bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth hormone deficiency, aortic dilation, and neurocognitive issues in Feingold syndrome 2
Authors: Muriello Michael , Kim Alexander Y. , Sondergaard Schatz Krista , Beck Natalie , Gunay‐Aygun Meral , Hoover‐Fong Julie E.
Published: January 2019

We report three patients with Feingold 2 syndrome with the novel features of growth hormone deficiency associated with adenohypophyseal compression, aortic dilation, phalangeal joint contractures, memory, and sleep problems in addition to the typical features of microcephaly, brachymesophalangy, toe syndactyly, short stature, and cardiac anomalies. Microdeletions of chromosome 13q that include the MIR17HG gene were found in all three. One of the patients was treated successfully with growth hormone. In addition to expanding the phenotype of Feingold 2 syndrome, we suggest management of patients with Feingold 2 syndrome include echocardiography at the time of diagnosis in all patients and consideration of evaluation for growth hormone deficiency in patients with short stature.
MP‐AzeFlu provides rapid and effective allergic rhinitis control: results of a non‐interventional study in Denmark
Authors: Haahr Peter A. , Jacobsen Claus , Christensen Maria E.
Published: January 2019

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) control is a priority in the European Union (EU), and Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) has endorsed a visual analogue scale (VAS) as the new language of AR control. This study evaluated the effectiveness of MP‐AzeFlu (Dymista®, antihistamine [azelastine], and intranasal corticosteroid [fluticasone propionate]) using a VAS in real‐life clinical practice in Denmark.

Methods

The multicenter, prospective, non‐interventional study included 170 patients (≥12 years) with ARIA‐defined moderate‐to‐severe AR prescribed MP‐AzeFlu. Patients assessed symptom severity using a VAS (0 to 100 mm) on days 0, 1, 3, and 7 and after ∼14 days of MP‐AzeFlu use. On day 3, patients assessed their disease as well controlled, partly controlled, or uncontrolled. Proportions of patients achieving VAS score cutoffs (well‐controlled, partly controlled) were also calculated.

Results

MP‐AzeFlu reduced mean ± standard deviation VAS score from 67.1 ± 19.3 mm at baseline to 28.4 ± 23.7 mm on the last day, a reduction of 38.8 ± 27.3 mm. At day 3, 85.6% of patients considered their symptoms to be partly or well controlled. Effectiveness was consistent across disease severity, phenotype (seasonal, perennial, or combined AR), and patient age. Respectively, 28.2%, 44.2%, 61.6%, and 71.4% of patients achieved ≤38 mm well‐controlled VAS score cutoff on days 1, 3, and 7, and the last day.

Conclusion

MP‐AzeFlu provided effective, rapid, and sustained symptom control in a real‐life setting among patients from Denmark. These results align with EU and ARIA objectives and support the effectiveness of MP‐AzeFlu for the treatment of AR in real life.
Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of α‐Arylpyrrolidines and Benzo‐fused Nitrogen Heterocycles
Authors: Dai Xi‐Jie , Engl Oliver D. , León Thierry , Buchwald Stephen L.
Published: January 2019

Herein, we report a practical two‐step synthetic route to α‐arylpyrrolidines through Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling and enantioselective copper‐catalyzed intramolecular hydroamination reactions. The excellent stereoselectivity and broad scope for the transformation of substrates with pharmaceutically relevant heteroarenes render this method a practical and versatile approach for pyrrolidine synthesis. Additionally, this intramolecular hydroamination strategy facilitates the asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinolines and medium‐ring dibenzo‐fused nitrogen heterocycles.
In situ fibrillation of isotactic polypropylene in ethylene‐vinyl acetate: Toward enhanced rheological and mechanical properties
Authors: Luo Shanshan , Sun Jing , Huang Anrong , Zhang Tingting , Wei Liangqiang , Qin Shuhao
Published: January 2019

In situ microfibrillar reinforced composites with ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA) as matrix and isotactic polypropylene (iPP) as dispersed fibrils were successfully fabricated by multistage stretching extrusion with an assembly of laminating‐multiplying elements (LMEs). Four types of EVA with different apparent viscosity were utilized to study the influence of viscosity ratio on the morphology and mechanical properties of EVA/iPP in situ microfibrillar blends. The scanning electron micrographs revealed that the dividing–multiplying processes in LMEs could effectively transform the morphology of iPP phase into microfibrils and the morphology of iPP microfibrils strongly depended on the viscosity ratio. Higher viscosity ratio was favorable for formation of finer microfibrils with narrower diameter distribution. The morphology development of iPP with different viscosity ratio greatly affected the rheological and mechanical properties of EVA/iPP blends. The dynamic rheological results shown that the iPP microfibrils were helpful to increase the storage modulus and loss modulus. The tensile test indicated that the mechanical properties of EVA/iPP blends were controlled by the morphology of iPP phase and the polarity of EVA matrix. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47557.
Differential population dynamics of a coastal porpoise correspond to the fishing effort in a large estuarine system
Authors: Lin Wenzhi , Karczmarski Leszek , Li Jun , Chan Stephen C.Y. , Guo Lang , Wu Yuping
Published: January 2019

The finless porpoise (genusNeophocaena) is susceptible to fishery‐caused mortality, and its numbers are thought to be in decline across its entire range. However, population demographics have rarely been quantified for this genus, with a few exceptions of the narrow‐ridged form (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis) in waters off Japan, Korea, and in the Yangtze River of China, all of which show a drastic decline in recent decades. Similar analyses have not been performed for the Indo‐Pacific (known also as the wide‐ridged) finless porpoise (Neophocaena phocaenoides) that inhabits (sub‐)tropical waters; thus, reliable risk assessments are lacking.

