bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Galectin Family as Molecular Targets: Hopes for Defeating Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Manero-Rupérez Noemí , Martínez-Bosch Neus , Barranco Luis E. , Visa Laura , Navarro Pilar
Published: March 2020

Galectins are a family of proteins that bind β-galactose residues through a highly conserved carbohydrate recognition domain. They regulate several important biological functions, including cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and invasion, and play critical roles during embryonic development and cell differentiation. In adults, different galectin members are expressed depending on the tissue type and can be altered during pathological processes. Numerous reports have shown the involvement of galectins in diseases, mostly inflammation and cancer. Here, we review the state-of-the-art of the role that different galectin family members play in pancreatic cancer. This tumor is predicted to become the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the next decade as there is still no effective treatment nor accurate diagnosis for it. We also discuss the possible translation of recent results about galectin expression and functions in pancreatic cancer into clinical interventions (i.e., diagnosis, prediction of prognosis and/or therapy) for this fatal disease.
Properties of Tool Steels and Their Importance When Used in a Coated System
Authors: Podgornik Bojan , Sedlaček Marko , Žužek Borut , Guštin Agnieszka
Published: March 2020

The introduction of new light-weight high-strength materials, which are difficult to form, increases demands on tool properties, including load-carrying capacity and wear resistance. Tool properties can be improved by the deposition of hard coatings but proper combination and optimization of the substrate properties are required to prepare the tool for coating application. The aim of this paper is to elaborate on tool steel substrate properties correlations, including hardness, fracture toughness, strength and surface quality and how these substrate properties influence on the coating performance. Results show that hardness of the steel substrate is the most influential parameter for abrasive wear resistance and load-carrying capacity, which is true for different types of hard coatings. However, high hardness should also be accompanied by sufficient fracture toughness, especially when it comes to very hard and brittle coatings, thus providing a combination of high load-carrying capacity, good fatigue properties and superior resistance against impact wear. Duplex treatment and formation of a compound layer during nitriding can be used as an additional support interlayer, but its brittleness may result in accelerated coating cracking and spallation if not supported by sufficient core hardness. In terms of galling resistance, even for coated surfaces substrate roughness and topography have major influence when it comes to hard ceramic coatings, with reduced substrate roughness and coating post-polishing providing up to two times better galling resistance.
Symurban Nanocrystals for Advanced Anti-Pollution Skincare
Authors: Köpke Daniel , Pyo Sung
Published: March 2020

Several of most common dermatoses worldwide, e.g., psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, are worsened in their clinical picture when the skin is regularly exposed to an increased air pollution level, e.g., particulate matter. This is explainable by the activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in the skin, which results in an increased release of proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases. Symurban is a competitive AhR antagonist and thus allows the effective protection of skin. In order to improve its dermal bioavailability as a poorly soluble active agent (0.25 µg/mL), nanocrystals were prepared and evaluated. Nanocrystals are pure active crystals reduced in particle size to the submicron range of 100 to 1000 nm. They feature the properties of nanocrystals, such as increased saturation solubility and dissolution velocity, without having to be declared as nanomaterial. Production methods and parameters were systematically investigated. Wet bead milling at 2000 rpm for 30 min yielded the best results. A z-average of 280 nm was achieved for a 10% Symurban suspension with a polydispersity index of 0.20, indicating a narrow size distribution. For the long-term stabilization of the nanocrystal suspension, the performance of 15 surfactants of different categories and HLB values were investigated and evaluated. It was found that non-ionic surfactants in general were better able to stabilize the system than anionic or amphoteric surfactants. Highest stability of over 12 months at 25 °C was achieved with 2% Plantacare 810 UP, an ECOCERT surfactant with high skin tolerance. The suspension was also chemically long-term stable with >97% of remaining Symurban over 12 months. The saturation solubility of Symurban as nanocrystals was significantly increased from 0.25 to 2.9 μg/mL, which corresponds to a factor of >11. In a case study of one male volunteer with healthy skin conditions, penetration profiles of Symurban nanocrystal hydrogel and commercial anti-pollution serum containing an identical amount of Symurban were determined and compared. After 20 min of exposure, the relative Symurban concentration in the deeper skin layers (tape 19-30) was more than two times higher for nanocrystal hydrogel (16%) than the commercial serum (7%). These results suggest that nanocrystals are a promising delivery system for the poorly soluble anti-pollution agent Symurban.
Special Issue Editorial: Chemical Bonding in Crystals and Their Properties
Authors: Vologzhanina Anna V. , Nelyubina Yulia V.
Published: March 2020

Relations between physicochemical properties of chemical compounds exploited in many modern applications (including optical, magnetic, electrical, mechanical, and others) and interatomic interactions that operate in their crystals are the key to the successful design of new crystalline materials, in which X-ray crystallography has proved to be an invaluable tool [...]
Special Issue Editorial: Functional Oxide Based Thin-Film Materials
Authors: Wuu Dong-Sing
Published: March 2020

