bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motor Disorders
Authors: Rigoli Daniela , Piek Jan P.
Published: January 2020

Throughout the lifespan, individuals are required to move and survive through complex and dynamic environmental interactions. This highlights the importance of effective and efficient movement skills. During childhood, movement experiences gained through environmental interactions provide important learning opportunities that, in turn, further promote the development of motor skills needed for everyday tasks such as eating, drawing, and playing games. This also demonstrates the crucial role that motor skills may have in other areas of development, including cognitive and social domains. Adolescence comprises many biological, social, and emotional changes and, therefore, this developmental period may represent a particular challenge for young people who experience motor disorders, such as cerebral palsy, developmental coordination disorder, stereotypic movement disorder, and tic disorders. While the literature has appeared to focus on the impact of motor disorders in younger children, it is clear that the impact of such disorders in adolescence requires further attention.
Inclusion and Exclusion
Authors: Burkholder Amanda R. , Sims Riley N. , Killen Melanie
Published: January 2020

Children who are excluded from groups on the basis of their group membership such as their gender, race, and ethnicity are at risk of long‐term negative consequences such as depression and anxiety. From early childhood to adulthood, individuals face inclusion and exclusion from social groups, social relationships, and various other opportunities; this makes such instances of inclusion and exclusion pervasive components of social life. A fundamental aspect of development, therefore, is the ability to understand when exclusion is necessary to make groups work well and when it is wrong and unfair. Intergroup inclusion and exclusion is a relatively new line of research, and refers to exclusion that occurs due to in‐group bias, out‐group distrust, prejudicial attitudes, and stereotypic expectations. Thus, as children begin to recognize, with age, the role of prejudice and bias in decisions to exclude out‐group peers, their understanding and evaluations of the consequences and implications of intergroup inclusion and exclusion also develops. Intervention techniques, such as promoting intergroup contact (e.g., cross‐race friendships), can help ameliorate the prevalence of intergroup exclusion and reduce prejudice and bias in childhood.
Personality–Environment Interaction
Authors: Kawamoto Tetsuya
Published: January 2020

Though adolescents' behaviors have been often explained by referencing either their innate personality or their environments until recently, the interaction between adolescent personality and environmental factors has begun to attract much attention to account for adolescents' behaviors. Personality–environment interaction perspectives posit that environmental effects on developmental outcomes differ depending on individual personality, or that the relationships between personality and developmental outcomes vary with environmental factors. Personality–environment interaction views include the diathesis–stress model, the differential susceptibility model, and the vantage sensitivity model. Because of the reliance on community survey data and the inclusion of only a small range of environmental factors in detecting personality–environment interaction, the empirical findings in personality–environment interaction are not consistent. However, these findings imply that an interaction theoretical framework is important to understanding the etiology of adolescent developmental outcomes.
Distributed adaptive state estimation and tracking by using active‐passive sensor networks
Authors: Raj Akhilesh , Jagannathan Sarangapani , Yucelen Tansel
Published: January 2020

Heterogeneous sensor networks (HSN) find a wide range of applications in the field of military and civilian environments, where sensor nodes are utilized to estimate the position of a target with both dynamics and control input being unknown for the purposes of tracking. In the HSN, nodes are considered active depending upon their ability to sense the target output while the others are taken passive. Accurate estimation requires local information exchange among the spatially located sensor nodes, so that the active nodes as well as the passive nodes converge simultaneously to the same value. The local information exchange among the nodes is dictated by a connected graph. By using the criterion of collective observability, a novel distributed adaptive estimation scheme is introduced via adaptive observer where the nodes are allowed to have different sensor modalities. Using the estimated information, a subset of active and passive nodes, referred to as mobile nodes, can track the moving target. By using a constant state feedback controller at each mobile node, the state and parameter estimation as well as the tracking errors are shown to be uniformly ultimately bounded. Simulation results verify theoretical claims.
Improving Quantum Yield of a NIR‐II Dye by Phenylazo Group
Authors: Zhang Ling'e , Liu Changren , Zhou Sensen , Wang Ruonan , Fan Quli , Liu Dongfang , Wu Wei , Jiang Xiqun
Published: January 2020

Understanding structure‐fluorescence correlation is very helpful for the design of fluorescent probes. In this paper, a donor‐acceptor‐donor (D‐A‐D) type NIR‐II fluorophore with benzobisthiadiazole as the acceptor and triphenyl amine as the donor, and its three derivatives bearing respectively amino, tert‐butyloxycarbonyl amino and phenylazo groups in donor moieties, are synthesized. Their electronic structures and optical properties are investigated via theoretical and experimental studies. It is found that all the three types of substituents significantly influence its fluorescent properties and the phenylazo groups dramatically enhance its quantum yield (QY). To achieve biological applications and maintain high QY in aqueous environments, the phenylazo‐containing fluorophore is encapsulated in polystyrene‐co‐poly(ethylene glycol) micelles. The obtained fluorescent micelles have a QY of ≈3.51% in 1000–1500 nm in aqueous medium that is among the highest of the organic NIR‐II probes reported so far for biological imaging. The high QY enables the in vivo imaging of the micelle‐administered mice to be conducted with high speed and quality. As an application example, ultrafast NIR‐II imaging of intravenously injected mice is performed and used to determine their cardiac cycle and heart rate. The micelles also significantly accumulate in tumors after tail‐vein injection and exhibit great application potentials in tumor detection.
Large‐Scale Smart Carpet for Self‐Powered Fall Detection
Authors: Yu Aifang , Wang Wei , Li Zebin , Liu Xia , Zhang Yang , Zhai Junyi
Published: January 2020

