bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-dose testosterone supplementation disturbs liver pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance and function in adolescent male Wistar rats undergoing moderate-intensity endurance training
Authors: Sadowska-Krępa Ewa , Kłapcińska Barbara , Nowara Anna , Jagsz Sławomir , Szołtysek-Bołdys Izabela , Chalimoniuk Małgorzata , Langfort Józef , Chrapusta Stanisław J.
Published: November 2020

In some countries, anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse is rampant among adolescent boys and young men, including some of those seeking physical fitness and/or pleasing appearance through various exercise types. This tactic carries the risk of severe harmful health effects, including liver injury. Most anabolic-androgenic steroid stacking protocols employed are based on the use of the ‘prototypic’ anabolic-androgenic steroid testosterone and/or its esters. There is a vast body of data on the effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids’ abuse combined with physical exercise training on the liver antioxidant barrier in adult subjects, whereas those concerning adolescents are scant. This study aimed to assess, in adolescent male Wistar rats undergoing a 6-week moderate-intensity endurance training (treadmill running), the influence of concurrent weekly supplementation with intramuscular testosterone enanthate (TE, 8 or 80 mg/kg body weight/week) on selected indices of liver status and oxidative stress. The rats were sacrificed, and their livers and blood samples were harvested two days after the last training session. High-dose TE treatment significantly reduced body and liver weight gains. Neither low-dose nor high-dose TE treatment affected liverα-tocopherol orγ-tocopherol content, whereas low-dose TE treatment significantly lowered hepatic reduced glutathione content. TE treatment significantly elevated liver thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances content and blood activities of alkaline phosphatase andγ-glutamyltransferase, but not of aspartate aminotransferase or alanine aminotransferase. Liver catalase activity was lowered by >50% in both TE-treated groups, while superoxide dismutase activity was significantly but slightly affected (−15%) only by the high-dose TE treatment. Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities were not significantly altered. TE treatment significantly increased liver thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances content and lowered blood HDL-cholesterol, but did not significantly affect LDL-cholesterol or triglycerides level. In conclusion, high-dose TE treatment significantly disturbed liver antioxidant barrier and prooxidative-antioxidative balance and hence counteracted favorable effects of concurrent moderate-intensity endurance training in adolescent male rats.
High cytoplasmic YAP1 expression predicts a poor prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Dong Tianqi , Yuan Yuncang , Xiang Xudong , Sang Shuping , Shen Hao , Wang Lei , Yang Chunyan , Li Fangfang , Li Hongliang , Zheng Shangyong
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Yes associated protein 1 (YAP1), which is a standout amongst the most essential effectors of the Hippo pathway, assumes a vital part in a few kinds of cancer. However, whether YAP1 is an oncogene in CRC (colorectal cancer) remains controversial, and the association between the subcellular localization of YAP1 and clinical implications in CRC remains unknown.

Patients and methods

In this study, we investigated the subcellular localization of YAP1 in CRC cells by immunohistochemistry and then associate these findings with clinical information in a large CRC cohort with 919 CRC patients.

Results

The results show that CRC tissues has a significant higher expression of cytoplasmic YAP1 compared to adjacent normal tissues (all P < 0.001). Cytoplasmic YAP1 expression was significantly associated with the number of lymph nodes removed and differentiation grade (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, after correcting confounding variables, for example, TNM stage and differentiation grade, the multivariate Cox analysis confirmed cytoplasmic YAP1-high subgroup had a significant shorter DFS (HR = 3.255; 95% CI [2.290–4.627]; P < 0.001) and DSS (HR = 4.049; 95% CI [2.400–6.830]; P < 0.001) than cytoplasmic YAP1-low subgroup. High cytoplasmic YAP1 expression is associated with a worse survival in stage III CRC patients who received chemotherapy.

Conclusion

Cytoplasmic YAP1 could be could be utilized as a prognosis factor in CRC patients, and may be an indicator of whether certain patients population could benefit from postoperative chemotherapy.
Investigation on Synthesis of Trimethylolpropane (TMP) Ester from Non-edible Oil
Authors: Kamarudin Nurazreen Shazwin , Veny Harumi , Sidek Nailah Fasihah , Abnisa Faisal , Sazali Rozana Azrina , Aziz Noorhaliza
Published: November 2020

Trimethylolpropane (TMP) ester is an eco-friendly lubricant that fully biodegradable and known as bio lubricant. In this study, TMP ester was produced from waste cooking oil and rubber seed oil through a two-step synthesis approach. The reaction is two stages transesterifications, in which the waste cooking oil and the rubber seed oil were first transesterified with methanol to produce methyl ester, followed by transesterification with TMP using para-Toluenesulfonic acid (p-TSA) as catalyst. Various effects of operating conditions were observed, such as reaction time, temperature and molar ratio of reactants. The TMP ester formation was determined based on the quantity of reactant conversion. The synthesized TMP ester was compared and characterized according to their properties. The results showed that the TMP ester from waste cooking oil (WCO) has shown better conversion compare to TMP ester from rubber seed oil (RSO), within a similar operating condition. The highest TMP ester conversion from WCO is 71%, at temperature of 150 ºC with molar ratio of FAME to TMP of 3:1 and catalyst amount of 2% (wt/wt). In addition, these polyol based esters from WCO and RSO exhibit appropriate basic properties for viscosity when compare with requirement standard of lubricant ISO VG46. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Full‐Inorganic Micro‐Fiber Probe for Real‐Time Radiation Monitoring
Authors: Lv Shichao , Tang Junzhou , Chen Junfeng , Liu Pei , Guo Junpeng , Ma Yan , Qiu Jianrong , Zhou Shifeng
Published: November 2020

