bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fabrication of Polydopamine Modified Carbon Nanotube Hybrids and their Catalytic Activity in Ethylbenzene Dehydrogenation
Authors: Tian Siyuan , Yan Pengqiang , Li Fan , Zhang Xuefei , Su Dangsheng , Qi Wei
Published: March 2019

A new synthetic strategy was developed for the fabrication of polydopamine modified carbon nanotube catalysts via in situ polymerization and subsequent thermal treatment process. The hybrid nonmetallic catalysts exhibited superior apparent and intrinsic activity than undoped or nitrogen doped carbon nanotube materials in ethylbenzene dehydrogenation reactions. The relatively high catalytic activity could be attributed to the electron transfer from polydopamine to nanocarbon matrix. The immediate result is that the improved nucleophilicity enhanced the hydrogen abstraction activity of nanocarbon catalysts, which is recognized as the rate determining step in alkane dehydrogenation reactions.
One‐step Conversion of Fructose to Furfuryl Alcohol in a Continuous Fixed‐bed Reactor: The Important Role of Supports
Authors: Wang Yueqing , Yang Xiaohai , Ding Guoqiang , Zheng Hongyan , Li Xianqing , Li Yongwang , Zhu Yulei
Published: March 2019

One‐step catalytic conversion of fructose to furfuryl alcohol (FOL) is not only a challenge task but also to open a new pathway for conversion of hexose into useful chemicals. The favorable yield (41.6 %) of FOL can be directly obtained from fructose over the tandem of HY zeolite and Pd/Al2O3. However, the Pd/montmorillonite (Pd/MMT) was deactivated for production of FOL. The proportion of available Pd active sites (i. e. facets, corners and edges) vary with different supports, and the strong metal support interaction (SMSI) plays the pivotal role on the catalytic performance. For Al2O3 support, exposure of Pd (111) plane allows the hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to bind on the Pd (111) surface via planar arrangement. In this stance, the aldehyde group of HMF is readily eliminated by decarbonylation. Conversely, for Pd/MMT, the decarbonylation is completely inhibited due to the HMF absorbs on corner sites in perpendicular orientation. The XPS studies indicate that the density electron of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) could be manipulated by various supports, and the electron‐donating effect of Al2O3 was observed. The collaborative effects between available sites and density electron of Pd are observed with respect to the different binding modes of HMF on the surface of Pd. The electronegative Pd NPs facilitate the decarbonylation of HMF as a consequence of the different adsorption strength between furan ring and aldehyde group.
Ir‐Au Bimetallic Nanoparticle Modified Silicon Nanowires with Ultralow Content of Ir for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Liao Fan , Jiang Binbin , Shen Wen , Chen Ying , Li Yanqing , Shen Yuwei , Yin Kui , Shao Mingwang
Published: March 2019

Reducing the size and increasing the dispersity of the noble metals are effective ways to decrease the dosage and simultaneously increase their electrocatalytic activities for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Ir−Au bimetallic nanoparticle modified silicon nanowires (Ir−Au−Si) with ultralow content of Ir are prepared and served to catalyze HER in the acid condition. The small Ir−Au nanoparticles are in‐situ grown and uniformly dispersed on the surface of silicon nanowires. Ir−Au−Si exhibits a significantly increased activity in HER catalysis compared with Ir−Si and Pt−Au−Si. Ir provides the active sites for HER, Au increases the electron transfer rate, and the silicon nanowires improve the speed of the hydrogen gas evolution. The optimal Ir−Au−Si‐2 shows a low Tafel slope of 24 mV dec−1 and high mass activity, which are better than those of Ir−Si and Pt−Au−Si catalysts.
α‐Helix‐Mimetic Foldamers for Targeting HIV‐1 TAR RNA
Authors: Maity Debabrata , Kumar Sunil , Curreli Francesca , Debnath Asim K. , Hamilton Andrew D.
Published: March 2019

An oligopyridylamide‐based foldamer approach has been employed to target HIV TAR RNA‐TAT assembly as a model system to study RNA‐protein interactions. The oligopyridylamide scaffold adopts a constrained conformation which presents surface functionalities at distinct spatial locations and mimic the chemical features of the secondary structure of proteins. We have designed a library of oligopyridylamides containing diverse surface functionalities which mimic the side chain residues of the TAT protein domain. The interaction of TAR RNA and TAT plays a pivotal role in facilitating HIV replication. The library was screened using various fluorescent based assays to identify antagonists of the TAR RNA‐TAT complex. A tricationic oligopyridylamide ADH‐19, possessed the highest affinity towards TAR and efficiently inhibited the TAR RNA‐TAT interaction with apparent Kd of 4.1±1.0 μm. Spectroscopic studies demonstrated that ADH‐19 interacts with the bulge and the lower bulge regions of TAR RNA, the domains important for TAT interaction. ADH‐19 demonstrated appreciable in vivo efficacy (IC50=25±1 μm) by rescuing TZM‐bl cells infected with the pseudovirus HIV‐1HXB‐2.
Religious beliefs influencing aggressive end‐of‐life care preferences: A measurement advance and continued challenges
Authors: Peterman Amy H.
Published: March 2019

