bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Macromolecular Crowding Tunes Protein Stability by Manipulating Solvent Accessibility
Authors: Köhn Birgit , Kovermann Michael
Published: December 2018

In all intracellular processes, protein structure and dynamics are subject to the influence of macromolecular crowding (MC). Here, the impact of MC agents of different types and sizes on the model protein Bacillus subtilis Cold shock protein B (BsCspB) during both thermal and chemical denaturation have been comprehensively investigated. We consistently reveal a distinct stabilization of BsCspB in a manner dependent on the MC concentration but not on viscosity, polarity, or size of the MC agent used. This general stabilization has been decoded by use of NMR spectroscopy, through monitoring of chemical shift (CS) perturbations and the intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding networks, as well as local protection of amide protons against exchange with solvent protons. Whereas CSs and hydrogen‐bonding networks are not systematically affected in the presence of MC, we detected a pronounced reduction in exchange in loop regions of BsCspB. We conclude that this reduced accessibility of solvent protons is a key parameter for the increases in protein stability seen under MC.
Addressing Community College Completion Rates by Securing Students’ Basic Needs
Authors: Goldrick‐Rab Sara
Published: December 2018

Food and housing insecurities are serious challenges confronting community college students. This chapter reviews the evidence on prevalence and correlates of basic needs insecurity and discusses institutional actions to support students.
The Case for a Single Point of Contact for College Students Experiencing Homelessness
Authors: Hallett Ronald E. , Freas Adam , Mo Elaine
Published: December 2018

This chapter explores the importance of developing spaces on campus that serve students experiencing homelessness. The authors recommend identifying a single point of contact in order to facilitate access to services.
Myocardial fibrosis predicts adverse outcome after MitraClip implantation
Authors: Velu Juliëtte F. , Hirsch Alexander , Boekholdt S. M. , Koch Karel T. , Marije Vis M. , Nils Planken R. , Piek Jan J. , Baan Jan , Bouma Berto J.
Published: December 2018

Background

High‐risk patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) may be treated by a percutaneous mitral valve repair with the MitraClip, but identification of patients who may benefit remains difficult. We aimed to determine whether myocardial fibrosis predicts outcome in MR patients undergoing MitraClip implantation and is beneficial in clinical decision making.

Methods

Preprocedural to the MitraClip implantation, myocardial fibrosis was analyzed with cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) through late gadolinium enhancement. The CMR data were core‐lab adjudicated measured before the MitraClip implantation. Adverse outcome was defined as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III or IV after 1 month or death within 1 month after the MitraClip implantation.

Results

In total, 23 patients underwent preprocedural CMR, mean age 80 ± 9 years, 45% male, 64% atrial fibrillation and 73% NYHA class III or IV at baseline. Myocardial fibrosis was present in 55% of the patients with degenerative MR and in 64% of the patients with functional MR. An adverse outcome occurred in 69% of the patients with myocardial fibrosis and in 11% of the patients without myocardial fibrosis (P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Our hypothesis‐generating study showed that the presence of myocardial fibrosis predicts adverse outcome in patients undergoing MitraClip implantation. After confirmation with larger sample size, identification of myocardial fibrosis might contribute to assess prognosis and to clinical decision making.
Bench‐Stable Cobalt Pre‐Catalysts for Mild Hydrosilative Reduction of Tertiary Amides to Amines and Beyond
Authors: Nurseiit Alibek , Janabel Jaysan , Gudun Kristina A. , Kassymbek Aishabibi , Segizbayev Medet , Seilkhanov Tulegen M. , Khalimon Andrey Y.
Published: December 2018

The readily synthesized and bench‐stable cobalt dichloride complex (dpephos)CoCl2is employed as a pre‐catalyst for a diversity of silane additions to unsaturated organic molecules, including the normally challenging reduction of amides to amines. With regard to hydrosilative reduction of amides even more effective and activator free catalytic systems can be generated from the bench‐stable, commercially available Co(acac)2and Co(OAc)2with dpephos and PPh3ligands. These systems operate under mild conditions (<100 °C), with many examples of room temperature transformations, presenting a first example of mild cobalt‐catalyzed hydrosilylation of amides.
Reactive Oxygen Species Produced by Mutated Mitochondrial Respiratory Chains of Entire Cells Monitored Using Modified Microelectrodes
Authors: Malferrari Marco , Ghelli Anna , Roggiani Francesco , Valenti Giovanni , Paolucci Francesco , Rugolo Michela , Rapino Stefania
Published: December 2018

Genetic alterations affecting subunits of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes often impair their catalytic activities and result in enhanced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An electrochemical setup was employed to quantify mitochondrial ROS production in plasma membrane‐permeabilized cellular models of two genetic diseases: the Δcytb cell line bearing a microdeletion in the mitochondrial MT‐CYB gene causing a severe encephalomyopathy and the RJ206 cell line, harbouring a pathogenic mutation associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. The responses of black platinum modified microelectrodes to the most common cellular redox buffers, namely, NADH and glutathione, as well as substrates deriving from the oxidative metabolism of glucose, were investigated; a relatively high sensitivity, although lower than that for ROS, was shown for NADH. Time‐resolved amperometric measurements of ROS production upon respiratory chain activation at high NADH/NAD+ ratio revealed a 50 % and 100 % increase of ROS in cells bearing defective complex I and complex III, respectively, as compared to wild type cells.
Phosphorus‐Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond for Supercapacitor Application
Authors: Yu Siyu , Xu Jing , Kato Hiromitsu , Yang Nianjun , Schulte Anna , Schönherr Holger , Jiang Xin
Published: December 2018

