bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variants with a low allele frequency detected in genomic DNA affect the accuracy of mutation detection in cell‐free DNA by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Wang Jacqueline F. , Pu Xingxiang , Zhang Xiaoshan , Chen Ken , Xi Yuanxin , Wang Jing , Mao Xizeng , Zhang Jianhua , Heymach John V. , Antonoff Mara B. , Hofstetter Wayne L. , Mehran Reza J. , Rice David C. , Roth Jack A. , Sepesi Boris , Swisher Stephen G. , Vaporciyan Ara A. , Walsh Garrett L. , Meng Qing H. , Shaw Kenna R. , Eterovic Agda Karina , Fang Bingliang
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

Next‐generation sequencing of cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) has been shown to be a useful noninvasive test for detecting mutations in solid tumors.

METHODS

Targeted gene sequencing was performed with a panel of 263 cancer‐related genes for cfDNA and genomic DNA of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from presurgical specimens of 6 lung cancer patients, and mutation calls in these samples were compared with those of primary tumors and corresponding patient‐derived xenografts (PDXs).

RESULTS

Approximately 67% of the mutations detected in the tumor samples (primary tumors and/or PDXs) were also detected in genomic DNA from PBMCs as background mutations. These background mutations consisted of germline polymorphisms and a group of mutations with low allele frequencies, mostly <10%. These variants with a low allele frequency were repeatedly detected in all types of samples from the same patients and at similarly low allele frequency levels in PBMCs from different patients; this indicated that their detection might be derived from common causes, such as homologous sequences in the human genome. Allele frequencies of mutations detected in both primary tumors and cfDNA showed 2 patterns: 1) low allele frequencies (approximately 1%‐10%) in cfDNA but high allele frequencies (usually >10% or >3‐fold increase) in primary tumors and further enrichment in PDXs and 2) similar allele frequencies across samples.

CONCLUSIONS

Because only a small fraction of total cfDNA might be derived from tumor cells, only mutations with the first allele frequency pattern may be regarded as tumor‐specific mutations in cfDNA. Effective filtering of background mutations will be required to improve the accuracy of mutation calls in cfDNA. Cancer 2018;124:1061‐9. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Self‐clotting method improves cell block preparation
Authors: Shi Yan , Chiaffarano Jeanine , Yee‐Chang Melissa , Brandler Tamar C. , Elgert Paul , Leung Allen , Wei Xiao‐Jun , Cangiarella Joan , Simsir Aylin , Sun Wei
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

The success of cell block preparation is crucial for ancillary diagnostic tests in cytology. However, achieving an optimal cell block can be challenging. The current study describes a self‐clotting‐based technique for fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cell block preparations and evaluates its usefulness in comparison with the conventional needle wash technique.

METHODS

The clinical data, FNA procedure, and cellularity of cell blocks of the self‐clotting group (37 cases) and the conventional needle wash group (33 cases) were compared. The cellularity was evaluated using a scoring system (0 indicated acellular, 1 indicated 1‐50 cells, and 2 indicated >50 cells).

RESULTS

Approximately 76% of cases in the self‐clotting group received a score of 2 versus 36% in the conventional needle wash group. Approximately 14% received a score of 1 in the self‐clotting group compared with 9% in the conventional needle wash group, whereas 11% in the self‐clotting group received a score of 0 versus 55% in the conventional needle wash group. The differences between the 2 methods were statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the current study demonstrate that the self‐clotting method is superior to the conventional needle wash method for FNA samples. Cancer Cytopathol 2018;126:190‐9. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Morphology of P2X3‐immunoreactive nerve endings in the rat tracheal mucosa
Authors: Yamamoto Yoshio , Nakamuta Nobuaki
Published: November 2017

Nerve endings with immunoreactivity for the P2X3 purinoreceptor (P2X3) in the rat tracheal mucosa were examined by immunohistochemistry of whole‐mount preparations with confocal scanning laser microscopy. P2X3 immunoreactivity was observed in ramified endings distributed in the whole length of the trachea. The myelinated parent axons of P2X3‐immunoreactive nerve endings ramified into several branches that extended two‐dimensionally in every direction at the interface between the epithelial layer and lamina propria. The axonal branches of P2X3‐immunoreactive endings branched off many twigs located just beneath the epithelium, and continued to intraepithelial axon terminals. The axon terminals of P2X3‐immunoreactive endings were beaded, rounded, or club‐like in shape and terminated between tracheal epithelial cells. Flat axon terminals sometimes partly ensheathed neuroendocrine cells with immunoreactivity for SNAP25 or CGRP. Some axons and axon terminals with P2X3 immunoreactivity were immunoreactive for P2X2, while some terminals were immunoreactive for vGLUT2. Furthermore, a retrograde tracing method using fast blue (FB) revealed that 88.4% of FB‐labeled cells with P2X3 immunoreactivity originated from the nodose ganglion. In conclusion, P2X3‐immunoreactive nerve endings in the rat tracheal mucosa have unique morphological characteristics, and these endings may be rapidly adapting receptors and/or irritant receptors that are activated by mucosal irritant stimuli.
Connectivity of cone photoreceptor telodendria in the zebrafish retina
Authors: Noel Nicole C. L. , Allison W. Ted
Published: November 2017

