bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artificial Cellulosome Complex from the Self‐Assembly of Ni‐NTA‐Functionalized Polymeric Micelles and Cellulases
Authors: Lu Lin , Zhang Libo , Yuan Liang , Zhu Tianyu , Chen Wilfred , Wang Guiren , Wang Qian
Published: January 2019

Polymer–protein core–shell nanoparticles have been explored for enzyme immobilization. This work reports on the development of functional polymeric micelles for immobilizing His6‐tagged cellulases with controlled spatial orientation of enzymes, resulting in “artificial cellulosomes” for effective cellulose hydrolysis. Poly(styrene)‐b‐poly(styrene‐alt‐maleic anhydride) was prepared through one‐pot reversible addition–fragmentation chain‐transfer polymerization and modified with nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) to afford an amphiphilic block copolymer. The self‐assembled polymer was mixed with a solution of NiSO4 to form Ni‐NTA‐functionalized micelles, which could successfully capture His6‐tagged cellulases and form hierarchically structured core–shell nanoparticles with cellulases as the corona. Because the anchored enzymes are site‐specifically oriented and in close proximity, synergistic catalysis that results in over twofold activity enhancement has been achieved.
Experiments on Bubble Breakup Induced by Collision with a Vortex Ring
Authors: Zednikova Maria , Stanovsky Petr , Travnickova Tereza , Orvalho Sandra , Holub Ladislav , Vejrazka Jiri
Published: January 2019

The bubble breakup after collision with a vortex ring was validated as source of breakup parameters for population balance modeling. This system was chosen as a deterministic alternative to the stochastic nature of bubble breakup studies under turbulent flow. The vortex ring was characterized by combining experimental visualization and numerical simulations. Breakup frequency, mean number of daughter bubbles, and its size distribution were obtained by high‐speed camera recording of the collision process. The dependence of breakup parameters on the size of the mother bubble and Weber number was determined.
Topotactic Conversion of Alkali‐Treated Intergrown Germanosilicate CIT‐13 into Single‐Crystalline ECNU‐21 Zeolite as Shape‐Selective Catalyst for Ethylene Oxide Hydration
Authors: Liu Xue , Mao Wenting , Jiang Jingang , Lu Xinqing , Peng Mingming , Xu Hao , Han Lu , Che Shun‐ai , Wu Peng
Published: January 2019

The conversion of the alkali‐treated intergrowth germanosilicate CIT‐13 into the single‐crystalline high‐silica ECNU‐21 (named after East China Normal University) zeolite, with a novel topology and a highly crystalline zeolite framework, has been realized through a creative top‐down strategy involving a mild alkaline‐induced multistep process consisting of structural degradation and reconstruction. Instead of acid treatment, hydrolysis in aqueous ammonia solution not only readily cleaved the chemically weak Ge(Si)−O−Ge bonds located within the interlayer double four ring (D4R) units of CIT‐13, but also cleaved the metastable Si−O−Si bonds therein. This led to extensive removal of the D4R units, and also generated silanol groups on adjacent silica‐rich layers, which then condensed to form a novel daughter structure upon calcination. Individual oxygen bridges in the reassembled ECNU‐21 replaced the germanium‐rich D4R units in CIT‐13, thereby eliminating the original intergrowth phenomenon along the b axis. With an ordered crystalline structure of 10‐ring (R) channels as well as suitable germanium‐related Lewis acid sites, ECNU‐21 serves as a stable solid Lewis acid catalyst for the shape‐selective hydration of ethylene oxide (EO) to ethylene glycol (EG) at greatly reduced H2O/EO ratios and reaction temperature in comparison with the noncatalytic industrial process.
Stevens‐Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis cases treated at our hospital over the past 10 years
Authors: Nakae Makoto , Tamagawa‐Mineoka Risa , Masuda Koji , Ueta Mayumi , Sotozono Chie , Katoh Norito
Published: January 2019

Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are acute inflammatory diseases of the skin and mucous membranes such as the ocular surface. This study aimed to evaluate the backgrounds, clinical symptoms, and disease course of SJS/TEN patients in our hospital. We retrospectively collected the data of the medical history, clinical symptoms, examinations, and treatments in patients with SJS or TEN, which were diagnosed in the Department of Dermatology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine Hospital between April 2007 and March 2017. The subjects were 15 patients with SJS and five with TEN. All five children had cold symptoms and took cold medications. On the other hand, 15 adult patients took various types of drugs, such as antibiotics, cold medications, or anticonvulsants. Interestingly, all pediatric patients did not have large skin lesions but suffered from severe eye symptoms, while the severity of their skin and mucous lesions was various in adult patients. All patients were treated with oral corticosteroid therapy. Furthermore, 18 patients were treated with corticosteroid pulse therapy, six with high‐dose immunoglobulin therapy, and one with plasmapheresis. Our findings imply that cold symptoms and cold medicines may be associated with severe ocular involvement in SJS/TEN patients.
How much of US health care spending provides direct care or benefit to patients?
Authors: Fredell Morgan N. , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Shih Ya‐Chen Tina , Ho Vivian , Mukherjee Binata
Published: January 2019

