bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paroxysmal Asymmetric Dystonic Arm Posturing—A Less Recognized but Characteristic Manifestation of ATP1A3‐related disease
Authors: Balint Bettina , Stephen Christopher D. , Udani Vrajesh , Sankhla Charulata Savant , Barad Narendrakumar H. , Lang Anthony E. , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: March 2019

Background

ATP1A3 mutations cause a wide clinical spectrum, and are one of the “commoner rare diseases”.

Methods

Case series of four patients with ATP1A3 mutations.

Results

The patients displayed characteristic episodes of dystonic arm posturing, involving a dystonic, flexed arm held in front of the body or close to the body, but with the hand raised upwards. Other attacks manifested with arm extension, either beside the body or reaching upwards. Dystonic posturing occurred paroxysmally, with no neurological signs between attacks, or combined with other signs like chorea, ataxia, and hypotonia.

Conclusions

While previous diagnostic criteria have not included paroxysmal or episodic dystonia, recent expert consensus has proposed to include alternating or paroxysmal dystonia as major feature calling for ATP1A3 genetic testing. Attacks of marked arm flexion posturing, either paroxysmal or as episodic exacerbation of mild pre‐existent dystonia, are a characteristic clue to ATP1A3‐related disease.
Association of NKX2‐5, GATA4, and TBX5 polymorphisms with congenital heart disease in Egyptian children
Authors: Behiry Eman G. , Al‐Azzouny Mahmoud A. , Sabry Dina , Behairy Ola G. , Salem Nessrine E.
Published: March 2019

Background

Several genes encoding transcription factors are known to be the primary cause of congenital heart disease. NKX2‐5 and GATA4 were the first congenital heart disease–causing genes identified by linkage analysis. This study designed to study the association of five single–nucleotide variants of NKX2‐5, GATA4, and TBX5 genes with sporadic nonsyndromic cases of a congenital cardiac septal defect in Egyptian children.

Methods

Venous blood samples from 150 congenital heart disease children (including a ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and patent ductus arteriosus) and 90 apparently healthy of matched age and sex were studied by polymerase chain reaction followed by direct sequencing in order to study two single–nucleotide variants of NKX2‐5 (rs2277923, rs28936670), two single–nucleotide variants of GATA4 (rs368418329, rs56166237) and one single–nucleotide variant TBX5 (rs6489957). The distribution of genotype and allele frequency in the congenital heart diseases (CHD) group and control group were analyzed.

Results

We found different genotype frequencies of the two variants of NKX2‐5, as CT genotype of rs2277923 was present in 58% and 36% in cases and control respectively, and TT genotype present in 6% of the cases. Also regarding missense variant rs28936670, heterozygous AG presented in 82% of the cases. Also, we observed a five prime UTR variant rs368418329, GT (42% of the cases) and GG (46% of the cases) genotypes showed the most frequent presentation in cases. While regarding a synonymous variant rs56166237, GT and GG were the most presented in cases (41.4%, 56% respectively) in contrast to control group (20%, 1.7% respectively). Also, a synonymous variant in TBX5, the distribution of genotype frequency was significantly different between the CHD group and control group. CT genotype of TBX5 ‐rs6489957 was found in 12 ASD, 24 VSD, six PDA, three aortic coarctation and nine fallot that represent 42% of the cases.

Conclusions

Significantly higher frequency of different allelle of five variants was observed in cases when compared to the control group, with significant risky effect for the development of septal defect. In addition to two polymorphisms of NKX2‐5 (rs2277923, rs28936670) variant in the cardiac septal defect, two variants in GATA4 (rs368418329, rs56166237) and one variant in TBX5 (rs6489957) seem to have a role in the pathogenesis of congenital heart disease.
Split‐step time‐domain modeling of dual‐mode DFB laser diode for terahertz wave generation
Authors: Chung Youngchul
Published: March 2019

A split‐step time‐domain modeling is applied to investigate the characteristics of dual‐mode distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode (LD) for terahertz (THz) wave generation. The THz wave generation from 163 to 1,378 GHz by proper thermo‐optic tuning and initial detuning combination is effectively simulated, which is qualitatively analogous to the experimental results. It is shown that the residual facet reflectivity should be below 0.003 to suppress the facet‐to‐facet cavity modes and provide good spectral quality. The time‐domain simulation tool could be incorporated into future THz fiber‐optic communication systems.
High efficient multi‐bands circular polarization convertor based on spoof surface plasmon polariton
Authors: Karamirad Mohsen , Ghobadi Changiz , Nourinia Javad , Mohammadi Bahman
Published: March 2019

In this paper, we propose to achieve a high efficient polarization convertor based on spoof surface plasmon polariton (SSPP). The proposed polarization convertor is realized by a dielectric blade with a metallic pattern on one side. Spatial dispersion modulation is considered by designing the pattern in y‐direction while keeping free space in x‐direction. Meanwhile, the y‐polarized incident wave is well coupled as SSPP mode. Therefore, the circular polarization (CP) conversion is provided regarding to the direction of the incident waves. A frequency bandwidth of 52.7% is obtained for right to left CP while left to right polarization conversion is adopted in a 23% bandwidth. The fabricated prototype of the proposed structure is provided to verify the simulated results.
Consider Water and Sewer Rate Affordability
Authors: Qureshi Naeem , Hanson Ryan
Published: March 2019

