bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observation of Transition from Ferroelasticity to Ferroelectricity by Solvent Selective Effect in Anilinium Bromide
Authors: Fu Da‐Wei , Gao Ji‐Xing , Huang Pei‐Zhi , Ren Rui‐Ying , Shao Ting , Han Li‐Jun , Liu Jia , Gong Jun‐Miao
Published: January 2021

Organic ferroelectrics are highly desirable for their light weight, mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility. However, the rational design of organic ferroelectrics has always faced great challenges. Anilinium bromide (AB) has two structures reported in the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, which might be an mmmF2/m type ferroelastic (AB‐1). When we studied its ferroelasticity, we were surprised to discover that there was another crystal (AB‐2) in H2O besides this one, and they were very difficult to separate. By changing the solvent, we found that AB‐1 crystals could be formed in ethanol, where ferroelastic domains were visualized by polarized light microscopy, and AB‐2 crystals could be obtained from various crystallization solvents of methanol, isopropanol, N‐butanol, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and N,N‐dimethylformamide, which undergo a ferroelectric phase transition with mm2Fm, showing clear ferroelectricity in two phases. To our knowledge, the regulation of ferroelasticity to ferroelectricity by solvent selective effect is unprecedented in the field of ferroelectrics. This work reveals the important role of solvent effect in organic ferroelectrics.
Improvements of the structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of structural adhesive with functionalized boron nitride nanoparticles
Authors: Gültekin Kürşat , Uğuz Gediz , Özel Adnan
Published: January 2021

Investigations on the production and development of nanoparticle‐reinforced polymer materials have been attracted attention by researchers. Various nanoparticles have been used to improve the mechanical, chemical, thermal, and physical properties of polymer matrix composites. Boron compounds come to the fore to improve the mechanical and thermal properties of polymers. In this study, mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of structural adhesive have been examined by adding nano hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) to epoxy matrix at different percentages (0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5%). For this purpose, nano h‐BN particles were functionalized with 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to disperse the h‐BN nanoparticles homogeneously in epoxy matrix and to form a strong bond at the matrix interface. Two‐component structural epoxy adhesive was modified by using functionalized h‐BN nanoparticles. The structural and thermal properties of the modified adhesives were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersion X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. Tensile test and dynamic mechanical analysis were performed to determine the mechanical properties of the adhesives. When the results obtained from analysis were examined, it was seen that the nano h‐BN particles functionalized with APTES were homogeneously dispersed in the epoxy matrix and formed a strong bond. In addition that, it was concluded from the experimental results that the thermal and mechanical properties of adhesives were improved by adding functionalized nano h‐BN particles into epoxy at different ratios.
Rational design of vapor‐deposited self‐crosslinking polymer for transparent flexible oxygen barrier coatings
Authors: Sheng Weijie , Chen Ying , Mao Haizhuo , Li Yanshuo , Xiao Xinle , Wang Chunting , Ye Yumin , Liu Wenna
Published: January 2021

Transparent flexible barrier coatings consisting of a copolymer of 2‐isocyanatoethyl methacrylate and 4‐aminostyrene were fabricated using a facile vapor‐based initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) method. The isocyanate and amino groups were well reserved during deposition and reacted on the substrate surface, inducing self‐crosslinking. The resultant coating showed a fairly smooth pinhole‐free surface with more than 99% light transmittance across the visible range. With a proper compositional ratio, the synthesized coating demonstrated oxygen permeability 26 and 8 times lower than commercial PET and PVDF barrier films, respectively. The achieved barrier performance is attributed to the designed molecular structure, where interchain crosslinks are produced between a combination of both rigid and flexible side chains. Such combination enabled efficient packing of space while avoiding loose structures with low permeation resistance. The crosslinked network with rather flexible urea linkages also imparted excellent mechanical strength and high flexibility to the coating. Furthermore, the reported method is compatible with current industrial manufacturing process, thus expecting great potential in flexible electronics encapsulation.
Understanding the Effects of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions: A Project AIM Meta‐analysis
Authors: Crank Jenna E. , Sandbank Micheal , Dunham Kacie , Crowley Shannon , Bottema‐Beutel Kristen , Feldman Jacob , Woynaroski Tiffany G.
Published: January 2021

We examined the quality of evidence supporting the effects of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NBDIs) for facilitating change in young children with autism. We also investigated whether effects varied as a function of specific features of the intervention, samples, and outcomes measured. Twenty‐seven studies testing the effects of NDBIs were extracted from data collected for the Autism Intervention Meta‐analysis (Project AIM), a comprehensive meta‐analysis of group design, nonpharmacological intervention studies for children with autism aged 0–8 years. We extracted effect sizes for 454 outcomes from these studies for use in meta‐regression analyses testing associations between intervention effects and mean participant chronological age, language age, autism symptomatology, percentage of sample reported as male, cumulative intervention intensity, interventionist, outcome boundedness, outcome proximity, and risk of parent/teacher training correlated measurement error. The extant literature on NDBIs documents effects on social communication, language, play, and cognitive outcomes. However, our confidence in the positive and significant summary effects for these domains is somewhat limited by methodological concerns. Intervention effects were larger for context‐bound outcomes (relative to generalized), and for proximal outcomes (relative to distal). Our results indicate that NDBIs have promise as an approach for supporting development for some, but not all of the core and related features of autism in early childhood. Confidence in summary effect estimates is limited by study quality concerns, particularly an overreliance on measures subject to high detection bias. The results of this review support the use of proximity and boundedness as indicators of the limits of intervention effects.

