bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of key genes of human bone marrow stromal cells adipogenesis at an early stage
Authors: Chen Pengyu , Song Mingrui , Wang Yutian , Deng Songyun , Hong Weisheng , Zhang Xianrong , Yu Bin
Published: July 2020

Background

Bone marrow adipocyte (BMA), closely associated with bone degeneration, shares common progenitors with osteoblastic lineage. However, the intrinsic mechanism of cells fate commitment between BMA and osteogenic lineage remains unclear.

Methods

Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset GSE107789 publicly available was downloaded and analyzed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed using GEO2R. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were conducted by The Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery and Gene set enrichment analysis software. Protein–protein interactions (PPI) network was obtained using STRING database, visualized and clustered by Cytoscape software. Transcriptional levels of key genes were verified by real-time quantitative PCR in vitro in Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) undergoing adipogenic differentiation at day 7 and in vivo in ovariectomized mice model.

Results

A total of 2,869 DEGs, including 1,357 up-regulated and 1,512 down-regulated ones, were screened out from transcriptional profile of human BMSCs undergoing adipogenic induction at day 7 vs. day 0. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis, combined with modules analysis of PPI network, highlighted ACSL1, sphingosine 1-phosphate receptors 3 (S1PR3), ZBTB16 and glypican 3 as key genes up-regulated at the early stage of BMSCs adipogenic differentiation. Furthermore, up-regulated mRNA expression levels of ACSL1, S1PR3 and ZBTB16 were confirmed both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

ACSL1, S1PR3 and ZBTB16 may play crucial roles in early regulation of BMSCs adipogenic differentiation
Habitat preferences rather than morphological traits affect the recovery process of Collembola (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) on a bare saline–alkaline land
Authors: Ni Zhen , Yan Xiumin , Chang Liang , Sun Xin , Wu Donghui , Zhang Bing
Published: July 2020

The Songnen Plain of China was once an important grassland used for sheep grazing, but it has largely been degraded to bare saline-alkaline land (BSAL). BSAL consists of plant-free areas characterized by high soil pH values (up to 10) and salt and alkali (e.g., Na+and Ca2+) contents, as well as low soil organic matter and water contents; thus, very few soil faunal species can survive on BSAL. The recovery of degraded ecosystems provides a great opportunity to investigate the reconstruction of belowground soil faunal communities. Collembola are a class of widespread and abundant soil fauna that can colonize this harsh environment. Habitat changes on BSAL promote aboveground revegetation, which greatly facilitates the recovery of Collembola. A soil transfer experiment on the BSAL of the Songnen Plain was conducted to study the effects of habitat and Collembola morphological traits on the recovery process of Collembola. Defaunated and with-fauna soil blocks were transferred among three habitats: BSAL, reclaimed arable land, and naturally revegetated grassland. The recovered Collembola in the transferred soil blocks were compared two, seven, and 12 weeks after the start of the experiment. The results showed that (1) the majority of the Collembola, regardless of their morphological traits, recovered in the defaunated soil blocks within 2 weeks; (2) generalists and habitat-preferring species recovered faster than specialists; (3) the average total abundance, species richness, and community composition of Collembola recovered to the natural levels in 2 weeks; and (4) 12 weeks after replacement, the highest average total abundance and species richness of Collembola were found in the arable land. Our results indicate that the majority of Collembola in this study, regardless of their dispersal type, which is related to their morphological traits, are fast dispersers, and their recovery speeds are mainly affected by habitat preferences. We suggest that the reclamation of BSAL to arable land rather than its natural recovery to grassland aids in the recovery of Collembola in degraded grassland systems.
Quantifying uncertainty in annual runoff due to missing data
Authors: See Craig R. , Green Mark B. , Yanai Ruth D. , Bailey Amey S. , Campbell John L. , Hayward Jeremy
Published: July 2020

Long-term streamflow datasets inevitably include gaps, which must be filled to allow estimates of runoff and ultimately catchment water budgets. Uncertainty introduced by filling gaps in discharge records is rarely, if ever, reported. We characterized the uncertainty due to streamflow gaps in a reference watershed at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) from 1996 to 2009 by simulating artificial gaps of varying duration and flow rate, with the objective of quantifying their contribution to uncertainty in annual streamflow. Gaps were filled using an ensemble of regressions relating discharge from nearby streams, and the predicted flow was compared to the actual flow. Differences between the predicted and actual runoff increased with both gap length and flow rate, averaging 2.8% of the runoff during the gap. At the HBEF, the sum of gaps averaged 22 days per year, with the lowest and highest annual uncertainties due to gaps ranging from 1.5 mm (95% confidence interval surrounding mean runoff) to 21.1 mm. As a percentage of annual runoff, uncertainty due to gap filling ranged from 0.2–2.1%, depending on the year. Uncertainty in annual runoff due to gaps was small at the HBEF, where infilling models are based on multiple similar catchments in close proximity to the catchment of interest. The method demonstrated here can be used to quantify uncertainty due to gaps in any long-term streamflow data set, regardless of the gap-filling model applied.
Ethyl pyruvate inhibits glioblastoma cells migration and invasion through modulation of NF-κB and ERK-mediated EMT
Authors: Huang Qing , Fu Yongming , Zhang Shan , Zhang Youxiang , Chen Simin , Zhang Zuping
Published: July 2020

Background

Glioblastoma is a grade IV glioma with the highest degree of malignancy and extremely high incidence. Because of the poor therapeutic effect of surgery and radiochemotherapy, glioblastoma has a high recurrence rate and lethality, and is one of the most challenging tumors in the field of oncology. Ethyl pyruvate (EP), a stable lipophilic pyruvic acid derivative, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and other cellular protective effects. It has been reported that EP has potent anti-tumor effects on many types of tumors, including pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, gastric cancer. However, whether EP has anti-tumor effect on glioblastoma or not is still unclear.

