bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Medicalization
Authors: Dew Kevin
Published: May 2019

Medicalization describes a process in which medicine increasingly dominates our lives. A number of strategies facilitate medicalization, including the designation of more conditions as medical problems, the development of increasingly sophisticated screening procedures, diagnostic inflation, shifting diagnostic thresholds, and the developments of proto‐illnesses and personalized medicine. Increasing technological capacities from genetic and communication technologies provide further opportunities for the expansion of medicine. These changes can mark everyone as having a physiological risk of developing disease and so potentially a target of preventive medications. Pharmaceuticals are being used to combat what have previously been viewed as normal biological processes of deterioration, and are used to enhance functioning beyond the normal.
Atheism
Authors: Michel Patrick
Published: May 2019

An atheist is one who does not believe in the existence of God or who denies God's existence. The difficulty of defining atheism results from the whole range of nuances that the concept appears to subsume. Whether it results from active denial or whether it derives from a real or supposed vacuum, whether it is therefore “positive” or “negative,” atheism is fundamentally conceived as unbelief. But this only renders the problem more complex: How can one devise a history or a sociology of the “negative”? If atheism, placed as it is under the sign of privacy, is nothing more than the other side of belief, only the latter can be a positive concept. Atheism is thus an integral part of a system organized around a central reference to a religion which exhausts the concept of belief. Ultimately, any sociology of atheism is a sociology of religion.
Digital
Authors: Goode Luke
Published: May 2019

In the early twenty‐first century, digital technologies became increasingly pervasive but also infrastructural. Now deeply embedded in the workings of contemporary society, they are implicated in various social transformations, from micro to macro levels. This entry highlights five layers of digital transformation. First, it considers technologies of
selfhood
reshaping norms of self‐expression and identity formation and disrupting the spatiotemporal contours of everyday life. Second, it considers the transformation of social
connections
(and fissures) in the digital age, from new forms of political activism and antagonism to communicative shifts within bonds of friendship and intimacy. Third, it considers new forms of nonhuman
agency
, from algorithms to robots. Next, it discusses digital
environments
, from self‐contained virtual realities to the digital augmentations of physical – including urban and domestic – space. Finally, it acknowledges issues of digital
power
raised by these shifts: new concentrations of economic and social power exercised by digital corporations lead to controversies surrounding governance and future directions for digital capitalism.
Family Structure and Poverty in the United States
Authors: Lichter Daniel T.
Published: May 2019

US households have become increasingly complex as a result of declines in marriage, increasing cohabitation, high rates of divorce and remarriage, and growing shares of nonmarital births. Changes in family structure have placed women and children at greater risk of poverty. Research on changing family structure and poverty has a long history of research tradition, dating back to the Moynihan Report of the 1960s, when black families were characterized as a “tangle of pathology.” Today, the debate about the role of changing role of family structure often centers on government policies, including welfare reform and healthy marriage initiatives, which view marriage as an economic panacea. The interpretative problems, which are examined here, typically center on whether poverty is a cause or consequence of changes in US family patterns. The research suggests alternative theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of families as an important axis of economic differentiation during the current period of growing inequality in earnings and family income.
Facebook
Authors: Murthy Dhiraj
Published: May 2019

Facebook is an online social networking site, which as of spring 2018 had over 1.45 billion daily active users and 2.2 billion monthly active users, built over 14 years. It is the most popular social media site in the United States. The platform aims to foster interactions between “friends” through updates, sharing content, and playing games together. Facebook has become a household name, not only because of its ubiquity, but also its prominent use/notoriety in social movements (including the Arab Spring in 2011), elections (e.g., the 2016 US presidential election and allegations of Russian interference), disasters (e.g., Facebook's use in volunteer rescues during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and citizen reporting (e.g., Philando Castile's killing on Facebook Live). Though Facebook initially began as a social network for college students, it has become ubiquitous among diverse demographic groups both in developed and developing countries. This growth is not without issue, however. The platform's high level of knowledge of users has made it a tempting target. In 2018, Facebook made world headlines as it became known that 50 million personal profiles were harvested and sold to Cambridge Analytica, leading to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg testifying for US Senate and House hearings.
Life‐Course Perspective
Authors: Mortimer Jeylan
Published: May 2019

The life‐course paradigm can be characterized as the study of changing individual lives within shifting societal structures. That is, human beings and societies change in tandem, mutually affecting one another through historical time. The life‐course conceptual framework encompasses all stages of human life from birth to death and is increasingly extending to multigenerational influences. It draws on Glen Elder's principles (time and place, linked lives, timing, life span development, agency, turning points) and utilizes both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Life‐course scholarship has traditionally focused on historically variable stages of life, the normative structuring of institutional trajectories of family, education, and work careers, and their implications for individual health and well‐being. Recent attention focuses on increasing social inequality and life‐course differentiation. With its recent institutionalization in two handbooks, an interdisciplinary and international society, and a journal, the life‐course perspective has come to permeate the social sciences.
Maternalism
Authors: Cummins Emily R.
Published: May 2019

