bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining genetic counselors’ implicit attitudes toward disability
Authors: Gould Helen , Hashmi Syed S. , Wagner Victoria F. , Stoll Katie , Ostermaier Kathryn , Czerwinski Jennifer
Published: August 2019

Genetic counselors have a unique role in healthcare that requires a balance between being a patient educator and patient advocate when discussing disability. This study aimed to determine genetic counselors’ implicit attitudes toward disability, and identify what factors affect these implicit attitudes. Case scenarios involving disability were used to examine hypothetical estimates of time spent on different topics within a genetic counseling session. Implicit attitudes were measured using the validated Disability Attitudes Implicit Association Test (DA‐IAT), and personal/professional experiences with disability were assessed. Analysis of 382 respondents of the electronic survey revealed that personal experience with individuals with disabilities was not significantly associated with implicit attitudes scores. In addition, results demonstrated that genetic counselors have a stronger bias toward ability (Dmean = 0.62, Dstd = ±0.45) compared to previous participants of the DA‐IAT (p < .005). Practice specialty, length of time in the genetic counseling field, or whether the participant was a practicing counselor or genetic counseling student were not associated with implicit attitudes scores. The bias toward ability observed across practice specialties may be due to shared factors that influence interest in this field, but may also potentially reflect the inability of the DA‐IAT to capture the complexity of genetic counselors’ relationship to individuals with disability. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating patients’ individual definitions of disability into genetic counseling sessions and building an environment of patient advocacy and education around their personal perspectives and needs.
Organocatalytic Green Approach Towards the Fabrication of Fused Benzo N,N‐containing Heterocycles Facilitated by Ultrasonic Irradiation
Authors: Nongrum Ridaphun , Kharmawlong George Kupar , Rani Jims World Star , Rahman Noimur , Dutta Arup , Nongkhlaw Rishanlang
Published: August 2019

The development of a metal‐free protocol for transformations in organic synthesis offers a significant potential environmental benefit. This article reports the exploration of meglumine, a nontoxic and biodegradable amino sugar, as an organocatalyst for the synthesis of biologically active 1H‐dibenzo[b,e][1,4]diazepin‐1‐ones, highly regioselective benzimidazole derivatives and derivatives of quinoxalines. Operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, shorter reaction times, and use of green solvents are the highlights of this protocol. The advantage of ultrasonic irradiation has been significantly explored for the synthesis of the aforesaid compounds. Furthermore, the multifaceted use of o‐phenylenediamine has also been accentuated in the study.
Trends in medication adherence in HIV patients in the US, 2001 to 2012: an observational cohort study
Authors: Youn Bora , Shireman Theresa I , Lee Yoojin , Galárraga Omar , Wilson Ira B
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is essential to reduce HIV‐related morbidity and mortality as well as the risk of virological failure and HIV transmission. We determined the trends in ART adherence during the periods of therapeutic advances, wider use of ART and greater attention to ART adherence. To understand the general trends in medication adherence, we compared ART adherence with medications for other common chronic conditions.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study using Medicaid claims between 2001 and 2012 from 14 US states with the highest HIV prevalence. Medicaid is the largest source of care for HIV patients in the US. We identified Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV who initiated ART between 2001 and 2010 (n=23,343). Comparison groups included (1) HIV‐ persons who initiated a statin, angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB), or metformin and (2) HIV+ persons who initiated these control medications while on and not on ART. We estimated adjusted odds of >90% medication implementation during the two years following initiation.

Results

The proportion of HIV+ persons with >90% ART implementation increased from 33.5% in those who initiated in 2001 to 46.4% in 2005 and 52.4% in 2010. ART initiators in 2007 to 2010 had 53% increased odds of >90% implementation compared to those in 2001 to 2003 (adjusted OR 1.53, 99% CI: 1.34 to 1.75). Older age, male, White race, newer ART regimens and absence of substance use indicators were also associated with increased odds of >90% ART implementation. No or minimal improvements were found in the implementation of control medications in HIV‐ persons. For HIV‐ persons, the adjusted ORs comparing 2007–2010 to 2001–2003 were 1.06, 1.01 and 1.19 for statins, ACEI/ARB, metformin respectively. HIV+ persons who were on ART had, on average, 15.0 (SD: 4.2) and 16.1 (SD: 3.4) percentage points higher >90% implementation rates of concurrent statins, ACEI/ARB or metformin compared to HIV‐ persons and HIV+ persons who were not on ART respectively.

Conclusions

Adherence to ART substantially improved between 2001 and 2012. Nevertheless, the absolute rates of >90% implementation were low for all groups examined. Substantial disparities by age, sex and race were present, drawing attention to the need to continue to enhance medication adherence. Further studies are required to examine whether these trends and disparities persist in the most recent period.
Use of simplified HAS‐BLED score in patients with atrial fibrillation receiving warfarin
Authors: Methavigul Komsing , Methavigul Ratikorn
Published: August 2019

Background

Oral anticoagulant drugs are proven to prevent thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). To date, HAS‐BLED score is used to assess bleeding risk. This study was conducted to compare simplified HAS‐BLED (sHAS‐BLED) with conventional HAS‐BLED (cHAS‐BLED) scores.

