bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Flavonoids with Vicinal Hydroxyl Groups Inhibit Human Calcitonin Amyloid Formation
Authors: Lantz Richard , Busbee Brian , Wojcikiewicz Ewa P. , Du Deguo 
Published: May 2020

AbstractHuman calcitonin (hCT) is a 32‐residue peptide hormone that can aggregate into amyloid fibrils and cause cellular toxicity. In this study, we investigated the inhibition effects of a group of polyphenolic molecules on hCT amyloid formation. Our results suggest that the gallate moiety in epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG), a well‐recognized amyloid inhibitor, is not critical for its inhibition function in the hCT amyloid formation. Our results demonstrate that flavonoid compounds, such as myricetin, quercetin, and baicalein, that contain vicinal hydroxyl groups on the phenyl ring effectively prevent hCT fibrillization. This structural feature may also be applied to non‐flavonoid polyphenolic inhibitors. Moreover, our results indicate a plausible mechanistic role of these vicinal hydroxyl groups which might include the oxidation to form a quinone and the subsequent covalent linkage with amino acid residues such as lysine or histidine in hCT. This may further disrupt the crucial electrostatic and aromatic interactions involved in the process of hCT amyloid fibril formation. The inhibition activity of the polyphenolic compounds against hCT fibril formation may likely be attributed to a combination of factors such as covalent linkage formation, aromatic stacking, and hydrogen bonding interactions.
Risk of disease recurrence and survival in patients with multiple myeloma: A German Study Group analysis using a conditional survival approach with long‐term follow‐up of 815 patients
Authors: Schinke Maximilian , Ihorst Gabriele , Duyster Justus , Wäsch Ralph , Schumacher Martin , Engelhardt Monika 
Published: May 2020

BackgroundUnlike the traditional method of overall survival prediction in patients with cancer, conditional survival predicts the survival of patients dynamically throughout the course of disease, identifying how a prognosis evolves over time.MethodsThe authors assessed 815 consecutive patients with multiple myeloma through the German Study Group on Multiple Myeloma (Deutsche Studiengruppe Multiples Myelom; DSMM) incentive. Over 10 variables, including patient‐specific and multiple myeloma–specific parameters, were analyzed at the time of initial diagnosis and repeatedly during follow‐up. The probability of survival for another 5 years was calculated according to disease‐related and host‐related risks. Multivariate Cox models were used to determine baseline and updated prognostic factors for survival.ResultsThe median follow‐up and overall survival were 10.3 years and 5.1 years, respectively. When comparing 5‐year conditional survival probabilities from the data derived at the time of initial diagnosis with those updated over time, substantially differing prognoses were observed when follow‐up data were used. Multivariate Cox regression models for cohorts surviving 0 to 5 years demonstrated hazard ratios (HRs) for patients aged <60 years, 60 to 69 years, and >70 years of 1, 1.68, and 3.17, respectively. These HRs for age were found to decline for patients surviving 5 years, as well as for those with advanced stages of disease (II/III) and unfavorable cytogenetics, whereas progressive disease remained an important factor in patients surviving 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years, with HRs of 1.85, 2.11, and 2.14, respectively.ConclusionsTo the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first analysis of conditional survival in patients with multiple myeloma using both baseline and follow‐up risk parameters, demonstrating that regular risk assessment throughout the course of disease and complete follow‐up provide a more reliable conditional survival estimation than baseline assessment alone.
Pharmacokinetic Comparison of Capsule and Tablet Formulations of Opicapone in Healthy Japanese Subjects: Phase 1 Study
Authors: Nomoto Masahiro , Takeda Atsushi , Iwai Katsuaki , Nishimura Akihisa , Hattori Nobutaka 
Published: May 2020

