bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phytol and Phytyl Fatty Acid Esters: Occurrence, Concentrations, and Relevance
Authors: Krauß Stephanie , Vetter Walter 
Published: April 2018

Phytyl fatty acid esters (PFAE) are long chain isoprenoid esters consisting of phytol esterified to fatty acids. Phytol, which is mainly known as side chain of the plant pigment chlorophyll, is released during chlorophyll breakdown. PFAE mainly function as storage forms for free phytol to protect plant cells as phytol shows membrane toxic properties. Surprisingly, only scattered data on PFAE can be found in the literature. For instance, PFAE are known to occur in mosses, selected leaves of higher plants, and also in some fruits and vegetables. As PFAE seem to be fissile in the human body, their phytol moiety is bioavailable and can be converted into phytanic acid. Patients with Refsum's disease cannot metabolize phytanic acid and accumulate it in blood and organs with severe consequences. For treatment, patients must keep a special diet avoiding foods with high amounts of phytanic acid or free phytol with the tolerable daily intake being ≤10 mg. In addition, PFAE in fruits and vegetables directly add to the intake of phytol or rather phytanic acid. Therefore, their contents must be taken into account regarding dietary recommendations. This review summarizes the literature data on occurrence, concentrations, and analytical methods for the determination of PFAE.Practical application: The data provided give an overview of matrices containing PFAE which also include edible plant parts. This information can help improving the life quality of patients suffering from Refsum's disease. Additionally, a summary of different analytical methods for the determination of PFAE is presented which will hopefully encourage further research on this class of esters.Phytyl fatty acid esters (PFAE) are long chain isoprenoid esters consisting of trans‐phytol esterified with fatty acids. They are reported to occur in several mosses and algae, in leaves of some higher plants as well as in selected fruits and vegetables. In contrast to chlorophyll, PFAE are found to be a potential source for bioavailable trans‐phytol. Free trans‐phytol is known as a precursor for phytanic acid which cannot be metabolized by patients with Refum's disease. Hence, edible plant parts with elevated PFAE levels add to the daily tolerable intake of phytanic acid for these patients. This review gives an overview of occurrence, variability, and contents of PFAE and summarizes various analytical methods for their determination.
Microwave‐Assisted Extraction of Lipids from Wet Microalgae Paste: A Quick and Efficient Method
Authors: de Moura Renata R. , Etges Bianca J. , dos Santos Elisane O. , Martins Tatiana G. , Roselet Fabio , Abreu Paulo C. , Primel Ednei G. , D'Oca Marcelo G. M. 
Published: April 2018

This article proposes an easy, quick, and efficient microwave method for the routine laboratory extraction of lipids from wet microalgae paste. A microwave synthesis instrument is used, and time and temperature are optimized using a central composite design. A chloroform/methanol mixture (2:1 v/v) is used as extractor solvent and the ideal condition is 1 min of microwave irradiation at 80 °C using power mode at 300 W. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows extensive cell damage leading to cracking, fragmentation, and large debris in a shorter treatment time. In addition, the fatty acids profile shows that microwave irradiation method has no degrading effect on the extracted fatty acids. The extraction by microwave achieves a significantly higher yield (33.6 ± 2.6%) with only 1 min of extraction time than conventional ultrasonic extraction (20 min, 25 °C, 28.51 ± 0.8% yield) from wet Nannochloropsis oculata biomass. Next, the efficiency of the extraction method in is evaluated in terms of species variation by applying it to the algal paste of Amphora coffeaeformis, Chaetoceros gracilis, and Isochrysis galbana. The lipid content obtained from A. coffeaeformis, C. gracilis, and I. galbana is 16.27 ± 1.5, 22.31 ± 2.5, and 19.87 ± 2.4%, respectively. Thus, the microwave method is successfully applied to algal paste.Practical Applications: The microalgal cell wall disruption is an important and complex stage and effective methods of disruption are fundamental to extracting lipids. This study shows an easy, quick, and efficient microwave method for application in routine laboratory extraction of lipids from wet microalgae pastes. A microwave compact instrument is used and the ideal condition is 1 min of microwave irradiation. The method proves to be robust against variation in mass achieved and significantly higher yield in a shorter time than ultrasonic extraction (conventional method).The microalgal cell disruption is an important and complex stage. The use of microwaves to induce cell disruption in wet biomass proves to be efficient for lipid extraction with only 1 min of extraction time. The method is applied successfully to wet microalgae pastes with different cell walls and the microwave radiation does not degrade the extracted fatty acids.
Graphene Quantum Dots‐based Electrochemical Biosensor for Catecholamine Neurotransmitters Detection
Authors: Baluta Sylwia , Lesiak Anna , Cabaj Joanna 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAn useful electrochemical sensing approach was developed for epinephrine (EP) detection based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and laccase modified glassy carbon electrodes (GC). The miniature GC biosensor was designed and constructed via the immobilization of laccase in an electroactive layer of the electrode coated with carbon nanoparticles. This sensing arrangement utilized the catalytic oxidation of EP to epinephrine quinone. The detection process was based on the oxidation of catecholamine in the presence of the enzyme – laccase. With the optimized conditions, the analytical performance demonstrated a high degree of sensitivity −2.9 μA mM−1 cm−2, selectivity in a broad linear range (1–120×10−6 M) with detection limit of 83 nM. Moreover, the method was successfully applied for EP determination in labeled pharmacological samples.
Improving the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells Through Solvent Vapor Annealing‐based Morphology Control of the Hole‐Transport Layer
Authors: Liu Guanchen , Xie Xiaoyin , Zeng Fanming , Liu Zhihai 
Published: April 2018

