bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potential Role of Flavonoids in Treating Chronic Inflammatory Diseases with a Special Focus on the Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Apigenin
Authors: Ginwala Rashida , Bhavsar Raina , Chigbu De Gaulle I. , Jain Pooja , Khan Zafar K.
Published: February 2019

Inflammation has been reported to be intimately linked to the development or worsening of several non-infectious diseases. A number of chronic conditions such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disorders, autoimmune diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders emerge as a result of tissue injury and genomic changes induced by constant low-grade inflammation in and around the affected tissue or organ. The existing therapies for most of these chronic conditions sometimes leave more debilitating effects than the disease itself, warranting the advent of safer, less toxic, and more cost-effective therapeutic alternatives for the patients. For centuries, flavonoids and their preparations have been used to treat various human illnesses, and their continual use has persevered throughout the ages. This review focuses on the anti-inflammatory actions of flavonoids against chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neuroinflammation with a special focus on apigenin, a relatively less toxic and non-mutagenic flavonoid with remarkable pharmacodynamics. Additionally, inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS) due to diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) gives ready access to circulating lymphocytes, monocytes/macrophages, and dendritic cells (DCs), causing edema, further inflammation, and demyelination. As the dearth of safe anti-inflammatory therapies is dire in the case of CNS-related disorders, we reviewed the neuroprotective actions of apigenin and other flavonoids. Existing epidemiological and pre-clinical studies present considerable evidence in favor of developing apigenin as a natural alternative therapy against chronic inflammatory conditions.
Optimization of the Microwave-Assisted Extraction Process of Bioactive Compounds from Annatto Seeds (Bixa orellana L.)
Authors: Quintero Quiroz Julian , Celis Torres Angélica , Muñoz Ramirez Luisa , Silva Garcia Mariluz , Ciro Gomez Gelmy , Rojas Camargo John
Published: February 2019

This study deals with the extraction, optimization, and evaluation of the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of bioactive compounds obtained from the seeds of annatto using microwave-assisted extraction as compared to leaching. Annatto seeds were subjected to a microwave treatment of 2450 MHz and power of 700 watts using a response surface design involving four factors: pH (4–11), solvent concentration (ethanol) (50–96%), solvent-to-seed ratio (2–10), and microwave exposure time (0–5 min). The contents of polyphenol compounds and bixin were taken as response variables. Subsequently, the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities were assessed at the optimal processing conditions predicted by the experimental design. Microwaves, solvent concentration, and the solvent-to-seed ratio showed a statistically significant effect for the extraction of polyphenol compounds and bixin. Thus, microwaves accelerated the extraction of those compounds and the slight increase in temperature caused some degradation of the polyphenol compounds. The microwave-assisted extraction increased the contents of polyphenols and bixin along with their antioxidant activity as compared to leaching extraction. However, this technique does not significantly improve the antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus.
Microstructure of Joint between Stranded Wire and Substrate Welded by Ultrasonic Welding
Authors: Iwamoto Chihiro , Yamauchi Keisuke , Motomura Kazuki , Hashimoto Yoichi , Hamada Kensuke
Published: February 2019

In order to improvement electronic and mechanical properties, welding between stranded wires and terminals is important. However, welding methods to obtain high-quality joints using stranded wires are still limited. In this report, we applied ultrasonic welding to join a Cu stranded wire to a Cu substrate. Cross-sections of the weldments were taken and observed by several microscopy techniques to elucidate the weldability and soundness of the joints. After ultrasonic welding, each wire in the stranded wire was joined together at the region where the stranded wire was joined to the substrate without any defect. Each wire was welded through the Ag coating layer, and the stranded wire and the substrate was also welded through the outermost coating layers. It was found that ultrasonic welding is an efficient technique for producing high quality joints without any defect at the interface.
Electrokinetic Properties of 3D-Printed Conductive Lattice Structures
Authors: Lambin Philippe , Melnikov Alexander V. , Shuba Mikhail
Published: February 2019

Lattice structures with lattice parameters in the mm range are routinely fabricated by additive manufacturing. Combining light weight and mechanical strength, these structures have plenty of potential applications. When composed of conducting elements, a 3D lattice has interesting electrical and electromagnetic properties. In this work, the electrokinetic properties of a conducting lattice are described by mixing the theory of resistor networks and continuous-medium electrodynamics. Due to the length scale provided by the lattice parameter, the effective continuous medium that mimics the electrokinetic response of a resistor lattice is characterized by a non-local Ohm’s law.
Learning Weighted Forest and Similar Structure for Image Super Resolution
Authors: Lu Ziwei , Wu Chengdong , Yu Xiaosheng
Published: February 2019