The need to reconstruct crumbling US water infrastructure is staggering. Water/wastewater utilities are struggling to fund cost increases resulting from infrastructure renewal and replacement needs, more stringent regulatory requirements, and other cost pressures. This has resulted in rate increases about three times the rate of inflation.
Consider Common Management and Treatment Approaches to Control Legionella Bacteria
Authors: Mofidi Alexander , Lytle Darren , Masters Sheldon , Sidari Frank , Krause J. David
Published: March 2019

Legionella is the leading cause of waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States. Fortunately, there are many ways to prevent or mitigate Legionella growth in premise plumbing systems.
Georgia Community Expands Disinfection Safety
Authors: Maquiran Carmelo A.
Published: March 2019

Committed to provide sustainable, reliable drinking water while ensuring public health and safety in the region, Cobb County, Ga., has found a practical solution with on‐site sodium hypochlorite generation.
Rotate Employees to Ease Succession Planning
Authors: Sprague Jonathon
Published: March 2019

A water/wastewater utility's success depends on developing competent, flexible employees. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Operations Department rotates operations supervisors, engineers, and division managers to effectively prepare them for future promotion opportunities. The result is an internal development program with greater employee retention and effortless succession planning.
Plasma creatinine as predictor of delayed elimination of high‐dose methotrexate in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A Danish population‐based study
Authors: Schmidt Diana , Kristensen Kim , Schroeder Henrik , Wehner Peder Skov , Rosthøj Steen , Heldrup Jesper , Damsgaard Linn , Schmiegelow Kjeld , Mikkelsen Torben Stamm
Published: March 2019

Background

Severely delayed elimination of methotrexate (MTX) is difficult to predict in patients treated with high‐dose MTX (HD‐MTX), but it may cause life‐threatening toxicity. It has not been defined how an increase in plasma creatinine can be best used as a predictor for severely delayed MTX elimination, thus providing a guide for therapeutic interventions to minimize renal toxicity.

Methods

Pharmacokinetic data were retrospectively collected on 218 Danish children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with HD‐MTX 5 or 8 g/m2 on the NOPHO2000 protocol. Moderately delayed MTX elimination was defined as 42‐hour plasma MTX ≥ 4.0–9.9 μM, and severely delayed elimination was defined as 42‐hour plasma MTX ≥ 10 μM.

Results

Median 42‐hour plasma MTX was 0.61 μM (interquartile range, 0.4–1.06 μM). Of 1295 MTX infusions with 5 g/m2 (n = 140 patients) or 8 g/m2 (n = 78 patients), 5.1% were severely (1.5%) or moderately (3.6%) delayed. The risk of having delayed elimination was highest in the first of eight infusions with MTX 5 g/m² (7.4% vs 0.0 to 4.1% for subsequent MTX infusions) (P < 0.02). A 25 μM increase or a 1.5‐fold increase in plasma creatinine within 36 hours from start of the MTX infusion had a sensitivity of 92% (95% CI, 82%–97%) and a specificity of 85% (95% CI, 83%–87%) for predicting 42‐hour MTX ≥4.0 μM.

Conclusions

A 25 μM increase or a 1.5‐fold in plasma creatinine within 36 hours after start of an HD‐MTX infusion can predict delayed MTX elimination, thus allowing intensification of hydration and alkalization to avoid further renal toxicity and promote the elimination of MTX.
Use and safety of disease‐modifying therapy in pregnant women with multiple sclerosis
Authors: MacDonald Sarah C. , McElrath Thomas F. , Hernández‐Díaz Sonia
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe dispensing patterns and comparative safety of disease‐modifying therapies (DMTs) during pregnancy in women with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods

We identified pregnancies from the Truven Health Marketscan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2011‐2015) and ascertained MS before delivery from inpatient and outpatient claims. We computed the proportion of women with DMT dispensing claims around pregnancy and estimated risk ratios of spontaneous abortion, infections, cesarean section, preterm delivery, poor fetal growth, preeclampsia, and major structural malformations by DMT exposure.

Results

Of 984 058 pregnancies, 1649 were to women with MS. Thirty‐five percent of women with MS filled a prescription for a DMT in the 90 days before pregnancy. DMT use declined during pregnancy but increased again after delivery. Glatiramer acetate and interferon beta were most commonly dispensed. Pregnancies with and without early DMT exposure had similar risks of outcomes to one another and to pregnancies in women without MS. Small numbers did not allow evaluation of specific DMTs.

Conclusions

Approximately one third of commercially insured women with MS in the United States uses DMTs before conception. Neither MS itself nor early pregnancy use of DMTs overall seems to be associated with a substantial risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
A stable engineered human IgG3 antibody with decreased aggregation during antibody expression and low pH stress
Authors: Saito Seiji , Namisaki Hiroshi , Hiraishi Keiko , Takahashi Nobuaki , Iida Shigeru
Published: March 2019

