bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High‐efficiency Nitric Acid‐PPy/AQDS Coupling Treated Bioanodes Based Microbial Fuel Cell
Authors: Yin Fuhua , Zhu Nengwu , Lu Yu , Shen Weihang , Wu Pingxiao
Published: June 2017

The properties of anode material are crucial for high performances in microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Herein, we report a biocompatible, conductive, and electron transfer efficient cooperative processing anode, which is fabricated by electrodepositing polypyrrole/anthraquinone‐2, 6‐disulphonic disodium salt (PPy/AQDS) onto nitric acid‐soaked carbon felt. Results showed that the cooperative processing anode outperformed the pristine one in biomass, electrical conductivity, and exchange current density with better performance between 2.4 and 3.3 times. The maximum power density (1060.3 mW m−2) of the MFC equipped with the properties hybridized anode delivered a 2.2‐fold increase over that of the control and thus has great potential to be used as an anode for high‐power MFC. Further investigation revealed that the contributions of biocompatibility (BCB), electrical conductivity (EC), and electron transfer efficiency (ETE) to the performance of carbon felt anodes appeared as cumulative effect rather than summing effect. We propose combined treatment of BCB with EC and ETE to form a properties‐hybridized anode based on thoroughly analyzing the feasibility and effectiveness, and discussed future efforts to be made for realizing more extraordinary high‐performance cooperative processing anodes. This work may also provide a novel approach for the development of other types of anode for high‐performance MFC through combined treating the BCB with EC and ETE simultaneously.
Examining Maternal Psychopathology, Family Functioning and Coping Skills in Childhood Obesity: A Case–Control Study
Authors: Blanco Miriam , Sepulveda Ana R. , Lacruz Tatiana , Parks Melissa , Real Beatriz , Martin‐Peinador Yolanda , Román Francisco J.
Published: June 2017

The shared family environment is an important risk factor in the development of childhood obesity. This study aims to examine differences in maternal psychopathology, family functioning, expressed emotion and coping skills between families of a child with obesity and those with a normal‐weight child. This case–control study consisted of 50 mothers with a child (age 8–12 years) with obesity (p ≥ 97) and a control group of 50 mothers of a child with normal weight (p < 85), matched for age, sex and socio‐economic status. Compared with families with normal‐weight children, those with children with obesity showed significant differences in levels of trait anxiety, criticism and over‐protectiveness, and maladaptive coping skills. Structural equation modelling revealed that the mothers' psychopathology predicted children's body mass index (BMI) z‐scores through expressed emotion and maladaptive coping scores. There were significant direct and indirect relations among maternal BMI, psychopathology, expressed emotion and coping, which all together explained 26.5% of variance of children's BMI z‐scores. Considering this relation between maternal variables and child weight status, childhood obesity intervention programs may benefit from targeting maternal BMI, psychopathology, expressed emotion and coping skills. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Low Temperature Domestic Wastewater Treatment in a Microbial Electrolysis Cell with 1 m2 Anodes: Towards System Scale‐Up
Authors: Cotterill S. E. , Dolfing J. , Jones C. , Curtis T. P. , Heidrich E. S.
Published: June 2017

The potential benefits of applying microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) technology to wastewater treatment are clear and profound. Previous pilot studies have demonstrated a ‘proof of concept' with domestic waste at ambient temperatures, but have not yet treated waste to required discharge standards, and have not reached energy neutrality. In addition, these reactors have been many orders of magnitude smaller than would be needed for full scale wastewater treatment plants. Scale‐up affects many of the parameters that underpin performance; understanding its impact will be vital to further progress. Modifying a previously tested cassette‐style design, we reduced the internal resistance, and increased the module size by a factor of 16, constructing an MEC with six 1 m2 anodes. This created an anodic surface area to volume ratio of 34 m2 m−3. The system was operated at a hydraulic retention time of 5 hours on settled domestic wastewater for 217 days, producing more current than a scaled‐down reactor, which was run in parallel. The large MEC produced 0.8 L of 93% pure H2 d−1 at ambient winter temperatures (11.4 ± 2.5 °C). Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal averaged 63.5% with an average effluent quality of 124.7 mgCOD L−1, achieving the European Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (1991) consent.
Globalisation and national trends in nutrition and health: A grouped fixed‐effects approach to intercountry heterogeneity
Authors: Oberlander Lisa , Disdier Anne‐Célia , Etilé Fabrice
Published: June 2017

Using a panel dataset of 70 countries spanning 42 years (1970–2011), we investigate the distinct effects of social globalisation and trade openness on national trends in markers of diet quality (supplies of animal proteins, free fats and sugar, average body mass index, and diabetes prevalence). Our key methodological contribution is the application of a grouped fixed‐effects estimator, which extends linear fixed‐effects models. The grouped fixed‐effects estimator partitions our sample into distinct groups of countries in order to control for time‐varying unobserved heterogeneity that follows a group‐specific pattern. We find that increasing social globalisation has a significant impact on the supplies of animal protein and sugar available for human consumption, as well as on mean body mass index. Specific components of social globalisation such as information flows (via television and the Internet) drive these results. Trade openness has no effect on dietary outcomes or health. These findings suggest that the social and cultural aspects of globalisation should receive greater attention in research on the nutrition transition.
SDF‐1α peptide tethered polyester facilitates tissue repair by endogenous cell mobilization and recruitment
Authors: Shafiq Muhammad , Kong Deling , Kim Soo Hyun
Published: June 2017

