bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Periapical Cyst Following Replantation of Avulsed Teeth: A Case Report
Authors: Oyedele T. A. , Sodipo B. , Adetayo O. A. , Ajimoko A. O. , Olawale E.
Published: January 2020

Introduction: Avulsion has been described as the traumatic displacement of the tooth out of the socket, and it accounts for 0.5% to 16% of traumatic injuries in the permanent dentition. Many complications have been associated with avulsed tooth following replantation. This paper aimed at presenting a case of the large cystic lesion following replantation of avulsed teeth.

Case Presentation: A case of a 17-year-old undergraduate student who presented in the dental clinic for medical screening as a mandatory exercise upon gaining admission. During the examination, a purulent pus discharge was noticed on the labial sulcus about tooth 11. History revealed that she had avulsion of teeth 11 and 12 about 4-years earlier that was replanted and splinted for 2-3 weeks and subsequently she was discharged from the clinic without any further treatment. Radiographic examination revealed periapical radiolucency without well define margin about teeth 11 and 12. Periapical surgery was carried out and two large cystic cavities were seen at about teeth 11 and 12 during surgery. The histology report of the specimen revealed a benign lesion suggesting periapical cyst.

Conclusion: There is the need for adequate follow-up and monitoring of replanted teeth the following avulsion to arrest any complication that might arise from the procedure. Also, the importance of endodontic treatment following replantation of the avulsed tooth cannot be overemphasized.
Effect of Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB) Values of Surfactant Mixtures on the Physicochemical Properties of Emulsifiable Concentrate Formulations of Difenoconazole
Authors: El-Sayed Walaa , G. M. Mohammad Tahany
Published: January 2020

This study was designed to investigate the effect of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) values of different surfactant mixtures on the physicochemical properties of emulsifiable concentrate formulations of difenoconazole. Physical tests of emulsion characteristics and storage stability studies were performed for the different samples to predict the stability of these formulations. Different parameters such as active ingredient content, pH, refractive index, surface tension, viscosity, flash point, persistent foam was determined for the prepared samples. The results showed that difenoconazole could be formulated as a stable emulsifiable concentrate by using a mixture of surfactants at HLB values 9.7, 11.9, 12.5 and 13.1. The storage stability test showed that the decomposition rate of the active ingredient content of difenoconazole in different stable formulations was within the acceptable limits of FAO Specifications. The physical and chemical properties of the stable formulations fulfilled the requirements of EC formulation.
Geriatric Research in Saudi Arabia: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Alamri Sultan H.
Published: January 2020

Background: This bibliometric analysis was performed to assess the research trends and productivity from Saudi Arabia in the field of geriatrics.

Methods: In this descriptive study, we collected bibliometric data for manuscripts published from Saudi Arabia between the year 1980 to June 2018. Data were retrieved from PubMed; Embase; MEDLINE; CINAHL and Google Scholar using the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms: “Saudi”, “Elder”, “Older”, “Gerontology”, “Seniors”, “Senility” “Geriatric” and “Ageing”. The number of published papers overall and citations per paper were also collected.

Results: From the publications analyzed between the year 1980 to June 2018, 91% of the articles were published between the years 2000 -2018, indicating the major contribution from Saudi Arabia in the field of geriatric research has been in the recent 20 years. In total, 34 publications were retrieved, of which, 85% were cross-sectional studies, with 66% of the studies carried out in hospitals or primary health care centers. The sub-topics with maximum number of publications included mental health, musculoskeletal health, and socio-gerontology. The most cited publications were related to the topics of depression, psychosocial health and osteoporosis.

Conclusions: Despite the recent increase in geriatric research in Saudi Arabia, the research output and quality of publications were low and did not address commonly seen geriatrics health conditions such as dementia, delirium and polypharmacy. More high quality research directed to address common geriatrics conditions is needed to better inform decision making. Building research capacities, enhancement of infrastructure, and provision of adequate support from funding bodies are required interventions to enable geriatric research in Saudi Arabia to operate at a maximum efficiency.
Thermal and Soil Moisture Amplitude of Intercropped Crops
Authors: Danilo Barbieri João , Lourenço de Freitas Paulo Sérgio , Dallacort Rivanildo , Alberto Zolin Cornélio , Fernando Daniel Diego , Fenner William , Claudia Sossai Souza Ana
Published: January 2020

Conservation systems of production are promoting yields and profitability, intercropping systems aim at sustainable maximization of soil and water use, and have become an alternative for regions characterized by relatively short rainy periods and high temperatures. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of the intercropping system between maize (Zea mays L.) and C. juncea (Crotalaria juncea L.) on soil temperature and humidity for the municipality of Tangará da Serra in Brazil. The treatments consisted of the single crop of maize and crotalaria, as well as their intercrop cultivation, the soil temperature was evaluated at depths of 0.10, 0.20, 0.30 and 0.40 m and soil moisture at depths of 0.20 and 0.40 m. The components of grain production and yield of maize were also evaluated, for crotalaria, height, diameter and dry mass of the plants were evaluated. The highest soil temperature occurred at 14 h with an average of 21°C for all three treatments. The intercropping of maize with crotalaria gave the soil a lower amplitude of the soil temperature and kept the soil moisture high with values of 0.3 m3 m-3 in the depth of 0.20 m. The development stage presented the lowest mean thermal amplitude and higher humidity for the intercrop system. The yield of maize in an intercrop was reduced by 42.7% compared to a single crop.
Assessment of Income Inequality, Structure and Conduct of Cocoa Marketers in Osun State, Nigeria
Authors: Olutumise A. I. , Oparinde L. O. , Simon-Oke O. O.
Published: January 2020

