bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio as prognostic and predictive factor in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: A retrospective cross‐sectional study
Authors: Yan Xisheng , Li Fen , Wang Xiao , Yan Jie , Zhu Fen , Tang Shifan , Deng Yingzhong , Wang Hua , Chen Rui , Yu Zhili , Li Yaping , Shang Jingzhou , Zeng Lingjun , Zhao Jie , Guan Chaokun , Liu Qiaomei , Chen Haifeng , Gong Wei , Huang Xin , Zhang Yu‐Jiao , Liu Jianguang , Dong Xiaoyan , Zheng Wen , Nie Shaoping , Li Dongsheng 
Published: May 2020

AbstractThis retrospective study was designed to explore whether neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a prognostic factor in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A cohort of patients with COVID‐19 admitted to the Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University from 11 January 2020 to 3 March 2020 was retrospectively analyzed. Patients with hematologic malignancy were excluded. The NLR was calculated by dividing the neutrophil count by the lymphocyte count. NLR values were measured at the time of admission. The primary outcome was all‐cause in‐hospital mortality. A multivariate logistic analysis was performed. A total of 1004 patients with COVID‐19 were included in this study. The mortality rate was 4.0% (40 cases). The median age of nonsurvivors (68 years) was significantly older than survivors (62 years). Male sex was more predominant in nonsurvival group (27; 67.5%) than in the survival group (466; 48.3%). NLR value of nonsurvival group (median: 49.06; interquartile range [IQR]: 25.71‐69.70) was higher than that of survival group (median: 4.11; IQR: 2.44‐8.12; P < .001). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, after adjusting for confounding factors, NLR  more than 11.75 was significantly correlated with all‐cause in‐hospital mortality (odds ratio = 44.351; 95% confidence interval = 4.627‐425.088). These results suggest that the NLR at hospital admission is associated with in‐hospital mortality among patients with COVID‐19. Therefore, the NLR appears to be a significant prognostic biomarker of outcomes in critically ill patients with COVID‐19. However, further investigation is needed to validate this relationship with data collected prospectively.
Probabilistic risk assessment of patulin in imported apple juice and apple‐containing beverages in Taiwan
Authors: Lien Keng‐Wen , Ling Min‐Pei , Pan Min‐Hsiung 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDIn Taiwan, nearly 90% of apples and raw ingredients for apple‐based products are imported. Apple juices (137 samples) and apple‐containing beverages (35 samples) were collected in Taiwan from imported food and analyzed for patulin content.RESULTSThe results revealed that the incidence levels of patulin for apple juice and apple‐containing beverages are 5.84% and 5.71%. The mean contamination levels were 1.7 and 1.4 μg kg−1 for apple juice and apple‐containing beverages. One sample exceeded 50 μg kg−1, the maximum permissible limit according to the Taiwan Sanitation Standard for the Tolerance of Mycotoxins in Foods. The estimated intake of patulin for consumers ranged from 5.4 to 18.0 ng kg−1 body weight per day for apple juice and between 6.1 and 11.2 ng kg−1 body weight for apple‐containing beverages. The highest average patulin intake was observed among infants aged 0–3 years, followed by children aged 4–12 years old. Finally, the hazard index (HI) for the 50th, 90th, and 95th percentiles are 0.0186, 0.1201, and 0.2048, respectively, for infants aged 0–3 years.CONCLUSIONThe dietary intake of patulin from imported apple juices and apple‐containing beverages is well below the safety levels and does not present a risk for adult and children consumers. However, it is important to point out that we only analyzed imported apple juices and apple‐containing beverages. More studies are necessary to establish if the HI for patulin will still remain below 1 when other foods and beverages are included in the risk calculations. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Acceptability by sensory and visual analyses of meat from Nellore heifers fed with natural additives and finished in feedlots
