bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antioxidant Properties and Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Pulcria crispa on Biochemical and Hematological Parameters of Albino Rats
Authors: Daradka Haytham M. , Shdefat Ramadan Al- , Eskandrani Areej A.
Published: December 2020

Background: Pulcria crispa (P. crispa) is an herbal plant traditionally used to treat common ailments.

Objective: In this study, we investigated P. crispa for its phytochemical constituents, antioxidant properties and effects on biochemical and hematological parameters as well as safety in albino rats.

Methods: Phytochemical analysis of ethanolic extract of P. crispa was conducted using standard procedures. In vitro 2, 2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and reducing power assay were used for the investigation of antioxidant activity of extract. Acute effects on physical and behavioral changes and mortality were monitored up to 72 h after administration of different doses of C. crispa  Chronic effects on body to organ ratio, biochemical and hematological parameters were measured after administration of rats with different doses of P. crispa extract for 30 days.

Results: Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols and tannins were the most abundant constituents found in P. crispa extract, which displayed a significant antioxidant activity measured by reducing power and DPPH assays. No physical, behavioral changes and mortality were noted following the acute treatment of rats with the extract. Similarly, no significant change in body to organ weight ratio was observed after chronic treatment. Hematological parameters including RBCs, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH and MCHC values were unaltered while W.B.C count was elevated in P.crispa administered rats compared to control.

crispa extract significantly reduced glucose, urea, creatinine, cholesterol, bilirubin, AST and ALT levels, whereas, triglycerides and total protein levels were increased in response to P.crispa treatment.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that P. crispa extract is rich in bioactive compounds and possesses significant antioxidant properties. Extract was also found to be safe and had no significant adverse effects on hematological parameters and exerted beneficial effects on biochemical parameters.
Circulating tumor cell detection and single‐cell analysis using an integrated workflow based on ChimeraX®‐i120 Platform: A prospective study
Authors: Wang Peng‐Xiang , Sun Yun‐Fan , Jin Wei‐Xiang , Cheng Jian‐Wen , Peng Hai‐Xiang , Xu Yang , Zhou Kai‐Qian , Chen Li‐Meng , Huang Kai , Wu Sui‐Yi , Hu Bo , Zhang Ze‐Fan , Guo Wei , Cao Ya , Zhou Jian , Fan Jia , Yang Xin‐Rong
Published: December 2020

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) analysis holds great potential to be a noninvasive solution for clinical cancer management. A complete workflow that combined CTC detection and single‐cell molecular analysis is required. We developed the ChimeraX®‐i120 platform to facilitate negative enrichment, immunofluorescent labeling, and machine learning‐based identification of CTCs. Analytical performances were evaluated, and a total of 477 participants were enrolled to validate the clinical feasibility of ChimeraX®‐i120 CTC detection. We analyzed copy number alteration profiles of isolated single cells. The ChimeraX®‐i120 platform had high sensitivity, accuracy, and reproducibility for CTC detection. In clinical samples, an average value of > 60% CTC‐positive rate was found for five cancer types (i.e., liver, biliary duct, breast, colorectal, and lung), while CTCs were rarely identified in blood from healthy donors. In hepatocellular carcinoma patients treated with curative resection, CTC status was significantly associated with tumor characteristics, prognosis, and treatment response (all P < 0.05). Single‐cell sequencing analysis revealed that heterogeneous genomic alteration patterns resided in different cells, patients, and cancers. Our results suggest that the use of this ChimeraX®‐i120 platform and the integrated workflow has validity as a tool for CTC detection and downstream genomic profiling in the clinical setting.
The long noncoding RNA DLGAP1‐AS2 facilitates cholangiocarcinoma progression via miR‐505 and GALNT10
Authors: Liu Zhao , Pan Lili , Yan Xiaofang , Duan Xiuna
Published: December 2020

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly invasive malignant tumor with high mortality. Most cases of CCA are already advanced when they are detected, resulting in poor prognosis. As such, there is an ongoing need for the identification of effective biomarkers for CCA. The long noncoding RNA DLGAP1‐AS2 has been reported to have prognostic value in glioma and Wilms' tumor. Here, we investigated the function of DLGAP1‐AS2 in CCA. The differential expression of DLGAP1‐AS2 in CCA tissues and normal tissues was first examined using data from the The Cancer Genome Atlas database and then in CCA cell lines by quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). The target gene was predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and the binding sites were confirmed using luciferase assay. DLGAP1‐AS2 is up‐regulated in CCA, and high DLGAP1‐AS2 expression promotes cell viability and is associated with poor prognosis. Notably, DLGAP1‐AS2 acts as a sponge to suppress miR‐505 expression, and miR‐505 reduces the expression of N‐acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 10 (GALNT10) in CCA cells. Biofunctional experiments revealed that a miR‐505 inhibitor almost completely removed the inhibitory effect of si‐DLGAP1‐AS2 on CCA cell malignant progression, whereas the malignant phenotype of cells cotransfected with si‐DLGAP1‐AS2 and si‐GALNT10 was significantly reduced as compared with the control. In summary, the DLGAP1‐AS2/miR‐505/GALNT10 axis may contribute to regulating the malignant progression of CCA and may have potential as a novel target for CCA therapy.
As new administration forms, questions remain about SAMHSA and ONDCP
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: December 2020

