bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoluminescent poly(4-vinylpyridine)-based ionic liquids coded with l- and d-histidine: a supramolecular self-assembly leading to the formation of red-shifted photoluminescent helical aggregates
Authors: Puneet Puhup , Horechyy Andriy , Srivastava Rajiiv K. , Nandan Bhanu , Fujiki Michiya
Published: April 2019

Herein, photoluminescent poly(4-vinylpyridine)-based ionic liquids including d- and l-histidine were synthesized. The chiral PILs self-assembled into helical aggregates.
Effect of fluorine substitution in organoboron electron acceptors for photovoltaic application
Authors: Liu Fangbin , Liu Jun , Wang Lixiang
Published: April 2019

Fluorine substitution at the core unit or the endcapping groups has an interesting effect on the opto-electronic properties and device behaviors of organoboron electron acceptors.
Electrospun three-dimensional V4Nb18O55 nanofibers for advanced lithium uptake
Authors: Wu Hailong , Fan Ningrui , Li Jian , Cao Yong , Zhao Yu , Wei Kaiyuan , Cui Yixiu , Cui Yanhua
Published: April 2019

V4Nb18O55 nanofibers were built via a homemade electrospinning route and presented superior lithium uptake performance in rechargeable batteries.
Correction: Interfacial effects on droplet dynamics in Poiseuille flow
Authors: Schwalbe Jonathan T. , Phelan Frederick R. , Vlahovska Petia M. , Hudson Steven D.
Published: April 2019

Correction for ‘Interfacial effects on droplet dynamics in Poiseuille flow’ by Jonathan T. Schwalbe et al., Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 7797–7804.
Epigallocatechin-3-gallate inhibits doxorubicin-induced inflammation on human ovarian tissue
Authors: Fabbri R , Macciocca M , Vicenti R , Caprara G , Piccinni MP , Paradisi R , Terzano P , Papi A , Seracchioli R
Published: April 2019

Chemotherapy protocol can destroy the reproductive potential of young cancer patients. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent anthracycline commonly used in the treatment of numerous malignancies. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the ovarian toxicity of DOX via inflammation and the possible protective effect of the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Ovarian tissue of three patients was cultured with 1 µg/ml DOX and/or 10 µg/ml EGCG for 24 and 48 h. Levels of inflammatory factors were determined by quantitative Real-Time PCR, western blot, zimography, and multiplex bead-based immunoassay. Morphological evaluation, damaged follicle count and TUNEL assay were also performed. DOX influenced inflammatory responses by inducing a significant increase in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and cyclooxigenase-2 (COX-2), of inflammatory interleukins (IL), such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), and the inflammatory proteins mediators metalloproteinase-2 and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP2 and MMP9). IL-8 secretion in the culture supernatants and MMP9 activity also significantly raised after DOX treatment. Moreover, a histological evaluation of the ovarian tissue showed morphological damage to follicles and stroma after DOX exposure. EGCG significantly reduced DOX-induced inflammatory responses and improved the preservation of follicles. DOX-induced inflammation could be responsible for the ovarian function impairment of chemotherapy. EGCG could have a protective role in reducing DOX-mediated inflammatory responses in human ovarian tissue.
Association between genetic polymorphisms and osteonecrosis in steroid treatment populations: a detailed stratified and dose-response meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Jun , Jing Ming , Yang Xiaoge
Published: April 2019

Steroid treatment has become recognized as an important risk factor for avascular osteonecrosis of the femoral head. However, not all patients who receive long-term, high-dose steroids develop osteonecrosis, indicating that there are individual differences in occurrence.

We explored the relationship between polymorphisms and steroid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (SONFH) incidence with variables. We used a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model, which is an expansion of logistic regression, for each type of steroid, primary disease, drug dose, applied duration, and single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). We also conducted a dose-response meta-analysis to analyze the cumulative dosage and SONFH risk in mutation carriers. There were significant correlations between the ABCB1 rs1045642 mutant and SONFH in the prednisone-use and methylprednisolone/prednisone-use populations. The ABCB1 rs2032582 mutant homozygote had a protective effect in the methylprednisolone/prednisolone renal transplant population. For ApoB rs693, mutation increased the incidence of SONFH in prednisone-use and methylprednisolone/prednisolone-use populations and renal transplant patients. For ApoB rs1042031, mutation increased the risk of SONFH in the prednisone-use population. The PAI-1 rs1799768 mutation had a protective effect on the SONFH risk prednisone-use and renal transplant populations. ABCB1 rs1045642 mutations have a protective effect against SONFH, and ApoB rs693 and rs1042031 increase the SONFH risk. Cumulative dosage and treatment duration had little effect on the results. In addition, there was a dose-effect correlation in ABCB1 rs1045642 and rs2032582 mutation carriers.
Psychometric Functions of Vowel Detection and Identification in Long-Term Speech-Shaped Noise
Authors: Liu Chang , Jin Su-Hyun
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The goal of this study was to investigate vowel detection and identification in noise and provide baseline data regarding how vowel perception changed with signal-to-noise ratios. Psychometric functions of vowel detection and identification for 12 American English isolated vowels in long-term speech-shaped noise were examined for young listeners with normal hearing in this study.

