bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcriptome profiling reveals differentially expressed genes associated with flowering time in contrasting switchgrass genotypes
Authors: Taylor Megan , Zhao Xiongwei , Casler Michael D. , Jiang Yiwei
Published: January 2020

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has become an important biofuel crop. The experiment was designed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for flowering time in switchgrass genotypes contrasting in heading and anthesis dates. Phytomers of early‐ (S041) and late‐flowering (B901) parents and early‐ (7071) and late‐flowering (7055) F2 genotypes were collected on two sampling dates of vegetative stages, and transcriptome profiling was completed to identify DEGs involved in flowering time using RNA sequencing. Across two sampling dates, the comparison between S041 and B901 identified six upregulated (TOC1, FKF1, two PHYA, and two PFT1) and five downregulated flowering DEGs (FT, GASA, COP1, and two CHS) in S041, but one upregulated FT and one downregulated GASA in B901. When comparing two F2 genotypes, three DEGs (PFT1 and two FT) were upregulated in 7071, and six DEGs (PRR7, PRR5, PHYB, TOC1, and two CKB4) were upregulated and one DEG (COP1) was downregulated in 7055 genotype. The upregulation of PRR5 and FKF1 and downregulation of GASA and COP1 were found in both early‐flowering genotypes, whereas FKF1, PRR5, PRR7, and PHYB were upregulated and two GASA were downregulated in both late‐flowering genotypes. Across both early‐flowering genotypes, seven upregulated and 12 downregulated transcription factors (TFs) from nine families related to flowering were differentially expressed, whereas eight upregulated and 30 downregulated flowering related TFs from 16 families were differentially expressed across both late‐flowering genotypes. The identification of key genes involved in the flowering pathways could facilitate the development of desirable flowering phenotypes of switchgrass.
Survey of chloride exclusion in grape germplasm from the southwestern United States and Mexico
Authors: Heinitz Claire C. , Riaz Summaira , Tenscher Alan C. , Romero Nina , Walker M. Andrew
Published: January 2020

Increasing salinization is a threat to viticultural production as the quantity and quality of irrigation water decreases. Grapevines are particularly sensitive to chloride ions, but some wild species of Vitis L. have been found to restrict chloride uptake. Therefore, it is possible to breed rootstocks that prevent chloride from reaching the leaves or fruit, where buildup of the ion can reduce photosynthetic capacity and affect fruit and wine quality. A previously developed greenhouse screen for chloride exclusion, which mimics field results, was applied to 325 accessions of 14 Vitis species collected from the southwestern United States and Mexico. While the trait was not clearly associated with any particular species or geographic region, promising chloride‐excluding accessions were identified. Vitis girdiana Munson from southern Nevada and V. X doaniana Munson ex Viala from the border of Texas and Oklahoma both consistently restricted chloride uptake in comparison to 140 Ruggeri (140 Ru), a known salt excluder. In addition, many accessions of V. girdiana from southern Nevada took up less than half the concentration of chloride in the roots as compared with 140 Ru. The prevalence of the chloride exclusion trait across multiple genetic backgrounds indicates that this collection may contain multiple sources for chloride exclusion in grape. This screen is an important first step in the characterization of Vitis rootstock breeding material from the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Effect of temperature on survival and yield components of field‐acclimated soft red winter wheat
Authors: Alt Douglas S. , Lindsey Alexander J. , Sulc R. Mark , Lindsey Laura E.
Published: January 2020

Freeze tolerance is greatest in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) during winter dormancy and decreases as the plant develops in the spring. Above‐average temperatures during the winter and spring have resulted in wheat resuming growth earlier in the season, exposing a less freeze‐tolerant plant to an increased risk of spring freeze events. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of temperature on seed yield components and biomass of field‐acclimated winter wheat at Feekes 6, 8, and 10.5.1 growth stages. Five soft red winter wheat cultivars were transplanted from the field into pots at each Feekes growth stage identified above. Plants were placed into freeze chambers with temperature treatments ranging from −16 to 4°C. Plants were exposed to the treatment temperature for 15 min and placed in a cooler maintained at 4°C. After 20 h, plants were moved to an open‐air greenhouse and grown to maturity. At maturity, yield component and biomass data were recorded. Temperature treatments of −10, −7, and −3°C reduced seed weight at Feekes 6, 8, and 10.5.1 growth stages, respectively, compared with plants held at 4°C. Plant biomass was reduced at Feekes 6 and 8 growth stages at −10 and −4°C, respectively. These guidelines will help producers better estimate the potential value of a freeze‐damaged wheat crop.
Rapid identification of RNA‐interference‐based resistance to Bean golden mosaic virus in transgenic common beans via loop‐mediated isothermal amplification
Authors: Teixeira Nara Cristina , Wendland Adriane , Oliveira Maythsulene Inácio de Souza , Brandão Livia Teixeira Duarte , de Souza Thiago Lívio Pessoa Oliveira , de Faria Josias Correa , Del Peloso Maria José , Cortes Marcio Vinicius de Carvalho Barros
Published: January 2020