The level of income inequality and structure-conduct of cocoa marketers were evaluated in Osun State, Nigeria. Primary data were collected with the aid of a well-structured questionnaire, while a multistage sampling procedure was used to select 120 respondents for the study. Descriptive statistics, concentration ratio, Gini coefficient, index of dissimilarity, Herfindahl index; Ordinary Least Square (OLS) as well as Quantile Regression (QR) were used as analytical tools. The result showed the value of Gini coefficient as 0.76, which established a relatively high level of income inequality among cocoa marketers in the study area. The concentration ratio of one, two and four largest marketers in the cocoa marketing business also accounted for 19.2%, 31.9% and 45.8% respectively, of the total volume of cocoa beans sold in the study area, while the value (0.069) of the Herfindahl index further confirmed the presence of low concentration in the market share of cocoa marketers in the study area. The OLS result revealed that household size, education, access to credit, depreciation cost on fixed inputs and labour cost constituted the main factors affecting the income of the marketers, while depreciation cost on fixed inputs and labour cost were consistently significant in OLS and across the conditional quantiles (q25, q50 and q75). Therefore, it is expected that appropriate practical approach in addressing high level of income inequality as identified by the study should be taken by all stakeholders in the industry, with a view to making low-interest credit facilities and incentives available to the marketers in order to increase their scale of operations, and consequently bridge the inequality gap.
Improvement of Faba Bean Production in Saltaffected Soils by Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae Inoculation and Phosphorus Application
Authors: El-Akhdar Ibrahim
Published: January 2020

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) represents a major source of protein for animal and human nutrition, and provides several benefits such as improved soil quality. The Giza cultivar 87 (Vicia faba L.) was evaluated in three different salinity levels (6.9, 8.7 and 14.8 dSm-1) during two successive cropping seasons (2016-2017 and 2017-2018). The experiment was designed to analyze effect of soil salinity on nitrogen fixation, protein, chemical composition and crop productivity (for both grain and straw). Three phosphorus levels and inoculation with Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae were investigated to improve the growth of Vicia faba L under these conditions. Soil salinity levels reduced the grain number and straw weight of plants. Moreover, yield reductions were associated with increasing soil salinity levels confirming salinity effects on faba bean productivity. Salinity induced a significant decreased in all plant growth parameters, plant chlorophyll and grains proteins, as well as increased Na% of faba bean plants. The plants treated with R. leguminosarum bv. viciae showed significant increase in growth traits such as plant length (%), plant fresh weight (%), protein, N-content and dry weight. On the other hand, the dual treatments with R. leguminosarum bv. viciae plus phosphorus gave a great results compared with inoculation or phosphorus alone. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation inoculation enhanced the growth and yield parameters.
RelA promotes proliferation but inhibits osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Yu Shuxiang , Li Ping , Li Baojie , Miao Dengshun , Deng Qi
Published: January 2020

NF‐κB is known to be implicated in skeletal development and related diseases. Previous studies have shown that RelA, a key subunit of NF‐κB, is involved in osteoblast and chondrocyte survival and differentiation. Yet, the physiological roles of RelA in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which give rise to both chondrocytes and osteoblasts, are still poorly understood. Here, we generated Prrx1‐Cre;RelAf/f mice to delete RelA in Prrx1+ bone marrow MSCs and found that RelA deletion led to decreased MSC proliferation and altered differentiation, with increased osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation but decreased adipogenic differentiation. Bone size and mass were not significantly changed in the mutant mice, although they developed moderate osteoarthritis‐like phenotypes. Thus, our studies reveal important but discordant functions of RelA in MSC proliferation and differentiation, and provide an explanation why MSC‐specific RelA knockout mice only develop minor skeletal phenotypes.
Prognostic significance of PD‐L1 expression on cell‐surface vimentin‐positive circulating tumor cells in gastric cancer patients
Authors: Liu Mengyuan , Wang Ruoyu , Sun Xuren , Liu Yuting , Wang Zhi , Yan Jin , Kong Xiangyu , Liang Shanshan , Liu Qiuge , Zhao Tong , Ji Xuening , Wang Gang , Wang Fuguang , Wang Guan , Chen Liang , Zhang Qingfu , Lv Weipeng , Li Heming , Sun Mingjun
Published: January 2020

