bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A digital image analysis study on the disintegration kinetics of reticular fibers in the ethylene glycol‐induced rat liver tissue
Authors: Ünver Saraydin Serpil , Saraydin Dursun , Şahin İnan Zeynep Deniz
Published: July 2020

Ethylene glycol (EG), the raw material of polyethylenterephthalate, which is the most consumed plastic in the world, has low toxicity, but its metabolites are toxic. EG metabolites can cause acidosis, fibrosis, and eventually cirrhosis in the liver. This study aimed to investigate the effect of EG on rat liver and to determine the quantitative values of the disintegration of reticular fibers (RF) in the liver with the dose duration and to investigate the changes by digital image analysis (DIA). For this purpose, Wistar albino rats were divided into control, and five different daily experimental groups. The control group received saline, and the experimental groups received EG. At the end of experiments, liver tissues of all euthanized rats were removed, and sections were taken, and RF was shown by silver staining. It was observed that the RF fragments in the experimental groups were less than the control group. DIA of RF fragments was then performed with Olympus cellSensDimension 1.15 software and number, area, and ROI% values of the fragments were determined. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between control and all experimental groups. RF fragments showed first‐order disintegration kinetics, mean disintegration rate constant, and half‐time values were 0.1 day−1 and 7 days, respectively. Consequently, the digital image analysis approach can be a useful tool for the biologist, pathologist, fibrosis‐cirrhosis specialist, and computer scientist to understand the effects of toxic chemicals in the liver and analyze reticular fiber disintegration.
Circ_0000105 promotes liver cancer by regulating miR‐498/PIK3R1
Authors: Sun Yanni , Sun Xiuxiang , Huang Qingxian
Published: July 2020

Background

A growing number of studies demonstrate that circular RNA (circRNA) has a prominent role in the regulation of numerous biological behaviors of tumor cells. The present study aimed to investigate the expression, function and molecular mechanisms of circ_0000105 in liver cancer.

Methods

A quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was utilized to obtain the expressions of circ_0000105 and miR‐498 in liver cancer tissues and cells. The association between the expression level of circ_0000105 and the clinicopathological characteristics of liver cancer patients was analyzed. qRT‐PCR and western blotting were utilized to investigate the expression of phosphoinositide‐3‐kinase regulatory subunit 1 (PIK3R1) in cells. Cell counting kit‐8, bromodeoxyuridine and flow cytometry assays were utilized to determine liver cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Bioinformatics, a luciferase reporter gene experiment and a RNA immunoprecipitation experiment were conducted to predict and confirm the targeting correlation of circ_0000105 and miR‐498, as well as miR‐498 and PIK3R1.

Results

Circ_0000105 was highly expressed in liver cancer tissues and cell lines. Moreover, its high expression was associated with an increase in the T stage of liver cancer patients and a low degree of tumor differentiation. Circ_0000105 overexpression promoted liver cancer cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis, whereas knocking down circ_0000105 triggered the opposite effect. miR‐498 was a downstream target of circ_0000105, inhibiting liver cancer cell proliferation and promoting apoptosis. Mechanistically, circ_0000105 indirectly up‐regulated the expression of PIK3R1 by adsorbing miR‐498.

Conclusions

Circ_0000105 plays a cancer‐promoting role in liver cancer by regulating the miR‐498/PIK3R1 axis.
Rituximab maintenance significantly reduces early follicular lymphoma progressions in patients treated with frontline R‐CHOP
Authors: Procházka Vít , Belada David , Janíková Andrea , Benešová Kateřina , Mociková Heidi , Ďuraš Juraj , Pirnos Jan , Kopečková Kateřina , Campr Vít , Fürst Tomáš , Pytlík Robert , Sýkorová Alice , Michalka Jozef , Dlouhá Jitka , Papajík Tomáš , Trněný Marek
Published: July 2020

Twenty percent of patients with high‐tumor‐burden (HTB) follicular lymphoma (FL) develop progression/relapse of disease (POD) within 24 months of frontline immunochemotherapy. Unfortunately, about 50% of these patients die within 5 years since POD event. Rituximab maintenance was proven to reduce relapse rate in responding FL, but its role on preventing POD was not defined. We analyzed 1360 HTB‐FL patients from the Czech Lymphoma Study Group registry treated with frontline rituximab‐containing regimen. Of those, 950 cases received rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R‐CHOP) and achieved complete or partial remission: 712 patients received rituximab maintenance (MAINT) and 238 were a historical observational cohort (OBS). We have proposed a modified POD24 (mPOD24) endpoint for the chemosensitive patients calculated from the end‐of‐induction (EOI). Survival rates since EOI were as follows: 5‐year overall survival (OS) 86.2% versus 94.5% in the OBS and MAINT groups, respectively (P < .001) and 5‐year progression‐free survival 58.5% (OBS) and 75.4% (MAINT) (P < .001). The Cox proportional hazards model showed a decrease in mPOD24 incidence in the MAINT group with the overall hazard rate reduced by 56% (hazard ratio = 0.44; P < .001). The cumulative incidence of mPOD24 was reduced from 24.1% in OBS to 10.1% in MAINT (P < .001). Comparison of non‐mPOD24 cases showed OS similar to that in the general population. Rituximab maintenance given after R‐CHOP resulted in a 2.4‐fold reduction in mPOD24 incidence. Once the non‐POD24 status is achieved, FL does not shorten the patients’ life expectancy.
Intra‐day variability of temperature and its near‐surface gradient with elevation over mountainous terrain: Comparing MODIS land surface temperature data with coarse and fine scale near‐surface measurements
Authors: Collados‐Lara Antonio‐Juan , Fassnacht Steven R. , Pulido‐Velazquez David , Pfohl Anna K.D. , Morán‐Tejeda Enrique , Venable Niah B.H. , Pardo‐Igúzquiza Eulogio , Puntenney‐Desmond Kira
Published: July 2020