A molecular tool was adapted for practical identification of the world's first transgenic event (Embrapa 5.1) in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Based on the technology of RNA interference and on the transformation of plants via the Biobalistic method, a transgenic bean was created with effective resistance to Bean golden mosaic virus, its principal virus. To support the monitoring of this technology, the development of new cultivars, and the process of producing, benefiting, and distributing of seeds and grains, a molecular detection tool based on loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was developed. This tool can facilitating diagnosis, making it fast, specific, low‐cost, and easily executed. Based on the gene Ahas (GenBank M88686) of the Embrapa 5.1 event, sets of initiators were planned (forward outer primer–backward outer primer and forward inner primer–backward inner primer) that are characteristic of the LAMP method. These were evaluated for their sensitivity and specificity in detecting their target. The LAMP method allows direct visual interpretation. The Neutral Red (NR) pH indicator was adopted to facilitate molecular diagnosis in moderately well equipped environments, thus reducing the risk of contamination and the need for skilled labor. This agility in diagnosis occurs because several phases commonly used in molecular techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction, can be excluded. The LAMP method, combined with a rapid DNA extraction method (modified NaOH) and the addition of NR, provides technological support for addressing issues of biosafety, traceability, and identification of the Embrapa 5.1 event in beans in the field and in industry.
Dilution of the Electron Density in the π‐Conjugated Skeleton of Organic Cathode Materials Improves the Discharge Voltage
Authors: Dai Gaole , Gao Yehua , Niu Zhihui , He Ping , Zhang Xiaohong , Zhao Yu , Zhou Haoshen
Published: January 2020

Organic compounds are promising candidates as battery materials because they can be sourced from sustainable resources, have tunable structures, and are cheap. However, the working voltage of battery cells containing organic compounds as positive electrodes is relatively lower than that of those containing an inorganic counterpart. In this work, a strategy was developed to increase the discharge voltage of battery cells by diluting the electron density of N‐based redox centers in conjugated organic materials. In electron‐rich heterocyclic compounds that utilize N as the redox center, pentatomic rings such as carbazole derivatives exhibited a higher atomic‐dipole‐moment‐corrected Hirshfeld charge population compared with hexatomic rings, which led to a significant increase in the oxidation potential. As a result, polymeric indolocarbazole derivatives showed a high discharge voltage of 3.7–4.3 V vs. Li+/Li and good cycling performance. Such a strategy can be used to design high‐voltage organic electrode materials containing other redox centers.
The effects of dietary linoleic acid and hydrophilic antioxidants on basal, peak, and sustained metabolism in flight‐trained European starlings
Authors: Carter Wales A. , DeMoranville Kristen J. , Pierce Barbara J. , McWilliams Scott R.
Published: January 2020

Dietary micronutrients have the ability to strongly influence animal physiology and ecology. For songbirds, dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and antioxidants are hypothesized to be particularly important micronutrients because of their influence on an individual's capacity for aerobic metabolism and recovery from extended bouts of exercise. However, the influence of specific fatty acids and hydrophilic antioxidants on whole‐animal performance remains largely untested. We used diet manipulations to directly test the effects of dietary PUFA, specifically linoleic acid (18:2n6), and anthocyanins, a hydrophilic antioxidant, on basal metabolic rate (BMR), peak metabolic rate (PMR), and rates of fat catabolism, lean catabolism, and energy expenditure during sustained flight in a wind tunnel in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). BMR, PMR, energy expenditure, and fat metabolism decreased and lean catabolism increased over the course of the experiment in birds fed a high (32%) 18:2n6 diet, while birds fed a low (13%) 18:2n6 diet exhibited the reverse pattern. Additionally, energy expenditure, fat catabolism, and flight duration were all subject to diet‐specific effects of whole‐body fat content. Dietary antioxidants and diet‐related differences in tissue fatty acid composition were not directly related to any measure of whole‐animal performance. Together, these results suggest that the effect of dietary 18:2n6 on performance was most likely the result of the signaling properties of 18:2n6. This implies that dietary PUFA influence the energetic capabilities of songbirds and could strongly influence songbird ecology, given their availability in terrestrial systems.
Bcl6 modulates innate immunity by controlling macrophage activity and plays critical role in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Li Qing , Zhou Lei , Wang Ling , Li Shiqiang , Xu Guiliang , Gu Haijuan , Li Dali , Liu Mingyao , Fang Lei , Wang Zhengyi , Han Shuhua , Zheng Biao
Published: January 2020

The B‐cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) oncogenic repressor is a master regulator of humoral immunity and B‐cell lymphomagenesis. Although much research has focused on its regulation and function of GC B cells and T cells, the role of Bcl6 in regulating the functions of innate immunity is not well defined. Here, we demonstrated that EAE is exacerbated in LysM Cre+/− Bcl6fl/fl mice. Although other cells such as neutrophils might be involved in this conditional mutant mouse model, we found that the disease pathology is mainly associated with a biased M1 macrophage activity and an enhanced encephalitogenic CD4+ Th17 cell response. In addition, LPS‐induced sepsis mice exhibited an enhanced M1 and inhibited M2 response, further confirming that Bcl6 has an important role in regulating macrophage polarization. Mechanistically, Bcl6 interacts with IκBζ and interferes its binding to the interleukin‐6 (Il‐6) promoter in macrophages, leading to a suppressed transcription of Il‐6. These findings have demonstrated that Bcl6 exerts its regulatory function mainly by repressing Il‐6 expression in macrophages. Thus, our study presents a novel role for Bcl6 in regulating immune response and inflammation. Interaction between Bcl6 and IκBζ in macrophages may provide a potential therapeutic target for autoimmune inflammatory disease.
1D MOF‐Derived N‐Doped Porous Carbon Nanofibers Encapsulated with Fe3C Nanoparticles for Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalysis
Authors: Liu Jiang‐Tao , Xie Yan , Gao Qiang , Cao Fu‐Hu , Qin Ling , Wu Zhen‐Yu , Zhang Wang , Li Hao , Zhang Chuan‐Ling
Published: January 2020

