bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Airborne Magnetic Technoparticles in Soils as a Record of Anthropocene
Authors: Wilczyńska-Michalik Wanda , Michalik Jan M. , Kapusta Czesław , Michalik Marek
Published: December 2019

Airborne magnetic particles in soils were studied in sites located in various distances to industrial plants. Chemical and mineral composition of soil samples were analysed. The highest values of the Pollution Load Index (PLI) calculated for several elements were noted for sites relatively distant from industrial plants. Soil samples exposed for the deposition of airborne particles were examined by means of magnetization versus an external applied magnetic field as well as 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements showing a lack of correlation of the magnetic properties with total Fe content, which points toward a strong impact of the industrial activities. Magnetic fraction was extracted and studied using scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry. Two types of spherical particles were noted. Massive ones occurring in all sites and particles with a complex internal structure more abundant in sites situated closer to industrial plants. The presence of spherical magnetic particles formed in high temperature processes indicate their relatively long range transport in the atmosphere. Broad distribution, characteristic and easy for identification spherical form of these magnetic technoparticles, suggest that one can consider them as a record of the Anthropocene. Accumulation of such technoparticles is related to rapid industrialization in the post-World War II period.
The 2018 Camp Fire: Meteorological Analysis Using In Situ Observations and Numerical Simulations
Authors: Brewer Matthew J. , Clements Craig B.
Published: December 2019

The November 2018 Camp Fire quickly became the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. In this case study, we investigate the contribution of meteorological conditions and, in particular, a downslope windstorm that occurred during the 2018 Camp Fire. Dry seasonal conditions prior to ignition led to 100-h fuel moisture contents in the region to reach record low levels. Meteorological observations were primarily made from a number of remote automatic weather stations and a mobile scanning Doppler lidar deployed to the fire on 8 November 2018. Additionally, gridded operational forecast models and high-resolution meteorological simulations were synthesized in the analysis to provide context for the meteorological observations and structure of the downslope windstorm. Results show that this event was associated with mid-level anti-cyclonic Rossby wave breaking likely caused by cold air advection aloft. An inverted surface trough over central California created a pressure gradient which likely enhanced the downslope winds. Sustained surface winds between 3–6 m s−1 were observed with gusts of over 25 m s−1 while winds above the surface were associated with an intermittent low-level jet. The meteorological conditions of the event were well forecasted, and the severity of the fire was not surprising given the fire danger potential for that day. However, use of surface networks alone do not provide adequate observations for understanding downslope windstorm events and their impact on fire spread. Fire management operations may benefit from the use of operational wind profilers to better understand the evolution of downslope windstorms and other fire weather phenomena that are poorly understood and observed.
Long-Range Transport Influence on Key Chemical Components of PM2.5 in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, South Korea, during the Years 2012–2016
Authors: Bae Changhan , Kim Byeong-Uk , Kim Hyun Cheol , Yoo Chul , Kim Soontae
Published: December 2019

This study identified the key chemical components based on an analysis of the seasonal variations of ground level PM2.5 concentrations and its major chemical constituents (sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic carbon, and elemental carbon) in the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA), over a period of five years, ranging from 2012 to 2016. It was found that the mean PM2.5 concentration in the SMA was 33.7 μg/m3, while inorganic ions accounted for 53% of the total mass concentration. The component ratio of inorganic ions increased by up to 61%–63% as the daily mean PM2.5 concentration increased. In spring, nitrate was the dominant component of PM2.5, accounting for 17%–32% of the monthly mean PM2.5 concentrations. In order to quantify the impact of long-range transport on the SMA PM2.5, a set of sensitivity simulations with the community multiscale air-quality model was performed. Results show that the annual averaged impact of Chinese emissions on SMA PM2.5 concentrations ranged from 41% to 44% during the five years. Chinese emissions’ impact on SMA nitrate ranged from 50% (winter) to 67% (spring). This result exhibits that reductions in SO2 and NOX emissions are crucial to alleviate the PM2.5 concentration. It is expected that NOX emission reduction efforts in China will help decrease PM2.5 concentrations in the SMA.
Spin-Polarized Electron Transmission in DNA-Like Systems
Authors: Sierra Miguel A. , Sánchez David , Gutierrez Rafael , Cuniberti Gianaurelio , Domínguez-Adame Francisco , Díaz Elena
Published: December 2019

The helical distribution of the electronic density in chiral molecules, such as DNA and bacteriorhodopsin, has been suggested to induce a spin–orbit coupling interaction that may lead to the so-called chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. Key ingredients for the theoretical modelling are, in this context, the helically shaped potential of the molecule and, concomitantly, a Rashba-like spin–orbit coupling due to the appearance of a magnetic field in the electron reference frame. Symmetries of these models clearly play a crucial role in explaining the observed effect, but a thorough analysis has been largely ignored in the literature. In this work, we present a study of these symmetries and how they can be exploited to enhance chiral-induced spin selectivity in helical molecular systems.
The Interaction between Amyloid Prefibrillar Oligomers of Salmon Calcitonin and a Lipid-Raft Model: Molecular Mechanisms Leading to Membrane Damage, Ca2+-Influx and Neurotoxicity
Authors: Diociaiuti Marco , Bombelli Cecilia , Zanetti-Polzi Laura , Belfiore Marcello , Fioravanti Raoul , Macchia Gianfranco , Giordani Cristiano
Published: December 2019

