bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
G protein‐coupled receptor 119 is involved in RANKL‐induced osteoclast differentiation and fusion
Authors: Kim Hyun‐Ju , Yoon Hye‐Jin , Park Ji‐Wan , Che Xiangguo , Jin Xian , Choi Je‐Yong
Published: November 2018

G protein‐coupled receptor 119 (GPR119) is known to be a promising therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Recently, it has been reported that the GPR119 agonist increases bone mineral density in an animal model of diabetes, suggesting that GPR119 may play a key role in bone metabolism. In this study, we investigated the functional role of GPR119 in receptor activator of nuclear factor‐κB ligand (RANKL)‐induced osteoclast formation. We found that the GPR119 expression was markedly increased in preosteoclasts and then downregulated in mature osteoclasts. Activation of GPR119 with AS1269574, a potent selective agonist for GPR119, inhibited the generation of multinuclear osteoclasts from bone marrow‐derived macrophages. Confirming this observation, targeted silencing ofGPR119using short hairpin RNA abrogated the AS1269574‐mediated suppressive effect on osteoclast formation. GPR119 activation attenuated the expression of c‐Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) and blocked RANKL‐stimulated phosphorylation of IκBα, c‐Jun N‐terminal protein kinase (JNK), and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) but not p38. In addition, GPR119 activation suppressed preosteoclast fusion by downregulating the expression of the dendritic cell‐specific transmembrane (DC‐STAMP), a molecule that is essential for cell–cell fusion in osteoclast formation. Furthermore, ectopic expression of DC‐STAMP restored AS1269574‐mediated inhibition of osteoclast fusion. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that GPR119 plays a negative role in osteoclast differentiation and fusion induced by RANKL, and therefore may represent a potential target for bone resorption‐associated diseases.
MicroRNA: A new player in response to therapy for colorectal cancer
Authors: Sarvizadeh Mostafa , Malekshahi Ziba V. , Razi Ebrahim , Sharifi Hossein , Moussavi Nousin , Taghizadeh Mohsen
Published: November 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the important malignancies that result in cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Multiple lines of evidence have indicated that different responses to therapy in CRC cells led to the failure of the current therapies. Hence, identification of the underlying cellular and molecular pathways involved in the emergence of different responses from CRC cells could contribute to finding and designing new therapeutic platforms to overcome the present limitations. Among the various targets involved in CRC pathogenesis, microRNAs (miRNAs) have key roles in many signaling pathways that are associated with the initiation and progression of CRC. Increasing evidence has confirmed that miRNAs as epigenetic regulators could play critical roles in the response (resistance or sensitivity) to therapy. Cancer stem cells are well‐known players in resistance to therapy in CRC. They have been shown to play significant roles via inhibition and activation of many miRNA networks. Hence, miRNAs could be involved in the resistance and sensitivity of therapy in CRC cells via affecting different mechanisms, such as activation of cancer stem cells. Here, we summarized the role of various miRNAs in response to therapy of CRC cells. Moreover, we highlighted the roles of these molecules in the function of cancer stem cells, which are known as important players in the resistance to therapy in CRC.
Identification of functional lncRNAs in atrial fibrillation by integrative analysis of the lncRNA‐mRNA network based on competing endogenous RNAs hypothesis
Authors: Qian Cheng , Li Hang , Chang Danqi , Wei Baozhu , Wang Yanggan
Published: November 2018

A mounting body of evidence has suggested that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in human diseases by acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). However, the functions and ceRNA mechanisms of lncRNAs in atrial fibrillation (AF) remain to date unclear. In this study, we constructed an AF‐related lncRNA‐mRNA network (AFLMN) based on ceRNA theory, by integrating probe reannotation pipeline and microRNA (miRNA)‐target regulatory interactions. Two lncRNAs with central topological properties in the AFLMN were first obtained. By using bidirectional hierarchical clustering, we identified two modules containing four lncRNAs, which were significantly enriched in many known pathways of AF. To elucidate the ceRNA interactions in certain disease or normal condition, the dysregulated lncRNA‐mRNA crosstalks in AF were further analyzed, and six hub lncRNAs were obtained from the network. Furthermore, random walk analysis of the AFLMN suggested that lncRNA RP11‐296O14.3 may function importantly in the pathological process of AF. All these eight lncRNAs that were identified from previous steps (RP11‐363E7.4, GAS5, RP11‐410L14.2, HAGLR, RP11‐421L21.3, RP11‐111K18.2, HOTAIRM1, and RP11‐296O14.3) exhibited a strong diagnostic power for AF. The results of our study provide new insights into the functional roles and regulatory mechanisms of lncRNAs in AF, and facilitate the discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
CtIP promotes G2/M arrest in etoposide‐treated HCT116 cells in a p53‐independent manner
Authors: Chen Hongyu , Shan Jin , Chen Dandan , Wang Ruoxi , Qi Wenjing , Wang Hailong , Ke Yueshuang , Liu Wenguang , Zeng Xianlu
Published: November 2018

