bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Operando Mechanistic Evaluation of a Solar‐Rechargeable Sodium‐Ion Intercalation Battery
Authors: Lou Shi Nee , Sharma Neeraj , Goonetilleke Damian , Saputera Wibawa Hendra , Leoni Thomas M. , Brockbank Paul , Lim Sean , Wang Da‐Wei , Scott Jason , Amal Rose , Ng Yun Hau
Published: July 2017

Solar‐intercalation batteries, which are able to both harvest and store solar energy within the electrodes, are a promising technology for the more efficient utilization of intermittent solar radiation. However, there is a lack of understanding on how the light‐induced intercalation reaction occurs within the electrode host lattice. Here, an in operando synchrotron X‐ray diffraction methodology is introduced, which allows for real‐time visualization of the structural evolution process within a solar‐intercalation battery host electrode lattice. Coupled with ex situ material characterization, direct correlations between the structural evolution of MoO3 and the photo‐electrochemical responses of the solar‐intercalation batteries are established for the first time. MoO3 is found to transform, via a two‐phase reaction mechanism, initially into a sodium bronze phase, Na0.33MoO3, followed by the formation of solid solutions, NaxMoO3 (0.33 < x < 1.1), on further photointercalation. Time‐resolved correlations with the measured voltages indicate that the two‐phase evolution reaction follows zeroth‐order kinetics. The insights achieved from this study can aid the development of more advanced photointercalation electrodes and solar batteries with greater performances.
Coherent Enantiomer‐Selective Population Enrichment Using Tailored Microwave Fields
Authors: Pérez Cristóbal , Steber Amanda L. , Domingos Sérgio R. , Krin Anna , Schmitz David , Schnell Melanie
Published: July 2017

We report the experimental demonstration of coherent enantiomer‐selective enrichment of chiral molecules by employing a novel microwave five‐pulse scheme. Our results show that enantiomers can be selectively transferred to a rotational level of choice by applying sequences of resonant microwave pulses in a phase‐ and polarization‐controlled manner. This is achieved by simultaneously exciting all three kinds of electric dipole‐allowed rotational transitions and monitoring the effect on a fourth rotational transition of choice. Using molecular beams, we apply our method to two chiral terpenes and obtain a 6 % enantiomeric enrichment, which is one order of magnitude larger than that recently reported in a buffer‐gas cell experiment. This approach establishes a robust scheme for controlled manipulation of enantiomers using tailored microwave fields and opens up new avenues for chiral purification and enrichment that can be used in a broad scope of analytical or spectroscopic applications.
Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Three Classes of Sulfur Compounds in Crude Oil
Authors: Vetere Alessandro , Pröfrock Daniel , Schrader Wolfgang
Published: July 2017

Owing to the environmental hazards arising from sulfur‐containing combustion products, strong legal regulations exist to reduce the sulfur content of transportation fuels down to a few ppm. With the ongoing depletion of low‐sulfur crude oil reservoirs, increased technological efforts are needed for crude oil refining to meet these requirements. The desulfurization step is a critical part of the refining process but partly suffers from the recalcitrance of certain species to sulfur removal and the inability to quantitatively understand the behavior of individual compound classes during the process. We herein present a new and simple approach for the parallel quantification of three different classes of sulfur species present in crude oils by LC separation and on‐line detection and quantification by ICP‐MS/MS. This approach will help to estimate the amount of recalcitrant species and thus facilitate the optimization of desulfurization conditions during fuel production.
Auflagerbereiche wandartiger Träger
Authors: Haberland Marco , Morgen Karl
Published: July 2017

Die kritischen Bereiche von wandartigen Trägern sind die Auflagerbereiche. Ihre Bemessung und konstruktive Durchbildung bedürfen einer besonderen Beachtung, insbesondere wenn in Grenzbereiche vorgestoßen wird. Das Standardwerk über Jahrzehnte, das DAfStb Heft 240, ist heutzutage nicht mehr in allen Belangen konsistent mit dem inzwischen gültigen Eurocode 2. Vollständig sind beide derzeit nicht. Diese Lücken füllend finden sich an unterschiedlichen Stellen veröffentlichte Hilfestellungen und Empfehlungen. Dieser Aufsatz stellt eine Zusammenfassung der nach Meinung der Verfasser wesentlichen Aspekte bzgl. der Auflagerbereiche dar. Ergänzt wird dies durch Überlegungen zur mittelbaren Lagerung. Die Auflagerknoten sind sowohl bei unmittelbarer Lagerung als auch bei mittelbarer Lagerung nachzuweisen. Kann im Falle einer mittelbaren Lagerung der primäre Auflagerknoten nachgewiesen werden, kann die Lastübertragungszone konstruktiv bewehrt werden. Kann dieser Nachweis nicht erbracht werden, empfiehlt es sich, die Lastübertragungszone für die mittelbare Lagerung explizit zu bemessen.
Overflow metabolism and growth cessation in Clostridium thermocellum DSM1313 during high cellulose loading fermentations
Authors: Thompson R. Adam , Trinh Cong T.
Published: July 2017