Image super resolution (SR) based on example learning is a very effective approach to achieve high resolution (HR) image from image input of low resolution (LR). The most popular method, however, depends on either the external training dataset or the internal similar structure, which limits the quality of image reconstruction. In the paper, we present a novel SR algorithm by learning weighted random forest and non-local similar structures. The initial HR image patches are obtained from a weighted forest model, which is established by calculating the approximate fitting error of the leaf nodes. The K-means clustering algorithm is exploited to get a non-local similar structure inside the initial HR image patches. In addition, a low rank constraint is imposed on the HR image patches in each cluster. We further apply the similar structure model to establish an effective regularization prior under a reconstruction-based SR framework. Comparing with current typical SR algorithms, the results of comprehensive experiments implemented on three publicly datasets show that peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) has been effectively promoted by the presented SR approach, and a better visual effect has been realized.
Remote Estimation of Biomass in Winter Oilseed Rape (Brassica napus L.) Using Canopy Hyperspectral Data at Different Growth Stages
Authors: Ma Yi , Fang Shenghui , Peng Yi , Gong Yan , Wang Dong
Published: February 2019

The dry aboveground biomass (AGB) is an important parameter in assessing crop growth and predicting yield. This study aims to ascertain the optimal methods for the spectroscopic estimation of winter oilseed rape (WOR) biomass. The different fertilizer-N gradients WOR were planted to collect biomass data and canopy hyperspectral data in two years of field experiments. Correlation analyses and partial least squares regression (PLSR) were performed between canopy hyperspectral data and AGB, and the linear and non-linear regression models simulated the quantitative relation between the vegetation indices (VIs) and AGB at four different growth stages (seeding, bolting, flowering, and pod stage). The results indicated that VIs that were derived from canopy hyperspectral data could estimate AGB accurately: (1) At the seeding and bolting stage, the CIred edge showed excellent performance with the higher accuracy (R2 ranged from 0.60–0.95) as compared to the other six VIs (Green chlorophyll index (CIgreen), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), Green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI), ratio vegetation index (RVI), DVI, and soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI)); (2) Correlation analyses and PLSR can effectively extract the feature wavelengths (800 nm and 1200 nm) for biomass estimation. The modified vegetation indices NDVI (800, 1200) significantly improved AGB estimation accuracy (R2 > 0.80, RMSE < 1530 kg/hm2, RPD > 2.3) without saturation phenomenon at the total for four stages, and retained good robustness and reduced the influence of flower and pod for estimating AGB; (3) it was vital to pay more attention to the near-infrared (NIR) bands that could represent WOR growth phenology, and selecting suitable VIs and modeling algorithms could also have a relatively large effect on the success of AGB estimation. The overall results indicated that WOR AGB could be reliably estimated by canopy hyperspectral data, although the plant architecture and coverage of WOR were significantly different during its entire growing period.
On Glass, in Glass, of Glass: Some Developments in the Combination of Glass and Printmaking
Authors: Petrie Kevin
Published: February 2019

This paper considers some examples of creative glass practice and research at the ‘overlap’ of two distinct sectors of art and design—‘glassmaking’ and ‘printmaking’. The unique properties of glass mean that printed imagery can be applied on the glass surface, encapsulated within the glass form and can even be made of glass. Case studies are given relating to each of these areas. In particular, the article offers some reflections on the development of glass and print over the last twenty or so years. These reflections are based on the author’s perspectives as an artist, teacher, and researcher. Following a historical overview, case studies are given on the work of Kevin Petrie, Rachel Welford, Miyoung Jung, Jeffrey Sarmiento, and Kathryn Wightman. All of these makers are associated with the Glass and Ceramics Department of the University of Sunderland, UK, based in National Glass Centre, but all have made wider impacts beyond the UK.
Northeast Asian Dust Transport: A Case Study of a Dust Storm Event from 28 March to 2 April 2012
Authors: Tsedendamba Purevsuren , Dulam Jugder , Baba Kenji , Hagiwara Katsuro , Noda Jun , Kawai Kei , Sumiya Ganzorig , McCarthy Christopher , Kai Kenji , Hoshino Buho
Published: February 2019

The distribution and transport of windblown dust that occurred in Northeast Asia from 28 March to 2 April 2012 was investigated. Data of particulate matter less than 10 micrometers (PM10) near the surface and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) measurements from the ground up to 18 km were used in the study. A severe dust event originated over southern Mongolia and northern China on 28 March 2012, and the widespread dust moved from the source area southeastward toward Japan over several days. Windblown dust reached Japan after two days from the originating area. LiDAR measurements of the vertical distribution of the dust were one to two km thick in the lower layer of the atmosphere, and increased with the increasing distance from the source area.
Two-Body and Three-Body Contacts for Three Bosons in the Unitary Regime: Analytic Expressions and Limiting Forms
Authors: Colussi Victor E.
Published: February 2019

The two- and three-body contacts are central to a set of univeral relations between microscopic few-body physics within an ultracold Bose gas and its thermodynamical properties. They may also be defined in trapped few-particle systems, which is the subject of this work. In this work, we focus on the unitary three-body problem in a trap, where interactions are as strong as allowed by quantum mechanics. We derive analytic results for the two- and three-body contacts in this regime and compare them with existing limiting expressions and previous numerical studies.
Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas II
Authors: Stambulchik Evgeny , Calisti Annette , Chung Hyun-Kyung , González Manuel Á.
Published: February 2019

