bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutritional compositions of Indian Moringa oleifera seed and antioxidant activity of its polypeptides
Authors: Liang Lili , Wang Cong , Li Shaoguang , Chu Xuemei , Sun Kunlai
Published: April 2019

To study the nutritional composition of Indian Moringa oleifera seed and the antioxidant activity of M. oleifera seed polypeptide, Indian M. oleifera seed was used as raw material for composition analysis and content determination. After extraction of the seed protein, enzymatic hydrolysis with flavourzyme, dispase, papain, pepsin, and alcalase was conducted for different time, and the optimal enzymatic hydrolysis conditions was determined with DPPH scavenging capacity as an indicator. The seed polypeptides obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis were ultrafiltered, and the active peptide fragments were tracked with DPPH, HO (•OH), ABTS and superoxide anion (O2•−) free radical scavenging ability and lipid oxidation inhibition rate as indicators. The results showed that the protein content in Indian M. oleifera seed was high to 40.34%, containing seven essential amino acids. The content of macroelements such as potassium, sodium, and magnesium is high, with the potassium content as high as 2,357.71 mg/kg, among the microelements, the iron content as high as 36.2 mg/kg. The optimum enzymatic hydrolysis conditions were as follows: enzymatic hydrolysis with flavourzyme (50°C, pH 6.7) for 300 min, and DPPH scavenging capacity was 84.76%. Activity tracing found that the polypeptide fragment with molecular weight <3.5 kDa had the strongest antioxidant capacity, and the EC50 values of DPPH, •OH, ABTS, and O2•− free radical scavenging rates were 4.0, 4.2, 5.3, and 4.3 mg/ml, respectively. The above results show that Indian M. oleifera seed not only has high nutritional value, but its protease enzymatic hydrolyzate also has significant antioxidant activity, which can be further developed into nutrition products, healthcare products, functional foods, beauty and skin care products, liver protection drugs, etc.
Clinicopathological predictors of occult lateral neck lymph node metastasis in papillary thyroid cancer: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhan Shaohua , Luo Dan , Ge Wei , Zhang Bin , Wang Tianxiao
Published: April 2019

Background

This meta‐analysis aimed to identify the clinicopathological factors that could predict the risk of occult lateral neck lymph node metastasis (OLLNM) in N0/N1a papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

Methods

A literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, OvidSP, and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was performed using relevant keywords. Specific odds ratios and confidence intervals were calculated.

Results

The final analysis included 15 studies with a total of 5342 patients. OLLNM was found to be significantly associated with some clinicopathological features, including age <45 years, male sex, extrathyroidal extension, tumor location in the upper pole, tumor size >10 mm, positive central lymph node metastasis, number of central lymph node metastasis ≥3, and vascular invasion.

Conclusions

Fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) cytology or FNA‐Tg test might be an appropriate and reasonable intervention in the patients with N0/N1a PTC with an increased risk of OLLNM.
Serum Liver‐Type Fatty Acid–Binding Protein Is a Possible Prognostic Factor in Human Chronic Liver Diseases From Chronic Hepatitis to Liver Cirrhosis and Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Eguchi Akiko , Hasegawa Hiroshi , Iwasa Motoh , Tamai Yasuyuki , Ohata Keiichi , Oikawa Tsuyoshi , Sugaya Takeshi , Takei Yoshiyuki
Published: April 2019

Liver‐type fatty acid–binding protein (L‐FABP) is a key regulator of fatty acid metabolism, but serum L‐FABP levels are not well investigated in chronic liver diseases. We aimed to elucidate the prognostic ability of serum L‐FABP in human chronic liver diseases and compare it with the albumin‐bilirubin (ALBI) score. In 242 chronic liver disease patients, including chronic hepatitis (CH, n = 100), liver cirrhosis (LC, n = 142), and presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC, n = 144), serum L‐FABP levels were correlated with liver function (P < 0.0001), increased in LC compared with CH (P < 0.01), and correlated to ALBI score (P < 0.0001). Serum L‐FABP levels were increased in the presence of HCC (P < 0.0001), correlating to des‐gamma‐carboxy prothrombin (P < 0.0001), alpha‐fetoprotein (P = 0.009), and Barcelona‐Clinic Liver Cancer stage. In the average follow‐up period of 1,054 days, serum L‐FABP levels were elevated (P < 0.0001) in patients who eventually died. The area under the curve (AUC) of serum L‐FABP (0.764) was higher than that of ALB (0.709), and the patients with serum L‐FABP ≤ 6.8 ng/mL had significantly longer rates of survival (P < 0.0001). Serum L‐FABP (hazard ratio [HR] 4.0; P < 0.001), HCC (HR 3.7; P = 0.001), ALBI score (HR 2.7; P < 0.001), and age (HR 1.0; P = 0.049) were independent predictors of survival. In the subgroup who maintained liver function, the AUC of serum L‐FABP (0.751) was higher than that of ALB (0.643). In this subgroup, serum L‐FABP (HR 4.4; P = 0.002) and HCC (HR 13.9; P < 0.001) were independent predictors of survival. Conclusion: Serum L‐FABP is a possible predictor of survival in chronic liver diseases from CH to LC and HCC, including any subgroup that maintains liver function.
Characterization of spatial patterns of dental restorative nanocomposites
Authors: Ţălu Ştefan , Stach Sebastian , Lainović Tijana , Blažić Larisa
Published: April 2019

