bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uncommon Measures Revisited
Authors: Dorans Neil J.
Published: March 2020

This report, which is based on an invited presentation given at the 2015 meeting of the Association of Test Publishers, is a response to the continuing proliferation of scale linking studies that have occurred since the publication of Uncommon Measures in 1999. The report has four parts. First, I restate the conclusions made in Uncommon Measures about linking the scales of state assessments to the National Assessment of Educational Progress scale and summarize points made by Thissen with respect to such linkages. Then I reiterate the important role played by the features of testing situations on the type of linkages made by Kolen and note how these features interact with the taxonomy of score linkages provided by Holland and Dorans. Next, I summarize findings from a 2010 National Council on Measurement in Education symposium that described the linkage studies conducted in 2008 to update the concordances between the 2005 version of the SAT® test and the ACT, and I discuss their implications for linking score scales in general. Finally, I offer some concluding advice pertaining to linkages in general.
Recessionary actions and absence: A workplace‐level study
Authors: Wood Stephen , Michaelides George , Ogbonnaya Chidiebere
Published: March 2020

Actions such as work restructuring and wage and employment freezes taken by organizations in response to recessions are widely assumed to decrease employees' job security and detrimentally affect perceptions of management's trustworthiness. We assess whether these effects occur and if, in turn, they affect workplace absenteeism. Using data from Britain's Workplace Employee Relations Survey 2011, we show that the effects on stress‐based absence are limited and not as predicted, but the effects on withdrawal‐based absence are strong and as predicted. Reductions in well‐being or job security's effect on well‐being did not affect absence, and while the reduction of trust perceptions' effect was to increase anxiety, anxiety did not increase but reduced absenteeism. The effects on withdrawal absence differ: those of recessionary action through job security reduce absenteeism, while those through trust perceptions increase it, both as predicted. The two effects involving trust perceptions are less pronounced when recessionary actions are accompanied by voluntary layoffs, but not by compulsory layoffs. The implications for management are that they should be more conscious of the effects on absence when planning recessionary actions, and more generally their effects on presenteeism.
Influence of an inclined stretching cylinder over MHD mixed convective nanofluid flow due to chemical reaction and viscous dissipation
Authors: Mondal Hiranmoy , Das Subrata , Kundu Prabir Kumar
Published: March 2020

This paper analyzed the steady two‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic mixed convective viscous nanofluid and heat transfer toward an inclined stretching cylinder with chemical reaction and uniform magnetic field. The governing partial differential equation in a cylindrical form is reduced to a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by using appropriate similarity transformation and solved numerically by spectral quasilinearization methods (SQLMs). A new approach of this method is employed to derive numerical expressions for velocity, temperature, and concentration profile. The convergence and accuracy of our numerical scheme are observed. The SQLM is employed to find out the convergent series solution. There is an increase in the temperature profiles due to the increase in the thermophoresis parameter. The increase in effective Eckert number results in the increase of the temperature profile.
Soret‐Dufour effects in electroosmotic biorheological flow of Jeffrey fluid
Authors: Noreen Saima , Riaz Areeba , Lu Dianchen
Published: March 2020

The Soret and Dufour cross‐diffusion on the electrokinetic flow of Jeffrey fluid augmented with peristalsis have been presented. The fundamental equations are employed to predict the mass distribution in the two‐dimensional asymmetric electroosmotic channel. Reliable approximations such as low Peclet, low Reynolds, and large wavelength are utilized. The analytical solutions of the concentration, temperature, velocity, and stream function are obtained. To predict the effects of prominent parameters such as fluid parameter, electroosmotic parameter, Brinkman, Soret, and Schmidt number graphs are plotted. The phenomenon of trapping is also discussed to observe the behavior on streamlines. It is observed that the electroosmotic parameter enhances the temperature profile. With the increase in Jeffrey fluid parameter, the Nusselt number is decreased. Furthermore, the concentration is decreased with the elevation in Soret and Schmidt numbers. The current study can help reduce the conversion stages necessary for the integration of the low voltage output in an electrokinetic biomass process.
Allergen‐specific immunotherapy for patients with atopic dermatitis sensitized to animal dander
Authors: Chu Howard , Park Kyung Hee , Kim Su Min , Lee Jae‐Hyun , Park Jung‐Won , Lee Kwang Hoon , Park Chang Ook
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and AD patients are commonly sensitized to house dust mite (HDM). Of the several treatment options available, allergen‐specific immunotherapy (AIT) has been recognized as an effective treatment modality that is directed toward the immunoglobulin E (IgE)‐mediated nature of AD, and subcutaneous administration using HDM is most commonly used for AIT in AD. For patients sensitized to animal (dog or cat) dander, the treatment may not be easy, especially when avoiding the allergen is not possible.

Methods

This study enrolled patients with AD who were sensitized to cat and/or dog dander and underwent AIT (n = 19). Patients’ medical information was obtained, including past treatment history, treatment duration of AIT, and the progress of treatment. Also, the specific IgE levels and IgG4 levels were measured before and after AIT.

