bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Performance of Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Gout in a Multicenter Study: Comparison With Monosodium Urate Monohydrate Crystal Analysis as the Gold Standard
Authors: Ogdie Alexis , Taylor William J. , Neogi Tuhina , Fransen Jaap , Jansen Tim L. , Schumacher H. Ralph , Louthrenoo Worawit , Vazquez‐Mellado Janitzia , Eliseev Maxim , McCarthy Geraldine , Stamp Lisa K. , Perez‐Ruiz Fernando , Sivera Francisca , Ea Hang‐Korng , Gerritsen Martijn , Cagnotto Giovanni , Cavagna Lorenzo , Lin Chingtsai , Chou Yin‐Yi , Tausche Anne‐Kathrin , Lima Gomes Ochtrop Manuella , Janssen Matthijs , Chen Jiunn‐Horng , Slot Ole , Lazovskis Juris , White Douglas , Cimmino Marco A. , Uhlig Till , Dalbeth Nicola 
Published: October 2016

ObjectiveTo examine the performance of ultrasound (US) for the diagnosis of gout using the presence of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals as the gold standard.MethodsWe analyzed data from the Study for Updated Gout Classification Criteria (SUGAR), a large, multicenter observational cross‐sectional study of consecutive subjects with at least 1 swollen joint who conceivably may have gout. All subjects underwent arthrocentesis; cases were subjects with confirmed MSU crystals. Rheumatologists or radiologists who were blinded with regard to the results of the MSU crystal analysis performed US on 1 or more clinically affected joints. US findings of interest were double contour sign, tophus, and snowstorm appearance. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with positive US results among subjects with gout.ResultsUS was performed in 824 subjects (416 cases and 408 controls). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for the presence of any 1 of the features were 76.9%, 84.3%, 83.3%, and 78.2%, respectively. Sensitivity was higher among subjects with a disease duration of ≥2 years and among subjects with subcutaneous nodules on examination (suspected tophus). Associations with a positive US finding included suspected clinical tophus (odds ratio [OR] 4.77 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.23–10.21]), any abnormality on plain radiography (OR 4.68 [95% CI 2.68–8.17]), and serum urate level (OR 1.31 [95% CI 1.06–1.62]).ConclusionUS features of MSU crystal deposition had high specificity and high PPV but more limited sensitivity for early gout. The specificity remained high in subjects with early disease and without clinical signs of tophi.
Basil Seed Inspired Design for a Monodisperse Core–Shell Sn@C Hybrid Confined in a Carbon Matrix for Enhanced Lithium‐Storage Performance
Authors: Qin Jinwen , Liu Bing , Cao Minhua 
Published: October 2016