The aim of this study was to provide important insights into the effects of four different dental polishing protocols (one single‐step and one multi‐step either followed or not by diamond paste polishing) on the 3D surface morphology of two representative dental resin‐based nanocomposites (a nanofilled and a nanohybrid composite) by means of digital image analysis and processing techniques. The 3D surface morphology was investigated by atomic force microscopy. Segmentation, statistics of height distributions (described by statistical parameters, according to ISO 25178‐2: 2012) and Minkowski functionals were applied to the images to characterize the spatial patterns of analyzed samples at micrometer scale. The nanofilled composite had significantly lower values of height parameters in comparison with nanohybrid one. Multi‐step polishing protocol generated a statistically significant smoother finish for both tested materials, than one‐step polishing protocol, even when it was followed by diamond paste polishing. Diamond paste polishing generated a statistically significant smoother surface of tested samples. This suite of surface analysis tools is important in the research and manufacture of these dental resin‐based nanocomposites, where material surfaces have a key role in the functionality of objects.
Beyond bouncy gaits: The role of multiscale compliance in skeletal muscle performance
Authors: Holt Natalie C.
Published: April 2019

McNeill Alexander demonstrated that compliant tendons could improve locomotor performance by decoupling muscle length changes from joint movements and mechanical energy fluctuations. This was revolutionary for our understanding of animal locomotion, but also highlighted the limitations of our understanding of the contractile performance of muscle under the dynamic conditions relevant to movement. This review addresses the potential for biological compliance to not only alter the demands on muscle but also fundamentally change contractile performance. Compliance exists across all spatial scales within the muscle. Molecule scale compliance is observed in the thin filament and the cytoskeletal protein titin likely acts as an activation‐dependent variable‐stiffness spring. Larger scale connective tissue compliance is found not only in tendons but also the more structurally complex extracellular matrix and aponeuroses. The interaction of the compliance in these structures with the contractile elements of muscle, and the variation in this interaction across physiological conditions, appears to explain muscle phenomena central to locomotion but not readily explained by the crossbridge and sliding filament theories, such as history dependence, the energetics of cyclical contractions, the nonlinear effect of activation level on muscle performance and the effect of age on muscle and locomotor capacity.
Three‐photon‐resonance‐enhanced third‐harmonic generation for label‐free deep‐brain imaging: In search of a chemical contrast
Authors: Lanin Aleksandr A. , Chebotarev Artem S. , Pochechuev Matvey S. , Kelmanson Ilya V. , Fedotov Andrei B. , Belousov Vsevolod V. , Zheltikov Aleksei M.
Published: April 2019

Within the past decade, nonlinear Raman microscopy has earned a well‐deserved status of a gold‐standard technology for chemically selective imaging. Even though second‐ and third‐harmonic microscopy is much less demanding on a laser source and multifrequency beam arrangement, it is increasingly falling behind nonlinear Raman scattering as a method of bioimaging because it offers no mechanism whereby imaging could be made chemically specific. Here, we show, however, that such a mechanism does exist, helping harmonic‐generation microscopy overcome its no‐chemical‐specificity handicap. We demonstrate that, with the laser wavelength tuned to a three‐photon resonance with the Soret band of hemoglobin, third‐harmonic generation provides a chemically specific method for a high‐contrast imaging of red blood cells in a broad class of biological systems, including live brain. Moreover, third‐harmonic generation imaging can be conveniently combined with second‐harmonic microscopy on a compact laser platform, providing, as our experiments on rat brain show, a powerful resource for three‐dimensional, cell‐specific label‐free deep‐brain imaging.
Rapid electrophoretic monitoring of the anaesthetic ketamine and its metabolite norketamine in rat blood using a contactless conductivity detector to study the pharmacokinetics
Authors: Tůma Petr , Sommerová Blanka , Vaculín Šimon
Published: April 2019

A method of capillary electrophoresis with contactless conductivity detection has been developed for non‐enantioselective monitoring the anaesthetic ketamine and its main metabolite norketamine. The separation is performed in a 15 μm capillary with an overall length of 31.5 cm and length to detector of 18 cm; inner surface of the capillary is covered with a commercial coating solution to reduce the electroosmotic flow. In an optimised background electrolyte with composition 2 M acetic acid + 1% v/v coating solution under application of a high voltage of 30 kV, the migration time is 97.1 s for ketamine and 95.8 s for norketamine, with an electrophoretic resolution of 1.2. The attained detection limit was 83 ng/mL (0.3 μmol/L) for ketamine and 75 ng/mL (0.3 μmol/L) for norketamine; the number of theoretic plates for separation of an equimolar model mixture with a concentration of 2 μg/mL was 683 500 plates/m for ketamine and 695 400 plates/m for norketamine. Laboratory preparation of rat blood plasma is based on mixing 10 μL of plasma with 30 μL of acidified acetonitrile, followed by centrifugation. A pharmacokinetic study demonstrated an exponential decrease in the plasma concentration of ketamine after intravenous application and much slower kinetics for intraperitoneal application.
Automatic Tracking of Muscle Cross‐Sectional Area Using Convolutional Neural Networks with Ultrasound
Authors: Chen Xin , Xie Chenxi , Chen Zhewei , Li Qiaoliang
Published: April 2019

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to develop an automatic tracking method for the muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA) on ultrasound (US) images using a convolutional neural network (CNN). The performance of the proposed method was evaluated and compared with that of the state‐of‐the art muscle segmentation method.

