bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Discussion on the Unique Features of Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (EPOC): Are We in the Right Path Towards Commercial Implementation?
Authors: Caravaca Angel , González-Cobos Jesús , Vernoux Philippe
Published: November 2020

The phenomenon of “Non-Faradaic Electrochemical Modification of Catalytic Activity (NEMCA)” or “Electrochemical Promotion of Catalysis (EPOC)” has been extensively studied for the last decades. Its main strength, with respect to conventionally promoted catalytic systems, is its capability to modify in-situ the activity and/or selectivity of a catalyst by controlling the supply and removal of promoters upon electrical polarization. Previous reviews have summarized the main achievements in this field from both the scientific and technological points of view. However, to this date no commercial application of the EPOC phenomenon has been developed, although numerous advances have been made on the application of EPOC on catalyst nanostructures (closer to those employed in conventional catalytic systems), and on the development of scaled-up reactors suitable for EPOC application. The main bottleneck for EPOC commercialization is likely the choice of the right chemical process. Therefore, from our point of view, future efforts should focus on coupling the latest EPOC advances with the chemical processes where the EPOC phenomenon offers a competitive advantage, either from an environmental, a practical or an economic point of view. In this article, we discuss some of the most promising cases published to date and suggest future improvement strategies. The considered processes are: (i) ethylene epoxidation with environmentally friendly promoters, (ii) NOx storage and reduction under constant reaction atmosphere, (iii) CH4 steam reforming with in-situ catalyst regeneration, (iv) H2 production, storage and release under fixed temperature and pressure, and (v) EPOC-enhanced electrolysers.
Special Issue on “Sphingolipids: From Pathology to Therapeutic Perspectives”
Authors: van Echten-Deckert Gerhild
Published: November 2020

It is an honor for us to dedicate this Special Issue to our dearest friend Lina Obeid, who was not only a pioneer in the field of sphingolipids, but also a remarkable personality [...]
Characterization of Mutational Status, Spheroid Formation, and Drug Response of a New Genomically-Stable Human Ovarian Clear Cell Carcinoma Cell Line, 105C
Authors: Kolendowski Bart , Valdes Yudith Ramos , Hirte Hal , Itamochi Hiroaki , Lee Wonjae , Carey Mark , Shepherd Trevor G. , DiMattia Gabriel E.
Published: November 2020

Ovarian clear cell carcinoma (OCCC) is a rare subtype of gynecological cancer for which well-characterized and authenticated model systems are scarce. We provide an extensive characterization of ‘105C’, a cell line generated from an adenocarcinoma of the clear cell histotype using targeted next-generation sequencing, cytogenetic microarrays, along with analyses of AKT/mTOR signaling. We report that that the 105C cell line is a bona fide OCCC cell line, carrying PIK3CA, PTEN, and ARID1A gene mutations, consistent with OCCC, yet maintain a stable genome as reflected by low copy number variation. Unlike KOC-7c, TOV-21G, and RMG-V OCCC lines also mutated for the above genes, the 105C cells do not carry mutations in mismatch repair genes. Importantly, we show that 105C cells exhibit greater resistance to mTOR inhibition and carboplatin treatment compared to 9 other OCCC cell lines in 3D spheroid cultures. This resistance may be attributed to 105C cells remaining dormant in suspension culture which surprisingly, contrasts with several other OCCC lines which continue to proliferate in long-term suspension culture. 105C cells survive xenotransplantation but do not proliferate and metastasize. Collectively, we show that the 105C OCCC cell line exhibits unique properties useful for the pre-clinical investigation of OCCC pathobiology.
Frequent Germline and Somatic Single Nucleotide Variants in the Promoter Region of the Ribosomal RNA Gene in Japanese Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Ohashi Riuko , Umezu Hajime , Sato Ayako , Abé Tatsuya , Kondo Shuhei , Daigo Kenji , Sato Seijiro , Hara Norikazu , Miyashita Akinori , Ikeuchi Takeshi , Motoyama Teiichi , Kishi Masashi , Nagaoka Tadahiro , Horiuchi Keiko , Shiga Atsushi , Okuda Shujiro , Sekiya Tomoki , Ohtsubo Aya , Ichikawa Kosuke , Kagamu Hiroshi , Kikuchi Toshiaki , Watanabe Satoshi , Tanuma Jun-Ichi , Schraml Peter , Hamakubo Takao , Tsuchida Masanori , Ajioka Yoichi
Published: November 2020

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA), the most abundant non-coding RNA species, is a major component of the ribosome. Impaired ribosome biogenesis causes the dysfunction of protein synthesis and diseases called “ribosomopathies,” including genetic disorders with cancer risk. However, the potential role of rRNA gene (rDNA) alterations in cancer is unknown. We investigated germline and somatic single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the rDNA promoter region (positions −248 to +100, relative to the transcription start site) in 82 lung adenocarcinomas (LUAC). Twenty-nine tumors (35.4%) carried germline SNVs, and eight tumors (9.8%) harbored somatic SNVs. Interestingly, the presence of germline SNVs between positions +1 and +100 (n = 12; 14.6%) was associated with significantly shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) by univariate analysis (p < 0.05, respectively), and was an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS by multivariate analysis. LUAC cell line PC9, carrying rDNA promoter SNV at position +49, showed significantly higher ribosome biogenesis than H1650 cells without SNV. Upon nucleolar stress induced by actinomycin D, PC9 retained significantly higher ribosome biogenesis than H1650. These results highlight the possible functional role of SNVs at specific sites of the rDNA promoter region in ribosome biogenesis, the progression of LUAC, and their potential prognostic value.
Porous Fiber Processing and Manufacturing for Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Gan Yong X. , Gan Jeremy B.
Published: November 2020

