bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-wave infrared multi-wavelength IPDA lidar for standoff detection of chemical warfare agents: theoretical study
Authors: Cézard Nicolas , Melkonian Jean-Michel
Published: November 2020

We discuss and evaluate the expected performance of a tunable
multi-wavelength integrated-path differential absorption lidar
operating in the long-wave infrared between 7.5 and 11 µm, for
standoff measurement of chemical agents. Interference issues with
natural gas compounds throughout the entire 7.5–11 µm band are first
discussed. Then, the study focuses on four interest species, three
warfare agents, and a simulant. A performance model is derived and
exploited to assess the expectable measurement precision of the lidar
for these four species in the integrated-path mode within a 2 min
alert time and seventeen emitted wavelengths. Measurement precisions
better than the targeted sensitivity levels look reachable at the
kilometer range with laser power below 100 mW. Performance
optimization strategies are discussed, either by adjusting the pulse
energy/pulse repetition rate for a given laser power and lidar range
or by reducing the wavelength sequence in an optimal way. Finally the
system’s receiving operating characteristic curves are derived to
describe the expected detection performance in terms of probability of
false alarm rate and probability of detection.
Dynamic real-time subtraction of stray-light and background for multiphoton imaging
Authors: Fernández A. , Straw A. , Distel M. , Leitgeb R. , Baltuska A. , Verhoef A. J.
Published: November 2020

We introduce a new approach to reduce uncorrelated background signals from fluorescence imaging data, using real-time subtraction of background light. This approach takes advantage of the short fluorescence lifetime of most popular fluorescent activity reporters, and the low duty-cycle of ultrafast lasers. By synchronizing excitation and recording, laser-induced multiphoton fluorescence can be discriminated from background light levels with each laser pulse. We demonstrate the ability of our method to – in real-time – remove image artifacts that in a conventional imaging setup lead to clipping of the signal. In other words, our method enables imaging under conditions that in a conventional setup would yield corrupted data from which no accurate information can be extracted. This is advantageous in experimental setups requiring additional light sources for applications such as optogenetic stimulation.
Artefact removal in ground truth deficient fluctuations-based nanoscopy images using deep learning
Authors: Jadhav Suyog , Acuña Sebastian , Opstad Ida S. , Singh Ahluwalia Balpreet , Agarwal Krishna , Prasad Dilip K.
Published: November 2020

Image denoising or artefact removal using deep learning is possible in the availability of supervised training dataset acquired in real experiments or synthesized using known noise models. Neither of the conditions can be fulfilled for nanoscopy (super-resolution optical microscopy) images that are generated from microscopy videos through statistical analysis techniques. Due to several physical constraints, a supervised dataset cannot be measured. Further, the non-linear spatio-temporal mixing of data and valuable statistics of fluctuations from fluorescent molecules that compete with noise statistics. Therefore, noise or artefact models in nanoscopy images cannot be explicitly learned. Here, we propose a robust and versatile simulation-supervised training approach of deep learning auto-encoder architectures for the highly challenging nanoscopy images of sub-cellular structures inside biological samples. We show the proof of concept for one nanoscopy method and investigate the scope of generalizability across structures, and nanoscopy algorithms not included during simulation-supervised training. We also investigate a variety of loss functions and learning models and discuss the limitation of existing performance metrics for nanoscopy images. We generate valuable insights for this highly challenging and unsolved problem in nanoscopy, and set the foundation for the application of deep learning problems in nanoscopy for life sciences.
Phase retrieval of large-scale time-varying aberrations using a non-linear Kalman filtering framework
Authors: Piscaer Pieter , Soloviev Oleg , Verhaegen Michel
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a computationally efficient framework in which a single focal-plane image is used to obtain a high-resolution reconstruction of dynamic aberrations. Assuming small-phase aberrations, a non-linear Kalman filter implementation is developed whose computational complexity scales close to linearly with the number of pixels of the focal-plane camera. The performance of the method is tested in a simulation of an adaptive optics system, where the small-phase assumption is enforced by considering a closed-loop system that uses a low-resolution wavefront sensor to control a deformable mirror. The results confirm the computational efficiency of the algorithm and show a large robustness against noise and model uncertainties.
Vector modulation instability in birefringent graded-index multimode fibers
Authors: Ahsan Amira S. , Agrawal Govind P.
Published: November 2020

We study vectorial modulation instability occurring inside a
birefringent graded-index (GRIN) fiber when the two polarization
components of the optical field are coupled nonlinearly through
cross-phase modulation. In the scalar case in which only modes of one
polarization are excited, the geometric parametric instability is
known to produce an infinite number of sidebands around the wavelength
of the input optical beam. We show that the birefringence of a GRIN
fiber splits each of these sidebands into a triplet, whose frequency
spacing depends on the differential group delay between the
orthogonally polarized components. We verify the predictions of the
linear stability analysis numerically by solving two coupled nonlinear
Schrödinger equations that include spatial self-imaging effects
through an effective nonlinear parameter. We present results for both
continuous and pulsed optical beams experiencing normal or anomalous
group-velocity dispersion inside a GRIN fiber.
Controlling single-photon scattering in a rectangular waveguide by a V-type three-level emitter
Authors: Song Ya-Ju , Qiao Lei
Published: November 2020

