bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cidade educadora, uma estratégia para a inclusão das pessoas com deficiência - Um futuro desejável e um processo de mudança em curso
Authors: Rasteiro Domingos
Published: July 2019

[PT] Sabemos hoje as potencialidades que a educação tem nos processos de mudança das pessoas, das organizações e das sociedades e, nesse pressuposto, o principal objetivo deste artigo é explorar a temática da educação nas cidades, ligando esse domínio à problemática das pessoas com deficiência. Nesse quadro apresentam-se os resultados de um trabalho de investigação que foi realizado entre 2015 e 2017 e teve como foco as cidades portuguesas associadas da Associação Internacional das Cidades Educadoras (AICE). As cidades que participaram no estudo foram 31, de um universo de 57, sendo possível, através do estudo das perceções dos dirigentes políticos e dos técnicos dos municípios, construir um «ranking» do potencial inclusivo das cidades. A realização de dois estudos de caso nas cidades com melhor potencial inclusivo permitiu determinar quais os fatores que influenciam as políticas de inclusão que desenvolvem, tendo como preocupação a melhoria da qualidade de vida das pessoas com deficiência, servindo de indicação para boas práticas inclusivas. [ES] Sabemos hoy las potencialidades que la educación tiene en los procesos de cambio de las personas, de las organizaciones y de las sociedades y, en ese supuesto, el principal objetivo de este artículo es explorar la temática de la educación en las ciudades, vinculando ese dominio a la problemática de las personas con discapacidad. Esta tabla presenta los resultados de un trabajo de investigación que se llevó a cabo, centrándose en las ciudades portuguesas asociados con la Asociación Internacional de Ciudades Educadoras (AICE), que tuvo lugar entre 2015 y 2017. Las ciudades que participaron en el estudio fueron 31 de un universo de 57, siendo posible a través del estudio de las percepciones de los dirigentes políticos y de los técnicos de los municipios, construir un "ranking" del potencial inclusivo de las ciudades. La realización de dos estudios de caso en las ciudades con mejor potencial inclusivo permitió determinar cuáles son los factores que influencian las políticas de inclusión que desarrollan, teniendo como preocupación la mejora de la calidad de vida de las personas con discapacidad, sirviendo de indicación para buenas prácticas inclusivas.
Europejski kontekst wpływu współczesnych megatrendów na rozwój społeczno-gospodarczy. Ujęcie syntetyczne = The European context of the impact of contemporary megatrends on socio-economic development. A synthetic approach
Authors: Konecka-Szydłowska Barbara , Churski Paweł , Herodowicz Tomasz , Perdał Robert
Published: July 2019

The article aims to analyse the influence on socio-economic development of contemporary socio-economic changes, or – using terminology after John Naisbitt (1982) – main megatrends, primarily from the point of view of the situation and changes characterising the EU’s Member States. The specifics of these processes in the capitalist countries of Western Europe and in the former countries of so-called “people’s democracy” in East-Central Europe are the key element of this discussion. In the context of the spatial patterns identified, discussion centres around trends of: (1) transformation, (2) economic integration, (3) globalisation, and (4) postmodernisation. The first part presents a synthetic characterisation of megatrends distinguished, including as regards specific definitions and reasons for them to arise. The second, most important part of the work addresses the impacts of megatrends n socio-economic development and the specific nature of the process ongoing with the two spatial European patterns. The analysis conducted supports the contention that the megatrends described have played a key role in the shaping contemporary processes of socio-economic development. However, it is difficult to analyse the separate influences of each, given the way they interact in one bundle (external in relation to endogenous ocesses), permeating one another, and ensuring an influence exerted that is diversified both temporally and spatially. It is not easy to state that any specific social or economic changes result solely from one or other of the processes iscussed. Thus, the influence of these megatrends should be perceived synergically. More or less intensive processes of transformation are strengthened by economic integration and globalisation and give rise to a diversified range of postmodernisation changes. This perception is needed even more, as many researchers often consider these processes in a slightly different configuration (Dicken, 2015).
Charakterystyka polskiej diaspory w Kurytybie (Brazylia) w świetle badań społecznych = Characteristics of the Polish diaspora in Curitiba (Brazil) in the light of social research
Authors: Szmytkowska Magdalena , Doliński Karel
Published: July 2019

The article addresses an issue of the modern Polish diaspora in Curitiba, which is an important and symbolic city in the context of the Polish migration to Brazil since the second half of the 19th century. Moreover, the article presents an overview of the history of Polish migratory flows to Curitiba as well as significance of the city itself as a unique space for social activeness of the Poles living in Brazil. The main objectives of the article are as follows: identification of “Polish” places and areas in social space of Curitiba, determining a profile of a Polish migrant and assessing relations between the modern Polish diaspora and the mother country in the context of particular migration generations. The city of Curitiba has been perceived a significant and symbolic place for Polish migrants since the very beginning of the Polish migration history. Social activities taken up by the Polish diaspora in Brazil results from the necessity to sustain the national identity and they are aimed at promoting Polish traditions. The public space of Curitiba is marked by Polish monuments, plaques and street names commemorating famous and appreciated Poles as well as by Polish national institutions. There is only one Department of Polish Language in Latin America and it is at the Federal University of Parana in Curitiba. For the purpose of this article, a survey among a significantly differentiated group of respondents has been done. The group comprised representatives of the Polish diaspora having Polish ancestors in the fourth generation as well as modern Polish migrants. As the survey shows, although the descendants of Polish settlers are not fluent Polish speakers and they do not visit their mother country very often, the Polishness is demonstrated by the Polish diaspora in Curitiba. It is clearly visible in public space of the city as there are numerous objects representing Polish historical and cultural heritage as well as cultural events.Since the day when the first Poles settled in Brazil and Curitiba, they have been systematically integrating and assimilating with Brazilians.
Discovery of novel astrovirus genotype species in small ruminants
Authors: Kauer Ronja V. , Koch Michel C. , Hierweger Melanie M. , Werder Simea , Boujon Céline L. , Seuberlich Torsten
Published: July 2019

