bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of reproductive evolutionary mismatch on women's health and the need for action and research
Authors: Fathalla Mahmoud F.
Published: October 2018

Efforts by the health and scientific community have focused on providing women with the means to control and regulate their fertility. We paid less attention to the reality of women achieving their reproductive revolution while burdened with a reproductive system that evolved to fit the life of our ancestor hunter–gatherers, where women were destined to spend most of their reproductive years pregnant or breastfeeding. This state of evolutionary mismatch impacts on women's health as the reproductive system continues incessantly to work, producing a monthly ovum and exposing the reproductive organs to cyclic hormonal stimulation without the benefit of pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women have to cope with a life of menstrual cycles, decreased fecundity owing to reproductive ageing, and a higher risk of reproductive cancers, in addition to uterine fibroids, and endometriosis. The burden will increase in low‐resource countries as more women are adopting the new model of reproductive behavior, and resources to cope with the impact are limited. The reproductive revolution is benefiting not only women, but also their societies and the world at large. The health profession and the scientific community have an obligation to support women to cope with the impact of reproductive evolutionary mismatch.
Probing vibrational coupling via a grid‐based quantum approach—an efficient strategy for accurate calculations of localized normal modes in solid‐state systems
Authors: Kuenzer Ulrich , Klotz Martin , Hofer Thomas S.
Published: October 2018

In this work an approach to investigate the properties of strongly localized vibrational modes of functional groups in bulk material and on solid‐state surfaces is presented. The associated normal mode vectors are approximated solely on the basis of structural information and obtained via diagonalization of a reduced Hessian. The grid‐based Numerov procedure in one and two dimensions is then applied to an adequate scan of the respective potential surface yielding the associated vibrational wave functions and energy eigenvalues. This not only provides a detailed description of anharmonic effects but also an accurate inclusion of the coupling between the investigated vibrational states on a quantum mechanical level. All results obtained for the constructed normal modes are benchmarked against their analytical counterparts obtained from the diagonalization of the total Hessian of the entire system. Three increasingly complex systems treated at quantum chemical level of theory have been considered, namely the symmetric and asymmetric stretch vibrations of an isolated water molecule, hydroxyl groups bound to the surface of GeO2 (001),
α‐quartz(001) and Rutil (001) as well as crystalline Li2NH serving as an example for a bulk material. While the data obtained for the individual systems verify the applicability of the proposed methodology, comparison to experimental data demonstrates the accuracy of this methodology despite the restriction to limit this methodology to a few selected vibrational modes.

The possibility to investigate vibrational phenomena of localized normal modes without the requirement of executing costly harmonic frequency calculations of the entire system enables the application of this method to cases in which the determination of normal modes is prohibitively expensive or not available for a particular level of theory. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
UNO DMRG CAS CI calculations of binuclear manganese complex Mn(IV)2O2(NHCHCO2)4: Scope and applicability of Heisenberg model
Authors: Kawakami Takashi , Miyagawa Koichi , Sharma Sandeep , Saito Toru , Shoji Mitsuo , Yamada Satoru , Yamanaka Shusuke , Okumura Mitsutaka , Nakajima Takahito , Yamaguchi Kizashi
Published: October 2018

Both direct exchange and super‐exchange interactions cooperate to realize inter‐spin magnetic interaction in binuclear manganese complex Mn(IV)2O2(NHCHCO2)4 with a di‐μ‐oxo path. We revisited this spin system using DMRG CAS methods and CAS selection procedures. Our results indicate that our previous “dynamically extended spin polarization” (DE‐SP) procedure for organic polyradicals and so forth does not work well. Thus, we have examined another selection procedure, the “dynamically extended super‐exchange” (DE‐SE) procedure. DMRG CASCI [18,18] by UB3LYP(HS)‐UNO(DE‐SE) can realize antiferromagnetic J values similar to experimental ones (−87 cm−1). In addition, all J values between all spin states (HS[septet],IS[quintet],IS[triplet],LS[singlet])were also shown to be correct under sufficiently large M values. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TUNNEX: An easy‐to‐use wentzel‐kramers‐brillouin (WKB) implementation to compute tunneling half‐lives
Authors: Quanz Henrik , Schreiner Peter R.
Published: October 2018

Tunneling in experiments (TUNNEX) is a free open‐source program with an easy‐to‐use graphical user interface to simplify the process of Wentzel‐Kramers‐Brillouin (WKB) computations. TUNNEX aims at experimental chemists with basic knowledge of computational chemistry, and it offers the computation of tunneling half‐lives, visualization of data, and exporting of graphs. It also provides a helper tool for executing the zero‐point vibrational energy correction along the path. The program also enables computing high‐level single points along the intrinsic reaction path. TUNNEX is available at https://github.com/prs-group/TUNNEX. As the WKB approximation usually overestimates tunneling half‐lives, it can be used to screen tunneling processes before proceeding with elaborate kinetic experiments or higher‐level tunneling computations such as instanton theory and small curvature tunneling approaches. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fluxional Bonds in Planar B19−, Tubular Ta@B20−, and Cage‐Like B39−
Authors: Yan Miao , Li Hai‐Ru , Zhao Xiao‐Yun , Lu Xiao‐Qin , Mu Yue‐Wen , Lu Hai‐Gang , Li Si‐Dian
Published: October 2018

