bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elevated Fructose and Uric Acid Through Aldose Reductase Contribute to Experimental and Human Alcoholic Liver Disease
Authors: Wang Min , Chen Wei‐Yang , Zhang Jingwen , Gobejishvili Leila , Barve Shirish S. , McClain Craig J. , Joshi‐Barve Swati
Published: February 2020

Background and Aims

Alcohol‐associated liver disease (ALD) is a common chronic liver disease worldwide with high morbidity and mortality, and no Food and Drug Administration–approved therapies. Fructose (dietary or endogenous), its metabolite uric acid, and aldose reductase (AR, the only endogenous enzyme that produces fructose) are strongly associated with the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the role of AR or its metabolites in ALD remains understudied and was examined using human specimens, cultured cells, and mouse model systems.

Approach and Results

We demonstrated in liver specimens from patients with alcoholic hepatitis, the AR up‐regulation and elevated AR metabolites (sorbitol, fructose, and uric acid), which correlated significantly with (1) increased lipid peroxidation byproducts and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, (2) decreased protective ER chaperones, and (3) greater cell death and liver injury. Furthermore, we established a causal role for AR in ALD by showing that the genetic deficiency of AR (knockout mice) prevented alcohol‐induced increase in harmful AR metabolites, toxic aldehydes, steatosis, ER stress, apoptosis, and liver injury. Finally, we demonstrated the therapeutic potential of pharmacological AR inhibition against alcohol‐induced hepatic injury in experimental ALD.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that hepatic AR up‐regulation, and consequent elevation in fructose, sorbitol and/or uric acid, are important factors contributing to alcohol‐induced steatosis, ER stress, apoptosis, and liver injury in both experimental and human ALD. Our study provides a strong rationale to evaluate AR as a potential therapeutic target and to test AR inhibitors to ameliorate alcohol‐induced liver injury.
Women in contemporary cancer research
Authors: González‐Alvarez Julio , Sos‐Peña Rosa
Published: February 2020

Despite recent advances, gender inequality persists in many scientific fields including medicine. Thus far, no study has extensively analyzed the gender composition of contemporary researchers in the oncology field. We examined 40 oncological journals (Web of Science, Oncology category) with different impact factors (Q1–Q4) and extracted all the articles and reviews published during 2015–2017 in order to identify the gender of their authors. Our data showed that women represent about 38% of all the authorships, both in articles and reviews. In relative terms, women are overrepresented as first authors of articles (43.8%), and clearly underrepresented as last or senior authors (<30%). This double pattern, also observed in other medical fields, suggests that age, or more specifically, seniority, may play some role in the gender composition of cancer researchers. Examining the pattern of collaboration, an interesting finding was observed: the articles signed by a woman in the first or in the last position roughly showed gender parity in the byline. We also found some differences in the content of the articles depending on which gender occupies the first and last positions of the authorships.
Human papillomavirus prevalence and distribution in self‐collected samples from female university students in Maputo
Authors: Bule Yara Priscilla , Silva Jani , Carrilho Carla , Campos Carla , Sousa Hugo , Tavares Ana , Medeiros Rui
Published: February 2020

Objective

To characterize human papillomavirus (HPV) prevalence and distribution among female university students in Maputo, Mozambique, and evaluate the determinants of HPV infection.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study among 504 female university students between February and April 2017. Cervicovaginal self‐collected samples were analyzed for HPV genotypes by polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism and AnyplexTM II HPV28 Detection kit (Seegene®).

Results

The prevalence of any HPV genotype was 28.6% (144/504). Single and multiple HPV infections were detected in 76 (15.1%) and 68 (13.5%) participants, respectively. Prevalence of high‐risk HPV was significantly higher than that of low‐risk HPV (P<0.001). HPV16 was the most frequent genotype, followed by HPV58, HPV66, HPV52, HPV18, HPV56, HPV61, and HPV70. The prevalence of genotypes covered by the bivalent, quadrivalent, and nonavalent vaccine was 14.3%, 15.9%, and 23.4%, respectively. Number of sexual partners over lifetime and in the past 12 months was associated with HPV infection (P<0.001 and P=0.039, respectively).

Conclusions

Knowledge of HPV genotype‐specific prevalence among young women is important to set up strategies for HPV vaccination. The findings suggest that introduction of the nonavalent HPV vaccine might be the way forward in the present low‐resource setting. In addition, self‐sampling was useful for HPV detection and genotyping.
Bone in heart failure
Authors: Loncar Goran , Cvetinovic Natasa , Lainscak Mitja , Isaković Andjelka , von Haehling Stephan
Published: February 2020

There is an increasing interest in osteoporosis and reduced bone mineral density affecting not only post‐menopausal women but also men, particularly with coexisting chronic diseases. Bone status in patients with stable chronic heart failure (HF) has been rarely studied so far. HF and osteoporosis are highly prevalent aging‐related syndromes that exact a huge impact on society. Both disorders are common causes of loss of function and independence, and of prolonged hospitalizations, presenting a heavy burden on the health care system. The most devastating complication of osteoporosis is hip fracture, which is associated with high mortality risk and among those who survive, leads to a loss of function and independence often necessitating admission to long‐term care. Current HF guidelines do not suggest screening methods or patient education in terms of osteoporosis or osteoporotic fracture. This review may serve as a solid base to discuss the need for bone health evaluation in HF patients.
Integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles in the brains of BTBR mice
Authors: Wang Min , He Jing , Zhou Yun , Lv Na , Zhao Min , Wei Hongen , Li Rongshan
Published: February 2020

