bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface‐Engineered Monocyte Inhibits Atherosclerotic Plaque Destabilization via Graphene Quantum Dot‐Mediated MicroRNA Delivery
Authors: Liu Feila , Ding Ning , Huo Da , Yang Guanyuan , Wei Keyu , Guan Ge , Li Yanzhao , Yang Jingyuan , Wang Tianran , Wang Yeqin , Tan Ju , Zeng Wen , Zhu Chuhong
Published: June 2019

Rupture‐prone atherosclerotic plaque is the cause of the high mortality and morbidity rates that accompany atherosclerosis‐associated diseases. MicroRNAs can regulate the expression of a variety of atherosclerotic inflammation‐related genes in macrophages. There are currently no definitive methods for delivering microRNAs into the interior of plaque. Monocytes typically possess a pathological feature that allows them to be recruited to atherosclerotic plaque resulting in rupture‐prone; however, whether monocytes can be modified to be gene carriers remains unclear. In this study, a novel monocyte surface‐engineered gene‐delivery system based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) is developed. Briefly, GQDs‐microRNA223 linked by disulfide bonds are grafted onto the monocyte membrane via a carefully designed C18‐peptide (C18P) containing a hydrophobic end to afford the designed monocyte‐C18P‐GQDs‐miR223 architecture. The system can reach and enter the interior of the plaque and release the GQDs‐miRNA via C18P digestion. The released GQDs‐miRNA are taken up by the macrophages in atherosclerotic plaques, and the disulfide linkages between the GQDs and the miRNA are cleaved through γ‐interferon‐inducible lysosomal thiol reductase (GILT) in the lysosome. Under the protection of GQDs, miRNA cargos are transfected into the cytosol and subsequently undergo nuclear translocation, allowing a significantly reduced plaque burden by regulating inflammatory response in vivo.
Ultrafine Dual‐Phased Carbide Nanocrystals Confined in Porous Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Dodecahedrons for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Lu Xue Feng , Yu Le , Zhang Jintao , Lou Xiong Wen (David)
Published: June 2019

Designing novel non‐noble electrocatalysts with controlled structures and composition remains a great challenge for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, a rational synthesis of ultrafine carbide nanocrystals confined in porous nitrogen‐doped carbon dodecahedrons (PNCDs) by annealing functional zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐8) with molybdate or tungstate is reported. By controlling the substitution amount of MO4 units (M = Mo or W) in the ZIF‐8 framework, dual‐phase carbide nanocrystals confined in PNCDs (denoted as MC‐M2C/PNCDs) can be obtained, which exhibit superior activity toward the HER to the single‐phased MC/PNCDs and M2C/PNCDs. The evenly distributed ultrafine nanocrystals favor the exposure of active sites. PNCDs as the support facilitate charge transfer and protect the nanocrystals from aggregation during the HER process. Moreover, the strong coupling interactions between MC and M2C provide beneficial sites for both water dissociation and hydrogen desorption. This work highlights a new feasible strategy to explore efficient electrocatalysts via engineering on nanostructure and composition.
3D Nanowire Arrayed Cu Current Collector toward Homogeneous Alloying Anode Deposition for Enhanced Sodium Storage
Authors: Fan Xiao‐Yong , Han Jiaxing , Ding Yuan‐Li , Deng Ya‐Ping , Luo Dan , Zeng Xiangtian , Jiang Zhen , Gou Lei , Li Dong‐Lin , Chen Zhongwei
Published: June 2019

Alloying electrodes are regarded as promising anodes for lithium/sodium storage thanks to their multielectron reaction capacity, moderate voltage plateau, and high electrical conductivity. However, huge volume change upon cycling, especially for sodium storage, usually causes the loss of electrical connection between active components and their delaminations from traditional current collectors, thus leading to rapid capacity decay. Herein, a unique 3D current collector is assembled from 1D nanowire arrays anchored on 3D porous Cu foams for constructing core‐shelled Cu@Sb nanowires as advanced sodium‐ion battery (SIB) anodes. The so‐formed hierarchical 3D anode with interconnected 3D micrometer sized pores and abundant voids between nanowires not only effectively accommodates the structural strains during repeated cycling but also ensures the structural integrity and contributes to a uniform ion/electron scattered distribution throughout the whole surface. When employed as anodes for SIBs, the obtained electrode shows a high capacity of 605.3 mAh g−1 at 330 mA g−1, and demonstrates a high capacity retention of 84.8% even at a high current density of 3300 mA g−1. The 3D nanowire arrayed Cu current collector in this work can offer a promising strategy for designing and building advanced alloy anodes for lithium/sodium storage.
Toward self‐driving processes: A deep reinforcement learning approach to control
Authors: Spielberg Steven , Tulsyan Aditya , Lawrence Nathan P. , Loewen Philip D. , Bhushan Gopaluni R.
Published: June 2019