Based on detailed bonding analyses on the fluxional behaviors of planar B19−, tubular Ta@B20−, and cage‐like B39−, we propose the concept of fluxional bonds in boron nanoclusters as an extension of the classical localized bonds and delocalized bonds in chemistry. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
YAP regulates periodontal ligament cell differentiation into myofibroblast interacted with RhoA/ROCK pathway
Authors: He Yao , Xu Hui , Xiang Zichao , Yu Hongyou , Xu Li , Guo Yongwen , Tian Ye , Shu Rui , Yang Xianrui , Xue Chaoran , Zhao Mengyuan , He Yiruo , Han Xianglong , Bai Ding
Published: October 2018

During orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) receive the mechanical stimuli and transform it into myofibroblasts (Mfbs). Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated that mechanical stimuli can promote the expression of Mfb marker α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) in PDLCs. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1), as the target gene of yes‐associated protein (YAP), has been proven to be involved in this process. Here, we sought to assess the role of YAP in Mfbs differentiation from PDLCs. The time‐course expression of YAP and α‐SMA was manifested in OTM model in vivo as well as under tensional stimuli in vitro. Inhibition of RhoA/Rho‐associated kinase (ROCK) pathway using Y27632 significantly reduced tension‐induced Mfb differentiation and YAP expression. Moreover, overexpression of YAP with lentiviral transfection in PDLCs rescued the repression effect of Mfb differentiation induced by Y27632. These data together suggest a crucial role of YAP in regulating tension‐induced Mfb differentiation from PDLC interacted with RhoA/ROCK pathway.
The role of sphingosine 1 phosphate in coronary artery disease and ischemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Mihanfar Aynaz , Nejabati Hamid Reza , Fattahi Amir , Latifi Zeinab , Pezeshkian Masoud , Afrasiabi Abbas , Safaie Naser , Jodati Ahmad Reza , Nouri Mohammad
Published: October 2018

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Atherosclerotic plaques, as a hallmark of CAD, cause chronic narrowing of coronary arteries over time and could also result in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The standard treatments for ameliorating AMI are reperfusion strategies, which paradoxically result in ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury. Sphingosine 1 phosphate (S1P), as a potent lysophospholipid, plays an important role in various organs, including immune and cardiovascular systems. In addition, high‐density lipoprotein, as a negative predictor of atherosclerosis and CAD, is a major carrier of S1P in blood circulation. S1P mediates its effects through binding to specific G protein‐coupled receptors, and its signaling contributes to a variety of responses, including cardiac inflammation, dysfunction, and I/R injury protection. In this review, we will focus on the role of S1P in CAD and I/R injury as a potential therapeutic target.
Strategies to target energy metabolism in consensus molecular subtype 3 along with Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog mutations for colorectal cancer therapy
Authors: Wang Gang , Wang Jun‐Jie , Yin Pei‐Hao , Xu Ke , Wang Yu‐Zhu , Shi Feng , Gao Jing , Fu Xing‐Li
Published: October 2018

Alterations in cellular energy metabolism play a critical role in colorectal cancer (CRC), which has been identified as the deﬁnition of consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs), and CMS3 tumors exhibit energy metabolism signatures along with Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS)‐activating mutations. This review summarizes the relationship between CMS3 tumors associated with mutated KRAS and energy metabolism in CRC, especially for the dysregulated energy metabolism that affects tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, this review concentrates on the role of metabolic genes and factors and signaling pathways, which coupled with a primary energy source connected with the CMS3 associated with mutated KRAS, induce metabolic alterations. The strategies to target energy metabolism for the metabolic alterations in mutated KRAS CRC are also introduced. In conclusion, dysregulated energy metabolism has a close relationship with mutated KRAS in CMS3 tumors. Therefore, selective inhibitors or agents against metabolic targets or KRAS signaling may be clinically useful for CMS3 tumor treatment through a personalized approach for patients with cancer.
Cyclooxygenase‐2 in cancer: A review
Authors: Hashemi Goradel Nasser , Najafi Masoud , Salehi Eniseh , Farhood Bagher , Mortezaee Keywan
Published: October 2018

Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) is frequently expressed in many types of cancers exerting a pleiotropic and multifaceted role in genesis or promotion of carcinogenesis and cancer cell resistance to chemo‐ and radiotherapy. COX‐2 is released by cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs), macrophage type 2 (M2) cells, and cancer cells to the tumor microenvironment (TME). COX‐2 induces cancer stem cell (CSC)‐like activity, and promotes apoptotic resistance, proliferation, angiogenesis, inflammation, invasion, and metastasis of cancer cells. COX‐2 mediated hypoxia within the TME along with its positive interactions with YAP1 and antiapoptotic mediators are all in favor of cancer cell resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs. COX‐2 exerts most of the functions through its metabolite prostaglandin E2. In some and limited situations, COX‐2 may act as an antitumor enzyme. Multiple signals are contributed to the functions of COX‐2 on cancer cells or its regulation. Members of mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and nuclear factor‐κβ are main upstream modulators for COX‐2 in cancer cells. COX‐2 also has interactions with a number of hormones within the body. Inhibition of COX‐2 provides a high possibility to exert therapeutic outcomes in cancer. Administration of COX‐2 inhibitors in a preoperative setting could reduce the risk of metastasis in cancer patients. COX‐2 inhibition also sensitizes cancer cells to treatments like radio‐ and chemotherapy. Chemotherapeutic agents adversely induce COX‐2 activity. Therefore, choosing an appropriate chemotherapy drugs along with adjustment of the type and does for COX‐2 inhibitors based on the type of cancer would be an effective adjuvant strategy for targeting cancer.
Signatures of altered long noncoding RNAs and messenger RNAs expression in the early acute phase of spinal cord injury
Authors: Shi Zhongju , Ning Guangzhi , Zhang Bin , Yuan Shiyang , Zhou Hengxing , Pan Bin , Li Jiahe , Wei Zhijian , Cao Fujiang , Kong Xiaohong , Feng Shiqing
Published: October 2018