Methods

Glioblastoma U87 and U251 cells were treated with different concentrations of EP for 24 h or 48 h. CCK8 assay and Colony-Formation assay were performed to test the viability and proliferation. Wound-healing assay and Transwell assay were carried out to measure cell invasion and migration. Western blot was not only used to detect the protein expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related molecules, but also to detect the expression and activation levels of NF-κB (p65) and Extracellular Signal Regulated Kinase (ERK).

Results

In glioblastoma U87 and U251 cells treated with EP, the viability, proliferation, migration, invasion abilities were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. EP inhibited EMT and the activation of NF-κB (p65) and ERK. With NF-κB (p65) and ERK activated, EMT, migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells were promoted. However the activation of NF-κB (p65) and ERK were decreased, EMT, migration and invasion abilities were inhibited in U87 and U251 cells treated with EP.

Conclusion

EP inhibits glioblastoma cells migration and invasion by blocking NF-κB and ERK-mediated EMT.
Prediction of human fetal–maternal blood concentration ratio of chemicals
Authors: Wang Chia-Chi , Lin Pinpin , Chou Che-Yu , Wang Shan-Shan , Tung Chun-Wei
Published: July 2020

Background

The measurement of human fetal-maternal blood concentration ratio (logFM) of chemicals is critical for the risk assessment of chemical-induced developmental toxicity. While a few in vitro and ex vivo experimental methods were developed for predicting logFM of chemicals, the obtained experimental results are not able to directly predict in vivo outcomes.

Methods

A total of 55 chemicals with logFM values representing in vivo fetal-maternal blood ratio were divided into training and test datasets. An interpretable linear regression model was developed along with feature selection methods. Cross-validation on training dataset and prediction on independent test dataset were conducted to validate the prediction model.

Results

This study presents the first valid quantitative structure-activity relationship model following the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines based on multiple linear regression for predicting in vivo logFM values. The autocorrelation descriptor AATSC1c and information content descriptor ZMIC1 were identified as informative features for predicting logFM. After the adjustment of the applicability domain, the developed model performs well with correlation coefficients of 0.875, 0.850 and 0.847 for model fitting, leave-one-out cross-validation and independent test, respectively. The model is expected to be useful for assessing human transplacental exposure.
Prevalence of Candida albicans among Female Patients in Two Selected Hospitals in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State Southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Nwachukwu M. O. , Azorji J. N. , Onyebuagu P. C. , Adjeroh L. A. , Nmezi S. N.
Published: July 2020

The incidence of candidiasis in the female reproductive tract is a serious threat to public health. This study assesses the prevalence of Candida albicans among female patients in the two selected hospitals in Owerri metropolis. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 120 female patients between the ages of 16-56 years. Only patients who showed no symptoms of urinary tract infections and who were not on anti-fungal therapy at the time of the study were included in the study. A well-structured interview questionnaire was used to source information on socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents as well as the risk factors of Candida albicans infections. High Vaginal Swab (HVS) was aseptically collected from each of the patients, using a sterile swab stick. The collected samples were labeled appropriately and immediately sent to the microbiology/mycology lab for analysis. The HVS samples were respectively streaked directly into sabouraud agar plates and incubated anaerobically at 37oC for 48 hours. Yeast growth characteristics were noted. Positive colonies were sub-cultured in Macconkey agar to obtain pure isolates. The Candida albicans were properly identified and confirmed by germ tube test, gram staining and biochemical tests. The results showed that the overall prevalence of Candida albicans among the women was (53.34%). The prevalence was highest among the patients in the age group 16-25 (44.17%), lower education qualification (n=65, 54.17%) and pregnant women (n=44, 36.67%). The possible risk factors for the infection include use of antibiotics (n=85, 70.83%), use of nylon underwear (n=78, 65.00), use of public toilet (n=90, 75.00%), use of squat WC (n=59, 9.17%) and use of oral contraceptive (n=59, 49.17%). The results call for preventive measures to protect women. Therefore public health education and campaign should be adopted.
Sobre a morte e o morrer: concepções de profissionais de saúde envolvidos em uma investigação sobre óbito infantil em Porto Alegre
Authors: Alexandre Maria da Graça , Rocha Cristianne Maria Famer , Carvalho Paulo Roberto Antonacci
Published: July 2020

