bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Influence of UV‐irradiation intensity and exposure duration on the hemobiocompatibility enhancement of a novel synthesized phosphobetaine zwitterions polyethersulfone clinical hemodialysis membranes
Authors: Eduok Ubong , Camara Heloisa , Abdelrasoul Amira , Shoker Ahmed 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTo improve the biocompatibility of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes utilized for biomedical hemodialysis (HD) applications, surface grafting with hydrophilic polymers has become a reliable modification strategy. Like most photochemical catalyzed reactions, UV‐assisted grafting is distinctly advantageous for inducing permanent surface chemistry, enhancing hydrophilicity, improving morphology, and surface charge of membranes. PES membranes may be hydrophilic and chemically stable; however, they also have low protein‐binding capacity and very susceptible to fouling and target analyte binding. In this study, novel zwitterionic polymers (PVP‐ZW) have been synthesized by UV‐assisted grafting PVP to a phosphobetaine monomer in a reaction involving dimethylamino and dioxaphospholane‐2‐oxide terminal groups in an NVP monomer solution at varying UV exposure conditions. The highlight of the present study is the investigation of the hemocompatibility of coated PES HD membranes at varying UV exposure conditions with respect to membrane chemistry and morphology and its influence on human serum protein adsorption. A clinical investigation of inflammatory biomarker release from incubated coated membranes within uremic blood samples of HD patients reveals they are weak complement and coagulation activators compared to bare PES membrane. The trend of fibrinogen adsorption on coated PES membranes was observed to increase with reducing UV intensity and exposure duration. Fibrinogen adhesion only increased with roughened membrane surfaces, and this also led to the formation of biological activation pathways hindering biocompatibility. Resistance against fibrinogen absorption on zwitterionic modified PES membrane could be linked with the creation of electrostatically induced neutral zwitterionic PVP‐phosphobetaine hydration layer with hydrophilic character. Experimental results are accompanied by spectroscopic and morphological imaging evidence. Zwitterion coated PES membranes (PES‐PVP‐ZW) fabricated from higher UV intensities through longer exposure durations showed significant presence of surface deformations in the forms of inherent exfoliations due to harsh UV reaction conditions. The zeta potential and surface roughness of coated membranes also played significant role in the fibrinogen adsorption on PES membranes during ultrafiltration.
The report from ASFA COVID‐19 taskforce: Considerations and prioritization on apheresis procedures during the SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic
Authors: Yamada Chisa , Hofmann Jan C. , Witt Volker , Gupta Gaurav K. , Winters Jeffrey L. ,   The ASFA COVID‐19 Taskforce
Published: September 2021

AbstractSince vaccination for SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus started, the trajectory of patient numbers infected with the virus has improved once; however, variants of SARS‐CoV‐2 have emerged and more people have been infected; therefore, pandemic status is still far from resolution. Government and social efforts to prevent coronavirus infection continue in most states in the US and globally even after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared some restriction relief for fully vaccinated people in March 2021. Healthcare institutions and various professional organizations have developed guidelines or policies to prevent the spread of these coronaviruses in the setting of apheresis. In this report, the issues that apheresis services may encounter under the current COVID‐19 (SARS‐CoV‐2 coronavirus disease) pandemic will be discussed with potential strategies that can be adapted for efficient and optimum use of apheresis resources.
Response surface methodology optimization of supramolecular dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction‐solidified floating organic drop of brilliant green and its spectrophotometric determination
Authors: Bahrami Mohammad , Haji Shabani Ali Mohammad , Dadfarnia Shayessteh , Samadzadeh Yazdi Mohamad Reza 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA simple supramolecular dispersive liquid‐liquid microextraction‐solidified floating organic drop (SMDLLME‐SFOD) method was developed for the separation and preconcentration of brilliant green (BG) before its spectrophotometric determination. The method is based on the extraction of ion‐pair of BG with sodium dodecyl sulfate into the coacervates made up of decanoic acid reverse micelles in the tetrahydrofuran‐water mixture. The influence of the effective parameters on the extraction of BG was investigated and optimized using response surface methodology. Under the optimized conditions, the calibration graph was linear in the range of 1.0–50.0 μg L−1 of BG. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.28 μg L−1 and 0.94 μg L−1, respectively. The repeatability expressed as the relative standard deviation for six replicate measurements at 5.0 μg L−1 BG was 3.6%. The method was successfully applied to the extraction and determination of BG in different water and fish samples.