Authors: de Oliveira Monteschio Jessica , Passetti Rodrigo Augusto Cortez , de Souza Kennyson Alves , Guerrero Ana , de Moraes Pinto Laura Adriane , Valero Maribel Velandia , Vital Ana Carolina Pelaes , Osório José Carlos Silveira , de Araújo Castilho Ricardo , Sañudo Carlos , do Prado Ivanor Nunes 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBACKGROUNDThis study evaluated the acceptability (by sensorial and visual analyses) of meat from 40 Nellore heifers (finished in feedlots for 73 days) fed with different diets supplemented with essential oils (EOs) and an active principle blend. The five diets tested were: CON – a diet without essential oil and active principle blend (eugenol, thymol, and vanillin); ROS – a diet supplemented with rosemary EO; BLE – supplemented with a blend; BCL – a diet with clove EO+ blend; and BRC – a diet with rosemary, clove EOs + blend. The acceptability of diet and aging time was evaluated by consumers.RESULTSDiet affected consumer acceptability and visual analysis (meat color). The diets with EO and the blend showed better sensory acceptance by the consumers; meat aged for 7 days received higher scores than meat aged for 1 day. Meat from heifers that received both EOs + blend (BCL, BRC) obtained the highest scores in the visual evaluation.CONCLUSIONThe use of natural compounds in ruminant diets improves the sensory characteristics of meat without damaging visual acceptability and may be an alternative to the conventional additive market. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Quality assessment of raw and baked Aucklandia lappa Decne. by color measurement and fingerprint analysis
Authors: Xue Rong , Deng Chang , Cao Honghong , Zhang Kewei , Lu Tulin , Mao Chunqin 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAucklandia lappa Decne. has been used as a traditional Chinese herb for thousands of years in treating various kinds of disorders. According to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, there are two kinds of processed products, raw and baked Aucklandia lappa Decne., which have different therapeutic effect in clinical application. In this study, based on color measurement and fingerprint analysis, the method to assess the quality of these two processed products was established. In color measurement, the reference ranges of color parameters (L*, a*, and b*), standard color difference values, and mathematical prediction functions of these two processed products were obtain after the color was measured by a spectrophotometer. Meanwhile, high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprints of these two processed products were established, where there were 12 peaks recognized as the common peaks in both processed products, in which two peaks were identified as costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone, and these two processed products were classified with chemometrics analysis subsequently. Furthermore, the correlation between color parameters and sample compositions was explored and the contents of costunolide and dehydrocostus lactone were determined simultaneously by high‐performance liquid chromatography. Consequently, an integral method including color measurement, high‐performance liquid chromatography fingerprint with chemometrics analysis, and quantitative determination was established.
Density‐dependent mechanisms regulate spore formation in the diatom Chaetoceros socialis
Authors: Pelusi Angela , Margiotta Francesca , Passarelli Augusto , Ferrante Maria Immacolata , Ribera d'Alcalà Maurizio , Montresor Marina 
Published: May 2020