O objetivo deste artigo é analisar as concepções sobre a morte e o morrer entre profissionais de saúde envolvidos na investigação do óbito infantil. A partir de um estudo qualitativo, enfocamos agentes que integram o Comitê de Prevenção de Mortalidade Fetal Tardia e Infantil (CMI) e os que atuam na Atenção Primária em Saúde do município de Porto Alegre/RS. A coleta de dados ocorreu por pesquisa documental, observação sistemática das reuniões do CMI e entrevista individual, com base em roteiro semiestruturado. A técnica de Análise de Conteúdo Temática foi aplicada aos dados qualitativos. Dentre as diversas percepções acerca da morte e do morrer, destacamos: a morte como passagem, evento que ocorre no futuro; a morte como perda, produtora de sofrimento; a morte como finitude e a revolta em face da morte inesperada. As concepções dos participantes dessa pesquisa influenciam sua vida profissional. Os autores concluem ser necessária, para profissionais de saúde, a implementação de educação para a morte, a partir de seus questionamentos. É preciso entender a morte para lutar pela vida.
Diretivas Antecipadas de Vontade e a concepção do protagonismo do enfermeiro na visão de estudantes de Enfermagem
Authors: Godinho Maria Luzia Machado , Barlem Edison Luiz Devos , Barlem Jamila Geri Tomaschewsk , Rocha Laurelize Pereira , Cogo Silvana Bastos , Dalmolin Graziele De Lima
Published: July 2020

ObjetiEste artigo tem por objetivo apreender a percepção de estudantes de enfermagem acerca do protagonismo do enfermeiro, em relação às Diretivas Antecipadas de Vontade (DAV). Método: Estudo exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa, do qual participaram 15 estudantes de enfermagem de uma universidade pública da Região Sul do Brasil. Os dados foram coletados em outubro de 2017, a partir da metodologia de Grupo Focal, e submetidos à Análise Textual Discursiva. Resultados: os estudantes revelaram a importância de que o enfermeiro conte com conhecimentos técnico-científicos, protagonismo e autonomia no exercício de sua profissão, no que concerne às DAV. O estudo também evidenciou que o grupo investigado considera que ele deve assumir papel de interlocutor entre equipe e família, promovendo autonomia e advocacia do paciente. Considerações Finais:  a enfermagem tem um longo caminho a percorrer para consolidar as DAV. A partir de seu uso, o profissional enfermeiro pode garantir que os pacientes tenham suas vontades respeitadas pelo hospital e pelos demais profissionais de saúde.
La muerte en la institución hospitalaria
Authors: Zamora Echegollen Mayleth Alejandra , Brito Roberto Manero
Published: July 2020

El presente texto tiene como objetivo problematizar la muerte y la enfermedad en el contexto hospitalario del estado de Puebla, México, en las dos primeras décadas del siglo XXI. Para cumplir esta tarea, se han sistematizado las experiencias de tres intervenciones-investigaciones diferentes. No obstante, el material recuperado de los diarios de campo, de las observaciones participantes y de las entrevistas de estas tres investigaciones se ha organizado en torno a las categorías siguientes: muerte en el contexto hospitalario, procesos agónicos y enfermedades terminales. Por lo que será a partir de esta sistematización de experiencias que se propone un recorrido que va del pasado religioso del hospital hasta su consolidación como institución clínica, tomando como supuesto que, en dicho proceso de institucionalización, se ha tendido a negar y a ocultar fenómenos claves de la vida social, como la muerte y la enfermedad. Para lograr estos objetivos recuperamos los trabajos arqueológicos y genealógicos de Michel Foucault, en particular aquellos sobre los procesos de construcción de dispositivos sociales clínicos.
The Role of Nicotinic Receptors in the Attenuation of Autism‐Related Behaviors in a Murine BTBR T + tf/J Autistic Model
Authors: Mahmood Hafiz M. , Aldhalaan Hesham M. , Alshammari Tahani K. , Alqasem Mashael A. , Alshammari Musaad A. , Albekairi Norah A. , AlSharari Shakir D.
Published: July 2020

Nicotinic receptors are distributed throughout the central and peripheral nervous system. Postmortem studies have reported that some nicotinic receptor subtypes are altered in the brains of autistic people. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the autistic behavior of BTBR T + tf/J mouse model of autism. This study was undertaken to examine the behavioral effects of targeted nAChRs using pharmacological ligands, including nicotine and mecamylamine in BTBR T + tf/J and C57BL/6J mice in a panel of behavioral tests relating to autism. These behavioral tests included the three‐chamber social interaction, self‐grooming, marble burying, locomotor activity, and rotarod test. We examined the effect of various oral doses of nicotine (50, 100, and 400 mcg/mL; po) over a period of 2 weeks in BTBR T + tf/J mouse model. The results indicated that the chronic administration of nicotine modulated sociability and repetitive behavior in BTBR T + tf/J mice while no effects observed in C57BL/6J mice. Furthermore, the nonselective nAChR antagonist, mecamylamine, reversed nicotine effects on sociability and increased repetitive behaviors in BTBR T + tf/J mice. Overall, the findings indicate that the pharmacological modulation of nicotinic receptors is involved in modulating core behavioral phenotypes in the BTBR T + tf/J mouse model.

