bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amantadine hydrochloride monitoring by dried plasma spot technique: High‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry based clinical assay
Authors: Li Yanyan , Jiang Yi , Lin Tao , Wan Qi , Yang Xiaoquan , Xu Guoxing , Huang Jing , Li Zhenlan
Published: March 2020

Amantadine plasma concentrations correlate well with desired therapeutic effects and adverse outcomes; information on amantadine exposure could be useful when multiple amantadine clearance pathways are impaired or non‐compliance is suspected. Micro‐sampling strategies, like dried plasma spot, would be particularly useful because ambulatory patients that do not attend a clinic can easily sample a few drops of blood by themselves at the required time of the dosing interval. We developed and validated a dried‐plasma‐spot‐based high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry assay to quantify amantadine. This assay met relevant validation requirements within a hematocrit range of 20–50% and was linear from 100 to 2000 ng/mL. Amantadine was stable in dried plasma spots for up to 21 days at room temperature, regardless of whether the dried plasma spot was protected from light or not. The correlation between paired dried and wet plasma concentrations was assessed in 52 patients. Deming regression coefficients between wet plasma and simultaneously pipetted dried plasma spots were used to predict plasma concentrations. Bland–Altman plots revealed a strong agreement between dried and wet plasma concentrations, supporting the clinical usefulness of dried plasma spots for amantadine monitoring with a self‐sampling strategy at a convenient time and place for the patient.
A Lead‐Free All‐Inorganic Metal Halide with Near‐Unity Green Luminescence
Authors: Zhang Ruiling , Mao Xin , Zheng Daoyuan , Yang Yang , Yang Songqiu , Han Keli
Published: March 2020

As the increasing demand of lighting display technology, environmentally‐friendly, economic light‐emitting materials with high performance are required. Herein, a novel solution‐processed, highly emissive copper chloride compound β‐Cs3Cu2Cl5 is reported. The crystal structure determined by the Rietveld refinement of the powder X‐ray diffraction patterns shows that the corner‐sharing tetrahedral Cu–Cl chains are surrounded by Cs+ cations, yielding a one‐dimensional structure at molecular level. The all‐inorganic compound shows excellent photostability, and is thermally stable up to 550 °C. Excitingly, it exhibits room‐temperature photoluminescence in the green region with near‐unity quantum yield. Currently, this appears to be the most efficient lead‐free all‐inorganic green‐light emitting metal halides reported. This work presents a new direction toward the design of high‐efficiency, economic, and environmentally‐friendly light‐emitting materials.
Preparation and Properties of PVDF/Fe3O4 Nanofibers with Magnetic and Electret Effects and their Application in Air Filtration
Authors: Liu Fan , Li Mengying , Li Fang , Weng Kai , Qi Kun , Liu Chunhui , Ni Qingqing , Tao Xuejiao , Zhang Jing , Shao Weili , He Jianxin
Published: March 2020

Electrospun electret filter material is widely studied because of its excellent removal effect on particulate matter from air streams. Here, a kind of high efficiency and low pressure drop nanofiber (NF) membrane with both electret effect and magnetic effect is developed, and compounded it with glass fiber mesh and polyester (polyethylene terephthalate) mesh to prepare a sandwich structure of NF anti‐haze window screen. Under the synergistic effect of magnetic particles, when the density is 2.06 g m−2, the filtration efficiency of NF anti‐haze window screen can reach 99.95% for the fine particles below 0.3 µm, while the filtration pressure drop is only 58.5 Pa, with good light transmittance and excellent breaking strength (6.32 MPa). Therefore, polyvinylidene fluoride/Fe3O4 composite NF membrane has a potential application prospect in the field of air filtration.
Is There a Difference in Autonomic Dysfunction Between Multiple System Atrophy Subtypes?
Authors: Garg Divyani , Srivastava Achal Kumar , Jaryal Ashok Kumar , Rajan Roopa , Singh Akanksha , Pandit Awadh Kishor , Vibha Deepti , Shukla Garima , Garg Ajay , Pandey Ravindra Mohan , Prasad Kameshwar
Published: March 2020

Background

Autonomic dysfunction forms the diagnostic cornerstone in MSA. Data are limited on autonomic dysfunction differences between the two subtypes, MSA‐C and MSA‐P.

Objectives

To assess autonomic dysfunction in MSA subtypes and Parkinson's disease (PD) and compare it to healthy controls.

Methods

We conducted a cross‐sectional study. A validated questionnaire (Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease–Autonomic Dysfunction; SCOPA‐AUT) was used for symptom screening. Cardiovascular autonomic testing included deep breathing (change in heart rate, E: I ratio), Valsalva ratio, diastolic blood pressure (BP) rise (hand grip, cold pressor), and postural (tilt, 30:15 ratio) tests. Disease severity was assessed by the Unified MSA Rating Scale (UMSARS), H & Y stage, and International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating scale part III.

Results

MSA‐P (48 subjects; age, 63.6 ± 9.7 years; UMSARS, 45.0 ± 16.5), MSA‐C (52 subjects; age, 58.0 ± 8.1 years; UMSARS, 44.0 ± 12.8), PD (50 subjects; age, 57.6 ± 6.7 years), and healthy controls (50 subjects; age, 58.0 ± 8.0 years) were enrolled. MSA patients had higher SCOPA‐AUT scores in gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiovascular, and sexual domains than controls and in gastrointestinal, urinary, and cardiovascular domains compared to PD. The two MSA subtypes did not differ in autonomic dysfunction. Heart‐rate change on tilt and deep breathing, and diastolic BP rise on cold pressor test, differed significantly between MSA and PD patients.

