bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hereditary elliptocytosis‐associated alpha‐spectrin mutation p.L155dup as a modifier of sickle cell disease severity
Authors: Risinger Mary , Christakopoulos Georgios E. , Schultz Corinna L. , McGann Patrick T. , Zhang Wenying , Kalfa Theodosia A. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractThe broad phenotypic variability among individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) suggests the presence of modifying factors. We identified two unrelated SCD patients with unusually severe clinical and laboratory phenotype that were found to carry the hereditary elliptocytosis‐associated alpha‐spectrin mutation c.460_462dupTTG (p.L155dup), a mutation enriched due to positive selective pressure of malaria, similar to the SCD globin mutations. A high index of suspicion for additional hematologic abnormalities may be indicated for challenging patients with SCD. These cases highlight the validity of specialized testing such as ektacytometry and next‐generation sequencing for patients and family members to assess genotype/phenotype correlations.
Phase I study of vinblastine and temsirolimus in pediatric patients with recurrent or refractory solid tumors: Canadian Cancer Trials Group Study IND.218
Authors: Deyell Rebecca J. , Wu Bing , Rassekh S. Rod , Tu Dongsheng , Samson Yvan , Fleming Adam , Bouffet Eric , Sun Xiaoqun , Powers Jean , Seymour Lesley , Baruchel Sylvain , Morgenstern Daniel A. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractCombining mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors and vinca alkaloids has shown therapeutic synergy in xenograft models of pediatric cancers. This phase I study assessed safety and toxicity of temsirolimus in combination with vinblastine in children.ProcedurePatients ≥ 1 and ≤ 18 years with recurrent/refractory solid or CNS tumors were eligible. Vinblastine (4 mg/m2) and temsirolimus (15 mg/m2) were administered i.v. weekly, with planned dose escalation of vinblastine using a rolling six phase I design. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data were collected.ResultsSeven patients with median age 12 years (range, 8–18 years) were enrolled; all were evaluable for toxicity and six for response. At dose level 1, four of six patients developed grade 3 mucositis, of which one met duration criteria for dose‐limiting toxicity (DLT). Four patients required dose omissions for grade 3 or 4 hematologic toxicity, including one prolonged neutropenia DLT. A subsequent patient was enrolled on dose level −2 (temsirolimus 10 mg/m2, vinblastine 4 mg/m2) with no protocol‐related toxicity > grade 1, except grade 2 neutropenia. Two serious adverse events (SAE) occurred—an allergic reaction to temsirolimus (grade 2) and an intracranial hemorrhage in a CNS tumor patient (grade 3)—unlikely related to study therapy. Soluble VEGFR2 was reduced at cycle 1, day 36 in keeping with inhibition of angiogenesis. Four patients achieved prolonged stable disease for a median of 5.0 months (range, 3.1–8.3 months).
ConclusionThe combination of weekly temsirolimus (15 mg/m2) and vinblastine (4 mg/m2) exceeds the maximum tolerated dose in children, with frequent oral mucositis and hematologic toxicity.
Reliability of prenatal detection of X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia by tooth germ sonography
Authors: Hammersen Johanna , Wohlfart Sigrun , Goecke Tamme W. , Köninger Angela , Stepan Holger , Gallinat Ralph , Morris Susan , Bücher Katharina , Clarke Angus , Wünsche Stephanie , Beckmann Matthias W. , Schneider Holm , Faschingbauer Florian 
Published: November 2018

AbstractObjectiveIn X‐linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED), dysfunction of ectodysplasin A1 (EDA1) due to EDA mutations results in malformation of hair, teeth, and sweat glands. Hypohidrosis, which can cause life‐threatening hyperthermia, is amenable to intrauterine therapy with recombinant EDA1. This study aimed at evaluating tooth germ sonography as a noninvasive means to identify affected fetuses in pregnant carrier women.MethodsSonography, performed at 10 study sites between gestational weeks 18 and 28, led to the diagnosis of XLHED if fewer than six tooth germs were detected in mandible or maxilla. The assessment was verified postnatally by EDA sequencing and/or clinical findings. Estimated fetal weights and postnatal weight gain of boys with XLHED were assessed using appropriate growth charts.ResultsIn 19 of 38 sonographic examinations (23 male and 13 female fetuses), XLHED was detected prenatally. The prenatal diagnosis proved to be correct in 37 cases; one affected male fetus was missed. Specificity and positive predictive value were both 100%. Tooth counts obtained by clinical examination corresponded well with findings on panoramic radiographs. We observed no weight deficits of subjects with XLHED in utero but occasionally during infancy.ConclusionTooth germ sonography is highly specific and reliable in detecting XLHED prenatally.