Plans to optimize health care in the United States highlight the high cost but rarely explore opportunities for redirecting resources within the existing system to increase access to care while lowering spending. This analysis indicates that, of the total national health care expenditures of $3.21 trillion in 2015, only $1.4 trillion to $2.86 trillion was used to provide care to patients. This range was reached by the subtraction of excess spending in 7 categories. Thus, many opportunities exist to repurpose wasted expenditures to increase access to health care without the need for additional funding.
Brain atlas of the African mole‐ratFukomys anselli
Authors: Dollas Alexa , Oelschläger Helmut H. A. , Begall Sabine , Burda Hynek , Malkemper Erich Pascal
Published: January 2019

African mole‐rats are subterranean rodents that spend their whole life in underground burrow systems. They show a range of morphological and physiological adaptations to their ecotope, for instance severely reduced eyes and specialized somatosensory, olfactory, and auditory systems. These adaptations are also reflected in the accessory sensory pathways in the brain that process the input coming from the sensory organs. So far, a brain atlas was available only for the naked mole‐rat (Heterocephalus glaber). The Ansell's mole‐rat (Fukomys anselli) has been the subject of many investigations in various disciplines (ethology, sensory physiology, and anatomy) including magnetic orientation. It is therefore surprising that an atlas of the brain of this species was not available so far. Here, we present a comprehensive atlas of the Ansell's mole‐rat brain based on Nissl and Klüver‐Barrera stained sections. We identify and label 375 brain regions and discuss selected differences from the brain of the closely related naked mole‐rat as well as from epigeic mammals (rat), with a particular focus on the auditory brainstem. This atlas can serve as a reference for future neuroanatomical investigations of subterranean mammals.
Rapid Transmembrane Transport of DNA Nanostructures by Chemically Anchoring Artificial Receptors on Cell Membranes
Authors: Li Min , Liu Jiangbo , Deng Mengying , Ge Zhilei , Afshan Noshin , Zuo Xiaolei , Li Qian
Published: January 2019

Highly efficient transmembrane transport of exogenous reagents into cells is of vital importance for developing drug‐delivery systems. Conventionally, transmembrane transport of exogenous reagents was accomplished with the assistance of transfection agents or other artificial means. However, the high toxicity and low transport efficiency of current delivery techniques still remain to be solved. In this work, by anchoring artificial receptors onto cell membranes with a mild chemical reaction, we demonstrated that the exogenous reagent framework nucleic acids, namely tetrahedral DNA nanostructures (TDN) can bind onto cell membranes effectively by the hybridization between single‐stranded DNA (ssDNA) and pendant ssDNA of TDN. The transport rate was greatly enhanced, with the endocytosis time could be as fast as 0.5 h. Furthermore, the transport quantity was prominently improved, with around 30 % of TDN endocytosed within 4 h. Owing to its rapid transmembrane transport speed and improved endocytosis quantity, this artificial‐receptor‐mediated transmembrane transport is a promising tool for achieving rapid and highly efficient transmembrane transport of exogenous reagents.
One‐Step Conversion of Glutamic Acid into 2‐Pyrrolidone on a Supported Ru Catalyst in a Hydrogen Atmosphere: Remarkable Effect of CO Activation
Authors: Suganuma Satoshi , Otani Akihiro , Joka Shota , Asako Hiroki , Takagi Rika , Tsuji Etsushi , Katada Naonobu
Published: January 2019

Glutamic acid, an abundant nonessential amino acid, was converted into 2‐pyrrolidone in the presence of a supported Ru catalyst under a pressurized hydrogen atmosphere. This reaction pathway proceeded through the dehydration of glutamic acid into pyroglutamic acid, subsequent hydrogenation, and the dehydrogenation–decarbonylation of pyroglutaminol into 2‐pyrrolidone. In the conversion of pyroglutaminol, Ru/Al2O3 exhibited notably higher activity than supported Pt, Pd, and Rh catalysts. IR analysis revealed that Ru can hydrogenate the formed CO through dehydrogenation–decarbonylation of hydroxymethyl groups in pyroglutaminol and can also easily desorb CH4 from the active sites on Ru. Furthermore, Ru/Al2O3 showed the highest catalytic activity among the tested catalysts in the conversion of pyroglutamic acid. Consequently, the conversion of glutamic acid produced a high yield of 2‐pyrrolidone by using the supported Ru catalyst. This is the first report of this one‐pot reaction under mild reaction conditions (433 K, 2 MPa H2)„ which avoids the degradation of unstable amino acids above 473 K.
Improvement of Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 Solar Cells by Adding N,N‐Dimethylformamide to the Dimethyl Sulfoxide‐Based Precursor Ink
Authors: Ge Sijie , Gao Heng , Hong Ruijiang , Li Jianjun , Mai Yaohua , Lin Xianzhong , Yang Guowei
Published: January 2019

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSe) solar cells based on dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) Cu‐Zn‐Sn‐S precursor ink have seen tremendous progress in recent years. However, the wettability between the ink and Mo substrate is poor, owing to the high viscosity of the highly concentrated Cu‐Zn‐Sn‐S ink. Herein, a solvent engineering process is proposed in which N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) is added into the DMSO‐based Cu‐Zn‐Sn‐S ink for the deposition of CZTSSe thin‐film absorbers in air. The addition of DMF significantly improves the wettability between the precursor ink and Mo substrate. The DMF/(DMF+DMSO) ratio also plays a critical role in determining the crystal quality of the resulting CZTSSe absorber and the device performance. The grain size of CZTSSe thin films increases with increasing DMF/(DMF+DMSO) ratio. Particularly, large grains through the whole cross section can be achieved with 20 % DMF addition. Accordingly, the power conversion efficiency of the device increases from 6.5 % to 8.6 % under AM 1.5G illumination. However, the efficiency decreases to 5.4 % when the DMF content is further increased to 30 %. Interface recombination and back contact barrier are found to be the main limitations of these devices.
Low‐loss 7‐bit S‐band CMOS passive phase shifter with digital control
Authors: Kumar Vijay , Garg Divya Kumar , Selvaraja Shankar Kumar , Sai Saravanan G. , Kumar M. Madhava
Published: January 2019