The demographic dynamics of the Indo‐Pacific finless porpoise in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region were investigated by analysing 307 cases of beached carcasses that were recovered between 1996 and 2014. The mean instantaneous rate of increaserindicated a declining trend of 3.6% loss per annum during 1996–2005, and a subsequent recovering trend with 0.76% increase per annum during 2006–2014. The individual‐based Leslie matrix model constructed with the most up‐to‐date demographic parameters suggests that the conservation status of the finless porpoise in the PRD region corresponds to Near Threatened (NT) according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature criterion A3.

This temporal demographic change may be due to changes in fishing effort, which has been declining locally since the late 1990s. Although more quantitative evidence is needed, it is shown that regulated management of coastal fisheries can serve as an effective tool in securing the long‐term persistence of Indo‐Pacific finless porpoise in the PRD region, which likely applies also elsewhere in the genus/species' range where coastal fisheries overlap with the porpoise habitat. Results provide baseline ecological indicators that can facilitate further monitoring of the population status and trend.
Predictors of mental health and well‐being in employed adults with autism spectrum disorder at 12‐month follow‐up
Authors: Hedley Darren , Uljarević Mirko , Bury Simon M. , Dissanayake Cheryl
Published: January 2019

People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) commonly experience poor outcomes in adulthood. Previous research on adult outcomes has focused on negative aspects of health and well‐being, while positive well‐being remains understudied. The current study charted 12‐month change in daily living skills, job satisfaction, depression, anxiety, and positive well‐being in 36 (32 male) newly employed adults with ASD aged 18 to 57 years who were participating in a supported employment program. There was a small increase in daily living skills, and a slight decrease in job satisfaction, with all other measures remaining stable over time. Regression analyses revealed that, controlling for baseline depression, positive well‐being negatively predicted depression at follow‐up. No significant predictors of anxiety were identified. Social support and depression at baseline were associated with positive well‐being at follow‐up; however, they were no longer significant predictors after the effects of baseline positive well‐being were taken into account. The findings provide evidence that positive well‐being may buffer against depression in people with ASD. Our finding of stability of mental health and well‐being measures over time indicates more research is required to uncover the mechanisms underpinning mental health and well‐being outcomes in employed adults with ASD. Autism Res 2019, 12: 482–494 © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

People with autism commonly experience poor outcomes in adulthood. We studied mental health and well‐being in newly employed adults with autism who were participating in a supported employment program. Apart from a slight increase in daily living skills and a slight decrease in job satisfaction, other measures of mental health and well‐being remained stable over time. Our findings suggest that positive well‐being may protect against symptoms of depression in people with autism.
Small towns, big challenges: Does rurality influence Safe Drinking Water Act compliance?
Authors: Marcillo Cristina E. , Krometis Leigh‐Anne H.
Published: January 2019

Despite amendments and financial investment, noncompliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act persists in portions of the United States. This study hypothesizes that rural and urban U.S. residents are exposed to different patterns of drinking water violations and contaminants. Violations (n > 9,500) for 1,133 Virginia community water systems (CWSs) from 1999 to 2016 were analyzed to (1) evaluate the effects of size and rurality on compliance, (2) identify patterns in contaminant prevalence, and (3) identify gaps in consumer protection. Results indicate that very small CWSs had significantly more monitoring and reporting (MR) violations than large systems, while medium CWSs had significantly more maximum contaminant‐level violations. Isolated rural area CWSs had significantly high MR noncompliance compared with town and urban centers. This study highlights chronic MR noncompliance across rural regions of the state, which may mask consumer health concerns. Further work directly linking health records and noncompliance is recommended to quantify this risk.
Ermittlung einer Naturbrandkurve für Brände in abgehängten Decken und Systemböden
Authors: Koh Suet Kwan , Mensinger Martin , Meyer Patrick , Schaumann Peter
Published: January 2019

Eine Integration der brennbaren Installationen der technischen Gebäudeausrüstung im Hohlraum von Stahl‐Beton‐Verbunddecken stellt ein Problem für die ungeschützte Tragkonstruktion hinsichtlich der Brandschutzanforderungen dar. Im Normalfall werden dabei die Hohlräume in integrierten und abgehängten Decken sowie Systemböden nicht vom Raum getrennt betrachtet. Dies führt dazu, dass die innen liegende Stahlkonstruktion für das Brandszenario des Gesamtraums zu bemessen ist.

