bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Polyacrylonitrile based carbon fibers: Spinning technology dependent precursor fiber structure and its successive transformation
Authors: Li Jiaojiao , Yu Yuxiu , Li Haojie , Liu Yaodong 
Published: May 2021

AbstractIn this study, the effects of different spinning methods including traditional wet and dry‐jet wet spinning, and newly developed dry‐jet gel spinning, on the structures and performances of polyacrylonitrile fibers, as well as the structural evolution during stabilization and carbonization, are compared in detail. The structural differences along radial direction, surface roughness, and chain orientation of carbon fibers are inherited from their precursor fibers, and these factors are determined by spinning technologies and processing conditions. Among all spinning methods, dry‐jet gel spinning could prepare fibers with the best chain orientation, the highest tensile properties, and the lowest surface roughness, which would be favorable for achieving higher mechanical performance. Additionally, for the resultant carbon fibers, the surface modification of dry‐jet gel spun carbon fibers is easier than dry‐jet wet spun carbon fibers, and comparable to wet spun carbon fibers. Overall, dry‐jet gel spinning is promising to make carbon fibers with both excellent tensile properties and good interfacial adhesion with epoxy matrix.
Design, synthesis, and molecular docking studies of thiazolidinediones as PPAR‐γ agonists and thymidylate synthase inhibitors
Authors: Nazreen Syed 
Published: May 2021