As a model thermophilic bacterium for the production of second‐generation biofuels, the metabolism of Clostridium thermocellum has been widely studied. However, most studies have characterized C. thermocellum metabolism for growth at relatively low substrate concentrations. This outlook is not industrially relevant, however, as commercial viability requires substrate loadings of at least 100 g/L cellulosic materials. Recently, a wild‐type C. thermocellum DSM1313 was cultured on high cellulose loading batch fermentations and reported to produce a wide range of fermentative products not seen at lower substrate concentrations, opening the door for a more in‐depth analysis of how this organism will behave in industrially relevant conditions. In this work, we elucidated the interconnectedness of overflow metabolism and growth cessation in C. thermocellum during high cellulose loading batch fermentations (100 g/L). Metabolic flux and thermodynamic analyses suggested that hydrogen and formate accumulation perturbed the complex redox metabolism and limited conversion of pyruvate to acetyl‐CoA conversion, likely leading to overflow metabolism and growth cessation in C. thermocellum. Pyruvate formate lyase (PFL) acts as an important redox valve and its flux is inhibited by formate accumulation. Finally, we demonstrated that manipulation of fermentation conditions to alleviate hydrogen accumulation could dramatically alter the fate of pyruvate, providing valuable insight into process design for enhanced C. thermocellum production of chemicals and biofuels. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2592–2604. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Metabolomic Tools to Assess the Chemistry and Bioactivity of Endophytic Aspergillus Strain
Authors: Tawfike Ahmed F. , Tate Rothwelle , Abbott Gráinne , Young Louise , Viegelmann Christina , Schumacher Marc , Diederich Marc , Edrada‐Ebel RuAngelie
Published: July 2017

Endophytic fungi associated with medicinal plants are a potential source of novel chemistry and biology that may find applications as pharmaceutical and agrochemical drugs. In this study, a combination of metabolomics and bioactivity‐guided approaches were employed to isolate secondary metabolites with cytotoxicity against cancer cells from an endophytic Aspergillus aculeatus. The endophyte was isolated from the Egyptian medicinal plant Terminalia laxiflora and identified using molecular biological methods. Metabolomics and dereplication studies were accomplished by utilizing the MZmine software coupled with the universal Dictionary of Natural Products database. Metabolic profiling, with aid of multivariate data analysis, was performed at different stages of the growth curve to choose the optimized method suitable for up‐scaling. The optimized culture method yielded a crude extract abundant with biologically‐active secondary metabolites. Crude extracts were fractionated using different high‐throughput chromatographic techniques. Purified compounds were identified by HR‐ESI‐MS, 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR. This study introduced a new method of dereplication utilizing both high‐resolution mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. The metabolites were putatively identified by applying a chemotaxonomic filter. We also present a short review on the diverse chemistry of terrestrial endophytic strains of Aspergillus, which has become a part of our dereplication work and this will be of wide interest to those working in this field.
Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Properties, α‐Glucosidase Inhibitory, and Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils from Acacia mollissima and Acacia cyclops Cultivated in Tunisia
Authors: Jelassi Amira , Hassine Manel , Besbes Hlila Malek , Ben Jannet Hichem
Published: July 2017

The genus Acacia is quite large and can be found in the warm subarid and arid parts, but little is known about its chemistry, especially the volatile parts. The volatile oils from fresh flowers of A. mollissima and A. cyclops (growing in Tunisia) obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed by GC then GC/MS. Eighteen (94.7% of the total oil composition) and 23 (97.4%) compounds were identified in these oils, respectively. (E,E)‐α‐Farnesene (51.5%) and (E)‐cinnamyl alcohol (10.7%) constituted the major compounds of the flower oil of A. mollissima, while nonadecane (29.6%) and caryophyllene oxide (15.9%) were the main constituents of the essential oil of A. cyclops. Antioxidant activity of the isolated oils was studied by varied assays, i.e., 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2‐azinobis 3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid (ABTS); the isolated oils showed lowest IC50 (4 – 39 μg/ml) indicating their high antioxidant activity. The α‐glucosidase inhibitor activity was also evaluated and Acacia oils were found to be able to strongly inhibit this enzyme with IC50 values (81 – 89 μg/ml) very close to that of acarbose which was used as positive control. Furthermore, they were tested against five Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and one Candida species. Essential oil of A. mollissima was found to be more active than that of A. cyclops, especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC = 0.31 mg/ml and MBC = 0.62 mg/ml).
T315I clone selection in a Ph+ all patient under low‐dose ponatinib maintenance
Authors: Noetzli Jasmine , Gavillet Mathilde , Masouridi‐Levrat Stavroula , Duchosal Michel , Spertini Olivier
Published: July 2017

Key Clinical Message

We report here the clinical course of a Ph+ ALL patient who was treated with ponatinib 15 mg/day, as maintenance therapy, and developed a BCR‐ABL T315I mutation leading to ALL relapse. This clonal evolution was reversed, without adverse effects, by increasing ponatinib to 45 mg/day. To our knowledge, we have been confronted with the first clinical case of a T315I clonal selection of ALL caused by subeffective therapeutic level of the drug. This single patient experience highlights the risk of T315I clone selection in Ph+ ALL treated with reduced dose ponatinib.
High Energy/Power Supercapacitor Performances of Intrinsically Ordered Ruthenium Oxide Prepared through Fast Hydrothermal Synthesis
Authors: Šekularac Gavrilo , Košević Milica , Dekanski Aleksandar , Djokić Veljko , Panjan Matjaž , Panić Vladimir
Published: July 2017