Basierend auf der Brandlast von elektrischen Kabeln und Leitungen sowie den typischen Randbedingungen in den Hohlräumen wird daher das Naturbrandszenario „Brand im Hohlraum“ aus kleinmaßstäblichen Brandversuchen entwickelt. Schlussendlich stellt diese Naturbrandkurve damit eine Möglichkeit zu einer realitätsnahen Bemessung der stählernen Tragkonstruktion dar. Neben dieser Betrachtung ist es erforderlich, den Einfluss von durchdringenden Installationen bei einer Brandbeanspruchung durch die Einheits‐Temperaturzeitkurve (ETK) auf die Temperaturentwicklung in den Hohlräumen zu beurteilen. Dabei ist insbesondere von Interesse, inwieweit aufgrund eines Brands im Raum ebenfalls ein Brand im Hohlraum ohne Abschottung entsteht. Dies wird anhand von zwei Großbrandversuchen mit abgehängten Decken und Systemböden mit unterschiedlichen Größen und Positionen von Öffnungen unter der Einwirkung der ETK untersucht. Es zeigt sich, dass fehlende Abschottungen bis zu einem gewissen Grad nicht zu einem Brand im Hohlraum führen.
Current achievements in the mechanically pretreated conversion of plant biomass
Authors: Bychkov Aleksey , Podgorbunskikh Ekaterina , Bychkova Elena , Lomovsky Oleg
Published: January 2019

At present, “mechanochemistry” is synonymous with “grinding,” according to the views of a significant number of scientists and technologists. Often, one comes across the opinion that “the less the particle size, the better.” The cases of considering chemical reactions occurring during pretreatment, as well as considering changes in the ultrastructure of cell walls are extremely rare. Also, the wrong choice of the type of mechanical impact and the equipment used in most cases leads to excessive consumption of electrical energy and reduce economic efficiency. The review presents the currently available published data on mechanically activated processes for the pretreatment of plant materials and shows that when using mechanical treatment, it is necessary to look more closely at the phenomena occurring, rather than reducing everything to the production of fine and ultrafine powders. As a result of mechanical action, active surface radicals can form, hydrothermal chemical processes can occur, and mechanocomposites can form. The role of interphase processes, changes in surface chemistry, related dimensional effects, and the disordering of the crystal structure and amorphization should be taken into account. In addition, the physicochemical insights in mechanical pretreatment make it possible to more efficiently use the energy delivered to the material, and, consequently, increase the economic efficiency of the activation process.
Perfusion cultures require optimum respiratory ATP supply to maximize cell‐specific and volumetric productivities
Authors: Becker Max , Junghans Lisa , Teleki Attila , Bechmann Jan , Takors Ralf
Published: January 2019

Perfusion processes are an emerging alternative to common fed‐batch processes in the growing biopharmaceutical industry. However, the challenge of maintaining high cell‐specific productivities remains. In this study, glucose limitation was applied to two perfusion steady states and compared with a third steady state without any detectable limitation. The metabolic phenotype was enhanced under glucose limitation with a decrease of 30% in glucose uptake and 75% in lactate formation. Cell‐specific productivities were substantially improved by 50%. Remarkably, the productivities showed a strong correlation to respiratory adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supply. As less reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) remained in the cytosol, the ATP generation from oxidative phosphorylation was increased by almost 30%. Consequently, the efficiency of carbon metabolism and the resulting respiratory ATP supply was crucial for maintaining the highly productive cellular state. This study highlights that glucose limitation can be used for process intensification in perfusion cultures as ATP generation via respiration is significantly increased, leading to elevated productivities.
Potential regulates metabolism and extracellular respiration of electroactive Geobacter biofilm
Authors: Li Dao‐Bo , Li Jie , Liu Dong‐Feng , Ma Xin , Cheng Lei , Li Wen‐Wei , Qian Chen , Mu Yang , Yu Han‐Qing
Published: January 2019

Dissimilatory metal reducer Geobacter sulfurreducens can mediate redox processes through extracellular electron transfer and exhibit potential‐dependent electrochemical activity in biofilm. Understanding the microbial acclimation to potential is of critical importance for developing robust electrochemically active biofilms and facilitating their environmental, geochemical, and energy applications. In this study, the metabolism and redox conduction behaviors of
G. sulfurreducens biofilms developed at different potentials were explored. We found that electrochemical acclimation occurred at the initial hours of polarizing
G. sulfurreducens cells to the potentials. Two mechanisms of acclimation were found, depending on the polarizing potential. In the mature biofilms, a low level of biosynthesis and a high level of catabolism were maintained at +0.2 V versus standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). The opposite results were observed at potentials higher than or equal to +0.4 V versus SHE. The potential also regulated the constitution of the electron transfer network by synthesizing more extracellular cytochrome
c such as OmcS at 0.0 and +0.2 V and exhibited a better conductivity. These findings provide reasonable explanations for the mechanism governing the electrochemical respiration and activity in
G. sulfurreducens biofilms.
Unveiling the molecular crosstalk in a human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived cardiac model
Authors: Abecasis Bernardo , Gomes‐Alves Patrícia , Rosa Susana , Gouveia Pedro J. , Ferreira Lino , Serra Margarida , Alves Paula M.
Published: January 2019