Fabric has long‐term and the closest relationship to humans and is one of the measures of human progress and civilization. Functional fabrics are vigorously developed over the past few decades due to the explosive increase in portable electronic products. Fall detection is becoming increasingly important with the recent rapid aging of the population. Here, a pressure‐sensitive and large‐scale carpet for self‐powered fall detection, which is based on the textile‐triboelectric nanogenerators (t‐TENGs) arrays inlaid in common textile, is proposed. Core–shell yarns with conductive fibers as the core and common clothing fibers as the shell fabricated by a commercially available weaving method are used to constructed the smart t‐TENGs. The fabricated smart carpet exhibits desirable features including high sensitivity, fast response time, scalable production, comfortability, washability, and compatibility with existing home decoration. Furthermore, apart from highly integrated data acquisition and processing, arrangement of t‐TENGs cells and trigger algorithm are deliberately designed to effectively and simply realize real‐time and self‐powered falling behavior monitoring. Possessing these unique merits, the proposed system demonstrates great potential in more humanized medical healthcare systems and can be applied to innumerable families.
Strong Light–Matter Interactions Enabled by Polaritons in Atomically Thin Materials
Authors: Gonçalves P. A. D. , Stenger Nicolas , Cox Joel D. , Mortensen N. Asger , Xiao Sanshui
Published: January 2020

Polaritons, resulting from the hybridization of light with polarization charges formed at the boundaries between media with positive and negative dielectric response functions, can focus light into regions much smaller than its associated free‐space wavelength. This property is paramount for a plethora of applications in nanophotonics, ranging from biological sensing to photocatalysis to nonlinear and quantum optics. In the two‐dimensional (2D) limit, represented by atomically thin and van der Waals (vdW) materials of single‐layers bound by weak vdW attraction, polaritons are characterized by extremely small wavelengths associated with extreme optical confinement, and furthermore can exhibit long lifetimes, electrical tunability, and extreme sensitivity to their dielectric environment, among many other desirable qualities in nano‐optical device applications. Here, the fundamentals of polaritons in atomically thin materials are summarized, emphasizing plasmon and exciton polaritons, their strong light–matter interactions, and nonlinear plasmonics. More specifically, this review opens with a pedagogical discussion of plasmons in extended and nanostructured graphene, providing a classical electrodynamical model in a nonretarded theoretical framework, and the ultraconfined acoustic plasmons supported by hybrid graphene–dielectric–metal structures. In addition, the basic principles are introduced and the recent developments on nonlinear graphene plasmonics and on strong coupling physics with atomically thin transition metal dichalcogenides are reviewed. Finally, potentially new, promising research directions in the burgeoning field of 2D nanophotonics are identified.
Particle size matters: The effect of particle size on carbon and oxygen isotope composition of bone hydroxyapatite
Authors: Moloughney Vincent P. , Pinder Danielle M. , Pestle William J.
Published: January 2020

Objectives

Stable isotope studies often focus on hydroxyapatite (bioapatite) to answer questions of paleodiet, paleomobility, and paeloenvironment. This study seeks to determine the effect that sample particle size (in particular SA:V, or surface area to volume ratios) has on measured carbon and oxygen stable isotope values (δ13C and δ18O) in bone hydroxyapatite.

Materials and methods

Previously ground Homo sapiens sapiens cortical bone samples were subdivided using geological screens to obtain three separate sub‐samples, differing only in their particle size. These aliquots (n = 60) were then treated using established protocols to remove any exogenous organic material (2.5% NaOH) and adsorbed carbonates (0.1 M CH3COOH), and analyzed for δ13C and δ18O using a Kiel‐IV Carbonate Device coupled to a Thermo‐Finnigan DeltaPlus IRMS.

Results

Data obtained indicate that decreased particle size leads to increases in both δ13C and δ18O, with oxygen isotope values being more dramatically affected. Specifically, it is possible to produce isotopic shifts of as much as 1.0‰ and 4.0‰ for δ13C and δ18O, respectively, solely by analyzing different sized particles from the same individual, bone, and sample.