Protective oxide coatings, such as Al2O3 and Y2O3 coatings, are widely used in semiconductor industries because of their hardness, high wear resistance, dielectric strength, high corrosion resistance, and chemical stability for plasma chambers [...]
Entropy Based Pythagorean Probabilistic Hesitant Fuzzy Decision Making Technique and Its Application for Fog-Haze Factor Assessment Problem
Authors: Batool Bushra , Ahmad Mumtaz , Abdullah Saleem , Ashraf Shahzaib , Chinram Ronnason
Published: March 2020

The Pythagorean probabilistic hesitant fuzzy set (PyPHFS) is an effective, generalized and powerful tool for expressing fuzzy information. It can cover more complex and more hesitant fuzzy evaluation information. Therefore, based on the advantages of PyPHFSs, this paper presents a new extended fuzzy TOPSIS method for dealing with uncertainty in the form of PyPHFS in real life problems. The paper is divided into three main parts. Firstly, the novel Pythagorean probabilistic hesitant fuzzy entropy measure is established using generalized distance measure under PyPHFS information to find out the unknown weights information of the attributes. The second part consists of the algorithm sets of the TOPSIS technique under PyPHFS environment, where the weights of criteria are completely unknown. Finally, in order to verify the efficiency and superiority of the proposed method, this paper applies some practical examples of the selection of the most critical fog-haze influence factor and makes a detailed comparison with other existing methods.
Multi-Level Image Thresholding Based on Modified Spherical Search Optimizer and Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Naji Alwerfali Husein , A. A. Al-qaness Mohammed , Abd Elaziz Mohamed , Ewees Ahmed , Oliva Diego , Lu Songfeng
Published: March 2020

Multi-level thresholding is one of the effective segmentation methods that have been applied in many applications. Traditional methods face challenges in determining the suitable threshold values; therefore, metaheuristic (MH) methods have been adopted to solve these challenges. In general, MH methods had been proposed by simulating natural behaviors of swarm ecosystems, such as birds, animals, and others. The current study proposes an alternative multi-level thresholding method based on a new MH method, a modified spherical search optimizer (SSO). This was performed by using the operators of the sine cosine algorithm (SCA) to enhance the exploitation ability of the SSO. Moreover, Fuzzy entropy is applied as the main fitness function to evaluate the quality of each solution inside the population of the proposed SSOSCA since Fuzzy entropy has established its performance in literature. Several images from the well-known Berkeley dataset were used to test and evaluate the proposed method. The evaluation outcomes approved that SSOSCA showed better performance than several existing methods according to different image segmentation measures.
Design and Development of BTI Model and 3D InGaAs HEMT-Based SRAM for Reliable and Secure Internet of Things Application
Authors: Yadav Nandakishor , Alashi Mahmoud , Choi Kyuwon Ken
Published: March 2020

It is broadly accepted that the silicon-based CMOS has touched its scaling limits and alternative substrate materials are needed for future technology nodes. An Indium-Gallium-Arsenide ( I n G a A s )-based device is well situated for further technology nodes. This material also has better mobility of the electrons and holes for the high performance and real-time system design. The improved mobility helps to increase the operating frequency of the device which is useful for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. However, I n G a A s -based High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMT) limits the reliability of the device due to the presence of dangling bonds at the channel–gate insulator interfaces. Weak dangling-bonds get broken under electric stress, and positive hydrogen atoms are trapped into the oxide. This charge trapping depends on the material parameters and device geometry. In this paper, the existing Bias-Temperature-Instability (BTI) model is modified based on the material parameters and device geometry. Charge trapping and annealing constants are the most critical BTI model parameters that are modeled and evaluated based on different HEMT material parameters. The proposed model was compared to experimental and TCAD simulation results. The proposed model has been used for lifetime prediction of the InGaAs HEMT-based Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) cell because it is used to store and process the information in the IoT applications.
Power Density Maximization in Medium Frequency Transformers by Using Their Maximum Flux Density for DC–DC Converters
Authors: Ruiz-Robles Dante , Moreno-Goytia Edgar L. , Venegas-Rebollar Vicente , Salgado-Herrera Nadia M.
Published: March 2020

The medium frequency transformer (MTF) is a key component of various new DC–DC converters that are designed for applications in modern electrical power grids at medium and high voltage. To attain the high performance that are necessary for targeting these applications, MFTs should have high power density and high efficiency as characteristics. For this endeavor, newly designed MFT procedures, which also take advantages of new core materials, are under investigation. Differently to other design proposals, most of which use conventional transformer design procedures based on equating core losses to copper conduction losses, in this paper, an MTF with a nanocrystalline (VITROPERM 500F) core is designed with a new procedure that is oriented in aiming the maximum flux density (Bmax). The characteristics of the MFTs that are obtained by using this procedure are compared with those of the MFTFs that are designed with a conventional procedure. The results show that by using the proposed technique, we get a 25% reduction in the winding size, a higher power density, and a lower MTF building cost while maintaining a high efficiency (>98%). The design methodology is developed through a rigorous mathematical analysis that is verified with computer simulations in Matlab-Simulink and validated with experimental results from two MTF laboratory prototypes designed at a flux density of 0.9 T (75% Bmax) and 1.2 T (Bmax).
Design and Analysis of an Approximate Adder with Hybrid Error Reduction
Authors: Seo Hyoju , Yang Yoon Seok , Kim Yongtae
Published: March 2020

