bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neoadjuvant docetaxel plus carboplatin vs epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide followed by docetaxel in triple‐negative, early‐stage breast cancer (NeoCART): Results from a multicenter, randomized controlled, open‐label phase II trial
Authors: Zhang Liulu , Wu Zhi‐Yong , Li Jie , Lin Ying , Liu Zhenzhen , Cao Yin , Zhang Gangling , Gao Hong‐Fei , Yang Mei , Yang Ci‐Qiu , Zhu Teng , Cheng Min‐Yi , Ji Fei , Li Jieqing , Wang Kun 
Published: September 2021

AbstractPrevious studies have shown that the addition of carboplatin to neoadjuvant chemotherapy improved the pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in patients suffering from triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) and patients who obtained a pCR could achieve prolonged event‐free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). However, no studies have assessed the effects of the combination of docetaxel and carboplatin without anthracycline with taxane‐based and anthracycline‐based regimens. The NeoCART study was designed as a multicenter, randomized controlled, open‐label, phase II trial to assess the efficacy and safety of docetaxel combined with carboplatin in untreated stage II‐III TNBC. All eligible patients were randomly assigned, at a 1:1 ratio, to an experimental docetaxel plus carboplatin (DCb) for six cycles group (DCb group) or an epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide for four cycles followed by docetaxel for four cycles group (EC‐D group). PCR (ypT0/is ypN0) was evaluated as the primary outcome. Between 1 September 2016 and 31 December 2019, 93 patients were randomly assigned and 88 patients were evaluated for the primary endpoint (44 patients in each group). In the primary endpoint analysis, 27 patients in the DCb group (61.4%, 95% CI 47.0‐75.8) and 17 patients in the EC‐D group achieved a pCR (38.6%, 95% CI 24.3‐53.0; odds ratio 2.52, 95% CI 2.4‐43.1; Pnoninferiority = .004). Noninferiority was met, and the DCb regimen was confirmed to be superior to the EC‐D regimen (P = .044, superiority margin of 5%). At the end of the 37‐month median follow‐up period, OS and EFS rates were equivalent in both groups.
Decellularized peripheral nerve as an injectable delivery vehicle for neural applications
Authors: Bousalis Deanna , McCrary Michaela W. , Vaughn Natalie , Hlavac Nora , Evering Ashley , Kolli Shruti , Song Young Hye , Morley Cameron , E. Angelini Thomas , Schmidt Christine E. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractDamage to the nervous system can result in loss of sensory and motor function, paralysis, or even death. To facilitate neural regeneration and functional recovery, researchers have employed biomaterials strategies to address both peripheral and central nervous system injuries. Injectable hydrogels that recapitulate native nerve extracellular matrix are especially promising for neural tissue engineering because they offer more flexibility for minimally invasive applications and provide a growth‐permissive substrate for neural cell types. Here, we explore the development of injectable hydrogels derived from decellularized rat peripheral nerves (referred to as “injectable peripheral nerve [iPN] hydrogels”), which are processed using a newly developed sodium deoxycholate and DNase (SDD) decellularization method. We assess the gelation kinetics, mechanical properties, cell bioactivity, and drug release kinetics of the iPN hydrogels. The iPN hydrogels thermally gel when exposed to 37°C in under 20 min and have mechanical properties similar to neural tissue. The hydrogels demonstrate in vitro biocompatibility through support of Schwann cell viability and metabolic activity. Additionally, iPN hydrogels promote greater astrocyte spreading compared to collagen I hydrogels. Finally, the iPN is a promising delivery vehicle of drug‐loaded microparticles for a combinatorial approach to neural injury therapies.
Legendre pairs of lengths ℓ≡0(mod3)
Authors: Kotsireas Ilias , Koutschan Christoph 
Published: September 2021

AbstractWe prove a proposition that connects constant‐periodic autocorrelation function sequences and the corresponding Legendre pairs with integer power spectral density values. We show how to determine explicitly the complete spectrum of the ‐rd value of the discrete Fourier transform for Legendre pairs of lengths . This is accomplished by two new algorithms based on number‐theoretic arguments. As an application, we prove that Legendre pairs of the open lengths 117, 129, 133, and 147 exist by finding Legendre pairs of these lengths with a multiplier group of order at least 3. As a consequence, 85, 87, 115, 145, 159, 161, 169, 175, 177, 185, 187, 195 are the 12 integers in the range for which the question of existence of Legendre pairs remains unsolved.
The clinical application of PIVKA‐II in hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic liver diseases: A multi‐center study in China
Authors: Ji Jun , Liu Lijuan , Jiang Feifei , Wen Xue , Zhang Yu , Li Shengcong , Lou Jinli , Wang Ying , Liu Ning , Guo Qiuyan , Jia Yongmei , Gao Chunfang 
Published: September 2021

