bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The worldwide burden of smoking‐related oral cancer deaths
Authors: Nocini Riccardo , Lippi Giuseppe , Mattiuzzi Camilla
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Although it is now established that cigarette smoking enhances the risk of oral malignancies, less is known on this epidemiologic interplay. Therefore, this brief report aims to provide an update on the worldwide burden of smoking‐related deaths for lip and oral cavity cancers.

Material and methods

We performed an electronic search in Global Health Data Exchange registry using the keywords “lip and oral cavity cancer” and “smoking,” combined with “deaths,” “year,” and “location.”

Results

Global mortality for lip and oral cavity cancers has considerably grown during the past three decades, exhibiting a 1.40‐fold increase. Although up to one third (i.e.,30.5%) of worldwide deaths for these malignancies are still attributable to cigarette smoking, smoking‐related mortality for oral malignancies has decreased during the past three decades. The impact of cigarette smoking on these deaths is lower (i.e.,18.7%, gradually decreasing) in Africa, whereby the burden is higher in Europe (i.e.,43.7%) and Western Pacific (40.9%, gradually escalating).

Conclusions

Despite recent policies of smoking dissuasion may have contributed to mitigating the negative impact of smoking on oral cancers, additional healthcare interventions shall be planned to reduce the still high mortality, especially in Western Pacific.
Flight responses of eastern gray kangaroos to benign or harmful human behavior
Authors: Austin Caitlin M. , Ramp Daniel
Published: November 2019

Globally, wilderness is being converted for rural and agricultural land use. In countryside landscapes, many habitat structures remain intact, providing suitable habitat for wildlife species that can accurately assess novel risks and develop tolerance to benign disturbances. Associative learning that promotes avoidance and also facilitates desensitization to benign disturbance is key to persisting in these landscapes. Conversely, learning to distinguish and avoid negative interactions with humans, like hunting, is vital. To determine if eastern gray kangaroos are capable of learning from previous interactions with humans, we tested the flight responses of wild kangaroos which have previously experienced either low or high frequencies of harmful and benign encounters with humans. We found that eastern gray kangaroos rapidly habituated to benign disturbance as there was no significant difference in assessment distance between groups that previously experienced low or high frequencies of disturbance. The threat of harmful disturbances was not as quickly learnt, as groups that experienced low frequencies of harmful disturbance delayed flight longer than those experiencing frequent harm. We found that the influence of environmental and group parameters on a kangaroo's decision to flee depended on the intent and frequency of previous interactions with humans. Our study indicates that kangaroos are learning from previous encounters with humans, correctly assessing novel risks which may be contributing to their persistence in countryside landscapes.
Antioxidant Activity Evaluation of Tocored through Chemical Assays, Evaluation in Stripped Corn Oil, and CAA Assay
Authors: Zheng Liyou , Jin Jun , Karrar Emad , Xie Liangliang , Huang Jianhua , Chang Ming , Wang Xingguo , Zhang Hui , Jin Qingzhe
Published: November 2019

γ‐Tocopherol‐5,6‐quinone (tocored) is a crucial oxidized product of γ‐tocopherol (γ‐T) found in edible oil. Previously published studies on antioxidant activity (AOA) of tocored are not consistent. This study aims to monitor its AOA comprehensively through chemical assays (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl [DPPH] and ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]), antioxidant evaluation in a food model system (stripped corn oil), and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) assay, which would reasonably widen the knowledge of the AOA of γ‐T and tocored. In both DPPH and FRAP assays, tocored shows less AOA than γ‐T. Results of chemical properties in the Schaal oven test show that tocored possesses better AOA than γ‐T. Correlation coefficients of γ‐T and tocored between peroxide and K234 or p‐AnV are 0.8784–0.9875 and 0.8716–0.9879, respectively. The CAA assay also shows that tocored possesses better cellar AOA than γ‐T, with an EC50 at 21.55 µg mL−1. Drawing conclusions from the results from chemical assays, evaluation in stripped corn oil, and CAA assay, tocored is verified as a potent antioxidant in edible vegetable oils compared to γ‐T.

Practical Applications: The present work widens the knowledge of antioxidant activity of tocored and gamma‐tocopherol, and contributes to the understanding of existing antioxidant activity when gamma tocopherol is depleted when edible oils are in storage and processing processes.
Between placebo and nocebo: Response to control treatment is mediated by amygdala activity and connectivity
Authors: Egorova Natalia , Benedetti Fabrizio , Gollub Randy L. , Kong Jian
Published: November 2019

Background

In experimental placebo and nocebo studies, neutral control treatments are often administered for comparison with active treatments, but are of little interest, as, on average, they result in little change. Yet, when considered at an individual level, they fluctuate between baseline and subsequent measurements and may reveal important information about participants' placebo/nocebo responding tendencies.

Methods

In a paradigm involving application of creams paired with positive, negative and neutral expectations, some subjects rated identical stimuli in the neutral condition as more painful while others as less painful after treatment with inert cream. We divided subjects into two groups based on the median split in these pre‐post responses in the neutral control condition, and investigated (a) fMRI signal differences (post minus pre) between the two groups in neutral condition, and (b) seed‐based resting state connectivity of the bilateral amygdala, known to be involved in emotional self‐regulation, as well as ambiguous stimulus processing and aversive learning.