Human IgG comprises four subclasses with different biological functions. The IgG3 subclass has a unique character, exhibiting high effector function and Fab arm flexibility. However, it is not used as a therapeutic drug owing to an enhanced susceptibility to proteolysis. Antibody aggregation control is also important for therapeutic antibody development. To date, there have been few reports of IgG3 aggregation during protein expression and the low pH conditions needed for purification and virus inactivation. This study explored the potential of IgG3 antibody for therapeutics using anti‐CD20 IgG3 as a model to investigate aggregate formation. Initially, anti‐CD20 IgG3 antibody showed substantial aggregate formation during expression and low pH treatment. To circumvent this phenomenon, we systematically exchanged IgG3 constant domains with those of IgG1, a stable IgG. IgG3 antibody with the IgG1 CH3 domain exhibited reduced aggregate formation during expression. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis of individual amino acid substitutions revealed that two amino acid mutations in the CH3 domain, N392K and M397V, reduced aggregation and increased CH3 transition temperature. The engineered human IgG3 antibody was further improved by additional mutations of R435H to obtain IgG3KVH to achieve protein A binding and showed similar antigen binding as wild‐type IgG3. IgG3KVH also exhibited high binding activity for FcγRIIIa and C1q. In summary, we have successfully established an engineered human IgG3 antibody with reduced aggregation during bioprocessing, which will contribute to the better design of therapeutic antibodies with high effector function and Fab arm flexibility.
Curcuminoids: Implication for inflammation and oxidative stress in cardiovascular diseases
Authors: Li Cheng , Miao Xiao , Li Fengsheng , Adhikari Binay Kumar , Liu Yucheng , Sun Jian , Zhang Rong , Cai Lu , Liu Quan , Wang Yonggang
Published: March 2019

It has been extensively verified that inflammation and oxidative stress play important roles in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Curcuminoids, from the plant Curcuma longa, have three major active ingredients, which include curcumin (curcumin I), demethoxycurcumin, and bisdemethoxycurcumin. Curcuminoids have been used in traditional medicine for CVDs' management and other comorbidities for centuries. Numerous studies had delineated their anti‐inflammatory, antioxidative, and other medicinally relevant properties. Animal experiments and clinical trials have also demonstrated that turmeric and curcuminoids can effectively reduce atherosclerosis, cardiac hypertrophy, hypertension, ischemia/reperfusion injury, and diabetic cardiovascular complications. In this review, we introduce and summarize curcuminoids' molecular and biological significance, while focusing on their mechanistic anti‐inflammatory/antioxidative involvements in CVDs and preventive effects against CVDs, and, finally, discuss relevant clinical applications.
Delay range‐and‐rate dependent stability criteria for systems with interval time‐varying delay via a quasi‐quadratic convex framework
Authors: Yang Feisheng , He Jing , Kang Peipei , Pan Quan
Published: March 2019

This paper concerns the stability analysis of systems with interval time‐varying delay. A Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional containing an augmented quadratic term and certain triple integral terms is constructed to integrate features of the truncated Bessel‐Legendre inequality less conservative than Wirtinger inequality that encompasses Jensen inequality, respectively, and to exploit merits of the newly developed double integral inequalities tighter than auxiliary function‐based, Wirtinger, and Jensen double integral inequalities. A new quadratic convex lemma is proposed to derive delay and its derivative dependent sufficient stability conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities synthetically with reciprocal convex approach and affine convex combination. The efficiency of the presented method is illustrated on some classical numerical examples.
Finite‐time output‐feedback stabilization of high‐order nonholonomic systems
Authors: Xie Xue‐Jun , Li Guang‐Ju
Published: March 2019

This paper investigates the problem of finite‐time output‐feedback stabilization of a class of high‐order nonholonomic systems under weaker conditions on system powers and nonlinearities. By constructing the appropriate Lyapunov function and observer, skillfully combining generalized adding a power integrator technique, sign function, and homogeneous domination method, and successfully introducing a new mathematical method, an output‐feedback controller is constructed to guarantee that all the states of the closed‐loop system converge to origin in a finite time.
Prediction intervals for overdispersed binomial data with application to historical controls
Authors: Menssen Max , Schaarschmidt Frank
Published: March 2019

Bioassays are highly standardized trials for assessing the impact of a chemical compound on a model organism. In that context, it is standard to compare several treatment groups with an untreated control. If the same type of bioassay is carried out several times, the amount of information about the historical controls rises with every new study. This information can be applied to predict the outcome of one future control using a prediction interval. Since the observations are counts of success out of a given sample size, like mortality or histopathological findings, the data can be assumed to be binomial but may exhibit overdispersion caused by the variability between historical studies. We describe two approaches that account for overdispersion: asymptotic prediction intervals using the quasi‐binomial assumption and prediction intervals based on the quantiles of the beta‐binomial distribution. Both interval types were α‐calibrated using bootstrap methods. For an assessment of the intervals coverage probabilities, a simulation study based on various numbers of historical studies and sample sizes as well as different binomial proportions and varying levels of overdispersion was run. It could be shown that α‐calibration can improve the coverage probabilities of both interval types. The coverage probability of the calibrated intervals, calculated based on at least 10 historical studies, was satisfactory close to the nominal 95%. In a last step, the intervals were computed based on a real data set from the NTP homepage, using historical controls from bioassays with the mice strain B6C3F1.
Sweet‐Lime‐Peels‐Derived Activated‐Carbon‐Based Electrode for Highly Efficient Supercapacitor and Flow‐Through Water Desalination
Authors: Ahirrao Dinesh J. , Tambat Sneha , Pandit A. B. , Jha Neetu
Published: March 2019