AbstractBackgroundDue to the absence of specific symptoms and low survival rate, efficient biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis are urgently required. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist‐II (PIVKA‐II) and to determine the optimal cutoff values for HBV infection‐related HCC.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional, multi‐center study in China to ascertain the cutoff value for HCC patients in the context of CHB‐ and HBV‐related cirrhosis. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of PIVKA‐II.ResultsThis study enrolled 784 subjects and demonstrated that PIVKA‐II had a sensitivity of 84.08% and a specificity of 90.43% in diagnosis HCC from chronic liver diseases. PIVKA‐II at a cutoff of 37.5 mAU/mL yielded an AUC of 0.9737 (sensitivity 91.78% and specificity 96.30%) in discriminating HCC from chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. PIVKA‐II at a cutoff of 45 mAU/mL yielded an AUC of 0.9419 (sensitivity 77.46% and specificity 95.12%) in discriminating HCC‐ from HBV‐related cirrhosis patients. Furthermore, using a cutoff value of 40 mAU/mL for PIVKA‐II as an HCC marker, only 4.81% (15/312) was positive in chronic hepatitis and 12.80% (37/289) in cirrhosis patients, revealing the satisfactory specificity of PIVKA‐II in chronic liver disease of different etiologies.ConclusionOur data indicated that PIVKA‐II had satisfactory diagnostic efficiencies and could be used as a screening or surveillance biomarker in HCC high‐risk population.
Detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical sputum by a unique gene in MTB strains called Conserved protein TB18.5 (TB18.5)
Authors: Luo Juanxiu , Li Xiaofei , Song Yuzhu , Liu Hongwei , Zheng Kexi , Xia Xueshan , Zhang A‐Mei 
Published: September 2021

AbstractA rapid and accurate diagnosis increases the treatment effect and decreases the mortality of tuberculosis (TB) patients. The purpose of this study was to establish an accurate, unique, and rapid molecular diagnostic technique to screen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) from clinical sputum. A unique gene in MTB strains called conserved protein TB18.5 (TB18.5) was selected by bioinformatics analysis. Two pairs of primers were designed to amplify TB18.5 using the nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or quantitative real‐time PCR. Nine pathogens and the MTB strain were used to determine the specificity of the TB18.5 gene. The sensitivity assay was performed after optimizing the PCR conditions. The correct fragment was amplified when a 10 copy number template was used. A total of 232 sputum samples were collected from TB patients (from 2019 to 2020) to evaluate the accuracy of the molecular method in this study. MTB was first detected using the BACTEC MGIT‐960 culture test and the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay. Totals of 195 (84.05%), 182 (78.45%), and 162 (69.83%) sputum samples were determined to be infected with MTB using nested PCR, the Gene Xpert MTB/RIF assay, and the BACTEC MGIT‐960 culture test, respectively. In summary, a rapid, unique, and sensitive molecular method was established to diagnose TB infection in clinical sputum samples.
Adenosine kinase deficiency presenting with tortuous cervical arteries: A risk factor for recurrent stroke
Authors: Paz José A. , Embiruçu Emilia K. , Bueno Clarissa , Ferreira Rafaela C. C. L. , Oliveira Fernanda S. , Pereira Ane S. S. , Schwartz Ida V. D. , Paiva Anderson R. B. , Lucato Leandro T. , Kok Fernando 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAdenosine kinase (ADK) deficiency is a very rare inborn error of methionine and adenosine metabolism. It is characterized by developmental delay, hypotonia, epilepsy, facial dysmorphism, failure to thrive, transient liver dysfunction with cholestasis, recurrent hypoglycemia, and cardiac defects. Only 26 cases (16 families) of ADK deficiency have been published since its identification in 2011. Vascular abnormalities in cervical arteries and cerebral stroke have never been reported in this condition. Here, we describe two patients with ADK deficiency and vascular tortuosity leading to stroke in one of them. ADK deficiency is a rare inborn error of methionine metabolism with a complex phenotype that might be associated with cerebrovascular abnormalities and stroke.
Effects of dimensionality and excitation energy on the Raman tensors of triclinic ReSe2
Authors: Resende Geovani C. , Ribeiro Guilherme A. S. , Silveira Orlando J. , Lemos Jessica S. , Rhodes Daniel , Balicas Luis , Terrones Mauricio , Mazzoni Mario S. C. , Fantini Cristiano , Carvalho Bruno R. , Pimenta Marcos A. 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn this work, we present measurements of angle‐resolved polarized Raman spectra of single‐layer (1L) and bulk ReSe2 recorded with excitation energies of 1.92 eV (647.1 nm) and 2.34 eV (530.8 nm). The Raman tensors for all modes were obtained by fitting simultaneously the angular dependence of the parallel (I‖) and crossed (I⊥) polarized intensities. We observed that the tensor elements are, in general, complex numbers, and their magnitudes and phases depend on both the dimensionality of the sample (1L or bulk) and the excitation energy. Results are discussed by considering the intrinsic contribution of a single layer to the tensor elements and the macroscopic contribution coming from the stacking of several layers. We show that the different behaviour of angle‐resolved polarized Raman spectra for different excitation energies is due to the resonant Raman effect, which affects both the real and imaginary parts of the Raman tensor elements. Our work highlights the importance of understanding the fundamental physics of low symmetry 2D materials that can be used to fabricate devices sensitive to the direction of light polarization or electrical current.
Universal performance of benzalkonium chloride for the preservation of environmental DNA in seawater samples
Authors: Jo Toshiaki , Sakata Masayuki K. , Murakami Hiroaki , Masuda Reiji , Minamoto Toshifumi 
Published: September 2021

