bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Method of mass production of monodisperse microbubbles aided by intense pressure gradients
Authors: Sánchez Quintero Enrique , Gordillo Jose M. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractHere we present a method for producing noncoalescing monodisperse microbubbles in an efficient, massive and controlled way. Since our prototype is easily scalable, it can be straightforwardly adapted to satisfy the specific gas injection demands required by the different applications where it can be used, like bioreactors or water treatment or purification plants. The main feature of the bubbling device described here consists of injecting the gas at the leading edge of a wing in relative motion with respect to a liquid. The reasons for this particular design relies on the smallness of the drag coefficient of streamlined bodies and also on the fact that the strongest favorable pressure gradients and the minimum values of the liquid pressures are located at the leading edge of the airfoils composing the wing.
Spinal muscular atrophy and Farber disease due to ASAH1 variants: A case report
Authors: Lee Bo Hoon , Mongiovi Phillip , Levade Thierry , Marston Bethany , Mountain Joan , Ciafaloni Emma 
Published: July 2020

AbstractGenetic variations in the ASAH1 gene are associated with a spectrum of disorders ranging from Farber disease (FD) to spinal muscular atrophy with or without progressive myoclonic epilepsy (SMA‐PME). FD presents most commonly in infants with subcutaneous joint nodules, progressive arthritis and granulomas of the larynx and epiglottis leading to a hoarse cry. SMA‐PME is characterized by childhood onset progressive weakness due to motor neuron disease followed by progressive epilepsy, tremor, and sensorineural hearing loss. We present a case of a 4‐year‐old boy with phenotypic features of both FD and SMA who was found to have two previously unreported heterozygous variants in the ASAH1 gene.
Characteristics and subgroups of frequent emergency department users in an academic hospital in Japan
Authors: Osawa Itsuki , Sato Takuya , Goto Tadahiro , Sonoo Tomohiro , Iwai Satoshi , Nakajima Susumu 
Published: July 2020

AimFrequent emergency department (ED) users increase the burden on EDs. However, little is known about the characteristics and subgroups of frequent ED users in Japan.MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed data on patients who had visited the ED of an academic hospital in Japan between 2014 and 2015. We identified adult frequent ED users (four or more ED visits within 365 days prior to one’s last visit) and sampled adult non‐frequent ED users. We compared these groups to delineate the characteristics of frequent ED users and examined the association between frequent ED use and hospitalization rates. Additionally, to identify latent subgroups of frequent ED users, we undertook a cluster analysis.ResultsWe identified 259 frequent ED users and 297 non‐frequent ED users from 9,546 patients who had visited the ED in 2015. Frequent ED users accounted for 8.2% of all ED visits. Frequent ED users tended to be older, have comorbidities, and be receiving public assistance compared to non‐frequent ED users. There was a significant association between frequent ED use and higher hospitalization rates, which was partially attributable to (older) age and comorbidities. In the cluster analysis, we identified four subgroups of frequent ED users: (i) older patients with malignant tumors and the highest hospitalization rates, (ii) patients with mental illnesses and the lowest hospitalization rates, (iii) patients who were at risk of cardiovascular diseases, (iv) others.ConclusionsFrequent ED users tended to be older and have comorbidities. Four latent subgroups of frequent ED users were identified.
The Distinct Traits of the UNC13A Polymorphism in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Tan Harold H. G. , Westeneng Henk‐Jan , van der Burgh Hannelore K. , van Es Michael A. , Bakker Leonhard A. , van Veenhuijzen Kevin , van Eijk Kristel R. , van Eijk Ruben P. A. , Veldink Jan H. , van den Berg Leonard H. 
Published: July 2020

