bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recent Advances in Small Molecule and Biological Therapeutic Approaches in the Treatment of Psoriasis
Authors: Turbeville JG , Patel NU , Cardwell LA , Oussedik E , Feldman SR
Published: March 2017

New treatments continue to be developed for psoriasis. In this review, we aim to summarize the results of the major published studies on biologic and small molecule drugs for the treatment of psoriasis. We emphasize the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of these treatment options. A review of the MEDLINE database was conducted for each class of medication. Randomized controlled trials were identified for each medication; data on efficacy, safety, and tolerability were reviewed. Biologic and small molecule treatment options are more effective than placebo, although there were few head‐to‐head trials to assess relative efficacy between biologics and small molecule treatments. These drugs offer favorable safety profiles with only rare serious adverse events reported. Biologic and small molecule drugs offer diverse therapeutic regimens, particularly in patients with recalcitrant disease.
Composite Electrolyte for All‐Solid‐State Lithium Batteries: Low‐Temperature Fabrication and Conductivity Enhancement
Authors: Lee Sang‐Don , Jung Kyu‐Nam , Kim Hyeongil , Shin Hyun‐Seop , Song Seung‐Wan , Park Min‐Sik , Lee Jong‐Won
Published: March 2017

All‐solid‐state lithium batteries offer notable advantages over conventional Li–ion batteries with liquid electrolytes in terms of energy density, stability, and safety. To realize this technology, it is critical to develop highly reliable solid‐state inorganic electrolytes with high ionic conductivities and adequate processability. Li1+xAlxTi2−x(PO4)3 (LATP) with a NASICON (Na superionic conductor)‐like structure is regarded as a potential solid electrolyte, owing to its high “bulk” conductivity (ca. 10−3 S cm−1) and excellent stability against air and moisture. However, the solid LATP electrolyte still suffers from a low “total” conductivity, mainly owing to the blocking effect of grain boundaries to Li+ conduction. In this study, an LATP–Bi2O3 composite solid electrolyte shows very high total conductivity (9.4×10−4 S cm−1) at room temperature. Bi2O3 acts as a microstructural modifier to effectively reduce the fabrication temperature of the electrolyte and to enhance its ionic conductivity. Bi2O3 promotes the densification of the LATP electrolyte, thereby improving its structural integrity, and at the same time, it facilitates Li+ conduction, leading to reduced grain‐boundary resistance. The feasibility of the LATP–Bi2O3 composite electrolyte in all‐solid‐state Li batteries is also examined in this study.
CdS/Zr:Fe2O3 Nanorod Arrays with Al2O3 Passivation Layer for Photoelectrochemical Solar Hydrogen Generation
Authors: Mahadik Mahadeo A. , Subramanian Arunprabaharan , Chung Hee‐Suk , Cho Min , Jang Jum Suk
Published: March 2017

CdS‐sensitized 1 D Zr:Fe2O3 nanorod arrays were synthesized on fluorine‐doped tin oxide substrates by a two‐step hydrothermal method. The photoelectrochemical results demonstrate that the current density (4.2 mA cm−2 at 0 V vs. Ag/AgCl) recorded under illumination for the CdS/1 D Zr:Fe2O3 photoanodes is 2.8 time higher than the bare 1 D Zr:Fe2O3. The extended absorbance spectrum, the reduced recombination, and the effective transport of photogenerated holes in CdS to the electrolyte facilitate enhancement in the photoelectrochemical performance. From X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and TEM observations of the bare and aluminum oxide‐treated CdS/1 D Zr:Fe2O3 photoanodes, we could confirm that the 1 D Zr:Fe2O3 nanorods were covered by the CdS layer and Al2O3 layer present on surface of CdS. Furthermore, the photocurrent and stability of the CdS/1 D Zr:Fe2O3 nanorods was significantly enhanced by Al2O3 compared to bare CdS/1 D Zr:Fe2O3 heterojunction owing to its ability to act as an effective holetransport‐ as well as photocorrosion‐protecting layer. These remarkable enhancements in light‐energy harvesting, improvement in charge transport, and stability directly suggest the usefulness of photoanodes for solar hydrogen generation.
Designing Squaraines to Control Charge Injection and Recombination Processes in NiO‐based Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Langmar Oliver , Saccone Davide , Amat Anna , Fantacci Simona , Viscardi Guido , Barolo Claudia , Costa Rubén D. , Guldi Dirk M.
Published: March 2017

Herein, the synthesis of a new family of squaraines (SQs) and their application in p‐type dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is presented. In particular, two sets of SQs were designed featuring either two or four anchoring carboxylic groups combined with either oxygen or dicyanovinyl central groups. The SQs were characterized by using a joint theoretical, photophysical, and electrochemical approach. Importantly, the presence of different central groups forces a frozen cis (dicyanovinyl group) or a trans (oxygen group) SQ conformation. Based on the latter, the current work enables a direct comparison between cis and trans isomers as well as the impact of a different number of anchors. Considering their electron‐accepting and light‐harvesting character, they were tested in NiO‐based DSSCs. Photocurrent–voltage, incident photon‐to‐current conversion efficiency (IPCE), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements were performed. By virtue of their different symmetry, stereochemistry, and number of carboxylic groups, altered adsorption behavior onto NiO electrodes as well as diverse charge injection and charge recombination dynamics were noted under operation conditions. SQs with four linkers in a frozen cis isomerism show the best charge collection properties among the investigated SQs, providing a valuable guideline for the molecular design of future SQs for p‐type DSSCs. In addition, we assembled tandem DSSCs featuring SQ/NiO photocathodes and N719/TiO2 photoanodes. The IPCE of the resulting tandem DSSCs implies light harvesting throughout most of the visible part of the solar spectrum owing to the complementary absorption features of SQ and N719.
Metal Doping to Enhance the Photoelectrochemical Behavior of LaFeO3 Photocathodes
Authors: Díez‐García María Isabel , Gómez Roberto
Published: March 2017

