bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parietal Gamma Band Oscillation Induced by Self-Hand Recognition
Authors: Ueda Masaya , Ueno Keita , Inamoto Takashi , Shiroma China , Hata Masahiro , Ishii Ryouhei , Naito Yasuo
Published: February 2022

Physiological studies have shown that self-body images receive unique recognition processing in a wide range of brain areas, from the frontal lobe to the parietal-occipital cortex. Event-related potential (ERP) studies have shown that the self-referential effect on the image of a hand increases P300 components, but such studies do not evaluate brain oscillatory activity. In this study, we aimed to discover the self-specific brain electrophysiological activity in relation to hand images. ERPs on the fronto-parietal midline were elicited by a three-stimulus visual oddball task using hand images: the self-hand, another hand (most similar to the self-hand), and another hand (similar to the self-hand). We analyzed ERP waveform and brain oscillatory activity by simple averaging and time-frequency analysis. The simple averaging analysis found no significant differences between the responses for the three stimulus tasks in all time windows. However, time-frequency analysis showed that self-hand stimuli elicited high gamma ERS in 650–900 ms at the Cz electrode compared to other hand stimuli. Our results show that brain activity specific to the self-referential process to the self-hand image was reflected in the long latency gamma band activity in the mid-central region. This high gamma-band activity at the Cz electrode may be similar to the activity of the mirror neuron system, which is involved in hand motion.
Circular Building Process: Reuse of Insulators from Construction and Demolition Waste to Produce Lime Mortars
Authors: Ferrández Daniel , Yedra Engerst , Morón Carlos , Zaragoza Alicia , Kosior-Kazberuk Marta
Published: February 2022

This research aims to revalue the possibilities presented by lime mortars for use in renovation and as cladding material on facades. The study focuses on analyzing the technical feasibility of lime mortars with the incorporation of residues from three types of thermal insulation materials: expanded polystyrene with graphite especially suitable for use on facades; expanded polystyrene for use indoors; and insulating mineral wool. The incorporation of these construction and demolition residues makes it possible to improve several technical performance aspects of lime mortars, and to incorporate circular economy criteria in the manufacturing process of these materials. The results showed that the incorporation of mineral wool improves the mechanical resistance to the bending of mortars, increases their durability against freeze–thaw cycles and salt crystallization, and reduces the final shrinkage of mortars. For their part, mortars with the addition of polystyrene-insulating residues reduce mechanical resistance, but also reduce thermal conductivity, and are lighter, which is why they are shown as a possible alternative for use in precast.
Bioclimatic Architecture Strategies in Denmark: A Review of Current and Future Directions
Authors: Bugenings Laura Annabelle , Kamari Aliakbar
Published: February 2022

Due to climate change, the rise in global temperature causes an increased need for cooling to satisfy occupants’ thermal comfort. Application of architecture passive design strategies, so-called bioclimatic architecture strategies, based on the local climate to forego active cooling measures to decrease the conventional heating need and ensure thermal comfort are, thus, becoming highly relevant and vitally important. In an effort to adapt and promote passive architecture design strategies in the new design or renovation of building projects, this literature review fills the gap by identifying suitable bioclimatic architecture strategies in the Danish setting. The literature review adopts the PRISMA flowchart (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), and the outcome is supplemented by screening 25 actual bioclimatic architecture-based building design projects in Denmark. The study shows that a wide range of passive strategies are being researched and practiced in Denmark, whereby the focus for passive heating strategies lies on solar gains, thermal insulation and thermal mass. Among passive cooling strategies, natural ventilation and solar shading are the main strategies investigated. Based on the analysis, it is expected that the use and research of those measures will continue, whereby the passive cooling measures will be of particular future interest in light of increasing outdoor temperatures.
[68Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT Radiomics to Predict the Response in GEP-NETs Undergoing [177Lu]DOTATOC PRRT: The “Theragnomics” Concept
Authors: Laudicella Riccardo , Comelli Albert , Liberini Virginia , Vento Antonio , Stefano Alessandro , Spataro Alessandro , Crocè Ludovica , Baldari Sara , Bambaci Michelangelo , Deandreis Desiree , Arico’ Demetrio , Ippolito Massimo , Gaeta Michele , Alongi Pierpaolo , Minutoli Fabio , Burger Irene A. , Baldari Sergio
Published: February 2022

