bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Identification of oxytocin-related lncRNAs and assessment of their expression in breast cancer
Authors: Behtaji Sepehr , Ghafouri-Fard Soudeh , Sayad Arezou , Sattari Ali , Rederstorff Mathieu , Taheri Mohammad 
Published: March 2021

AbstractOxytocin is a neuropeptide released by the central nervous system. A number of studies have demonstrated the role of this neuropeptide in the pathogenesis of breast cancer. In the present project, we have identified mRNA coding genes and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that are associated with this pathway through an in-silico strategy, and measured their expression in a cohort of Iranian females affected with this type of malignancy. Expression levels of OXTR, FOS, ITPR1, RCAN1, CAMK2D, CACNA2D and lnc_ZFP161 were significantly down-regulated in breast cancer tissues compared with nearby non-cancerous tissues. On the other hand, expression of lnc_MTX2 was higher in breast cancer tissues compared with controls. Expression of lnc_TNS1 and lnc_FOXF1 were not different between these two kinds of samples. Expression of CACNA2D was associated with mitotic rate and PR status (P values = 3.02E−02 and 2.53E−02, respectively). Expression of other oxytocin-related genes was not associated with clinicopathological parameters. FOS and ITPR1 had the highest AUC value among the oxytocin-related genes. Combination of expression profiles of all oxytocin-related genes increased the AUC value to 0.75. However, the combinatorial sensitivity and specificity values were lower than some individual genes. In the breast cancer tissues, the most robust correlations have been detected between lnc_ZFP161/ lnc_FOXF1, CAMK2D/ lnc_ZFP161 and CAMK2D / lnc_FOXF1 (r = 0.86, 0.71 and 0.64 respectively). In the non-cancerous tissues, the strongest correlation was detected between lnc_FOXF1/lnc_MTX2 and lnc_ZFP161/CAMK2D respectively (r = 0.78 and 0.65). Taken together, oxytocin-associated genes have been dysregulated in breast cancer tissues. Moreover, the correlation ratio between these genes is connected with the existence of cancer.
A non-canonical function for Centromere-associated protein-E controls centrosome integrity and orientation of cell division
Authors: Owa Mikito , Dynlacht Brian 
Published: March 2021

AbstractCentromere-associated protein-E (CENP-E) is a kinesin motor localizing at kinetochores. Although its mitotic functions have been well studied, it has been challenging to investigate direct consequences of CENP-E removal using conventional methods because CENP-E depletion resulted in mitotic arrest. In this study, we harnessed an auxin-inducible degron system to achieve acute degradation of CENP-E. We revealed a kinetochore-independent role for CENP-E that removes pericentriolar material 1 (PCM1) from centrosomes in late S/early G2 phase. After acute loss of CENP-E, centrosomal Polo-like kinase 1 (Plk1) localization is abrogated through accumulation of PCM1, resulting in aberrant phosphorylation and destabilization of centrosomes, which triggers shortened astral microtubules and oblique cell divisions. Furthermore, we also observed centrosome and cell division defects in cells from a microcephaly patient with mutations in CENPE. Orientation of cell division is deregulated in some microcephalic patients, and our unanticipated findings provide additional insights into how microcephaly can result from centrosomal defects.
Amadori rearrangement products as potential biomarkers for inborn errors of amino-acid metabolism
Authors: van Outersterp Rianne E. , Moons Sam J. , Engelke Udo F. H. , Bentlage Herman , Peters Tessa M. A. , van Rooij Arno , Huigen Marleen C. D. G. , de Boer Siebolt , van der Heeft Ed , Kluijtmans Leo A. J. , van Karnebeek Clara D. M. , Wevers Ron A. , Berden Giel , Oomens Jos , Boltje Thomas J. , Coene Karlien L. M. , Martens Jonathan 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThe identification of disease biomarkers plays a crucial role in developing diagnostic strategies for inborn errors of metabolism and understanding their pathophysiology. A primary metabolite that accumulates in the inborn error phenylketonuria is phenylalanine, however its levels do not always directly correlate with clinical outcomes. Here we combine infrared ion spectroscopy and NMR spectroscopy to identify the Phe-glucose Amadori rearrangement product as a biomarker for phenylketonuria. Additionally, we find analogous amino acid-glucose metabolites formed in the body fluids of patients accumulating methionine, lysine, proline and citrulline. Amadori rearrangement products are well-known intermediates in the formation of advanced glycation end-products and have been associated with the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus and ageing, but are now shown to also form under conditions of aminoacidemia. They represent a general class of metabolites for inborn errors of amino acid metabolism that show potential as biomarkers and may provide further insight in disease pathophysiology.
Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs): an overview toward clinical applications
Authors: Wang Xiuxiu , Shen Xiaoyue , Yan Yuting , Li Hongmin 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK) can regulate the catalytic activity of pyruvate decarboxylation oxidation via the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, and it further links glycolysis with the tricarboxylic acid cycle and ATP generation. This review seeks to elucidate the regulation of PDK activity in different species, mainly mammals, and the role of PDK inhibitors in preventing increased blood glucose, reducing injury caused by myocardial ischemia, and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells. Regulations of PDKs expression or activity represent a very promising approach for treatment of metabolic diseases including diabetes, heart failure, and cancer. The future research and development could be more focused on the biochemical understanding of the diseases, which would help understand the cellular energy metabolism and its regulation by pharmacological effectors of PDKs.
Lactic acid bacteria: little helpers for many human tasks
Authors: Sauer Michael , Han Nam Soo 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of highly specialised bacteria specifically adapted to a diverse range of habitats. They are found in the gut of humans and other animals, in many food fermentations, and on plants. Their natural specialisation in close relation to human activities make them particularly interesting from an industrial point of view. They are relevant not only for traditional food fermentations, but also as probiotics, potential therapeutics and cell factories for the production of many different products. Many new tools and methods are being developed to analyse and modify these microorganisms. This review shall give an overview highlighting some of the most striking characteristics of lactic acid bacteria and our approaches to harness their potential in many respects – from home made food to industrial chemical production, from probiotic activities to the most modern cancer treatments and vaccines.
Quantifying Bolus Residue and Its Risks in Children: A Videofluoroscopic Study
Authors: Dharmarathna Isuru , Miles Anna , Allen Jacqui 
Published: March 2021