Conclusions

Autonomic dysfunction symptomatology and cardiovascular autonomic tests were similar between MSA‐P and MSA‐C patients. Autonomic symptoms were more prominent in MSA than PD. Emphasis on these domains may improve likelihood of accurate clinical diagnosis of MSA at earlier stages.
Atypical features and de novo heterozygous mutations in two siblings with Cockayne syndrome
Authors: Wu Shuiyan , Liu Ying , Zhang Qian , Meng Xiangying , Huang Linlin , Xu Zhong , Zhang Chunxu , Li Ying , Chen Ting , Bai Zhenjiang
Published: March 2020

Background

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder which displays multiorgan dysfunction, especially within the nervous system including psychomotor retardation, cerebral atrophy, microcephaly, cognitive dysfunction, mental retardation, and seizures. Many genetic variations reported were related to this syndrome, but splicing mutations with cardiac anomalies have not been found in previous studies.

Methods

Herein, we described a pair of brothers and sisters who present essential manifestations of CS including premature feature, developmental delay, growth failure, microcephaly, and characteristic facial features, such as sunken eyes and a beaked nose. Interestingly, the brother also presented with atypical features which included cardiac anomalies such as left atrioventricular enlargement and cardiac dysfunction such as dilated cardiomyopathy. In addition, whole exome sequencing and RNA sequencing were employed to analyze their genetic landscape.

Results

WES analysis showed that these two cases carried double unreported heterozygous spliced mutations in the excision repair cross‐complementing group 8 (ERCC8, also known as CSA, NM_000082) gene, which were c.78‐2 (IVS1) A>T and c.1042‐1 (IVS10) G>A, respectively. Moreover, transcript sequencing analysis validated these mutation sites. In this study, Gene Ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses from RNA sequencing demonstrated similarities but some differences when compared with previous studies.

Conclusion

For patients with Cockayne syndrome, cardiac changes need to be monitored carefully, especially for cases with splicing mutations of the ERCC8 gene.
Legendre spectral method for the fractional Bratu problem
Authors: Singh Harendra , Akhavan Ghassabzadeh Fahimeh , Tohidi Emran , Cattani Carlo
Published: March 2020

In this paper, the Legendre spectral collocation method (LSCM) is applied for the solution of the fractional Bratu's equation. It shows the high accuracy and low computational cost of the LSCM compared with some other numerical methods. The fractional Bratu differential equation is transformed into a nonlinear system of algebraic equations for the unknown Legendre coefficients and solved with some spectral collocation methods. Some illustrative examples are also given to show the validity and applicability of this method, and the obtained results are compared with the existing studies to highlight its high efficiency and neglectable error.
Diurnal variation in the glycogen content of the human liver using 13C MRS
Authors: Iwayama Kaito , Onishi Takahiro , Maruyama Katsuya , Takahashi Hideyuki
Published: March 2020

Glycogen in tissues functions not only as carbohydrate reserves, but also as molecular sensors capable of activating signaling pathways in response to physical activity. While glycogen in the skeletal muscles is mainly a local energy substrate, glycogen in the liver serves as a glucose reserve to maintain normal blood glucose levels in the body, even during the sleep state. The aim of this study is to compare the diurnal variation of glycogen in the muscle and liver of human subjects under normal conditions. The glycogen content was measured in the muscle and liver of 10 young, healthy, male volunteers using 13C MRS, a non‐invasive technique. The subjects remained sedentary, and glycogen concentration was measured six times daily. Experimental meals were provided to achieve individual energy balance, estimated according to the energy requirement guideline for patients from Japan. The largest variation in muscle glycogen compared with 1 h after supper (20:00 on Day 1) was 3.1 ± 8.2 mmol/L (16:00 on Day 2). In the liver, however, the glycogen content decreased by 80.6 ± 40.4 mmol/L through the overnight fasting period (07:00 on Day 2). This study demonstrated that the glycogen content in the liver was significantly lower in the morning, while the glycogen content in the calf muscles underwent minimal diurnal variation. The overnight fast is a characteristic daily condition, in which liver glycogen content is low, whereas muscle glycogen content is relatively unaffected.
High‐order cut discontinuous Galerkin methods with local time stepping for acoustics
Authors: Schoeder Svenja , Sticko Simon , Kreiss Gunilla , Kronbichler Martin
Published: March 2020

We propose a method to solve the acoustic wave equation on an immersed domain using the hybridizable discontinuous Galerkin method for spatial discretization and the arbitrary derivative method with local time stepping (LTS) for time integration. The method is based on a cut finite element approach of high order and uses level set functions to describe curved immersed interfaces. We study under which conditions and to what extent small time step sizes balance cut instabilities, which are present especially for high‐order spatial discretizations. This is done by analyzing eigenvalues and critical time steps for representative cuts. If small time steps cannot prevent cut instabilities, stabilization by means of cell agglomeration is applied and its effects are analyzed in combination with local time step sizes. Based on two examples with general cuts, performance gains of the LTS over the global time stepping are evaluated. We find that LTS combined with cell agglomeration is most robust and efficient.
Psychosocial care for children receiving chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy
Authors: Steineck Angela , Wiener Lori , Mack Jennifer W. , Shah Nirali N. , Summers Corinne , Rosenberg Abby R.
Published: March 2020

