bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and characterization of oxaceprol‐loaded poly‐lactide‐co‐glycolide nanoparticles for the treatment of osteoarthritis
Authors: Alarçin Emine , Demirbağ Çağlar , Karsli‐Ceppioglu Seher , Kerimoğlu Oya , Bal‐Ozturk Ayça
Published: January 2020

Oxaceprol is well‐defined therapeutic agent as an atypical inhibitor of inflammation in osteoarthritis. In the present study, we aimed to develop and characterize oxaceprol‐loaded poly‐lactide‐co‐glycolide (PLGA) nanoparticles for intra‐articular administration in osteoarthritis. PLGA nanoparticles were prepared by double‐emulsion solvent evaporation method. Meanwhile, a straightforward and generally applicable high performance liquid chromatography method was developed, and validated for the first time for the quantification of oxaceprol. To examine the drug carrying capacity of nanoparticles, varying amount of oxaceprol was entrapped into a constant amount of polymer matrix. Moreover, the efficacy of drug amount on nanoparticle characteristics such as particle size, zeta potential, morphology, drug entrapment, and in vitro drug release was investigated. Nanoparticle sizes were between 229 and 509 nm for different amount of oxaceprol with spherical smooth morphology. Encapsulation efficiency ranged between 39.73 and 63.83% by decreasing oxaceprol amount. The results of Fourier transform infrared and DSC showed absence of interaction between oxaceprol and PLGA. The in vitro drug release from these nanoparticles showed a sustained release of oxaceprol over 30 days. According to cell culture studies, oxaceprol‐loaded nanoparticles had no cytotoxicity with high biocompatibility. This study was the first step of developing an intra‐articular system in the treatment of osteoarthritis for the controlled release of oxaceprol. Our findings showed that these nanoparticles can be beneficial for an effective treatment of osteoarthritis avoiding side effects associated with oral administration.
Guidelines on diagnosis, prognosis, and management of peripheral artery disease in patients with foot ulcers and diabetes (IWGDF 2019 update)
Authors: Hinchliffe Robert J. , Forsythe Rachael O. , Apelqvist Jan , Boyko Edward J. , Fitridge Robert , Hong Joon Pio , Katsanos Konstantinos , Mills Joseph L. , Nikol Sigrid , Reekers Jim , Venermo Maarit , Zierler R. Eugene , Schaper Nicolaas C. ,   on behalf of the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF)
Published: January 2020

The International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) has published evidence‐based guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetic foot disease since 1999. This guideline is on the diagnosis, prognosis, and management of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in patients with foot ulcers and diabetes and updates the previous IWGDF Guideline. Up to 50% of patients with diabetes and foot ulceration have concurrent PAD, which confers a significantly elevated risk of adverse limb events and cardiovascular disease. We know that the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of these patients are markedly different to patients with diabetes who do not have PAD and yet there are few good quality studies addressing this important subset of patients. We followed the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology to devise clinical questions and critically important outcomes in the patient‐intervention‐comparison‐outcome (PICO) format, to conduct a systematic review of the medical‐scientific literature, and to write recommendations and their rationale. The recommendations are based on the quality of evidence found in the systematic review, expert opinion where evidence was not available, and a weighing of the benefits and harms, patient preferences, feasibility and applicability, and costs related to the intervention. We here present the updated 2019 guidelines on diagnosis, prognosis, and management of PAD in patients with a foot ulcer and diabetes, and we suggest some key future topics of particular research interest.
Spatial and temporal turnover of soil microbial communities is not linked to function in a primary tropical forest
Authors: Kivlin Stephanie N. , Hawkes Christine V.
Published: January 2020

The spatial and temporal linkages between turnover of soil microbial communities and their associated functions remain largely unexplored in terrestrial ecosystems. Yet defining these relationships and how they vary across ecosystems and microbial lineages is key to incorporating microbial communities into ecological forecasts and ecosystem models. To define linkages between turnover of soil bacterial and fungal communities and their function we sampled fungal and bacterial composition, abundance, and enzyme activities across a 3‐ha area of wet tropical primary forest over 2 yr. We show that fungal and bacterial communities both exhibited temporal turnover, but turnover of both groups was much lower than in temperate ecosystems. Turnover over time was driven by gain and loss of microbial taxa and not changes in abundance of individual species present in multiple samples. Only fungi varied over space with idiosyncratic variation that did not increase linearly with distance among sampling locations. Only phosphorus‐acquiring enzyme activities were linked to shifts in septate, decomposer fungal abundance; no enzymes were affected by composition or diversity of fungi or bacteria. Although temporal and spatial variation in composition was appreciable, because turnover of microbial communities did not alter the functional repertoire of decomposing enzymes, functional redundancy among taxa may be high in this ecosystem. Slow temporal turnover of tropical soil microbial communities and large functional redundancy suggests that shifts in abundance of particular functional groups may capture ecosystem function more accurately than composition in these heterogeneous ecosystems.
Haemodynamic and metabolic phenotyping of hypertensive patients with and without heart failure by combining cardiopulmonary and echocardiographic stress test
Authors: Pugliese Nicola R. , Mazzola Matteo , Fabiani Iacopo , Gargani Luna , De Biase Nicolò , Pedrinelli Roberto , Natali Andrea , Dini Frank L.
Published: January 2020

Aim

We combined cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) and exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) to identify early haemodynamic and metabolic alterations in patients with hypertension (HT) with and without heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF).