A simple one‐step microwave‐assisted and temperature‐controlled hydrothermal synthesis was applied to prepare a nanocrystalline RuO2 dispersion from an aqueous solution of RuCl3 for supercapacitive applications. The obtained RuO2 dispersions were subjected to dynamic light scattering in order to analyze the particle size distribution, whereas morphology and structural properties of the solid phase were investigated by using AFM, SEM, EDX, TEM, and XRD techniques. Ellipsoidally shaped 100–500 nm‐sized compact grains, joined into highly ordered prismatic agglomerates, are observed. Two types of grains are observed: more regular ones consisting of spherical, amorphous particles of a few nanometers in size, and irregular ones made of partially crystalline 10–80 nm‐sized particles. Consequently, the most dominant structure is 250‐nm grains. The particles tend to join tightly across their crystalline domains, which appears responsible for the formation of prismatic shapes of several micrometers. This arraying causes high capacitive activity ‐ specific capacitances of up to 800 F g−1 are registered, which negligibly depend on the charging/discharging rate. The synthesized material is of highly accessible internal structure, and is an excellent candidate for both low‐ and high‐power applications.
Rodlike Tetracene Derivatives
Authors: Roth Michael , Ahles Marcus , Gawrisch Christian , Schwalm Thorsten , Schmechel Roland , Melzer Christian , von Seggern Heinz , Rehahn Matthias
Published: July 2017

Efficient and versatile synthetic access to rodlike tetracene derivatives was developed by means of Diels–Alder cycloaddition, halogenation, halogen–metal exchange, and transition metal mediated coupling reactions. Herein, the synthesis and structural, electrical, and charge‐transport properties of three of the resulting materials, namely, 2‐(tetracen‐2‐yl)tetracene, 1,4‐bis(2‐tetracenyl)benzene, and 2,5‐bis(2‐tetracenyl)thiophene, are presented. Good crystallization behavior on SiO2substrates, narrowing of the bandgap by 0.2 eV, and a decrease of the ionization potential of more than 0.5 eV compared to tetracene were observed. Charge‐carrier field‐effect mobilities on the order of 10−1 cm2 V−1 s−1, on/off ratios of 105, and threshold voltagesVth<15 V were found in thin‐film organic field‐effect transistors prepared by standard high‐vacuum deposition techniques.
Mode coopétition dans un cluster culturel? Le cas du secteur circassien montréalais
Authors: Poisson‐de Haro Serge , Myard Alexandre
Published: July 2017

We explore the relevance of the « coopetition » concept within Montreal's circus sector and the Montréal Complètement Cirque festival in particular. Our analysis is based on the cluster phenomena found in coopetition studies, which is a strategy used by companies in the technology sector. We formulate propositions that suggest these collaborative practices allow reduce tensions related to the innovation and creative processes' intrinsic uncertainty and also moderate the effects of a firms' limited resources. These practices are also related to public policies aimed at ensuring the sector's sustainability, the existence of interpersonal relations, and the need for more visibility on the sector and its actors. Copyright © 2017 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Brønsted/Lewis Acid Ratio on Conversion of Sugars to 5‐Hydroxymethylfurfural over Mesoporous Nb and Nb‐W Oxides
Authors: Guo Bin , Ye Lin , Tang Gangfeng , Zhang Li , Yue Bin , Tsang Shik Chi Edman , He Heyong
Published: July 2017

A series of mesoporous Nb and Nb‐W oxides were employed as highly active solid acid catalysts for the conversion of glucose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The results of solid state 31P MAS NMR spectroscopy with adsorbed trimethylphosphine as probe molecule show that the addition of W in niobium oxide increases the number of Brønsted acid sites and decreases the number of Lewis acid sites. The catalytic performance for Nb‐W oxides varied with the ratio of Brønsted to Lewis acid sites and high glucose conversion was observed over Nb5W5 and Nb7W3 oxides with high ratios of Brønsted to Lewis acid sites. All Nb‐W oxides show a relatively high selectivity of HMF, whereas no HMF forms over sulfuric acid due to its pure Brønsted acidity. The results indicate fast isomerization of glucose to fructose over Lewis acid sites followed by dehydration of fructose to HMF over Brønsted acid sites. Moreover, comparing to the reaction occurred in aqueous media, the 2‐butanol/H2O system enhances the HMF selectivity and stabilizes the activity of the catalysts which gives the highest HMF selectivity of 52% over Nb7W3 oxide. The 2‐butanol/H2O catalytic system can also be employed in conversion of sucrose, achieving HMF selectivity of 46% over Nb5W5 oxide.
Rapid Detection of Sildenafil Drugs in Liquid Nutraceuticals Based on Surface‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy Technology
Authors: Zhao Hang , Hasi Wuliji , Bao Lin , Han Siqingaowa , Sha Xuanyu , Sun Jia , Lou Xiutao , Lin Dianyang , Lv Zhiwei
Published: July 2017

In this study, surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) technology was used to rapidly detect illegally added sildenafil drugs. A detailed attribution analysis by density functional theory (DFT) was used to guide specific experiments. The Raman signals were obtained from a silver colloid (Ag col) substrate, and they increased in the presence of the mineral salt, potassium iodide (KI). These methods detected sildenafil in aqueous solutions as low as 1 µg/mL with high signal uniformity (RSD=3.77%). Prior to this study, traditional Raman techniques detected substances in solid samples only. Here, Raman technology detected low contents of sildenaful drugs in liquid nutraceuticals. Therefore, SERS technology has great potential for on‐site and real‐time detection of illegal drugs in water and in liquid nutraceuticals.
Long‐term changes in Japanese women's facial skin color
Authors: Kikuchi Kumiko , Katagiri Chika , Yoshikawa Hironobu , Mizokami Yoko , Yaguchi Hirohisa
Published: July 2017