A facile yet efficient approach is introduced to rationally integrate Fe3C nanoparticles with Fe‐N‐doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers (denoted as Fe3C@FeN@CNF) by the direct‐electrospinning technique and a subsequent calcination process. Benefiting from the unique one‐dimensional structure with high porosity and the synergies among the active sites of Fe‐Nx, N‐C and graphitic carbon encapsulated Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles, the hierarchically structured Fe3C@FeN@CNF show enhanced electrocatalytic activity and durability for oxygen reduction and evolutionreactions, comparable to that of commercialized Pt/C and RuO2 electrocatalysts. Significantly, the as‐fabricated Fe3C@FeN@CNF composite shows higher electrochemical performance than Pt/C in the Zn‐air battery.
What Are the Energy and Environmental Impacts of Adding Battery Storage to Photovoltaics? A Generalized Life Cycle Assessment
Authors: Raugei Marco , Leccisi Enrica , Fthenakis Vasilis M.
Published: January 2020

Renewable electricity generation is intermittent and its large‐scale deployment requires some degree of energy storage. Although best assessed at grid level, the incremental energy and environmental impacts of adding the required energy storage capacity may also be calculated specifically for each individual technology. This article deals with the latter issue for the case of photovoltaics (PV) complemented by lithium‐ion battery (LIB) storage. A life cycle assessment (LCA) of a 100 MW ground‐mounted PV system with 60 MW of lithium‐manganese oxide (LMO) LIB, under a range of irradiation and storage scenarios, shows that energy payback time and life cycle global warming potential increase by 7–30% (depending on storage duration scenarios), with respect to those of PV without storage. Thus, the benefits of PV when displacing conventional thermal electricity (in terms of carbon emissions and energy renewability) are only marginally affected by the addition of energy storage.
High‐Performance Perovskite Solar Cells Using Iodine as Effective Dopant for Spiro‐OMeTAD
Authors: Yuan Pengqiang , Wu Jihuai , Sun Weihai , Zhu Qianjin , Zhang Mingjing , Zou Jinjun , Wang Xiaobing , Liu Xuping , Yang Yuqian , Lan Zhang
Published: January 2020

The p‐type dopant of spiro‐OMeTAD has been identified as a rational strategy for the enhancement of the hole transport ability in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Herein, to enhance the conductivity and hole‐extraction ability of spiro‐OMeTAD, a low‐cost and facile method is developed by introducing iodine into the hole transport materials. Morphology observation, energy gap characterization, and photoelectrochemical measurements indicate that as a mild Lewis acid, oxidant, and p‐type dopant, iodine moderately oxidizes spiro‐OMeTAD, optimizes the energy match with perovskite, mitigates the trap state density, interface resistance, and carrier recombination, and improves the hole‐extraction ability and carrier transport capacity. Consequently, a planar PSC based on the spiro‐OMeTAD doped with 8 wt% iodine achieves a champion power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 19.69%. Conversely, the device with pristine spiro‐OMeTAD gets an efficiency of 18.04%. This work indicates a potential application of iodine as a promising p‐type dopant for spiro‐OMeTAD in PSCs.
Enhancing Fast Ion Transport at Interfaces of Lithium Metal Anode in Lithium‐Sulfurized Polyacrylonitrile Batteries
Authors: Shuai Yi , Zhang Biao , Ding Xue , Lou Jin , Wang Yu , Chen Songyi , Chen Kanghua
Published: January 2020

Lithium metal anode is a promising candidate anode in lithium‐sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) batteries. Nevertheless, the formation of lithium dendrites is recognized as the worst problem for lithium metal batteries. Herein, a hybrid solid interphase is synthesized on lithium with a facile method. This modified lithium anode can not only suppress lithium dendrites, but also gives rise to a fast interfacial transport mechanism. When used in a lithium‐SPAN battery, a reversible capacity of 450 mAh g−1 (based on SPAN) is delivered at 10 A g−1, which is a promising candidate for high specific power batteries.
Encapsulating Tin Nanoflowers into Microcapsules for High‐Rate‐Performance Secondary Battery Anodes through In Situ Polymerizing Oil‐in‐Water Interface
Authors: Han Tianli , Wu Yong , Ding Yingyi , Zhong Yan , Zhou Ping , Liu Jinyun
Published: January 2020

