bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on collagen parameters in vulvar cancer and preneoplastic lesions by Second Harmonic Generation microscopy
Authors: Castor Maria das Graças de Fátima Cavalcan , Torres Leuridan Cavalcante , Mello Roberto José Vieira de , Natal Rodrigo de Andrade , Vassallo José
Published: March 2020

The extracellular matrix plays an important role in cellular balance, and collagen fibers are its most important component. Over the last few years, second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy has been used for the analysis of collagen fibers in several types of gynaecological cancers, such as breast and ovarian cancer. The value of collagen parameters obtained with this technique to gain insights on the physiopathology and on the prognostic evaluation of cancer has been advocated. Herein, we have characterized the collagen fibers in squamous cell carcinoma (VSCC) and preneoplastic lesions using the SHG microscopy. Collagen parameters, quantity, organization, and uniformity, of VSCC, adjacent skin of VSCC or preneoplastic lesions were compared with values obtained in normal tissue of healthy control. There was an evident decrease in the values of collagen fiber parameters in the VSCC. Increased quantity and uniformity of tumor associated collagen fibers were associated with the presence of lymph node metastases, which suggest a prognostic value of such parameters in the evaluation of vulvar cancer.
On-board study of gas embolism in marine turtles caught in bottom trawl fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Parga M. L. , Crespo-Picazo J. L. , Monteiro D. , García-Párraga D. , Hernandez J. A. , Swimmer Y. , Paz S. , Stacy N. I.
Published: March 2020

Decompression sickness (DCS) was first diagnosed in marine turtles in 2014. After capture in net fisheries, animals typically start showing clinical evidence of DCS hours after being hauled on-board, often dying if untreated. These turtles are normally immediately released without any understanding of subsequent clinical problems or outcome. The objectives of this study were to describe early occurrence and severity of gaseous embolism (GE) and DCS in marine turtles after incidental capture in trawl gear, and to provide estimates of on-board and post-release mortality. Twenty-eight marine turtles were examined on-board fishing vessels. All 20 turtles assessed by ultrasound and/or post-mortem examination developed GE, independent of season, depth and duration of trawl and ascent speed. Gas emboli were obvious by ultrasound within 15 minutes after surfacing and worsened over the course of 2 hours. Blood data were consistent with extreme lactic acidosis, reduced glomerular filtration, and stress. Twelve of 28 (43%) animals died on-board, and 3 of 15 (20%) active turtles released with satellite tags died within 6 days. This is the first empirically-based estimate of on-board and post-release mortality of bycaught marine turtles that has until now been unaccounted for in trawl fisheries not equipped with turtle excluder devices.
Predicting Short-term Survival after Liver Transplantation using Machine Learning
Authors: Liu Chien-Liang , Soong Ruey-Shyang , Lee Wei-Chen , Jiang Guo-Wei , Lin Yun-Chun
Published: March 2020

Liver transplantation is one of the most effective treatments for end-stage liver disease, but the demand for livers is much higher than the available donor livers. Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score is a commonly used approach to prioritize patients, but previous studies have indicated that MELD score may fail to predict well for the postoperative patients. This work proposes to use data-driven approach to devise a predictive model to predict postoperative survival within 30 days based on patient’s preoperative physiological measurement values. We use random forest (RF) to select important features, including clinically used features and new features discovered from physiological measurement values. Moreover, we propose a new imputation method to deal with the problem of missing values and the results show that it outperforms the other alternatives. In the predictive model, we use patients’ blood test data within 1–9 days before surgery to construct the model to predict postoperative patients’ survival. The experimental results on a real data set indicate that RF outperforms the other alternatives. The experimental results on the temporal validation set show that our proposed model achieves area under the curve (AUC) of 0.771 and specificity of 0.815, showing superior discrimination power in predicting postoperative survival.
SPANX-A/D protein subfamily plays a key role in nuclear organisation, metabolism and flagellar motility of human spermatozoa
Authors: Urizar-Arenaza Itziar , Osinalde Nerea , Akimov Vyacheslav , Puglia Michele , Muñoa-Hoyos Iraia , Gianzo Marta , Rodriguez Jose Antonio , Ganzabal Teresa , Blagoev Blagoy , Kratchmarova Irina , Subiran Nerea
Published: March 2020

Human sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X chromosome (SPANX) genes encode a protein family (SPANX-A, -B, -C and -D), whose expression is limited to the testis and spermatozoa in normal tissues and to a wide variety of tumour cells. Present only in hominids, SPANX-A/D is exclusively expressed in post-meiotic spermatids and mature spermatozoa. However, the biological role of the protein family in human spermatozoa is largely unknown. Combining proteomics and molecular approaches, the present work describes the presence of all isoforms of SPANX-A/D in human spermatozoa and novel phosphorylation sites of this protein family. In addition, we identify 307 potential SPANX-A/D interactors related to nuclear envelop, chromatin organisation, metabolism and cilia movement. Specifically, SPANX-A/D interacts with fumarate hydratase and colocalises with both fumarate hydratase and Tektin 1 proteins, involved in meeting energy demands for sperm motility, and with nuclear pore complex nucleoporins. We provide insights into the molecular features of sperm physiology describing for the first time a multifunctional role of SPANX-A/D protein family in nuclear envelope, sperm movement and metabolism, considered key functions for human spermatozoa. SPANX-A/D family members, therefore, might be promising targets for sperm fertility management.
Estimating the ecological water levels of shallow lakes: a case study in Tangxun Lake, China
Authors: Yang Wei , Xu Mingxiang , Li Ruiqing , Zhang Liping , Deng Qiuliang
Published: March 2020