Scintillators convert high‐energy radiation into visible luminescence and have been widely applied in various significant fields such as nuclear fusion monitoring, high‐energy particle physics, medical imaging, and geological exploration. The scalable fabrication of scintillating fiber with the desirable combination of uniform size, superior radiation blocking ability, and excellent thermal/radiation stability is a major challenge. Here, a template solidification strategy for fabrication of full‐inorganic and efficient scintillating fiber is presented. The strategy involves the direct solidification of high‐density scintillator melt in a softened silica tube, allowing for the continuous production of small and uniform scintillating fiber. The fabricated scintillating fiber can effectively attenuate radiation up to ≈118 times higher than what conventional silica fiber can. In addition, it exhibits good compatibility with commercial fiber. Using this scintillating fiber, a radiation fiber detector is constructed and its application for online radiation monitoring is demonstrated.
Overlarge Gauge Factor Yields a Large Measuring Error for Resistive‐Type Stretchable Strain Sensors
Authors: Li Shuang , Liu Guodong , Wang Liwu , Fang Guanhui , Su Yewang
Published: November 2020

Stretchable strain sensors have recently attracted great attention due to their extensive applications in advanced devices. Plenty of work has been devoted to enlarging the gauge factor (GF) (reaching as high as 107), since the conventional wisdom holds that a high GF indicates a low limit of detection and a high resolution of a sensor. Here, the effects of the GF on the measurement accuracy is investigated for resistive‐type strain sensors, via the basic approach based on Ohm's law and the commonly used method of Wheatstone bridge, respectively. It is found that a bigger GF is not always better for improvement of the measurement accuracy, which is contrary to conventional wisdom. Overlarge gauge factor yields a large measuring error for resistive‐type stretchable strain sensors (reaching the measuring error of 50% for GF = 5 × 104 under a typical measurement condition). This finding is of much significance for providing theoretical guidance for the sensor design and avoid more efforts on overlarge GF.
Robust Nanofiber Films Prepared by Electro‐Microfluidic Spinning for Flexible Highly Stable Quantum‐Dot Displays
Authors: Xie An‐Quan , Cui Tingting , Cheng Rui , Wu Xingjiang , Guo Jiazhuang , Lu Xuan , Zhu Liangliang , Chen Su
Published: November 2020

Quantum dot (QD)‐based liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are emerging as a new generation of LCDs due to their good performance. However, the QD fluorescent materials in LCDs are vulnerable to water and high temperatures, severely limiting their practical and long‐term use. Here, flexible and ultrastable QD‐based color‐converting films for LCD backlights are fabricated using robust poly(styrene‐methyl‐methacrylate‐acrylic acid) (poly(St‐MMA‐AA)) nanoparticle/polyamide 66 nanofiber (NPs@PA66) film with unique fiber–particle–fiber microstructure as protective substrate. Through an emerging strategy called electro‐microfluidic spinning technology (EMST), the nanofiber film not only exhibits excellent flexibility but also remarkably improves the mechanical property via the in situ particle‐mediated enhancement mechanism. An LCD backlight using the NPs@PA66 nanofiber film as QD loading substrate shows a wide color gamut of 116% and long‐term fluorescence stability under high temperature of 200 °C. More importantly, the fluorescence lifetime of NPs@PA66/QDs backlight reaches up to ≈64500 h, ≈22 times higher than that using encapsulated sandwiched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) QD film. These findings offer a promising method toward high‐strength nanofiber manufacturing, high‐stability flexible electronics and optoelectronic display devices.
Estimating time to reinjury among Washington State injured workers by degree of permanent impairment: Using state wage data to adjust for time at risk
Authors: Sears Jeanne M. , Schulman Beryl A. , Fulton‐Kehoe Deborah , Hogg‐Johnson Sheilah
Published: November 2020

Background

Many injured workers are reinjured, but reinjury risk is challenging to quantify. Because many injured workers face delayed return‐to‐work, or return to part‐time or intermittent jobs, a calendar timescale may overestimate actual work‐time at risk, yielding underestimated reinjury rates. Objectives included determining: (1) reinjury risk by degree of permanent impairment and other factors, and (2) how choice of timescale affects reinjury estimates.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included Washington State workers’ compensation (WC) claims for 43,114 injured workers, linked to state wage files (2003–2018). Three timescales were used to define at‐risk denominators: (1) calendar quarters; (2) quarters with any wages; and (3) full‐time equivalent (FTE) quarters, defined as cumulative work hours ÷ 520. Associations between reinjury outcomes and worker, injury, job, and WC vocational rehabilitation program participation characteristics were assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

Overall reinjury rates were 5.9 per 100 worker‐years using a calendar timescale (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.8–6.0), 10.0 using any‐wage quarters (95% CI: 9.9–10.2), and 12.5 using FTE quarters (95% CI: 12.3–12.7). Reinjury rates were highest in the first two quarters after initial injury, remaining elevated for about 4 years. Using FTE quarters, workers with ≥10% whole body impairment had a 34% higher risk of reinjury relative to workers with no permanent partial disability award (95% CI: 1.25–1.44); no difference was detected using calendar time.