AbstractNew thiazolidine‐2,4‐dione hybrids were designed and synthesized as potential peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor (PPAR)‐γ agonists and thymidylate synthase inhibitors. All the synthesized compounds follow Lipinski's and Veber's rules and possess the desired pharmacokinetics properties. The PPAR‐γ transactivation results displayed that compounds 12 (78.9%) and 11 (73.4%) were the most active compounds and they increased PPAR‐γ gene expression by 2.2‐ and 2.4‐fold, respectively. Compounds 12, 11, and 8 showed promising cytotoxicity, with IC50 values ranging from 1.4 to 4.5 μM against MCF‐7 cells and from 1.8 to 8.4 μM against HCT‐116 cells. Compounds 11 and 12 also inhibited thymidylate synthase with IC50 values of 5.1 and 3.2 μM, respectively, confirming their mode of action as thymidylate synthase inhibitors. Finally, molecular docking studies supported the in vitro biological activity results.
Mass spectrometry for quality control of bispecific antibodies after SDS‐PAGE in‐gel digestion
Authors: Hörner Sebastian , Ghosh Michael , Kauer Joseph , Spät Philipp , Rammensee Hans‐Georg , Jung Gundram , Pflügler Martin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractRecombinant bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) are increasingly included in regimens for cancer therapy. Strict good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliant quality control measures are required to ensure quality and safety of these innovative biologicals. Gel electrophoresis (sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis [SDS‐PAGE]) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) are the cornerstones of quality control methods. BsAbs are often prone to aggregation or incomplete synthesis due to their artificial nature. In addition, host cell proteins and host cell DNA as well as impurities from the purification process itself constitute potential contaminants. Such impurities may then appear as additional, unexpected bands or peaks on SDS‐PAGE gels and SEC, respectively. Here we describe a standardized protocol for rapid analysis of recombinant antibodies by mass spectrometry (MS) after tryptic digestion of bands excised from SDS‐PAGE gels. We have used this protocol to characterize unexpected “contaminating bands” that were observed during the clinical development of a novel bsAb with PSMAxCD3 specificity, either during the production of the protein itself or during the development of a surrogate molecule for evaluation in syngeneic mouse models. MS analysis allowed us to precisely determine the origin of these bands, which resulted from artifacts or from incomplete protein synthesis. The combined utilization of SDS‐PAGE und MS can therefore substantially support GMP‐compliant production of recombinant proteins.
Relevance of treatment‐free remission recommendations in chronic phase chronic leukemia patients treated with frontline tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Etienne Gabriel , Faberes Carole , Bauduer Fréderic , Adiko Didier , Lifermann François , Dagada Corinne , Lenoir Caroline , Schmitt Anna , Klein Emilie , Fort Marie‐Pierre , Bijou Fontanet , Turcq Beatrice , Robbesyn Fanny , Durrieu Françoise , Versmée Laura , Madene Samia , Moldovan Marius , Katsahian Sandrine , Charles‐Nelson Anais , Lascaux Axelle , Mahon François‐Xavier , Dulucq Stéphanie 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundTyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) can be safely discontinued in chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia (CP‐CML) patients who had achieved a sustained deep molecular response. Based on the results of discontinuation trials, recommendations regarding patient selection for a treatment‐free remission (TFR) attempt had been proposed. The aims of this study were to evaluate the rate of patients eligible for TKI discontinuation and molecular recurrence‐free survival (MRFS) after stop according to recommendations.MethodsOver a 10‐year period, newly diagnosed CP‐CML patients and treated with first‐line TKI in the nine French participating centers were included. Eligibility to treatment discontinuation and MRFS were analyzed and compared according to selection criteria defined by recommendations and first‐line treatments.ResultsFrom January 2006 to December 2015, 398 patients were considered. Among them, 73% and 27% of patients received imatinib or either second or third generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors as frontline treatment, respectively. Considering the selection criteria defined by recommendations, up to 55% of the patients were selected as optimal candidates for treatment discontinuation. Overall 95/398 (24%) discontinued treatment. MRFS was 51.8% [95% CI 41.41–62.19] at 2 years and 43.8% [31.45–56.15] at 5 years. Patients receiving frontline second‐generation TKI and fulfilling the eligibility criteria suggested by recommendations had the lowest probability of molecular relapse after TKI stop when compare to others.ConclusionOne third of CP‐CML patients treated with TKI frontline fulfilled the selection criteria suggested by European LeukemiaNet TFR recommendations. Meeting selection criteria and second‐generation TKI frontline were associated with the highest MRFS.
Histopathological image and gene expression pattern analysis for predicting molecular features and prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Chen Linyan , Zeng Hao , Zhang Mingxuan , Luo Yuling , Ma Xuelei 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundHistopathological image features offer a quantitative measurement of cellular morphology, and probably help for better diagnosis and prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).MethodsWe first used histopathological image features and machine‐learning algorithms to predict molecular features of 212 HNSCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, we divided TCGA‐HNSCC cohort into training set (n = 149) and test set (n = 63), and obtained tissue microarrays as an external validation set (n = 126). We identified the gene expression profile correlated to image features by bioinformatics analysis.ResultsHistopathological image features combined with random forest may predict five somatic mutations, transcriptional subtypes, and methylation subtypes, with area under curve (AUC) ranging from 0.828 to 0.968. The prediction model based on image features could predict overall survival, with 5‐year AUC of 0.831, 0.782, and 0.751 in training, test, and validation sets. We next established an integrative prognostic model of image features and gene expressions, which obtained better performance in training set (5‐year AUC = 0.860) and test set (5‐year AUC = 0.826). According to histopathological transcriptomics risk score (HTRS) generated by the model, high‐risk and low‐risk patients had different survival in training set (HR = 4.09,p < 0.001) and test set (HR=3.08,p = 0.019). Multivariate analysis suggested that HTRS was an independent predictor in training set (HR = 5.17,p < 0.001). The nomogram combining HTRS and clinical factors had higher net benefit than conventional clinical evaluation.ConclusionsHistopathological image features provided a promising approach to predict mutations, molecular subtypes, and prognosis of HNSCC. The integration of image features and gene expression data had potential for improving prognosis prediction in HNSCC.
A CeCoOx Core/Nb2O5@TiO2 Double‐Shell Nanocage Catalyst Demonstrates High Activity and Water Resistance for Catalytic Combustion of o‐Dichlorobenzene
Authors: Ling Weitong , Zhao Haijun , Wu Shilin , Tang Zhicheng , Zha Fei 
Published: May 2021