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T‐cell therapy has transformed the treatment of relapsed/refractory B‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, this new paradigm has introduced unique considerations specific to the patients receiving CAR T‐cell therapy, including prognostic uncertainty, symptom management, and psychosocial support. With increasing availability, there is a growing need for evidence‐based recommendations that address the specific psychosocial needs of the children who receive CAR T‐cell therapy and their families. To guide and standardize the psychosocial care offered for patients receiving CAR T‐cell therapy, we propose the following recommendations for addressing psychosocial support.
Theoretical investigation on the structure and stability of some neutral noble gas compounds containing Xe‐Xe bond
Authors: Abdeveiszadeh Zeinab , Noorizadeh Siamak
Published: March 2020

DFT calculations are performed to investigate the structure, stability, and nature of chemical bonding of some neutral noble gas insertion compounds containing a Xe‐Xe bond; including HXeXeR, FXeXeR as well as RXeXeR (R = CN, NC, CCH, and BS). Geometry optimization of the considered molecules anticipate the existence of just four stable compounds (HXeXeCN, HXeXeNC, FXeXeCN, and FXeXeCCH); and rest of the molecules dissociate during the structural optimization. The results of NBO and AIM calculations show that a H(F)XeXeR molecule has a covalent H(F)‐Xe bond in the H(F)XeXe+ fragment, which is bonded to R− mainly through columbic interaction. Thermodynamic study indicates that all of the considered unimolecular dissociation channels for decomposition of H(F)XeXeR molecules to neutral fragments are both exothermic and exorergic; but dissociation to ionic species (H(F)XeXe+ and R−) is endothermic. Also kinetic study of the most probable dissociation reaction shows that FXeXeR molecules are metastable with respect to the global minimum F‐R + 2Xe. Therefore, FXeXeCN molecule is more kinetically protected against the decomposition reaction than the other molecules and its experimental detection is more likely.
Fragmentation study of clerodane diterpenes from Casearia species by tandem mass spectrometry (quadrupole time‐of‐flight and ion trap)
Authors: Danuello Amanda , de Castro Rogério Cardoso , Pilon Alan Cesar , Bueno Paula Carolina Pires , Pivatto Marcos , Vieira Júnior Gerardo Magela , Carvalho Flávio Alexandre , Oda Fernando Bombarda , Perez Consuelo Javiera , Lopes Norberto Peporine , Dos Santos André Gonzaga , Ifa Demian Rocha , Cavalheiro Alberto José
Published: March 2020

Rationale

Clerodane‐type diterpenes from Casearia species show important pharmacological activites such as antitumor, antimicrobial and anti‐inflamatory. There are several mass spectrometry (MS)‐based methods for identification of diterpenes; however, there is still a lack of MS procedures capable of providing characteristic fragmentation pathways for a rapid and unambiguous elucidation of casearin‐like compounds.

Methods

Casearin‐like compounds were investigated by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS/MS). The fragmentation studies were carried out by tandem mass spectrometry in space (quadrupole time‐of‐flight (QTOF)) using different collision energies and also by tandem mass spectrometry in time (QIT) by selective isolation of product ions.

Results

Casearin‐like compounds presented a predominance of sodium‐ and potassium‐cationized precursor ions. Both QIT and QTOF techniques provided sequential neutral losses of esters related to the R1 to R5 substituents linked to the nucleus of the clerodane diterpenes. The fragmentation pathway is initiated with a cleavage of the ester moieties R2 followed by the elimination of the ester groups R3, both losing neutral carboxylic acids. Using QIT, it was also possible to observe the cleavage of the ester groups R1 or R5 by MS4 experiments.

Conclusions

Through a rational analysis of the fragmentation mechanisms of Casearia diterpenes it was possible to suggest an annotation strategy based on the sequential cleavages of the ester groups related to the R2, R3 and R5 substituents. These results will assist studies of the dereplication and metabolomics involving casearin‐like compounds present in complex extracts of Casearia species.
Evaluation and correlation of electrochemical and mechanical properties of PVA/SA nanofibres
Authors: Covelo Alba , Rodil Sandra , López‐Villegas Edgar Oliver , Álvarez Carlos Andrés , Hernandez Miguel
Published: March 2020

The present study evaluates and correlates the morphology of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and sodium alginate (SA) nanofibres with their internal structure to determine dielectric and tensile properties for future applications as long‐lasting and resistant cell scaffolds. This work generates electrospun nanofibres mixing SA concentration in a PVA solution cross‐linked in calcium chloride media. The dielectric properties of the nanofibres that were obtained using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) show that at higher amount of SA in the PVA/SA fibres, the cross‐linking process occurs at shorter times, indicating the modification of the internal structure of the PVA/SA. The X‐ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) demonstrate that the chemical composition of the nanofibres varies depending on the depth profile. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) proves that the PVA/SA is formed as a core‐shell coaxial nanofibre. The tensile testing demonstrates that with a higher SA concentration, the mechanical properties show brittleness.
Polydopamine‐Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Pipette‐Tip Micro‐Solid Phase Extraction of Malathion and Parathion from Environmental Samples
Authors: Esrafili Ali , Ghambarian Mahnaz , Tajik Mohammad , Baharfar Mahroo , Tabibpour Mahmoud
Published: March 2020