This paper presents the design and implementation of a 7‐bit S‐band digital passive phase shifter using Complementary Metal‐Oxide‐Semiconductor (CMOS) 65‐nm technology in 2.6‐ to 3.2‐GHz frequency band. New switched delay network topology has been used for 5.625° and 2.8°, and modified switched filter topology has been used for implementation of other phase bits to achieve 7‐bit performance with low insertion loss and better isolation. The measured results of the fabricated chip show 7‐bit performance with an average insertion loss of 11 dB, average root mean square (RMS) phase error of less than 2.0°, average RMS amplitude error of less than 0.6 dB, input matching (S11) better than −7.5 dB, and output matching (S22) better than −14.5 dB across the target frequency band at 50Ω input/output impedance.
Day‐to‐day friends’ victimization, aggression perpetration, and morning cortisol activity in late adolescents
Authors: Arbel Reout , Schacter Hannah L. , Han Sohyun C. , Timmons Adela C. , Spies Shapiro Lauren , Margolin Gayla
Published: January 2019

This study investigates bidirectional associations between adolescents’ daily experiences of victimization and aggression perpetration within friendships. We investigated (a) across‐day associations between victimization and aggression perpetration; (b) morning cortisol activity as a moderator of cross‐day victimization and aggression links; and (c) potential sex differences in these patterns. For 4 consecutive days, 99 adolescents (Mage = 18.06, SD = 1.09, 46 females) reported whether they were victimized by or aggressive toward their friends. On three of these days, adolescents provided three morning saliva samples. Multilevel path analyses showed that across days, victimization and aggression were bidirectionally linked, but only for male adolescents. Additionally, for male adolescents, morning cortisol output (but not morning cortisol increase) moderated the association between victimization and next‐day aggression; victimization predicted greater next‐day aggression for boys with low, but not high, morning cortisol output. Findings implicate a physiological factor that may modify daily links between victimization and aggression in male adolescent friendships.
Data partitioning and correction for ascertainment bias reduce the uncertainty of placental mammal divergence times inferred from the morphological clock
Authors: Caldas Ian V. , Schrago Carlos G.
Published: January 2019

Bayesian estimates of divergence times based on the molecular clock yield uncertainty of parameter estimates measured by the width of posterior distributions of node ages. For the relaxed molecular clock, previous works have reported that some of the uncertainty inherent to the variation of rates among lineages may be reduced by partitioning data. Here we test this effect for the purely morphological clock, using placental mammals as a case study. We applied the uncorrelated lognormal relaxed clock to morphological data of 40 extant mammalian taxa and 4,533 characters, taken from the largest published matrix of discrete phenotypic characters. The morphologically derived timescale was compared to divergence times inferred from molecular and combined data. We show that partitioning data into anatomical units significantly reduced the uncertainty of divergence time estimates for morphological data. For the first time, we demonstrate that ascertainment bias has an impact on the precision of morphological clock estimates. While analyses including molecular data suggested most divergences between placental orders occurred near the K‐Pg boundary, the partitioned morphological clock recovered older interordinal splits and some younger intraordinal ones, including significantly later dates for the radiation of bats and rodents, which accord to the short‐fuse hypothesis.
Effect of Sodium and Fluorine Co‐Doping on the Properties of Fluorite‐Like Rare‐Earth Molybdates of Nd5Mo3O16 Type
Authors: Voronkova Valentina , Kharitonova Elena , Orlova Ekaterina , Kežionis Algimantas , Petrulionis Dalius
Published: January 2019

Fluorite‐like oxyfluorides NaLn4Mo3O15F (Ln = La, Pr, Nd), which relate to the Nd5Mo3O16 structural type, were obtained by solid‐phase synthesis in the air. Codoping of the Nd5Mo3O16+δ family with sodium and fluorine led to the appearance of a piezoelectric effect and a reversible phase transition in oxyfluorides, accompanied by a jump in the conductivity and an anomaly of the permittivity of the ferroelectric type. It is assumed that the compounds NaLn4Mo3O15F in contrast to Nd5Mo3O16+δ, which possess mixed oxide‐ion/electronic interstitial conductivity, can have oxygen conductivity of vacancy type. The highest conductivity offered by these materials is 3.2 × 10–2 S/cm at 700 °C. NaLn4Mo3O15F compounds were found to be hygroscopic and can be considered as potential proton conductors.
Comparison of Structural and Optical Properties for N‐Embedded Polycyclic and Non‐Embedded Cationic Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Complexes
Authors: Li Qiuxia , Shi Chao , Zhang Xinghua , Tao Peng , Zhao Qiang , Yuan Aihua
Published: January 2019

