bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesoporous PtCu Alloy Nanoparticles with Tunable Compositions and Particles Sizes Using Diblock Copolymer Micelle Templates
Authors: Kang Yunqing , Jiang Bo , Alothman Zeid A. , Badjah Ahmad Yacine , Naushad Mu , Habila Mohamed , Wabaidur Saikh , Henzie Joel , Li Hexing , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: November 2018

A simple, scalable route for the generation of mesoporous Rh particles by chemical reduction on self‐assembled block‐copolymer micelle templates was reported recently (Nat. Commun. 2017, 8, 15581). Here, this concept is extended to generate mesoporous PtCu alloy nanoparticles through the same approach. The PtCu alloy particles possess high‐surface‐area nanoporous architectures and good chemical stability for applications in catalysis. Both the composition and diameter of the bimetallic PtCu nanoparticles can be controlled by adjusting the amount of precursor in the reaction, which affects the electrochemical properties of the material. The combination of the mesoporous structure with the synergistic bimetallic electronic effects of PtCu gives rise to enhanced activity for the catalytic oxidation of methanol compared with commercial Pt black.
Selective Array‐Based Sensing of Anabolic Steroids in Aqueous Solution by Host–Guest Reporter Complexes
Authors: Gill Adam D. , Perez Lizeth , Salinas Isaac N. Q. , Byers Samantha R. , Liu Yang , Hickey Briana L. , Zhong Wenwan , Hooley Richard J.
Published: November 2018

Arrayed complexes of a water‐soluble deep cavitand and two fluorescent indicators show selective sensing of anabolic‐androgenic steroids in aqueous environments. By combining the host–guest complexes with small amounts of heavy metal ions, discrimination between steroids that vary in structure by only a single π bond is possible. The sensing occurs through a triggered aggregation mechanism, which can be mediated by both the presence of metal ions and the steroids. The use of both “turn‐on” and “turn‐off” fluorophores is essential for good discrimination. As low as 10 μm steroid can be detected, and the discrimination is selective in steroid samples spiked into human urine.
Dynamic Molecular Metamorphism Involving Palladium‐Assisted Dimerization of π‐Cation Radicals
Authors: Kahlfuss Christophe , Grüber Raymond , Dumont Elise , Royal Guy , Chevallier Floris , Cobo Saioa , Saint‐Aman Eric , Bucher Christophe
Published: November 2018

A dynamic supramolecular approach is developed to promote the π‐dimerization of viologen radicals at room temperature and in standard concentration ranges. The approach involves cis‐ or trans‐protected palladium centers serving as inorganic hinges linking two functionalized viologens endowed with metal‐ion coordinating properties. Based on detailed spectroscopic, electrochemical and computational data, we show that the one‐electron electrochemical reduction of the viologen units in different dynamic metal/ligand mixtures leads to the formation of the same intramolecular π‐dimer, regardless of the initial environment around the metallic precursor and of the relative ratio between metal and ligand initially introduced in solution. The large‐scale electron‐triggered reorganization of the building blocks introduced in solution thus involves drastic changes in the stoichiometry and stereochemistry of the palladium/viologen complexes proceeding in some cases through a palladium centered trans→cis isomerization of the coordinated ligands.
Function‐Oriented: The Construction of Lanthanide MOF Luminescent Sensors Containing Dual‐Function Urea Hydrogen‐Bond Sites for Efficient Detection of Picric Acid
Authors: Liu Wei , Huang Xin , Chen Chunyang , Xu Cong , Ma Jingxin , Yang Lizi , Wang Wenjie , Dou Wei , Liu Weisheng
Published: November 2018

Two novel lanthanide metal–organic framework (Ln‐MOF) luminescent sensors for the detection of picric acid have been successfully assembled. Following a function‐oriented strategy, urea hydrogen‐bonding functional sites were introduced into two MOF frameworks. A structural analysis indicated that the two MOFs have the exact same structure, namely 2D layers with diamond‐shaped holes that are accumulated into a 3D framework through the hydrogen‐bonding interactions between urea and carboxylate groups. Interestingly, only half of the urea units are involved in supporting the MOF framework through N−H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen‐bonding interactions, whereas the other half are located in the pore channel and act as empty recognition sites. Abundant N−H urea bonds are present in the inner walls of three types of interpenetrating 1D channels. Luminescence studies revealed that the two Ln‐MOFs exhibit high sensitivity, good selectivity, and a fast luminescence quenching response towards picric acid. In particular, the two Ln‐MOFs can be simply and quickly regenerated, and exhibit excellent recyclability. In summary, we have successfully used a function‐oriented strategy to achieve multiple functions in a ligand to construct lanthanide MOF luminescent sensors for the detection of picric acid, thereby providing a potential strategy for the future development of MOF luminescent sensors with a specific target.
Pharmacokinetics of Single and Repeat Doses of Fluticasone Furoate/Umeclidinium/Vilanterol in Healthy Chinese Adults
Authors: Li Yan , Li Huafang , Sheng Yucheng , Du Xin , Yao Yuhui , Luo Xian , Ma Peiming
Published: November 2018