The single-photon scattering by a V-type three-level emitter in a rectangular waveguide is studied. Here the frequency value of input photons can be large beyond the single-transverse-mode region. By using Green’s function formalism, the necessary and sufficient conditions of complete transmission as well as complete reflection are derived analytically. In the region of single transverse mode, the physical mechanisms of complete transmission and complete reflection are electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Fano resonance, respectively. In the region of multiple transverse modes, which are induced by the finite cross section, the quantum interference between multiple scattering pathways with different transverse modes can be used to manipulate the single-photon transport. We find that the emitter becomes transparent when the superposition of waveguide modes has zero amplitude at the position of emitter. And the perfect reflection is absent even under Fano resonance unless the input-state is in a coherent superposition state. These results may promote the development of single-photon devices with wide applicable frequency region.
Simultaneous determination of primary particle size distribution and thermal accommodation coefficient of soot aggregates using low-fluence LII
Authors: Zhang Jun-You , Qi Hong , Shi Jing-Wen , Gao Bao-Hai , Ren Ya-Tao
Published: November 2020

For the ill-posed inverse problem of LII-based nanoparticle size measurement, recovered primary particle size distribution (PPSD) is sensitive to the uncertainty of LII model parameters. In the absence of reliable prior knowledge, the thermal accommodation coefficient (TAC) and fractal-dependent shielding factor are often required to be inferred simultaneously with the PPSD. In the simplified LII model for low fluence regime, TAC and fractal-dependent shielding factor are combined to define a new fractal-dependent TAC. The present study theoretically verified the feasibility of inferring PPSD and fractal-dependent TAC from the normalized LII signals. Moreover, the inversion is independent of prior knowledge of most full LII model parameters, which is attributed to low laser fluence, normalized signal, and fractal-dependent TAC.
Identifying cloud, precipitation, windshear, and turbulence by deep analysis of the power spectrum of coherent Doppler wind lidar
Authors: Yuan Jinlong , Xia Haiyun , Wei Tianwen , Wang Lu , Yue Bin , Wu Yunbin
Published: November 2020

Researches on the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) need accurate measurements with high temporal and spatial resolutions from a series of different instruments. Here, a method for identifying cloud, precipitation, windshear, and turbulence in the ABL using a single coherent Doppler wind lidar (CDWL) is proposed and demonstrated. Based on deep analysis of the power spectrum of the backscattering signal, multiple lidar products, such as carrier-to-noise (CNR), spectrum width, spectrum skewness, turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (TKEDR), and shear intensity are derived for weather identification. Firstly, the cloud is extracted by Haar wavelet covariance transform (HWCT) algorithm based on the CNR after range correction. Secondly, since the spectrum broadening may be due to turbulence, windshear or precipitation, the spectrum skewness is introduced to distinguish the precipitation from two other conditions. Whereas wind velocity is obtained by single peak fitting in clear weather condition, the double-peak fitting is used to retrieve wind and rainfall velocities simultaneously in the precipitation condition. Thirdly, judging from shear intensity and TKEDR, turbulence and windshear are classified. As a double check, the temporal continuity is used. Stable wind variances conditions such as low-level jets are identified as windshear, while arbitrary wind variances conditions are categorized as turbulence. In the field experiment, the method is implemented on a micro-pulse CDWL to provide meteorological services for the 70th anniversary of the China’s National Day, in Inner Mongolia, China (43°54′N, 115°58′E). All weather conditions are successfully classified. By comparing lidar results to that of microwave radiometer (MWR), the spectrum skewness is found be more accurate to indicate precipitation than spectrum width or vertical speed. Finally, the parameter relationships and distributions are analyzed statistically in different weather conditions.
Diffraction-based overlay metrology using angular-multiplexed acquisition of dark-field digital holograms
Authors: Messinis Christos , van Schaijk Theodorus T. M. , Pandey Nitesh , Tenner Vasco T. , Witte Stefan , de Boer Johannes F. , den Boef Arie
Published: November 2020

In semiconductor device manufacturing, optical overlay metrology measures pattern placement between two layers in a chip with sub-nm precision. Continuous improvements in overlay metrology are needed to keep up with shrinking device dimensions in modern chips. We present first overlay metrology results using a novel off-axis dark-field digital holographic microscopy concept that acquires multiple holograms in parallel by angular multiplexing. We show that this concept reduces the impact of source intensity fluctuations on the noise in the measured overlay. With our setup we achieved an overlay reproducibility of 0.13 nm and measurements on overlay targets with known programmed overlay values showed good linearity of R2= 0.9993. Our data show potential for significant improvement and that digital holographic microscopy is a promising technique for future overlay metrology tools.
Tm3+ and Ho3+ colasing in in-band pumped waveguides fabricated by femtosecond laser writing
Authors: Kifle Esrom , Loiko Pavel , Romero Carolina , de Aldana Javier Rodríguez Vázquez , Zakharov Viktor , Gurova Yulia , Veniaminov Andrey , Petrov Valentin , Griebner Uwe , Thouroude Romain , Laroche Mathieu , Camy Patrice , Aguiló Magdalena , Díaz Francesc , Mateos Xavier
Published: November 2020