The objective of this article is to provide an overview on the current development of micro- and nanoporous fiber processing and manufacturing technologies. Various methods for making micro- and nanoporous fibers including co-electrospinning, melt spinning, dry jet-wet quenching spinning, vapor deposition, template assisted deposition, electrochemical oxidization, and hydrothermal oxidization are presented. Comparison is made in terms of advantages and disadvantages of different routes for porous fiber processing. Characterization of the pore size, porosity, and specific area is introduced as well. Applications of porous fibers in various fields are discussed. The emphasis is put on their uses for energy storage components and devices including rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors.
Potential Relationship between Cerebral Fractional Tissue Oxygen Extraction (FTOE) and the Use of Sedative Agents during the Perioperative Period in Neonates and Infants
Authors: Rugytė Danguolė Č , Strumylaitė Loreta
Published: November 2020

Fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) by means of cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides information about oxygen uptake in the brain. Experimental animal data suggest that sedative agents decrease cerebral oxygen demand. The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between the cerebral FTOE and the use of pre and intraoperative sedative agents in infants aged 1–90 days. Cerebral NIRS was continuously applied during open major non-cardiac surgery in 46 infants. The main outcomes were the mean intraoperative FTOE and the percentage (%) of time of intraoperative hyperoxiaFTOE relative to the total duration of anesthesia. HyperoxiaFTOE was defined as FTOE ≤ 0.1. Cumulative doses of sedative agents (benzodiazepines and morphine), given up to 24 h preoperatively, correlated with the mean intraoperative FTOE (Spearman’s rho = −0.298, p = 0.0440) and were predictive for the % of time of intraoperative hyperoxiaFTOE (β (95% CI) 47.12 (7.32; 86.92)) when adjusted for the patients’ age, type of surgery, preoperative hemoglobin, intraoperative sevoflurane and fentanyl dose, mean intraoperative arterial blood pressure, and end-tidal CO2 by multivariate 0.75 quantile regression. There was no association with 0.5 quantile regression. We observed the suggestive positive association of decreased fractional cerebral tissue oxygen extraction and the use of sedative agents in neonates and infants undergoing surgery.
First-Principles Calculation of Copper Oxide Superconductors That Supports the Kamimura-Suwa Model
Authors: Kamimura Hiroshi , Araidai Masaaki , Ishida Kunio , Matsuno Shunichi , Sakata Hideaki , Shiraishi Kenji , Sugino Osamu , Tsai Jaw-Shen
Published: November 2020

In 1986 Bednorz and Műller discovered high temperature superconductivity in copper oxides by chemically doping holes into La2CuO4 (LCO), the antiferromagnetic insulator. Despite intense experimental and theoretical research during the past 34 years, no general consensus on the electronic-spin structures and the origin of pseudogap has been obtained. In this circumstance, we performed a first-principles calculation of underdoped cuprate superconductors La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) within the meta-generalized gradient approximation of the density functional theory. Our calculations clarify first the important role of the anti Jahn-Teller (JT) effect, the backward deformation against the JT distortion in La2CuO4 by doping extra holes. The resulting electronic structure agrees with the two-component theory provided by the tight-binding model of Kamimura and Suwa (K-S), which has been also used to elucidate the d-wave superconductivity. Our first-principles calculation thus justifies the K-S model and demonstrates advanced understanding of cuprates. For example, the remarkable feature of our calculations is the appearance of the spin-polarized band with a nearly flat-band character, showing the peaky nature in the density of states at the Fermi level.
Sonic and Photonic Crystals
Authors: Chen Lien-Wen , Yeh Jia-Yi
Published: November 2020

Sonic/phononic crystals named acoustic/sonic band gap media are the elastic analogues of photonic crystals and have received renewed attention recently in many acoustic applications [...]
Discovery, Characterization, and Pharmaceutical Applications of Two Loratadine–Oxalic Acid Cocrystals
Authors: Liang Zhengxuan , Chen Hongbo , Wang Chenguang , Sun Changquan Calvin
Published: November 2020