Discussion

Based upon the variability seen between different size fractions from the same sample, it is clear that particle size has a meaningful impact on carbon and oxygen isotope composition. We attribute these shifts to the differential adsorption or precipitation of environmental carbon and oxygen during pretreatment. We recommend that particle size be added to the list of potential variables affecting isotope composition, alongside other factors including diagenesis, reagent concentration, and treatment time. We would also note that while most individuals exhibit consistent changes, some do not, and thus further investigation into these phenomena is warranted.
Reversible pH‐Responsive Coacervate Formation in Lipid Vesicles Activates Dormant Enzymatic Reactions
Authors: Love Celina , Steinkühler Jan , Gonzales David T. , Yandrapalli Naresh , Robinson Tom , Dimova Rumiana , Tang T.‐Y. Dora
Published: January 2020

In situ, reversible coacervate formation within lipid vesicles represents a key step in the development of responsive synthetic cellular models. Herein, we exploit the pH responsiveness of a polycation above and below its pKa, to drive liquid–liquid phase separation, to form single coacervate droplets within lipid vesicles. The process is completely reversible as coacervate droplets can be disassembled by increasing the pH above the pKa. We further show that pH‐triggered coacervation in the presence of low concentrations of enzymes activates dormant enzyme reactions by increasing the local concentration within the coacervate droplets and changing the local environment around the enzyme. In conclusion, this work establishes a tunable, pH responsive, enzymatically active multi‐compartment synthetic cell. The system is readily transferred into microfluidics, making it a robust model for addressing general questions in biology, such as the role of phase separation and its effect on enzymatic reactions using a bottom‐up synthetic biology approach.
Living Supramolecular Polymerization of an Aza‐BODIPY Dye Controlled by a Hydrogen‐Bond‐Accepting Triazole Unit Introduced by Click Chemistry
Authors: Wang Houchen , Zhang Yongjie , Chen Yuanfang , Pan Hongfei , Ren Xiangkui , Chen Zhijian
Published: January 2020

An aza‐BODIPY dye 1 bearing two hydrophobic fan‐shaped tridodecyloxybenzamide pendants through 1,2,3‐triazole linkages was synthesized by a click reaction and characterized. 1H NMR studies indicated that dye 1 exhibited variable conformations through intramolecular H‐bonding interaction, which is beneficial for the polymorphism of aggregation. The thermodynamic, structural, and kinetic aspect of the supramolecular polymerization of dye 1 was investigated by UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, AFM, TEM, and SEM. Biphasic aggregation pathways of dye 1, leads to the formation of off‐pathway, metastable Agg. I and thermodynamically stable Agg. II with distinct H‐aggregation spectra and nanoscale morphology. The living manner of the supramolecular polymerization of dye 1 was demonstrated in seeded polymerization experiments with temperature‐modulated successive cooling–heating cycles.
Nanoparticle‐Assisted Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes on DNA Origami
Authors: Zhang Yueyue , Mao Xiuhai , Li Fan , Li Min , Jing Xinxin , Ge Zhilei , Wang Lihua , Liu Kai , Zhang Hongjie , Fan Chunhai , Zuo Xiaolei
Published: January 2020

Aligning carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is a key challenge for fabricating CNT‐based electronic devices. Herein, we report a spherical nucleic acid (SNA) mediated approach for the highly precise alignment of CNTs at prescribed sites on DNA origami. We find that the cooperative DNA hybridization occurring at the interface of SNA and DNA‐coated CNTs leads to an approximately five‐fold improvement of the positioning efficiency. By combining this with the intrinsic positioning addressability of DNA origami, CNTs can be aligned in parallel with an extremely small angular variation of within 10°. Moreover, we demonstrate that the parallel alignment of CNTs prevents incorrect logic functionality originating from stray conducting paths formed by misaligned CNTs. This SNA‐mediated method thus holds great potential for fabricating scalable CNT arrays for nanoelectronics.
Electron Transfer in the Cs⊂{Mn4Fe4} Cubic Switch: A Soluble Molecular Model of the MnFe Prussian‐Blue Analogues
Authors: Jiménez Juan‐Ramón , Glatz Jana , Benchohra Amina , Gontard Geoffrey , Chamoreau Lise‐Marie , Meunier Jean‐François , Bousseksou Azzedine , Lescouëzec Rodrigue
Published: January 2020

A mixed‐valence {MnII3MnIIIFeII2FeIII2} cyanide‐bridged molecular cube hosting a caesium cation, Cs⊂{Mn4Fe4}, was synthesized and structurally characterized by X‐ray diffraction. Cyclic‐voltammetry measurements show that its electronic state can be switched between five different redox states, which results in a remarkable electrochromic effect. Magnetic measurements on fresh samples point to the occurrence of a spin‐state change near room temperature, which could be ascribed to a metal‐to‐metal electron transfer converting the {FeII−CN−MnIII} pair into a {FeIII−CN−MnII} pair. This feature was only previously observed in the polymeric MnFe Prussian‐blue analogues (PBAs). Moreover, this novel switchable molecule proved to be soluble and stable in organic solvents, paving the way for its integration into advanced materials.
Investigating the degradability of polyethylene using starch, oxo‐material, and polylactic acid under the different environmental conditions
Authors: Panahi Lotfollah , Gholizadeh Mortaza , Hajimohammadi Reza
Published: January 2020

