic control of patients with diabetes. However, despite decades of research, a consensus on the precise mechanisms of glucose regulation of glucagon secretion is yet to be reached. Second messengers are a group of small intracellular molecules that relay extracellular signals to the intracellular signalling cascade, modulating cellular functions. There is a growing body of evidence that second messengers, such as cAMP and Ca2+, play critical roles in α‐cell glucose‐sensing and glucagon secretion. In this review, we discuss the impact of second messengers on α‐cell electrical activity, intracellular Ca2+ dynamics and cell exocytosis. We highlight the possibility that the interaction between different second messengers may play a key role in the glucose‐regulation of glucagon secretion.
Quality of Life and Sexual Function of Men Who Have Sex with Men Treated for Anal Cancer: A Prospective Trial of a Neglected Population
Authors: Mauro Geovanne Pedro , da Conceição Vasconcelos Karina Gondim Moutinho , Carvalho Heloísa de Andrade
Published: July 2021

Background

Anal cancer is a rare disease, more prevalent in women. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a high-risk neglected population.

Aim

The primary objective was to assess quality of life (QoL) and sexual function (SxF) among MSM treated with radical chemoradiation for anal cancer. Secondary objectives were to assess survivals and to describe the sexual habits of the target population.

Methods

Prospective single institution trial of MSM who were treated for anal cancer with curative intent between 2015 and 2019. QoL and SxF were the primary end-points and were assessed by validated questionnaires and sexual inventory. Overall survival, locoregional relapse-free, distant metastases free, and colostomy-free survivals were evaluated.

Outcomes

Quality of life and sexual function.

RESULTS

Nineteen patients were accrued between November 2015 and August 2019. Median age was 59.3 years. Stage III disease was 53.4% and mean tumor size was 5.4 cm. Fifteen (79.0%) patients were living with HIV (PLHIV). Median follow-up was 21.8 months. Mean overall survival, locoregional relapse-free survival, distant metastases-free survival, and colostomy-free survival were, respectively, 20.8, 17.2, 19.8 and 17.4 months. No median value was reached. QoL followed a trend among questionnaires with significantly worsened values by the end of treatment and a raise to maximum value by three months after treatment, followed by a stabilization reached at 12 months after treatment. IIEF questionnaire showed moderate erectile dysfunction among the population. Intercourse frequency followed QoL measures.

Clinical Implications

In a MSM population with anal canal cancer, QoL and SxF followed the same pattern up to one year after treatment. Most patients had their SxF compromised during follow-up as shown by IIEF levels and sexual inventory.

Strengths and Limitations

It is a single institution prospective trial with a limited sample size. Nevertheless, there are no studies addressing this minority population, quality of life or otherwise, making it unique and a special contribution for the literature.

CONCLUSION

Anal cancer and its treatment represent a burden to MSM regarding QoL and SxF.
Virtual Tours Through the Ice Using Everyday Tools
Authors: Harris Kira , Krok Kasey , Hollister Ryan , Cervenec Jason
Published: July 2021

The Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center is training scientists to create immersive virtual field experiences of glaciers, sea ice, and snow.
Association Between Air Pollution and COVID‐19 Pandemic: An Investigation in Mumbai, India
Authors: Chattopadhyay Aparajita , Shaw Subhojit
Published: July 2021

Spatial hot spots of COVID‐19 infections and fatalities are observed at places exposed to high levels of air pollution across many countries. This study empirically investigates the relationship between exposure to air pollutants that is, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and particulate matter (SO2, NO2, and PM10) and COVID‐19 infection at the smallest administrative level (ward) of Mumbai City in India. The paper explores two hypotheses: COVID‐19 infection is associated with air pollution; the pollutants act as determinants of COVID‐19 deaths. Kriging is used to assess the spatial variations of air quality using pollution data, while information on COVID‐19 are retrieved from the database of Mumbai municipality. Annual average of PM10 in Mumbai over the past 3 years is much higher than the WHO specified standard across all wards; further, suburbs are more exposed to SO2, and NO2 pollution. Bivariate local indicator of spatial autocorrelation finds significant positive relation between pollution and COVID‐19 infected cases in certain suburban wards. Spatial Auto Regressive models suggest that COVID‐19 death in Mumbai is distinctly associated with higher exposure to NO2, population density and number of waste water drains. If specific pollutants along with other factors play considerable role in COVID‐19 infection, it has strong implications for any mitigation strategy development with an objective to curtail the spreading of the respiratory disease. These findings, first of its kind in India, could prove to be significant pointers toward disease alleviation and better urban living.
Cumulus Cloud and Drizzle Microphysics Relationships With Complete CCN Spectra
Authors: Hudson James G. , Noble Stephen
Published: July 2021