Advanced model‐based controllers are well established in process industries. However, such controllers require regular maintenance to maintain acceptable performance. It is a common practice to monitor controller performance continuously and to initiate a remedial model re‐identification procedure in the event of performance degradation. Such procedures are typically complicated and resource intensive, and they often cause costly interruptions to normal operations. In this article, we exploit recent developments in reinforcement learning and deep learning to develop a novel adaptive, model‐free controller for general discrete‐time processes. The deep reinforcement learning (DRL) controller we propose is a data‐based controller that learns the control policy in real time by merely interacting with the process. The effectiveness and benefits of the DRL controller are demonstrated through many simulations.
Deep Learning Accelerated Gold Nanocluster Synthesis
Authors: Li Jiali , Chen Tiankai , Lim Kaizhuo , Chen Lingtong , Khan Saif A. , Xie Jianping , Wang Xiaonan
Published: June 2019

The understanding of inorganic reactions, especially those far from the equilibrium state, is relatively limited due to the inherent complexity. Poor understanding of the underlying synthetic chemistry constrains the design of efficient synthesis routes toward the desired final products, especially those at atomic precision. Using the synthesis of atomically precise gold nanoclusters as a demonstration platform, a deep learning framework for guiding material synthesis is successfully developed to accelerate the workflow. With only 54 examples, the graph convolutional neural networks (GCNN) plus siamese neural networks (SNN) classification model is trained. The prediction capability is demonstrated with the successful prediction of literature‐reported protocols. In addition, understanding of the synthesis process can be acquired from a decision tree trained by plentiful generated data from a well‐trained classification model. This study not only provides a data‐driven method accelerating gold nanocluster synthesis, but also sheds light on understanding complex inorganic material synthesis with low data.
Study of the prognostic factor of the colon perforation case with the pan‐peritonitis that needed emergency surgery: a single‐center observational study
Authors: Nakamura Fumiko , Yui Rintaro , Muratsu Arisa , Sakuramoto Kazuhito , Muroya Takashi , Ikegawa Hitoshi , Kuwagata Yasuyuki
Published: June 2019

Aim

We divided patients treated with emergency surgery for pan‐peritonitis caused by colon perforation into the survival group and the death group based on outcome at postoperative day 30 and examined the prognostic factors for colon perforation.

Methods

The prognostic factors for colon perforation in 76 consecutive patients who underwent emergency surgery at Kansai Medical University Hospital (Hirakata, Japan) from April 2011 to March 2017 were investigated based on outcome at postoperative day 30.

Results

The average age of the 76 patients (41 men/35 women) was 73 years, and the causative disease of colon perforation was malignant/benign in 18/58 cases, with ileocecal perforation site in 8 cases, ascending colon in 6, transverse colon in 2, descending colon in 4, sigmoid colon in 49, and rectum in 7. All patients received laparotomy with irrigation drainage, and 9 patients (11.8%) were dead at 30 days. Upon comparing the 67 survivors with the 9 dead patients, we recognized a significant difference on preoperative spread of ascites on computed tomography (CT) (P = 0.002) in univariate analysis and on acute disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) score (odds ratio 2.289; 95% confidence interval, 1.188–4.410; P = 0.013) in multivariate analysis.

Conclusion

In our hospital, the preoperative acute DIC score was found to be a prognostic factor for colon perforation accompanied by pan‐peritonitis. Appropriate evaluation of the spread of ascites on the preoperative CT might also help predict patient prognosis.
NMR evaluation of montmorillonite's d‐spacings on the formation of phosphocarbonaceous species in intumescent systems
Authors: Pereira da Silva Ribeiro Simone , Carvalho Martins Raíssa , dos Santos Cescon Leonardo , Rocha de Moura Estevão Luciana , Chaer Nascimento Marco Antonio , Veiga Nascimento Regina Sandra
Published: June 2019

To further investigate the influence of the d‐spacing of montmorillonite types derived from Cloisite Na on the process of the intumescent layer formation, composites of poly(ethylene‐co‐butylacrylate), EBA‐30, with an intumescent formulation consisting of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol were processed and heated at different temperatures. The residues were analyzed by 13C, 31P, and 27Al solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). 13C NMR peaks in the aromatic range of 100–150 ppm for samples heated at 350 °C suggest that the montmorillonites with smaller d‐spacing (13.5 and 21.8 Å) accounted for the greater amounts of condensed aromatic structures, leading to the char. For d‐spacing of 35 Å, the condensation of the polyaromatic structures occurs more slowly, retarding the char formation. The 27Al NMR peak around −15 ppm for samples heated at 280 °C indicates the destruction of montmorillonite structure, producing aluminophosphate species, meaning that the d‐spacing influences the reactions under this temperature. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48053.
Flexible oligomeric silicon‐containing poly(ether‐azomethine)s obtained from epoxide derivatives. Synthesis and characterization
Authors: Tundidor‐Camba Alain , Araya Nélida , González‐Henríquez Carmen M. , Tagle Luis H. , Hauyon René A. , Sobarzo Patricio A. , Rodríguez‐González Fidel E. , Jessop Ignacio A. , Recabarren‐Gajardo Gonzalo , Terraza Claudio A.
Published: June 2019