AbstractA series of catalysts with different core‐shell structures has been successfully prepared by a hydrothermal method. They consisted of CeCoOx@TiO2 (single shell), CeCoOx@Nb2O5 (single shell) and CeCoOx@Nb2O5@TiO2 (double shell) core‐shell nanocages and CeCoOx nanocages, in which CeCoOx was the core and TiO2 and Nb2O5 were shells. The influence of the core‐shell structure on the catalytic performance of o‐dichlorobenzene was investigated by activity, water‐resistance, and thermal stability tests as well as catalyst characterization. The temperatures corresponding to 90 % conversion of o‐dichlorobenzene (T90) of CeCoOx, CeCoOx@TiO2, CeCoOx@Nb2O5, and CeCoOx@Nb2O5@TiO2 catalysts were 415, 383, 362 and 367 °C, respectively. CeCoOx@Nb2O5 exhibited excellent catalytic activity, mainly owing to the special core‐shell structure, large specific surface area, abundant activity of Co3+, Ce3+, Nb5+, strong reducibility, and more active oxygen vacancies. It can be seen that the Nb2O5 coating can greatly improve the catalytic activity of the catalyst. In addition, due to the protective effect of the TiO2 shell on CeCoOx, CeCoOx@Nb2O5@TiO2 catalysts exhibited outstanding thermal and hydrothermal stability for 20 hours. The T90 of CeCoOx@Nb2O5@TiO2 was slightly lower than that of CeCoOx@Nb2O5, but it had higher stability and hydrothermal stability. Furthermore, possible reaction pathways involving the Mars‐van‐Krevelen (MvK) and Langmuir‐Hinshelwood (L−H) models were deduced based on studies of the temperature‐programmed desorption of O2 (O2‐TPD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and in situ diffuse reflectance FTIR spectroscopy (DRIFTS) characterization.
Performance of geopolymer as adsorbent on desulphurization of heavy gas oil
Authors: Saha Biswajit , Vedachalam Sundaramurthy , Dalai Ajay K. 
Published: May 2021

AbstractGeopolymer is a porous aluminosilicate material and chemically similar to zeolites. As a low‐cost construction material, its suitability for adsorptive desulphurization (ADS) was studied using a petroleum feedstock. Geopolymer was produced by alkali activation of metakaolin and characterized by BET, NH3–TPD, SEM, FTIR, XRD, and XPS. The XRD and SEM studies evidenced the amorphous nature of geopolymer and the existence of macro‐ and mesopores. The XPS and NH3–TPD studies revealed the presence of surface Na and Al, and strong acid sites, respectively, in the prepared geopolymer. These sites interact with sulphur compounds of heavy gas oil through π‐π and acid–base interactions. The geopolymer showed a high sulphur adsorption capacity of 38.4 mg/g. The effects of adsorption parameters such as operating temperature, amount of adsorbent, and time for absorption on the adsorption capacity were examined using the Box–Behnken design statistical model. All three operating parameters significantly influenced the sulphur adsorption capacity of geopolymer. The adsorption of sulphur compounds on the geopolymer followed pseudo‐first‐order kinetics and did not affect its structural stability. Finally, the thermodynamic study revealed that adsorption of sulphur compounds on the geopolymer was spontaneous and exothermic.
Meroterpenoids with Potent Immunosuppressive Activity from Fungus Bipolaris zeicola
Authors: Liu Mengting , Zhang Xueke , Shen Ling , Lin Shuang , Ye Ying , Qi Changxing , Wang Jianping , Hu Zhengxi , Zhang Yonghui 
Published: May 2021