The design of bioactive scaffolds that can invoke host's own regenerative capabilities and facilitate endogenous tissue repair hold great promise. This study aims to evaluate the potential of stromal cell‐derived factor 1 alpha (SDF‐1α)‐derived peptide and heparin tethered poly(L‐lactide‐co‐ε‐caprolactone) (PLCL) copolymers for blood vessel regeneration applications. Amino acid analysis and toluidine blue assays confirm successful conjugation of SDF‐1α peptide and heparin with the PLCL copolymers. Assessment of biocompatibility after subcutaneous implantation in rats discloses higher cell infiltration in SDF‐1α peptide (SDF‐1 group) or SDF‐1 peptide and heparin (SDF‐1/heparin group) than the control group. SDF‐1 and SDF‐1/heparin grafts also show more numbers of laminin+ blood vessels, CD90+ stem cells, and alpha smooth muscle actin+ cells than the control group. However, SDF‐1 and SDF‐1/heparin groups did not significantly differ in terms of blood vessel regeneration and stem cell recruitment. Evaluation of the inflammatory response reveal less numbers of CD68+ macrophages in SDF‐1 and SDF‐1/heparin groups compared with the control group; whereas three groups show similar numbers of CD206+ macrophages. These results indicate that completely synthetic, cell‐free grafts can attract endogenous cells and enhance tissue repair. Bioactive polyesters can be fabricated into different shapes and structures for various tissue engineering applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomater Res Part A: 105A: 2670–2684, 2017
Ascochlorin Suppresses MMP‐2‐Mediated Migration and Invasion by Targeting FAK and JAK‐STAT Signaling Cascades
Authors: Cho Hyun‐Ji , Park Ji‐Hyun , Nam Jin Han , Chang Young‐Chae , Park Byoungduck , Hoe Hyang‐Sook
Published: June 2017

Human glioblastomas express higher levels of matrix metalloprotease‐2 (MMP‐2) than low‐grade brain tumors and normal brain tissues. Ascochlorin (ASC) has anti‐metastatic, anti‐angiogenic, and synergistic effect in various types of cancer cells. However, it remains unknown whether ASC can affect cell migration and invasion in malignant human glioma cells. In this study, we found that ASC indeed inhibits cell migration and invasion in U373MG and A172. ASC significantly suppresses the MMP‐2 gelatinolytic activity and expression in U373MG and A172. To determine the molecular mechanism by which ASC suppressed cell migration and invasion, we investigated whether ASC could modulate metastasis via focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling, a potential drug target. ASC strongly inhibits the phosphorylation of FAK, and treatment with a FAK inhibitor significantly suppresses cancer cell migration in the presence of ASC. In addition, ASC significantly decreased phosphorylation of JAK2/STAT3, cancer cell migration and nuclear translocation of STAT3. Taken together, these results suggest that ASC inhibits cell migration and invasion by blocking FAK and JAK/STAT signaling, resulting in reduced MMP‐2 activity. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 300–313, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Serum miR‐146a, miR‐155, and miR‐210 as potential markers of Graves’ disease
Authors: Zheng Lei , Zhuang Chunbo , Wang Xiaobei , Ming Liang
Published: June 2017

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated that dysfunctional regulatory T cells (Tregs) may be associated with Graves’ disease (GD). In this study, we evaluated four serum Treg‐associated miRNAs (miR‐210, miR‐182, miR‐155, and miR‐146a) expressions and assessed the potential of serum miRNAs as biomarkers of GD.

Methods

Foxp3 and serum miRNAs expressions both in GD patients and healthy controls were measured by RT‐PCR.

Results

Serum miR‐210 in GD patients was significantly higher than that of healthy controls (2.64‐fold, P<.001); in contrast, miR‐155 and miR‐146a were lower (P<.001 and P=.008). No significant difference was found in miR‐182. ROC curve analysis indicated that miR‐210, miR‐155, and miR‐146a with the area under ROC (AUC) of 0.803 (70.0% sensitivity and 83.1% specificity), 0.796 (76.3% sensitivity and 76.9% specificity), and 0.736 (68.8% sensitivity and 73.8% specificity), respectively, could differentiate GD patients from healthy controls. Combination of three miRNAs yielded an AUC of 0.976 (91.3% sensitivity and 93.8% specificity) with 92.41% diagnostic efficiency. In addition, serum miR‐210 and miR‐155 in GD were associated with the extent of goiter. Three miRNAs levels were different by gender. Besides, serum miR‐210 was positively correlated with free thyroxine (FT4) and thyrotrophin receptor antibody (TRAb) level.

