bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cloud‐based supervision of training in focused cardiac ultrasound – A scalable solution?
Authors: Canty David J , Vijayakumar Rukman , Royse Colin F
Published: November 2018

Introduction/Purpose

Increasing demand for training in focused cardiac ultrasound (FCU) is constrained by availability of supervisors to supervise training on patients. We designed and tested the feasibility of a cloud‐based (internet) system that enables remote supervision and monitoring of the learning curve of image quality and interpretative accuracy for one novice learner.

Methods

After initial training in FCU (iHeartScan and FCU TTE Course, University of Melbourne), a novice submitted the images and interpretation of 30 practice FCU examinations on hospitalised patients to a supervisor via a cloud‐based portal. Electronic feedback was provided by the supervisor prior to the novice performing each FCU examination, which included image quality score (for each view) and interpretation errors. The primary outcome of the study was the number of FCU scans required for two consecutive scans to score: (i) above the lower limit of acceptable total image quality score (64%), and (ii) below the upper limit of acceptable interpretive errors (15%).

Results

The number of FCU practice examinations required to meet adequate image quality and interpretation error standard was 10 and 13, respectively. Improvement in image acquisition continued, remaining within limits of acceptable image quality. Conversely, interpretive in‐accuracy (error > 15%) continued.

Conclusion

This electronic FCU mentoring system circumvents (but should not replace) the requirement for bed‐side supervision, which may increase the capacity of supervision of physicians learning FCU. The system also allows real‐time tracking of their progress and identifies weaknesses that may assist in guiding further training.
Tissue Mechanical Forces and Evolutionary Developmental Changes Act Through Space and Time to Shape Tooth Morphology and Function
Authors: Calamari Zachary T. , Hu Jimmy Kuang‐Hsien , Klein Ophir D.
Published: November 2018

Efforts from diverse disciplines, including evolutionary studies and biomechanical experiments, have yielded new insights into the genetic, signaling, and mechanical control of tooth formation and functions. Evidence from fossils and non‐model organisms has revealed that a common set of genes underlie tooth‐forming potential of epithelia, and changes in signaling environments subsequently result in specialized dentitions, maintenance of dental stem cells, and other phenotypic adaptations. In addition to chemical signaling, tissue forces generated through epithelial contraction, differential growth, and skeletal constraints act in parallel to shape the tooth throughout development. Here recent advances in understanding dental development from these studies are reviewed and important gaps that can be filled through continued application of evolutionary and biomechanical approaches are discussed.
An alternative derivation of Harville's restricted log likelihood function for variance component estimation
Authors: Xu Shizhong
Published: November 2018

Estimation of variance components in linear mixed models is important in clinical trial and longitudinal data analysis. It is also important in animal and plant breeding for accurately partitioning total phenotypic variance into genetic and environmental variances. Restricted maximum likelihood (REML) method is often preferred over the maximum likelihood (ML) method for variance component estimation because REML takes into account the lost degree of freedom resulting from estimating the fixed effects. The original restricted likelihood function involves a linear transformation of the original response variable (a collection of error contrasts). Harville's final form of the restricted likelihood function does not involve the transformation and thus is much easier to manipulate than the original restricted likelihood function. There are several different ways to show that the two forms of the restricted likelihood are equivalent. In this study, I present a much simpler way to derive Harville's restricted likelihood function. I first treat the fixed effects as random effects and call such a mixed model a pseudo random model (PDRM). I then construct a likelihood function for the PDRM. Finally, I let the variance of the pseudo random effects be infinity and show that the limit of the likelihood function of the PDRM is the restricted likelihood function.
Biochemistry laboratory reports: Filling in the introduction and discussion
Authors: Deutch Charles E.
Published: November 2018

Laboratory reports written in the style of a standard scientific article are commonly used to assess student learning in biochemistry laboratory courses. While most students can complete the Materials and Methods or Results sections successfully, many have difficulty with the Introduction and Discussion. They fail to place their data in a larger experimental context or to compare their results to those previously published. To address this issue in a laboratory course focusing on l‐lactate dehydrogenase, a new exercise was introduced that was designed 1) to provide more background information about l‐lactate dehydrogenase; 2) to give students additional experience in using PubMed and Web of Science to locate specific papers about l‐lactate dehydrogenase; 3) to introduce the major bioinformatics databases at the National Center for Biological Information, ExPASy (Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics), BRENDA (Braunschweig Enzyme Database), and the Protein Data Bank; 4) to allow students to recover detailed information about l‐lactate dehydrogenases; and 5) to provide practice in reading a research article that is similar to what they do in the lab. The students completed a data sheet summarizing these activities and then prepared three laboratory reports. The lab reports improved over the course of the semester and were qualitatively better than in past years. The materials developed for this laboratory course can be adapted to similar projects that use another protein as a model system. They could also be modified for use in Course‐based Undergraduate Research Experiences or research projects for undergraduate or graduate students. © 2018 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(6):619–622, 2018.
A Biphasic Medium Slows Down the Transfer Hydrogenation and Allows a Selective Catalytic Deuterium Labeling of Amines from Imines Mediated by a Ru−H/D+ Exchange in D2O
Authors: Ruiz‐Castañeda Margarita , Carrión M. Carmen , Santos Lucía , Manzano Blanca R. , Espino Gustavo , Jalón Félix A.
Published: November 2018