Where land surface air temperature data are not available, satellite land surface temperature are used. However, the coarse spatial resolution of satellite‐derived products may yield errors at the local scale. This work shows the differences between the MODIS Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity (MOD11A1) product and ground measurements at two different scales. We used data from 21 SNOTEL stations across the northern Front Range of Colorado to represent the coarse scale and 17 iButton temperature sensors across the Colorado State University Mountain Campus to represent the fine scale. We found significant differences in the temperature and its changes with elevation for the two spatial scales. At the fine scale, cold air drainage can induce an inversion of the temperature gradient with elevation. A higher correlation was found during the nighttime at the fine scale, while, at the coarse scale, higher correlations were observed during the daytime. On windy nights, temperatures do not cool as much as on calmer nights, and the coarse scale near‐surface temperature gradient with elevation persists, though the fine scale inversions do not develop. The near‐surface temperature gradients with elevation based on the MODIS pixels are similar to the ground‐based data at the coarse scale but not at the fine scale. Thus, one must be cautious in selecting the near‐surface temperature gradients with elevation for mountainous terrain when different scales are considered, and a proper validation of satellite products is necessary prior to their use to avoid the propagation of uncertainties.
Knee fibrosis is associated with the development of osteoarthritis in a murine model of tibial compression
Authors: Wang Mengying , Lessard Samantha G. , Singh Purva , Pannellini Tania , Chen Tony , Rourke Brennan J. , Chowdhury Luvana , Craveiro Vinicius , Sculco Peter K. , van der Meulen Marjolein C. H. , Otero Miguel
Published: July 2020

Fibrosis in the synovium and infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) is frequently observed in knee osteoarthritis (OA) and is often correlated with joint pain and stiffness. However, the mechanisms underpinning the development of knee fibrosis in OA are relatively poorly understood. In this study, we used a combination of histological, immunohistochemical, and multiplex gene expression analyses to characterize the fibrosis that develops in a mouse model of load‐induced OA. Histological evaluation showed the time‐dependent development of fibrosis in the synovium, capsule, and IFP of loaded limbs of male 11‐week‐old mice. The development of load‐induced fibrosis was accompanied primarily by proliferation, expansion, and activation of the stromal compartment, and by increased macrophage presence evidenced by increased F4/80 and MAC2 positive immunostaining. The presence of B and T‐cells was minimal in both control and loaded limbs, but CD3‐positive immunostaining was significantly higher in C57BL/6J at 2 weeks after loading, indicating an increased presence of T‐cells. Using NanoString gene expression analyses of human and mouse tissues, we found that mice subjected to cyclic loading recapitulated the gene expression profile observed in human fibrotic tissues, including increased expression of collagen genes. Together, our results indicate that this well‐controlled nonsurgical mouse model can be used to study the mechanisms underpinning the development of knee fibrosis, and potentially to test targeted strategies to prevent the development of fibrosis and stiffness of the knee.
Novel Adaptation of a Validated Tactile Aesthesiometer to Evaluate Laryngopharyngeal Sensation
Authors: Strohl Madeleine P. , Young VyVy N. , Dwyer Christopher D. , Bhutada Abhishek , Crawford Ethan , Chang Jolie L. , Rosen Clark A. , Cheung Steven W.
Published: July 2020

Objectives

To evaluate laryngopharyngeal sensation at specific subsites using a novel adaptation of a buckling force aesthesiometer for delivery of calibrated tactile stimuli.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional.

Methods

Twenty‐two healthy adults (12 men, 10 women) were tested for responses to tactile forces, using 30‐mm 6‐0, 5‐0, and 4‐0 nylon monofilaments to map sensation of the aryepiglottic (AE) fold, lateral pyriform sinus (PS), and medial PS bilaterally. The outcome measures were the laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) and patient reported rating of perceptual strength.

Results

Rates of triggered LAR response grew monotonically with increasing tactile force at a mean (SD) stimulus duration of 663 (164) msec across all three subsites. The AE fold and medial PS had similar profiles and were the most responsive, while the lateral PS was the least responsive. Low force (6‐0) response rate was ≤14% for all subsites. High force (4‐0) response rate was 91% for AE fold and medial PS, and 23% for lateral PS. The perceptual strength gradient was in the lateral to medial trajectory.

Conclusion

Normative data for LAR response rates to low, medium, and high stimulation forces will be useful to assess sensory dysfunction in a variety of laryngopharyngeal disorders, including aspiration, dysphagia, chronic cough, and spasmodic dysphonia. In turn, that information will guide the creation of innovative treatments. LAR response profiles to low and high force stimuli will inform the development of screening tools to diagnose laryngopharyngeal hypersensitivity and hyposensitivity conditions.