Solvent‐free ring‐opening polymerization of lactones with hydrogen‐bonding bisurea catalyst
Authors: Du Fanfan , Zheng Ying , Yuan Wenhua , Shan Guorong , Bao Yongzhong , Jie Suyun , Pan Pengju 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTDevelopment of effective organocatalysts for the living ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of lactones is highly desired for the preparation of biocompatible and biodegradable polyesters with controlled microstructures and physical properties. Herein, a new class of hydrogen‐bond donating bisurea catalysts is reported for the ROP of lactones under solvent‐free conditions. ROP of lactones mediated by the bisurea/7‐methyl‐1,5,7‐triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec‐5‐ene (MTBD) catalyst exhibits a living/controlled manner, affording the polymers and copolymers with the well‐defined structure, predictable molecular weight, narrow molecular weight distribution, and high selectivity for monomer at low catalyst loadings at ambient temperature. The possible mechanism of bisurea/MTBD‐catalyzed ROP of lactones is proposed, in which the bisurea activates the carbonyl group of lactones while MTBD facilitates the nucleophilic attack of the initiating/propagating alcohol by hydrogen bonding. Moreover, the poly(ε‐caprolactone‐co‐δ‐valerolactone) [P(CL‐co‐VL)] random copolymers with various compositions were synthesized using the bisurea/MTBD catalyst. The measurements of thermal properties and crystalline structure demonstrate that the CL and VL units are cocrystallized in the crystalline phase of P(CL‐co‐VL) copolymers. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 90–100
Ferredoxins as interchangeable redox components in support of MiaB, a radical S‐adenosylmethionine methylthiotransferase
Authors: Arcinas Arthur J. , Maiocco Stephanie J. , Elliott Sean J. , Silakov Alexey , Booker Squire J. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractMiaB is a member of the methylthiotransferase subclass of the radical S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily of enzymes, catalyzing the methylthiolation of C2 of adenosines bearing an N6‐isopentenyl (i6A) group found at position 37 in several tRNAs to afford 2‐methylthio‐N6‐(isopentenyl)adenosine (ms2i6A). MiaB uses a reduced [4Fe–4S]+ cluster to catalyze a reductive cleavage of SAM to generate a 5′‐deoxyadenosyl 5′‐radical (5′‐dA•)—a required intermediate in its reaction—as well as an additional [4Fe–4S]2+ auxiliary cluster. In Escherichia coli and many other organisms, re‐reduction of the [4Fe–4S]2+ cluster to the [4Fe–4S]+ state is accomplished by the flavodoxin reducing system. Most mechanistic studies of MiaBs have been carried out on the enzyme from Thermotoga maritima (Tm), which lacks the flavodoxin reducing system, and which is not activated by E. coli flavodoxin. However, the genome of this organism encodes five ferredoxins (TM0927, TM1175, TM1289, TM1533, and TM1815), each of which might donate the requisite electron to MiaB and perhaps to other radical SAM enzymes. The genes encoding each of these ferredoxins were cloned, and the associated proteins were isolated and shown to support turnover by Tm MiaB. In addition, TM1639, the ferredoxin‐NADP+ oxidoreductase subunit α (NfnA) from Tm was overproduced and isolated and shown to provide electrons to the Tm ferredoxins during Tm MiaB turnover. The resulting reactions demonstrate improved coupling between formation of the 5′‐dA• and ms2i6A production, indicating that only one hydrogen atom abstraction is required for the reaction.
