bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emulating Earth system model temperatures with MESMER: from global mean temperature trajectories to grid-point-level realizations on land
Authors: Beusch Lea , Gudmundsson Lukas , Seneviratne Sonia I.
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Earth system models (ESMs) are invaluable tools to study the climate system's response to specific greenhouse gas emission pathways. Large single-model initial-condition and multi-model ensembles are used to investigate the range of possible responses and serve as input to climate impact and integrated assessment models. Thereby, climate signal uncertainty is propagated along the uncertainty chain and its effect on interactions between humans and the Earth system can be quantified. However, generating both single-model initial-condition and multi-model ensembles is computationally expensive. In this study, we assess the feasibility of geographically explicit climate model emulation, i.e., of statistically producing large ensembles of land temperature field time series that closely resemble ESM runs at a negligible computational cost. For this purpose, we develop a modular emulation framework which consists of (i) a global mean temperature module, (ii) a local temperature response module, and (iii) a local residual temperature variability module. Based on this framework, MESMER, a Modular Earth System Model Emulator with spatially Resolved output, is built. We first show that to successfully mimic single-model initial-condition ensembles of yearly temperature from 1870 to 2100 on grid-point to regional scales with MESMER, it is sufficient to train on a single ESM run, but separate emulators need to be calibrated for individual ESMs given fundamental inter-model differences. We then emulate 40 climate models of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) to create a “superensemble”, i.e., a large ensemble which closely resembles a multi-model initial-condition ensemble. The thereby emerging ESM-specific emulator parameters provide essential insights on inter-model differences across a broad range of scales and characterize core properties of each ESM. Our results highlight that, for temperature at the spatiotemporal scales considered here, it is likely more advantageous to invest computational resources into generating multi-model ensembles rather than large single-model initial-condition ensembles. Such multi-model ensembles can be extended to superensembles with emulators like the one presented here.
UFlow 1.0: A Computer Model for Projections of Urban Sprawl
Authors: Koscianski André
Published: February 2020

Abstract. Cities concentrate most of the world’s population and are the stage of difficult problems around logistics, economy, or quality of life, to enumerate just a few. As an object of research on itself, a urban agglomeration is difficult to characterize; it is both an ensemble of various disconnected heterogeneous elements, and the product of numerous actions and effects between those elements. Studies of the structure and the functioning of cities date back to one century ago, with an increased interest in the last decades on the phenomenon of expansion and all of its impacts. Models of city growth face the complex nature of this system and are approximative. Different representations seek to balance characteristics as data availability, level of detail of internal processes, or precision. The uflow model approaches the problem with the metaphor of an abstract field, which evolves over time and signals the conversion from empty to urban cells. The procedure for calibration adjusts parameters according to the history of the region under study, and is able to capture local conditions. The implementation takes advantage of parallel hardware, and the simulation can be performed in reverse mode, a feature that can be useful to verify the adaptation of the tool to a given scenario, or to compute approximations of the past state of a region. Tests confirmed the expected behaviour of the algorithms, and good agreement with actual data. The flexibility of the concept of intensity of urbanization is open to the integration of different data sources into the model, and the possibility of simulating their evolution over time.
Comunicación de la responsabilidad social empresarial de las empresas de América Latina en Facebook: estudio comparativo con las empresas globales
Authors: Capriotti Paul , Zeler Ileana
Published: February 2020

El nuevo contexto organizacional en América Latina cambió la manera en que las empresas se relacionan con sus públicos. La responsabilidad social empresarial (RSE) puede ayudar a las empresas latinoamericanas a lograr mayor integración en el entorno social y fortalecer las relaciones con sus públicos. Las redes sociales, particularmente Facebook, pueden ser herramientas claves para la comunicación de las actividades de RSE, ya que contribuyen positivamente a la reputación corporativa. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar la comunicación de la RSE de las principales empresas de América Latina en Facebook. La investigación incluye un análisis comparativo con las principales empresas globales y revela que las empresas tratan los temas sociales con menos frecuencia que los temas económicos en Facebook. Las empresas usan Facebook como un canal de difusión más que como un canal de comunicación de su RSE, por lo que se hace necesario un enfoque más interactivo y dialógico en esta red social.
Margaret and the Dragon: Lydgate's Adoption of the Apocryphal
Authors: Kordecki Lesley
Published: February 2020

In the rather strange life of Saint Margaret of Antioch in John Lydgate's fifteenth-century (ca. 1426) Middle English version, The Legend of Seynt Margarete, Margaret is swallowed by the Devil in the form of a dragon, but after she performs the sign of the cross, the creature bursts into pieces, freeing her. Although the pervasive Devil/dragon character in medieval texts may seem too reductively metaphoric for serious monster scholars today, it is useful to explore what this particular religious appearance can show us in our study of a significant creature “other,” the dragon—here encompassing patriarchy's ultimate gender other, the woman. I argue that the emblematic maneuver of this text, with its apocryphal detail of the dragon eating Margaret, although ostensibly written to inspire piety, also demonstrates the correspondence of marginalized others: a loquacious Devil/dragon and an articulate woman/saint.
Why Am I Left Out? Interpretations of Exclusion Affect Antisocial and Prosocial Behaviors
Authors: Debono Amber , Corley Natarshia , Muraven Mark
Published: February 2020

