bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single‐Atom Fe‐Nx‐C as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Zinc–Air Batteries
Authors: Han Junxing , Meng Xiaoyi , Lu Liang , Bian Juanjuan , Li Zhipeng , Sun Chunwen
Published: February 2019

Highly efficient non‐noble metal electrocatalysts are vital for metal–air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, a noble‐metal–free single‐atom Fe‐N
x‐C electrocatalyst is synthesized by incorporating Fe‐Phen complexes into the nanocages in situ during the growth of ZIF‐8, followed by pyrolysis at 900 °C under inert atmosphere. Fe‐Phen species provide both Fe2+ and the organic ligand (Phen) simultaneously, which play significant roles in preparing single‐atom catalysts. The obtained Fe‐Nx‐C exhibits a half‐wave potential of 0.91 V for the oxygen reduction reaction, higher than that of commercial Pt/C (0.82 V). As a cathode catalyst for primary zinc–air batteries (ZABs), the battery shows excellent electrochemical performances in terms of the high open‐circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.51 V and a high power density of 96.4 mW cm−2. The rechargeable ZAB with Fe‐Nx‐C catalyst and the alkaline electrolyte shows a remarkable cycling performance for 300 h with an initial round‐trip efficiency of 59.6%. Furthermore, the rechargeable all‐solid‐state ZABs with the Fe‐Nx‐C catalyst show high OCV of 1.49 V, long cycle life for 120 h, and foldability. The single‐atom Fe‐Nx‐C electrocatalyst may function as a promising catalyst for various metal–air batteries and fuel cells.
Orally Delivered Antisense Oligodeoxyribonucleotides of TNF‐α via Polysaccharide‐Based Nanocomposites Targeting Intestinal Inflammation
Authors: Duan Bingchao , Li Mengxia , Sun Ying , Zou Siwei , Xu Xiaojuan
Published: February 2019

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) is usually regarded as a potential target for inflammatory bowel disease therapy. Herein, a promising strategy for effective delivery of phosphorothioated antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide of TNF‐α (PS‐ATNF‐α), targeting the intestinal inflammation based on the interaction of the single chain of triple helical β‐glucan (s‐LNT) with poly‐deoxyadenylic acid [poly(dA)], and the colon‐specific degradation of chitosan‐alginate (CA) hydrogel, is reported. The target gene of PS‐ATNF‐α, with a poly(dA) tail through a disulfide bond (–SS–), interacts with s‐LNT to form a rod‐like nanocomposite of s‐LNT/poly(dA)–SS–PS‐ATNF‐α, which significantly inhibits lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced TNF‐α at the protein level by 38.2% and mRNA level by 48.9% in RAW264.7 macrophages. The nanocomposites carried by the CA hydrogel with the loading amount of 83.5% are then orally administered and specifically released to the inflamed intestine, followed by internalization into intestinal cells such as macrophages, to reduce TNF‐α production by 36.4% and dextran sulfate sodium‐induced inflammation by decreasing myeloperoxidase and malondialdehyde. This study defines a new strategy for the oral delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to attenuate inflammatory response, demonstrating a notable potential for clinical applications in intestine‐inflammation‐targeted therapy.
Extracellular Matrix‐Based Strategies for Immunomodulatory Biomaterials Engineering
Authors: Rowley Andrew T. , Nagalla Raji R. , Wang Szu‐Wen , Liu Wendy F.
Published: February 2019

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex and dynamic structural scaffold for cells within tissues and plays an important role in regulating cell function. Recently it has become appreciated that the ECM contains bioactive motifs that can directly modulate immune responses. This review describes strategies for engineering immunomodulatory biomaterials that utilize natural ECM‐derived molecules and have the potential to harness the immune system for applications ranging from tissue regeneration to drug delivery. A top‐down approach utilizes full‐length ECM proteins, including collagen, fibrin, or hyaluronic acid‐based materials, as well as matrices derived from decellularized tissue. These materials have the benefit of maintaining natural conformation and structure but are often heterogeneous and encumber precise control. By contrast, a bottom‐up approach leverages immunomodulatory domains, such as Arg–Gly–Asp (RGD), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐sensitive peptides, or leukocyte‐associated immunoglobulin‐like receptor‐1(LAIR‐1) ligands, by incorporating them into synthetic materials. These materials have tunable control over immune cell functions and allow for combinatorial approaches. However, the synthetic approach lacks the full natural context of the original ECM protein. These two approaches provide a broad range of engineering techniques for immunomodulation through material interactions and hold the potential for the development of future therapeutic applications.
Highly Efficient Blue Fluorescent OLEDs Based on Upper Level Triplet–Singlet Intersystem Crossing
Authors: Xu Yuwei , Liang Xiaoming , Zhou Xuehong , Yuan Peisen , Zhou Jiadong , Wang Cong , Li Binbin , Hu Dehua , Qiao Xianfeng , Jiang Xiaofang , Liu Linlin , Su Shi‐Jian , Ma Dongge , Ma Yuguang
Published: February 2019

