bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cross Sections and Rate Coefficients for Rovibrational Excitation of HeH+ Isotopologues by Electron Impact
Authors: Ayouz Mehdi , Kokoouline Viatcheslav
Published: July 2019

Cross sections and thermal rate coefficients for rotational and vibration excitation of the four stable isotopologues of the 4 HeH + ion by electron impact are presented. The data are calculated using a previously developed theoretical approach. The obtained rate coefficients are fitted to analytical formulas with the 10–10,000 K interval of applicability. These present results could be useful in tokamak plasma and astrophysical modeling and can help in the detection of these species in the interstellar medium.
6-Thioguanine and Its Analogs Promote Apoptosis of Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells in a BRCA2-Dependent Manner
Authors: Laera Luna , Guaragnella Nicoletta , Giannattasio Sergio , Moro Loredana
Published: July 2019

Background: Mutations in the oncosuppressor gene BReast CAncer susceptibility gene 2 (BRCA2) predispose to aggressive forms of prostate cancer which show poor response to taxane-based therapy, the standard treatment for castration-resistant, aggressive prostate cancer. Herein, we addressed the question whether changes in BRCA2 expression, a potential surrogate marker for BRCA2 activity, may affect the response of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells to 6-thioguanine (6-TG), a thiopurine used in the treatment of haematological malignancies. Methods: Yeast, normal prostate cells and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells were treated with 6-TG or its analogues, in presence or absence of paclitaxel, or with olaparib, a poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor currently in clinical trials for treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, and cell proliferation, apoptosis and androgen receptor (AR) levels were measured. Results: 6-TG inhibited cell proliferation in yeast, normal and castration-resistant prostate cancer cells but promoted apoptosis only in cancer cells. Suppression of BRCA2 expression by siRNA or shRNA increased the sensitivity to 6-TG- and olaparib-induced apoptosis but did not affect cancer cell response to taxane. Intriguingly, 6-TG reduced AR expression levels independently on BRCA2 expression. Instead, olaparib decreased AR levels only in BRCA2-knockdown prostate cancer cells. Notably, overexpression of BRCA2 resulted in resistance of castration-resistant prostate cancer cells to 6-TG-, taxane- and olaparib-based treatment but promoted sensitivity to apoptosis induced by 2-amino-6-bromopurine and 2,6–dithiopurine, two 6-TG analogues. Conclusions: Our results provide a pre-clinical rationale for the use of 6-TG in the treatment of BRCA2-deficient castration-resistant prostate cancers, and of certain 6-TG analogues for treatment of BRCA2-proficient prostate cancers.
PI3K-AKT-mTOR and NFκB Pathways in Ovarian Cancer: Implications for Targeted Therapeutics
Authors: Ghoneum Alia , Said Neveen
Published: July 2019

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic malignancy in the United States, with an estimated 22,530 new cases and 13,980 deaths in 2019. Recent studies have indicated that the phosphoinositol 3 kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), as well as the nuclear factor-κ light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NFκB) pathways are highly mutated and/or hyper-activated in a majority of ovarian cancer patients, and are associated with advanced grade and stage disease and poor prognosis. In this review, we will investigate PI3K/AKT/mTOR and their interconnection with NFκB pathway in ovarian cancer cells.
The Effect of Zirconium Doping on Solution-Processed Indium Oxide Thin Films Measured by a Novel Nondestructive Testing Method (Microwave Photoconductivity Decay)
Authors: Zhang Jingying , Fu Xiao , Zhou Shangxiong , Ning Honglong , Wang Yiping , Guo Dong , Cai Wei , Liang Zhihao , Yao Rihui , Peng Junbiao
Published: July 2019

Solution-processed indium oxide is an ideal transparent semiconductor material with wide band gap. Zirconium is an element characterized by a strong binding ability to oxygen which can inhibit the formation of oxygen vacancies and reduce the surface defect state. In this paper, zirconium doped indium oxide (InxZryO) thin films were prepared by the solution method, with indium oxide being doped with zirconium in order to tune the relative number of oxygen vacancies. The influence of the Zr doping concentration and the post-annealed temperature on the properties of the InxZryO thin films was investigated. The results show that the doping process improves the crystallinity and relative density of the obtained films. A novel nondestructive method named microwave photoconductivity decay (μ-PCD) was used to evaluate the quality of InxZryO thin films by simply measuring their response under laser irradiation. The relative number of oxygen vacancies and the minority carrier concentration achieved minimum values at 10 at.% Zr doping concentration. Furthermore, InxZryO thin films with optimal properties from an electrical point of view were obtained at 10 at.% Zr doping concentration, annealed at 400 °C. Characterized by an average transmittance above 90% in the visible range, the obtained InxZryO thin films can be used as active layer materials in the fabrication of high-performance thin film transistor (TFT) devices.
Acid Modification of the Unsupported NiMo Catalysts by Y-Zeolite Nanoclusters
Authors: Dong Chengwu , Yin Changlong , Wu Tongtong , Wu Zhuyan , Liu Dong , Liu Chenguang
Published: July 2019