Scholars often locate the origins of maternalism in the work of Progressive‐era feminists, generally more privileged white women, who sought to extend the values associated with motherhood beyond the home and into social and political arenas. Early reformers looked to discourses of maternalism to promote politics that supported women and children. This form of maternalism emphasized gender differences and it was through these differences that women entered the political sphere. Maternalism is also sometimes used to describe the work of women in civic and philanthropic organizations. At a time when their political participation was limited, philanthropic organizations provided women, particularly white, upper‐class women, with an outlet for participation in wider society. This charity work provided women a limited amount of public influence while also providing much needed services for low‐income women and children. One of the most important areas of examination for feminist historians has been the ways in which the development of the welfare state and policies of public aid and assistance have been highly gendered. Early maternalist activists played an important role in the early construction of the welfare state by emphasizing child and maternal welfare in particular.
O
gburn,
W
illiam
F.
(1886–1959)
Authors: Volti Rudi
Published: May 2019

William F. Ogburn was an American sociologist who over his five‐decade academic career wrote on a variety of topics. He is best known for the concept of cultural lag, which was formulated in his book
Social Change with Respect to Culture and Original Nature
. This entry discusses Ogburn's approach to sociology and sociological methodology, with particular attention paid to the concept of cultural lag and the criticisms to which it has been subjected.
Public Realm
Authors: Hutter Mark
Published: May 2019

Taking issue with the view of cities as disorganized and anomic, there are areas of the city such as the downtown or central business districts where strangers interact without incident governed by underlying rules of interaction in the public realm and the urban world of strangers. Tolerance and anonymity are essential to the preservation of social order among strangers.

Public spaces, especially plazas and parks, promote the overall well‐being of the citizenry, civic involvement, and patterns of community and city identification. Cities have seen the gradual disappearance of public venues because of people's withdrawal into the perceived sanctity of their own homes and communities, economic forces that usurp public spaces for their own economic benefit, and the symbolic economy that seeks to transform parks and plazas through privatization and conversion into exclusionary sites.
Popular Culture Forms: Reality TV
Authors: Hill Annette
Published: May 2019

Reality TV is a container for a range of diverse programs, series, formats, and events in which elements of documentary, talent shows, gameshows, talkshows, soap operas, melodramas, and sports mix together to produce subgenres. Reality TV can be broadly defined into two intergeneric spaces that draw on various subvariants of other genres across fact, drama, and entertainment; these definitions include the “world space” of reality TV set in real‐world locations, and the “television space” of reality TV set in artificially constructed environments. Reality TV is an example of screen culture's ability to cannibalize itself in order to survive in a commercially uncertain media environment. It is both a broad generic phenomenon that makes a mark as popular entertainment and individual series and formats that have phenomenal moments that grab audience/user attention. At this moment in time reality TV is also a fading phenomenon. The elements that have made it part of a cultural zeitgeist are now tired and repetitive. It is a challenge for reality TV to refresh itself with new formats and series that give it cultural resonance with audiences and publics.
Shintoism
Authors: Nakano Tsuyoshi
Published: May 2019

Shinto literally means the way to worship gods and is generally considered as the indigenous Japanese religion that was developed before Buddhism was introduced into ancient Japan in the sixth century. The term was coined by the combination of two words from Chinese –shin, originally from the Chinese character for “divine beings” or gods (shen) andto, originally from “way” (tao). The rivalry with Buddhism was influential in the development of the Shinto tradition from the outset.
Sport as Catharsis
Authors: Sachs Michael L.
Published: May 2019

The word catharsis comes from the Greek
katharsis
or
katairein
, which means a cleansing or a purging. Catharsis essentially refers to a release or discharge or cleansing of emotions, generally with the purpose of relieving the stress that develops from holding these emotions within the individual. We often refer to the cathartic nature of sport (and exercise), relieving stress or tension that might build up, or serving as a release for anger and hostility (that may be seen as acceptable on the playing field or in the arena).
Sport and Social Class
Authors: Tomlinson Alan
Published: May 2019

The entry shows the influence of social class, as an economic relationship widely associated with wealth and occupation, upon forms of sport. It focuses in particular upon participation, but also looks at the historical manifestation of class and status differences in historical contexts such as the Colosseum in ancient Rome, and the formative phase of the growth of modern sports in industrializing Britain. Neo‐Marxist scholarship and the work of Bourdieu are used to discuss class‐influenced habitus and cultural reproduction in sport cultures, and the patterns of class‐based participation in contemporary England are summarized. In conclusion, and with reference to studies in Norway, Finland, and Canada, it is argued that class habitus and cultural capital continue to be major determinants of everyday practices and cultural institutions such as sport.
Text/Hypertext
Authors: Ulmer Gregory L.
Published: May 2019

The history of hypertext as concept, theory, and practice, including the inventions leading to the creation of the Internet as well as early literary experiments, developed concurrently with the transformation of the theory and practice of “text” in continental (French) New Wave poetics. Thus, hypertext manifests assemblage metaphysics across the three dimensions of the digital apparatus (electracy): the nodes and links of networked technologies; collage‐montage of aesthetic forms; reader responsibility for construction of meaning. Apparatus invention includes identity behaviors as well as formal and technical innovations. The inventive potential of hypertext is evident in the global syncretism of fan consumerism manifested in the popularity of Japanese anime as transmedia creative platforms, opening a new dimension of virtual experience in social media.
Enhanced gravity particle classifier: Experiments with 3D printed device and computational fluid dynamics simulations
Authors: Pukkella Arjun Kumar , Vysyaraju Raviraju , Subramanian Sivakumar
Published: May 2019

