bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the production of nanofibrillated cellulose from bamboo pulp by the combined cellulase and refining treatment
Authors: Yuan Zhaoyang , Wei Weiqi , Wen Yangbing
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) has shown great potential for wide applications in various fields and industries such as food, coatings, daily chemicals, superabsorbent high‐strength materials, and other high‐value products. Bamboo, with a chemical composition and fibre properties comparable to wood, is considered as an ideal nonwood material for the production of high‐quality NFC. However, the normally used two‐step process [TEMPO‐mediated oxidation and high‐pressure homogenization (HPH)] not only requires high amounts of energy, but also results in high heterogeneity of the resultant nanocellulose products.

RESULTS

In this study, we proposed a sequential treatment method combining cellulase treatment followed by mechanical refining to improve the process for NFC production from bleached bamboo kraft pulp. The results showed that cellulase treatment using an enzyme dosage of 7 U g−1 cellulose followed by mechanical refining for 5000 revolutions increased the content of carboxyl group in treated pulp from 0.46 to 0.90 mmol g−1cellulose following TEMPO‐mediated oxidation. The effect of cellulase treatment and mechanical refining on the fibre properties was investigated in terms of freeness, fibre length, water retention value, pore volume and other fibrillation characteristics, such as the diameter of the NFC fibrils. Finally, we also found that, using the above‐proposed process, ca. 85 g high‐quality NFC could be produced from 100 g bleached bamboo pulp.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that the combination of cellulase treatment and mechanical refining is a promising strategy to produce high‐quality NFC with short fibril diameter while increasing NFC yield and reducing energy consumption during HPH. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
A liver‐humanized mouse model of carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1‐deficiency
Authors: Srinivasan Raghuraman C. , Zabulica Mihaela , Hammarstedt Christina , Wu Tingting , Gramignoli Roberto , Kannisto Kristina , Ellis Ewa , Karadagi Ahmad , Fingerhut Ralph , Allegri Gabriella , Rüfenacht Véronique , Thöny Beat , Häberle Johannes , Nuoffer Jean‐Marc , Strom Stephen C.
Published: March 2019

A liver‐humanized mouse model for CPS1‐deficiency was generated by the high‐level repopulation of the mouse liver with CPS1‐deficient human hepatocytes. When compared with mice that are highly repopulated with CPS1‐proficient human hepatocytes, mice that are repopulated with CPS1‐deficient human hepatocytes exhibited characteristic symptoms of human CPS1 deficiency including an 80% reduction in CPS1 metabolic activity, delayed clearance of an ammonium chloride infusion, elevated glutamine and glutamate levels, and impaired metabolism of [15N]ammonium chloride into urea, with no other obvious phenotypic differences. Because most metabolic liver diseases result from mutations that alter critical pathways in hepatocytes, a model that incorporates actual disease‐affected, mutant human hepatocytes is useful for the investigation of the molecular, biochemical, and phenotypic differences induced by that mutation. The model is also expected to be useful for investigations of modified RNA, gene, and cellular and small molecule therapies for CPS1‐deficiency. Liver‐humanized models for this and other monogenic liver diseases afford the ability to assess the therapy on actual disease‐affected human hepatocytes, in vivo, for long periods of time and will provide data that are highly relevant for investigations of the safety and efficacy of gene‐editing technologies directed to human hepatocytes and the translation of gene‐editing technology to the clinic.
Magnetization transfer saturation imaging of human calf muscle: Reproducibility and sensitivity to regional and sex differences
Authors: Romero Ignacio O. , Sinha Usha
Published: March 2019

Background

Magnetization transfer saturation (MTsat) derives a semiquantitative index of magnetization transfer in faster acquisition times than quantitative magnetization transfer; the potential of MTsat for muscle imaging has not yet been explored.

Purpose

To evaluate the potential of MTsat to identify regional and sex differences in calf muscle.

Study Type

Prospective cohort study.

Phantom/Subjects

Vials with different agar and nickel nitrate concentrations providing a range of macromolecular fraction and T1. Seven male subjects (25 ± 7 years) and seven female subjects (28 ± 14 years); three subjects were scanned in three separate sessions to assess reproducibility.

Field Strength/Sequence

3T, 3D fast low angle shot (FLASH) sequence with and without a magnetization transfer pulse; acquisition time of 4.12 minutes.

Assessment

The effectiveness of two methods of fat suppression was evaluated using the fat unsuppressed sequence as the reference and MTsat maps derived with and without transmit field inhomogeneity corrections were compared. Statistical evaluation of MTsat differences between calf muscles and between male and female cohorts was made.

Statistical Tests

Bland–Altman plots were used to assess fat suppression and B1+ correction. The coefficient of variation (CV) and the repeatability coefficient (RC) were calculated from the repeat sessions. Sex and regional differences were assessed using two‐way factorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs) with Bonferroni‐adjusted independent sample t‐tests for post‐hoc analyses.

Results

In phantoms, MTsat increased linearly with agar concentration and MTsat was independent of T1 (P = 0.229) evaluated in phantoms with two T1s. The CV and RC of MTsat ranged between 2.65 to 5.03% and 0.13 to 0.38, respectively, in the different calf muscles. MTsat of the tibialis anterior was significantly higher than other muscles (P < 0.05). MTsat in male subjects was significantly higher than in female subjects (P = 0.009).

