bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Different Possible Technologies for Epoxidation of Cynara cardunculus Seed Oil
Authors: Turco Rosa , Tesser Riccardo , Russo Vincenzo , Vitiello Rosa , Fagnano Massimo , Di Serio Martino
Published: August 2019

The world production of epoxidized vegetable oil, mainly epoxidized soybean oil, is continuously increasing because this product can have a wide range of applications. Non‐edible vegetable oils, recovered by the plants growing on marginal and polluted lands, represent a possible answer to industry versus food chain debate. Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) seed oil can be considered as an interesting and sustainable alternative to edible soybean oil to make plasticizers. In this work, a comparison between different epoxidation methods of cardoon oil is depicted and argued, focusing on strong points and weaknesses for each of them. It is found that cardoon seed oil can be successfully epoxidized through feasible existing technologies, by peracids and hydrogen peroxide equally. Moreover, it is demonstrated that a “greener” cardoon oil epoxidation process is possible, by using hydrogen peroxide in the presence of commercial γ‐alumina as heterogeneous solid catalyst.

Practical Applications: The paper analyzes the advantages and the problems of different epoxidation methods in order to obtain a final product with high quality and answer the environmental, social, and economic sustainability requirements.
Enzymatic Synthesis of 1‐Alkyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐2,3‐cyclic‐phosphate Using a Novel Lysoplasmalogen‐Specific Phopholipase D
Authors: Sakasegawa Shin‐ich , Taira Shu , Yamamoto Kei , Sugimori Daisuke
Published: August 2019

Many phospholipase Ds (PLDs) are known to catalyze transphosphatidylation as well as hydrolysis of phospholipids. Transphosphatidylation of lysoplasmalogen (LyPls)‐specific phospholipase D (LyPls‐PLD), which catalyzes hydrolysis of ether lysophospholipids such as LyPls and 1‐hexadecyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (Lyso‐PAF), still remains unclear. This study aims to reveal the transphosphatidylation activity of LyPls‐PLD, that is, the production of cyclic ether lysophospholipid. The enzymatic reaction is conducted in a buffer system, and the reaction products of a novel LyPls‐PLD from Thermocrispum sp. are investigated using mass spectrometry (MS). MS analyses demonstrate the reaction products to consist of 100% 1‐hexadecyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐2,3‐cyclic‐phosphate (cLyPA) and choline from Lyso‐PAF; however, 1‐alkenyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐2,3‐cyclic‐phosphate from 1‐O‐1′‐(Z)‐octadecenyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine and 1‐O‐1′‐(Z)‐octadecenyl‐2‐hydroxy‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphoethanolamine is not produced. These results are expected to help in elucidating the catalytic mechanism of LyPls‐PLD, that is, the rate‐limiting step, and indicate LyPls‐PLD to be useful for the one‐pot synthesis of cLyPA.

Practical Applications: A novel phospholipase D, LyPls‐PLD, can exclusively synthesize cLyPA from Lyso‐PAF using a one‐step enzymatic reaction without an organic solvent. cLyPA could be expected to show bioactivities similar to those of cyclic phosphatidic acid, which promotes normal cell differentiation, hyaluronic acid synthesis, antiproliferative activity in fibroblasts, and inhibitory activity toward cancer cell invasion and metastasis.
Superbase‐Assisted Selective Synthesis of Triarylphosphines from Aryl Halides and Red Phosphorus: Three Consecutive Different SNAr Reactions in One Pot
Authors: Malysheva Svetlana F. , Kuimov Vladimir A. , Belogorlova Natalia A. , Albanov Alexander I. , Gusarova Nina K. , Trofimov Boris A.
Published: August 2019

Aryl halides, ArX (Ar = Ph, 2‐, 3‐ and 4‐Tol, 1‐ and 2‐Np, 4‐C6H4CONH2; X = F, Cl, Br), rapidly and exothermically (100–180 °C, 0.5–2 h) react with red phosphorus in superbase systems KOH/L, where L is a polar nonhydroxylic complexing solvent (ligand), such as NMP, DMSO, HMPA, to afford the corresponding triarylphosphines (Ar3P) in up to 74 % yield (for X = F). Thus, three consecutive reactions of SNAr (aromatic nucleophilic substitution) to form the three C(sp2)–P bonds are realized in one pot. The synthesis is mostly chemoselective (with rare exception): neither mono‐ nor diphosphines have been isolated. The best results were attained when aryl fluorides were treated with red phosphorus (Pn) in the KOH/NMP superbase system. This environmentally friendly, PCl3‐free synthesis of Ar3P from available starting materials opens an easy and straightforward access to triarylphosphines, which are important ligands, synthetic auxiliaries, and components of high‐tech‐ and medicinally oriented complexes.
The Preparation of Porous Carbon Materials with High Pyridinic‐N Doping toward Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reactions
Authors: Wang Yi , Yang Miao , Liu Shu , Shen Wei , He Rongxing , Jiang Yimin , Li Ming
Published: August 2019

The direct utilization of biomass waste to design catalysts with high stability and excellent electrochemical activity is still the key challenge in the development of fuel cells. Herein, the structural modification of precursors obtained by the carbonization of walnut shells is carried out and several highly N‐doped carbon catalysts with porous structures and excellent graphitization degrees are achieved. These catalysts have a high content of pyridinic‐N species and high specific surface area. Herein, it is shown that one of these catalysts, WS350Z900@Fe, has a higher stability than the Pt/C catalyst and excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance with an onset potential of 0.98 V and a half‐wave potential of 0.86 V through a four‐electron reaction mechanism. Furthermore, density functional theory calculation indicates that the rate‐determining step of the ORR of these catalysts is the protonation of *O2. Also, the pyridinic‐N structure is conductive to reduce the reaction barrier. Herein, a significant means for designing inexpensive and high‐efficient ORR catalysts utilizing biowaste materials is offered.
Context aware ontology‐based hybrid intelligent framework for vehicle driver categorization
Authors: Sarwar Sohail , Zia Saad , ul Qayyum Zia , Iqbal Muddesar , Safyan Muhammad , Mumtaz Shahid , García‐Castro Raúl , Kostromitin Konstantin
Published: August 2019

