bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
If People Are Attached to Plants, Do They Love Other People? Case of the Russian Youth
Authors: Nartova-Bochaver Sofya , Muhortova Elena
Published: January 2020

People’s attachment to the plant world makes a great contribution to the maintenance of psychological well-being. At the same time, little is known regarding the contribution of attitudes to plants to people’s morality; the current study is aimed at filling this gap. We assumed that the more positive the attitude to plants is, the higher the level of moral motives is. The survey was conducted on the Russian sample; 257 participants (students from Moscow universities, 199 female, Mage = 21.1, SDage = 2.5) were recruited. The following tools were used: a questionnaire People and Plants (PaP) consisting of five sub-scales (joy, esthetics, practice, closeness to nature, and ecology) and Moral Motives Model scale (MMM scale) including six sub-scales (self-restraint, not harming, social order, self-reliance (industriousness), helping/fairness, and social justice). It was found that all parameters of the positive attitudes to plants, except practice, were strongly positively connected with moral motives. Multi-regression analysis allowed developing certain models demonstrating the contribution of attachment to the plant world to people’s morality. The proscriptive motives (especially self-restraint) are more sensitive to attitudes to flora as compared to prescriptive motives; prescriptive motive self-reliance was not predicted by the attitude to flora at all. Moreover, the findings seem to be gender-sensitive (predictions are higher in females). The obtained results are discussed referring to the reverence for life ethics by Schweitzer, deep ecology by Næss, biophilia hypothesis by Wilson, and psychology of moral expansiveness by Crimston et al.
On the Difference between the Information Bottleneck and the Deep Information Bottleneck
Authors: Wieczorek Aleksander , Roth Volker
Published: January 2020

Combining the information bottleneck model with deep learning by replacing mutual information terms with deep neural nets has proven successful in areas ranging from generative modelling to interpreting deep neural networks. In this paper, we revisit the deep variational information bottleneck and the assumptions needed for its derivation. The two assumed properties of the data, X and Y, and their latent representation T, take the form of two Markov chains T − X − Y and X − T − Y . Requiring both to hold during the optimisation process can be limiting for the set of potential joint distributions P ( X , Y , T ) . We, therefore, show how to circumvent this limitation by optimising a lower bound for the mutual information between T and Y: I ( T ; Y ) , for which only the latter Markov chain has to be satisfied. The mutual information I ( T ; Y ) can be split into two non-negative parts. The first part is the lower bound for I ( T ; Y ) , which is optimised in deep variational information bottleneck (DVIB) and cognate models in practice. The second part consists of two terms that measure how much the former requirement T − X − Y is violated. Finally, we propose interpreting the family of information bottleneck models as directed graphical models, and show that in this framework, the original and deep information bottlenecks are special cases of a fundamental IB model.
Magnetic Field Characteristics and Stator Core Losses of High-Speed Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors
Authors: Tao Dajun , Zhou Kai Liang , Lv Fei , Dou Qingpeng , Wu Jianxiao , Sun Yutian , Zou Jibin
Published: January 2020

This study focuses on the core losses in the stator region of high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motors, magnetic field characteristics in the load region, and variations in iron losses caused by changes in these areas. A two-pole 120 kW high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor is used as the object of study, and a two-dimensional transient electromagnetic field-variable load circuit combined calculation model is established. Based on electromagnetic field theory, the electromagnetic field of the high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor under multi-load conditions is calculated using the time-stepping finite element method. The magnetic field distribution of the high-speed permanent magnet synchronous motor under a multi-load condition is obtained, and the variations in iron core losses in different parts of the motor under multi-load conditions are further analyzed. The calculation results show that most of the stator iron core losses are dissipated in the stator yoke. The stator yoke iron loss under the no-load condition exceeds 70% of the total stator iron core loss. The stator yoke iron loss under rated operation conditions exceeds 50% of the total stator iron core loss. The stator loss under rated load operation conditions is higher than that under no-load operation. These observations are sufficient to demonstrate that the running status of high-speed motors is closely related to the stator iron losses, which have significance in determining the reasonable yoke structure of high-speed and high-power motors and the cooling methods of motor stators.
Experimental Evidence of PID Effect on CIGS Photovoltaic Modules
Authors: Boulhidja Sofiane , Mellit Adel , Voswinckel Sebastian , Lughi Vanni , Ciocia Alessandro , Spertino Filippo , Massi Pavan Alessandro
Published: January 2020

