bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of adding anthocyanins to blue maize dough on color, texture and antioxidant capacity of maize tortillas
Authors:   Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, López-Vásquez Víctor Manuel , Salinas-Moreno Yolanda ,   Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Alemán-de la Torre Ivone ,   Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Morales-Hernández Norma ,   Centro de Investigación y Asistencia en Tecnología y Diseño del Estado de Jalisco, Bautista-Ramírez Edgardo ,   Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias
Published: December 2020

Introduction: Anthocyanins of maize in microcapsules (MC) can be added in maize dough to modify color and antioxidants in tortillas and derivatives. Objective: To evaluate the addition of anthocyanins of maize in MC or extract (EL) to blue-purple maize dough on color, texture, total soluble phenols (TSP), total anthocyanins content (TAC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of maize tortillas. Methodology: Different concentrations (0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 %) of MC or EL anthocyanins were added to bluepurple maize dough (Bolita). Blue tortilla made with Chalqueño maize (traditional) was used as reference for color and AC. Results: The tortilla with 0.75 and 1.0 % MC had red-purple hue, and with EL the tortilla showed red-orange hues. When cooking the tortilla, it lost 39 to 49.1 % of anthocyanins, regardless of how anthocyanins were added to the dough (MC or EL). The hardness of the tortilla increased with addition of anthocyanins in EL, but not in MC. The addition of anthocyanins increased TAC and TSP. AC of the tortilla in the pigment treatments was higher (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control and reference. Study limitations: Results may change depending on the blue-purple maize grain used. Originality: There are no reports of similar studies. Conclusions: The addition of low amounts of anthocyanins (< 2 mg) to the blue-purple maize dough produces tortillas similar in color to traditional blue maize tortillas, and with higher AC.
The moderating role of lean operations between supply chain integration and operational performance in Saudi manufacturing organizations
Authors: Hani Jehad S. Bani
Published: December 2020

The fundamental reason for this study was to explore the impact of Supply Chain Integration on Operational Performance through the directing part of Lean Operations. The study essential information gathered from the example that contains 288 supervisors working in Saudi Industrial Organizations lied in the western locale, utilizing an all-around planned survey. This study coordinated to study how the supply chain integration, lean operations, and operational performance can impact each other in manufacturing associations. SEM model created and deliberately surveyed and tried. The key discoveries demonstrate that rehearsing supply chain integration cycles could bring about expanding the open door for manufacturing associations to accomplish operational performance through applying lean practices. Therefore, the connection between supply chain integration and operational performance, just as the connection between lean operations and operational performance, was positive, given these connections, it very well may be presumed that the lean operations (as a directing variable) can have a positive impact the connection between supply chain integration and operational performance. Particularly, the connection between supply chain integration and quality performance measures.
The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on the export performance of apparel industry
Authors: Hossain Kamal , Azmi Ilhaamie Binti Abdul Ghani
Published: December 2020

This study examines the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions on the apparel industry's export performance. EO considers as innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking dimensions. The determinants of export performance are firms' financial, strategic, and satisfaction levels of performance. A cross-sectional survey is carried out by providing a questionnaire to high-level managers and owners of the MLEs. Primary data of 339 treated by partial least squares (PLS-SEM) technique examines EO dimensions' impact on export performance. The findings of this study revealed that innovativeness and proactiveness positively and significantly impact export performance. However, risk-taking dimension does not affect export performance.
Urban Expansion and Its Impact on the Livelihood of Peripheral Farming Communities: The Case of Assosa Town, Benishangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia
Authors: Labiso Tadele Tesfaye
Published: December 2020

Assosa town’s expansion program which had been experiencing a horizontal expansion starting from its historical expansion pattern currently implemented via expropriating peripheral land holders of earlier rural dwellers by solely decision of town administration and the investigation randomly targeted to per-urban areas from four peripheral kebeles surrounding of town. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess Urban Expansion and its Impact on Peripheral Farming Communities: The Case of Assosa town, BGR, Ethiopia Thus the study investigated the impact of urban expansion on the peripheral community livelihood in case of Assosa town. Questionnaire, survey, focus group discussion and key informants interviews were tools of data collection from 160 sampled households living in sampled kebeles via systematic random sampling technique and judgmental technique for FGD and interview. The results of the study indicated that there is infrastructural improvement, socio economic growth, rapid population growth and also socio-economic problems related to urban expansion in studied area. There is great spatial and temporal land use land cover modification more towards to build up land uses. The livelihood condition of per-urban community changed to non-agricultural form but there are policy and strategy gaps of expropriating, compensating for affected community in ground implementation. Landholder expropriated should be recompensed for equal socio-economic beneficially from urbanization and further skill-oriented training for new livelihood strategy and also accessing credit and rehabilitating strategy were recommended for affected community livelihood.
Management Accounting Research Approaches: A Critical Review
Authors: Jariya Achchi Mohamed Inun , Velnampy Thirunavukkarsu
Published: December 2020

