bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peptide backbone circularization enhances antifreeze protein thermostability
Authors: Stevens Corey A. , Semrau Joanna , Chiriac Dragos , Litschko Morgan , Campbell Robert L. , Langelaan David N. , Smith Steven P. , Davies Peter L. , Allingham John S.
Published: July 2017

Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a class of ice‐binding proteins that promote survival of a variety of cold‐adapted organisms by decreasing the freezing temperature of bodily fluids. A growing number of biomedical, agricultural, and commercial products, such as organs, foods, and industrial fluids, have benefited from the ability of AFPs to control ice crystal growth and prevent ice recrystallization at subzero temperatures. One limitation of AFP use in these latter contexts is their tendency to denature and irreversibly lose activity at the elevated temperatures of certain industrial processing or large‐scale AFP production. Using the small, thermolabile type III AFP as a model system, we demonstrate that AFP thermostability is dramatically enhanced via split intein‐mediated N‐ and C‐terminal end ligation. To engineer this circular protein, computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations were applied to identify an extein sequence that would fill the 20‐Å gap separating the free ends of the AFP, yet impose little impact on the structure and entropic properties of its ice‐binding surface. The top candidate was then expressed in bacteria, and the circularized protein was isolated from the intein domains by ice‐affinity purification. This circularized AFP induced bipyramidal ice crystals during ice growth in the hysteresis gap and retained 40% of this activity even after incubation at 100°C for 30 min. NMR analysis implicated enhanced thermostability or refolding capacity of this protein compared to the noncyclized wild‐type AFP. These studies support protein backbone circularization as a means to expand the thermostability and practical applications of AFPs.
The importance of time order with Shewhart control charts
Authors: Shper V. , Adler Y.
Published: July 2017

In Phase I analysis, data are used retrospectively to check process stability and to establish limits that will be later used in Phase II for the prospective monitoring. It is clear that the results of Phase I analysis are of crucial importance for the right interpretation of control chart during Phase II. Many of recent papers devoted to Phase I analysis discuss the accuracy of limits found from Phase I data and the impact of these limits' accuracy on the probability of Type I or II errors. Although this is an interesting issue, we think that its importance is overestimated because there is another problem that escapes the attention of many researchers. This is the problem of the order of points in Phase I or the problem of data randomness. We review the role of data succession on right application of simple Shewhart control chart and hope to draw the attention of the statistical community to this problem because it may affect not only Phase I issues but also many other sides of statistical process control. Besides, we suggest a new test for data randomness and give a preliminary estimate of how it works. We also state our thoughts about the possible causes of neglecting the data order and suppose ideas about future researches.
Reliable sliding mode finite‐time control for discrete‐time singular Markovian jump systems with sensor fault and randomly occurring nonlinearities
Authors: Liu Yangfan , Ma Yuechao , Wang Yanning
Published: July 2017

This paper focuses on the problem of finite‐time
control for one family of discrete‐time uncertain singular Markovian jump systems with sensor fault and randomly occurring nonlinearities through a sliding mode approach. The failure of sensor is described as a general and practical continuous fault model. Nonlinear disturbance satisfies the Lipschitz condition and occurs in a probabilistic way. Firstly, based on the state estimator, the discrete‐time close‐loop error system can be constructed and sufficient criteria are provided to guarantee the augment system is sliding mode finite‐time boundedness and sliding mode
finite‐time boundedness. The sliding mode control law is synthesized to guarantee the reachability of the sliding surface in a short time interval, and the gain matrices of state feedback controller and state estimator are achieved by solving a feasibility problem in terms of linear matrix inequalities through a decoupling technique. Finally, numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Enhancing the Performance of Perovskite Solar Cells by Hybridizing SnS Quantum Dots with CH3NH3PbI3
Authors: Han Jianhua , Yin Xuewen , Nan Hui , Zhou Yu , Yao Zhibo , Li Jianbao , Oron Dan , Lin Hong
Published: July 2017

The combination of perovskite solar cells and quantum dot solar cells has significant potential due to the complementary nature of the two constituent materials. In this study, solar cells (SCs) with a hybrid CH3NH3PbI3/SnS quantum dots (QDs) absorber layer are fabricated by a facile and universal in situ crystallization method, enabling easy embedding of the QDs in perovskite layer. Compared with SCs based on CH3NH3PbI3, SCs using CH3NH3PbI3/SnS QDs hybrid films as absorber achieves a 25% enhancement in efficiency, giving rise to an efficiency of 16.8%. The performance improvement can be attributed to the improved crystallinity of the absorber, enhanced photo‐induced carriers' separation and transport within the absorber layer, and improved incident light utilization. The generality of the methods used in this work paves a universal pathway for preparing other perovskite/QDs hybrid materials and the synthesis of entire nontoxic perovskite/QDs hybrid structure.
Graphene Composites with Cobalt Sulfide: Efficient Trifunctional Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reversible Catalysis and Hydrogen Production in the Same Electrolyte
Authors: Wang Nan , Li Ligui , Zhao Dengke , Kang Xiongwu , Tang Zhenghua , Chen Shaowei
Published: July 2017