AbstractIn this work, we improved the performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) by controlling the morphology of 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis‐(N,N‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene (spiro‐OMeTAD) layers using a solvent vapor annealing method. We found that this technique could result in a smoother morphology of the spiro‐OMeTAD layer, which further improved the contacts at the perovskite/spiro‐OMeTAD and spiro‐OMeTAD/Au interfaces. Consequently, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of PSCs improved from 14.62 to 16.73 % along with simultaneous enhancements of the open‐circuit voltage, short‐circuit current density, and fill factor. The hysteresis of the PSCs decreased significantly from 4.4 to 0.6 %. Moreover, the degradation in the PCE of the PSCs for long‐term storage was reduced from 19 to 14 % over the period of 144 hours. The best PSC based on a solvent vapor‐annealed spiro‐OMeTAD layer exhibited a high PCE of 17.15 % with a stable power output. Our results indicate that using solvent vapor annealing to control the morphology of spiro‐OMeTAD layers is an effective method for fabricating high‐performance PSCs.
Advocacy for children with epilepsy: Leveraging the WHA resolution. Advocacy Task Force, Commission of Pediatrics, International League Against Epilepsy
Authors: Wilmshurst Jo M. , Guekht Alla , Secco Mary , Helen Cross J. , Perucca Emilio ,   on behalf of the Advocacy Task Force, Commission of Pediatrics, International League Against Epilepsy
Published: April 2018

SummaryIn May 2015 the World Health Assembly (WHA) approved the Resolution on the Global Burden of Epilepsy. This report addresses how the Resolution can be leveraged to improve the care of children with epilepsy worldwide. Children with epilepsy have unique needs and face unique challenges from stigma at all levels of society. Children lack a voice to lobby for their own needs, including their right to have access to education. Effective leadership and governance should be enhanced through the support of stakeholders empowered to counsel, advise, and lobby for appropriate care. National health care plans should integrate primary and specialist care, and they need to be adapted to local specificities. Antiepileptic medicines should be widely accessible in appropriate, sustained, and affordable ways. Public awareness initiatives are needed to improve the inclusion of affected children in society and to reduce stigma. Cost‐effective interventions are also needed to address preventable causes of epilepsy. Without greater investment in research, evidence‐based interventions cannot be implemented. Through all of this, civil society must be engaged to ensure that the multivariate dimensions from the clinic to the community are addressed to fulfil the needs of children with epilepsy.
Dissipation of plant protection products from foliage
Authors: Ebeling Markus , Wang Magnus 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