To investigate the interaction between amyloid assemblies and “lipid-rafts”, we performed functional and structural experiments on salmon calcitonin (sCT) solutions rich in prefibrillar oligomers, proto- and mature-fibers interacting with liposomes made of monosialoganglioside-GM1 (4%), DPPC (48%) and cholesterol (48%). To focus on the role played by electrostatic forces and considering that sCT is positive and GM1 is negative at physiologic pH, we compared results with those relative to GM1-free liposomes while, to assess membrane fluidity effects, with those relative to cholesterol-free liposomes. We investigated functional effects by evaluating Ca2+-influx in liposomes and viability of HT22-DIFF neurons. Only neurotoxic solutions rich in unstructured prefibrillar oligomers were able to induce Ca2+-influx in the “lipid-rafts” model, suggesting that the two phenomena were correlated. Thus, we investigated protein conformation and membrane modifications occurring during the interaction: circular dichroism showed that “lipid-rafts” fostered the formation of β-structures and energy filtered-transmission electron microscopy that prefibrillar oligomers formed pores, similar to Aβ did. We speculate that electrostatic forces between the positive prefibrillar oligomers and the negative GM1 drive the initial binding while the hydrophobic profile and flexibility of prefibrillar oligomers, together with the membrane fluidity, are responsible for the subsequent pore formation leading to Ca2+-influx and neurotoxicity.
Comprehensive Analysis of Neurotoxin-Induced Ablation of Dopaminergic Neurons in Zebrafish Larvae
Authors: Kalyn Michael , Hua Khang , Mohd Noor Suzita , Wong Chee Ern David , Ekker Marc
Published: December 2019

Neurotoxin exposure of zebrafish larvae has been used to mimic a Parkinson’s disease (PD) phenotype and to facilitate high-throughput drug screening. However, the vulnerability of zebrafish to various neurotoxins was shown to be variable. Here, we provide a direct comparison of ablative effectiveness in order to identify the optimal neurotoxin-mediated dopaminergic (DAnergic) neuronal death in larval zebrafish. Transgenic zebrafish, Tg(dat:eGFP), were exposed to different concentrations of the neurotoxins MPTP, MPP+, paraquat, 6-OHDA, and rotenone for four days, starting at three days post-fertilization. The LC50 of each respective neurotoxin concentration was determined. Confocal live imaging on Tg(dat:eGFP) showed that MPTP, MPP+, and rotenone caused comparable DAnergic cell loss in the ventral diencephalon (vDC) region while, paraquat and 6-OHDA caused fewer losses of DAnergic cells. These results were further supported by respective gene expression analyses of dat, th, and p53. Importantly, the loss of DAnergic cells from exposure to MPTP, MPP+, and rotenone impacted larval locomotor function. MPTP induced the largest motor deficit, but this was accompanied by the most severe morphological impairment. We conclude that, of the tested neurotoxins, MPP+ recapitulates a substantial degree of DAnergic ablation and slight locomotor perturbations without systemic defects indicative of a Parkinsonian phenotype.
Understanding Social Cognition Using Virtual Reality: Are We still Nibbling around the Edges?
Authors: Calabrò Rocco Salvatore , Naro Antonino
Published: December 2019

Virtual Reality (VR) has a variety of applications in various fields of study, including social work and human performance training. Useful information regarding the neurobiological underpinnings of social cognition (SC) has been obtained from the use of VR. This was mainly achieved by substituting the use of simple and static stimuli (that lack many of the potentially important aspects of real-world activities and social interactions) with fully interactive, three-dimensional computerized models of social situations that can be fully controlled by the experimenter, and can simulate a real-world setting as recently pointed out by Parsons et al. (Virtual Reality for Research in Social Neuroscience. Brain Sciences, 2017). As a consequence, the cognitive training in the field of SC and, broadly, social neuroscience, has greatly benefited from the use of VR. However, specific issues concerning the VR neurophysiological underpinnings remain to be clarified, as well as the social and cultural consequences of VR technologies focusing on the processing of social information and the consequences arising from the understanding of self and others. Notwithstanding, it is important to remark that VR-based social neuroscience scenarios can reliably enhance the affective experience and social interactions, whether added to or coupled with traditional cognitive behavioural therapy.
Imbalance between Emotionally Negative and Positive Life Events Retrieval and the Associated Asymmetry of Brain Activity
Authors: Razumnikova Olga , Khoroshavtseva Ekaterina
Published: December 2019

Sustained focusing on a negative assessment of life events can create negative background and changes in the emotional feedback to new information. In this regard, it is important to assess the balance between self-assessment of emotional memories and their reflection in brain activity. The study was aimed at exploring the brain activity using electroencephalographic (EEG) analysis in six frequency ranges from delta to beta2 during the retrieval of positive or negative emotional memory compared with the resting state. According to ANOVA results, the most informative for differentiation of emotions were the alpha2 and beta2 rhythms with greater synchronization effect for positive than for negative emotions. The memory retrieval, regardless of the valence of emotions, was accompanied by alpha1 desynchronization at the posterior cortex. Self-assessment of the memory intensity was not significantly different due to emotion valences. However, the scores of positive emotions were related positively with beta2 oscillations at the left anterior temporal site, whereas for negative emotions, at the right one. Thus, the emotional autobiographical memory is reflected by activation processes in the visual cortex and areas associated with multimodal information processing, whereas differentiation of the valence of emotions is presented by the high-frequency oscillations at the temporal cortex areas.
High School Dropout Rates of Japanese Youth in Residential Care: An Examination of Major Risk Factors
Authors: Ozawa Eiji , Hirata Yutaro
Published: December 2019

