bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large-scale proteomic analysis of human brain identifies proteins associated with cognitive trajectory in advanced age
Authors: Wingo Aliza P. , Dammer Eric B. , Breen Michael S. , Logsdon Benjamin A. , Duong Duc M. , Troncosco Juan C. , Thambisetty Madhav , Beach Thomas G. , Serrano Geidy E. , Reiman Eric M. , Caselli Richard J. , Lah James J. , Seyfried Nicholas T. , Levey Allan I. , Wingo Thomas S.
Published: April 2019

In advanced age, some individuals maintain a stable cognitive trajectory while others experience a rapid decline. Such variation in cognitive trajectory is only partially explained by traditional neurodegenerative pathologies. Hence, to identify new processes underlying variation in cognitive trajectory, we perform an unbiased proteome-wide association study of cognitive trajectory in a discovery (n = 104) and replication cohort (n = 39) of initially cognitively unimpaired, longitudinally assessed older-adult brain donors. We find 579 proteins associated with cognitive trajectory after meta-analysis. Notably, we present evidence for increased neuronal mitochondrial activities in cognitive stability regardless of the burden of traditional neuropathologies. Furthermore, we provide additional evidence for increased synaptic abundance and decreased inflammation and apoptosis in cognitive stability. Importantly, we nominate proteins associated with cognitive trajectory, particularly the 38 proteins that act independently of neuropathologies and are also hub proteins of protein co-expression networks, as promising targets for future mechanistic studies of cognitive trajectory.
Distinguishing the sources of silica nanoparticles by dual isotopic fingerprinting and machine learning
Authors: Yang Xuezhi , Liu Xian , Zhang Aiqian , Lu Dawei , Li Gang , Zhang Qinghua , Liu Qian , Jiang Guibin
Published: April 2019

One of the key shortcomings in the field of nanotechnology risk assessment is the lack of techniques capable of source tracing of nanoparticles (NPs). Silica is the most-produced engineered nanomaterial and also widely present in the natural environment in diverse forms. Here we show that inherent isotopic fingerprints offer a feasible approach to distinguish the sources of silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs). We find that engineered SiO2 NPs have distinct Si–O two-dimensional (2D) isotopic fingerprints from naturally occurring SiO2 NPs, due probably to the Si and O isotope fractionation and use of isotopically different materials during the manufacturing process of engineered SiO2 NPs. A machine learning model is developed to classify the engineered and natural SiO2 NPs with a discrimination accuracy of 93.3%. Furthermore, the Si–O isotopic fingerprints are even able to partly identify the synthetic methods and manufacturers of engineered SiO2 NPs.
A metabolomic study of the effect of Candida albicans glutamate dehydrogenase deletion on growth and morphogenesis
Authors: Han Ting-Li , Cannon Richard D. , Gallo Sandra M. , Villas-Bôas Silas G.
Published: April 2019

There are two glutamate dehydrogenases in the pathogenic fungusCandida albicans. One is an NAD+-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH2) and the other is an NADPH-dependent glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH3). These two enzymes are part of the nitrogen and nicotinate/nicotinamide metabolic pathways, which have been identified in our previous studies as potentially playing an important role inC. albicansmorphogenesis. In this study, we created single gene knockout mutants of both dehydrogenases in order to investigate whether or not they affect the morphogenesis ofC. albicans. TheGDHgenes were deleted and the phenotypes of the knockout mutants were studied by growth characterisation, metabolomics, isotope labelling experiments, and by quantifying cofactors under various hyphae-inducing conditions. We found that thegdh2/gdh2mutant was unable to grow on either arginine or proline as a sole carbon and nitrogen source. While thegdh3/gdh3mutant could grow on these carbon and nitrogen sources, the strain was locked in the yeast morphology in proline-containing medium. We detected different concentrations of ATP, NAD+, NADH, NAPD+, NADPH, as well as 62 other metabolites, and 19 isotopically labelled metabolites between the mutant and the wild-type strains. These differences were associated with 44 known metabolic pathways. It appears that the disequilibrium of cofactors in thegdh3/gdh3mutant leads to characteristic proline degradation in the central carbon metabolism. The analysis of thegdh2/gdh2and thegdh3/gdh3mutants confirmed our hypothesis that redox potential and nitrogen metabolism are related to filament formation and identified these metabolic pathways as potential drug targets to inhibit morphogenesis.
Retreating marsh shoreline creates hotspots of high-marsh plant diversity
Authors: Elsey-Quirk Tracy , Mariotti Giulio , Valentine Kendall , Raper Kirk
Published: April 2019