Loratadine (Lor) is an antihistamine drug commonly used to relieve the symptoms of allergy. It has high permeability but low solubility under physiological conditions. To overcome the problem of low solubility, we synthesized and characterized two Loratadine multi-component crystalline phases with oxalic acid (Oxa), i.e., a 1:1 Lor-Oxa conjugate acid-base (CAB) cocrystal (Lor-Oxa CAB) and a 2:1 Lor-Oxa cocrystal monohydrate (Lor-Oxa hydrate). Both cocrystals exhibited an enhanced solubility and intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) compared to Lor and adequate physical stability. The intrinsic dissolution rate of Lor-Oxa CAB is 95 times that of Lor, which makes it a promising candidate for tablet formulation development.
Membrane Attack Complex in Myocardial Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury: A Systematic Review for Post Mortem Applications
Authors: Mondello Cristina , Ventura Spagnolo Elvira , Cardia Luigi , Sapienza Daniela , Scurria Serena , Gualniera Patrizia , Asmundo Alessio
Published: November 2020

The complement system has a significant role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, being responsible for cell lysis and amplification of inflammatory response. In this context, several studies highlight that terminal complement complex C5b-9, also known as the membrane attack complex (MAC), is a significant contributor. The MAC functions were studied by many researchers analyzing the characteristics of its activation in myocardial infarction. Here, a systematic literature review was reported to evaluate the principal features, advantages, and limits (regarding the application) of complement components and MAC in post mortem settings to perform the diagnosis of myocardial ischemia/infarction. The review was performed according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a total of 26 studies were identified. Several methods studied MAC, and each study contributes to defining better how and when it affects the myocardial damage in ischemic/reperfusion injury. The articles were discussed, focusing on the specificity, sensibility, and post mortem stability of MAC as a marker of myocardial ischemia/infarction, supporting the usefulness in routine post mortem investigations.
CoSinGAN: Learning COVID-19 Infection Segmentation from a Single Radiological Image
Authors: Zhang Pengyi , Zhong Yunxin , Deng Yulin , Tang Xiaoying , Li Xiaoqiong
Published: November 2020

Computed tomography (CT) images are currently being adopted as the visual evidence for COVID-19 diagnosis in clinical practice. Automated detection of COVID-19 infection from CT images based on deep models is important for faster examination. Unfortunately, collecting large-scale training data systematically in the early stage is difficult. To address this problem, we explore the feasibility of learning deep models for lung and COVID-19 infection segmentation from a single radiological image by resorting to synthesizing diverse radiological images. Specifically, we propose a novel conditional generative model, called CoSinGAN, which can be learned from a single radiological image with a given condition, i.e., the annotation mask of the lungs and infected regions. Our CoSinGAN is able to capture the conditional distribution of the single radiological image, and further synthesize high-resolution (512 × 512) and diverse radiological images that match the input conditions precisely. We evaluate the efficacy of CoSinGAN in learning lung and infection segmentation from very few radiological images by performing 5-fold cross validation on COVID-19-CT-Seg dataset (20 CT cases) and an independent testing on the MosMed dataset (50 CT cases). Both 2D U-Net and 3D U-Net, learned from four CT slices by using our CoSinGAN, have achieved notable infection segmentation performance, surpassing the COVID-19-CT-Seg-Benchmark, i.e., the counterparts trained on an average of 704 CT slices, by a large margin. Such results strongly confirm that our method has the potential to learn COVID-19 infection segmentation from few radiological images in the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic.
Detecting Unfavorable Driving States in Electroencephalography Based on a PCA Sample Entropy Feature and Multiple Classification Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Tao , Wang Hong , Chen Jichi , He Enqiu
Published: November 2020

Unfavorable driving states can cause a large number of vehicle crashes and are significant factors in leading to traffic accidents. Hence, the aim of this research is to design a robust system to detect unfavorable driving states based on sample entropy feature analysis and multiple classification algorithms. Multi-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) signals are recorded from 16 participants while performing two types of driving tasks. For the purpose of selecting optimal feature sets for classification, principal component analysis (PCA) is adopted for reducing dimensionality of feature sets. Multiple classification algorithms, namely, K nearest neighbor (KNN), decision tree (DT), support vector machine (SVM) and logistic regression (LR) are employed to improve the accuracy of unfavorable driving state detection. We use 10-fold cross-validation to assess the performance of the proposed systems. It is found that the proposed detection system, based on PCA features and the cubic SVM classification algorithm, shows robustness as it obtains the highest accuracy of 97.81%, sensitivity of 96.93%, specificity of 98.73% and precision of 98.75%. Experimental results show that the system we designed can effectively monitor unfavorable driving states.
Is the Effect of Body Dissatisfaction on Depressive Symptoms Dependent on Weight Status? A Study with Early-to-Middle Adolescents
Authors: Carapeto Maria João , Domingos Raquel , Veiga Guida
Published: November 2020

Depression is a recognized mental health problem in adolescence and body dissatisfaction is an important risk factor. The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between body dissatisfaction and depressive symptoms, and whether it depends on adolescents’ weight status, an issue that remains understudied. Two hundred and fourteen adolescents (12–16 years) completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms, body dissatisfaction and weight status (i.e., current body weight and height, to compute body mass index z-scores, BMIz). Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted, accounting for gender and age effects on depressive symptoms. Body dissatisfaction was found to be a predictor of depressive symptoms for the low and median BMIz adolescents, but not for those with high BMIz. In addition, this interaction of body dissatisfaction and BMIz improved the ability of the regression model to explain depressive symptoms´ variance beyond the effect of gender and age. The high-BMIz adolescents presented higher body dissatisfaction but similar levels of depressive symptoms, compared to the lower BMIz adolescents. These findings suggest the influence of body dissatisfaction in the emergence of depressive symptoms in the first half of adolescence, and the importance of weight status throughout this path.
High Speed Back-Bias Voltage (VBB) Generator with Improved Pumping Current
Authors: Yim Taegun , Lee Choongkeun , Yoon Hongil
Published: November 2020

