bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of novel chiral metal complexes derived from chiral thiosemicarbazide ligands as potential antioxidant agents
Authors: Başaran Eyüp , Sıcak Yusuf , Sogukomerogullari Hatice Gamze , Karaküçük‐Iyidoğan Ayşegül , Oruç‐Emre Emine Elçin , Sönmez Mehmet , Öztürk Mehmet
Published: April 2019

Two new chiral thiosemicarbazide ligands and their Cu (II), Ni (II), Pd (II), and Zn (II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (only for ligand), Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), ultraviolet visible (UV‐Vis), mass, and elemental analysis. The antioxidant activity of ligands and their metal complexes was examined. It was found that the antioxidant activity of metal complexes was better than their ligands. In addition, the antioxidant activity, as reflected by free radical scavenging, was evaluated. Besides, Pd (II) complexes exhibited better antioxidant activity than Ni (II), Cu (II), and Zn (II) complexes. Therefore, complexes (3a‐Pd and 3b‐Pd) can be used as an antioxidant agent or antioxidant test standard.
Resolution of (R,S)‐ibuprofen catalyzed by immobilized Novozym40086 in organic phase
Authors: Yuan Xin , Wang Lujun , Liu Guangyong , Dai Guilin , Tang Kewen
Published: April 2019

The enantioselective esterification of ibuprofen catalyzed by Novozym40086 was successfully conducted in organic solvent. Removing‐water reagent was added into the reaction mixture to remove water produced in the esterification. The effects of temperature, n‐hexanol concentration, ibuprofen concentration, and loading of enzymes were investigated. Under the condition of equilibrium, the thermodynamic equilibrium constant (K) of 7.697 and enantioselectivity (E) of 8.512 were obtained. The esterification reaction achieved its equilibrium in approximately 30 hours with conversion of 56% and eeS of 93.78%. The predicted values of X and eeS were 67.90% and 95.60%, respectively. The experimental value is approximately equal to the theoretical value, which indicates the feasibility of ideal models.
Catalyst‐Free Hydroxytrifluoromethylation of Alkenes UsingIodotrifluoromethane
Authors: Su Zhaoben , Guo Yong , Chen Qing‐Yun , Zhao Zhi‐Gang , Nian Bao‐Yi
Published: April 2019

Summary of main observation and conclusion

The importance of CF3‐containing molecules in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and materials intrigues the intense interest in synthetic methodology of these compounds. With a purpose to enrich trifluoromethylation methodology, we carefully examined the substrate scope of hydroxytrifluoromethylation of alkenes using iodotrifluoromethane, and the reaction provided β‐trifluoromethyl alcohols in good yields under extremely mild conditions without catalysts. We found that our reaction can be applied to not only styrenes but also various aliphatic alkenes with excellent selectivity; no ketone was detected in most of our cases. Another feature of our discovery is “simple”. The reaction was carried out in air, irradiated by visible light, at room temperature and most importantly no catalyst was needed. A solution of CF3I in DMSO was used as the facile trifluoromethylating reagent, which simplified the utilization of gaseous CF3I. Based on 19F NMR spectroscopy, we observed a halogen bond between CF3I and tertiary amine in this reaction. The interaction may promote single electron transfer by the visible light irradiation.
Medicare and patient spending among beneficiaries diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia
Authors: Kenzik Kelly M. , Bhatia Ravi , Williams Grant R. , Bhatia Smita
Published: April 2019

Background

The authors examined Medicare spending and patient spending in older patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) over the first 5 years from the time of CML diagnosis in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) era.

Methods

Medicare beneficiaries with CML who were diagnosed between 2007 and 2012 at age >65 years were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database (805 beneficiaries). A noncancer Medicare beneficiary sample was frequency‐matched based on age, sex, and race/ethnicity (805 individuals). Patients were followed until 5 years from diagnosis, disenrollment, death, or December 31, 2014, whichever came first. Total Medicare spending, service‐specific spending, and amount owed by patients was estimated monthly and then summed over 60 months and averaged to generate annual spending.

Results

The median age at the time of diagnosis of CML was 76 years (range, 66‐102 years). Overall, 51.4% of patients received TKIs (27.8% received imatinib alone), 28% received non‐TKI therapy, and 21% received no treatment. The 5‐year survival rate for patients with ≥85% time receiving TKIs was 79% compared with 76% for noncancer controls versus 62% for those with <85% time receiving TKIs. Annual Medicare spending was found to be significantly higher for patients treated with TKIs ($143,053) compared with those treated without TKIs ($41,268 vs $10,498 for noncancer controls). Annual patient cost responsibility was $11,712 per patient receiving any TKIs versus $7330 for those receiving non‐TKI outpatient chemotherapy versus $3561 for noncancer controls.