Water level management is an effective tool for the ecological restoration of shallow lakes. In this study, we developed an ecologically-based approach to estimate the monthly suitable ecological water levels (EWLs). This approach took both the lake topographic features and aquatic plants’ growth characteristics into account. The aquatic vegetation coverage was used to characterize the degree of the lake ecological restoration. The relationship between water level and vegetation coverage was established. We chose the Tangxun Lake as a testbed, and the recommended lowest EWL was 16.6 m, as the minimum threshold for water level regulations. The results revealed that the predicted vegetation coverage decreased with the rise of water level during the germination period (February and March). To achieve the vegetation coverage goal of 30% and 50%, the lake’s water levels must be lowered to 17.1 m and 16.8 m respectively during germination. The EWLs were recommended to be low in spring and high in summer, which was matched with the natural water level regimes. The proposed approach can provide a reliable reference for water level regulation of shallow lakes especially the lakes with insufficient data.
A new SNP genotyping technology Target SNP-seq and its application in genetic analysis of cucumber varieties
Authors: Zhang Jian , Yang Jingjing , Zhang Like , Luo Jiang , Zhao Hong , Zhang Jianan , Wen Changlong
Published: March 2020

To facilitate the utility of SNP-based genotyping, we developed a new method called target SNP-seq which combines the advantages of multiplex PCR amplification and high throughput sequencing. Compared with KASP, Microarrays, GBS and other SNP genotyping methods, target SNP-seq is flexible both in SNPs and samples, yields high accuracy, especially when genotyping genome wide perfect SNPs with high polymorphism and conserved flanking sequences, and is cost-effective, requiring 3 days and $7 for per DNA sample to genotype hundreds of SNP loci. The present study established a DNA fingerprint of 261 cucumber varieties by target SNP-seq with 163 perfect SNPs from 4,612,350 SNPs based on 182 cucumber resequencing datasets. Four distinct subpopulations were found in 261 Chinese cucumber varieties: the north China type, the south China type, the Europe type, and the Xishuangbanna type. The north China type and Xishuangbanna type harbored lower genetic diversity, indicating greater risk of genetic erosion in these two subpopulations. Furthermore, a core set of 24 SNPs was able to distinguish 99% of the 261 cucumber varieties. 29 core cucumber backbone varieties in China were identified. Therefore, target SNP-seq provides a new way to screen out core SNP loci from the whole genome for DNA fingerprinting of crop varieties. The high efficiency and low cost of target SNP-seq is more competitive than the current SNP genotyping methods, and it has excellent application prospects in genetic research, as well as in promoting plant breeding processes in the near future.
Safety of inter-hospital transfer of patients with acute ischemic stroke for evaluation of endovascular thrombectomy
Authors: Pallesen Lars-Peder , Winzer Simon , Barlinn Kristian , Prakapenia Alexandra , Siepmann Timo , Gruener Cosima , Gerber Johannes , Haedrich Kevin , Linn Jennifer , Barlinn Jessica , Puetz Volker
Published: March 2020

Stroke networks facilitate access to endovascular treatment (EVT) for patients with ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion. In this study we aimed to determine the safety of inter-hospital transfer and included all patients with acute ischemic stroke who were transferred within our stroke network for evaluation of EVT between 06/2016 and 12/2018. Data were derived from our prospective EVT database and transfer protocols. We analyzed major complications and medical interventions associated with inter-hospital transfer. Among 615 transferred patients, 377 patients (61.3%) were transferred within our telestroke network and had transfer protocols available (median age 76 years [interquartile range, IQR 17], 190 [50.4%] male, median baseline NIHSS score 17 [IQR 8], 246 [65.3%] drip-and-ship i.v.-thrombolysis). No patient suffered from cardio-respiratory failure or required emergency intubation or cardiopulmonary resuscitation during the transfer. Among 343 patients who were not intubated prior departure, 35 patients (10.2%) required medical interventions during the transfer. The performance of medical interventions was associated with a lower EVT rate and higher mortality at three months. In conclusion, the transfer of acute stroke patients for evaluation of EVT was not associated with major complications and transfer-related medical interventions were required in a minority of patients.
Neck lymph node status on survival of regionally recurrent or persistent nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Yeung David C. M. , Yeung Zenon , Wong Eddy W. Y. , Vlantis Alexander C. , Chan Jason Y. K.
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of lymph node status from neck dissection pathological specimens on the survival for isolated regional nodal recurrence or persistence after primary treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Through a retrospective cohort study performed in an academic tertiary referral hospital in Hong Kong. Forty-six patients who underwent a salvage neck dissection between June 2001 and January 2013 for isolated regionally recurrent or persistent nasopharyngeal carcinoma was performed. Informed consent was waived for this retrospective study by The Joint CUHK-NTEC CREC. In the study forty-six patients had a salvage neck dissection for nodal failure with a mean age of 53 and 74% (34) were male. With a mean follow-up of 45.3 months, Overall survival, disease specific survival, loco-regional recurrence free survival, and regional recurrence free survival were 56.5%, 73.9%, 87.0%, and 91.3% respectively. For both univariate and multivariate analysis, patients with a number of positive lymph nodes more than 5 and a lymph node density more than 20% were significantly associated with poorer overall survival. Extracapsular spread and pathological cervical lymph node staging did not have an association with poorer survival. In conclusion, an absolute number of positive lymph nodes more than five and a lymph node density more than 20% were potentially useful prognostic factors affecting survival following a neck dissection for regional residual or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Prognostic Role of Serum Wisteria Floribunda Agglutinin-Positive Mac-2 Binding Protein Level in Early Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Lin Joseph , Ko Chih-Jan , Hung Yu-Ju , Lin Ping-Yi , Lin Kuo-Hua , Hsieh Chia-En , Chou Chen-Te , Chen Yao-Li
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognostic value of preoperative Wisteria floribunda agglutinin-positive Mac-2 binding protein (WFA+-M2BP) in predicting overall survival for patients with hepatitis B- and hepatitis C-related early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (ESHCC) after liver resection. Post-operative survival rates were compared according to WFA+-M2BP level and tumor stage. Six hundred and ten patients were identified and 198 were removed after application of the exclusion criteria; the median follow-up time was 4.33 years, and cancer-related death occurred in 117 (28.4%) patients. Age (p = 0.03), fibrosis grade (p = 0.042), cancer stage (p = 0.01), and WFA+-M2BP level (p = 0.001) were identified as independent risk factors for poor overall survival. The overall survival rates at 3 and 5 years for patients with WFA+-M2BP ≤ 1.12 were 0.92 and 0.90, respectively, and 0.76 and 0.61 for patients with WFA+-M2BP > 1.12 (p < 0.001). During the analysis of survival prediction, serum WFA+-M2BP level exhibited a higher log-likelihood and a lower AIC value compared to TNM stage (log likelihood: −638; AIC: 1279). Pre-operative serum WFA+-M2BP level provided important prognostic information after curative hepatic resection in our study.
Optic Disc and Macular Vessel Density Measured by Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Open-Angle and Angle-Closure Glaucoma
Authors: Hou Tzu-Yu , Kuang Tung-Mei , Ko Yu-Chieh , Chang Yu-Fan , Liu Catherine Jui-Ling , Chen Mei-Ju
Published: March 2020