In public vehicles, one of the major concerns is driver's level of expertise for its direct proportionality to safety of passengers. Hence, before a driver is subjected to certain type of vehicle, he should be thoroughly evaluated and categorized with respect to certain parameters instead of only one‐time metric of having driving license. These aspects may be driver's expertise, vigilance, aptitude, experience years, cognition, driving style, formal education, terrain, region, minor violations, major accidents, and age group. The purpose of this categorization is to ascertain suitability of a driver for certain vehicle type(s) to ensure passengers' safety. Currently, no driver categorization technique fully comprehends the implicit as well as explicit characteristics of drivers dynamically. In this paper, machine learning–based dynamic and adaptive technique namedD‐CHAITs(driver categorization through hybrid of artificial intelligence techniques) is proposed for driver categorization with an objective focus on driver's attributes modeled in DriverOntology. A supervised mode of learning has been employed on a labeled dataset, having diverse profiles of drivers with attributes pertinent to drivers' perspectives of demographics, behaviors, expertise, and inclinations. A comparative analysis ofD‐CHAITwith three other machine learning techniques (fuzzy logic, case‐based reasoning, and artificial neural networks) is also presented. The efficacy of all techniques was empirically measured while categorizing the drivers based on their profiles through metrics of accuracy, precision, recall, F‐measure performance, and associated costs. These empirical quantifications assertD‐CHAITas a better technique than contemporary ones. The novelty of proposed technique is signified through preprocessing of feature attributes, quality of data, training of machine learning model on more relevant data, and adaptivity.
Entropy‐satisfying scheme for a hierarchy of dispersive reduced models of free surface flow
Authors: Parisot Martin
Published: August 2019

This work is devoted to the numerical resolution in the multidimensional framework of a hierarchy of reduced models of the water wave equations, such as the Serre‐Green‐Naghdi model. A particular attention is paid to the dissipation of mechanical energy at the discrete level, which acts as a stability argument of the scheme, even with source terms such space and time variation of the bathymetry. In addition, the analysis leads to a natural way to deal with dry areas without leakage of energy. To illustrate the accuracy and the robustness of the strategy, several numerical experiments are carried out. In particular, the strategy is capable of treating dry areas without special treatment.
Clinical characteristics and ultrasonographic features for predicting central lymph node metastasis in clinically node‐negative papillary thyroid carcinoma without capsule invasion
Authors: Xu Shang‐Yan , Yao Jie‐Jie , Zhou Wei , Chen Lin , Zhan Wei‐Wei
Published: August 2019

Background

To evaluate the association of preoperative clinical and sonographic features with central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) in patients with clinically node‐negative (cN0) papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) without capsule invasion.

Methods

Clinical and sonographic features of 635 cN0 PTC nodules without capsule invasion were retrospectively reviewed. CLNM was confirmed by pathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the predicting factors associated with CLNM in cN0 PTC without capsule invasion.

Results

In the 635 cN0 PTC nodules without capsule invasion, age ≤36 years, male, tumor size >8 mm, the distance between the tumor and the capsule ≤1.1 mm and calcification were independently associated with CLNM (P < .05).

Conclusions

CLNM was associated with age, sex, tumor size, the distance between the tumor and the capsule, and calcification in cN0 PTC without capsule invasion. Preoperative assessment of risk factors could help to select PTC patients who benefit from surgery.
Evidence of long‐lasting anti‐CD19 activity of engrafted CD19 chimeric antigen receptor–modified T cells in a phase I study targeting pediatrics with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Ma Futian , Ho Jin‐Yuan , Du Huan , Xuan Fan , Wu Xiaoli , Wang Qinglong , Wang Lin , Liu Ying , Ba Min , Wang Yizhuo , Luo Jianmin , Li Jianqiang
Published: August 2019

Ninety percent of relapse/refractory B‐cell acute lymphatic leukemia (R/R B‐ALL) patients can achieve complete remission (CR) after CD19‐targeting chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR‐T) cell therapy. However, around 50% of them relapse in 1 year. Persistent CAR‐T cell engraftment is considered as the key to remain durable remission. Here, we initiated a phase I study to treat 10 pediatric B‐ALL patients using a CD19‐targeted second generation CAR with a 4‐1BB intracellular costimulatory domain. All patients received a standard fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (FC) preconditioning regiment, followed by a CAR‐T infusion with a median number of 0.5 (0.3‐1.58) × 106 CAR+ T cells/kg. The pretreatment tumor burdens were high with a median bone marrow (BM) blasts percentage of 59.2% (7.31%‐86.2%), excluding one patient only with brain infiltration of leukemia cells (0% BM blasts). The initial CR rate was 80% (n = 8/10). Four patients (40%) experienced serious (grade > 2) cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and three patients (30%) with obvious neurotoxicity. Monthly assessments of CD19+ minimal residual disease (MRD) and CAR‐T engraftment demonstrated the anti‐CD19 activity of long‐term engrafted CAR‐T cell clones in one patient for more than 2 years.
Cat and dog ownership during/after the first year of life and risk for sensitization and reported allergy symptoms at age 13
Authors: Al‐Tamprouri Chaifa , Malin Barman , Bill Hesselmar , Lennart Bråbäck , Anna Sandin
Published: August 2019

Background

Avoidance of pets as a strategy for preventing atopic diseases has been questioned. This study aimed to identify the risk of sensitization and allergic symptoms at age 13 in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life.