We report on the first, to the best of our knowledge, in-band pumped

T
m

3
+

,

H
o

3
+

codoped waveguide (WG) laser. A depressed-index surface channel WG (type III) with a 50 µm half-ring cladding is fabricated in a 5 at. %

T
m

3
+

, 0.5 at. %

H
o

3
+

:

K
L
u

(

W
O

4

)
2

crystal by femtosecond pulse direct laser writing. Under in-band pumping by a 1679 nm Er Raman fiber laser,

T
m

3
+

and

H
o

3
+

colasing is observed in the WG and explained by bidirectional energy transfer. The maximum total output power at

∼

1942

n
m

(

T
m

3
+

)

and 2059 nm (

H
o

3
+

) is 448 mW with a slope efficiencyM of 40.6%, which is a record high for this type of WG lasers. The maximum output power of the Ho laser reaches 144 mW.
High-flux single-photon lidar
Authors: Rapp Joshua , Ma Yanting , Dawson Robin M. A. , Goyal Vivek K
Published: November 2020

In time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC), photons that arrive during the detector and timing electronics dead times are missed, causing distortion of the detection time distribution. Conventional wisdom holds that TCSPC should be performed with detections in fewer than 5% of illumination cycles to avoid substantial distortion. This requires attenuation and leads to longer acquisition times if the incident flux is too high. Through the example of ranging with a single-photon lidar system, this work demonstrates that accurately modeling the sequence of detection times as a Markov chain allows for measurements at much higher incident flux without attenuation. Our probabilistic model is validated by the close match between the limiting distribution of the Markov chain and both simulated and experimental data, so long as issues of calibration and afterpulsing are minimal. We propose an algorithm that corrects for the distortion in detection histograms caused by dead times without assumptions on the form of the transient light intensity. Our histogram correction yields substantially improved depth imaging performance, and modest additional improvement is achieved with a parametric model assuming a single depth per pixel. We show results for depth and flux estimation with up to 5 photoelectrons per illumination cycle on average, facilitating an increase in time efficiency of more than two orders of magnitude. The use of identical TCSPC equipment in other fields suggests that our modeling and histogram correction could likewise enable high-flux acquisitions in fluorescence lifetime microscopy or quantum optics applications.
Local retinoic acid signaling directs emergence of the extraocular muscle functional unit
Authors: Comai Glenda Evangelina , Tesařová Markéta , Dupé Valérie , Rhinn Muriel , Vallecillo-García Pedro , da Silva Fabio , Feret Betty , Exelby Katherine , Dollé Pascal , Carlsson Leif , Pryce Brian , Spitz François , Stricker Sigmar , Zikmund Tomáš , Kaiser Jozef , Briscoe James , Schedl Andreas , Ghyselinck Norbert B. , Schweitzer Ronen , Tajbakhsh Shahragim
Published: November 2020

Coordinated development of muscles, tendons, and their attachment sites ensures emergence of functional musculoskeletal units that are adapted to diverse anatomical demands among different species. How these different tissues are patterned and functionally assembled during embryogenesis is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the morphogenesis of extraocular muscles (EOMs), an evolutionary conserved cranial muscle group that is crucial for the coordinated movement of the eyeballs and for visual acuity. By means of lineage analysis, we redefined the cellular origins of periocular connective tissues interacting with the EOMs, which do not arise exclusively from neural crest mesenchyme as previously thought. Using 3D imaging approaches, we established an integrative blueprint for the EOM functional unit. By doing so, we identified a developmental time window in which individual EOMs emerge from a unique muscle anlage and establish insertions in the sclera, which sets these muscles apart from classical muscle-to-bone type of insertions. Further, we demonstrate that the eyeballs are a source of diffusible all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) that allow their targeting by the EOMs in a temporal and dose-dependent manner. Using genetically modified mice and inhibitor treatments, we find that endogenous local variations in the concentration of retinoids contribute to the establishment of tendon condensations and attachment sites that precede the initiation of muscle patterning. Collectively, our results highlight how global and site-specific programs are deployed for the assembly of muscle functional units with precise definition of muscle shapes and topographical wiring of their tendon attachments.
Multivariable G-E interplay in the prediction of educational achievement
Authors: Allegrini Andrea G. , Karhunen Ville , Coleman Jonathan R. I. , Selzam Saskia , Rimfeld Kaili , von Stumm Sophie , Pingault Jean-Baptiste , Plomin Robert
Published: November 2020