The connectivity amongst photoreceptors is critical to their function, as it underpins lateral inhibition and effective translation of stimuli into neural signals. Despite much work characterizing second‐order interneurons in the outer retina, the synapses directly connecting photoreceptors have often been overlooked. Telodendria are fine processes that connect photoreceptor pedicles. They have been observed in diverse vertebrate groups, yet their roles in vision remain speculative. Here, we visualize telodendria via fluorescent protein expression in photoreceptor subtypes. We characterized short wavelength cone telodendria in adult and larval zebrafish retina. Additionally, in the larval retina, we investigated rod telodendria and UV cone telodendria in mutant and transgenic retinas with altered complements of cone types. In the adult retina, telodendria are twice as abundant and branch almost twice as often on blue cones compared to UV cones. Pedicles of neighboring UV and blue cones typically converge into contiguous pairs, despite the regular spacing of their cell bodies. In contrast to adults, larval UV cone telodendria are more numerous (1.3 times) than blue cone telodendria. UV cone telodendria are not detectably affected by ablation of blue cones, and are reduced twofold in mutant larval retina with few UV cones. We thus saw no evidence that telodendria increase in number in the absence of their typical cellular neighbors. We also found that larval rod telodendria are less abundant than short wavelength cone telodendria. In summary, we describe the development and morphology of zebrafish photoreceptor synaptic connectivity toward appreciating the function of telodendria in visual signal processing.
Distributed hybrid simulation of the Internet of things and smart territories
Authors: D'Angelo Gabriele , Ferretti Stefano , Ghini Vittorio
Published: November 2017

This paper deals with the use of hybrid simulation to build and compose heterogeneous simulation scenarios that can be proficiently exploited to model and represent the Internet of things (IoT). Hybrid simulation is a methodology that combines multiple modalities of modeling/simulation. Complex scenarios are decomposed into simpler ones, each one being simulated through a specific simulation strategy. All these simulation building blocks are then synchronized and coordinated. This simulation methodology is an ideal one to represent IoT setups, which are usually very demanding, due to the heterogeneity of possible scenarios arising from the massive deployment of an enormous amount of sensors and devices. We present a use case concerned with the distributed simulation of smart territories, a novel view of decentralized geographical spaces that, thanks to the use of IoT, builds ICT services to manage resources in a way that is sustainable and not harmful to the environment. Three different simulation models are combined together, namely, an adaptive agent‐based parallel and distributed simulator, an OMNeT++ based discrete event simulator, and a script‐language simulator based on MATLAB. Results from a performance analysis confirm the viability of using hybrid simulation to model complex IoT scenarios.
A CUDA‐streams inference machine for non‐singleton fuzzy systems
Authors: Téllez‐Velázquez Arturo , Cruz‐Barbosa Raúl
Published: November 2017

The inferences computed on a non‐singleton fuzzy system represent a processing challenge when the number of linguistic variables and terms in a rule set are large, since they involve the use of a lot of sequential vector operations. To alleviate part of the inference process, a general‐purpose CUDA fuzzy tool for building non‐singleton fuzzy systems is presented in this paper. Here, we introduce an inference machine architecture that processes string‐based rules and concurrently executes them, based on an execution plan created by a fuzzy rule scheduler. This operation breaks down the n−ary fuzzy operations in several binary fuzzy operations which can be executed in several streams and stages. As a result, this approach lets a system both take advantage of the parallel nature of rule sets and achieve competitive speed‐up ratios without losing generality, when selecting large numbers of linguistic variables, linguistic terms, and rules. The object‐oriented nature of the proposed tool makes it an easy way to build fuzzy systems without having a deep knowledge of its architecture, as it is shown in the results of two case studies for testing the fuzzy system operation limit and detecting edges in digital images.
Interfacial Interactions in Monolayer and Few‐Layer SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite van der Waals Heterostructures and Their Effects on Electronic and Optical Properties
Authors: Li Jian‐Cai , Wei Zeng‐Xi , Huang Wei‐Qing , Ma Li‐Li , Hu Wangyu , Peng Ping , Huang Gui‐Fang
Published: November 2017

A high light‐absorption coefficient and long‐range hot‐carrier transport of hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites give huge potential to their composites in solar energy conversion and environmental protection. Understanding interfacial interactions and their effects are paramount for designing perovskite‐based heterostructures with desirable properties. Herein, we systematically investigated the interfacial interactions in monolayer and few‐layer SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures and their effects on the electronic and optical properties of these structures by density functional theory. It was found that the interfacial interactions in SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures were van der Waals (vdW) interactions, and they were found to be insensitive to the layer number of 2D SnS sheets. Interestingly, although their band gap decreased upon increasing the layer number of SnS, the near‐gap electronic states and optical absorption spectra of these heterostructures were found to be strikingly similar. This feature was determined to be critical for the design of 2D layered SnS‐based heterostructures. Strong absorption in the ultraviolet and visible‐light regions, type II staggered band alignment at the interface, and few‐layer SnS as an active co‐catalyst make 2D SnS/CH3NH3PbI3 heterostructures promising candidates for photocatalysis, photodetectors, and solar energy harvesting and conversion. These results provide first insight into the nature of interfacial interactions and are useful for designing hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite‐based devices with novel properties.
Thermochemistry of Substituted Benzamides and Substituted Benzoic Acids: Like Tree, Like Fruit?
Authors: Verevkin Sergey P. , Emel'yanenko Vladimir N. , Zaitsau Dzmitry H.
Published: November 2017