The Religious Beliefs in End‐of‐Life Medical Care scale is a significant addition to the literature on the complicated relationships between religion, spirituality, and the treatment preferences of patients with advanced cancer. This editorial highlights several suggestions for additional refinement of the measure.
A scale to assess religious beliefs in end‐of‐life medical care
Authors: Balboni Tracy A. , Prigerson Holly G. , Balboni Michael J. , Enzinger Andrea C. , VanderWeele Tyler J. , Maciejewski Paul K.
Published: March 2019

Background

Studies postulate that certain religious beliefs related to medical care influence the end‐of‐life (EOL) medical decision making and care of patients with advanced cancer. Because to the best of the authors’ knowledge no current measure explicitly assesses such beliefs, in the current study the authors introduced and evaluated the Religious Beliefs in EOL Medical Care (RBEC) scale, a new measure designed to assess religious beliefs within the context of EOL cancer care.

Methods

The RBEC scale consists of 7 items designed to reflect religious beliefs in EOL medical care. Its psychometric properties were evaluated in a sample of 275 patients with advanced cancer from the Coping With Cancer II study, a National Cancer Institute–funded, multisite, longitudinal, observational study of communication processes and outcomes in EOL cancer care.

Results

The RBEC scale proved to be internally consistent (Cronbach α, .81), unidimensional, positively associated with other indicators of patients’ religiousness and spirituality (establishing its convergent validity), and inversely associated with patients’ terminal illness understanding and acceptance (establishing its criterion validity), suggesting its potential clinical usefulness in promoting informed EOL decision making. The majority of patients (87%) reported some (“somewhat,” “quite a bit,” or “a great deal”) endorsement of at least 1 RBEC item and a majority (62%) endorsed ≥3 RBEC items.

Conclusions

The RBEC scale is a reliable and valid tool with which to assess religious beliefs within the context of EOL medical care, beliefs that frequently are endorsed and inversely associated with terminal illness understanding.
Role of pelvic chemoradiation therapy in patients with initially metastatic anal canal cancer: A National Cancer Database review
Authors: Abdelazim Yasser A. , Rushing Christel N. , Palta Manisha , Willett Christopher G. , Czito Brian G.
Published: March 2019

Background

Although the management of localized anal canal squamous cell carcinomas is well established, the role of pelvic chemoradiation (CRT) in the treatment of patients presenting with synchronous metastatic (stage IV) disease is poorly defined. This study used a national cancer database to compare the overall survival (OS) rates of patients with synchronous metastatic disease receiving CRT to the pelvis and patients treated with chemotherapy (CT) alone.

Methods

This study included adult patients with anal canal squamous cell carcinomas presenting with synchronous metastases diagnosed from 2004 to 2012. Multiple imputation and 2:1 propensity score matching were used to create a matched data set for testing. The proportional hazards model was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for the effect of the treatment group on OS. With only patients in the matched data set, the OS of the treatment groups was estimated with the Kaplan‐Meier method by treatment group.

Results

This study started with an unmatched data set of 978 patients, and 582 patients were selected for the matched data set: 388 in the CRT group and 194 in the CT‐alone group. The HR for the group effect was 0.75 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61‐0.92; P = .006). The median OS was 21.1 months in the CRT group (95% CI, 17.4‐24.0 months) and 14.6 months in the CT group (95% CI, 12.2‐18.4 months). The corresponding 5‐year OS rates were 23% (95% CI, 18%‐28%) and 14% (95% CI, 7%‐21%), respectively.

Conclusions

In this large series analyzing OS in patients with stage IV anal cancer, CRT was associated with improved OS in comparison with CT alone. Because of the lack of prospective data in this setting, this evidence will help to guide treatment approaches in this group of patients.
Effectiveness of a short message service intervention to motivate people with positive results in preliminary colorectal cancer screening to undergo colonoscopy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wu Yanan , Liang Yingru , Zhou Qin , Liu Huazhang , Lin Guozhen , Cai Wenfeng , Li Yan , Gu Jing
Published: March 2019

Background

Colonoscopy adherence among populations at high risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) is crucial for the early diagnosis and treatment of CRC, but the adherence rate has been found to be poor. A short message service (SMS) is effective in promoting cancer screening, but its effectiveness in promoting colonoscopy among populations at high risk for CRC has not been well studied.

Methods

In this randomized controlled trial conducted in Guangzhou, China, participants who had tested positive during preliminary CRC screening (a high‐risk factor questionnaire and/or an immunochemical fecal occult blood test) but had not undergone colonoscopy were randomized into low‐frequency (monthly) intervention, high‐frequency (biweekly) intervention, and control groups. The 2 intervention groups received behavioral theory–based SMS for 6 months. Data were obtained from the CRC screening database. The outcome was undergoing a colonoscopy examination.

Results

For the 1362 participants, the rates of colonoscopy adherence were 5.2%, 6.0%, and 10.5% at month 3 and 7.1%, 9.6%, and 13.7% at month 6 in the control, low‐frequency intervention, and high‐frequency intervention groups, respectively. After adjustments for potential confounders, the high‐frequency intervention group was approximately twice as likely as the control group to undergo colonoscopy (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.32‐3.01), whereas the difference between the low‐frequency intervention and control groups was not statistically significant. The cost of SMS to increase colonoscopy uptake by 1 in the high‐frequency intervention group was US $2.7.

