bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Mixed-Method Case Study: Is there Only the Pictorial Input that Affects Word Retention?
Authors: Paisart Watcharee , Suriyatham Watjana
Published: July 2018

This mixed-method case study was conducted to probe how a set of pictures had an influence on a group of EFL university students’ retention of English words. Seven Thai university participants, enrolling in the course of English for Service Industry, were voluntarily engaged in the study. They took a pretest of 45 words they learned in class through the use of pictorial input for one semester, and right after the posttest, they recalled how they could remember the words in an individually stimulated recall protocol session. The result of T-test from Wilcoxon sign-ranked test showed that the pretest and posttest scores were significantly different at the 0.05 level. Interestingly, the qualitative accounts from the stimulated recall revealed that apart from the pictorial input the participants learned in class, they also employed other strategies to help them memorize the vocabulary. The findings from the study; therefore, shed lights on cognitive-metacognitive processing and strategies an individual EFL learner adopted, and most importantly, on how teachers can encourage their learners to orchestrate them and make the best use of pictures in order to learn ESP vocabulary effectively.
The Use of Twitter Amongst Female Saudi EFL Learners
Authors: Alsharidi Norah K. M.
Published: July 2018

Twitter is a popular microblogging site amongst the Saudi population, which means that Saudi EFL learners are now increasingly connected with millions of native English speakers and other EFL/ESL students. This paper shed light on the use of Twitter by female Saudi EFL learners to determine their English learning practices and their perceptions beyond formal learning contexts. Specifically, the research determined the manner by which the participants’ social interactions over Twitter can help with second language (L2) development and the factors that drove them to choose this site to support their L2 learning. To this end, 25 Saudi adult females who were at different levels of study at a local health sciences university in Saudi Arabia were recruited. Underlain by a mixed methods approach, data collection was implemented through survey questionnaires administered to the EFL learners, amongst whom three participated in additional semi-structured interviews. The researcher has provided few recommendations for the future research where use of Twitter in education and its implications for the purpose of teaching.
Saudi Students’ Attitude towards World Englishes
Authors: Almegren Afnan
Published: July 2018

In order to create and adopt better educational and pedagogic policies, it is important to understand students’ attitude towards the varieties of English. This study aims to investigate young Saudi EFL learners’ attitude towards the concept of World Englishes. It also explores Saudi learners’ preference of one English variety over the others. This study is significant since few studies have been done on the awareness of World Englishes among Saudi EFL learners and the present research is designed to fill this gap. The present study will help apply the concept of World Englishes to the teaching of English language in a sample Saudi educational environment. In addition, it will help develop a positive attitude towards cultural understanding and cultural diversity in Saudi Arabia. This study has three objectives: to examine and understand how EFL learners see World Englishes, and varieties of English as a second language in particular, in the Saudi Arabian context; to find out how Saudi EFL learners view the apparent domination of one variety of English over others; and to investigate the reasons why one variety of English is preferred to others. The study uses both direct and indirect techniques of measuring the attitude through interviews and a questionnaire. The questionnaire contained both open-ended and close-ended questions, one of which was a verbal guise test. The samples were obtained from the two largest public educational institutes in Saudi Arabia with both male and female adult students.The findings indicate that Saudi students are aware of some varieties of the English language, though they seem to have varied attitudes towards the diverse varieties of World Englishes. Students generally viewed American and British English as the standard English varieties and did not accept other varieties of World Englishes as standard. The results also showed that in spite of the fact that most of the students generally considered a ‘native’ teacher’s English as superior, they principally favored a Saudi teacher to teach them.
Monoclonal antibodies from a patient with anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis
Authors: Sharma Rashmi , Al‐Saleem Fetweh H. , Panzer Jessica , Lee Jiwon , Puligedda Rama Devudu , Felicori Liza F. , Kattala Chandana Devi , Rattelle Amy J. , Ippolito Gregory , Cox Robert H. , Lynch David R. , Dessain Scott K.
Published: July 2018

Objective

Anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis (ANRE) is a potentially lethal encephalitis attributed to autoantibodies against the N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR). We sought to clone and characterize monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from an ANRE patient.

Methods

We used a hybridoma method to clone two IgG mAbs from a female patient with ANRE without teratoma, and characterized their binding activities on NMDAR‐transfected cell lines, cultured primary rat neurons, and mouse hippocampus. We also assessed their effects on voluntary locomotor activity in mice and binding to NMDAR in vivo.

Results

The mAbs are structurally distinct and arose from distinct B‐cell lineages. They recognize different epitopes on the GluN1 amino terminal domain (ATD), yet both require amino acids important for post‐translational modification. Both mAbs bind subsets of GluN1 on cultured rat hippocampal neurons. The 5F5 mAb binds mouse brain hippocampal tissues, and the GluN1 recognized on cultured rat neurons was substantially extra‐synaptic. Antibody binding to primary hippocampal neurons induced receptor internalization. The NMDAR inhibitor MK‐801 inhibited internalization without preventing mAb binding; AP5 inhibited both mAb binding and internalization. Exposure of mice to the mAbs following permeabilization of the blood brain barrier increased voluntary wheel running activity, similar to low doses of the NMDAR inhibitor, MK‐801.