Despite impressive results, almost 30% of NET do not respond to PRRT and no well-established criteria are suitable to predict response. Therefore, we assessed the predictive value of radiomics [68Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT images pre-PRRT in metastatic GEP NET. We retrospectively analyzed the predictive value of radiomics in 324 SSTR-2-positive lesions from 38 metastatic GEP-NET patients (nine G1, 27 G2, and two G3) who underwent restaging [68Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT before complete PRRT with [177Lu]DOTATOC. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological follow-up data were collected for at least six months after the last cycle. Through LifeX, we extracted 65 PET features for each lesion. Grading, PRRT number of cycles, and cumulative activity, pre- and post-PRRT CgA values were also considered as additional clinical features. [68Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT follow-up with the same scanner for each patient determined the disease status (progression vs. response in terms of stability/reduction/disappearance) for each lesion. All features (PET and clinical) were also correlated with follow-up data in a per-site analysis (liver, lymph nodes, and bone), and for features significantly associated with response, the Δradiomics for each lesion was assessed on follow-up [68Ga]DOTATOC PET/CT performed until nine months post-PRRT. A statistical system based on the point-biserial correlation and logistic regression analysis was used for the reduction and selection of the features. Discriminant analysis was used, instead, to obtain the predictive model using the k-fold strategy to split data into training and validation sets. From the reduction and selection process, HISTO_Skewness and HISTO_Kurtosis were able to predict response with an area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC ROC), sensitivity, and specificity of 0.745, 80.6%, 67.2% and 0.722, 61.2%, 75.9%, respectively. Moreover, a combination of three features (HISTO_Skewness; HISTO_Kurtosis, and Grading) did not improve the AUC significantly with 0.744. SUVmax, however, could not predict the response to PRRT (p = 0.49, AUC 0.523). The presented preliminary “theragnomics” model proved to be superior to conventional quantitative parameters to predict the response of GEP-NET lesions in patients treated with complete [177Lu]DOTATOC PRRT, regardless of the lesion site.
Diagnosing Ovarian Cancer on MRI: A Preliminary Study Comparing Deep Learning and Radiologist Assessments
Authors: Saida Tsukasa , Mori Kensaku , Hoshiai Sodai , Sakai Masafumi , Urushibara Aiko , Ishiguro Toshitaka , Minami Manabu , Satoh Toyomi , Nakajima Takahito
Published: February 2022

Background: This study aimed to compare deep learning with radiologists’ assessments for diagnosing ovarian carcinoma using MRI. Methods: This retrospective study included 194 patients with pathologically confirmed ovarian carcinomas or borderline tumors and 271 patients with non-malignant lesions who underwent MRI between January 2015 and December 2020. T2WI, DWI, ADC map, and fat-saturated contrast-enhanced T1WI were used for the analysis. A deep learning model based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) was trained using 1798 images from 146 patients with malignant tumors and 1865 images from 219 patients with non-malignant lesions for each sequence, and we tested with 48 and 52 images of patients with malignant and non-malignant lesions, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC were compared between the CNN and interpretations of three experienced radiologists. Results: The CNN of each sequence had a sensitivity of 0.77–0.85, specificity of 0.77–0.92, accuracy of 0.81–0.87, and an AUC of 0.83–0.89, and it achieved a diagnostic performance equivalent to the radiologists. The CNN showed the highest diagnostic performance on the ADC map among all sequences (specificity = 0.85; sensitivity = 0.77; accuracy = 0.81; AUC = 0.89). Conclusion: The CNNs provided a diagnostic performance that was non-inferior to the radiologists for diagnosing ovarian carcinomas on MRI.
CRIF1-CDK2 Interface Inhibitors Enhance Taxol Inhibition of the Lethal Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Sang Xiaoye , Belmessabih Nassira , Wang Ruixuan , Stephen Preyesh , Lin Sheng-Xiang
Published: February 2022

Paclitaxel (taxol), a chemotherapeutic agent, remains the standard of care for the lethal triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, over 50% of TNBC patients become resistant to chemotherapy and, to date, no solution is available. CR6-interacting factor 1 (CRIF1) is reported to act as a negative regulator of the cell cycle by interacting with cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2). In our study, two selective CRIF1–CDK2 interface inhibitors were used to investigate whether they could exert anti-proliferative activity on the TNBC cell lines. When combined with taxol treatment, these two inhibitors can advance the cells from G0/G1 to S and G2/M phases, producing irreparable damage to the cells, which then undergo apoptosis. Moreover, they enhanced the reduction in cell proliferation induced by taxol in TNBC cells, thereby improving sensitivity to taxol in these cell lines. Importantly, the inhibitors did not regulate the cell cycle in normal cells, indicating their high selectivity towards TNBC cells. Overall, the resistance to the anti-proliferative effects induced by taxol can be significantly reduced by the combined treatment with selective CRIF1–CDK2 interface inhibitors, making a conceptual advance in the CDK-related cancer treatment.
Protein Degradation by E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Quiroga Macarena , Rodríguez-Alonso Andrea , Alfonsín Gloria , Rodríguez Juan José Escuder , Breijo Sara M. , Chantada Venancio , Figueroa Angélica
Published: February 2022

Cancer stem cells are a small subpopulation within the tumor with high capacity for self-renewal, differentiation and reconstitution of tumor heterogeneity. Cancer stem cells are major contributors of tumor initiation, metastasis and therapy resistance in cancer. Emerging evidence indicates that ubiquitination-mediated post-translational modification plays a fundamental role in the maintenance of cancer stem cell characteristics. In this review, we will discuss how protein degradation controlled by the E3 ubiquitin ligases plays a fundamental role in the self-renewal, maintenance and differentiation of cancer stem cells, highlighting the possibility to develop novel therapeutic strategies against E3 ubiquitin ligases targeting CSCs to fight cancer.
Predicting Response to Neoadjuvant Therapy in Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jiang William , de Jong Jelske M. , van Hillegersberg Richard , Read Matthew
Published: February 2022