The transfer hydrogenation (TH) of several aldimines has been studied using [RuCl(p‐cymene)(dmbpy)]BF4, 1, (dmbpy=4,4′‐dimethyl‐2,2′‐bipyridine) as a precatalyst. Both neat water and a biphasic water/toluene mixture (w/t) have been successfully used as solvents. In the w/t medium the corresponding precursors, amine and aldehyde, were also used as substrates for a transfer hydrogenative reductive amination. Selective deuterium labeling of the resulting alkylated amines was the main goal of this work. On using D2O the D‐content in the amine was negligible but a high level of D‐incorporation was achieved in D2O/toluene. According to calculations, this is due to the effect of the relative rates of the hydride transfer and that of the RuH/D+ exchange. The incorporation of deuterium increases with time as a consequence of the reduction in the hydride transfer rate as the substrate concentration diminishes. The recyclability assays performed reflect the importance of pH in the selectivity of the TH towards the imine or the aldehyde resulting from imine hydrolysis.
Nonconjugated Hydrocarbons as Rigid‐Linear Motifs: Isosteres for Material Sciences and Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry
Authors: Locke Gemma M. , Bernhard Stefan S. R. , Senge Mathias O.
Published: November 2018

Nonconjugated hydrocarbons, like bicyclo[1.1.1]pentane, bicyclo[2.2.2]octane, triptycene, and cubane are a unique class of rigid linkers. Due to their similarity in size and shape they are useful mimics of classic benzene moieties in drugs, so‐called bioisosteres. Moreover, they also fulfill an important role in material sciences as linear linkers, in order to arrange various functionalities in a defined spatial manner. In this Review article, recent developments and usages of these special, rectilinear systems are discussed. Furthermore, we focus on covalently linked, nonconjugated linear arrangements and discuss the physical and chemical properties and differences of individual linkers, as well as their application in material and medicinal sciences.
π‐Conjugated Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Photoanodes: Revealing the Photochemical Behavior through In Situ X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy
Authors: Hsu Chia‐Shuo , Węcławski Marek K. , Koszarna Beata , Gryko Daniel T. , Chen Hao Ming
Published: November 2018

Small‐molecule organic semiconductors exhibit great potential for the photoelectrochemical oxidation of water because of their n‐type semiconductor nature and their tunable bandgaps. In this work, several head‐to‐tail bis‐coumarins were synthesized and their photophysical properties characterized. Their characteristics as n‐type semiconductors were modified by varying the electronic character of substituents at positions 1 and 7, which enabled the energy level of the LUMO and the photoinduced charge‐carrier‐transfer efficiency to be modulated. X‐Ray absorption near‐edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy confirmed that the charge transfer is a crucial factor contributing to the resulting activity of the photoanode. The photoactivity of the photoanodes towards water oxidation was revealed to be governed by both the LUMO energy level and transfer efficiency of the photoinduced charge carriers. Among the studied molecules, a bis‐coumarin with benzothiophenyl substituents showed the greatest potential as light absorber for photoelectrochemical water oxidation.
Strategies for Pathway Analysis Using GWAS and WGS Data
Authors: White Marquitta J. , Yaspan Brian L. , Veatch Olivia J. , Goddard Pagé , Risse‐Adams Oona S. , Contreras Maria G.
Published: November 2018

Single‐allele study designs, commonly used in genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) as well as the more recently developed whole genome sequencing (WGS) studies, are a standard approach for investigating the relationship of common variation within the human genome to a given phenotype of interest. However, single‐allele association results published for many GWAS studies represent only the tip of the iceberg for the information that can be extracted from these datasets. The primary analysis strategy for GWAS entails association analysis in which only the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with the strongest p‐values are declared statistically significant due to issues arising from multiple testing and type I errors. Factors such as locus heterogeneity, epistasis, and multiple genes conferring small effects contribute to the complexity of the genetic models underlying phenotype expression. Thus, many biologically meaningful associations having lower effect sizes at individual genes are overlooked, making it difficult to separate true associations from a sea of false‐positive associations. Organizing these individual SNPs into biologically meaningful groups to look at the overall effects of minor perturbations to genes and pathways is desirable. This pathway‐based approach provides researchers with insight into the functional foundations of the phenotype being studied and allows testing of various genetic scenarios. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Emerging Interventions for Elderly Patients—The Promise of Regenerative Medicine
Authors: Miller Ram R. , Roubenoff Ronenn
Published: November 2018

The impressive increase in lifespan that occurred in the 20th century has driven a boom in age‐associated degeneration resulting from senescence. Geriatric syndromes, such as sarcopenia and frailty, do not fall neatly into classical medical definitions of disease because they result from subtle declines in physiological function that occur over many years instead of specific organ‐related pathology. These conditions have become more clinically prominent with the aging population and are the focus of research in regenerative medicine. Two major approaches are being pursued: the first targets specific organs that are adversely affected by senescence, and the second targets senescence pathways themselves, with the goal of favorably altering the affected physiology. This review will highlight a few examples of recent applications of both of these approaches to illustrate the potential of the application of a regenerative medicine approach to improve the quality of life and independence in older adults.
Influence of Surface‐Related Phenomena on Mechanism, Selectivity, and Conversion of TiO2‐Induced Photocatalytic Reactions
Authors: Parrino Francesco , De Pasquale Claudio , Palmisano Leonardo
Published: November 2018