The pharmacokinetics (PK) and safety of single‐inhaler fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol (FF/UMEC/VI) after single and repeat dosing in healthy Chinese adults were assessed. In this open‐label study (NCT02837380), subjects received once‐daily FF/UMEC/VI 100/62.5/25 µg on day 1 and repeat doses on days 2–7. PK parameters (days 1 and 7) included maximum observed concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC) from time zero (predose) to last time of quantifiable concentration (AUC0–t). Terminal phase half‐life (t½) on day 1 was estimated. The primary objective was to assess systemic exposure of FF 100 µg, UMEC 62.5 µg, and VI 25 µg following single‐inhaler triple therapy on days 1 and 7. On day 1, geometric mean t½ of UMEC and VI was 0.36 and 0.52 hours, respectively; t½ of FF was not representative because of nonquantifiable concentration data. On days 1 and 7, geometric mean Cmax of FF was 10.46 and 27.32 pg/mL, respectively; Cmax of UMEC was 144.14 and 241.35 pg/mL, respectively; and Cmax of VI was 120.42 and 196.78 pg/mL, respectively. AUC0–t of FF was 1.77 and 276.96 pg·h/mL, respectively; AUC0–t of UMEC was 28.44 and 117.19 pg·h/mL, respectively; and AUC0–t of VI, 42.46 and 101.12 pg·h/mL, respectively. The PK of FF/UMEC/VI was as expected for the individual‐component PK previously reported in healthy Chinese adults. No new safety signals were observed.
A certificateless signcryption scheme for smart home networks
Authors: Ji Sai , Huang Rui , Shen Jian , Jin Xin , Cho Youngju
Published: November 2018

Smart home networks (SHNets) are based on the Internet of Things (IoT) and provide users with a highly intelligent home life. In recent years, SHNets have become more and more popular. In SHNets, a large amount of data interactions are needed. These data related to the privacy of users may be subject to attacks such as eavesdropping attacks, replay attacks, and mobile phone stolen attacks. Privacy protection and communication security in smart home networks have been widely studied by many scholars. However, most of the existing user authentication in current researches focus on identity‐based authentication, where the encryption protocols are divided into two steps: the signing step and the encryption step. In this paper, a certificateless signcryption scheme for SHNets is proposed which can provide biometric‐based user identity authentication. The security and performance analyses show that our scheme is efficient and secure.
Urban Particulate Matter‐Induced Decomposition of S‐Nitrosoglutathione Relevant to Aberrant Nitric Oxide Biological Signaling
Authors: Oszajca Maria , Wądołek Anna , Hooper James , Brindell Małgorzata , van Eldik Rudi , Stochel Grażyna
Published: November 2018

Exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) is associated with hazardous effects on human health. Soluble constituents of PM may be released in biological fluids and disturb the precisely tuned nitric oxide signaling processes. The influence of aqueous extracts from two types of airborne urban PM (SRM 1648a, a commercially available sample, and KR PM2.5, a sample collected “in‐house” in Krakow, Poland) on the stability of S‐nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) was investigated. The particle interfaces had no direct effect on the studied reaction, but extracts obtained from both samples facilitated NO release from GSNO. The effectiveness of NO release was significantly affected by glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AscA). Examination of the combined influence of Cu2+, Fe3+, and reductants on GSNO stability revealed copper to be the main GSNO decomposing species. Computational models of nitrosothiols interacting with metal oxide substrates and solvated metal ions support these claims. The study stresses the importance of the interplay between metal ions and biological reductants in S‐nitrosothiols decomposition.
Redox‐Mediator‐Enhanced Electrochemical Capacitors: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives
Authors: Hu Lintong , Zhai Tianyou , Li Huiqiao , Wang Yonggang
Published: November 2018

Supercapacitors deliver exceptional power densities, high cycling stability, and inherent safety but suffer from low energy densities. Many methods to enhance the energy density are based on exploring electrode materials with well‐developed structures and designing asymmetric systems with wide voltage windows. The energy density is substantially enhanced at the compromise of power density by utilizing the sluggish kinetics of pseudocapacitive materials. Redox‐active electrolytes can contribute additional pseudocapacitance from the reactions of redox mediators at the interface, which have attracted increasing attention of researchers. Redox‐mediator‐enhanced supercapacitors deliver high energy densities while retaining high power densities. This Minireview highlights the recently prominent progresses of single‐, dual‐, and ambipolar‐redox‐mediator‐enhanced supercapacitors, the challenges they face, and approaches to suppress self‐discharge and develop high‐concentration redox‐active electrolytes for performance promotion.
Retrospective analysis for valproate screening targets with liquid chromatography–high resolution mass spectrometry with positive electrospray ionization: An omics‐based approach
Authors: Mollerup Christian Brinch , Rasmussen Brian Schou , Johansen Sys Stybe , Mardal Marie , Linnet Kristian , Dalsgaard Petur Weihe
Published: November 2018