Heavily phosphorus‐doped nanocrystalline diamond (P‐NCD) has been grown by using a plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique and further applied as an electrode for the construction of supercapacitors. This P‐NCD electrode shows a capacitance of 11.40 μF cm−2 in 1.0 M Na2SO4 at a scan rate of 10 mV s−1 and behaves as a n‐type semiconductor electrode in redox‐active electrolyte of 0.05 M Fe(CN)63−/4−+1.0 M Na2SO4. The post‐thermal treatment of as‐grown P‐NCD films in vacuum at high temperatures for several hours leads to the achievement of much higher capacitances. At the scan rates of 10 and 20 mV s−1, the capacitances are up to 2.01 and 63.56 mF cm−2 for an electrical double layer capacitor and a pseudocapacitor, respectively. Such high capacitances originate from the improved electrical conductivity, varied surface state and surface functional groups, and changed content of non‐carbon diamond inside the P‐NCD films during the annealing treatment. Therefore, P‐NCD films are quite promising as an electrode material for supercapacitor applications.
MnO2‐Mediated Synthesis of Mn3O4@CaMn7O12 Core@Shell Nanorods for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Ma Aijing , Chang Ailiu , Zhang Jingfang , Gui Jianzhou , Liu Dan , Yu Yifu , Zhang Bin
Published: December 2018

The rational design of low‐cost and earth‐abundant perovskite oxide alternatives as highly efficient and robust electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is desirable but remains a great challenge. Herein, we developed a simple MnO2‐mediated synthetic approach to Mn3O4@CaMn7O12 core@shell nanorods by impregnating MnO2 nanorods with a certain amount of Ca(NO3)2 solution (Mn : Ca=15 : 1), followed by a calcination process at 850 °C in air. By adjusting the Mn : Ca molar ratios, Ca−Mn oxides with different structures can also be prepared. Benefiting from the intrinsic characteristics of CaMn7O12 perovskite oxides and the structural advantage of nanorods, Mn3O4@CaMn7O12 core@shell nanorods exhibit high ORR activity with a positive onset potential of 0.90 V and half‐wave potential of 0.75 V. Also, they have an excellent tolerance ability to methanol. More importantly, the work may pave a new avenue to design other novel electrocatalysts with high performance and stability towards energy conversion and storage applications.
Hard modeling study of chemical equilibria in mixed solvents
Authors: Sheykhizadeh Saheleh , Naseri Abdolhossein , Abdollahi Hamid
Published: December 2018

In many years, intensive researches have focused on studying the chemical equilibria like complex formation and acid‐base titration in different solvent mixtures, such as methanol‐water. In this respect, it has been revealed that methanol‐water mixture is not a simple homogenous ideal mixture and it contains clusters of pure water (W), pure methanol (M), and associated methanol‐water molecules (MW) with a certain association constant that the solute can distribute among these clusters. To describe solute distribution in this chemical system, an exhausted model has been introduced, which is extended herein to illustrate the distribution of a solute with acid‐base behavior, ie, the neutral red indicator. Since it is imperative to determine the association constant of the solvents and the distribution constants of the solute for calculation of the solute's protonation constant in the mixture, this work employs UV‐vis spectrophotometry as a fast and convenient technique to calculate all these parameters. For this purpose, protonated and deprotonated forms of neutral red are monitored in various water‐methanol compositions. Moreover, the acid‐base equilibrium of neutral red in definite compositions of the solvent mixture is investigated using the data obtained from acid‐base titrations. Finally, the protonation constant of neutral red in MW clusters is determined by analyzing the titration data of three methanol‐water compositions after matrix augmentation and elimination of rank deficiency.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of the Novel Growth Inhibitor Streptol Glucoside, Isolated from an Obligate Plant Symbiont
Authors: Hsiao Chien‐Chi , Sieber Simon , Georgiou Antri , Bailly Aurélien , Emmanouilidou Despina , Carlier Aurélien , Eberl Leo , Gademann Karl
Published: December 2018

The plant Psychotria kirkii hosts an obligatory bacterial symbiont, Candidatus Burkholderia kirkii, in nodules on their leaves. Recently, a glucosylated derivative of (+)‐streptol, (+)‐streptol glucoside, was isolated from the nodulated leaves and was found to possess a plant growth inhibitory activity. To establish a structure–activity relationship study, a convergent strategy was developed to obtain several pseudosugars from a single synthetic precursor. Furthermore, the glucosylation of streptol was investigated in detail and conditions affording specifically the α or β glucosidic anomer were identified. Although (+)‐streptol was the most active compound, its concentration in P. kirkii plant leaves extract was approximately ten‐fold lower than that of (+)‐streptol glucoside. These results provide compelling evidence that the glucosylation of (+)‐streptol protects the plant host against the growth inhibitory effect of the compound, which might constitute a molecular cornerstone for this successful plant‐bacteria symbiosis.
Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework 8‐Derived Au@ZnO for Efficient and Robust Photocatalytic Degradation of Tetracycline
Authors: Gao Bijun , Zhou Jin , Wang Hongliang , Zhang Guping , He Jinghui , Xu Qingfeng , Li Najun , Chen Dongyun , Li Hua , Lu Jianmei
Published: December 2018