Results

A total of 19 patients with AD underwent AIT using cat and/or dog dander. The patients consisted of 4 males and 15 females with an average age of 31.74 ± 9.71. Only two patients had AD only, and the other 17 patients had one or more concomitant allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, allergic asthma, or allergic conjunctivitis. Seven patients were not sensitized to HDMs and only sensitized to cat and/or dog dander. The duration of AIT ranged from 2 to 58 months. The symptoms of 17 patients were well‐controlled, requiring only topical treatment and/or oral antihistamines. One patient required systemic cyclosporine, but only of low dose (25 mg/day). The specific IgE levels were decreased (P = .005) and IgG4 levels showed the tendency of increasing after AIT. No adverse events were observed in these patients.

Conclusion

Although a larger number of patients for a longer follow‐up period are needed to precisely assess the treatment efficacy, AIT using cat and/or dog dander may be an effective treatment option for AD patients, especially for severe AD patients with other respiratory allergic comorbidities who cannot completely avoid the exposure to animal dander.
Major multilevel molecular divergence between THP‐1 cells from different biorepositories
Authors: Noronha Nandita , Ehx Grégory , Meunier Marie‐Christine , Laverdure Jean‐Philippe , Thériault Catherine , Perreault Claude
Published: March 2020

The THP‐1 cell line is broadly used as a model for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with MLL fusion and to study monocyte differentiation and function. We studied THP‐1 cells obtained from two major biorepositories. The two cell lines were closely related with a percentage match of short tandem repeat (STR) profiles ranging from 93.75% to 100%, depending on the algorithm used. Nevertheless, we found that the two cell lines presented discordant HLA type, cytogenetic aberrations and AML‐related gene expression (including critical targets of MLL fusion). These discrepancies resulted mainly from loss of heterozygosity (LOH) involving five chromosomal regions. In view of their aberrant expression of key “leukemia” genes (e.g., LIN28B, MEIS1 and SPARC), we argue that one of the THP‐1 cell lines may not be a reliable model for studying leukemia. Their defective expression of HLA molecules and abnormal adhesion properties is also a caveat for studies of antigen presentation. In a more general perspective, our findings show that seemingly minor discrepancies in STR profiles among cell lines may be the sign of major genetic drift, of sufficient magnitude to affect the reliability of cell line‐based research.
Association between chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer: A 10‐year retrospective study of endoscopically treated and surgical patients
Authors: Korpela Taija , Udd Marianne , Mustonen Harri , Ristimäki Ari , Haglund Caj , Seppänen Hanna , Kylänpää Leena
Published: March 2020

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a poor prognosis. Chronic pancreatitis (CP) associates with high morbidity and mortality, and serves as a risk factor for PC. Our study aimed to assess the association between endoscopically treated CP patients and PC, and to establish the rate of CP among patients undergoing surgery for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We retrospectively analyzed 458 CP patients undergoing endoscopic treatment (ET) between 2000 and 2010 and 349 PDAC patients undergoing pancreatic resection between 2000 and 2014 at the Helsinki University Hospital. The likelihood of diagnosing PC was highest within 2 years of a CP diagnosis: 21 of 30 PC diagnoses occurred during this time. After 2 years follow‐up: 9 of 30 PC diagnoses occurred 2–12 years from CP diagnosis. Two patients were diagnosed with CP before PDAC. Multivariate analysis showed two prognostic factors indicative of PC development: biliary stricture (HR 9.21; 95% CI 3.76–22.08) and a higher age (per 5‐year increases) at CP onset (HR 1.55; 95% CI 1.30–1.85). Among 458 CP patients, the median overall survival without PC was 14.7 years (95% CI 12.0–17.3), falling to 1.6 years (95% CI 1.2–2.0) with PC. The high incidence of PC among CP patients at the beginning of follow‐up likely reflected an initially missed PC diagnoses. In long‐term follow‐up, an increasing PC incidence might reflect the PC‐predisposing impact of CP. Thus, we recommend careful follow‐up for patients presenting with a recently diagnosed CP and risk factors for PC.
Profiles of immune‐related genes and immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of diffuse lower‐grade gliomas
Authors: Deng Xiangyang , Lin Dongdong , Zhang Xiaojia , Shen Xuchao , Yang Zelin , Yang Liang , Lu Xiangqi , Yu Lisheng , Zhang Nu , Lin Jian
Published: March 2020

The tumor microenvironment is highly correlated with tumor occurrence, progress, and prognosis. We aimed to investigate the immune‐related gene (IRG) expression and immune infiltration pattern in the tumor microenvironment of lower‐grade glioma (LGG). We employed the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm to calculate immune and stromal scores and identify prognostic IRG based on The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. The potential molecular functions of these genes were explored with the help of functional enrichment analysis and the protein–protein interaction network. Remarkably, three cohorts that were downloaded from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas database were analyzed to further verify the prognostic values of these genes. Moreover, the Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) algorithm was used to estimate the abundance of infiltrating immune cells and explore the immune infiltration pattern in LGG. And unsupervised cluster analysis determined three clusters of the immune infiltration pattern and indicated that CD8+ T cells and macrophages were significantly associated with LGG outcomes. Altogether, our study identified a list of prognostic IRGs and provided a perspective to explore the immune infiltration pattern in LGG.
Loss and rescue of osteocalcin and osteopontin modulate osteogenic and angiogenic features of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells
Authors: Carvalho Marta S. , Silva João C. , Hoff Christopher M. , Cabral Joaquim M. S. , Linhardt Robert J. , da Silva Cláudia L. , Vashishth Deepak
Published: March 2020