Youths in Japanese residential care institutions often face challenges with social adaptation and career trajectories. This study aimed to examine the risk factors that lead residential care youths in Japan to drop out of high school. Eighty-nine residential care facilities completed a questionnaire that focused on the characteristics of residing high school students, their educational status, experiences of maltreatment before residence, diagnosed disabilities, and the timing of admission. A sample composed of 773 youths was analyzed. Among the facilities, the high school dropout rate among youths in residential care was 19.3% (n = 149). Data revealed that the time of admission had the utmost significant effect. The risk of dropping out for youths admitted at junior high school age was significantly higher than for youths admitted before that age. Overall, residential care youths had a higher risk of not adapting to high school, and youths receiving short-term care demonstrated difficulty continuing high school. These results illustrate the importance of psychological treatment and educational support for youth who enter residential care during adolescence. Hence, attention should be focused on improving youth engagement in school to improve their social and career outcomes.
Rapid and Label-Free Isolation of Tumour Cells from the Urine of Patients with Localised Prostate Cancer Using Inertial Microfluidics
Authors: Rzhevskiy Alexey S. , Razavi Bazaz Sajad , Ding Lin , Kapitannikova Alina , Sayyadi Nima , Campbell Douglas , Walsh Bradley , Gillatt David , Ebrahimi Warkiani Majid , Zvyagin Andrei V.
Published: December 2019

During the last decade, isolation of circulating tumour cells via blood liquid biopsy of prostate cancer (PCa) has attracted significant attention as an alternative, or substitute, to conventional diagnostic tests. However, it was previously determined that localised forms of PCa shed a small number of cancer cells into the bloodstream, and a large volume of blood is required just for a single test, which is impractical. To address this issue, urine has been used as an alternative to blood for liquid biopsy as a truly non-invasive, patient-friendly test. To this end, we developed a spiral microfluidic chip capable of isolating PCa cells from the urine of PCa patients. Potential clinical utility of the chip was demonstrated using anti-Glypican-1 (GPC-1) antibody as a model of the primary antibody in immunofluorescent assay for identification and detection of the collected tumour cells. The microchannel device was first evaluated using DU-145 cells in a diluted Dulbecco’s phosphate-buffered saline sample, where it demonstrated >85 (±6) % efficiency. The microchannel proved to be functional in at least 79% of cases for capturing GPC1+ putative tumour cells from the urine of patients with localised PCa. More importantly, a correlation was found between the amount of the captured GPC1+ cells and crucial diagnostic and prognostic parameter of localised PCa—Gleason score. Thus, the technique demonstrated promise for further assessment of its diagnostic value in PCa detection, diagnosis, and prognosis.
Hematopoietic Cells Derived from Cancer Stem Cells Generated from Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Hassan Ghmkin , Afify Said M. , Nair Neha , Kumon Kazuki , Osman Amira , Du Juan , Mansour Hager , Abu Quora Hagar A , Nawara Hend M , Satoh Ayano , Zahra Maram H. , Okada Nobuhiro , Seno Akimasa , Seno Masaharu
Published: December 2019

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent the subpopulation of cancer cells with the ability to differentiate into other cell phenotypes and initiated tumorigenesis. Previously, we reported generating CSCs from mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (miPSCs). Here, we investigated the ability of the CSCs to differentiate into hematopoietic cells. First, the primary cells were isolated from malignant tumors that were formed by the CSCs. Non-adherent cells (NACs) that arose from adherent cells were collected and their viability, as well as the morphology and expression of hematopoietic cell markers, were analyzed. Moreover, NACs were injected into the tail vein of busulfan conditioned Balb/c nude mice. Finally, CSCs were induced to differentiate to macrophages while using IL3 and SCF. The round nucleated NACs were found to be viable, positive for hematopoietic lineage markers and CD34, and expressed hematopoietic markers, just like homing to the bone marrow. When NACs were injected into mice, Wright–Giemsa staining showed that the number of white blood cells got higher than those in the control mice after four weeks. CSCs also showed the ability to differentiate toward macrophages. CSCs were demonstrated to have the potential to provide progenies with hematopoietic markers, morphology, and homing ability to the bone marrow, which could give new insight into the tumor microenvironment according to the plasticity of CSCs.
Real-World Data on Cabozantinib in Previously Treated Patients with Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Focus on Sequences and Prognostic Factors
Authors: Santoni Matteo , Heng Daniel Y. , Bracarda Sergio , Procopio Giuseppe , Milella Michele , Porta Camillo , Matrana Marc R. , Cartenì Giacomo , Crabb Simon J. , De Giorgi Ugo , Basso Umberto , Masini Cristina , Calabrò Fabio , Vitale Maria Giuseppa , Santini Daniele , Massari Francesco , Galli Luca , Fornarini Giuseppe , Ricotta Riccardo , Buti Sebastiano , Zucali Paolo , Caffo Orazio , Morelli Franco , Carrozza Francesco , Martignetti Angelo , Gelibter Alain , Iacovelli Roberto , Mosca Alessandra , Atzori Francesco , Vau Nuno , Incorvaia Lorena , Ortega Cinzia , Scarpelli Marina , Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Cheng Liang , Paolucci Vittorio , Graham Jeffrey , Pierce Erin , Scagliarini Sarah , Sepe Pierangela , Verzoni Elena , Merler Sara , Rizzo Mimma , Sorgentoni Giulia , Conti Alessandro , Piva Francesco , Cimadamore Alessia , Montironi Rodolfo , Battelli Nicola
Published: December 2019

