bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tectonic evolution of the Himalayan syntaxes: the view from Nanga Parbat
Authors: Butler Robert W. H.
Published: August 2018

Current tectonic understanding of the Nanga Parbat–Haramosh massif (NPHM) is reviewed, developing new models for the structure and deformation of the Indian continental crust, its thermorheological evolution, and its relationship to surface processes. Comparisons are drawn with the Namche Barwa–Gyala Peri massif (NBGPM) that cores an equivalent syntaxis at the NE termination of the Himalayan arc. Both massifs show exceptionally rapid active denudation and riverine downcutting, identified from very young cooling ages measured from various thermochronometers. They also record relicts of high-pressure metamorphic conditions that chart early tectonic burial. Initial exhumation was probably exclusively by tectonic processes but the young, and continuing emergence of these massifs reflects combined tectonic and surface processes. The feedback mechanisms implicit in aneurysm models may have been overemphasized, especially the role of synkinematic granites as agents of rheological softening and strain localization. Patterns of distributed ductile deformation exhumed within the NPHM are consistent with models of orogen-wide gravitation flow, with the syntaxes forming the lateral edges to the flow beneath the Himalayan arc.
Dependable Model-driven Development of CPS
Authors: Jiang Yu , Song Houbing , Yang Yixiao , Liu Han , Gu Ming , Guan Yong , Sun Jiaguang , Sha Lui
Published: August 2018

Simulink is widely used for model-driven development (MDD) of cyber-physical systems. Typically, the Simulink-based development starts with Stateflow modeling, followed by simulation, validation, and code generation mapped to physical execution platforms. However, recent trends have raised the demands of rigorous verification on safety-critical applications to prevent intrinsic development faults and improve the system dependability, which is unfortunately challenging. Even though the constructed Stateflow model and the generated code pass the validation of Simulink Design Verifier and Simulink Polyspace, respectively, the system may still fail due to some implicit defects contained in the design model (design defect) and the generated code (implementation defects).

In this article, we bridge the Stateflow-based MDD and a well-defined rigorous verification to reduce development faults. First, we develop a self-contained toolkit to translate a Stateflow model into timed automata, where major advanced modeling features in Stateflow are supported. Taking advantage of the strong verification capability of Uppaal, we can not only find bugs in Stateflow models that are missed by Simulink Design Verifier but also check more important temporal properties. Next, we customize a runtime verifier for the generated non-intrusive VHDL and C code of a Stateflow model for monitoring. The major strength of the customization is the flexibility to collect and analyze runtime properties with a pure software monitor, which offers more opportunities for engineers to achieve high reliability of the target system compared with the traditional act that only relies on Simulink Polyspace. In this way, safety-critical properties are both verified at the model level and at the consistent system implementation level with physical execution environment in consideration. We apply our approach to the development of a typical cyber-physical system-train communication controller based on the IEC standard 61375. Experiments show that more ambiguousness in the standard are detected and confirmed and more development faults and those corresponding errors that would lead to system failure have been removed. Furthermore, the verified implementation has been deployed on real trains.
The Cost of Unknown Diameter in Dynamic Networks
Authors: Yu Haifeng , Zhao Yuda , Jahja Irvan
Published: August 2018

For dynamic networks with
unknown diameter
, we prove novel lower bounds on the time complexity of a range of basic distributed computing problems. Together with trivial upper bounds under dynamic networks with
known diameter
for these problems, our lower bounds show that the complexities of all these problems are
sensitive
to whether the diameter is known to the protocol beforehand: Not knowing the diameter increases the time complexities by a large poly(
N
) factor as compared to when the diameter is known, resulting in an exponential gap. Our lower bounds are obtained via communication complexity arguments and by reducing from the two-party D
isjointness
CP problem. We further prove that sometimes this large poly(
N
) cost can be completely avoided if the protocol is given a good estimate on
N
. In other words, having such an estimate makes some problems no longer sensitive to unknown diameter.
Do-It-Yourself Virtual Memory Translation
Authors: Alam Hanna , Zhang Tianhao , Erez Mattan , Etsion Yoav
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we introduce the Do-It-Yourself virtual memory translation (DVMT) architecture as a flexible complement for current hardware-fixed translation flows. DVMT decouples the virtual-tophysical mapping process from the access permissions, giving applications freedom in choosing mapping schemes, while maintaining security within the operating system. Furthermore, DVMT is designed to support virtualized environments, as a means to collapse the costly, hardware-assisted two-dimensional translations. We describe the architecture in detail and demonstrate its effectiveness by evaluating several different DVMT schemes on a range of virtualized applications with a model based on measurements from a commercial system. We show that different DVMT configurations preserve the native performance, while achieving speedups of 1.2x to 2.0x in virtualized environments.
Assessment of liver fibrosis progression and regression by a serological collagen turnover profile
Authors: Karsdal Morten A. , Hjuler Sara T. , Luo Yi , Rasmussen Daniel G. K. , Nielsen Mette J. , Holm Nielsen Signe , Leeming Diana J. , Goodman Zachary , Arch Robert H. , Patel Keyur , Schuppan Detlef
Published: August 2018