Methods and results

Fifty stable HFpEF‐HT outpatients (mean age 68 ± 14 years) on optimal medical therapy, 63 well‐controlled HT subjects (mean age 63 ± 11 years) and 32 age and sex‐matched healthy controls (mean age 59 ± 15 years) underwent a symptom‐limited graded ramp bicycle CPET‐ESE. The acquisition protocol included left ventricular cardiac output, global longitudinal strain, E/e′, peak oxygen consumption (VO2), non‐invasive arterial–venous oxygen content difference (AVO2diff) and lung ultrasound B‐lines. There was a decline in peak VO2 from controls (24.4 ± 3 mL/min/kg) to HFpEF‐HT (15.2 ± 2 mL/min/kg), passing through HT (18.7 ± 2 mL/min/kg; P < 0.0001). HFpEF‐HT displayed a lower peak cardiac output (9.8 ± 0.9 L/min) compared to HT (12.6 ± 1.0 L/min; P = 0.02) and controls (13.3 ± 1.0 L/min; P = 0.01). Peak AVO2diff was reduced in HFpEF‐HT and HT (13.3 ± 2 and 13.5 ± 2 mL/dL vs. controls: 16.9 ± 2 mL/dL; P < 0.0001). A different left ventricular contractility was observed among groups, expressed as low‐load global longitudinal strain (−16.8 ± 5% in HFpEF‐HT, −18.2 ± 3% in HT, and 20.9 ± 3% in controls; P < 0.0001), and distribution of E/e′ and B‐lines [HFpEF‐HT: 13.7 ± 3 and 16, interquartile range (IQR) 10–22; HT: 9.5 ± 2 and 8, IQR 4–10; controls: 6.2 ± 2 and 0, IQR 0–2; P < 0.0001].

Conclusions

Reduced peak VO2 values in HT with and without HFpEF may be the result of decreased AVO2diff. CPET‐ESE can also identify mild signs of left ventricular systo‐diastolic dysfunction and pulmonary congestion, promoting advances in personalized therapy.
Biological Evaluation of Azo‐ and Imino‐Based Carboxylate Triphenyltin(IV) Compounds
Authors: Paul Anup , Hazra Susanta , Guedes da Silva M. Fátima C. , Pombeiro Armando J. L.
Published: January 2020

Azo (‐N=N‐)‐ and imino (‐C=N‐)‐carboxylate triphenyltin(IV) compounds, which are well known for their promising biological activities, are usually synthesized by reacting a triphenyltin(IV) compound (oxide, hydroxide or chloride) with a suitably substituted carboxylic acid, under appropriate conditions. Their biological properties are influenced by the type/position of the functional azo or imino group in the carboxylate ligand skeleton. They are very effective in anticancer studies, being often better than the standard drug cisplatin in terms of cytotoxicity. A few of the azo‐appended carboxylate triphenyltin(IV) compounds also display anti‐bacterial, anti‐fungal and anti‐diabetic activities. The present manuscript highlights the syntheses, structures, and biological (i.e., anti‐cancer, anti‐bacterial, anti‐fungal and anti‐diabetic) activities of such triphenyltin(IV) compounds.
Selectively Tunable Domino Reaction of 1,3‐Diphenylpropane‐1,3‐dione on the Ethoxy‐Silicon Core
Authors: Szűcs Rózsa , Fekete Csaba , Bombicz Petra , Rohonczy János , Kovács Ilona , Nyulászi László
Published: January 2020

The reaction of (EtO)3SiCl with 1,3‐diphenylpropane‐1,3‐dione in dichloromethane yields an ionic hexacoordinate compound featuring three chelating 1,3‐diphenylpropane‐1,3‐dionato ligands as proven by its X‐ray structure and multinuclear NMR studies in a fast domino reaction. With a proper selection of the solvent (toluene) and the reaction time, the intermediates of the reaction sequence can be selectively obtained. With an excess of the starting chlorosilane and short reaction times, the tetracoordinate silane can be obtained by the replacement of the chloro substituent. This compound shows a dynamic behavior according to its 13C NMR spectrum, involving its pentacoordinate isomer, which is only slightly less stable according to DFT calculations. The hemilabile ethoxy group can easily be replaced by a further 1,3‐diphenylpropane‐1,3‐dionato ligand, yielding the neutral hexacoordinate silane with two chelators and two ethoxy groups, as characterized by X‐ray crystallography and multinuclear NMR studies.
Corynebacterium glutamicum, a natural overproducer of succinic acid?
Authors: Briki Amani , Kaboré Karim , Olmos Eric , Bosselaar Sabine , Blanchard Fabrice , Fick Michel , Guedon Emmanuel , Fournier Frantz , Delaunay Stéphane
Published: January 2020

Corynebacterium glutamicum is well known as an important industrial amino acid producer. For a few years, its ability to produce organic acids, under micro‐aerobic or anaerobic conditions was demonstrated. This study is focused on the identification of the culture parameters influencing the organic acids production and, in particular, the succinate production, by this bacterium. Corynebacterium glutamicum 2262, used throughout this study, was a wild‐type strain, which was not genetically designed for the production of succinate. The oxygenation level and the residual glucose concentration appeared as two critical parameters for the organic acids production. The maximal succinate concentration (4.9 g L−1) corresponded to the lower kLa value of 5 h−1. Above 5 h−1, a transient accumulation of the succinate was observed. Interestingly, the stop in the succinate production was concomitant with a lower threshold glucose concentration of 9 g L−1. Taking into account this threshold, a fed‐batch culture was performed to optimize the succinate production with C. glutamicum 2262. The results showed that this wild‐type strain was able to produce 93.6 g L−1 of succinate, which is one of the highest concentration reported in the literature.
Effect of initial stresses on the elastic waves in transversely isotropic thermoelastic materials
Authors: Tochhawng Lalawmpuia , SS Singh
Published: January 2020

