bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Real‐World Nonmotor Changes in Patients with Parkinson's Disease and Motor Fluctuations: J‐FIRST
Authors: Watanabe Hirohisa , Saiki Hidemoto , Chiu Shih‐Wei , Yamaguchi Takuhiro , Kashihara Kenichi , Tsuboi Yoshio , Nomoto Masahiro , Hattori Nobutaka , Maeda Tetsuya , Shimo Yasushi ,   the J‐FIRST Group
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTBackgroundNonmotor symptoms (NMSs) of Parkinson's disease (PD) impair health‐related quality of life.ObjectivesTo identify changes in NMSs during 52 weeks in Japanese PD patients exhibiting motor fluctuations.MethodsIn PD patients with ≥1 NMS and wearing‐off, changes in total/subscore of the Movement Disorder Society Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS) Part I and 8‐item PD Questionnaire were assessed. Group‐based trajectory models were used to characterize longitudinal patterns of MDS‐UPDRS Part I.ResultsData from 996 patients were analyzed. MDS‐UPDRS Part I subscores for cognitive function decreased linearly over time. Total and subscores for apathy and lightheadedness on standing significantly deteriorated with fluctuations, whereas other subscores fluctuated without significant deterioration. Changes in the MDS‐UPDRS Part I total score correlated with changes in the 8‐item PD Questionnaire total score. Based on group‐based trajectory models, longitudinal pattern analysis of MDS‐UPDRS Part I scores yielded the following 3 separate groups: unchanged (63.8%), deteriorated (20.1%), and improved (16.2%). The improved group had significantly more NMSs at baseline, significantly higher MDS‐UPDRS Part I/8‐item PD Questionnaire total scores, and modified Hoehn and Yahr scores, and had received treatment for NMSs. The multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between severe motor disability and receiving any treatment for NMSs at baseline and improvement of MDS‐UPDRS Part I total scores.ConclusionsChanges in MDS‐UPDRS Part I scores were variable and related to changes in health‐related quality of life in PD patients with motor fluctuations.
Volumetric mapping of intra‐ and extracellular pH in the human brain using 31P MRSI at 7T
Authors: Korzowski Andreas , Weinfurtner Nina , Mueller Sebastian , Breitling Johannes , Goerke Steffen , Schlemmer Heinz‐Peter , Ladd Mark E. , Paech Daniel , Bachert Peter 
Published: April 2020

PurposeIn vivo 31P MRSI enables noninvasive mapping of absolute pH values via the pH‐dependent chemical shifts of inorganic phosphates (Pi). A particular challenge is the quantification of extracellular Pi with low SNR in vivo. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of assessing both intra‐ and extracellular pH across the whole human brain via volumetric 31P MRSI at 7T.Methods3D 31P MRSI data sets of the brain were acquired from three healthy volunteers and three glioma patients. Low‐rank denoising was applied to enhance the SNR of 31P MRSI data sets that enables detection of extracellular Pi at high spatial resolutions. A robust two‐compartment quantification model for intra‐ and extracellular Pi signals was implemented.ResultsIn particular low‐rank denoising enabled volumetric mapping of intra‐ and extracellular pH in the human brain with voxel sizes of 5.7 mL. The average intra‐ and extracellular pH measured in white matter of healthy volunteers were 7.00 ± 0.00 and 7.33 ± 0.03, respectively. In tumor tissue of glioma patients, both the average intra‐ and extracellular pH increased to 7.12 ± 0.01 and 7.44 ± 0.01, respectively, compared to normal appearing tissue.ConclusionMapping of pH values via 31P MRSI at 7T using the proposed two‐compartment quantification model improves reliability of pH values obtained in vivo, and has the potential to provide novel insights into the pH heterogeneity of various tissues.
Carbon Monoxide and Exercise Prevents Diet‐Induced Obesity and Metabolic Dysregulation Without Affecting Bone
Authors: Gasier Heath G. , Yu Tianzheng , Swift Joshua M. , Metzger Corrine E. , McNerny Erin M. , Swallow Elizabeth A. , Piantadosi Claude A. , Allen Matthew R. 
Published: April 2020