Heterogeneous photocatalysis is the result of an inextricable connection of several factors differently contributing to the overall process. Photon absorption is the “sine qua non” condition for the reaction to occur. In fact, photons can be considered as immaterial reactants, and all of the phenomena related to the interaction of light–matter play a prominent role. However, other factors contribute in a concerted way to address the reaction, so that the relative contribution of each of them is often difficult to evaluate. In this framework, the present paper highlights some aspects of the interaction of TiO2 surface‐adsorbate species that could be underestimated and their influence on the conversion, selectivity, and mechanisms of photocatalytic reactions. To this aim, some paradigmatic examples on the adsorption of water and organics on TiO2 are reported.
Plant phenological asynchrony and community structure of gall‐inducing insects associated with a tropical tree species
Authors: Fagundes Marcilio , Xavier Renata Cristiane Ferreira , Faria Maurício Lopes , Lopes Laura Giovanna Oliveira , Cuevas‐Reyes Pablo , Reis‐Junior Ronaldo
Published: November 2018

The dynamics of occurrence of target organs in plant populations produces windows of opportunity that directly and indirectly affect the structure of herbivore communities. However, mechanisms that drive herbivore specialization between resource patches are still poorly known. In this study, we tested three hypotheses related to variation in host plant phenology and community structure (i.e., composition, richness, and abundance) of gall‐forming species: (a) plants with early leaf‐flushing in the season will have greater vegetative growth and high contents of secondary chemical compounds; (b) gall‐inducing insect community structure changes among temporary resource patches of the host; and (c) interspecific competition is a probable mechanism that drives gall‐inducing insect community structure on Copaifera langsdorffii. We monitored daily a total of 102 individuals of the super‐host C. langsdorffii from August 2012 to May 2013, to characterize the leaf flushing time of each host plant. The leaf flushing time had a positive relationship with the number of folioles per branch and a negative relationship with branch growth. We sampled a total of 4,906 galls belonging to 24 gall‐inducing insect species from 102 individuals of C. langsdorffii. In spite of some gall‐inducing species presented high abundance on early leaf‐flushing plants, direct and indirect effects of plant phenology on galling insect abundance was species dependent. At the community level, our study revealed that the quality and quantity of plant resources did not affect the richness and abundance of gall‐inducing insects associated with C. langsdorffii. However, the richness and composition of gall‐inducing species varied according to the variation in leaf flushing time of the host plant. The results of null model analysis showed that galls co‐occurrence on C. langsdorffii trees differ more than expected by chance and that interspecific competition can be one potential mechanism structuring this gall‐inducing insect community.
Cytomorphology‐based microchip with contour extraction processing for bioparticle analysis
Authors: Fu Yusheng , Ji Hong
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we demonstrated an integrated digital image processing framework that is training‐free for high throughput beads or biological cells detection and enumeration by the bead aggregation splitting algorithm. By making contour extraction processing, the aggregated beads can be clearly split for precise counting. It can be potentially embedded on‐chip in a miniaturized medical equipment to automatically adjust illumination condition and de‐noise. This study demonstrates that the existing hematological analysis can be updated from manual classification and counting by high‐speed and precise machine‐based programs.
Highly Stable Dual‐Phase Membrane Based on Ce0.9Gd0.1O2–δ—La2NiO4+δ for Oxygen Permeation under Pure CO2 Atmosphere
Authors: Han Ning , Wei Qing , Tian Hao , Zhang Shuguang , Zhu Zhonghua , Liu Jian , Liu Shaomin
Published: November 2018

Dense oxygen ion–conducting ceramic membranes with CO2 resistance can promote many advanced applications such as membrane reactors for green chemical synthesis and oxy‐fuel combustion for clean energy delivery. The state‐of‐the‐art perovskite oxide membranes are characterized by their high O2 flux but low stability in a CO2‐containing atmosphere. To solve this problem, dual‐phase membranes have captured the imagination of researchers. Herein, a novel dual‐phase hollow fiber membrane with a composition of 40 wt% Ce0.9Gd0.1O2–δ (GDC)–60 wt% La2NiO4+δ (LNO) is developed via a combined phase inversion sintering process. During the high temperature treatment, La‐doping behavior is observed with La leaching out from the LNO phase and diffusing into the GDC phase. This dual phase membrane displays the O2 flux of 1.47 at 950 °C, which is reduced by 10% to 1.31 mL min−1 cm−2 when the sweep gas is switched from helium to pure CO2. Such minor O2 flux reduction is due to the strong CO2 adsorption on membrane surface occupying the O2 vacancies without permanent membrane damage, which is fully eliminated by an inert gas purge. Such a robust dual‐phase membrane exhibits the potential to overcome the low stability problem under the CO2‐containing atmosphere.
How do we take the pulse of an aquatic ecosystem? Current and historical approaches to measuring ecosystem integrity
Authors: Maloney Erin M.
Published: November 2018