Purely organic electroluminescent materials, such as thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) and triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA) materials, basically harness triplet excitons from the lowest triplet excited state (T1) to realize high efficiency. Here, a fluorescent material that can convert triplet excitons into singlet excitons from the high‐lying excited state (T2), referred to here as a “hot exciton” path, is reported. The energy levels of this compound are determined from the sensitization and nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopy measurements, i.e., small splitting energy between S1 and T2 and rather large T2–T1 energy gap, which are expected to impede the internal conversion (IC) from T2 to T1 and facilitate the reverse intersystem crossing from the high‐lying triplet state (hRISC). Through sensitizing the T2 state with ketones, the existence of the hRISC process with an ns‐scale delayed lifetime is confirmed. Benefiting from this fast triplet–singlet conversion, the nondoped device based on this “hot exciton” material reaches a maximum external quantum efficiency exceeding 10%, with a small efficiency roll‐off and CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.13). These results reveal that the “hot exciton” path is a promising way to exploit high efficient, stable fluorescent emitters, especially for the pure‐blue and deep‐blue fluorescent organic light‐emitting devices.
Redox‐Responsive Dual Drug Delivery Nanosystem Suppresses Cancer Repopulation by Abrogating Doxorubicin‐Promoted Cancer Stemness, Metastasis, and Drug Resistance
Authors: Liu Jia , Chang Bingcheng , Li Qilin , Xu Luming , Liu Xingxin , Wang Guobin , Wang Zheng , Wang Lin
Published: February 2019

Chemotherapy is a major therapeutic option for cancer patients. However, its effectiveness is challenged by chemodrugs' intrinsic pathological interactions with residual cancer cells. While inducing cancer cell death, chemodrugs enhance cancer stemness, invasiveness, and drug resistance of remaining cancer cells through upregulating cyclooxygenase‐2/prostaglandin‐E2 (COX‐2/PGE2) signaling, therefore facilitating cancer repopulation and relapse. Toward tumor eradication, it is necessary to improve chemotherapy by abrogating these chemotherapy‐induced effects. Herein, redox‐responsive, celecoxib‐modified mesoporous silica nanoparticles with poly(β‐cyclodextrin) wrapping (MSCPs) for sealing doxorubicin (DOX) are synthesized. Celecoxib, an FDA‐approved COX‐2 inhibitor, is employed as a structural and functional element to confer MSCPs with redox‐responsiveness and COX‐2/PGE2 inhibitory activity. MSCPs efficiently codeliver DOX and celecoxib into the tumor location, minimizing systemic toxicity. Importantly, through blocking chemotherapy‐activated COX‐2/PGE2 signaling, MSCPs drastically enhance DOX's antitumor activity by suppressing enhancement of cancer stemness and invasiveness as well as drug resistance induced by DOX‐based chemotherapy in vitro. This is also remarkably achieved in three preclinical tumor models in vivo. DOX‐loaded MSCPs effectively inhibit tumor repopulation by blocking COX‐2/PGE2 signaling, which eliminates DOX‐induced expansion of cancer stem‐like cells, distant metastasis, and acquired drug resistance. Thus, this drug delivery nanosystem is capable of effectively suppressing tumor repopulation and has potential clinical translational value.
Super‐Stretchable Zinc–Air Batteries Based on an Alkaline‐Tolerant Dual‐Network Hydrogel Electrolyte
Authors: Ma Longtao , Chen Shengmei , Wang Donghong , Yang Qi , Mo Funian , Liang Guojin , Li Na , Zhang Haiyan , Zapien Juan Antonio , Zhi Chunyi
Published: February 2019

Stretchable devices need elastic hydrogel electrolyte as an essential component, while most hydrogels will lose their stretchability after being incorporated with strong alkaline solution. This is why highly stretchable zinc–air batteries have never been reported so far. Herein, super‐stretchable, flat‐ (800% stretchable) and fiber‐shaped (500% stretchable) zinc–air batteries are first developed by designing an alkaline‐tolerant dual‐network hydrogel electrolyte. In the dual‐network hydrogel electrolyte, sodium polyacrylate (PANa) chains contribute to the formation of soft domains and the carboxyl groups neutralized by hydroxyls as well as cellulose as potassium hydroxide stabilizer are responsible for vastly enhanced alkaline tolerance. The obtained super‐stretchable, flat zinc–air battery exhibits a high power density of 108.6 mW⋅cm−2, increasing to 210.5 mW⋅cm−2 upon being 800% stretched. Similar phenomena are observed for the 500% stretchable fiber‐shaped batteries. The devices can maintain stable power output even after being heavily deformed benefiting from the highly soft, alkaline‐tolerant hydrogel electrolyte developed. A bendable battery‐display system and water proof weavable fiber zinc–air battery are also demonstrated. This work will facilitate the progress of using zinc–air battery powering flexible electronics and smart clothes. Moreover, the developed alkaline‐tolerant super‐stretchable electrolyte can also be applied for many other alkaline electrolyte‐based energy storage/conversion devices.
Reliability of the supraorbital ethmoid cell vs Keros classification in predicting the course of the anterior ethmoid artery
Authors: Li Mingsi , Sharbel Daniel D. , White Brandon , Y. Tadros Sandra , Kountakis Stilianos E.
Published: February 2019

Background

We previously showed that the supraorbital ethmoid cell (SOEC) is a reliable landmark for identifying the anterior ethmoid artery (AEA). Recent data have suggested that Keros classification is also a dependable predictor. We aim to characterize the location of the AEA and its relation to the skull base in patients with and without SOEC using the Keros classification.

Methods

Retrospective radiographic evaluation of computed tomography (CT) scans of 76 patients (40 with SOEC, 36 without) was conducted. Distance of AEA from skull base and prevalence of AEA outside of the skull base were measured on each side and compared between groups using the 2‐sample t test and χ2 test, respectively. Subgroup analysis was carried out based on the Keros classification.

