bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
pH‐responsive squeezing polysaccharidic nanogels for efficient docetaxel delivery
Authors: Noh Gwang Jin , Lim Seon A , Lee Eun Seong 
Published: May 2019

In this study, we report pH‐responsive polysaccharidic nanogels comprising starch grafted with 3‐(diethylamino)propylamine (DEAP, as an inner soft nanogel core) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, as an outer hydrophilic nanogel shell). Here, the DEAP moieties (pKb ~ pH 7.0) enhance the lipophilicity of the nanogel core at pH 7.4, improving the loading efficiency of an antitumor model drug (docetaxel [DTX]) in the core. However, the DEAP moieties could be protonated below pH 7.0, resulting in the mediation of ion‐dipole interactions with hydroxyl groups abundant in starch backbone. This event causes the electrostatic condensation of the nanogel core and enables the acceleration of drug release by squeezing of the core. We demonstrated that the nanogels selectively release the drug given a weakly acidic pH stimulus. These drug release trends are reversible with changes in pH. As a result, the nanogels are able to efficiently reduce MDA‐MB‐231 tumor cell population in acidic pH environments.
Patient preferences for prenatal testing and termination of pregnancy for congenital anomalies and genetic diseases in Ethiopia
Authors: Brooks Daniel , Asta Katharine , Sturza Julie , Kebede Birhanu , Bekele Delayehu , Nigatu Balkachew , Hewison Jenny , Quinonez Shane C. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjectiveAs prenatal diagnostic services expand throughout low‐income countries, an important consideration is the appropriateness of these services for patients. In these countries, services now include prenatal ultrasound and occasionally genetic testing. To assess patient interest, we surveyed pregnant patients at a hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on their preferences for prenatal testing and termination of affected pregnancies for congenital anomalies and genetic diseases.MethodOne hundred one pregnant patients were surveyed on their preferences for prenatal testing and termination of affected pregnancies using a survey covering various congenital anomalies and genetic diseases.ResultsEighty‐nine percent of patients reported interest in testing for all conditions. Three percent of patients were not interested in any testing. Over 60% of patients reported interest in termination for anencephaly, early infant death, severe intellectual disability, hemoglobinopathy, and amelia. Patients were more likely to express interest in prenatal testing and termination for conditions associated with a shortened lifespan.ConclusionEthiopian patients were interested in prenatal testing and termination of pregnancy for many conditions. Advancing prenatal diagnostic capacities is a potential strategy for addressing the incidence of congenital anomalies and genetic disease in Ethiopia. Importantly, there exist many factors and technological limitations to consider before implementation.
Ultrasound Assessment of Weight‐Bearing and Non–Weight‐Bearing Meniscal Extrusion: A Reliability Study
Authors: Reisner Jacob H. , Franco John M. , Hollman John H. , Johnson Adam C. , Sellon Jacob L. , Finnoff Jonathan T. 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundUltrasound has become a useful instrument in evaluating musculoskeletal pathology. Recent studies suggest that ultrasound imaging of weight‐bearing menisci may enhance the assessment of knee pathology, such as osteoarthritis (OA) and meniscal injuries.ObjectiveThe primary aim of this study was to determine the intrarater and interrater reliability of ultrasound measurements of medial meniscal extrusion (MME) after a brief training session.DesignProspective reliability study.SettingPhysical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) department within a tertiary care institution.ParticipantsForty‐five participants (29 female, 16 male) were recruited to serve as models, 24 of whom had healthy knees and 21 of whom had radiographically confirmed medial compartment knee OA. Three physician sonographers (1 = experienced, 1 = sports medicine fellow, 1 = post‐graduate year [PGY]‐4 PM&R resident) were recruited to serve as operators.Methods or InterventionsOperators received a brief training session on identifying and measuring MME. All operators measured bilateral MME in each model in the standing and supine positions on two separate days. Operators were blinded to all measurements.Main Outcome MeasurementsPrimary outcomes were inter‐ and intrarater intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of MME measurements among operators with different levels of ultrasound experience.ResultsSupine MME intrarater reliability ICCs were 0.927, 0.885, and 0.780 for the experienced physician, sports medicine fellow, and PGY‐4 operators, respectively. Standing MME intrarater reliability ICCs were 0.941, 0.902, and 0.824 for the experienced physician, sports medicine fellow, and PGY‐4 operators, respectively. Interrater reliability ICCs were 0.896 and 0.842 for supine and standing measurements, respectively. There was a statistically significant increase in intrarater reliability with experience between the PGY‐4 resident and experienced physician operators.ConclusionsOperators with different levels of ultrasound experience demonstrated good MME measurement intra‐ and interrater reliabilities in both supine and standing positions.