Unsupported NiMo catalyst has high hydrogenation activity due to its high active site distribution. However, low specific surface area and pore distribution greatly limit the efficient utilization of the active components. The Y-zeolite nanoclusters were hydrothermally synthesized and introduced into the unsupported NiMo catalysts from a layered nickel molybdate complex oxide. The XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, FT-IR, Py-IR, SEM, NH3-TPD, and TEM were used to characterize all catalysts. The dibenzothiophene (DBT) hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reaction was performed in a continuous high pressure microreactor. The results showed that the specific surface area, pore volume, and average pore size of the unsupported NiMo catalysts were greatly increased by the Y-zeolite nanoclusters, and a more dispersed structure was produced. Furthermore, the Lewis acid and total acid content of the unsupported NiMo catalysts were greatly improved by the Y-zeolite nanoclusters. The HDS results showed that the unsupported NiMo catalysts modified by the nanoclusters had the same high desulfurization efficiency as the unmodified catalyst, but had more proportion of direct desulfurization (DDS) products. The results offer an alternative to reducing hydrogen consumption and save cost in the production of ultra clean diesel.
Niobium Base Superalloys: Achievement of a Coherent Ordered Precipitate Structure in the Nb Solid-Solution
Authors: Saint-Antonin François , Lefebvre Williams , Blum Ivan
Published: July 2019

In a previous work, the chemical elements necessary for the achievement of Niobium base superalloys were defined in order to get a structure equivalent to that of Nickel base superalloys, which contain ordered precipitates within a disordered solid-solution. It was especially emphasized that precipitation hardening in the Niobium matrix would be possible with the addition of Ni. The remaining question about the design of such Niobium superalloys concerned the achievement of ordered precipitates in crystalline coherence with the Nb matrix i.e., with a crystalline structure equivalent to the Nb crystal prototype and with a lattice parameter in coherency with that of the Nb matrix. In order to reduce the trial/error experimental work, a reasoning based on various data for the achievement of coherency is presented. Then, starting from the Nb-Hf-Ni ternary alloy thus defined, this paper demonstrates that the precipitation of an ordered Nb phase within a disordered Nb matrix can be achieved with lattice parameter coherency between the ordered precipitates and the disordered matrix. The chemistry and the crystallographic structure of the precipitates were characterized using Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atom Probe Tomography. These results can help to conceive a new family of Nb base superalloys.
Estimating Topic Modeling Performance with Sharma–Mittal Entropy
Authors: Koltcov Sergei , Ignatenko Vera , Koltsova Olessia
Published: July 2019

Topic modeling is a popular approach for clustering text documents. However, current tools have a number of unsolved problems such as instability and a lack of criteria for selecting the values of model parameters. In this work, we propose a method to solve partially the problems of optimizing model parameters, simultaneously accounting for semantic stability. Our method is inspired by the concepts from statistical physics and is based on Sharma–Mittal entropy. We test our approach on two models: probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (pLSA) and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) with Gibbs sampling, and on two datasets in different languages. We compare our approach against a number of standard metrics, each of which is able to account for just one of the parameters of our interest. We demonstrate that Sharma–Mittal entropy is a convenient tool for selecting both the number of topics and the values of hyper-parameters, simultaneously controlling for semantic stability, which none of the existing metrics can do. Furthermore, we show that concepts from statistical physics can be used to contribute to theory construction for machine learning, a rapidly-developing sphere that currently lacks a consistent theoretical ground.
The Role and Efficacy of Creative Imagination in Concept Formation: A Study of Variables for Children in Primary School
Authors: Gonzalez Garcia Javier , Mukhopadhyay Tirtha Prasad
Published: July 2019

Children’s creative imagination is tested through tasks involving narrative and drawing abilities for participants between the age of 8 and 12 years. The test determines the relative importance of ‘narrative’ against ‘graphic’ imagination in interpretive, problem-solving strategies, and also considers how such distinctive functions of the creative imagination could affect ‘general’ creativity of the child learner. Participants were chosen from designated primary schools in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. The test on creativity complements facts from observational methodology in a population of mixed Castilian-speaking children. The name of the test is Prueba de Imaginación Creativa Niños (2008) or ‘Test of Creative Imagination in Children’, the Castilian acronym being PIC-N. It comprised four sub-tests: Three designed to evaluate narrative (verbal) creativity, and one for drawing (i.e., graphic) creativity. The first three ‘exercises’ in the suite indicates (a) fluency, (b) flexibility, and (c) originality in narrative representations, whereas the fourth indexes (d) graphic abilities of the child learner. Results suggest that creative imagination causes variations in specific aspects of creativity, like narrative and graphic improvisation, and also modifies ‘general’ creativity as understood from the perspective of a developmental psychology of learning abilities in growing children within the defined age group.
Special Issue on Selected Papers from IEEE ICKII 2018
Authors: Meen Teen-Hang , Zhao Wenbing
Published: July 2019

Electronic Engineering and Design Innovations are both academic and practical engineering fields that involve systematic technological materialization through scientific principles and engineering designs [...]
Effects of Tree Shape on the Microclimate and Fruit Quality Parameters of Camellia oleifera Abel
Authors: Wen Yue , Zhang Yunqi , Su Shuchai , Yang Shaoyan , Ma Lvyi , Zhang Lingyun , Wang Xiangnan
Published: July 2019