Large volume expansion and structural breaking have been severe issues for emerging high‐performance secondary battery anodes. Herein, a novel microcapsule anode filled with tin (Sn) nanoflowers is presented, which is prepared through in situ interface polymerization of an oil‐in‐water emulsion system. The carbon shell of the microcapsules reduces the pulverization of the encapsulated Sn, and the voids inside the capsules provide efficient spaces for the volume change of Sn during lithiation–delithiation. The Sn‐filled microcapsules exhibit a high rate performance with a capacity decay rate as low as 0.38%, even after three rounds of repeated tests, and a stable capacity of 800 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 380 mA g−1. In addition, the electron transfer kinetics and Li‐ion diffusion are investigated, which indicate that the microcapsule system enables a good environment for both electron and ion transfer.
Limited efficacy of zonisamide in the treatment of refractory infantile spasms
Authors: Hussain Shaun A. , Navarro Mario , Heesch Jaeden , Ji Matthew , Asilnejad Brenda , Peters Haley , Rajaraman Rajsekar R. , Sankar Raman
Published: January 2020

A series of relatively small studies collectively suggest that zonisamide may be effective in the treatment of infantile spasms. Using a large single‐center cohort of children with infantile spasms, we set out to evaluate the efficacy and safety of zonisamide. We retrospectively identified all patients with infantile spasms who were treated with zonisamide at our center. For each patient, we recorded dates of birth, infantile spasms onset, response (if any), and most recent follow‐up. To quantify zonisamide exposure, we recorded daily dosage and patient weight at each sequential encounter so as to allow calculation of peak and weighted‐average weight‐based dosage. We identified 87 children who were treated with zonisamide, of whom 78 had previously been treated with hormonal therapy or vigabatrin. Peak and weighted‐average zonisamide dosage were 7.1 (interquartile range 3.6, 10.2) and 5.4 (interquartile range 3.0, 8.9) mg/kg/day, respectively. Whereas five (6%) patients exhibited resolution of epileptic spasms, only two (2%) patients exhibited video‐EEG confirmed resolution of both epileptic spasms and hypsarrhythmia (electroclinical response). Importantly, both electroclinical responders had not previously been treated with hormonal therapy or vigabatrin; in contrast, none of the 78 children with prior failure of hormonal therapy or vigabatrin subsequently responded to zonisamide. Zonisamide was well tolerated, and there were no deaths. This study suggests that zonisamide exhibits favorable tolerability but very limited efficacy among patients who do not respond to first‐line therapy.
Multiphase flow behavior in deep water drilling: The influence of gas hydrate
Authors: Fu Jianhong , Su Yu , Jiang Wei , Xiang Xingyun , Li Bin
Published: January 2020

Hydrate phase transition may bring hidden dangers for well control safety, even accidents of blowout happen in deep water drilling. Accurate calculation of all the drilling parameters is of great importance for well control safety. In this study, the mathematic models of transient heat transfer and multiphase flow have been established with the consideration of hydrate phase transition. Furthermore, the position where hydrate formation is most likely to occur was predicted with the proposed models, and the factors affecting hydrate formation region were also analyzed. Finally, the analysis of the effect of gas hydrate phase transition on some important parameters in well control, such as the pit gain, gas void fraction, and bottom hole pressure, is presented. The results show that hydrates form near the mud line during the drilling and shut‐in stage, but the hydrate formation region will be narrowed as well killing start. Additionally, the hydrate formation region decreased with the increase of flow rate and increased with the increasing shut‐in time, hydrate inhibitors, and riser insulation are presented to prevent hydrate blockage. More importantly, the gas void fraction and pit gain decrease due to the formation of hydrates, leading to the gas kick early detection not timely and gas kick more “hidden.”
A platform for power management based on indoor localization in smart buildings using long short‐term neural networks
Authors: Elbes Mohammed , Alrawashdeh Thamer , Almaita Eyad , AlZu'bi Shadi , Jararweh Yaser
Published: January 2020

Location‐based services (LBSs) have drastically changed the way smart cities and smart buildings operate, giving a new dimension to the life of citizens. LBS have various applications ranging from power management, marketing, vehicle to everything communication to social networking, and many other applications. The concept of LBS relies on the estimation of a mobile device location either inside a city or a building. In this work, we present our three‐layer collaborative LBS platform for various types of users and buildings. The first of these layers is the hardware layer consisting of the hardware used for location estimation inside smart buildings. On top of the hardware layers exists the indoor localization layer, at which we implement our indoor localization algorithms using long short‐term neural networks for location estimation. Finally, the collaborative LBS system lies on top of other layers. The novelty of our approach stems from providing a complete layered architecture for LBS usage for power management. The proposed system offers collaborative features and services, that is, input to power management system that optimizes power usage in smart buildings based on user locations.
Identifying US business cycle regimes using dynamic factors and neural network models
Authors: Soybilgen Barış
Published: January 2020

We use dynamic factors and neural network models to identify current and past states (instead of future) of the US business cycle. In the first step, we reduce noise in data by using a moving average filter. Dynamic factors are then extracted from a large‐scale data set consisted of more than 100 variables. In the last step, these dynamic factors are fed into the neural network model for predicting business cycle regimes. We show that our proposed method follows US business cycle regimes quite accurately in‐sample and out‐of‐sample without taking account of the historical data availability. Our results also indicate that noise reduction is an important step for business cycle prediction. Furthermore, using pseudo real time and vintage data, we show that our neural network model identifies turning points quite accurately and very quickly in real time.
Optimal forecast combination based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition for agricultural commodity futures prices
Authors: Fang Yongmei , Guan Bo , Wu Shangjuan , Heravi Saeed
Published: January 2020