There is distinct pathogenesis between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Although elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the major risk factor for glaucoma, non-IOP risk factors such as vascular abnormalities and lower systolic/diastolic perfusion pressure may play a role in the pathogenic process. This study aimed to compare the vessel density (VD) in the optic disc and macula using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) between POAG and PACG eyes. Thirty-two POAG eyes, 30 PACG eyes, and 39 control eyes were included. All the optic disc VD parameters except the inside disc VD were significantly lower in glaucomatous eyes than in control eyes. Compared with PACG eyes, only the inferior temporal peripapillary VD was significantly lower in POAG eyes. The parafoveal VD was significantly lower in each quadrant in glaucomatous eyes than in control eyes. The central macular and parafoveal VD did not differ between POAG and PACG eyes. In conclusion, the inferior temporal peripapillary VD was significantly reduced in POAG eyes compared with PACG eyes, while PACG eyes showed a more evenly distributed reduction in the peripapillary VD. The distinct patterns of VD change may be associated with the different pathogenesis between POAG and PACG.
A benchmark of hemoglobin blocking during library preparation for mRNA-Sequencing of human blood samples
Authors: Uellendahl-Werth Florian , Wolfien Markus , Franke Andre , Wolkenhauer Olaf , Ellinghaus David
Published: March 2020

RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) of peripheral blood can be a valuable source of information for investigating the status and mechanism of diseases. However, blood contains 50–80% unwanted hemoglobin (Hb) transcripts. Lexogen’s QuantSeq mRNA-Seq-Kit for Illumina RNA-Seq features a ‘Globin Block’ (GB) module that depletes Hb cDNAs during library preparation. Here, we aimed to assess GB’s effectiveness and checked for technical biases attributable to GB. Using whole blood total RNA samples of 91 healthy individuals, we sequenced 91 pairs of GB and non-blocked samples (noGB) on Illumina HiSeq2500 and 8 pairs of GB/noGB technical replicates on HiSeq4000. GB reduced the fraction of Hb transcripts from 43% (s.d. 14%) to 8.0% (s.d. 4.3%). From GB samples we detected 1,397 more expressed genes at approximately 11 million reads per RNA-isolate. Enrichment and differential expression analyses did not reveal significant differences for GB and noGB samples with respect to molecular function. In contrast to results from studies that have examined the performance of GB during RNA isolation, we were able to assign GB to corresponding noGB samples (from multiple sequencing runs on HiSeq2500) with at least 89.8% accuracy from the complete correlation matrix of all GB/GB, noGB/noGB and GB/noGB pairs. However, the use of different sequencers (HiSeq2500 vs HiSeq4000) impaired assignment of technical replicates, whereas assignment of GB to corresponding noGB samples worked perfectly when sequencing on one lane on HiSeq4000. Lexogen’s GB RNA-Seq module is a valuable addition during mRNA-Seq library preparation which works even with low amounts of input total RNA (50 ng per sample). GB facilitated the detection of low abundant transcripts and yielded more non-hemoglobin reads, while preserving biological information. We observed that differences in sequencing run and platform have a far greater effect on technical variation than the use of GB.
Author Correction: Assessing the Dynamics and Control of Droplet- and Aerosol-Transmitted Influenza Using an Indoor Positioning System
Authors: Smieszek Timo , Lazzari Gianrocco , Salathé Marcel
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Investigation of auranofin and gold-containing analogues antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae
Authors: Elkashif Ahmed , Seleem Mohamed N.
Published: March 2020