Although circulating tumor cells (CTCs) have shown promise as potential biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic assessment in gastric cancer (GC), determining the predictive and prognostic value of programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1)‐positive CTCs in patients with GC is a challenge. Here, we identified that the expression of total vimentin (VIM) protein was positively correlated with PD‐L1 and inhibited CD8+ T‐cell activation in patients with GC according to bioinformatics analysis. Notably, coexpression of PD‐L1 and cell‐surface VIM (CSV) was detected by immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assay in locally advanced GC tumor specimens and metastatic lymph nodes. Likewise, CSV expression level was significantly decreased after transiently knocking down PD‐L1 in GC cell lines. Based on our established CTC detection platform, CTCs were isolated from peripheral blood samples collected from 70 patients (38 resectable and 32 unresectable) with GC using magnetic positive selection and a CSV‐specific monoclonal antibody, 84‐1. CSV+PD‐L1+CTCs were observed in 50 of 70 (71%) GC patient samples, ranging from 0 to 261 mL−1. A higher number of CSV+PD‐L1+CTCs were significantly associated with a short survival duration and poor therapeutic response. This study demonstrated that detection of PD‐L1+CTCs using a CSV‐enrichment method has promising value as a clinically relevant prognostic marker for GC.
Utilizing the TrueBeam Advanced Imaging Package to monitor intrafraction motion with periodic kV imaging and automatic marker detection during VMAT prostate treatments
Authors: Korpics Mark C. , Rokni Michelle , Degnan Michael , Aydogan Bulent , Liauw Stanley L. , Redler Gage
Published: January 2020

Background

Fiducial markers are frequently used before treatment for image‐guided patient setup in radiation therapy (RT), but can also be used during treatment for image‐guided intrafraction motion detection. This report describes our implementation of automatic marker detection with periodic kV imaging (TrueBeam v2.5) to monitor and correct intrafraction motion during prostate RT.

Methods

We evaluated the reproducibility and accuracy of software fiducial detection using a phantom with 3 implanted fiducial markers. Clinical implementation for patients with intraprostatic fiducials receiving volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) utilized periodic on‐board kV imaging with 10 s intervals during treatment delivery. For each image, the software automatically identified fiducial locations and determined whether their distance relative to planned locations were within a 3 mm tolerance. Motion was corrected if either ≥2 fiducials in a single image or ≥1 fiducial in sequential images were out of tolerance.

Results

Phantom studies demonstrated poorer performance of linear fiducials compared to collapsible fiducials, and wide variability to accurately detect fiducials across eight software settings. For any given setting, results were relatively reproducible and precise to ~0.5 mm. Across 17 patients treated with a median of 20 fractions, the software recommended a shift in 44% of fractions, and a shift was actually implemented after visual confirmation of movement greater than the 3 mm threshold in 20% of fractions. Adjustment of our approach led to improved accuracy for the latter (n = 7) patient subset. On average, table repositioning added 3.0 ± 0.3 min to patient time on table. Periodic kV imaging increased skin dose by an estimated 1 cGy per treatment arc.

Conclusions

Periodic kV imaging with automatic detection of motion during VMAT prostate treatments is commercially available, and can be successfully implemented to mitigate effects of intrafraction motion with careful attention to software settings.
Wandering eyes: Eye movements during mind wandering in video lectures
Authors: Zhang Han , Miller Kevin F. , Sun Xin , Cortina Kai S.
Published: January 2020

Video lectures are increasingly prevalent, but they present challenges to learners. Students' minds often wander, yet we know little about how mind wandering affects attention during video lectures. This paper presents two studies that examined eye movement patterns of mind wandering during video lectures. In the studies, mind wandering reports were collected by either self‐caught reports or thought probes. Results were similar across the studies: mind wandering was associated with an increased allocation of fixations to the instructor's image. For fixations on the slides, the average duration increased but the dispersion decreased. Moreover, preliminary evidence suggested that fixation duration and dispersion can diminish soon after self‐caught reports of mind wandering. Overall, these findings help advance our understanding of how learners' attention is affected during mind wandering and may facilitate efforts in objectively identifying mind wandering. Future research is needed to determine if these findings can extend to other instructional formats.
A proximity moving horizon estimator for a class of nonlinear systems
Authors: Gharbi Meriem , Ebenbauer Christian
Published: January 2020

In this article, we present a proximity‐based formulation for moving horizon estimation (MHE) of a class of constrained discrete‐time nonlinear systems. The cost function of the proposed estimator includes a convex stage cost as well as a Bregman distance for the a priori estimate. This rather general formulation of the cost function allows for a flexible design of the estimator depending on the setting of the problem at hand. We derive sufficient conditions for the global exponential stability of the underlying estimation error. We also investigate the robustness properties of the proposed MHE scheme applied for linear systems subject to unknown process and measurement disturbances in terms of an input‐to‐state stability analysis. The estimator performance is illustrated by means of simulation examples.
Technology Trends of Catalysts in Hydrogenation Reactions: A Patent Landscape Analysis
Authors: Stoffels Marius A. , Klauck Felix J. R. , Hamadi Thomas , Glorius Frank , Leker Jens
Published: January 2020

The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the patent landscape for catalysts used in hydrogenation reactions. Based on patent data extracted from PatBase®, we use predefined patent classifications as well as a keyword‐based search for our analyses. The results indicate that the number of patent families that protect heterogeneous catalysts grows twice as fast as that for their homogeneous counterparts. Furthermore, the data show a shift towards abundant and non‐toxic elements in heterogeneous catalysis, while the noble metals continue to dominate the patent landscape of homogeneous catalysis. A subsequent geographical analysis reveals that the high growth rates in heterogeneous catalysis, especially for nickel and iron, are driven by China. Conversely, patenting activities with regard to homogeneous catalysts mainly take place in the USA, the EU, and Japan. The subsequent keyword‐based search illustrates the continuous industrial relevance of enantioselective hydrogenation and transfer hydrogenation, as well as the rapidly increasing body of patents in hydrodeoxygenation. Setting these finding into context, we present and apply two concepts that are commonly used in patent analyses, namely the technology life cycle and the S‐curve. We conclude that hydrogenation catalysis has not reached its peak economic relevance yet and will continue to spark valuable patents and innovations in the future.

