bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Uso de Palivizumab en Recién Nacidos Prematuros
Authors: Contreras Martínez Larissa Maydelin , Cerna Márquez Marlon Alexander
Published: November 2019

El Palivizumab es una terapia biológica perteneciente a la familia de los anticuerpos monoclonales IgG, indicado para la prevención de enfermedad respiratoria inferior grave causada por el Virus Sincitial Respiratorio (VSR) en neonatos prematuros con factores de riesgo.  Los recién nacidos pretérminos (RNPT) se consideran los más susceptibles a dichas enfermedades en comparación con los recién nacidos a términos (RNT) sanos, lo que se traduce en mayores ingresos a Unidades De Cuidados intensivos Neonatales (UCIN), mayores costos hospitalarios y mayor morbi mortalidad. La profilaxis con Palivizumab según la última actualización de la Academia Americana de Pediatría (AAP) se puede administrar a los recién nacidos ≥ 29 semanas y 0 días de gestación que son menores de 12 meses en el inicio de la temporada del VSR o sean dados de alta durante ella. Para los recién nacidos durante la estación del VSR, se necesitarán al menos 5 dosis. Dada la controversia que existe actualmente en el uso de Palivizumab, por sus altos costos y discrepancias en las indicaciones relacionadas con la edad gestacional decidimos hacer una revisión bibliográfica del uso de Palivizumab en RNPT.
Evaluación de la respuesta global de los procesos pre trasplante de córneas cadavéricas en Medicina Forense, Tegucigalpa
Authors: Castillo Fuentes Belinda Bárbara , Matamoros Mireya , Alger Jackeline , Alvarado Doris
Published: November 2019

Justificación: La implementación del proceso de donación cadavérica para trasplante de córnea requiere previamente evaluar y controlar aspectos institucionales, formativos, éticos, jurídicos y sociales. Pese a que Honduras cuenta con los requerimientos para la donación cadavérica de córneas para trasplante, estos aún no se realizan a partir de donantes hondureños. Objetivos: Evaluar la respuesta global a los procesos pre-trasplante de córnea proveniente de donante cadavérico, en la Dirección de Medicina Forense de Tegucigalpa, para identificar factores institucionales que limitan el trasplante de córneas a partir de cadávereshondureños. Metodología: Se realizó un estudio observacional descriptivo, con una serie de procedimientos prospectivos, durante el mes de agosto del 2018 en 91 cadáveres fallecidos por muerte violenta que ingresaron en el período de estudio a la Morgue de Medicina Forense y cumplieron los criterios legales y médicos de inclusión. Resultados: De los 91 cadáveres evaluados, 80,2% (73) se descartaron porque presentaron impedimentos evidentes para la donación, únicamente el 19,8% (18) fueron donantes potenciales. Se procuró a siete familias de los 18 donantes potenciales obteniéndose una respuesta favorable del 14,0% (1) al proceso de procuración, no se obtuvo ninguna cornea apta para valoración celular. Pese a la escasa promoción y conocimientos sobre la donación cadavérica se obtuvo un 14,0% de respuesta favorable a la procuración ya que una familia, de siete procuradas aceptó donar las córneas de su familiar. Las córneas donadas se perdieron por contaminación bacteriana durante el manejo. Conclusiones: Para que la donación cadavérica de córneas para trasplante sea una realidad en Honduras, deben ajustarse factores institucionales, educativos, poblacionales y médicos, antes de sistematizarla en la Dirección de Medicina Forense.
Implementation of Social Culture in Corporate Governance: A Literature Study
Authors: Mukhtaruddin Mukhtaruddin , Adam M. , Isnurhadi Isnurhadi , Fuadah Luk Luk
Published: November 2019

Good corporate governance (GCG) is a principle implemented by the company to ensure that the interests of stakeholders are not neglected. GCG consists of five main pillars which are transparency, accountability, responsiveness, independency, and fairness. In Indonesia, GCG implementation has not been effective enough as it is only necessarry for large companies and the public. The instrument used to assess GCG implementation is not appropriate either, examples of such are its portion, the existence and role of independent commissioners, portion, the existence and role of the audit committee, and ownership structure. This paper analyzes the implementation of culture found in Indonesian people living in GCG system. With the implementation of this social culture, the corporate GCG is better in its implementation because it is built on the noble values of the people. It then became the Pancasila which is the philosophy of Indonesia as such the the GCG implementation is accessed using the Pancasila Corporate Governance Index (PCGI).
New Masses e a América Latina: intelectuais e política na luta contra o fascismo (1933-1939)
Authors: Oliveira Angela Meirelles de
Published: November 2019

O objetivo deste artigo é abordar as visões sobre a ameaça fascista à América Latina presentes na revista estadunidense New Masses (1926-1948), entre os anos de 1933 e 1939. Apesar de sua proximidade com o PCUSA (Partido Comunista dos Estados Unidos), a revista serviu de plataforma das mais diferentes análises políticas a respeito da conjuntura do continente; tal diversidade de visões estava relacionada com os ideais da Frente Popular, que previam a união de distintas forças de esquerda contra o fascismo. Nos textos estudados, as ideias e práticas da Política da Boa Vizinhança, do Pan-americanismo, da luta antifascista, dos partidos comunistas e do Anti-imperialismo aparecem tensionadas quanto às possibilidades de combater as ameaças vindas tanto da Europa quanto dos governos e grupos locais inspirados pelo fascismo. Nesse período, New Masses também circulou pelos países do Cone Sul, intensificando o diálogo transnacional alavancado pelo antifascismo.
Arte, historia y memoria en la revista Mundo Nuevo (1966-1968)
Authors: Aranda Maria Marcela
Published: November 2019