Methods

A real‐time US image sequence was obtained from the rectus femoris muscle during voluntary contraction. A CNN was built to segment the rectus femoris muscle and calculate the CSA in each US frame. This network consisted of 2 stages: feature extraction and score map reconstruction. The training of the network was divided into 3 steps with output score map resolutions of one‐fourth, one‐half, and all of the original image. We evaluated the segmentation performance of our method with 5‐fold cross‐validation. The mean precision, recall, and dice similarity score were calculated.

Results

The mean precision, recall, and Dice's coefficient (DSC) ± SD were 0.936 ± 0.029, 0.882 ± 0.045, and 0.907 ± 0.023, respectively. Compared with the state‐of‐the‐art muscle segmentation method (constrained mutual‐information–based free‐form deformation), the proposed method using CNN showed high performance.

Conclusions

The automated method proposed in this study provides an accurate and efficient approach to the estimation of the muscle CSA during muscle contraction.
A Back‐to‐Base Experience of Human Normothermic Ex Situ Liver Perfusion: Does the Chill Kill?
Authors: Bral Mariusz , Dajani Khaled , Leon Izquierdo Dayne , Bigam David , Kneteman Norman , Ceresa Carlo D. L. , Friend Peter J. , Shapiro A. M. James
Published: April 2019

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) has been shown to protect livers from injury between procurement and transplantation in a randomized controlled trial, where the machine was transported to and from the donor center. The aim of this study was to determine whether an alternative, more practical back‐to‐base approach after initial static cold storage would compromise beneficial outcomes. Between February 2015 and June 2018, a nonrandomized pilot study was performed at a single site. Outcomes of back‐to‐base livers (n = 26) were compared with those of grafts procured locally that underwent immediate NMP (n = 17). The primary outcome measure (safety) was defined as 30‐day patient and graft survival. A total of 46 liver grafts were perfused with NMP, of which 3 were discarded based on poor ex situ perfusion function. The 30‐day patient and graft survival in the back‐to‐base and local NMP groups were both 100% (primary outcome: safety). Despite significantly prolonged mean cold ischemia time (6 versus 3.2 hours; P = 0.001), the back‐to‐base livers demonstrated no difference in graft function, incidence of complications, or graft and patient survival. In conclusion, the back‐to‐base approach was safe, did not compromise the overall benefit of NMP, and offers a practical alternative to portable normothermic ex situ machine transport.
Polymeric Lids for Microcontainers for Oral Protein Delivery
Authors: Mazzoni Chiara , Jacobsen Rasmus Due , Mortensen Jacob , Jørgensen Jacob Rune , Vaut Lukas , Jacobsen Jette , Gundlach Carsten , Müllertz Anette , Nielsen Line Hagner , Boisen Anja
Published: April 2019

Oral delivery of proteins and peptides is one of the main challenges in pharmaceutical drug development. Microdevices have the possibility to protect the therapeutics until release is desired, avoiding losses by degradation. One type of microdevice is polymeric microcontainers. In this study, lysozyme is chosen as model protein and loaded into microcontainers with the permeation enhancer sodium decanoate (C10). The loaded microcontainers are sealed and functionalized by applying polymeric lids onto the cavity of the devices. The first lid is poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic) acid (PLGA) and on top of this either polyethylene glycol (PEG) or chitosan is applied (PLGA+PEG or PLGA+chitosan, respectively). The functionalization is evaluated in vitro for morphology, drug release, and mucoadhesive properties. These are coupled with in vitro and ex vivo studies using Caco‐2 cells, Caco‐2/HT29‐MTX‐E12 co‐cultures, and porcine intestinal tissue. PLGA+chitosan shows slower release compared to PLGA+PEG or only PLGA in buffer and the transport of lysozyme across cell cultures is not enhanced compared to the bulk powder. Microcontainers coated with chitosan or PEG demonstrate a three times stronger adhesion during ex vivo mucoadhesion studies compared to samples without coatings. Altogether, functionalized microcontainers with mucoadhesive properties and tunable release for oral protein delivery are developed and characterized.
Association of statin use with Parkinson's disease: Dose–response relationship
Authors: Jeong Su‐Min , Jang Wooyoung , Shin Dong Wook
Published: April 2019

Background

There have been conflicting results on the association between statin use and Parkinson's disease (PD) incidence.

Objectives

This study investigated the association between time‐varying status of statin use and incidence of PD while considering the dose–response relationship and total cholesterol level.

Methods

Using the database of the Korean National Health Insurance Service from 2002 to 2015, we examined 76,043 subjects (≥60 years old) free of PD, dementia, and stroke at baseline. The dose of statin use was classified into the following four 6‐month categories (<180, 180‐365, 365‐540, and ≥540 days) for each 2‐year interval. The incidence of PD was identified by the prescription records for any anti‐PD medication with a diagnosis of PD.

Results

During 10 years of follow‐up, 1,427 PD cases occurred. Statin “ever use” was significantly associated with a high risk of PD incidence (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.28; 95% confidence interval = 1.12‐1.46) when compared with statin nonuse. In terms of a dose–response relationship, although a duration of statin use <365 days was associated with a higher risk of PD, the duration of statin use ≥365 days was not significantly associated with an increased risk of PD.