The effects of social exclusion on prosocial and antisocial behaviors are unclear. Although some studies suggest that exclusion increases prosocial behavior, others indicate exclusion decreases prosocial behavior and may even lead to antisocial aggression. Based on these mixed findings, we propose that when exclusion leads to feeling disliked, sadness and prosocial behavior may result; yet when people believe the excluders do not respect them, anger and aggression may be the outcome. Indeed, this study provides evidence for this pattern. Our results further support the idea that social exclusion decreases prosocial behavior, but when excluded people felt disliked, they became sadder, which resulted in more prosocial behavior. These findings suggest that a more nuanced approach is needed to explain the disparate findings in social exclusion research and offer a possible avenue worthy of further exploration: the perception of the exclusion experience.
Perception of Social Media in Secondary Students
Authors: Gedik Hatice , Cosar Hamide Akbas
Published: February 2020

Communication has always been a basic need for human beings throughout the history. The Internet, which became widespread in the late 20th century, provided new and improved opportunities in communication. Social media, one of these communication opportunities, has become an indispensable means of communication. The aim of the current research is to determine which social media accounts the middle school students use and why they use social media. The sampling of the study is comprised of 211 students attending a state middle school in Turkey. In the current study, the participating students were asked to write an authentic composition with the title “use of social media” and the collected data in this way were analyzed by using the content analysis method. According to the results obtained in the current study, it can be argued that the participating children are aware of the negative effects of the use of social media on their social life, academic achievement and health. However, despite these negative effects, they find it difficult to keep themselves away from social media. According to the participating students, social media is a harmful communication tool that makes it easy to get information and news, is entertaining, addictive and not suitable for children.
Transforming the Kindergarten Experience by Design: A Comparative Research Case Study
Authors: French Raechel , Scott-Webber Lennie , Sivakumar Anjana
Published: February 2020

Kindergarten education is becoming a priority throughout the USA as research shows its importance on later in life outcomes. The State of Washington instated full-day kindergarten for all public-school students beginning in 2016–2017. It “…is part of the state’s constitutionally protected definition of ‘Basic Education’” (Reykdal, n.d., n.p.), working to support all children in the state. Acting on this new state requirement, one school district chose to design and build a center dedicated solely to kindergarten education, housing approximately 600 kindergarteners. The school was divided into four ‘neighborhood pods’ each with immediate access to specific activity programs (i.e., dining, interventionists, elective functions) reflecting a new ‘expanded push-in’ model and reduce transition times. This model was compared with a ‘traditionally’ operated kindergarten where learners travel to activity programs throughout a campus (i.e., dining, interventionists, electives). A human-centered research design using mixed-methods for this comparison study between an ‘expanded push-in’ and a ‘traditional’ model was used to understand the impact of this new architectural solution particularly focused on timing transitions between the classroom and activity program settings. Findings discovered a reduction in the length of transitions between accessing the programs by recaptured seven school days of learning time (approximately 45 hours), when compared to the traditional one, and more positive connections between students/students, teachers/teachers, and students/teachers to build community.
Ogłada – nieobecny dyskurs w pedagogice. Próba (re)konstrukcji pojęcia
Authors: Wrońska Katarzyna
Published: February 2020

The text is devoted to the analysis of civility, which practically disappeared from the contemporary pedagogical discourse (though not the humanistic one). The (re)construction of the concept is aimed at restoring the importance of civility as a form of civilised life and at arguents for learning, i.e. acquiring this quality. For this purpose, a review of historical concepts concerning civility is made, then the link of civility with customs and morals as a part of the civilising process is shown. At the end, its contemporary approach is proposed in a dual role and space: interpersonal and social, in the private and public spheres, in their mutual dependencies. It is assumed that the (re)construction of the concept, including the presentation of civility as a useful good and at the same time a manifestation of the human morality or the human condition in general, makes it possible to place it among the internal goods of education.
O przydatności dla pedagogów diagnoz edukacyjnych w zakresie badania piśmienności młodzieży – uwagi na marginesie analizy dokumentacji egzaminów gimnazjalnych
Authors: Dąbrowska Anna
Published: February 2020

Obligatory Polish middle school exams taking place just before the end of the last compulsory common stage of education provide the opportunity to reveal the level of pupils’ literacy. The acquisition of literacy defines the manner in which reality is perceived and how people participate in social life. In the article the following problem is addressed: To what degree do the Polish middle school exams diagnose the literacy of youth and to what extent can their results be of use to pedagogues? The analysis of documentation concerning exams from the years 2012–2016 indicates that the significant skills building literacy fall beyond the scope of diagnosis or are tested in such a way as to raise doubts. Thus exams provide limited information on the level of young people’s literacy.
Baudrillardian Concepts of Hyperreality and Simulacra in Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake
Authors: Pourgharib Behzad , Pourebrahim Afsaneh
Published: February 2020