We designed and synthesized N‐embedded polycyclic based cationic iridium(III) complex Ir‐NO and non‐embedded complexes Ir‐N and Ir‐O. Single crystal structures indicate that the N‐embedded polycyclic unit in Ir‐NO exhibits a certain planarity and induces two interesting π–π‐stackings between 2,2′‐bipyridine moieties of one molecule and two polycyclic units of the other molecule, and their shortest intermolecular distances are both 3.24 Å, which results in a stronger structural distortion of the 2,2′‐bipyridine ligand with a larger torsion angle (12.70°) in comparison with those of Ir‐N (5.51°) and Ir‐O (8.11°). Unpredictably, both Ir‐N and Ir‐O show deep red emission in solution, whereas Ir‐NO exhibits no emission. However, all complexes show significant luminescence in their respective polystyrene (PS) films, and Ir‐NO displays a longer emission lifetime than those of Ir‐N and Ir‐O. DFT calculations reveal that unusual ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer (3LMCT) excited state character can be found in Ir‐NO and Ir‐N, which is in contrast to the metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) excited state observed in Ir‐O.
Site‐Selective Arylation of Naphthalenes: a Key Entry towards Extended Fluorenones and Phenanthridinones
Authors: Large Benjamin , Gigant Nicolas , Joseph Delphine , Clavier Gilles , Prim Damien
Published: January 2019

The development of an oriented arylation process dedicated to the naphthalene core is presented. Our approach is based on dual role of N‐tosyl carboxamides acting jointly as a directing group in a first C–H arylation step and as a “CO” or “CO–NH” fragment precursor in a further construction step of naphthalene‐based fluorenone or phenanthridinone derivatives. The presence of the directing group in position 1 and 2 of the naphthalene platform allowed selective arylations in position 2 and 3 respectively. Our study represents a first synthetic and general entry of C–H arylation at naphthalene platforms towards the preparation of extended fluorenones as well as benzo‐fused phenanthridinones. Further, the C–H arylation and cyclisation sequence represents a useful way to the preparation of novel extended tetra‐ and pentacyclic fluorenones bearing both electron donating as well as electron withdrawing groups in various substitution patterns. Additionally, both the regioselectivity and the reaction paths of the cyclization leading to the fluorenone architectures was studied by DFT calculations which fully complement experimental observations.
Expression levels of circulating microRNAs‐126, ‐155, and ‐145 in Mexican women exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through biomass fuel use
Authors: Ruiz‐Vera Tania , Ochoa‐Martínez Ángeles C. , Pruneda‐Álvarez Lucía G. , Domínguez‐Cortinas Gabriela , Pérez‐Maldonado Ivan N.
Published: January 2019

Human exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been considered a risk determinant for the development of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess expression levels of vascular‐related miRNAs, miR‐126, miR‐155, and miR‐145, in plasma from women (aged 19–81 years) exposed (n = 100) and non‐exposed (n = 20) to PAHs via biomass combustion smoke.1‐hydroxypyrene (1‐OHP) was determined in urine as a biomarker of exposure to PAHs using high‐resolution liquid chromatography. Plasma expression levels of proposed miRNAs were determined by quantitative real‐time PCR. Additionally, traditional risk factors (age, blood pressure, serum lipid profile, blood glucose, and among others) associated with CVD were evaluated. Urinary 1‐OHP concentrations and plasma expression levels of miR‐126 and miR‐155 were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in women using wood as a fuel source in their homes (indoor) compared to women from the reference group (non‐exposed to biomass smoke). Besides, multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that miR‐126[β = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (0.32–0.90)] and miR‐155 [β = 0.45; 95% confidence interval (0.13–0.84)] expression levels were significantly associated with urinary 1‐OHP concentrations after being adjusted by traditional risk factors (P < 0.05). In contrast, no significant relationship was found between miR‐145 and urinary 1‐OHP levels. Furthermore, miRNAs assessed in this investigation are associated with CVD events. Consequently, actions to reduce exposure to PAHs in the evaluated population are warranted. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 60:546–558, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating simplified models in predicting global seismic responses of a shake table–test building isolated by triple friction pendulum bearings
Authors: Dao Nhan D. , Ryan Keri L. , Nguyen‐Van Hieu
Published: January 2019

This paper evaluates the ability of simplified superstructure models, including two shear frame models and a single‐story model, in predicting global responses of a full‐scale five‐story steel moment‐frame buildings isolated by triple friction pendulum bearings subjected to earthquake motions. The investigated responses include displacement of the isolation system, roof drift, story drift, and floor acceleration. Mechanical properties of the simplified superstructure models were derived from the modal information of a verified full 3‐D model. The comparison between the analytical responses and experimental responses shows that the simplified models can well predict the displacement of the isolation system. Furthermore, the shear‐frame models are adequate for predicting floor acceleration when the specimen is subjected to horizontal ground motions. However, when the specimen is subjected to 3‐D motions, the shear‐frame models un‐conservatively predict floor acceleration. The full 3‐D model improves the prediction of story drift compared with the simplified models for both horizontal and 3‐D motions.
Bulk pollen sequencing reveals rapid evolution of segregation distortion in the male germline of Arabidopsis hybrids
Authors: Corbett-Detig Russell , Medina Paloma , Frérot Hélène , Blassiau Christelle , Castric Vincent
Published: January 2019