In the present article, we have studied the reflection/transmission of elastic waves in initially stressed transversely isotropic thermoelastic materials. Three quasi type coupled longitudinal (QL), transverse (QT), and thermal waves are found to propagate in initially stressed transversely isotropic thermoelastic materials. For incident QL and QT‐waves at a plane interface, boundary conditions were implemented for obtaining the coefficients of reflection/transmission, the distribution of energy in the reflected and transmitted waves are also discussed. We have observed that the results vary with direction of incidence as well as the parameters due to elasticity, thermal, and initial stresses. Numerical computations have been performed and analyzed the impact of initial stresses on the results. It has been observed critical angles at θ0=30° and 58° for the reflected and transmitted QL‐waves for incident QT‐wave.
Nitrogen‐doped nanoarray‐modified 3D hierarchical graphene as a cofunction host for high‐performance flexible Li‐S battery
Authors: Lu Ruichao , Cheng Meng , Mao Lijuan , Zhang Miao , Yuan Hongxin , Amin Kamran , Yang Chen , Cheng Yueli , Meng Yuena , Wei Zhixiang
Published: January 2020

Lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries with high energy density are promising candidates for next‐generation energy storage systems. Practical application of Li‐S batteries is hindered by shuttle effect of polysulfides and Li dendrites growth. Herein, a self‐supporting cofunction host is constructed with 3D hierarchical graphene modified by N‐doped nanoarrays, for both Li anode and S cathode to improve their performances simultaneously. Attributed to high conductivity, strong affinity, and optimized Li‐ion transport pathway of N‐doped nanoarrays, cofunction host provide excellent Li and S load, which facilitates uniform Li deposition and enhanced S conversion. Particularly, an extra graphene barrier is specialized for S cathode to inhibit the shuttle effect. As a result, Li anode shows long cycle life with outstanding Li‐plating behavior, and S cathode shows high capacity and ultrahigh capacity retention with good immobilization of polysulfides. More importantly, the integrated Li‐S battery shows long cycle stability and good flexibility, which is important for future application.

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Grid integrated photovoltaic system with fuzzy based maximum power point tracking control along with harmonic elimination
Authors: Mehmood Faizan , Ashraf Nouman , Alvarez Lourdes , Malik Tahir Nadeem , Qureshi Hassaan Khaliq , Kamal Tariq
Published: January 2020

Efficient extraction and conversion of solar power is an important research area in the field of renewable energy integration. Although, literature is enriched with different power extraction, conversion, and harmonics elimination techniques but still there are problems of maximum power point tracking (MPPT) under partial shading conditions, photovoltaic (PV) mismatching, power fluctuation in steady‐state condition, and higher total harmonic distortion (THD) value. The article has two manifolds. First, it proposes a fuzzy embedded MPPT controller to extract the maximum available PV power under time‐varying environmental conditions. For that, it utilizes seven linguistic variables and fuzzy sets along with 49 rules base to have reduced power fluctuation and power losses in a steady‐state condition, and fast tracking under time‐varying temperature and solar irradiance condition. The performance of the proposed fuzzy‐logic control (FLC)‐49 rules base is compared with FLC‐25 rules and perturb & observe based MPPT controllers. Second, for fulfilling the load demands with lower switching losses and THD, particle swarm optimization (PSO) based selective harmonic elimination (SHE) technique is applied on a cascaded half‐bridge multilevel inverter. SHE technique utilizes switching angles, which are found by solving the nonlinear transcendental equations obtained by Fourier series expansion of stepped output voltage waveform. For that, the proposed research preferred meta‐heuristic techniques of PSO over the classical techniques because of their high convergence rate, short run time, less complexity, and ability to obtain lower THD.
Research on quality changes of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) during short‐term starvation
Authors: Yang Wenxian , Shi Wenzheng , Qu Yinghong , Qin Jiaying , Wang Zhihe
Published: January 2020

This study was aimed at to investigate the quality changes of grass carp during short‐term starvation. The pH, lactic acid, free amino acid, and adenosine triphosphate‐related compounds of dorsal meat, belly meat and red meat in grass carp were measured during starvation for 6 days, and the quality of grass carp was evaluated by K value, equivalent umami concentration (EUC), taste activity value (TAV), and electronic tongue. The pH of three parts meat reached the maximum value on the fourth day, which was closely related to the lactic acid content. Concurrently, the contents of fresh sweet amino acids were higher on the fourth day in all parts. The K values in dorsal meat and belly meat were below 10% during starvation. Considering the overall results of electronic tongue, EUC, and TAV analysis, it is suggested that grass carp should be marketed and eaten with a starvation period of 2–4 days for best taste and quality.
Neural responses to social evaluative threat in the absence of negative investigator feedback and provoked performance failures
Authors: Fehlner Phöbe , Bilek Edda , Harneit Anais , Böhringer Andreas , Moessnang Carolin , Meyer‐Lindenberg Andreas , Tost Heike
Published: January 2020