Polygenic scores are increasingly powerful predictors of educational achievement. It is unclear, however, how sets of polygenic scores, which partly capture environmental effects, perform jointly with sets of environmental measures, which are themselves heritable, in prediction models of educational achievement. Here, for the first time, we systematically investigate gene-environment correlation (rGE) and interaction (GxE) in the joint analysis of multiple genome-wide polygenic scores (GPS) and multiple environmental measures as they predict tested educational achievement (EA). We predict EA in a representative sample of 7,026 16-year-olds, with 20 GPS for psychiatric, cognitive and anthropometric traits, and 13 environments (including life events, home environment, and SES) measured earlier in life. Environmental and GPS predictors were modelled, separately and jointly, in penalized regression models with out-of-sample comparisons of prediction accuracy, considering the implications that their interplay had on model performance. Jointly modelling multiple GPS and environmental factors significantly improved prediction of EA, with cognitive-related GPS adding unique independent information beyond SES, home environment and life events. We found evidence for rGE underlying variation in EA (rGE = .38; 95% CIs = .30, .45). We estimated that 40% (95% CIs = 31%, 50%) of the polygenic scores effects on EA were mediated by environmental effects, and in turn that 18% (95% CIs = 12%, 25%) of environmental effects were accounted for by the polygenic model, indicating genetic confounding. Lastly, we did not find evidence that GxE effects significantly contributed to multivariable prediction. Our multivariable polygenic and environmental prediction model suggests widespread rGE and unsystematic GxE contributions to EA in adolescence.
The effects of exposure to pyriproxyfen and predation on Zika virus infection and transmission in Aedes aegypti
Authors: Alomar Abdullah A. , Eastmond Bradley H. , Alto Barry W.
Published: November 2020

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen that can cause global public health threats. In the absence of effective antiviral medications, prevention measures rely largely on reducing the number of adult mosquito vectors by targeting juvenile stages. Despite the importance of juvenile mosquito control measures in reducing adult population size, a full understanding of the effects of these measures in determining mosquito phenotypic traits and in mosquito-arbovirus interactions is poorly understood. Pyriproxyfen is a juvenile hormone analog that primarily blocks adult emergence, but does not cause mortality in larvae. This mechanism has the potential to work in combination with other juvenile sources of mortality in nature such as predation to affect mosquito populations. Here, we experimentally evaluated the effects of juvenile exposure to pyriproxyfen and predatory mosquitoToxorhynchites rutilusonAedes aegyptiphenotypes including susceptibility to ZIKV infection and transmission. We discovered that combined effects of pyriproxyfen andTx.rutilusled to higher inhibition of adult emergence inAe.aegyptithan observed in pyriproxyfen orTx.rutilustreatments alone. Adult body size was larger in treatments containingTx.rutilusand in treatments mimicking the daily mortality of predation compared to control or pyriproxyfen treatments. Susceptibility to infection with ZIKV inAe.aegyptiwas reduced in predator treatment relative to those exposed to pyriproxyfen. Disseminated infection, transmission, and titers of ZIKV inAe.aegyptiwere similar in all treatments relative to controls. Our data suggest that the combination of pyriproxyfen andTx.rutiluscan inhibit adultAe.aegyptiemergence but may confer a fitness advantage in survivors and does not inhibit their vector competence for ZIKV relative to controls. Understanding the ultimate consequences of juvenile mosquito control measures on subsequent adults’ ability to transmit pathogens is critical to fully understand their overall impacts.
Sero-prevalence and associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis in Sendafa, Oromia Special Zone surrounding Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Bifo Hadji , Gugsa Getachew , Kifleyohannes Tsegabirhan , Abebe Engidaw , Ahmed Meselu
Published: November 2020

Bovine brucellosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by members of genus Brucella, affecting both animals and humans, and resulting in a serious economic loss in animal production sector and deterioration of public health. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2014 to April 2015 to determine the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of bovine brucellosis in Sendafa, Oromia Special Zone, Ethiopia. A total of 503 blood samples were collected using a simple random sampling technique from dairy cattle of above 6 months of age with no history of previous vaccination against brucellosis. All sera samples were subjected to both Rose Bengal Plate Test for screening and Complement Fixation Test for confirmation. Accordingly, the overall seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in the study area was 0.40%. The result showed that the seroprevalence of bovine brucellosis in the study area was not statistically significant with all proposed risk factors. No reactors were observed in male animals. The seroprevalence was observed in animals without previous history of abortion. Moreover, information was gathered on individual animal and farm-level risk factors and other farm characteristics using a questionnaire. Awareness among society was poor, so the positive animals can be a potential hazard to animals and humans in the study area. Therefore, public education should be done to improve the awareness of the community on bovine brucellosis and its public health impact with due consideration on the safe consumption of food of animal origin.
SAXS studies of X-ray induced disulfide bond damage: Engineering high-resolution insight from a low-resolution technique
Authors: Stachowski Timothy R. , Snell Mary E. , Snell Edward H.
Published: November 2020