The development of tandem devices for water photosplitting requires the preparation of photocathodic materials based on earth‐abundant elements that show long‐term stability in aqueous electrolytes. Ternary metal oxides seem to be a viable option, among which perovskites stand out. In this context, transparent and compact LaFeO3 thin‐film electrodes have been prepared by a sol–gel process, both undoped and doped with metals (M) such as Mg or Zn. Pristine electrodes support the development of cathodic photocurrents in 0.1 m NaOH aqueous solutions, particularly in the presence of oxygen, with an onset potential as high as 1.4 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode. Doping with Mg or Zn leads to an important enhancement of the photocurrent, which peaks for a stoichiometry of LaFe0.95M0.05O3 with a sixfold enhancement with respect to the pristine material. Such an improvement is attributed to an increase in both the density and mobility of the majority carriers, although a contribution of surface passivation cannot be excluded.
Interlaboratory trial for the measurement of total cobalt in equine urine and plasma by ICP‐MS
Authors: Popot Marie‐Agnes , Ho Emmie N.M. , Stojiljkovic Natali , Bagilet Florian , Remy Pierre , Maciejewski Pascal , Loup Benoit , Chan George H.M. , Hargrave Sabine , Arthur Rick M. , Russo Charlie , White James , Hincks Pamela , Pearce Clive , Ganio George , Zahra Paul , Batty David , Jarrett Mark , Brooks Lydia , Prescott Lise‐Anne , Bailly‐Chouriberry Ludovic , Bonnaire Yves , Wan Terence S.M.
Published: March 2017

Cobalt is an essential mineral micronutrient and is regularly present in equine nutritional and feed supplements. Therefore, cobalt is naturally present at low concentrations in biological samples. The administration of cobalt chloride is considered to be blood doping and is thus prohibited. To control the misuse of cobalt, it was mandatory to establish an international threshold for cobalt in plasma and/or in urine. To achieve this goal, an international collaboration, consisting of an interlaboratory comparison between 5 laboratories for the urine study and 8 laboratories for the plasma study, has been undertaken. Quantification of cobalt in the biological samples was performed by inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS). Ring tests were based on the analysis of 5 urine samples supplemented at concentrations ranging from 5 up to 500 ng/mL and 5 plasma samples spiked at concentrations ranging from 0.5 up to 25 ng/mL. The results obtained from the different laboratories were collected, compiled, and compared to assess the reproducibility and robustness of cobalt quantification measurements. The statistical approach for the ring test for total cobalt in urine was based on the determination of percentage deviations from the calculated means, while robust statistics based on the calculated median were applied to the ring test for total cobalt in plasma. The inter‐laboratory comparisons in urine and in plasma were successful so that 97.6% of the urine samples and 97.5% of the plasma samples gave satisfactory results. Threshold values for cobalt in plasma and urine were established from data only obtained by laboratories involved in the ring test. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Par3 in chick lens placode development
Authors: Melo Maraysa de Oliveira , Moraes Borges Ricardo , Yan Chao Yun Irene
Published: March 2017

The lens originates from a simple cuboidal epithelium, which, on its basal side, contacts the optic vesicle, whilst facing the extraembryonic environment on its apical side. As this epithelium changes into the pseudostratified lens placode, its cells elongate and become narrower at their apical ends. This is due to the formation of an apical actin network, whose appearance is restricted to cells of the placodal region, as a result of region‐specific signaling mechanisms that remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of the polarity protein PAR3 and the phosphorylation state of its Threonine 833 (T833) aPKC‐binding site in the recruitment of aPKC and in the establishment of actin network in the chick lens placode. Overexpression of wild type PAR3 recruited aPKC and punctate actin clusters to the basolateral membranes of the placodal cells. Recruitment of aPKC depended on the charge of the residue that replaced the T833 residue. In contrast, induction of the ectopic actin spots was independent on the charge of this residue.
Top‐down control of carbon sequestration: grazing affects microbial structure and function in salt marsh soils
Authors: Mueller Peter , Granse Dirk , Nolte Stefanie , Do Hai Thi , Weingartner Magdalena , Hoth Stefan , Jensen Kai
Published: March 2017