ObjectiveCarbon monoxide (CO) may counteract obesity and metabolic dysfunction in rodents consuming high‐fat diets, but the skeletal effects are not understood. This study investigated whether low‐dose inhaled CO (250 ppm) with or without moderate intensity aerobic exercise (3 h/wk) would limit diet‐induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation and preserve bone health.MethodsObesity‐resistant (OR) rats served as controls, and obesity‐prone (OP) rats were randomized to sedentary, sedentary plus CO, exercise, or CO plus exercise. For 10 weeks, OP rats consumed a high‐fat, high‐sucrose diet, whereas OR rats consumed a low‐fat control diet. Measurements included indicators of obesity and metabolism, bone turnover markers, femoral geometry and microarchitecture, bone mechanical properties, and tibial morphometry.ResultsA high‐fat, high‐sucrose diet led to obesity, hyperinsulinemia, and hyperleptinemia, without impacting bone. CO alone led only to a modest reduction in weight gain. Exercise attenuated weight gain and improved the metabolic profile; however, bone fragility increased. Combined CO and exercise led to body mass reduction and a metabolic state similar to control OR rats and prevented the exercise‐induced increase in bone fragility.ConclusionsCO and aerobic exercise training prevent obesity and metabolic sequelae of nutrient excess while stabilizing bone physiology.
Intermittent High‐Fat Diet Intake Reduces Sensitivity to Intragastric Nutrient Infusion and Exogenous Amylin in Female Rats
Authors: Maske Calyn B. , Coiduras Isabel I. , Ondriezek Zeleen E. , Terrill Sarah J. , Williams Diana L. 
Published: April 2020

ObjectiveIntermittent (INT) access to a high‐fat diet (HFD) can induce excessive‐intake phenotypes in rodents. This study hypothesized that impaired satiation responses contribute to elevated intake in an INT‐HFD access model.MethodsFirst, this study characterized the intake and meal patterns of female rats that were subjected to an INT HFD in which a 45% HFD was presented for 20 hours every fourth day. To examine nutrient‐induced satiation, rats received intragastric infusions of saline or Ensure Plus prior to darkness‐onset food access. A similar design was used to examine sensitivity to the satiating effect of amylin. This study then examined whether an INT HFD influences amylin‐induced c‐Fos in feeding‐relevant brain areas.ResultsUpon INT HFD access, rats consumed meals of larger size. The anorexic response to intragastric Ensure infusion and exogenous amylin treatment was blunted in INT rats on both chow‐only and INT‐HFD days of the diet regimen, compared with chow‐maintained and continuous‐HFD rats. An INT HFD did not influence amylin‐induced c‐Fos in the area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, and lateral parabrachial nucleus.ConclusionsImpaired satiation responses, mediated in part by reduced sensitivity to amylin, may explain the elevated intake observed upon INT HFD access and may play a role in disorders of INT overconsumption, including binge eating.
Investigation of the structure‐activity relationship in ponericin L1 from Neoponera goeldii
Authors: Senetra Alexandria S. , Necelis Matthew R. , Caputo Gregory A. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractNaturally derived antimicrobial peptides have been an area of great interest because of high selectivity against bacterial targets over host cells and the limited development of bacterial resistance to these molecules throughout evolution. There are also a significant number of venom‐derived peptides that exhibit antimicrobial activity in addition to activity against mammals or other organisms. Many venom peptides share the same net cationic, amphiphilic nature as host‐defense peptides, making them an attractive target for development as potential antibacterial agents. The peptide ponericin L1 derived from Neoponera goeldii was used as a model to investigate the role of cationic residues and net charge on peptide activity. Using a combination of spectroscopic and microbiological approaches, the role of cationic residues and net charge on antibacterial activity, lipid bilayer interactions, and bilayer and membrane permeabilization were investigated. The L1 peptide and derivatives all showed enhanced binding to lipid vesicles containing anionic lipids, but still bound to zwitterionic vesicles. None of the derivatives were especially effective at permeabilizing lipid bilayers in model vesicles, in‐tact Escherichia coli, or human red blood cells. Taken together the results indicate that the lack of facial amphiphilicity regarding charge segregation may impact the ability of the L1 peptides to effectively permeabilize bilayers despite effective binding. Additionally, increasing the net charge of the peptide by replacing the lone anionic residue with either Gln or Lys dramatically improved efficacy against several bacterial strains without increasing hemolytic activity.
Selective molecularly imprinted polymer nanofiber sorbent for the extraction of bisphenol A in a water sample
Authors: Ardekani Razieh , Borhani Sedigheh , Rezaei Behzad 
Published: April 2020