It has been suggested that skin color changes not only with advancing age but also with the times. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in Japanese women's facial skin color over 25 years, as well as the changes in skin pigmentation that affect skin color. First, skin color changes in terms of Munsell color values were investigated. A total of 3181 Japanese women residing in the greater Tokyo area were enrolled, and datasets were collected using spectrophotometers, designated as the 1991, 2001, 2005, and 2015 data. The mean Munsell hue, value, and chroma were calculated for each measurement year. Next, the concentrations of melanin and hemoglobin were calculated from spectral data, to investigate changes in skin pigmentations. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to verify that the suggested changes in skin pigmentations brought about skin color changes. As a result, skin color significantly changed toward high lightness, low saturation, and high yellowness from the 1991 data to the 2001 data. From the 2005 to 2015 data, the skin color distribution shifted toward lower saturation and increased redness. In addition, the concentration of hemoglobin decreased significantly from the 1991 data to the 2001 data, while the melanin concentration decreased significantly from the 2005 data to the 2015 data.
An efficient approach for outlier detection in big sensor data of health care
Authors: Saneja Bharti , Rani Rinkle
Published: July 2017

In recent years, wireless sensor networks are pervasive and are generating tons of data every second. Performing outlier detection to detect faulty sensors from such a large amount of data becomes a challenging task. Most of the existing techniques for outlier detection in wireless sensor networks concentrate only on contents of the data source without considering correlation among different data attributes. Moreover, these methods are not scalable to big data. To address these 2 limitations, this paper proposes an outlier detection approach based on correlation and dynamic SMO (sequential minimal optimization) regression that is scalable to big data. Initially, correlation is used to find out strongly correlated attributes and then the point anomalous nodes are detected using dynamic SMO regression. For fast processing of big data, Hadoop MapReduce framework is used. The experimental analysis demonstrates that the proposed approach efficiently detects the point and contextual anomalies and reduces the number of false alarms. For experiments, real data of sensors used in body sensor networks are taken from Physionet database.
Poorly differentiated vaginal adenocarcinoma with aggressive behavior—Pap smear findings
Authors: Eleutério José , de Freitas Francisca Margalene Medeiros , Oliveira Denise Nunes , Moreira David Freitas , Pessoa Mirley Sângela
Published: July 2017

Vaginal carcinoma is a rare condition. In this report, we describe a case of a poorly differentiated aggressive adenocarcinoma in a woman with a three month history of vaginal bleeding and a negative Pap smear done six months prior to her consultation. Specular examination showed a normal cervix, but there was a bleeding ulcer (2 cm in diameter) in the upper third of the vagina. Cytology revealed poorly differentiated atypical cells, and the biopsy established a diagnosis of vaginal adenocarcinoma with little differentiation. Within two months, the patient died without diagnosis of a primary tumor site other than the vagina.
River reaches with impaired riparian tree cover and channel morphology have reduced thermal resilience
Authors: O'Briain Rossa , Shephard Samuel , Coghlan Brian
Published: July 2017

This study evaluated the effects of riparian tree cover and channel morphology on the thermal regimes of 3 adjacent rivers in different years. Riparian tree cover was found to exert a strong modifying influence on stream temperature, with reduced mean maximum summer temperature at sites having greater tree cover. The effect of tree cover changed among years, such that greater cover was required to maintain a given water temperature regime in the warmer summer of 2013 than in 2014 or 2015. Water temperature was also related to mean depth in some years; shallower sites, typically associated with artificial channel widening, showed greater temperature extremes. These results suggest that the thermal resilience of modified streams can be improved by restoration of riparian tree cover and restored channel morphology. This finding is relevant to climate change proofing of temperate river channels, where cold‐water fauna are important elements of the biotic community.
Budget impact of intravenous iron therapy with ferric carboxymaltose in patients with chronic heart failure and iron deficiency in Germany
Authors: Theidel Ulrike , Väätäinen Saku , Martikainen Janne , Soini Erkki , Hardt Thomas , Doehner Wolfram
Published: July 2017

Aims

Treatment of iron deficiency (ID) in patients with heart failure (HF) with intravenous iron substitution [ferric carboxymaltose (FCM)] has previously shown significant improvements in exercise capacity, New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, quality of life, and reduction of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to estimate the budget impact of FCM treatment for patients with HF and ID.

Methods and results

Individual patient data from four double‐blind randomized controlled trials were pooled for this analysis. Expected outcomes were modelled for a treatment period of 1 year, using multivariate statistical methods. Associated unit costs were derived from claims data. Budget impact was calculated from the perspective of the Statutory Health Insurance. Multiple deterministic sensitivity analyses were performed. The annual budget impact for therapy with FCM vs. no‐iron therapy was €2 735 505 and €2 695 474 for 1000 patients, respectively, resulting in additional annual costs of €40.03 for each treated patient. Main costs drivers are the FCM treatment cost and cost of hospitalizations due to HF worsening. FCM therapy compared with no‐iron therapy resulted in reduced cost per 1000 patients: for reduced hospitalization due to HF worsening (52 vs. 129 hospitalizations amounting to €230 591 vs. €597 078), for reduced other medication (€1 611 007 vs. €1 679 908), fewer outpatient visits (€332 523 vs. €378 019), and home visits (€29 627 vs. €40 469). Sensitivity analyses showed robustness of the results.