The study attempts to analyze Margaret Atwood Oryx and Crake in the light of Baudrillard Theory. The discussion is based on Baudrillard theory of Hyperreality and Simulacra. Margaret Atwood's novel Oryx and Crake (2003) takes place in a future time where there are scientific progresses. The protagonist of the story is Snowman who used to be called Jimmy and who is the son of two genetic scientists. Snowman lives near some creatures that are called Crakers. When jimmy is near starvation, he decides to search for food in the ruins of RejoovenEsence. Jimmy and Oryx develop a relationship. The human race is wiped out and Jimmy realizes that all of these are planned by Crake. Crake says that the three of them are immune to the virus. Crake kills Oryx and he is killed by Jimmy. Jimmy also gets a disease and finally finds three humans, two men and a woman, and he does not know whether to kill them or become friend with them. He makes up his mind and goes towards them and the story ends there. It can be said that there is elimination of hyperreality in the novel as there is the decline of civilization. Baudrillard’s hyperreality explained the situation in the consumer society in which the real was lost. Thus, it can be said that the catastrophe in the
novel has resulted in the elimination of the civilization, consumer society and thus hyperreality in the consumer society. But it should be pointed out that there is also
hyperreality created due to the catastrophe because things are no longer what they used to be and some human made structures have lost their function, similar to the map in the Borges fable pointed out by Baudrillard.
Identity practice: A study of Bangladeshi Immigrants Leisure Subculture and Identity Practices in Tallinn, Estonia
Authors: Islam Aminul
Published: February 2020

This paper addressed Game gathering in Tallinn, Estonia from the perspective of
leisure subculture among Bangladeshi immigrants. By describing Identity and status
practices, this paper figured how it is implemented through their leisure practices. This study also addressed the fact that leisure subculture is very important for the immigrants in order to get out of their stressful life as for many of them migration itself can be traumatic fact. Through ethnography this paper came up with the conclusion that leisure subculture provides a social cohesion which leads the immigrants to practice their different identity and status from within the community. This paper also argues that apart from collective identify, this kind of leisure subculture gathering gives recognition of an individual’s identity and status. Social gathering in the form of playing game of cricket was a place where the Bangladeshi immigrants not only practiced collective identity, they could feel the sense of belonging, also it provides a space to adapt individual strategies to perform and gain identity though that practices.
Reports on the presence of the milkfish Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775) (Gonorynchiformes: Chanidae) in the Shatt al-Arab River, Basrah and in the marine waters of Iraq, with notes on its tolerance to freshwater
Authors: Audai Mohamed Qasim , Falah Marouf Mutlak , Abbas Jassim Al-Faisal , Jawad Laith Abd Jalil
Published: February 2020

En este estudio, se describen dos especímenes de sabalote Chanos chanos (LT 380 y 390 mm) en aguas marinas de Irak y otros cuatro del río Shatt al-Arab/Arvand en la ciudad de Abu alKhaseeb, al sur de Irak (LT 310-312,5 mm). Ambas localidades significan una extensión del rango de distribución para el sabalote y la de Abu al-Khaseeb representa la distancia máxima para que esta especie ascienda por el río. Se proporcionan y comparan datos morfométricos y merísticos con especímenes de otras partes del mundo. Se incide sobre la tolerancia en hábitats dulceacuícolas a 65 km del mar.

In the present study, two specimens of the milkfish Chanos chanos (380 and 390 mm TL) are described from the marine waters of Iraq and another four specimens from the Shatt al-Arab River at Abu alKhaseeb City, south of Iraq (310-312.5 mm TL). Both localities represent a new range extension for the milkfish, but those from Shatt al-Arab River represent the maximum distance for this species to ascend. Morphometric and meristic data are provided and compared with other specimens of this species from other parts of the world. A note is given about the tolerance to freshwater habitats about 65 km away from the sea.
Neonatal-derived IL-17 producing dermal γδ T cells are required to prevent spontaneous atopic dermatitis
Authors: Spidale Nicholas A , Malhotra Nidhi , Frascoli Michela , Sylvia Katelyn , Miu Bing , Freeman Coral , Stadinski Brian D , Huseby Eric , Kang Joonsoo
Published: February 2020

Atopic Dermatitis (AD) is a T cell-mediated chronic skin disease and is associated with altered skin barrier integrity. Infants with mutations in genes involved in tissue barrier fitness are predisposed towards inflammatory diseases, but most do not develop or sustain the diseases, suggesting that there exist regulatory immune mechanisms to prevent aberrant inflammation. The absence of one single murine dermal cell type, the innate neonatal-derived IL-17 producing γδ T (Tγδ17) cells, from birth resulted in spontaneous, highly penetrant AD with many of the major hallmarks of human AD. In Tγδ17 cell-deficient mice, basal keratinocyte transcriptome was altered months in advance of AD induction. Tγδ17 cells respond to skin commensal bacteria and the fulminant disease in their absence was driven by skin commensal bacteria dysbiosis. AD in this model was characterized by highly expanded dermal αβ T clonotypes that produce the type three cytokines, IL-17 and IL-22. These results demonstrate that neonatal Tγδ17 cells are innate skin regulatory T cells that are critical for skin homeostasis, and that IL-17 has dual homeostatic and inflammatory function in the skin.
A single-parasite transcriptional atlas of Toxoplasma Gondii reveals novel control of antigen expression
Authors: Xue Yuan , Theisen Terence C , Rastogi Suchita , Ferrel Abel , Quake Stephen R , Boothroyd John C
Published: February 2020

Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, undergoes a complex and poorly understood developmental process that is critical for establishing a chronic infection in its intermediate hosts. Here, we applied single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) on >5,400 Toxoplasma in both tachyzoite and bradyzoite stages using three widely studied strains to construct a comprehensive atlas of cell-cycle and asexual development, revealing hidden states and transcriptional factors associated with each developmental stage. Analysis of SAG1-related sequence (SRS) antigenic repertoire reveals a highly heterogeneous, sporadic expression pattern unexplained by measurement noise, cell cycle, or asexual development. Furthermore, we identified AP2IX-1 as a transcription factor that controls the switching from the ubiquitous SAG1 to rare surface antigens not previously observed in tachyzoites. In addition, comparative analysis between Toxoplasma and Plasmodium scRNA-seq results reveals concerted expression of gene sets, despite fundamental differences in cell division. Lastly, we built an interactive data-browser for visualization of our atlas resource.
Genome-wide characterization and expression analysis of theDofgene family related to abiotic stress in watermelon
Authors: Zhou Yong , Cheng Yuan , Wan Chunpeng , Li Jingwen , Yang Youxin , Chen Jinyin
Published: February 2020

The plant DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) gene family is a class of plant-specific transcription factors that play vital roles in many biological processes and stress responses. In the present study, a total of 36ClDofgenes were identified in the watermelon genome, which were unevenly distributed on 10 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the ClDof proteins could be divided into nine groups, and the members in a particular group had similar motif arrangement and exon–intron structure. Synteny analysis indicated the presence of a large number of syntenic relationship events between watermelon and cucumber. In promoter analysis, five kinds of stress-related and nine kinds of hormone-relatedcis-elements were identified in the promoter regions ofClDofgenes. We then analyzed the expression patterns of nine selectedClDofgenes in eight specific tissues by qRT-PCR, and the results showed that they have tissue-specific expression patterns. We also evaluated the expression levels of 12 selectedClDofgenes under salt stress and ABA treatments using qRT-PCR. As a result, they showed differential expression under these treatments, suggesting their important roles in stress response. Taken together, our results provide a basis for future research on the biological functions ofDofgenes in watermelon.
The R2R3-MYB transcription factor family in Taxus chinensis: identification, characterization, expression profiling and posttranscriptional regulation analysis
Authors: Hu Xinling , Zhang Lisha , Wilson Iain , Shao Fenjuan , Qiu Deyou
Published: February 2020

The MYB transcription factor family is one of the largest gene families playing regulatory roles in plant growth and development. The MYB family has been studied in a variety of plant species but has not been reported in Taxus chinensis. Here we identified 72 putative R2R3-MYB genes in T. chinensis using a comprehensive analysis. Sequence features, conversed domains and motifs were characterized. The phylogenetic analysis showed TcMYBs and AtMYBs were clustered into 36 subgroups, of which 24 subgroups included members from T. chinensis and Arabidopsis thaliana, while 12 subgroups were specific to one species. This suggests the conservation and specificity in structure and function of plant R2R3-MYBs. The expression of TcMYBs in various tissues and different ages of xylem were investigated. Additionally, miRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation analysis revealed that TcMYBs were the targets of miR858, miR159 and miR828, suggesting the posttranscriptional regulation of MYBs is highly conserved in plants. The results provide a basis for further study the role of TcMYBs in the regulation of secondary metabolites of T. chinensis.
AIF1 was identified as an up-regulated gene contributing to CSFV Shimen infection in porcine alveolar macrophage 3D4/21 cells
Authors: Gong Xiaocheng , Li Xuepeng , You Xin , Hu Aoxue , Liu Min , Yao Huimin , He Jun , Zhang Xianghan , Ning Pengbo
Published: February 2020

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a disease that is characterized by diffuse hemorrhaging, high fever, and high mortality rates. The pro-inflammatory characteristics of allograft inflammatory factor 1 (AIF1) have been well documented; however, insufficient attention has been given to porcine AIF1. In the present study, AIF1 was identified as a key player contributing to CSFV Shimen infection in porcine alveolar macrophage (PAM) 3D4/21 cell line. Our evaluation showed that AIF1 mRNA and protein are expressed at a time-dependent high level in CSFV Shimen-infected PAM 3D4/21 cells. The transcription and translation of IL6 were also significantly upregulated in infected PAM 3D4/21 cells. By utilizing overexpression RNAs approach, we showed that the cellular AIF1 induced an increased IL6 in PAM 3D4/21 cells. Furthermore, silencing of AIF1 suppressed CSFV Shimen-induced IL6 production in PAM 3D4/21 cells and also inhibited CSFV replication, whereas overexpression of recombinant AIF1 was beneficial for the replication of CSFV Shimen and promoting IL6 production in CSFV Shimen-infected PAM 3D4/21 cells. It is suggested CSFV Shimen induced IL6 in PAM 3D4/21 cells via AIF1 activation, which help clarify the AIF1-related inflammatory processes that occur on CSFV Shimen infected macrophages.
A Thoughtful Overview of Social Media Usage among Students and Its Impact on their Academic Work
Authors: Atteh Evans , Assan-Donkoh Isaac , Mensah Yaw Ackaah , Boadi Augustine , Badzi Silas Cudjoe , Lawer Vincentia Terkwor
Published: February 2020