Genes that do not segregate in heterozygotes at Mendelian ratios are a potentially important evolutionary force in natural populations. Although the impacts of segregation distortion are widely appreciated, we have little quantitative understanding about how often these loci arise and fix within lineages. Here, we develop a statistical approach for detecting segregation distorting genes from the comprehensive comparison of whole genome sequence data obtained from bulk gamete versus somatic tissues. Our approach enables estimation of map positions and confidence intervals, and quantification of effect sizes of segregation distorters. We apply our method to the pollen of two interspecific F1 hybrids of Arabidopsis lyrata and A. halleri and we identify three loci across eight chromosomes showing significant evidence of segregation distortion in both pollen samples. Based on this, we estimate that novel segregation distortion elements evolve and achieve high frequencies within lineages at a rate of approximately one per 244,000 years. Furthermore, we estimate that haploid-acting segregation distortion may contribute between 10% and 30% of reduced pollen viability in F1 individuals. Our results indicate haploid acting factors evolve rapidly and dramatically influence segregation in F1 hybrid individuals.
Effective connectivity in the default mode network is distinctively disrupted in Alzheimer's disease—A simultaneous resting‐state FDG‐PET/fMRI study
Authors: Scherr Martin , Utz Lukas , Tahmasian Masoud , Pasquini Lorenzo , Grothe Michel J. , Rauschecker Josef P. , Grimmer Timo , Drzezga Alexander , Sorg Christian , Riedl Valentin
Published: January 2019

A prominent finding of postmortem and molecular imaging studies on Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the accumulation of neuropathological proteins in brain regions of the default mode network (DMN). Molecular models suggest that the progression of disease proteins depends on the directionality of signaling pathways. At network level, effective connectivity (EC) reflects directionality of signaling pathways. We hypothesized a specific pattern of EC in the DMN of patients with AD, related to cognitive impairment. Metabolic connectivity mapping is a novel measure of EC identifying regions of signaling input based on neuroenergetics. We simultaneously acquired resting‐state functional MRI and FDG‐PET data from patients with early AD (n = 35) and healthy subjects (n = 18) on an integrated PET/MR scanner. We identified two distinct subnetworks of EC in the DMN of healthy subjects: an anterior part with bidirectional EC between hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex and a posterior part with predominant input into medial parietal cortex. Patients had reduced input into the medial parietal system and absent input from hippocampus into medial prefrontal cortex (p < 0.05, corrected). In a multiple linear regression with unimodal imaging and EC measures (F4,25 = 5.63, p = 0.002, r2 = 0.47), we found that EC (β = 0.45, p = 0.012) was stronger associated with cognitive deficits in patients than any of the PET and fMRI measures alone. Our approach indicates specific disruptions of EC in the DMN of patients with AD and might be suitable to test molecular theories about downstream and upstream spreading of neuropathology in AD.
Dietary behaviors and survival in people with head and neck cancer: Results from Head and Neck 5000
Authors: Lang Samantha , Schimansky Sarah , Beynon Rhona , Penfold Christopher , Davies Amy , Waylen Andrea , Thomas Steven , Pring Miranda , Pawlita Michael , Waterboer Tim , Ness Andrew R.
Published: January 2019

Background

The association between diet and head and neck cancer (HNC) survival is unclear.

Methods

Cox proportional hazard models measured the association between fruit, vegetable, and deep‐fried food intake and HNC overall survival adjusting for clinical, social and lifestyle variables including smoking, alcohol, and HPV status.

Results

Fruit and vegetable intake and improved survival were associated in minimally adjusted analyses. Following adjustment for smoking and alcohol consumption (fully adjusted analyses), the association with survival disappeared for fruit (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.67, 1.23; P for trend = .55) and attenuated for vegetables (HR 0.79, 95% CI 0.61, 1.03; P for trend = .04). We observed no association between survival and deep‐fried food intake in minimally adjusted or fully adjusted analyses (HR 0.88 95% CI 0.72, 1.07; P for trend = .13).

Conclusions

Vegetable intake and HNC survival are modestly associated. There is some confounding by tobacco and alcohol consumption.
Evidence for a Novel Regulatory Interaction Involving Cyclin D1, Lipid Droplets, Lipolysis, and Cell Cycle Progression in Hepatocytes
Authors: Wu Heng , Ploeger Jonathan M. , Kamarajugadda Sushama , Mashek Douglas G. , Mashek Mara T. , Manivel Juan C. , Shekels Laurie L. , Lapiro Jessica L. , Albrecht Jeffrey H.
Published: January 2019

During normal proliferation, hepatocytes accumulate triglycerides (TGs) in lipid droplets (LDs), but the underlying mechanisms and functional significance of this steatosis are unknown. In the current study, we examined the coordinated regulation of cell cycle progression and LD accumulation. As previously shown, hepatocytes develop increased LD content after mitogen stimulation. Cyclin D1, in addition to regulating proliferation, was both necessary and sufficient to promote LD accumulation in response to mitogens. Interestingly, cyclin D1 promotes LD accumulation by inhibiting the breakdown of TGs by lipolysis through a mechanism involving decreased lipophagy, the autophagic degradation of LDs. To examine whether inhibition of lipolysis is important for cell cycle progression, we overexpressed adipose TG lipase (ATGL), a key enzyme involved in TG breakdown. As expected, ATGL reduced LD content but also markedly inhibited hepatocyte proliferation, suggesting that lipolysis regulates a previously uncharacterized cell cycle checkpoint. Consistent with this, in mitogen‐stimulated cells with small interfering RNA‐mediated depletion of cyclin D1 (which inhibits proliferation and stimulates lipolysis), concurrent ATGL knockdown restored progression into S phase. Following partial hepatectomy, a model of robust hepatocyte proliferation in vivo, ATGL overexpression led to decreased LD content, cell cycle inhibition, and marked liver injury, further indicating that down‐regulation of lipolysis is important for normal hepatocyte proliferation. Conclusion: We suggest a new relationship between steatosis and proliferation in hepatocytes: cyclin D1 inhibits lipolysis, resulting in LD accumulation, and suppression of lipolysis is necessary for cell cycle progression.
Soil frost effects on streamflow recessions in a subarctic catchment
Authors: Ploum Stefan W. , Lyon Steve W. , Teuling Adriaan J. , Laudon Hjalmar , van der Velde Ype
Published: January 2019

