bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between heart rate and outcomes in patients in sinus rhythm or atrial fibrillation with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction
Authors: Docherty Kieran F. , Shen Li , Castagno Davide , Petrie Mark C. , Abraham William T. , Böhm Michael , Desai Akshay S. , Dickstein Kenneth , Køber Lars V. , Packer Milton , Rouleau Jean L. , Solomon Scott D. , Swedberg Karl , Vazir Ali , Zile Michael R. , Jhund Pardeep S. , McMurray John J.V.
Published: December 2019

Aims

To investigate the relationship between heart rate and outcomes in heart failure and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients in sinus rhythm (SR) and atrial fibrillation (AF) adjusting for natriuretic peptide concentration, a powerful prognosticator.

Methods and results

Of 13 562 patients from two large HFrEF trials, 10 113 (74.6%) were in SR and 3449 (25.4%) in AF. The primary endpoint was the composite of cardiovascular death or heart failure hospitalization. Heart rate was analysed as a categorical (tertiles, T1–3) and continuous variable (per 10 bpm), separately in patients in SR and AF. Outcomes were adjusted for prognostic variables, including N‐terminal prohormone of B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), and also examined using change from baseline heart rate to 1 year (≤ −10 bpm, ≥ +10 bpm, < ±10 bpm). SR patients with a higher heart rate had worse symptoms and quality of life, more often had diabetes and higher NT‐proBNP concentrations. They had higher risk of the primary endpoint [T3 vs. T1 adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35–1.66; P < 0.001; per 10 bpm: 1.12, 95% CI 1.09–1.16; P < 0.001]. In SR, heart rate was associated with a relatively higher risk of pump failure than sudden death (adjusted HR per 10 bpm 1.17, 95% CI 1.09–1.26; P < 0.001 vs. 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.13; P = 0.011). Heart rate was not predictive of any outcome in AF.

Conclusions

In HFrEF, an elevated heart rate was an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients in SR, even after adjustment for NT‐proBNP. There was no relationship between heart rate and outcomes in AF.

Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers NCT01035255 and NCT00853658.
Thermodynamic and kinetic modeling of the protection of mammalian cells against ethanol‐induced damage by extracts of Jatropha curcas (Euphorbiaceae)
Authors: Cardoso Nathalia B. S. , Esteves Mabel B. , Bonafe Carlos F. S. , Paulillo Luis C. M. S. , Bispo Jose A. C.
Published: December 2019

The medicinal plant Jatropha curcas exerts beneficial effects against ethanol toxicity in humans. In this work, we investigated the protective effect of three extracts (ethanol [Et], vegetal glycerin [VG], and propylene glycol [PG]) of J. curcas leafs against Et‐induced damage in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The cytotoxicity of the extracts alone or in combination with each other in mononuclear cells was also assessed. A thermodynamic and kinetic analysis of the protection assumed that the cells were in a metastable equilibrium of growth and death, and the mass action of the extracts was used to determine the optimal concentration for each extract. The PG and VG extracts were cytotoxic, with an efficiency index of protection (η) of approximately −20% and −41%, respectively. By contrast, η values of ∼220% were observed for Et extracts (0.625% vol/vol) and combined extracts (Et + PG) at concentrations of (0.375 + 0.250)% and (0.5 + 0.5)%, respectively. These results identify J. curcas as a promising source of bioactive compounds and show that appropriate modeling can provide a powerful system for determining the optimal conditions for drug action.
Tritiated Water Exposure in Zebrafish (Danio rerio): Effects on the Early-Life Stages
Authors: Gagnaire Béatrice , Arcanjo Caroline , Cavalié Isabelle , Camilleri Virginie , Simon Olivier , Floriani Magali , Orjollet Daniel , Adam-Guillermin Christelle
Published: December 2019

Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen of natural and anthropogenic origin, is ubiquitously present in the environment. Effluents of nuclear centers of production are significant anthropogenic sources. With the upcoming project of thermonuclear fusion, tritium releases in the environment may increase. It is therefore important to characterize the ecological risk linked to tritium. The effects of tritiated water (HTO) were therefore studied in zebrafish larvae exposed for 10 d to different dose rates, 1.1 × 102, 4.1 × 102, and 3.8 × 103 µGy/h for larvae corresponding, respectively, to a water contamination of 104, 105, and 106 Bq/mL of HTO. Those dose rates were higher than 10 μGy/h, which is the threshold recommended to start monitoring ecosystems where radiological contaminants are present. Mortality, embryo-larval development, immune toxicity, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, and alterations of tissues were investigated. The results showed that HTO exposure induced DNA damage and reactive oxygen species production and modulated the expression of genes involved in detoxification processes. Moreover, modifications of the muscular tissues (degradation of myofibrils at 4 d post fertilization and disorganization of mitochondria at later stages) were observed. The results differed with HTO dose rates and with developmental stages. These results will drive future research for the development of new HTO-sensitive biomarkers and will allow us to progress in the characterization of the modes of action of tritium in fish. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:648–658. © 2019 SETAC
A Mesocosm Assessment of the Effect of Bioturbation by the Ghost Shrimp (Lepidophthalmus louisianensis) on the Fate of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in the Intertidal Zone
Authors: Klerks Paul L. , Kascak Alex , Cazan Alfy M. , Franco Marco E. , Louka Febee R.
Published: December 2019