President‐elect Joe Biden has announced his health team members, but the assistant secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), were not revealed by press time for this issue.
Ultralow Voltage High‐Performance Bioartificial Muscles Based on Ionically Crosslinked Polypyrrole‐Coated Functional Carboxylated Bacterial Cellulose for Soft Robots
Authors: Wang Fan , Li Qinchuan , Park Jong‐Oh , Zheng Shaohui , Choi Eunpyo
Published: December 2020

The development of ultralow voltage high‐performance bioartificial muscles with large bending strain, fast response time, and excellent actuation durability is highly desirable for promising applications such as soft robotics, active biomedical devices, flexible haptic displays, and wearable electronics. Herein, a novel high‐performance low‐priced bioartificial muscle based on functional carboxylated bacterial cellulose (FCBC) and polypyrrole (PPy) nanoparticles is reported, exhibiting a large bending strain of 0.93%, long actuated bending durability (96% retention for 5 h) under an ultralow harmonic input of 0.5 V, broad frequency bandwidth up to 10 Hz, fast response time (≈4 s) in DC responses, high energy density (6.81 KJ m−3), and high power density (5.11 KW m−3), all of which mainly stem from its high surface area and porosity, large specific capacitance, tuned mechanical properties, and strong ionic interactions of cations and anions in ionic liquid with FCBC and PPy nanoparticles. More importantly, bioinspired applications such as the grapple robot, bionic medical stent, bionic flower, and wings‐vibrating have been realized. These successful demonstrations offer a viable means for developing high‐performance bioartificial muscles for next‐generation soft bioelectronics including bioinspired robotics, biomedical microdevices, and wearable electronics.
Controllable Formation of Ordered Vacancy Compound for High Efficiency Solution Processed Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
Authors: Zhao Yunhai , Yuan Shengjie , Chang Qianqian , Zhou Zhengji , Kou Dongxing , Zhou Wenhui , Qi Yafang , Wu Sixin
Published: December 2020

Solution processing of Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) absorber makes it cost‐competitive in the photovoltaic market. It is reported that copper‐poor ordered vacancy compound (OVC) is crucial for high performance CIGS solar cells. However, in solution process method, controllable formation of OVC is unavailable and limited research has been carried out. In this work, the controllable formation of the OVC phase on the CIGS surface is successful by controlling the selenization temperature and intentional variation of Cu/(In+Ga) stoichiometry in precursors for top layers and bulk layers deposition. The effects of OVC contents on the device performance are investigated. The CIGS thin film with OVC phase exhibits a lower valence band position. Meanwhile, the CIGS devices with optimized OVC content show decreased interface defects density and better carrier collection ability. The above advantages translate into a champion PCE of 16.39% for CIGS device with OVC phase, which is the champion performance among non‐hydrazine solution‐processed CIGS solar cells. The results demonstrate that the controllable formation of OVC phase approach should make a significant contribution to the efficiency promoting of solution processed CIGS solar cells.
Amphipathic Side Chain of a Conjugated Polymer Optimizes Dopant Location toward Efficient N‐Type Organic Thermoelectrics
Authors: Liu Jian , Ye Gang , Potgieser Hinderikus G. O. , Koopmans Marten , Sami Selim , Nugraha Mohamad Insan , Villalva Diego Rosas , Sun Hengda , Dong Jingjin , Yang Xuwen , Qiu Xinkai , Yao Chen , Portale Giuseppe , Fabiano Simone , Anthopoulos Thomas D. , Baran Derya , Havenith Remco W. A. , Chiechi Ryan C. , Koster L. Jan Anton
Published: December 2020

There is no molecular strategy for selectively increasing the Seebeck coefficient without reducing the electrical conductivity for organic thermoelectrics. Here, it is reported that the use of amphipathic side chains in an n‐type donor–acceptor copolymer can selectively increase the Seebeck coefficient and thus increase the power factor by a factor of ≈5. The amphipathic side chain contains an alkyl chain segment as a spacer between the polymer backbone and an ethylene glycol type chain segment. The use of this alkyl spacer does not only reduce the energetic disorder in the conjugated polymer film but can also properly control the dopant sites away from the backbone, which minimizes the adverse influence of counterions. As confirmed by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations with the host–dopant distance as the only variable, a reduced Coulombic interaction resulting from a larger host–dopant distance contributes to a higher Seebeck coefficient for a given electrical conductivity. Finally, an optimized power factor of 18 µW m–1 K–2 is achieved in the doped polymer film. This work provides a facile molecular strategy for selectively improving the Seebeck coefficient and opens up a new route for optimizing the dopant location toward realizing better n‐type polymeric thermoelectrics.
Solar‐Driven Fixation of Bismuth Oxyhalides on Reduced Graphene Oxide for Efficient Sunlight‐Responsive Immobilized Photocatalytic Systems
Authors: Alansi Amani M. , Qahtan Talal F. , Saleh Tawfik A.
Published: December 2020