Methods

The study included all children born at Östersund Hospital in Northern Sweden between February 1996 and January 1997 (n = 1231). At inclusion, parents were asked to answer questionnaires about lifestyle, including cat‐ and dog‐keeping. Dog allergy, cat allergy, hay fever, and asthma were diagnosed based on parental reported allergic symptoms at 13 years of age (n = 834). The risks of sensitization or allergy in relation to dog‐ and cat‐keeping during and after the first year of life were analyzed with logistic regression. To adjust for reverse causation, all subjects that had reported avoidance of pets due to allergic symptoms of the child or allergy in the family (n = 177) were excluded.

Results

Dog‐ or cat‐keeping during the first year of life reduced the risk of sensitization to dog or cat allergens, respectively, and to birch and to at least one of the 10 allergens tested. Cat‐keeping, both during and after the first year of life, reduced the risk of cat allergy and hay fever. Having a dog at home during the first year of life reduced the risk of dog and cat allergy, whereas dog‐keeping after the first year of life did not affect allergic symptoms.

Conclusions

Cat ownership, either during or after the first year of life, may be a strategy for preventing the development of cat allergy and hay fever later in life. Dog ownership reduced the risk of sensitization to dog and birch allergen, and also the risk of cat and dog allergy, but had no effect on hay fever.
High mobility group box‐1‐toll‐like receptor 4‐phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase/protein kinase B‐mediated generation of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 in the dorsal root ganglion promotes chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Gu Haibo , Wang Chaoyu , Li Jiajie , Yang Yang , Sun Wenyue , Jiang Chunyi , Li Yan , Ni Ming , Liu Wen‐Tao , Cheng Zhixiang , Hu Liang
Published: August 2019

Chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a significant side effect of chemotherapeutics. The mechanisms of CIPN remain substantially unidentified, although inflammation‐induced peripheral sensitization has been indicated as an important factor. Here, we aimed to illustrate the role of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9‐related signaling pathway in the process of CIPN. Oxaliplatin (L‐OHP) was administered to mice to establish the CIPN model. Gelatin zymography was used to measure MMP‐9/2 activities. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to measure the expression of high‐mobility group box‐1 (HMGB‐1), calcitonin gene‐related peptide and ionized calcium‐binding adapter molecule 1. Mechanical withdrawal was measured by von Frey hairs testing. Raw 264.7 cells and SH‐SY5Y cells were cultured to investigate cell signaling in vitro. Here, we report that L‐OHP‐induced mechanical pain in mice with significant MMP‐9/2 activation in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. MMP‐9 inhibition or knockout alleviated the occurrence of CIPN directly. MMP‐9/2 were released from macrophages and neurons in the DRG via the HMGB‐1‐toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4)‐phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) axis, because MMP‐9/2 activities could be reduced by macrophage scavengers or PI3Kγ knockout in CIPN mice. The in vitro data revealed that induced MMP‐9 activity by recombinant HMGB‐1 could be abolished by TLR4, PI3K or Akt inhibitors. Finally, it was shown that N‐acetyl‐cysteine (NAC) could reduce MMP‐9/2 activities and attenuate CIPN effectively and safely. The HMGB‐1‐TLR4‐PI3K/Akt‐MMP‐9 axis is involved in the crosstalk between macrophages and neurons in the pathological process of CIPN in mice. Direct inhibition of MMP‐9 by NAC may be a potential therapeutic regimen for CIPN treatment.
Linc‐PINT acted as a tumor suppressor by sponging miR‐543 and miR‐576‐5p in esophageal cancer
Authors: Zhang Lingmin , Chen Jingxin , Wang Li , Chen Lin , Du ZhaoZhao , Zhu Lin , Cui Manli , Zhang Mingxin , Song Liping
Published: August 2019

This manuscript aimed to investigate linc‐PINT's role as a tumor suppressor and its downstream microRNAs (miRNAs) in esophageal cancer. Log‐rank, Cox, and nomogram were used for survival analysis. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the expression. Cell counting kit‐8 was used for proliferation tests. As for in vivo experiments, low expression of linc‐PINT was associated with better prognosis; besides, the nomogram indicated that linc‐PINT, miR‐543, and miR‐576‐5p served well in predicting the survival rate. As for the in vitro experiments, linc‐PINT could directly regulate miR‐543 and miR‐576‐5p to inhibit the proliferation of Eca‐109 cell line. In conclusion, linc‐PINT–miR‐543/miR‐576‐5p pathway could predict the prognosis and provide novel therapeutic targets for esophageal cancer.
Wnt11 preserves mitochondrial membrane potential and protects cardiomyocytes against hypoxia through paracrine signaling
Authors: Li Hong‐Xia , Lin Jia , Jiang Bin , Yang Xiang‐Jun
Published: August 2019