Results

The results suggested that subjects who rated the same pain stimuli after treatment with explicitly neutral cream as more painful showed stronger fMRI activation of the amygdala during the experiment and had higher connectivity between the left amygdala and the striatum at rest. Neutral pre‐post changes predicted behavioural placebo/nocebo response in this and two independent datasets.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that measuring pre‐post change in the neutral control condition might provide important information about subjects' individual differences in placebo/nocebo response.

Significance

Pre‐post changes in pain ratings in neutral conditions are modulated by amygdala activity and connectivity and can be used to predict placebo/nocebo responses.
Viruses More Friends than Foes
Authors: Moelling Karin
Published: November 2019

Viruses are normally defined as pathogens and have a bad reputation because of pandemics such as Influenza, HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and SARS. Most viruses are, however, not enemies or killers but play important roles in the origin, development and maintenance of life of all species on our planet. This is new information we learnt by new technologies such as sequencing. Viruses are the most successful species on Earth, they are ubiquitous, in the oceans, in our environment, in animals, plants, bacteria, up in the air, perhaps even in the universe, within our body and even as part of our genomes. They influence our health, our well‐being, mental properties, our gut microbiota including obesity, and may help to cope with multi‐drug‐resistant bacteria. There the phages, viruses of bacteria, raise hopes. Viruses built our immunity: viruses protect against viruses. We do not have to lay eggs – thanks to viruses! They are the drivers of evolution and adaptation to environmental changes, also e. g. in plankton. The success story of viruses started about 3.5 billion years ago when life began. Newly discovered giant viruses are almost bacteria in their composition, suggesting that the borderline between dead matter and life is continuous. There are many open questions – how did life begin, is there life on exoplanets, how to find it? Are virus‐like elements, viroids, important for the origin of life? Will viruses eliminate mankind [1]?
Iron encased organic networks with enhanced lithium storage properties
Authors: Huang Chunmao , Mahmood Javeed , Zhang Jiakui , Zhu Zihe , Chen Dongdong , Chen Peirong , Noh Hyuk‐Jun , Ahmad Ishfaq , Xu Jiantie , Baek Jong‐Beom
Published: November 2019

Developing promising electrode materials for next‐generation high‐performance lithium ion batteries (LIBs) becomes critically important. So far, a great number of transition metal (M)‐based composites (e.g., oxides, sulfides, selenides, and M‐carbon) as promising anodes have been intensively reported. Despite the huge progress achieved on the development of M‐nitrogen‐doped carbon (M‐N‐C) as catalysts in the field of electrocatalysis, the study of M‐N coordination sites, and how they might affect the anode properties of M‐N‐C for LIBs, is still rare. Here, we designed and fabricated a series of Fe‐N‐C hybrids as anodes for LIBs, including iron (Fe) nanoparticles cores encapsulated in well‐defined nitrogenated holey graphitic structures (Fe@C2N) and Fe encapsulated in a three‐dimensional (3D) cage‐like organic network (Fe@CON). Such hybrids display promising lithium ion storage properties. In particular, benefitting from its 3D‐interconnected microporous structure and rich Fe‐N‐C species, one Fe@CON (e.g., HCF@3DP) exhibits a superb reversible capacity of 747.3 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C, excellent rate capability (e.g., 320.8 mAh g−1 at 10 C) and long cycling stability (over 400 cycles).
CSI‐based authentication: Extracting stable features using deep neural networks
Authors: Yazdani Abyaneh Amirhossein , Pourahmadi Vahid , Hosein Gharari Foumani Ali
Published: November 2019

The first step of secure communication is authenticating users and detecting malicious ones. In recent years, some promising schemes have been proposed using wireless medium network's features, in particular, channel state information (CSI) as a means of authentication. These schemes mainly compare the user's previous CSI with the new received CSI to determine if the user is what it is claiming to be. Despite high accuracy, these approaches lack the stability in authentication when the users rotate in their positions. It is due to the significant change in CSI when a user rotates, which misleads the authenticator when it compares the new CSI with the previous ones. Our approach presents a way of extracting features from raw CSI measurements, which are stable with respect to rotation. We employ a deep neural network to extract these features. We also present a scenario in which users can be efficiently authenticated while they are at specific locations in an environment (even if they rotate) and will be rejected if they change their location. In addition, experimental results are presented to show the performance of the proposed scheme.
On the predictability of crude oil market: A hybrid multiscale wavelet approach
Authors: Bekiros Stelios , Arreola Hernandez Jose , Salah Uddin Gazi , Muzaffar Ahmed Taneem
Published: November 2019

Past research indicates that forecasting is important in understanding price dynamics across assets. We explore the potentiality of multiscale forecasting in the crude oil market by employing a wavelet multiscale analysis on returns and volatilities of Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil indices between January 1, 2001, and May 1, 2015. The analysis is based on a shift‐invariant discrete wavelet transform, augmented by an entropy‐based methodology for determining the optimal timescale decomposition under different market regimes. The empirical results show that the five‐step‐ahead wavelet forecast that is based on volatilities outperforms the random walk forecast, relative to the wavelet forecast that is based on returns. Optimal wavelet causality forecasting for returns is suggested across all frequencies (i.e., daily–yearly), whereas for volatilities it is suggested only up to quarterly frequencies. These results may have important implications for market efficiency and predictability of prices on the crude oil markets.
Framing Flexible Spending Accounts: A Large‐Scale Field Experiment on Communicating the Return on Medical Savings Accounts
Authors: Leight Jessica , Wilson Nicholas
Published: November 2019