Cabozantinib is approved for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). However, prognostic factors are still lacking in this context. The aim of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors in RCC patients treated with second- or third-line cabozantinib. A multicenter retrospective real-world study was conducted, involving 32 worldwide centers. A total of 237 patients with histologically confirmed clear-cell and non-clear-cell RCC who received cabozantinib as second- or third-line therapy for metastatic disease were included. We analyzed overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and time-to-strategy failure (TTSF) using Kaplan–Meier curves. Cox proportional models were used at univariate and multivariate analyses.The median PFS and OS of cabozantinib were 7.76 months (95% CI 6.51–10.88) and 11.57 months (95% CI 10.90–not reached (NR)) as second-line and 11.38 months (95% CI 5.79–NR) and NR (95% CI 11.51–NR) as third-line therapy. The median TTSF and OS were 11.57 and 15.52 months with the sequence of cabozantinib–nivolumab and 25.64 months and NR with nivolumab–cabozantinib, respectively. The difference between these two sequences was statistically significant only in good-risk patients. In the second-line setting, hemoglobin (Hb) levels (HR= 2.39; 95% CI 1.24–4.60, p = 0.009) and IMDC (International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium) group (HR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.04–2.87, p = 0.037) were associated with PFS while ECOG-PS (HR = 2.33; 95%CI, 1.16–4.69, p = 0.018) and Hb levels (HR = 3.12; 95%CI 1.18–8.26, p = 0.023) correlated with OS at multivariate analysis, while in the third-line setting, only Hb levels (HR = 2.72; 95%CI 1.04–7.09, p = 0.042) were associated with OS. Results are limited by the retrospective nature of the study.This real-world study provides evidence on the presence of prognostic factors in RCC patients receiving cabozantinib.
An Efficient Strategy for the Fabrication of CuS as a Highly Excellent and Recyclable Photocatalyst for the Degradation of Organic Dyes
Authors: Qin Na , Wei Wutao , Huang Chao , Mi Liwei
Published: December 2019

An effective and practical in situ sulfuration approach has been developed in this work, for the fabrication of CuS with a 3D hierarchical network structure under mild preparation conditions. The prepared CuS consists of a primary structure of the multi-structure interchange copper foam precursor, and a secondary structure of nanoplates. The structural characteristics, morphologies, and photocatalytic performances of the prepared photocatalyst were investigated systematically. To evaluate the photocatalytic performance of the prepared CuS samples, we investigated the degradation of MB (methylene blue), RhB (Rhodamine B), and MB/RhB dye solutions over the samples under the irradiation of simulated solar light. Specifically, the degradation of RhB rapidly reached ≈100.0% after simulated solar light irradiation for 25 min, which is higher than those of P25 (83.0%) and bulk CuS (54.8%). For the mixed systems of MB/RhB, both the degradations of MB and RhB reached up to ≈99.0% after simulated solar light irradiation for 25 min. The superior photocatalytic performances of the prepared samples are attributed to the synergistic effects of high optical absorption, large specific surface area, and abundant active sites. The prepared catalysts can retain the photocatalytic activities during the entire reaction process without significant loss after four catalytic cycles, which reveals that the CuS with a stable 3D hierarchical network structure has a promising prospect as an ideal recyclable catalyst.
Control of Inflammation by Calorie Restriction Mimetics: On the Crossroad of Autophagy and Mitochondria
Authors: Gabandé-Rodríguez Enrique , Gómez de las Heras Manuel M. , Mittelbrunn María
Published: December 2019

Mitochondrial metabolism and autophagy are two of the most metabolically active cellular processes, playing a crucial role in regulating organism longevity. In fact, both mitochondrial dysfunction or autophagy decline compromise cellular homeostasis and induce inflammation. Calorie restriction (CR) is the oldest strategy known to promote healthspan, and a plethora of CR mimetics have been used to emulate its beneficial effects. Herein, we discuss how CR and CR mimetics, by modulating mitochondrial metabolism or autophagic flux, prevent inflammatory processes, protect the intestinal barrier function, and dampen both inflammaging and neuroinflammation. We outline the effects of some compounds classically known as modulators of autophagy and mitochondrial function, such as NAD+ precursors, metformin, spermidine, rapamycin, and resveratrol, on the control of the inflammatory cascade and how these anti-inflammatory properties could be involved in their ability to increase resilience to age-associated diseases.
Upregulation of Epithelial-To-Mesenchymal Transition Markers and P2X7 Receptors Is Associated to Increased Invasiveness Caused by P2X7 Receptor Stimulation in Human Glioblastoma Stem Cells
Authors: Ziberi Sihana , Zuccarini Mariachiara , Carluccio Marzia , Giuliani Patricia , Ricci-Vitiani Lucia , Pallini Roberto , Caciagli Francesco , Di Iorio Patrizia , Ciccarelli Renata
Published: December 2019