To fully assess the long-term impacts of oil spills like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon incident in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the potential for organisms other than microbes to affect the fate and distribution of the oil may have to be considered. This influence could be substantial for abundant bioturbating benthic animals like the ghost shrimp Lepidophthalmus louisianensis. An assessment of the influence of these ghost shrimp on petroleum hydrocarbons was conducted in laboratory micro- and mesocosms containing coastal Gulf of Mexico sediment, seawater, and oil or the polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pyrene. In an experiment with pyrene added to the water column, the ghost shrimp presence lowered water-column pyrene concentrations. In an experiment with oil added to the sediment surface, the ghost shrimp presence decreased PAH concentrations in the sediment surface layer but increased these in the water column and subsurface sediment. A companion study and a mass-balance analysis indicated a net loss of PAHs through an enhancement of microbial degradation. In an experiment in which oil was added as a narrow subsurface layer in the sediment, the ghost shrimp presence appeared to broaden the oil's depth distribution. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ghost shrimp can significantly influence the biodegradation and distribution of spilled oil in coastal ecosystems. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:637–647. © 2019 SETAC
Oblique projection: An interference mitigation for MIMO multihop full‐duplex relay
Authors: Madani Fadoul Moubachir , Nour Hindia MHD , Dimyati Kaharudin , Hanafi Effariza , Sadegh Amiri Iraj
Published: December 2019

Full‐duplex (FD) assisted multiple‐input–multiple‐output relaying increases the spectral efficiency through efficient spectrum utilization. The major concerns for the FD assisted relay system are the cancellation of inter‐relay interference (IRI) and relay self‐interference (RSI). Previous works were idealized only on the basis of either RSI or IRI; hence, all other realistic models to overcome the RSI or IRI were unappreciated. This paper aims to reduce the interference‐to‐signal ratio. We propose the joint relay's receive beamforming based on oblique projection to mitigate the RSI and IRI in multihop environments. Applying first orthogonal projectors to the relay's received signal, the relay's received signals are divided into interference subspace and signal subspace. Then, the desired signal is recovered from signal subspace by using oblique projection that cancels out the RSI and IRI. The geometric interpretation of oblique projection is analyzed to understand its properties. The major merit of this method is that it can be adopted even when the RSI and IRI channels are unknown. In comparison to the existing interference cancellation methods, the signal‐to‐interference ratio of our proposed method does not deteriorate even when the transmit power is high. Additionally, we demonstrate that the oblique projection output is equivalent to an orthogonal projection using geometrical interpretation, simulation, and theoretical derivation.
Cost‐ and comfort‐aware aggregated modified least slack time–based domestic power scheduling for residential communities
Authors: Silva Bhagya Nathali , Lee Kyuchang , Yoon Yongtak , Han Jihun , Cao ZhenBo , Han Kijun
Published: December 2019

Emergence of smart grid notion has revolutionized energy consumption patterns and energy conservation strategies of end users by addressing the broadening gap between electricity demand and supply. Accordingly, domestic appliance scheduling came into the play, gaining phenomenal popularity owing to its consideration on sustainable energy, user behaviors, and varying electricity tariff. To maximize the desired benefits of appliance scheduling, herein, we propose a least slack time (LST)–based scheduling algorithm embedded with consumption thresholds, which minimizes cost on grid electricity, while maximizing user comfort and sustainable energy usage. A modified LST (M‐LST) algorithm was experimented for a multiple‐house scenario with 100 houses. Simulated results were compared with an instance without scheduling and an instance of an existing scheduling scheme based on value on lost load. Renewable energy sources aggregated to M‐LST further improves performance through aggregated M‐LST (M‐LST(A)). Results confirmed the remarkable superiority of the proposed M‐LST(A) in reducing electricity bill, waiting time, peak load, and peak‐to‐average ratio.
Effect of passive protection on fire propagation of electrical cables
Authors: Zeng Dong , Wang Yi , Boardman Daniel
Published: December 2019

Flame retardant cable coatings are applied to grouped electrical cables as a passive protection means to reduce the fire hazard. This work studied the flammability of cable coatings and developed a fire test method to evaluate the fire propagation propensity of grouped cables protected by cable coatings. Firstly, ignition tests of 12 cable coatings were conducted and showed that all cable coatings are ignitable. Secondly, three selected cable coatings and a cable bandage, as an alternative passive protection method, were evaluated along with two types of electrical cables in ASTM E‐2058/ISO 12136 by measuring the fire propagation index (FPI). The FPI values of coated cables do not demonstrate a monotonous change relative to the FPI of uncoated cables, and the FPI trend is cable dependent. Thirdly, two selected cable coatings and a cable bandage were further examined in the 2.4‐m parallel panel fire test (PPT) along with an electrical cable with an FPI value of 30 (m/s1/2)/(kW/m)2/3. The cables coated by both tested cable coatings showed fire propagation while the bandaged cables did not propagate. The consistent fire propagation propensities between the PPT and small‐scale fire tests support using the FPA tests to examine the flammability of cable coatings.
An incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics scheme for Newtonian/non‐Newtonian multiphase flows including semi‐analytical solutions for two‐phase inelastic Poiseuille flows
Authors: Xenakis Antonios M. , Lind Steven J. , Stansby Peter K. , Rogers Benedict D.
Published: December 2019

An incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method is developed for the modeling of multiphase Newtonian and inelastic non‐Newtonian flows at low density ratios. This new method is the multiphase extension of Xenakis et al, J. Non‐Newtonian Fluid Mech., 218, 1‐15, which has been shown to be stable and accurate, with a virtually noise‐free pressure field for single‐phase non‐Newtonian flows. For the validation of the method a semi‐analytical solution of a two‐phase Newtonian/non‐Newtonian (inelastic) Poiseuille flow is derived. The developed method is also compared with the benchmark multiphase case of the Rayleigh Taylor instability and a submarine landslide, thereby demonstrating capability in both Newtonian/Newtonian and Newtonian/non‐Newtonian two‐phase applications. Comparisons with analytical solutions, experimental and previously published results are conducted and show that the proposed methodology can accurately predict the free‐surface and interface profiles of complex incompressible multi‐phase flows at low‐density ratios relevant, for example, to geophysical environmental applications.
Effect of fresh pomegranate juice on the level of melatonin, insulin, and fasting serum glucose in healthy individuals and people with impaired fasting glucose
Authors: Banihani Saleem A. , Fashtaky Reham A. , Makahleh Seham M. , El‐Akawi Zeyad J. , Khabour Omar F. , Saadeh Nesreen A.
Published: December 2019

Pomegranate juice (PGJ) is rich in unique bioactive compounds that can be used in the management of various diseases/disorders such as cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Here, we aimed to investigate the effects of fresh PGJ on levels of melatonin, insulin, and fasting blood glucose in people with impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The study was a randomized clinical trial in which 28 participants (10 males, 18 females) with IFG were recruited from Irbid Central Laboratory and the Diabetes Clinic of the University Hospital at Jordan University of Science and Technology. Blood specimens from each participant were collected before (−5 min), and 1 and 3 hr after PGJ administration at 1.5 ml/kg of the body weight, and melatonin, insulin, and glucose were measured. People with IFG, but not healthy individuals, had significant antihyperglycemic response (p < .0001) to PGJ 3 hr after ingesting the juice. This response was not correlated with the age of participants (p = .4287). In addition, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was significantly decreased (p < .0001) among people with IFG 3 hr after ingesting the juice. Moreover, 1 hr after PGJ administration, decreases in melatonin and increases in insulin were significantly observed among healthy (p = .0284, p = .0017) and IFG (p = .0056, p = .0007) individuals, respectively. In conclusion, fresh PGJ lowers melatonin, increases the level of insulin, and ameliorates insulin resistance in people with IFG.
Social weather: A review of crowdsourcing‐assisted meteorological knowledge services through social cyberspace
Authors: Zhu Yifan , Zhang Sifan , Li Yinan , Lu Hao , Shi Kaize , Niu Zhendong
Published: December 2019

Crowdsourcing has significantly motivated the development of meteorological services. Starting from the beginning of 2010s and highly motivating after 2014, crowdsourcing‐driven meteorological services have evolved from a single collection and observation of data to the systematic acquisition, analysis and application of these data. In this review, by focusing on papers and databases that have combined crowdsourcing methods to promote or implement meteorological knowledge services, we analysed the relevant literature in three dimensions: data collection, information analysis and meteorological knowledge applications. First, we selected the potential data sources for crowdsourcing and discussed the characteristics of the collected data in four dimensions: consciousness, objectiveness, mobility and multidisciplinary. Second, based on the purpose of these studies and the extent of utilizing data as well as knowledge, we categorize the crowdsourcing‐based meteorological analysis into three levels: relationship discovery, knowledge generalization and systemized service. Third, according to the application scenario, we discussed the applications that have already been put into use, and we suggest current challenges and future research directions. These previous studies show that the use of crowdsourcing in social space can expand the coverage as well as enhance the performance of meteorological service. It was also evident that current researches are contributing towards a systemic and intelligent knowledge service to establish a better bridge among academic, industrial and individual community.
Current intensity‐ and polarity‐specific online and aftereffects of transcranial direct current stimulation: An fMRI study
Authors: Jamil Asif , Batsikadze Giorgi , Kuo Hsiao‐I. , Meesen Raf L. J. , Dechent Peter , Paulus Walter , Nitsche Michael A.
Published: December 2019