ObjectiveThe rs12608932 single nucleotide polymorphism in UNC13A is associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) susceptibility, and may underlie differences in treatment response. We aimed to characterize the clinical, cognitive, behavioral, and neuroimaging phenotype of UNC13A in patients with ALS.MethodsWe included 2,216 patients with ALS without a C9orf72 mutation to identify clinical characteristics associated with the UNC13A polymorphism. A subcohort of 428 patients with ALS was used to study cognitive and behavioral profiles, and 375 patients to study neuroimaging characteristics. Associations were analyzed under an additive genetic model.ResultsGenotyping rs12608932 resulted in 854 A/A, 988 A/C, and 374 C/C genotypes. The C allele was associated with a higher age at symptom onset (median years A/A 63.5, A/C 65.6, and C/C 65.5; p < 0.001), more frequent bulbar onset (A/A 29.6%, A/C 31.8%, and C/C 43.1%; p < 0.001), higher incidences of ALS‐FTD (A/A 4.3%, A/C 5.2%, and C/C 9.5%; p = 0.003), lower forced vital capacity at diagnosis (median percentage A/A 92.0, A/C 90.0, and C/C 86.5; p < 0.001), and a shorter survival (median in months A/A 33.3, A.C 30.7, and C/C 26.6; p < 0.001). UNC13A was associated with lower scores on ALS‐specific cognition tests (means A/A 79.5, A/C 78.1, and C/C 76.6; p = 0.037), and more frequent behavioral disturbances (A/A 16.7%, A/C 24.4%, and C/C 27.7%; p = 0.045). Thinner left inferior temporal and right fusiform cortex were associated with the UNC13A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP; p = 0.045 and p = 0.036).InterpretationPhenotypical distinctions associated with UNC13A make it an important factor to take into account in clinical trial design, studies on cognition and behavior, and prognostic counseling. ANN NEUROL 2020;88:796–806
Planting Repulsion Centers for Faster Ionic Diffusion in Superionic Conductors
Authors: Oh Kyungbae , Kang Kisuk 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe successful launch of solid‐state batteries relies on the discovery of solid electrolytes with remarkably high ionic conductivity. Extensive efforts have identified several important superionic conductors (SICs) and broadened our understanding of their superionic conductivity. Herein, we propose a new design strategy to facilitate ionic conduction in SICs by planting immobile repulsion centers. Our ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on the model system Na11Sn2PS12 demonstrate that the sodium ionic conductivity can be increased by approximately one order of magnitude by simply doping large Cs ions as repulsion centers in the characteristic vacant site of Na11Sn2PS12. Planting immobile repulsion centers locally induces the formation of high‐energy sites, leading to a fast track for ionic conduction owing to the unique interactions among mobile ions in SICs. Seemingly non‐intuitive approaches tailor the ionic diffusion by exploiting these immobile repulsion centers.
Preparation and characterization of polyzwitterionic hydrogel coated polyamide‐based mixed matrix membrane for heavy metal ions removal
Authors: Pakizeh Majid , May Patrick , Matthias Marcel , Ulbricht Mathias 
Published: July 2020

AbstractA novel polyzwitterionic hydrogel coated mixed matrix membrane (MMM) was successfully prepared, characterized and used for Cu2+, Mn2+, and Pb2+ heavy metal ions removal from water. Hydrophilic and porous covalent organic framework (COF) nanoparticles (NP) as filler were synthesized from melamine and terephthalaldehyde, and then incorporated into polyamide (PA) thin film composite (TFC) membrane. The hydrogel coating was applied by using a tailored cross‐linkable polymer system in combination with concentration polarization enabled cross‐linking. The effects of COF NP loading into PA layer and polyzwitterionic hydrogel coating on the membrane morphology and separation performance were studied using different analyses. The MMM prepared with a COF NP loading of 0.02 wt/wt% in the hexane dispersion used for NP deposition during PA layer formation (leading to 0.42 g/m2) exhibited an increased pure water permeability of around 200% compared with the neat PA TFC membrane while the Mn2+ ion rejection maintained above 98%. Scanning electron microscopy surface images and zeta potential profiles showed that the hydrogel was successfully deposited on the membrane surface. Furthermore, the hydrogel coating could decrease net surface charge of membranes but did not significantly influence the heavy metal ions rejections under nanofiltration conditions. The results of filtration experiment with protein solution indicated that the hydrogel coated membranes exhibited superior antifouling property, as shown by higher flux recovery ratio after washing with water, compared with neat PA TFC membrane and not coated MMM, respectively.
Control strategies for ventilation networks in small‐scale mines using an experimental benchmark
Authors: Rodriguez‐Diaz Oscar‐Oswaldo , Novella‐Rodriguez David Fernando , Witrant Emmanuel , Franco‐Mejia Edinson 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn view of the frequent ventilation network changes during production in underground mining, decreasing sensors and actuators without altering production control and safety is one of the chief engineering challenges. This work is focused on modeling identification and control strategies for underground ventilation networks in small‐scale mines using an experimental benchmark. Guidelines to obtain a discrete state space model are provided, considering the conservation laws in the network to define the structure of the linear model. The main purpose of the paper is to analyze the use of classic controllers in the mine ventilation system when there are limitations on the number of sensors and actuators available to design a feedback control system. A comparison of three classic control strategies is presented considering the a constraint on the available number of sensors. Experimental and simulation results are presented.
Clustering with missing and left‐censored data: A simulation study comparing multiple‐imputation‐based procedures
Authors: Faucheux Lilith , Resche‐Rigon Matthieu , Curis Emmanuel , Soumelis Vassili , Chevret Sylvie 
Published: July 2020