Conclusions

Older patients with CML with adequate time receiving TKI therapy have 5‐year survival rates that are comparable to those of their counterparts without cancer. However, TKI use is accompanied with significant Medicare and patient spending; patients receiving multiple TKIs (ie, dasatinib or nilotinib along with imatinib) constitute the group with the highest spending.
Accelerating magnetic induction tomography‐based imaging through heterogeneous parallel computing
Authors: Walker David W. , Kramer Stephan C. , Biebl Fabian R. A. , Ledger Paul D. , Brown Malcolm
Published: April 2019

Magnetic Induction Tomography (MIT) is a non‐invasive imaging technique, which has applications in both industrial and clinical settings. In essence, it is capable of reconstructing the electromagnetic parameters of an object from measurements made on its surface. With the exploitation of parallelism, it is possible to achieve high quality inexpensive MIT images for biomedical applications on clinically relevant time scales. In this paper we investigate the performance of different parallel implementations of the forward eddy current problem, which is the main computational component of the inverse problem through which measured voltages are converted into images. We show that a heterogeneous parallel method that exploits multiple CPUs and GPUs can provide a high level of parallel scaling, leading to considerably improved runtimes. We also show how multiple GPUs can be used in conjunction with deal.II, a widely‐used open source finite element library.
Temperature‐Dependent Photoluminescence of Silver‐Indium‐Sulfide Nanocrystals in Aqueous Colloidal Solutions
Authors: Stroyuk Oleksandr , Raevskaya Alexandra , Spranger Felix , Gaponik Nikolai , Zahn Dietrich R. T.
Published: April 2019

The temperature dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) makes them an appealing option in bio‐sensing applications. Here, we probed the temperature‐dependent PL behavior of aqueous glutathione (GSH)‐capped Ag−In−S (AIS) NCs and their core/shell AIS/ZnS heterostructures. We show that both core and core‐shell materials reveal strong PL quenching upon heating from 10 to 80 °C, which is completely reversible upon cooling. The PL quenching is assigned to the thermally activated dissociation of complexes formed by ligands with the metal cations on the NC surface and the introduction of water into the NC coordination sphere. This unique mechanism of the thermal PL quenching results in a much higher temperature sensitivity of the aqueous colloidal AIS (AIS/ZnS) NCs as compared with previously reported analogs capped by covalently bound ligands. Our results are expected to stimulate further studies on aqueous ternary NCs as colloidal luminescent nano‐thermometers applicable for ratiometric temperature sensing.
Selective Hydrosilylation of Dienes, Enynes, and Diynes Catalyzed by a Platinum Complex with a Very Bulky NHC Ligand – The Crucial Role of Precise Tuning of the Reaction Conditions
Authors: Żak Patrycja , Bołt Małgorzata , Pietraszuk Cezary
Published: April 2019

Series of various dienes, diynes and enynes were hydrosilylated in the presence of platinum complex [Pt(IPr*OMe)(dvms)] (I) (where IPr*OMe=1,3‐bis{2,6‐bis(diphenylmethyl)‐4‐methoxyphenyl}imidazol‐2‐ylidene, dvtms = divinyltetramethyldisiloxane) to afford selectively the corresponding mono‐ and bissilylated products in high yields. In each case, the process proceeded fully regioselectively according to the anti‐Markovnikov rule. Hydrosilylation of carbon–carbon triple bonds led to exclusive formation ofE‐isomers. For the first time, a one‐pot sequential hydrosilylation of a selected 1,3‐enyne and symmetricα,ω‐diene with two different silanes was also achieved. Moreover, the optimized reaction conditions were adopted for successful hydrosilylation of 1,3‐enynes with secondary silanes to yield stereoregular polyenes containing terminal carbon–carbon double bonds.
On the improvement of positioning accuracy in WiFi‐based wireless network using correntropy‐based kernel learning algorithms
Authors: Xue Nan , Luo Xiong , Wu Jinsong , Wang Weiping , Wang Long
Published: April 2019

Currently, we have witnessed the rapid development of data‐driven machine learning methods, which have achieved very effective results in communication systems. Kernel learning is a typical nonlinear learning method in the machine learning community. This article proposes two novel correntropy‐based kernel learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of indoor positioning in WiFi‐based wireless networks. In general, correntropy as a measure of local similarity defined in kernel space can be used for robust signal processing to address large outliers. Then, through the combination of the maximum mixture correntropy criterion (MMCC) and online vector quantization (VQ), we develop a learning algorithm, named quantized kernel MMCC (QKMMCC) method, which works with the advantage of correntropy while effectively suppressing the growth of memory structure and reducing the computation in this algorithm using VQ. Furthermore, to fully use redundant information and to further improve the learning accuracy, an intensified QKMMCC, called QKMMCC_BG, is also proposed on the basis of the bilateral gradient (BG) technique. Simulation results show that, compared with some similar approaches, our algorithms can achieve better computational performance. In addition, our proposed algorithms are also applied to indoor positioning of WiFi‐based wireless networks. The experimental results show that our kernel learning algorithms can effectively improve the positioning accuracy. The average positioning errors of our two algorithms in the experiment are 0.86 m and 0.76 m, respectively. The effectiveness of our algorithms is further verified.
NF‐κB‐mediated inflammatory damage is differentially affected in SH‐SY5Y and C6 cells treated with 27‐hydroxycholesterol
Authors: Ma Wei‐Wei , Li Chao‐Qun , Zhao Lei , Wang Yu‐Shan , Xiao Rong
Published: April 2019