Tidal wetlands have been increasingly recognized as long‐term carbon sinks in recent years. Work on carbon sequestration and decomposition processes in tidal wetlands focused so far mainly on effects of global‐change factors such as sea‐level rise and increasing temperatures. However, little is known about effects of land use, such as livestock grazing, on organic matter decomposition and ultimately carbon sequestration. The present work aims at understanding the mechanisms by which large herbivores can affect organic matter decomposition in tidal wetlands. This was achieved by studying both direct animal–microbe interactions and indirect animal–plant–microbe interactions in grazed and ungrazed areas of two long‐term experimental field sites at the German North Sea coast. We assessed bacterial and fungal gene abundance using quantitative PCR, as well as the activity of microbial exo‐enzymes by conducting fluorometric assays. We demonstrate that grazing can have a profound impact on the microbial community structure of tidal wetland soils, by consistently increasing the fungi‐to‐bacteria ratio by 38–42%, and therefore potentially exerts important control over carbon turnover and sequestration. The observed shift in the microbial community was primarily driven by organic matter source, with higher contributions of recalcitrant autochthonous (terrestrial) vs. easily degradable allochthonous (marine) sources in grazed areas favoring relative fungal abundance. We propose a novel and indirect form of animal–plant–microbe interaction: top‐down control of aboveground vegetation structure determines the capacity of allochthonous organic matter trapping during flooding and thus the structure of the microbial community. Furthermore, our data provide the first evidence that grazing slows down microbial exo‐enzyme activity and thus decomposition through changes in soil redox chemistry. Activities of enzymes involved in C cycling were reduced by 28–40%, while activities of enzymes involved in N cycling were not consistently affected by grazing. It remains unclear if this is a trampling‐driven direct grazing effect, as hypothesized in earlier studies, or if the effect on redox chemistry is plant mediated and thus indirect. This study improves our process‐level understanding of how grazing can affect the microbial ecology and biogeochemistry of semi‐terrestrial ecosystems that may help explain and predict differences in C turnover and sequestration rates between grazed and ungrazed systems.
How repeatable is the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT)? Comparing independent global impact assessments of amphibians
Authors: Kumschick Sabrina , Measey G. John , Vimercati Giovanni , de Villiers F. Andre , Mokhatla Mohlamatsane M. , Davies Sarah J. , Thorp Corey J. , Rebelo Alexander D. , Blackburn Tim M. , Kraus Fred
Published: March 2017

The magnitude of impacts some alien species cause to native environments makes them targets for regulation and management. However, which species to target is not always clear, and comparisons of a wide variety of impacts are necessary. Impact scoring systems can aid management prioritization of alien species. For such tools to be objective, they need to be robust to assessor bias. Here, we assess the newly proposed Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) used for amphibians and test how outcomes differ between assessors. Two independent assessments were made by Kraus (Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, 46, 2015, 75‐97) and Kumschick et al. (Neobiota, 33, 2017, 53‐66), including independent literature searches for impact records. Most of the differences between these two classifications can be attributed to different literature search strategies used with only one‐third of the combined number of references shared between both studies. For the commonly assessed species, the classification of maximum impacts for most species is similar between assessors, but there are differences in the more detailed assessments. We clarify one specific issue resulting from different interpretations of EICAT, namely the practical interpretation and assigning of disease impacts in the absence of direct evidence of transmission from alien to native species. The differences between assessments outlined here cannot be attributed to features of the scheme. Reporting bias should be avoided by assessing all alien species rather than only the seemingly high‐impacting ones, which also improves the utility of the data for management and prioritization for future research. Furthermore, assessments of the same taxon by various assessors and a structured review process for assessments, as proposed by Hawkins et al. (Diversity and Distributions, 21, 2015, 1360), can ensure that biases can be avoided and all important literature is included.
Species partitioning in a temperate mountain chain: Segregation by habitat vs. interspecific competition
Authors: Bastianelli Giulia , Wintle Brendan A. , Martin Elizabeth H. , Seoane Javier , Laiolo Paola
Published: March 2017

Disentangling the relative influence of the environment and biotic interactions in determining species coexistence patterns is a major challenge in ecology. The zonation occurring along elevation gradients, or at bioclimatic contact zones, offers a good opportunity to improve such understanding because the small scale at which the partitioning occurs facilitates inference based on experiments and ecological modelling. We studied the influence of abiotic gradients, habitat types, and interspecific competition in determining the spatial turnover between two pipit and two bunting species in NW Spain. We explored two independent lines of evidence to draw inference about the relative importance of environment and biotic interactions in driving range partitioning along elevation, latitude, and longitude. We combined occurrence data with environmental data to develop joint species distribution models (JSDM), in order to attribute co‐occurrence (or exclusion) to shared (or divergent) environmental responses and to interactions (attraction or exclusion). In the same region, we tested for interference competition by means of playback experiments in the contact zone. The JSDMs highlighted different responses for the two species pairs, although we did not find direct evidence of interspecific aggressiveness in our playback experiments. In pipits, partitioning was explained by divergent climate and habitat requirements and also by the negative correlations between species not explained by the environment. This significant residual correlation may reflect forms of competition others than direct interference, although we could not completely exclude the influence of unmeasured environmental predictors. When bunting species co‐occurred, it was because of shared habitat preferences, and a possible limitation to dispersal might cause their partitioning. Our results indicate that no single mechanism dominates in driving the distribution of our study species, but rather distributions are determined by the combination of many small forces including biotic and abiotic determinants of niche, whose relative strengths varied among species.
Extreme drought, host density, sex, and bullfrogs influence fungal pathogen infection in a declining lotic amphibian
Authors: Adams Andrea J. , Kupferberg Sarah J. , Wilber Mark Q. , Pessier Allan P. , Grefsrud Marcia , Bobzien Steve , Vredenburg Vance T. , Briggs Cheryl J.
Published: March 2017