Improving the prediction accuracy of agricultural product futures prices is important for investors, agricultural producers, and policymakers. This is to evade risks and enable government departments to formulate appropriate agricultural regulations and policies. This study employs the ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) technique to decompose six different categories of agricultural futures prices. Subsequently, three models—support vector machine (SVM), neural network (NN), and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA)—are used to predict the decomposition components. The final hybrid model is then constructed by comparing the prediction performance of the decomposition components. The predicting performance of the combination model is then compared with the benchmark individual models: SVM, NN, and ARIMA. Our main interest in this study is on short‐term forecasting, and thus we only consider 1‐day and 3‐day forecast horizons. The results indicate that the prediction performance of the EEMD combined model is better than that of individual models, especially for the 3‐day forecasting horizon. The study also concluded that the machine learning methods outperform the statistical methods in forecasting high‐frequency volatile components. However, there is no obvious difference between individual models in predicting low‐frequency components.
A multi‐country dynamic factor model with stochastic volatility for euro area business cycle analysis
Authors: Huber Florian , Pfarrhofer Michael , Piribauer Philipp
Published: January 2020

This paper develops a dynamic factor model that uses euro area country‐specific information on output and inflation to estimate an area‐wide measure of the output gap. Our model assumes that output and inflation can be decomposed into country‐specific stochastic trends and a common cyclical component. Comovement in the trends is introduced by imposing a factor structure on the shocks to the latent states. We moreover introduce flexible stochastic volatility specifications to control for heteroscedasticity in the measurement errors and innovations to the latent states. Carefully specified shrinkage priors allow for pushing the model towards a homoscedastic specification, if supported by the data. Our measure of the output gap closely tracks other commonly adopted measures, with small differences in magnitudes and timing. To assess whether the model‐based output gap helps in forecasting inflation, we perform an out‐of‐sample forecasting exercise. The findings indicate that our approach yields superior inflation forecasts, both in terms of point and density predictions.
Low incidence of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with lymphoma treated with rituximab
Authors: Fujimoto Ayumi , Hiramoto Nobuhiro , Yamasaki Satoshi , Inamoto Yoshihiro , Ogata Masao , Sugio Yasuhiro , Fukuda Takahiro , Uchida Naoyuki , Ikegame Kazuhiro , Matsuoka Ken‐ichi , Shiratori Souichi , Kondo Tadakazu , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Eto Tetsuya , Ichinohe Tatsuo , Kanda Yoshinobu , Atsuta Yoshiko , Suzuki Ritsuro ,   Complication Working Group of the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation
Published: January 2020

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a serious complication after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Several studies of risk factors for PTLD have been reported; however, the probability of, and risk factors for, PTLD in patients with lymphoma is unknown. Japanese nationwide transplant registry data from 5270 patients with lymphoma after allogeneic HSCT were analyzed. Mature B‐cell, T/NK‐cell, and T‐cell lymphoblastic subtypes accounted for 49%, 26%, and 9.6% of lymphoma cases, respectively. Rituximab was used in 1678 lymphoma patients, most of whom (89%) received HSCT for mature B‐cell lymphoma. Thirty‐one patients with lymphoma developed PTLD, representing a probability of 0.77% at 2 years post‐HSCT, which did not differ significantly from that in patients with other diseases (P = .98). Year of HSCT after 2010 (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.6, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.48‐21.3), antithymocyte globulin (ATG) use in the conditioning regimen (HR = 4.5, 95% CI, 1.61‐12.5), and no rituximab use before HSCT (HR = 3.2, 95% CI, 1.26‐7.90) were identified as risk factors for PTLD. Probabilities of PTLD at 1 year post‐HSCT according to rituximab and ATG use were 0.23% (rituximab+, ATG−), 0.75% (rituximab−, ATG−), 1.25% (rituximab+, ATG+), and 3.53% (rituximab−, ATG+). Regarding lymphoma subtypes, patients with mature B‐cell lymphoma had the lowest incidence of PTLD (0.35% at 2 years). Among high‐risk patients receiving ATG, the mortality rate due to infection was elevated in those previously treated with rituximab (22%) relative to those without (14%); however, the difference was not significant (P = .10). Rituximab use before HSCT significantly reduces the risk of PTLD. Adding rituximab to the conditioning regimen is potentially a good strategy to prevent the development of PTLD in high‐risk patients.
Riparian canopy openings on mountain streams: Landscape controls upon temperature increases within openings and cooling downstream
Authors: Coats William Alan , Jackson Charles Rhett
Published: January 2020

