bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model‐based design and control of a small‐scale integrated continuous end‐to‐end mAb platform
Authors: Gomis‐Fons Joaquín , Schwarz Hubert , Zhang Liang , Andersson Niklas , Nilsson Bernt , Castan Andreas , Solbrand Anita , Stevenson Joanne , Chotteau Véronique
Published: March 2020

A continuous integrated bioprocess available from the earliest stages of process development allows for an easier, more efficient and faster development and characterization of an integrated process as well as production of small‐scale drug candidates. The process presented in this article is a proof‐of‐concept of a continuous end‐to‐end monoclonal antibody production platform at a very small scale based on a 200 ml alternating tangential flow filtration perfusion bioreactor, integrated with the purification process with a model‐based design and control. The downstream process, consisting of a periodic twin‐column protein A capture, a virus inactivation, a CEX column and an AEX column, was compactly implemented in a single chromatography system, with a purification time of less than 4 hr. Monoclonal antibodies were produced for 17 days in a high cell density perfusion culture of CHO cells with titers up to 1.0 mg/ml. A digital twin of the downstream process was created by modelling all the chromatography steps. These models were used for real‐time decision making by the implementation of control strategies to automatize and optimize the operation of the process. A consistent glycosylation pattern of the purified product was ensured by the steady state operation of the process. Regarding the removal of impurities, at least a 4‐log reduction in the HCP levels was achieved. The recovery yield was up to 60%, and a maximum productivity of 0.8 mg/ml/day of purified product was obtained.
Optimization of supporting college students entrepreneurship environment
Authors: Miao Yujun , Fan Hongyun , Yuan Bo
Published: March 2020

With an increasing number of college students, improving the entrepreneurial ability of college students has become an important factor affecting economic development. A good business environment is a necessary prerequisite for the success of college students as entrepreneurs. At present, the research on the entrepreneurial environment available to college students is limited to literature review, with more theoretical research and less indexing systems for research. The main aim of this paper is to construct an index system of college students' entrepreneurial environment. The objective is to enable college students to quickly integrate into society and play positive roles in the government, school, and society. The conclusion is that optimizing the entrepreneurial environment of college students is the need of social stable development. By adopting reasonable methods, college students' entrepreneurial ability can be further improved, which is also to achieve social progress. It is necessary to optimize the entrepreneurial environment of college students, including expanding aid policies, supporting college students to start their own businesses, improving the social enterprise service system of college students, and strengthening the implementation of policies.
Survival benefits of simple versus extended cholecystectomy and lymphadenectomy for patients with T1b gallbladder cancer: An analysis of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results database (2004 to 2013)
Authors: Xu Li , Tan Haidong , Liu Xiaolei , Huang Jia , Liu Liguo , Si Shuang , Sun Yongliang , Zhou Wenying , Yang Zhiying
Published: March 2020

Although guidelines recommend extended surgical resection, radical resection and lymphadenectomy for patients with tumor stage (T)1b gallbladder cancer, these procedures are substantially underutilized. This population‐based, retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate treatment patterns and outcomes of 401 patients using the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2013. Results showed that median overall survival (OS) was 69 months for lymphadenectomy patients and 37 months for those without lymphadenectomy. Lymphadenectomy also tended to prolong cancer‐specific survival (CSS), although the differences were not statistically significant. OS and CSS were similar for patients who received simple cholecystectomy and extended surgical resection. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed survival advantages in patients with stage T1bN0 gallbladder cancer compared to those with stage T1bN1, and patients who received simple cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy compared to those who did not receive lymph node dissection. In further analyses, patients undergoing simple cholecystectomy who had five or more lymph nodes excised had better OS and CSS than those without lymph node dissection. In conclusion, survival advantages are shown for patients with T1b gallbladder cancer undergoing surgeries with lymphadenectomy. Future studies with longer follow‐up and control of potential confounders are highly warranted.
Use of psycho‐oncological services by prostate cancer patients: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Breidenbach Clara , Roth Rebecca , Ansmann Lena , Wesselmann Simone , Dieng Sebastian , Carl Ernst‐Günther , Feick Günter , Oesterle Alisa , Bach Peter , Beyer Burkhard , Borowitz Rainer , Erdmann Jörg , Kunath Frank , Oostdam Simba‐Joshua , Tsaur Igor , Zengerling Friedemann , Kowalski Christoph
Published: March 2020

Background

Cancer patients often suffer from psychological distress. Psycho‐oncological services (POS) have been established in some health care systems in order to address such issues. This study aims to identify patient and center characteristics that elucidate the use of POS by patients in prostate cancer centers (PCCs).

Methods

Center‐reported certification and patient survey data from 3094 patients in 44 certified PCCs in Germany were gathered in the observational study (Prostate Cancer Outcomes). A multilevel analysis was conducted.