Astroviruses (AstV) are single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses, best known for causing diarrhea in humans and are also found in many other mammals; in those, the relevance in gastroenteritis remains unclear. Recently described neurotropic AstV showed associations with encephalitis in humans as well as in other mammals. In Switzerland, two different neurotropic AstV were identified in cattle, as well as one in a sheep. The high genetic similarity between the ovine and one of the bovine AstV strengthens the hypothesis of an interspecies transmission. In humans, AstV associated with encephalitis were found also in human stool samples, suggesting that in these patients the infection spreads from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain under certain conditions, such as immunosuppression. Whether a similar pathogenesis occurs in ruminants remains unknown. The aims of this study were (1) the investigation of the potential occurrence of neurotropic AstV in feces samples, (2) the discovery and analysis of so far unknown AstV in small ruminants and other ruminant species’ fecal samples and (3) the examination of a potential interspecies transmission of AstV. To achieve these aims, RNA extraction out of 164 fecal samples from different ruminant species was performed and all samples were screened for known neurotropic AstV occurring in Switzerland, as well as for various AstV using RT-PCR. Positive tested samples were submitted to next generation sequencing. The generated sequences were compared to nucleotide- and amino acid databases, virus properties were identified, and phylogenetic analyses as well as recombination analysis were performed. The excretion of neurotropic AstV in small ruminants’ feces could not be demonstrated, but this work suggests the first identification of AstV in goats as well as the discovery of multiple and highly diverse new genetic variants in small ruminants, which lead to a classification into novel genotype-species. Additionally, the prediction of multiple recombination events in four of five newly discovered full or almost full-length genome sequences suggests a plausible interspecies transmission. The findings point out the occurrence and fecal shedding of previously unknown AstV in sheep and goats and pave the way towards a better understanding of the diversity and transmission of AstV in small ruminants.
A 3-mRNA-based prognostic signature of survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Cao Ruoyan , Wu Qiqi , Li Qiulan , Yao Mianfeng , Zhou Hongbo
Published: July 2019

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with an unsatisfactory prognosis. The aim of this study was to identify potential prognostic mRNA biomarkers of OSCC based on analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA).

Methods

Expression profiles and clinical data of OSCC patients were collected from TCGA database. Univariate Cox analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox (LASSO Cox) regression were used to primarily screen prognostic biomarkers. Then multivariate Cox analysis was performed to build a prognostic model based on the selected prognostic mRNAs. Nomograms were generated to predict the individual’s overall survival at 3 and 5 years. The model performance was assessed by the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration plot in both training cohort and validation cohort (GSE41613 from NCBI GEO databases). In addition, machine learning was used to assess the importance of risk factors of OSCC. Finally, in order to explore the potential mechanisms of OSCC, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis was completed.

Results

Three mRNAs (CLEC3B, C6 and CLCN1) were finally identified as a prognostic biomarker pattern. The risk score was imputed as: (−0.38602 × expression level of CLEC3B) + (−0.20632 × expression level of CLCN1) + (0.31541 × expression level of C6). In the TCGA training cohort, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.705 and 0.711 for 3- and 5-year survival, respectively. In the validation cohort, AUC was 0.718 and 0.717 for 3- and 5-year survival. A satisfactory agreement between predictive values and observation values was demonstrated by the calibration curve in the probabilities of 3- and 5- year survival in both cohorts. Furthermore, machine learning identified the 3-mRNA signature as the most important risk factor to survival of OSCC. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction was most enriched mostly in KEGG pathway analysis.

Conclusion

A 3-mRNA signature (CLEC3B, C6 and CLCN1) successfully predicted the survival of OSCC patients in both training and test cohort. In addition, this signature was an independent and the most important risk factor of OSCC.
Evaluation of Infiltration Characteristics of Soils Developed on Coastal Plain Sands in Calabar Municipality Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria
Authors: Oyedele O. , Akpa E. A. , Akpan J. F.
Published: July 2019