Summary of main observation and conclusion

Tetracycline (TC) and other antibiotics accumulated in groundwater and soil pollute ecological environment and threaten human health. Gold nanoparticles doped on photocatalysts are able to enhance the photodegradation efficiency during removing these antibiotics, but preparation of Au nanoparticles of well‐dispersion on photocatalysts remains challenging. In this work, zeolite imidazolate (ZIF‐8) was employed as the precursor to prepare Au@ZnO photocatalyst via impregnation and in‐situ reduction method to efficiently degrade the tetracycline in the aqueous solution. Au nanoparticles are of 10 nm in size and uniformly dispersed on the surfaces of ZnO microstructures. The as‐prepared Au@ZnO is able to remove 85.5% of TC of 0.010 mg/mL within 2 h, presenting higher photocatalytic activity than pure ZnO catalyst. Most importantly, the catalyst shows its superior stability after five cycles without structure and activity changing. The mechanism of the photocatalytic degradation was discussed in detail.
Alcohol and ideal cardiovascular health: The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Ogunmoroti Oluseye , Osibogun Olatokunbo , McClelland Robyn L. , Burke Gregory L. , Nasir Khurram , Michos Erin D.
Published: December 2018

Background

Alcohol consumption is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), with moderate drinkers having decreased CVD risk compared to non‐ and heavy drinkers. However, whether alcohol consumption is associated with ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), assessed by the American Heart Association's (AHA) Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics, and whether associations differ by sex, is uncertain.

Hypothesis

Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with worse CVH.

Methods

We explored associations between alcohol consumption and CVH in a multi‐ethnic population including 6506 participants free of CVD, aged 45 to 84 years. Each LS7 metric was scored 0 to 2 points. Total score was categorized as inadequate (0‐8), average (9‐10) and optimal (11‐14). Participants were classified as never, former or current drinkers. Current drinkers were categorized as <1 (light), 1 to 2 (moderate) and >2 (heavy) drinks/day. Multinomial logistic regression models assessed associations between alcohol and CVH, adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, and health insurance.

Results

Mean (SD) age was 62 (10) years, 53% were women. Compared to never drinkers, those with >2 drinks/day were less likely to have average [0.61 (0.43‐0.87)] and optimal CVH [0.29 (0.17‐0.49)]. Binge drinking was also associated with unfavorable CVH. Overall, there was no independent association for light or moderate drinking with CVH. However, women with 1 to 2 drinks/day were more likely to have optimal CVH [1.85 (1.19‐2.88)] compared to non‐drinking women, which was not seen in men.

Conclusion

Heavy alcohol consumption was associated with unfavorable CVH. Although light or moderate drinking may be associated with a more favorable CVH in women, overall, the association was not strong.
Unmet social support needs among older adults with cancer
Authors: Williams Grant R. , Pisu Maria , Rocque Gabrielle B. , Williams Courtney P. , Taylor Richard A. , Kvale Elizabeth A. , Partridge Edward E. , Bhatia Smita , Kenzik Kelly M.
Published: December 2018

Background

Adequate social support for older adults is necessary to maintain quality of life and reduce mortality and morbidity. However, little is known regarding the social support needs of older adults with cancer. The objective of the current study was to examine social support needs, specifically the unmet needs, among older adults with cancer.

Methods

Medicare beneficiaries (those aged ≥65 years) with cancer were identified from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Health System Cancer Community Network. Social support needs were assessed using a modified version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey. The authors defined an “unmet need” if participants reported having some/a little/never availability of support and requiring support for that need.

Results

Of the 1460 participants in the current study, the average age was 74 years (standard deviation, 5.8 years). Approximately two‐thirds of participants (986 participants; 67.5%) reported having at least 1 social support need, with the highest needs noted in the emotional (49.5%) and physical (47.4%) support subdomains. Of those individuals with a support need, approximately 45% had at least 1 unmet need, with the greatest percentages noted in the medical (39%) and informational (36%) subdomains. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that participants who were nonwhite, were divorced or never married, or had a high symptom burden were at greatest risk of having unmet social support needs across subdomains.

Conclusions

In this population of older adults with cancer, the authors found high levels of unmet social support needs, particularly in the medical and informational support subdomains. Participants who were nonwhite, were divorced or never married, or had a high symptom burden were found to be at greatest risk of having unmet needs.
Improving transparency and scientific rigor in academic publishing
Authors: Prager Eric M. , Chambers Karen E. , Plotkin Joshua L. , McArthur David L. , Bandrowski Anita E. , Bansal Nidhi , Martone Maryann E. , Bergstrom Hadley C. , Bespalov Anton , Graf Chris
Published: December 2018

Progress in basic and clinical research is slowed when researchers fail to provide a complete and accurate report of how a study was designed, executed, and the results analyzed. Publishing rigorous scientific research involves a full description of the methods, materials, procedures, and outcomes. Investigators may fail to provide a complete description of how their study was designed and executed because they may not know how to accurately report the information or the mechanisms are not in place to facilitate transparent reporting. Here, we provide an overview of how authors can write manuscripts in a transparent and thorough manner. We introduce a set of reporting criteria that can be used for publishing, including recommendations on reporting the experimental design and statistical approaches. We also discuss how to accurately visualize the results and provide recommendations for peer reviewers to enhance rigor and transparency. Incorporating transparency practices into research manuscripts will significantly improve the reproducibility of the results by independent laboratories.