As well known, potential induced degradation (PID) strongly decreases the performance of photovoltaic (PV) strings made of several crystalline silicon modules in hot and wet climates. In this paper, PID tests have been performed on commercial copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) modules to investigate if this degradation may be remarkable also for CIGS technology. The tests have been conducted inside an environmental chamber where the temperature has been set to 85 °C and the relative humidity to 85%. A negative potential of 1000 V has been applied to the PV modules in different configurations. The results demonstrate that there is a degradation affecting the maximum power point and the fill factor of the current-voltage (I-V) curves. In fact, the measurement of the I-V curves at standard test condition show that all the parameters of the PV modules are influenced. This reveals that CIGS modules suffer PID under high negative voltage: this degradation occurs by different mechanisms, such as shunting, observed only in electroluminescence images of modules tested with negative bias. After the stress test, PID is partially recovered by applying a positive voltage of 1000 V and measuring the performance recovery of the degraded modules. The leakage currents flowing during the PID test in the chamber are measured with both positive and negative voltages; this analysis indicates a correlation between leakage current and power losses in case of negative potential.
Preliminary Performance and Cost Evaluation of Four Alternative Technologies for Post-Combustion CO2 Capture in Natural Gas-Fired Power Plants
Authors: Gatti Manuele , Martelli Emanuele , Di Bona Daniele , Gabba Marco , Scaccabarozzi Roberto , Spinelli Maurizio , Viganò Federico , Consonni Stefano
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study is to assess the technical and economic potential of four alternative processes suitable for post-combustion CO2 capture from natural gas-fired power plants. These include: CO2 permeable membranes; molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs); pressurized CO2 absorption integrated with a multi-shaft gas turbine and heat recovery steam cycle; and supersonic flow-driven CO2 anti-sublimation and inertial separation. A common technical and economic framework is defined, and the performance and costs of the systems are evaluated based on process simulations and preliminary sizing. A state-of-the-art natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) without CO2 capture is taken as the reference case, whereas the same NGCC designed with CO2 capture (using chemical absorption with aqueous monoethanolamine solvent) is used as a base case. In an additional benchmarking case, the same NGCC is equipped with aqueous piperazine (PZ) CO2 absorption, to assess the techno-economic perspective of an advanced amine solvent. The comparison highlights that a combined cycle integrated with MCFCs looks the most attractive technology, both in terms of energy penalty and economics, i.e., CO2 avoided cost of 49 $/tCO2 avoided, and the specific primary energy consumption per unit of CO2 avoided (SPECCA) equal to 0.31 MJLHV/kgCO2 avoided. The second-best capture technology is PZ scrubbing (SPECCA = 2.73 MJLHV/kgCO2 avoided and cost of CO2 avoided = 68 $/tCO2 avoided), followed by the monoethanolamine (MEA) base case (SPECCA = 3.34 MJLHV/kgCO2 avoided and cost of CO2 avoided = 75 $/tCO2 avoided), and the supersonic flow driven CO2 anti-sublimation and inertial separation system and CO2 permeable membranes. The analysis shows that the integrated MCFC–NGCC systems allow the capture of CO2 with considerable reductions in energy penalty and costs.
Neonatal Transport in the Practice of the Crews of the Polish Medical Air Rescue: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Rzońca Ewa , Świeżewski Stanisław Paweł , Gałązkowski Robert , Bień Agnieszka , Kosowski Arkadiusz , Leszczyński Piotr , Rzońca Patryk
Published: January 2020

The aim of the study was to present characteristics of patients transported in incubators by crews of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) of the Polish Medical Air Rescue as well as the character of their missions. The study was based on the method of retrospective analysis of neonatal transports with the use of transport incubators by the crews of HEMS and EMS of the Polish Medical Air Rescue. The study covered 436 medical and rescue transports of premature babies and full-term newborns in the period between January 2012 and December 2018. The study group consisted mainly of male patients (55.05%) who, on the basis of the date of delivery, were qualified as full-term newborns (54.59%). During the transport their average age was 37.53 (standard deviation, SD 43.53) days, and their average body weight was 3121.18 (SD 802.64) grams. A vast majority of neonatal transports were provided with the use of a plane (84.63%), and these were medical transports (79.36%). The average transport time was 49.92 (SD 27.70) minutes with the average distance of 304.27 km (SD 93.05). Significant differences between premature babies and full-term newborns were noticed in terms of age and body weight at the moment of transport, diagnosis based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10), the most commonly used medications (prostaglandin E1, glucose, furosemide, vitamins), National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) scale rate as well as the mission type and the presence of an accompanying person.
Coincidence Analysis of the Cropland Distribution of Multi-Sets of Global Land Cover Products
Authors: Zhang Chengpeng , Ye Yu , Fang Xiuqi , Li Hansunbai , Zheng Xue
Published: January 2020

Modern global cropland products have been widely used to assess the impact of land use and cover change (LUCC) on carbon budgets, climate change, terrestrial ecosystems, etc. However, each product has its own uncertainty, and inconsistencies exist among different products. Understanding the reliability of these datasets is essential for knowing the uncertainties that exist in the study of global change impact forced by cropland reclamation. In this paper, we propose a set of coincidence assessments to identify where reliable cropland distribution is by overlaying ten widely used global land cover/cropland datasets around 2000 AD. A quantitative assessment for different spatial units is also performed. We further discuss the spatial distribution characteristics of different coincidence degrees and explain the reasons. The results show that the high-coincidence proportion is only 40.5% around the world, and the moderate-coincidence and low-coincidence proportion is 18.4% and 41.1%, respectively. The coincidence degrees among different continents and countries have large discrepancies. The coincidence is relatively higher in Europe, South Asia and North America, while it is very poor in Latin America and Africa. The spatial distribution of high and moderate coincidence roughly corresponds to the regions with suitable agricultural conditions and intensive reclamation. In addition to the random factors such as the product’s quality and the year it represented, the low coincidence is mainly caused by the inconsistent land cover classification systems and the recognition capability of cropland pixels with low fractions in different products.
Effect of Frequency of Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Serial Mediation of Depression and Quality of Sleep
Authors: Yuan Manqiong , Fu Hanhan , Liu Ruoyun , Fang Ya
Published: January 2020