Level of Evidence

3b Laryngoscope, 131:1324–1331, 2021
Editorial Comment on How COVID‐19 is Affecting Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery
Authors: Oghalai John S.
Published: July 2020

Level of Evidence

5 Laryngoscope, 130:2686–2687, 2020
Thermally Targeted p50 Peptide Inhibits Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis of Breast Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Thomas Emily , Dragojevic Sonja , Price Amira , Raucher Drazen
Published: July 2020

The application of rationally designed therapeutic peptides (TP) may improve outcomes in cancer treatment. These peptides hold the potential to directly target proliferative pathways and stimulate cell arrest or death pathways. Elastin‐like polypeptide (ELP) is an elastin derived biopolymer that undergoes a thermally mediated phase transition. This study employs p50, a nuclear localization sequence derived peptide that inhibits the activation of NFκB and is implicated in cancer cell survival and metastasis. In order to effectively delivery p50, it is conjugated to SynB1‐ELP1, a thermally responsive macromolecular carrier. By applying an external heat source, mild hyperthermic conditions (41 °C) induce aggregation and therefore can be used to specifically target ELP to solid tumors in cancer therapy. The addition of a cell penetrating peptide (CPP) to the N‐terminus of the macromolecular carrier enhances the cellular uptake and directs the subcellular localization of the bioactive peptide. The novel TP, p50, inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of breast cancer cells by blocking the intranuclear import of NFκB. By expanding the repertoire of oncogenic targets, CPPs, and ELP carrier sizes, ELP‐based polypeptides may be modulated to optimize the delivery of these novel therapies and allow for the flexibility to create individualized cancer therapies.
Well‐posedness of degenerate fractional integro‐differential equations in vector‐valued functional spaces
Authors: Bu Shangquan , Cai Gang
Published: July 2020

We study the well‐posedness of the fractional degenerate integro‐differential equations
in Lebesgue–Bochner spaces and Besov spaces , where A, B and M are closed linear operators on a Banach space X satisfying , , and . We completely characterize the well‐posedness of in the above vector‐valued function spaces on by using operator‐valued Fourier multiplier. We also give an example that our abstract results may be applied.
Missed diagnoses: Clinically relevant lessons learned through medical mysteries solved by the Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Authors: Cope Heidi , Spillmann Rebecca , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Brokamp Elly , Signer Rebecca , Schoch Kelly , Glanton Emily , Sullivan Jennifer A. , Macnamara Ellen , Lincoln Sharyn , Golden‐Grant Katie ,   Undiagnosed Diseases Network, Orengo James P. , Clark Gary , Burrage Lindsay C. , Posey Jennifer E. , Punetha Jaya , Robertson Amy , Cogan Joy , Phillips John A. , Martinez‐Agosto Julian , Shashi Vandana
Published: July 2020

Background

Resources within the Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN), such as genome sequencing (GS) and model organisms aid in diagnosis and identification of new disease genes, but are currently difficult to access by clinical providers. While these resources do contribute to diagnoses in many cases, they are not always necessary to reach diagnostic resolution. The UDN experience has been that participants can also receive diagnoses through the thoughtful and customized application of approaches and resources that are readily available in clinical settings.

Methods

The UDN Genetic Counseling and Testing Working Group collected case vignettes that illustrated how clinically available methods resulted in diagnoses. The case vignettes were classified into three themes; phenotypic considerations, selection of genetic testing, and evaluating exome/GS variants and data.

Results

We present 12 participants that illustrate how clinical practices such as phenotype‐driven genomic investigations, consideration of variable expressivity, selecting the relevant tissue of interest for testing, utilizing updated testing platforms, and recognition of alternate transcript nomenclature resulted in diagnoses.

Conclusion

These examples demonstrate that when a diagnosis is elusive, an iterative patient‐specific approach utilizing assessment options available to clinical providers may solve a portion of cases. However, this does require increased provider time commitment, a particular challenge in the current practice of genomics.
A novel TSC1 frameshift mutation c.1550_1551del causes tuberous sclerosis complex by aberrant splicing and nonsense‐mediated mRNA degradation (NMD) simultaneously in a Chinese family
Authors: Qiu Cong , Li Chengyan , Tong Xiaoyun , Dai Luoyang , Liu Wenda , Xie Yulie , Zhang Qimei , Yang Guohua , Li Tao
Published: July 2020

Background

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), belongs to autosomal dominant genetic disorder, which affects multiple organ systems in the body, including the skin, brain, lungs, kidneys, liver, and eyes. Mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 was proved to be associated with these conditions.

Methods

Gene‐panel Sequence of NGS was used to detect the mutation in a Chinese family. The research further investigates whether aberrant splicing and nonsense‐mediated mRNA degradation (NMD) could serve as a mechanism cause by TSC1 mutation. MINI‐Gene assay apply by pcMINI‐TSC1wt/mut plasmids delivered in HeLa and 293T cell lines. Recombinant plasmids expressing wild‐type and mutant‐type EGFP‐TSC1 were constructed and transiently transfected into human embryonic kidney cells 293T by lipofectamine. Real‐time PCR and Western Blot were performed to analyze the expression of mRNAs and proteins of EGFP‐TSC1 and NMD factor UPF1.

