Basic Findings Research Articles

Visual memory benefits from prolonged encoding time regardless of stimulus type.

It is generally assumed that the storage capacity of visual working memory (VWM) is limited, holding about 3-4 items. Recent work with real-world objects, however, has challenged this view by providing evidence that the VWM capacity for real-world objects is not fixed but instead increases with prolonged encoding time (Brady, Störmer, & Alvarez, 2016). Critically, in this study, no increase with prolonged encoding time was observed for storing simple colors. Brady et al. (2016) argued that the larger capacity for real-world objects relative to colors is due to the additional conceptual information of real-world objects. With basically the same methods of Brady et al., in Experiments 1-3, we were unable to replicate their basic findings. Instead, we found that visual memory for simple colors also benefited from prolonged encoding time. Experiment 4 showed that the scale of the encoding time benefit was the same for familiar and unfamiliar objects, suggesting that the added conceptual information does not contribute to this benefit. We conclude that visual memory benefits from prolonged encoding time regardless of stimulus type. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Displacements Monitoring over Czechia by IT4S1 System for Automatised Interferometric Measurements Using Sentinel-1 Data

The Sentinel-1 satellite system continuously observes European countries at a relatively high revisit frequency of six days per orbital track. Given the Sentinel-1 configuration, most areas in Czechia are observed every 1–2 days by different tracks in a moderate resolution. This is attractive for various types of analyses by various research groups. The starting point for interferometric (InSAR) processing is an original data provided in a Single Look Complex (SLC) level. This work represents advantages of storing data augmented to a specifically corrected level of data, SLC-C. The presented database contains Czech nationwide Sentinel-1 data stored in burst units that have been pre-processed to the state of a consistent well-coregistered dataset of SLC-C. These are resampled SLC data with their phase values reduced by a topographic phase signature, ready for fast interferometric analyses (an interferogram is generated by a complex conjugate between two stored SLC-C files). The data can be used directly into multitemporal interferometry techniques, e.g., Persistent Scatterers (PS) or Small Baseline (SB) techniques applied here. A further development of the nationwide system utilising SLC-C data would lead into a dynamic state where every new pre-processed burst triggers a processing update to detect unexpected changes from InSAR time series and therefore provides a signal for early warning against a potential dangerous displacement, e.g., a landslide, instability of an engineering structure or a formation of a sinkhole. An update of the processing chain would also allow use of cross-polarised Sentinel-1 data, needed for polarimetric analyses. The current system is running at a national supercomputing centre IT4Innovations in interconnection to the Czech Copernicus Collaborative Ground Segment (CESNET), providing fast on-demand InSAR results over Czech territories. A full nationwide PS processing using data over Czechia was performed in 2017, discovering several areas of land deformation. Its downsampled version and basic findings are demonstrated within the article.

Bioactive Compounds, Antioxidant Activities, and Health Beneficial Effects of Selected Commercial Berry Fruits: A Review

Epidemiological studies have provided the evidence that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of pathological condition such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammation, and aging. Among fruits, berries are considered as superfruits due to their highly packed phytochemicals comprising phenolic acids, flavonoids viz. flavonols, flavanols, and anthocyanins. These bioactive compounds are associated with significant antioxidant, antidiabetic, antiinflammation, and anticancer properties. This review highlights the basic information and interesting findings of some selected commercial berries with their phytochemical composition, antioxidant properties, and potential health benefits to human.

Caranan Fiber from Mauritiella armata Palm Tree as Novel Reinforcement for Epoxy Composites.