Conclusions

Statin use was associated with an elevated PD risk of PD, but long‐term and adherent statin use was not significantly associated with elevated PD risk. However, there was no evidence of benefit with any statin treatment related to PD risk. Our study suggests that there is a complex relationship among cholesterol level, statin use, and PD risk that warrants further studies. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Field urged to embrace the good work, continue fight for ongoing challenges
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: April 2019

NATCON, the annual conference convened by the National Council for Behavioral Health held last week in Nashville, Tennessee, marked dual milestones: a celebration of 50 years and the end of Linda Rosenberg's 15‐year tenure as president and CEO of the organization.
Report urges government to rethink outdated regulations on hospitals
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: April 2019

A number of regulations affecting inpatient psychiatric facilities achieve little to improve the quality of patient care and reflect conditions from a bygone era of inpatient treatment, states a report commissioned by the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH). Leaders in the psychiatric hospital community hope the report's conclusions will add momentum to regulatory reform at a time when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched an effort to reduce bureaucratic requirements.
Session looks at mitigating mass violence at community level
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: April 2019

Incidents of mass violence no doubt impact communities and present a number of challenges. Advanced planning, developing models of care and interagency cooperation are among some of the recommendations of mental health professionals who were involved in government‐appointed commissions following the tragedies in Columbine and Sandy Hook.
Rosenberg reflects on National Council's priorities, challenges
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: April 2019

In an interview earlier this month with Mental Health Weekly, Linda Rosenberg, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health, who is departing her position June 1 after 15 years, reflected on the National Council's achievements and priorities.
Comparison of the Effects of High‐Fat Diet on Energy Flux in Mice Using Two Multiplexed Metabolic Phenotyping Systems
Authors: Soto Jamie E. , Burnett Colin M. L. , Ten Eyck Patrick , Abel E. Dale , Grobe Justin L.
Published: April 2019

Objective

Multiplexed metabolic phenotyping systems are available from multiple commercial vendors, and each system includes unique design features. Although expert opinion supports strengths and weaknesses of each design, empirical data from carefully controlled studies to test the biological impact of design differences are lacking.

Methods

Wild‐type C57BL/6J mice of both sexes underwent phenotyping in OxyMax (Columbus Instruments International) and Promethion (Sable Systems International) systems located within the same room of a newly constructed animal research facility in a crossover design study. Phenotypes were examined under chow (2920×)‐fed conditions and again after 4 weeks of 60% high‐fat diet (D12492) feeding.

Results

Food intake, physical activity, and respiratory gas exchange data significantly diverged between systems, depending upon sex of animals and diet supplied. Estimates of energy expenditure based on gas exchange in both systems accounted for a fraction of consumed calories that was greater in males than females.

Conclusions

Design differences quantitatively impact the assessment of metabolic end points and thus the qualitative interpretation of various interventions. Importantly, current multiplexed systems remain blind to multiple additional end points, including digestive efficiency and selected forms of energy flux (nitrogenous, anaerobic, etc.), that account for a physiologically and/or pathophysiologically significant fraction of total energy flux.
Free‐volume structure of polyvinylpyrrolidone‐capped glassy As2Se3 nanocomposites prepared by mechanical milling
Authors: Shpotyuk Oleh , Ingram Adam , Bujňáková Zdenka , Baláž Peter , Shpotyuk Yaroslav , Slobodzyan Dmytro , Woźny Mariusz , Boussard‐Pledel Catherine , Bureau Bruno
Published: April 2019

The method of positron annihilation lifetime (PAL) spectroscopy was first employed to study atomic‐deficient free‐volume structure of nanocomposites prepared by high‐energy mechanical milling of glassy g‐As2Se3 in water solution of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The formalism of x3‐x2‐CDA (coupling decomposition algorithm) describing conversion of bound positron‐electron (positronium Ps) states into positron traps was applied to identify free‐volume elements in pelletized PVP‐capped g‐As2Se3 nanocomposite in respect to parent dry‐milled g‐As2Se3. Under wet milling, the internanoparticle Ps‐decaying sites in preferential PVP environment were shown to replace free‐volume positron traps in dry‐milled g‐As2Se3 with defect‐specific positron lifetime of 0.352 ns, corresponding to diatomic/triatomic vacancies in g‐As‐Se matrix. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:2438–2442, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Characterization of dual‐junction III‐V on Si tandem solar cells with 23.7% efficiency under low concentration
Authors: Veinberg‐Vidal Elias , Vauche Laura , Medjoubi Karim , Weick Clément , Besançon Claire , Garcia‐Linares Pablo , Datas Alejandro , Kaminski‐Cachopo Anne , Voarino Philippe , Mur Pierre , Decobert Jean , Dupré Cécilia
Published: April 2019