Centrifugal force developed in a fluid flow through closed spiral channel produces enhanced gravity environment to facilitate particle classification. The novel design is inspired by open channel spiral concentrators that are used in mineral processing industries. The concept is initially validated through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. Preferential movement of coarser particles, which experience greater centrifugal force, to the outer periphery was observed. These predictions are validated by conducting experiments on a 3D printed spiral classifier. The CFD simulations compared well with observed experimental separation function. The model was further used to conduct parametric study of various design and operational parameters. Simulations reveal that the cut‐size could change from 8 μm to 260 μm depending on the splitter position. The novel device will allow a direct and online control of cut size/density when suitably enhanced with required mechanisms.
Platelet function tests predict bleeding in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and thrombocytopenia
Authors: Just Vinholt Pernille , Højrup Knudsen Gustav , Sperling Signe , Frederiksen Henrik , Nielsen Christian
Published: May 2019

Bleeding is frequent among patients with thrombocytopenia. We studied whether in vitro platelet function predicts future bleeding in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and thrombocytopenia. Adult AML patients with platelet count <5.0 × 1010/L were included. Detailed bleeding history and blood samples were collected at inclusion and every 7 days. We analyzed hematology and coagulation parameters. With flow cytometry we evaluated platelet activation (activated GPIIb/IIIa, P‐selectin, and CD63 expression), and platelet aggregation. Agonists were thrombin‐receptor activating peptide (TRAP) and collagen‐related peptide (CRP‐XL). During 18 months, sixty participants were enrolled and followed for a total of 114 weeks. Bleeding occurred in 52 weeks, and was not associated with clinical, hematology or coagulation parameters. Predictors of bleeding were assessed using multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for platelet count, sex, and age. Bleeding history and receiver operating curves were compared using c‐index. Reduced TRAP‐induced platelet aggregation had Odds ratio 3.00 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.38‐6.60). Reduced CRP‐XL‐induced platelet aggregation had Odds ratio 4.00 (95%‐CI 1.70‐9.20) for bleeding. Overall, C‐index was 0.71 for the models including platelet aggregation results, 0.72 for activated GPIIb/IIIa‐positive platelets after stimulation with TRAP, 0.68 for percent P‐selectin positive platelets with TRAP and 0.63 for the platelet count. Among patients receiving no platelet transfusion, C‐index was 0.83–0.91 for bleeding; highest for models using platelet aggregation. Change in platelet aggregation did not correlate with the number of platelet concentrates administered. In conclusion, platelet aggregation and platelet activation results predict bleeding better than platelet count alone, among AML patients with thrombocytopenia.
Aggressive T‐cell lymphomas: 2019 updates on diagnosis, risk stratification, and management
Authors: Zain Jasmine M.
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Aggressive T‐cell lymphomas continue to have a poor prognosis. There are over 27 different subtypes of peripheral T‐cell lymphoma (PTCL) and we are now beginning to understand the differences between the various subtypes beyond histologic variations.

Molecular pathogenesis of various subtypes of PTCL

Gene expression profiling can help in diagnosis and prognostication of various subtypes including PTCL‐nos and anaplastic large cell lymphoma. In addition, mutational analysis is now being incorporated in clinical trials of novel agents to evaluate various biomarkers of response to allow better therapeutic choices for patients.

Targeted therapies

There are many targeted agents currently in various stages of clinical trials for PTCL that take advantage of the differential expression of specific proteins or receptors in PTCL tumors. The most promising is the CD30 directed antibody drug conjugate brentuximab vedotin. This has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the upfront treatment of CD30 expressing PTCLs in combination with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and prednisone chemotherapy. Other notable targets are CD25, CCR4 tag, PI3kinase inhibitors, and JAK/STAT inhibitors. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors are promising for ALK expressing tumors.

Immunotherapies

The use of checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of PTCL is still controversial. The most promising results have been seen in cases of extranodal natural killer cell/T‐cell lymphomas and cutaneous T‐cell lymphomas. For all other subtypes, immune checkpoint inhibitors should be used with extreme caution and only in the context of a clinical trial. Allogeneic stem cell transplant continues to be the curative therapy for most aggressive subtypes of PTCL.
Incontinentia pigmenti in adults
Authors: Scheuerle Angela E.
Published: May 2019