Data Conclusion

MTsat maps of calf muscle acquired under 5 minutes may have the potential to detect regional and sex differences.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:1227–1237.
Elaia, Pergamon's maritime satellite: the rise and fall of an ancient harbour city shaped by shoreline migration
Authors: Seeliger Martin , Pint Anna , Feuser Stefan , Riedesel Svenja , Marriner Nick , Frenzel Peter , Pirson Felix , Bolten Andreas , Brückner Helmut
Published: March 2019

Throughout human history, communication and trade have been key to society. Because maritime trade facilitated the rapid transportation of passengers and freight at relatively low cost, harbours became hubs for traffic, trade and exchange. This general statement holds true for the Pergamenian kingdom, which ruled wide parts of today's western Turkey during Hellenistic times. Its harbour, located at the city of Elaia on the eastern Aegean shore, was used extensively for commercial and military purposes. This study reconstructs the coastal evolution in and around the ancient harbour of Elaia and compares the observed environmental modifications with archaeological and historical findings. We use micropalaeontological, sedimentological and geochemical proxies to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental dynamics and evolution of the ancient harbour. The geoarchaeological results confirm the archaeological and historical evidence for Elaia's primacy during Hellenistic and early Roman times, and the city's gradual decline during the late Roman period. Furthermore, our study demonstrates that Elaia holds a unique position as a harbour city during ancient times in the eastern Aegean region, because it was not greatly influenced by the high sediment supply associated with river deltas. Consequently, no dredging of the harbour basins is documented, creating exceptional geo‐bioarchives for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions.
Investigation of cell wall polysaccharides from flour made with waste peel from unripe banana (Musa sapientum) biomass
Authors: Marenda Flávia Roberta B , Colodel Cristiane , Canteri Maria Helene G , de Olivera Müller Carmen Maria , Amante Edna R , de Oliveira Petkowicz Carmen Lúcia , de Mello Castanho Amboni Renata Dias
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

The peel from unripe banana biomass is an agroindustrial waste. The present study aimed: (i) to extract pectin from enzymatically‐treated waste peel from unripe banana biomass (WPUBB) using a Box–Behnken design to optimize the extraction conditions (temperature, pH and extraction time) and obtain a maximum yield and (ii) to fractionate the polysaccharides from WPUBB employing sequential extractions using different solvents.

RESULTS

The optimized product was obtained at 86 °C, pH 2.00, for 6 h and it presented a yield of 11.63%. The optimized product had low galacturonic acid content and a high amount of glucose (82.3%), suggesting the presence of starch (as confirmed by the bi‐dimensional heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectrum). All of the fractionated polysaccharides had a high glucose content. Low amounts of pectin were found in the water, chelating and diluted alkali‐soluble fractions. The fractions extracted using NaOH indicated the presence of glucuronoarabinoxylans.

CONCLUSION

Glucose was the main monosaccharide found in all the fractions extracted from the WPUBB. Although the present study suggests that WPUBB is still not suitable for pectin extraction using current technologies, other compounds, such as resistant starch and glucuronoarabinoxylans, were found, suggesting that WPUBB could be used in the development of food formulations. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Tourists' space–time behavior in heritage places: Comparing guided and nonguided visitors
Authors: Galí Nuria , Aulet Silvia
Published: March 2019

This paper analyzes guided tourists' space–time behavior in heritage sites and compares the results with the behavior of nonguided tourists. Data from 127 guided visitors from 127 different local tours and 1,242 nonguided tourists visiting the historic town city of Girona (Spain) were gathered from participant observation, GPS tracking, and questionnaires. Findings demonstrate that guided tourists have a more qualitative experience (less walking time, more time spent visiting monuments, more information, and sometimes privileged information) than have nonguided tourists. Despite this, results also suggest that tourists who take guided tours, and those who do not, show a very similar behavior pattern.
Rate constants and vibrational distributions for water‐forming reactions of OH and OD radicals with thioacetic acid, 1,2‐ethanedithiol and tert‐butanethiol
Authors: Butkovskaya N. I. , Setser D. W.
Published: March 2019

Reactions of OH and OD radicals with CH3C(O)SH, HSCH2CH2SH, and (CH3)3CSH were studied at 298 K in a fast‐flow reactor by infrared emission spectroscopy of the water product molecules. The rate constants (1.3 ± 0.2) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 for the OD + CH3C(O)SH reaction and (3.8 ± 0.7) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 for the OD + HSCH2CH2SH reaction were determined by comparing the HOD emission intensity to that from the OD reaction with H2S, and this is the first measurement of these rate constants. In the same manner, using the OD + (C2H5)2S reference reaction, the rate constant for the OD + (CH3)3CSH reaction was estimated to be (3.6 ± 0.7) × 10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Vibrational distributions of the H2O and HOD molecules from the title reactions are typical for H‐atom abstraction reactions by OH radicals with release of about 50% of the available energy as vibrational energy to the water molecule in a 2:1 ratio of stretch and bend modes.
miRNA‐192‐5p impacts the sensitivity of breast cancer cells to doxorubicin via targeting peptidylprolyl isomerase A
Authors: Zhang Yi , He Ying , Lu Ling‐Li , Zhou Zheng‐Yu , Wan Neng‐Bin , Li Guo‐Peng , He Xiao , Deng Hong‐Wu
Published: March 2019