Lay summary

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions may increase language, social communication, play skills, and cognition in young children with autism, but these increases are largest for skills directly targeted by the intervention, and in contexts that are similar to that of the intervention. These conclusions are tempered by some concerns regarding research design across the studies that have been conducted to date. Autism Res 2021, 14: 817–834. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research and Wiley Periodicals LLC
Fragment‐Based Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Screen against a Regulator of G Protein Signaling Identifies a Binding “Hot Spot”
Authors: Hayes Michael P. , O'Brien Joseph B. , Crawford Rachel A. , Fowler C. Andrew , Yu Liping , Doorn Jonathan A. , Roman David L.
Published: January 2021

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins have attracted attention as a result of their primary role in directing the specificity as well as the temporal and spatial aspects of G protein‐coupled receptor signaling. In addition, alterations in RGS protein expression have been observed in a number of disease states, including certain cancers. In this area, RGS17 is of particular interest. It has been demonstrated that, while RGS17 is expressed primarily in the central nervous system, it has been found to be inappropriately expressed in lung, prostate, breast, cervical, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Overexpression of RGS17 leads to dysfunction in inhibitory G protein signaling and an overproduction of the intracellular second messenger cAMP, which in turn alters the transcription patterns of proteins known to promote various cancer types. Suppressing RGS17 expression with RNA interference (RNAi) has been found to decrease tumorigenesis and sufficiently prevents cancer cell migration, leading to the hypothesis that pharmacological blocking of RGS17 function could be useful in anticancer therapies. We have identified small‐molecule fragments capable of binding the RGS homology (RH) domain of RGS17 by using a nuclear magnetic resonance fragment‐based screening approach. By chemical shift mapping of the two‐dimensional 15N,1H heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) spectra of the backbone‐assigned 15N‐labeled RGS17‐RH, we determined the fragment binding sites to be distant from the Gα interface. Thus, our study identifies a putative fragment binding site on RGS17 that was previously unknown.
In Situ X‐ray Diffraction Investigation of the Crystallisation of Perfluorinated CeIV‐Based Metal–Organic Frameworks with UiO‐66 and MIL‐140 Architectures**
Authors: Shearan Stephen J. I. , Jacobsen Jannick , Costantino Ferdinando , D'Amato Roberto , Novikov Dmitri , Stock Norbert , Andreoli Enrico , Taddei Marco
Published: January 2021

We report on the results of an in situ synchrotron powder X‐ray diffraction study of the crystallisation in aqueous medium of two recently discovered perfluorinated CeIV‐based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), analogues of the already well investigated ZrIV‐based UiO‐66 and MIL‐140A, namely, F4_UiO‐66(Ce) and F4_MIL‐140A(Ce). The two MOFs were originally obtained in pure form in similar conditions, using ammonium cerium nitrate and tetrafluoroterephthalic acid as reagents, and small variations of the reaction parameters were found to yield mixed phases. Here, we investigate the crystallisation of these compounds, varying parameters such as temperature, amount of the protonation modulator nitric acid and amount of the coordination modulator acetic acid. When only HNO3 is present in the reaction environment, only F4_MIL‐140A(Ce) is obtained. Heating preferentially accelerates nucleation, which becomes rate determining below 57 °C. Upon addition of AcOH to the system, alongside HNO3, mixed‐phased products are obtained. F4_UiO‐66(Ce) is always formed faster, and no interconversion between the two phases occurs. In the case of F4_UiO‐66(Ce), crystal growth is always the rate‐determining step. A higher amount of HNO3 favours the formation of F4_MIL‐140A(Ce), whereas increasing the amount of AcOH favours the formation of F4_UiO‐66(Ce). Based on the in situ results, a new optimised route to achieving a pure, high‐quality F4_MIL‐140A(Ce) phase in mild conditions (60 °C, 1 h) is also identified.
Structural testing for communication events into loops of message‐passing parallel programs
Authors: Diaz Silvia M. D. , Souza Paulo S. L. , Souza Simone R. S.
Published: January 2021

There is a growing demand for correct parallel programs, mainly due to nowadays availability of parallel architectures. Structural testing allows identifying defects by analyzing the internal structures of a program. However, communication and synchronization in parallel programs bring new challenges to the testing activity, such as nondeterminism. Message‐passing parallel programs require structural testing criteria to support test models and tools capable of covering synchronization events with dynamic behaviors. Testing such primitives inside loops in message‐passing programs is still challenging with nontrivial solutions for criteria, models, and tools. This article proposes new structural testing criteria to guide the selection of test cases, improving the quality of message‐passing programs by revealing nondeterminism‐related defects present in loops. We present a new test model to support our criteria for structural testing of MPI‐applications and implement the proposed criteria in the tool ValiMPI. The analysis of nondeterminism‐related defects, paths inside loops, loop iterations, and nested loops allow us to establish a structured testing model. We validate the testing criteria through experimental studies using ValiMPI. Our results show that our criteria reveal unknown defects from communication and synchronization events in different loop iterations, increasing the quality of message‐passing parallel programs.
Improving word embedding quality with innovative automated approaches to hyperparameters
Authors: Yildiz Beytullah , Tezgider Murat
Published: January 2021

