bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Chronopotentiometric Analysis of Proteins at Charged Electrode Surfaces
Authors: Melníková Eva , Izadi Nasim , Gál Miroslav , Ostatná Veronika 
Published: June 2019

AbstractProtein properties and functions are strongly dependent on the structure and amino acid content. In this work, catalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (CHER) of five proteins (human serum albumin, lysozyme, β‐synuclein, H2 A and H3 histones) were studied using constant current chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) with the aim to find out the association between protein content and its electrochemical response. We have shown that the height and potential of CPS peak H in dependence on accumulation potential differed for the studied proteins, while the CPS peak area was almost the same for all of them. CV and CPS peaks H of Cys‐containing proteins appeared at less negative potentials in comparison to proteins without Cys, suggesting easier CHER. Acidic and basic proteins not containing Cys can be also recognized due to their different CPS response after their adsorption at the positive and negative charged interface.
Mass spectrometric characterization of the zein protein composition in maize flour extracts upon protein separation by SDS‐PAGE and 2D gel electrophoresis
Authors: Postu Paula A. , Ion Laura , Drochioiu Gabi , Petre Brindusa A. , Glocker Michael O. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractHighly homogenous α zein protein was isolated from maize kernels in an environment‐friendly process using 95% ethanol as solvent. Due to the polyploidy and genetic polymorphism of the plant source, the application of high resolution separation methods in conjunction with precise analytical methods, such as MALDI‐TOF‐MS, is required to accurately estimate homogeneity of products that contain natural zein protein. The α zein protein product revealed two main bands in SDS‐PAGE analysis, one at 25 kDa and other at 20 kDa apparent molecular mass. Yet, high resolution 2DE revealed approximately five protein spot groups in each row, the first at ca. 25 kDa and the second at ca. 20 kDa. Peptide mass fingerprinting data of the proteins in the two dominant SDS‐PAGE bands matched to 30 amino acid sequence entries out of 102 non‐redundant data base entries. MALDI‐TOF‐MS peptide mapping of the proteins from all spots indicated the presence of only α zein proteins. The most prominent ion signals in the MALDI mass spectra of the protein mixture of the 25 kDa SDS gel band after in‐gel digestion were found at m/z 1272.6 and m/z 2009.1, and the most prominent ion signals of the protein mixture of the 20 kDa band after in‐gel digestion were recorded at m/z 1083.5 and m/z 1691.8. These ion signals have been found typical for α zein proteins and may serve as marker ion signals which upon chymotryptic digestion reliably indicate the presence of α zein protein in two hybrid corn products.
Bacillus licheniformis peptidoglycan characterization by CZE–MS: Assessment with the benchmark RP‐HPLC‐MS method
Authors: Boulanger Madeleine , Delvaux Cédric , Quinton Loïc , Joris Bernard , De Pauw Edwin , Far Johann 
Published: June 2019