Infiltration of water into the soil is an important physical process affecting the fate of water under field conditions, especially the amount of subsurface recharge and surface runoff and hence the hazard of soil erosion. The study was conducted to evaluate the infiltration models of soils developed on coastal plain sands and to select a suitable models as a basis to improve the management of the soil. A total of 16 infiltration runs were made with the double ring infiltrometer. For the purpose of getting best fitting model, the results obtained from various infiltration models were compared with observed field data. The parameters considered for best fitting of model were correlation coefficient and coefficient of variability (CV). Model-predicted cumulative infiltration consistently deviated from field-measured data, that is, the models under-predicted cumulative infiltration by several orders of magnitude for Kostiakov, Green Ampt and Philip model but the model over predicted cumulative infiltration for Horton model. The results of the soil samples analysed revealed that the mean values of 707.50, 208.13 and 84.38 gkg-1 for sand, silt and clay with the textural class of sandy loam. The bulk density, particle density and total porosity had mean values of 1.84 gcm-3, 2.44 gcm-3 and 22.56%. However, there was a fairly good agreement between mean-measured cumulative infiltration (7.30 cm/hr, CV = 32.19%); Philips (1.93 cm/hr, CV = 42.49%); Kostiakov (0.13 cm/hr, CV = 30.77%); Horton (64.49 cm/hr, CV = 22.39%) and Green Ampt model (42.04 cm/hr, CV = 0.57%) respectively. The data however showed that the correlation coefficient for Kostiakov (1.00) was best fitting in predicting the field measured data and this was closely followed by Green Ampt (0.88); while Philip’s model and Horton model showed a negative correlation (r = -0.88 and r = -0.82) with the field measured data. Conservation measures involving mulching, cover cropping and afforestation are recommended to improve the soil structure and infiltration capacity.
Hyperemesis Gravidarum, Wernicke’s Encephalopathy and Korsakoff Syndrome Looked through the Lens of Three Cases, Paper II
Authors: Salahuddin Nasreen Khawer , Dutta Arindam , Qureshi Naseem Akhtar
Published: July 2019

Objective: Pregnancy a normal physiological condition is worsened by morning sickness, nausea and vomiting of pregnancy, hyperemesis gravidarum, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome in vulnerable women with gestation. This report of three cases described hyperemesis gravidarum, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff syndrome in the worsening pregnancies.

Methods: Prospective collection of data concerning three pregnant patients seen in Dubai Health Care City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Results: All three patients were admitted to the hospital with manifestations of HG and WE and one of them showed additional features of Korsakoff syndrome. One patient developed intractable hyponatremia and central pontine myelinolysis. Two patients developed abortion while one patient's pregnancy ended with successful delivery with living infant. All patients were managed with thiamine, antiemetics, parenteral fluids and electrolytes and one patients required steroid therapy.

Conclusion: The findings of these cases are compatible with international literature on HG and its sequential syndromes. This study may enhance awareness of HG, WE and KS and also fill the knowledge gap of professionals providing services to women with worsening health during pregnancy in Arabian Gulf countries.
Artificial Sensory Memory
Authors: Wan Changjin , Cai Pingqiang , Wang Ming , Qian Yan , Huang Wei , Chen Xiaodong
Published: July 2019

Sensory memory, formed at the beginning while perceiving and interacting with the environment, is considered a primary source of intelligence. Transferring such biological concepts into electronic implementation aims at achieving perceptual intelligence, which would profoundly advance a broad spectrum of applications, such as prosthetics, robotics, and cyborg systems. Here, the recent developments in the design and fabrication of artificial sensory memory devices are summarized and their applications in recognition, manipulation, and learning are highlighted. The emergence of such devices benefits from recent progress in both bioinspired sensing and neuromorphic engineering technologies and derives from abundant inspiration and benchmarks from an improved understanding of biological sensory processing. Increasing attention to this area would offer unprecedented opportunities toward new hardware architecture of artificial intelligence, which could extend the capabilities of digital systems with emotional/psychological attributes. Pending challenges are also addressed to aspects such as integration level, energy efficiency, and functionality, which would undoubtedly shed light on the future development of translational implementations.
Engineering Optical Absorption in Graphene and Other 2D Materials: Advances and Applications
Authors: Li Qiang , Lu Jun , Gupta Prince , Qiu Min
Published: July 2019

2D materials are promising but remain to be further explored, with respect to their usage in various optoelectronic devices. Generally, 2D materials exhibit far less than ideal absorption due to their thickness, limiting their deployment in practical optoelectronic applications. To address this challenge, extensive research has been performed utilizing different designs, such as distributed Bragg reflector microcavities, metallic reflectors, photonic crystal nanocavities, and plasmonic nanostructures, to confine light within 2D materials and increase light absorption. Recent progresses in enhancing light absorption in graphene and other 2D materials such as transition metal dichalcogenides and phosphorene are reviewed. Some physical mechanisms that realize enhanced absorption in 2D materials, as well as their potential applications are also discussed.
Perturbed Microbial Ecology in Myasthenia Gravis: Evidence from the Gut Microbiome and Fecal Metabolome
Authors: Zheng Peng , Li Yifan , Wu Jing , Zhang Hanping , Huang Yu , Tan Xunmin , Pan Junxi , Duan Jiajia , Liang Weiwei , Yin Bangmin , Deng Fengli , Perry Seth W. , Wong Ma‐Li , Licinio Julio , Wei Hong , Yu Gang , Xie Peng
Published: July 2019

