bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of fluorine‐19 magnetic resonance imaging of the lungs using octafluorocyclobutane in a rat model
Authors: Shepelytskyi Yurii , Li Tao , Grynko Vira , Newman Camryn , Hane Francis T. , Albert Mitchell S.
Published: August 2020

Purpose

To test octafluorocyclobutane (OFCB) as an inhalation contrast agent for fluorine‐19 MRI of the lung, and to compare the image quality of OFCB scans with perfluoropropane (PFP) scans

Theory and Methods

After normalizing for the number of signal averages, a theoretical comparison between the OFCB signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and PFP SNR predicted the average SNR advantage of 90% using OFCB during gradient echo imaging. The OFCB relaxometry was conducted using single‐voxel spectroscopy and spin‐echo imaging. A comparison of OFCB and PFP SNRs was performed in vitro and in vivo. Five healthy Sprague‐Dawley rats were imaged during single breath‐hold and continuous breathing using a Philips Achieva 3.0T MRI scanner (Philips, Andover, MA). The scan time was constant for both gases. Statistical comparison between PFP and OFCB scans was conducted using a paired t test and by calculating the Bayes factor.

Results

Spin‐lattice (T1) and effective spin‐spin () relaxation time constants of the pure OFCB gas were determined as 28.5 ± 1.2 ms and 10.5 ± 1.8 ms, respectively. Mixing with 21% of oxygen decreased T1 by 30% and by 20%. The OFCB in vivo images showed 73% higher normalized SNR on average compared with images acquired using PFP. The statistical significance was shown by both paired t test and calculated Bayes factors. The experimental results agree with theoretical calculations within the error of the relaxation parameter measurements.

Conclusion

The quality of the lung images acquired using OFCB was significantly better compared with PFP scans. The OFCB images had higher a SNR and were artifact‐free.
Shift to all‐virtual communications to reach prospective students
Authors: Pavlik Amelia
Published: August 2020

March 13, 2020, is a day Francesca Reed will always remember.
Understand the role of a search firm for recruiting a chief enrollment management officer
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: August 2020

DALLAS — If your institution is hiring for a chief enrollment management officer, what are the advantages of using a search firm? A panel of search firm representatives explained how they can help at a session at the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers Strategic Enrollment Management Conference.
Understand practice, compliance issues of pandemic‐driven telework environment
Authors: Porter Michael
Published: August 2020

As institutions phase into the next academic year, ongoing telework arrangements due to COVID‐19 and employment laws are likely to become more prominent administration challenges and legal risk areas.
Help build a stronger local economy by working with local industry
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: August 2020

Prior to coming on board as the Director of Adult and Community Education at Spruce Mountain Adult Education, Robyn Raymond was the Assistant Director of Housing and Academic Success and Residential Life at the University of Maine, Farmington. Raymond said the connections she was able to make there for students being successful in their environment, and translating that to academic success, have been helpful in her work now with an adult learner population.
Examining the influence of demographic marginalisation on performance of the students in higher education
Authors: Sharma Geeti , Gupta Sahil , Sawhney Aastha , Rastogi Sanjay
Published: August 2020

Marginalisation at various levels is one of the significant challenges that students face in their everyday lives. It is in developing countries, but little is known about their impact on the academic success of the students. The research focused on understanding the impact of marginalisation, parental education, financial strength, occupation, and social‐religious affiliation on students' performance pursuing higher education. After extensive review and to explain the issue, a theoretical framework of various constructs is proposed. The findings indicate a positive relationship between the variables and their influence on student success in higher education. It further confirmed the initial assumption of the study that demographic marginalisation has a significant influence on the education performance of the students pursuing higher studies. Furthermore, it is essential to raise awareness of the social sensitivity of higher education among the various stakeholders and to contribute to a fair and equitable society in terms of accounting.
Microwave‐assisted processing of silicone/PMMA blends for maxillofacial prostheses
Authors: dos Anjos Débora S. C. , Revoredo Eliane C. V. , Galembeck André
Published: August 2020

Maxillofacial prostheses replace soft tissues that were lost due to disease or trauma, providing the restoration of the original anatomy and protecting the injured tissue. Silicone is the most widely used material, but the crosslinking process usually takes 24 hours to be completed. In this study, silicone/poly(methyl‐methacrylate) blends were prepared at room temperature and assisted by microwave irradiation. The samples were characterized by confocal Raman microscopy and scanning electron microscopy/energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. The microwave‐assisted crosslinking is completed within 10 minutes and leads to better adhesion between silicone and PMMA than samples processed at room temperature. The methodology was adapted for the fabrication of prostheses for 50 patients with an average lifetime of 3 years, which is higher than the averages reported earlier in the literature (6‐24 months).
High flow nasal cannula treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in infants and young children
Authors: Ignatiuk Daniel , Schaer Britta , McGinley Brian
Published: August 2020

Background

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the nonsurgical treatment of choice for children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). However, CPAP limitations include difficulty with adherence and midface hypoplasia risk. We, therefore, sought to assess the effect of warm humidified air delivered via open nasal cannula (HFNC) on OSA in children in the sleep laboratory and at home.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed among children recommended treatment of OSA with HFNC. Reasons for HFNC recommendation included poor surgical candidacy, residual OSA following surgery, and CPAP intolerance. Children underwent both diagnostic and HFNC titration sleep studies and were prescribed HFNC for home use. Standard sleep architecture, arousals, and apnea‐hypopnea indices (AHI) were assessed with the evaluation of reported adherence and complications over 12 months of treatment.