Method

Vowel detection was measured at sensation levels from −10 to +5 dB (re: thresholds of vowel detection from the study of
Liu and Eddins, 2008a
) with a 4-interval forced-choice procedure. Thresholds of vowel detection were computed for each listener as the speech level at which 70.7% correct performance was reached. Vowel identification was then examined at sensation levels from 0 to 12 dB relative to detection thresholds for each listener. Thresholds of vowel identification were calculated as the speech level with vowel identifiability (
d
′) equals to 1.

Results

Thresholds of vowel detection and identification were significantly affected by vowel category. Slopes of psychometric functions of vowel identification were significantly dependent on vowel category, whereas slopes of psychometric functions of vowel detection were not.

Conclusions

These results suggest that, given the same sensation levels, especially at low sensation levels, vowel sounds are not equally perceivable in terms of identifiability.
Diagnostic Decisions in Child Language Assessment: Findings From a Case Review Assessment Task
Authors: Fulcher-Rood Katrina , Castilla-Earls Anny , Higginbotham Jeff
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The current study used a case review diagnostic assessment task to examine the diagnostic decisions speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in the United States made after reviewing child language cases.

Method

Fourteen SLPs were given 5 case studies that presented either congruent or incongruent results between standardized testing and informal measures. After reviewing the assessment data, SLPs were asked to make a diagnostic decision.

Results

Unanimous consensus regarding diagnostic decisions was found when the assessment data were congruent. When the data were incongruent, unanimous consensus was not achieved. Standardized testing seemed to guide the diagnostic decision. This pattern of reliance on standardized testing was evident even when 80% of SLPs reviewed informal language data. In 97% of cases, a standardized test was used to guide clinical decision making.

Conclusion

Three patterns of clinical decision making in child language assessment emerged: (a) use of both standardized testing and informal measures, (b) a reported concern tool as a 1st step in the process, and (c) standardized testing as the most influential data for guiding diagnostic decisions. Although this study provides initial evidence regarding the process of diagnostic decision making, future studies should examine decision making in real time to further validate the implicit rules used during decision making.

Supplemental Material

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.7991174
Effect of MnO on the fusing temperature and the viscosity of high titanium slag
Authors: Zhang Shiju , Ma Wenhui , Zhang Ping , Wen Jianhua , Liu Songli
Published: April 2019

The fusing temperature and the viscosity are important physical properties of high titanium slag. The Einstein-Roscoe equation was used to study the thermodynamic simulation of high titanium slag via FactSage software. The effects that the MnO had on the fusing temperature and the viscosity of high titanium slag were studied, and the reliability of the thermodynamic simulation method is verified by experiments. The results showed that the fusing temperature and the viscosity of high titanium slag decreased when the MnO content increased. The fusing temperature of high titanium slag was 1626.17∼1691.24 °C. After the high titanium slag was completely melted, the viscosity of high titanium slag was 86∼127 mPa · s. When the temperature was lower than the fusing temperature, the high titanium slag precipitated into solid-phase particles. The amount of precipitation increased when the temperature decreased, which in turn increased the viscosity of the high titanium slag.
Effets de l’inhibition post-natale de RANKL sur l’éruption et la formation radiculaire des molaires de souris C57BL/6
Authors: Gama Andrea , Perea Linamary , Yepes Catalina , Betancur Jhon J , Vargas Jorge , Amiaud Jerôme , Babajko Sylvie , Lezot Frédéric , Castaneda Beatriz
Published: April 2019

Introduction : Des observations récentes effectuées dans le service d’ODF de la Pitié-Salpêtrière à Paris montrent une augmentation des altérations de l’éruption des molaires permanentes non-familiales. Nos travaux récents au laboratoire montrent l’implication des ostéoclastes (OC) dans les processus d’éruption et de rétention dentaires avec implication de la voie de signalisation RANKL/RANK/OPG. Ces faits nous ont amenés à émettre l’hypothèse d’une étiologie environnementale à l’origine de ces défauts d’éruption qui correspondrait à la perturbation des voies de signalisation cellulaires autocrines/paracrines telles que la voie RANKL/RANK/OPG. Matériels et méthodes : Des souris C57BL/6 ont subi des injections d’anticorps anti- RANKL à intervalles réguliers au cours des neuf premiers jours après la naissance. Une comparaison phénotypique avec les souris transgéniques RANK a permis la caractérisation fonctionnelle de la voie RANK/RANKL. Le complexe dento-alvéolaire a été analysé par micro-CT pour la densité osseuse, et la coloration au trichrome de Masson pour les examens histologiques. Résultats : L’invalidation transitoire de RANKL a conduit à un arrêt du développement radiculaire des molaires et l’inhibition de l’éruption dentaire contrairement au phénotype des souris surexprimant RANK. Le recrutement et l’activité des ostéoclastes ont été fortement altérés. Discussion : Ces recherches présentent un intérêt clinique tant direct concernant la compréhension des pathologies de l’éruption qu’indirect pour l’établissement des protocoles de traitements orthodontiques pour les cas particuliers.
Hygiénisme et psychanalyse dans l’histoire de l’assistance aux personnes diagnostiquées débiles au Brésil : quelques remarques
Authors: Abranches Cristina , Kupfer M. Cristina
Published: April 2019