Interpretation

These mAbs recapitulate features demonstrated in previous studies of ANRE patient CSF, and exert effects on NMDAR in vitro and in vivo consistent with modulation of NMDAR activity.
Using Ultrafast Responsive Phosphorescent Nanoprobe to Visualize Elevated Peroxynitrite In Vitro and In Vivo via Ratiometric and Time‐Resolved Photoluminescence Imaging
Authors: Chen Zejing , Yan Peng , Zou Liang , Zhao Menglong , Jiang Jiayang , Liu Shujuan , Zhang Kenneth Yin , Huang Wei , Zhao Qiang
Published: July 2018

Peroxynitrite (ONOO‐), a potent biological oxidant, which has a short half‐life in physiological conditions, is related to many diseases. Accurate peroxynitrite determination with superior selectivity and sensitivity is important for understanding biological roles of peroxynitrite in different health and disease tissues. Autofluorescence is an inevitable interference in luminescence biodetection and bioimaging, which often reduces signal‐to‐noise ratio during detection. In this work, a phosphorescent peroxynitrite nanoprobe (MSN‐ONOO) which displays two emission bands is prepared by immobilizing two long‐lived phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes that are peroxynitrite‐activable and ‐inert, respectively, into water‐dispersible mesoporous silica nanoparticles. Owing to the fast response rate, excellent sensitivity and outstanding selectivity of the nanoprobe toward peroxynitrite, it is further used for peroxynitrite determination in vitro and in vivo via ratiometric photoluminescence imaging. More notably, taking advantage of the long‐lived phosphorescence of MSN‐ONOO, in vivo elevated peroxynitrite is imaged with diminished autofluorescence interference and improved signal‐to‐noise ratio via time‐resolved photoluminescence imaging. As far as it is known, this is the first time for endogenous peroxynitrite detection in vivo via the time‐resolved photoluminescence imaging. Furthermore, the production of peroxynitrite in inflamed tissues is visualized.
Enhancing the Performance of Surface Plasmon Resonance Biosensor via Modulation of Electron Density at the Graphene–Gold Interface
Authors: Chung Kyungwha , Lee June Sang , Kim Eunah , Lee Kyung‐Eun , Kim Kiheung , Lee Junghyun , Kim Donghyun , Kim Sang Ouk , Jeon Seokwoo , Park Hyesung , Kim Dong‐Wook , Kim Dong Ha
Published: July 2018

Surface plasmons at a metal/dielectric interface resonate with incident light, generating an evanescent field at the interface, which is highly sensitive to the change in refractive index of the medium. These characteristics are utilized as the basis for surface plasmon resonance‐based sensors with Kretschmann configuration, providing label‐free and real‐time monitoring of binding interaction between probe and target moieties. Although graphene is recently extensively investigated in the field of optical sensors for the improvement of sensing performance, the proposed enhancement mechanisms in each study are ambiguous and inconsistent. Here, graphene‐deposited Au film as advanced plasmonic sensing substrates is reported. Work function measurements of Au–graphene with different number of layer and doping state explicitly corroborate the mechanism of sensitivity increase, confirming that the enhanced refractive index sensitivity originates from induced surface dipole due to the charge transfer between Au film and graphene. The best sensitivity is attained from two layers of graphene by a chemical vapor deposition method. Biotinylated bovine serum albumin and streptavidin are used to evaluate the biosensing performance.
Conductive Electrochemically Active Lubricant‐Infused Nanostructured Surfaces Attenuate Coagulation and Enable Friction‐Less Droplet Manipulation
Authors: Hosseini Amin , Villegas Martin , Yang Jie , Badv Maryam , Weitz Jeffrey I. , Soleymani Leyla , Didar Tohid F.
Published: July 2018

Micro/nanostructured materials and lubricant‐infused surfaces, both inspired from structures found in nature, are ideally suited for developing self‐cleaning and high surface area transducers for biosensing. These two classes of bio‐inspired technologies are integrated to develop lubricant‐infused electrodes designed to reduce biofouling. Chemical vapor deposition is used to create self‐assembled monolayers of fluorosilane on gold‐modified prestrained polystyrene substrates. After heat shrinking of the substrate, a lubricant is applied to produce a lubricant‐infused nanostructured gold wrinkled surface with hydrophobic properties. These electrically conductive surfaces demonstrate high water contact (≈150°) and low sliding angles (<5°). Moreover, combining these surfaces with passive magnetic actuators enables the actuation of super‐paramagnetic microdroplets in frictionless and open channel conditions without needing full droplet submersion in an immiscible fluid. The fabricated nanostructured surfaces resist protein adhesion in a human plasma coagulation assay and significantly prolong clotting times and retain electrical conductivity, which is essential for electrical sensing applications. The developed hybrid interfaces are expected to have a wide range of applications in biosensing and biological sample preparation involving complex clinical and environmental samples.
Lateral Size Scaling Effect during Discontinuous Dewetting
Authors: Lin Yinyin , Wu Zhongsheng , Zhang Mengying , Wu Jinbo , Wen Weijia
Published: July 2018