Functional neuroimaging of social stress induction has considerably furthered our understanding of the neural risk architecture of stress‐related mental disorders. However, broad application of existing neuroimaging stress paradigms is challenging, among others due to the relatively high intensity of the employed stressors, which limits applications in patients and longitudinal study designs. Here, we introduce a less intense neuroimaging stress paradigm in which subjects anticipate, prepare, and give speeches under simulated social evaluation without harsh investigator feedback or provoked performance failures (IMaging Paradigm for Evaluative Social Stress, IMPRESS). We show that IMPRESS significantly increases perceived arousal as well as adrenergic (heart rate, pupil diameter, and blood pressure) and hormonal (cortisol) responses. Amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), two key regions of the emotion and stress regulatory circuitry, are significantly engaged by IMPRESS. We further report associations of amygdala and pACC responses with measures of adrenergic arousal (heart rate, pupil diameter) and social environmental risk factors (adverse childhood experiences, urban living). Our data indicate that IMPRESS induces benchmark psychological and endocrinological responses to social evaluative stress, taps into core neural circuits related to stress processing and mental health risk, and is promising for application in mental illness and in longitudinal study designs.
A multi‐contrast MRI approach to thalamus segmentation
Authors: Corona Veronica , Lellmann Jan , Nestor Peter , Schönlieb Carola‐Bibiane , Acosta‐Cabronero Julio
Published: January 2020

Thalamic alterations occur in many neurological disorders including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis. Routine interventions to improve symptom severity in movement disorders, for example, often consist of surgery or deep brain stimulation to diencephalic nuclei. Therefore, accurate delineation of grey matter thalamic subregions is of the upmost clinical importance. MRI is highly appropriate for structural segmentation as it provides different views of the anatomy from a single scanning session. Though with several contrasts potentially available, it is also of increasing importance to develop new image segmentation techniques that can operate multi‐spectrally. We hereby propose a new segmentation method for use with multi‐modality data, which we evaluated for automated segmentation of major thalamic subnuclear groups using T1‐weighted, ‐weighted and quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) information. The proposed method consists of four steps: Highly iterative image co‐registration, manual segmentation on the average training‐data template, supervised learning for pattern recognition, and a final convex optimisation step imposing further spatial constraints to refine the solution. This led to solutions in greater agreement with manual segmentation than the standard Morel atlas based approach. Furthermore, we show that the multi‐contrast approach boosts segmentation performances. We then investigated whether prior knowledge using the training‐template contours could further improve convex segmentation accuracy and robustness, which led to highly precise multi‐contrast segmentations in single subjects. This approach can be extended to most 3D imaging data types and any region of interest discernible in single scans or multi‐subject templates.
Birth seasonality of childhood central nervous system tumors: Analysis of primary data from 16 Southern‐Eastern European population‐based registries
Authors: Karalexi Maria A. , Dessypris Nick , Georgakis Marios K. , Ryzhov Anton , Jakab Zsuzsanna , Zborovskaya Anna , Dimitrova Nadya , Zivkovic Snezana , Trojanowski Maciej , Sekerija Mario , Antunes Luis , Zagar Tina , Eser Sultan , Bastos Joana , Demetriou Anna , Agius Domenic , Coza Daniela , Gheorghiu Raluca , Kantzanou Maria , Ntzani Evangelia E. , Petridou Eleni Th. ,   NARECHEM‐ST Group
Published: January 2020

Season of birth, a surrogate of seasonal variation of environmental exposures, has been associated with increased risk of several cancers. In the context of a Southern‐Eastern Europe (SEE) consortium, we explored the potential association of birth seasonality with childhood (0–14 years) central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Primary CNS tumor cases (n = 6,014) were retrieved from 16 population‐based SEE registries (1983–2015). Poisson regression and meta‐analyses on birth season were performed in nine countries with available live birth data (n = 4,987). Subanalyses by birth month, age, gender and principal histology were also conducted. Children born during winter were at a slightly increased risk of developing a CNS tumor overall [incidence rate ratio (IRR): 1.06, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.99–1.14], and of embryonal histology specifically (IRR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.01–1.27). The winter peak of embryonal tumors was higher among boys (IRR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.05–1.46), especially during the first 4 years of life (IRR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.03–1.71). In contrast, boys <5 years born during summer seemed to be at a lower risk of embryonal tumors (IRR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.54–0.99). A clustering of astrocytomas was also found among girls (0–14 years) born during spring (IRR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.03–1.46). Although the present exploratory results are by no means definitive, they provide some indications for age‐, gender‐ and histology‐related seasonal variations of CNS tumors. Expansion of registration and linkage with cytogenetic reports could refine if birth seasonality is causally associated with CNS tumors and shed light into the complex pathophysiology of this lethal disease.
Memory materials and devices: From concept to application
Authors: Zhang Zhenhan , Wang Zongwei , Shi Tuo , Bi Chong , Rao Feng , Cai Yimao , Liu Qi , Wu Huaqiang , Zhou Peng
Published: January 2020

Memory cells have always been an important element of information technology. With emerging technologies like big data and cloud computing, the scale and complexity of data storage has reached an unprecedented peak with a much higher requirement for memory technology. As is well known, better data storage is mostly achieved by miniaturization. However, as the size of the memory device is reduced, a series of problems, such as drain gate‐induced leakage, greatly hinder the performance of memory units. To meet the increasing demands of information technology, novel and high‐performance memory is urgently needed. Fortunately, emerging memory technologies are expected to improve memory performance and drive the information revolution. This review will focus on the progress of several emerging memory technologies, including two‐dimensional material‐based memories, resistance random access memory (RRAM), magnetic random access memory (MRAM), and phase‐change random access memory (PCRAM). Advantages, mechanisms, and applications of these diverse memory technologies will be discussed in this review.