Structural Insights into the Microemulsion‐Mediated Formation of Fluoroquinolone Nanoantibiotics
Authors: Saleem Muhammad A. , Nazar Muhammad F. , Yameen Basit , Khan Asad M. , Hussain Syed Z. , Khalid Muhammad R. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractMicroemulsions (μEs) are being exploited as a potential route for yielding an extensive range of nanoparticles of different chemical nature, shapes and sizes. Nanodrugs offer new avenues for structuring better “drug delivery systems”. In this study, an oil‐in‐water (o/w) μE formulation comprising N‐butyl acetate/polysorbate 80/ethanol/water was developed for the preparation of nanoparticles of fluoroquinolone antibiotics (FLQ‐NPs). A pseudoternary phase diagram was mapped at constant surfactant/cosurfactant (1:2), revealing improved and high loading of FLQs in an optimum μE formulation. The as‐formulated μE showed high loading of FLQs as; levofloxacin (4.20 wt.%), ciprofloxacin (3.16 wt.%), moxifloxacin (2.53 wt.%), gatifloxacin (1.36 wt.%), ofloxacin (0.70 wt.%). Fourier transform IR analysis indicated good compatibility of each FLQ drug with μE excipients. However, dynamic light scattering showed an increase in the average particle size of the μE on drug loading, indicating the accumulation of FLQ at interface layer of the micelle. Additionally, lyophilized levofloxacin (a selected antibiotic) showed long‐term stability, amorphous morphology and improved dissolution rate, inspected by scanning transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction and electronic spectroscopy, respectively. Moreover, fluorescence measurements suggested the interfacial vicinity of levofloxacin within the μE domain, which may support controlled release of drug during systemic circulation.
Concise Review: Exploring Immunomodulatory Features of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells in Humanized Mouse Models
Authors: Mehler Vera J. , Burns Chris , Moore Melanie L. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractWith their immunosuppressive features, human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), sometimes also termed as mesenchymal stem cells, hold great potential as a cell-based therapy for various immune-mediated diseases. Indeed, MSCs have already been approved as a treatment for graft versus host disease. However, contradictory data from clinical trials and lack of conclusive proof of efficacy hinder the progress toward wider clinical use of MSCs and highlight the need for more relevant disease models. Humanized mice are increasingly used as models to study immune-mediated disease, as they simulate human immunobiology more closely than conventional murine models. With further advances in their resemblance to human immunobiology, it is very likely that humanized mice will be used more commonly as models to investigate MSCs with regard to their therapeutic safety and their immunomodulatory effect and its underlying mechanisms. Recent studies that explore the immunosuppressive features of MSCs in humanized mouse models will be discussed in this review. Stem Cells 2019;37:298–305
The political economy of water infrastructure: An introduction to financialization
Authors: Loftus Alex , March Hug , Purcell Thomas F. 
Published: November 2018

Water infrastructure has been financed by differing combinations of private and public ownership throughout history and across different geographies. In the present moment, processes of financialization suggest a radical reconfiguration of these arrangements in a number of locations, such that water infrastructure is being transformed into a wealth extraction mechanism. In this Primer Article, we introduce financialization, showing how the term describes a process through which financial actors have gained new power and in which the locus of profit making at least appears to have shifted from the “real economy” to a financial economy. In the case of water infrastructure, processes of financialization have enabled apparently fixed and stable forms such as pipes, water treatment plants, and sewers to be transformed into liquid assets, opening up new opportunities for sovereign wealth funds and pension fund investors. The super‐profits made by these financial actors are best conceptualized as forms of rent, derived in part from the monopoly ownership of a basic need. This distinctive shift needs to be positioned in relation to broader changes in the political economy of water infrastructure. We situate financialization historically in relation to the development of water utilities and networks: municipalization and nationalization during the first decades of the 20th century, privatization since the 1990s, and renewed interest in remunicipalization in some places alongside the deepening logic of financialization in others. We conclude by thinking through the likely implication of water financialization for future infrastructural arrangements.This article is categorized under:

Human Water > Value of Water
Human Water > Water Governance
Engineering Water > Planning Water
Lead speciation of PM2.5 collected from Greater Cairo, Egypt and Zarqa, Jordan: An energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence and X‐ray absorption near edge structure study
Authors: Shaltout Abdallah A. , Ahmed Sameh I. , Harfouche Messaoud , Hassan Salwa K. , Eid Kamal A. 