Nitrogen and sulfur‐codoped graphene composites with Co9S8 (NS/rGO‐Co) are synthesized by facile thermal annealing of graphene oxides with cobalt nitrate and thiourea in an ammonium atmosphere. Significantly, in 0.1 m KOH aqueous solution the best sample exhibits an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity that is superior to that of benchmark RuO2 catalysts, an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity that is comparable to that of commercial Pt/C, and an overpotential of only −0.193 V to reach 10 mA cm−2 for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). With this single catalyst for oxygen reversible electrocatalysis, a potential difference of only 0.700 V is observed in 0.1 m KOH solution between the half‐wave potential in ORR and the potential to reach 10 mA cm−2 in OER; in addition, an overpotential of only 450 mV is needed to reach 10 mA cm−2 for full water splitting in the same electrolyte. The present trifunctional catalytic activities are markedly better than leading results reported in recent literature, where the remarkable trifunctional activity is attributed to the synergetic effects between N,S‐codoped rGO, and Co9S8 nanoparticles. These results highlight the significance of deliberate structural engineering in the preparation of multifunctional electrocatalysts for versatile electrochemical reactions.
Oriented Arrangement: The Origin of Versatility for Porous Graphene Materials
Authors: Deng Wei , Fang Qile , Huang Heran , Zhou Xufeng , Ma Jingbo , Liu Zhaoping
Published: July 2017

Macroscopic porous graphene materials composed of graphene sheets have demonstrated their advantageous aspects in diverse application areas. It is essential to maximize their excellent performances by rationally controlling the sheet arrangement and pore structure. Bulk porous graphene materials with oriented pore structure and arrangement of graphene sheets are prepared by marrying electrolyte‐assisted self‐assembly and shear‐force‐induced alignment of graphene oxide sheets, and the super elasticity and anisotropic mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties induced by this unique structure are systematically investigated. Its application in pressure sensing exhibits ultrahigh sensitivity of 313.23 kPa−1 for detecting ultralow pressure variation below 0.5 kPa, and it shows high retention rate for continuously intercepting dye molecules with a high flux of ≈18.7 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and a dynamic removal rate of 510 mg m−2 h−1.
Enabling Flexible Heterostructures for Li‐Ion Battery Anodes Based on Nanotube and Liquid‐Phase Exfoliated 2D Gallium Chalcogenide Nanosheet Colloidal Solutions
Authors: Zhang Chuanfang (John) , Park Sang‐Hoon , Ronan Oskar , Harvey Andrew , Seral‐Ascaso Andrés , Lin Zifeng , McEvoy Niall , Boland Conor S. , Berner Nina C. , Duesberg Georg S. , Rozier Patrick , Coleman Jonathan N. , Nicolosi Valeria
Published: July 2017

2D metal chalcogenide (MC) nanosheets (NS) have displayed high capacities as lithium‐ion battery (LiB) anodes. Nevertheless, their complicated synthesis routes coupled with low electronic conductivity greatly limit them as promising LiB electrode material. Here, this work reports a facile single‐walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) percolating strategy for efficiently maximizing the electrochemical performances of gallium chalcogenide (GaX, X = S or Se). Multiscaled flexible GaX NS/SWCNT heterostructures with abundant voids for Li+ diffusion are fabricated by embedding the liquid‐exfoliated GaX NS matrix within a SWCNT‐percolated network; the latter improves the electron transport and ion diffusion kinetics as well as maintains the mechanical flexibility. Consequently, high capacities (i.e., 838 mAh g−1 per gallium (II) sulfide (GaS) NS/SWCNT mass and 1107 mAh g−1 per GaS mass; the latter is close to the theoretical value) and good rate capabilities are achieved, which can be majorly attributed to the alloying processes of disordered Ga formed after the first irreversible GaX conversion reaction, as monitored by in situ X‐ray diffraction. The presented approach, colloidal solution processing of SWCNT and liquid‐exfoliated MC NS to produce flexible paper‐based electrode, could be generalized for wearable energy storage devices with promising performances.
A practical numerical substructure method for seismic nonlinear analysis of tall building structures
Authors: Sun Baoyin , Gu Quan , Zhang Peizhou , Ou Jinping
Published: July 2017

It is a challenging task to perform large‐scale nonlinear analysis for complicated tall building structures due to the trade‐off between computational efficiency and numerical accuracy. Existing methods cannot satisfactorily meet the demands of engineering practices because they require predetermining local yielded regions or adaptively refining models during the analysis. This paper presents a modified numerical substructure method (NSM) in which the difficult task is divided into seismic analysis of a linear elastic “master” structure and static nonlinear analyses of a limited quantity of substructures for local yielded regions. A “nonlinear force corrector” is calculated in the substructure and applied on the master structure to consider the contribution of the yielded region's nonlinearity. A 32‐story reinforced concrete frame shear‐wall building under earthquake is analyzed to verify the NSM and investigate its accuracy and efficiency. In addition, a reinforced concrete frame shake‐table test is simulated using the modified NSM, and local damage behaviors and improved accuracy can be obtained using the refined substructure model.
Experimental investigation on the behavior of corrugated steel shear wall subjected to the different angle of trapezoidal plate
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Leila , Emami Fereshteh , Mofid Masood
Published: July 2017