The administration of doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the first‐line treatments of breast cancer. However, acquisition of resistance remains the major obstacle restricting the clinical application of DOX. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs which play crucial role in epigenetic regulation. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs are associated with tumor chemoresistance. Here we aim to explore the role of miRNA‐192‐5p in resistance to DOX in breast cancer cells. Normal human breast epithelial cell line MCF‐10A, breast cancer cell line Michigan Cancer Foundation‐7 (MCF‐7), and DOX‐resistant breast cancer cell line MCF‐7/ADR were used here. The expression of miR‐192‐5p was examined by qPCR, and the expression of peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA) was examined by qPCR and Western blot. The effects of miR‐192‐5p overexpression on the sensitivity to DOX were confirmed by Methylthiazolyldiphenyl‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) and Annexin‐V/PI assay. Downstream molecular mechanisms, including PPIA, BAD, CASP9, Bcl‐2, and c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) activation, were detected by Western blot and qPCR. Luciferase reporter assay was used to validate the association between miR‐192‐5p and PPIA. miR‐192‐5p was downregulated while PPIA was upregulated in MCF‐7/ADR cells. Functionally, miR‐192‐5p overexpression increased sensitivity to DOX by promoting cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR‐192‐5p overexpression performed its function by activating JNK, augmenting BAD and caspase9 expression, and suppressing Bcl‐2 and PPIA expression. Luciferase assay validated that PPIA was a direct target of miR‐192‐5p. miR‐192‐5p sensitizes breast cancer cells to DOX by targeting PPIA, suggesting that miR‐192‐5p might serve as a novel target for reversing DOX resistance and controlling breast tumor growth.
Topical administration of hydroethanolic extract of Lawsonia inermis (henna) accelerates excisional wound healing process by reducing tissue inflammation and amplifying glucose uptake
Authors: Daemi Amin , Farahpour Mohammad R. , Oryan Ahmad , Karimzadeh Sirvan , Tajer Ehsan
Published: March 2019

Several studies have reported the beneficial effects of Lawsonia inermis on wound healing, but the mechanism of action is still unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a new ointment formulation of hydroethanolic extract leaves of L. inermis on wound healing by gene expression of glucose transporter‐1 (Glut‐1) and insulin‐like growth factor I (Igf‐1) in Wistar rats. The animals were topically treated with different doses of L. inermis. An experimentally induced circular excisional wound model of 314 mm2 surface area was surgically created. The percentage of wound contraction and histopathological changes was assessed at different time points following wound induction. The expression of Glut‐1 and Igf‐1 was evaluated by reverse‐transcription PCR. Topical administration of L. inermis, dose dependently, shortened inflammatory phase, accelerated cellular proliferation, and enhanced wound contraction ratio. It also improved revascularization, collagen deposition, and re‐epithelialization rate and promoted intracytoplasmic carbohydrate storage (P < 0.05). Moreover, the mRNA levels of Igf‐1 and Glut‐1 were significantly higher in the L. inermis‐treated groups than the control group (P < 0.05). Topical administration of L. inermis promoted the healing process by reducing tissue inflammation and increasing glucose uptake, which was mediated by up‐regulating the expression of Igf‐1 and Glut‐1.
Clinicopathologic analysis of renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma: Consecutively excised 23 cases
Authors: Tsai Han‐Yu , Lee Kun‐Han , Ng Kwai‐Fong , Kao Yu‐Ting , Chuang Cheng‐Keng
Published: March 2019

Renal epithelioid angiomyolipoma (eAML) is considered a malignant variant of angiomyolipoma (AML). From 2001 to 2016, a total of 570 patients were diagnosed with renal AML in Linko Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, including 23 cases of renal eAML. All 23 eAML cases were made up of at least 10% of epithelioid cells histologically. Three of these cases were found with multiple tumors. Two cases developed distant metastasis: one had mediastinal lymph nodes and bilateral lung metastasis; the other one had tumor recurrence over liver and retroperitoneum 1 year after radical nephrectomy. They were then divided into invasive (n = 5) and noninvasive (n = 18) groups according to their clinical behavior. The invasive group showed more severe nuclear atypia and higher rates in tumor necrosis. There was statistically no significance in relation to a patient's age, tumor size, and mitotic count between two groups. After conducting a series of studies, we suggest treating eAML with the guideline of renal cell carcinoma.
Validation of training levels in endoscopic endonasal surgery of the skull base
Authors: Lavigne Philippe , Faden Daniel , Gardner Paul A. , Fernandez‐Miranda Juan C. , Wang Eric W. , Snyderman Carl H.
Published: March 2019

Objective

A five‐level training program was first proposed 10 years ago for surgeons learning endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) of the skull base. Levels were based on the complexity of anatomy, risk of neurovascular injury, intradural dissection, technical difficulty and vascularity of tumors.