Deep learning practices have a great impact in many areas. Big data and significant hardware developments are the main reasons behind deep learning success. Recent advances in deep learning have led to significant improvements in text analysis and classification. Progress in the quality of word representation is an important factor among these improvements. In this study, we aimed to develop word2vec word representation, also called embedding, by automatically optimizing hyperparameters. Minimum word count, vector size, window size, negative sample, and iteration number were used to improve word embedding. We introduce two approaches for setting hyperparameters that are faster than grid search and random search. Word embeddings were created using documents of approximately 300 million words. We measured the quality of word embedding using a deep learning classification model on documents of 10 different classes. It was observed that the optimization of the values of hyperparameters alone increased classification success by 9%. In addition, we demonstrate the benefits of our approaches by comparing the semantic and syntactic relations between word embedding using default and optimized hyperparameters.
Prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor desidustat protects against acute and chronic kidney injury by reducing inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress
Authors: Joharapurkar Amit A. , Patel Vishal J. , Kshirsagar Samadhan G. , Patel Maulik S. , Savsani Hardikkumar H. , Jain Mukul R.
Published: January 2021

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with activated inflammatory responses. Desidustat, a prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) inhibitor is useful for treatment of anemia associated with CKD, but its effect on the inflammatory and fibrotic changes in CKD is not evaluated. In this study, we investigated the effect of desidustat on the inflammatory and fibrotic changes in preclinical models of acute and chronic kidney injury. Acute kidney injury was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by ischemia–reperfusion, in which effect of desidustat (15 mg/kg, PO) was estimated. In a separate experiment, male C57 mice were treated with adenine for 14 days to induce CKD. These mice were treated with desidustat (15 mg/kg, PO, alternate day) treatment for 14 days, with adenine continued. Desidustat prevented elevation of serum creatinine, urea, IL‐1β, IL‐6, and kidney injury molecule‐1 (KIM‐1), and elevated the erythropoietin levels in rats that were subjected to acute kidney injury. Mice treated with adenine developed CKD and anemia, and desidustat treatment caused improvement in serum creatinine, urea, and also improved hemoglobin and reduced hepatic and serum hepcidin. A significant reduction in IL‐1β, IL‐6, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and oxidative stress was observed by desidustat treatment. Desidustat treatment also reduced renal fibrosis as observed by histological analysis and hydroxyproline content. Desidustat treatment reduced the renal fibrosis and inflammation along with a reduction in anemia in preclinical models of kidney injury, which may translate to protective effects in CKD patients.
Estimating individual‐level plant traits at scale
Authors: Marconi Sergio , Graves Sarah J. , Weinstein Ben G. , Bohlman Stephanie , White Ethan P.
Published: January 2021

Functional ecology has increasingly focused on describing ecological communities based on their traits (measurable features affecting individuals’ fitness and performance). Analyzing trait distributions within and among forests could significantly improve understanding of community composition and ecosystem function. Historically, data on trait distributions are generated by (1) collecting a small number of leaves from a small number of trees, which suffers from limited sampling but produces information at the fundamental ecological unit (the individual), or (2) using remote‐sensing images to infer traits, producing information continuously across large regions, but as plots (containing multiple trees of different species) or pixels, not individuals. Remote‐sensing methods that identify individual trees and estimate their traits would provide the benefits of both approaches, producing continuous large‐scale data linked to biological individuals. We used data from the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) to develop a method to scale up functional traits from 160 trees to the millions of trees within the spatial extent of two NEON sites. The pipeline consists of three stages: (1) image segmentation, to identify individual trees and estimate structural traits; (2) an ensemble of models to infer leaf mass area (LMA), nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus content using hyperspectral signatures, and DBH from allometry; and (3) predictions for segmented crowns for the full remote‐sensing footprint at the NEON sites. The R2 values on held‐out test data ranged from 0.41 to 0.75 on held‐out test data. The ensemble approach performed better than single partial least‐squares models. Carbon performed poorly compared to other traits (R2 of 0.41). The crown segmentation step contributed the most uncertainty in the pipeline, due to over‐segmentation. The pipeline produced good estimates of DBH (R2 of 0.62 on held‐out data). Trait predictions for crowns performed significantly better than comparable predictions on pixels, resulting in improvement of R2 on test data of between 0.07 and 0.26. We used the pipeline to produce individual‐level trait data for ~5 million individual crowns, covering a total extent of ~360 km2. This large data set allows testing ecological questions on landscape scales, revealing that foliar traits are correlated with structural traits and environmental conditions.
Do forest fuel reduction treatments confer resistance to beetle infestation and drought mortality?
Authors: Steel Z. L. , Goodwin M. J. , Meyer M. D. , Fricker G. A. , Zald H. S. J. , Hurteau M. D. , North M. P.
Published: January 2021