In the present work, highly porous activated carbon with an excellent surface area has been successfully synthesized from the agricultural waste product; sweet lime peels (Citrus limetta) using a facile chemical approach. The structural and morphological properties of sweet lime peels derived activated carbon (SLP‐AC) were studied using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area and pore structure were studied using nitrogen adsorption‐desorption isotherms. Electrochemical characterizations were performed in two and three electrode cell configurations using techniques like cyclic voltammetry (CV), Galvanostatic charge‐discharge (GCD) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in aqueous (1 M H2SO4 and 1 M NaCl) and ionic liquid electrolytes (EMIMBF4). SLP‐AC based electrodes showed high electrochemical charge storage capacity of 421.67 F/g (at 1 A/g) along with outstanding cyclic stability up to 10000 GCD cycles. Fabricated supercapacitor device demonstrated high energy density of 45.53 Wh/kg in the ionic liquid electrolyte. SLP‐AC was also used to prepare the porous sponge electrodes to study their applicability in flow‐through electrode capacitive deionization (CDI), where it achieved the maximum electrosorption capacity of 22.8 mg/g. The electrosorption results fitted well with the Langmuir isotherm and the kinetics study indicates a pseudo‐first‐order kinetic model for the electrosorption of salt ions onto the electrodes surface. This confirms the outstanding performance of SLP‐AC as a highly stable and low‐cost electrode material for supercapacitors and water desalination applications.
Role of Coherence in Excitation Transfer Efficiency to the Reaction Center in Photosynthetic Bacteria Chlorobium tepidum
Authors: Singh Davinder , Dasgupta Shubhrangshu
Published: March 2019

We investigate the effect of coherence to the excitation transfer efficiency (ETE) in photosynthetic bacteria Chlorobium tepidum. We have modelled the monomer of Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson (FMO) complex as consisting of eight bacteriochlorophyll‐a sites, while explicitly consider reaction center core complex (RCC) as an additional site. With the use of realistic bath spectrum and several dominant vibronic modes in the non‐Markovian master equation, in an effective 9‐site model, we have compared the ETE for an initial pure state and an initial mixed state. We observe that the initial pure state relaxes efficiently to increase the trapping at the RCC. We further illustrate that the coherence play a competitive role to block the back transfer of excitation from RCC pigment to FMO complex and hence to maximize the ETE.
First Principles Study of Dendritic Carbazole Photosensitizer Dyes Modified with Different Conjugation Structures
Authors: Majid Abdul , Bibi Maryam , Khan Salah Ud‐Din , Haider Sajjad
Published: March 2019

In the pursuit of efficient organic dyes first principles calculations were carried out by using density functional theory (DFT). The electronic and optical properties of D−D‐π‐A carbazole dendritic donor and cyanoacrylic acid acceptor conjugated through thiophene and oxadiazole structures are being reported. The findings of this work point to the dependence of the structural modifications especially changes in length of conjugation molecule appeared to notably affect the properties of the dyes. The positions of highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest molecular orbitals (LUMO) energy levels are found suitable for electron reduction and electron injection processes respectively. The addition of another oxadiazole ring as well as replacement of a thiophene ring with existing oxadiazole in the conjugating bridge appeared to reduce the HOMO‐LUMO energy gap. TD‐DFT excitation spectra calculated at PBE, B3LYP and CAM−B3LYP levels of theory are discussed in detail to shed light on charge transfer process in the dye molecules and the calculated results are found consistent with reported experimental work. The changes in length and structure of π‐spacer chain are discussed to analyze the photon to current conversion efficiency.
Investigating Cationic Distribution, Defect Structure and Phosphor Characteristics of Na2Sm2Ca6(PO4)6F2
Authors: Das Pratik , Pathak Nimai , Mukherjee Sumanta , Shafeeq Muhammed , Dash Smruti , Kadam Ramakant M.
Published: March 2019

Sm3+ based fluorapatite matrix viz. Na2Sm2Ca6(PO4)6F2 was synthesized and characterized by X‐ray diffraction technique, infrared spectroscopy, EDX elemental mapping. Thermal stability was checked by differential thermal analysis technique. Presence of oxygen vacancy related defect centers were confirmed by EPR study, which create several electronic states inside the band gap of the material and give rise to photoemission in the blue and green region in the PL spectra. From the characteristics emission of Sm3+ and its decay profile, it has been confirmed that Sm3+ ion prefers to occupy the less crowdedM2 A site where Ca2+ ion is having 7‐co‐ordination and a direct linking to F− atom.PL decay study also showed that there are two different kinds of oxygen vacancies namely F and F+ center. Finally, based on calculation of International Commission on Illumination (CIE) color coordinates, it has been observed that the compound is a white light emitting material, which has several advantages over the other white light emitting source being a single phase compound.
Design, Synthesis, DNA Binding, Cytotoxicity, and Molecular Docking Studies of Amonafide‐Linked β‐Lactam
Authors: Rad Javad Ameri , Jarrahpour Aliasghar , Aseman Marzieh Dadkhah , Nabavizadeh Masoud , Pournejati Roya , Karbalaei‐Heidari Hamid Reza , Turos Edward
Published: March 2019