We investigated the effect of Wnt11 on mitochondrial membrane integrity in cardiomyocytes (CMs) and the underlying mechanism of Wnt11‐mediated CM protection against hypoxic injury. A rat mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) line that overexpresses Wnt11 (MSCWnt11) and a control cell line transduced with empty vector (MSCNull) were established to determine the cardioprotective role of Wnt11 in response to hypoxia. Mitochondrial membrane integrity in MSCWnt11 cells was assessed using fluorescence assays. The role of paracrine signaling mediated by vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (b‐FGF), and insulin‐like growth factor 1 (IGF‐1) in protecting CMs against hypoxia were investigated using cocultures of primary CMs from neonatal rats with conditioned medium (CdM) from MSCWnt11. MSCWnt11 cells exposed to hypoxia reduced lactate dehydrogenase release from CMs and increased CM survival under hypoxia. In addition, CMs cocultured with CdM that were exposed to hypoxia showed reduced CM apoptosis and necrosis. There was significantly higher VEGF and IGF‐1 release in the MSCWnt11 group compared with the MSCNull group, and the addition of anti‐VEGF and anti‐IGF‐1 antibodies inhibited secretion. Moreover, mitochondrial membrane integrity was maintained in the MSCWnt11 cell line. In conclusion, overexpression of Wnt11 in MSCs promotes IGF‐1 and VEGF release, thereby protecting CMs against hypoxia.
Decellularized amniotic membrane Scaffolds improve differentiation of iPSCs to functional hepatocyte‐like cells
Authors: Abazari Mohammad Foad , Soleimanifar Fatemeh , Enderami Seyed Ehsan , Nasiri Navid , Nejati Fatemeh , Mousavi Seyed Ahmad , Soleimani Masoud , Kiani Jafar , Ghoraeian Pegah , Kehtari Mousa
Published: August 2019

Human‐induced pluripotent stem cells‐derived hepatocyte‐like cells (hiPSCs‐HLCs) holds considerable promise for future clinical personalized therapy of liver disease. However, the low engraftment of these cells in the damaged liver microenvironment is still an obstacle for potential application. In this study, we explored the effectiveness of decellularized amniotic membrane (dAM) matrices for culturing of iPSCs and promoting their differentiation into HLCs. The DNA content assay and histological evaluation indicated that cellular and nuclear residues were efficiently eliminated and the AM extracellular matrix component was maintained during decelluarization. DAM matrices were developed as three‐dimensional scaffolds and hiPSCs were seeded into these scaffolds in defined induction media. In dAM scaffolds, hiPSCs‐HLCs gradually took a typical shape of hepatocytes (polygonal morphology). HiPSCs‐HLCs that were cultured into dAM scaffolds showed a higher level of hepatic markers than those cultured in tissue culture plates (TCPs). Moreover, functional activities in term of albumin and urea synthesis and CYP3A activity were significantly higher in dAM scaffolds than TCPs over the same differentiation period. Thus, based on our results, dAM scaffold might have a considerable potential in liver tissue engineering, because it can improve hepatic differentiation of hiPSCs which exhibited higher level of the hepatic marker and more stable metabolic functions.
Efficient representation of the linear density‐density response function
Authors: Dreßler Christian , Scherrer Arne , Ahlert Paul , Sebastiani Daniel
Published: August 2019

We present a thorough derivation of the mathematical foundations of the representation of the molecular linear electronic density‐density response function in terms of a computationally highly efficient moment expansion. Our new representation avoids the necessities of computing and storing numerous eigenfunctions of the response kernel by means of a considerable dimensionality reduction about from 103 to 101. As the scheme is applicable to any compact, self‐adjoint, and positive definite linear operator, we present a general formulation, which can be transferred to other applications with little effort. We also present an explicit application, which illustrates the actual procedure for applying the moment expansion of the linear density‐density response function to a water molecule that is subject to a varying external perturbation potential. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Computational Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Modeling of history‐dependent magnetization in the finite element method on the example of a postassembly rotor magnetizer
Authors: Bavendiek Gregor , Müller Fabian , Steentjes Simon , Hameyer Kay
Published: August 2019

Demagnetization characteristics of permanent magnets play a central role for the design and optimization process of permanent magnet electrical machines and magnetic actuators. Currently, practical issues, such as loss of performance of electromagnetic energy conversion devices, due to demagnetization effects in permanent magnets or due to reduced servo‐dynamics in magnetic actuators, cannot be addressed by using conventional material models or are investigated by using rough approximations valid in restricted operation regions, if at all. This paper strives to integrate demagnetizing characteristics dependent on previous magnetizing field strength in the finite element method. The discussed examples are a magnetizer of a single permanent magnet and a spoke‐type permanent magnet rotor.
Temperature responses of nitrogen processes cannot be inferred from carbon turnover in a boreal Norway spruce forest
Authors: Herrmann Anke M. , Coucheney Elsa
Published: August 2019

Cold season processes contribute substantially to annual carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) budgets in boreal forest ecosystems, but little is known about how decomposition processes are affected at temperatures prevalent during wintertime. The aim of this study was to evaluate temperature responses of soil C and N processes and to test the hypothesis that there is a switch towards decomposing N‐rich material when soil temperatures drop to near 0°C. In the laboratory, soils from a boreal forest long‐term nutrient fertilization experiment were exposed to different temperatures varying from +2 to +15°C, and C mineralization, gross as well as net N mineralization/immobilization were estimated. Carbon mineralization declined exponentially as temperature decreased, whereas the response of N processes to temperature varied, with some indication that soil C and N processes are decoupled at low temperatures. We could only partially confirm that the decoupling between C and N processes at low temperature was due to a switch to N‐rich material, i.e., a change in the material undergoing decomposition. Overall, our results clearly showed that temperature responses of N processes cannot be inferred from C processes in boreal forest ecosystems, and that there is a need to improve our understanding of the relationship between the two across the range of temperatures experienced throughout the year. In particular, further research is required to establish and evaluate appropriate proxies for modelling the relationship of C and N processes at temperatures close to the freezing point.
Application of chemometric approach for development and validation of high performance liquid chromatography method for estimation of ropinirole hydrochloride
Authors: Fatima Saman , Beg Sarwar , Samim Mohammed , Ahmad Farhan J.
Published: August 2019