How much stream temperatures increase within riparian canopy openings and whether stream temperatures cool downstream of these openings both have important policy implications. Past studies of stream cooling downstream of riparian openings have found mixed results including rapid, slow, and no cooling. We collected longitudinal profiles of stream temperatures above, within, and below riparian forest openings along stream segments within otherwise forested riparian conditions to evaluate how sensitivity of stream temperatures to riparian conditions varied across landscape factors. We conducted these temperature surveys across openings in 12 wadeable streams within and near the Upper Little Tennessee River Basin in western North Carolina and northeastern Georgia. Basin areas ranged from 74 to 6,913 ha, and bankfull channel widths varied from 3.4 to 16.4 m. Stream temperatures were collected every 15 min using HOBO® data loggers for 2 weeks in each stream, repeated later in summer in some streams. Reference temperatures were highest in stream reaches at low elevations and with large drainage areas. Stream temperature increases in the middle of riparian gaps were highest when streams drained small high‐elevation watersheds, and increases at the end of openings were highest when the opening length was large relative to watershed size. Downstream from openings, cooling rates were greatest in small, high‐elevation headwater streams and also increased with larger increases in canopy cover. Stream segments that warmed the most within openings also featured higher cooling rates downstream. The data show that stream temperature sensitivity to canopy change is highly dependent on network position and watershed size. A better understanding of stream temperature responses to riparian vegetation may be useful to land managers and landowners prioritizing riparian forest restoration.
Global trends in oral and pharyngeal cancer incidence and mortality
Authors: Bosetti Cristina , Carioli Greta , Santucci Claudia , Bertuccio Paola , Gallus Silvano , Garavello Werner , Negri Eva , La Vecchia Carlo
Published: January 2020

To provide an up‐to‐date overview of recent trends in mortality from oral and pharyngeal cancer, we analyzed death certification data for 61 countries worldwide provided by the World Health Organization in 2010–2015, and, for selected most populous countries, over the period 1970–2016. For 12 largest countries, we analyzed incidence derived from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents in 1960–2012 for all oral and pharyngeal cancers and by subsites. In 2015, male age‐standardized (world population) death rates per 100,000 were 5.03 in the European Union (EU), 8.33 in the Russian Federation, 2.53 in the United States (USA), and 3.04 in Japan; corresponding rates in women were 1.23, 1.23, 0.82, and 0.76. Male mortality decreased over the last decades in several European countries, with earlier and sharper declines in southern Europe; conversely, mortality was still increasing in a few eastern European countries and the United Kingdom. Mortality in men also decreased in Argentina, Australia, and Hong Kong, while it leveled off over more recent calendar years in Brazil, Japan, Mexico, the Republic of Korea, as well as in Australia and the USA. Female mortality slightly rose in various European countries. Overall incidence trends in the largest countries were broadly consistent with mortality ones, but oropharyngeal cancer incidence rose in many countries. Changes in tobacco and alcohol exposure in men over the last decades likely explain the favorable trends in oral and pharyngeal cancer mortality and incidence observed in selected countries worldwide, while increased human papillomavirus infection is likely responsible for the rise in oropharyngeal cancer incidence.
Detection of somatic mutations in peritoneal lavages and plasma of endometrial cancer patients: A proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: Mayo‐de‐las‐Casas Clara , Velasco Ana , Sanchez Douglas , Martínez‐Bueno Alejandro , Garzón‐Ibáñez Mónica , Gatius Sònia , Ruiz‐Miró Maria , Gonzalez‐Tallada Xavier , Llordella Ivana , Tresserra Francesc , Rodríguez Sonia , Aldeguer Erika , Roman‐Canal Berta , Bertran‐Alamillo Jordi , García‐Peláez Beatriz , Rosell Rafael , Molina‐Vila Miguel A. , Matias‐Guiu Xavier
Published: January 2020

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecologic malignancy in developed countries. Although most patients are diagnosed at early stages, 15–20% will relapse despite local treatment. Presently, there are no reliable markers to identify patients with worse outcomes who may benefit from adjuvant treatments, such as chemotherapy, and liquid biopsies may be of use in this setting. Peritoneal lavages are systematically performed during endometrial surgery but little data are available about their potential as liquid biopsies. We analyzed KRAS and PIK3CA mutations in paired surgical biopsies, blood and cytology‐negative peritoneal lavages in a cohort of 50 EC patients. Surgical biopsies were submitted to next‐generation sequencing (NGS) while circulating‐free DNA (cfDNA) purified from plasma and peritoneal lavages was analyzed for KRAS and PIK3CA hotspot mutations using a sensitive quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. NGS of biopsies revealed KRAS, PIK3CA or concomitant KRAS + PIK3CA mutations in 33/50 (66%) EC patients. Of those, 19 cases carried hotspot mutations. Quantitative PCR revealed KRAS and/or PIK3CA mutations in the lavages of 9/19 (47.4%) hotspot EC patients. In contrast, only 2/19 (10.5%) blood samples from hotspot EC patients were positive. Mutations found in cfDNA consistently matched those in paired biopsies. One of the two patients positive in plasma and lavage died in less than 6 months. In conclusion, mutational analysis in peritoneal lavages and blood from early stage EC is feasible. Further studies are warranted to determine if it might help to identify patients with worse prognosis. Human genes discussed: KRAS, KRAS proto‐oncogene, GTPase; PIK3CA, phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate 3‐kinase catalytic subunit alpha.
A biomimetic‐structured wood‐derived carbon sponge with highly compressible and biocompatible properties for human‐motion detection
Authors: Chen Yipeng , Hu Lintong , Li Caicai , Dang Baokang , Sun Qingfeng , Zhai Tianyou , Li Huiqiao
Published: January 2020