A significant problem in biological X-ray crystallography is the radiation chemistry caused by the incident X-ray beam. This produces both global and site-specific damage. Site specific damage can misdirect the biological interpretation of the structural models produced. Cryo-cooling crystals has been successful in mitigating damage but not eliminating it altogether; however, cryo-cooling can be difficult in some cases and has also been shown to limit functionally relevant protein conformations. The doses used for X-ray crystallography are typically in the kilo-gray to mega-gray range. While disulfide bonds are among the most significantly affected species in proteins in the crystalline state at both cryogenic and higher temperatures, there is limited information on their response to low X-ray doses in solution, the details of which might inform biomedical applications of X-rays. In this work we engineered a protein that dimerizes through a susceptible disulfide bond to relate the radiation damage processes seen in cryo-cooled crystals to those closer to physiologic conditions. This approach enables a low-resolution technique, small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), to detect and monitor a residue specific process. A dose dependent fragmentation of the engineered protein was seen that can be explained by a dimer to monomer transition through disulfide bond cleavage. This supports the crystallographically derived mechanism and demonstrates that results obtained crystallographically can be usefully extrapolated to physiologic conditions. Fragmentation was influenced by pH and the conformation of the dimer, providing information on mechanism and pointing to future routes for investigation and potential mitigation. The novel engineered protein approach to generate a large-scale change through a site-specific interaction represents a promising tool for advancing radiation damage studies under solution conditions.
Risk factors for hydrocephalus following fourth ventricle tumor surgery: A retrospective analysis of 121 patients
Authors: Chen Tengyun , Ren Yanming , Wang Chenghong , Huang Bowen , Lan Zhigang , Liu Wenke , Ju Yan , Hui Xuhui , Zhang Yuekang
Published: November 2020

Background and aim

Most patients who present with a fourth ventricle tumor have concurrent hydrocephalus, and some demonstrate persistent hydrocephalus after tumor resection. There is still no consensus on the management of hydrocephalus in patients with fourth ventricle tumor after surgery. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that predispose to postoperative hydrocephalus and the need for a postoperative cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion procedure.

Materials and methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent surgery of the fourth ventricle tumor between January 2013 and December 2018 at the Department of Neurosurgery in West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The characteristics of patients and the tumor location, tumor size, tumor histology, and preventive external ventricular drainage (EVD) that were potentially correlated with CSF circulation were evaluated in univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 121 patients were enrolled in our study; 16 (12.9%) patients underwent postoperative CSF drainage. Univariate analysis revealed that superior extension (p = 0.004), preoperative hydrocephalus (p<0.001), and subtotal resection (p<0.001) were significantly associated with postoperative hydrocephalus. Multivariate analysis revealed that superior extension (p = 0.013; OR = 44.761; 95% CI 2.235–896.310) and subtotal resection (p = 0.005; OR = 0.087; 95% CI 0.016–0.473) were independent risk factors for postoperative hydrocephalus after resection of fourth ventricle tumor.

Conclusion

Superior tumor extension (into the aqueduct) and failed total resection of tumor were identified as independent risk factors for postoperative hydrocephalus in patients with fourth ventricle tumor.
'Tiny numbers' are actually tiny: Evidence from gestures in the TV News Archive
Authors: Woodin Greg , Winter Bodo , Perlman Marcus , Littlemore Jeannette , Matlock Teenie
Published: November 2020

We report a large-scale, quantitative investigation of manual gestures that speakers perform when speaking metaphorically about numerical quantities. We used the TV News Archive–an online database of over 2 million English language news broadcasts–to examine 681 videos in which 584 speakers used the phrase 'tiny number', 'small number', 'large number', or 'huge number', which metaphorically frame numerical quantity in terms of physical size. We found that the gestures speakers used reflect a number of different strategies to express the metaphoric size of quantities. When referring to greater versus lesser quantities, speakers were far more likely to gesture (1) with an open versus closed hand configuration, (2) with an outward versus inward movement, and (3) with a wider distance between the gesturing hands. These patterns were often more pronounced for the phrases containing more extreme adjectives ('tiny/huge number'). However, we did not find that speakers performed two-handed versus one-handed gestures. Nor did we find that speakers performed right-handed versus left-handed gestures, when referring to greater versus lesser quantities. Overall, this work supports the claim that metaphoric thought is involved in the production of verbal metaphors that describe numerical magnitudes. It demonstrates that size-based numerical associations observed in previous lab experiments are active in real-life communication outside the lab.
MiR-424-5p regulates cell cycle and inhibits proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by targeting E2F7
Authors: Zhao Yichao , Zhu Chaoqian , Chang Qing , Peng Peng , Yang Jie , Liu Chunmei , Liu Yang , Chen Xiaonan , Liu Yuanguang , Cheng Ran , Wu Yijie , Wu Xiaotang , Hu Liang , Yin Jun
Published: November 2020

Objective

This study aims to explore the mechanism of the miR-424-5p/E2F7 axis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and provide new ideas for targeted therapy of HCC.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify the target differentially expressed miRNA in HCC and predict its target gene. qRT-PCR was employed to verify the expression of miR-424-5p and E2F7 mRNA in HCC cells. Western blot was performed to detect the effect of miR-424-5p ectopic expression on the protein expression of E2F7. CCK-8 was used to detect proliferative activity of HCC cells and flow cytometry was carried out for analyzing cell cycle distribution. Dual luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify the direct targeting relationship between miR-424-5p and E2F7.

Results

We observed that miR-424-5p was down-regulated in HCC cells. CCK-8 showed that overexpression of miR-424-5p inhibited cell proliferation, and flow cytometry showed that miR-424-5p could block cells in G0/G1 phase. E2F7 was up-regulated in HCC cells, and E2F7 overexpression could facilitate the proliferative ability of HCC cells and promote the cell cycle progressing from G0/G1 to S phase. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-424-5p could directly down-regulate E2F7 expression. Analysis on cell function demonstrated that miR-424-5p inhibited the proliferation of HCC cells and blocked cell cycle at G0/G1 phase by targeting E2F7.