Results

Mean distance of AEA from the skull base was 1.32 ± 1.5 mm in patients with SOEC and 0.47 ± 1.08 mm in those without (p < 0.001). Prevalence of AEA outside of the skull base was 53.8% in those with SOEC and 18.1% in those without (p < 0.001). Comparing patients with SOEC to those without, AEA was found below the skull base in 30% vs 0% of cases with Keros type 1 (p = 0.45), 58% vs 14.5% with Keros type 2 (p < 0.001), and 60% vs 50% with Keros type 3 (p = 0.72).

Conclusion

The presence of SOEC is associated with a higher prevalence of the AEA coursing below the level of the skull base in all Keros types, thus placing the artery at greater risk for injury. Careful surgical planning is needed to avoid potential orbital complications.
Does rainbow trout justify its high rank among alien invasive species? Insights from a nationwide survey in Greece
Authors: Koutsikos Nicholas , Vardakas Leonidas , Zogaris Stamatis , Perdikaris Costas , Kalantzi Olga‐Ioanna , Economou Alcibiades N.
Published: February 2019

Rainbow trout is ranked as one of the world's worst alien invasive species; in Europe, however, the extent of established populations remains localized and poorly reported. This study aims to assess rainbow trout establishment in Greece and explores the factors affecting the success or failure of establishment.

Fish samples and site‐specific environmental attributes collected during the past 17 years (2001–2017) were analysed. All available literature on the distribution patterns of rainbow trout were reviewed in parallel to those of the Greek nativeSalmotrout species and demographic criteria were applied to infer potential establishment.

Data indicating poor persistence of populations and population structure support the argument that recruitment of rainbow trout is extremely limited in Greece. Lack of suitable environmental conditions is not the main factor leading to the failure of rainbow trout to become established. Genetic factors affecting reproduction, possibly through a combination of outbreeding depression resulting from the admixture of unrelated intraspecific lineages, and maladaptive behaviour resulting from domestication in captivity, remain probable causes of poor establishment for the Greek populations of rainbow trout.

Overall, the threat of rainbow trout as a highly invasive species in Greece is lower than suggested by recent risk assessments.
Synthesis and Evaluation of Imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine Analogues of the ZSTK474 Class of Phosphatidylinositol 3‐Kinase Inhibitors
Authors: Gamage Swarna A. , Spicer Julie A. , Tsang Kit Y. , O'Connor Patrick D. , Flanagan Jack U. , Lee Woo‐Jeong , Dickson James M. J. , Shepherd Peter R. , Denny William A. , Rewcastle Gordon W.
Published: February 2019

Using a scaffold‐hopping approach, imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridine analogues of the ZSTK474 (benzimidazole) class of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitors have been synthesized for biological evaluation. Compounds were prepared using a heteroaryl Heck reaction procedure, involving the palladium‐catalysed coupling of 2‐(difluoromethyl)imidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines with chloro, iodo or trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy (trifloxy) substituted 1,3,5‐triazines or pyrimidines, with the iodo intermediates being preferred in terms of higher yields and milder reaction conditions. The new compounds maintain the PI3K isoform selectivity of their benzimidazole analogues, but in general show less potency.
Detecting and Resolving Apparent Loss With Data Science
Authors: Mohanakrishnan Janani , Boyle Christine , Poff James G.
Published: February 2019

A water utility partnered with an analytics company to identify and reduce water loss issues, resulting in improved value for the utility's customers and community.
Managing Legionella and Other Pathogenic Microorganisms in Building Water Systems
Authors: Cotruvo Joseph A. , Purkiss David , Hazan Stan , Sidari Frank P. , DeMarco Peter , LeChevallier Mark
Published: February 2019

A conference held in 2018 focused on the current challenges of monitoring and preventing occurrence of Legionella; Robust guidelines and regulations are needed to establish a uniform, sufficient standard of care.
High‐proline proteins in experimental hazy white wine produced from partially botrytized grapes
Authors: Perutka Zdeněk , Šufeisl Miloslav , Strnad Miroslav , Šebela Marek
Published: February 2019

Undesirable effects of the pathogen Botrytis cinerea include reduced quality and quantity of wine grapes. Winemaking is also complicated by the formation of a protein haze in white wines and oxidative browning of red wines. We analyzed proteins in experimental Moravian white wines characterized by their instability and haze formation in bottles during storage despite prior bentonite treatment. To study the relationship of wine proteins and haze, we carried out proteomics on hazy and clear white wines produced with partly or largely botrytized grapes and standard reference wines. Wine proteins were identified after their extraction, electrophoresis, and tryptic digestion by reversed‐phase liquid chromatography of peptides, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Plant defense proteins, yeast glycoproteins, and various enzymes from Botrytis, particularly hydrolases, were found. As the content of the known haze‐active thaumatin‐like proteins and chitinases was visually low on stained gels (missing bands) compared to previous studies with unfined wines, other proteins are discussed in terms of the haze formation. As the main novelty, this work reveals the role of high proline‐containing proteins in the propensity of white wines to turbidity following prior Botrytis damage of grapes.
Field‐compatible protocol for detecting tetracyclines with bioluminescent bioreporters without pipetting steps
Authors: Muurinen Johanna , Pasupulate Avinash , Lappalainen Juha , Virta Marko
Published: February 2019