There is a need for noninvasive biomarkers that can identify patients with progressive liver fibrosis and monitor response to antifibrotic therapy. An equally important need is identification of patients with spontaneous fibrosis regression, since they may not need treatment nor be included in clinical studies with fibrosis as end point. Circulating biomarkers, originating from defined fragments of the scar tissue itself, may serve as valuable tools for this aspect of precision medicine. We investigated a panel of serological collagen formation and degradation markers to identify patients likely to regress or progress in absence of a therapeutic intervention. Plasma samples from patients with moderate-stage hepatitis C receiving placebo treatment in a phase II trial of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor agonist farglitazar were included. The patients had matched liver biopsies at baseline and 52 wk of follow-up. Serological biomarkers of collagen formation (PRO-C3, PRO-C4, PRO-C5) and collagen degradation (C3M, C4M, and C6M) were analyzed. Logistic regression analysis including PRO-C3 and C6M identified subjects with progressive liver fibrosis with an AUROC of 0.91 ( P < 0.0001) and positive and negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) of 75.0%/88.6%. Low levels of PRO-C5 predicted a spontaneous regression phenotype, with an odds ratio of 33.8 times higher compared with patients with high levels ( P < 0.0025) with an AUROC of 0.78 ( P < 0.0001) and PPV/NPV of 60.0%/95.7%. Two collagen fragments (PRO-C3 and C6M) identified liver fibrosis progressors, and one collagen fragment (PRO-C5) identified liver fibrosis regressors. These biomarkers may improve patient stratification and monitor treatment efficacy in studies with fibrosis as clinical end point.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In this study we report two biomarkers of collagen fragments (PRO-C3 and C6M) that are able to identify liver fibrosis progressors while one biomarker (PRO-C5) identified liver fibrosis regressors. In particular, we present three noninvasive biomarkers that can be used to identify patients with progressive liver fibrosis, monitor response to antifibrotic therapy, and also identify the spontaneous liver fibrosis regression phenotype.
Intestinal IMINO transporter SIT1 is not expressed in human newborns
Authors: Meier C. , Camargo S. M. , Hunziker S. , Moehrlen U. , Gros S. J. , Bode P. , Leu S. , Meuli M. , Holland-Cunz S. , Verrey F. , Vuille-dit-Bille R. N.
Published: August 2018

The expression of amino acid transporters in small intestine epithelia of human newborns has not been studied yet. It is further not known whether the maturation of imino acid (proline) transport is delayed as in the kidney proximal tubule. The possibility to obtain small intestinal tissue from patients undergoing surgery for jejunal or ileal atresia during their first days after birth was used to address these questions. As control, adult terminal ileum tissue was sampled during routine endoscopies. Gene expression of luminal imino and amino acid transporter SIT1 (SLC6A20) was approximately threefold lower in newborns versus adults. mRNA levels of all other luminal and basolateral amino acid transporters and accessory proteins tested were similar in newborn mucosa compared with adults. At the protein level, the major luminal neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1 (SLC6A19) and its accessory protein angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 were shown by immunofluorescence to be expressed similarly in newborns and in adults. SIT1 protein was not detectable in the small intestine of human newborns, in contrast to adults. The morphology of newborn intestinal mucosa proximal and distal to the obstruction was generally normal, but a decreased proliferation rate was visualized distally of the atresia by lower levels of the mitosis marker Ki-67. The mRNA level of the 13 tested amino acid transporters and accessory proteins was nonetheless similar, suggesting that the intestinal obstruction and interruption of amniotic fluid passage through the small intestinal lumen did not affect amino acid transporter expression.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY System IMINO transporter SIT1 is not expressed in the small intestine of human newborns. This new finding resembles the situation in the proximal kidney tubule leading to iminoglycinuria. Lack of amniotic fluid passage in small intestinal atresia does not affect amino acid transporter expression distal to intestinal occlusion.
Adaptive Parallel Simultaneous Stabilization of a Class of Nonlinear Descriptor Systems via Dissipative Matrix Method
Authors: Sun Liying , Yang Renming
Published: August 2018

This paper investigates the adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization and robust adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization problems of a class of nonlinear descriptor systems via dissipative matrix method. Firstly, under an output feedback law, two nonlinear descriptor systems are transformed into two nonlinear differential-algebraic systems by nonsingular transformations, and a sufficient condition of impulse-free is given for two resulting closed-loop systems. Then, the two systems are combined to generate an augmented dissipative Hamiltonian differential-algebraic system by using the system-augmentation technique. Based on the dissipative system, an adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization controller and a robust adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization controller are designed for the two systems. Furthermore, the case of more than two nonlinear descriptor systems is investigated. Finally, an illustrative example is studied by using the results proposed in this paper, and simulations show that the adaptive parallel simultaneous stabilization controllers obtained in this paper work very well.
Safety Monitoring Model of a Super-High Concrete Dam by Using RBF Neural Network Coupled with Kernel Principal Component Analysis
Authors: Chen Siyu , Gu Chongshi , Lin Chaoning , Zhao Erfeng , Song Jintao
Published: August 2018

Effective deformation monitoring is vital for the structural safety of super-high concrete dams. The radial displacement of the dam body is an important index of dam deformation, which is mainly influenced by reservoir water level, temperature effect, and time effect. In general, the safety monitoring models of dams are built on the basis of statistical models. The temperature effect of dam safety monitoring models is interpreted using approximate functions or the temperature values of a few points of measurement. However, this technique confers difficulty in representing the nonlinear features of the temperature effect on super-high concrete dams. In this study, a safety monitoring model of super-high concrete dams is established through the radial basis neural network (RBF-NN) and kernel principal component analysis (KPCA). The RBF-NN with strong nonlinear fitting capacity is utilized as the framework of the model, and KPCA with different kernels is adopted to extract the temperature variables of the dam temperature dataset. The model is applied to a super-high arch dam in China, and results show that the Hybrid-KPCA -RBF-NN model has high fitting and prediction precision and thus has practical application value.
Single-Photon-Single-Electron Transition for Interpretation of Optical Spectra of Nonspherical Metal Nanoparticles in Aqueous Colloidal Solutions
Authors: Michael Köhler J. , Kuhfuß Danja , Witthöft Phillip , Hentschel Martina , Knauer Andrea
Published: August 2018