The BTBR T+ Itpr3tf (BTBR) mouse has developmental disorders in brain and many aberrant neuroanatomical structures and brain dysfunction. However, identification of the pathological mechanisms underlying abnormal brain development in the brains of BTBR mice is still lacking. Increasingly evidence showed that epigenetics plays an important role in the processes of brain development. In this study, we analyzed microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA expression profiles in the cortical brain tissue from BTBR mice, using RNA sequencing. As compared to C57BL/6J (B6) mice, 1,271 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 36 known differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were found in the brain from BTBR mice. The functional annotation and categories of DEGs and DEMs were analyzed. Integration analysis identified 103 known miRNA–mRNA interaction pairs. We further verified selected several genes and miRNAs which may be associated with brain development using quantitative RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). Finally, we speculate that reduced myelin‐associated oligodendrocytic basic protein and transmembrane proteins 260 may be linked with abnormal brain development in BTBR mice.
Bilateral symmetry in leg and joint stiffness in children with spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy during gait
Authors: Huang Hsing‐Po , Kuo Chien‐Chung , Lu Tung‐Wu , Wu Kuan‐Wen , Kuo Ken N. , Wang Ting‐Ming
Published: February 2020

Deviations are often identified at individual joints in the gait analysis of patients with cerebral palsy. Previous gait studies on hemiplegic cerebral palsy (HCP) have focused mainly on deviations of the affected side. The current study aimed to quantify and compare the joint and leg stiffness, the contributions of skeletal and muscular components, and the associated joint angles and moments of the affected and nonaffected lower limbs during level walking in children with spastic HCP. A total of 12 children with spastic HCP and 12 healthy controls walked at a self‐selected speed in a gait laboratory while their kinematic and forceplate data were measured and analyzed during loading response, midstance, terminal stance, and preswing. The altered joint kinematics and kinetics in the nonaffected limb in the HCP group appeared to be mainly a compensatory strategy to minimize the bilateral asymmetry in leg stiffness during the double‐limb support phase and joint stiffness during the entire stance phase. The current results suggest that therapeutic planning and decision‐making for children with HCP should consider not only the mechanics of the affected side but also the control of the nonaffected side.
Patient and surgical variability in the primary stability of cementless acetabular cups: A finite element study
Authors: O'Rourke Dermot , Taylor Mark
Published: February 2020

Aseptic loosening is the most common indication for revision of cementless acetabular cups and often depends on the primary stability achieved following surgery. Cup designs must be capable of achieving primary stability for a wide variety of individuals and surgical conditions to be successful. Typically, preclinical finite element (FE) testing of cups involves assessing the performance in a single patient and under a limited set of idealized conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of patient and surgical parameters on the primary stability of an acetabular cup design in a set of subject‐specific FE models. Interference fit was varied in a representative set of 12 patient‐specific models of the implanted hemipelvis. Linear mixed models showed a significant association with micromotion for interference fit (P < .0001), acetabular bone elastic modulus (P < .001), native acetabular diameter (P  = .03), and the interference fit‐elastic modulus interaction (P = .01). There were no significant associations between the polar gap and any of the parameters considered. The significant interference fit‐elastic modulus interaction suggests that increasing the interference fit in patients with low bone quality leads to a greater reduction in micromotion than in patients with higher bone quality. However, the significant association between percentage bone yielding and interference fit (P < .0001) suggests a higher periacetabular fracture risk at higher interference fits. This work supports the development of preclinical testing of cup designs for the broad range patients and surgical conditions a cup may face following surgery.
Effects of glutinous rice protein components on the volatile substances and sensory properties of Chinese rice wine
Authors: Chen Tong , Wu Fenghua , Guo Jingjing , Ye Minqian , Hu Hao , Guo Jian , Liu Xingquan
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

The content of protein components of glutinous rice significantly affects the quality of Chinese rice wine. Therefore, the effects of protein components on the quality of Chinese rice wine were investigated by adding the exogenous proteins glutelin and albumin individually or in combination

RESULTS

Compared with the control, the samples with increased glutelin components exhibited improved formation of numerous alcohol esters with alcoholic and fruity representatives. The promotion rates of glutelin to total alcohols and total esters were 18% and 99%, respectively. The amount of 4‐vinylguaiacol characterized by a spicy, smoky odor was reduced to 40%. Correlation analysis between chemical composition and sensory characteristics showed a significant positive correlation between umami and amino nitrogen (r = 0.935) and total amino acid content (r = 0.729). The bitterness of Chinese rice wine was related to the change of alcohol content (r = 0.689) and total soluble solid (r = 0.904). Sensory analysis revealed that the increase of the glutelin component of Chinese rice wine increased its alcoholic, fruity, and honey‐like features, as well as its umami, acidity and bitterness. The increase also reduced the caramel‐like, herb‐like, and smoky sensory characteristics of Chinese rice wine and its Qu aroma and sweetness