Acquired resistance to cytotoxic antineoplastic agents is a major clinical challenge in tumor therapy; however, the mechanisms involved are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that knockdown of CtIP, a corepressor of CtBP, promotes cell proliferation and alleviates G2/M phase arrest in etoposide (Eto)‐treated HCT116 cells. Although the expression of p21 and growth arrest and DNA damage inducible α (GADD45a), which are important targets of p53, was downregulated in CtIP‐deficient HCT116 cells, p53 deletion did not affect G2/M arrest after Eto treatment. In addition, the phosphorylation levels of Ser317 and Ser345 in Chk1 and of Ser216 in CDC25C were lower in CtIP‐deficient HCT116 cells than in control cells after Eto treatment. Our results indicate that CtIP may enhance cell sensitivity to Eto by promoting G2/M phase arrest, mainly through the ATR‐Chk1‐CDC25C pathway rather than the p53‐p21/GADD45a pathway. The expression of CtIP may be a useful biomarker for predicting the drug sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells.
A Direct Synthesis for a New Series of 2‐Oxo(thioxo)nicotinonitrile Nucleosides as Antimicrobial Agents
Authors: El‐Sayed Hassan A. , El‐Torky Alaa El‐Din M. M. , Moustafa Ahmed H.
Published: November 2018

A facile synthesis of a new series of cyclic and acyclic nucleosides of polyfunctionalized 2‐oxo(thioxo)nicotinonitrile derivatives 1 and 2 was performed. Glycosylation of 2‐pyridone 1 and 2‐thiopyridone 2 with glycosyl/galactosyl bromides in the existence of KOH afforded the N‐nucleoside and S‐nucleoside analogues 3, 5, 7, and 9, respectively. Deacetylation of nucleosides 3, 5, 7, and 9 gave the deacetylated nucleosides 4, 6, 8, and 10, respectively. Alkylation of 2‐pyridone 1 with glycone analogues [namely, 4‐bromobutyl acetate, (2‐acetoxyethoxy)methyl bromide, 3‐chloropropane‐1,2‐diol, and allyl and / propargyl bromides] in the existence of K2CO3 afforded the corresponding O‐acyclic nucleoside analogues 11, 13, and 15–17, respectively. Finally, treating of compounds 11 and 13 with a small amount of Et3N tolerated the 6‐hydroxy deacetylated derivatives 12 and 14, respectively. The synthesized nucleosides and alkylated products were tested against Gram (+ve) (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) as Gram (−ve) and Fungi (Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus niger) and showed moderate antibacterial and antifungal activity.
Synthesis of Novel 4‐((Substituted bis‐indolyl)methyl)‐benzo‐15‐crown‐5 for the Colorimetric Detection of Hg2+ Ions in an Aqueous Medium
Authors: Bhosale T. R. , Chandam D. R. , Anbhule P. V. , Deshmukh M. B.
Published: November 2018

A practical, two‐step synthesis of novel 4‐(substituted bis‐indolyl)methyl)benzo‐15‐crown‐5 has been reported. The strategy employed for the synthesis of the desired molecules involved Duff formylation of benzo‐15‐crown‐5 to get 4‐formyl benzo‐15‐crown‐5 followed by subsequent reactions with substituted indoles in trifluoroacetic acid to yield novel 4‐(substituted bis‐indolyl)methyl)benzo‐15‐crown‐5 in moderate to good yield. One of the reported novel molecule tested for the complexation behavior with various metal cations, such as Li+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ Ca2+, Al3+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, Sn2+, Ba2+, Hg2+, and Pb2+, showed a visual colorimetric probe for the detection of mercury cations (Hg2+) in an aqueous medium.
The role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in chronic infectious diseases and the current methodology available for their study
Authors: Peñaloza Hernán F , Alvarez Diana , Muñoz-Durango Natalia , Schultz Bárbara M , González Pablo A , Kalergis Alexis M , Bueno Susan M
Published: November 2018

An effective pathogen has the ability to evade the immune response. The strategies used to achieve this may be based on the direct action of virulence factors or on the induction of host factors. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are immune cells with an incredible ability to suppress the inflammatory response, which makes them excellent targets to be exploited by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites. In this review, we describe the origin and suppressive mechanisms of MDSCs, as well as their role in chronic bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections, where their expansion seems to be essential in the chronicity of the disease. We also analyze the disadvantages of current MDSC depletion strategies and the different in vitro generation methods, which can be useful tools for the deeper study of these cells in the context of microbial infections.
Novel placental structure in the Mexican gerrhonotine lizard, Mesaspis viridiflava (Lacertilia; Anguidae)
Authors: Stewart James R. , Mendez de la Cruz Fausto R.
Published: November 2018