Marsh edge retreat by wave erosion, an ubiquitous process along estuaries, could affect vegetation dynamics in ways that differ from well-established elevation-driven interactions. Along the marshes of Delaware Bay (USA) we show that species composition from marsh edge to interior is driven by gradients in wave stress, bed elevation, and sediment deposition. At the marsh edge, large wave stress allows only short-statured species. Approximately 17m landward, decreasing wave stress and increasing deposition cause the formation of a ridge. There, high marsh fugitive and shrub species prevails. Both the marsh edge and the ridge retreat synchronously by several meters per year causing wave energy and deposition to change rapidly. Yet, the whole ecogeomorphologic profile translates landward in a dynamic equilibrium, where the low marsh replaces the high marsh ridge community and the high marsh ridge community replaces the mid-marsh grasses on the marsh plain. A plant competition model shows that the disturbances associated with sediment deposition are necessary for the high marsh species to outcompete the mid-marsh grasses during rapid transgression. Marsh retreat creates a moving framework of physical gradients and disturbances that promote the co-existence of over ten different species adjacent to the marsh edge in an otherwise species-poor landscape.
Significance of the Tks4 scaffold protein in bone tissue homeostasis
Authors: Vas Virag , Kovács Tamás , Körmendi Szandra , Bródy Andrea , Kudlik Gyöngyi , Szeder Bálint , Mező Diána , Kállai Dóra , Koprivanacz Kitti , Merő Balázs L. , Dülk Metta , Tóvári József , Vajdovich Péter , Şenel Ş. Neslihan , Özcan Ilknur , Helyes Zsuzsanna , Dobó-Nagy Csaba , Buday László
Published: April 2019

The main driver of osteoporosis is an imbalance between bone resorption and formation. The pathogenesis of osteoporosis has also been connected to genetic alterations in key osteogenic factors and dysfunction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Tks4 (encoded by the Sh3pxd2b gene) is a scaffold protein involved in podosome organization. Homozygous mutational inactivation of Sh3pxd2b causes Frank-ter Haar syndrome (FTHS), a genetic disease that affects bone tissue as well as eye, ear, and heart functions. To date, the role of Tks4 in adult bone homeostasis has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the facial and femoral bone phenotypes of Sh3pxd2b knock-out (KO) mice using micro-CT methods. In addition to the analysis of the Sh3pxd2b-KO mice, the bone microstructure of an FTHS patient was also examined. Macro-examination of skulls from Tks4-deficient mice revealed craniofacial malformations that were very similar to symptoms of the FTHS patient. The femurs of the Sh3pxd2b-KO mice had alterations in the trabecular system and showed signs of osteoporosis, and, similarly, the FTHS patient also showed increased trabecular separation/porosity. The expression levels of the Runx2 and osteocalcin bone formation markers were reduced in the bone and bone marrow of the Sh3pxd2b-KO femurs, respectively. Our recent study demonstrated that Sh3pxd2b-KO BM-MSCs have a reduced ability to differentiate into osteoblast lineage cells; therefore, we concluded that the Tks4 scaffold protein is important for osteoblast formation, and that it likely plays a role in bone cell homeostasis.
Direct and indirect associations between dietary magnesium intake and breast cancer risk
Authors: Huang Wu-Qing , Long Wei-Qing , Mo Xiong-Fei , Zhang Nai-Qi , Luo Hong , Lin Fang-Yu , Huang Jing , Zhang Cai-Xia
Published: April 2019

This study aimed to explore the effect of dietary magnesium intake on breast cancer risk both directly and indirectly via its effect on inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). This case-control study recruited 1050 case patients and 1229 control subjects. Inflammatory marker levels of 322 cases and 322 controls, randomly selected, were measured using ELISA, and data on dietary magnesium intake were collected using a food frequency questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and path analysis was used to investigate the mediating effect. A higher magnesium intake was associated with a lower breast cancer risk (adjusted OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65, 0.99). A positive association was found between the CRP level and breast cancer risk (adjusted OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.02–2.01). However, IL-6 was not found to be associated with breast cancer risk. Path analysis revealed that dietary magnesium affected breast cancer risk both directly and indirectly by influencing the CRP level. The results indicate that a direct negative association and an indirect association through influencing the CRP level were observed between dietary magnesium intake and breast cancer risk.
Author Correction: Human motor cortex relies on sparse and action-specific activation during laughing, smiling and speech production
Authors: Kern Markus , Bert Sina , Glanz Olga , Schulze-Bonhage Andreas , Ball Tonio
Published: April 2019

In the original version of the paper, Fig. 4 contained an error in the labels for “Intermediate” and “Insignificant” in the figure key, making the symbols partially illegible. This error has been corrected in the HTML and PDF versions of the paper.
Direct quantification of surface barriers for mass transfer in nanoporous crystalline materials
Authors: Gao Mingbin , Li Hua , Yang Miao , Gao Shushu , Wu Pengfei , Tian Peng , Xu Shutao , Ye Mao , Liu Zhongmin
Published: April 2019

Mass transfer of guest molecules in nanoporous crystalline materials has gained attention in catalysis, separation, electrochemistry, and other fields. Two mechanisms, surface barriers and intracrystalline diffusion, dominate the mass transport process. Lack of methods to separately quantify these two mechanisms restricts further understanding and thus rational design and efficient application of nanoporous materials. Here we derive an approximate expression of uptake rate relying solely on surface permeability, offering an approach to directly quantify surface barriers and intracrystalline diffusion. By use of this approach, we study the diffusion in zeolitic materials, and find that the intracrystalline diffusivity is intrinsic to the topological structure of host materials at low molecular loading for the given guest molecules, while the surface permeability is sensitive to the non-ideality of a crystalline surface owing to the physical and chemical properties of the crystalline surface, host–guest interaction at the surface, and change of the environment.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of N-Glycans
Authors: Li Lei , Guan Wanyi , Wu Zhigang , Wang Peng G.
Published: April 2019