AbstractOpicapone, a peripheral, long‐acting catechol‐O‐methyltransferase inhibitor has been shown to improve wearing‐off phenomenon in randomized, double‐blind studies. This study compared the pharmacokinetic characteristics of opicapone small‐tablet and size 1 capsule formulations after single oral administration to healthy Japanese subjects. In this open‐label, randomized, 2‐way and 2‐period crossover phase 1 study, 48 healthy male subjects (aged 20 to 45 years; body mass index, 18.5 to <30.0 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 2 cohorts (n = 24 each), which were administered opicapone 25 or 50 mg in a tablet‐capsule or capsule‐tablet sequence under fasted conditions. Blood samples were collected for pharmacokinetic analysis before opicapone capsule/tablet administration and at regular intervals over 24 hours after administration. Compared with capsules, tablets were associated with higher Cmax and AUClast/0‐∞ values. However, t1/2 and tmax values were similar with opicapone 25‐ and 50‐mg capsules/tablets. Geometric mean ratios (tablets/capsules) of Cmax, AUClast, and AUC0‐∞ were 1.24, 1.18, and 1.19, respectively, for the 25‐mg dose and 1.42, 1.28, and 1.27, respectively, for the 50‐mg dose. Opicapone was well tolerated, and no serious adverse events occurred. A small tablet formulation of opicapone proposed for use in Japanese clinical trials was associated with apparent greater exposure compared with the existing hard capsule formulation, which should be considered when developing opicapone for Japanese patients.
Accounting for spatial trends to increase the selection efficiency in potato breeding
Authors: Andrade Mario Henrique Murad Leite , Fernandes Filho Claudio Carlos , Fernandes Maiara Oliveira , Bastos Abel Jamir Ribeiro , Guedes Marcio Lisboa , Marçal Tiago de Souza , Gonçalves Flavia Maria Avelar , Pinto Cesar Augusto Brasil Pereira , Zotarelli Lincoln 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA crucial point in agricultural experimentation is to compare treatments with high accuracy. However, agricultural experimentation is prone to field heterogeneity, and a common source of error is the spatial variation between the plots used in an experiment. With plant breeding experiments, the high number of tested genotypes requires breeders to use large areas, which invariably increases the likelihood of spatial variation. The use of models that do not address this variation can lead to errors in selecting the best genotypes. Our goal was to evaluate the effects of two spatial models—first‐order autoregressive (AR1) and spatial analysis of field trials with splines (SpATS)—to control the spatial variation in 30 experiments from potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) breeding programs. Specifically, we sought to control for three traits: total tuber yield (TTY), marketable tuber yield (MTY), and tuber specific gravity (SG). The results obtained with the use of spatial models were compared with the base model (independent errors) based on precision, heritability, and the impact on the selection of the best clones. Spatial models were effective in controlling local and global errors and achieved greater accuracy and efficiency over the base model. The spatial approach also showed greater heritability for all analyzed traits. The spatial models led to differences in the clone ranking and consequently in the selection of the best clones. Thus, spatial analysis has the power to make more precise analyses, which leads to more accurate selections and should be used to analyze phenotype data of potato breeding programs.
Platinum‐Decorated Ceria Enhances CO2 Electroreduction in Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells
Authors: Feng Weicheng , Song Yuefeng , Zhang Xiaomin , Lv Houfu , Liu Qingxue , Wang Guoxiong , Bao Xinhe 
Published: May 2020

AbstractCO2 electroreduction by solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) can not only attenuate the greenhouse effect, but also convert surplus electrical energy into chemical energy. The adsorption and activation of CO2 on the cathode play an important role in the SOEC performance. La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3−δ−Ce0.8Sm0.2O2−δ (LSCF–SDC; SDC=samarium‐doped ceria) is a promising SOEC cathode. However, its electrocatalytic activity still needs to be improved. In this study, Pt/SDC interfaces are constructed by decorating Pt nanoparticles onto the SDC surface. Electrochemical measurements indicate that the polarization resistance of the SOEC is decreased from 0.308 to 0.120 Ω cm2, and the current density is improved from 0.913 to 1.420 A cm−2 at 1.6 V and 800 °C. Physicochemical characterizations suggest that construction of the Pt/SDC interfaces increases the oxygen vacancy concentration on the cathode and boosts CO2 adsorption and dissociation, which leads to enhanced CO2 electroreduction performance in SOECs.
Tuning of the Oxygen Species Linker on the Surface of Polymeric Carbon Nitride to Promote the Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Performance
Authors: Lei Qin , Chen Rongzhi , Zhao Yurong , Chen Huanyu , Long Xinxin , Tan Jihua , Wang Xinming 
Published: May 2020