Studies on corrugated steel shear walls (CSSWs) generally indicate noticeable increase of energy absorption, as well as increasing shear buckling capacity of corrugated plates being more likely rather than the flat plates. In this paper, the effect of variation in the angle of trapezoidal plate on the behavior of CSSWs has extensively been investigated. Three specimens of CSSW with 1 story and single bay in half scale are tested under cyclic load. The observations of experiment do indicate that stress concentration has been increased in the corner of subpanels, by increasing of the corrugation angle. Development of the tensile field and wall yield and damage depends on the geometry of the plate. By increasing the corrugation angle, the stiffness and energy dissipation decrease; in addition, large loss of strength takes place. Comparing the numerical and experimental results indicates that for a closer look at behavior of trapezoidal CSSWs, fracture mechanics, fatigue, and damping of materials should be considered by numerical analysis.
Case study of the seismic response of an extra‐dosed cable‐stayed bridge with cable‐sliding friction aseismic bearing using shake table tests
Authors: Yang Haolin , Pang Yutao , Tian Shengze , Dang Xinzhi , Yuan Wancheng
Published: July 2017

This paper presents an experimental case study of an extra‐dosed cable‐stayed bridge isolated by cable‐sliding friction aseismic bearing (CSFAB) based on 1/20 scaled half structure multiple shake table test. The mechanical characteristics of new version CSFAB are first described in details. Then the half structure test method is introduced and validated by finite element model analyses. The test setup with 4 independent shake tables is later introduced. The test model was subjected to a suite of ground motions of increasing peak ground acceleration, first while the bridge was isolated by CSFABs and subsequently while it was isolated by conventional sliding bearings. Observation and measured seismic responses are reported. During the tests, the CSFAB system had high isolation efficiency at mild girder‐pier relative seismic displacement and could restrain girder movement at excessive relative displacement. The test results also indicate self‐centering capacity of CSFAB. Although the effectiveness of the restraining function of CSFAB is evident, momentary increase in girder acceleration and pier acceleration could be witnessed during the restraining, which could lead to enlarged seismic force and moment of the pier. Therefore, it is recommended that the maximum restraining force of the cables be carefully designed considering the pier strength.
(3,4)‐Connected Twofold Interpenetrated Network with Right‐ and Left‐Handed Helical Chains: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Luminescence Sensing
Authors: Liu Yang , Feng Yong‐Lan , Fu Wei‐Wei , Li Wei , Yang Ying‐Qun
Published: July 2017

The zinc(II) coordination polymer Zn2(L)2(bix)2·2H2O (1) [H2L = 4,4′‐methylenebis(oxy)dibenzoic acid, bix = 1,4‐bis(imidazole‐1‐yl‐methylene)‐benzene] was synthesized by hydrothermal reaction. The title compound was characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis, IR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The crystal structure determination reveals that compound 1 displays a twofold interpenetrated 3D framework, in which the Zn atoms are connected by the H2L ligands into interesting right and left‐handed helical chains. Topological analysis reveals that the title compound displays a (3,4)‐connected (63) (65·8) topology. The solid‐state luminescent spectra was studied. Furthermore, the dispersed solution of compound 1 in DMF exhibits strong fluorescent emission, which could be quenched by trace amount of nitrobenzene.
Metal Trimethylsilylthiolates for the Synthesis of Trinuclear MnPd2 Complexes
Authors: Rozic Kyle N. W. , Azizpoor Fard Mahmood , Khalili Najafabadi Bahareh , Corrigan John F.
Published: July 2017

The manganese(II)‐palladium(II)‐sulfide complex [MnCl2(μ3‐S)2Pd2(dppp)2] (2) was prepared from the reaction of [PdCl2(dppp)] with [Li(N,N'‐tmeda)]2[Mn(SSiMe3)4] (2) in a 2:1 ratio under mild conditions. The new trimethylsilylthiolate complex [Pd(dppp)(SSiMe3)2] (3) was synthesized from the reaction of [Pd(dppp)(OAc)2] with two equivalents of Li[SSiMe3]; this was then used in a reaction with [Mn(CH3CN)2(OTf)2] to form the manganese(II)‐palladium(II)‐sulfide cluster [Mn(OTf)(thf)2(μ3‐S)2Pd2(dppp)2]OTf (4).
Three dimensional transient Green's functions in a thermoelastic transversely isotropic half‐space
Authors: Eskandari‐Ghadi M. , Raoofian‐Naeeni M. , Pak R. Y. S. , Ardalan Alireza A. , Morshedifard A.
Published: July 2017