Method

A three‐phase validation concept is proposed: 1) face validity (the classification is related to clinically significant elements), 2) construct validity (the classification predicts the outcome), and 3) inter‐team validation (the classification applies to other surgical teams). Consecutive cases over a 1‐year time span were retrospectively classified. Primary outcome measures included: complication rates (cranial nerve injury, stroke and vascular injury, cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] leak and infection), estimated blood loss and duration of surgery.

Results

Two hundred and nine consecutive cases were analyzed. The distribution of cases for each category was: 63 cases in level II, 70 cases in level III, 66 cases in level IV, and 10 cases in level V. Construct validity demonstrated statistical difference with increasing rate of complications from level II to level III and from level III to level IV; also, specific rates of cranial nerve injury and CSF leak increased between levels III and IV. Face validity identified 162 citations since publication of the original article. Inter‐team validation demonstrated no difference between two teams of surgeons.

Conclusion

This study provides a three‐phase validation of training levels for endoscopic skull base surgery. Adoption of a progressive systematic approach to learning EES from least complex to advanced procedures is expected to minimize the risks while surgical teams gain experience.

Level of Evidence

3

Laryngoscope, 129:2253–2257, 2019
Arytenoid vertical height discrepancy in predicting outcomes after unilateral vocal cord medialization
Authors: Wong Eugene , Smith Murray , Stone Danielle B. , Palme Carsten E. , Smith Mark C. , Riffat Faruque
Published: March 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

Unilateral vocal fold paralysis is a structural abnormality that often occurs secondary to dysfunction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and typically presents as a breathy voice. Medialization laryngoplasty is a constellation of procedures that improves apposition of the vocal cords. Many patients, however, fail to experience sufficient improvement in vocal quality postoperatively despite apparent glottic closure on stroboscopy. This suggests that asymmetry in other cord characteristics may also have acoustic consequences. Our hypothesis is that arytenoid height symmetry may play a significant role in vocal quality. To our knowledge there are no human observational studies examining this topic. We therefore aimed to correlate asymmetry in arytenoid height and patient‐reported satisfaction in voice quality after thyroplasty.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort analysis.

Methods

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on consecutive patients who underwent medialization thyroplasty at a tertiary Sydney, Australia hospital was performed. Data collected included age, sex, onset of symptoms, as well as well as preoperative and 3‐month postoperative maximum phonation time and Voice Handicap Index (VHI). Preoperative computed tomography scans were assessed for discrepancy of arytenoid vertical height discrepancy.

Results

Twenty‐three patients (56.5% female) with mean age of 52.4 ± 14.9 years were included. Most patients underwent injection thyroplasty (78.3%, n = 5), whereas the remaining underwent an open approach. A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between increasing height discrepancy and VHI improvement (r = −0.6, P = .003.) Revision surgery was associated with increased height discrepancy.

Conclusions

Findings of this study may affect future recommendations to address height discrepancy in surgery to treat unilateral vocal cord paralysis.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 130:418–422, 2020
Light‐Switching Azo‐Copolymers Self‐Assembly in Multi‐Stationary States
Authors: Dong Shumin , Sun Wen , Wang Dongsheng , Zhao Haiquan , Zu Gen , Zheng Yonghao
Published: March 2019

In the present research, novel tri‐block‐copolymers bearing polyethylene glycol (PEG), azobenzene (Azo), and tetra‐ortho‐methoxy‐substituted Azo (mAzo) segments are synthesized and explored. Light‐controlled PEG‐PmAzo‐PAzo self‐assemblies switching between multi‐stationary states is realized. Under controlling of UV, blue, green, and red light, PEG‐PmAzo‐PAzo isomerize between 4 photostationary states. The enrichment of cis isomers of Azo and mAzo induces the self‐assembly of PEG‐PmAzo‐PAzo in toluene. The morphologies and scale of the self‐assemblies can be switched between four stationary states, which are investigated by dynamic light scattering, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy.
PySpark and RDKit: Moving towards Big Data in Cheminformatics
Authors: Lovrić Mario , Molero José Manuel , Kern Roman
Published: March 2019

The authors present an implementation of the cheminformatics toolkit RDKit in a distributed computing environment, Apache Hadoop. Together with the Apache Spark analytics engine, wrapped by PySpark, resources from commodity scalable hardware can be employed for cheminformatic calculations and query operations with basic knowledge in Python programming and understanding of the resilient distributed datasets (RDD). Three use cases of cheminfomatical computing in Spark on the Hadoop cluster are presented; querying substructures, calculating fingerprint similarity and calculating molecular descriptors. The source code for the PySpark‐RDKit implementation is provided. The use cases showed that Spark provides a reasonable scalability depending on the use case and can be a suitable choice for datasets too big to be processed with current low‐end workstations.
Is bladder blood flow an etiologic factor for the bladder pain syndrome?
Authors: Özçağlayan Ömer , Akgül Murat , Yazıcı Cenk , Özçağlayan Tuğba İlkem , Malak Arzu , Doğru MD﻿ Mücahit
Published: March 2019

Aim

Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a complex disease which causes cognitive, behavioral, sexual, and emotional problems. Vascular factors related to bladder blood supply may be one of the etiologic cause of BPS. This study aims to investigate the bladder blood flow and internal iliac artery resistive indices of patients with BPS.