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Boron Dipyrromethene (BODIPY) as Electron‐Withdrawing Group in Asymmetric Copper‐Catalyzed [3+2] Cycloadditions for the Synthesis of Pyrrolidine‐Based Biological Sensors
Authors: Rigotti Thomas , Asenjo‐Pascual Juan , Martín‐Somer Ana , Milán Rois Paula , Cordani Marco , Díaz‐Tendero Sergio , Somoza Álvaro , Fraile Alberto , Alemán José
Published: January 2020

In this work, we describe the use of Boron Dipyrromethene (BODIPY) as electron‐withdrawing group for activation of double bonds in asymmetric copper‐catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition reactions with azomethine ylides. The reactions take place under smooth conditions and with high enantiomeric excess for a large number of different substituents, pointing out the high activation of the alkene by using a boron dipyrromethene as electron‐withdrawing group. Experimental, theoretical studies and comparison with other common electron‐withdrawing groups in asymmetric copper‐catalyzed [3+2] cycloadditions show the reasons of the different reactivity of the boron dipyrromethene derivatives, which can be exploited as a useful activating group in asymmetric catalysis. Additional experiments show that the so obtained pyrrolidines can be employed as biocompatible biosensors, which can be located in the endosomal compartments and do not present toxicity in three cell lines.

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Rongalite‐Promoted on Water Synthesis of Functionalised Tellurides and Ditellurides
Authors: Tanini Damiano , Ricci Lorenzo , Capperucci Antonella
Published: January 2020

The on water reaction of sodium telluride with electrophiles has been explored. Na2Te, generated in situ through the rongalite (sodium hydroxymethanesulfinate)‐promoted reduction of elemental tellurium, reacts with a wide variety of electrophiles, including strained heterocycles, haloalkanes, Michael acceptors, and aryl diazonium salts, providing simple and rapid access to a broad range of novel functionalised symmetrical tellurides. The methodology well tolerated the presence of versatile functional groups such as alchohols, amines, esters, nitriles, and sulfones and allowed the incorporation of tellurium atoms into biologically relevant natural‐derived products. Furthermore, in the case of the nucleophilic ring opening of epoxides and aziridines, a judicious tuning of the reaction conditions enabled the synthesis of unreported β‐hydroxy‐ and β‐amino‐ditellurides, which were further employed as precursors of new functionalised unsymmetrical dialkyl tellurides. The thiol−peroxidase catalytic activity of hydroxy‐ditellurides has also been investigated in order to compare their antioxidant properties with those of homologous tellurides.

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Synthesis of Spiro[5.n (n=6–8)]heterocycles through Successive Ring‐Expansion/Indole C‐2 Functionalization
Authors: Yuan Yang , Guo Zixia , Mu Yuanyang , Wang Ye , Xu Murong , Li Yanzhong
Published: January 2020

A cascade procedure for the efficient and atom‐economical synthesis of spiro[5.n (n=6–8)]heterocycles has been developed. This process goes through the tandem reactions of base‐promoted ring‐expansion of cyclic ketones followed by Cu‐catalyzed intramolecular C‐2 spirocyclization of indoles. Easily accessible starting materials and broad substrate scope are the advantaged features of this protocol.

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Comparative physiological attributes of cultivated and wild relatives of barley in response to different water environments
Authors: Barati Mohammad , Majidi Mohammad Mahdi , Safari Maryam , Mostafavi Fateme , Mirlohi Aghafakhr , Karami Zohre
Published: January 2020

Drought tolerance in wild species of barley (Hordeum vulgare ssp. vulgare L.) (especially Iranian species) and the relationship of physiological traits with yield indices to explore inter‐ and intraspecific variation is poorly understood. Drought tolerance of 83 genotypes belonging to 16 species of genus Hordeum were evaluated under normal (well‐watered), mild, and intense drought stress conditions during 2012–2014. High inter‐ and intraspecific variation was observed for yield, physiological traits, and drought tolerance. Proline content was identified as the best physiological index for indirect selection of drought‐tolerant genotypes in this study. The same species were grouped together to a great extent based on physiological and morphological attributes. Superior genotypes were characterized within each stress environment. In the wild species groups, three genotypes (Genotypes 40, 44, and 45) from Hordeum murinum and two genotypes (Genotypes 3 and 4) from Hordeum brachyantherum were identified as drought tolerant within both mild and intense drought environments. These genotypes may be used in future studies to characterize genes and mechanisms related to drought stress.
A Reflective Thrive‐Oriented Community Resilience Scale
Authors: Lindberg Kreg , Swearingen Tommy
Published: January 2020