AbstractResting stages are reported for several unicellular eukaryotes including diatoms that can produce spores or resting cells. These stages represent a repository of diversity in sediments but the factors that induce their formation are elusive. We investigated spore formation in the marine diatom Chaetoceros socialis. Our results confirm that nitrogen starvation is an effective experimental trigger for spore formation. However, we observed that spores are also produced when the external pool of nutrients is not limiting, and by using a semicontinuous setup, we could show that they appear only when cell density is high. The presence of a chemical cue mediating spore formation was supported by experiments carried out incubating cells with culture media conditioned by both healthy and lysed cells. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms that regulate the transition between life cycle stages and represent an experimental baseline for the identification of the signaling molecules.
Guanidinylated Amphiphilic Polycarbonates with Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity by Extending the Length of the Spacer Arm and Micelle Self‐Assembly
Authors: Cho Chloe A. , Liang Chao , Perera Janesha , Brimble Margaret A. , Swift Simon , Jin Jianyong 
Published: May 2020

AbstractNine guanidinylated amphiphilic polycarbonates are rationally designed and synthesized. Each polymer has the same biodegradable backbone but different side groups. The influence of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic effect on antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity is systematically investigated. The results verify that tuning the length of the spacer arm between the cationic guanidine group and the polycarbonate backbone is an efficient design strategy to alter the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance without changing the cationic charge density. A spacer arm of six methylene units (CH2)6 shows the best antimicrobial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration, MIC = 40 µg mL−1 against Escherichia coli, MIC = 20 µg mL−1 against Staphylococcus aureus, MIC = 40 µg mL−1 against Candida albicans) with low hemolytic activity (HC50 > 2560 µg mL−1). Furthermore, the guanidinylated polycarbonates exhibit the ability to self‐assemble and present micelle‐like nanostructure due to their intrinsic amphiphilic macromolecular structure. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering measurements confirm polymer micelle formation in aqueous solution with sizes ranging from 82 to 288 nm.
Perfluoropyridine as a Scaffold for Semifluorinated Thiol‐ene Networks with Readily Tunable Thermal Properties
Authors: Moore Levi M. J. , Greeson Kevin T. , Stewart Kevin A. , Kure Daniel A. , Corley Cynthia A. , Jennings Abby R. , Iacono Scott T. , Ghiassi Kamran B. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractTwo new trifunctional alkene monomers based on the highly modular perfluoropyridine scaffold are synthesized with an aliphatic and an aromatic moiety, 4‐penten‐1‐ol and eugenol, respectively. The monomers are the basis for thiol‐ene thermoset materials, formulated against a difunctional or trifunctional thiol. Systems based on these novel monomers have a wide range of thermal properties, with glass transition temperatures (Tgs) spanning from −42 to 21 °C. Mixed systems obey the Fox equation, and Tgs of the mixtures can be tuned to specific values in that range. Thermal degradation temperatures follow a similar trend, with decomposition temperatures ranging from 274 to 348 °C in nitrogen with varying compositions having tailorability therein. This new class of semifluorinated thermoset materials with tunable thermal properties has several potential applications within the aerospace industry, such as sealants and coatings, where stability and survivability at high temperatures in harsh environmental conditions are imperative.
Effect of Molecular Architecture on Conformational Relaxation of Polymer Chains at Interfaces
Authors: Nguyen Hung K. , Kawaguchi Daisuke , Tanaka Keiji 
Published: May 2020

AbstractDynamics of polymer chains near an interface with an inorganic material are believed to strongly affect the physical properties of polymers in nanocomposites and thin films. An effect of molecular architecture on the conformational relaxation behavior of polystyrene (PS) chains at the quartz interface using sum‐frequency generation spectroscopy is reported here. The relaxation dynamics of chains in direct contact with the quartz interface is slower with a star‐shaped architecture than that with its linear counterpart. The extent of the delay becomes more pronounced with increasing number of arms. This can be explained in terms of the superior interfacial activity to the quartz surface for the star‐shaped PS.
Hybrid Helical Polymer Nanochannels Constructed by Combining Aromatic Amide and Pyridine‐Oxadiazole Structural Sequences
Authors: Qi Shuaiwei , Zhang Chenyang , Yan Tengfei , Yang Feihu , Zhang Jing , Mao Shizhong , Dong Zeyuan 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAn effective method is reported to synthesize aromatic helical polymer nanochannels by combining both the well‐studied aromatic amide helical codons with pyridine‐oxadiazole helical codons into helical structure sequences. With this strategy, a type of helical polymer nanochannel that shows structure‐directed transmembrane transport functions is synthesized. Although such nanochannels show relatively weak selectivity for the transportation of alkali metal ions, accessible chemical mutation of helical structure sequences will provide a great chance for the design of desired channel property. The straightforward preparation of well‐established pyridine‐oxadiazole helical structure will significantly promote the synthesis of this kind of aromatic helical polymer nanochannels. With the development of aromatic amide foldamers, moreover, a number of “monomers” will be available for the preparation of helical polymer nanochannels.
A coupled compressible flow and geomechanics model for dynamic fracture aperture during carbon sequestration in coal
Authors: Chen Min , Hosking Lee J. , Sandford Richard J. , Thomas Hywel R. 
Published: May 2020