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MicroRNA‐628‐5p inhibits invasion and migration of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via suppression of the AKT/NF‐kappa B pathway
Authors: Zhou Lin , Jiao Xiaoxiao , Peng Xiaoqian , Yao Xiaomeng , Liu Lu , Zhang Lianfeng
Published: January 2020

The biological function and underlying mechanism of microRNA‐628‐5p (miR‐628‐5p) remains to be clarified in the growth and progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here, the expression levels of miR‐628‐5p in PDAC tissues and cells were detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. The relationship between miR‐628‐5p expression and clinicopathologic characteristics was examined in human PDAC tissue samples. Gain‐ and loss‐of‐function and the putative targets of miR‐628‐5p were evaluated in PDAC cell lines. The upstream and downstream signals of miR‐628‐5p in PDAC were also examined. MiR‐628‐5p was lowly expressed in PDAC tissues and cell lines, and low miR‐628‐5p expression in PDAC tissues was associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics and shorter overall survival. Functionally, restoration of miR‐628‐5p expression decreased PDAC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis, whereas miR‐628‐5p silencing abolished these biological behaviors. MiR‐628‐5p was found to target and negatively regulate phospholipid scramblase 1 and insulin receptor substrate 1 expression, which resulted in the inhibition of the AKT/NF‐κB signaling pathway. MYC knockdown led to miR‐628‐5p upregulation, whereas MYC overexpression repressed miR‐628‐5p expression. These findings indicate that miR‐628‐5p functions as a tumor‐suppressive microRNA in PDAC and implicate miR‐628‐5p as a potential therapeutic target for PDAC patients.
RETRACTED: Long noncoding RNA ITGB2‐AS1 promotes growth and metastasis through miR‐4319/RAF1 axis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Ming , Qin Qi , Zhu Junling , Guo Yao , Yin Tao , Wu Heshui , Wang Chunyou
Published: January 2020

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has been considered as potentially critical regulators in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). In this study, we prospectively investigate the effect and mechanism of lncRNA integrin subunit beta 2‐anti‐sense RNA 1 (ITGB2‐AS1) on regulation of PDAC progression. The expression of ITGB2‐AS1 and its target were analyzed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization. 3‐(4,5‐Dimethylthiazol‐z‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide, flow cytometry, wound healing, and transwell assays were used to investigate the influence of ITGB2‐AS1 on cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion, respectively. The interaction between ITGB2‐AS1 and its target was determined via luciferase activity assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. The subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model was established and employed to detect the tumorigenic function of ITGB2‐AS1, which was evaluated by western blot analysis, immunohistochemistry, and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The results showed that ITGB2‐AS1 was elevated in both PDAC tumor tissues and cell lines, predicting a poor prognosis in PDAC patients. Knocking down of ITGB2‐AS1 suppressed PDAC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration but induced cell apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, ITGB2‐AS1 could target and inhibit the expression of miR‐4319 and miR‐4319‐targeted and ‐suppressed serine/threonine kinase RAF1. ITGB2‐AS1 promoted PDAC progression via inhibition of miR‐4319. Interference of ITGB2‐AS1 could suppress in vivo tumorigenic ability of PDAC via downregulation of RAF1. In conclusion, ITGB2‐AS1 promoted PDAC progression via sponging miR‐4319 to upregulate RAF1, suggesting the potential therapeutic target ability of ITGB2‐AS1 in PDAC.
MicroRNA‐4731‐5p delivered by AD‐mesenchymal stem cells induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioblastoma
Authors: Allahverdi Amir , Arefian Ehsan , Soleimani Masoud , Ai Jafar , Nahanmoghaddam Negin , Yousefi‐Ahmadipour Aliakbar , Ebrahimi‐Barough Somayeh
Published: January 2020

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) exhibits the most malignant brain tumor with very poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are regulatory factors that can downregulate the expression of multiple genes. Several miRNAs acting as tumor‐suppressor genes have been identified so far. The delivery of miRNA by mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) due to their ability to specifically target tumors is a new, hopeful therapeutic approach for glioblastoma. The objective of our study is the investigation of the effect of lentivirus‐mediated microRNA‐4731 (miR‐4731) genetic manipulated adipose‐derived (AD)‐MSC on GBM. The downregulation of miR‐4731 in human GBM tumor was detected using the GEO dataset. To evaluate the function of miR‐4731, we overexpressed miR‐4731 using lentiviral vectors in U‐87 and U‐251 GBM cell lines. The effects of miR‐4731 on cell proliferation and cell cycle of glioma cells were analyzed by wound test and flow‐cytometry assay. miR‐4731 inhibited the proliferation of GBM cancer cells. Coculturing was used to study the antiproliferative effect of miR‐4731‐AD‐MSCs on GBM cell lines. Direct and indirect coculture of GBM cell lines with miR‐4731‐AD‐MSCs induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Our findings suggest that AD‐MSCs expressing miR‐4731 have favorable antitumor characteristics and should be further explored in future glioma therapy.
Acrylic acid synthesis via condensation of acetic acid and formaldehyde catalyzed by silica aerogel‐supported SiW/PW/PMo oxides
Authors: Shen Lingqin , Yu Zhongyong , Yin Hengbo , Wang Chengtao , Wang Aili , Shao Shouyan
Published: January 2020

BACKGROUND

The demand for acrylic acid continues to increase rapidly due to its widespread application. The traditional production of acrylic acid originates from non‐sustainable propylene oxidation. Considering the environmental requirements and economic sustainable development, it is of great significance to exploit new routes to replace the petrochemical route.