The Arctic is warming rapidly. Changing seasonal freezing and thawing cycles of the soil are expected to affect river run‐off substantially, but how soil frost influences river run‐off at catchment scales is still largely unknown. We hypothesize that soil frost alters flow paths and therefore affects storage–discharge relations in subarctic catchments. To test this hypothesis, we used an approach that combines meteorological records and recession analysis. We studied streamflow data (1986–2015) of Abiskojokka, a river that drains a mountainous catchment (560 km2) in the north of Sweden (68° latitude). Recessions were separated into frost periods (spring) and no‐frost periods (summer) and then compared. We observed a significant difference between recessions of the two periods: During spring, discharge was linearly related to storage, whereas storage–discharge relationships in summer were less linear. An analysis of explanatory factors showed that after winters with cold soil temperatures and low snowpack, storage–discharge relations approached linearity. On the other hand, relatively warm winter soil conditions resulted in storage–discharge relationships that were less linear. Even in summer, relatively cold antecedent winter soils and low snowpack levels had a propagating effect on streamflow. This could be an indication that soil frost controls recharge of deep groundwater flow paths, which affects storage–discharge relationships in summer. We interpret these findings as evidence for soil frost to have an important control over river run‐off dynamics. To our knowledge, this is the first study showing significant catchment‐integrated effects of soil frost on this spatiotemporal scale.
A novel and non‐invasive approach utilising nasal washings for the detection of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Tan Geok Wee , Sivanesan Vijaya Mohan , Abdul Rahman Farah Ida , Hassan Faridah , Hasbullah Harissa Husainy , Ng Ching‐Ching , Khoo Alan Soo‐Beng , Tan Lu Ping
Published: January 2019

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial cancer of the nasopharynx which is highly associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV). Worldwide, most of the top 20 countries with the highest incidence and mortality rates of NPC are low‐ and middle‐income countries. Many studies had demonstrated that EBV could be detected in the tissue, serum and plasma of NPC patients. In this study, we explored the potential of assays based on non‐invasive nasal washings (NW) as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for NPC. A total of 128 patients were evaluated for NW EBV DNA loads and a subset of these samples were also tested for 27 EBV and human miRNAs shortlisted from literature. EBV DNA and seven miRNAs showed area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of more than 0.7, suggestive of their potential utility to detect NPC. Logistic regression analyses suggested that combination of two NW assays that test for EBNA‐1 and hsa‐miR‐21 had the best performance in detecting NPC. The trend of NW EBV DNA load matched with clinical outcome of 71.4% (10 out of 14) NPC patients being followed‐up. In summary, the non‐invasive NW testing panel may be particularly useful for NPC screening in remote areas where healthcare facilities and otolaryngologists are lacking, and may encourage frequent testing of individuals in the high risk groups who are reluctant to have their blood tested. However, further validation in an independent cohort is required to strengthen the utility of this testing panel as a non‐invasive detection tool for NPC.
The optimal incubation time for in vitro hemocompatibility testing: Assessment using polymer reference materials under pulsatile flow with physiological wall shear stress conditions
Authors: Blok Sjoerd Leendert Johannes , van Oeveren Willem , Engels Gerwin Erik
Published: January 2019

During hemocompatibility testing, activation products may reach plateau values which can result in less distinction between hemocompatible and hemo‐incompatible materials. Of concern is an underestimation of the blood activation caused by the biomaterial of interest, which may result in a false assessment of hemocompatibility. To elucidate the optimal incubation time for in vitro hemocompatibility testing, we used the Haemobile circulation model with human whole blood. Blood from healthy volunteers was in vitro incubated under pulsatile flow with physiological wall shear stress conditions at 37°C for 30, 60, 120, or 240 min. Test loops containing low‐density polyethylene and polydimethylsiloxane served as low and high reference materials, that is, hemocompatible and hemo‐incompatible biomaterials, respectively. In addition, empty loops served as a negative reference. Thrombogenicity, platelet function, inflammatory response, coagulation, and hemolysis between references and incubation times were compared. We found that thrombogenicity and platelet function were significantly affected by both the duration of incubation and the type of material. In particular, thrombogenicity and platelet function assessments were affected by incubation time. We found that an exposure time of 60 min was sufficient, and for almost all variables an optimal incubation time to discriminate between the low and high reference material. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 107B: 2335–2342, 2019.
Analysis of the adaptive multilevel splitting method on the isomerization of alanine dipeptide
Authors: Lopes Laura J. S. , Lelièvre Tony
Published: January 2019