Results

Twenty‐two children (average 12.8 months, 95% confidence interval [95% CI: 7.0, 18.6]) with OSA (obstructive AHI [OAHI] range: 4.8‐89.2 events/h) underwent HFNC titration with significant reduction in OAHI (28.9 events/h [17.6, 40.2] vs 2.6 [1.1, 4.0]; P < .001) (mean [95% CI]). Nineteen patients received home HFNC treatment. By 12 months, four patients were lost to follow‐up and OSA resolved in three patients (16%). Of 12 remaining patients, 7 (58%) continued therapy while 5 (42%) discontinued due to intolerance. The most common treatment complication was cannula dislodgement. Additional complications included skin irritation, dry mucus membranes, restlessness, oxygen desaturation, and increased central apneas.

Conclusion

HFNC offers a treatment alternative to CPAP in infants and young children with OSA and was well tolerated at home in our study.
Ten key points about COVID‐19 in children: The shadows on the wall
Authors: Escosa‐García Luis , Aguilera‐Alonso David , Calvo Cristina , Mellado María José , Baquero‐Artigao Fernando
Published: August 2020

The pandemic of the new coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), initially described in China, is challenging the health care systems of all countries. Every emerging disease raises many questions with a scarcity of answers since all its characteristics are still being discovered. In the case of SARS‐CoV‐2, most of the literature comes from adult patients. Children seem to be less affected. Pediatric patients diagnosed with COVID‐19 disease usually suffer a mild illness, with a low risk of complications, or mortality. Defining the role of children in the transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 is critical as some national infection control decisions involving children, such as school closures or social distancing, will probably impact the dynamics of the virus. To aid in the knowledge of COVID‐19 in children, this study presents an expert review of the literature published from 1 January to 28 May 2020, including peer‐reviewed and preprint nonpeer‐reviewed studies, along with some relevant articles afterward, summarizing ten key points that characterize the disease in children.
An exploration of workplace mentoring preferences of new‐graduate physiotherapists within Australian practice
Authors: Forbes Roma , Lao Andrew , Wilesmith Sarah , Martin Romany
Published: August 2020

Background and Purpose

The transition from student to physiotherapist involves a steep learning curve typically characterised by stress, anxiety and a lack of confidence in clinical and professional skills. Workplace mentoring is widely used to mediate this transition. The aim of this study was to explore new‐graduate physiotherapists' preferences for workplace mentoring and perceived characteristics of effective mentoring to mediate workplace transition.

Methods

A qualitative study with a general inductive thematic approach was used. Semi‐structured interviews of 15 employed new‐graduate physiotherapists were undertaken within their first 3–6 months of clinical practice.

Results

Four themes emerged that were associated with effective mentoring from the new‐graduates’ perspective: (1) accessibility of mentoring and support, (2) the ideal mentor, (3) individualised to the mentee and (4) desire for self‐determination.

Discussion and Conclusion

This study is the first to explore new‐graduate physiotherapists' preferences for workplace mentoring in their transition into the workplace and clinical practice. It has identified important characteristics of physiotherapists and other clinicians who support the transition of new‐graduate physiotherapists into the practice setting. Enhancing workplaces through support for the development of these characteristics can contribute to the effective integration of the newest members of the profession and may enhance their development and retention in practice.
Machine Learning Calabi–Yau Metrics
Authors: Ashmore Anthony , He Yang‐Hui , Ovrut Burt A.
Published: August 2020

We apply machine learning to the problem of finding numerical Calabi–Yau metrics. Building on Donaldson's algorithm for calculating balanced metrics on Kähler manifolds, we combine conventional curve fitting and machine‐learning techniques to numerically approximate Ricci‐flat metrics. We show that machine learning is able to predict the Calabi–Yau metric and quantities associated with it, such as its determinant, having seen only a small sample of training data. Using this in conjunction with a straightforward curve fitting routine, we demonstrate that it is possible to find highly accurate numerical metrics much more quickly than by using Donaldson's algorithm alone, with our new machine‐learning algorithm decreasing the time required by between one and two orders of magnitude.
ZYBT1, a potent, irreversible Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor that inhibits the C481S BTK with profound efficacy against arthritis and cancer
Authors: Ghoshdastidar Krishnarup , Patel Hoshang , Bhayani Hitesh , Patel Ankit , Thakkar Kinjal , Patel Dinesh , Sharma Manoranjan , Singh Jaideep , Mohapatra Jogeswar , Chatterjee Abhijit , Patel Dipam , Bahekar Rajesh , Sharma Rajiv , Gupta Lakshmikant , Patel Nirmal , Giri Poonam , Srinivas Nuggehally R. , Jain Mukul , Bandyopadhyay Debdutta , Patel Pankaj R. , Desai Ranjit C.
Published: August 2020

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) plays a central and pivotal role in controlling the pathways involved in the pathobiology of cancer, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and other autoimmune disorders. ZYBT1 is a potent, irreversible, specific BTK inhibitor that inhibits the ibrutinib‐resistant C481S BTK with nanomolar potency. ZYBT1 is found to be a promising molecule to treat both cancer and RA. In the present report we profiled the molecule for in‐vitro, in‐vivo activity, and pharmacokinetic properties. ZYBT1 inhibits BTK and C481S BTK with an IC50 of 1 nmol/L and 14 nmol/L, respectively, inhibits the growth of various leukemic cell lines with IC50 of 1 nmol/L to 15 μmol/L, blocks the phosphorylation of BTK and PLCγ2, and inhibits secretion of TNF‐α, IL‐8 and IL‐6. It has favorable pharmacokinetic properties suitable for using as an oral anti‐cancer and anti‐arthritic drug. In accordance with the in‐vitro properties, it demonstrated robust efficacy in murine models of collagen‐induced arthritis (CIA) and streptococcal cell wall (SCW) induced arthritis. In both models, ZYBT1 alone could suppress the progression of the diseases. It also reduced the growth of TMD8 xenograft tumor. The results suggested that ZYBT1 has high potential for treating RA, and cancer.
Human error analysis of the Montara well blowout
Authors: Smith Patrick K. , Craig Benjamin N. , Wang Qingsheng , Larrañaga Michael D.
Published: August 2020