Results

The gene test verified a novel heterozygous TSC1 frameshift mutation (TSC1 c.1550_1551del) in the proband and her mother. From MINI‐Gene assay, the agarose gel showed that both the mutant and wild‐type mRNA possess two main bands, indicating two splicing modes, named band A and B, respectively. The mutation c.1550_1551del has not produced new splicing site, but there is a selective splicing in varying degree significantly after mutation. On the contrary, function validation assay showed that cells transfected with the mutant TSC1 plasmids expressed significantly lower TSC1 in mRNAs and proteins levels, compared with the wild‐type TSC1 plasmid transfection. A translation inhibitor cycloheximide and small interfering RNA of UPF1 (siRNA‐UPF1) increased mRNA or protein expression of TSC1 significantly in cells transfected with the mutant plasmids.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that the novel TSC1 frameshift mutation (TSC1 c.1550_1551del) trigger aberrant splicing and NMD simultaneously, causing decrease of hamartin, then, leading to tuberous sclerosis complex formation.
Fiber‐optic sensing scheme based on high‐order Stimulated Brillouin scattering in a fiber ring and frequency down‐conversion
Authors: Yun Jin , Cai Xun , Xiang Zhuowei , Chen Xinying , Fu Hongyan
Published: July 2020

In this article, a fiber‐optic sensing scheme based on Stimulated Brillouin scattering effect in a recirculating fiber ring and frequency down‐conversion is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By employing the recirculating fiber ring structure, high‐order backscattering Stocks light has been generated. The Brillouin frequency shift will be affected by the environmental variations, such as, temperature changes, and by measuring the frequency shift of the beat signal of the pump light and the backscattering Stocks light, the measurands can be demodulated. Measuring beat frequency of higher‐order light enjoys higher sensitivity. To facilitate the measurement, frequency down‐conversion has been utilized. Temperature sensing has been demonstrated for verification in the experiment, and by detecting the frequency shift of down‐converted signal of the first‐order, second‐order, and third‐order Brillouin beat signal at ~0.5, ~1.0, and ~1.5 GHz, the sensitivities of ~1.11, ~2.41, and ~3.59 MHz/°C have been obtained, respectively.
An approach for circuit modeling of a multiband resonators based planar metamaterial absorber
Authors: Agarwal Mayank , Meshram Manoj Kumar
Published: July 2020

In this article, a metamaterial absorber structure is analyzed using the transmission line method (TLM) considering the normal incidence of the wave. The unit cell of the presented absorber structure is a composite geometry providing dual‐band absorption. Peak absorptivities of 95.02% and 99.84% are obtained at 4.215 GHz and 10.95 GHz, respectively. The experimentally validated simulated reflection response is used as a reference to validate the analytical response of the absorber structure. To obtain the equivalent circuit model, the frequency selective surface (FSS) forming the absorber top layer is considered as a combination of two simpler FSS. The individual absorbers formed by two such FSS are correctly modeled using TLM. The obtained equivalent circuits are then combined suitably by incorporating the involved coupling capacitances into the calculation. The analytical and simulated response of the presented absorber structure is found in good agreement. The presented decomposition approach for the development of a circuit model of the composite FSS is promising and it would pave the way in obtaining the good physical insight of the multiband metamaterial absorber structures.
Decomposition‐based approximation algorithms for the one‐warehouse multi‐retailer problem with concave batch order costs
Authors: Hu Weihong , Yu Zhuoting , Toriello Alejandro , Dessouky Maged M.
Published: July 2020

We study the one‐warehouse multi‐retailer problem under deterministic dynamic demand and concave batch order costs, where order batches have an identical capacity and the order cost function for each facility is concave within the batch. Under appropriate assumptions on holding cost structure, we obtain lower bounds via a decomposition that splits the two‐echelon problem into single‐facility subproblems, then propose approximation algorithms by judiciously recombining the subproblem solutions. For piecewise linear concave batch order costs with a constant number of slopes we obtain a constant‐factor approximation, while for general concave batch costs we propose an approximation within a logarithmic factor of optimality. We also extend some results to subadditive order and/or holding costs.
A second‐order space–time accurate scheme for nonlinear diffusion equation with general capacity term
Authors: Zheng Huan , Yuan Guangwei , Cui Xia
Published: July 2020

A fully implicit finite difference (FIFD) scheme with second‐order space–time accuracy is studied for a nonlinear diffusion equation with general capacity term. A new reasoning procedure is introduced to overcome difficulties caused by the nonlinearity of the capacity term and the diffusion operator in the theoretical analysis. The existence of the FIFD solution is investigated at first which plays an important role in the analysis. It is established by choosing a new test function to bound the solution and its temporal and spatial difference quotients in suitable norms in the fixed point arguments, which is different from the traditional way. Based on these bounds, other fundamental properties of the scheme are rigorously analyzed consequently. It shows that the scheme is uniquely solvable, unconditionally stable, and convergent with second‐order space–time accuracy in L∞(L2) and L∞(H1) norms. The theoretical analysis adapts to both one‐ and multidimensional problems, and can be extended to schemes with first‐order time accuracy. Numerical tests are provided to verify the theoretical results and highlight the high accuracy of the second‐order space–time accurate scheme. The reasoning techniques can be extended to a broad family of discrete schemes for nonlinear problems with capacity terms.
Overweight and Obesity are Risk Factors of Severe Illness in Patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Wang Jian , Zhu Li , Liu Longgen , Zhao Xiang‐an , Zhang Zhaoping , Xue Leyang , Yan Xuebing , Huang Songping , Li Yang , Cheng Juan , Zhang Biao , Xu Tianmin , Li Chunyang , Ji Fang , Ming Fang , Zhao Yun , Shao Huaping , Sang Dawen , Zhao Haiyan , Guan Xinying , Chen Xiaobing , Chen Yuxin , Issa Rahma , Wei Jie , Huang Rui , Zhu Chuanwu , Wu Chao
Published: July 2020

Objective

This study aimed to observe the clinical characteristics of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) with overweight and obesity.