Monolithic two‐terminal III‐V on Si dual‐junction solar cells, designed for low concentration applications, were fabricated by means of surface‐activated direct wafer bonding. The III‐V top cell is a heterojunction formed by an n‐Ga0.5In0.5P emitter and a p‐Al0.2Ga0.8As base. An efficiency of 21.1 ± 1.5% at one sun and 23.7 ± 1.7% at 10 suns is demonstrated, which to our knowledge is the best dual‐junction two‐terminal III‐V on Si tandem cell efficiency reported to date under verified reference conditions. The I‐V characterization of these 1‐cm2 tandem cells under concentration required the development of a new method using a single‐source multiflash solar simulator and not perfectly matched component cells, also known as pseudo‐isotypes, formed by Si single‐junction cells and optical filters. In addition, the spectrum of the pulsed solar simulator was measured using a high‐speed CMOS spectrometer, allowing the calculation of the spectral mismatch correction factor. Merging these two techniques results in the hybrid corrected pseudo‐isotype (HCPI) characterization method, which shows a fast and accurate performance with a simplified procedure based on a single‐source solar simulator. Pseudo‐isotypes are easily adaptable to new cell designs by simply using a different filter, hence allowing the characterization of new multijunction solar cell architectures.
Nucleophilicity of cyclic conjugated silylenes using DFT method
Authors: Ayoubi‐Chianeh Mojgan , Kassaee Mohamad Z. , Ashenagar Samaneh , Cummings Peter T.
Published: April 2019

Assuming aromaticity (cyclic continuous conjugation, planarity, and obeying the Hückel 4n + 2 rule), nucleophilic (N), and electrophilic (ω) characters are anticipated to alternate for σ2 and π2 singlet 3‐, 5‐, 7, and 9‐membered silylenes, 1sσ2 (N?), 2sπ2 (ω?), 3sσ2 (N?), and 4sπ2 (ω?), respectively. Our calculations show silacyclopropenylidene (1sσ2) and silacyclopenta‐2,4‐dienylidene (2sπ2) as N and ω, respectively, for exhibiting all the above criteria, at B3LYP/6‐311++G**, B3LYP/6‐311++G(2df,2p), and M06/6‐311++G** levels of theory. Silacyclohepta‐2,4,6‐trienylidene (3sσ2) meets our prediction of being N, despite deviating from planarity. Contrary to our expectation, silacyclonona‐2,4,6,8‐tetraenylidene (4sπ2) not only does not turn out to be ω but also because of its intrinsic angle strain and boat‐like structure, turns out as the most N among singlet silylenes. In all cases, singlet silylenes appear as ground states, exhibiting more stability than their corresponding triplet states. In contrast to our previous report on the 3‐, 5‐, 7‐, and 9‐membered carbenes (Kassaee, et al, Tetrahedron, 1985), all the above singlet and triplet silylenes appear as minima on their energy surfaces. Besides, no allenic isomer is found as a minimum in the silylene series, and finally, 2sπ2 appears planar while its carbenic analog is nonplanar. Nucleophilicity for singlets increases as a function of the ring size 4s > 3s > 2s > 1s, and it decreases as the aromaticity increases. Our triplet silylenes show higher N than their corresponding singlet structures.
Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nitride Fluorescent Material Using Annealed Melamine
Authors: Wada Katsuya , Ohtani Naoki
Published: April 2019

Fluorescent carbon nitride (CN) thin films are fabricated by annealing melamine powder. Four kinds of fabrication methods are tested: (1) annealing melamine powder on glass substrate; (2) annealing spin‐coated melamine powder in acetic acid solution on glass substrate; (3) annealing melamine powder in a test tube and evaporating on a glass substrate; (4) spin‐coating annealed melamine powder in acetic acid and nitric acid solutions on glass substrates. As a result, method (1) produces fluorescent CN grains when the annealing temperature was over 400 °C. Photoluminescence (PL) peaking wavelength is redshifted with an increase of the annealing temperature. However, flat CN thin films cannot be produced. Method (2) cannot produce CN‐based thin films; only small particles are found on substrates. Method (3) can drastically improve the surface roughness and produce flat CN thin films. Finally, the method (4) demonstrates that the PL peaking wavelength is blue‐shifted by nitric acid. Fourier‐transform infrared (FT‐IR) observation suggests that the protons supplied from nitric acid connect with carbon atoms in carbonyl, generating aldehydes and changing the PL properties.
A case of pulmonary lymphoproliferative disorder presenting rapidly progressive respiratory failure
Authors: Fujita Kohei , Ishigami Kenjiro , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Moriyoshi Koki , Mio Tadashi
Published: April 2019

A 72‐year‐old woman presented with acute onset of shortness of breath and fatigue over several days, and was found to be in acute respiratory failure. Computed tomography of the chest revealed diffuse ground‐glass opacities, crazy‐paving, multiple nodules, and a large mass in the right lower lobe. She was diagnosed with B‐cell lymphoma and a pulmonary lymphoproliferative disorder (PLD). PLD is known to present with a variety of radiographic patterns. The course of PLD is usually one of slow progression, and acute respiratory failure is a rare presentation. Physicians should be aware that acute respiratory failure can be caused by PLD.
Lipase Immobilized Metal‐Organic Frameworks as Remarkably Biocatalyst for Ester Hydrolysis: A One Step Approach for Lipase Immobilization
Authors: Samui Arpita , Chowdhuri Angshuman Ray , Sahu Sumanta Kumar
Published: April 2019