Conclusion

The serum levels of miR‐210, miR‐155, and miR‐146a may be potential new markers for the diagnosis of GD and play important roles in GD pathogenesis.
Bioconjugated graphene oxide‐based Raman probe for selective identification of SKBR3 breast cancer cells
Authors: Antwi‐Boasiako Afua A. , Dunn Derrick , Dasary Samuel S. R. , Jones Yolanda K. , Barnes Sandra L. , Singh Anant K.
Published: June 2017

In this article, we demonstrate the use of bioconjugated 2D graphene oxide (bio‐GO) nanostructure to probe breast cancer cell (SKBR3) with excellent discrimination over other types of circulating tumor cell. We distinctly observed that bio‐GO nanostructure targets and binds SKBR3 cell selectively in the cell mixture. Longer incubation of SKBR3 cell with bio‐GO causes Raman signal ‘turn off’ when excited with 532‐nm laser. This is attributed to penetration of the bio‐GO through the plasma membrane of the cell by generating transient hole. Extraction of GO after cell digestion also supports the internalization rubric of 2D graphene through cell membrane. Our experimental data with the HaCaT healthy cell line, as well as with LNCaP prostate cancer cell line, clearly demonstrated that this Raman scattering assay is highly selective to SKBR3. The mechanism of selectivity and the assay's response change have been verified and discussed by utilizing fluorescence properties of GO and various other techniques. The experimental results open up a possibility of new label‐free Raman scattering assay, for reliable diagnosis of cancer cell lines by monitoring ‘turn‐off’ of the Raman signal from bio‐GO nanostructure. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incidental positive lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid cancer is independently associated with recurrent disease
Authors: Kluijfhout Wouter P. , Drake Frederick T. , Pasternak Jesse D. , Beninato Toni , Vriens Menno R. , Shen Wen T. , Gosnell Jessica E. , Liu Chienying , Suh Insoo , Duh Quan‐Yang
Published: June 2017

Background and Objectives

Pathological examination occasionally reveals incidental central lymph nodes metastasis (iLNM) after thyroidectomy for patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) who did not undergo compartment‐orientated lymphadenectomy. We aimed to investigate the risk of recurrence for patients with iLNM.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of all patients undergoing total thyroidectomy for PTC (January 2000 to January 2010). Patients with distant metastases, central‐ or lateral neck dissection and pre‐operative suspicious lymph nodes (by ultrasound or clinical examination) were excluded. The association between iLNM and recurrent disease was investigated using Kaplan‐Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional hazards analysis.

Results

225/1000 patients had incidental nodes after total thyroidectomy for PTC. 183 were node‐negative and 42 had iLNM. Mean age was 46 years and 201 (89%) were women. Mean number of resected nodes was 2.3. Disease recurred in 8/183 (4.4%) of patients with N0 versus 7/42 (17%) with iLNM. After adjusting for other factors, iLNM was independently associated with recurrent disease (hazard ratio = 4.01 [95% CI 1.21–13.3]).

Conclusions

Positive incidental lymph nodes are independently associated with recurrent disease in patients with PTC. These patients should therefore be monitored more carefully.
Caspase14 expression is associated with triple negative phenotypes and cancer stem cell marker expression in breast cancer patients
Authors: Handa Tadashi , Katayama Ayaka , Yokobori Takehiko , Yamane Arito , Horiguchi Jun , Kawabata‐Iwakawa Reika , Rokudai Susumu , Bao Pinjie , Gombodorj Navchaa , Altan Bolag , Kaira Kyoichi , Asao Takayuki , Kuwano Hiroyuki , Nishiyama Masahiko , Oyama Tetsunari
Published: June 2017

Background and Objectives

The Caspase14 (CASP14) was reported that the low expression of CASP14 in ovarian cancer and colon cancer was associated with cancer progression, on the other hand, that the CASP14 expression in breast cancer was higher than that of non‐cancerous tissues. The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical significance of CASP14 in breast cancer.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemistry for CASP14, ER, PgR, HER2, Ki67, EGFR, CK5/6, CD44, CD24, ALDH1, claudins, and androgen receptor in 222 breast cancer patients including 55 TNBC cases, and evaluated the relationship of CASP14, above‐mentioned markers, and prognosis. Using public microarray database of breast cancer, the prognostic value of CASP14 was calculated.

Results

High CASP14 expression was significantly associated with TNBC subtype (P = 0.015), nuclear grade (P = 0.006), Ki67, EGFR (P < 0.001, P = 0.016), ALDH1, CD44 and CD24 (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, P = 0.001) in 222 breast cancer cases, and the high expression of claudin1 (P = 0.017), and androgen receptor (P = 0.002) in TNBC cases was related to the high CASP14. According to the public database, survival in the high CASP14 breast cancer patients was shorter than low CASP14 patients.

Conclusions

High CASP14 expression is a marker of breast cancer aggressiveness in association with proliferation, TNBC phenotype, and cancer stemness.
Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition inducer Snail1 and invasive potential of intraductal breast cancer
Authors: Szynglarewicz Bartlomiej , Kasprzak Piotr , Donizy Piotr , Biecek Przemyslaw , Halon Agnieszka , Matkowski Rafal
Published: June 2017

Background and Objectives

Transcription factor Snail1 is a key inducer of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), a biological process implicated in the cancer progression and metastasis. The aim of the study was to investigate Snail1 expression in DCIS found on breast biopsy and assess its predictive value for the final invasion.

Methods

A total of 209 patients with histologically diagnosed pure DCIS entered the study. Snail1 reactivity was evaluated with immunohistochemistry in tumor tissue from stereotactic vacuum‐assisted biopsy of suspicious microcalcifications.

Results

Snail1 staining was observed in 62% of tumors: weak, intermediate, and strong in 27%, 21%, and 14% of lesions, respectively. Positive Snail1 expression was significantly rarer in DCIS presenting as powdery microcalcifications, when compared with crushed stone‐like and casting‐type and was more common in DCIS with comedonecrosis. Correlation with other features was not significant. None of standard parameters significantly influenced the upgrading rate. In contrast, in uni‐ and multivariate analysis the risk of postoperative invasion was significantly associated with positive Snail1 immunoreactivity. Moreover, there was a significant stepwise increase of upgrading rate according to Snail1 expression in DCIS cells: weak 9%, intermediate 26%, and strong 55%, respectively.