4‐(4‐Bromophenyl)thiazol‐2‐amine: Crystal structure determination, DFT calculations, visualizing intermolecular interactions using Hirshfeld surface analysis, and DNA binding studies
Authors: Channar Pervaiz A. , Arshad Nasima , Larik Fayaz A. , Farooqi Shahid I. , Saeed Aamer , Hökelek Tuncer , Batool Bakhtawar , Ujan Rabail , Ali Hafiz Saqib , Flörke Ulrich 
Published: May 2019

Abstract2‐Aminothiazole is a valuable synthon in organic synthesis and an important structural unit of pharmaceutically active drugs. It is accessible via several synthetic routes. In the current account, compound 4 {4‐(4‐bromophenyl) thiazol‐2‐amine} was synthesized by employing a recently reported procedure of Gabriel synthesis using Lawesson reagent. The title compound was characterized through spectro‐elemental analytical data, and its crystal structure was determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The torsion angles, bond lengths, and bond strengths between the planes of the thiazole and phenyl rings were optimized by theoretical calculations by applying the B3LYP/6‐311++G(d,p) level for the purpose of investigating the conformational effects on the stabilization of the crystal packing. HOMO‐LUMO analysis, vibrational analysis, and thermodynamic parameters were also investigated. A detailed analysis of the intermolecular interactions of thiazole moiety bearing the amino and bromophenyl ring has been performed based on the Hirshfeld surfaces and their associated two‐dimensional fingerprint plots. The relative contributions of the main intermolecular contacts as well as the enrichment ratios derived from the Hirshfeld surface analysis establish the 2‐aminothiazole synthon to be a molecule of great interest. DNA binding studies pointed towards anticancer potency of the synthesized compound via reversible binding.
Intensity‐based 2D‐3D registration for an ACL reconstruction navigation system
Authors: Guo Na , Yang Biao , Ji Xuquan , Wang Yuhan , Hu Lei , Wang Tianmiao 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTo improve the positioning accuracy of tunnels for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, we proposed an intensity‐based 2D‐3D registration method for an ACL reconstruction navigation system. Methods for digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) generation, similarity measurement, and optimization are crucial to 2D‐3D registration. We evaluated the accuracy, success rate, and processing time of different methods: (a) ray‐casting and splating were compared for DRR generation; (b) normalized mutual information (NMI), Mattes mutual information (MMI), and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient (SRC) were assessed for similarity between registrations; and (c) gradient descent (GD) and downhill simplex (DS) were compared for optimization. The combination of splating, SRC, and GD provided the best composite performance and was applied in an augmented reality (AR) ACL reconstruction navigation system. The accuracy of the navigation system could fulfill the clinical needs of ACL reconstruction, with an end pose error of 2.50 mm and an angle error of 2.74°.
Light Management in Organic Photovoltaics Processed in Ambient Conditions Using ZnO Nanowire and Antireflection Layer with Nanocone Array
Authors: Tavakoli Mohammad Mahdi , Dastjerdi Hadi Tavakoli , Zhao Jiayuan , Shulenberger Katherine E. , Carbonera Chiara , Po Riccardo , Cominetti Alessandra , Bianchi Gabriele , Klein Nathan D. , Bawendi Moungi G. , Gradecak Silvija , Kong Jing 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLow carrier mobility and lifetime in semiconductor polymers are some of the main challenges facing the field of organic photovoltaics (OPV) in the quest for efficient devices with high current density. Finding novel strategies such as device structure engineering is a key pathway toward addressing this issue. In this work, the light absorption and carrier collection of OPV devices are improved by employment of ZnO nanowire (NW) arrays with an optimum NW length (50 nm) and antireflection (AR) film with nanocone structure. The optical characterization results show that ZnO NW increases the transmittance of the electron transporting layer as well as the absorption of the polymer blend. Moreover, the as‐deposited polymer blend on the ZnO NW array shows better charge transfer as compared to the planar sample. By employing PC70BM:PV2000 as a promising air‐stable active‐layer, power conversion efficiencies of 9.8% and 10.1% are achieved for NW devices without and with an AR film, indicating 22.5% and 26.2% enhancement in PCE as compared to that of planar device. Moreover, it is shown that the AR film enhances the water‐repellent ability of the OPV device.