Metformin and the Risk of Anemia of Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Wu Chien‐Tung , Tsai Yueh‐Ting , Jung Hsuan‐Kuang , Fu Shu‐Ling , Hsiung Chao Agnes , Liu Hsiao‐Yu , Lai Jung‐Nien 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThis retrospective cohort study determines whether metformin monotherapy or combination therapies can decrease anemia risk in the progress of advanced chronic kidney disease for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The data set was obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database, containing 1 million randomly selected beneficiaries. After matching, 9303 pairs (1:1) of metformin users and nonusers were acquired. Every patient was individually recorded from 1997 to 2012 to identify anemia incidence (hemoglobin <9 gm/dL). Cox regression models were used to compute hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). There were 305 (0.7%) and 76 (0.8%) erythropoietin‐stimulating agent cases in the metformin and non‐metformin cohorts over a mean follow‐up period of 6.8 and 5.6 years. After matching, the use of metformin decreased the risk of usage of erythropoietin‐stimulating agents with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.76 (95%CI, 0.45‐1.29) for dosage of <357 g to 0.30 (95%CI, 0.17‐0.56) for >1368 g. The combination of metformin and dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors decreased with a hazard ratio of 0.42 (95%CI, 0.18‐0.99), compared to metformin alone. Metformin combined with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors is superior to metformin monotherapy or non‐metformin antidiabetic therapies for reducing the risk of anemia in the progress of advanced chronic kidney disease among patients with type 2 diabetes.
Modelling and optimization of main independent parameters for biodiesel production over a Cu0.4Zn0.6Al2O4 catalyst using an RSM method
Authors: Hashemzehi Mojgan , Pirouzfar Vahid , Nayebzadeh Hamed , Su Chia‐Hung 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn this research, the modeling of Cu0.4Zn0.6Al2O4 catalysts performance and optimizing of esterification reactions were considered by the central composite design (RSM) response method. The main independent parameters of temperature, the ratio of alcohol to oil, the amount of catalyst and time duration have been considered for setting the esterification process. To access the maximum activity in the esterification process, the optimum conditions are estimated at 10.42 the molar ratio of alcohol to oil, 2.98 wt.% for the amount of catalyst at the temperature of 163.37 °C and within 4.15 hrs. Under these conditions, the conversion will be above 97.94%. These conditions have been applied to adjust the process of transesterification of waste cooking oil. The reusability of the Cu0.4Zn0.6Al2O4 nanocatalyst in the esterification reaction was investigated in this study. Employed statistical techniques and developed models can be employed as a useful tool for design, prediction, and optimization of the biodiesel production process with effective performance for various industrial applications. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Release characteristics of chloride during single droplet drying process of desulfurization wastewater
Authors: Gu Liyan , Shen Tiejia , Zhan Lingxiao , Chen Heng , Feng Qianyuan , Zhou Hao , Yang Linjun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe release characteristics of chloride during the evaporation process of desulfurization wastewater droplets were studied by single droplet drying experiments. The mass, size and temperature variation of droplets during the evaporation process were measured and the release mechanism of chloride was revealed. In addition, the influence of temperature, pH value and metal cation species on the release characteristics of chloride was explored.RESULTSCombined with the evaporation process, chloride release could be divided into three stages: free water evaporation, shell instability and crystallization chloride salt hydrolysis. In the initial stage, moisture removal was the dominant phenomenon and almost no chloride release was observed. During the stage of shell instability, cycles of droplet inflation and rupture took place, and the release amount of chloride accounted for 51.2% of the total release amount in the typical working conditions. Hydrolysis