Tax‐preferred health savings devices such as Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) offer employees potentially valuable financial instruments for directing pre‐tax earnings to eligible medical expenses. Despite their increasing popularity as an employee benefit, however, there is little causal evidence around individual demand for these accounts. This paper seeks to address this gap in the literature, reporting on a randomized controlled field experiment conducted with over 11,000 U. S federal employees in 2017 in order to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted messages designed to increase FSA contributions. Our results suggest that the provision of basic information about FSAs delivered via an emailed employee newsletter did not affect the likelihood of contribution or the contribution level. The addition of statements about the absolute returns or relative returns offered by the accounts similarly had no significant effects, and these null effects are observed despite relatively high email open rates. We discuss explanations for the null results and the policy implications of findings from what appears to be the first health economics experiment analyzing tax incentives around health care savings.
Recent Advances in Magic Angle Spinning‐Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Methodology
Authors: Kaminker Ilia
Published: November 2019

Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) is a method to boost the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) signal and thus alleviate the main limitation of NMR spectroscopy‐its low sensitivity. One particularly successful methodology is the combination of DNP with magic angle spinning (MAS). MAS‐DNP enables orders of magnitude signal enhancements in solid‐state NMR experiments. The success of modern MAS‐DNP stems from a combination of multiple developments in hardware, polarization agents design, sample preparation, theoretical understanding, and experimental methodology. Altogether these developments have allowed numerous breakthrough applications in biology and materials science. Despite its proven successes, ongoing research aims to further optimize hardware and polarization agent chemistry. Recent advances in MAS‐DNP methodology that will allow unprecedented sensitivity in novel future applications are reviewed in this manuscript.
Osteogenic stimulation of human dental pulp stem cells with self‐setting biphasic calcium phosphate cement
Authors: Gu Yingzhi , Zhuang Rui , Xie Xianju , Bai Yuxing
Published: November 2019

Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is widely used as a repair material for bone defects. However, there is no report on the use of biphasic CPC combined with dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) for bone tissue engineering. The aim of this study was to construct biphasic CPC and to investigate its effect in the osteogenic stimulation of human DPSCs (hDPSCs) and macrophage polarization. Biphasic CPC was developed by adding different ratios of β‐TCP to an equimolar mixture of tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) and dicalcium phosphate anhydrous (DCPA). The biocompatibility, osteogenic capacity, and inflammatory reactions of the cements were examined. Our results show that biphasic CPC containing both HA and β‐TCP was successfully fabricated. The addition of β‐TCP did not increase necrosis or apoptosis of DPSCs. Significant increases in hDPSC mineral deposition and osteogenic marker (ColI and ALP) expression were observed in 20% TCP‐CPC. The addition of β‐TCP did not promote macrophage polarization to a proinflammatory phenotype. In conclusion, biphasic CPC with hDPSCs for bone regeneration was developed for the first time; the biphasic CPC combined with hDPSCs is expected to be used for the repair and regeneration of bone.
The new management of recordkeeping
Authors: Wiatt Reina G.
Published: November 2019

This article focuses on the emerging applications of blockchain technology for recordkeeping and data management requirements. Blockchain—the technology supporting Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies—is a shared ledger that maintains transactions and documents in digital form. In a time when businesses face challenges in managing data security, there is a compelling case for developing a digital‐based recordkeeping system to address social problems on a global scale. Improving food supply chain safety, reducing the conflict diamond trade, and assisting refugees in preserving identity and academic credential records are just a few of the solutions offered by blockchains. Our global economy depends on the ability to create, store, and share accurate records. While implementation challenges remain, blockchain technology's ability to store and distribute immutable documents has the potential to improve data management security for industries worldwide.
Typical epidemiology of respiratory virus infections in a Brazilian slum
Authors: Góes Luiz Gustavo Bentim , Zerbinati Rodrigo Melim , Tateno Adriana Fumie , de Souza Andrea Vieira , Ebach Fabian , Corman Victor M. , Moreira‐Filho Carlos Alberto , Durigon Edison Luiz , da Silva Filho Luiz Vicente Ribeiro Ferreira , Drexler Jan Felix
Published: November 2019

Host population size, density, immune status, age structure, and contact rates are critical elements of virus epidemiology. Slum populations stand out from other settings and may present differences in the epidemiology of acute viral infections. We collected nasopharyngeal specimens from 282 children aged ≤5 years with acute respiratory tract infection (ARI) during 2005 to 2006 in one of the largest Brazilian slums. We conducted real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) for 16 respiratory viruses, nested RT‐PCR‐based typing of rhinoviruses (HRVs), and collected clinical symptoms. Viruses were common causes of respiratory disease; with ≥1 virus being detected in 65.2% of patients. We detected 15 different viruses during 1 year with a predominance of HRV (33.0%) and human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV, 12.1%) infections, and a high rate of viral coinfections (28.3%). We observed seasonality of hRSV, HRV and human coronavirus infections, more severe symptoms in hRSV and influenza virus (FLU) infections and prolonged circulation of seven HRV clusters likely representing distinct serotypes according to genomic sequence distances. Potentially unusual findings included the absence of human metapneumovirus detections and lack of typical FLU seasonal patterns, which may be linked to the population size and density of the slum. Nonetheless, most epidemiological patterns were similar to other studies globally, suggesting surprising similarities of virus‐associated ARI across highly diverse settings and a complex impact of population characteristics on respiratory virus epidemiology.
Unmagnetized plasma media parameters reconstruction using FDTD and gradient‐based minimization method
Authors: Deng Haochuan , Shi Lijuan , Feng Xuejian , Wei Xiao , Yin Hongcheng
Published: November 2019