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a highly severe disease and it can lead to the destruction of the motor and sensory function resulting in temporary or permanent disability. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nt that play a critical role in central nervous system (CNS) injury. However, the exact roles of lncRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in the early acute phase of SCI remain to be elucidated. We examined the expression of mRNAs and lncRNAs in a rat model at 2 days after SCI and identified the differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE lncRNAs) and differentially expressed mRNAs (DE mRNAs) using microarray analysis. Subsequently, a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was also performed to clarify the interaction between DE mRNAs. A total of 3,193 DE lncRNAs and 4,308 DE mRNAs were identified between the injured group and control group. Classification, length distribution, and chromosomal distribution of the dysregulated lncRNAs were also performed. The gene ontology analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were performed to identify the critical biological processes and pathways. A protein−protein interaction (PPI) network indicated that IL6, TOP2A, CDK1, POLE, CCNB1, TNF, CCNA2, CDC20, ITGAM, and MYC were the top 10 core genes. The subnetworks from the PPI network were identified to further elucidate the most significant functional modules of the DE mRNAs. These data may provide novel insights into the molecular mechanism of the early acute phase of SCI. The identification of lncRNAs and mRNAs may offer potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for SCI.
Wnt lipidation: Roles in trafficking, modulation, and function
Authors: Hosseini Vahid , Dani Christian , Geranmayeh Mohammad Hossein , Mohammadzadeh Fatemeh , Nazari Soltan Ahmad Saeed , Darabi Masoud
Published: October 2018

The Wnt signaling pathway consists of various downstream target proteins that have substantial roles in mammalian cell proliferation, differentiation, and development. Its aberrant activity can lead to uncontrolled proliferation and tumorigenesis. The posttranslational connection of fatty acyl chains to Wnt proteins provides the unique capacity for regulation of Wnt activity. In spite of the past belief that Wnt molecules are subject to dual acylation, it has been shown that these proteins have only one acylation site and undergo monounsaturated fatty acylation. The Wnt monounsaturated fatty acyl chain is more than just a hydrophobic coating and appears to be critical for Wnt signaling, transport, and receptor activation. Here, we provide an overview of recent findings in Wnt monounsaturated fatty acylation and the mechanism by which this lipid moiety regulates Wnt activity from the site of production to its receptor interactions.
Circ‐U2AF1 promotes human glioma via derepressing neuro‐oncological ventral antigen 2 by sponging hsa‐miR‐7‐5p
Authors: Li Guoxiong , Huang Min , Cai Yingqian , Yang Yuantao , Sun Xinlin , Ke Yiquan
Published: October 2018

The prognosis for human glioma, a malignant tumor of the central nervous system, is poor due to its rapid growth, genetic heterogeneity, and inadequate understanding of its underlying molecular mechanisms. Circular RNAs composed of exonic sequences, represent an understudied form of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) that was discovered more than a decade ago, function as microRNA sponges. We aimed to assess the relationship between circ‐U2AF1 (CircRNA ID: hsa_circ_0061868) and hsa‐mir‐7‐5p and examine their effects on proliferation, apoptosis, and the metastatic phenotype of glioma cells regulated by neuro‐oncological ventral antigen 2 (NOVA2). We found that the expression levels of circ‐U2AF1 and NOVA2 were upregulated, while hsa‐miR‐7‐5p was downregulated in human glioma tissues and glioma cell lines. Our data and bioinformatic analysis indicated the association of these molecules with glioma grade, a positive correlation between circ‐U2AF1 and NOVA2 expression levels and a negative correlation of hsa‐miR‐7‐5p with both circ‐U2AF1 and NOVA2, respectively. In addition, silencing of circ‐U2AF1 expression resulted in increased hsa‐miR‐7‐5p expression and decreased NOVA2 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Luciferase assay confirmed hsa‐miR‐7‐5p as a direct target of circ‐U2AF1 and NOVA2 as a direct target of hsa‐miR‐7‐5p. Functionally, silencing of circ‐U2AF1 inhibits glioma development by repressing NOVA2 via upregulating hsa‐miR‐7‐5p both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, we assumed that circ‐U2AF1 promotes glioma malignancy via derepressing NOVA2 by sponging hsa‐miR‐7‐5p. Taken together, we suggest that circ‐U2AF1 can be a prognostic biomarker and the circ‐U2AF1/hsa‐miR‐7‐5p/NOVA2 regulatory pathway may be a novel therapeutic target for treating gliomas.
Obtaining scratch‐free specimens of dental enamel prepared by sectioning, grinding, polishing, and acid etching for scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Risnes Steinar , Li Chunfang
Published: October 2018