CONCLUSION

The protein content of glutinous rice significantly affects the quality of rice wine. The Glutelin has a significant relationship with fruity, honey, and umami flavors; the albumin has a significant relationship with medicinal, bitter, and astringent flavors. Therefore, reasonable adjustment of the glutelin content of glutinous rice can effectively improve the sensory quality of rice wine. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of CPPU on bulk optical properties of kiwifruit during storage in near‐infrared range
Authors: Liu Dayang , Xie Dandan , Guo Wenchuan
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Investigating the effect of N‐(2‐chloro‐4‐pyridyl)‐N′‐phenylurea (CPPU) on the bulk optical properties of postharvest kiwifruit is helpful in understanding the mechanism of identification of CPPU‐treated kiwifruit using spectroscopy and to develop effective optical sensing techniques. In this study, the absorption coefficient μa and reduced scattering coefficient of flesh and skin of kiwifruit treated with CPPU solutions at CPPU concentration levels (CCLs) of 0, 5, 10 and 15 mg L−1 were measured by using a single integrating sphere setup over the range 950–1650 nm during 12 weeks' storage.

RESULTS

Generally, at the same storage period, there was no significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) on flesh's μa among the kiwifruit treated with different CCLs at absorption peaks of 970, 1190, and 1390 nm. The average flesh's of kiwifruit treated with higher CCLs at 1190 nm were larger than those treated with lower CCLs, and there was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05) between the kiwifruit treated with 0, 5 and 15 mg L−1 CPPU solutions except for week 6. Contrasted with the μa and of kiwifruit flesh, the μa and of skin had bigger standard deviations and larger fluctuations with storage time. Additionally, the CPPU‐treated kiwifruit had higher moisture content, lower firmness, and larger cells than CPPU‐untreated kiwifruit.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicates that the of flesh has potential in identifying kiwifruit treated with different CCLs during storage. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Exploring genetic dependence of lipase activity to improve the quality of whole‐grain wheat
Authors: Wei Chun Yue , Hund Andreas , Zhu Dan , Nyström Laura
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND

Whole‐grain wheat flour is facing the quality challenge of lipid rancidity, which decreases its nutritional, sensory, and technological properties. One of the major causes of lipid rancidity is endogenous esterases and lipases. This study evaluated 66 European wheat varieties grown at a single site over three years (2014, 2015, and 2016).

RESULTS

The 66 wheat varieties showed up to threefold variance on esterase and lipase activities. Wheat varieties that are suitable for lipid‐stable whole‐grain products (‘Julius’, ‘Lona’, and ‘Banquet’) were selected according to their consistently low esterase and lipase activities. The 3‐year mean‐based broad‐sense heritability of esterase and lipase was 0.75 and 0.44 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate great genetic dependence of both esterase and lipase activities in wheat. The moderate to high heritability brings a new prospect of breeding selection of low‐lipase‐activity wheat for stable whole‐grain products. This result will improve the use of wheat as raw material, benefit cultivation selection, and provide consumers with better quality products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
A Network Approach to Studying the Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Dissociative Experiences
Authors: Cramer Angélique O. J. , Leertouwer IJsbrand , Lanius R. , Frewen Paul
Published: February 2020

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of a dissociative subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder (D‐PTSD), characterized by experiences of depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR), among individuals with PTSD. Little is known, however, about how experiences of DP and/or DR are associated with the experience of other PTSD symptoms. The central aim of the present paper was to explore the associations among DP, DR, and other PTSD symptoms by means of a network analysis of cross‐sectional data for 557 participants whose overall self‐reported PTSD symptom severity warranted a probable PTSD diagnosis. Three notable findings emerged: (a) a strong association between DP and DR, (b) the identification of DP as the most central symptom in the network, and (c) the discovery that clusters of symptoms in the network were roughly consistent withDSM‐5PTSD criteria. We discuss these findings in light of some considerations, including the nature of our sample and the limits of interpreting cross‐sectional network models.
Study of all stages of the Diels–Alder reaction of cyclopentadiene with 2,3‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone and monoadducts: Kinetics, thermochemistry, and high pressure effect
Authors: Kolesnikova Anastasia O. , Kornilov Dmitry A. , Gubaidullin Aidar T. , Kiselev Vladimir D.
Published: February 2020

The kinetic parameters and enthalpies of the Diels–Alder reactions between cyclopentadiene and 2,3‐dicyano‐1,4‐benzoquinone leading to the formation of two different monoadducts and bisadduct were determined. The stability of adducts is compared. Monoadduct appears to be thermodynamically more stable than the bisadduct. Comparison with the other Diels–Alder reactions studied previously allows us to conclude that the heat effects upon formation of the considered Diels–Alder adducts are the lowest in comparison with all the studied dienophiles.
Measuring bismuth‐210, its parent, and daughter in aquatic systems
Authors: Waples James T.
Published: February 2020