AbstractEnvironmental DNA (eDNA) analysis allows noninvasive and cost‐effective monitoring of macroorganisms' distribution and composition in aquatic ecosystems. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) is an inexpensive and simple preservative for eDNA in water samples and has been used in many eDNA studies for preventing its degradation during transportation. However, its preservation performance has limitedly been evaluated by species‐specific assays, targeting short fragments of mitochondrial DNA in freshwater and brackish ecosystems. Here, we examined the performance of BAC in preserving eDNA in seawater samples, targeting different fragment lengths of mitochondrial and nuclear eDNA, and community information inferred by eDNA metabarcoding. We quantified the time series changes of Japanese jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) eDNA concentrations in experimental tanks and inshore seawater to compare the yields and decay rates of eDNA between BAC treatments. For both tank and field samples, BAC treatment substantially suppressed the degradation of all types of target eDNA and increased the eDNA yields at the start of the experiment. In addition, we performed eDNA metabarcoding targeting fish community to compare the species richness and composition in seawater samples between BAC treatments, showing that the number of fish species in field samples hardly varied throughout a day by BAC treatment. Our findings indicate high versatility of BAC in preserving both the quantitative (copy number) and the qualitative (species richness) information on various types of aqueous eDNA in various environmental conditions. BAC should therefore be used to minimize the false‐negative detection of eDNA, regardless of target genetic regions, fragment sizes, environmental conditions, and detection strategies.
Tribological behaviour ofUHMWPEcomposites lubricated by polyvinylpyrrolidone‐modified water
Authors: Dhakal Nayan , Shi Yijun , Emami Nazanin 
Published: September 2021

AbstractTribological characteristics of ultra‐high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composites with 10% short carbon fibres (SCF) lubricated in water with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a modifier were investigated. The aqueous solutions with varying concentrations of PVP were prepared, and their viscosity‐enhancing action, friction‐reducing properties and anti‐wear performances were studied under different loading conditions equivalent to 10 and 20 MPa of contact pressures at a constant sliding speed of 20 mm/s. The results showed that PVP is an excellent viscosity modifier for water. PVP‐modified water exhibited excellent performance compared to distilled water, reducing the wear and friction coefficient of neat UHMWPE up to 25%. The anti‐wear properties of UHMWPE‐SCF composite were also improved with PVP modified water lubrication, yielding a maximum reduction of wear up to 45%. PVP seems to be a promising additive of modifying the lubricating properties of distilled water for water‐based lubrication.
Porous Polydimethylsiloxane/Au Composites as Solar‐Light Absorbers for Light‐Driven Thermoelectric Applications
Authors: Lee Geon Seok , Biutty Merreta Noorenza , Zakia Maulida , Yoo Seong Il 
Published: September 2021