Freshwater biodiversity is imperiled across the globe, and multiple stressors such as habitat alteration, non‐native species invasion, disease, and climate change can act in concert to threaten vulnerable taxa. The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the disease chytridiomycosis, is one of the causative factors of severe amphibian declines. The foothill yellow‐legged frog (Rana boylii) is a stream‐breeding anuran endemic to California and Oregon (USA) that has declined precipitously in recent decades, yet there is little information on its susceptibility to Bd. In the fall of 2013, we observed dead and dying juvenile R. boylii in a San Francisco Bay Area watershed where annual amphibian breeding censuses have been conducted since 1997 in a free‐flowing reach and since 2003 in an anthropogenically modified stream reach. High pathogen loads on R. boylii and histologic lesions observed on a dead R. boylii metamorph collected from the site were consistent with lethal chytridiomycosis. The outbreak coincided with extremely low stream flows in autumn that concentrated frogs in drying pools and the absence of high peak flows in winter that allowed non‐native American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) to expand their spatial distribution in the stream network. Following the outbreak, we surveyed R. boylii and sympatric anurans at the site for the next two years to determine Bd trends within the population. Using mixed‐effects models, we found that bullfrog presence was a positive predictor of both Bd prevalence and Bd load in R. boylii. Prevalence was also influenced by sex and life stage: Adult males were more likely to be infected than either females or juveniles. Moreover, we found that stream flow volume was negatively associated with Bd load. These results indicate that disease, drought, and flow regulation may interact synergistically to impact amphibians in ways not previously recognized, informing stream flow management strategies for native aquatic taxa.
Outside the envelope: rare events disrupt the relationshipbetween climate factors and species interactions
Authors: Stuble Katharine L. , Zefferman Emily P. , Wolf Kristina M. , Vaughn Kurt J. , Young Truman P.
Published: March 2017

The order in which species arrive during community assembly can be an important driver of community composition and function. However, the strength of these priority effects can be variable, in part because of strong site and year effects. To understand how priority effects vary in importance with abiotic conditions, we initiated identical community assembly experiments in which we varied the timing of arrival of native and exotic grass species in each of 4 yr across three grassland sites in northern California. This uniquely replicated experiment tested the power of priority to determine initial community structure in a restoration context across a natural range of conditions. There were large and significant differences in both total seeded cover and the strength of priority across sites and years of initiation, confirming the suspicion that most ecological experiments may lack spatial and temporal generality. On the other hand, much of the variation in strength of priority could be related to climate. Strikingly, however, the model fit across the three sites and the first 3 yr of the study (the first nine experiments) was radically altered when we included the fourth year, which was characterized by an unusual weather pattern with higher temporal variability in rainfall (a rainfall pattern predicted to increase with climate change). This year produced relatively low strength of priority, supporting the suggestion that highly variable climates may be associated with lower strength of priority effects. Experiments that examine community assembly over a range of naturally occurring abiotic conditions enhance our ability to predict when priority effects will be important, allowing us to explore shifting patterns of community assembly in the face of climate change and optimize restoration strategies based on environmental conditions.
Thymic crosstalk restrains the pool of cortical thymic epithelial cells with progenitor properties
Authors: Meireles Catarina , Ribeiro Ana R. , Pinto Rute D. , Leitão Catarina , Rodrigues Pedro M. , Alves Nuno L.
Published: March 2017

Cortical (cTEC) and medullary (mTEC) thymic epithelial cells establish key microenvironments for T‐cell differentiation and arise from thymic epithelial cell progenitors (TEP). However, the nature of TEPs and the mechanism controlling their stemness in the postnatal thymus remain poorly defined. Using TEC clonogenic assays as a surrogate to survey TEP activity, we found that a fraction of cTECs generates specialized clonal‐derived colonies, which contain cells with sustained colony‐forming capacity (ClonoTECs). These ClonoTECs are EpCAM+MHCII‐Foxn1lo cells that lack traits of mature cTECs or mTECs but co‐express stem‐cell markers, including CD24 and Sca‐1. Supportive of their progenitor identity, ClonoTECs reintegrate within native thymic microenvironments and generate cTECs or mTECs in vivo. Strikingly, the frequency of cTECs with the potential to generate ClonoTECs wanes between the postnatal and young adult immunocompetent thymus, but it is sustained in alymphoid Rag2‐/‐Il2rg‐/‐ counterparts. Conversely, transplantation of wild‐type bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors into Rag2‐/‐Il2rg‐/‐ mice and consequent restoration of thymocyte‐mediated TEC differentiation diminishes the frequency of colony‐forming units within cTECs. Our findings provide evidence that the cortical epithelium contains a reservoir of epithelial progenitors whose abundance is dynamically controlled by continual interactions with developing thymocytes across lifespan.
Synthesis and Characterization of Bimetallic Single‐Source Precursors (Ph3P)2M(µ‐SEt)2E(SEt)2 for MES2 Chalcopyrite Materials (M = Cu, Ag and E = In, Ga, Al)
Authors: Margulieux Kelsey R. , Sun Chivin , Kihara Matthew T. , Colson Adam C. , Zakharov Lev N. , Whitmire Kenton H. , Holland Andrew W. , Pak Joshua J.
Published: March 2017