Results

Model 1 showed that utilization of POS in PCCs is associated with patients’ age (OR = 0.98; 95%‐CI = 0.96‐0.99; P < .001), number of comorbidities (1‐2 vs 0, OR = 1.27; 95%‐CI = 1.00‐1.60; P=.048), disease staging (localized high‐risk vs localized intermediate risk, OR = 1.41; 95%‐CI = 1.14‐1.74; P < .001), receiving androgen deprivation therapy before study inclusion (OR = 0.19; 95%‐CI = 0.10‐0.34; P < .001), and hospital teaching status (university vs academic, OR = 0.09; 95%‐CI = 0.02‐0.55; P = .009). Model 2 additionally includes information on treatment after study inclusion and shows that after inclusion, patients who receive primary radiotherapy (OR = 0.05; 95%‐CI = 0.03‐0.10; P < .001) or undergo active surveillance/watchful waiting (OR = 0.06; 95%‐CI = 0.02‐0.15; P < .001) are less likely to utilize POS than patients who undergo radical prostatectomy. Disease staging (localized high‐risk vs localized intermediate risk, OR = 1.31; 95%‐CI = 1.05‐1.62; P = .02) and teaching status (university vs academic, OR = 0.08; 95%‐CI = 0.01‐0.65; P = .02) are also significant predictors for POS use. The second model did not identify any other significant patient characteristics.

Conclusions

Future research should explore the role of institutional teaching status and whether associations with therapy after study inclusion are due to treatment effects – for example, less need following radiotherapy – or because access to POS is more difficult for those receiving radiotherapy.
Wnt signalling pathway and tau phosphorylation: A comprehensive study on known connections
Authors: Hadi Fatemeh , Akrami Hassan , Shahpasand Koorosh , Fattahi Mohammad R.
Published: March 2020

The Wnt pathway is the most important cascade in the nervous system; evidence has indicated that deregulation of the Wnt pathway induced pathogenic hallmarks of neurodegenerative diseases. Glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β) as the main member of the Wnt pathway increases tau inclusions, the main marker in the neurodegenerative diseases. Phosphorylated tau is observed in the pre‐tangle of the neurons in the early stage of neurodegenerative diseases. The researchers always try to improve pharmacological approaches of new therapeutic strategies to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are required to represent a significant entry point by understanding the theoretical interactions of the molecular pathways. In this review, we have discussed the recent knowledge about the canonical and non‐canonical Wnt signalling pathway, GSK‐3β, Wnt/β‐catenin antagonists, tau phosphorylation, and their important roles in the neurodegenerative diseases.
N‐Heterocyclic Silylenes as Ligands in Transition Metal Carbonyl Chemistry: Nature of Their Bonding and Supposed Innocence
Authors: Krahfuß Mirjam J. , Nitsch Jörn , Bickelhaupt F. Matthias , Marder Todd B. , Radius Udo
Published: March 2020

A study on the reactivity of the N‐heterocyclic silylene Dipp2NHSi (1,3‐bis(diisopropylphenyl)‐1,3‐diaza‐2‐silacyclopent‐4‐en‐2‐yliden) with the transition metal complexes [Ni(CO)4], [M(CO)6] (M=Cr, Mo, W), [Mn(CO)5(Br)] and [(η5‐C5H5)Fe(CO)2(I)] is reported. We demonstrate that N‐heterocyclic silylenes, the higher homologues of the now ubiquitous NHC ligands, show a remarkably different behavior in coordination chemistry compared to NHC ligands. Calculations on the electronic features of these ligands revealed significant differences in the frontier orbital region which lead to some peculiarities of the coordination chemistry of silylenes, as demonstrated by the synthesis of the dinuclear, NHSi‐bridged complex [{Ni(CO)2(μ‐Dipp2NHSi)}2] (2), complexes [M(CO)5(Dipp2NHSi)] (M=Cr 3, Mo 4, W 5), [Mn(CO)3(Dipp2NHSi)2(Br)] (9) and [(η5‐C5H5)Fe(CO)2(Dipp2NHSi‐I)] (10). DFT calculations on several model systems [Ni(L)], [Ni(CO)3(L)], and [W(CO)5(L)] (L=NHC, NHSi) reveal that carbenes are typically the much better donor ligands with a larger intrinsic strength of the metal–ligand bond. The decrease going from the carbene to the silylene ligand is mainly caused by favorable electrostatic contributions for the NHC ligand to the total bond strength, whereas the orbital interactions were often found to be higher for the silylene complexes. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the contribution of σ‐ and π‐interaction depends significantly on the system under investigation. The σ‐interaction is often much weaker for the NHSi ligand compared to NHC but, interestingly, the π‐interaction prevails for many NHSi complexes. For the carbonyl complexes, the NHSi ligand is the better σ‐donor ligand, and contributions of π‐symmetry play only a minor role for the NHC and NHSi co‐ligands.
Variable‐Length Ester‐Based Staples for α‐Helical Peptides by Using A Double Thiol‐ene Reaction
Authors: Paterson Danielle L. , Flanagan Jack U. , Shepherd Peter R. , Harris Paul W. R. , Brimble Margaret A.
Published: March 2020