210Bi (t1/2: 5.01 d)—the daughter of 210Pb and parent of 210Po—has rarely been measured in aquatic systems, and its behavior in the water column is poorly understood. In this article, I present a method for quickly measuring 210Pb, 210Bi, and 210Po in aquatic samples, where (1) 210Bi and 210Po are scavenged onto an anion solid‐phase extraction disk within 15 min of pretreating the sample; (2) beta decay of 210Bi is counted on the disk immediately thereafter; (3) 210Po is subsequently removed from the disk and redeposited on a copper plate for α‐spectroscopy; and (4) 210Pb is determined via the ingrowth of 210Bi. I present decay‐corrected calculations for total, dissolved, and particle‐bound fractions of each nuclide and conclude with an analysis of 210Pb, 210Bi, and 210Po activities in rain, dreissenid (quagga) mussels, and water samples from the Milwaukee Inner Harbor in Lake Michigan. Results show that the loss of lead on the anion solid‐phase extraction disks was negligible (0.2% ± 2.1%; ± 1 SD, n = 4), and the sorption of bismuth was complete (99% ± 2%; ± 1 SD, n = 16). Relative mean absolute deviations of duplicate sample analyses of lake water were 2.4% ± 1.9% for 210Pb (geometric mean of total sample activity: 3.0 disintegrations per minute [dpm], n = 6), 7.7% ± 5.8% for 210Bi (geometric mean of total sample activity: 2.6 dpm, n = 8), and 2.7% ± 1.7% for 210Po (geometric mean of total sample activity: 1.4 dpm, n = 8).
Streamlined production, purification, and characterization of recombinant extracellular polyhydroxybutyrate depolymerases
Authors: Martínez‐Tobón Diana I. , Waters Brennan , Elias Anastasia L. , Sauvageau Dominic
Published: February 2020

Heterologous production of extracellular polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) depolymerases (PhaZs) has been of interest for over 30 years, but implementation is sometimes difficult and can limit the scope of research. With the constant development of tools to improve recombinant protein production in Escherichia coli, we propose a method that takes characteristics of PhaZs from different bacterial strains into account. Recombinant His‐tagged versions of PhaZs (rPhaZ) from Comamonas testosteroni 31A, Cupriavidus sp. T1, Marinobacter algicola DG893, Pseudomonas stutzeri, and Ralstonia sp. were successfully produced with varying expression, solubility, and purity levels. PhaZs from C. testosteroni and P. stutzeri were more amenable to heterologous expression in all aspects; however, using the E. coli Rosetta‐gami B(DE3) expression strain and establishing optimal conditions for expression and purification (variation of IPTG concentration and use of size exclusion columns) helped circumvent low expression and purity for the other PhaZs. Degradation activity of the rPhaZs was compared using a simple PHB plate‐based method, adapted to test for various pH and temperatures. rPhaZ from M. algicola presented the highest activity at 15°C, and rPhaZs from Cupriavidus sp. T1 and Ralstonia sp. had the highest activity at pH 5.4. The methods proposed herein can be used to test the production of soluble recombinant PhaZs and to perform preliminary evaluation for applications that require PHB degradation.
Orthostatic Myoclonus Secondary to Central Pontine Myelinolysis
Authors: Muñoz‐Delgado Laura , Macías‐García Daniel , Jesús Silvia , Adarmes‐Gómez Astrid , Palomar Francisco J. , Carrillo Fátima , Mir Pablo
Published: February 2020

View Supplementary Video 1

View Supplementary Video 2
Analysis of EPI phase correction with low flip‐angle excitation to reduce the required minimum TE: Application to whole‐brain, submillimeter‐resolution fMRI at 3 T
Authors: Yun Seong Dae , Shah N. Jon
Published: February 2020

Purpose

Echo planar imaging is used widely for its imaging speed. However, its applications often suffer from ghost artifacts. In the community, an approach using three navigator echoes is used commonly for the artifact correction. Although this scheme is effective, as the matrix size increases for high‐resolution imaging, the navigator echoes can contribute significantly to increasing the “required minimum TE.” To overcome this issue, this work proposes the use of an alternative navigator echo scheme called the “TR‐external” scheme.

Methods

The TR‐external scheme reduces the required minimum TE by allocating an  additional excitation loop for the navigator echoes before every main excitation loop. In this work, a detailed analysis on the TR‐external scheme was performed to assess its performance in comparison to the standard scheme. Visual fMRI was performed to check the feasibility of using the TR‐external scheme for detecting functional signals.

Results

The performance of the TR‐external scheme was comparable with that of the standard scheme in terms of the SNR, elimination of ghost artifacts, and the BOLD detection. For a given matrix size (288 × 288), the TR‐external scheme allowed a substantially shorter TE (5.94 ms) compared with the standard scheme, which resulted in a higher SNR. Furthermore, this feature enabled the submillimeter‐resolution (0.73 × 0.73 mm2) fMRI measurement with a favorable TE (35 ms) at 3 T. The fMRI results revealed that activated voxels are well localized along the cortical ribbon.

Conclusion

A TR‐external scheme for EPI phase correction was implemented at 3 T. Its feasibility for submillimeter‐resolution fMRI was successfully demonstrated.
Gait biomechanics in joint hypermobility syndrome: a spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic analysis
Authors: Alsiri Najla , Cramp Mary , Barnett Sue , Palmer Shea
Published: February 2020

Introduction

Joint hypermobility syndrome (JHS) symptoms of widespread joint hypermobility and pain, muscle weakness and reduced muscle‐tendon stiffness suggest that there may be an impact on gait parameters. Identification of gait abnormalities may inform assessment and management. The objective in the present study was to use a cross‐sectional designed study to explore the impact of JHS on gait parameters.