Incontinentia Pigmenti (IP; MIM 308300) is an X‐linked dominant genodermatosis caused by pathogenic variant in IKBKG. The phenotype in adults is poorly described compared to that in children. Questionnaire survey of 99 affected women showed an age at diagnosis from newborn to 41 years, with 53 diagnosed by 6 months of age and 30 as adults. Stage I, II, and III lesions persisted in 16%, 17%, and 71%, respectively, of those who had ever had them. IP is allelic to two forms of ectodermal dysplasia. Many survey respondents reported hypohidrosis and/or heat intolerance and most had Stage IV findings. This suggests that “Stage IV” may be congenitally dysplastic skin that becomes more noticeable with maturity. Fifty‐one had dentures or implants with 26 having more invasive jaw or dental surgery. Half had wiry or uncombable hair. Seventy‐three reported abnormal nails with 27 having long‐term problems. Cataracts and retinal detachment were the reported causes of vision loss. Four had microphthalmia. Respondents without genetic confirmation of IP volunteered information suggesting more involved phenotype or possibly misassigned diagnosis. Ascertainment bias likely accounts for the low prevalence of neurocognitive problems in the respondents.
Quantum Tunneling Mediated Interfacial Synthesis of a Benzofuran Derivative
Authors: Paintner Tobias , Björk Jonas , Du Ping , Klyatskaya Svetlana , Paszkiewicz Mateusz , Hellwig Raphael , Uphoff Martin , Öner Murat A. , Cuniberto Edoardo , Deimel Peter S. , Zhang Yi‐Qi , Palma Carlos‐Andres , Allegretti Francesco , Ruben Mario , Barth Johannes V. , Klappenberger Florian
Published: May 2019

Reaction pathways involving quantum tunneling of protons are fundamental to chemistry and biology. They are responsible for essential aspects of interstellar synthesis, the degradation and isomerization of compounds, enzymatic activity, and protein dynamics. On‐surface conditions have been demonstrated to open alternative routes for organic synthesis, often with intricate transformations not accessible in solution. Here, we investigate a hydroalkoxylation reaction of a molecular species adsorbed on a Ag(111) surface by scanning tunneling microscopy complemented by X‐ray electron spectroscopy and density functional theory. The closure of the furan ring proceeds at low temperature (down to 150 K) and without detectable side reactions. We unravel a proton‐tunneling‐mediated pathway theoretically and confirm experimentally its dominant contribution through the kinetic isotope effect with the deuterated derivative.
Biocompatible shape‐memory poly(vinyl chloride) with a tunable switching temperature via a plasticization effect
Authors: Zheng Yu , Yin Min , Yang Xue , Li Ying , Shen Jiabin , Guo Shaoyun
Published: May 2019

Biocompatible shape‐memory poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with a tunable switching temperature (Ts) was fabricated via the incorporation of an environmentally friendly plasticizer of 1,2‐cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid diisononyl (DINCH). It was revealed that both of the shape‐memory effect (SME) and Ts were significantly influenced by the plasticization effect. With the addition of DINCH, the shape‐fixing ratio (Rf) showed a slight reduction, whereas the shape‐recovering ratio (Rr) was greatly enhanced, and Ts was decreased from 90 to 47 °C. PVC with 40 phr plasticizer realized an excellent SME with an Rf of 97.0% and a Rr of 90.1%; this resulted from the formation of an efficient shape‐memory network via the physical crosslinking of the amorphous chains with crystals and rigid chain entanglements. In addition, the blood compatibility of the DINCH‐plasticized PVC was evaluated, and the results indicate that it was of great potential for biomedical applications. Therefore, in this study, we successfully developed a new shape‐memory polymer and provided a promising strategy for achieving SME with tunable Ts. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47992.
Marine Spongia collagens: Protein characterization and evaluation of hydrogel films
Authors: Ghosh Arun , Grosvenor Anita J. , Dyer Jolon M.
Published: May 2019

Fibrous proteins such as collagens are important raw materials for the production of new bio‐based or biomimetic materials. A rich source of collagen is found in the extracellular skeletal matrix of marine or sea sponges, an anatomically simple animal species. This abundant source of collagens was explored for its potential to create a hydrogel suitable as a biomaterial for drug delivery and tissue engineering. Collagen proteins were extracted from the skeletons of hard and soft species of sponges from the Spongia genus. The protein profile, amino acid composition, and partial sequences of the extracted proteins were determined, and the protein extracts were fabricated with chitosan and organic cross‐linkers to create hydrogel films. The amino acid compositions and sequences of Spongia collagens are similar to collagens obtained from other species. Spongia collagens are hydrophilic and mechanically fragile. Blending these with chitosan and the organic crosslinkers, genipin and glyceraldehyde, formed blended films with improved mechanical performance and structural integrity and improved stress–strain and water swelling characteristics. These material properties show the potential of the films to be used as hydrogel biomaterials in medical applications. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47996.
Gastrointestinal dysfunction in patients and mice expressing the autism‐associated R451C mutation in neuroligin‐3
Authors: Hosie Suzanne , Ellis Melina , Swaminathan Mathusi , Ramalhosa Fatima , Seger Gracia O. , Balasuriya Gayathri K. , Gillberg Christopher , Råstam Maria , Churilov Leonid , McKeown Sonja J. , Yalcinkaya Nalzi , Urvil Petri , Savidge Tor , Bell Carolyn A. , Bodin Oonagh , Wood Jen , Franks Ashley E. , Bornstein Joel C. , Hill‐Yardin Elisa L.
Published: May 2019