Noncollagenous proteins in the bone extracellular matrix, such as osteocalcin (OC) and osteopontin (OPN), inherent to evolution of bone as a skeletal tissue, are known to regulate bone formation and mineralization. However, the fundamental basis of this regulatory role remains unknown. Here, for the first time, we use mouse mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) lacking both OC and OPN to investigate the mechanistic roles of OC and OPN on the proliferation capacity and differentiation ability of MSC. We found that the loss of OC and OPN reduces stem cells self‐renewal potential and multipotency, affects their differentiation into an osteogenic lineage, and impairs their angiogenic potential while maintaining chondrogenic and adipogenic lineages. Moreover, loss of OC and OPN compromises the extracellular matrix integrity and maturation, observed by an unexpected enhancement of glycosaminoglycans content that are associated with a more primitive skeletal connective tissue, and by a delay on the maturation of mineral species produced. Interestingly, exogenously supplemented OC and OPN were able to rescue MSC proliferative and osteogenic potential along with matrix integrity and mineral quality. Taken together, these results highlight the key contributions of OC and OPN in enhancing osteogenesis and angiogenesis over primitive connective tissue, and support a potential therapeutic approach based on their exogenous supplementation.
A report of clinical diagnosis and treatment of nine cases of coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Chen Qing , Quan Bin , Li Xiaoning , Gao Guangjian , Zheng Wenqiang , Zhang Jun , Zhang Zhiyun , Liu Chunsheng , Li Li , Wang Chenglin , Zhang Guihua , Li Jiajia , Dai Yunhai , Yang Jianghua , Han Wenzheng
Published: March 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has become an important public health issue in the world. More than 118 000 cases were confirmed around the world. The main clinical manifestations were respiratory symptoms and occasional gastrointestinal symptoms. However, there is no unified standard for the diagnosis and treatment of COVID‐19. In the retrospective analysis, we report nine cases of COVID‐19, describe the history of contact, clinical manifestations, the course of diagnosis and clinical treatment before, during and after treatment.
Histone deacetylase inhibition reduces ventral tegmental area dopamine neuronal hyperexcitability involving AKAP150 signaling following maternal deprivation in juvenile male rats
Authors: Shepard Ryan D. , Langlois Ludovic D. , Authement Michael E. , Nugent Fereshteh S.
Published: March 2020

Traumatic early life stress (ELS) is linked to dopamine (DA) dysregulation which increases the probability of developing psychiatric disorders in adolescence and adulthood. Our prior studies demonstrated that a severe early life stressor, a 24‐hr maternal deprivation (MD) in juvenile male rats, could lead to altered DA signaling from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) due to impairment of GABAergic synaptic plasticity (promoting GABAergic long‐term depression, LTD) with concomitant changes in the abundance of synaptic regulators including A‐kinase anchoring protein (AKAP150). Importantly, these MD‐induced synaptic changes in the VTA were accompanied by upregulation of histone deacetylase 2, histone hypoacetylation, and were reversible by HDAC inhibition. Using cell‐attached and whole‐cell patch clamp recordings, we found that MD stress also increased spontaneous VTA DA neuronal activity and excitability in juvenile male rats without affecting intrinsic excitability. Postsynaptic chemical disruption of AKAP150 and protein kinase A interaction increased VTA DA neuronal excitability in control non‐MD rats mimicking the effects of MD on DA cell excitability with similar changes in membrane properties. Interestingly, this disruption decreased MD‐induced VTA DA hyperexcitability. This MD‐induced DA neuronal hyperexcitability could also be normalized at 24 hr after injection of the class 1 HDAC inhibitor, CI‐994. Altogether, our data suggest that AKAP150 plays a critical role in the regulation of VTA DA neuronal excitability and that HDAC‐mediated targeting of AKAP150 signaling could normalize VTA DA dysfunction following ELS thereby providing novel therapeutic targets for prevention of later life psychopathology.
Sub‐ and Supramolecular X‐Ray Characterization of Engineered Tissues from Equine Tendon, Bovine Dermis, and Fish Skin Type‐I Collagen
Authors: Terzi Alberta , Gallo Nunzia , Bettini Simona , Sibillano Teresa , Altamura Davide , Madaghiele Marta , De Caro Liberato , Valli Ludovico , Salvatore Luca , Sannino Alessandro , Giannini Cinzia
Published: March 2020

Collagen represents one of the most widely used biomaterial for scaffolds fabrication in tissue engineering as it represents the mechanical support of natural tissues. It also provides physical scaffolding for cells and it influences their attachment, growth, and tissue regeneration. Among all fibrillary collagens, type I is considered one of the gold standard for scaffolds fabrication, thanks to its high biocompatibility, biodegradability, and hemostatic properties. It can be extracted by chemical and enzymatic protocols from several collagen‐rich tissues, such as tendon and skin, of different animal species. Both the extraction processes and the manufacturing protocols for scaffolds fabrication provide structural and mechanical changes that can be tuned in order to deeply impact the properties of the final biomaterial. The aim of this review is to discuss the role of X‐rays to study structural changes of type I collagen from fresh collagen‐rich tissues (bovine, equine, fish) to the final scaffolds, with the aim to screen across available collagen sources and scaffolds fabrication protocols to be used in tissue regeneration.
Characteristics of Planococcus antioxidans sp. nov., an antioxidant‐producing strain isolated from the desert soil in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Binglin , Yang Ruiqi , Zhang Gaosen , Liu Yang , Zhang Dongming , Zhang Wei , Chen Tuo , Liu Guangxiu
Published: March 2020