We apply the adaptive multilevel splitting (AMS) method to the
C
eq → C
ax transition of alanine dipeptide in vacuum. Some properties of the algorithm are numerically illustrated, such as the unbiasedness of the probability estimator and the robustness of the method with respect to the reaction coordinate. We also calculate the transition time obtained via the probability estimator, using an appropriate ensemble of initial conditions. Finally, we show how the AMS method can be used to compute an approximation of the committor function. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Solving isomorphism problems about 2‐designs from disjoint difference families
Authors: Kaspers Christian , Pott Alexander
Published: January 2019

Recently, two new constructions of disjoint difference families in Galois rings were presented by Davis, Huczynska, and Mullen and Momihara. Both were motivated by a well‐known construction of difference families from cyclotomy in finite fields by Wilson. It is obvious that the difference families in the Galois ring and the difference families in the finite field are not equivalent. A related question, which is in general harder to answer, is whether the associated designs are isomorphic or not. In our case, this problem was raised by Davis, Huczynska, and Mullen. In this paper, we show that, in most cases, the 2‐ designs arising from the difference families in Galois rings and those arising from the difference families in finite fields are nonisomorphic by comparing their block intersection numbers.
Self‐efficacy and future career expectations of at‐risk adolescents: The contribution of a tutoring program
Authors: Michael Rinat
Published: January 2019

Tutoring and mentoring programs may be a promisingintervention to help at‐risk children who may be in need of a positive influence in their lives. The purpose of the current study was to examine the contribution of tutoring to at‐risk adolescents’ self‐efficacy and future career expectations. Ninety‐eight tutees and 147 college student tutors completed the Self‐Efficacy Questionnaire for Children, the Work and Education subscale of the Future Expectations Scale for Adolescents, and a background questionnaire twice: first at the beginning and then toward the end of 8 months of tutoring. Both tutees and tutors reported higher levels of tutees’ social and emotional self‐efficacy as well as future expectations toward the end of the year. Tutors also reported higher levels of tutee academic self‐efficacy. Increased self‐efficacy was associated with increased levels of future expectations. Changes in academic and social self‐efficacy predicted changes in tutees’ future career expectations. Implications for theory and research are discussed.
CRISPR/Cas9 technology as a potent molecular tool for gene therapy
Authors: Karimian Ansar , Azizian Khalil , Parsian Hadi , Rafieian Sona , Shafiei‐Irannejad Vahid , Kheyrollah Maryam , Yousefi Mehdi , Majidinia Maryam , Yousefi Bahman
Published: January 2019

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR‐associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR‐Cas9) is an RNA‐guided gene editing tool which offers several advantageous characteristics in comparison with the conventional methods (e.g., zinc finger nucleases and transcription activator‐like effector nucleases) such as cost‐effectiveness, flexibility, and being easy‐to‐use. Despite some limitations such as efficient delivery and safety, CRISPR‐Cas9 is still the most convenient tool for gene editing purposes. Due to the potential capability of the CRISPR‐Cas9 system in genome editing and correction of casual mutations, it can be considered as a possible therapeutic system in the treatment of disorders associated with the genome mutations and in particular cancer treatment. In this review, we will discuss CRISPR‐Cas‐based gene editing along with its classifications and mechanism of action. Furthermore, the therapeutic application of the CRISPR‐Cas9 system in mutational disorders, delivery systems, as well as its advantages and limitations with a special emphasis on cancer treatment will be discussed.
Chitosan‐based delivery systems for curcumin: A review of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic aspects
Authors: Saheb Mahsa , Fereydouni Narges , Nemati Saeideh , Barreto George E. , Johnston Thomas P. , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: January 2019

Effective drug delivery is one of the most important issues associated with the administration of therapeutic agents that have low oral bioavailability. Curcumin is an active ingredient in the turmeric plant, which has low oral bioavailability due to its poor aqueous solubility. One strategy that has been considered for enhancing the aqueous solubility, and, thus, its oral bioavailability, is the use of chitosan as a carrier for curcumin. Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer that is relatively water‐soluble. Therefore, various studies have sought to improve the aqueous solubility of chitosan. The use of different pharmaceutical excipients and formulation strategies has the potential to improve aqueous solubility, formulation processing, and the overall delivery of hydrophobic drugs. This review focuses on various methods utilized for chitosan‐based delivery of curcumin.
Targeted‐nanoliposomal combretastatin A4 (CA‐4) as an efficient antivascular candidate in the metastatic cancer treatment
Authors: Nik Maryam Ebrahimi , Momtazi‐Borojeni Amir Abbas , Zamani Parvin , Navashenaq Jamshid Gholizadeh , Iranshahi Mehrdad , Jaafari Mahmoud Reza , Malaekeh‐Nikouei Bizhan
Published: January 2019

A number of antiangiogenic drugs have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration which are used in cancer therapy, and variety of other agents in several stages of clinical development or in preclinical assessment. Among these, combretastatin A4 (CA‐4) is an under‐researched inhibitor of angiogenesis that shows potential activity in the treatment of advanced tumors with migration capacity. However, its clinical application has been limited due to poor water solubility, low bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and systemic elimination. During the last decade, numerous investigations have been done to overcome these problems by using different CA‐4 delivery systems or developing produgs of CA‐4 or its structural analogs. Nevertheless, these strategies could not be efficient out of the undesired side effects on normal tissues. Nanoliposomal CA‐4 not only benefits from the advantage of using liposomal drugs as opposed to free drugs but also can accumulate in the tumor site via specific targeting ligands, which leads to efficient targeting and enhancement of bioavailability. To the best of our knowledge, we consider an important attempt to understand different factors that might influence the CA‐4 loading and release pattern of liposomes and the consequent results in tumor therapy. In this review, we shed light on various studied liposomal CA‐4 formulations showing application thereof in cancer treatment.
Thiamethoxam removal by Fenton and biological oxidation
Authors: Gomez‐Herrero Esther , Lebik‐ElHadi Hafida , Ait‐Amar Hamid , Tobajas Montserrat , Rodriguez Juan J , Mohedano Angel F
Published: January 2019