(1) Background: Oesophageal cancers are often late-presenting and have a poor 5-year survival rate. The standard treatment of oesophageal adenocarcinomas involves neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy followed by surgery. However, less than one third of patients respond to neoadjuvant therapy, thereby unnecessarily exposing patients to toxicity and deconditioning. Hence, there is an urgent need for biomarkers to predict response to neoadjuvant therapy. This review explores the current biomarker landscape. (2) Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and ClinicalTrial databases were searched with key words relating to “predictive biomarker”, “neoadjuvant therapy” and “oesophageal adenocarcinoma” and screened as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All peer-reviewed full-text articles and conference abstracts were included. (3) Results: The search yielded 548 results of which 71 full-texts, conference abstracts and clinical trials were eligible for review. A total of 242 duplicates were removed, 191 articles were screened out, and 44 articles were excluded. (4) Discussion: Biomarkers were discussed in seven categories including imaging, epigenetic, genetic, protein, immunologic, blood and serum-based with remaining studies grouped in a miscellaneous category. (5) Conclusion: Although promising markers and novel methods have emerged, current biomarkers lack sufficient evidence to support clinical application. Novel approaches have been recommended to assess predictive potential more efficiently.
Circulating Tumor Cells in Breast Cancer Patients: A Balancing Act between Stemness, EMT Features and DNA Damage Responses
Authors: Heitmeir Benedikt , Deniz Miriam , Janni Wolfgang , Rack Brigitte , Schochter Fabienne , Wiesmüller Lisa
Published: February 2022

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) traverse vessels to travel from the primary tumor to distant organs where they adhere, transmigrate, and seed metastases. To cope with these challenges, CTCs have reached maximal flexibility to change their differentiation status, morphology, migratory capacity, and their responses to genotoxic stress caused by metabolic changes, hormones, the inflammatory environment, or cytostatic treatment. A significant percentage of breast cancer cells are defective in homologous recombination repair and other mechanisms that protect the integrity of the replication fork. To prevent cell death caused by broken forks, alternative, mutagenic repair, and bypass pathways are engaged but these increase genomic instability. CTCs, arising from such breast tumors, are endowed with an even larger toolbox of escape mechanisms that can be switched on and off at different stages during their journey according to the stress stimulus. Accumulating evidence suggests that DNA damage responses, DNA repair, and replication are integral parts of a regulatory network orchestrating the plasticity of stemness features and transitions between epithelial and mesenchymal states in CTCs. This review summarizes the published information on these regulatory circuits of relevance for the design of biomarkers reflecting CTC functions in real-time to monitor therapeutic responses and detect evolving chemoresistance mechanisms.
Non-Invasive Monitoring of Increased Fibrotic Tissue and Hyaluronan Deposition in the Tumor Microenvironment in the Advanced Stages of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Vohra Ravneet , Wang Yak-Nam , Son Helena , Totten Stephanie , Arora Akshit , Maxwell Adam , Lee Donghoon
Published: February 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas are characterized by a complex and robust tumor microenvironment (TME) consisting of fibrotic tissue, excessive levels of hyaluronan (HA), and immune cells. We utilized quantitative multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) methods at 14 Tesla in a genetically engineered KPC (KrasLSL-G12D/+, Trp53LSL-R172H/+, Cre) mouse model to assess the complex TME in advanced stages of tumor development. The whole tumor, excluding cystic areas, was selected as the region of interest for data analysis and subsequent statistical analysis. Pearson correlation was used for statistical inference. There was a significant correlation between tumor volume and T2 (r = −0.66), magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) (r = 0.60), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) (r = 0.48), and Glycosaminoglycan-chemical exchange saturation transfer (GagCEST) (r = 0.51). A subset of mice was randomly selected for histological analysis. There were positive correlations between tumor volume and fibrosis (0.92), and HA (r = 0.76); GagCEST and HA (r = 0.81); and MTR and CD31 (r = 0.48). We found a negative correlation between ADC low-b (perfusion) and Ki67 (r = −0.82). Strong correlations between mp-MRI and histology results suggest that mp-MRI can be used as a non-invasive tool to monitor the tumor microenvironment.
Clinical Management of Prostate Cancer in High-Risk Genetic Mutation Carriers
Authors: Clark Roderick , Herrera-Caceres Jaime , Kenk Miran , Fleshner Neil
Published: February 2022

Background: Prostate cancer is a leading cause of death. Approximately one in eight men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer will die of it. Since there is a large difference in mortality between low- and high-risk prostate cancers, it is critical to identify individuals who are at high-risk for disease progression and death. Germline genetic differences are increasingly recognized as contributing to risk of lethal prostate cancer. The objective of this paper is to review prostate cancer management options for men with high-risk germline mutations. Methods: We performed a review of the literature to identify articles regarding management of prostate cancer in individuals with high-risk germline genetic mutations. Results: We identified numerous publications regarding the management of prostate cancer among high-risk germline carriers, but the overall quality of the evidence is low. Conclusions: We performed a review of the literature and compiled clinical considerations for the management of individuals with high-risk germline mutations when they develop prostate cancer. The quality of the evidence is low, and there is an immediate need for further research and the development of consensus guidelines to guide clinical practice for these individuals.
Cumulative Sun Exposure and Melanoma in a Population-Based Case–Control Study: Does Sun Sensitivity Matter?
Authors: Dennis Leslie K.
Published: February 2022