The change in the properties of low‐density polyethylene after adding starch, oxo‐material, polylactic acid, and their mixture was studied. Different amounts of the additives were added, and films were prepared by using a twin‐screw extruder at 150–225°C. By Minitab software, the optimum percentages of the additives were selected. The films were kept under different environmental conditions including “open atmosphere,” “buried underground,” and “buried underground with regular daily irrigation” for 6 months. The degradability, tensile strength, elongation at breaking point, and dart impact were measured. Thermogravimetric analysis and FTIR spectrum changes were used to monitor changes. SEM images illustrated that the starch changed the morphology significantly, while other additives did not show remarkable effects. Mechanical and chemical properties changed significantly when starch was added. The highest changes were recorded for the sample with three additives, which was showing the high efficiency of the film decomposition. The highest amount of chemical changes was recorded for the same film. After 6 months, the lowest crystallinity was recorded by DSC and XRD for the same sample. Different environmental conditions showed different effects on the films mechanical properties. However, chemical properties of the films, excluding the film with starch, did not change significantly.
Highly sensitive pressure sensor based on structurally modified tissue paper for human physiological activity monitoring
Authors: Huang Ying , Wang Zhiqiang , Zhou Huanfeng , Guo Xiaohui , Zhang Yangyang , Wang Yang , Liu Ping , Liu Caixia , Ma Yuanming , Zhang Yugang
Published: January 2020

Pressure sensor has become an important part of physiological condition monitoring system because it can respond to small pressure in human activities. Tissue paper has been studied as a carrier of sensitive unit layer for pressure sensors in recent years due to its internal pore structure and wrinkle morphology of surface. In this work, the pore structure of the tissue paper is improved by the principle of hydration and destruction of hydrogen bonds. Based on flexible substrate of NaOH modified tissue paper (NMTP) with enhanced pore structure, combined with dip‐coating composite conductive filler, the pressure sensor is fabricated by sandwiching the sensitive unit between the interdigital electrode and the microdome elastomer through layer‐by‐layer assembly method. Thanks to the excellent interfacial resistance effect of porous NMTP under pressure, the sensitivity of NMTP‐based pressure sensor is as high as 37.5 kPa−1 in a pressure range of 0–2 kPa. Finally, the follow‐up studies on pressure sensors have been proven to be applicable to a variety of physiological activity such as pulse detection, respiration detection and voice recognition. The NMTP‐based sensitive unit provides alternative strategy to improve performance of pressure sensors and extends potential applications in monitoring human physiological activities. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48973.
Ecological coherence of Marine Protected Areas: New tools applied to the Baltic Sea network
Authors: Jonsson Per R. , Moksnes Per‐Olav , Corell Hanna , Bonsdorff Erik , Nilsson Jacobi Martin
Published: January 2020

Spatial connectivity is an essential process to consider in the design and assessment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). To help maintain and restore marine populations and communities MPAs should form ecologically coherent networks. How to estimate and implement connectivity in MPA design remains a challenge.

Here a new theoretical framework is presented based on biophysical modelling of organism dispersal, combined with a suite of tools to assess different aspects of connectivity that can be integrated in MPA design. As a demonstration, these tools are applied to an MPA network in the Baltic Sea (HELCOM MPA).

The tools are based on the connectivity matrix, which summarizes dispersal probabilities, averaged over many years, between all considered areas in the geographic target area. The biophysical model used to estimate connectivity included important biological traits that affect dispersal patterns where different trait combinations and habitat preferences will produce specific connectivity matrices representing different species.

Modelled connectivity matrices were used to assess local retention within individual MPAs, which offers indications about the adequacy of size when MPAs are considered in isolation. The connectivity matrix also provides information about source areas to individual MPAs, e.g. sources of larvae or pressures such as contaminants. How well several MPAs act as a network was assessed within a framework of eigenvalue perturbation theory (EPT). With EPT, the optimal MPA network with respect to connectivity can be identified. In addition, EPT can suggest optimal extensions of existing MPA networks to enhance connectivity. Finally, dispersal barriers can be identified based on the connectivity matrix, which may suggest boundaries for management units.

The assessment of connectivity for the HELCOM MPA are discussed in terms of possible improvements, but the tools presented here could be applied to any region.
Isolation and Characterization of Mammalian Otic Progenitor Cells that Can Differentiate into Both Sensory Epithelial and Neuronal Cell Lineages
Authors: Kojima Ken , Nishida Akiko T. , Tashiro Kei , Hirota Kiichi , Nishio Takeshi , Murata Miyahiko , Kato Nobuo , Kawaguchi Saburo , Zine Azel , Ito Juichi , Van De Water Thomas R.
Published: January 2020

The mammalian inner ear mediates hearing and balance and during development generates both cochleo‐vestibular ganglion neurons and sensory epithelial receptor cells, that is, hair cells and support cells. Cell marking experiments have shown that both hair cells and support cells can originate from a common progenitor. Here, we demonstrate the lineage potential of individual otic epithelial cell clones using three cell lines established by a combination of limiting dilution and gene‐marking techniques from an embryonic day 12 (E12) rat otocyst. Cell‐type specific marker analyses of these clonal lines under proliferation and differentiation culture conditions demonstrate that during differentiation immature cell markers (Nanog and Nestin) were downregulated and hair cell (Myosin VIIa and Math1), support cell (p27Kip1 and cytokeratin) and neuronal cell (NF‐H and NeuroD) markers were upregulated. Our results suggest that the otic epithelium of the E12 mammalian inner ear possess multipotent progenitor cells able to generate cell types of both sensory epithelial and neural cell lineages when cultured under a differentiation culture condition. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of proliferation and differentiation of multipotent otic progenitor cells may provide insights that could contribute to the development of a novel cell therapy with a potential to initiate or stimulate the sensorineural repair of damaged inner ear sensory receptors. Anat Rec, 303:451–460, 2020. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy
Molecular characterization of DNA methyltransferase 1 and its role in temperature change of armyworm Mythimna separata Walker
Authors: Wang Yaru , Wang Falv , Hong Ding‐kai , Gao San‐ji , Wang Ran , Wang Jin‐da
Published: January 2020