Lay Summary

The involvement of brain nicotinic neurotransmission system plays a crucial role in regulating autism‐related behavioral features. In addition, the brain of the autistic‐like mouse model has a low acetylcholine level. Here, we report that nicotine, at certain doses, improved sociability and reduced repetitive behaviors in a mouse model of autism, implicating the potential therapeutic values of a pharmacological intervention targeting nicotinic receptors for autism therapy. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1311–1334. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
CD30‐positive lymphomatous (nonleukemic) variant of adult T‐cell leukemia/lymphoma, HTLV‐1 associated
Authors: Podberezin Mark , Sohani Aliyah R.
Published: July 2020

Nonleukemic variant of HTLV‐1‐associated adult T‐cell leukemia lymphoma (ATLL) is a rare variant, and herein, we describe a case with strong and diffuse positivity of neoplastic cells for CD30. Even though ATLL is aggressive entity with poor prognosis, in our case, there was very good clinical response achieved with brentuximab‐containing regimen. Therefore, HTLV‐1‐associated ATLL can be included in the differential diagnostic approach of CD30‐positive lymphoproliferative disorders.
Recycling a Borate Complex for Synthesis of Polycarbonate Polyols: Towards an Environmentally Friendly and Cost‐Effective Process
Authors: Patil Naganath , Bhoopathi Senthil , Chidara Vamshi , Hadjichristidis Nikos , Gnanou Yves , Feng Xiaoshuang
Published: July 2020

In this investigation, a metal‐free process was developed that enables the synthesis of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) diols/polyols by copolymerization of CO2 with propylene epoxide (PO) under environmentally friendly and cost‐effective conditions. This process implies the recycling of triethylborane and of ammonium salts that both enter in the composition of the initiators used to copolymerize CO2 and PO. In complement to the above approach, a polymeric support, poly(diallyl dimethylammonium chloride), was synthesized and modified to carry ammonium carboxylate salts along its chain. The prepared polymeric initiator was utilized to copolymerize CO2 with PO under heterogeneous conditions. Not only were the polymerization results similar to the samples obtained under homogeneous conditions, but the polymer substrate could easily be recovered by simple filtration. The integrity of the polycarbonate diols/polyols and the recycling process were followed by 1H and 11B NMR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography, and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight (MALDI‐TOF) MS.
IoT‐based platform for environment data sharing in smart cities
Authors: Rubí Jesús Noel Suárez , de Lira Gondim Paulo Roberto
Published: July 2020

The technological development and dissemination of IoT equipment have led to large volumes of environmental data which, in some cases, are incomplete, follow different formats of representation, and even have different semantic approaches. All such aspects and the heterogeneity of different IoT components (e.g., network interfaces, communication protocols, data structure, and data semantics) have caused interoperability issues which might hamper the effectiveness of support decision systems for smart cities, where the use of big data and machine learning techniques has been considered, in addition to the exploration of smart city data. This article proposes an environment IoT‐based platform for smart cities that grants interoperability from data capture to knowledge extraction and visualization through the use of Semantic Web Technologies and the definition of an ontology for environment indicators. The components of the platform include IoT devices, gateways, cloud, and fog computing, which are used for a better application of big data techniques. A real environment quality monitoring use case was considered for the validation of the platform. Metrics, such as latency and resources consumption, were analyzed for three communication protocols, namely, MQTT, CoAP, and REST. CoAP adapter provided the best results regarding latency, RAM, and CPU consumption.
Asynchronous gateway reallocation communication in heterogeneous 5G networks
Authors: Kodavati Baburao , Ramarakula Madhu
Published: July 2020

Background

Smart vision of the world is the latest challenge believing that 5G networks could feed all of our internet device needs. The exchange of information (data) needs not to go through backhaul because lots of capabilities will be available close to where it is needed. Presently, the majority of communications are based on single‐mode transmission. Communications will be more responsive and interactive due to 5G technology. The implementation of 5G faces various problems. It is necessary to improve the network capacity by densification, increasing spectrum, and measuring the spectral efficiency. And it also needs to reduce the latency, and it must be energy efficient.

Purpose

It is fit for inter‐access service network (ASN) (asynchronous) communications due to the incapability to maintain vertical handoff communications. The need for vertical handovers hinges on various factors that need to be analyzed concurrently with the signal strength in heterogeneous wireless environment.

Methodology

Thus, it proposed to utilize a vertical handover decision algorithm centered on the priority and speed of the subscriber. Implementation confirms the claim of the proposed method to achieve better channel utilization and maintains the QoS requirements of the mobile users.

Findings

Time latency calculation, evaluation of energy utilization between different nodes, and performance analysis packet loss are evaluated.

Conclusion

Better efficiency is attained for data transmission among the users that is one mobile node to other with commercial event management and appropriate processing in each node.
Online learning reaches the next generation
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: July 2020

I asked my nine‐year‐old granddaughter what she'd been doing one day. She told me she woke up at 4 a.m. and played on her iPad until 8 a.m. Then she said, “I did my online classes.” She said it as if she'd had online classes for years. I laughed and thought, “What are you, in college?”
Investigation of cell line specific responses to pH inhomogeneity and consequences for process design
Authors: Paul Katrin , Hartmann Thomas , Posch Christoph , Behrens Dirk , Herwig Christoph
Published: July 2020