Conclusions

Text messages sent biweekly for 6 months to patients with positive preliminary screening results could increase colonoscopy adherence. SMS could be a prioritized intervention for promoting colonoscopy in large community‐based populations.
The fork in the road: Waun Ki Hong, John Mendelsohn, and the reinvigoration of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Authors: Khuri Fadlo R. , Herbst Roy S.
Published: March 2019

Waun Ki Hong and John Mendelsohn were vastly different characters, with different backgrounds and strengths. Yet once together at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, the combination of these 2 great men had an enormous impact on reinvigorating the institution and generations of physicians, scientists, and patients.
Impurity Segregation and Nanoparticle Reorganization of Indium Doped MgO Cubes
Authors: Niedermaier Matthias , Taniteerawong Chatpawee , Schwab Thomas , Zickler Gregor , Bernardi Johannes , Diwald Oliver
Published: March 2019

Metal oxide nanocomposites are non‐equilibrium solids and promising precursors for functional materials. Annealing of such materials can provide control over impurity segregation and, depending on the level of consolidation, represents a versatile approach to engineer free surfaces, particle‐particle interfaces and grain boundaries. Starting with indium‐magnesium‐oxide nanoparticle powders obtained via injection of an indium organic precursor into the magnesium combustion flame and subsequent particle quenching in argon, we investigated the stability of the trivalent In3+ ions in the host lattice of MgO nanoparticles by determining grain growth, morphology evolution and impurity segregation. The latter process is initiated by vacuum annealing at 873 K and can be tracked at 1173 K on a time scale of minutes. In the first instance the surface segregated indium wets the nanoparticle interfaces. After prolonged annealing indium evaporates and leaves the powder via the gas phase. Resulting MgO nanocubes are devoid of residual indium, regain their high morphological definition and show spectroscopic fingerprints (UV Diffuse Reflectance and Photoluminescence emission) that are characteristic of electronically unperturbed MgO cube corner and edge features. The results of this combined XRD, TEM, and spectroscopy study reveal the parameter window within which control over indium segregation is used to introduce a semiconducting metal oxide component into the intergranular region between insulating MgO nanograins.
Assessment of eating attitudes and dieting behaviors in healthy children: Confirmatory factor analysis of the Children's Eating Attitudes Test
Authors: Murphy Tanya J. , Hwang Heungsun , Kramer Michael S. , Martin Richard M. , Oken Emily , Yang Seungmi
Published: March 2019

Objective

The Children's Eating Attitudes Test (ChEAT) is a self‐report questionnaire that is conventionally summarized with a single score to identify “problematic” eating attitudes, masking informative variability in different eating attitude domains. This study evaluated the empirical support for single‐ versus multifactor models of the ChEAT. For validation, we compared how well the single‐ versus multifactor‐based scores predicted body mass index (BMI).

Method

Using data from 13,674 participants of the 11.5 year‐follow‐up of the Promotion of Breastfeeding Intervention Trial (PROBIT) in the Republic of Belarus, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis to evaluate the performance of 3‐ and 5‐factor models, which were based on past studies, to a single‐factor model representing the conventional summary of the ChEAT. We used cross‐validated linear regression models and the reduction in mean squared error (MSE) to compare the prediction of BMI at 11.5 and 16 years by the conventional and confirmed factor‐based ChEAT scores.

Results

The 5‐factor model, based on 14 of the original 26 ChEAT items, had good fit to the data whereas the 3‐ and single‐factor models did not. The MSE for concurrent (11.5 years) BMI regressed on the 5‐factor ChEAT summary was 35% lower than that of the single‐score models, which reduced the MSE from the null model by only 1%–5%. The MSE for BMI at 16 years was 20% lower.

Discussion

We found that a parsimonious 5‐factor model of the ChEAT explained the data collected from healthy Belarusian children better than the conventional summary score and thus provides a more discriminating measure of eating attitudes.
Model‐based hypervolumes for complex ecological data
Authors: Jarvis Susan G. , Henrys Peter A. , Keith Aidan M. , Mackay Ellie , Ward Susan E. , Smart Simon M.
Published: March 2019

Developing a holistic understanding of the ecosystem impacts of global change requires methods that can quantify the interactions among multiple response variables. One approach is to generate high dimensional spaces, or hypervolumes, to answer ecological questions in a multivariate context. A range of statistical methods has been applied to construct hypervolumes but have not yet been applied in the context of ecological data sets with spatial or temporal structure, for example, where the data are nested or demonstrate temporal autocorrelation. We outline an approach to account for data structure in quantifying hypervolumes based on the multivariate normal distribution by including random effects. Using simulated data, we show that failing to account for structure in data can lead to biased estimates of hypervolume properties in certain contexts. We then illustrate the utility of these “model‐based hypervolumes” in providing new insights into a case study of afforestation effects on ecosystem properties where the data has a nested structure. We demonstrate that the model‐based generalization allows hypervolumes to be applied to a wide range of ecological data sets and questions.
Fragmentation, forest structure, and topography modulate impacts of drought in a tropical forest landscape
Authors: Schwartz Naomi B. , Budsock Andrew M. , Uriarte María
Published: March 2019