The management accounting field uses three research approaches: mainstream, interpretive and critical. These paradigms involve employing distinct research methodology whilst studying topics related to management accounting. The distinction in research methodology was made based on assumptions about the nature of social science and nature of society. Various scholars had used those assumptions to categorise research prototypes. Among them, the frameworks developed by Burrell and Morgan (1979), Hopper and Powell (1985, Chua (1986) and also Rayan and Scapens (2002) are all noteworthy. Therefore, the aim of this study is to critically review these frameworks as a way to identify their similarities and differences among them. On the basis of the review, it is observed that perspectives of management accounting were originated from an extremely long means of travel, and there are lots of similarities and significant differences among the frameworks reviewed.
Governance and Youth Unemployment in Nigeria
Authors: Eseyin Oluwasegun , Oloni Elizabeth , Ogunjobi Olufemi , Abiodun Fadeke
Published: December 2020

Numerous studies have observed that governance matters in economic growth and subsequently employment generation. Despite the overwhelming evidences on the importance of this variable, there is surprisingly little research on how to promote it effectively in many developing countries. The problems facing the youth in the labour market has become more intense as a result, youths turn to less productive and less remunerative work at the informal sector. This paper therefore investigates the link between Governance, Youth Employment, Gross Capital Formation and Economic Growth. It utilizes the Granger non-Causality technique to explore the connection between these factors in sets. The discoveries uncover that there is bi-directional causal connection among governance and economic growth and furthermore between Economic growth and youth employment in Nigeria. The causality between Economic growth and capital formation is uni-directional from gross capital formation to Economic growth. It is discovered that there is no causal connection among employment and governance; and among employment and gross capital. It is recommended that the government should put on policies to increase growth so as to increase youth employment. Since capital formation causes growth and growth in turn causes youth employment; this implies that more investment in the country will indirectly cause youth employment. Government policies aimed at boosting both public and private investments in the country should be formulated; consequently the challenges of youth unemployment would be addressed.
Financial Features of Systemically Important Banks Operation in Modern Conditions
Authors: Bulatova Elvira Ildarovna , Ipatova Ekaterina Vladimirovna
Published: December 2020

The modern banking system is one of the key elements of any national economic system that influences the formation of economic processes. In this regard, it is important to identify the main elements of the banking system that have the greatest impact on the modern economy. The article reveals the financial and distinctive features of modern systemically important credit organizations of the Russian Federation. The authors of the article, based on the structural and dynamic analysis of the credit organizations indicators system, identified the main trends in the banking system development, highlighting the role of systemically important banks in this process. In the course of the analysis, based on the reporting data on the development of the Russian banking system for 2016-2019, the connection between the dynamics of the systemically important credit institutions development and the banking system as a whole was determined. The main conclusions presented in the article can be used in scientific and practical activities in order to strengthen and develop banking regulation and supervision of the largest Russian banks.
Potential applications of carbon nanomaterials in oil recovery
Authors:   SOCAR, Baku, Azerbaijan, Shamilov V.M.
Published: December 2020

Carbon nanomaterials and compositions containing them are attracting increased attention. The high variety of carbon nanomaterials structures and morphologies as well as the simplicity of its surface functionalization, make it possible to effectively select the nanomaterial properties for the target task. The presented study provides an overview of the oil industry stages and shows the main directions of using nanotechnology in them. The main attention is focused on the trends of carbon nanomaterials (nanodiamonds, carbon nanotubes and graphene-like materials) applications in the petroleum extraction stage (drilling and enhanced oil recovery processes).
Development of an approach to determination of coupling qualities of road covering using weather-climate factor
Authors: Shevtsova Anastasia , Novikov Alexander
Published: December 2020

Assessing the grip of the road surface is an extremely important task both in the field of traffic management, and in the field of investigation and examination of traffic accidents. The coupling quality of the road surface is fully ensured by the coefficient of friction, which is subject to constant monitoring in order to ensure road safety. There are a large number of methods for determining the magnitude of the coefficient of friction. In their study, the authors propose an improved approach for determining the investigated value using the weather and climate factor. Previously, a group of researchers in the course of scientific research determined the dependence of the coefficient of friction on the temperature of the road surface, as a result of mathematical analysis, the authors obtained a dependence that allows to determine the studied value by air temperature and the condition of the road surface (presence of precipitation). The performed experiment allowed us to test the obtained dependence within the framework of the object of study and to make a comparative assessment of the results obtained with the data obtained using the road laboratory.
Compressive strength and durability performance of mortar containing palm oil boiler clinker aggregate, rice husk ash, and calcium bentonite
Authors: Kueaket Kamolchanok , Tonnayopas Danupon
Published: December 2020