SummaryThis paper presents the development of a discrete fracture model of fully coupled compressible fluid flow, adsorption and geomechanics to investigate the dynamic behaviour of fractures in coal. The model is applied in the study of geological carbon dioxide sequestration and differs from the dual porosity model developed in our previous work, with fractures now represented explicitly using lower‐dimensional interface elements. The model consists of the fracture‐matrix fluid transport model, the matrix deformation model and the stress‐strain model for fracture deformation. A sequential implicit numerical method based on Galerkin finite element is employed to numerically solve the coupled governing equations, and verification is completed using published solutions as benchmarks. To explore the dynamic behaviour of fractures for understanding the process of carbon sequestration in coal, the model is used to investigate the effects of gas injection pressure and composition, adsorption and matrix permeability on the dynamic behaviour of fractures. The numerical results indicate that injecting nonadsorbing gas causes a monotonic increase in fracture aperture; however, the evolution of fracture aperture due to gas adsorption is complex due to the swelling‐induced transition from local swelling to macro swelling. The change of fracture aperture is mainly controlled by the normal stress acting on the fracture surface. The fracture aperture initially increases for smaller matrix permeability and then declines after reaching a maximum value. When the local swelling becomes global, fracture aperture starts to rebound. However, when the matrix permeability is larger, the fracture aperture decreases before recovering to a higher value and remaining constant. Gas mixtures containing more carbon dioxide lead to larger closure of fracture aperture compared with those containing more nitrogen.
Early administration of imatinib mesylate reduces plexiform neurofibroma tumor burden with durable results after drug discontinuation in a mouse model of neurofibromatosis type 1
Authors: Armstrong Amy E. , Rhodes Steven D. , Smith Abbi , Chen Shi , Bessler Waylan , Ferguson Michael J. , Jiang Li , Li Xiaohong , Yuan Jin , Yang Xianlin , Yang Feng‐Chun , Robertson Kent A. , Ingram David A. , Blakeley Jaishri O. , Clapp D. Wade 
Published: May 2020

AbstractBackgroundNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common genetic disorder characterized by plexiform neurofibromas (pNF), which are thought to be congenital tumors that arise in utero and enlarge throughout life. Genetic studies in murine models delineated an indispensable role for the stem cell factor (SCF)/c‐kit pathway in pNF initiation and progression. A subsequent phase 2 clinical trial using imatinib mesylate to inhibit SCF/c‐kit demonstrated tumor shrinkage in a subset of preexisting pNF; however, imatinib's role on preventing pNF development has yet to be explored.ProcedureWe evaluated the effect of imatinib dosed at 10‐100 mg/kg/day for 12 weeks to one‐month‐old Nf1flox/flox;PostnCre(+) mice, prior to onset of pNF formation. To determine durability of response, we then monitored for pNF growth at later time points, comparing imatinib‐ with vehicle‐treated mice. We assessed gross and histopathological analysis of tumor burden.ResultsImatinib administered preventatively led to a significant decrease in pNF number, even at doses as low as 10 mg/kg/day. Tumor development continued to be significantly inhibited after cessation of imatinib dosed at 50 and 100 mg/kg/day. In the cohort of treated mice that underwent prolonged follow‐up, the size of residual tumors was significantly reduced as compared with age‐matched littermates that received vehicle control.ConclusionsEarly administration of imatinib inhibits pNF genesis in vivo, and effects are sustained after discontinuation of therapy. These findings may guide clinical use of imatinib in young NF1 patients prior to the substantial development of pNF.
Smartphone‐Based Colorimetric Method to Quantify Iron Concentration and to Determine the Nanoparticle Size from Suspensions of Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Fernández‐Afonso Yilian , Salas Gorka , Fernández‐Barahona Irene , Herranz Fernando , Grüttner Cordula , Martínez de la Fuente Jesús , del Puerto Morales María , Gutiérrez Lucía 
Published: May 2020

AbstractAdvanced uses of smartphones are changing lifestyles, and may have a great impact in materials science in the near future. In this work, the use of these devices to develop fast, simple, and cheap methods to characterize magnetic nanoparticle suspensions is tested. A series of dilutions of a wide library of magnetic nanoparticles, composed of iron oxide materials in the range between 3 and 43 nm, with two different shapes and four different coatings is prepared. The colloid color is analyzed using the RGB (red, green, blue) color model. Ratios of these parameters are correlated with the suspension iron concentration and with the nanoparticles average size. A linear relationship between the color (in particular the G/R ratio) and both the colloid iron content and the particles size is found. The link between these parameters allows the development of two new methods to determine either the concentration or the particle size of magnetic nanoparticle suspensions just by acquiring images from suspensions of iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles with a smartphone.
Respiratory rate is an early predictor of clinical deterioration in children
Authors: Daw William , Kaur Rena , Delaney Mollie , Elphick Heather 
Published: May 2020