Strain Y74T was an isolate from the sandy soil in the town of Huatugou, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China. An analysis of this strain's phenotypic, chemotaxonomic, and genomic characteristics established the relationship of the isolate with the genus Planococcus. Strain Y74T was able to grow between 4 and 42°C (with an optimum temperature of 28°C) at pH values of 6–8.5 and in 0%–7% (w/v) NaCl. The dominant quinones were MK‐8 and MK‐7. The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and an unknown phospholipid. The majority of the fatty acid content was anteiso‐C15:0 (28.8%) followed by C16:1 ω7c alcohol (20.9%) and iso‐C14:0 (13.4%). The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity analysis demonstrated a stable branch formed by strain Y74T and Planococcus halotolerans SCU63T (99.66%). The digital DNA–DNA hybridization between these two strains was 57.2%. The G + C content in the DNA of Y74T was 44.5 mol%. In addition, the morphological, physiological, and chemotaxonomic pattern clearly differentiated the isolates from their known relatives. In conclusion, the strain Y74T (=JCM 32826T = CICC24461T) represents a novel member of the genus Planococcus, for which the name Planococcus antioxidans sp. nov. is proposed. Strain Y74T was found to have potent antioxidant activity via its hydrogen peroxide tolerance and its 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging activity. The DPPH radical‐scavenging activity was determined to be 40.2 ± 0.7%. The genomic analysis indicated that six peroxidases genes, one superoxide dismutase gene, and one dprA (DNA‐protecting protein) are present in the genome of Y74T.
Functionalization of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride surfaces with aminosilanes for optical biosensing applications
Authors: Antoniou Maria , Tsounidi Dimitra , Petrou Panagiota S. , Beltsios Konstantinos G. , Kakabakos Sotirios E.
Published: March 2020

The development of optical biosensors based on silicon dioxide or silicon nitride transducers requires the chemical activation of their surface to achieve stable, repeatable and homogeneous binding of biomolecules. In the present study, the chemical activation of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride surfaces with 3‐aminopropyl‐triethoxysilane (APTES) was optimized so as to enable the immobilization of biomolecules by adsorption or covalent bonding. Chemical activation was performed with either aqueous or organic solution of APTES, and the surfaces were used to immobilize directly protein molecules by physical adsorption or further modified with glutaraldehyde to allow covalent binding of protein molecules. The protein immobilization capacity of the chemically activated silicon dioxide and silicon nitride surfaces was evaluated through incubation with mouse γ‐globulins and reaction with a fluorescently labelled goat antimouse IgG antibody. By determining the surface fluorescence signal intensity, it was found that modification with 5% (v/v) APTES solution in ethanol followed by modification with glutaraldehyde provided 30% higher fluorescence signals than all the other protocols tested. In addition, this method provided the lower signal variation between different chips. To test the possible advantages of the chemical activation protocols for optical biosensing applications, they were also applied to a label‐free white light interference spectroscopy sensor and evaluated through (a) real‐time monitoring of the reaction between immobilized on the sensor surface mouse γ‐globulins with an unlabelled goat antimouse IgG antibody and (b) a non‐competitive immunoassay for the determination of C‐reactive protein. The results showed that in case of antibody, physical absorption provided marginally higher binding capacity to covalent bonding.
Changes in the climatic growing season in western Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Arslantaş Ebru E. , Yeşilırmak Ercan
Published: March 2020

In this study spatial and temporal variations of climatic growing season parameters in western Anatolia, Turkey, during 1966–2015 are analysed. The beginning of the growing season (end of the growing season) for all threshold values of 5, 7 and 10°C is delayed (advances) from the southwest to the northeast over the study area. The growing season length (GSL) increases from northeast to southwest. The growing season start (GSS), growing season end (GSE) and GSL are strongly correlated with elevation, low‐elevation stations having earlier GSS, later GSE and longer GSL than stations at higher elevations. The regional average GSS shifted 7.3, 10.0 and 10.5 days earlier, while the regional average GSE moved 4.8, 6.1 and 6.2 days later, increasing the GSL by 12.0, 16.6 and 15.9 days for 5, 7 and 10°C, respectively. A comparison of mean values between subperiods documented significant changes at more than 50% of stations for GSS and GSL from the subperiod 1977–1997 to the subperiod 1998–2015 and almost no significant change between 1966–1976 and 1977–1997 for all thresholds. Correlation analysis showed that the East Atlantic Pattern was the main driver for GSS and the North Sea–Caspian Pattern for GSE, followed by the East Atlantic/Western Russia Pattern and the North Atlantic Oscillation, respectively. Monthly and annual precipitation totals and precipitation distribution within a year have not changed significantly, suggesting that air temperature has become more influential on GSS and GSE.
RETRACTED: Population genetic analysis of Shaanxi male Han Chinese population reveals genetic differentiation and homogenization of East Asians
Authors: Li Luyao , Zou Xing , Zhang Guanjun , Wang Hongyan , Su Yongdong , Wang Mengge , He Guanglin
Published: March 2020

Background

Shaanxi province, located in the upper Yellow River, has been evidenced as the geographic origin of Chinese civilization, Sino‐Tibetan‐speaking language, and foxtail or broomcorn millet farmers via the linguistic phylogenetic spectrum, archeological documents, and genetic evidence. Nowadays, Han Chinese is the dominant population in this area. The formation process of modern Shaanxi Han population reconstructed via the ancient DNA is on the way, however, the patterns of genetic relationships of modern Shaanxi Han, allele frequency distributions of high mutated short tandem repeats (STRs) and corresponding forensic parameters are remained to be explored.