RESULTS

Comparison of silica aerogel‐supported SiW/PW/PMo catalysts shows that PW/SiO2 catalyst with 30 wt% loading and calcined at 450 °C provides the best performance for the condensation of acetic acid and formaldehyde. Increasing the reaction temperature from 340 to 400 °C leads to the best acrylic acid selectivities of 87.1–84.2% at formaldehyde conversions of 35.7–45.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

The catalytic performance of PW/SiO2 catalyst increases with increasing PW loading. The acidic and basic sites of the catalyst, especially the weak ones, are of vital importance to the synthesis of acrylic acid via the aldol condensation of acetic acid and formaldehyde. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Valuing water quality benefits from adopting best management practices: A spatial approach
Authors: Choi Dong Soon , Ready Richard C. , Shortle James S.
Published: January 2020

We developed a GIS‐based tool that values, in a spatially explicit way, the ecosystem services generated by water quality improvements resulting from adoption of agricultural best management practices (BMPs). The tool is calibrated for watersheds in the Chesapeake Bay drainage and includes the benefits from water quality improvements within targeted watersheds, water quality improvements downstream from targeted watersheds, and reductions in pollutant loadings to Chesapeake Bay. The tool is used to investigate specific BMP scenarios adopted within specific watersheds. The results show that (i) BMP adoption generates large positive net benefits to society, with benefit/cost ratios ranging from 22 to 276; (ii) by selecting cost effective BMPs and placing them in the most appropriate places, the cost of meeting pollutant reduction targets would be reduced by 34–71%; and (iii) net benefits from BMP adoption are higher when they are implemented close to or upstream from population centers.
Ethnicity as predictor of immune reconstitution among Malaysian HIV‐positive patients treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy
Authors: Mohamad Isa Irma Izani , Abu Bakar Suhaili , Ab Rahman Ahmad Kashfi
Published: January 2020

The impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on immune recovery and viral load suppression among HIV‐1 positive patients treated with HAART particularly in Malaysia is largely unknown. This cross‐sectional study enrolled 170 HIV‐1‐infected individuals of three major ethnicities who attended three HIV outpatient clinics in Malaysia. Questionnaire was used to obtain sociodemographic data while CD4 count and viral load data were gathered from hospital's record. Multiple factors were assessed for their predictive effects on CD4 count recovery (≥500 cells/mm3) and viral load suppression (≤50 copies/mL) using binary logistic regression. Most of the subjects were male (149/87.6%), in the age group 30 to 39 years old (78/45.9%) and got infected via homosexual contact (82/48.2%). Indians were associated with 11 times higher chance for CD4 recovery as compared to Malays at 8 to 12 months of HAART (adjusted OR: 10.948, 95% CI: 1.873, 64.001, P = .008). Viral load suppression was positively influenced by intravenous drug use (IVDU) status (adjusted OR: 35.224, 95% CI: 1.234, 1000.489, P = .037) at 4 to 6 months of HAART. Higher pretreatment CD4 count was a positive predictor for both initial immunological and virological responses while higher pretreatment viral load was a negative predictor for virological suppression only. In conclusion, ethnicity plays a significant role in determining early immune reconstitution in Malaysia, besides pretreatment CD4 count. Further studies are needed to identify possible biological factors underlying this association.
Capillary electrophoresis with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection for the determination of urinary ethylmalonic acid for the diagnosis of ethylmalonic aciduria
Authors: Özçelik Sirun , Öztekin Nevin , Kıykım Ertuğrul , Cansever Mehmet Şerif , Aktuğlu‐Zeybek Ayşe Çiğdem
Published: January 2020

Ethylmalonic acid is a metabolic organic acid, and its accumulation in urine is diagnostic of ethylmalonic aciduria. In this study, a simple and fast method employing capillary electrophoresis equipped with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection was developed for the detection of ethylmalonic acid in urine samples. The optimized electrophoretic separation was performed in 50 mmol/L 2‐(N‐morpholino)ethanesulfonic acid solution, buffered at a pH of 6.5, and contained 0.13 mmol/L cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as an electroosmotic modifier. Electrophoresis was run at 28 kV in reversed polarity. The linear range of ethylmalonic acid concentration was between 1 and 100 mg/L with a regression coefficient of 0.9998. This method had good intra‐ and interday precision with <5% relative standard deviations. The detection limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 3) and the quantification limit (signal‐to‐noise ratio = 10) values were 0.139 and 0.466 mg/L, respectively. Using our optimized conditions, the method was successfully employed for the detection of ethylmalonic acid in urine sample of ethylmalonic aciduria patient.
Investigation on Naphthalene and Its Derivatives‐Based Microporous Organic Hyper‐Cross‐Linked Polymers via Different Methodologies
Authors: Teng Dao‐Guang , Wei Xian‐Yong , Yang Zheng , Zhu Qing‐Jiang , Gao Hua‐Shuai , Li Jia‐Hao , Zhang Min , Zong Zhi‐Min
Published: January 2020