Comparisons of high‐resolution extended range CCN spectra measured at 100 m altitude with cloud and drizzle microphysics in the Rain in Cumulus over the Ocean (RICO) aircraft field project are presented. CCN concentrations, NCCN, active at supersaturations, S, >0.1% showed positive relationships with cloud droplet concentrations, Nc, measured at intermediate (606–976 m) and very high altitudes (1,763–3,699 m). These correlation coefficients, R, progressively increased with S while the two‐tailed probabilities, P2, progressively decreased with S to < 10−6 at 1.6%S. More important were the positive relationships between NCCN active at S < 0.1% and drizzle drop concentrations, Nd, at high (977–1,662 m), very high and high‐very high altitudes combined (977–3,699 m). All of these relationships were consistent for eight different cloud liquid water content, Lc, thresholds (for Nc) and Lc bins (for Nd) ranging from 0.0002 to 0.3 g/m3. Negative relationships between CCN modality and low altitude (76–475 m) cloudiness coupled with no relationship of NCCN active at any S with Nc of these low clouds indicated a cloud effect on ambient aerosol. This is a demonstration of clouds causing bimodal aerosol.
Angiogenesis and immune checkpoint dual blockade in combination with radiotherapy for treatment of solid cancers: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Zhu Lingling , Yu Xianzhe , Wang Li , Liu Jiewei , Qu Zihan , Zhang Honge , Li Lu , Chen Jiang , Zhou Qinghua
Published: July 2021

Several immune checkpoint blockades (ICBs) capable of overcoming the immunosuppressive roles of the tumor immune microenvironment have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as front-line treatments of various tumor types. However, due to the considerable heterogeneity of solid tumor cells, inhibiting one target will only influence a portion of the tumor cells. One way to enhance the tumor-killing efficiency is to develop a multiagent therapeutic strategy targeting different aspects of tumor biology and the microenvironment to provide the maximal clinical benefit for patients with late-stage disease. One such strategy is the administration of anti-PD1, an ICB, in combination with the humanized monoclonal antibody bevacizumab, an anti-angiogenic therapy, to patients with recurrent/metastatic malignancies, including hepatocellular carcinoma, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, non-small cell lung cancer, and uterine cancer. Radiotherapy (RT), a critical component of solid cancer management, has the capacity to prime the immune system for an adaptive antitumor response. Here, we present an overview of the most recent published data in preclinical and clinical studies elucidating that RT could further potentiate the antitumor effects of immune checkpoint and angiogenesis dual blockade. In addition, we explore opportunities of triple combinational treatment, as well as discuss the challenges of validating biomarkers and the management of associated toxicity.
A genome-wide association study of the longitudinal course of executive functions
Authors: Wendel Bernadette , Papiol Sergi , Andlauer Till F. M. , Zimmermann Jörg , Wiltfang Jens , Spitzer Carsten , Senner Fanny , Schulte Eva C. , Schmauß Max , Schaupp Sabrina K. , Repple Jonathan , Reininghaus Eva , Reimer Jens , Reich-Erkelenz Daniela , Opel Nils , Nenadić Igor , Meinert Susanne , Konrad Carsten , Klöhn-Saghatolislam Farahnaz , Kircher Tilo , Kalman Janos L. , Juckel Georg , Jansen Andreas , Jäger Markus , Heilbronner Maria , von Hagen Martin , Gade Katrin , Figge Christian , Fallgatter Andreas J. , Dietrich Detlef E. , Dannlowski Udo , Comes Ashley L. , Budde Monika , Baune Bernhard T. , Arolt Volker , Anghelescu Ion-George , Anderson-Schmidt Heike , Adorjan Kristina , Falkai Peter , Schulze Thomas G. , Bickeböller Heike , Heilbronner Urs
Published: July 2021