We report the synthesis and characterization of I–III bimetallic complexes (Ph3P)2M(µ‐SEt)2E(SEt)2 (M = Cu, Ag and E = In, Ga, Al), as well as (Ph3P)2M(µ‐Cl)2ECl2 complexes isolated during their syntheses. The thiolate complexes can be used as single‐source precursors (SSPs) to prepare various I–III chalcogenide semiconductor materials. The preparation of some SSPs of the series required minor variation in the reaction conditions. The organometallic complexes were structurally characterized by X‐ray diffraction. The SSPs are compared in terms of their solid‐state structures, basic reactivity, and potential suitability as precursors for chalcopyrite materials.
Introducing Chirality into Hybrid Clusters from an Achiral Ligand: Synthesis and Characterization of Polyoxomolybdates Containing a Benzylarsonate Group
Authors: Liu Meng‐Shu , Yu Wei‐Dong , Yan Qian‐Wen , Yan Jun
Published: March 2017

Benzylarsonic acid as a flotation collector was introduced into polyoxometalate chemistry and two new hybrid clusters, [(C6H5CH2AsO3)2Mo5O15]4– (1a) and [(C6H5CH2AsO3)4Mo12O34]4– (2a), were synthesized and characterized by chemical and spectral analysis. Self‐assembly of 1a led to chiral crystals of compound 1, whereas compound 2 was found to be a racemic mixture of the “inverted‐Keggin” hybrid cluster of 2a. Both compounds were characterized in the solid state, and their redox properties were examined.
Recognition of Chiral Amines by a Terpyridine–ZnII‐Complex‐Based Circular‐Dichroism Sensor
Authors: Chen Liming , Yu Shanshan , Xiao Meng , Huang Zeng , Wen Kaili , Xu Yimang , Zhao Feng , Yu Xiaoqi , Pu Lin
Published: March 2017

A terpyridine‐based aldehyde was discovered to exhibit strong circular‐dichroism (CD) signals at wavelengths much greater than the absorptions of the chiral substrates when treated with chiral amines, amino alcohols, and amino acids in the presence of Zn2+. This sensor system can be used to determine the enantiomeric composition of the chiral compounds by CD measurement.
Synthesis of Functionalized Quinolines from 4‐(o‐Nitroaryl)‐Substituted 3‐Acyl‐4,5‐Dihydrofurans: Reductive Cyclization and C=C Bond Cleavage
Authors: Zaytsev Sergey V. , Villemson Elena V. , Ivanov Konstantin L. , Budynina Ekaterina M. , Melnikov Mikhail Ya.
Published: March 2017

A new synthetic approach to functionalized quinolines was developed based on the application of Zn–AcOH system as a simple and efficient reductive agent towards 4‐(o‐nitroaryl)‐3‐acyl‐substituted 4,5‐dihydrofurans. Reduction of 3‐carbonyl‐substituted dihydrofurans is accomplished by C=C double‐bond cleavage in the dihydrofuran ring and 1,6‐cyclization, which leads to 3,4‐dihydroquinolines. The latter can be easily oxidized to quinolines or reduced to tetrahydroquinolines. For dihydrofuran‐3‐carboxylates, reduction proceeds with retention of the dihydrofuran ring and affords a tricyclic dihydrofuroquinoline core under harsher conditions. The proposed general reaction pattern was supported by results of DFT calculations. Moreover, a similar reductive system can be successfully applied in the conversion of dihydrofuran acyclic precursors, γ‐(o‐nitroaryl) α,β‐unsaturated carbonyl compounds, into quinoline derivatives.
Inflammatory ‘double hit’ model of temporomandibular joint disorder with elevated CCL2, CXCL9, CXCL10, RANTES and behavioural hypersensitivity in TNFR1/R2−/− mice
Authors: McIlwrath S.L. , Nesemeier R. , Ma F. , Oz H.S. , Zhang L. , Westlund K.N.
Published: March 2017

Background

Patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD), reactive arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis often have combined etiology of hereditary and microenvironmental factors contributing to joint pain. Multiple clinical and animal studies indicate ‘double‐hit’ inflammatory insults can cause chronic inflammation. The first inflammatory insult primes the immune system and subsequent insults elicit amplified responses. The present ‘double hit’ study produced a chronic orofacial pain model in mice with genetic deletion of both TNFα receptors (TNFR1/R2−/−), investigating the main nociceptive signalling pathways in comparisons to wild type mice.

Methods

An initial inflammatory insult was given unilaterally into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Secondary hypersensitivity was tested on the skin over the TMJ throughout the experiment. Three weeks later after complete reversal of hypersensitivity, a second inflammatory insult was imposed on the colon. Pharmacological interventions were tested for efficacy after week 10 when hypersensitivity was chronic in TNFR1/R2−/− mice. Serum cytokines were analysed at Days 1, 14, and Week 18.

Results

The double hit insult produced chronic hypersensitivity continuing through the 4‐month experimental timeline in the absence of TNFα signalling. P2X7 and NMDA receptor antagonists temporarily attenuated chronic hypersensitivity. Serum cytokine/chemokine analysis on Day 14 when CFA induced hypersensitivity was resolved identified increased levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines CCL2, CXCL9, CXCL10, RANTES and decreased levels of anti‐inflammatory cytokines IL‐1ra and IL‐4 in TNFR1/R2−/− compared to WT mice.