Neisseria gonorrhoeae represents an urgent public health threat due to the rapid emergence of resistance to current antibiotics and the limited number of anti-gonococcal agents currently in clinical trials. This study utilized a drug repositioning strategy to investigate FDA-approved gold-containing drugs against N. gonorrhoeae. Auranofin, sodium aurothiomalate and aurothioglucose inhibited 48 clinical isolates of N. gonorrhoeae including multidrug-resistant strains at a concentration as low as 0.03 µg/mL. A time-kill assay revealed that auranofin exhibited rapid bactericidal activity against N. gonorrhoeae. Moreover, both sodium aurothiomalate and aurothioglucose did not inhibit growth of vaginal protective commensal lactobacilli. Auranofin, in combination with azithromycin, ceftriaxone, cefixime or tetracycline showed an additive effect against four N. gonorrhoeae strains, suggesting the possibility of using auranofin in dual therapy. Moreover, auranofin reduced the burden of intracellular N. gonorrhoeae by over 99% outperforming the drug of choice ceftriaxone. Auranofin was found superior to ceftriaxone in reducing the secretion of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-8 by endocervical cells infected with N. gonorrhoeae. Furthermore, auranofin exhibited a prolonged post-antibiotic effect over 10 h, as well as inability to generate resistant mutants. Overall, the current study suggests that repurposing gold-containing drugs, like auranofin, for treatment of gonorrhea warrants further investigation.
DNA-driven dynamic assembly of MoS2nanosheets
Authors: Amoroso Giuseppe , Sapelkin Andrei , Ye Qingyu , Araullo-Peters Vicente , Cecconello Alessandro , Fernandez Gustavo , Palma Matteo
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate a strategy to drive the assembly of molybdenum disulfide nanosheets and their disassembly in response to different stimuli.
Trending methods employed for polymerization induced self-assembly
Authors: Mane Shivshankar R.
Published: March 2020

Mother Nature produces a perfectly defined architecture that inspires researchers to make polymeric macromolecules for an array of functions. The present article describes recent development in the PISA to synthesize polymeric nano-objects.
Cellulose microfibers (CMFs) as a smart carrier for autonomous self-healing in epoxy coatings
Authors: Nawaz Muddasir , Habib Sehrish , Khan Adnan , Shakoor R. A. , Kahraman Ramazan
Published: March 2020

.The cellulose microfibers (CMFs) were synthesized to assist the self-release of loaded product, that provides better corrosion inhibition and self-healing of epoxy coatings.
Embedding orthogonal memories in a colloidal gel through oscillatory shear
Authors: Schwen Eric M. , Ramaswamy Meera , Cheng Chieh-Min , Jan Linda , Cohen Itai
Published: March 2020

We investigate shear training memories in colloidal gels, which include an attractive interaction and network structure, and discover that such systems can support memories both along and orthogonal to the training flow direction.
Target triggered ultrasensitive electrochemical polychlorinated biphenyl aptasensor based on DNA microcapsules and nonlinear hybridization chain reaction
Authors: Han Ting , Wang Shaozhen , Sheng Feifan , Wang Sicheng , Dai Tianyue , Zhang Xiaojun , Wang Guangfeng
Published: March 2020

In this work, we demonstrated an ultrasensitive detection platform for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) based on DNA microcapsules and a nonlinear hybridization chain reaction (NHCR).
Self-sacrificial MOFs for ultra-long controlled release of bisphosphonate anti-osteoporotic drugs
Authors: Vassaki Maria , Papathanasiou Konstantinos E. , Hadjicharalambous Chrystalleni , Chandrinou Daphne , Turhanen Petri , Choquesillo-Lazarte Duane , Demadis Konstantinos D.
Published: March 2020

Metal-bisphosphonates are self-sacrificial controlled delivery systems that achieve ultra-long release of anti-osteoporotic bisphosphonate drugs.
On-demand hydrogen production from formic acid by light-active dinuclear iridium catalysts
Authors: Sofue Yuki , Nomura Kotohiro , Inagaki Akiko
Published: March 2020

Light-active dinuclear iridium complexes catalyze the decomposition of formic acid to generate H2 under ambient temperature and base-free conditions. The catalyst activity is sensitive to light demonstrating the ON/OFF switching ability.
Correction: Can aromaticity be a kinetic trap? Example of mechanically interlocked aromatic [2-5]catenanes built from cyclo[18]carbon
Authors: Fedik Nikita , Kulichenko Maksim , Steglenko Dmitriy , Boldyrev Alexander I.
Published: March 2020

Correction for ‘Can aromaticity be a kinetic trap? Example of mechanically interlocked aromatic [2-5]catenanes built from cyclo[18]carbon’ by Nikita Fedik et al., Chem. Commun., 2020, 56, 2711–2714.
Electron transfer mediated decay of alkali dimers attached to He nanodroplets
Authors: Ben Ltaief L. , Shcherbinin M. , Mandal S. , Krishnan S. R. , Richter R. , Pfeifer T. , Bauer M. , Ghosh A. , Mudrich M. , Gokhberg K. , LaForge A. C.
Published: March 2020