Executive functions are metacognitive capabilities that control and coordinate mental processes. In the transdiagnostic PsyCourse Study, comprising patients of the affective-to-psychotic spectrum and controls, we investigated the genetic basis of the time course of two core executive subfunctions: set-shifting (Trail Making Test, part B (TMT-B)) and updating (Verbal Digit Span backwards) in 1338 genotyped individuals. Time course was assessed with four measurement points, each 6 months apart. Compared to the initial assessment, executive performance improved across diagnostic groups. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with performance change over time by testing for SNP-by-time interactions using linear mixed models. We identified nine genome-wide significant SNPs for TMT-B in strong linkage disequilibrium with each other on chromosome 5. These were associated with decreased performance on the continuous TMT-B score across time. Variant rs150547358 had the lowest P value = 7.2 × 10−10 with effect estimate beta = 1.16 (95% c.i.: 1.11, 1.22). Implementing data of the FOR2107 consortium (1795 individuals), we replicated these findings for the SNP rs150547358 (P value = 0.015), analyzing the difference of the two available measurement points two years apart. In the replication study, rs150547358 exhibited a similar effect estimate beta = 0.85 (95% c.i.: 0.74, 0.97). Our study demonstrates that longitudinally measured phenotypes have the potential to unmask novel associations, adding time as a dimension to the effects of genomics.
Nasal oxytocin for the treatment of psychiatric disorders and pain: achieving meaningful brain concentrations
Authors: Yeomans David C. , Hanson Leah R. , Carson Dean S. , Tunstall Brendan J. , Lee Mary R. , Tzabazis Alexander Z. , Jacobs Daniel , Frey William H.
Published: July 2021

There is evidence of the therapeutic potential of intranasal oxytocin for the treatment of pain and various psychiatric disorders, however, there is scant evidence that oxytocin reaches the brain. We quantified the concentration and distribution pattern of [125I]-radiolabeled oxytocin in the brains and peripheral tissues of rats after intranasal delivery using gamma counting and autoradiography, respectively. Radiolabel was detected in high concentrations in the trigeminal and olfactory nerves as well as in brain regions along their trajectories. Considerable concentrations were observed in the blood, however, relatively low levels of radiolabel were measured in peripheral tissues. The addition of a mucoadhesive did not enhance brain concentrations. These results provide support for intranasal OT reaching the brain via the olfactory and trigeminal neural pathways. These findings will inform the design and interpretation of clinical studies with intranasal oxytocin.
Insights into homeobox B9: a propeller for metastasis in dormant prostate cancer progenitor cells
Authors: Sui Yi , Hu Wei , Zhang Wei , Li Dejian , Zhu Hongbo , You Qinghua , Zhu Rujian , Yi Qingtong , Tang Tao , Gao Lili , Zhu Shengjuan , Yang Tao
Published: July 2021

Background

Metastasis is the major cause of treatment failure and cancer-related deaths in prostate cancer (PCa) patients. Our previous study demonstrated that a CD44+ subpopulation isolated from PCa cells or tumours possesses both stem cell properties and metastatic potential, serving as metastatic prostate cancer stem cells (mPCSCs) in PCa metastasis. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown.

Methods

In this study, we established PCa models via the orthotopic and subcutaneous implantation of different human PCa cancer cell lines, and compared the metastatic efficacy, after which process function analysis of target genes was pinpointed.