Conclusions

These data suggest a causal feed‐forward signalling cascade of these little studied cytokines have the potential to cause recrudescence in this orofacial inflammatory pain model in the absence of TNFα signalling.

Significance

Using a mouse model of chronic inflammatory temporomandibular joint disorder, we determined that absence of functional TNFR1/R2 induces aberrant inflammatory signalling caused by other increased pro‐inflammatory and decreased anti‐inflammatory cytokines that could serve as blood biomarkers and may predict disease progression.
Improvement of docosahexaenoic acid fermentation from Schizochytrium sp. AB‐610 by staged pH control based on cell morphological changes
Authors: Zhao Ben , Li Yafei , Mbifile Martha Daniel , Li Changling , Yang Hailin , Wang Wu
Published: March 2017

Schizochytrium sp. AB‐610 accumulates relatively higher amount of DHA‐rich lipid in the cells, and it was found that DHA yield was closely related to the cell morphology and pH value during fermentation period. DHA production from Schizochytrium sp. AB‐610 in fed‐batch fermentation was investigated and four growth stages were clarified as lag stage, balanced growth stage, lipid accumulation stage, and lipid turnover stage, based on the morphologic observation and key parameters changes. Then a simple strategy of two‐stage pH control was developed, in which pH 7.0 was kept until 12 h after the end of balanced growth stage, and then shifted to 5.0 for the rest period in fermentation. A maximal DHA production of 11.44g/L was achieved. This approach has advantage of easy scaling up for industrial DHA fermentation from Schizochytrium sp. cells.
Textural, microstructural, and compositional characteristics of Fe‐based geomaterials and Upper Paleolithic ocher in the Lessini Mountains, Northeast Italy: Implications for provenance studies
Authors: Cavallo Giovanni , Fontana Federica , Gonzato Federica , Peresani Marco , Riccardi Maria Pia , Zorzin Roberto
Published: March 2017

Provenance research of archaeological ocher contributes to understanding the capabilities of prehistoric humans to select, process, and treat suitable raw materials for symbolic and utilitarian purposes. The western part of the Lessini Mountains in the Veneto region of northeast Italy is an ideal location for this type of study as it features several different Fe‐rich deposits, and many examples of archaeological ocher have been found in the nearby Fumane Cave and Tagliente Rockshelter Upper Paleolithic sites. Sourcing areas are often identified through the use of geochemical studies; however, microscopic techniques can also be used with the benefit of providing more detailed information about accessory minerals and textural characteristics of the material. One of the goals of our study was to demonstrate the potential in using polarizing light microscopy supported by scanning electron microscopy coupled with an energy dispersive X‐ray spectrometer in research of this type. We studied geological source samples and archaeological materials from the sites, the results of which are very promising in terms of shedding light on the sourcing of prehistoric ocher in this region.
Important considerations in lesion‐symptom mapping: Illustrations from studies of word comprehension
Authors: Shahid Hinna , Sebastian Rajani , Schnur Tatiana T. , Hanayik Taylor , Wright Amy , Tippett Donna C. , Fridriksson Julius , Rorden Chris , Hillis Argye E.
Published: March 2017

Lesion‐symptom mapping is an important method of identifying networks of brain regions critical for functions. However, results might be influenced substantially by the imaging modality and timing of assessment. We tested the hypothesis that brain regions found to be associated with acute language deficits depend on (1) timing of behavioral measurement, (2) imaging sequences utilized to define the “lesion” (structural abnormality only or structural plus perfusion abnormality), and (3) power of the study. We studied 191 individuals with acute left hemisphere stroke with MRI and language testing to identify areas critical for spoken word comprehension. We use the data from this study to examine the potential impact of these three variables on lesion‐symptom mapping. We found that only the combination of structural and perfusion imaging within 48 h of onset identified areas where more abnormal voxels was associated with more severe acute deficits, after controlling for lesion volume and multiple comparisons. The critical area identified with this methodology was the left posterior superior temporal gyrus, consistent with other methods that have identified an important role of this area in spoken word comprehension. Results have implications for interpretation of other lesion‐symptom mapping studies, as well as for understanding areas critical for auditory word comprehension in the healthy brain. We propose that lesion‐symptom mapping at the acute stage of stroke addresses a different sort of question about brain–behavior relationships than lesion‐symptom mapping at the chronic stage, but that timing of behavioral measurement and imaging modalities should be considered in either case. Hum Brain Mapp 38:2990–3000, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Changes in low and high flows in the Vistula and the Odra basins: Model projections in the European‐scale context
Authors: Piniewski Mikołaj , Szcześniak Mateusz , Kundzewicz Zbigniew W. , Mezghani Abdelkader , Hov Øystein
Published: March 2017