Conclusions

Timescale substantially affects reinjury estimates and comparisons between groups with differential return‐to‐work patterns. Linking wage data to WC claims facilitates measurement of long‐term employment, yielding more accurate reinjury estimates.
Task‐based functional connectivity in aging: How task and connectivity methodology affect discovery of age effects
Authors: Varangis Eleanna , Habeck Christian G. , Stern Yaakov
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Past studies have found that healthy aging has a significant effect on the organization and function of networks in the human brain. Many of these studies have examined how functional connectivity during one task or at rest is affected by aging; however, few studies have systematically examined how the effect of age on functional connectivity may vary as a function of choice of in‐scanner task.

Methods

The present study included healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 80 and examined a variety of metrics of functional connectivity during performance of 11 in‐scanner tasks, falling into 4 cognitive domains: vocabulary, processing speed, fluid reasoning, and episodic memory. Functional connectivity was assessed at three levels: average correlations within and between 10 networks, system segregation (sensorimotor vs. association networks), and whole‐brain graph theory metrics (global efficiency and modularity).

Results

Results showed that the effect of age on these metrics differed as a function of task—for example, age had a more consistent effect on functional connectivity metrics computed during fluid reasoning tasks; however, there was less of an effect of age on functional connectivity metrics computed during tasks of episodic memory. Further, some of these measures showed relationships with behavioral performance on the in‐scanner task, with different networks playing a role in the different cognitive domains.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that while aging may be generally associated with reductions in within‐ and between‐network connectivity, system segregation, global efficiency, and modularity, the magnitude and presence of these effects varies by in‐scanner task.
Metabolic health is a determining factor for incident colorectal cancer in the obese population: A nationwide population‐based cohort study
Authors: Cho Yun Kyung , Lee Jiwoo , Kim Hwi Seung , Park Joong‐Yeol , Lee Woo Je , Kim Ye‐Jee , Jung Chang Hee
Published: November 2020

Background

The association of the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) with obesity or obesity‐induced metabolic disturbances remains controversial. We assessed the association of metabolic health status with incident CRC among subjects with obesity.

Methods

This study included 319,397 subjects from the Korean National Health Insurance Service‐National Health Screening Cohort. Transitions in metabolic health status and obesity were examined during 2009–2010 and 2011–2012. We categorized subjects with obesity into four separate groups according to their dynamic metabolic health status: metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), MHO to metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO), MUO to MHO, and stable MUO. Subjects were followed up from 2009 to 2015 for incident CRC.

Results

The stable MHO group showed no increased risk of incident CRC (hazard ratio [HR], 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83–1.14). However, the MHO to MUO group had a higher risk of incident CRC than the stable metabolically healthy nonobese (MHNO) group (HR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.15–1.57). Among patients with MUO at baseline, those in the subgroup who transitioned to MHO group were not at increased risk of CRC (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.91–1.25), whereas those who remained in the stable MUO group had a higher risk of incident CRC than those in the stable MHNO group (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.19–1.41).

Conclusions

The transition of metabolic health was a determining factor for CRC among subjects with obesity. Hence, maintenance or recovery of metabolic health should be addressed to prevent CRC in individuals with obesity.
A semiparametric regression model under biased sampling and random censoring: A local pseudo‐likelihood approach
Authors: Rabhi Yassir , Asgharian Masoud
Published: November 2020

Methodologies developed for left‐truncated right‐censored failure time data can mostly be categorized according to the assumption imposed on the truncation distribution, i.e., being completely unknown or completely known. While the former approach enjoys robustness, the latter is more efficient when the assumed form of the truncation distribution can be supported by the data. Motivated by data from an HIV/AIDS study, we consider the middle ground and develop methodologies for estimation of a regression function in a semiparametric setting where the truncation distribution is parametrically specified while the failure time, censoring and covariate distribution are left completely unknown. We devise an estimator for the regression function based on a local pseudo‐likelihood approach that properly accounts for the bias induced on the response variable and covariate(s) by the sampling design. One important spin‐off from these results is that they yield the adjustment for length‐biased sampling and right‐censoring; the so‐called stationary case. We study the small and large sample behaviour of our estimators. The proposed method is then applied to analyze a set of HIV/AIDS data.
An automatic self‐initialized clustering method for brain tissue segmentation and pathology detection from magnetic resonance human head scans with graphics processing unit machine
Authors: Thiruvenkadam Kalaiselvi , Nagarajan Kalaichelvi , Padmanaban Sriramakrishnan
Published: November 2020