Noble metal nanoparticles—especially shape anisotropic particles—have pronounced resonances in the optical spectrum. These sensitive absorption modes attract great interest in various fields of application. For nonspherical particles, no analytic description of the absorption spectra according to the commonly used Mie theory is possible. In this work, we present a semi-empirical approach for the explanation of the optical spectra of shape anisotropic particles such as silver nanoprisms and gold nanorods. We found an interpretation of the optical absorption spectra which is based on a single-photon-single-electron transition. This model is in a better agreement with the basic assumptions of quantum mechanics than the electrodynamic model of a localized surface plasmon excitation. Based on microfluidically obtained Ag nanoprisms and Au nanorods with very high ensemble homogeneities, dependencies between the geometrical properties of the shape anisotropic noble metal nanoparticles and the spectral position of the longitudinal absorption mode could be derived, which show that the assumption of a composed relative permittivity and the inclusion of the Rydberg constant is sufficient to describe the optical properties of the shape anisotropic particles. Within the scope of the measuring accuracy, the calculations furthermore lead to the value of the refractive index of the particle-surrounding medium.
Luteolin Induces Apoptosis and Autophagy in Mouse Macrophage ANA-1 Cells via the Bcl-2 Pathway
Authors: Liao Yuexia , Xu Yang , Cao Mengyao , Huan Yuanyuan , Zhu Lei , Jiang Ye , Shen Weigan , Zhu Guoqiang
Published: August 2018

Plants rich in luteolin have been used as Chinese traditional medicines for inflammatory diseases, hypertension, and cancer. However, little is known about the effect of luteolin on the apoptosis or autophagy of the macrophages. In this study, mouse macrophage ANA-1 cells were incubated with different concentrations of luteolin. The viability of the cells was determined by an MTT assay, apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric analysis, the level of cell autophagy was observed by confocal microscopy, and the expression levels of apoptotic or autophagic and antiapoptotic or antiautophagic proteins were detected by Western blot analysis. The results showed that luteolin decreased the viability of ANA-1 cells and induced apoptosis and autophagy. Luteolin induced apoptosis accompanied by downregulation of the expression of Bcl-2 and upregulation of the expression of caspase 3 and caspase 8. And luteolin increased FITC-LC3 punctate fluorescence accompanied by the increased expression levels of LC3-I, ATG7, and ATG12, while it suppressed the expression level of Beclin-1. Luteolin treatment resulted in obvious activation of the p38, JNK, and Akt signaling pathways, which is important in modulating apoptosis and autophagy. Thus, we concluded that luteolin induced the apoptosis and autophagy of ANA-1 cells most likely by regulating the p38, JNK, and Akt pathways, inhibiting the activity of Bcl-2 and Beclin-1 and upregulating caspase 3 and caspase 8 expression. These results provide novel insights into a therapeutic strategy to prevent and possibly treat macrophage-related diseases through luteolin-induced apoptosis and autophagy.
Different Anatomical Subsites of Colon Cancer and Mortality: A Population-Based Study
Authors: He Xing-kang , Wu Wenrui , Ding Yu-e , Li Yue , Sun Lei-min , Si Jianmin
Published: August 2018

Background. In terms of incidence and pathogenesis, right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colon cancer (LCC) exhibit several differences. However, whether existing differences could reflect the different survival outcomes remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to ascertain the role of location in the prognosis. Methods. We identified colon cancer cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database between 1973 and 2012. Differences among subsites of colon cancer regarding clinical features and metastatic patterns were compared. The Kaplan-Meier curves were conducted to compare overall and disease-specific survival in relation to cancer location. The effect of tumour location on overall and cancer-specific survival was analysed by Cox proportional hazards model. Results. A total of 377,849 patients from SEER database were included in the current study, with 180,889 (47.9%) RCC and 196,960 (52.1%) LCC. LCC was more likely to metastasize to the liver and lung. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that LCC patients had better overall and cancer-specific survival outcomes. Among Cox multivariate analyses, LCC was associated with a slightly reduced risk of overall survival (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.92-0.93) and cancer-specific survival (HR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.91-0.93), even after adjusted for other variables. However, the relationship between location and prognosis was varied by subgroups defined by age, year at diagnosis, stage, and therapies. Conclusions. We demonstrated that LCC was associated with better prognosis, especially for patients with distant metastasis. Future trails should seek to identify the underlying mechanism.
Stability Control and Quick Retaining Technology of Gob‐Side Entry: A Case Study
Authors: Luan Hengjie , Jiang Yujing , Zhou Lujie , Lin Huili
Published: August 2018