Previous studies have demonstrated that 27‐hydroxycholesterol (27‐OHC), a cholesterol metabolite, was involved in the inflammatory process of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study aimed to investigate the 27‐OHC‐induced inflammatory damage to neurons and astrocytes and the underlying mechanism(s) accounting for this damage. Human neuroblastoma cells (SH‐SY5Y cells) and rat glioma cells (C6 cells) were treated with vehicle or 27‐OHC (5, 10, or 20 μM) for 24 hr. The levels of secreted interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were determined by using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Immunofluorescence staining was used to determine the cellular expression of toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β). The mRNA and protein expression levels of nuclear factor‐κB p65 (NF‐κB p65), nuclear factor‐κB p50 (NF‐κB p50) and cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) in both SH‐SY5Y and C6 cells were also detected by real‐time PCR and Western blot, respectively. The results of this study showed that 27‐OHC treatment increased secretion of TNF‐α and iNOS and decreased secretion of IL‐10, upregulated expression of TGF‐β, NF‐κB p65 and p50, and downregulated expression of COX‐2 in SH‐SY5Y cells. In C6 cells, treatment with 27‐OHC resulted in decreased secretion of IL‐1β, IL‐10, TNF‐α, and iNOS, and increased expression of TLR4 and TGF‐β. These results suggest that 27‐OHC may cause inflammatory damage to neurons by activating the TGF‐β/NF‐κB signaling pathway and to astrocytes by activating the TLR4/TGF‐β signaling, which results in the subsequent release of inflammatory cytokines.
Flow behavior, thixotropy, and dynamic viscoelasticity of ethanolic purified basil (Ocimum bacilicum L.) seed gum solutions during thermal treatment
Authors: Farahmandfar Reza , Salahi Mohammad Reza , Asnaashari Maryam
Published: April 2019

During processing, foodstuffs may be treated at various thermal operations. Thus, this study investigated the functional properties and flow behavior at operation conditions to ensure safety and improve quality and stability at high temperatures and analyzed the ability of gum to be used in food formulation. The results showed that the purified basil seed gum (PBSG) solutions could beknown as non‐Newtonian liquids with pseudoplastic behavior. Frequency sweep revealed the storage modulus (G′) was higher than the loss modulus (G″) in the treatments. According to stress sweep, frequency sweep, complex viscosity (η*), and loss‐tangent (tan δ) outcomes, mechanical spectra of PBSG were categorized as weak gels. Besides, concentration and temperature were effect on G′ and G″. The results indicated that, in general, 1% PBSG‐121°C had the maximum yield stress, consistency coefficient (k), extent of thixotropy, and the minimum values of flow behavior index. Also, 1% PBSG showed the highest G′, G″, η*, yield stress values at the limit of the LVE range (τy), flow‐point stress (τf), and corresponding modulus Gf (G′ = G″), and the lowest value of tan δ. Exhibiting distinctive rheological characteristics of PBSG makes it as a worthy hydrocolloid to use in food products, which use thermal processing.
Oncolytic virotherapy enhances the efficacy of a cancer vaccine by modulating the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Koske Iris , Rössler Annika , Pipperger Lisa , Petersson Monika , Barnstorf Isabel , Kimpel Janine , Tripp Christoph H. , Stoitzner Patrizia , Bánki Zoltán , von Laer Dorothee
Published: April 2019

The efficacy of cancer vaccines has been limited by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, which can be alleviated by immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Here, we tested if oncolytic viruses (OVs), similar to ICI, can also synergize with cancer vaccines by modulating the tumor microenvironment. VSV‐GP, a chimeric vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudotyped with the glycoprotein (GP) of the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus, is a promising new OV candidate. Here, we show that in mouse B16‐OVA melanoma, combination treatment of VSV‐GP with an ovalbumin (OVA) peptide‐loaded dendritic cell (DC) vaccine (DCVacc) significantly enhanced survival over the single agent therapies, although both DCVacc and DCVacc/VSV‐GP treatments induced comparable levels of OVA‐specific CD8 T cell responses. Virus replication was minimal so that direct viral oncolysis in B16‐OVA did not contribute to this synergism. The strong therapeutic effect of the DCVacc/VSV‐GP combination treatment was associated with high numbers of tumor‐infiltrating, highly activated T cells and the relative reduction of regulatory T cells in treated and contra‐lateral nontreated tumors. Accordingly, depletion of CD8 T cells but not natural killer cells abrogated the therapeutic effect of DCVacc/VSV‐GP supporting the crucial role of CD8 T cells. In addition, a drastic increase in several proinflammatory cytokines was observed in VSV‐GP‐treated tumors. Taken together, OVs, similar to ICI, have the potential to markedly increase the efficacy of cancer vaccines by alleviating local immune suppression in the tumor microenvironment.
RNA sequencing reveals PNN and KCNQ1OT1 as predictive biomarkers of clinical outcome in stage III colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Mini Enrico , Lapucci Andrea , Perrone Gabriele , D'Aurizio Romina , Napoli Cristina , Brugia Marco , Landini Ida , Tassi Renato , Picariello Lucia , Simi Lisa , Mancini Irene , Messerini Luca , Magi Alberto , Pinzani Pamela , Mazzei Teresita , Tonelli Francesco , Nobili Stefania
Published: April 2019