The 2009 blowout from the Montara wellhead resulted the total loss of the West Atlas drilling rig and caused massive ecological damage in the Timor Sea of Australia. The incident preceded the 2010 Macondo Deepwater Horizon blowout and shared many parallels. An analysis is performed to assess the Montara incident and finds it stemmed from a series of human errors including, but not limited to, miscalculations, procedural errors, hasty decision making, and failure to follow the American Petroleum Institute Recommended Practices 75 on drilling mud circulation. Twelve specific errors were identified and classified into eight categories. The results show that 10 of the 12 errors were latent errors preceded by the 2004 relaxation of the Australian Government's off‐shore drilling industry regulations. Following industry guidelines, best practice procedures, and safe work practices are crucial to avoiding a well disaster and these were not a key aspect of the Montara wellhead operations; ultimately, safety was not a top priority.
‘Alternated Charting Statistic Modified Group Runs’ (ACS‐MGR) control chart for monitoring mean vectors of bivariate and trivariate processes
Authors: Gadre Mukund P. , Venegurkar Savita S.
Published: August 2020

In this article, we propose “Alternated Charting Statistic‐Modified Group Runs” (ACS‐MGR) control chart for monitoring mean vectors of bivariate and trivariate processes, as an improvement over the ACS chart. This chart is obtained by combining ACS chart with the MGR chart, and it is verified that ACS‐MGR chart significantly reduces “Average Time to Signal” (ATS) as compared with ACS chart, when the process has gone out of control. Steady state performance of the chart is also studied by comparing with steady state performance of the ACS‐Syn chart and ACS‐GR chart.
Design of a variable sampling interval exponentially weighted moving average median control chart in presence of measurement errors
Authors: Duc Tran Kim , Du Nguyen Huu , Hien Nguyen Thi , Phuc Tran Kim
Published: August 2020

In the literature, many control charts monitoring the median is designed under a perfect condition that there is no measurement error. This may make the practitioners confusing to apply these control charts because the measurement error is the true problem in practice. In this paper, we consider the effect of measurement error on the performance of the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) control chart combining with the variable sampling interval (VSI) strategy. A linear covariate error model is supposed to model the measurement error. The performance of the VSI EWMA median control chart is evaluated through the average time to signal. The numerical simulation shows that the measurement errors have a negative influence on the proposed chart.
Modified self‐adaptive model for improving the prediction accuracy of soil organic matter by laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Xu Xuebin , Du Changwen , Ma Fei , Shen Yazhen , Zhang Yiqiang , Zhou Jianmin
Published: August 2020

Soil organic matter (SOM) significantly influences soil fertility, biology, and the global C cycle. Laser‐induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is attractive, as it can measure SOM accurately and quickly with minimal sample preparation and effective cost. Our earlier self‐adaptive (SA) model based on individual distances between LIBS soil spectra coupled with partial least squares (PLS) was favorable for SOM prediction. To optimize this model by including soil identification via the use of a hybrid distance between the spectra, two hybrid distance SA models to enhance SOM predictions from LIBS spectra in 250 Chinese topsoils were built and studied. The models used LIBS soil spectra and SOM content measured by the traditional potassium dichromate oxidation method for calibration. The performance of these models for the validation set was compared with the conventional no‐identification PLS model and SA‐PLS models. The modified models that used (a) a hybrid of Euclidean distance (ED) and angle cosine (SAxc–PLS), and (b) a hybrid of ED and the distance of response y (SAxy–PLS) improved SOM predictions , with a R2 of 0.908, a RMSE of 5.65 g kg−1, and a residual prediction deviation (RPD) of 2.91 in the validation set for SAxc–PLS; and a R2 of 0.900, a RMSE of 5.49 g kg−1, and a RPD of 2.99 in the validation set for SAxy–PLS. The improved performance mainly resulted from simultaneous consideration of diversity and correlation of the spectra. Therefore, modified SA models hold great potential for SOM prediction, especially for different soils.
Design, Synthesis and Evaluations of New 10‐Triazolyl‐1‐methoxygenipin Analogues for Their Cytotoxicity to Cancer Cells
Authors: Silalai Patamawadee , Sirion Uthaiwan , Piyachaturawat Pawinee , Chairoungdua Arthit , Suksen Kanoknetr , Saeeng Rungnapha
Published: August 2020

Genipin 1, derived from geniposide present in the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis has been reported to show diverse pharmacological activity. In this work, a new series of genipin‐triazole analogues was designed and synthesized yielding high yields from naturally genipin and their cytotoxicity evaluated against six cancer cell lines. Twenty‐seven analogues were obtained using a convenient four‐step reaction methods. Six analogues showed higher cytotoxic activity than the original genipin and benzylether‐triazolegenipin 5 j exhibited the strongest activity against P‐388 and A‐549 cancer cell lines with IC50 values of 2.54 and 4.53 μM. The structure‐activity relationships (SARs) study indicated that the introduction of dibenzyl ether, substituted silyl and long chain aliphatic‐triazoles at C‐10 position of genipin were most effective in improving cytotoxicity. Molecular docking results provided the information for further modification of genipin scaffold for development as cytotoxic agent.
The Colorimetric Signaling of Water Content by a Deprotonated Schiff Base in some Aprotic Organic Solvents
Authors: Tiwari Karishma , Mishra Monika , Singh Saumya , Singh Vinod P.
Published: August 2020