Methods

Consecutive patients with COVID‐19 from 10 hospitals of Jiangsu province, China, were enrolled.

Results

A total of 297 patients with COVID‐19 were included, and 39.39% and 13.47% of patients had overweight and obesity, respectively. The proportions of bilateral pneumonia (92.50% vs. 73.57%, P = 0.033) and type 2 diabetes (17.50% vs. 3.57%, P = 0.006) were higher in patients with obesity than lean patients. The proportions of severe illness in patients with overweight (12.82% vs. 2.86%, P = 0.006) and obesity (25.00% vs. 2.86%, P < 0.001) were significantly higher than lean patients. More patients with obesity developed respiratory failure (20.00% vs. 2.86%, P < 0.001) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (5.00% vs. 0%, P = 0.024) than lean patients. The median days of hospitalization were longer in patients with obesity than lean patients (17.00 days vs. 14.00 days, P = 0.029). Overweight (OR, 4.222; 95% CI: 1.322‐13.476; P = 0.015) and obesity (OR, 9.216; 95% CI: 2.581‐32.903; P = 0.001) were independent risk factors of severe illness. Obesity (HR, 6.607; 95% CI: 1.955‐22.329; P = 0.002) was an independent risk factor of respiratory failure.

Conclusions

Overweight and obesity were independent risk factors of severe illness in COVID‐19 patients. More attention should be paid to these patients.
Forecasting stock prices of five major commercial banks in India and stress testing: A multivariate approach
Authors: Mallick Aswani Kumar , Mishra Alok Kumar , Vyas Iti
Published: July 2020

This study explains a novel glide path to model the stock prices of five major commercial banks in India. The purpose of this work is concerned with identifying the macroeconomic drivers of stock prices of five core banks listed in NIFTY50 index, namely, SBI, HDFC, ICICI, INDUSIND and KOTAK MAHINDRA, and to test their stability during periods of fiscal tension. The study utilized a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the respective stock prices and has proceeded with the multivariate method to make the required predictions. The choice of statistical technique primarily consists of decomposing the respective stock prices of the five banks using PCA and then selecting one optimal Principal Component (PC1). A multivariate regression model is employed to predict the optimal PC of such stock prices in which PC1 is the dependent variable and NIFTY50 and INR‐USD is the independent variables. Ultimately, the optimal PC is returned to the stock prices of the corresponding levels. The model is set up to be performed comfortably and the hardiness of the model is supported from various selection criteria; particular, the model assumption testing, goodness of fit, sample stressed period (using Rolling Average method on Indian VIX: 2008:Q1 to 2009:Q2) testing and out of sample performance. In addition to this, the estimated results are consistent with Monte‐Carlo simulation results. The envisioned model satisfies the model objective, while sufficiently capturing the historical dynamics of the stock prices as reflected by various performance indicators (RMSE, MAPE, RMSE over standard deviation) presented in this paper.
Novel antibacterial silver coating on PET fabric assisted with hollow‐cathode glow discharge
Authors: Naeem M. , Felipe M. B. M. C. , de Medeiros S. R. B. , Costa T.H.C. , Libório M. S. , Alves C. , Nascimento R. M. , Nascimento I. O. , Sousa R. R. M. , Feitor M. C.
Published: July 2020

The silver‐coated fabrics are of much importance because of their outstanding antibacterial features and are useable in several medical and hygienic applications. The silver deposition on fabrics by conventional techniques is not feasible because of their high processing cost, long processing duration, complex equipment, and multiple steps processing (nanoparticle synthesis and subsequent deposition on fabrics). In this novel study, the antibacterial silver coating is deposited by using a hollow cathode discharge (HCD) capable of generating high‐density plasma, and thus it exhibits high‐efficiency processing. The silver is deposited on woven and non‐woven PET fabrics for various treatment times (10‐60 minutes), and their antibacterial performance against E. coli and S. aureus bacterial is tested. The XRD results verified the deposition of silver with (111) preferred orientation, while SEM analysis depicted the uniform/ homogeneous deposition of silver particles. The interfacial free energy of adhesion depicts that after the silver deposition on both fabrics, the surface is actively unfavorable for bacterial adhesion. The antibacterial test revealed that the silver‐coated woven and non‐woven PET fabrics exhibit exceptional antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. As the HCD technique is relatively cost‐effective, no need for specific sputtering targets, eco‐friendly, and require single‐step processing for silver deposition. Thus the results are expected to be of remarkable importance to prepare silver‐coated antibacterial fabrics useable in hospitals and other appropriate applications.
Single‐center pediatric experience with venetoclax and azacitidine as treatment for myelodysplastic syndrome and acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Winters Amanda C. , Maloney Kelly W. , Treece Amy L. , Gore Lia , Franklin Anna K.
Published: July 2020

Background

The BCL‐2 inhibitor venetoclax (ven) has revolutionized the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in elderly adults, leading to its recent FDA approval for this population in combination regimens. Although extensive data exist for adult myeloid malignancies, there are limited preclinical data on the efficacy and/or dosing of venetoclax for pediatric myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or AML and thus little information to guide use of this regimen in pediatric patients. Our objective was to describe our single‐center experience with venetoclax in combination with the hypomethylating agent 5‐azacitidine (aza) in pediatric patients with MDS or AML.

Procedure

We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients treated at Children's Hospital Colorado prior to March 2020 with at least one cycle of ven/aza. Patients were included if between the ages of 1 and 25 years with a diagnosis of high‐grade MDS or AML. AML patients had relapsed or primary refractory disease or were deemed poor candidates for standard chemotherapy.