Conclusions

Snail1 can reflect the invasive potential of DCIS and help identify its more aggressive subtypes.
A Sustainability Assessment Framework for Agricultural Land Remediation in China
Authors: Hou Deyi , Ding Zhenyu , Li Guanghe , Wu Longhua , Hu Pengjie , Guo Guanlin , Wang Xingrun , Ma Yan , O'Connor David , Wang Xianghui
Published: June 2017

China has an extensive agricultural land degradation issue due to pollution, with 19·4% of its agricultural land being contaminated. The government has released an ambitious Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation Action Plan, aiming to remediate millions of hectares of contaminated agricultural land within the next several years. Amongst the many challenges facing the Action Plan, there is a need to assess the sustainability of these actions, especially in arid and semi‐arid regions where rehabilitation of degraded land is particularly challenging. There is a growing body of literature addressing the sustainability of remediation at industrial sites, but the remediation of agricultural land involves different sustainability concerns and, therefore, different indicators. To help address this issue, we propose a framework, which encompasses four impact categories, 11 subcategories, and 32 indicators, to assess the sustainability of agricultural land remediation. The proposed sustainability assessment framework was applied to five cases of agricultural land remediation, and the implications to policy makers and practitioners are discussed. An in‐depth life cycle assessment was also conducted for the remediation of agricultural land in an arid region of northern China. This study suggests that agricultural land remediation projects in China need to pay more attention to social aspects of sustainability and provide further scientific evidence to prove agricultural sustainability. It is imperative to conduct scientific research and develop policy instruments to progress life cycle sustainability in agricultural land remediation. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical modeling of the churning power losses in planetary gearboxes: An innovative partitioning‐based meshing methodology for the application of a computational effort reduction strategy to complex gearbox configurations
Authors: Concli Franco , Gorla Carlo
Published: June 2017

Thanks to the recent developments in the computer science, simulations are becoming an increasingly widespread approach that can help the designers in the development of new products. In the specific field of gearboxes, simulations are used mainly for structural evaluations. However, while for the structural design beside the simulations, many analytical methods and international standard are available; for the prediction of the power losses and the efficiency of gears, neither accurate analytical methods nor automated simulation tools are available. The authors work on this topic since years and have developed new methodologies based on computational fluid dynamics. With respect to general purpose commercial software, these techniques allow a significant reduction of the computational effort and have the capability to take into account particular physical phenomena that occurs in gears, such as cavitation, and for which no information are available in literature. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new automated mesh‐partitioning strategy implemented to extend the applicability of the previously developed computational effort reduction method to complex gearboxes getting over the geometrical limitations adopted in the past. To show the capabilities of this new strategy, we simulated a planetary gearbox that represents at the same time one of the most complicated kinematic arrangements of gears and the configuration for which the numerical fluid dynamics simulation can give the major contribution both with planar simplified models as well as with complete 3D models.
A clinically validated prediction method for facial soft‐tissue changes following double‐jaw surgery
Authors: Kim Daeseung , Ho Dennis Chun‐Yu , Mai Huaming , Zhang Xiaoyan , Shen Steve G.F. , Shen Shunyao , Yuan Peng , Liu Siting , Zhang Guangming , Zhou Xiaobo , Gateno Jaime , Liebschner Michael A.K. , Xia James J.
Published: June 2017

Purpose

It is clinically important to accurately predict facial soft‐tissue changes prior to orthognathic surgery. However, the current simulation methods are problematic, especially in anatomic regions of clinical significance, e.g., the nose, lips, and chin. We developed a new 3‐stage finite element method (FEM) approach that incorporates realistic tissue sliding to improve such prediction.

Methods

In Stage One, soft‐tissue change was simulated, using FEM with patient‐specific mesh models generated from our previously developed eFace template. Postoperative bone movement was applied on the patient mesh model with standard FEM boundary conditions. In Stage Two, the simulation was improved by implementing sliding effects between gum tissue and teeth using a nodal force constraint scheme. In Stage Three, the result of the tissue sliding effect was further enhanced by reassigning the soft‐tissue‐bone mapping and boundary conditions using nodal spatial constraint. Finally, our methods have been quantitatively and qualitatively validated using 40 retrospectively evaluated patient cases by comparing it to the traditional FEM method and the FEM with sliding effect, using a nodal force constraint method.

Results

The results showed that our method was better than the other two methods. Using our method, the quantitative distance errors between predicted and actual patient surfaces for the entire face and any subregions thereof were below 1.5 mm. The overall soft‐tissue change prediction was accurate to within 1.1 ± 0.3 mm, with the accuracy around the upper and lower lip regions of 1.2 ± 0.7 mm and 1.5 ± 0.7 mm, respectively. The results of qualitative evaluation completed by clinical experts showed an improvement of 46% in acceptance rate compared to the traditional FEM simulation. More than 80% of the result of our approach was considered acceptable in comparison with 55% and 50% following the other two methods.

