bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.) essential oil: Antioxidant properties and antibacterial activity against Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Luís Ângelo , Sousa Sónia , Wackerlig Judith , Dobusch Daniel , Duarte Ana Paula , Pereira Luísa , Domingues Fernanda 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe increased resistance of pathogenic bacteria to multiple antimicrobial agents is becoming a significant public health threat. For many pathogenic bacteria there are already limited or no effective antimicrobials available to treat the infections caused by them. Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram‐negative, biofilm‐forming, nonmotile coccobacillus and a major human pathogen causing hospital‐acquired infections, such as ventilator‐associated pneumonia, bacteraemia, meningitis, and urinary tract and wound infections. There is therefore a clear need to discover new compounds and strategies to overcome widespread antimicrobial resistance, with a focus on A. baumannii strains. Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f.) has been widely used as an ingredient in traditional Chinese cooking, as a flavouring agent, and as a medicine for over 3000 years; however, the essential oil (EO) isolated from star anise has not been further characterized in terms of its bioactivities and potential applications. In this work, a screening of the biological properties of star anise EO together with its chemical characterization were performed. Special attention was given to the impact of this EO in the formation of biofilms by A. baumannii. It was demonstrated that star anise EO is able to scavenge free radicals, to inhibit lipid peroxidation, and to inhibit protein denaturation, which is associated with its antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties. Moreover, the effects of the EO on the planktonic and biofilm cells of A. baumannii, inhibiting the formation of biofilms, dispersing preformed biofilms, and decreasing the capacity of the bacterial cells to adhere to polystyrene, together with its ability to inhibit quorum sensing, were also demonstrated.
Limited data to evaluate real‐world effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy for mucopolysaccharidosis type I
Authors: Kuiper Gé‐Ann , Nijmeijer Stephanie C. M. , Roelofs Manouck J. M. , van der Lee Johanneke H. , Hollak Carla E. M. , Bosch Annet M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractOrphan medicinal products (OMPs) are often authorized based on pivotal phase II and III trials that do not always meet high quality criteria. Laronidase is an example of an OMP used for treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I). One randomized controlled trial demonstrated efficacy on several somatic symptoms. However, effectiveness in the real‐world setting remains to be determined. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) on clinically relevant outcomes in MPS I. A search in OVID MEDLINE and OVID EMBASE was performed. Postmarketing studies including MPS I patients treated with ERT and reporting data on any of 19 predefined clinical outcome measures obtained before the start of ERT and at follow‐up were eligible. Three scenarios were used to define effectiveness of ERT. The first scenario (A) assumes that improvement is essential, while the second scenario (B) also includes stabilization of signs and symptoms. The third scenario (C) defines failure of therapy. Twenty case series were included. The criteria indicating effectiveness (A), were met for four of 19 outcome measures while the criteria, indicating unclear effectiveness (B) were met for five of 19. For one of 19 nonverifiable data were reported and for nine of 19 no overall conclusions could be drawn (ambiguous results). Real‐world effectiveness of laronidase is extremely difficult to assess, 15 years after marketing authorization. This is partially due to insufficient natural history data. We recommend the conduct of rigorous and independent postmarketing studies including core outcome sets for OMPs, enforced by marketing and/or reimbursing authorities aiming to demonstrate real‐world effectiveness within a reasonable time frame.
Acid‐based approach for separation of peptide epimers using IM‐MS
Authors: Zimnicka Magdalena M. , Troć Anna 
Published: April 2019