Background: Sleep quality and depression are two reciprocal causation socioemotional factors and their roles in the relationship between physical exercise and cognition are still unclear. Methods: A face-to-face survey of 3230 older adults aged 60+ was conducted in Xiamen, China, in 2016. Frequency of exercise (FOE) referred to the number of days of exercise per week. Quality of sleep (QOS) was categorized into five levels: very poor/poor/fair/good/excellent. The 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used to measure depression (DEP) and cognitive function (CF), respectively. Serial multiple mediator models were used. All mediation analyses were analyzed using the SPSS PROCESS macro. Results: 2469 respondents had valid data with mean scores for GDS-15 and MoCA being 1.87 and 21.61, respectively. The direct path from FOE to CF was significant (c’= 0.20, p < 0.001). A higher FOE was associated with better QOS (B = 0.04, p < 0.01), which in turn was associated with fewer symptoms of DEP (B = −0.40, p < 0.001), and further contributed to better CF (B = −0.24, p < 0.001). Similarly, a higher FOE was associated with lower GDS-15 scores (B = −0.17, p < 0.001) which then resulted in higher MoCA scores (B = −0.24, p < 0.001). However, QOS alone did not alter the relationship between FOE and CF. Conclusions: FOE is a protective factor of CF in older adults. Moreover, CF is influenced by QOS through DEP, without which the working path may disappear.
Association between Uranium Exposure and Thyroid Health: A National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Analysis and Ecological Study
Authors: van Gerwen Maaike , Alpert Naomi , Lieberman-Cribbin Wil , Cooke Peter , Ziadkhanpour Kimia , Liu Bian , Genden Eric
Published: January 2020

Besides specific, incidental radiation exposure, which has been associated with increased thyroid cancer risk, the effects of exposure to background radiation from uranium, a naturally occurring, radioactive, and ubiquitous element, on the thyroid gland has not been widely studied. We therefore investigated the association between uranium exposure and thyroid health in the US. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we assessed the association between urinary uranium levels and thyroid-related antibodies, including thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), in the general population. Secondly, we performed an ecological study of age-adjusted thyroid cancer incidence rates per state and sources of uranium exposure. We included 3125 eligible participants from the NHANES and found a significant association between increased TgAb and increased urinary uranium levels when analyzed as quartiles (p = 0.0105), while no association was found with anti-TPO. In addition, although no significant correlation was found in the ecological study, certain states had high age-adjusted thyroid cancer incidence rates and a high number of uranium activity locations and high uranium concentrations in water. The present study suggests that uranium exposure may affect thyroid health, which warrants increased sampling of soil and water in high-risk states.
Will the Economic Recession Inhibit the Out-of-Pocket Payment Willingness for Health Care?
Authors: Zheng Yuhang , Huang Zhehao , Jiang Tianpei
Published: January 2020

We used an individual regression and panel data regression method to analyze the samples of 60 countries from 2000 to 2016 to study the impact of the economic recession on residents’ out-of-pocket payment willingness for health care. Although we found an increase in the willingness during the economic recession in most countries, we couldn’t find significant evidence of a positive relationship between the economic recession and such willingness. We discovered that the relationship differentiates in different countries, which mainly depends on the differences in the medical systems and degree of economic development. By controlling individual differences in countries, we found that the economic recession inhibited the out-of-pocket payment willingness for health care. Especially after the impact of the financial crisis in 2008, the cumulative effect of the economic recession and the aftershock of financial crisis was discovered, which significantly inhibited residents’ willingness. In addition, we verified that the economic recession inhibited the out-of-pocket payment willingness by reducing employee compensation in specific types of countries.
Price Competition and Product Differentiation Based on the Subjective and Social Effect of Consumers’ Environmental Awareness
Authors: He Dayi , Deng Ximing
Published: January 2020