Conclusion

The FEM simulation method with improved sliding effect showed significant accuracy improvement in the whole face and the clinically significant regions (i.e., nose and lips) in comparison with the other published FEM methods, with or without sliding effect using a nodal force constraint. The qualitative validation also proved the clinical feasibility of the developed approach.
miR‐100 promotes the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells via regulating Stat3
Authors: Huang Yong‐Li , Huang Guan‐You , Lv Jing , Pan Li‐Na , Luo Xi , Shen Jie
Published: June 2017

Micro RNAs play important roles during mammalian spermatogenesis, but the function(s) of specific miRNAs remain largely unknown. Here, we report that miR‐100 is predominantly expressed in undifferentiated murine spermatogonia, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). We utilized a miRNA mimic and inhibitor to knock down and overexpress miR‐100 in cultured SSCs, respectively, finding that the miR‐100 promotes the proliferation of SSCs in vitro. Furthermore, signals promoting SSC maintenance induced, whereas retinoic acid repressed, expression of miR‐100. Stat3 expression was modulated by miR‐100, with increased transcript and protein abundance in the presence of the miR‐100 inhibitor versus reduced protein levels following miR‐100 overexpression. Stat3 silencing also mimicked the reduced SSC proliferation phenotype associated with elevated miR‐100 levels. Importantly, Stat3 silencing rescued the anti‐proliferation capacity of miR‐100 inhibitor on cultured SSCs. Given that the Stat3 3′ untranslated region was not repressed by pre‐miR‐100 in a standard luciferase reporter assay, we suggest that miR‐100 promotes SSC proliferation by indirect regulation of Stat3.
Coulomb‐Explosion‐Imaging – ein Werkzeug für die Analytik?
Authors: Pitzer Martin
Published: June 2017

Energien und Emissionsrichtungen mehrerer Fragmente aus einem Molekülaufbruch geben Hinweise auf die Molekülstruktur. Nun ist es gelungen, mit diesem Ansatz die Enantiomere einiger Moleküle zu unterscheiden.
Das Alter des Armeehelms
Authors: Bernhardt Sarah
Published: June 2017

Wissenschaftler können das Alter von archäologischen Fundstücken aus Kupfer mit einem elektroanalytischen Verfahren bestimmen.
Kunst mit Redoxreaktionen
Authors: Osterath Brigitte
Published: June 2017

Zeichnen, malen, bildhauern? Langweilig. Chemiker Stefan Albus erschafft stattdessen Kunstwerke mit Metallen und oxidierenden Lösungen.
Bilanz 2016: Henkel
Authors: Bulmahn Maren
Published: June 2017

Henkel erreichte den bisher höchsten Umsatz seiner Geschichte. Dazu trug vor allem der Kauf eines US‐amerikanischen Waschmittelherstellers bei.
Bilanzen 2016: Mehr Umweltschutz, mehr Forschung, mehr Geräte
Authors: Zbikowski Frauke
Published: June 2017

Die deutschen Hersteller von Labortechnik und Analysengeräten rechnen damit, dass ihr Geschäft weiter wächst – in Schwellenländen wie im Inland. Als Risiken für die Branche gelten vor allem der Brexit sowie die Handelspolitik der US‐Regierung.
Farbspiel in Redoxflussbatterien
Authors: Novotny Jana , Quarthal Dominik , Oetken Marco
Published: June 2017

Mit Metallelektroden, farbigen Elektrolyten und einer Kunststoffspritze aus der Medizintechnik lassen sich kostengünstige Hybrid‐Redoxflussbatterien für den Chemieunterricht an Schulen einfach realisieren. Durch diesen Aufbau ist es möglich, Elektrolyte in wenigen Minuten zu laden und zu entladen und damit eine elektrochemische Reaktion über einen Farbwechsel sichtbar zu machen.
Ferrocen‐Chemiker treffen sich in Mainz
Authors: Förster Christoph , Heinze Katja
Published: June 2017

Ende Februar 2017 fand das fünfzehnte Ferrocene Colloquium am Institut für Anorganische Chemie und Analytische Chemie der Universität Mainz statt. Organisiert hatten die Veranstaltung Katja Heinze, Professorin für anorganische Chemie, und ihr Mitarbeiter Christoph Förster, akademischer Oberrat. Mehr als 140 Wissenschaftler aus 12 Ländern nahmen an dem Treffen teil und präsentierten in 5 Keynote‐Lectures und 33 Vorträgen sowie auf 55 Postern Forschungsergebnisse aus Ferrocen‐, Metallocen‐ und Organometallchemie.
Die Welt des Postfaktischen – ein Widerwort aus der Wissenschaft
Authors: Hopf Henning
Published: June 2017

Der „Marsch für die Wissenschaft“, der am 22. April weltweit stattfand, war ein Ereignis ohne Vorbild. Warum haben die im Allgemeinen doch recht zurückgezogen arbeitenden und ruhigen Wissenschaftler ihre Laboratorien und Büros verlassen, um ihre Sorgen auf der Straße kundzutun?
Erfolgreiches Ende einer Wanderschaft
Authors: Schulte Kerstin
Published: June 2017

Die interaktive Wanderausstellung „T‐Shirts, Tüten und Tenside – Die Ausstellung zur Nachhaltigen Chemie“ lockte in den vergangenen fünf Jahren über 330 000 Besucher an. Für die nächsten zwei Jahre ist nun ein Standort gefunden.
Contra Akkreditierung: „Akademische Selbstbestimmung wieder in die eigene Hand“
Authors: Schreiner Peter R.
Published: June 2017