Conclusions

Therapy with FCM has a minimal budget impact of €40 031 per 1000 patients per year. This budget impact translates into reduced and shorter hospitalizations and improved symptomatic status of the patients.
Curtailed T‐cell activation curbs effector differentiation and generates CD8+ T cells with a naturally‐occurring memory stem cell phenotype
Authors: Zanon Veronica , Pilipow Karolina , Scamardella Eloise , De Paoli Federica , De Simone Gabriele , Price David A. , Martinez Usatorre Amaia , Romero Pedro , Mavilio Domenico , Roberto Alessandra , Lugli Enrico
Published: July 2017

Human T memory stem (TSCM) cells with superior persistence capacity and effector functions are emerging as important players in the maintenance of long‐lived T‐cell memory and are thus considered an attractive population to be used in adoptive transfer‐based immunotherapy of cancer. However, the molecular signals regulating their generation remain poorly defined. Here we show that curtailed T‐cell receptor stimulation curbs human effector CD8+ T‐cell differentiation and allows the generation of CD45RO–CD45RA+CCR7+CD27+CD95+ ‐phenotype cells from highly purified naïve T‐cell precursors, resembling naturally‐occurring human TSCM. These cells proliferate extensively in vitro and in vivo, express low amounts of effector‐associated genes and transcription factors and undergo considerable self‐renewal in response to IL‐15 while retaining effector differentiation potential. Such a phenotype is associated with a lower number of mitochondria compared to highly‐activated effector T cells committed to terminal differentiation. These results shed light on the molecular signals that are required to generate long‐lived memory T cells with potential application in adoptive cell transfer immunotherapy.
Synthesis of N‐alkyl‐N′‐aryl or Alkenylpiperazines: A Copper‐Catalyzed C–N Cross‐Coupling in the Presence of Aryl and Alkenyl Triflates and DABCO
Authors: Ghazanfarpour‐Darjani Majid , Barat‐Seftejani Forugh , Khalaj Mehdi , Mousavi‐Safavi Seyed Mahmoud
Published: July 2017

Unsymmetrical piperazines are key constituents of many pharmaceuticals. Given that the selective introduction of an aryl and alkyl motif onto the piperazine is not always straightforward, direct arylation and alkenylation of 1,4‐diaza‐bicyclo[2.2.2]octane would obviate the inefficiencies associated with the preparation of these target molecules. We have utilized alkyl halides, aryl or alkenyl triflates, and 1,4‐diaza‐bicyclo[2.2.2]octane for the synthesis of N‐alkyl‐N′‐aryl or alkenylpiperazines. The optimum conditions are developed using CuCl, t‐BuOLi in NMP. Alkenyl triflates requires N,N′‐dimethylethylenediamine and higher temperature to afford the desired cross‐coupled product. Substrates bearing electron‐deficient and electron‐rich groups were successfully coupled under the optimum reaction conditions.
The development and impact of primary health care in China from 1949 to 2015: A focused review
Authors: Li Huazhang , Liu Kun , Gu Jianjun , Zhang Yimin , Qiao Yun , Sun Xiaoming
Published: July 2017

High‐quality primary health care (PHC) services are associated with better health outcomes and positive health equity. Providing PHC services to all inhabitants is one of the Chinese government's health care objectives. However, an imbalance between people's increasing health needs and effective health service utilization exists in China. The objective of this review is to identify evidence for PHC development in China and to summarize the challenges as a reference for the future improvement of China's PHC system. Literature searches related to China's PHC were performed in PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wan‐fang databases. Related data were collected from the China Statistical Yearbook on Health and Family Planning 2003–2016, the China National Health Accounts Report 2015, and An Analysis Report of National Health Services Survey in China, 2013. The PHC network and the population's health have improved in China in recent years, with general practitioners as “gatekeepers” who have gradually taken the initiative to offer health services to residents. The limitation of input and shortages of resources and skilled health care providers may restrict the sustainable development of China's PHC system. Therefore, policy support from the government is necessary.
Gene–environment interactions involving functional variants: Results from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium
Authors: Barrdahl Myrto , Rudolph Anja , Hopper John L. , Southey Melissa C. , Broeks Annegien , Fasching Peter A. , Beckmann Matthias W. , Gago‐Dominguez Manuela , Castelao J. Esteban , Guénel Pascal , Truong Thérèse , Bojesen Stig E. , Gapstur Susan M. , Gaudet Mia M. , Brenner Hermann , Arndt Volker , Brauch Hiltrud , Hamann Ute , Mannermaa Arto , Lambrechts Diether , Jongen Lynn , Flesch‐Janys Dieter , Thoene Kathrin , Couch Fergus J. , Giles Graham G. , Simard Jacques , Goldberg Mark S. , Figueroa Jonine , Michailidou Kyriaki , Bolla Manjeet K. , Dennis Joe , Wang Qin , Eilber Ursula , Behrens Sabine , Czene Kamila , Hall Per , Cox Angela , Cross Simon , Swerdlow Anthony , Schoemaker Minouk J. , Dunning Alison M. , Kaaks Rudolf , Pharoah Paul D.P. , Schmidt Marjanka , Garcia‐Closas Montserrat , Easton Douglas F. , Milne Roger L. , Chang‐Claude Jenny
Published: July 2017