Whole‐cell bioreporters are living organisms and thus using them for detecting environmental contaminants would reflect biological effects of these pollutants. However, bioreporters are not widely used in field studies. Many of the bioreporter field protocols are suitable for liquid samples or include pipetting steps, which is a demanding task outside the laboratory. We present a bioreporter protocol without pipetting or sample type requirements. The protocol utilizes polyester swabs, commonly used in cleanroom technology. As an example contaminant, we used tetracycline and generated test samples with known concentrations up to the maximum tetracycline residue limit of milk set by the European Union (EU) regulation. The matrices of the test samples were Milli‐Q water, milk and soil. The swabs were first dipped in the bioreporter cell cultures and then to test samples and luminescence was measured after incubation. The standard deviation of measurements from ten replicate swabs was in the same range as commonly in pipetting protocols (4–19%). The test samples with lowest tetracycline concentration (5 ng mL−1) were distinguished from the control samples (0 ng mL−1 tetracycline). Our results show that swabs can be used together with luminescent whole cell bioreporters, making it possible to conduct the measurements in field conditions.
A novel splice site mutation in AP1S2 gene for X‐linked mental retardation in a Chinese pedigree and literature review
Authors: Huo Liang , Teng Ziteng , Wang Hua , Liu Xueyan
Published: February 2019

Background

Pettigrew syndrome (PGS) is a rare X‐linked mental retardation that caused by AP1S2 mutation. The pathogenesis of AP1S2 deficiency has remained elusive. The purpose of this study is to give a comprehensive overview of the phenotypic and genetic spectrum of AP1S2 mutations.

Methods

This study systematically analyzed clinical features and genetic information of a Chinese family with AP1S2 variation, and reviewed previously reported literatures with the same gene variation.

Results

We identified a new c.1‐1 G>C mutation in AP1S2 gene from a four generation family with seven affected individuals and found the elevated neuron‐specific enolase (NSE) in a patient. We summarized the clinical manifestation of 59 patients with AP1S2 mutation. We found that pathogenic point mutations affecting AP1S2 are associated with dysmorphic features and neurodevelopmental problems, which included highly variable mental retardation (MR), delayed in walking, abnormal speech, hypotonia, abnormal brain, abnormal behavior including aggressive behavior, ASD, self‐abusive, and abnormal gait. Patients with splice site mutation were more likely to lead to seizures. By contrast, patients with nonsense mutations are more susceptible to microcephaly.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest AP1S2 mutations contribute to a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders and are important in the etiological spectrum of PGS.
Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activities of Lepidium latifolium L. Hydrodistillate, Extract and Its Major Sulfur Volatile Allyl Isothiocyanate
Authors: Blažević Ivica , Đulović Azra , Maravić Ana , Čikeš Čulić Vedrana , Montaut Sabine , Rollin Patrick
Published: February 2019

The cultivated Lepidium latifolium L. was investigated to decipher its glucosinolate profile, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities. HPLC/ESI‐MS analyses of the intact glucosinolates and GC/MS analysis of their hydrolysis products showed the presence of sinigrin (1), glucocochlearin (2), glucotropaeolin (3), and 4‐methoxyglucobrassicin (4). Hydrodistillate, extract, and allyl isothiocyanate, the main volatile resulting from sinigrin degradation, showed antimicrobial activity against all eleven tested pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria and fungi, with highest effect observed against Candida albicans with MIC50 8 and 16 μg/mL. Hydrodistillate and extract showed the best cytotoxic activity on bladder cancer UM‐UC‐3 cell line during an incubation time of 24 h (IC50 192.9 and 133.8 μg/mL, respectively), while the best effect on glioblastoma LN229 cell line was observed after 48 h (IC50 110.8 and 30.9 μg/mL, respectively). Pure allyl isothiocyanate displayed a similar trend in cytotoxic effect on both cell lines (IC50 23.3 and 36.5 μg/mL after 24 h and 48 h, respectively).
Pentafluorophenyl Substitution of Natural Di(indol‐3‐yl)methane Strongly Enhances Growth Inhibition and Apoptosis Induction in Various Cancer Cell Lines
Authors: Ahmad Aamir , Dandawate Prasad , Schruefer Sebastian , Padhye Subhash , Sarkar Fazlul H. , Schobert Rainer , Biersack Bernhard
Published: February 2019

Di(indol‐3‐yl)methane (=3,3′‐methanediyldi(1H‐indole), DIM, 1) is a known weakly antitumoral compound formed by digestion of indole‐3‐carbinol (=1H‐indol‐3‐ylmethanol), an ingredient of various Brassica vegetables. Out of a series of nine fluoroaryl derivatives of 1, three pentafluorophenyl derivatives 2c, 2h, and 2i were identified that exhibited a two to five times greater anti‐proliferative effect and an increased apoptosis induction when compared with 1 in the following carcinoma cell lines: BxPC‐3 pancreas, LNCaP prostate, C4‐2B prostate, PC3 prostate and the triple‐negative MDA‐MB‐231 breast carcinoma. Compound 2h was particularly efficacious against androgen‐refractory C4‐2B prostate cancer cells (IC50=6.4 μm) and 2i against androgen‐responsive LNCaP cells (IC50=6.2 μm). In addition, 2c and 2h exhibited distinct activity in three cancer cell lines resistant to 1.
Supramolecular Crowding Can Avoid Oxygen Quenching of Photon Upconversion in Water
Authors: Kouno Hironori , Sasaki Yoichi , Yanai Nobuhiro , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: February 2019