Five‐year overall survival of stage III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients treated with standard adjuvant chemotherapy (ACHT) is highly variable. Genomic biomarkers and/or transcriptomic profiles identified lack of adequate validation. Aim of our study was to identify and validate molecular biomarkers predictive of ACHT response in stage III CRC patients by a transcriptomic approach. From a series of CRC patients who received ACHT, two stage III extreme cohorts (unfavorable vs. favorable prognosis) were selected. RNA‐sequencing was performed from fresh frozen explants. Tumors were characterized for somatic mutations. Validation was performed in stage III CRC patients extracted from two GEO datasets. According to disease‐free survival (DFS), 108 differentially expressed genes (104/4 up/downregulated in the unfavorable prognosis group) were identified. Among 104 upregulated genes, 42 belonged to olfactory signaling pathways, 62 were classified as pseudogenes (n = 17), uncharacterized noncoding RNA (n = 10), immune response genes (n = 4), microRNA (n = 1), cancer‐related genes (n = 14) and cancer‐unrelated genes (n = 16). Three out of four down‐regulated genes were cancer‐related. Mutational status (i.e., RAS, BRAF, PIK3CA) did not differ among the cohorts. In the validation cohort, multivariate analysis showed high PNN and KCNQ1OT1 expression predictive of shorter DFS in ACHT treated patients (p = 0.018 and p = 0.014, respectively); no difference was observed in untreated patients. This is the first study that identifies by a transcriptomic approach and validates PNN and KCNQ1OT1 as molecular biomarkers predictive of chemotherapy response in stage III CRC patients. After a further validation in an independent cohort, PNN and KCNQ1OT1 evaluation could be proposed to prospectively identify stage III CRC patients benefiting from ACHT.
Integration of whole‐genome sequencing and functional screening identifies a prognostic signature for lung metastasis in triple‐negative breast cancer
Authors: Xie Guangdong , Yang Haiyuan , Ma Ding , Sun Yihua , Chen Haiquan , Hu Xin , Jiang Yi‐Zhou , Shao Zhi‐Ming
Published: April 2019

Lung metastasis is one of the leading causes of death for triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). We sought to characterize the genetic alterations underlying TNBC lung metastases by integrating whole‐genome sequencing and functional screening. Furthermore, we aimed to develop a metastasis‐related gene signature for TNBC patients to improve risk stratification. In this prospective observational study, we first conducted whole‐genome sequencing of paired primary tumor and lung metastasis from one TNBC patient to identify potential genetic driver alterations. An in vivo gain‐of‐function screening using an amplified open reading frame library was then employed to screen candidate genes promoting lung metastasis. Finally, we applied Cox proportional hazard regression modeling to develop a prognostic gene signature from 14 candidate genes in TNBC. Compared to the primary tumor, copy number amplifications of chromosomes 3q and 8q were identified in the lung metastasis. We discovered an enrichment of 14 genes from chromosomes 3q and 8q in mouse lung metastases model. We further developed and validated a four‐gene signature (ENY2, KCNK9, TNFRSF11B and KCNMB2) that predicts recurrence‐free survival and lung metastasis in TNBC. Our data also demonstrated that upregulated expression of ENY2 could promote invasion and lung metastasis of TNBC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our study reveals functional genes with copy number amplifications among chromosome 3q and 8q in lung metastasis of TNBC. And we develop a functional gene signature that can effectively stratify patients into low‐ and high‐risk subgroups of recurrence, helping frame personalized treatments for TNBC.
A bronchial‐airway gene‐expression classifier to improve the diagnosis of lung cancer: Clinical outcomes and cost‐effectiveness analysis
Authors: D'Andrea Elvira , Choudhry Niteesh Kumar , Raby Benjamin , Weinhouse Gerald Lawrence , Najafzadeh Mehdi
Published: April 2019

Bronchoscopy is the safest procedure for lung cancer diagnosis when an invasive evaluation is required after imaging procedures. However, its sensitivity is relatively low, especially for small and peripheral lesions. We assessed benefits and costs of introducing a bronchial gene‐expression classifier (BGC) to improve the performance of bronchoscopy and the overall diagnostic process for early detection of lung cancer. We used discrete‐event simulation to compare clinical and economic outcomes of two different strategies with the standard practice in former and current smokers with indeterminate nodules: (i) location‐based strategy—integrated the BGC to the bronchoscopy indication; (ii) simplified strategy—extended use of bronchoscopy plus BGC also on small and peripheral lesions. Outcomes modeled were rate of invasive procedures, quality‐adjusted‐life‐years (QALYs), costs and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios. Compared to the standard practice, the location‐based strategy (i) reduced absolute rate of invasive procedures by 3.3% without increasing costs at the current BGC market price. It resulted in savings when the BGC price was less than $3,000. The simplified strategy (ii) reduced absolute rate of invasive procedures by 10% and improved quality‐adjusted life expectancy, producing an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of $10,109 per QALY. In patients with indeterminate nodules, both BGC strategies reduced unnecessary invasive procedures at high risk of adverse events. Moreover, compared to the standard practice, the simplified use of BGC for central and peripheral lesions resulted in larger QALYs gains at acceptable cost. The location‐based is cost‐saving if the price of classifier declines.
Effects of the P‐Glycoprotein Inhibitor Clarithromycin on the Pharmacokinetics of Intravenous and Oral Trospium Chloride: A 4‐Way Crossover Drug‐Drug Interaction Study in Healthy Subjects
Authors: Abebe Bayew Tsega , Weiss Michael , Modess Christiane , Roustom Tarek , Tadken Tobias , Wegner Danilo , Schwantes Ulrich , Neumeister Claudia , Schulz Hans‐Ulrich , Scheuch Eberhard , Siegmund Werner
Published: April 2019