In the environmental risk assessment for plant protection products in the European Union a default foliar dissipation half-life (DT50) of 10 d is used for the risk assessment of herbivorous birds and mammals feeding on sprayed foliage. This generic DT50 of 10 d is based on a compilation of residue trials conducted over 30 yr ago, in which many compounds and formulations were considered that are not used anymore. We therefore reassessed foliar dissipation based on a data set of 396 residue trials covering 30 compounds. Foliar DT50s were calculated, and potential factors determining dissipation were analyzed, such as crop group, residue zone, and rainfall. The strongest source of variability was found between individual trials. Other factors, including the residue zone and crop group, did not have a significant impact on dissipation. Only heavy rainfall (&gt;6.5 mm/d, i.e., the 95th percentile of rainfall) had a statistically significant influence, although rainfall explained only approximately 5% of the overall variability. Moderate rainfall (≤6.5 mm/d) did not significantly correlate with dissipation and explained only 0.1% of the overall variability. Most importantly, the differences in DT50s between crops and residue zones were neither marked nor statistically significant; hence, trials from different residue zones and crops could be pooled to obtain more robust half-lives. Over all compounds, trials, zones, and crops the geometric mean DT50 was 3.2 d (90th percentile 7.9 d). Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1926–1932. © 2018 SETAC
Evaluation of the use of bias factors with water monitoring data
Authors: Mosquin Paul L. , Aldworth Jeremy , Chen Wenlin 
Published: April 2018

Abstract

Aquatic exposure assessments using surface water quality monitoring data are often challenged by missing extreme concentrations if sampling frequency is less than daily. A bias factor method has been previously proposed to address this concern for peak concentrations, where a bias factor is a multiplicative quantity to upwardly adjust estimates so that the true value is exceeded 95% of the time. In other words, bias factors are statistically protective adjustments. We evaluate this method using a research data set of 69 near-daily sampled site-years from the Atrazine Ecological Monitoring Program, dividing the data set into 23 reference and 46 validation site-years. Bias factors calculated from the reference data set are used to evaluate the method using the validation set for 1) point estimation, 2) interval estimation, and 3) decision-making. Sampling designs are every 7, 14, 28, and 90 d; and target quantities of assessment interest are the 90th and 95th percentiles and maximum m-day rolling averages (m = 1, 7, 21, 60, 90). We find that bias factors are poor point estimators in comparison with alternative methods. For interval estimation, average coverage is less than nominal, with coverage at individual site-years sometimes very low. Positive correlation of bias factors and target quantities, where present, adversely affects method performance. For decision rules or screening, the method typically shows very low false-negative rates but at the cost of extremely high false-positive rates. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1864–1876. © 2018 SETAC
Evaluative Thinking as a Collaborative Social Practice: The Case of Boundary Judgment Making
Authors: Schwandt Thomas A. 
Published: April 2018

AbstractEvaluative thinking is often portrayed as an individual undertaking requiring cognitive capacities for analytical and critical thinking along with a set of intellectual dispositions. This chapter reviews that perspective and, without denying its importance, suggests that evaluative thinking can also be depicted as a collaborative social practice. That idea is explained and then illustrated using the example of boundary setting in evaluation.
Co‐surfactant, co‐solvent, and hydrotropic properties of some common cooling agents
Authors: Larcinese‐Hafner Valeria , Tchakalova Vera 
Published: April 2018

AbstractCooling agents are small organic molecules known to evoke a sensation of cold by interaction with the transient receptor. In the present study, we demonstrate experimentally that some cooling agents could behave as hydrotropes in aqueous solutions in the absence of surfactants, and also as co‐surfactants/co‐solvents in aqueous solutions in the presence of a surfactant forming an interfacial film. The hydrotropy and co‐surfactancy/co‐solvency effect depends strongly on the type of perfumery ingredient. The hydrotrope concentration, the concentration at which the water solubility of the perfumery compound is enhanced, is surprisingly low, in the mmol/L range.
Social Media for Fisheries Science and Management Professionals: How to Use It and Why You Should
Authors: Shiffman David S 
Published: April 2018