This paper presents an energy-efficient approximate adder with a novel hybrid error reduction scheme to significantly improve the computation accuracy at the cost of extremely low additional power and area overheads. The proposed hybrid error reduction scheme utilizes only two input bits and adjusts the approximate outputs to reduce the error distance, which leads to an overall improvement in accuracy. The proposed design, when implemented in 65-nm CMOS technology, has 3, 2, and 2 times greater energy, power, and area efficiencies, respectively, than conventional accurate adders. In terms of the accuracy, the proposed hybrid error reduction scheme allows that the error rate of the proposed adder decreases to 50% whereas those of the lower-part OR adder and optimized lower-part OR constant adder reach 68% and 85%, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed adder has up to 2.24, 2.24, and 1.16 times better performance with respect to the mean error distance, normalized mean error distance (NMED), and mean relative error distance, respectively, than the other approximate adder considered in this paper. Importantly, because of an excellent design tradeoff among delay, power, energy, and accuracy, the proposed adder is found to be the most competitive approximate adder when jointly analyzed in terms of the hardware cost and computation accuracy. Specifically, our proposed adder achieves 51%, 49%, and 47% reductions of the power-, energy-, and error-delay-product-NMED products, respectively, compared to the other considered approximate adders.
Multiscale Image Matting Based Multi-Focus Image Fusion Technique
Authors: Maqsood Sarmad , Javed Umer , Riaz Muhammad Mohsin , Muzammil Muhammad , Muhammad Fazal , Kim Sunghwan
Published: March 2020

Multi-focus image fusion is a very essential method of obtaining an all focus image from multiple source images. The fused image eliminates the out of focus regions, and the resultant image contains sharp and focused regions. A novel multiscale image fusion system based on contrast enhancement, spatial gradient information and multiscale image matting is proposed to extract the focused region information from multiple source images. In the proposed image fusion approach, the multi-focus source images are firstly refined over an image enhancement algorithm so that the intensity distribution is enhanced for superior visualization. The edge detection method based on a spatial gradient is employed for obtaining the edge information from the contrast stretched images. This improved edge information is further utilized by a multiscale window technique to produce local and global activity maps. Furthermore, a trimap and decision maps are obtained based upon the information provided by these near and far focus activity maps. Finally, the fused image is achieved by using an enhanced decision maps and fusion rule. The proposed multiscale image matting (MSIM) makes full use of the spatial consistency and the correlation among source images and, therefore, obtains superior performance at object boundaries compared to region-based methods. The achievement of the proposed method is compared with some of the latest techniques by performing qualitative and quantitative evaluation.
An Efficient Hybrid Fuzzy-Clustering Driven 3D-Modeling of Magnetic Resonance Imagery for Enhanced Brain Tumor Diagnosis
Authors: Kanniappan Suresh , Samiayya Duraimurugan , Vincent P M Durai Raj , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Jayakody Dushantha Nalin K. , Reina Daniel Gutiérrez , Inoue Atsushi
Published: March 2020

Brain tumor detection and its analysis are essential in medical diagnosis. The proposed work focuses on segmenting abnormality of axial brain MR DICOM slices, as this format holds the advantage of conserving extensive metadata. The axial slices presume the left and right part of the brain is symmetric by a Line of Symmetry (LOS). A semi-automated system is designed to mine normal and abnormal structures from each brain MR slice in a DICOM study. In this work, Fuzzy clustering (FC) is applied to the DICOM slices to extract various clusters for different k. Then, the best-segmented image that has high inter-class rigidity is obtained using the silhouette fitness function. The clustered boundaries of the tissue classes further enhanced by morphological operations. The FC technique is hybridized with the standard image post-processing techniques such as marker controlled watershed segmentation (MCW), region growing (RG), and distance regularized level sets (DRLS). This procedure is implemented on renowned BRATS challenge dataset of different modalities and a clinical dataset containing axial T2 weighted MR images of a patient. The sequential analysis of the slices is performed using the metadata information present in the DICOM header. The validation of the segmentation procedures against the ground truth images authorizes that the segmented objects of DRLS through FC enhanced brain images attain maximum scores of Jaccard and Dice similarity coefficients. The average Jaccard and dice scores for segmenting tumor part for ten patient studies of the BRATS dataset are 0.79 and 0.88, also for the clinical study 0.78 and 0.86, respectively. Finally, 3D visualization and tumor volume estimation are done using accessible DICOM information.
Fabrication and Characterization of Cu2ZnSnSe4 Thin-Film Solar Cells using a Single-Stage Co-Evaporation Method: Effects of Film Growth Temperatures on Device Performances
Authors: Rehan Muhammad , Jeon Hyeonmin , Cho Yunae , Cho Ara , Kim Kihwan , Cho Jun-Sik , Yun Jae Ho , Ahn Seungkyu , Gwak Jihye , Shin Donghyeop
Published: March 2020