Climate models predict increases in drought conditions in many parts of the tropics. Yet the response of tropical forests to drought remains highly uncertain, especially with regards to the factors that generate spatial heterogeneity in drought response across landscapes. In this study, we used Landsat imagery to assess the impacts of a severe drought in 2015 across an ~80,000‐ha landscape in Puerto Rico. Specifically, we asked whether drought effects varied systematically with topography and with forest age, height, and fragmentation. We quantified drought impacts using anomalies of two vegetation indices, the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI), and fit random forest models of these metrics including slope, aspect, forest age, canopy height, and two indices of fragmentation as predictors. Drought effects were more severe on drier topographic positions, that is, steeper slopes and southwest‐facing aspects, and in second‐growth forests. Shorter and more fragmented forests were also more strongly affected by drought. We also assessed which factors were associated with stronger recovery from drought. Factors associated with more negative drought anomalies were also associated with more positive postdrought anomalies, suggesting that increased light availability as a result of drought led to high rates of recovery in forests more severely affected by drought. In general, recovery from drought was rapid across the landscape, with postdrought anomalies at or above average across the study area. This suggests that forests in Puerto Rico might be resilient to a single‐year drought, though vulnerability to drought varies depending on forest characteristics and landscape position.
Effects of artificial light on flowering of foredune vegetation
Authors: Viera‐Pérez M. , Hernández‐Calvento L. , Hesp P. A. , Santana‐del Pino A.
Published: March 2019

The impact of ecological light pollution involves alteration of periods of natural light, a fact that has proven effects on ecosystems. Few studies have focused on the impact of this pollution on wild plant species, and none on coastal dune plants. Many coastal dunes and their plants are adjacent to tourist areas, and these might be affected by light pollution. Such is the case of the Natural Reserve Dunas de Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), where some individuals of the plant species Traganum moquinii, located in the El Inglés beach foredune zone, are affected by light pollution. This study examines the effect of light pollution on the flowering process and, by extension, the reproductive cycle of these plants. Plants located closer to high artificial illumination sources receive ~2,120 h/yr of intense light more than plants located furthest from those artificial lighting sources. Parts of the plants of Traganum moquinii exposed directly to the artificial light show a significant decrease in the production of flowers, compared to the parts in plants in shade, and to the plants more distant from artificial lights. In consequence, plants exposed more directly to artificial light have a lower potential for seed reproduction. The spectrum of artificial light also affects the plants, and light between 600 and 700 nm primarily affects the reproductive cycle of the Traganum moquinii species. The implications for the ecological and geomorphological functioning of the dune system are discussed, because this species plays a decisive role in the formation of foredune zones and nebkhas in arid dune systems.
Superconducting magnetic shield for MEG coupled with permalloy PC
Authors: Irisawa Daiichi , Imai Kumiko , Shintomi Koichi , Yahara Akihito , Matsubara Hironori
Published: March 2019

The Biomagnetism measurement is required shielding effect 1/S≦1/10−7 for using SQUID magnetometer. The superconducting shield is possible to realize ideal low magnetic noise space. But it is required to attenuate every external field inside the superconducting hollow cylinder equally. Especially, radial external field decreases gently comparison to axial field. At this time the length of cylinder needs 4.4 m for diameter 1 m to realize shielding effect 1/S≦1/10−7. On the other hand, it is only 2.1 m for axial field. For that reason, we devised two methods to attenuate radial field rapidly coupled with permalloy.
Evaluation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with Radical Species Using the Vesicle Conjugated Autoxidizable Triene (VesiCAT) Assay
Authors: Durand Erwann , Zhao Yu , Ruesgas‐Ramón Mariana , Figueroa‐Espinoza Maria Cruz , Lamy Samantha , Coupland John N. , Elias Ryan J. , Villeneuve Pierre
Published: March 2019

Liposomes can be used as therapeutic vehicles and membrane models to mimic cells, therefore developing new efficient assays to assess membrane oxidation of liposomes is of great importance. Their bilayer structure serves as an interesting model to investigate the antioxidant potential of compounds, as well as drug–membrane interaction. In this context, a new and high‐throughput method called “Vesicle Conjugated Autoxidizable Triene (VesiCAT)” that is based on specific UV absorbance spectral properties of a phospholipid probe, is described. The membrane oxidation under constant free radical flux generated by azo initiators, either in membrane or in aqueous phase, offers the possibility of extracting different but complementary informations in addition to the antioxidants efficacy. Thus, the VesiCAT assay represents an excellent tool not only to evaluate antioxidant capacity of molecules or extracts, but also to gain knowledge on their membrane distribution and their interaction with hydrophilic or hydrophobic reactive oxygen species.

Practical Applications: Several methods have been developed to measure antioxidant capacity of molecules or extracts. However, most of them neglect the complexity of real systems; especially how the coexisting phases may get involved in the antioxidant performance. Moreover, most of the assays use accelerated oxidation tests, and they do not consider the effect of free radicals location on the antioxidant response. The VesiCAT method is a fast and efficient testing assay, implemented with a microplate reader. In addition, the aforementioned testing defect are considered and evaluated, rendering a more reliable and accurate way to predict the antioxidant potential. Thus, the VesiCAT is worth to serve as new routine assay for large‐scale antioxidant analysis, for both academic and industrial purposes, in alternative to conventional ones.