In vitro cell‐based models that better mimic the human heart tissue are of utmost importance for drug development and cardiotoxicity testing but also as tools to understand mechanisms related with heart disease at cellular and molecular level. Besides, the implementation of analytical tools that allow the depiction and comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the crosstalk between the different cell types is also relevant. In this work, we implemented a human cardiac tissue‐like in vitro model, derived from human‐induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC), and evaluated the relevance of the cell–cell communication between the two of the most representative cell populations of the human heart: cardiomyocytes (hiPSC‐CM) and endothelial cells (hiPSC‐EC). We observed that heterotypic cell communication promotes: (a) structural maturation of hiPSC‐CM and (b) deposition of several extracellular matrix components (such as collagens and fibronectin). Overall, the toolbox of analytical techniques used in our study not only enabled us to validate previous reports from the literature on the importance of the presence of hiPSC‐EC on hiPSC‐CM maturation, but also bring new insights on the molecular mechanisms involved in the communication between these two cell types when cocultured in vitro.
Construction of mini‐chemostats for high‐throughput strain characterization
Authors: Bergenholm David , Liu Guodong , Hansson David , Nielsen Jens
Published: January 2019

To achieve large‐scale, high‐throughput experiments for systems biology research of microorganisms, reliable data from robust cultivation systems are needed. Chemostats are such systems, ensuring reproducibility and quality by providing a stable, well‐controlled environment for the cells. However, many of the available chemostat systems require large amounts of media and are complex to set up and expensive to purchase and maintain. To address these concerns, we developed a mini‐chemostat (MC) system with 16 reactors, each at a working volume of 40 ml. Sensors measure dissolved oxygen in the reactor, while OD600 is measured in the outflow. We further developed a CO2 and pH sensor array that can be plugged into the outflow of the reactors. The system was used to characterize yeast physiology at four metabolically different conditions: limitations of glucose, both aerobic and anaerobic, nitrogen, and ethanol. The physiology of yeast cells grown at the four different conditions in the MC system was compared with the yeast cells grown in a DASGIP 1 L system using RNAseq analysis. The results show that the MC system provides the same environmental conditions as the DASGIP system and that the MC system is reproducible between different runs. The system is built to be easily scalable with more reactors and to include more sensors, if available. Our study shows that a robust, reproducible chemostat system for high‐throughput and large‐scale experiments can be built at low costs.
Decoupling of recombinant protein production from Escherichia coli cell growth enhances functional expression of plant Leloir glycosyltransferases
Authors: Lemmerer Martin , Mairhofer Juergen , Lepak Alexander , Longus Karin , Hahn Rainer , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: January 2019

Sugar nucleotide‐dependent (Leloir) glycosyltransferases from plants are important catalysts for the glycosylation of small molecules and natural products. Limitations on their applicability for biocatalytic synthesis arise because of low protein expression (≤10 mg/L culture) in standard microbial hosts. Here, we showed two representative glycosyltransferases: sucrose synthase from soybean and UGT71A15 from apple. A synthetic biology‐based strategy of decoupling the enzyme expression from the
Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cell growth was effective in enhancing their individual (approximately fivefold) or combined (approximately twofold) production as correctly folded, biologically active proteins. The approach entails a synthetic host cell, which is able to shut down the production of host messenger RNA by inhibition of the
E. coli RNA polymerase. Overexpression of the enzyme(s) of interest is induced by the orthogonal T7 RNA polymerase. Shutting down of the host RNA polymerase is achieved by
l‐arabinose‐inducible expression of the T7 phage‐derived Gp2 protein from a genome‐integrated site. The glycosyltransferase genes are encoded on conventional pET‐based expression plasmids that allow T7 RNA polymerase‐driven inducible expression by isopropyl‐β‐
d‐galactoside. Laboratory batch and scaled‐up (20 L) fed‐batch bioreactor cultivations demonstrated improvements in an overall yield of active enzyme by up to 12‐fold as a result of production under growth‐decoupled conditions. In batch culture, sucrose synthase and UGT71A15 were obtained, respectively, at 115 and 2.30 U/g cell dry weight, corresponding to ∼5 and ∼1% of total intracellular protein. Fed‐batch production gave sucrose synthase in a yield of 2,300 U/L of culture (830 mg protein/L). Analyzing the isolated glycosyltransferase, we showed that the improvement in the enzyme production was due to the enhancement of both yield (5.3‐fold) and quality (2.3‐fold) of the soluble sucrose synthase. Enzyme preparation from the decoupled production comprised an increased portion (61% compared with 26%) of the active sucrose synthase homotetramer. In summary, therefore, we showed that the expression in growth‐arrested
E. coli is promising for recombinant production of plant Leloir glycosyltransferases.
Diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous biopsy in retroperitoneal sarcoma
Authors: Almond L M , Tirotta F , Tattersall H , Hodson J , Cascella T , Barisella M , Marchianò A , Greco G , Desai A , Ford S J , Gronchi A , Fiore M , Morosi C
Published: January 2019

Background

Percutaneous biopsy is recommended before surgery for suspected retroperitoneal sarcoma (RPS) to confirm the histological diagnosis and guide surgical strategy. The present study aimed to establish the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous core biopsy with respect to histological diagnosis and tumour grade.

Methods

Data on patients with suspected RPS who underwent percutaneous biopsy followed by surgical resection between 2005 and 2016 at one of two tertiary European sarcoma units were reviewed. Histological tumour type and tumour grade on biopsy were correlated with postoperative histology to evaluate diagnostic accuracy.