The Spectral Line Shapes in Plasmas (SLSP) code comparison workshop series [...]
Usage of the Term Big Data in Biomedical Publications: A Text Mining Approach
Authors: van Altena Allard J. , Moerland Perry D. , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Delgado Olabarriaga Sílvia
Published: February 2019

In this study, we attempt to assess the value of the term Big Data when used by researchers in their publications. For this purpose, we systematically collected a corpus of biomedical publications that use and do not use the term Big Data. These documents were used as input to a machine learning classifier to determine how well they can be separated into two groups and to determine the most distinguishing classification features. We generated 100 classifiers that could correctly distinguish between Big Data and non-Big Data documents with an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.96. The differences between the two groups were characterized by terms specific to Big Data themes—such as ‘computational’, ‘mining’, and ‘challenges’—and also by terms that indicate the research field, such as ‘genomics’. The ROC curves when plotted for various time intervals showed no difference over time. We conclude that there is a detectable and stable difference between publications that use the term Big Data and those that do not. Furthermore, the use of the term Big Data within a publication seems to indicate a distinct type of research in the biomedical field. Therefore, we conclude that value can be attributed to the term Big Data when used in a publication and this value has not changed over time.
Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Gallic and Protocatechuic Acids in Mango Juice Using a Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Electrochemical Sensor
Authors: Abdel-Hamid Refat , Bakr Ahmed , Newair Emad F. , Garcia François
Published: February 2019

A simple and sensitive reduced graphene oxide-modified glassy carbon electrode-based electrochemical sensor was used for the concomitant determination of gallic acid (GA) and protocatechuic (PA) acid. The prepared sensor showed a significant enhancement in synergetic electro-catalytic performance towards GA and PA oxidation. A good resolution of the voltammetry peaks was obtained and a method of square wave voltammetry was developed for detection. The modified electrode was characterized by electrochemical techniques. The optimal experimental parameters were considered. GA and PA exhibited a linear increase in the peak currents with their concentrations in the range from 20 to 144 µmol·L−1 for GA and from 20 to 166 µmol·L−1 for PA, with limits of detection (S/N = 3) of 30.8 µmol·L−1 for GA and 10.2 µmol·L−1 for PA. The sensor applicability was simultaneously tested for the analytical determination of GA and PA in mango juice and exhibited a robust functionality.
Combination Anthelmintic/Antioxidant Activity Against Schistosoma Mansoni
Authors: Gouveia Maria João , Brindley Paul J. , Rinaldi Gabriel , Gärtner Fátima , Correia da Costa José Manuel , Vale Nuno
Published: February 2019

Schistosomiasis is a major neglected tropical disease. Treatment for schistosomiasis with praziquantel (PZQ), which is effective against the parasite, by itself is not capable to counteract infection-associated disease lesions including hepatic fibrosis. There is a pressing need for novel therapies. Due to their biological properties, antioxidant biomolecules might be useful in treating and reverting associated pathological sequelae. Here, we investigated a novel therapy approach based on a combination of anthelmintic drugs with antioxidant biomolecules. We used a host-parasite model involving Bioamphalaria glabrata and newly transformed schistosomula (NTS) of Schistosoma mansoni. For in vitro drug screening assays, was selected several antioxidants and evaluated not only antischistosomal activity but also ability to enhance activity of the anthelmintic drugs praziquantel (PZQ) and artesunate (AS). The morphological alterations induced by compounds alone/combined were assessed on daily basis using an inverted and automated microscope to quantify NTS viability by a fluorometric-based method. The findings indicated that not only do some antioxidants improve antischistosomal activity of the two anthelmintics, but they exhibit activity per se, leading to high mortality of NTS post-exposure. The combination index (CI) of PZQ + Mel (CI = 0.80), PZQ + Resv (CI = 0.74), AS + Resv (CI = 0.34), AS + NAC (CI = 0.89), VDT + Flav (CI = 1.03) and VDT + Resv (CI = 1.06) reveal that they display moderate to strong synergism. The combination of compounds with discrete mechanisms of action might provide a valuable adjunct to contribution for treatment of schistosomiasis-associated disease.
Impaired Recognition of Metrical and Syntactic Boundaries in Children with Developmental Language Disorders
Authors: Richards Susan , Goswami Usha
Published: February 2019

In oral language, syntactic structure is cued in part by phrasal metrical hierarchies of acoustic stress patterns. For example, many children’s texts use prosodic phrasing comprising tightly integrated hierarchies of metre and syntax to highlight the phonological and syntactic structure of language. Children with developmental language disorders (DLDs) are relatively insensitive to acoustic stress. Here, we disrupted the coincidence of metrical and syntactic boundaries as cued by stress patterns in children’s texts so that metrical and/or syntactic phrasing conflicted. We tested three groups of children: children with DLD, age-matched typically developing controls (AMC) and younger language-matched controls (YLC). Children with DLDs and younger, language-matched controls were poor at spotting both metrical and syntactic disruptions. The data are interpreted within a prosodic phrasing hypothesis of DLD based on impaired acoustic processing of speech rhythm.
The Role of Movement Analysis in Diagnosing and Monitoring Neurodegenerative Conditions: Insights from Gait and Postural Control
Authors: Buckley Christopher , Alcock Lisa , McArdle Ríona , Rehman Rana , Del Din Silvia , Mazzà Claudia , Yarnall Alison , Rochester Lynn
Published: February 2019