AbstractTin anode materials have attracted much attention owing to their high theoretical capacity, although rapid capacity fade is commonly observed mainly because of structural degradation resulting from volume expansion. Herein, we report a versatile strategy based on a basil seed inspired design for constructing a monodisperse core–shell Sn@C hybrid confined in a carbon matrix (Sn basil seeds). Analogous to the structure of basil seeds soaked in water, Sn basil seeds are used to tackle the volume expansion problem in lithium‐ion batteries. Monodisperse Sn cores are encapsulated by a thick carbon layer, which thus lowers the electrolyte contact area. The obtained Sn basil seeds are closely packed to construct a framework that supplies fast electron transport and provides a reinforced mechanical backbone. As a consequence, an ensemble of this hybrid network shows significantly enhanced lithium‐storage performance with a high capacity of 870 mAh g−1 at a current density of 0.4 A g−1 over 600 cycles. After the intense cycling, the Sn cores transform into ultrafine nanocrystals with sizes of 3–6 nm. The structural and morphological evolution of the Sn cores can reasonably explain the gradual increase in the capacity and the long‐term cycling ability of our Sn basil seeds.
Insights into cellulase‐lignin non‐specific binding revealed by computational redesign of the surface of green fluorescent protein
Authors: Haarmeyer Carolyn N. , Smith Matthew D. , Chundawat Shishir P. S , Sammond Deanne , Whitehead Timothy A. 
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACTBiological‐mediated conversion of pretreated lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and biochemicals is a promising avenue toward energy sustainability. However, a critical impediment to the commercialization of cellulosic biofuel production is the high cost of cellulase enzymes needed to deconstruct biomass into fermentable sugars. One major factor driving cost is cellulase adsorption and inactivation in the presence of lignin, yet we currently have a poor understanding of the protein structure–function relationships driving this adsorption. In this work, we have systematically investigated the role of protein surface potential on lignin adsorption using a model monomeric fluorescent protein. We have designed and experimentally characterized 16 model protein variants spanning the physiological range of net charge (−24 to +16 total charges) and total charge density (0.28–0.40 charges per sequence length) typical for natural proteins. Protein designs were expressed, purified, and subjected to in silico and in vitro biophysical measurements to evaluate the relationship between protein surface potential and lignin adsorption properties. The designs were comparable to model fluorescent protein in terms of thermostability and heterologous expression yield, although the majority of the designs unexpectedly formed homodimers. Protein adsorption to lignin was studied at two different temperatures using Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring and a subtractive mass balance assay. We found a weak correlation between protein net charge and protein‐binding capacity to lignin. No other single characteristic, including apparent melting temperature and 2nd virial coefficient, showed correlation with lignin binding. Analysis of an unrelated cellulase dataset with mutations localized to a family I carbohydrate‐binding module showed a similar correlation between net charge and lignin binding capacity. Overall, our study provides strategies to identify highly active, low lignin‐binding cellulases by either rational design or by computational screening genomic databases. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 740–750. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hepatocellular carcinoma in children and young patients with chronic HBV infection and the usefulness of alpha‐fetoprotein assessment
Authors: Tajiri Hitoshi , Takano Tomoko , Tanaka Hideo , Ushijima Kosuke , Inui Ayano , Miyoshi Yoko , Ozono Keiichi , Abukawa Daiki , Endo Takeshi , Brooks Stephen , Tanaka Yasuhito 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe aims of the study were to elucidate the clinical characteristics of patients who developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) related to persistent HBV infection since childhood and to investigate usefulness of assessing alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) in this population. A nationwide multicenter survey of children with chronic HBV infection was performed. Among 548 patients, 15 patients developed HCC at the median age of 15 years (range 9–36), including 13 males and 2 females. A case–control comparison showed that HBeAg seroconversion and liver cirrhosis were associated with the occurrence of HCC. Of the 15 HCC patients, 5 were treated with interferon and none of them responded to interferon therapy as compared with 12 of the 17 responders in the control group. Of the 15 patients, 10 died and 9 of the 10 who died never visited any medical facilities until diagnosis of HCC, while the remaining 5 surviving patients never stopped their clinic visits. The usefulness of AFP assessment was shown by the findings that AFP levels were elevated in all HCC cases, that elevations in AFP levels were detected prior to the diagnosis in the surviving patients, and that sensitivity of AFP as a diagnostic test for HCC was very high among 40 patients including our 14 and an additional 26 collected from the literature. HBeAg seroconversion and liver cirrhosis are associated with the occurrence of HCC. Regular measurement of AFP might be helpful to watch for the occurrence of HCC when following children and young patients with chronic HBV infection since childhood
The Potential of Cu‐SAPO‐44 in the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx with NH3
Authors: Xin Ying , Wang Xiao , Li Qian , Ma Xicheng , Qi Yongxin , Zheng Lirong , Anderson James A. , Zhang Zhaoliang 
Published: October 2016

AbstractNitrogen oxides (NOx) contribute much to acid rain, photochemical smog, and the depletion of tropospheric ozone. A novel, small‐pore Cu‐exchanged chabazite (Cu‐CHA) zeolite, Cu‐SAPO‐44, was first studied for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with ammonia (NH3‐SCR), and exhibits excellent activity and N2 selectivity over the wide temperature window from 200–550 °C. The Cu content in Cu‐SAPO‐44 plays a significant role in the NH3‐SCR reactions. Two kinds of isolated Cu2+ species inside the large cages and in the six‐membered rings of the CHA structure were verified as the active sites, which are responsible for the low‐temperature and high‐temperature activity, respectively. Cu‐SAPO‐44 is shown to be a promising candidate as a SCR catalyst for deNOx with great potential in after‐treatment systems for either mobile or stationary sources.
A Terbium Metal–Organic Framework for Highly Selective and Sensitive Luminescence Sensing of Hg2+ Ions in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Xia Tifeng , Song Tao , Zhang Gege , Cui Yuanjing , Yang Yu , Wang Zhiyu , Qian Guodong 
Published: October 2016