A transversely isotropic thermoelastic half‐space in both mechanical and thermal points of view is considered as the domain of the initial boundary value problem involved in this paper. The governing partial differential equations of thermoelasticity in a cylindrical coordinate system are uncoupled with the aid of a complete set of displacement‐potential and temperature‐potential functions, which with the help of Fourier series decomposition and Hankel‐Laplace integral transforms, are reduced to ordinary differential equations in terms of depth. Then, the general solutions due to an arbitrary patch‐load and surface heat flux are investigated for the case of a point load varying with time as Heaviside step function and a point heat flux varying with time as Dirac delta function in order to compute the related Green's functions. The governing equations for the potential functions are in such a way that different longitudinal and transverse waves are recognized and the transport properties can be discovered from the governing equations. Some numerical illustrations are also presented to depict the dependency of response on the thermal properties as well as the anisotropy of the medium.
A class of shear deformable isotropic elastic plates with parametrically variable warping shapes
Authors: Polizzotto Castrenze
Published: July 2017

A homogeneous shear deformable isotropic elastic plate model is addressed in which the normal transverse fibers are allowed to rotate and to warp in a physically consistent manner specified by a fixed value of a real non‐negative warping parameter ω. On letting ω vary continuously (at fixed load and boundary conditions), a continuous family of shear deformable plates is generated, which spans from the Kirchhoff plate at the lower limit , to the Mindlin plate at the upper limit ; for , identifies with the third‐order Reddy plate. The boundary‐value problem for the generic plate is addressed in the case of quasi‐static loads, for which a principle of minimum total potential energy is given. Taking the Kirchhoff deflection wK and the shear angle potentials as basic unknown fields, the problem turns out to be governed by three uncoupled fourth‐order PDEs, of which one coincides with the classical PDE for the Kirchhoff plate, the other two are PDEs of Helmholtz type. A closed‐form representation of the general solution for the plate family is given in terms of to within an arbitrary biharmonic function and an arbitrary pair of conjugate harmonic functions. These arbitrary functions are available to enforce the inherent boundary conditions. The connections between the present theory and other existing theories are pointed out. An application to a family of simply supported circular plates under uniform load is analytically worked out.
A homomeric geranyl diphosphate synthase-encoding gene from Camptotheca acuminata and its combinatorial optimization for production of geraniol in Escherichia coli
Authors: Yang Lixia , Jiang Liangzhen , Li Wei , Yang Yun , Zhang Guolin , Luo Yinggang
Published: July 2017

Geranyl diphosphate (GPP), the unique precursor for all monoterpenoids, is biosynthesized from isopentenyl diphosphate and dimethylallyl diphosphate via the head-to-tail condensation reaction catalyzed by GPP synthase (GPPS). Herein a homomeric GPPS from Camptotheca acuminata, a camptothecin-producing plant, was obtained from 5′- and 3′-rapid amplification of cDNA ends and subsequent overlap extension and convenient PCR amplifications. The truncate CaGPPS was introduced to replace ispA of pBbA5c-MevT(CO)-MBIS(CO, ispA), a de novo biosynthetic construct for farnesyl diphosphate generation, and overexpressed in Escherichia coli, together with the truncate geraniol synthase-encoding gene from C. acuminata (t CaGES), to confirm CaGPPS-catalyzed reaction in vivo. A 24.0 ± 1.3 mg L−1 of geraniol was produced in the recombinant E. coli. The production of GPP was also validated by the direct UPLC-HRMSE analyses. The t CaGPPS and t CaGES genes with different copy numbers were introduced into E. coli to balance their catalytic potential for high-yield geraniol production. A 1.6-fold increase of geraniol production was obtained when four copies of t CaGPPS and one copy of t CaGES were introduced into E. coli. The following fermentation conditions optimization, including removal of organic layers and addition of new n-decane, led to a 74.6 ± 6.5 mg L−1 of geraniol production. The present study suggested that the gene copy number optimization, i.e., the ratio of tCaGPPS and tCaGES, plays an important role in geraniol production in the recombinant E. coli. The removal and addition of organic solvent are very useful for sustainable high-yield production of geraniol in the recombinant E. coli in view of that the solubility of geraniol is limited in the fermentation broth and/or n-decane.
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: Use of Statins Is Associated with a Reduced Incidence of Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Thomas Tom , Loke Yoon , Beales Ian L. P.
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Laboratory studies have suggested that statins may have useful anti-cancer effects against Barrett’s epithelial cancer lines. A variety of effects have been reported in clinical studies.

Methods

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between statin use and the development of oesophageal cancer. Multiple databases were searched for studies reporting the association of statin use and oesophageal cancer. Meta-analysis on the relationship between statin use and cancer incidence was performed.

Results

Twenty publications met eligibility criteria, yielding 22 datasets for meta-analysis. All were observational studies. Population-level studies included 372,206 cancer cases and 6,086,906 controls. Studies examining adenocarcinoma development in Barrett’s oesophagus included 1057 cancers and 17,741 controls. In patients with Barrett’s oesophagus, statin use was associated with a reduced incidence of adenocarcinoma (pooled adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.59 (95% confidence intervals 0.50–0.68)), with no heterogeneity between 11 studies. Population-based studies demonstrated more heterogeneity but showed that statin use was associated with a lower incidence of both oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OR 0.57 (0.43–0.76)) and all oesophageal cancers (OR 0.82 (0.7–0.88)). Information on statin type, dose, and duration was reported too infrequently for statistical analysis but individual studies showed a tendency to a dose- and duration-dependant decrease in cancer incidence.