AbstractChiral molecules frequently remain undistinguishable using ion mobility mass spectrometry (IM‐MS), due to insufficient differences of their collision cross sections at the available mobility resolution of the ion mobility drift tubes. The influence of the complexation with organic acids on the ion mobility separation of peptide epimers is evaluated using traveling‐wave ion mobility (TWIMS). The examined epimeric tripeptides containing Arg residue with the sequence: Ac‐Phe‐Arg‐Trp‐NH2formed stable complexes in the gas phase, and under the increased pressure in ion mobility drift tube, noncovalent associates formed with carboxylic or sulfonic monoacids and diacids with chiral variation of certain acids. Overall, the complexation with an acid leads to the improvement in stereodifferentiation among epimeric peptides, in comparison to the analysis of pure epimers. Detailed characterization of peptide epimer‐acid associates obtained for dibenzoyl‐D‐tartaric acid by theoretical calculations and collisional dissociation studies revealed that the presence of multiple hydrogen bonding interactions between carboxylate anions and hydrogens from N―H of both the guanidinium group of arginine and the indole of tryptophan, as well as the amide backbone hydrogens in the peptide, is responsible for stability of acid‐peptide complexes and for their differentiation in the ion mobility drift tube. The specificity of complex formation toward Arg was determined in terms of complex stability. Based on the reported results, we present general conclusions regarding the utility of the acid‐based complexation in the separation of peptide isomers.
FPGA implementation of chaos‐based high‐speed true random number generator
Authors: Gupta Ramji , Pandey Alpana , Baghel Rajendra Kumar 
Published: April 2019

AbstractA true random number generator (TRNG) is a basic building block of many modern cryptographic systems. As field programmable gate array (FPGA) has a flexible architecture and low‐cost test cycle, hence, it becomes an ideal platform for hardware implementation of digital systems. This paper presents an FPGA implementation of a high‐speed TRNG that is based on a chaotic oscillator at 100 MHz frequency with speed of 1600 Mbps. The experimental results show that the proposed generator is faster and more compact than the existing chaotic ring‐oscillator‐based TRNGs, and further, it is verified that the generated bit sequences pass all TRNG tests in National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SP 800‐22). The proposed TRNG is implemented in two FPGA families: Nexys 4 DDR XC7A100TCSG‐1 (Artix 7) and Basys 3 XC7A35T1CPG236C (Artix 7) Xilinx Vivado v.2017.3 design suite.
Paths to long‐term performance and strategic planning
Authors: Shin Sang Yoon 
Published: April 2019

AbstractA firm may ensure sustainability by pursuing long‐term performance through one of the three possible paths: adoption of long‐term perspectives within the existing business, extension into a new business and adoption of long‐term perspectives, and jump into the long‐term new business. Considering temporal dimension and business dimension, a firm pursues four types of performance: maintenance, sustainable growth, diversification, and transformation. Explorative strategic planning as well as exploitative one is required for a firm to successfully manage a balanced pursuit between long‐term performance and short‐term one.
Role of Ca2+ in phenolic compound metabolism of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) sprouts under NaCl stress
Authors: Ma Yan , Wang Pei , Zhou Ting , Chen Zhijie , Gu Zhenxin , Yang Runqiang 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe literature on the role of calcium ion (Ca2+) in relation to phenolic compounds metabolism and related enzymes activities remains controversial. It is still unclear whether Ca2+ affects phenolic compounds content of barley sprouts. This study investigated the role and function of Ca2+ in phenolic compound metabolism of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) sprouts under sodium chloride (NaCl) stress.RESULTSCalcium chloride (CaCl2) significantly improved total calcium and calmodulin (CaM) contents as well as Ca2+ concentration, and enhanced phenolic compound accumulation by regulating the gene, protein expression and the activities of enzymes related to phenolics biosynthesis. Specifically, CaCl2 significantly increased the activities of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), cinnamic acid 4‐hydroxylase (C4H), 4‐coumarate coenzyme A ligase (4CL) and ferulic acid 5‐hydroxylase (F5H) by up‐regulating the corresponding protein expression. The activity of p‐coumaric acid 3‐hydroxylase (C3H) decreased during germination while caffeic acid O‐methyltransferase (COMT) increased initially and then decreased, which was consistent with the changes in gene and protein expression under CaCl2 treatment. Conversely, lanthanum(III) chloride (LaCl3), ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 2‐aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2‐APB) induced opposite effects. Decreased calcium and CaM contents and Ca2+ concentration were observed, and fluctuation change of relevant gene and protein expressions and PAL, C4H, 4CL, C3H, COMT and F5H activitives were also detected.CONCLUSIONCalcium ion played an important role for mediating NaCl stress‐induced phenolics accumulation in barley sprouts. It required both Ca2+ influx and release from apoplast and intracellular stores, respectively. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Traction on the septum during transoral septotomy for Zenker diverticulum improves the final outcome
Authors: Provenzano Luca , Salvador Renato , Cutrone Cesare , Capovilla Giovanni , Moletta Lucia , Nicoletti Loredana , Costantini Mario , Merigliano Stefano , Valmasoni Michele 
Published: April 2019

