bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
H∞ Consensus of Directed Lur'e Networks with Incremental Nonlinearities
Authors: Han Weixin , Wang Zhenhua , Shen Yi
Published: October 2018

This paper considers robust consensus problem for Lur'e networks with incrementally nonlinearity and unknown disturbance, under a given directed communication topology. Both incrementally sector bounded nonlinearities and incrementally passive nonlinearities are investigated. A distributed protocol is proposed to achieve global consensus. In the design of consensus protocol, H∞ technique is used to attenuate the effect of disturbance. Moreover, the design conditions for robust H∞ consensus are formulated into linear matrix inequalities. Finally, numerical simulations are used to demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
Teratogenicity of valproic acid and its constitutional isomer, amide derivative valnoctamide in mice
Authors: Lin Ying Linda , Bialer Meir , Cabrera Robert M. , Finnell Richard H. , Wlodarczyk Bogdan J.
Published: October 2018

Objectives

The anticonvulsant valproic acid (VPA) has a known teratogenic effect capable of inducing major congenital malformations and developmental disorders. A comparative teratogenicity study of VPA and its analog valnoctamide (VCD), which is a new generation candidate antiepileptic drug, was carried out using Swiss Vancouver (SWV) mice.

Methods

Pregnant SWV dams were treated with either a single intraperitoneal injection of VPA (1.8 and 2.7 mmol/kg), VCD (1.8 and 2.7 mmol/kg), or vehicle on E8:12 (gestational day:hour). The numbers of implantation and resorption, viable and dead fetuses, and the presence of gross fetal visceral and skeletal abnormalities were determined (E18). Real‐time Polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) arrays were used to analyze the expression of 84 genes related to the processes of neurogenesis and neural stem cell differentiation.

Results

Significant decreases in pregnancy weight gain and the number of live fetuses were observed when VPA was administered at the high dose, whereas the percentage of exencephalic fetuses was significantly increased in VPA treated compared with an equivalent VCD dosage group. There was a dose‐related increase in visceral defects in the VPA‐exposed fetuses. Missing skull bones and fused vertebrae in fetuses occurred at the high dose of VPA. Three genes (Mtap2, Bmp8b, and Stat3) were significantly upregulated and one (Heyl) was downregulated in samples from VPA‐treated dams.

Conclusions

The study demonstrates that the teratogenicity of VPA was significantly greater than that of an equimolar dose of VCD. Four genes (Mtap2, Bmp8b, Stat3, and Heyl) represent candidate target genes for the underlying teratogenic mechanism responsible for VPA‐induced malformations.
Verbundverhalten mineralisch gebundener und polymergebundener Bewehrungsstrukturen aus Carbonfasern bei Temperaturen bis 500 °C
Authors: Schneider Kai , Michel Albert , Liebscher Marco , Mechtcherine Viktor
Published: October 2018

Für einen breiten Einsatz von Carbonbeton in der Baupraxis muss der Verbund zwischen Betonmatrix und Bewehrungselementen auch bei hohen Temperaturen sowie im Brandfall gewährleistet sein. Anorganisch imprägnierte Faserbewehrungselemente bieten eine vielversprechende Alternative zu den marktüblicheren polymerimprägnierten Carbonstrukturen, deren Verbundleistung sich mit steigender Temperatur deutlich verschlechtert. Wesentliche Herausforderung bei der Herstellung von mineralisch gebundenen Carbonfaserarmierungen ist die Auswahl einer passenden Verarbeitungstechnologie und geeigneter Rohstoffe. Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit dieser Herausforderung und konzentriert sich auf die mechanische Leistungsfähigkeit von dünnen Bewehrungsstäben aus mineralisch imprägnierten Carbonfasergarnen. Anhand von Auszugsversuchen wird gezeigt, dass die neuen Bewehrungselemente unter Temperaturbeanspruchung im Vergleich zu den polymerimprägnierten Referenzmaterialien einen deutlich besseren Verbund zum Beton aufweisen und dass der Verbund auch bis zu 500 °C hinreichend leistungsfähig bleibt.
Multicentre cohort study of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy cessation after bariatric surgery
Authors: Thereaux J , Lesuffleur T , Czernichow S , Basdevant A , Msika S , Nocca D , Millat B , Fagot-Campagna A
Published: October 2018

Background

Few studies have assessed changes in antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy after bariatric surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the 6-year rates of continuation, discontinuation or initiation of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy after bariatric surgery compared with those in a matched control group of obese patients.

Methods

This nationwide observational population-based cohort study used data extracted from the French national health insurance database. All patients undergoing gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy in France in 2009 were matched with control patients. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to analyse factors that influenced discontinuation or initiation of treatment over a 6-year interval.

Results

In 2009, 8199 patients underwent primary gastric bypass (55·2 per cent) or sleeve gastrectomy (44·8 per cent). After 6 years, the proportion of patients receiving antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy had decreased more in the bariatric group than in the control group (antihypertensives: –40·7 versus –11·7 per cent respectively; lipid-lowering therapy: –53·6 versus –20·2 per cent; both P < 0·001). Gastric bypass was the main predictive factor for discontinuation of therapy for hypertension (odds ratio (OR) 9·07, 95 per cent c.i. 7·72 to 10·65) and hyperlipidaemia (OR 11·91, 9·65 to 14·71). The proportion of patients not receiving treatment at baseline who were subsequently started on medication was lower after bariatric surgery than in controls for hypertension (5·6 versus 15·8 per cent respectively; P < 0·001) and hyperlipidaemia (2·2 versus 9·1 per cent; P < 0·001). Gastric bypass was the main protective factor for antihypertensives (OR 0·22, 0·18 to 0·26) and lipid-lowering medication (OR 0·12, 0·09 to 0·15).