Published: November 2018

Fine aerosol particles with an aerodynamic diameter equal or less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) have been collected from two sites (residential and industrial) in Greater Cairo, Egypt and one site in Zarqa, Jordan. Based on the elemental quantitative analysis of PM2.5 using energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence with Mo secondary target, Pb concentrations increased remarkably during winter season regardless of the sampling location. Moreover, it reached the maximum concentration at the industrial location of Greater Cairo, Egypt, and it equals 415 ± 485 ng/m3. The remarkable high standard deviation is due to the significant variation of Pb concentration from time to time during that winter season. Depending on the energy dispersive X‐ray fluorescence results, specific PM2.5 samples that have the highest concentration of Pb (two samples/location) have been selected for the X‐ray absorption near edge structure measurements to estimate the oxidation state of Pb species. The X‐ray absorption near edge structure measurements including 13 Pb references have been carried out at Pb‐L3 absorption edge (13.039 keV) using fluorescence mode. It was shown that PM2.5 contains divalent and tetravalent lead in both industrial site in Greater Cairo, Egypt and urban site of Zarqa, Jordan although that of a residential area of Greater Cairo‐Egypt is almost divalent lead.
The Persistence of Organizational Deviance: When Informal Sanctioning Systems Undermine Formal Sanctioning Systems
Authors: Warren Danielle E. 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACT:Organizations adopt formal sanctioning systems to deter ethical violations, but the formal systems’ effectiveness may be undermined by informal sanctioning systems which promote violations. I conducted an ethnographic study of six trading crowds on two financial exchanges to understand how informal and formal sanctioning systems, which are grounded in different interpretations of equity, interact to affect trader deviance from rules established by the financial exchange (exchange deviance). To deter informal trader norms that conflict with exchange rules, the exchanges formally prohibit traders’ informal sanctions. The exchanges, however, underestimate traders’ informal sanctions related to ostracism and social rejection, which are not only difficult for the exchanges to detect, but also interpersonally hurtful and harmful to trader performance. Consequently, the traders’ informal social sanctions lead to secondary sanctions from trading firms. Ultimately, the informal sanctioning system evades the formal sanctioning system by exploiting what the exchanges deem to be minor rule violations.
Prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms in Canadian Hospitals. Comparison of point-prevalence survey results from 2010, 2012, and 2016
Authors: Martin Philippe , Abou Chakra Claire Nour , Williams Victoria , Bush Kathryn , Dyck Myrna , Hirji Zahir , Kiss Alex , Larios Oscar E. , McGeer Allison , Moore Christine , Weiss Karl , Simor Andrew E. ,   Infection Prevention and Control Canada
Published: November 2018

AbstractObjectivePoint-prevalence surveys for infection or colonization with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CREs), and for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) were conducted in Canadian hospitals in 2010 and 2012 to better understanding changes in the epidemiology of antimicrobial-resistant organisms (AROs), which is crucial for public health and care management.MethodsA third survey of the same AROs in adult inpatients in Canadian hospitals with ≥50 beds was performed in February 2016. Data on participating hospitals and patient cases were obtained using standard criteria and case definitions. Associations between ARO prevalence and institutional characteristics were assessed using logistic regression models.ResultsIn total, 160 hospitals from 9 of the 10 provinces with 35,018 adult inpatients participated in the survey. Median prevalence per 100 inpatients was 4.1 for MRSA, 0.8 for VRE, 1.1 for CDI, 0.8 for ESBLs, and 0 for CREs. No significant change occurred compared to 2012. CREs were reported from 24 hospitals (15%) in 2016 compared to 10 hospitals (7%) in 2012. Routine universal or targeted admission screening for VRE decreased from 94% in 2010 to 74% in 2016. Targeted screening for MRSA on admission was associated with a lower prevalence of MRSA infection. Large hospitals (>500 beds) had higher prevalences of CDI.ConclusionThis survey provides national prevalence rates for AROs in Canadian hospitals. Changes in infection control and prevention policies might lead to changes in the epidemiology of AROs and our capacity to detect them.