AbstractCluster analysis, commonly used to explore large biomedical datasets, can be challenging, notably due to missing data or left‐censored data induced by the sensitivity limits of the biochemical measurement method. Usually, complete‐case analysis, simple imputation, or stochastic simple imputation are applied before clustering. More recently, consensus methods following multiple imputation have been proposed. However, they ignore left‐censoring and do not allow the number of clusters to vary across the partitions of each imputed dataset. Here, we developed a consensus‐based clustering algorithm in which left‐censored data are taken into account using a modified multiple imputation method and the number of clusters is estimated for each imputed dataset. A simulation study was conducted to assess the performance in terms of the number of clusters, the percentage of unclassified observations, and the adjusted Rand index. The simulation results showed that the investigated method works well compared to several alternative approaches. A real‐world application in breast cancer patients showed that the proposed method may reveal novel clusters of patients.
Financial development and economic growth nexus in Africa
Authors: Manu Emmanuel K. , Xuezhou Wen , Paintsil Isaac O. , Gyedu Samuel , Ntarmah Albert H. 
Published: July 2020

AbstractIn contemporary years, African economies have experienced a period of rapid economic change to the sustainable growth of economic development. Although the existing literature has confirmed that investment and foreign business are two central growth engines of African's economy, examinations on the impacts of financial development (FD)‐economic growth (EG) nexus using a comprehensive structure are still unusual. This paper examines the dynamic nexus between financial development‐Economic growths using a country data set covering the period 1980 to 2017 by using panel vector autoregressive and the panel quantile regression technique. The empirical results confirm that significant cointegration relationships among FD‐EG exist, no matter in the sub‐sample for the countries. At the same time the granger causality test, report that foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade granger cause per capita gross domestic product. The motivation of the empirical investigation lies in reviewing the broad effect of financial development‐economic growth nexus and providing precise recommendations to policymakers. Also, to make the conclusion more relevant, we discussed the results for the subsamples for the developing African countries (Western, Southern, Northern, Central, and Eastern). Distinctive indicators for financial development are applied to affirm the stability and robustness of the estimation outcomes. Further restructuring the financial system and accelerating the change of the economic structure are dynamic for African's sustainable economic growth.
Sustainable development goals and the strategic role of business: A systematic literature review
Authors: Mio Chiara , Panfilo Silvia , Blundo Benedetta 
Published: July 2020

AbstractThe United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call for action by all countries that provide a global framework for achieving global development while balancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability. SDGs are addressed to all actors in society, but both academia and professional recognize the particular importance of businesses. However, research is still needed to understand the role of companies as sustainable development agents. Relying on Scopus database consultation, the current research adopts an interdisciplinary systematic literature review to investigate, analyze, and present state‐of‐the‐art academic literature on the role of businesses in tackling SDGs. The final sample comprises 101 papers published between 2015 and 2020. It provides evidence that the main topics discussed by scholars are related to aspects of strategy execution. Recognizing different streams that are currently unexplored—despite strictly related to strategic business activities and to the sustainable development as a whole—the study provides many insights for future research on business and SDGs.
Glycan engineering reveals interrelated effects of terminal galactose and core fucose on antibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity
Authors: Zhang Qingchun , Joubert Marisa K. , Polozova Alla , De Guzman Ronandro , Lakamsani Kamala , Kinderman Francis , Xiang Dong , Shami Andrew , Miscalichi Nahira , Flynn Gregory C. , Kuhns Scott 
Published: July 2020