Tree shape can affect microclimate, which may directly influence fruit growth and development. Open center and round head are two tree canopy shapes that are generally used in Camellia oleifera Abel. cultivation. To study the effects of the two canopy shapes on the microclimate and fruit quality parameters inside the canopy and investigate the correlations between microclimate and oil yield characteristics, microclimates in different developmental periods and fruit quality parameters at maturity at different positions in the two canopy shapes were determined. In this study, the open-center shape increased the light intensity and temperature, and reduced the relative humidity within the canopy, and the microclimate was more uniformly distributed within the open-center canopy. Fruit quality parameters of open-center canopied trees were also significantly increased and had more uniform distributions, especially the oil yield parameters. The content ratio of the dry seed, oil content ratio of the fresh fruit, and oil yield increased by 43.55%, 59.30% and 79.01%, in the lower layer, respectively, and 27.33%, 41.75%, and 55.43%, in the inner canopy, respectively, compared to those of round-head canopied trees. For both canopy shapes, oil yield parameters had positive correlations with light intensity and temperature, but negative correlations with relative humidity, and the correlation coefficients between light intensity and temperature at different developmental stages and oil yield parameters in round-head canopies were greater than in the open-center canopies. Additionally, regression equations between the single microclimatic factor in different developmental periods and oil yield parameters could be used to estimate the latter in the two canopy shapes. The optimum light conditions for open-center and round-head canopy shapes were 916–1893 and 1108–1259 μmol·m2·s−1, respectively. Overall, the open-center canopy had a more desirable microclimate and a more uniform microclimate distribution, especially the light intensity, which contributes to high uniform fruit quality parameters. Thus, an open-center canopy is the desirable shape in C. oleifera production.
Rapid Solid-Liquid Dynamic Extraction (RSLDE): A Powerful and Greener Alternative to the Latest Solid-Liquid Extraction Techniques
Authors: Naviglio Daniele , Scarano Pierpaolo , Ciaravolo Martina , Gallo Monica
Published: July 2019

Traditionally, solid-liquid extractions are performed using organic and/or inorganic liquids and their mixtures as extractant solvents in contact with an insoluble solid matrix (e.g., the Soxhlet method) or using sequential atmospheric pressure systems that require long procedures, such as maceration or percolation. The objective of this procedure is the extraction of any compounds that can be carried out from the inner solid material to the outlet, resulting in a solution containing colorants, bioactive compounds, odorous substances, etc. Over the years, in the extraction techniques sector, there have been many important changes from the points of view of production, quality, and human and environmental safety due to improvements in technology. In more recent times, the interest of the scientific community has been aimed at the study of sustainable processes for the valorization of extracts from vegetables and food by-products, through the use of non-conventional (innovative) technologies that represent a valid alternative to conventional methods, generally through saving time and energy and the formation of fewer by-products. Therefore, with the development of principles based on the prevention of pollution, on a lower risk for human health, and on a low environmental impact, new systems have been implemented to reduce extraction times and solvent consumption, to improve efficiency, and to increase the productivity of the extracts. From this point of view, rapid solid-liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE), performed using the Naviglio extractor, compared to traditional applications, is a technique that is able to reduce extraction times, generally leads to higher yields, does not require heating of the system, allows one to extract the active ingredients, and avoids their degradation. This technique is based on a new solid-liquid extraction principle named Naviglio’s principle. In this review, after reviewing the latest extraction techniques, an overview of RSLDE applications in various research and production sectors over the past two decades is provided.
Gender Differences in the Association between Frailty, Cognitive Impairment, and Self-Care Behaviors Among Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Son Youn-Jung , Lee Kyounghoon , Kim Bo-Hwan
Published: July 2019

Atrial fibrillation (AF), common in older adults, increases the risk of heart failure, stroke, and all-cause mortality. Self-care behaviors help avoid adverse events in older patients with AF. However, while frailty and cognitive impairment can contribute to poor self-care behaviors, few studies have explored these relationships in older adults with AF. This cross-sectional study aims to determine associations between frailty, cognitive impairment, and self-care behaviors among older adults with AF by gender. A total of 298 patients with AF aged 60 and over were assessed with a self-reported questionnaire consisting of the Korean version of the FRAIL scale, modified mini-mental state examination, and self-care scale for AF. Prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in men and women was around 11% and 48.4% and 28% and 47.4%, respectively. According to the hierarchical linear regression analysis, in men, prefrailty (β = −2.874, p = 0.013) and frailty (β = −7.698, p < 0.001) were associated with self-care behaviors; in women, frailty (β = −5.476, p = 0.003), and cognitive impairment (β = −3.350, p = 0.044) were associated with self-care behaviors. Developing individualized care plans will require periodic screening of older patients with AF to determine their frailty status and cognitive function.
Is Transient and Persistent Poverty Harmful to Multimorbidity?: Model Testing Algorithms
Authors: Seo Sukyong , Kwon Young Dae , Yoo Ki-Bong , Lee Yejin , Noh Jin-Won
Published: July 2019