Due to the advance of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) technologies with the steadfast increase of density with aggressively scaled storage capacitors, the supply voltage has been lowered to under 1 V to reduce power consumption. The above progress has been accompanied by the increasingly difficult task of sensing cell data reliably. One of the essential methods to preserve sustainable data retention characteristic is to curtail the sub-threshold leakage current by using a negative voltage bias for the bulk of access transistors. This negative back-bias is generated by a back-bias voltage generator. This paper proposes a novel high-speed back-bias voltage (VBB) generator with a cross-coupled hybrid pumping scheme. The conventional circuit uses one fixed voltage to control the gates of discharge of the p-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) and transfer n-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), respectively. However, the proposed circuit adds an auxiliary pump, thereby able to control more aptly with a lower negative voltage when discharging and a higher positive voltage when transferring. As a result, the proposed circuit achieves a faster pump-down speed and higher pumping current at a lower supply voltage compared to conventional circuits. The H-simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis (HSPICE) simulation results with the Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing company (TSMC) 0.18 um process technology indicates that the proposed circuit has about a 20% faster pump-down speed at a supply voltage of voltage common collector (VCC) = 1.2 V and about 3% higher pumping current at VBB from −0.6 V to −1 V with the ability to generate a near 3% higher ratio of |VBB|/VCC at VCC = 0.6 V compared to conventional circuits. Hence, the proposed circuit is extremely suitable and promising for future low-power and high-performance DRAM applications.
Tracing the Geographic Origin of Merbau (Intsia palembanica Miq.) in Century Old Planting Trials
Authors: Ng Chin , Ng Kevin , Lee Chai , Tnah Lee , Zakaria Nurul , Ayop Noorsiha , Lee Soon
Published: November 2020

Our study highlights the utilization of a genetic database for wood-origin identification in Intsia palembanica, a valuable heavy hardwood from the tropical forests. This forensic tool is essential for strengthening the verification of legality in the wood supply chain from the forest to the end-users. An increasing number of rules and regulations are being put in place to promote sustainable practice in the timber trade, one of which involves ensuring that importers declare the correct species name and source of geographic origin of the timber. We aimed to determine the origin of the I. palembanica seed source used in the early establishment on the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) campus. DNA samples of I. palembanica individuals from the FRIM campus were obtained and analyzed using four chloroplast (cp) DNA markers to characterize the haplotype variants for population identification. In addition, the DNA samples were also genotyped at 14 short tandem repeat (STR) loci for individual identification. Individual assignment to the possible geographic origin was done through an assignment test. On the basis of our recently developed I. palembanica genetic databases, the I. palembanica seed source for the early establishment was inferred to be originated from a mixture of several sources, with a large portion from the southern region (89%) and a relatively small portion from the northern region (11%) of Peninsular Malaysia. The I. palembanica seed source used for the early establishment on the century old FRIM campus was inferred to be originated from several forest reserves located not far from the planting sites. This study proves the applicability of the DNA method in supply-chain verification, where an unknown I. palembanica tree can be traced to its geographic origin using genetic databases.
Sulfur Recovery from Syngas in Pulp Mills with Integrated Black Liquor Gasification
Authors: Hruška Michal , Variny Miroslav , Haydary Juma , Janošovský Ján
Published: November 2020

Research Highlights: As to fill the current knowledge gap and to deliver important findings to the scientific community, efficient sulfur recovery from black liquor gasifier syngas, comprising both gas cleaning and returning sulfur to the pulping process, was modeled and assessed from a techno-economic viewpoint. This manuscript proves that the associated investment and operational costs cannot be neglected and that they impact the black liquor gasification feasibility significantly. To prove its gasification as a sustainable and more efficient processing route over its combustion in recovery boilers, a substantial process efficiency improvement and operating costs reduction must be targeted in future research. Background and Objectives: Sulfur compounds found in black liquor partly turn into hydrogen sulfide during gasification and exit the gasifier in the syngas. Their efficient recovery in their sulfidic form to the pulping process is of utmost importance. Current studies focus on black liquor gasifier syngas desulfurization only. Materials and Methods: A mathematical model of two H2S absorption units from a 66.7 tDS/h (1600 tons dry solids per day) black liquor gasification process to 20 ppm H2S content in cleaned syngas using either white liquor plus NaOH or N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA) was created using the Aspen Plus simulation software. Results: The results show that CO2 co-absorption significantly increases the lime kiln load: +20% in the MDEA alternative and +100% in the other one. The MDEA alternative requires almost the same investment costs but by around USD 9.7 million (>50%) lower annual operating costs compared to the other one. Economic evaluation was based on the assumed discount rate of 5% and on the expected plant operation time of 25 years. The estimated total investment cost of the whole plant is around USD 170 million for both alternatives. The whole plant including this alternative exhibits a positive net present value (over USD 19 million), an internal rate of return of 5% and a profitability index of 1.12, whereas that with the other alternative is economically infeasible. Conclusions: The MDEA-based syngas cleaning technology represents a more efficient and economically feasible option of sulfur recovery. A major drawback of both modeled syngas cleaning technologies is that their estimated annual operating costs significantly reduce the expected profit margin of gasification over the traditional black liquor combustion in a recovery boiler. Syngas cleaning and sulfur recovery have to be further optimized to reach a significant cut down in operational costs to improve the economic feasibility of black liquor gasification.
An Experimental Investigation of Coherent Structures and Induced Noise Characteristics of the Partial Cavitating Flow on a Two-Dimensional Hydrofoil
Authors: Ahn Byoung-Kwon , Jeong So-Won , Park Cheol-Soo , Kim Gun-Do
Published: November 2020