Methods

A JHS group of 29 participants (mean age 37.57 (S.D. 13.77) years) was compared to a healthy control group of 30 participants (mean 39.27 (S.D. 12.59) years). Spatiotemporal parameters, joint kinematics and joint kinetics were captured using the Qualisys motion capture system synchronized with a Kistler force platform.

Results

Statistically significant reductions in walking speed, stride length and step length were found in the JHS group, while stance and double support durations were significantly increased (p < 0.01). During the swing phase, the JHS group showed significantly less knee flexion (p < 0.01). Reductions in hip extensor moment, and knee power generation and absorption were identified in the JHS group (p < 0.01). No other gait parameters were significantly altered.

Conclusion

The JHS group walked more slowly with a kinematic ‘stiffening’ pattern. Hypermobility was not evident during gait. The observed stiffening pattern could be a strategy to avoid pain and improve balance. Impairments in moment and power generation could be related to several symptomatic and etiological factors in JHS. Clinicians should carefully consider gait in the assessment and management of people with JHS targeting the impairments identified by the current study.
Measures of Adipose Tissue Redistribution and Atherosclerotic Coronary Plaque in HIV
Authors: Bogorodskaya Milana , Fitch Kathleen V. , Lu Michael , Torriani Martin , Zanni Markella V. , Looby Sara E. , Iyengar Sanjna , Triant Virginia A. , Grinspoon Steven K. , Srinivasa Suman , Lo Janet
Published: February 2020

Objective

People with HIV (PWH) who are well treated on antiretroviral therapy remain at increased risk for body composition changes, including increased visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and reduced subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), as well as increased cardiovascular disease (CVD). The relationship between adipose compartments and coronary disease is not well understood among PWH.

Methods

A total of 148 PWH and 68 uninfected individuals without CVD were well phenotyped for VAT and SAT via single‐section abdominal computed tomography (CT) at L4. Coronary artery calcium (CAC) score was assessed by noncontrast cardiac CT and coronary plaque composition by coronary CT angiography.

Results

Increased VAT was significantly related to increased presence of plaque (OR, 1.55 per 100 cm2; P = 0.008) and CAC > 0 (OR, 1.56 per 100 cm2; P = 0.006) in the HIV group. In contrast, increased SAT was related to reduced presence of plaque (OR, 0.79 per 100 cm2; P = 0.057) and reduced CAC > 0 (OR, 0.69 per 100 cm2, P = 0.007) among PWH. The VAT to SAT ratio showed a strong relationship to overall presence of calcified plaque (OR, 3.30; P = 0.03) and CAC > 0 (OR, 3.57; P < 0.001) in the HIV group. VAT and waist to hip ratio, but not SAT, were strong predictors of plaque in the uninfected group. BMI did not relate in either group.

Conclusions

Fat redistribution phenotyping by simultaneous quantification of VAT and SAT as independent measures could help identify those PWH at higher risk for CVD.
Plasma membrane receptors of tissue macrophages: functions and role in pathology
Authors: Gordon Siamon , Plüddemann Annette , Mukhopadhyay Subhankar
Published: February 2020

The cells of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS) constitute a dispersed organ, which is distributed throughout the body. Macrophages in different tissues display distinctive mosaic phenotypes as resident and recruited cells of embryonic and bone marrow origin, respectively. They help to maintain homeostasis during development and throughout adult life, yet contribute to the pathogenesis of many disease processes, including inflammation, innate and adaptive immunity, metabolic disorders, and cancer. Heterogeneous tissue macrophage populations display a wide variety of surface molecules to recognise and respond to host, microbial, and exogenous ligands in their environment; their receptors mediate the uptake and destruction of effete and dying host cells and pathogens, as well as contribute trophic and secretory functions within every organ in the body. Apart from local cellular interactions, macrophage surface molecules and products serve to mobilise and coordinate systemic humoral and cellular responses. Their use as antigen markers in pathogenesis and as potential drug targets has lagged in clinical pathology and human immunotherapy. In this review, we summarise the properties of selected surface molecules expressed on macrophages in different tissues and disease processes, to provide a functional basis for diagnosis, further research, and treatment. © 2020 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Imitation of Goal Engagement and Disengagement Processes in Romantic Relationships
Authors: Kappes Cathleen , Thomsen Tamara
Published: February 2020

Individual differences in goal engagement and goal disengagement processes have been demonstrated to be related to goal attainment, health, and emotional well–being. However, there is a dearth of studies on the developmental conditions of individual differences in these processes. Social learning processes contribute to the formation of individual dispositions even in adulthood. As one pathway of learning, we investigated observational learning of goal regulation processes in romantic relationships in two experimental studies. Study 1 ( N = 67 couples, M = 32.65 years) replicated a previous finding that observing partners imitated their partner's goal regulation processes in the same task and extended it by showing transfer effects to another task. Study 2 ( N = 60 couples, M = 25.9 years) demonstrated that—given a lack of praise of the modelled actions—partners still imitated goal regulation processes but to a smaller extent. These findings lend support for observational learning as a pathway to individual differences in the application of goal regulation processes. © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology
Acid‐sensitive reactive oxygen species triggered dual‐drug delivery systems for chemo‐photodynamic therapy to overcome multidrug resistance
Authors: Yin Liping , Bao Yanli , Liu Lin , Wang Jinze , Chen Li
Published: February 2020

