bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined application of geranylgeranylacetone and amelogenin promotes angiogenesis and wound healing in human periodontal ligament cells
Authors: Yamato Hiroaki , Sanui Terukazu , Yotsumoto Karen , Nakao Yuki , Watanabe Yukari , Hayashi Chikako , Aihara Ryosuke , Iwashita Misaki , Tanaka Urara , Taketomi Takaharu , Fukuda Takao , Nishimura Fusanori
Published: February 2021

Amelogenin directly binds to glucose‐regulated protein 78 (Grp78). Cell migration activity is expected to increase when human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) overexpressing Grp78 are treated with amelogenin. Geranylgeranylacetone (GGA) is a drug that induces the expression of heat shock protein and is routinely used to treat gastric ulcers. Here, we investigated the changes in the properties and behavior of hPDLCs in response to treatment with GGA and the synergistic effects of amelogenin stimulation in hPDLCs pretreated with GGA for the establishment of a novel periodontal tissue regenerative therapy. We observed that GGA treatment increased Grp78 protein expression in hPDLCs and enhanced cell migration. Microarray analysis demonstrated that increased Grp78 expression triggered the production of angiopoietin‐like 4 and amphiregulin, which are involved in the enhancement of angiogenesis and subsequent wound healing via the activation of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptors as well as the phosphorylation of cAMP response element‐binding protein and protein kinase A. Moreover, the addition of recombinant murine amelogenin (rM180) further accelerated hPDLC migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells due to the upregulation of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8), monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and IL‐6, which are also known as angiogenesis‐inducing factors. These findings suggest that the application of GGA to gingival tissue and alveolar bone damaged by periodontal disease would facilitate the wound healing process by inducing periodontal ligament cells to migrate to the root surface and release cytokines involved in tissue repair. Additionally, supplementation with amelogenin synergistically enhanced the migratory capacity of these cells while actively promoting angiogenesis. Therefore, the combined application of GGA and amelogenin may establish a suitable environment for periodontal wound healing and further drive the development of novel therapeutics for periodontal tissue regeneration.
The nature of persistent interactions in two model β‐grasp proteins reveals the advantage of symmetry in stability
Authors: Bedford John T. , Poutsma Jennifer , Diawara Norou , Greene Lesley H.
Published: February 2021

Two proteins within the β‐grasp superfamily, the B1‐domain of protein G and the small archaeal modifier protein 1, were investigated to elucidate the key determinants of structural stability at the level of individual interactions. These symmetrical proteins both contain two β‐hairpins which form a sheet flanked by a central α‐helix. They were subjected to high temperature molecular dynamics simulations and the detailed behavior of each long‐range interaction was characterized. The results revealed that in GB1 the most stable region was the C‐terminal hairpin and in SAMP1 it was the opposite, the N‐terminal hairpin. Experimental results for GB1 support this finding. In conclusion, it appears that the difference in the location and number of hydrophobic interactions dictate the differential stability which is accommodated due to structural symmetry of the β‐grasp fold. Thus, the hairpins are interchangeable and in nature this lends itself to adaptability and flexibility.
Energy‐based automatic determination of buffer region in the divide‐and‐conquer second‐order Møller–Plesset perturbation theory
Authors: Fujimori Toshikazu , Kobayashi Masato , Taketsugu Tetsuya
Published: February 2021

In the linear‐scaling divide‐and‐conquer (DC) electronic structure method, each subsystem is calculated together with the neighboring buffer region, the size of which affects the energy error introduced by the fragmentation in the DC method. The DC self‐consistent field calculation utilizes a scheme to automatically determine the appropriate buffer region that is as compact as possible for reducing the computational time while maintaining acceptable accuracy (J. Comput. Chem. 2018, 39, 909). To extend the automatic determination scheme of the buffer region to the DC second‐order Møller–Plesset perturbation (MP2) calculation, a scheme for estimating the subsystem MP2 correlation energy contribution from each atom in the buffer region is proposed. The estimation is based on the atomic orbital Laplace MP2 formalism. Based on this, an automatic buffer determination scheme for the DC‐MP2 calculation is constructed and its performance for several types of systems is assessed.
The vital role of Gli1+ mesenchymal stem cells in tissue development and homeostasis
Authors: Jing Dian , Li Chaoyuan , Yao Ke , Xie Xudong , Wang Peiqi , Zhao Hu , Feng Jian Q. , Zhao Zhihe , Wu Yafei , Wang Jun
Published: February 2021

The hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway plays an essential role in both tissue development and homeostasis. Glioma‐associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) is one of the vital transcriptional factors as well as the direct target gene in the Hh signaling pathway. The cells expressing the Gli1 gene (Gli1+ cells) have been identified as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) that are responsible for various tissue developments, homeostasis, and injury repair. This review outlines some recent discoveries on the crucial roles of Gli1+ MSCs in the development and homeostasis of varieties of hard and soft tissues.
Bioprocessing of marine crustacean side‐streams into bioactives: a review
Authors: Zou Yang , Robbens Johan , Heyndrickx Marc , Debode Jane , Raes Katleen
Published: February 2021