This study describes our investigations on the synthesis, molecular modeling, and biological capabilities of a new β‐lactam containing the anticancer agent, amonafide. This is the first time that amonafide has been applied to a β‐lactam synthesis, which involved five steps from naphthalic anhydride. The β‐lactam was structurally characterized by FT‐IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectra, and elemental analysis. UV‐vis and fluorescence spectroscopy studies indicated that the β‐lactam is an effective DNA intercalating agent. Gel electrophoresis confirmed its intercalation into the pBluescript plasmid DNA, causing a considerable decrease in its electrophoretic mobility. The gel electrophoresis pattern in the presence of ethidium bromide, acridine orange, and methyl green also demonstrated that the β‐lactam was stacked tightly between DNA bases via the major groove. Moreover, the MTT assay of the β‐lactam against the HepG2 cancerous cell line showed potential cytotoxic behavior with an IC50 of 65.5 μM and 34.2 μM after 48 and 72 h incubation, respectively. Molecular docking experiments were also in agreement with the experimental data and showed the major groove binding behavior of the β‐lactam.
A Facile Synthesis of Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon Materials for High‐Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Yao Lu , Chen Da‐Ming , Yan Song , Lin Jing‐Jing , Liu Ye‐Ping , Lian Jun , Liu Yue‐Ran , Lin Hua‐Lin , Han Sheng
Published: March 2019

A simple way for N‐doped porous carbon materials (ANCs) was prepared in N2 atmosphere through the KOH‐assisted carbonization of commercial melamine foam (MF) attached glucose. Adding glucose and KOH activation process have great effects on improving the electrochemical properties of ANCs materials. Compared with other materials, the optimal ANCs‐800, which is obtained with a KOH/glucose/MF weight ratio of 5:20:1 at 800 °C, exhibits the best capacitance performance with the specific surface area (SSA) of 1481 m2 g−1 and high nitrogen content of 3.7 at. %. It possesses prominent specific capacitance (387 F g−1 at 0.5 A g−1) and excellent cycling stability (98.6% retention after 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, in the symmetric supercapacitor, the ANCs‐800 electrode material maintains high energy density (24.2 W h kg−1 at 701.07 W kg−1) and great cycling performance (96.3% after 10,000 cycles). Accordingly, the facile synthetic approach and attractive electrochemical properties make ANCs‐800 a popular capacitor material.
Base Promoted Tandem Cyclization ofo‐Phenylenediamine with Ninhydrin‐phenol Adducts: An Unprecedented Route to Phenol Appended Isoindolo[2,1‐a]quinoxaline Fluorophore
Authors: Das Suven , Maity Suvendu , Ghosh Prasanta , Paul Bijan K. , Dutta Arpita
Published: March 2019

Synthesis of fluorescent molecules has drawn considerable attention due to their potential applications in life and material sciences. Here we report a metal‐free approach to a new class of fluorophore, namely, 6‐(2‐hydroxyaryl)isoindolo[2,1‐a]quinoxalin‐11(5H)‐ones exploiting ninhydrin ring system via base promoted tandem cyclization. The readily obtainable phenolic adducts of ninhydrin undergoes smooth reaction witho‐phenylenediamine in refluxing ethylene glycol/Et3N via breaking of C−C bond, N‐insertion, followed by heterocyclization to furnish the fully unsaturated isoindoloquinoxaline framework. Structures of the products are in good agreement with their IR,1H NMR,13C NMR, and mass spectral data. The photophysical properties of the synthesized compounds were studied by UV‐vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques under ambient conditions, and the results reveal an interesting property of large Stokes shift.
Fluorescence Enhancement of Tb3+ in the Tb3+‐Trimesic Acid‐Gd3+ Complex: Role of Polynuclear Structures
Authors: Dubey Pankaj , Mukherjee Srijit , Choudhury Angshuman Roy , Viswanathan K. S.
Published: March 2019

The mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of Tb3+ in Tb3+‐trimesic acid‐Gd3+ systems has been explored using dynamic light scattering. In earlier work, the mechanism of fluorescence enhancement of Tb3+ in these systems was proposed to be due to the formation of a polynuclear complex involving Tb3+, trimesic acid and Gd3+. However, no direct experimental evidence was presented for the mechanism in that work. In this work, we have used dynamic light scattering (DLS), to measure changes in the mean hydrodynamic diameter (Zavg) of the Tb3+‐trimesic acid‐Gd3+ complex, as a function of time. The Zavg was found to increase monotonically as a function of time, indicating a continuous growth in the particle size. The Eu3+‐β‐diketones‐Gd3+ system also shows enhancement of Eu3+ fluorescence; though a different mechanism was believed to be operating in this case; namely intermolecular energy transfer. If the two systems followed different mechanisms for fluorescence enhancement, the Eu3+‐β‐diketones‐Gd3+ system, is expected to show a different time evolution of particle size. The DLS study showed that the Zavg increased rapidly to a maximum value and then remained nearly constant throughout our measurements; that is, no gradual increase in Zavg was seen as in the Tb3+‐trimesic acid‐Gd3+ system. These DLS studies of the Tb3+‐trimesic acid‐Gd3+ and Eu3+‐β‐diketones‐Gd3+ systems, therefore confirms that different mechanisms of fluorescence enhancement are operative in the two systems.
A Chemodosimeter Exhibiting Fluorescence “Turn‐On” Response to Detect Copper(II) Ions: Cell Imaging and Logic Function
Authors: Gupta Ramesh C. , Dwivedi Sushil K. , Razi Syed S. , Singh Priya , Koch Biplob , Misra Arvind
Published: March 2019