Conclusion

Bariatric surgery is associated with a good discontinuation of antihypertensive and lipid-lowering therapy, with gastric bypass being more effective than sleeve gastrectomy.
Comparing Agent‐Based Delivery of DNA and PNA Forced Intercalation (FIT) Probes for Multicolor mRNA Imaging
Authors: Chamiolo Jasmine , Fang Ge‐min , Hövelmann Felix , Friedrich Dhana , Knoll Andrea , Loewer Alexander , Seitz Oliver
Published: October 2018

Fluorogenic oligonucleotide probes allow mRNA imaging in living cells. A key challenge is the cellular delivery of probes. Most delivery agents, such as cell‐penetrating peptides (CPPs) and pore‐forming proteins, require interactions with the membrane. Charges play an important role. To explore the influence of charge on fluorogenic properties and delivery efficiency, we compared peptide nucleic acid (PNA)‐ with DNA‐based forced intercalation (FIT) probes. Perhaps counterintuitively, fluorescence signaling by charged DNA FIT probes proved tolerant to CPP conjugation, whereas CPP–FIT PNA conjugates were affected. Live‐cell imaging was performed with a genetically engineered HEK293 cell line to allow the inducible expression of a specific mRNA target. Blob‐like features and high background were recurring nuisances of the tested CPP and lipid conjugates. By contrast, delivery by streptolysin‐O provided high enhancements of the fluorescence of the FIT probe upon target induction. Notably, DNA‐based FIT probes were brighter and more responsive than PNA‐based FIT probes. Optimized conditions enabled live‐cell multicolor imaging of three different mRNA target sequences.
Heterogeneous‐Backbone Foldamer Mimics of a Computationally Designed, Disulfide‐Rich Miniprotein
Authors: Cabalteja Chino C. , Mihalko Daniel S. , Horne W. Seth
Published: October 2018

Disulfide‐rich peptides have found widespread use in the development of bioactive agents; however, low proteolytic stability and the difficulty of exerting synthetic control over chain topology present barriers to their application in some systems. Herein, we report a method that enables the creation of artificial backbone (“foldamer”) mimics of compact, disulfide‐rich tertiary folds. Systematic replacement of a subset of natural α‐residues with various artificial building blocks in the context of a computationally designed prototype sequence leads to “heterogeneous‐backbone” variants that undergo clean oxidative folding, adopt tertiary structures indistinguishable from that of the prototype, and enjoy proteolytic protection beyond that inherent to the topologically constrained scaffold. Collectively, these results demonstrate systematic backbone substitution to be a viable method to engineer the properties of disulfide‐rich sequences and expands the repertoire of protein mimicry by foldamers to an exciting new structural class.
Two unrelated patients with autosomal dominant omodysplasia and FRIZZLED2 mutations
Authors: Warren Hannah E. , Louie Raymond J. , Friez Michael J. , Frías Jaime L. , Leroy Jules G. , Spranger Jürgen W. , Skinner Steven A. , Champaigne Neena L.
Published: October 2018

Key Clinical Message

Presented are two patients with autosomal dominant omodysplasia and mutations in the FZD2 gene. The mutations identified have been recently reported, suggesting the possibility of recurrent mutations. The phenotypes of these patients overlap with what has been previously reported, though intellectual disability as seen in our patient is not typical.
Designed Echinops‐Like Ni@NiNC as Efficient Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst for Zinc‐Air Batteries
Authors: Zhao Jing , Li Congling , Liu Rui
Published: October 2018

A novel echinops‐like Ni@NiNC composite has been successfully fabricated by direct pyrolysis of a folic acid‐Ni complex. It was elucidated that the co‐existence of Ni and Ni−N active sites could promote the catalytic activity of ORR and OER simultaneously. Essentially, the unique echinops‐like structure with hierarchical porous morphology has indispensable contribution to charge transportation and exposure of active sites to O2 adsorption when assembled into a rechargeable zinc‐air battery.
Gas phase dehydration of glycerol to acrolein over NaHSO4@Zr‐MCM‐41 catalyst
Authors: Ding Jianfei , Yan Cuixia , Ma Tianlin , Shao Rong , Xu Wei , Wang Pengfei
Published: October 2018