Protein glycosylation is a prevalent post-translational modification that plays critical roles in various biological processes. N-glycan, which is linked to the β-amide nitrogen of an asparagine residue, is the predominant form of glycans in eukaryotes. Numerous chemical methodologies have been developed to access such structures, which often require specific expertise and tedious protection/deprotection steps. On the other hand, enzymes (e.g., glycosyltransferase and glycosidase) catalyze regio- and stereo-specific glycosylation reactions, provide powerful tools to access complex glycans. This chapter summarizes enzymes that were employed in the preparation of N-glycans, and recent advances in enzymatic and chemoenzymatic synthesis of N-glycans.
Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Heparan Sulfate and Heparin
Authors: Xu Yongmei , Liu Jian
Published: April 2019

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a polysaccharide that performs essential physiological functions in the animal kingdom. Heparin, a highly sulfated form of heparan sulfate, is a widely prescribed anticoagulant drug worldwide. The heparan sulfate and heparin isolated from natural sources are highly heterogeneous mixtures differing in polysaccharide chain lengths and sulfation patterns. Heparin and HS exhibit distinct functions in organisms. Because of their structural diversity, heparin and HS play pivotal roles in human physiological and pathophysiological processes. The challenge in studying heparin and heparan sulfate-related biological functions is to determine the relationship between the structure and functions. The access to structurally defined heparan sulfate and heparin is critically important to advance the studies. The synthesis of heparan sulfate and heparin, using a purely chemical approach, has proved to be extremely difficult, especially for targets larger than octasaccharides having a high degree of sulfations. An emerging chemoenzymatic method has offered an effective alternative approach. This method utilizes recombinant heparan sulfate biosynthetic enzymes combined with an unnatural sugar nucleotide donor. Recent examples demonstrate the successful synthesis of libraries with complex structures, ultra-low molecular weight heparin and low-molecular weight heparin with unprecedented efficiency. The new method opens an opportunity to develop HS based therapeutics.
Synthesis of Marine Polysaccharides/Oligosaccharides and Their Derivatives
Authors: Cai Chao , Li Jun , Fan Fei , Li Guoyun , Li Chunxia , Yu Guangli
Published: April 2019

The resources of marine organism-derived carbohydrates, particularly the poly-/oligosaccharides, are very abundant and play important roles in the food, agricultural, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. However, their complex structures and diverse functions are still not well understood which limit their advanced applications. This chapter aims to summarize the current efforts to access the structurally defined marine poly-/oligosaccharides and their useful derivatives. The first section presents marine polysaccharides obtained from biosynthesis, semi-synthesis, mimic-synthesis, and structural modification. The second section focuses on the marine oligosaccharides acquired by chemical synthesis and enzymatic/chemical degradation. Furthermore, the development of carbohydrate-based marine drugs is also discussed. In summary, marine poly-/oligosaccharides and their derivatives have now attracted much more attention due to their promising scientific and industrial applications. The protocols summarized herein would be conducive to the sustainable research and development of marine-derived carbohydrates.
Solid-phase Glycan Synthesis
Authors: Pfrengle Fabian
Published: April 2019

Researchers in glycobiology depend on the availability of pure and structurally well-defined glycans that are provided by chemical synthesis. Solid-phase synthesis offers attractive access to these glycans as no intermediary purification steps are required during their assembly. Particularly the automation of solid-phase glycan synthesis (automated glycan assembly) has enabled the procurement of large numbers of complex glycans in a short space of time. Recently, significant progress has been made in producing glycans of increasing lengths or containing synthetically difficult glycosidic linkages. This chapter gives an introduction to solid-phase glycan synthesis and summarizes selected syntheses of complex oligosaccharides, with a particular focus on recent advances in the automated glycan assembly of mammalian, bacterial, and plant glycans.
Current Stage of Commercially Available Glycans to Support Realization of Biologic Drugs
Authors: Hendel Jenifer L. , Fernandes Daryl L.
Published: April 2019

Glycosylation is the most visible post-translational modification of therapeutic glycoproteins and is the greatest source of their molecular heterogeneity and variability. Drug glycosylation patterns can influence their clinical performance. Given this, biopharma companies are facing increasing pressures from regulatory authorities to properly design, measure and control the glycosylation patterns of their biologic drugs. However, this is challenging. The importance of addressing these challenges is underlined by the numbers of glycosylated therapeutics being developed – in the past two years 27 of the 28 biologic drugs approved by the FDA have been glycoproteins. Fortunately, technological advances in developing better glycoanalysis methods have helped to reduce these problems over the past decade. This chapter covers the current state of commercial glycans used to support the biopharmaceutical industry. We will describe the reasons why drug glycosylation is important, give examples of serious problems with drug programs that could have been avoided through better glycoanalysis, and overview the classes, uses and manufacture of currently available glycan standards for qualitative and quantitative glycoanalysis work. Finally, we will summarize our thoughts on how glycochemists could enhance the repertoire of commercially-available glycan standards in order to aid development and manufacturing of safer and more effective biologic drugs.
Current Stage of Commercial Glycan Microarrays
Authors: Li Lei , Guan Wanyi , Wu Zhigang , Wang Shuaishuai
Published: April 2019