Structure–property analyses of thermodynamic properties in chemical families of R‐substituted benzamides, R‐substituted benzoic acids, as well as R‐substituted benzenes have been performed. The general linear interrelations for the vaporization enthalpies and the gas‐phase enthalpies of formation between the chemical families under study have been established. These linear correlations provide a simple method for prediction of thermodynamic properties for benzenes with various combination of R‐group substituents on the benzene ring. In addition, the robust structure–property correlations revealed in this study can serve for the establishment of the internal consistency of experimental results available for each chemical series.
Impacts of UV Radiation on the Polymorphic Transformation of β Glycine to α Glycine
Authors: Polat Sevgi , Sayan Perviz
Published: November 2017

The influence of UV radiation on the phase transformation of β glycine to α glycine was investigated at 25 °C in the absence and the presence of varying intensities of UV radiation. The transformation of the polymorph was monitored by continuously measuring the ultrasonic velocity in the crystallizer, and the crystals obtained were analyzed using XRD to determine the polymorphic form. In addition, the crystals were characterized by SEM, a particle sizer and ATR–FTIR. The results indicated that the UV radiation and its intensity have significant effects on the both the average particle size and the morphology of glycine crystals. To further understand the role of UV radiation and its intensity on glycine phase transformation, these experiments were also performed in the presence of propane‐1,2,3‐tricarboxylic acid. It was found that the presence of the additive in the crystallization media caused the transition time to be extended; however, the presence of both the additive and UV radiation lessened the phase transformation time significantly, depending on the increase in UV radiation intensity. In addition, TGA–MS results revealed that the amount of evolved gases in the presence of UV radiation was reduced, and that the UV radiation caused changes in the glycine.
Incorporating variability in simulations of seasonally forced phenology using integral projection models
Authors: Goodsman Devin W. , Aukema Brian H. , McDowell Nate G. , Middleton Richard S. , Xu Chonggang
Published: November 2017

Phenology models are becoming increasingly important tools to accurately predict how climate change will impact the life histories of organisms. We propose a class of integral projection phenology models derived from stochastic individual‐based models of insect development and demography. Our derivation, which is based on the rate summation concept, produces integral projection models that capture the effect of phenotypic rate variability on insect phenology, but which are typically more computationally frugal than equivalent individual‐based phenology models. We demonstrate our approach using a temperature‐dependent model of the demography of the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins), an insect that kills mature pine trees. This work illustrates how a wide range of stochastic phenology models can be reformulated as integral projection models. Due to their computational efficiency, these integral projection models are suitable for deployment in large‐scale simulations, such as studies of altered pest distributions under climate change.
Low interannual precipitation has a greater negative effect than seedling herbivory on the population dynamics of a short‐lived shrub, Schiedea obovata
Authors: Bialic‐Murphy Lalasia , Gaoue Orou G.
Published: November 2017

Climate projections forecast more extreme interannual climate variability over time, with an increase in the severity and duration of extreme drought and rainfall events. Based on bioclimatic envelope models, it is projected that changing precipitation patterns will drastically alter the spatial distributions and density of plants and be a primary driver of biodiversity loss. However, many other underlying mechanisms can impact plant vital rates (i.e., survival, growth, and reproduction) and population dynamics. In this study, we developed a size‐dependent integral projection model (IPM) to evaluate how interannual precipitation and mollusk herbivory influence the dynamics of a Hawaii endemic short‐lived shrub, Schiedea obovata (Caryophyllaceae). Assessing how wet season precipitation effects population dynamics it critical, as it is the timeframe when most of the foliar growth occurs, plants flower and fruit, and seedlings establish. Temporal variation in wet season precipitation had a greater effect than mollusk herbivory on S. obovata population growth rate , and the impact of interannual precipitation on vital rates shifted across plant ontogeny. Furthermore, wet season precipitation influenced multiple vital rates in contrasting ways and the effect of precipitation on the survival of larger vegetative and reproductively mature individuals contributed the most to variation in the population growth rate. Among all combination of wet season precipitation and herbivory intensities, the only scenario that led to a growing population was when high wet precipitation was associated with low herbivory. Our study highlights the importance of evaluating how abiotic factors and plant–consumer interactions influence an organism across its life cycle to fully understand the underpinning mechanisms that structure its spatial and temporal distribution and abundance. Our results also illustrate that for short‐lived species, like S. obovata, seedling herbivory can have less of an effect on the dynamics of plant populations than decreased interannual precipitation.
Assessing the utility of metabarcoding for diet analyses of the omnivorous wild pig (Sus scrofa)
Authors: Robeson Michael S. , Khanipov Kamil , Golovko George , Wisely Samantha M. , White Michael D. , Bodenchuck Michael , Smyser Timothy J. , Fofanov Yuriy , Fierer Noah , Piaggio Antoinette J.
Published: November 2017