In many practical submerged objects, various types of cavitation such as bubble, sheet, and cloud cavitation occur according to flow conditions. In spite of numerous theoretical, numerical, and experimental studies, there are still many problems to be solved such as induced noise and damage potential due to cavitation. In this paper, an experimental investigation on coherent structures and induced noise characteristics of partial cavitation on a two-dimensional hydrofoil is presented. Experiments that focused on the dynamics of cavitation clouds were conducted in a cavitation tunnel. Using high-speed visualization, the series process consisting of inception, growth, and desinence of the partial cavity was investigated. The noise generated during the process was also measured, and the correlation with the cavity pattern was examined. The results show that the periodic behavior of cavitation clouds is directly reflected in the noise characteristics. In addition, the visualization of coherent structures within the sheet and cloud cavity provides a qualitative understanding of hairpin vortices and their packets, which play a dominant role in turbulent cavitating flows.
Photovoltaic Output Power Estimation and Baseline Prediction Approach for a Residential Distribution Network with Behind-the-Meter Systems
Authors: Pan Keda , Xie Changhong , Lai Chun Sing , Wang Dongxiao , Lai Loi Lei
Published: November 2020

Considering that most of the photovoltaic (PV) data are behind-the-meter (BTM), there is a great challenge to implement effective demand response projects and make a precise customer baseline (CBL) prediction. To solve the problem, this paper proposes a data-driven PV output power estimation approach using only net load data, temperature data, and solar irradiation data. We first obtain the relationship between delta actual load and delta temperature by calculating the delta net load from matching the net load of irradiation for an approximate day with the least squares method. Then we match and make a difference of the net load with similar electricity consumption behavior to establish the relationship between delta PV output power and delta irradiation. Finally, we get the PV output power and implement PV-load decoupling by modifying the relationship between delta PV and delta irradiation. The case studies verify the effectiveness of the approach and it provides an important reference to perform PV-load decoupling and CBL prediction in a residential distribution network with BTM PV systems.
Is Organizational Communication Climate a Precondition for Patient-Centered Care? Insights from a Key Informant Survey of Various Health and Social Care Organizations
Authors: Hower Kira Isabel , Vennedey Vera , Hillen Hendrik Ansgar , Stock Stephanie , Kuntz Ludwig , Pfaff Holger , Pförtner Timo-Kolja , Scholl Isabelle , Ansmann Lena
Published: November 2020

Health and social care organizations are under pressure of organizing care around patients’ needs and preferences while complying with regulatory frameworks and constraint resources. To implement patient-centered care in health and social care organizations successfully, particular organizational preconditions need to be considered. Findings on the implementation of patient-centered care and its preconditions are rare and insufficiently account for the organizational context to explain differences. This study examines the implementation status of patient-centered care in diverse health and social care organizations and analyzes the communication climate as a precondition of successful implementation. In a cross-sectional postal key informant survey, decision makers in the highest leading positions from six different types of health and social care organizations in Cologne, Germany, were surveyed using a paper–pencil questionnaire. Patient-centered care implementation was operationalized by three categories (principles, activities, and enablers) including 15 dimensions. Organizational communication climate was operationalized by aspects of open and constructive communication, cooperation, and inclusion. Out of 1790 contacted organizations, 237 participated. In the analyses, 215 complete datasets were included. Descriptive analyses, Kruskal–Wallis test, post hoc pair-wise test, and linear regression modeling were performed. Results show that the implementation status of patient-centered care was perceived as high but differed between the various types of organizations and in terms of patient-centered care categories. Organizational communication climate was significantly associated with the implementation of patient-centered care. Especially in organizations with a higher number of employees, strategies to create a positive communication climate are needed to create a precondition for patient-centered care.
Wearing of Cloth or Disposable Surgical Face Masks has no Effect on Vigorous Exercise Performance in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Shaw Keely , Butcher Scotty , Ko Jongbum , Zello Gordon A. , Chilibeck Philip D.
Published: November 2020