AbstractA series of isomorphic lanthanide metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) Ln(TATAB)⋅(DMF)4(H2O)(MeOH)0.5 (LnTATAB, Ln=Eu, Tb, Sm, Dy, Gd; H3TATAB=4,4′,4′′‐s‐triazine‐1,3,5‐triyltri‐p‐aminobenzoic acid) have been solvothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Among these MOFs, TbTATAB exhibits good water stability and a high fluorescence quantum yield. Because mercury ions (Hg2+) have a high affinity to nitrogen atoms, and the space between multiple nitrogen atoms from triazine and imino groups is suitable for interacting with Hg2+ ions, TbTATAB shows highly selective and sensitive detection of Hg2+ in aqueous solution with a detection limit of 4.4 nm. Furthermore, it was successfully applied to detect Hg2+ ions in natural water samples.
Application of a Nanostructured Composite Material Constructed by Self‐Assembly of Titanoniobate Nanosheets and Cobalt Porphyrin to Electrocatalytic Reduction of Oxygen
Authors: Li Jinpeng , Zhang Xiaobo , Pan Binbin , Xu Jiasheng , Liu Lin , Ma Juanjuan , Yang Min , Zhang Zhenye , Tong Zhiwei 
Published: October 2016

AbstractA novel layered nanocomposite was fabricated by the self‐assembly of TiNbO5‐nanosheets and 5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(N‐methylpyridinium‐4‐yl)porphyrinatocobalt(III) (CoTMPyP). The product was characterized by a variety of analytical techniques such as XRD, EDX, Zeta potential, AFM, UV‐vis, IR and SEM, the guest species were intercalated into the interlayer gallery of KTiNbO5 successfully. The electrochemical property of TiNbO5‐CoTMPyP as an electrode modifying material was examined by cyclic voltammetry test in PBS solution (pH=7), and the hybrid exhibited excellent electrocatalytical property towards oxygen reduction with the peak potential shifting from −0.703 V (bare GCE) to −0.278 V (modified electrode). The result also indicated that the oxygen molecule was reduced to H2O2 by a two‐electron process.
Dynamic Study of Nonlinear Optical Properties in Tetrasodium Salt of Copper Tetrasulfophthalocyanine/Water Solution
Authors: Zhang Wang , He Chunying , Xiao Xiangwu , Song Weina , Gao Yachen , Chen Zhimin , Dong Yongli , Wu Yiqun , Wang Qian 
Published: October 2016

AbstractThe nonlinear refraction of tetrasodium salt of copper tetrasulfophthalocyanine in water was investigated by using Z‐scan technique at 532 nm with different input energy and different pulse width. We reported the competition between the excited‐state refraction and excited‐state‐thermal‐induced refraction. The sign change of nonlinear refraction induced by thermal effect was observed and analyzed. In addition, we found that the excited‐state refraction cannot counteract with excited‐state‐thermal‐induced refraction due to different physical mechanism.
Erlotinib Analogue‐substituted Zinc(II) Phthalocyanines for Small Molecular Target‐based Photodynamic Cancer Therapy
Authors: Chen Juanjuan , Ye Huannian , Zhang Mingjun , Li Jinyu , Liu Jianyong , Xue Jinping 
Published: October 2016

Abstract"Smar" targeted photosensitizer conjugated with small molecule target‐based anticancer drug which has a simple chemical structure and high stability, is a new promising targeted therapeutic strategy. We herein extended this strategy and reported a novel series of zinc(II) phthalocyanine‐erlotinib analogue conjugates with different peripheral substituted positions and lengths of the linker. Having erlotinib analogue as the targeting moiety, all conjugates exhibited high specificity and potent affinity to HepG2 cancer cells and kept high photodynamic activity (IC50=3.7–16.7 nmol/L). Structure‐activity relationships of these conjugates were assessed by investigating their photophysical/photochemical properties, targeting intracellular uptake and in vitro phototoxicity. The results suggested that α‐substituted conjugates showed slightly higher photodynamic activity than β‐substituted ones. In conclusion, we have developed a series of promising anticancer agents with high tumor selectivity and anticancer activity for targeted photodynamic therapy.
Polyhydric Corrole and Its Gallium Complex: Synthesis, DNA‐binding Properties and Photodynamic Activities
Authors: Liang Zhenhua , Liu Haiyang , Jiang Guangbin , Wen Jinyan , Liu Yunjun , Xiao Xinyan 
Published: October 2016