Wild pigs (Sus scrofa) are an invasive species descended from both domestic swine and Eurasian wild boar that was introduced to North America during the early 1500s. Wild pigs have since become the most abundant free‐ranging exotic ungulate in the United States. Large and ever‐increasing populations of wild pigs negatively impact agriculture, sport hunting, and native ecosystems with costs estimated to exceed $1.5 billion/year within the United States. Wild pigs are recognized as generalist feeders, able to exploit a broad array of locally available food resources, yet their feeding behaviors remain poorly understood as partially digested material is often unidentifiable through traditional stomach content analyses. To overcome the limitation of stomach content analyses, we developed a DNA sequencing‐based protocol to describe the plant and animal diet composition of wild pigs. Additionally, we developed and evaluated blocking primers to reduce the amplification and sequencing of host DNA, thus providing greater returns of sequences from diet items. We demonstrate that the use of blocking primers produces significantly more sequencing reads per sample from diet items, which increases the robustness of ascertaining animal diet composition with molecular tools. Further, we show that the overall plant and animal diet composition is significantly different between the three areas sampled, demonstrating this approach is suitable for describing differences in diet composition among the locations.
Impact of moderate and extreme climate change scenarios on growth, morphological features, photosynthesis, and fruit production of hot pepper
Authors: Lee Sang Gyu , Kim Sung Kyeom , Lee Hee Ju , Lee Hee Su , Lee Jin Hyoung
Published: November 2017

Horticultural crop production and changes in physiological aspects during the growing season may be affected by climate change factors (CC), which include increased temperature and the associated doubling or tripling of atmospheric CO2concentrations. However, the potential effects are complex and many parameters might impact on the observed effects. To evaluate the effects of CC, the growth, yield, fruit characteristics, photosynthetic traits, and morphological characteristics of hot peppers were investigated. The hot peppers were grown under two CC scenarios, with the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) of 4.5 (Temp.; +3.4°C, CO2conc.; 540 μmol/mol, Precipitation +17.3%) and RCP 8.5 (Temp.; +6.0°C and CO2conc.; 940 μmol/mol, Precipitation +20.3%), respectively, using extreme weather simulators. This was compared with existing weather conditions occurring in Jeonju, South Korea in terms of air temperature, relative humidity, radiation, and precipitation. Overall, the plant height showed the highest under moderate CC conditions (RCP 4.5) among all the treatments tested. The number of leaves in the RCP 8.5 condition showed 7,739/plants, which was 2.2 times higher than that of the control. In addition, fruit shape was shortened and percentage dry matter was also the highest. The yield of hot pepper in the CC RCP 4.5 and 8.5 conditions were decreased by 21.5% and 89.2% when compared with that of the control, respectively. The days to harvest in the condition of CC scenarios were shortened from 5 to 13 compared with that of control, predominantly due to the increased air temperature. The results indicated that the severe RCP CC scenarios made reduction in the yields and negative affection on the fruit qualities. Overall, hot pepper was tolerant of mild CC scenarios of temperature × CO2but was significantly affected by more extreme CC interacting parameter concentrations (or similar).
The evolution of sexes: A specific test of the disruptive selection theory
Authors: da Silva Jack
Published: November 2017

The disruptive selection theory of the evolution of anisogamy posits that the evolution of a larger body or greater organismal complexity selects for a larger zygote, which in turn selects for larger gametes. This may provide the opportunity for one mating type to produce more numerous, small gametes, forcing the other mating type to produce fewer, large gametes. Predictions common to this and related theories have been partially upheld. Here, a prediction specific to the disruptive selection theory is derived from a previously published game‐theoretic model that represents the most complete description of the theory. The prediction, that the ratio of macrogamete to microgamete size should be above three for anisogamous species, is supported for the volvocine algae. A fully population genetic implementation of the model, involving mutation, genetic drift, and selection, is used to verify the game‐theoretic approach and accurately simulates the evolution of gamete sizes in anisogamous species. This model was extended to include a locus for gamete motility and shows that oogamy should evolve whenever there is costly motility. The classic twofold cost of sex may be derived from the fitness functions of these models, showing that this cost is ultimately due to genetic conflict.
Grazing weakens temporal stabilizing effects of diversity in the Eurasian steppe
Authors: Ren Haiyan , Taube Friedhelm , Stein Claudia , Zhang Yingjun , Bai Yongfei , Hu Shuijin
Published: November 2017