ObjectiveTransoral diverticulostomy/septotomy has become a popular treatment for patients with Zenker diverticulum (ZD). To improve the results of transoral stapler‐assisted septotomy, a modification of the technique has been introduced. In this study, we aimed to compare the final outcome of such a modified transoral septotomy (MTS) with the results of traditional transoral septotomy (TTS) in patients with ZD.MethodsFifty‐two consecutive patients with ZD underwent transoral stapler‐assisted septotomy between 2010 and 2018. Symptoms were recorded and scored using a detailed questionnaire. Barium swallow, endoscopy, and manometry were performed before and after the procedure.ResultsOf the 52 patients forming the study population (male:female = 35:17), 25 had TTS and 27 had MTS. The patients’ demographic and clinical parameters were similar in the two groups. No intraoperative mucosal lesions were detected, and the mortality was nil. The median time taken to complete the procedure was 25 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 22–35) for TTS, and 30 minutes (IQR: 25–36) for MTS (P < 0.07). The median follow‐up was 69 months (IQR: 46–95) in the TTS group and 30 months (IQR: 25–35) in the MTS group. All patients in both groups had an improvement in their symptom score after the procedure, but the failure rates were 32% (8 of 25) after TTS and 3.7% (1 of 27) after MTS (P < 0.02).At univariate and multivariate analyses, the procedure was the only predictor of a positive final outcome.ConclusionAlbeit with the intrinsic limitations of the study (retrospective, different time window, and different follow‐up), traction on the septum during transoral septotomy improves the final outcome of this treatment in patients with ZD.Level of Evidence4Laryngoscope, 130:637–640, 2020
The Effect of Immunosuppression on Coagulation After Liver Transplantation
Authors: Bedreli Sotiria , Straub Katja , Achterfeld Anne , Willuweit Katharina , Katsounas Antonios , Saner Fuat , Wedemeyer Heiner , Herzer Kerstin 
Published: April 2019

Everolimus (EVR) is a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor commonly used for immunosuppression (IS) after liver transplantation (LT). However, there are concerns about whether mTOR inhibitors may move the hemostatic balance toward a higher likelihood of thrombosis. The present study aimed to investigate potential coagulation disorders after the administration of EVR. We evaluated 54 patients after conversion to an EVR‐based IS regimen (n = 26) and compared those patients with patients who were switched to extended‐release tacrolimus (TAC) but had never received EVR (n = 28). At baseline and again at 1 month and 6 months after conversion, we measured international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, and anticoagulation and fibrinolysis factors, and we performed rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). Data were analyzed with a Mann‐Whitney U test, a repeated‐measure analysis of variance, and a Fisher’s exact test. Statistical significance was set at the level of P ≤ 0.05. Plasma levels of von Willebrand factor, fibrinogen, and factor VIII were significantly higher than baseline levels at 1 month and 6 months after conversion of IS to EVR (P < 0.001); plasma levels of protein C, protein S, and plasminogen also increased significantly (P < 0.001). ROTEM confirmed a significant increase in maximum clot firmness in EXTEM, INTEM, and FIBTEM assays (P < 0.001). In all assays, maximum lysis was significantly lower than baseline levels at 1 month and 6 months after conversion to EVR. Patients converted to IS with extended‐release TAC exhibited no significant changes in coagulation variables. Retrospective analysis showed a significantly higher incidence of thromboembolic complications among patients treated with EVR‐based IS than among those treated with extended‐release TAC (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the administration of EVR after LT seems to modify hemostasis to a procoagulant state. Thrombophilia screening before conversion may determine which patients will benefit from conversion to EVR‐based IS.
Outcome of a First Episode of Bacterial Infection in Candidates for Liver Transplantation
Authors: Ferrarese Alberto , Vitale Alessandro , Sgarabotto Dino , Russo Francesco Paolo , Germani Giacomo , Gambato Martina , Cattelan Anna Maria , Angeli Paolo , Cillo Umberto , Burra Patrizia , Senzolo Marco 
Published: April 2019