As revistas culturáis, compreendidas como objetos de estudo da pesquisa histórica, permiten estudar as batalhas e rumos do pensamento nas sociedades modernas e mapear as linhas de sensibilidade de uma cultura em um dado momento. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o primeiro estágio da revista Mundo Nuevo (1966-1968) a partir da perspectiva artística (formato, design, periodicidade, programas, parceiros, canais de distribuição e subscrição) para desvendar a intersecção entre arte, história e memória na vida cultural daqueles anos. Suas ilustrações, desenhos e fotografias são tipos de intervenções culturais que afirmam, contradizem e ironizam as questões abordadas na revista, estabelecendo diálogos (intertextuais) com o tempo que a hospeda. O editor responsável - o crítico literário uruguaio Emir Rodríguez Monegal (1921-1985) - incorporou as imagens como expressões constitutivas ‘legítimas’ do campo cultural latinoamericano marcado por convergências e divergências com eventos do mundo atravessado por conflitos decorrentes da Guerra Fria. A conversa entre textos e produções artísticas oferecia leituras performativas no sentido de superar o imediatismo das conjunturas político-ideológicas e, ao mesmo tempo, estabelecer uma rede de resistências “criativas” interagindo com o contexto, isto é, com as tradições culturais da época.
Should we consider a ‘fourth 90’ for tuberculosis?
Authors: Harries A. D. , Dlodlo R. A. , Brigden G. , Mortimer K. , Jensen P. , Fujiwara P. I. , Castro J. L. , Chakaya J. M.
Published: November 2019

The international community has committed to end the tuberculosis (TB) epidemic by 2030. To facilitate the meeting of the global incidence and mortality indicators set by the World Health Organization's End TB Strategy, the Stop TB Partnership launched the three 90-(90)-90 diagnostic
and treatment targets in 2014. In this paper, we argue that a ‘fourth 90’—Ensuring that 90% of all people successfully completing treatment for TB can have a good health-related quality of life'—should be considered. Many individuals who successfully complete anti-TB
treatment are burdened with lifelong comorbidities—human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and diabetes mellitus, obstructive and restrictive lung disease, involving lung destruction, cavitation, fibrosis and bronchiectasis, that either pre-existed or developed as a result of TB (e.g., chronic
pulmonary aspergillosis), permanent disabilities such as hearing loss resulting from second-line anti-TB drugs, and mental health disorders. These need to be identified during TB treatment and appropriate care and support provided after anti-TB treatment is successfully completed. A ‘fourth
90’ has also been proposed for the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets similar in scope to what is being suggested here for TB. Adoption by both HIV and TB control programmes would highlight the current focus on integrated person- and family-centred services.
Mining Twitter Data for Signs of Depression in Brazil
Authors: von Sperling Otto , Ladeira Marcelo
Published: November 2019

The literature on computerized models that help detect, study and understand signs of mental health disorders from social media has been thriving since the mid-2000s for English speakers. In Brazil, this area of research shows promising results, in addition to a variety of niches that still need exploring. Thus, we construct a large corpus from 2941 users (1486 depressive, 1455 non-depressive), and induce machine learning models to identify signs of depression from our Twitter corpus. In order to achieve our goal, we extract features by measuring linguistic style, behavioral patterns, and affect from users’ public tweets and metadata. Resulting models successfully distinguish between depressive and non-depressive classes with performance scores comparable to results in the literature. We hope that our findings can become stepping stones towards more methodologies being applied at the service of mental health.
Image Inspection of Railcar Structural Components: An approach through Deep Learning and Discrete Fourier Transform
Authors: Rocha Rafael L. , Silva Cleison D. , Gomes Ana Claudia S. , Ferreira Bruno V. , Carvalho Eduardo C. , Siravenha Ana Carolina Q. , Carvalho Schubert R.
Published: November 2019

Railcar components inspection is one of the most critical tasks in railway maintenance. The use of image processing, coupled with machine learning, has emerged as a solution for replacing current standard methodologies. The spectral analysis gives the frequency representation of a signal and has been largely used in signal processing tasks. In this sense, this work proposes the evaluation of the use of the Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) in addition to the spatial representation image of railcar components for an automatic detector of defective parts performed by Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) classi cation. The results are given in measures of accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score metrics in addition to the accuracy boxplot, and showed that the use of the DFT increase in 1.04% the CNN classification accuracy.
Is the Cosmos Fine-Tuned for Life, Or For the Possibility of Life? (And Why Patristic and Medieval Demonology Might Hold Part of the Answer)
Authors: Dumsday Travis ,   The Society of Christian Philosophers
Published: November 2019