AbstractNovel molecularly imprinted polymer nanofibers (MIP‐NFs) were prepared for the adsorption of bisphenol A (BPA) in a water sample using the sol–gel process and the electrospinning technique. The effects of a number of synthesis parameters on the adsorption efficiency were investigated. The successful removal of BPA from MIP‐NFs was studied using UV–visible spectroscopy. The prepared MIP‐NFs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared, field emission SEM, TEM and energy dispersive X‐ray analysis. The results showed that the required molar ratio of 3‐aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to BPA was 15:1, which indicates a good performance in the rebinding test. Likewise, the molar ratio of APTES:acid:water was 1:2:9. The nylon 6 polymer solution, with a concentration of 12 wt%, showed a maximum adsorption capacity for BPA due to a decrease in the nanofiber diameter and an increase in the accessible sites. Furthermore, the maximum adsorption capacity of BPA was achieved at pH 7. Concerning the binding of BPA on MIP‐NFs, the experimental data matched well with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics data and the Sips isotherm model. The saturated binding capacity for MIP‐NFs was predicted to be 115.1 mg g−1, which was more than twice as high as that for non‐imprinted polymer nanofibers (46.82 mg g−1). The results obtained in this study confirmed that the prepared MIP‐NFs showed considerable binding specificity for BPA in comparison with similar structural compounds such as phenol, naphthol and Naphthol AS, in aqueous solution. The binding capacity of MIP‐NFs remained almost constant after five cycles of reuse. The real sample analysis indicated that MIP‐NFs could be utilized as a useful sorbent material for the extraction of BPA from a water sample.
Psychological distress and quality of life following positive fecal occult blood testing in colorectal cancer screening
Authors: Vermeer Nina C. A. , van der Valk Maxime J. M. , Snijders Heleen S. , Vasen Hans F. A. , Gerritsen van der Hoop Arthur , Guicherit Onno R. , Liefers Gerrit‐Jan , van de Velde Cornelis J. H. , Stiggelbout Anne M. , Peeters Koen C. M. J. 
Published: April 2020

AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to assess psychological functioning, quality of life, and regret about screening after a positive fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and subsequent colonoscopy, and to evaluate changes over time.MethodsThis is a prospective cohort study. Individuals aged 55 to 75 with a positive FIT that were referred for colonoscopy between July 2017 and November 2018, were invited to complete questionnaires related to psychological distress and health‐related quality of life at three predefined time points: before colonoscopy, after histopathology result notification, and after 6 months. Four questionnaires were used: the Psychological Consequences Questionnaire (PCQ), the six‐item Cancer Worry Scale (CWS), the Decision Regret Scale (DRS), and the 36‐item Short‐Form (SF‐36).ResultsA total of 1066 participants out of 2151 eligible individuals were included. Patients with cancer showed a significant increase in psychological dysfunction (P = .01) and cancer worry (P = .008) after colonoscopy result notification, and a decline to pre‐colonoscopy measurements after 6 months. In the no‐cancer groups, psychological dysfunction and cancer worry significantly decreased over time (P < .05) but there was no ongoing decline. After 6 months, 17% of participants with no cancer experienced high level of cancer worry (CWS ≥ 10). Yet, only 5% reported high level of regret about screening participation (DRS > 25). A good global quality of life was reported in participants with no cancer.ConclusionSome psychological distress remains up to 6 months after colonoscopy in participants who tested false‐positive in the Dutch bowel cancer screening program.
Cultivation of Agaricus bitorquis mushroom as an strategy for the Integrated Pest Management of the myceliophagous mite Microdispus lambi
Authors: Navarro María J , López‐Serrano Francisco R , Escudero‐Colomar Lucía A , Gea Francisco J 
Published: April 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe phorid fly Megaselia halterata Winnertz (Diptera: Phoridae) is the principal vector of Microdispus lambi (Acari: Pygmephoroidea) in Spanish Agaricus bisporus Lange (Imbach) mushroom farms. This myceliophagous mite does not appear to be a pest in Agaricus bitorquis (Quél.) Sacc mushroom crops. This study explores the role of phorid flies as vectors of Microdispus lambi in Agaricus bitorquis mushroom crops.RESULTSThe incidence of M. lambi in A. bitorquis growing substrates did not reach appreciable levels at any point during the growing cycle. The presence of phorid flies in A. bitorquis farms was normally higher than that in the case of Agaricus bisporus Lange (Imbach) species. The percentage of phorid vectors did not statistically differ between both Agaricus crops during infection periods. However, by the end of the crop, this percentage had increased only in A. bisporus crops, coinciding with a high incidence of mites in the substrate of this mushroom species; Megaselia halterata emerging from the mushroom substrate of A. bitorquis summer crops did not carry mites as they were absent from compost and casing.CONCLUSIONM. halterata is a pest in Spanish A. bitorquis mushroom crops, meanwhile M. lambi, its phorectic mite, has shown not to be a pest of this species mushroom farms during the spring–summer growing season. A. bitorquis crops could potentially be used as an IPM measure to decrease the incidence and prevent the propagation of the myceliophagous mite M. lambi in A. bisporus mushroom growing farms. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Analysis of environment response effects on excitation energies within subsystem‐based time‐dependent density‐functional theory
Authors: Scholz Linus , Tölle Johannes , Neugebauer Johannes 
Published: April 2020