Double ionization of alkali dimers attached to He nanodroplets by electron transfer mediated decay (ETMD).
Non-covalent interactions with inverted carbon: a carbo-hydrogen bond or a new type of hydrogen bond?
Authors: Dutta Juhi , Sahoo Dipak Kumar , Jena Subhrakant , Tulsiyan Kiran Devi , Biswal Himansu S.
Published: March 2020

Crystal structure analysis and quantum chemical calculations enabled us to discover a new non-covalent interaction, coined as carbo-hydrogen bond (CH-bond).
How do mutations affect the structural characteristics and substrate binding of CYP21A2? An investigation by molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Lin Baihui , Zhang Hongxing , Zheng Qingchuan
Published: March 2020

CYP21A2 mutations affect the activity of the protein leading to CAH disease.
Interaction of water with oligo(ethylene glycol) terminated monolayers: wetting versus hydration
Authors: Sayin Mustafa , Nefedov Alexei , Zharnikov Michael
Published: March 2020

Exposure of biorepulsive, oligo(ethylene glycol) (OEG) substituted self-assembled monolayers to water results in its adsorption both onto the surface and, with a higher binding energy, into the OEG matrix.
Reversible luminescent humidity chromism of organic–inorganic hybrid PEA2MnBr4 single crystals
Authors: Gao Wanru , Leng Meiying , Hu Zhixiang , Li Junze , Li Dehui , Liu Huan , Gao Liang , Niu Guangda , Tang Jiang
Published: March 2020

Reversible luminescent humidity chromism was found on PEA2MnBr4 between green emission and pink emission through water adsorption and desorption.
Enhanced photoluminescence and ferro/piezoelectric performance in piezo-luminescent materials with outstanding water resistance and thermal stability
Authors: Ma Chunlin , Wang Xingyu , Tan Weishi , Zhou Weiping , Wang Xiaoxiong , Cheng Zhenzhi , Chen Guibin , Zhai Zhangyin
Published: March 2020

(1 − x)Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-xCaTiO3:Sm3+ multifunctional materials were prepared, which exhibit enhanced ferro/piezoelectric performance and photoluminescence, with outstanding water resistance and thermal stability.
Metal-free cascade reactions of aziridines with arylalkynes and aryldiazoniums: facile access to arylazopyrrolines
Authors: Rong Jing , Jiang Hao , Wang Sijing , Su Zhenni , Wang Huiyan , Tao Chuanzhou
Published: March 2020

A novel and facile approach to synthesize arylazopyrroline scaffolds via metal-free cascade reactions of aziridines with arylalkynes and aryldiazoniums has been developed, providing access to a variety of 4-arylazo-2-pyrrolines in a highly concise fashion.
Polyester nitrile N-oxides for click reactions synthesized with nitroalkane precursors as the initiator
Authors: Tsutsuba Toyokazu , Sogawa Hiromitsu , Takata Toshikazu
Published: March 2020

Polyesters that have a nitrile N-oxide function at the initiation end were prepared and applied to a catalyst-free click reaction for star polymer synthesis.
Multi-yolk–shell bismuth@porous carbon as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for artificial N2fixation under ambient conditions
Authors: Qiu Yu , Zhao Sen , Qin Mingxin , Diao Jinxiang , Liu Shuangquan , Dai Lanxin , Zhang Wenhua , Guo Xiaohui
Published: March 2020

Multi-yolk–shell bismuth@porous carbon catalyst was fabricated by facile synthetic processes. The MB@PC catalyst displays deliver a NH3yield of 28.63 μg h−1mg−1cat., a Faraday efficiency of 10.58 % at −0.5 VversusRHE under ambient conditions.
Silicon nanocrystal hybrid photovoltaic devices for indoor light energy harvesting
Authors: Otsuka Munechika , Kurokawa Yuki , Ding Yi , Juangsa Firman Bagja , Shibata Shogo , Kato Takehito , Nozaki Tomohiro
Published: March 2020

The potential of SiNC-based hybrid photovoltaics is opened up to be used for the IoT-related energy harvesting of indoor applications.
Hidden figures of photo-charging: a thermo-electrochemical approach for a solar-rechargeable redox flow cell system
Authors: Bae Dowon , Faasse Gerrit M. , Smith Wilson A.
Published: March 2020

Achieving high current densities without thermal performance degradation at high temperatures is one of the main challenges for enhancing the competitiveness of photo-electrochemical energy storage systems.
Epigenetic dynamics of the thermogenic gene program of adipocytes
Authors: Yi Danielle , Nguyen Hai P. , Sul Hei Sook
Published: March 2020

Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a metabolically beneficial organ capable of burning fat by dissipating chemical energy into heat, thereby increasing energy expenditure. Moreover, subcutaneous white adipose tissue can undergo so-called browning/beiging. The recent recognition of the presence of brown or beige adipocytes in human adults has attracted much attention to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the thermogenic adipose program. Many key transcriptional regulators critical for the thermogenic gene program centering on activating the UCP1 promoter, have been discovered. Thermogenic gene expression in brown adipocytes rely on co-ordinated actions of a multitude of transcription factors, including EBF2, PPARγ, Zfp516 and Zc3h10. These transcription factors probably integrate into a cohesive network for BAT gene program. Moreover, these transcription factors recruit epigenetic factors, such as LSD1 and MLL3/4, for specific histone signatures to establish the favorable chromatin landscape. In this review, we discuss advances made in understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the thermogenic gene program, particularly epigenetic regulation.
SLC6A14, a Na+/Cl−-coupled amino acid transporter, functions as a tumor promoter in colon and is a target for Wnt signaling
Authors: Sikder Mohd O. F. , Sivaprakasam Sathish , Brown Timothy P. , Thangaraju Muthusamy , Bhutia Yangzom D. , Ganapathy Vadivel
Published: March 2020