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a devastating acquired autoimmune disease. Emerging evidence indicates that the gut microbiome plays a key role in maintaining immune system homeostasis. This work reports that MG is characterized by decreased α‐phylogenetic diversity, and significantly disturbed gut microbiome and fecal metabolome. The altered gut microbial composition is associated with fecal metabolome changes, with 38.75% of altered bacterial operational taxonomic units showing significant correlations with a range of metabolite biomarkers. Some microbes are particularly linked with MG severity. Moreover, a combination of microbial makers and their correlated metabolites enable discriminating MG from healthy controls (HCs) with 100% accuracy. To investigate whether disturbed gut mcirobiome might contribute to the onset of MG, germ‐free (GF) mice are initially colonized with MG microbiota (MMb) or healthy microbiota (HMb), and then immunized in a classic mouse model of MG. The MMb mice demonstrate substantially impaired locomotion ability compared with the HMb mice. This effect could be reversed by cocolonizing GF mice with both MMb and HMb. The MMb mice also exhibit similar disturbances of fecal metabolic pathways as found in MG. Together these data demonstrate disturbances in microbiome composition and activity that are likely to be relevant to the pathogenesis of MG.
Engineering Multifunctional Collaborative Catalytic Interface Enabling Efficient Hydrogen Evolution in All pH Range and Seawater
Authors: Wu Xianhong , Zhou Si , Wang Zhiyu , Liu Junshan , Pei Wei , Yang Pengju , Zhao Jijun , Qiu Jieshan
Published: July 2019

Developing electrocatalysts with high compatibility to the reaction systems with complicated chemical properties represents an important frontier of catalyst design. Herein, a strategy by engineering a multifunctional collaborative catalytic interface to propel the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in the full pH range and seawater is reported. Collaborative catalytic interfaces among MXene, bimetallic carbide, and hybridized carbon are demonstrated to afford overall enhancement in electrical conductivity, exposure of reactive sites, water dissociation kinetics, H+/water adsorption, and intermediate H binding capability, which satisfy highly variable chemical environment for HER under different pH conditions. Therefore, the HER performance of resultant electrocatalysts can compete with commercial Pt/C in 0.5 m H2SO4 or 1.0 m KOH but outperform it under pH 2.2–11.2. They also show exceptional performance for HER in natural seawater with stringent requirements in catalytic activity and stability, exhibiting the best combination of Pt‐like activity, long durability (225 h, 64 times that of Pt/C), and 98% Faradaic efficiency, comparable with commercial Pt/C and the best documented electrocatalysts by far. This work may shed fresh light into the design of effective electrocatalytic interface for regulating the energy chemistry over wide operation conditions, and also inspires the exploration of hydrogen energy utilization technologies and beyond.
Efficiency Improvement of Near‐Stoichiometric CuInSe2 Solar Cells for Application in Tandem Devices
Authors: Feurer Thomas , Carron Romain , Torres Sevilla Galo , Fu Fan , Pisoni Stefano , Romanyuk Yaroslav E. , Buecheler Stephan , Tiwari Ayodhya N.
Published: July 2019

State‐of‐the‐art Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells are grown with considerably substoichiometric Cu concentrations. The resulting defects, as well as potential improvements through increasing the Cu concentration, have been known in the field for many years. However, so far, cells with high Cu concentrations show decreased photovoltaic parameters. In this work, it is shown that RbF postdeposition treatment of CuInSe2 solar cells allows for capturing the benefits from the improved absorber quality with increasing Cu content. A reduced defect density and an increased doping level for cells with high Cu concentrations close to stoichiometry are demonstrated. Implementing a high mobility front transparent conductive oxide (TCO), the improved absorbers with 1.00 eV bandgap yield a solar cell efficiency of 19.2%, and combined with a perovskite top cell a 4‐terminal tandem efficiency of 25.0% are demonstrated, surpassing the record efficiency of both subcell technologies.
Boosting Photoelectrochemical Water Oxidation of Hematite in Acidic Electrolytes by Surface State Modification
Authors: Tang Peng‐Yi , Han Li‐Juan , Hegner Franziska Simone , Paciok Paul , Biset‐Peiró Martí , Du Hong‐Chu , Wei Xian‐Kui , Jin Lei , Xie Hai‐Bing , Shi Qin , Andreu Teresa , Lira‐Cantú Mónica , Heggen Marc , Dunin‐Borkowski Rafal E. , López Núria , Galán‐Mascarós José Ramón , Morante Joan Ramon , Arbiol Jordi
Published: July 2019

State‐of‐the‐art water‐oxidation catalysts (WOCs) in acidic electrolytes usually contain expensive noble metals such as ruthenium and iridium. However, they too expensive to be implemented broadly in semiconductor photoanodes for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting devices. Here, an Earth‐abundant CoFe Prussian blue analogue (CoFe‐PBA) is incorporated with core–shell Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5 type II heterojunction nanowires as composite photoanodes for PEC water splitting. Those deliver a high photocurrent of 1.25 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible reference electrode in acidic electrolytes (pH = 1). The enhancement arises from the synergic behavior between the successive decoration of the hematite surface with nanolayers of Fe2TiO5 and then, CoFe‐PBA. The underlying physical mechanism of performance enhancement through formation of the Fe2O3/Fe2TiO5/CoFe‐PBA heterostructure reveals that the surface states’ electronic levels of hematite are modified such that an interfacial charge transfer becomes kinetically favorable. These findings open new pathways for the future design of cheap and efficient hematite‐based photoanodes in acidic electrolytes.
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: 2020 update on diagnosis, risk stratification and treatment
Authors: Hallek Michael
Published: July 2019

Disease overview

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is the commonest leukemia in western countries. The disease typically occurs in elderly patients and has a highly variable clinical course. Leukemic transformation is initiated by specific genomic alterations that impair apoptosis of clonal B‐cells.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis is established by blood counts, blood smears, and immunophenotyping of circulating B‐lymphocytes, which identify a clonal B‐cell population carrying the CD5 antigen, as well as typical B‐cell markers.