A series of cost‐effective hyper‐cross‐linked polymers (HCLPs) are synthesized from naphthalene via the external cross‐linker (ECL) knitting method, the solvent knitting method, and the Scholl coupling reaction, respectively. According to multiple characterizations, the resulting polymers are thermally stable and fluorescent with large specific surface areas (SSAs) and narrow pore distributions. In particular the HCLP synthesized using dimethoxymethane as the ECL exhibits SSAs up to 2870 m2 g−1 and shows a great potential in gas adsorption applications. Naphthol and 1‐methylnaphthalene are used as monomers to synthesize HCLPs by the above three methods to investigate whether introducing functional groups to naphthalene would improve properties of the resulting polymers. Moreover, HCLPs feature high SSAs, outstanding thermal and fluorescent performances, and facile synthesis, making them promising candidates for industrial applications.
Closed injective ideals of multilinear operators, related measures and interpolation
Authors: Manzano Antonio , Rueda Pilar , Sánchez‐Pérez Enrique A.
Published: January 2020

We introduce and discuss several ways of extending the inner measure arisen from the closed injective hull of an ideal of linear operators to the multilinear case. In particular, we consider new measures that allow to characterize the operators that belong to a closed injective ideal of multilinear operators as those having measure equal to zero. Some interpolation formulas for these measures, and consequently interpolation results involving ideals of multilinear operators, are established. Examples and applications related to summing multilinear operators are also shown.
Grafting PMMA onto P(VDF‐TrFE) by CF Activation via a Cu(0) Mediated Controlled Radical Polymerization Process
Authors: Liao Jiani , Peng Biyun , Tan Shaobo , Tian Xin , Zhang Zhicheng
Published: January 2020

In the present work, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is successfully grafted onto poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE)) side chains via directly activated CF bonds using Cu(0)/2,2′‐bipyridine as catalyst. The reaction mechanism and the initiating sites can be confirmed by the structure of the graft copolymer. The graft copolymerization exhibits first‐order kinetics, and reaction conditions can affect the chemical composition of the graft copolymer, including reaction time, reaction temperature, solvents, the amount of catalyst, and monomer. The introduction of rigid PMMA side chains onto P(VDF‐TrFE) can effectively tune the displacement–electric field hysteresis behaviors of P(VDF‐TrFE) from normal ferroelectric to anti‐ferroelectric, even linear‐like dielectric, under high electric field, resulting in dramatically reduced energy loss while maintaining the discharged energy density. This work may provide an effective strategy to introduce functional groups into P(VDF‐TrFE) copolymer via activation of CF bonds.
Penetrance of Parkinson's Disease in LRRK2 p.G2019S Carriers Is Modified by a Polygenic Risk Score
Authors: Iwaki Hirotaka , Blauwendraat Cornelis , Makarious Mary B. , Bandrés‐Ciga Sara , Leonard Hampton L. , Gibbs J. Raphael , Hernandez Dena G. , Scholz Sonja W. , Faghri Faraz ,   International Parkinson's Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC), Nalls Mike A. , Singleton Andrew B.
Published: January 2020

Background

Although the leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2 p.G2019S mutation has been demonstrated to be a strong risk factor for PD, factors that contribute to penetrance among carriers, other than aging, have not been well identified.

Objectives

To evaluate whether a cumulative genetic risk identified in the recent genome‐wide study is associated with penetrance of PD among p.G2019S mutation carriers.

Methods

We included p.G2019S heterozygote carriers with European ancestry in three genetic cohorts in which the mutation carriers with and without PD were selectively recruited. We also included the carriers from two data sets: one from a case‐control setting without selection of mutation carriers and the other from a population sampling. Associations between polygenic risk score constructed from 89 variants reported recently and PD were tested and meta‐analyzed. We also explored the interaction of age and PRS.

Results

After excluding eight homozygotes, 833 p.G2019S heterozygote carriers (439 PD and 394 unaffected) were analyzed. Polygenic risk score was associated with a higher penetrance of PD (odds ratio: 1.34; 95% confidence interval: [1.09, 1.64] per +1 standard deviation; P = 0.005). In addition, associations with polygenic risk score and penetrance were stronger in the younger participants (main effect: odds ratio 1.28 [1.04, 1.58] per +1 standard deviation; P = 0.022; interaction effect: odds ratio 0.78 [0.64, 0.94] per +1 standard deviation and + 10 years of age; P = 0.008).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that there is a genetic contribution for penetrance of PD among p.G2019S carriers. These results have important etiological consequences and potential impact on the selection of subjects for clinical trials. © 2020 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A novel antimicrobial electrochemical glucose biosensor based on silver–Prussian blue‐modified TiO2 nanotube arrays
Authors: Farajpour Nasim , Deivanayagam Ram , Phakatkar Abhijit , Narayanan Surya , Shahbazian‐Yassar Reza , Shokuhfar Tolou
Published: January 2020