Recently, development of smart materials for immobilization of enzyme draws a significant attention in frontier research due to their applications in a wide range of catalytic reactions in several industries. Although numerous supports have already been developed in the past years for enzyme immobilization, challenges still exist to design a material with superior enticing properties like green synthesis approach, high enzyme loading and efficient immobilization process. Here, we have reported an efficient method to immobilize Candida rugosa lipase (CRL) in Zn‐(NH2‐BDC) metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs) via physical adsorption. The main objective of this work is to develop a material for enzyme immobilization that can immobilize enzyme during the synthesis of support. Here, a single step procedure offers both the synthesis of support and enzyme immobilization process. After successful immobilization, it is observed from the systematic characterization that the CRL is loaded 280 mg/g of Zn‐(NH2‐BDC) MOFs during the crystal growth. The immobilized CRL demonstrates promising stability and catalytic activity in the ester hydrolysis. Most importantly, the immobilized CRL retains 79% of its initial activities after 10 times reuse. Our study highlights to develop an elegant material for effective enzyme immobilization.
Boron Nitride based Ternary Nanocomposites with Different Carbonaceous Materials Decorated by Polyaniline for Supercapacitor Application
Authors: Maity Chandan Kumar , Hatui Goutam , Sahoo Sumanta , Saren Pupulata , Nayak Ganesh Chandra
Published: April 2019

In this article, we have emphasized on the utilization of hexagonal BN (a 2D material) for supercapacitor application in combination with various carbonaceous materials (GO, RGO, CNT) and polyaniline (PANI). The formation of composite as well as interaction between the individual components in the ternary composites was confirmed by UV, FTIR, and XRD analysis. The morphological analysis established the uniform deposition of polyaniline nanofibers on the exfoliated BN and carbonaceous materials. Among the ternary nanohybrids, BN/CNT/PANI composite exhibited highest specific capacitance of 387.5 Fg−1at a current density of 1 Ag−1in 1 M KCl. The ternary composite also achieved a high energy density of 34.44 Whkg−1at a power density of 400 Wkg−1. Further, the ternary nanohybrid BN/CNT/PANI retained 87% of specific capacitance after 6000 charging disharging cycles. All these superior electrochemical properties demonstrates potentiality of BN/CNT/PANI for supercapacitors.
Design of Robust Organosuperbases and Anion Receptors by Combination of Azine Heterocycle Skeleton and Phosphazene Motif
Authors: Khademloo Elham , Saeidian Hamid , Mirjafary Zohreh , Aliabad Javad Mokhtari
Published: April 2019

In the present study, the proton affinity (PA) and the gas phase basicity have been calculated for a series of azine heterocycles bearing phosphazene motif by using the B3LYP/6‐31+G(d,p) method. The results indicate that the designed compounds meet remarkable superbasicity. The calculated PAs are in the range of 931–1117 kJ mol−1. The studied molecules have flexible structure and can be used as anion receptors through strong hydrogen bonding. The interaction of superbases 7–9 with F−, Cl− and NO3− anions has been also investigated using the Density Functional Theory. The anion receptors show a high affinity toward F− anion, therefore, they may be considered as selective F− receptors.
Preparation of Hierarchical Porous S‐1/silica Monoliths by Steaming Crystallization
Authors: Cheng Wenjing , Tao Kai , Wu Yanfei , Li Xiaoying , Liang Yunxiao
Published: April 2019

Silicalite‐1 (S‐1) nanoparticles (80∼200 nm) were controlled to grow on the silica nano‐film of macroporous silica monoliths (MSMs) in situ by crystallization of the silica xerogel under steaming. The MSMs not only improve the dispersibility and adsorption capacity of S‐1 nanoparticles due to their continuous pass‐through macropores, but also overcome the problem of separation difficulty by their monolithic character. The S‐1 nanoparticles strengthen the mechanical strength of MSMs by local thickening of the silica nano‐film. The mesopores etched on the silica nano‐film during crystallization under steaming give convenience for molecule transmission.
Synthesis, Characterization and Optical Properties of Two Metal Borates Containing Two Types of Oxoboron Clusters
Authors: Yang Hui , Hu Chunli , Lv Bei , Tang Ruling , Xu Cuixia
Published: April 2019

Two metal borates, namely, Pb6O(B6O14) (1) and β‐BaAl[B4O8(OH)](H2O) (2) have been obtained and characterized. Compound 1 crystallizes into triclinic crystal system with a centrosymmetric space group of P‐1 and its structure features [Pb6O13]14− layers which are further connected by [B6O14]10− chains into a 3D framework. Compound 2 is isostructural with β‐BaGa[B4O8(OH)](H2O) and adopts a centrosymmetric space group P‐1. Its structure consists of a AlB4O10(OH) bilayers with intersecting channel systems comprised of two interconnected porous sheets. Each compound was also characterized by optical and thermogravimetric analysis and band structure calculations have been carried out based on density functional theory methods.
Temperature‐Dependent Study of Catalytic Ag Nanoparticles Entrapped Resin Nanocomposite towards Reduction of 4‐Nitrophenol
Authors: Kanti Das Tushar , Ganguly Sayan , Remanan Sanjay , Das Narayan Ch.
Published: April 2019