With increasing bioreactor volumes, the mixing time of the reactor increases as well, which creates an inhomogeneous environment for the cells. This can result in impaired process performance in large‐scale production reactors. Particularly the addition of base through the reactor headspace can be problematic, since it creates an area, where cells are repeatedly exposed to an increased pH. The aim of this study is to simulate this large‐scale phenomenon at lab‐scale and investigate its impact. Two different cell lines were exposed to pH amplitudes of a maximal magnitude of 0.05 units (pH of 6.95). Both cell lines showed similar responses, like decreased viable cell counts, but unaffected lactate levels. However, cell line B showed an initially increased specific productivity in response to the introduced amplitudes, whereas cell line A showed a consistently lower specific productivity. Furthermore, the time point at which base addition is started influences the impact, which pH amplitudes have on process performance. When pH control was started earlier in the process, maximal viable cell counts decreased and the lactate metabolic shift was less pronounced. These results show that the potential negative impact of pH amplitudes can be minimized by strategic process design.
Dynamic response analysis of nonlinear secondary oscillators to idealised seismic pulses
Authors: Kasinos Stavros , Lombardo Mariateresa , Makris Nicos , Palmeri Alessandro
Published: July 2020

The paper deals with the seismic response analysis of nonlinear secondary oscillators. Bilinear, sliding and rocking single‐degree‐of‐freedom dynamic systems are analysed as representative of a wide spectrum of secondary structures and nonstructural components. In the first stage, the equations governing their full dynamic interaction with linear multi‐degree‐of‐freedom primary structures are formulated, and then conveniently simplified using primary‐secondary two‐degree‐of‐freedom systems and dimensionless coefficients. In the second stage, the cascade approximation is applied, whereby the feedback action of the secondary oscillator on the primary structure is neglected. Owing to the piecewise linearity of the secondary systems being considered, efficient semi‐analytical and step‐by‐step numerical solutions are presented. The semi‐analytical solutions allow the direct evaluation of the seismic response under pulse‐type ground excitations and are also used to validate step‐by‐step numerical schemes, which in turn can be used for general‐type seismic excitations. In the third stage, a set of decoupling criteria are proposed for the pulse‐type base excitations, identifying the conditions under which a cascade analysis is admissible from an engineering standpoint. Finally, the influence and relative dependencies between the input parameters of the ground motion and the primary‐secondary assembly are quantified on the response of the secondary systems through nonlinear floor response spectra, and general trends are identified and discussed.
Further extensions of precision medicine to behavior analysis: A demonstration using functional communication training
Authors: Falligant John Michael , Hagopian Louis P.
Published: July 2020

The potential applicability of concepts and methods of the paradigm of precision medicine to the field of applied behavior analysis is only beginning to be explored. Both precision medicine and applied behavior analysis seek to understand and classify clinical problems through identification of their causal pathways. Both aim to develop treatments directly targeting those causal pathways, which also requires an understanding of the mechanisms by which treatments produce change (treatment‐action pathways). In the current study, we extend the data‐analytic methods and concepts described by Hagopian et al. (2018) toward the identification of variables that predict response to functional communication training (FCT). We discuss emerging conceptual issues, including the importance of distinguishing predictive behavioral markers from predictor variables based on their purported involvement in the causal or treatment‐action pathways. Making these discriminations is a complex undertaking that requires knowledge of these mechanisms and how they interact.
The long non‐coding RNA HLNC1 potentiates hepatocellular carcinoma progression via interaction with USP49
Authors: Qian Xinye , Li Shitong , Yang Zhoujing , Zhang Jun
Published: July 2020

Background

The hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a serious malignancy worldwide especially in China. Our transcriptome analysis identifies a novel long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) termed HLNC1. However, the function of HLNC1 in HCC remains to be determined.

Methods

Novel lncRNAs were screened using lncRNA profiling. Relative expression was quantified by qRT‐PCR. In vitro experiments such as migration and viability assays were performed. In vivo implantation experiments were conducted to investigate tumorigenic functions. RNA‐RNA interaction assay was performed to determine USP49 as HLNC1 binding partner.

Results

We found that HLNC1 was markedly upregulated in HCC samples and cell lines. HLNC1 could promote viability and migration of HCC cells. Meanwhile, we could also observe an oncogenic effect of HLNC1 in vivo. By RNA‐RNA interaction assay, we unraveled USP49 transcript as the HLNC1 binding partner. HLNC1‐USP49 interaction dramatically destabilized USP49. Heat‐shock factor 1 (HSF1) was shown to directly induce HLNC1 expression. The therapeutic potential of targeting HLNC1 was investigated using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). The ASO construct which significantly depleted HLNC1 expression could strongly attenuate xenograft tumor growth.