AbstractPolymeric carbon nitrides (CNs) have been identified as attractive photocatalysts owing to their comparatively low cost and facile modification of their electronic structure. Herein, we report an effective strategy to tune the surface oxygen species linking site of polymeric CN, achieving more effective charge separation. A high photocatalytic hydrogen production rate of approximately 10225 μmol h−1 g−1 under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm) and an impressive apparent quantum efficiency (AQE) of 5.7 % at 430 nm were recorded. Specifically, thermal treatment under a H2 and then an air atmosphere allowed the oxygen species linker on the surface of CN to be changed from −C=O to N=C−OH and then −C−O−C−, resulting in unbalanced charge distribution, which significantly enhanced the photogenerated charge separation, further contributing to the high hydrogen production performance. This linker regulation strategy may provide a new path for the development of highly efficient photocatalysts.
Time and space transition characteristics of DC electric field stress in oil‐pressboard composite insulation systems
Authors: Nakane Ryuichi , Kato Katsumi , Hayakawa Naoki , Okubo Hitoshi 
Published: May 2020

AbstractIn AC/DC converter transformers under DC application, the electric field distributions are distorted due to the accumulated charge on pressboard. However, the time‐dependent characteristics of DC electric field stress in oil has not yet been clarified in detail. In this paper, we investigated the time and electric field space transition characteristics of DC electric field distributions in oil‐pressboard composite insulation systems. As a result, we quantitatively clarified that DC electric field stress strongly depends on the elapsed time and the location in the electric field space in oil. In particular, it was found that the most severe electric field stress in oil may emerge during the time transition process.
Study on numerical design method of frozen inert gas plasma MHD generators
Authors: Ito Soshi , Fujino Takayasu , Takahashi Toru , Okuno Yoshihiro 
Published: May 2020

AbstractA numerical design method to determine basic specifications of high‐performance frozen inert gas plasma (FIP) MHD generators is proposed. To validate the proposed method, time‐dependent, two‐dimensional (r‐z)MHD numerical analyses are performed for several FIP MHD generators with different thermal inputs (30, 100, 300, or 1000 MW) designed by the proposed method. The numerical results indicate that the designed FIP MHD generators with the thermal input of 100 MW or more are able to be operated with the performance approximately same as the designed one. For the designed MHD generator with the thermal input of 30 MW; however, the performance shown by the MHD numerical analysis is considerably lower than the designed one. For such a case, the performance can be improved by operating the MHD generator under an applied magnetic flux density larger and an inlet ionization degree lower than those designed values.
“1984”: What Orwell could not predict. Proteomic analysis of his scripts
Authors: Saravayskaya Yana , Zilberstein Gleb , Zilberstein Roman , Zilberstein Svetlana , Maor Uriel , D'Amato Alfonsina , Righetti Pier Giorgio 
Published: May 2020

AbstractGeorge Orwell, fighter for the Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War, was shot through the throat by a sniper on 20th May 1937 and nearly killed. After receiving only a summary external treatment, on the 29th, he was cured in a Barcelona hospital where he was infected by the Koch bacillus. After fleeing from Spain on 23rd June 1937, he repaired to his cottage in Wallington, Hertfordshire, wherefrom he wrote a letter to Sergey Dynamov, Editor of Soviet journal “Foreign Literature.” This typewritten letter was analyzed by application of five EVA strips (ethylene vinyl acetate studded with strong cation and anion and with C8 and C18 resins; four on the corners and one over his signature), searching for biological traces. Upon elution of the captured biologicals, trypsin digestion and Orbitrap Fusion trihybrid mass spectrometer analyses, three of the five strips yielded clear traces of six unique proteins (via proteotypic peptides) of the tuberculosis bacterium. Additionally, MALDI TOF analysis of saliva of a tuberculosis patient and the EVA strip eluates gave a spectrum of 14 peptide bands (Mr 2700 to 6700 Da range) coincident between the two samples, thus, fully confirming Orwell's pathology. These results are attributed to saliva traces on Orwell's fingertips and to the fact that the letter was written on 2nd July 1937, when Orwell's pathology was at its peak.
Joint altitude, power control, and bandwidth allocation optimization for unmanned aerial vehicle‐enabled reliable communications
Authors: Wang Lei , Hu Bo , Wang Feng , Chen Shanzhi , Cui Jian 
Published: May 2020

AbstractUnmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as aerial relays have found many applications in the current communication network. Since the air‐to‐ground (AtG) link differs from the terrestrial link, ensuring a reliable AtG transmission remains to be a meaningful issue. This article investigates that a UAV works as an aerial relay to forward information from multiple access points to multiple remote base stations in an emergency situation. Using the full‐duplex decode‐and‐forward relaying mode, we formulate a problem to minimize the maximum outage probability among all links, jointly optimizing the UAV altitude, power control, and bandwidth allocation. The outage probability function takes into account the line‐of‐sight probability‐based AtG fading and the self‐interference introduced by full‐duplex relaying, both of which make our formulated problem nonconvex. We reformulate the outage probability function into a more tractable function. Then, we decouple the original problem into two subproblems, that is, altitude optimization as well as power control and bandwidth allocation. Each subproblem is solved by the successive convex optimization technique, and an overall iteration algorithm is proposed to solve the original problem based on the block coordinate descent theory. Simulation results reveal the reliability gain of our proposed algorithm compared with our designed benchmark. Besides, the optimal UAV three‐dimensional location that minimizes the global min‐max outage probability is found by numerical simulations. Finally, the average throughput gain can also be obtained by our proposed algorithm.
Can we reduce phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields by stimulating soil biota?
Authors: Susser Jessica R. , Pelini Shannon L. , Weintraub Michael N. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWhen fertilizer phosphorus (P) is applied to soils, the P can run off fields and cause harmful algal blooms. Due to its chemistry, much of the added P that does not run off can bind to soil particles and become inaccessible to plants. In natural systems, microbial and faunal decomposers can increase soil P accessibility to plants. We tested the hypothesis that this may also be true in agricultural systems, which could increase P application efficiency and reduce runoff potential. We stimulated soil fauna with sodium (Na+) and microbes with carbon (C) by adding corn (Zea mays L.) stover and Na+ solution to plots in conventionally managed corn fields in northwestern Ohio. Stover addition increased microbial biomass by 65 ± 12% and respiration by 400–700%. Application of stover with Na+ increased soil detritivore fauna abundance by 51 ± 20% and likely did not affect the other invertebrate guilds. However, soil biological activity was low compared with natural systems in all treatments and was not correlated with instantaneous measures of P accessibility, though cumulative P accessibility over the course of the growing season was correlated with microbial phosphatase activity (slope = 1.01, p < .01) and respiration (slope = 0.42, p = .02). Therefore, in agricultural systems, treatments to stimulate decomposers already in those systems may be ineffective at increasing soil P accessibility in the short term, but in the long term, higher microbial activities can be associated with higher soil P accessibility.
Diagnostic performance of immunochromatography assay for rapid detection of IgM and IgG in coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Choe Jung‐Yoon , Kim Ji‐Won , Kwon Hyun Hee , Hong Hyo‐Lim , Jung Chi Young , Jeon Chang‐Ho , Park Eun‐Jin , Kim Seong‐Kyu 
Published: May 2020