Contemporary physics and cosmology have accumulated a great deal of empirical evidence for the claim that in order for our universe to contain life, an array of incredibly precise laws, constants, and specific initial conditions had to be in place. The minuscule odds of this happening purely by chance have prompted some Christian thinkers to suggest that this can be seen as novel evidence that the universe was fine-tuned specifically to give rise to biological life. And yet some Christian thinkers also wish to make the case that molecular biology provides new evidence to the effect that life could not have arisen naturally in our universe, but rather that the origin of life required additional special divine intervention. There is at least a prima facie tension between these two ideas. Relatedly, some have raised the question of why, if the universe were fine-tuned for life, it was also set up in such a way that the origin of life was preceded by more than 10 billion years of lifelessness. If life was the whole point, why the seeming delay? In this paper I suggest a way Christian thinkers might address both issues: namely, the cosmos was not fine-tuned for life, but merely for the possibility of life. Perhaps God wanted a universe in which biological organisms were possible (including intelligent organisms like us) but in which their non-existence was also a live possibility. I develop this solution in dialogue with related ideas arising from the demonologies of St. Augustine, Boethius, and St. Anselm.
How to Solve the Problem of Evil
Authors: Mooney Justin ,   The Society of Christian Philosophers
Published: November 2019

One paradigmatic argument from evil against theism claims that (1) if God exists, then there is no gratuitous evil. But (2) there is gratuitous evil, so (3) God does not exist. I consider three deontological strategies for resisting this argument. Each strategy restructures existing theodicies which deny (2) so that they instead deny (1). The first two strategies are problematic on their own, but their primary weaknesses vanish when they are combined to form the third strategy, resulting in a promising new approach to the problem of evil.
Clinicopathologic and Prognostic Significance of Gallbladder and Cystic Duct Invasion in Distal Bile Duct Carcinoma
Authors: Jun Sun-Young , An Soyeon , Sung You-Na , Park Yejong , Lee Jae Hoon , Hwang Dae Wook , Hong Seung-Mo
Published: November 2019

Context.—

The roles of the gallbladder and cystic duct (CD) invasions in distal bile duct carcinoma (DBDC) have not been well elucidated.

Objective.—

To define the characteristics and prognostic significance of gallbladder or CD invasions in patients with DBDC.

Design.—

Organ invasion patterns with clinicopathologic features were assessed in 258 resected DBDCs.

Results.—

CD invasions (N = 31) were associated with frequent concomitant pancreatic and/or duodenal invasions (23 of 31, 74%) and showed stromal infiltration (16 of 31, 52%) and intraductal cancerization (15 of 31, 48%) patterns. In only 2 cases, invasions with intraductal cancerization were observed in the gallbladder neck. Conversely, all pancreatic (N = 175) and duodenal (83) invasions developed through stromal infiltration. CD invasions were associated with larger tumor size (P = .001), bile duct margin positivity (P = .001), perineural invasions (P = .04), and higher N categories (P = .007). Patients with pancreatic or duodenal invasions had significantly lower survival rates than those without pancreatic (median, 31.0 versus 93.9 months) or duodenal (27.5 versus 56.8 months, P < .001, both) invasions. However, those with gallbladder or CD invasions did not have different survival times (P = .13). Patients with concomitant gallbladder/CD and pancreatic/duodenal invasions demonstrated significantly lower survival rates than those without organ invasions (P < .001).

Conclusions.—

Gallbladder invasions were rare in DBDCs as neck invasions with intraductal cancerization. CD invasions occurred by stromal infiltrations and intraductal cancerization, whereas all pancreatic and duodenal invasions had stromal infiltration patterns. Gallbladder and/or CD invasions did not affect survival rates of patients with DBDC, while pancreatic and duodenal invasions affected survival rates. Therefore, these differences in survival rates may originate from the different invasive patterns of DBDCs.
Contribuições do pós-colonialismo para o currículo cultural da Educação Física
Authors: Júnior Flávio Nunes dos Santos , Neira Marcos Garcia
Published: November 2019

Percepções apressadas afirmam que os problemas do colonialismo foram dissolvidos, finalizados, e que agora vivemos numa época livre de qualquer conflito ou tensão. O pensamento pós-colonial acena o contrário. Persiste um nítido reconhecimento que forças de dominação apenas se ressignificaram, marcando a passagem de uma configuração ou conjuntura histórica de poder para outra, assim, problemas de dependência, subdesenvolvimento e marginalização, situações bem características do período colonial, persistem de maneira vigorosa na pós-colonialidade. Num esforço para descolonizar o currículo da Educação Física, um grupo de docentes deixou-se inspirar pelos argumentos pós-colonialistas e desenvolveu experiências pedagógicas em escolas públicas de Ensino Fundamental. Os documentos que os professores produziram como forma de registro da prática pedagógica foram submetidos ao confronto com o referencial pós-colonial de Homi Bhabha e da perspectiva cultural da Educação Física. Os resultados evidenciam uma prática político-pedagógica a favor de quem sofreu, e ainda sofre, com a mão pesada do poder imperial colonial.
Etec de Piedade/SP: dez anos de uma abordagem que transcende o ensino técnico profissionalizante
Authors: Martins Reginaldo Marcos , Domingues Tiago Cesar
Published: November 2019