Consumer environmental awareness (CEA) can affect green consumption decisions in different and confusing ways. In order to explain the reasons for these divergences, this study divides CEA into two main components: the subjective effect and the social effect. Then, we integrate the two effects into the classic Hotelling model to study the influence of CEA’s subjective effect and social effect on price competition and product differentiation strategy. It was found that the subjective and social effects of CEA have opposite impacts on price competition and product differentiation strategies. The subjective effect of CEA increases the price and profit level of enterprises, and enlarges the difference in the environmental friendliness of products. Meanwhile, the social effect of CEA reduces the enterprises’ price and profit level, and narrows the difference in the environmental quality of products. Therefore, we suggest that it is necessary for producers of green products to distinguish between these two effects. Numerical examples are provided to verify our findings. Finally, some possible suggestions regarding the competition of green products are put forward which take into consideration the subjective and social effects of CEA. The main contribution of this paper is to theoretically explain the opposite effects of the two different components of CEA on environmentally friendly product pricing and differentiation strategy; this presents a possible explanation as to why the behavior regarding CEA differs, and provides theoretical support for enterprises to price and differentiate green products.
The Correlation between Leader–Member Exchange and Organisational Commitment among Spanish Registered Nurses: The Moderating Role of Sex and Hospital Size
Authors: López-Ibort Nieves , González-de la Cuesta Delia , Antoñanzas-Lombarte Teresa , Gascón-Catalán Ana
Published: January 2020

The role of the supervisor in hospitals is to oversee and encourage the active work participation of registered nurses. In this context, leadership should be focused on the creation of a positive environment for the generation of high-quality care and the development of attitudes that have a beneficial influence on the work of the registered nurse. The aims of this study have been: (i) To verify if the quality of the supervisor–nurse interpersonal relationship was correlated with organisational commitment; (ii) to establish if the correlation could be moderated by empowerment, perceived organisational support, and leader–leader exchange. A cross-sectional survey with self-report questionnaires was performed. A total of 2541 registered nurses from nine public hospitals participated in the study. They completed scales measuring leader–member exchange, commitment, empowerment, perceived organisational support, and leader–leader exchange. There was a positive correlation between the quality of the leader–member exchange and commitment. Leader–leader exchange has a moderating effect on this relationship. The moderating effects of empowerment, perceived organisational support, and leader–member exchange on the supervisor–nurse interpersonal relationship and the nurse’s organisational commitment are influenced by sex and/or hospital size. Organisations should design supervisor training strategies aimed at establishing high-quality supervisor–nurse interpersonal relationships.
Occurrence of Diarrhea and Feeding Practices among Children below Two Years of Age in Southwestern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Shati Ayed A. , Khalil Shamsun N. , Asiri Khalid A. , Alshehri Abdulaziz Ahmed , Deajim Yazeed A. , Al-Amer Mohammad S. , Alshehri Hassan J. , Alshehri Abdulaziz Abdullah , Alqahtani Fahad S.
Published: January 2020

Growing evidence suggests that feeding practices in early childhood play a major role in the occurrence of childhood diarrhea. However, there is a lack of information regarding feeding practices and its relationship with occurrences of diarrhea in young children from Saudi Arabia. The present study is aimed to measure the prevalence of diarrhea and assess its relationship with feeding practices among children between two months and two years of age in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in two large cities in the Aseer region in southwest Saudi Arabia. A total of 302 mothers attending well-baby clinics across six primary health centers were included. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Factors associated with diarrheal disease were identified by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of diarrhea among children during the study period was 56.3% (95% CI: 50.7%–61.8%). Only 15.9% of children in our study were exclusively breastfed. The occurrence of diarrhea was significantly associated with age 7–12 months (aOR = 2.64, 95% CI: 1.42–4.91). We found that diarrhea was prevalent among children between two months and two years of age, and that exclusive breastfeeding was not a common practice in this region. Health education programs should be directed towards mothers to improve rates of breastfeeding, weaning practices, food hygiene, and childcare. Special attention and support should be provided for working mothers.
“All Weather Friends”: How China Transformed Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Sector
Authors: Fang Jennifer , De Souza Lauren , Smith Julia , Lee Kelley
Published: January 2020

Recent research documents the globalization strategy of the Chinese tobacco industry since the early 2000s and risks posed to global health. There are limited analyses to date of how this strategy is playing out in specific countries. This paper analyses the expansion of the China National Tobacco Company (CNTC) in Zimbabwe, the largest producer of tobacco leaf globally, since the early 2000s, through document analysis. It applies a political economy framework—identifying material, ideational and institutional forces—to demonstrate how CNTC capitalized on the unique features of China-Africa development cooperation to pursue its expansion goals, which threaten global public health efforts to reduce tobacco supply. In a context of economic crisis, CNTC offered substantial resources to revive Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry, promoting a shift to contract farming of its preferred leaf. It benefited from perceptions of state friendship, which it fostered through corporate social responsibility initiatives. Through ties with the Chinese embassy and economic actors, CNTC embedded its interests in development institutions. While contributing to improved foreign exchange earnings and some farmers’ livelihoods, CNTC’s expansion has increased the dependence on China as a development partner and tobacco as a crop, benefitting its “go global” strategy, while contributing to public health and environmental challenges locally and globally. The expansion of the Chinese tobacco industry interests in Zimbabwe offers lessons for global tobacco control and efforts to support alternatives to tobacco growing.
Job Burnout Among Primary Healthcare Workers in Rural China: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Xu Wanchun , Pan Zijing , Li Zhong , Lu Shan , Zhang Liang
Published: January 2020