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) induces polarity‐ and dose‐dependent neuroplastic aftereffects on cortical excitability and cortical activity, as demonstrated by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional imaging (fMRI) studies. However, lacking systematic comparative studies between stimulation‐induced changes in cortical excitability obtained from TMS, and cortical neurovascular activity obtained from fMRI, prevent the extrapolation of respective physiological and mechanistic bases. We investigated polarity‐ and intensity‐dependent effects of tDCS on cerebral blood flow (CBF) using resting‐state arterial spin labeling (ASL‐MRI), and compared the respective changes to TMS‐induced cortical excitability (amplitudes of motor evoked potentials, MEP) in separate sessions within the same subjects (n = 29). Fifteen minutes of sham, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0‐mA anodal or cathodal tDCS was applied over the left primary motor cortex (M1) in a randomized repeated‐measure design. Time‐course changes were measured before, during and intermittently up to 120‐min after stimulation. ROI analyses indicated linear intensity‐ and polarity‐dependent tDCS after‐effects: all anodal‐M1 intensities increased CBF under the M1 electrode, with 2.0‐mA increasing CBF the greatest (15.3%) compared to sham, while all cathodal‐M1 intensities decreased left M1 CBF from baseline, with 2.0‐mA decreasing the greatest (−9.3%) from sham after 120‐min. The spatial distribution of perfusion changes correlated with the predicted electric field, as simulated with finite element modeling. Moreover, tDCS‐induced excitability changes correlated more strongly with perfusion changes in the left sensorimotor region compared to the targeted hand‐knob region. Our findings reveal lasting tDCS‐induced alterations in cerebral perfusion, which are dose‐dependent with tDCS parameters, but only partially account for excitability changes.
Antarctic yeast Cryptococcus laurentii (AL65): biomass and exopolysaccharide production and biosorption of metals
Authors: Rusinova‐Videva Snezhana , Nachkova Stefka , Adamov Aleksandar , Dimitrova‐Dyulgerova Ivanka
Published: December 2019

BACKGROUND

Pollution by heavy metals poses serious environmental problems and is dangerous to human health, so considerable attention has been given to methods for their removal from industrial effluents. The need for highly effective biosorbents able to remove heavy metals from waste waters, even at the low concentrations which are still toxic for living organisms in ecosystems, is a topical problem.

RESULTS

In the present study, psychrophilic yeast strain Cryptococcus laurentii (AL65) was used to explore its potential for biosorption of metal ions. The accumulation of biomass was followed continuously in the context of bioreactor cultivation. An adsorption experiment of caustic pretreated biomass was conducted in batch mode with synthetic mixed solution in the pH range 4.7–7.0, and ion concentrations of individual metals were simultaneously determined by inductively coupled plasma ‐ optical emission spectrometry (ICP‐OES). Biosorption abilities were determined for 15 elements: the total amount of adsorbed ions was 68 mg g−1 dry biomass for 10 mg L−1 initial concentration of each element in the solution, and 113 mg g−1 for 20 mg L−1. The highest adsorption capacity was observed in the 20 mg L−1 solution for aluminium, chromium, indium, gallium, iron and bismuth in the range 12–16 mg g−1 dry biomass at an optimal pH of ≈5.

CONCLUSION

The results on the biosorption ability of Antarctic producer Cryptococcus laurentii (AL65) can be used in the optimization of technological processes for the removal of heavy metals from aqueous solutions. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Empathy and engineering formation
Authors: Walther Joachim , Brewer Michael A. , Sochacka Nicola W. , Miller Shari E.
Published: December 2019

Background

The engineering education discourse increasingly recognizes the role of empathy in preparing students for 21st century challenges. This pedagogical and theoretical interest is not supported by an empirical understanding of the role empathy plays in students' professional formation.

Purpose

This study investigated how undergraduate engineering students made sense of empathy during a series of empathic communication modules as part of a mechanical engineering design course.

Methodology

Post‐module reflections from 146 students were collected in two iterations of the course. The data were qualitatively analyzed using social phenomenology to focus on participants' meaning making in the context of their overall experiences. A model of empathy as interrelated skills, orientations, and ways of being theoretically framed the data gathering and analysis.

Findings

Three analytic categories structured the significant variation in students' meaning making. (a) Relationships with Others captured students' understandings of the relationship with and role of others along the three dimensions of Distance, Difference, and Power. (b) The Act of Learning identified varying degrees of resonance or disconnect between students' expectations of engineering learning and the forms of learning encountered in the modules. (c) Empathy as a Conceptual Object described the variation of students' own understandings of the nature and function of empathy in the context of their engineering learning.

Conclusions

The experiential significance of engaging with empathy makes visible and pedagogically accessible students' value orientations that frame their relationships toward others and their self‐understanding as engineers, thus providing potential new avenues for research and education to engage less tangible facets of engineering formation.
Optimizing stock‐keeping unit selection for promotional display space at grocery retailers
Authors: Pak Olga , Ferguson Mark , Perdikaki Olga , Wu Su‐Ming
Published: December 2019

Promotional displays, such as end‐of‐aisle displays, provide a stimulus for discretionary and incremental sales at grocery stores, offering a powerful yet affordable tool to boost profit. In this study, we examine a store manager's choice of which stock‐keeping units (SKUs) from a given category to assign to a promotional display space. While the academic literature and retail software solution providers offer a variety of optimization solutions for the assortment optimization problem, there is very little guidance for retailers on how to optimally determine when and what products to place on their promotional display space. Consequently, retailers often default to simple heuristics, which are typically suboptimal from a profit maximization standpoint, when making this decision. Thus, there is a need for a decision support tool to facilitate the product selection for promotional display space. Using a grocery store sales transaction data set, we demonstrate how to measure the incremental lift in sales of placing a particular SKU on promotional display space. Our optimization model includes the incremental lifts (from the estimation method) combined with the estimated base‐sales rates and profit margins of each SKU so that the profit‐maximizing SKU can be chosen for a promotional display space for each week of the year. Placing a SKU on promotional display can result in a significant lift in sales. For example, the estimated average display effect (i.e., sales lift) for the beer category across all SKUs and all weeks is 27%, which makes promotional display a very effective tool for stimulating incremental product sales. Overall, our methodology results in at least 1.6 times improvement in incremental profit when compared to a common industry benchmark. We also test our methodology on two additional product categories and demonstrate that it performs equally well across product categories. Our work provides an easy‐to‐implement, promotional display SKU‐selection methodology that includes both an estimation and an optimization model. Our estimation model can handle an extensive and complex product assortment and accounts for important aspects of promotional activities such as the cannibalization of the inner aisle sales and halo effects. Our optimization model is flexible enough to consider practical aspects such as common business rules that restrict the selection of the same SKU over a consecutive set of weeks, display‐related changeover costs, and slotting fees offered by the manufacturers. Overall, our study underscores the importance of making effective promotional display decisions.
Evaluation of trabecular bone changes in patients with periodontitis using fractal analysis: A periapical radiography study
Authors: Aktuna Belgin Ceren , Serindere Gozde
Published: December 2019