Can the effects of environmental enrichment modulate BDNF expression in hippocampal plasticity? A systematic review of animal studies
Authors: Barros Waleska , David Mirian , Souza Ana , Silva Mariluce , Matos Rhowena 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackground and aim: Environmental enrichment (EE) can be related to changes in the expression of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus of adult rodents. Exposure to EE may also induce neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG). The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the current literature on the correlation between neurogenesis and BDNF expression in the hippocampal DG region resulting from exposure to EE, which is associated with changes in memory, in rodents. Methods: Bibliographic searches of the Medline/PubMed and ScienceDirect databases were carried out, and 334 studies were found. A predefined protocol was used and registered on PROSPERO, and 32 studies were included for qualitative synthesis. The PRISMA was used to report this systematic review. Results: Most of the included studies showed that there is little evidence in the literature demonstrating that memory changes resulting from EE are dependent on BDNF expression and that there is an induction of neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG. However, the observed increase in molecular expression levels and cell proliferation is dependent on the age, the timing and duration of exposure to EE. Regarding the methodological quality of the studies, the majority presented a risk of bias due to the high variability in the age of the animals. Conclusion: There are few studies in the literature that correlate the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in neurogenesis in the hippocampal DG with BDNF expression in this region in rodents exposed to EE; however, there are other factors that can modulate this neurogenesis.
Structural Engineering of Semiconductor Nanoparticles by Conjugated Interfacial Bonds
Authors: Peng Yi , Liu Qiming , Chen Shaowei 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSurface functionalization of semiconductor nanoparticles plays a significant role in the manipulation of the nanoparticle physicochemical properties and diverse applications. Conventional points of anchor involve mercapto, carboxyl and phenol moieties, forming largely nonconjugated interfacial linkages. In this personal account, we summarize recent progress in surface functionalization of semiconductor nanoparticles with olefin and acetylene derivatives, where the formation of conjugated interfacial bonds leads to ready manipulation of the nanoparticle optical and electronic properties, by using Si and TiO2 nanoparticles as the illustrating examples. Finally, a perspective is included where the promises and challenges of structural engineering of semiconductor nanoparicles are highlighted.
Postglacial paleoceanography and paleoenvironments in the northwestern Barents Sea
Authors: Ivanova Elena , Murdmaa Ivar , de Vernal Anne , Risebrobakken Bjørg , Peyve Alexander , Brice Camille , Seitkalieva Elvira , Pisarev Sergey 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Barents Sea offers a suitable location for documenting advection of warm and saline Atlantic Water (AW) into the Arctic and its impact on deglaciation and postglacial conditions. We investigate the timing, succession, and mechanisms of the transition from proximal glaciomarine to marine environment in the northwestern Barents Sea. Two studied sediment cores demonstrate diachronous retreat of the grounded ice sheet from the Kvitøya Trough (core S2528) to Erik Eriksen Trough (core S2519). Oxygen isotope records from core S2528 depict a two-step pattern, with lower δ18O values prior to the Younger Dryas (YD), and higher values afterward because of advection of the more saline,18O-enriched AW. At this location, subsurface AW penetration increased during the Allerød and YD/Preboreal transition. In the study area, foraminiferal and dinocyst data from the YD interval suggest cold conditions, extensive sea-ice cover, and brine formation, along with the flow of chilled AW at subsurface and the development of a high-productivity polynya in the Erik Eriksen Trough. Dense winter sea-ice cover with seasonal productivity persisted in the Kvitøya Trough area during the early Holocene, whereas surface warming seems to have occurred during the middle Holocene interval.