AbstractAntibody‐dependent cell‐mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) has been identified as one of the potentially critical effector functions underlying the clinical efficacy of some therapeutic immunoglobin G1 (IgG1) antibodies. It has been well established that higher levels of afucosylated N‐linked glycan structures on the Fc region enhance the IgG binding affinity to the FcγIIIa receptor and lead to increased ADCC activity. However, whether terminal galactosylation of an IgG1 impacts its ADCC activity is less understood. Here, we used a new strategy for glycan enrichment and remodeling to study the impact of terminal galactose on ADCC activity for therapeutic IgG1s. Our results indicate that the degree of influence of terminal galactose on in vitro ADCC activity depends on the presence or absence of the core fucose, which is typically linked to the first N‐acetyl glucosamine residue of an N‐linked glycosylation core structure. Specifically, terminal galactose on afucosylated IgG1 mAbs enhanced ADCC activity with impact coefficients (ADCC%/Gal%) more than 20, but had minimal influence on ADCC activity on fucosylated structures with impact coefficient in the range of 0.1–0.2. Knowledge gained here can be used to guide product and process development activities for biotherapeutic antibodies that require effector function for efficacy, and also highlight the complexity in modulating the immune response through N‐linked glycosylation of antibodies.
Clinical response to chemoradiotherapy in esophageal carcinoma is associated with survival and benefit of consolidation chemotherapy
Authors: Zhao Zongxing , Zhang Yanan , Wang Xin , Geng Xiaotao , Zhu Liqiong , Li Minghuan 
Published: July 2020

AbstractPurposeFew studies have reported the impact of the clinical response of patients with Esophageal Carcinoma to chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Our study examines the association between clinical response and pretreatment variables, survival, patterns of failure, and benefit of consolidation chemotherapy in subjects with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients receiving CRT.MethodsData from ESCC patients treated at Shandong Cancer Hospital between January 2013 and December 2016 were analyzed retrospectively. By definition, we considered a poor response as progressive disease (PD) and stable disease (SD), while complete response (CR) and partial response (PR) were considered as a good response. Multivariate analyses were carried out using Cox proportional hazards models and patient survival was assessed using the Kaplan‐Meier and log‐rank test.ResultsAfter CRT, 136 (48.9%) patients responded well (good response) and 152 (51.1%) patients responded poorly (poor response). Overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) differed significantly between patients responded well and those responded poorly. Patients with an early‐stage or the upper location of the tumor were more likely to achieve a good response. Patients showing poor responses tended to experience local failure. The 3‐year OS and PFS rates of patients showing poor response were 38.9% and 25.5%, respectively, for the CRT with consolidation chemotherapy (CRT + C) group, and 22.7% and 16.7%, respectively, for the CRT group. However, patients with a good response did not benefit from the consolidation chemotherapy. Primary tumor location, T category, N category, and clinical response to chemoradiotherapy were independent factors predicting OS and PFS in ESCC.ConclusionClinical response to CRT substantially improves patient survival and is associated with failure patterns in ESCC. Consolidated chemotherapy may benefit patients with a poor response.
Effect of Chin‐down‐plus‐larynx‐tightening maneuver on swallowing function after minimally invasive esophagectomy: A randomized controlled trail
Authors: Yang Funa , Zou Limin , Li Lijuan , Zou Qiyun , Chen Peinan , Sun Haibo , Liu Xianben , Xu Xiaoxia 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of swallowing abnormality was high after minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) for esophageal cancer (EC). Few reports, however, focused on interventions for dysphagia after esophagectomy.AimThe purpose of this research was to estimate the effect of Chin‐down‐plus‐larynx‐tightening maneuver on swallowing function for patients receiving esophagectomy.MethodThis was a 2‐arm, parallel‐group, single‐blind randomized clinical trial, performed in patients suffered from EC from November 2018 to January 2020. Patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG) or the control group (CG). The participants in CG received routine care, and the IG received Chin‐down‐plus‐larynx‐tightening maneuver during feeding. The incidence of choking cough, swallowing function, and dietary outcomes were evaluated before and after intervention for 7 days.ResultsA total of 237 EC cases were enrolled and randomized to the IG (n = 118) or CG (n = 119). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. Postoperative choking cough occurred in 5 of 118 cases (4.24%) in IG and 18 of 119 cases (19.4%) in CG, the differences showed statistically significant (P < .001). The analysis showed that the participants in the IG compared with the CG have more total caloric intake of 24 hours and higher K/R (the ratio of calories oral achieved to total calories required of body) significantly from D1 to D7 of intervention (P < .05).ConclusionThe findings suggest that the Chin‐down‐plus‐larynx‐tightening maneuver can improve swallowing function recovery and oral total food intake and calories in EC patients undergoing MIE.
Liquid Phase, Aerobic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol over the Catalyst System (Pt/TiO2+H2O)
Authors: Kunene Avela , van Heerden Tracey , Gambu Thobani G. , van Steen Eric 
Published: July 2020