Conclusions

Our data suggested that HLNC1 may advance HCC progression and act as a potential target for intervention.
A Study of a Novel Synergy Definition for Ternary CB/CNT Composites Suggesting a Representative Model for CB and CNT
Authors: Yang Guanda , Schubert Dirk W. , Nilsson Fritjof , Qu Muchao , Redel Michael
Published: July 2020

For polymer composites containing two types of conductive fillers, the electrical conductivity can be predicted with a ternary mixing equation. However, a slight deviation from the foreseen trend is recently observed for ternary polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) nanocomposites containing carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon black (CB). In this study, the reason for the deviation is examined. Representative composite geometries are generated with Monte‐Carlo technique and the composite conductivity is calculated with Finite Element Modeling (FEM) Traditional FEM strategies would give results resembling the ternary mixing equation, but when the CB particles are modeled as solid spheres whereas the CNT are modeled as solid cylinders surrounded by soft, conductive shells, the composite conductivity gained the same shape as observed experimentally. One possible interpretation is that a small geometrical rearrangement of the CNT fibers has a larger impact on the composite conductivity than a corresponding movement of the spherical CB particles. As a consequence, the CNT/CB/PMMA nanocomposite exhibits a special kind of synergy (“synergism”), caused by the grape‐shaped morphology. These findings can be utilized in the future development and optimization of conductive polymer nanocomposites.
Direct analysis of surface chemicals using vibrating sharp‐edge spray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Ranganathan Nandhini , Lozier Austin M. , Rawson Michael C. , Johnson Matthew B. , Li Peng
Published: July 2020

Rationale

Direct analysis of chemicals on a surface using mass spectrometry (MS) is of great importance in forensics, food and drug safety, environmental monitoring, and defense. Solvent extraction–based surface analysis offers a convenient way of controlling the desorption conditions and applying internal standards. To date, it mainly relies on a separate electrospray process to nebulize and ionize the solvents. Here, we report a simple and stand‐alone ionization system for the solvent extraction–based surface analysis without the need for high voltage, based on vibrating sharp‐edge spray ionization (VSSI).

Methods

We modified the original VSSI device and developed a stand‐alone, integrated surface sampling, and ionization system for MS analysis. By incorporating a micropipette‐based solvent dispenser with the VSSI device, the new system performs solvent extraction and ionization, and still maintains a small footprint.

Results

We demonstrated a four order‐of‐magnitude linear response for glucose spotted on a glass surface with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1 pg/mm2. We further characterized the performance of this method with a series of compounds and demonstrated a similar LOD to literature values obtained by desorption electrospray ionization. Finally, we applied this method to quantitatively measure the concentration of a pesticide ametryn on spinach surfaces. We demonstrated good linearity (R2 = 0.99) for ametryn with surface densities in the range of 8–800 pg/mm2 and an LOD of 9 pg/mm2.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated a simple, effective, direct ambient‐ionization method that is highly sensitive to molecules on a wide range of surfaces. The flexibility, small footprint, low cost, and voltage‐free nature of this method make it an attractive technique for direct surface sample analysis using MS.
Graphene Oxide as a Metal‐free Carbocatalyst for Direct Amide Synthesis from Carboxylic Acid and Amine Under Solvent‐Free Reaction Condition
Authors: Patel Khushbu P. , Gayakwad Eknath M. , Shankarling Ganapati S.
Published: July 2020

Herein, a highly efficient, metal‐free, carbocatalyst, graphene oxide (GO) has been screened for the direct amidation of carboxylic acids with amines. The present catalytic system accessed a broad range of substrates to afford amides in excellent yields. A plausible reaction mechanism involving H‐bonding with the reactants is described. Furthermore, the GO can be recycled and reused up to five cycles without substantial loss in catalytic activity.
Synthesis of Size‐Controllable Lignin‐Based Nanosperes and Its Application in Electrical Double Layer Capacitors
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhu Youyu , Jiao Miaolun , Zhang Jie , Chen Mingming , Wang Chengyang
Published: July 2020

As one of the most popular biomass materials, lignin is mainly used for incineration for providing heat. However, the large amount of CO2 emission results in serious environmental pollutions. To avoid the environmental issues, the transformation of lignin into high value‐added products has attracted increasing attention. In this study, a simple strategy is introduced to prepare lignin‐based nanospheres in acetone/water binary solution and the mechanisms related to the particle formation and particle size‐control are studied. By adjusting the ratio of solvent (acetone/water =55%‐95%) and the initial concentration of lignin (0.25%‐2.5%), the particle size of lignin microspheres ranges from 100 nm to 4 μm. After activation, the lignin microspheres with high specific surface area (2566 m2 g−1) and suitable pore size distribution are applied in electrical double layer capacitors (EDLCs). Among all the prepared samples, the activated lignin microspheres in nanoscale exhibit the best electrochemical performance in EDLCs. It displays a high gravimetric specific capacitance of 147 and 150 F g−1 at the current density of 0.05 A g−1, and maintains 117 and 108 F g−1 even at the higher current density of 10 A g−1 in 1 M TEABF4/PC electrolyte and [EMIM]BF4 ionic liquid, respectively. Therefore, the activated lignin‐based nanospheres can realize the high value‐added utilization of lignin, and have great prospects in the field of energy storage.
The RecoDust Process—Upscale of a Pilot Plant
Authors: Reiter Wolfgang , Rieger Johannes , Lasser Marlene , Raupenstrauch Harald , Tappeiner Tamara
Published: July 2020