The evolution of viviparity alters the physical relationship between mothers and offspring and the prevalence of viviparity among squamate reptiles presents an opportunity to uncover patterns in the evolution of placental structure. Understanding the breadth of this diversity is limited because studies of placental structure and function have emphasized a limited number of lineages. We studied placental ontogeny using light microscopy for an embryological series of the Mexican gerrhonotine lizard, Mesaspis viridiflava. This species develops an elaborate yolk sac placenta, an omphaloplacenta, which receives vascular support arising in a structure known only from other gerrhonotine lizards. A prominent feature of the omphaloplacenta is a zone of uterine and embryonic epithelial cell hyperplasia located at the upper shoulder of the yolk mass, often extending above the yolk mass. The omphaloplacenta covers more than one‐half of the surface area of maternal—embryonic contact. The chorioallantoic placenta has a more restricted distribution because the allantois remains in the embryonic hemisphere of the egg throughout development and lies internal to the vascular support for the omphaloplacenta in areas where they overlap. The structural profile of the chorioallantoic placenta indicates a potential for respiratory exchange and/or hemotrophic nutritive transport, while that of the omphaloplacenta suggests that nutritive transfer is primarily via histotrophy. An eggshell is present in the earliest embryonic stages examined but regresses relatively early in development. Placental specializations of this species are consistent with a pattern of matrotrophic embryonic nutrition and have evolved in a unique lineage specific developmental pattern.
An approach to homogenize daily peak wind gusts: An application to the Australian series
Authors: Azorin‐Molina Cesar , Guijarro Jose A. , McVicar Tim R. , Trewin Blair C. , Frost Andrew J. , Chen Deliang
Published: November 2018

Daily Peak Wind Gust (DPWG) time series are important for the evaluation of wind‐related hazard risks to different socioeconomic and environmental sectors. Yet, wind time series analyses can be impacted by several artefacts, both temporally and spatially, which may introduce inhomogeneities that mislead the study of their decadal variability and trends. The aim of this study is to present a strategy in the homogenization of a challenging climate extreme such as the DPWG using 548 time series across Australia for 1941–2016. This automatic homogenization of DPWG is implemented in the recently developed Version 3.1 of theR package Climatol. This approach is an advance in homogenization of climate records as it identifies 353 break points based on monthly data, splits the daily series into homogeneous subperiods, and homogenizes them without needing the monthly corrections. The major advantages of this homogenization strategy are its ability to: (a) automatically homogenize a large number of DPWG series, including short‐term ones and without needing site metadata (e.g., the change in observational equipment in 2010/2011 was correctly identified); (b) use the closest reference series even not sharing a common period with candidate series or presenting missing data; and (c) supply homogenized series, correcting anomalous data (quality control by spatial coherence), and filling in all the missing data. The NCEP/NCAR reanalysis wind speed data were also trialled in aiding homogenization given the station density was very low during the early decades of the record; however, reanalysis data did not improve the homogenization. Application of this approach found a reduced range of DPWG trends based on site data, and an increased negative regional trend of this climate extreme, compared to raw data and homogenized data using NCEP/NCAR. The analysis produced the first homogenized DPWG dataset to assess and attribute long‐term variability of extreme winds across Australia.
Bias nonstationarity of global climate model outputs: The role of internal climate variability and climate model sensitivity
Authors: Hui Yu , Chen Jie , Xu Chong‐Yu , Xiong Lihua , Chen Hua
Published: November 2018

Bias correction methods are developed based on the assumption that the biases of climate model outputs are stationary, that is, the characteristics of the bias are constant over time. However, recent studies have shown the biases are not always stationary. The objectives of this study are to investigate the impacts of bias nonstationarity of climate‐model‐simulated precipitation and temperature on future climate projections, and the roles of internal climate variability (ICV) and climate model sensitivity (CMS) in bias nonstationarity. A pseudoreality approach is used in this study, in which each of the 24 climate model simulations is alternately selected as a reference to estimate the biases (defined as pseudobias to distinguish it from actual bias estimated by observations) of 23 other simulations. The absolute ratio of the change in pseudobias between two periods to the corresponding climate change signal is calculated to assess the impacts of bias nonstationarity on future climate projections. Furthermore, the roles of ICV and CMS are investigated by comparing the changes in pseudobias between historical and future periods relative to the baseline period. The results show that biases of climate‐model‐simulated mean annual and seasonal temperature and precipitation vary with time. Bias nonstationarity of temperature is not significant in future temperature projections, while the bias nonstationarity of precipitation plays an important role in future precipitation projections. In addition, the contributions of ICV and CMS to bias nonstationarity are both relatively small for temperature, even though the latter contributes slightly more than the former. However, ICV makes a large contribution to the bias nonstationarity of precipitation for the historical period. In the far future period, the role of CMS is as important as ICV. These results imply that the impacts of ICV and CMS may need to be considered when developing and evaluating a bias correction method, especially for precipitation projections.
How does temporal trend of reference evapotranspiration over the Tibetan Plateau change with elevation?
Authors: Zhang Xiaotao , Wang Lei , Chen Deliang
Published: November 2018