In the present work the photophysical properties of a chemodosimeter, 2‐[4’‐(N,N’‐dimethylamino‐biphenyl)‐4‐methylene]‐iminophenol, 5 has been explored to recognize Cu2+ ion selectively through naked eye sensitive fluorescence “turn‐on” response. The observed fluorescence enhancement (∼58 fold) and rise in quantum yield (34%) with rapid response time is attributed to the hydrolysis of aldimine function in the presence of copper. The cell imaging studies showed that chemodosimeter, 5 is well‐suited to detect Cu2+ intracellularly. Additionally, the “Off–On” switching behavior of 5 has been utilized to mimic the function of a sequential logic circuit at molecular level.
Publishing During Doctoral Candidature From an Activity Theory Perspective: The Case of Four Chinese Nursing Doctoral Students
Authors: Lei Jun
Published: March 2019

Although doctoral students are increasingly expected or required to publish during their candidature, few studies have focused specifically on how they manage to do so while juggling multiple, and often competing, demands from their busy doctoral studies. This study set out to bridge this gap by examining the strategies adopted by four Chinese nursing doctoral students to deal with the time pressure in meeting institutional publication requirements, and the impacts of the publication requirements and the strategies on their scholarly publishing experiences and practices. Drawing on activity theory and its notions ofboundary crossing,boundary object, andcontradiction, the study revealed that to fulfill institutional publication requirements amid competing demands from their doctoral studies, the students employed two main coping strategies: boundary crossing through starting early and refashioning the scholarly publishing activity through orchestrating one's research and publication with those of others. It also found that, although effective in mitigating time pressure and boosting publication output, the strategies tended to undermine the students’ aspirations to participate fully in scholarly publishing and to join the disciplinary community. The implications of these findings for doctoral publication are discussed.
A Suite of Strategies for Navigating Graphic Novels: A Dual Coding Approach
Authors: McClanahan Barbara J. , Nottingham Maribeth
Published: March 2019

As reasons to promote the inclusion of graphic novels in the curriculum expand, many teachers have yet to incorporate graphic novels into their teaching repertoire. In this article, two teacher educators describe a systematic approach that they use to teach preservice teachers how to read graphic novels, focusing on specific strategies in three major areas: visual literacy, key graphic novel vocabulary, and synthesizing images and words. The goal is to promote the use of graphic novels by preservice teachers for multiple purposes in future classrooms. These strategies are shared to encourage inservice teachers to develop a level of comfort with graphic novels by systematically trying out the strategies themselves and considering the addition of graphic novels to their curriculum.
Heated humidified carbon dioxide for partial uterine insufflation in fetoscopic myelomeningocele repair: insights from animal model
Authors: Sanz Cortes M.
Published: March 2019

Linked Comment: Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2018; 53: 340–347
Reference ranges for uterine vein dimensions in non‐pregnant women with normal pelvic organs
Authors: Amin T. N. , Wong M. , Pointer S. , Goodhart V. , Bean E. , Jurkovic D.
Published: March 2019

Objective

To establish reference ranges for uterine vein (UtV) diameters in non‐pregnant women with normal pelvic organs.

Methods

This was a prospective study of all women attending the general gynecological clinic of a university teaching hospital in the UK, between August 2015 and December 2016. All women aged ≥ 18 years underwent a transvaginal ultrasound examination in accordance with the study protocol. In women with normal pelvic organs, the largest trunk of the uterine venous plexus was identified in the transverse plane on each side. The maximum anteroposterior vessel diameter was measured by placing the calipers on the inner walls of the vein, and the mean of three measurements was used as the representative value. Inter‐ and intraobserver variability was assessed in a subgroup of 30 women. Maximum UtV diameter was compared between right and left UtVs and between pre‐ and postmenopausal women. Factors associated with UtV diameter were assessed and reference ranges were constructed.

Results

Of 1500 women examined, 486 (32%) had normal pelvic organs on ultrasound scan and were included in the final analysis. In all women, the uterine venous trunk was clearly visualized and there was no significant difference between the maximum median left and right UtV diameters (P = 0.37). UtV diameters were generally lower in postmenopausal, compared with premenopausal, women, with the difference being statistically significant for the right UtV and the average of left and right UtVs. There was a gradual increase in UtV diameter with advancing age, with a peak observed in women aged 41–50 years and decreasing values in older age groups. Univariable analysis showed that parity, menopausal status and age were associated significantly with UtV diameters (P < 0.01). On multivariable analysis, only higher parity was significantly associated with increasing venous size in both pre‐ and postmenopausal women. Reference ranges were constructed separately for nulliparous and parous premenopausal women aged between 18 and 45 years.

Conclusion

UtVs can be identified and measured consistently in all women with normal pelvic organs using transvaginal ultrasound. Parity was the main factor influencing the maximum mean UtV diameter, which had to be taken into account when constructing reference ranges. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Human chorionic gonadotropin and risk of pre‐eclampsia: prospective population‐based cohort study
Authors: Barjaktarovic M. , Korevaar T. I. M. , Jaddoe V. W. V. , de Rijke Y. B. , Peeters R. P. , Steegers E. A. P.
Published: March 2019

Objectives

Abnormal placentation in early pregnancy may play a role in the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) regulates placental development and angiogenesis and may affect the ratio of soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) in the serum. The aims of this study were to investigate the association of total hCG with the risk of pre‐eclampsia and to examine the potential effect of pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic factors on this association.