The VesiCAT assay may represent a routine test for antioxidant ranking, with additional information regarding the antioxidants distribution and the evaluation of their capacity to interact with oxidant species in different cell regions.
Trait self‐control and beliefs about the utility of emotions for initiatory and inhibitory self‐control
Authors: Tornquist Michelle , Miles Eleanor
Published: March 2019

How do people with high trait self‐control achieve their success? This research aimed to investigate beliefs about emotion utility as a potential mechanism. Specifically, because beliefs about the utility of emotions predict emotion regulation and successful performance, we investigate the hypothesis that trait self‐control influences beliefs about the utility of emotions for self‐control. Two preregistered studies examined whether beliefs about the utility of emotions in everyday self‐control situations varied depending on the person (trait self‐control) and the situation (initiatory or inhibitory self‐control). Our key finding was that people considered positive emotions more useful for self‐control than negative emotions. This effect was also moderated by situational and individual factors, such that positive emotions were considered especially useful by participants with high trait self‐control and in situations requiring initiatory self‐control (with the opposite effect for negative emotions). This research suggests a potential role for instrumental emotion regulation in self‐control success.
From subsurface to surface: a multidisciplinary approach to decoding uplift histories in tectonically‐active karst landscapes
Authors: Pennos Christos , Lauritzen Stein‐Erik , Vouvalidis Konstantinos , Cowie Patience , Pechlivanidou Sofia , Gkarlaouni Charikleia , Styllas Michael , Tsourlos Panagiotis , Mouratidis Antonios
Published: March 2019

We present an integrated study of subsurface and surficial karst landforms to unravel the uplift history of karst landscape in a tectonically‐active area. To this end, we apply a multidisciplinary approach by combining cave geomorphology and Th/U dating of speleothems with remote sensing plus geophysical imaging of surface landforms. We use as an example Mt. Menikio in northern Greece where four caves share well‐defined epiphreatic/shallow phreatic characteristics that are related to the distribution of surface and buried doline fields and provide evidence for three distinct water table stillstands (e.g. expressed as cave levels) now lying at ~130 m, ~800 m and ~1600 m a.m.s.l. Our dating constraints delimit the age of the lower water table stillstand prior to 77 ka ago and imply a maximum rate of relative base level drop of 0.45 mma‐1, which is consistent with relative tectonic uplift rate estimates along currently active normal faults. We interpret the elevation of the higher water table stillstands to reflect earlier phases of uplift related to the regional tectonic events associated with the development of the North Anatolian Fault and the Northern Aegean area. Our analysis shows that the combined study of epiphreatic/shallow phreatic caves and surficial karst landforms together, is a robust way to investigate the uplift history of a karst landscape in a tectonically‐active setting. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genomic selection on breeding time in a wild bird population
Authors: Gienapp Phillip , Calus Mario P. L. , Laine Veronika N. , Visser Marcel E.
Published: March 2019

Artificial selection experiments are a powerful tool in evolutionary biology. Selecting individuals based on multimarker genotypes (genomic selection) has several advantages over phenotype-based selection but has, so far, seen very limited use outside animal and plant breeding. Genomic selection depends on the markers tagging the causal loci that underlie the selected trait. Because the number of necessary markers depends, among other factors, on effective population size, genomic selection may be in practice not feasible in wild populations as most wild populations have much higher effective population sizes than domesticated populations. However, the current possibilities of cost-effective high-throughput genotyping could overcome this limitation and thereby make it possible to apply genomic selection also in wild populations. Using a unique dataset of about 2000 wild great tits (Parus major), a small passerine bird, genotyped on a 650 k SNP chip we calculated genomic breeding values for egg-laying date using the so-called GBLUP approach. In this approach, the pedigree-based relatedness matrix of an “animal model,” a special form of the mixed model, is replaced by a marker-based relatedness matrix. Using the marker-based relatedness matrix, the model seemed better able to disentangle genetic and permanent environmental effects. We calculated the accuracy of genomic breeding values by correlating them to the phenotypes of individuals whose phenotypes were excluded from the analysis when estimating the genomic breeding values. The obtained accuracy was about 0.20, with very little effect of the used genomic relatedness estimator but a strong effect of the number of SNPs. The obtained accuracy is lower than typically seen in domesticated species but considerable for a trait with low heritability (∼0.2) as avian breeding time. Our results show that genomic selection is possible also in wild populations with potentially many applications, which we discuss here.
Protein beverages made of a mixture of egg white and chocolate milk: Microbiology, nutritional and sensory properties
Authors: Lotfian Fahimeh , Emam Djomeh Zahra , Karami Mostafa , Moeini Sohrab
Published: March 2019