Liquid chromatography coupled with high‐resolution mass spectrometry (LC–HRMS) is an important analytical tool in the systematic toxicological analysis performed in forensic toxicology. However, some important compounds, such as the antiepileptic drug valproate (valproic acid; VPA), cannot be directly detected with positive electrospray ionization (ESI+) due to poor ionization. Here we demonstrate an omics‐based retrospective analysis for the identification of indirect screening targets for VPA in whole blood with LC–ESI+–HRMS. Analysis was performed utilizing data acquired across four years from LC–ESI+–HRMS, with VPA results from a quantitative LC–MS/MS method. The combined data with VPA results were split into an exploration set (n = 68; 28% positive) and a test set (n = 37; 32% positive). Eight indirect targets for VPA were identified in the exploration set. The evaluation of these targets was confirmed with retrospective target analysis of the test set. Using a combination of two out of the eight indirect targets, we attained a sensitivity of 92% (n = 12; VPA concentration range: 4.4–29.7 mg/kg) and 100% specificity (n = 25) for VPA with LC–ESI+–HRMS. VPA screening targets were identified with retrospective data analysis and could be appended to the existing screening procedure. A sensitive and specific screening with LC–ESI+–HRMS was achieved with targets corresponding to the sodium adducts of C7H14O3 and C8H14O3. Three chromatographic resolved isomer peaks were observed for the latter, and the consistently most intense peak was tentatively identified as 3‐hydroxy‐4‐en‐VPA.
Phosphorhydrazones as Useful Building Blocks for Special Architectures: Macrocycles and Dendrimers
Authors: Majoral Jean‐Pierre , Caminade Anne‐Marie
Published: November 2018

The role of phosphorhydrazide derivatives, in particular of type RP(X)(NMeNH2)2 for the synthesis of macrocycles and of type Cl2P(X)NMeNH2 (X = O, S in both cases) for the synthesis of dendrimers, will be shown in this review. In both cases, condensation reactions with different types of aldehydes (often aromatic) afford phosphorhydrazone derivatives, which are the building blocks for these special architectures. After the synthetic aspects, selected properties related to catalysis, nanomaterials, and biology/nanomedicine will be displayed.
NiII Complexes of C‐Substituted Cyclam as Efficient Catalysts for Reduction of CO2 to CO
Authors: Mash Brandon L. , Raghavan Adharsh , Ren Tong
Published: November 2018

Two new nickel(II) complexes of cyclams bearing C‐alkyl groups, Ni(MEC)OTf2 (1, MEC = 5,12‐diethyl‐7,14‐dimethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane) and Ni(CTMC)OTf2 (2, CTMC = 5,7,12,14‐tetramethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane), were prepared, and their similarity to NiII(MPC) (MPC = 5,12‐dimethyl‐7,14‐diphenyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane) in ring conformation was revealed through single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. Solution electronic absorption spectroscopy indicates the retention of octahedral coordination mode for both 1 and 2 in 20 % aqueous acetonitrile. Cyclic voltammetry studies of 1 and 2 under CO2 in 20 % aqueous acetonitrile revealed significantly increased catalytic currents compared to previously studied NiII(cyclam) and NiII(MPC). Controlled potential electrolysis studies of 2 revealed a 250 % increase in CO turn over frequency from that of Ni(cyclam)OTf2 and a 40 % increase from that of Ni(MPC)OTf2. Such improvements establish the benefit of electronically donating substituents that minimize steric interference around the axial catalytic sites.
Terminal Acetylenic Iminium Salts – Synthesis and Reactivity
Authors: Keim Michael , Kratzer Philipp , Derksen Helena , Isakov Dajana , Maas Gerhard
Published: November 2018

Various types of terminal acetylenic iminium triflates (propyne iminium salts) featuring a ketiminium or an aldiminium group have been prepared for the first time by protiodesilylation of the corresponding trimethylsilyl‐substituted acetylenic iminium salts using triflic acid and catalytic silver(I) triflate. The high reactivity of the terminal C,C‐triple bond is documented herein by the facile Michael addition of nucleophiles and the exceptionally high dienophilic reactivity in Diels‐Alder reactions.
Effects of glial glutamate transporter activator in formalin‐induced pain behaviour in mice
Authors: Alotaibi Ghallab , Rahman Shafiqur
Published: November 2018

Background

Nociceptive pain remains a prevalent clinical problem and often poorly responsive to the currently available analgesics. Previous studies have shown that astroglial glutamate transporter‐1 (GLT‐1) in the hippocampus and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is critically involved in pain processing and modulation. However, the role of astroglial GLT‐1 in nociceptive pain involving the hippocampus and ACC remains unknown. We investigated the role of 3‐[[(2‐Methylphenyl) methyl]thio]‐6‐(2‐pyridinyl)‐pyridazine (LDN‐212320), a GLT‐1 activator, in nociceptive pain model and hippocampal‐dependent behavioural tasks in mice.

Methods

We evaluated the effects of LDN‐212320 in formalin‐induced nociceptive pain model. In addition, formalin‐induced impaired hippocampal‐dependent behaviours were measured using Y‐maze and object recognition test. Furthermore, GLT‐1 expression and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase phosphorylation (pERK1/2) were measured in the hippocampus and ACC using Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry.

Results

The LDN‐212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly attenuated formalin‐evoked nociceptive behaviour. The antinociceptive effects of LDN‐212320 were reversed by systemic administration of DHK (10 mg/kg, i.p), a GLT‐1 antagonist. Moreover, LDN‐212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly reversed formalin‐induced impaired hippocampal‐dependent behaviour. In addition, LDN‐212320 (10 or 20 mg/kg, i.p) increased GLT‐1 expressions in the hippocampus and ACC. On the other hand, LDN‐212320 (20 mg/kg, i.p) significantly reduced formalin induced‐ERK phosphorylation, a marker of nociception, in the hippocampus and ACC.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the GLT‐1 activator LDN‐212320 prevents nociceptive pain by upregulating astroglial GLT‐1 expression in the hippocampus and ACC. Therefore, GLT‐1 activator could be a novel drug candidate for nociceptive pain.