Kesterite-structured Cu2ZnSnSe4 (CZTSe) is considered as one of the Earth-abundant and non-toxic photovoltaic materials. CZTSe films have been prepared using a single-step co-evaporation method at a relatively low temperature (i.e., below 500 °C). Due to the volatile nature of tin-selenide, the control over substrate temperature (i.e., growth temperature) is very important in terms of the deposition of high-quality CZTSe films. In this regard, the effects of growth temperatures on the CZTSe film morphology were investigated. The suitable temperature range to deposit CZTSe films with Cu-poor and Zn-rich compositions was 380–480 °C. As the temperature increased, the surface roughness of the CZTSe film decreased, which could improve p/n junction properties and associated device performances. Particularly, according to capacitance-voltage (C-V) and derived-level capacitance profiling (DLCP) measurements, the density of interfacial defects of CZTSe film grown at 480 °C showed the lowest value, of the order of ~3 × 1015 cm−3. Regardless of applied growth temperatures, the formation of a MoSe2 layer was rarely observed, since the growth temperature was not high enough to have a reaction between Mo back contact layers and CZTSe absorber layers. As a result, the photovoltaic (PV) device with CZTSe film grown at 480 °C yielded the best power conversion efficiency of 6.47%. It is evident that the control over film growth temperature is a critical factor for obtaining high-quality CZTSe film prepared by one-step process.
Product Inhibition of Biological Hydrogen Production in Batch Reactors
Authors: Das Subhashis , Calay Rajnish Kaur , Chowdhury Ranjana , Nath Kaustav , Eregno Fasil Ejigu
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the inhibitory effects of added hydrogen in reactor headspace on fermentative hydrogen production from acidogenesis of glucose by a bacterium, Clostridium acetobutylicum, was investigated experimentally in a batch reactor. It was observed that hydrogen itself became an acute inhibitor of hydrogen production if it accumulated excessively in the reactor headspace. A mathematical model to simulate and predict biological hydrogen production process was developed. The Monod model, which is a simple growth model, was modified to take inhibition kinetics on microbial growth into account. The modified model was then used to investigate the effect of hydrogen concentration on microbial growth and production rate of hydrogen. The inhibition was moderate as hydrogen concentration increased from 10% to 30% (v/v). However, a strong inhibition in microbial growth and hydrogen production rate was observed as the addition of H2 increased from 30% to 40% (v/v). Practically, an extended lag in microbial growth and considerably low hydrogen production rate were detected when 50% (v/v) of the reactor headspace was filled with hydrogen. The maximum specific growth rate (µmax), substrate saturation constant (ks), a critical hydrogen concentration at which microbial growth ceased (H2*) and degree of inhibition were found to be 0.976 h−1, 0.63 ± 0.01 gL, 24.74 mM, and 0.4786, respectively.
Understanding and Modeling Climate Impacts on Photosynthetic Dynamics with FLUXNET Data and Neural Networks
Authors: Zhu Nanyan , Liu Chen , Laine Andrew F. , Guo Jia
Published: March 2020

Global warming, which largely results from excessive carbon emission, has become an increasingly heated international issue due to its ever-detereorating trend and the profound consequences. Plants sequester a large amount of atmospheric CO 2 via photosynthesis, thus greatly mediating global warming. In this study, we aim to model the temporal dynamics of photosynthesis for two different vegetation types to further understand the controlling factors of photosynthesis machinery. We experimented with a feedforward neural network that does not utilize past histories, as well as two networks that integrate past and present information, long short-term memory and transformer. Our results showed that one single climate driver, shortwave radiation, carries the most information with respect to prediction of upcoming photosynthetic activities. We also demonstrated that photosynthesis and its interactions with climate drivers, such as temperature, precipitation, radiation, and vapor pressure deficit, has an internal system memory of about two weeks. Thus, the predictive model could be best trained with historical data over the past two weeks and could best predict temporal evolution of photosynthesis two weeks into the future.
Derivation of the Adjoint Drift Flux Equations for Multiphase Flow
Authors: Grossberg Shenan , Jarman Daniel S. , Tabor Gavin R.
Published: March 2020

The continuous adjoint approach is a technique for calculating the sensitivity of a flow to changes in input parameters, most commonly changes of geometry. Here we present for the first time the mathematical derivation of the adjoint system for multiphase flow modeled by the commonly used drift flux equations, together with the adjoint boundary conditions necessary to solve a generic multiphase flow problem. The objective function is defined for such a system, and specific examples derived for commonly used settling velocity formulations such as the Takacs and Dahl models. We also discuss the use of these equations for a complete optimisation process.
Detection of Histamine Based on Gold Nanoparticles with Dual Sensor System of Colorimetric and Fluorescence
Authors: Bi Jingran , Tian Chuan , Zhang Gong-Liang , Hao Hongshun , Hou Hong-Man
Published: March 2020

Gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs), with the dual sensor system of colorimetric and fluorescence responses, were developed for the determination of histamine as a spoilage monitor for distinguishing lifetime and freshness of aquatic products. Upon addition of histamine, the absorption coefficient orders of magnitude via the interaction of free electrons and photons were affected, and the characteristic absorption peak of Au-NPs was red-shifted from 520 nm to 664 nm. Meanwhile, the large amino groups in the networks of histamine-Au-NPs with high molecular orbital exhibited excellent fluorescence behavior at 415 nm. Au-NPs offered a range of 0.001–10.0 μM and 0.01–1.0 μM with a limit of detection of 0.87 nM and 2.04 nM by UV-vis and fluorescence spectrum assay, respectively. Moreover, Au-NPs could be used to semiquantitatively analyze histamine with the naked eye, since the significant colorimetric and fluorescence reaction of Au-NPs solution that coincided with different concentrations of histamine can be observed as the histamine concentration was 0.1–1.0 μM. Both of the dual-sensor systems of Au-NPs were successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of histamine in fresh salmon muscle, suggesting the simplicity and rapidity in the dual detection approaches of Au-NPs might be suitable for spoilage assay of aquatic food to ensure food safety.
Effect of Jasmonic Acid, Yeast Extract Elicitation, and Drying Methods on the Main Bioactive Compounds and Consumer Quality of Lovage (Levisticum officinale Koch)
Authors: Złotek Urszula , Szymanowska Urszula , Rybczyńska-Tkaczyk Kamila , Jakubczyk Anna
Published: March 2020

The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in the activities of some enzymes (polyphenol oxidase—PPO and peroxidase—POD), the content of some bioactive compounds, and the organoleptic quality and color parameters of fresh lovage and its herb dried with various methods and elicited with jasmonic acid (JA) and yeast extract (YE). Elicitation only slightly affected the sensory quality of the fresh herbs, but consumer responses in terms of acceptability of the dried lovage color showed that lovage from microwave drying was least acceptable. The largest increase in the value of parameter a* was observed in microwave dried samples. Elicitation positively influenced the content of bioactive compounds (especially chlorophylls, vitamin C, and phenolic compounds), but unfortunately drying caused significant loss of bioactive compounds (except phenolic compounds) in both control and elicited samples. Drying also resulted in a decrease in the activity of PPO and POD.
Electrical Conductivity, pH, Minerals, and Sensory Evaluation of Airag (Fermented Mare’s Milk)
Authors: Tsuchiya Ryouta , Kawai Takayuki , Bat-Oyun Tserenpurev , Shinoda Masato , Morinaga Yuki
Published: March 2020

Traditional airag (fermented mare’s milk) is a sour, slightly alcoholic drink handmade by Mongolian nomads. As airag is not heated after production, the fermentation continues to proceed and the taste changes rapidly. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of the sensory taste evaluation of airag with some properties—electrical conductivity (EC), pH and concentrations of macro minerals (calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and sodium (Na))—of airag. We held an airag contest in Mogod county, one of the most famous airag production areas, in order to collect samples of airag for the analysis of airag properties and to conduct an airag taste evaluation by Mongolian people. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that the EC-value was related to the evaluation score of airag. Except for EC, no statistically significant relationship between the taste score and the other properties was found in this study. It was concluded that the EC-value would be a simple measurement indicator for evaluating the quality of airag on site.
There Has Been No Remorse over It: A Narrative Inquiry Exploring Enslaved Ancestral Roots through a Critical Family History Project
Authors: Mokuria Vicki , Williams Alexia , Page William
Published: March 2020

This paper explores the benefits and value of college students’ conducting critical family history (CFH) projects, which may serve as curricular material to expand students’ understanding of complex aspects of history and immigration. This article unpacks how one student came to see herself and others from a deeper perspective, particularly through the lens of someone who chose to continue digging into her enslaved ancestors’ roots. Using narrative inquiry, a college instructor and former student collaboratively reflect on the lessons learned from using a CFH project in a college-level class primarily for preservice teachers. A unique aspect of this paper is that it gives voice to a former student in the class, which provides a way of seeing the complexities and dehumanizing components of the lives of enslaved Africans in the U.S.—often sanitized out of history books. In addition, a university librarian suggests approaches to genealogical research, by focusing more on the lived experiences of ancestors that go beyond dates and locations. The perspectives from both a former student and the college instructor add multiple dimensions on lessons learned from a critical family history project, which uses students’ family histories as funds of knowledge as the primary curriculum.
The Role of Polycomb Repressive Complex in Malignant Peripheral Nerve Sheath Tumor
Authors: Zhang Xiyuan , Murray Béga , Mo George , Shern Jack F.
Published: March 2020