In this study, a polydopamine‐functionalized multi‐walled carbon nanotube was utilized in an efficient pipette‐tip micro‐solid phase extraction followed by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry for determination of two organophosphorus pesticides called malathion and parathion. All the effective parameters were optimized using a one variable at‐a‐time protocol. Under the optimal conditions, broad calibration curves were obtained with the linearity in the range between 0.30–200 ng mL−1. Preconcentration factors as high as 42.7 and 47.3 for malathion and parathion, respectively, were obtained along with the relative standard deviations (RSD%) lower than 6.37 %. Real samples analysis was carried out using the optimized technique for quantitative analysis of the target analytes in environmental water samples. Relative recoveries in the range between 89.37–101.22 % show the capability of the method in real sample analysis.
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Guaiacol over Ni/La–Modified Hierarchical HZSM‐5
Authors: Fu Zewu , Shen Qingru , Yao Chunli , Li Rui , Wu Yulong
Published: March 2020

Catalytic pyrolysis of guaiacol as a model compound of lignin was conducted to explore the lignin pyrolysis mechanism in this study. The effects of catalyst and temperature on product distribution were studied. Five catalysts were tested including HZSM‐5, hierarchical HZSM‐5, metal‐modified hierarchical HZSM‐5 catalysts. And the Ni/La bimetallic hierarchical HZSM‐5 (NiLa/HZ‐SH) contributes to the achievement of high conversion and selectivity in catalytic pyrolysis of guaiacol. we obtained the yields of monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons over NiLa/HZ‐SH (550°C): Phenol (23.01%), Benzofuran (6.68%), Salicylaldehyde (1.54%), 2‐Methylphenol (31.48%), 4‐Methylphenol (6.54%), 2‐Ethylphenol (14.89%), 4‐Vinylphenol (1.45%) and Catechol (8.67%), and the maximal yields of these monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons is 94.26%. Moreover, the yield of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) as the non‐target product reached a minimum of 1.46% over NiLa/HZ‐SH, while it was 16.88% without catalyst. In addition, catalyst stability was investigated, the reason that led to the decrease of target products could be the acidity and surface area of catalysts decreased as the coke blocked the pore channels, spent catalyst can be successfully regenerated through calcination treatment. Finally, based on the experiment results in this work and other published studies, a guaiacol pyrolysis mechanism was summarized and proposed aiming to understand the lignin pyrolysis process.
Synthesis of 1H‐Indazoles and Quinazolines Using Additive Intermediates of Grignard Reagents to 2‐Amino Benzonitriles
Authors: Zhao Huantian , Huang Jiefang , Zhang Jing , Tang Yu , Zhang Yuanming
Published: March 2020

We have developed a convenient and efficient approach to 1H‐indazoles in one pot under air atmosphere, using additive intermediates of Grignard reagents to 2‐aminobenzonitriles via a FeCl3/Bpy catalyzed N–N coupling. Besides, such intermediates could react with esters in one pot to yield quinazolines promoted by BiCl3/Ph3P. Both 1H‐indazoles and quinazolines were prepared in good to excellent yields. The possible mechanisms for the formation of 1H‐indazoles and quinazolines were proposed.
Determination of Mechanical Properties of Composite Supports Used in Catalytic Membranes for Hydrogen Production and Separation
Authors: DENİZ C. Utku , TÜZÜN F. Nihal
Published: March 2020

This study includes the determination of mechanical properties involving equibiaxial flexural strength, elastic modulus, strain and hardness for composite supports developed to be used in catalytic membranes in order to produce and separate hydrogen. Composite supports are fabricated by mixing acidic, neutral and basic activated alumina types and sodium silicate binder. Three different Si /Al ratios are employed in the study. After preparing the support samples, they are calcined at the temperatures of 6000C and 12000C for 11 hours and 22 hours respectively. At the end of calcination, equibiaxial flexural strength, elastic modulus, strain, hardness and solid density of supports are tested for both temperatures. Generally, higher mechanical properties and solid density results are obtained at 6000C and it is found that neutral alumina gives the best mechanical properties and solid density for Si /Al ratio of 0.648 at 6000C.
A BODIPY‐Hemicyanine‐Based Water‐Soluble Dual‐Color Fluorescence Probe for Colorimetric Monitoring of Intracellular Endogenous Sulfur Dioxide and Bioimaging Applications
Authors: Liu Ying , Wu Yong‐Xiang , Zhang Dailiang , Xi Yang , Yu Shengrong , Zhong Hongmei , He Kangdi , Li Dian , Wei Wen‐Ting , Cao Yuting , Gan Ning
Published: March 2020

We conjugated aldehyde‐BODIPY with the water‐soluble iodopropionic‐acid‐hemicyanine to develop a new dual‐color fluorescence probe (BHC) for selective and sensitive monitoring of endogenous SO2 for the first time. Through excellent water solubility and the unique nucleophilic addition reaction, BHC has a higher selectivity for the colorimetric monitoring of SO2 than other related substances. The resulting probe BHC has red emission, and can be converted to green emission after reacting with SO2. Then the dual‐color fluorescence probe was further applied to image intracellular endogenous generated SO32−/HSO3− by the metabolism of living cells with satisfactory results. This strategy provides a new tool for revealing the metabolism of SO32−/HSO3− and quantifying their distribution in living cells.
A Chitosan/Poly(ethylene oxide)‐Based Hybrid Polymer Composite Electrolyte Suitable for Solid‐State Lithium Metal Batteries
Authors: Ai Shun , Wang Tianyi , Li Tao , Wan Yuanxin , Xu Xiaoqian , Lu Hongyan , Qu Tengfei , Luo Shaochuan , Jiang Jing , Yu Xianghua , Zhou Dongshan , Li Liang
Published: March 2020