There is substantial societal, policy, and research interest in community resilience as a way to better understand and enhance community thriving in the face of natural hazards, economic disruption, and other challenges. However, partly or fully formative community resilience measures potentially conflate resilience predictors and indicators, thereby constraining the assessment of factors promoting resilience. Based on a general population survey (N = 1,072) in rural, coastal Oregon, USA, we evaluated a 6‐item reflective thrive‐oriented scale of perceived community resilience that provides a stronger foundation for assessing the contribution of resilience predictors such as community leadership or social capital. Exploratory factor analysis of the scale indicated a single‐factor solution that explained 55% of the variance. The Cronbach’s alpha was .83, which showed good internal consistency. Scale factor scores correlated with related constructs, with coefficients having signs and magnitudes consistent with prior research. The scale also provides a foundation for assessing general relative to specific (specified) resilience. In the present case, there was an indication of general resilience across the range of changes captured by the scale items.
The characterization of hypodontia, hypohidrosis, and hypotrichosis associated with X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia: A systematic review
Authors: Anbouba Grace M. , Carmany Erin P. , Natoli Jaime L.
Published: January 2020

The objective of this study was to review the published literature on X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED) for the prevalence and characteristics of three features of XLHED: hypodontia, hypohidrosis, and hypotrichosis. A systematic search of English‐language articles was conducted in May 2019 to identify publications with information on any of the three features of XLHED. We excluded studies with five or fewer participants, that did not specify X‐linked inheritance or an EDA mutation, and discussed only management of features. The weighted means for total missing teeth, location of missing teeth, prevalence of reduced and absent sweating ability, and sparse or absent hair were analyzed across all studies. Additional findings for hypodontia, hypohidrosis, and hypotrichosis were summarized qualitatively. Twenty publications (18 studies) were accepted. Reported findings for males tended to be more informative than for carrier females. The weighted mean for missing teeth for affected males was 22.4 (range: 10–28) and carrier females was 3.4 (range: 0–22). The most common conserved teeth for males were the canines. The most common missing teeth for females were the maxillary lateral incisors. The weighted mean prevalence of reduced or absent sweating ability was 95.7% for males and 71.6% for females. The weighted mean prevalence for hypotrichosis was 88.1% for males and 61.6% for females. This systematic review provides insight into the prevalence, characteristics, and variability of the three classic features of XLHED. These findings provide detailed natural history information for families with XLHED as well as key characteristics that can aid in diagnosis.
Festkörperemittierende Aroyl‐S,N‐Ketenacetale mit steuerbaren aggregationsinduzierten Emissionseigenschaften
Authors: Biesen Lukas , Nirmalananthan‐Budau Nithiya , Hoffmann Katrin , Resch‐Genger Ute , Müller Thomas J. J.
Published: January 2020

N‐Benzyl‐aroyl‐S,N‐ketenacetale können durch die Kondensation von Aroylchloriden und N‐Benzyl‐2‐methylbenzothiazolium‐Salzen in guten bis ausgezeichneten Ausbeuten dargestellt werden, wodurch eine Substanzbibliothek bestehend aus 35 Chromophoren mit intensiver Festkörperemissions‐ und aggregationsinduzierten Emissions‐Eigenschaften aufgebaut werden konnte. Mittels Variation des Substituenten von elektronenschiebend bis elektronenziehend kann die Emissionsfarbe der Festkörperfluoreszenz gezielt von blau bis rot eingestellt werden.
Observation of Non‐FCC Copper in Alkynyl‐Protected Cu53Nanoclusters
Authors: Qu Mei , Zhang Fu‐Qiang , Wang Dian‐Hui , Li Huan , Hou Juan‐Juan , Zhang Xian‐Ming
Published: January 2020

The only feasible access to non‐face‐centered cubic (FCC) copper was by physical vapor deposition under high vacuum. Now, non‐FCC copper is observed in a series of alkynyl‐protected Cu53nanoclusters (NCs) obtained from solution‐phase synthesis. Determined by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallography, the structures of Cu53(C≡CPhPh)9(dppp)6Cl3(NO3)9and its two derivatives reveal an ABABC stacking sequence involving 41 Cu atoms. It can be regarded as a mixed FCC and HCP structure, which gives strong evidence that Cu can be arranged in non‐FCC lattice at ambient conditions when proper ligands are provided. Characterization methods including X‐ray absorption fine structure, XPS, ESI‐MS, UV/Vis, Auger spectroscopy, and DFT calculations were carried out. CuIIwas shown to successively coordinate with introduced ligands and changed to CuIafter bonding with phosphine. The following addition of NaBH4and the aging step further reduced it to the Cu53NC.
A Neutral and Aromatic Boron‐Rich Inorganic Benzene
Authors: Ota Kei , Kinjo Rei
Published: January 2020

A neutral 1,4‐diaza‐2,3,5,6‐tetraborinine derivative (3) featuring a 6π ring system has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The prospective aromatic nature of 3 was assessed by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, NMR, and UV/Vis absorption spectroscopy as well as computational studies. Furthermore, preliminary reactivity investigations showed that 3 does not only react with diphenyl acetylene but also readily captures CO2 in a [4+2] cycloaddition under ambient conditions.
Synthesis of bioactive magnetic nanoparticles spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐[1,3]dithiine]@Ni (NO3)2 supported on Fe3O4@SiO2@CPS as reusable nanocatalyst for the synthesis of functionalized 3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐pyran
Authors: Moghaddam‐Manesh Mohammadreza , Ghazanfari Dadkhoda , Sheikhhosseini Enayatollah , Akhgar Mohammadreza
Published: January 2020