Este tem por sua finalidade de registrar sistematicamente as atividades da Escola Técnica Estadual de Piedade/SP, em sua primeira década de existência. Por meio de um registro que conta a história desta escola, que retrata uma trajetória de sucesso e de grandes realizações no campo educacional, o presente artigo aborda as fases da criação desta Unidade de Ensino Técnico do interior do estado de São Paulo, bem como a sua relação com o conceito de uma educação profissional humana e crítica. Este artigo envereda-se pela abordagem da história da ETEC de Piedade, referenciando-se na pedagogia histórico crítica como seu alicerce teórico, partindo de relatos de estudantes do Técnico em Administração Integrado ao Ensino Médio, coletados nos seus TCCs, que retratam uma postura ampla e crítica no campo de seu aprendizado. Apresentam uma posição não apenas fundamentada no tecnicismo, que geralmente, segundo a literatura, caracterizam o público discente de institutos de formação técnica de nível médio, mas que se postam com posicionamentos específicos, singulares e críticos em relação à sociedade na qual participam. Os dados e as informações aqui apresentadas, fazem parte de uma pesquisa de mestrado em desenvolvimento no programa de Pós Graduação em Educação, da UFSCar Sorocaba/SP, na qual tem a escola citada como objeto da pesquisa. Espera-se assim, a socialização de um pressuposto contraponto ao modelo tradicional de ensino profissionalizante, puro e simples.
Munidopsis species (Crustacea: Decapoda: Munidopsidae) from carcass falls in Weijia Guyot, West Pacific, with recognition of a new species based on integrative taxonomy
Authors: Dong Dong , Xu Peng , Li Xin-Zheng , Wang Chunsheng
Published: November 2019

Several squat lobster specimens of the genus Munidopsis were collected from an artificially placed carcass fall (cow bones) on Weijia Guyot in the western Pacific Ocean. Based on morphological comparisons and molecular analysis, three specimens were confirmed as juveniles of M. albatrossae Pequegnat & Pequegnat, 1973, which represents the first record of this species in the western Pacific. The other specimens collected are newly described as Munidopsis spinifrons sp. nov., which is distinguished from the closely related species in having a spinose rostrum and basal lateral eyespine on the eyestalk. The M. albatrossae from Weijia Guyot exhibited very low genetic distances when compared with a conspecific sample from Monterey Bay, USA, and the closely related species M. aries (A. Milne Edwards, 1880) from the northeastern Atlantic. A phylogenetic tree based on the mtCOI gene shows M. spinifrons sp. nov. as sister to M. vrijenhoeki Jones & Macpherson, 2007 and M. nitida (A. Milne Edwards, 1880), although M. vrijenhoeki presents a complex relationship with other species in the clade. The systematic status of the new species and the closely related species are discussed.
Experts’ Points of View on Developing Local Organic Bazaars in Turkey
Authors: Boz Ismet , Kemal Ayan Ali , Ataseven Yener , Kaynakçı Cevahir
Published: November 2019

Aims: This study, in general, determined experts’ point of views on developing local organic bazaars in Turkey. Participants were 103 experts engaged with organic bazaars in different provinces of Turkey. The specific objectives were to identify a general profile of the expers engaged in organic bazaars in Turley, to determine respondents’ opinions about the current status of organic bazaars, and to develop recommendations for the development of organic bazaars in the future.

Place and Duration of Study: Questionnaires were completed in three different workshops held in İstanbul, İzmir, and Samsun provinces in 2018. Data analysis and writing the manuscript carried out at Ondokuz Mayis University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics, Samsun Turkey.

Methodology: Experts of organic bazaars from producers, sellers, controllers, ministry employees, or municipality representatives served as respondents. This study used descriptive statistics to analyze quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative responses.

Results: Respondents stressed that local organic bazaars in Turkey will be very effective in producing and consuming of organic commodities. As the bazaars are distribured across the country, more farmers will be engaged in organic production while more consumers will have access to organic products at reasonable prices. However, deficiencies particularly in management and legal regulation of local organic bazaars were also noted. Main measures to be taken to establish and improve organic bazaars included increasing trust and transparency, establishing sample organic bazaars in all provinces, focusing both on domestic and international markets, overcoming bureaucratic barriers, implementing a favorable price policy, examining successful organic bazaars, and publicizing organic commodities.

Conclusion: In order to overcome the obstacles and develop local organic bazaars in Turkey, cooperation among the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Trade, and local municipalities is necessary. In addition, NGOs at local levels should take initiative to support organic bazaars. Municipalities should provide adequate places accessible for consumers, producers, and processors. Moreover, social spaces should be established in organic markets where consumers, families and children can spend good time.
In vitro Callus Induction of Coccinia indica (W. and A) and Analysis of Its Phytochemical, Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and α-Amylase Inhibitory Activity - A Comparative Study
Authors: Jayalakshmi V. , Anbumalarmathi J. , Aruna Sharmili S.
Published: November 2019

In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate the phytochemical, antimicrobial, antioxidant and α-amylase inhibitory activity of Coccinia indica (W. and A) leaf extracts using four solvents and compare it with the callus extracts. Callus was initiated from the leaf explants of C. indica with 90% efficiency using MS medium supplemented with BAP (1 mg/l) + NAA (0.2 mg/l). Successive extraction method of C.indica was found to be an efficient method of extraction and methanol was observed to be the best suited solvent for the extraction of phytochemicals and macromolecules that were responsible for antimicrobial, antioxidant and α-amylase inhibition. GC-MS analysis of C. indica has confirmed the presence of bioactive compounds (Example: 9-Octadecanoic acid, 2-octadecycloxy ethyl ester (100%) in successive methanolic callus extract) in all the extracts where the FTIR analysis has confirmed the presence of various important functional groups of the identified bioactive compounds. Successive methanol extract of callus of C. indica was found to be the potent antimicrobial agent with drug efflux pump inhibitor property against 5 bacterial strains, Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC700603), Escherichia coli (ATCC25922), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 25933) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (clinical isolate) and 3 fungal strains, Candida albicans (IFM 40009), Candida tropicalis (IFM 55058) and Candida krusei (IFM 46521). Successive methanol extract of callus of C. indica was found to be an efficient antioxidant agent and an efficient α-amylase inhibitor, which proves it to be a potent anti-diabetic agent with IC50 concentration to be 82.5µg/ml. This study is one of the strong evidence for this plant to be used by the traditional practitioners as a phytopharmaceutical agent.
Passive Radar
Authors: Griffiths Hugh
Published: November 2019