AbstractPeptidoglycan or murein is an essential polymer found in bacterial cell wall. It is a dynamic structure that is continuously remodeled or modified during bacterial cell growth or in presence of cell wall stresses. These modifications are still poorly understood mainly due to the peptidoglycan, which is rather non‐soluble, and the difficulties to separate the hydrophilic glycopeptides (muropeptides) by reversed phase liquid chromatography, generated by the enzymatic digestion using mutanolysin, an N‐acetyl‐muramidase, cleaving the β1→4 bound between N‐acetylglucosamine and N‐acetylmuramic acid. Here, we report the use of CZE–MS for an easy and fast screening of muropeptides generated by the action of muramidase on the Bacillus licheniformis cell wall. Electron transfer and CID–MS were also used to unambiguously identify and localize the presence or the absence of amidation and acetylation moieties on muropeptide variants. The reference method to analyse muropeptides by reversed phase chromatography was also tested and the advantages and disadvantages of both methods were evaluated.
Design and realization of an open‐source and modular smart meter
Authors: Sayed Sawsan , Hussain Tasnim , Gastli Adel , Benammar Mohieddine 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis paper presents the design of a modular and open‐source smart meter for educational and research purposes. The smart meter monitors the energy consumption, uploads the data to a cloud server, and can be used to control appliances remotely through a control relay. Using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the smart meter acts as a sensing node in a meshed network. This enables consumers to visualize their energy consumption profiles at the level of appliances and to take control actions to manage efficient energy consumption using the automation platforms or IoT with smart meters. In this paper, the energy consumed by different electrical appliances is computed and communicated to a server using the Arduino Uno board aided by the ESP8266 WiFi module. The energy consumption is also displayed on an LCD screen, and the consumption profiles are displayed through the home energy monitoring website “EmonCMS.” The design can accommodate different transducer ratings with single‐phase and three‐phase measurements by configuring itself automatically using the plug‐and‐play approach. The realization of the proposed smart meter is a multicourse educational project that aims to polish students’ skills in applying the knowledge gained in Electrical Engineering (ie, undergraduate courses) to produce a practical application.
Genetic Polymorphisms Implicated in Nonalcoholic Liver Disease or Selected Other Disorders Have No Influence on Drug‐Induced Liver Injury
Authors: Bonkovsky Herbert L. , Severson Tyler , Nicoletti Paola , Barnhart Huiman , Serrano Jose , Chalasani Naga , Fontana Robert J. , Watkins Paul B. , Navarro Victor , Stolz Andrew , Daly Ann K. , Aithal Guruparasad P. , Odin Joseph ,   for the US DILIN Investigators
Published: June 2019

With the application of genetic testing to contemporary medical diagnostics and practice, it has become apparent that the phenotypes of many disorders are modulated by host genetic factors. The aim of the current study was to determine whether selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) unrelated to the human leukocyte antigen region or other immune pathways, including those associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), may influence development, severity, or outcomes of drug‐induced liver injury (DILI). Thirteen variants previously associated with NAFLD and/or selected other liver diseases were tested in 832 Caucasian DILI cases and 10,397 Caucasian population controls. DILI cases were attributed to multiple agents (177 individual drugs), with 56 cases due to herbal/dietary supplement products. Allele frequencies were imputed from recent genome‐wide association studies and compared to those for European control samples from the Gnomad database. Significance was tested by linear regression or logistic regression, depending on the nature of the trait. Any variant that passed the Bonferroni threshold of P < 0.0004 (

) was considered a significant association. None of the variants proved to be significantly associated with DILI as phenotype nor with any of the selected severity traits. Among the variants studied, rs1421085, found in the fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene, showed a marginal protective effect (odds ratio, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.77‐0.95; P = 0.005). None of the genetic polymorphisms tested were significantly associated with the risk of development, severity, or outcome of DILI. Conclusion: SNPs implicated in common liver diseases, such as NAFLD, do not play a substantial role in DILI pathogenesis across agents. It remains possible that these variants could be involved with DILI due to single agents, but this will require the evaluation of larger numbers of bona fide cases.
Mortality Risk Detected by Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Score in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Golabi Pegah , Fukui Natsu , Paik James , Sayiner Mehmet , Mishra Alita , Younossi Zobair M. 
Published: June 2019