The proposed work introduces a fully automatic modified fuzzy c‐means (MFCM) algorithm for segmenting brain tissue into gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) which identifies the pathological conditions of magnetic resonance human head scans. The present work implements histogram smoothing using Gaussian distribution for finding the number of clusters (K) and cluster centers (C) to initialize modified FCM algorithm (MFCM). The modification includes the local impact of each pixel based on the median of local neighborhoods. This needs more computational power to reduce the processing time and requires a parallel programming environment like the Graphics Processing Unit. The parallel MFCM is performed with the help of compute unified device architecture language and reduced the processing time up to 80 speedup folds than the serial implementation in Matlab and 20 speedup folds than C programming implementation. The method is examined with the Internet Brain Segmentation Repository (IBSR20) T1W dataset. The quantitative and qualitative results of the proposed method are compared with state‐of‐the‐art‐methods using the Dice coefficient (DC). Proposed method yields high DC 0.84 ± 0.03 for GM, 0.83 ± 0.04 for WM, and 0.41 ± 0.12 for CSF segmentation. In post‐processing, 3D volumes of segmented regions have been constructed and compared with the gold standard quantitatively and qualitatively.
Design and implementation of a hybrid DPWM under 50 ps resolution based on general‐purpose FPGA
Authors: Yu Limin , Xu Shen , Zhang Huaxin , Shi Longxing , Sun Weifeng
Published: November 2020

High‐resolution pulse width modulators are used widely in different fields of electrical engineering, such as dimming of light‐emitting diode (LED) lighting, motor control, RF modulators, audio amplifiers, and switch‐mode power supplies. To realize a high‐resolution digital pulse‐width modulator (DPWM) in a limited inner system clock, a simple implementation of a hybrid DPWM with the resolution under 50 ps based on a general‐purpose field‐programmable gate array (FPGA) is described. The multiplexer device implementing the fast carry‐chain path and an AND gate controlling the selection input are used as a delay unit. The manual routing or placement is not required in the proposed approach, which just needs some conditional constraints. Some different conditional constraints influencing the monotonicity and resolution of DPWM are discussed. Finally, a 1 MHz switching frequency DPWM with 40 ps resolution is experimentally demonstrated, with high monotonicity and linearity. Further, a synchronous buck with and without this high‐resolution DPWM is experimentally compared to illustrate the regulation resolution.
Barbiturate derivatives for managing multifaceted oncogenic pathways: A mini review
Authors: Prasher Parteek , Sharma Mousmee , Singh Samarth P. , Rawat Devendra S.
Published: November 2020

Development and progression of metastasis comprises synchronized erroneous expressions of several composite pathways, which are difficult to manage simultaneously with the representative anticancer molecules. The emergence of the drug resistance and the complex interplay between these pathways further potentiates cancer related complexities. Barbiturates and their derivatives present a commendable anticancer profile by attenuating the cancer manifesting metabolic and enzymatic pathways including, but not limited to matrix metalloproteinases, xanthine oxidase, amino peptidases, histone deacetylases, and Ras/mitogen‐activated protein kinase. The derivatization and conjugation of barbiturates with pharmacophores delivers a suitable hybrid profile in containing the anomalous expression of these pathways. The present report presents a succinct collation of the barbiturates and their derivatives in managing the various cancer causing pathways.
Fine‐scale variation within urban landscapes affects marking patterns and gastrointestinal parasite diversity in red foxes
Authors: Gecchele Lisa V. , Pedersen Amy B. , Bell Matthew
Published: November 2020

Urban areas are often considered to be a hostile environment for wildlife as they are highly fragmented and frequently disturbed. However, these same habitats can contain abundant resources, while lacking many common competitors and predators. The urban environment can have a direct impact on the species living there but can also have indirect effects on their parasites and pathogens. To date, relatively few studies have measured how fine‐scale spatial heterogeneity within urban landscapes can affect parasite transmission and persistence.

Here, we surveyed 237 greenspaces across the urban environment of Edinburgh (UK) to investigate how fine‐scale variation in socio‐economic and ecological variables can affect red fox (Vulpes vulpes) marking behavior, gastrointestinal (GI) parasite prevalence, and parasite community diversity.

We found that the presence and abundance of red fox fecal markings were nonuniformly distributed across greenspaces and instead were dependent on the ecological characteristics of a site. Specifically, common foraging areas were left largely unmarked, which indicates that suitable resting and denning sites may be limiting factor in urban environments. In addition, the amount of greenspace around each site was positively correlated with overall GI parasite prevalence, species richness, and diversity, highlighting the importance of greenspace (a commonly used measure of landscape connectivity) in determining the composition of the parasite community in urban areas.