Solid‐state electrolytes have good mechanical and thermal stability to meet the safety and performance of advanced lithium‐based rechargeable battery technologies. However, the drawbacks such as high interfacial impedance and low ionic conductivity of the solid‐state polymer electrolytes at room temperature are the current demanding challenges that need to be addressed. Here, we report hybrid polymer composite electrolyte that is composed of a chitosan composite polymer electrolyte soaked with a slightly liquid electrolyte. The hybrid polymer composite electrolyte has a high ionic conductivity about 6.8×10−4 S cm−1 with a low interfacial impedance at room temperature and outstanding flexibility. The lithium‐metal/LiFePO4 solid‐state cell using this hybrid polymer composite electrolyte can be operated at room temperature maintaining a high cathode capacity of 120 mA h g−1 for 130 cycles. This chitosan/poly(ethylene oxide)‐based hybrid polymer composite electrolyte system provides a promising direction for the creation of novel solid‐electrolyte, which meets both high ionic conductivity and low interfacial impedance requirements for practical solid‐polymer batteries.
Dynamic Environmental Control in Microfluidic Single‐Cell Cultivations: From Concepts to Applications
Authors: Täuber Sarah , von Lieres Eric , Grünberger Alexander
Published: March 2020

Microfluidic single‐cell cultivation (MSCC) is an emerging field within fundamental as well as applied biology. During the last years, most MSCCs were performed at constant environmental conditions. Recently, MSCC at oscillating and dynamic environmental conditions has started to gain significant interest in the research community for the investigation of cellular behavior. Herein, an overview of this topic is given and microfluidic concepts that enable oscillating and dynamic control of environmental conditions with a focus on medium conditions are discussed, and their application in single‐cell research for the cultivation of both mammalian and microbial cell systems is demonstrated. Furthermore, perspectives for performing MSCC at complex dynamic environmental profiles of single parameters and multiparameters (e.g., pH and O2) in amplitude and time are discussed. The technical progress in this field provides completely new experimental approaches and lays the foundation for systematic analysis of cellular metabolism at fluctuating environments.
Two‐Dimension Conjugated Acceptors Based on Benzodi(cyclopentadithiophene) Core with Thiophene‐Fused Ending Group for Efficient Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Zhang Youdi , Cho Yongjoon , Zhong Lian , Wang Ying , Huang Bin , Yuan Zhongyi , Yang Changduk , Chen Yiwang , Li Yongfang
Published: March 2020

The previously reported nonfullerene small molecule ITIC‐SF achieved via side chain tuning, promotes the power conversion efficiency of polymer solar cells (PSCs) with PBDB‐T‐SF as the donor from 10.1% and ITIC2 acceptors up to 12.2% for ITIC‐SF acceptors. To further this research, benzene end groups of molecules are herein substituted with thiophene rings, obtaining two new molecules BDTCH‐IC with alkylthio substituents, and BDTSF‐IC with alkylthio and fluorine substituents on their thiophene‐conjugated side chains. The absorption edges of BDTCH‐IC and BDTSF‐IC are red‐shifted to 824 and 793 nm, respectively. Strengthened molecular crystallinity, promoted charge extraction, and upgraded morphology endorse the advancement of photovoltaic performance of the small molecular acceptors. Using donor PM6, the two small molecule acceptors show good photovoltaic performance, although the highest occupied molecular orbit energy offsets are small between donor and acceptor materials. As a combination of side‐chain and end‐group engineering, the photovoltaic performance of the PSCs is increased to 13.1%, together with the best short‐circuit current (JSC) and fill factor reported thus far for this series of molecules. The results indicate that the modification of side chain and end groups is an effective way to improve the photovoltaic performance of small molecule acceptors.
Zoonotic implications of camel diseases in Iran
Authors: Mohammadpour Roya , Champour Mohsen , Tuteja Fateh , Mostafavi Ehsan
Published: March 2020

Approximately 60% of all human pathogens and 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic (of animal origin). Camel zoonotic diseases can be encountered in all camel‐rearing countries. In this article, all studies carried out on camel zoonotic diseases in Iran are reviewed to show the importance of camels for public health in this country. More than 900 published documents were systematically searched to find relevant studies from 1,890 until late 2018. The collected articles were classified according to the aetiological agents. In this study, 19 important zoonotic diseases were reported among Iranian camels including listeriosis, leptospirosis, plague, Q fever, brucellosis, campylobacteriosis, tuberculosis, pasteurellosis, clostridiosis, salmonellosis,Escherichia coliinfections, rabies, camelpox, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Crimean‐Congo haemorrhagic fever, echinococcosis, cryptosporidiosis, toxoplasmosis and dermatophytosis, most of which belong to bacterial, viral, parasitic and fungal pathogens, respectively. Results show that camels are one of the most important sources of infections and diseases in human; therefore, continuous monitoring and inspection programs are necessary to prevent the outbreak of zoonotic diseases caused by this animal in humans.
Genetic characterization of the spike gene of porcine epidemic diarrhea viruses (PEDVs) circulating in Vietnam from 2015 to 2016
Authors: Than Van T. , Choe Se‐Eun , Vu Thi T. H. , Do Tien D. , Nguyen Thi L. , Bui Thi T. N. , Mai Thi N. , Cha Ra M. , Song Daesub , An Dong‐Jun , Le Van P.
Published: March 2020

Background

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) is a highly contagious swine disease caused by the PED virus (PEDV), which is a member of the family Coronaviridae. Since the first outbreaks in Belgium and the United Kingdom were reported in 1971, PED has spread throughout many countries around the world and causing significant economic loss. This study was conducted to investigate the recent distribution of PEDV strains in Vietnam during the 2015–2016 seasons.