This review summarizes the most common biological methods and their conditions for the recovery of bioactive compounds such as chitin/chitosan, proteins/peptides and carotenoids from marine crustacean processing side‐streams (MCPS). Chitin can be efficiently extracted from MCPS by adding proteases to hydrolyze the proteins (enzymatic hydrolysis), or by using (non‐)lactic acid fermentation to digest and eliminate nonchitinous compounds. Peptides with antimicrobial, antioxidant and antihypertensive activities can be generated via fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis; in addition, carotenoid extraction can be enhanced by both techniques. This review also briefly demonstrates the advantages, challenges and future perspectives of applying biological methods for the valorization of MCPS. These biological methods may provide an alternative solution to minimize the environmental and economic impact of inefficient waste management. Moreover, MCPS can be used to produce high value‐added compounds with potent bioactivities. Ultimately, these compounds produced via optimized biological methods can be commercialized for different applications. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Thermophilic waste air treatment of n‐alkanes in a two‐phase bubble column reactor: the effect of silicone oil addition
Authors: Chalupa Jan , Novák Ondřej , Halecký Martin , Bárta Jiří , Kozliak Evguenii
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Thermophilic waste air biofiltration was developed to overcome the often observed drop in pollutant removal efficiency caused by classical reactor overheating above the mesophilic temperature range. To date, only a few studies have been reported on thermophilic biofiltration of airborne hydrophobic pollutants. In this work, a bubble column reactor (BCR) operated at 50 °C was used to treat waste air contaminated by a mixture of gasoline/kerosene range n‐alkanes with a microbial consortium acquired from burning coal dumps.

RESULTS

Several strategies were used to increase the low pollutant removal efficiency initially observed. Of these, only the addition of NAP (silicone oil) to the reactor led to increased removal efficiency, due to formation of water‐in‐oil emulsion. Analysis of the microbial consortium revealed bacteria from the Paenibacilaceae family (FN667384) and unidentified thermophilic fungi (HQ693517.1) to be the dominant organisms within the analyzed category, with 48% and 99% abundance, respectively. In the presence of NAP, longer‐chain n‐alkanes (C10–C12) were degraded efficiently, unlike their shorter‐chain homologs. After 7–10 days, the degradation of shorter‐chain C7–C8 n‐alkanes was observed at the expense of their longer‐chain homologs.

CONCLUSION

A two‐phase thermophilic BCR proved successful in treating an airborne n‐alkane mixture. With the NAP addition, the apparent mass transfer limitations were overcome, creating a suitable environment for thermophilic hydrocarbon biodegradation. As a result, efficient degradation of longer‐chain n‐alkanes was enabled upon emulsification, whereas the removal of shorter‐chain C7–C8 hydrocarbons occurred later, most likely as a consequence of the biomass adaptation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Polyphenols from Nerone Gold 26/6, a new pigmented rice, via non‐conventional extractions: antioxidant properties and biological validation
Authors: Ferrari Pier Francesco , Pettinato Margherita , Casazza Alessandro Alberto , De Negri Atanasio Giulia , Palombo Domenico , Perego Patrizia
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Pigmented rice is rich in coloured molecules known as anthocyanins, which exhibit a strong antioxidant activity and are used as additives to improve both the aspect and nutraceutical value of food.

RESULTS

In this work, Nerone Gold 26/6 was employed as raw material for the extraction of antioxidants varying solvents and the operating conditions by evaluating three different techniques, i.e., (1) conventional solid–liquid extraction, (2) high pressure and temperature extraction, and (3) ultrasound‐assisted extraction. The quality of extracts was assayed by determining their total polyphenol yield, total flavonoid yield, total anthocyanin yield, and the antioxidant activity by spectrophotometric analyses, as well as the phenolic profile by high performance liquid chromatography. High pressure and temperature extraction presented the highest content of polyphenols (14.0 ± 1.10 mggallic acid equivalents/gdried biomass) using a green solvent as ethanol 70% (v/v), while ultrasound‐assisted extraction carried out for 20 min showed the highest anthocyanin content (7.5 ± 0.94 mgmalvidin equivalents/gdried biomass). Both of the extracts were biologically validated on human endothelial cells.

CONCLUSION

Among the non‐conventional techniques, high pressure and temperature extraction at 60 °C and ultrasound‐assisted extraction for 20 min provided high total polyphenol, flavonoid, and anthocyanin yields and antioxidant activities compared to solid–liquid extraction. Both extracts were well tolerated by endothelial cells in a concentration ranging from 0.0125 to 0.0500 mggallic acid equivalents/mLextract. Finally, solid phase extraction was responsible of a further increase of the extract biocompatibility. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Carbon‐13 synthesis and NMR spectroscopic geometric isomer evaluation to support the filing of teriflunomide
Authors: Kurz Michael , Gretzke Dirk , Hörlein Rolf , Turpault Sandrine , Atzrodt Jens , Derdau Volker
Published: February 2021

The two isotopomers of teriflunomide were synthesized starting from isotopically stable‐labeled stocks of [13C]potassium cyanide and [1‐13C]ethyl bromoacetate. The two 13C‐labeled compounds 1a, b were applied in several NMR studies to study the E/Z ratio in different matrices. In a solution, such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a dynamic equilibrium between E/Z‐isomers (ratio of 8:92) was determined by initial 13C‐carbon NMR experiments. To get insights into the E/Z ratio of teriflunomide under in vivo conditions, advanced heteronuclear NMR (heteronuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy [HOESY]) in D2O and mixtures of D2O/plasma were performed. Whereas NMR experiments in mixtures of water and plasma failed owing to extreme line broadening, NMR spectra in water at pH 7.4 showed only the Z‐isomer.
Infection and disease spectrum in individuals with household exposure to SARS‐CoV‐2: A family cluster cohort study
Authors: Xie Wen , Chen Zhihai , Wang Qi , Song Meihua , Cao Ying , Wang Lin , Pan Calvin Q.
Published: February 2021