Results

Several novel differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between orthotopic and ectopic tumours were identified. Among them, human homeobox B9 (HOXB9) transcription factor was found to be essential for PCa metastasis, as evidenced by the diminished number of lung metastatic foci derived from orthotopic implantation with HOXB9-deficient CWR22 cells, compared with the control. In addition, HOXB9 protein expression was upregulated in PCa tissues, compared with paracancer and benign prostate hyperplasia tissues. It was also positively correlated with Gleason scores. Gain- and loss-of-function assays showed that HOXB9 altered the expression of various tumour metastasis- and cancer stem cell (CSC) growth-related genes in a transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ)-dependent manner. Moreover, HOXB9 was overexpressed in an ALDH+CD44+CXCR4+CD24+ subpopulation of PCa cells that exhibited enhanced TGFβ-dependent tumorigenic and metastatic abilities, compared with other isogenic PCa cells. This suggests that HOXB9 may contribute to PCa tumorigenesis and metastasis via TGFβ signalling. Of note, ALDH+CD44+CXCR4+CD24+-PCa cells exhibited resistance to castration and antiandrogen therapy and were present in human PCa tissues.

Conclusion

Taken together, our study identified HOXB9 as a critical regulator of metastatic mPCSC behaviour. This occurs through altering the expression of a panel of CSC growth- and invasion/metastasis-related genes via TGFβ signalling. Thus, targeting HOXB9 is a potential novel therapeutic PCa treatment strategy.
Absence of Bim sensitizes mice to experimental Trypanosoma cruzi infection
Authors: Hernández-Torres Marcela , Silva do Nascimento Rogério , Rebouças Monica Cardozo , Cassado Alexandra , Matteucci Kely Catarine , D’Império-Lima Maria Regina , Vasconcelos José Ronnie C. , Bortoluci Karina R. , Alvarez José Maria , Amarante-Mendes Gustavo P.
Published: July 2021

Chagas disease is a life-threatening disorder caused by the protozoan parasiteTrypanosoma cruzi. Parasite-specific antibodies, CD8+T cells, as well as IFN-γ and nitric oxide (NO) are key elements of the adaptive and innate immunity against the extracellular and intracellular forms of the parasite. Bim is a potent pro-apoptotic member of the Bcl-2 family implicated in different aspects of the immune regulation, such as negative selection of self-reactive thymocytes and elimination of antigen-specific T cells at the end of an immune response. Interestingly, the role of Bim during infections remains largely unidentified. To explore the role of Bim in Chagas disease, we infected WT,Bim+/−,Bim−/−mice with trypomastigotes forms of the Y strain ofT. cruzi. Strikingly, our data revealed thatBim−/−mice exhibit a delay in the development of parasitemia followed by a deficiency in the control of parasite load in the bloodstream and a decreased survival compared to WT andBim+/−mice. At the peak of parasitemia, peritoneal macrophages ofBim−/−mice exhibit decreased NO production, which correlated with a decrease in the pro-inflammatory Small Peritoneal Macrophage (SPM) subset. A similar reduction in NO secretion, as well as in the pro-inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-6, was also observed inBim−/−splenocytes. Moreover, an impaired anti-T. cruziCD8+T-cell response was found inBim−/−mice at this time point. Taken together, our results suggest that these alterations may contribute to the establishment of a delayed yet enlarged parasitic load observed at day 9 after infection ofBim−/−mice and place Bim as an important protein in the control ofT. cruziinfections.
Compound NSC84167 selectively targets NRF2-activated pancreatic cancer by inhibiting asparagine synthesis pathway
Authors: Dai Bingbing , Augustine Jithesh J. , Kang Ya’an , Roife David , Li Xinqun , Deng Jenying , Tan Lin , Rusling Leona A. , Weinstein John N. , Lorenzi Philip L. , Kim Michael P. , Fleming Jason B.
Published: July 2021

Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) is aberrantly activated in about 93% of pancreatic cancers. Activated NRF2 regulates multiple downstream molecules involved in cancer cell metabolic reprogramming, translational control, and treatment resistance; however, targeting NRF2 for pancreatic cancer therapy remains largely unexplored. In this study, we used the online computational tool CellMinerTM to explore the NCI-60 drug databases for compounds with anticancer activities correlating most closely with the mRNA expression of NQO1, a marker for NRF2 pathway activity. Among the >100,000 compounds analyzed, NSC84167, termed herein as NRF2 synthetic lethality compound-01 (NSLC01), was one of the top hits (r = 0.71, P < 0.001) and selected for functional characterization. NSLC01 selectively inhibited the viabilities of four out of seven conventional pancreatic cancer cell lines and induced dramatic apoptosis in the cells with high NRF2 activation. The selective anticancer activity of NSLC01 was further validated with a panel of nine low-passage pancreatic patient-derived cell lines, and a significant reverse correlation between log(IC50) of NSLC01 and NQO1 expression was confirmed (r = −0.5563, P = 0.024). Notably, screening of a panel of nine patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) revealed six PDXs with high NQO1/NRF2 activation, and NSLC01 dramatically inhibited the viabilities and induced apoptosis in ex vivo cultures of PDX tumors. Consistent with the ex vivo results, NSLC01 inhibited the tumor growth of two NRF2-activated PDX models in vivo (P < 0.01, n = 7–8) but had no effects on the NRF2-low counterpart. To characterize the mechanism of action, we employed a metabolomic isotope tracer assay that demonstrated that NSLC01-mediated inhibition of de novo synthesis of multiple amino acids, including asparagine and methionine. Importantly, we further found that NSLC01 suppresses the eEF2K/eEF2 translation elongation cascade and protein translation of asparagine synthetase. In summary, this study identified a novel compound that selectively targets protein translation and induces synthetic lethal effects in NRF2-activated pancreatic cancers.
Nb3O7F mesocrystals: orientation formation and application in lithium ion capacitors
Authors: Chen Zhijie , Li Zhiwei , He Wenjie , An Yufeng , Shen Laifa , Dou Hui , Zhang Xiaogang
Published: July 2021

The formation mechanism of NOF-NCMs is the overlapping effect of etching action of HF and the aggregation of nanowires. Because of novel architecture, the NOF-NCMs possess enhanced kinetic properties and outstanding Li storage performance.
Particulate photocatalytic reactors with spectrum-splitting function for artificial photosynthesis
Authors: Takeda Yasuhiko , Suzuki Tomiko M. , Sato Shunsuke , Morikawa Takeshi
Published: July 2021

New configurations of spectrum-splitting reactors using three kinds of particulate photocatalysts of different bandgaps yield higher efficiencies of H2 and CO production than those of conventional Z-scheme reactors by up to 1.5–1.6 times.
Revisiting the glass transition temperature of water–glycerol mixtures in the bulk and confined in mesoporous silica
Authors: Angarita Ivette , Mazzobre Ma. Florencia , Corti Horacio R. , Longinotti Ma. Paula
Published: July 2021

In this work, we revisited the glass transition temperature (Tg) behavior of bulk and confined water–glycerol solutions as a function of the mixture composition and size of the confinement media, with the aim to shed some light on some controversies found in the literature.
Chitosan oligosaccharide attenuates endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated intestinal apoptosis via the Akt/mTOR pathway
Authors: Fang Tingting , Yao Ying , Tian Gang , Chen Daiwen , Wu Aimin , He Jun , Zheng Ping , Mao Xiangbing , Yu Jie , Luo Yuheng , Luo Junqiu , Huang Zhiqing , Yan Hui , Yu Bing
Published: July 2021

Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and apoptosis are widely considered as essential factors associated with intestinal disorders, whereas nutritional therapeutic approaches targeting ERS may control disease activity.
Facile preparation of cotton fabric with superhydrophilicity–oleophobicity in air and superoleophobicity under water by using branched polyethyleneimine/perfluorooctanoic acid composites
Authors: Wang Yuechuan , Xiao Yao , Fu Xiaowei , Jiang Liang , Yuan Anqian , Xu Hualiang , Wei Zhengkai , Lei Yuan , Lei Jingxin
Published: July 2021