Results

A total of 239 patients underwent percutaneous core biopsy followed by surgical resection in Milan (163, 68·2 per cent) or Birmingham (76, 31·8 per cent). Diagnostic accuracy varied with histological diagnosis (P < 0·001), but demonstrated overall concordance with final pathology following resection in 67·2 per cent of biopsies (κ = 0·606). The majority of discrepancies occurred in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS), owing to under-recognition of dedifferentiation in this group. Concordance between pathology on biopsy and resection improved to 81·1 per cent when DDLPS and well differentiated liposarcoma were grouped together as liposarcoma. Grade on biopsy was concordant with grade on resection specimen in 60·4 per cent of tumours (κ = 0·640). Diagnosis of high-grade tumours on biopsy had a high specificity (98 per cent), and moderate positive predictive value (85 per cent) and negative predictive value (78 per cent).

Conclusion

A diagnosis of DDLPS or leiomyosarcoma on percutaneous biopsy is highly reliable. High-grade sarcomas can be identified with high specificity, which opens the door to a study on neoadjuvant therapy in these patients.
Validated liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method for quantification of ticagrelor and its active metabolite in human plasma
Authors: Xu Xiaomin , Ding Xiaohong , Yuan Bo , Li Weiwei , Wang Yimei , Jin Yi , Xu Haiyan
Published: January 2019

A rapid, simple and sensitive LC–MS/MS method was established and validated for simultaneous quantification of ticagrelor and its active metabolite AR‐C124910XX in human plasma. After plasma samples were deproteinized with acetonitrile, the post‐treatment samples were chromatographed on a Dikma C18 column interfaced with a triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometer. Electrospray negative ionization mode and multiple reaction monitoring were adopted to assay ticagrelor and AR‐C124910XX. Acetonitrile and 5 mΜ ammonium acetate was used as the mobile phase with a gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.5 mL/min. The method was linear in the range of 0.781–800 ng/mL for both ticagrelor and AR‐C124910XX with a correlation coefficient ≥0.994. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were within 12.61% in terms of relative standard deviation and the accuracy was within ±7.88% in terms of relative error. The LC–MS/MS method was fully validated for its sensitivity, selectivity, stability, matrix effect and recovery. This convenient and specific LC–MS/MS method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of ticagrelor and AR‐C124910XX in healthy volunteers after an oral dose of 90 mg ticagrelor.
Competitive Transient Electrostatic Adsorption for In Situ Regeneration of Poisoned Catalyst
Authors: Pan Yanbo , Shen Xiaochen , Yao Libo , Bentalib Abdulaziz , Yang Jinlong , Zeng Jie , Peng Zhenmeng
Published: January 2019

Catalyst deactivation by poisoning species is one important concern in catalysis processes and causes significant catalyst material and operation costs due to process shutdown and catalyst replacement. We report one new in situ catalyst regeneration method, which utilizes competitive electrostatic adsorption of charged ions which are generated with moderate DC voltage supply following the Townsend discharge mechanism to desorb poisoning species and the transient characteristic of electrostatically adsorbed ions to recover the active sites for catalysis. We demonstrate effectiveness of this new concept using HCOOH decomposition on Pt catalyst as model reaction and find the deactivated Pt regains the activity in presence of Ar+ generation. DFT simulations and classical electrical discharge calculations show Ar+ ions have significantly higher electrostatic adsorption energy than desorption energy of CO poisoning species that helps to desorb CO from Pt and generate more available active sites. This new in situ catalyst regeneration method, with convenient, noninvasive and low operation cost features, provides a promising strategy to overcome the challenges associated with current technologies that handle catalyst deactivation.
Facile Synthesis of Ultrastable Porous Aromatic Frameworks by Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling Reaction for Adsorption Removal of Organic Dyes
Authors: Zhang Lei , Sun Jin‐Shi , Sun Fuxing , Chen Peng , Liu Jia , Zhu Guangshan
Published: January 2019

Porous aromatic frameworks (PAFs) with robust structure, high stability, and high surface area have attracted intense interest from scientists in diverse fields. However, there are still very few reports on the adsorption of organic dyes by PAFs. In this work, four new PAFs have been facilely synthesized by the polymerization of a tetrahedral‐shaped (four‐node) monomer with a series of three‐node monomers through Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions. All the obtained materials possess hierarchical porous structures and show high thermal and chemical stability. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of these PAFs were determined to be 857 m2 g−1 for PAF‐111, 526 m2 g−1 for PAF‐112A, 725 m2 g−1 for PAF‐112B, and 598 m2 g−1 for PAF‐113. Rhodamine B was selected as a model organic dye to test the adsorption capacities of the obtained PAF materials. PAF‐111 showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 1666 mg g−1 (167 wt %) for Rhodamine B, which is among the highest values reported to date for porous organic materials. It is noteworthy that PAF‐111 could be reused in at least ten cycles under the adsorption conditions without any loss of adsorption capacity. Our study has revealed the great potential and advantages of PAFs as ultrastable adsorption materials for the removal of organic dyes.
Tuning the Reactivities of the Heteronuclear [AlnV3−nO7−n]+ (n=1, 2) Cluster Oxides towards Methane by Varying the Composition of the Metal Centers
Authors: Zhou Shaodong , Sun Xiaoyan , Yue Lei , Schlangen Maria , Schwarz Helmut
Published: January 2019