The aim of the present study was to identify the stage during acid etching of dental enamel where scratches introduced by sectioning and grinding procedures were eliminated. Nitric acid was used as etchant. Four hundred 2–3 mm‐thick longitudinal sections of human third molar crowns were assigned to 80 groups, each group differing with respect to grinding procedure (silicon carbide paper grit 600; 1,000; 1,200; and 1,200 + polishing), acid concentration (0.1%, 1%, 2.5%, and 5%) and etching time (15, 30, 45, 90, and 180 s). Observation of the specimens with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that elimination of scratches was facilitated by increasing fineness of grinding paper and polishing, and by increasing acid concentration and increasing etching time. An acid concentration of 0.1% did not remove scratches totally irrespective of grinding procedure or etching time, 1% acid removed most scratches after 45–90 s, while 2.5% and 5% acids removed most scratches after 30–45 s. It is proposed that the scratches are eliminated/obscured through a combined effect of the acid and the inherent structure of the enamel. The results of the present study may serve as a guide in choosing the best procedures for obtaining scratch‐free enamel surfaces through acid etching with the least possible loss of enamel substance.

Research highlights

Sectioning and grinding produce scratches in dental enamel.

Scratches are eliminated by acid etching prior to SEM studies of enamel structure.

Scratch elimination increases with increasing acid strength and etching time and is facilitated by finer grit grinding paper and polishing.
Radiosynthesis of O‐(1‐[18F]fluoropropan‐2‐yl)‐O‐(4‐nitrophenyl)methylphosphonate: A novel PET tracer surrogate of sarin
Authors: Hayes Thomas R. , Thompson Charles M. , Blecha Joseph E. , Gerdes John M. , VanBrocklin Henry F.
Published: October 2018

O‐(1‐Fluoropropan‐2‐yl)‐O‐(4‐nitrophenyl) methylphosphonate is a reactive organophosphate ester (OP) developed as a surrogate of the chemical warfare agent sarin that forms a similar covalent adduct at the active site serine of acetylcholinesterase. The radiolabeled O‐(1‐[18F]fluoropropan‐2‐yl)‐O‐(4‐nitrophenyl) methylphosphonate ([18F] fluorosarin surrogate) has not been previously prepared. In this paper, we report the first radiosynthesis of this tracer from the reaction of bis‐(4‐nitrophenyl) methylphosphonate with 1‐[18F]fluoro‐2‐propanol in the presence of DBU. The 1‐[18F]fluoro‐2‐propanol was prepared by reaction of propylene sulfite with Kryptofix 2.2.2 and [18F] fluoride ion. The desired tracer O‐(1‐[18F]fluoropropan‐2‐yl)‐O‐(4‐nitrophenyl) methylphosphonate was obtained in a >98% radiochemical purity with a 2.4% ± 0.6% yield (n = 5, 65 minutes from start of synthesis) based on starting [18F] fluoride ion and a molar activity of 49.9 GBq/μmol (1.349 ± 0.329 Ci/μmol, n = 3). This new facile radiosynthesis routinely affords sufficient quantities of [18F] fluorosarin surrogate in high radiochemical purity, which will further enable the tracer development as a novel radiolabeled OP acetylcholinesterase inhibitor for assessment of OP modes of action with PET imaging in vivo.
Spatiotemporal characteristics of future changes in precipitation and temperature in Central Asia
Authors: Luo Min , Liu Tie , Meng Fanhao , Duan Yongchao , Bao Anming , Frankl Amaury , De Maeyer Philippe
Published: October 2018

The arid and semi‐arid areas in Central Asia have scarce water resources and fragile ecosystems that are especially sensitive and vulnerable to climate change. Reliable information regarding future projections of change in climate is crucial for long‐term planning of water resources management and structural adjustment of agriculture in this region. However, the low‐density meteorological observation network brings great challenges for investigating the effects of climate variations. In this study, variations of precipitation and temperature in Central Asia were examined by a combination of gridded climate dataset of the Climate Research Unit and the latest general circulation models (GCMs) under a representative concentration pathway 4.5. Three downscaling methods, Delta, Advanced Delta, and Bayesian model averaging (BMA) methods, translate the coarse GCMs to local climatic variations for the period 2021–2060 relative to 1965–2004. Major results suggested that the Advanced Delta and BMA methods outperformed the Delta method in precipitation downscaling. Projected precipitation exhibited a general increasing trend at a rate of 4.63 mm/decade for entire Central Asia with strong spatiotemporal heterogeneity. While a declining trend was observed in the southwestern and central parts of Central Asia in summer. The projected temperature was revealed an obvious ascending at 0.37°C/decade, while the warming rate accelerated in higher latitude and mountainous areas. [Correction added on 03 December 2018, after first online publication: The preceding statement has been corrected in this version.] The surface land coverage had significant effects on the variations of precipitation and temperature, respectively. The driven factors of local climate were suggested by analysing the relationships between climate variations and large‐scale atmospheric circulation fields anomalies. The findings of this study aims to provide useful information to improve our understanding for future climate change and benefit local decision makers.
Nicotine impairs intra‐substance tendon healing after full thickness injury in a rat model
Authors: Cheema Adnan N. , Newton Joseph B. , Boorman‐Padgett James F. , Weiss Stephanie N. , Nuss Courtney A. , Gittings Daniel J. , Farber Daniel C. , Soslowsky Louis J.
Published: October 2018