The utilization of local waste by-products as a building material has attracted great attention for an environmental sustainability and become a fundamental part of sustainable construction. In this experimental research, the local palm oil industrial waste and agricultural waste are utilized for the green mortar production. To examine the compressive strength and the durability performance of the green mortar mixtures, Palm oil boiler clinker (POBC) was used as a substitution material for natural fine aggregate. An ordinary Portland cement was partially replaced by rice husk ash (RHA) and calcium bentonite (CB) in the proportion of 10%, 20%, and 30% by weight of cement. The compressive strength, water absorption, porosity, durability against sulphuric acid and sodium sulphate attacks, and microstructures of the POBC mortar mixtures were evaluated at the curing age of 7, 28, and 56 days. The experimental results revealed that the compressive strength, water absorption, porosity, and durability characteristics of POBC mortar incorporating RHA and CB were improved by long-term curing. Particularly, the 56-day POBC mortar incorporating up to 30% of RHA and 10% of CB yielded the superior durability against sulphuric acid and sodium sulphate attacks.
Support in the education of families at risk within the organization of civil society: The experience of users of the association MoSt
Authors: Maglica Toni , Ljubetić Maja , Grčić Ante
Published: December 2020

Introduction. Some families need additional support in performing a demanding parenting role, especially families at risk who do not have suffcient capacity to adequately respond to the child's needs. The functioning of such families is infuenced by risk factors arising from the family, but also from the wider social environment. Sometimes, the support and the role of a protective factor are taken over by civil society organizations that base their interventions mainly on quality interpersonal relationships and fully and timely meet the needs of children and families at risk. Objective. This research aimed to identify and understand the factors that families at risk perceive as support and assistance. Methods. The theoretical framework of the research is Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development. The interview method was used to collect data from 14 participants (mothers, fathers and children), users of the MoSt association from Split. Results. The results obtained by thematic analysis provide insight into: manifest forms of behavioral problems in children in the sample, service providers to families at risk, risk factors leading to the problem, assessment of support by civil society organizations and outcomes of the intervention. Research participants particularly emphasize the feeling of support that arises from the experienced, perceived feeling of comfort, security, friendliness, recognition and acceptance, and even the feeling of "as if you are in a family." Both children and parents value the values behind support, which are respect, friendship, acceptance, and polite, decent communication. Conclusion. It has been shown that the organization of civil society is a kind of "bridge", i.e. that it moderates and facilitates between the family and state institutions. What is visible in the testimony of the participants is the perceived availability of the organization itself, its resources, services and people, as well as the specifcity of the services provided to the family.
Trends in Nanotechnology for the Treatment of Breast Cancer
Authors: Diwate Sonali B. , Ataurrahman Ziyaurrahmam , Bhise Kiran S.
Published: December 2020

Breast cancer is the most common and progressively increased form of cancer mostly among women. Various therapies have been tried to cure this cancer but none of them is without side effect. These might be attributed to the indiscriminate destruction of normal cells along with cancer cells or other systemic effects of the chemotherapeutic agent. These difficulties initiate the urge to develop targeted drug delivery systems. Nanotechnology deals with formulation of nanostructures for innovative drug delivery. Nanodrug delivery systems are being used for targeting in the treatment of various diseases, hence this concept is also applicable to the treatment of breast cancer. Nanoparticles have an additional effect of improvement in the solubility of drugs such as paclitaxel, reduction in dose and toxicity, increased cellular uptake etc. Owing to smaller size these are easily taken by tumor cells and effectively encapsulate the hydrophobic drugs. This review is aimed to summarize the various management therapies majorly focusing on the recent nanodrug delivery systems to target chemotherapeutic agents in the breast cancer cells. Various nanodrug systems are in clinical trials and few of them are already in the market. These are promising tools for future cancer treatment and research.
Psychological Impact on the Eating Behaviors of University Students
Authors: Karunanayake Danesh , Jayasooriya M. W. D. S. M. , Vimukthi N. D. U.
Published: December 2020

Unhealthy dietary habits are among the major risk factors for chronic diseases, particularly if adopted during the early years of adulthood. They are becoming more frequent due to the nutritional transition that is affecting populations across developing countries where traditional healthy diets are being progressively replaced by more westernized dietary patterns. Students generally develop unhealthy eating habits during their stay at the university. University Students’ eating behavior seemed to be moderated by university characteristics, such as residency, student societies, university lifestyle, and exams. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore, how such factors psychologically influence Sri Lankan university students’ eating behavior,using a qualitative research design. Applying a semi-structured interview method, six interviews were conducted with 2 male and 4 female university students selected under the convenient sampling method from the University of Peradeniya. All the collected data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Results showed that after the transition from secondary school to university, when independence increases, students are continuously challenged to make healthy food choices. Students eating behavior is reported to be influenced by individual factors (e.g. taste preferences, self-discipline, time and convenience), their social networks (e.g. (lack of) parental control, friends and peers), and physical environment (e.g. availability and accessibility, appeal and prices of food products).
Robotics in the Workplace
Authors: Hearl Frank J. , Murashov Vladimir , Howard John , Hsiao Hongwei , Sammarco John , Lowe Brian , Luxbacher George
Published: December 2020