Three new diamines derived from epoxide compounds were synthesized. The preparation of diamine monomers implied the reaction between a phenoxyalkyloxirane (alkyl: H, methyl, isopropyl) and bisphenol A, obtaining the respective aliphatic diols, which produced the corresponding dinitro derivatives. Finally, these derivatives were reduced by using palladium/carbon activated as catalyst and hydrazine as a hydrogen source. Then, six oligomeric poly(ether‐azomethine)s (PEAzMs) were obtained from a polycondensation reaction between the new diamines and bis(4‐formylbiphenyl‐4‐yl)dialkylsilane (alkyl: methyl, phenyl) with 84–93% yields. The structural characterization of the diamines and PEAzMs was performed by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H, 13C, and 29Si). Furthermore, polymers were analyzed by solubility tests, gel permeation chromatography, ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. The results showed PEAzMs with 2–11 repetitive units, where the design of the monomers allowed to obtain improved solution processability in comparison with previously reported silylated poly(azomethine)s and good thermal stability. Additionally, all samples showed high transparency in the UV–vis region. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48055.
Metalloproteinases and their roles in human cancer
Authors: Roy Roopali , Morad Golnaz , Jedinak Andrej , Moses Marsha A.
Published: June 2019

It is now widely appreciated that members of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family of enzymes play a key role in cancer development and progression along with many of the hallmarks associated with them. The activity of these enzymes has been directly implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling, the processing of growth factors and receptors, the modulation of cell migration, proliferation, and invasion, the epithelial to mesenchymal transition, the regulation of immune responses, and the control of angiogenesis. Certain MMP family members have been validated as biomarkers of a variety of human cancers including those of the breast, brain, pancreas, prostate, ovary, and others. The related metalloproteinases, the A disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs), share a number of these functions as well. Here, we explore these essential metalloproteinases and some of their disease‐associated activities in detail as well as some of their complementary translational potential. Anat Rec, 2019. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Latency‐based functional analysis in schools: Correspondence and differences across environments
Authors: Hansen Blake D. , Sabey Christian V. , Rich Megan , Marr Dallin , Robins Noah , Barnett Steven
Published: June 2019

Functional analyses were conducted for problem behavior of three girls with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Analyses conducted under analog conditions measured rate and latency. Latency‐based functional analyses were conducted in a classroom setting in multielement and reversal designs. Correspondence was identified between the standard functional analysis and the two latency analyses for one participant. Partial correspondence was found with the other two participants. These results are discussed in light of research on adaptions for functional analysis in classroom settings.
Identification of key genes and upstream regulators in ischemic stroke
Authors: Zhang Qian , Chen Wenjie , Chen Siqia , Li Shunxian , Wei Duncan , He Wenzhen
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Ischemic stroke (IS) causes severe neurological impairments and physical disabilities and has a high economic burden. Our study aims to identify the key genes and upstream regulators in IS by integrated microarray analysis.

Methods

An integrated analysis of microarray studies of IS was performed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in IS compared to normal control. Based on these DEGs, we performed the functional annotation and transcriptional regulatory network constructions. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was performed to verify the expression of DEGs.

Results

From two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets obtained, we obtained 1526 DEGs (534 up‐regulated and 992 down‐regulated genes) between IS and normal control. The results of functional annotation showed that Oxidative phosphorylation and Alzheimer's disease were significantly enriched pathways in IS. Top four transcription factors (TFs) with the most downstream genes including PAX4, POU2F1, ELK1, and NKX2‐5. The expression of six genes (ID3, ICAM2, DCTPP1, ANTXR2, DUSP1, and RGS2) was detected by qRT‐PCR. Except for DUSP1 and RGS2, the other four genes in qRT‐PCR played the same pattern with that in our integrated analysis.

Conclusions

The dysregulation of these six genes may involve with the process of ischemic stroke (IS). Four TFs (PAX4, POU2F1, ELK1 and NKX2‐5) were concluded to play a role in IS. Our finding provided clues for exploring mechanism and developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for IS.
Enhancing the Selectivity between Oxygen and Chlorine towards Chlorine during the Anodic Chlorine Evolution Reaction on a Dimensionally Stable Anode
Authors: Wintrich Daniela , Öhl Denis , Barwe Stefan , Ganassin Alberto , Möller Sandra , Tarnev Tsvetan , Botz Alexander , Ruff Adrian , Clausmeyer Jan , Masa Justus , Schuhmann Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

The selectivity of the chlorine evolution reaction over the oxygen evolution reaction during the electrolysis of aqueous NaCl is, despite being very high, still insufficient to prevent expensive separation of the formed Cl2 and O2 by means of liquefaction. We hypothesize that, by decreasing the local activity of H2O near the anode surface by substantially increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte, the oxygen evolution reaction would be suppressed, leading concomitantly to a higher selectivity of Cl2 over O2 formation. Hence, the influence of the ionic strength on the competition between electrochemical evolution of O2 and Cl2 at dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) was investigated. Addition of a high concentration of NaNO3, an inert electrolyte additive, increases the selectivity for chlorine at high current density, as determined by means of online electrochemical mass spectrometry and UV‐vis spectroscopy. We propose conditions in which free water is suppressed, owing to under‐coordination of the solvation shells of ions, as a general concept to modulate the selectivity of competing electrochemical reactions.
Fatty Acid Quaternary Ammonium Surfactants Based on Renewable Resources as a Leveler for Copper Electroplating
Authors: Lv Jinge , Zhao Xuehua , Jie Xu , Li Jun , Wei Xiaochuan , Chen Biao , Hong Gang , Wu Wenjun , Wang Limin
Published: June 2019