L’Assistance aux personnes soit disant déficientes intellectuelles au Brésil ne s’est pas déroulée sans accidents. Cet article en examine l’histoire, à partir de la période impériale, en passant par les défilés de l’hygiénisme, par la supposition d’une étiologie purement organique et par des mélanges diagnostiques avec les maladies mentales, pour aboutir à nos jours. L’Histoire est tissée par un examen de la participation de la psychanalyse dans l’assistance aux personnes dites débiles; aux débuts hygiénistes, la psychanalyse a ensuite apporté un discours sur la débilité où est soulignée la présence d’un sujet dans les manifestations supposées débiles.
Comment le cognitivisme a-t-il contribué à l’abandon du concept de « débilité mentale » ? Apports et limites
Authors: Weil-Barais Annick
Published: April 2019

Après avoir rappelé les différentes approches qui se sont développées au sein du courant cognitiviste, en référence à ses propres travaux concernant les apprentissages scolaires et les activités intellectuelles (uniquement évoqués pour indiquer ce qui fonde ses jugements), l’auteure se propose d’interroger la manière dont sont expliquées les difficultés persistantes d’apprentissage que les enfants rencontrent à l’école ainsi que les remédiations qui sont préconisées. Elle s’inquiète de la prolifération des dys (dyslexie, dyscalculie, dysgraphie, …), de la focalisation des études récentes sur les zones cérébrales impliquées dans les activités intellectuelles et de la réduction de celles-ci nécessitée par l’usage des appareils de l’enregistrement de l’activité cérébrale. Elle défend la nécessité de prendre en compte la diversité et la complexité des apprentissages scolaires et notamment les processus de conceptualisation.
Der zervikale Bandscheibenvorfall – Spontanverlauf, Therapieoptionen und klinische Ergebnisse
Authors: Rohde Veit , Mielke Dorothee
Published: April 2019

Die alters- und belastungsabhängige Degeneration der Halsbandscheibe kann zu einem weichen Halsbandscheibenvorfall führen oder eine Kaskade weiterer Prozesse auslösen, welche in einen harten Bandscheibenvorfall, die zervikale Spondylose, einmünden. Während ein Wurzelreiz- oder Wurzelkompressionssyndrom die vorherrschende Symptomatik beim weichen Bandscheibenvorfall ist, dominiert bei der zervikalen Spondylose die Myelopathie. Bildgebende Verfahren zur Diagnosestellung sind die Magnetresonanztomographie (MRT) und Computertomographie (CT), bei geplanter Operation gegebenenfalls ergänzt durch Röntgenaufnahmen in Neutral-, Flexions- und Extensionsstellung. Bei einem weichen Bandscheibenvorfall besteht eine Operationsindikation bei einem therapieresistenten radikulären Schmerzsyndrom oder einer myotombezogenen Parese. Bei einer zervikalen Spondylose ist spätestens bei Nachweis einer moderaten Myelopathie eine Operation unumgänglich. Es existieren sowohl für den weichen Bandscheibenvorfall als auch für die zervikale Spondylose etablierte anteriore und posteriore Operationsverfahren. Auch wenn es in Deutschland eine deutliche Präferenz für anteriore Verfahren gibt, konnte bislang keine Überlegenheit eines Verfahrens sowohl hinsichtlich Symptomkontrolle als auch hinsichtlich Komplikationsquote gezeigt werden.
„Eine gute Beziehung ist Bedingung für eine erfolgreiche Therapie“ – Prof. Giovanni Maio über Werte in der Physiotherapie
Authors: Huber Martin , Maio Giovanni
Published: April 2019

Medizinethiker Giovanni Maio ist bekannt für seine Kritik an der zunehmenden Ökonomisierung des Gesundheitswesens. In seinem aktuellen Buch fordert er eine Rückbesinnung auf die zwischenmenschlichen Werte. Im Interview erklärt er, warum Physiotherapie eine Beziehungsdisziplin ist, deren wichtigste Aufgabe die Motivation ist, und warum wir unsere Patienten nicht Kunden nennen sollten.
A Rare Case of Absence of the Lateral Cutaneous Nerve of Forearm: Case Report
Authors: da Silveira Helson Freitas , de Lucena Jalles Dantas , Sobrinho Osvaldo Pereira da Costa , Pessoa Roberta Silva , Cerqueira Gilberto Santos , Oliveira André de Sá Braga , Ribeiro Howard Lopes
Published: April 2019

Introduction Variations in the formation and in the branching pattern of the brachial plexus are common. Numerous anastomotic variations between the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN) and the median nerve (MN) have been reported and could be implicated in a wide range of sensory and motor dysfunctions.

Objective To report an uncommon case of an anastomotic variation between the MN and the MCN with a rare absence of the lateral cutaneous nerve of forearm (LCNF).

Material and Methods A dissection of a male cadaver was performed at the Morphology Department of the Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. The brachial plexus was exposed.

Results It was observed that the MCN, after its origin in the lateral fasciculus of the brachial plexus, anastomoses with the MN in the middle third of the arm. It diverges from the most prevalent anatomical pattern, in which the MCN continues to pass distally beneath the brachii biceps, originating the LCNF. In this case, the MCN does not emit its main terminal branch, the LCNF, which innervates the lateral portion of the skin of the forearm. In the present case, the innervation of the lateral portion of the skin of the forearm is provided by radial nerve branches. The reported case has practical implications, since the absence of the LCNF could cause hypoesthesia in the skin of the forearm.