A growing environmental concern is increasing the search for new sustainable materials. In this scenario, natural lignocellulosic fibers (NLFs) became an important alternative to replace synthetic fibers commonly used as composites reinforcement. In this regard, unknown NLFs such as the caranan fiber (Mauritiella armata) found in South American rain forests revealed promising properties for engineering applications. Thus, for the first time, the present work conducted a technical characterization of caranan fiber-incorporated composites. Epoxy matrix composites with 10, 20 and 30 vol% of continuous and aligned caranan fibers were investigated by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Composites with more than 10% vol of caranan fibers significantly increase the elastic modulus and toughness in comparison to the neat epoxy. Indeed, the composite with 30 vol% was 50% stiffer, 130% tougher, and 100% stronger, which characterized an effective reinforcement. As for the elastic modulus, total strain and tensile toughness, there is a clear tendency of improvement with the amount of caranan fiber. The TGA disclosed the highest onset temperature of degradation (298 °C) with the least mass loss (36.8%) for the 30 vol% caranan fiber composite. It also displayed a higher degradation peak at 334 °C among the studied composites. The lowest glass transition temperature of 63 °C was obtained by DSC, while the highest of 113 °C by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) for the 30 vol% caranan composite. These basic technical findings emphasize the caranan fiber potential as reinforcement for polymer composites.

Linguists and their work: Epistemic and ethical challenges

This paper aims to show how the specific ethics of scientific undertaking tightly underlies epistemic reflection upon the nature of linguistic work and its outcome. The relationship between linguistics and ethics seems evident at the level of the narrative, i.e. the language in which the basic linguistic findings are established. The article is intended as an introduction to an interplay of linguistics, epistemology and the ethics of linguistic work. The departure point for the argument is the CONTAINER perception of language by linguists, which produces the well-established distinction between internalist and externalist positions. The paper, however, invites the reader to reconsider the tension between internalists and externalists and instead argues for a more general opposition, i.e. between the non-transcendental naturalists (naturalists) and transcendental naturalists (extra-naturalists). The polarity is seen as underpinning the present-day debates, while concurrently transversing the traditionally recognised dichotomies. The distinction promises to be productive both at the level of substantive assessment of linguistic research and at the level of epistemic qualification of the outcome of a linguistic study. Sharp and uncompromising as the naturalist vs extra-naturalist dichotomy seems to hold, the paper offers ways to bridge the gap between the apparently exclusive philosophies. The proposed solution, while seemingly only aesthetic, ultimately touches an ethical dimension as it centres on the appropriate construction of the narrative of linguistic fact-finding, which promotes approximative rather than definitive statements in the scholarly discourse. The desired effect is an ethical consensus underlying the work of a linguist.

What Constitutes a Science of Reading Instruction?

ABSTRACTRecently, the term science of reading has been used in public debate to promote policies and instructional practices based on research on the basic cognitive mechanisms of reading, the neural processes involved in reading, computational models of learning to read, and the like. According to those views, such data provide convincing evidence that explicit decoding instruction (e.g., phonological awareness, phonics) should be beneficial to reading success. Nevertheless, there has been pushback against such policies, the use of the term science of reading by “phonics‐centric people”, and their lack of instructional knowledge and experience. In this article, although the author supports pedagogical decision making on the basis of a confluence of evidence from a variety of sources, he cautions against instructional overgeneralizations based on various kinds of basic research without an adequate consideration of instructional experiments. The author provides several examples of the premature translation of basic research findings into wide‐scale pedagogical application.

The Role of Metabolic Lipases in the Pathogenesis and Management of Liver Disease.

Intracellular lipolysis is an enzymatic pathway responsible for the catabolism of triglycerides (TGs) that is complemented by lipophagy as the autophagic breakdown of lipid droplets. The hydrolytic cleavage of TGs generates free fatty acids (FFAs), which can serve as energy substrates, precursors for lipid synthesis, and mediators in cell signaling. Despite the fundamental and physiological importance of FFAs, an oversupply can trigger lipotoxicity with impaired membrane function, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, cell death, and inflammation. Conversely, impaired release of FFAs and other lipid mediators can also disrupt key cellular signaling functions that regulate metabolism and inflammatory processes. This review will focus on specific functions of intracellular lipases in lipid partitioning, covering basic and translational findings in the context of liver disease. In addition, the clinical relevance of genetic mutations in human disease and potential therapeutic opportunities will be discussed.