The quaternary ammonium compound trospium chloride is poorly absorbed from 2 “absorption windows” in the jejunum and cecum/ascending colon, respectively. To confirm whether intestinal P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) is involved, a 4‐period, crossover drug interaction study with trospium chloride after intravenous (2 mg) and oral administration (30 mg) without and after comedication of clarithromycin (500 mg), an inhibitor for P‐gp, was initiated in 12 healthy subjects. Pharmacokinetics of trospium was evaluated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, noncompartmental evaluation, and pharmacokinetic modeling. Trospium chloride was poorly absorbed after oral administration (absolute bioavailability, ∼8%–10%). About 30% of the bioavailable dose fraction was absorbed from the “narrow window”. Comedication with clarithromycin increased steady‐state distribution volumes by ∼27% (P < .01). Bioavailability was not increased as hypothesized. The geometric mean ratios (90% confidence interval) for area under the plasma concentration–time curve, maximum concentration, and renal clearance accounted for 0.75 (0.56–1.01), 0.64 (0.45–0.89), and 1.00 (0.90–1.13), respectively. The amount of trospium absorbed from the “narrow window” was reduced in all subjects but from the “wider window” in only 9 of them. Bioavailability was strongly predicted by the maximum absorption rate of trospium in the distal “window” (rs2 = 0.910, P < .0001). In conclusion, the P‐gp inhibitor clarithromycin significantly increases distribution volumes but not oral absorption of trospium. The amount absorbed from the “narrow window” was lowered in all subjects. However, the extent of all influences seems not to be of clinical relevance.
The influence of Atlantic High on seasonal rainfall in Argentina
Authors: Garbarini Eugenia María , González Marcela Hebe , Rolla Alfredo Luis
Published: April 2019

The objective of this work is to quantify the influence of the position and intensity of the Atlantic High (AH) on seasonal rainfall in Argentina. Monthly precipitation data in 68 stations from the National Meteorological Service of Argentina, the Secretariat of Water Resource and the Territorial Authority of the Limay, Neuquén, and Negro rivers basins (AIC) were used. Correlation was the methodology used to identify the link between seasonal rainfall and some indices especially defined to detect the position and intensity of the anticyclone. Precipitation composites of the years when the value of these indices was extremely high (greater than their second tercile) and extremely low (lower than their first tercile) were built for every season. They were analysed and compared with humidity anomaly transport composites for the same sets of years in order to study circulation patterns associated with seasonal rainfall anomalies. Results indicate that when the AH is intensified, winter rainfall increases in central Argentina and spring rainfall increases in northern Cuyo region. When the AH is displaced towards the north of its mean position, autumn rainfall is favoured in the northeast and central and south Patagonia, meanwhile winter and spring rainfall decreases in central Argentina. When the AH is displaced towards the east of its mean position, summer rainfall decreases in central Andes. Finally, AH indices were used to detect the influence on rainfall in advance. Correlations between seasonal rainfall and the defined indices that characterize the anticyclone in the previous month suggest that there is some rainfall predictability, especially during spring in almost every region in Argentina.
Anthocyanin composition of grapes from three different soil types in cv. Tempranillo A.O.C. Rioja vineyards
Authors: Pérez‐Álvarez Eva P , Martínez‐Vidaurre José M , Garde‐Cerdán Teresa
Published: April 2019

BACKGROUND

Soil and climate are among the most determining factors for the composition of grapes. Among the compounds present in grapes, anthocyanins mainly determine their organoleptic and health‐related properties. The purpose of this work was to study the influence of three different soils on the anthocyanin content of Tempranillo grapes (Vitis vinifera L.) from 2016 and 2017 vintages. The soils of the vineyards were classified as Fluventic Haploxerepts (FH), Typic Calcixerepts (TC) and Petrocalcic Palexerolls (PP).

RESULTS

Non‐acylated anthocyanins, and those derived from malvidin and peonidin, were the most abundant in grapes, regardless of soil type and year. During the wetter season (2016), the grapes with the highest concentration of total anthocyanins and several of the major anthocyanins were those from TC and PP soils, in which nitrogen availability was lower than that in FH soil. However, during the drier season (2017), no significant differences were observed, although trends similar to those seen in the 2016 season were recognized. Principal component analysis showed a good separation of samples according to the two seasons and to the three soils in each season.

CONCLUSION

In vineyards that resemble each other closely and that are located in a unique mesoclimatic area where similar plant material is used and similar managements practices are applied, soil characteristics, which condition water holding capacity and nitrogen availability for the vines, in conjunction with seasonal conditions, were the factors that predominantly determined the anthocyanin composition in grapes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Disinfestation of stored wheat grain infested with Rhyzopertha dominica by ozone treatment: process optimization and impact on grain properties
Authors: Mishra Gayatri , Palle Aphiya Amulya , Srivastava Shubhangi , Mishra Hari N
Published: April 2019

BACKGROUND

Ozone is a highly oxidative gas that has a long history of safe use as a disinfectant and sanitizer from producers of pharmaceuticals and many other organic compounds. In the current work, disinfestation of stored wheat grain infested with a common insect, Rhyzopertha dominica, was attempted through ozone (O3) treatment as an alternative to chemical fumigants.

RESULTS

The optimized treatment conditions for ozone fumigation of stored wheat grain were 12% (w/w) grain moisture, 2.5 g m−3 ozone concentration and 8 h of treatment. The mortality of R. dominica adults, pupae, larvae and eggs was 97, 100, 99 and 100%, respectively. Moisture and protein content of the ozone‐treated wheat was found to be lower as compared to infested wheat. Microstructural changes in the treated samples were clearly visible on scanning electron microscopy images, whereas minimal changes at the molecular level and of rheological parameters were evident based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy peak and rheometry data.