Conclusions

Statin use is associated with a significantly lower incidence of oesophageal adenocarcinoma. This is seen in both Barrett’s cohorts and general populations. Further studies should focus on drug, dose, and duration and the interaction with other risk and preventative factors.
Fertility and Life Satisfaction in Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Conzo Pierluigi , Fuochi Giulia , Mencarini Letizia
Published: July 2017

Despite recent strong interest in the link between fertility and subjective well-being, the focus has centered on developed countries. For poorer countries, in contrast, the relationship remains rather elusive. Using a well-established panel survey—the Ethiopian Rural Household Survey (ERHS)—we investigate the empirical relationship between fertility and life satisfaction in rural Ethiopia, the largest landlocked country in Africa. Consistent with the fertility theories for developing countries and with the sociodemographic characteristics of rural Ethiopia, we hypothesize that this relationship varies by gender and across life stages, being more positive for men and for parents in old age. Indeed, our results suggest that older men benefit the most in terms of life satisfaction from having a large number of children, while the recent birth of a child is detrimental for the subjective well-being of women at reproductive ages. We address endogeneity issues by using lagged life satisfaction in ordinary least squares regressions, through fixed-effects estimation and the use of instrumental variables.
To which countries do European psychiatric trainees want to move to and why?
Authors: Pinto da Costa M. , Giurgiuca A. , Holmes K. , Biskup E. , Mogren T. , Tomori S. , Kilic O. , Banjac V. , Molina-Ruiz R. , Palumbo C. , Frydecka D. , Kaaja J. , El-Higaya E. , Kanellopoulos A. , Amit B.H. , Madissoon D. , Andreou E. , Uleviciute-Belena I. , Rakos I. , Dragasek J. , Feffer K. , Farrugia M. , Mitkovic-Voncina M. , Gargot T. , Baessler F. , Pantovic-Stefanovic M. , De Picker L.
Published: July 2017

Background:

There is a shortage of psychiatrists worldwide. Within Europe, psychiatric trainees can move between countries, which increases the problem in some countries and alleviates it in others. However, little is known about the reasons psychiatric trainees move to another country.

Methods:

Survey of psychiatric trainees in 33 European countries, exploring how frequently psychiatric trainees have migrated or want to migrate, their reasons to stay and leave the country, and the countries where they come from and where they move to. A 61-item self-report questionnaire was developed, covering questions about their demographics, experiences of short-term mobility (from 3 months up to 1 year), experiences of long-term migration (of more than 1 year) and their attitudes towards migration.

Results:

A total of 2281 psychiatric trainees in Europe participated in the survey, of which 72.0% have ‘ever’ considered to move to a different country in their future, 53.5% were considering it ‘now’, at the time of the survey, and 13.3% had already moved country. For these immigrant trainees, academic was the main reason they gave to move from their country of origin. For all trainees, the overall main reason for which they would leave was financial (34.4%), especially in those with lower (<500€) incomes (58.1%), whereas in those with higher (>2500€) incomes, personal reasons were paramount (44.5%).

Conclusions:

A high number of psychiatric trainees considered moving to another country, and their motivation largely reflects the substantial salary differences. These findings suggest tackling financial conditions and academic opportunities.
Powder metallurgically manufactured cellular metals from carat gold alloys for decorative applications
Authors: Andersen Olaf , Göhler Hartmut , Kostmann Cris , Quadbeck Peter , Diologent Frédéric , Colas Damien , Kieback Bernd
Published: July 2017

This paper explores the possibilities of producing visually attractive cellular gold structures via two different powder metallurgical approaches: sintering of loosely packed gold fibers and replication of polymeric templates. In the latter case, two different templates were used: reticulated polyurethane (PU) foam and expanded polystyrene (EPS) spheres which were coated with atomized gold powder. In contrast to the fiber route, replication techniques require an intermediate thermal treatment for the removal of the templates prior to sintering. Typical carat gold alloys lend themselves for supersolidus liquid phase sintering due to a sufficient difference between solidus and liquidus temperature. This approach was applied to all three manufacturing routes and rigid cellular gold structures were obtained successfully in all cases.
University students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a literature review
Authors: Sedgwick J. A.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

To review existing literature about university students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

Methods

A framework for scoping studies and content analysis were used to source and review selected publications from PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and relevant bibliographies.

Results

Seventy-four publications were reviewed and key findings were categorised under six core themes that represent the issues germane to university students with ADHD. These themes are:academic, social and psychological functioning, giftedness, new media technologies, treatment, substance misuseandthe non-medical use of prescription stimulants, andmalingering.