The NaHSO4@Zr‐MCM‐41 catalyst modified by dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) showed excellent performance during the dehydration of glycerol to acrolein. The glycerol conversion and acrolein selectivity and yield on NaHSO4‐DTMS@Zr‐MCM‐41 (Cat‐2) are higher than that of NaHSO4@Zr‐MCM‐41 (Cat‐1). The dispersity of NaHSO4 is remarkably improved by an appropriate amount of DTMS modification on Cat‐2 because of the steric effect between DTMS and NaHSO4. Therefore, the total acidic amount of Cat‐2 is more than that of Cat‐1, but its acidic intensity is weaker than that of Cat‐1. The more total amount of acidity is beneficial to improve the glycerol conversion, and weaker acid strength leads to less carbon deposition. The amount of Brønsted acid sites is more than that of Cat‐1; however, the amount of Lewis acid sites is less, so the B/(B + L) of Cat‐2 is higher, which is beneficial and improves the acrolein selectivity. The Cat‐2 catalyst has proper hydrophobicity by grafting the silane group on the support surface, which can suppress the leaching of NaHSO4 because the water that existed in the glycerol aqueous solution and that was produced in the reaction is not easily adsorbed on the catalyst surface. The appropriate hydrophobicity is beneficial to the quick desorption of products, which can also suppress the coke formation. The stability of Cat‐2 is obviously higher than that of Cat‐1 because the coke that was deposited and the S elemental leaching on Cat‐1 are more serious than that of Cat‐2. The reaction pathway of the dehydration of glycerol was proposed, and the reaction conditions were optimized on the Cat‐2 catalyst.
Real‐time anomaly detection using parallelized intrusion detection architecture for streaming data
Authors: P Chellammal , P D Sheba Kezia Malarchelvi
Published: October 2018

High usage levels of networking technologies has resulted in large amounts of data being generated. This in‐turn has lured several fraudsters, whose anomalous behaviors create undesired consequences to legitimate users. This paper proposes an Adaptive Parallelized Intrusion Detection (APID) architecture to handle the hugeness and data imbalance associated with streaming data. The architecture is composed of a feature selection strategy to reduce data size, an effective data segregation mechanism to handle data imbalance and a heterogeneous ensemble and a heuristic combiner mechanism to provide effective predictions. Adaptivity is incorporated by the reinforcement mechanism that retrains the model based on false predictions given by the model. The proposed APID architecture is generic; hence, it supports heterogeneous models and can also incorporate any number of machine learning models. Hence, it becomes flexible to adapt the model to data pertaining to any domain. Experiments were performed with KDD CUP 99, NSL‐KDD, and Koyoto 2006 datasets. Comparisons performed with recent works in literature indicates anomaly detection rates between 98% to 99% exhibiting the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Corporate governance and sustainable business conduct—Effects of board monitoring effectiveness and stakeholder engagement on corporate sustainability performance and disclosure choices
Authors: Manning Bart , Braam Geert , Reimsbach Daniel
Published: October 2018

This study posits that, in the absence of extensive mandatory regulation and auditing, differences in internal and external corporate governance (CG) mechanisms will explain variations in choices concerning corporate sustainability reporting and the interrelated and underlying corporate sustainability performance (CSP). Specifically, we explore whether board monitoring effectiveness as a major internal CG mechanism and stakeholder engagement as a key external CG mechanism are positively associated with sustainability reporting quality (SRQ), compliance with generally accepted sustainability reporting standards (SRC) and guidelines, and CSP for a sample of Dutch firms that have voluntarily disclosed sustainability reports during the years 2012–2016. In addition to these direct effects, we also investigate the potential indirect effects of the CG mechanisms on SRQ and SRC via CSP and distinguish between nonlagged and lag effects. Using structural equation modeling, our results show that, in the short term, monitoring effectiveness positively affects SRQ and SRC. Stakeholder engagement positively affects SRQ and SRC in the short term and is positively related to SRQ via CSP in the longer term, indicating that active stakeholders, over time, may drive companies toward more sustainable business conduct. Finally, the findings that CSP is positively related to SRQ but negatively related to SRC provide further support for signaling and legitimacy theory, respectively. Companies with superior CSP disclose high‐quality information on CSP to signal the firm's superior sustainability performance, whereas poor performing companies legitimize their inferior CSP by complying with more reporting standards, rather than by directly improving their underlying CSP.
The importance of corporate social responsibility for responsible consumption: Exploring moral motivations of consumers
Authors: Golob Urša , Podnar Klement , Koklič Mateja Kos , Zabkar Vesna
Published: October 2018

The motivations and actions of socially responsible consumers are important for the success of corporate social responsibility (CSR). The issues of responsible consumption or consumer social responsibility (CnSR) nevertheless continues to receive insufficient research attention. To remedy this shortcoming, we built on the value‐belief‐norm theory (VBN) and propose that normative factors induce consumers to enact CnSR in their buying behaviour. Using a survey of 462 consumers, we examined the relationships between values (self‐transcendent and self‐enhancement), an individual's view on the importance of CSR, awareness of negative societal consequences, ascribed responsibility for prosocial behaviour, personal norms, social norms, and CnSR. The findings indicate that CnSR can indeed be comprehensively explained with the variables included in VBN. Moreover, social norms also tend to significantly shape CnSR. The theoretical and practical implications of our results are discussed.
Kinetic Resolution of Epoxides with CO2 Catalyzed by a Chiral‐at‐Iridium Complex
Authors: Qin Jie , Larionov Vladimir A. , Harms Klaus , Meggers Eric
Published: October 2018