Global environmental monitoring has indicated that the structure and function of some aquatic ecosystems has been significantly altered by human activities. There are many potential causes for these changes; however, one major concern is the increasing release of anthropogenic contaminants into aquatic environments. Although toxicological responses of individual organisms are typically well characterized, few studies have focused on characterizing toxicity at the ecosystem level. In fact, because of their scale and complexity, changes in ecosystem integrity are rarely considered in assessments of risks to ecosystems. This work attempts to move the conversation forward by defining integrity of ecosystems, reviewing current and historical approaches to measuring ecosystem integrity status (e.g., structural and functional measurements), and highlighting methods that could significantly contribute to the field of ecosystem toxicology (e.g., keystone species, environmental energetics, ecotoxicological modeling, and adverse outcome pathways [AOPs]). Through a critical analysis of current and historical methodologies, the present study offers a comprehensive, conceptual framework for the assessment of risks of contaminant exposure for whole ecosystems and proposes steps to facilitate better diagnoses of the integrity of aquatic systems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:289–301. © 2018 SETAC
CINSARC signature as a prognostic marker for clinical outcome in sarcomas and beyond
Authors: Chibon Frederic , Lesluyes Tom , Valentin Thibaud , Le Guellec Sophie
Published: November 2018

Prognostication is a key issue for sarcoma patients' care as it triggers the therapeutic approach including chemotherapy, which is still not standard for localized patients. Current prognostic evaluation, based on the FNCLCC grading system, has recently been improved by the CINSARC signature outperforming histology‐based grading system by identifying high‐risk patients in every grade, even in those considered as low. CINSARC is an expression‐based signature related to mitosis and chromosome integrity with prognostic value in a wide range of cancers additional to sarcoma. First developed with frozen material, CINSARC is now coupled with NanoString technology allowing evaluation from FFPE blocks used in clinical practice. Consequently, CINSARC is currently evaluated in clinical trials with a dual objective of demonstrating the benefit of chemotherapy in sarcoma patients and testing its response prediction. Considering its overarching value in oncology, its development is welcome in any cancers where the prognostication needs to be improved.
Attention to number: The convergence of numerical magnitude processing, attention, and mathematics in the inferior frontal gyrus
Authors: Wilkey Eric D. , Price Gavin R.
Published: November 2018

Research indicates that the neurocognitive system representing nonsymbolic numerical magnitudes is foundational for the development of mathematical competence. However, recent studies found that the most common task used to measure numerical acuity, the nonsymbolic number comparison task, is heavily influenced by non‐numerical visual parameters of stimuli that increase executive function demands. Further, this influence may be a confound invalidating theoretical accounts of the relation between number comparison performance and mathematical competence. Instead of acuity, the relation may depend on one's ability to attend to numerical information in the face of competing, non‐numerical cues. The current study investigated this issue by measuring neural activity associated with numerical magnitude processing acuity, domain‐general attention, and selective attention to number via functional magnetic resonance imaging while children 8–11 years old completed a nonsymbolic number comparison task and a flanker task. Results showed that activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus during incongruent versus congruent trials of the comparison task, our construct for attention to number, predicted mathematics achievement after controlling for verbal IQ, flanker accuracy rate, and the neural congruency effect from the flanker task. In contrast, activity in frontal and parietal regions responding to differences in difficulty of numerical comparisons, our construct for numerical magnitude processing acuity, did not correlate with achievement. Together, these findings suggest a need to reframe existing models of the relation between number processing and math competence to include the interaction between attention and use of numerical information, or in other words “attention to number.”
Risk factors for endometrial cancer: An umbrella review of the literature
Authors: Raglan Olivia , Kalliala Ilkka , Markozannes Georgios , Cividini Sofia , Gunter Marc J. , Nautiyal Jaya , Gabra Hani , Paraskevaidis Evangelos , Martin‐Hirsch Pierre , Tsilidis Kostas K. , Kyrgiou Maria
Published: November 2018

Although many risk factors could have causal association with endometrial cancer, they are also prone to residual confounding or other biases which could lead to over‐ or underestimation. This umbrella review evaluates the strength and validity of evidence pertaining risk factors for endometrial cancer. Systematic reviews or meta‐analyses of observational studies evaluating the association between non‐genetic risk factors and risk of developing or dying from endometrial cancer were identified from inception to April 2018 using PubMed, the Cochrane database and manual reference screening. Evidence was graded strong, highly suggestive, suggestive or weak based on statistical significance of random‐effects summary estimate, largest study included, number of cases, between‐study heterogeneity, 95% prediction intervals, small study effects, excess significance bias and sensitivity analysis with credibility ceilings. We identified 171 meta‐analyses investigating associations between 53 risk factors and endometrial cancer incidence and mortality. Risk factors were categorised: anthropometric indices, dietary intake, physical activity, medical conditions, hormonal therapy use, biochemical markers, gynaecological history and smoking. Of 127 meta‐analyses including cohort studies, three associations were graded with strong evidence. Body mass index and waist‐to‐hip ratio were associated with increased cancer risk in premenopausal women (RR per 5 kg/m2 1.49; CI 1.39–1.61) and for total endometrial cancer (RR per 0.1unit 1.21; CI 1.13–1.29), respectively. Parity reduced risk of disease (RR 0.66, CI 0.60–0.74). Of many proposed risk factors, only three had strong association without hints of bias. Identification of genuine risk factors associated with endometrial cancer may assist in developing targeted prevention strategies for women at high risk.
Performance indices of AmnioQuick Duo+ versus placental α‐microglobulin‐1 tests for women with prolonged premature rupture of membranes
Authors: Eleje George U. , Ezugwu Euzebus C. , Ezebialu Ifeanyichukwu U. , Ojiegbe Nnabuike O. , Egeonu Richard O. , Obiora Chukwudi C. , Okafor Chigozie G. , Ikechebelu Joseph I. , Eke Ahizechukwu C.
Published: November 2018