Conclusion

Our results proved that E2F7 was a direct target of miR-424-5p, and miR-424-5p could regulate cell cycle and further inhibit the proliferation of HCC cells by targeting E2F7.
The distributions of hematologic and biochemical values in healthy high-school adolescents in Japan
Authors: Azegami Tatsuhiko , Nishimura Tomoyasu , Murai-Takeda Ayano , Yamada-Goto Nobuko , Sato Yasunori , Mori Masaaki
Published: November 2020

Laboratory tests of adolescents are often interpreted by using reference intervals derived from adults, even though these populations differ in their physical and physiologic characteristics and disease susceptibility. Therefore, to examine the distribution of laboratory values specific for adolescents, we analyzed hematologic and biochemical measurements obtained from 12,023 healthy Japanese adolescents (ages 15 through 18 years; male, 9165; female, 2858) during 2009 through 2018. Distributions were shown as medians with 95% (2.5th and 97.5th percentiles) of values and were compared with those from previous studies that examined similar Asian populations. There were some differences between hematologic parameters, serum creatinine and uric acid concentration, and lipid levels of Japanese adults and adolescents. In comparison with other Asian populations, the distributions of serum uric acid and high-density–lipoprotein cholesterol in the present study were slightly higher than those in the other studies. Although further research is need, the distributions of hematologic and biochemical tests in adolescents may have the potential to facilitate the early identification and management of disease in this population.
Past, present and future distributions of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) under climate change projections
Authors: Dagtekin Dilsad , Şahan Evrim A. , Denk Thomas , Köse Nesibe , Dalfes H. Nüzhet
Published: November 2020

Species distribution models can help predicting range shifts under climate change. The aim of this study is to investigate the late Quaternary distribution of Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis) and to project future distribution ranges under different climate change scenarios using a combined palaeobotanical, phylogeographic, and modelling approach. Five species distribution modelling algorithms under the R-package `biomod2`were applied to occurrence data ofFagus orientalisto predict distributions under present, past (Last Glacial Maximum, 21 ka, Mid-Holocene, 6 ka), and future climatic conditions with different scenarios obtained from MIROC-ESM and CCSM4 global climate models. Distribution models were compared to palaeobotanical and phylogeographic evidence. Pollen data indicate northern Turkey and the western Caucasus as refugia for Oriental beech during the Last Glacial Maximum. Although pollen records are missing, molecular data point to Last Glacial Maximum refugia in northern Iran. For the mid-Holocene, pollen data support the presence of beech in the study region. Species distribution models predicted present and Last Glacial Maximum distribution ofFagus orientalismoderately well yet underestimated mid-Holocene ranges. Future projections under various climate scenarios indicate northern Iran and the Caucasus region as major refugia for Oriental beech. Combining palaeobotanical, phylogeographic and modelling approaches is useful when making projections about distributions of plants. Palaeobotanical and molecular evidence reject some of the model projections. Nevertheless, the projected range reduction in the Caucasus region and northern Iran highlights their importance as long-term refugia, possibly related to higher humidity, stronger environmental and climatic heterogeneity and strong vertical zonation of the forest vegetation.
Chronically shortened rod outer segments accompany photoreceptor cell death in Choroideremia
Authors: Meschede Ingrid P. , Burgoyne Thomas , Tolmachova Tanya , Seabra Miguel C. , Futter Clare E.
Published: November 2020

X-linked choroideremia (CHM) is a disease characterized by gradual retinal degeneration caused by loss of the Rab Escort Protein, REP1. Despite partial compensation by REP2 the disease is characterized by prenylation defects in multiple members of the Rab protein family that are master regulators of membrane traffic. Remarkably, the eye is the only organ affected in CHM patients, possibly because of the huge membrane traffic burden of the post mitotic photoreceptors, which synthesise outer segments, and the adjacent retinal pigment epithelium that degrades the spent portions each day. In this study, we aimed to identify defects in membrane traffic that might lead to photoreceptor cell death in CHM. In a heterozygous null female mouse model of CHM (Chmnull/WT), degeneration of the photoreceptor layer was clearly evident from increased numbers of TUNEL positive cells compared to age matched controls, small numbers of cells exhibiting signs of mitochondrial stress and greatly increased microglial infiltration. However, most rod photoreceptors exhibited remarkably normal morphology with well-formed outer segments and no discernible accumulation of transport vesicles in the inner segment. The major evidence of membrane trafficking defects was a shortening of rod outer segments that was evident at 2 months of age but remained constant over the period during which the cells die. A decrease in rhodopsin density found in the outer segment may underlie the outer segment shortening but does not lead to rhodopsin accumulation in the inner segment. Our data argue against defects in rhodopsin transport or outer segment renewal as triggers of cell death in CHM.
Adipophilin expression is an independent marker for poor prognosis of patients with triple-negative breast cancer: An immunohistochemical study
Authors: Yoshikawa Katsuhiro , Ishida Mitsuaki , Yanai Hirotsugu , Tsuta Koji , Sekimoto Mitsugu , Sugie Tomoharu
Published: November 2020