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Our aim was to assess the association of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk scores with overall and cardiac‐specific mortality among patients with NAFLD. We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III with the National Death Index‐linked mortality files. NAFLD was defined by ultrasound as presence of steatosis in the absence of secondary causes of liver disease. High risk for CVD was defined as a 10‐year ASCVD score ≥7.5%. Hazard ratios (HRs) and population‐attributable fractions (PAFs) of high risk for CVD were calculated. Among 1,262 subjects with NAFLD (47.9% men; 41.2% white; mean age, 56.3 years), the prevalence of high risk for CVD was 55.9% and 4.8% had advanced fibrosis. After a median follow‐up of 17.7 years, 482 subjects (38.2%) died of overall causes, of whom 382 (79.3%) had a high risk for CVD. The unadjusted overall and cardiac‐specific mortality were higher for patients with NAFLD who had a high risk for CVD compared to subjects with NAFLD with a low risk for CVD (57.3% vs. 16.8% for overall mortality; 16.4% vs. 3.5% for cardiovascular mortality). After controlling for risk factors associated with mortality, high risk for CVD was associated with a 42% higher overall mortality rate (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05‐1.91) and twice the risk of cardiovascular mortality (aHR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.12‐3.65). Adjusted PAFs were 11.4% for overall mortality and 44.9% for cardiovascular mortality. Conclusion: Among patients with NAFLD, ASCVD score ≥7.5% was associated with a higher risk of overall and cardiac‐specific mortality.
Should I stay or should I go now? The impact of “pull” factors on physician decisions to remain in a destination country
Authors: Ibrahim Halah , Al Sharif Fatema Zain , Satish Karthyayani Priya , Hassen Lina , Nair Satish Chandrasekhar 
Published: June 2019

SummaryBackgroundThe recruitment and retention of a competent health care workforce is a worldwide problem. Globalization and increased mobility have provided skilled clinicians the freedom to offer their services in an interconnected global employment market, with multiple studies revealing a pattern of migration from low‐ and middle‐income countries to high‐income countries in North America, Western Europe, and more recently, the Middle East. The purpose of this study is to review the United Arab Emirates health care man power strategy and to assess the impact of pull factors on physician retention plans.MethodsThe study employed a mixed‐method comparative approach, comprising a comprehensive review of the literature on human resources for health issues and physician migration patterns, along with a cross sectional survey of expatriate physicians working in private and public sectors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) between November 2018 and March 2019.ResultsOf 479 physicians, 374 participated (79% response rate). Issues related to family and social life encouraged remaining in the UAE, including close proximity to extended family, social environment, and spouse's employment opportunities. The government's new policy to provide 10‐year visas to health professionals was perceived as an important factor encouraging retention. Only 35% of respondents felt that their income was an important factor in deciding to remain in the UAE. Significant gender differences exist in physician migration decisions.ConclusionFactors influencing retention of the UAE's expatriate physician workforce are primarily lifestyle‐related. Physicians also report positive perceptions of newly implemented visa policies.
Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 in cancer: A promising target for diagnosis and therapy
Authors: Sharif Farzana , Rasul Azhar , Ashraf Asma , Hussain Ghulam , Younis Tahira , Sarfraz Iqra , Chaudhry Muhammad Asrar , Bukhari Shazia A. , Ji Xin Y. , Selamoglu Zeliha , Ali Muhammad 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAltered enzymatic machineries are a substantial biochemical characteristic of tumor cell metabolism that switch metabolic profile from oxidative phosphorylation to amplified glycolysis as well as increased lactate production under hypoxia conditions. Reprogrammed metabolic profile is an emerging hallmark of cancer. Overexpression of several glycolytic enzymes and glucose transporters has been reported in 24 different types of cancers that represent approximately 70% of all the cancer cases around the globe. Thus, targeting glycolytic enzymes could serve as tempting avenue for drug design against cancer. Phosphoglycerate mutase 1 (PGAM1) is an important glycolytic enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of 3‐phosphoglycerate to 2‐phosphoglycerate. Recent investigations have revealed the overexpression of PGAM1 in several human cancers that is linked with tumor growth, survival, and invasion. The aim of this review is to update scientific research network with cancer‐specific role of PGAM1 to elucidate its capability as bonafide therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Moreover, we have also summarized the reported genetic and pharmacological inhibitors of PGAM1. This study suggests that further investigations on PGAM1 should focus on the exploration of molecular mechanisms of PGAM1 overexpression in development of cancer, assessment of biosafety profiles of known inhibitors of PGAM1, and utilization of PGAM1 inhibitors in combinatorial therapies. These future studies will surely support the unbiased strategies for the development of novel PGAM1 inhibitors for cancer therapies.
Expression profiles of circular RNAs in human colorectal cancer based on RNA deep sequencing
Authors: Ge Jiaxin , Jin Yanping , Lv Xueyou , Liao Qi , Luo Cong , Ye Guoliang , Zhang Xinjun 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundCircular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel group of RNAs and play essential roles in cancers. However, the expression profiles of circRNAs in human colorectal cancer (CRC) are largely unclear.MethodsThe differentially expressed circRNAs, mRNAs, and microRNAs (miRNAs) between CRC tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues were first screened. Then, gene ontology and pathway analyses were performed to predict the possible functions. In addition, we identified the differentially expressed circRNAs in CRC correlated with Krüppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) and validated their expression levels in CRC tissues. Finally, the correlations between hsa_circ_0142527 expression levels and clinicopathological features of patients with CRC were also analyzed.ResultsAfter filtered 4735 circRNAs by RNA deep sequencing, 67 differentially expressed circRNAs (fold change >2.0, P < 0.05) were selected. The top two pathways were cell cycle and other glycan degradation. Hsa_circ_0142527 and KLF4 mRNA were significantly lower expressed in CRC tissues in both training and confirm groups and have high positive correlation (r = 0.754). We further found that the expression levels of hsa_circ_0142527 were significantly associated with age (P = 0.004), differentiation (P = 0.008), invasion (P = 0.029), distal metastasis (P = 0.004), TNM stage (P = 0.005), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; P = 0.037).ConclusionsThe circRNA expression profile of CRC provided new clues for understanding the occurrence of CRC. Hsa_circ_0142527 may be served as a potential biomarker for the diagnosis of CRC.
Diurnal Variation of Proton Density Fat Fraction in the Liver Using Quantitative Chemical Shift Encoded MRI
Authors: Colgan Timothy J. , Van Pay Andrew J. , Sharma Samir D. , Mao Lu , Reeder Scott B. 
Published: June 2019