Objective

To compare AmnioQuick Duo+ versus the placental α‐microglobulin‐1 (PAMG‐1) test for diagnosis of prolonged premature rupture of membranes (PROM).

Methods

A multicenter prospective cohort study included women with suspected PROM at six tertiary institutions in southern Nigeria between January 1 and December 31, 2015. The inclusion criteria were features of PROM lasting at least 24 hours and a pregnancy duration of more than 24 weeks. AmnioQuick Duo+ (Biosynex, Strasbourg, France) and PAMG‐1 (AmniSure International, Boston, USA) tests were used to diagnose PROM, which was confirmed after delivery by any two of the following criteria: delivery within 48 hours to 7 days, chorioamnionitis, membranes perceptibly ruptured at delivery, and adverse perinatal outcomes considerably associated with prolonged PROM.

Results

Of 100 women assessed for eligibility, 99 were included. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were, respectively, 97.3%, 100%, and 95.9% for AmnioQuick Duo+, and 93.2%, 100%, and 90.4% for PAMG‐1. The differences were not significant and the diagnostic discordant rate between the two tests was 3.1%. In equivocal cases (i.e., negative pooling test result), AmnioQuick Duo+ and PAMG‐1 performed equally (diagnostic accuracy, 100% vs 97.7%; P>0.99).

Conclusion

For diagnosis of PROM, AmnioQuick Duo+ was found to be non‐inferior and comparable in accuracy to the PAMG‐1 test, with a diagnostic discordance rate of 3.1%.
T helper cells subtypes and their cytokine gene expression affected by carvacrol in sensitized mice administered during sensitization period
Authors: Kianmehr Majid , Rezaee Abdolrahim , Mahmoudi Mahmoud , Ghorani Vahideh , Boskabady Mohammad Hossein
Published: November 2018

Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cells and their cytokine gene expressions in splenocytes of control mice, ovalbumin sensitized (S), and S treated with dexamethasone and carvacrol during a sensitization period were examined. Th2 and Th17 population as well as the gene expression of IL‐4, IL‐17, and TGF‐β were increased, but Th1, Th1/Th2 ratio, the gene expression of IFN‐γ and FOXP3 as well as the IFN‐γ/IL‐4 ratio were decreased in S compared with control group (
P < 0.001 for all cases). Carvacrol treatment caused significant reduction of Th2 and Th17 population as well as gene expression of IL‐4, IL‐17, and TGF‐β but increase in Treg cells, Th1/Th2 ratio, gene expressions of FOXP3, IFN‐γ, and IFN‐γ/IL‐4 ratio (
P < 0.05 to
P < 0.001). The population of Th1, Th2, Th17 cells as well as the gene expression of IL‐4, IL‐17, and TGF‐β were significantly decreased, but only Treg was increased in the dexamethasone treatment group (
P < 0.05 to
P < 0.001). Carvacrol treatment during the sensitization period showed a more specific effect on Th1/Th2 imbalance in sensitized mice than dexamethasone, which may indicate the therapeutic potentials of carvacrol in disorders associated with Th1/Th2 imbalance such as asthma.
Repression of let‐7b‐5p prevents the development of multifidus muscle dysfunction by promoting vitamin D accumulation via upregulation of electron transfer flavoprotein alpha subunit in a rat model of multifidus muscle injury
Authors: Yu Hai‐Ming , Yao Xue‐Dong , Zhang Rong‐Mou , Zhuang Hua‐Feng , Wang Pei‐Wen , Li Yi‐Zhong
Published: November 2018