Prognosis

The two similar clinical staging systems, Rai and Binet, create prognostic information by using results of physical examination and blood counts. Various biological and genetic markers also have prognostic value. Deletions of the short arm of chromosome 17 (del [17p]) and/or mutations of the TP53 gene, predict resistance to chemoimmunotherapy and a shorter time to progression, with most targeted therapies. A comprehensive, international prognostic score (CLL‐IPI) integrates genetic, biological and clinical variables to identify distinct risk groups of CLL patients.

Therapy

Only patients with active or symptomatic disease, or with advanced Binet or Rai stages require therapy. When treatment is indicated, several options exist for most CLL patients: a combination of venetoclax with obinutuzumab, ibrutinib monotherapy, or chemoimmunotherapy. For physically fit patients younger than 65 (in particular when presenting with a mutated IGVH gene), chemoimmunotherapy with fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab remains a standard therapy, since it may have curative potential. At relapse, the initial treatment may be repeated, if the treatment‐free interval exceeds 3 years. If the disease relapses earlier, therapy should be changed using an alternative regimen. Patients with a del (17p) or TP53 mutation are a different, high‐risk category and should be treated with targeted agents. An allogeneic SCT may be considered in relapsing patients with TP53 mutations or del (17p), or patients that are refractory to inhibitor therapy.

Future Challenges

Targeted agents (ibrutinib, idelalisib, venetoclax, obinutuzumab) will be increasingly used in combination to allow for short, but potentially definitive therapies of CLL. It remains to be proven that they generate a superior outcome when compared to monotherapies with inhibitors of Bruton tyrosine kinase, which can also yield long‐lasting remissions. Moreover, the optimal sequencing of drug combinations is unknown. Therefore, CLL patients should be treated in clinical trials whenever possible.
Design of Mechanized Nanocomposites for Exploring New Chemical Motions
Authors: Cho Wansu , Park Chiyoung
Published: July 2019

The history of organic chemistry has evolved from the discovery of new things to the creation of more complex and unique composites. Mechanized composites are materials constructed by mechanically controlling the structure to obtain other structures or functions through combination. Recent advances in the field have shown that the mechanochemical engineering of polymers has enabled the exploration of new reaction pathways, which is impossible or too complicated to achieve with conventional methods. In addition, molecular machines equipped on nanomaterials exhibit superior or unexpected functions for transport phenomena, which are useful for biomedical and electronic applications. Despite the many contributions toward understanding mechanized nanocomposites, acquiring fundamental knowledge and conducting experiments are still necessary for achieving unexplored applications. Herein, we describe recent advances in mechanized nanocomposites in terms of design for specific applications.
Cobalt Nanoparticles Embedded in N, S Co‐Doped Carbon towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction Derived by in situ Reducing Cobalt Sulfide
Authors: Dong Zhun , Li Mingxuan , Zhang Wanli , Liu Yujie , Wang Yao , Qin Congli , Yu Lei , Yang Juntao , Zhang Xin , Dai Xiaoping
Published: July 2019

Herein, a novel electrocatalysts of cobalt nanoparticles embedded in N, S co‐doped carbon matrix derived by in situ reducing Co9S8 are designed and prepared successfully through two‐calcination methods, and applied for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Due to the large surface area and pore volume, richness of defects existing the carbon nanotubes, interaction of S species and N species and special direction of electron transfers between Co and S ions, the earth‐abundant and low‐cost CoSMe‐0.5‐800 presents a highly efficient ORR activity and stability. The onset potential, half‐wave potential and limiting current density of CoSMe‐0.5‐800 are 0.95 V, 0.85 V, and 4.31 mA cm−2, which are higher than that of commercial Pt/C (0.93 V, 0.83 V, 4.19 mA cm−2). More importantly, the interaction between N and S heteroatoms in system gets revealed, that S resources can help to improve the degree of N doping and raise the ratio of pyridinic N species working as the active site for ORR. With the increase of S resources, electrons that should have been transferred from cobalt to sulfur have moved in the opposite direction, which has a negative effect on ORR active performance. This work shows the potential to design advanced Co‐based N, S co‐doped catalysts with high electrochemical performance and low cost, which could be applied for fuel cells and other devices.
Cobalt‐Based Catalyst Supported on Different Morphologies of Alumina for Non‐oxidative Propane Dehydrogenation: Effect of Metal Support Interaction and Lewis Acidic Sites
Authors: Dewangan Nikita , Ashok Jangam , Sethia Madhav , Das Sonali , Pati Subhasis , Kus Hidajat , Kawi Sibudjing
Published: July 2019