In the years since the first robot was patented in 1961, robots and robotic systems have proliferated through many sectors of the economy including manufacturing, logistical support, medical technology, law enforcement, and military applications. Advances in digital technologies, as well as development of core technologies in camera systems, communication systems, sensors, and displays, are changing the capabilities and possible applications of robotics across industries. Robots have the potential to improve quality of life by performing tasks that are fatiguing, infeasible, or dangerous for humans to perform. As robots gains broader applications, there are concerns about potential unintended consequences such as safety, health, and fairness issues for workers. Robots present new challenges and new opportunities for occupational safety and health professionals. This chapter examines the potential hazards and risk‐reduction benefits of using modern robots in the workplace.
Evaluate the performance of four artificial intelligence‐aided diagnostic systems in identifying and measuring four types of pulmonary nodules
Authors: Wu Ming‐yue , Li Yong , Fu Bin‐jie , Wang Guo‐shu , Chu Zhi‐gang , Deng Dan
Published: December 2020

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the performance of four artificial intelligence‐aided diagnostic systems in identifying and measuring four types of pulmonary nodules.

Methods

Four types of nodules were implanted in a commercial lung phantom. The phantom was scanned with multislice spiral computed tomography, after which four systems (A, B, C, D) were used to identify the nodules and measure their volumes.

Results

The relative volume error (RVE) of system A was the lowest for all nodules, except for small ground glass nodules (SGGNs). System C had the smallest RVE for SGGNs, −0.13 (−0.56, 0.00). In the Bland–Altman test, only systems A and C passed the consistency test, P = 0.40. In terms of precision, the miss rate (MR) of system C was 0.00% for small solid nodules (SSNs), ground glass nodules (GGNs), and solid nodules (SNs) but 4.17% for SGGNs. The comparable system D MRs for SGGNs, SSNs, and GGNs were 71.30%, 25.93%, and 47.22%, respectively, the highest among all the systems. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that system A had the best performance in recognizing SSNs and GGNs, with areas under the curve of 0.91 and 0.68. System C had the best performance for SGGNs (AUC = 0.91).

Conclusion

Among four types nodules, SGGNs are the most difficult to recognize, indicating the need to improve higher accuracy and precision of artificial systems. System A most accurately measured nodule volume. System C was most precise in recognizing all four types of nodules, especially SGGN.
Accelerated long‐term forgetting over three months in asymptomatic APOE ɛ4 carriers
Authors: Tort‐Merino Adrià , Laine Matti , Valech Natalia , Olives Jaume , León María , Ecay‐Torres Mirian , Estanga Ainara , Martínez‐Lage Pablo , Fortea Juan , Sánchez‐Valle Raquel , Rami Lorena , Rodríguez‐Fornells Antoni
Published: December 2020

Accelerated long‐term forgetting (ALF) refers to a rapid loss of information over days or weeks despite normal acquisition/encoding. Notwithstanding its potential relevance as a presymptomatic marker of cognitive dysfunction, no study has addressed the relationship between ALF and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) biomarkers. We examined ALF in APOE ɛ4 carriers versus noncarriers, and its relationships with AD cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. We found ALF over three months in APOE ɛ4 carriers (F(1,19) = 5.60; P < 0.05; Cohen’s d = 1.08), and this performance was associated with abnormal levels of the CSF Aβ42/ptau ratio (r = −.614; P < 0.01). Our findings indicate that ALF is detectable in at‐risk individuals, and that there is a relationship between ALF and the pathophysiological processes underlying AD.
Effects of think‐aloud on students' multiple‐documents comprehension
Authors: Tarchi Christian
Published: December 2020

This study explored the impact of the think‐aloud research methodology on multiple‐documents comprehension outcomes. The participants in this study were 168 University students. The procedure included three steps. First, students were administered the tests measuring prior topic beliefs, topic interest, and topic knowledge. Then, students were given six documents to read, and were randomly assigned to two conditions, think‐aloud versus silent‐reading. Finally, students were asked to write an argumentative essay, judge the trustworthiness of the six documents and report to what extent they had used specific justification criteria. No significant differences were found in the argumentative essay, whereas the think‐aloud condition partially influenced participants' trustworthiness judgments and use of justification criteria. Implications of the results are discussed.
Selectivity in the Elaboration of Bicyclic Borazarenes
Authors: Bhattacharjee Ayan , Davies Geraint H. M. , Saeednia Borna , Wisniewski Steven R. , Molander Gary A.
Published: December 2020

Among aromatic compounds, borazarenes represent a significant class of isosteres in which carbon‐carbon bonds have been replaced by B−N bonds. Described herein is a summary of the selective reactions that have been developed for known systems, as well as a summary of computationally‐based predictions of selectivities that might be anticipated in reactions of yet unrealized substructures.