Glioblastoma (GBM) stem cells (GSCs), which contribute to GBM unfavorable prognosis, show high expression levels of ATP/P2X7 receptors (P2X7R). Here, we reported that cells exposure to 2’(3’)-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)-ATP (BzATP), a P2X7R agonist, up-regulated the expression of markers associated to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process likely contributing to GSC malignancy, and increased GSC migration/invasiveness like the known EMT inducer, Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGFβ1). These effects were coupled to phosphorylation of SMAD2, a downstream effector in the TGFβ pathway, suggesting its involvement in P2X7R-mediated activity in GSCs. All BzATP effects, including a decrease in the caspase 3/7 activity in GSC medium, were mostly counteracted by the P2X7R antagonist A438079. Finally, BzATP increased the subunit expression of two main human P2X7R splice variants, the full-length P2X7A and the truncated P2X7B, lacking the carboxylic tail, which have different functional properties depending on their arrangement. Since up-regulation of A/B subunits might favor their assembly into a heterotrimeric P2X7R with great sensitivity towards agonists and cell energy support, this is in line with increased EMT markers expression, cell migration/invasion and GSC survival observed following P2X7R stimulation. As in GBM microenvironment extracellular ATP levels may activate P2X7R, our data suggest a P2X7R role in GBM recurrence/invasiveness.
Synergistic Effects of N-Acetylcysteine and Mesenchymal Stem Cell in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Interstitial Cystitis Rat Model
Authors: Shin Jung Hyun , Ryu Chae-Min , Ju Hyein , Yu Hwan Yeul , Song Sujin , Shin Dong-Myung , Choo Myung-Soo
Published: December 2019

The purpose of this study was to reduce the amount of stem cells used in treating preclinical interstitial cystitis (IC model) by investigating the synergistic effects of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (M-MSCs; human embryonic stem cell-derived) and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Eight-week-old female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into seven groups, i.e., sham (n = 10), lipopolysaccharide/protamine sulfate (LPS/PS; n = 10), LPS/PS + NAC (n = 10), LPS/PS with 25K MSC (n = 10), LPS/PS with 50K MSC (n = 10) LPS/PS + 25K MSC + NAC (n = 10), and LPS/PS + 50K MSC + NAC (n = 10). To induce the IC rat model, protamine sulfate (10 mg, 45 min) and LPS (750 μg, 30 min) were instilled once a week for five consecutive weeks via a transurethral PE-50 catheter. Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was used in the sham group. One week after the final instillation, M-MSCs with two suboptimal dosages (i.e., 2.5 or 5.0 × 104 cells) were directly transplanted into the outer-layer of the bladder. Simultaneously, 200 mg/kg of NAC or PBS was intraperitoneally injected daily for five days. The therapeutic outcome was evaluated one week after M-MSC or PBS injection by awake cystometry and histological analysis. Functionally, LPS/PS insult led to irregular micturition, decreased intercontraction intervals, and decreased micturition volume. Both monotherapy and combination therapy significantly increased contraction intervals, increased urination volume, and reduced the residual volume, thereby improving the urination parameters compared to those of the LPS group. In particular, a combination of NAC dramatically reduced the amount of M-MSCs used for significant restoration in histological damage, including inflammation and apoptosis. Both M-MSCs and NAC-based therapy had a beneficial effect on improving voiding dysfunction, regenerating denudated urothelium, and relieving tissue inflammation in the LPS-induced IC/BPS rat model. The combination of M-MSC and NAC was superior to MSC or NAC monotherapy, with therapeutic efficacy that was comparable to that of previously optimized cell dosage (1000K) without compromised therapeutic efficacy.
Metabolism of Reactive Oxygen Species in Osteosarcoma and Potential Treatment Applications
Authors: Sun Wei , Wang Bing , Qu Xing-Long , Zheng Bi-Qiang , Huang Wen-Ding , Sun Zheng-Wang , Wang Chun-Meng , Chen Yong
Published: December 2019