Developing an economically viable and eco‐friendly catalyst is essential for the dehydrogenation reaction. In this context, cobalt‐based catalysts supported on different morphologies of γ‐Al2O3, nano‐sheet (Al2O3−NS), nano‐fiber (Al2O3−NF) and nano‐plate (Al2O3−NP) were synthesized using wetness impregnation method and tested for non‐oxidative propane dehydrogenation reaction. Metal support interaction and Lewis acidic center play a crucial role in propane dehydrogenation reaction; therefore this study focuses on investigating the role of these parameters on the catalytic activity for cobalt‐based catalysts. A higher metal support interaction was observed in Co/Al2O3−NS as compared to Co/Al2O3−NF and Co/Al2O3−NP. The presence of tetrahedral coordinated Co+2 in Co/Al2O3−NS leads to higher selectivity towards propylene. The formation of metallic cobalt from Co3O4 precursor present in Co/Al2O3−NP promoted side reactions to form lower hydrocarbons and carbon, which caused catalyst deactivation. In‐situ DRIFTS analysis revealed the interaction of propane and propylene gases with the catalyst, which was an important revelation to find the source of carbon deposition.
Fabricating Nitrogen‐Rich Fe−N/C Electrocatalysts through CeO2‐Assisted Pyrolysis for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Bai Suohong , Zhang Xueqiong , Yu Ying , Li Jiefei , Yang Yang , Wei Hang , Chu Haibin
Published: July 2019

The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a central process of various energy conversion systems. Yet, searching non‐noble‐metal electrocatalysts with superior ORR performance is still a great challenge. Herein, CeO2‐loaded Fe−N/C catalysts (Fe−N/C−CeO2) were prepared through a facile hydrothermal and pyrolysis method for enhanced ORR properties. The proper amount of CeO2 can induce the anchoring of N species during the pyrolysis process, and increase the N‐containing active sites such as Fe−Nx. Moreover, CeO2 nanoparticles are capable of rapidly reducing the H2O2 intermediate in ORR, further boosting the durability of the catalyst. Consequently, the Fe−N/C−CeO2 (1 %) catalyst delivers prominent ORR performance with a half‐wave potential of 0.862 V and a diffusion limiting current density of 5.51 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M KOH, which is superior than that of the Fe−N/C catalyst, and even comparable to that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, the long‐term stability test of Fe−N/C−CeO2 (1 %) shows a negative shift of just 18 mV of the half‐wave potential after 10000 cycles, which is much smaller than that of the Fe−N/C sample.
Domino Transformations of Ene/Yne Tethered Salicylaldehyde Derivatives: Pluripotent Platforms for the Construction of High sp3 Content and Privileged Architectures
Authors: Sebastian Anusha , Srinivasulu Vunnam , Abu‐Yousef Imad A. , Gorka Orive , Al‐Tel Taleb H.
Published: July 2019

Diversity‐oriented synthesis (DOS) has become a powerful synthetic tool that facilitates the construction of nature‐inspired and privileged chemical space, particularly for sp3‐rich non‐flat scaffolds, which are needed for phenotypic screening campaigns. These diverse compound collections led to the discovery of novel chemotypes that can modulate the protein function in underrepresented biological space. In this context, starting material‐driven DOS is one of the most important tools used to build diverse compound libraries with rich stereochemical and scaffold diversity. To this end, ene/yne tethered salicylaldehyde derivatives have emerged as a pluripotent chemical platform, the products of which led to the construction of a privileged chemical space with significant biological activities. In this review, various domino transformations employing o‐alkene/alkyne tethered aryl aldehyde/ketone platforms are described and discussed, with emphasis on the period from 2011 to date.
Ligand Binding Rate Constants in Heme Proteins Using Markov State Models and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Bringas Mauro , Lombardi Leandro E. , Luque F. Javier , Estrin Darío A. , Capece Luciana
Published: July 2019

Computer simulation studies of the molecular basis for ligand migration in proteins allow the description of key events such as the transition between docking sites, displacement of existing ligands and solvent molecules, and open/closure of specific “gates”, among others. In heme proteins, ligand migration from the solvent to the active site preludes the binding to the heme iron and triggers different functions. In this work, molecular dynamics simulations, a Markov State Model of migration and empirical kinetic equations are combined to study the migration of O2 and NO in two truncated hemoglobins of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt‐TrHbN and Mt‐TrHbO). For Mt‐TrHbN, we show that the difference in the association constant in the oxy and deoxy states relies mainly in the displacement of water molecules anchored in the distal cavity in the deoxy form. The results here provide a valuable approach to study ligand migration in globins.
Protein Binding to mRNA 3′ Isoforms
Authors: Geisberg Joseph V. , Moqtaderi Zarmik
Published: July 2019

Here we describe CLIP‐READS, a technique that combines elements of crosslinking and immunoprecipitation (CLIP) and 3′ region extraction and deep sequencing (READS), to provide a genome‐wide map of mRNA 3′ isoform binding by a given messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP). In CLIP‐READS, cells are grown to logarithmic phase and are irradiated with UV light (254 nm) to form RNA–protein adducts. The protein−mRNA complexes are immunoprecipitated from cell extracts with an antibody specific to the protein of interest, after which the protein component is digested away with Pronase. Messenger RNAs are then subjected to 3′ READS. An input sample processed by 3′ READS in parallel allows for the relative quantification of isoform‐specific binding by the mRNP of interest. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pheromone‐binding proteins based phylogenetics and phylogeography of Maruca spp. from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America
Authors: Malini Periasamy , Ramasamy Srinivasan , Schafleitner Roland , Muthukalingan Krishnan
Published: July 2019