A time‐domain inverse scattering algorithm for determining unknown plasma resonance frequency and electron collision frequency of unmagnetized plasma media object has been proposed. Finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method in conjunction with Lagrange multipliers and gradient‐based minimization method are used in the proposed algorithm. The reconstruction of the parameters is based on the minimization of a cost function that describes the discrepancy between simulation and measured data of the electric field at the observation points. In order to obtain the gradient value of the unknown plasma parameters, an augmented cost function has been given by means of Lagrange multipliers with the Maxwell curl equations and constitutive relation of the unmagnetized plasma media. Then, the gradient value could be obtained after a series of transformations. At last, the Ploak‐Ribiere conjugate gradient algorithm has been applied to update the plasma parameters iteratively. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been validated through the simulation test.
Fibrin Matrices as (Injectable) Biomaterials: Formation, Clinical Use, and Molecular Engineering
Authors: Roberts Iwan Vaughan , Bukhary Deena , Valdivieso Christopher Yusef Leon , Tirelli Nicola
Published: November 2019

This review focuses on fibrin, starting from biological mechanisms (its production from fibrinogen and its enzymatic degradation), through its use as a medical device and as a biomaterial, and finally discussing the techniques used to add biological functions and/or improve its mechanical performance through its molecular engineering. Fibrin is a material of biological (human, and even patient's own) origin, injectable, adhesive, and remodellable by cells; further, it is nature's most common choice for an in situ forming, provisional matrix. Its widespread use in the clinic and in research is therefore completely unsurprising. There are, however, areas where its biomedical performance can be improved, namely achieving a better control over mechanical properties (and possibly higher modulus), slowing down degradation or incorporating cell‐instructive functions (e.g., controlled delivery of growth factors). The authors here specifically review the efforts made in the last 20 years to achieve these aims via biomimetic reactions or self‐assembly, as much via formation of hybrid materials.
On the energy decay rates for the 1D damped fractional Klein–Gordon equation
Authors: Malhi Satbir , Stanislavova Milena
Published: November 2019

We consider the fractional Klein–Gordon equation in one spatial dimension, subjected to a damping coefficient, which is non‐trivial and periodic, or more generally strictly positive on a periodic set. We show that the energy of the solution decays at the polynomial rate for and at some exponential rate when . Our approach is based on the asymptotic theory of C0 semigroups in which one can relate the decay rate of the energy in terms of the resolvent growth of the semigroup generator. The main technical result is a new observability estimate for the fractional Laplacian, which may be of independent interest.
Existence, uniqueness, and multiplicity results on positive solutions for a class of Hadamard‐type fractional boundary value problem on an infinite interval
Authors: Zhang Wei , Liu Wenbin
Published: November 2019

This paper focuses on a class of Hadamard‐type fractional differential equation with nonlocal boundary conditions on an infinite interval. New existence, uniqueness, and multiplicity results of positive solutions are obtained by using Schauder's fixed point theorem, Banach's contraction mapping principle, the monotone iterative method, and the Avery‐Peterson fixed point theorem. Examples are included to illustrate our main results.
A coupled system of k‐Hessian equations
Authors: Feng Meiqiang , Zhang Xuemei
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we consider the following system coupled by multiparameter k‐Hessian equations

Here, λ1 and λ2 are positive parameters, Ω is the unit ball in Rn, Sk(D2u) is the k‐Hessian operator of u,
. Applying the eigenvalue theory in cones, several new results are obtained for the existence and multiplicity of nontrivial radial solutions for the above k‐Hessian system. In particular, we study the dependence of the nontrivial radial solution
on the parameter λ1 and λ2. This is probably the first time that a system of equations, especially with fully nonlinear equations, has been studied by applying this technique. Finally, as an application, we obtain sufficient conditions for the existence of nontrivial radial solutions of the power‐type coupled system of k‐Hessian equations, which is new even for the special case k=1 and extends a previous result for the case k=n.
Coldwater Periods in Warmwater Streams: Microhabitat Shifts from Autumn to Winter by Smallmouth Bass
Authors: Wolf Skylar L. , Mollenhauer Robert , Brewer Shannon K.
Published: November 2019