A systematic Quality by Design approach was employed for developing an isocratic reversed‐phase liquid chromatographic technique for the estimation of ropinirole hydrochloride in bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations. LiChrospher RP 18‐5 Endcapped column (25 cm × 4.6 mm id) at ambient temperature (25 ± 2°C) was used for the chromatographic separation of the drug. The screening of factors influencing chromatographic separation of the active pharmaceutical ingredient was performed employing fractional factorial design to identify the influential factors. Optimization of the selected factors was carried out using central composite design for selecting the optimum chomatographic conditions. The mobile phase employed was constituted of Solvent A/Solvent B (65:35 v/v) (Solvent A [methanol/0.05 M ammonium acetate buffer, pH 7, 80:20 v/v] and Solvent B [high performance liquid chromatography grade water]) and used at 0.6 mL/min flow rate, while UV detection was performed at 250 nm. Linearity was achieved in the drug concentration range 5–100 µg/mL (R2 = 0.9998) with limits of detection and quantification of 1.02 and 3.09 µg/mL, respectively. Method validation was performed as per ICH guidelines followed by forced degradation studies, which indicated good specificity of the developed method for detecting ropinirole hydrochloride and its possible degradation products in the bulk drug and pharmaceutical formulations.
Arid ecosystem resilience to total petroleum hydrocarbons disturbance: A case‐study from the State of Kuwait associated with the Second Gulf War
Authors: Abdullah Meshal M. , Assi Amjad T. , Abdullah Mansour T. , Feagin Rusty A.
Published: August 2019

The world's largest hydrocarbon disturbance occurred in the deserts and offshore waters of Kuwait during the Second Gulf War in 1990–1991. In this research, remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques were utilized to explore how native desert vegetation has recovered from hydrocarbon contamination after the Second Gulf War. By using RS techniques, change detection analysis was conducted to understand the changes about the coverage and extent of the total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) contamination and vegetation recovery. These changes were traced from 1991 until the hydrocarbon was no longer visible on the ground surface in 1998. GIS spatial analysis was conducted to determine the major ecosystem factors that influenced the vegetation recovery along with the removal of hydrocarbon disturbance. According to the results, autogenic recovery occurred at both sites within a few years and that desert native vegetation was found to have the ability to adapt and recover from hydrocarbon pollution. Native vegetation recovered across 31% of the TPH‐contaminated areas at Umm Gudair and 34% at Wadi Al Batin. The changes in TPH contamination were significantly correlated with the soil type, vegetation type, geological substrates, geomorphological features, and annual precipitation. The vegetation recovery of dominant desert communities in the study area was influenced by soil type, geomorphological feature, and TPH‐contaminated areas. Interestingly, the results showed that these desert communities can recover in areas contaminated by TPH at a higher rate than noncontaminated sites in the study area. Such a study can provide important inputs to the restoration and revegetation programs in arid landscapes.
Vitamin D Deficiency Attenuates Acute Alcohol‐Induced Hepatic Lipid Accumulation in Mice
Authors: Hu Chun‐Qiu , Xu Meng , Yang Bing‐Bing , Liu Xiao‐Jing , Bo Qing‐Li , Zhang Cheng , Xu De‐Xiang
Published: August 2019

Vitamin D deficiency has been frequently reported in chronic liver disease. However, its influence on hepatic lipid accumulation in alcoholic liver disease remains unclear. The present study investigated the effects of vitamin D deficiency on acute alcohol‐induced hepatic lipid metabolism in mice. Mice were fed with vitamin D deficient diet, in which vitamin D was depleted for 12 weeks to establish an animal model of vitamin D deficiency. Some mice were administered a single gavage of alcohol (4 g/kg bodyweight) before they were euthanized. Results show that feeding mice with vitamin D deficient diet did not induce hepatic lipid accumulation. In contrast, vitamin D deficiency markedly reduced alcohol‐induced triacylglycerol (TAG) content and prevented hepatic lipid accumulation. Moreover, vitamin D deficiency significantly attenuated alcohol‐induced sterol‐regulated element‐binding protein (SREBP)‐1c activation, which regulates genes for hepatic fatty acid (FA) and TAG synthesis, and the expression of its target genes fatty acid synthase (Fasn) and acetyl‐coenzyme‐ A carboxylase (Acc). In addition, vitamin D deficiency alleviated alcohol‐induced downregulation of hepatic nuclear peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)α, which governs FA transport and β‐oxidation, and the expression of Carnitine palmitoyltransferase (Cpt)‐1α, cytochrome P450, family 4, subfamily a, polypeptide (Cyp4a)10, and Cyp4a14, which are key enzymes for hepatic fatty acids β‐oxidation and ω‐oxidation. Taken together, these results suggest that vitamin D deficiency is not a direct risk factor for hepatic lipid accumulation. Vitamin D deficiency alleviates acute alcohol‐induced hepatic lipid accumulation through inhibiting hepatic de novo fatty acid syntheses and promoting fatty acid β‐oxidation and ω‐oxidation.
Bi‐embeddability spectra and bases of spectra
Authors: Fokina Ekaterina , Rossegger Dino , San Mauro Luca
Published: August 2019