Methods

Here, we successfully genotyped 23 autosomal STRs in 630 unrelated Shaanxi male Han individuals using the recently updated Huaxia Platinum PCR amplification system. Forensic allele frequency and parameters of all autosomal STRs were assessed. And comprehensive population genetic structure was explored via various typical statistical technologies.

Results

Population genetic analysis based on the raw‐genotype dataset among 15,803 Eurasian individuals and frequency datasets among 56 populations generally illustrated that linguistic stratification is significantly associated with the genetic substructure of the East Asian population. Principal component analysis, multidimensional scaling plots and phylogenetic tree further demonstrated that Shaanxi Han has a close genetic relationship with geographically close Shanxi Han, and showed that Han Chinese is a homogeneous population during the historic and recent admixture from the STR variations. Except for Sinitic‐speaking populations, Shaanxi Han harbored more alleles sharing with Tibeto‐Burman‐speaking populations than with other reference populations. Focused on the allele frequency correlation and forensic parameters, all loci are in accordance with the minimum requirements of HWE and LD. The observed combined probability of discrimination of 8.2201E‐28 and the cumulative power of exclusion of 0.9999999995 in Shaanxi Han demonstrated that the studied STR loci are informative and polymorphic, and this system can be used as a powerful routine forensic tool in personal identification and parentage testing.

Conclusion

Both the geographical and linguistic divisions have shaped the genetic structure of modern East Asian. And more forensic reference data should be obtained for ethnically, culturally, geographically and linguistically different populations for better routine forensic practice and population genetic studies.
Inkjet‐Based Technology for Microencapsulation of Gold Nanoparticles within Biocompatible Hydrogels
Authors: Artiga Álvaro , Ramos‐Sánchez Francisco , Serrano‐Sevilla Inés , De Matteis Laura , Mitchell Scott G. , Sánchez‐Somolinos Carlos , de la Fuente Jesús M.
Published: March 2020

Herein, an inkjet‐based technology as a versatile high throughput methodology for the microencapsulation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) inside a biocompatible chitosan hydrogel is described. This continuous automated inkjet production approach generates 30 µm diameter polymeric microcapsules and offers a high rate of production and nanoparticle encapsulation efficiency of 14 nm diameter AuNPs, precise control of the microcapsule size, and ease of scale‐up. The hybrid microcapsules demonstrate biocompatible cell‐adhesion properties and resist degradation over a large range of pH, making them particularly relevant for a variety of potential health applications.
Screening for chronic prostatitis pathogens using high‐throughput next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Wu Yi , Jiang Haiyang , Tan Mingbo , Lu Xuedong
Published: March 2020

Background

The pathogens responsible for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS; NIH category III) are not currently known. the present study utilized high‐throughput next‐generation sequencing to screen for potential pathogens associated with NIH category III CP (CP III).

Methods

This study included 33 patients with CP III and 30 healthy men, from which one sample each of urethral secretions and expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) was collected. High‐throughput next‐generation sequencing was performed to detect the sequence variations and the relative abundance of the bacterial 16S ribosomal variable region and fungal internal transcribed spacer region in all samples. Bioinformatics software and databases were used for data analysis, and differences with P < .05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) cluster analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and Spearman's rank correlation showed that the microbial compositions of the urethral secretions and EPS collected from the same subject were essentially the same.

Conclusions

No potential pathogens were identified in diagnosed patients with CP III. The EPS may be free from bacteria before and after infection. Changes in the urinary tract microbiome may disrupt the microecological balance of the urinary system, thereby leading to CP III. Conversely, the true pathogens of CP III may not be prokaryotic or eukaryotic microorganisms, Future research may involve the evaluation of noncellular microbes.
Proteomic and transcriptomic profiling of Pten gene‐knockout mouse model of prostate cancer
Authors: Zhang Jinhui , Kim Sangyub , Li Li , Kemp Christopher J. , Jiang Cheng , Lü Junxuan
Published: March 2020

Background

The prostate‐specific phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (Pten) gene‐conditional knockout (KO) mouse carcinogenesis model is highly desirable for studies of prostate cancer biology and chemoprevention due to its close resemblance of primary molecular defect and many histopathological features of human prostate cancer including androgen response and disease progression from prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia to invasive adenocarcinoma. Here, we profiled the proteome and transcriptome of the Pten‐KO mouse prostate tumors for global macromolecular expression alterations for signaling changes and biomarker signatures.

Methods

For proteomics, four pairs of whole prostates from tissue‐specific conditional knockout Pten‐KO mice (12‐15 weeks of age) and their respective wild‐type littermates housed in the same cages were analyzed by 8‐plex isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation iTRAQ. For microarray transcriptomic analysis, three additional matched pairs of prostate/tumor specimens from respective mice at 20 to 22 weeks of age were used. Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction was used to verify the trends of protein and RNA expression changes. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis were carried out for bioinformatic characterizations of pathways and networks.