In clinical treatment, multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the major obstacles resulting in the failure of chemotherapy. It is still a challenge to overcome MDR. Herein, we fabricated intelligent dextran‐based dual‐drug delivery systems histidine modified dextran conjugated doxorubicin/zinc porphyrin/paclitaxel (DHTD/Zn‐TPP/PTX) via supramolecular metallo‐coordination for synergistic chemo‐photodynamic therapy to overcome cancer drug resistance. In this designed DHTD/Zn‐TPP/PTX, one anticancer drug (doxorubicin, DOX) was conjugated on the dextran backbone through a reactive oxygen species sensitive linker and the other drug PTX was encapsulated into the acid responsive supramolecular micelles formed by the photosensitizer Zn‐TPP and histidine grafted on dextran. DHTD/Zn‐TPP/PTX with excellent stability could be effectively internalized by tumour cells. In the acidic tumour environment, the loaded PTX and Zn‐TPP as photosensitizer could be released; moreover, when irradiated with light the conjugated DOX could be specifically released because the linker broke. As the obtained data indicate, DHTD/Zn‐TPP/PTX exhibited not only an enhanced anticancer therapeutic effect but also significant growth inhibition for drug‐resistant MCF‐7/ADR cells to reverse MDR, having great potential for synergistic treatments of cancer to overcome MDR. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Wide angle antireflection in metal nanoparticles embedded in a dielectric matrix for plasmonic solar cells
Authors: Singh Bhaskar , Shabat Mohammed M. , Schaadt Daniel M.
Published: February 2020

The photon density in solar cells is usually optimized through tailored antireflection coatings (ARCs). We develop an analytical model to describe metal hybrid nanoparticles (NPs)‐based ARC, where metal NPs are embedded in a standard ARC on a Si‐substrate. A point dipole approach is implemented to calculate diffuse reflectance by NPs, while transfer matrix method is used for specular reflectance from front surface. We found that embedding metal NPs in SiN ARC enhances the antireflection property of the former at non‐normal angles of incidence (AOI) of light. Electric field distribution patterns of radiation in the substrate by NPs are calculated for various AOI, which support the improvements in the antireflection property. Weighted solar power transmittances from ARCs are calculated, which show that Ag‐NPs (radius = 35 nm) embedded in SiN (thickness = 70 nm) performs better than SiN for AOI over 74°, whereas Al‐NPs (radius = 35 nm) embedded in SiN (thickness = 70 nm) performs better for AOI over 78°.
Registration of soybean germplasm R11‐7999 with high seed protein content and high yield
Authors: Florez‐Palacios L. , Mozzoni L. , Orazaly M. , Manjarrez‐Sandoval P. , Wu C. , Dombek D. , Chen P.
Published: February 2020

The conventional (non‐genetically modified) soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm line R11‐7999 (Reg. no. GP‐436, PI 691646) was released by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 2018 because of its high seed protein content and high yield potential. R11‐7999 is an F4 selection from the cross between the Tennessee cultivar ‘5002T’ and the Arkansas advanced breeding line R00‐2097. Trial testing results of over 30 environments in Arkansas and other southern states shows that R11‐7999 is well adapted and exhibits high yield performance. R11‐7999 has a relative maturity of 5.7, determinate growth habit, purple flowers, tawny pubescence, and a tan pod wall at maturity. Seed of R11‐7999 has yellow cotyledons with dull yellow seed coat and brown and black hilum. It is resistant to stem canker and moderately resistant to frogeye leaf spot. R11‐7999 has a seed protein content of 439 g kg−1 (dry weight), which combined with the seed oil (202 g kg−1) content produces 50.7% protein in the meal fraction. The high yield and high protein content of R11‐7999 will make it a valuable cultivar for animal feed and protein isolate.
Dialkylthienosilole and N‐alkyldithienopyrrole‐based copolymers: Synthesis, characterization, and photophysical study
Authors: El‐Shehawy Ashraf A. , Abdo Nabiha I. , El‐Hendawy Morad M. , Abdallah Abdul‐Rahman I.A. , Lee Jae‐Suk
Published: February 2020