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. It allows users to converse and interact with each other, to create, edit and share new forms of textual, visual and audio content. Social media has started creating a negative impact by permeating today’s society with millions of us engrossed, unhealthy addiction, in the latest happenings via apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and so on. With technology booming rapidly from year to year and the younger generations are the ones caught in this rapid change, it is, therefore, crucial to throw more light on the impact of social media on the academic performance of students.
Biological, Serological and Molecular Characterisation of a New Virus Species Infecting Telfairia occidentalis in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria
Authors: Eyong O. I. , Owolabi A. T. , Mofunanya A. A. J. , Ekpiken E. E.
Published: February 2020

Telfairia occidentalis (Hook) belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae and is an economically important cash crop worldwide. It is widely cultivated in Nigeria including the South Eastern part of the country. This research was aimed at isolating, characterising and identifying a new virus species infecting Telfairia occidentalis in Calabar, Cross River State. Diagnostic tools employed included host range/symptomatology, insect transmission test, Antigen Coated Plate (ACP) Enzyme Linked-Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and gene sequencing. Results revealed that the virus isolate infected only members of the cucurbit family producing rugosity, mosaic, mottle and leaf malformation/deformation. The virus isolate was transmitted by Aphis spiraecola in a fore-gut manner and not by A. citricida. It reacted positively against universal potyvirus antiserum. Sequence analysis showed that the Telfairia occidentalis virus isolate had 75% sequence identity with Moroccan watermelon mosaic virus (MWM) which was found to be the closest. The virus was consequently considered a new species of potyvirus for which the name Telfairia severe mosaic virus (TeSMV) was suggested.
Chlorophyll a Fluorescence Parameters do not Detect Yield-limiting Injury from Sub-lethal Rates of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid (2,4-D) in Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
Authors: Byrd Seth A. , Snider John L. , Grey Timothy L. , Culpepper A. Stanley , Whitaker Jared R. , Roberts Phillip M. , Chastain Daryl R. , Porter Wesley M. , Collins Guy D.
Published: February 2020

Aims: Determine if the use of novel chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters could be utilized to predict yield loss of cotton exposed to sublethal rates of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) at various growth stages.

Study Design: All trials were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Treatment means were subjected to analysis of variance and linear regression was utilized to determine relationship between chlorophyll a parameters and yield.

Place and Duration of Study: University of Georgia Gibbs Farm in Tifton, GA, USA and the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie, GA, USA during the 2013 growing season.

Methodology: Two sublethal rates of 2,4-D were applied to cotton at six distinct growth stages. The rates consisted of 2 g and 40 g ae ha-1 equivalent to 1/421 and 1/21 of the full rate (0.532 kg ae ha-1), respectively. The sublethal rates were applied to cotton at six growth stages, including the four leaf, nine leaf, first bloom, two, four and six weeks after first bloom growth stages. A fluorometer was used to obtain the fluorescence parameters Fv/Fm, ΦEO and PIABS from the uppermost fully expanded leaves at various intervals after 2,4-D exposure.

Results: Despite yield losses ranging from 20 – 90% of the non-treated control, no consistent patterns resulted from utilizing fluorescence transients to detect 2,4-D injury and overall instances of significant difference were minimal and typically not biologically relevant. In many cases, treatments exposed to 2,4-D that exhibited yield loss showed evidence of greater photosynthetic efficiency than the non-treated control. In the majority of instances, many of fluorescence parameters measured fell within ranges observed in previous studies in cotton produced under typical or non-stressed conditions.

Conclusion: While it has been proven as a valuable tool in other plant screening endeavors, chlorophyll a fluorescence were not able to detect the effects of sub-lethal rates of 2,4-D on cotton, even in instances that resulted in severe yield loss.
Hodgkin Disease
Authors: Poggi Alessandro
Published: February 2020

Hodgkin disease is a malignancy of the lymphatic system, affecting predominantly young adults. Radio and chemotherapy have allowed long‐term cure in a large portion of patients. Unfortunately, 15–20% of patients can relapse and eventually die to this disease. CD30+ Reed–Sternberg cells represent the hallmark of this disease and they can be a variable, but usually very small portion of the cellular components of the affected lymph nodes. On the other hand, it is prominent the presence of a tumour microenvironment composed of nonmalignant B cells, T cells, granulocytes, eosinophils and stromal cells. It is thought that this microenvironment can influence the fate of the lymphoma cell growth and finally the clinical outcome of this disease. Recent therapeutic approaches such as chimeric anti‐CD30 antibody‐drug conjugates, chimeric antigen receptor T cells to the CD30 surface molecule and immune checkpoint inhibitors have given a new hope to treat patients with a relapsed/refractory disease.

Key Concept

Reed–Sternberg cells expressing CD30 membrane surface molecule are the main feature of the Hodgkin disease.

Reed–Sternberg cells induce a strong immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment.

Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)–computerised tomography (CT) is essential to define the Hodgkin disease stage and the response to therapy.

Combination chemotherapy with ABVD or MOPP followed by X‐ray radiation is the standard treatment for Hodgkin disease.