Abstract
Social media has revolutionized how people communicate with one another. This has important implications for science, environmental advocacy, and natural resource management, with numerous documented professional benefits for people in each of these fields. Some fisheries management professionals have been wary of social media use, in no small part due to unfamiliarity. The goal of this paper is to summarize the professional benefits of social media usage that are applicable for fisheries science and management professionals and to provide a detailed guide for those who wish to get started. Though many Web 2.0 tools exist, this paper will focus on the use of Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.
Effect of sweet potato endogenous amylase activation on in vivo energy bioavailability and acceptability of soy‐enriched orange‐fleshed sweet potato complementary porridges
Authors: Birungi Catherine , Nabubuya Agnes , Mukisa Ivan Muzira 
Published: April 2018

AbstractEnergy bioavailability can be influenced by food matrix factors and processing conditions or treatments. In this study, the effects of endogenous sweet potato amylase enzyme activation and slurry solids content of soy‐enriched orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) porridges on in vivo energy bioavailability (energy, weight gain, and feed efficiency ratio) and porridge acceptability were determined. Fifty‐six weanling albino rats were randomly assigned to two blocks each having eight groups of seven rats. The rats were housed in individual cages in a well‐ventilated animal house. The intervention block had rats fed on activated porridges (held at 75°C for 15 min), while rats in the control block were fed on nonactivated porridges (boiled at 90–95°C for 10 min). The rats were fed for 28 days on 50 ml of porridge per rat per day. The four groups per block were each fed on porridges with varying amounts of total solids content (10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%). Weight gain, energy bioavailability, and feed efficiency ratio were determined at the end of the feeding period. Consumer acceptability of activated and nonactivated porridges at 25% solids content was determined using a nontrained human panel (n = 40). Activation of amylases did not significantly (p > .05) affect the bioavailable energy, cumulative weight gain, and feed efficiency of the rats. Increasing slurry solids content of activated and nonactivated porridges significantly (p < .05) increased feed efficiency ratio (−14.6 ± 11.7 to 102.3 ± 2.3), weight gain (−1.4 to 5.6 g ± 1.9 g), and bioavailable energy (702.8 ± 16.2 to 1242.8 ± 12.2 kcal). Activation of amylases reduced porridge viscosity but did not significantly influence the overall acceptability. This work demonstrates the opportunity of utilizing sweet potato amylases to facilitate the preparation of complementary porridges with appropriate viscosity and increased energy density.
Correlation of TET2 SNP rs2454206 with improved survival in children with acute myeloid leukemia featuring intermediate‐risk cytogenetics
Authors: Wang Xingjuan , Chen Xi , Yang Zhenzhen , Dou Hu , Lu Ling , Bi Junqin , Zou Lin , Yu Jie , Bao Liming 
Published: April 2018

AbstractSingle nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may influence the disease course and outcome of hematologic neoplasms. SNP rs2454206 is common in the TET2 gene, which plays a role in epigenetic regulation of myelopoiesis. Few investigations examined the role of TET2 SNP rs2454206 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and none of those studies was performed in Chinese populations. Here, we report the prevalence and clinical relevance of TET2 SNP rs2454206 in 254 Chinese patients with childhood AML. Our data demonstrate that TET2 SNP rs2454206AG/GG is associated with improved overall survival and event‐free survival in AML patients with intermediate‐risk cytogenetics features. The prognostic impact of TET2 SNP rs2454206AG/GG was independent of other common AML risk factors, such as age, white blood cell count, and FLT3‐ITD. No difference in TET2 expression levels in AML with TET2 SNP rs2454206AA and TET2 SNP rs2454206AG/GG was detected, indicating that TET2 SNP rs2454206 status does not affect TET2 expression in pediatric AML.
Usefulness of BCOR gene mutation as a prognostic factor in acute myeloid leukemia with intermediate cytogenetic prognosis
Authors: Terada Kazuki , Yamaguchi Hiroki , Ueki Toshimitsu , Usuki Kensuke , Kobayashi Yutaka , Tajika Kenji , Gomi Seiji , Kurosawa Saiko , Saito Riho , Furuta Yutaka , Miyadera Keiki , Tokura Taichiro , Marumo Atsushi , Omori Ikuko , Sakaguchi Masahiro , Fujiwara Yusuke , Yui Shunsuke , Ryotokuji Takeshi , Arai Kunihito , Kitano Tomoaki , Wakita Satoshi , Fukuda Takahiro , Inokuchi Koiti 
Published: April 2018