Die Chemieausbildung in Deutschland hat sich international einen exzellenten Ruf erarbeitet, findet Peter Schreiner. Von Programmakkreditierung erwartet er keinen Zusatznutzen.
A two‐invariant pseudoelastic model for reservoir compaction
Authors: Spiezia N. , Ferronato M. , Janna C. , Teatini P.
Published: June 2017

Predicting the deformations of deep reservoirs due to fluid withdrawal/injection is a challenging task that could have important environmental, social, and economical impacts. Finite element models, if endowed with an appropriate constitutive law, represent a useful tool for computing the displacements, the deformations, and the stress distributions in reservoir applications. Several studies show that hypoelastic laws, based on a stress‐dependent vertical compressibility, are able to provide accurate results, confirmed by in situ and satellite measurements. On the other hand, such laws present some weaknesses related to the numerical implementation, in particular due to the nonsymmetry of the tangent operator. This paper presents a new constitutive model based on 2 invariants (the mean normal and deviatoric stresses), characterized by a variable pressure‐dependent bulk modulus K. This constitutive law allows for overcoming most shortcomings of the hypoelastic law, although preserving the same accuracy, reliability, and ease of use and calibration. This paper presents a procedure to identify the parameters of the new model, starting from the typically available data on the vertical compressibility. Numerical results show a good agreement between the 2 laws, suggesting the proposed approach as a valid alternative in reservoir applications.
Effect of fly ash on the overall performance of particulate‐filled polymer composite for precision machine tools
Authors: Yin Jicai , Bian Bingchuan , Ge Yuanyuan , Ma Qian
Published: June 2017

Particulate‐filled polymer composite (PFPC) consisting of epoxy resin, granite aggregate and fly ash (FA), is a new polymer composite that is prepared at room temperature. Exhibiting excellent vibration damping, PFPC has attracted wide attention in the field of precision machine tools. However, the major drawbacks that have limited the use of PFPC in manufacture of precision machine tools include their low mechanical properties, high coefficient of thermal expansion and high water absorption. In this article, the effect of FA content on the mechanical properties, damping ratio, thermal expansion coefficient, and water absorption of PFPC were systematically investigated. The experimental results showed that the compressive strength and elastic modulus of the PFPC initially increased and then decreased with the increase in the FA content. Also, it was found that the flexure strength, average thermal expansion coefficient (ATEC) and the maximum water absorption of the PFPC decreased as the FA content increased. The results also showed that the damping ratio first decreased and then increased with the increasing FA content, where the damping ratio of the PFPC exhibited a slight reduction when the FA content exceeded 5%. The maximum compressive strength, maximum elastic modulus, and the best damping ratio were obtained when the FA content was 5%. Simultaneously, the PFPC with a FA content of 5% exhibited high flexural strength, low thermal expansion, and low water absorption. Thus, the optimum FA content of PFPC was found to be 5% for use in precision machine tool fabrication. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3986–3993, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Quinary interactions with an unfolded state ensemble
Authors: Cohen Rachel D. , Pielak Gary J.
Published: June 2017

Anfinsen's thermodynamic hypothesis states that the native three‐dimensional fold of a protein represents the structure with the lowest Gibbs free energy. Changes in the free energy of denaturation can arise from changes to the folded state, the unfolded state, or both. It has been recently recognized that quinary interactions, transient contacts that take place only in cells, can modulate protein stability through interactions involving the folded state. Here we show that the cellular environment can also remodel the unfolded state ensemble.
Population Modeling Integrating Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Pharmacogenetics, and Clinical Outcome in Patients With Sunitinib‐Treated Cancer
Authors: Diekstra MH , Fritsch A , Kanefendt F , Swen JJ , Moes DJAR , Sörgel F , Kinzig M , Stelzer C , Schindele D , Gauler T , Hauser S , Houtsma D , Roessler M , Moritz B , Mross K , Bergmann L , Oosterwijk E , Kiemeney LA , Guchelaar HJ , Jaehde U
Published: June 2017

The tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib is used as first‐line therapy in patients with metastasized renal cell carcinoma (mRCC), given in fixed‐dose regimens despite its high variability in pharmacokinetics (PKs). Interindividual variability of drug exposure may be responsible for differences in response. Therefore, dosing strategies based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models may be useful to optimize treatment. Plasma concentrations of sunitinib, its active metabolite SU12662, and the soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptors sVEGFR‐2 and sVEGFR‐3, were measured in 26 patients with mRCC within the EuroTARGET project and 21 patients with metastasized colorectal cancer (mCRC) from the C‐II‐005 study. Based on these observations, PK/PD models with potential influence of genetic predictors were developed and linked to time‐to‐event (TTE) models. Baseline sVEGFR‐2 levels were associated with clinical outcome in patients with mRCC, whereas active drug PKs seemed to be more predictive in patients with mCRC. The models provide the basis of PK/PD‐guided strategies for the individualization of anti‐angiogenic therapies.
Robotic proctectomy for rectal cancer: analysis of 71 patients from a single institution
Authors: Spanheimer Philip M. , Armstrong John G. , Fu Sunyang , Liao Junlin , Regenbogen Scott E. , Byrn John C.
Published: June 2017

Background

Despite increasing use of robotic surgery for rectal cancer, few series have been published from the practice of generalizable US surgeons.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed for 71 consecutive patients who underwent robotic low anterior resection (LAR) or abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal adenocarcinoma between 2010 and 2014.