Results

Eight patients received ven/aza, two for high‐grade MDS and six for AML. Ven/aza was well tolerated by all patients. The most common adverse events seen with this regimen were gastrointestinal and hematologic. Morphologic responses were seen in six patients including both patients with MDS. All four AML responders became minimal residual disease negative. Three responders have thus far proceeded to allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant following ven/aza.

Conclusions

Our clinical experience suggests that ven/aza is a safe and promising regimen that should be further explored with late‐phase clinical trials.
Fluoride anion sensing mechanism of 2‐(quinolin‐2‐yl)‐3‐hydroxy‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one chemosensor based on inhibition of excited state intramolecular ultrafast proton transfer
Authors: Li Junyu , Feng Shiquan , Xu Liancai , Feng Xuechao
Published: July 2020

The excited state hydrogen bonding interactions and intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process for 2‐(quinolin‐2‐yl)‐3‐hydroxy‐4H‐chromen‐4‐one (Qu3HC) system has been theoretically studied via density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) methods. We confirmed that the reversible tuning of intramolecular hydrogen bonding direction is impossible for Qu3HC system. Then, we have studied the S0‐state and S1‐state hydrogen bonding dynamical behaviors of Qu3HC structure and confirmed that the strengthening of intramolecular hydrogen bond in the S1 state could facilitate ESIPT reaction. Given photo‐induced excitation, we find that the charge redistribution around hydroxyl moiety plays important roles in providing driving force for ESIPT. Our constructed potential energy curves further verify that the ESIPT process of Qu3HC should be ultrafast due to low potential barrier. With the addition of fluoride anions, the exothermal deprotonation process occurs spontaneously along with the intermolecular hydrogen bond O–H···F, which reveals the uniqueness of detecting fluoride anion using Qu3HC molecule. As a whole, the fluoride anion inhibits the initial ESIPT process of Qu3HC, which results in different fluorescence behaviors.
Low Velocity of Detonation Explosive Welding (LVEW) Process for Metal Joining
Authors: Bahadur Sherpa Bir , Dinesh Kumar Pal , Upadhyay Abhishek , Kumar Sandeep , Agarwal Arun , Tyagi Sachin
Published: July 2020

In this research work, low velocity of detonation (VoD) explosive welding process (LVEW) is designed and developed. For this, a unique low VoD explosive mixture (LVE‐1) is prepared which consists of a 50/50 ratio of common salt and trimonite‐1. The velocity of detonation of the prepared explosive mixture was measured experimentally using a pin‐oscilloscopic technique and a high‐speed streak camera. The process introduced in this work is applied to copper/low carbon steel and aluminium/low carbon steel joints to assess its feasibility. The explosive weldability window was plotted and flyer plate velocity was selected to achieve good quality joining. The analysis of the joints was carried out using the micro‐hardness tester and optical microscope. Experiments were carried out for establishing good quality bonding and defect‐free bi‐metallic plates that can be widely used in aerospace, defence as well as in industrial applications.
The Electrolysis of Ammonium Dinitramide in Dimethyl Sulfoxide
Authors: Izato Yu‐ichiro , Matsushita Kazuki , Shiota Kento , Miyake Atsumi
Published: July 2020

This work investigated the electrolysis of ammonium dinitramide (ADN: NH4N(NO2)2) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Various fundamental electrolysis properties of ADN were assessed based on an electrochemical study and the associated mechanisms were examined based on a quantum chemical approach. ADN exhibited three redox peaks at −0.69, −1.16 and −1.52 V, and two oxidation peaks at 0.34 and 0.50 V (vs Ag/AgCl) at a scan rate of 50 mV s−1 during cyclic voltammetry trials with a platinum electrode. Ultraviolet‐visible spectra of ADN in DMSO were also acquired to determine temporal changes under galvanostatic reduction conditions. These spectra showed that a continuous current in conjunction with an applied voltage of −1.5 V decomposed the ADN, but were unable to elucidate electrolysis products. Quantum chemistry calculations identified possible pathways for the electrolysis of ADN in DMSO, and indicated that reduced ADN rapidly decomposes to form NH3, N2O, NO2 and OH−. The associated Gibbs energy barrier was determined to be almost 0 kJ mol−1 when calculated at the CBS‐QB3//ωB97X‐D/6‐311++G(d,p)/SCRF=(SMD, solvent=dmso) level of theory. These results suggest that ADN can undergo electrolysis in a solvent for which the potential window is sufficiently wide given the application of the appropriate voltage.
Observational analysis and simulations of a severe hailstorm in northeastern Italy
Authors: Manzato Agostino , Riva Valentino , Tiesi Alessandro , Marcello Miglietta Mario
Published: July 2020