15–20% of Hodgkin disease patients do not respond to the combination chemotherapy and radiation or can relapse.

The salvage therapy consists of high‐dose combination chemotherapy followed by autologous or allogeneic hematopoietic stem‐cell transplantation.

Relapsed/refractory patients can be treated with anti‐CD30 drug‐conjugated antibodies or anti‐CD30 chimeric antigen receptor T cells or immune checkpoint inhibitors.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are antibodies to molecules involved in the regulation of immune response.
Evaluation of Evidence: Stem Cells as a Treatment Option for Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Tabet Maha , Hasan Hiba , Abdelhady Samar , Mahavadi Anil K , Clervius Hélène , Nasrallah Leila , Ahmad Fatimah , Shaito Nour , Ramakrawala Rashida , Zibara Kazem , Gajavelli Shyam , Kobeissy Firas H , Shaito Abdullah
Published: February 2020

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major public health concern. TBI has two phases: a primary injury due to direct damage from a mechanical force applied to the head and a secondary injury due to cellular and molecular responses to the injury. Despite its significant burden on societies, decades of clinical trials have not yielded any FDA‐approved therapies for TBI. Insignificant endogenous repair and continued neuronal cell loss underlie the disability in TBI survivors. The advent of stem cell culture led to the notion that such cells could potentially replace lost cells. Examination of preclinical and clinical studies suggests that stem cell‐replacement approaches in TBI remain elusive. In contrast, stem cell transplantation appears to mitigate multiple TBI‐induced pathologies by modulating inflammation, angiogenesis and endogenous neurogenesis. Thus, transplantation‐based stem cell therapeutic approaches are a viable treatment option for TBI.

Key Concepts

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major health concern with complex underlying pathology mechanisms and no FDA‐approved treatments to date.

Stem cells, which can be obtained from different sources, have therapeutic properties that render them beneficial for treating various neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, including TBI.

Stem cell‐based therapy has been utilised for the treatment of TBI and has shown to be a therapeutic promise in few preclinical and early phase clinical studies.

Neural stem cells have neuro‐restorative properties that are promising for the treatment of various neurological and neurodegenerative disorders.

Despite their promising therapeutic abilities, stem cell‐based therapies still face several hurdles that limit their efficacy as a treatment in TBI. More research is needed to perfect this treatment approach.
pH Switchable Nanoplatform for In Vivo Persistent Luminescence Imaging and Precise Photothermal Therapy of Bacterial Infection
Authors: Yan Li‐Xia , Chen Li‐Jian , Zhao Xu , Yan Xiu‐Ping
Published: February 2020

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is one of the most promising approaches to combat multidrug‐resistant bacteria with less potential to induce resistance and systemic toxicity. However, uncontrollable distribution of photothermal agents leads to lethal temperatures for normal cells, and failure to offer timely and effective antibacterial stewardship. A pH switchable nanoplatform for persistent luminescence imaging‐guided precise PTT to selectively destroy only pathological cells while protecting nearby normal cells in bacterial infected microenvironment is shown. The PLNP@PANI‐GCS is fabricated by grafting polyaniline (PANI) and glycol chitosan (GCS) onto the surface of persistent luminescence nanoparticles (PLNPs). It takes advantage of the long persistent luminescence of PLNPs to realize autofluorescence‐free imaging, the pH‐dependent light–heat conversion property of PANI to get a stronger photothermal effect at pH 6.5 than pH 7.4, and the pH environment responsive surface charge transition of GCS. Consequently, PLNP@PANI‐GCS enables effective response to bacterial‐infected acid region and electrostatic bonding to bacteria in vivo, ensuring the spatial accuracy of near‐infrared light irradiation and specific heating directly to bacteria. In vivo imaging‐guided PTT to bacterial infection abscess shows effective treatment. PLNP@PANI‐GCS has great potential in treating multidrug‐resistant bacterial infection with low possibility of developing microbial drug resistance and little harm to normal cells.
The Growing Impact of Micro/Nanomaterial‐Based Systems in Precision Oncology: Translating “Multiomics” Technologies
Authors: Li Junrong , Wuethrich Alain , Dey Shuvashi , Lane Rebecca E. , Sina Abu A. I. , Wang Jing , Wang Yuling , Puttick Simon , Koo Kevin M. , Trau Matt
Published: February 2020

The field of precision oncology is rapidly progressing toward integrated “multiomics” analysis of multiple molecular species (such as DNA, RNA, or proteins) to provide a more complete profile of tumor heterogeneity. Micro/nanomaterial‐based systems, which leverage the unique properties of miniature materials, are currently well positioned to expand beyond rudimentary biomarker detection toward multiomics signature analysis. To enable clinical translation, the rational design and implementation of miniaturized systems should be driven by the unique clinical challenges present at various crucial cancer stages. This review features micro/nanomaterial‐based systems that are robustly tested on real patient samples for molecular biomarker detection at i) initial cancer screening and/or diagnosis, ii) cancer prognosis and risk stratification, and iii) longitudinal treatment/recurrence monitoring. Furthermore, this review discusses the use of micro/nanomaterials to facilitate sample preparation for different molecular biomarker species. Finally, this review deliberates on the recent paradigm shift of micro/nanomaterial‐based system innovation toward integrated multiomics cancer signature analysis and puts forth insights and perspectives on existing challenges. It is anticipated that this review could stimulate the propagation of new concepts and approaches to kick‐start a new generation of clinically translational technologies that capitalize on multiomics cancer signatures.
Bioinspired Temperature Regulation in Interfacial Evaporation
Authors: Jiang Modi , Shen Qingchen , Zhang Jingyi , An Shun , Ma Shuai , Tao Peng , Song Chengyi , Fu Benwei , Wang Jun , Deng Tao , Shang Wen
Published: February 2020