Characteristics of migrants to Japan with TB and implications for pre-migration TB screening

Abstract Background Japan plans to introduce pre-entry tuberculosis (TB) screening for those traveling from the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia, and Myanmar, who are intending to stay in Japan for more than 90 days, in 2020. According to its screening algorithm, migrants will be screened by chest X-ray and those with abnormal findings will be asked to undergo sputum testing. We analyzed the characteristics of foreign-born TB patients coming from the above six countries, to identify some potential issues. Methods Data on foreign-born patients who had been newly notified with active pulmonary TB (PTB) in 2018 and 2017, and who had entered Japan in the same year they were notified, was extracted from the Japan TB Surveillance system. We assumed that these patients approximated to those hypothetical migrants who would be detected by pre-entry TB screening, and analyzed them by basic socio-demographic characteristics, radiological findings, and bacteriological test results. Results In 2017 and 2018, a total of 1,915 foreign-born PTB patients were notified from the above six countries. Of them, 19.9% (n = 381) had entered Japan in the same year they were notified. Among the 381, 23.9% (n = 50) had cavitary lesion, 27.3% (n = 57) were smear positive, and 48.9% (n = 73) were culture positive. 34.4% (n = 72) were both smear and culture negative, and the diagnosis would have depended on radiographical presentation. However, among the 72, the majority i.e. 87.5%, presented with non-cavitary pulmonary involvement. Conclusions Considering that approximately a third of TB patients who would may detected by the pre-entry screening are likely to be bacteriologically negative, Japan must ensure that the clinics conducting the pre-entry TB screening have access to high-quality radiography with expert interpretations, such as teleradiology and computer-assisted reading. Key messages A third of TB patients who would may detected by the pre-entry screening are likely to be bacteriologically negative. It is critical that clinics conducting screening have access to high-quality radiography with expert interpretations, such as teleradiology and computer-assisted reading.

Development and implementation of clinical presentation curriculum at PAHS School of Medicine

Patan Academy of Health Sciences School of Medicine (PAHS SOM) has implemented innovative curriculum in line with its mission of producing technically competent and socially responsible doctors. One important strategy is the Clinical Presentation (CP) curriculum.
 During clinical years undergraduate medical students are taught through CP comprising of 112 common CPs. Each presentation have a schema which is a diagnostic reasoning map. Using the schema, graduates are able to scientifically approach clinical problems, categorize them into diagnostic categories with the help of their basic science knowledge, clinical findings and investigation results to gradually proceed from general and broader categories to more specific categories and finally coming down to the closest possible diagnosis or diagnoses. The diseases or conditions covered by each CPs are outlined while some overlapping and repetitions are expected. The teachings are done as small group sessions with 8-12 students and therefore demands more faculty time.
 With committed faculties and supportive leadership, successful implementation of the curriculum has been possible at PAHS SOM and the first four batches of students trained in this curriculum have already graduated and serving the society

Quercetin abrogates bisphenol A induced altered neurobehavioral response and oxidative stress in zebrafish by modulating brain antioxidant defence system

Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-recognized anthropogenic xenoestrogen, has been identified as a causative agent responsible for inducing carcinogenicity, cognitive impairment, neurotoxicity, oxidative stress, etc. However, BPA-induced neurotoxicity and its possible amelioration through natural compound intervention remain elusive. The current study was performed to elucidate the neurotoxic potential of BPA in zebrafish (Danio rerio) by waterborne exposure and its possible amelioration by quercetin co-supplementation. Protective effect of quercetin against BPA-induced altered neurobehavioral response, oxidative stress and neuromorphological changes were evaluated in zebrafish brain. The present findings reveal that BPA-induced altered neurobehavioral response was ameliorated by quercetin. Biochemical studies advocate the potential therapeutic efficacy of quercetin against BPA-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish brain. Quercetin also shows neuroprotection against BPA-induced augmented neuronal pyknosis in periventricular grey zone (PGZ) of zebrafish brain. These basic findings indicate that quercetin may act as an effective intervention against BPA-induced neurotoxicity in zebrafish through down-regulation of oxidative stress.