Results

At the macromolecular level, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses complement and cross‐validate to reveal overexpression signatures including inflammation and immune alterations, in particular, neutrophil/myeloid lineage suppressor cell features, chromatin/histones, ion and nutrient transporters, and select glutathione peroxidases and transferases in Pten‐KO prostate tumors. Suppressed expression patterns in the Pten‐KO prostate tumors included glandular differentiation such as secretory proteins and androgen receptor targets, smooth muscle features, and endoplasmic reticulum stress proteins. Bioinformatic analyses identified immune and inflammation responses as the most profound macromolecular landscape changes, and the predicted key nodal activities through Akt, nuclear factor‐kappaB, and P53 in the Pten‐KO prostate tumor. Comparison with other genetically modified mouse prostate carcinogenesis models revealed notable molecular distinctions, especially the dominance of immune and inflammation features in the Pten‐KO prostate tumors.

Conclusions

Our work identified prominent macromolecular signatures and key nodal molecules that help to illuminate the patho‐ and immunobiology of Pten‐loss driven prostate cancer and can facilitate the choice of biomarkers for chemoprevention and interception studies in this clinically relevant mouse prostate cancer model.
Tuning the Structural and the Magnetic Properties of BiFeO3 Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Makridis Antonios , Myrovali Eirini , Sakellari Despina , Angelakeris Mavroeidis
Published: March 2020

The explosive expansion of multiferroics literature in recent years demonstrates the fast‐growing interest in this field. Although bismuth ferrite is one of the most extensively investigated multiferroic compounds combining magnetoelectric, i.e., antiferromagnetic and ferroelectric features at room temperature, the challenge of producing single‐phase particles remains because the role of multiple synthetic parameters must be unraveled. Herein, the facile synthetic route of aqueous coprecipitation is selected as the first synthetic step, followed by a 700 °C annealing stage to synthesize bismuth ferrite nanoparticles (NPs). This article aims to clarify the influence of ingredients such as precursors: base solution, acid and the Bi/Fe molar ratio, and the role of synthetic parameters such as pH level and reaction temperature toward higher yields of purer crystalline phases. Both structural and magnetic features' performance outline the significance of both stages on forming BiFeO3 single‐phase NPs with the absence of any secondary bismuth oxide phases, a crucial issue for multiferroic features at room temperature.
A collaborative robotic uterine positioning system for laparoscopic hysterectomy: Design and experiments
Authors: Yip Hiu Man , Wang Zerui , Navarro‐Alarcon David , Li Peng , Cheung Tak Hong , Greiffenhagen Christian , Liu Yun‐hui
Published: March 2020

Background

Uterus manipulation is a lengthy and tedious task that is usually performed by a human assistant during laparoscopic hysterectomy. Note that the performance of the assistant may decrease with time. Moreover, under this approach, the primary surgeon does not have direct control over the uterus position. He/she can only verbally request the assistant to place it on a particular configuration.

Methods

A robotic system composed of a 3 degrees‐of‐freedom uterine positioner is developed to assist in changing configuration of the uterus during laparoscopic hysterectomy. The developed system has a remote centre of motion structure; independently controlling the uterus motion with one joint at the time is allowed.

Results

From the lab experiments, it is found that the robot shows better performance in retaining the uterus position and shows quicker response to the surgeon's instruction. Cadaver studies have been conducted to evaluate the feasibility of the robot. The robot was also applied to real patients in a clinical study.

Conclusions

The robot is capable of assisting in uterus manipulation during laparoscopic hysterectomy. However, its user friendliness can be improved by simplifying the docking procedure. Furthermore, a more ergonomic user interface is desired.
Endothelial cells derived from patients’ induced pluripotent stem cells for sustained factor VIII delivery and the treatment of hemophilia A
Authors: Rose Melanie , Gao Kewa , Cortez-Toledo Elizabeth , Agu Emmanuel , Hyllen Alicia A. , Conroy Kelsey , Pan Guangjin , Nolta Jan A. , Wang Aijun , Zhou Ping
Published: March 2020

Hemophilia A (HA) is a bleeding disorder characterized by spontaneous and prolonged hemorrhage. The disease is caused by mutations in the coagulation factor 8 gene (F8) leading to factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Since FVIII is primarily produced in endothelial cells (ECs) in a non-diseased human being, ECs hold great potential for development as a cell therapy for HA. We showed that HA patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (HA-iPSCs) could provide a renewable supply of ECs. The HA-iPSC-derived ECs were transduced with lentiviral vectors to stably express the functional B domain deleted F8 gene, the luciferase gene, and the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (GFP). When transplanted intramuscularly into neonatal and adult immune deficient mice, the HA-iPSC-derived ECs were retained in the animals for at least 10-16 weeks and maintained their expression of FVIII, GFP, and the endothelial marker CD31, as demonstrated by bioluminescence imaging and immunostaining, respectively. When transplanted into HA mice, these transduced HA-iPSC-derived ECs significantly reduced blood loss in a tail-clip bleeding test and produced therapeutic plasma levels (11.2%-369.2%) of FVIII. Thus, our studies provide proof-of-concept that HA-iPSC-derived ECs can serve as a factory to deliver FVIII for the treatment of HA not only in adults but also in newborns.