Variations in the functional response of legume pod borer (Maruca vitrata) populations to sex pheromone blends were observed in Asia and Africa. Hence, this study was carried out to understand the differences in pheromone‐binding proteins (PBPs) among Maruca populations in Asia, Africa, Oceania, and South America. A de novo transcriptome assembly was adopted to sequence the entire transcribed mRNAs in M. vitrata from Taiwan. The raw‐sequence data were assembled using homologous genes from related organisms in GenBank to detect M. vitrata PBPs (MvitPBPs). Sections of the cDNA of MvitPBP of different length were used to design primers to amplify the full‐length cDNA of PBPs. All three PBP sequences comprised three exons interspersed by two introns. In total, 92 MvitPBP1 haplotypes, 77 MvitPBP2 haplotypes, and 64 MvitPBP3 haplotypes were identified in 105, 98, and 68 Maruca individuals, respectively. High pairwise FST values (0.41–0.73) and phylogenetic analyses distinguished the putative Maruca species in South America from those occurring in rest of the world, and possibly two putative subspecies in Asia and Africa. The haplotype networks and Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery analyses also confirmed these results. The negative Tajima's D and Fu's FS values showed the recent demographic expansion of Maruca populations. Thus, this study confirmed the presence of different Maruca species and/or subspecies in different continents based on the diversity within PBP genes. Additional sampling and studies are suggested for Oceania and South America. The genetic differences among Maruca populations should be carefully considered while using sex pheromone lures and bio‐control agents.
Multigene Biomarkers of Pyrethroid Exposure: Exploratory Experiments
Authors: Kostich Mitchell S. , Bencic David C. , Batt Angela L. , See Mary J. , Flick Robert W. , Gordon Denise A. , Lazorchak Jim M. , Biales Adam D.
Published: July 2019

We describe initial development of microarray-based assays for detecting 4 pyrethroid pesticides (bifenthrin, cypermethrin, esfenvalerate, and permethrin) in water. To facilitate comparison of transcriptional responses with gross apical responses, we estimated concentration–mortality curves for these pyrethroids using flow-through exposures of newly hatched Daphnia magna, Pimephales promelas adults, and 24 h posthatch P. promelas. Median lethal concentration (LC50) estimates were below most reported values, perhaps attributable to the use of flow-through exposures or of measured rather than nominal concentrations. Microarray analysis of whole P. promelas larvae and brains from exposed P. promelas adults showed that assays using either tissue type can detect these pyrethroids at concentrations below LC50 values reported for between 72 and 96% of aquatic species, depending on the pesticide. These estimates are conservative because they correspond to the lowest concentrations tested. This suggests that the simpler and less expensive whole-larval assay provides adequate sensitivity for screening contexts where acute aquatic lethality is observed, but the responsible agent is not known. Gene set analysis (GSA) highlighted several Gene Ontology (GO) terms consistent with known pyrethroid action, but the implications of other GO terms are less clear. Exploration of the sensitivity of results to changes in data processing suggests robustness of the detection assay results, but GSA results were sensitive to methodological variations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2019;38:2436–2446. Published 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work, and as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America

Abstract

Sensitivity of a Pimephales promelas microarray-based classifier to detect a pyrethroid pesticide, expressed as the proportion of aquatic species whose acute median lethal concentration exceeds the detection limit. LOD = limit of detection; SSD = species sensitivity distribution.
Changes in Hepatic Venous Pressure Gradient Predict Hepatic Decompensation in Patients Who Achieved Sustained Virologic Response to Interferon‐Free Therapy
Authors: Mandorfer Mattias , Kozbial Karin , Schwabl Philipp , Chromy David , Semmler Georg , Stättermayer Albert F. , Pinter Matthias , Hernández‐Gea Virginia , Fritzer‐Szekeres Monika , Steindl‐Munda Petra , Trauner Michael , Peck‐Radosavljevic Markus , García‐Pagán Juan C. , Ferenci Peter , Reiberger Thomas
Published: July 2019

Background and Aims

Sustained virologic response (SVR) to interferon (IFN)‐free therapies ameliorates portal hypertension (PH); however, it remains unclear whether a decrease in hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) after cure of hepatitis C translates into a clinical benefit. We assessed the impact of pretreatment HVPG, changes in HVPG, and posttreatment HVPG on the development of hepatic decompensation in patients with PH who achieved SVR to IFN‐free therapy. Moreover, we evaluated transient elastography (TE) and von Willebrand factor to platelet count ratio (VITRO) as noninvasive methods for monitoring the evolution of PH.