Climate change is amplifying the frequency and severity of droughts and wildfires in many forests. In the western United States, fuel reduction treatments, both mechanical and prescribed fire, are widely used to increase resilience to wildfire but their effect on resistance to drought and beetle mortality is not as well understood. We followed more than 10,000 mapped and tagged trees in a mixed‐conifer forest following mechanical thinning and/or prescribed burning treatments in 2001 through the extreme 2012–2016 drought in California. Mortality varied by tree species from 3% of incense‐cedar to 38% of red fir with proportionally higher mortality rates in the larger size classes for sugar pine, red fir, and white fir. Treatment reductions in stem density were associated with increased diameter growth and rapidly growing trees had lower rates of mortality. However, the ultimate effects of treatment on drought‐related mortality varied greatly by treatment type. All species had neutral to reduced mortality rates following mechanical thinning alone, but treatments that included prescribed burning increased beetle infestation rates and increased mortality of red fir and sugar pine. Fuel reduction treatments appear to benefit some species such as Jeffrey pine, but can reduce resistance to extreme drought and beetle outbreaks in other species when treatments include prescribed burning. In a non‐analog future, fuel reduction treatments may require modification to provide resistance to beetle infestation and severe droughts.
Future dominance by quaking aspen expected following short‐interval, compounded disturbance interaction
Authors: Andrus Robert A. , Hart Sarah J. , Tutland Niko , Veblen Thomas T.
Published: January 2021

The spatial overlap of multiple ecological disturbances in close succession has the capacity to alter trajectories of ecosystem recovery. Widespread bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire have affected many forests in western North America in the past two decades in areas of important habitat for native ungulates. Bark beetle outbreaks prior to fire may deplete seed supply of the host species, and differences in fire‐related regeneration strategies among species may shift the species composition and structure of the initial forest trajectory. Subsequent browsing of postfire tree regeneration by large ungulates, such as elk (Cervus canadensis), may limit the capacity for regeneration to grow above the browse zone to form the next forest canopy. Five stand‐replacing wildfires burned ~60,000 ha of subalpine forest that had previously been affected by severe (>90% mortality) outbreaks of spruce beetle (SB,Dendroctonus rufipennis) in Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) in 2012–2013 in southwestern Colorado. Here we examine the drivers of variability in abundance of newly established conifer tree seedlings [spruce and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa)] and resprouts of quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) following the short‐interval sequence of SB outbreaks and wildfire (2–8 yr between SB outbreak and fire) at sites where we previously reconstructed severities of SB and fire. We then examine the implications of ungulate browsing for forest recovery. We found that abundances of postfire spruce seedling establishment decreased substantially in areas of severe SB outbreak. Prolific aspen resprouting in stands with live aspen prior to fire will favor an initial postfire forest trajectory dominated by aspen. However, preferential browsing of postfire aspen resprouts by ungulates will likely slow the rate of canopy recovery but browsing is unlikely to alter the species composition of the future forest canopy. Collectively, our results show that SB outbreak prior to fire increases the vulnerability of spruce–fir forests to shifts in forest type (conifer to aspen) and physiognomic community type (conifer forest to non‐forest). By identifying where compounded disturbance interactions are likely to limit recovery of forests or tree species, our findings are useful for developing adaptive management strategies in the context of warming climate and shifting disturbance regimes.
Purification of Commercially Available β‐Sitosterol via Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Zmysłowski Adam , Sitkowski Jerzy , Michalska Katarzyna , Szterk Arkadiusz
Published: January 2021

β‐Sitosterol, a plant sterol, is found to be useful in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries, but is also frequently employed in biological research. In addition to stigmasterol, phytosterols are available as mixtures, and it is challenging to obtain highly pure β‐sitosterol in larger quantities. Two methods for the purification of β‐sitosterol from commercially available phytosterols are presented. Both methods are based on increasing the polarity by either epoxidation or dihydroxylation reactions with the Δ5–6 double bond of the sterol. The synthesis methods and purification are chosen to be simple with inexpensive and easily obtained reagents and equipment in the laboratory. The purifications described afford β‐sitosterol in gram quantities with high purity (>95%) at 37–39% and 32% yields for epoxidation and dihydroxylation reactions, respectively. The highly pure β‐sitosterol is only available in small quantities, which makes it expensive. The presented methods can be used for obtaining the pure β‐sitosterol in large scale using relatively simple organic chemistry and preparative chromatography. The use of the method may significantly increase the quantity available, which causes a reduction in price and, consequently, increases the number of research and applications available with the use of β‐sitosterol.
Electroanalytical Investigation and Simultaneous Determination of Etodolac and Thiocolchicoside at a Non‐modified Glassy Carbon Electrode in Anionic Surfactant Media
Authors: Selcuk Ozge , Erkmen Cem , Bozal‐Palabiyik Burcin , Uslu Bengi
Published: January 2021