Methods

This retrospective study recruited patients with AF receiving warfarin among July 2013 to December 2018 in Central Chest Institute of Thailand. The cHAS‐BLED score used the time in therapeutic range less than 70% as labile INR, whereas sHAS‐BLED score used SAMe‐TT2R2 score of 3 or more as a substitute for labile INR. A paired Student's t test was used to compare sHAS‐BLED and cHAS‐BLED. The Pearson's correlation was used to assess the correlation of sHAS‐BLED to cHAS‐BLED scores. The Bland‐Altman plot was used to confirm the agreement of individual sHAS‐BLED to cHAS‐BLED score.

Results

A total of 126 AF patients were enrolled. The average age, SAMe‐TT2R2 score, and cHAS‐BLED score were 70.52 ± 10.37 years, 3.53 ± 1.03, and 2.03 ± 0.95, respectively. The sHAS‐BLED score was not statistically significantly different compared with cHAS‐BLED score (P = .08). The sHAS‐BLED and cHAS‐BLED scores had a very strong correlation with a correlation coefficient of .86 (P < .01). The Bland‐Altman plot was performed to confirm the agreement of individual sHAS‐BLED to cHAS‐BLED scores.

Conclusions

The sHAS‐BLED was not statistically significantly different compared with cHAS‐BLED and can be used in clinical practice. However, larger clinical trial will be needed to prove whether sHAS‐BLED can predict bleeding risk in the future.
Spatial patterns of sample entropy based on daily precipitation time series in China and their implications for land surface hydrological interactions
Authors: Zhou Xiangyang , Lei Wenjuan
Published: August 2019

Entropy is a good index to measure the uncertainty of the precipitation that is a manifestation of complex interactions between water vapour transport and the local land surface processes. However, whether the uncertainty of precipitation time series is highly related to the intensity of these interactions has not been deeply considered before. Thus, sample entropy (SE), the measure of uncertainty based on self‐similarity of the time series instead of a probability distribution, is employed to uncover the relationship between them. The spatial distribution of SE is based on the results calculated from 675 daily precipitation time series (1961–2011) in China. Then, the transfer of SE is extracted following the route of water vapour, water vapour source (WVS), obtained from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data set. Finally, the relationship between substantial changes of SE along the WVS route and the underlying conditions are discussed, including the digital elevation model (DEM), plant cover and climatic factors. The results reveal that the SE spatial distribution is closely related to the WV source and its interaction with local climatic regions and underlying conditions, which are manifested by the following aspects: (a) SE exhibits lower values in WVS source regions and increases following the WV transfer route because of diverse continental water vapour composition sources, which makes the system more complicated and increases the system entropy. (b) The pronounced SE increases and decreases indicate WV convergence and substantial topographic uplift, respectively. (c) The spatial distribution of SE is comprehensively dominated by climatic conditions since the boundaries of climatic regions correspond well with the specific SE contours. Therefore, SE spatial distribution indicates where WV originates and how WV interacts with local land surfaces along the WV transfer routes, which offers a new information mechanism perspective to understand the hydrological cycle from precipitation time series.
Deciphering the Raman spectrum of royal jelly. Fabrication of Ag‐polymer embedded royal jelly nanoparticles manifesting SERS effect
Authors: Lazarevska Sofija , Geskovski Nikola , Makreski Petre
Published: August 2019

Royal jelly (RJ) is secretion from the hypopharyngeal glands of worker bees, which serves as food for the queen bee and enabling larvae growth. Having biological properties already proven, RJ has considerable commercial appeal and is used in many sectors (pharmacy, food industries, and cosmetic products) nowadays. However, due to its chemical complexity on one hand and the easy adulteration and sensitivity of the biological molecules present, a limited information of the Raman spectrum of RJ is available, although it has been methodically investigated by midinfrared spectroscopy. The present paper aims to systematize the previous petite Raman spectroscopy knowledge and to holistically grasp band assignments in the whole region in Raman spectrum by fabrication of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) with surface adsorbed RJ. In order to obtain representative Raman spectrum in which the bands of the major components in the RJ (proteins and sugars) could be forced to appear here, AgNP‐RJ particles are fabricated. The method enabled to enhance the weak Raman signal, decreased the fluorescence, and improved signal‐to‐noise ratio. The obtained AgNPs with RJ were synthesized by careful selection of three stabilizing water‐soluble agents (citrate, poly (ethylene glycol), and polyvinylpyrrolidone) and produced SERS effect that increased the Raman bands signal and allowed, for the first time, to interpret the whole Raman spectrum of RJ.
Biodegradability Study of the Biosurfactant Contained in a Crude Extract from Corn Steep Water
Authors: Rodríguez‐López Lorena , Rincón‐Fontán Myriam , Vecino Xanel , Moldes Ana B. , Cruz Jose M.
Published: August 2019