Considerable efforts have been made to determine spatial and temporal patterns and the driving factors for reference evapotranspiration (RET) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Yet, how temporal trends of RET vary with respect to elevation is less clear. By using long‐term daily meteorological records of 84 stations from 1971 to 2015, this study investigates the elevation dependence of RET trend over the TP. The results show that both increasing and decreasing trends of RET for the study period exist over the TP. The increasing and decreasing trends of RET have significant correlations with elevation, but the absolute changes become smaller in the higher elevation ranges at both the annual and seasonal scales. This is due to the elevation‐dependent changes of climate factors, including vapour pressure deficit, mean air temperature, solar radiation, and wind speed, which demonstrate different relationships with elevation. A multivariate linear regression method was used to determine the contributions of the climate factors to RET changes, which indicates that vapour pressure deficit and solar radiation were the primary contributing factors to the increasing trend of RET and wind speed mainly influenced the decreasing trend. This elevation dependence of RET change‐rate has important implications for water resources and ecosystems over the TP as well as other high‐elevation regions, where much of the globe's glacier and snow surfaces are stored.
Impaired bone healing following treatment of established nonunion correlates with serum cytokine expression
Authors: Cheng Albert , Krishnan Laxminarayanan , Pradhan Pallab , Weinstock Laura D. , Wood Levi B. , Roy Krishnendu , Guldberg Robert E.
Published: November 2018

Delayed union and nonunion are a significant concern in long bone fractures and spinal fusions. Treatment of nonunion often entails multiple revision surgeries that further increase the financial, physical, and emotional burden on patients. The optimal treatment strategy for nonunions remains unclear in many cases, and the risk of complications after revision procedures remains high. This is in part due to our limited understanding of the biological mechanisms that inhibit proper bone healing and lead to nonunion. And yet, few preclinical models directly investigate how healing is impacted after establishment of nonunion, with most instead primarily focusing on treatment immediately after a fresh bone injury. Here, we utilized a critical size femoral defect model in rats where treatment was delayed 8 weeks post‐injury, at which time nonunion was established. In this study, acute and delayed treatments with bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2) were assessed. We found that delayed treatment resulted in decreased bone formation and reduced mechanical strength compared to acute treatment, even when BMP‐2 dose was increased by 2.5 times the acute treatment dose. Interestingly, serum cytokine analysis at 12 weeks post‐treatment revealed signs of chronic immune dysregulation after delayed treatment. In particular, non‐responders (rats that did not exhibit defect bridging) demonstrated higher overall expression of inflammatory cytokines, including TNFα and IL‐1β, compared to responders. These findings suggest that re‐establishing long‐term immune homeostasis may be critical for successful bone healing, particularly after nonunion. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:299–307, 2019.
Lateral cartilage defects and medial subchondral surface ratio are associated with knee‐related disability
Authors: Everhart Joshua S. , Abouljoud Moneer M. , Flanigan David C.
Published: November 2018

We sought to determine the relationship between (i) full‐thickness cartilage defects and tibiofemoral subchondral surface ratio (SSR) and (ii) disability and quality of life in patients with mild radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) (Kellgren‐Lawrence grade 2) or without radiographic OA (Kellgren‐Lawrence grades 0 or 1)? A total of 642 participants from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) with baseline knee MRIs and a Kellgren‐Lawrence grade 2 or less on both bilateral screening radiographs were included. The independent relationship was assessed between (i) full‐thickness cartilage defect presence and tibiofemoral SSR and (ii) Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) quality of life (QOL), KOOS function in sports and recreation (KOOS‐sport/rec), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) disability score after adjustment for relevant confounders with multivariate regression modeling. The prevalence of medial full‐thickness defects was 10.4% (67/642) and lateral was 18.1% (116/642). Lateral defect presence was associated with worse KOOS‐QOL (beta −3.61 SE 1.04; p = 0.001), KOOS‐sport/rec (beta −4.70 SE 1.38; p = 0.001) and WOMAC‐disability scores (beta 0.02 SE 0.01; p = 0.001); these associations were not influenced by defect size. A larger medial compartment SSR was associated with worse KOOS‐QOL (beta −27.20 SE 6.80; p < 0.001), KOOS‐sports/rec (beta −22.30 SE 9.01; p = 0.01) and WOMAC‐disability scores (beta 0.16 SE 0.04; p < 0.001). In older adults with little to no radiographic osteoarthritis, lateral full‐thickness cartilage defects, irrespective of size, and a larger medial compartment tibiofemoral SSR are potential sources of knee‐related symptoms that are not appreciated on standard radiographs. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:378–385, 2019.
Modified distribution in the polyphenolic profile of rosemary leaves induced by plant inoculation with an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus
Authors: Seró Raquel , Núñez Nerea , Núñez Oscar , Camprubí Amelia , Grases Josep M , Saurina Javier , Moyano Encarnación , Calvet Cinta
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

Rosemary forms an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis with a group of soilborne fungi belonging to the phylum Glomeromycota, which can modify the plant metabolome responsible for the antioxidant capacity and other health beneficial properties of rosemary.

RESULTS

The effect of inoculating rosemary plants with an AM fungus on their growth via their polyphenolic fingerprinting was evaluated after analyzing leaf extracts from non‐inoculated and inoculated rosemary plants by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography‐high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐HRMS). Plant growth parameters indicated that mycorrhizal inoculation significantly increased plant height and biomass. Chemical modifications in the plant polyphenolic profile distribution were found after a principal components analysis (PCA) loading plots study. Four compounds hosting strong antioxidant properties – ferulic acid, asiatic acid, carnosol, and vanillin – were related to mycorrhizal rosemary plants while caffeic and chlorogenic acids had a higher influence on non‐mycorrhizal plants.