Wearing face masks is recommended for the prevention of contracting or exposing others to cardiorespiratory infections, such as COVID-19. Controversy exists on whether wearing face masks during vigorous exercise affects performance. We used a randomized, counterbalanced cross-over design to evaluate the effects of wearing a surgical mask, a cloth mask, or no mask in 14 participants (7 men and 7 women; 28.2 ± 8.7 y) during a cycle ergometry test to exhaustion. Arterial oxygen saturation (pulse oximetry) and tissue oxygenation index (indicator of hemoglobin saturation/desaturation) at vastus lateralis (near-infrared spectroscopy) were assessed throughout the exercise tests. Wearing face masks had no effect on performance (time to exhaustion (mean ± SD): no mask 622 ± 141 s, surgical mask 657 ± 158 s, cloth mask 637 ± 153 s (p = 0.20); peak power: no mask 234 ± 56 W, surgical mask 241 ± 57 W, cloth mask 241 ± 51 W (p = 0.49)). When expressed relative to peak exercise performance, no differences were evident between wearing or not wearing a mask for arterial oxygen saturation, tissue oxygenation index, rating of perceived exertion, or heart rate at any time during the exercise tests. Wearing a face mask during vigorous exercise had no discernable detrimental effect on blood or muscle oxygenation, and exercise performance in young, healthy participants (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04557605).
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Outcomes: Social Determination of Health
Authors: Raine Samuel , Liu Amy , Mintz Joel , Wahood Waseem , Huntley Kyle , Haffizulla Farzanna
Published: November 2020

As of 18 October 2020, over 39.5 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 1.1 million associated deaths have been reported worldwide. It is crucial to understand the effect of social determination of health on novel COVID-19 outcomes in order to establish health justice. There is an imperative need, for policy makers at all levels, to consider socioeconomic and racial and ethnic disparities in pandemic planning. Cross-sectional analysis from COVID Boston University’s Center for Antiracist Research COVID Racial Data Tracker was performed to evaluate the racial and ethnic distribution of COVID-19 outcomes relative to representation in the United States. Representation quotients (RQs) were calculated to assess for disparity using state-level data from the American Community Survey (ACS). We found that on a national level, Hispanic/Latinx, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, and Black people had RQs > 1, indicating that these groups are over-represented in COVID-19 incidence. Dramatic racial and ethnic variances in state-level incidence and mortality RQs were also observed. This study investigates pandemic disparities and examines some factors which inform the social determination of health. These findings are key for developing effective public policy and allocating resources to effectively decrease health disparities. Protective standards, stay-at-home orders, and essential worker guidelines must be tailored to address the social determination of health in order to mitigate health injustices, as identified by COVID-19 incidence and mortality RQs.
Comparison and Impact of Four Different Methodologies for Identification of Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Authors: Pinto Andreia , Santos João Vasco , Souza Júlio , Viana João , Costa Santos Cristina , Lobo Mariana , Freitas Alberto
Published: November 2020

Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are conditions for which hospitalizations are thought to be avoidable if effective and accessible primary health care is available. However, to define which conditions are considered ACSCs, there is a considerable number of different lists. Our aim was to compare the impact of using different ACSC lists considering mainland Portugal hospitalizations. A retrospective study with inpatient data from Portuguese public hospital discharges between 2011 and 2015 was conducted. Four ACSC list sources were considered: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), the Victorian Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions study, and Sarmento et al. Age–sex-adjusted rates of ACSCs were calculated by district (hospitalizations per 100,000 inhabitants). Spearman’s rho, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the information-based measure of disagreement (IBMD), and Bland and Altman plots were computed. Results showed that by applying the four lists, different age–sex-adjusted rates are obtained. However, the lists that seemed to demonstrate greater agreement and consistency were the list proposed by Sarmento et al. compared to AHRQ and the AHRQ method compared to the Victorian list. It is important to state that we should compare comparable indicators and ACSC lists cannot be used interchangeably.
How Elongator Acetylates tRNA Bases
Authors: Abbassi Nour-el-Hana , Biela Anna , Glatt Sebastian , Lin Ting-Yu
Published: November 2020

Elp3, the catalytic subunit of the eukaryotic Elongator complex, is a lysine acetyltransferase that acetylates the C5 position of wobble-base uridines (U34) in transfer RNAs (tRNAs). This Elongator-dependent RNA acetylation of anticodon bases affects the ribosomal translation elongation rates and directly links acetyl-CoA metabolism to both protein synthesis rates and the proteome integrity. Of note, several human diseases, including various cancers and neurodegenerative disorders, correlate with the dysregulation of Elongator’s tRNA modification activity. In this review, we focus on recent findings regarding the structure of Elp3 and the role of acetyl-CoA during its unique modification reaction.
PDIA3 Expression in Glioblastoma Modulates Macrophage/Microglia Pro-Tumor Activation
Authors: Chiavari Marta , Ciotti Gabriella Maria Pia , Canonico Francesco , Altieri Fabio , Lacal Pedro Miguel , Graziani Grazia , Navarra Pierluigi , Lisi Lucia
Published: November 2020