Egg white protein and chocolate milk were used for making protein beverage. Microbiological count, sensory attributes, and pH changes were investigated during 10 days of refrigerated storage. At the tenth day, the total numbers of bacteria were between 4.05 and 5.77 (Log CFU/ml). It was concluded that when the amount of egg white increases, the number of bacteria significantly decreases. No coliforms, E. coli, salmonella, mold, and yeast were observed. Also, pH levels were increased from 8.3 to 8.7 and acidic spoilage was reduced. The chocolate milk containing 14% egg white was the most preferred by the panelists in all of the evaluated items except texture. Protein, Ca, Na, and energy contents were increased, and fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, total sugar, lactose, carbohydrate, Mg, Fe, and P contents of the treated samples were decreased.
Ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir plus ribavirin for 24 weeks in patients with HCV GT4 and compensated cirrhosis (AGATE‐I Part II)
Authors: Asselah Tarik , Alami Negar Niki , Moreno Christophe , Pol Stanislas , Karatapanis Stylianos , Gschwantler Michael , Horsmans Yves , Elefsiniotis Ioannis , Larrey Dominique , Ferrari Carlo , Rizzetto Mario , Orlandini Alessandra , Calleja Jose Luis , Bruno Savino , Schnell Gretja , Qaqish Roula , Redman Rebecca , Pilot‐Matias Tami , Kopecky‐Bromberg Sarah , Yu Yao , Mobashery Niloufar
Published: March 2019

Background and Aims

AGATE‐I Part I previously reported high sustained virologic response rates in hepatitis C genotype 4 patients with cirrhosis, with 12 and 16 weeks' treatment with a combination of two direct‐acting antivirals, ombitasvir and paritaprevir (codosed with ritonavir), plus ribavirin. Part II, reported here, extended the trial to include a 24‐week treatment arm to fully assess treatment duration in patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 infection and compensated cirrhosis.

Methods

Enrollment took place between June and November of 2015. Treatment‐naive and interferon‐experienced patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 4 infection and compensated cirrhosis were enrolled into Arm C; patients previously treated with a sofosbuvir‐based regimen were enrolled into Arm D. All patients received a 24‐week treatment with ombitasvir, paritaprevir, and ritonavir plus ribavirin. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with a sustained virologic response (hepatitis C virus RNA < 25 IU/mL) at posttreatment week 12 in the intention‐to‐treat population. The safety population included all patients who received at least one dose of study drug.

Results

In total, 64 patients were enrolled into AGATE‐I Part II. Sustained virologic response at posttreatment week 12 was achieved in 57 of 61 patients (93.4%; 97.5% confidence interval, 92.6‐97.7) in Arm C and 3 of 3 patients (100%) in Arm D. Two patients were missing SVR12 data, and two prematurely discontinued treatment. The most common adverse events for Arm C were fatigue (16 [26%]) and asthenia (15 [25%]). Results were comparable with those reported in Part I.

Conclusions

AGATE‐I Part II indicates that extending treatment beyond 12 weeks in genotype 4–infected patients with compensated cirrhosis does not offer additional benefit.
Retracted: Long noncoding RNA 00460 (LINC00460) promotes glioma progression by negatively regulating miR‐320a
Authors: Feng Li , Rao Min , Zhou Yinan , Zhang Yunxin , Zhu Yonggang
Published: March 2019

Objective

Long noncoding RNA 00460 (LINC00460) has been reported to contribute to tumorigenesis in multiple types of human malignancies. However, the biological role and the underlying molecular mechanism of LINC00460 in glioma remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical value, the biological function, and the potential mechanism of LINC00460 in glioma.

Methods

The expression level of LINC00460 in glioma tissues and cell lines was examined by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR). Cell Counting Kit‐8, flow cemetery, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays were used to explore the effect of LINC00460 on glioma cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. qRT‐PCR and reporter assays were used to further verify the regulatory mechanism of LINC00460 in glioma progression.

Results

LINC00460 expression was upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines compared with non–tumor brain samples and astrocyte cell line (NHA), respectively. Moreover, increased LINC00460 expression was closely associated with glioma tumor grade. Loss‐of‐function assays revealed that knockdown of LINC00460 significantly inhibited glioma cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and suppressed migration and invasion. The mechanistic assays disclosed that LINC00460 binded to miR‐320a in a sequence‐specific manner and regulated its expression. Moreover, miR‐320 inhibition partially attenuated LINC00460 knockdown‐mediated suppressive effects on glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that LINC00460 might function as an oncogenic lncRNA in glioma development and could be explored as a potential therapeutic target for glioma.
Upregulated miR‐154 promotes ECM degradation in intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Wang Jingjie , Liu Xiaoyan , Sun Bing , Du Wei , Zheng Yanping , Sun Yuanliang
Published: March 2019