SLC6A14 is a Na+/Cl−-coupled transporter for neutral and cationic amino acids. It is expressed at basal levels in the normal colon but is up-regulated in colon cancer. However, the relevance of this up-regulation to cancer progression and the mechanisms involved in the up-regulation remain unknown. Here, we show that SLC6A14 is essential for colon cancer and that its up-regulation involves, at least partly, Wnt signaling. The up-regulation of the transporter is evident in most human colon cancer cell lines and also in a majority of patient-derived xenografts. These findings are supported by publicly available TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database. Treatment of colon cancer cells with α-methyltryptophan (α-MT), a blocker of SLC6A14, induces amino acid deprivation, decreases mTOR activity, increases autophagy, promotes apoptosis, and suppresses cell proliferation and invasion. In xenograft and syngeneic mouse tumor models, silencing of SLC6A14 by shRNA or blocking its function by α-MT reduces tumor growth. Similarly, the deletion of Slc6a14 in mice protects against colon cancer in two different experimental models (inflammation-associated colon cancer and genetically driven colon cancer). In colon cancer cells, expression of the transporter is reduced by Wnt antagonist or by silencing of β-catenin whereas Wnt agonist or overexpression of β-catenin shows the opposite effect. Finally, SLC6A14 as a target for β-catenin is confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. These studies demonstrate that SLC6A14 plays a critical role in the promotion of colon cancer and that its up-regulation in cancer involves Wnt signaling. These findings identify SLC6A14 as a promising drug target for the treatment of colon cancer.
Bufalin down-regulates Axl expression to inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer cells
Authors: Kim Nam-Yi , Suh Young-Ah , Kim Soyoung , Lee ChuHee
Published: March 2020

Axl, a member of the TAM (Tyro3, AXL, Mer) receptor tyrosine kinase family, plays critical roles in cell growth, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. In the present study, we demonstrated that the anti-cancer activity of bufalin, a major bioactive component of the Chinese traditional medicine Chan Su, is mediated by the down-regulation of Axl in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. We observed the inhibitory effect of bufalin on the proliferation of A549 and H460 NSCLC cells and the clonogenicity of these cells was reduced by bufalin treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Next, we found that the protein level of Axl was decreased in proportion to the concentration of bufalin in both A549 and H460 cells. Moreover, the promoter activity of the Axl gene was decreased by bufalin in a dose- and time-dependent manner, indicating that bufalin down-regulates Axl gene expression at the transcriptional level. We further examined if the anti-proliferative property of bufalin is influenced by Axl at the protein level. Axl overexpression attenuated the effect of bufalin in inhibiting cell proliferation and colony formation and inducing apoptosis in H460 cells, while knockdown of Axl gene expression induced the opposite effect. Taken together, our data indicate that the anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effects of bufalin were associated with the protein level of Axl, suggesting that Axl is a potent therapeutic target of bufalin in suppressing proliferation and inducing apoptosis in NSCLC cells.
Role of the renin–angiotensin system in kidney development and programming of adult blood pressure
Authors: Almeida Lucas F. , Tofteng Signe S. , Madsen Kirsten , Jensen Boye L.
Published: March 2020

Adverse events during fetal life such as insufficient protein intake or elevated transfer of glucocorticoid to the fetus may impact cardiovascular and metabolic health later in adult life and are associated with increased incidence of type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and hypertension. Several adverse factors converge and suppress the fetal renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS). The aim of this review is to summarize data on the significance of RAAS for kidney development and adult hypertension. Genetic inactivation of RAAS in rodents at any step from angiotensinogen to angiotensin II (ANGII) type 1 receptor (AT1) receptors or pharmacologic inhibition leads to complex developmental injury to the kidneys that has also been observed in human case reports. Deletion of the ‘protective’ arm of RAAS, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 (ACE-2) and G-protein coupled receptor for Angiotensin 1–7 (Mas) receptor does not reproduce the AT1 phenotype. The changes comprise fewer glomeruli, thinner cortex, dilated tubules, thicker arterioles and arteries, lack of vascular bundles, papillary atrophy, shorter capillary length and volume in cortex and medulla. Altered activity of systemic and local regulators of fetal-perinatal RAAS such as vitamin D and cyclooxygenase (COX)/prostaglandins are associated with similar injuries. ANGII–AT1 interaction drives podocyte and epithelial cell formation of vascular growth factors, notably vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and angiopoietins (Angpts), which support late stages of glomerular and cortical capillary growth and medullary vascular bundle formation and patterning. RAAS-induced injury is associated with lower glomerular filtration rate (GFR), lower renal plasma flow, kidney fibrosis, up-regulation of sodium transporters, impaired sodium excretion and salt-sensitive hypertension. The renal component and salt sensitivity of programmed hypertension may impact dietary counseling and choice of pharmacological intervention to treat hypertension.
A Program Review of Head Start and Elementary School Hearing Screenings
Authors: Hurley Annette , Willis Michelle , Guidry Megan , Bode Dan , Corneille Marissa L. , Mills Sara
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to review quality benchmarks from hearing screening programs conducted at local Head Start centers and preschool and elementary schools associated with our university training programs.