Glycan–protein interactions mediate many essential biological processes, including pathogenic infections, immune responses, cell adhesion and signaling. In addition, many lectins and glycan-binding proteins (GBPs) are extensively used as probing tools and diagnostic reagents to detect and isolate target glycans. An in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying such processes and proper applications of GBPs in glycomics heavily rely on comprehensive knowledge of the specificity of such GBPs. Since first described by several groups independently in 2002, glycan microarrays have revolutionized the analysis of glycan–protein interactions, providing informative data on specificities of GBPs in a high-throughput manner. While many research groups have developed their own glycan arrays with numerous immobilized glycoforms, there is an increasing gap between available arrays and fast-growing demands in various research areas. Regardless of its preliminary stage and very limited products available compared to nucleotide and protein microarrays, commercial sources may fill such a gap. This chapter focuses on current commercially available glycan microarrays and their potential application.
Structural studies of the perovskite series La1−xSrxCoO3−δ during chemical looping with methane
Authors: Li Tianyu , Jayathilake Rishvi S. , Taylor Daniel D. , Rodriguez Efrain E.
Published: April 2019

Perovskite oxides are promising materials as oxygen carriers in chemical looping applications.
Modeling the effect of surface CO coverage on the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO on Pd surfaces
Authors: Liu Hong , Liu Jian , Yang Bo
Published: April 2019

The crucial role of surface coverage and adsorbate–adsorbate interactions on the electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 to CO on Pd surfaces is highlighted.
Development of self-supported 3D microporous solder alloy electrodes for scalable CO2 electroreduction to formate
Authors: Khatavkar Swarda Nitin , Ukale Dattatray Uttam , Haram Santosh K.
Published: April 2019

The overpotential decreased by 0.1 V for self-supported 3D micro-porous electrodes as compared to the flat surface electrodes for the CO2RR to formate.
A sensitive fluorescence assay of organophosphorus pesticides using acetylcholinesterase and copper-catalyzed click chemistry
Authors: Huang Nian , Qin Yingfeng , Li Ming , Chen Tianxing , Lu Meijie , Zhao Jingjin
Published: April 2019

A sensitive fluorescence assay for organophosphorus pesticides was developed using inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and copper-catalyzed click chemical reaction.
Target-controlled liposome amplification for versatile nanopore analysis
Authors: Tian Lei , Wang Ying , Kang Xiao-feng
Published: April 2019

A versatile analytical method based on the combination of analyte-controlled liposome signal amplification and nanopore detection was set up.
Notable effect of water on excess electron attachment to aqueous DNA deoxyribonucleosides
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wang Jiayue , Yang Songqiu
Published: April 2019

As excess electrons are vertically attached to aqueous deoxyribonucleosides, ∼50% of excess electrons would be delocalized over the water molecules.
Ultrafast imaging of laser-controlled non-adiabatic dynamics in NO2from time-resolved photoelectron emission
Authors: Richter Maria , González-Vázquez Jesús , Mašín Zdeněk , Brambila Danilo S. , Harvey Alex G. , Morales Felipe , Martín Fernando
Published: April 2019

Imaging and controlling the ultrafast conical intersection dynamics in NO2using the latest advances in attosecond and light-synthesizer technology.
Prediction of the near-IR spectra of ices byab initiomolecular dynamics
Authors: Escribano Rafael , Gómez Pedro C. , Maté Belén , Molpeceres Germán , Artacho Emilio
Published: April 2019

Use ofab initiomolecular dynamics to predict the near-IR spectra of ices and application to astronomical models.
Ca-, Sr-, and Ba-Coordination polymers based on anthranilic acidviamechanochemistry
Authors: Al-Terkawi Abdal-Azim , Scholz Gudrun , Prinz Carsten , Emmerling Franziska , Kemnitz Erhard
Published: April 2019

Ca-, Sr-, and Ba coordination polymers were obtained by milling metal-hydroxides with anthranilic acid. The metal cation radii influence the inorganic connectivity and dimensionality of structures. These compounds exhibit a phase transformation upon thermal annealing, which is a reversible process in Ba-CP.
Rational design of one-dimensional hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites with room-temperature ferroelectricity and strong piezoelectricity
Authors: Yang Daibei , Luo Lingheng , Gao Yi , Chen Shuang , Zeng Xiao Cheng
Published: April 2019

Our rational design successfully predicted two one-dimensional hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites, realizing more excellent ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity than the reported ones.
Ultrafast free carrier dynamics in black phosphorus–molybdenum disulfide (BP/MoS2) heterostructures
Authors: Nie Zhonghui , Wang Yuhan , Li Ziling , Sun Yue , Qin Shuchao , Liu Xiaoping , Turcu I. C. E. , Shi Yi , Zhang Rong , Ye Yu , Xu Yongbing , Cerullo Giulio , Wang Fengqiu
Published: April 2019

Free photocarriers in a BP/MoS2 type-II vdW heterostructure were found to undergo a usually fast (∼5 ps) Langevin interlayer recombination process.
N,N-Diphenylanilino-heterocyclic aldehyde-based chemosensors for UV-vis/NIR and fluorescence Cu(ii) detection
Authors: Okda Hazem Essam , El Sayed Sameh , Ferreira Rosa C. M. , Gonçalves Raquel C. R. , Costa Susana P. G. , M. Raposo M. Manuela , Martínez-Máñez Ramón , Sancenón Félix
Published: April 2019

Cu(ii) coordination with aldehyde-containing probes induced the appearance of NIR bands coupled with remarkable colour changes.
A simple, facile and low-cost method for the preparation of mixed-phase titanium oxide: toward efficient photoelectrochemical water oxidation
Authors: Khosravi Mehdi , Feizi Hadi , Haghighi Behzad , Najafpour Mohammad Mahdi
Published: April 2019