Toward an Understanding of the Development of Skilled Remembering: The Role of Teachers’ Instructional Language

Although there is a rich literature on children’s strategies for remembering, little attention has been paid to characterizing developmental change within individual children and to examining mediators that may bring about such change. To address these issues, we assess children’s memory skills over time while simultaneously examining communicative interactions in the classroom. Children are not taught memory strategies in an explicit manner, but these skills emerge in the context of the elementary school classroom. Accordingly, we use longitudinal and experimental methodologies to examine the ways in which the language of instruction contributes to the development of children’s memory and cognitive skills. The basic findings are discussed here in terms of possible applications in the classroom that may impact teachers’ instruction and students’ learning.

Comparison of Resistance of Concrete for Sewage Pipes to Sulphate Corrosion Using Model Mortars

This paper briefly discusses the basic theoretical findings about sulphate-induced corrosion of concrete and also the possibilities how to determine the degree of concrete resistance to such corrosion in the most effective way. The described experiment involves a twofold comparative test – monitoring of selected parameters of two model mortars stored in both the corrosive and the reference environments (water bath). During the test, these model mortars represent commonly used concrete for the manufacture of concrete sewer pipes. The article also explains why and how the mortars were designed and tested instead of concrete. The conclusion of the paper presents the results and their evaluation.

Cell Motility and Cancer.

Cell migration is an essential systemic behavior, tightly regulated, of all living cells endowed with directional motility that is involved in the major developmental stages of all complex organisms such as morphogenesis, embryogenesis, organogenesis, adult tissue remodeling, wound healing, immunological cell activities, angiogenesis, tissue repair, cell differentiation, tissue regeneration as well as in a myriad of pathological conditions. However, how cells efficiently regulate their locomotion movements is still unclear. Since migration is also a crucial issue in cancer development, the goal of this narrative is to show the connection between basic findings in cell locomotion of unicellular eukaryotic organisms and the regulatory mechanisms of cell migration necessary for tumor invasion and metastases. More specifically, the review focuses on three main issues, (i) the regulation of the locomotion system in unicellular eukaryotic organisms and human cells, (ii) how the nucleus does not significantly affect the migratory trajectories of cells in two-dimension (2D) surfaces and (iii) the conditioned behavior detected in single cells as a primitive form of learning and adaptation to different contexts during cell migration. New findings in the control of cell motility both in unicellular organisms and mammalian cells open up a new framework in the understanding of the complex processes involved in systemic cellular locomotion and adaptation of a wide spectrum of diseases with high impact in the society such as cancer.

Differences in the heterogeneous nature of hydriding/dehydriding kinetics of MgH2 - TiH2 nanocomposites

Fine powder dispersions of MgH2 - TiH2 composites were obtained through different manufacturing routes using reactive mechanical grinding. The as prepared powder dispersions were subjected to hydrogen sorption kinetics and the results clearly revealed a heterogeneous kinetic nature already reported in nanocrystalline MgH2. The differences observed in the heterogeneous kinetic of isothermal kinetics reveal a strong dependence on grain boundaries microstructure of the prepared hydrides. The basic findings described here suggest the need for studies to understand how the superposition of complex mechanisms are involved in kinetics regarding the microstructure.