Nicotine is harmful to many bodily systems; however, the effects of nicotine on intra‐substance tendon healing remain largely unexplored. The purpose of this study was to examine the functional, structural, and biomechanical effects of nicotine on the healing of Achilles tendons in rats after an acute full‐thickness injury. Sixty Sprague‐Dawley rats were enrolled in this study. Half were exposed to 0.9% saline and half to 61 ng/mL of nicotine for 3 months via subcutaneous osmotic pumps. At 3 months, all rats underwent blunt full thickness transection of the left Achilles tendon and were immobilized for one week in plantarflexion. In‐vivo assays were conducted prior to injury, at 21 days, and at 42 days post‐injury and included the following: Functional limb assessment, passive joint mechanics, and vascular evaluation. Rats were sacrificed at 21 and 42 days for biomechanical testing and histologic evaluation. Rats exposed to nicotine demonstrated decreased vascularity, greater alteration in gait mechanics, and increased passive ROM of the ankle joint. Biomechanically, the nicotine tendons failed at lower maximum loads, were less stiff, had smaller cross‐sectional areas and had altered viscoelastic properties. Histologically, nicotine tendons demonstrated decreased vessel density at the injury site. This study demonstrates that nicotine leads to worse functional outcomes and biomechanical properties in tendons. The decreased vascularity in the nicotine group may suggest an underlying mechanism for inferior tendon healing. Patients should be counseled that using nicotine products increase their risk of poor tendon healing and may predispose them to tendon re‐rupture. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res
Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with long wavelengths for improved imaging depth
Authors: Moester Miriam J.B. , Zada Liron , Fokker Bart , Ariese Freek , de Boer Johannes F.
Published: October 2018

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) imaging is a fast, label‐free, and sensitive technique to map the distribution of a vibrational species in a microscopy setting. It has great potential for applications in many fields, such as lipid imaging in biomedicine. However, depth penetration of the light into the sample is an issue with any light‐based technique, especially with multiphoton techniques such as SRS. Using longer wavelengths allows deeper penetration into densely scattering materials, but applying wavelengths above 1,500 nm is challenging technically. We have built a flexible SRS microscope system capable of imaging with a combination of 1,064 nm and wavelengths over 1,500 nm, using the idler output of an optical parametric oscillator (OPO). For comparison, the same system was also operated in the more common configuration, using 1,064 nm in combination with the OPO signal output around 800 nm. With the long‐wavelength settings, we show improved depth penetration in polyethylene plastic material and in a silicone phantom with embedded polymer microbeads, and we report images of lipid structure in biological tissue. These results demonstrate the technical feasibility of using these long wavelengths for SRS imaging. Disadvantages such as poorer spatial resolution and lower signal strength are also discussed. The application of this new approach to SRS microscopy can allow greater insight into deep‐lying structures in a non‐invasive way.
Pro: The Role of Albumin in Pre–Liver Transplant Management
Authors: Bernardi Mauro , Zaccherini Giacomo , Caraceni Paolo
Published: October 2018

The wait‐list mortality of patients with decompensated cirrhosis awaiting liver transplantation remains elevated due to the occurrence of complications. Etiologic treatments improve patient survival and lower the incidence of complications when applied in compensated cirrhosis, but a decompensated disease does not improve or even progress despite a response to therapy in a substantial number of patients. Thus, disease‐modifying treatments that reduce the incidence of complications and improve survival are most needed. Such treatments should be able to counteract one or possibly more pathophysiological mechanisms and thus lead to the proinflammatory and pro‐oxidant milieu that characterizes decompensated cirrhosis. In this respect, albumin represents a potentially ideal agent. In fact, besides its ability to expand plasma volume, albumin possesses nononcotic properties, exerting potent antioxidant and immune‐modulating effects. Recent studies have assessed the effect of longterm albumin administration in decompensated cirrhosis. Although the results of these studies may appear conflicting, their analyses suggest that albumin, if given in a sufficient amount and for a sufficient duration, can significantly reduce the incidence of life‐threatening complications of cirrhosis and patient mortality. For these reasons, we favor albumin administration to patients with decompensated cirrhosis wait‐listed for liver transplantation.
Improvement of Normothermic Ex Vivo Machine Perfusion of Rat Liver Grafts by Dialysis and Kupffer Cell Inhibition With Glycine
Authors: Gassner Joseph M. G. V. , Nösser Maximilian , Moosburner Simon , Horner Rosa , Tang Peter , Wegener Lara , Wyrwal David , Claussen Felix , Arsenic Ruza , Pratschke Johann , Sauer Igor M. , Raschzok Nathanael
Published: October 2018