The RecoDust process is a pyrometallurgical approach for the treatment of heavy metal–containing basic oxygen furnace dusts (BOFD) and delivers two products without any residues: the iron rich RecoDust slag and a zinc rich filter dust, called crude zinc oxide (CZO). The state of the art Waelz process has some disadvantages and is only suitable for dusts with zinc contents >15%. Within the frame of a project of the Austrian competence center program K1‐MET and with financial support of voestalpine Stahl, a RecoDust pilot plant is operated at the Chair of Thermal Processing technology at the Montanuniversitaet Leoben and has shown good dezincification rates of BOFD in eleven smelting campaigns with a throughput up to 300 kg h−1. The target is the design of an industrial plant with a throughput capacity of 1000 kg h−1 in the next years. For the upscale, a new pneumatic conveying system was installed at the pilot plant, which uses natural gas as conveying medium. The commissioning of the developed pilot plant was successful and revealed a good product quality of the CZO. An enhanced dezincification of the RecoDust slag is one open challenge, therefore the dust feed conveying must be more precise.
Beyond the Pathogen: Social and Behavioral Aspects of COVID‐19
Authors: Lupia Arthur
Published: July 2020

COVID‐19 presents an existential challenge for millions of people and a generational challenge for the globe. Scientific research is the primary vehicle in humanity's attempts to understand the virus and mitigate its effects. Research on the pathogen is critically important. At the same time, COVID‐19's consequences are due to more than the pathogen. Social and behavioral science research is essential in understanding how to achieve the highest possible health and safety levels, and how to preserve and improve quality of life, within complex and interdependent societies. This article describes the social sciences’ role in this challenge and offers examples of its insights.
Utility of Taking Additional Margins When Performing Breast‐Conserving Surgery with Intraoperative Radiation Therapy for Early Breast Cancer
Authors: Broman Kristy Kummerow , Joya Luis , Sun Weihong , Zhou Jun‐min , Fridley Brooke , Javedan Khosrow , Diaz Roberto , Laronga Christine
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is an alternative to external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) after lumpectomy, in which radiation is delivered before the final margin analysis. Practices vary regarding excision of close or positive margins pre‐ and post‐IORT.

Materials and methods

In a retrospective cohort of women with hormone receptor‐positive, clinically node‐negative breast cancer undergoing lumpectomy with IORT and selective EBRT at our institution from 2011 to 2015, we compared the impact of pre‐ and post‐IORT margin excisions on in‐breast tumor recurrence. Additional pre‐IORT margins were taken at surgical team discretion. Re‐excisions post‐IORT were performed for positive/close margins. We describe rate of invasive or in situ malignancy in additional pre‐IORT and post‐IORT re‐excised specimens and compare IBTR using Chi‐squared tests.

Results

There were 195 cases in 193 women (2 bilateral breast cancer). Pre‐IORT, ≥1 additional margin was obtained in 139 (71%). The final margin on the initial lumpectomy was positive in 13 (9%) and ≤2 mm in 72 (52%). Additional pre‐IORT margins contained in situ/invasive cancer in 16 (12%). Thirty‐one patients (16%) underwent post‐IORT re‐excision and nine (29%) contained invasive/in situ malignancy. Twenty‐three (12%) received EBRT. In 45.6‐month mean follow‐up, 13 had IBTR (7%) with no difference by additional pre‐IORT margin excision (5 vs. 11%, p = 0.150), post‐IORT margin re‐excision (10 vs. 6%, p = 0.464), or EBRT (0 vs. 8%, p = 0.172). Adjuvant endocrine therapy was associated with lower IBTR (4 vs. 17%, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Taking additional pre‐IORT margins and re‐excising close/positive margins post‐IORT improved margin clearance rates but had an unclear effect on IBTR. Adjuvant endocrine therapy significantly reduced IBTR.
Does Archaeology Stink? Detecting Smell in the Past Using Headspace Sampling Techniques
Authors: Malik Rose
Published: July 2020

Smell is a language, communicative and interpretive. Firmly embedded in the physical, social, emotional, and semantic context, odor emanates as existential expression that is integral and idiosyncratic to human culture, behaviors, and practices. Advances in scientific techniques allows for odor to be used as primary source evidence. Focusing on a ground-breaking technique, headspace sampling provides direct access to ancient odor molecules for analysis. This paper explores how empirical information permits entry into previously unexplored sensorial sociocultural avenues that enable deeper, richer models of archaeological interpretation.
Police Legitimacy and the Norm to Cooperate: Using a Mixed Effects Location-Scale Model to Estimate the Strength of Social Norms at a Small Spatial Scale
Authors: Jackson Jonathan , Brunton-Smith Ian , Bradford Ben , Oliveira Thiago R. , Pósch Krisztián , Sturgis Patrick
Published: July 2020

Objectives

Test whether cooperation with the police can be modelled as a place-based norm that varies in strength from one neighborhood to the next. Estimate whether perceived police legitimacy predicts an individual’s willingness to cooperate in weak-norm neighborhoods, but not in strong-norm neighborhoods where most people are either willing or unwilling to cooperate, irrespective of their perceptions of police legitimacy.

Methods

A survey of 1057 individuals in 98 relatively high-crime English neighborhoods defined at a small spatial scale measured (a) willingness to cooperate using a hypothetical crime vignette and (b) legitimacy using indicators of normative alignment between police and citizen values. A mixed-effects, location-scale model estimated the cluster-level mean and cluster-level variance of willingness to cooperate as a neighborhood-level latent variable. A cross-level interaction tested whether legitimacy predicts individual-level willingness to cooperate only in neighborhoods where the norm is weak.