New bioactive magnetic nanoparticles of spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐[1,3]dithiine]@Ni (NO3)2 supported on Fe3O4@SiO2@CPS were synthesized in five steps. The structure of synthesized magnetic nanoparticles was identified by using Energy‐Dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X‐Ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM) and Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET) surface analysis. Antimicrobial activity of the synthesized magnetic nanoparticles based on MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration) and MFC (Minimum Fungicidal Concentration) values were also examined. Furthermore, the synthesized magnetic nanoparticles exhibited appropriate catalytic properties in the synthesis of the 3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐ pyran derivatives.
Green synthesis of 3,4‐disubstituted isoxazol‐5(4H)‐ones using ZnO@Fe3O4 core–shell nanocatalyst in water
Authors: Shanshak M. , Budagumpi Srinivasa , Małecki Jan Grzegorz , Keri Rangappa S.
Published: January 2020

An effective and environmentally benign methodology for the synthesis of isoxazol‐5(4H)‐one derivatives has been developed using a ZnO@Fe3O4 core–shell nanocatalytic system. The one‐pot, multicomponent reaction of an aromatic/heterocyclic aldehyde, hydroxylamine hydrochloride and ethyl acetoacetate under aqueous conditions at slightly elevated temperature resulted in the formation of title compounds in extremely good yields. The present new protocol is environmentally friendly as it offers heterocyclization with some interesting promising features such as safety, atom efficiency, low cost, mild conditions, minimal waste, catalyst recyclability, water as a solvent, easy workup and possession of excellent functional group tolerance for the synthesisis of structurally diverse isoxazole derivatives. All products were characterized by spectral and analytical methods. A representative title derivative was studied for its structure by single crystal X‐ray diffraction method.
Dual cocatalysts decorated three dimensionally ordered mesoporous g‐C3N4 with homogeneous wall thickness for enhanced photocatalytic performance
Authors: Bi Jingce , Zhao Shan , Wu Junbiao , Xu Yan , Wang Zhuopeng , Han Yide , Zhang Xia
Published: January 2020

Making several components be more intimate interfacial contacts in the photocatalyst is an efficient strategy to improve the separation and transfer of photogenerated charge carries and enhance the photocatalytic performance in the visible light region. In this work, a promising photocatalyst was fabricated by loading of Au nanoparticles and Cd(0.58)Zn(0.42)S nanoparticles onto the three dimensionally ordered mesoporous g‐C3N4 material (Au/3DOM CN/Cd(0.58)Zn(0.42)S) via two‐step synthesis method to significantly intensify the transfer capability of charge. The results of characterization demonstrate that Au/3DOM CN/Cd(0.58)Zn(0.42)S photocatalyst possesses the intimate interfacial contacts of three components and homogeneous wall thickness of 3DOM g‐C3N4 framework, and these properties give Au/3DOM CN/Cd(0.58)Zn(0.42)S photocatalyst an ability that it can harvest a wider range of visible light and endow it superior photocatalytic activities for hydrogen evolution from water splitting and RhB degradation. Finally, a possible mechanism was proposed based on the photoelectrochemical measurement. This work would provide a new strategy to design and fabricate g‐C3N4‐based with 3DOM architecture materials with superior photocatalytic activity.
1,3‐Propane Diamine/1,4‐Butane Diamine Cross‐linking Modification of Polyimide Membrane for Hydrogen Selective Separation: Effect of Diamine Mixture Ratio
Authors: Abdul Nasir Nur'Adilah , Ling Jia Hui , Junaidi Mohd Usman Mohd , Hashim Nur Awanis , Hizzaddin Hanee Farzana , Rabuni Mohamad Fairus , Zainal Abidin Mohd Izzuddin Izzat , Rohani Rosiah
Published: January 2020

Hydrogen (H2) can be produced through biomass processing which involved lower energy requirement and production cost. It is produced as biohydrogen (bio‐H2) together with carbon dioxide in biogas so it is essential to purify H2 for utilization. Membrane gas separation is a promising technology for H2 purification. However, current separation efficiency of commercial polymeric membrane is insufficient to achieve industrial demand. Crosslinking diamine modification has been discovered to enhance separation performance of membrane in terms of permeability and selectivity. Gas separation effectiveness of mixed crosslinking agent on polyimide (PI) membrane is studied in this research by blending PDA and BuDA with different concentration. PI membrane is fabricated with phase inversion method with different weight percentage of PI in polymer solution. The chemical modification by immersing in mixed PDA‐BuDA crosslinking solution for 5 minutes reaction times. Pure gas test has been conducted for separation performance andchemical structure changes were monitored by FTIR. It is found that H2/CO2 selectivity increased significantly and H2 permeability decreased dramatically with higher concentration of PDA in crosslinking solution. Membrane with 8:2 ratio of PDA‐BuDA solution achieved highest H2/CO2 selectivity from 3.7 to 7.8 compared to other ratio of PDA‐BuDA solution.
Facile synthesis of amino‐functionalized polyphosphazene microspheres and their application for highly sensitive fluorescence detection of Fe3+
Authors: Chen Kuiyong , Liu Yue , Hu Yongjian , Yuan Meiyu , Zheng Xiuwen , Huang Xiaobin
Published: January 2020