In Chinese coal mines, gob‐side entry retaining, an efficient technique for coal mining, has been widely used. However, severe roadway deformation and slow retaining speed have gravely restricted the popularization and its application. Hence, in order to solve the existing problems, the deformation mechanism of gob‐side entry was studied. Then, a new approach for gob‐side entry retaining technique (GERT) was proposed to increase the speed of gob‐side entry retaining. Finally, the application effect of the new GERT method was tested and analysed. The results show that the rotation and subsidence of roof key block B lead to severe deformation of roadway. And the proposed gob‐side entry stability control technology can affectively resist the severe roadway deformation. Compared with the conventional support method for gob‐side entry retaining, GERT has completed the complex wall construction work in advance, thereby simplifying the process of gob‐side entry retaining and increasing the speed of gob‐side entry retaining. When retaining the entry in panel 183U04 with the new support method, the entry retaining speed significantly improved from 0.25 m/h to 1.0 m/h compared with the traditional method, and then the problem of gob‐side entry severe deformation was solved.
TLR3 Modulates the Response of NK Cells against Schistosoma japonicum
Authors: Qu Jiale , Li Lu , Xie Hongyan , Zhang Xiaona , Yang Quan , Qiu Huaina , Feng Yuanfa , Jin Chenxi , Dong Nuo , Huang Jun
Published: August 2018

Natural killer (NK) cells are classic innate immune cells that play roles in many types of infectious diseases. NK cells possess many kinds of TLRs that allow them to sense and respond to invading pathogens. Our previous study found that NK cells could modulate the immune response induced by Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) in C57BL/6 mice. In the present study, the role of TLRs in the progress of S. japonicum infection was investigated. Results showed that the expression of TLR3 on NK cells increased significantly after S. japonicum infection by using RT-PCR and FACS (P<0.05). TLR3 agonist (Poly I:C) increased IFN-γ and IL-4 levels in the supernatant of cultured splenocytes and induced a higher percentage of IFN-γ- and IL-4-secreting NK cells from infected mouse splenocytes (P<0.05). Not only the percentages of MHC II-, CD69-, and NKG2A/C/E-expressing cells but also the percentages of IL-4-, IL-5-, and IL-17-producing cells in TLR3+ NK cells increased significantly after infection (P<0.05). Moreover, the expression of NKG2A/C/E, NKG2D, MHC II, and CD69 on the surface of splenic NK cells was changed in S. japonicum-infected TLR3−/− (TLR3 KO mice, P<0.05); the abilities of NK cells in IL-4, IL-5, and IL-17 secretion were decreased too (P<0.05). These results indicate that TLR3 is the primary molecule which modulates the activation and function of NK cells during the course of S. japonicum infection in C57BL/6 mice.
Electrochemical Reduction of Industrial Baths Used for Electropolishing of Stainless Steel
Authors: Lochyński Paweł , Charazińska S. , Łyczkowska-Widłak E. , Sikora A. , Karczewski M.
Published: August 2018

Long‐term exploitation of industrial electropolishing baths may contribute to the emergence of surface defects and may limit the range of applicable current densities. Due to this, extending the time of use of industrial baths is a major challenge. The application of electrochemical reduction in the process of reduction industrial baths enabled to reduce its contamination and, as a result, to enhance the surface quality of electropolished samples of grade 304 stainless steel. The contamination influence of the electropolishing bath on such parameters of the electropolished samples as roughness, gloss, mass reduction, and corrosion resistance was compared. The conducted tests included reduction of the contaminated industrial bath with use of cathodic reduction and monitoring of bath contamination with use of emission spectrometry ICP‐OES. Potentiodynamic tests in 0.5 M chlorine environment with the aim to determine the influence of electrochemical reduction of the plating bath on surface resistance demonstrated that the pitting corrosion resistance of samples electropolished in a bath after reduction was reduced by approximately 0.1 V in comparison with samples electropolished before reduction. The calculations conducted for 24 corrosion resistance measurements demonstrated that differences between the results were significant. Bath reduction leads to improved roughness and gloss, even by approximately 500 GU (gloss units). At the same time, mass reduction decreases even by 13% in comparison with the process conducted in the bath before reduction. This may have a positive influence by slowing down the bath contamination process and, as a result, it reduces negative environmental impact. Another argument that supports the reduction of industrial baths is slowing down the process of cathode contamination during the electropolishing process. In industrial conditions, this may extend the possibility to conduct the process without the need for cathode reduction or replacement.
Role of P53-Senescence Induction in Suppression of LNCaP Prostate Cancer Growth by Cardiotonic Compound Bufalin
Authors: Zhang Yong , Dong Yinhui , Melkus Michael W. , Yin Shutao , Tang Su-Ni , Jiang Peixin , Pramanik Kartick , Wu Wei , Kim Sangyub , Ye Min , Hu Hongbo , Lu Junxuan , Jiang Cheng
Published: August 2018