The health workers in rural primary care systems are at the increasing risk of job burnout. To explore the prevalence and associated factors of the job burnout among the primary healthcare worker in rural China, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 15,627 participants in 459 township hospitals from six provinces. A combination of stratified multi-stage sampling and cluster sampling method, and a self-administrated questionnaire with the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Scale (MBI-GS) were used in the investigation. Multilevel regression analyses were used to examine the potential associated factors on both individual and organisational levels. 47.6% of respondents were experiencing moderate burnout, and 3.3% were in severe burnout. Professionals working for over 40 h per week, at young age, with a college degree, and with professional titles at medium or high rank reported a higher degree of job burnout. At the institutional level, the high ratio of performance-based salary was associated with a higher level of depersonalization. Burnout has become prevalent among the primary healthcare workers in rural China, and multiple strategies are needed to reduce the work stress and some high-risk groups’ vulnerability to job burnout.
Relationship between Shift Type and Voluntary Exercise Training in South Korean Firefighters
Authors: Park Seiyeong , Kwon Junhye , Noh Kyoungmin , Lee Chung Gun , Song Wook , Park Jung-jun , Lee Han-joon , Seo Dong-il , Kang Hyun Joo , Ahn Yeon Soon
Published: January 2020

Background: According to the National Fire Agency, 69% of South Korean firefighters prefer the three circuit system. Since the three circuit system involves working for 24 h consecutively, it could reduce work performance of firefighters and their participation in exercise training (ET) and fitness levels could be affected by shift type. The present study examined the impact of shift type on ET and identified the interaction effect between shift type and city size on ET among South Korean firefighters. Methods: A series of logistic regression models were used to analyze the data collected from incumbent outside workers among Korean firefighters (N = 5196) in 2017. Results: Firefighters under the 3 circuit system participated in ET less frequently than did those under the 21 circuit system, and the difference was greater in large cities than in small towns. This could be because of the greater opportunity to participate in leisure activities in large cities, or because participating in ET is easier for firefighters in small towns, who tend to be less busy than those in large cities. Conclusions: The three circuit system is not feasible in the present situation in South Korea. Therefore, an environment suitable for the three circuit system should be established.
Flexible Data Trimming Improves Performance of Global Machine Learning Methods in Omics-Based Personalized Oncology
Authors: Tkachev Victor , Sorokin Maxim , Borisov Constantin , Garazha Andrew , Buzdin Anton , Borisov Nicolas
Published: January 2020

(1) Background: Machine learning (ML) methods are rarely used for an omics-based prescription of cancer drugs, due to shortage of case histories with clinical outcome supplemented by high-throughput molecular data. This causes overtraining and high vulnerability of most ML methods. Recently, we proposed a hybrid global-local approach to ML termed floating window projective separator (FloWPS) that avoids extrapolation in the feature space. Its core property is data trimming, i.e., sample-specific removal of irrelevant features. (2) Methods: Here, we applied FloWPS to seven popular ML methods, including linear SVM, k nearest neighbors (kNN), random forest (RF), Tikhonov (ridge) regression (RR), binomial naïve Bayes (BNB), adaptive boosting (ADA) and multi-layer perceptron (MLP). (3) Results: We performed computational experiments for 21 high throughput gene expression datasets (41–235 samples per dataset) totally representing 1778 cancer patients with known responses on chemotherapy treatments. FloWPS essentially improved the classifier quality for all global ML methods (SVM, RF, BNB, ADA, MLP), where the area under the receiver-operator curve (ROC AUC) for the treatment response classifiers increased from 0.61–0.88 range to 0.70–0.94. We tested FloWPS-empowered methods for overtraining by interrogating the importance of different features for different ML methods in the same model datasets. (4) Conclusions: We showed that FloWPS increases the correlation of feature importance between the different ML methods, which indicates its robustness to overtraining. For all the datasets tested, the best performance of FloWPS data trimming was observed for the BNB method, which can be valuable for further building of ML classifiers in personalized oncology.
Osteoporosis: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapies
Authors: Tang Chih-Hsin
Published: January 2020

Osteoporosis is a common skeletal disorder, occurring as a result of an imbalance between bone resorption and bone formation, with bone breakdown exceeding bone building. Bone resorption inhibitors, e.g., bisphosphonates, have been designed to treat osteoporosis, while anabolic agents such as teriparatide stimulate bone formation and correct the characteristic changes in the trabecular microarchitecture. However, all of these drugs are associated with significant side effects. It is therefore crucial that we continue to research the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and seek novel modes of therapy. This editorial summarizes and discusses the themes of the fifteen articles published in the Special Issue, Osteoporosis: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapies 2019, as part of the global picture of the current understanding of osteoporosis.
Methyl Jasmonate Induced Oxidative Stress and Accumulation of Secondary Metabolites in Plant Cell and Organ Cultures
Authors: Ho Thanh-Tam , Murthy Hosakatte Niranjana , Park So-Young
Published: January 2020