CONCLUSION

Ozone was found to be an effective reagent for disinfestation, aimed at all life stages of R. dominica in stored wheat grain, that leaves no residue behind. Rotational strategies can be applied to obtain increased mortality while maintaining the usability of the grain for different purposes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Use of graphene coated with ZnO nanocomposites for microextraction in packed syringe of carbamate pesticides from juice samples
Authors: Sun Ting , Fan Yuwan , Fan Peizheng , Geng Fengyun , Chen Peiyu , Zhao Feng
Published: April 2019

In this work, nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide coated with ZnO were synthesized using a hydrothermal reduction strategy. Nanocomposite was then used as a sorbent for microextraction in a packed syringe, and its application to the extraction of carbamate pesticides from juice samples prior to high‐performance liquid chromatography detection was demonstrated. Factors affecting the enrichment efficiency of the microextraction in a packed syringe procedure were optimized, which included desorption conditions, sample pH, salting‐out effect, washing solution, and sample cycles. Under optimal conditions, the prepared materials exhibited excellent enrichment efficiency for carbamate pesticides. Good linearity existed in the concentration range of 0.5–200 ng/mL, with correlation coefficients of 0.9991–0.9997. The limits of detection of these carbamate pesticides were in the range of 0.23–1.21 ng/mL, and the average recoveries of the analytes at two spiked levels for real‐sample analysis ranged from 90.5 to 104.2% with relative standard deviations of 3.6–5.9%.
Developing dynamic capabilities to survive a crisis: Tourism organizations' responses to continued turbulence in Libya
Authors: Mansour Hafez E.L. , Holmes Kirsten , Butler Bella , Ananthram Subramaniam
Published: April 2019

This paper identifies specific types of dynamic capabilities that enable tourism firms to survive the crisis caused by the Libyan civil war. The literature on dynamic capabilities has matured, but little is known about the specific types of dynamic capabilities that enable firms to survive turbulent conditions. Using case studies of eight Libyan tourism firms, we find that ongoing interactions between firms and their environments and the specific actions taken by managers and employees are crucial to firms' survival and adaptation to the new environment. Our paper makes a theoretical contribution to the dynamic capabilities and crisis management literature.
Epidemiology and treatment trends for primary tracheal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Hararah Mohammad K. , Stokes William A. , Oweida Ayman , Patil Tejas , Amini Arya , Goddard Julie , Bowles Daniel W. , Karam Sana D.
Published: April 2019

Objective

Management of tracheal squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) has been complicated by the lack of prognostic data and staging. We describe the epidemiology of TSCC and current treatment approaches.

Methods

Five hundred thirty‐two adult patients with primary TSCC from 2004 to 2012 in the National Cancer Database were identified. Demographic, clinical factors, and 5‐year overall survival were analyzed. Staging was classified as localized, regional extension, and distant spread. Treatment modality was defined as “no treatment (NT),” “limited surgery (LS),” “curative surgery (CS),” “LS with any adjuvant therapy (AT) (LS+AT),” “CS with AT (CS+AT),” “radiation therapy (RT),” or “chemoradiation (CRT).”

Results

Overall survival was 25%. Majority of cases were males, white, and occurred in sixth/seventh decades. Twenty‐six percent of cases received CRT, 20% underwent LS+AT or CS+AT, 20% underwent LS or CS only, and 17% underwent RT alone. On multivariate analysis, CS (HR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.26–0.69), CS+AT (HR 0.44, 95% CI: 0.36–0.77), CRT (HR 0.48, 95% CI: 0.35–0.67), and RT (HR, 0.66 95% CI: 0.46–0.94) were associated with decreased likelihood of death compared to NT. Elderly patients and those with poor performance status had worse outcomes even on multivariate analysis.

Conclusions

TSCC is increasingly treated with surgery and systemic therapy in addition to RT, with improved survival outcomes. CS, CS+AT, CRT, or RT provided improved survival advantage in patients with variable levels of improvement based on the extent of the disease. Prospective trials would help differentiate survival advantages between treatment modalities. Patients’ goals of care, comorbidities, and age should be considered when deciding appropriate treatment recommendations.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 130:405–412, 2020
Aspergillus fumigatus induction of IL‐33 expression in chronic rhinosinusitis is PAR2‐dependent
Authors: Dietz Caroline J. , Sun Hua , Yao William C. , Citardi Martin J. , Corry David B. , Luong Amber U.
Published: April 2019

Objective

In the pathophysiology of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP), Aspergillus fumigatus (A. fumigatus) can upregulate IL‐33 from human sinonasal epithelial cells (SNECs), which then activates innate lymphoid cells causing release of IL‐13, an important driver of allergic inflammation. However, the mechanism by which A. fumigatus mediates the induction of IL‐33 expression remains to be elucidated. The objectives of this study were to determine the specific fungal component(s) and the receptor responsible for mediating the A. fumigatus induced increase in IL‐33 expression in SNECs from patients with CRSwNP.