Significance

The present study provides new insights and evaluates the role of GLT‐1 activator in the modulation of nociceptive pain involving hippocampus and ACC. Here, we provide evidence that GLT‐1 activator could be a potential therapeutic utility for the treatment of nociceptive pain.
Doesn't Get Better With Age: Predicting Millennials' Disconnection
Authors: Millett Catherine M. , Kevelson Marisol J. C.
Published: November 2018

Recent research has highlighted the critical problem of high rates of “disconnected youth”—youth and young adults who are neither employed nor in school. Practitioners, scholars, policymakers, and a range of stakeholders express mounting concern that disconnected youth are a societal burden that costs countries trillions of dollars. This phenomenon could threaten social cohesion and social development, in addition to costing large amounts of money in the forms of foregone labor productivity and tax revenues and increased incarceration and social services uptake rates. Whereas other studies explore disconnection among a cross‐sectional sample of U.S. young adults, we set out to document the longitudinal education and employment pathways of a nationally representative cohort of U.S. millennial young adults from approximately age 16 to age 26. Our results highlight that both socioeconomic status (SES) and high school academic abilities are associated with disconnection from society at ages 18, 20, and 26. However, these associations diminish over time, and by age 26 SES is a weaker predictor of disconnection than having been on a college preparatory track (e.g., taking practice college entrance examinations) or having special educational needs in high school. At the same time, high school literacy and mathematics skills and grades are unrelated to disconnection at age 26. Prior disconnection remains one of the strongest predictors of disconnection at ages 20 and 26, highlighting the problem of repeated disconnection experienced by a small group of youth and young adults (only 0.6% of our full sample, or 11.1% of high school leavers). Finally, the odds of dropping out of the labor force—not seeking employment—are most strongly explained by gender and having dependent children, and to a lesser extent by race and high school region and urbanicity. Recommendations for supporting those most at risk of disconnection are discussed in relation to our findings.
A decentralized channel assignment and power control approach using noncooperative game and Vickrey auction in relay‐aided MC‐CDMA IoT networks
Authors: Shokrnezhad Masoud , Khorsandi Siavash
Published: November 2018

Internet of things (IoT) is a global infrastructure, providing ubiquitous intelligence by enabling seamless data flows between physical and virtual objects based on existing and evolving interoperable communication technologies. It is expected that the demand for wireless resources will rapidly increase in future IoT networks, and hence, the utilization of the wireless medium needs to be highly improved by efficiently allocating the resources. In this work, we investigate the problem of allocating wireless network resources in a multicarrier code‐division multiple access relay‐aided wireless IoT network, considering both channel assignment and power control, to satisfy the signal‐to‐interference ratio requirement of the devices with the objective of supporting as many devices as possible. The primary problem, named power control and channel assignment, is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming problem. Due to its complexity, three practical suboptimal solution approaches with different applications are developed. First, the Lagrangian relaxation and the dual decomposition methods are employed, and the problem is divided into two pure integer programming and linear programming subproblems, which are then solved using an iterative subgradient‐based algorithm that converges to a near‐optimal solution. Next, a greedy heuristic algorithm based on the Gaussian elimination method is proposed to efficiently find a suboptimal solution. In addition, a two‐phase second‐price auction‐based channel assignment and noncooperative game‐based power control algorithm is proposed to allocate resources in an iterative, distributed, and scalable manner. In the distributed scheme, no information about path gains is required. The numerical results show that the difference between the optimal solution and our approaches is negligible, so they can be efficiently employed in real‐world scenarios.
Rare Earth Metals From Fly Ash Are Major Opportunity
Authors: Laurino Joseph P.
Published: November 2018

Rare earth elements (REEs), also called rare earth “metals,” include 17 chemical elements: the 15 lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium. These elements are critical to national security, the development of green energy, and advances in several high‐technology fields. These elements are required by products we use daily, from computers to smartphones, from cars to airplanes, and from turbines to sophisticated military hardware.
Cogeneration for Industrial Wastewater Evaporation Has Rapid Payback
Authors: Macaulay Mark , Cammann Casey
Published: November 2018

Cogeneration, also known as combined heat and power (CHP), refers to the use of both power (electrical or mechanical) and thermal energy from a single source, such as a turbine or engine. Today, there are over 4,400 cogeneration systems in the United States in a variety of applications.
A Paradigm Shift in Water Treatment
Authors: Morrison Aaron
Published: November 2018

Sir Arthur C. Clarke's third law of prediction: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
Spontaneous astrocytic Ca2+ activity abounds in electrically suppressed ischemic penumbra of aged mice
Authors: Fordsmann Jonas Christoffer , Murmu Reena Prity , Cai Changsi , Brazhe Alexey , Thomsen Kirsten Joan , Zambach Stefan Andreas , Lønstrup Micael , Lind Barbara Lykke , Lauritzen Martin
Published: November 2018