AbstractSolar thermoelectric (TE) generators may potentially provide a viable alternative to photovoltaic devices for producing electrical energy from renewable sources. In this approach, the conversion of solar radiation into heat is essential to enhance the performance of TE devices, which necessitates the development of efficient solar light absorbers. Metal nanoparticles (NPs) have gained much attention in this regard because they can convert light into heat via plasmon‐mediated photothermal effects. In this study, porous nanocomposites comprising polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and Au NPs are prepared. In the PDMS/Au composites, the narrow extinction spectrum of Au NPs is extended over longer wavelengths by plasmonic hybridization to promote the light absorption property of the NPs. In addition, the porous structure induces strong scattering of incident light, which further enhances the absorption efficiency of the Au NPs. Consequently, the plasmon‐mediated photothermal effects of Au NPs are noticeably enhanced and increased the temperature of the PDMS/Au composites to as high as 75.7 °C under artificial solar radiation, compared to 42.1 °C without the Au NPs. By applying the PDMS/Au composites to commercial TE devices, the electrical performance of the TE devices is enhanced by approximately threefold.
Using machine learning to study protein–protein interactions: From the uromodulin polymer to egg zona pellucida filaments
Authors: Jovine Luca 
Published: September 2021

AbstractNeural network‐based models for protein structure prediction have recently reached near‐experimental accuracy and are fast becoming a powerful tool in the arsenal of biologists. As suggested by initial studies using RoseTTAFold or the ColabFold implementation of AlphaFold2, a particularly interesting future development will be the optimization of these computational methods to also routinely yield high‐confidence predictions of protein–protein interactions. Here I use AlphaFold2 and ColabFold to investigate the activation and polymerization of uromodulin (UMOD)/Tamm‐Horsfall protein, a zona pellucida (ZP) module‐containing protein whose precursor and filamentous structures have been previously determined experimentally by X‐ray crystallography and cryo‐EM, respectively. Despite having no knowledge of the UMOD polymer structure (coordinates for which were neither used for model training nor as template), AlphaFold2/ColabFold are able to recapitulate a crucial conformational change underlying UMOD polymerization, as well as the general organization of protein subunits within the resulting filament. This surprising result is achieved by simply deleting from the input sequence a stretch of residues that correspond to a polymerization‐inhibiting C‐terminal propeptide. By mimicking in silico the activating effect of propeptide dissociation triggered by site‐specific proteolysis of the protein precursor, this example has implications for the assembly of egg coat proteins and the many other molecules that also contain a ZP module. Most importantly, it shows the potential of exploiting machine learning not only to accurately predict the structures of individual proteins or complexes, but also to carry out computational experiments replicating specific molecular events.
Comparative evaluation of polynomial and Lorentzian lineshape‐fitted amine CEST imaging in acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Cui Jing , Afzal Aqeela , Zu Zhongliang 
Published: September 2021

PurposeChemical exchange saturation transfer signals from amines are sensitive to pH, and detection of these signals can serve as an alternative pH imaging method to amide proton transfer (APT). However, conflicting results regarding amine CEST imaging at 2 ppm in ischemic stroke have been reported. Here, we correlated amine CEST with APT in animal stroke models to evaluate its specificity to pH, and investigated the reason for the different results through simulations and sample studies.MethodsA three‐point quantification method was used to quantify APT. A polynomial fit method and a multiple‐pool Lorentzian fit method were used to quantify amine CEST. Samples of creatine and glutamate were prepared to study the different CEST effects from arginine amine and fast exchanging pools. Samples of tissue homogenates with different pH were prepared to study the variation in CEST signals due only to changes in pH.ResultsThe polynomial fit of amine CEST at 2 ppm had a significant correlation with APT, whereas the Lorentzian fit did not. Further studies showed that arginine amine contributed to the polynomial fit, whereas both the arginine amine and the fast exchanging pools contributed to the Lorentzian fit with their CEST effects varying in opposite directions after stroke. The CEST signal from the fast exchanging pool decreased, probably due to the reduced pool concentration but not pH.ConclusionThe variation in opposite directions led to an insignificant correlation of the Lorentzian fit of amine CEST with APT and the different results in different experimental conditions.
Goethes Blauer Stein
Authors: Schmitt Axel , Klein Rüdiger 
Published: September 2021