We primarily quantified exposure patterns, transmission characteristics, and the clinical spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection among household contacts of individuals with severe coronavirus disease‐2019 (COVID‐19). We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 20 index patients hospitalized with severe COVID‐19 and 79 of their household contacts. We determined the transmission frequency, range of manifestations of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, and factors associated with infection in household settings. Of the 79 household contacts, 53 (67%) developed SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (49 [62%] symptomatic, 4 [5%] asymptomatic). Eight patients (10%) developed severe COVID‐19, and one died of COVID‐19 pneumonia (case‐fatality rate: 1.9%). The probability of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection was similar in children and adults (55% vs. 72%, p = .14), with children being less likely to develop the symptomatic disease (46% vs. 68%, p = .06). Handwashing ≥ 5 times/day was associated with reduced infection risk (52.8% vs. 76.9%, p = .04). SARS‐CoV‐2 has a high frequency of transmission among household contacts. Nonhospitalized individuals with SARS‐CoV‐2 infection should be quarantined in patient care facilities rather than at home to minimize spread, if possible, and frequent handwashing should be practiced to prevent transmission.
Human polyomaviruses genomes in clinical specimens of colon cancer patients
Authors: Dolci Maria , Signorini Lucia , Toumi Wafa , Basile Giuseppe , D'Alessandro Sarah , Ferrante Pasquale , Delbue Serena
Published: February 2021

Colon cancer is the third cause of cancer death in the developed countries. Some environmental factors are involved in its pathogenesis, including viral infections. The possible involvement of human polyomaviruses (HPyVs) in colon cancer pathogenesis has been previously reported, leading to inconsistent conclusions. Clinical specimens were collected from 125 colon cancer patients. Specifically, 110 tumor tissues, 55 negative surgical margins, and 39 peripheral blood samples were analyzed for the presence of six HPyVs: JC polyomavirus (JCPyV), BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), Merkel cell PyV (MCPyV), HPyV −6, −7, and −9 by means of DNA isolation and subsequent duplex Real Time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. HPyVs genome was detected in 33/204 samples (16.2%): the significant higher positivity was found in tumor tissues (26/110, 23.6%), followed by negative surgical margins (3/55, 5.5%, p < .05), and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) (4/39; 10.3%). HPyVs load was statistically higher only in the tumor tissues compared to negative surgical margins (p < .05). Specifically, MCPyV was detected in 19.1% (21/110) of tumor tissues, 3.6% (2/55) of negative surgical margins (p < .05), and 7.7% (3/39) of PBMCs; HPyV‐6 in 2.7% (3/110) of tumor tissues, and 1.8% (1/55) of negative surgical margins; one tumor tissue (1/110, 0.9%) and one PBMCs sample (1/39, 2.6%) were positive for BKPyV; JCPyV was present in 0.9% (1/110) of tumor tissues. HPyV‐7 and 9 were not detected in any sample. High prevalence and load of MCPyV genome in the tumor tissues might be indicative of a relevant rather than bystander role of the virus in the colon tumorigenesis.
Impact of both socioeconomic level and occupation on antibody prevalence to SARS‐CoV‐2 in an Egyptian cohort: The first episode
Authors: Bahgat Mahmoud M. , Nadeem Rola , Nasraa Mohamed H. , Awad Mona A.‐E. , Kamel Solaf , Abd‐Elshafy Dina N.
Published: February 2021

We studied the impact of socioeconomic level on the anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐antibodies prevalence in an Egyptian cohort. The low socioeconomic standard group (LSS) included 51 humans, 30 females (F) and 21 males (M). The high socioeconomic standard group (HSS) included 55 subjects, 24 F and 31 M. Of the 30 LSSF, 6 were immunoglobulin M (IgM), 21 immunoglobulin G (IgG), and 6 double positive. Of the 21 LSSM, 5 were IgM, 12 IgG, and 5 double positive. Of the 24 HSSF, 6 were IgM, 11 IgG, and 5 double positive. Of the 31 HSSM, 6 were IgM, 14 IgG, and 4 double positive. Of the 51 LSS humans, 26 were symptomatic (S) and 25 asymptomatic (AS). Of the 26 S, 20 were IgG and 8 IgM/IgG double positive. Of the 25 AS, 13 were IgG and 3 IgM/IgG double positive. Of the 55 HSS humans, 38 were S and 17 AS. Of the 38S, 24 were IgG and 11 IgM positive of whom, 9 were double positive. Of the 17 AS, one was IgG and one IgM positive. The IgM prevalence was higher among the HSS humans. The IgG prevalence was significantly higher among the LSS humans. In the two different socioeconomic standards, the prevalence of either IgM or IgG was higher among F. An inverse correlation was observed between age and the anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2‐antibodies prevalence except for LSSF‐IgG and LSSM‐IgM. In conclusion, socioeconomic standard, gender, and age impact humoral responses to SARS‐CoV‐2 with a clear heterogeneity in individualized responses to the infection in terms of symptoms.
Nitric oxide and sex differences in dendritic branching and arborization
Authors: Richards Laura A. , Schonhoff Christopher M.
Published: February 2021