A novel peptide stapling method effected by a double thiol‐ene reaction between two cysteine residues and a divinyl diester to access stapled peptides with enhanced cell permeability is reported. This diverse chemical tool kit provides facile access to stapled peptides with varying bridge lengths. Stapled Axin mimetics were synthesised by using this stapling method resulting in improved α‐helicity relative to the unstapled peptide. Cell penetrating stapled analogues of the SIGK peptide that targets the protein–protein interaction hotspot of Gβγ proteins were also synthesised that exhibited a moderate increase in α‐helicity and were cell permeable. This chemoselective peptide stapling method is highly amenable as a facile method to easily modify synthetic α‐helical peptides to target intracellular proteins.
Prebiotically Plausible Organocatalysts Enabling a Selective Photoredox α‐Alkylation of Aldehydes on the Early Earth
Authors: Closs Anna C. , Fuks Elina , Bechtel Maximilian , Trapp Oliver
Published: March 2020

Organocatalysis is a powerful approach to extend and (enantio‐) selectively modify molecular structures. Adapting this concept to the Early Earth scenario offers a promising solution to explain their evolution into a complex homochiral world. Herein, we present a class of imidazolidine‐4‐thione organocatalysts, easily accessible from simple molecules available on an Early Earth under highly plausible prebiotic reaction conditions. These imidazolidine‐4‐thiones are readily formed from mixtures of aldehydes or ketones in presence of ammonia, cyanides and hydrogen sulfide in high selectivity and distinct preference for individual compounds of the resulting catalyst library. These organocatalysts enable the enantioselective α‐alkylation of aldehydes under prebiotic conditions and show activities that correlate with the selectivity of their formation. Furthermore, the crystallization of single catalysts as conglomerates opens the pathway for symmetry breaking.
Development of Therapeutic Gramicidin S Analogues Bearing Plastic β,γ‐Diamino Acids
Authors: Guan Qinkun , Chen Kaisen , Chen Qiang , Hu Jianguo , Cheng Keguang , Hu Chengfei , Zhu Jibao , Jin Yi , Miclet Emeric , Alezra Valérie , Wan Yang
Published: March 2020

Gramicidin S (GS), one of the most widely investigated antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), is known for its robust antimicrobial activity. However, it is restricted to topical application due to undesired hemolytic activity. With the aim of obtaining nontoxic GS analogues, we describe herein a molecular approach in which the native GS β‐turn region is replaced by synthetic β,γ‐diamino acids (β,γ‐DiAAs). Four β,γ‐DiAA diastereomers were employed to mimic the β‐turn structure to afford GS analogues GS3–6, which exhibit diminished hemolytic activity. A comparative structural study demonstrates that the (βR,γS)‐DiAA is the most‐stable β‐turn mimic. To further improve the therapeutic index (e. g., high antibacterial activity and low hemolytic activity) and to extend the molecular diversity, GS5 and GS6 were used as structural scaffolds to introduce additional hydrophobic or hydrophilic groups. We show that GS6K, GS6F and GS display comparable antibacterial activity, and GS6K and GS6F have significantly decreased toxicity. Moreover, antibacterial mechanism studies suggest that GS6K kills bacteria mainly through the disruption of the membrane.
A blockchain‐based traceable group loan system
Authors: Li Jinjiang , Zheng Zhihua , Li Zhi , Niu Ziyu , Qin Hong , Wang Hao
Published: March 2020

Difficulties in financing and low utilization of funds are main financial problems that plague the development of small and medium‐sized enterprises. The key to solving this problem lies in opening up the social data circulation between enterprises. It is a good solution for enterprises with frequent data interactions to form groups. Using group loans, the borrowing enterprises could solve the funding difficulties and the loan enterprises could improve the utilization rate of funds. In this article, we construct a group loan system based on blockchain technology, which can promote the free flow of funds among enterprises in the group. We combine the blockchain with the trusted execution environment to realize the automatic determination of loan conditions and realize the automatic execution of smart contracts. We also use the linkable group signature technology to ensure the traceability of loan users while protecting the anonymity. In addition, we use homomorphic encryption technology to make the statement confidential and computable.
Volatility Study of Amino Acids by Knudsen Effusion with QCM Mass Loss Detection
Authors: Štejfa Vojtěch , Pokorný Václav , Miranda Carlos F. P. , Fernandes Óscar O. P. , Santos Luís M. N. B. F.
Published: March 2020

This work presents a new Knudsen effusion apparatus employing continuous monitoring of sample deposition using a quartz‐crystal microbalance sensor with internal calibration by gravimetric determination of the sample mass loss. The apparatus was tested with anthracene and 1,3,5‐triphenylbenzene and subsequently used for the study of sublimation behavior of several proteinogenic amino acids. Their low volatility and thermal instability strongly limit possibilities of studying their sublimation behavior and available literature data. The results presented in this work are unique in their temperature range and low uncertainty required for benchmarking theoretical studies of sublimation behavior of molecular crystals. The possibility of dimerization in the gas phase that would invalidate the effusion experiments is addressed and disproved by theoretical calculations. The enthalpy of sublimation of each amino acid is analyzed based on the contributions in two hypothetical sublimation paths involving the proton transfer in the solid and in the gas phase.
Corporate social responsibility, stakeholder engagement, and universities: New evidence from the Italian scenario
Authors: Aversano Natalia , Di Carlo Ferdinando , Sannino Giuseppe , Tartaglia Polcini Paolo , Lombardi Rosa
Published: March 2020