Amino‐functionalized highly crosslinked organic–inorganic hybrid polyphosphazene microspheres were prepared via a one‐pot polycondensation method and served as a fluorescent sensor for the detection of Fe3+ in solution. With the introduction of p‐phenylenediamine unites, the polyphosphazene microspheres could be endowed with fluorescent property and abundant active amino groups on the surface. The microspheres were further used as the fluorescent sensor for the detection of Fe3+. Fluorescence study showed high sensing sensitivity and selectivity of the microspheres, and the limit of detection was determined as 0.076 μM for Fe3+. Active amino groups on the surface could efficiently improve the detection sensitivity of Fe3+. Moreover, highly crosslinked organic–inorganic hybrid structure was beneficial to the photostability and thermostability, enabled the microspheres to be possible for constructing practicable sensors. This work is expected to inspire the design of advanced polyphosphazene‐based fluorescent sensors for applications in analytical detection. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48937.
Kidney structural characteristics based on a kidney biopsy and contrast‐enhanced computed tomography in healthy living kidney donors
Authors: Nielsen Cecilie M. , Skov Karin , Buus Niels H. , Pedersen Michael , Ibsen Lotte , Krag Søren P. , Nyengaard Jens R.
Published: January 2020

The demands for kidney transplantations are increasing, and so is the number of live kidney donors (LKDs). Recent studies show that LKDs have an increased risk of developing end‐stage renal disease compared with healthy non‐donors. However, the knowledge about factors predicting renal disease in kidney donors is sparse. Some evidence points to increased glomerular sclerosis and kidney fibrosis, as well as a low number of glomeruli as associated with a worse renal outcome. This methodological study investigated that which estimates are obtainable with a standard kidney biopsy taken from the donated kidney during the transplantation, and a standard contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) in kidney donors. CT‐scans were used to obtain total volume of the kidney and kidney cortex using the Cavalieri estimator and 2D‐nucleator. Glomerular number density in the biopsies was estimated by a model‐based method, and was multiplied by total cortex volume in order to estimate the total number of glomeruli in the kidney. Glomerular volume was estimated by the 2D‐nucleator and a model‐based stereological technique. Kidney fibrosis (point‐counting), glomerular sclerosis (evaluation of glomerular profiles), and arteriole dimensions (2D‐nucleator) were also estimated in the biopsy sections from the donated kidney. Various studies have attempted to identify predictors of renal outcome in LKDs. There is no consensus yet, and further studies are needed to elucidate if and how the estimates described in this study are associated with renal outcome in LKDs.
Unified deep neural network for segmentation and labeling of multipanel biomedical figures
Authors: Zou Jie , Thoma George , Antani Sameer
Published: January 2020

Recent efforts in biomedical visual question answering (VQA) research rely on combined information gathered from the image content and surrounding text supporting the figure. Biomedical journals are a rich source of information for such multimodal content indexing. For multipanel figures in these journals, it is critical to develop automatic figure panel splitting and label recognition algorithms to associate individual panels with text metadata in the figure caption and the body of the article. Challenges in this task include large variations in figure panel layout, label location, size, contrast to background, and so on. In this work, we propose a deep convolutional neural network, which splits the panels and recognizes the panel labels in a single step. Visual features are extracted from several layers at various depths of the backbone neural network and organized to form a feature pyramid. These features are fed into classification and regression networks to generate candidates of panels and their labels. These candidates are merged to create the final panel segmentation result through a beam search algorithm. We evaluated the proposed algorithm on the ImageCLEF data set and achieved better performance than the results reported in the literature. In order to thoroughly investigate the proposed algorithm, we also collected and annotated our own data set of 10,642 figures. The experiments, trained on 9,642 figures and evaluated on the remaining 1,000 figures, show that combining panel splitting and panel label recognition mutually benefit each other.
Extraction, purification, characterization, and rheological properties of a glycoprotein from Cynomorium songaricum Rupr
Authors: Shi Jipeng , Xu Yunfei , Guo Jie , Mu Xingxing , Wang Chengbo , Chen Xin , Zhang Ji
Published: January 2020

Cynomorium songaricum Rupr is widely known in China as a traditional herbal medicine. In this study, single‐factor experiments and response surface methodology were used to optimize the extraction of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr glycoprotein (CSG). The results show that a maximum glycoprotein yield of 6.39 ± 0.32% was achieved at a ratio of solid to liquid 32:1 for 4.2 H at 52 °C. Then, the IR, monosaccharide composition, amino acid composition, type of glycopeptide linkage, and average molecular weight of CSG‐1 purified from CSG were characterized. The results indicate that CSG‐1 presented the characteristic absorption peak of polysaccharide and protein, including four monosaccharides and 17 amino acids, had O‐linked glycopeptide bonds, Mw, Wn, Mw/Mn, Mp, and the z‐average were 5.343 × 106, 3.203 × 106, 1.668, 8.911 × 106, and 6.948 × 106, respectively. Besides, CSG‐1 solution was described by the Herschel–Bulkley model and it behaved as a shear‐thinning fluid. Also, under a frequency sweep the moduli G′ and G″ both increased with increasing CSG‐1 concentration and the CSG‐1 dispersions had weak thermal stability over the temperature sweep. These results provide a scientific basis for the further study of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr.
Designing a new dimerized anti human TNF‐α aptamer with blocking activity
Authors: Mashayekhi Kazem , Ganji Ali , Sankian Mojtaba
Published: January 2020