We study degree spectra of structures with respect to the bi‐embeddability relation. The bi‐embeddability spectrum of a structure is the family of Turing degrees of its bi‐embeddable copies. To facilitate our study we introduce the notions of bi‐embeddable triviality and basis of a spectrum. Using bi‐embeddable triviality we show that several known families of degrees are bi‐embeddability spectra of structures. We then characterize the bi‐embeddability spectra of linear orderings and study bases of bi‐embeddability spectra of strongly locally finite graphs.
Activation of EGFR‐KLF4 positive feedback loop results in acquired resistance to sorafenib in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Pang Lijun , Xu Lin , Yuan Chunwang , Li Xiuhui , Zhang Xiangying , Wang Wenjing , Guo Xianghua , Ouyang Yabo , Qiao Luxin , Wang Zhenchang , Liu Kai
Published: August 2019

Sorafenib is the standard first‐line systemic chemotherapeutic drugs for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but acquired resistance to sorafenib is frequently observed in clinical practice. In this study, we first produced three sorafenib resistance (SR) HCC cell lines by using two human HCC cell lines (Hep3B and Huh7) and a human primary HCC cell line. We identified that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Kruppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) are dramatically increased in the three SR HCC cell lines. Either inhibition of tyrosine kinase activity of EGFR with Erlotinib/Icotinib or inhibition of KLF4 expression with short hairpin RNA recovered the response of three SR HCC cell lines to sorafenib, suggesting the critical roles of EGFR tyrosine kinase and KLF4 on inducing SR. Luciferase activity and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays further determined that KLF4 promoted EGFR expression through inducing its transcription by directly binding to its promoter. EGFR, conversely, could also promote KLF4 expression through inducing its transcription by binding to its promoter in a tyrosine kinase‐dependent manner, suggesting that a positive feedback loop formed by EGFR and KLF4 further amplifies their effects on inducing SR. Up to now, our findings that KLF4 induces the development of SR and it cooperates with EGFR to form a positive feedback loop to amplify their SR‐inducing abilities have rarely been reported. Our findings bear possible implications for the improvement of the efficacy of sorafenib in HCC.
A new class of conformable spectral observers for signal reconstruction
Authors: Solís‐Pérez Jesús Emmanuel , Gómez‐Aguilar José Francisco , Torres Lizeth , Escobar‐Jiménez Ricardo Fabricio , Reyes‐Reyes Juan
Published: August 2019

In this work, the design of spectral observers for signal reconstruction based on Kalman filters is performed and evaluated. The conformable derivative and the beta‐derivative were used to design the Kalman filters. Both derivatives satisfy the same formulas of the classical derivation, eg, the chain rule. The derivative order, the Ricatti equation parameters, and the observers tuning parameters were optimized using an optimization algorithm based on the bat's echolocation behavior (Bat algorithm). The simulation results showed the advantages of using the proposed observers for the signal reconstruction.
Segmentation of dental cone‐beam CT scans affected by metal artifacts using a mixed‐scale dense convolutional neural network
Authors: Minnema Jordi , van Eijnatten Maureen , Hendriksen Allard A. , Liberton Niels , Pelt Daniël M. , Batenburg Kees Joost , Forouzanfar Tymour , Wolff Jan
Published: August 2019

Purpose

In order to attain anatomical models, surgical guides and implants for computer‐assisted surgery, accurate segmentation of bony structures in cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans is required. However, this image segmentation step is often impeded by metal artifacts. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a mixed‐scale dense convolutional neural network (MS‐D network) for bone segmentation in CBCT scans affected by metal artifacts.

Method

Training data were acquired from 20 dental CBCT scans affected by metal artifacts. An experienced medical engineer segmented the bony structures in all CBCT scans using global thresholding and manually removed all remaining noise and metal artifacts. The resulting gold standard segmentations were used to train an MS‐D network comprising 100 convolutional layers using far fewer trainable parameters than alternative convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures. The bone segmentation performance of the MS‐D network was evaluated using a leave‐2‐out scheme and compared with a clinical snake evolution algorithm and two state‐of‐the‐art CNN architectures (U‐Net and ResNet). All segmented CBCT scans were subsequently converted into standard tessellation language (STL) models and geometrically compared with the gold standard.

Results

CBCT scans segmented using the MS‐D network, U‐Net, ResNet and the snake evolution algorithm demonstrated mean Dice similarity coefficients of 0.87 ± 0.06, 0.87 ± 0.07, 0.86 ± 0.05, and 0.78 ± 0.07, respectively. The STL models acquired using the MS‐D network, U‐Net, ResNet and the snake evolution algorithm demonstrated mean absolute deviations of 0.44 mm ± 0.13 mm, 0.43 mm ± 0.16 mm, 0.40 mm ± 0.12 mm and 0.57 mm ± 0.22 mm, respectively. In contrast to the MS‐D network, the ResNet introduced wave‐like artifacts in the STL models, whereas the U‐Net incorrectly labeled background voxels as bone around the vertebrae in 4 of the 9 CBCT scans containing vertebrae.

Conclusion

The MS‐D network was able to accurately segment bony structures in CBCT scans affected by metal artifacts.
Respiratory motion corrected 4D flow using golden radial phase encoding
Authors: Kolbitsch Christoph , Bastkowski Rene , Schäffter Tobias , Prieto Vasquez Claudia , Weiss Kilian , Maintz David , Giese Daniel
Published: August 2019

Purpose

To minimize respiratory motion artifacts while achieving predictable scan times with 100% scan efficiency for thoracic 4D flow MRI.