This paper aims at analyzing the connection among the corporate social responsibility (CSR), stakeholder engagement and universities, proposing the analysis of universities' financial reporting to draft their third mission and social impact. Particularly, our analysis is based on the sensitivity demonstrated by the Italian public universities in terms of transparency on issues of social responsibility with reference to the heritage assets' reporting and disclosure. We used a qualitative methodology, adopting the content analysis to collect data from the financial reporting of all Italian public universities. Our findings show as heritage assets represent the strategic area for the assessment of the third mission and social impact by the Italian universities even if the level of their disclosure seems low. Evidence of our paper is directed to support the academic community, practitioners, and policymakers proposing a new theoretical and practical advance of the CSR and stakeholders engagement' studies.
The Permissibility of Deception in Riskier Research
Authors: Wendler David
Published: March 2020

The use of deception is typically prohibited in studies that pose greater than minimal risk overall. This approach prevents researchers from using deception to conceal significant risks or to deceive participants about the purpose, potential benefits, or other aspects of a study that are relevant to deciding whether to accept such risks. Yet this approach also mistakenly blocks appropriate research. In particular, it keeps researchers from using deception in studies that pose greater than minimal risk, even when participants are informed accurately about the risks and other aspects of the study that are relevant to deciding whether to participate. Rather than prohibiting deception when the overall study poses greater than minimal risk, policies should prohibit deception when the aspect of the study about which participants are deceived poses greater than minimal risk.
Study on the structural forms of the key strata in the overburden of a stope during periodic weighting and the reasonable working resistance of the support
Authors: Zhu Cheng , Yuan Yong , Yuan Chao‐feng , Liu Fu‐quan , Chen Zhong‐shun , Wang Sheng‐zhi
Published: March 2020

Many mines often passively select supports with a higher yield load to avoid the occurrence of support crushing and roof falling during periodic weighting. This method is not conducive to improving production efficiency or reducing mining costs, but it can ensure safe mining. An effective method for overcoming these problems is to determine the reasonable working resistance of the support according to the structural forms of the key strata in the overburden of the stope during periodic weighting. In this paper, comprehensive theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field observation were applied to study the discrimination of the key stratum structure (KSS) during periodic weighting and the calculation method of the support load. First, the KSS that affects the periodic weighting of the stope was classified. The “twice discrimination method” was proposed for determining the breaking form of the key strata and the articulated form of the broken blocks. On this basis, the spacing condition that determines whether adjacent key strata interact was analyzed. The discriminant conditions for synergistic breaking between the first subordinate key stratum (SKS1) and the upper key stratum were derived for the cases in which the SKS1 periodically breaks in the form of a cantilever beam, a voussoir beam, and a step beam. These conditions provide the basis for distinguishing the KSS in the overburden of the stope. In addition, mechanical models of the roof structure during periodic weighting were established, and general formulas for calculating the support loads of stopes with a single‐key‐stratum influence structure and a multikey‐stratum influence structure were presented. Finally, five fully mechanized coal faces with various mining conditions in China were considered for engineering verification. The results of this study demonstrate that the proposed method for determining the reasonable working resistance of the support is consistent with the field practice. The research results can provide a reference for roof control and support selection of stopes.
Inventing the Grand Banks: A deep chart
Authors: Travis Charles , Ludlow Francis , Matthews Al , Lougheed Kevin , Rankin Kieran , Allaire Bernard , Legg Robert , Hayes Patrick , Breen Richard , Nicholls John , Towns Lydia , Holm Poul
Published: March 2020

As a feature of the Fish Revolution (1400–1700), the early modern “invention” of the Grand Banks in literary and cartographical documents facilitated a massive and unprecedented extraction of cod from the waters of the north Atlantic and created the Cod/Sack trade Triangle. This overlapped with the southern Atlantic Slave, Sugar, and Tobacco Triangle to capitalise modern European and North American societies. In 1719, Pierre de Charlevoix claimed that the Grand Banks was “properly a mountain, hid under water,” and noted its cod population “seems to equal that of the grains of sand which cover this bank.” However, two centuries later in 1992, in the face of the collapse of the fishery, and fearing its extinction, a moratorium was placed on five centuries of harvesting Grand Banks cod. The invention and mining of its waters serves as a bellwether for the massive resource extractions of modernity that drive the current leviathan and “wicked problem” of global warming. The digital environmental humanities narrative of this study is parsed together from 83 pieces of Grand Banks charting from 1504 to 1833, which are juxtaposed through Humanities GIS applications with English and French cod‐catch records kept between 1675 and 1831, letters regarding Cabot's 1497 voyage, Shakespeare's The Tempest (1611) and scientific essays by De Brahms (1772) and Franklin (1786).
Role of platelet infiltration as independent prognostic marker for gastric adenocarcinomas
Authors: Wang Jing , Zhang Miao , Zhou Ting , Zhao Shengmei , Su Zhenguo , Liu Xiangdong
Published: March 2020

Background

In recent years, the relationship between malignant tumors and platelets has been paid more attention. The increase of platelets is an independent risk factor for the poor prognosis of some malignant tumors.

Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical and pathological data of 114 patients with initial gastric cancer from August 2005 to August 2018 in Shandong Provincial Hospital. Single‐factor and multifactor survival analysis were used to evaluate the effect of platelet elevation on postoperative survival. The gastric cancer tissues of the Jinan Central Hospital and its matched paracancerous tissues were collected. The expression of platelets in tissues was detected by immunofluorescence technique. Different numbers of platelets were co‐cultured with MKN‐45 cells, CCK‐8 assay and transwell assay were performed, and the expression of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐related proteins was detected.

Results

Platelet count was independent factors affecting prognosis. The stratified analysis showed that there was a statistically significant difference in the 5‐year survival rate between the platelet‐increase group and the normal platelet group in the TNM stages I‐II. The expression of platelets in gastric cancer tissues was higher than that in adjacent tissues. The results of CCK‐8 and transwell showed that platelets significantly enhanced the proliferation and metastasis capability of MKN‐45 cells in a concentration‐dependent manner. After co‐culture, the expression level of E‐cadherin protein in MKN‐45 cells decreased, and the protein expression levels of N‐cadherin, vimentin, and VEGFA increased.

Conclusion

Platelet elevation is closely related to the occurrence, development, and metastasis of gastric cancer, and platelet count can be used as a prognostic indicator for malignant tumors.
Uses of cyclohexan‐1,3‐dione for the synthesis of tetrahydrochromeno[3,4‐c]chromen derivatives with anti‐tumor activities
Authors: Mohareb Rafat M. , Megally Abdo Nadia Y. , Gamaan Marwa S.
Published: March 2020

Cyclohexan‐1,3‐dione (1) was used as the key starting material, which reacted with salicylaldehyde (2) and either malononitrile (3a) or ethyl cyanoacetate (3b) in ethanol containing a catalytic amount of triethylamine to give the 3,4,7,12b‐tetrahydrochromeno[3,4‐c]chromen‐1‐one derivatives 5a,b. The latter compounds underwent Gewald's thiophene synthesis through the reaction with either malononitrile or ethyl cyanoacetate to give compounds 6a‐d, respectively. On the other hand, compound 5a was used for the synthesis of annulated chromeno[3,4‐c]chromen derivatives through its reaction with different chemical reagents. The synthesized compounds were evaluated against the six cancer cell lines A549, HT‐29, MKN‐45, U87MG, SMMC‐7721, and H460 using the standard MTT assay in vitro, with foretinib as the positive control, many compounds expressed high inhibitions. The most active compounds 5b, 6b, 6d, 7, 9b, 11a, 11b, 13, 17, 18b, 20b, 21b, 21e, and 21f were selected for inhibition of five tyrosine kinases and some selected compounds for Pim‐1 kinase inhibition. The results showed that compounds 6b, 6d, 11a, 13, 17, 20b, and 21e were the most potent compounds with the tyrosine kinases and compounds 6d, 11a, 20b, and 21e were the most potent inhibitors of Pim‐1 kinase.
Predicting the Outcome of Transcatheter Arterial Embolization Therapy for Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Radiomics of Preoperative Multiparameter MRI
Authors: Sun Yuejun , Bai Honglin , Xia Wei , Wang Dong , Zhou Bo , Zhao Xingyu , Yang Guowei , Xu Ligang , Zhang Wei , Liu Pingping , Xu Jiacheng , Meng Siyu , Liu Rong , Gao Xin
Published: March 2020

Background

In unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), methods to predict patients at increased risk of progression are required.

Purpose

To investigate the feasibility of radiomics model in predicting early progression of unresectable HCC after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) therapy using preoperative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP‐MRI).

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

A total of 84 patients with BCLC B stage HCC from one medical center. According to the modified response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, patients who progressed at 6 months after TACE therapy were assigned as the progressive disease (PD) group (n = 32). Patients whose MRI was performed on four devices were divided into a training cohort (n = 67). Patients whose MRI was performed on other than the previous four devices were used as the testing set (n = 17).

Field Strength/Sequence

3.0T, 1.5T axial T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI), diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI, b = 0, 500 s/mm2), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)

Assessment

PD was confirmed via imaging studies with MRI. Risk factors, including age, alpha fetoprotein (AFP), size, and radiomic‐related features of PD were assessed. In addition, the discrimination ability of each radiomics signature was tested on an independent testing set.

Statistical Tests

The area under the receiver‐operator characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the radiomic signature in both the training and testing sets. The results indicated that the MP‐MRI model achieved the greatest benefit.

Results

In the testing set, the model based on DWI features presented an AUC of (b = 0, 0.786; b = 500, 0.729), followed by T2WI features (0.729) and ADC (0.714). The AUC of the MP‐MRI signature was increased to 0.800 compared to any single MRI signature. The multivariate logistic analysis identified the radiomics signature as independent parameters of PD, while clinical information such as age, AFP, size, etc., had no significance in the PD group.

Data Conclusion

Preoperative MP‐MRI has the potential to predict the outcome of TACE therapy for unresectable HCC. In addition, these image features may be complementary to the current staging systems of HCC patients.

Level of Evidence

2.