Gastrointestinal (GI) problems constitute an important comorbidity in many patients with autism. Multiple mutations in the neuroligin family of synaptic adhesion molecules are implicated in autism, however whether they are expressed and impact GI function via changes in the enteric nervous system is unknown. We report the GI symptoms of two brothers with autism and an R451C mutation in Nlgn3 encoding the synaptic adhesion protein, neuroligin‐3. We confirm the presence of an array of synaptic genes in the murine GI tract and investigate the impact of impaired synaptic protein expression in mice carrying the human neuroligin‐3 R451C missense mutation (NL3R451C). Assessing in vivo gut dysfunction, we report faster small intestinal transit in NL3R451C compared to wild‐type mice. Using an ex vivo colonic motility assay, we show increased sensitivity to GABAA receptor modulation in NL3R451C mice, a well‐established Central Nervous System (CNS) feature associated with this mutation. We further show increased numbers of small intestine myenteric neurons in NL3R451C mice. Although we observed altered sensitivity to GABAA receptor modulators in the colon, there was no change in colonic neuronal numbers including the number of GABA‐immunoreactive myenteric neurons. We further identified altered fecal microbial communities in NL3R451C mice. These results suggest that the R451C mutation affects small intestinal and colonic function and alter neuronal numbers in the small intestine as well as impact fecal microbes. Our findings identify a novel GI phenotype associated with the R451C mutation and highlight NL3R451C mice as a useful preclinical model of GI dysfunction in autism. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1043–1056. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

People with autism commonly experience gastrointestinal problems, however the cause is unknown. We report gut symptoms in patients with the autism‐associated R451C mutation encoding the neuroligin‐3 protein. We show that many of the genes implicated in autism are expressed in mouse gut. The neuroligin‐3 R451C mutation alters the enteric nervous system, causes gastrointestinal dysfunction, and disrupts gut microbe populations in mice. Gut dysfunction in autism could be due to mutations that affect neuronal communication.
Transcatheter closure of residual patent ductus arteriosus
Authors: El‐Saiedi Sonia Ali , Elshedoudy Sahar Abdulla , El‐Sisi Ammal Mahmoud , Hanna Baher Matta , Fattouh Aya Mohammed , Hijazi Ziyad
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Residual patent ductus arteriosus (rPDAs) can occur following surgical or transcatheter treatment, and are indicated for closure because of the risks of infective endarteritis and hemolysis in addition to the hemodynamic effect of the residual left‐to‐right shunt.

Methods

This retrospective descriptive study describes our experience at two Egyptian centers (Cairo University Children's Hospital & Tanta University Hospital) with transcatheter treatment of rPDAs, from January 2009 to October 2017.

Results

Twenty cases were treated: 17/20 postsurgical and 3/20 post‐transcatheter, at a mean period of 13.4 ± 9.3 months from the initial procedure. The median rPDA size was 2 mm (range2–3.5 mm). Most common ductal anatomy was the conical shape. All rPDAs were successfully closed with either coils (13/20) or devices (6/20), except one case where the residual flow was within the device mesh material. Coils could be deployed from the antegrade or the retrograde approaches although the latter was associated with a higher incidence of late shunt occlusion. One case with a malpositioned device required simultaneous device and LPA stent deployment.

Conclusion

Transcatheter closure of rPDAs is feasible in most cases, but may be technically challenging.
Ischemic lesions in all territories as a marker of malignant hypercoagulability
Authors: Simonsen Claus Z. , Roth Eske , Leslie‐Mazwi Thabele M
Published: May 2019

Hypercoagulability due to cancer is an overlooked cause of stroke and presents with a typical MRI pattern, that is small embolic strokes in several vascular territories.
Rational Construction of an Exceptionally Stable MOF Catalyst with Metal‐Adeninate Vertices toward CO2 Cycloaddition under Mild and Cocatalyst‐Free Conditions
Authors: He Hongming , Zhu Qian‐Qian , Zhao Jia‐Nan , Sun Hongming , Chen Jing , Li Cheng‐Peng , Du Miao
Published: May 2019

CO2 is considered as the primary greenhouse gas, resulting in a series of serious environmental problems that affect people's life and health. Carbon capture and sequestration has been implemented as one of the most appealing pathways to control and use CO2. Here, we rationally integrate various functional sites within the confined nanospace of a microporous metal–organic framework (MOF) material, which is constructed by mixed‐ligand strategy based on metal‐adeninate vertices. It not only exhibits excellent stability but also can efficiently transform CO2 and epoxides to cyclic carbonates under mild and cocatalyst‐free conditions. Additionally, this catalyst shows extraordinary recyclability for the CO2 cycloaddition reaction.
Efficacy of anti‐immunoglobulin E therapy in patients with prurigo: A pilot study
Authors: Ugajin Tsukasa , Yokozeki Hiroo
Published: May 2019

Objectives

Chronic prurigo is a reactive skin disease marked by multiple pruriginous lesions such as papules, nodules, and erythema. We previously showed that basophil infiltration into the pruriginous lesions and basophil activation in blood are frequently observed. Therefore, basophils may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic prurigo. In this study, we examined the efficacy of anti‐immunoglobulin E (IgE) therapy with omalizumab, which blocks basophil activation, in patients with prurigo.