A new, low-cost and facile procedure for the preparation of a titanium oxide photocatalyst on a titanium electrode through simple high-voltage anodization is reported.
Polydopamine nanosphere@silver nanoclusters for fluorescence detection of multiplex tumor markers
Authors: Jiang Yiting , Tang Yuguo , Miao Peng
Published: April 2019

An innovative fluorescence method is developed for simultaneous detection of multiplex tumor markers based on a polydopamine nanosphere@silver nanocluster system.
Flupirtine and retigabine as templates for ligand-based drug design of KV7.2/3 activators
Authors: Surur Abdrrahman S. , Bock Christian , Beirow Kristin , Wurm Konrad , Schulig Lukas , Kindermann Markus K. , Siegmund Werner , Bednarski Patrick J. , Link Andreas
Published: April 2019

Puzzling stability: molecular jigsaw pieces of residues characterized in light of activity, lipophilicity, stability against oxidation, and hepatotoxicity were combined to yield flupirtine analogue 25b.
Ferrocene-containing amphiphilic polynorbornenes as biocompatible drug carriers
Authors: Qiu Guirong , Liu Xiong , Wang Binrong , Gu Haibin , Wang Weixiang
Published: April 2019

Ferrocene-containing diblock and random polynorbornene-based copolymers were synthesized by ROMP and used as biocompatible drug carrier micelles.
Light-exposure at night impairs mouse ovary development via cell apoptosis and DNA damage
Authors: Li Yapeng , Cheng Shunfeng , Li Lan , Zhao Yong , Shen Wei , Sun Xiaofeng
Published: April 2019

The alternation of light and dark rhythm causes a series of physiological, biochemical and metabolic changes in animals, which also alters the growth and development of animals, and feeding, migration, reproduction and other behavioral activities. In recent years, many studies have reported the effects of long-term (more than 6 weeks) illumination on ovarian growth and development. In the present study, we observed the damage, repair and apoptosis of ovarian DNA in a short period of illumination. The results showed that, in short time (less than 2 weeks) illumination conditions, the 24-h light treatment caused the reduction of total ovarian follicle number and down-regulation of circadian clock related genes. Furthermore, the changed levels of serum sex hormones were also detected after 24-h light exposure, of which the concentrations of LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and E2 (estradiol) were increased, but the concentration of PROG (progesterone) was decreased. Moreover, 24-h light exposure increased the expression of DNA damage and repair related genes, the number of TUNEL and RAD51 positive cells. These results indicated that 24-h light exposure for 4, 8 and 12 days increased DNA damage and cell apoptosis, thereby affecting the development of ovary.
Clinical significance of high expression of stanniocalcin-2 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Yuan , Wu Jian , Xu Jiangyan , Lin Shengyou
Published: April 2019

To investigate the significance of stanniocalcin-2 (STC2) expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and adjacent tissues. Levels of STC2 in HCC tissue were detected in 200 HCC patients tissues and adjacent tissues as controls by immunohistochemistry technique (IHC) and reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR). Single factor analysis was used to study the relationship between expression of STC2 mRNA and protein and clinicopathological features of HCC. Multifactor Cox survival analysis was used to relationship between the expression of STC2 and overall survival of postoperative patients with HCC. IHC staining showed that the expression of STC2 protein rate was 81.00% (163/200). And the positive rate of adjacent tissues was 29.00% (58/200). Western blot showed that the expression of STC2 protein in HCC was significantly higher than that in the adjacent tissues (P<0.05). RT-PCR showed that the positive rates of STC2 mRNA expression in HCC were 75.50% (151/200), which was significantly higher than that in adjacent tissues 14.50% (29/200) (P<0.05). Both STC2 mRNA and protein expression are related to tumor diameter, stage, tumor metastasis, carcinoma emboli in the portal vein and the degree of tumor differentiation in HCC. The HCC patients with higher expression of STC2 had shorter median survival time. STC2 expression, tumor diameter, carcinoma emboli in the portal vein, tumor differentiation degree, and tumor stage were independent factors affecting the overall survival of postoperative patients. The high expression of STC2 mRNA and protein expression in HCC may be associated with the occurrence, development, and prognosis of HCC. STC2 may also be possible to help developing new therapeutic strategies for HCC.
The role of APOE4 in Alzheimer’s disease: strategies for future therapeutic interventions
Authors: Hunsberger Holly C. , Pinky Priyanka D. , Smith Warren , Suppiramaniam Vishnu , Reed Miranda N.
Published: April 2019

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia affecting almost 50 million people worldwide. The ε4 allele of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) is the strongest known genetic risk factor for late-onset AD cases, with homozygous APOE4 carriers being approximately 15-times more likely to develop the disease. With 25% of the population being APOE4 carriers, understanding the role of this allele in AD pathogenesis and pathophysiology is crucial. Though the exact mechanism by which ε4 allele increases the risk for AD is unknown, the processes mediated by APOE, including cholesterol transport, synapse formation, modulation of neurite outgrowth, synaptic plasticity, destabilization of microtubules, and β-amyloid clearance, suggest potential therapeutic targets. This review will summarize the impact of APOE on neurons and neuronal signaling, the interactions between APOE and AD pathology, and the association with memory decline. We will then describe current treatments targeting APOE4, complications associated with the current therapies, and suggestions for future areas of research and treatment.
Mzabite Heritage in Southern Algeria: What Bioclimatic Lessons can Be Learned to Optimize Thermal Comfort?
Authors: Bensayah Amina , Bencheikh Hamida , Abdessemed Amina
Published: April 2019