Results of Analysis of Digital Elevation Models Used Site Selection for Paleoseismological Investigations at the Rurrand Fault
Authors: Hinzen K.G. , Reamer K. , Rose T. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractTopographic and morphologic models based on detailed Digital Elevation Models (DEM) of the Rur Graben, in particular a 33 km section of the Rurrand Fault, proved to be essential in preliminary investigations for the site selection of a trench for detailedpaleoseismologicalinvestigations. The entire DEM in the 33 km Jülich-Düren area displayed as a color-shaded terrain map clearly illustrates the main features of the eastern border fault of the Rur Graben. As investigations concentrated on the 8x6 km Stetternich-Hambach section of the Rurrand fault, the use of contoured topographic, gray-shaded terrain and terrain slope maps helped delineate the main features of the surface fault expression. On the basis of topographic profiles constructed from the DEM, no fault scarp could be identified; however, the detailed surveying results from two geophysical profiles correlated well with the topographic data.
TheKāludāyi-Theragāthāas transmitted in the Pali commentaries
Authors: Gamage Aruna 
Published: May 2019

AbstractWhile theTheragāthācontains only ten verses attributed to the Elder Kāludāyi, the Pali commentaries ascribe a further two sets of verses to him. The present article aims to carry out a detailed survey of these verses, which have so far received no scholarly attention, as a contribution to the understanding of the formation of Kāludāyi's verses in the canon and their paracanonical legacy. In this paper, the additional verses of Kāludāyi that appear in the commentaries are critically analysed in light of all other utterances attributed to him, in the canon as well as in the commentaries. The style, syntax, and wordings of specific stanzas of both series will be taken into consideration so as to evaluate their antiquity and their literary quality. When dealing with the rhetorical devices adapted in the stanzas, some Sanskrit poems are also taken into account.
The nature and function of theErnian lülingmanuscript unearthed from Zhangjiashan Han tomb no. 247
Authors: Jingrong Li 
Published: May 2019

AbstractLegal manuscripts excavated from tombs serve as important materials for research on Qin and Han laws. These manuscripts differ from received legal texts or law documents found at archaeological sites in nature and function, as they were stored as funeral texts in tombs. This article studies theErnian lülingmanuscript in terms of its nature and function. It argues that the manuscript compiled in the second year of Empress Lü (186bce) nearing the death of the owner was not produced for official use but specifically for burial in the tomb. This article further proposes that the burial of theErnian lülingmanuscript may have taken place to illustrate the social status and official capabilities of the owner to the underworld. The investigation of theErnian lülingmanuscript in its archaeological context helps us achieve a stronger understanding of the dating, origins, completeness, and compilation of its text.
Recapitalization or Reform? The Bankruptcy of the First Dutch West India Company and the Formation of the Second West India Company, 1674
Authors: Odegard Erik 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Dutch West India Company (WIC), founded in 1621, was, in the words of the States General, “disbanded and destroyed” in September 1674 due to bankruptcy. In its stead, a second West India Company was founded, with a charter largely taken over from the first. This article explores how the dissolution of the first company and the conflicting interests of stockholders, bondholders, and company directors were managed. As it turns out, the old company was not actually liquidated; instead, its assets were simply handed over to the successor company, while an intricate financial construction was devised to take care of the debt burden and to capitalize the new company. The reasons for this unusual arrangement must be sought in the company's great political, and particularly geopolitical, importance. Since the Dutch state was unwilling and unable to handle colonial governance and defence itself, it needed a placeholder in the form of a chartered company. However, the bankruptcy of the WIC, coming at the time it did, had major consequences for the shape of the Dutch Atlantic of the eighteenth century.