Looking backward through the looking glass: Reference groups and social comparison
Authors: Lee Juil , Rhee Mooweon , Park Kyung Min 
Published: November 2018

AbstractScholars often assume that reference groups are industry-wide, homogeneous, and stable. We examine this assumption and suggest hypotheses based on managers’ motivations such as self-enhancement and self-improvement, social identity, and affiliation-based impression management. We test hypotheses on failure-induced changes in reference groups and their direction in terms of upward and downward comparisons. An empirical examination of changes in reference groups for firms listed on the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index between 1993 and 2008 shows that performance below social aspirations induces changes in reference groups and toward upward comparisons. The results indicate that managers can choose to change the reference group – a cognition-centered response – as an alternative to such action-centered responses as organizational search and risk-taking in response to poor performance from social aspirations and that upward comparisons may be the result of social performance shortfalls to give a better impression and to improve firm performance.
An orb-weaver spider (Araneae, Araneidae) from the early Eocene of India
Authors: Patel Raman , Rana Rajendra Singh , Selden Paul A. 
Published: November 2018

AbstractA new fossil spider is described from the early Eocene (Ypresian) Palana Formation (54 to 57 Ma) at the Gurha opencast lignite mine, near Bikaner, western Rajasthan, India. It is the first report of a nonamber fossil spider from India. The fossil is referred to the modern genusNephilaLeach, 1815, but with hesitation because, while its habitus is similar to that genus, it lacks the behavioral synapomorphies that distinguish the genus.
Radiocarbon Dating Informs Tree Fern Population Dynamics and Disturbance History of Temperate Forests in Southeast Australia
Authors: Fedrigo Melissa , Stewart Stephen B , Kasel Sabine , Levchenko Vladimir , Trouvé Raphael , Nitschke Craig R 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTTree ferns are slow-growing and long-lived components of temperate forests; however, these characteristics make determining size-age and population dynamics through mensuration approaches problematic while dendroecological approaches cannot be used. In this study, we use radiocarbon (14C) dating ofCyathea australisandDicksonia antarcticato (1) determine their age-to-size relationships, (2) reconstruct the age distribution of tree fern species, and (3) test if predicted ages align with the ages of the co-occurring tree community and observed disturbance history. We used the best age-size models to reconstruct the population structure of tree ferns sampled in five paired rainforest and old-growth eucalypt stands and compared these to the age structure of co-occurring tree species. The species had similar growth allometry; however,C. australisgrew four times faster thanD. antarctica. The age class structures of tree ferns were congruent with the associated tree species and reflected known fire history and snowfall events in the region. Tree fern abundance increased with increasing time-since-fire and post canopy disturbance. The study demonstrates that14C dating of tree ferns provides a means of investigating tree fern demographics and the role of disturbance in shaping their population structure in forests of southeast Australia.
Partitioning of Microbially Respired CO2 Between Indigenous and Exogenous Carbon Sources During Biochar Degradation Using Radiocarbon and Stable Carbon Isotopes
Authors: Munksgaard Niels C , McBeath Anna V , Ascough Philippa L , Levchenko Vladimir A , Williams Alan , Bird Michael I 
Published: November 2018

ABSTRACTPyrolized carbon in biochar can sequester atmospheric CO2 into soil to reduce impacts of anthropogenic CO2 emissions. When estimating the stability of biochar, degradation of biochar carbon, mobility of degradation products, and ingress of carbon from other sources must all be considered. In a previous study we tracked degradation in biochars produced from radiocarbon-free wood and subjected to different physico-chemical treatments over three years in a rainforest soil. Following completion of the field trial, we report here a series of in-vitro incubations of the degraded biochars to determine CO2 efflux rates, 14C concentration and δ13C values in CO2 to quantify the contributions of biochar carbon and other sources of carbon to the CO2 efflux. The 14C concentration in CO2 showed that microbial degradation led to respiration of CO2 sourced from indigenous biochar carbon (≈0.5–1.4 μmoles CO2/g biochar C/day) along with a component of carbon closely associated with the biochars but derived from the local environment. Correlations between 14C concentration, δ13C values and Ca abundance indicated that Ca2+ availability was an important determinant of the loss of biochar carbon.