Quantifying gait and postural control adds valuable information that aids in understanding neurological conditions where motor symptoms predominate and cause considerable functional impairment. Disease-specific clinical scales exist; however, they are often susceptible to subjectivity, and can lack sensitivity when identifying subtle gait and postural impairments in prodromal cohorts and longitudinally to document disease progression. Numerous devices are available to objectively quantify a range of measurement outcomes pertaining to gait and postural control; however, efforts are required to standardise and harmonise approaches that are specific to the neurological condition and clinical assessment. Tools are urgently needed that address a number of unmet needs in neurological practice. Namely, these include timely and accurate diagnosis; disease stratification; risk prediction; tracking disease progression; and decision making for intervention optimisation and maximising therapeutic response (such as medication selection, disease staging, and targeted support). Using some recent examples of research across a range of relevant neurological conditions—including Parkinson’s disease, ataxia, and dementia—we will illustrate evidence that supports progress against these unmet clinical needs. We summarise the novel ‘big data’ approaches that utilise data mining and machine learning techniques to improve disease classification and risk prediction, and conclude with recommendations for future direction.
Evaluation of Classical Operators and Fuzzy Logic Algorithms for Edge Detection of Panels at Exterior Cladding of Buildings
Authors: Liu Chang , Shirowzhan Sara , Sepasgozar Samad M. E. , Kaboli Ali
Published: February 2019

The automated process of construction defect detection using non-contact methods provides vital information for quality control and updating building information modelling. The external cladding in modular construction should be regularly controlled in terms of the quality of panels and proper installation because its appearance is very important for clients. However, there are limited computational methods for examining the installation issues of external cladding remotely in an automated manner. These issues could be the incorrect sitting of a panel, unequal joints in an elevation, scratches or cracks on the face of a panel or dimensions of different elements of external cladding. This paper aims to present seven algorithms to detect panel edges and statistically compare their performance through application on two scenarios of buildings in construction sites. Two different scenarios are selected, where the building façades are available to the public, and a sample of 100 images is taken using a state-of-the-art 3D camera for edge detection analysis. The experimentation results are validated by using a series of computational error and accuracy analyses and statistical methods including Mean Square Error, Peak Signal to Noise Ratio and Structural Similarity Index. The performance of an image processing algorithm depends on the quality of images and the algorithm utilised. The results show better performance of the fuzzy logic algorithm because it detects clear edges for installed panels. The applications of classical operators including Sobel, Canny, LoG, Prewitt and Roberts algorithms give similar results and show similarities in terms of the average of errors and accuracy. In addition, the results show that the minor difference of the average of the error and accuracy indices for Sobel, Canny, LoG, Prewitt and Roberts methods between both scenarios are not statistically significant, while the difference in the average of the error and accuracy indices for RGB-Sobel and Fuzzy methods between both scenarios are statistically significant. The accuracy of the algorithms can be improved by removing unwanted items such as vegetation and clouds in the sky. The evaluated algorithms assist practitioners to analyse their images collected day to day from construction sites, and to update building information modelling and the project digital drawings. Future work may need to focus on the combination of the evaluated algorithms using new data sets including colour edge detection for automatic defect identification using RGB and 360-degree images.
Exploring Cancer Cell Behavior In Vitro in Three-Dimensional Multicellular Bioprintable Collagen-Based Hydrogels
Authors: Duarte Campos Daniela F. , Bonnin Marquez Andrea , O’Seanain Cathal , Fischer Horst , Blaeser Andreas , Vogt Michael , Corallo Diana , Aveic Sanja
Published: February 2019

In vitro cancer 3D models are valuable tools to provide mechanistic insight into solid tumor growth, invasion, and drug delivery. The 3D spheroid model of solid tumors has been the most popular cancer model in use until now. However, previous studies have shown that these spheroid models lack sufficient morphological parameters, which may affect their response to chemicals. In this work, we proposed the fabrication of miniaturized 3D cancer models using collagen type I-based bioprintable bioinks. In the context of a mimicking model for advanced neuroblastoma studies, we showed that cancer cells contained in bioprintable bioinks formed Homer Wright-like rosettes, maintained their proliferative capacities and produced an equivalent Vimentin-rich matrix unlike that of non-bioprintable bioinks which made for poorer models. In addition, bioprintable bioinks were successfully bioprinted as compartmentalized 3D models in the centimeter scale, which was not feasible using non-bioprintable bioinks. In contrast to non-bioprintable hydrogels, we did not observe contraction in their bioprintable counterparts, which is an advantage for prospective 3D bioprinted models that should attain stable rheological and mechanical properties after bioprinting. By adopting this proposed system for the use of patient-derived primary tumor cells, the approach could be introduced as a first line strategy in precision medicine for testing the response of neuroblastoma cells to drugs, especially when disease progresses rapidly or patients do not respond to actual therapy regimens.
Cord-Blood-Stem-Cell-Derived Conventional Dendritic Cells Specifically Originate from CD115-Expressing Precursors
Authors: Plantinga Maud , de Haar Colin G. , Dünnebach Ester , van den Beemt Denise A. M. H. , Bloemenkamp Kitty W. M. , Mokry Michal , Boelens Jaap Jan , Nierkens Stefan
Published: February 2019

Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells which instruct both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Once mature, they have the capacity to activate and prime naïve T cells for recognition and eradication of pathogens and tumor cells. These characteristics make them excellent candidates for vaccination strategies. Most DC vaccines have been generated from ex vivo culture of monocytes (mo). The use of mo-DCs as vaccines to induce adaptive immunity against cancer has resulted in clinical responses but, overall, treatment success is limited. The application of primary DCs or DCs generated from CD34+ stem cells have been suggested to improve clinical efficacy. Cord blood (CB) is a particularly rich source of CD34+ stem cells for the generation of DCs, but the dynamics and plasticity of the specific DC lineage development are poorly understood. Using flow sorting of DC progenitors from CB cultures and subsequent RNA sequencing, we found that CB-derived DCs (CB-DCs) exclusively originate from CD115+-expressing progenitors. Gene set enrichment analysis displayed an enriched conventional DC profile within the CD115-derived DCs compared with CB mo-DCs. Functional assays demonstrated that these DCs matured and migrated upon good manufacturing practice (GMP)-grade stimulation and possessed a high capacity to activate tumor-antigen-specific T cells. In this study, we developed a culture protocol to generate conventional DCs from CB-derived stem cells in sufficient numbers for vaccination strategies. The discovery of a committed DC precursor in CB-derived stem cell cultures further enables utilization of conventional DC-based vaccines to provide powerful antitumor activity and long-term memory immunity.
The Diverse Consequences of FOXC1 Deregulation in Cancer
Authors: Gilding L. Niall , Somervaille Tim C. P.
Published: February 2019

Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) is a transcription factor with essential roles in mesenchymal lineage specification and organ development during normal embryogenesis. In keeping with these developmental properties, mutations that impair the activity of FOXC1 result in the heritable Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome and other congenital disorders. Crucially, gain of FOXC1 function is emerging as a recurrent feature of malignancy; FOXC1 overexpression is now documented in more than 16 cancer types, often in association with an unfavorable prognosis. This review explores current evidence for FOXC1 deregulation in cancer and the putative mechanisms by which FOXC1 confers its oncogenic effects.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages Induce Endocrine Therapy Resistance in ER+ Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Castellaro Andrés M. , Rodriguez-Baili María C. , Di Tada Cecilia E. , Gil Germán A.
Published: February 2019

Antiestrogenic adjuvant treatments are first-line therapies in patients with breast cancer positive for estrogen receptor (ER+). Improvement of their treatment strategies is needed because most patients eventually acquire endocrine resistance and many others are initially refractory to anti-estrogen treatments. The tumor microenvironment plays essential roles in cancer development and progress; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying such effects remain poorly understood. Breast cancer cell lines co-cultured with TNF-α-conditioned macrophages were used as pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment models. Proliferation, migration, and colony formation assays were performed to evaluate tamoxifen and ICI 182,780 resistance and confirmed in a mouse-xenograft model. Molecular mechanisms were investigated using cytokine antibody arrays, WB, ELISA, ChIP, siRNA, and qPCR-assays. In our simulated pro-inflammatory tumor microenvironment, tumor-associated macrophages promoted proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and breast tumor growth of ER+ cells, rendering these estrogen-dependent breast cancer cells resistant to estrogen withdrawal and tamoxifen or ICI 182,780 treatment. Crosstalk between breast cancer cells and conditioned macrophages induced sustained release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from both cell types, activation of NF-κB/STAT3/ERK in the cancer cells and hyperphosphorylation of ERα, which resulted constitutively active. Our simulated tumor microenvironment strongly altered endocrine and inflammatory signaling pathways in breast cancer cells, leading to endocrine resistance in these cells.
Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy for Solid Tumors: Current Status, Obstacles and Future Strategies
Authors: Heyman Benjamin , Yang Yiping
Published: February 2019

Chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR T Cells) have led to dramatic improvements in the survival of cancer patients, most notably those with hematologic malignancies. Early phase clinical trials in patients with solid tumors have demonstrated them to be feasible, but unfortunately has yielded limited efficacy for various cancer types. In this article we will review the background on CAR T cells for the treatment of solid tumors, focusing on the unique obstacles that solid tumors present for the development of adoptive T cell therapy, and the novel approaches currently under development to overcome these hurdles.
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis in Different Taxonomic Groups: Possible Functional Similarities and Striking Controversies
Authors: Augusto-Oliveira Marcus , Arrifano Gabriela P. F. , Malva João O. , Crespo-Lopez Maria Elena
Published: February 2019