Methods

SNECs from CRSwNP patients were cultured and stimulated with various fungal components in the absence or presence of 4‐(2‐Aminoethyl)benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride, an irreversible serine protease inhibitor, or GB83, a reversible protease activated receptor 2 (PAR2) inhibitor. IL‐33 expression was evaluated using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). PAR2 expression was examined in inflamed mucosa from nonatopic control and CRSwNP patients.

Results

Elevation of IL‐33 expression in primary SNECs was found in response to fungal protease but not fungal cell wall components. PAR2 expression was elevated in inflamed mucosa from CRSwNP patients in comparison to controls. The A. fumigatus fungal protease‐mediated elevation in IL‐33 expression by human SNECs was serine protease‐ and PAR2‐dependent.

Conclusion

These data suggest that serine protease activity of A. fumigatus is capable of inducing IL‐33 expression in CRSwNP SNECs via PAR2, a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of CRSwNP.

Level of Evidence

NA

Laryngoscope, 129:2230–2235, 2019
The Entanglements of Macromolecules and Their Influence on the Properties of Polymers
Authors: Pawlak Andrzej
Published: April 2019

Macromolecules form entanglements, the presence of which determines many of the polymer's properties; in solution, melt, and solid state. In this review, how the properties of polymers (rheological, thermal, and mechanical), depend on the concentration of the entanglements, is discussed. Although a typical polymer is characterized by the equilibrium density of entanglements, there are methods that can be applied for the reduction of this density. The methods used most often include dissolving a polymer and rapid freezing, crystallization during polymerization, and crystallization from a cooled dilute solution. The properties of disentangled polymers are significantly different from the properties of fully entangled polymers. These properties are discussed in relation to their dependence on the density of the entanglements. The disentangled material can be re‐entangled by the annealing of the polymer; however, reaching the equilibrium density of the entanglements is usually a slow process. It means that a polymer may be processed without losing its disentanglements. The properties of the re‐entangled polymer are usually close to the properties of the initial polymer.
Algebraic numbers with elements of small height
Authors: Göral Haydar
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we study the field of algebraic numbers with a set of elements of small height treated as a predicate. We prove that such structures are not simple and have the independence property. A real algebraic integer is called a Salem number if α and are Galois conjugate and all other Galois conjugates of α lie on the unit circle. It is not known whether 1 is a limit point of Salem numbers. We relate the simplicity of a certain pair with Lehmer's conjecture and obtain a model‐theoretic characterization of Lehmer's conjecture for Salem numbers.
The zero‐price effect in freemium business models: The moderating effects of free mentality and price–quality inference
Authors: Niemand Thomas , Mai Robert , Kraus Sascha
Published: April 2019

In the digital world, many firms struggle in employing a freemium business model (simultaneously offering restricted free options and full featured premium options). Although this is an increasingly popular revenue strategy, conversion rates for premium options are relatively low as free options provide users an irrationally high value, the so‐called zero‐price effect. This study develops a framework of the zero‐price mechanism by shifting the attention to the more intuitive mode of decision making. When being confronted with freemium offers, users are expected to rely on different naïve intuitions, which diverge and, ironically, may even have opposite implications. This study identifies two central intuitions about freemium offers: a free mentality (the tendency to intuitively expect that all digital services should be available at no cost) and price–quality inference (the tendency to intuitively expect a positive relationship between price and quality). Individuals are expected to greatly vary in their degree of subscription to both intuitions. Even more important, it is this paper's overarching premise that the interplay between both opposing intuitions shapes user's response to freemium offers thereby providing a lever to tackle the issue of low conversions for premium options. The zero‐price framework is tested in two studies. First, the implicit association test identifies the opposing intuitions, and second, a choice‐based conjoint study for a highly relevant digital service (media streaming) examines the catalyzing role of both intuitions as well as their intricate interplay. Implications for marketing theory and directives for future research are developed.
Robot‐assisted microvascular anastomosis in head and neck free flap reconstruction: Preliminary experiences and results
Authors: Lai Chih‐Sheng , Lu Chen‐Te , Liu Shih‐An , Tsai Yueh‐Chi , Chen Yen‐Wei , Chen I‐Chen
Published: April 2019

Background

The da Vinci Surgical System has facilitated considerable advancements in surgery. The process and results of robot‐assisted microvascular anastomosis in real clinical situations have rarely been reported. This study presents our experience of performing robot‐assisted microvascular anastomosis in free flap reconstruction in patients with oropharyngeal cancer.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective study of reconstructive operations using a free radial forearm flap for oropharyngeal defects after tumor extirpation in 15 consecutive adult patients (12 men and 3 women). In total, 17 robot‐assisted microvascular vessel anastomoses (2 arteries and 15 veins) were performed; moreover, 13 arteries and 13 veins were anastomosed using the standard operating microscope and hand‐sewing technique.

Results

The recipient and donor vessel diameters were 2.5 ± 0.7 and 2.1 ± 0.8 mm, respectively. The donor blood vessel diameter selected for anastomosis using da Vinci Surgical System was significantly smaller (2.1 ± 0.8 vs. 2.5 ± 0.6 mm) than that for a standard operating microscope and hand‐sewing technique (p = .021), the operating time spent (38.4 ± 10.4 vs. 28.0 ± 7.7 min) was significantly longer (p < .001). The vascular patency rate was 100%, and all flaps survived without requiring additional operation for revision.