DNA methylation refers to the addition of cytosine residues in a CpG context (5′‐cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine‐3′). As one of the most common mechanisms of epigenetic modification, it plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression and in a diverse range of biological processes across all multicellular organisms. The relationship between temperature and DNA methylation and how it acts on the adaptability of migratory insects remain unknown. In the present work, a 5,496 bp full‐length complementary DNA encoding 1,436 amino acids (named MsDnmt1) was cloned from the devastating migratory pest oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata Walker. The protein shares 36.8–84.4% identity with other insect Dnmt1 isoforms. Spatial and temporal expression analysis revealed that MsDnmt1 was highly expressed in adult stages and head tissue. The changing temperature decreased the expression of MsDnmt1 in both high and low temperature condition. Besides, we found that M. separata exhibited the shortest duration time from the last instar to pupae under 36°C environment when injected with DNA methylation inhibitor. Therefore, our data highlight a potential role for DNA methylation in thermal resistance, which help us to understand the biological role adaptability and colonization of migratory pest in various environments.
Exposure Assessment in Millimeter‐Wave Reverberation Chamber Using Murine Phantoms
Authors: Khadir Fall Abdou , Lemoine Christophe , Besnier Philippe , Sauleau Ronan , Le Dréan Yves , Zhadobov Maxim
Published: January 2020

This study deals with the design and calibration of the first mode‐stirred reverberation chamber (RC) in the 60‐GHz‐band adapted for in vivo bioelectromagnetic studies. In addition to the interface for electromagnetic and thermal dosimetry, the interfaces for lighting and ventilation were integrated into the RC walls while preserving acceptable shielding. The RC with mechanical and electronic steering capabilities is characterized in the 55–65 GHz range. To this end, murine skin‐equivalent phantoms of realistic shape were designed and fabricated. Their complex permittivity is within ±12% of the target value of murine skin (6.19–j5.81 at 60 GHz). The quality factor of the RC loaded with an animal cage, bedding litter, and five murine phantoms was found to be 1.2 × 104. The losses inside the RC were analyzed, and it was demonstrated that the main sources of the power dissipation were the phantoms and mice cage. The input power required to reach the average incident power density of 1 and 5 mW/cm2 was found to be 0.23 and 1.14 W, respectively. Surface heating of the mice models was measured in the infrared (IR) range using a specifically designed interface, transparent at IR and opaque at millimeter waves (mmW). Experimental results were compared with an analytical solution of the heat transfer equation and to full‐wave computations. Analytical and numerical results were in very good agreement with measurements (the relative deviation after 90 min of exposure was within 4.2%). Finally, a parametric study was performed to assess the impact of the thermophysical parameters on the resulting heating. Bioelectromagnetics. 2020;41:121–135. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
Evaluation of critical constructs for measurement of sustainable supply chain practices in lean‐agile firms of Indian origin: A hybrid ISM‐ANP approach
Authors: Digalwar Abhijeet , Raut Rakesh D. , Yadav Vinay S. , Narkhede Balkrishna , Gardas Bhaskar B. , Gotmare Ashwini
Published: January 2020

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the critical criteria that are influencing the successful implementation of sustainable supply chain practices (SSCP) in the lean‐agile manufacturing firm. From the systematic literature review and field professionals' opinion, various criteria that are influencing sustainable supply chain were identified. Data were collected from 16 experts and analysed by an integrated approach of “interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and analytic network process (ANP).” ISM methodology was utilized to get a hierarchical relationship between all criteria. Further, the input to the ANP matrices was taken from the output of ISM, and three organizations that differ in their principle of operation were ranked to find out the extent of implementation of SSCP in the Indian context. The obtained results indicate that “Information technology‐enabled system support (ITS), SC member's awareness and literacy (SAL), Societal issues (SIS), and Scarcity of natural resources (SNR)” were most significant constructs for successful implementation of SSCP for the case organizations.
RETRACTED: Long noncoding RNA CASC9 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer via sponging miR‐488‐3p
Authors: Chen Yonghui , Li Yaomei , Gao Hongbo
Published: January 2020