Methods

Seven patients with chronic prurigo (prurigo chronica multiformis [PCM]: five patients; prurigo nodularis [PN]: two patients) and one patient with prurigo subacuta (PS) were enrolled. The infiltration of basophils into skin lesions was assessed by immunohistochemical analyses using a monoclonal antibody. All patients were treated three times with 300 mg omalizumab every 4 weeks, regardless of serum levels of total IgE. Skin symptoms were assessed using our unique skin scores before and after treatment with omalizumab. The efficacy of the treatment was determined according to the reduction ratio of skin scores as follows: high (ratio > 70%), moderate (70% ≥ ratio > 40%), mild (40% ≥ ratio > 10%), or none (10% ≥ ratio).

Results

All five patients with PCM were improved: The efficacy was high for three patients, moderate for one patient, and mild for one patient. In addition, the pruriginous lesions were improved mildly in the patient with PS, but not in those with PN.

Conclusions

Anti‐IgE antibody therapy with omalizumab may be effective for PCM but not for the other types of chronic prurigo.
Experimental Methods in Chemical Engineering: Discrete Element Method—DEM
Authors: Blais Bruno , Vidal David , Bertrand Francois , Patience Gregory S. , Chaouki Jamal
Published: May 2019

The discrete element method (DEM) is a time‐driven simulation technique based on a Lagrangian description of particle motion that predicts the flow of granular matter and fine powders in conveying, mixing, drying, and heterogeneous gas‐(liquid)‐solids reactors. Powders flowing out of bins form bridges, they segregate in suboptimal pharmaceutical v‐blenders, and a stream may split into large gulf streams as they enter fluidized bed reactors from standpipes and diplegs. To reduce the uncertainty in scaling up these and other powder process unit operations, researchers apply DEM. It integrates Newton's second law (acceleration equals the sum of the forces) for each particle and models contacts between the particles with springs and dashpots (dampers). It is computationally intensive since it calculates the trajectory of all particles. The availability of open source codes, commercial software, and parallel computer architectures has accelerated its adoption in pharmaceutical, agro‐industrial, and mineral processes, and geophysics. The accuracy of DEM models depends on how well researchers calibrate the contact model expressions and their parameters: friction coefficients and the coefficient of restitution. Systems exceeding 1 × 108 particles can require weeks of computational time on large computer clusters. Current research targets non‐spherical particle interactions and multiphysics problems including heat transfer, mass transfer, and chemical reactions within the particles. The field has grown to 750 indexed articles in WoS in 2017. A bibliographic analysis recognized four research clusters: granular materials, behaviour, particle shape, and deformation; flows, fluidized beds, and computational fluid dynamics; particles, impact, and validation; and granular flow, dynamics, and segregation.
Effects of Solid Organic Wastes on Soil Particulate Organic Carbon Structure Under Different Water Conditions
Authors: Qu Xiaojing , Wu Jinggui , Zhao Jinghong , Li Jianming , Hu Juan , Yaa Opoku‐Kwanowaa
Published: May 2019

In searching for the optimum method for amelioration of solid organic waste by remedying black soil and tackling rainfall changes, effects of water conditions and solid organic wastes are studied on particulate organic carbon (POC) structure by 13C‐NMR spectroscopic analysis in a 3‐year split‐plot experiment. Experimental plots are under natural rainfall, water deficit, and excess water with single chemical fertilizer, cow manure, chicken manure, crop, or plant residue treatments. The results reveal that solid organic wastes have the potential to improve POC stability. Under natural rainfall conditions, the degressive order by the POC stability is plant residue, crop residue, cow manure, and then chicken manure; under water deficit, it is plant residue, crop residue, chicken manure, and then cow manure; under excess water conditions, it is plant residue, cow manure, chicken manure, and then crop residue. The interchange between aromatic carbon and alkyl or alkoxy carbon gives a remarkable reflection of the effect of water on POC structure. The plant residue increases the aromatic carbon at rates of 4.6, 6.4, and 9.3% under natural rainfall, water deficit, and excess water conditions, respectively. Studying the three water conditions, it could be shown that under a water deficit or excess water condition, both chicken manure and crop residues are unfavorable to POC stability; cow manure is conducive to POC stability only under excess water condition. Leaves, therefore, serve as the optimum amelioration material.
Oxygen‐Deficient NiFe2O4 Spinel Nanoparticles as an Enhanced Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Lim Dongwook , Kong Hyungseok , Kim Namil , Lim Chaewon , Ahn Wha‐Seung , Baeck Sung‐Hyeon
Published: May 2019

Herein, mesoporous NiFe2O4 spinel nanoparticles with abundant oxygen vacancies are successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method followed by mild H2 reduction and used as catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction. Compared with the pristine and air‐treated NiFe2O4, the H2‐treated NiFe2O4 shows a much lower overpotential of 389 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. The H2‐treated NiFe2O4 also indicates substantial long‐term stability even after 1000 cyclic tests. This outstanding electrochemical activity and stability can be attributed to the improved physicochemical properties by H2 treatment: small nanoparticles with well‐developed mesoporous structures, a high ratio of Ni2+/Ni3+ cations, and abundant oxygen vacancies. These properties can significantly improve charge transfer kinetics and increase the number of active sites on the catalyst. The results demonstrate that this facile fabrication method is a promising route for developing cost‐effective and high‐performance catalysts to be used in electrochemical applications.
Data‐driven exploratory approach on player valuation in football transfer market
Authors: Kim Yunhu , Bui Khac‐Hoai Nam , Jung Jason J.
Published: May 2019