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) has consistently been associated with intermittent sun exposure, while the association with chronic sun exposure is debated. The goal of this research was to examine the complex relationship between CM, sun sensitivity and sun exposure based on theoretical concepts of how these factors may be associated. Detailed sun exposure histories across life periods and various measures of sun sensitivity were collected in a population-based case–control study of melanoma in Iowa, USA. Participants were asked about their hours of sun exposure per day between March and October each year over periods or decades of life to estimate cumulative lifetime hours of sun exposure. Increased odds ratios (ORs) for CM were seen for most standard measures of sun sensitivity except for the tendency to sunburn. Minimal associations were seen with total hours of sun exposure early in life. However, an interaction was seen between fair skin color and lifetime hours of sun exposure, where the strongest associations with CM were seen among medium-skinned and dark-skinned participants. This suggests that cumulative sun exposure at high levels may increase CM among non-sun-sensitive individuals typically at lower risk of CM. Such a finding has implications for the prevention effort for melanoma regarding time in the sun among darker-skinned individuals.
Surface Modification towards Integral Bulk Catalysts of Transition Metal Borides for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhao Wei , Xu Dan , Chen Yanli , Cheng Jiaen , You Cun , Wang Xin , Dong Shushan , Tao Qiang , Zhu Pinwen
Published: February 2022

Transition metal borides (TMBs) are promising catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). While the commercially available TMBs indicate poor HER performance due to powder electrode and low activity sites density, optimizing commercial TMBs for better HER performance is urgent. To break through the challenge, a new strategy is proposed to compose integral bulk electrodes with needle surfaces in TMBs. The integral bulk electrodes in TiB2, ZrB2, and HfB2 are formed under high pressure and high temperature (HPHT), and the nanoneedle morphology is constructed by chemical etching. In the three materials, the smallest overpotential is 346 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in the HCl etched bulk TiB2 electrode, which is about 61.9% higher than commercial TiB2 powder. Better performance arises from better conductivity of the integral bulk electrode, and the nano morphology exposes the edge sides of the structure which have high activity site density. This work is significant for developing new kinds of bulk TMBs catalysts.
MgO Catalysts for FAME Synthesis Prepared Using PEG Surfactant during Precipitation and Calcination
Authors: Kampars Valdis , Kampare Ruta , Krumina Aija
Published: February 2022

To develop a method for the preparation of MgO nanoparticles, precatalyst synthesis from magnesium nitrate with ammonia and calcination was performed in presence of PEG in air. Without PEG, the catalysts are inactive. The conversion to hydroxide was performed using a PEG/MgO molar ratio of 1, but, before the calcination, excess of PEG was either saved (PEG1) or increased to 2, 3, or 4 (PEG 2–4). Catalysts were calcined at 400–660 °C and characterized using XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, TGA, FTIR, and SEM. The FAME yield in the reactions with methanol depend on the PEG ratio used and the calcination temperature. The optimal calcination temperature and highest FAME yield in the 6 h reactions for catalysts PEG1, PEG2, PEG3 and PEG4 were 400 °C, 74%; 500 °C, 80%; 500 °C, 51% and 550 °C, 31%, respectively. The yield dependence on calcination temperature for catalysts with a constant PEG ratio is similar to that of a bell curve, which becomes wider and flatters with an increase in PEG ratio. For most catalysts, the FAME yield increases as the size of the crystallites decreases. The dependence of FAME and the intermediate yield on oil conversion confirms that all catalysts have strong base sites.
Regenerative Rehabilitation and Stem Cell Therapy Targeting Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Review of Preclinical Studies
Authors: Tashiro Syoichi , Nakamura Masaya , Okano Hideyuki
Published: February 2022

Stem cell medicine has led to functional recovery in the acute-to-subacute phase of spinal cord injury (SCI), but not yet in the chronic phase, during which various molecular mechanisms drastically remodel the tissue and render it treatment-resistant. Researchers are attempting to identify effective combinatorial treatments that can overcome the refractory state of the chronically injured spinal cord. Regenerative rehabilitation, combinatorial treatment with regenerative medicine that aims to elicit synergistic effects, is being developed. Rehabilitation upon SCI in preclinical studies has recently attracted more attention because it is safe, induces neuronal plasticity involving transplanted stem cells and sensorimotor circuits, and is routinely implemented in human clinics. However, regenerative rehabilitation has not been extensively reviewed, and only a few reviews have focused on the use of physical medicine modalities for rehabilitative purposes, which might be more important in the chronic phase. Here, we summarize regenerative rehabilitation studies according to the effector, site, and mechanism. Specifically, we describe effects on transplanted cells, microstructures at and distant from the lesion, and molecular changes. To establish a treatment regimen that induces robust functional recovery upon chronic SCI, further investigations are required of combinatorial treatments incorporating stem cell therapy, regenerative rehabilitation, and medication.
Detection of Hypoxia in Cancer Models: Significance, Challenges, and Advances
Authors: Godet Inês , Doctorman Steven , Wu Fan , Gilkes Daniele M.
Published: February 2022