Over the last few years, the global biosurfactant market has raised due to the increasing awareness among consumers, for the use of biological or bio‐based products. Because of their composition, it can be speculated that these are more biocompatible and more biodegradable than their chemical homologous. However, at the moment, no studies exist in the literature about the biodegradability of biosurfactants. In this work, a biosurfactant contained in a crude extract, obtained from a corn wet‐milling industry stream that ferments spontaneously in the presence of lactic acid bacteria, was subjected to a biodegradation study, without addition of external microbial biomass, under different conditions of temperature (5–45 °C), biodegradation time (15–55 days), and pH (5–7). For that, a Box–Behnken factorial design was applied, which allowed to predict the percentage of biodegradation for the biosurfactant contained in the crude extract, between the range of the independent variables selected in the study, obtaining biodegradation values between 3 and 80%. The percentage of biodegradation for the biosurfactant was calculated based on the increase in the surface tension of samples of the crude extract. Furthermore, it was also possible to predict the variation in t1/2 for the biosurfactant (time to achieve the 50% of biodegradation) under different conditions.
The role of three‐dimensional printing in the surgical management of breast cancer
Authors: Santiago Lumarie , Adrada Beatriz E. , Caudle Abigail S. , Clemens Mark W. , Black Dalliah M. , Arribas Elsa M.
Published: August 2019

A patient‐specific 3‐dimensional printed model (3DPM) of a woman with breast cancer was created. Mastectomy was favored as BCS would necessitate significant breast size alteration due to the extent of disease. After review of the 3D printed model, the patient and surgeon agreed on breast‐conserving surgery. Use of patient‐specific 3DPM in the setting of breast cancer may aid patient decision making and surgical planning, leading to enhanced surgical and oncological outcomes.
The kinetics of homogeneous and two‐step nucleation during protein crystal growth from solution
Authors: Barlow D. A. , Gregus Jan
Published: August 2019

Many experimental reports for the kinetics of crystal nucleation and growth, from an isothermal solution, point to a sigmoidal‐like behavior for the process. Here we consider three different nucleation models from the literature and show that all lead to sigmoidal or sigmoidal‐like behavior for the kinetics of nucleation. A two‐step nucleation process is known to occur within certain supersaturated protein solutions, and it is demonstrated in this report how the sigmoidal law yields kinetic information for the two‐step and homogeneous nucleation modes. We propose here that two‐step solute‐rich associates form in the solution around seed nuclei that are already present at or near the point in time when the solution is prepared. Using this hypothesis, we are able to model the time‐dependent volume of the two‐step phase per unit volume of solution and show that this compares well with reported experimental data. A kinetic model is given for the proposed process, which leads to a sigmoidal rate law. Additionally, a relation between the initial and final nuclei densities and the induction time is derived. As a result of this study, the conclusion is that two‐step activity increases with increasing initial supersaturation or increasing salt concentration.
Self‐Healing Polyester Urethane Supramolecular Elastomers Reinforced with Cellulose Nanocrystals for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Zeimaran Ehsan , Pourshahrestani Sara , Kadri Nahrizul Adib , Kong Daniel , Shirazi Seyed Farid Seyed , Naveen Sangeetha Vasudevaraj , Murugan S. S. , Kumaravel T. S. , Salamatinia Babak
Published: August 2019

Stretchable self‐healing urethane‐based biomaterials have always been crucial for biomedical applications; however, the strength is the main constraint of utilization of these healable materials. Here, a series of novel, healable, elastomeric, supramolecular polyester urethane nanocomposites of poly(1,8‐octanediol citrate) and hexamethylene diisocyanate reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are introduced. Nanocomposites with various amounts of CNCs from 10 to 50 wt% are prepared using solvent casting technique followed by the evaluation of their microstructural features, mechanical properties, healability, and biocompatibility. The synthesized nanocomposites indicate significantly higher tensile modulus (approximately 36–500‐fold) in comparison to the supramolecular polymer alone. Upon exposure to heat, the materials can reheal, but nevertheless when the amount of CNC is greater than 10 wt%, the self‐healing ability of nanocomposites is deteriorated. These materials are capable of rebonding ruptured parts and fully restoring their mechanical properties. In vitro cytotoxicity test of the nanocomposites using human dermal fibroblasts confirms their good cytocompatibility. The optimized structure, self‐healing attributes, and noncytotoxicity make these nanocomposites highly promising for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications.
Enhanced predictive corrosion modeling with implicit corrosion products
Authors: Gießgen Tom , Mittelbach Andreas , Höche Daniel , Zheludkevich Mikhail , Kainer Karl U.
Published: August 2019

An advanced mathematical approach to describe the influence of corrosion products on the corrosion rate is presented here. The related model can be used as input equation for numerical predictive corrosion simulations or simply as an empirical model, to extrapolate experimental data of corrosion tests to longer times and to interpret the physical parameters behind. This semiempirical model assumes that a constant share of the dissolved metal precipitates on the surface and hinders the diffusion processes. Hence, the effective corrosion rate decreases exponentially with increasing dissolution. The explicit corrosion progress over time is derived by time integration on a newly developed, time dependent corrosion rate equation. The derived expression can be effortlessly implemented in existing for example finite element method, which is demonstrated for the uniform corrosion of a zinc surface. Furthermore, this approach is qualitatively compared with other empirical models for corrosion products and the validity is demonstrated by fitting of experimental data. A very good agreement between experiment and theory can be achieved for various materials and environments considering no change of the driving corrosion mechanism.
Design and Characterization of Surface‐Crosslinked Gelatin Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Hydrophilic Macromolecular Drugs
Authors: Baseer Abdul , Koenneke Aljoscha , Zapp Josef , Khan Saeed A. , Schneider Marc
Published: August 2019