of crystallization chloride salt played a key role in chloride release and about 46.0% chloride release could be traced during the last stage. High temperature would boost the chloride release; with pH value increasing from 3 to 9, chloride release decreased from 39.7% to 28.8%; a higher magnesium concentration would enhance the chloride release due to the greater hydrolysis strength.CONCLUSIONChloride in the wastewater droplet would not transfer to the gas phase until the evaporation proceeded to the stage of shell instability. The chloride release characteristics investigated in this work are expected to control the HCl emission in practical engineering of hot flue gas evaporation. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Hydrolysis of semi‐industrial aqueous extracted xylan from birch (Betula pendula) employing commercial catalysts: kinetics and modelling
Authors: Lu Xiaojia , Junghans Paula , Wärnå Johan , Hilpmann Gerd , Lange Rüdiger , Trajano Heather , Eränen Kari , Estel Lionel , Leveneur Sebastien , Grénman Henrik 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDAcidic hydrolysis of a birch (Betula pendula) xylan produced by a novel semi‐industrial‐scale aqueous‐based and highly sustainable method was studied in a batch reactor. Five commercial acidic heterogeneous catalysts were screened and significant differences in their performance were observed. Dowex 50WX2‐100 was selected for further studies and the influence of the reaction parameters, including stirring speed, pH (0.5–1.5), temperature (115–145 °C) and catalyst particle size (50–400 mesh) were studied. The goal was to maximize xylose yield by balancing between the kinetics of hydrolysis and the undesired degradation of monosaccharides.RESULTSThe results show that the maximum achieved yield of xylose was 76%, but higher yields were hindered by the consecutive dehydration of sugars. It was also observed that the hydrolysis and dehydration reactions do not follow the same dependence on the experimental parameters, which leaves room for optimization of the yield. A kinetic model was developed based on the data, which takes into account the consecutive reaction pathway and the influence of the experimental conditions, and a very good fit of the model to the experimental data was achieved. An activation energy of 119 and 88 kJ mol–1 was obtained for the hydrolysis and dehydration steps, respectively.CONCLUSIONHydrolysis results of this novel, well‐characterized hemicellulose extract have not been published previously, and they contribute significantly to the understanding of the hydrolysis and dehydration of real feedstock, instead of highly purified and typically very deacetylated model compounds with different characteristics and behaviour in hydrolysis. © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Surface and stability analysis of immobilized laccase on poly(ethylene terephthalate) grafted maleic anhydride nanofiber mat
Authors: Mohd Syukri Mohd Syahlan , Mohamad Zurina , A Rahman Roshanida , Illias Rosli Md , Tokuyama Hideaki 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBACKGROUNDA poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) based carrier was used for enzyme immobilization due to its good physical and mechanical properties. However, its high hydrophobicity and chemically inactive properties hindered its capability as an enzyme carrier. This study developed a PET‐based carrier by grafting PET with maleic anhydride (MAH) before electrospinning. This carrier was used to immobilize laccase and characterized based on its stability after immobilization.RESULTSThe highest laccase activity recovery for laccase immobilized on PET‐g‐MAH nanofiber mat was 59.17% using covalent bonding, followed by the crosslinking method. The static water contact angle of PET‐g‐MAH nanofiber mats was reduced from 129 ± 8o to 109 ± 12o. Based on the Wenzel model, the reduction was due to the decrease in surface roughness of the hydrophobic surface. Besides, the immobilized laccase also withstood high temperature up to 60 °C and retained about 29.22% ± 5.06% of its initial activity after 30 days of storage and repeated use.CONCLUSIONLaccase immobilization on PET‐g‐MAH nanofiber has good stability (thermal, storage and reusability) and is recommended to be implemented in the industries. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).