It is urgent to act currently on the problems of overconsumption of energy as well as the environment and the economy. Energy is a direct mechanical source of many devices of an artificial thermal environment of the modern habitat. To cope with the consequences of the exceed consumption of domestic use, architecture takes part by focusing on the old constructive and functional solutions. The researchers are interested even fascinated by ancient and vernacular architecture; its buildings are a masterpiece of urban planning in matters of environment. Our study has clearly chosen as an example The Mzab valley; a qualitative and retrospective analysis which aims to describe and classify all the solutions and traditional climate strategies developed by the Mzabites to produce a real thermal comfort and a residential heritage to fight against climatic solicitations. We have checked and observed in parallel if these strategies are convergent or divergent with the recommendations and the needs of the specific comfort in our case study and predetermined in this paper by the method of Givoni. This analysis has shown that Mzabite architecture symbolizes an ancient bioclimatic knowledge, Its strategies generate a perfect harmony between climate, habitat and occupant, they formed an inspiring reference and exemplary lessons available of the designers; by re-adapting these ancient solutions and techniques of our ancestors with a suitable manner to contemporary architecture, and contributing to the improvement of comfortable climate.
Nonlocal problems and functional-differential equations: theoretical aspects and applications to mathematical modelling
Authors: Muravnik Andrey B.
Published: April 2019

This paper presents a review of results on nonlocal problems, functional-differential equations, and their applications, obtained during several last years. The following research areas are covered: the Kato square root problem for functional-differential operators, Vlasov equations and their applications to the modelling of high-temperature plasma, specific properties of differential-difference equations with incommensurable translations, degenerate functional-differential equations and their applications, functional-differential equations with contractions and extensions of independent variables, and operational methods for parabolic and elliptic functional-differential equations.
Limit theorems for quadratic forms and related quantities of discretely sampled continuous-time moving averages
Authors: Nielsen Mikkel Slot , Pedersen Jan
Published: April 2019

The limiting behavior of Toeplitz type quadratic forms of stationary processes has received much attention through decades, particularly due to its importance in statistical estimation of the spectrum. In the present paper, we study such quantities in the case where the stationary process is a discretely sampled continuous-time moving average driven by a Lévy process. We obtain sufficient conditions, in terms of the kernel of the moving average and the coefficients of the quadratic form, ensuring that the centered and adequately normalized version of the quadratic form converges weakly to a Gaussian limit.
Perforator Lappen “light” – der Stellenwert des Keystone
Designed Perforator Flap Concept (KDPFC) an der unteren
Extremität
Authors: Schepler Hadrian , Sauerbier Michael , Grabbe Stephan , Rietz Stephan
Published: April 2019

Einleitung Mit der Originalpublikation des Keystone Designed Perforator
Flap Concepts (KDPFC) von Behan et al. im Jahre 2003 hat der Keystonelappen mit
Fallserien bis zu 300 Lappenplastiken Einzug in die Familie der Perforatorlappen
gehalten. Die Lappenplastik, welche an die Form eines römischen Torbogens
angelehnt ist, basiert auf dem Vorhandensein von Perforansgefäßen. Eine subtile
Präparation der einzelnen Perforatoren ist dabei aber nicht notwendig. Hinzu
kommt die insgesamt simple und rasche operative Vorgehensweise. Der
Anwendungsbereich umfasst, bis auf wenige topografische Ausnahmen, das gesamte
Integument. Die Anzahl aufschlussreicher Publikationen zu Komplikationen,
Nachteilen oder lokalen Einschränkungen sind jedoch, trotz des breiten
Anwendungsspektrums, spärlich.

Methode Anhand einer retrospektiven Analyse von 35 Patienten über einen
Zeitraum von 36 Monaten wurde der Stellenwert des Lappenkonzeptes nach
überwiegender Hauttumorresektion an der unteren Extremität evaluiert. Die
Lappenauswahl orientierte sich an der Defektsituation unter Anwendung der im
Original beschriebenen Lappenvarianten.

Ergebnisse Insgesamt wurden 36 Lappenplastiken an 35 Patienten
durchgeführt. Die Defektgröße betrug im Mittel 21 cm2 (von
2 cm2 bis 100 cm2). Wundheilungsstörungen wurden in 12
Fällen sowie Teil-/Totale Lappenverluste bei 4 Patienten beobachtet. Allerdings
bedurfte nur 1 Patient mit Lappenverlust einer weiteren operativen Intervention.
Alle anderen heilten unter entsprechender Wundbehandlung komplett ab. Patienten
mit blutverdünnender Medikation hatten erstaunlicherweise weniger Komplikationen
(4 von 10), als Patienten ohne entsprechende Antikoagulation. Hier waren es 12
von 25 Patienten. Auffällig war das Auftreten von Komplikationen inklusive der
Lappenverluste (n = 3) bei 7 Patienten, die eine Defektdeckung am distalen
sprunggelenknahen Unterschenkel sowie am Fuß benötigten.