Passive radar may be defined as a set of techniques that exploit existing transmissions as radar illuminators, such as broadcast, communications, or radionavigation signals, rather than requiring a dedicated radar transmitter. Passive radar has a number of advantages, including the fact that it requires no additional spectrum and that the passive nature of the receiver makes it potentially covert. It may also offer advantages in detecting and tracking stealthy targets. There are also some disadvantages, notably that the signals are usually not optimum for radar purposes, so care has to be taken to choose the right signals and to process them in the right way. Also, the continuous nature of many such transmissions means that it is necessary to suppress the direct transmitted signal at the receiver, which may be difficult. In the past decade there has been a significant change in the level of maturity of the subject, and passive radar is now seriously considered for a number of applications. The article describes the properties of bistatic radar, the nature of a range of different signals that may be used as the basis of passive radar, some signal processing techniques that are particular to passive radar, some examples of systems and results, and finally some comments of future prospects.
Why are people who need treatment in jail, and what can be done about it?
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: November 2019

Less than a month after President Trump took the oath of office, sheriffs and police met with him in Washington to urge him to focus more on treatment and less on punishment in his approach to the opioid crisis (see ADAW, Feb. 20, 2017, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adaw.30857). Sheriff David Mahoney from Dane County, Wisconsin, asked by President Trump how much crime was caused by drugs, responded 80% — and added that alcohol is included in this figure.
Parity getting worse, not better: Milliman report
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: November 2019

Medical and behavioral (addiction and mental health) care are further apart now than they were two years ago, according to a study published by Milliman Inc. last week. The report, commissioned by the Bowman Family Foundation, shows that the gap for employees and their families between mental/addiction care and medical/surgical care is widening. The report, Addiction and Mental Health vs. Physical Health: Widening Disparities in Network Use and Provider Reimbursement, is based on actual claim data in 50 states for 37 million employees and their dependents.
Miniaturized Ionic Polarization Diodes for Neurotransmitter Release at Synaptic Speeds
Authors: Sjöström Theresia Arbring , Jonsson Amanda , Gabrielsson Erik O. , Berggren Magnus , Simon Daniel T. , Tybrandt Klas
Published: November 2019

Current neural interfaces rely on electrical stimulation pulses to affect neural tissue. The development of a chemical delivery technology, which can stimulate neural tissue with the body's own set of signaling molecules, would provide a new level of sophistication in neural interfaces. Such technology should ideally provide highly local chemical delivery points that operate at synaptic speed, something that is yet to be accomplished. Here, the development of a miniaturized ionic polarization diode that exhibits many of the desirable properties for a chemical neural interface technology is reported. The ionic diode shows proper diode rectification and the current switches from off to on in 50 µs at physiologically relevant electrolyte concentrations. A device model is developed to explain the characteristics of the ionic diode in more detail. In combination with experimental data, the model predicts that the ionic polarization diode has a delivery delay of 5 ms to reach physiologically relevant neurotransmitter concentrations at subcellular spatial resolution. The model further predicts that delays of <1 ms can be reached by further miniaturization of the diode geometry. Altogether, the results show that ionic polarization diodes are a promising building block for the next generation of chemical neural interfaces.
Determining Ultralow Absorption Coefficients of Organic Semiconductors from the Sub‐Bandgap Photovoltaic External Quantum Efficiency
Authors: Kaiser Christina , Zeiske Stefan , Meredith Paul , Armin Ardalan
Published: November 2019

Energy states below the bandgap of a semiconductor, such as trap states or charge transfer states in organic donor–acceptor blends, can contribute to light absorption. Due to their low number density or ultrasmall absorption cross‐section, the absorption coefficient of these states is challenging to measure using conventional transmission/reflection spectrophotometry. As an alternative, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) of photovoltaic devices is often used as a representative of the absorption coefficient, where the spectral line shape of the EQE is considered to follow the absorption coefficient of the active layer material. Here, it is shown that the sub‐bandgap EQE is subject to thickness dependent low finesse cavity interference effects within the device—making this assumption questionable. A better estimate for the absorption coefficient is obtained when EQE spectra corresponding to different active layer thicknesses are fitted simultaneously for one attenuation coefficient using an iterative transfer matrix method. The principle is demonstrated for two model acceptor–donor systems (PCE12‐ITIC and PBTTT‐PC71BM) and accurate subgap absorption coefficients are determined. This approach has particular relevance for both understanding subgap states and their utilization in organic optoelectronic devices.
Cross‐Bar SnO2‐NiO Nanofiber‐Array‐Based Transparent Photodetectors with High Detectivity
Authors: Long Zhenghao , Xu Xiaojie , Yang Wei , Hu Mingxiang , Shtansky Dmitry V. , Golberg Dmitri , Fang Xiaosheng
Published: November 2019