Experimental focal cortical ischemic lesions consist of an ischemic core and a potentially salvageable peri‐ischemic region, the ischemic penumbra. The activity of neurons and astrocytes is assumed to be suppressed in the penumbra because the electrical function is interrupted, but this is incompletely elucidated. Most experimental stroke studies used young adult animals, whereas stroke is prevalent in the elderly population. Using two‐photon imaging in vivo, we here demonstrate extensive but electrically silent, spontaneous Ca2+ activity in neurons and astrocytes in the ischemic penumbra of 18‐ to 24‐month‐old mice 2–4 hr after middle cerebral artery occlusion. In comparison, stroke reduced spontaneous Ca2+ activity in neurons and astrocytes in adult mice (3–4 months of age). In aged mice, stroke increased astrocytic spontaneous Ca2+ activity considerably while neuronal spontaneous Ca2+ activity was unchanged. Blockade of action potentials and of purinergic receptors strongly reduced spontaneous Ca2+ activity in both neurons and astrocytes in the penumbra of old stroke mice. This indicates that stroke had a direct influence on mechanisms in presynaptic terminals and on purinergic signaling. Thus, highly dynamic variations in spontaneous Ca2+ activity characterize the electrically compromised penumbra, with remarkable differences between adult and old mice. The data are consistent with the notion that aged neurons and astrocytes take on a different phenotype than young mice. The increased activity of the aged astrocyte phenotype may be harmful to neurons. We suggest that the abundant spontaneous Ca2+ activity in astrocytes in the ischemic penumbra of old mice may be a novel target for neuroprotection strategies.

A video abstract of this article can be found at https://youtu.be/AKlwKFsz1qE.
Numerical investigation of non‐Newtonian nanofluid mixed convection in a two‐opposite direction lid‐driven cavity with variable properties
Authors: Nazari Saeed , Akbari Ehsan
Published: November 2018

The mixed convection fluid flow in a square cavity filled with AL2O3‐water non‐Newtonian nanofluid is numerically analyzed. The left and right vertical boundaries of the enclosure have been kept in the constant temperature. Remaining walls of the cavity have been considered to have adiabatic boundary condition. Two different cases have been considered. In the first case, left and right side walls have been moved vertically with constant speed Vb in opposite directions. In the second case, the directions of their motions have been reversed. The transport equations, written in terms of the primitive variables for the non‐Newtonian nanofluid, have been solved numerically using the finite volume method. The shear stresses were calculated using the Ostwald‐de Waele model for the shear‐thinning nanofluid. The model introduced by Patel et al was used to obtain the thermal conductivity of the nanofluid. The variation of the fluid flow with respect to the Richardson number and volume fraction of the nanoparticles was investigated through a parametric study. Even though increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles leads to heat transfer enhancement, for the second case of this study, for Ri = 1, the average Nusselt number initially drops sharply by increasing the volume fraction of nanoparticles, then remains constant.
The serotonin transporter and the activity regulated cytoskeleton‐associated protein genes in antidepressant response and resistance: 5‐HTTLPR and other variants
Authors: Calabrò Marco , Fabbri Chiara , Crisafulli Concetta , Albani Diego , Forloni Gianluigi , Kasper Siegfried , Sidoti Antonina , Velardi Elvira , Zohar Joseph , Juven‐Wetzler Alzbeta , Souery Daniel , Montgomery Stuart , Mendlewicz Julien , Serretti Alessandro
Published: November 2018

Objective

Previous evidence suggested the involvement of serotonin transporter (SLC6A4) and activity regulated cytoskeleton‐associated protein (ARC) in antidepressant action. This study investigated their role in antidepressant efficacy and treatment‐resistant depression (TRD).

Methods

Three samples (n total = 648) were investigated to test the association between treatment outcomes (response, remission, symptom improvement, and TRD) and 11 polymorphisms within SLC6A4 and ARC genes. The possible modulating effect of age and gender was considered. Response and remission were also investigated using a fixed‐effects meta‐analysis of the three samples.

Results

SLC6A4 5‐HTTLPR/rs25531 effects on symptom improvement were modulated by age (better improvement in L/LA carriers in older subjects) and gender (better improvement in L/LA female carriers). SLC6A4 STin2 long alleles were associated with remission and lower risk of TRD. Preliminary evidence of association between ARC rs11167152/rs10110456 and different outcomes was found.

Conclusions

5‐HTTLPR/rs25531 effect on antidepressant efficacy was modulated by age, in line with previous literature data. STin2 effect on antidepressant efficacy was in line with previous meta‐analyses. A new possible effect of ARC variants on antidepressant efficacy was observed; however, further studies in larger samples are needed to confirm their role.
Importance of geological information for assessing drain flow in a Danish till landscape
Authors: Hansen Anne Lausten , Storgaard Anne , He Xin , Højberg Anker Lajer , Refsgaard Jens Christian , Iversen Bo Vangsø , Kjaergaard Charlotte
Published: November 2018

There has, in recent years, been an increasing interest in developing nutrient load mitigation measures focussing on tile drains. To plan the location of such tile drain measures, it is important to know where in the landscape drain flow is generated and to understand the key factors governing drain flow dynamics. In the present study, we test two approaches to assess spatial patterns in drain flow generation and thereby assess the importance of including geological information. The approaches are the widely used topographical wetness index (TWI), based solely on elevation data, and hydrological models that include the subsurface geology. We set‐up an ensemble of 20 hydrological models based on 20 stochastically generated geological models to predict drain flow dynamics in the clay till Norsminde catchment in Denmark and test the results against TWI. We find that the hydrological models predict observed daily drain flow reasonably well. High drain flow volumes were found in stream valleys and in wetlands and lower drain flow volumes in the more hilly parts of the catchment. In spite of the apparent connection to the landscape, there was no statistically significant correlation between TWI and drain flow at grid scale (100 × 100 m). TWI was therefore not found to be a sufficient index on its own to assess where drain flow is generated, especially in the highlands of the catchment. The geology below 3 m was found to have a large impact on the drain flow, and correlations between sand percentage in the subsurface geology and drain flow volume were found to be statistically significant. Geological uncertainty therefore give rise to uncertainty on simulated drain flow, and this uncertainty was found to be high at the model grid scale but decreasing with increasing scale.
Circulating mir‐320a promotes immunosuppressive macrophages M2 phenotype associated with lung cancer risk
Authors: Fortunato Orazio , Borzi Cristina , Milione Massimo , Centonze Giovanni , Conte Davide , Boeri Mattia , Verri Carla , Moro Massimo , Facchinetti Federica , Andriani Francesca , Roz Luca , Caleca Laura , Huber Veronica , Cova Agata , Camisaschi Chiara , Castelli Chiara , Cancila Valeria , Tripodo Claudio , Pastorino Ugo , Sozzi Gabriella
Published: November 2018