Multimorbidity, the coexistence of two or more long-term medical conditions in one person, has been known to disproportionally affect the low-income population. Little is known about whether long-term income is more crucial for multimorbidity than income measured in one time point; whether persistent poverty is more harmful than transient one; how changes in wealth affect multimorbidity. This is a longitudinal study on a population representative dataset, the Korean Health Panel (KHP) survey (2010–2015). A multivariate analysis was conducted using logistic regressions. A variety of income and wealth variables was investigated. Low-income Koreans (lowest 20%) were more likely to have multiple disorders; average income was more significantly associated with multimorbidity than the yearly income measured for the same year; persistent episodes of poverty had a greater hazard than transient ones; and income changes appeared to be statistically insignificant. We found that long-term income and persistent poverty are important factors of multimorbidity. These findings support the importance of policies reducing the risk of persistent poverty. Policies to promote public investment in education and create jobs may be appropriate to address multimorbidity.
Effects of Smart City Policies on Green Total Factor Productivity: Evidence from a Quasi-Natural Experiment in China
Authors: Xin Baogui , Qu Yongmei
Published: July 2019

When cities develop rapidly, there are negative effects such as population expansion, traffic congestion, resource shortages, and pollution. It has become essential to explore new types of urban development patterns, and thus, the concept of the “smart city” has emerged. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between smart city policies and urban green total factor productivity (GTFP) in the context of China. Based on panel data of 200 cities in China from 2007–2016 and treating smart city policy as a quasi-natural experiment, the paper uses a difference-in-differences propensity score matching (PSM-DID) approach to prevent selection bias. The results show: (a) Smart city policies can significantly increase urban GTFP by 16% to 18%; (b) the larger the city, the stronger and more significant this promotion.
Expansion and Functional Diversification of SKP1-Like Genes in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: HajSalah El Beji Imen , Mouzeyar Said , Bouzidi Mohammed-Fouad , Roche Jane
Published: July 2019

The ubiquitin proteasome 26S system (UPS), involving monomeric and multimeric E3 ligases is one of the most important signaling pathways in many organisms, including plants. The SCF (SKP1/Cullin/F-box) multimeric complex is particularly involved in response to development and stress signaling. The SKP1 protein (S-phase kinase-associated protein 1) is the core subunit of this complex. In this work, we firstly identified 92 and 87 non-redundant Triticum aestivum SKP1-like (TaSKP) genes that were retrieved from the latest release of the wheat genome database (International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC) RefSeq v1.0) and the genome annotation of the TGAC v1 respectively. We then investigated the structure, phylogeny, duplication events and expression patterns of the SKP1-like gene family in various tissues and environmental conditions using a wheat expression platform containing public data. TaSKP1-like genes were expressed differentially in response to stress conditions, displaying large genomic variations or short insertions/deletions which suggests functional specialization within TaSKP1-like genes. Finally, interactions between selected wheat FBX (F-box) proteins and putative ancestral TaSKP1-like proteins were tested using the yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) system to examine the molecular interactions. These observations suggested that six Ta-SKP1 genes are likely to be ancestral genes, having similar functions as ASK1 and ASK2 in Arabidopsis, OSK1 and OSK20 in rice and PpSKP1 and PpSKP2 in Physcomitrella patens.
Deletion of OGG1 Results in a Differential Signature of Oxidized Purine Base Damage in mtDNA Regions
Authors: Chimienti Guglielmina , Pesce Vito , Fracasso Flavio , Russo Francesco , de Souza-Pinto Nadja Cristhina , Bohr Vilhelm A. , Lezza Angela Maria Serena
Published: July 2019

Mitochondrial oxidative stress accumulates with aging and age-related diseases and induces alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content. Since mtDNA qualitative alterations are also associated with aging, repair of mtDNA damage is of great importance. The most relevant form of DNA repair in this context is base excision repair (BER), which removes oxidized bases such as 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) and thymine glycol through the action of the mitochondrial isoform of the specific 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase/apurinic or apyrimidinic (AP) lyase (OGG1) or the endonuclease III homolog (NTH1). Mouse strains lacking OGG1 (OGG1−/−) or NTH1 (NTH1−/−) were analyzed for mtDNA alterations. Interestingly, both knockout strains presented a significant increase in mtDNA content, suggestive of a compensatory mtDNA replication. The mtDNA “common deletion” was not detected in either knockout mouse strain, likely because of the young age of the mice. Formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-sensitive sites accumulated in mtDNA from OGG1−/− but not from NTH1−/− mice. Interestingly, the D-loop region was most severely affected by the absence of OGG1, suggesting that this region may be a hotspot for oxidative damage. Thus, we speculate that mtDNA alterations may send a stress message to evoke cell changes through a retrograde mitochondrial–nucleus communication.
Comprehensive Transcriptome Reveals an Opposite Regulatory Effect of Plant Growth Retardants in Controlling Seedling Overgrowth between Roots and Shoots
Authors: Ji Yanhai , Chen Guanxing , Zheng Xuyang , Zhong Qiwen , Zhang Mingyun , Wu Zhanhui , Wen Changlong , Liu Mingchi
Published: July 2019