Developing green, cheap technology for large‐scale production of photocatalysts in colloidal dispersion form enables the fabrication of efficient sunlight‐responsive immobilized photocatalytic systems to address current environmental issues. It is reported for the first time, a cost‐effective, energy‐efficient, green, single‐step approach for solar‐driven fixation of bismuth oxybromideiodied solid solution (BiOBr0.75 I0.25 SS) on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets by solar light irradiation of BiOBr0.75I0.25‐graphene oxide (GO) dispersion in ethanol medium. Upon solar irradiation, GO is photocatalytically reduced by BiOBr0.75I0.25, resulting in uniform fixation of BiOBr0.75I0.25 SS on rGO to yield high‐purity BiOBr0.75I0.25‐rGO heterojunction (BiOBr0.75I0.25‐rGO HJ) in colloidal dispersion form. The solar‐driven fixation of BiOBr0.75I0.25 SS on rGO brings many favorable characteristics for BiOBr0.75I0.25‐rGO HJ as sunlight‐responsive photocatalyst over the pristine BiOBr0.75I0.25, including high absorption of light in the visible region, high electron‐hole separation efficiency, and super adhesive property. As a result, BiOBr0.75I0.25‐rGO HJ films exhibit super durability and outstanding photocatalytic performance for water decontamination over BiOBr0.75I0.25 films under the same conditions. This study is an establishment of a green strategy for the large‐scale production of rGO‐based bismuth oxyhalides HJs.
Bioproduction of Enantiopure (R)‐ and (S)‐2‐Phenylglycinols from Styrenes and Renewable Feedstocks
Authors: Sekar Balaji Sundara , Mao Jiwei , Lukito Benedict Ryan , Wang Zilong , Li Zhi
Published: December 2020

Enantiopure (R)‐ and (S)‐2‐phenylglycinols are important chiral building blocks for pharmaceutical manufacturing. Several chemical and enzymatic methods for their synthesis were reported, either involving multi‐step synthesis or starting from a relatively complex chemical. Here, we developed one‐pot simple syntheses of enantiopure (R)‐ and (S)‐2‐phenylglycinols from cheap starting materials and renewable feedstocks. Enzyme cascades consisting of epoxidation‐hydrolysis‐oxidation‐transamination were developed to convert styrene 2 a to (R)‐ and (S)‐2‐phenylglycinol 1 a, with butanediol dehydrogenase for alcohol oxidation as well as BmTA and NfTA for (R)‐ and (S)‐enantioselective transamination, respectively. The engineered E. coli strains expressing the cascades produced 1015 mg/L (R)‐1 a in >99% ee and 315 mg/L (S)‐1 a in 91% ee, respectively, from styrene 2 a. The same cascade also converted substituted styrenes 2 b–k and indene 2 l into substituted (R)‐phenylglycinols 1 b–k and (1R, 2R)‐1‐amino‐2‐indanol 1 l in 95–>99% ee. To transform bio‐based L‐phenylalanine 6 to (R)‐1 a and (S)‐1 a, (R)‐ and (S)‐enantioselective enzyme cascades for deamination‐decarboxylation‐epoxidation‐hydrolysis‐oxidation‐transamination were developed. The engineered E. coli strains produced (R)‐1 a and (S)‐1 a in high ee at 576 mg/L and 356 mg/L, respectively, from L‐phenylalanine 6, as the first synthesis of these compounds from a bio‐based chemical. Finally, L‐phenylalanine biosynthesis pathway was combined with (R)‐ or (S)‐enantioselective cascade in one strain or coupled strains, to achieve the first synthesis of (R)‐1 a and (S)‐1 a from a renewable feedstock. The coupled strain approach enhanced the production, affording 274 and 384 mg/L (R)‐1 a and 274 and 301 mg/L (S)‐1 a, from glucose and glycerol, respectively. The developed methods could be potentially useful to produce these high‐value chemicals from cheap starting materials and renewable feedstocks in a green and sustainable manner.

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Evolution of Conformation, Nanomechanics, and Infrared Nanospectroscopy of Single Amyloid Fibrils Converting into Microcrystals
Authors: Adamcik Jozef , Ruggeri Francesco Simone , Berryman Joshua T. , Zhang Afang , Knowles Tuomas P. J. , Mezzenga Raffaele
Published: December 2020

Nanomechanical properties of amyloid fibrils and nanocrystals depend on their secondary and quaternary structure, and the geometry of intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Advanced imaging methods based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) have unravelled the morphological and mechanical heterogeneity of amyloids, however a full understanding has been hampered by the limited resolution of conventional spectroscopic methods. Here, it is shown that single molecule nanomechanical mapping and infrared nanospectroscopy (AFM‐IR) in combination with atomistic modelling enable unravelling at the single aggregate scale of the morphological, nanomechanical, chemical, and structural transition from amyloid fibrils to amyloid microcrystals in the hexapeptides, ILQINS, IFQINS, and TFQINS. Different morphologies have different Young's moduli, within 2–6 GPa, with amyloid fibrils exhibiting lower Young's moduli compared to amyloid microcrystals. The origins of this stiffening are unravelled and related to the increased content of intermolecular β‐sheet and the increased lengthscale of cooperativity following the transition from twisted fibril to flat nanocrystal. Increased stiffness in Young's moduli is correlated with increased density of intermolecular hydrogen bonding and parallel β‐sheet structure, which energetically stabilize crystals over the other polymorphs. These results offer additional evidence for the position of amyloid crystals in the minimum of the protein folding and aggregation landscape.
Pressure‐Induced Formation and Mechanical Properties of 2D Diamond Boron Nitride
Authors: Cellini Filippo , Lavini Francesco , Chen Elton , Bongiorno Angelo , Popovic Filip , Hartman Ryan L. , Dingreville Remi , Riedo Elisa
Published: December 2020