Genetic counseling research and COVID‐19: A lesson in resiliency
Authors: Borle Kennedy , Dey Alivia , Carrion Prescilla ,   GenCOUNSEL Study, Austin Jehannine , Elliott Alison M. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractGenCOUNSEL is the largest genetic counseling research grant awarded to date and brings together experts in genetic counseling, genomics, law and policy, health services implementation, and health economics research. It is the first project of its kind to examine the genetic counseling issues associated with the clinical implementation of genome‐wide sequencing (exome and genome sequencing). GenCOUNSEL is a Canadian‐based, multi‐method research study that takes place over a variety of sites, including non‐clinical, clinical, and laboratory research sites and includes the training of undergraduate and graduate students. The COVID‐19 pandemic will likely have a lasting impact on genetic counseling service delivery, research, and training. Almost every aspect of the GenCOUNSEL research project has been impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. Here we describe how our research recruitment strategies, methods, resource allocation, and training capacity have been affected. We discuss ways that we have adapted to the pandemic including revision of our research methods and work to understand the barriers in order to optimize opportunities. We finish with take‐home messages to fellow researchers highlighting the importance of resiliency in genetic counseling research.
An elegant and efficient synthesis of heterocycles integrated with bis‐N‐acyl pyrazoline and bis‐1, 2, 3‐triazole via a green synthetic methodology
Authors: Vellingiri Archana , Murugan Dinesh , Gnana Kumar George , Alagusundaram Ponnuswamy 
Published: September 2021

AbstractHighly efficient and sustainable one‐pot multicomponent synthetic protocol has been accomplished for the synthesis of novel bis‐N‐substituted pyrazolinyl‐1, 2, 3‐triazole hybrids from readily available starting materials via operationally simple mechanochemical grinding approach. The present solvent‐free synthetic protocol is advantageous for being atom economic involving short reaction time, ambient temperature, and non‐chromatographic separation of products.
Series diode‐connected current mirror based linear and sensitive negative bias temperature instability monitoring circuit
Authors: Bhootda Natwar , Yadav Ankit , Neema Vaibhav , Shah Ambika Prasad , Vishvakarma Santosh Kumar 
Published: September 2021

AbstractScaling of technology has a severe impact on the reliability of semiconductor devices. Negative bias temperature instability (NBTI) is a dominant factor in reliability degradation in nano‐scale technology. It is an aging phenomenon, which degrades the p‐channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors over time. A large area of the system on chip is covered by static random access memory (SRAM) and thus the overall system performance greatly depends on the stability of SRAM. In this paper, we evaluate the effect of NBTI on 6T SRAM cell performance for the stress period of 10 years. The simulation results show that the write margin is increased by 3.356% whereas hold static noise margin (SNM), read SNM, and standby leakage current is reduced by 6.53%, 23.86%, and 13.42%, respectively. We also present a series diode‐connected current mirror‐based linear and sensitive NBTI monitoring circuit using n‐channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors only. Continuous monitoring of the NBTI effect without any bias generator or control circuit is vital for the proposed sensor circuit. We have developed the electrical equivalent model and mathematical model of the proposed sensor for the fair comparison of results obtained through simulation and modeling. The sensitivity of the sensor is 40.6 μV/nA, and the sensor output voltage has a temperature variation of 20 μV/°C.
Impact of the mole fraction modulation on the RF/DC performance of GaAs1−xSbx FinFET
Authors: Dixit Ankit , Samajdar Dip Prakash , Bagga Navjeet 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe impact of mole fraction variation on the RF/DC performance of GaAs1−xSbx‐based FinFET has been examined in this study. Changing the Sb mole fraction has substantial effect on the electronic band parameters of GaAs, which directly affects the device performance. Electrical properties of the device including electron density and mobility fluctuation are investigated as a function of Sb mole fraction. Additionally, device DC performance parameters such as the ION/IOFF ratio, threshold voltage, transconductance, and device node capacitance, such as Cgg and Cds, are studied using a technology computer‐aided design (TCAD) simulator. The mole fraction dependence of the gate capacitance dictates the application of the proposed FinFET in the RF and high‐frequency domains. A detailed investigation of the figures of merits such as intrinsic gain, intrinsic delay, dynamic power dissipation, power delay product, energy dissipation, and unity gain bandwidth reveals that GaAsSb can be a potential material for realization of low‐power analog and digital circuits. The proper tuning of the mole fraction can help to optimize the device performance.