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) are aggressive soft tissue sarcomas that can arise most frequently in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). Despite an increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie these tumors, there remains limited therapeutic options for this aggressive disease. One potentially critical finding is that a significant proportion of MPNSTs exhibit recurrent mutations in the genes EED or SUZ12, which are key components of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Tumors harboring these genetic lesions lose the marker of transcriptional repression, trimethylation of lysine residue 27 on histone H3 (H3K27me3) and have dysregulated oncogenic signaling. Given the recurrence of PRC2 alterations, intensive research efforts are now underway with a focus on detailing the epigenetic and transcriptomic consequences of PRC2 loss as well as development of novel therapeutic strategies for targeting these lesions. In this review article, we will summarize the recent findings of PRC2 in MPNST tumorigenesis, including highlighting the functions of PRC2 in normal Schwann cell development and nerve injury repair, as well as provide commentary on the potential therapeutic vulnerabilities of a PRC2 deficient tumor cell.
Population Genetic Structure Is Unrelated to Shell Shape, Thickness and Organic Content in European Populations of the Soft-Shell Clam Mya Arenaria
Authors: De Noia Michele , Telesca Luca , Vendrami David L. J. , Gokalp Hatice K. , Charrier Grégory , Harper Elizabeth M. , Hoffman Joseph I.
Published: March 2020

The soft-shell clam Mya arenaria is one of the most ancient invaders of European coasts and is present in many coastal ecosystems, yet little is known about its genetic structure in Europe. We collected 266 samples spanning a latitudinal cline from the Mediterranean to the North Sea and genotyped them at 12 microsatellite loci. In parallel, geometric morphometric analysis of shell outlines was used to test for associations between shell shape, latitude and genotype, and for a selection of shells we measured the thickness and organic content of the granular prismatic (PR), the crossed-lamellar (CL) and the complex crossed-lamellar (CCL) layers. Strong population structure was detected, with Bayesian cluster analysis identifying four groups located in the Mediterranean, Celtic Sea, along the continental coast of the North Sea and in Scotland. Multivariate analysis of shell shape uncovered a significant effect of collection site but no associations with any other variables. Shell thickness did not vary significantly with either latitude or genotype, although PR thickness and calcification were positively associated with latitude, while CCL thickness showed a negative association. Our study provides new insights into the population structure of this species and sheds light on factors influencing shell shape, thickness and microstructure.
Utilizing Pruning and Leaf Removal to Optimize Ripening of Vitis riparia-Based ‘Frontenac Gris’ and ‘Marquette’ Wine Grapes in the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Aipperspach Andrew , Hammond James , Hatterman-Valenti Harlene
Published: March 2020

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of three pruning levels (20, 30 and 40 nodes per vine) and three fruit-zone leaf removal levels (0%, 50%, and 100%) on the yield and fruit quality of Frontenac gris and Marquette wine grapes in a northern production region. The study was conducted at three North Dakota vineyards located near Buffalo, Clifford, and Wahpeton, North Dakota, in 2011 and 2012. Increasing the number of buds retained increased yields and reduced pruning weights in both cultivars. Frontenac gris and Marquette yields were greatest when vines had 50% of the fruit-zone leaves removed due to heavier clusters, suggesting that the 100% fruit-zone leaf removal level was too severe. Individual berries in clusters were also heavier when vines were pruned to retain 40 buds. Frontenac gris fruit quality was similar both years and was not influenced by pruning or leaf removal levels. Marquette fruit total soluble solids content was greater in 2012 due to the warmer and longer growing season. Marquette fruit titratable acidity was lower when 100% of the fruit-zone leaves were removed. These results suggest that for the two cold-hardy hybrid wine grapes used in this study, greater bud retention levels should be investigated. Results also warrant further research into cultivar adaptiveness to northern Great Plains conditions. With further research, it is anticipated that wine grape cultivars and management practices will be identified to produce acceptable yields and fruit quality for commercial wine grape production.
Biological Monitoring of Occupational Exposure to Metals in Electric Steel Foundry Workers and Its Contribution to 8-Oxo-7,8-Dihydro-2′-Deoxyguanosine Levels
Authors: Campo Laura , Hanchi Mariem , Sucato Sabrina , Consonni Dario , Polledri Elisa , Olgiati Luca , Saidane-Mosbahi Dalila , Fustinoni Silvia
Published: March 2020

In this study, the urinary concentrations of selected metals in workers from an electric steel foundry in Tunisia were assessed and compared with existing biological limit values and general population reference values. Moreover, the association between oxidative DNA damage, measured as urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2’deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG) and co-exposure to metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated. Urinary levels of 12 metals were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in end-shift spot samples from 89 workers. The urinary levels of phenanthrene (U-PHE), as marker of exposure to PAHs, and 8-oxodG were also available. Median levels ranged from 0.4 µg/L (cobalt, Co, and thallium, Tl) to 895 µg/L (zinc, Zn). Only 1% of samples was above the biological limit values for Co, and up to 13.5% of samples were above limit values for Cd. From 3.4% (Co) to 72% (lead, Pb) of samples were above the reference values for the general population. Multiple linear regression models, showed that manganese (Mn), Zn, arsenic (As), barium (Ba), Tl, and Pb were significant predictors of 8-oxodG (0.012 ≤ p ≤ 0.048); U-PHE was also a significant predictor (0.003 ≤ p ≤ 0.059). The variance explained by models was low (0.11 ≤ R2 ≤ 0.17, p < 0.005), showing that metals and PAHs were minor contributors to 8-oxodG. Overall, the comparison with biological limit values showed that the study subjects were occupationally exposed to metals, with levels exceeding biological limit values only for Cd.
Good Practices and Learning Strategies of Undergraduate University Students
Authors: Gozalo Margarita , León-del-Barco Benito , Mendo-Lázaro Santiago
Published: March 2020