In this study, a differential pulse voltammetry method was designed for the simultaneous determination of etodolac and thiocolchicoside in a tablet dosage form. This method is a sensitive, costless and reproducible one initially designed for the simultaneous determination of etodolac and thiocolchicoside using bare/unmodified glassy carbon electrode in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. At optimized conditions, the method showed linear responses with etodolac and thiocolchicoside concentration in the range of 1 μM to 80 μM. The limits of detection and quantification were calculated as 0.11 μM and 0.38 μM for etodolac and 0.20 μM and 0.67 μM for thiocolchicoside, respectively.
Unveiling the Role of Graphene Oxide as an Interface Interlocking Ingredient in Polyvinylidene Fluoride‐Based Multilayered Thin‐Film Capacitors for High Energy Density and Ultrafast Discharge Applications
Authors: Prateek  , Bhunia Ritamay , Sarkar Arnab , Anand Sandeep , Garg Ashish , Gupta Raju Kumar
Published: January 2021

Rising energy storage demands have accelerated the research to develop highly efficient dielectrics, such as polymer nanocomposites for capacitor applications. Herein, high energy and power density in dielectric composites via incorporating a large number of hetero‐interfaces and microcapacitors driven by interfacial polarization for thin‐film‐based flexible polymer capacitors are demonstrated. The barium titanate (BT) nanoparticles (NPs) and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets are selectively localizing in the outer and middle layers, respectively. The BT/polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a “hard layer” helps in blocking the propagation of the electrical tree. The strong interaction between GO and PVDF in the GO/PVDF layer improves the interfacial polarization through formation of microcapacitors. Also, the confinement of the conduction charges simultaneously enhances the dielectric constant and breakdown strength. Thus, the GO nanofillers to work as both “soft layer” and “hard layer” are designed, and the energy density is improved to 11.4 J cm−3 at 3617 kV cm−1, ≈650% higher than that of commercially available biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP). Also, an ultrafast discharge time of 0.37 μs as compared to 2.8 μs for BOPP is achieved. These attributes make NP‐BaTiO3/nano‐GO/PVDF trilayered capacitors a suitable and promising candidate for the next‐generation flexible thin‐film dielectric capacitors.
Utilization of wheat germ oil and wheat bran fiber as fat replacer for the development of low‐fat beef patties
Authors: Khalid Anam , Sohaib Muhammad , Nadeem Muhammad Tahir , Saeed Farhan , Imran Ali , Imran Muhammad , Afzal Muhammad Inam , Ramzan Sana , Nadeem Muhammad , Anjum Faqir Muhammad , Arshad Muhammad Sajid
Published: January 2021

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effects of wheat germ oil and wheat bran fiber as fat replacers on quality and stability of low‐fat beef patties. Total five treatments were prepared by employing wheat germ oil (WGO) and wheat bran fiber (WBF). WBF was used at fixed amount of 3% in all treatments except control in conjunction with varying WGO concentrations as follows: 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5%. Prepared raw and cooked beef patties were stored at 4°C, and further analyses were carried out up to 21 days of storage period with intermittent evaluation interval of 7 days. Higher values of TBARS, peroxide, and cholesterol were observed in raw and cooked beef patties in control, whereas minimum values were found in treatment of beef patties prepared with WGO 4.5% + WBF 3%. The physicochemical parameters were observed by pH and hunter color values. pH was higher in cooked patties as compared to beef patties and showed increases with increase in WGO concentration and storage intervals. The sensorial attributes were observed which included different parameters, such as appearance, texture, taste, odor, and overall acceptability. Higher score was given by the panelists to control for both raw and cooked beef patties; however, minimum score for all sensory properties was found in group treated with WGO 4.5% + WBF 3% within acceptable limit. In nutshell, raw and cooked beef patties treated with WGO 4.5% plus WBF 3% showed better quality, stability, and reduced cholesterol content.
Prevalence estimates of dementia in older adults in rural Kilimanjaro 2009–2010 and 2018–2019: is there evidence of changing prevalence?
Authors: Yoseph Marcella , Paddick Stella‐Maria , Gray William K. , Andrea Damas , Barber Robyn , Colgan Aoife , Dotchin Catherine , Urasa Sarah , Kisoli Aloyce , Kissima John , Haule Irene , Rogathi Jane , Safic Ssenku , Mushi Declare , Robinson Louise , Walker Richard W
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Although limited, existing epidemiological data on dementia in sub‐Saharan Africa indicate that prevalence may be increasing; contrasting with recent decreases observed in high‐income countries. We have previously reported the age‐adjusted prevalence of dementia in rural Tanzania in 2009–2010 as 6.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.9–7.9) in individuals aged ≥70 years. We aimed to repeat a community‐based dementia prevalence study in the same setting to assess whether prevalence has changed.

Methods

This was a two‐phase door‐to‐door community‐based cross‐sectional survey in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In Phase I, trained primary health workers screened all consenting individuals aged ≥60 years from 12 villages using previously validated, locally developed, tools (IDEA cognitive screen and IDEA‐Instrumental Activities of Daily Living questionnaire). Screening was conducted using a mobile digital application (app) on a hand‐held tablet. In Phase II, a stratified sample of those identified in Phase I were clinically assessed using the DSM‐5 criteria and diagnoses subsequently confirmed by consensus panel.

Results

Of 3011 people who consented, 424 screened positive for probable dementia and 227 for possible dementia. During clinical assessment in Phase II, 105 individuals met DSM‐5 dementia criteria. The age‐adjusted prevalence of dementia was 4.6% (95% CI 2.9–6.4) in those aged ≥60 years and 8.9% (95% CI 6.1–11.8) in those aged ≥70 years. Prevalence rates increased significantly with age.