miRNAs play a central role in the complex signaling network of cancer cells with the tumor microenvironment. Little is known on the origin of circulating miRNAs and their relationship with the tumor microenvironment in lung cancer. Here, we focused on the cellular source and relative contribution of different cell types to circulating miRNAs composing our risk classifier of lung cancer using in vitro/in vivo models and clinical samples. A cell‐type specific expression pattern and topography of several miRNAs such as mir‐145 in fibroblasts, mir‐126 in endothelial cells, mir‐133a in skeletal muscle cells was observed in normal and lung cancer tissues. Granulocytes and platelets are the major contributors of miRNAs release in blood. miRNAs modulation observed in plasma of lung cancer subjects was consistent with de‐regulation of the same miRNAs observed during immunosuppressive conversion of immune cells. In particular, activated neutrophils showed a miRNA profile mirroring that observed in plasma of lung cancer subjects. Interestingly mir‐320a secreted by neutrophils of high‐risk heavy‐smokers promoted an M2‐like protumorigenic phenotype through downregulation of STAT4 when shuttled into macrophages. These findings suggest a multifactorial and nonepithelial cell‐autonomous origin of circulating miRNAs associated with risk of lung cancer and that circulating miRNAs may act in paracrine signaling with causative role in lung carcinogenesis and immunosuppression.
An empirical investigation of direct and iterated multistep conditional forecasts
Authors: McCracken Michael W. , McGillicuddy Joseph T.
Published: November 2018

When constructing unconditional point forecasts, both direct and iterated multistep (DMS and IMS) approaches are common. However, in the context of producing conditional forecasts, IMS approaches based on vector autoregressions are far more common than simpler DMS models. This is despite the fact that there are theoretical reasons to believe that DMS models are more robust to misspecification than are IMS models. In the context of unconditional forecasts, Marcellino et al. (Journal of Econometrics, 2006, 135, 499–526) investigate the empirical relevance of these theories. In this paper, we extend that work to conditional forecasts. We do so based on linear bivariate and trivariate models estimated using a large dataset of macroeconomic time series. Over comparable samples, our results reinforce those in Marcellino et al.: the IMS approach is typically a bit better than DMS with significant improvements only at longer horizons. In contrast, when we focus on the Great Moderation sample we find a marked improvement in the DMS approach relative to IMS. The distinction is particularly clear when we forecast nominal rather than real variables where the relative gains can be substantial.
Food colorant Sunset Yellow (E110) intervenes developmental profile of zebrafish (Danio rerio)
Authors: Joshi Vani , Pancharatna Katti
Published: November 2018

In this study, we tested the teratogenic/embryotoxic potentials of food colorant, Sunset Yellow (E110) using zebrafish embryos as a model. Laboratory‐raised developing embryos of Danio rerio were exposed to graded concentrations (00, 0.1, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 100 mm) of E110 from gastrulation stage (~6 hours post‐fertilization [hpf]) up until hatching. The developmental trajectory of each embryo and post‐hatched larva was traced from 24 to 168 hpf. The no observed effect concentration (NOEC), median effective concentration (EC50), median lethal concentration (LC50) and teratogenic index were determined. In the 0.1 mm E110‐exposed embryos, the development proceeded as in controls (NOEC), while, exposure of embryos to 1‐5 mm of E110 led to a decrease in body size, dry body mass of resultant larvae along with appearance of morphological deformities such as, microphthalmia, pericardial edema, yolk sac edema and spinal curvature. Larvae of 10‐50 mm E110‐exposed embryos exhibited increased cellular apoptosis in the cardiac region with significantly declined heartbeats and elevated mortality rates, in addition to the above‐mentioned abnormalities. In the 100 mm exposure group, all embryos succumbed to death within 24 hpf. The NOEC and LC50 recorded were at 0.1 and 42.57 mm respectively. EC50 (96 hpf) recorded for pericardial edema and yolk sac edema was 19.41 and 39.84 mm with teratogenic index quotient 2.1 and 1.06 respectively The study provides direct evidence for the developmental toxicity/teratogenic potential of E110.
The role of tumor suppressor of resveratrol and prednisolone by downregulation of YKL‐40 expression in CCRF‐CEM cell line
Authors: Zadi Heydarabad Milad , Baharaghdam Sina , Azimi Ako , Mohammadi Hamed , Eivazi Ziaei Jamal , Yazdanpanah Behruz , Zak Mohsen Sharif , Farahani Mohammad Esfini , Dohrabpour Aghdas , Partash Nasim , Talebi Mehdi
Published: November 2018

Background

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is characterized by excessive accumulation of lymphoblast and progenitors. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and ALL is the most common subtype. Many studies have shown that the YKL‐40 gene is one of the most widely expressed genes in tumors, including leukemia, but not in healthy blood cells. Clinical studies have shown that serum YKL‐40 levels have a positive correlation with tumor expansion, in addition to being a prognostic agent independent of a short relapse‐free interval, as well as a brief overall survival in patients with various cancers. The previous study shows that YKL‐40 is closely related to the degree of pathology or degree of human leukemia pathology and plays an important role in cell proliferation. Hence, the YKL‐40 can be an attractive target in designing anticancer therapies.