Multifidus muscle dysfunction is associated with the multifidus muscle injury (MMI), which ultimately result in the low‐back pain. Increasing evidence shows that microRNAs (miRs) may be involved in multifidus muscle dysfunction. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that downregulation of let‐7b‐5p may inhibit the multifidus muscle dysfunction development and progression. The target prediction program and luciferase activity determination confirmed electron transfer flavoprotein alpha subunit (ETFA) as a direct target gene of let‐7b‐5p. To study the mechanisms and functions of let‐7b‐5p in relation to ETFA in MMI progression, we prepared rats with experimental MMI, and a lentivirus‐based packaging system was designed to upregulate expressions of let‐7b‐5p, and downregulate the expression of ETFA. ETFA was identified as a target gene of let‐7b‐5p. Older age, a longer duration of pain, and higher visual analog scale and Oswestry disability index scores for the patients with chronic low‐back pain were linked to a more severe degree of degenerative muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration. Increased expression of let‐7b‐5p and decreased expression of ETFA and vitamin D receptor (VDR) were positively correlated with multifidus muscle dysfunction. Downregulated let‐7b‐5p could inhibit infiltration of collagen fibers, reverse the ultrastructural changes of multifidus muscle, and induce the VDR expression, thereby repair the MMI. The results provided a potential basis for let‐7b‐5p that could support targeted intervention in multifidus muscle dysfunction. Collectively, this study confirmed that downregulation of let‐7b‐5p has a potential inhibitory effect on the development of the function of the musculus myocytes by upregulating ETFA.
Therapeutic potential of human mesenchymal stem cells derived beta cell precursors on a nanofibrous scaffold: An approach to treat diabetes mellitus
Authors: Hoveizi Elham , Tavakol Shima
Published: November 2018

Diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune and chronic disorder that is rapidly expanding worldwide due to increasing obesity. In the current study, we were able to design a reliable 3‐dimensional differentiation process of human Wharton's jelly mesenchymal stem cells into pancreatic beta cell precursors (PBCPs) and detected that transplanted PBCPs could improve hyperglycemia in a diabetes‐induced model in mice. Polylactic acid/chitosan nanofibrous scaffold was prepared using an electrospinning method. Quantitative real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and immunocytochemistry analysis were carried out to assess pancreatic marker expression in the differentiated cells. PBCPs were transplanted under the kidney capsule of diabetic mice that induced streptozotocin injection 14 days before the transplantation. Moreover, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) was carried out 2 and 4 weeks after the transplantation to measure the reaction to a sudden increase of the blood glucose level in the transplanted animals. The results indicated that the expression of SRY (sex determining region Y)‐box (Sox17), forkhead box A2 (FoxA2), pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (Pdx1), neurogenin 3 (Ngn3), hepatic nuclear factor 4, alpha (Hnf4α), and NK2 homeobox 2 (Nkx2.2) were increased significantly in the differentiated cells compared with that of the control group. In the current study, the diabetic disease was confirmed by measuring blood glucose and proved by conducting some other behavioral tests. After the PBCPs transplantation in a diabetic model, the ipGTT and hyperglycemia investigation during the determinant times confirmed the disease's significant improvement in the experimental models. In this study, some preclinical data suggested that the transplantation of PBCPs associated with appropriate nanofiber scaffold can be utilized for the treatment of diabetes models. In addition, studies are required to elucidate the molecular mechanism of PBCPs acting in diabetes models before being used for patients with diabetes.
From gene list to gene network: Recognizing functional connections that regulate behavioral traits
Authors: Faragalla Kyrillos M. , Chernyshova Anna M. , Gallo Anthony J. , Thompson Graham J.
Published: November 2018

The study of social breeding systems is often gene focused, and the field of insect sociobiology has been successful at assimilating tools and techniques from molecular biology. One common output from sociogenomic studies is a gene list. Gene lists are readily generated from microarray, RNA sequencing, or other molecular screens that typically aim to prioritize genes based on the differences in their expression. Gene lists, however, are often unsatisfying because the information they provide is simply tabular and does not explain how genes interact with each other, or how genetic interactions change in real time under social or environmental circumstances. Here, we promote a view that is relatively common to molecular systems biology, where gene lists are converted into gene networks that better describe the functional connections that regulate behavioral traits. We present a narrative related to honeybee worker sterility to show how network analysis can be used to reprioritize candidate genes based on connectivity rather than their freestanding expression values. Networks can also reveal multigene modules, motifs, clusters or other system‐wide properties that might not be apparent from an ab initio list. We argue that because network analyses are not restricted to “genes” as nodes, their implementation can potentially connect multiple levels of biological organization into a single, progressively complex study system.
T lymphocyte subsets in cancer immunity: Friends or foes
Authors: Chraa Dounia , Naim Asmaa , Olive Daniel , Badou Abdallah
Published: November 2018

Although immune-based therapy is proving to be a success in several cancer types, only a set of patients appear to respond to immune checkpoint blockade including PD-1 and CTLA-4. A better understanding of the crucial components of cancer immunity is therefore necessary. T lymphocytes, a key element, are found within the tumor microenvironment and seem to be critical in determining the efficacy of immune surveillance. In this review, we will depict the pro- and antitumor roles of major T cell subsets in distinct cancer tissues. The central role of the mainly antitumor subsets, cytotoxic T cells and Th1 cells, will be delineated. Subsequently, we will indicate how other subsets including Th2, Th17, and T regulatory cells exhibit ambivalent roles. We will also describe the emerging and favorable role of Th9 cells in cancer immunity. In parallel, we will go through main mechanisms by which these cells operate, and will pinpoint pathways, which could be used as potential therapeutic targets in order to positively impact the immune response and ameliorate patients’ clinical outcome.