Bufalin is a major cardiotonic compound in the traditional Chinese medicine, Chansu, prepared from toad skin secretions. Cell culture studies have suggested an anticancer potential involving multiple cellular processes, including differentiation, apoptosis, senescence, and angiogenesis. In prostate cancer cell models, P53-dependent and independent caspase-mediated apoptosis and androgen receptor (AR) antagonism have been described for bufalin at micromolar concentrations. Because a human pharmacokinetic study indicated that single nanomolar bufalin was safely achievable in the peripheral circulation, we evaluated its cellular activity within range with the AR-positive and P53 wild-type human LNCaP prostate cancer cells in vitro. Our data show that bufalin induced caspase-mediated apoptosis at 20 nmol/L or higher concentration with concomitant suppression of AR protein and its best-known target, PSA and steroid receptor coactivator 1 and 3 (SRC-1, SRC-3). Bufalin exposure induced protein abundance of P53 (not mRNA) and P21CIP1 (CDKN1A), G2 arrest, and increased senescence-like phenotype (SA-galactosidase). Small RNAi knocking down of P53 attenuated bufalin-induced senescence, whereas knocking down of P21CIP1 exacerbated bufalin-induced caspase-mediated apoptosis. In vivo, daily intraperitoneal injection of bufalin (1.5 mg/kg body weight) for 9 weeks delayed LNCaP subcutaneous xenograft tumor growth in NSG SCID mice with a 67% decrease of final weight without affecting body weight. Tumors from bufalin-treated mice exhibited increased phospho-P53 and SA-galactosidase without detectable caspase-mediated apoptosis or suppression of AR and PSA. Our data suggest potential applications of bufalin in therapy of prostate cancer in patients or chemo-interception of prostate precancerous lesions, engaging a selective activation of P53 senescence. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(11); 2341–52. ©2018 AACR.
AMPK Hyper-Activation Alters Fatty Acids Metabolism and Impairs Invasiveness of Trophoblasts in Preeclampsia
Authors: Yang Xiaotao , Xu Ping , Zhang Fumei , Zhang Li , Zheng Yangxi , Hu Mingyu , Wang Lulu , Han Ting-li , Peng Chuan , Wang Lianlian , Wen Li , Zeng Yiwen , Gao Rufei , Xia Yong , Tong Chao , Yang Zhu , Qi Hongbo , Baker Philip N.
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Preeclampsia (PE) has long been assumed to be an ischemic disease of the placenta, although there is limited evidence as to how the ischemia impacts on the placenta. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a key regulator of cellular energy metabolism and plays an important role in a variety of ischemic diseases by enhancing energy production. The present study investigated placental metabolism in PE, and the role of AMPK in regulating trophoblast function. Methods: placentas from normal and PE complicated pregnancies were subjected to GC-MS to identify fatty acids (FA) metabolic fingerprints, and total FA oxidation was assessed by malondialdehyde (MDA) measurement. The AMPK-ACC signaling pathway was assessed by q-PCR and Western Blotting. HTR8/SVneo trophoblast cultures were exposed to different oxygenation conditions to establish an in vitro PE cell model; further analysis by GC-MS for metabolite profiling was then undertaken. Trophoblasts invasion was assessed by a matrigel transwell assay in the presence/absence of AMPK expression and after manipulations of AMPK activity, and then further validated by human villi outgrowth experiments. Results: AMPK phosphorylation and MDA production were significantly elevated in placentas from pregnancies complicated by PE. Metabolism of cis double bond FA was inhibited while trans double bond FA metabolism was promoted in PE placentas. HTR8/SVneo cell culture conditions of persistent low oxygenation mimicked the hyper-activation of AMPK and enhanced the FA oxidation that was observed in PE. AMPK activation impaired trophoblast invasion, while AMPK inhibition promoted trophoblast invasion. Conclusion: PE complicated placentas are associated with AMPK hyper-activation and consequent alterations in FA oxidation, which inhibit trophoblast invasion.
Interaction Between XRCC1 Gene Polymorphisms and Obesity on Susceptibility to Papillary Thyroid Cancer in Chinese Han Population
Authors: Zhu Jie , Qi Ping , Li Zhenjie
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: To investigate the association of several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within XRCC gene and additional gene- environment interaction with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) risk. Methods: Testing for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in controls was conducted using SNPstats (online software: http://bioinfo.iconcologia.net/SNPstats). Generalized multifactor dimensionality reduction (GMDR) was used to screen the best interaction combination among 5 SNPs within XRCC gene and obesity. Results: Logistic regression analysis showed that the C allele of rs861539 and T allele of rs1799782 were associated with increased PTC risk Adjusted ORs (95%CI) were 1.65 (1.23-2.12) and 1.61 (1.20-2.04). However There was no relation of rs25489 Rs25487 and rs13181 with PTC. The cross-validation consistency and the testing accuracy for each of the models were determined by GMDR analysis. One two-locus model (rs1799782 and obesity) had a testing accuracy of 62.11% Which was significant at the p < 0.01 level. The D’ value between rs1799782 and rs13181 within ERCC1 gene was more than 0.75 (0.825). So haplotype analysis was just conducted for rs1799782 and rs13181 using the SHEsis online haplotype analysis software. In all samples The haplotype C- A was observed most frequently in two groups With 49.46% and 55.79% in the PTC patients and controls Respectively. The results also indicated that haplotype T- C was significantly associated with increased PTC risk. Conclusion: The C allele of rs861539 and T allele of rs1799782 Interaction between rs1799782 and obesity and haplotype T- C were all associated with increased PTC risk.
Integrating MicroRNA Expression Profiling Studies to Systematically Evaluate the Diagnostic Value of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer and Validate Their Prognostic Significance with the Cancer Genome Atlas Data
Authors: Zhang Zhigang , Pan Bing , Lv Shaocheng , Ji Zhiwei , Wu Qian , Lang Ren , He Qiang , Zhao Xin 
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for pancreatic cancer (PaCa). However, systemic and unified evaluations of the diagnostic value of miRNAs are lacking. Therefore, we performed a systematic evaluation based on miRNA expression profiling studies. Methods: We obtained miRNA expression profiling studies from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and ArrayExpress (AE) databases and calculated the pooled sensitivity, specificity, and summary area under a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for every miRNA. According to the area under the curve (AUC), we identified the miRNAs with diagnostic potentiality and validated their prognostic role in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data. Gene Ontology (GO) annotations and pathway enrichments of the target genes of the miRNAs were evaluated using bioinformatics tools. Results: Ten miRNA expression profiling studies including 958 patients were used in this diagnostic meta-analysis. A total of 693 miRNAs were measured in more than 9 studies. The top 50 miRNAs with high predictive values for PaCa were identified. Among them, miR-130b had the best predictive value for PaCa (pooled sensitivity: 0.73 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.44-0.91], specificity: 0.81 [95% CI 0.59–0.93], and AUC: 0.84 [95% CI 0.73–0.95]). We identified nine miRNAs (miR-23a, miR-30a, miR-125a, miR-129-1, miR-181b-1, miR-203, miR-221, miR-222, and miR-1301) associated with overall survival in PaCa patients by combining our results with TCGA data. The results of a Cox model revealed that two miRNAs (miR-30a [hazard ratio (HR)=2.43, 95% CI 1.05-5.59; p=0.037] and miR-203 [HR=3.14, 95% CI 1.28-7.71; p=0.012]) were independent risk factors for prognosis in PaCa patients. In total, 405 target genes of the nine miRNAs were enriched with Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and cancer-associated pathways such as Ras signaling pathways, phospholipase D signaling pathway, and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway were revealed among the top 20 enriched pathways. There were significant negative correlations between miR-181b-1 and miR-125a expression levels and the methylation status of their promoter region. Conclusion: Our study performed a systematic evaluation of the diagnostic value of miRNAs based on miRNA expression profiling studies. We identified that miR-23a, miR-30a, miR-125a, miR-129-1, miR-181b-1, miR-203, miR-221, miR-222, and miR-1301 had moderate diagnostic value for PaCa and predicted overall survival in PaCa patients.
Increased Lactate in Gastric Cancer Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes Is Related to Impaired T Cell Function Due to miR-34a Deregulated Lactate Dehydrogenase A
Authors: Ping Wang , Senyan Hu , Li Gu , Yan Chen , Long Lu
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Lactate is one of the products of glycolysis and is a hallmark of the Warburg effect. Glycolysis is found in tumor as well as immune cells. However, the effects of lactate on the function of tumor-infiltrating T cells (TILs) are rarely reported. Methods: In the present study, we investigated lactate and other glycolysis-related metabolites within TILs of human gastric cancer (GC). Lactate concentration was determined by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. The functional effects and clinical relevance of excessive lactate on T cells were investigated in clinical samples, and the mechanism of increased lactate was explored. Results: Lactate was significantly increased in GC TILs and related to decreased T helper (Th)1 cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). Increased lactate within GC TILs was positively correlated with increased lactate dehydrogenase A (LDH)A. Expression of LDHA in GC TILs was also negatively correlated with percentages of Th1 cells and CTLs. Decreased miR-34a expression in GC TILs was responsible for increased expression of LDHA. A hypoxic tumor environment was responsible for decreased miR-34a and lactate-induced impaired immune function. Conclusion: We found that hypoxia decreases miR-34a expression and lose miR-34a regulation on LDHA, thus increasing lactate level within GC TILs and impairing immune function in GC.
A Sapiência e as Sete Artes Liberais Segundo Hugo de São Vítor
Authors: Athayde Wesley Rodrigues
Published: August 2018