Background: The present study was designed to explore the underlying role of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation and apoptosis in osteosarcoma (OS) cells induced by hypoxia. Methods: In OS cells, ROS accumulated and apoptosis increased within 24 h after exposure to low HIF-1α expression levels. A co-expression analysis showed that HIF was positively correlated with Forkhead box class O1 (FoxO1) expression and negatively correlated with CYP-related genes from the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s Gene Expression Omnibus (NCBI GEO) datasets. Hypoxia also considerably increased HIF-1α and FoxO1 expression. Moreover, the promoter region of FoxO1 was directly regulated by HIF-1α. We inhibited HIF-1α via siRNA and found that the ROS accumulation and apoptosis induced by hypoxia in OS cells decreased. In this study, a murine xenograft model of BALB-c nude mice was adopted to test tumour growth and measure the efficacy of 2-ME + As2O3 treatment. Results: Ad interim knockdown of HIF-1α also inhibited manganese-dependent superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase and sestrin 3 (Sesn3) expression in OS cells. Furthermore, hypoxia-induced ROS formation and apoptosis in OS cells were associated with CYP450 protein interference and were ablated by HIF-1α silencing via siRNA. Conclusions: Our data reveal that HIF-1α inhibits ROS accumulation by directly regulating FoxO1 in OS cells, which induces MnSOD, catalase and Sesn3 interference, thus resulting in anti-oxidation effects. The combination of an HIF-1α inhibitor (2-mercaptoethanol,2-ME) and ROS inducer (arsenous oxide, As2O3) can prohibit proliferation and migration and promote apoptosis in MG63 cells in vitro while inhibiting tumour growth in vivo.
Mechanisms and Dynamics of Layered Structure Formation During Co-Deposition of Binary Compound Thin Films
Authors: Kairaitis Gediminas , Galdikas Arvaidas
Published: December 2019

In the present paper, the formation of columnar and layered structure during co-deposition of binary thin films is analyzed by kinetic modeling. The kinetic model is based on phase field theory and involves the main processes taking place during binary film growth: adsorption, phase separation, Gibbsian surface segregation, surface and bulk diffusion. The process of phase separation is defined by the Cahn–Hilliard equation, which describes well the kinetics of formation of nanoparticles in binary system with a limited solubility of components. The formation of columns and layers can occur only if other processes such as diffusion and segregation take place. In this paper, the most attention is paid to the formation of multilayered structures during binary components co-deposition, which is experimentally observed, but whose mechanism of formation is not well understood. In the work presented, the mechanism of formation of layers is shown, and the conditions at which this mechanism starts to work are formulated. It is shown that very important aspects are surface segregation of one of the components and depth dependent diffusion.
Prognostic Significance of Lymphocyte Infiltration and a Stromal Immunostaining of a Bladder Cancer Associated Diagnostic Panel in Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Furuya Hideki , Chan Owen T.M. , Hokutan Kanani , Tsukikawa Yutaro , Chee Keanu , Kozai Landon , Chan Keith S. , Dai Yunfeng , Wong Regan S. , Rosser Charles J.
Published: December 2019

We set out to expand on our previous work in which we reported the epithelial expression pattern of a urine-based bladder cancer-associated diagnostic panel (A1AT, ANG, APOE, CA9, IL8, MMP9, MMP10, PAI1, SDC1, and VEGFA). Since many of the analytes in the bladder cancer-associated diagnostic signature were chemokines, cytokines, or secreted proteins, we set out to report the stromal staining pattern of the diagnostic signature as well as CD3+ (T-cell) cell and CD68+ (macrophage) cell staining in human bladder tumors as a snapshot of the tumor immune landscape. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on 213 tumor specimens and 74 benign controls. Images were digitally captured and quantitated using Aperio (Vista, CA). The expression patterns were correlated with tumor grade, tumor stage, and outcome measures. We noted a positive correlation of seven of the 10 proteins (excluding A1AT and IL8 which had a negative association and VEGFA had no association) in bladder cancer. The overexpression of MMP10 was associated with higher grade disease, while overexpression of MMP10, PAI1, SDC1 and ANG were associated with high stage bladder cancer and CA9 was associated with low stage bladder cancer. Increased tumor infiltration of CD68+ cells were associated with higher stage disease. Overall survival was significantly reduced in bladder cancer patients’ whose tumors expressed eight or more of the 10 proteins that comprise the bladder cancer diagnostic panel. These findings confirm that the chemokines, cytokines, and secreted proteins in a urine-based diagnostic panel are atypically expressed, not only in the epithelial component of bladder tumors, but also in the stromal component of bladder tumors and portends a worse overall survival. Thus, when assessing immunohistochemical staining, it is important to report staining patterns within the stroma as well as the entire stroma itself.
(Multiscale) Cross-Entropy Methods: A Review
Authors: Jamin Antoine , Humeau-Heurtier Anne
Published: December 2019

Cross-entropy was introduced in 1996 to quantify the degree of asynchronism between two time series. In 2009, a multiscale cross-entropy measure was proposed to analyze the dynamical characteristics of the coupling behavior between two sequences on multiple scales. Since their introductions, many improvements and other methods have been developed. In this review we offer a state-of-the-art on cross-entropy measures and their multiscale approaches.
Who Am I? Transforming Our Understanding of Identity and Moral Education
Authors: Splitter Laurance J.
Published: December 2019