Technical Efficacy Stage

3. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1083–1090.
COVID‐19 epidemic: Disease characteristics in children
Authors: She Jiatong , Liu Lanqin , Liu Wenjun
Published: March 2020

In mid‐December 2019, a disease caused by infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2, which began in Wuhan, China, has spread throughout the country and many countries around the world. The number of children with coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19) has also increased significantly. Although information regarding the epidemiology of COVID‐19 in children has accumulated, relevant comprehensive reports are lacking. The present article reviews the epidemiological characteristics of COVID‐19 in children.
Occult HCV and occult HBV coinfection in Iranian human immunodeficiency virus‐infected individuals
Authors: Jamshidi Sogol , Bokharaei‐Salim Farah , Esghaei Maryam , Bastani Mohammad‐Navid , Garshasbi Saba , Chavoshpour Sara , Dehghani‐Dehej Farzaneh , Fakhim Shahin , Khanaliha Khadijeh
Published: March 2020

The presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome in liver biopsy or peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens in the absence of detectable HCV‐RNA in plasma of the people with or without anti‐HCV antibodies has defined as occult HCV infection (OCI), whereas occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) is detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome in the absence of traceable hepatitis B surface antigen in the plasma samples of patients. The purpose of this study is to determine the presence of OBI and OCI in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected individuals. In this cross‐sectional research, 190 Iranian HIV‐infected individuals were enrolled from September 2015 to February 2019. All participants were tested regarding various serological markers for HCV and HBV infections. Viral RNA and DNA were extracted from plasma and PBMC specimens, and the presence of HCV‐RNA in plasma and PBMC samples was tested using reverse transcriptase‐nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), HBV viral load was determined in plasma samples using COBAS TaqMan 48 Kit, and also the presence of the HBV‐DNA in PBMC samples was tested by real‐time PCR. In this study, the prevalence of OBI and OCI in HIV‐infected individuals was 3.1% and 11.4%, respectively. The genotypes of HCV in the patients with OCI were as follows: 57.1% were infected with subtype 3a, 35.7% were infected with subtype 1a, and 7.1% was infected with subtype 1b. It is noteworthy that in this study, two patients (1.1%) had OCI/OBI coinfections. The present study revealed that 1.1% of Iranian HIV‐infected individuals had OBI and OCI at the same time. Therefore, it seems that designing prospective surveys to determine the presence of this coinfection in HIV‐infected individuals is informative.
Analysis of heart injury laboratory parameters in 273 COVID‐19 patients in one hospital in Wuhan, China
Authors: Han Huan , Xie Linlin , Liu Rui , Yang Jie , Liu Fang , Wu Kailang , Chen Lang , Hou Wei , Feng Yong , Zhu Chengliang
Published: March 2020

An outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome novel coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2) epidemic spreads rapidly worldwide. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection caused mildly to seriously and fatally respiratory, enteric, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. In this study, we detected and analyzed the main laboratory indicators related to heart injury, creatine kinase isoenzyme‐MB (CK‐MB), myohemoglobin (MYO), cardiac troponin I (ultra‐TnI), and N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP), in 273 patients with COVID‐19 and investigated the correlation between heart injury and severity of the disease. It was found that higher concentration in venous blood of CK‐MB, MYO, ultra‐TnI, and NT‐proBNP were associated with the severity and case fatality rate of COVID‐19. Careful monitoring of the myocardiac enzyme profiles is of great importance in reducing the complications and mortality in patients with COVID‐19.
A novel mouse model to study fracture healing of the proximal femur
Authors: Haffner‐Luntzer Melanie , Weber Birte , Lam Charles , Fischer Verena , Lackner Ina , Ignatius Anita , Kalbitz Miriam , Marcucio Ralph S. , Miclau Theodore
Published: March 2020

The majority of fractures, especially in elderly and osteoporotic patients, occurs in metaphyseal bone. However, only a few experimental models exist to study metaphyseal bone healing in mice. Currently used mouse models of metaphyseal fracture healing are either based on drill hole defects, lacking adequate biomechanical stimulation at the site of fracture and therefore endochondral ossification in the fracture callus, or are introduced into the distal part of the mouse femur stabilized by a locking plate, which is challenging due to the small specimen size. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to develop a new mouse model to study metaphyseal fracture healing of the proximal femur. We chose a combination between an open osteotomy and a closed intramedullary stabilization. A 24 G needle was inserted into the femur in a closed manner, then an osteotomy was made with a 0.4‐mm Gigli wire saw between the third and the lesser trochanter of the femur using an open approach. Fractured femurs were analyzed using microcomputed tomography and histology at days 14 and 21 after surgery. No animals were lost due to surgery or anesthesia. All animals displayed normal limb loading and a physiological gait pattern within the first three days after fracture. We found robust endochondral ossification during the fracture healing process with high expression of late chondrocyte and early osteogenic markers at day 14 (d14). By day 21 (d21), all fractures had a bony bridging score of 3 or more, indicating successful healing. Callus volume significantly decreased from d14 to d21, whereas high numbers of osteoclasts appeared at the fracture callus until d21, indicating that callus remodeling had already started at d21. In conclusion, we successfully developed a novel mouse model to study endochondral fracture healing of the proximal femur. This model might be useful for future studies using transgenic animals to unravel molecular mechanisms of osteoporotic metaphyseal fracture healing.
HELP YOUR WORKFORCE CLOSE THEIR POWER GAPS AND ACHIEVE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH
Authors: Caprino Kathy
Published: March 2020