Piezoresistive sensors, as an indispensable part of electronic and intelligent wearable devices, are often hindered by nonrenewable resources (graphene, conventional metal, or silicon). Biomass‐derived carbonaceous materials boast many advantages such as their light weight, renewability, and excellent chemical stabilization. However, a major challenge is that the strength and resilience of carbon‐based piezoresistive materials still falls short of requirements due to their random microarchitectures which cannot provide sufficiently good stress distribution. Encouraged by the excellent compressible properties and extraordinary strength of the Thalia dealbata stem, we propose a wood biomass‐derived carbon piezoresistive sensor with an artificial interconnected lamellar structure like the stem itself. By introducing a freezing‐induced assembly process, a wood‐based, completely delignified, nano‐lignocellulose material can be built into a “bridges supported lamellar” type architecture, where subsequent freeze‐drying and pyrolysis results in carbon aerogel monoliths. The resultant bioinspired carbon sponge has high compressibility and strength, of the order of two to five times higher than that of conventional metal, carbon, and organic materials. Combined with excellent biocompatible properties and chemical durability, these are useful properties for intelligent wearable devices and human‐motion detection.

image
V4C3Tx MXene: A promising active substrate for reactive surface modification and the enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution activity
Authors: Du Cheng‐Feng , Sun Xiaoli , Yu Hong , Fang Wei , Jing Yao , Wang Yonghui , Li Shuiqing , Liu Xianhu , Yan Qingyu
Published: January 2020

Presented are the synthesis, characterizations, and reactive surface modification (RSM) of a novel nine atomic layered V4C3T
x MXene. With the advantages of the multilayered V4C3T
x MXene that can simultaneously support the RSM reaction and keep the inner skeleton stable, a series of amorphous Ni/Fe/V‐ternary oxide hydroxides thin layer can be successfully modified on the surface of the V4C3T
x MXene (denoted as MOOH @V4C3T
x, M = Ni, Fe, and V) without disrupting its original structure. Attributed to the in situ reconstruction of highly active oxide hydroxide layer, the nanohybrids exhibited an enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and excellent long‐time stability over 70 hours. In particular, a current density of 10 mA cm−2 can be reached by the nanohybrid with the optimized Ni/Fe ratio at an overpotential (η) as low as 275.2 mV, which is comparable to most of the state‐of‐the‐art OER catalysts and better than other MXene‐based derivatives. Demonstrated by the tunable physicochemical properties and excellent structural stability of these nanohybrids, we may envision the promising role of the M4X3‐based MXenes as substrates for a wide range of energy conversion and storage materials.

image
The role of oxygen vacancies in the high cycling endurance and quantum conductance in BiVO4‐based resistive switching memory
Authors: Zhao Mengting , Yan Xiaobing , Ren Long , Zhao Mengliu , Guo Fei , Zhuang Jincheng , Du Yi , Hao Weichang
Published: January 2020

Resistive random access memory (RRAM) has emerged as a new discipline promoting the development of new materials and devices toward a broad range of electronic and energy applications. Here, we realized a memristive device with weak dependence on the top electrodes and demonstrated the quantized conductance (QC) nature in BiVO4 matrix. The electronic properties have been investigated by the measurements of I‐V curves, where the resistive switching (RS) phenomenon with stable switching ratio and excellent long‐term retention capabilities are identified. Two more inert materials, TiN and Pd, are applied as the top electrodes to exclude the influence of electrodes on the RS states and QC behavior. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy results and transport measurements reveal that the conductive filament (CF) is composed by elemental bismuth. The naturally existed oxygen vacancies in BiVO4 matrix plays as the role of catalyst in the formation and dissolution of CF in BiVO4‐based RRAM device, which is the primary cause for the observed weak dependence of switching performance in this device on the type of top electrodes. Our results clearly illustrate that BiVO4 could be a new idea platform to realize the high scalability, high cycling endurance, and multilevel storage RRAM devices.

image
SENP1/HIF‐1α axis works in angiogenesis of human dental pulp stem cells
Authors: Zhou Jie , Sun Cong
Published: January 2020

Dental diseases seriously affect the quality of life. Studying the mechanism of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) had far‐reaching significance for the therapy of dental diseases. In this paper, we studied the small ubiquitin‐like modifier‐specific protease 1 (SENP1) and hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α functions in angiogenesis under anoxic conditions. Flow cytometry was used to identify and sort DPSCs. Reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were carried out to analyze the expression of von Willebrand factor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2, vascular endothelial cadherin, and CD31. Besides, si‐SENP1 and si‐HIF‐1‐ levels were changed by cell transfection. Tube formation ability was carried out by tubulogenesis assay. Furthermore, the levels of HIF‐1α and SENP1 were also tested by Western blot. We obtained DPSCs and induced them to differentiate into vessels and form tubules in vitro. On the basis of this, we demonstrated hypoxia enhanced HIF‐1α and SENP1 expression. si‐HIF‐1α downregulated SENP1 expression and angiogenesis ability under hypoxia, and si‐SENP1 downregulated HIF‐1α expression and angiogenesis ability under hypoxia. Under hypoxia, SENP1 and HIF‐1α formed a positive feedback loop and played a momentous part in angiogenesis.
Diepoxybutane induces the expression of a novel p53‐target gene XCL1 that mediates apoptosis in exposed human lymphoblasts
Authors: Ewunkem Akamu J. , Deve Maya , Harrison Scott H. , Muganda Perpetua M.
Published: January 2020