Significance

Failure to replicate research findings often arises from errors in the experimental design and statistical approaches. By providing a full account of the experimental design, procedures, and statistical approaches, researchers can address the reproducibility crisis and improve the sustainability of research outcomes. In this piece, we discuss the key issues leading to irreproducibility and provide general approaches to improving transparency and rigor in reporting, which could assist in making research more reproducible.
Biomarkers of radiation‐induced vascular injury
Authors: Venkatesulu Bhanu Prasad , Sanders Keith L. , Hsieh Cheng‐En , Kim Byung Kyu , Krishnan Sunil
Published: December 2018

Objective

Cancer survivorship has thrown the spotlight on the incidence of nonmalignant chronic diseases in cancer patients. Endothelial injury is increasingly recognized as a consequence of cancer treatment, particularly after radiation therapy (RT). This review is to provide a current understanding on the pathophysiological mechanisms and predictive biomarkers of radiation‐induced vascular injury.

Recent findings

Radiation directly impacts vasculature by causing endothelial apoptosis and senescence, and alterations in normal homeostasis. This altered milieu at the endothelial surface may contribute to a systemic chronic inflammatory state that is superimposed upon the cascade of normal senescence processes leading to acceleration of age‐related disorders, atherosclerosis, and chronic fibrosis. Vasculature imaging, blood‐based or cell‐component biomarkers, and signatures of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and radiomics are potential tools for detection of vascular damage after irradiation.

Conclusions

Development of a valid prediction model by combining an array of imaging tools, blood‐based biomarkers, coupled with novel predictors like exosomes and metabolic degradation products can serve to identify RT‐induced vascular injury early for subsequent introduction of newer therapeutic approaches to counter radiation morbidity.
Enabling Docker for HPC
Authors: Sparks Jonathan
Published: December 2018

Docker is quickly becoming the de facto standard for containerization. Besides running on all the major Linux distributions, Docker is supported by each of the major cloud platform providers. The Docker ecosystem provides the capabilities necessary to build, manage, and execute containers on any platform. High‐Performance Computer (HPC) systems present their own unique set of challenges to the standard deployment of Docker with respect to scale image storage, user security, and access to host‐level resources. This paper presents a set of Docker API plugins and features to address the HPC concerns of scaling, security, resource access, and execution in an HPC Environment.
An edge priority‐based clustering algorithm for multiprocessor environments
Authors: Maurya Ashish Kumar , Tripathi Anil Kumar
Published: December 2018

In multiprocessor environments, the scheduling algorithms play a significant role in maximizing system performance. In this paper, we propose a clustering‐based task scheduling algorithm called Edge Priority Scheduling (EPS) for multiprocessor environments. The proposed algorithm extends the idea of edge zeroing heuristic and uses the concept of edge priority to minimize the makespan of the task graph. The complexity of the EPS algorithm is O(|V||E|(|V| + |E|)), where |E| represents the number of edges and |V| denotes the number of nodes in the task graph. The experiments are performed for random task graphs and the task graphs generated from some representative real‐world applications such as Gaussian Elimination and Fast Fourier Transform. The performance of the EPS algorithm is compared with six well‐known algorithms such as EZ (Edge Zeroing), LC (Linear Clustering), CPPS (Cluster Pair Priority Scheduling), DCCL (Dynamic Computation Communication Load), RDCC (Randomized Dynamic Computation Communication), and LOCAL. The results show that the EPS algorithm outperforms the compared algorithms in terms of the normalized schedule length and speedup.
Singly, Doubly, and Triply Linked Corrole Oligomers: Synthesis, Structures, and Linking Position Dependent Properties
Authors: Ooi Shota , Ueta Kento , Tanaka Takayuki , Osuka Atsuhiro
Published: December 2018

Direct covalent connections of porphyrinoids have been demonstrated as an effective way to expand their π‐electronic networks and perturb their optical and electrochemical properties. Covalent connections are also useful for studies on the precise electronic interaction between two porphyrinoid units. However, the chemistry of covalently linked corrole oligomers lags far behind that of the porphyrin counterparts in spite of the importance of corrole as a ring‐contracted porphyrinoid. The lower symmetry of corroles naturally leads to many possible corrole dimers, which have been found to display different optical and electrochemical properties depending on the linking position. In this review, we summarize the synthesis, structures, and properties of corrole oligomers such as singly linked oligomers and fused dimers as well as their metal complexes with a particular focus on their linking position dependent electronic properties.
Oral Chaperone Therapy Migalastat for Treating Fabry Disease: Enzymatic Response and Serum Biomarker Changes After 1 Year
Authors: Müntze Jonas , Gensler Daniel , Maniuc Octavian , Liu Dan , Cairns Tereza , Oder Daniel , Hu Kai , Lorenz Kristina , Frantz Stefan , Wanner Christoph , Nordbeck Peter
Published: December 2018