Many biodiversity experiments have demonstrated that plant diversity can stabilize productivity in experimental grasslands. However, less is known about how diversity–stability relationships are mediated by grazing. Grazing is known for causing species losses, but its effects on plant functional groups (PFGs) composition and species asynchrony, which are closely correlated with ecosystem stability, remain unclear. We conducted a six‐year grazing experiment in a semi‐arid steppe, using seven levels of grazing intensity (0, 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 9.0 sheep per hectare) and two grazing systems (i.e., a traditional, continuous grazing system during the growing period (TGS), and a mixed one rotating grazing and mowing annually (MGS)), to examine the effects of grazing system and grazing intensity on the abundance and composition of PFGs and diversity–stability relationships. Ecosystem stability was similar between mixed and continuous grazing treatments. However, within the two grazing systems, stability was maintained through different pathways, that is, along with grazing intensity, persistence biomass variations in MGS, and compensatory interactions of PFGs in their biomass variations in TGS. Ecosystem temporal stability was not decreased by species loss but rather remain unchanged by the strong compensatory effects between PFGs, or a higher grazing‐induced decrease in species asynchrony at higher diversity, and a higher grazing‐induced increase in the temporal variation of productivity in diverse communities. Ecosystem stability of aboveground net primary production was not related to species richness in both grazing systems. High grazing intensity weakened the temporal stabilizing effects of diversity in this semi‐arid grassland. Our results demonstrate that the productivity of dominant PFGs is more important than species richness for maximizing stability in this system. This study distinguishes grazing intensity and grazing system from diversity effects on the temporal stability, highlighting the need to better understand how grazing regulates ecosystem stability, plant diversity, and their synergic relationships.
High site fidelity and restricted ranging patterns in southern Australian bottlenose dolphins
Authors: Passadore Cecilia , Möller Luciana , Diaz‐Aguirre Fernando , Parra Guido J.
Published: November 2017

Information on site fidelity and ranging patterns of wild animals is critical to understand how they use their environment and guide conservation and management strategies. Delphinids show a wide variety of site fidelity and ranging patterns. Between September 2013 and October 2015, we used boat‐based surveys, photographic identification, biopsy sampling, clustering analysis, and geographic information systems to determine the site‐fidelity patterns and representative ranges of southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiopscf.australis) inhabiting the inner area of Coffin Bay, a highly productive inverse estuary located within Thorny Passage Marine Park, South Australia. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of individuals’ site‐fidelity index and sighting rates indicated that the majority of dolphins within the inner area of Coffin Bay are “regular residents” (n = 125), followed by “occasional residents” (n = 28), and “occasional visitors” (n = 26). The low standard distance deviation indicated that resident dolphins remained close to their main center of use (range = 0.7–4.7 km, X ± SD = 2.3 ± 0.9 km). Representative ranges of resident dolphins were small (range = 3.9–33.5 km2, X ± SD = 15.2 ± 6.8 km2), with no significant differences between males and females (Kruskal–Wallis, χ2 = 0.426,p = .808). The representative range of 56% of the resident dolphins was restricted to a particular bay within the study area. The strong site fidelity and restricted ranging patterns among individuals could be linked to the high population density of this species in the inner area of Coffin Bay, coupled with differences in social structure and feeding habits. Our results emphasize the importance of productive habitats as a major factor driving site fidelity and restricted movement patterns in highly mobile marine mammals and the high conservation value of the inner area of Coffin Bay for southern Australian bottlenose dolphins.
Imitating the cost of males: A hypothesis for coexistence of all‐female sperm‐dependent species and their sexual host
Authors: Leung Christelle , Angers Bernard
Published: November 2017

All‐female sperm‐dependent species are particular asexual organisms that must coexist with a closely related sexual host for reproduction. However, demographic advantages of asexual over sexual species that have to produce male individuals could lead both to extinction. The unresolved question of their coexistence still challenges and fascinates evolutionary biologists. As an alternative hypothesis, we propose those asexual organisms are afflicted by a demographic cost analogous to the production of males to prevent exclusion of the host. Previously proposed hypotheses stated that asexual individuals relied on a lower fecundity than sexual females to cope with demographic advantage. In contrast, we propose that both sexual and asexual species display the same number of offspring, but half of asexual individuals imitate the cost of sex by occupying ecological niches but producing no offspring. Simulations of population growth in closed systems under different demographic scenarios revealed that only the presence of nonreproductive individuals in asexual females can result in long‐term coexistence. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that half of the females in some sperm‐dependent organisms did not reproduce clonally.
Preferential prescribing and utilization trends of diabetes medications among patients with renal impairment: Emerging role of linagliptin and other dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors
Authors: Patorno Elisabetta , Gopalakrishnan Chandrasekar , Bartels Dorothee B. , Brodovicz Kimberly G. , Liu Jun , Schneeweiss Sebastian
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Although many newer diabetes medications have become available in the last decade, most have not been widely studied in populations with chronic kidney disease under routine care. Linagliptin, a recently marketed dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor, is the only agent in the U.S. that does not require dose adjustment in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) and renal impairment. We sought to describe baseline kidney function and other key characteristics among patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) initiating linagliptin and other diabetes medications, and to explore prescribing patterns among T2DM patients with moderate to severe renal impairment before and after the launch of linagliptin.

Design

Using a population‐based cohort study design nested in a large U.S. commercial healthcare dataset linked to laboratory values, we described characteristics of T2DM patients initiating linagliptin and other diabetes medications between May 2011 (launch of linagliptin) and September 2015. We also explored prescribing trends among T2DM patients with moderate to severe renal impairment (ICD‐9 diagnosis code 585.3x‐6x) who initiated linagliptin and other diabetes medications between January 2006 to September 2015 (before and after the launch of linagliptin).

Patients

We identified 1,174,476 T2DM patients initiating a diabetes medication (28,900 linagliptin initiators) between 05/2011‐09/2015. We also identified 100,847 T2DM patients with moderate to severe renal impairment initiating a diabetes agent between 01/2006‐09/2015.