Normothermic ex vivo liver machine perfusion might be a superior preservation strategy for liver grafts from extended criteria donors. However, standardized small animal models are not available for basic research on machine perfusion of liver grafts. A laboratory‐scaled perfusion system was developed consisting of a custom‐made perfusion chamber, a pressure‐controlled roller pump, and an oxygenator. Male Wistar rat livers were perfused via the portal vein for 6 hours using oxygenated culture medium supplemented with rat erythrocytes. A separate circuit was connected via a dialysis membrane to the main circuit for plasma volume expansion. Glycine was added to the flush solution, the perfusate, and the perfusion circuit. Portal pressure and transaminase release were stable over the perfusion period. Dialysis significantly decreased the potassium concentration of the perfusate and led to significantly higher bile and total urea production. Hematoxylin‐eosin staining and immunostaining for single‐stranded DNA and activated caspase 3 showed less sinusoidal dilatation and tissue damage in livers treated with dialysis and glycine. Although Kupffer cells were preserved, tumor necrosis factor α messenger RNA levels were significantly decreased by both treatments. For proof of concept, the optimized perfusion protocol was tested with donation after circulatory death (DCD) grafts, resulting in significantly lower transaminase release into the perfusate and preserved liver architecture compared with baseline perfusion. In conclusion, our laboratory‐scaled normothermic portovenous ex vivo liver perfusion system enables rat liver preservation for 6 hours. Both dialysis and glycine treatment were shown to be synergistic for preservation of the integrity of normal and DCD liver grafts.
Quantitative estimates for bivariate Stancu operators
Authors: Başcanbaz‐Tunca Gülen , Erençin Ayşegül , Olgun Ali
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we introduce Voronovskaja‐type and Grüss–Voronovskaja‐ type theorems in quantitative mean with the help of the usual modulus of continuity for bivariate Stancu operators, which are different from a tensor product setting.
Computational uncertainty quantification for random time‐discrete epidemiological models using adaptive gPC
Authors: Calatayud Julia , Cortés Juan Carlos , Jornet Marc , Villanueva Rafael Jacinto
Published: October 2018

Population dynamics models consisting of nonlinear difference equations allow us to get a better understanding of the processes involved in epidemiology. Usually, these mathematical models are studied under a deterministic approach. However, in order to take into account the uncertainties associated with the measurements of the model input parameters, a more realistic approach would be to consider these inputs as random variables. In this paper, we study the random time‐discrete epidemiological models SIS, SIR, SIRS, and SEIR using a powerful unified approach based upon the so‐called adaptive generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) technique. The solution to these random difference equations is a stochastic process in discrete time, which represents the number of susceptible, infected, recovered, etc individuals at each time step. We show, via numerical experiments, how adaptive gPC permits quantifying the uncertainty for the solution stochastic process of the aforementioned random time‐discrete epidemiological model and obtaining accurate results at a cheap computational expense. We also highlight how adaptive gPC can be applied in practice, by means of an example using real data.
Existence of positive solutions to fractional elliptic problems with Hardy potential and critical growth
Authors: Shang Xudong , Zhang Jihui , Yin Rong
Published: October 2018

In this work, we study the following critical problem involving the fractional Laplacian:

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma5327:mma5327-math-0001
where s  ∈  (0,1), N  >  2s,
, and
is the fractional critical exponent, 0  <  μ  <  ΛN,s, the sharp constant of the Hardy‐Sobolev inequality. For suitable assumptions on g(x) and K(x), we consider the existence and multiplicity of positive solutions depending on the value of p. Moreover, we obtain an existence result for the problem when λ  =  0.
On the stability of the solitary waves to the rotation Benjamin‐Ono equation
Authors: Darwich Mohamad
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we study several aspects of solitary wave solutions of the rotation Benjamin‐Ono equation. By solving a minimization problem on the line, we construct a family of even travelling waves ψc,γ. We then prove the uniqueness of even ground states associated with large speed and their orbital stability. Note that this improves the results in Esfahani and Levandosky, where only the stability of the set of ground states is proven.
Motion‐robust reconstruction of multishot diffusion‐weighted images without phase estimation through locally low‐rank regularization
Authors: Hu Yuxin , Levine Evan G. , Tian Qiyuan , Moran Catherine J. , Wang Xiaole , Taviani Valentina , Vasanawala Shreyas S. , McNab Jennifer A. , Daniel Bruce A. , Hargreaves Brian L.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

The goal of this work is to propose a motion robust reconstruction method for diffusion‐weighted MRI that resolves shot‐to‐shot phase mismatches without using phase estimation.

Methods

Assuming that shot‐to‐shot phase variations are slowly varying, spatial‐shot matrices can be formed using a local group of pixels to form columns, in which each column is from a different shot (excitation). A convex model with a locally low‐rank constraint on the spatial‐shot matrices is proposed. In vivo brain and breast experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.

Results

The proposed method shows significant benefits when the motion is severe, such as for breast imaging. Furthermore, the resulting images can be used for reliable phase estimation in the context of phase‐estimation‐based methods to achieve even higher image quality.

Conclusion

We introduced the shot–locally low‐rank method, a reconstruction technique for multishot diffusion‐weighted MRI without explicit phase estimation. In addition, its motion robustness can be beneficial to neuroimaging and body imaging.
The influence of tightening regulations on patients with new psychoactive substance‐related disorders in Japan
Authors: Tanibuchi Yuko , Matsumoto Toshihiko , Funada Daisuke , Shimane Takuya
Published: October 2018

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the influence of tightened regulations on new psychoactive substances in patients with disorders related to these drugs in Japan.