Methods

This was a population‐based prospective cohort study of 7754 women with a singleton pregnancy. Total hCG was measured in the first available sample (median gestational age, 14.4 weeks; 95% range, 10.1–26.1 weeks) and sFlt‐1 and PlGF concentrations in early (< 18 weeks; median, 13.2 weeks; 95% range, 9.6–17.6 weeks) and in mid‐ (18–25 weeks; median, 20.4 weeks; 95% range, 18.5–23.5 weeks) pregnancy. We tested the association of hCG concentration and risk of pre‐eclampsia using regression analysis, adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, body mass index, parity, education level, smoking status and fetal sex. Additionally, we assessed whether this association was affected by the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio.

Results

High hCG concentration was associated with a 1.5–2.7‐fold increased risk of pre‐eclampsia (P = 0.0001), depending on the cut‐off used, and with increased sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio during early pregnancy (P < 0.0001). The association between high hCG and pre‐eclampsia attenuated by roughly 40% after adjustment for early‐pregnancy sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio (β‐estimate change from 0.19 ± 0.10 (P = 0.052) to 0.12 ± 0.10 (P = 0.22)).

Conclusions

High total hCG concentration in early pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of pre‐eclampsia. The effect of high hCG concentration on the balance between pro‐ and anti‐angiogenic factors during pregnancy may have a role in the pathophysiology of pre‐eclampsia. © 2019 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Holography at finite cutoff with a T2 deformation
Authors: Hartman Thomas , Kruthoff Jorrit , Shaghoulian Edgar , Tajdini Amirhossein
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We generalize the

$$ T\overline{T} $$

T

T
¯

deformation of CFT2 to higher-dimensional large-N CFTs, and show that in holographic theories, the resulting effective field theory matches semiclassical gravity in AdS with a finite radial cutoff. We also derive the deformation dual to arbitrary bulk matter theories. Generally, the deformations involve background fields as well as CFT operators. By keeping track of these background fields along the flow, we demonstrate how to match correlation functions on the two sides in some simple examples, as well as other observables.
On dimensional reduction of 4d N=1 Lagrangians for Argyres-Douglas theories
Authors: Agarwal Prarit
Published: March 2019

Abstract

Recently, it was found that certain 4d

$$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$

N
=
1

Lagrangians experience supersymmetry enhancement at their IR fixed point, thereby giving a Lagrangian description for a plethora of Argyres-Douglas theories. A generic feature of these Lagrangians is that a number of gauge invariant operators decouple (as free fields) along the RG-flow. These decoupled operators can be naturally taken into account from the beginning itself by introducing additional gauge singlets (sometimes called “flipping fields”) that couple to the decoupled operators via appropriate superpotential terms. It has also been checked that upon dimensionally reducing to 3d, the (A
1
, A
2n−1) type Lagrangians only produce the expected behavior when flipping fields are included in the Lagrangian. In this paper we further investigate the role of flipping fields and find an example where the expected necessity of including the flipping fields in the dimensionally reduced Lagrangians seems to get violated. In the process we find two new dual Lagrangians for the so called 3d T [SU(2)] theory.
Symmetry enhancement interpolation, non-commutativity and Double Field Theory
Authors: Aldazabal G. , Andrés E. , Mayo M. , Penas V.
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We present a moduli dependent target space effective field theory action for (truncated) heterotic string toroidal compactifications. When moving continuously along moduli space, the stringy gauge symmetry enhancement-breaking effects, which occur at particular points of moduli space, are reproduced.

Besides the expected fields, originating in the ten dimensional low energy effective theory, new vector and scalar fields are included. These fields depend on “double periodic coordinates” as usually introduced in Double Field Theory. Their mode expansion encodes information about string states, carrying winding and KK momenta, associated to gauge symmetry enhancements. It is found that a non-commutative product, which introduces an intrinsic non-commutativity on the compact target space, is required in order to make contact with string theory amplitude results.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Sulforaphane potentially attenuates arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity via the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 pathway in albino Wistar rats
Authors: Thangapandiyan Shanmugam , Ramesh Mathan , Miltonprabu Selvaraj , Hema Tamilselvan , Jothi Gunasekaran Bavithra , Nandhini Venkatesan
Published: March 2019

Oxidative stress plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of numerous kidney diseases, generally mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Arsenic (Ar) is known to exert its toxicity through the generation of ROS and inflammation. The current study investigates the protective effects of sulforaphane (SFN) against arsenic-induced renal damage via PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2 pathway signaling. Thirty-two male albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of eight animals each, designated as control, arsenic (Ar), sulforaphane plus Ar (SFN+Ar), and sulforaphane alone (SFN), with oral administration of Ar (5 mg/kg BW) and SFN (80 mg/kg BW) daily for 28 days. Ar administration significantly (P < 0.05) increased the levels of ROS, OHdG, Ar accumulation, and lipid peroxidation, and decreased levels of enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Notably, a significant (P < 0.05) increase was observed in markers of apoptosis, DNA damage, TUNEL-positive cells, and dark staining of ICAM-1 in renal tissue with decreased PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 gene expression. The biochemical findings were supported by histopathological and electron microscopy evaluation, which showed severe renal damage in rats treated with Ar. Pretreatment with SFN significantly (P < 0.05) attenuated renal ROS, OHdG, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage, and increased phase II antioxidants via PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2 activation in renal tissue. These results show that dietary supplementation with SFN protects against Ar-induced nephrotoxicity via the PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2 signaling pathway in the rat kidney.
Response to regarding Mediation Analysis Revisited
Authors: Kim Jungkeun , (Gina) Cui Yuanyuan , Jang Sungha , Spence Mark T. , Park Jongwon
Published: March 2019