Conclusions

The prevalence of dementia in this rural Tanzanian population appears to have increased since 2010, although not significantly. Dementia is likely to become a significant health burden in this population as demographic transition continues.
High‐grade B‐cell lymphomas with MYC and BCL2 translocations lack tumor‐associated macrophages and PD‐L1 expression: A possible noninflamed subgroup
Authors: Breinholt Marie F. , Oliveira Douglas V. N. P. , Klausen Tobias W. , Gang Anne O. , Schejbel Lone , Pedersen Mette Ø. , Elbæk Mette V. , Clasen‐Linde Erik , Nielsen Signe L. , Knudsen Helle , Høgdall Estrid , Nørgaard Peter
Published: January 2021

We investigated the intratumoral source of PD‐L1 expression and the infiltration of tumor‐associated macrophages (TAMs) in large B‐cell lymphomas (LBCLs) with or without MYC‐translocation, as well as possible correlations to BCL2‐and BCL6‐translocations and cell of origin (COO). One‐hundred and twenty‐six patient samples were studied in a cohort enriched for MYC‐translocated tumors with 34 samples carrying this translocation. Demonstration of intratumoral distribution and cellular source of PD‐L1 was enabled by immunohistochemical (IHC) dual staining specifically highlighting PD‐L1 expression in lymphoma B‐cells with antibodies against PD‐L1 and PAX5. Additional IHC with antibodies against CD68 and CD163 identified TAMs. We found that CD68‐positive TAMs were the main source of PD‐L1 protein expression in contrast to lymphoma B cells which rarely expressed PD‐L1. Semiquantitative IHC demonstrated a significant correlation between CD68 and PD‐L1 protein expression. Unsupervised hierarchical analysis of PD‐L1, CD68, and CD163 IHC data subsequently demonstrated three potential clusters defined by expression of the three biomarkers. Cluster A consisted of patient samples with significantly lower expression of PD‐L1, CD68, and CD163, but also significantly higher prevalence of BCL2‐translocation and MYC‐BCL2‐double‐hit (DH) compared to the other two clusters. In cluster C we found a significant accumulation of BCL6 translocated tumors. This cluster in contrast had the highest protein expression of PD‐L1, CD68, and CD163. Cluster B tumors had an intermediate expression of the three biomarkers, but no accumulation of the specific genetic translocations. Our data, which were based on morphological analysis, immunophenotyping and genotyping by fluorescence in situ hybridization were in line with new concepts of LBCL taxonomy integrating genetic, phenotypical, and immunological characteristics with identification of new subgroups where MYC translocation and MYC‐BCL2 DH may identify a noninflamed subtype. These findings may furthermore hold significant predictive value especially regarding immune checkpoint blockade therapy, but further molecular characterization should be done to substantiate this hypothesis.
The effect of N‐acetyl cysteine on the volume of uterine leiomyoma: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Aghaamoo Shahrzad , Zandbina Azade , Saffarieh Elham , Nassiri Setare
Published: January 2021

Objective

To conduct a clinical trial to investigate the effect of N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC), a non‐hormonal drug, on the volume of leiomyoma, the most common benign tumor in women.

Methods

This study is a randomized clinical trial, which was performed in Semnan, Iran. Eligible women who were diagnosed with uterine leiomyoma using vaginal ultrasound were randomly assigned to receive NAC or placebo for 12 weeks. The change in the volume of Leiomyoma was considered to be the main variable in the efficacy evaluation. Reduction in the leiomyoma volume was calculated after intervention and data were entered in SPSS version 23.

Results

Fifty individuals were enrolled in our study. 25 women received NAC, while 25 women took placebo. The mean volume of leiomyoma in group A was 5.71 cm3 and in group B was 6.56 cm3. The mean rate of volume reduction in the A and B groups was 25.25 % and 1.08 %, respectively, which demonstrated a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.004).

Conclusion

Although this trial recommends the use of NAC as a non‐hormonal drug in the treatment of leiomyoma of the uterus, the possibility of treatment failure in controlling abnormal uterine bleeding cannot be ignored. Nevertheless, we can say it is feasible and effective in the reduction of leiomyoma volume.
Mirtazapine: An Antidepressant with Noradrenergic and Specific Serotonergic Effects
Authors: Stimmel Glen L. , Dopheide Julie A. , Stahl Stephen M.
Published: January 2021