Significance statement The present study demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from hemophilia A (HA) patients can provide an ample supply of endothelial cells (ECs). The HA-iPSC-derived ECs can be genetically modified to produce functional factor VIII. The relatively stable engraftment of these ECs, in both neonatal and adult animals, and the functional correction or alleviation of hemophilia by these ECs in animal models, as shown in the study, provide the basis for potential therapeutic development of HA-iPSC-derived ECs for treating HA. The current study is a significant step forward in development of autologous gene-modified cell therapy for HA.
Understanding the Mechanism of SN2′ vs. SN2 in Cascade Reaction of β‐Naphthol and Nitrostyrene Derived MBH Acetates
Authors: Kumar Vadiga Shanthi , Gudise Veera Babu , Settipalli Poorna Chandrasekhar , Reddy Eeda Koti , Firoj Basha Shaik , Reddy Yeruva Pavankumar , Srinivasadesikan V. , Lee Shyi‐Long , Anwar Shaik
Published: March 2020

The reaction of β‐naphthol with nitrostyrene derived primary MBH acetates in presence of Cs2CO3 as base resulted in the formation of 3‐nitro‐4‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐naphthopyran as the major isomer via SN2′ process. Due to the bis‐electrophilic nature of MBH acetates, the minor product 3‐nitro‐2‐phenyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐naphthopyran was also obtained presumably due to SN2 process with
‐attack on MBH acetates. The state of the art density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out to account for these competitive pathways towards the formation of major and minor products.
Microwave‐Assisted Synthesis of Positional Isomeric Dihydro‐triazolo‐pyrimido‐acridines and Biological studies
Authors: Sompalle Rajesh , Roopan Selvaraj Mohana , Priya Duraipandi Devi , Suthindhiran Krishnamurthy , Sarkar Gargi , Ranjith Malavika , Arunachalapandi Murugan
Published: March 2020

Microwave synthetic methodologies were proposed for the preparation of positional isomeric dihydro‐triazolo‐pyrimido‐acridines, 3 a‐j and 9 a‐h via friedlander synthesis using response surface methodology (RSM). The advantages of these methodologies over conventional methods are it provides good yields with short reaction times. Free radical scavenging and antifungal studies were performed for compounds 3 a‐j and 9 a‐h. The results of antioxidant assay revealed that compounds 3 c, 3 d and 9 b exhibited excellent property whereas compounds 3 a and 9 a showed significant antifungal property against Aspergillus flavus (A.flavus) and Aspergillus niger (A. niger).
DFT Study on Oxidative Cyclization of o‐Alkynylbenzoates Mediated by Hypervalent Iodine Reagent: Mechanism and Substituent Effect
Authors: Zhou Jianguo , Song Xin‐Xin , Zhao Cheng‐Bin , Wang Ling‐Ling , Zhang Xiao‐Qian , Chen Yu , Zhang Lei
Published: March 2020

The reaction mechanisms of PhICl2‐mediated oxidative cyclization were characterized by density functional calculations with the m06 method, in order to unveil the plausible reaction pathway and the substituent effect on the chemoselectivity observed. The reaction of methyl o‐alkynylbenzoate 1 a and PhICl2 was used as a model, and the proposed pathway leading to the cyclization product involves the elementary steps of electrophilic attack, cyclization, intramolecular I/Cl exchange, and nucleophilic substitution, with the rate‐limiting activation barrier of 25.6 kcal/mol. The competing mechanisms of the p‐OMe‐substituted substrate 1 b and PhICl2 were comparatively characterized, and the exclusive formation of dichlorinated products rather than cyclization product should be a result of the kinetic discrimination. The free‐energy barriers of the dichlorination were computed to be 1–4 kcal/mol lower than those of the cyclization. The substituent effect was probed on the basis of geometric parameters and molecular orbitals. It was proposed that the electron‐donating property of the p‐OMe group could stabilize the alkenyl cationic intermediate, which serves a branch point of several competing pathways.
Highly‐Anisotropic Dion–Jacobson Hybrid Perovskite by Tailoring Diamine into CsPbBr3 for Polarization‐Sensitive Photodetection
Authors: Yang Tao , Li Yaobin , Han Shiguo , Xu Zhiyun , Liu Yi , Zhang Xinyuan , Liu Xitao , Teng Bing , Luo Junhua , Sun Zhihua
Published: March 2020

2D materials with inherent attributes of structural anisotropy have been well applied in the field of polarization‐sensitive photodetection. However, to explore new 2D members with strong polarized‐light responses still remains a challenge. Herein, by alloying diamine molecule into the 3D prototype of CsPbBr3, a new Dion–Jacobson (DJ) type 2D perovskite of (HDA)CsPb2Br7 (1, where HDA2+ is 1,6‐hexamethylenediammonium), containing both inorganic Cs metal and organic cations is designed. The natural anisotropy characteristics of 1 are solidly elucidated by analyzing crystal structure, electric conductivity, and optical properties. Strikingly, distinct polarization‐sensitive responses are observed in 1, owing to its strong anisotropy of optical absorption (the ratio of αc/αb ≈ 2.2). Consequently, crystal‐based detectors of 1 exhibit fascinating photo‐activities to polarized‐light, including high detectivity (1.5 × 109 Jones), large dichroism ratio (Iphc/Iphb ≈ 1.6) and fast responding rate (200 µs). All these polarization‐sensitive performances along with intriguing phase stability make 1 a potential candidate for polarized‐light detection. This work paves a pathway toward new functionalities of DJ‐type 2D hybrid perovskites for their future optoelectronic device applications.
Toward High Solar Cell Efficiency with Low Material Usage: 15% Efficiency with 14 μm Polycrystalline Silicon on Glass
Authors: Garud Siddhartha , Trinh Cham Thi , Abou-Ras Daniel , Stannowski Bernd , Schlatmann Rutger , Rech Bernd , Amkreutz Daniel
Published: March 2020