A common challenge in chemistry that deals with photoexcited states is to avoid oxygen quenching. This is crucial for hot research fields such as photon upconversion (UC), in which oxygen‐sensitive triplet excited states play pivotal roles. However, methods to avoid oxygen quenching in aqueous media are far more limited despite eagerly anticipated catalytic and biological applications. This work introduces a simple strategy to achieve air‐stable triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA)‐based UC in water, namely, supramolecular crowding. Amphiphilic cationic acceptor molecules and anions with long alkyl chains co‐assemble in water in which hydrophobic donor molecules are molecularly dispersed. Despite the common notion that oxygen molecules diffuse readily across hydrophobic domains in water, more than 80 % of the TTA‐UC emission of the obtained hydrophobic co‐assemblies is maintained in air‐saturated water. This work demonstrates the new promising potential of supramolecular chemistry for photophysical and photochemical functions with oxygen‐sensitive species.
NiII‐ATCUN‐Catalyzed Tyrosine Nitration in the Presence of Nitrite and Sulfite
Authors: Maiti Biplab K. , Maia Luisa B. , Moura Isabel , Moura José J. G.
Published: February 2019

The nitration of tyrosine residues in proteins represents a specific footprint of the formation of reactive nitrogen species (RNS) in vivo. Here, the fusion product of orange protein (ATCUN‐ORP) was used as an in vitro model system containing an amino terminal Cu(II)‐ and Ni(II)‐binding motif (ATCUN) tag at the N‐terminus and a native tyrosine residue in the metal‐cofactor‐binding region for the formation of 3‐NO2‐Tyr (3‐NT). It is shown that NiII‐ATCUN unusually performs nitration of tyrosine at physiological pH in the presence of the NO2−/SO32−/O2 system, which is revealed by a characteristic absorbance band at 430 nm in basic medium and 350 nm in acidic medium (fingerprint of 3‐NT). Kinetics studies showed that the formation of 3‐NT depends on sulfite concentration over nitrite concentration suggesting key intermediate products, identified as oxysulfur radicals, which are detected by spin‐trap EPR study by using 5,5‐dimethyl‐1‐pyrroline‐N‐oxide (DMPO). This study describes a new route in the formation of 3‐NT, which is proposed to be linked with the sulfur metabolism pathway associated with the progression of disease occurrence in vivo.
Exploring the Role of Coinage Metalates in Trifluoromethylation: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study
Authors: Martínez de Salinas Sara , Mudarra Ángel L. , Odena Carlota , Martínez Belmonte Marta , Benet‐Buchholz Jordi , Maseras Feliu , Pérez‐Temprano Mónica H.
Published: February 2019

Despite the known nucleophilic nature of [M(CF3)2]− (M=Cu, Ag, Au) complexes, their participation in trifluoromethylation reactions of aryl halides remains unexplored. Here, for the first time, selective access to a [Cu(CF3)2]− species is reported, which is ubiquitous in Cu‐mediated trifluoromethylations, and we rationalize its complex mechanistic scenario as well as its behavior compared to its silver and gold congeners through a combination of experimental and computational approaches.
Review of fluid‐solid reaction analysis—Part 3: Complex fluid‐solid reactions
Authors: Sohn Hong Yong
Published: February 2019

In this Part 3 of the series, we discuss work done on the rates of complex fluid‐solid reactions. It is shown that many of the complex systems can be analyzed by recognizing the component single fluid‐solid reactions. The overall reaction system is then quantitatively described by combining the mathematical relationships for the component single reactions discussed in Parts 1 and 2.[1,2] In many cases, Sohn's law of additive reaction times discussed in Part 2 is shown to provide a useful means of simplifying the quantitative description of the complex fluid‐solid reactions.[2]
On Concavity of the Monopolist's Problem Facing Consumers with Nonlinear Price Preferences
Authors: McCann Robert J. , Zhang Kelvin Shuangjian
Published: February 2019

A monopolist wishes to maximize her profits by finding an optimal price policy. After she announces a menu of products and prices, each agentxwill choose to buy that producty(x) which maximizes his own utility, if positive. The principal's profits are the sum of the net earnings produced by each product sold. These are determined by the costs of production and the distribution of products sold, which in turn are based on the distribution of anonymous agents and the choices they make in response to the principal's price menu. In this paper, we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the convexity or concavity of the principal's (bilevel) optimization problem, assuming each agent's disutility is a strictly increasing but not necessarily affine (i.e., quasilinear) function of the price paid. Concavity, when present, makes the problem more amenable to computational and theoretical analysis; it is key to obtaining uniqueness and stability results for the principal's strategy in particular. Even in the quasilinear case, our analysis goes beyond previous work by addressing convexity as well as concavity, by establishing conditions which are not only sufficient but necessary, and by requiring fewer hypotheses on the agents' preferences. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A real‐time traffic index model for expressways
Authors: Xu Fusheng , Huang Zhongxiang , Dai Hao , Zhu Xueying , Wu Hongwei , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a real‐time traffic index model of expressways is proposed by using a traffic index to evaluate the actual conditions of expressways. The model considers the actual situation of floating and nonfloating vehicles on expressways, in the context of massive floating car data. Included is the realization of the complete calculation model of real‐time traffic index estimation, including highway section division, spatial topology map matching, driving route calculation, and road congestion status judgment. For roads without floating car coverage, the weighted‐moving‐average time‐series prediction method is used to predict the traffic index, so that the running condition of all roads in the network can be analyzed completely. The simulation results show that the proposed highway traffic index can reflect not only the overall high‐speed operation but also real‐time congestion at specific high‐speed or specific highway intervals, providing an effective reference for travel.
Interactions among morphotype, nutrition, and temperature impact fitness of an invasive fly
Authors: Rendon Dalila , Walton Vaughn , Tait Gabriella , Buser Jessica , Lemos Souza Ivana , Wallingford Anna , Loeb Greg , Lee Jana
Published: February 2019