Our results suggest that fine‐scale variation within urban environments can be important for understanding the ecology of infectious diseases in urban wildlife and could have wider implication for the management of urban carnivores.
Avian community response to experimental forest management
Authors: Hollie David R. , George Andrew D. , Porneluzi Paul A. , Haslerig Janet M. , Faaborg John
Published: November 2020

In recent decades, concern for migratory birds has stimulated research assessing the relationships between forest management and bird populations. The Missouri Ozark Forest Ecosystem Project (MOFEP) is a long‐term, landscape‐scale experiment designed to examine the effects of even‐aged (i.e., clearcutting), uneven‐aged (i.e., selection cutting), and no‐harvest forest management on ecosystem‐level processes. The management systems were randomly assigned to three sites each (mean area = 400 ha) with harvest occurring on a different portion of trees every 15 yr over a 100‐yr rotation. We used non‐metric multidimensional scaling and linear mixed models to investigate the effects of silvicultural treatment and year‐since‐harvest on bird communities over a 24‐yr period, before and after two harvests (1996 and 2011). Bird community compositions diverged among treatments immediately post‐harvest, but the differences in community composition and structure began to diminish by 8 yr post‐harvest. Species richness was higher in treated stands than no‐harvest controls and lowest approximately 10 yr post‐harvest regardless of treatment. Species diversity showed a linear decrease with year‐since‐harvest. Our findings demonstrate that even‐aged and uneven‐aged forest management can affect bird community composition and structure within the early post‐harvest period, but differences may diminish relatively quickly as harvested stands regenerate. We recommend using a variety of silvicultural methods to provide the diversity of habitats needed for the conservation of diverse forest bird communities.
Reactions of [Fe6C(CO)14(S)]2–: Cluster Growth, Redox, Sulfiding
Authors: Liu Liang , Woods Toby J. , Rauchfuss Thomas B.
Published: November 2020

Redox reactions, substitutions, and metalations are reported for the iron carbido sulfide [Fe6C(CO)14(S)]2– ([1]2–). Dianion [1]2– oxidized to [Fe6C(CO)16(S)]0 ([2]0) upon treatment with of [Fe(C5H5)2]BF4 or HBF4 (H2 formation) under an atmosphere of CO. Reaction of [2]0 with tBuNC gave [Fe6C(S)(CO)13(tBuNC)5], consisting of Fe5C(CO)13 and [Fe(tBuNC)5]2+ subunits linked by a µ3‐S2–. The Fe7CS cluster [Fe7C(CO)17(S)]2– formed upon treatment of (Ph4P)2[1] with Fe(benzylideneacetone)(CO)3. The Fe7 species is an edge‐fused cluster with [Fe6C(CO)10(µ‐CO)4] and Fe(CO)3 subunits joined by µ3‐S and two Fe–Fe bonds. The analogous reaction using Mo(CO)4(norbornadiene) gave [MoFe6C(CO)18(S)]2–. In this cluster, the Mo center is located in the octahedral subunit. Treatment of [1]2– with SO2 afforded [Fe6C(S)(SO2)(CO)13]2–. This cluster features an Fe6C core decorated with µ3‐S and µ2‐SO2 ligands. These experiments were undertaken in an effort to connect organometallic clusters to FeMoco.
Responding to COVID‐19: The Case of Spain
Authors: Royo Sebastián
Published: November 2020

This paper examines the governance of the COVID‐19 crisis in Spain. The main thesis is that the central reason for the pandemic's devastating outcomes was the relatively poor governance of the crisis as manifested by the country's lack of preparedness and its slow and delayed response. If we measure the three dimensions of governance (Mimicopoulos 2006), Spain came way short in efficiency: The lack of predictability in the institutional and policy environment hurt the response to the pandemic; in transparency: The lack of available and reliable data and the absence of information provided to the general public deeply undermined confidence and trust in the government as well adequate rand timely responses to the pandemic; and finally, in participation: The government rarely encouraged public input into decision making and failed to engage the opposition in a timely and constructive way.
Reorganization of functional brain network architecture in chronic osteoarthritis pain
Authors: Barroso Joana , Wakaizumi Kenta , Reis Ana Mafalda , Baliki Marwan , Schnitzer Thomas J. , Galhardo Vasco , Apkarian Apkar Vania
Published: November 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) manifests with chronic pain, motor impairment, and proprioceptive changes. However, the role of the brain in the disease is largely unknown. Here, we studied brain networks using the mathematical properties of graphs in a large sample of knee and hip OA (KOA, n = 91; HOA, n = 23) patients. We used a robust validation strategy by subdividing the KOA data into discovery and testing groups and tested the generalizability of our findings in HOA. Despite brain global topological properties being conserved in OA, we show there is a network wide pattern of reorganization that can be captured at the subject‐level by a single measure, the hub disruption index. We localized reorganization patterns and uncovered a shift in the hierarchy of network hubs in OA: primary sensory and motor regions and parahippocampal gyrus behave as hubs and insular cortex loses its central placement. At an intermediate level of network structure, frontoparietal and cingulo‐opercular modules showed preferential reorganization. We examined the association between network properties and clinical correlates: global disruption indices and isolated degree properties did not reflect clinical parameters; however, by modeling whole brain nodal degree properties, we identified a distributed set of regions that reliably predicted pain intensity in KOA and generalized to hip OA. Together, our findings reveal that while conserving global topological properties, brain network architecture reorganizes in OA, at both global and local scale. Network connectivity related to OA pain intensity is dissociated from the major hub disruptions, challenging the extent of dependence of OA pain on nociceptive signaling.
Governance and financial development: Evidence from a global sample of 120 countries
Authors: Atanga Ondoa Henri , Seabrook Arthur M.
Published: November 2020