Adult neurogenesis occurs in many species, from fish to mammals, with an apparent reduction in the number of both neurogenic zones and new neurons inserted into established circuits with increasing brain complexity. Although the absolute number of new neurons is high in some species, the ratio of these cells to those already existing in the circuit is low. Continuous replacement/addition plays a role in spatial navigation (migration) and other cognitive processes in birds and rodents, but none of the literature relates adult neurogenesis to spatial navigation and memory in primates and humans. Some models developed by computational neuroscience attribute a high weight to hippocampal adult neurogenesis in learning and memory processes, with greater relevance to pattern separation. In contrast to theories involving neurogenesis in cognitive processes, absence/rarity of neurogenesis in the hippocampus of primates and adult humans was recently suggested and is under intense debate. Although the learning process is supported by plasticity, the retention of memories requires a certain degree of consolidated circuitry structures, otherwise the consolidation process would be hampered. Here, we compare and discuss hippocampal adult neurogenesis in different species and the inherent paradoxical aspects.
Epigenetically Altered T Cells Contribute to Lupus Flares
Authors: Richardson Bruce
Published: February 2019

Lupus flares when genetically predisposed people encounter exogenous agents such as infections and sun exposure and drugs such as procainamide and hydralazine, but the mechanisms by which these agents trigger the flares has been unclear. Current evidence indicates that procainamide and hydralazine, as well as inflammation caused by the environmental agents, can cause overexpression of genes normally silenced by DNA methylation in CD4+ T cells, converting them into autoreactive, proinflammatory cytotoxic cells that are sufficient to cause lupus in mice, and similar cells are found in patients with active lupus. More recent studies demonstrate that these cells comprise a distinct CD4+ T cell subset, making it a therapeutic target for the treatment of lupus flares. Transcriptional analyses of this subset reveal proteins uniquely expressed by this subset, which may serve as therapeutic to deplete these cells, treating lupus flares.
The Role of Probiotics in Preventing Allergic Disease
Authors: Wang Helen , Anvari Sara , Anagnostou Katherine
Published: February 2019

The prevalence of allergic disorders has been increasing worldwide and significantly impacts the quality of life of the atopic individual. There has been an increased interest in the role of probiotics for the prevention and treatment of allergic disorders, given the recent evidence that atopy risk may be associated with a dysbiosis of the gut microbiome. Research in this area is ongoing with some studies showing possible benefits of probiotics, with seemingly little to no risk. While these studies suggest that there may be a promise in probiotic use for the prevention or treatment of allergy, further evidence is needed to determine its efficacy, optimal dosing, and strains needed for treatment. In this review, we discuss recently published studies examining the benefits, risks, and role of probiotics in preventing atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergy.
Automating Privacy Compliance Using Policy Integrated Blockchain
Authors: Joshi Karuna Pande , Banerjee Agniva
Published: February 2019

An essential requirement of any information management system is to protect data and resources against breach or improper modifications, while at the same time ensuring data access to legitimate users. Systems handling personal data are mandated to track its flow to comply with data protection regulations. We have built a novel framework that integrates semantically rich data privacy knowledge graph with Hyperledger Fabric blockchain technology, to develop an automated access-control and audit mechanism that enforces users’ data privacy policies while sharing their data with third parties. Our blockchain based data-sharing solution addresses two of the most critical challenges: transaction verification and permissioned data obfuscation. Our solution ensures accountability for data sharing in the cloud by incorporating a secure and efficient system for End-to-End provenance. In this paper, we describe this framework along with the comprehensive semantically rich knowledge graph that we have developed to capture rules embedded in data privacy policy documents. Our framework can be used by organizations to automate compliance of their Cloud datasets.
Generalization of the Unified Analytic Melt-Shear Model to Multi-Phase Materials: Molybdenum as an Example
Authors: Burakovsky Leonid , Luscher Darby Jon , Preston Dean , Sjue Sky , Vaughan Diane
Published: February 2019