Recently, plant secondary metabolites are considered as important sources of pharmaceuticals, food additives, flavours, cosmetics, and other industrial products. The accumulation of secondary metabolites in plant cell and organ cultures often occurs when cultures are subjected to varied kinds of stresses including elicitors or signal molecules. Application of exogenous jasmonic acid (JA) and methyl jasmonate (MJ) is responsible for the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and subsequent defence mechanisms in cultured cells and organs. It is also responsible for the induction of signal transduction, the expression of many defence genes followed by the accumulation of secondary metabolites. In this review, the application of exogenous MJ elicitation strategies on the induction of defence mechanism and secondary metabolite accumulation in cell and organ cultures is introduced and discussed. The information presented here is useful for efficient large-scale production of plant secondary metabolites by the plant cell and organ cultures.
Validation of a New Multicistronic Plasmid for the Efficient and Stable Expression of Transgenes in Microalgae
Authors: Molina-Márquez Ana , Vila Marta , Rengel Rocío , Fernández Emilio , García-Maroto Federico , Vigara Javier , León Rosa
Published: January 2020

Low stability of transgenes and high variability of their expression levels among the obtained transformants are still pending challenges in the nuclear genetic transformation of microalgae. We have generated a new multicistronic microalgal expression plasmid, called Phyco69, to make easier the large phenotypic screening usually necessary for the selection of high-expression stable clones. This plasmid contains a polylinker region (PLK) where any gene of interest (GOI) can be inserted and get linked, through a short viral self-cleaving peptide to the amino terminus of the aminoglycoside 3′-phosphotransferase (APHVIII) from Streptomyces rimosus, which confers resistance to the antibiotic paromomycin. The plasmid has been validated by expressing a second antibiotic resistance marker, the ShBLE gene, which confers resistance to phleomycin. It has been shown, by RT-PCR and by phenotypic studies, that the fusion of the GOI to the selective marker gene APHVIII provides a simple method to screen and select the transformants with the highest level of expression of both the APHVIII gene and the GOI among the obtained transformants. Immunodetection studies have shown that the multicistronic transcript generated from Phyco69 is correctly processed, producing independent gene products from a common promoter.
The Role of Dermal Fibroblasts in Nevoid Basal Cell Carcinoma Syndrome Patients: An Overview
Authors: Bellei Barbara , Caputo Silvia , Carbone Anna , Silipo Vitaliano , Papaccio Federica , Picardo Mauro , Eibenschutz Laura
Published: January 2020

Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), also named Gorlin syndrome, is a rare multisystem genetic disorder characterized by marked predisposition to basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), childhood medulloblastomas, maxillary keratocysts, celebral calcifications, in addition to various skeletal and soft tissue developmental abnormalities. Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene PATCHED1 (PTCH1) have been found to be associated in the majority of NBCCS cases. PATCH1 somatic mutations and loss of heterozygosity are also very frequent in sporadic BCCs. Unlike non-syndromic patients, NBCCS patients develop multiple BCCs in sun-protected skin area starting from early adulthood. Recent studies suggest that dermo/epidermal interaction could be implicated in BCC predisposition. According to this idea, NBCCS fibroblasts, sharing with keratinocytes the same PTCH1 germline mutation and consequent constitutive activation of the Hh pathway, display features of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAF). This phenotypic traits include the overexpression of growth factors, specific microRNAs profile, modification of extracellular matrix and basement membrane composition, increased cytokines and pro-angiogenic factors secretion, and a complex alteration of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Here, we review studies about the involvement of dermal fibroblasts in BCC predisposition of Gorlin syndrome patients. Further, we matched the emerged NBCCS fibroblast profile to those of CAF to compare the impact of cell autonomous “pre-activated state” due to PTCH1 mutations to those of skin tumor stroma.
Analysis of the Effect of Increased α2,3-Sialylation on RTK Activation in MKN45 Gastric Cancer Spheroids Treated with Crizotinib
Authors: Balmaña Meritxell , Diniz Francisca , Feijão Tália , Barrias Cristina C. , Mereiter Stefan , Reis Celso A.
Published: January 2020

In the scenario of personalized medicine, targeted therapies are currently the focus of cancer drug development. These drugs can block the growth and spread of tumor cells by interfering with key molecules involved in malignancy, such as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). MET and Recepteur d’Origine Nantais (RON), which are RTKs frequently overactivated in gastric cancer, are glycoprotein receptors whose activation have been shown to be modulated by the cellular glycosylation. In this work, we address the role of sialylation in gastric cancer therapy using an innovative 3D high-throughput cell culture methodology that mimics better the in vivo tumor features. We evaluate the response to targeted treatment of glycoengineered gastric cancer cell models overexpressing the sialyltransferases ST3GAL4 or ST3GAL6 by subjecting 3D spheroids to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor crizotinib. We show here that 3D spheroids of ST3GAL4 or ST3GAL6 overexpressing MKN45 gastric cancer cells are less affected by the inhibitor. In addition, we disclose a potential compensatory pathway via activation of the Insulin Receptor upon crizotinib treatment. Our results suggest that cell sialylation, in addition of being involved in tumor progression, could play a critical role in the response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in gastric cancer.
miRNAs and lncRNAs in Echinococcus and Echinococcosis
Authors: He Zhi , Yan Taiming , Yuan Ya , Yang Deying , Yang Guangyou
Published: January 2020