BackgroundWhole‐organ, noninvasive techniques for the detection and quantification of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease features have clinical and research applications. However, the effect of time of day, hydration status, and meals are unknown factors with potential to impact bias, precision, reproducibility, and repeatability of chemical shift‐encoded MRI (CSE‐MRI) to quantify liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF).PurposeTo assess the effect of diurnal variation on PDFF using CSE‐MRI, including the effect of time of day, the effect of meals and hydration status, as well as the day to day variability.Study TypeProspective.SubjectsEleven healthy subjects and nine patients with observed hepatic steatosis.Field Strength/SequencesA commercial quantitative confounder‐corrected CSE‐MRI sequence (IDEAL IQ) and an MR spectroscopy (MRS) sequence (multiecho STEAM) were acquired at 1.5T.AssessmentMRI‐PDFF and MRS‐PDFF estimates were compared across six visits (before and after a controlled breakfast, before and after an uncontrolled lunch, at approximately 4 pm, and then before breakfast on the following day) with three repeated measures for a total of 360 MRI‐PDFF and MRS‐PDFF measurements.Statistical TestsLinear regression, Bland–Altman analysis, and mixed effect models were used to determine the bias, precision, and repeatability of PDFF measurements.ResultsNo statistically significant linear trend was observed across visits for either MRI‐PDFF or MRS‐PDFF (P = 0.31 and 0.37, respectively). The repeatability was measured to be 0.86% for MRI‐PDFF and 1.1% for MRS‐PDFF over all six visits. For MRI‐PDFF, the variability between all six visits (0.94%) was only slightly higher than within each visit (0.66%), with P < 0.001. For MRS‐PDFF, the variability between all six visits was 1.29%, compared with 0.87% within each visit (P < 0.001).Data ConclusionOur results may indicate that it is not necessary to control for the time of day or the fasting/fed state of the patient when measuring PDFF using CSE‐MRI.Level of Evidence: 2Technical Efficacy: Stage 2J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:407–414.
Adductor spasmodic dysphonia: Botulinum toxin a injections or laser thyroarytenoid myoneurectomy? A comparison from the patient perspective
Authors: Schuering Juliëtta H. C. , Heijnen Bas J. , Sjögren Elisabeth V. , Langeveld Antonius P. M. 
Published: June 2019