Invited for this month's cover picture is the group of Prof. Limin Wang from East China University of Science and Technology (China). The cover picture shows a new leveler for copper electroplating from fatty acid quaternary ammonium surfactant, which is based on renewable resources. Electrochemical evaluation shows that, at the same concentration, the new leveler has excellent inhibition of electrodeposition, whereas the commercial leveler Janus Green B only weakly inhibits the electrodeposition process. Read the full text of the Article at 10.1002/celc.201900116.
Urknall der Chemie
Authors: Groß Michael
Published: June 2019

Die Physik des Urknalls, die durch die Messung der kosmischen Hintergrundstrahlung bestätigt wurde, kann uns genau sagen, welche Atome, Ionen und Moleküle schon vor den ersten Sternen existierten. Jetzt wurde das allererste Molekül sogar im Weltraum nachgewiesen.
A Multiresponsive Hydrophobic Associating Hydrogel Based on Azobenzene and Spiropyran
Authors: Liu Anqi , Xiong Chenxiao , Ma Xiaoying , Ma Wenjing , Sun Ruyi
Published: June 2019

Summary of main observation and conclusion

Stimuli‐responsive hydrogels crosslinked by weak noncovalent bonds such as hydrogen bonds, ionic interactions, host‐guest interactions and hydrophobic interactions have been extensively investigated. Herein, azobenzene and spiropyran acting as two hydrophobic pendant groups were introduced into a hydrophilic polyacrylamide (PAM)viafree radical copolymerization to construct a hydrophobic interaction based thermo‐, light‐ responsive polymer hydrogel. Its viscosity and color could be reversibly regulated by heating and cooling. Meanwhile, its color could be specifically switched by light without obvious viscosity change. The gel was also capable of being transited to sol by addition of β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD), which encaged the hydrophobic groups and then increased the solubility of polymer in water. The hydrogel could be regained after UV irradiation atλ= 365 nm, and after irradiation atλ= 440 nm, the hydrogel changed into a clear sol again.
Synaptic connectivity of urinary bladder afferents in the rat superficial dorsal horn and spinal parasympathetic nucleus
Authors: Park Sook Kyung , Devi Angom Pushparani , Bae Jin Young , Cho Yi Sul , Ko Hyoung‐Gon , Kim Duk Yoon , Bae Yong Chul
Published: June 2019

That visceral sensory afferents are functionally distinct from their somatic analogues has been known for a long time but the detailed knowledge of their synaptic connections and neurotransmitters at the first relay nucleus in the spinal cord has been limited. To provide information on these topics, we investigated the synapses and neurotransmitters of identified afferents from the urinary bladder to the superficial laminae of the rat spinal dorsal horn (DH) and the spinal parasympathetic nucleus (SPN) by tracing with horseradish peroxidase, quantitative electron microscopical analysis, and immunogold staining for GABA and glycine. In the DH, most bladder afferent boutons formed synapses with 1–2 postsynaptic dendrites, whereas in the SPN, close to a half of them formed synapses with 3–8 postsynaptic dendrites. The number of postsynaptic dendrites and dendritic spines per bladder afferent bouton, both measures of synaptic divergence and of potential for synaptic plasticity at a single bouton level, were significantly higher in the SPN than in the DH. Bladder afferent boutons frequently received inhibitory axoaxonic synapses from presynaptic endings in the DH but rarely in the SPN. The presynaptic endings were GABA‐ and/or glycine‐immunopositive. The bouton volume, mitochondrial volume, and active zone area, all determinants of synaptic strength, of the bladder afferent boutons were positively correlated with the number of postsynaptic dendrites. These findings suggest that visceral sensory information conveyed via the urinary bladder afferents is processed differently in the DH than in the SPN, and differently from the way somatosensory information is processed in the spinal cord.
Design and synthesis of 2‐hydroxyl‐4‐methoxyl‐3‐(3‐methylbut‐2‐en‐1‐yl)‐6‐(4‐phenylbenzoylamino)benzoic acid derivatives as antibacterial agents based on cajaninstilbene acid scaffold hopping
Authors: Zheng Chang , Hou Wen , Liu Jun , Xu Xiao‐Fang , Lin Jing , Sun Ping‐Hua , Chen Wei‐Min
Published: June 2019

The prevalence of multidrug resistance among clinically significant bacterial pathogens underlines a critical need for the development of new classes of antibacterial agents with novel structural scaffolds. Cajaninstilbene acid (CSA), which is isolated from pigeonpea leaves, has shown potent antibacterial activity. In this study, a series of 2‐hydroxyl‐4‐methoxyl‐3‐(3‐methylbut‐2‐en‐1‐yl)‐6‐(4‐phenylbenzoylamino)benzoic acid derivatives derived from CSA were designed and synthesized, and their antibacterial activities were evaluated. Several synthesized compounds exhibit better antibacterial activity than CSA against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and two strains of methicillin‐resistant S. aureus. Meanwhile, the results of 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assays illustrate the good selectivity between bacteria and normal cells of the most active compounds 6u and 6v. Furthermore, well combinations with bacterial RNA polymerase of 6u arising from docking study imply the possible mechanism of antibacterial activity of these synthetic compounds.
Electrochemical Derivatization of Acetaminophen for Indirect Determination of Eflornithine Using β‐CD Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode
Authors: Barnaji Bahareh Feyzi , Salehzadeh Hamid , Darbasizadeh Behzad , Dinarvand Rassoul , Salimi Abdollah , Mohammadi Ali
Published: June 2019