Purpose
Postswallow residue is a clinical sign of swallow impairment and has shown a strong association with aspiration. Videofluoroscopy (videofluoroscopic study of swallowing [VFSS]) is commonly used to visualize oropharyngeal swallowing and to identify pharyngeal residue. However, subjective binary observation (present or absent) fails to provide important information on volume or location and lacks objectivity and reproducibility. Reliable judgment of changes in residue over time and with treatment is therefore challenging. We aimed to (a) determine the reliability of quantifying pharyngeal residue in children using the bolus clearance ratio (BCR), (b) determine associations between BCR and other timing and displacement measures of oropharyngeal swallowing, and (c) explore the association between BCR and penetration–aspiration in children.

Method
In this single-center retrospective observational study, we obtained a set of quantitative and descriptive VFSS measures from 553 children (0–21 years old) using a standard protocol. VFSS data were recorded at 30 frames per second for quantitative analysis using specialized software.

Results

Good interrater (ICC = .86, 95% CI [.74, .961],
p
< .001) and excellent intrarater reliability was achieved for BCR (ICC = .97, 95% CI [.91, 1.000],
p
= 001). Significant correlations between BCR and pharyngeal constriction ratio and total pharyngeal transit time were reported (
p
< .05). Using binomial logistic regression modeling, we found BCR was predictive of penetration–aspiration in children, χ
2
(13) = 58.093,
p
< .001, 64.9%. Children with BCR of ≥ 0.1 were 4 times more likely to aspirate.

Conclusion
BCR is a reliable, clinically useful measure to quantify postswallow residue in children, which can be used to identify and treat children with swallow impairments, as well as to measure outcomes of intervention.
Infographics in TIVA
Authors: Chokshi Tushar M. 
Published: March 2021

AbstractInfographics are a new way of visually communicating information in a colorful and concise manner. They are becoming very popular in medical field since the last decade. Through infographics, one can understand the subjects through text, graphics, and images. Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) is a technique of general anesthesia (GA) given via intravenous (IV) route exclusively. In perspective of infographics, TIVA is far more understandable through its simple format. TIVA is also more advantageous than inhalational anesthesia. It avoids the deleterious effects of immunosuppressant and lacks any respiratory irritation, thus providing a good alternative anesthesia technique. Many peripheral surgeries can be done with the patient breathing spontaneously without any airway device, thus avoiding airway instrumentation, leading to droplet and aerosol generation. IV agents can be utilized to provide sedation during regional anesthesia (RA), which can easily be escalated to contain pain due to sparing of blocks or receding neuraxial anesthesia. The present narrative review focuses on the infographics in TIVA technique, providing highlights pertaining to its importance.
Brokerage at the science–policy interface: from conceptual framework to practical guidance
Authors: Gluckman Peter D. , Bardsley Anne , Kaiser Matthias 
Published: March 2021