Methods

A total of 30 PED‐specific PCR‐positive intestinal and faecal samples were collected from unvaccinated piglets in Vietnam during the 2015–2016 seasons. The full length of the spike (S) gene of these PEDV strains were analysed to determine their phylogeny and genetic relationship with other available PEDV strains globally.

Results

Phylogenetic analysis of the complete S gene sequences revealed that the 28 Vietnamese PEDV strains collected in the northern and central regions clustered in the G2 group (both G2a and G2b sub‐groups), while the other 2 PEDV strains (HUA‐PED176 and HUA‐PED254) collected in the southern region were clustered in the G1/G1b group/sub‐group. The nucleotide (nt) and deduced amino acid (aa) analyses based on the complete S gene sequences showed that the Vietnamese PEDV strains were closely related to each other, sharing nt and aa homology of 93.2%–99.9% and 92.6%–99.9%, respectively. The N‐glycosylation patterns and mutations in the antigenic region were observed in Vietnamese PEDV strains.

Conclusions

This study provides, for the first time, up‐to‐date information on viral circulation and genetic distribution, as well as evidence to assist in the development of effective PEDV vaccines in Vietnam.
Ten years after Copenhagen: Reimagining climate change governance in urban areas
Authors: Castán Broto Vanesa , Westman Linda K.
Published: March 2020

In this review, we take stock of the last decade of research on climate change governance in urban areas since the 2009 conference in Copenhagen. Using a systematic evaluation of academic publications in the field, we argue that the current moment of research has been shaped by two recent waves of thought. The first, a wave of urban optimism, which started in 2011 and peaked in 2013, engaged with urban areas as alternative sites for governance in the face of the crumbling international climate regime. The second, a wave of urban pragmatism, which started in 2016, has sought to reimagine urban areas following the integration of the “sub‐national” as a meaningful category in the international climate regime after the 2015 Paris Agreement for Climate Action. Four themes dominate the debate on climate change governance in urban areas: why there is climate action, how climate action is delivered, how it is articulated in relation to internationally reaching networks, and what implications it has to understand environmental or climate justice within urban settings. Calls to understand the impacts of climate change policy have fostered research on climate change politics, issues of power and control, conflicts, and the inherently unjust nature of much climate policy. What is largely missing from the current scholarship is a sober assessment of the mundane aspects of climate change governance on the ground and a concern with what kind of cultural and socio‐economic change is taking place, beyond comparative analyses of the effectiveness of climate policies.

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > Governing Climate Change in Communities, Cities, and Regions
Rotating black hole entropy from M5-branes
Authors: Benini Francesco , Gang Dongmin , Pando Zayas Leopoldo A.
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We compute the superconformal index of 3d$$ \mathcal{N} $$N= 2 superconformal field theories obtained fromNM5-branes wrapped on a hyperbolic 3-manifold. Exploiting the 3d-3d correspondence, we use perturbative invariants of SL(N,ℂ) Chern-Simons theory to determine the superconformal index in the largeNlimit, including corrections logarithmic inN. The leading order partition function provides a microscopic foundation for the entropy function of the dual rotating asymptotically AdS4black holes. We also verify that the supergravity one-loop contribution to the logNterm coincides with the field theoretic result. We propose a 3d-3d formulation for the refined topologically twisted index, and provide strong evidence in support of its vanishing — which agrees with the fact that the expected dual rotating magnetically-charged black hole does not exist. This provides an interesting link between gravity and a tantalizing mathematical result.
The axion mass from 5D small instantons
Authors: Gherghetta Tony , Khoze Valentin V. , Pomarol Alex , Shirman Yuri
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We calculate a new contribution to the axion mass that arises from gluons propagating in a 5th dimension at high energies. By uplifting the 4D instanton solution to five dimensions, the positive frequency modes of the Kaluza-Klein states generate a power-law term in the effective action that inversely grows with the instanton size. This causes 5D small instantons to enhance the axion mass in a way that does not spoil the axion solution to the strong CP problem. Moreover this enhancement can be much larger than the usual QCD contribution from large instantons, although it requires the 5D gauge theory to be near the non-perturbative limit. Thus our result suggests that the mass range of axions (or axion-like particles), which is important for ongoing experimental searches, can depend sensitively on the UV modification of QCD.
Centralisation of Pancreatoduodenectomy in India: Where Do We Stand?
Authors: Shinde Rajesh S. , Pandrowala Saneya , Navalgund Sunil , Pai Esha , Bhandare Manish S. , Chaudhari Vikram A. , Sullivan Richard , Shrikhande Shailesh V.
Published: March 2020

Background

The volume–outcome relationship dictates that high‐volume centres lead to improved patient outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). We conducted a retrospective review to fathom the situation in India for PD and whether referral to high‐volume centres would make a positive impact.

Method

A systematic literature search in MEDLINE was performed, and all articles published from Indian centres from 01.03.2008 to 30.11.2019 were scrutinised. Any series with less than 20 patients, case reports, abstracts, unpublished data and personal communications were excluded.