In the present work, the oxidation of acetaminophen in the absence and presence of eflornithine was electrochemically investigated by means of cyclic voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). Our results indicate that N‐acetyl‐p‐benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) produced from two‐electron electrochemical oxidation of acetaminophen participates in a Michael addition reaction with eflornithine via an ECE mechanism. This fact was used for the determination of eflornithine using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique on the surface of β‐Cyclodextrin modified glassy carbon (β‐CD/GC) electrode. β‐CD/GC electrode was prepared through an electrodeposition procedure and characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. Under optimum conditions, the β‐CD/GC electrode showed a good linearity as a function of the eflornithine concentration over the range from 5 to 100 μM with detection limit and quantification limit of 1.94 and 5.8 μM, respectively. Finally, the proposed protocol was confirmed to be successful in determination of eflornithine in human urine samples with good recovery, ranging from 97.2 % to 104.8 %.
Chronopotentiometric Analysis of Proteins at Charged Electrode Surfaces
Authors: Melníková Eva , Izadi Nasim , Gál Miroslav , Ostatná Veronika
Published: June 2019

Protein properties and functions are strongly dependent on the structure and amino acid content. In this work, catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (CHER) of five proteins (human serum albumin, lysozyme, β‐synuclein, H2 A and H3 histones) were studied using constant current chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) with the aim to find out the association between protein content and its electrochemical response. We have shown that the height and potential of CPS peak H in dependence on accumulation potential differed for the studied proteins, while the CPS peak area was almost the same for all of them. CV and CPS peaks H of Cys‐containing proteins appeared at less negative potentials in comparison to proteins without Cys, suggesting easier CHER. Acidic and basic proteins not containing Cys can be also recognized due to their different CPS response after their adsorption at the positive and negative charged interface.
Mass spectrometric characterization of the zein protein composition in maize flour extracts upon protein separation by SDS‐PAGE and 2D gel electrophoresis
Authors: Postu Paula A. , Ion Laura , Drochioiu Gabi , Petre Brindusa A. , Glocker Michael O.
Published: June 2019

Highly homogenous α zein protein was isolated from maize kernels in an environment‐friendly process using 95% ethanol as solvent. Due to the polyploidy and genetic polymorphism of the plant source, the application of high resolution separation methods in conjunction with precise analytical methods, such as MALDI‐TOF‐MS, is required to accurately estimate homogeneity of products that contain natural zein protein. The α zein protein product revealed two main bands in SDS‐PAGE analysis, one at 25 kDa and other at 20 kDa apparent molecular mass. Yet, high resolution 2DE revealed approximately five protein spot groups in each row, the first at ca. 25 kDa and the second at ca. 20 kDa. Peptide mass fingerprinting data of the proteins in the two dominant SDS‐PAGE bands matched to 30 amino acid sequence entries out of 102 non‐redundant data base entries. MALDI‐TOF‐MS peptide mapping of the proteins from all spots indicated the presence of only α zein proteins. The most prominent ion signals in the MALDI mass spectra of the protein mixture of the 25 kDa SDS gel band after in‐gel digestion were found at m/z 1272.6 and m/z 2009.1, and the most prominent ion signals of the protein mixture of the 20 kDa band after in‐gel digestion were recorded at m/z 1083.5 and m/z 1691.8. These ion signals have been found typical for α zein proteins and may serve as marker ion signals which upon chymotryptic digestion reliably indicate the presence of α zein protein in two hybrid corn products.
Bacillus licheniformis peptidoglycan characterization by CZE–MS: Assessment with the benchmark RP‐HPLC‐MS method
Authors: Boulanger Madeleine , Delvaux Cédric , Quinton Loïc , Joris Bernard , De Pauw Edwin , Far Johann
Published: June 2019

Peptidoglycan or murein is an essential polymer found in bacterial cell wall. It is a dynamic structure that is continuously remodeled or modified during bacterial cell growth or in presence of cell wall stresses. These modifications are still poorly understood mainly due to the peptidoglycan, which is rather non‐soluble, and the difficulties to separate the hydrophilic glycopeptides (muropeptides) by reversed phase liquid chromatography, generated by the enzymatic digestion using mutanolysin, an N‐acetyl‐muramidase, cleaving the β1→4 bound between N‐acetylglucosamine and N‐acetylmuramic acid. Here, we report the use of CZE–MS for an easy and fast screening of muropeptides generated by the action of muramidase on the Bacillus licheniformis cell wall. Electron transfer and CID–MS were also used to unambiguously identify and localize the presence or the absence of amidation and acetylation moieties on muropeptide variants. The reference method to analyse muropeptides by reversed phase chromatography was also tested and the advantages and disadvantages of both methods were evaluated.
Design and realization of an open‐source and modular smart meter
Authors: Sayed Sawsan , Hussain Tasnim , Gastli Adel , Benammar Mohieddine
Published: June 2019