The rapid proliferation of cancer cells combined with deficient vessels cause regions of nutrient and O2 deprivation in solid tumors. Some cancer cells can adapt to these extreme hypoxic conditions and persist to promote cancer progression. Intratumoral hypoxia has been consistently associated with a worse patient prognosis. In vitro, 3D models of spheroids or organoids can recapitulate spontaneous O2 gradients in solid tumors. Likewise, in vivo murine models of cancer reproduce the physiological levels of hypoxia that have been measured in human tumors. Given the potential clinical importance of hypoxia in cancer progression, there is an increasing need to design methods to measure O2 concentrations. O2 levels can be directly measured with needle-type probes, both optical and electrochemical. Alternatively, indirect, noninvasive approaches have been optimized, and include immunolabeling endogenous or exogenous markers. Fluorescent, phosphorescent, and luminescent reporters have also been employed experimentally to provide dynamic measurements of O2 in live cells or tumors. In medical imaging, modalities such as MRI and PET are often the method of choice. This review provides a comparative overview of the main methods utilized to detect hypoxia in cell culture and preclinical models of cancer.
Prevention of L-Dopa-Induced Dyskinesias by MPEP Blockade of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 5 Is Associated with Reduced Inflammation in the Brain of Parkinsonian Monkeys
Authors: Morissette Marc , Bourque Mélanie , Tremblay Marie-Ève , Di Paolo Thérèse
Published: February 2022

Proinflammatory markers were found in brains of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients. After years of L-Dopa symptomatic treatment, most PD patients develop dyskinesias. The relationship between inflammation and L-Dopa-induced dyskinesias (LID) is still unclear. We previously reported that MPEP (a metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 antagonist) reduced the development of LID in de novo MPTP-lesioned monkeys. We thus investigated if MPEP reduced the brain inflammatory response in these MPTP-lesioned monkeys and the relationship to LID. The panmacrophage/microglia marker Iba1, the phagocytosis-related receptor CD68, and the astroglial protein GFAP were measured by Western blots. The L-Dopa-treated dyskinetic MPTP monkeys had increased Iba1 content in the putamen, substantia nigra, and globus pallidus, which was prevented by MPEP cotreatment; similar findings were observed for CD68 contents in the putamen and globus pallidus. There was a strong positive correlation between dyskinesia scores and microglial markers in these regions. GFAP contents were elevated in MPTP + L-Dopa-treated monkeys among these brain regions and prevented by MPEP in the putamen and subthalamic nucleus. In conclusion, these results showed increased inflammatory markers in the basal ganglia associated with LID and revealed that MPEP inhibition of glutamate activity reduced LID and levels of inflammatory markers.
Generation and Characterization of an Inducible Cx43 Overexpression System in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Niemann Pia , Schiffer Miriam , Malan Daniela , Grünberg Sabine , Roell Wilhelm , Geisen Caroline , Fleischmann Bernd K.
Published: February 2022

Connexins (Cx) are a large family of membrane proteins that can form intercellular connections, so-called gap junctions between adjacent cells. Cx43 is widely expressed in mammals and has a variety of different functions, such as the propagation of electrical conduction in the cardiac ventricle. Despite Cx43 knockout models, many questions regarding the biology of Cx43 in health and disease remain unanswered. Herein we report the establishment of a Cre-inducible Cx43 overexpression system in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells. This enables the investigation of the impact of Cx43 overexpression in somatic cells. We utilized a double reporter system to label Cx43-overexpressing cells via mCherry fluorescence and exogenous Cx43 via fusion with P2A peptide to visualize its distribution pattern. We proved the functionality of our systems in ES cells, HeLa cells, and 3T3-fibroblasts and demonstrated the formation of functional gap junctions based on dye diffusion and FRAP experiments. In addition, Cx43-overexpressing ES cells could be differentiated into viable cardiomyocytes, as shown by the formation of cross striation and spontaneous beating. Analysis revealed faster and more rhythmic beating of Cx43-overexpressing cell clusters. Thus, our Cx43 overexpression systems enable the investigation of Cx43 biology and function in cardiomyocytes and other somatic cells.
Microtubule and Actin Cytoskeletal Dynamics in Male Meiotic Cells of Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Frappaolo Anna , Piergentili Roberto , Giansanti Maria Grazia
Published: February 2022