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), a common global health issue, is a major cause for low back pain (LBP). Given the complex etiology of IDD, micro RNA (miRNA) recently has been demonstrated to play essential roles in the progression of IDD. Therefore, this study aims to investigate functions of the miR‐154, which is well‐documented in a series of cell activities, IDD, and other relevant mechanisms. Lumbar nucleus pulposus (NP) samples were collected from patients with IDD and the control group. After solexa sequencing and bioinformatical analysis, the results showed that miR‐154 was increased in NP cells of patients with IDD. Inhibition of miR‐154 increased type II collagen and aggrecan and decreased mRNA expressions of collagenase‐3 (MMP13) and aggrecanase‐1 (ADAMTS4), whereas overexpression of miR‐154 reversed such effects in NP cells. In addition, the luciferase reporter assay revealed that fibroblast growth factor 14 (FGF14) is a direct target of miR‐154 and that the overexpression of FGF14 leads to similar effects as inhibition of miR‐154 did. In conclusion, the results suggested that miR‐154 participates in the development of IDD and its effects are mediated via targeting FGF14. Thus, miR‐154 may be thought as a potential etiological factor for IDD and may provide insights into a therapeutic target to treat IDD.
Clinical significance of blood‐based miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic nucleic acid markers in breast cancer: Comparative to conventional tumor markers
Authors: Swellam Menha , Ramadan Amal , El‐Hussieny Enas A. , Bakr Noha M. , Hassan Naglaa M. , Sobeih Mohamed Emam , EzzElArab Lobna R.
Published: March 2019

microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in carcinogenesis and their expression in biological fluids offer great potential as nucleic acid markers for cancer detection and progression. Authors investigated the expression level of miRNAs (miRNA‐21, miRNA‐126, and miRNA‐155) to evaluate their role as diagnostic and prognostic markers for breast cancer compared with other commonly used protein‐based markers (CEA and CA15‐3). Serum samples from patients with breast cancer (n = 96), patients with benign breast lesion (n = 47), and healthy individuals (n = 39) were enrolled for detection of miRNA expression levels and protein‐based tumor markers using fluorescent real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Correlation among investigated markers with clinicopathological factors and clinical outcomes were determined. Expression of miRNA‐21 and miRNA‐155 revealed significant increases in patients with breast cancer compared with both benign and control groups, the same result was reported for tumor markers; on the other hand, miRNA‐126 was significantly decreased in breast cancer group as compared with the other two groups. miRNA frequencies were significantly related to clinical staging and histological grading as compared with tumor markers. Patients with breast cancer with increased miRNA‐21 and miRNA‐155 and decreased miRNA‐126 expressions had significantly worse disease‐free survival, while only miRNA‐21 and miRNA‐126 showed poor OS (P< 0.005). In conclusion, investigated miRNAs were superior over tumor markers for the early stage of breast cancer especially those with high‐risk factor and their assessment in blood facilitates their role as a potential prognostic molecular marker.
Promoter methylation and functional variants in arachidonate 5‐lipoxygenase and forkhead box protein O1 genes associated with coronary artery disease
Authors: Heidari Laleh , Ghaderian Sayyed Mohammad Hossein , Vakili Hossein , Salmani Tayyeb Ali
Published: March 2019

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory disease, which is the most common form of heart disease. This is one of the main causes of death in the United States. Inflammation is one of the key drivers of atherosclerotic plaque development. Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1s) family and 5‐lipoxygenase make an important contribution to atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the methylation pattern and polymorphism analysis of FOXO1 and arachidonate 5‐lipoxygenase (ALOX5) promoter genes. We studied 50 patients with CAD and 50 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy controls by high resolution melt technique. Overall, we found significant differences between patients and controls in terms of the promoter methylation of ALOX5 (P > 0.05). But there was no significant difference in FOXO1 promoter methylation between patient and controls. Single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyping of rs12762303 and rs2297627, in ALOX5 and FOXO1 genes were demonstrated a significant correlation between mutant allele and the risk of CAD, respectively. Furthermore, there were significant associations between CT + CC genotype and ALOX5 expression. Our findings demonstrated functional effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and DNA methylation in ALOX5 on mentioned genes expression and they resulted in CAD progression.
Insertion/deletion polymorphism in the 3′ untranslated region of COL1A2 disrupts its interaction with microRNA‐382 and leads to decreased susceptibility to osteoporotic fracture
Authors: Chen Ziqi , Wu Yanping , Kong Jianjun , Li Yan , Wang Hongbin , Zhao Hongbin , Wu Zhanyong
Published: March 2019

A growing body of evidence has proved that the expression of COL1A2 is associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fracture. One single‐nucleotide polymorphism (rs3917) located within the 3′‐untranslated region of COL1A2 may “alter” binding site of miR‐382 and thereby associated with the risk of osteoporotic fracture. Bioinformatic analysis, luciferase reporter assay, site‐directed mutagenesis, Western blot and real‐time PCR were performed in this study. In this study, we validated COL1A2 as a target of miR‐382 in osteoblast. In addition, bone tissue samples were genotyped as wild‐type rs3917, heterozygous rs3917, and homozygous rs3917. The expression of miR‐382 was comparable between the genotype groups, whereas the expression of COL1A2 mRNA and protein was much higher in heterozygous rs3917 and homozygous rs3917 than the wild‐type rs3917 group. Furthermore, we transfected the wild‐type rs3917 and heterozygous rs3917 cells with miR‐382 mimics or inhibitors and found that the transfection with miR‐382 mimics significantly increased the level of the miR‐382 in the cells of both genotypes, and the introduction of miR‐382 inhibitors substantially suppressed the level of miR‐382 in both cells. In wild‐type rs3917 cells, transfection of miR‐382 mimics and COL1A2 small interfering RNA (siRNA) similarly and substantially downregulated the expression of COL1A2, while in heterozygous rs3917 cells, only COL1A2 siRNA notably reduced the expression of COL1A2, whereas introduction of miR‐382 mimics left expression of COL1A2 intact. The findings showed rs3917 polymorphism interfered with the interaction between COL1A2 mRNA and miR‐382, and minor allele is associated with a reduced risk of osteoporotic fracture.
TET1 suppresses colon cancer proliferation by impairing β‐catenin signal pathway
Authors: Guo Hailong , Zhu Hongyi , Zhang Jie , Wan Boshun , Shen Zhiyong
Published: March 2019