This paper presents the design of a modular and open‐source smart meter for educational and research purposes. The smart meter monitors the energy consumption, uploads the data to a cloud server, and can be used to control appliances remotely through a control relay. Using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the smart meter acts as a sensing node in a meshed network. This enables consumers to visualize their energy consumption profiles at the level of appliances and to take control actions to manage efficient energy consumption using the automation platforms or IoT with smart meters. In this paper, the energy consumed by different electrical appliances is computed and communicated to a server using the Arduino Uno board aided by the ESP8266 WiFi module. The energy consumption is also displayed on an LCD screen, and the consumption profiles are displayed through the home energy monitoring website “EmonCMS.” The design can accommodate different transducer ratings with single‐phase and three‐phase measurements by configuring itself automatically using the plug‐and‐play approach. The realization of the proposed smart meter is a multicourse educational project that aims to polish students’ skills in applying the knowledge gained in Electrical Engineering (ie, undergraduate courses) to produce a practical application.
Genetic Polymorphisms Implicated in Nonalcoholic Liver Disease or Selected Other Disorders Have No Influence on Drug‐Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Bonkovsky Herbert L. , Severson Tyler , Nicoletti Paola , Barnhart Huiman , Serrano Jose , Chalasani Naga , Fontana Robert J. , Watkins Paul B. , Navarro Victor , Stolz Andrew , Daly Ann K. , Aithal Guruparasad P. , Odin Joseph ,   for the US DILIN Investigators
Published: June 2019

With the application of genetic testing to contemporary medical diagnostics and practice, it has become apparent that the phenotypes of many disorders are modulated by host genetic factors. The aim of the current study was to determine whether selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unrelated to the human leukocyte antigen region or other immune pathways, including those associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), may influence development, severity, or outcomes of drug‐induced liver injury (DILI). Thirteen variants previously associated with NAFLD and/or selected other liver diseases were tested in 832 Caucasian DILI cases and 10,397 Caucasian population controls. DILI cases were attributed to multiple agents (177 individual drugs), with 56 cases due to herbal/dietary supplement products. Allele frequencies were imputed from recent genome‐wide association studies and compared to those for European control samples from the Gnomad database. Significance was tested by linear regression or logistic regression, depending on the nature of the trait. Any variant that passed the Bonferroni threshold of P < 0.0004 (

) was considered a significant association. None of the variants proved to be significantly associated with DILI as phenotype nor with any of the selected severity traits. Among the variants studied, rs1421085, found in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene, showed a marginal protective effect (odds ratio, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.77‐0.95; P = 0.005). None of the genetic polymorphisms tested were significantly associated with the risk of development, severity, or outcome of DILI. Conclusion: SNPs implicated in common liver diseases, such as NAFLD, do not play a substantial role in DILI pathogenesis across agents. It remains possible that these variants could be involved with DILI due to single agents, but this will require the evaluation of larger numbers of bona fide cases.
Mortality Risk Detected by Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Score in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Golabi Pegah , Fukui Natsu , Paik James , Sayiner Mehmet , Mishra Alita , Younossi Zobair M.
Published: June 2019

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our aim was to assess the association of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk scores with overall and cardiac‐specific mortality among patients with NAFLD. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III with the National Death Index‐linked mortality files. NAFLD was defined by ultrasound as presence of steatosis in the absence of secondary causes of liver disease. High risk for CVD was defined as a 10‐year ASCVD score ≥7.5%. Hazard ratios (HRs) and population‐attributable fractions (PAFs) of high risk for CVD were calculated. Among 1,262 subjects with NAFLD (47.9% men; 41.2% white; mean age, 56.3 years), the prevalence of high risk for CVD was 55.9% and 4.8% had advanced fibrosis. After a median follow‐up of 17.7 years, 482 subjects (38.2%) died of overall causes, of whom 382 (79.3%) had a high risk for CVD. The unadjusted overall and cardiac‐specific mortality were higher for patients with NAFLD who had a high risk for CVD compared to subjects with NAFLD with a low risk for CVD (57.3% vs. 16.8% for overall mortality; 16.4% vs. 3.5% for cardiovascular mortality). After controlling for risk factors associated with mortality, high risk for CVD was associated with a 42% higher overall mortality rate (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05‐1.91) and twice the risk of cardiovascular mortality (aHR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.12‐3.65). Adjusted PAFs were 11.4% for overall mortality and 44.9% for cardiovascular mortality. Conclusion: Among patients with NAFLD, ASCVD score ≥7.5% was associated with a higher risk of overall and cardiac‐specific mortality.
Should I stay or should I go now? The impact of “pull” factors on physician decisions to remain in a destination country
Authors: Ibrahim Halah , Al Sharif Fatema Zain , Satish Karthyayani Priya , Hassen Lina , Nair Satish Chandrasekhar
Published: June 2019

Background

The recruitment and retention of a competent health care workforce is a worldwide problem. Globalization and increased mobility have provided skilled clinicians the freedom to offer their services in an interconnected global employment market, with multiple studies revealing a pattern of migration from low‐ and middle‐income countries to high‐income countries in North America, Western Europe, and more recently, the Middle East. The purpose of this study is to review the United Arab Emirates health care man power strategy and to assess the impact of pull factors on physician retention plans.

Methods

The study employed a mixed‐method comparative approach, comprising a comprehensive review of the literature on human resources for health issues and physician migration patterns, along with a cross sectional survey of expatriate physicians working in private and public sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between November 2018 and March 2019.