When I was invited to edit a special issue of Education Sciences on the theme of “Moral education and identity”, I saw an opportunity both to gain a better understanding of how scholars across a range of disciplines construed the task of moral education in terms of identity and—I can now confess—to defend the claim that moral education, when properly understood, depends upon an account of identity which is quite different from that which dominates the social sciences, the media and popular opinion. My aim here is to provide such an account and, thereby, to suggest how we might construe the challenge of moral education in a world, and at a time, in which self-centered, short-sighted and narrow-minded thinking dominates much of the socio-political landscape. I argue that the dominant view of identity—that our own identities are constituted by those collectives and institutions with which we identify—actually reinforces narratives which bind us to tribal perspectives—in national, religious and cultural terms—in which we increasingly see ourselves and others in terms of who is “in” and who is “out”. I propose a relational view of identity in which each person sees her/himself as “one among others”, where the relationships in question both bind us in familiar and concrete ways to others—i.e., other persons but also other objects in the world—and transcend the boundaries imposed by belonging to this or that nation, religion, culture, or tribe. This idea of what it means to be a person goes hand-in-hand with a framework for moral education which is also both concretely relational and appropriately transcendent. Put briefly, we need to create the conditions in which young people engage one another dialogically in taking responsibility for tackling what I term “the Big Questions”, including: “What do I/we stand for?”, “What/who really matters?”, “What kind of society/world do I/we want to live in (and leave for future generations)?”, and “What is my place in the world?”. (In taking this approach, I aim to address at least some of the questions posed in the original call for submissions for this special issue, as outlined at the Special Issue “Moral Education and Identity”).
Quality Assessment of Tire Shearography Images via Ensemble Hybrid Faster Region-Based ConvNets
Authors: Chang Chuan-Yu , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Wang Wei-Chun , Ganapathy Ganapathy Pattukandan , Vincent Durai Raj , Deepa N
Published: December 2019

In recent times, the application of enabling technologies such as digital shearography combined with deep learning approaches in the smart quality assessment of tires, which leads to intelligent tire manufacturing practices with automated defects detection. Digital shearography is a prominent approach that can be employed for identifying the defects in tires, usually not visible to human eyes. In this research, the bubble defects in tire shearography images are detected using a unique ensemble hybrid amalgamation of the convolutional neural networks/ConvNets with high-performance Faster Region-based convolutional neural networks. It can be noticed that the routine of region-proposal generation along with object detection is accomplished using the ConvNets. Primarily, the sliding window based ConvNets are utilized in the proposed model for dividing the input shearography images into regions, in order to identify the bubble defects. Subsequently, this is followed by implementing the Faster Region-based ConvNets for identifying the bubble defects in the tire shearography images and further, it also helps to minimize the false-positive ratio (sometimes referred to as the false alarm ratio). Moreover, it is evident from the experimental results that the proposed hybrid model offers a cent percent detection of bubble defects in the tire shearography images. Also, it can be witnessed that the false-positive ratio gets minimized to 18 percent.
A Novel Density Peak Fuzzy Clustering Algorithm for Moving Vehicles Using Traffic Radar
Authors: Cao Lin , Liu Yunxiao , Wang Dongfeng , Wang Tao , Fu Chong
Published: December 2019

The detection of adjacent vehicles in highway scenes has the problem of inaccurate clustering results. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a new clustering algorithm, namely Spindle-based Density Peak Fuzzy Clustering (SDPFC) algorithm. Its main feature is to use the density peak clustering algorithm to perform initial clustering to obtain the number of clusters and the cluster center of each cluster. The final clustering result is obtained by a fuzzy clustering algorithm based on the spindle update. The experimental data are the radar echo signal collected in the real highway scenes. Compared with the DBSCAN, FCM, and K-Means algorithms, the algorithm has higher clustering accuracy in certain scenes. The average clustering accuracy of SDPFC can reach more than 95%. It is also proved that the proposed algorithm has strong robustness in certain highway scenes.
A Review on Edge Computing in Smart Energy by means of a Systematic Mapping Study
Authors: Sittón-Candanedo Inés , Alonso Ricardo S. , García Óscar , Gil Ana B. , Rodríguez-González Sara
Published: December 2019

Context: Smart Energy is a disruptive concept that has led to the emergence of new energy policies, technology projects, and business models. The development of those models is driven by world capitals, companies, and universities. Their purpose is to make the electric power system more efficient through distributed energy generation/storage, smart meter installation, or reduction of consumption/implementation costs. This work approaches Smart Energy as a paradigm that is concerned with systemic strategies involving the implementation of innovative technological developments in energy systems. However, many of the challenges encountered under this paradigm are yet to be overcome, such as the effective integration of solutions within Smart Energy systems. Edge Computing is included in this new technology group. Objective: To investigate developments that involve the use of Edge Computing and that provide solutions to Smart Energy problems. The research work will be developed using the methodology of systematic mapping of literature, following the guidelines established by Kitchenham and Petersen that facilitate the identification of studies published on the subject. Results: Inclusion and exclusion criteria have been applied to identify the relevant articles. We selected 80 papers that were classified according to the type of publication (journal, conferences, or book chapter), type of research (conceptual, experience, or validation), type of activity (implement, validate, analyze) and asset (architecture, framework, method, or models). Conclusion: A complete review has been conducted of the 80 articles that were closely related to the questions posed in this research. To reach the goal of building Edge Computing architectures for Smart Energy environments, several lines of research have been defined. In the future, such architectures will overcome current problems, becoming highly energy-efficient, cost-effective, and capacitated to process and respond in real-time.
Energy-Efficient Wireless Hopping Sensor Relocation Based on Prediction of Terrain Conditions
Authors: Park Sooyeon , Kim Moonseong , Lee Woochan
Published: December 2019

