bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nanoscale Perovskites as Catalysts and Supports for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells
Authors: Li Luyao , Tan Sha , Salvatore Kenna L. , Wong Stanislaus S. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractWith the ultimate goal of simultaneously finding cost‐effective, more earth‐abundant, and high‐performance alternatives to commercial Pt/Pd‐based catalysts for electrocatalysis, this review article highlights advances in the use of perovskite metal oxides as both catalysts and catalyst supports towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) within a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) configuration. Specifically, perovskite metal oxides are promising as versatile functional replacements for conventional platinum‐group metals, in part because of their excellent ionic conductivity, overall resistance to corrosion, good proton‐transport properties, and potential for interesting acidic surface chemistry, all of which contribute to their high activity and reasonable stability, especially within an alkaline electrolytic environment.
Azaarene Dimers
Authors: Hahn Sebastian , Butscher Julian , An Qingzhi , Jocic Angelina , Tverskoy Olena , Richter Marcus , Feng Xinliang , Rominger Frank , Vaynzof Yana , Bunz Uwe H. F. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractBinaphthyl‐3,3′,4,4′‐tetraone was prepared and coupled to different bis(TIPS‐ethynyl)‐substituted (TIPS=triisopropyl silane) aromatic diamines, resulting in the formation of dimeric benzo‐fused azaacenes, centrally connected by a single bond. The two halves of the molecules are highly twisted with respect to each other and showed limited electronic interaction in the ground state because their absorption spectra remained very similar to those of the constituting monomers. The dimers displayed greatly reduced fluorescence when compared to the monomers, suggesting that there is a significant interaction of the two azarene units in the excited state. Preliminary investigations showed that the dimers are attractive for application as acceptors in organic photovoltaic because they significantly outperform their monomeric counterparts.
Aggregation‐Induced Emission‐Based Sensing Platform for Selective Detection of Zn2+: Experimental and Theoretical Investigations
Authors: Naskar Barnali , Dhara Anamika , Maiti Dilip K. , Kukułka Mercedes , Mitoraj Mariusz P. , Srebro‐Hooper Monika , Prodhan Chandraday , Chaudhuri Keya , Goswami Sanchita 
Published: April 2019

AbstractFluorescent chemosensors with aggregation induced emission enhancement (AIEE) emerge as promising tools in the field of sensing materials. Herein, we report the design, synthesis and applicability of a Schiff base chemosensor 1‐(benzo[1,3]dioxol‐4‐ylmethylene‐hydrazonomethyl)‐naphthalen‐2‐ol (Hbdhn) of AIE characteristics that exhibits highly effective and selective response towards Zn2+. The sensing effect of Hbdhn was evaluated by means of absorption/emission spectra and corresponding underlying photophysical mechanisms were proposed based on extensive quantum‐chemical (TD)DFT calculations. The aggregated states in different DMSO/H2O ratios and in a presence of Zn2+ were examined by fluorescence lifetime measurements, dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy studies. The bioimaging abilities of Hbdhn were evaluated for Zn2+ in HepG2 cancer cells. The results demonstrate instant, stable in time and reproducible, colorimetric turn‐on response with superb selectivity and sensitivity of Hbdhn towards Zn2+, based on chelation enhanced fluorescence mechanism. AIEE improves further Hbdhn properties, leading to strong, long‐lived fluorescence, with appearance of rod‐like particles, in 90 % of water in DMSO and only 10 % of water in DMSO in the presence of Zn2+. All these features combined with successful biomaging studies make Hbdhn one of the most promising candidate for practical applications among recently proposed related systems.
Can Cyanuric Acid and 2,4,6‐Triaminopyrimidine Containing Ribonucleosides be Components of Prebiotic RNA? Insights from QM Calculations and MD Simulations
Authors: Kaur Sarabjeet , Sharma Purshotam , Wetmore Stacey D. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAs a step toward assessing their fitness as pre‐RNA nucleobases, we employ DFT and MD simulations to analyze the noncovalent interactions of cyanuric acid (CA) and 2,4,6‐triaminopyrimidine (TAP), and the structural properties of the associated ribonucleosides (rNs) and oligonucleotides. Our calculations reveal that the TAP : CA pair has a comparable hydrogen‐bond strength to the canonical A : U pair. This strengthens the candidature of CA and TAP as prebiotic nucleobases. Further, the stacking between two canonical nucleobases is stronger than those between TAP or CA and a canonical base, as well as those between two TAP and/or CA, which indicates that enhanced stacking may have served as a driving force for the evolution from prebiotic to canonical nucleobases. Similarities in the DFT‐derived anti/syn rotational barriers and MD‐derived (anti) glycosidic conformation of the CA and TAP rNs and canonical rNs further substantiate their candidature as pre‐RNA components. Greater deglycosylation barriers (as obtained by DFT calculations) for TAP rNs compared to canonical rNs suggest TAP rNs indicate higher resistance to environmental factors, while lower barriers indicate that CA rNs were likely more suitable for less‐challenging locations. Finally, the tight packing in narrow CA:TAP‐containing helices suggests that the prebiotic polymers were shielded from water, which would aid their evolution into self‐replicating systems. Our calculations thus support proposals that CA and TAP can act as nucleobases of pre‐RNA.
Interactions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Acanthamoeba polyphaga Observed by Imaging Flow Cytometry
Authors: Dey Rafik , Rieger Aja M. , Stephens Caroline , Ashbolt Nicholas J. 
Published: April 2019

Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram‐negative bacterium that is abundant in the environment and water systems, with strains that cause serious infections, especially in patients with compromised immune systems. In times of stress or as part of its natural life cycle, P. aeruginosa can adopt a viable but not culturable (VBNC) state, which renders it undetectable by current conventional food and water testing methods and makes it highly resistant to antibiotic treatment. Specific conditions can resuscitate these coccoid VBNC P. aeruginosa cells, which returns them to their active, virulent rod‐shaped form. Underreporting the VBNC cells of P. aeruginosa by standard culture‐based methods in water distribution systems may therefore pose serious risks to public health. As such, being able to accurately detect and quantify the presence of VBNC P. aeruginosa, especially in a hospital setting, is of critical importance. Herein, we describe a method to analyze VBNC P. aeruginosa using imaging flow cytometry. With this technique, we can accurately distinguish between active and VBNC forms. We also show here that association of VBNC P. aeruginosa with Acanthamoeba polyphaga results in resuscitation of P. aeruginosa to an active form within 2 h. Our approach could provide an alternative, reliable detection method of VBNC P. aeruginosa when coupled with species‐specific staining. Most importantly, our experiments demonstrate that the coculture with amoebae can lead to a resuscitation of P. aeruginosa of culturable morphology after only 2 h, indicating that VBNC P. aeruginosa could potentially resuscitate in piped water (healthcare) environments colonized with amoebae. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
Rapid sex determination of a wild passerine species using loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)
Authors: Koch Hanna R. , Blohm‐Sievers Elke , Liedvogel Miriam 
Published: April 2019

AbstractMany bird species are sexually monomorphic and cannot be sexed based on phenotypic traits. Rapid sex determination is often a necessary component of avian studies focusing on behavior, ecology, evolution, and conservation. While PCR‐based methods are the most common technique for molecularly sexing birds in the laboratory, a simpler, faster, and cheaper method has emerged, which can be used in the laboratory, but importantly also in the field. Herein, we used loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for rapid sex determination of blood samples from juvenile European blackcaps, Sylvia atricapilla, sampled in the wild. We designed LAMP primers unique to S. atricapilla based on the sex chromosome‐specific gene, chromo‐helicase‐DNA‐binding protein (CHD), optimized the primers for laboratory and field application, and then used them to test a subset of wild‐caught juvenile blackcaps of unknown gender at the time of capture. Sex determination results were fast and accurate. The advantages of this technique are that it allows researchers to identify the sex of individual birds within hours of sampling and eliminates the need for direct access to a laboratory if implemented at a remote field site. This work adds to the increasing list of available LAMP primers for different bird species and is a new addition within the Passeriformes order.
Achieving Meaningful Access to Medicaid
Authors: Francis Leslie , Silvers Anita 
Published: April 2019