Results

Of 479 physicians, 374 participated (79% response rate). Issues related to family and social life encouraged remaining in the UAE, including close proximity to extended family, social environment, and spouse's employment opportunities. The government's new policy to provide 10‐year visas to health professionals was perceived as an important factor encouraging retention. Only 35% of respondents felt that their income was an important factor in deciding to remain in the UAE. Significant gender differences exist in physician migration decisions.

Conclusion

Factors influencing retention of the UAE's expatriate physician workforce are primarily lifestyle‐related. Physicians also report positive perceptions of newly implemented visa policies.
Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 in cancer: A promising target for diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Sharif Farzana , Rasul Azhar , Ashraf Asma , Hussain Ghulam , Younis Tahira , Sarfraz Iqra , Chaudhry Muhammad Asrar , Bukhari Shazia A. , Ji Xin Y. , Selamoglu Zeliha , Ali Muhammad
Published: June 2019

Altered enzymatic machineries are a substantial biochemical characteristic of tumor cell metabolism that switch metabolic profile from oxidative phosphorylation to amplified glycolysis as well as increased lactate production under hypoxia conditions. Reprogrammed metabolic profile is an emerging hallmark of cancer. Overexpression of several glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters has been reported in 24 different types of cancers that represent approximately 70% of all the cancer cases around the globe. Thus, targeting glycolytic enzymes could serve as tempting avenue for drug design against cancer. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) is an important glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 3‐phosphoglycerate to 2‐phosphoglycerate. Recent investigations have revealed the overexpression of PGAM1 in several human cancers that is linked with tumor growth, survival, and invasion. The aim of this review is to update scientific research network with cancer‐specific role of PGAM1 to elucidate its capability as bonafide therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Moreover, we have also summarized the reported genetic and pharmacological inhibitors of PGAM1. This study suggests that further investigations on PGAM1 should focus on the exploration of molecular mechanisms of PGAM1 overexpression in development of cancer, assessment of biosafety profiles of known inhibitors of PGAM1, and utilization of PGAM1 inhibitors in combinatorial therapies. These future studies will surely support the unbiased strategies for the development of novel PGAM1 inhibitors for cancer therapies.
Expression profiles of circular RNAs in human colorectal cancer based on RNA deep sequencing
Authors: Ge Jiaxin , Jin Yanping , Lv Xueyou , Liao Qi , Luo Cong , Ye Guoliang , Zhang Xinjun
Published: June 2019

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel group of RNAs and play essential roles in cancers. However, the expression profiles of circRNAs in human colorectal cancer (CRC) are largely unclear.

Methods

The differentially expressed circRNAs, mRNAs, and microRNAs (miRNAs) between CRC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were first screened. Then, gene ontology and pathway analyses were performed to predict the possible functions. In addition, we identified the differentially expressed circRNAs in CRC correlated with Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) and validated their expression levels in CRC tissues. Finally, the correlations between hsa_circ_0142527 expression levels and clinicopathological features of patients with CRC were also analyzed.

Results

After filtered 4735 circRNAs by RNA deep sequencing, 67 differentially expressed circRNAs (fold change >2.0, P < 0.05) were selected. The top two pathways were cell cycle and other glycan degradation. Hsa_circ_0142527 and KLF4 mRNA were significantly lower expressed in CRC tissues in both training and confirm groups and have high positive correlation (r = 0.754). We further found that the expression levels of hsa_circ_0142527 were significantly associated with age (P = 0.004), differentiation (P = 0.008), invasion (P = 0.029), distal metastasis (P = 0.004), TNM stage (P = 0.005), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; P = 0.037).

Conclusions

The circRNA expression profile of CRC provided new clues for understanding the occurrence of CRC. Hsa_circ_0142527 may be served as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC.
Frustrated Lewis pairs: A real alternative to deuteride/tritide reductions
Authors: Doubková Sabina , Marek Aleš
Published: June 2019

Deuterium‐ and tritium‐labeled compounds play a principal role in tracing of biologically active molecules in complicated biochemical systems. The state‐of‐the‐art techniques using noble metal catalysts or strong reducing agents often suffers from low functional group tolerances, poor selectivity, tricky or multistep synthesis of reagents, and low specific activity of the labeled product. Herein, we demonstrate a mild and nonmetallic technique of deuteration and tritiation of polarized double bonds, such as carbonyl compounds, yielding labeled alcohols of high specific activities. This one‐pot synthesis uses carrier‐free hydrogen gas in situ activated by a freshly prepared frustrated Lewis pair, generating reducing reagents. This labeling strategy shows better selectivity and functional group tolerances compared with current reductive methods. Reported is an example of the selective reduction of the aldehyde moiety of 3‐acetylbenzaldehyde. What makes this technology groundbreaking is its mildness, selectivity, and generation of limited amount of radioactive waste as almost no byproducts were generated after use of (B(C6F5)33H)(3HTMP) reducing reagent. Radiochemical purity of desired 3H‐labeled product in a crude reaction mixture was determined of over 94%. This work provides, to the community of radiochemists, a practical protocol for frustrated Lewis pairs (FLP)‐assisted deuterium/tritium labeling technology.
Diurnal Variation of Proton Density Fat Fraction in the Liver Using Quantitative Chemical Shift Encoded MRI
Authors: Colgan Timothy J. , Van Pay Andrew J. , Sharma Samir D. , Mao Lu , Reeder Scott B.
Published: June 2019

Background

Whole‐organ, noninvasive techniques for the detection and quantification of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease features have clinical and research applications. However, the effect of time of day, hydration status, and meals are unknown factors with potential to impact bias, precision, reproducibility, and repeatability of chemical shift‐encoded MRI (CSE‐MRI) to quantify liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF).