Adipophilin is a lipid droplet-associated protein whose expression can act as a prognostic marker for specific cancers. Using immunohistochemical staining and tissue microarrays, we assayed the expression of adipophilin in 61 patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who underwent surgery from January 2006–December 2018. Relapse-free survival (RFS) and its risk factors were analyzed based on adipophilin expression. Fourteen (23.0%) patients expressed adipophilin. As compared to the adipophilin-negative TNBC patients, adipophilin-positive patients exhibited poor RFS (p = 0.032). Among the TNBC patients with a high Ki-67 labeling index, patients negative for adipophilin exhibited better RFS than patients positive for adipophilin (p = 0.032). Moreover, among patients who did not undergo adjuvant chemotherapy, patients negative for adipophilin expression exhibited better RFS than adipophilin-positive patients (p = 0.080). Multivariate analysis showed that adipophilin expression correlated with a high rate of relapse (hazard ratio, 4.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.04–23.0;p = 0.044). Taken together, these results indicate that adipophilin is a novel marker for the poor prognosis of patients with TNBC.
Obesity and accumulation of subcutaneous adipose tissue are poor prognostic factors in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis
Authors: Sakamaki Akira , Yokoyama Kunihiko , Koyama Kyutaro , Morita Shinichi , Abe Hiroyuki , Kamimura Kenya , Takamura Masaaki , Terai Shuji
Published: November 2020

In alcoholic liver cirrhosis (LC) patients, obesity has become a problem that progresses into liver dysfunction. Herein, we investigated the relationship between the prognosis of steatohepatitis and body weight, along with fat accumulation in patients with alcoholic LC. We conducted a single-center retrospective study, enrolled 104 alcoholic LC patients without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on histological and clinical evidence, and investigated factors related to poor prognosis using multivariate Cox regression and cluster analyses. Cox regression analysis revealed three independent relevant factors: subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) index (median 34.8 cm2/m2, P = 0.009, hazard ratio [HR] 1.017, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.004–1.030), total bilirubin level (median 1.7 mg/dL, P = 0.003, HR 1.129, 95% CI 1.042–1.223), and prothrombin time value (median 64%, P = 0.007, HR 0.967, 95% CI 0.943–0.991). In the cluster analysis, we categorized the patients into three groups: no adipose tissue accumulation (NAT group), SAT prior accumulation (SAT group), and visceral adipose tissue prior accumulation (VAT group). The results of the three groups revealed that the SAT group displayed a significantly poor prognosis of the Kaplan–Meier curve (67.1 vs 21.2 vs 65.3, P<0.001) of a 5-year survival rate. Propensity score matching analysis of the SAT and VAT groups was performed to adjust the patient’s background, but no significant differences were found between them; however, the prognosis was poorer (21.2 vs 66.3, P<0.001), and hemostatic factors were still at a lower level in the SAT group. These findings suggest that SAT accumulation type of obesity is a poor prognostic factor in alcoholic LC patients without HCC, and the hemorrhagic tendency might worsen the poor prognosis in such cases.
Interrogating the global success of J-pop and K-pop idols
Authors: Finan Dorothy
Published: November 2020

Why is it that we think of K-pop idols as more globally successful than J-pop idols? In this article, I examine the production, distribution and media reception of the South Korean and Japanese idol pop music under the labels of J-pop and K-pop. I show how although structural and economic reasons go some way towards explaining the differing international reaches of J-pop and K-pop idols, we must also take into account the impact of imagined versions of national popular cultures within the paradigm of the global. Specifically, I argue that we cannot consider J-pop and K-pop’s global successes without acknowledging two critical factors: the way that success in the anglophone West is used as a byword for global success and what the circulation of imagined, Orientalist versions of Japanese and South Korean popular culture may tell us about contemporary mediascapes, both as global configurations of media and the visions they proliferate.
Red, Autobiography of Ou Chaoquan, Ou Chaoquan (2019) (trans. D. Norman Geary)
Authors: Fei Yan
Published: November 2020

Review of: Red, Autobiography of Ou Chaoquan, Ou Chaoquan (2019) (trans. D. Norman Geary)

London: Austin Macauley Publishers, 290 pp.,

ISBN: 978-1-52891-258-7, p/bk, £12.99
Hope in the Archive: Indexing the Natural History Museum’s Ecologies of Display
Authors: Syperek Pandora
Published: November 2020

In 2017, a 25-metre-long blue whale skeleton was installed in the Central Hall of the Natural History Museum, London. ‘Hope’ became a symbol of the urgency of marine conservation, and of institutional relevance in the face of ecological devastation. However, the whale is but the latest in a series of dramatic installations of formidable specimens since the museum first opened in 1881. Originally intended as an encyclopaedia of nature, or ‘Index Museum’, the Central Hall’s history charts the intersection of exhibitionary aura and concepts of ecology. This article argues that the original Victorian framework, both institutional and ideological, continues to shape the museum’s ecological aesthetics, and therefore requires self-critical reassessment to be truly transformative.
From the Shore to the Coast: Curating the Front Line of Climate Change
Authors: Jeffery Celina
Published: November 2020