Main observation and conclusionSix new meroterpenoids, bipolarinoids A—F (1—6), and two known congeners (7—8) were isolated from a soil‐derived fungus Bipolaris zeicola. Their structures were elucidated based on extensive spectroscopic techniques (including HRESIMS and 1D and 2D NMR data), and the absolute configurations of 1—4 were further confirmed via single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis and comparison of experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data. Structurally, compound 1 represents the first case of cochlioquinone derivatives featuring a formaldehyde group at C‐11, and compound 3 features a rare amino group at C‐11. In the immunosuppressive activity assay, compounds 5—8 showed potent inhibitory activity against concanavalin A (ConA)‐induced T lymphocyte proliferation with IC50 values of 78.3, 81.1, 48.3, and 48.0 nmol/L, respectively, which provided promising leads for designing and developing new immunosuppressive agents to treat auto‐immunological diseases.
Peach allergen Pru p 1 content is generally low in fruit but with large variation in different varieties
Authors: Jin Jing , Gan Kexin , Zhao Lan , Jia Huijuan , Zhu Yifan , Li Xiongwei , Yang Zhaowei , Ye Zhengwen , Cao Ke , Wang Zhiqiang , Yu Mingliang , Zhang Yuyan , Ma Zhisheng , Liu Hangkong , Arús Pere , Akkerdaas Jaap H. , Gao Zhongshan , van Ree Ronald 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundPru p 1 is a major allergen in peach and nectarine, and the different content in varieties may affect the degree of allergic reactions. This study aimed to quantify Pru p 1 levels in representative peach varieties and select hypoallergenic Pru p 1 varieties.MethodsTo obtain monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, mice and rabbits, respectively, were immunized with recombinant Pru p 1.01 and Pru p 1.02. The Pru p 1 levels in fruits from 83 representative peach varieties was quantified by sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA). nPru p 1 was obtained through specific monoclonal antibody affinity purification and confirmed by Western blot and mass spectrometry. The variable Pru p 1 content of selected varieties was evaluated by Western blot and the expression level of encoding Pru p 1 genes by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.ResultsA sELISA method with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies was built for quantifying Pru p 1 levels in peach. Pru p 1 was mainly concentrated in the peel (0.20–73.44 μg/g, fresh weight), being very low in the pulp (0.05–9.62 μg/g) and not detected in wild peach. For the 78 peach and nectarine varieties, Pru p 1 content varied widely from 0.12 to 6.45 μg/g in whole fruit. We verified that natural Pru p 1 is composed of 1.01 and 1.02 isoallergens, and the Pru p 1 expression level and Pru p 1 band intensity in the immunoblots were in agreement with protein quantity determined by ELISA for some tested varieties. In some cases, the reduced levels of Pru p 1 did not coincide with low Pru p 3 in the same variety in whole fruit, while some ancient wild peach and nectarines contained low levels of both allergens, and late‐ripening yellow flesh varieties were usually highly allergenic.ConclusionPru p 1 content is generally low in peach compared to Pru p 3. Several hypoallergenic Pru p 1 and Pru p 3 varieties, “Zi Xue Tao,” “Wu Yue Xian,” and “May Fire,” were identified, which could be useful in trials for peach allergy patients.
Chromaticity tunable realizable solution process single layer white organic light‐emitting diode
Authors: Piravadili Mucur Selin 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe achievement of white color emission required simultaneous emission of optimized composition of blue, green, and red colors or at least two supplementary colors with similar distribution of emission intensities covering the entire visible spectrum ranging from 400 to 700 nm in solution‐processable white organic light‐emitting diodes (W‐OLEDs). In view of this information, different concentrations of polyvinylcarbazole (PVK), red polymer Nile Red, and blue polymers such as poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl) (PF) and spirobifluorene derivative SPB‐02T were utilized to obtain white light emission in single‐layer W‐OLEDs. Coupled emissions of these materials with blue luminescence from PF and SPB‐02T and reddish emission from Nile Red presented white color due to energy transfer between the two polymers. Efficient solution‐processed W‐OLED devices were fabricated using a single layer light‐emitting film with optimized concentration of ternary blends. W‐OLED device performances were analyzed for their charge transport behavior depending on concentration of ternary blend. When it has been looked from the viewpoint of the closest to white color coordinates (0.33, 0.33), the W‐OLED device named mpn4 with PVK:SPB‐02T:Nile Red was the closest (0.33, 0.27). In consideration of energy transaction, voltage dependency in electroluminescence spectra proved that the existence of energy transfer in the mpn4‐based W‐OLEDs.
Tapered Coaxial Arrays for Photon‐ and Plasmon‐Enhanced Light Harvesting in Perovskite Solar Cells: A Theoretical Investigation Using the Finite Element Method
Authors: Chen Ming , Xue Tailin , Tian Qingwen , Xu Zhuo , Liu Shengzhong Frank 
Published: May 2021

AbstractAlthough there have been reports of separate studies of photon‐enhanced and plasmon‐enhanced light harvesting to improve perovskite solar cell (PSC) efficiency, there are none that have achieved simultaneous enhancement in both photonic and plasmonic effects in PSCs. In this work, we designed a layer of tapered coaxial humps (TCHs) to harvest both in PSCs. The light absorption behavior of the textured perovskite layer in PSCs was systematically investigated through the finite element method (FEM). The calculation results show that the TCH‐textured perovskite layer absorbs 67.6 % of visible light under AM 1.5G solar irradiation, a 21.8 % increase relative to the planar reference cell without TCHs. Using this design, a perovskite thickness of only 106 nm is needed to realize the full light absorption that normally requires 300‐nm‐thick perovskite without TCHs. To reveal the mechanism of light absorption enhancement, the specific field distributions were studied. We demonstrated that different photonic modes and plasmonic modes collectively result in remarkable light absorption enhancement in the 500–800 nm wavelength range. The textured PSCs reported herein provide an effective method to decrease Pb‐based perovskite consumption and realize angle‐insensitive and ultrathin PSCs.
Cfdp1 controls the cell cycle and neural differentiation in the zebrafish cerebellum and retina
Authors: Itoh Tsubasa , Inoue Shinsuke , Sun Xiaoding , Kusuda Ryo , Hibi Masahiko , Shimizu Takashi 
Published: May 2021