Investigating the most likely causal variants identified by fine‐mapping analyses may improve the power to detect gene–environment interactions. We assessed the interplay between 70 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified by genetic fine‐scale mapping of susceptibility loci and 11 epidemiological breast cancer risk factors in relation to breast cancer. Analyses were conducted on up to 58,573 subjects (26,968 cases and 31,605 controls) from the Breast Cancer Association Consortium, in one of the largest studies of its kind. Analyses were carried out separately for estrogen receptor (ER) positive (ER+) and ER negative (ER–) disease. The Bayesian False Discovery Probability (BFDP) was computed to assess the noteworthiness of the results. Four potential gene–environment interactions were identified as noteworthy (BFDP < 0.80) when assuming a true prior interaction probability of 0.01. The strongest interaction result in relation to overall breast cancer risk was found between CFLAR‐rs7558475 and current smoking (ORint = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.67–0.88, pint = 1.8 × 10−4). The interaction with the strongest statistical evidence was found between 5q14‐rs7707921 and alcohol consumption (ORint =1.36, 95% CI: 1.16–1.59, pint = 1.9 × 10−5) in relation to ER– disease risk. The remaining two gene–environment interactions were also identified in relation to ER– breast cancer risk and were found between 3p21‐rs6796502 and age at menarche (ORint = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.12–1.43, pint =1.8 × 10−4) and between 8q23‐rs13267382 and age at first full‐term pregnancy (ORint = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83–0.95, pint = 5.2 × 10−4). While these results do not suggest any strong gene–environment interactions, our results may still be useful to inform experimental studies. These may in turn, shed light on the potential interactions observed.
Tribbles 2 mediates cisplatin sensitivity and DNA damage response in epithelial ovarian cancer
Authors: Kritsch Daniel , Hoffmann Franziska , Steinbach Daniel , Jansen Lars , Mary Photini Stella , Gajda Mieczyslaw , Mosig Alexander S. , Sonnemann Jürgen , Peters Sven , Melnikova Margarita , Thomale Jürgen , Dürst Matthias , Runnebaum Ingo B. , Häfner Norman
Published: July 2017

Aim was to identify methylated genes with functional involvement in cisplatin‐resistance development of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Genome‐wide analyses of hypermethylated CpG‐islands in resistant cell lines in combination with qRT‐PCR analyses were used to identify epigenetically silenced genes. EOC‐Type‐II tumors were analyzed for gene methylation and expression and TCGA data were interrogated in‐silico. Experiments revealed 37 commonly hypermethylated genes in resistant cells of which Tribbles 2 (TRIB2) showed the most pronounced downregulation on mRNA level and was characterized further. TRIB2 showed a reactivation after 5′‐Aza‐Cytidine treatment in resistant cells but a cisplatin‐dependent, prominent upregulation on mRNA level in sensitive cells, only. Re‐expression in resistant A2780 cells increased the sensitivity to cisplatin and other DNA‐damaging agents, but not taxanes. Contrary, knockdown of TRIB2 increased resistance to cisplatin in sensitive cells. TRIB2 was involved in the induction of a cisplatin‐dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by influencing p21 and survivin expression. An increased Pt‐DNA‐adduct formation in TRIB2 re‐expressing cells did not translate in higher levels of dsDNA damage (yH2AX‐foci). Thus, TRIB2 is potentially involved in the signal transduction from nucleotide excision repair of intrastrand cross links. Importantly, patient stratification of two homogenous cohorts of EOC‐Type‐II patients from Jena (n = 38) and the TCGA (n = 149) by TRIB2 mRNA expression consistently revealed a significantly decreased PFS for patients with low TRIB2 levels (log‐rank p < 0.05). Tumors from resistant patients expressed the lowest levels of TRIB2. Downregulation of TRIB2 contributes to platin‐resistance and TRIB2 expression should be validated as prognostic and predictive marker for EOC.
Cervical cancer incidence after up to 20 years of observation among women with HIV
Authors: Massad L. Stewart , Hessol Nancy A. , Darragh Teresa M. , Minkoff Howard , Colie Christine , Wright Rodney L. , Cohen Mardge , Seaberg Eric C.
Published: July 2017

To estimate the incidence of invasive cervical cancer (ICC) across up to 21 years of follow‐up among women with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and to compare it to that among HIV‐uninfected women, we reviewed ICC diagnoses from a 20‐year multi‐site U.S. cohort study of HIV infected and uninfected women who had Pap testing every 6 months. Incidence rates were calculated and compared to those in HIV‐negative women. Incidence ratios standardized to age‐, sex‐, race‐, and calendar‐year specific population rates were calculated. After a median follow‐up of 12.3 years, four ICCs were confirmed in HIV seropositive women, only one in the last 10 years of observation, and none in seronegative women. The ICC incidence rate did not differ significantly by HIV status (HIV seronegative: 0/100,000 person‐years vs. HIV seropositive: 19.5/100,000 person‐years; p = 0.53). The standardized incidence ratio for the HIV‐infected WIHS participants was 3.31 (95% CI: 0.90, 8.47; p = 0.07). Although marginally more common in women without HIV, for those with HIV in a prevention program, ICC does not emerge as a major threat as women age.
Guiding cellular activity with polarized light
Authors: Constant Colin , Bergano Andrea , Sugaya Kiminobu , Dogariu Aristide
Published: July 2017

Actin, cytoskeleton protein forming microfilaments, play a crucial role in cellular motility. Here we show that exposure to very low levels of polarized light guide their orientation in‐vivo within the live cell. Using a simple model to describe the role of actin‐filament orientation in directional cellular motion, we demonstrate that the actin polymerization/depolymerization mechanism develops primarily along this direction and, under certain conditions, can lead to guidance of the cell movement. Our results also show a dose dependent increase in actin activity in direct correspondence to the level of laser irradiance. We found that total expression of Tau protein, which stabilize microtubules, was decreased by the irradiance, indicating that exposure to the light may change the activity of kinase, leading to increased cell activity.