A simple Schiff base, (E)‐2‐[1‐{2‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)hydrazono}ethyl]phenol (Hdph) and its deprotonated form, (E)‐1‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)‐2‐{1‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene} hydrazine‐1‐ide (dph) have been synthesized and characterized by various physicochemical and spectroscopic techniques. Their structures have also been determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography. The dph has been utilized as a colorimetric probe for the signaling of water content in some water‐miscible aprotic organic solvents (acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran). The dph reveals a pronounced colorimetric behavior in response to the variation of water content in these solvents. Significant changes in UV‐visible absorption spectra permit a ratiometric analysis of the signaling behavior. The spectral changes are pronounced for the water content of less than 10 %, which is suitable for the application of dph as a receptor for the determination of water content in binary aqueous organic solvents having lower water content. The limit of detection (LOD) for water content in acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran is calculated as 0.20 % and 0.28 %, respectively.
New Insights into Catechol Oxidation – Application of Ammonium Peroxydisulfate in the Presence of Arylhydrazines
Authors: Petran Anca , Popa Adriana , Hădade Niculina D. , Liebscher Jürgen
Published: August 2020

The oxidative polymerisation of catechols in the presence of amino groups is an important reaction leading to polymers or oligomers of great practical importance. We present here, the oxidative polymerisation in the presence of nitro‐substituted aryl hydrazines using ammonium peroxydisulfate (APS) as oxidizing reagent in the presence of Tris‐buffer. Mixtures of deeply coloured oligomers are formed and analysed by FTIR‐, NMR‐, ESR‐spectroscopy and, in particular, by HR‐ESI MS. The reaction occurred by C−C, C−O and C−N bond formation leading to aryl‐aryl, aryl‐O‐aryl, aryl‐N=N structural elements. In some cases, both N‐atoms of the starting aryl hydrazine have been lost during reaction. Remarkably, diaryl azo compounds as structurally similar with azo dyes were also formed. Their reaction with APS was investigated. These results provide new insight into the oxidative depletion of azo dyes with APS in industrial waste water treatment.
Mesoporous Polymeric Cyanamide‐Triazole‐Heptazine Photocatalysts for Highly‐Efficient Water Splitting
Authors: Wu Chongbei , Yu Guanhang , Yin Yue , Wang Yuze , Chen Li , Han Qing , Tang Junwang , Wang Bo
Published: August 2020

Conjugated polymers are promising light harvesters for water reduction/oxidation due to their simple synthesis and adjustable bandgap. Herein, both cyanamide and triazole functional groups are first incorporated into a heptazine‐based carbon nitride (CN) polymer, resulting in a mesoporous conjugated cyanamide‐triazole‐heptazine polymer (CTHP) with different compositions by increasing the quantity of cyanamide/triazole units in the CN backbone. Varying the compositions of CTHP modulates its electronic structures, mesoporous morphologies, and redox energies, resulting in a significantly improved photocatalytic performance for both H2 and O2 evolution under visible light irradiation. A remarkable H2 evolution rate of 12723 µmol h−1 g−1 is observed, resulting in a high apparent quantum yield of 11.97% at 400 nm. In parallel, the optimized photocatalyst also exhibits an O2 evolution rate of 221 µmol h−1 g−1, 9.6 times higher than the CN counterpart, with the value being the highest among the reported CN‐based bifunctional photocatalysts. This work provides an efficient molecular engineering approach for the rational design of functional polymeric photocatalysts.
Effect of Additives AX (A = FA, MA, Cs, Rb, NH4, X = Cl, Br, I) in FAPbI3 on Photovoltaic Parameters of Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Lyu Mei , Park Nam-Gyu
Published: August 2020

Herein, the dependence of photovoltaic performance on the additives of FAX (X = Cl, Br, and I, FA = formamidinium) and ACl [A = methylammonium (MA), Cs, Rb, and NH4] in FAPbI3‐based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) is reported. Effect of concentration on photovoltaic parameters is first screened for each additive, from which optimal concentration is determined with respect to the pristine without additive. Power conversion efficiency (PCE) is significantly improved from 16.55% to 22.51% after adding 20 mol% FACl in the perovskite precursor solution, whereas moderate increase in PCE to 20.08% and 19.97% is observed for FABr and FAI, respectively, indicating an important role of chloride. MACl and CsCl improved PCE to 20.81% and 20.59%, respectively, which is, however, inferior to FACl. A significantly increased carrier lifetime by treating FACl is responsible for the best performance. Energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy shows that chloride in the additive FACl is not incorporated in grain but placed on the grain boundary, which plays an important role in passivating iodide‐deficient grain boundary. The FACl additive has benefits over other additives because it cannot change the bandgap of FAPbI3.
Estimation of the Number of Convallaria Keiskei's Colonies Using UAV Images Based on a Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Shirai Hikaru , Tung Nguyen Dinh Minh , Kageyama Yoichi , Ishizawa Chikako , Nagamoto Daisuke , Abe Kohei , Kojima Teruo , Akisawa Masae
Published: August 2020