This study empirically investigates the impact of governance quality on financial development. The study employs a Dynamic Common Correlated Mean group technique using data from a global sample of 120 countries, among which 32 high‐ and 88 low‐income countries, for the period 2002–2017 to examine this linkage. Political stability and absence of violence, rule of law, control of corruption, regulatory quality, government effectiveness, and voice and accountability are used as proxies for governance quality, whereas financial institutions depth and credit to private sector are proxies of financial development. The following findings have been established. Regulatory quality and political stability and absence of violence are positively associated with financial development, whereas voice and accountability, and government effectiveness are negatively associated with it. Moreover, the degree of the impact of these governance indicators on financial development is relatively greater in high‐income countries as compared to low‐income countries. On the basis of these results, governments in high‐ and low‐income countries must implement the following policies in order to improve the development of their financial systems: Firstly, they should promote a better regulation quality by implementing sound policies and regulations that permit and improve private sector development. Secondly, they should maintain a stable political environment by allowing people to enjoy, but not excessively, their rights and freedoms under the constitution. Policy makers should lastly moderate their commitment towards certain public policies, such as imposition of high tax rate to the private sector.
Retracted: Facile synthesis of two oxocan derivatives using some chemical strategies
Authors: Lauro Figueroa‐Valverde , Francisco Diaz Cedillo , Marcela Rosas‐Nexticapa , Maria Lopez‐Ramos , Virginia Mateu‐Armand , Alejandra Garcimarero‐Espino E. , Yazmin Ortiz‐Ake
Published: November 2020

There are several studies for the synthesis of oxacycle derivatives using some reagents which require special conditions have been reported. The aim of this study was to synthesize two oxocan derivatives from either imidazole or 2‐methylimidazole. The chemical structure was evaluated through both 1H NMR and 13C NMR spectroscopic analysis. The results showed a moderate yielding from oxocan derivatives. It should be mentioned that reagents used in this investigation are not expensive and do not require special conditions for handling.
Umbilical cord blood cells for the treatment of preterm white matter injury: Potential effects and treatment options
Authors: Qiu Han , Qian Tianyang , Wu Tong , Wang Xiaoyang , Zhu Changlian , Chen Chao , Wang Laishuan
Published: November 2020

Preterm birth is a global public health problem. A large number of preterm infants survive with preterm white matter injury (PWMI), which leads to neurological deficits, and has multifaceted etiology, clinical course, monitoring, and outcomes. The principal upstream insults leading to PWMI initiation are hypoxia‐ischemia and infection and/or inflammation and the key target cells are late oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Current PWMI treatments are mainly supportive, and thus have little effect in terms of protecting the immature brain or repairing injury to improve long‐term outcomes. Umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells comprise abundant immunomodulatory and stem cells, which have the potential to reduce brain injury, mainly due to anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanisms, and also through their release of neurotrophic or growth factors to promote endogenous neurogenesis. In this review, we briefly summarize PWMI pathogenesis and pathophysiology, and the specific properties of different cell types in UCB. We further explore the potential mechanism by which UCB can be used to treat PWMI, and discuss the advantages of and potential issues related to UCB cell therapy. Finally, we suggest potential future studies of UCB cell therapy in preterm infants.
A Novel Temperature‐Dependent Hydrogel Emulsion with Sol/Gel Reversible Phase Transition Behavior Based on Polystyrene‐co‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)/Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) Core–Shell Nanoparticle
Authors: Jiang Yingnan , Yan Ruyue , Pang Bo , Mi Jiqiang , Zhang Yang , Liu Hou , Xin Jingwei , Zhang Ying , Li Na , Zhao Yu , Lin Quan
Published: November 2020

As a kind of temperature‐responsive hydrogel, polystyrene‐co‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide)/poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PS‐co‐PNIPAM/PNIPAM) core–shell nanoparticles prepared by two‐step copolymerization are widely studied and used because of their specific structures and properties. Unlike most reports about the steady stability of PS‐co‐PNIPAM/PNIPAM core–shell nanoparticle hydrogel emulsion, in this work, the PS‐co‐PNIPAM/PNIPAM core–shell nanoparticle hydrogel emulsion (symbolized as PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion), which is prepared after the second step of synthesis and without washing out a large number of PNIPAM polymer segments, shows a reversible temperature‐dependent sol–gel transition characteristic during the temperature range of 34–80 °C. The PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion is a normal solution at room temperature, and it changes from a sol to a gel statue when the temperature approaches up to low critical solution temperature (LCST). As the temperature continues to increase, the gel (core–shell nanoparticles as the crosslinkers and the linear PNIPAM chain as the 3D gel network) of the PS/PNIPAM hydrogel emulsion gradually shrinks and drains linearly. Compared with most crosslinked hydrogels, the hydrogel here can be arbitrarily changed in shape according to use needs, which is convenient for use, transportation, and storage. Here a new route is provided for the preparation of a PS/PNIPAM core–shell hydrogel nanoparticle system, as well as a new supramolecular crosslinking sol–gel system for application in biomedical materials, sensors, biological separation, drug release, macromolecular adsorption, and purification.
Numerical solution of stiff random ordinary differential equations via averaged schemes
Authors: Mirzaei Azar , Kamrani Minoo
Published: November 2020