Conclusion Thus, the knowledge of the formation and of the branching pattern of the brachial plexus is clinically important for the correct clinical interpretation of the sensory and motor disorders of the upper limbs caused by peripheral nerve injuries, as well as for planning surgical procedures to correct upper limb traumas.
Microgrid utilization by optimal allocation of DG units: Game theory coalition formulation strategy and uncertainty in renewable energy resources
Authors: Karimizadeh Karvan , Soleymani Soodabeh , Faghihi Faramarz
Published: April 2019

The continuous growth of electricity demands microgrid distribution networks that use distributed energy sources. Therefore, the necessity for applying efficient methods to improve the performance of microgrids as a part of the power industry is felt more and more day by day. Microgrids are usually installed at locations where access to the power grid is not economical due to the far distance and losses. In this paper, the optimal allocation of distributed generation (DG) units using the craziness-based particle swarm optimization (CRPSO) algorithm based on the game theoretic formulation strategy was proposed to reduce the exchange of power between the macrostation and microgrids. The main motive for presenting this research is the combination of the advantages of coalition game theory, DG units and the CRPSO optimization algorithm. The advantages have caused the load of the microgrids to be implemented as much as possible through the exchanges between the microgrids and the cost of utilization and power supply of the loads minimized. Uncertainties in wind speed and solar radiation flux are also considered for the purpose of applying the random property of the distributed generation resources. The simulation results on the 33rd IEEE standard system in different scenarios indicate the desired performance of the proposed method.
Split Archimedean spiral metasurface for controllable GHz asymmetric transmission
Authors: Song Q. H. , Wu P. C. , Zhu W. M. , Zhang W. , Shen Z. X. , Chong P. H. J. , Liang Q. X. , Tsai D. P. , Bourouina T. , Leprince-Wang Y. , Liu A. Q.
Published: April 2019

A chiral metasurface, which obtains chirality through a subwavelength artificial structure, is essential for realizing asymmetric transmission in the application of enantioselective sensing, spin-dependent light emission, and other polarization control systems. Here, we studied a split Archimedean spiral metasurface, which can control the propagating wave from asymmetric transmission to symmetric transmission for linear polarized light. As a proof of concept, a dual-band asymmetric transmission is demonstrated in the GHz region using the coupling of the split spiral structures. The maximum asymmetric transmission parameter reaches 53%. By manipulating the height of the split spiral structures using microfluidic technology, a broadband asymmetric transmission is obtained with the bandwidth of 25.9%. Meanwhile, the asymmetric transmission can be controlled from 50% to 0%, enabling the propagation wave from asymmetric transmission to symmetric transmission. Furthermore, the asymmetric transmission is maintained when the metasurface is bent into different curvatures, promising high potential applications for optical isolation, one-way glass, and optical interconnects.
Microfluidic liquid cell chamber for scanning probe microscopy measurement application
Authors: Chin Hokyun , Gillissen Jurriaan J. J. , Miyako Eijiro , Cho Nam-Joon
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we present a universal microfluidic liquid chamber device platform for atomic force microscopy (AFM), which enables to fabricate the uniform lipid bilayer on the hydrophilic surface using the solvent-assisted lipid bilayer formation method. Using this device enables us to acquire the various properties of delicate soft matter, including morphological data, and mechanical property measurements, using high-resolution AFM systems. The proposed technology is expected to provide an understanding of complicated biological materials.
Enhancing cylindrical compression by reducing plasma ablation in pulsed-power drivers
Authors: Gourdain P.-A. , Adams M. B. , Evans M. , Hasson H. R. , Shapovalov R. V. , Young J. R. , West-Abdallah I.
Published: April 2019

Warm dense matter, which can be found in planetary cores, is too dense to be described by plasma theory and too hot to be considered condensed matter. With no theory describing perfectly how such large quantum systems evolve at macroscopic scales, modeling planetary evolution is simply out of reach. While recent experiments using high power lasers and heavy ion beams have produced warm dense matter samples, they do not confine matter long enough to allow for bulk material properties to take hold, precluding the validation of any theories beyond electron-ion equilibration time. To this end, pulsed-power drivers are required. This approach allows experimentalists to probe macroscopic states of matter where bulk material properties are at equilibrium. High resolution numerical simulations show that a mega-ampere pulsed-power driver can generate macroscopic samples of warm dense matter, using direct magnetic compression, without any pusher. A thin coating, deposited onto the material just before the experiment, softens the density gradients responsible for plasma ablation. Starved of plasma outside the conductors, electrical currents are forced to flow along material surfaces, resulting in a very stable magnetic topology that yields homogeneous compression above 1 Mbar. Another key aspect is as follows: mega-ampere pulsed power systems are compact enough to be located next to existing high brilliance x-ray sources, which can probe best the properties of matter under extreme pressure.
Expressions for perturbed vacuum potential energy for 3D linear MHD stability
Authors: Weyens Toon
Published: April 2019