The thermal gas‐phase reactions of [Al2VO5]+ and [AlV2O6]+ with methane have been explored by using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT‐ICR) mass spectrometry complemented by high‐level quantum chemical calculations. Both cluster ions chemisorbed methane as the major reaction channels at room temperature. [Al2VO5]+ could break only one C−H bond to liberate CH3, whereas [AlV2O6]+ exhibited higher oxidizing ability such that it brings about the selective generation of formaldehyde. Mechanistic aspects are revealed and the crucial roles of the metal centers are discussed.
A consistent estimator for logistic mixed effect models
Authors: Wei Yizheng , Ma Yanyuan , Garcia Tanya P. , Sinha Samiran
Published: January 2019

We propose a consistent and locally efficient method of estimating the model parameters of a logistic mixed effect model with random slopes. Our approach relaxes two typical assumptions: the random effects being normally distributed, and the covariates and random effects being independent of each other. Adhering to these assumptions is particularly difficult in health studies where, in many cases, we have limited resources to design experiments and gather data in long‐term studies, while new findings from other fields might emerge, suggesting the violation of such assumptions. So it is crucial to have an estimator that is robust to such violations; then we could make better use of current data harvested using various valuable resources. Our method generalizes the framework presented in Garcia & Ma (2016) which also deals with a logistic mixed effect model but only considers a random intercept. A simulation study reveals that our proposed estimator remains consistent even when the independence and normality assumptions are violated. This contrasts favourably with the traditional maximum likelihood estimator which is likely to be inconsistent when there is dependence between the covariates and random effects. Application of this work to a study of Huntington's disease reveals that disease diagnosis can be enhanced using assessments of cognitive performance. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 47: 140–156; 2019 © 2019 Statistical Society of Canada
Electrochemical Formation of Fe(IV)=O Derived from H2O2 on a Hematite Electrode as an Active Catalytic Site for Selective Hydrocarbon Oxidation Reactions
Authors: Kamiya Kazuhide , Kuwabara Akito , Harada Takashi , Nakanishi Shuji
Published: January 2019

The high‐valence iron species (Fe(IV)=O) in the cytochrome P450 enzyme superfamily is generated via the activation of O2, and serves as the active center of selective hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. Furthermore, P450 can employ an alternate route to produce Fe(IV)=O, even from H2O2 without O2 activation. Meanwhile, Fe(IV)=O has recently been revealed to be the reactive intermediate during H2O oxidation to O2 on hematite electrodes. Herein, we demonstrated the generation of Fe(IV)=O on hematite electrodes during the electrochemical oxidative decomposition of H2O2 using in situ UV‐visible absorption spectra. The generation of Fe(IV)=O on hematite electrodes from H2O2 exhibited 100 mV lower overpotential than that from H2O. This is because H2O2 serves not only as the oxygen source of Fe(IV)=O, but also as the additional oxidant. Finally, we confirmed that the Fe(IV)=O generated on hematite electrodes can serve as the catalytic site for styrene epoxidation reactions.
Real‐time removal of impulse noise from MR images for radiosurgery applications
Authors: HosseinKhani Zohreh , Hajabdollahi Mohsen , Karimi Nader , Najarian Kayvan , Emami Ali , Shirani Shahram , Samavi Shadrokh , Soroushmehr Sayed Mohammad Reza
Published: January 2019

In the recent years, image processing techniques are used as a tool to improve detection and diagnostic capabilities in the medical applications. Among these techniques, medical image enhancement algorithms play an essential role in the removal of the noise, which can be produced by medical instruments and during image transfer. Impulse noise is a major type of noise, which is produced by medical imaging systems, such as MRI, computed tomography (CT), and angiography instruments. An embeddable hardware module, which can denoise medical images before and during surgical operations, could be very helpful. In this paper, an accurate algorithm is proposed for real‐time removal of impulse noise in medical images. Our algorithm categorizes all image blocks into three types of edge, smooth, and disordered areas. A different reconstruction method is applied to each category of blocks for noise removal. The proposed method is tested on MR images. Simulation results show acceptable denoising accuracy for various levels of noise. Also, an field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation of our denoising algorithm shows acceptable hardware resource utilization. Hence, the algorithm is suitable for embedding in medical hardware instruments such as radiosurgery devices.
The Prevalence of Low Insulin Responders to Oral Glucose Load Among Groups with Various Patterns of Family History of Diabetes
Authors: Matsuda A. , Kuzuya T.
Published: January 2019

The prevalence of low insulin responders was assessed in non‐diabetic subjects with various patterns of family history of diabetes. Subjects were divided into five groups: group A, without any family history of diabetes among all known relatives; group B, with diabetes among parents and/or siblings; group C, with one diabetic parent; group D, with two diabetic parents; and group E, non‐diabetic co‐twins of monozygotic twins with diabetes. Except twins, the type of diabetes in the family was not defined. They were examined by 1 00 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTI) except for group E in which 50 g or 75 g OGTI were also used. Insulin response was evaluated by the insulinogenic index, the ratio of increment of serum insulin to that of plasma glucose (mg dl−1) 30 min after the oral glucose load. The low insulin responders had a lower insulinogenic index below 0.5 in the case of 100 g OGTI, and below 0.35 and 0.4 in the case of 50 g and 75 g OGTI. Groups with a family history of diabetes (B, C, and D) had significantly lower insulinogenic indices than group A without a family history of diabetes. The prevalence of low insulin responders was significantly higher in subjects with a strong family history of non‐insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), such as subjects with two diabetic parents and monozygotic co‐twins of NIDDM patients. In group A, low insulin responders were more prevalent in older subjects, while in group D, they were also frequent in younger subjects. These results suggest that a low insulin response has a genetic basis and is a preclinical feature in subjects with genetic pre‐disposition to NIDDM.
Role of PI 3‐Kinase and SH‐PTP2 in Insulin Action
Authors: Kasuga M.
Published: January 2019