Methods

A 4D flow sequence with golden radial phase encoding (GRPE) was acquired in 9 healthy volunteers covering the heart, aorta, and venae cavae. Scan time was 15 min, and data were acquired without motion gating during acquisition. Data were retrospectively re‐binned into respiratory and cardiac phases based on respiratory self‐navigation and the electrocardiograph signals, respectively. Nonrigid respiratory motion fields were extracted and corrected for during the k‐t SENSE reconstruction. A respiratory‐motion corrected (GRPE‐MOCO) and a free‐breathing (GRPE‐UNCORR) 4D flow dataset was reconstructed using 100% of the acquired data. For comparison, a respiratory gated Cartesian 4D flow acquisition (CART‐REF) covering the aorta was acquired. Stroke volumes and peak flows were compared. Additionally, an internal flow validation based on mass conservation was performed on the GRPE‐MOCO and GRPE‐UNCORR. Statistically significant differences were analyzed using a paired Wilcoxon test.

Results

Stroke volumes and peak flows in the aorta between GRPE‐MOCO and the CART‐REF showed a mean difference of −1.5 ± 10.3 mL (P > 0.05) and 25.2 ± 55.9 mL/s (P > 0.05), respectively. Peak flow in the GRPE‐UNCORR data was significantly different compared with CART‐REF (P < 0.05). GRPE‐MOCO showed higher accuracy for internal consistency analysis than GRPE‐UNCORR.

Conclusion

The proposed 4D flow sequence allows a straight‐forward planning by covering the entire thorax and ensures a predictable scan time independent of cardiac cycle variations and breathing patterns.
Testing electrolyte supplementation for muscle cramp
Authors: Swash Michael , de Carvalho Mamede
Published: August 2019

See article on pages 598–603 in this issue.
Evidence of small‐fiber neuropathy in neurofibromatosis type 1
Authors: Barnett Carolina , Alon Tayir , Abraham Alon , Kim Raymond H. , McCuaig Jeanna M. , Kongkham Paul , Maurice Catherine , Suppiah Suganth , Zadeh Gelareh , Bril Vera
Published: August 2019

Introduction

Large‐fiber neuropathy is rare in neurofibromatosis type 1, but small‐fiber neuropathy has not been studied.

Methods

Patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 underwent nerve conduction studies for large‐fiber assessment. Small‐fiber tests included quantitative thermal thresholds, laser Doppler flare imaging, intraepidermal nerve fiber density, and corneal nerve fiber length.

Results

Of the 52 patients enrolled, 31 (60%) were female and the mean age was 33.0 ± 12.3 years. Four (8%) patients had abnormal nerve conduction studies. Small‐fiber tests were frequently abnormal: thermal thresholds in 7 (13%); laser Doppler flare imaging in 10 (19%); intraepidermal nerve fiber density in 11 (22%); and corneal nerve fiber length in 27 (52%). The mean corneal nerve fiber length was below normative level (10.1 ± 2.7 mm/mm3).

Discussion

Small‐fiber neuropathy may be common in neurofibromatosis type 1, and should be investigated in symptomatic patients.
Engineering Na−Mo−O/Graphene Oxide Composites with Enhanced Electrochemical Performance for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Jingfa , Chen Qiang , Zhou Qihao , Shen Nan , Li Min , Guo Cong , Zhang Lei
Published: August 2019

Sodium molybdate (Na−Mo−O) wrapped by graphene oxide (GO) composites have been prepared via a simple in‐situ precipitation method at room temperature. The composites are mainly constructed with one dimension (1D) ultra‐long sodium molybdate nanorods, which are wrapped by the flexible GO. The introduction of GO is expected to not merely provide more active sites for lithium‐ions storage, but also improve the charge transfer rate of the electrode. The testing electrochemical performances corroborated the standpoint: The Na−Mo−O/GO composites delivers specific capacities of 718 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1, and 570 mAh g−1 after 500 cycles at a high rate of 500 mA g−1; for comparison, the bare Na−Mo−O nanorod shows a severe capacity decay, which deliver only 332 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 100 mA g−1. In view of the cost‐efficient and less time‐consuming in synthesis, and one‐step preparation without further treatment, these Na−Mo−O nanorods/GO composites present potential and prospective anodes for LIBs.
Next generation pathology: artificial intelligence enhances histopathology practice
Authors: Acs Balazs , Hartman Johan
Published: August 2019

Deep learning algorithms have shown benefits for pathology in the context of risk stratification of tumors. Although the results are promising, several steps have to be made to confirm clinical utility. In a recent issue of The Journal of Pathology, Colling et al present a perspective manuscript providing a roadmap to routine use of artificial intelligence in histopathology. In this commentary, we aimed to put these key points in the context of recent findings of AI and digital image analysis studies. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trimodality therapy for atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor is associated with improved overall survival: A surveillance, epidemiology, and end results analysis
Authors: Quinn Thomas J. , Almahariq Muayad F. , Siddiqui Zaid A. , Thompson Andrew B. , Hamstra Daniel A. , Kabolizadeh Peyman , Gowans Kate L. , Chen Peter Y.
Published: August 2019

Background

Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs) are rare aggressive central nervous system tumors. The use of radiation therapy (RT) remains controversial, especially for patients younger than three years of age. The purpose of the current investigation is to robustly analyze the impact of RT among pediatric AT/RT patients using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.

Methods

SEER 18 Custom Data registries were queried for AT/RT (ICD‐0‐3 9508/3). A total of 190 pediatric AT/RT patients were identified, of whom 102 underwent surgery + chemotherapy and 88 underwent trimodality therapy. Univariate and multivariable analyses using Kaplan‐Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression modeling were performed. Propensity‐score matched analysis with inverse probability of treatment weighting was performed to account for indication bias. The landmark method was used to account for immortal time bias.