Conclusion

In Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) young people with ADHD are unlikely to enrol into further education, and of those who do go to university, few will graduate at the same time as their non-ADHD peers. ADHD is associated with poor educational outcomes and it may be a hidden disability within institutions of higher education (e.g. universities). Surprisingly, in this topic area, there is a paucity of research in Ireland and the UK. Most studies originate from North America were research activity in the field has been ongoing since the 1990s. These studies however, tend to use relatively small samples of college (university) students recruited at a single institution. It is difficult to generalise the findings of these studies to student populations in North America, let alone in Ireland and the UK. At the very least, these North American studies provide insights into key areas of concern. This topic area straddles education and psychiatry. This means an inter-disciplinary approach is required to examine, better understand and address the impact of ADHD on the educational outcomes of university students. The philosophies ofdifference,equityandself-realisationcan offer a conceptual framework for conducting further research and/or developing services to deliver more personalised learning support for university students with ADHD.
Anxiety and depression among patients with alcohol dependence: co-morbid or substance-related problems?
Authors: Gallagher C. , Radmall Z. , O’Gara C. , Burke T.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

There are conflicting reports on the levels of anxiety and depression in individuals with alcohol problems and whether these conditions are substance-related or independent of the alcohol problem. The aim of this study was to characterise rates of co-morbid psychiatric symptoms among a group of individuals commencing treatment for alcohol dependence, and to examine the stability of these symptoms following treatment of the alcohol problem.

Methods

Symptoms of anxiety and depression were examined in a group of individuals (n=93) undergoing residential treatment for alcohol dependence. Symptoms were measured at treatment entry and again at treatment completion using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory – II.

Results

High levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were reported at treatment entry, but on completion of treatment (28 days later) the majority of participants were no longer reporting symptoms suggestive of a possible co-morbid condition.

Conclusions

The significant change in rates of reported symptoms following completion of treatment suggests that a large proportion of symptoms reported at treatment entry were substance related. Diagnosing co-morbid conditions is best left until after a period of abstinence during which the alcohol problem has been treated. Assessing for co-morbidity at time of treatment seeking is likely to result in inappropriate co-morbid diagnoses being made and inappropriate or unnecessary treatments being prescribed for such individuals.
It's Not about Race: Good Wars, Bad Wars, and the Origins of Kant's Anti-Colonialism
Authors: VALDEZ INÉS
Published: July 2017

This article offers a new interpretation of Kant's cosmopolitanism and his anti-colonialism inToward Perpetual Peace. Kant's changing position has been the subject of extensive debates that have, however, not recognized the central place of colonialism in the political, economic, and military debates in Europe in Kant's writings. Based on historical evidence not previously considered alongsidePerpetual Peace, I suggest that Kant's leading concern at the time of writing is the negative effect of European expansionism and intra-European rivalry over colonial possessions on the possibility of peace in Europe. Because of the lack of affinity between colonial conflict and his philosophy of history, Kant must adjust his concept of antagonism to distinguish between war between particular dyads, in particular spaces, and with particular non-state actors. I examine the implications of this argument for Kant's system of Right and conclude that his anti-colonialism co-exists with hierarchical views of race.
Formononetin, a methoxy isoflavone, enhances bone regeneration in a mouse model of cortical bone defect
Authors: Singh Krishna Bhan , Dixit Manisha , Dev Kapil , Maurya Rakesh , Singh Divya
Published: July 2017

The bone regeneration and healing effect of formononetin was evaluated in a cortical bone defect model that predominantly heals by intramembranous ossification. For this study, female Balb/c mice were ovariectomised (OVx) and a drill-hole injury was generated in the midfemoral bones of all animals. Treatment with formononetin commenced the day after and continued for 21 d. Parathyroid hormone (PTH1–34) was used as a reference standard. Animals were killed at days 10 and 21. Femur bones were collected at the injury site for histomorphometry studies using microcomputed tomography (μCT) and confocal microscopy. RNA and protein were harvested from the region surrounding the drill-hole injury. For immunohistochemistry, 5 µm sections of decalcified femur bone adjoining the drill-hole site were cut.μCT analysis showed that formononetin promoted bone healing at days 10 and 21 and the healing effect observed was significantly better than in Ovx mice and equal to PTH treatment in many aspects. Formononetin also significantly enhanced bone regeneration as assessed by calcein-labelling studies. In addition, formononetin enhanced the expression of osteogenic markers at the injury site in a manner similar to PTH. Formononetin treatment also led to predominant runt-related transcription factor 2 and osteocalcin localisation at the injury site. These results support the potential of formononetin to be a bone-healing agent and are suggestive of its promising role in the fracture-repair process.
Double burden for women in mid- and later life: evidence from time-use profiles in Cebu, the Philippines
Authors: CHEN FEINIAN , BAO LUOMAN , LIN ZHIYONG , ZIMMER ZACHARY , GULTIANO SOCORRO , BORJA JUDITH B.
Published: July 2017

Using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (1994, 1998, 2002, 2005, 2007, 2012), we utilise latent class analysis to develop time-use class membership to characterise the degree to which women in Cebu are subject to the double burden of work and family responsibilities in mid- and later life. Results suggest that close to a third of the sample are engaged in high-intensity work for pay (either outside or home-based), while combining it with a substantial amount of household chores and with a low level of personal time in a span of 18 years. Our latent transition analysis also shows that, with the addition of grandchildren into the household, some women experience a shift in time-use class membership by becoming high-intensity care-givers or by completely transitioning out of the work arena, while others remain double-burdened with active involvement in both work and family responsibilities.
Rapidly progressive heart failure requiring transplantation in muscular dystrophy: a need for frequent screening
Authors: Pick Justin M. , Ellis Zachary D. , Alejos Juan C. , Chang Anthony C.
Published: July 2017