Risk and Failure in Tax Farming: De Bruijn & Cloots of Lisbon and the Portuguese Tobacco Monopoly, 1722–1727
Authors: Miranda Susana Münch 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBy examining how a Dutch firm in Lisbon operated two Portuguese tobacco tax farms from 1722 to 1727 and failed subsequently, this article brings together, on the one hand, research on the relationship between state and business groups through a monopolistic rent provided by the empire and, on the other hand, a growing literature discussing institutional and economic variables, as well as human agency, in business failure in early modern Europe. The article aims to achieve two goals. The first is to shed light on the perspective of the Dutch tax farmers, highlighting why they chose to incur the risks of managing a nationwide sales monopoly and the business model they implemented to maximize profits and mitigate risks, while the second is to examine the general and specific reasons behind their ultimate downfall. It concludes that, despite the organizational innovations they introduced and that led them to exploit interconnected businesses, the Dutch partners were unable to overcome the negative effects of conjunctural and contingent factors that temporarily squeezed the domestic consumption of tobacco.
Multiresistant Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Causing an Outbreak of Nosocomial Bloodstream Infection
Authors: Gonzalez-Vertiz Artemio , Alcantar-Curiel Dolores , Cuauhtli Marcela , Daza Carlos , Gayosso Catalina , Solache Graciela , Horta Cruz , Mejia Francisco , Santos Jose I. , Alpuche-Aranda Celia 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThis article describes an outbreak of bloodstream infection due to clonal dissemination of multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a neonatal area, during August 1999, in México City General Hospital. The intestinal tract was the likely reservoir, and intensification of Contact Precaution measures contained the outbreak.
Reproductive performance during early pregnancy in cattle with contrasting early pregnancy rates
Authors: McMillan W.H , Peterson A J. , Cox S.F. , Pearson S.J. , Donnison M.J. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractCauses of variation amongst cattle within a herd in their ability to initiate and maintain pregnancy are largely unknown. An experimental animal resource has recently been established to understand the biology of early reproductive performance. This paper summarises the results achieved during the establishment phase and from several experiments aimed at determining the physiological basis of the difference between sub-herds of contrasting pregnancy rates on Day 60. Each of 155 contemporary yearling heifers received 2 in vitro-produced embryos on 6 separate occasions during a 26-month period. Sixty days after transfer, pregnancy and twinning rates were determined ultrasonically, pregnancies terminated and the process repeated. The interval between successive transfers was greater than 100 days. Heifers were ranked on their aggregate pregnancy rate performance after 6 rounds of transfer, and the highest (High) and lowest (Low) 25 were retained. Differences in reproductive performance during the establishment phase of the herd are reported. In addition, several subsequent experiments examined ovarian follicle turnover and progesterone levels during an oestrous cycle, early embryo development after either AI or embryo transfer, and protein, interferon tau and ubiquitin-cross-reactive protein levels in uterine luminal flushings.Pregnancy rates were 7-folder higher in the High sub-herd (76 vs. 11%), with much of this difference apparent by Day 25. The proportion of heifers observed in standing oestrus prior to embryo transfer and the interval from the end of synchronisation treatment to the onset of oestrus were similar in the sub-herds. Oestrous cycle length, ovarian follicular dynamics and progesterone profiles during the oestrous cycle were also similar. More conceptuses had elongated by Day 14 in the High sub-herd (67 vs. 14%, P<0.05), which also tended to have a higher pregnancy rate after artificial insemination (52 vs. 29, P<0.1). Total protein in flushings from the uterus was similar in the sub-herds on Day 14 and Day 17. Conceptuses in the High sub-herd were longer on Day 17 following embryo transfer (6.5 vs. 4.8, P<0.05). Interferon-tau levels were higher in the High sub-herd (25.9 vs. 16.1, P<0.01), although ubiquitin cross-reactive protein levels were also higher in the High sub-herd, but this difference just failed to reach significance. We conclude that: 1. Most of the difference in sub-herd pregnancy rate occurs within 3 weeks of ET; 2. Ovarian factors are unlikely to contribute to the difference; 3. Major differences occur after blastocyst hatching and probably depend upon a differing endometrial environment before Day 14; 4. Differences in the ability of the uterine milieu to stimulate the expression of interferon-tau may be responsible for the differences in pregnancy rate; 5. The two sub-herds are a unique experimental resource for understanding early pregnancy in cattle following either AI or ET.