Seasonal and life stage variation in microhabitat use is an important driver of fish survival and bioenergetics, but knowledge of microhabitat selection during colder periods is generally lacking in warmwater streams. Our objective was to examine changes in microhabitat selection by age-0 (TL ≤ 85 mm) and age-1+ (TL > 85 mm) Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu from autumn to winter in streams of the southwest Ozark Highlands ecoregion. We examined microhabitat selection (depth, velocity, substrate, cover, and temperature) during autumn 2017 (Spavinaw Creek) and winter 2018 (Spavinaw and Spring creeks). During autumn and winter, age-0 fish selected intermediate depths of approximately 1 m, whereas age-1+ fish selected the deepest available habitat. Water depth selection was similar across seasons for both life stages. Both age-0 and age-1+ bass selected areas of zero velocity, increasing substrate size, instream cover, and warmwater patches in autumn. Velocity selection differed between autumn and winter with both life stages showing stronger selection of low velocity patches (0.1–0.3 m/s) during winter. Both life stages shifted to having no substrate selection during winter. Age-1+ bass were more likely than age-0 bass to use cover during autumn, but this relationship shifted in winter to the age-0 cohort increasing their selection of cover and the age-1+ cohort decreasing their selection. Both age-0 and age-1+ bass selected relatively warmer habitats during autumn, but not winter. Collectively, our results highlight both seasonal and life stage variation in Smallmouth Bass microhabitat selection. As our understanding of habitat selection across seasons develops, the management of Smallmouth Bass will undoubtedly improve. Changing environmental conditions over time may influence available habitat as well as the timing of seasonal shifts across a range of spatial and temporal scales, including microhabitat patches.
Lipid Emulsion Therapies and Type 1 Hypersensitivity Reactions: Risk Assessment and Management
Authors: Franz Nicholas , Pleva Melissa , Nordbeck Sarah
Published: November 2019

Over the past decades, awareness and attention given to food allergies has extended further into the realm of pharmacotherapy. Despite the presence of similar ingredients, different intravenous lipid emulsion (ILE)–based medication products have a wide variety of warnings and contraindications for patients with food allergies. Only limited literature is available to guide clinicians in making appropriate medication therapy adjustments to reduce the risk of hypersensitivity reactions in atopic patient populations. Therefore, the authors sought to develop a comprehensive review of potential risk factors or approaches for management of patients with atopic history and need for ILE therapy. Through thorough review of available literature published worldwide, a description of potential contraindications, risk factors, and evaluation methods is presented. Although the current state of knowledge remains relatively poor, this review aims to provide clinicians a better understanding of which risk factors related to the development of hypersensitivity reactions are relevant to lipid emulsion products and how to best manage patients who may be at risk for severe reaction based on their history. Evaluating personal atopic history is essential to the development of an appropriate risk classification system and approaching an individual's therapeutic options. By applying this assessment to local populations, providers should be able to develop an institutional guideline for screening and minimizing risk of substantial hypersensitivity reactions. Finally, a brief review of methods for managing type 1 hypersensitivity reactions is provided in the event that a breakthrough reaction does occur.
Exploring the barriers to patient engagement in the delivery of safe care in Iranian hospitals: A qualitative study
Authors: Chegini Zahra , Janati Ali , Babaie Javad , Pouraghaei Mahboub
Published: November 2019

Aim

To investigate barriers to patient engagement in the delivery of safe hospital care.

Design

Qualitative exploratory study.

Methods

A qualitative study with 35 Iranian health professionals was conducted from February to April 2019 using semi‐structured interviews to elicit their opinions. MAXQDA 11 software was used for data management, and the data were analysed using framework analysis.

Results

Barriers, which potentially have negative impact on patient engagement in the delivery of safer care, were categorized into four themes. The first category included patient‐related barriers such as low levels of health literacy, ineffective education, patient unwillingness and cultural barriers. The second category included staff‐related barriers such as the existence of negative attitudes towards engaging patients in matters relating to patient safety, ineffective communication, high workload and the reluctance on the part of physicians to engage with patients. Barriers created by limited resources and inadequate training provided by universities and in the workplace formed the third category and community‐related barriers such as the inadequate dissemination of information via the mass media and a lack of community‐based services formed the fourth category.

Conclusion

Results demonstrate the multilayered nature of the significant barriers to the engagement of patients in the delivery of safe care and reflect the need for a collaborative approach between the recipients of care, researchers, care providers and policy makers if these are to be overcome.
Visible‐to‐UV Photon Upconversion in Nanostructured Chromophoric Ionic Liquids
Authors: Hisamitsu Shota , Miyano Junji , Okumura Keisuke , Hui Joseph Ka‐Ho , Yanai Nobuhiro , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: November 2019

Visible‐to‐ultraviolet (vis‐to‐UV) triplet‐triplet annihilation based photon upconversion (TTA‐UC) is achieved in a non‐volatile chromophoric ionic liquid (IL) for the first time. A novel IL is synthesized by combining UV‐emitting anion 4‐(2‐phenyloxazol‐5‐yl)benzenesulfonate (PPOS) and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium cation (P66614). The nanostructured organization of chromophoric anions is demonstrated by synchrotron X‐ray and optical measurements. When the IL is doped with a triplet sensitizer tris(2‐phenylpyridinato)iridium(III) (Ir(ppy)3), the visible‐to‐UV TTA‐UC with a relatively low threshold excitation intensity of 61 mW cm−2 is achieved. This is due to a large triplet diffusion coefficient in the IL (1.4×10−7 cm2 s−1) as well as a high absorption coefficient 15 cm−1 and a long PPOS triplet lifetime of 1.55 ms, all implemented in the condensed IL system. This work demonstrates the unique potential of ILs to control chromophore arrangements for desired functions.
Successful treatment of post‐operative peripheral bronchopleural fistulas using endobronchial Watanabe spigots
Authors: Yamamoto Shinichi , Sogabe Masaya , Negishi Hideki , Mitsuda Sayaka , Shibano Tomoki , Endo Shunsuke
Published: November 2019