Insulin bonding to the a subunit of its receptor activates the tyrosine kinase of the p subunit. This induces the tyrosine‐phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrates‐1 (IRS‐1) and a complex formation between IRS‐1 and other proteins including GRB2, SH‐PTP2, Nck, and phosphoinositide (PI) 3‐kinase consisting of a regulatory 85‐kDa subunit and a catalytic 11 0‐kDa subunit. We found that insulin‐induced binding of the PI 3‐kinase activity to IRS‐1 generates the signal to activate glucose transport and membrane ruffling. In contrast, insulin‐induced binding of SH‐PTP2 to IRS‐1 generates the signal to activate the Ras protein.
Detox shampoos for EtG and FAEE in hair – Results from in vitro experiments
Authors: Luginbühl Marc , Bekaert Britt , Suesse Silke , Weinmann Wolfgang
Published: January 2019

The assessment of alcohol consumption behavior in hair is well established in forensic toxicology. The Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) recommends the direct alcohol markers ethyl glucuronide (EtG) and fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEE) for the detection of past alcohol consumption. In this study, we investigated if detox shampoos which are sold online can have an impact on EtG or FAEE concentrations in hair. According to customer reviews, positive drug testing results could be avoided after long‐term incubation with shampoo under a swimming cap. To evaluate the potential of four detox shampoos, we incubated distal hair samples from three subjects, obtained during a standard haircut, for 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 hours. For EtG, three shampoos performed similar to deionized water. The fourth shampoo showed additional heavy washout effects with a decrease of up to 86% after 2.5 hours. For the apolar FAEE, no washout was observed. Incubation with two shampoos resulted in increases in FAEE concentrations due to FAEE being present as shampoo ingredients. Further investigation of EtG washout in proximal forensic hair samples (n = 9) with the most potent shampoo showed a mean decrease in deionized water of 23% ± 25%, and a decrease by the use of detox shampoo of 73% ± 12%, compared to non‐incubated hair after 8 hours. In conclusion, detox shampoos proved to have the potential to alter EtG and FAEE concentrations in hair during in vitro experiments.
Nonlinear response of ecosystem respiration to multiple levels of temperature increases
Authors: Chen Ning , Zhu Juntao , Zhang Yangjian , Liu Yaojie , Li Junxiang , Zu Jiaxing , Huang Ke
Published: January 2019

Global warming exerts profound impacts on terrestrial carbon cycles and feedback to climates. Ecosystem respiration (ER) is one of the main components of biosphere CO2 fluxes. However, knowledge regarding how ER responds to warming is still lacking. In this study, a manipulative experiment with five simulated temperature increases (+0℃ [Control], +2.1℃ [warming 1, W1], +2.7℃ [warming 2, W2], +3.2℃ [warming 3, W3], +3.9℃ [warming 4, W4]) was conducted to investigate ER responses to warming in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that ER was suppressed by warming both in dry and wet years. The responses of ER to warming all followed a nonlinear pattern. The nonlinear processes can be divided into three stages, the quick‐response stage (W1), stable stage (W1–W3), and transition stage (W4). Compared with the nonlinear model, the linear model maximally overestimated the response ratios of ER to warming 2.2% and 3.2% in 2015 and 2016, respectively, and maximally underestimated the ratio 7.0% and 2.7%. The annual differences in ER responding to warming were mainly attributed to the distinct seasonal distribution of precipitation. Specially, we found that the abrupt shift response of ER to warming under W4 treatment in 2015, which might be regulated by the excitatory effect of precipitation after long‐term drought in the mid‐growing season. This study highlights the importance of the nonlinearity of warming effects on ER, which should be taken into the global‐C‐cycling models for better predicting future carbon–climate feedbacks.
Seed germination and seedling growth of five desert plants and their relevance to vegetation restoration
Authors: Lai Liming , Chen Lijun , Zheng Mingqing , Jiang Lianhe , Zhou Jihua , Zheng Yuanrun , Shimizu Hideyuki
Published: January 2019