The human tumor necrosis factor α (hTNF‐α) is an important pro‐inflammatory cytokine which plays critical roles in inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The anti‐TNF‐α proteins can reduce symptoms of RA. Due to limitations of protein‐based therapies, it is necessary to find new anti‐TNF‐α agents instead of common anti‐TNF‐α proteins. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to identify a new DNA aptamer with anti‐hTNF‐α activity. The protein systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) process was used for identifying DNA aptamers. Anti‐hTNF‐α aptamers were selected using dot blot, real‐time PCR, and in vitro inhibitory assay. The selected aptamers were truncated in two steps, and finally, a dimer aptamer was constructed from different selected truncates to improve their inhibitory effect. Also, Etanercept was used as a positive control to inhibit TNF‐α, in comparison to the designed aptamers. After 11 rounds, four aptamers with anti‐hTNF‐α inhibitory effect were identified. The truncation and dimerization strategy revealed a new dimer aptamer with 67 nM Kd, which has 40% inhibitory effect compared with Etanercept (60%). Overall, the dimerization and truncation aptamers could improve its activity. With regard to the several limitations of anti‐TNF‐α proteins therapies including immunogenicity, side effects, and cost‐intensive, a new designed anti‐hTNF‐α dimer aptamer could be considered as a potential therapeutic and/or diagnostic agent for hTNF‐α‐related disorders.
Improving product quality and productivity of bispecific molecules through the application of continuous perfusion principles
Authors: Gomez Natalia , Lull Jonathan , Yang Xiaorui , Wang Yan , Zhang Xin , Wieczorek Agatha , Harrahy John , Pritchard Mike , Cano Diandra Martinez , Shearer Michael , Goudar Chetan
Published: January 2020

Bispecific protein scaffolds can be more complex than traditional monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) because two different sites/domains for epitope binding are needed. Because of this increased molecular complexity, bispecific molecules are difficult to express and can be more prone to physical and chemical degradation compared to MAbs, leading to higher levels of protein aggregates, clipped species, or modified residues in cell culture. In this study, we investigated cell culture performance for the production of three types of bispecific molecules developed at Amgen. In particular, we cultured a total of six CHO cell lines in both an approximately 12‐day fed‐batch process and an approximately 40‐day high‐density perfusion process. Harvested cell culture fluid from each process was purified and analyzed for product quality attributes including aggregate levels, clipped species, charge variants, individual amino acid modifications and host cell protein (HCP) content. Our studies showed that in average, the intensified perfusion process increased 15‐fold the integrated viable cell density and the total harvested product (and fivefold the daily volumetric productivity) compared to fed‐batch. Furthermore, bispecific product quality improved in perfusion culture (as analyzed in affinity‐capture pools) with reduction in levels of aggregates (up to 72% decrease), clipped species (up to 75% decrease), acidic variants (up to 76% decrease), deamidated/isomerized species in complementarity‐determining regions, and HCP (up to 84% decrease). In summary, the intensified perfusion process exhibited better productivity and product quality, highlighting the potential to use it as part of a continuous manufacturing process for bispecific scaffolds.
LINC‐PINT alleviates lung cancer progression via sponging miR‐543 and inducing PTEN
Authors: Wang Shu , Jiang Wenyang , Zhang Xinghua , Lu Zilong , Geng Qing , Wang Wei , Li Nan , Cai Xinyong
Published: January 2020

Long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA p53‐induced transcript (LINC‐PINT) has been reported to participate in various cancers. Here, we investigated the effects of LINC‐PINT on lung cancer progression. Firstly, in our study, we implied that LINC‐PINT was obviously decreased in NSCLC. Thereafter, in A549 and H1299 cells, LINC‐PINT was upregulated via transfecting LV‐LINC‐PINT. As exhibited, LINC‐PINT repressed cell proliferation and cell colony formation of A549 and H1299 cells. Subsequently, flow cytometry evidenced that A549 and H1299 cell apoptosis was obviously triggered and the cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase. Then, migration and transwell invasion experiments were carried out to detect the cell migration and invasion capacity. We found A549 and H1299 cell migration and invasion capacity were restrained by the upregulation of LINC‐PINT. Meanwhile, we predicted that miR‐543 could function as the target of LINC‐PINT and the association was verified. Moreover, we exhibited that miR‐543 was remarkably increased in lung cancer, which could be regulated by LINC‐PINT negatively. Furthermore, PTEN could act as the downstream target of miR‐543 and upregulation of miR‐543 repressed PTEN, which was reversed by LV‐PINT in A549 and H1299 cells. Finally, xenografts were utilized to confirm the function of LINC‐PINT on lung cancer. All these findings concluded that LINC‐PINT exerted crucial biological roles in NSCLC through sponging miR‐543 and inducing PTEN.