For nanotechnology enabled delivery of hydrophilic protein‐based drugs, several polymer‐based carrier systems have been used in the past to protect the sensitive load and to facilitate cellular uptake and crossing of biological barriers. This study uses gelatin, a natural and biodegradable macromolecule, as carrier material which is approved for several applications. Nanoprecipitation is used to form nanoparticles and to maintain the physicochemical integrity of gelatin, hydrophilic crosslinkers, e.g., paraformaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, carbodiimide, and transglutaminase are employed. However, these crosslinkers diffuse homogenously into the carrier matrix also crosslinking the polymeric matrix with the entrapped protein‐based molecules thus rendering it inactive. Hence a hydrophobic zero‐length crosslinker, diisopropylcarbodiimide, is applied to avoid diffusion into the particles. This will provide an opportunity to encapsulate protein‐based drugs in the non‐crosslinked matrix. The hypothesis of surface crosslinking is proven by the extent of crosslinking and more importantly by encapsulation and the release of lysozyme as a model hydrophilic protein. Furthermore, essential process parameters are evaluated such as crosslinker concentration, crosslinking time and crosslinking reaction temperature with regard to the effect on particle size, size distribution and zeta‐potential of gelatin nanoparticles. The optimum formulation results in the production of gelatin nanoparticles with 200‐300 nm and a polydispersity index < 0.2.
Predicting consumers’ cheating behavior. The role of mental representation of goods and psychological ownership
Authors: Viglia Giampaolo , Tassiello Vito , Gordon‐Wilson Sianne , Grazzini Laura
Published: August 2019

This study examines the likelihood of cheating when consumers are offered with the option of using postponed payment plans after purchasing hedonic goods. It addresses how the nature of the good combined with payment timing affects its perceived psychological ownership, which in turn influences consumers’ cheating behavior. Three experimental studies indicate that when consumers mentally represent a hedonic (vs. utilitarian) good, they are more likely to cheat. This effect is greater with a postponed payment than with an immediate one. Findings also show that perceived psychological ownership is lower for hedonic goods and this explains different levels of cheating behavior. The paper offers managerial guidance on how to increase perceived psychological ownership for hedonic goods, with the goal of reducing cheating behavior.
Anchored putter ban: An examination of whether anchored putting impacts career success and putting performance
Authors: Kim Jun Woo , Yoon Sukjoon , Magnusen Marshall , Yoon Youngmin , Kim Kyoung Tae
Published: August 2019

The Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour ban on anchored putting (Rule 14‐1b) took effect on January 1, 2016. The ban remains controversial because the governance decision appears to have been made without adequate empirical evidence. Accordingly, to investigate the efficacy of the ban, the impact of using anchored putters on PGA golfers' career success and putting performance was examined. PGA golfers ranked in the top 125 were studied from 2009 to 2015. The analysis revealed an anchored putter offered no unfair advantage with regard to improving players' career success or putting performance when compared with standard putter usage by PGA golfers.
Pro‐Saccades Predict Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease: ICICLE‐PD
Authors: Stuart Samuel , Lawson Rachael A. , Yarnall Alison J. , Nell Jeremy , Alcock Lisa , Duncan Gordon W. , Khoo Tien K. , Barker Roger A. , Rochester Lynn , Burn David J. ,   on behalf of the ICICLE‐PD study group
Published: August 2019

Background

Cumulative dementia incidence in Parkinson's disease (PD) is significant, with major personal and socioeconomic impacts on individuals with PD and their carers. Early identification of dementia risk is vital to ensuring optimal intervention. Saccadic deficits often distinguish neurodegenerative disorders and cognitive impairment, but their ability to predict cognitive decline in PD has yet to be determined. The aims of this study were to (1) evaluate baseline (6.4 ± 6.1 months since PD diagnosis) differences in pro‐saccadic metrics between those with early PD and healthy age‐matched adults; and (2) assess the ability of baseline pro‐saccades to predict subsequent cognitive decline over 4.5 years.

Methods

One hundred and forty‐one PD and 90 age‐matched participants recruited at diagnosis underwent saccadometric assessment of pro‐saccades at baseline and had cognition assessed at baseline, 18, 36, and 54 months. Pro‐saccadic characteristics included latency, duration, amplitude, peak, and average velocity. Cognitive assessment included executive function, attention, fluctuating attention, and memory. Linear mixed‐effects models examined pro‐saccadic metrics as predictors of cognitive decline over 54 months.

Results

Pro‐saccades were significantly impaired at baseline in PD compared with controls. Pro‐saccadic characteristics of latency, duration, peak, and average velocity predicted decline in global cognition, executive function, attention, and memory over 54 months in PD. In addition, only reduction in global cognition and attention were predicted by pro‐saccadic metrics in age‐matched adults, indicating that PD findings were not purely age related.