The unified analytic melt-shear model that we introduced a decade ago is generalized to multi-phase materials. A new scheme for calculating the values of the model parameters for both the cold ( T = 0 ) shear modulus ( G ) and the melting temperature at all densities ( ρ ) is developed. The generalized melt-shear model is applied to molybdenum, a multi-phase material with a body-centered cubic (bcc) structure at low ρ which loses its dynamical stability with increasing pressure (P) and is therefore replaced by another (dynamically stable) solid structure at high ρ . One of the candidates for the high- ρ structure of Mo is face-centered cubic (fcc). The model is compared to (i) our ab initio results on the cold shear modulus of both bcc-Mo and fcc-Mo as a function of ρ , and (ii) the available theoretical results on the melting of bcc-Mo and our own quantum molecular dynamics (QMD) simulations of one melting point of fcc-Mo. Our generalized model of G ( ρ , T ) is used to calculate the shear modulus of bcc-Mo along its principal Hugoniot. It predicts that G of bcc-Mo increases with P up to ∼240 GPa and then decreases at higher P. This behavior is intrinsic to bcc-Mo and does not require the introduction of another solid phase such as Phase II suggested by Errandonea et al. Generalized melt-shear models for Ta and W also predict an increase in G followed by a decrease along the principal Hugoniot, hence this behavior may be typical for transition metals with ambient bcc structure that dynamically destabilize at high P. Thus, we concur with the conclusion reached in several recent papers (Nguyen et al., Zhang et al., Wang et al.) that no solid-solid phase transition can be definitively inferred on the basis of sound velocity data from shock experiments on Mo. Finally, our QMD simulations support the validity of the phase diagram of Mo suggested by Zeng et al.
Spatial Patterns and Short-term Changes of Coral Assemblages Along a Cross-shelf Gradient in the Southwestern Lagoon of New Caledonia
Authors: Adjeroud Mehdi , Poisson Emeline , Peignon Christophe , Penin Lucie , Kayal Mohsen
Published: February 2019

Coral reef assemblages generally form gradients of spatial structures which are governed by a variety of interacting physical and biological processes that vary in intensity, frequency, and spatial scale. Assessing the structure of contemporary reef assemblages may help to understand future changes and to identify appropriate conservation actions. The spatial distribution and interannual variability (from 2006 to 2008) of coral assemblages were investigated at 10 stations in the southwestern lagoon of New Caledonia, and the strength of the cross-shelf gradient was evaluated. Coral cover, generic richness, and abundance of adult and juvenile assemblages were highly variable within and among the three major reef habitats (fringing, mid-shelf, and barrier reefs). Abundance increased with distance from shore, whereas generic richness and cover were not correlated with shelf position. Assemblage composition was generally related to habitat, even though some mid-shelf and fringing reef assemblages resembled those observed on other habitats. A significant correlation between juvenile and adult distributions was recorded, suggesting that adult assemblages are partly controlled by the short-term history of recruitment patterns. The interannual variation of coral assemblages was far less pronounced, with significant changes only detected at some mid-shelf and barrier reefs, for a few genera characterised by high turn-over.
The Radial Propagation of Heat in Strongly Driven Non-Equilibrium Fusion Plasmas
Authors: van Milligen Boudewijn , Carreras Benjamin , García Luis , Nicolau Javier
Published: February 2019

Heat transport is studied in strongly heated fusion plasmas, far from thermodynamic equilibrium. The radial propagation of perturbations is studied using a technique based on the transfer entropy. Three different magnetic confinement devices are studied, and similar results are obtained. “Minor transport barriers” are detected that tend to form near rational magnetic surfaces, thought to be associated with zonal flows. Occasionally, heat transport “jumps” over these barriers, and this “jumping” behavior seems to increase in intensity when the heating power is raised, suggesting an explanation for the ubiquitous phenomenon of “power degradation” observed in magnetically confined plasmas. Reinterpreting the analysis results in terms of a continuous time random walk, “fast” and “slow” transport channels can be discerned. The cited results can partially be understood in the framework of a resistive Magneto-HydroDynamic model. The picture that emerges shows that plasma self-organization and competing transport mechanisms are essential ingredients for a fuller understanding of heat transport in fusion plasmas.
A Study of the Cross-Scale Causation and Information Flow in a Stormy Model Mid-Latitude Atmosphere
Authors: Liang X. San
Published: February 2019

A fundamental problem regarding the storm–jet stream interaction in the extratropical atmosphere is how energy and information are exchanged between scales. While energy transfer has been extensively investigated, the latter has been mostly overlooked, mainly due to a lack of appropriate theory and methodology. Using a recently established rigorous formalism of information flow, this study attempts to examine the problem in the setting of a three-dimensional quasi-geostrophic zonal jet, with storms excited by a set of optimal perturbation modes. We choose for this study a period when the self-sustained oscillation is in quasi-equilibrium, and when the energetics mimick the mid-latitude atmospheric circulation where available potential energy is cascaded downward to smaller scales, and kinetic energy is inversely transferred upward toward larger scales. By inverting a three-dimensional elliptic differential operator, the model is first converted into a low-dimensional dynamical system, where the components correspond to different time scales. The information exchange between the scales is then computed through ensemble prediction. For this particular problem, the resulting cross-scale information flow is mostly from smaller scales to larger scales. That is to say, during this period, this model extratropical atmosphere is dominated by a bottom-up causation, as collective patterns emerge out of independent entities and macroscopic thermodynamic properties evolve from random molecular motions. This study makes a first step toward an important field in understanding the eddy–mean flow interaction in weather and climate phenomena such as atmospheric blocking, storm track, North Atlantic Oscillation, to name a few.
Pre-Service Teachers’ Perception of Financial Literacy Curriculum: National Standards, Universal Design, and Cultural Responsiveness
Authors: Johnston-Rodriguez Sarah , Henning Mary Beth
Published: February 2019