AbstractA new hydrophilic polyhydric corrole (1) and its Ga(III) complex (1‐Ga) were synthesized and characterized. Corroles 1 and 1‐Ga bind to calf thymus DNA externally and exhibit remarkable photonuclease‐like activity. Singlet oxygen (1O2) was identified as the reactive oxygen species involved. These corroles also exhibit significant photocytotoxicity against HeLa, A549, BEL‐7402 and HepG2 tumor cell lines. They mainly accumulated in the nuclei of tumor cells. ROS‐mediated mitochondrial damage and intracellular DNA disintegration contributed to the observed photodynamic activity.
High Sensitive Ambipolar Response towards Oxidizing NO2 and Reducing NH3 Based on Bis(phthalocyaninato) Europium Semiconductors
Authors: Kong Xia , Dong Zhen , Wu Yanling , Li Xiyou , Chen Yanli , Jiang Jianzhuang 
Published: October 2016

AbstractHigh sensitive chemical sensors towards NO2 and NH3 based on the self‐assembled nanostructures of the heteroleptic and homoleptic bis(phthalocyaninato) europium complexes with octanaphthoxy phthalocyaninato ligands named Eu(Pc)[Pc(ONh)8] (1) and Eu[Pc(ONh)8]2 (2) [Pc=unsubstituted phthalocyaninate; Pc(ONh)8=2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24‐octanaphthoxy phthalocyaninate] have been developed. The good conductivity, high crystallinity and large specific surface area for the self‐assemblies of 1 render it excellent sensing property for either electron‐accepting gas NO2 in 50–250 ppb range or electron‐donating gas NH3 in 2.5–12.5 ppm range due to the optimized molecular packing in the uniform‐sized nanoparticles depending on the effective intermolecular interaction between double‐decker molecules, among the best results of phthalocyanine‐based chemical sensors for detection of NO2 and NH3 at room temperature. Interestingly, self‐assemblies of 1 exhibited n‐type response to NO2 and p‐type response to NH3, which is the first example of ambipolar charge‐transporting gas sensors fabricated from single‐component organic semiconductors. However, the self‐assemblies of 2 with sixteen bulky naphthoxy groups at the periphery of two Pc rings only present an n‐type response to strong oxidant gas NO2 in a relatively high concentration of 0.5–1.5 ppm, while are insensitive to weak reducing gas NH3 due to the existence of great steric hindrance from bulky naphthoxy groups and more traps and/or defects in self‐assemblies.
Long‐term survival after acute myocardial infarction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Yang Yin‐Jian , Fan Chao‐Mei , Yuan Jin‐Qing , Zhang Hai‐Bin , Duan Fu‐Jian , Wang Zhi‐Min , Guo Xi‐Ying , Zhai Shan‐Shan , An Shuo‐Yan , Hang Fei , Li Yi‐Shi 
Published: October 2016

BackgroundHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is associated with poor prognosis. It has been reported that there is no difference in in‐hospital mortality after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) between patients with and without HCM. However, whether there is a difference in long‐term survival after AMI between patients with and without HCM remains unclear.HypothesisLong‐term survival after AMI is worse in patients with vs without HCM.MethodsThe clinical profiles of 91 consecutive patients with HCM and AMI (HCM group) and 91 sex‐ and age‐matched patients with AMI without HCM (non‐HCM group) were analyzed. The study endpoint was all‐cause mortality.ResultsDuring a follow‐up period of 4.9 ± 3.6 years, all‐cause mortality occurred in 25 patients (27.5%) in the HCM group and 13 patients (14.3%) in the non‐HCM group. The survival of the HCM group was inferior to that of the non‐HCM group (log‐rank P = 0.039). During the first year of follow‐up, 3 deaths (3.3%) occurred in the HCM group and 7 deaths (7.7%) occurred in the non‐HCM group (log‐rank P = 0.177). Among patients who survived beyond the first year of follow‐up (172 patients), the annual mortality rates were 6.3% (95% confidence interval: 4.0%‐9.3%) in the HCM group and 1.6% (95% confidence interval: 0.6%‐3.5%) in the non‐HCM group (log‐rank P = 0.001).ConclusionsAMI patients with HCM exhibited worse long‐term survival than did AMI patients without HCM.
A new fully integrated multichannel receiver design for magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Jouda Mazin , Gruschke Oliver G. , Korvink Jan G. 
Published: October 2016