AbstractThis article analyses the conceptual framework of brokerage at the science–policy interface as an important boundary function to support trusted and transparent government decision-making. Policymaking involves a broad range of considerations, but science advice and evidence is critical to help inform decisions. However, mechanisms for requesting and receiving advice from the scientific community are not straightforward, considering that the knowledge needed generally spans multiple disciplines of the natural and social sciences. Once evidence has been appropriately synthesized, there remains the need to ensure an effective and unbiased translation to the policy and political community. The concept of knowledge brokerage revolves around an understanding of the ontologies, cultures and languages of both the policy community and the science community, in order to effectively link the two bidirectionally. In practical terms, this means ensuring that the information needs of the former are understood, and that the type and form of information offered by the latter aligns with those needs. Ideally, knowledge brokers act at the interface between researchers/experts and decision-makers to present evidence in a way that informs policy options but does not determine policy development. Conceptually, negotiating this interface involves acknowledging that values are embedded in the scientific process and evidentiary synthesis, and in particular, in considering the inferential risks inherent in making evidence claims. Brokers are faced with navigating complex policy dynamics and balancing information asymmetries between research providers and users. Building on the conceptual analysis and examination of the nuances of brokerage observed in practice, we propose a set of guidelines to translate the concepts of brokerage to practical application.
Structural chemistry of host – guest molecular architectures based on mercury-containing macrocycles
Authors: Dolgushin Fedor M. , Eremenko Igor L. 
Published: March 2021

Abstract

Metallomacrocycles that include several metal ions with the Lewis acid properties are peculiar antipodes of crown ethers (referred to as ‘anticrowns’ in the literature). Recently these architectures have been extensively investigated when searching for efficient and selective anion receptors. In this review, we analyze the data on the molecular and crystal structures of supramolecular complexes of mercury-containing macrocycles (hosts) with anions or neutral nucleophiles (guests). The emphasis is on the identification and systematization of the structure types of complexes in dependence of the guest molecule nature, as well as the macrocycle composition and structure. The factors affecting the selectivity of coordination and competitive ability of various electron donor moieties of guest molecules to binding to the macrocycle are considered. The data in the literature on the nonvalent host – guest and host – host interactions, which are responsible for the formation of molecular complexes and their supramolecular association in crystals, are analyzed. The formulated structural regularities of these coordination compounds with an unusual type of molecular architecture open ways to design directly promising molecular materials on their basis.
The bibliography includes 161 references.
State transitions among groups of cyclists in cycling points races
Authors: Okumura Fumihiro , Yokoyama Keiko , Yamamoto Yuji 
Published: March 2021