Diskussion Obwohl in einigen Fällen Wundheilungsstörungen auftraten,
stellt das KDPFC insgesamt einen wertvollen Baustein in der rekonstruktiven
Leiter dar. Das Lappenkonzept ist dabei in der Lage zahlreiche andere lokale und
regionale Lappenplastiken, auch bei komplexeren Situationen, ohne
Qualitätsverlust, zu ersetzen. Der distale Unterschenkel und der Fuß sind
Bereiche, an denen das Konzept allerdings nur bedingt anwendbar ist. Komplexere
Lappentechniken scheinen für diese Region aufgrund der höheren Flexibilität und
des Aktionsradius geeigneter.
Von einem Weltmarktführer Lernen: Überlebensfaktor Nr. 1 für Krankenhäuser: Personal
Authors: Holldorf Lars
Published: April 2019

Bis 2025 wird das Thema Personal aufgrund der Demografie so stark an Bedeutung gewinnen, dass es in jedem Krankenhaus automatisch zur Chefsache wird. Für Geschäftsführer, die nicht in Zugzwang kommen, sondern proaktiv agieren möchten, kann sich ein Blick auf erfolgreiche Unternehmen aus anderen Branchen lohnen.
All-Polyethylene versus Metal-Backed Tibial Components in Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: AbuMoussa Samuel , White Charles Cody , Eichinger Josef K. , Friedman Richard J.
Published: April 2019

All-polyethylene tibial (APT) implants were incorporated into the initial design of the first total knee arthroplasty (TKA) systems. Since then, a dynamic shift has taken place and metal-backed tibial (MBT) implants have become the gold standard in TKA. This has mostly been due to the theoretical advantages of intraoperative flexibility and improved biomechanics in addition to the heavy influence of device manufacturers. MBT implant comes not only with a higher cost but also with potential for complications such as osteolysis, backside wear, and thinning of the polyethylene insert, which were not previously seen with APT implant. The majority of studies comparing APT and MBT implants have shown no difference in clinical outcomes and survivorship. Newer studies from the past decade have begun highlighting the economic advantages of APT implant, especially in patients undergoing primary, uncomplicated TKA. Use of APT implants in younger patients and those with a body mass index > 35 has not been extensively studied, but the existing literature suggests the use of APT implant in these cohorts to be equally as acceptable. With modern implant design and instrumentation, rising utilization of TKA along with current and future economic strain on health care, the increased use of APT implant could result in massive savings without sacrificing positive patient outcomes.
Decreasing Incidence of Postoperative Ileus following Total Knee Arthroplasty: A 17-Year Retrospective Review of 38,007 Knee Replacements at One Institution
Authors: Nguyen Bob H. , Bono Olivia J. , Bono James V.
Published: April 2019

Ileus following total knee arthroplasty is a clinically and financially significant postoperative complication that has not been extensively described in the orthopaedic joint literature. Ileus has been found to occur in 0.7 to 4.0% of patients after total joint arthroplasty. In a 17-year period (2001 fiscal year through 2017 fiscal year) at one institution, we found an incidence of 0.500% (190/38,007) following knee arthroplasty. In addition, the incidence of ileus following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has drastically declined over this 17-year period, from 1.593% (13/816) in 2001 to 0.120% (4/3,332) in 2017. This decrease may be attributed to a reduction in narcotic use postoperatively, earlier ambulation following surgery, and reduction in length of hospital stay. Though postoperative ileus is not yet a preventable complication, recognition of risk factors may permit earlier intervention to ameliorate some of the morbidity associated with this condition.
Efficacy of Portable Accelerometer-Based Navigation Devices versus Conventional Guides in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Sun Han , Li Shuxiang , Wang Kun , Wu Guofeng , Zhou Jian , Sun Xiaoliang
Published: April 2019

Various studies have provided different conclusions regarding which component's alignment can be actually improved by a novel portable accelerometer-based navigation device (PAD) compared with the conventional guide (CON); the operative times and clinical outcomes reported by these studies also exhibited incongruity. Thus, this meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PADs in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The Web of Science, EMBASE, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases were systematically searched. Studies published till July 2018 and comparing PAD with CON in treatment with TKA were identified. Sixteen studies in which 1,551 TKAs were reported were included. Results showed that PAD was significantly superior to CON in reducing tibial component alignment out of ±3 degrees, femoral coronal angle out of ±3 degrees, and overall mechanical alignment out of ±3 degrees. PAD can also help obtain a more accurate result of femoral coronal angle (degree); however, it requires a longer operative time than the CON group. The two groups were comparable in tibial component alignment out of ±2 degrees, tibial component posterior slope out of ±3 degrees, tibial component posterior slope out of ±2 degrees, femoral coronal angle out of ±2 degrees, femoral sagittal angle out of ±3 degrees, femoral sagittal angle out of ±2 degrees, tibial component alignment (degree), tibial component posterior slope (degree), femoral sagittal angle (degree), overall mechanical alignment (degree), blood loss, Knee Society knee score, Knee Society function score, Oxford Knee Score, Short Form-36 physical component score, Short Form-36 mental component score, and range of motion. In conclusion, compared with CON, PAD can help improve the femoral coronal angle as well as decrease the outliers out of ±3 degrees in femoral/tibial coronal angles and overall mechanical alignment. However, PAD did not show significant advantages in tibial and femoral component sagittal angles out of ±3 degrees, various outliers of ±2 degrees, most mean values of component alignments, operative time, and various functional or satisfactory scores.
Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Juvenile Parkinsonism: Case Report
Authors: Silva Neto Oliveiros de Oliveira e , Sousa Adailson Soares de , José da Silva Ledismar
Published: April 2019