CONCLUSION

Mycorrhization was found to stimulate growth to obtain a higher biomass of plant leaves in a short time, avoiding chemical fertilization, while analytical results demonstrate that there is an alteration in the distribution of polyphenols in plants colonized by the symbiotic fungus, which can be related to an improvement in nutritional properties with future industrial significance. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Identifying the barriers to gastric cancer care at safety‐net hospitals: A novel comparison of a safety‐net hospital to a neighboring quaternary referral academic center in the same healthcare system
Authors: Zaidi Mohammad Y. , Rappaport Jesse M. , Ethun Cecilia G. , Gillespie Theresa , Hawk Natalyn , Chawla Saurabh , Cardona Kenneth , Maithel Shishir K. , Russell Maria C.
Published: November 2018

Background

The three‐delays model describes delays in seeking, reaching, and receiving care for vulnerable populations needing treatment. The dominant delay for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) is unknown. We aimed to define patients with GAC who reached and received care at our regional safety‐net hospital (Grady Memorial Hospital [GMH]) and our neighboring quaternary referral hospital (Emory University Hospital [EUH]).

Methods

Clinicopathologic data from National Cancer Database (NCDB) participating academic centers were compared with GMH from 2004 to 2014. Outcomes of patients undergoing surgery at GMH were compared to those at EUH.

Results

At presentation, compared to NCDB centers (n = 69 662), GMH patients (n = 154) were more often black (85.1 vs 17.2%; P < 0.001), uninsured (30.5 vs 4.7%; P < 0.001), have stage IV disease (43.5 vs 30.1%; P = 0.017), and received no treatment (40.3 vs 18.4%; P < 0.001). When only comparing patients who underwent curative‐intent resection at GMH (n = 23) to EUH (n = 137), median overall survival was similar between both groups (GMH: median not reached; EUH: 59.8 mos; P = 0.785).

Conclusion

Although vulnerable patients with GAC within a safety‐net hospital present with later stages of the disease, those who received surgery have acceptable outcomes. Thus, efforts should be made to overcome barriers in seeking care.
National trends in contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in women with locally advanced breast cancer
Authors: Panchal Hinaben , Pilewskie Melissa L. , Sheckter Clifford C. , Albornoz Claudia R. , Razdan Shantanu N. , Disa Joseph J. , Cordeiro Peter G. , Mehrara Babak J. , Matros Evan
Published: November 2018

Background and Objectives

Women with unilateral early‐stage breast cancer are increasingly choosing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) despite the absence of survival benefits and increased risk of surgical complications. Data are lacking on whether this trend extends to women with clinically locally advanced nonmetastatic (cT4M0) cancer. This study aims to estimate national CPM trends in women with unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer.

Methods

Women aged ≥ 18 years, who underwent mastectomy during 2004 to 2014 for unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer were identified using the National Cancer Database and grouped as all locally advanced (T4), chest wall invasion, skin nodule/ulceration, or both (T4abc), and inflammatory (T4d) cancer. Poisson regression for trends and logistic modeling for predictors of CPM were performed.

Results

Of 23 943 women, 41% had T4abc disease and 35% T4d. Cumulative CPM rates were 15%, 23%, and 18%, for the T4abc, T4d, and all T4 groups, respectively. Trend analysis revealed a significant upsurge in CPM demonstrating 12% annual growth for T4abc tumors, 8% for T4d and 9% for all T4 (all P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Increasing numbers of women with unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer are undergoing CPM. This rising trend warrants further research to understand stakeholders’ preferences in surgical decision‐making for women with locally advanced breast cancer.
Simultaneous detection of multiple hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls from biological samples using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography with isotope dilution tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Zheng Yibin , Cai Delei , Huang Baifen , Han Jianlong , Chen Qing , Zhang Jingshun , Zhang Jie , Wang Xiaofeng , Shen Haitao
Published: November 2018

We established a method for the separation and detection of nine hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in whole blood and urine samples using ultra high performance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray negative ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Clean‐up procedures involved a filtration step, and optimization involved a pretreatment step consisting of a simple liquid–liquid extraction using hydrated silica‐gel chromatography (5%). Nine hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls were separated on an ultra high performance liquid chromatography HSS T3 column using a gradient elution program of 2 mmol ammonium formate aqueous solution (A) and methanol (B). Recovery ranged from 84.0 to 105.4% for the nine different hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls in urine with three spiked levels of 0.1, 1, and 2 ng and from 73.5 to 98.6% for the blood with spiked levels of 0.2, 1, and 2 ng. The relative standard deviations were <8.7% (n = 6), and the limits of detection in urine and whole blood for the nine hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls were in the range of 1.5–4 and 20–100 pg/g, respectively. This analytical method may enable the simultaneous detection of various hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls from complex tissue matrices.
Correlation of Conventional Ultrasound Characteristics of Breast Tumors With Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis and Ki‐67 Expression in Patients With Breast Cancer
Authors: Zhang Hang , Sui Xiufang , Zhou Suzhi , Hu Lei , Huang Xian
Published: November 2018

Objectives

To explore the association between the ultrasound (US) characteristics of breast tumors with axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) and Ki‐67 expression in patients with breast cancer.