The author notes that professionals long to be involved in initiatives that will generate great success and hope to experience personal reward and meaning doing that work. But in her experience and research in the past 15 years, she has observed that many are failing to experience the success and reward they need and want. She noticed some common, repetitive patterns emerging in terms of what professionals were dealing with in their careers and jobs and pulled back the lens to identify what’s at the heart of this widespread experience of unhappiness, disillusionment, and disengagement. The article proceeds from addressing a core question: “What is missing from the lives of professional men and women who feel they can’t experience the joy, success, reward and impact they deserve and want?” Seven specific career‐thwarting “power gaps” professionals face are identified and examined in detail: (1) not recognizing your special talents, abilities, and accomplishments; (2) communicating from fear not strength; (3) reluctance to ask for what you deserve; (4) isolating from influential support; (5) acquiescing instead of saying “STOP!” to mistreatment; (6) losing sight of your thrilling dream; and (7) allowing past trauma to shape and define you.
Binge watching: An exploration of the role of technology
Authors: Nanda Ambika Prasad , Banerjee Ranjan
Published: March 2020

Watching television shows in quick succession on the Netflix and Amazon Prime platforms is on the rise. Although widespread, this binge watching behavior has received limited attention from marketing academics. The current study conceptualizes binge watching needs and examines their effect on the gratifications obtained from binge watching. We apply the lens of uses and gratifications (U&G) theory for model development and test the model empirically, using data from two cities in India. We add a new category of needs, namely technology‐related needs, to the existing psycho‐sociological‐related needs (named as content‐related needs in this paper) present in plain‐old‐television studies (POTS). We find that a technology‐related need—that is, modal experience (the presence of media content in various formats leading to superior experience)—significantly impacts gratification from binge watching. We also find a strong moderating effect of self‐control, used in previous studies of binge‐eating and binge‐shopping, in which the effect of modal experience, navigability and parasocial interaction need gratification is heightened for consumers who have low levels of self‐control. We build on these findings to suggest implications for marketers, advertisers, and consumer‐advocacy groups.
Reversible Acute Parkinsonism and Unusual Neuroimaging Findings in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Moraes de Moraes Marianna P. , Salomão Rubens P.A. , Felício André C. , Abrantes Fabiano F. , Barsottini Orlando G.P. , Pedroso José L.
Published: March 2020

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The impact of digital finance on financial efficiency
Authors: Wang Qian , Yang Jinbao , Chiu Yung‐ho , Lin Tai‐Yu
Published: March 2020

This paper quantitatively analyzes the impact of digital finance on financial efficiency. The results show that digital finance has slightly improved the efficiency of the financial sector, but there are significant differences in the impact of provincial efficiency in China. Although financial sector efficiency positively correlates with digital financial efficiency, digital finance gives backward regions disadvantages. The efficiency score and ranking of the financial sector in the eastern region are significantly higher than noneastern region. The progressive effect of digital finance on the efficiency of the financial sector in the eastern region is better than that in the noneastern region.
Classical homocystinuria: A common inborn error of metabolism? An epidemiological study based on genetic databases
Authors: Weber Hoss Giovana R. , Sperb‐Ludwig Fernanda , Schwartz Ida V. D. , Blom Henk J.
Published: March 2020

Background

Biallelic pathogenic variants in CBS gene cause the most common form of homocystinuria, the classical homocystinuria (HCU). The worldwide prevalence of HCU is estimated to be 0.82:100,000 [95% CI, 0.39–1.73:100,000] according to clinical records and 1.09:100,000 [95% CI, 0.34–3.55:100,000] by neonatal screening. In this study, we aimed to estimate the minimal worldwide incidence of HCU.

Methods

The 25 most common pathogenic alleles of HCU were identified through a literature review. The incidence of HCU was estimated based on the frequency of these common pathogenic alleles in a large genomic database (gnomAD).

Results

The minimum worldwide incidence of HCU was estimated to be ~0.38:100,000, and the incidence was higher in Europeans non‐Finnish (~0.72:100,000) and Latin Americans (~0.45:100,000) and lower in Africans (~0.20:100,000) and Asians (~0.02:100,000).

Conclusion

Our data are in accordance with the only published metanalysis on this topic. To our surprise, the observed incidence of HCU in Europeans was much lower than those described in articles exploring small populations from northern Europe but was similar to the incidence described on the basis of neonatal screening programs. In our opinion, this large dataset analyzed and its population coverage gave us greater precision in the estimation of incidence.
Trends in opioid prescribing in Estonia (2011‐2017)
Authors: Uusküla Anneli , Raag Mait , Kurvits Katrin , Laius Ott , Uusküla Maia , Oselin Kersti
Published: March 2020