Understanding phase transformations in 2D materials can unlock unprecedented developments in nanotechnology, since their unique properties can be dramatically modified by external fields that control the phase change. Here, experiments and simulations are used to investigate the mechanical properties of a 2D diamond boron nitride (BN) phase induced by applying local pressure on atomically thin h‐BN on a SiO2 substrate, at room temperature, and without chemical functionalization. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show a metastable local rearrangement of the h‐BN atoms into diamond crystal clusters when increasing the indentation pressure. Raman spectroscopy experiments confirm the presence of a pressure‐induced cubic BN phase, and its metastability upon release of pressure. Å‐indentation experiments and simulations show that at pressures of 2–4 GPa, the indentation stiffness of monolayer h‐BN on SiO2 is the same of bare SiO2, whereas for two‐ and three‐layer‐thick h‐BN on SiO2 the stiffness increases of up to 50% compared to bare SiO2, and then it decreases when increasing the number of layers. Up to 4 GPa, the reduced strain in the layers closer to the substrate decreases the probability of the sp2‐to‐sp3 phase transition, explaining the lower stiffness observed in thicker h‐BN.
Formulation, application timing, and postapplication irrigation timing affect dislodgeable azoxystrobin from turfgrass
Authors: Maxwell P. J. , Gannon T. W.
Published: December 2020

Azoxystrobin is a broad‐spectrum strobilurin fungicide used widely in turfgrass systems, including lawns. Previous research has shown that various management practices influence pesticide dislodgement from turfgrass; however, limited research has been performed to determine their effect on azoxystrobin dislodge. A field experiment was conducted in Raleigh, NC, to quantify dislodgeable azoxystrobin (0.61 kg ai ha−1) foliar residue from tall fescue [Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S.J. Darbyshire] across formulations (sprayable or granular), application timings (AM [0700 h Eastern Standard Time] or PM [1400 h Eastern Standard Time]), and postapplication irrigation timings (4 or 48 h after treatment [HAT]). Sample collection occurred 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, or 16 d after treatment (DAT). Evaluated management practices affected dislodgeable azoxystrobin, most notably from 1 to 4 DAT. Sprayable azoxystrobin applied in the PM resulted in greater azoxystrobin dislodged (1.0–8.0% of applied) compared with AM (0.3–5.5%), which were both greater than granular azoxystrobin applied in the AM or PM (<0.1–2.8%) from 1 to 4 DAT. Within sprayable azoxystrobin, five times greater azoxystrobin was dislodged by delaying postapplication irrigation until 48 HAT (1.2–11.8% of applied) compared with irrigation 4 HAT (0.2–1.2%) from 1 to 4 DAT. Information from this study improves our understanding of factors affecting pesticide dislodge and can be incorporated into turfgrass management strategies to minimize potential human pesticide exposure.
Strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope analysis of the Namu skeletal assemblage: A study of past human migration on Taumako, a Polynesian Outlier in the eastern Solomon Islands
Authors: Kramer Robyn T. , King Charlotte L. , Buckley Hallie R. , Jaouen Klervia , Boyd Derek A. , Kiko Lawrence , Trost Manuel , Petchey Fiona , Kinaston Rebecca L.
Published: December 2020

Objectives

This study aims to assess if inter‐island mobility can be identified during the Namu period (ca. 1,510–1800 AD) using87Sr/86Sr analysis of dental enamel for individuals from the Namu burial ground on Taumako Island in the eastern Solomon Island Chain. Historic evidence from this region suggests that females migrated between the Duff, Reef, and Santa Cruz islands for marriage purposes. We hypothesize that observable trends in migrational (87Sr/86Sr) and dietary (δ13C and δ15N) isotopes can reveal the relationship between demographic factors, social status, diet, and female mobility on Taumako.

Methods

This research analyzes enamel87Sr/86Sr for 58 individuals in the Namu skeletal sample. The87Sr/86Sr results were compared with published dietary isotope data (bone collagen and dentin δ13C and δ15N values) and type/number of grave goods to assess whether trends within the data may be related to sex, age, or burial wealth.

Results

The results show that females display significantly higher87Sr/86Sr values compared to males. One young adult female displayed a87Sr/86Sr value that was +2SD outside the mean for the sampled individuals. A linear mixed‐effects model and principle components analysis of87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ15N values suggest that wealth, sex, and age‐cohort membership have an observable influence on the isotopic variation for the Taumako population.

Conclusion

We suggest that during the Namu period, Taumako was patrilocal and that some females migrated there from the nearby Santa Cruz and Reef islands. One female immigrated to Taumako from a geologically distinct region outside of the Duff, Reef, and Santa Cruz Island groups.
A red light‐activable MnI(CO)3‐functionalized gold nanocomposite as the anticancer prodrug with theranostic potential
Authors: Musib Dulal , Raza Md Kausar , Pal Mrityunjoy , Roy Mithun
Published: December 2020

The controlled and target‐specific release of CO to a target site upon photoactivation has recently emerged as a promising tool for targeted anticancer activity. However, the present CO‐releasing molecules (CORMs) suffer several limitations, including poor delivery to the tumor site. In this study, we reported the synthesis, characterization, and caspase 3/7‐dependent apoptosis (IC50: 232 μg ml−1 or 29.03 nM) in A549 cells by manganese(I) carbonyl‐functionalized gold nanoparticles (1‐AuNPs) on dual photosensitization in red light (600–720 nm, 30 J cm−2). The 1‐AuNPs, however, remained nontoxic to A549 cells in the dark. The Mn(I)–CO complex (1) exhibited photocytotoxicity (IC50: 38.1 μM in red light; IC50: 88 μM in dark) as well. Dual photosensitization with red light leading to rapid, synergic CO release and singlet oxygen (1O2) generation were the principal mechanism for the photocytotoxicity, which was studied in detail. Photoactivated CO release resulted in TURN‐ON luminescence in A549 cells and renders the hybrid 1‐AuNPs an ideal, next‐generation nanotheranostic agent.
Development of value‐added polyethylene grades with extended service lifetime: Weathering resistant flame retarded materials for outdoor applications
Authors: Porfyris Athanasios D. , Vouyiouka Stamatina N. , Luyt Adriaan S. , Korres Dimitrios M. , Malik Sarah S. , Gasmi Soumia , Grosshauser Michael , Pfaendner Rudolf , Papaspyrides Constantine D.
Published: December 2020