Discontinuous dewetting on a prepatterned surface with regions of different dewettability is an attractive way to assemble a material into 2D microstructures with a predefined lateral size and spatial distribution on a surface. However, few studies have examined the aspect ratio or contact angles of the microstructures. In this Communication, it is found that the static contact angle changes with the lateral size of droplets and variation relationship between them shows two phases: an exponential decrease phase when lateral size is <80 µm, and a minimum plateau phase when lateral size is >80 µm, which is defined as lateral size scaling effect. After dynamically studying the droplet generation, it is proposed that liquid retraction after liquid thin film ruptures is responsible for the lateral size scaling effect. The effect of liquid viscosity and sliding speed on the lateral size scaling effect is also assessed and the lateral size scaling effect in droplet evaporation models is investigated. Finally, differently oriented single metal‐organic framework crystal arrays based on the lateral size scaling effect are successfully fabricated. This work demonstrates a novel 2.5D top‐down strategy to guide bottom‐up assembly.
Highly Densified Cu Wirings Fabricated from Air‐Stable Cu Complex Ink with High Conductivity, Enhanced Oxidation Resistance, and Flexibility
Authors: Li Wanli , Yang Yang , Zhang Bowen , Li Cai‐Fu , Jiu Jinting , Suganuma Katsuaki
Published: July 2018

The microstructure of printed Cu wirings fabricated from air‐stable Cu complex inks is greatly modified by low‐temperature curing followed by intense pulsed light densification enhancement treatment. The resulting almost full densification of printed Cu wirings enables them to possess a high electrical conductivity of 50% bulk Cu. The dense structure also largely prevents the permeation of oxygen and water into the inner side of the Cu wirings, thereby improving their oxidation resistance and maintaining a stable resistance (R/R0 < 1.5) even after 1000 h aging at 85 °C‐85% RH. In addition, the dense and robust structure can improve the resistance to crack generation and propagation in Cu wirings during the bending, so as to improve their flexibility. The relative resistance of Cu wirings can be kept below 1.2 after 1000 bending cycles. All the results indicate that these highly densified Cu wirings fabricated from air‐stable Cu complex inks can be used to replace the noble metallic Au and Ag wirings for practical application in flexible electronics.
Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes Based on Imidazole Semiconductors
Authors: Chen Wen‐Cheng , Zhu Ze‐Lin , Lee Chun‐Sing
Published: July 2018

Organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are the most successful product of organic electronics in the market and continually receive attention from scientific and industrial communities. Imidazoles have been extensively investigated for OLED applications, and demonstrated their versatility in molecular design for different functions. This review presents a summary of recent studies on imidazole (including imidazole derived moieties) derivatives, with special focus on discussing various molecular design tactics, for applications as electron‐transporting materials, emitters, and host materials in OLEDs. At last, perspectives and challenges regarding to imidazole semiconductors for electroluminescence applications are also discussed.
Control of Transmittance by Thermally Induced Phase Transition in Guest–Host Liquid Crystals
Authors: Oh Seung‐Won , Kim Sang‐Hyeok , Yoon Tae‐Hoon
Published: July 2018

Guest–host liquid crystal (GHLC) consists of host liquid crystal and guest dichroic dye. It can be switched between the transparent and opaque states by controlling the light absorption. In this paper, transmission control via the phase transition in GHLCs is presented. The smectic A, nematic, and isotropic phases as the high‐, mid‐, and low‐transmittance states of a GHLC cell are used, respectively, to control the transmittance. It is demonstrated that the proposed GHLC cell can be used as a self‐shading smart window for energy saving, which allows people to see through it even when it is darkened.
Origin, Genetic Diversity, and Evolutionary Dynamics of Novel Porcine Circovirus 3
Authors: Li Gairu , He Wanting , Zhu Henan , Bi Yuhai , Wang Ruyi , Xing Gang , Zhang Cheng , Zhou Jiyong , Yuen Kwok‐Yung , Gao George F. , Su Shuo
Published: July 2018

Porcine circovirus 3 (PCV3) is a novel virus associated with acute PDNS (porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome)‐like clinical signs identified by metagenomic sequencing from swine. Its high occurrence may pose a potential threat to the swine industry worldwide. The processes resulting in the emergence and spread of PCV3 remain poorly understood. Herein, the possible origin, genotypes, and evolutionary dynamics of PCV3 based on available genomic sequences are determined. The closest ancestor of PCV3 is found to be within the clade 1 bat CVs. Using different phylogenetic methods, two major genotypes are identified, PCV3a and PCV3b. It is found that the effective population size of PCV3 increased rapidly during late 2013 to early 2014 and this is associated with the diversification of PCV3a and PCV3b. A relatively high effective reproductive number (Re) value and higher evolutionary rate were found compared to other single‐stranded DNA viruses, and positive selection on codons 122 and 320 (24 of ORF2) is identified. It is hypothesized that this, together with the prediction of a potential change of an antigenic epitope at position 320, might have allowed PCV3 to escape from the host immune response. Overall, this study has important implications for understanding the ongoing PCV3 cases worldwide and will guide future efforts to develop effective preventive and control measures.
Documenting provenance in noncomputational workflows: Research process models based on geobiology fieldwork in Yellowstone National Park
Authors: Thomer Andrea K. , Wickett Karen M. , Baker Karen S. , Fouke Bruce W. , Palmer Carole L.
Published: July 2018

A comprehensive record of research data provenance is essential for the successful curation, management, and reuse of data over time. However, creating such detailed metadata can be onerous, and there are few structured methods for doing so. In this case study of data curation in support of geobiology research conducted at Yellowstone National Park, we describe a method of “Research Process Modeling” for documenting noncomputational data provenance in a structured yet flexible way. The method combines systems analysis techniques to model research activities, the World Wide Web Consortium Provenance (PROV) ontology to illustrate relationships between data products, and simple inventory methods to account for research processes and data products. It also supports collaborative data curation between information professionals and researchers, and is therefore a significant step toward producing more useable and interpretable research data. We demonstrate how this method describes data provenance more robustly than “flat” metadata alone and fills a critical gap in the documentation of provenance for field‐based and noncomputational workflows. We discuss potential applications of this approach to other research domains.
Do consumers always follow “useful” reviews? The interaction effect of review valence and review usefulness on consumers' purchase decisions
Authors: Jia Yanli , Liu Ivy L.B.
Published: July 2018