Human skin shows self‐adaptive temperature regulation through both enhanced heat dissipation in high temperature environments and depressed heat dissipation in cold environments. Inspired by such thermal regulation processes, an interfacial material system with self‐adaptive temperature regulation in the solar‐driven interfacial evaporation system, which can exhibit automatic temperature oscillation to enable pyroelectricity generation while producing water vapor, is reported. The bioinspired interface system is designed with the combination of a thermochromism‐based temperature regulator consisting of tungsten‐doped vanadium dioxide nanoparticles and a polymeric pyroelectric thin film of polyvinylidene fluoride. Under the simulated solar illumination with power density of 1.1 kW m−2, the bioinspired interfacial evaporation system achieves a self‐adaptive temperature oscillation with the maximum temperature difference of ≈7 °C and this system can simultaneously generate water vapor as well as electricity with an evaporation efficiency of 71.43% and a maximum output electrical power density of 104 µW m−2, respectively. The study demonstrates a design of thermal management at the interface of solar‐driven evaporation system to exhibit a self‐adaptive temperature oscillation and offers an alternative approach for the multifunctional harvesting of solar energy.
Interlayer Band‐to‐Band Tunneling and Negative Differential Resistance in van der Waals BP/InSe Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Lv Quanshan , Yan Faguang , Mori Nobuya , Zhu Wenkai , Hu Ce , Kudrynskyi Zakhar R. , Kovalyuk Zakhar D. , Patanè Amalia , Wang Kaiyou
Published: February 2020

Atomically thin layers of van der Waals (vdW) crystals offer an ideal material platform to realize tunnel field‐effect transistors (TFETs) that exploit the tunneling of charge carriers across the forbidden gap of a vdW heterojunction. This type of device requires a precise energy band alignment of the different layers of the junction to optimize the tunnel current. Among 2D vdW materials, black phosphorus (BP) and indium selenide (InSe) have a Brillouin zone‐centered conduction and valence bands, and a type II band offset, both ideally suited for band‐to‐band tunneling. TFETs based on BP/InSe heterojunctions with diverse electrical transport characteristics are demonstrated: forward rectifying, Zener tunneling, and backward rectifying characteristics are realized in BP/InSe junctions with different thickness of the BP layer or by electrostatic gating of the junction. Electrostatic gating yields a large on/off current ratio of up to 108 and negative differential resistance at low applied voltages (V ≈ 0.2 V). These findings illustrate versatile functionalities of TFETs based on BP and InSe, offering opportunities for applications of these 2D materials beyond the device architectures reported in the current literature.
Hierarchical Nanostructured Pd/Co3N‐Ni3N as an Efficient Catalyst for Ethanol Electrooxidation in Alkaline Media
Authors: Li Chen , Tang Piaoping , Gao Hao , Cao Guoxuan , Wen He , Wang Ping
Published: February 2020

Creating synergistic active sites via combination of palladium (Pd) or platinum (Pt) with oxophilic metal compounds has been extensively investigated as a promising approach for developing active and robust electrocatalysts toward the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Among the metal compounds of choice, transition metal nitrides are highly appealing but less well explored candidates. Herein, the synthesis of a carbon fiber cloth (CFC)‐supported Pd/Co3N‐Ni3N nanocomposite catalyst using a hydrothermal method followed by ammonization treatment and electrochemical deposition is reported. The study found that incorporation of Co3N‐Ni3N of metallic nature can effectively improve the durability of Pd catalyst toward the EOR in alkaline condition and meanwhile preserve good electrical conductivity of the electrocatalyst. Furthermore, the high surface area of nanostructured Co3N‐Ni3N promises the exposure of abundant accessible active sites and a favorable reactant/product mass transfer kinetics. Benefiting from these favorable attributes, the Pd/Co3N‐Ni3N/CFC catalyst exhibits high activity and improved durability toward the EOR in alkaline conditions, which compares favorably with most self‐supported EOR electrocatalysts reported up to date.
Robustness of Optical Response for Self‐Assembled Plasmonic Metamaterials with Morphological Disorder and Surface Roughness
Authors: Shen Nian‐Hai , Hossen Md Mir , Hillier Andrew C. , Koschny Thomas , Soukoulis Costas M.
Published: February 2020