Conclusions

Saccadic characteristics are impaired in early PD and are predictive of cognitive decline in several domains. Assessment of saccades may provide a useful non‐invasive biomarker for long‐term PD cognitive decline in early disease. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Observed trends in daily extreme precipitation indices in Aguascalientes, Mexico
Authors: Ruiz‐Alvarez Osias , Singh Vijay P. , Enciso‐Medina Juan , Ontiveros‐Capurata Ronald Ernesto , dos Santos Carlos Antonio Costa
Published: August 2019

Precipitation and its distribution greatly influence the evolution of ecosystems and the development of society. The objective was to analyse trends in extreme precipitation indices at 25 weather stations of Aguascalientes State. Eleven extreme precipitation indices were obtained. The time series of these indices were analysed with the non‐parametric Mann–Kendall test. The number of days above 50 mm, consecutive wet days, and extremely wet days did not have significant trends at any of the weather stations. Each of the indices maximum 1 day precipitation amount, maximum 5 day precipitation amount and number of very heavy precipitation days showed a significant positive trend at 12% of the weather stations; both the number of heavy precipitation days and the number of very wet days had significant positive trends at 8% of the weather stations; the simple daily intensity index, consecutive dry days and annual total wet‐day precipitation showed significant positive trends at 20%, 36% and 4% of weather stations, respectively. The intensity index was the only one that showed a significant negative trend, which happened at 4% of the weather stations. In a small part of Aguascalientes, the precipitation intensity, the number of rainy days and the accumulated total increased in short periods. Also, in a reduced region, daily precipitation intensity decreased; and in another very small area the number of dry days increased. For mitigating the effects of these phenomena, it is suggested that water be used more efficiently for sustained agricultural production systems and ecosystem management. The results of the present study will be of great importance in future economic planning in the Aguascalientes State.
TNF‐α polymorphisms affect persistence and progression of HBV infection
Authors: Woziwodzka Anna , Rybicka Magda , Sznarkowska Alicja , Romanowski Tomasz , Dręczewski Marcin , Stalke Piotr , Bielawski Krzysztof Piotr
Published: August 2019

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are a major threat worldwide. Disease progression and outcome is diverse and depends on host genetic background. Recently, a high rate of HBV reactivation in individuals receiving tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) antagonists showed the importance of this cytokine in HBV infection control. Here, we investigated the influence of TNF‐α promoter polymorphisms on susceptibility to chronic HBV infection (CHB), liver injury progression and outcomes.

Methods

A total of 231 patients with CHB constituted the study group and 100 healthy volunteers—the local control group. TNF‐α −1031T/C, −863C/A, −857C/T, −308G/A, and −238G/A were genotyped using MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry.

Results

TNF‐α −1031C and −863A alleles were observed more frequently in CHB group than in healthy controls. Carriers of TNF‐α −1031C and −863A variant alleles had lower baseline levels of serum HBV DNA and lower liver necroinflammatory activity than dominant homozygotes. A −857CT genotype predisposed to higher necroinflammatory activity. No associations between TNF‐α variants and liver fibrosis were found.

Conclusion

This study indicates that TNF‐α −863A and −1031C alleles are associated with increased susceptibility to CHB in individuals from northern Poland. The same variants determine the course of CHB, lowering viremia and reducing necroinflammatory activity of the liver.
Conjugated Physiological Resveratrol Metabolites Induce Senescence in Breast Cancer Cells: Role of p53/p21 and p16/Rb Pathways, and ABC Transporters
Authors: Giménez‐Bastida Juan Antonio , Ávila‐Gálvez María Ángeles , Espín Juan Carlos , González‐Sarrías Antonio
Published: August 2019

Scope

Recent evidence demonstrates that resveratrol (RSV) metabolites, but not free RSV, reach malignant tumors (MT) in breast cancer (BC) patients. Since these metabolites, as detected in MT, do not exert short‐term antiproliferative or estrogenic/antiestrogenic activities, long‐term tumor‐senescent chemoprevention has been hypothesized. Consequently, here, for the first time, whether physiologically relevant RSV metabolites can induce senescence in BC cells is investigated.

Methods and Results

Human BC MCF‐7 (wild‐type p53) and MDA‐MB‐231 (mutant p53), and non‐tumorigenic MCF‐10A cells are treated with free RSV and physiological‐derived metabolites (RSV 3‐O‐glucuronide, RSV 3‐O‐sulfate, RSV 4′‐O‐sulfate, dihydroresveratrol (DH‐RSV), and DH‐RSV 3‐Oglucuronide). Cellular senescence is measured by SA‐β‐gal activity and senescence‐associated markers (p53, p21Cip1/Waf1, p16INK4a, and phosphorylation status of retinoblastoma (pRb/tRb)). Although no effect is observed in MDA‐MB‐231 and normal cells, RSV metabolites induce cellular senescence in MCF‐7 cells by reducing their clonogenic capacity and arresting cell cycle at G2M/S phase, but do not induce apoptosis. Senescence is induced through the p53/p21Cip1/Waf1 and p16INK4a/Rb pathways, depending on the RSV metabolite, and requires ABC transporters, but not estrogen receptors.