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy weakens both skeletal and cardiac muscles, but the rate of cardiomyopathic progression can accelerate faster than that of skeletal muscles. A 14-year-old boy with Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy presented with mild skeletal myopathy but severe cardiomyopathy requiring heart transplantation within 1 year of declining heart function. These patients need frequent screening regardless of musculoskeletal symptoms.
The functional weight of a prosodic cue in the native language predicts the learning of speech segmentation in a second language
Authors: TREMBLAY ANNIE , BROERSMA MIRJAM , COUGHLIN CAITLIN E.
Published: July 2017

This study newly investigates whether the functional weight of a prosodic cue in the native language predicts listeners’ learning and use of that cue in second-language speech segmentation. It compares English and Dutch listeners’ use of fundamental-frequency (F0) rise as a cue to word-final boundaries in French. F0 rise signals word-initial boundaries in English and Dutch, but has a weaker functional weight in English than Dutch because it is more strongly correlated with vowel quality in English than Dutch. English- and Dutch-speaking learners of French matched in French proficiency and experience, and native French listeners completed a visual-world eye-tracking experiment in French where they monitored words ending with/out an F0 rise (replication of Tremblay, Broersma, Coughlin & Choi, 2016). Dutch listeners made earlier/greater use of the F0 rise than English listeners, and in one condition they made greater use of F0 rise than French listeners, extending the cue-weighting theory to speech segmentation.
Behaviour change in overweight and obese pregnancy: a decision tree to support the development of antenatal lifestyle interventions
Authors: Ainscough Kate M , Lindsay Karen L , O’Sullivan Elizabeth J , Gibney Eileen R , McAuliffe Fionnuala M
Published: July 2017

Objective

Antenatal healthy lifestyle interventions are frequently implemented in overweight and obese pregnancy, yet there is inconsistent reporting of the behaviour-change methods and behavioural outcomes. This limits our understanding of how and why such interventions were successful or not.

Design

The current paper discusses the application of behaviour-change theories and techniques within complex lifestyle interventions in overweight and obese pregnancy. The authors propose a decision tree to help guide researchers through intervention design, implementation and evaluation. The implications for adopting behaviour-change theories and techniques, and using appropriate guidance when constructing and evaluating interventions in research and clinical practice are also discussed.

Conclusions

To enhance the evidence base for successful behaviour-change interventions during pregnancy, adoption of behaviour-change theories and techniques, and use of published guidelines when designing lifestyle interventions are necessary. The proposed decision tree may be a useful guide for researchers working to develop effective behaviour-change interventions in clinical settings. This guide directs researchers towards key literature sources that will be important in each stage of study development.
Topics and techniques in clinical supervision in psychotherapy training
Authors: Weck Florian , Kaufmann Yvonne M. , Witthöft Michael
Published: July 2017

Clinical supervision is regarded as one of the most important components of psychotherapy training. In clinical practice, it has been found that the implementation of clinical supervision varies substantially and often differs from the recommendations made in the literature. The objective of the current study was to investigate the frequency of topics (e.g. ethical issues) and techniques (e.g. role play) in the clinical supervision of psychotherapy trainees in Germany. To this end, we considered supervisions in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy (PT). A total of 791 psychotherapy trainees (533 CBT and 242 PT) were asked via the internet to provide information about their current supervision sessions. We found that clinical supervision in psychotherapy training addressed topics that are central for the effective treatment of supervised patients (i.e. therapeutic interventions, therapeutic alliance, maintaining factors, and therapeutic goals). However, the most frequently used intervention in clinical supervision in psychotherapy training was case discussion. Rarely were techniques used that allowed the supervisor to give the supervisee feedback based on the supervisee's demonstrated competencies. For example, 46% of the supervisors never used audiotapes or videotapes in the supervision. Differences between CBT and PT were rather small. Current practice regarding the techniques used in clinical supervision for psychotherapy trainees contradicts recommendations for active and feedback-oriented clinical supervision. Thus the potential of clinical supervision might not be fully used in clinical practice.
Mindsets Affect Risk Perception and Risk-Taking Behavior
Authors: Keller Lucas , Gollwitzer Peter M.
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In two experiments, we investigated the downstream consequences of activating deliberative versus implemental mindsets on risk perception (Experiment 1) and risk-taking behavior (Experiment 2). We hypothesized that participants in an implemental versus deliberative mindset arrive at more optimistic judgments about their own risks of experiencing negative life events, compared to other peoples’ risks. The results of Experiment 1 confirm this hypothesis and reveal perceived controllability as an important moderator. Experiment 2 further augments these findings by demonstrating that participants in a deliberative mindset show less risk-taking behavior than participants in an implemental mindset using a behavioral risk task. Implications for research on mindset theory of action phases and mindset-dependent effects on risk perception and risk-taking behavior are discussed.
MicroRNA-26a inhibits the growth and invasiveness of malignant melanoma and directly targets on MITF gene
Authors: Qian Hui , Yang Chen , Yang Yixin
Published: July 2017