Seedling overgrowth always develops in undernourished plants due to biotic or abiotic stresses, which significantly decrease the yield of crops and vegetables. It is known that the plant growth retardants paclobutrazol (PBZ) and chlormequat chloride (CCC) are the most commonly used chemicals in controlling seedling height in plants by regulating the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway. However, the exact molecular regulation mechanism remains largely unknown. This study performed a comprehensive transcriptome profile to identify significantly differentially expressed genes after adding CCC and PBZ to the water culture seedling raising system for the first time. According to the obviously restrained shoots and roots, the GA biosynthesis genes were significantly decreased, as well as the endogenous GA content being reduced. Intriguingly, the GA signaling pathway genes were affected in opposite ways, increasing in roots but decreasing in shoots, especially regarding the phytochrome interacting factor SlPIF1 and the downstream genes expansins (SlEXPs), which promote cell wall remodeling. Further study found that the most down-regulated genes SlEXPA5 and SlEXPA15 were expressed specifically in shoot tissue, performing the function of repressing elongation, while the up-regulated genes SlEXPB2 and SlEXPB8 were proven to be root-specific expressed genes, which may promote horizontal elongation in roots. This research reported the comprehensive transcriptome profiling of plant growth retardants in controlling seedling overgrowth and restraining GA biosynthesis through the regulation of the GA signaling-related genes SlPIF1 and SlEXPs, with an opposite expression pattern between roots and shoots.
Material Characterization of Magnetorheological Elastomers with Corroded Carbonyl Iron Particles: Morphological Images and Field-dependent Viscoelastic Properties
Authors: Aziz Siti Aishah Binti Abdul , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Nordin Nur Azmah , Abd Rahman Nor Azlin Nazira , Ubaidillah U , Choi Seung-Bok , Mohamad Norzilawati
Published: July 2019

High temperatures and humidity could alter the field-dependent rheological properties of MR materials. These environmental phenomena may accelerate the deterioration processes that will affect the long-term rheological reliability of MR materials such as MR elastomer (MRE). This study therefore attempts to investigate the field-dependent rheological characteristics of MRE with corroded carbonyl iron particles (CIPs). The corroded CIPs were treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl) as a way of providing realistic environments in gauging the CIPs reaction towards the ambient conditions. The corroded CIPs along with silicone rubber as a matrix material were used in the fabrication of the MRE samples. To observe the effect of HCl treatment on the CIPs, the morphological observations of MREs with non-corroded and corroded CIPs were investigated via field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffractometer (XRD). In addition, the magnetic properties were examined through the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), while the field-dependent rheological characteristics such as the storage modulus of MRE with the corroded CIPs were also tested and compared with the non-corroded CIPs. The results showed that the corroded CIPs possessed hydrangea-like structures. In the meantime, it was identified that a sudden reduction of up to 114% of the field-dependent MR effect of MRE with the corroded CIPs was observed as a result of the weakened interfacial bonding between the CIPs and the silicon in the outer layers of the CIPs structure.
Alu RNA Modulates the Expression of Cell Cycle Genes in Human Fibroblasts
Authors: Cantarella Simona , Carnevali Davide , Morselli Marco , Conti Anastasia , Pellegrini Matteo , Montanini Barbara , Dieci Giorgio
Published: July 2019

Alu retroelements, whose retrotransposition requires prior transcription by RNA polymerase III to generate Alu RNAs, represent the most numerous non-coding RNA (ncRNA) gene family in the human genome. Alu transcription is generally kept to extremely low levels by tight epigenetic silencing, but it has been reported to increase under different types of cell perturbation, such as viral infection and cancer. Alu RNAs, being able to act as gene expression modulators, may be directly involved in the mechanisms determining cellular behavior in such perturbed states. To directly address the regulatory potential of Alu RNAs, we generated IMR90 fibroblasts and HeLa cell lines stably overexpressing two slightly different Alu RNAs, and analyzed genome-wide the expression changes of protein-coding genes through RNA-sequencing. Among the genes that were upregulated or downregulated in response to Alu overexpression in IMR90, but not in HeLa cells, we found a highly significant enrichment of pathways involved in cell cycle progression and mitotic entry. Accordingly, Alu overexpression was found to promote transition from G1 to S phase, as revealed by flow cytometry. Therefore, increased Alu RNA may contribute to sustained cell proliferation, which is an important factor of cancer development and progression.
Phenformin as an Anticancer Agent: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: García Rubiño Mª Eugenia , Carrillo Esmeralda , Ruiz Alcalá Gloria , Domínguez-Martín Alicia , A. Marchal Juan , Boulaiz Houria
Published: July 2019