Consumers are influenced by both online review valence and usefulness. Although some scholars have recognized the gatekeeping role of review usefulness, whereby consumers always follow “useful” reviews, this is the first study that attempts to provide a better understanding of the gatekeeping role of review valence. Drawing on loss aversion theory, we propose that review valence provides more diagnostic value than review usefulness. Its crucial role is demonstrated in that only when reviews are perceived as positive do highly useful (rather than lowly useful) reviews increase consumers' adoption of them, whereas the difference appears less evident when reviews are perceived as negative. We empirically test the model from two perspectives including product level and review level. The results of a mixed‐method approach – a large‐scale panel study (product level) followed by two experimental studies (review level) – provide empirical evidence for the above hypotheses.
Korrosionsmonitoring von Stahlbetonbauwerken
Authors: Mayer Till Felix , Harnisch Jörg , Ebell Gino , Dauberschmidt Christoph
Published: July 2018

Korrosionsmonitoring von Stahl‐ oder Spannbetonbauwerken hat in den vergangenen Jahren als Ergänzung zur herkömmlichen Bauwerksuntersuchung deutlich an Relevanz gewonnen. Einsatzgebiete sind z. B. Bauteile, die nach Fertigstellung nicht mehr zugänglich sind oder an denen aufgrund vorhandener Beschichtungen keine Potentialfeldmessungen durchgeführt werden können. Weiterhin kann Korrosionsmonitoring auch für die Überwachung des Korrosionsfortschritts an korrodierenden Systemen z. B. zum Nachweis des Instandsetzungserfolgs bei Anwendung des Prinzips W‐Cl gemäß Instandsetzungsrichtlinie des DAfStb oder zum Funktionsnachweis bei KKS‐Installationen nach DIN EN ISO 12696 eingesetzt werden. Trotz zunehmender Bedeutung existieren für das Korrosionsmonitoring bis dato keine Richtlinien oder Handlungsempfehlungen. Diese Lücke soll das Merkblatt B12 „Korrosionsmonitoring von Stahl‐ und Spannbetonbauwerken“ der Deutschen Gesellschaft für zerstörungsfreie Prüfung DGZfP füllen, das im Frühjahr 2018 veröffentlicht wurde [1]. In diesem Beitrag werden das Merkblatt B12 vorgestellt, die grundlegenden Messprinzipien erläutert und anhand von Anwendungsbeispielen das Potenzial von Korrosionsmonitoring bei Neubau‐ und Bestandsobjekten illustriert.
100 Jahre Dauerhaftigkeit für Brücken‐ und Tunnelbauwerke
Authors: Schießl‐Pecka Angelika , Willberg Uwe , Rausch Anne , Bäumler Wolfgang
Published: July 2018

An verschiedenen Verkehrsbauwerken (Tunnelbauwerke und Brücken) wurden nach nur relativ kurzer Nutzung (rd. 20 Jahre) sehr hohe Chloridgehalte in den chloridexponierten Bauteilen (Tunnelwände, Notgehwege, Brückenpfeiler, Widerlager und Brückenkappen) festgestellt. An manchen Bauteilen war die daraus resultierende Bewehrungskorrosion zum Teil schon so weit fortgeschritten, dass ein Austausch/Abbruch der entsprechenden Bauteile vorgenommen werden musste. Um zukünftig dauerhaftere Betonbauwerke planen und erstellen zu können, wurde das sogenannte 3‐Stufen‐Konzept entwickelt, bei dem insgesamt drei Lösungsansätze zur Erhöhung der Dauerhaftigkeit zur Verfügung stehen und den einzelnen Bauteilen in Abhängigkeit von der Beanspruchungsintensität zugewiesen werden können.

Zur Herleitung des 3‐Stufen‐Konzepts wurden zunächst verschiedene dauerhaftigkeitsrelevante Schäden an Verkehrsbauwerken analysiert, um die Bereiche zu identifizieren, die durch die normativen Dauerhaftigkeitsanforderungen noch nicht ausreichend geschützt werden. Parallel dazu wurden die dauerhaftigkeitsrelevanten Einflussfaktoren auf der Einwirkungsseite (Streusalzaufkommen, Verkehrsintensität, Entfernung der Chloridquelle vom Bauteil, Bauteilausrichtung) erarbeitet, sodass unter Kenntnis der Schäden und Einwirkungen eine sinnvolle Einteilung der Bauteile vorgenommen werden konnte. In Anlehnung an die Einflussfaktoren der Widerstandsseite (Betondeckung, Materialwiderstände von Beton und Stahl, Oberflächenschutzsystem) wurden dann drei Lösungsstrategien entwickelt, mit denen die Dauerhaftigkeit von chloridexponierten Betonbauteilen verbessert werden kann. Im Wesentlichen ist dies eine Verlangsamung des Chloridtransports durch betontechnologische Maßnahmen, eine Erhöhung des kritischen korrosionsauslösenden Chloridgehalts durch Verwenden von Bewehrungsstahl mit erhöhtem Korrosionswiderstand und das Unterbinden des Chlorideintrags in den Konstruktionsbeton durch Aufbringen einer Tiefenhydrophobierung. Im letzten Schritt konnten den jeweiligen Bauteilkategorien die Maßnahmen zugeordnet werden, die zur Erzielung einer über die Lebensdauer ausreichenden Dauerhaftigkeit notwendig sind.
Compared with intensity‐modulated radiotherapy, image‐guided radiotherapy reduces severity of acute radiation‐induced skin toxicity during radiotherapy in patients with breast cancer
Authors: Lin Jang‐Chun , Tsai Jo‐Ting , Chou Yu‐Ching , Li Ming‐Hsien , Liu Wei‐Hsiu
Published: July 2018