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Hepatocytes of Wistar and Sprague Dawley rats differ significantly in their central metabolism
Authors: Garg Richa , Heinzle Elmar , Noor Fozia
Published: July 2017

Wistar and Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats are most commonly used experimental rats. They have similar genetic background and are therefore, not discriminated in practical research. In this study, we compared metabolic profiles of Wistar and SD rat hepatocytes from middle (6 months) and old (23 months) age groups. Principle component analysis (PCA) on the specific uptake and production rates of amino acids, glucose, lactate and urea indicated clear differences between Wistar and SD rat hepatocytes. SD rat hepatocytes showed higher uptake rates of various essential and non‐essential amino acids, particularly in early culture phases (0‐12 h) compared to later phases (12‐24 h). SD hepatocytes seem to be more sensitive to isolation procedure and in vitro culture requiring more amino acids for cellular maintenance and repair. Major differences between Wistar and SD rat hepatocytes were observed for glucose and branched chain amino acid metabolism. We conclude that the observed differences in the central carbon metabolism of isolated hepatocytes from these two rats should be considered when using one or the other rat type in studies on metabolic effects or diseases such as diabetes or obesity.
Navigating Inclusion in Transitions from Conflict: The Formalised Political Unsettlement
Authors: Bell Christine , Pospisil Jan
Published: July 2017

The project of ensuring that political settlements are inclusive is key to attempts to navigate transitions from conflict over the last quarter of a century or so. Examining such transitions, we point to the emergence of the ‘formalised political unsettlement’ as a persistent outcome. The formalised political unsettlement translates the disagreement at the heart of the conflict into a set of political and legal institutions for continuing negotiation. As the conditions of its emergence are unlikely to change and the formalised political unsettlement may be here to stay, we point to the opportunities for navigating between elite inclusion and broader societal inclusion that it offers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of the nasopharyngeal viral microbiome from children with community‐acquired pneumonia but negative for Luminex xTAG respiratory viral panel assay detection
Authors: Xu Lili , Zhu Yun , Ren Lili , Xu Baoping , Liu Chunyan , Xie Zhengde , Shen Kunling
Published: July 2017

In the present study, 50 nasopharyngeal swabs from children with community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) but negative for 18 common respiratory viruses, as measured by the Luminex xTAG Respiratory Viral Panel Assay, were subjected to multiplex metagenomic analyses using a next‐generation sequencing platform. Taxonomic analysis showed that all sequence reads could be assigned to a specific species. An average of 95.13% were assigned to the Bacteria kingdom, whereas, only 0.72% were potentially virus derived. This snapshot of the respiratory tract virome revealed most viral reads to be respiratory tract related, classified into four known virus families: Paramyxoviridae, Herpesviridae, Anelloviridae, and Polyomaviridae. Importantly, we detected a novel human parainfluenza virus 3 (HPIV 3) strain with a 32‐bp insertion in the haemagglutinin‐neuraminidase (HN) gene that produced a negative result in the Luminex assay, highlighting the strength of virome metagenomic analysis to identify not only novel viruses but also viruses likely to be missed by ordinary clinical tests. Thus, virome metagenomic analysis could become a viable clinical diagnostic method.
Transcriptional profiling of articular cartilage in a porcine model of early post‐traumatic osteoarthritis
Authors: Sieker Jakob T. , Proffen Benedikt L. , Waller Kimberly A. , Chin Kaitlyn E. , Karamchedu Naga Padmini , Akelman Matthew R. , Perrone Gabriel S. , Kiapour Ata M. , Konrad Johannes , Murray Martha M. , Fleming Braden C.
Published: July 2017

To identify the molecular pathophysiology present in early post‐traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA), the transcriptional profile of articular cartilage and its response to surgical PTOA induction were determined. Thirty six Yucatan minipigs underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection and were randomly assigned in equal numbers to no further treatment, reconstruction or ligament repair. Cartilage was harvested at 1 and 4 weeks post‐operatively and histology and RNA‐sequencing were performed and compared to controls. Microscopic cartilage scores significantly worsened at 1 (p = 0.028) and 4 weeks (p = 0.001) post‐surgery relative to controls, but did not differ between untreated, reconstruction or repair groups. Gene expression after ACL reconstruction and ACL transection were similar, with only 0.03% (includingSERPINB7andCR2) and 0.2% of transcripts (includingINHBA) differentially expressed at 1 and 4 weeks respectively.COL2A1,COMP,SPARC,CHAD, andEF1ALPHAwere the most highly expressed non ribosomal, non mitochondrial genes in the controls and remained abundant after surgery. A total of 1,275 genes were differentially expressed between 1 and 4 weeks post‐surgery. With the treatment groups pooled, 682 genes were differentially expressed at both time‐points, with the most significant changes observed inMMP1,COCH,POSTN,CYTL1, andPTGFR. This study confirmed the development of a microscopic PTOA stage after ACL surgery in the porcine model. Upregulation of multiple proteases (includingMMP1andADAMTS4) were found; however, the level of expression remained orders of magnitude below that of extracellular matrix protein‐coding genes (includingCOL2A1andACAN). In summary, genes with established roles in PTOA as well as novel targets for specific intervention were identified. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:318–329, 2018.
Water status and must composition in grapevine cv. Chardonnay with different soils and topography and a mini meta‐analysis of the δ13C/water potentials correlation
Authors: Brillante Luca , Mathieu Olivier , Lévêque Jean , van Leeuwen Cornelis , Bois Benjamin
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

The measurement of carbon isotopic discrimination in grape sugars at harvest (δ13C) is an integrated assessment of water status during ripening. It is an efficient alternative to assess variability in the field and discriminate between management zones in precision viticulture, but further work is needed to completely understand the signal.