Drosophila dividing spermatocytes offer a highly suitable cell system in which to investigate the coordinated reorganization of microtubule and actin cytoskeleton systems during cell division of animal cells. Like male germ cells of mammals, Drosophila spermatogonia and spermatocytes undergo cleavage furrow ingression during cytokinesis, but abscission does not take place. Thus, clusters of primary and secondary spermatocytes undergo meiotic divisions in synchrony, resulting in cysts of 32 secondary spermatocytes and then 64 spermatids connected by specialized structures called ring canals. The meiotic spindles in Drosophila males are substantially larger than the spindles of mammalian somatic cells and exhibit prominent central spindles and contractile rings during cytokinesis. These characteristics make male meiotic cells particularly amenable to immunofluorescence and live imaging analysis of the spindle microtubules and the actomyosin apparatus during meiotic divisions. Moreover, because the spindle assembly checkpoint is not robust in spermatocytes, Drosophila male meiosis allows investigating of whether gene products required for chromosome segregation play additional roles during cytokinesis. Here, we will review how the research studies on Drosophila male meiotic cells have contributed to our knowledge of the conserved molecular pathways that regulate spindle microtubules and cytokinesis with important implications for the comprehension of cancer and other diseases.
On-Surface Synthesis of Polypyridine: Strain Enforces Extended Linear Chains
Authors: Patera Laerte L. , Amler Josef , Repp Jascha
Published: February 2022

Strain-induced on-surface transformations provide an appealing route to steer the selectivity towards desired products. Here, we demonstrate the selective on-surface synthesis of extended all-trans poly(2,6-pyridine) chains on Au(111). By combining high-resolution scanning tunneling and atomic force microscopy, we revealed the detailed chemical structure of the reaction products. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the synthesis of extended covalent structures is energetically favored over the formation of macrocycles, due to the minimization of internal strain. Our results consolidate the exploitation of internal strain relief as a driving force to promote selective on-surface reactions.
MicroRNA-22-3p and MicroRNA-149-5p Inhibit Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth and Metastasis Properties by Regulating Methylenetetrahydrofolate Reductase
Authors: Li Chao , Li Xiang , Wang Han , Guo Xihan , Xue Jinglun , Wang Xu , Ni Juan
Published: February 2022

microRNAs are small endogenous noncoding RNAs that have emerged as key negative regulators that target gene expression through RISC. Our previous study showed that the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) plays a key role in one carbon metabolism, which is downregulated by miR-22-3p and miR-149-5p, and that it could exert a potential anti-cancer effect. Whether miR-22-3p/miR-149-5p can regulate MTHFR to exert anti-cancer effects has become the focus of our research. Normal (HL-7702 cells) and cancerous (QGY-7703/HepG2 cells) human hepatocellular cells were transfected with 100 nM hsa-miR-22-3p/hsa-miR-149-5p mimic or controls. After 24, 48, and 72 h, cell proliferation ability was tested using CCK-8. The changes in MTHFR expression at both the transcriptional and translational levels were determined by RT-qPCR and Western blotting, respectively. Cancerous cell invasion and migration ability were confirmed by means of a transwell assay. We found that ectopic miR-22-3p/miR-149-5p inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation but does not inhibit normal human hepatocyte proliferation. The transfection of ectopic miR-22-3p/miR-149-5p downregulated the MTHFR expression in QGY-7703 and HepG2 but not in HL-7702. QGY-7703 and HepG2 migration and invasion were inhibited by ectopic miR-22-3p/miR-149-5p. Additionally, we found that ectopic miR-22-3p/miR-149-5p significantly increased the expression of TP53INP1 and PDCD4 in QGY-7703. The results of the study suggest that miRNA-22-3p and miRNA-149-5p inhibit tumor growth and metastasis properties may be by regulating MTHFR and that they exert anticancer effects in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
Air Pollution within Different Urban Forms in Manchester, UK
Authors: Taleghani Mohammad
Published: February 2022

Air pollution causes millions of mortalities and morbidities in large cities. Different mitigation strategies are being investigated to alleviate the negative impacts of different pollutants on people. Designing proper urban forms is one of the least studied strategies. In this paper, we modelled air pollution (NO2 concentration) within four hypothetical neighbourhoods with different urban forms: single, courtyard, linear east-west, and linear north-south scenarios. We used weather and air pollution data of Manchester as one of the cities with high NO2 levels in the UK. Results show that the pollution level is highly dependent on the air temperature and wind speed. Annually, air pollution is higher in cold months (45% more) compared to summer. Likewise, the results show that during a winter day, the concentration of air pollution reduces during the warm hours. Within the four modelled scenarios, the air pollution level in the centre of the linear north-south model is the lowest. The linear building blocks in this scenario reduce the concentration of the polluted air and keep a large area within the domain cleaner than the other scenarios. Understanding the location of air pollution (sources) and the direction of prevailing wind is key to design/plan for a neighbourhood with cleaner air for pedestrians.
Localized Corrosion of Mooring Chain Steel in Seawater
Authors: Zhang Xiaolong , Noël-Hermes Nanni , Ferrari Gabriele , Hoogeland Martijn
Published: February 2022