Results and Conclusion

Among patients initiating newer diabetes medications between 05/2011‐09/2015, those initiating linagliptin had the highest prevalence of moderate to severe renal impairment, suggesting preferential prescribing in routine care. DPP‐4 inhibitors overall were among the most frequently chosen agents among T2DM patients with moderate to severe renal impairment between 01/2006‐09/2015. Further investigation of the safety and effectiveness of DPP‐4 inhibitors in routine care of T2DM patients with renal impairment is needed to either corroborate or discourage current prescribing patterns.
A catch‐22: Interleukin‐22 and cancer
Authors: Hernandez Pedro , Gronke Konrad , Diefenbach Andreas
Published: November 2017

Barrier surfaces of multicellular organisms are in constant contact with the environment and infractions to the integrity of epithelial surfaces is likely a frequent event. Interestingly, components of the immune system, that can be activated by environmental compounds such as the microbiota or nutrients, are interspersed among epithelial cells or directly underlie the epithelium. It is now appreciated that immune cells continuously receive and integrate signals from the environment. Curiously, such continuous reception of stimulation does not normally trigger an inflammatory response but mediators produced by immune cells in response to such signals seem to rather promote barrier integrity and repair. The molecular mediators involved in this process are poorly understood. In recent years, the cytokine interleukin‐22, produced mainly by group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), has been studied as a paradigm for how immune cells can control various aspects of epithelial cell function because expression of its receptor is restricted to non‐hematopoietic cells. We will summarize here the diverse roles of IL‐22 for the malignant transformation of epithelial cells, for tumor growth, wound healing and tissue repair. Furthermore, we will discuss IL‐22 as a potential therapeutic target.
Deconvoluting the Innocent vs. Non‐Innocent Behavior of N,N‐Diethylphenylazothioformamide Ligands with Copper Sources
Authors: Johnson Nicolas A. , Wolfe Samuel R. , Kabir Humayun , Andrade Gabriel A. , Yap Glenn P. A. , Heiden Zachariah M. , Moberly James G. , Roll Mark F. , Waynant Kristopher V.
Published: November 2017

Redox‐active ligands lead to ambiguity in often clearly defined oxidation states of both the metal center and the ligand. The arylazothioformamide (ATF) ligand class represents a redox‐active ligand with three possible redox states (neutral, singly reduced, and doubly reduced). ATF–metal interactions result in strong colorimetric transitions allowing for the use of ATFs in metal detection and/or separations. While previous reports have discussed dissolution of zerovalent metals, the resulting oxidation states of coordination complexes have proved difficult to interpret through X‐ray crystallographic analysis alone. This report describes the X‐ray crystallographic analysis combined with computational modeling of the ATF ligand and metal complexes to deconvolute the metal and ligand oxidation state of ATF–metal complexes. Metal(ATF)2 complexes that originated from zerovalent metals were found to exist as dicationic metal centers containing two singly reduced ATF ligands. When employing CuI salts instead of Cu0 to generate ATF–copper complexes, the CuI in the resulting complexes remained in its oxidation state, and the ATF ligand remained “innocent”, existing in its neutral state. Although the use of CuX (X = Br or I) or [Cu(NCMe)4]Y (Y = BF4 or PF6) generated species of the type: [(ATF)Cu(µ‐X)]2 and [Cu(ATF)2]Y, respectively, the ATF ligand remained in its neutral state for each species type.
Cationic R‐Substituted‐Indenyl Nickel(II) Complexes of Arsine and Stibine Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and Catalytic Behavior in the Oligomerization of Styrene
Authors: Gomes Clara S. B. , Costa Sandra I. , Silva Leonel C. , Jiménez‐Tenorio Manuel , Valerga Pedro , Puerta M. Carmen , Gomes Pedro T.
Published: November 2017

A series of new cationic Rn‐substituted‐indenyl nickel(II) complexes containing arsine or stibine ligands were synthesized in moderate to very high yields by the protonation of the corresponding bis(indenyl) nickel derivatives [Ni(η‐Rn‐Ind)2] with HBF4, in the presence of 2 equiv. of AsPh3 or SbPh3 donor ligands. These complexes, with the general formula [Ni(η‐Rn‐Ind)(EPh3)2]BF4 (E = As, Sb), were structurally characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction, and subsequently tested as single‐component catalysts for the oligomerization of styrene, leading to the formation of very low molecular weight head‐to‐tail oligomers (typically consisting of dimers, trimers and tetramers). The new 1‐ or 2‐monosubstituted‐indenyl NiII catalyst precursors exhibit extremely high catalytic activities, considerably higher than those observed for the symmetrical unsubstituted‐ and the 1,3‐disubstituted‐indenyl nickel analogues (i.e. monosubstituted >> non‐substituted > 1,3‐disubstituted), their reactivity pattern showing similarities with that of the corresponding allyl derivatives. A simpler and more straightforward experimental procedure for the high yield preparation of [NiBr2(DME)], an important nickel starting material, which was used in the preparation of the bis(indenyl) nickel precursors of this work, is also described.
7‐Oxa‐4‐thia‐1‐aza‐bicyclo[3.2.1]octane 4,4‐Dioxides: Mechanochemical Synthesis by Tandem Michael Addition–1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Aldoximes and Evaluation of Antibacterial Activities
Authors: Bhutia Zigmee T. , Das Avijit , Biswas Malabika , Chatterjee Amrita , Banerjee Mainak
Published: November 2017