Bacterial infection (BI) is a major cause of worsening of liver function and death in patients with cirrhosis who are awaiting liver transplantation (LT). This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of LT candidates after a first episode of BI between January 2006 and December 2014 at Padua University Hospital. Among 876 LT candidates with cirrhosis, 114 (13%) experienced an episode of BI. Of the 114 patients, 79 were male and 35 were female, and the median (interquartile range) age and Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease scores were 58 (12) years and 19 (8), respectively. When compared with matched LT candidates who experienced no BI, they had a higher probability of death (P = 0.004) and a lower probability of undergoing LT (P = 0.01). Considering only patients who recovered from BI within 30 days, their probabilities of death and of undergoing LT were similar to those of matched controls (P = 0.34 and P = 0.43, respectively). The 90‐day post‐LT mortality was equal between groups (P = 0.90). BI was a strong predictor of early death on the waiting list for LT. Conversely, patients who fully recovered from a BI episode within 30 days did not have a higher mortality risk than matched controls without infection.
Synthesis of Novel bis‐Triazolinedione Crosslinked Amphiphilic Polypept(o)ide Nanostructures
Authors: Brannigan Ruairí P. , Kimmins Scott D. , Bobbi Elena , Caulfield Séamus , Heise Andreas 
Published: April 2019

AbstractOwing to their wide range of inherent functionality, hydrolytic stability, biodegradability, and low toxicity, polypeptide‐based materials have been increasingly exploited for controlled drug release applications. More recently, the incorporation of poly(α‐peptoid)s such as poly(sarcosine) into polypeptide‐based materials has been investigated owing to their potential as naturally derived “stealth polymers.” Here the synthesis of novel amphiphilic polypept(o)ide nanoparticles is described utilizing silica templates as a macroinitiator for the ring‐opening copolymerization of l‐tryptophan and d/l‐phenylalanine NCAs and subsequent chain extension with sarcosine NCA. These particles are subsequently crosslinked utilizing the TAD‐indole “click” chemistry and the silica templates are eroded via treatment with HF yielding core crosslinked amphiphilic polypept(o)ide nanostructures. This synthetic strategy offers a unique platform to yield naturally‐derived degradable core‐crosslinked nanostructures, which may have the potential to be utilized in the future as delivery vehicles for hydrophobic small molecules.
Hierarchical Self‐Assembly of Peptides and its Applications in Bionanotechnology
Authors: Gerbelli Barbara B. , Vassiliades Sandra V. , Rojas Jose E. U. , Pelin Juliane N. B. D. , Mancini Rodrigo S. N. , Pereira Wallace S. G. , Aguilar Andrea M. , Venanzi Mariano , Cavalieri Francesca , Giuntini Francesca , Alves Wendel A. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSelf‐assembled structures obtained from organic molecules have shown great potential for applications in a wide range of domains. In this context, short peptides prove to be a particularly versatile class of organic building blocks for self‐assembled materials. These species afford the biocompatibility and polymorphic richness typical of proteins while allowing synthetic availability and robustness typical of smaller molecules. At the nano‐to‐mesoscale, the architectures obtained from peptide units exhibit stability and a large variety of morphologies, the most common of which are nanotubes, nanoribbons, and nanowires. This review describes the formation of peptide‐based self‐assembled structures triggered by different stimuli (e.g., ionic strength, pH, and polarity), and the interactions that drive the assembling processes. It is surveyed how judicious molecular design is exploited to impart favourable assembling properties to afford systems with desired characteristics. A large body of literature provides the experimental and in silico data to predict self‐assembly in a given peptide system and obtain different supramolecular organizations for applications in a wide range of fields, from transport to sensing, from catalysis to drug delivery and tissue regeneration.
Near‐Infrared Light‐Triggered Dual Drug Release Using Gold Nanorod‐Embedded Thermosensitive Nanogel‐Crosslinked Hydrogels
Authors: Jiang Sirui , Wang Kang , Dai Yu , Zhang Xiaojin , Xia Fan 
Published: April 2019