Conclusions

These data suggest that RSV metabolites, as found in MT from BC patients, are not de‐conjugated to release free RSV, but enter the cells and may exert long‐term tumor‐senescent chemoprevention.
A circularly polarized hybrid plasmonic nanoantenna
Authors: Mohanta Jyotirmaya , Meher Priya R. , Behera Bikash R. , Mishra Sanjeev K.
Published: August 2019

In this article, a waveguide fed circularly polarized hybrid plasmonic nanoantenna (CP‐HPNA) is proposed for nanophotonic applications, at 1550 nm wavelength telecommunication window. Here, the concept of hybrid plasmonic waveguide (HPWG) in conjunction with transmission line model is well incorporated in terms of electromagnetics. The proposed antenna geometry is an L‐hexagonal shaped patch fed by HPWG. The FDTD computational technique through CST microwave studio is used for design, simulation and characterization of CP‐HPNA. The proposed antenna exhibits an impedance bandwidth of 4.07 THz (S11 ≤ −10 dB) and prior to that, complete circular polarization is achieved, with an axial bandwidth of 5.49 THz (AR ≤ 3 dB). It shows broadside pattern with realized gain of 4.64 dB, directivity of 8.10 dBi and antenna efficiency of 63.98% at 1550 nm wavelength. With observed outcomes, the proposed antenna model finds its way‐out for many nanophotonic applications, ranging from the fields of optical sensing to lidars and in wireless optical communications from interconnects to intraconnects of chips. In correspondence to its utility, this research article, can significantly be treated as a link for visualizing the concepts of optical through classical electromagnetism.
Biological fingerprint using scout computed tomographic images for positive patient identification
Authors: Ueda Yasuyuki , Morishita Junji , Hongyo Tadashi
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Management of patient identification is an important issue that should be addressed to ensure patient safety while using modern healthcare systems. Patient identification errors can be mainly attributed to human errors or system problems. An error‐tolerant system, such as a biometric system, should be able to prevent or mitigate potential misidentification occurrences. Herein, we propose the use of scout computed tomography (CT) images for biometric patient identity verification and present the quantitative accuracy outcomes of using this technique in a clinical setting.

Methods

Scout CT images acquired from routine examinations of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis were used as biological fingerprints. We evaluated the resemblance of the follow‐up with the baseline image by comparing the estimates of the image characteristics using local feature extraction and matching algorithms. The verification performance was evaluated according to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, area under the ROC curves (AUC), and equal error rates (EER). The closed‐set identification performance was evaluated according to the cumulative match characteristic curves and rank‐one identification rates (R1).

Results

A total of 619 (383 males, 236 females, age range 21–92 years) patients who underwent baseline and follow‐up chest–abdomen–pelvis CT scans on the same CT system were analyzed for verification and closed‐set identification. The highest performances of AUC, EER, and R1 were 0.998, 1.22%, and 99.7%, respectively, in the considered evaluation range. Furthermore, to determine whether the performance decreased in the presence of metal artifacts, the patients were classified into two groups, namely scout images with (255 patients) and without (364 patients) metal artifacts, and the significance test was performed for two ROC curves using the unpaired Delong's test. No significant differences were found between the ROC performances in the presence and absence of metal artifacts when using a sufficient number of local features. Our proposed technique demonstrated that the performance was comparable to that of conventional biometrics methods when using chest, abdomen, and pelvis scout CT images. Thus, this method has the potential to discover inadequate patient information using the available chest, abdomen, and pelvis scout CT image; moreover, it can be applied widely to routine adult CT scans where no significant body structure effects due to illness or aging are present.

Conclusions

Our proposed method can obtain accurate patient information available at the point‐of‐care and help healthcare providers verify whether a patient’s identity is matched accurately. We believe the method to be a key solution for patient misidentification problems.
Interrupting Sitting Time with Simple Resistance Activities Lowers Postprandial Insulinemia in Adults with Overweight or Obesity
Authors: Larsen Robyn , Ali Hamza , Dempsey Paddy C. , Grace Megan , Dillon Francis , Kingwell Bronwyn A. , Cohen Neale , Owen Neville , Green Daniel J. , Dunstan David W.
Published: August 2019

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effects on postprandial glucose and insulin responses of interrupting sitting time with brief bouts of simple resistance activities (SRAs) in adults with overweight or obesity.

Methods

Participants (n = 19) were recruited for a randomized crossover trial involving the following two 6‐hour conditions: (1) uninterrupted sitting or (2) sitting with 3‐minute bouts of SRAs (half‐squats, calf raises, gluteal contractions, and knee raises) every 30 minutes (total duration = 27 minutes). Incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for glucose, insulin, and insulin:glucose ratio were analyzed as prespecified secondary outcomes using mixed‐effects log‐linear regression adjusted for sex, BMI, treatment order, and preprandial values. Results are reported as multiplicative change (exponentiated coefficient [EC] with 95% CI) relative to the control condition.