Results

The majority of patients were <3 years old (75.8%). Patients <3 were more likely to be treated without RT as compared with older patients (62% vs 38%). Doubly robust MVA identified distant disease as a negative prognostic factor (HR 2.1, P = 0.003), whereas trimodality therapy was strongly protective (HR 0.39, P < 0.001). Infants (<1), toddlers (1‐2), and older children (3+) all benefited from trimodality therapy, with largest benefit for infants (HR 0.34, P = 0.02) and toddlers (HR 0.31, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The current study provides further evidence that trimodality therapy improves clinical outcomes among patients with AT/RT. This finding was most pronounced for younger patients; therefore, further studies are needed to confirm this finding in this vulnerable population.
Incidence of Rebound Hypertension after Discontinuation of Dexmedetomidine
Authors: Flieller Lauren A. , Alaniz Cesar , Pleva Melissa R. , Miller James T.
Published: August 2019

Introduction

To date, no studies have evaluated the incidence of rebound hypertension occurring with the discontinuation of long‐term (> 72 hrs) dexmedetomidine infusions. Rebound hypertension has been documented in the literature with clonidine, a structurally and pharmacologically similar medication.

Objectives

To compare the incidence of rebound hypertension associated with cessation of dexmedetomidine infusion with other sedative medications.

Methods

This retrospective, matched cohort study evaluated the incidence of rebound hypertension in intensive care unit patients receiving continuous infusions of at least 72 hours in duration of dexmedetomidine, propofol, or midazolam.

Results

The study population consisted of 216 patients: 54 treated with dexmedetomidine and 162 treated with propofol or midazolam. Rebound hypertension occurred significantly more often in patients with a history of hypertension (71.1%) than in patients with no prior hypertension (28.9%; p<0.001).There was no difference in incidence of rebound hypertension in the dexmedetomidine or propofol and midazolam arms (16.7% vs 17.9%, p=0.837). The titration timeframe for the dexmedetomidine infusion, defined as the time from peak infusion rate until discontinuation, was significantly shorter in patients with rebound hypertension (median duration, 4 hrs) compared with patients who did not have rebound hypertension (median duration, 17 hrs; p=0.011).

Conclusion

There was no difference in the incidence of rebound hypertension observed with dexmedetomidine discontinuation compared with propofol or midazolam. Instead, history of hypertension and a shorter weaning duration appear to be associated with increased risk of rebound hypertension regardless of the sedative used.
Effect of cellulose nanofiber on the dynamically asymmetric phase separation in epoxy/polysulfone blends
Authors: Zhang Yan , Ling Qiuhui , Zhao Songmei , Lu Xueting , Fu Shenyuan , Jin Zhenfu
Published: August 2019

Significant effect of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) on cure‐induced phase separation in dynamically asymmetric system is reported. An epoxy/polysulfone blends with typical layered structure formation was chosen as the polymer matrix, and morphology evolution and rheological behavior of systems with different nano‐size fiber loadings upon curing reaction were investigated using optical microscopy and rheological measurement. CNF distributed uniformly in the polymer matrix and had good interaction with polymer chains. Curing reaction of epoxy was promoted by CNF, making the system gel and phase separate earlier. Meanwhile, system viscosity was increased with CNF addition, and the movement of polymer chains and component diffusion were constrained, as a result, the structure evolution process was slowed down. The CNF altered the final morphologies, resulting in refined structures with smaller characteristic length scales or even completely change the morphologies from the layered structures to a bicontinuous structure when the CNF concentration reached to a relatively high level. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 1357–1366
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor regulates the expression of LmGSTd7 and is associated with chlorpyrifos susceptibility in Locusta migratoria
Authors: Zhang Xueyao , Jie Dong , Liu Jiao , Zhang Jianqin , Zhang Tingting , Zhang Jianzhen , Ma Enbo
Published: August 2019

BACKGROUND

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) belongs to the bHLH‐PAS (basic Helix–Loop–Helix – Period/ARNT/Single minded) family of transcription factors. AhR is a ligand‐activated transcription factor, which participates in the sensing and transmitting stimuli of endogenous and exogenous chemicals, and subsequently activates the transcription of genes related to various physiological and detoxification functions.

RESULT

In this study, a single full‐length LmAhR sequence was cloned and characterized. RNA interference (RNAi) and insecticide bioassays showed that LmAhR plays a vital role in chlorpyrifos susceptibility. To better identify aryl hydrocarbon receptor from locusta migratoria (LmAhR)‐regulated genes involved in chlorpyrifos susceptibility, a comparative transcriptome analysis was performed using double‐stranded (ds)GFP‐ and dsLmAhR‐injected Locusta migratoria. Differential gene expression analysis identified 145 down‐regulated and 67 up‐regulated genes (P ≤ 0.05 and fold change ≥2) in dsLmAhR‐knockdown insects. We selected 27 down‐regulated genes and verified their expression levels using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Finally, one glutathione S‐transferase (GST) gene (LmGSTd7) was selected as a candidate detoxification gene and was further validated via RNAi and chlorpyrifos bioassays.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that AhR is associated with chlorpyrifos susceptibility via the regulation of LmGSTd7 expression in L. migratoria. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Semaglutide: a new GLP‐1 analogue for type 2 diabetes
Authors: Chaplin Steve
Published: August 2019

Semaglutide (Ozempic) is a new once‐weekly glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) analogue for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This article examines its efficacy, adverse effects and place in therapy.