ABSTRACTThis study analyzed the global state of groups formed by cyclists competing in three different points races and considered the behaviour of individual cyclists in those races. We measured the time difference between the front cyclist and the other cyclists when they crossed the centrelines of home and back straights in order to quantify the global configuration of cyclists in terms of their density and features of states, extracted using principal components analysis (PCA). We examined whether the group separation and group density that characterize the cycling race can be extracted by PCA. We interpreted the PCA results to explain the separation and density of the group using the first and second principal components. Then, we defined the state of configuration of the cyclists in each lap in the plane of the first and second principal components. Subsequently, the state transition probabilities were obtained. States 1, 2, 3, and 4 corresponded to the third, second, first, and fourth quadrants, respectively. State 1 represented a state comprising one dense group, state 2 represented one stretched group, state 3 represented a divided group, and state 4 represented an escape group far from a single dense group.
Highlights
An approach to understand the collective behaviour of cycling points races through principal component analysis was effective for quantifying the configuration of the cyclists.
Principal component analysis of the global configuration of the cyclists in the points races revealed the fission‐fusion dynamics was characterized by two components. The density of a group and number of groups, and transitions among four states was defined by these two components.
State transition probabilities indicate that the group separation states were more frequent in the latter half of the sprint interval, and it was difficult to re‐combine the separated groups into one.
The riders and coaches need to be aware of the stretching and separation of the group, even if it does not occur immediately before the sprint as the positioning of a cyclist in the group would be important at that time.
Mechanical apparatus for the fold catastrophe demonstration
Authors: Fiolhais M , Golli B , Nogueira R 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
We present and discuss a non-expensive mechanical experiment which is very suitable for a classroom demonstration of the fold catastrophe behaviour. The apparatus consists of a bar attached to a pulley, to which a hanging body is connected by means of a thread wrapped around its rim. The system may perform stable oscillations or, else, the body may continuously fall down, while the pulley executes a sequence of 360° rotations. This behaviour is analysed in connection with the shape of the potential, which is a good example of a fold catastrophe potential. For the system to perform stable oscillations, that shape reminds a clothes washboard, with local maxima and minima, a potential well known in superconducting quantum computing. We provide some hints for the instructor to explore the device in lab classes.
An original Pitot-static probe design for subsonic boundary layer investigation
Authors: Tescaroli E , Belan M 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
This work presents a Pitot-static probe designed and developed to help in some boundary layer (BL) measurements, as for instance when average velocity profiles are required around models already available for wind tunnel tests but not provided with static pressure taps. The probe reads both total and static pressures at the desired location and by traversing it through the BL leads to the desired velocity measurements on the body under test, without having to rebuild the model and without using more expensive and complicated techniques. The probe is presented by describing its geometry in detail and completing the information by the relevant operating instructions. The probe response is then characterized by reporting its directional sensitivity and a validation for a standard test case. The specific probe presented here is suitable for a certain range of BL thicknesses, however the design can be easily scaled to different ranges.
Enhanced dielectric and conductivity properties of carbon-coated SiC nanocomposites in the terahertz frequency range
Authors: Huang Feirong , Fan Shuting , Li Xiyang , Qu Xinghao , Tian Yuqi , Zhang Xuefeng , Zhang Zhidong , Dong Xinglong , Cao Tun 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
C-coated SiC nanocomposites (SiC@C NCs) were one-step synthesized under a mixture atmosphere of Ar and CH4 using a DC arc-discharge plasma method. The microstructure of the composites could be controlled by varying the volume ratio of Ar and CH4. A strong response to the terahertz (THz) field was observed due to the existence of a graphite shell. The dielectric properties of SiC@C NCs can be enhanced by altering the thickness of the graphite shell. The thicker graphite shell results in a stronger absorption of THz waves and an enhanced real part of conductivity. Fitting the measured conductivity data using the Drude–Smith model reveals that the carrier transport in the SiC@C NCs and its counterpart, the SiC nanoparticles, is dominated by backscattering. The SiC@C NCs with enhanced conductivity are believed to be fundamental materials for various functionalized optoelectronic devices.
Photocatalytic mechanism and performance of a novel wool flake–BiFeO3 nanosheet–TiO2 core–shell-structured composite photocatalyst
Authors: Chen Tianyu , Zhang Hui , Han Ye , Gu Haoshuai , Yang Limeng , Wu Hailiang , Mao Ningtao 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
In this study, BiFeO3 (BFO) nanosheets ground from BFO particles were first incorporated with wool flakes to construct sandwich-like wool–BFO composites using the vibration-assisted ball milling technique in freezing conditions. The wool–BFO composites were then loaded with a thick layer of TiO2 nanoparticles to prepare the core–shell-structured wool–BFO–TiO2 composites using a hydrothermal synthesis process. The microstructure of the core–shell wool–BFO–TiO2 composites and its photocatalytic applications were systematically examined using a series of characterization methods. Trapping experiments and electron spin resonance spectra were also employed to judge the active radical species like superoxide radicals (·O2
−), singlet oxygen (1O2), holes (h+), and hydroxyl radicals (·OH) using benzoquinone, furfuryl alcohol, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid, and tert-butanol as the scavengers, respectively. The photodegradation performance of the wool–BFO–TiO2 composites was measured using more resistant methyl orange (MO) dye as the pollutant model. In comparison with the wool–TiO2 or wool–BFO composites, the superior photocatalytic properties of the wool–BFO–TiO2 composites under visible light irradiation were attributed to the presence of mesopores and macropores, the large specific surface area and intimate interface between wool–BFO composites and TiO2 nanoparticles, the coexistence of Fe3+, Fe2+, Bi3+, Bi(3–x)+, Ti4+, and Ti3+species, and the strong visible light harvesting, thus leading to the fast separation of photogenerated electron–hole pairs. The wool–BFO–TiO2 composites could be used for the repeated photodegradation of organic pollutants and be recycled easily using a magnet. The active radical species of the wool–BFO–TiO2 composites were ·O2
− and 1O2 rather than ·OH and h+, which were involved in the photodegradation of MO dye under visible light irradiation.
Preparation of single crystalline AlN thin films on ZnO nanostructures by atomic layer deposition at low temperature
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Tao Jia-Jia , Chen Hong-Yan , Lu Hong-Liang 
Published: March 2021

Abstract
The growth of hetero-epitaxial ZnO-AlN core–shell nanowires (NWs) and single crystalline AlN films on non-polar ZnO substrate at temperature of 380 °C by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was investigated. Structural characterization shows that the AlN shells have excellent single-crystal properties. The epitaxial relationship of [0002]ZnO//[0002]AlN, and [10−10]ZnO//[10−10]AlN between ZnO core and AlN shell has been obtained. The ZnO NW templates were subsequently removed by annealing treatment in forming gas, resulting in ordered arrays of AlN single-crystal nanotubes. The impact factors on the epitaxial growth of AlN films are thoroughly investigated. It turned out that the growth parameters including lattice mismatch between substrate and AlN, growth temperature, and the polarity of ZnO substrate play important roles on the growth of single-crystal AlN films by ALD. Finally, non-polar AlN films with single-crystalline structure have been successfully grown on m-plane ZnO (10−10) single-crystal substrates. The as-grown hollow AlN nanotubes arrays and non-polar AlN films with single-crystalline structures are suggested to be highly promising for applications in nanoscale devices. Our research has developed a potential method to obtain other inorganic nanostructures and films with single-crystalline structure at fairly low temperature.