Methods

CCRF‐CEM cells were treated with resveratrol and prednisolone. For analysis of YKL‐40 expression changes under medication, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot techniques were used at resonating intervals of 24 and 48 hours.

Results

The effect of 15, 50, and 100 μM resveratrol and 700 μM of prednisolone on CCRF‐CEM cells reduced YKL‐40. The YKL‐40 gene was quantitatively measured using RT‐PCR. The Western blot method was used to evaluate changes in the expression of YKL‐40 protein.

Conclusion

In this study, we first evaluated YKL‐40 expression and resveratrol and prednisolone effect on YKL‐40 in ALL. This finding supports the idea of targeting YKL‐40 as a new drug treatment of ALL and extends the use of resveratrol in antileukemia research.
Systematic analysis of multigene predictors in gastric cancer exploiting gene expression signature
Authors: Ai Kuankuan , Jia Yanli , Li Jin , Wang Chong , Wang Yan
Published: November 2018

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide but could be more curable if diagnosed at an earlier stage. At present, the capability to predict the efficaciousness of molecular diagnosis for GC for each patient remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to identify tumor biomarkers through systems analysis of multigene predictors exploiting the available data resource. In this study, we investigated the top 10% overexpressed genes in GC from five data sets of the Oncomine platform, with 265 GC samples versus 174 normal gastric mucosa samples. Sixteen candidate genes were identified as predictors of GC, of which 14 genes were verified through the comparison of expression levels in specimens from normal (chronic gastritis, 21 samples) and GC groups (38 samples). In addition, unique molecular portraits of diffuse adenocarcinoma (DA), intestinal adenocarcinoma (IA), and mixed adenocarcinoma (MA) were studied through Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, where DA showed higher extracellular matrix alteration while IA and MA showed higher cell‐cycle alteration than other types. We also found that the elevated expressions of genes during GC progression were independent of gene mutations, and high core‐binding factor subunit β expression is correlated with a high overall survival rate in GC patients. Our research may provide an efficient clinical diagnosis of GC at an early stage with high accuracy and thus help improve the overall survival rate through early therapeutic interventions.
A novel messenger RNA and long noncoding RNA signature associated with the progression of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer
Authors: He Yu‐hui , Deng Yi‐sen , Peng Pan‐xin , Wang Ning , Wang Jian‐feng , Ding Zhen‐shan , Chen Xing , Zhou Xiao‐feng
Published: November 2018

Aim

To explore the molecular mechanism of nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), matched normal, and cancer tissues of 10 NMIBC were examined for RNA sequencing.

Methods

We profiled the messenger RNA (mRNA) and long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) expression of patients with NMIBC. Differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs were screened between cancer and normal tissues and validated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and lncRNA‐mRNA‐miRNA interaction network was constructed.

Results

A total of 91 upregulated and 190 downregulated genes and 34 upregulated and 58 downregulated lncRNAs were screened from the sequencing result. The differentially expressed mRNAs were enriched in focal adhesion, rap1 signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, extracellular matrix (ECM)‐receptor interaction, Ras signaling pathway, and mitogen‐activated protein kinases signaling pathway, of which some pathways were involved in the cancer development. In the RNA sequencing, KIT and laminin subunitγ γ3 (LAMC3) were significantly downregulated in the NMIBC group compared with the normal group. The results of quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed that the expression of LAMC3 and KIT were significantly decreased in the NMIBC group compared with the normal group. The lncRNA‐mRNA‐miRNA interaction network was constructed by Cytoscape software to further investigate the interaction correlations. The results implied that KIT and LAMC3 might regulate the lncRNAs (such as ENST00000445707, ENST00000501122, ENST00000505254, ENST00000528986, ENST00000557661, ENST00000602964, ENST00000614517, ENST00000620864, and ENST00000623414) by the miRNAs (such as hsa‐let‐7f‐2‐3p, hsa‐miR‐125a‐3p, hsa‐miR‐134‐3p, hsa‐miR‐191‐5p, hsa‐miR‐210‐5p, hsa‐miR‐30a‐5p, hsa‐miR‐30d‐5p, hsa‐miR‐30e‐5p, hsa‐miR‐92a‐2‐5p, and hsa‐miR‐95‐3p), and finally played a role in the development of NMIBC cancer.