AbstractUp to four different phases can be present in the heterogeneously catalyzed, liquid phase, aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol over Pt/TiO2. It is shown that the rate of benzyl alcohol oxidation is greatly enhanced upon addition of water to the initial reaction mixture but is not affected by the split between the two liquid phases. The rate of reaction correlates with the composition of water in the phase associated with the catalyst, i. e. the water‐poor phase. Water may have various kinetic effects, e. g. a change in the distribution of surface species. It is argued on grounds of thermodynamic consistency that the liquid phase surrounding the catalyst is an intricate part of the catalyst in the aerobic benzyl alcohol oxidation over Pt/TiO2; water present in this liquid phase interacts with species on the surface altering the reaction kinetics.
Availability of Hydrogen Shapes the Microbial Abundance in Biofilm Anodes based onGeobacterEnrichment
Authors: Korth Benjamin , Kuchenbuch Anne , Harnisch Falk 
Published: July 2020

AbstractBiofilm anodes based onGeobacterenrichment in one‐chamber and two‐chamber reactors are qualitatively and quantitatively investigated. The methanogenic community of biofilms in both types of reactors consists exclusively of hydrogenotrophs, mainly the genusMethanobacterium. As qPCR demonstrates in one‐chamber reactors, the abundance ofGeobacterand methanogens increases due to the presence of cathodically produced hydrogen. In two‐chamber reactors, the abundance of methanogens is decreased by 98 % compared to one‐chamber reactors. Adding hydrogen gas to the anodic compartment of two‐chamber reactors recovers the abundance of methanogens andGeobacter. Ratios of methanogens/bacteria are confirmed by using the cofactor F420autofluorescence of methanogens. The impact of the reactor setup for developing primary microbial electrochemical technologies is discussed, reasoning that two‐chamber reactors have to be generally favored. Yet, their use inheres a trade‐off when cultivating biofilm anodes, as the indicated syntrophic interactions between methanogens andGeobacterare reduced, but pH decrease might influence microbial processes.
Catalytic Arylative Endo Cyclization of Gold Acetylides: Access to 3,4‐Diphenyl Isoquinoline, 2,3‐Diphenyl Indole, and Mesoionic Normal NHC–Gold Complex
Authors: Wang Jiwei , Yuan Kemeng , Wang Gendi , Liu Ye , Zhang Jun 
Published: July 2020

Abstract3,4‐Diphenyl isoquinoline and 2,3‐diphenyl indole are readily accessed by catalytic selective bis‐arylative endo cyclization of gold acetylides. The synthetic approach could be also extended to prepare six‐membered mesoionic NHC complex, which could further undergo deprotonation/complexation to afford 1,3‐N‐heterocyclic dicarbene (NHDCs) Au2 and Au/Ag complexes. The key vicinal diaurated alkene intermediates have been isolated and the studies on their reactivities towards coupling partners reinforce the proposed mechanisms.