AbstractBCOR gene is a transcription regulatory factor that plays an essential role in normal hematopoiesis. The wider introduction of next‐generation sequencing technology has led to reports in recent years of mutations in the BCOR gene in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), but the related clinical characteristics and prognosis are not sufficiently understood. We investigated the clinical characteristics and prognosis of 377 de novo AML cases with BCOR or BCORL1 mutation. BCOR or BCORL1 gene mutations were found in 28 cases (7.4%). Among cases aged 65 years or below that were also FLT3‐ITD‐negative and in the intermediate cytogenetic prognosis group, BCOR or BCORL1 gene mutations were observed in 11% of cases (12 of 111 cases), and this group had significantly lower 5‐year overall survival (OS) (13.6% vs. 55.0%, P = 0.0021) and relapse‐free survival (RFS) (14.3% vs. 44.5%, P = 0.0168) compared to cases without BCOR or BCORL1 gene mutations. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that BCOR mutations were an independent unfavorable prognostic factor (P = 0.0038, P = 0.0463) for both OS and RFS. In cases of AML that are FLT3‐ITD‐negative, aged 65 years or below, and in the intermediate cytogenetic prognosis group, which are considered to have relatively favorable prognosis, BCOR gene mutations appear to be an important prognostic factor.
Parkin deficiency modulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation by attenuating an A20‐dependent negative feedback loop
Authors: Mouton‐Liger François , Rosazza Thibault , Sepulveda‐Diaz Julia , Ieang Amélie , Hassoun Sidi‐Mohamed , Claire Emilie , Mangone Graziella , Brice Alexis , Michel Patrick P. , Corvol Jean‐Christophe , Corti Olga 
Published: April 2018

AbstractNeuroinflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, key mechanisms in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD), are usually explored independently. Loss‐of‐function mutations of PARK2 and PARK6, encoding the E3 ubiquitin protein ligase Parkin and the mitochondrial serine/threonine kinase PINK1, account for a large proportion of cases of autosomal recessive early‐onset PD. PINK1 and Parkin regulate mitochondrial quality control and have been linked to the modulation of innate immunity pathways. We report here an exacerbation of NLRP3 inflammasome activation by specific inducers in microglia and bone marrow‐derived macrophages from Park2−/− and Pink1−/− mice. The caspase 1‐dependent release of IL‐1β and IL‐18 was, therefore, enhanced in Park2−/− and Pink1−/− cells. This defect was confirmed in blood‐derived macrophages from patients with PARK2 mutations and was reversed by MCC950, which specifically inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome complex formation. Enhanced NLRP3 signaling in Parkin‐deficient cells was accompanied by a lack of induction of A20, a well‐known negative regulator of the NF‐κB pathway recently shown to attenuate NLRP3 inflammasome activity. We also found an inverse correlation between A20 abundance and IL‐1β release, in human macrophages challenged with NLRP3 inflammasome inducers. Overall, our observations suggest that the A20/NLRP3‐inflammasome axis participates in the pathogenesis of PARK2‐linked PD, paving the way for the exploration of its potential as a biomarker and treatment target.
Analyzing medical costs with time‐dependent treatment: The nested g‐formula
Authors: Spieker Andrew , Roy Jason , Mitra Nandita 
Published: April 2018

AbstractAs medical expenses continue to rise, methods to properly analyze cost outcomes are becoming of increasing relevance when seeking to compare average costs across treatments. Inverse probability weighted regression models have been developed to address the challenge of cost censoring in order to identify intent‐to‐treat effects (i.e., to compare mean costs between groups on the basis of their initial treatment assignment, irrespective of any subsequent changes to their treatment status). In this paper, we describe a nested g‐computation procedure that can be used to compare mean costs between two or more time‐varying treatment regimes. We highlight the relative advantages and limitations of this approach when compared with existing regression‐based models. We illustrate the utility of this approach as a means to inform public policy by applying it to a simulated data example motivated by costs associated with cancer treatments. Simulations confirm that inference regarding intent‐to‐treat effects versus the joint causal effects estimated by the nested g‐formula can lead to markedly different conclusions regarding differential costs. Therefore, it is essential to prespecify the desired target of inference when choosing between these two frameworks. The nested g‐formula should be considered as a useful, complementary tool to existing methods when analyzing cost outcomes.