An cross‐bar structure is employed to design a transparent p‐n junction‐based photodetector. The device consisting of aligned n‐SnO2 and p‐NiO nanofibers is prepared via a mature electrospinning process that is suitable for commercial applications. It exhibits a high detectivity of 2.33 × 1013 Jones under 250 nm illumination at −5 V, outperforming most state‐of‐art SnO2‐based UV photodetectors. It is also endowed with a self‐powered feature due to a photovoltaic effect from the p‐n junction, resulting in a photocurrent of 10−10 A, responsivity of 30.29 mA W−1 at 0 V bias, and detectivity of 2.24 × 1011 Jones at 0.05 V bias. Moreover, the device is highly transparent (over 90% toward visible light) due to the wide band gap of photoactive materials and well‐designed cross‐bar fiber structure. Additionally, an n‐SnO2‐p‐ZnO:Ag (Ag doped ZnO) self‐powered UV photodetector is fabricated that shows good performance and give another example of the use of the cross‐bar structure.
Phenotypic and mutational spectrum of 21 Chinese patients with Alström syndrome
Authors: Rethanavelu Kavitha , Fung Jasmine L. F. , Chau Jeffrey F. T. , Pei Steven L. C. , Chung Claudia C. Y. , Mak Christopher C. Y. , Luk Ho M. , Chung Brian H. Y.
Published: November 2019

Alström syndrome (AS) is a monogenic syndromic ciliopathy caused by mutations in the ALMS1 (Alström Syndrome 1) gene. A total of 21 subjects with AS from 20 unrelated Chinese families were recruited. Our cohort consists of 9 females and 12 males, between 5 months and 20 years old. The first symptom(s) appeared between 3 and 24 months. They were recorded to be either visual impairments (83%) or dilated cardiomyopathy (17%). Median time from symptom onset to seeking medical attention was 6 months (3–36 months) and the median time needed to reach the final molecular diagnosis is 54 months (6–240 months). System involvement at the time of the survey was as follows: visual symptoms (100%), hearing Impairment (67%), endocrine symptoms (43%), neurological symptoms (19%), hepatic symptoms (14%), and renal Involvement (14%). These findings are comparable to data reported in the literature. However, the proportion of subjects with cognitive impairment (33%) and behavioral problems (19%) were higher. Thirty‐three unique mutations were identified in the ALMS1 gene, of which 18 are novel mutations classified as pathogenic/likely pathogenic according to the American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) guideline. Four recurrent mutations were identified in the cohort, in particular; c.2084C>A, p. (Ser695Ter), is suggestive to be a founder mutation in people of Chinese ancestry. The participation of AS subjects of differing ethnicities is essential to improve the algorithm in facial recognition/phenotyping, as well as to understand the mutation spectrum beyond than just those of European ancestry.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Cacchi Reaction: Asymmetric Synthesis of Axially Chiral 2,3‐Disubstituted Indoles
Authors: He Yu‐Ping , Wu Hua , Wang Qian , Zhu Jieping
Published: November 2019

We report herein the first examples of a palladium‐catalyzed enantioselective Cacchi reaction for the synthesis of indoles bearing a chiral C2‐aryl axis. In the presence of a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)2 and (R,R)‐QuinoxP* ligand, reaction of N‐aryl(alkyl)sulfonyl‐2‐alkynylanilides with arylboronic acids under oxygen atmosphere afforded enantioenriched 2,3‐disubstituted indoles in high yields and enantioselectivity. The indole ring is constructed de novo in this process and a complexation‐induced chirality transfer is proposed to account for the observed enantioselectivity.
A Sustainable Solid Electrolyte Interphase for High‐Energy‐Density Lithium Metal Batteries Under Practical Conditions
Authors: Zhang Xue‐Qiang , Li Tao , Li Bo‐Quan , Zhang Rui , Shi Peng , Yan Chong , Huang Jia‐Qi , Zhang Qiang
Published: November 2019

High‐energy‐density Li metal batteries suffer from a short lifespan under practical conditions, such as limited lithium, high loading cathode, and lean electrolytes, owing to the absence of appropriate solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Herein, a sustainable SEI was designed rationally by combining fluorinated co‐solvents with sustained‐release additives for practical challenges. The intrinsic uniformity of SEI and the constant supplements of building blocks of SEI jointly afford to sustainable SEI. Specific spatial distributions and abundant heterogeneous grain boundaries of LiF, LiNxOy, and Li2O effectively regulate uniformity of Li deposition. In a Li metal battery with an ultrathin Li anode (33 μm), a high‐loading LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode (4.4 mAh cm−2), and lean electrolytes (6.1 g Ah−1), 83 % of initial capacity retains after 150 cycles. A pouch cell (3.5 Ah) demonstrated a specific energy of 340 Wh kg−1 for 60 cycles with lean electrolytes (2.3 g Ah−1).
Heterogeneous method of chitosan film preparation: Effect of multifunctional acid on film properties
Authors: Khouri Joseph , Penlidis Alexander , Moresoli Christine
Published: November 2019