Invasive animals depend on finding a balanced nutritional intake to colonize, survive, and reproduce in new environments. This can be especially challenging during situations of fluctuating cold temperatures and food scarcity, but phenotypic plasticity may offer an adaptive advantage during these periods. We examined how lifespan, fecundity, pre‐oviposition periods, and body nutrient contents were affected by dietary protein and carbohydrate (P:C) ratios at variable low temperatures in two morphs (winter morphs WM and summer morphs SM) of an invasive fly, Drosophila suzukii. The experimental conditions simulated early spring after overwintering and autumn, crucial periods for survival. At lower temperatures, post‐overwintering WM lived longer on carbohydrate‐only diets and had higher fecundity on low‐protein diets, but there was no difference in lifespan or fecundity among diets for SM. As temperatures increased, low‐protein diets resulted in higher fecundity without compromising lifespan, while high‐protein diets reduced lifespan and fecundity for both WM and SM. Both SM and WM receiving high‐protein diets had lower sugar, lipid, and glycogen (but similar protein) body contents compared to flies receiving low‐protein and carbohydrate‐only diets. This suggests that flies spend energy excreting excess dietary protein, thereby affecting lifespan and fecundity. Despite having to recover from nutrient depletion after an overwintering period, WM exhibited longer lifespan and higher fecundity than SM in favorable diets and temperatures. WM exposed to favorable low‐protein diet had higher body sugar, lipid, and protein body contents than SM, which is possibly linked to better performance. Although protein is essential for oogenesis, WM and SM flies receiving low‐protein diets did not have shorter pre‐oviposition periods compared to flies on carbohydrate‐only diets. Finding adequate carbohydrate sources to compensate protein intake is essential for the successful persistence of D. suzukii WM and SM populations during suboptimal temperatures.
Behavior‐specific habitat selection by African lions may promote their persistence in a human‐dominated landscape
Authors: Suraci Justin P. , Frank Laurence G. , Oriol‐Cotterill Alayne , Ekwanga Steve , Williams Terrie M. , Wilmers Christopher C.
Published: February 2019

Co‐occurrence with humans presents substantial risks for large carnivores, yet human‐dominated landscapes are increasingly crucial to carnivore conservation as human land use continues to encroach on wildlife habitat. Flexibility in large carnivore behavior may be a primary factor mediating coexistence with people, allowing carnivores to calibrate their activity and habitat use to the perceived level of human risk. However, our understanding of how large carnivores adjust the timing and location of behaviors in response to variations in human activity across the landscape remains limited, impacting our ability to identify important habitat for populations outside of protected areas. Here we examine whether African lions (Panthera leo) modify their behavior and habitat use in response to risk of a human encounter, and whether behavior‐specific habitat selection allows lions to access feeding opportunities in a human‐dominated landscape in Kenya. We determined fine‐scale behavioral states for lions using high‐resolution GPS and accelerometer data, and then investigated behavior‐specific habitat selection at multiple temporal and spatial scales (ranging from 15 minutes to 12 hours and from approximately 200 meters to several kilometers). We found that lions exhibit substantial differences in habitat selection with respect to humans based on behavioral state and time of day. During the day, when risk of human encounter is highest, lions avoided areas of high human use when resting, meandering, and feeding. However, lions specifically selected for habitat near people when feeding at night. Flexible habitat use by lions thus permits access to prey, which appear to concentrate in areas near humans. The importance of habitat near people for feeding was only apparent when analyses explicitly accounted for lion behavioral state and spatiotemporal scale, highlighting the necessity of incorporating such information when investigating human impacts on large carnivore habitat use. Our results support the contention that behavior‐specific habitat selection promotes carnivore persistence in human‐dominated landscapes, demonstrating the importance of considering not just whether but how large carnivores use habitat near humans when managing vulnerable populations.
Assessing the Optimal Deoxygenation Pattern of Dodecyl Glycosides for Antimicrobial Activity Against Bacillus anthracis
Authors: Dias Catarina , Martins Alice , Pelerito Ana , Oliveira Maria C. , Contino Marialessandra , Colabufo Nicola A. , Rauter Amélia P.
Published: February 2019

The discovery of the bactericide dodecyl 2,6‐dideoxypyranoside reorganizing membrane phospholipid matrix of Bacillus species into a hexagonal phase, encouraged further research on glycone deoxygenation/bioactivity relationship. We now describe expedient syntheses of new 2‐, 3‐, 4‐deoxy, 2,3‐ and 3,4‐dideoxy glycosides in moderate to good yields. Interestingly, Amberlyst 15 is a key protagonist, efficiently applied for the transacetalation of alkyl deoxy glycosides and for ring contraction to access regioselectively hexofuranosides. The 2‐deoxy‐d‐arabino pyranoside affords the higher MIC values against two Bacillus spp. and Enterococcus faecalis, while a 4‐fold decrease or higher was found by inversion of configuration or by deoxygenation at C‐3. While 2,3‐ and 3,4‐dideoxygenation do not improve bioactivity, the 4,6‐dideoxy‐α‐d‐xylo‐hexopyranoside remains a promising glycoside, presenting low MIC values for all species tested, and low cytotoxicity in intestinal and liver cell models.
Influences of phosphorus and foliar iron fertilization rate on the quality parameters of whole wheat grain
Authors: Shahbazi Feizollah , Nematollahi Ameneh
Published: February 2019