The glioblastoma (GB) microenvironment includes cells of the innate immune system identified as glioma-associated microglia/macrophages (GAMs) that are still poorly characterized. A potential role on the mechanisms regulating GAM activity might be played by the endoplasmic reticulum protein ERp57/PDIA3 (protein disulfide-isomerase A3), the modulation of which has been reported in a variety of cancers. Moreover, by using The Cancer Genome Atlas database, we found that overexpression of PDIA3 correlated with about 55% reduction of overall survival of glioma patients. Therefore, we analyzed the expression of ERp57/PDIA3 using specimens obtained after surgery from 18 GB patients. Immunohistochemical analysis of tumor samples revealed ERp57/PDIA3 expression in GB cells as well as in GAMs. The ERp57/PDIA3 levels were higher in GAMs than in the microglia present in the surrounding parenchyma. Therefore, we studied the role of PDIA3 modulation in microglia–glioma interaction, based on the ability of conditioned media collected from human GB cells to induce the activation of microglial cells. The results indicated that reduced PDIA3 expression/activity in GB cells significantly limited the microglia pro-tumor polarization towards the M2 phenotype and the production of pro-inflammatory factors. Our data support a role of PDIA3 expression in GB-mediated protumor activation of microglia.
Synergistic Effect of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma asperellum to Induce Maize (Zea mays L.) Defense against the Asian Corn Borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) and Larval Immune Response
Authors: Batool Raufa , Umer Muhammad Jawad , Wang Yangzhou , He Kanglai , Zhang Tiantao , Bai Shuxiong , Zhi Yang , Chen Jie , Wang Zhenying
Published: November 2020

Ostrinia furnacalis, is the major pest of maize causing significant yield losses. So far, many approaches have been used to increase the virulence of entomopathogenic fungal isolates. The current study is an attempt to estimate synergistic effect of Beauveria bassiana and Trichoderma asperellum in order to explore larval immune response through RNA sequencing and differentially expression analysis. In vivo synergism was examined in seven proportions (B. bassiana: T. asperellum = 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 4:1, 3:1, 2:1) and in the in vitro case, two inoculation methods were applied: seed coating and soil drenching. Results revealed significant decrease in plant damage and high larval mortality in fungal treatments. Fungal isolates mediated the plant defense by increasing proline, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and protease activities. Seed coating method was proved to be the most effective in case of maize endophytic colonization. In total, 59 immune-related differentially expressed genes DEGs were identified including, cytochrome P450, heat shock protein, ABC transporter, cadherin, peptidoglycan recognition protein (PGRP), cuticlular protein, etc. Further, transcriptomic response was confirmed by qRT-PCR. Our results concluded that, coculture of B. bassiana and T. asperellum has the synergistic potential to suppress the immune response of O. furnacalis and can be used as sustainable approach to induce plant resistance through activation of defense-related enzymes.
Defining Metaniches in the Oral Cavity According to Their Microbial Composition and Cytokine Profile
Authors: Seidel Corinna L. , Gerlach Roman G. , Wiedemann Patrick , Weider Matthias , Rodrian Gabriele , Hader Michael , Frey Benjamin , Gaipl Udo S. , Bozec Aline , Cieplik Fabian , Kirschneck Christian , Bogdan Christian , Gölz Lina
Published: November 2020

The human oral microbiota consists of over 700 widespread taxa colonizing the oral cavity in several anatomically diverse oral niches. Lately, sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes has become an acknowledged, culture-independent method to characterize the oral microbiota. However, only a small amount of data are available concerning microbial differences between oral niches in periodontal health and disease. In the context of periodontitis, the cytokine expression in the gingival crevicular fluid has been studied in detail, whereas little is known about the cytokine profile in hard and soft tissue biofilms. In order to characterize oral niches in periodontal health, the oral microbiota and cytokine pattern were analyzed at seven different sites (plaque (P), gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), saliva (S), tongue (T), hard palate (HP), cheek (C) and sublingual area (U)) of 20 young adults using next-generation sequencing and multiplex immunoassays. Site-specific microbial compositions were detected, which clustered into three distinct metaniches (“P-GCF”, “S-T-HP” and “C-U”) and were associated with niche-/metaniche-specific cytokine profiles. Our findings allow the definition of distinct metaniches according to their microbial composition, partly reflected by their cytokine profile, and provide new insights into microenvironmental similarities between anatomical diverse oral niches.
Targeted Disruption of Mouse Dip2B Leads to Abnormal Lung Development and Prenatal Lethality
Authors: Sah Rajiv Kumar , Ma Jun , Bah Fatoumata Binta , Xing Zhenkai , Adlat Salah , Oo Zin Ma , Wang Yajun , Bahadar Noor , Bohio Ameer Ali , Nagi Farooq Hayel , Feng Xuechao , Zhang Luqing , Zheng Yaowu
Published: November 2020