Echinococcosis are considered to be potentially lethal zoonotic diseases that cause serious damage to hosts. The metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus can result in causing the alveolar and cystic echinococcoses, respectively. Recent studies have shown that non-coding RNAs are widely expressed in Echinococcus spp. and hosts. In this review, the two main types of non-coding RNAs—long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs)—and the wide-scale involvement of these molecules in these parasites and their hosts were discussed. The expression pattern of miRNAs in Echinococcus spp. is species- and developmental stage-specific. Furthermore, common miRNAs were detected in three Echinococcus spp. and their intermediate hosts. Here, we primarily focus on recent insights from transcriptome studies, the expression patterns of miRNAs and lncRNAs, and miRNA-related databases and techniques that are used to investigate miRNAs in Echinococcus and echinococcosis. This review provides new avenues for screening therapeutic and diagnostic markers.
The Gene and Protein Expression of the Main Components of the Lipolytic System in Human Myocardium and Heart Perivascular Adipose Tissue. Effect of Coronary Atherosclerosis
Authors: Knapp Małgorzata , Górski Jan , Lewkowicz Janina , Lisowska Anna , Gil Monika , Wójcik Beata , Hirnle Tomasz , Chabowski Adrian , Mikłosz Agnieszka
Published: January 2020

The aim of our study was to examine the regulation of triacylglycerols (TG) metabolism in myocardium and heart perivascular adipose tissue in coronary atherosclerosis. Adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) is the major TG-hydrolase. The enzyme is activated by a protein called comparative gene identification 58 (CGI-58) and inhibited by a protein called G0/G1 switch protein 2 (G0S2). Samples of the right atrial appendage and perivascular adipose tissue were obtained from two groups of patients: 1—with multivessel coronary artery disease qualified for coronary artery bypass grafting (CAD), 2—patients with no atherosclerosis qualified for a valve replacement (NCAD). The mRNA and protein analysis of ATGL, HSL, CGI-58, G0S2, FABP4, FAT/CD36, LPL, β-HAD, CS, COX4/1, FAS, SREBP-1c, GPAT1, COX-2, 15-LO, and NFκβ were determined by using real-time PCR and Western Blot. The level of lipids (i.e., TG, diacylglycerol (DG), and FFA) was examined by GLC. We demonstrated that in myocardium coronary atherosclerosis increases only the transcript level of G0S2 and FABP4. Most importantly, ATGL, β-HAD, and COX4/1 protein expression was reduced and it was accompanied by over double the elevation in TG content in the CAD group. The fatty acid synthesis and their cellular uptake were stable in the myocardium of patients with CAD. Additionally, the expression of proteins contributing to inflammation was increased in the myocardium of patients with coronary stenosis. Finally, in the perivascular adipose tissue, the mRNA of G0S2 was elevated, whereas the protein content of FABP-4 was increased and for COX4/1 diminished. These data suggest that a reduction in ATGL protein expression leads to myocardial steatosis in patients with CAD.
Differences in Mobility and Dispersal Capacity Determine Body Size Clines in Two Common Alpine-Tundra Arthropods
Authors: Beckers Niklas , Hein Nils , Anneser Alessa , Vanselow Kim A. , Löffler Jörg
Published: January 2020

The Arctic is projected to be severely impacted by changes in temperature and precipitation. Species react to these changes by shifts in ranges, phenology, and body size. In ectotherms, the patterns of body size clines and their underlying mechanisms are often hard to untangle. Mountains provide a space-for-time substitute to study these shifts along multiple spatial gradients. As such, mobility and dispersal capacity might conceal reactions with elevation. We test this influence on body size clines by comparing two common arthropods of the alpine tundra. We find that high mobility in the lycosid spider Pardosa palustris blurs elevational effects. Partially low mobility at least during development makes the carabid beetle Amara alpina more susceptible to elevational effects. Specific life-history mechanisms, such as brood care in lycosid spiders and holometabolic development in carabid beetles, are the possible cause.
On the Limits of Scanning Thermal Microscopy of Ultrathin Films
Authors: Metzke Christoph , Frammelsberger Werner , Weber Jonas , Kühnel Fabian , Zhu Kaichen , Lanza Mario , Benstetter Günther
Published: January 2020