The objective of this research was to study the effects of phosphorous and foliar iron fertilizations rates on the of protein, fiber, and water contents in wheat grains. Treatments of fertilizers included a combination of three foliar iron rates (0, 1.2, and 2 L/ha, Fusion) and four phosphorus rates (0, 75, 150, and 225 kg/ha, P2O5) at three replications. The quality parameters of harvested seeds were measured by the NIR technique. Protein content increased but and fiber and water contents decreased significantly with an increase in the iron and phosphorus fertility rates. As the rates of foliar iron increased from 0 to 2 L/ha the mean values of protein content increased significantly from 13.47% to 15.48%. With increasing the rates of phosphorus from 0 to150 kg/ha, the mean values of protein content increased significantly from 13.56% to 15.53%, however, further increase in phosphorus, causing a decreased trend in the amount of protein. Fiber and water contents of wheat decreased significantly from 13.76% to 11.86% and from 7.36% to 7.28%, respectively, as the phosphorous rate increased from 0 to 225 kg/ha. Those changes were from 13.40% to 12.03% and from 7.57% to 7.21%, respectively, for increasing foliar iron from 0, 1.2, and 2 L/ha. Mathematical relationships composed of phosphorus and iron fertilizers were developed for accurately describing the wheat protein, fiber, and water contents under different fertilization rates.
Imaging in prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies: Where do we stand?
Authors: Durcan Rory , Donaghy Paul , Osborne Curtis , Taylor John‐Paul , Thomas Alan J.
Published: February 2019

Objectives

The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the literature on imaging in prodromal dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Design

Systematic PubMed search and literature review.

Results

Diagnostic classification of the prodromal DLB stage remains to be established but is likely to require imaging biomarkers to improve diagnostic accuracy. In subjects with mild cognitive impairment with Lewy body disease (MCI‐LB) (here synonymous with prodromal DLB) and REM sleep behaviour disorder, a high risk condition for future conversion to a synucleinopathy, imaging modalities have assessed early structural brain changes, striatal dopaminergic integrity, metabolic brain, and cerebral perfusion alterations. It remains uncertain whether structural brain imaging can differentiate MCI‐LB from mild cognitive impairment with Alzheimer disease (MCI‐AD), but early right anterior insula thinning has been reported to occur in MCI‐LB compared with MCI‐AD. Dopaminergic deficits have been observed in a substantial proportion of MCI‐LB subjects and have a high specificity for Lewy body disease at the pre‐dementia stage. Cardiac sympathetic denervation, occipital hypometabolism, or hypoperfusion is less studied as this pre‐dementia stage and it remains to be determined whether any imaging abnormalities antedate DLB.

Conclusion

Imaging studies in prodromal DLB are still in their infancy but offer great potential to study early in vivo structural and functional biological alterations. Future work should focus on longitudinal multimodal imaging studies with postmortem validation of diagnosis in order to develop and then validate criteria for prodromal DLB.
Extracellular Vesicle‐Based Therapeutic Targeting of β‐Catenin to Modulate Anticancer Immune Responses in Hepatocellular Cancer
Authors: Matsuda Akiko , Ishiguro Kaori , Yan Irene K. , Patel Tushar
Published: February 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer‐related death worldwide. Although HCC can respond to immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as monoclonal antibodies against programmed death 1 (PD‐1), many patients fail to respond or develop secondary resistance. Activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling can contribute to immune evasion. Mutations in β‐catenin are among the most frequent mutations associated with HCC. Thus, our aim was to directly target β‐catenin to enhance the therapeutic response to immune checkpoint inhibition. A synthetic transgenic mouse model of experimental HCC induced by tyrosine‐protein kinase Met/β‐catenin expression and extracellular vesicles (EVs) as a therapeutic delivery agent was used to evaluate the efficacy of directly targeting β‐catenin on the response to anti‐PD‐1. These studies showed that (1) oncogenic β‐catenin could be therapeutically targeted using a biological nanoparticle‐based delivery approach, (2) targeting β‐catenin using small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered within EVs can reduce tumor growth, and (3) the therapeutic response to anti‐PD‐1 can be enhanced by concomitantly targeting β‐catenin using therapeutic EVs. These preclinical studies establish the efficacy of the use of biological nanoparticles as an endogenous delivery vehicle for therapeutic RNA delivery and support the use of therapeutic strategies targeting tumor‐intrinsic β‐catenin as an adjunct to anti‐PD‐1‐based therapy.Conclusion:Combination therapy with anti‐PD‐1 and β‐catenin siRNA delivered using biological nanoparticles provides an effective strategy for the treatment of HCC. This strategy could be further exploited into targeted approaches for immune potentiation by countering oncogene‐mediated resistance to immunotherapies.
Cognitive mapping style relates to posterior–anterior hippocampal volume ratio
Authors: Brunec Iva K. , Robin Jessica , Patai Eva Zita , Ozubko Jason D. , Javadi Amir‐Homayoun , Barense Morgan D. , Spiers Hugo J. , Moscovitch Morris
Published: February 2019