Corrosion of mooring chains is regarded as one of main threats to the offshore mooring systems. Localized corrosion is even more dangerous than uniform corrosion because it may not show significant mass loss but it can cause stress concentration and initiate cracks under force, leading to accelerated degradation of mooring chains. Localized corrosion of steel in seawater is influenced by many factors such as the local heterogeneities of the steel, and the local electrochemical and microbiological environments. It is difficult to predict and the mechanism is not fully understood. The aim of this work was to study the mechanism of localized corrosion on mooring chain steel in seawater which is helpful in the search for corresponding monitoring tools and mitigation methods. The corrosion behavior of chain steel grade R4 was studied in artificial seawater and artificial seawater containing microorganisms collected from a practice field. The corrosion behavior of the steel was studied using different techniques such as potentiodynamic polarization, linear polarization resistance measurements and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The microstructures such as inclusions and compositions of the chain steel were studied using SEM: Scanning Electron Microscope and EDS: Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy. The microbial cells were observed using epi-fluorescence microscopy. The corrosion morphology and pit geometry were investigated using photo-microscopy. The localized corrosion rate has been found to be much higher than the uniform corrosion rate of the steel in the seawater in the presence of bacteria. In the case of localized corrosion, applying uniform corrosion measurement techniques and formulas is not considered representative. The representative areas have to be introduced to match physical results with the measurements. Inclusions, such as MnS and TiVCr found in the steel have a critical influence on localized corrosion. The corrosion mechanism of the steel in seawater is discussed.
Template Electrochemical Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite on a Titania–Silver Composite Surface for Potential Use in Implantology
Authors: Orekhov Evgeniy V. , Arbenin Andrey Yu. , Zemtsova Elena G. , Sokolova Darya N. , Ponomareva Alexandra N. , Shevtsov Maxim A. , Yudintceva Natalia M. , Smirnov Vladimir M.
Published: February 2022

Modern materials science, both in terms of functional and structural materials, is actively developing towards the creation of structures with a given ordering. A wide range of methods involves ordering the structure according to a template shape. Template synthesis is one of the mots wide-spread approaches. Most often, the template synthesis method is implemented under conditions of limiting the growth of the phase due to the geometry of the template. In the present work, a template electrochemical method is considered for calcium hydroxyapatite (HAp) coating synthesis, based on the replication of the planar template texture during deposition. In this case, the template is an array of silver microparticles immobilized on an electrically conductive substrate, separated by an insulator layer. The developed approach is similar to the mask metallization widely used in planar technology. In this work, the possibility of the template pulsed electrodeposition of ceramics rather than metal is shown using HAp as an example. This approach is interesting for materials science, in particular, for obtaining micro-ordered hydroxyapatite structures—a crystallochemical analogue of the inorganic bone tissue component—on the surface of bone implants, which can be implemented to improve their biomedical characteristics. As a result of our study, we experimentally determined the conditions for obtaining the composite coating TiO2/Ag/Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 with controlled phase structure, topology and localization of components on the surface, which was confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy, and X-ray Diffraction (SEM, EDS and XRD). The absence of cytotoxicity for the osteoblast-like cells of the developed coating was revealed by cytological tests.
Review on Development and Application of 3D-Printing Technology in Textile and Fashion Design
Authors: Xiao Ya-Qian , Kan Chi-Wai
Published: February 2022

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) allows for the creation of highly complex products and offers customization for individual users. It has generated significant interest and shows great promise for textile and fashion design. Here, we provide a timely and comprehensive review of 3DP technology for the textile and fashion industries according to recent advances in research. We describe the four 3DP methods for preparing textiles; then, we summarize three routes to use 3DP technology in textile manufacturing, including printing fibers, printing flexible structures and printing on textiles. In addition, the applications of 3DP technology in fashion design, functional garments and electronic textiles are introduced. Finally, the challenges and prospects of 3DP technology are discussed.
Quantum Identity-Based Encryption from the Learning with Errors Problem
Authors: Gao Wenhua , Yang Li , Zhang Daode , Liu Xia
Published: February 2022

To prevent eavesdropping and tampering, network security protocols take advantage of asymmetric ciphers to establish session-specific shared keys with which further communication is encrypted using symmetric ciphers. Commonly used asymmetric algorithms include public key encryption, key exchange, and identity-based encryption (IBE). However, network security protocols based on classic identity-based encryption schemes do not have perfect forward secrecy. To solve this problem, we construct the first quantum IBE (QIBE) scheme based on the learning with errors (LWE) problem, which is also the first cryptographic scheme that applies the LWE problem to quantum encryption. We prove that our scheme is fully secure under the random oracle model and highlight the following advantages: (1) Network security protocols with our QIBE scheme provide perfect forward secrecy. The ciphertext is transmitted in the form of a quantum state unknown to the adversary and cannot be copied and stored. Thus, in network security protocols based on QIBE construction, the adversary does not have any previous quantum ciphertext to decrypt for obtaining the previous session key, even if the private identity key is threatened. (2) Classic key generation centre (KGC) systems can still be used in the QIBE scheme to generate and distribute private identity keys, reducing the cost when implementing this scheme. The classic KGC systems can be used because the master public and secret keys of our scheme are both in the form of classic bits. Finally, we present quantum circuits to implement this QIBE scheme and analyse its required quantum resources for given numbers of qubits, Hadamard gates, phase gates, T gates, and CNOT (controlled-NOT) gates. One of our main findings is that the quantum resources required by our scheme increase linearly with the number of plaintext bits to be encrypted.
Influence of Ce3+ on the Structural, Morphological, Magnetic, Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Properties of Spinel MnFe2O4 Nanocrystallites Prepared by the Combustion Route
Authors: Al-Zahrani Salma A. , Manikandan A. , Thanrasu K. , Dinesh A. , Raja K. Kanmani , Almessiere M. A. , Slimani Y. , Baykal A. , Bhuminathan S. , Jayesh S. Raghavendra , Ahmed Jahir , Alorfi Hajar S. , Hussein Mahmoud A. , Khan Imran , Khan Anish
Published: February 2022