The heterogeneous crosslinking method was applied to chitosan films with citric acid to observe and understand the effect of a multifunctional acid at a low concentration on film properties. Neat and neutralized chitosan films and films containing 15% (w/w) citric acid (denoted as CA films) were characterized by mechanical, water vapor permeability (WVP), and thermogravimetric analysis tests. The CA films displayed a higher tensile strength by 10%, lower WVP by 30%, and higher thermal stability, compared to neutralized films. The crystalline structure converted back from tendon to Type II after the addition of citric acid, as determined by X‐ray diffraction. Neat films displayed a lower water contact angle (72°) compared to neutralized and CA films (78°–79°). The heterogeneous method was also applied to incorporate a plasticizer into a neutralized film to potentially observe the glass transition using dynamic mechanical analysis. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48648.
High‐throughput lipidomics analysis to discover lipid biomarkers and profiles as potential targets for evaluating efficacy of Kai‐Xin‐San against APP/PS1 transgenic mice based on UPLC–Q/TOF–MS
Authors: Zhang Ai‐hua , Ma Zhi‐ming , Kong Ling , Gao Hong‐lei , Sun Hui , Wang Xiang‐qian , Yu Jing‐bo , Han Ying , Yan Guang‐li , Wang Xi‐jun
Published: November 2019

Lipid metabolism has a significant function in the central nervous system and Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age‐related senile disease characterized by central nerve degeneration. The pathological development of AD is closely related to lipid metabolism disorders. To reveal the influence of Kai‐Xin‐San (KXS) on lipid metabolism in APP/PSI transgenic mice and potential therapeutic targets for treating AD, brain tissue samples were collected and analyzed by high‐throughput lipidomics based on UPLC–Q/TOF‐MS. The collected raw data were processed by multivariate data analysis to discover the potential biomarkers and lipid metabolic profiles. Compared with the control wild‐type mouse group, nine potential lipid biomarkers were found in the AD model group, of which seven were up‐regulated and two were down‐regulated. Orally administrated KXS can reverse the changes in these potential biomarkers. Compared with the model group, a total of six differential metabolites showed a recovery trend and may be potential targets for KXS to treat AD. This study showed that high‐throughput lipidomics can be used to discover the perturbed pathways and lipid biomarkers as potential targets to reveal the therapeutic effects of KXS.
QbD‐based development of an extraction procedure for simultaneous quantification of telmisartan, amlodipine besylate and chlorthalidone in combination complex matrix formulation
Authors: Palakurthi Ashok Kumar , Dongala Thirupathi , Yalavarthi Ravindra Kumar , Anireddy Jayashree
Published: November 2019

The main objective of this study was to establish an efficient extraction procedure for the estimation of telmisartan, amlodipine and chlorthalidone from their combination in sample matrix using an analytical quality by design approach. Initial screening studies were performed for optimization of a suitable diluent to extract active components from sample matrix. Further, the same study was extended for the identification of critical method attributes and the factors affecting the analytical target profile. This study also explains the rugged and robust quantitative determination of combinations drugs with a shorter run time. The design of experimental studies confirms that the current center point parameters are well suited to recoveries. The chromatographic separation was achieved with an X‐Terra RP8, 150 × 4.6 mm, 3.5 μm column with an isocratic mobile phase (mixture of 20 mmaqueous ammonium acetate and acetonitrile). To demonstrate the stability‐indicating nature of the optimized method, forced degradation studies were conducted and proved. The optimized method was validated according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines.
Analysis of five active ingredients of Er‐Zhi‐Wan, a traditional Chinese medicine water‐honeyed pill, using the biopharmaceutics classification system
Authors: Cao Xuexiao , Li Huanhuan , Wang Meng , Ren Xiaoliang , Deng Yanru
Published: November 2019

Er‐Zhi‐Wan (EZW) is a traditional Chinese medicine with many clinical applications and used as a health product in East Asia. Five active ingredients (salidroside, specnuezhenide, nuezhenoside, luteolin, and oleanolic acid) were screened out from EZW to develop an in vitro rapid evaluation method for the classification of in vivo drug absorption behavior by biopharmaceutics classification system (BCS). Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography was used for quantitative analysis. Solubility and permeability were assayed by equilibrium solubility and multiple models: everted rat intestinal sac model, cultured Caco‐2 cells, octanol–water partition coefficient (LogP) method. The BCS properties of drugs were predicted using software applications, and the correlations of measured and predicted values of factors affecting oral drug absorption were calculated. The results were verified by measuring the absolute bioavailability of the active ingredients. Salidroside, specnuezhenide, and nuezhenoside were classified as BCS class III drugs, and luteolin was classified as a BCS class III/I drug because of the difference in LogP and intestinal permeability. Oleanolic acid was classified as a BCS class II/IV drug in acidic media and BCS class I/III drug in other media. Overall, EZW may be classified as a BCS class III drug, and permeability was identified as the primary factor limiting absorption. The results provide a novel method for the evaluation of the in vivo absorption of oral traditional Chinese medicines.
Similar overall survival with reduced vs. standard dose bevacizumab monotherapy in progressive glioblastoma
Authors: Gleeson Jack Patrick , Keane Fergus , Keegan Niamh M. , Mammadov Emin , Harrold Emily , Alhusaini Abdullah , Harte Jeffrey , Eakin‐Love Austin , O'Halloran Philip J. , MacNally Stephen , Hennessy Bryan T. , Breathnach Oscar S. , Grogan Liam , Morris Patrick G.
Published: November 2019

Introduction

Bevacizumab has demonstrated activity in glioblastoma (GBM), but the true benefits and optimal dose‐schedule are debated. A lower dose‐schedule than standard‐dose bevacizumab (10 mg/kg 2‐weekly) might offer similar benefits with lower costs. At our Institution, patients are randomly assigned at time of primary diagnosis to Neuro‐Oncologists, who have varying practices in terms of bevacizumab dose‐schedule upon progression.