Methods

In total, 527 consecutive patients with breast cancer who had undergone US examinations and curative surgery with axillary lymph node evaluations were included. The size, shape, aspect ratio, margin, internal echo, internal calcification, posterior echo attenuation, lymphatic hilar structure, cortical thickness, and blood flow of the axillary lymph nodes or primary breast lesions were observed with conventional US. Pathologic prognostic factors, including the histologic type of the tumor, histologic grade, estrogen and progesterone receptor status, lymph node status, and Ki‐67 expression were determined. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate whether the US characteristics of primary breast lesions were associated with ALNM and Ki‐67 expression.

Results

The maximum tumor diameter (odds ratio [OR], 1.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05–2.27; P = .028), tumor margin (OR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.69–4.94; P < .001), internal echo (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.47–3.20; P < .001), and Ki‐67 status (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 2.29–5.58; P < .001) had significant value as independent predictors of ALNM. Only the internal echo (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.28–2.95; P = .002) of breast cancer was an independent predictor of the Ki‐67 status. The heterogeneity in the internal echo indicated faster cancer cell proliferation and was associated with a worse prognosis in patients with breast carcinoma.

Conclusions

Certain conventional US characteristics may be useful predictors of ALNM and the Ki‐67 status in patients with breast cancer.
Advances in Piezoelectric Polymer Composites for Energy Harvesting Applications: A Systematic Review
Authors: Mishra Suvrajyoti , Unnikrishnan Lakshmi , Nayak Sanjay Kumar , Mohanty Smita
Published: November 2018

Polymeric piezoelectric composites for energy harvesting applications are considered a significant research field which provides the convenience of mechanical flexibility, suitable voltage with sufficient power output, lower manufacturing cost, and rapid processing compared to ceramic‐based composites. This review focuses majorly on the basic theory and principles behind piezoelectric energy harvesting (PEH) devices, followed by specified materials used for the different devices. Different structural configurations associated with fabrication of PEH devices are discussed in detail along with their major advantages and drawbacks. Numerous classes of piezoelectric polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride, polylactic acid, cellulose, polyamides, polyurea, polyurethanes, and their composites used for energy harvesting applications as a productive alternative of lead‐based piezo‐ceramics, are extensively addressed and explored. Additionally, current global and Indian scenarios associated with PEH devices, major challenges associated with them, and the future perspective of such devices are also reported in this review.
Stability analysis of coupled structural acoustics PDE models under thermal effects and with no additional dissipation
Authors: Avalos George , Geredeli Pelin G.
Published: November 2018

In this study we consider a coupled system of partial differential equations (PDE's) which describes a certain structural acoustics interaction. One component of this PDE system is a wave equation, which serves to model the interior acoustic wave medium within a given three dimensional chamber Ω. This acoustic wave equation is coupled on a boundary interface Γ0 to a two dimensional system of thermoelasticity: this thermoelastic PDE is composed in part of a structural beam or plate equation, which governs the vibrations of flexible wall portion Γ0 of the chamber Ω. Moreover, this elastic dynamics is coupled to a heat equation which also evolves on Γ0, and which imparts a thermal damping onto the entire structural acoustic system. As we said, the interaction between the wave and thermoelastic PDE components takes place on the boundary interface Γ0, and involves coupling boundary terms which are above the level of finite energy. We analyze the stability properties of this coupled structural acoustics PDE model, in the absence of any additive feedback dissipation on the hard walls Γ1 of the boundary . Under a certain geometric assumption on Γ1, an assumption which has appeared in the literature in connection with structural acoustic flow, and which allows for the invocation of a recently derived microlocal boundary trace estimate, we show that classical solutions of this thermally damped structural acoustics PDE decay uniformly to zero, with a rational rate of decay.
Modified Wilkinson power divider with uniform characteristic impedance
Authors: Yu Yantao , Chen Shiyong , Li Meng , Tang Mingchun
Published: November 2018

A modified Wilkinson power divider with arbitrary power dividing ratio is presented in this letter. It consists of four transmission line sections with the same characteristic impedance and an isolation resistor. The proposed circuit is analyzed based on transmission line theory and design equations are derived. For verification, a 2 GHz prototype with power dividing ratio of 2 is designed, fabricated and measured. The measured results are in good agreements with the simulated ones.
A compact ultra‐wideband antenna with three C‐shaped slots for notched band characteristics
Authors: Hammache Boualem , Messai Abderraouf , Messaoudene Idris , Denidni Tayeb A.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, a compact UWB (ultra‐wideband) antenna with three C‐shaped slots for notched band characteristics is presented. The proposed antenna covers a bandwidth between 2.95 GHz and 12 GHz. Three different sizes of C‐shaped slot are integrated in the radiating element to remove three frequency bands at WiMAX (3.2‐3.8 GHz), C‐band (3.7‐4.2 GHz), and WLAN (5.15‐5.85 GHz). The antenna has a compact size (30 × 30 mm2). The simulated results show good and acceptable agreement with measurement results in terms of S‐parameters and radiation patterns.
Food insecurity negatively impacts academic performance
Authors: van Woerden Irene , Hruschka Daniel , Bruening Meg
Published: November 2018