A number of extensive droughts and destructive floods have occurred in Poland in the last 25 years; hence, projections of low and high river flows are of considerable interest and importance. In the first part of this paper, projections of low and high flows in the rivers of the Vistula and the Odra basins (VOB region), for two future time horizons, are presented. Projections are based on the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) hydrological model simulations driven by results of the EURO‐CORDEX experiment under Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5. The VOB region covers most of Poland and parts of five neighboring countries, giving this study an international relevance. In the second part of the paper, a review of projections of low and high flows in rivers in Central and Eastern Europe is presented. Despite a substantial spread of flow projections, the main message of the modelling part is that increases of both low and high flows are dominating. The magnitude of increase of low flow is considerably higher than that of high flow. In other words, future streamflow droughts are projected to be less severe, whereas, in contrast, river floods are projected to increase, which is a challenge for flood risk reduction, water management, and climate change adaptation. There is an overall agreement of our findings for the VOB region with projections of hydrological extremes from large‐scale models forced by EURO‐CORDEX results in the European‐scale studies.
Evaluation of distributed BMPs in an urban watershed—High resolution modeling for stormwater management
Authors: Fry Timothy J. , Maxwell Reed M.
Published: March 2017

The urban environment modifies the hydrologic cycle resulting in increased runoff rates, volumes, and peak flows. Green infrastructure, which uses best management practices (BMPs), is a natural system approach used to mitigate the impacts of urbanization onto stormwater runoff. Patterns of stormwater runoff from urban environments are complex, and it is unclear how efficiently green infrastructure will improve the urban water cycle. These challenges arise from issues of scale, the merits of BMPs depend on changes to small‐scale hydrologic processes aggregated up from the neighborhood to the urban watershed. Here, we use a hyper‐resolution (1 m), physically based hydrologic model of the urban hydrologic cycle with explicit inclusion of the built environment. This model represents the changes to hydrology at the BMP scale (~1 m) and represents each individual BMP explicitly to represent response over the urban watershed. Our study varies both the percentage of BMP emplacement and their spatial location for storm events of increasing intensity in an urban watershed. We develop a metric of effectiveness that indicates a nonlinear relationship that is seen between percent BMP emplacement and storm intensity. Results indicate that BMP effectiveness varies with spatial location and that type and emplacement within the urban watershed may be more important than overall percent.
Risk factors associated with failure of treatment for cesarean scar pregnancy
Authors: Chiang Ying‐Cheng , Tu Yi‐An , Yang Jehn‐Hsiahn , Lin Shin‐Yu , Lee Chien‐Nan , Shih Jin‐Chung
Published: March 2017

Objective

To identify risk factors associated with treatment failure among women with cesarean scar pregnancy (CSP).

Methods

In a retrospective study, the medical records of patients with CSP treated at National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, from 1994 to 2015 were reviewed. The women were managed primarily with hysterotomy, evacuation, or methotrexate. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the factors associated with treatment failure.

Results

Among 90 patients, 44 underwent hysterotomy, 18 underwent evacuation, and 28 received methotrexate. The success rates were 100% (44/44) for hysterotomy, 83% (15/18) for evacuation, and 57% (16/28) for methotrexate (P<0.001). ROC curve analysis indicated that a pregnancy length of 8 weeks and a mean sac diameter (MSD) of 4 cm were both predictive of failure of treatment by primary evacuation and methotrexate. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, an MSD of 4 cm or more was the only independent risk factor for treatment failure (odds ratio 68.99, 95% confidence interval 6.27–759.60; P=0.001).

Conclusion

Primary hysterotomy was suitable for treatment of CSP of any size. Failure of primary evacuation or methotrexate usually occurred when the MSD was larger than 4 cm.
Improving Modelling of Discharge Coefficient of Triangular Labyrinth Lateral Weirs Using SVM, GMDH and MARS Techniques
Authors: Parsaie Abbas , Haghiabi Amir Hamzeh
Published: March 2017

In this study the discharge coefficient (Cd) of labyrinth lateral weirs was modelled and predicted using artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), support vector machine (SVM), group method of data handling (GMDH), and multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) techniques. To this end, a related data set was collected from the literature. Results indicated that the proposed ANN model includes two hidden layers with eight and five neurons in the first and second hidden layers, respectively. Testing transfer functions demonstrated that the radial basis function (RBF) has the best outcome. Evaluating the performance of the ANN model shows that this model with a coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.96) and root mean square error (RMSE =0.07) in the testing stage has suitable functionality. Reviewing the ANFIS model showed that this model with one hidden layer containing seven membership functions within the Gaussian function could achieve R2 = 0.94 and RMSE =0.136 for predicting the discharge coefficient. During preparation of SVM, it was found that this model with RBF as the best kernel function obtained R2 = 0.96 and RMSE =0.07. The structure of the MARS and GMDH models pointed out that the Froude number, grandiose index and ratio of upstream flow depth to the height of weir are the most effective parameters for predicting the discharge coefficient. Minimum R2 and RMSE achieved were equal to 0.93 and 0.08, respectively, in the testing stage for the MARS and GMDH models. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Deep networks for predicting direction of change in foreign exchange rates
Authors: Galeshchuk Svitlana , Mukherjee Sumitra
Published: March 2017