The calculation of the perturbed vacuum potential energy in an ideal Magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) system consisting of plasma surrounded by vacuum is a crucial ingredient for the treatment of peeling modes. In this work, detailed theoretical expressions are derived to describe this, making use of the potential representation of the magnetic field in the vacuum, which leads to a Laplace equation that can be solved through the boundary element method. The complications that arise from the singular integrals that appear are studied thoroughly. Special attention is also given to the case of axisymmetric equilibria, which leads to more accurate but also more complicated analytical expressions than the general 3D expressions. In the near future, the resulting expressions will be used directly in 3D ideal MHD stability codes such as PB3D so that it can treat all 3D ideal high-n MHD stability, including peeling modes.
Two-wavelength thermoreflectance in steady-state thermal imaging
Authors: Zhang Hongjie , Wen Sy-Bor , Bhaskar Arun
Published: April 2019

A methodology of thermoreflectance (TR) imaging using two different optical wavelengths for nonintrusive surface temperature measurement is developed. Compared with the existing single wavelength TR imaging, two-wavelength thermoreflectance (2WTR) imaging collects the required TR signals for temperature measurement solely from the heated target. Therefore, target movement between heated and unheated conditions due to thermal expansion, which is a main obstacle for current single wavelength TR imaging, is properly handled. As a result, a steady state temperature distribution of a heated target can now be determined by the 2WTR imaging method, which is especially useful in determining the operating temperature of microelectronic devices which are sensitive to physical contacts during a measurement. With the 2WTR method, the surface temperature of a microscale gold resistor under different input currents is measured and compared with the results from the corresponding single wavelength TR and heat transfer simulations. The experimental results indicate that 2WTR not only provides temperature measurement with no nonphysical temperature values caused by the target movement, but also has potential for providing a higher signal-to-noise ratio than single wavelength TR when a high bit-depth spatial light modulator and the two optical wavelengths adopted are appropriately selected.
Verification of complex acoustic mismatch model in sub-THz regime
Authors: Wei Fan Jun , Mole Richard A. , Karna Sunil K. , Shi Jin-Wei , Sheu Jinn-Kong , Lin Kung-Hsuan
Published: April 2019

An acoustic mismatch model is used to describe the reflection and transmission of acoustic waves at interfaces of two materials with mismatched impedances. Acoustic attenuation is typically ignored for calculating acoustic impedance, and the parameters in the acoustic mismatch model are thus all real numbers instead of complex numbers. However, acoustic attenuation up to the THz regime is significant. The validity and potential applications of the complex acoustic mismatch model have not been investigated in the sub-THz regime. We report the verification experiments of this model in a complex form. We experimentally measured the amplitude and phase of subpicosecond acoustic pulses, reflected from the interface of GaN and silica. Based on the acoustic mismatch model, the frequency dependence of complex acoustic impedance of silica, which includes the information of sound velocity and attenuation, was experimentally obtained in the sub-THz regime. The acoustic properties of silica were compared with the conventional method, which analyzes the acoustic pulses traveling inside the same silica film. Agreement of sound velocity from two methods was confirmed. The attenuations of the silica film, obtained through using the acoustic mismatch model to analyze the reflected acoustic pulses from silica, were validated by a typical method up to 0.3 THz. This work demonstrates potential applications for characterizing the sub-THz acoustic properties of thick and highly damped materials, which could be challenging by using conventional methods.
Pushing data quality for laboratory pair distribution function experiments
Authors: Thomae Sabrina L. J. , Prinz Nils , Hartmann Thomas , Teck Michael , Correll Sascha , Zobel Mirijam
Published: April 2019

Over the last decade, some studies with laboratory pair distribution function (PDF) data emerged. Yet, limited Qmax or instrumental resolution impeded in-depth structural refinements. With more advanced detector technologies, the question arose how to design novel PDF equipment for laboratories that will allow decent PDF refinements over r = 1–70 Å. It is crucial to reflect the essential requirements, namely, monochromatic X-rays, suppression of air scattering, instrumental resolution, and overall measurement times. The result is a novel PDF setup based on a STOE STADI P powder diffractometer in transmission-/Debye-Scherrer geometry with monochromatic Ag Kα1 radiation, featuring a MYTHEN2 4K detector covering a Q range of 0.3–20.5 Å−1. PDF data are collected in a moving PDF mode within 6 h. Structural signatures of liquids can be satisfactorily resolved in the PDF as shown for the ionic liquid hmimPF6. The high instrumental resolution is mirrored in low qdamp values determined from LaB6 measurements. PDF data from a powder sample of ca. 7 nm TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully refined over up to 70 Å with goodness-of-fit values Rw < 0.22 (respectively Rw = 0.18 over 30 Å), thanks to the low background and high instrumental resolution, hereby enlarging the accessible r range by several tens of Angstroms compared to previous laboratory PDF studies.
Crop responses to subsoil manuring. II. Comparing surface and subsoil manuring in north-eastern Victoria from 2011 to 2012
Authors: Gill Jaikirat S. , Sale Peter W. , Peries Renick R. , Tang Caixian
Published: April 2019