Conclusion

Robotic surgical systems can facilitate vascular microanastomosis and provide a blood vessel patency rate comparable to that of a standard operating microscope and hand‐sewing technique.
Filling Data Gaps by Read‐across: A Mini Review on its Application, Developments and Challenges
Authors: Kovarich Simona , Ceriani Lidia , Fuart Gatnik Mojca , Bassan Arianna , Pavan Manuela
Published: April 2019

Read‐across is a non‐testing data gap filling technique which provides information for toxicological assessments by inferring from known toxicity data of compound(s) with a “similar” property or chemical profile. The increased usage of read‐across was driven by monetary, timing and ethical costs associated with in vivo testing, as well as promoted by regulatory frameworks to minimize new animal testing (e. g., EU‐REACH). Several guidance documents have been published by ECHA and OECD providing guidelines on how to perform, assess and document a read‐across study. In parallel, much effort was invested by the scientific community to provide good read‐across practices and structured frameworks to enhance validity of read‐across justifications. Nevertheless, read‐across is an evolving method with several open issues and opportunities. A brief review is here provided on key developments on the use of read‐across, regulatory and scientific expectations, practical hurdles and open challenges.
A new generalization of complex Stancu operators
Authors: Çetin Nursel
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we investigate approximation properties of the complex form of an extension of the Bernstein polynomials, defined by Stancu by means of a probabilistic method. We obtain quantitative upper estimates for simultaneous approximation and the exact order of approximation by these operators attached to analytic functions in closed disks. Also, we prove that the new generalized complex Stancu operators preserve the univalence, starlikeness, convexity, and spirallikeness in the unit disk.
Stability and Hopf bifurcation in a class of nonlocal delay differential equation with the zero‐flux boundary condition
Authors: Hu Wenjie
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to study the stability and Hopf bifurcation in a general class of differential equation with nonlocal delayed feedback that models the population dynamics of a two age structured spices. The existence of Hopf bifurcation is firstly established after delicately analyzing the eigenvalue problem of the linearized nonlocal equation. The direction of the Hopf bifurcation and stability of the bifurcated periodic solutions are then investigated by means of center manifold reduction. Subsequently, we apply our main results to explore the spatial‐temporal patterns of the nonlocal Mackey‐Glass equation. We obtain both spatially homogeneous and inhomogeneous periodic solutions and numerically show that the former is stable while the latter is unstable. We also show that the inhomogeneous periodic solutions will eventually tend to homogeneous periodic solutions after transient oscillations and increasing of the immature mobility constant will shorten the transient oscillation time.
Technical Note: Noise models for virtual clinical trials of digital breast tomosynthesis
Authors: Borges Lucas R. , Barufaldi Bruno , Caron Renato F. , Bakic Predrag R. , Foi Alessandro , Maidment Andrew D. A. , Vieira Marcelo A. C.
Published: April 2019

Purpose

To investigate the use of an affine‐variance noise model, with correlated quantum noise and spatially dependent quantum gain, for the simulation of noise in virtual clinical trials (VCT) of digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).

Methods

Two distinct technologies were considered: an amorphous‐selenium (a‐Se) detector with direct conversion and a thallium‐doped cesium iodide (CsI(Tl)) detector with indirect conversion. A VCT framework was used to generate noise‐free projections of a uniform three‐dimensional simulated phantom, whose geometry and absorption match those of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) uniform physical phantom. The noise model was then used to generate noisy observations from the simulated noise‐free data, while two clinically available DBT units were used to acquire projections of the PMMA physical phantom. Real and simulated projections were then compared using the signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) and normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS).

Results

Simulated images reported errors smaller than 4.4% and 7.0% in terms of SNR and NNPS, respectively. These errors are within the expected variation between two clinical units of the same model. The errors increase to 65.8% if uncorrelated models are adopted for the simulation of systems featuring indirect detection. The assumption of spatially independent quantum gain generates errors of 11.2%.

Conclusions

The investigated noise model can be used to accurately reproduce the noise found in clinical DBT. The assumption of uncorrelated noise may be adopted if the system features a direct detector with minimal pixel crosstalk.
GPR measurements to identify cracks and textural arrangements in the altar wall of the 16th‐century Santa Maria Huiramangaro Church, Michoacán, Mexico
Authors: Ortega‐Ramírez J. , Bano M. , de Larrea‐López L. Lelo , Robles‐Camacho J. , Ávila‐Luna P. , Villa‐Alvarado L.A.
Published: April 2019

A three‐dimensional ground‐penetrating radar survey was performed on the altar wall, which faced the risk of collapse, of a 16th‐century church in Michoacán, Mexico. The ground‐penetrating radar survey with high‐frequency antennas aimed to locate structural cracks and texture arrangements, the latter through the interpretation of the patterns in the electromagnetic data. The results indicate that the superficially visible cracks or fractures, except for the lateral ones at each end of the wall, disappear at a depth of between 15 and 25 cm. The lower part of the wall below a height of 3.97 m presents an area with multiple diffractions, which suggests that the masonry is made of ‘stone and mud’ and the tilt appears precisely where the adobe wall starts. Using 1500 and 900 MHz antennas, the identified texture of the wall shows at least three leaves or layers with diverse materials and a wooden beam embedded in the wall. Additionally, the survey near the church with a 200 MHz antenna supports the hypotheses that local construction materials were used here. The results inspire us to continue applying ground‐penetrating radar, a non‐destructive method, to diagnose the walls and structures of historical monuments before any intervention.