Technological Innovations in Pulmonology - Examples from Diagnostics and Therapy

A significant proportion of the current technological developments in pneumology originate from the various areas of information technology. The spectrum ranges from smartphone apps to be used in daily life or in patient care to the use of artificial intelligence in screening and early detection of diseases. The diagnostic accuracy of apps for symptom analysis is currently very limited. Research projects are performed on the integration of symptoms and functional parameters into early detection, but also on mobility measurements as a prognostic marker in COPD. Lung cancer screening using computed tomography represents a major challenge. Here, artificial intelligence can help radiologists to cope with huge amounts of data. However, the quality of the software depends on the sufficient training of the system. Technological developments shape all fields of pneumology. For diagnostic and interventional endoscopy, they offer improved biopsy techniques and microstructural imaging. Advances in lung function measurements allow the differentiated analysis of respiratory mechanical disorders, and they could be transferred to ventilation technology. The translation of basic findings about the lung microbiome into patient care may perspectively help to better understand and treat COPD exacerbations.

Calculation of the real daily and monthly mean working temperature of a photovoltaic plant

AbstractAccurately predicting the production of a photovoltaic (PV) plant is essential to its economic evaluation. Ambient temperature is a major environmental factor affecting how much power a PV plant generates. However, weather bureaus in most developing countries can only provide the daily or monthly mean ambient temperatures, rather than the real mean working temperature in the vicinity of the PV plant. Moreover, the difference between the real daily or monthly mean working temperature and the corresponding daily or monthly mean temperature is large in the Gobi, desert, and Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau, causing some errors in some present PV power predictive models. Using Datafit 9.0 software in this paper, regression equations were created for Beiluhe (Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau) and Desert Knowledge Australia Solar Centre (DKASC) (desert) data relating the difference of the real daily or monthly mean working temperature and the corresponding mean temperature (Y factor) as well as the daily or monthly temperature difference (X factor). One general equation: Td10d = 1.290 + 0.475 × Tdmm − 1.331 × Tdmm0.5 (Equation 6) could represent all of the regression equations obtained from the Beiluhe and DKASC data. These basic findings are valuable for improving accuracy of present PV power predictive model by including the daily or monthly mean air temperature. Another, the research result will be helpful for PV plant site selection and evaluation.

Beta endorphins - molecules of therapeutics

Endorphins are endogenous morphine, neuropeptides produced in the pituitary gland. There are three types of endorphins beta-endorphins, enkephalins, and dynorphins. Beta-endorphins are an abundant endorphins synthesized and stored in the anterior pituitary gland; it is a precursor of POMC (Proopiomelanocortin). Beta-endorphins has got various mechanisms of actions such as anti-inflammatory activity, analgesic activity, stress buster activity, and immune stimulatory activity can be used to treat various diseases such as chronic inflammatory diseases such as heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, auto-immune disease, diabetes mellitus, and aging. This article highlights about the basic research findings of beta-endorphins and mechanisms of actions in management of various diseases.

Coinfection and Other Clinical Characteristics of COVID-19 in Children.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a newly identified pathogen that mainly spreads by droplets. Most published studies have been focused on adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but data concerning pediatric patients are limited. In this study, we aimed to determine epidemiological characteristics and clinical features of pediatric patients with COVID-19. We reviewed and analyzed data on pediatric patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, including basic information, epidemiological history, clinical manifestations, laboratory and radiologic findings, treatment, outcome, and follow-up results. A total of 74 pediatric patients with COVID-19 were included in this study. Of the 68 case patients whose epidemiological data were complete, 65 (65 of 68; 95.59%) were household contacts of adults. Cough (32.43%) and fever (27.03%) were the predominant symptoms of 44 (59.46%) symptomatic patients at onset of the illness. Abnormalities in leukocyte count were found in 23 (31.08%) children, and 10 (13.51%) children presented with abnormal lymphocyte count. Of the 34 (45.95%) patients who had nucleic acid testing results for common respiratory pathogens, 19 (51.35%) showed coinfection with other pathogens other than SARS-CoV-2. Ten (13.51%) children had real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis for fecal specimens, and 8 of them showed prolonged existence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. Pediatric patients with COVID-19 presented with distinct epidemiological, clinical, and radiologic characteristics from adult patients. Nearly one-half of the infected children had coinfection with other common respiratory pathogens. It is not uncommon for pediatric patients to have prolonged fecal shedding of SARS-CoV-2 RNA during the convalescent phase.