The present work describes the effect of Ce3+ ion doping on the structural, morphological, and magnetic properties of spinel manganese ferrite (MnFe2O4) nanocrystallites (NCs) using various instrument techniques. Rare earth element (REE) Cerium (Ce3+) doped MnFe2O4 NCs were prepared by a simple microwave combustion technique. In the present scenario, ferrites are widely used for photocatalytic dye degradation and antibacterial applications. Aiming to achieve this, we prepared Ce3+ doped MnFe2O4 NCs by microwave combustion method and urea as burning agent and the obtained powder samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), high resolution scanning electron microscope (HR-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM) and vibration sample magnetometer (VSM) techniques. The pure spinel phase formation was confirmed by XRD analysis. FTIR spectra show two prominent absorption bands under 1000 cm−1, which confirms the formation of the spinel structure. HR-SEM and HR-TEM pictures demonstrated a sphere-shaped morphology and also expose the combination and agglomeration of grains, which are mostly due to the magnetic characteristics of the samples. The magnetic properties of the synthesized MnCexFe2−xO4 (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) NCs were studied by VSM analysis at room temperature (RT) shows ferromagnetic behavior. The photodegradation results showed that MnFe2O4 and Ce doped MnFe2O4 NCs have a higher potential to degrade methylene blue (MB) and the sample MnCe0.3Fe1.7O4 NCs showed superb photocatalytic performance (91.53%) compared to other samples. The antibacterial activities of Gram-positive S. aureus, B. subtilis and Gram-negative K. pneumonia and E. coli were investigated using pure and Ce3+ substituted MnFe2O4 NCs and a higher activity for MnCe0.3Fe1.7O4 NCs than other samples was observed, which indicated that they can be used in biomedical applications.
COVID-19 in a Neuroimmunological Outpatient Cohort: The Bernese Experience
Authors: Pistor Maximilian , Salmen Anke , Chan Andrew , Hoepner Robert
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic specifically affects the management and treatment of patients with autoimmune neurological disorders. Major concerns include potentially higher risks of infection or severe disease course under certain immunotherapies used to treat those disorders and the influence of COVID-19 on the underlying disease. We present data of the neuroimmunological outpatient department of the University Hospital of Bern (Switzerland). 24 cases were analyzed, 19 of them suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. Of these 24 patients, 6 were hospitalized, 2/6 were treated in the Intensive Care Unit. Possible risk factors for severe course (defined as need for hospitalization) observed in our cohort included cardiovascular risk factors, treatment with B-cell depleting agents, Sphingosine-1 Phosphate Receptor Modulators, and oral steroid therapies. These data are based on a small, retrospective observational cohort and should be interpreted with caution, although they are in line with several other cohort studies.
Are Sunken Warships Biodiversity Havens for Corals?
Authors: Asner Gregory P. , Giardina Sonja F. , Balzotti Christopher , Drury Crawford , Hopson Sean , Martin Roberta E.
Published: February 2022

Coral reefs are threatened by climate change, overfishing, and pollution. Artificial reefs may provide havens for corals, both to escape warming surface waters and to assist in the geographic migration of corals to more habitable natural reef conditions of the future. The largest artificial reefs have been generated by nearly 2000 shipwrecks around the world, but the coral diversity on these wrecks is virtually unknown. Ship size and hull material, location relative to natural reef, time since sinking, ocean currents, and water depth may affect coral diversity. As a test of the biodiversity capacity of very large sunken structures relative to surrounding natural reef, we carried out technical diver-based surveys to quantify genus-level coral diversity on 29 warships sunk in Bikini Atoll and Chuuk Lagoon. We also assessed whether ship length, as an index of substrate availability, and water depth, as an indicator of light and temperature, can serve as predictors of coral diversity. We surveyed a total of 9105 scleractinian corals. The total number of genera identified at Bikini was 34, and at Chuuk it was 51, representing 67% and 72% of genera found on natural reefs at Bikini and Chuuk, respectively. Ship length, but not water depth, was positively correlated with relative abundance and richness at the genus level. Our results suggest that very large wrecks can serve as havens for reef-building corals with a broad genetic diversity, expressed at the genus level, commensurate with corals found on neighboring natural reefs. The role of large artificial reefs could include protecting coral biodiversity from warming surface waters.