Review on the distinct T cell subsets in cancer immunity and potential T cell-related molecules, which could be targeted in order to improve patients' clinical outcome.
The role of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) in gynaecological radiation therapy: A dosimetric comparison of intensity modulated radiation therapy versus VMAT
Authors: Knapp Penelope , Eva Belinda , Reseigh Gemma , Gibbs Adrian , Sim Lucy , Daly Tiffany , Cox Judith , Bernard Anne
Published: November 2018

Introduction

For gynaecological cancers, volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) offers comparable plan quality with shorter treatment delivery times when compared to intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT).

Methods

The clinical IMRT plans of twenty gynaecological cancer patients were compared with a retrospectively generated VMAT plan. Planning target volume (PTV) metrics compared were D95 > 99%, homogeneity index, and conformity index. Organs at risk (OAR) doses compared were bladder V45 < 35%, bowel V40 < 30%, femoral head and neck (FHN) V30 < 50%, V44 < 35% and V44 < 5%. Plan quality was also assessed by comparing the monitor units (MU), treatment time and the patient‐specific quality assurance results.

Results

VMAT and IMRT resulted in comparable PTV coverage with D95 values of 98.92% ± 0.69% and 98.91% ± 1.43% respectively, and homogeneity index values of 0.08 ± 0.02 (VMAT) and 0.08 ± 0.03 (IMRT). The conformity index for VMAT was 0.93 ± 0.04 and IMRT 0.85 ± 0.06 (P < 0.001). For the bowel tolerance (40 Gy < 30%) VMAT resulted in 22.39% ± 12.5% compared to 28.8% ± 16.78% for IMRT, with bladder and FHN VMAT doses also lower. VMAT MU were 694.35 ± 126.56 compared to 606.8 ± 96.16 for IMRT (P < 0.01). Treatment times of 6.6 ± 0.82 min and 2.47 ± 0.35 min were achieved for IMRT and VMAT respectively.

Conclusion

VMAT showed improvements in sparing OAR compared to IMRT. Target volume coverage with VMAT was equivalent or better than that of IMRT. These results in conjunction with the confirmed shorter treatment delivery time, have led to the development and implementation of a clinical protocol.
Characterization of microbiota diversity of field‐collected Haemaphysalis longicornis (Acari: Ixodidae) with regard to sex and blood meals
Authors: Zhang Ruiling , Huang Zhendong , Yu Guangfu , Zhang Zhong
Published: November 2018

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a prominent tick species in China, and the major vector of an emerging tick‐borne disease: severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS). Microbiome diversity of ticks is influenced by several factors. In this study, we investigated microbiome diversity in field‐collected female and male H. longicornis ticks and compared the microbial composition of fed and unfed ticks and of those feeding on different hosts using barcode sequencing of V3–V4 region of 16S RNA gene. Regardless of sex, host, and feeding status; the highest abundance among all samples was found for the genus Coxiella. The relative numbers of Coxiella sequences decreased with the length of the blood feeding, whereas the numbers of Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium increased gradually. The dominance of Coxiella across all samples indicates that it is an obligate symbiont of H. longicornis. Overall, higher microbiome richness was detected in male ticks than in female ticks. Fed ticks showed a more diverse microbe composition than unfed ticks, and ticks fed on goats exhibited the highest diversity. These findings of this study can serve as a basis for future studies of microbiota biology and interactions between the microbes and pathogens of H. longicornis.
Impact of climate change on solar irradiation and variability over the Iberian Peninsula using regional climate models
Authors: Gil Victoria , Gaertner Miguel Angel , Gutierrez Claudia , Losada Teresa
Published: November 2018

As solar energy will be an increasingly important renewable energy source in future years, the study of how climate change affects both its temporal and spatial variability is very relevant. In this paper, we study future changes of the solar radiation resource in the Iberian Peninsula (IP) through a set of simulations from ESCENA project (generation of regionalized scenarios of climate change in Spain with high‐resolution models) until mid‐century. The evaluation of the simulations against observations indicates contrasting biases for the different regional climate models (RCMs) in terms of solar irradiation amount and its inter‐annual variability. We propose a diagnostic for the quality of solar energy resource, in which the gridpoints are classified in four categories depending on the combination of solar irradiation amount and variability. The observed large percentage of points in the optimal category (high irradiation/low variability) in the IP is well‐captured by the RCMs in general terms.

The analysis of scenarios indicates a future increase in solar irradiation, although not all scenarios agree in the geographical distribution of this increase. The quality of solar energy resource is projected to increase, mostly due to a decrease in variability. This is an important result, as a more stable inter‐annual resource should decrease the need for backup sources and also reduce inter‐annual electricity price variations. Finally, results from a first approximation to the issue of the ability of solar energy to cover power demand peaks in summer show important differences between regions of the IP. However, the spatially averaged correlation of solar irradiation and summer surface temperatures for the whole IP is rather high, which is a positive result as the strong interconnections of the power grid within the IP could allow a distribution of solar power surpluses in certain regions for such high‐temperature episodes.
Assessment of quality consistency in traditional Chinese medicine using multi‐wavelength fusion profiling by integrated quantitative fingerprint method: Niuhuang Jiedu pill as an example
Authors: Zhang Jing , Sun Guoxiang
Published: November 2018