Preparation of cotton fabric with superhydrophilicity-oleophobicity in the air and superoleophobicity under water by using branched polyethyleneimine/perfluorooctanoic acid composites and its application in gravity-controlled oil-water separation.
Biorenewable carbon-supported Ru catalyst for N-alkylation of amines with alcohols and selective hydrogenation of nitroarenes
Authors: Goyal Vishakha , Sarki Naina , Poddar Mukesh Kumar , Narani Anand , Tripathi Deependra , Ray Anjan , Natte Kishore
Published: July 2021

A renewable carbon-supported Ru catalyst (Ru/PNC-700) facilely prepared via simple impregnation followed by the pyrolysis process for N-alkylation of anilines with benzyl alcohol and chemoselective hydrogenation of nitroarenes.
Transition metal-catalyzed C–H functionalizations of indoles
Authors: Kumar Pravin , Nagtilak Prajyot Jayadev , Kapur Manmohan
Published: July 2021

This review summarises a wide range of transformations on the indole skeleton, including arylation, alkenylation, alkynylation, acylation, nitration, borylation, and amidation, using transition-metal catalyzed C–H functionalization as the key step.
Electrochemical synthesis of 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles from enamines and benzylamines
Authors: Wang Wenxing , Zhang Shuo , Shi Guang , Chen Zhiwei
Published: July 2021

An electrochemical method for synthesizing 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles was developed under undivided electrolytic conditions.
Supramolecular assembly of pyrene-tetrathiafulvalene hybrids on graphene: structure–property relationships and biosensing activity
Authors: Garrido Marina , Martínez-Periñán Emiliano , Calbo Joaquín , Rodríguez-Pérez Laura , Aragó Juan , Lorenzo Encarnación , Ortí Enrique , Martín Nazario , Herranz Ma Ángeles
Published: July 2021

The supramolecular functionalization of graphene with monopodal and tripodal pyrene receptors bearing a π-extended tetrathiafulvalene is investigated, and used to develop graphene-based electrodes for enzyme-based hydrogen peroxide sensing.
Molecular functionalization of 2D materials: from atomically planar 2D architectures to off-plane 3D functional materials
Authors: Brill Adam R. , Koren Elad , de Ruiter Graham
Published: July 2021

The functionalization of 2D materials (2DMs) holds great promise future applications. Here we review the various ways in which 2DMs can be functionalized and how these methodologies influence the physicochemical properties of resulting 2DM composites.
Protein Phosphatase 2A (PP2A) mutations in brain function, development, and neurologic disease
Authors: Verbinnen Iris , Vaneynde Pieter , Reynhout Sara , Lenaerts Lisa , Derua Rita , Houge Gunnar , Janssens Veerle
Published: July 2021

By removing Ser/Thr-specific phosphorylations in a multitude of protein substrates in diverse tissues, Protein Phosphatase type 2A (PP2A) enzymes play essential regulatory roles in cellular signalling and physiology, including in brain function and development. Here, we review current knowledge on PP2A gene mutations causally involved in neurodevelopmental disorders and intellectual disability, focusing on PPP2CA, PPP2R1A and PPP2R5D. We provide insights into the impact of these mutations on PP2A structure, substrate specificity and potential function in neurobiology and brain development.
Distributed dynamic adaptive‐neighbour selection strategy under event‐trigger communication
Authors: Deng ShuWei , Zhang Chao , Mao Yao
Published: July 2021

In wireless sensor networks, dynamic environmental changes may lead to the distribution of some sensors becoming very dense, which leads to the waste of communication resources in distributed estimation. In this paper, it is proposed that Event‐triggered distributed dynamic adaptive‐neighbour selection LMS (ET‐dyANDLMS) algorithm can effectively solve the problems mentioned above. On the one hand, the network communication resources are reduced by the adaptive‐neighbour selection. On the other hand, the network data redundancy is reduced by the event‐trigger mechanism. From a theoretical point of view, the algorithm converges stably in mean meaning and mean square meaning, and the communication cost is reduced compared with other distributed algorithms. The theoretical analysis results verified by experimental simulation demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Minimum achievable rate maximised resource allocation for relay‐assisted massive MIMO systems with SWIPT
Authors: Sun Wenfeng , Liu Chen , Qian Mujun , Chen Yan , Xu Shu
Published: July 2021