An on-farm field-experiment was carried out in north-eastern Victoria in 2011 and 2012 to compare the agronomic effectiveness of surface and subsoil manuring on a Chromosol soil with a compacted clay subsoil. Surface manuring involved the surface application of 20 t poultry litter ha–1, whereas subsoil manuring involved deep-banding of the same quantity of litter in 30–40-cm-deep rip-lines, spaced 80 cm apart. Treatments were applied at the start of the first cropping season. The objective of the study was to determine whether surface manuring might produce the large yield responses reported for subsoil manuring. Both manuring treatments increased yields of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by >2.3 t ha–1 compared with the unamended control in 2011, when spring rainfall was close to the average. However, only subsoil manuring increased wheat yields in 2012, producing an extra 4.7 t ha–1 above the control, in a year with a very dry spring. This yield response suggests that subsoil manuring would be more effective than surface manuring in the second year after treatment in years with a dry finish.
Prioritising fuels reduction for water supply protection
Authors: Gannon Benjamin M. , Wei Yu , MacDonald Lee H. , Kampf Stephanie K. , Jones Kelly W. , Cannon Jeffery B. , Wolk Brett H. , Cheng Antony S. , Addington Robert N. , Thompson Matthew P.
Published: April 2019

Concerns over wildfire impacts to water supplies have motivated efforts to mitigate risk by reducing forest fuels. Methods to assess fuel treatment effects and prioritise their placement are needed to guide risk mitigation efforts. We present a fuel treatment optimisation model to minimise risk to multiple water supplies based on constraints for treatment feasibility and cost. Risk is quantified as the expected sediment impact costs to water supplies by combining measures of fire likelihood and behaviour, erosion, sediment transport and water supply vulnerability. We demonstrate the model’s utility for prioritising fuel treatments in two large watersheds in Colorado, USA, that are critical for municipal water supply. Our results indicate that wildfire risk to water supplies can be substantially reduced by treating a small portion of the watersheds that have dense, fire-prone forests on steep slopes that drain to water supply infrastructure. Our results also show that the cost of fuel treatments outweighs the expected cost savings from reduced sediment inputs owing to the low probability of fuel treatments encountering wildfire and the high cost of thinning forests. This highlights the need to expand use of more cost-effective treatments, like prescribed fire, and to identify fuel treatment projects that benefit multiple resources.
Implementation of the flipped residency research model to enhance residency research training
Authors: Morbitzer Kathryn A , Rao Kamakshi V , Rhoney Denise H , Pappas Ashley L , Durr Emily A , Sultan Said M , Eckel Stephen F , Savage Scott W , Daniels B Rowell , Pinelli Nicole R
Published: April 2019

Purpose

The attainment of fundamental research skills to create and disseminate new knowledge is imperative for the advancement of pharmacy practice. Research training is an important component of postgraduate residency training; however, the traditional model of performing residency research has several limitations that have hindered the ability of residents to complete high-quality research projects. Therefore, our institution developed and implemented the flipped residency research model with the 2013–2014 pharmacy practice residency class.

The flipped residency research model modifies the research timeline to better align research activities with residents’ abilities at specific time points during the year. In the 4 years following implementation of the flipped residency research model, our institution found improvements in a number of areas pertaining to the research process compared with an evaluation of the 7 years prior to implementation. A decrease in the number of reviews required from institutional review boards was observed, resulting in improved institutional review board efficiency. The flipped residency research model also addressed limitations surrounding manuscript development and submission, as demonstrated by an improved publication rate. Additionally, residents who participated in the flipped residency research model self-reported increased comfort with research-related abilities associated with study design, implementation, manuscript development and submission, and biostatistics.

Conclusion

The modified research timeline of the flipped residency research model better aligns research activities with resident experiences and abilities. This realignment has translated to demonstrable impact in the success of residency projects and dissemination of results. Research is needed to investigate the impact of the flipped residency research model on longer term scholarly success.
Absence of full-length dystrophin impairs normal maturation and contraction of cardiomyocytes derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Pioner J Manuel , Guan Xuan , Klaiman Jordan M , Racca Alice W , Pabon Lil , Muskheli Veronica , Macadangdang Jesse , Ferrantini Cecilia , Hoopmann Michael R , Moritz Robert L , Kim Deok-Ho , Tesi Chiara , Poggesi Corrado , Murry Charles E , Childers Martin K , Mack David L , Regnier Michael
Published: April 2019

Aims

Heart failure invariably affects patients with various forms of muscular dystrophy (MD), but the onset and molecular sequelae of altered structure and function resulting from full-length dystrophin (Dp427) deficiency in MD heart tissue are poorly understood. To better understand the role of dystrophin in cardiomyocyte development and the earliest phase of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) cardiomyopathy, we studied human cardiomyocytes differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) obtained from the urine of a DMD patient.

Methods and results

The contractile properties of patient-specific hiPSC-CMs, with no detectable dystrophin (DMD-CMs with a deletion of exon 50), were compared to CMs containing a CRISPR-Cas9 mediated deletion of a single G base at position 263 of the dystrophin gene (c.263delG-CMs) isogenic to the parental line of hiPSC-CMs from a healthy individual. We hypothesized that the absence of a dystrophin-actin linkage would adversely affect myofibril and cardiomyocyte structure and function. Cardiomyocyte maturation was driven by culturing long-term (80–100 days) on a nanopatterned surface, which resulted in hiPSC-CMs with adult-like dimensions and aligned myofibrils.

