Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul) 2020 Jul 7. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.

Background: It was not evident that the attributable risk of smoking on mortality in Korea was reduced. We investigated the impacts of smoking on all-cause mortality and estimated attributable risk of smoking in Korean adults.

Methods: Those aged ≥ 20 years with smoking history in the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (KNHANES) 2007-2015 were enrolled. Read More

Cancer Sci 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Applied Life Sciences, Institute of Biomedical & Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.

BRAF mutation accounts for up to 90 % of all BRAF mutations in human colorectal cancer (CRC), and constitutively activates the MEK-MAPK pathway. It is recognized that neutralizing monoclonal antibodies for epidermal growth factor receptor alone are not effective for CRC with BRAF mutation. Therefore, there are increasing interests in identification of the possible therapeutic targets in downstream of BRAF mutation in CRCs. Read More

J Anim Sci 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Veterinary Pathology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

Ergot alkaloids are produced by the fungus Claviceps purpurea and their levels are carefully monitored in animal and human diets due to their harmful effects and widespread contamination of cereal crops. Ergot alkaloids exist in two forms known as the (R) and (S)-epimer with only the former being monitored in diets in North America. The (S)-epimers of ergot alkaloids are thought to be biologically inactive and, therefore, harmless. Read More

Med Princ Pract 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Objective: Published data has shown a clear link between psoriasis (Ps) and the increasing prevalence of comorbid conditions, such as diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2). The mitochondrial genomic haplogroup's role in the potential coexistence of psoriasis and DM2 comorbidity is the subject of this study.

Material And Method: Ninety-eight Kuwaiti individuals were recruited in 4 cohorts (20 healthy controls (HC), 15 with DM2, 34 with psoriasis, and 29 with psoriasis and diabetes mellitus (PsDM2). Read More

Phys Med Biol 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Medical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München Fakultät für Physik, München, Bayern, GERMANY.

The empirical conversion of the treatment planning X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) image to ion stopping power relative to water causes dose calculation inaccuracies in ion beam therapy. A patient-specific calibration of the CT image is enabled by the combination of an ion radiography (iRad) with the forward-projection of the empirically converted CT image along the estimated ion trajectories. This work investigated the patient-specific CT calibration for list-mode and integration-mode detector configurations, with reference to a ground truth ion CT (iCT) image. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2020 Jun 29;241:118650. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

School of Pharmacy, Henan University of Chinese Medicine, Zhengzhou 450046, PR China.

In modern biology, hydrogen polysulfides (HS, n > 1) are members of reactive sulfur species (RSS), with anti-oxidation, cell protection and redox signals in tissues and organs. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a method to monitor the changes of HS level in organisms. We designed and synthesized a ratiometric fluorescent probe for highly selective detection of HS based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2020 Jun 26;241:118649. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Institute of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of South China, HengYang 421000, Hunan, China. Electronic address:

A platinum (II)-doped graphitic carbon nitride (Pt@g-CN) nanozyme was prepared in this work. Compared to g-CN, Pt@g-CN shows enhanced peroxidase-like activity. According to DFT calculations and ESR measurements, the Pt on the surface of g-CN accelerates the decomposition of HO into OH and consequently accelerates TMB oxidation. Read More

Phytomedicine 2020 Jun 14;77:153266. Epub 2020 Jun 14.

National Chinmedomics Research Center, Sino-America Chinmedomics Technology Collaboration Center, National TCM Key Laboratory of Serum Pharmacochemistry, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, Heping Road 24, Harbin 150040, China. Electronic address:

Background: Yunnan Baiyao (YNBY) is a traditional Chinese medicine formulae, which has the functions of hemostasis, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis, anti-inflammation, etc. Although the presence of Caowu (CW, Aconiti Kusnezoffii Radix), the detoxification mechanism of YNBY is still unclear.

Purpose: In current study, network pharmacology, toxicological methods and metabolomics technique were applied to explore YNBY in attenuating toxicity of CW. Read More

Bioresour Technol 2020 Jun 13;314:123679. Epub 2020 Jun 13.

Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Bioprocess Engineering, Sandtorstraße 1, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany. Electronic address:

In anaerobic digestion plants (ADs), homogenization of the feed, fermenter content and microbial communities is crucial for efficient and robust biogas production. However, mixing also requires a significant amount of energy. For an 850 m agricultural AD equipped with eight sampling ports, we investigated whether different feeding and stirring regimes enable a sufficient homogenization of the microbial community using metaproteomics and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (TRFLP) analysis. Read More

Ultrason Sonochem 2020 Jun 29;69:105240. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China; Institute of Food Physical Processing , Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212013, China.

We investigated the effect of ultrasound-assisted pH shift treatment on the micro-particle, molecular, and spatial structure of rapeseed protein isolates (RPI). Various ultrasonic frequency modes (fixed, and sweep) was used. Protein characterization by the indexes: particle size, zeta potential, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), free sulfhydryl (SH), surface hydrophobicity (Ho), Fourier transform infrared Spectrum (FTIR) and fluorescence intensity was studied to elucidate the changes in solubility and structural attributes of RPI. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2020 Jun 21;401:123256. Epub 2020 Jun 21.

College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211-Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu 611130, PR China; Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Crop Strip Intercropping System, Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Southwest China (Ministry of Agriculture), Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, PR China. Electronic address:

In order to improve soybean's resistance to lodging, silicon (Si) solutions at concentrations of 0,100, 200,300 mg kg were applied during the seedling stage. The Si accumulation in different parts of the plants, the photosynthetic parameters of leaves and chlorophyll content, the stem bending resistance, the expression of genes of lignin biosynthesis and associated enzyme activity and sap flow rates were measured at early and late growth stages. The potential mechanisms for how Si improve growth and shade tolerance, enhances lodging resistance and improves photosynthesis were analyzed to provide a theoretical basis for the use of Si amendments in agriculture. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2020 Jun 22;401:123275. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (UTFPR), Câmpus Pato Branco, Programa de Pós-graduação em Tecnologia de Processos Químicos e Bioquímicos, Departamento Acadêmico de Química, Via do Conhecimento Km 01, CEP 85503-390, Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address:

The efficiency of nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI) for the recalcitrant organic pollutants degradation has been frequently reported. However, some disadvantages such as low hydraulic conductivity, rapid passivation and consequent loss of reactivity have motivated researchers to study immobilized forms. In this work, calcium alginate beads incorporated with nZVI were prepared, characterized and applied in a catalytic ozonation system of Reactive Red 195 dye (RR195). Read More

J Hazard Mater 2020 Jun 22;401:123265. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

College of Water Resources and Civil Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address:

Reusing biogas slurry (BS) in agricultural drip irrigation systems may provide a solution to deal with the adverse environmental impacts of applying BS. Biofouling and scaling are two leading issues in drip irrigation emitters. This study investigated a practice that applied electromagnetic fields (EMFs) to control biofilms and scales. Read More

Diabetes Metab Syndr 2020 Jun 26;14(5):1015-1016. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Department of Applied Nutrition and Food Technology, Islamic University, Kushtia, 7003, Bangladesh. Electronic address:

Elephant foot yam is widely consumed as a vegetable and locally known as 'Ol' in Bangladesh. However, taboos regarding elephant foot yam are the prominent barrier for diabetic patients to consume this tuber. The study aims to judge the concept scientifically. Read More

Water Res 2020 May 16;182:115921. Epub 2020 May 16.

School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST), Gwangju, 61005, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

This study investigated the degradation and deactivation of an extracellular ampicillin resistance gene (amp) encoded in plasmid pUC19 during exposure to UV, OH (generated by UV/HO), and combined exposure to UV and OH (and/or SO) using UV/HO and UV/SO. The degradation rates of amp measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction increased with increasing target amplicon length (192-851 bps). The rate constants for the degradation of pUC19 (2686 bps) were calculated as 0. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Jun 18;266(Pt 3):115022. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

Department of Conservation Biology, Doñana Biological Station-CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio, 26, 41092, Seville, Spain.