As London taxi drivers acquire “the knowledge” and develop a detailed cognitive map of London, their posterior hippocampi (pHPC) gradually increase in volume, reflecting an increasing pHPC/aHPC volume ratio. In the mnemonic domain, greater pHPC/aHPC volume ratios in young adults have been found to relate to better recollection ability, indicating that the balance between pHPC and aHPC volumes might be reflective of cross‐domain individual differences. Here, we examined participants' self‐reported use of cognitive map‐based navigational strategies in relation to their pHPC/aHPC hippocampal volume ratio. We find that greater reported cognitive map use was related to significantly greater posterior, relative to anterior, hippocampal volume in two separate samples of young adults. Further, greater reported cognitive map usage correlated with better performance on a self‐initiated navigation task. Together, these data help to advance our understanding of differences between aHPC and pHPC and the greater role of pHPC in spatial mapping.
Two novel genetic variants in the STK38L and RAB27A genes are associated with glioma susceptibility
Authors: Chen Hongyan , Chen Gong , Li Gang , Zhang Shuo , Chen Haitao , Chen Yuanyuan , Duggan Dave , Hu Zhibin , Chen Juxing , Zhao Yingjie , Zhao Yao , Huang Huiling , Zheng S. Lilly , Trent Jeffrey M. , Yu Long , Jiang Deke , Mo Zengnan , Wang Hongwei , Mou Yonggao , Jiang Tao , Mao Ying , Xu Jianfeng , Lu Daru
Published: February 2019

Glioma is the most common malignant primary brain tumors with poor prognosis. Genome wide association studies (GWAS) of glioma in populations with Western European ancestry were completed in the US and UK. However, our previous results strongly suggest the genetic heterogeneity could be important in glioma risk. To systematically investigate glioma risk–associated variants in Chinese population, we performed a multistage GWAS of glioma in the Han Chinese population, with a total of 3,097 glioma cases and 4,362 controls. In addition to confirming two associations reported in other ancestry groups, this study identified one new risk‐associated locus for glioma on chromosome 12p11.23 (rs10842893, pmeta = 2.33x10‐12, STK38L) as well as a promising association at 15q15‐21.1 (rs4774756, pmeta = 6.12x10‐8, RAB27A) in 3,097 glioma cases and 4,362 controls. Our findings demonstrate two novel association between the glioma risk region marked by variant rs10842893 and rs4774756) and glioma risk. These findings may advance the understanding of genetic susceptibility to glioma.
The enumeration of cyclic mutually nearly orthogonal Latin squares
Authors: Demirkale Fatih , Donovan Diane M. , Kokkala Janne I. , Marbach Trent G.
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we study collections of mutually nearly orthogonal Latin squares (MNOLS), which come from a modification of the orthogonality condition for mutually orthogonal Latin squares. In particular, we find the maximum such that there exists a set of cyclic MNOLS of order for , as well as providing a full enumeration of sets and lists of cyclic MNOLS of order under a variety of equivalences with . This resolves in the negative a conjecture that proposed that the maximum for which a set of cyclic MNOLS of order exists is .
Maternal peripheral blood platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio and platelet count as potential diagnostic markers of histological chorioamnionitis‐related spontaneous preterm birth
Authors: Qiu Liyin , Pan Mian , Zhang Ronglian , Ren Kunhai
Published: February 2019

Background

Histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) is one of the leading causes of spontaneous preterm birth, thus, to identify novel biomarkers for the early diagnosis of HCA is in a great need.

Objective

To investigate the diagnostic value of maternal peripheral blood platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio (PLT/WBC) and platelet (PLT) counts in HCA‐related preterm birth.

Methods

A total of 400 patients with preterm birth were enrolled in this study: non‐HCA group (n = 193) and HCA group (n = 207), and 87 full‐term pregnancies were enrolled as the control. The peripheral blood of the participators was collected, and the neutrophil count, WBC count, platelet count, and levels of C‐reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin were recorded, and the platelet‐to‐white blood cell ratio (PLT/WBC) of the participators was calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve has been drawn to show the sensitivity and specificity of PLT/WBC and PLT count for the diagnosis of HCA‐related spontaneous preterm birth patients.

Results

The neutrophil count, WBC count, and procalcitonin show no significant differences among the three groups, and the PLT count, PLT/WBC, and CRP (P < 0.05) were significantly increased in HCA group compared with non‐HCA group; moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of PLT/WBC, PLT, and CRP was 0.744 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6966‐0.7922), 0.8095 (95% CI, 0.7676‐0.8514), and 0.5730 (95% CI, 0.5173‐0.6287), respectively.

Conclusion

Platelet count and PLT/WBC may become a potential biomarker of HCA‐related spontaneous preterm birth.
Vitamin D levels and vitamin D receptor variants are associated with chronic heart failure in Chinese patients
Authors: Hao Yi , Chen Yueling
Published: February 2019

Background

Vitamin D is an indispensable molecule for human health. Wide ranges of diseases are linked with vitamin D deficiencies. Role of vitamin D in chronic heart failure has been demonstrated in different populations; however, reports are limited in Chinese population. Vitamin D exerts its effect through vitamin D receptor and variants in vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene are shown to affect vitamin D signaling. In the present study, we hypothesized that both vitamin D levels and VDR variants could be associated with the development of chronic heart failure.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled 145, chronic heart failure patients those admitted to Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Beijing Luhe Hospital of Capital Medical University and fulfilled NYHA inclusions criteria. In addition, ninety healthy subjects from similar geographical location were enrolled as healthy controls. Plasma levels of vitamin D were quantified by ELISA. VDR variants (BsmI, ApaI, TaqI, and FokI) were genotyped by PCR‐RFLP.

Results

Plasma levels of vitamin D were significantly lower in chronic heart patients compared to healthy controls. Heterozygous and minor allele for FokI and TaqI polymorphisms were significantly higher in heart failure patients when compared to healthy controls. In addition, combined analysis of vitamin D levels and VDR mutants revealed association of vitamin D deficiencies and VDR mutants with chronic heart failure.

Conclusions

The results of the present investigation showed an important role of vitamin D and VDR variants with chronic heart failure.