Background

The present study was aimed to evaluate the trabecular bone changes between healthy individuals and periodontitis patients with fractal dimension analysis on digital periapical radiographs.

Methods

Data from 35 healthy and 35 individuals with periodontitis were confirmed from the database of our faculty and included in the study. Two regions of interest (ROI) were selected belonging to mesial and distal region of mandibular first molar on periapical radiographs. The mean fractal dimension (FD) values of two regions were calculated with using box‐counting method. Student t test was used for the comparison of the FDs.

Results

The mean FD of individuals with periodontitis was 0.97, whereas it was 1.04 for the healthy group. The mean FD values were significantly higher in the healthy group (P < 0.05). In the periodontitis group, as the FD of mesial interdental bone increased, the FD of distal interdental bone increased significantly (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Because of FD numerically showing changes in bone trabeculation, changes in the alveolar bone can be detected quantitatively.
Development of functional pasta with microencapsulated Spirulina: technological and sensorial effects
Authors: Zen Cindiele Karen , Tiepo Caroline Balensiefer Vicenzi , da Silva Raíssa Vieira , Reinehr Christian Oliveira , Gutkoski Luiz Carlos , Oro Tatiana , Colla Luciane Maria
Published: December 2019

BACKGROUND

Spirulina microalgae have been added to food; however, there have been few reports on the methods used to protect the antioxidant potential against process conditions, and the effects on the sensory characteristics of products need to be better described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence on the technological properties, sensory profile, and acceptability of the pasta with free or microencapsulated Spirulina biomass added. Pasta formulations included: free Spirulina (FSP), microencapsulated Spirulina (MSP), and empty microspheres (EMP), which were compared with the control pasta (CP).

RESULTS

The microencapsulation protected the antioxidant potential of Spirulina in 37.8% of the pasta cooking conditions. The microspheres presented low solubility in water (86 g.kg−1) and high encapsulation efficiency (87.6%), this being appropriate for addition to products that need cooking in water. The technological properties of pasta (water absorption, weight gain, firmness, and adhesiveness) were affected, but the overall acceptability index (85.13%) was not influenced by the addition of microspheres, despite changes observed in the sensory profile obtained by the CATA (check‐all‐that‐apply).

CONCLUSIONS

Spirulina could be added to pasta even without microencapsulation but the microencapsulation in alginate allows for the protection of the antioxidant potential of the biomass, representing a potential alternative for the bakery industry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Loganin alleviates LPS‐activated intestinal epithelial inflammation by regulating TLR4/NF‐κB and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathways
Authors: Wang Jia‐Wen , Pan Yi‐Bin , Cao Yong‐Qing , Wang Chen , Jiang Wei‐Dong , Zhai Wei‐Feng , Lu Jin‐Gen
Published: December 2019

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic, recurrent gastrointestinal inflammation that affects millions of people around the world. Loganin, an iridoid glycoside, has shown the anti‐inflammatory effects. However, the effect of loganin on IBD and its underlying molecular mechanism are not clear. The present study aimed to investigate whether loganin could alleviate IBD and its mechanisms. The intestinal epithelial Caco‐2 cell line was treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to establish an in vitro IBD model. MTT assay was used to detect cell viability. The expression and release level of inflammatory factors were determined by both real‐time‐PCR and ELISA. Western blotting was used to assess the NF‐κB and JAK/STAT3 pathway‐related protein levels. The results showed that loganin repressed the expression and release of IL‐6, TNF‐α, and IL‐1β, and inhibited TLR4/NF‐κB and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathways in a concentration‐dependent manner. Overexpression of TLR4 could reverse the effect of loganin, leading to activation of NF‐κB signaling and production of inflammatory factors. Meanwhile, IGF‐1, a JAK/STAT3 signaling activator, could also reverse the anti‐inflammation effect of loganin. In conclusion, loganin inhibited LPS‐activated intestinal epithelial inflammation by repressing TLR4/NF‐κB and JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.
Amendments with humified compost effectively sequester organic carbon in agricultural soils
Authors: Spaccini Riccardo , Piccolo Alessandro
Published: December 2019