Currently, there is increasing evidence linking diabetes mellitus (especially type 2 diabetes mellitus) with carcinogenesis through various biological processes, such as fat-induced chronic inflammation, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and angiogenesis. Chemotherapeutic agents are used in the treatment of cancer, but in most cases, patients develop resistance. Phenformin, an oral biguanide drug used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, was removed from the market due to a high risk of fatal lactic acidosis. However, it has been shown that phenformin is, with other biguanides, an authentic tumor disruptor, not only by the production of hypoglycemia due to caloric restriction through AMP-activated protein kinase with energy detection (AMPK) but also as a blocker of the mTOR regulatory complex. Moreover, the addition of phenformin eliminates resistance to antiangiogenic tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), which prevent the uncontrolled metabolism of glucose in tumor cells. In this review, we evidence the great potential of phenformin as an anticancer agent. We thoroughly review its mechanism of action and clinical trial assays, specially focusing on current challenges and future perspectives of this promising drug.
Assisting Forensic Identification through Unsupervised Information Extraction of Free Text Autopsy Reports: The Disappearances Cases during the Brazilian Military Dictatorship
Authors: Martin-Rodilla Patricia , Hattori Marcia L. , Gonzalez-Perez Cesar
Published: July 2019

Anthropological, archaeological, and forensic studies situate enforced disappearance as a strategy associated with the Brazilian military dictatorship (1964–1985), leaving hundreds of persons without identity or cause of death identified. Their forensic reports are the only existing clue for people identification and detection of possible crimes associated with them. The exchange of information among institutions about the identities of disappeared people was not a common practice. Thus, their analysis requires unsupervised techniques, mainly due to the fact that their contextual annotation is extremely time-consuming, difficult to obtain, and with high dependence on the annotator. The use of these techniques allows researchers to assist in the identification and analysis in four areas: Common causes of death, relevant body locations, personal belongings terminology, and correlations between actors such as doctors and police officers involved in the disappearances. This paper analyzes almost 3000 textual reports of missing persons in São Paulo city during the Brazilian dictatorship through unsupervised algorithms of information extraction in Portuguese, identifying named entities and relevant terminology associated with these four criteria. The analysis allowed us to observe terminological patterns relevant for people identification (e.g., presence of rings or similar personal belongings) and automate the study of correlations between actors. The proposed system acts as a first classificatory and indexing middleware of the reports and represents a feasible system that can assist researchers working in pattern search among autopsy reports.
Incidence and Impact of Acute Kidney Injury in Patients Receiving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Thongprayoon Charat , Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Lertjitbanjong Ploypin , Aeddula Narothama Reddy , Bathini Tarun , Watthanasuntorn Kanramon , Srivali Narat , Mao Michael A. , Kashani Kianoush
Published: July 2019

Background: Although acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in patients receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), the incidence and impact of AKI on mortality among patients on ECMO remain unclear. We conducted this systematic review to summarize the incidence and impact of AKI on mortality risk among adult patients on ECMO. Methods: A literature search was performed using EMBASE, Ovid MEDLINE, and Cochrane Databases from inception until March 2019 to identify studies assessing the incidence of AKI (using a standard AKI definition), severe AKI requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT), and the impact of AKI among adult patients on ECMO. Effect estimates from the individual studies were obtained and combined utilizing random-effects, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian-Laird. The protocol for this systematic review is registered with PROSPERO (no. CRD42018103527). Results: 41 cohort studies with a total of 10,282 adult patients receiving ECMO were enrolled. Overall, the pooled estimated incidence of AKI and severe AKI requiring RRT were 62.8% (95%CI: 52.1%–72.4%) and 44.9% (95%CI: 40.8%–49.0%), respectively. Meta-regression showed that the year of study did not significantly affect the incidence of AKI (p = 0.67) or AKI requiring RRT (p = 0.83). The pooled odds ratio (OR) of hospital mortality among patients receiving ECMO with AKI on RRT was 3.73 (95% CI, 2.87–4.85). When the analysis was limited to studies with confounder-adjusted analysis, increased hospital mortality remained significant among patients receiving ECMO with AKI requiring RRT with pooled OR of 3.32 (95% CI, 2.21–4.99). There was no publication bias as evaluated by the funnel plot and Egger’s regression asymmetry test with p = 0.62 and p = 0.17 for the incidence of AKI and severe AKI requiring RRT, respectively. Conclusion: Among patients receiving ECMO, the incidence rates of AKI and severe AKI requiring RRT are high, which has not changed over time. Patients who develop AKI requiring RRT while on ECMO carry 3.7-fold higher hospital mortality.
Magnetic Particles for Advanced Molecular Diagnosis
Authors: Chircov Cristina , Grumezescu Alexandru Mihai , Holban Alina Maria
Published: July 2019

Molecular diagnosis is the field that aims to develop nucleic-acid-based analytical methods for biological markers and gene expression assessments by combining laboratory medicine and molecular genetics. As it gradually becomes a clinical reality, molecular diagnosis could benefit from improvements resulting from thorough studies that could enhance the accuracy of these methods. The application of magnetic particles in molecular diagnosis tools has led to tremendous breakthroughs in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and discrimination in bioassays. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight the principles involved in the implementation of magnetic particles for sample preparation and targeted analyte isolation, purification, and extraction. Furthermore, the most recent advancements in the area of cancer and infectious disease diagnosis are presented, with an emphasis on screening and early stage detection.
Variation in Compressive Strength of Concrete aross Thickness of Placed Layer
Authors: Michałek Jarosław
Published: July 2019