Lead intoxication is an important threat to human health and a large number of wildlife species. Animals are exposed to several sources of lead highlighting hunting ammunition and lead that is bioavailable in topsoil. Disentangling the role of each in lead exposure is an important conservation issue, particularly for species potentially affected by lead poisoning, such as vultures. Read More

Clin Psychol Rev 2020 Jun 11;80:101875. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Department of Psychology, University of Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.

Gender dysphoria is distress due to a discrepancy between one's assigned gender and gender identity. Adults who wish to access gender clinics are assessed to ensure they meet the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria. Therefore, the definition of gender dysphoria has a significant impact on the lives of individuals who wish to undergo physical gender transition. Read More

Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2020 Jun 25;197:105616. Epub 2020 Jun 25.

Department of Computer Engineering and Science, Universitat Jaume I, Spain.

Background And Objective: Effective sharing and reuse of Electronic Health Records (EHR) requires technological solutions which deal with different representations and different models of data. This includes information models, domain models and, ideally, inference models, which enable clinical decision support based on a knowledge base and facts. Our goal is to develop a framework to support EHR interoperability based on transformation and reasoning services intended for clinical data and knowledge. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Jun 20;742:140398. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Water Energy and Environmental Engineering Research Unit, Faculty of Technology, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland.

Coagulants are widely used for solids (uneaten food, faeces, etc.) management in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), but no recent research has been performed on the effectiveness of different coagulants in treatment of aquaculture sludge. This study examined the effectivity of selected inorganic (polyaluminium chloride, PAC) and organic products (polyamine- and starch-based) as coagulant agents for solids management in RAS. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2020 Jun 18;742:140351. Epub 2020 Jun 18.

School of Biosystems Engineering and Food Science, Zhejiang University, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou 310058, PR China; Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, PR China.

A two-dimensional nanocomposite-based disposable electrochemical sensor was fabricated for the rapid analysis of trans-resveratrol (TRA) in red wine. The sensor was prepared by modifying graphene-molybdenum disulfide (Gr-MoS) nanocomposite on the surface of screen-printed electrode (SPE). Results show that the Gr-MoS nanocomposite with sheet-on-sheet structure can accelerate the oxidation reaction kinetics of TRA due to its large effective electrochemical surface area and high electron transfer rate. Read More

Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2020 Jun 27;160:102157. Epub 2020 Jun 27.

Translational Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands. Electronic address:

Introduction: Obesity is associated with adipose tissue inflammation which in turn drives insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. Oxylipins are a collection of lipid metabolites, subdivided in different classes, which are involved in inflammatory cascades. They play important roles in regulating adipose tissue homeostasis and inflammation and are therefore putative biomarkers for obesity-associated adipose tissue inflammation and the subsequent risk of type 2 diabetes onset. Read More

J Exp Child Psychol 2020 Jul 3;198:104919. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland 4222, Australia.

Episodic memory allows humans to retrieve and distinguish specific memories. The formation of item-context bindings, whereby the to-be-recalled items are tied to aspects of the encoding context, is important to the effective operation of episodic memory. The self-reference effect refers to the memory advantage for items encoded in relation to the self versus another. Read More

Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 2020 Jun 23;252:218-224. Epub 2020 Jun 23.

Department of Woman, Child, and General and Specialized Surgery, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.

Introduction: Prolonged labor increases the risk of maternal and fetal complications. The active management of labor has been proven effective in lowering neonatal and maternal morbidity by shortening the duration of labor. Several pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical approaches are currently being used in the active management of labor. Read More

Int J Surg Case Rep 2020 Jun 20;73:27-30. Epub 2020 Jun 20.

Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address:

Introduction: Malrotation is considered a newborn disease. This case report sheds light on the rare, but possible late presentation of malrotation in adulthood, which if missed, can leave the patient in a detrimental state.