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important signaling molecule with many functions in the nervous system. Derived from the enzymatic conversion of arginine by several nitric oxide synthases (NOS), NO plays significant roles in neuronal developmental events such as the establishment of dendritic branching or arbors. A brief summary of the discovery, molecular biology, and chemistry of NO, and a description of important NO‐mediated signal transduction pathways with emphasis on the role for NO in the development of dendritic branching during neurodevelopment are presented. Important sex differences in neuronal nitric oxide synthase expression during neuronal development are considered. Finally, a survey of endogenous and exogenous substances that disrupt dendritic patterning is presented with particular emphasis on how these molecules may drive NO‐mediated sex differences in dendritic branching.
The association of mandibular third molar impaction with the dental and periodontal lesions in the adjacent second molars
Authors: Tai Shanshan , Zhou Yang , Pathak Janak L. , Piao Zhengguo , Zhou Libin
Published: February 2021

Background

It is a consensus that symptomatic impacted mandibular third molars (MTMs) need to be removed. Although the prophylactic extraction of asymptomatic impacted MTMs remains controversial. This study aims to investigate the effects of MTMs on themselves and adjacent teeth pathophysiology and provide the evidence for prophylactic extraction of impacted MTMs.

Methods

A retrospective study of panoramic radiographs of patients visited the Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from April 2014 to May 2018 was conducted to investigate the dental and periodontal lesions in MTMs and adjacent mandibular second molars (MSMs), as well as the correlation of tooth lesion severity with patient age.

Results

Among the 2650 impacted MTMs, 6.98% dental lesions and 37.81% periodontal lesions were found, as well as 24.63% dental lesions and 35.30% periodontal lesions in the distal of adjacent MSMs. 9.27%, 2.02%, 0.47%, and 13.33% dental lesions and 48.81%, 17.31%, 5.19%, and 10% periodontal lesions were observed in MTMs with mesioangular, horizontal, inverted and distoangular impaction types, respectively. For the adjacent MSMs, 31.98%, 11.82%, 1.94%, and 13.33% distal dental lesions and 45.74%, 16.95%, 2.91%, and 23.33% distal periodontal lesions were found in mesioangular, horizontal, inverted and distoangular impaction types, respectively. In mesioangular MTMs, the severity of the distal dental and periodontal lesions in the adjacent MSMs showed a high‐positive correlation with patient age (P < 0.05)

Conclusion

Early prophylactic extraction of MTMs with mesioangular‐impaction and close monitoring of MTMs with horizontal/inverted‐impaction could prevent impacted MTMs‐associated lesions in MTMs/MSMs.
Quantifying the robustness of primary analysis results: A case study on missing outcome data in pairwise and network meta‐analysis
Authors: Spineli Loukia M. , Kalyvas Chrysostomos , Papadimitropoulou Katerina
Published: February 2021

Conducting sensitivity analyses is an integral part of the systematic review process to explore the robustness of results derived from the primary analysis. When the primary analysis results can be sensitive to assumptions concerning a model's parameters (e.g., missingness mechanism to be missing at random), sensitivity analyses become necessary. However, what can be concluded from sensitivity analyses is not always clear. For instance, in a pairwise meta‐analysis (PMA) and network meta‐analysis (NMA), conducting sensitivity analyses usually boils down to examining how ‘similar’ the estimated treatment effects are from different re‐analyses to the primary analysis or placing undue emphasis on the statistical significance. To establish objective decision rules regarding the robustness of the primary analysis results, we propose an intuitive index, which uses the whole distribution of the estimated treatment effects under the primary and alternative re‐analyses. This novel index is compared to an objective threshold to infer the presence or lack of robustness. In the case of missing outcome data, we additionally propose a graph that contrasts the primary analysis results to those of alternative scenarios about the missingness mechanism in the compared arms. When robustness is questioned according to the proposed index, the suggested graph can demystify the scenarios responsible for producing inconsistent results to the primary analysis. The proposed decision framework is immediately applicable to a broad set of sensitivity analyses in PMA and NMA. We illustrate our framework in the context of missing outcome data in both PMA and NMA using published systematic reviews.
Mixed Micellization Behavior of (Chlorpromazine Hydrochloride + Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide) System in Aqueous Solutions of Glycine
Authors: Banipal Parampaul K. , Sharma Jyoti , Sohal Pallavi , Banipal Tarlok S.
Published: February 2021

We have examined the mixed micellar behavior of {amphiphilic drug; chlorpromazine hydrochloride (CPZ) + cationic surfactant; cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)} at varying mole fractions of CPZ (αCPZ = 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8) in (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5) mol kg−1 glycine(aq) solutions at 298.15, 308.15, and 318.15 K, by using conductometric, volumetric, isentropic compressibility, UV–visible absorbance, fluorescence, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) techniques. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values obtained from above measurements have been utilized to calculate the thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°m, ΔH°m, and ΔS°m) and degree of ionization (α) at studied temperatures and concentrations. The partial specific volume (φv), partial specific isentropic compression (φκ), and isentropic compressibility (κs) have been calculated from the experimental density and speed of sound measurements and the results have been used to elucidate different interactions occurring in these systems. These results are further supported by UV–visible absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopic studies. The hydrodynamic diameters (Dh) of the mixed micellar system have been measured from the DLS studies. Thermodynamic and spectroscopic studies depict the dominance of hydrophobic/hydrophilic‐hydrophobic interactions between the alkyl (R = C16H33) chain of CTAB or hydrophobic tricyclic scaffolding of CPZ/Br−/N+‐CH3 group of CTAB or hydrophilic group i.e., tertiary amine portion of CPZ with hydrophobic group of glycine.
Primary research on sampling scheme for analyzing mycotoxin distribution in wheat and rice fields
Authors: Yi Yanjie , Fan Kun , Wang Jiaqi , Fu Qianzhen , Zhou Xianqing , Zhang Yurong , Zhang Huiru
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND

Mycotoxins are among the most severe food contaminants. Deoxynivalenol and aflatoxin contamination are predominant in wheat and rice, respectively. Nowadays, there are no standardized and approved grain‐sampling schemes worldwide. This study aimed to develop a scientific grain‐sampling scheme to investigate the regularity of mycotoxin distributed in wheat and rice fields. The data were analyzed with analysis of variance and cluster analysis to select a better sampling scheme.

RESULTS

Considering the influences of the weather before harvest (temperature, humidity, wind direction, and other conditions), we sampled grains from different places in different farmlands and detected the mycotoxin content of the sampled grains. The mycotoxin content had extremely significant differences in the area of rice fields (P<0.01) and significant differences in the area of wheat fields (P<0.05). The filtering effect existed peripheral the field areas, especially peripheral the humid areas, where the fungi were filtered and the toxin were easily produced. Furthermore, the upwind direction peripheral the field areas cause more filterature effect than other wind direction. Although 97% of mycotoxins in wheat can be removed through the shelling process, the toxin content were not obviously affected by rice lodging in the field. According to the cluster analysis, the peripheral and middle areas were divided into the same group with higher mycotoxin content.

CONCLUSION

This paper developed a sampling scheme to detect the mycotoxin content of wheat and rice in the field, considering the temperature and humidity of the weather, locations, and other grain contamination conditions before harvest. Meanwhile, the sampling rule of lodging and wind direction in the field was also assayed. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry
Analysis of monosaccharide composition of water‐soluble polysaccharides from Codium fragile by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Li Peipei , Yan Zhongyong , Chen Yin , He Pengfei , Yang Wenge
Published: February 2021

Codium fragile is a green alga belonging to Codiales family. The sulfated polysaccharides of this alga have anti‐coagulation, antiviral, anti‐angiogenesis, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory properties. In this study, we developed a reliable and rapid method for the analysis of 10 monosaccharides using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry in the negative electrospray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode. Monosaccharides, including two pentoses (xylose, arabinose); two deoxyhexoses (rhamnose, fucose); three hexoses (mannose, glucose, galactose); two hexuronic acids (glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid), and an N‐acetyl‐hexosamine (glucosamine), were derivatized using 1‐phenyl‐3‐methyl‐5‐pyrazolone and simultaneously analyzed within 9 min. Optimization of the derivatization process, especially by using various 1‐phenyl‐3‐methyl‐5‐pyrazolone concentrations, was studied. The calibration curves showed good linearity with a squared correlation coefficient > 0.995. The spiked recovery was determined to be 91.1–105.7% with the relative intra‐day and inter‐day standard deviations ranging from 2.58–6.71% and 3.15–7.67%, respectively. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for all 10 monosaccharides ranged from 0.02 to 0.10 μg/mL and 0.05 to 0.25 μg/mL, respectively. Using this method, the monosaccharides comprising the polysaccharides of Codium fragile were determined to be arabinose, galactose, and glucose.
Body Condition of Wintering Pacific Greater White‐Fronted Geese
Authors: Skalos Daniel A. , Eadie John M. , Yparraguirre Daniel R. , Weaver Melanie l. , Oldenburger Shaun L. , Ely Craig R. , Yee Julie L. , Fleskes Joseph P.
Published: February 2021

Extreme changes to key waterfowl habitats in the Klamath Basin (KB) on the Oregon–California border and the Sacramento Valley (SV) in California, USA, have occurred since 1980. The spatial distribution of Pacific greater white‐fronted geese (Anser albifrons sponsa; geese) has likewise changed among these areas and population size has grown from 79,000 to >600,000 geese during the same period. To assess the effects of landscape changes and spatial‐temporal distribution of geese, we collected Pacific greater white‐fronted geese during winters of 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 in the KB and SV and compared their body condition to geese collected during 1979–1980 and 1980–1981. We modeled body and lipid mass to assess body condition for each sex independently and examined the influence of collection day, year, and region. Body condition of geese varied throughout the winter and within years in a nonlinear fashion. We detected an increase in body condition in both sexes during December and January in the SV, which corresponds with improved habitat conditions and increases seen in other species in the region. Body condition upon arrival in fall migration varied by year for females and by year and region for males. Males and females arrived in poorer body condition during 2010–2011 than all other study years and males in the KB during 2010–2011 had extremely low lipid mass, reflecting poor regional habitat conditions induced by drought. Body condition of females varied over spring, by year, and by region and regional effects were evident for males. Body condition was significantly higher for geese in the SV than in the KB during spring. Our results suggest that Pacific greater white‐fronted geese have adapted to a changing landscape and have adjusted historical spatial use patterns to take advantage of more favorable conditions in the SV between 1979 and 2010. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.
Reduced mechanism for flames of propane, n‐butane, and their mixtures for application to burners: Development and validation
Authors: Kumaran S. Muthu , Shanmugasundaram D. , Narayanaswamy Krithika , Raghavan Vasudevan
Published: February 2021