Method

Hearing screening results from 6,043 children were reviewed. Hearing screening was accomplished using either distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) at Head Start centers, pure-tone audiometry at preschool and elementary schools, and tympanometry at all settings. All children who did not pass the initial screening were screened a second time. Referrals were made if a child did not pass the automated DPOAE pass criteria for one ear, failed at least one pure-tone frequency for one ear, or had abnormal tympanometry in one ear.

Results

Refer rates were 10.9% for DPOAEs and 11.4% for pure-tone audiometry and tympanometry, with an overall refer rate of 11%.

Conclusions

Our hearing screening program review yielded refer rates that are similar to other published reports for this population. Presently, there are no published target refer rates for hearing screening programs in preschool and elementary schools. Although we were not able to complete other program quality benchmark indicators including sensitivity and specificity, these data may support benchmarks for other hearing screening programs.
Static corrective control with model matching indicator and its application to payload data managers
Authors: Yang Jung‐Min , Kwak Seong Woo
Published: March 2020

Having no internal states, static corrective controllers are advantageous over dynamic ones in terms of resource usage, albeit requiring stricter existence conditions. This study presents a novel static corrective control strategy that solves the model matching problem of input/state asynchronous sequential machines. Compared with the previous result, the proposed scheme provides a relaxed existence condition by utilising the model matching indicator that specifies the desirable state at hand. It is shown that the proposed static controller can be designed as long as a corresponding dynamic one exists. The improvement of resource usage in controller synthesis is validated by applying the proposed scheme to the payload data manager in the mass memory unit of satellite systems.
Operation of supermarket refrigeration units: a coupled district heating and electric network approach
Authors: Richert Thibaut Pierre , Vissing Jensen Tue , Gehrke Oliver , Bindner Henrik WIlliam
Published: March 2020

Energy system integration between district heating and electrical domains is required for harvesting potential flexibility arising from sector coupling and support the transition to smart energy systems. This work presents a use case for using excess compressor capacity in refrigeration systems to locally couple district heating and electrical distribution networks by providing heat peak‐shaving services to the district heating network. A tool‐chain for explicit modelling of the electrical, thermal, and control domain using co‐simulation is presented. It is based on a quasi‐static electrical load flow model, a dynamic thermal‐hydraulic district heating model and dedicated controller simulators integrated into the co‐simulation information flow. The use case is implemented using the tool‐chain and studied for different peak‐shaving services request levels. The result shows that the proposed tool‐chain is suitable for studying operational aspects of domain‐linking components both at the network and the unit level. It is shown that the refrigeration unit can provide peak‐shaving services while satisfying the primary cooling needs. Providing heat peak‐shaving services allows distributed feed‐in into the district heating network and potential new revenues. However, the refrigeration cycle coefficient of performance decreases as its operation changes from air/air to air/water mode.
Classification of dry age‐related macular degeneration and diabetic macular oedema from optical coherence tomography images using dictionary learning
Authors: Mousavi Elahe , Kafieh Rahele , Rabbani Hossein
Published: March 2020

Age‐related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) are the major causes of vision loss in developed countries. Alteration of retinal layer structure and appearance of exudates are the most significant signs of these diseases. In this paper, with the aim of automatic classification of DME, AMD, and normal subjects using Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images, a dictionary‐learning based classification is proposed. The two important issues intended in this approach are avoiding retinal layer segmentation and attempting to mimic the authors' understanding based on normal and abnormal region identifications, considering that the signs of diseases appear in a small fraction of B‐Scans. The histogram of oriented gradients feature descriptor was utilized to characterize the distribution of local intensity gradients and edge directions. To capture the structure of extracted features, different dictionary learning‐based classifiers are employed. The dataset consists of 45 subjects: 15 patients with AMD, 15 patients with DME, and 15 normal subjects. The proposed classifier leads to an accuracy of 95.13, 100.00, and 100.00% for DME, AMD, and normal OCT images, respectively, only by considering 4% of all B‐Scans of a volume, which outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Discovery of new members of the nearby young stellar association in Cepheus
Authors: Klutsch A. , Frasca A. , Guillout P. , Montes D. , Pineau F.-X. , Grosso N. , Stelzer B.
Published: March 2020

Context. Young field stars are hardly distinguishable from older ones because their space motion rapidly mixes them with the stellar population of the Galactic plane. Nevertheless, a careful target selection allows for young stars to be spotted throughout the sky.

Aims. We aim to identify additional sources associated with the four young comoving stars that we discovered towards the CO Cepheus void and to provide a comprehensive view of the Cepheus association.

Methods. Based on multivariate analysis methods, we have built an extended sample of 193 young star candidates, which are the optical and infrared counterparts of ROSAT All-Sky Survey and XMM-Newton X-ray sources. From optical spectroscopic observations, we measured their radial velocity with the cross-correlation technique. We derived their atmospheric parameters and projected rotational velocity with the code ROTFIT. We applied the subtraction of inactive templates to measure the lithium equivalent width, from which we infer their lithium abundance and age. Finally, we studied their kinematics using the second Gaia data release.