Presentation Of Case: 28-year-old female presented in critical state with acute abdomen. Read More

Environ Pollut 2020 Jun 26;266(Pt 1):115074. Epub 2020 Jun 26.

Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Department of Zoology, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, IL, USA. Electronic address:

Several populations of the amphipod, Hyalella azteca, have developed resistance to pyrethroid insecticides due to non-target exposure, but the dominance of the resistance trait is unknown. The current study investigated the dominance level of point mutations in natural populations of insecticide-resistant H. azteca and determined whether H. Read More

Acta Biomater 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Institute of Bismuth Science, College of Science, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China. Electronic address:

Developing a multi-functional radiosensitizer with high efficiency and low toxicity remains challenging. Herein, we report a mesoporous heterostructure radiosensitizer (UCNP@NBOF-FePc-PFA) containing Lu-based upconversion nanophosphor (UCNP) and Bi-based nanomaterial loaded with iron phthalocyanine for X-ray and NIR light dual-triggered tri-modal tumor therapy. NaLuF:Yb,Tm, a Lu-based UCNP, offers radiosensitization and upconversion luminescence for optical bio-imaging. Read More

Transl Res 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. Electronic address:

Little is known whether topical analgesic creams, whose natural products enter the blood stream after application, affect myocardial infarct size. Here we tested whether topical analgesic creams can trigger remote cardioprotection and the mechanism involved. Male Sprague Dawley rats were used for an in vivo rodent model consisting of 30 minutes left anterior descending coronary artery ischemia and 2 hours of reperfusion followed by infarct size assessment. Read More

J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods 2020 Jul 3:106895. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Division of Applied Regulatory Science, Office of Translational Science, Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Cardiac and hepatic toxicity result from induced disruption of the functioning of cardiomyocytes and hepatocytes, respectively, which is tightly related to the organization of their subcellular structures. Cellular structure can be analyzed from microscopy imaging data. However, subtle or complex structural changes that are not easily perceived may be missed by conventional image-analysis techniques. Read More

Ultrasonics 2020 Jun 29;108:106216. Epub 2020 Jun 29.

Suzhou Changfeng Avionics Co., Ltd., AVIC, Suzhou 215151, PR China.

A single-mode linear ultrasonic motor was developed in this study. On the stator, a group of four pieces of piezoelectric ceramics PZT8 were utilized to generate the ultrasonic vibration. A specially designed modal conversion horn with an oblique beam was applied to transfer the longitudinal vibration to an additional bending vibration. Read More

Resuscitation 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Division of Neurosciences Critical Care, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Neurology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA; Radiology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Purpose: To quantitatively assess the severity of anoxic-ischemic brain injury early after cardiac arrest (CA) using a novel automated method applied to head computed tomography (HCT).

Methods: Adult patients who were comatose and underwent HCT < 24 h after arrest were included in a retrospective analysis. Principal endpoint was unfavorable outcome (UO) defined as Cerebral Performance Category (CPC) of 3-5 at hospital discharge. Read More

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California. Electronic address:

Background: Sparing active bone marrow (ABM) can reduce acute hematologic toxicity in patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer, but ABM segmentation based on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is costly. We sought to develop an atlas-based ABM segmentation methods for implementation in a prospective clinical trial.

Methods: A multi-atlas was built on a training set of 144 patients and validated in 32 patients from the XXX-XXXXX clinical trial. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Laboratory of Nutritional Biochemistry and Food Science, Institute of Chemistry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address:

Structured lipids (SL) represent a new generation of lipids, considered bioactive compounds. Medium-chain, oleic (18:1n-9), and medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA) structured lipids (MOM-SL) were produced by acidolysis reaction in solvent-free medium with capric (10:0) and lauric (12:0) free fatty acids (FFAs) and triolein or olive oil, using Yarrowia lipolytica lipase as biocatalyst. MCFAs were rapidly incorporated into sn-1,3 SL in acidolysis reactions with triolein and olive oil, up until 30% of incorporation efficiency of capric and lauric acids in SLs. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Geosciences, Vilnius University, Naugarduko Str. 24, LT-03225 Vilnius, Lithuania; Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Sauletekio Av. 3, LT-10257 Vilnius, Lithuania. Electronic address:

Glucose oxidase (GOx) is one of the most frequently used enzymes in a design of enzymatic biosensors and biofuel cells, which are novel electrical energy generation systems. Therefore, a better understanding of the mode of action of this enzyme is very important for further development of GOx-based sensors. In this research fluorescence properties of GOx in different acidic media have been estimated by the evaluation of redox states of active center that is flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Applied Phycology and Biotechnology Division, CSIR - Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute, Gijubhai Badheka Marg, Bhavnagar 364002, Gujarat, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India. Electronic address:

A naturally fluorescent protein, C-phycocyanin (CPC), was used as a fluorophore to study the effect of graphene oxide (GO) as a quencher. The protein was purified using established procedures and titrated with increasing GO concentrations. UV-visible titration showed a minor effect on the phycocyanobilin absorbance but significant interactions with the amino acid backbone. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Chemistry, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan.

We report the preparation of both control chitosan and magnetic chitosan beads as biosorbents using chitosan as matrix and magnetite (FeO) nanoparticles as reinforcement followed by detailed advanced characterization. The batch trials were performed to study the adsorption kinetics of biosorbents by removing As and As species from water systems. The experimental data was inserted into Langmuir and Freundlich's isotherms to undertake the mechanism and adsorption capacity of the test biosorbents. Read More

Eur J Pharm Sci 2020 Jul 3:105454. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Laboratório de Planejamento Farmacêutico e Simulação Computacional, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address:

Among the members of purinergic receptors, the family P2X of ionotropic proteins has the ion channel subtype P2 × 7 that show in studies to be an important molecular target for new drugs. The activity of human P2 × 7 receptor (hP2 × 7r) in the body, due to its pro-inflammatory function, can trigger physiological disorders related to chronic inflammatory processes, leading to neural degeneration, neuropathic pain and chronic pain. Recently, two series of promising new inhibitors of the hP2 × 7r ion channel have been reported. Read More

J Pediatr 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address:

Objective: To disentangle the pathways between parent technology use, parent-child interactions, child screen time, and child psychosocial difficulties among disadvantaged families in Hong Kong.

Study Design: Parents of 1,254 3-years-olds from the KeySteps@JC project reported on the number of hours their children used electronic devices every day and children's psychosocial behaviors using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. These parents also reported on their own digital device usage patterns, frequency of parent-child interactions and provided sociodemographic data. Read More

Life Sci 2020 Jul 3:118015. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Cardiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, PR China. Electronic address:

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Cardiac fibrosis is the scarring process occurs commonly with CVDs impairing the function and structure of heart. Herein, we investigated the role of circPAN3 in the pathogenesis of cardiac fibrosis. Read More

Fitoterapia 2020 Jul 3:104681. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Sustainable Utilization, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, People's Republic of China; Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410013, People's Republic of China. Electronic address:

The chemical investigation on Eutypella scoparia SCBG-8, an endophytic fungus isolated from the leaves of Leptospermum brachyandrum, has resulted in the isolation of six new phenolic compounds eutyscoparols A-F (1-6) and one new natural product eutyscoparol G (7). The structures and absolute configurations of compounds 1-7 were determined by extensive chemical and spectroscopic analyses such as single crystal X-ray diffractions. Moreover, all compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial and cytotoxic activities in vitro. Read More

J Hosp Infect 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Background: Isolation precautions are applied to control the risk of transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs). These precautions have been associated with adverse effects, such as anxiety and depression. This study aimed to quantify stigma among MDRO carriers and its association with perceived mental health and experienced quality of care. Read More

Prev Med 2020 Jul 3:106189. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.