Methods

A total of 30 female patients with the diagnosis of BPS and 30 female as control group were enrolled in the study. Bilateral internal iliac arterial blood flow distal to uterine arteries were examined as the primary source of vesical arterial blood supply. Peak systolic velocities, end diastolic velocities, resistive indices, and flow volumes of internal iliac arteries were measured by color Doppler ultrasonography in a single‐blind fashion.

Results

The blood flows volume of the right and left internal iliac arteries during empty and full bladder were significantly lower at BPS group compared with control (P < 0.05). Although the difference was not significant, the mean resistive index of right and left internal iliac arteries were lower at the control group (
P > 0.05). Aging decreased the bladder blood volume and both BPS and control group internal iliac artery blood volume decreased by aging. The decrease was more significant at the control group, but the internal iliac artery blood volume was still lower at patients with BPS compared with the control group.

Conclusion

Arterial blood flow of bladder was lower at patients with BPS compared with the control group. The decrease in the vascular supply of bladder might be one of the related factors for the BPS etiology.
How multinational civil society organisations and non‐governmental organisations lobby policy for human rights in Africa
Authors: Nyoh Israel Bionyi
Published: March 2019

In recent years, the number of international non‐governmental organisations (INGOs) and international civil society organisations (ICSOs) trying to influence policy processes in Africa has increased considerably. These players increasingly play an important role in socio‐political and life of many African countries. To achieve certain political results, INGOs and ICSOs often lobby governments, using a variety of techniques. Though lobbying as a public relations (PR) technique is widely discussed in academic spheres, the debate on the relationship between transnational advocacy and lobbying as a PR practice is still marginal. This paper explores how INGOs and ICSOs lobby governments in Africa and examines via a case the effectiveness of activist lobbying in the continent.
Placental vascular recruitment after single intrauterine demise: A newly diagnosed phenomenon unique to monochorionic pregnancies
Authors: Deneckere Sanne , Couck Isabel , Devlieger Roland , de Catte Luc , Deprest Jan , Chantraine Frédéric , Lewi Liesbeth
Published: March 2019

What's already known about this topic?

If one twin dies during pregnancy, its placental part degenerates as it is no longer perfused.

What does this report add?

In monochorionic twin pregnancies, the surviving twin may recruit the placental share of its demised co‐twin through a large arterio‐arterial and veno‐venous anastomosis.
Accuracy of a composite event definition for hypoglycemia
Authors: Min Jea Young , Presley Caroline A. , Wharton Jennifer , Griffin Marie R. , Greevy Robert A. , Hung Adriana M. , Chipman Jonathan , Grijalva Carlos G. , Hackstadt Amber J. , Roumie Christianne L.
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the accuracy of a composite definition for the identification of hypoglycemia events that used both administrative claims and laboratory data in a cohort of patients.

Methods

We reviewed medical records in a sample of presumed hypoglycemia events among patients who received care at the Veterans Health Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System in 2001 to 2012. A hypoglycemia event was defined as a hospitalization or emergency department visit judged by the treating clinician to be due to hypoglycemia, or an outpatient laboratory or point‐of‐care blood glucose measurement <60 mg/dL. Based on medical record review, each event was classified as true positive (severe, documented symptomatic, documented asymptomatic) or false positive (probable symptomatic, not hypoglycemia). The positive predictive values (PPV) of the individual event types (hospitalization, emergency department, and outpatient) were estimated.

Results

Of 2250 events identified through the composite definition, 321 events (15 hospitalizations, 103 emergency department visits, and 203 outpatient events) were reviewed. The PPVs were 80% for hospitalization events, 48% for emergency department events, and 96% for outpatient events. The emergency department definition included a nonspecific diagnosis code for diabetic complications which captured many false positive events. Excluding this code from the definition improved the PPV for emergency department events to 70% and missed one true event.

Conclusions

Our composite definition for hypoglycemia performed moderately well in a cohort of Veterans. Further evaluation of the emergency department events may be needed.
Fitness, Function, and Exercise Training Responses after Limb Salvage With a Lower Limb Megaprosthesis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wilson Paula J. , Steadman Peter , Beckman Emma M. , Connick Mark J. , Carty Christopher P. , Tweedy Sean M.
Published: March 2019

Objective

To describe the fitness, function, and exercise training responses of patients following reconstruction of the lower limb with a total femoral (TF), proximal femoral (PF), distal femoral (DF), or proximal tibial (PT) megaprosthesis.

Type

Systematic review.

Literature Survey

Five research databases were searched systematically for original studies published in English from 2006 to 2017 that reported fitness, functioning, or exercise training responses for one or more of the four types of lower limb megaprosthesis listed above.

Methodology

Methodologic quality was assessed using a 22‐item modified STROBE (Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) checklist.

Synthesis

Of the 5342 articles retrieved, 28 met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies reported fitness outcomes, primarily in PT, with none in TF. Impaired knee extensor strength of the affected limb was reported following limb salvage with PF, DF, and PT megaprosthetics. Impaired flexibility was reported following limb salvage with DF and PT megaprosthetics. Functional outcomes were described in all studies and were most commonly reported using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) system score. Results indicated no clear difference in functional outcomes between megaprosthesis locations. No studies evaluated exercise training responses.