Metastatic melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer and is refractory to therapy. MicroRNAs have been recently discovered as novel molecules that provide therapeutic benefits against melanoma. This work aims to examine the effects of miR-26a and let-7a on the growth and invasiveness of malignant melanomain vitroandin vivo. In addition, we elucidate the mechanism of action by identifying the target gene of miR-26a. Both miR-26a and let-7a inhibited proliferation and invasiveness and halted the cell cycle at the G1/G0phase in SKMEL-28 and WM1552C malignant melanoma cell lines. Moreover, miR-26a potently induced apoptosis and downregulated the expressions ofmicrophthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF)and MAP4K3 in both cell lines. The luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-26a suppresses MITF expression by binding the 3′-UTR, suggesting that MITF is abona fidetarget of miR-26a. SiRNA knockdown of theMITFgene confirmed that miR-26a reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis by regulating MITF. Using a murine model, we also found miR-26a significantly retarded the growth of melanoma tumorsin vivo. In conclusion, miR-26a and let-7a suppressed the growth and invasiveness of melanoma cells, suggesting that miR-26a and let-7a may represent novel therapies for malignant melanoma.
miR-200b inhibits proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer by targeting fucosyltransferase IV and α1,3-fucosylated glycans
Authors: Zheng Q , Cui X , Zhang D , Yang Y , Yan X , Liu M , Niang B , Aziz F , Liu S , Yan Q , Liu J
Published: July 2017

Aberrant protein fucosylation is associated with cancer malignancy. Fucosyltransferase IV (FUT4) is the key enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of α1,3-linkage fucosylated glycans carried by glycoproteins on the cell surface, such as the tumor-associated sugar antigen Lewis Y (LeY). An abnormal increase in the levels of FUT4 and LeY is observed in many cancers and correlated with cell proliferation and metastasis. Some microRNAs (miRNAs) are known to negatively regulate gene expression. FUT4 is an oncogenic glycogene, and thus it is important to identify the specific miRNA targeting FUT4. In current study, we first identified miR-200b as a specific miRNA that inhibited FUT4 expression. We found that miR-200b level was decreased, whereas that of FUT4 was increased in tissues and serum of breast cancer compared with that in the control by real-time PCR, western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The alterations of miR-200b and FUT4 level were recovered after chemotherapy. The results also showed that miR-200b suppressed FUT4 expression and inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, as well as in the xenografted tumor tissues and metastatic lung tissues. miR-200b decreased the α1,3-fucosylation and LeY biosynthesis on epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), as well as inactivation of EGFR and downstream phosphoinositide-3 kinase/Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, the study highlights that FUT4 could apply as a novel target for miR-200b that suppress the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells by reducing α1,3-fucosylation and LeY biosynthesis of glycoproteins. miR-200b and FUT4 are potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for breast cancer.
Hydrogen embrittlement of grain boundaries in nickel: an atomistic study
Authors: Huang Shan , Chen Dengke , Song Jun , McDowell David L. , Zhu Ting
Published: July 2017

The chemomechanical degradation of metals by hydrogen is widely observed, but not clearly understood at the atomic scale. Here we report an atomistic study of hydrogen embrittlement of grain boundaries in nickel. All the possible interstitial hydrogen sites at a given grain boundary are identified by a powerful geometrical approach of division of grain boundary via polyhedral packing units of atoms. Hydrogen segregation energies are calculated at these interstitial sites to feed into the Rice–Wang thermodynamic theory of interfacial embrittlement. The hydrogen embrittlement effects are quantitatively evaluated in terms of the reduction of work of separation for hydrogen-segregated grain boundaries. We study both the fast and slow separation limits corresponding to grain boundary fracture at fixed hydrogen concentration and fixed hydrogen chemical potential, respectively. We further analyze the influences of local electron densities on hydrogen adsorption energies, thereby gaining insights into the physical limits of hydrogen embrittlement of grain boundaries.
Long-range spin wave mediated control of defect qubits in nanodiamonds
Authors: Andrich Paolo , de las Casas Charles F. , Liu Xiaoying , Bretscher Hope L. , Berman Jonson R. , Heremans F. Joseph , Nealey Paul F. , Awschalom David D.
Published: July 2017

Hybrid architectures that combine nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond with other materials and physical systems have been proposed to enhance the nitrogen-vacancy center’s capabilities in many quantum sensing and information applications. In particular, spin waves in ferromagnetic materials are a promising candidate to implement these platforms due to their strong magnetic fields, which could be used to efficiently interact with the nitrogen-vacancy centers. Here, we develop an yttrium iron garnet-nanodiamond hybrid architecture constructed with the help of directed assembly and transfer printing techniques. Operating at ambient conditions, we demonstrate that surface confined spin waves excited in the ferromagnet can strongly amplify the interactions between a microwave source and the nitrogen-vacancy centers by enhancing the local microwave magnetic field by several orders of magnitude. Crucially, we show the existence of a regime in which coherent interactions between spin waves and nitrogen-vacancy centers dominate over incoherent mechanisms associated with the broadband magnetic field noise generated by the ferromagnet. These accomplishments enable the spin wave mediated coherent control of spin qubits over distances larger than 200 μm, and allow low power operations for future spintronic technologies.