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the value of respiratory rate (RR) as a predictor of clinical deterioration in children, compared with other vital sign measurements.DesignA retrospective case‐control study, comparing children who deteriorated, requiring admission to critical care with children who did not deteriorate.MethodsRR, heart rate (HR), and blood pressure (BP) measurements were collected from each patient for a 48‐hour duration. The 95th centile was identified for each and 5% to 30% thresholds above the 95th centile were calculated. For each threshold the sensitivity, specificity, odds ratio, positive, and negative predictive value for deterioration was calculated.ResultsForty cases (age range 7 weeks‐15 years) and 40 control patients matched for age, gender, and hospital location were recruited. In 30/40 patients who deteriorated at least one RR ≥ 30% above the 95th centile for their age was recorded in the 48 hours before deterioration, compared with 10/40 controls, regardless of clinical diagnosis. Only 3/40 children that deteriorated had a HR > 30% greater than the 95th centile, compared with 2/40 controls. An elevated RR was the only vital sign whose odds ratios were significant at each threshold level above the 95th centile. Maximum RR occurred 16.8 hours before deterioration.ConclusionRR is a more accurate predictor of clinical deterioration in children than other vital signs. Greater weighting and importance should be placed on RR, which is often omitted in children due to difficulties with its measurement.
Embedded, graph‐theoretically defined many‐body approximations for wavefunction‐in‐DFT and DFT‐in‐DFT: Applications to gas‐ and condensed‐phase ab initio molecular dynamics, and potential surfaces for quantum nuclear effects
Authors: Ricard Timothy C. , Kumar Anup , Iyengar Srinivasan S. 
Published: May 2020

AbstractWe present a graph‐theoretic approach to adaptively compute many‐body approximations in an efficient manner to perform (a) accurate post‐Hartree–Fock (HF) ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) at density functional theory (DFT) cost for medium‐ to large‐sized molecular clusters, (b) hybrid DFT electronic structure calculations for condensed‐phase simulations at the cost of pure density functionals, (c) reduced‐cost on‐the‐fly basis extrapolation for gas‐phase AIMD and condensed phase studies, and (d) accurate post‐HF‐level potential energy surfaces at DFT cost for quantum nuclear effects. The salient features of our approach are ONIOM‐like in that (a) the full system (cluster or condensed phase) calculation is performed at a lower level of theory (pure DFT for condensed phase or hybrid DFT for molecular systems), and (b) this approximation is improved through a correction term that captures all many‐body interactions up to any given order within a higher level of theory (hybrid DFT for condensed phase; CCSD or MP2 for cluster), combined through graph‐theoretic methods. Specifically, a region of chemical interest is coarse‐grained into a set of nodes and these nodes are then connected to form edges based on a given definition of local envelope (or threshold) of interactions. The nodes and edges together define a graph, which forms the basis for developing the many‐body expansion. The methods are demonstrated through (a) ab initio dynamics studies on protonated water clusters and polypeptide fragments, (b) potential energy surface calculations on one‐dimensional water chains such as those found in ion channels, and (c) conformational stabilization and lattice energy studies on homogeneous and heterogeneous surfaces of water with organic adsorbates using two‐dimensional periodic boundary conditions.
Global asymptotic tracking for nonminimum‐phase nonlinear systems in output feedback form
Authors: Su Shanwei , Lin Wei 
Published: May 2020

SummaryThe problem of global asymptotic tracking by output feedback is studied for a class of nonminimum‐phase nonlinear systems in output feedback form. It is proved that the problem is solvable by an n‐dimensional output feedback controller under the two conditions: (a) the nonminimum‐phase nonlinear system can be rendered minimum‐phase by a virtual output; and (b) the internal dynamics of the nonlinear system driven by a desired signal and its derivatives has a bounded solution trajectory. With the help of a new coordinate transformation, a constructive method is presented for the design of a dynamic output tracking controller. An example is given to validate the proposed output feedback tracking control scheme.