The current article deals with the development of different novel, tailor‐made polyolefin formulations exhibiting both low flammability and high weathering resistance, so as to provide value‐added polyethylene grades with extended service lifetime. Two low‐density (LDPE) and one linear low‐density (LLDPE) polyethylene grades were modified via melt compounding with an additive system comprising: (a) a nitrogen‐phosphorous intumescent system for flame retardance and (b) a hindered amine light stabilizer and a benzophenone‐type UV absorber for UV/heat stabilization, at a total loading of 30–35 wt%. The target was to reach V0 classification in UL94V flammability tests, while to a large extent maintaining the mechanical properties, such as, tensile and impact strength of the investigated polymers, thus ensuring that the additives do not interfere significantly with the material quality. Subsequently, the compounds were subjected to separate artificial UV and heat aging at 100°C for 1500 h; the formulations showed good flame retardance, even after prolonged artificial weathering, but there was an observable, although acceptable, decrease in the mechanical properties. Nevertheless, all the results show that the developed polyethylene compounds are very promising for outdoor applications, such as, irrigation piping and profiles, where long‐term weathering stability is important, and where flame retardance is important for safety during storage.
Erweiterte Untersuchungen zur Querkrafttragfähigkeit der Westrampe der Köhlbrandbrücke
Authors: Herbrand Martin , Rauert Tim , Zehetmaier Gerhard , Ullerich Christof
Published: December 2020

Als eine der wichtigsten Verkehrsadern Hamburgs verläuft die Köhlbrandbrücke seit 1974 zwischen der Elbinsel Wilhelmsburg und Waltershof über den Köhlbrand. Während das Zentralstück als Schrägseilbrücke mit Stahlhohlkasten konstruiert wurde, wurden die Rampenbauwerke überwiegend aus Spannbeton hergestellt. Die Westrampe ist ein aus 19 Feldern bestehendes System mit Stützweiten zwischen 34 und 70 m und einer Gesamtlänge von 1 048 m. Im Zuge einer Nachrechnung in den Stufen 1 und 2 der Nachrechnungsrichtlinie wurden Defizite beim Nachweis der Querkraft und beim Nachweis des Ankündigungsverhaltens festgestellt. Dieser Bericht beschreibt erweiterte Untersuchungen zum Nachweis der Querkrafttragfähigkeit im Rahmen einer Stufe‐4‐Betrachtung.
Lithium‐induced overexpression of β‐catenin delays murine palatal shelf elevation by Cdc‐42 mediated F‐actin remodeling in mesenchymal cells
Authors: Wang Xiao‐ming , Liu Wei‐long , Chen Yu , Pang Xiao‐xiao , Wang Ya‐hong , Wu Min , Shi Bing , Li Cheng‐hao
Published: December 2020

Background

Lithium chloride (LiCl) is widely used for the treatment of manic and other psychotic disorders, but the administration of lithium can result in several congenital defects in the fetus, including cleft palate (Meng, Wang, Torensma, Jw & Bian, 2015) (Szabo, 1970). However, the mechanism of Lithium's action as a developmental toxicant in palatogenesis is not well known.

Methods

In this study, hematoxylin‐eosin and immunofluorescence staining were employed to evaluate the phenotypes and the expression of related markers in the LiCl‐treated mice model. The palatal mesenchymal cells were cultured in vitro, and stimulated with LiCl or SKL2000, and co‐treated with CASIN. β‐catenin protein and other cytoskeleton associated markers were evaluated by Western blotting.

Results

We found that Lithium disrupted palate elevation by increasing the expression of β‐catenin in C57BL/6J mice with the high incidence of cleft palate (62.5%). LiCl disturbed the F‐actin responsible for cytoskeletal remodeling in mesenchymal cells, which proved to be essential in generating the elevating force during palatal elevation. Additionally, our Western blotting analysis revealed that the overexpression of β‐catenin resulted in up‐regulation of Cdc42, which mediated the downstream F‐actin synthesis.

Conclusions

We concluded the LiCl‐induced β‐catenin overexpression delayed murine palatal shelf elevation by disturbing Cdc42 mediated F‐actin cytoskeleton synthesis in the palatal mesenchyme.
Reliable Method for Fabricating Tissue‐Mimicking Materials With Designated Relative Permittivity and Conductivity at 128 MHz
Authors: Deng Guanhua , Cai Linbo , Feng Jian , Duan Song , Zhang Ping , Xin Sherman X.
Published: December 2020