Chiral‐at‐metal bis‐cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes are introduced as a new class of chiral catalysts for the reaction of epoxides with CO2 to form cyclic carbonates under conditions of kinetic resolution. Reactions are typically performed at room temperature in the presence of 1 mol % of iridium catalyst and 1.5 mol % of tetraethylammonium bromide as the nucleophilic cocatalyst to provide selectivity factors of up to 16.6. A variety of monosubstituted epoxides, including styrene epoxide, epoxides with aliphatic side chains, glycidyl ethers, and a glycidyl ester, are found to be suitable substrates. No polymerization side reaction is observed for any of the investigated substrates.
Effects of the evolution of two cross‐focused Gaussian laser beams on the terahertz generation in thermal collisional plasma
Authors: Jafari Milani Mohammad Reza , Rezaei Somayeh , Jafari Mohammad Jafar
Published: October 2018

Generation of the terahertz (THz) radiation based on the beating of two cross‐focused high intensity Gaussian laser beams in a warm rippled density plasma is numerically investigated, taking into account the ponderomotive force, Ohmic heating, and collisional nonlinearities. The beat ponderomotive force as a result of cross‐focusing of beams induces a vertical velocity component that by coupling with the rippled density gives rise to a nonlinear current deriving THz radiation. The effect of laser beams spot size evolution and plasma parameters on the THz generation is studied. It was found that there exist special electron temperature and laser intensity ranges with “turning points” where the generation of THz radiation reaches its maximum value and outside of these ranges, it disappears. The results also indicated that increasing the background electron density as well as taking into account the collision frequency help THz generation. Moreover, the maximum yield of THz radiation occurs when the beat wave frequency approaches the plasma frequency.
Taxonomy‐based hierarchical analysis of natural mortality: polar and subpolar phocid seals
Authors: Trukhanova Irina S. , Conn Paul B. , Boveng Peter L.
Published: October 2018

Knowledge of life‐history parameters is frequently lacking in many species and populations, often because they are cryptic or logistically challenging to study, but also because life‐history parameters can be difficult to estimate with adequate precision. We suggest using hierarchical Bayesian analysis (HBA) to analyze variation in life‐history parameters among related species, with prior variance components representing shared taxonomy, phenotypic plasticity, and observation error. We develop such a framework to analyze U‐shaped natural mortality patterns typical of mammalian life history from a variety of sparse datasets. Using 39 datasets from seals in the family Phocidae, we analyzed 16 models with different formulations for natural morality, specifically the amount of taxonomic and data‐level variance components (subfamily, species, study, and dataset levels) included in mortality hazard parameters. The highest‐ranked model according toDICincluded subfamily‐, species‐, and dataset‐level parameter variance components and resulted in typical U‐shaped hazard functions for the 11 seal species in the study. Species with little data had survival schedules shrunken to the mean. We suggest that evolutionary and population ecologists consider employingHBAto quantify variation in life‐history parameters. This approach can be useful for increasing the precision of estimates resulting from a collection of (often sparse) datasets, and for producing prior distributions for populations missing life‐history data.
The evolution of bequeathal in stable habitats
Authors: Clarke Parry M. R. , McElreath Mary Brooke , Barrett Brendan J. , Mabry Karen E. , McElreath Richard
Published: October 2018

Adults sometimes disperse, while philopatric offspring inherit the natal site, a pattern known as bequeathal. Despite a decades‐old empirical literature, little theoretical work has explored when natural selection may favor bequeathal. We present a simple mathematical model of the evolution of bequeathal in a stable environment, under both global and local dispersal. We find that natural selection favors bequeathal when adults are competitively advantaged over juveniles, baseline mortality is high, the environment is unsaturated, and when juveniles experience high dispersal mortality. However, frequently bequeathal may not evolve, because the fitness cost for the adult is too large relative to inclusive fitness benefits. Additionally, there are many situations for which bequeathal is an ESS, yet cannot invade the population. As bequeathal in real populations appears to be facultative, yet‐to‐be‐modeled factors like timing of birth in the breeding season may strongly influence the patterns seen in natural populations.
Metabolomic profiling of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos exposed to the antibacterial agent triclosan
Authors: Fu Jing , Gong Zhiyuan , Kelly Barry C.
Published: October 2018

Triclosan, a widely used antibacterial and antifungal agent, is ubiquitously detected in the natural environment. There is increasing evidence that triclosan can produce cytotoxic, genotoxic, and endocrine disruptor effects in aquatic biota, including algae, crustaceans, and fish. Metabolomics can provide important information regarding molecular-level effects and toxicity of xenobiotic chemicals in aquatic organisms. The aim of the present study was to assess the toxicity of triclosan in developing zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS)-based metabolomics. The embryos were exposed to a wide range of triclosan concentrations (10 ng/L–500 µg/L). Endogenous metabolites were extracted using acetonitrile:isopropanol:water (3:3:2, v/v/v). Derivatization of metabolites was performed prior to identification and quantification via GC–MS analysis. A total of 29 metabolites were positively identified in embryos. Univariate (one-way analysis of variance) and multivariate (principal components analysis and projection to latent structure-discriminant analysis) analyses were employed to determine metabolic profile changes in triclosan-exposed embryos. Eight metabolites were significantly altered (p < 0.05) in embryos exposed to triclosan (urea, citric acid, D-(+)-galactose, D-glucose, stearic acid, L-proline, phenylalanine, and L-glutamic acid). The results suggest that triclosan exposure can result in impairment of several pathways in developing zebrafish embryos, with implications for energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism, as well as nitrogen metabolism and gill function. These findings will benefit future risk assessments of triclosan and other contaminants of emerging concern. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:240–249. © 2018 SETAC
Regulatory role of oligodendrocyte gap junctions in inflammatory demyelination
Authors: Papaneophytou Christos P. , Georgiou Elena , Karaiskos Christos , Sargiannidou Irene , Markoullis Kyriaki , Freidin Mona M. , Abrams Charles K. , Kleopa Kleopas A.
Published: October 2018