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that lack of Dp427 results in reduced myofibril contractile tension, slower relaxation kinetics, and to Ca2+ handling abnormalities, similar to DMD cells, suggesting either retarded or altered maturation of cardiomyocyte structures associated with these functions. This study offers new insights into the functional consequences of Dp427 deficiency at an early stage of cardiomyocyte development in both patient-derived and CRISPR-generated models of dystrophin deficiency.
Immunotherapy for cardiovascular disease
Authors: Lutgens Esther , Atzler Dorothee , Döring Yvonne , Duchene Johan , Steffens Sabine , Weber Christian
Published: April 2019

The outcomes of the Canakinumab Anti-inflammatory Thrombosis Outcome Study (CANTOS) trial have unequivocally proven that inflammation is a key driver of atherosclerosis and that targeting inflammation, in this case by using an anti-interleukin-1β antibody, improves cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. This is especially true for CVD patients with a pro-inflammatory constitution. Although CANTOS has epitomized the importance of targeting inflammation in atherosclerosis, treatment with canakinumab did not improve CVD mortality, and caused an increase in infections. Therefore, the identification of novel drug targets and development of novel therapeutics that block atherosclerosis-specific inflammatory pathways and exhibit limited immune-suppressive side effects, as pursued in our collaborative research centre, are required to optimize immunotherapy for CVD. In this review, we will highlight the potential of novel immunotherapeutic targets that are currently considered to become a future treatment for CVD.
Two Approaches to Classifying and Quantifying Physical Resilience in Longitudinal Data
Authors: Colón-Emeric Cathleen , Pieper Carl F , Schmader Kenneth E , Sloane Richard , Bloom Allison , McClain Micah , Magaziner Jay , Huffman Kim M , Orwig Denise , Crabtree Donna M , Whitson Heather E
Published: April 2019

Background

Approaches for quantifying physical resilience in older adults have not been described.

Methods

We apply two conceptual approaches to defining physical resilience to existing longitudinal data sets in which outcomes are measured after an acute physical stressor. A “recovery phenotype” approach uses statistical methods to describe how quickly and completely a patient recovers. Statistical methods using a recovery phenotype approach can consider multiple outcomes simultaneously in a composite score (eg, factor analysis and principal components analysis) or identify groups of patients with similar recovery trajectories across multiple outcomes (eg, latent class profile analysis). An “expected recovery differential” approach quantifies how patients’ actual outcomes are compared to their predicted outcome based on a population-derived model and their individual clinical characteristics at the time of the stressor.

Results

Application of the approaches identified different participants as being the most or least physically resilient. In the viral respiratory cohort (n = 186) weighted kappa for agreement across resilience quartiles was 0.37 (0.27–0.47). The expected recovery differential approach identified a group with more comorbidities and lower baseline function as highly resilient. In the hip fracture cohort (n = 541), comparison of the expected recovery differentials across 10 outcome measures within individuals provided preliminary support for the hypothesis that there is a latent resilience trait at the whole-person level.

Conclusions

We posit that recovery phenotypes may be useful in clinical applications such as prediction models because they summarize the observed outcomes across multiple measures. Expected recovery differentials offer insight into mechanisms behind physical resilience not captured by age and other comorbidities.
A Comparative-Informational Approach to the Study of Religion: The Chinese and Jewish Cases
Authors: Lior Yair
Published: April 2019

This article offers a “comparative-informational” approach to the study of religion. It demonstrates how historical transformations in religious traditions are frequently intertwined with shifts towards new strategies of managing information, or “informational orders.” The article shows how two unrelated schools of thought—Neo-Confucianism and Kabbalah—were responsible for the construction and institutionalization of new information strategies in their respective traditions. The innovative discourses Neo-Confucians and Kabbalists established were characterized by “analytic” qualities that were co-opted from competing foreign traditions. As part of the Confucian and Jewish reactions to Buddhism and Greek philosophy, respectively, Neo-Confucian and medieval Jewish mystical discourses underwent considerable rationalization. Moreover, from an informational perspective, a major factor in the dramatic cultural transitions that Neo-Confucians and Kabbalists facilitated was the ability of these schools to restructure the canonical literature of their respective traditions. Such rare modificiations in a tradition’s “informational core” are here interpreted as adaptive strategies that drive cultural systems towards greater complexity and long-term resilience.
Sub-classification of patients with intermediate-risk metastatic renal cell carcinoma treated with targeted therapy
Authors: Kaneko Go , Shirotake Suguru , Nishimoto Koshiro , Miyazaki Yasumasa , Ito Keiichi , Ito Yujiro , Hagiwara Masayuki , Kanao Kent , Nakagawa Ken , Momma Tetsuo , Asano Tomohiko , Tanaka Nobuyuki , Mizuno Ryuichi , Oya Mototsugu , Oyama Masafumi
Published: April 2019

Background

International Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Database Consortium model predicts the outcomes of metastatic renal cell carcinoma stratified into favorable, intermediate, and poor risk groups (FG, IG, and PG, respectively), with approximately 50% of patients being classified as IG. We aimed to generate better risk model based on the sub-classification of IG.

Methods

We analyzed records of 213 consecutive patients receiving molecular targeted therapy. Age, gender, histology, type of initial molecular targeted therapy, serum laboratory data, previous nephrectomy and immunotherapy, and metastatic sites were used for IG sub-stratification. Modified and original models were compared using a concordance correlation coefficient analysis.

Results

Median follow-up was 17.8 months. Serum albumin, serum C-reactive protein, and bone metastases were independent predictors of overall survival (OS) in IG. IG was sub-classified into low-, middle-, and high-risk IG according to the number of predictors. The following modified model was developed: modified FG (FG & low-risk IG), modified IG (middle-risk IG), and modified PG (PG & high-risk IG). Concordance indices for original and modified models were 0.68 and 0.73, respectively (P < 0.001). OS was significantly longer in modified PG treated with mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors as second-line therapy than with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, whereas this was not observed in the original model.