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Pathogenic paternally inherited NLGN4X deletion in a female with autism spectrum disorder: Clinical, cytogenetic, and molecular characterization
Authors: Kopp Nathan , Amarillo Ina , Martinez‐Agosto Julian , Quintero‐Rivera Fabiola
Published: December 2020

Neuroligin 4 X‐linked (NLGN4X) is an X‐linked postsynaptic scaffolding protein, with functional role in excitatory synapsis development and maintenance, that has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Tourette's syndrome. Chromosomal microarray analysis identified a paternally inherited, 445 Kb deletion on Xp22.3 that includes the entire NLGN4X in a 2.5 year old female (46,XX) with congenital hypotonia, strabismus, ASD, and increased aggressive behavioral issues. Her family history is significant for a mother with learning disabilities, a father with anxiety, major depressive disorder, and substance abuse, as well as two maternal half‐brothers with developmental delays. X‐inactivation studies in the proband's blood showed random X‐inactivation despite the presence of an abnormal X chromosome. Furthermore, trio exome sequencing did not reveal any other deleterious variant that could explain her phenotype. Our report describes the first example of a paternally inherited NLGN4X microdeletion as the genetic etiology of ASD in a female proband, and the psychiatric phenotypes in the father. It also provides further evidence that NLGN4X is sensitive to dosage changes in females, and can contribute to a variety of psychiatric features within the same family.
Alagille syndrome and risk for hepatocellular carcinoma: Need for increased surveillance in adults with mild liver phenotypes
Authors: Schindler Emma A. , Gilbert Melissa A. , Piccoli David A. , Spinner Nancy B. , Krantz Ian D. , Loomes Kathleen M.
Published: December 2020

Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a multisystem autosomal dominant developmental disorder caused predominantly by pathogenic variants in JAGGED1 (JAG1), and also by pathogenic variants in NOTCH2 in a much smaller number of individuals. Clinical presentation is highly variable and includes liver, heart, eye, skeleton, and facial abnormalities, with a subset of individuals also presenting with kidney, vascular, and central nervous system phenotypes. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a rare complication of ALGS, though little is known about its incidence or etiology among affected individuals. Previous reports have identified HCC occurrence in both pediatric and adult cases of ALGS. We present a case report of HCC in a 58‐year‐old woman with a pathogenic JAG1 variant and no overt hepatic features of ALGS. Through a comprehensive literature review, we compile all reported pediatric and adult cases, and further highlight one previously reported case of HCC onset in an adult ALGS patient without any hepatic disease features, similar to our own described patient. Our case report and literature review suggest that ALGS‐causing variants could confer risk for developing HCC regardless of phenotypic severity and highlight a need for a cancer screening protocol that would enable early detection and treatment in this at‐risk population.
Effects of Low‐Intensity Microwave Radiation on Oxidant‐Antioxidant Parameters and DNA Damage in the Liver of Rats
Authors: Alkis Mehmet E. , Akdag Mehmet Z. , Dasdag Suleyman
Published: December 2020

The continuously increasing usage of cell phones has raised concerns about the adverse effects of microwave radiation (MWR) emitted by cell phones on health. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have claimed that MWR may cause various kinds of damage in tissues. The aim of this study is to examine the possible effects of exposure to low‐intensity MWR on DNA and oxidative damage in the livers of rats. Eighteen Sprague–Dawley male rats were divided into three equal groups randomly (n = 6). Group 1 (Sham‐control): rats were kept under conditions the same as those of other groups, except for MWR exposure. Group 2: rats exposed to 1800 MHz (SAR: 0.62 W/kg) at 0.127 ± 0.04 mW/cm2 power density, and Group 3: rats exposed to 2,100 MHz (SAR: 0.2 W/kg) at 0.038 ± 0.03 mW/cm2 power density. Microwave application groups were exposed to MWR 2 h/day for 7 months. At the end of the exposure period, the rats were sacrificed and DNA damage, malondialdehyde (MDA), 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG), and total oxidant‐antioxidant parameter analyses were conducted in their liver tissue samples. It was found that 1800 and 2100 MHz low‐intensity MWR caused a significant increase in MDA, 8‐OHdG, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index, and comet assay tail intensity (P < 0.05), while total antioxidant status levels (P < 0.05) decreased. The results of our study showed that whole‐body exposure to 1800 and 2100 MHz low‐intensity MWR emitted by cell phones can induce oxidative stress by altering oxidant‐antioxidant parameters and lead to DNA strand breaks and oxidative DNA damage in the liver of rats. Bioelectromagnetics. 2021;42:76–85. © 2020 Bioelectromagnetics Society
Aortoduodenal fistula successfully treated with endovascular repair
Authors: Fuchigami Junya , Miyamoto Kyohei , Shibata Naoaki , Yonemitsu Takafumi , Ueda Kentaro , Kato Seiya
Published: December 2020

Aortoduodenal fistula is a rare cause of life‐threatening upper gastrointestinal bleeding. Accurate diagnosis is essential to initiate definitive treatment because endoscopic hemostasis, which is the usual initial intervention for upper gastrointestinal bleeding, may be ineffective. This case underscores timely intervention using endovascular treatment for achieving hemostasis in aortoduodenal fistula.
De Novo Design of Selective Quadruplex–Duplex Junction Ligands and Structural Characterisation of Their Binding Mode: Targeting the G4 Hot‐Spot
Authors: Díaz‐Casado Laura , Serrano‐Chacón Israel , Montalvillo‐Jiménez Laura , Corzana Francisco , Bastida Agatha , Santana Andrés G. , González Carlos , Asensio Juan Luis
Published: December 2020