A solvent‐free, green, and efficient mechanochemical method for the synthesis of a series of bridged bicyclo aza‐sulfone derivatives, namely 7‐oxa‐4‐thia‐1‐aza‐bicyclo[3.2.1]octane 4,4‐dioxides through tandem Michael addition–1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition of aldoximes was developed. Mechanochemical grinding/milling facilitates quick formation of aldoximes from corresponding aldehydes and hydroxylamine, which upon reaction with divinyl sulfone in a mixer mill affords 7‐oxa‐4‐thia‐1‐aza‐bicyclo[3.2.1]octane 4,4‐dioxide derivatives in good overall yields. The newly synthesized bicyclo aza‐sulfone derivatives 4 were screened for antibacterial activities. Mostly bicyclo aza‐sulfones derived from electron‐rich aromatic aldehydes inhibit the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis (mc2155) and those from aliphatic aldehydes the growth of Escherichia coli (DH5α) in moderate to good effect. However, butyraldehyde‐derived compound 4r was very effective against both M. smegmatis and E. coli. The key advantages of this mechanochemical method are catalyst‐ and solvent‐free conditions, shorter reaction time, and formation of a new series of 7‐oxa‐4‐thia‐1‐aza‐bicyclo[3.2.1]octane 4,4‐dioxide derivatives, which are good antibacterial agents against M. smegmatis and E. coli.
Versatile Photochemical Reactivity of Diverse Substituted 2‐, 4‐ and 5‐(o‐Vinylstyryl)oxazoles
Authors: Šagud Ivana , Šindler‐Kulyk Marija , Vojnović‐Jandrić Dragana , Marinić Željko
Published: November 2017

To study the effects of the position of the hexatrienyl moiety on the oxazole ring, novel substituted cis/trans‐2/4/5‐(2‐vinylstyryl)oxazoles have been synthesized. These novel compounds were prepared by Wittig reaction from the diphosphonium salt of α,α′‐o‐xylenedibromide, formaldehyde and the corresponding 2‐methyl‐4‐, 4‐methyl‐2‐, 2‐pheny‐5‐ and 4‐methyl‐5‐oxazolecarbaldehyde, respectively. Aldehydes were synthesized by using several synthetic approaches. By applying intramolecular photocycloaddition, 2‐methyl‐4‐(2‐vinylstyryl)oxazole afforded, as major product, fused oxazoline‐benzobicyclo[3.2.1]octene with small quantities of 4‐(1,2‐dihydronaphthalen‐2‐yl)‐2‐methyloxazole, as electrocyclization product. Upon irradiation of 4‐methyl‐5‐(2‐vinylstyryl)oxazole, endo‐ and exo‐benzobicyclo[2.1.1]hexene products were formed by [2+2] cycloaddition; this was the first instance of the 1,4‐closure to the bicyclo[2.1.1]hexene skeleton in the 2‐, 4‐, and 5‐oxazole‐stilbene derivatives studied so far. Derivatives 2‐phenyl‐5‐ and 4‐methyl‐2‐(2‐vinylstyryl)oxazole did not react and gave only high‐weight molecular products but were crucial as a comparison in the overall mechanistic study. We have found that, depending on the position of the hexatrienyl moiety in the oxazole ring, as well as on the position of the methyl/phenyl substituents, these new vinylstyryl‐2/4/5‐oxazole derivatives show diverse photochemical behavior.
One country, two cultures: Implicit space–time mappings in Southern and Northern Vietnamese
Authors: Li Heng , Bui Van Quynh , Cao Yu
Published: November 2017

What determines how people implicitly associate the “past” and “future” with “front” and “back”? According to the Temporal Focus Hypothesis (TFH), people's cultural attitudes toward time influence their implicit space–time mappings. However, previous research mainly used cross‐cultural comparison in which the cultures compared differ not only in attentional focus on temporal events, but may also differ in other cultural values. Thus, the specific role of cultural attitudes toward time has not been tested. In the current study, we compared Southern and Northern Vietnamese who have many aspects in common but demonstrate cultural differences in attitudes toward the past and future. The results showed that the two groups of participants tended to think about time according to their temporal focus. Taken together, this pattern of results showed that within‐cultural differences in temporal focus can also predict variation in space–time mappings, which provides further supporting evidence for the TFH.
Vapor intrusion mitigation: Road map to successful sub‐slab depressurization at sites with shallow water tables
Authors: Glass David S. , DiPilato Jennifer , Boger Kevin
Published: November 2017

A common practice to prevent intrusion of contaminated vapor from the subsurface to overlying buildings is to install a sub‐slab depressurization system (SSDS) that creates lower pressure beneath the lowest level floor slabs, thereby preventing contaminated vapor from entering buildings. However, this standard approach cannot be implemented in the presence of a high groundwater table that is close to or in contact with lowest level building floor slabs. Therefore, for sites with a high groundwater table that require vapor intrusion mitigation, a unique “double slab” design has been developed. This alternate double slab design has been implemented and proven effective at new construction sites in New York City with sensitive receptors. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1758–1761, 2018
β‐Cyclodextrin containing Co/MCM‐41 as a catalyst for the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil
Authors: Pirouzmand M. , Mahdavi Anakhatoon M.
Published: November 2017