Conclusions

This review identified impairments of lower limb strength and flexibility following limb salvage with a lower limb megaprosthesis. Similarity in functional outcomes for all four reported megaprosthetic locations may indicate a lack of sensitivity in outcome measures, including the absence of items assessing higher‐level functioning. Exercise interventions that aim to improve fitness and function in this population have not been evaluated but are required given increasing 5‐year survival rates.

Level of Evidence

I
Theoretical insights into the effect of solvents on the [4 + 2] cycloaddition of singlet oxygen to substituted anthracenes: A change from a stepwise process to a concerted process
Authors: Fudickar Werner , Linker Torsten
Published: March 2019

The [4 + 2] cycloadditions of singlet oxygen to 9,10‐diphenylanthracene (1) and the meta and para isomers of 9,10‐dipyridylanthracene (2m/p) and 9,10‐methoxyphenylanthracene (3m/p) have been studied by density functional calculations in the gas phase at the UB3LYP/6‐31G* level and for the first time in solvents at the conductor‐like polarizable continuum model (CPCM) UM062X/6‐31G* level. The differences in calculated transition state (TS) energies derived from this method are in line with experimentally observed reactivity orders in solution. For the gas‐phase reaction, the first TS of the stepwise pathway (TS1) has biradical character, and its energy lies below the energy of the TS of the concerted path (TSconc). In contrast, in the solvent acetonitrile, TS1 resembles a zwitterion and lies significantly higher than the TSconc. Thus, a concerted mechanism applies in solvents, and the energy gap between the TS of the two processes decreases with decreasing polarity. A change from a pyridyl against a methoxyphenyl substituent in the para position causes a maximal reduction of the activation barrier by approximately 1.7 kcal/mol, resulting in a fivefold increased reactivity.
Effect of fluensulfone and fluopyram on the mobility and infection of second‐stage juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica
Authors: Oka Yuji , Saroya Yonatan
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Fluensulfone and fluopyram are new nematicides whose mode of action is not fully understood. Differences in the nematicidal activity of these compounds among two Meloidogyne incognita populations and a Meloidogyne javanica population, and the effect of sublethal exposure to the nematicide on their infection process were studied in vitro.

RESULTS

The M. incognita populations were more sensitive to fluensulfone than M. javanica, whereas M. javanica was more sensitive to fluopyram. A more than 10‐fold difference in median lethal concentration (LC50) was observed between the M. incognita populations after 17‐h exposure to fluensulfone. Exposure of M. incognita and M. javanica to 4 mg L−1 fluopyram for 48 h resulted in irreversible immobilization, whereas lower concentrations or 17‐h exposure to fluopyram caused reversible immobilization. Pre‐exposure of M. javanica to fluensulfone at sublethal concentrations reduced the number of juveniles attracted to root tips and caused smaller galls. Pre‐exposure to fluopyram delayed the nematodes' attraction. Presence of fluopyram in a Pluronic gel at concentrations that immobilized the nematodes in water showed no or only slight inhibition of the nematodes' attraction to root tips and gall formation.

CONCLUSION

Different sensitivities to nematicides were observed among Meloidogyne species and populations. Sublethal exposure to fluensulfone reduced nematode attraction to root tips and infection. Pluronic gel negatively affected nematicidal activity, especially for fluopyram. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
A Theoretical Physiologically‐Based Pharmacokinetic Approach to Ascertain Covariates Explaining the Large Interpatient Variability in Tacrolimus Disposition
Authors: Emoto Chie , Johnson Trevor N. , Hahn David , Christians Uwe , Alloway Rita R. , Vinks Alexander A. , Fukuda Tsuyoshi
Published: March 2019

Physiologically‐based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling allows assessment of the covariates contributing to the large pharmacokinetic (PK) variability of tacrolimus; these include multiple physiological and biochemical differences among patients. A PBPK model of tacrolimus was developed, including a virtual population with physiological parameter distributions reflecting renal transplant patients. The ratios of predicted to observed dose‐normalized maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), 0–12‐hour area under the concentration–time curve (AUC0–12 hour), and trough plasma concentration (Ctrough) ranged from 0.92‐fold to 1.15‐fold, indicating good predictive performance. The model quantitatively indicated the impact of cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 abundance, hematocrit, and serum albumin levels, in addition to CYP3A5 genotype status, on tacrolimus PK and associated variability. Age‐dependent change in tacrolimus trough concentration in pediatric patients was mainly attributed to the CYP3A ontogeny profile. This study demonstrates the utility of PBPK modeling as a tool for mechanistic and quantitative assessment of the impact of patient physiological differences on observed large PK variability.
Semipolar (112¯2) GaN Films Improved by in situ SiNx Pretreatment of m‐Sapphire Substrate Surface
Authors: Wu Zhengyuan , Jiang Zhuoxun , Lu Shiqiang , Li Jinchai , Liu Ran , Kang Junyong , Fang Zhilai
Published: March 2019