The educational models currently in use in higher education aim to make students active participants in their learning process, while the lecturer is seen more as a facilitator of the said process. Students’ learning strategies (superficial approach—memorizing, deep approach—looking for meaning, and achievement approach—aimed at results) and their good practices are gaining in importance and the aim of this study is to identify university students’ good practices, which are related to their learning strategies. To do so, our research covered 610 students from different science degree courses at the University of Extremadura who anonymously completed the University Students’ Good Practice Inventory (IBPEU) and the University students’ Questionnaire to Evaluate Study and Learning Processes (CEPEA). The influence of context, understood here as the center or scientific field, was discarded. The factor ‘Actively learning’ was positively associated with the deep and achievement approaches; the factor ‘Interaction with lecturers’ was positively associated with the superficial approach and negatively with the deep approach; the factor ‘Cooperative work’ was also associated with the deep approach; while the achievement approach was positively associated with the factor ‘Optimizing time’ and negatively with ‘respect for different capacities’. These associations are promising as good practices can be learnt and evaluated.
Attitudes of Nursing Home Staff towards Influenza Vaccination: Opinions and Factors Influencing Hesitancy
Authors: Moretti Francesca , Visentin Donatella , Bovolenta Elena , Rimondini Michela , Majori Silvia , Mazzi Mariangela , Poli Albino , Tardivo Stefano , Torri Emanuele
Published: March 2020

Seasonal influenza is recognized to be a significant public health problem and a cause of death, especially in fragile persons. In nursing homes (NHs), vaccination for both residents and staff is the best preventive strategy. However, professionals’ immunization rates are far from reaching the international recommended values. This study aims to describe the adherence and attitudes of NH staff towards flu vaccination and to explore staff hesitancy. A questionnaire was developed based on a literature review and on the 3Cs (confidence, complacency, convenience) of the WHO framework and administered among the staff of four NHs of a province in the northeast of Italy. Results demonstrated a low adherence towards annual vaccination (i.e., only 3% declared getting the flu vaccination each year). Complacency, confidence and convenience all showed a significant impact on the attitude towards vaccination both in univariate and multivariable analysis, with complacency being the most strongly associated area. The area of confidence resulted in strongly challenging factors. Only 24.8% of interviewees appeared trustful towards the efficacy of receiving immunization and 34% declared safety issues. Insights from the study can support the implementation of effective interventions to improve vaccination adherence in NHs. Specifically, increasing complacency by raising awareness related to the risks of influenza appears to be an essential strategy to effectively promote vaccination uptake.
Identification of the Core Pollen-Specific Regulation in the Rice OsSUT3 Promoter
Authors: Li Dandan , Xu Rucong , Lv Dong , Zhang Chunlong , Yang Hong , Zhang Jianbo , Wen Jiancheng , Li Chengyun , Tan Xuelin
Published: March 2020

The regulatory mechanisms of pollen development have potential value for applications in agriculture, such as better understanding plant reproductive regularity. Pollen-specific promoters are of vital importance for the ectopic expression of functional genes associated with pollen development in plants. However, there is a limited number of successful applications using pollen-specific promoters in genetic engineering for crop breeding and hybrid generation. Our previous work led to the identification and isolation of the OsSUT3 promoter from rice. In this study, to analyze the effects of different putative regulatory motifs in the OsSUT3 promoter, a series of promoter deletions were fused to a GUS reporter gene and then stably introduced into rice and Arabidopsis. Histochemical GUS analysis of transgenic plants revealed that p385 (from −385 to −1) specifically mediated maximal GUS expression in pollen tissues. The S region (from −385 to −203) was the key region for controlling the pollen-specific expression of a downstream gene. The E1 (−967 to −606), E2 (−202 to −120), and E3 (−119 to −1) regions enhanced ectopic promoter activity to different degrees. Moreover, the p385 promoter could alter the expression pattern of the 35S promoter and improve its activity when they were fused together. In summary, the p385 promoter, a short and high-activity promoter, can function to drive pollen-specific expression of transgenes in monocotyledon and dicotyledon transformation experiments.
Correlative Light and Electron Microscopy (CLEM) Analysis of Nuclear Reorganization Induced by Clustered DNA Damage Upon Charged Particle Irradiation
Authors: Tonnemacher Susanne , Eltsov Mikhail , Jakob Burkhard
Published: March 2020