Long‐term effects of migalastat therapy in clinical practice are currently unknown. We evaluated migalastat efficacy and biomarker changes in a prospective, single‐center study on 14 patients with Fabry disease (55 ± 14 years; 11 men). After 1 year of open‐label migalastat therapy, patients showed significant changes in alpha‐galactosidase‐A activity (0.06–0.2 nmol/minute/mg protein; P = 0.001), left ventricular myocardial mass index (137–130 g/m2; P = 0.037), and serum creatinine (0.94–1.0 mg/dL; P = 0.021), accounting for deterioration in estimated glomerular filtration rate (87–78 mL/minute/1.73 m2; P = 0.012). The enzymatic increase correlated with myocardial mass reduction (r = −0.546; P = 0.044) but not with renal function (r = −0.086; P = 0.770). Plasma globotriaosylsphingosine was reduced in therapy‐naive patients (10.9–6.0 ng/mL; P = 0.021) and stable (9.6–12.1 ng/mL; P = 0.607) in patients switched from prior enzyme‐replacement therapy. These first real‐world data show that migalastat substantially increases alpha‐galactosidase‐A activity, stabilizes related serum biomarkers, and improves cardiac integrity in male and female patients with amenable Fabry disease mutations.
Genetic Variants Associated With Vincristine‐Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Two Populations of Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Li Lang , Sajdyk Tammy , Smith Ellen M. L. , Chang Chien Wei , Li Claire , Ho Richard H. , Hutchinson Raymond , Wells Elizabeth , Skiles Jodi L. , Winick Naomi , Martin Paul L. , Renbarger Jamie L.
Published: December 2018

Vincristine is one of the core chemotherapy agents used in the treatment of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, one of the major toxicities resulting from vincristine exposure is vincristine‐induced peripheral neuropathy (VIPN). When VIPN results in significant morbidity, the vincristine dose may need to be reduced, thus potentially decreasing the effectiveness of treatment. To date, there are no robust biomarkers used clinically to determine which patients will be at risk for worse neuropathy. The current study included genomewide association study (GWAS) in two independent cohorts: Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) ALL trials and a multicenter study based at Indiana University in children with ALL. A meta‐analysis of the cohorts identified two single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1045644 and rs7963521, as being significantly (P value threshold 0.05/4749 = 1.05E‐05) associated with neuropathy. Subsequently these SNPs may be effective biomarkers of VIPN in children with ALL.
Self‐glycerophospholipids activate murine phospholipid‐reactive T cells and inhibit iNKT cell activation by competing with ligands for CD1d loading
Authors: Halder Ramesh Chandra , Tran Cynthia , Prasad Priti , Wang Jing , Nallapothula Dhiraj , Ishikawa Tatsuya , Wang Meiying , Zajonc Dirk M. , Singh Ram Raj
Published: December 2018

Glycosphingolipids and glycerophospholipids bind CD1d. Glycosphingolipid‐reactive invariant NKT‐cells (iNKT) exhibit myriad immune effects, however, little is known about the functions of phospholipid‐reactive T cells (PLT). We report that the normal mouse immune repertoire contains αβ T cells, which recognize self‐glycerophospholipids such as phosphatidic acid (PA) in a CD1d‐restricted manner and don't cross‐react with iNKT‐cell ligands. PA bound to CD1d in the absence of lipid transfer proteins. Upon in vivo priming, PA induced an expansion and activation of T cells in Ag‐specific manner. Crystal structure of the CD1d:PA complex revealed that the ligand is centrally located in the CD1d‐binding groove opening for TCR recognition. Moreover, the increased flexibility of the two acyl chains in diacylglycerol ligands and a less stringent‐binding orientation for glycerophospholipids as compared with the bindings of glycosphingolipids may allow glycerophospholipids to readily occupy CD1d. Indeed, PA competed with α‐galactosylceramide to load onto CD1d, leading to reduced expression of CD1d:α‐galactosylceramide complexes on the surface of dendritic cells. Consistently, glycerophospholipids reduced iNKT‐cell proliferation, expansion, and cytokine production in vitro and in vivo. Such superior ability of self‐glycerophospholipids to compete with iNKT‐cell ligands to occupy CD1d may help maintain homeostasis between the diverse subsets of lipid‐reactive T cells, with important pathogenetic and therapeutic implications.
Iron‐ or Zinc‐Mediated Synthetic Approach to Enantiopure Dihydroquinoxalinones
Authors: Li Dazhi , Ollevier Thierry
Published: December 2018

A general and efficient synthesis of enantiopure dihydroquinoxalinones has been developed using naturally occurring amino acids as starting materials. The reductive cyclization of N‐(o‐nitroaryl)amino esters was performed by using iron and zinc metal under mild conditions in a water/ethyl acetate mixture. The corresponding dihydroquinoxalinones were obtained in moderate to high yields and high enantiomeric purity, among which 7 new compounds were unprecedented in the literature.
“Backdoor Induction” of Chirality: Trans‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine as Key Building Block for Asymmetric Hydrogenation Catalysts
Authors: Opačak Saša , Kokan Zoran , Glasovac Zoran , Perić Berislav , Kirin Srećko I.
Published: December 2018

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of 21 chiral monodentate ligands L, assembled of three building blocks utilizing amide bonds: a metal binding triphenylphosphine, a chiral cyclic diamine and an additional substituent for fine‐tuning the steric and/or electronic properties. Cis square‐planar metal complexes of RhI and PtII with ML2 stoichiometry have been prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods (NMR, IR, UV‐Vis, CD) and DFT calculations. A key feature of the metal complexes is a prochiral metal coordination sphere and “backdoor induction” of chirality from a distant chiral source via an outer‐coordination sphere, well‐defined by aromatic stacking and hydrogen‐bonding. The rhodium complexes were used as catalysts in asymmetric hydrogenation of α,β‐dehydroamino acids with excellent yield and selectivity (up to 97 % ee), strongly supporting the “backdoor induction” hypothesis.
Improved Sorption‐Enhanced Steam Methane Reforming via Calcium Oxide–Based Sorbents with Targeted Morphology
Authors: Alshafei Faisal H. , Minardi Luke T. , Rosales Derrick , Chen Gen , Simonetti Dante A.
Published: December 2018