Radiotherapy (RT) is an effective treatment for breast cancer. The side effects of breast irradiation, including skin toxicity in the irradiation field, cause considerable discomfort. This study compared the severity of skin toxicity caused by image‐guided RT (IGRT) and intensity‐modulated RT (IMRT) combined with an electronic portal imaging device (EPID) in breast cancer. This study retrospectively analyzed 458 patients with breast cancer who had received RT. The patients were divided into two groups: 302 and 156 patients in the IMRT and IGRT groups. In the IGRT group, 8 and 148 patients had received helical tomotherapy irradiation and IMRT with cone‐beam computed tomography. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the relationship between RT technique and the severity of radiation skin toxicity. In our study, 284, 97, and 6 patients exhibited grades I, II, and III radiation dermatitis (RD). Moreover, 75 patients in the IMRT group (24.80%) and 22 patients in the IGRT group (14.10%) exhibited grade II RD. All patients with grade III RD were in the IMRT group (2.00%). No patient exhibited grade IV RD. The patients in the IGRT group exhibited less severity of RD than in the IMRT group. The severity of acute RD due to IGRT is significantly lower than that due to IMRT with EPID.
Texture of steamed rice cake prepared via soy residue and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose supplementation
Authors: Jang Sohee , Shin Woo‐Kyoung , Kim Yookyung
Published: July 2018

Background and objectives

Okara and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) were added to jeungpyun, a steamed rice cake, as fermentation enhancers. Three types of jeungpyun were prepared: containing only rice (C), with okara added (O), and okara treated with HPMC (OH).

Findings

During fermentation, the OH batter had the highest volume, followed by O and C; particularly OH maintained its volume without batter collapse after 2 hrs. The viscosity (C: 446, O: 575, OH: 991 cP) and water‐holding capacity (C: 2.9, O: 8.7, OH: 17.2%) of batter also showed the same tendency with volume. After steaming, the volume of OH jeungpyun was the highest (1.7 cm3/g), followed by O (1.5 cm3/g) and C (1.4 cm3/g). The sensory panel scores of the okara treated samples were 1.8 (OH)–2.4 (O) fold lower in hardness than C. Addition of okara decreased the hardness and the rate of hardening of jeungpyun during storage, particularly in OH.

Conclusions

Okara improved the fermentation of batter, and improved the hardness and volume of jeungpyun. HPMC stabilized the batter and maintained the volume.

Significance and novelty

This study suggests the application of okara as a fermentation source and its impact on quality effect.
Chronic myelogenous leukemia occurring in a chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient
Authors: Beaud Jenny , Modot Thomas , Delhommeau François , Suner Ludovic
Published: July 2018

Key Clinical Message

Occurrence of two different hematological malignancies is very infrequent, and it is nevertheless important not to neglect basic examinations in patients follow‐up. A 65‐year‐old patient was referred to our institution for his chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) checkup; we report the different steps leading to the diagnosis of a second hematological malignancy.
DFT Study on the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction for Different Facets of Co2P
Authors: Liang Zhun , Zhong Xiaoliang , Li Tianqi , Chen Ming , Feng Guang
Published: July 2018

Co2P is one of the most promising non‐noble metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) during water splitting, owing to its many advantages, such as earth‐abundance, high activity and good stability. The as‐synthesized Co2P is multi‐faceted while its facet‐dependent HER activity is still little known. To explore the facet‐dependent HER activity of Co2P, density functional theory (DFT) calculations are conducted for five different facets of Co2P: (001), (010), (101), (112) and (113) in this work. By comparing the surface energy and Gibbs free energy of H* (ΔGH*) of these five facets, Co2P (113) is found to possess both good surface stability and high HER activity, which could be the guidance for catalyst design and synthesis. Multiple linear regression has been adopted to quantitatively scrutinize the relationship between H−Co bond length distribution and ΔGH*, and the mean absolute error of the multiple linear regression is as small as 0.0756 eV. This analysis shows that statistical methods are effective to explore the effect of structure on the HER activity, which could be helpful in understanding the underlying HER mechanism.
Mapping Surface Charge of Individual Microdomains with Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy
Authors: Zhu Cheng , Zhou Lushan , Choi Myunghoon , Baker Lane A.
Published: July 2018

We further describe a protocol for the investigation of surface charge with scanning ion conductance microscopy. The protocol measures current‐voltage curves at positions close to and far from the surface of interest and reports the differential response. The data can be interpreted in terms of rectification ratios, an intuitive quantity for such studies. With this protocol, we further investigate the effect of electrolyte concentration and study the influence of scan potential on surface charge measurement on chemically modified surfaces.
Pd‐Catalyzed C—S Cyclization via C—H Functionalization Strategy: Access to Sulfur‐containing Benzoheterocyclics
Authors: Chen Shihao , Wang Ming , Jiang Xuefeng
Published: July 2018