We synthesized and characterized a set of D‐π‐A conjugated copolymers containing thiophene π‐bridge. While benzothiadiazole serves as an acceptor (A) unit, the 4,4‐dialkyldithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]silole (DTSi) or N‐alkyldithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]pyrrole (DTP) act as a donor (D) unit. The copolymers were synthesized via the commonly Stille cross‐coupling reaction and exhibited molecular weights of 18.6 to 31.3 kg/mol. The main structural differences among the copolymers are the type of donor moiety (DTSi or DTP) and the position of hexyl side chains on the thiophene π‐bridge units between the D and A moieties. The ultimate goal of this work is to explore the effect of three structural factors that could control the photophysical properties of polymers in order to help in the rational design of polymers having specific properties used in optoelectronic devices. The physical properties include thermal stability, photophysical, and electrochemical properties. The structural factors are (a) the power of donor moiety, (b) the position of alkyl side chain on the thiophene π‐bridge, and (c) the nature of the alkyl side chain. Also, we utilized the density functional theory calculations to calculate the geometric and electronic structures. A good agreement was remarked between the experimental and theoretical findings.
Homogeneous and Graded Ag Alloying in (Cu1‐xAgx)2ZnSnSe4 Solar Cells
Authors: Grenet Louis , Emieux Fabrice , Roux Frédéric
Published: February 2020

Cu2ZnSn(S,Se)4 (CZTSSE)‐based solar cell performances are limited by band tailing due to a large amount of CuZn antisite defects. Partially replacing the Cu atoms by larger Ag ones can significantly reduce the prevalence of these defects, which are particularly detrimental close to the front interface. Herein, the possibility of synthesizing (Cu1‐xAgx)2ZnSnSe4 absorbers with various Ag contents by vacuum‐based processes is demonstrated. Although the synthesis of high‐quality materials is demonstrated, their use in thin film photovoltaic devices does not exhibit performance improvement compared with efficient pure CZTSSE‐based solar cells. Moreover, the comparison with literature data reopens the debate of the beneficial effect of homogeneous Ag alloying in kesterite. On the contrary, a new method is proposed to fabricate graded (Cu1‐xAgx)2ZnSnSe4 absorbers with increased Ag content at the interfaces. The solar cells with graded absorbers exhibit better performances than the reference Ag‐free ones. Particularly, improved current collection at the back contact and slight reduction of the front interface recombination are demonstrated.
Combining electronic properties and virtual screening for the development of new antioxidants: Trolox‐like compounds as application example
Authors: de Oliveira Só Yuri A. , de Abreu Silva Mônica , Carvalho Fernando M. , Kiametis Alessandra S. , Gargano Ricardo
Published: February 2020

Oxidative stress is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the antioxidant defenses of the organism. Heart diseases, anemia, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders have been associated with this biological condition. Trolox is a notable antioxidant drug similar to vitamin E, and it is used to decrease the oxidative stress or repair the damage caused by it. In this work, the virtual screening technique is applied to identify compounds with antioxidant activities similar to Trolox. The antioxidant activity of these compounds was assessments by the mechanisms of hydrogen atom transfer and single electron transfer. Properties such as bond dissociation enthalpy, adiabatic ionization potential, Gibbs free reaction energy, spin density, highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO), and GAP (HOMO‐LUMO) energies, obtained from the DFT approach, point out to the predominance of the HAT mechanism for the antioxidant action of these compounds. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of the chemical and physical properties responsible for antioxidant activity and the design of new antioxidant agents.
Selective hydrogen production at Pt(111) investigated by Quantum Monte Carlo methods for metal catalysis
Authors: Sharma Rajesh O. , Rantala Tapio T. , Hoggan Philip E.
Published: February 2020

This rapid communication gives the salient points and results of the theoretical investigation of a chemical reaction for efficient selective hydrogen production. The clean fuel produced is a sustainable energy source. Accurate methods based on quantum theory are used because the changing electronic structure is a probe that monitors reactions. The reaction between water and carbon monoxide is used industrially with metal catalysts, usually platinum. There is a considerable economic and environmental challenge underpinning this fundamental investigation where bond dissociation plays an essential role. A bond dissociation process is often the limiting step of reaction rates for industrial catalysis. Most mainstream quantum approaches fail to a greater or lesser degree in the description of this process. The present work advocates a promising alternative: the initial analysis of statistical data generated by the Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) method demonstrated very stringent statistical accuracy for essential information on hydrogen production via the water‐gas shift reaction with platinum catalyst. The transition state structure is obtained from QMC force constants and illustrated here. It corresponds to water OH‐stretch concerted with Pt‐H bond formation, whilst the OH oxygen atom begins to interact with the CO carbon. The present QMC evaluation of the corresponding activation barrier is low: 17.0 ± 0.2 kcal/mol. It is close to the experimental apparent activation energy of 17.05 kcal/mol. This method is applicable to a wide range of similar systems.
The influence of camera trap flash type on the behavioural reactions and trapping rates of red deer and roe deer
Authors: Henrich Maik , Niederlechner Sandra , Kröschel Max , Thoma Stefanie , Dormann Carsten F. , Hartig Florian , Heurich Marco
Published: February 2020