The authors report on growth and characterization of semipolar () GaN films improved by an in situ SiNx pretreatment of m‐sapphire substrate surface. Formation of SiNx and Ga‐rich surface at the initial growth stages is evidenced by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. With the SiNx pretreatment, the GaN nucleated island density decreases due to the reduction of nucleation density by the SiNx mask. X‐ray diffraction and Raman analyses show reduction of threading defect density for the SiNx pretreated GaN films. Cathodoluminescence studies show enhanced D0X emission and suppressed defect‐related emissions. The improvements in crystalline quality and optical properties of semipolar GaN films with the SiNx pretreatment are attributed to the reduction in nucleated island density and coalescence boundaries, and enhancement of the +c island sidewall facet growth under Ga‐rich growth conditions.
Scheduling algorithm for the multiple rovers' access to single orbiter on the Mars relay communication links
Authors: Wan Peng , Zhan Yafeng , Pan Xiaohan , Huang Lei
Published: March 2019

The Mars relay communication services have played an important role on the scientific data transmission for several Mars surface exploration missions. However, such technologies based on CCSDS Proximity‐1 protocols only support one single user's access to orbiter at one relay communication session. In future deep space missions, there would be more rovers and facilities on the Mars surface, which requires a multiple access method with high efficiency and low resource occupation. In this article, we propose a distributed serial scheduling structure as "multiple leaky buckets + token bucket" and a scheduling algorithm as "queue equilibrium based proportional fair," in order to improve the multiple access performance on the comprehensive merits of fair access, data transfer throughput, and queue equilibrium. The mathematical model is constructed to validate our new scheduling structure and algorithm, and the multiple attribute decision‐making (MADM) method is used to compare our algorithm with the other three most frequently used algorithms as maximum rate, time polling, and proportional fair. Simulation results show that our scheduling structure and the new scheduling algorithm could find balance with fairness, throughput and queue equilibrium, which gets the best performance in all the four scheduling algorithms in the Mars relay communications case.
The influence of cannabis smoke and cannabis vapour on simulated lung surfactant function under physiologically relevant conditions
Authors: Davies Michael J. , Birkett Jason W. , Bolton Hannah , Moore Andrea
Published: March 2019

The use of cannabis for medicinal/recreational purposes is widespread throughout the world. Smoke inhalation is known to cause airway irritation due to noxious substances (ie, benzene) within the mix. Thus, advanced vaporisation platforms (eg, Davinci IQ) have been developed to circumvent negative health implications. Here, we consider the impact that cannabis smoke and cannabis vapour have on simulated lung surfactant performance within a model pulmonary space (ie, 37°C, elevated humidity and related fluid hydrodynamics). In total, 50 mg of herbal material was ignited or placed within a Davinci IQ vaporiser with subsequent activation. The aliquots were collected and then analysed using gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy for composition and cannabinoid (eg, Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol [Δ9‐THC]) concentration. The average content within cannabis smoke was 2.84% (0.07%, SD) Δ9‐THC, with the same for cannabis vapour being 0.88% (0.14%, SD). Aerosolised samples were transferred to the lung biosimulator. When compared with the pristine Curosurf system, challenge with cannabis smoke and cannabis vapour reduced the surface pressure term by 26% and 7% and increased film compressibility by 60% and 15% at 80% trough area, respectively. The net effect would be enhanced film elasticity and an increased work of breathing, being more pronounced on cannabis smoke inhalation. The trends noted were ascribed to two factors operating synergistically, namely the amount of Δ9‐THC (plus others) within the aerosolised samples and the associated toxicity profile. Further research is required to establish mass‐balance effects (ie, titrated outputs) along with detailed chemical profiling of material generated from the unrelated cannabis activation pathways.
The effect of naringenin on the role of nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)‐like2 (Nrf2) and haem oxygenase 1 (HO‐1) in reducing the risk of oxidative stress‐related radiotoxicity in the spleen of rats
Authors: Abdel‐Magied Nadia , Shedid Shereen M.
Published: March 2019

The present study was to evaluate the radiomitigative effect of naringenin (NRG) on the modulation of ionizing radiation (IR)‐induced spleen injury. Rats were exposed to 12 Gy (3Gy/two times/week). NRG (50mg/Kg), was orally given one hour after the first radiation dose, and daily continued during the irradiation period. Rats were sacrificed 1 day after the last dose of radiation. NRG showed a significant decrease of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide with a significant elevation of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities and glutathione content. Moreover, NRG confirmed the intracellular defense mechanisms through activation of nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)‐like2 (Nrf2) and haem oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) levels and their protein expression. In addition, NRG deactivated the nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) and reduced the pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Further, NRG showed positive modulation in the haematological values (WBCs, RBCs, Hb, Hct% and PLt). In conclusion, these results suggested that NRG reversed the IR‐induced redox‐imbalance in the rat spleen.
Ficcus palmataleaves as a low‐cost biosorbent for methylene blue: Thermodynamic and kinetic studies
Authors: Fiaz Rashida , Hafeez Muhammad , Mahmood Rashid
Published: March 2019