This study was aimed at detecting flower areas in Convallaria keiskei colonies by using unmanned‐aerial‐vehicle (UAV) images. To estimate the number of Convallaria keiskei colonies, we focused on the effective features obtained from the information of flower color and location in the image obtained from the UAV. We proposed a method for estimating the number of colonies by combining image processing and machine learning based on the characteristics of Convallaria keiskei flowers. To evaluate the new effect of the proposed method, we compared the results obtained from the proposed method with those obtained from the comparison method that uses image processing focusing only on brightness and saturation. The results suggest that the proposed method that combines image processing and machine learning is effective for estimating the number of Convallaria keiskei colonies. © 2020 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Antihypertensive medications ameliorate Alzheimer's disease pathology by slowing its propagation
Authors: Affleck Andrew J. , Sachdev Perminder S. , Stevens Julia , Halliday Glenda M.
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Mounting evidence supports an association between antihypertensive medication use and reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consensus on possible pathological mechanisms remains elusive.

Methods

Human brain tissue from a cohort followed to autopsy that included 96 cases of AD (46 medicated for hypertension) and 53 pathological controls (33 also medicated) matched for cerebrovascular disease was available from the New South Wales Brain Banks. Quantified frontal cortex amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau proteins plus Alzheimer's neuropathologic change scores were analyzed.

Results

Univariate analyses found no difference in amounts of AD proteins in the frontal cortex between medication users, but multivariate analyses showed that antihypertensive medication use was associated with a less extensive spread of AD proteins throughout the brain.

Discussion

The heterogeneous nature of the antihypertensive medications is consistent with downstream beneficial effects of blood pressure lowering and/or management being associated with the reduced spreading of AD pathology observed.
Diverse functions of deadenylases in DNA damage response and genomic integrity
Authors: Yan Yong‐Bin
Published: August 2020

DNA damage response (DDR) is a coordinated network of diverse cellular processes including the detection, signaling, and repair of DNA lesions, the adjustment of metabolic network and cell fate determination. To deal with the unavoidable DNA damage caused by either endogenous or exogenous stresses, the cells need to reshape the gene expression profile to allow efficient transcription and translation of DDR‐responsive messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and to repress the nonessential mRNAs. A predominant method to adjust RNA fate is achieved by modulating the 3′‐end oligo(A) or poly(A) length via the opposing actions of polyadenylation and deadenylation. Poly(A)‐specific ribonuclease (PARN) and the carbon catabolite repressor 4 (CCR4)‐Not complex, the major executors of deadenylation, are indispensable to DDR and genomic integrity in eukaryotic cells. PARN modulates cell cycle progression by regulating the stabilities of mRNAs and microRNA (miRNAs) involved in the p53 pathway and contributes to genomic stability by affecting the biogenesis of noncoding RNAs including miRNAs and telomeric RNA. The CCR4‐Not complex is involved in diverse pathways of DDR including transcriptional regulation, signaling pathways, mRNA stabilities, translation regulation, and protein degradation. The RNA targets of deadenylases are tuned by the DDR signaling pathways, while in turn the deadenylases can regulate the levels of DNA damage‐responsive proteins. The mutual feedback between deadenylases and the DDR signaling pathways allows the cells to precisely control DDR by dynamically adjusting the levels of sensors and effectors of the DDR signaling pathways. Here, the diverse functions of deadenylases in DDR are summarized and the underlying mechanisms are proposed according to recent findings.

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > 3' End Processing

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms
Wie stark trifft die Corona-Pandemie die chirurgische Klinik eines universitären Maximalversorgers?
Authors: von Dercks Nikolaus , Seehofer Daniel , Steinert Matthias , Krämer Sebastian , Branzan Daniela , Dietrich Arne , Schürmann Olaf , Gockel Ines
Published: August 2020

Hintergrund

Die Corona-Pandemie stellt Krankenhäuser vor enorme finanzielle Herausforderungen. Am Beispiel einer Klinik für Viszeral‑, Transplantations‑, Thorax- und Gefäßchirurgie (VTTG) soll die Leistungsentwicklung in der stationären Versorgung der ersten 7 Wochen nach Beginn der gesetzgeberisch angeordneten Leistungsreduktion im Vorjahresvergleich sowie eine Bewertung der gesetzgeberisch festgelegten Kompensationsmaßnahmen bewertet werden.

Methodik

Anhand der Leistungszahlen wird ein Vergleich des Zeitraumes vom 16.03. bis 03.05.2019 mit demselben Zeitraum 2020 durchgeführt. Veränderungen von Fallzahl, Case-Mix, Case-Mix-Index und Day-Mix-Index sowie der Belegungstage werden erfasst. Diesen Veränderungen werden die monetären Maßnahmen aus dem COVID-19-Krankenhausentlastungsgesetz gegenübergestellt und deren Auskömmlichkeit bewertet.

Ergebnisse

Im Vergleich zum Vorjahr kommt es im Beobachtungszeitraum zu einem Rückgang der stationären Aufnahmen von 120 Patienten. Demzufolge waren ein Rückgang des Case-Mix um 370 Punkte und der Belegung um 1433 Tage zu verzeichnen. Über die gesamte VTTG ergibt sich ein Erlösrückgang von ca. 0,8 Mio. €, der durch die Leerbettenpauschale vollständig kompensiert wird. Die einzelnen Bereiche zeigen in Bezug auf die Kompensationsmechanismen ein heterogenes Bild mit einer Unterdeckung elektiver Bereiche bis zu 128.163 € in Bezug auf die stationären Leistungen für 7 Wochen.