Osteopontin regulates proliferation, migration, and survival of astrocytes depending on their activation phenotype
Authors: Vay Sabine Ulrike , Olschewski Daniel Navin , Petereit Helena , Lange Felix , Nazarzadeh Nilufar , Gross Elena , Rabenstein Monika , Blaschke Stefan Johannes , Fink Gereon Rudolf , Schroeter Michael , Rueger Maria Adele 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe glycoprotein osteopontin is highly upregulated in central nervous system (CNS) disorders such as ischemic stroke. Osteopontin regulates cell growth, cell adhesion, homeostasis, migration, and survival of various cell types. Accordingly, osteopontin is considered an essential regulator of regeneration and repair in the ischemic milieu. Astrocytes are the most abundant cells in the CNS and play significant roles in health and disease. Astrocytes are involved in homeostasis, promote neuroprotection, and regulate synaptic plasticity. Upon activation, astrocytes may adopt different phenotypes, termed A1 and A2. The direct effects of osteopontin on astrocytes, especially in distinct activation states, are yet unknown. The current study aimed to elucidate the impact of osteopontin on resting and active astrocytes. We established an inflammatory in vitro model of activated (A1) primary astrocytes derived from neonatal wistar rats by exposure to a distinct combination of proinflammatory cytokines. To model ischemic stroke in vitro, astrocytes were subjected to oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) in the presence or absence of osteopontin. Osteopontin modulated the activation phenotype by attenuating A1‐ and restoring A2‐marker expression without compromising the active astrocytes’ immunocompetence. Osteopontin promoted the proliferation of active and the migration of resting astrocytes. Following transient OGD, osteopontin mitigated the delayed ongoing death of primary astrocytes, promoting their survival. Data suggest that osteopontin differentially regulates essential functions of resting and active astrocytes and confirm a significant regulatory role of osteopontin in an in vitro ischemia model. Furthermore, the data suggest that osteopontin constitutes a promising target for experimental therapies modulating neuroregeneration and repair.
Subinhibitory concentration stress of colistin enhanced PhoPQ expression in Escherichia coli harboring mcr‐1
Authors: Elizabeth Rajkumari , Wangkheimayum Jayalaxmi , Singha K. Melson , Chanda Debadatta D. , Bhattacharjee Amitabha 
Published: September 2021

AbstractThe increased and inappropriate use of colistin led to the emergence of its resistance among Gram‐negative bacterial isolates and the most common mechanism of colistin resistance in Gram‐negative bacteria is the modification of the lipopolysaccharide mediated by two‐component regulatory systems, PhoPQ and PmrAB. The aim of the present study was to investigate the transcriptional expression of the PhoPQ system against colistin stress in clinical isolates of Escherichia coli with colistin‐resistant phenotype. Six colistin‐resistant E. coli isolates were obtained from Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Silchar that were of clinical origin and received for routine culture and sensitivity testing. Screening for colistin resistance was done by broth microdilution method and further screened for the presence of the different types of plasmid‐mediated colistin resistance mcr genes namely, mcr‐1 to mcr‐10 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The screened positive isolates were subjected to PCR assay targeting phoP and phoQ genes and their expression was measured by quantitative real‐time PCR. The results of this study revealed that two E. coli isolates (TS2 and TS4) were found to carry the mcr‐1 gene. PhoP and PhoQ gene amplification was observed in all the isolates. Transcriptional analysis showed that the isolates harboring the mcr‐1 gene showed an enhanced level of expression in the PhoP, PhoQ genes in the presence of a subinhibitory concentration of colistin whereas no significant expression was observed for the isolates which were devoid of the mcr gene. This study demonstrates the involvement of mcr‐1 in the PhoPQ system in clinical isolates of colistin‐resistant E. coli which will help in designing a molecular marker for detecting colistin‐resistant E. coli and contribute to the assessment of resistance burden and infection control strategy.