Results

46 LARs (65%) and 25 APRs (35%) were identified. Median procedure time was 219 minutes (IQR 184–275) and mean blood loss 164.9 cc (SD 155.9 cc). Radial margin was negative in 70/71 (99%) patients. Total mesorectal excision integrity was complete/near complete in 38/39 (97%) of graded specimens. A mean of 16.8 (SD+/− 8.9) lymph nodes were retrieved. At median follow‐up of 21.9 months, there were no local recurrences.

Conclusions

Robotic proctectomy for rectal cancer was introduced into typical colorectal surgery practice by a single surgeon, with a low conversion rate, low complication rate, and satisfactory oncologic outcomes.
Neuroticism, depression, and anxiety traits exacerbate the state of cognitive impairment and hippocampal vulnerability to Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Zufferey Valérie , Donati Alessia , Popp Julius , Meuli Reto , Rossier Jérôme , Frackowiak Richard , Draganski Bogdan , von Gunten Armin , Kherif Ferath
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Certain personality traits are associated with higher risk of Alzheimer's disease, similar to cognitive impairment. The identification of biological markers associated with personality in mild cognitive impairment could advance the early detection of Alzheimer's disease.

Methods

We used hierarchical multivariate linear models to quantify the interaction between personality traits, state of cognitive impairment, and MRI biomarkers (gray matter brain volume, gray matter mean water diffusion) in the medial temporal lobe (MTL).

Results

Over and above a main effect of cognitive state, the multivariate linear model showed significant interaction between cognitive state and personality traits predicting MTL abnormality. The interaction effect was mainly driven by neuroticism and its facets (anxiety, depression, and stress) and was associated with right‐left asymmetry and an anterior to posterior gradient in the MTL.

Discussion

Our results support the hypothesis that personality traits can alter the vulnerability and pathoplasticity of disease and therefore modulate related biomarker expression.
Multilingual extension and evaluation of a poetry generator
Authors: OLIVEIRA HUGO GONÇALO , HERVÁS RAQUEL , DÍAZ ALBERTO , GERVÁS PABLO
Published: June 2017

Poetry generation is a specific kind of natural language generation where several sources of knowledge are typically exploited to handle features on different levels, such as syntax, semantics, form or aesthetics. But although this task has been addressed by several researchers, and targeted different languages, all known systems have focused on a limited purpose and a single language. This article describes the effort of adapting the same architecture to generate poetry in three different languages – Portuguese, Spanish and English. An existing architecture is first described and complemented with the adaptations required for each language, including the linguistic resources used for handling morphology, syntax, semantics and metric scansion. An automatic evaluation was designed in such a way that it would be applicable to the target languages. It covered three relevant aspects of the generated poems, namely: the presence of poetic features, the variation of the linguistic structure and the semantic connection to a given topic. The automatic measures applied for the second and third aspect can be seen as novel in the evaluation of poetry. Overall, poems were successfully generated in the three languages addressed. Despite minor differences in different languages or seed words, poems revealed to have a regular metre, frequent rhymes, to exhibit an interesting degree of variation, and to be semantically-associated with the initially given seeds.
A size-miniaturized bandpass filter with selectivity-enhanced and high harmonic suppression performance
Authors: Huang Tao , Shao Zhenhai
Published: June 2017

In this paper, a novel microstrip bandpass filter is proposed to enhance sideband selectivity, suppress harmonic frequency up to three-order as well as to keep a miniaturized size for frequency synthesizer application. The filter is constructed by four λ/4 folded stepped-impedance resonators (FSIRs) and two λ/2 stepped-impedance resonators at input/output ports to create three pairs of coupling paths and then to produce three cross-coupling transmission zeros (TZs) as well as to achieve a size miniaturization with 96% reduction compared with the conventional filter. By adding a common grounded metallized via hole among four λ/4 FSIRs of the filter, additional four mixed electric and magnetic coupling paths are set to generate extra four TZs. With these seven TZs, the proposed filter achieves a good sideband selectivity and harmonic suppression. Finally, the filter is designed, fabricated, and measured, its measured results are in well agreement with its simulated results.
Revised practical guidance for first responders managing the dead after disasters
Authors: Ellingham Sarah , Cordner Stephen , Tidball-Binz Morris
Published: June 2017

The proper and dignified management of the dead is one of the three pillars of the humanitarian response to disasters, along with the rescue and care of survivors and the provision of essential services. First launched in 2006, the widely used publication Management of Dead Bodies after Disasters: A Field Manual for First Responders offers practical and easy-to-follow guidelines. It has become the go-to guide not only for non-experts confronted with dead bodies in the aftermath of a catastrophe, but also for those responsible for disaster planning and preparedness in countries with well-developed forensic services. Ten years after the publication of the 2006 Manual, a revised edition has been released. The inclusion of a decade of experience in its field implementation, as well as the incorporation of recent scientific developments in mass fatality management, makes the revised Manual an invaluable resource for first responders confronted with the realities of dead body management following a disaster.
Deficiency of pigment epithelium-derived factor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells triggers the epithelial–mesenchymal transition and metastasis
Authors: Zhang Ting , Yin Ping , Zhang Zichen , Xu Banglao , Che Di , Dai Zhiyu , Dong Chang , Jiang Ping , Hong Honghai , Yang Zhonghan , Zhou Ti , Shao Jianyong , Xu Zumin , Yang Xia , Gao Guoquan
Published: June 2017