In the present study, methylene blue (MB) removal has been studied from its aqueous solution, usingFiccus palmataleaves (FPL)‐based plant material. The effect of different parameters such as contact time (10–100) minutes, initial concentration (5–25) mg/L, pH (4–13), temperature (298–318 K), and adsorbent dosage (0.15–0.45 g/0.05 L) was investigated. The maximum removal efficiency was calculated to be 98% for sample having initial concentration 15 mg/L along with 0.45 g of adsorbent agitated for 80 min at 318 K and pH = 7. The data were fitted to adsorption isotherm models (Langmuir and Freundlich) and kinetic models (pseudo‐first order, pseudo‐second order, and intra‐particle diffusion). The data were found to be best fitted with Freundlich adsorption isotherm (R2 = 0.99) and pseudo‐second‐order (R2 = 0.991). Thermodynamic parameters (free energy change, enthalpy change, and entropy change) were also estimated. The Gibbs free energy values were found to be −1.808, −5.139, and −5.991 kJ/mol at 298, 308, and 318 K, respectively. The decrease in free energy with increasing temperature has indicated spontaneity of adsorption process, and positive enthalpy change (35.75 kJ/mol) showed that the adsorption process was endothermic. 0.1 M HCl was found to be most effective desorbing agent with percent desorption 53.51%.

Practitioner points

FP leaves are low cost and easily available biomass for removal of MB from aqueous solution.

The adsorption capacity was obtained to be 6.89 mg/g at (15 mg/g dye concentration, pH = 7, and contact time 80 min).

The maximum removal efficiency for MB was 98%.

The thermodynamic studies indicated the endothermic adsorption process.

The 0.1 M HCl was found as best desorbing agent for MB loaded on FP leaves.
The study of light invisible particles in Bc decays
Authors: Li Geng , Wang Tianhong , Jiang Yue , Tan Xiao-Ze , Wang Guo-Li
Published: March 2019

Abstract

In this paper, we study the light scalar and pseudoscalar invisible particles in the flavor changing neutral current processes of the B

c
meson. Effective operators are introduced to describe the couplings between quarks and light invisible particles. The Wilson coefficients are extracted from the experimental results of the B and D mesons, which are used to predict the upper limits of the branching fractions of the similar decay processes for the B
c meson. The hadronic transition matrix element is calculated with the instantaneously approximated Bethe-Salpeter method. The upper limits of the branching fractions when m

χ
taking different values are presented. It is found that at some region of m

χ
, the channel B

c
 → D

s

(*)
χχ has the largest upper limit which is of the order of 10−6, and for B

c
 → D

s

*
χχ
†, the largest value of the upper limits can achieve the order of 10−5. Other decay modes, such as B

c
→ D
(*)
χχ
(†) and B

c
→ B
(*)
χχ
(†), are also considered.
Are emergency medical services offload delay patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes?
Authors: Stewart Dana , Lang Eddy , Wang Dongmei , Innes Grant
Published: March 2019

Objective

Emergency department (ED) and hospital overcrowding cause offload delays that remove emergency medical services (EMS) crews from service and compromise care delivery. Prolonged ED boarding and delays to inpatient care are associated with increased hospital length of stay (LOS) and patient mortality, but the effects of EMS offload delays have not been well studied.

Methods

We used administrative data to study all high-acuity Canadian Triage Acuity Scale 2–3 EMS arrivals to Calgary adult EDs from July 2013 to June 2016. Patients offloaded to a care space within 15 minutes were considered controls, whereas those delayed ≥ 60 minutes were considered “delayed.” Propensity matching was used to create comparable control and delayed cohorts. The primary outcome was 7-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included hospital LOS and 30-day mortality.

Results

Of 162,002 high-acuity arrivals, 70,711 had offload delays <15 minutes and 41,032 had delays > 60 minutes. Delayed patients were more likely to be female, older, to have lower triage acuity, to live in dependent living situations, and to arrive on weekdays and day or evening hours. Delayed patients less often required admission and, when admitted, were more likely to go to the hospitalist service. Main outcomes were similar for propensity-matched control and delayed cohorts, although delayed patients experienced longer ED LOS and slightly lower 7-day mortality rates.

Conclusion

In this setting, high-acuity EMS arrivals exposed to offload delays did not have prolonged hospital LOS or higher mortality than comparable patients who received timely access.
Unacceptable grammars? an eye-tracking study of English negative concord
Authors: BLANCHETTE FRANCES , LUKYANENKO CYNTHIA
Published: March 2019

abstract

This paper uses eye-tracking while reading to examine Standard English speakers’ processing of sentences with two syntactic negations: a negative auxiliary and either a negative subject (e.g.,Nothing didn’t fall from the shelf) or a negative object (e.g.,She didn’t answer nothing in that interview). Sentences were read in Double Negation (DN; the ‘she answered something’ reading ofshe didn’t answer nothing) and Negative Concord (NC; the ‘she answered nothing’ reading ofshe didn’t answer nothing) biasing contexts. Despite the social stigma associated with NC, and linguistic assumptions that Standard English has a DN grammar, in which each syntactic negation necessarily contributes a semantic negation, our results show that Standard English speakers generate both NC and DN interpretations, and that their interpretation is affected by the syntactic structure of the negative sentence. Participants spent more time reading the critical sentence and rereading the context sentence when negative object sentences were paired with DN-biasing contexts and when negative subject sentences were paired with NC-biasing contexts. This suggests that, despite not producing NC, they find NC interpretations of negative object sentences easier to generate than DN interpretations. The results illustrate the utility of online measures when investigating socially stigmatized construction types.