Transfer markets in football have attracted the interest of researchers in economy and management. In this paper, we propose a high level analysis approach for classifying player valuation based on their performance during recent seasons. In particular, several data analysis techniques such as regression analysis, feature selection, and cluster analysis are presented for classifying players in term of performances and transfer fee. Specifically, by collecting and analyzing data from Wholescored, the largest detailed football statistics website, we have defined players into four groups, which include (1) Low performance and low transfer fee (LPLF), (2) Low performance and high transfer fee (LPHF), (3) high performance and high transfer fee (HPHF), and (4) high performance and low transfer fee (HPLF). The results in the implementation section show that, with the differences positions, there are different required skills that affect to the performance of players. We expect that this study can contribute to the management of Football Teams in terms of integrating these analyses into their management strategy.
From Light Absorption to Cyclization: Structure and Solvent Effects in Donor‐Acceptor Stenhouse Adducts
Authors: García‐Iriepa Cristina , Marazzi Marco , Sampedro Diego
Published: May 2019

Donor‐acceptor Stenhouse adducts (DASAs) have emerged in the last years as novel reversible photoswitches characterized by the light‐induced interconversion between a linear open‐chain isomer and a compact closed‐ring isomer. Despite the considerable interest for potential applications (due to their changes in size, color and polarity), several steps of the photoswitching mechanism are still not completely understood, hence limiting the rational design of these compounds. Herein we propose a complete computational study of the switching mechanism by means of TD‐DFT and CASPT2//CASSCF calculations. Special attention is paid to the excited state pathway, leading to a previously unknown general scenario with common features for different DASAs: After light absorption, a rotational energy barrier needs to be overcome in order to reach a conical intersection region with the ground state, whose topology and relative energy is investigated based on different solvents and acceptor moieties. Then, the evolution of the compounds in the ground state is considered by calculating different minima until the formation of the final closed form. Finally, the eventual reverse thermal path was also considered. We offer herein a complete mechanistic description which allows for an overall comparison with available experimental results.
Empirical Electronic Polarizabilities: Deviations from the Additivity Rule. II. Structures Exhibiting Ion Conductivity
Authors: Shannon Robert D. , Kabanova Natalia A. , Fischer Reinhard X.
Published: May 2019

Ion conductivity in minerals and compounds is associated with continuous migration paths and leads to negative total electronic polarizability deviations [Δ = (αobs−αcalc)/αobs)] up to 13%. Such deviations can be related to continuous migration paths determined in an earlier Voronoi–Dirichlet Partition (VDP) analysis of fast‐ion conductors, that is, compounds such as LiB3O5 with 1D conductivity, Li4SiO4 with 2D conductivity, and Li2SO4 with 3D conductivity. Using the Voronoi–Dirichlet (VD) method in this study, the migration paths and the dimensionality of many more compounds with negative polarizability deviations are identified. Continuous migration paths are found for the confirmed Li‐ion conductors LiFePO4 and Li3VO4 and for the potential Li‐ion conductors LiGeBO4, CsLiB6O10, Li2Ti3O7, LiMn0.8Fe0.17PO4, Li2NaPO4, and LiNaSO4. Similarly, continuous migration paths are found for the confirmed Na‐ion conductors Na4P2O7, Na2SO4, and Na6Mg(SO4)4, and for the potential Na‐ion conductors Na6Mg2(CO3)4SO4, Na2TiSiO5, NaPO3, Na3SO4F, Na6(SO4)2FCl, Na15(SO4)5F4Cl, Na21(SO4)7F6Cl, Na22K(CO3)2(SO4)9Cl, and Na2SeO4. Potassium migration paths are found for the confirmed ion conductors KVO3 and K2SO4. In contrast to the application of VD partitioning of cation conductors, VD partitioning of anion conductors leads to migration paths in (Zr,Y)O8 polyhedra in Zr0.894Y0.095Hf0.011O1.95 and (Gd,Hf)O6 and (Gd,Hf)O8 polyhedra in Gd2Hf2O7 where O2− ions are mobile.
Dynamic behaviour of alternating current arc discharge in a multi‐arc generator at atmospheric pressure
Authors: Lin Q.F. , Zhao Y.J. , Ni G.H. , Guo Q.J. , Li L. , Sui S.Y. , Xie H.B. , Duan W.X. , Meng Y.D.
Published: May 2019