Gap junctions (GJs) coupling oligodendrocytes to astrocytes and to other oligodendrocytes are formed mainly by connexin47 (Cx47) and a smaller portion by connexin32 (Cx32). Mutations in both connexins cause inherited demyelinating disorders, but their expression is also disrupted in multiple sclerosis (MS). To clarify whether the loss of either Cx47 or Cx32 could modify the outcome of inflammation and myelin loss, we induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in fully backcrossed Cx32 knockout (KO) and Cx47KO mice and compared their outcome with wild type (WT, C57BI/6 N) mice. Cx47KO EAE mice developed the most severe phenotype assessed by clinical scores and behavioral testing, followed by Cx32KO and WT mice. Cx47KO more than Cx32KO EAE mice developed more microglial activation, myelin, and axonal loss than did WT mice. Oligodendrocyte apoptosis and precursor proliferation was also higher in Cx47KO than in Cx32KO or WT EAE mice. Similarly, blood‐spinal cord barrier (BSCB) disruption and inflammatory infiltrates of macrophages, T‐ and B‐cells were more severe in Cx47KO than either Cx32KO or WT EAE groups. Finally, expression profiling revealed that several proinflammatory cytokines were higher at the peak of inflammation in the Cx47KO mice and persisted at later stages of EAE in contrast to reduction of their levels in WT EAE mice. Thus, loss of oligodendrocyte GJs aggravates BSCB disruption and inflammatory myelin loss, likely due to dysregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. This mechanism may play an important role in MS brain with reduced connexin expression, as well as in patients with inherited mutations in oligodendrocyte connexins and secondary inflammation.
Enhancing photocatalytic activity of titanium dioxide through incorporation of MIL‐53(Fe) toward degradation of organic dye
Authors: Othman Nurul Wafa , Radde Hasmira , Puah Perng Yang , Ling Yee Soon , Moh Pak Yan
Published: October 2018

Photocatalytic activity of titanium(IV) oxide (TiO2) can be enhanced through modification of its surface‐active sites. Here, iron(III) carboxylate [MIL‐53[Fe]]‐incorporated TiO2 (as MIL‐53(Fe)/TiO2) was prepared using a hydrothermal method. This material was then calcined at 500°C to obtain a MIL‐53(Fe)‐derived γ‐Fe2O3/TiO2 photocatalyst. A photocatalytic study of MIL‐53(Fe)/TiO2 and MIL‐53(Fe)‐derived γ‐Fe2O3/TiO2 toward cationic methylene blue (MB) and anionic methyl orange (MO) showed that MIL‐53(Fe)/TiO2 (0.25 wt%) and MIL‐53(Fe)‐derived γ‐Fe2O3/TiO2 (0.75 wt%) resulted the best degree of dye degradation. The MIL‐53(Fe)‐derived γ‐Fe2O3/TiO2 (0.75 wt%) composite for instance is capable of degrading almost 100% of 20‐ppm MB and MO, respectively, within 6 hr. Photocatalytic degradation of MB and MO was well fitted to the Langmuir‐Hinshelwood pseudo‐first order kinetics model, which indicates physisorption as the key partway that facilitates dye decomposition on the surface of a photocatalyst under UV‐A irradiation. This study provides new insights into the exploration of MILs/TiO2 materials for the environmental remediation and pollution control.
Synthesis of some New Dihydropyrimidines Derivatives by Cyclization of Polarized Unsaturated Systems
Authors: Ragab Islam , Selim Yasser A. , Abd El‐Azim Mohamed H. M.
Published: October 2018

Reaction of benzylidene cyanoester 1 with thiosemicarbazide, cyanoacetamide, urea and thiourea was resulted in triazepine 2, pyridine 5, oxopyrimidine 6, and thiooxopyrimidine 8, respectively. Triazepine 2 was reacted with chloroacetic acid and/or chloroacetamide to give thiazolotriazepine 3 and acetamide 4. Reaction of thiopryrimidine 8 with hydrogeneperoxide affording pyrimidins 9 and with chloroacetic acid and chloroacetamide yielded thiazolopyrimidine benzylidene 10 and acetamide 11, while the reaction of 8 with benzylidene derivatives yielded pyrimidopyrimidine 16 and 17.
Iodine‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Four‐Component Synthesis of Spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐pyrano‐pyrazole] Derivatives
Authors: Rezvanian Atieh , Zadsirjan Vahideh , Saedi Pegah , Heravi Majid M.
Published: October 2018