Diepoxybutane (DEB) is the most potent active metabolite of the environmental chemical 1,3‐butadiene (BD). BD is a human carcinogen that exhibits multiorgan systems toxicity. Our previous studies demonstrated that the X‐C motif chemokine ligand 1 (XCL1) gene expression was upregulated 3.3‐fold in a p53‐dependent manner in TK6 lymphoblasts undergoing DEB‐induced apoptosis. The tumor‐suppressor p53 protein is a transcription factor that regulates a wide variety of cellular processes, including apoptosis, through its various target genes. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine whether XCL1 is a novel direct p53 transcriptional target gene and deduce its role in DEB‐induced toxicity in human lymphoblasts. We utilized the bioinformatics tool p53scan to search for known p53 consensus sequences within the XCL1 promoter region. The XCL1 gene promoter region was found to contain the p53 consensus sequences 5′‐AGACATGCCTAGACATGCCT‐3′ at three positions relative to the transcription start site (TSS). Furthermore, the XCL1 promoter region was found, through reporter gene assays, to be transactivated at least threefold by wild‐type p53 promoter in DEB‐exposed human lymphoblasts. Inactivation of the XCL1 promoter p53‐binding motif located at −2.579 kb relative to TSS reduced the transactivation function of p53 on this promoter in DEB‐exposed cells by 97%. Finally, knockdown of XCL1 messenger RNA with specific small interfering RNA inhibited DEB‐induced apoptosis in human lymphoblasts by 50%. These observations demonstrate, for the first time, that XCL1 is a novel DEB‐induced direct p53 transcriptional target gene that mediates apoptosis in DEB‐exposed human lymphoblasts.
Exalted Purchases or Tainted Donations? Self‐signaling and the Evaluation of Charitable Incentives
Authors: Savary Jennifer , Li Charis X. , Newman George E.
Published: January 2020

It is common for charities to bundle donation requests with some type of product, such as a tote bag, pen, or coffee mug. The current studies find that people are more likely to donate when those bundles are framed as “charitable purchases” vs. “donations with a gift.” We show that this effect arises because consumers want to avoid the negative self‐signal associated with receiving a gift in exchange for donating. Five experiments provide evidence for the role of self‐signaling, identify key moderators of the framing effect, and demonstrate the downstream consequences for people's likelihood of donating in the future. More broadly, the current studies lend further evidence to the role of self‐signaling in charitable giving and provide greater clarity regarding how and when different donation solicitation techniques may be most effective.
Artificial antigen‐presenting immunomagnetic beads for better enrichment and expansion of T lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells
Authors: Ye Zheng , Sun Bo , Xiao Zhongdang
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

T‐lymphocyte‐based immunotherapy has been widely studied and applied in experiments and clinics. T lymphocytes need to be enriched and amplified from peripheral blood in T lymphocyte immunotherapy. However, enrichment and expansion of T lymphocytes are performed using separated procedures in popular protocols, leading to tedious steps as well as increasing the possibility of cell contamination during clinical application. Herein, we prepared artificial antigen‐presenting immunomagnetic beads that can be used for both enrichment and expansion of T lymphocytes from peripheral blood, which could greatly simplify the procedures of T lymphocyte immunotherapy. Anti‐CD3 and anti‐CD28 monoclonal antibodies were crosslinked to poly(acrylic acid) magnetic microspheres of about 300 nm in diameter to make artificial antigen‐presenting immunomagnetic beads that combine the separation and activation functions of T lymphocytes.

RESULTS

The experimental results showed that the prepared beads could both enrich T lymphocytes from peripheral blood with about 80% enrichment efficiency and also successfully activate T lymphocytes in culture. In vitro cell experiments demonstrated that the activated T lymphocytes expanded using the immunomagnetic beads could kill cells of tumor cell line K562.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate that the immunomagnetic beads prepared in our study can realize the enrichment and expansion of T lymphocytes from peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and provide a convenient tool for the integrated design of clinical immunotherapy instruments. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Meta‐analysis of full ROC curves with flexible parametric distributions of diagnostic test values
Authors: Hoyer Annika , Kuss Oliver
Published: January 2020

Diagnostic accuracy studies often evaluate diagnostic tests at several threshold values, aiming to make recommendations on optimal thresholds for use in practice. Methods for meta‐analysis of full receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves have been proposed but still have deficiencies. We recently proposed a parametric approach that is based on bivariate time‐to‐event models for interval‐censored data to this task. To increase the flexibility of that approach, to cover a wide range of distributions of diagnostic test values and to address the open point of model selection, we here suggest to use the generalized F family of distributions that includes previously used distributions for the bivariate time‐to‐event model as special cases. The results of a simulation study are given as well as an illustration by an example of population‐based screening for type 2 diabetes mellitus.