AbstractWe analyze the ability of subsystem time‐dependent density‐functional theory (sTDDFT) to describe environmental response effects. To this end, we utilize the recently proposed “exact” version of sTDDFT relying on projection‐based embedding (PbE), which so far was applied only for the special case of two subsystems. We confirm that PbE‐sTDDFT in combination with supersystem bases yields results equivalent to those of supermolecular TDDFT calculations for systems solvated by many solvent molecules, using the previously studied system of methylene‐cyclopropene⋯(H2O)17 as an example. By means of this exact reference embedding framework, we are able to disentangle solvent effects introduced in terms of the embedding potential from those caused by solvent response couplings, both for the PbE variant and for sTDDFT with approximate non‐additive kinetic energy functionals. Furthermore, we show that the use of a monomer basis introduces significant errors for the environmental response contribution. Employing a virtual‐orbital localization strategy on top of PbE‐sTDDFT, we can also directly assess the impact of inter‐subsystem charge‐transfer excitations on the entire solvent effect, which turn out to play a significant role for the environmental response. Finally, we analyze the response effects introduced by the individual solvent molecules and their interdependence, and show that a simple, pair‐wise additive correction for solvent response yields excellent results in the present example.
B13+is a Tri‐Spoke Wheel: A New Revelation through Electronic Structure Analysis
Authors: Ghosh Sourav Ranjan , Jana Atish Dipankar 
Published: April 2020

AbstractB13+ cluster has drawn considerable attention of the scientific community due to its promising molecular motor behaviour where the outer ring of ten boron atoms freely rotates around a triangular core. During this rotor action, the cluster undergoes successive transformation between a transition state (TS) and a global minimum energy state (GS). The electron density distribution analysis reveals that the core is connected to the periphery at three regions by concentrated high electron density paths making the topology of the cluster analogous to that of a tri‐spoke wheel. Also the periphery and core act as two quasi‐independent entities. The pathway of inter conversion between TS and GS has been studied through surface electron density distribution, atomic connectivity index (CI), Fuzzy bond order (FBO), electron localization function (ELF), atom in molecules (AIM) analysis. The electron localization function (ELF) analysis has revealed that electron in GS is more globally delocalized compared to TS making it more stable.
Enhanced Methanol Electro‐Oxidation Activity of Pt/rGO Electrocatalyst Promoted by NbC/Mo2C Phases
Authors: Sahoo Malaya K. , Rao G. Ranga 
Published: April 2020