Targeting the interface between DNA quadruplex and duplex regions by small molecules holds significant promise in both therapeutics and nanotechnology. Herein, a new pharmacophore is reported, which selectively binds with high affinity to quadruplex–duplex junctions, while presenting a poorer affinity for G‐quadruplex or duplex DNA alone. Ligands complying with the reported pharmacophore exhibit a significant affinity and selectivity for quadruplex–duplex junctions, including the one observed in the HIV‐1 LTR‐III sequence. The structure of the complex between a quadruplex–duplex junction with a ligand of this family has been determined by NMR methods. According to these data, the remarkable selectivity of this structural motif for quadruplex–duplex junctions is achieved through an unprecedented interaction mode so far unexploited in medicinal and biological chemistry: the insertion of a benzylic ammonium moiety into the centre of the partially exposed G‐tetrad at the interface with the duplex. Further decoration of the described scaffolds with additional fragments opens up the road to the development of selective ligands for G‐quadruplex‐forming regions of the genome.
Improving Antibody‐Tubulysin Conjugates through Linker Chemistry and Site‐Specific Conjugation
Authors: Hamilton Joseph Z. , Pires Thomas A. , Mitchell Jamie A. , Cochran Julia H. , Emmerton Kim K. , Zaval Margo , Stone Ivan J. , Anderson Martha E. , Jin Steven , Waight Andrew B. , Lyon Robert P. , Senter Peter D. , Jeffrey Scott C. , Burke Patrick J.
Published: December 2020

Tubulysins have emerged in recent years as a compelling drug class for delivery to tumor cells via antibodies. The ability of this drug class to exert bystander activity while retaining potency against multidrug‐resistant cell lines differentiates them from other microtubule‐disrupting agents. Tubulysin M, a synthetic analogue, has proven to be active and well tolerated as an antibody‐drug conjugate (ADC) payload, but has the liability of being susceptible to acetate hydrolysis at the C11 position, leading to attenuated potency. In this work, we examine the ability of the drug‐linker and conjugation site to preserve acetate stability. Our findings show that, in contrast to a more conventional protease‐cleavable dipeptide linker, the β‐glucuronidase‐cleavable glucuronide linker protects against acetate hydrolysis and improves ADC activity in vivo. In addition, site‐specific conjugation can positively impact both acetate stability and in vivo activity. Together, these findings provide the basis for a highly optimized delivery strategy for tubulysin M.
Defining vitamin D receptor expression in the brain using a novel VDRCre mouse
Authors: Liu Hailan , He Yang , Beck Jessie , da Silva Teixeira Silvania , Harrison Keisha , Xu Yong , Sisley Stephanie
Published: December 2020

Vitamin D action has been linked to several diseases regulated by the brain including obesity, diabetes, autism, and Parkinson's. However, the location of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) in the brain is not clear due to conflicting reports. We found that two antibodies previously published as specific in peripheral tissues are not specific in the brain. We thus created a new knockin mouse with cre recombinase expression under the control of the endogenous VDR promoter (VDRCre). We demonstrated that the cre activity in the VDRCre mouse brain (as reported by a cre‐dependent tdTomato expression) is highly overlapping with endogenous VDR mRNAs. These VDR‐expressing cells were enriched in multiple brain regions including the cortex, amygdala, caudate putamen, and hypothalamus among others. In the hypothalamus, VDR partially colocalized with vasopressin, oxytocin, estrogen receptor‐α, and β‐endorphin to various degrees. We further functionally validated our model by demonstrating that the endogenous VDR agonist 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D activated all tested tdTomato+ neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus but had no effect on neurons without tdTomato fluorescence. Thus, we have generated a new mouse tool that allows us to visualize VDR‐expressing cells and to characterize their functions.
A temporally resolved transcriptome for developing “Keller” explants of the Xenopus laevis dorsal marginal zone
Authors: Kakebeen Anneke D. , Huebner Robert J. , Shindo Asako , Kwon Kujin , Kwon Taejoon , Wills Andrea E. , Wallingford John B.
Published: December 2020

Background

Explanted tissues from vertebrate embryos reliably develop in culture and have provided essential paradigms for understanding embryogenesis, from early embryological investigations of induction, to the extensive study of Xenopus animal caps, to the current studies of mammalian gastruloids. Cultured explants of the Xenopus dorsal marginal zone (“Keller” explants) serve as a central paradigm for studies of convergent extension cell movements, yet we know little about the global patterns of gene expression in these explants.

Results

In an effort to more thoroughly develop this important model system, we provide here a time‐resolved bulk transcriptome for developing Keller explants.