Results

A total of 36 unique series including 6226 patients from 24 institutes across India were identified. Amongst the 24 institutes, 2 institutes reported less than 10 cases/year, 11 reported 10–25 cases/year and 11 reported ≥26 cases/year. Overall perioperative morbidity was 42.4%, 43.4% and 41% for centres doing <10, 10–25 and ≥26 cases/year, respectively. Operative mortality also improved with increasing number of cases/year (5.1% vs. 6.6% vs. 3.2%, respectively).

Conclusion

With increasing volume of cases per year, trend towards improved PD outcomes is observed. To optimise the use of healthcare facilities, it would be pragmatic to consider building an organised referral system for complex surgeries to deliver unsurpassed patient care with maximum utilisation of the available healthcare infrastructure.
How do pediatric patients perceive adverse drug events of anticonvulsant drugs? A survey
Authors: Neininger Martina Patrizia , Woltermann Sarah , Jeschke Sarah , Herziger Birthe , Müller Ruth Melinda , Kiess Wieland , Bertsche Thilo , Bertsche Astrid
Published: March 2020

Anticonvulsant drugs have a high risk of adverse drug events. Little is known about the perception of those events by pediatric patients. We performed a survey in the neuropediatric departments of two university hospitals. Using a questionnaire, we interviewed patients aged 6–18 years with current anticonvulsant treatment regarding (i) their fears about potential adverse drug events, (ii) experienced adverse drug events, and (iii) perceived burden of experienced adverse drug events. One hundred patients took part in the interview. (i) 40 (40%) expressed fears that the medication could harm them. Eighteen of 40 (45%) named fears concerning specific adverse drug events. Of those, 12/18 (67%) feared neurologic or psychiatric symptoms. (ii) 37 (37%) of children described altogether 60 experienced adverse drug events. Of those, 38 (63%) concerned neurologic or psychiatric symptoms. (iii) 32/37 (82%) children who experienced adverse drug events felt bothered by the experienced event. Among others, they described an emotional burden (11/37, 30%), and restrictions in school performance (8/37, 22%) and favorite leisure activities (4/37, 11%).

Conclusion: School-aged children are well able to describe adverse drug events of their anticonvulsant medication. Almost two thirds of the described events concern neurologic or psychiatric symptoms that cause an emotional burden and restrictions according to the patients.

What is Known:• Anticonvulsants have a high potential of adverse drug events.• In an earlier survey, parents expressed fears of severe adverse drug events such as liver failure, which seldom occur, and reported a high number of neurological and psychological adverse drug events.

What is New:• Many children fear that their anticonvulsants could harm them, and they fear and experience neurological and psychological adverse drug events.• According to the children, adverse drug events cause an emotional burden and restrictions in school performance and favorite leisure activities.
Strategic voting in the lab: compromise and leader bias behavior
Authors: Meir Reshef , Gal Kobi , Tal Maor
Published: March 2020

Plurality voting is perhaps the most commonly used way to aggregate the preferences of multiple voters. Yet, there is no consensus on how people vote strategically, even in very simple settings. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive study of people’s voting behavior in various online settings under the plurality rule. We implemented voting games that replicate two common real-world voting scenarios in controlled experiments. In the first, a single voter votes once after seeing a pre-election poll. In the second game, a group of voters play an iterative game, and change their vote as the game progresses (as in online voting). The winning candidate in each game (and hence the subject’s payment) is determined using the plurality rule. For each of these settings we generated hundreds of game instances, varying conditions such as the number of voters, subjects’ preferences over candidates and the poll information that was made available to the subjects prior to voting. We show that people can be classified into several groups, one of which is not engaged in any strategic behavior, while the largest group demonstrates both a tendency for strategic compromise, and a bias toward voting for the leader in the poll. We provide a detailed analysis of this group behavior for both settings, and how it depends on the poll information. Our study has insight for multi-agent system designers in uncovering patterns that provide reasonable predictions of voters’ behaviors, which may facilitate the design of agents that support people or act autonomously in voting systems.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of the associations between body mass index, prostate cancer, advanced prostate cancer, and prostate-specific antigen
Authors: Harrison Sean , Tilling Kate , Turner Emma L. , Martin Richard M. , Lennon Rosie , Lane J. Athene , Donovan Jenny L. , Hamdy Freddie C. , Neal David E. , Bosch J. L. H. Ruud , Jones Hayley E.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and prostate cancer remains unclear. However, there is an inverse association between BMI and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), used for prostate cancer screening. We conducted this review to estimate the associations between BMI and (1) prostate cancer, (2) advanced prostate cancer, and (3) PSA.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase for studies until 02 October 2017 and obtained individual participant data from four studies. In total, 78 studies were identified for the association between BMI and prostate cancer, 21 for BMI and advanced prostate cancer, and 35 for BMI and PSA. We performed random-effects meta-analysis of linear associations of log-PSA and prostate cancer with BMI and, to examine potential non-linearity, of associations between categories of BMI and each outcome.

Results

In the meta-analyses with continuous BMI, a 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a percentage change in PSA of − 5.88% (95% CI − 6.87 to − 4.87). Using BMI categories, compared to normal weight men the PSA levels of overweight men were 3.43% lower (95% CI − 5.57 to − 1.23), and obese men were 12.9% lower (95% CI − 15.2 to − 10.7). Prostate cancer and advanced prostate cancer analyses showed little or no evidence associations.