The function of ten‐eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenase 1 (TET1) in cancer is background dependent and may be involved in the initial step of active DNA demethylation, while there is little research to decipher the role of TET1 in DNA methylation‐sensitive colon cancer. Downregulated TET1 expression assayed by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) was observed in both colon cancer samples and cancer cell lines of HT29, HCT116, and SW48. Such downregulation could promote colon cancer cells proliferation as indicated by the fact that shTET1 could increase the viability of HT29 and HCT116 cells determined by the 3‐[4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl]‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide and cell count assay accompanied with upregulation of β‐catenin (CTNNB1) and WNT luciferase activity, which was further confirmed as shTET1 could increase the tumor volume and tumor weight, and decrease the body weight in HT29 cells inoculated BALB/C nude mice. The CTNNB1 transfection could rescue the cell growth diminished by normal expression of TET1. shTET1 could promote axis inhibition protein1 (AXIN1) expression and the cell proliferation effect induced by TET1 short hairpin RNA was attenuated by co‐inhibition of AXIN1. All of these indicate that TET1 can suppress colon cancer proliferation and the inhibition of the β‐catenin pathway is AXIN1 dependent.
SPOCK1 contributes to the third‐generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors resistance in lung cancer
Authors: Gao Yujuan , Yu Min , Ma Miao , Zhuang Yi , Qiu Xiaohua , Zhao Qi , Dai Jinghong , Cai Hourong , Yan Xin
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Explanation of the mechanism of resistance to third‐generation epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) and the development of a novel strategy for drug resistance are imperative in third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs‐resistant non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). SPOCK1 was found to be abnormally expressed in various tumors including lung cancer, however, there was no study focused on the role of SPOCK1 in third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs resistant lung cancer cells.

Methods and Results

We investigated the roles of SPOCK1 in NSCLC with third‐generation EGFR‐TKIs resistance. We showed that SPOCK1 was upregulated in the osimertinib‐resistant lung cancer cells and knockdown of SPOCK1 inhibits osimertinib‐resistant cells growth and overcomes resistance. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the SPOCK1 was higher in clinical NSCLC specimens compared with the normal lung tissues, and the higher expression of SPOCK1 correlated with poor prognosis. In addition, the overexpression of SPOCK1 in NSCLC tissues was positively correlated with MMP11 and TGFβ1.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that SPOCK1 could be an independent prognostic factor in NSCLC and would be a candidate for target therapy in osimertinib‐resistant lung tumors.
Activation of PERK in ET‐1‐ and thrombin‐induced pulmonary fibroblast differentiation: Inhibitory effects of curcumin
Authors: Chen Yen‐Chou , Chen Bing‐Chang , Huang Huei‐Mei , Lin Shin‐Hua , Lin Chien‐Huang
Published: March 2019

In the present study, we investigated the role of PKR‐like endoplasmic reticular kinase (PERK), an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress kinase, in endothelin 1 (ET‐1)‐ and thrombin‐induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and the preventive effects of curcumin (CUR). Using the human embryonic WI‐38 lung fibroblast cell line, ET‐1 and thrombin induced the expression of ER stress‐related proteins (CCAAT‐enhancer‐binding protein homologous protein, PERK, and binding immunoglobulin protein), a profibrogenic factor (cellular communication network factor 2 [CCN2]), and differentiation markers including α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), collagen I (Col I), and Col IV. Knockdown of PERK expression via small interfering RNA (siRNA) significantly reduced the increases in CCN2, α‐SMA, Col I, and Col IV proteins in WI‐38 cells according to western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Activation of c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) was observed in ET‐1‐ and thrombin‐treated WI‐38 cells, and the addition of a JNK inhibitor (SP) suppressed the induction of the indicated proteins by ET‐1 and thrombin. Thapsigargin (TG), an ER stress inducer, elevated expressions of PERK and ER stress‐related proteins with increased differentiation of WI‐38 cells. Knockdown of PERK by siRNA or the PERK inhibitor glycogen synthesis kinase reduced expressions of the differentiation markers, α‐SMA and Col IV, in WI‐38 cells. CUR concentration‐dependently inhibited ET‐1‐ or thrombin‐induced CCN2, α‐SMA, and vimentin proteins with decreased levels of phosphorylated mitogen‐activated protein kinase and PERK in WI‐38 cells. An in vivo bleomycin‐induced PF study showed that an intraperitoneal injection of CUR (30 mg/kg) reduced expressions of α‐SMA, CCN2, Col IV, and vimentin in lung tissues via IHC staining using specific antibodies. This study is the first to demonstrate that PERK activation contributes to pulmonary fibroblast differentiation elicited by ET‐1 or thrombin, and the inhibitory activity of CUR against PF is demonstrated herein.