Juvenile parkinsonism (JP) is characterized by the clinical manifestation of Parkinson syndrome before the age of 21 years old. This entity is often associated with genetic mutations. After all the possibilities of clinical treatment have been exhausted, surgical treatment is recommended, performed via deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or in the internal segment of the globus pallidus (GPi). The present study aimed to report the case of a patient with JP who underwent DBS in the STN with good clinical response. Neuromodulation via DBS is an option for the treatment of JP. However, since this entity is very rare, and even more peculiar when treated surgically, more studies are necessary to evaluate DBS used to control refractory manifestations and levodopa-induced dyskinesia, as well as surgical complications that may occur, aiming to gather more knowledge of the surgical management of JP. Despite the dysarthria after the DBS, the patient presented a satisfactory response regarding the symptoms, corroborated by the Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) score, which was 61.19% before the procedure, and decreased to 21.05% 14 months after the DBS.
Aperture and Suspensory Fixation Equally Efficacious for Quadriceps Tendon Graft Fixation in Primary ACL Reconstruction: A Systematic Review
Authors: Crum Raphael J. , de SA Darren , Kanakamedala Ajay C. , Obioha Obianuju A. , Lesniak Bryson P. , Musahl Volker
Published: April 2019

This review is aimed to compare suspensory and aperture quadriceps tendon autograft femoral and tibial fixations in primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R), and the clinical outcomes and complication profiles of each fixation method. Greater understanding of the optimal graft fixation technique for quadriceps tendon (QT) autografts may assist surgeons in improving outcomes after ACL-R. PubMed, Embase, and Medline were searched from database inception to September 2017, and again to July 2018, and identified 3,670 articles, 21 studies of which satisfied inclusion/exclusion criteria. Across included studies, 1,155 QT ACL-R patients (mean age, 28.7 years [range, 15–59 years], with mean postoperative follow-up of 36.1 months [range, 3.4–120 months]), were analyzed. Suspensory fixation on both sides demonstrated a higher percentage of patients (81.7%) achieving the highest rating of “A or B” on the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) knee ligament examination form compared with aperture fixation on both sides (67.7%). Moreover, suspensory fixation had a lower side-to-side difference in anterior laxity (1.6 mm) when compared with aperture fixation (2.3 mm). Among studies which reported graft failure, all of which employed aperture fixation, the rate was 3.2%. Across available data, primary ACL-R using QT grafts appears to have successful short-term outcomes with a short-term graft failure rate of 3% independent of fixation method. While there is limited data regarding the comparison of aperture and suspensory soft-tissue quadriceps tendon (SQT) fixation in ACL-R, the findings of this systematic review suggest that suspensory fixation and aperture fixation in both the femoral and tibial tunnels are equally efficacious based on clinical outcome data on IKDC grade and measured laxity. This is a level IV, systematic review study.
Pseudocontact shifts and paramagnetic susceptibility in semiempirical and quantum chemistry theories
Authors: Parigi Giacomo , Benda Ladislav , Ravera Enrico , Romanelli Maurizio , Luchinat Claudio
Published: April 2019

Pseudocontact shifts are traditionally described as a function of the anisotropy of the paramagnetic susceptibility tensor, according to the semiempirical theory mainly developed by Kurland and McGarvey [J. Magn. Reson. 2, 286–301 (1970)]. The paramagnetic susceptibility tensor is required to be symmetric. Applying point-dipole approximation to the quantum chemistry theory of hyperfine shift, pseudocontact shifts are found to scale with a non-symmetric tensor that differs by a factor gT/ge from the paramagnetic susceptibility tensor derived within the semiempirical framework. We analyze the foundations of the Kurland–McGarvey pseudocontact shift expression and recall that it is inherently based on the Russell–Saunders (LS) coupling approximation for the spin-orbit coupling. We show that the difference between the semiempirical and quantum chemistry pseudocontact shift expressions arises directly from the different treatment of the orbital contribution to the hyperfine coupling.
Terahertz waveform considerations for nonlinearly driving lattice vibrations
Authors: Knighton Brittany E. , Tanner Hardy R. , Johnson Courtney L. , Rawlings Lauren M. , Woolley Joel T. , Calderon Coraima , Urrea Alexa , Johnson Jeremy A.
Published: April 2019

High-field terahertz (THz) spectroscopy is applied to nonlinearly excite the E phonon-polariton vibrational coordinate in LiNbO3. We compare three THz sources to show that by optimizing the THz waveform, we can drive the atomic motion to large amplitudes and observe nonlinear effects. To maximize the atomic displacement, we show that the spectral amplitude at the resonant frequency of the mode (3.8 THz) is more important than the THz peak electric-field strength. Z-scan and simple 2-dimensional (2D) THz pulse-shaping measurements confirm this. In addition to the effects of an anharmonic potential energy surface that can describe the nonlinear behavior of the excited mode, we also consider a 2-photon absorption mechanism that may be a competing nonlinear excitation pathway. We consider the effects of each model on the observed responses in single-pulse power-dependent measurements, z-scan measurements, and simple 2D measurements, providing important guidance for future measurements to experimentally investigate nonlinear vibrational excitation in solid materials.