Due to significant decreases in precipitation in northern China, knowledge of the response of seed germination and plant growth characteristics to key limiting factors is essential for vegetation restoration. We examined seed germination under different temperatures and water potentials, and we examined seedling growth under different amounts of water supply. Experiments were carried out in automatic temperature‐, humidity‐, and light‐controlled growth chambers. Under low water potentials, the final germination percentages of four herbaceous species were high, while seed germination of the shrub species Caragana microphylla was significantly inhibited. Under the different water supply amounts, seedlings of Agropyron cristatum allocated more biomass to the root and had a higher growth rate than those of Elymus dahuricus and C. microphylla. In light of these results and drier environmental conditions (annual mean precipitation is 366 mm, which falling mainly between June and August), potential selections for revegetation of different landscapes include the following: A. cristatum for shifting sand dunes, the establishment of the pioneer species Agriophyllum squarrosum, C. microphylla for semifixed sand dunes, E. dahuricus for fixed sand dunes, and Melilotus suaveolens and Medicago sativa for cultivation.
Tree‐ring stable isotopes show different ecophysiological strategies in native and invasive woody species of a semiarid riparian ecosystem in the Great Plains of the United States
Authors: Awada Tala , Skolaut Kristen , Battipaglia Giovanna , Saurer Matthias , Riveros‐Iregui Diego A. , Schapaugh Adam , Huddle Julie , Zhou Xinhua , Martin Derrell , Cherubini Paolo
Published: January 2019

Persistent shifts in riparian vegetation associated with the invasion of introduced Elaeagnus angustifolia and native nonriparian Juniperus virginiana have been reported in the U.S. Great Plains, with significant impacts on ecosystem services. In Nebraska, these species have been expanding into the native Populus deltoides riparian forests along the Republican River. Using dendrochronological data and stable isotope ratios, we examined the annual growth and acclimation strategies of these three species to climatic and streamflow variability. We hypothesized that the ability of invasive species to grow under a wide range of environmental conditions favour vegetation shifts at the expense of native species. Streamflow was the strongest predictor for performance. When accompanied with above‐average annual precipitation, streamflow resulted in peak tree‐ring widths in P. deltoides. J. virginiana showed less sensitivity, and E. angustifolia showed no response. δ18O values did not differ among species, which indicates that all species compete for the same water source. δ13C ratios and WUEi were higher in J. virginiana than in P. deltoides and E. angustifolia and increased in all species over time. E. angustifolia and P. deltoides exhibit a strong stomatal control and response to relative humidity relative to J. virginiana, which showed anisohydric stomatal behaviour. Our results show that once established, J. virginiana and E. angustifolia thrive in the understory of P. deltoides using different adaptive and acclimation strategies. Based on current water flow management, which prevents high‐flood pulses through the riparian zone, these species will continue to establish and spread throughout the Republican River watershed.
Effects of street lighting technologies on the success and quality of pollination in a nocturnally pollinated plant
Authors: Macgregor Callum J. , Pocock Michael J. O. , Fox Richard , Evans Darren M.
Published: January 2019

Artificial light at night (ALAN) is an increasingly important driver of global change. Lighting directly affects plants, but few studies have investigated indirect effects mediated by interacting organisms. Nocturnal Lepidoptera are globally important pollinators, and pollen transport by moths is disrupted by lighting. Many street lighting systems are being replaced with novel, energy‐efficient lighting, with unknown ecological consequences. Using the wildflower Silene latifolia, we compared pollination success and quality at experimentally lit and unlit plots, testing two major changes to street lighting technology: in lamp type, from high‐pressure sodium lamps to light‐emitting diodes, and in lighting regime, from full‐night (FN) to part‐night (PN) lighting. We predicted that lighting would reduce pollination. S. latifolia was pollinated both diurnally and nocturnally. Contrary to our predictions, flowers under FN lighting had higher pollination success than flowers under either PN lighting or unlit controls, which did not significantly differ from each other. Lamp type, lighting regime, and distance from the light all significantly affected aspects of pollination quality. These results confirm that street lighting could affect plant reproduction through indirect effects mediated by nocturnal insects, and further highlight the possibility for novel lighting technologies to mitigate the effects of ALAN on ecosystems.
Designing and implementing an outpatient management pathway for patients with newly diagnosed insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sandberg Elizabeth S. , Estrada Elizabeth , Jain Nina , McDevitt Michelle , Bogardus Christina , Cooper Katherine , Walsh‐Kelly Christine
Published: January 2019

Objective

Recently, our team transitioned to an outpatient diabetes education model for patients with newly diagnosed insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) after concerns arose regarding inconsistent education provided in the hospital, as well as additional emotional stress attributed to hospitalization. To optimize this model, an improvement initiative was implemented to redesign the outpatient care processes, refine patient education content and identify ideal educational strategies. Specific aims were to (a) achieve family self‐management, (b) reduce stress and (c) ensure family and provider satisfaction with the outpatient pathway.

Research design and methods

Using a multidisciplinary team and formal quality improvement (QI) methods, we redesigned content and format of the pathway based on results from key measures and Plan‐Do‐Study‐Act (PDSA) cycles. Primary outcome measures included self‐efficacy, stress and satisfaction.

Results

We achieved our goal self‐management skills, while maintaining high satisfaction for patients and providers throughout the implementation and refinement of the pathway. Key pathway components include refined education content, interactive educational tools and close collaboration with social work. Multiple PDSA cycles and pathway modifications were completed, including early social work involvement and simplification of education resources; however, we found modifying the stress experienced by parents to be a challenge. The majority of the stress relates to factors that are difficult to modify, specifically emotional burden and interpersonal distress, and is rarely attributed to regimen‐ or physician‐related distress.

Conclusion

During the transition to an outpatient pathway, we achieved our satisfaction and self‐management goals but were unsuccessful in achieving our goals for minimizing stress associated with a new diagnosis of a chronic illness.