Purpose

To assess the effect of diurnal variation on PDFF using CSE‐MRI, including the effect of time of day, the effect of meals and hydration status, as well as the day to day variability.

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects

Eleven healthy subjects and nine patients with observed hepatic steatosis.

Field Strength/Sequences

A commercial quantitative confounder‐corrected CSE‐MRI sequence (IDEAL IQ) and an MR spectroscopy (MRS) sequence (multiecho STEAM) were acquired at 1.5T.

Assessment

MRI‐PDFF and MRS‐PDFF estimates were compared across six visits (before and after a controlled breakfast, before and after an uncontrolled lunch, at approximately 4 pm, and then before breakfast on the following day) with three repeated measures for a total of 360 MRI‐PDFF and MRS‐PDFF measurements.

Statistical Tests

Linear regression, Bland–Altman analysis, and mixed effect models were used to determine the bias, precision, and repeatability of PDFF measurements.

Results

No statistically significant linear trend was observed across visits for either MRI‐PDFF or MRS‐PDFF (P = 0.31 and 0.37, respectively). The repeatability was measured to be 0.86% for MRI‐PDFF and 1.1% for MRS‐PDFF over all six visits. For MRI‐PDFF, the variability between all six visits (0.94%) was only slightly higher than within each visit (0.66%), with P < 0.001. For MRS‐PDFF, the variability between all six visits was 1.29%, compared with 0.87% within each visit (P < 0.001).

Data Conclusion

Our results may indicate that it is not necessary to control for the time of day or the fasting/fed state of the patient when measuring PDFF using CSE‐MRI.

Level of Evidence: 2

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:407–414.
Adductor spasmodic dysphonia: Botulinum toxin a injections or laser thyroarytenoid myoneurectomy? A comparison from the patient perspective
Authors: Schuering Juliëtta H. C. , Heijnen Bas J. , Sjögren Elisabeth V. , Langeveld Antonius P. M.
Published: June 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

The current gold standard of therapy for adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) is injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX) in the adductor musculature. A surgical procedure could potentially offer more stable and long‐lasting voice quality. In this study, we report the long‐term results of endoscopic laser thyroarytenoid (TA) myoneurectomy versus BTX treatment in the same patients with AdSD.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

Between July 2013 and September 2016, a total of 22 patients with AdSD were included. Voice outcomes were measured using the Voice Handicap Index and a Likert‐scale patient‐reported voice questionnaire. Data were obtained for each patient at four time points: preoperatively with and without BTX and twice postoperatively at 3 months (short term) and 12 months (long term).

Results

No statistically significant differences were found between voice outcome after BTX injection and the short‐ and long‐term postoperative voice outcomes for the group as a whole. During postoperative follow‐up, 10 of the 22 patients (45%) needed a second procedure after an average of 18 months (interquartile range, 13–22 months) due to recurrence of their original voice problem.

Conclusions

The TA myoneurectomy showed encouraging results, comparable to BTX after follow‐up of 12 months for the group as a whole. However, after good results initially, voice deterioration was seen in 45% of the patients who all underwent a second procedure. These preliminary results provide important insights into the value of TA myoneurectomy as a potential definite treatment for a select group of patients with AdSD. Further research might explore long‐term results after revision surgery.

Level of Evidence

4

Laryngoscope, 130:741–746, 2020
Singular spectral shift function for resolvent comparable operators
Authors: Azamov Nurulla , Daniels Tom
Published: June 2019

Let be a Schrödinger operator on , , or 3, where is a bounded measurable real‐valued function on . Let V be an operator of multiplication by a bounded integrable real‐valued function and put for real r. We show that the associated spectral shift function (SSF) ξ admits a natural decomposition into the sum of absolutely continuous and singular SSFs. In particular, the singular SSF is integer‐valued almost everywhere, even within the absolutely continuous spectrum where the same cannot be said of the SSF itself. This is a special case of an analogous result for resolvent comparable pairs of self‐adjoint operators, which generalises the case of a trace class perturbation appearing in [2] while also simplifying its proof. We present two proofs which demonstrate the equality of the singular SSF with two a priori different and intrinsically integer‐valued functions which can be associated with the pair H0, V: the total resonance index [3] and the singular μ‐invariant [2].
Antiscalping laws and the selling of season tickets by professional sports teams
Authors: Cyrenne Philippe
Published: June 2019

This note highlights some issues related to the distribution of season tickets by professional sports teams. I first consider a number of alternative methods teams could use to sell season tickets. I argue that primary ticket sellers do not want their tickets used as investments assets; rather, they prefer game tickets be viewed as consumption assets. In examining these alternatives, I argue that season tickets can be viewed as a bundle of prepaid forward contracts, which have a convenience yield. This can help explain the apparent “underpricing” of game day tickets, team reselling policies, and antiscalping laws.