Preventing degradation of soil quality and productivity entails development of sustainable practices to enhance soil organic matter. We followed soil organic carbon (OC) accumulation during 3 years long‐field experiments in two different Italian soils under conventional tillage (TRA), reduced tillage (MIN), green manure (GM) and two rates (low, CMPL, and, high, CMPH) of mature compost amendments. Despite soil textures differences, CMP additions enhanced in both field sites OC accumulation in either bulk soils or water‐stable aggregates (WSA), especially for CMPH, that was more pronounced than for MIN and GM. While the sum of OC in WSA showed an average retention of 80–90% of cumulative carbon added with compost, incorporated OC in WSA of MIN and GM reached only 26 and 55% of total carbon amended with fresh biomass for the light and heavy textured soils, respectively. Hence, MIN and GM accumulated SOC only up to the physical saturation limit dictated by soil texture, whereas CMP retained a larger additional SOC than TRA due to hydrophobic affinity among apolar domains progressively added to soil with humified compost. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of humus extracted after the first and third treatment year confirmed this behaviour. While no changes were observed in spectra for MIN and GM, humic extracts from CMP showed significantly larger content of apolar alkyl and aromatic moieties after the third experimental year. Our results suggest that soil amendment with well humified compost is an effective practice to sequester carbon into agricultural soils, besides improving their organic fertility.
Characterizing Cross‐Linking Within Polymeric Biomaterials in the SEM by Secondary Electron Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Farr Nicholas , Pashneh‐Tala Samand , Stehling Nicola , Claeyssens Frederik , Green Nicola , Rodenburg Cornelia
Published: December 2019

A novel capability built upon secondary electron (SE) spectroscopy provides an enhanced cross‐linking characterization toolset for polymeric biomaterials, with cross‐linking density and variation captured at a multiscale level. The potential of SE spectroscopy for material characterization has been investigated since 1947. The absence of suitable instrumentation and signal processing proved insurmountable barriers to applying SE spectroscopy to biomaterials, and consequently, capturing SE spectra containing cross‐linking information is a new concept. To date, cross‐linking extent is inferred from analytical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), differential scanning calorimetry, and Raman spectroscopy (RS). NMR provides extremely localized information on the atomic scale and molecular scale, while RS information volume is on the microscale. Other methods for the indirect study of cross‐linking are bulk mechanical averaging methods, such as tensile and compression modulus testing. However, these established averaging methods for the estimation of polymer cross‐linking density are incomplete because they fail to provide information of spatial distributions within the biomaterial morphology across all relevant length scales. The efficacy of the SE spectroscopy capability is demonstrated in this paper by the analysis of poly(glycerol sebacate)‐methacrylate (PGS‐M) at different degrees of methacrylation delivering new insights into PGS‐M morphology.
Synthesis, Structural, and Magnetic Properties of Mn0.5Zn0.5Fe2O4Nanoparticles by Sol–Gel Route
Authors: Dubey Hemant Kumar , Lahiri Preeti
Published: December 2019

In this work, the cubic spinel manganese‐zinc ferrite nanoparticle is synthesized by the sol–gel auto combustion method. It is the simple chemical route and low‐cost method for the formation of manganese zinc ferrite nanoparticles. Structural and morphological studies of the synthesized manganese‐zinc ferrite nanoparticles are done by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microsccopy (SEM). The X‐ray diffraction results indicate that the ferrite sample has a cubic spinel type structure with Fd3m space group. The average crystallite size of the synthesized manganese zinc ferrite nanoparticles is found to be 34 nm as determined by Debye–Scherrer equation. Two well‐known absorption bands at 467 and 558 cm−1, in FTIR spectroscopy data also confirm the cubic spinel structure in the prepared samples. Morphological studies by SEM exposed formation of largely agglomerated and well‐defined nanoparticles of the sample. From the magnetization data, parameters like magnetization, coercivity, remanance magnetization, and squareness ratio are calculated.
Testing single/combined clinical categories on 5110 Italian patients with developmental phenotypes to improve array‐based detection rate
Authors: Catusi Ilaria , Recalcati Maria Paola , Bestetti Ilaria , Garzo Maria , Valtorta Chiara , Alfonsi Melissa , Alghisi Alberta , Cappellani Stefania , Casalone Rosario , Caselli Rossella , Ceccarini Caterina , Ceglia Carlo , Ciaschini Anna Maria , Coviello Domenico , Crosti Francesca , D'Aprile Annamaria , Fabretto Antonella , Genesio Rita , Giagnacovo Marzia , Granata Paola , Longo Ilaria , Malacarne Michela , Marseglia Giuseppina , Montaldi Annamaria , Nardone Anna Maria , Palka Chiara , Pecile Vanna , Pessina Chiara , Postorivo Diana , Redaelli Serena , Renieri Alessandra , Rigon Chiara , Tiberi Fabiola , Tonelli Mariella , Villa Nicoletta , Zilio Anna , Zuccarello Daniela , Novelli Antonio , Larizza Lidia , Giardino Daniela
Published: December 2019

Background

Chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) is nowadays widely used in the diagnostic path of patients with clinical phenotypes. However, there is no ascertained evidence to date on how to assemble single/combined clinical categories of developmental phenotypic findings to improve the array‐based detection rate.

Methods

The Italian Society of Human Genetics coordinated a retrospective study which included CMA results of 5,110 Italian patients referred to 17 genetics laboratories for variable combined clinical phenotypes.