Diskussion

Die Maßnahmen des Gesetzgebers stellen eine wichtige Stütze zur wirtschaftlichen Absicherung deutscher Krankenhäuser dar. Die fehlende Differenzierung der Maßnahmen nach Fachrichtung führt für die VTTG zu einem heterogenen Bild in der Auskömmlichkeit und muss als Warnsignal insbesondere für elektive chirurgische Leistungserbringer gesehen werden.
Künstliche Intelligenz in der Bildanalyse – Grundlagen und neue Entwicklungen
Authors: Pouly Marc , Koller Thomas , Gottfrois Philippe , Lionetti Simone
Published: August 2020

Hintergrund

Seit 2017 berichten Wissenschafts- und Populärmedien immer wieder von bildanalytischen Verfahren der künstlichen Intelligenz, die in der medizinischen Diagnostik zu menschlichen Experten vergleichbar gute Resultate erzielen. Mit der erstmaligen Zulassung eines solchen Systems durch die amerikanische Arzneimittelbehörde 2018 begann ihr Einzug in den klinischen Alltag.

Fragestellung

Dieser Beitrag gibt einen Überblick der wichtigsten Entwicklungen der künstlichen Intelligenz für bildanalytische Verfahren in klinischen Anwendungen mit Fokus auf die Dermatologie.

Material und Methode

Am Beispiel der ImageNet Challenge wird gezeigt, dass klassische Ansätze des maschinellen Lernens stark auf menschlicher Expertise beruhten und dass ihre Performance und Skalierbarkeit praktischen Anforderungen nicht genügen konnten. Mittels Deep Learning, einem auf neuronalen Netzen beruhenden Verfahren, konnten diese Limitierungen und insbesondere die Abhängigkeit von menschlicher Expertise überwunden werden. Wir beschreiben wichtige Eigenschaften von Deep Learning, den methodischen Durchbruch von Transfer Learning und berichten über vielversprechende Entwicklungen hin zu generativen Modellen.

Ergebnisse

Mittels Deep Learning erreichen bildanalytische Verfahren in vielen Fällen die für den industriellen und klinischen Einsatz geforderte Genauigkeit. Zudem gestaltet sich ihre Industrialisierung weitestgehend barrierefrei. Derzeitige Entwicklungen fokussieren sich daher weniger auf die nochmalige Verbesserung der Genauigkeit, sondern nehmen sich den Herausforderungen der Interpretierbarkeit und Anwendbarkeit unter Alltagsbedingungen an. Durch die Weiterentwicklung zu generativen Modellen werden gänzlich neuartige Anwendungen möglich.

Schlussfolgerungen

Deep Learning hat in vielerlei Hinsicht beeindruckende Erfolge vorzuweisen und gilt heute nicht nur in der Bildanalyse als das Standardverfahren schlechthin. Dieser Durchbruch der künstlichen Intelligenz ermöglicht eine rasch anwachsende Zahl von klinischen Anwendungen und entwickelt sich fortwährend zu einem unverzichtbaren Werkzeug in der modernen Medizin.
Industrial biotechnology of Pseudomonas putida: advances and prospects
Authors: Weimer Anna , Kohlstedt Michael , Volke Daniel C. , Nikel Pablo I. , Wittmann Christoph
Published: August 2020

Pseudomonas putidais a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that can be encountered in diverse ecological habitats. This ubiquity is traced to its remarkably versatile metabolism, adapted to withstand physicochemical stress, and the capacity to thrive in harsh environments. Owing to these characteristics, there is a growing interest in this microbe for industrial use, and the corresponding research has made rapid progress in recent years. Hereby, strong drivers are the exploitation of cheap renewable feedstocks and waste streams to produce value-added chemicals and the steady progress in genetic strain engineering and systems biology understanding of this bacterium. Here, we summarize the recent advances and prospects in genetic engineering, systems and synthetic biology, and applications ofP. putidaas a cell factory.

Key points

• Pseudomonas putida advances to a global industrial cell factory.

• Novel tools enable system-wide understanding and streamlined genomic engineering.

• Applications of P. putida range from bioeconomy chemicals to biosynthetic drugs.
The influence of phosphorus source and the nature of nitrogen substrate on the biomass production and lipid accumulation in oleaginous Mucoromycota fungi
Authors: Dzurendova Simona , Zimmermann Boris , Tafintseva Valeria , Kohler Achim , Ekeberg Dag , Shapaval Volha
Published: August 2020

Oleaginous filamentous fungi grown under the nitrogen limitation, accumulate high amounts of lipids in the form of triacylglycerides (TAGs) with fatty acid profiles similar to plant and fish oils. In this study, we investigate the effect of six phosphorus source concentrations combined with two types of nitrogen substrate (yeast extract and ammonium sulphate), on the biomass formation, lipid production, and fatty acid profile for nine oleaginousMucoromycotafungi. The analysis of fatty acid profiles was performed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and the lipid yield was estimated gravimetrically. Yeast extract could be used as both nitrogen and phosphorus source, without additional inorganic phosphorus supplementation. The use of inorganic nitrogen source (ammonium sulphate) requires strain-specific optimization of phosphorus source amount to obtain optimal lipid production regarding quantity and fatty acid profiles. Lipid production was decreased in ammonium sulphate-based media when phosphorus source was limited in all strains except forRhizopus stolonifer.High phosphorus source concentration inhibited the growth ofMortierellafungi. The biomass (22 g/L) and lipid (14 g/L) yield ofUmbelopsis vinaceawas the highest among all the tested strains.