Under the wave of the revival of traditional Chinese medicine, there is a quite imperative duty to study an integrated and comprehensive method of fingerprint data processing and analysis on the quality consistency of traditional Chinese medicine. So, we proposed six parameters from two aspects (qualitative and quantitative), three levels (biased to strong peaks, biased to weak peaks, no obvious bias), to comprehensively evaluate the similarity of the two fingerprints. On this basis, another five parameters were proposed to evaluate the integrated effects (consistency, volatility, and similarity). This method was applied to 22 batches of Niuhuang Jiedu pill samples. Next, a practical and convenient multi‐wavelength fusion method was designed to provide more information, and the generated fusion profilings were used for subsequent evaluation. The characteristics of the parameters were confirmed by correlation analysis. The results of both hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis for raw data and standardized data were consistent with integrated quantitative fingerprint method results. At the same time, this method gave a reasonable explanation for abnormal and dissimilar samples. This work illustrated that the proposed method was particularly suitable for similarity analysis of fingerprints and capable of ensuring the quality consistency in traditional Chinese medicine.
Langmuir Monolayers as Tools to Study Biodegradable Polymer Implant Materials
Authors: Machatschek Rainhard , Schulz Burkhard , Lendlein Andreas
Published: November 2018

Langmuir monolayers provide a fast and elegant route to analyze the degradation behavior of biodegradable polymer materials. In contrast to bulk materials, diffusive transport of reactants and reaction products in the (partially degraded) material can be neglected at the air–water interface, allowing for the study of molecular degradation kinetics in experiments taking less than a day and in some cases just a few minutes, in contrast to experiments with bulk materials that can take years. Several aspects of the biodegradation behavior of polymer materials, such as the interaction with biomolecules and degradation products, are directly observable. Expanding the technique with surface‐sensitive instrumental techniques enables evaluating the evolution of the morphology, chemical composition, and the mechanical properties of the degrading material in situ. The potential of the Langmuir monolayer degradation technique as a predictive tool for implant degradation when combined with computational methods is outlined, and related open questions and strategies to overcome these challenges are pointed out.
High‐isolation conjoined loop multi‐input multi‐output antennas for the fifth‐generation tablet device
Authors: Wong Kin‐Lu , Lin Bo‐Wei , Lin Song‐En
Published: November 2018

Two coupled‐fed loop antennas with a conjoined capacitor‐embedded section to achieve compact size and high isolation for the fifth‐generation (5G) multi‐input multi‐output (MIMO) operation in the tablet device are presented. The two conjoined loop MIMO antennas cover the 5G band of 3300‐4200 MHz, which is considered to be the largest contiguous frequency range potentially available for 5G mobile broadband services below 6000 MHz. The conjoined capacitor‐embedded section not only functions as a part of the resonant path of the two loop antennas but also behaves like a band‐pass resonant structure in the operating band. The latter makes the capacitor‐embedded section to have much lower impedance in the operating band, as compared to that of a simple strip section. This makes it capable of effectively attracting the surface currents on the ground plane excited by one loop antenna to be away from the feed port of the other loop antenna. The two loop antennas can hence exhibit high isolation, even though the two antennas are conjoined to have a simple integrated planar structure of compact size. The envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of the two conjoined loop antennas is also very small, less than 0.1 in the operating band.
An enhanced circular polarization near‐field focused antenna array by director patches
Authors: Huang HuiFen , Wang Bin
Published: November 2018

This paper presents an enhanced circular polarization (CP) near‐field focused (NFF) antenna array. There exist three advantages for the CP NFF antenna. First, this study provides an effective way to realize the CP and NFF simultaneously and do not need to design a specific patch shape for CP, which provides more freedom to change the patch shape for improving other performances. The effective way is arranging the element excitation according to maximum power transmission efficiency theory under the condition of a CP testing antenna. Second, the array element consists of a driven and director patches, and the director patches tilt the element beam from broadside direction to focal point, and then obviously enhance the electric field focusing gain. Third, the proposed array antenna achieves much less size of focal point by using much less element number than published papers. The curves for the impedance and axial ratio (AR) as function of frequency, focus width and depth are analyzed. The simulated and measured results basically agree.
A 5‐11 GHz CMOS power amplifier using Guanella‐type transmission line transformer and adaptive bias circuit
Authors: Lin Hou‐An , Wang Yuan‐Chang , Chiou Hwann‐Kaeo
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a 5‐11 GHz fully integrated power amplifier (PA) in tsmc 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The PA utilized broadband and low‐loss Guanella differential transmission‐line transformers (DTLTs) as the input‐ and output‐matching networks to achieve broadband performance. The adaptive bias circuit was adopted to improve the linearity and power added efficiency (PAE) at power back‐off region. The power gain and stability were enhanced by capacitive unilaterialized technique. The PA achieves an output 1‐dB compression point (OP1dB) of 21.75 dBm with 1‐dB bandwidth from 5.5 to 10.5 GHz. The PAEs at peak and P1dB are 21.3% and 23.9%, respectively. The chip dimensions, including all pads, are 1.79 × 1.04 mm2.