Artificial materials that can simultaneously mimic the relative permittivity and conductivity of various human tissues are usually used in medical applications. However, the method of precisely designing these materials with designated values of both relative permittivity and conductivity at 3 T MRI resonance frequency is lacking. In this study, a reliable method is established to determine the compositions of artificial dielectric materials with designated relative permittivity and conductivity at 128 MHz. Sixty dielectric materials were produced using oil, sodium chloride, gelatin, and deionized water as the main raw materials. The dielectric properties of these dielectric materials were measured using the open‐ended coaxial line method at 128 MHz. Nonlinear least‐squares Marquardt–Levenberg algorithm was used to obtain the formula, establishing the relationship between the compositions of the dielectric materials and their dielectric properties at 128 MHz. The dielectric properties of the blood, gall bladder, muscle, skin, lung, and bone at 128 MHz were selected to verify the reliability of the obtained formula. For the obtained formula, the coefficient of determination and the expanded uncertainties with a coverage factor of k = 2 were 0.991% and 4.9% for relative permittivity and 0.992% and 6.4% for conductivity. For the obtained artificial materials measured using the open‐ended coaxial line method, the maximal difference of relative permittivity and conductivity were 1.0 and 0.02 S/m, respectively, with respect to the designated values. In conclusion, the compositions of tissue‐mimicking material can be quickly determined after the establishment of the formulas with the expanded uncertainties of less than 10%. Bioelectromagnetics. 2021;42:86–94. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society.
Fungicide‐loaded and biodegradable xylan‐based nanocarriers
Authors: Beckers Sebastian J. , Wetherbee Luc , Fischer Jochen , Wurm Frederik R.
Published: December 2020

The delivery of agrochemicals is typically achieved by the spraying of fossil‐based polymer dispersions, which might accumulate in the soil and increase microplastic pollution. A potentially sustainable alternative is the use of biodegradable nano‐ or micro‐formulations based on biopolymers, which can be degraded selectively by fungal enzymes to release encapsulated agrochemicals. To date, no hemicellulose nanocarriers for drug delivery in plants have been reported. Xylan is a renewable and abundant feedstock occurring naturally in high amounts in hemicellulose ‐ a major component of the plant cell wall. Herein, xylan from corncobs was used to produce the first fungicide‐loaded xylan‐based nanocarriers by interfacial polyaddition in an inverse miniemulsion using toluene diisocyanate (TDI) as a crosslinking agent. The nanocarriers were redispersed in water and the aqueous dispersions were proven to be active in vitro against several pathogenic fungi, which are responsible for fungal plant diseases in horticulture or agriculture. Besides, empty xylan‐based nanocarriers stimulated the growth of fungal mycelium, which indicated the degradation of xylan in the presence of the fungi, and underlined the degradation as a trigger to release a loaded agrochemical. This first example of crosslinked xylan‐based nanocarriers expands the library of biodegradable and biobased nanocarriers for agrochemical release and might play a crucial role for future formulations in plant protection.
SARS‐CoV‐2 virtual biochemistry labs on bioinformatics and drug design
Authors: Brandt Gabriel S. , Novak Walter R. P.
Published: December 2020

Colleges and universities are learning to provide relevant virtual lab experiences for students due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. Even schools attempting in‐person instruction often need to utilize virtual experiences for students absent due to quarantine or illness. Much of biochemistry is amenable to molecular visualization and/or computational study; however, many faculty face learning how to utilize new computational and molecular visualization software. We present a set of virtual lab exercises with detailed instructions to engage students in the discovery of novel antiviral compounds against the SARS‐CoV‐2 main protease.
How to serve sustainability performance in businesses? An appetizing recipe to link practices to performance in business sustainability research
Authors: Imbrogiano Jean‐Pierre , Nichols Elizabeth
Published: December 2020

Recent critiques claim that business sustainability scholarship offers little evidence on how to effectively address business unsustainability. In this article, we demonstrate why this problem exists. Specifically, we argue that the literatures on internal practices of business sustainability, and on the sustainability performance of businesses, do not speak to each other and that explanatory models also fail to bridge a corresponding gap in the field. We argue for the development of a subfield of sustainability performance in businesses and explain the types of inquiries that should be developed. Finally, we suggest how scholars in the business sustainability field could contribute to the development of better understanding of sustainability performance in businesses.
Corporate sustainability and financial performance: Collective reputation as moderator of the relationship between environmental performance and firm market value
Authors: Kim Seonghoon , Terlaak Ann , Potoski Matthew
Published: December 2020

Markets value superior corporate sustainability performance in part because investors use a firm's environmental performance as a signal of desirable but difficult‐to‐observe attributes, such as the firm's integrity capacity. Yet a signaling conflict can arise when a firm belongs to an organizational form that has a collective reputation for being unethical. In such circumstances, the firm's environmental performance may no longer credibly signal its underlying integrity capacity, leading markets to adjust downward the value they would otherwise place on the firm's environmental performance. Using longitudinal data on South Korean firms, we find that improvements in firm environmental performance lead to smaller increases in market values for firms belonging to a poorly reputed organizational form. However, firms can partially recover lost value by adopting firm features that reduce the signaling conflict, thereby restoring the notion of corporate sustainability performance driving firm market values.
Minimally Invasive Surgical Strategies in Regenerative/Reconstructive Periodontal Therapy
Authors: Barbagallo Giovanni , D'Urso Umberto , Psaila Alessandro , Cultrera Dario
Published: December 2020

Focused Clinical Question

After a quick overview on the original principles of guided periodontal regeneration (GTR), the aim of this paper focuses on the advantages of minimally invasive surgical techniques for periodontal regeneration/reconstruction. The specific clinical question to answer is:

Are there new clinical parameters useful to choose the best minimal invasive surgery approach for each periodontal defect?