Conclusions

We successfully developed modified IMDC model using a two-step process: the original IMDC plus an IG sub-stratification, and demonstrated that it predicts outcomes more accurately than original model.
Comparing IMF-sensitive indices of intermediate-mass quiescent galaxies in various environments
Authors: Eftekhari Elham , Mosleh Moein , Vazdekis Alexandre , Tavasoli Saeed
Published: April 2019

Using samples drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we study for the first time the relation between large-scale environments (clusters, groups, and voids) and the stellar initial mass function (IMF). We perform an observational approach based on the comparison of IMF-sensitive indices of quiescent galaxies with similar mass in varying environments. These galaxies are selected within a narrow redshift interval (0.020 < z < 0.055) and spanning a range in velocity dispersion from 100 to 200 km s−1. The results of this paper are based upon analysis of composite spectra created by stacking the spectra of galaxies, binned by their velocity dispersion and redshift. The trends of spectral indices as measured from the stacked spectra, with respect to velocity dispersion, are compared in different environments. We find a lack of dependence of the IMF on the environment for intermediate-mass galaxy regime. We verify this finding by providing a more quantitative measurement of the IMF variations among galactic environments using MILES stellar population models with a precision of ΔΓb ∼ 0.2.
Most clinical anti-EGFR antibodies do not neutralize both wtEGFR and EGFRvIII activation in glioma
Authors: Greenall Sameer A , McKenzie Mathew , Seminova Ekatarina , Dolezal Olan , Pearce Lesley , Bentley John , Kuchibhotla Mani , Chen Shengnan C , McDonald Kerrie L , Kornblum Harley I , Endersby Raelene , Adams Timothy E , Johns Terrance G
Published: April 2019

Background

Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its truncated, autoactive mutant EGFR variant (v)III are bona fide drivers of tumorigenesis in some gliomas, therapeutic antibodies developed to neutralize this axis have not improved patient survival in a limited number of trials. Previous studies using cells transduced to exogenously express EGFRvIII may have compromised mechanistic studies of anti-EGFR therapeutics. Therefore, we re-assessed the activity of clinical EGFR antibodies in patient-derived gliomaspheres that endogenously express EGFRvIII.

Methods

The antitumor efficacy of antibodies was assessed using in vitro proliferation assays and intracranial orthografts. Receptor activation status, antibody engagement, oncogenic signaling, and mechanism of action after antibody treatment were analyzed by immunoprecipitation and western blotting. Tracking of antibody receptor complexes was conducted using immunofluorescence.

Results

The EGFR domain III–targeting antibodies cetuximab, necitumumab, nimotuzumab, and matuzumab did not neutralize EGFRvIII activation. Chimeric monoclonal antibody 806 (ch806) neutralized EGFRvIII, but not wild-type (wt)EGFR activation. Panitumumab was the only antibody that neutralized both EGFRvIII and wtEGFR, leading to reduction of p-S6 signaling and superior in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity. Mechanistically, panitumumab induced recycling of receptor but not degradation as previously described. Panitumumab, via its unique avidity, stably cross-linked EGFRvIII to prevent its activation, while ch806 induced a marked reduction in the active EGFRvIII disulphide-bonded dimer.

Conclusions

We discovered a previously unknown major resistance mechanism in glioma in that most EGFR domain III–targeting antibodies do not neutralize EGFRvIII. The superior in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity of panitumumab supports further clinical testing of this antibody against EGFRvIII-stratified glioma.
Cognitive Psychology and Empirical Insights for ITA
Authors: Franck Susan D.
Published: April 2019

Cognitive psychology affects information gathering, analysis, and decision-making. There is no evidence that international investment law is immune from those influences, yet the influence of psychology has been remarkably under-scrutinized. To bridge the divide, Chapter 2 explores the roots of law and psychology and considers how cognition errors could influence international investment law. It then describes the literature on cognitive illusions, including illusions involving information accessibility (i.e., availability, representativeness, primacy, and recency), information presentation (i.e., framing, loss aversion, and anchoring), and self-assessments (i.e., confirmation bias, egocentrism, and bias blind spots). It then preliminarily explores how these phenomena might affect debates about international investment dispute settlement. The final section explores debiasing opportunities deriving from quality empiricism.
ITA Expansion, Time, and Costs
Authors: Franck Susan D.
Published: April 2019

Chapter 4 initially provides data about the growth of ITA as well as offering a series of frames against which to understand its evolution, including a sociological perspective analyzing changes in ITA’s caseload against Professor Everett’s theory of diffusion of innovations. It next explores other elements of time, namely case length and deliberative delays, by offering descriptive data and testing whether case length has reliably increased over time or whether resolution times vary on the basis of institutions resolving disputes. It then turns to exploring temporal elements related to bifurcation and separate opinions. After providing an explanation of the fiscal costs data particularly related to parties’ legal costs as well as tribunal costs and expenses (and conducting a variety of tests to explore the potential impact of missing data), the last section identifies the reliable relationship between the costs of dispute resolution and the time required to resolve the dispute.