AbstractBackgroundAlthough the cell cycle and cell differentiation should be coordinately regulated to generate a variety of neurons in the brain, the molecules that are involved in this coordination still remain largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the roles of a nuclear protein Cfdp1, which is thought to be involved in chromatin remodeling, in zebrafish neurogenesis.ResultsZebrafish cfdp1 mutants maintained the progenitors of granule cells (GCs) in the cerebellum, but showed defects in their differentiation to GCs. cfdp1 mutants showed an increase in phospho‐histone 3 (pH 3)‐positive cells and apoptotic cells, as well as a delayed cell cycle transition from the G2 to the M phase in the cerebellum. The inhibition of tp53 prevented apoptosis but not GC differentiation in the cfdp1 mutant cerebellum. A similar increase in apoptotic cells and pH 3‐positive cells, and defective cell differentiation, were observed in the cfdp1 mutant retina. Although mitotic spindles formed, mitosis was blocked before anaphase in both the cerebellum and retina of cfdp1 mutant larvae. Furthermore, expression of the G2/mitotic‐specific cyclin B1 gene increased in the cfdp1 mutant cerebellum.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that Cfdp1 regulates the cell cycle of neural progenitors, thereby promoting neural differentiation in the brain.
Gut microbiota are associated with sex and age of host: Evidence from semi‐provisioned rhesus macaques in southwest Guangxi, China
Authors: Li Yuhui , Chen Ting , Li Youbang , Tang Yin , Huang Zhonghao 
Published: May 2021

AbstractHost characteristics, such as sex and age, are closely associated with the structure and function of gut microbiota; however, less is known about the effects of age and sex on the gut microbiota of nonhuman primates, and therefore, our knowledge of interindividual variability in host gut microbiota is limited. In this study, 153 fecal samples from rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) were analyzed using high‐throughput 16S rRNA sequencing in order to explore associations between age and sex of the host and their gut microbiota. The results indicated that female macaques had higher alpha diversity and a more unique gut microbiota than did males. The proportion of Proteobacteria, Tenericutes, Cyanobacteria, unclassified bacteria, and Verrucomicrobia was higher in females than that in males. We also found that adults of both sexes had a higher alpha diversity, a higher proportion of norank Ruminococcaceae, Oscillospira, norank Lachnospiraceae, norank Clostridiales, and Succinivibrio, and a lower proportion of Enterococcus than immatures. Functional analyses revealed that the richness of metabolic pathways was higher in females than males and in adults compared with immatures. These results could be attributed to differences in the nutritional requirements and hormone levels of macaques of different sex and age classes. We conclude that variation in the gut microbiota of different sex and age classes of rhesus macaques may be linked to age‐ and sex‐specific differences in nutrient requirements and hormone levels. These results highlight the importance of host age and sex on the structure and function of the gut microbiota and the need to consider physiological traits when conducting studies on the gut microbiota.
Phylogeographical analysis shows the need to protect the wild yaks' last refuge in Nepal
Authors: Kusi Naresh , Manandhar Prajwol , Senn Helen , Joshi Jyoti , Ghazali Muhammad , Hengaju Krishna Dev , Suwal Sanej Prasad , Lama Tshiring Lhamu , Poudyal Laxman Prasad , Thapa Madhuri , Werhahn Geraldine 
Published: May 2021

AbstractThe wild yak Bos mutus was believed to be regionally extinct in Nepal for decades until our team documented two individuals from Upper Humla, north‐western Nepal, in 2014. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) seeks further evidence for the conclusive confirmation of that sighting. We conducted line transects and opportunistic sign surveys in the potential wild yak habitats of Humla, Dolpa, and Mustang districts between 2015 and 2017 and collected genetic samples (present and historic) of wild and domestic yaks Bos grunniens. We also sighted another wild yak in Upper Humla in 2015. Phylogenetic and haplotype network analyses based on mitochondrial D‐loop sequences (~450 bp) revealed that wild yaks in Humla share the haplotype with wild yaks from the north‐western region of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau in China. While hybridization with domestic yaks is a major long‐term threat, illegal hunting for meat and trophy put the very small populations of wild yaks in Nepal at risk. Our study indicates that the unprotected habitat of Upper Humla is the last refuge for wild yaks in Nepal. We recommend wild yak conservation efforts in the country to focus on Upper Humla by (i) assigning a formal status of protected area to the region, (ii) raising awareness in the local communities for wild yak conservation, and (iii) providing support for adaptation of herding practice and pastureland use to ensure the viability of the population.