Methods

We used a biennial nationwide survey on drug‐related psychiatric disorders to examine why individuals who had previously used new psychoactive substances as their primary drug (the drug that had the greatest impact on their psychiatric symptoms) had switched to other drugs, how they had used drugs in the last 12 months and what type of drugs they were now using. We compared the clinical features of these individuals with patients who mainly used new psychoactive substances and had used these drugs at least once in the last 12 months.

Results

A total of 2262 people were included, and 399 had used new psychoactive substances. Of those, 71 people had switched to another drug as primary drug, mostly stimulant drugs (35.2%), hypnotics and anxiolytics (15.5%), and cannabis (14.1%) and used these drugs during the previous 12 months. The majority, 53.3%, had switched “because new psychoactive substances were no longer available.” In total, 25 people mainly used new psychoactive substances. The group that had changed drugs had more experience of using methamphetamine and were more likely to have abused other drugs before using new psychoactive substances. They had often switched to illegal or prescription drugs after regulations had been tightened.

Conclusion

The number of patients abusing new psychoactive substances decreased after drug regulations were tightened, but new psychoactive substances‐related problems still exist. It is therefore not enough to tighten regulations. Drug dependence treatment and recovery support are also needed.
Exposure to hot and cold environments increases noradrenaline release in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in rats
Authors: Minami Saki , Nomura Hiroshi , Minami Masabumi
Published: October 2018

Aims

Thermoregulatory responses in homeothermic animals, including humans, are classified into involuntary autonomous and voluntary behavioral thermoregulatory responses. Although behavioral thermoregulatory responses are probably driven by positive (pleasant) and/or negative (unpleasant) emotions, the neuronal mechanisms underlying the induction of negative emotions by hot and cold environments remain poorly understood. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is a brain region implicated in stress responses and negative emotions, such as fear, anxiety, and aversion. Various stimuli that cause negative emotions, such as immobilization stress, fox odor, gastric distension, and inflammatory pain, increase noradrenaline release in the rat bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, especially in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. It has been reported that the negative emotional component of pain is mediated by noradrenergic neurotransmission in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. However, the role of intra‐ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis noradrenergic neurotransmission in the induction of negative emotion by exposure to hot and cold environments remains to be elucidated. For the first step to address this issue, the effects of hot and cold environments on noradrenaline release in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis were examined.

Methods

In vivo microdialysis analyses in unanesthetized, freely moving male Sprague‐Dawley rats were performed to examine hot and cold environments‐induced noradrenaline release in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Results

Exposure to hot (38°C) and cold (8°C) environments significantly increased noradrenaline release in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

Conclusions

The results suggest that exposure to hot and cold environments enhances noradrenergic neurotransmission in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which may induce negative emotion, and thereby drive avoidance behaviors, that is, escape from hot and cold environments.
Impact of expandable graphite on flame retardancy and mechanical properties of rigid polyurethane foam
Authors: Acuña Pablo , Santiago‐Calvo Mercedes , Villafañe Fernando , Rodríguez‐Perez Miguel Angel , Rosas Javier , Wang De‐Yi
Published: October 2018

Flame retardant (FR) and mechanical performance properties of two different rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) containing expandable graphite (EG) as FR additive were studied. The impact of EG on the foam properties were evaluated. Cellular structures were less homogeneous in foams containing EG. Thermal conductivities of RPUF increased slightly with EG addition. FR properties of the foams were evaluated by limiting oxygen index (LOI) test, vertical burning test (UL94), and cone calorimeter test. The addition of EG improved the FR performance and increased the density of the foams. For example, LOI value was increased from 18.4 to 25.2 in EG10PU1, whereas for EG10PU2, LOI increased from 19.2 to 29.8. In UL94 test, EG10PU1 reached V‐1 rating, while EG8PU2 passed V‐0 rating. Results from cone calorimeter test showed that the EG in the RPUF effectively reduced heat release rate, total heat released, total smoke production, and mass loss rate with increase in EG. This improvement was more efficient for the higher density foam. In addition, low loading of EG in PU1 increased the compression performance but decreased as the amount of EG was further increased. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E1705–E1715, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Micro‐computed tomography evaluation of internal void formation of bulk‐fill resin composites in Class II restorations
Authors: Demirel Gülbike , Baltacıoğlu İsmail Hakkı , Kolsuz Mehmet Eray , Ocak Mert , Orhan Kaan
Published: October 2018

The aim of this study was to quantify the internal void volume formation in bulk‐fill resin composites with using 3D micro‐computed tomography (μCT). Class II box cavities in 4‐mm depth were prepared and treated with Clearfil S3 Bond Plus (Kuraray Medical). Five resin composites were evaluated: one conventional paste‐like (Filtek Ultimate Universal Restorative‐as the control), one conventional flowable (Filtek Ultimate Flowable Restorative), two flowable bulk‐fill (Voco Extrabase, SDR), one paste‐like bulk‐fill (Filtek One BulkFill Restorative). Resin composites were light cured using a light‐emitting diode light‐curing unit (SDI Radii Plus, SDI Limited, Australia). Samples were evaluated by μCT, and data were imported into software The NRecon (ver. 1.6.10.4, SkyScan) and CTAn (ver. 1.16.1.0, SkyScan) for 3D reconstruction, from which the percentage of void volume was calculated. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal‐Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney U‐test at a significance level of 5%. All restorative tested materials showed different levels of voids. Filtek One BulkFill Restorative showed the least void formation, which was statistically less than that of the conventional flowable composite group (p < 0.05). All other restorative materials showed similar void formation. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2984–2992, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Laser printing of conductive tracks with extremely low electrical resistance on polymer–carbon nanotubes composite: An optimization study of laser setup parameters by design of experiment approach
Authors: Caradonna Andrea , Tagliafierro Francesca , Veca Antonino , Badini Claudio
Published: October 2018