Chromatin architecture plays major roles in gene regulation as well as in the repair of DNA damaged by endogenous or exogenous factors, such as after radiation. Opening up the chromatin might provide the necessary accessibility for the recruitment and binding of repair factors, thus facilitating timely and correct repair. The observed formation of ionizing radiation-induced foci (IRIF) of factors, such as 53BP1, upon induction of DNA double-strand breaks have been recently linked to local chromatin decompaction. Using correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) in combination with DNA-specific contrasting for transmission electron microscopy or tomography, we are able to show that at the ultrastructural level, these DNA damage domains reveal a chromatin compaction and organization not distinguishable from regular euchromatin upon irradiation with carbon or iron ions. Low Density Areas (LDAs) at sites of particle-induced DNA damage, as observed after unspecific uranyl acetate (UA)-staining, are thus unlikely to represent pure chromatin decompaction. RNA-specific terbium-citrate (Tb) staining suggests rather a reduced RNA density contributing to the LDA phenotype. Our observations are discussed in the view of liquid-like phase separation as one of the mechanisms of regulating DNA repair.
Electrohypersensitivity as a Newly Identified and Characterized Neurologic Pathological Disorder: How to Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent It
Authors: Belpomme Dominique , Irigaray Philippe
Published: March 2020

Since 2009, we built up a database which presently includes more than 2000 electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and/or multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) self-reported cases. This database shows that EHS is associated in 30% of the cases with MCS, and that MCS precedes the occurrence of EHS in 37% of these EHS/MCS-associated cases. EHS and MCS can be characterized clinically by a similar symptomatic picture, and biologically by low-grade inflammation and an autoimmune response involving autoantibodies against O-myelin. Moreover, 80% of the patients with EHS present with one, two, or three detectable oxidative stress biomarkers in their peripheral blood, meaning that overall these patients present with a true objective somatic disorder. Moreover, by using ultrasonic cerebral tomosphygmography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, we showed that cases have a defect in the middle cerebral artery hemodynamics, and we localized a tissue pulsometric index deficiency in the capsulo-thalamic area of the temporal lobes, suggesting the involvement of the limbic system and the thalamus. Altogether, these data strongly suggest that EHS is a neurologic pathological disorder which can be diagnosed, treated, and prevented. Because EHS is becoming a new insidious worldwide plague involving millions of people, we ask the World Health Organization (WHO) to include EHS as a neurologic disorder in the international classification of diseases.
In Situ Profiling of the Three Dominant Phyla Within the Human Gut Using TaqMan PCR for Pre-Hospital Diagnosis of Gut Dysbiosis
Authors: Jo Young Jae , Tagele Setu Bazie , Pham Huy Quang , Jung YeonGyun , Ibal Jerald Conrad , Choi SeungDae , Kang Gi-Ung , Park Sowon , Kang Yunkoo , Kim Seung , Koh Hong , Shin Jae-Ho
Published: March 2020

A microbial imbalance called dysbiosis leads to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which can include ulcerative colitis (UC). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), a novel therapy, has recently been successful in treating gut dysbiosis in UC patients. For the FMT technique to be successful, the gut microbiota of both the healthy donors and UC patients must be characterized. For decades, next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to analyze gut microbiota. Despite the popularity of NGS, the cost and time constraints make it difficult to use in emergency services and activities related to the periodic monitoring of microbiota profile alterations. Hence, in this study, we developed a multiplex TaqMan qPCR assay (MTq-PCR) with novel probes to simultaneously determine the relative proportions of the three dominant microbial phyla in the human gut: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. The relative proportions of the three phyla in fecal samples of either healthy volunteers or UC patients were similar when assessed NGS and the MTq-PCR. Thus, our MTq-PCR assay could be a practical microbiota profiling alternative for diagnosing and monitoring gut dysbiosis in UC patients during emergency situations, and it could have a role in screening stool from potential FMT donors.
From Classical Laboratory Parameters to Novel Biomarkers for the Diagnosis of Venous Thrombosis
Authors: Anghel Larisa , Sascău Radu , Radu Rodica , Stătescu Cristian
Published: March 2020

Venous thrombosis is a common and potentially fatal disease, because of its high morbidity and mortality, especially in hospitalized patients. To establish the diagnosis of venous thrombosis, in the last years, a multi-modality approach that involves not only imaging modalities but also serology has been evolving. Multiple studies have demonstrated the use of some biomarkers, such as D-dimer, selectins, microparticles or inflammatory cytokines, for the diagnosis and treatment of venous thrombosis, but there is no single biomarker available to exclusively confirm the diagnosis of venous thrombosis. Considering the fact that there are some issues surrounding the management of patients with venous thrombosis and the duration of treatment, recent studies support the idea that these biomarkers may help guide the length of appropriate anticoagulation treatment, by identifying patients at high risk of recurrence. At the same time, biomarkers may help predict thrombus evolution, potentially identifying patients that would benefit from more aggressive therapies. This review focuses on classic and novel biomarkers currently under investigation, discussing their diagnostic performance and potential benefit in guiding the therapy for venous thrombosis.