Hailstorms are relatively frequent in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, northeastern Italy and, for that reason, a network of manual hailpads has been set up there since the late 1980s. On July 4, 2007, a record number of hailpads in the network were impacted by hail (115 out of about 360 total stations). To the best of the authors' knowledge, no other single hailstorm case‐study has information coming from such a large number of hailpads impacted by hail. These hailpads are analysed using automatic software, able to interpret each hail dent as an ellipse. From these data, the distribution of hailstone diameters, areal hailstone density on the pads and total kinetic energy flux are computed and analysed in the present study. A parallel analysis of radar maximum reflectivity and cloud‐to‐ground lightning shows that the evolution of the hailstorm can be divided into three different phases, the first being the most severe in terms of lightning and hail. Finally, numerical simulations performed with a non‐hydrostatic mesoscale model, implementing a prognostic module for the explicit simulation of hail (WRF‐HAILCAST), show that the simulation system provides useful information on the severity of the event in terms of maximum hailstone diameter and reflectivity shape.
Precision and accuracy of robot‐assisted technology with simplified express femoral workflow in measuring leg length and offset in total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Cozzi Lepri Andrea , Villano Marco , Innocenti Matteo , Porciatti Tommaso , Matassi Fabrizio , Civinini Roberto
Published: July 2020

Background

Semi‐active robot‐assisted total hip arthroplasty (THA) has two options to measure the leg length discrepancy (LLD) and combined offset (CO), the ‘enhanced’ femoral workflow and the so‐called ‘express’ simplified workflow. The purpose of this study was to determine the precision and accuracy of intraoperative LLD and CO measurement with express workflow robotic THA.

Methods

Between February 2018 and December 2019, 30 patients underwent an express workflow robot‐assisted primary THA for intraoperative LLD and CO measurements. Postoperative radiographs were used for LLD and CO measurement. In order to examine the accuracy of the robotic system assessment, the absolute difference between the robotic assessments and radiographic evaluations was calculated.

Results

Intraoperative robotic measurements reported a mean error of 0.2–0.6 mm for each registration, with no significant difference between them (p = 0.311). The average absolute discrepancies between the robotic and radiographic assessments in the LLD and CO measurements were 1.3 ± 1.5 mm (p = 0.17) and 1.1 ± 0.9 mm (p = 0.11), respectively, while the Pearson's correlation coefficients were 0.69 and 0.71.

Conclusions

An external marker without a femoral array inserted into a screw positioned in the greater trochanter would be an easier and faster method to measure LLD and CO. Our study showed that the measured values of LLD and CO obtained by intraoperative express workflow robot‐assisted THA system were precise and accurate.
Nasolacrimal duct stenosis—Surgery with a novel robotic endoscope positioning system
Authors: Boehm Felix , Friedrich Daniel T. , Sommer Fabian , Scheithauer Marc‐Oliver , Greve Jens , Hoffmann Thomas K. , Schuler Patrick J.
Published: July 2020

Background

Distal nasolacrimal duct stenosis is usually treated by head and neck surgeons with transnasal endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR). The presented clinical study discusses advantages and drawbacks of a robot‐assisted endoscope positioning system, which allows for hands‐free visualization of the surgical field.

Material and Methods

Two patients were treated by surgical DCR. The endoscopic positioning system (Medineering®) features a mechatronic holding arm with four segments and seven degrees of freedom. It is driven by using a foot pedal.

Results

Visualization and instrumentation of the surgical field including the relevant anatomical landmarks were feasible. The endoscope position could be controlled with sufficient precision. The surgeon was able to maintain bimanual instrumentation.

Conclusion

The endoscope positioning system allows for two‐handed surgery, which facilitates the essential steps of the surgical procedure. If the benefit of the system is sufficient for the use in clinical routine, it has to be evaluated in repeated applications.
In Vitro Primary‐Indirect Genotoxicity in Bronchial Epithelial Cells Promoted by Industrially Relevant Few‐Layer Graphene
Authors: Burgum Michael J. , Clift Martin J. D. , Evans Stephen J. , Hondow Nicole , Miller Mark , Lopez Sandra Bustamante , Williams Adam , Tarat Afshin , Jenkins Gareth J. , Doak Shareen H.
Published: July 2020

Few‐layer graphene (FLG) has garnered much interest owing to applications in hydrogen storage and reinforced nanocomposites. Consequently, these engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are in high demand, increasing occupational exposure. This investigation seeks to assess the inhalation hazard of industrially relevant FLG engineered with: (i) no surface functional groups (neutral), (ii) amine, and (iii) carboxyl group functionalization. A monoculture of human lung epithelial (16HBE14o‐) cells is exposed to each material for 24‐h, followed by cytotoxicity and genotoxicity evaluation using relative population doubling (RPD) and the cytokinesis‐blocked micronucleus (CBMN) assay, respectively. Neutral‐FLG induces the greatest (two‐fold) significant increase (p < 0.05) in micronuclei, whereas carboxyl‐FLG does not induce significant (p < 0.05) genotoxicity. These findings correlate to significant (p < 0.05) concentration‐dependent increases in interleukin (IL)‐8, depletion of intracellular glutathione (rGSH) and a depletion in mitochondrial ATP production. Uptake of FLG is evaluated by transmission electron microscopy, whereby FLG particles are observed within membrane‐bound vesicles in the form of large agglomerates (>1 µm diameter). The findings of the present study have demonstrated the capability of neutral‐FLG and amine‐FLG to induce genotoxicity in 16HBE14o‐ cells through primary indirect mechanisms, suggesting a possible role for carboxyl groups in scavenging radicals produced via oxidative stress.
Confined Thermolysis for Oriented N‐Doped Carbon Supported Pd toward Stable Catalytic and Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Huang Ke‐Xin , Hua Junhui , Chang Gang‐Gang , Li Zhaohuai , Tian Ge , Chen Min‐Jie , Li Jia‐Xin , Ke Shan‐Chao , Yang Xiao‐Yu , Chen Banglin
Published: July 2020