New approach for β‐cyclodextrin‐containing Co/MCM‐41 synthesis was demonstrated. FT‐IR spectroscopy and EDX‐SEM analysis were used to characterize the presence and amount of β‐cyclodextrin introduced onto the surface. The activity of the catalyst was tested for the esterification reaction of oleic acid. β‐Cyclodextrin‐containing Co/MCM‐41 was also evaluated in the production of biodiesel from waste cooking oil and a high yield of 95% was achieved. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1770–1773, 2018
Improvement of acidic soil properties by biochar from fast pyrolysis
Authors: Wang Yan , Liu Ronghou
Published: November 2017

Generally, pot experiments have been used to investigate the potential effects of rice husk biochar (BCR) and wood sawdust biochar (BCW) which are produced by fast pyrolysis on the physicochemical properties of acidic Ultisol and radish growth. The results revealed that both of the two biochars had similar functional groups as well as porous in nature. Adding the biochars into soil could increase the total carbon and nitrogen content, water‐holding capacity (WHC), exchangeable Ca2+, K+, Mg2+ Bray 1‐P and dry matter of radish, and decrease soil bulk density (BD), whereas, BCW showed greater effect on increasing soil pH and decreasing the exchangeable acidity and aluminum. The dry matter of radish increased by 93–254% in the case of BCR combined with fertilizer addition compared to other treatment alone. Further, the biochar addition decreased the nitrogen content of radish leaves. Consequently, biochar from fast pyrolysis can be used to improve the properties of acidic soil and increase radish yield under nitrogen fertilizer addition. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1743–1749, 2018
Photogalvanic effect of natural photosensitizer (crude spinach extract) in artificial light for simultaneous solar power generation and storage
Authors: Koli Pooran
Published: November 2017

The synthetic dyes as photo‐sensitizers have been extensively studied in the photogalvanic cells for solar energy conversion and storage in artificial light. To make photogalvanic cells more environmentally friendly and sustainable, the natural and renewable source like crude extract of the spinach has been studied as sensitizer material in this study. Remarkable steady state power and current generation with simultaneous power storage have been observed. The observed cell performance (charging time 18 min, Open‐circuit potential 1050 millivolt, Short‐circuit current 1750 micro ampere, power 384.0 micro watt, storage capacity as half change time 44 min, efficiency ≈ 9.22%) is very encouraging to photogalvanics. This study shows that the natural resources like crude spinach extract can also sensitize photogalvanics with efficiency as high as for synthetic dye sensitizers with additional advantage of low cost and free from pollution, which is associated with production and disposal of dyes. Natural resources like crude spinach extract‐based PG follow same principles as for synthetic dye sensitizers. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1800–1807, 2018
Life cycle assessment of the agricultural sector in Iran (2007–2014)
Authors: Nikkhah Amin
Published: November 2017

Iran is among the ten countries which has the largest share of CO2 emission and also has the highest amount among the Middle East countries. However, the agricultural sector in Iran is one of the major emitters of some greenhouse gas emissions, such as nitrous oxide. Therefore, this work aimed to study the environmental impacts of agricultural production in Iran and determine the impact category with the highest potential for the environmental damage in this region for the period of 2007–2014. For this purpose, the three impact categories of global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP) and terrestrial eutrophication potential (TEP) were selected to be evaluated through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The results showed that the characterization indices of GWP, AP, and TEP impact categories for agricultural sector in Iran were 20,405,789 tonnes CO2eq, 303,145 tonnes SO2eq and 640,340 tonnes NOxeq, respectively for the year of 2014. For the period in question, agriculture accounted for 4%, 12%, and 26% of the GWP, AP and TEP impact categories in Iran, respectively. Overall, the TEP impact category had the greatest negative effect on the environment in term of the agricultural sector in Iran. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 37: 1750–1757, 2018
Empirical‐based out‐of‐plane URM infill wall model accounting for the interaction with in‐plane demand
Authors: Ricci Paolo , Di Domenico Mariano , Verderame Gerardo M.
Published: November 2017

The role of masonry infills in the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete buildings has been widely studied in terms of their strength and stiffness contribution in the in‐plane (IP) direction, while fewer studies have been carried out on their response and modeling in the out‐of‐plane (OOP) direction. In this paper, the state of the art in code and literature provisions regarding infills' OOP capacity and seismic demand is presented, together with a review of the experimental tests that have been carried out to investigate infills' OOP behavior and the effects of IP‐OOP interaction. This review aims to collect an experimental database that is used to evaluate the effectiveness of literature and code provisions and to propose a semiempirical approach both for predicting infills' OOP strength, stiffness, and displacement capacity and for modeling the effects of IP displacement demand on OOP behavior and vice versa. Then, the state of the art on modeling of infills' OOP behavior and IP‐OOP interaction is presented together with a new macro model based on the proposed formulations and conceived to represent the IP and OOP behavior by taking into account the mutual interaction effects. Finally, the proposed model is used for an example application on two case‐study buildings, showing the effects of taking into account or neglecting the IP‐OOP interaction phenomena.