Our objective was to examine the trends and variation in opioid prescribing in Estonia from 2011 to 2017. This retrospective cross‐sectional study is based on a nationwide prescription medicines database. We stratified the analysis by treatment indication (cancer vs noncancer pain). Between 2011 and 2017, annual opioid prescribing rates increased by 67% (from 82.9 to 138.6 prescriptions per 1000 population). The annual number of prescriptions per patient did not change substantially (from 2.94 in 2011 to 2.87 in 2017), and was higher among cancer patients (5.07 vs 2.67 annual prescriptions per cancer and noncancer patients, respectively, in 2017). The use of the most potent opioids (morphine, fentanyl) was higher in noncancer than in cancer patients. The use of prescription opioids is low, and raises concern about the potential undertreatment of cancer pain, in parallel with misuse of opioids for either noncancer pain or diversion.
Beta human papillomaviruses infection and skin carcinogenesis
Authors: Bandolin Luigia , Borsetto Daniele , Fussey Jonathan , Da Mosto Maria Cristina , Nicolai Piero , Menegaldo Anna , Calabrese Luca , Tommasino Massimo , Boscolo‐Rizzo Paolo
Published: March 2020

During the last decade, the worldwide incidence of keratinocyte carcinomas (KC) has increased significantly. They are now the most common malignancy, representing approximately 30% of all cancers. The role of ultraviolet (UV) radiation as a major environmental risk factor for skin cancers is well recognized. The aim of this review is to analyse the current understanding of the nature of beta‐human papillomavirus (HPV) and its association with KC and explore the implications for the management and prevention of these cancers. A comprehensive review of the literature on beta‐HPV and its association with KC was undertaken, the results reported in the form of a narrative review. A subgroup of HPV that infects the mucosal epithelia of the genital tract has been firmly associated with carcinogenesis. In addition, some HPV types with cutaneous tropism have been proposed to cooperate with UV in the development of KC. The first evidence for this association was reported in 1922 in patients with epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV). Since then, epidemiological studies have highlighted the higher risk of skin cancer in patients with EV and certain cutaneous HPV types, and in vitro studies have elucidated molecular mechanisms and transforming properties of beta‐HPV. Furthermore, in vivo research conducted on transgenic mice models has shown the possible role of beta‐HPV in cutaneous carcinogenesis as a co‐factor with UV radiation and immunosuppression. There is good evidence supporting the role of beta‐HPV in the oncogenesis of KC. The high prevalence of beta‐HPV in human skin and the worldwide burden of KC makes the search for an effective vaccine relevant and worthwhile.
Use of bankruptcy methods for resolving interprovincial water conflicts over transboundary river: Case study of Indus River in Pakistan
Authors: Janjua Shahmir , Hassan Ishtiaq
Published: March 2020

Sustainable transboundary water governance is often challenged by conflicts between agents, which necessitates the design of cooperative and self‐enforcing alternatives to facilitate equitable water distribution. A pervasive and critical problem related to many transboundary rivers is that the total allocation or demand of riparian states is usually much more than that of the total available water. This problem is a major cause of disputes, both nationally and internationally. A key challenge concerns how to allocate the available water among riparian states with competing and often conflicting needs under an uncertain supply–demand gap. To address this pervasive allocation problem related to transboundary rivers, the bankruptcy method is used. The bankruptcy method distributes water among riparian states when their total demand exceeds the total available water. We investigate the utility of this method in the Indus River – a river that is shared among the four provinces of Pakistan, namely, Punjab, Sindh, Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) – using five commonly used bankruptcy rules and the Shapely value. Two new bankruptcy rules namely the “groundwater‐based rule” and “the proposed rule” are also proposed to address the usage of groundwater: the land affected by salinity and the gross domestic product (GDP) of each province. Additionally, this paper introduces a new method to compare and contrast the bankruptcy rules, the Shapely value and the two proposed rules. The findings suggest that the groundwater‐based rule has the lowest dispersion and is the preferred method for water allocation in the Indus River Basin. The use of the bankruptcy rules, the Shapely value and the two proposed methods has the potential to address the supply–demand mismatches of shared rivers. The proposed framework for selecting the best rule is recommended as an effective tool to facilitate negotiation over practical water allocation within transboundary river basins.
Cerebrolysin ameliorates prefrontal cortex and hippocampus neural atrophy of spontaneous hypertensive rats with hyperglycemia
Authors: Aguilar‐Hernández Leonardo , Gómez‐Villalobos Maria de Jesús , Flores Gonzalo
Published: March 2020

Hyperglycemia of diabetes mellitus causes damage at the vascular level, which at the renal level represents diabetic nephropathy. In this pathology, there is arterial hypertension. In addition, several reports suggest that hyperglycemia and arterial hypertension affect interneuronal communication at the level of dendritic morphology. We studied these changes in an animal model with streptozotocin‐induced diabetes mellitus in the spontaneous hypertensive (SH) rat. Recent reports from our laboratory have demonstrated that cerebrolysin (CBL), a preparation of neuropeptides with protective and repairing properties, reduces dendritic deterioration in both pathologies, in separate studies. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of CBL using the animal model with hyperglycemia and arterial hypertension and assessed the dendritic morphology using a Golgi‐Cox staining procedure. Our results suggest that CBL ameliorated the reduction in the number of dendritic spines in the PFC and hippocampus caused by hyperglycemia in the SH rat. In addition, CBL also increased distal dendritic length in the PFC and hippocampus in hyperglycemic SH rats. Consequently, the CBL could be a therapeutic tool used to reduce the damage at the level of dendritic communication present in both pathologies.