Quando, no século XII, Hugo de São Vítor reformula o conteúdo do ensino fi losófi co, dividindo-o em quatro grandes ciências: lógica, prática, mecânica e teórica, ele o faz com o objetivo de conduzir o homem ao conhecimento das coisas divinas. As três primeiras ciências (prática, mecânica e lógica), ele direciona para orientar o homem em sua vida natural e a última, a ciência teórica, para conduzi-lo ao conhecimento supremo. Segundo Hugo de São Vítor, a ciência teórica constitui “uma via especial para se chegar ao conhecimento da sabedoria divina”. Ele a considera como a ciência que investiga a verdade das coisas. Portanto, tendo o homem conhecimento das artes que constituem essa ciência, teria condições de alcançar a sabedoria perfeita, ou seja, a sapiência divina.
A formação do parque elétrico paulistano: relações de conflito entre a Companhia Água e Luz do Estado de São Paulo, seus clientes e seus concorrentes – 1890-1910.
Authors: Ricardi Alexandre
Published: August 2018

Este artigo representa um pequeno excerto da pesquisa desenvolvida como iniciação científica do curso de graduação em História pela FFLCH – USP. Com a orientação do Prof. Dr. Gildo Magalhães dos Santos, faz parte do Projeto Eletromemória, que reúne pesquisadores das principais universidades de São Paulo para um estudo sobre o potencial historiográfico, arquivístico, museológico, bibliográfico e arquitetônico em empresas públicas e privadas do setor de energia elétrica paulista. Gostaríamos de agradecer ao professor Gildo pela orientação e à Fundação Patrimônio Histórico da Energia e Saneamento, Núcleo de Documentação e Pesquisa, onde está custodiado o fundo da Companhia Água e Luz, e onde desenvolvemos este estudo, pela gentileza no atendimento e presteza nas informações.
Tempo e Pessoa no C.E.I. Aluysio de Menezes Greenhalg
Authors: Zamboni Marcio Bressiani
Published: August 2018