Recent research has documented high rates of food insecurity among university students, particularly students in their first year. Food insecurity among university students has been linked to poorer self‐reported health and academic outcomes. However, few studies have linked reports of food insecurity to objective student outcomes. In this study, we examine how food insecurity is associated with first‐year university students' (n = 591) academic performance, adjusting for objective measures of high school academic performance and self‐reported indicators of socioeconomic background. Zero‐ and one‐inflated beta regression was used to examine if food insecurity predicted grade point average (GPA) in the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. Logistic regression was used to determine if food insecurity at the end of the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters was a predictor of retention to fall 2016. Food‐insecure students had a significantly lower GPA than food‐secure students. In fall 2015, 59% of food‐insecure students obtained at least a “B” grade (GPA = 3.00); our models suggest this percentage would increase to 72% if these same students were food secure. Food‐insecure students were less likely to be enrolled in fall 2016 than food‐secure students (OR = 0.72, 95% CI [0.41, 1.27]), though this difference was not statistically significant. These results indicate that food insecurity negatively impacts first‐year university students' academic performance, even after adjusting for high school academic performance and socioeconomic background. Students GPA, and potentially university retention rates, may increase if food insecurity on campus is minimized.
High Charge Carrier Storage Capacity in Lithium Lutetium Silicate Doped with Cerium and Thulium
Authors: Dobrowolska Anna , Bos Adrie J. J. , Dorenbos Pieter
Published: November 2018

It is demonstrate that LiLuSiO4:Ce,Tm has excellent charge carrier storage properties. Comparative studies are performed with the state‐of‐the art X‐ray storage phosphor BaFBr(I):Eu. The thermoluminescence (TL) intensity of the optimized LiLuSiO4:Ce,Tm is four times higher than the TL of BaFBr(I):Eu. After 3 h of storage at room temperature (RT) there is still 94% of initial thermoluminescence and only 48% for BaFBr(I):Eu which demonstrates insignificant thermal fading. The signal can be read out by a blue LED and less efficiently by a red laser. It does require higher stimulation energy than in the case of BaFBr(I):Eu. The self‐irradiation with a dose rate of 13 µGy h−1 due to 176Lu isotopes is not a serious drawback for application.
Topical silymarin administration for prevention of acute radiodermatitis in breast cancer patients: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: Karbasforooshan Hedyieh , Hosseini Sare , Elyasi Sepideh , Fani Pakdel Azar , Karimi Gholamreza
Published: November 2018

Radiation‐induced dermatitis is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy. Silymarin, a flavonoid extracted from the Silybum marianum, exhibits antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of silymarin gel in prevention of radiodermatitis in patients with breast cancer. During this randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled clinical trial, the preventive effect of silymarin 1% gel was assessed in comparison with placebo, on radiodermatitis occurrence. Forty patients randomly received silymarin gel or placebo formulation on chest wall skin following modified radical mastectomy, once daily starting at the first day of radiotherapy for 5 weeks. Radiodermatitis severity was assessed weekly based on Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) and National Cancer Institute Common Terminology for Adverse Events (NCI‐CTCAE) criteria radiodermatits grading scale for 5 weeks. The median NCI‐CTCAE and RTOG scores were significantly lower in silymarin group at the end of the third to fifth weeks (p value < 0.05). The scores increased significantly in both placebo and silymarin groups during radiotherapy, but there was a delay in radiodermatitis development and progression in silymarin group. Prophylactic administration of silymarin gel could significantly reduce the severity of radiodermatitis and delay its occurrence after 5 weeks of application.
Does the gradient‐regulated connection improve the description of correlated metal bond properties?
Authors: Mostafa Rola , Brémond Éric , Adamo Carlo , Ciofini Ilaria , Morell Christophe , Chermette Henry
Published: November 2018

Gradient‐regulated connection (GRAC) is a generalized gradient approximation exchange density functional designed by combining the revPBE and PW91 exchange functionals to impose their behaviors in the slowly‐ and fast‐varying density regions, respectively. Such a construction allows one single density functional to accurately estimate both covalent and weak interactions occurring in main‐group‐based molecular systems. For the first time, the assessment of the performance of the GRAC exchange functional is extended to the modeling of various metal bond energy and structure properties. This assessment shows that when GRAC is coupled with the Perdew, Burke, Ernzerhof (PBE) correlation, the resulting exchange‐correlation density functional is an excellent alternative to global hybrids to model bond dissociation energy, atomic electronic excitation energy, and bond length structure properties of single‐reference metal bonds. It also shows that coupling with the Tognetti, Cortona, Adamo (TCA) correlation constitutes a robust approach to tackle energy bond properties of organometallic complexes with multi‐reference character.
Species and river specific effects of river fragmentation on European anadromous fish species
Authors: van Puijenbroek Peter J.T.M. , Buijse Anthonie D. , Kraak Michiel H.S. , Verdonschot Piet F.M.
Published: November 2018