Carbon‐based nanomaterials have been widely utilized in catalysis and energy‐related fields due to their fascinating properties. However, the controllable synthesis of porous carbon with refined morphology is still a formidable challenge due to inevitable aggregation/fusion of resulted carbon particles during the high‐temperature synthetic process. Herein, a hierarchically oriented carbon‐structured (fiber‐like) composite is fabricated by simultaneously taking advantage of a confined pyrolysis strategy and disparate bond environments within metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). In the resultant composite, the oriented carbon provides a fast mass (molecule/ion/electron) transfer efficiency; the doping‐N atoms can anchor or act as active sites; the mesoporous SiO2 (mSiO2) shell not only effectively prevents the derived carbon or active metal nanoparticles (NPs) from aggregation or leaching, but also acts as a “polysulfide reservoir” in the Li–S batteries to suppress the “shuttle” effect. Benefiting from these advantages, the synthesized composite Pd@NDHPC@mSiO2 (NDHPC means N‐doped hierarchically porous carbon) exhibits extremely high catalytic activity and stability toward the one‐pot Knoevenagel condensation–hydrogenation reaction. Furthermore, the oriented NDHPC@mSiO2 manifests a boosted capacity and cycling stability in Li–S batteries compared to the counterpart that directly pyrolyzes without silica protection. This report provides an effective strategy of fabricating hierarchically oriented carbon composites for catalysis and energy storage applications.
Calculation of View Factors in Electric Arc Furnace Process Modeling
Authors: Hay Thomas , Hernandez Jesus , Roberts Suzanne , Echterhof Thomas
Published: July 2020

The determination of view factors (VF) is a central component of the heat transfer model in comprehensive electric arc furnace process models. Due to the complex nature of the process, simplifying assumptions are necessary to allow the efficient estimation of VF. These simplifications mainly deal with the geometrical representation of the furnace and the methods to calculate the resulting VF. Such assumptions have been applied in several studies; however, while the results of the complete process models have been validated extensively, the calculated VF have not been examined in detail. Herein, two methods of calculating VF based on a geometry similar to that used in the process models proposed by MacRosty et al., Logar et al., and Meier et al. are presented and validated by comparing the results obtained using a commercial computational fluid dynamics software. The number of assumptions and simplifications is reduced when compared with previously published results and both methods are proven to be accurate while remaining computationally efficient enough for the application in process models for online applications and process optimization, where fast execution is necessary.
Attempt to Prevent Drowsiness by Heat Dissipation Control
Authors: Nagumo Kent , Bando Shizuka , Oiwa Kosuke , Asano Hirotoshi , Nozawa Akio
Published: July 2020

Drowsiness is the main cause of traffic accidents. To improve safety while driving, a system to detect a decrease in drivers' awareness and to prevent drivers' drowsiness is desirable. In humans, increased skin temperature and increased heat dissipation precede the onset of sleep. The authors, with the hypothesis that control of heat dissipation affects drowsiness level, developed a heat dissipation control system. Experimental evaluation of the relationship between heat dissipation and drowsiness level suggested that control of heat dissipation is effective in preventing drowsiness. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
An opinion on issues for future investigation of the water management of Greater Angkor
Authors: Fletcher Roland
Published: July 2020

The urban complex of Greater Angkor, the capital of the Khmer state from the 9th to the 14th–15th century CE, was a vast, convoluted settlement of rice fields, residential structures, shrines, roadways and water systems. Because the urban landscape was repeatedly remodeled on a massive scale the settlement plan is a complicated palimpsest of additions and remodeling that drastically altered earlier settlement configurations and water management features. Consequently, older settlements and structures in Greater Angkor are either buried or altered by later construction. The purpose of this paper is to offer an opinion about key issues which might be pursued or assessed concerning the development of water management in Angkor. The paper is about opinions because the physical evidence that is currently observable on and in the ground is partial, much is obscured and some is scarcely accessible. Further vigorous inquiry into water network of Greater Angkor is crucial for local cultural history and has serious, global implications for the vulnerability of very large, low‐density urban settlements which are confronted by extreme climate instability.

This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Water as Imagined and Represented

Human Water > Water Governance
The MolSSI QCArchive project: An open‐source platform to compute, organize, and share quantum chemistry data
Authors: Smith Daniel G. A. , Altarawy Doaa , Burns Lori A. , Welborn Matthew , Naden Levi N. , Ward Logan , Ellis Sam , Pritchard Benjamin P. , Crawford T. Daniel
Published: July 2020

The Molecular Sciences Software Institute's (MolSSI) Quantum Chemistry Archive (QCArchive) project is an umbrella name that covers both a central server hosted by MolSSI for community data and the Python‐based software infrastructure that powers automated computation and storage of quantum chemistry (QC) results. The MolSSI‐hosted central server provides the computational molecular sciences community a location to freely access tens of millions of QC computations for machine learning, methodology assessment, force‐field fitting, and more through a Python interface. Facile, user‐friendly mining of the centrally archived quantum chemical data also can be achieved through web applications found at https://qcarchive.molssi.org. The software infrastructure can be used as a standalone platform to compute, structure, and distribute hundreds of millions of QC computations for individuals or groups of researchers at any scale. The QCArchive Infrastructure is open‐source (BSD‐3C), code repositories can be found at https://github.com/MolSSI, and releases can be downloaded via PyPI and Conda.

This article is categorized under:

Electronic Structure Theory > Ab Initio Electronic Structure Methods

Software > Quantum Chemistry

Data Science > Computer Algorithms and Programming