RESULTS

This work, spanning over 3 years, performed in a hillslope toposequence in Burgundy, delineates the relationships between main soil properties (gravel amount, slope, texture) and the grapevine water status assessed by δ13C. The highest δ13C, indicating most severe water deficit, was recorded in gravelly soils on steep slopes. The amount of sugars and malic and tartaric acids was also related to δ13C. The relationship between δ13C and predawn leaf water potentials (Ψpd) was also investigated, because the absolute values of measured δ13C were lower than the values currently found in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS

A mini‐meta‐analysis was performed, which showed that the slope of the relationships between minimum Ψpd and δ13C was stable across studies (a change of 1‰ in δ13C corresponded to a change of −0.2 MPa in the minimum Ψpd), while the intercept of the comparison δ13C/Ψpd changed, probably because of genetic variations between varieties, or environmental differences. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Toxicity of zearalenone on the intestines of pregnant sows and their offspring and alleviation with modified halloysite nanotubes
Authors: Liu Min , Zhu Dandan , Guo Tao , Zhang Yuanyuan , Shi Baoming , Shan Anshan , Chen Zhihui
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of maternal exposure to zearalenone (ZEN) on the intestines of pregnant sows and offspring on postnatal days (PD) 1, 21 and 188. Eighteen pregnant sows (six per treatment) were fed a control diet (ZEN, 0.03 mg kg−1), ZEN diet (ZEN, 2.77 mg kg−1) and ZEN + 1% modified halloysite nanotube (MHNT) diet (ZEN, 2.76 mg kg−1) respectively from gestation days (GD) 35 to 70. At the end of the experiment, three sows of each group on GD70 and the offspring on PD1, PD21 and PD188 were killed to analyze the changes of intestines.

RESULTS

The results showed that ZEN caused oxidative stress, an inflammatory response, changes in the structure of jejunum and alterations of the bacterial numbers in cecal digesta in pregnant sows and PD1 and PD21 piglets. On PD188, bacterial numbers were also altered. MHNTs supplementation reduced the amount of ZEN in the intestine and reversed to a large extent the effects induced by ZEN on the intestines of pregnant sows and offspring.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained from this study indicated that MHNTs treatment was beneficial for the adsorption of ZEN in the intestine of sows. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Modelling the demand for inbound medical tourism: The case of Malaysia
Authors: Tang Chor Foon , Lau Evan
Published: July 2017

This paper empirically examines the macroeconomic determinants for medical tourism demand using time series econometrics methodology. We find that income, price, exchange rate, SARS outbreak, safety, medical quality, manpower, and medical facilities are significantly affecting the long‐run demand behaviour of medical tourism in Malaysia. In order to attract medical tourists, policymakers in Malaysia should (a) reduce the medical prices, (b) reduce the crime rate and improve safety, and (c) continue the improvement of research, medical quality, manpower, and facilities to support the revolution of inbound medical tourism demand in Malaysia. This is to ensure the Malaysia's sustainable economic development.
Laryngectomy and smoking: An analysis of postoperative risk
Authors: Brady Jacob S. , Crippen Meghan M. , Filimonov Andrey , Eloy Jean Anderson , Baredes Soly , Park Richard Chan Woo
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To investigate the impact of smoking on complication rates following total laryngectomy.

Study Design and Methods

The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for all total laryngectomies between 2005 and 2014. Patients were identified as smokers (n = 561) or nonsmokers (n = 513) and compared via univariate and multivariate analyses. A nearest‐neighbor propensity score‐generating algorithm was used to build a subpopulation (n = 714) of matched cases and evaluated in a similar manner. Additionally, pack‐year data was available for select cases and analyzed appropriately.

Results

On multivariate analysis of the unmatched cohort accounting for demographics and confounders, no significant difference in overall medical complications was identified between groups (odds ratio = 0.799, P = 0.495). Propensity matching corrected for all significantly distributed comorbidities, except for alcohol, which remained associated with the smoking group (P = < 0.001). In the matched population, there were no significant differences in complication rates between the two groups. Pack‐year data was available for 340 patients. These cases were subdivided into cohorts with < 50 (n = 204) and 51+ (n = 136) pack‐years. Postoperative pneumonia, ventilation for more than 48 hours, sepsis, and overall medical complications were associated with > 50 pack‐years of smoking. After multivariate regression, sepsis and overall medical complications remained significant for the 51+ pack‐year smoking cohort.

Conclusion

After accounting for confounding comorbidities, smoking is found to play an insignificant role in the development of postoperative complications following total laryngectomy. However, those with 51+ pack‐years are at an increased risk for postoperative sepsis and overall medical complications following these complex procedures.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 127:2302–2309, 2017