Objectives/HypothesisThe current gold standard of therapy for adductor spasmodic dysphonia (AdSD) is injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX) in the adductor musculature. A surgical procedure could potentially offer more stable and long‐lasting voice quality. In this study, we report the long‐term results of endoscopic laser thyroarytenoid (TA) myoneurectomy versus BTX treatment in the same patients with AdSD.Study DesignRetrospective case series.MethodsBetween July 2013 and September 2016, a total of 22 patients with AdSD were included. Voice outcomes were measured using the Voice Handicap Index and a Likert‐scale patient‐reported voice questionnaire. Data were obtained for each patient at four time points: preoperatively with and without BTX and twice postoperatively at 3 months (short term) and 12 months (long term).ResultsNo statistically significant differences were found between voice outcome after BTX injection and the short‐ and long‐term postoperative voice outcomes for the group as a whole. During postoperative follow‐up, 10 of the 22 patients (45%) needed a second procedure after an average of 18 months (interquartile range, 13–22 months) due to recurrence of their original voice problem.ConclusionsThe TA myoneurectomy showed encouraging results, comparable to BTX after follow‐up of 12 months for the group as a whole. However, after good results initially, voice deterioration was seen in 45% of the patients who all underwent a second procedure. These preliminary results provide important insights into the value of TA myoneurectomy as a potential definite treatment for a select group of patients with AdSD. Further research might explore long‐term results after revision surgery.Level of Evidence4Laryngoscope, 130:741–746, 2020
Singular spectral shift function for resolvent comparable operators
Authors: Azamov Nurulla , Daniels Tom 
Published: June 2019

AbstractLet be a Schrödinger operator on , , or 3, where is a bounded measurable real‐valued function on . Let V be an operator of multiplication by a bounded integrable real‐valued function and put for real r. We show that the associated spectral shift function (SSF) ξ admits a natural decomposition into the sum of absolutely continuous and singular SSFs. In particular, the singular SSF is integer‐valued almost everywhere, even within the absolutely continuous spectrum where the same cannot be said of the SSF itself. This is a special case of an analogous result for resolvent comparable pairs of self‐adjoint operators, which generalises the case of a trace class perturbation appearing in [2] while also simplifying its proof. We present two proofs which demonstrate the equality of the singular SSF with two a priori different and intrinsically integer‐valued functions which can be associated with the pair H0, V: the total resonance index [3] and the singular μ‐invariant [2].
Reduced ribosomal RNA expression and unchanged ribosomal DNA promoter methylation in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Ha Shanshan , Zhou Hong , Gautam Mayank , Song Yaling , Wang Changning 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundRibosomal RNA (rRNA) consists of four non‐coding RNAs, the 28S, 5.8S, 18S, and 5S rRNA. Abnormal expression of rRNA has been found in multiple tumors, and the methylation of rDNA promoter may affect rRNA expression as an epigenetic regulatory mechanism. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a kind of aggressive tumors which occurs in multiple sites in oral cavity. rRNA expression and the methylation of rDNA promoter in modulating rRNA expression in OSCC maintain unclear. This study aims to investigate the rRNA expression, the methylation status within rDNA promoter, and the underlying mechanism of methylation in regulating rRNA expression in OSCC.MethodsTwelve primary OSCC and matched normal tissue samples were collected from patients with OSCC. Quantitative real‐time PCR was used to evaluate the rRNA level. HpaII/MspI digestion and bisulfite sequencing were used to investigate the methylation status of rDNA promoter.ResultsRibosomal RNA levels were suppressed in OSCC as compared with matched normal tissues. HpaII/MspI digestion and bisulfite sequencing showed no significant differences for the methylation of rDNA promoter between the tumor and matched normal tissues.ConclusionThe methylation in rDNA promoter could not explain for the suppressed rRNA expression in OSCC tissues.