Is the variation in the compressive strength of concrete across the thickness of horizontally cast elements negligibly small or rather needs to be taken into account at the design stage? There are conflicting answers to this question. In order to determine if the compressive strength of concrete varies across the thickness of horizontally cast elements, ultrasonic tests and destructive tests were carried out on core samples taken from a 350 mm thick slab made of class C25/30 concrete. Special point-contact probes were used to measure the time taken for the longitudinal ultrasonic wave to pass through the tested sample. The correlation between the velocity of the longitudinal ultrasonic wave and the compressive strength of the concrete in the slab was determined. The structure of the concrete across the thickness of the slab was evaluated using GIMP 2.10.4. It was found that the destructively determined compressive strength varied only slightly (by 3%) across the thickness of the placed layer of concrete. Whereas the averaged ultrasonically determined strength of the concrete in the same samples does not vary across the thickness of the analyzed slab. Therefore, it was concluded that the slight increase in concrete compressive strength with depth below the top surface is a natural thing and need not be taken into account in the assessment of the strength of concrete in the structure.
Robust Synchronization of Fractional-Order Uncertain Chaotic Systems Based on Output Feedback Sliding Mode Control
Authors: Song Chao , Fei Shumin , Cao Jinde , Huang Chuangxia
Published: July 2019

This paper mainly focuses on the robust synchronization issue for drive-response fractional-order chaotic systems (FOCS) when they have unknown parameters and external disturbances. In order to achieve the goal, the sliding mode control scheme only using output information is designed, and at the same time, the structures of a sliding mode surface and a sliding mode controller are also constructed. A sufficient criterion is presented to ensure the robust synchronization of FOCS according to the stability theory of the fractional calculus and sliding mode control technique. In addition, the result can be applied to identical or non-identical chaotic systems with fractional-order. In the end, we build two practical examples to illustrate the feasibility of our theoretical results.
Amidoximes and Oximes: Synthesis, Structure, and Their Key Role as NO Donors
Authors: Sahyoun Tanya , Arrault Axelle , Schneider Raphaël
Published: July 2019

Nitric oxide (NO) is naturally synthesized in the human body and presents many beneficial biological effects; in particular on the cardiovascular system. Recently; many researchers tried to develop external sources to increase the NO level in the body; for example by using amidoximes and oximes which can be oxidized in vivo and release NO. In this review; the classical methods and most recent advances for the synthesis of both amidoximes and oximes are presented first. The isomers of amidoximes and oximes and their stabilities will also be described; (Z)-amidoximes and (Z)-oximes being usually the most energetically favorable isomers. This manuscript details also the biomimetic and biological pathways involved in the oxidation of amidoximes and oximes. The key role played by cytochrome P450 or other dihydronicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent reductase pathways is demonstrated. Finally, amidoximes and oximes exhibit important effects on the relaxation of both aortic and tracheal rings alongside with other effects as the decrease of the arterial pressure and of the thrombi formation
Polymerization Assisted by Upconversion Nanoparticles under NIR Light
Authors: Demina Polina , Arkharova Natalya , Asharchuk Ilya , Khaydukov Kirill , Karimov Denis , Rocheva Vasilina , Nechaev Andrey , Grigoriev Yuriy , Generalova Alla , Khaydukov Evgeny
Published: July 2019

Photopolymerization of nanocomposite materials using near infrared light is one of the unique technologies based on the luminescent properties of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). We explored the UCNP-triggered radical polymerization both in oligomer bulk and on the nanoparticle surface in aqueous dispersion. Core/shell UCNPs NaYF4:Yb3+ and Tm3+/NaYF4 with emitting lines in the ultraviolet and blue regions were used to activate a photoinitiator. The study of the bulk photopolymerization in an initially homogeneous reaction mixture showed the UCNP redistribution due to gradient density occurring in the volume, which led to formation of UCNP superlattices and spheres “frozen” in a polymer matrix. We also developed a strategy of “grafting from” the surface, providing polymer shell growth directly on the nanoparticles. The photosensitization of the endogenous water-soluble photoinitiator riboflavin by the resonance energy transfer from UCNPs was demonstrated in the course of monomer glycidyl methacrylate polymerization followed by photocrosslinking with poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate on the nanoparticle surface.
A Review of Various Antioxidant Compounds and their Potential Utility as Complementary Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Miller Elzbieta Dorota , Dziedzic Angela , Saluk-Bijak Joanna , Bijak Michal
Published: July 2019