Results. Our sample is mainly composed of young or active stars and multiple systems. We identify two distinct populations of young stars that are spatially and kinematically separated. Those with an age between 100 and 300 Myr are mostly projected towards the Galactic plane. In contrast, 23 of the 37 sources younger than 30 Myr are located in the CO Cepheus void, and 21 of them belong to the stellar kinematic group that we previously reported in this sky area. We report a total of 32 bona fide members and nine candidates for this nearby (distance = 157 ± 10 pc) young (age = 10–20 Myr) stellar association. According to the spatial distribution of its members, the original cluster is already dispersed and partially mixed with the local population of the Galactic plane.
Mapping large-scale diffuse γ-ray emission in the 10−100 TeV band with Cherenkov telescopes
Authors: Neronov A. , Semikoz D.
Published: March 2020

Context. Measurement of diffuse γ-ray emission from the Milky Way with Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) is difficult because of the high level of charged cosmic ray background and the small field of view.

Aims. We show that such a measurement is nevertheless possible in the energy band 10−100 TeV.

Methods. The minimal charged particle background for IACTs is achieved by selecting the events to be used for the analyses of the cosmic ray electrons. Tight cuts on the event quality in these event selections allow us to obtain a sufficiently low background level to allow measurement of the diffuse Galactic γ-ray flux above 10 TeV. We calculated the sensitivities of different types of IACT arrays for the Galactic diffuse emission measurements and compared them with the diffuse γ-ray flux from different parts of the sky measured by the Fermi Large Area Telescope below 3 TeV and with the astrophysical neutrino signal measured by IceCube telescope.

Results. We show that deep exposure of existing IACT systems is sufficient for detection of the diffuse flux from all the Galactic Plane up to Galactic latitude |b| ∼ 5°. The Medium Size Telescope array of the CTA will be able to detect the diffuse flux up 30° Galactic latitude. Its sensitivity will be sufficient for detection of the γ-ray counterpart of the Galactic component of the IceCube astrophysical neutrino signal above 10 TeV. We also propose that a dedicated IACT system composed of small but wide-field-of-view telescopes could be used to map the 10−100 TeV diffuse γ-ray emission from across the whole sky.

Conclusions. Detection and detailed study of diffuse Galactic γ-ray emission in the previously unexplored 10−100 TeV energy range is possible with the IACT technique. This is important for identification of the Galactic component of the astrophysical neutrino signal and for understanding the propagation of cosmic rays in the interstellar medium.
Le territoire : élément clé de la réussite du label « Bar de ligne de la Pointe de Bretagne »
Authors: Drouot Bruno , Le Corroller Cécile
Published: March 2020

L’évolution des ressources halieutiques est liée à la manière dont sont gérées les entreprises de pêche. L’association des « Ligneurs de la Pointe de Bretagne » développe une innovation de gestion qui s’avère efficace pour lutter contre la diminution du stock de bar commun. L’étude du cas de cette association montre qu’en utilisant un label pour valoriser leur production, les adhérents tissent et renforcent, entre eux et avec le territoire, des liens interactifs qui constituent un facteur de réussite essentiel en matière de développement durable. L’économie de la proximité s’avère être un cadre analytique approprié. L’article approfondit les facettes géographique, professionnelle et identitaire de cette proximité. En questionnant la logique individualiste habituellement admise, le label associatif permet de mettre en exergue l’innovation sociale et l’innovation territoriale comme des moyens de générer des résultats économiques.
Zugang erleichtern
Authors: Tasser Isabella , Schneiderwind Randolf
Published: March 2020

Immer mehr Kliniken müssen auf ausländische Pflegekräfte zurückgreifen, um ihren Personalbedarf zu decken. Deshalb wäre es wichtig, die Zuwanderungsverfahren der deutschen Behörden zu beschleunigen.
Am Ende profitiert der Patient
Authors: Kurmann Jörg
Published: March 2020

In Kliniken ist die interprofessionelle Kooperation oft schwierig. Aus diesem Grund hat das Johanna Etienne Krankenhaus ein Programm für Assistenzärzte und Pflegende aufgelegt, das die Berufsgruppen zusammenrücken lässt.
Früh übt sich …
Authors: Lukuc Sarah
Published: March 2020

Junge Pflegende sind oft unsicher, ob sie für eine Führungsaufgabe geeignet sind. Mit dem Nachwuchsführungsprogramm im Bundesverband Pflegemanagement haben sie jetzt die Möglichkeit, „reinzuschnuppern“.
A novel method of biopsy for indeterminate pancreaticobiliary strictures: tube-assisted biopsy
Authors: Ko Sung Woo , Lee Sang Soo , So Hoonsub , Hwang Jun Seong , Song Tae Jun , Lee Sung Koo , Kim Myung-Hwan
Published: March 2020

Background Single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) provides an accurate diagnosis of indeterminate pancreaticobiliary strictures. However, the procedure is expensive and can be performed using only limited accessories. Therefore, we devised a novel tube-assisted biopsy (TAB) technique and evaluated its feasibility, diagnostic yield, and safety for indeterminate pancreaticobiliary strictures.

Methods The medical records of patients with indeterminate pancreaticobiliary strictures who underwent TAB between September 2018 and July 2019 were reviewed. We assessed the technical success rate, adverse event rate, sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of TAB in differentiating malignant from benign lesions.

Results TABs were performed in 16 patients: 12 had biliary strictures; four had pancreatic strictures. The technical success rate was 93.7 % (15/16), and the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy of TAB were 87.5 %, 100 %, and 93.7 %, respectively. No serious adverse events occurred either during or after the procedure in any of the patients.

Conclusions TAB has an acceptable accuracy for the diagnosis of indeterminate pancreaticobiliary strictures and may represent a useful diagnostic method in patients where SOC cannot be implemented.