AbstractFarbige Gläser aus Verhüttungsschlacken dienten bis in die Neuzeit in Kunst und Architektur als Ersatz für teurere Edelsteine und mineralische Pigmente. Wie die Farben der Gläser zustande kamen, war lange unklar. Elektronenmikroskopie und Röntgenspektrometrie haben das Rätsel nun entschlüsselt.
Rückstände aus dem Kunststoffschlauch
Authors: Hupach Sascha , Schuster Erika 
Published: September 2021

AbstractRein und genusstauglich muss es sein und darf nicht der Gesundheit schaden: Trinkwasser. Nach der Trinkwasserverordnung dürfen Anlagen, die das Wasser gewinnen, aufbereiten und verteilen, seine Qualität nicht mindern oder es verunreinigen. Werkstoffe in Kontakt mit Trinkwasser müssen sich also technisch wie hygienisch eignen. Der Gehalt an organischem Kohlenstoff ist ein Indikator dafür.
15 Jahre Reach für den Arbeitsschutz
Authors: Marx Romy , Magerkurth Clemens , Rühl Reinhold 
Published: September 2021

AbstractIn Ministerien und Bundesbehörden gestalten Chemiker:innen Reach mit. Auf Landesebene sind sie mit dem Umsetzen der Regelungen beschäftigt, sie überwachen die Auslegung der Vorschriften und arbeiten mit Blick auf ein angemessenes Schutzniveau für Mensch und Umwelt.
Nachruf: Gottfried Huttner (1937 – 2021)
Authors: Fässler Thomas , Heinze Katja , Lang Heinrich , Limberg Christian , Meyer Franc 
Published: September 2021

AbstractAm 21. Juli 2021 verstarb Gottfried Huttner, Professor für anorganische Chemie, wenige Wochen vor seinem 84. Geburtstag. In der Chemie war er seiner Zeit oft weit voraus.
Light Trapping Reveals Multiple Bigheaded Carp Spawns Upstream of Lock and Dam 19 in the Upper Mississippi River
Authors: La Hood Boone M. , Thomsen Tyler C. , Lenaerts Allison W. , Tomczak Madeline G. , Szott Emily A. , Woiak Zebadiah , Von Ruden Kyle M. , Bockrath Katherine D. , Irons Kevin S. , Lamer James T. 
Published: September 2021

Abstract
The Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis are two species of invasive bigheaded carp currently invading North American rivers and watersheds. Bigheaded carp were accidentally introduced into the lower Mississippi River basin in the early 1970s and have since invaded many water bodies in the Midwestern United States. Evidence of bigheaded carp reproduction and recruitment in the upper Mississippi River upstream of Lock and Dam 19 (LD19) at Keokuk, Iowa, thought to be a critical constriction point to their upstream establishment, has been limited to a few isolated detections of eggs, larvae, and juvenile life stages since 2012. Therefore, a more comprehensive assessment of bigheaded carp reproduction in this critical management zone was needed. We used quadrafoil light traps (n = 1,387) deployed during May–September 2016–2018 in Pools 17–19 of the Mississippi River to monitor for advanced larval bigheaded carp in low-velocity habitats. Throughout the sampling period, we captured 1,747 larval and 35 postlarval bigheaded carp (N = 1,782). Bigheaded carp were collected on 15 sampling events that spanned from May 31, 2016, to September 13, 2018, with associated hatch dates estimated to represent 10 unique reproductive events from May 2016 to September 2018. The individual captures and backdated hatch estimates revealed a protracted spawning period of up to seven events in 2016, one event in 2017, and two events in 2018. Bigheaded carp were only captured in Pool 19, possibly due to the drifting requirements for egg maturation and the low-velocity downstream reach of Pool 19. This research provides confirmation that bigheaded carp spawned upstream of LD19 are capable of transitioning past the yolk sac stage upstream of this bottleneck to more advanced larval stages. Knowledge of reproduction and larval retention and the field-based evidence of protracted spawning fill critical research gaps needed for the management of bigheaded carp.