Methods

In a retrospective analysis we examined overall survival (OS), measured from first administered bevacizumab dose until death, according to dose‐schedule. Patients with de novo WHO Grade IV GBM who received standard‐ or reduced‐dose (5 mg/kg 2‐weekly) bevacizumab were included. MGMT methylation status and time from diagnosis to bevacizumab start were examined as prognostic variables. Clinical benefit and a comparative cost analysis were assessed.

Results

In total, 1127 bevacizumab doses were administered to 118 patients [Median: 7, Range: 1‐44]. Median OS (mOS) was 5.8 months. 69 (59%) patients received standard‐dose bevacizumab (mOS: 5.97 months) and 49 patients received reduced‐dose (mOS: 5.7 months). No statistically significant difference in OS between dosing schedule was seen (HR: 1.11, P‐value: .584). Patients with MGMT methylated tumors (43%) had improved OS compared to those with unmethylated tumors; 7.03 vs 4.97 months (HR: 0.61, P‐value: .027). If all patients were treated with reduced‐dose bevacizumab, an estimated €2.4M cost reduction would be observed.

Conclusions

In this retrospective study, reduced‐dose bevacizumab schedule resulted in similar OS to standard‐dose bevacizumab monotherapy with substantial cost savings. MGMT methylation appears to convey a survival benefit in the setting of bevacizumab treatment for progressive GBM.
Medulloblastoma has a global impact on health related quality of life: Findings from an international cohort
Authors: de Medeiros Cynthia B. , Moxon‐Emre Iska , Scantlebury Nadia , Malkin David , Ramaswamy Vijay , Decker Alexandra , Law Nicole , Kumabe Toshihiro , Leonard Jeffrey , Rubin Josh , Jung Shin , Kim Seung‐Ki , Gupta Nalin , Weiss William , Faria Claudia C. , Vibhakar Rajeev , Lafay‐Cousin Lucie , Chan Jennifer , Kros Johan M. , Janzen Laura , Taylor Michael D. , Bouffet Eric , Mabbott Donald J.
Published: November 2019

Background

Understanding the global impact of medulloblastoma on health related quality of life (HRQL) is critical to characterizing the broad impact of this disease and realizing the benefits of modern treatments. We evaluated HRQL in an international cohort of pediatric medulloblastoma patients.

Methods

Seventy‐six patients were selected from 10 sites across North America, Europe, and Asia, who participated in the Medulloblastoma Advanced Genomics International Consortium (MAGIC). The Health Utilities Index (HUI) was administered to patients and/or parents at each site. Responses were used to determine overall HRQL and attributes (ie specific subdomains). The impact of various demographic and medical variables on HRQL was considered—including molecular subgroup.

Results

The majority of patients reported having moderate or severe overall burden of morbidity for both the HUI2 and HUI3 (HUI2 = 60%; HUI3 = 72.1%) when proxy‐assessed. Self‐care in the HUI2 was rated as higher (ie better outcome) for patients from Western versus Eastern sites, P = .02. Patients with nonmetastatic status had higher values (ie better outcomes) for the HUI3 hearing, HUI3 pain, and HUI2 pain, all P < .05. Patients treated with a gross total resection also had better outcomes for the HUI3 hearing (P = .04). However, those who underwent a gross total resection reported having worse outcomes on the HUI3 vision (P = .02). No differences in HRQL were evident as a function of subgroup.

Conclusions

By examining an international sample of survivors, we characterized the worldwide impact of medulloblastoma. This is a critical first step in developing global standards for evaluating long‐term outcomes.
Reduced PLCG1 expression is associated with inferior survival for myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Shiseki Masayuki , Ishii Mayuko , Miyazaki Mari , Osanai Satoko , Wang Yan‐Hua , Yoshinaga Kentaro , Mori Naoki , Tanaka Junji
Published: November 2019

The PLCG1 gene, which encodes the phospholipase C γ1 isoform, is located within the commonly deleted region of the long arm of chromosome 20 (del(20q)) observed in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Phospholipase C is involved in diverse physiological and pathological cellular processes through inositide signaling. We hypothesized that reduced PLCG1 expression because of haploinsufficiency by del(20q) plays a role in the molecular pathogenesis of MDS. Therefore, we analyzed PLCG1 expression in bone marrow mononuclear cells at diagnosis in 116 MDS patients with or without del(20q) by quantitative RT‐PCR to evaluate its clinical significance. The expression level of PLCG1 was significantly lower not only in MDS patients with del(20q) but also in those without del(20q) compared to that of the controls, which suggests that reduced PLCG1 expression is a common molecular event in MDS. Patients in the lowest quartile (Q4) group for PLCG1 expression had lower overall survival (OS) compared to that of other patients (Q1‐Q3) (log‐rank test, P = .0004) with estimated median OS times of 22 in the Q4 group and 106 months in the Q1‐3 group. Univariate and multivariate analysis indicated reduced PLCG1 expression (Q4) was associated with lower OS (hazard ratio 2.58, 95% CI 1.35‐4.84, P = .0049), which suggests that reduced PLCG1 expression is an independent prognostic factor for OS. In addition, patients were well‐stratified for OS by combining PLCG1 expression level (Q4 vs Q1‐3) and bone marrow blast percentage (5% or more vs less than 5%). Thus, the level of PLCG1 expression at time of diagnosis is a prognostic biomarker for MDS.