Conclusions

The dataset reported here provides a useful resource for those using Keller explants for studies of morphogenesis and provide genome‐scale insights into the temporal patterns of gene expression in an important tissue when explanted and grown in culture.
Anti‐heart antibodies levels and their correlation with clinical symptoms and outcomes in patients with confirmed or suspected diagnosis COVID‐19
Authors: Blagova Olga , Varionchik Nadezhda , Zaidenov Vladimir , Savina Polina , Sarkisova Natalia
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate the blood level of anti‐heart antibodies (AHA) and its correlation with clinical outcomes in patients with severe and moderate coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). The study included 34 patients (23 males; mean age 60.2 ± 16.6 years) with COVID‐19 pneumonia. Besides standard medical examination, the AHA blood levels were observed, including antinuclear antibodies, antiendothelial cell antibodies, anti‐cardiomyocyte antibodies (AbC), anti‐smooth muscle antibodies (ASMA), and cardiac conducting tissue antibodies. Median hospital length of stay was 14 [13; 18] days. AHA levels were increased in 25 (73.5%) patients. Significant correlation (p < 0.05) of AHA levels with cardiovascular manifestations (r = 0.459) was found. AbC levels correlated with pneumonia severity (r = 0.472), respiratory failure (r = 0.387), need for invasive ventilation (r = 0.469), chest pain (r = 0.374), low QRS voltage (r = 0.415), and levels of C‐reactive protein (r = 0.360) and lactate dehydrogenase (r = 0.360). ASMA levels were found to correlate with atrial fibrillation (r = 0.414, p < 0.05). Antinuclear antibodies and AbC levels correlated with pericardial effusion (r = 0.721 and r = 0.745, respectively, p < 0.05). The lethality rate was 8.8%. AbC and ASMA levels correlated significantly with lethality (r = 0.363 and r = 0.426, respectively, p < 0.05) and were prognostically important. AHA can be considered as part of the systemic immune and inflammatory response in COVID‐19. Its possible role in the inflammatory heart disease requires further investigation.
A unified model for multi‐turn closed‐loop pulsating heat pipe
Authors: Sarangi Radha K. , Swain Abhilas , Rane Milind V. , Kar Satya P. , Sekhar Polymersetty C.
Published: December 2020

Numerical modeling of  the multi‐turn closed‐loop pulsating heat pipe (CLPHP) in the bottom, horizontal, and top heat mode is presented in this paper, with water as working fluid. Modeling is carried out for 2‐mm ID CLPHP having 5, 16, and 32 turns at different orientations for 10 different cases. Momentum and heat transfer variations with time are investigated by numerically solving the one‐dimensional governing equations for vapor bubble and liquid plugs. Instead of considering all the vapor bubble at saturation temperature, vapor bubbles are allowed to remain in super‐heated condition. Film thickness is found using a correlation. Two‐phase heat transfer coefficient is calculated by considering conduction through the thin film at liquid–vapor interface. Liquid plug merging and splitting result in continuous variation in the number of liquid plugs and vapor bubble with time, which is also considered in the code. During the merging of liquid plugs, a time step‐adaptive scheme is implemented and this minimum time step was found to be 10−7 s. Model results are compared with the experimental results from literature for heat transfer and the maximum variation in heat transfer for all these cases is below ±39%.
Urban soils research: SUITMA 10
Authors: Cheng Zhongqi , Hettiarachchi Ganga M. , Kim Kye‐Hoon
Published: December 2020

Research on Soils in Urban, Industrial, Traffic, Mining and Military Areas (SUITMA) has been presented at biennial SUITMA conferences held in cities around the world. Soils from these areas often present environmental, ecological, and health risks and can limit ecological functions and ecosystem services. However, as with all soils, they are an integral part of the local ecosystem. In urban areas in particular, soil is a critical resource and can play a key role in the long‐term sustainability and resiliency of cities. This special section contains five papers from the SUITMA 10 conference held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2019. They cover diverse topics that include urban soil properties, risk from contaminated soils, biological indicators for ecological functions, air deposition in urban gardens, and international summer field school opportunities. This section highlights research on anthropogenic soils conducted by the SUITMA community to promote better understanding and management of these soils.
Evaluation of ERA5 precipitation over the eastern periphery of the Tibetan plateau from the perspective of regional rainfall events
Authors: Hu Xuelin , Yuan Weihua
Published: December 2020

The eastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau (EPTP), which connects the Tibetan Plateau in the west and the Sichuan Basin in the east, is a typical area with steep terrain. The performance of the ERA5 reanalysis data in revealing the regional rainfall events (RREs) over the EPTP was evaluated by conducting a comparison with the rain‐gauge data. The results showed that the ERA5 precipitation could capture the general spatiotemporal features of the evolution of the observed RREs with spatial correlation coefficients greater than 0.8, but obvious bias still existed. The rainfall frequency was generally greater and the rainfall intensity was weaker in the ERA5 precipitation from the Tibetan Plateau to the Sichuan Basin, with the rainfall amount being smaller over the EPTP and Sichuan Basin and larger over the eastern Tibetan Plateau. ERA5 precipitation tended to start earlier and end later relative to the RREs in the gauge data. During the RREs, the distribution of the precipitation intensity in ERA5 was weaker and more uniform than that of the gauge records, and the spatial ranges were larger, which responded well to the higher rainfall frequency but weaker intensity in ERA5 when compared with the gauge data. These findings remind us that attention should be paid when using reanalysis precipitation, especially over complex terrain such as that of the EPTP. Moreover, the incorrect timing of the ERA5 precipitation and the underestimation of the precipitation intensity indicated that problems still exist in the state‐of‐the‐art model system.
Assessment of surface exchange coefficients in the Noah‐MP land surface model for different land‐cover types in China
Authors: Zhang Xia , Chen Liang , Ma Zhuguo , Gao Yanhong
Published: December 2020