An efficient, facile, and useful synthetic method was developed for the production of spiro[indoline‐3,4′‐pyrano‐pyrazole] carbonitrile derivatives through a one‐pot, four‐component reaction involving hydrazine hydrate, diketene, substituted isatins, and malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate in the presence of iodine as the efficient catalyst in ethanol at room temperature. Significantly, this remarkable method provides novel spiropyranopyrazole derivatives in good to high yields. The significant aspects of this protocol are facile work‐up approach and a greener process because the use of toxic and hazardous solvents are avoided.
Removal of Organic Compounds Containing a Benzene Ring from Water by Adsorptive Micellar Flocculation
Authors: Wang Hefei , Wang Dong , Tian Tian , Ren Wei
Published: October 2018

The removal of low‐molecular‐weight benzoic acid (benzoic acid, p‐toluic acid, and salicylic acid)‐derived and aniline (aniline, 4‐chloroaniline, and 2,6‐dimethylaniline)‐derived organic compounds through adsorptive micellar flocculation (AMF) with anionic surfactants (sodium dodecyl sulfate, SDS) and aluminum sulfate was demonstrated. The interactions between SDS and the organic compounds were studied using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Batch AMF experiments were conducted to study the influence of several factors on target pollutant removal. For benzoic acid derivatives, the removal rate was improved by increasing the SDS and Al concentrations, while increases in the concentrations of the organic pollutant tended to decrease the removal rate. The highest removal efficiencies were observed with p‐toluic acid (95.4%) > salicylic acid (84.5%) > benzoic acid (76.5%) under weakly acidic conditions due to the greater hydrophobicity of p‐toluic acid and the complexation of the Al salts and the salicylic acid. The removal rates of the aniline derivatives were positively related to the SDS concentration and negatively related to the pH. At a pH of 3.0, the highest removal rates of aniline, 4‐chloroaniline, and 2,6‐dimethylaniline (91.3%, 98.0%, and 97.6%, respectively) were observed. For aniline compounds, charge neutralization between the SDS anions and aniline cations dominated the removal process. These findings provide new insights for the development of further applications of AMF for the removal of benzoic acid and aniline derivatives.
Detection of Pistacia vera adulteration by using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy
Authors: Sezer Banu , Apaydin Hakan , Bilge Gonca , Boyaci Ismail H
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND

Pistachio has high economic value because of its high consumption rate and consumer demand. Therefore, it has become an important target for adulteration. Green pea and spinach are the most frequently used foods for pistachio adulteration as a result of their kernel color. The present study aimed to detect pistachio adulteration with green pea and spinach samples using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with chemometric methods.

RESULTS

In the first step of the study, principal component analysis was employed for qualitative analysis of pure pistachio, green pea, spinach and adulterated pistachio samples, and discrimination was achieved successfully. A score plot clearly discriminating pure pistachio, green pea and spinach samples, as well as their blind samples, was drawn using principle component (PC)1 and PC2 which explained 86.86% and 12.16% of the variance, respectively. The results showed that the calibration curve for green pea adulterated pistachio provides successful determination of adulteration level and had an R2 of 0.995 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.04%, whereas the calibration curve for spinach adulterated pistachio had an R2 of 0.993 and a LOD of 1.64%.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study demonstrate that LIBS with the chemometric methods showed a good performance based on the high value of prediction accuracy for pistachio adulteration. This technique has high potential as a rapid method for pistachio identification and detection of adulteration. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Salinity stress enhances color parameters, bioactive leaf pigments, vitamins, polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in selected Amaranthus leafy vegetables
Authors: Sarker Umakanta , Oba Shinya
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND

Amaranthus tricolor is a unique source of betalain (β‐cyanin and β‐xanthin) and a source of natural antioxidants, such as leaf pigments, vitamins, polyphenols and flavonoids in leafy vegetables. It has substantial importance for the food industry, since these compounds detoxify reactive oxygen species in humans and are involved in defense against several diseases. In addition, previous research has shown that salt stress elevates these compounds in many leafy vegetables. Therefore, we evaluated the effect of salinity stress on these compounds.

RESULTS

Three selected A. tricolor genotypes were studied under three salinity levels to evaluate the response of these compounds. Genotype, salinity stress and their interactions significantly affected all the traits studied. A significant and remarkable increase in L, a*, b*, chroma, β‐cyanin, β‐xanthin, betalain, total carotenoids, β‐carotene, ascorbic acid, total polyphenolic content, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant capacity were observed under 50 and 100 mmol L–1 NaCl concentrations. Bioactive leaf pigments, β‐carotene, vitamin C, phenolics and flavonoids showed good antioxidant activity due to positive and significant interrelationships with total antioxidant capacity.

CONCLUSIONS

Amaranthus tricolor can tolerate salinity stress without compromising the high quality of the final product. Therefore, it could be a promising alternative crop in saline‐prone areas around the globe. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of neoadjuvant radiation on margins for non–squamous cell carcinoma sinonasal malignancies
Authors: Fu Terence , Chin Christopher J. , Xu Wei , Che Jiahua , Huang Shao Hui , Monteiro Eric , Alghonaim Yazeed , Ringash Jolie , Witterick Ian J.
Published: October 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

Treatment of non–squamous cell carcinoma sinonasal malignancies (NSCCSMs) typically involves surgery and radiotherapy (RT), but optimal sequencing remains controversial.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Methods

Patients with NSCCSM treated with combined surgery and RT between 2000 and 2011 were identified. Margin control, overall survival, disease‐free survival, local recurrence‐free survival, and regional recurrence‐free survival were compared between neoadjuvant and adjuvant RT groups.