Trillions of dollars are traded daily on the foreign exchange (forex) market, making it the largest financial market in the world. Accurate forecasting of forex rates is a necessary element in any effective hedging or speculation strategy in the forex market. Time series models and shallow neural networks provide acceptable point estimates for future rates but are poor at predicting the direction of change and, hence, are not very useful for supporting profitable trading strategies. Machine learning classifiers trained on input features crafted based on domain knowledge produce marginally better results. The recent success of deep networks is partially attributable to their ability to learn abstract features from raw data. This motivates us to investigate the ability of deep convolution neural networks to predict the direction of change in forex rates. Exchange rates for the currency pairs EUR/USD, GBP/USD and JPY/USD are used in experiments. Results demonstrate that trained deep networks achieve satisfactory out‐of‐sample prediction accuracy.
Iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis and the role of therapeutic plasma exchange
Authors: Shah Kabeer K. , Mbughuni Michael M. , Burgstaler Edwin A. , Block Darci R. , Winters Jeffrey L.
Published: March 2017

Thyroid storm or severe thyrotoxicosis results from extreme thyroid hormone elevation. Therapy includes medical management to prevent hormone production, release, recycling, and peripheral conversion while stabilizing adrenergic tone. Thyroid dysfunction is the usual cause but it can be due to excessive thyroid hormone ingestion. Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) has been used to rapidly remove protein‐bound thyroid hormone. American Society for Apheresis guidelines make a weak recommendation to perform TPE in selected patients in the treatment of thyrotoxicosis based on low quality evidence. We present a case of excessive thyroid replacement hormone ingestion treated by TPE. The patient presented with the clinical picture of thyroid storm, including cardiovascular compromise and massively elevated total and free T3 (525 ng/dL, nl 80–200 ng/dL and 28 pg/mL, nl 2.0–3.5 11 pg/mL), which failed medical therapy. A single, one plasma volume TPE was performed. Both total and free T3 demonstrated substantial declines immediately after TPE with the patient's mental status returning to near‐normal. Thyroid hormone extraction efficiency and collection efficacy were calculated as 37.1% and 40.8%, respectively. Prior to discharge on day 6, the patient's compounding pharmacy indicated that a “bad batch” of bovine thyroid gland derived replacement hormone had been produced. TPE appears to be effective in removing protein bound thyroid hormone in extreme iatrogenic thyrotoxicosis.
“Solvent hydrogen‐bond occlusion”: A new model of polar desolvation for biomolecular energetics
Authors: Bazzoli Andrea , Karanicolas John
Published: March 2017

Water engages in two important types of interactions near biomolecules: it forms ordered “cages” around exposed hydrophobic regions, and it participates in hydrogen bonds with surface polar groups. Both types of interaction are critical to biomolecular structure and function, but explicitly including an appropriate number of solvent molecules makes many applications computationally intractable. A number of implicit solvent models have been developed to address this problem, many of which treat these two solvation effects separately. Here, we describe a new model to capture polar solvation effects, called SHO (“solvent hydrogen‐bond occlusion”); our model aims to directly evaluate the energetic penalty associated with displacing discrete first‐shell water molecules near each solute polar group. We have incorporated SHO into the Rosetta energy function, and find that scoring protein structures with SHO provides superior performance in loop modeling, virtual screening, and protein structure prediction benchmarks. These improvements stem from the fact that SHO accurately identifies and penalizes polar groups that do not participate in hydrogen bonds, either with solvent or with other solute atoms (“unsatisfied” polar groups). We expect that in future, SHO will enable higher‐resolution predictions for a variety of molecular modeling applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Study of the cold charge transfer state separation at the TQ1/PC71BM interface
Authors: Volpi Riccardo , Linares Mathieu
Published: March 2017

Charge transfer (CT) state separation is one of the most critical processes in the functioning of an organic solar cell. In this article, we study a bilayer of TQ1 and PC71BM molecules presenting disorder at the interface, obtained by means of Molecular Dynamics. The study of the CT state splitting can be first analyzed through the CT state splitting diagram, introduced in a previous work. Through this analysis, we identify the possibility of CT state splitting within Marcus Theory in function of the electric field. Once the right range of electric fields has been identified, we perform Kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to estimate percentages and times for the CT state splitting and the free charge carriers collection. Statistical information extracted from these simulations allows us to highlight the importance of polarization and to test the limits of the predictions given by the CT state splitting diagram. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cu‐free Sonogashira Type Cross‐Coupling of 6‐Halo‐2‐cyclopropyl‐3‐(pyridyl‐3‐ylmethyl) Quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones as Potential Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: Poudapally Suresh , Gurram Venkateshwarlu , Garlapati Ramesh , Tulluri Chiranjeevi , Addepally Uma , Vidya K. , Sharma Somesh , Sen Subhabrata , Pottabathini Narender
Published: March 2017

C(sp)–C(sp2) bond formation via Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions on 6‐halo‐2‐cyclopropyl‐3‐(pyridyl‐3‐ylmethyl)quinazolin‐4(3H)‐ones with appropriate alkynes was explored. Optimization of reaction conditions with various catalysts, ligands, bases, and solvents was conducted. The combination of PdCl2(MeCN)2 with X‐Phos proved to be the best metal–ligand system for this conversion in the presence of triethylamine (Et3N) in tetrahydrofuran at room temperature for iodosubstrates, at 80°C for the bromosubstrates in 8 h, and also for the chlorosubstrates in 16 h. We also demonstrated synthesis of a successful diversity‐oriented synthesis library of highly functionalized quinazolinones via Cu‐free Sonogashira coupling of diverse aryl halides and azido‐alkyne (“click”) ligation reactions with substituted azides. The library exhibited significant antimicrobial activity when screened against several microorganisms.