The parameterization of surface exchange coefficients (Ch) representing land–atmosphere coupling strength plays a key role in land surface modelling. Previous studies have found that land–atmosphere coupling in land surface models (LSMs) is largely overestimated, which affects the predictability of weather and climate evolution. To improve the representation of land–atmosphere interactions in LSMs, this study investigated the impact of dynamic canopy‐height‐dependent coupling strength in an offline Noah LSM with multi‐parameterization options (Noah‐MP) when applied to China. Comparison with the default Noah‐MP LSM showed that the dynamic scheme significantly improved the Ch calculations and realistically reduced the biases of simulated surface energy and water components against observations. It is noteworthy that the improvements brought about by the dynamic scheme differed across land‐cover types. The scheme was superior in reproducing the observed Ch as well as surface energy and water variables for short vegetation (grass, crops, and shrubs), whereas the improvement for tall canopy vegetation (forest) was not significant although the estimations were reasonable. The improved version benefits from the treatment of the roughness length for heat. Further, the scheme can better reproduce the observed surface thermal components, while the improvement in hydraulic variables (such as soil moisture) remains limited. Overall, the dynamic coupling scheme markedly affects the simulation of land–atmosphere interactions, and altering the dynamics of surface coupling has the potential to improve the representation of land–atmosphere interactions and, thus, the further development of LSM.
Fabrication and maturation of integrated biphasic anatomic mesenchymal stromal cell‐laden composite scaffolds for osteochondral repair and joint resurfacing
Authors: Fryhofer George W. , Zlotnick Hannah M. , Stoeckl Brendan D. , Farrell Megan J. , Steinberg David R. , Mauck Robert L.
Published: December 2020

Articular cartilage injury can lead to joint‐wide erosion and the early onset of osteoarthritis. To address this, we recently developed a rapid fabrication method to produce patient‐specific engineered cartilage tissues to replace an entire articular surface. Here, we extended that work by coupling a mesenchymal stromal cell‐laden hydrogel (methacrylated hyaluronic acid) with the porous polycaprolactone (PCL) bone integrating phase and assessed the composition and mechanical performance of these constructs over time. To improve initial construct stability, PCL/hydrogel interface parameters were first optimized by varying PCL pretreatment (with sodium hydroxide before ethanol) before hydrogel infusion. Next, cylindrical osteochondral constructs were formed and cultured in media containing transforming growth factor β3 for up to 8 weeks, with constructs evaluated for viability, histological features, and biochemical content. Mechanical properties were also assessed in axial compression and via an interface shear strength assay. Results showed that the fabrication process was compatible with cell viability, and that construct biochemical content and mechanical properties increased with time. Interestingly, compressive properties peaked at 5 weeks, while interfacial shear properties continued to improve beyond this time point. Finally, these fabrication methods were combined with a custom mold developed from limb‐specific computed tomography imaging data to create an anatomic implantable cell‐seeded biologic joint surface, which showedmaturation similar to the osteochondral cylinders. Future work will apply these advances in large animal models of critically sized osteochondral defects to study repair and whole joint resurfacing.
T2‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging texture as predictor of low back pain: A texture analysis‐based classification pipeline to symptomatic and asymptomatic cases
Authors: Ketola Juuso H. J. , Inkinen Satu I. , Karppinen Jaro , Niinimäki Jaakko , Tervonen Osmo , Nieminen Miika T.
Published: December 2020

Low back pain is a very common symptom and the leading cause of disability throughout the world. Several degenerative imaging findings seen on magnetic resonance imaging are associated with low back pain but none of them is specific for the presence of low back pain as abnormal findings are prevalent among asymptomatic subjects as well. The purpose of this population‐based study was to investigate if more specific magnetic resonance imaging predictors of low back pain could be found via texture analysis and machine learning. We used this methodology to classify T2‐weighted magnetic resonance images from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 data to symptomatic and asymptomatic groups. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a fast spin‐echo sequence at 1.5 T. Texture analysis pipeline consisting of textural feature extraction, principal component analysis, and logistic regression classifier was applied to the data to classify them into symptomatic (clinically relevant pain with frequency ≥30 days and intensity ≥6/10) and asymptomatic (frequency ≤7 days, intensity ≤3/10, and no previous pain episodes in the follow‐up period) groups. Best classification results were observed applying texture analysis to the two lowest intervertebral discs (L4‐L5 and L5‐S1), with accuracy of 83%, specificity of 83%, sensitivity of 82%, negative predictive value of 94%, precision of 56%, and receiver operating characteristic area‐under‐curve of 0.91. To conclude, textural features from T2‐weighted magnetic resonance images can be applied in low back pain classification.