Calcium oxide (CaO)‐based sorbents for sorption enhanced steam methane reforming (SE‐SMR) that achieve stoichiometric capacity are synthesized via thermal and electrospinning methods. Small CaO crystallites (39 nm) and macroporous intrafiber networks imparted by electrospinning lead to stoichiometric capacities () and uptake kinetics (first order rate constant, k = 8.9 × 10−4 ± 1.8 × 10−5 cm4 mol−1 s−1) at 873 K that are superior to CaO derived from thermal syntheses ( and k < 5.0 × 10−4 ± 2.5 × 10−6 cm4 mol−1 s−1). Al‐doped electrospun CaO samples (Al:Ca ratios of 3:10, 1:10 and 2:10) also exhibit high sorption capacities ( at 873 K) and are stable over multiple reaction‐regeneration cycles (<5% loss in initial capacity after 15+ cycles). X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis reveal that thermally stable Al‐Ca mixed phases (Ca12Al14O33) mitigate crystallite agglomeration and maintain macroporous structures imparted by electrospinning. Nanofibers and Al‐doped nanofibers (Al:Ca ═ 2:10) exhibit more than a factor of three longer CO2 breakthrough time compared to CaO from marble (1650, 6400, and 7500 mL gsorbent−1 for CaO‐marble, 2Al‐10Ca‐O‐nanofibers, and CaO‐nanofibers respectively) under reforming conditions, with Al‐doped CaO‐nanofibers retaining 94% of their initial performance after ten reforming‐regeneration cycles, indicating their potential as improved sorbents for SE‐SMR processes.
Enhancement of Stability and Specific Charge Capacity of Alpha‐Ni(OH)2 by Mn(II) Isomorphic Substitution
Authors: Gomes Allan P. , Gonçalves Josué M. , Araki Koiti , Martins Paulo R.
Published: December 2018

Mixed hydroxide materials with a large specific charge capacity (417 C g−1) and charge retention capacity (86%) even after 5000 galvanostatic charge–discharge processes at 25 A g−1, promising as electrode materials of energy storage devices such as hybrid batteries, are realized by isomorphic substitution of Ni(II) by Mn(II) ions in the turbostratic alpha‐nickel hydroxide lattice, generating for the first time double hydroxide salt types (Ni‐95 and Ni‐75) instead of layered double hydroxide type materials, significantly enhancing the electrochemical properties and stability of nickel hydroxide nanoparticles (Ni‐100). The presence of Mn(II) ions in the alpha‐Ni(OH)2 structure is confirmed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X‐ray diffractometry (XRD) of the mixed nickel–manganese hydroxide materials.
Optimization of the enzyme‐assisted aqueous extraction of phenolic compounds from pistachio green hull
Authors: Ghandahari Yazdi Amir Pouya , Barzegar Mohsen , Sahari Mohammad Ali , Ahmadi Gavlighi Hassan
Published: December 2018

Phenolic compounds form an essential part of the human diet because of their functional properties. In this study, the extraction conditions of phenolic compounds from pistachio green hull were optimized by enzymatic method (using pectinase, cellulase, and tannase enzymes). For this purpose, the effective factors including the solid to solvent ratio, enzyme concentration, particles size, and extraction time were optimized. Also, the effect of enzymatic extraction on the antioxidant activity of the extracts were investigated using three different methods (DPPH˙, ABTS˙+, and FRAP). The profile of phenolic compounds was determined using HPLC/DAD. The results showed that all the studied enzymes were significantly effective in increasing the extraction efficiency. The combination of cellulase, pectinase, and tannase enzymes under their optimal conditions increased the extraction yield up to 112% in comparison with the solvent extraction method. The results of three antioxidant tests showed that the antioxidant properties of the enzymatic extracted compounds increased significantly compared to the control sample (compounds extracted by the solvent method). The DPPH˙ test results indicated that the antioxidant property of the enzymatic extracted compounds was 71% more than the control extract. The different enzymes changed the phenolic compounds’ profile so that the pectinase and cellulase enzymes increased the amount of phloroglucinol (more than three times) and decreased the amount of gallic acid (more than 4.5 times) in comparison. In addition, tannase and its combination with other enzymes increased the gallic acid content by 2.6‐fold and 4.6‐fold compared to the control sample, respectively.
Vanadium Dioxide Nanocoating Induces Tumor Cell Death through Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain Interruption
Authors: Li Jinhua , Jiang Meng , Zhou Huaijuan , Jin Ping , Cheung Kenneth M. C. , Chu Paul K. , Yeung Kelvin W. K.
Published: December 2018

A biomaterials surface enabling the induction of tumor cell death is particularly desirable for implantable biomedical devices that directly contact tumor tissues. However, this specific antitumor feature is rarely found. Consequently, an antitumor‐cell nanocoating comprised of vanadium dioxide (VO2) prepared by customized reactive magnetron sputtering has been proposed, and its antitumor‐growth capability has been demonstrated using human cholangiocarcinoma cells. The results reveal that the VO2 nanocoating is able to interrupt the mitochondrial electron transport chain and then elevate the intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, leading to the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane potential and the destruction of cell redox homeostasis. Indeed, this chain reaction can effectively trigger oxidative damage in the cholangiocarcinoma cells. Additionally, this study has provided new insights into designing a tumor‐cell‐inhibited biomaterial surface, which is modulated by the mechanism of mitochondria‐targeting tumor cell death.
Evaluation of fluxgate magnetometry and electromagnetic induction surveys for subsurface characterization of archaeological features in World War 1 battlefields
Authors: Note Nicolas , Saey Timothy , Gheyle Wouter , Stichelbaut Birger , Van den Berghe Hanne , Bourgeois Jean , Van Eetvelde Veerle , Van Meirvenne Marc
Published: December 2018