Random ordinary differential equations (RODEs) are important differential equations that contain a stochastic process in their vector field functions. Examples of such stochastic processes are Brownian motion (i.e., Wiener process) and fractional Brownian motion. Taking a path from the stochastic process, these equations can be considered as ordinary differential equations, but numerical schemes for solving ordinary differential equations don't necessarily preserve their convergence order for these equations. In this paper, an implicit ϑ‐averaged scheme for numerical solution of RODEs is introduced. The proposed method involves averaging the noise inside the vector field and leads to integrals of the noise over discretization subintervals. Pathwise convergence and B‐stability of the above scheme are proved. Eventually, the desired averaged scheme is implemented on a medical model.
Quantitative transport mapping (QTM) of the kidney with an approximate microvascular network
Authors: Zhou Liangdong , Zhang Qihao , Spincemaille Pascal , Nguyen Thanh D. , Morgan John , Dai Weiying , Li Yi , Gupta Ajay , Prince Martin R. , Wang Yi
Published: November 2020

Purpose

Proof‐of‐concept study of mapping renal blood flow vector field according to the inverse solution to a mass transport model of time resolved tracer‐labeled MRI data.

Theory and Methods

To determine tissue perfusion according to the underlying physics of spatiotemporal tracer concentration variation, the mass transport equation is integrated over a voxel with an approximate microvascular network for fitting time‐resolved tracer imaging data. The inverse solution to the voxelized transport equation provides the blood flow vector field, which is referred to as quantitative transport mapping (QTM). A numerical microvascular network modeling the kidney with computational fluid dynamics reference was used to verify the accuracy of QTM and the current Kety’s method that uses a global arterial input function. Multiple post‐label delay arterial spin labeling (ASL) of the kidney on seven subjects was used to assess QTM in vivo feasibility.

Results

Against the ground truth in the numerical model, the error in flow estimated by QTM (18.6%) was smaller than that in Kety’s method (45.7%, 2.5‐fold reduction). The in vivo kidney perfusion quantification by QTM (cortex: 443 ± 58 mL/100 g/min and medulla: 190 ± 90 mL/100 g/min) was in the range of that by Kety’s method (482 ± 51 mL/100 g/min in the cortex and 242 ± 73 mL/100 g/min in the medulla), and QTM provided better flow homogeneity in the cortex region.

Conclusions

QTM flow velocity mapping is feasible from multi‐delay ASL MRI data based on inverting the transport equation. In a numerical simulation, QTM with deconvolution in space and time provided more accurate perfusion quantification than Kety’s method with deconvolution in time only.
Professional development participation by teachers facilitated student exposure to agriculture
Authors: Lindsey Alexander J.
Published: November 2020

The use of modern technological advances to aid with agricultural production has led to many new career opportunities in the agricultural industry especially for those with strong science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training. However, limited exposure to agricultural content in middle and high school education may affect how many students enter the industry. Professional development sessions and post‐session surveys for teachers were designed to raise teacher awareness of careers in agriculture and current agricultural facts, quantify use of professional development materials in the classroom, and measure change in behavior of teachers and student perceptions in response to participation. Four professional development sessions were offered from 2017 to 2019 for teachers of grades 6–12. Sessions consisted of presentations, hands‐on activities, and reflection and discussion on topics related to technology in agriculture. Although direct knowledge of agricultural facts did not increase (P = .2), teacher comfort in teaching about technology in agriculture and career opportunities did increase both in the short term and long term (P < .02). Curriculum related to nitrogen cycling and soil properties were most widely used, and 90% of survey respondents reported positive changes in student perceptions of careers in agriculture. These results suggest the professional development sessions were effective at enabling teachers to teach on these subjects, and student perceptions were positively impacted from teachers participating in the sessions.
Predictive Model for Idiopathic Multicentric Castleman Disease Supporting Treatment Decisions
Authors: Fang Xiaosheng , Sun Zhongling , Xu-Monette Zijun Y. , Young Ken H.
Published: November 2020

The International Castleman Disease Consortium recently presented the first idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease prognostic model correlating with clinical outcome. This commentary summarizes the value of this international prognostic index tool and the group's next research goals.
Interaction of metformin hydrochloride with ionic surfactants in aqueous and NaCl solution: Effect of temperatures and compositions
Authors: Hoque Md. Anamul , Alam Md. Masud , Khan Mohammed Abdullah , Kumar Dileep , Khan Javed Masood , Malik Ajamaluddin , Ahmed Mohammad Z. , Ahamed Anwar
Published: November 2020