Results

Willingness to cooperate clustered strongly by neighborhood. There were neighborhoods with (1) high mean and low variance, (2) high mean and high variance, (3) (relatively) low mean and low variance, and (4) (relatively) low mean and high variance. Legitimacy was only a positive predictor of cooperation in neighborhoods that had a (relatively) low mean and high variance. There was little variance left to explain in neighborhoods where the norm was strong.

Conclusions

Findings support a boundary condition of procedural justice theory: namely, that cooperation can be modelled as a place-based norm that varies in strength from neighborhood to neighborhood and that legitimacy only predicts an individual’s willingness to cooperate in neighborhoods where the norm is relatively weak.
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Robust Minimal Solutions in Uncertain Vector Optimization
Authors: Studniarski Marcin , Michalak Anna , Stasiak Aleksandra
Published: July 2020

We introduce a new notion of a vector-based robust minimal solution for a vector-valued uncertain optimization problem, which is defined by means of some open cone. We present necessary and sufficient conditions for this kind of solution, which are stated in terms of some directional derivatives of vector-valued functions. To prove these results, we apply the methods of set-valued analysis. We also study relations between our definition and three other known optimality concepts. Finally, for the case of scalar optimization, we present two general algorithm models for computing vector-based robust minimal solutions.
Mental Well-being Among Workers: A Cross-national Analysis of Job Insecurity Impact on the Workforce
Authors: Russo Concetta , Terraneo Marco
Published: July 2020

Drawing on 2011 and 2016European Quality of Life Surveydata from eight European countries, this paper considers the importance of subjective indicators of employment conditions in impacting mental well-being. Among employment conditions, job insecurity has been discussed as having a negative impact on mental well-being by enhancing the worker’s sense of unpredictability. The idea of losing one’s job brings with it the fear of an uncertain or unclear future and the sense of lack of agency—i.e. feeling powerless with respect to the risk of becoming unemployed. Thus, we investigate two dimensions of job insecurity, namely ‘cognitive job insecurity’ and ‘labour market insecurity’. Our dependent variable is mental health well-being, measured using the 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5), which is a self-reported health scale validated by several studies and internationally adopted for measuring psychological well-being. We apply a fixed-effects model and use a set of individual control variables to obtain parameter estimates. Moreover, to control for country-level heterogeneity, two macro-level variables are considered: the type of welfare regime and employment protection. The novelty of this research lies in disentangling the concept of precariousness from the dichotomy of open-ended/non-open-ended contract and in including in the analysis subjective categories such as self-perceived job insecurity. The findings of our study suggest that self-perceived job insecurity is negatively related to mental well-being for both permanent and temporary workers, making this stressor an important feature in predicting the emergence of psychological distress (i.e. feelings of anxiety or depression) among the workforce.
Exploring the Structure–Activity Relationship on Platinum Nanoparticles
Authors: Braunwarth Laura , Jung Christoph , Jacob Timo
Published: July 2020

The design of active and stable Pt-based nanoscale electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays the central role in ameliorating the efficiency of proton exchange membrane fuel-cells towards future energy applications. On that front, theoretical studies have contributed significantly to this research area by gaining deeper insights and understanding of the ongoing processes. In this work, we present an approach capable of characterizing differently-shaped platinum nanoparticles undergoing thermally- and adsorbate-induced restructuring of the surface. Further, by performing ReaxFF-Grand Canonical Molecular Dynamics simulations we explored the water formation on these roughened (“realistic”) nanoparticles in a H2/O2environment. Taking into consideration the coverage of oxygen-containing intermediates and occurring surface roughening the nanoparticles’ activities were explored. Hereby, we succeeded in locally resolving the water formation on the nanoparticles’ surfaces, allowing an allocation of the active sites for H2O production. We observed that exposed, low-coordinated sites as well as pit-shaped sites originating from roughening of vertices and edges are most active towards H2O formation.
Treatment of COVID-19 Pneumonia: the Case for Placenta-derived Cell Therapy
Authors: Berishvili Ekaterine , Kaiser Laurent , Cohen Marie , Berney Thierry , Scholz Hanne , Floisand Yngvar , Mattsson Jonas
Published: July 2020

Nearly 500’000 fatalities due to COVID-19 have been reported globally and the death toll is still rising. Most deaths are due to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), as a result of an excessive immune response and a cytokine storm elicited by severe SARS-CoV-2 lung infection, rather than by a direct cytopathic effect of the virus. In the most severe forms of the disease therapies should aim primarily at dampening the uncontrolled inflammatory/immune response responsible for most fatalities. Pharmacological agents - antiviral and anti-inflammatory molecules - have not been able so far to achieve compelling results for the control of severe COVID-19 pneumonia. Cells derived from the placenta and/or fetal membranes, in particular amniotic epithelial cells (AEC) and decidual stromal cells (DSC), have established, well-characterized, potent anti-inflammatory and immune-modulatory properties that make them attractive candidates for a cell-based therapy of COVID19 pneumonia. Placenta-derived cells are easy to procure from a perennial source and pose minimal ethical issues for their utilization. In view of the existing clinical evidence for the innocuousness and efficiency of systemic administration of DSCs or AECs in similar conditions, we advocate for the initiation of clinical trials using this strategy in the treatment of severe COVID-19 disease.