An update of the decision trees is to propose after highlighting some clinical parameters deemed relevant for the choice of the most suitable minimally invasive surgical approach and which therefore are considered by us having a place in the new decision trees.

Starting from the paper of Evian dated 1985 until that of Aslan in 2017, we have analyzed the minimal periodontal surgical techniques proposed for the periodontal regeneration. In addition to the parameters set in the various flowcharts, we have highlighted the following additional parameters: papilla height loss; supra bone component of the defect; Δ Bone Sounding; width of keratinized tissue.

Conclusion

The decision‐making chart improved with the new clinically relevant factors may serve as a useful guideline for dentists, but to definitively validate it, further studies need to be developed in the future. In order to clarify the proposed flow chart, the authors present two different clinical cases.
Cover up: Clinic outcomes of covered stent usage for coronary perforation during PCI
Authors: Elison David , Dean Larry S.
Published: December 2020

Key Points

Coronary artery perforation is an uncommon, but potentially devastating, complication of PCI, and is observed most frequently in complex procedures.

Clinical outcomes, including periprocedural and long‐term mortality, are markedly worse with increasing degree of perforation.

Perforation required covered stent usage predicts a high in‐hospital and overall mortality, although no difference is noted between covered stent type.
Content is king: Use of educational videos in cardiac catheterization
Authors: Nikolakopoulos Ilias , Brilakis Emmanouil S.
Published: December 2020

Key Points

A simple 3‐min educational video viewed before cardiac catheterization significantly improved patient knowledge and alleviated patient anxiety.

The key characteristics of a good educational video are: clarity, simplicity, brevity, and humanity.

Educational videos may benefit both patients and operators but require continuous evaluation and improvement.
The anatomy is the plastic image of function: the role of the ventricle‐aortic angle in TAVR
Authors: Tarantini Giuseppe , Fraccaro Chiara
Published: December 2020

Key Points

The horizontal aorta of 51° or more, dilated annulus and severe asymmetric calcifications result the three anatomical key features in predicting worse outcome after transfemoral TAVR with the new iterations of self‐expandable devices.

These findings further validate the ESC guidelines on the importance of anatomical factors in favoring TAVR or surgical aortic valve replacement.

Future trials on head to head comparison between valves and on the role of ancillary devices are important to refine final decision making of the heart team on the type of aortic valve replacement and type of valve.
Prenatal mucopolysaccharidosis VII: A novel pathogenic variant identified in GUSB gene
Authors: Poyatos‐Andújar Antonio Miguel , García‐Linares Susana , Carretero Pilar , Ocon Olga , Fresneda Dolores , Gort Laura , Molina García Francisa Sonia
Published: December 2020

Clinical exome sequencing is a powerful approach to overcome the wide clinical and genetic heterogeneity of mucopolysaccharidosis. These data could be useful for prenatal diagnosis of MPS VII, genetic counseling, and preimplantation genetic testing.
Highly Selective Radical Monoreduction of Dihalides Confined to a Dynamic Supramolecular Host
Authors: Petroselli Manuel , Rebek Julius , Yu Yang
Published: December 2020

Reduction of alkyl dihalide guests (2–5 and 7) with trialkylsilanes (R3SiH) was performed in water‐soluble host 1 to investigate the effects of confinement on fast radical reactions (k≥103 m−1 s−1). High selectivity (>95 %) for mono‐reduced products was observed for primary and secondary dihalide guests under mild conditions. The results highlight the importance of host–guest complexation rates to modulate the product selectivity in radical reactions.
3D‐Non‐destructive Imaging through Heavy‐Metal Eosin Salt Contrast Agents
Authors: Busse Madleen , Marciniszyn Jaroslaw P. , Ferstl Simone , Kimm Melanie A. , Pfeiffer Franz , Gulder Tanja
Published: December 2020

Conventional histology is a destructive technique based on the evaluation of 2D slices of a 3D biopsy. By using 3D X‐ray histology these obstacles can be overcome, but their application is still restricted due to the inherently low attenuation properties of soft tissue. In order to solve this problem, the tissue can be stained before X‐ray computed tomography imaging (CT) to enhance the soft tissue X‐ray contrast. Evaluation of brominated fluorescein salts revealed a mutual influence of the number of bromine atoms and the cations applied on the achieved contrast enhancement. The dibromo fluorescein barium salt turned out to be the ideal X‐ray contrast agent, allowing for 3D imaging and subsequent complementing counterstaining applying standard histological techniques.
A cloud‐based service for emergency evacuation of mine water inrush accidents
Authors: Du Yuanze , Wu Qiang , Yao Yi , Zhao Yingwang , Zhang Xiaoyan , Hao Zhichao , Xu Hua , Du Zhili
Published: December 2020

In a mine water inrush accident, a fast and accurate emergency evacuation response is essential for ensuring the miner's safety. Conventional emergency evacuation response in the mining industry lacks integration of data from monitoring systems and adjustment of the evacuation plan. In this study, a cloud‐based service, named the Cloud EE‐MWI, is proposed for the emergency evacuation for water inrush accidents to support managers in making the best decisions. The Cloud EE‐MWI's architecture consists of three layers, including the information, computation, and visualization layers. Information layer acquires data from monitoring systems and processes the collected data with pre‐saved basic information of the mine to generate a time‐varying network of the accident evolution. The computation layer constructs an workflow to find a reliable water‐avoiding route. The latest departure route algorithm is proposed and the time‐varying earliest arrival algorithm is implemented in parallel on cloud servers to boost the evacuation path planning. Finally, the visualization layer focuses on displaying data from sensors and obtained results from the computation layer on the web‐side. A real case study is investigated to demonstrate that the service can integrate the information of the monitoring systems and support the useful solution of the emergency evacuation.
Hybrid cryptosystem in wireless body area networks using message authentication code and modified and enhanced lattice‐based cryptography (MAC‐MELBC) in healthcare applications
Authors: Anusuya Devi V. , Kalaivani V.
Published: December 2020

Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) is a network of sensor devices that are connected together located in the clothes, on the body or underneath a human's skin to monitor patient's health continuously and communicate with required resources. Recently, WBAN offers many applications like remote health monitoring, sports, military, healthcare, and so forth. In healthcare, it improves the patient's life quality based on a faster, accurate diagnosis of diseases and better treatment of patients. Security is a major challenging task to protect the life critical data against various security threats. Many health security systems have been proposed by various researchers for WBAN. Even though, none of the security algorithms achieved high security with efficient time. Hybrid encryption technique plays an essential role to provide high security as compared to previous methods. Therefore, this paper introduces Hybrid Encryption Algorithms (HEA) by combining symmetric key (Message Authentication Code [MAC]) and asymmetric key cryptographic techniques (Modified and Enhanced Lattice‐Based Cryptography [MELBC]) are used to provide strong security, because symmetric techniques provide a high level of security and asymmetric provides key administration. Based on experimental results, it is proven that the proposed algorithm HEA provides high security than other security algorithms.
Two‐dimensional optimal path planning for autonomous underwater vehicle using a whale optimization algorithm
Authors: Yan Zheping , Zhang Jinzhong , Yang Zewen , Tang Jialing
Published: December 2020

This paper presents a whale optimization algorithm (WOA) based on forward looking sonar to achieve two‐dimensional optimal path planning for an autonomous underwater vehicle. The purpose of path planning is not only to effectively avoid threat regions and safely reach the intended target with minimum fuel cost but also to obtain an optimal or near‐optimal path in a complex ocean battlefield environment. The WOA, based on the bubble‐net attacking behavior of humpback whales, mimics encircling the prey, attacks with a bubble‐net method, and search for prey to effectively determine the global optimal solution in the search space. The WOA not only has fast convergence speed and high calculation accuracy but can also effectively balance exploration and exploitation to avoid falling into a local optimum and obtain the global optimal solution. Five sets of experiments are applied to verify the superiority and stability of the WOA. Compared with other algorithms, such as artificial bee colony, bat algorithm, cuckoo search, flower pollination algorithm, moth‐flame optimization algorithm, particle swarm optimization, and water wave optimization, the WOA exhibits better optimization performance and stronger robustness. The experimental results reveal that the WOA can find the shortest path compared with all the other algorithms, and it is an effective and feasible method for solving the path planning problem.
Weight initialization based‐rectified linear unit activation function to improve the performance of a convolutional neural network model
Authors: Olimov Bekhzod , Karshiev Sanjar , Jang Eungyeong , Din Sadia , Paul Anand , Kim Jeonghong
Published: December 2020

Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have made a great impact on attaining state‐of‐the‐art results in image task classification. Weight initialization is one of the fundamental steps in formulating a CNN model. It determines the failure or success of the CNN model. In this paper, we conduct a research based on the mathematical background of different weight initialization strategies to determine the one with better performance. To have smooth training, we expect the activation of each layer of the CNN model follow the standard normal distribution with mean 0 and SD 1. It prevents gradients from vanishing and leads to more smooth training. However, it was obtained that even with the appropriate weight initialization technique, a regular Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) activation function increases the activation mean value. In this paper, we address this issue by proposing weight initialization based (WIB)‐ReLU activation function. The proposed method resulted in more smooth training. Moreover, the experiments showed that WIB‐ReLU outperforms ReLU, Leaky ReLU, parametric ReLU, and exponential linear unit activation functions and results in up to 20% decrease in loss value and 5% increase in accuracy score on both Fashion‐MNIST and CIFAR‐10 databases.
Age‐related radiomorphometric changes on panoramic radiographs
Authors: Lee Yeon‐Hee , Auh Q‐Schick , Chun Yang‐Hyun , An Jung‐Sub
Published: December 2020

Objectives

We aimed to analyse age‐related anatomical changes in teeth and mandibular structures using panoramic radiographs.

Materials and Methods

We included 471 subjects aged 13–70 years (mean, 35.12 ± 18.72 years). Panoramic radiographs were used to record intraoral condition and radiomorphometric parameters. After grouping the subjects by age decade, descriptive statistics and analysis of variance were performed to assess age‐related patterns.

Results

The number of missing teeth, endodontically treated teeth, full veneer crowns, and implant prosthesis increased with age (all p < .05). The prevalence of periodontitis significantly increased after the 40s and was the highest in the 60s (57.1%). The maxillary canine root was the longest in the 10s and 20s (p < .001). With age, the mandibular canal and mental foramen moved towards the alveolar bone crest, on the opposite side of the mandibular inferior border. The pulp area and pulp‐to‐tooth ratio of maxillary/mandibular first molars were significantly higher in the 10s and 20s than in other age groups (all p < .05).

Conclusions

We provided comprehensive information on age‐related anatomical changes in teeth and mandibular structures based on panoramic radiographs. Various radiographic parameters showed specific changes with increasing age. Assessing these age‐related changes can be useful in determining an individual's age, and may aid in medico‐legal and forensic judgments.