For youth with disabilities, the economic challenges of adulthood pose substantial risks. While the need for financial skills to navigate the economic climate is critical, access to financial education presents many challenges. High school is the optimal time for students with disabilities to access financial education; however, contact is limited. One factor in this limited access may be linked to special educators’ lack of knowledge of financial literacy curricula as such resources are typically not part of their teacher preparation. Using a rubric developed by Henning and Johnston-Rodriguez, preservice teachers evaluated five examples of relevant financial literacy curricula: Financial Fitness for Life, Practical Money Skills, Finance in the Classroom, Money Talks 4 Teens, and Money Smart for Young Adults. Preservice teachers found one curriculum to be most comprehensive in teaching standards-based financial literacy concepts relevant to students with special needs as well as principles of universal design and cultural responsiveness. Each of the other curricula was found to have merit in some respects, suggesting an eclectic approach of mixing some of the curricula depending on teacher and student goals.
A Hybrid Dead Reckon System Based on 3-Dimensional Dynamic Time Warping
Authors: Chen Jian , Ou Gang , Peng Ao , Zheng Lingxiang , Shi Jianghong
Published: February 2019

In recent years, using smartphones for indoor positioning has become increasingly popular with consumers. This paper presents an integrated localization technique for inertial and magnetic field sensors to challenge indoor positioning without Wi-Fi signals. For dead-reckoning (DR), attitude angle estimation, step length calculation, and step counting estimation are introduced. Dynamic time warping (DTW) usually calculates the distance between the measured magnetic field and magnetic fingerprint in the database. For DR/Magnetic matching (MM), we creatively propose 3-dimensional dynamic time warping (3DDTW) to calculate the distance. Unlike traditional DTW, 3DDTW extends the original one-dimensional signal to a two-dimensional signal. Finally, the weighted least squares further improves indoor positioning accuracy. In the three different experimental scenarios—teaching building, study room, office building—DR/MM hybrid positioning accuracy is about 3.34 m.
RPL Routing Protocol Performance in Smart Grid Applications Based Wireless Sensors: Experimental and Simulated Analysis
Authors: Abdel Hakeem Shimaa A. , Hady Anar A. , Kim HyungWon
Published: February 2019

The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is one of the Smart Grid (SG) applications that used to upgrade the current power system by proposing a two-way communication system to connect the smart meter devices at homes with the electric control company. The design and deployment of an efficient routing protocol solution for AMI systems are considered to be a critical challenge due to the constrained resources of the smart meter nodes. IPv6 Routing Protocol for Low Power and Lossy Networks (RPL) was recently standardized by the IETF and originally designed to satisfy the routing requirements of lossy and low power networks like wireless sensors (WSN). We have two kinds of AMI applications, on one hand AMI based WSN and on the other hand AMI based PLC communication. In this paper, we proposed a real and simulated implementation of RPL behavior with proper modifications to support the AMI based WSN routing requirements. We evaluate RPL performance using 140 nodes from the wireless sensor testbed (IoT-LAB) and 1000 nodes using Cooja simulator measure RPL performance within medium and high-density networks. We adopted two routing metrics for path selection: First one is HOP Count (HC) and the second is Expected Transmission Unit (ETX) to evaluate RPL performance in terms of packet delivery ratio; network latency; control traffic overhead; and power consumption. Our results illustrate that routes with ETX calculations in low and medium network densities outperform routes using HC and the performance decreases as the network becomes dense. However, Cooja implementation results provides an average reasonable performance for AMI with high-density networks; still many RPL nodes suffering from high packet loss rates, network congestion and many retransmissions due to the selection of optimal paths with highly unreliable links.
Structural Improvements in Consensus-Based Cooperative Control of DC Microgrids
Authors: Mumtaz Muhammad Adnan , Khan Muhammad Mansoor , Fang Xiangzhong , Shahid Muhammad Umair , Faiz Muhammad Talib
Published: February 2019

This study is dedicated to establishing a comparative analysis of the performance of different local controllers on the cooperative control of DC microgrids. One of the elementary and challenging issues in DC microgrids is the assurance of fairness in proportional current sharing while accomplishing voltage regulation in parallelly connected distributed energy sources. In this work, structural improvements are proposed to enhance the system stability and control performance. A finite-gain controller was employed in the outer voltage control loop with a simple proportional (P) controller in the inner current control loop of a converter. Due to the finite-gain controller, droop-like power sharing was achieved without droop coefficient. In order to further enhance the power-sharing accuracy and DC voltage regulation, a different method was adopted in consensus-based cooperative control to estimate the average current and average voltage difference. Moreover, small signal analysis was used to scrutinize the stability and control performance of the local controller, while different communication delays and current disturbances were applied to examine the performance of the controller. Finally, a four-node-based DC microgrid setup was developed in MATLAB/Simulink environment, and simulation results of the proposed and existing techniques were scrutinized. The simulations results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed controller.