Distant metastasis is the primary cause of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment failure while epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the critical process of NPC invasion and metastasis. However, tumor-suppressor genes involved in the EMT and metastasis of NPC have not been explored clearly compared with the oncogenes. In the present study, the expression of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), a potent endogenous antitumor factor, was diminished in human NPC tissues and associated with clinicopathological and EMT features. The knockdown of PEDF induced EMT in lower metastatic NPC cell lines and overexpression of PEDF restored epithelial phenotype in higher metastatic NPC cell lines with typical EMT. The inhibition of PEDF mediated NPC cell spontaneous metastasis in vivo. LRP6/GSK3β/β-catenin signal pathway rather than AKT/GSK3β pathway was involved in the effects of PEDF on EMT. The expression of PEDF was directly downregulated by elevated miR-320c in NPC. In conclusion, our findings indicate for the first time that PEDF functions as tumor-suppressor gene in the occurrence of EMT and metastasis in NPC. PEDF could serve as a promising candidate for NPC diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.
Tumour-associated macrophages secrete pleiotrophin to promote PTPRZ1 signalling in glioblastoma stem cells for tumour growth
Authors: Shi Yu , Ping Yi-Fang , Zhou Wenchao , He Zhi-Cheng , Chen Cong , Bian Bai-Shi-Jiao , Zhang Lin , Chen Lu , Lan Xun , Zhang Xian-Chao , Zhou Kai , Liu Qing , Long Hua , Fu Ti-Wei , Zhang Xiao-Ning , Cao Mian-Fu , Huang Zhi , Fang Xiaoguang , Wang Xiuxing , Feng Hua , Yao Xiao-Hong , Yu Shi-Cang , Cui You-Hong , Zhang Xia , Rich Jeremy N , Bao Shideng , Bian Xiu-Wu
Published: June 2017

Intense infiltration of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) facilitates malignant growth of glioblastoma (GBM), but the underlying mechanisms remain undefined. Herein, we report that TAMs secrete abundant pleiotrophin (PTN) to stimulate glioma stem cells (GSCs) through its receptor PTPRZ1 thus promoting GBM malignant growth through PTN–PTPRZ1 paracrine signalling. PTN expression correlates with infiltration of CD11b+/CD163+ TAMs and poor prognosis of GBM patients. Co-implantation of M2-like macrophages (MLCs) promoted GSC-driven tumour growth, but silencing PTN expression in MLCs mitigated their pro-tumorigenic activity. The PTN receptor PTPRZ1 is preferentially expressed in GSCs and also predicts GBM poor prognosis. Disrupting PTPRZ1 abrogated GSC maintenance and tumorigenic potential. Moreover, blocking the PTN–PTPRZ1 signalling by shRNA or anti-PTPRZ1 antibody potently suppressed GBM tumour growth and prolonged animal survival. Our study uncovered a critical molecular crosstalk between TAMs and GSCs through the PTN–PTPRZ1 paracrine signalling to support GBM malignant growth, indicating that targeting this signalling axis may have therapeutic potential.
Myomerger induces fusion of non-fusogenic cells and is required for skeletal muscle development
Authors: Quinn Malgorzata E. , Goh Qingnian , Kurosaka Mitsutoshi , Gamage Dilani G. , Petrany Michael J. , Prasad Vikram , Millay Douglas P.
Published: June 2017

Despite the importance of cell fusion for mammalian development and physiology, the factors critical for this process remain to be fully defined, which has severely limited our ability to reconstitute cell fusion. Myomaker (Tmem8c) is a muscle-specific protein required for myoblast fusion. Expression of myomaker in fibroblasts drives their fusion with myoblasts, but not with other myomaker-expressing fibroblasts, highlighting the requirement of additional myoblast-derived factors for fusion. Here we show that Gm7325, which we name myomerger, induces the fusion of myomaker-expressing fibroblasts. Thus, myomaker and myomerger together confer fusogenic activity to otherwise non-fusogenic cells. Myomerger is skeletal muscle-specific and genetic deletion in mice results in a paucity of muscle fibres demonstrating its requirement for normal muscle formation. Myomerger deficient myocytes differentiate and harbour organized sarcomeres but are fusion-incompetent. Our findings identify myomerger as a fundamental myoblast fusion protein and establish a system that begins to reconstitute mammalian cell fusion.
Identification of donor microbe species that colonize and persist long term in the recipient after fecal transplant for recurrent Clostridium difficile
Authors: Kumar Ranjit , Yi Nengjun , Zhi Degui , Eipers Peter , Goldsmith Kelly T. , Dixon Paula , Crossman David K. , Crowley Michael R. , Lefkowitz Elliot J. , Rodriguez J. Martin , Morrow Casey D.
Published: June 2017

Fecal microbiota transplantation has been shown to be an effective treatment for patients with recurrent C. difficile colitis. Although fecal microbiota transplantation helps to re-establish a normal gut function in patients, the extent of the repopulation of the recipient microbial community varies. To further understand this variation, it is important to determine the fate of donor microbes in the patients following fecal microbiota transplantation. We have developed a new method that utilizes the unique single nucleotide variants of gut microbes to accurately identify microbes in paired fecal samples from the same individual taken at different times. Using this method, we identified transplant donor microbes in seven recipients 3–6 months after fecal microbiota transplantation; in two of these fecal microbiota transplantation, we were able to identify donor microbes that persist in recipients up to 2 years post-fecal microbiota transplantation. Our study provides new insights into the dynamics of the reconstitution of the gastrointestinal microbe community structure following fecal microbiota transplantation.