Propane, n‐butane, and their mixtures are commonly used as fuels for various applications. Reliable numerical simulations of flames involving these fuels are most essential to study their efficient use in domestic and industrial burners. Such simulations require a suitable reaction mechanism containing the necessary kinetics to predict key combustion characteristics in flames accurately. However, the use of detailed kinetic mechanisms for these computations is formidable in multidimensional simulations, owing to their large sizes. To address this, in this work, a compact mechanism (45 species, 392 reactions) for propane, n‐butane, and their mixtures, suitable for multidimensional simulations is derived and comprehensively validated against available experimental data in flames. The main oxidation pathways retained in this compact model are showcased. One‐dimensional (1D) computations of premixed and nonpremixed flames are carried out using FlameMaster and Chemkin‐Pro. Two‐dimensional (2D) calculations are performed within ANSYS‐FLUENT. Here, multicomponent diffusion, thermal diffusion, and radiation submodels are used. Laminar flame speeds, extinction strain rates, and amounts of major species in premixed flat flames are validated using 1D computations. Temperature and major species in propane and n‐butane jet diffusion flames are verified in 2D simulations. Further, 2D computations using the compact mechanism also predict the laminar burning velocity of premixed flames of n‐butane and propane mixtures established over a Bunsen burner. The ability of the compact mechanism to predict desired targets in premixed and nonpremixed flames is analyzed from a kinetic basis. Validation using 2D simulations demonstrates the usability of the compact mechanism in multidimensional computations.
Prognostic Significance of Systemic Inflammatory Response in Cases of Temporal Bone Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Komune Noritaka , Sato Kuniaki , Hongo Takahiro , Miyazaki Masaru , Masuda Shogo , Koike Kensuke , Uchi Ryutaro , Tsuchihashi Nana Akagi , Noda Teppei , Kogo Ryunosuke , Wakasaki Takahiro , Yasumatsu Ryuji , Nakagawa Takashi
Published: February 2021

Objective/Hypothesis

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the temporal bone is an extremely rare condition. This rarity has led to a delay in the establishment of a standard treatment protocol and adequate staging system. Identification of prognostic markers of this disease from a variety of fields is desirable in the establishment of treatment guidelines for temporal bone SCC. The aim of this study is to assess the prognostic role of inflammation‐based prognostic scores in cases of temporal bone SCC.

Study Design

Case reries with chart review.

Methods

A total of 71 cases of primary malignancy eligible for curative treatment at a single tertiary medical institute were retrospectively analyzed. Univariate and multivariate regression analyzes were used to investigate the association between the inflammation‐based scores and 5‐year overall survival.

Results

Univariate Cox regression analyzes showed that a high neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, high platelet‐to‐lymphocyte ratio, low lymphocyte‐to‐monocyte ratio, a Glasgow prognostic score of 2, and the systemic inflammation score of 2 were significantly associated with a poor prognosis, as well as a classification of T4 stage, presence of cervical lymph node metastasis, high white blood cell counts, and high C‐reactive protein levels. The multivariate analysis showed that a clinical stage of T4 and a systemic inflammation score of 2 were independent prognostic markers.

Conclusions

Inflammation‐based prognostic markers are associated with the survival of patients with temporal bone SCC, as well as other head and neck SCCs.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 131:1782–1789, 2021
Extracting check dam areas from high‐resolution imagery based on the integration of object‐based image analysis and deep learning
Authors: Li Sijin , Xiong Liyang , Hu Guanghui , Dang Weiqin , Tang Guoan , Strobl Josef
Published: February 2021

Soil loss is a global environmental problem that can intensively damage surrounding ecosystems. To control soil loss and secure agricultural activities, check dams are constructed for soil conservation. However, due to ineffective management, many check dams are abandoned and are highly prone to be damaged due to rainstorms. Such a phenomenon would cause more serious damage to surrounding environments than that associated with common soil loss. The similar basic signatures of check dam areas and their surroundings can blur the boundaries of these structures in images and negatively affect boundary identification, thereby limiting the effectiveness of traditional check dam area extraction techniques based on the pixel level or visual inspection. To facilitate the extraction of check dams, we propose a method that integrates deep learning and object‐based image analysis. We select the Loess Plateau, on which several effective check dam systems have been constructed in recent years to address intense soil loss, as the study area on which to perform high‐resolution imagery experiments to determine the influences of different sample combinations. The parameters influencing the segmentation algorithm are also examined to determine the best parameter combination for the extraction of check dams. Four test areas comprising 12 check dams across different environments were selected with which to test the accuracy of the proposed method. In addition, we compared the check dam extraction capabilities of our proposed method with those of the random forest and deep learning approaches. The results show that the proposed method can achieve a classification accuracy and kappa coefficient that signify good performance in detecting the boundaries and areas of check dams. The proposed method generally outperforms the random forest and deep learning techniques. The extraction results can support the efficient soil management and guide future studies on gully erosion.
A Comparative Study Between Once‐Weekly and Alternating Twice‐Weekly Regimen Using Blue (470 nm) and Red (640 nm) Light Combination LED Phototherapy for Moderate‐to‐Severe Acne Vulgaris
Authors: Nitayavardhana Sunatra , Manuskiatti Woraphong , Cembrano Kathryn Anne G. , Wanitphadeedecha Rungsima
Published: February 2021