Cancer research driven by cutting-edge multi-disciplinary technologies

Cancer is a serious threat to human life and health. It has become the leading cause of death worldwide. According to the National Cancer Center 2019 National Cancer Report, there were about 4 million new cases of cancer in China in 2015, and 8 people were diagnosed with cancer and 5 people died of cancer every minute. Currently, cancer remains a major threat to human health in China and is associated with a high mortality rate. While great efforts have been devoted to the development of cancer therapies, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, traditional Chinese medicine, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, most cancer therapies fail to achieve satisfactory efficacy, which is closely related to the lack of understanding of tumors in modern science, absence of major breakthroughs in the field of cancer research using key cutting-edge technologies, and limited translation and application of the achievements of basic research findings. Cancer represents a collection of multi-origin and multi-step systemic chronic diseases with various outcomes. The high heterogeneity of cancer poses a challenge for traditional therapeutic approaches to treat one type of tumor with the same method but provides opportunities to promote personalized therapies, including immunotherapy and targeted therapy. To promote original and innovative cancer research in China, it is essential to take advantage of modern genetic technology, stem cell technology, molecular imaging technology, molecular diagnosis, bioinformatics, innovative drug development, physical and chemical research methods, and alternative cutting-edge technologies, combined with extensive clinical data and patient population in China. For these reasons, the National Natural Science Foundation of China organized the 223rd Shuangqing Forum titled “Cancer Research Driven by Cutting-edge Multi-disciplinary Technologies”. Forty-five scholars from more than 30 universities and research institutes in China were invited to participate in this forum, and summarized the current status and trend in cancer research, especially the role of cutting-edge technologies in promoting cancer research, the key future research directions, and key scientific challenges. Based on the discussion of forum participants, this review highlights the current status, progress, challenges, and opportunities of cancer research in China, and presents the achievement and importance of multi-disciplinary technologies in driving cancer research and developing cancer therapy and diagnostics. It also summarizes the key scientific questions in the cancer research field for the next 5 to 10 years, and proposes strategies to fund cutting-edge technologies in exploring cancer research in China.

Quantitative Fundus Autofluorescence: Advanced Analysis Tools.

PurposeTo use multimodal retinal images (including quantitative fundus autofluorescence [QAF]) for spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT)-based image registration and alignment. For each age decade of healthy adults, normative fine-grained QAF retinal maps are generated and advanced methods for QAF image analysis are applied.MethodsMultimodal retinal images were obtained from 103 healthy subjects (age 19–77 years; unremarkable retina/macula, age-appropriate clear optic media). Custom written FIJI plugins enabled: (1) determination of the fovea in SD-OCT and the edge of the optic disc in infrared (IR) images; (2) alignment and superimposition of multimodal retinal images based on foveal and optic disc position; (3) plotting of normative QAF retinal maps for each decade; and (4) comparison of individual retinas with normative retinas of different decades using newly introduced analysis patterns (QAF97, freehand tool).ResultsSD-OCT based image registration enables easy image registration, alignment, and analysis of different modalities (QAF, IR, and SD-OCT here reported). In QAF, intensities significantly increase with age with two major inclines between the third/fourth and seventh/eighth decades. With aging, the parafoveal area of maximum QAF intensity slightly shifts from temporal-superior to temporal. Compared with standard QAF analysis, refined QAF analysis patterns reveal a more detailed analysis of QAF, especially in the diseased retina.ConclusionsAge-related QAF normative retinal maps can be used to directly compare and classify individual's QAF intensities. Advanced QAF analysis tools will further help to interpret autofluorescence changes in normal aging and in the diseased retina in a multimodal imaging setting.Translational RelevanceAdvanced methods for QAF analysis link basic findings with clinical observations in normal aging and in the diseased macula.