Noble metal assisted catalytic activity is a renounced adopted strategy since long times. Herein, we report an arresting of silver nanoparticles onto solid surface resin matrix in order to perform catalytic activity taking by 4‐nitrophenol as a model feed agent. The surface decoration has been evidenced by electron microscopy techniques. The superiority of this resin‐confined Ag nanoparticle based catalyst lies in their fast reduction and wide range of working temperature. The thermodynamic parameters related to activation energy, temperature dependency, and reusability can make this a suitable ‘easy to install’ all‐solid‐state fabricated catalytic membrane device.
Catalyst free Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Indolizines from In Situ Generated Pyridinium Ylides via One‐Pot Multicomponent Reaction
Authors: Ramesh Vediyappan , Devi Natarajan Savitha , Velusamy Marappan , Shanmugam Sivakumar
Published: April 2019

A base‐promoted one‐pot three‐component domino reaction of in situ generated pyridinium ylides with α‐oxoketene dithioacetals (AKDTAs) lead to synthesis of indolizine derivatives. In this one‐pot transformation, three new bonds and one new ring was efficiently formed in one sequence. The current method provides a simple, convenient route for the synthesis of biologically important indolizine derivatives without using any catalyst in good yield. The synthesized compound 4 g was confirmed by single crystal X‐ray analysis.
Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Steel Hot Rolled in Ferrite Region Based on CSP Line
Authors: Hu Xuewen , He Guoning , Peng Huan , Jiang Bo , Zhang Chaolei , Liu Yazheng
Published: April 2019

In this paper, the effect of ferrite region rolling on the microstructure and properties of steel plate heat commercial (SPHC) steel produced by compact strip production (CSP) process was studied in detail. Comparing ferrite rolled sheet with austenite rolled sheet, it was found that the average ferrite grain size of low carbon steel sheet rolled in ferrite region increased from 10.6 to 27.6 µm and the dislocation density was slightly reduced from 1.79 × 1011 to 8.9 × 1010 cm−2. The yield strength of ferrite rolled sheet is 92 MPa lower than that of austenite rolled sheet. The theoretical calculation and experimental results indicates that the coarsening of grains contributes to the 70% reduction of yield strength of ferrite rolled sheet, and the reduction of dislocation density and other strengthening factors account for about 30%. Texture analysis results by electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) shows that the growth of {001} <110> and {112} <110> component in the texture of ferrite rolled sheet lead to the reduction of and Δr.
Nonlinear seismic assessment of irregular coupled wall systems using high‐performance fiber‐reinforced cement composites
Authors: Son Minyoung , Kim Seung‐pil , Shin Myoungsu , Kang Thomas H.‐K.
Published: April 2019

Reinforced concrete coupled wall systems that consist of multiple shear walls linked by coupling beams are known to be very effective for resisting lateral loads in high‐rise buildings. As to improving the seismic capacity of coupled wall systems, high‐performance fiber‐reinforced cement composites (HPFRCCs) have been recently considered. These materials are characterized by tension strain‐hardening behavior that can improve the ductility and toughness of structures subjected to reversed cyclic loading. In this study, nonlinear finite element analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of HPFRCCs on the seismic behavior of irregular tall buildings with coupled wall systems. The coupling beams were modeled using moment hinge elements, and the structural walls were modeled using fiber elements. Comparisons between analysis and test results of coupled wall specimens with and without HPFRCCs indicate that the modeling methods used well predict both the overall and local behaviors. The responses of a 56‐story irregular tall building with coupled walls are discussed with focus on the effects of HPFRCCs. It is noted that the use of HPFRCCs in coupling beams and structural walls of one‐fourth height from the base greatly affects the failure mode. For irregular tall buildings, nonlinear response history analysis indicates higher mode effects are critical.
Maternal and neonatal complications of fetal macrosomia: cohort study
Authors: Beta J. , Khan N. , Fiolna M. , Khalil A. , Ramadan G. , Akolekar R.
Published: April 2019

Objective

To estimate the risks of maternal and neonatal complications in pregnancies with macrosomia.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at a large maternity unit in the UK between January 2009 and December 2016. The incidence of maternal and neonatal complications in pregnancies with macrosomia, defined as birth weight (BW) > 4000 g, and in those with severe macrosomia, defined as BW > 4500 g, was compared with that in pregnancies with normal BW (2500–4000 g). Regression analysis was performed to determine odds ratios (ORs) for complications in macrosomic pregnancies compared to those with normal BW.

Results

The study population of 35 548 pregnancies included 4522 (12.7%) with macrosomia, of which 643 (1.8%) had severe macrosomia, and 31 026 (87.3%) with normal BW. In the macrosomia group, the adjusted OR was 3.1 (95% CI, 2.6–3.6) for Cesarean section for failure to progress, 2.4 (95% CI, 2.0–3.0) for severe postpartum hemorrhage, 2.3 (95% CI, 1.9–2.8) for obstetric anal sphincter injury, 10.4 (95% CI, 8.6–12.6) for shoulder dystocia, 28.5 (95% CI, 8.9–90.7) for obstetric brachial plexus injury, 32.3 (95% CI, 3.8–278.2) for birth fractures and 4.4 (95% CI, 2.2–8.8) for hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy. The respective values in pregnancies with severe macrosomia were 4.3 (95% CI, 3.1–6.1), 2.9 (95% CI, 1.9–4.4), 3.1 (95% CI, 1.9–5.1), 28.7 (95% CI, 20.8–39.8), 73.9 (95% CI, 15.1–363.2), 87.2 (95% CI, 7.7–985.0) and 13.8 (95% CI, 5.2–36.8).