Results

Eight‐four patients were included (23 neoadjuvant and 61 adjuvant RT). A higher proportion of patients receiving neoadjuvant RT achieved negative/close resection margins compared to those receiving adjuvant RT (83% vs. 41%, P = .003). Multivariable analysis also showed that neoadjuvant RT was associated with an 81% decreased odds of positive margins odds ratio: 0.19, 95% confidence interval: 0.05‐0.77, P = .02).

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant RT may be associated with improved margin status among patients with NSCCSM treated with surgery and RT. Future prospective studies with larger, more homogeneous populations are needed to clarify optimal treatment strategies.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 128:2796–2803, 2018
Robotic versus conventional neck dissection: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Sukato Daniel C. , Ballard Daniel P. , Abramowitz Jason M. , Rosenfeld Richard M. , Mlot Stefan
Published: October 2018

Objective

The aim of this systematic review is to compare the perioperative outcomes of robotic versus conventional neck dissection in patients with head and neck malignancy.

Methods

An electronic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases was conducted. We included studies with direct comparisons of robotic and open neck dissections and performed dual, independent data extraction for primary outcomes of nodal yield, recurrence rate, subjective cosmetic assessment, operative time, length of stay, and rates of perioperative complications. Data were pooled using random effects meta‐analysis to determine the standardized mean difference (SMD), absolute risk difference (RD), and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Eleven comparative studies comprising 225 robotic and 430 open neck dissections met the final selection criteria. All studies had low to moderate risk of bias. Robotic surgery improved cosmesis (SMD 1.15, 95% CI 0.73 to 1.56) but also increased operative time (SMD 1.94, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.63). Total nodal yield, pathological nodal yield, recurrence rate, rates of perioperative complications, and length of stay were not significantly different between the two groups, and the 95% CIs suggested that false negative results were unlikely. The results remained consistent after stratification by pathology and robotic technique.

Conclusion

Although robotic neck dissection may offer similar perioperative outcomes compared to conventional neck dissection, it requires significantly more operative time. Whereas cosmesis was found to be superior among the robotic cohort, this must be viewed cautiously given the nonvalidated measurement tool that was used and the inherent reporting bias associated with it.

Laryngoscope, 129:1587–1596, 2019
Supporting cell survival after cochlear implant surgery
Authors: deTorres Alvin , Olszewski Rafal T. , Lopez Ivan A. , Ishiyama Akira , Linthicum Fred H. , Hoa Michael
Published: October 2018

Supporting cells (SCs) provide structure and maintain an environment that allows hair cells to receive and transmit signals in the auditory pathway. After insult to hair cells and ganglion cells, SCs respond by marking unsalvageable cells for death and maintain structural integrity. Although the histopathology after cochlear implantation has been described regarding hair cells and neural structures, surviving SCs in the implanted ear have not. We present a patient whose posthumous examination of an implanted cochlea demonstrated SC survival. This finding has implications for SC function in maintaining electrical hearing and candidacy for future hair cell regeneration therapies. Laryngoscope, 129:E36–E40, 2019
Integrated Analysis of Droxidopa for the Treatment of Neurogenic Orthostatic Hypotension in Patients with Parkinson Disease
Authors: Hauser Robert A. , Biaggioni Italo , Hewitt L. Arthur , Vernino Steven
Published: October 2018

Introduction

Neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (nOH) is associated with neurodegenerative conditions, may cause symptoms of end‐organ hypoperfusion, increases fall risk, and can negatively impact quality of life. Droxidopa is approved for the treatment of symptomatic nOH in adults. As the largest subpopulation of patients with nOH has a diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD), the efficacy and tolerability of droxidopa in patients with PD and nOH were examined using integrated clinical trial data.

Methods

Post hoc analyses included data from the phase 3, randomized, placebo‐controlled clinical trials of droxidopa (two short‐term [1−2 weeks] trials and one medium‐term [8−10 weeks] trial) in the subset of participants with PD and symptomatic nOH. Efficacy was assessed using standing blood pressure (BP) measurements and the Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire (OHQ), a patient‐reported evaluation of nOH symptoms (Orthostatic Hypotension Symptom Assessment [OHSA]), and their impact (Orthostatic Hypotension Daily Activity Scale [OHDAS]).

Results

The analysis included 307 patients with PD (droxidopa, n = 150; placebo, n = 157). Compared with placebo, droxidopa significantly improved the OHQ composite score (P = 0.014), the OHSA composite score (P = 0.022), and the OHDAS composite score (P = 0.029) from baseline to end of study/week one. We found significant increases in standing mean systolic/diastolic BP for droxidopa versus placebo (P = 0.003/0.002). Adverse event (AE) rates were qualitatively similar between groups; the most frequently reported AEs in the droxidopa groups included headache, dizziness, nausea, and hypertension.