We examined whether elucidating underpinning smoking motivation and related pharmacological processes enhances understanding of nicotine dependence among smokers from vulnerable populations. Data were obtained between Oct, 2016 and Sept, 2019 from 745 adult smokers with co-morbid psychiatric conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage at University of Vermont, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University. Smoking motivation was assessed using the Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT), a behavioral-economic task that models the relative reinforcing value of smoking under varying monetary constraint. Read More

Lancet Glob Health 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

King's Centre for Global Health and Health Partnerships, King's College London, London, UK; University of Birmingham, Institute of Applied Health Research, Birmingham, UK; Centre for Global Surgery, Department of Global Health, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Inorg Chem 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

The State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Fiber Laser Materials and Applied Techniques, School of Materials Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, P. R. China.

Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halides with broad-band emission are currently receiving an increasing interest for their unique light emission properties. Here we report a novel lead-free zero-dimensional (0D) tin halide, (CHN)SnBr, in which isolated [SnBr] octahedrons are cocrystallized with organic cations, 1,3-bis(aminomethyl)benzene (CHN). Upon photoexcitation, the bulk crystals exhibit broad-band green emission peaking at 507 nm with a full width at half-maximum (fwhm) of 82 nm (0. Read More

Anal Chem 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Bioanalytics, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, 13355, Berlin, Germany.

Trypsin is the most used enzyme in proteomics. Nevertheless, proteases with complementary cleavage specificity have been applied in special circumstances. In this work, we analyzed the characteristics of five protease alternatives to trypsin for protein identification and sequence coverage when applied to whole cell lysates. Read More

J Cell Mol Med 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Medicine II, Division of Gastroenterology, Rostock University Medical Center, Rostock, Germany.

Muscle wasting represents a constant pathological feature of common chronic gastrointestinal diseases, including liver cirrhosis (LC), inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), chronic pancreatitis (CP) and pancreatic cancer (PC), and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Recent clinical and experimental studies point to the existence of a gut-skeletal muscle axis that is constituted by specific gut-derived mediators which activate pro- and anti-sarcopenic signalling pathways in skeletal muscle cells. A pathophysiological link between both organs is also provided by low-grade systemic inflammation. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

ETH Zurich, Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering, ETH Hönggerberg, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 1, HCI E125, CH-8093, Zurich, SWITZERLAND.

Chemical modifiers enhance the efficiency of metal catalysts in numerous applications, but their introduction often involves toxic or expensive precursors and complicates the synthesis. Here, we show that a porous boron nitride carrier can directly modify supported palladium nanoparticles, originating unparalleled performance in the continuous semi-hydrogenation of alkynes. Analysis of the impact of various structural parameters reveals that using a defective high surface area boron nitride and ensuring a palladium particle size of 4-5 nm is critical to maximizing the specific rate. Read More

Prostate 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Urology, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, China.

Background: Dysregulation of microRNAs has performed vital gene regulatory functions in the genesis, progression, and prognosis of multiple malignant tumors. This study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of miR-196a in prostate cancer (PCa) and explore its clinical significance.

Methods: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was implemented to examine miR-196a and p27 messenger RNA expression in PCa. Read More

Lett Appl Microbiol 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

CESAM and Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.

The present work intended to evaluate the applicability of photodynamic inactivation (PDI) of Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri with toluidine blue O (TBO), a commercial photosensitizer, as a strategy to control citrus canker. Assays were conducted with cell suspensions and biofilms, constructed either on polypropylene microtubes (in vitro assays) or on the surface of orange leaves (ex vivo assays), in the presence of TBO and under irradiation with artificial white light or natural sunlight. Read More

Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020 Jul 6. Epub 2020 Jul 6.

Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA, La Jolla.

Background: Fucosyltransferase 2 (Fut2)-mediated intestinal α1-2-fucosylation is important in maintaining a symbiotic host-microbiota relationship and can protect against several pathogens. Intestinal dysbiosis is an important factor for the progression of experimental ethanol-induced liver disease, but the role of Fut2 in modulating the intestinal glycocalyx during alcohol-associated liver disease is unknown. We investigated the role of Fut2-mediated intestinal α1-2-fucosylation for the development of alcohol-associated liver disease. Read More