AbstractDirect methanol fuel cells are attractive power conversion devices for portable and stationary applications. Many electrocatalysts have been explored for fuel cell applications but there is scope to design newer and more efficient electrocatalytic materials. For this purpose we have synthesized Mo2C and bimetallic NbC‐Mo2C carbide phases by carbothermic reduction process. The carbide catalysts are characterized by various analytical techniques. The carbide samples are higly porous and their surface areas are of the order of 630 m2 g−1. Usually Pt is the state‐of‐the‐art anode catalyst in direct methanol fuel cells. Here, Nb‐Mo2C and 10 wt% Pt nanoparticles are deposited on reduced graphene oxide support to obtain Pt/Nb‐Mo2C‐rGO. This material shows highest mass activity of 836.4 mA mgPt−1 when compared to 10 wt% Pt/Mo2C‐rGO and bare 20 wt% Pt/rGO catalysts. Notably, electrochemical tests show that the 10 wt% Pt/Nb‐Mo2C‐rGO catalyst exhibits lower onset potential, large electrochemical surface area, higher activity, and stability for methanol electro‐oxidation in acidic solution compared to the Pt/Mo2C‐rGO and Pt/rGO catalysts. The activty enhancement is atributed to the defective nature of the interface between Pt, Nb‐Mo2C and rGO. It is found that Nb‐Mo2C not only alleviates CO poisoning of Pt nanoparticles, but also generates oxygen containing species at lower potentials. This process helps scavenging the intermediate species such as COads on Pt surfaces and regenerates the active Pt sites for routine alcohol oxidation reaction. The chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry studies also show that Pt/Nb‐Mo2C‐rGO exhibits lower alcohol oxidation overpotential and longer polarization time/stability compared to Pt/Mo2C‐rGO and bare Pt/rGO catalysts.
PSSCC: Provably secure communication framework for crowdsourced industrial Internet of Things environments
Authors: Dharminder Dharminder , Mishra Dheerendra , Rodrigues Joel J. P. C. , de A. L. Rabelo Ricardo , Saleem Kashif 
Published: April 2020

SummaryInternet of things environment is adopted widely in different industries and business organizations with varying capacity. It provides a favorable environment to outsource the crowdsourced data in the cloud to minimize the cost of computation, which is called crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a technique where individuals or organizations obtain goods and services. A professional or industry outsource the crowdsourced data in the cloud, where confidentiality and authenticity of data become essential. Signcryption is the cryptographic technique that serves both the authenticity and the privacy of transmitted messages. This technique ensures secure authentic data transmission and storage. Therefore, this paper proposes an identity‐based signcryption scheme. In the proposed PSSCC framework, the user does pairing free computation during signcryption, which makes efficient calculation on user‐side. Moreover, PSSCC framework is proved secure under modified bilinear Diffie‐Hellman inversion and modified bilinear strong Diffie‐Hellman problems. The performance analysis of PSSCC with related schemes indicates that the proposed system supports efficient communication along with less computation cost.
Starting From Scratch (Jr.): Integrating Code Literacy in the Primary Grades
Authors: Delacruz Stacy 
Published: April 2020

AbstractIn today’s multimodal landscape, coding has a space in the elementary literacy curriculum. Coding and literacy have many parallels, which are described in further detail. The author also explains why coding should be integrated into the primary grades and the steps that teachers can take to implement coding in the literacy curriculum. The free app ScratchJr is used to illustrate how block coding can be integrated into literacy instruction. The author provides an example, embedded throughout, of how code literacy was implemented in a second‐grade classroom, with relation to content area literacy in science.
Gene Transcript Profiling in Desert Bighorn Sheep
Authors: Bowen Lizabeth , Longshore Kathleen , Wolff Peregrine , Klinger Robert , Cox Michael , Bullock Sarah , Waters Shannon , Miles A. Keith 
Published: April 2020

ABSTRACTRespiratory disease is a key factor affecting the conservation and recovery of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) populations. Innovative, minimally invasive tools such as gene transcription–based diagnostics have the potential to improve our understanding of the broad range of factors that can affect the health of wild sheep. Evaluation of transcript levels for genes representative of multiple internal systems enables measurement of physiological responses of individuals as well as populations to environmental stressors such as pathogens, nutritional deficiency, or contaminants. We developed real‐time polymerase chain reaction assays for 14 genes of interest representing systems including inflammation, cell signaling, detoxification, antiviral, antibacterial, or general stress. Initial results from desert bighorn sheep (O. c. nelsoni) sampled from the River, Muddy, and Bare mountains as well as from the Pintwater Range, in southern Nevada, USA, indicated unique transcript profiles associated with each population. This initial study provides the framework from which controlled variable or longitudinal studies can be made, thus augmenting the potential to inform management actions in the future. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.