Cancer susceptibility candidate 9 (CASC9) is a recently identified lncRNA that acted as a tumor promotor in diversified cancer types. However, its role in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains unknown. The expression of CASC9 was measured in 52 human PTC tissues and PTC cell lines as well as their controls. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cells were determined after knockdown or overexpression of CASC9 to evaluate the effect of CASC9 on PTC cells. Also, the role of PTC tumorigenesis was confirmed in mice xenograft models. Additionally, the underlying mechanisms of CASC9 were further researched. We found that CASC9 expression was augmented in human PTC tissues and cells. Higher CASC9 expression was associated with large tumor size, advanced stage, or lymph node metastasis. Downregulation of CASC9 significantly attenuated the proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities of PTC cells, and suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. While overexpression of CASC9 elevated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PTC cells. miR‐488‐3p expression was decreased, and ADAM9 level was increased in PTC tissues and cells. CASC9 expression was negatively related to miR‐488‐3p, but positively associated with ADAM9 expression in PTC tissues. Molecular mechanism analysis revealed that CASC9 functioned via sponging miR‐488‐3p to regulate ADAM9 expression, followed by activation of EGFR‐Akt signaling. In conclusion, lncRNA CASC9 promoted the malignant phenotypes of PTC via modulating miR‐488‐3p/ADAM9 pathway. This study may provide a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of PTC.
A population‐based study of age‐related associations between vaginal pH and the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Teng Peng , Hao Min
Published: January 2020

The association between vaginal pH and the risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is unclear. We evaluated the dose‐response relationship between vaginal pH and CIN risk, as well as the combined influence of vaginal pH and high‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) on the risk of CIN and the mediation effects of hrHPV infection on vaginal pH level and the development of CIN. We investigated 2304 women in Shanxi, China. The dose‐response relationship between vaginal pH and CIN risk was assessed using categoric and spline analyses. We established interaction and mediation models to determine the correlation between pH and hrHPV in the development of CIN. After adjusting covariates, a positive association was observed between hrHPV infection and the development of CIN [OR (95% CI) = 4.75 (3.52‐6.40) for CIN2+; OR (95% CI) = 7.30 (4.10‐13.00) for CIN3+], while a negative correlation was showed between vaginal pH level and CIN3+ [OR (95% CI) = 1.04 (0.59‐1.84); high vs low: OR (95% CI) = 0.32 (0.15‐0.69), P = .002]. The highest risk of CIN (5.24 of CIN2+ and 5.80 of CIN3+) were observed when hrHPV infection was combined with middle vaginal pH (4.6‐5.0). A significant mediation effect of hrHPV infection was observed in the association between vaginal pH level with CIN2+ (P = .002) and CIN3+ (P = .004). In conclusion, abnormal vaginal pH significantly induced the risk of high‐stage CIN in Chinese women infected with hrHPV. Therefore, maintaining normal vaginal pH levels may reduce the risk of CIN.
Learn best practices for implementing catastrophic incident guidelines
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: January 2020

Visualizing success can certainly contribute to winning an athletic competition.
Supportive, collaborative approach leads to success
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: January 2020

To boost the chances of success for your athletics department, it helps to embrace a process‐oriented focus that values potential more than experience, others more than self, and collaborative efforts more than going it solo. That approach has paved the path to success for Mike Mooney, M.S., Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation at SUNY Geneseo, a recipient of the 2018–19 Under Armour AD of the Year Award for Division III. “It's not me. I just have some great people who work for me and they make me look good,” he said.
Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 inhibition potentiates 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal induced decrease in angiogenesis of coronary endothelial cells
Authors: Roy Bipradas , Palaniyandi Suresh Selvaraj
Published: January 2020

Coronary endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction including defective angiogenesis is reported in cardiac diseases. 4‐Hydroxynonenal (4HNE) is a lipid peroxidation product, which is increased in cardiac diseases and implicated in cellular toxicity. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) 2 is a mitochondrial enzyme that metabolizes 4HNE and reduces 4HNE‐mediated cytotoxicity. Thus, we hypothesize that ALDH2 inhibition potentiates 4HNE‐mediated decrease in coronary EC angiogenesis in vitro. To test our hypothesis, first, we treated the cultured mouse coronary EC (MCEC) lines with 4HNE (25, 50, and 75 μM) for 2 and 4 hours. Next, we pharmacologically inhibited ALDH2 by disulfiram (DSF) (2.5 μM) before challenging the cells with 4HNE. In this study, we found that 4HNE attenuated tube formation which indicates decreased angiogenesis. Next, we found that 4HNE has significantly downregulated the expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) 2 (P < .05 for mRNA and P = .005 for protein), Sirtuin 1 (SIRT 1) (P < 0.0005 for mRNA), and Ets‐related gene (ERG) (P < 0.0001 for mRNA and P < 0.005 for protein) in MCECs compared with control. ALDH 2 inhibition by DSF potentiated 4HNE‐induced decrease in angiogenesis (P < 0.05 vs 4HNE at 2 h and P < 0.0005 vs 4HNE at 4 h) by decreasing the expressions of VEGFR2 (P < 0.005 for both mRNA and protein), SIRT 1 (P < 0.05), and ERG (P < 0.005) relative to 4HNE alone. Thus, we conclude that ALDH2 acts as a proangiogenic signaling molecule by alleviating the antiangiogenic effects of 4HNE in MCECs.
Chemoenzymatic Preparation of Functional Click‐Labeled Messenger RNA
Authors: Croce Stefano , Serdjukow Sascha , Carell Thomas , Frischmuth Thomas
Published: January 2020