Key points

• The strain specific P requirements of Mucoromycota depend on the nature of N source.

• Yeast extract leads to consistent biomass and lipid yield and fatty acids profiles.

• Umbelopsis vinacea showed the highest biomass (22 g/L) and lipid (14 g/L) yield.

• High P source amounts inhibit the growth of Mortierella fungi.
Endoscopic versus Conventional Thyroid Surgery: A Comparison of Quality of Life, Cosmetic Outcomes and Overall Patient Satisfaction with Treatment
Authors: Johri Goonj , Chand Gyan , Mishra Anjali , Mayilvaganan Sabaretnam , Agarwal Gaurav , Agarwal Amit , Mishra Saroj Kanta
Published: August 2020

Background

Our aim was to investigate whether the surgical approach, i.e. endoscopic (ET) versus conventional/open thyroidectomy (ConT), contributes towards the improvement in quality of life (QoL), cosmetic outcomes and overall patient satisfaction with treatment.

Methods

We conducted a prospective study (October 2016–August 2018) consisting of patients undergoing hemithyroidectomy for euthyroid, non‐malignant solitary thyroid nodules (STNs). Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (ET)—41 patients and Group II (ConT)—52 patients. ET was performed via bilateral‐axillo breast approach (BABA). A thyroid disease‐specific questionnaire “ThyPRO‐39hin” was used to evaluate pre‐ and post‐operative QoL. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for post‐operative pain. Cosmetic satisfaction, paraesthesia and overall satisfaction with treatment were evaluated using Likert‐type verbal response scales. Pre‐ and post‐operative scores (>6 months) were compared, and p value < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Mean age (p = 0.26), gender distribution (p = 0.07), mean tumour size (p = 0.74) and preoperative scores of QoL were comparable between the two groups. Post‐operatively scores of symptom domain (p = 0.03), tiredness (p = 0.03), impaired social life (p = 0.03), cosmetic complaints (p =  < 0.001) and overall QoL (p =  < 0.001) were significantly better in Group I. Also, post‐operative pain perception at first follow‐up visit (p = 0.001) was lower in patients undergoing ET/Group I, with higher scar satisfaction scores (p =  < 0.001) and overall satisfaction with treatment (p =  < 0.001). Post‐operative paraesthesia perception was comparable (p = 0.06) amongst the two groups.

Conclusion

In this cohort study, patients undergoing endoscopic thyroid surgery reported superior post‐operative QoL, cosmetic and overall satisfaction with treatment as compared to conventional/open thyroidectomy.
CAS FGOALS-g3 Model Datasets for the CMIP6 Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP)
Authors: Pu Ye , Liu Hongbo , Yan Ruojing , Yang Hao , Xia Kun , Li Yiyuan , Dong Li , Li Lijuan , Wang He , Nie Yan , Song Mirong , Xie Jinbo , Zhao Shuwen , Chen Kangjun , Wang Bin , Li Jianghao , Zuo Ling
Published: August 2020

This paper describes the datasets from the Scenario Model Intercomparison Project (ScenarioMIP) simulation experiments run with the Chinese Academy of Sciences Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System Model, GridPoint version 3 (CAS FGOALS-g3). FGOALS-g3 is driven by eight shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) with different sets of future emission, concentration, and land-use scenarios. All Tier 1 and 2 experiments were carried out and were initialized using historical runs. A branch run method was used for the ensemble simulations. Model outputs were three-hourly, six-hourly, daily, and/or monthly mean values for the primary variables of the four component models. An evaluation and analysis of the simulations is also presented. The present results are expected to aid research into future climate change and socio-economic development.
Stable clinical long term results after AMIC in the aligned knee
Authors: Kaiser Nadine , Jakob Roland P. , Pagenstert Geert , Tannast Moritz , Petek Daniel
Published: August 2020

Introduction

The aim of this study was to report a long-term follow-up of patients treated with autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) for full-thickness chondral and osteochondral defects of the femoral condyle or patella combined with the correction of lower limb malalignment or patellar tracking if indicated.

Methods

Thirty-three patients (thirty-four knees) were treated surgically for chondral and osteochondral cartilage defects of the knee joint. Regarding the origin of the lesion, patients were divided into three groups. Chondral lesions were observed in the patella (cP group) in fifteen patients, whereas eight patients demonstrated a femoral condylar location (cF group). Eleven patients presented with osteochondritis dissecans of the femur (ocF group). Associated procedures involving realignment of the patella, osteotomy around the knee, or cancellous bone grafting were performed when necessary. The mean size of the lesions was 2.8 ± 1.6 cm2, and the mean patient age was 37.1 ± 11.9 years. To evaluate the clinical outcomes, the Lysholm score and the VAS pain score were imposed, as well as the reoperation rate.

Results

After an average of 9.3 ± 1 years, follow-up was completed in 79% of the patients. Two patients from the cohort received a total knee prosthesis. The primary outcome measures (Lysolm and VAS pain) at 9-year follow-up were 85 ± 13 for the Lysholm score and 1.9 ± 1.6 for the VAS score in the entire analyzed population. Compared to the preoperative values (Lysholm 56 ± 19, VAS 5.8 ± 2.4) and the 2-year results (Lysholm 85 ± 16, VAS 2.0 ± 2.1), there was significant improvement in the first 2 years after intervention and a stable course in the long-term observation. The same was observed in the cP and ocF subgroups, whereas patients of the cF group showed even further improvement.