Results

Non‐polymorphic copy number variants (CNVs) were identified in 1512 patients (30%) and 615 (32%) present in 552 patients (11%) were classified as pathogenic. CNVs were analysed according to type, size, inheritance pattern, distribution among chromosomes, and association to known syndromes. In addition, the evaluation of the detection rate of clinical subgroups of patients allowed to associate dysmorphisms and/or congenital malformations combined with any other single clinical sign to an increased detection rate, whereas non‐syndromic neurodevelopmental signs and non‐syndromic congenital malformations to a decreased detection rate.

Conclusions

Our retrospective study resulted in confirming the high detection rate of CMA and indicated new clinical markers useful to optimize their inclusion in the diagnostic and rehabilitative path of patients with developmental phenotypes.
Highly reduced mutual coupling between wideband patch antenna array using multiresonance EBG structure and defective ground surface
Authors: Sokunbi Oludayo , Attia Hussein
Published: December 2019

This paper presents a novel slotted wideband microstrip patch antenna array with 2 decoupling structures that enabled isolation enhancement between 10 and 40 dB throughout the operating bandwidth of 4‐6.5 GHz. Four asymmetrical patches were first used as a unit cell to produce a multiresonance electromagnetic band gap (EBG) structure capable of increasing the isolation between the patch array by about 50 dB within the impedance bandwidth of 5.8‐6.4 GHz. By introducing 3 double F‐shaped etchings in the array ground plane, the isolation bandwidth is extended to 4.0‐6.5 GHz (ie, 48%) with measured isolation improvement of 10‐40 dB over the entire isolation bandwidth. The multiresonance EBG structure mitigates the surface waves propagating in the substrate while the double F‐shaped ground plane reduces the surface waves traveling on the ground plane. The edge‐to‐edge spacing between the 2 patch antennas is 25.2 mm which is equivalent to 0.42 λ0 (λ0 is the free‐space wavelength at the center frequency of 5.0 GHz). After loading the decoupling structures in the antenna array, the gain increased from 5.6 dB to 7 dB. The proposed antenna is fabricated and there is an acceptable agreement between the simulated and measured results. The antenna radiation characteristics are observed to be fairly consistent over the large operating bandwidth of 4‐6.5 GHz. The proposed antenna is a potential candidate for wideband wireless applications in the sub‐6 GHz band.
Treatment of pediatric high‐grade central nervous system tumors with high‐dose methotrexate in combination with multiagent chemotherapy: A single‐institution experience
Authors: Bernstock Joshua D. , Alva Elizabeth , Cohen Joshua L. , Lobbous Mina , Chagoya Gustavo , Elsayed Galal A. , Orr Brent A. , Rozzelle Curtis , Rocque Brandon , Blount Jeffrey , Johnston James M. , Li Rong , Fiveash John B. , Dhall Girish , Reddy Alyssa T. , Friedman Gregory K.
Published: December 2019

Background

Effective treatment for pediatric embryonal brain tumors includes dose‐intensive multiagent chemotherapy (DIMAC) followed by high‐dose chemotherapy with stem cell rescue (HDCSCR). Use of repeated cycles of DIMAC including high‐dose methotrexate (HDMTX) without HDCSCR has not been described.

Procedure

We retrospectively reviewed the responses/toxicities in 13 patients (aged 2‐155 months, median 22 months) with central nervous system (CNS) tumors (atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors, CNS embryonal tumors not otherwise specified, pineoblastoma, embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes, and CNS sarcoma) treated over a 12‐year period with repeated cycles of HDMTX followed by etoposide, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine.

Results

Six patients (46.2%) had disseminated disease at presentation and five (38.5%) had gross total resection. A total of 64 courses of therapy were administered with a median of five courses per patient.  Eight patients (61.5%) received radiation therapy (one at relapse). By completion of therapy, 11 patients (84.6%) achieved a response (six complete, five partial).  Six of the 13 patients (46.2%) remain alive with a median follow‐up of 48 months (6‐146).  Acute toxicities included fever/neutropenia (70.3%), bacteremia (15.6%), and grade 3 mucositis (18.8%).  Long‐term complications included learning disability, seizure disorder, and brain necrosis, without treatment‐related deaths.

Conclusions

DIMAC with HDMTX without HDCSCR may be an effective treatment option for selected patients with embryonal or high‐grade CNS tumors.
Turbulence and entrainment in an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier plasma jet
Authors: Morabit Youssef , Whalley Richard D. , Robert Eric , Hasan Mohammad I. , Walsh James L.
Published: December 2019

Particle image velocimetry, laser‐induced fluorescence, and computational modeling are used to quantify the impact of plasma generation on air entrainment into a helium plasma jet. It is demonstrated that discharge generation yields a minor increase in the exit velocity of the gas. In contrast, the laminar to turbulent transition point is strongly affected, attributed to an increase in plasma‐induced perturbations within the jet shear layer. The temporal decay of laser‐induced fluorescence from OH is used as an indicator of humid air within the plasma. The results show that plasma‐induced perturbations increase the quenching rate of the OH‐fluorescent state; indicating that shear‐layer instabilities play a major role in determining the physicochemical characteristics of the plasma.
Chemical states of ppm cerium in steel by ToF‐SIMS analysis
Authors: Dai Chunli , Guo Fei , Wang Pei , Li Dianzhong , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2019