Heat transfer processes in micro- and nanoscale devices have become more and more important during the last decades. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is an atomic force microscopy (AFM) based method for analyzing local thermal conductivities of layers with thicknesses in the range of several nm to µm. In this work, we investigate ultrathin films of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), copper iodide in zincblende structure (γ-CuI) and some test sample structures fabricated of silicon (Si) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) using SThM. Specifically, we analyze and discuss the influence of the sample topography, the touching angle between probe tip and sample, and the probe tip temperature on the acquired results. In essence, our findings indicate that SThM measurements include artefacts that are not associated with the thermal properties of the film under investigation. We discuss possible ways of influence, as well as the magnitudes involved. Furthermore, we suggest necessary measuring conditions that make qualitative SThM measurements of ultrathin films of h-BN with thicknesses at or below 23 nm possible.
Thermal Deformation of PA66/Carbon Powder Composite Made with Fused Deposition Modeling
Authors: Li Fei , Sun Jingyu , Xie Hualong , Yang Kun , Zhao Xiaofei
Published: January 2020

Polyamide 66 (PA66) is a material with high wear resistance, toughness, and heat resistance. However, low stiffness and thermal deformation during thermal processes define applications in many conditions. Carbon powder efficiently enhances stiffness and reduces thermal deformation, which makes up defects of plastic materials. However, forming a composite with fused deposition modeling (FDM) that accumulates material to a specified location by melting plastic filaments is limited, including fluidity and viscosity to form normally. In this paper, filaments of polyamide 66 (PA66) reinforced with carbon powder were produced. Digimat was used to analyze the composite material properties of different carbon contents and predict the proper carbon content. Then, the material properties were imported to ANSYS software to simulate the thermal deformation of the workpieces during processing. It was verified that adding carbon powder is helpful in decreasing thermal deformation. Comparing experiments and simulations, we found that 20% carbon mass fraction was best, and that thermal deformation was minimal at 240 °C nozzle temperature while hot bed temperature was 90 °C. The optimal ratio of extrusion speed to filling speed was 0.87, and the best aspect ratio was 0.25.
Tethering (Arene)Ru(II) Acylpyrazolones Decorated with Long Aliphatic Chains to Polystyrene Surfaces Provides Potent Antibacterial Plastics
Authors: Di Nicola Corrado , Marchetti Fabio , Pettinari Riccardo , Tombesi Alessia , Pettinari Claudio , Grappasonni Iolanda , Dyson Paul J. , Scuri Stefania
Published: January 2020

The acylpyrazolone proligands HQR (HQR in general, in detail: HQCy = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-carbonylcyclohexyl-5-pyrazolone, 4-C(O)-phenyl, HQPh = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone, HQC17 = 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-stearoyl-5-pyrazolone, HQC17,Ph = 1-phenyl-3-stearyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone) were synthesized and reacted with (arene)Ru(II) acceptors affording complexes [(arene)Ru(QR)Cl] (arene = cymene (cym) or hexamethylbenzene (hmb)). The complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analysis-Differntial Thermal Analysis (TGA-DTA), IR spectroscopy, ESI-MS and 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Complexes [(arene)Ru(QR)Cl] where QR = QC17 and QC17,Ph, due to the long aliphatic chain in the ligand, afford nanometric dispersions in methanol via self-assembly into micellar aggregates of dimensions 50–200 nm. The antibacterial activity of the complexes was established against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, those containing the ligands with a long aliphatic chain being the most effective. The complexes were immobilized on polystyrene by a simple procedure, and the resulting composite materials showed to be very effective against E. coli and S. aureus.
Impact of ZnO Addition on Er3+ Near-Infrared Emission, the Formation of Ag Nanoparticles, and the Crystallization of Sodium Fluorophosphate Glass
Authors: Kuusela Luukas , Veber Alexander , Boetti Nadia G. , Petit Laeticia
Published: January 2020

The impact of the progressive addition of ZnO up to 5 mol% on the thermal, structural, and optical properties of Er3+-doped phosphate glasses within the system NaPO3-NaF-ZnO-Ag2O is discussed. The glass network was found to depolymerize upon the addition of ZnO. This promotes a slight increase in the intensity of the emission at 1.5 µm as well as enhances the silver ions clustering ability under the heat treating. The Ag-nanoparticles formed after moderate heat-treatment can further enhance the emission at 1.5 µm, whereas an excessive amount of the clusters leads to the opposite effect. The addition of ZnO helps to slightly increase the glass ability of the system. The crystallization behavior study revealed that surface crystallization is observed for all the glasses. It is found that even a small ZnO addition changes the crystalline phases formed after devitrification. Moreover, the addition of ZnO decreases the crystallization tendency of the glass.
Experimental and Numerical Characterization of High Damping Martensitic CuAlMn Sheets
Authors: Haghdoust Pouya , Conte Antonietta Lo , Cinquemani Simone , Lecis Nora
Published: January 2020

This paper deals with the experimental and numerical characterization of a high damping CuAlMn sheet with a martensitic micro-structure at ambient temperature. A Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy containing 11.65 wt.% of Al and 3 wt.% of Mn, was cast and hot rolled to the thickness of 0.4–0.3 mm. Transformation temperatures, micro-structure and mechanical properties were studied. Effects of the heat treatment on damping were investigated, identifying the proper heat treatment to obtain a higher damping. Having to model the amplitude dependent damping of the material investigated, a material model was developed based of cyclic behavior under traction-compression load. The model was validated with experiments on the non-linear damping of the material.