AbstractGold nanorod (AuNR)‐embedded poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogels offer the possibility of achieving near‐infrared (NIR) light‐triggered drug release. In addition, using nanoparticles as a crosslinker can enhance the mechanical properties of PNIPAM hydrogels, and nanoparticle‐crosslinked hydrogels provide an important approach for dual drug release. Here, NIR light‐triggered dual drug release using AuNR‐embedded thermosensitive nanogel‐crosslinked hydrogels is reported for the first time. Two kinds of drugs are encapsulated, one in the nanogel and the other in the hydrogel. The volume phase transition of the PNIPAM hydrogels is induced by NIR light by utilizing the photothermal effect of AuNRs. By changing the number of embedded AuNRs and the intensity of NIR light, the release rate and drug quantity can be adjusted for on‐demand release. Because of its NIR light‐triggering and nanoparticle‐crosslinking capabilities, AuNR‐embedded thermosensitive nanogel‐crosslinked hydrogels may expand the application scope of hydrogels and provide enhanced properties in their applications.
Improving Compressive Strength of Aramid Fiber by Introducing Carbon Nanotube Derivates Grafted with Oligomers of Different Conformations and Controlling Its Alignment
Authors: Yuan Yihao , Dai Yu , Meng Chenbo , Luo Longbo , Liu Xiangyang 
Published: April 2019

AbstractLow compressive strength of aramid fiber is one of the most prominent obstacles for its application as a strengthening material. Herein, based on nucleophilic reaction of CF bonds, fluorinated carbon nanotube (FCNT) derivates grafted with oligomers of different conformations are prepared to modify (Poly‐p‐phenylene‐benzimidazole‐terephthalamide) (PBIA) fiber. CF bonds of FCNT can react with benzimidazole units and terminal amino groups of PBIA oligomers. Therefore, FCNT derivates grafted with oligomers of different conformations can be obtained. Then, the FCNT derivates are blended with PBIA solution to prepare PBIA/FCNT composite fibers. Compressive strength is improved by nearly 34.7% and 107% for the fiber modified by FCNT derivates grafted with oligomers of parallel and vertical conformations, respectively. It is found that FCNT derivates grafted with oligomers of vertical conformation may be forced to be aligned vertically to axis of the fiber, which is more beneficial to improve lateral interaction and compressive strength of the fiber.
The concentration behavior of ground state solutions for a critical fractional Schrödinger–Poisson system
Authors: Yang Zhipeng , Yu Yuanyang , Zhao Fukun 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn this paper, we study the following critical fractional Schrödinger–Poisson system
urn:x-wiley:0025584X:media:mana201700398:mana201700398-math-0001where is a small parameter, and , is the fractional critical exponent for 3‐dimension, has a positive global minimum, and are positive and have global maximums. We obtain the existence of a positive ground state solution by using variational methods, and we determine a concrete set related to the potentials and Q as the concentration position of these ground state solutions as . Moreover, we consider some properties of these ground state solutions, such as convergence and decay estimate.
Sex-Specific Growth and Reproductive Dynamics of Red Drum in the Northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Bennetts Corbin F. , Leaf Robert T. , Brown-Peterson Nancy J. 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
The Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus stock is heavily targeted in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM) by recreational fishers and supports a small commercial fishery in Mississippi. Despite their popularity, little recent work has been done to describe their life history. In this work, we describe sex-specific growth and reproductive dynamics of Red Drum collected from the northern GOM from September 2016 through October 2017. We evaluated seven candidate growth models and found that the three-parameter von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) was the best candidate length-at-age model. No significant difference in growth between sexes was observed with the three-parameter VBGF, despite the female-specific curve having a larger mean asymptotic length than the male-specific curve. All seven candidate growth models predicted similar mean length-at-age estimates, and four of them exhibited significant differences in sex-specific mean length at age, with females reaching a larger length at age than males after age 5. There was no significant difference between the sex-specific weight-at-length relationships. Red Drum are batch spawners that spawn in northern GOM coastal waters during August and September. We estimated 3.7 d between spawns and 10.5 spawning events per female in 2017. Nearly 20% of fish collected during the spawning season were sexually mature but reproductively inactive, indicating the possibility of skipped spawning. The age at 50% maturity was around 3 years (length at 50% maturity = 670 mm TL) in both sexes, but fish were not spawning capable until age 4.5 (703 mm TL) in males and age 5.8 (840 mm TL) in females. Furthermore, elevated gonadosomatic indices were not observed until around age 5–6. The updated life history information presented in this work helps to address current data limitations and provides critical information for future assessments of Red Drum stocks in the northern GOM.