Camera traps have become an important tool in wildlife monitoring. However, an issue in interpreting their data in statistical analyses of population densities, demography or behaviour is that the probability of detecting the target animals and their behaviours may vary depending on environmental and methodological factors. A specific problem is the type of flash used in the camera trap, as animals may react differently to different flash types and change their avoidance or habituation behaviour accordingly over time. Here, we provide the first systematic test of the impact of flash type in studies of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), based on an analysis of behavioural responses to white, standard infrared and black flashes during 900 camera trap deployments in the Bavarian Forest National Park and the Northern Black Forest. The results revealed that both deer species were more likely to react to standard infrared than to black flash, but trigger delays prevented comparisons to white flash. Red deer reacted more frequently to camera traps than did roe deer, and responses were more common in the Northern Black Forest than in the Bavarian Forest National Park, where hunting is severely restricted. Contrary to our expectations, camera trapping rates of free‐ranging deer did not significantly decline over time for any flash type or species. Despite the lack of evidence for avoidance behaviour, we recommend the use of black flash for behavioural studies of deer populations to minimize the risk of introducing a source of disturbance whereas infrared and white flash are equally suitable for determinations of demographic parameters.
Cellulose as the in situ reference for organic XPS. Why? Because it works
Authors: Johansson Leena‐Sisko , Campbell Joseph M. , Rojas Orlando J.
Published: February 2020

X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has become popular for polymeric and biological surface analysis. However, several experimental factors may bias XPS data interpretation. Ex situ contamination, outgassing, reactions due to ultra‐high vacuum or X‐ray exposure, and charging problems are not uncommon. They are reflected in the high variability of data quality of recent reports. In order to enhance the reliability and reproducibility of XPS data, especially for organics and polymers, a suitable in situ reference material would be of a great help.

At Aalto's CHEM XPS laboratory, we use 100% cellulosic filter paper as a reference for all XPS experiments. Nature derived macrofibrillar cellulose is not an obvious candidate for an in situ reference material in XPS; however, it is not only the most abundant biopolymer on the biosphere but it also qualifies surprisingly well as a generic in situ XPS reference.
A novel Bayesian continuous piecewise linear log‐hazard model, with estimation and inference via reversible jump Markov chain Monte Carlo
Authors: Chapple Andrew G. , Peak Taylor , Hemal Ashok
Published: February 2020

We present a reversible jump Bayesian piecewise log‐linear hazard model that extends the Bayesian piecewise exponential hazard to a continuous function of piecewise linear log hazards. A simulation study encompassing several different hazard shapes, accrual rates, censoring proportion, and sample sizes showed that the Bayesian piecewise linear log‐hazard model estimated the true mean survival time and survival distributions better than the piecewsie exponential hazard. Survival data from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center is analyzed by both methods and the posterior results are compared.
The impact of diversification on task performance: Evidence from kidney transplant centers
Authors: Parker‐Lue Sara , Lieberman Marvin
Published: February 2020

Research Summary

Even when diversification is beneficial, entry into a new business can negatively affect the performance of the firm's existing business(es). We examine transplant centers that diversified from kidney transplants into liver transplants, focusing on how patient age can affect the costs associated with diversification. We find that diversification into liver transplants resulted in worsened quality performance in kidney transplants for younger patients, whose cases were less likely to be unexpectedly complex. For older patients, whose cases were more likely to have complications, the negative effect of diversification was offset. Our findings suggest that in health care the costs of diversification can be sensitive to patient characteristics, making focused organizations desirable when task complexity is low, while favoring diversified organizations for more complex tasks.

Managerial Summary

When firms diversify into new activities, the increased coordination may worsen performance in their original, prediversification activities. We show how this change in performance depends on the characteristics of the work itself. We examine kidney transplant centers that diversified into liver transplants. Young patients, who are typically less complex to treat, had worse outcomes when centers diversified. However, for the oldest patients—generally the most complex to treat, with the greatest chance of complications—diversification was associated with slightly improved performance. This suggests that while coordination is difficult, organizations that diversify may be able to acquire coordination skills that can be applied to more complex tasks. Simpler tasks are unlikely to benefit from these skills, and thus we find worsened performance in these tasks after diversification.
Effort estimation of open source Android projects via transaction analysis
Authors: Qi Kan , Boehm Barry
Published: February 2020

Transactions have been used in many software sizing methods to measure software functional size and provide a basis for effort estimation. To further investigate the effects that transactions have on software functional size and more accurately estimate project effort using the transactional information, in this paper, we propose a method to identify transactions, as well as their complexity attributes that are influential to software functional size, directly from the source code of Android projects using static and dynamic analyses.

The identified transactions are classified into different complexity levels and applied with different weights based on their evaluated complexity levels to distinguish their effects on software functional size. A size metric called sum of weighted transactions (SWT) is proposed to measure software functional size. We calibrate an effort estimation model using SWT based on a data set of 34 open source Android projects, and show the effectiveness of using SWT as a software functional size measure to estimate project effort.
Extensive review of cloud resource management techniques in industry 4.0: Issue and challenges
Authors: Dewangan Bhupesh Kumar , Agarwal Amit , Choudhury Tanupriya , Pasricha Ashutosh , Chandra Satapathy Suresh
Published: February 2020

Resource provisioning in the cloud is the most popular business model for any service provider due to profit that is based on how resources are distributed among users in Industry 4.0. Moreover, much research carried out to provide a better resource provisioning system to service providers; however, efficient resource provisioning may save the environments too. This study presents an extensive analysis of different resource provisioning systems based on concert parameters. More than 250 relative research articles have been considered for this study, out of these 125 articles has been processed for comparative analysis on the basis of different performance metrics. This study highlights the classifications of resource management techniques, objective functions, and open research challenges and issues while analyzing resource management techniques. It also provides the depth knowledge of uses of performance metrics utilization based on its classifications.