AbstractFederal and state budgetary constraints continually challenge Medicaid. The effects of benefit cuts are common: long waiting lists for community‐based services, skeletonized drug formularies with unstable access to long‐term prescriptions, no psychiatric therapy for people immobilized by depression, and no more than fourteen days of acute hospitalization. Reimbursements may be so low that providers cannot hire qualified staff and must reduce services, close facilities, or refuse to take Medicaid altogether. Misguided efficiency policies may afflict some groups of patients as well. Decisions to narrow access rights to publicly funded health care promote the perception that more broadly inclusive programs would be unwisely and unfairly generous. They also risk characterizing disability rights as “special,” confined to a narrow class of people who charitably ought not to be expected to provide for themselves. In contrast, on a philosophical view we have been exploring—one that addresses problems of justice under circumstances of injustice by pursuing rather than reducing inclusion—efforts like these are unjust.
Medical School: The Wrong Applicant Pool?
Authors: Appel Jacob M. 
Published: April 2019

AbstractEvidence‐based medicine has become both the mantra of clinical practice and the dominant contemporary approach to patient care. Gordon Guyatt et al. first proposed applying the concept to medical education in the early 1990s, arguing for training that “de‐emphasizes intuition, unsystematic clinical experience, and pathophysiologic rationale” in favor of “examination of evidence from clinical research”; over the following twenty‐five years, nearly every medical school and residency program in the United States incorporated these methods into its training. During this same period, admissions requirements and protocols have continued to rely on subjective, non‐evidence‐based ideals largely developed a century earlier. In light of the continued underrepresentation of certain demographic groups among matriculants, as well as the national controversy surrounding admissions standards at undergraduate institutions—most notably embodied in the lawsuit by Students for Fair Admissions against Harvard University—the moment may be ripe for a radical reexamination of those requirements.
Measuring catastrophic medical expenditures: Reflections on three issues
Authors: Wagstaff Adam 
Published: April 2019

AbstractIn the “basic” approach, medical expenses are catastrophic if they exceed a prespecified percentage of consumption or income; the approach tells us if expenses cause a large percentage reduction in living standards. The ability‐to‐pay (ATP) approach defines expenses as catastrophic if they exceed a prespecified percentage of consumption less expenses on nonmedical necessities or an allowance for them. The paper argues that the ATP approach does not tell us whether expenses are large enough to undermine a household's ability to purchase nonmedical necessities. The paper compares the income‐based and consumption‐based variants of the basic approach, and shows that if the individual is a borrower after a health shock, the income‐based ratio will exceed the consumption‐based ratio, and both will exceed the more theoretically correct Flores et al. ratio; whereas if the individual continues to be a saver after a health shock, the ordering is reversed and the income‐based ratio may not overestimate Flores et al.'s ratio. Last, the paper proposes a lifetime money metric utility (LMMU) approach defining medical expenses as catastrophic in terms of their lifetime consequences. Under certain assumptions, the LMMU and Flores et al. approaches are identical, and neither requires data on how households finance their medical expenses.
Arteriovenous fistula after robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: A rare case report
Authors: Suzuki Ryosuke , Goto Takayuki , Kohno Shigeshi , Kita Yuki , Shimizu Hironori , Kobayashi Takashi , Yamasaki Toshinari , Ogawa Osamu , Inoue Takahiro 
Published: April 2019

IntroductionArteriovenous fistula after radical prostatectomy is very uncommon. We report a rare case of pseudoaneurysm associated with arteriovenous fistula following robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy.Case presentationA 67‐year‐old man diagnosed with prostatic adenocarcinoma underwent robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. He had a fever and lower abdominal pain with sign of peritoneal irritation, and his blood hemoglobin level dropped on postoperative day 11. Hemorrhage in the pelvic space with extravascular leakage was detected by contrast‐enhanced computed tomography, and he underwent emergency angiography. An aneurysmal dilatation with early venous drainage was confirmed in a branch of the left internal iliac artery, and we diagnosed arteriovenous fistula. Transcatheter arterial embolization was performed, and the aneurysmal structure subsequently disappeared.ConclusionArteriovenous fistula may occur as a complication of robot‐assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy. Transcatheter arterial embolization appears to be a useful and minimally invasive treatment.
Assessment of cerebral hemodynamics during neurosurgical procedures using laser speckle image analysis
Authors: Venugopal Krishnapriya , Unni Sujatha N. , Bach Annika , Conzen Catharina , Lindauer Ute 
Published: April 2019

AbstractAneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a severe medical condition associated with a significant cause of mortality throughout the world. Cisterna magna injection model is accepted widely to mimic clinical aSAH and is performed on small animal models to study aSAH during neurosurgery. Coherent light scattered from the surface of the rat brain is used to infer information about the variations in blood flow during this condition. We obtained speckle images from the exposed cortex during the entire experiment using an external tissue imaging system. Contrast and fractal analyses are carried out for the recorded speckle pattern time series. Correlation analysis based on Hurst exponent for these images is found to be a more sensitive tool in studying aSAH as compared to routinely used laser speckle contrast analysis for assessing the changes in blood flow velocity. Additionally, our studies provide improved blood flow detection sensitivity with image Hurst exponent in combination with computed fractal dimension, during an event of aSAH.
Inhibition of indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase attenuates endotoxin‐mediated tolerance in granulosa cells through kynurenine pathway
Authors: Dahiya Sunita , Onteru Suneel Kumar , Singh Dheer 
Published: April 2019

AbstractOvarian granulosa cells (GCs) have been shown to have innate immune capabilities, which modulate their native endocrine functions through toll‐like receptors (TLRs). We have recently shown that GCs exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 1.0 µg/mL) transiently regulate proinflammatory cytokine expression (interleukin 1β [IL‐1β], IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor α) through chromatin remodeling. In the present study, we have demonstrated that GCs become tolerant to LPS on repeated exposure of LPS. To understand the mechanism of this endotoxin tolerance (ET) phenomenon in buffalo GCs, we have further studied the genome‐wide transcriptomic analyses in buffalo GCs (unpublished data) and identified indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) gene, known to be involved in tryptophan catabolism, was found to be highly upregulated in endotoxin‐tolerant GCs. Real‐time gene expression analyses also showed similar results. Further analyses of tryptophan and tryptophan metabolite, kynurenine, showed that tryptophan was found to be depleted with the accumulation of kynurenine in the endotoxin‐tolerant GCs. The effect of IDO1 induced ET was reversed when cells were pretreated with IDO1 inhibitor (1‐methyl tryptophan, 1 mM). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the role of IDO1 gene in ET in GCs mimicked by repeated endotoxin exposure in vitro. In summary, the present study convincingly demonstrated that the tryptophan catabolism, through the kynurenine pathway, plays a crucial role as an immunomodulatory mechanism of ET in GCs. The finding could be exploited in developing potential therapeutics to treat impaired GCs function due to the ET underlying prolonged uterine or systemic infection leads to accumulation of endotoxin in follicular fluid.
Retracted: lncRNA‐ATB promotes viability, migration, and angiogenesis in human microvascular endothelial cells by sponging microRNA‐195
Authors: Zhu Ai‐Dong , Sun Ying‐Ying , Ma Qiu‐Ju , Xu Fei 
Published: April 2019