Mirtazapine is a unique antidepressant that refines the specificity of effects on noradrenergic and serotonergic systems. It is an antagonist of presynaptic α2‐adrenergic autoreceptors and heteroreceptors on both norepinephrine and serotonin (5‐HT) presynaptic axons, plus is a potent antagonist of postsynaptic 5‐HT2 and 5‐HT3 receptors. The net outcome of these effects is increased noradrenergic activity together with specific increased serotonergic activity, especially at 5‐HT1A receptors. This mechanism of action maintains equivalent antidepressant efficacy but minimizes many of the adverse effects common to both tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Mirtazapine has an onset of clinical effect in 2–4 weeks similar to other antidepressants, although sleep disturbances and anxiety symptoms may improve in the first week of treatment. It has minimal cardiovascular and anticholinergic effects, and essentially lacks serotonergic effects such as gastrointestinal symptoms, insomnia, and sexual dysfunction. Sedation, increased appetite, and weight gain are more common with mirtazapine than with placebo. An elimination half‐life of 20–40 hours enables once‐daily bedtime dosing. The recommended initial dosage is 15 mg once/day at bedtime, with an effective daily dosage range of 15–45 mg. Cases of overdose of up to 975 mg caused significant sedation but no cardiovascular or respiratory effects or seizures.
Titanium complexes bearing 2,6‐bis(o‐hydroxyalkyl)pyridine ligands in vitro cytotoxicity against triple‐negative breast‐cancer cells
Authors: Chen I‐Ni , Ganta Prasanna Kumar , Chung Shou‐Jie , Chang Yu‐Lun , Chang Heng‐Yi , Ding Shangwu , Chen Hsuan‐Ying , Chiu Chien‐Chih , Wu Kuo‐Hui
Published: January 2021

Three titanium (Ti) compounds bearing 2,6‐bis(o‐hydroxyalkyl)pyridine ligands were synthesized, and used in vitro cytotoxicity against triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA‐MB‐231 cells was studied. The results of in vitro cytotoxicity of the complexes against TNBC cells revealed that (HLMeTi‐O)4 (IC50 = 0.91 μM) exerted a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of TNBC cells. Thus, titanium alkoxide complexes as nonplatinum complex could be used for structural optimization for treating breast cancer cells in the future.
Assessing the effects of lake‐dredged sediments on soil health: Agricultural and environmental implications for northwestern Ohio
Authors: Brigham Russell D. , Pelini Shannon , Xu Zhaohui , Vázquez‐Ortega Angélica
Published: January 2021

Dredging operations produce large amounts of sediments, and when open lake disposal is used, it can pose a threat to water quality. This study examined the potential to use dredged sediment as a farm soil amendment. We conducted greenhouse experiments to determine (a) the physico‐chemical health of a farm soil amended with various dredged sediment ratios, (b) nutrient dynamics when the soil blends were subjected to simulated storm events, and (c) the effect of dredged sediment on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] belowground biomass and yield. The soil blends consisted of 100% farm soil, 90% farm soil to 10% dredged sediment, 80% farm soil to 20% dredged sediment, or 100% dredged sediment. After 123 d, the soybean plants were harvested, and physico‐chemical analyses were conducted on the soil, soybeans, and percolated stormwater. We found that dredged sediment amendment improved soil health by increasing soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity, and Ca content and by decreasing bulk density and P concentration in a farm soil with P concentration above the agronomic recommended value. Crop biomass and yield averages increased with increasing dredged sediment ratios. Nutrient loss (P and N) in the percolated solutions from the soil blends showed no significant changes when compared to the percolated solutions in the 100% farm soil treatment, indicating no significant contribution to the export of nutrients in percolated water.
Pancreatic β cells control glucose homeostasis via the secretion of exosomal miR‐29 family
Authors: Li Jing , Zhang Yujing , Ye Yangyang , Li Dameng , Liu Yuchen , Lee Eunyoung , Zhang Mingliang , Dai Xin , Zhang Xiang , Wang Shibei , Zhang Junfeng , Jia Weiping , Zen Ke , Vidal‐Puig Antonio , Jiang Xiaohong , Zhang Chen‐Yu
Published: January 2021

Secreted microRNAs (miRNAs) are novel endocrine factors that play essential pathological and physiological roles. Here, we report that pancreatic β cell‐released exosomal miR‐29 family members (miR‐29s) regulate hepatic insulin sensitivity and control glucose homeostasis. Cultured pancreatic islets were shown to secrete miR‐29s in response to high levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) in vitro. In vivo, high levels of FFAs, promoted by either high‐fat diet (HFD) feeding (physiopathological) or fasting (physiological), increased the secretion of miR‐29s into plasma. Intravenous administration of exosomal miR‐29s attenuated insulin sensitivity. The overexpression of miR‐29s in the β cells of transgenic (TG) mice promoted the secretion of miR‐29s and inhibited the insulin‐mediated suppression of glucose output in the liver. We used selective overexpression of traceable heterogenous mutant miR‐29s in β cells to confirm that islet‐derived exosomal miR‐29s target insulin signalling in the liver and blunt hepatic insulin sensitivity. Moreover, in vivo disruption of miR‐29s expression in β cells reversed HFD‐induced insulin resistance. In vitro experiments demonstrated that isolated exosomes enriched in miR‐29s inhibited insulin signalling in the liver and increased hepatic glucose production. These results unveil a novel β cell‐derived secretory signal—exosomal miR‐29s—and provide insight into the roles of miR‐29s in manipulating glucose homeostasis.
A facile synthesis of isotope labeled acylcarnitines
Authors: Dai Xiaojun , Lv Chao , Sun Jianguo , Li Shuwei
Published: January 2021