Glucose biosensors play an important role in the diagnosis and continued monitoring of the disease, diabetes mellitus. This report proposes the development of a novel enzymatic electrochemical glucose biosensor based on TiO2 nanotubes modified by AgO and Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles (NPs), which has an additional advantage of possessing antimicrobial properties for implantable biosensor applications. In this study, we developed two high‐performance glucose biosensors based on the immobilization of glucose oxidase (GOx) onto Prussian blue (PB)‐modified TiO2 nanotube arrays functionalized by Au and AgO NPs. AgO‐deposited TiO2 nanotubes were synthesized through an electrochemical anodization process followed by Ag electroplating process in the same electrolyte. Deposition of PB particles was performed from an acidic ferricyanide solution. The surface morphology and elemental composition of the two fabricated biosensors were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) which indicate the successful deposition of Au and AgO nanoparticles as well as PB nanocrystals. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry were used to investigate the performance of the modified electrochemical biosensors. The results show that the developed electrochemical biosensors display excellent properties in terms of electron transmission, low detection limit and high stability for the determination of glucose. Under the optimized conditions, the amperometric response shows a linear dependence on the glucose concentration to a detection limit down to 4.91 µM with sensitivity of 185.1 mA M−1 cm−2 in Au‐modified biosensor and detection limit of 58.7 µM with 29.1 mA M−1 cm−2 sensitivity in AgO‐modified biosensor.
A study on mechanical properties and fracturing behavior of Carrara marble with the flat‐jointed model
Authors: Cheng Yi , Wong Louis Ngai Yuen
Published: January 2020

Overcoming two inherent limitations presented by the standard bonded‐particle model (BPM), the flat‐jointed model still lacks extensive application. This study hereby conducts a comprehensive investigation on the application of the flat‐jointed model in rock mechanics study. First, after a careful examination on the mechanical behavior of the flat‐joint contact, a systematic calibration has been conducted to build numerical models matching the mechanical properties of Carrara marble. Second, the validated model is used to simulate the fracturing behavior of marble specimens containing a single or en‐echelon flaws. Finally, the appearance of particle flow code (PFC) models has been compared with the results obtained from optical observation in order to establish a possible correlation between PFC models and real marble regarding microcracking behavior. Discussions suggest that to remove the particle size effect, the model resolution (ratio of sample dimension to the average particle diameter) should be larger than 30 in the flat‐jointed model and 150 in the BPM, respectively. Results from the above investigations suggest that the flat‐jointed model is capable of matching both the mechanical properties and fracturing behavior of Carrara marble. The numerical model is more reliable to predict the fracturing path at the instant of initiation than at failure. Development of initial fractures is not only controlled by the magnitude of tension force but also influenced by the extent of distribution of tension force. The appearance and components of a fracture in flat‐jointed models probably reveal not only its property (tensile or shear) but also the corresponding microcracking behavior of real rocks.
High order convergent modified nodal bi‐cubic spline collocation method for elliptic partial differential equation
Authors: Singh Suruchi , Singh Swarn
Published: January 2020

A high order modified nodal bi‐cubic spline collocation method is proposed for numerical solution of second‐order elliptic partial differential equation subject to Dirichlet boundary conditions. The approximation is defined on a square mesh stencil using nine grid points. The solution of the method exists and is unique. Convergence analysis has been presented. Moreover, the superconvergent phenomena can be seen in proposed one step method. The numerical results clearly exhibit the superiority of the new approximation, in terms of both accuracy and computational efficiency.
A Novel Conjugated Polymer Consists of Benzimidazole and Benzothiadiazole: Synthesis, Photophysics Properties, and Sensing Properties for Pd2+
Authors: Liu Kuan , Hu Zijun
Published: January 2020

A conjugated polymer PPBIBTE based on benzimidazole and benzothiadiazole was synthesized through palladium‐catalyzed sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction. The chemical structures of the monomers and the polymer were indicated by 1H NMR, and investigation of photophysics properties and sensing optical properties for metal ions were observed by ultraviolet–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy. PPBIBTE showed remarkable selectivity for Pd2+ by “turn‐off” fluorescence sensing progress. In addition, the Stern–Volmer and Benesi‐Hildebrand plots were used to reveal the interaction between the polymer and Pd2+, while job's method was applied to calculate the determination of stoichiometry. The results demonstrate that PPBIBTE can utilize static quenching for Pd2+ by forming a 1:1 complex. And it is a potential sensing material as fluorescence chemosensor for Pd2+ with high selectivity and sensitivity. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. 2020, 58, 831‐842
Diagnosis, assessment and management of osteoporosis
Authors: Blackie Rosemary
Published: January 2020

Osteoporosis is a common condition, especially in postmenopausal women, but it often remains undetected until after fracture occurs. This article discusses its diagnosis, fracture risk assessment and recommended management.
A novel MTTF estimator and associated parameter estimation method on heavily censoring data
Authors: Jiang Renyan
Published: January 2020

Many reliability and maintenance decision problems need to estimate mean‐time‐to‐failure (MTTF) of a particular product component and/or build its life distribution model as early as possible based on field failure data. The field failure data are often heavily censored. In this case, the exponential‐assumption–based method can considerably overestimate the MTTF, and the classical parameter estimation methods such as the maximum likelihood method (MLM) cannot provide robust estimates. This paper aims to address this issue through proposing a novel method to estimate the MTTF and life distribution parameters. The proposed method first derives a nonparametric estimator of MTTF based on the decomposition of the integral expression of the theoretical MTTF and sample statistical characteristics. The estimated MTTF is then combined with a two‐step single‐parameter MLM to estimate the distribution parameters. A numerical experiment is carried out, and a real‐world dataset is analyzed. The results show that the proposed method can provide accurate and robust estimates for the MTTF and distribution parameters. The method is applicable for any life distribution and offers practitioners an efficient tool for reliability analysis.