Post‐operative peripheral bronchopleural fistulas (BPF) are sometimes caused by post‐operative pneumonia and empyema. Conservative treatment options such as administration of antibiotics and chest tube drainage can have limited outcomes in certain cases. Bronchial occlusion is an effective treatment option if the target bronchi for BPF are identified. This case study describes a successful bronchial occlusion for peripheral BPF with endobronchial Watanabe spigots (EWSs) and a digital drainage system. This case involved a 70‐year‐old man who developed a post‐operative peripheral BPF after a left upper lobectomy. Bronchial occlusion with EWS was performed because the target bronchi responsible for BPF were clearly detected by a chest computerized tomography scan. The effectiveness of the occlusion was confirmed with the use of a digital drainage system immediately after the procedure was completed. The chest tube was removed one week following the bronchial occlusion procedure.
Endobronchial lipoma: a rare cause of subsegmental bronchial obstruction
Authors: Pavlov Pavel V. , Kiryukhin Andrey P. , Puzakov Kirill B. , Rzayev Ramin T. , Derinov Aleksandr A.
Published: November 2019

Endobronchial lipoma is a rare cause of bronchial obstruction. Early identification and diagnosis of endobronchial lipoma can prevent damage of the lung parenchyma. Clinicians should be aware of this rare tumour. Bronchoscopic resection is the first choice of treatment, but surgical operation should be indicated in certain circumstances.
Human articular cartilage repair: Sources and detection of cytotoxicity and genotoxicity in photo-crosslinkable hydrogel bioscaffolds
Authors: Lee Cheryl , O'Connell Cathal D. , Onofrillo Carmine , Choong Peter F. M. , Di Bella Claudia , Duchi Serena
Published: November 2019

Three-dimensional biofabrication using photo-crosslinkable hydrogel bioscaffolds has the potential to revolutionize the need for transplants and implants in joints, with articular cartilage being an early target tissue. However, to successfully translate these approaches to clinical practice, several barriers must be overcome. In particular, the photo-crosslinking process may impact on cell viability and DNA integrity, and consequently on chondrogenic differentiation. In this review, we primarily explore the specific sources of cellular cytotoxicity and genotoxicity inherent to the photo-crosslinking reaction, the methods to analyze cell death, cell metabolism, and DNA damage within the bioscaffolds, and the possible strategies to overcome these detrimental effects.

Significance statement Several hurdles need to be addressed before the clinical translation of articular cartilage regeneration procedures using photo-crosslinkable hydrogels. Cellular cytotoxicity and genotoxicity need to be identified and carefully detected to provide an indication of the safety of the repair treatment approach in patients.
Measuring the urban sustainable development in cities through a Composite Index: The case of Portugal
Authors: Rodrigues Margarida , Franco Mário
Published: November 2019

This study aims to systematize indicators and indices that allow measurement sustainable development in cities and towns (economic, social, and environmental). It is one dimension that is inseparable from current cities and its extent is a major concern for political decision‐makers worldwide, and also present their individual weights in that performance. The results allow construction of a Composite Index for Sustainability supported by multivariate statistical techniques (Exploratory Factor Analysis and Principal Component Analysis), confirming its scientific quality and robustness, and forming the main contribution of this study. The results also show that the urban sustainability dimension is visible in the 308 Portuguese cities/towns in a tri‐partite way. Economic sustainability (weighting of 0.386) has been strengthened by entrepreneurship, which has created new business supported by public–private partnerships, such as living labs, which has contributed to less urban unemployment. Standing out in social sustainability (weighting of 0.245) is the development of projects promoting cohesion and social inclusion and actions to improve social infrastructure in Portuguese towns. Finally, environmental sustainability (weighting of 0.369), which locally in Portugal, has emphasized waste management and actions to preserve and protect natural resources and the environment in general. However, more effective actions are needed for their sustainability to continue to improve substantially in the long term, for example, environmentally. Furthermore, the towns/cities analysed must change to the circular economy model as proposed by the European Union.
2,4‐Diphenyl‐1,2‐dihydroquinazoline Derivatives: Synthesis, Anticancer Activity and Docking Studies
Authors: Gudimella Krishna Kanthi , Bonige Kishore Babu , Gundla Rambabu , Katari Naresh Kumar , Yamajala Bhaskar , Battula Venkateswara Rao
Published: November 2019

A straightforward, rapid and efficient one‐pot method was developed for the synthesis of 2,4 ‐diphenyl‐1,2 dihydroquinazoline and their analogues. The reactions were performed with different type of benzylamine and 2‐bromo benzophenone using ammonium acetate and characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass spectroscopic techniques. All the compounds were tested for MDA‐MB‐231, A549 and DU‐145 type of human cancer cell lines. Among the synthesized compounds, 4 j (4‐phenyl‐2‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxyphenyl)‐1,2‐dihydroquinazoline) and 4 e (2‐(3,4‐dichlorophenyl)‐4‐phenyl‐1,2‐dihydroquinazoline) molecules were found to possess good anticancer activity. The binding nature of these molecules was explored through docking studies.
Synthesis, In Silico Molecular Docking, ADME Evaluation and In Vitro Antiplasmodial Activity of Pyrimidine‐Based Hybrid Molecules
Authors: Chopra Rakesh , Singh Lovepreet , Chibale Kelly , Singh Kamaljit
Published: November 2019