A C—H sulfurated cyclization protocol starting from thioacetates is developed for straightforward construction of sulfur‐containing benzoheterocyclics. The diversiform functional dihydrobenzothiophenes and thiochromans were comprehensively achieved through the Pd‐catalyzed carbon‐ sulfur cyclization. Mechanistic studies indicated that C—H bond cleavage was involved in the rate‐determining step. [1]Benzothieno‐[3,2‐b]‐ [1]benzothiophene (BTBT) and benzo[b]thieno[2,3‐d]thiophene (BTT) were efficiently established as the well‐known organic field‐effect transistor (OFET) material molecules through this methodology.
Hierarchical modeling of melanocortin 1 receptor variants with skin cancer risk
Authors: Joshi Amit D. , Li Xin , Kraft Peter , Han Jiali
Published: July 2018

The human MC1R gene is highly polymorphic among lightly pigmented populations, and several variants in the MC1R gene have been associated with increased risk of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. The functional consequences of MC1R gene variants have been studied in vitro and in vivo in postulated causal pathways, such as G‐protein‐coupled signaling transduction, pigmentation, immune response, inflammatory response, cell proliferation, and extracellular matrix adhesion. In a case‐control study nested within the Nurses’ Health Study, we utilized hierarchical modeling approaches, incorporating quantitative information from these functional studies, to examine the association between particular MC1R alleles and the risk of skin cancers. Different prior matrices were constructed according to the phenotypic associations in controls, cell surface expression, and enzymatic kinetics. Our results showed the parameter variance estimates of each single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were smaller when using a hierarchical modeling approach compared to standard multivariable regression. Estimates of second‐level parameters gave information about the relative importance of MC1R effects on different pathways, and odds ratio estimates changed depending on prior models (e.g., the change ranged from −21% to 7% for melanoma risk assessment). In addition, the estimates of prior model hyperparameters in the hierarchical modeling approach allow us to determine the relevance of individual pathways on the risk of each of the skin cancer types. In conclusion, hierarchical modeling provides a useful analytic approach in addition to the widely used conventional models in genetic association studies that can incorporate measures of allelic function.
High background in ELISpot assays is associated with elevated levels of immune activation in HIV‐1‐seronegative individuals in Nairobi
Authors: Liu Amy Y. , De Rosa Stephen C. , Guthrie Brandon L. , Choi Robert Y. , Kerubo‐Bosire Rose , Richardson Barbra A. , Kiarie James , Farquhar Carey , Lohman‐Payne Barbara
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Spontaneous interferon‐γ (IFNγ) released detected by enzyme‐linked immunospot (ELISpot) assays may be a biological phenomenon. Markers of immune activation levels were assessed as correlates of high background among individuals in Kenya.

Methods

Couples concordantly seronegative for HIV‐1 were enrolled. IFN‐γ ELISpot assays were conducted and negative control wells were categorized as having either high or low background (≥50 and <50 SFU/106 peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMC], respectively). PBMC were stained for CD4, CD8, and immune activation markers (CD38 and HLA‐DR) and analyzed using flow cytometry. Proportions of activated T‐cells were compared between those with low and high background by Mann–Whitney U test. Correlates of background SFU and immune activation were assessed using regression models.

Results

Among 58 individuals, 14 (24%) had high background. Frequencies of CD4+CD38+HLA‐DR+ and CD8+CD38+HLA‐DR+ cells were higher in individuals with high background compared to those with low background (P = 0.02). Higher background SFU was associated with history of sexually transmitted infections (P = 0.03), and illness in the past 3 months (P = 0.005), in addition to increased levels of activated CD4+ and CD8+ cells (P range = 0.008–0.03). Female gender and male circumcision decreased levels of CD4+ and CD8+ immune activation (P range = 0.002–0.03). Additionally, higher background SFU and activated CD4+ and CD8+ cells were individually associated with positive ELISpot responses to HIV‐1 peptide pools (P range = 0.01–0.03).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that increased basal immune responses may be a biological mechanism contributing to higher background ELISpot SFU. Systematic exclusion of data from individuals with increased background in IFN‐γ release assays may bias results in population‐based studies.
Contesting the “territorial aggression thesis” in environmental psychology, ca. 1965–1980
Authors: Sailo Annukka
Published: July 2018

In the latter part of the 1960s, the ethologically derived idea of territoriality as an explanation for human aggression became widely debated among social scientists. The instinctual basis of human territorial aggression was promoted by so‐called popular ethologists and consequently embraced by lay audiences. The article examines how the emerging field of environmental psychology adopted the notion of human territoriality from ethology and made it into a part of their own research agenda. It shows how environmental psychologists were inspired by the fashion around the claimed relevance of human territoriality for the large‐scale social problems, such as aggression, war and population growth. Despite of the obvious influences and comparisons between animal and human behavior, many environmental psychologists wanted to contest not only the ‘territorial aggression thesis’ but also the relevance of animal studies for the analysis of human behavior.
Variable Structure of Cultural Capital and Implications for Multicultural Counseling
Authors: Brawner Robtrice D.
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study was to identify the latent variable structure of a measure of cultural capital in the community college field. The community college was used based on its emergence as both a gateway and a gatekeeper to higher education, and as a power structure that can afford both social and economic opportunities through degree attainment for underrepresented groups. Therefore, implications for counselors in various settings were highlighted, along with implications for future research.