Results

Glucose iAUC during the SRA condition was not significantly different from the prolonged sitting condition (EC = 0.92; 95% CI: 0.73‐1.16; P = 0.43). However, SRAs lowered the postprandial insulin response by 26% (EC = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.64‐0.85; P < 0.001), and there was a 23% lowering of the iAUC for insulin:glucose (EC = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.67‐0.89; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In adults with overweight or obesity, frequent interruptions to sitting time with SRAs lowered postprandial insulin responses and insulin:glucose. These findings may have implications for mitigating cardiometabolic risk in adults with overweight or obesity who engage in prolonged periods of sitting.
Positive predictive value of ICD‐10 codes to detect anaphylaxis due to vaccination: A validation study
Authors: Mesfin Yonatan Moges , Cheng Allen C. , Tran Aimy H.L. , Buttery Jim
Published: August 2019

Purpose

To validate the use of selected International Classification of Disease Codes 10th revision (ICD‐10) to predict (positive predictive value) anaphylaxis due to vaccination using emergency department (ED) data.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using ED encounter data from a large tertiary‐care teaching hospital, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia. We searched all ED encounters potentially due to anaphylaxis after vaccination, between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2018, using ICD‐10‐CM codes T80.5, T80.6, T88.1, T88.6, and T78.2. Health records of potential cases were examined to determine if they met the Brighton Collaboration (BC) criteria for anaphylaxis. We calculated the PPV to evaluate the accuracy of the selected ICD‐10‐CM codes in predicting anaphylaxis due to vaccination.

Results

Of the 69 health records identified and reviewed, 29 (42.2%) met the criteria for anaphylaxis regardless of the cause, and 24.6% (17/69) of records were confirmed as anaphylaxis triggered by vaccination (low positive predictive value). However, of the 23 records identified using ICD‐10‐CM code T80.5, 22 were classified as anaphylaxis cases regardless of the cause, and 12 were anaphylaxis due to vaccination cases giving PPV of 95.7% and 52.2%, respectively.

Conclusions

Given that there is no specific ICD‐10‐CM code for anaphylaxis due to vaccination, ICD‐10‐CM code T80.5 may be suitable to monitor anaphylaxis due to vaccination in the ED setting. The current study was conducted at a single centre and needs to be confirmed by future multicentre studies.
Chitosan/CaCO3solvent‐free nanofluid composite membranes for direct methanol fuel cells
Authors: Tsen Wen‐Chin , Chuang Fu‐Sheng , Jang Shin‐Cheng , Kuo Ting‐Wei
Published: August 2019

Natural polyelectrolyte chitosan (CS) has been considered to be a promising proton‐exchange membrane material for direct methanol fuel cells due to its low cost and excellent methanol barrier ability. To further improve the ionic conductivity and mechanical property of CS, calcium‐carbonate solvent‐free nanofluids (CaCO3‐SF) with unique flow behavior were prepared by an ion‐exchange method, and then used a novel nanofiller to modify CS to fabricate composite membranes. The surface‐grafted organic long chains on the surface of CaCO3nanoparticles could promote the homogeneous dispersion of CaCO3in the CS matrix, and thus improve the interfacial bonding and facilitate the load transfer from the matrix to stiff CaCO3. When the content of CaCO3‐SF was 6 wt%, the tensile strength and fracture elongation of the composite membrane were 28.25 MPa and 17.17%, respectively, which increased by 25% and 36% when compared with those of pure membrane. Moreover, the SO3H groups in the structure of organic long chains could form new proton transport sites, and thus enhance the proton conductivity of the membranes. Consequently, when compared with pure CS membrane (0.0131 S cm−1), incorporation of 6 wt% CaCO3‐SF (0.0250 S cm−1) exhibited about onefold increase of proton conductivity. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:2128–2135, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Coassembly of Gold Nanoclusters with Nucleic Acids: Sensing, Bioimaging, and Gene Transfection
Authors: Wang Yanan , Wang Xiaojuan , Ma Xiqi , Chen Qi , He Hua , Nau Werner M. , Huang Fang
Published: August 2019

Assemblies of biopolymers and nanomaterials have become a powerful tool to build up new architectures with growing application potential. Herein, novel peptide‐stabilized fluorescent gold nanoclusters, K4‐AuNCs, are utilized as building blocks to investigate their coassembly with nucleic acids. K4‐AuNCs possess ultrasmall size (1.8 nm), red fluorescence emission, and positively charged surfaces, which are able to coassemble with DNA or RNA strands through electrostatic interactions to form pitaya‐like hybrid nanoparticles ranging from 30 to 80 nm, accompanied by an up to 3.5‐fold fluorescence enhancement. The coassembly also forms intracellularly, rendering K4‐AuNCs an attractive dye for specific in vivo nucleic acid staining, due to their higher photostability than commercial fluorescent probes such as SYTO 9. This work also demonstrates that the coassembly of K4‐AuNCs with nucleic acids can be applied to gene transfection and to build up a sensing platform to detect DNase/RNase activity or to screen their inhibitors. The new strategy greatly extends the application range of gold nanoclusters into the development of new nucleic acid detection methods and novel hybrid materials.
The ‘Omics’ of Epigenetic Modulation by Valproic Acid Treatment in Traumatic Brain Injury—What We Know and What the Future Holds
Authors: Bhatti Umar F. , Williams Aaron M. , Georgoff Patrick E. , Alam Hasan B.
Published: August 2019

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a heterogeneous injury that is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Epigenetic modulation through the alteration of cellular acetylation by valproic acid (VPA) administration has shown promise as a novel pharmacological treatment for TBI. It improves clinical outcomes through multiple mechanisms, many of which are still poorly understood. In recent years, omics technologies have emerged as a promising strategy to detect molecular changes at the cellular level. This review highlights the use of these high throughput technologies in advancing the understanding of epigenetic modulation by VPA in TBI. It also describes the future role of omics techniques in developing a point of care test to guide patient selection for VPA administration.
The Aging Studies of the Low HCl Content Composite Rocket Propellant
Authors: Bogusz Rafał , Magnuszewska Paulina
Published: August 2019