BACKGROUND

Thiamethoxam (TMX) is a potential insecticide pollutant of hydric resources that must be removed. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) are usually effective, but expensive to implement. Combining Fenton's reagent with biological oxidation circumvents the shortcomings of Fenton technology, facilitating the biodegradation of the resulting effluents in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR).

RESULTS

Fenton‐like oxidation of TMX with variable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) doses afforded total organic carbon (TOC) conversion and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal by (respectively) 40% and 80% from pure TMX, and 40% and 60% from commercial TMX. The effluents from Fenton oxidation using substoichiometric H2O2 doses were less ecotoxic and more biodegradable than the initial solution and, therefore, susceptible to a biological treatment. Biological oxidation of effluents obtained from 50% and 75% H2O2 doses was accomplished for different organic loads in 6‐h cycles. Coupling Fenton and biological oxidation of TMX afforded TOC conversion and COD removal of 80% for the effluent obtained with a 75% H2O2 dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Coupling Fenton–biological oxidation efficiently reduces the amounts of H2O2 needed and produces biodegradable effluents. In addition, the biological treatment increases COD and TOC removal by ≤80% for the overall treatment. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of gamma irradiation on the physical and structural properties of basalt fiber
Authors: Yassien Khaled M. , El‐Bakary Mohammed A.
Published: January 2019

Digital holographic interferometry (DHI), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study the effects of gamma irradiation on the physical and structural properties of basalt fibers. For this purpose, set samples of basalt fibers were subjected to different doses of gamma irradiation (3, 10, 25, and 40 kGy). The Mach–Zehnder interferometer was used to capture holographic patterns which are used then to determine the unwrapped phase. From the unwrapped phase distributions, the optical path difference within the irradiated basalt samples was determined. Thus, refractive indices, and birefringence of irradiated basalt fibers were determined at different irradiation doses using DHI method. XRD technique was used to investigate the effect of irradiation doses on the crystalline behavior of fibers. FTIR was performed to each of the basalt samples to evaluate the changes in the surface chemical properties due to radiation exposure doses. The morphology of irradiated fibers was examined using SEM. The results indicate that basalt fiber has a resistance to gamma radiation. There are no significant effects on the physical, structural and chemical properties were demonstrated of basalt fibers in the doses range of irradiation.
OMIC signatures to understand cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting: Melanoma and immune cells interplay in immunotherapy
Authors: León-Letelier Ricardo A , Bonifaz Laura C , Fuentes-Pananá Ezequiel M
Published: January 2019

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Cutaneous melanomas usually originate from exposure to the mutagenic effects of ultraviolet radiation, and as such they exhibit the highest rate of somatic mutations than any other human cancer, and an extensive expression of neoantigens concurrently with a dense infiltrate of immune cells. The coexistence of high immunogenicity and high immune cell infiltration may sound contradictory for cancers carrying a gloomy outcome. However, recent studies have unveiled a variety of immunosuppressive mechanisms that often permeate the tumor microenvironment and that are responsible for tumor escaping from immunosurveillance mechanisms. Nonetheless, this particular immune profile has opened a new window of treatments based on immunotherapy that have significantly improved the clinical outcome of melanoma patients. Still, positive and complete therapy responses have been limited, and this particular cancer continues to be a major clinical challenge. The transcriptomic signatures of those patients with clinical benefit and those with progressive disease have provided a more complete picture of the universe of interactions between the tumor and the immune system. In this review, we integrate the results of the immunotherapy clinical trials to discuss a novel understanding of the mechanisms guiding cancer immunosurveillance and immunoediting. A clear notion of the cellular and molecular processes shaping how the immune system and the tumor are continuously coevolving would result in the rational design of combinatory therapies aiming to counteract the signaling pathways and cellular processes responsible for immunoescape mechanisms and provide clinical benefit to immunotherapy nonresponsive patients.
Top‐down characterization of mouse core histones
Authors: Xue Bingbing , Xiao Kaijie , Tian Zhixin
Published: January 2019

Histone post‐translational modifications (PTMs) play various roles in chromatin‐related cellular processes, and comprehensive analysis of these combinatorial PTMs at the intact protein level by top‐down proteomics is the method of choice to reveal their crosstalk and biological functions. Here, we report our top‐down characterization of the core histones from mouse fibroblasts cells NIH/3T3, which is a classic model used in many kinds of research. With nanoRPLC‐MS/MS analysis and ProteinGoggle database search, 547 protein species were identified with spectrum‐level FDR ≤ 1%, where PTMs in 51 protein species were unambiguously localized with PTM scores ≥1. High‐resolution MS/MS data also allowed the unambiguous identification of acetylation instead of trimethylation. This study presents a general picture of combinatorial PTMs of mouse core histones, which serves as a basic reference for all future related biological studies.