Background and Objective

Phototherapy for acne with a combination of blue and red light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) appears to have excellent potential in treating inflammatory acne. However, a standard twice‐weekly protocol administered 3 days apart may not be practical for patients. This study aims to seek the efficacy of LED treatment in moderate to severe acne, comparing between once and alternating twice‐weekly regimens.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Thirty subjects with moderate to severe acne, as defined by Burton's grading score, were recruited in the study. The subjects were randomly divided into two groups‐ one group received alternating blue (470 nm) and red (640 nm) light in two visits per week for 4 consecutive weeks, while the other group got blue and red light treatments consecutively on the same visit for 4 consecutive weeks. During the study period, conventional treatments were prohibited. Clinical assessments were performed by lesion counts and blinded comparative photographs before treatment and at 1, 4, and 8 weeks after the final treatment.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between once‐ and alternating twice‐weekly regimens. Both regimens provided marked improvement only for inflammatory lesions. The median percentage of acne reduction was significantly demonstrated for 1 week after finishing the course of treatment and was sustained until the end of the study. There were no side effects noted throughout the study period.

Conclusion

LED therapy is safe and effective for treatment of inflammatory acne. The treatment outcomes of once and alternating twice‐weekly regimens were comparable, hence, once‐weekly treatment could be considered as an alternative choice for patient's convenience. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Cirrhotic Cardiomyopathy Predicts Posttransplant Cardiovascular Disease: Revelations of the New Diagnostic Criteria
Authors: Izzy Manhal , Soldatova Anna , Sun Xin , Angirekula Mounika , Mara Kristin , Lin Grace , Watt Kymberly D.
Published: February 2021

The diagnostic criteria for cirrhotic cardiomyopathy (CCM) were recently revised to reflect the contemporary advancements in echocardiographic technology. This study evaluates the prevalence of CCM, according to the new criteria, and its impact on posttransplant cardiovascular disease (CVD). This is a single‐center retrospective matched cohort study of liver transplantation (LT) recipients who underwent LT between January 1, 2008 and November 30, 2017. A total of 3 cohorts with decompensated cirrhosis (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, alcohol‐related liver disease, or other etiologies) were matched based on age, sex, and year of transplant after excluding patients listed without evidence of hepatic decompensation. CCM was defined, according to 2020 criteria, as having diastolic dysfunction, left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%, and/or a global longitudinal strain (GLS) absolute value <18%. The study echocardiographers were blinded to the clinical data. Posttransplant CVD included new coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, and stroke. The study included 141 patients of whom 59 were women. The mean age at LT was 57.8 (±7.6) years. A total of 49 patients (34.8%) had CCM. Patients with CCM were at an increased risk for post‐LT CVD (hazard ratio, 2.57; 95% confidence interval, 1.2‐5.5; P = 0.016). Changes in CCM individual parameters pretransplant, such as GLS, early diastolic transmitral flow to early diastolic mitral annular velocity, and left atrial volume index were associated with an increased risk for posttransplant CVD. CCM, defined by the new diagnostic criteria, affects approximately one‐third of decompensated LT candidates. CCM predicts an increased risk for new CVD following LT. Studies into addressing and follow‐up to mitigate these risks are needed.
Mitigation of top‐ and bottom‐of‐the‐line CO2 corrosion in the presence of acetic acid (I): pH control using methyl diethanolamine
Authors: Ajayi Fredric O. , Lyon Stuart
Published: February 2021

Temperature differences between the top and the base of pipelines can, in specific circumstances, drive severe corrosion due to condensed fluids at the top‐of‐the‐line. Here, we measure corrosion at the top‐of‐the‐line in the condensate phase and, simultaneously, in the immersed phase at the bottom‐of‐the‐line using an electrochemical approach. With CO2‐saturated chloride brine, corrosion at the top‐of‐the‐line increased with fluid temperature (due to increased condensation rates), whereas at the bottom‐of‐the‐line, the corrosion rate decreased (due to ferrous carbonate precipitation). The addition of acetic acid increased the corrosion rate at both top and bottom of the line, with any ferrous carbonate films being removed by dissolution. The addition of methyl diethanolamine (MDEA) reduced corrosion rates significantly because of the increased pH in both the condensate at the top‐of‐the‐line and under immersion at the bottom‐of‐the‐line, reducing the solubility of FeCO3. Overall, the addition of acetic acid was confirmed to damage and remove protective FeCO3 films. However, continuous films were not re‐established after MDEA additions, rather porous and generally unprotective films were formed.
Filippov lemma for measure differential inclusion
Authors: Fryszkowski Andrzej , Sadowski Jacek
Published: February 2021