Herein, the interaction of metformin hydrochloride (MNH) with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) has been investigated by the conductometric technique in aqueous medium as well as in the existence of NaCl over a range of temperatures. MNH, an antidiabetic drug that belongs to the biguanide group, is generally prescribed for the patients to manage type II diabetes. The micellar parameters such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), the extent of counterion binding (β), and different thermodynamic properties for MNH + surfactant systems were estimated and discussed elaborately. The CMC values of CTAB + MNH and SDS + MNH systems are dependent on the concentrations of NaCl at different temperatures. The significant decrease of CMC values in NaCl solution indicates that NaCl stabilizes MNH‐mediated surfactant micelles. The CMC values versus T plots show a nonlinear pattern for the CTAB + MNH system, whereas the CMC values almost monotonically decrease with increasing temperature for the SDS + MNH system. The values of ∆G0m were negative for both systems in all cases. Both ∆G0m and ∆G0m,t values indicate that the aggregation processes of MNH + surfactants mixture are spontaneous, which is also manifested in NaCl solution and with the change of temperatures in most of the cases. The obtained results proposed that surfactants may assist as a proficient drug delivery agent for antidiabetic drug, enhancing their bioavailability.
Pathway to excellence in cancer care: learning from Qatar's experience
Authors: Qoronfleh M. Walid
Published: November 2020

In 2011, Qatar launched the First National Cancer Control Program in the GCC. The National Cancer Strategy, A Path to Excellence (2011‐2016) and the companion document, Qatar National Cancer Research Strategy (2012) transformed cancer care in Qatar. Cancer outcomes are now equivalent to countries with long established National Cancer Strategies (The Lancet, 2018). Critical to the success were robust governance structures, informed and committed leadership, comprehensive involvement of all sectors including public and private providers, charities, private sector employers, academic partners and the judicious use of expert groups and subject matter experts. Major milestones have been reached in the prevention, early detection, treatment and care of cancer throughout the period the National Cancer Strategy has been in place. Achievements have included harmonized multi‐sectoral awareness, education, and myth busting campaigns aligned to a single National Awareness Calendar. A National Breast Cancer Screening Program, a National Bowel Cancer Screening Program and an opportunistically ran Cervical Cancer Screening Program have been established, supported by a dedicated Cancer Screening Call Center and a Mobile Screening Unit for those hard to reach geographical areas in Qatar. Internationally peer reviewed cancer specific teams included new and extended roles, the introduction of forefront diagnostic and treatment modalities and a patient centered approach to the organization of care have improved clinical outcomes, patient experience, and public confidence. Future development will focus on consolidating areas of significant achievement incorporating emerging evidence and new technologies. This will include evidence‐based approaches for public engagement, prevention and early detection, particularly the use of personalized approaches. As with any successful cancer program, survivorship and transition programs need to be enhanced to include chronic illness and palliative care models. Rare cancers, further development of local faculty and maturity of Qatar's high impact Cancer Research portfolio are also a focus. Qatar provides a model that illustrates how the principles of good cancer control are internationally applicable but need to be locally owned and adapted to the country and be culturally specific. It is critical to have clear leadership and governance, as well as the right people in all partner organizations to work collaboratively in achieving a common goal. We make key policy recommendations that are applicable inside and outside of Qatar. Moreover, we share the successful cancer care framework learned from the Qatar experience.
Crystal structure of the large subunit of cobaltochelatase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Zhang Jia‐Hui , Yuan Hui , Wang Xiao , Dai Huai‐En , Zhang Min , Liu Lin
Published: November 2020

Cobaltochelatase in aerobic cobalamin biosynthesis is a complex composed of three subunits. The large subunit CobN is a 140‐kDa protein and is homologous to the ChlH subunit of magnesium chelatase. Previously we have reported the 2.5‐Å structure of a cyanobacterial ChlH. Here we present the 1.8‐Å structure of CobN from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The overall structure of CobN and ChlH is similar, but significant difference occurs in the head domain. Structural comparison of domains between the two proteins unravels candidate regions for substrate binding and helps to locate a triad of residues that may be essential for metal ion binding.
Influence of a low‐dose supplementation of curcumagalactomannoside complex (CurQfen) in knee osteoarthritis: A randomized, open‐labeled, active‐controlled clinical trial
Authors: Thomas Jestin V. , Smina Thozhuthum Parambil , Khanna Aman , Kunnumakkara Ajaikumar B. , Maliakel Balu , Mohanan Ratheesh , Krishnakumar Illathu Madhavamenon
Published: November 2020

A 6‐week, randomized, open‐label, active‐controlled clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the influence of a low‐dose curcumagalactomannosides (CGM) (400 mg once daily) in OA subjects. The treatment was compared with a standard combination of 500 mg glucosamine hydrochloride (GLN) and 415 mg chondroitin sulphate (CHN), supplied as a single oral dose twice a day. Out of 84 subjects randomized, 72 subjects who have completed the study were evaluated for the safety and efficacy of the treatments at baseline and subsequent visits (day 28 and 42), by measuring walking performance, VAS, KPS, and WOMAC scores. CGM exhibited 47.02, 21.43, and 206% improvement in VAS, KPS, and walking performance, respectively, compared to the baseline. Similarly, there was 31.17, 32.93, 36.44, and 35% improvement in the pain, stiffness, physical function, and total WOMAC scores. CGM also caused a substantial reduction in the serum inflammatory marker levels. The results indicate that a short‐term supplementation of a low dosage CGM exerted superior beneficial effects than a high‐dosage CHN–GLN combination in alleviating the pain and symptoms of OA subjects. Further clinical trials of extended duration in a larger population is required to substantiate the efficacy of CGM in the long‐term management of OA.