Conclusions

AMIC showed durable results in aligned knees. The favorable outcome was maintained after an average of 9 years when malalignment of the lower limb and patellar maltracking were corrected. Such data are particularly encouraging for young adult patients who may benefit from a procedure that circumvents early arthroplasty.
Importance of continuous treatment with intravitreal aflibercept injections in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration—12-month post hoc analysis of the PERSEUS real-world evidence study
Authors: Wachtlin Joachim , Eter Nicole , Hasanbasic Zoran , Keramas Georgios , Rech Christine , Sachs Helmut , Schilling Harald , Wiedemann Peter , Framme Carsten
Published: August 2020

Purpose

To investigate the influence of treatment regularity with intravitreal aflibercept injections (IVT-AFL injections) on visual acuity (VA) outcomes in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) enrolled in the PERSEUS trial who received at least 7 IVT-AFL injections during the first year.

Methods

This was a post hoc analysis of the PERSEUS trial, a prospective, non-interventional, multicenter cohort study, and included 370 patients with nAMD who had received ≥ 7 IVT-AFL injections during year 1. In addition to the prespecified subgroups of treatment-naïve and previously treated patients, results were compared between patients with regular (n = 209) and irregular (n = 161) treatment. Regular treatment was defined as initial dosing with monthly IVT-AFL injections for 3 months, then bimonthly IVT-AFL injections until month 12. Irregular treatment was defined as any deviation from regular treatment (provided ≥ 7 injections were received). The outcome of primary interest was the mean change in VA from baseline after 12 months. Further outcomes of interest included VA gain or loss, proportion of patients achieving reading vision, and percentage of patients with fluid.

Results

At month 12, the mean (± standard deviation, SD) VA improvement from baseline was 6.1 ± 15.6 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters in the regular cohort and 2.5 ± 16.7 letters in the irregular cohort with ≥ 7 IVT-AFL injections (P = 0.0514). Best results were obtained in the treatment-naïve regular sub-cohort with a mean ± SD VA improvement of 8.0 ± 17.7 letters, whereas treatment-naïve patients with irregular treatment experienced a considerably lower VA gain (2.8 ± 20.0 letters). Irregular treatment consistently correlated with inferior results in treatment-naïve patients. At month 12, the proportion of treatment-naïve patients who had experienced a worsening of ≥ 5 letters was 29.6% in the irregular sub-cohort versus 13.6% in the regular sub-cohort (P = 0.0049). However, among the treatment-naïve patients, the mean number of injections was significantly higher in the irregular than in the regular sub-cohort (8.0 ± 1.2 vs. 7.4 ± 0.6; P = 0.0001). Furthermore, compared with the treatment-naïve, regular sub-cohort, patients in the irregular sub-cohort had more visits (19.1 ± 8.6 vs. 16.1 ± 5.7), VA tests (14.2 ± 6.9 vs. 12.0 ± 4.6), and optical coherence tomography examinations (5.1 ± 3.7 vs. 3.4.0 ± 3.0).

Conclusions

Although irregularly treated patients received more injections and more monitoring visits during the first year of IVT-AFL treatment, they experienced worse VA outcomes than regularly treated patients.
Passive concept drift handling via variations of learning vector quantization
Authors: Heusinger Moritz , Raab Christoph , Schleif Frank-Michael
Published: August 2020

Concept drift is a change of the underlying data distribution which occurs especially with streaming data. Besides other challenges in the field of streaming data classification, concept drift has to be addressed to obtain reliable predictions. Robust Soft Learning Vector Quantization as well as Generalized Learning Vector Quantization has already shown good performance in traditional settings and is modified in this work to handle streaming data. Further, momentum-based stochastic gradient descent techniques are applied to tackle concept drift passively due to increased learning capabilities. The proposed work is tested against common benchmark algorithms and streaming data in the field and achieved promising results.
Molekulare Diagnostik der infektiösen Gastroenteritis
Authors: Muche Marion , Siegmund Britta , Epple Hans-Jörg
Published: August 2020

Die infektiöse Gastroenteritis gehört zu den häufigsten Erkrankungen überhaupt. Leitsymptom ist die akute Diarrhö mit oder ohne Erbrechen. Aufgrund des selbstlimitierenden Charakters der Erkrankung ist die Therapie in erster Linie symptomatisch und unabhängig vom auslösenden Pathogen. Eine Erregerdiagnostik ist nur sinnvoll, wenn deren Ergebnis erwartungsgemäß eine Änderung der Therapie oder des Hygienemanagements nach sich zieht. Die konventionelle Stuhldiagnostik beruht auf kulturellen, immunologischen und mikroskopischen Nachweisverfahren. Sie wurde in den letzten Jahren durch molekulare Verfahren erweitert. Insbesondere wurden von verschiedenen Herstellern so genannte integrierte Gastroenteritispanel auf den Markt gebracht, bei denen mittels Multiplexpolymerasekettenreaktion eine einzige Stuhlprobe simultan auf eine Vielzahl bakterieller, viraler und protozoaler Erreger untersucht werden kann. In diesem Beitrag wird anhand von klinischen Studien der Stellenwert dieser Verfahren im Vergleich zu den konventionellen Methoden der Stuhldiagnostik diskutiert. Zusammenfassend zeigen die molekularen Gastroenteritispanels bei deutlich kürzerer Prozessierungszeit signifikant höhere Detektionsraten. Ob aber die verbesserten Detektionsraten zu einer Verbesserung von Therapie oder Hygienemanagement führen, ist noch fraglich, sodass ihr Einsatz derzeit nur in speziellen Situationen als Zusatzmethode zur konventionellen Diagnostik empfohlen wird.