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex disease of the central nervous system (CNS). The etiology of this multifactorial disease has not been clearly defined. Conventional medical treatment of MS has progressed, but is still based on symptomatic treatment. One of the key factors in the pathogenesis of MS is oxidative stress, enhancing inflammation and neurodegeneration. In MS, both reactive oxygen and nitrogen species are formed in the CNS mainly by activated macrophages and microglia structures, which can lead to demyelination and axon disruption. The course of MS is associated with the secretion of many inflammatory and oxidative stress mediators, including cytokines (IL-1b, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, INF-γ) and chemokines (MIP-1a, MCP-1, IP10). The early stage of MS (RRMS) lasts about 10 years, and is dominated by inflammatory processes, whereas the chronic stage is associated with neurodegenerative axon and neuron loss. Since oxidative damage has been known to be involved in inflammatory and autoimmune-mediated processes, antioxidant therapy could contribute to the reduction or even prevention of the progression of MS. Further research is needed in order to establish new aims for novel treatment and provide possible benefits to MS patients. The present review examines the roles of oxidative stress and non-pharmacological anti-oxidative therapies in MS.
Lack of a Synergistic Effect on Cardiometabolic and Redox Markers in a Dietary Supplementation with Anthocyanins and Xanthophylls in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Estévez-Santiago Rocío , Silván José Manuel , Can-Cauich Cesar Abraham , Veses Ana Maria , Alvarez-Acero Inma , Martinez-Bartolome Miguel Angel , San-Román Ricardo , Cámara Montaña , Olmedilla-Alonso Begoña , de Pascual-Teresa Sonia
Published: July 2019

Fruits and vegetables are pivotal for a healthy diet due partly to their content in bioactive compounds. It is for this reason that we conducted a parallel study to unravel the possible effect on cardiometabolic parameters of the ingestion of anthocyanins, xanthophylls, or both groups of bioactives together in postmenopausal women. Seventy-two postmenopausal women were randomized into an 8-month parallel study: a group consuming 60 mg/day anthocyanins (Group A), a group consuming 6 mg lutein and 2 mg zeaxanthin per day (Group X), and a third group consuming a combination of anthocyanins and xanthophylls in the same amounts (Group A+X). Non-targeted metabolomic analysis was done in plasma samples at baseline and after the 8-month intervention by HPLC-QTOF-MS. Inflammatory, antioxidant, and cardiometabolic parameters were measured at the beginning of the study and after 4 and 8-months intervention. Compared with baseline values, none of the 8-month treatments significantly (p < 0.05) changed systolic or diastolic blood pressure (BP), plasma C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 or matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9. Only plasma glucose levels were significantly decreased by treatment A+X after 8 months, and the plasma metabolomic profile was clearly affected by all three dietary supplementations after 8 months. In parallel, there was an increase, also for the three groups, in the plasma ferric reducing antioxidant power value that did not show any synergistic effect between the two groups of bioactives. Postmenopausal women could benefit from an increase in anthocyanins and xanthophylls intake, through the consumption of fruits and vegetables rich in these two types of compounds. Accordingly, plasma glucose and, above all, the reducing power in plasma, could be improved.
Design and Application of Highly Efficient Flame Retardants for Polycarbonate Combining the Advantages of Cyclotriphosphazene and Silicone Oil
Authors: Jiang Jicheng , Wang Yanbin , Luo Zhonglin , Qi Tianyi , Qiao Yihui , Zou Menghao , Wang Biaobing
Published: July 2019

A novel flame retardant (HSPCTP) was successfully designed and incorporated into a polycarbonate (PC) matrix. Combining the advantages of cyclotriphosphazene and silicone oil, PC/HSPCTP composites passed UL-94 V-0 rating testing with only 3 wt% HSPCTP, and their LOI value increased from 25.0% to 28.4%. The findings showed that HSPCTP exhibits both gas-phase and solid-phase flame-retardant effects. Furthermore, the incorporation of HSPCTP into PC could suppress the release of smoke. Finally, the flame-retardant mechanism is discussed in depth.
A Comparative Assessment of Machine-Learning Techniques for Land Use and Land Cover Classification of the Brazilian Tropical Savanna Using ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 Polarimetric Images
Authors: Camargo Flávio F. , Sano Edson E. , Almeida Cláudia M. , Mura José C. , Almeida Tati
Published: July 2019

This study proposes a workflow for land use and land cover (LULC) classification of Advanced Land Observing Satellite-2 (ALOS-2) Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar-2 (PALSAR-2) images of the Brazilian tropical savanna (Cerrado) biome. The following LULC classes were considered: forestlands; shrublands; grasslands; reforestations; croplands; pasturelands; bare soils/straws; urban areas; and water reservoirs. The proposed approach combines polarimetric attributes, image segmentation, and machine-learning procedures. A set of 125 attributes was generated using polarimetric ALOS-2/PALSAR-2 images, including the van Zyl, Freeman–Durden, Yamaguchi, and Cloude–Pottier target decomposition components, incoherent polarimetric parameters (biomass indices and polarization ratios), and HH-, HV-, VH-, and VV-polarized amplitude images. These attributes were classified using the Naive Bayes (NB), DT J48 (DT = decision tree), Random Forest (RF), Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithms. The RF, MLP, and SVM classifiers presented the most accurate performances. NB and DT J48 classifiers showed a lower performance in relation to the RF, MLP, and SVM. The DT J48 classifier was the most suitable algorithm for discriminating urban areas and natural vegetation cover. The proposed workflow can be replicated for other SAR images with different acquisition modes or for other types of vegetation domains.