Approach and Results

The study comprised 90 patients with HVPG ≥ 6 mm Hg who underwent paired HVPG, TE, and VITRO assessments before (baseline [BL]) and after (follow‐up [FU]) IFN‐free therapy. FU HVPG but not BL HVPG predicted hepatic decompensation (per mm Hg, hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 1.08‐1.28; P < 0.001). Patients with BL HVPG ≤ 9 mm Hg or patients who resolved clinically significant PH (CSPH) were protected from hepatic decompensation. In patients with CSPH, an HVPG decrease ≥ 10% was similarly protective (36 months, 2.5% vs. 40.5%; P < 0.001) but was observed in a substantially higher proportion of patients (60% vs. 24%; P < 0.001). Importantly, the performance of noninvasive methods such as TE/VITRO for diagnosing an HVPG reduction ≥ 10% was inadequate for clinical use (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC],  < 0.8), emphasizing the need for HVPG measurements. However, TE/VITRO were able to rule in or rule out FU CSPH (AUROC, 0.86‐0.92) in most patients, especially if assessed in a sequential manner.

Conclusions

Reassessment of HVPG after SVR improved prognostication in patients with pretreatment CSPH. An “immediate” HVPG decrease ≥ 10% was observed in the majority of these patients and was associated with a clinical benefit, as it prevented hepatic decompensation. These results support the use of HVPG as a surrogate endpoint for interventions that lower portal pressure by decreasing intrahepatic resistance.
HSPB1 rs2070804 polymorphism is associated with the depth of primary tumor
Authors: Hung Chin‐Sheng , Huang Chien‐Yu , Hsu Yu‐Wen , Makondi Precious Takondwa , Chang Wei‐Chiao , Chang Yu‐Jia , Wang Jaw‐Yuan , Wei Po‐Li
Published: July 2019

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer in the world. Genome‐wide association studies are a powerful method to analyze the status of single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in specific genes. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) were found to be involved in the cancer progression and chemoresistance. However, there is still no further study about polymorphisms of HSP beta‐1 (HSPB1) in colorectal cancer. We proposed the SNP of HSPB1 may be correlated with the progression and metastasis in colon cancer.

Methods

We recruited 379 colorectal cancer patients and categorized as four stages following the UICC TNM system. Then, we selected tagging SNPs of HSPB1 by 10% minimum allelic frequency in Han Chinese population from the HapMap database and analyze with the Chi‐square test.

Results

We demonstrated the association of HSPB1 genetic polymorphisms rs2070804 with tumor depth with colorectal cancer. But, there is a lack of association between HSPB1 genetic polymorphisms and colorectal cancer invasion, recurrence or metastasis.

Conclusions

The polymorphisms of HSPB1 seemed to change the tumor behavior of colorectal cancer. HSPB1 rs2070804 polymorphism is associated with the depth of the primary tumor. But, there is no further correlation with other to the clinical parameters such as cancer invasiveness, local recurrence, or distant metastasis.
Tumor suppressor microRNAs in lung cancer: An insight to signaling pathways and drug resistance
Authors: Asghariazar Vahid , Sakhinia Ebrahim , Mansoori Behzad , Mohammadi Ali , Baradaran Behzad
Published: July 2019

Lung cancer (LC) is the second common cancer for both women and men all over the world. Unfortunately, the number of LC deaths is increasing rapidly each year so early diagnosis of LC can be lifesaving. MicroRNAs are involved in multiple processes, such as cell differentiation, transcription, inflammation, proliferation, cell signaling, and apoptosis. In LC, microRNAs function as tumor suppressors (TS) or oncogenes depending on the targets. Changes in microRNAs expression level are related to tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. MicroRNAs can regulate gene expression and thus affect the activity status of different signaling pathways including AKT, JAK‐STAT, MAPK, TGF‐β, WNT, and ERK signaling pathways. Positive or negative effects on drug resistance of LC are directly affected by microRNAs and their target genes. MicroRNAs can be beneficial in combination therapy with other drugs and chemotherapeutic agents for LC.
Purification of spinosin from Ziziphi Spinosae Semen using macroporous resins followed by preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Li Hongjuan , Shi Jiling , Li Yuanyuan , Wang Chunhua , Hou Guige , Cong Wei , Zhao Feng
Published: July 2019

As a well‐known traditional Chinese medicine, Ziziphi Spinosae Semen has been used for treating anxiety and insomnia for a long time. Spinosin, the main active C‐glycoside flavonoid in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen, has attracted much attention because of its many pharmacological activities including strong hypnotic effects, anxiolytic‐like effects, and so on. In the present work, high‐purity spinosin was separated from Ziziphi Spinosae Semen using the HPD‐300 resin followed by preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography. The adsorption kinetics curve of spinosin on the HPD‐300 resin was studied and fitted well by the pseudo‐second‐order equation. The adsorption isotherms were also constructed and low temperature favored the adsorption reaction. The separation parameters were optimized using dynamic adsorption and desorption tests. After a one‐run treatment with HPD‐300 resin, the concentration of spinosin increased 11.8‐fold from 0.99 to 11.7% with a recovery yield of 80.4%. Furthermore, the purity of spinosin could surpass above 98% after separation by preparative high‐performance liquid chromatography and recrystallization with a recovery yield of 72.6%. The developed method was effective and suitable for the large‐scale preparation of spinosin. Moreover, it was confirmed that HPD‐300 resin could enable good selection for the enrichment of flavonoids from different plants.