Geophysical prospection as a noninvasive archaeological survey technique has become a widely applied discipline that is currently finding its way into the former World War 1 (WW1) battlefields. Because of the imminent danger of unexploded ordnances, noninvasiveness is the key to exploring the subsurface containing our buried heritage. Fluxgate magnetometry (FGM), a frequently applied prospection technique in archaeology and unexploded ordnance detection, is not always satisfactory in this area. This is due to the high density of ferrous objects masking the underlying features of interest. Frequency domain electromagnetic induction (EMI) has proved to be less sensitive to metal objects, thereby revealing more WW1 traces. Another advantage of EMI is that soil disturbances related to shelling and metal objects can be classified with higher precision by combining magnetic and electrical conductivity data layers. After evaluating both prospecting techniques on maximum feature coverage, feature type identification, metal object filtering, and localization, EMI was shown to be the most successful. Although FGM is not inferior (providing high survey speed and density with multisensor arrays and reliability in pinpointing features, etc.) overall, EMI is the preferred option on sites with heavily disturbed soil. In this paper, these findings will be demonstrated with survey examples, case studies, and numerical analyses from the WWI battlefields of Flanders.
Oxytocin receptor agonist reduces perinatal brain damage by targeting microglia
Authors: Mairesse Jérôme , Zinni Manuela , Pansiot Julien , Hassan‐Abdi Rahma , Demene Charlie , Colella Marina , Charriaut‐Marlangue Christiane , Rideau Batista Novais Aline , Tanter Mickael , Maccari Stefania , Gressens Pierre , Vaiman Daniel , Soussi‐Yanicostas Nadia , Baud Olivier
Published: December 2018

Prematurity and fetal growth restriction (FGR) are frequent conditions associated with adverse neurocognitive outcomes. We have previously identified early deregulation of genes controlling neuroinflammation as a putative mechanism linking FGR and abnormal trajectory of the developing brain. While the oxytocin system was also found to be impaired following adverse perinatal events, its role in the modulation of neuroinflammation in the developing brain is still unknown. We used a double‐hit rat model of perinatal brain injury induced by gestational low protein diet (LPD) and potentiated by postnatal injections of subliminal doses of interleukin‐1β (IL1β) and a zebrafish model of neuroinflammation. Effects of the treatment with carbetocin, a selective, long lasting, and brain diffusible oxytocin receptor agonist, have been assessed using a combination of histological, molecular, and functional tools in vivo and in vitro. In the double‐hit model, white matter inflammation, deficient myelination, and behavioral deficits have been observed and the oxytocin system was impaired. Early postnatal supplementation with carbetocin alleviated microglial activation at both transcriptional and cellular levels and provided long‐term neuroprotection. The central anti‐inflammatory effects of carbetocin have been shown in vivo in rat pups and in a zebrafish model of early‐life neuroinflammation and reproduced in vitro on stimulated sorted primary microglial cell cultures from rats subjected to LPD. Carbetocin treatment was associated with beneficial effects on myelination, long‐term intrinsic brain connectivity and behavior. Targeting oxytocin signaling in the developing brain may be an effective approach to prevent neuroinflammation – induced brain damage of perinatal origin.
Oncogenic dependence of glioma cells on kish/TMEM167A regulation of vesicular trafficking
Authors: Portela Marta , Segura‐Collar Berta , Argudo Irene , Sáiz Almudena , Gargini Ricardo , Sánchez‐Gómez Pilar , Casas‐Tintó Sergio
Published: December 2018

Genetic lesions in glioblastoma (GB) include constitutive activation of PI3K and EGFR pathways to drive cellular proliferation and tumor malignancy. An RNAi genetic screen, performed in Drosophila melanogaster to discover new modulators of GB development, identified a member of the secretory pathway: kish/TMEM167A. Downregulation of kish/TMEM167A impaired fly and human glioma formation and growth, with no effect on normal glia. Glioma cells increased the number of recycling endosomes, and reduced the number of lysosomes. In addition, EGFR vesicular localization was primed toward recycling in glioma cells. kish/TMEM167A downregulation in gliomas restored endosomal system to a physiological state and altered lysosomal function, fueling EGFR toward degradation by the proteasome. These endosomal effects mirrored the endo/lysosomal response of glioma cells to Brefeldin A (BFA), but not the Golgi disruption and the ER collapse, which are associated with the undesirable toxicity of BFA in other cancers. Our results suggest that glioma growth depends on modifications of the vesicle transport system, reliant on kish/TMEM167A. Noncanonical genes in GB could be a key for future therapeutic strategies targeting EGFR‐dependent gliomas.
Augmented astrocyte microdomain Ca2+ dynamics and parenchymal arteriole tone in angiotensin II‐infused hypertensive mice
Authors: Diaz Juan Ramiro , Kim Ki Jung , Brands Michael W. , Filosa Jessica A.
Published: December 2018