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) was employed for an analysis of the rare earth element Ce in pure iron and steel. Secondary ion images showed that the amount of the segregation of Ce and its oxides was much less as the concentration of Ce decreased to about 11 ppm in the pure iron. In terms of depth profiling from the surface to the matrix, variation of the CeO+/Ce+ ratio in a Ce oxides sample and a pure Ce sample exhibited difference between oxidized state and metallic state. It was demonstrated that metallic Ce was presented when the ratio of CeO+/Ce+ decreased to approximately 2 and even smaller. Oxygen content with concentration of tens of ppm may influence the ratio obviously. Such ToF‐SIMS analysis was also feasible to discern the states of cerium in a Q345E steel with concentration in ppm level.
Fabrication of Spinel Cobalt Ferrite (CoFe2O4) Nanoparticles with Unique Earth Element Cerium and Neodymium for Anticandidal Activities
Authors: Rehman Suriya , Almessiere Munerah Abdullah , Tashkandi Nedaa , Baykal Abdulhadi , Slimani Yassine , Jermy Rabindran , Ravinayagam Vijaya , Yaman Cevat
Published: December 2019

The present study, demonstrates the synthesis of spinel cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) nanoparticles (NPs), substituted with various concentrations of unique earth element neodymium (Nd3+) and Cerium (Ce3+), by sonochemical technique. Further examination for the influence of Nd3+ and Ce3+ on structure, surface morphology and anticandidal activities, using different techniques X‐ray diffraction pattern (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with Energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were studied.  The nanocrystalline size ranging from 11 to 16 nm with spherical shaped particles were obtained. The anticandidal effect of Nd3+ and Ce3+ doped cobalt ferrite NPs were studied against Candida albicans by evaluating the CFU (colony forming unit) and morphogenesis by SEM. The treatment with Nd3+ and Ce3+ doped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles, showed profound activity with the increasing ratio of Nd3+ and Ce3+ and in an incubation duration manner. The lowest survivability i. e. 40 and 30%, and maximum morphogenesis was obtained with x=0.15 and x=0.2, respectively. The findings lead to the conclusion, that the synthesized NPs have potential as therapeutic strategy targeting Candida infection, and other biomedical applications.
Molecular Docking and Recent Advances in the Design and Development of Cholinesterase Inhibitor Scaffolds: Coumarin Hybrids
Authors: Hasan Aso Hameed , Amran Syazwani Itri , Saeed Hussain Faiq Hama , Jaff Baram Ahmed , Jamalis Joazaizulfazli
Published: December 2019

Alzheimer is a deadly neurodegenerative disease that commonly attacks elderly people around the world. Therefore, this disease has drawn attention among the researchers to find new potent drugs to treat Alzheimer disease (AD) more efficiently. Coumarin containing scaffold is a potential AD agent. Coumarin hybrids are frequently used as a template to design novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of AD, which are designed based on using molecular docking. As a result of docking studies shown that coumarin cores can occupy PAS by making extensive hydrophobic interactions with the residues in that region (mainly Trp279, Tyr70, Tyr121, Asp72, Phe290, Trp84, Phe330). The present review compiles research literature on the recent design strategies of coumarin hybrids with anti‐Alzheimer's activities and outlined docking studies.
In Situ Synthesis of C–Doped BiOBr Micron‐Flower by Structural Induction of Sodium Alginate for Rapid Removal Tetracycline
Authors: Zhang Zhancheng , Wang Bin , Guo Junhui , He Yufeng , Song Pengfei , Wang Rongmin
Published: December 2019

C‐doped into the BiOBr is a big challenge because unique lattice structure. Here, using sodium alginate (SA) as the structure‐directing agent and C source, the C‐doped BiOBr micron‐flower (BiOBr‐SA) was in‐situ synthesized with KBr and Bi(NO3)3 with hydrothermal, and characterized by XRD, SEM, XPS, BET and DRS. It was found that SA could control morphology of BiOBr‐SA as it contains carboxylate groups. Meanwhile, C−Bi bonds were formed in nanosheets, and further self‐assembled into BiOBr‐SA micron‐flower. Using BiOBr‐SA as photocatalyst for degradation of antibiotic and dye, the removal rate of tetracycline got to 88.7%.
Nonpolar Interface Composition in Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Reverse Micellar Environments to Control Size and Induce Anisotropy on Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Guerrero‐Florez Valentina , Blach Diana , Martínez O Fernando
Published: December 2019

We study the composition effect of non‐polar organic media in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) reverse micelles (RMs) on the interface properties and their use as nanoreactors for gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) synthesis. We evaluate how the molecular structure of aliphatic (n‐hexane) and aromatic (toluene) organic solvent influences the environments and interactions at the interface of n‐hexane/1‐butanol/CTAB and toluene/1‐butanol/CTAB RMs, as a key factor on AuNPs finals properties. Data show that the intermicellar exchange rate is affected by changing the organic solvent, and these facts influence AuNPs size, polydispersity, and morphology. FTIR and 1H NMR results suggest that in n‐hexane a rigid and compact micellar interface favors the formation of smaller AuNPs, while in toluene a more fluent micellar interface enhances the formation of larger and dispersed AuNPs. This specific interaction also affects the CTAB counterion (Br −) availability at the interface, which appears to be crucial to induce anisotropy of the AuNPs obtained.