Liquid‐phase‐crystallized silicon (LPC‐Si) is a bottom‐up approach to creating solar cells with the potential to avoid material loss and energy usage in wafer slicing techniques. A desired thickness of silicon (5–40 μm) is crystallized with a line‐shaped energy source, which is a laser, herein. The first part reports the efforts to optimize amorphous silicon contact layers for better surface passivation. The second part covers laser firing on the electron contact. It enables a controllable trade‐off between charge collection and fill factor (FF) by creating a low resistance contact, while preserving a‐Si:H (i) passivation in other areas. Short‐circuit current density (JSC) is observed to be up to 33:1 mA cm−2, surpassing all previously reported values for this technology. Open‐circuit voltage (VOC) of up to 658 mV also exceeded every previous value published at a low bulk doping concentration (1 × 1016 cm−3). Laser firing reduced JSC by 0:6 mA cm−2 on average but improved the FF by 22.5% absolute on average, without any significant effect on VOC. Collectively, these efforts have helped in achieving a new in‐house record efficiency for LPC‐Si of 15.1% and show a potential to reach 16% efficiency in the near future with optimization of series resistance.
Quality evaluation of Panax notoginseng using high‐performance liquid chromatography with chemical pattern recognition
Authors: Meng Zhe , Huang Yang , Wang Lijun , Jiang Kun , Guo Linxiu , Wang Jue , Yin Guo , Wang Tiejie
Published: March 2020

Panax notoginseng (Burk.) F.H. Chen, also known as Sanqi, is a high‐value Chinese medicine with a hemostatic effect. It was mainly used to treat traumatic and ischemic cardiovascular diseases. According to different harvest times, Panax notoginseng is divided into “Chunqi” and “Dongqi.” To effectively classify them, a high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with a chemical pattern recognition method was established. Similarity analysis, principal component analysis, and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis were applied to classify and evaluate 35 batches of Panax notoginseng. The results showed that similarity analysis based on the peak area of 20 components could not achieve accurate classification. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis methods could clearly classify Chunqi and Dongqi. In order to find definite chemical markers and simplify the established model of orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, seven characteristic peaks with higher variable importance in projection values were selected. As a result, this method could be used for the classification of Chunqi and Dongqi, which showed an excellent potential application for quality evaluation of Panax notoginseng.
Prediction of seismic loadings on wind turbine support structures by response spectrum method considering equivalent modal damping of support structures and reliability level
Authors: Kitahara Masaru , Ishihara Takeshi
Published: March 2020

In this study, a new damping correction factor is proposed to provide an accurate design response spectrum for megawatt (MW) class wind turbines. The predicted response spectra show good agreement with those by time history analysis (THA). An equivalent modal damping of wind turbine support structures is then proposed for response spectrum method (RSM) based on the modal decomposition method for non‐classically damped structures. Seismic loadings on wind turbine towers and footings by RSM with the proposed damping correction factor and equivalent modal damping are also investigated and compared with those by THA. Finally, a quantile value between 0.5 and 0.85 in the damping correction factor is calibrated to ensure the same reliability level as evaluated by THA currently used for estimation of seismic loadings on support structures.
On self-similar axion-dilaton configurations
Authors: Antonelli Riccardo , Hatefi Ehsan
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We explore self-similar collapse solutions to the Einstein-axion-dilaton system in arbitrary spacetime dimensions, which are invariant under spacetime dilation combined with internal SL(2, ℝ) transformations. We set up a numerical formalism, and test it in four and five dimensions, discovering several new families of solutions in the three conjugacy classes of sl(2, ℝ).
Dynamics of QCD3 with rank-two quarks and duality
Authors: Choi Changha , Delmastro Diego , Gomis Jaume , Komargodski Zohar
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Three-dimensional gauge theories coupled to fermions can develop interesting nonperturbative dynamics. Here we study in detail the dynamics of SU(N ) gauge theories coupled to a Dirac fermion in the rank-two symmetric and antisymmetric representation. We argue that when the Chern-Simons level is sufficiently small the theory develops a quantum phase with an emergent topological field theory. When the Chern-Simons level vanishes, we further argue that a baryon condenses and hence baryon symmetry is spontaneously broken. The infrared theory then consists of a Nambu-Goldstone boson coupled to a topological field theory. Our proposals also lead to new fermion-fermion dualities involving fermions in two-index representations. We make contact between our proposals and some recently discussed aspects of four-dimensional gauge theories. This leads us to a proposal for the domain wall theories of non-supersymmetric gauge theories with fermions in two-index representations. Finally, we discuss some aspects of the time-reversal anomaly in theories with a one-form symmetry.