El propósito de este estudio fue identificar la estructura de la variable latente de una medida de capital cultural en el campo de los colegios comunitarios. Se usó el colegio comunitario por su surgimiento como ambos filtro y puerta de entrada a la educación superior, así como una estructura de poder que puede ofrecer oportunidades sociales y económicas a grupos infrarrepresentados a través de la obtención de grados. Por lo tanto, se destacaron las implicaciones para consejeros en entornos variados, junto con las implicaciones para investigaciones futuras.
A field experiment demonstrating risk on the seafloor for planktonic embryos
Authors: Zacher Leah Sloan , Strathmann Richard R.
Published: July 2018

Most solitary marine eggs are shed into the plankton. Presumably the seafloor is more dangerous than the plankton for small solitary embryos, but estimates of benthic mortality of solitary embryos are few. To assess risk, we introduced suspensions of sinking, early stage embryos into conical chambers whose basal surfaces differed in mesh size and distance of mesh from the sediment surface. Surviving embryos hatched as blastulae and swam upward into an apical collection tube, later removed for counting. Test embryos were of a clypeasteroid echinoid. The two test sites, within a coastal lagoon in the NE Pacific, differed in sediments. At both sites, mean proportion of embryos retrieved was 0 and near 0 in chambers floored with 0.9 mm and 0.08 mm meshes at the sediment surface, but greater in chambers floored with a 0.08 mm mesh about 6 cm above the sediment (0.40 and 0.42) and also with a different chamber design with finer (0.055 mm) mesh at the sediment (0.42). Mean proportion retrieved was still greater (0.68 and 0.67) with chambers floored with a complete barrier at the sediment surface and similar to retrieval with chambers in laboratory aquaria without sediment. Estimated mortality rates for embryos on the sediment exceeded published estimates from the plankton. The results support the hypothesis that solitary eggs are released to the plankton because of benthic risks. This method can be used at varied sites on the seafloor, with varied embryos, and with varied protective barriers to test the generality of these results.
Rapid fines assessment: A quantitative volumetric method to assess fines content in marine soft sediments
Authors: Silburn Briony , Parker Ruth , Mason Claire , Parker Reg
Published: July 2018

Methods for sediment classification commonly use particle size analysis (PSA) by weight to describe sediment size fractions and other physical sediment properties. For many applications, the sediment parameter controlling the physical, chemical, and biological processes associated with the seabed is determined by the volume of aggregated fine particles. For example, the apparent weight of the fines fraction in multiple sediment samples across an area can be similar, but there can be large variations in the volume this fine fraction occupies. The volumetric percentage of fines can affect sediment porosity, tortuosity, and permeability and hence biogeochemistry, e.g., the oxygen penetration depth or diffusion rates. Development and testing of the rapid fines assessment (RFA) has shown that this simple method of measuring the ratio of fines to sand volume layers within a settled sediment sample can give high accuracy estimates of percentage fines by volume. Data presented here demonstrate that a volumetric approach can better describe variations and discriminate between sample differences at low percentage fines by weight. This is key to defining the boundary between sediments dominated by diffusion and those which have pore‐water advection in the upper layers. The increased resolution which the method provides is useful in tracking site changes caused by human impacts and over various spatial or temporal scales. It is a rapid, inexpensive, and simple technique to implement in the laboratory, and one which can be used in the field to aid or guide sampling site selection.
Measuring the in situ tilt orientation of fish and zooplankton using stereo photogrammetric methods
Authors: Levine Mike , Williams Kresimir , Ressler Patrick H.
Published: July 2018

Acoustic‐derived estimates of fish and zooplankton numerical and biomass density rely on knowledge of the sound scattered by an individual, known as target strength (TS). An important, but difficult to measure, factor in determining TS is the tilt orientation of animals in relation to the insonifying acoustic wave. Underwater stereo‐camera systems can provide in situ tilt measurements for fish and zooplankton. We describe a protocol to remove the effects of camera pitch and roll from tilt measurements using a low‐cost orientation sensor and a mathematical correction. A tank experiment indicated that tilt estimates made with corrected pitch and roll position data improved measurement accuracy as compared to those made with uncorrected position data. This experiment also provided empirical limits on the range of yaw values that allowed for accurate estimation of target tilt and length. We further tested this protocol using an in situ collection of krill stereo images collected in the Gulf of Alaska. Krill tilts calculated with pitch‐ and roll‐corrected position data were an average of 10° different than those collected with uncorrected position data. Our pitch‐ and roll‐correction improved the accuracy of stereo photogrammetric tilt estimation. Extending this method to appropriate spatial and temporal scales could allow for more accurate parametrization of TS models.
Sentinel lymphadenectomy in cervical cancer using near infrared fluorescence from indocyanine green combined with technetium‐99m‐nanocolloid
Authors: Soergel Philipp , Kirschke Johanna , Klapdor Rüdiger , Derlin Thorsten , Hillemanns Peter , Hertel Hermann
Published: July 2018

Objective

Sentinel diagnostic in cervical cancer is performed using Technetium‐99m‐nanocolloid as a radioactive marker with or without patent blue. In the last years, indocyanine green has been evaluated for sentinel diagnostic in different tumor entities. Indocyanine green is a fluorescent molecule which emits a light signal in the near infrared band after excitation. Our study aims to evaluate indocyanine green compared to the gold standard Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid.