O que nos propomos a discutir nesse artigo é a importância do tempo para conceituar e, na medida do possível, compreender o significado “nativo” de criança enquanto pessoa (no sentido antropológico do termo) no contexto específico do Centro de Educação Infantil Aluysio de Menezes Greenhalg. Veremos como essa relação recoloca a importância central do tempo na relação da criança com seu corpo, na relação da criança com o espaço, na função do educador e na própria educação enquanto processo.
Entre a Parceria e a Plataforma 7 e meio: Homossexualidade, Linguagem e Espaço Urbano
Authors: Zamboni Marcio
Published: August 2018

Esse artigo parte do esforço de interpretação de um trecho particularmente interessante de uma entrevista para realizar uma série de reflexões acerca da experiência da homossexualidade, suas diversas formas de inserção no espaço urbano e seus processos discursivos de ressignificação. Os questionamentos que culminaram na produção deste artigo se inscrevem no contexto da pesquisa “Homossexualidades em Camadas Altas na Cidade de São Paulo”.
Homens Livres em uma Ordem Hierarquizada: Primeiros Apontamentos
Authors: Machado Igor Rolemberg Gois
Published: August 2018

Este artigo trata do cenário de reiteradas violações de direitos civis e sociais a que está submetida boa parte da sociedade brasileira, que constitui uma categoria de não-privilegiados em relação ao sistema jurídico-político. Trata-se de uma categoria marginalizada política e economicamente, formadora de uma “ralé estrutural”, nos termos colocados por Jessé Souza. Para a análise e crítica desse cenário, bem como do significado desta “ralé”, estudaremos marcas da continuidade autoritária e dos entraves à consolidação do Estado de Direito no Brasil, da perspectiva dos estudos sobre a violência no país, observando também a contribuição que a obra Homens livres na ordem escravocrata de Maria Sylvia de Carvalho Franco nos fornece nesse sentido.
Crime Organizado, Instituições e Democracia
Authors: Mattar Maurício Santos
Published: August 2018

O artigo visa a fazer ponderações sobre a relação entre criminalidade organizada e a situação da democracia e das instituições políticas no mundo, especialmente no Brasil e América Latina de modo a apresentar um novo enfoque sobre o problema.
Guerra de palavras: liberais e servis frente às tropas napoleônicas
Authors: Santos Sobrinho Bruno , Chnaiderman Lucas Soares
Published: August 2018

A invasão da Espanha por tropas francesas, durante o período napoleônico, foi um dos episódios mais importantes para a história do império espanhol. A tentativa deste artigo é ilustrar, não a guerra no sentido bélico da palavra, existente entre franceses e espanhóis, mas o enfrentamento protagonizado por dois grupos que se expressavam na política hispânica daquele período: os liberais e os servis. Os primeiros encabeçaram um movimento reformista/ revolucionário que visava modernizar e construir novas instituições políticas para o império. O outro grupo era mantenedor da ordem instaurada e, em alguns pontos, opositor direto das mudanças propostas nesse momento. Utilizando-se de periódicos, este artigo se propõe a apresentar ao leitor uma breve visão desse embate que caracterizou a modernidade hispânica e iniciou o século XIX daquele país.
Ego e consciência em Jean-Paul Sartre
Authors: Gonçalves Henrique Mendes
Published: August 2018

Serão analisadas aqui as relações entre a primeira concepção sartreana de Ego e a consciência transcendental da fenomenologia, bem como a consequente delimitação de dois campos científicos distintos, que se configuram a partir dessas relações: o da descrição fenomenológica, que se ocupa da consciência transcendental purificada, e o da psicologia, que lida com a estrutura egológica transcendente. Tomaremos como referência bibliográfica fundamental o texto A transcendência do Ego: esboço de uma descrição fenomenológica, publicado em 1936. Ao fim da análise, será apresentada uma série de possíveis problemas resultantes da concepção da consciência como único campo transcendental e imanente, condição de possibilidade para a redução fenomenológica.
“Mais do que nunca é preciso cantar”: o papel dos musicais do Grupo Opinião na construção da resistência democrática (1964-1966)
Authors: Rosell Mariana Rodrigues
Published: August 2018

Este artigo pretende refletir sobre a importância que os espetáculos musicais do Grupo Opinião tiveram no processo de construção da resistência democrática ao regime militar brasileiro, vigente após o golpe civil-militar de 1964. A política aliancista de resistência esteve na base do projeto estético e ideológico de um dos principais nomes da resistência cultural ao regime militar brasileiro, o Grupo Opinião, e se manifestou já em seus primeiros espetáculos: Opinião (1964) e Liberdade, liberdade (1965). Ambos formularam uma espécie de modelo para a resistência pautada pelo frentismo cultural e são bons exemplos das características que nortearam a atuação de grandes nomes da dramaturgia brasileira, como Oduvaldo Vianna Filho e Paulo Pontes, que estiveram no Opinião desde sua fundação até o primeiro racha interno do grupo, em 1967.
Apontamentos sobre as Cantigas de Santa Maria de D. Afonso X
Authors: Silva Alex Rogério
Published: August 2018

Este artigo se propõe a apresentar a composição medieval intitulada Cantigas de  Santa Maria, de autoria de D. Afonso X, rei de Leão e Castela. Tal obra foi empreendida em seu reinado (1252-1284), em concomitância com outros trabalhos de cunho científico e jurídico, influenciando a cultura do século XIII. D. Afonso X é tido como um mecenas do seu tempo, tendo adquirido o cognome de “O Sábio”.
A imagem dos deuses: devoção e martírio na Revolução Francesa – Um ensaio sobre o romance Os deuses têm sede, de Anatole France
Authors: Walker Lilian Ciarântola
Published: August 2018