Bottom‐up fabrication of metallized biotemplated nanostructures to form specific plasmonic nanoresonators holds promise as a means of achieving large‐scale optical metamaterials. However, in contrast to top‐down methods, the stochastic growth of self‐assembled nanoresonators is prone to significant disorder and surface roughness, which naturally raise an important question about the robustness of their resonant properties in terms of structural imperfections. An aggregated‐random‐sphere model is developed to mimic the nucleated growth of metallized DNA origami assembly, leading to meta‐atoms with realistic, experimentally observed morphological disorder and surface roughness. Using the well‐known split‐ring‐resonator (SRR) motif as an example, the resonant properties of meta‐atoms under different levels of roughness are investigated and a strong tolerance of optical response against morphological disorder is revealed. It is found that in SRRs, even with dramatic roughness introduced, the expected resonances are still observed, despite broadening line shapes compared to ideal smooth structure. Only for extreme disorder, which causes drastic segmentation of SRRs, does the resonant response disappear. The demonstrations are very encouraging for the prospects of bottom‐up fabrication toward versatile functional metamaterials and metadevices.
Critical Role of Organic Spacers for Bright 2D Layered Perovskites Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Tsai Hsinhan , Liu Cunming , Kinigstein Eli , Li Mingxing , Tretiak Sergei , Cotlet Mircea , Ma Xuedan , Zhang Xiaoyi , Nie Wanyi
Published: February 2020

Light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) made with quasi‐2D/3D and layered perovskites have undergone an unprecedented surge as their external quantum efficiency (EQE) is rapidly approaching other lighting technologies. Manipulating the charge recombination pathway in semiconductors is highly desirable for improving the device performance. This study reports high‐performance layered perovskites LEDs with benzyl ring as spacer where radiative recombination lifetime is longer, compared with much shorter alkyl chain spacer yields. Based on detailed optical and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy measurements, direct signature of charges localization is observed near the band edge in exchange with the shallow traps in benzyl organics containing layered perovskites. As a result, it boosts the photoluminescence intensity by 7.4 times compared to that made with the alkyl organics. As a demonstration, a bright LED made with the benzyl organics with current efficiency of 23.46 ± 1.52 cd A−1 is shown when the device emits at a high brightness of 6.6 ± 0.93 × 104 cd m−2. The average EQE is 9.2% ± 1.43%, two orders of magnitude higher than the device made with alkyl organics. The study suggests that the choices of organic spacers provide a path toward the manipulation of charge recombination, essential for efficient optoelectronic device fabrications.
Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint under gravel mulching on China's Loess Plateau
Authors: Wang Donglin , Li Yi , Zhang Tibin , Zhou Lifeng , Ge Jiankun , Zhang Lei , Dyck Miles , Feng Hao
Published: February 2020

Gravel mulching technology has been widely verified as an effective solution to reduce evaporation and improve crop production on China's Loess Plateau, but its impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have not been well documented. This study examined the quantification of the overall GHG emissions via estimating global warming potential (GWP), GHG intensity (GHGI), C footprint (CF), and C intensity (CI) with varying experimental treatments. A 2‐yr consecutive wheat–maize rotation field experiment was conducted through monitoring GHG emissions using a closed‐chamber method with four treatments: CK (control with no mulching), WCK (CK plus 50 mm irrigation), GM (CK plus gravel mulching), and WGM (WCK plus GM). Compared with the CK, gravel mulching significantly decreased soil CO2 emissions and increased soil CH4 uptake over both cycles, although patterns of soil N2O emissions were controversial. Mixed effects of gravel mulching and irrigation significantly minimized the GWP over both cycles. Compared with the CK, annual GHGI in the WCK, GM, and WGM treatments dramatically decreased by 35.1, 53.7, and 55.9%, respectively, over Cycle 1 and by 16.7, 19.6, and 37.2%, respectively, over Cycle 2. The average CFs in the WCK, GM, and WGM treatments over both cycles were 4.4, 35.0, and 58.7% lower than in the CK, respectively. Gravel mulching had no significant effect on the CI during Cycle 1 but did have a significant effect during Cycle 2. Thus, gravel mulching is a recommended practice to mitigate GHG emissions and enhance the crop productivity on the Loess Plateau of China.
Cantu syndrome: A longitudinal review of vascular findings in three individuals
Authors: Parrott Ashley , Lombardo Rachel , Brown Nicole , Tretter Justin T. , Riley Laura , Weaver Kathryn Nicole
Published: February 2020

Cantu syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disorder caused by missense variants in ABCC9 and KCNJ8. It is characterized by hypertrichosis, neonatal macrosomia, coarse facial features, and skeletal anomalies. Reported cardiovascular anomalies include cardiomegaly, structural defects, collateral vessels, and rare report of arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Arterial dilation is reported in a few individuals including one with surgical intervention for a thoracic aortic aneurysm. The natural history of this aortopathy including the rate of progression or risk for dissection is unknown and longitudinal patient data is unavailable. We present data from vascular imaging in three individuals with genetically confirmed Cantu syndrome over 3 to 14 years of follow‐up. All patients had generally stable aortic dilation, which did not reach the surgical threshold, including one individual followed closely through pregnancy. In adulthood, one individual had a maximum ascending aortic measurement of 4.2 cm. Two pediatric patients had aortic root or ascending z‐scores of approximately +3. A large asymptomatic pelvic AVM was identified in one individual on head‐pelvis MRI. While the data reported in these individuals is reassuring regarding the risk for progressive disease, further data from additional individuals with Cantu syndrome is needed to best inform screening recommendations, improve understanding of dissection risk, and guide management.