AbsractIn this contribution, we introduce a new fully integrated receiver architecture for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), based on CMOS technology. The design is conceived to be an excellent solution to the size, cost, and complexity problems associated with multiple MRI channels, and potentially removes a technical barrier when implementing arrays of massive numbers of coils. In contrast to conventional MRI receivers, the CMOS integrated solution allows to perform all the required signal processing within a single chip. This includes low‐noise pre‐amplification, frequency down‐conversion, filtering, and analog‐to‐digital conversion. The CMOS chip is designed to be mounted in close proximity to the MR receive coils so as to avoid both signal attenuation as well as the use of bulky coaxial cables which are normally employed to transfer the MRI signals to the spectrometer. The output MR signals from the chip are digital and therefore relatively immune to noise. Operation in the digital domain allows to perform time‐domain multiplexing on the data streams, and to replace the electrical coaxial cables with optical fibers. The simulation results of both the system‐level and the circuit‐level realizations of the new receiver showed successful reconstruction of the MR image with very minimal SNR degradation and no remarkable distortion or artifacts.
An approach to enhance the performance of large‐scale structural analysis on CPU‐MIC heterogeneous clusters
Authors: Miao Xinqiang , Jin Xianlong , Ding Junhong 
Published: October 2016

SummaryClusters with the CPU‐MIC heterogeneous architecture are becoming more popular in recent years. However, it is not easy to achieve good performance on such machines. The key challenge has been the asymmetry within clusters, arising from different kinds of execution units as well as different communication latencies. To improve the performance of large‐scale structural analysis on CPU‐MIC heterogeneous clusters, a multi‐layer and multi‐grain collaborative parallel computing approach is proposed in the paper. The proposed method combines the parallel algorithm and the hardware architecture of CPU‐MIC heterogeneous clusters together. Through mapping computing tasks to various hardware layers, it both resolves the load balance problem between CPU and MIC devices and significantly reduces the communication overheads of the system. Numerical experiments conducted on Tianhe‐2 supercomputer show that the proposed method obtained better performance compared with the traditional approach. Scalability investigation showed that the proposed method had good scalability with respect to problem sizes. The findings of this paper are of help to the parallel porting and performance optimization of other applications on CPU‐MIC heterogeneous clusters.
Does hybridization of endophytic symbionts in a native grass increase fitness in resource‐limited environments?
Authors: Faeth Stanley H. , Oberhofer Martina , Saari Susanna , Haskins Kristin E. , Shymanovich Tatsiana 
Published: October 2016

AbstractHybridization is common among plants, animals and microbes. However, the ecological consequences of hybridization for microbes are far less understood than for plants and animals. For symbiotic Epichloë fungi, hybridization is widespread and may augment the well‐known benefits of the endophytes to their grass hosts, especially in stressful environments. We tested the hybrid fitness hypothesis (HFH) that hybrid endophytes enhance fitness in stressful environments relative to non‐hybrid endophytes. In a long‐term field experiment, we monitored growth and reproduction of hybrid‐infected (H+), non‐hybrid infected (NH+), naturally endophyte free (E−) plants and those plants from which the endophyte had been experimentally removed (H− and NH−) in resource‐rich and resource‐poor environments. Infection by both endophyte species enhanced growth and reproduction. H+ plants outperformed NH+ plants in terms of growth by the end of the experiment, supporting HFH. However, H+ plants only outperformed NH+ plants in the resource‐rich treatment, contrary to HFH. Plant genotypes associated with each endophyte species had strong effects on growth and reproduction. Our results provide some support the HFH hypothesis but not based upon adaptation to stressful environments. Our results reinforce the notion of a complex interplay between endophyte and plant genotype and environmental factors that determine fitness of the symbiotum.