Synthetic mRNAs are promising candidates for a new class of transformative drugs that provide genetic information for patients’ cells to develop their own cure. One key advancement to develop so‐called druggable mRNAs was the preparation of chemically modified mRNAs, by replacing standard bases with modified bases, such as uridine with pseudouridine, which can ameliorate the immunogenic profile and translation efficiency of the mRNA. Thus the introduction of modified nucleobases was the foundation for the clinical use of such mRNAs. Herein we describe modular and simple methods to chemoenzymatically modify mRNA. Alkyne‐ and/or azide‐modified nucleotides are enzymatically incorporated into mRNA and subsequently conjugated to fluorescent dyes using click chemistry. This allows visualization of the labeled mRNA inside cells. mRNA coding for the enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) was chosen as a model system and the successful expression of eGFP demonstrated that our modified mRNA is accepted by the translation machinery.
Multistep Reaction Pathway for CO2 Reduction on Hydride‐Capped Si Nanosheets
Authors: Xia Lixue , Liao Xiaobin , He Qiu , Wang Huan , Zhao Yan , Truhlar Donald G.
Published: January 2020

Silicon hydride, as a new efficient catalyst for CO2 conversion to CO, is receiving ever‐increasing attention. Thus, a precise catalytic mechanism is needed to provide a guideline for the design of new efficient catalysts based on silicon hydride. Qian et al. recently proposed a one‐step mechanism for the catalytic process. The present work, based on the recently proposed WMS and revM06 quantum mechanical model chemistries, provides a multistep mechanism that has a lower free energy of activation than the one‐step model. A key point in favor of the new mechanism is that it is consistent with experimental details of the infrared spectrum that cannot be explained by the previous mechanism.
Variable importance: Comparison of selectivity ratio and significance multivariate correlation for interpretation of latent‐variable regression models
Authors: Kvalheim Olav M.
Published: January 2020

This work examines the performance of significance multivariate correlation (sMC) and selectivity ratio (SR) for ranking variables according to their importance in latent‐variable regressions (LVRs) models. Both indices are based on target projection (TP) of a validated LVR model obtained by partial least squares (PLS). The matrix of explanatory x‐variables is projected on the normalized regression vector to obtain a score vector that is proportional to the vector of predicted values for the response variable y. sMC for each x‐variable is calculated by dividing the squared variance explained by the decomposition obtained from these two vectors on the squared residuals. This is similar to how SR is calculated except that for SR, the regression vector is replaced by the loading matrix obtained by projecting the data matrix of x‐variables onto the score matrix obtained by TP. The two indices for variable importance are compared for three different applications with data representing instrumental profiles from liquid chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and proton nuclear magnetic spectroscopy. Results show that SR outperforms sMC for interpretation and biomarker selection. The main drawback of sMC appears to be the mixing of predictive and orthogonal variation resulting from the direct use of the normalized regression vector in the calculation. SR uses a loading vector that is proportional to the covariances between x‐variables and the predicted response variable.
Iron Porphyrin Allows Fast and Selective Electrocatalytic Conversion of CO2 to CO in a Flow Cell
Authors: Torbensen Kristian , Han Cheng , Boudy Benjamin , von Wolff Niklas , Bertail Caroline , Braun Waldemar , Robert Marc
Published: January 2020

Molecular catalysts have been shown to have high selectivity for CO2 electrochemical reduction to CO, but with current densities significantly below those obtained with solid‐state materials. By depositing a simple Fe porphyrin mixed with carbon black onto a carbon paper support, it was possible to obtain a catalytic material that could be used in a flow cell for fast and selective conversion of CO2 to CO. At neutral pH (7.3) a current density as high as 83.7 mA cm−2 was obtained with a CO selectivity close to 98 %. In basic solution (pH 14), a current density of 27 mA cm−2 was maintained for 24 h with 99.7 % selectivity for CO at only 50 mV overpotential, leading to a record energy efficiency of 71 %. In addition, a current density for CO production as high as 152 mA cm−2 (>98 % selectivity) was obtained at a low overpotential of 470 mV, outperforming state‐of‐the‐art noble metal based catalysts.
Alkali Metal Triphenyl‐ and Trihydridosilanides Stabilized by a Macrocyclic Polyamine Ligand
Authors: Schuhknecht Danny , Leich Valeri , Spaniol Thomas P. , Douair Iskander , Maron Laurent , Okuda Jun
Published: January 2020

Potassium silanide [KSiH3]∞ contains 4.2 wt % of hydrogen and has been intensely studied as hydrogen storage material. The macrocyclic ligand Me4TACD (1,4,7,10‐tetramethyl‐1,4,7,10‐tetraaminocyclododecane, L) stabilizes the full range of triphenylsilyl complexes [(L)MSiPh3]n (M=Li–Cs), which react with H2 or PhSiH3 to form molecular [(L)MSiH3]n that can be isolated in soluble form and fully characterized.
Burden of comorbidities is higher among elderly survivors of oropharyngeal cancer compared with controls
Authors: Bigelow Elaine O. , Blackford Amanda L. , Eytan Danielle F. , Eisele David W. , Fakhry Carole
Published: January 2020

Background

The prevalence of survivors of oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) is increasing due to improved survival for individuals with human papillomavirus (HPV)–related disease. Although elderly survivors of OPC are known to have a high burden of comorbidities, to the authors' knowledge it is unknown how this compares with a similar cohort without a history of cancer.