Materials and Methods

We included patients with early cervical cancer up to FIGO stage IIA with clinically node‐negative pelvic sites and the indication for nodal staging in this prospective trial. Sentinel diagnostic was carried out using Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid, indocyanine green and patent blue. We examined each pelvic site for light signals from the near infrared band, for radioactivity and for blue staining. A sentinel lymph node was defined as a Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid positive lymph node. All sentinel lymph nodes and all additional blue or fluorescent lymph nodes were excised and tested; then sent to histologic examination.

Results

Thirty‐three patients were included in which we found 211 Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid‐positive sentinel lymph nodes in 66 pelvic sites. Two hundred and seven of these lymph nodes were positive for indocyanine green, too, giving a sensitivity of 98.1% (95%CI 94.9–99.4%) compared to Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid. One hundred and sixty additional lymph nodes showed indocyanine green fluorescence but no Tc‐99m‐positivity, so that the sensitivity was 79.6% (95%CI 76.6–82.3%). In one patient, a pelvic site was only identified to be tumor infiltrated due to an ICG‐positive, but Tc‐99m‐negative lymph node.

Conclusion

Our results show that indocyanine green is a promising approach for pelvic sentinel identification in cervical cancer. ICG has a similar sensitivity as radioactive Tc‐99m‐nanocolloid and may enhance both patient safety and surgeons’ comfort. Lasers Surg. Med. 50:994–1001, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mcr colistin resistance gene: a systematic review of current diagnostics and detection methods
Authors: Osei Sekyere John
Published: July 2018

Resistance to colistin, mediated by chromosomal mutations and more recently, by plasmid‐borne mcr genes, is increasingly being reported in bacterial isolates taken from humans, animals, farms, foods, and the environment. To easily identify and contain this quickly spreading menace, efficient diagnostics that are cheaper, faster, simpler, sensitive, and specific have become indispensable and urgently necessary. A thorough and systematic review of the literature available at Pubmed, ScienceDirect and Web of Science was thus undertaken to identify articles describing novel and efficient colistin resistance‐ and mcr gene‐detecting methods. From the final 23 studies included in this review, both phenotypic and molecular tests were found. The phenotypic tests consisted of novel culture media viz., SuperPolymyxin™, CHROMagar COL‐APSE and LBJMR media, commercial automated MIC‐determining instruments such as MICRONAUT‐S, Vitek 2, BD Phoenix, Sensititre and MicroScan, and novel assays such as Colistin MAC test, Colispot, rapid polymxin NP test (RPNP), alteration of Zeta potential, modified RPNP test, MICRONAUT‐MIC Strip, MIC Test Strip, UMIC System, and Sensitest™ Colistin. Molecular diagnostics consisted of the CT103XL microarray, eazyplex® SuperBug kit, and Taqman®/SYBR Green® real‐time PCR assays, with 100% sensitivity and specificity plus a shorter turnaround time (<3 hr). Based on the sensitivity, specificity, cost, required skill and turnaround time, the RPNP test and/or novel culture media is recommended for under‐resourced laboratories while the Multiplex PCR or Taqman®/SYBR Green® real‐time PCR assay alongside the RPNP or novel culture media is suggested for well‐resourced ones.
Transformation and Stability of N‐Nitrodiethanolamine Dinitrate Nitration Liquid System under Thermal and Mechanical Stimulation
Authors: Zhou Jing , Ding Li , Wang Xiaofeng , Zhu Yanlong , Wang Bozhou , Zhang Junlin
Published: July 2018

To obtain a deeper understanding of the process involved in the synthesis of N‐nitrodiethanolamine dinitrate (DINA), in this work we carried out systematic studies on the transformation and stability of the N‐nitration liquid and DINA. The thermal decomposition processes and dynamic characteristics for both the N‐nitration liquid and DINA were carried out by thermal analysis methods and the mechanism for the decrease of stability of the N‐nitration liquid was proposed according to experimental results. Mechanical stimulation of the N‐nitration liquid and DINA were also studied by friction and impact sensitivity testing. The experimental results showed that the N‐nitration liquid is highly sensitive to temperature and can decompose easily when the reaction temperature increases. However, mechanical sensitivity of the N‐nitration was demonstrated to be much lower than that of DINA. Therefore, precise thermal control is the key factor to ensure safety during the preparation of DINA.
The relationships between environmental sensitivity, ecological worldview, personal norms and pro‐environmental behaviors in Chinese children: Testing the value–belief–norm model with environmental sensitivity as an emotional basis
Authors: Wu Lingqiong
Published: July 2018

This study addresses the relationships that ecological worldview, environmental sensitivity, and personal norms have with pro‐environmental behaviors in a particular child population in urban China. The survey questionnaires were distributed to 410 Grade 6 students from eight Green Schools in Shenzhen, China. The sample included 223 (54.3%) boys and 187 (45.6%) girls with ages ranging from 10 to 13 years. The results from structural equation modelling reveal that environmental sensitivity and personal norms were two critical factors in determining students’ pro‐environmental behaviors. The influence of ecological worldview was fully mediated by personal norms, whereas the effect of environmental sensitivity was partially mediated by both personal norms and ecological worldview.