In this letter, a multi‐arc generator with three high‐voltage electrodes and a common grounded one was developed for the purpose of obtaining large area and steady arc plasma at atmospheric pressure. Three typical discharge states were found in the multi‐arc generator: independent movement of three arc columns, confluence of two arc columns, and confluence of three arc columns. The three discharge states cyclically occur on the evolution of the arc discharge and their duration is influenced by the power dissipation and plasma working gas flow rate. With an increase of discharge power and a decrease of the gas flow rate, the duration of multiple arc confluence increases, which contributes to the suppression of the fluctuation amplitude of each arc. Frequency domain analysis of the arc voltage envelope shows that the frequency of arc fluctuation increases in the multi‐arc mode in the multi‐arc generator compared to that in the single arc mode.
Maternal Choline Supplementation Alters Basal Forebrain Cholinergic Neuron Gene Expression in the Ts65Dn Mouse Model of Down Syndrome
Authors: Kelley Christy M. , Ginsberg Stephen D. , Alldred Melissa J. , Strupp Barbara J. , Mufson Elliott J.
Published: May 2019

Down syndrome (DS), trisomy 21, is marked by intellectual disability and a premature aging profile including degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic neuron (BFCN) projection system, similar to Alzheimer's disease (AD). Although data indicate that perinatal maternal choline supplementation (MCS) alters the structure and function of these neurons in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS and AD (Ts), whether MCS affects the molecular profile of vulnerable BFCNs remains unknown. We investigated the genetic signature of BFCNs obtained from Ts and disomic (2N) offspring of Ts65Dn dams maintained on a MCS diet (Ts+, 2N+) or a choline normal diet (ND) from mating until weaning, then maintained on ND until 4.4–7.5 months of age. Brains were then collected and prepared for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry and laser capture microdissection followed by RNA extraction and custom‐designed microarray analysis. Findings revealed upregulation of select transcripts in classes of genes related to the cytoskeleton (Tubb4b), AD (Cav1), cell death (Bcl2), presynaptic (Syngr1), immediate early (Fosb, Arc), G protein signaling (Gabarap, Rgs10), and cholinergic neurotransmission (Chrnb3) in Ts compared to 2N mice, which were normalized with MCS. Moreover, significant downregulation was seen in select transcripts associated with the cytoskeleton (Dync1h1), intracellular signaling (Itpka, Gng3, andMlst8), and cell death (Ccng1) in Ts compared to 2N mice that was normalized with MCS. This study provides insight into genotype‐dependent differences and the effects of MCS at the molecular level within a key vulnerable cell type in DS and AD.
Growth of small GeO2 single crystals on a polyvinyl chloride substrate at room temperature using oversaturate aqueous solution
Authors: Kobayashi Kiyoshi , Suzuki Tohru S.
Published: May 2019

Small GeO2 single crystal was successfully grown on a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) substrate at room temperature in oversaturate aqueous solution. The oversaturated solution could be prepared at strong acid condition (pH 0) using distilled water, germanium oxide, dilute ammonia, and nitric acid. About 7 μm size of the GeO2 single crystals with quartz‐type structure was obtained by only keeping the PVC plate in the solution for about 10 days when appropriate concentration of the solution was used. The obtained GeO2 single crystals were confirmed to be constructed by {101} and {011} surfaces based on powder X‐ray diffraction pattern and particle morphology observed by scanning electron microscope.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and antidiabetes treatment characteristics among a large type 2 diabetes population in the United States
Authors: Weng Wayne , Tian Ye , Kong Sheldon X. , Ganguly Rahul , Hersloev Malene , Brett Jason , Hobbs Todd
Published: May 2019

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to assess atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) prevalence, antidiabetes medication usage and physician specialty encounters among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the United States during 2015.

Design

Retrospective, cross‐sectional analysis.

Patients

Adults with T2DM in a large US administrative claims database. Patients were divided into ASCVD and non‐ASCVD groups. Subgroup analyses were conducted for three age groups (18‐44, 45‐64 and 65+ years).

Results

Of 1 202 596 patients with T2DM, 45.2% had established ASCVD. About 40% of T2DM patients with ASCVD had visited a cardiologist during 2015, compared to 11% in the non‐ASCVD group. The use of glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RAs) and sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT‐2is) was low overall (<12%), and even lower in the ASCVD group (<9%). The prevalence of ASCVD was 15%, 36% and 71% in the 18‐44, 45‐64 and 65+ year age groups, respectively. GLP‐1RA and SGLT‐2i use was ≤5% in the 65+ subgroup, regardless of ASCVD status.

Conclusions

These real‐world data showed a high prevalence of ASCVD among T2DM patients, and confirmed, as a baseline assessment, low use of GLP‐1RAs and SGLT‐2is in these at‐risk patients prior to the 2017 American Diabetes Association guidelines recommending use of agents with proven cardiovascular benefits.
Photoredox Catalysis for Silyl‐Mediated C–H Alkylation of Heterocycles with Non‐Activated Alkyl Bromides
Authors: Perkins James J. , Schubert Jeffrey W. , Streckfuss Eric C. , Balsells Jaume , ElMarrouni Abdellatif
Published: May 2019

The development of a Minisci reaction of electron‐deficient heteroarenes with non‐activated alkyl bromides under visible‐light photoredox catalysis is disclosed. Optimization of the reaction led to identification of mild, general, and practical reaction conditions compatible with sensitive functional groups. The scope of this transformation allowed late‐stage functionalization of pharmaceutical products containing electron‐deficient heteroarenes in a parallel fashion.