Hypertension is an important contributor to cognitive decline but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Although much focus has been placed on the effect of hypertension on vascular function, less is understood of its effects on nonvascular cells. Because astrocytes and parenchymal arterioles (PA) form a functional unit (neurovascular unit), we tested the hypothesis that hypertension‐induced changes in PA tone concomitantly increases astrocyte Ca2+. We used cortical brain slices from 8‐week‐old mice to measure myogenic responses from pressurized and perfused PA. Chronic hypertension was induced in mice by 28‐day angiotensin II (Ang II) infusion; PA resting tone and myogenic responses increased significantly. In addition, chronic hypertension significantly increased spontaneous Ca2+ events within astrocyte microdomains (MD). Similarly, a significant increase in astrocyte Ca2+ was observed during PA myogenic responses supporting enhanced vessel‐to‐astrocyte signaling. The transient potential receptor vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channel, expressed in astrocyte processes in contact with blood vessels, namely endfeet, respond to hemodynamic stimuli such as increased pressure/flow. Supporting a role for TRPV4 channels in aberrant astrocyte Ca2+ dynamics in hypertension, cortical astrocytes from hypertensive mice showed augmented TRPV4 channel expression, currents and Ca2+ responses to the selective channel agonist GSK1016790A. In addition, pharmacological TRPV4 channel blockade or genetic deletion abrogated enhanced hypertension‐induced increases in PA tone. Together, these data suggest chronic hypertension increases PA tone and Ca2+ events within astrocytes MD. We conclude that aberrant Ca2+ events in astrocyte constitute an early event toward the progression of cognitive decline.
Salvage laryngectomy and laryngopharyngectomy: Multicenter review of outcomes associated with a reconstructive approach
Authors:   Microvascular Committee of the American Academy of Otolaryngology‐Head & Neck Surgery*
Published: December 2018

Background

Surgeons have developed various reconstructive techniques to minimize the rate of pharyngocutaneous fistula and optimize functional outcome after salvage laryngectomy or laryngopharyngectomy.

Methods

Multicenter retrospective review at 33 institutions of 486 patients with a history of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx or hypopharynx previously treated with primary chemoradiotherapy (CRT) who required salvage surgery. Outcomes evaluated were overall fistula rate, fistula requiring reoperation, and 12‐month speech and swallowing function.

Results

Primary closure of the hypopharynx was associated with a statistically higher overall fistula rate and fistula requiring reoperation compared to reconstruction with vascularized tissue augmentation. Vascularized tissue augmentation with muscle led to worse 12‐month “understandability of speech” and “nutritional mode” scores compared to vascularized tissue augmentation without muscle.

Conclusion

Vascularized tissue augmentation reduces the overall fistula rate and fistula requiring reoperation but vascularized tissue augmentation with muscle may impair speech and swallowing outcomes.
Recognizing dissimilarities between resilience engineering and EFQM approaches to ensure safety in hospitals
Authors: Asadzadeh Seyed Mohammad , Tanhaeean Mehrab , Abdi Niloofar
Published: December 2018

A common ground between resilience engineering (RE) and European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model is to address safety issues. However, the advent of RE may adversely become inefficient or may be regarded redundant if there is no clear uniqueness with RE. This study aims to achieve a clear distinction between the perspectives of RE and EFQM model to address safety issues, using a questionnaire‐based comparative approach, in a large hospital. The paper contributes to the scientific field by enabling the comparison using an integrated approach of fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP), simulated annealing (SA), and clustering techniques. Fuzzy AHP provides assessment scores of RE and EFQM. The SA identifies the RE items having the least correlation with the EFQM ones. Finally, the identified RE items are categorized by k‐means clustering into a set of unique healthcare‐focused RE factors to help healthcare practitioners have a clear understanding of RE concepts and principles.
River flood seasonality in the Northeast United States: Characterization and trends
Authors: Collins Mathias J.
Published: December 2018

The New England and Mid‐Atlantic regions of the Northeast United States have experienced climate‐induced increases in both the magnitude and frequency of floods. However, a detailed understanding of flood seasonality across these regions, and how flood seasonality may have changed over the instrumental record, has not been established. The annual timing of river floods reflects the flood‐generating mechanisms operating in a basin, and many aquatic and riparian organisms are adapted to flood seasonality, as are human uses of river channels and flood plains. Changes in flood seasonality may indicate changes in flood‐generating mechanisms, and their interactions, with important implications for habitats, flood plain infrastructure, and human communities. I applied a probabilistic method for identifying flood seasons at a monthly resolution for 90 Northeast U.S. watersheds with natural, or near‐natural, flood‐generating conditions. Historical trends in flood seasonality were also investigated. Analyses were based on peaks‐over‐threshold flood records that have, on average, 85 years of data and three peaks per year—thus providing more information about flood seasonality than annual maximums. The results show rich detail about annual flood timing across the region with each site having a unique pattern of monthly flood occurrence. However, a much smaller number of dominant seasonal patterns emerged when contiguous flood‐rich months were classified into commonly recognized seasons (e.g., Mar–May, spring). The dominant seasonal patterns identified by manual classification were corroborated by unsupervised classification methods (i.e., cluster analyses). Trend analyses indicated that the annual timing of flood‐rich seasons has generally not shifted over the period of record, but 65 sites with data from 1941 to 2013 revealed increased numbers of June–October floods—a trend driving previously documented increases in Northeast U.S. flood counts per year. These months have been historically flood‐poor at the sites examined, so warm‐season flood potential has increased with possible implications for aquatic and riparian organisms.