Molecular and anatomical functions of mammalian Dip2 family members (Dip2A, Dip2B and Dip2C) during organogenesis are largely unknown. Here, we explored the indispensable role of Dip2B in mouse lung development. Using a LacZ reporter, we explored Dip2B expression during embryogenesis. This study shows that Dip2B expression is widely distributed in various neuronal, myocardial, endothelial, and epithelial cell types during embryogenesis. Target disruption of Dip2b leads to intrauterine growth restriction, defective lung formation and perinatal mortality. Dip2B is crucial for late lung maturation rather than early-branching morphogenesis. The morphological analysis shows that Dip2b loss leads to disrupted air sac formation, interstitium septation and increased cellularity. In BrdU incorporation assay, it is shown that Dip2b loss results in increased cell proliferation at the saccular stage of lung development. RNA-seq analysis reveals that 1431 genes are affected in Dip2b deficient lungs at E18.5 gestation age. Gene ontology analysis indicates cell cycle-related genes are upregulated and immune system related genes are downregulated. KEGG analysis identifies oxidative phosphorylation as the most overrepresented pathways along with the G2/M phase transition pathway. Loss of Dip2b de-represses the expression of alveolar type I and type II molecular markers. Altogether, the study demonstrates an important role of Dip2B in lung maturation and survival.
Kinetic and Equilibrium Studies of Doxorubicin Adsorption onto Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Chudoba Dorota , Łudzik Katarzyna , Jażdżewska Monika , Wołoszczuk Sebastian
Published: November 2020

This study provides deep insight into the adsorption process of doxorubicin onto different types of carbon nanotubes that have been proved to show attractive properties as a drug delivery system. The main aim of the work was to propose probable adsorption mechanisms and interactions between the anticancer drug and surface of modified and pristine carbon nanotubes at blood pH. The carbon nanotubes were oxidized to optimize the absorbance efficiency relative to that of pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes. The adsorption isotherm of the modified system was well described by the Temkin equation. It confirms that the adsorption in the system studied involves also hydrogen and covalent bonding and is exothermic in nature. The experimental kinetic curves of adsorption were fitted to different mathematical models to check if the kinetics of doxorubicin adsorption onto the modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes follows a pseudo-second-order model and the chemical sorption is bound to be the rate-limiting. On the basis of the molecular dynamics simulation, it was shown that in vacuo the aggregation tendency of doxorubicin molecules is far more favorable than their adsorption on pristine carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It suggests that only functionalization of the nanotube surface can affect the interaction between doxorubicin and functional groups of the carriers and increases the efficiency of the drug loading process.
Zoltan Lukacs Passed Away
Authors: Orsini Joseph , Gelb Michael , Schielen Peter C. J. I.
Published: November 2020

It is with great sadness that we have to inform you of the passing on 13 August 2020, of Dr [...]
A Model for Evaluating the Performance of a Multiple Keywords Spotting System for the Transcription of Historical Handwritten Documents
Authors: Marcelli Angelo , De Gregorio Giuseppe , Santoro Adolfo
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a performance model for estimating the user time needed to transcribe small collections of handwritten documents using a keyword spotting system (KWS) that provides a number of possible transcriptions for each word image. The model assumes that only information obtained from a small training set is available, and establishes the constraints on the performance measures to achieve a reduction of the time for transcribing the content with respect to the time required by human experts. The model is complemented with a procedure for computing the parameters of the model and eventually estimating the improvement of the time to achieve a complete and error-free transcription of the documents.
Lagoon Biogeochemical Processing is Reflected in Spatial Patterns of Sediment Stable Isotopic Ratios
Authors: Watson Elizabeth Burke , Hinojosa-Corona Alejandro , Krause Johannes R. , Herguera Juan Carlos , McDonnell Julianna , Villegas Manríquez Karen Raquel Villegas , Gannon Michelle E. , Gray Andrew B.
Published: November 2020

The spatial analysis of biota, particulate organic matter, and sediments for stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C), nitrogen (δ15N), and sulfur (δ34S) have proved useful for identifying patterns in productivity, nutrient pollution, and relationships between biological and physiochemical variables at the local and global scales. Yet such approaches are rarely applied to studies of lagoon or estuarine metabolism. Focusing on Bahía San Quintín, a heterotrophic seagrass-dominated lagoon on the Pacific coast of Baja California, México, we report on spatial patterns in surficial sediment CNS stable isotopic ratios as tracers of lagoon biogeochemical function. Stable nitrogen isotopes highlighted potential spatial variability in the balance between denitrification and nitrogen-fixation within the lagoon and identified an association between elevated δ15N levels and oyster culture, suggesting that oyster presence may be enhancing N2 production. Spatial patterns in δ34S covaried with sediment particle size, underlining the importance of sediment texture in determining the depth of sub-oxic-anoxic redox zones. Sediment carbon stable isotope ratios highlighted the lack of incorporation of seagrass carbon into seagrass meadow sediments, thus emphasizing the importance of phytoplankton or microphytobenthos for carbon accumulation in seagrass meadows. This report highlights the value of sediment isotopic values in corroborating spatial patterns in estuarine metabolism or macronutrient processing identified from chamber or flux-based studies. Stable isotope mapping can provide a useful addition to assessment of estuarine metabolism, or act as a stand-alone tool for generating hypotheses, identifying the influence of spatial gradients, and/or suggesting prime locations for investigation of microbial abundance or function.