It is inevitable for data collection that IoT sensors are distributed to interested areas. However, not only the proper placement of sensors, but also the replacement of sensors that have run out of energy is very difficult. As a remedy, wireless charging systems for IoT sensors have been researched recently, but it is apparent that the availability of charging system is limited especially for IoT sensors scattered in rugged terrain. Thus, it is important that the sensor relocation models to recover sensing holes employ energy-efficient scheme. While there are various methods in the mobile model of wireless sensors, well-known wheel-based movements in rough areas are hard to achieve. Thus, research is ongoing in various areas of the hopping mobile model in which wireless sensors jump. Many past studies about hopping sensor relocation assume that all sensor nodes are aware of entire network information throughout the network. These assumptions do not fit well to the actual environment, and they are nothing but classical theoretical research. In addition, the physical environment (sand, mud, etc.) of the area in which the sensor is deployed can change from time to time. In this paper, we overcome the theoretical-based problems of the past researches and propose a new realistic hopping sensor relocation protocol considering terrain conditions. Since the status of obstacles around the sensing hole is unknown, the success rate of the hopping sensor relocation is used to predict the condition of the surrounding environment. Also, we are confident that our team is uniquely implementing OMNeT++ (Objective Modular Network Testbed in C++) simulation in the hopping sensor relocation protocol to reflect the actual communication environment. Simulations have been performed on various obstacles for performance evaluation and analysis, and we are confident that better energy efficiency with later appearance of sensing holes can be achieved compared to well-known relocation protocols.
Link Recovery Scheme for Multi-Point mmWave Communications
Authors: Aldalbahi Adel
Published: December 2019

Directional transmission in millimeter wave (mmWave) communications results in prolonged access times. This is attributed to the increased number of conducted measurements to determine optimum beam directions at the mobile station (MS) and base station (BS) that return the highest received signal levels. Additionally, once these beams are determined and links are established for data-planes, then blockage effects and outages make these links more vulnerable to link failures, resulting in communications drops. Hence, dynamic and fast recovery schemes are required to maintain communications sessions following the beam access stage. In this paper, a novel recovery access scheme is proposed for multi-point mmWave communications based on fog access points (AP). Namely, the scheme leverages diversity and network coding techniques to achieve near-instantaneous recovery times, without the need for beam scanning. The scheme features near-instantaneous data recovery times and efficient power consumption as compared to traditional recovery methods.
Smooth 3D Path Planning by Means of Multiobjective Optimization for Fixed-Wing UAVs
Authors: Samaniego Franklin , Sanchis Javier , Garcia-Nieto Sergio , Simarro Raul
Published: December 2019

Demand for 3D planning and guidance algorithms is increasing due, in part, to the increase in unmanned vehicle-based applications. Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) trajectory planning algorithms address the problem by using the approach of maintaining a constant altitude. Addressing the problem of path planning in a three-dimensional (3D) space implies more complex scenarios where maintaining altitude is not a valid approach. The work presented here implements an architecture for the generation of 3D flight paths for fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The aim is to determine the feasible flight path by minimizing the turning effort, starting from a set of control points in 3D space, including the initial and final point. The trajectory generated takes into account the rotation and elevation constraints of the UAV. From the defined control points and the movement constraints of the UAV, a path is generated that combines the union of the control points by means of a set of rectilinear segments and spherical curves. However, this design methodology means that the problem does not have a single solution; in other words, there are infinite solutions for the generation of the final path. For this reason, a multiobjective optimization problem (MOP) is proposed with the aim of independently maximizing each of the turning radii of the path. Finally, to produce a complete results visualization of the MOP and the final 3D trajectory, the architecture was implemented in a simulation with Matlab/Simulink/flightGear.
Energy Efficiency Investments in Industry with Uncertain Demand Rate: Effects on the Specific Energy Consumption
Authors: Marchi Beatrice , Zanoni Simone , Ferretti Ivan
Published: December 2019

The term “energy efficiency” covers a wide scope and it is affected by a lack of clarity. To overcome this issue, quantitative measures should be defined and evaluated for each unit of product or process considered. These quantitative indicators are necessary to support and evaluate energy efficiency improvements in industry, by allowing to (i) monitor the energy performance, and (ii) perform benchmarking analyses with best available techniques or similar processes. The specific energy consumption (SEC), i.e., the amount of energy consumed per unit of product/output, is the most commonly used index. Because of the uncertain demand faced by companies, production processes run at a rate that can vary within a certain range, to which correspond a different utilization of plants. Energy efficiency investments can be categorized in accordance to how they affect the SEC: i.e., the first group of investments has the same effects for each production rate (e.g., replacement of dated electric motors with new technologies), while the other has different effects for different ranges of production rate (e.g., installation of an inverter). The present work proposes a novel decision model for supporting the evaluation of the more suitable energy efficiency investment in an industrial context where the demand is uncertain. A numerical example based on a case study from the aluminum industry is then proposed in order to highlight the relevance of the problem discussed and to evaluate the behavior of the models in different scenarios characterized by different load factors. From the results, it evinced that the return of the investment strongly depends on the range of production rate and, thus, on the demand variability.
Distributed Energy Resources Management 2018
Authors: Faria Pedro , Vale Zita
Published: December 2019

The Special Issue “Distributed Energy Resources Management 2018” includes 13 papers [...]