Metal‐free conductive tracks were obtained on polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (PC/ABS)‐multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites by laser printing technology. Laser printing is a novel technique able to promote polymer pyrolysis leading to the formation of conductive tracks embedded on the surface of polymer‐based nanocomposites. The resulting material is characterized by the presence of different not interactive conductive pathways. The aim of this article is to analyze the effect of the laser parameters setup on the electrical resistivity of laser printed tracks. To have a complete comprehension of the process, a design of experiment (DOE) approach was used. By analyzing the experimental outcomes with a statistical approach, it was possible to focus the attention on the main laser parameters that govern the process, thus obtaining multifunctional and multidirectional conductive materials with surface electrical resistance per length unit (inside the tracks) lower than 1 kΩ/cm at 0.5 wt% of MWCNT loading content. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1485–1493, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Double‐networks based on interconnected amphiphilic “in–out” star first polymer conetworks prepared by RAFT polymerization
Authors: Kitiri Elina N. , Varnava Constantina K. , Patrickios Costas S. , Voutouri Chrysovalantis , Stylianopoulos Triantafyllos , Gradzielski Michael , Hoffmann Ingo
Published: October 2018

Double‐network hydrogels were prepared using well‐defined first networks comprising interconnected amphiphilic “in‐out” star copolymers synthesized via sequential reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, and second networks based on a photopolymerized mixture of acrylamide and N,N′‐methlyenebisacrylamide. All first and double‐network hydrogels were characterized in terms of their aqueous degrees of swelling and mechanical properties in compression. The most hydrophobic first and double‐network hydrogels exhibited the best mechanical properties, which may be attributed to their low aqueous swelling degrees and good mesoscale organization in water as revealed using small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) which showed that the size of the formed hydrophobic domains could be controlled by the polymer conetwork structure. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 2161–2174
Patient‐reported outcome measures among breast cancer survivors: A cross‐sectional comparison between Malaysia and high‐income countries
Authors: Rajaram Nadia , Lim Zhi Ying , Song Chin Vern , Kaur Ranjit , Mohd Taib Nur Aishah , Muhamad Mazanah , Ong Wee Loon , Schouwenburg Maartje , See Mee Hoong , Teo Soo‐Hwang , Saunders Christobel , Yip Cheng Har
Published: October 2018

Objectives

Patient‐reported outcomes (PROs) in high‐income countries (HICs) suggest that physical, emotional, and psychological needs are important in cancer care. To date, there have been few inconsistent descriptions of PROs in low‐income and middle‐income Asian countries. Using a standard questionnaire developed by the International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement (ICHOM), we compared the perceived importance of PROs between patients in Malaysia and those in HICs and between clusters of Malaysian women.

Methods

Breast cancer patients were recruited from three Malaysian hospitals between June and November 2017. We compared the proportion of patients who rated PROs as very important (scored 7‐9 on a 9‐point Likert scale) between Malaysian patients and data collected from patients in HICs via the ICHOM questionnaire development process, using logistic regression. A two‐step cluster analysis explored differences in PROs among Malaysian patients.

Results

The most important PROs for both cohorts were survival, overall well‐being, and physical functioning. Compared with HIC patients (n = 1177), Malaysian patients (n = 969) were less likely to rate emotional (78% vs 90%), cognitive (76% vs 84%), social (72% vs 81%), and sexual (30% vs 56%) functioning as very important outcomes (P < 0.001). Cluster analysis suggests that older, parous, Malaysian women, who were less likely to have received breast reconstructive surgery, were more likely to rate body image and satisfaction with the breast as very important outcomes.

Conclusion

Taking into account the differences in PROs by cultural and socioeconomic settings could improve patient expectation of services and refine the assessment of cancer care outcomes.
Pulsed plasma initiated chemical vapor deposition (PiCVD) of polymer layers − A kinetic model for the description of gas phase to surface interactions in pulsed plasma discharges
Authors: Loyer François , Bulou Simon , Choquet Patrick , Boscher Nicolas D.
Published: October 2018

A new kinetic model for studying the growth mechanisms in ultra‐short square pulsed atmospheric‐pressure dielectric barrier discharges (AP‐DBD) is presented. Interpretation of the deposition rates yields information on the dominant mechanisms along each pulse cycle (i.e., initiation, propagation, chain‐transfer, and termination). Further investigations extracted important parameters for the understanding of free‐radical kinetics in the plasma deposition processes. Based on the thin films’ chemistry, topography, polymeric length and growth rates, the chemical and physical meaning of the calculated parameters and their impacts on the thin films’ polymeric structure are discussed.