Methods

The current retrospective, cross‐sectional study included individuals with a first incident primary diagnosis of OPC from 2004 through 2011 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare‐linked databases and matched controls. The baseline prevalence and subsequent incidence of comorbid conditions were identified. The association between comorbidity and overall survival was evaluated.

Results

A total of 2497 eligible patients with OPC were matched to 4994 noncancer controls. Baseline comorbidity was higher in cases (Charlson Comorbidity Index >0 for 48.5% of cases vs 35.8% of controls). At 5 years, cases were more likely than controls to develop comorbidities. Survivors of OPC were at high risk (≥20% cumulative prevalence by 5 years) of developing several comorbidities, including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and tobacco abuse, and were at moderately high risk (10%‐19% cumulative prevalence) of developing other conditions including carotid artery occlusive stroke, alcohol abuse, depression, and anxiety. In both cases and controls, the presence of the majority of comorbidities either at the time of diagnosis or during the follow‐up period was associated with worse survival.

Conclusions

Patients with OPC have a higher comorbidity burden compared with matched controls, both at baseline and during survivorship, the majority of which are associated with decreased survival. Oncologic surveillance of survivors of OPC should include screening for highly prevalent conditions.
Probing Viscosity of Co‐Polymer Hydrogel and HeLa Cell Using Fluorescent Gold Nanoclusters: Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Anisotropy Decay
Authors: Chakraborty Subhajit , Nandi Somen , Bhattacharyya Kankan , Mukherjee Saptarshi
Published: January 2020

Fluorescence dynamics of gold nanoclusters (Au9 and Au25) are studied in the complex and crowded environment of a triblock co‐polymer (F127) hydrogel and inside cervical cancer cell, HeLa. In the hydrogel, spherical micelles of F127 remain immobilized with a hydrophobic core (PPO) and a hydrophilic corona (PEO) region. The fluorescence anisotropy decay suggests that the timescale of rotational relaxation in the hydrogel is similar to that in bulk water (viscosity ∼1 cP). From fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) it is inferred that the local viscosity in the hydrogel is 12 cP for Au9 and 18 cP for Au23. These results indicate that gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) localize in the corona region of the hydrogel. Evidently, frictions against rotation and translation are different inside the gel. It is suggested that rotation of the AuNCs senses the immediate water‐like “void” region while translation motion involves in‐and‐out movement of the AuNCs at the periphery of the gel. Finally, the gold nanoclusters are used for cell imaging and estimation of intracellular viscosity of HeLa cells.
Burst‐aware virtual machine migration for improving performance in the cloud
Authors: Rahmani Somayeh , Khajehvand Vahid
Published: January 2020

Burst is a common pattern in the user's requirements, which suddenly increases the workload of virtual machines (VMs) and reduces the performance and energy efficiency of cloud computing systems (CCS). Virtualization technology with the ability to migrate VMs attempts to solve this problem. By migration, VMs can be dynamically consolidated to the users' requests. Burst temporarily increases the workload. Ignoring this issue will lead to incorrect decisions regarding the migration of VMs. It increases the number of migrations and Service Level Agreement Violations (SLAVs) due to overload. This may cause waste of resources, increase in energy consumption, and misplaced VMs. Therefore, a burst‐aware method for these issues is proposed in this paper. The method consists of two algorithms: one for determining the migration time and the other for the placement of VMs. We use the PlanetLab real dataset and CloudSim simulator to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results confirm the advantages of the method regarding performance compared to benchmark methods.
Postintroduction evolution contributes to the successful invasion of Chromolaena odorata
Authors: Li Weitao , Zheng Yulong , Zhang Likun , Lei Yanbao , Li Yangping , Liao Zhiyong , Li Zhongpei , Feng Yulong
Published: January 2020

The evolution of increased competitive ability (EICA) hypothesis states that, when introduced in a novel habitat, invasive species may reallocate resources from costly quantitative defense mechanisms against enemies to dispersal and reproduction; meanwhile, the refinement of EICA suggests that concentrations of toxins used for qualitative defense against generalist herbivores may increase. Previous studies considered that only few genotypes were introduced to the new range, whereas most studies to test the EICA (or the refinement of EICA) hypotheses did not consider founder effects.

In this study, genetic and phenotypic data of Chromolaena odorata populations sampled across native and introduced ranges were combined to investigate the role of postintroduction evolution in the successful invasion of C. odorata.

Compared with native populations, the introduced populations exhibited lower levels of genetic diversity. Moreover, different founder effects events were interpreted as the main cause of the genetic structure observed in introduced ranges. Three Florida, two Trinidad, and two Puerto Rico populations may have been the sources of the invasive C. odorata in Asia.

When in free of competition conditions, C. odorata plants from introduced ranges perform better than those from native ranges at high nutrient supply but not at low nutrient level. The differences in performance due to competition were significantly greater for C. odorata plants from the native range than those from the introduced range at both nutrient levels. Moreover, the differences in performance by competition were significantly greater for putative source populations than for invasive populations.

Quantities of three types of secondary compounds in leaves of invasive C. odorata populations were significantly higher than those in putative source populations. These results provide more accurate evidence that the competitive ability of the introduced C. odorata is increased with postintroduction evolution.