Kim et al. (2018) raised four issues along with possible remedies that could affect statistical conclusions from mediation analysis. The issues addressed were: omitted mediators, reverse mediation, multi-item measures, and experimental methods. This prompted an insightful response from Thoemmes and Lemmer (2019) , who largely agreed upon and further developed three of the issues. But there was disagreement concerning the appropriateness of conducting reverse mediation, their argument being the likelihood of returning equivalent models. Here, it is acknowledged that mediation analysis should be theory-driven and not conducted just to see which model is better. Further, in some contexts such as mediation analysis based on survey data the benefits of conducting reverse mediation are likely to be minimal. However, it is not uncommon to measure the mediator after having measured dependent variables, particularly in experimental settings. Hence, it is argued here to check for artificial mediation by reversing the arrows. A simulation is conducted to support this argument.
Anatomy of Mine Rescue Teams’ Casualty Incidents: A Basis for Medical Emergency Preparedness and Injury Prevention
Authors: Li Leilei , Guo Deyong , Wang Yi , Wang Ke , Lian Runan
Published: March 2019

Objective

Mine rescue teams bear a high risk of injury. To improve medical emergency preparedness and injury prevention, this work analyzed the causes and severity of mine rescue teams’ casualty incidents, the primary injuries, and the link between the causes and the occurrences of the casualty incidents.

Methods

A total of 81 cases from 1953 to 2013 were used to analyze the casualty incidents of mine rescue teams based on the frequency of accidents. A panel with 4 rescue experts was set up to ensure the accuracy of the analysis.

Results

The 81 casualty incidents occurred in 7 types of rescue work and were due to 6 causes. Organizational and personal factors were the leading cause, followed by rescue skill and equipment factors. Problems with decision-making and command have gradually become the primary inducement of casualty incidents in recent years, with an average death toll reaching up to 6 to 7 people. The main injuries causing death to team members were blast injury, burns, poisoning, suffocation, blunt trauma, and overwork injury. Some of the injured died because of medical emergency response failure.

Conclusion

The construction of emergency medical teams and the preparedness of disaster medicine need to be improved to reduce the mortality of the injured team members. Actions according to the causes of casualty incidents should be adopted for injury prevention. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:695–699)
Current Status of Disaster Preparedness of Pharmacies and Differences in Disaster Awareness Based on Pharmacy Size
Authors: Ozeki Kayoko , Ojima Toshiyuki
Published: March 2019

Objective

The prevention of deaths caused indirectly by disasters is important, especially for evacuees requiring medication. Pharmacies play a major role in providing medication to disaster victims. Therefore, this study evaluated the current status of disaster preparedness among pharmacies, the extent of disaster awareness and knowledge of disaster mitigation measures, and any associations of these with the characteristics of pharmacies.

Methods

Questionnaires about disaster preparedness were sent to 337 pharmacies in Japan, in a region at high risk of major earthquakes. Tabulation analyses were carried out to examine the characteristics of pharmacies and then a logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between disaster awareness and the level of preparedness of pharmacies. Furthermore, to examine in detail any differences associated with pharmacy size, subgroup analyses were performed.

Results

High disaster awareness was significantly correlated with adequate disaster preparedness. However, in the subgroup analyses, no significant differences were observed among large pharmacies. In contrast, disaster awareness was significantly related to the disaster preparedness of small pharmacies.

Conclusion

The findings suggest that the disaster preparedness of pharmacies is related to the level of disaster awareness, highlighting the importance of disaster awareness activities in ordinary times before a disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:753–757)
On the Legal Categorisation of New Plant Breeding Technologies: Insights from Communication Science and Ways Forward
Authors: POORTVLIET P. Marijn , PURNHAGEN Kai P. , BOERSMA Reginald , GREMMEN Bart
Published: March 2019

In July 2018 the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that organisms obtained from most New Plant Breeding Technologies (NPBT) fulfil the requirements of the GMO definition of Directive 2001/18. Practically, organisms created with NPBT have since been legally treated as GMOs. While we do not seek to contest the judgment in itself, in the present contribution we draw attention to the effects of such a categorisation from the perspective of communication science. Extrapolating from communication research conducted in adjacent technology domains, we will argue that by putting organisms obtained from NPBT semantically in the same basket as GMOs may carry a serious risk – transferring analogous communication problems that GMOs encountered in the past, to organisms obtained from NPBT, while they may not address similar risks. Possible consequences such as these can hardly be considered at the stage of legal interpretation (such as with the CJEU). Rather, as discussion now unfolds whether and how to change the legal definition, insights from communication science and risk perception research on the effect of such a definition should be taken into account.