AbstractThe atherosclerosis in the arterial system of the extremities is considered as the major pathogenesis of peripheral arterial disease. The present work aimed to explore the potential role of long noncoding RNA activated by tumor growth factor‐β (lncRNA‐ATB) on the dysfunction of endothelial cells. Human microvascular endothelial cells (HMEC‐1) were transfected with lncRNA‐ATB expressing vectors, and then the formation of tubes and expression of proteins associated with angiogenesis were analyzed using microscope and reverse transcription‐quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR)/Western blot analysis. Cell viability, migration, and microRNA‐195 (miR‐195) expression were examined by Cell Counting Kit‐8 assay, modified Boyden chambers, Western blot analysis, and RT‐qPCR. The interaction between lncRNA‐ATB and miR‐195 was determined by RT‐qPCR, dual‐luciferase reporter assay, and biotin‐avidin pull‐down assay. Finally, expression of key kinases in the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways was determined by Western blot analysis. We found vascular tubulogenesis was induced spontaneously when HMEC‐1 cells were cultured in Matrigel‐coated plates. lncRNA‐ATB overexpression increased cell viability, migration and formation of tubes, along with upregulation of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2), MMP‐9, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Then, we found lncRNA‐ATB worked as a molecular sponge for miR‐195, and the effects of lncRNA‐ATB on HMEC‐1 cells were reversed by miR‐195 overexpression while were augmented by miR‐195 inhibition. Phosphorylated levels of key kinases in the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways were increased by lncRNA‐ATB via miR‐195. In conclusion, lncRNA‐ATB enhanced cell viability, migration and angiogenesis in HMEC‐1 cells through sponging miR‐195. Moreover, the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways were activated by lncRNA‐ATB via miR‐195.
Delta neutrophil index as a prognostic marker in emergent abdominal surgery
Authors: Soh Jae Seung , Lim Sang‐Woo 
Published: April 2019

BackgroundDelta neutrophil index (DNI) is the fraction of circulating immature granulocytes provided by a routine, complete blood cell analyzer. It is known to be a useful prognostic marker of sepsis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of DNI in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients who had undergone emergent surgery for an acute abdomen.MethodsA total of 694 patients who had visited the emergency room for acute abdominal pain and undergone emergent abdominal surgery from May 2015 to September 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical characteristics, laboratory findings on the day of hospital visit, hospital stay, postoperative complications, and 30‐day mortality were investigated.ResultsIn the analysis of patients who had undergone an operation for acute peritonitis, the DNI was a good predictor for predicting 30‐day mortality rate (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.826). It was not inferior to other laboratory values, including activated partial thromboplastin time (AUC: 0.729), C‐reactive protein (AUC: 0.727), albumin (AUC: 0.834), prothrombin time (AUC: 0.816), and creatinine (AUC: 0.837) known to be associated with sepsis. Patients with high DNI displayed higher incidence of bacteremia and sepsis, longer hospital stay, higher postoperative complication rate, and higher 30‐day mortality rate than patients with low DNI. Among patients diagnosed with acute appendicitis, the DNI was a useful marker for differentiating appendiceal perforation.ConclusionThe DNI was a practical and useful marker for predicting the prognosis of patients who needed emergent abdominal surgery.
Sumoylation of PPARγ contributes to vascular endothelium insulin resistance through stabilizing the PPARγ–NcoR complex
Authors: Lan Dongyi , Shen Xiaodan , Yuan Wanwan , Zhou Yumeng , Huang Qiren 
Published: April 2019

AbstractSumoylation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) affects its stabilization, sublocalization, and transcriptional activity. However, it remains largely unknown whether PPARγ sumoylation inhibits the transactivation effect, leading to endothelium insulin resistance (IR). To test this possibility, human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs) with a 90% confluence were randomly allocated to two batches. One batch was first pretreated with or without vitamin E for 24 hr and the other infected with adenoviruses containing either PIAS1‐shRNA (protein inhibitor of activated STAT1‐short hairpin RNA) or scramble shRNA. Cells were suffered from high glucose and palmitic acid (PA) exposure for further 48 hr. The levels of PPARγ, p‐IKK, IKK, and NcoR (nuclear corepressors) were measured by western blot analysis. The interaction of IKK and PIAS1, as well as the PPARγ sumoylation, were examined by coimmunoprecipitation. The results showed that the exposure of high glucose and PA induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and IKK activation in HUVECs, promoting the interaction of IKK and PIAS1 and the sumoylation of PPARγ. However, vitamin E and PIAS1‐shRNA partially decreased ROS production and IKK activation induced by high glucose and PA exposure. These data indicate that ROS–IKK–PIAS1 pathway mediates PPARγ sumoylation, leading to endothelium IR via stabilizing PPARγ–NcoR complex. These findings benefit understanding of regulatory networks of insulin signaling, which might provide a potential target to prevent and cure IR‐related diseases.