Conclusion

There is little or no evidence of an association between BMI and risk of prostate cancer or advanced prostate cancer, and strong evidence of an inverse and non-linear association between BMI and PSA. The association between BMI and prostate cancer is likely biased if missed diagnoses are not considered.
A Comparison Theorem for Nonsmooth Nonlinear Operators
Authors: Kozlov Vladimir , Nazarov Alexander
Published: March 2020

We prove a comparison theorem for super- and sub-solutions with non-vanishing gradients to semilinear PDEs provided a nonlinearity f is Lp function with p > 1. The proof is based on a strong maximum principle for solutions of divergence type elliptic equations with VMO leading coefficients and with lower order coefficients from a Kato class. An application to estimation of periodic water waves profiles is given.
A stepwise titration protocol for oral appliance therapy in positional obstructive sleep apnea patients: proof of concept
Authors: de Ruiter M. H. T. , Aarab G. , de Vries N. , Lobbezoo F. , de Lange J.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

In patients with positional obstructive sleep apnea (POSA), oral appliance therapy (OAT) is among the first-line treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a new standardized stepwise titration protocol for OAT in a group of patients with POSA.

Methods

This was an observational intervention trial. Patients who were previously randomized to the OAT intervention arm of a comparison study comprised the subjects for this study. These patients, who had mild to moderate POSA, were assessed after 3 and 12 months for treatment efficacy, objective adherence by temperature microsensor, and side effects. The titration of OAT was performed using a standardized stepwise titration protocol including advancement levels of 60%, 75%, and 90% of the maximum mandibular protrusion. The optimal advancement level per individual was based on a weighted compromise between efficacy and side effects.

Results

In total, 36 patients were included and all completed the titration protocol after 3 months. At baseline, the OAT was set at 60% of the maximal mandibular protrusion position. At a 3-month evaluation, the advancement remained at 60% in 16 patients (44%) and reached 75% advancement in 20 patients (56%). Mean apnea-hypopnea index decreased from 12.9 events per hour (9.1–16.7) to 6.9 (3.7–10.3) (P < 0.001), and median objective adherence was 97.4 (61.4–100.00) after 3 months. The 12-month analysis showed consistent results and good OAT tolerance. Six patients (16.7%) terminated OAT and one patient (2.8%) was lost to follow-up.

Conclusions

This standardized stepwise titration protocol for OAT showed good efficacy, good OAT tolerance, and good objective adherence in patients with mild to moderate POSA. Therefore, the protocol is recommended in research projects to improve standardization of methods between studies and in clinical practice for its practical feasibility.
Long-term work retention after treatment for cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: de Boer Angela GEM , Torp Steffen , Popa Adela , Horsboel Trine , Zadnik Vesna , Rottenberg Yakir , Bardi Edit , Bultmann Ute , Sharp Linda
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Almost half of people diagnosed with cancer are working age. Survivors have increased risk of unemployment, but little is known about long-term work retention. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed work retention and associated factors in long-term cancer survivors.

Methods

We searched Medline/Pubmed, Embase, PsychINFO, and CINAHL for studies published 01/01/2000–08/01/2019 reporting work retention in adult cancer survivors ≥ 2 years post-diagnosis. Survivors had to be in paid work at diagnosis. Pooled prevalence of long-term work retention was estimated. Factors associated with work retention from multivariate analysis were synthesized.

Results

Twenty-nine articles, reporting 21 studies/datasets including 14,207 cancer survivors, were eligible. Work retention was assessed 2–14 years post-diagnosis. Fourteen studies were cross-sectional, five were prospective, and two contained both cross-sectional and prospective elements. No studies were scored as high quality. The pooled estimate of prevalence of long-term work retention in cancer survivors working at diagnosis was 0.73 (95%CI 0.69–0.77). The proportion working at 2–2.9 years was 0.72; at 3–3.9 years 0.80; at 4–4.9 years 0.75; at 5–5.9 years 0.74; and 6+ years 0.65. Pooled estimates did not differ by cancer site, geographical area, or study design. Seven studies assessed prognostic factors for work retention: older age, receiving chemotherapy, negative health outcomes, and lack of work adjustments were associated with not working.

Conclusion

Almost three-quarters of long-term cancer survivors working at diagnosis retain work.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

These findings are pertinent for guidelines on cancer survivorship care. Professionals could focus support on survivors most likely to have poor long-term work outcomes.
Convolution-based multi-scale envelope inversion
Authors: Liu Ding-Jin , Huang Jian-Ping , Wang Zi-Ying
Published: March 2020

Envelope inversion (EI) is an efficient tool to mitigate the nonlinearity of conventional full waveform inversion (FWI) by utilizing the ultralow-frequency component in the seismic data. However, the performance of envelope inversion depends on the frequency component and initial model to some extent. To improve the convergence ability and avoid the local minima issue, we propose a convolution-based envelope inversion method to update the low-wavenumber component of the velocity model. Besides, the multi-scale inversion strategy (MCEI) is also incorporated to improve the inversion accuracy while guaranteeing the global convergence. The success of this method relies on modifying the original envelope data to expand the overlap region between observed and modeled envelope data, which in turn expands the global minimum basin of misfit function. The accurate low-wavenumber component of the velocity model provided by MCEI can be used as the migration model or an initial model for conventional FWI. The numerical tests on simple layer model and complex BP 2004 model verify that the proposed method is more robust than EI even when the initial model is coarse and the frequency component of data is high.