Conclusions

These post hoc analyses suggest that droxidopa provides meaningful clinical benefits and is well tolerated in the treatment of symptomatic nOH in patients with PD.
Long‐Term Follow‐up of Patients with Tourette's Syndrome
Authors: Lowe Thomas L. , Capriotti Matthew R. , McBurnett Keith
Published: October 2018

Background

Tourette's Syndrome (TS) is a childhood‐onset movement disorder marked by the chronic presence of motor and vocal tics. Research shows that tics associated with TS tend to fade in severity for some (but not all) affected youth, though psychiatric comorbidities that commonly accompany TS may be more persistent. The long‐term outcomes of individuals with TS have not been well characterized.

Objective

To characterize long‐term clinical outcomes of individuals with TS.

Method

We conducted a long‐term (25–32 years) follow‐up study of 45 patients with TS who presented to the Tourette's and Tic Disorders Clinic within the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center, which was staffed by the first author (Thomas L. Lowe, MD [T.L.L.]), between 1983 and 1990. Baseline data were obtained via chart review, and follow‐up data were obtained by self‐report surveys.

Results

Participants generally reported good psychosocial functioning, attainment of significant social milestones (academic attainment, gainful employment, marriage), and high subjective quality of life. The vast majority of participants (82%) reported improvement in their tics over time, though a significant minority continued to experience at least mild tic‐related impairment (26%–40%, depending on metric). Lifetime rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety disorders, including obsessive‐compulsive disorder, were greater than in the general US population. Robust predictors of follow‐up outcomes were not found.

Conclusions

These findings reflect a positive overall long‐term prognosis for individuals with TS. Providing information about this prognosis at the time of diagnosis may decrease distress in affected individuals and their families. Future studies using planned longitudinal designs that address potential confounds of survey nonresponse are needed to detail long‐term outcomes of individuals with TS more precisely.
Reduced graphene oxide‐based electrochemically stimulated method for temozolomide delivery
Authors: Reddy Sathish , Song Li , Zhao Yuyuan , Zhao Rong , Wu Dongni , He Liumin , Ramakrishana Seeram
Published: October 2018

The controlled release of drug molecules to a specific brain tumour's tissue has been recognized as one of the most demanding researches for treatment of brain cancer, because it helps to avoid the side effects from systemic drug delivery techniques. In the present work, described an electrochemically controlled drug delivery performed with a reduced graphene oxide (rGO)‐drug composite. The rGO was loaded with a temozolomide (TMZ) molecule (rGO‐TMZ) exhibits electrochemical oxidation and reduction peak in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4). In response to be electrochemical potential, the rGO‐TMZ composite releases TMZ drug, and TMZ drug dosage that can be adjusted by altering the electrochemical potential with time. Upon application of an electrochemical potential pulse (0.8 V) for 20 min duration, up to 83% of TMZ was released into citrate buffer solution at pH 5.0. In vitro, cell culture experiments demonstrate that the released TMZ drug retains its bioactivity. The electrochemically controlled rGO‐TMZ composite drug delivery platform makes it an exciting candidate for on‐demand drug delivery for effective treatment of brain cancer.
CMHS director Del Vecchio to be replaced, but no confirmation from SAMHSA
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: October 2018

Last week, MHW told readers about the departing director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA's) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). There has not been any official confirmation from SAMHSA since the news broke about Paolo del Vecchio as MHW headed to press.
Extraction of micro‐doppler characteristics of drones using high‐resolution time‐frequency transforms
Authors: Kim Youngwook , Nazaroff Michael , Oh Daegun
Published: October 2018

The demand for detecting and tracking drones has increased for reasons of surveillance and security. Radar is one of the promising methods in this regard. The recognition and identification of drones using a radar system requires the extraction of their unique micro‐Doppler signatures produced by their rotating blades. Because of the blades' rapid rotation speed, difficulties are inherent in visualizing clear micro‐Doppler signatures in a conventional joint time‐frequency analysis such as the short‐time Fourier transform. In this paper, we propose the use of high‐resolution transform techniques to visualize the micro‐Doppler signatures of drones in a spectrogram. The techniques used include Wigner‐Ville distribution, smoothed pseudo‐Wigner‐Ville distribution, and short‐time MUltiple SIgnal Classification (MUSIC) algorithm. In particular, the latter, which had never previously been applied to drones, is suggested to visualize the details of micro‐Doppler signatures. We measured three drones using a continuous‐wave radar, and performances of these algorithms were compared using data collected from the drones. We could observe that the short‐time MUSIC method showed the clearest spectrogram for identifying micro‐Doppler signatures. This study can potentially be useful in the field of drone classification.
Condensed Mode Cooling of Ethylene Polymerization in Fluidized Bed Reactors
Authors: McKenna Timothy F. L.
Published: October 2018

This review gives an overview of the evolution of the technology of condensed mode cooling, primarily for the case of ethylene polymerization on supported catalysts in fluidized bed reactors. It is well known that this mode of heat removal is quite effective in allowing polyolefin manufacturers to increase significantly production rates. What is perhaps less well understood are all of the issues that, in addition to the effect of the latent heat of vaporization of injected liquid components, also have an impact on the rate of production and behavior of the reactor. However, the liquid components injected into the reactor can vaporize rapidly under full‐scale conditions, leaving behind several heavy components (with respect to ethylene) that have numerous effects on how the particles behave, on the reaction rate, and on fluidization, fouling, and other parameters related to reactor and process performance.