Acylcarnitines are a big family of small molecule metabolites with various acyl groups attached to the hydroxyl moiety of l‐carnitine. They are good indicators of multiple metabolic disorders. For instance, the newborn screening panel uses flow injection tandem mass spectrometry to analyze more than 30 different acylcarnitines and amino acids extracted from dried blood spots. A facile approach has been developed for the synthesis of isotope labeled acylcarnitines whose mass shift over their unlabeled counterparts can be any number in the range of 3 to 12 Da. This strategy makes it more convenient to provide authentic internal standards for acylcarnitines profiling analyses, thereby expanding their clinical applications.
Collision‐induced dissociation of [UO2(NO3)3]− and [UO2(NO3)2(O2)]− and reactions of product ions with H2O and O2
Authors: Bubas Amanda R. , Perez Evan , Metzler Luke J. , Rissler Scott D. , Van Stipdonk Michael J.
Published: January 2021

Electrospray ionization (ESI) can produce a wide range of gas‐phase uranyl (UO22+) complexes for tandem mass spectrometry studies of intrinsic structure and reactivity. We describe here the formation and collision‐induced dissociation (CID) of [UO2(NO3)3]− and [UO2(NO3)2(O2)]−. Multiple‐stage CID experiments reveal that the complexes dissociate in reactions that involve elimination of O2, NO2, or NO3, and subsequent reactions of interesting uranyl‐oxo product ions with (neutral) H2O and/or O2 were investigated. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce experimental results and show that dissociation of nitrate ligands, with ejection of neutral NO2, is favored for both [UO2(NO3)3]− and [UO2(NO3)2(O2)]−. DFT calculations also suggest that H2O adducts to products such as [UO2(O)(NO3)]− spontaneously rearrange to create dihydroxides and that addition of O2 is favored over addition of H2O to formally U(V) species.
Molecularly imprinted polymers in miniaturized extraction and separation devices
Authors: Bouvarel Thomas , Delaunay Nathalie , Pichon Valérie
Published: January 2021

Molecularly imprinted polymers are highly selective and cost‐effective materials, which have attracted significant interest in various areas such as sample pretreatment and chromatographic and electrophoretic separations. This review aims to present the state of the art concerning the miniaturization of these materials in order to meet the societal demand for reliable, fast, cheap, and solvent/sample saving analyses. The polymerization route specificities for the production of miniaturized molecularly imprinted polymers in capillaries or chip channels, such as open tubular, packed particles, magnetic nanoparticles, and in situ imprinted monoliths, are investigated. Their performances as selective supports in solid phase extraction and as stationary phases in electrochromatography and liquid chromatography, as well as their possible perspectives are discussed.
Performance comparison of RF energy harvesting rectifiers designed in CMOS FDSOI 28 nm with dynamic back gate biasing and BiCMOS 55 nm technology
Authors: Awad Mohamad , Benech Philippe , Duchamp Jean‐Marc
Published: January 2021

A comparison between two Dickson voltage multipliers realized in two technologies, fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) 28 nm and Bipolar CMOS (BiCMOS) 55 nm is presented. The assessment is based on the I–V characteristics measurements of transistors configured as diodes; and on the measurements of one and two stages of Dickson multipliers designed for RF energy harvesting. The I–V characteristics show that FDSOI technology is profitable owing to its smaller threshold voltage (Vth), and a leakage current less than that of BiCMOS. Consequently, for the same input voltage, the output voltage acquired in FDSOI is greater than that achieved with BiCMOS. Moreover, for rectifiers designed in FDSOI, a dynamic back gate bias could be employed to enhance the performance by adjusting dynamically the Vth and the leakage current.
FMRI based on transition‐band balanced SSFP in comparison with EPI on a high‐performance 0.55 T scanner
Authors: Wang Yicun , van Gelderen Peter , de Zwart Jacco A. , Campbell‐Washburn Adrienne E. , Duyn Jeff H.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Low‐field (<1 tesla) MRI scanners allow more widespread diagnostic use for a range of cardiac, musculoskeletal, and neurological applications. However, the feasibility of performing robust fMRI at low field has yet to be fully demonstrated. To address this gap, we investigated task‐based fMRI using a highly sensitive transition‐band balanced steady‐state free precession approach and standard EPI on a 0.55 tesla scanner equipped with modern high‐performance gradient coils and a receive array.

Methods

TR and flip‐angle of transition‐band steady‐state free precession were optimized for 0.55 tesla by simulations. Static shimming was employed to compensate for concomitant field effects. Visual task‐based fMRI data were acquired from 8 healthy volunteers. For comparison, standard EPI data were also acquired with TE = . Retrospective image‐based correction for physiological effects (RETROICOR) was used to quantify physiological noise effects.

Results

Activation was robustly detected using both methods in a 4‐min scan time. Transition‐band steady‐state free precession was found to be sensitive to interference from subtle spatial and temporal (field drift, respiration) variations in the magnetic field, counteracting potential advantages of the reduced magnetic susceptibility effects compared to its utilization at high field. These adverse effects could be partially remedied with static shimming and postprocessing approaches. Standard EPI proved more robust against the sources of interference.

Conclusion

BOLD contrast is sufficiently large at 0.55 tesla for robust detection of brain activation and may be employed to broaden the spectrum of applications of low‐field MRI. Standard EPI outperforms transition‐band steady‐state free precession in terms of signal stability.