Ephemeral Coast (2015–present; ephemeralcoast.com) is a curatorial research initiative by the author that identifies the coastline as a site and indicator of the radical shifts in geography that are literally taking place in the ocean as a result of the Anthropocene. This article discusses how exhibitions and events associated with the project have considered ephemerality as a poignant curatorial concept within and through which to consider the vanishing of healthy coastal regions. In creating a comparison with other exhibitions that address the climate crisis and related environmental devastation, it argues that the kinds of local, place-based and interdisciplinary curatorial research involved in this project allow for a reconsideration of the Anthropocene epoch as more of a ‘boundary’ event, which necessitates crossing disciplinary divides and questioning the development of new models of understanding and counteraction based upon curatorial engagement with ephemerality.
Insights into the mechanism of adult neurogenesis - an interview with Arturo Álvarez-Buylla
Authors: Escalante-Alcalde Diana , Chimal-Monroy Jesús
Published: November 2020

Neurogenesis is the process by which new neurons are formed from progenitor cells. The adult nervous system was long considered unable to generate new neurons, especially in mammals. It was not until the 1960s that Joseph Altman and Gopal Das, using H3-thymidine autoradiography to trace newly formed cells, that the first suggestions of new neurons added to the olfactory bulb and the dentate gyrus of the rat hippocampus came about. These observations remained controversial for many years as they went against the dogmatic view that the structure of the adult brain precluded processes of neurogenesis. It was not until two decades later that work in songbirds and then in mammals, not only confirmed that new neurons could be produced in the adult brain, but revealed basic processes of how young neurons are produced, how they could migrate long distances and become incorporated into adult brain circuits. Arturo Álvarez-Buylla has made important contributions to the understanding of the mechanism of adult neurogenesis, including the identification of adult neural stem cells. Here we summarize a discussion with him related to the field of adult neurogenesis, the root of his interest in neural development and the ramifications of some of his laboratory findings.
La inclusión laboral de las personas con discapacidad desde la administración pública responsable en la Comunidad Valenciana
Authors: Aguado Hernández Juli Antoni , Marín Traura Susana
Published: November 2020

En la presente coyuntura socioeconómica, la posibilidad de inclusión a través del empleo de las personas con discapacidad es importante no solo por las posibilidades de autonomía económica, sino también por las oportunidades de socialización. Sobre esta base, y considerando que las empresas socialmente responsables asumen la inclusión de estas personas en sus plantillas como una posibilidad de crecimiento y de diferenciación, en el texto se analiza, de manera descriptiva, el papel que las administraciones públicas (AA. PP.) autonómicas, con competencias en la materia, pueden, deben y están haciendo para fomentar la responsabilidad social corporativa (RSC) y la gestión de la inclusión laboral de las personas con discapacidad. A partir de la discusión teórica y de la revisión de las políticas desarrolladas, se pretende dar respuesta a las siguientes cuestiones de fondo: ¿Cómo se está atendiendo la pluralidad en las empresas desde las administraciones públicas? ¿Son la RSC y la gestión de las personas con discapacidad modas pasajeras o por el contrario pueden resultar un instrumento válido de inclusión de estas personas dentro de los espacios de trabajo? Llegando a la conclusión de que esto solo será posible desde una RSC estratégica e integradora.
Teacher Crisis: Critical Events in the Mid-Career Stage
Authors:   University of Queensland, Cawte Katie
Published: November 2020

To understand the ways in which teachers in the mid-career stage might be retained and maintained in the classroom and the profession, this article identifies the critical events in the journey of the mid-career teacher. The findings of a qualitative study that drew on narrative inquiry are used to explore the reasons why 20 mid-career teachers in Queensland, Australia, exited or remained in the classroom and/or profession. The article concludes with a profile of the mid-career teacher which helps to understand how to provide and/or develop job satisfaction and motivation and retain the knowledge, experience and skills of experienced teachers.
Identificação dos Terrenos Sujeitos ao Parcelamento, Edificação ou Utilização Compulsória – PEUC com Uso de Geotecnologias Livres
Authors: Pazolini Tiago , Silva Everton da , Teixeira Kaliu
Published: November 2020

O Parcelamento, Edificação ou Utilização Compulsórios – PEUC é um instrumento jurídico e político previsto no artigo 182 da Constituição Federal de 1988, e regulamentado pela lei federal 10.257 de 2001, o Estatuto da Cidade. O PEUC visa o princípio da função social da propriedade urbana, estimulando que os terrenos não utilizados, subutilizados e não edificados cumpram com os parâmetros de uso e ocupação do solo exigidos pelo plano diretor. O presente estudo visa demonstrar procedimentos baseados em geotecnologias livres e gratuitas para a identificação de terrenos sujeitos ao PEUC. A área utilizada para demonstração localiza-se no bairro Campeche em Florianópolis, Santa Catarina. Com o emprego do método proposto, a execução dos procedimentos foi completamente realizada com o programa livre QGIS, e foram identificados 21 terrenos não edificados e 57 terrenos subutilizados.