In this work we propose a Filippov‐type lemma for the differential inclusion

where is a given multifunction and μ is a finite Borel signed measure on [0, T] (possibly atomic). By a solution of (0.1) we mean a function such that and
where is a μ‐integrable function such that for μ‐almost every and stands for either (0, t] for each or [0, t). Such setting leads to at least two nonequivalent notions of a solution to (0.1) and therefore we formulate two different Filippov‐type inequalities (Theorems 2.1 and 2.2). These two concepts coincide in case of the Lebesgue measure. The purpose of our considerations is to cover a class of impulsive control systems, a class of stochastic systems and differential systems on time scales.
COVID‐19 infection in patients with connective tissue disease: A multicity study in Hubei province, China
Authors: Ye Cong , Zhong Jixin , Cai Shaozhe , Dong Li , Li Chuanjing , Hou Xiaoqiang , Chen Xiaoqi , Zhang Anbing , Chen Wenli , He Dongchu , Zhou Tao , Shang Guilian , Chu Aichun , Li Huiling , Liu Qihuan , Wu Bin , Yu Xiangdong , Peng Tao , Wen Cheng , Huang Gang Hong , Huang Hao , Huang Qin , Su Linchong , Chen Wenping , Yang Huiqin , Dong Lingli
Published: February 2021

Novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has spread rapidly around the world. Individuals with immune dysregulation and/or on immunosuppressive therapy, such as rheumatic patients, are considered at greater risk for infections. However, the risks of patients with each subcategory of rheumatic diseases have not been reported. Here, we identified 100 rheumatic patients from 18,786 COVID‐19 patients hospitalized in 23 centers affiliated to Hubei COVID‐19 Rheumatology Alliance between January 1 and April 1, 2020. Demographic information, medical history, length of hospital stay, classification of disease severity, symptoms and signs, laboratory tests, disease outcome, computed tomography, and treatments information were collected. Compared to gout and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, patients with connective tissue disease (CTD) tend to be more severe after COVID‐19 infection (p = 0.081). CTD patients also had lower lymphocyte counts, hemoglobin, and platelet counts (p values were 0.033, < 0.001, and 0.071, respectively). Hydroxychloroquine therapy and low‐ to medium‐dose glucocorticoids before COVID‐19 diagnosis reduced the progression of COVID‐19 to severe/critical conditions (p = 0.001 for hydroxychloroquine; p = 0.006 for glucocorticoids). Our data suggests that COVID‐19 in CTD patients may be more severe compared to patients with AS or gout.
Combining bioinformatics analysis and experiments to explore CARNS1 as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer
Authors: Zhang Li , Zhang Yan , Zhang Xin , Li Xinyu , He Miao , Qiao Shixing
Published: February 2021

Background

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous malignant disease, which has variation in clinical behaviors. High‐throughput technologies have added important genetic alternative and biological change information for breast cancer. CARNS1 is an important ATPases. It can catalyze the synthesis of carnosine, which has antiproliferative activity in cancer. Here, we hypothesize that CARNS1 plays an essential role in the development of breast cancer.

Methods

The expressions of CARNS1 in breast cancer were data‐mined and analyzed from TCGA (the Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO (the Gene Expression Omnibus) databases. The correlation of CARNS1 expression with clinical characteristics and the diagnostic capability of CARNS1 were assessed. Experimental studies were conducted in two cohorts (n = 60) of breast cancer patients by qRT‐PCR and immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

CARNS1 was significantly downregulated in breast cancer. The expression was correlated with tumor molecular and histological types, T and M stages, and vital status. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the downregulation of CARNS1 was significantly related to poor overall survival and relapse‐free survival. Moreover, these scenarios have been extended to ER, PR, and HER2 positive patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that CARNS1 can be considered as an independent prognostic predictor for patients with breast cancer. Experimental data supported that the protein and mRNA levels of CARNS1 in breast cancer are indeed significantly downregulated.

Conclusion

Our findings have demonstrated that CARNS1 acts as a tumor suppressor gene and may be an independent prognostic indicator for breast cancer patients.
Multiple solutions of Choquard equations in ℝ2 with critical exponential growth via penalization method
Authors: Zhang Hui , Xu Junxiang
Published: February 2021

We deal with the singularly perturbed Choquard equation in the plane with critical exponential growth in the sense of the Trudinger–Moser inequality. Under a local condition imposed on the potential, we show the multiplicity and concentration of positive solutions via penalization technique and variational methods.
Altered Gut Microbiota is Involved in the Anti‐Hypertensive Effects of Vitamin C in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat
Authors: Li Ying , Salih Ibrahim Rawya Mohamed , Chi Hong‐Li , Xiao Tong , Xia Wen‐Jie , Li Hong‐Bao , Kang Yu‐Ming
Published: February 2021

Scope

Gut dysbiosis and dysregulation of the gut‐brain‐axis contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. Vitamin C (VC) is a common dietary supplement that shows the ability to lower the elevated blood pressure in hypertensive animals. Thus, the hypothesis that the gut microbiota is involved in the anti‐hypertensive effect of VC is proposed.

Methods and Results

The changes of the gut microbiota and pathology in a spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) model after daily oral intake of VC in dosage of 200 or 1000 mg kg−1 are examined. After 4 weeks, the elevated blood pressure of SHRs in both VC‐treated groups is attenuated. Sequencing of the gut microbiota shows improvement in its diversity and abundance. Bioinformatic analysis suggests restored metabolism and biosynthesis‐related functions of the gut, which are confirmed by the improvement of gut pathology and integrity. Analysis of the hypothalamus paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the central pivot of blood pressure regulation, also shows reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress.

Conclusions

The reduced blood pressure, enriched gut microbiota, improved gut pathology and integrity, and reduced inflammatory responses and oxidative stress in the PVN together suggest that the anti‐hypertensive effects of VC involve reshaping of gut microbiota composition and function.