This paper presents technological research on the storage time of a composite rocket propellant with a low HCl content in combustion products, based on sodium nitrate. For research were prepared and casted in laboratory scale, a composite rocket propellant based on sodium nitrate and HTPB system, and as the reference sample, the classic composite rocket propellants based on the HTPB/AP system. Both propellants have been subjected to laboratory‐scale aging in accordance with the STANAG accelerated aging protocol, by 5 and 10 years. For each propellant, aged and not aged, parameters such as calorific value, hardness, sensitivity to the mechanical stimuli and decomposition temperature were determined. For the ballistic evaluation of the investigated propellants, the Laboratory Rocket Motor technique with the indirect burning rate determination method, was used. Based on the obtained data, was found that the composite rocket propellants based on sodium nitrate are technological and can be used in the rocket propulsion applications.
High‐resolution structural analysis shows how different crystallographic environments can induce alternative modes of binding of a phosphotyrosine peptide to the SH2 domain of Fer tyrosine kinase
Authors: Matsuura Yoshiyuki
Published: August 2019

Fes and Fes‐related (Fer) protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) comprise a subfamily of nonreceptor tyrosine kinases characterized by a unique multidomain structure composed of an N‐terminal Fer/CIP4 homology‐Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (F‐BAR) domain, a central Src homology 2 (SH2) domain, and a C‐terminal PTK domain. Fer is ubiquitously expressed, and upregulation of Fer has been implicated in various human cancers. The PTK activity of Fes has been shown to be positively regulated by the binding of phosphotyrosine‐containing ligands to the SH2 domain. Here, the X‐ray crystal structure of human Fer SH2 domain bound to a phosphopeptide that has D‐E‐pY‐E‐N‐V‐D sequence is reported at 1.37 å resolution. The asymmetric unit (ASU) contains six Fer‐phosphopeptide complexes, and the structure reveals three distinct binding modes for the same phosphopeptide. At four out of the six binding sites in the ASU, the phosphopeptide binds to Fer SH2 domain in a type I β‐turn conformation, and this could be the optimal binding mode of this phosphopeptide. At the other two binding sites in the ASU, it appears that spatial proximity of neighboring SH2 domains in the crystal induces alternative modes of binding of this phosphopeptide.
The characterization of pc‐polylines representing protein backbones
Authors: Wang Lincong , Zhang Yao , Zou Shuxue
Published: August 2019

The backbone of a protein is typically represented as either a C
α‐polyline, a three‐dimensional (3D) polyline that passes through the C
α atoms, or a tuple of ϕ,ψ pairs while its fold is usually assigned using the 3D topological arrangement of the secondary structure elements (SSEs). It is tricky to obtain the SSE composition for a protein from the C
α‐polyline representation while its 3D SSE arrangement is not apparent in the two‐dimensional (2D) ϕ,ψ representation. In this article, we first represent the backbone of a protein as a pc‐polyline that passes through the centers of its peptide planes. We then analyze the pc‐polylines for six different sets of proteins with high quality crystal structures. The results show that SSE composition becomes recognizable in pc‐polyline presentation and consequently the geometrical property of the pc‐polyline of a protein could be used to assign its secondary structure. Furthermore, our analysis finds that for each of the six sets the total length of a pc‐polyline increases linearly with the number of the peptide planes. Interestingly a comparison of the six regression lines shows that they have almost identical slopes but different intercepts. Most interestingly there exist decent linear correlations between the intercepts of the six lines and either the average helix contents or the average sheet contents and between the intercepts and the average backbone hydrogen bonding energetics. Finally, we discuss the implications of the identified correlations for structure classification and protein folding, and the potential applications of pc‐polyline representation to structure prediction and protein design.
Target highlights in CASP13: Experimental target structures through the eyes of their authors
Authors: Lepore Rosalba , Kryshtafovych Andriy , Alahuhta Markus , Veraszto Harshul A. , Bomble Yannick J. , Bufton Joshua C. , Bullock Alex N. , Caba Cody , Cao Hongnan , Davies Owen R. , Desfosses Ambroise , Dunne Matthew , Fidelis Krzysztof , Goulding Celia W. , Gurusaran Manickam , Gutsche Irina , Harding Christopher J. , Hartmann Marcus D. , Hayes Christopher S. , Joachimiak Andrzej , Leiman Petr G. , Loppnau Peter , Lovering Andrew L. , Lunin Vladimir V. , Michalska Karolina , Mir‐Sanchis Ignacio , Mitra AK , Moult John , Phillips Jr George N. , Pinkas Daniel M. , Rice Phoebe A. , Tong Yufeng , Topf Maya , Walton Jonathan D. , Schwede Torsten
Published: August 2019

The functional and biological significance of selected CASP13 targets are described by the authors of the structures. The structural biologists discuss the most interesting structural features of the target proteins and assess whether these features were correctly reproduced in the predictions submitted to the CASP13 experiment.