We report synthesis of new pyrimidine based molecular hybrids comprising of pyrimidine and aryl/heteroaryl groups linked, conveniently through 1,2,3‐triazole. In vitro antiplasdmodial activity of this series of compounds against chloroquine sensitive NF54 strain of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, revealed interesting trends and correlation with the physicochemical properties of the hybrids. In silico docking of the most active (IC50 4.40±1.00 μM) (more active than reference artesunate) member 16 a in the active binding sites of wild type PfDHFR‐TS (P. falciparum Dihydrofolate Reductase‐Thymidylate Synthase) and PfDHFR‐TS Quadruple mutant showed interactions suggesting their role as PfDHFR inhibitors. Further, all the members of the series showed favorable in silico ADME (Adsorption Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion) profile.
Designing of Ultrafine PdNPs Immobilized Pyridinic‐NDoped Carbon and Evaluation of its Catalytic Potential for Konevenagel Condensation, Synthesis of 4H‐pyran Derivatives and Nitroreduction
Authors: Chowhan Bushra , Gupta Monika , Sharma Neha
Published: November 2019

We report the desiging of ultrafine Pd‐based nanocatalyst containingN‐doped carbon structure (Pd@NC). The material was prepared by direct dehydration at 120 °C followed by mixing and heating with a dopant (ammonium oxalate) at 150 °C in a furnace. The Pd@NC nanocatalyst containing electron‐rich pyridinic‐Ndoped carbon structure, was thoroughly characterized by various techniques namely SEM, EDX, TEM, FTIR, ICP‐AES, XRD, XPS, TGA and Raman spectroscopy. The utility of the Pd@NC nanocatalyst was explored for base‐free Knoevenagel condensation and 4H‐pyran derivatives and also in the reduction of nitroarenes under mild and greener conditions. Further, the optical property was explored using photoluminescence spectroscopy and band gap was also calculated. The heterogeneous nature and stability of the catalyst facilitated by its ease of separation for long‐term performance and recycling studies showed that catalyst was robust and remained active upto six recycling experiments. Also, the leaching of metal was confirmed by ICP‐AES. The superiority of the catalyst was attributed to the metal support interaction (MSI) between metallic palladium and pyridinic‐Ndoped carbon to acquire excellent catalytic activity and changing the reducing nature of NaBH4towards nitro functionality. The MSI between pyridinic‐Ndopant on the carbon structure and PdNPs produces highly active sites for catalytic performance under mild conditions.
Microwave‐Assisted One‐Step Four‐Component Reaction for Synthesis of 1,4‐Dihydropyridines Catalyzed by Triethylamine
Authors: Khumalo Mandlenkosi Robert , Maddila Surya Narayana , Maddila Suresh , Jonnalagadda Sreekantha B.
Published: November 2019

A green approach is designed for the synthesis of 1,4‐dihydropyrine derivatives catalyzed by triethylamine with water as solvent and under microwave irradiation conditions. The title reaction involved the one‐pot condensation of four components, namely aryl aldehyde, benzyl acetoacetate, 5‐methyl‐1,3‐cyclohexanedione and ammonium acetate. Good to excellent yields (88‐98%), short reaction times (10 min), green solvent and simple workup are attractive features for the approach. The method requires no further chromatographic separation. The structures of all the ten new derivatives were fully characterized by spectroscopic analysis with 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 15N NMR and HRMS.
Self‐Assembled Tetrameric Lanthanide‐Containing Germanotungstates [(Ln2GeW10O38)4(W3O8)(OH)4(H2O)2]26−: Syntheses, Crystal Structure, Photoluminescence and Electrochemical Properties.
Authors: Khan Imran , Kaushik Reetam , Tiwari Ranjay K. , Mbomekallé Israël , Oliveira Pedro de , Matono Takashi , Ooyama Haruka Egawa , Sadakane Masahiro , Hussain Firasat
Published: November 2019

A series of six lanthanide‐containing germanotungstates of the formula: [(Ln2GeW10O38)4(W3O8)(OH)4(H2O)2]26− (Ln=Sm (1), Eu (2), Gd (3), Tb (4), Dy (5), Ho (6) have been synthesized under ambient conditions. The synthetic procedure involves the use of trilacunary Na10[A‐α‐GeW9O34]⋅16H2O as a preformed precursor along with lanthanide salts in 0.5 M potassium chloride solution. The interaction of the trilacunary Na10[A‐α‐GeW9O34]⋅16H2O with the lanthanide salts leads to the formation of a tetrameric structure with four [GeW10O36]8− dilacunary Keggin units incorporating eight lanthanide ions and three additional tungsten atoms. All the polyanions were structurally characterized by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Single Crystal X‐ray Diffraction (SC‐XRD), UV/Visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), electrochemistry, Electron‐spray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI‐MS), Powder X‐ray diffraction (PXRD) and photoluminescence. FT‐IR spectroscopy reveals that all the polyanions are isomorphous and SC‐XRD shows that all the polyanions are isostructural and crystalize in the triclinic crystal system with
space group. Some of the polyanions show good photoluminescence properties. The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of all the six compounds exhibit the same shape, each being composed of a pronounced reduction wave.
Synthesis of Zn2TiO4@CdS Core‐shell Heteronanostructures by Novel Thermal Decomposition Approach for Photocatalytic Application
Authors: Mahajan Jatin , Jeevanandam Pethaiyan
Published: November 2019