This paper considers a relay‐assisted massive multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) downlink system in which a base station (BS) communicates with all terminals via a relay node enabled simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT). Both time‐switching (TS) and energy‐splitting (PS) protocols are respectively considered at the relay node for coordinating energy harvesting and information decoding. The quality‐of‐service (QoS) fairness problem among terminals is investigated in the considered systems. In detail, the power allocation coefficients and energy harvesting time duration for TS based SWIPT, and the power allocation coefficients and PS ratio for PS based SWIPT are jointly optimised, aiming at seeking to maximise the minimum achievable rate over all terminals. As the formulated problems are non‐convex and non‐linear, and hard to solve directly, suboptimal heuristic algorithms are proposed for solving them. Additionally, the convergence and complexity of the proposed algorithms are also analysed. Finally, the performance of the proposed algorithms is demonstrated by extensive computer simulations. Results manifest that the proposed algorithms can provide uniformly great QoS for every terminal by resource allocation.
Mitigation of subsynchronous control interaction in DFIGs using active disturbance rejection control
Authors: Zheng Chaohang , Li Hua
Published: July 2021

Recently, a new type of subsynchronous oscillation (SSO) has occurred in doubly‐fed induction generator (DFIG)‐based wind farms. This oscillation is also called the subsynchronous control interaction (SSCI), which is mainly caused by the interaction between the transmission series compensation and the DFIG controller. Therefore, the oscillation frequency of the SSCI is susceptibly impacted by DFIG operating conditions, which presents major challenges to conventional mitigation strategies. To solve this problem, a grid‐connected series‐compensated DFIG‐based wind farm is established, and the formation process of the SSCI is analysed. The strategy of active disturbance rejection control (ADRC), which can automatically estimate and compensate for the total disturbance of the system in real‐time, is introduced into the rotor‐side converter to mitigate the SSCI in the DFIG. ADRC is designed based on dynamic parameter tuning and chaos optimization. Finally, a detailed model‐based time‐domain simulation is conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed optimized ADRC (O‐ADRC) compared to conventional virtual impedance and ADRC. The simulation results show that O‐ADRC can effectively mitigate the SSCI under different operating conditions and provide sufficient damping for the DFIG‐based wind farms.
High‐gain omnidirectional patch antenna for conformal application based on near‐zero‐index metamaterials
Authors: Zhang Tianqiang , Zhao Jing , Guo Yao , Zhao Xiaopeng
Published: July 2021

Achieving a high‐gain omnidirectional patch antenna with low profile is a challenging task. On the basis of improving antennas by metamaterials, a broadband near‐zero‐index metamaterial (NZIM) is designed to enhance the horizontal gain of the omnidirectional patch antenna. The zero‐index metamaterial is loaded on the substrate of three antennas with different working bands (4.99–5.50 GHz). The results show that the horizontal gain of antennas is enhanced by more than 0.6 dB at various frequencies. The roundness of antennas is also optimised. Therefore, using NZIM can increase the horizontal gain with a low profile (λ/30) structure size. The low profile, high‐gain omnidirectional patch antenna has great potential in the conformal field.
A review of surface roughness impact on dielectric film properties
Authors: Song Guanghui , Wang Yaojin , Tan Daniel Q.
Published: July 2021

The importance of surface roughness with respect to the bulk properties of dielectric materials is often overlooked. Surface roughness or interfaces between different material layers often significantly affects the external properties of thin films. Surface roughness holds its commonalty and critical impact among many materials properties. This review summarises the recent work on the effect of surface roughness on the mechanical, thermal, physical, and dielectric properties of dielectric films. Appropriate roughness favours adhesion, filtration, biological fouling, tribological properties, and magnetic properties. Nevertheless, lower roughness generally benefits the dielectric properties of dielectric materials, with thicknesses ranging from a few nanometres to up to 50 μm. This review discusses surface roughness control and the techniques of measurement as well. It emphasises the importance and characterisation of sample surface roughness for a better understanding of the dielectric phenomenon, mechanisms, and electrical stress test setup for various dielectric films.