Conclusion

Altogether, our study preliminarily indicated that KIT and LAMC3 might play a crucial role in the development of NMIBC cancer via a complex mRNA‐lncRNA‐miRNA regulatory network.
Population Pharmacokinetics of Adjunctive Lacosamide in Pediatric Patients With Epilepsy
Authors: Winkler Julia , Schoemaker Rik , Stockis Armel
Published: November 2018

A pediatric population pharmacokinetic model including covariate effects was developed using data from 2 clinical trials in pediatric patients with epilepsy (SP0847 and SP1047). Lacosamide plasma concentration‐time data (n = 402) were available from 79 children with body weights ranging from 6 to 76 kg, and a balanced age distribution (6 months to <2 years: n = 14; 2 to <6 years: n = 22; 6 to <12 years: n = 25; 12 to <18 years: n = 18). A single‐compartment population pharmacokinetic model with first‐order absorption and elimination described the data adequately. Plasma clearance was modeled using allometric scaling on body weight with a freely estimated allometric exponent, while volume of distribution used a fixed theoretical allometric exponent. Covariate search identified a significant effect of enzyme‐inducing antiepileptic drugs resulting in a 35% decrease in lacosamide average plasma concentration. No additional effects on clearance could be attributed to race, sex, age, or renal function. Different dosing adaptation schemes by body weight bands were simulated to approximate, in pediatric patients aged 4 to 17 years, the same average plasma concentration as in adult patients receiving the maximum recommended lacosamide daily dose.
Retracted: Self‐floating Cu/N co‐doped TiO2/diatomite granule composite with enhanced visible‐light‐responsive photoactivity and reusability
Authors: Chen Yan , Wu Qiong , Song Youtao
Published: November 2018

BACKGROUND

The remnants of antibiotics in aquatic environments have emerged as hazardous pollutants. To eliminate these remnants, new methods have been proposed, including photocatalysis. Powdery photocatalysis has been widely studied, yet its several disadvantages such as light‐harvesting and recyclability in suspension systems have remained as bottlenecks for practical applications. A recent report on a floating photocatalyst provided an alternative method to solve the above problems. In the present paper, TiO2 nanoparticles were co‐doped by copper (Cu) and nitrogen (N), and then immobilized onto substrate diatomite. The composite powder was granulated to produce a self‐floating granule catalyst (Cu/N co‐doped TiO2/diatomite hybrid granules), denoted as CN‐TDHG. The photoactivity of CN‐TDHG was investigated via the degradation of antibiotic oxytetracycline (OTC) under visible light.

RESULTS

The characterization results indicated that Cu/N co‐doped TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully dispersed onto the surface of diatomite. Compared to powdery composite, the granule catalyst presented enhanced photodegradation efficiency. Optimal values of both doping amount and granule dosage were determined. The optimal granule catalyst removed 92.5% OTC within 150 min reaction time. Based on the experimental results, the corresponding photodegradation mechanism was proposed.

CONCLUSION

The self‐floating granule catalyst presented enhanced photodegradation capability, thanks to the synergy between Cu‐ and N‐dopants, as well as the adsorption and degradation dual processes between TiO2 and diatomite. Moreover, CN‐TDHG could simply be filtered from the surface of the water matrix, and presented good stability and reusability after five repetitions, proving itself as a promising candidate for the remediation of water environment. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Fractal graphs
Authors: Ille Pierre , Woodrow Robert
Published: November 2018

The lexicographic sum of graphs is defined as follows. Let be a graph. With each associate a graph . The lexicographic sum of the graphs over is obtained from by substituting each by . Given distinct , we have all the possible edges in the lexicographic sum between and if , and none otherwise. When all the graphs are isomorphic to some graph , the lexicographic sum of the graphs over is called the lexicographic product of by and is denoted by . We say that a graph is fractal if there exists a graph , with at least two vertices, such that . There is a simple way to construct fractal graphs. Let be a graph with at least two vertices. The graph is defined on the set of functions from to as follows. Given distinct is an edge of if is an edge of , where is the smallest integer such that . The graph is fractal because . We prove that a fractal graph is isomorphic to a lexicographic sum over an induced subgraph of , which is itself fractal.
Impact of the intra‐seasonal oscillation on tropical cyclone genesis over the western North Pacific
Authors: You Lijun , Gao Jianyun , Lin Hai , Chen Si
Published: November 2018

This study investigates the impact of the East Asian–western North Pacific (EAWNP) intra‐seasonal oscillation (ISO) on tropical cyclone (TC) genesis over the South China Sea (SCS) and the western North Pacific (WNP). The result indicates that the 20–70‐day oscillation (EAWNP‐ISO1) mainly modulates the frequency of TC genesis, while the 10–20‐day quasi‐biweekly oscillation (EAWNP‐ISO2) usually influences the genesis location. The impacts of ISO are not only on the individual TC genesis but also on the intra‐seasonal variation of TC activity.

In order to better monitor and predict TC genesis, we group the ISO intensity into three categories (wet, normal, and dry) using the EAWNP ISO‐1 index and classify the ISO location into three categories (south, middle, and north) using the EAWNP ISO‐2 index. By combining these six categories, nine combinations are defined to further investigate how the ISO impact on TC genesis. It was found that through affecting the strength of monsoon trough and the location of the western Pacific subtropical high, the ISO combinations modulate the thermodynamic conditions and lead to changes in frequency and location of TC genesis.

The relative contributions of four variables of the genesis potential index (GPI) tend to be dependent on ISO conditions. When the ISO conditions are favourable (unfavourable) to TC genesis, the mid‐level humidity and low‐level vorticity contribute positively (negatively) to the GPI anomalies over the SCS and WNP region, while the vertical wind shear, except for in the north SCS, and the potential intensity contribute negatively (positively). During the normal ISO conditions, the contributions of these four variables are generally weaker than those under the other two backgrounds.