AbstractSerologic assays have been developed to detect infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of an immunochromatography‐based assay of human serum for COVID‐19. The present study enrolled 149 subjects who had been tested by real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for COVID‐19 and were classified into two groups: 70 who were positive for COVID‐19 and 79 who were negative for COVID‐19 based on RT‐PCR. An immunochromatography‐based COVID‐19 immunoglobulin G (IgG)/immunoglobulin M (IgM) rapid test on the sera of the study population was applied to measure the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve compared to RT‐PCR, with a 95% confidence interval (CI). IgM or IgG antibodies were detected in 65 subjects (92.9%) classified as positive for COVID‐19 and in three subjects (3.8%) classified as negative for COVID‐19. The sensitivity and specificity percentages for IgM or IgG antibodies were 92.9% (95% CI: 84.1‐97.6) and 96.2% (95% CI: 89.3‐99.2), respectively, with 95.6% PPV and 93.8% NPV. The PPV rapidly improved with increasing disease prevalence from 19.8% to 96.1% in the presence of either IgM or IgG, while the NPV remained high with a change from 99.9% to 93.1%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.945 (95% CI: 0.903‐0.988) for subjects with either IgM or IgG positivity. In conclusion, the immunochromatography‐based COVID‐19 IgG/IgM rapid test is a useful and practical diagnostic assay for detection of COVID‐19, especially in the presence of IgM or IgG antibodies.
Relieved drought in China under a low emission pathway to 1.5°C global warming
Authors: Yue Xu , Tian Chenguang , Lei Yadong 
Published: May 2020

AbstractDrought is detrimental to both natural systems and human societies. Although definitions of drought vary among different indices, the frequency of drought is likely to enhance in a strong warming climate either because of increased temperature or decreased precipitation. However, for a low warming target such as 1.5°C, drought tendency is uncertain as it depends on the competition between evapotranspiration and precipitation, both of which may show only moderate changes. In this study, future changes of self‐calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index (scPDSI) in China are projected for the periods of 1.5°C global warming under two different scenarios based on outputs from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 (CMIP5). Compared to present day, national average scPDSI decreases by 0.04 ± 0.53 at a high emission scenario but increases by 0.20 ± 0.60 at a low emission scenario to the same 1.5°C global warming. Even with large uncertainties, the multi‐model ensemble scPDSI significantly increases by 0.52 ± 1.07 in the Southeast from the high to low emission scenarios. Such relieved drought is mainly attributed to the increased regional precipitation, which is likely caused by reductions in aerosols following emission regulations. Consequently, an associated control of both carbon and air pollution emissions helps retain the warming target globally and relieve drought risks regionally.
Quantitative analysis of intervertebral disc degeneration using Q‐space imaging in a rat model
Authors: Nakashima Daisuke , Fujita Nobuyuki , Hata Junichi , Komaki Yuji , Suzuki Satoshi , Nagura Takeo , Fujiyoshi Kanehiro , Watanabe Kota , Tsuji Takashi , Okano Hideyuki , Jinzaki Masahiro , Matsumoto Morio , Nakamura Masaya 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThe degree of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is qualitatively evaluated on T2‐weighted imaging (T2WI). However, it is difficult to assess subtle changes in IVD degeneration using T2WI. Q‐space imaging (QSI) is a quantitative diffusion‐weighted imaging modality used to detect subtle changes in microenvironments. This study aimed to evaluate whether QSI can detect the inhibitory effects of the antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) in IVD degeneration. We classified female Wistar rats into control, puncture, and NAC groups (n = 5 per group). In the puncture and NAC groups, IVDs were punctured using a needle. The antioxidant NAC, which suppresses the progression of IVD degeneration, was orally administered in the NAC group 1 week prior to puncture. The progression and inhibitory effect of NAC in IVD degeneration were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): IVD height, T2 mapping, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and QSI. MRI was performed using a 7‐Tesla system with a conventional probe (20 IVDs in each group). QSI parameters that were assessed included Kurtosis, the probability at zero displacement (ZDP), and full width at half maximum (FWHM). IVD degeneration by puncture was confirmed by histology, IVD height, T2 mapping, ADC, and all QSI parameters (P < .001); however, the inhibitory effect of NAC was confirmed only by QSI parameters (Kurtosis and ZDP: both P < .001; FWHM: P < .01). Kurtosis had the largest effect size (Kurtosis: 1.13, ZDP: 1.06, and FWHM: 1.02) when puncture and NAC groups were compared. QSI has a higher sensitivity than conventional quantitative methods for detecting the progressive change and inhibitory effect of NAC in IVD degeneration.