Fragmentation is one of the major threats to riverine ecosystems and this is most explicitly expressed by the decline in numbers of migratory fish species. Yet each species has different migration requirements and their natural distribution can include several catchments with multiple dams. Hence, to prioritize candidate rivers for improving accessibility, differences between species and between catchments have to be taken into account. The aim of this study was therefore to analyse the species and river specific effects of river fragmentation on migratory fish on a European scale. The effect of river damming on migratory fish was quantified for all 16 European long‐ and mid‐distance anadromous species and for 33 large European rivers. The historical distribution was compared with the current upstream accessibility of the main river and the current distribution and population status of each species. The observed effects of reduced connectivity were further quantified using the Dendritic Connectivity Index for species and the Fragmentation Index for rivers. Our results showed that only very few rivers are still unaffected by dams in the main stem and that the few remaining viable migratory fish populations in Europe occur in these accessible rivers. Barriers were prioritized for making passable based on the potential accessibility gain and the number of benefitting species, showing that the main stems of the rivers Shannon and Nemunas are the best candidates. It was concluded that evaluating species and river specific effects of fragmentation strongly aids in prioritizing rivers for improving upstream accessibility.
The Impact of Ionic Liquid and Nanoparticles on Stabilizing Foam for Enhanced Oil Recovery
Authors: Jiang Lei , Sun Jingtao , Wang Jiqian , Xue Qi , Li Songyan , Yu Wenyang , Li Zhaomin
Published: November 2018

One of the commonly used tool in enhance oil recovery (EOR) is nitrogen foam flooding. The sweeping efficiency is largely determined by the foam stability. Recently the study on using nanoparticle, alone or with other chemicals, to stabilize foam has emerged in several fields of foam application. In this study, we use a combination of physicochemical tools to analyze the synergetic effect of ionic liquid cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) with nanoparticle in foam flooding of EOR. Two different nanoparticles (NPs), one hydrophilic and the other hydrophobic, are compared in terms of sweeping efficiency. It was found that CPC with hydrophilic NPs is much more effective in foam flooding residue oil than with hydrophobic NPs. This may be due to the difference in CPC orientation on NP surfaces, thus affecting the surface properties including surface tension, elasticity and contact angle. Consequently the stability of foam, which underpins the oil displacement efficiency in EOR, is influenced. The possible interaction and mechanism between CPC, NP and oil are discussed while considering the contribution from reduction of drainage rate, higher particle adsorption energy, and higher surface elasticity. Understanding the differential roles of hydrophilic and hydrophobic nanoparticles in ionic liquid stabilized foam as well as physical mechanism underpinning their specificity could help facilitate the development of new green nanomaterial in the application of EOR.
Green Synthesis of Novel Schiff Bases as Eco‐friendly Corrosion Inhibitors for Mild Steel in Hydrochloric Acid
Authors: Zhang Kegui , Yang Wenzhong , Xu Bin , Yin Xiaoshuang , Chen Yun , Liu Ying
Published: November 2018

Two novel Schiff bases, (E)‐N‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)lysine (1) and (E)‐N‐(4‐hydroxy‐3‐methoxybenzylidene)arginine (2) were synthesized by using natural products of amino acid and vanilline, and their inhibitive effect on the corrosion of mild steel in 0.5 mol⋅L−1 HCl solution was evaluated by various experimental methods such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization curves, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Moreover, quantum chemical calculations and molecular dynamics simulations were used to theoretically explore the internal relation between inhibitory efficiency and molecular structure. The results of EIS show the polarization resistance of mild steel is increased from 6.592 Ω⋅cm2 to 36.46 Ω⋅cm2 and 74.78 Ω⋅cm2 in the presence of 1 and 2, respectively. Tafel curves indicate HMBL and HMBA act as good inhibitors for iron corrosion in hydrochloric acid and that 2 has the better performance than 1. XPS analysis confirms the adsorption of inhibitor molecules on iron surface by forming inhibitor‐Fe complex, which is well fitted by Langmuir model.
Developing 1D Sb‐Embedded Carbon Nanorods to Improve Efficiency and Stability of Inverted Planar Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Li Zhiqi , Liu Chunyu , Zhang Xinyuan , Ren Guanhua , Han Wenbin , Guo Wenbin
Published: November 2018

To overcome the zigzag pathway transport of the electron diffusion process and eliminate the surface trap states of phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) nanofilms in inverted perovskite solar cells, novel 1D N‐type doped carbon nanorods (CNRs) are developed by a stibonium (Sb) auxiliary ball milling method and introduced into the PCBM film to prepare the PCBM:Sb‐CNRs hybrid transport layer. In this way, the N‐type doped Sb‐CNRs can extend the built‐in electric field between CH3NH3PbI3 and PCBM to facilitate the separation of electron/hole pairs. The discontinuous band with the built‐in potential in the PCBM/Sb‐CNRs heterojunction can boost interfacial charge redistribution and promote electrons diffusion from PCBM to electrode through 1D Sb‐CNRs network. As a result, the high device efficiency of 19.26% with enhanced air stability and little hysteresis are achieved. This work demonstrates a simple strategy to improve the efficiency and stability of perovskite photovoltaic devices using low‐cost carbon nanomaterials.