Zn2TiO4@CdS core‐shell heteronanostructures with Zn2TiO4 as core and CdS nanoparticles as shell have been synthesized for the first time by a novel thermal decomposition approach. The size of CdS nanoparticles in the shell can be easily tuned by varying the amount of single molecular precursor (bis(thiourea)cadmium acetate, [Cd(CS(NH2)2)2]⋅(CH3COO)2). Various state‐of‐art analytical techniques prove the formation of Zn2TiO4@CdS core‐shell heteronanostructures. Powder XRD results confirm the presence of cubic Zn2TiO4 and hexagonal CdS in the core‐shell heteronanostructures. SEM and TEM studies indicate spherical morphology for pure Zn2TiO4 and formation of core‐shell structure in Zn2TiO4@CdS with Zn2TiO4 as core and CdS nanoparticles as shell. XPS measurements prove the presence of Zn2+, Ti4+, Cd2+ and S2− in the Zn2TiO4@CdS core‐shell heteronanostructures. The synthesized Zn2TiO4@CdS core‐shell heteronanostructures were explored for photocatalytic degradation of crystal violet in an aqueous solution. The core‐shell heteronanostructures exhibit better photocatalytic activity as compared to their parent materials.
Preparation Of ZnO/Co3O4 Hollow Microsphere By Pollen‐biological Template And Its Application In Photocatalytic Degradation
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Zhang Xin , Wu Bowen , Zhao Haoyu , Zhang Wei , Shan Congcong , Yang Jing , Liu Qing
Published: November 2019

ZnO/Co3O4 hollow microsphere was prepared by an impregnation method using lotus pollen as biotemplate for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC). This material was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV‐Vis DRS), N2 physical adsorption and X‐ray photoelectron (XPS). The results show that it can replicate the spherical morphology of pollen and form a hollow microsphere after the calcination in air with the diameter of about 25 μm and the wall thickness of about 2 μm. Under the irradiation using a xenon lamp, the degradation rate of MB was 95% in 90 minutes, and the degradation rate of TC was 90% in 60 minutes. Compared with pure ZnO or Co3O4 microspheres prepared by the same method, the photocatalytic performance of ZnO/Co3O4 hollow microsphere is superior, because of synergistic effect between Co and Zn and enhanced electron transfer. In addition, ZnO/Co3O4 hollow microsphere exhibits high reusability without significant decrease of the degradation activities of MB and TC after four cycles.
Hierarchical Nanorods Constructed by Vertical WS2 Nanosheets on Carbon Nanotube Cores with Enhanced Lithium Storage Properties
Authors: Zhao Dan , Zhao Qian , Zhang Jinying , Liu Yi , Guo Shouwu
Published: November 2019

A nanorod hybrid constructed by vertical WS2 nanosheets on multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) core is synthesized by a facile solvothermal method. The WS2 nanorod is difficult to form compared to its MoS2 counterpart because of the relatively sluggish dynamics of W4+. Herein, multi‐site nucleation of WS2 are initiated by the acid‐ and heat‐treated MWCNT bundles with high concentration of defects and functional groups, forming nanorods with high aspect ratio, and inducing strong interface interaction between MWCNTs and WS2. WS2 nanosheets are vertically assembled on the surfaces of MWCNT bundles without agglomeration, exposing abundant active sites for Li+ storage. A three‐dimensional electron conductive network is formed by the nanorods to improve the charge transport efficiency and alleviate the structure change/restacking of WS2 during lithium‐ion batteries cycling. A specific capacity of 963 mAh g−1 at 0.5 A g−1 after 500 cycles is retained by the nanorod hybrid anode, showing excellent electrochemical performances.
Enhancement in Electrochemical Performance of Lithium‐Sulfur Cells through Sulfur Encapsulation in Hollow Carbon Nanospheres Coated with Ultra‐Thin Aluminum Fluoride Layer
Authors: Ashuri Maziar , Dunya Hamza , Yue Zheng , Alramahi Dana , Mei Xinyi , Kucuk Kamil , Aryal Shankar , Segre Carlo U. , Mandal Braja K.
Published: November 2019

The current status of cathode materials for lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) battery is not satisfactory for full‐scale commercial production. This mainly stems from the unsolved problems associated with the polysulfide shuttle, which leads to lower sulfur utilization and significant capacity decay after a few hundred cycles. To better confine sulfur and its associated polysulfides, a core/double‐shelled nanocomposite was synthesized. The inner shell was composed of a carbon nanosphere with high conductivity, while the outer shell was an ultra‐thin aluminum fluoride (AlF3) layer to better retain polysulfides in the cathode structure. The AlF3 coating increased the initial discharge capacity to 1191 mA h g−1 with capacity retention of 76.3% and Coulombic efficiency > 99% over 100 cycles. Taking advantage of this tailored design, a reversible capacity of 702 mA h g−1 over 500 cycles at 1 C was achieved with only 0.052% capacity decay per cycle. This impressive electrochemical performance was ascribed to the enhanced conductivity and effective entrapment of polysulfides.