Este ensaio estabelece uma relação entre religião, arte e história dentro do contexto da Revolução Francesa e por meio de uma análise do romance histórico Os deuses têm sede, de Anatole France. O texto aborda aspectos da paixão revolucionária sob um viés religioso, traçando um paralelo entre a devoção aos princípios da nova República e o culto a uma divindade. A maneira como France enxergava acontecimentos históricos, tais como a morte de Marat, as festas revolucionárias, a aprovação da Lei de Prairial, entre outros, é refletida no perfil e na vida dos personagens que são analisados neste ensaio.
Contos medievais e “modernos”: das reuniões em torno das lareiras aos contos de fadas
Authors: Barbosa David Sales
Published: August 2018

Este trabalho analisa contos da Baixa Idade Média e da Idade Moderna provenientes da Inglaterra, da Itália, da França e da Alemanha, narrativas advindas de antologias como o Pentamerone, de Giambattista Basile, os Contos de Mamãe Gansa, de Charles Perrault, e os Contos de Grimm, dos irmãos Jacob e Wilhelm Grimm. A pesquisa tem como objetivo explicitar, nas narrativas, elementos medievais que transpassaram o medievo ou que influenciaram contos redigidos no estopim da “modernidade”, além de buscar apresentar as diferenças e semelhanças entre os contos e perceber, por meio de uma análise discursiva e da transição dos períodos históricos, os retoques e as mudanças de discursos, de acordo com local, época e interesses que as redes discursivas de tais períodos buscavam propagar.
Machado de Assis e Schopenhauer: as faces da humanidade em Quincas Borba
Authors: Suelen Jade
Published: August 2018

Este artigo tem como objetivo relacionar as visões de mundo de Machado de Assis e Arthur Schopenhauer acerca da humanidade, destacando elementos que envolvem as concepções de comportamento e de caráter. As motivações das ações humanas, isto é, o egoísmo, a maldade e a compaixão, compõem e refletem tais características. Cabe destacar a importância da noção de “psicologia empírica” schopenhaueriana, ou seja, a superioridade da vontade sobre o intelecto, a qual se pode relacionar teoricamente com os comportamentos das personagens de Quincas Borba.
Uma crítica à defesa do positivismo feita por Scott J. Shapiro: resta alternativa ao positivismo jurídico?
Authors: Tormin Mateus Matos
Published: August 2018

Este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a crítica que Scott J. Shapiro faz à teoria do direito dworkiniana no texto “The ‘Hart-Dworkin‘ debate: a short guide for the perplexed”. Em um primeiro momento, expomos o argumento de Dworkin relativo aos desacordos teóricos. Feito isso, reconstruímos o argumento de Shapiro a favor do positivismo. Por fim, apontamos possíveis problemas no argumento de Shapiro, sugerindo uma resposta alternativa às críticas de Dworkin.
Misopates Raf. (Plantaginaceae), a firstly recorded genus for the Flora of China
Authors: LIANG DAN , GUO YA-NAN , WANG GANG-TAO , LIU ZI-YUE , ZHANG YING , WANG RUI-JIANG
Published: August 2018

Misopates orontium (L.) Raf. was firstly collected in Fujian province, China. It is the new record of the genus Misopates for the Flora of China. Morphological and palynological characters are described and imaged in detail. Molecular analysis based on 20 nrITS sequences testified the correct generic taxonomic identification.
On the Neotropical spider Subfamily Masteriinae (Araneae, Dipluridae)
Authors: PASSANHA VICTOR , BRESCOVIT ANTONIO D.
Published: August 2018

The Neotropical species of the diplurid subfamily Masteriinae are revised and redefined. Masteriinae now comprises four genera, Masteria L. Koch, 1893, Striamea Raven, 1981, a new genus, Siremata n. gen. and Edwa Raven, 2015, a fossil genus. The type species, Masteria hirsuta L. Koch, 1893, was used as basis for comparison and the knowledge of the genus has increased. Twelve species of Masteria are redescribed and eight new species are described: M. amarumayu n. sp. and M. mutum n. sp., from Brazil; M. yacambu n. sp., from Venezuela; M. sabrinae n. sp., from Martinique; M. tayrona n. sp., from Colombia; M. aguaruna n. sp., from Peru, M. soucouyant n. sp., from Trinidad and Tobago; and M. galipote n. sp., from the Dominican Republic. Females of Masteria aimeae (Alayón, 1995) and M. golovatchi Alayón, 1995 are described for the first time. Females of M. spinosa (Petrunkevitch, 1925), M. petrunkevitchi (Chickering, 1964), M. lewisi (Chickering, 1964), M. barona (Chickering, 1966), M. downeyi (Chickering, 1966), M. simla (Chickering, 1966), M. colombiensis Raven, 1981 and M. pecki Gertsch, 1982 are illustrated for the first time and rediagnosed. Masteria tovarensis (Simon, 1889) and M. cyclops (Simon, 1889) are synonymized with M. lucifuga (Simon, 1889). Masteria modesta (Simon, 1892) is considered as species inquirendae and M. emboaba Pedroso, Baptista & Bertani, 2015 is considered as incertae sedis, as the type is lost. Both species of Striamea are revised and redescribed. A new genus, Siremata n. gen., is described and includes three Amazonian species: S. valteri n. sp., S. juruti n. sp., S. lucasae n. sp. Knowledge of the distribution ranges of the Neotropical Masteriinae are increased.