Conclusion

Macrosomia is associated with serious adverse perinatal outcomes. This study provides accurate estimates of risks to aid in pregnancy management. Copyright © 2019 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Modular S4 models of lepton masses and mixing
Authors: Novichkov P. P. , Penedo J. T. , Petcov S. T. , Titov A. V.
Published: April 2019

Abstract

We investigate models of charged lepton and neutrino masses and lepton mixing based on broken modular symmetry. The matter fields in these models are assumed to transform in irreducible representations of the finite modular group Γ4 ≃ S
4. We analyse the minimal scenario in which the only source of symmetry breaking is the vacuum expectation value of the modulus field. In this scenario there is no need to introduce flavon fields. Using the basis for the lowest weight modular forms found earlier, we build minimal phenomenologically viable models in which the neutrino masses are generated via the type I seesaw mechanism. While successfully accommodating charged lepton masses, neutrino mixing angles and mass-squared differences, these models predict the values of the lightest neutrino mass (i.e., the absolute neutrino mass scale), of the Dirac and Majorana CP violation (CPV) phases, as well as specific correlations between the values of the atmospheric neutrino mixing parameter sin2
θ
23 and i) the Dirac CPV phase δ, ii) the sum of the neutrino masses, and iii) the effective Majorana mass in neutrinoless double beta decay. We consider also the case of residual symmetries ℤ
3

ST

and ℤ
2

S

respectively in the charged lepton and neutrino sectors, corresponding to specific vacuum expectation values of the modulus.
White matter disconnection is related to age-related phonological deficits
Authors: Troutman Sara B. W. , Diaz Michele T.
Published: April 2019

Older adults have more language production difficulties than younger adults but display largely comparable language comprehension abilities. The Transmission Deficit Hypothesis suggests that production difficulties stem from an age-related increase in phonological signal transmission failures, while the semantic system, being more redundant than the phonological system, allows comprehension to be relatively preserved despite signal failures. Though the neural instantiation of the Transmission Deficit Hypothesis remains an open question, white matter represents one important factor to investigate. Metrics indicative of white matter connectivity across the brain, namely, Radial Diffusivity (RD) and Fractional Anisotropy (FA) have also been linked to age-related cognitive differences including naming difficulties. Using a Picture-Word Interference (PWI) task with 18 younger and 19 older healthy adults, we found that, across ages, better picture naming in the presence of phonological distractors was associated with lower RD across dorsal (r = −.35, p = .03), ventral (r = −.34, p = .04), and fronto-striatal (r = −.33, p = .04) tracts, and higher FA along dorsal tracts (r = .43, p = .008). The pattern of lower RD and higher FA, which is thought to reflect better white matter structure, points to the dorsal stream tracts as critical for performance on the PWI task. Moreover, the effects of RD and FA on performance were attenuated by the effect of age, reflecting the shared variance between age and white matter as it relates to language production ability.
Autocracies and the Control of Societal Organizations
Authors: Reny Marie-Eve
Published: April 2019

Authoritarian regimes seek to prevent formal and informal organizations in society from engaging in mobilized dissent. What strategies do they use to do so, and what explains their choices? I posit that state actors in autocracies use four mechanisms to control societal organizations: repression, coercion, cooptation and containment. How they control these organizations depends on whether they think they might undermine political stability. Two factors inform that assessment. First is whether state actors think societal organizations’ interests are reconcilable with regime resilience. Second is whether groups are in national or international networks that are either cohesive or incohesive. While the irreconcilability of interests influences state actors’ perceptions of groups as subversive, network cohesion shapes organizations’ capacity for large-scale mobilization.
Revitalising leadership for a humane world
Authors: Proctor-Thomson Sarah B.
Published: April 2019

After two decades of expanding leadership scholarship and mounting critique regarding dominant leadership theory, there is a need for a radical revitalisation of leadership thinking. A dialogic, humanist and contextualised orientation to leadership, long progressed by Ken Parry charts a direction for this work. But a truly revitalised leadership field must also involve a multi-dimensional and explicitly values-driven approach that places the roles, rights and responsibilities of leaders and followers – and the relationships between them – at its heart.
Corpus-based dictionaries for sentiment analysis of specialized vocabularies
Authors: Rice Douglas R. , Zorn Christopher
Published: April 2019

Contemporary dictionary-based approaches to sentiment analysis exhibit serious validity problems when applied to specialized vocabularies, but human-coded dictionaries for such applications are often labor-intensive and inefficient to develop. We demonstrate the validity of “minimally-supervised” approaches for the creation of a sentiment dictionary from a corpus of text drawn from a specialized vocabulary. We demonstrate the validity of this approach in estimating sentiment from texts in a large-scale benchmarking dataset recently introduced in computational linguistics, and demonstrate the improvements in accuracy of our approach over well-known standard (nonspecialized) sentiment dictionaries. Finally, we show the usefulness of our approach in an application to the specialized language used in US federal appellate court decisions.
Fichte’s Certainty in the Spirit by the Letter
Authors: Barba-Kay Antón
Published: April 2019

Fichte’s Jena writings sought to combine the apparently conflicting requirements of settling philosophy on scientific grounds and of respecting its character as a self-determined vocation. In reconciling these tasks, he understood himself to be faced at once with the meta-philosophical one of motivating the questions he addressed, the pedagogical one of adequately communicating his position, and the polemical one of accounting for the incomprehension of his adversaries. I show how these layers constitute Fichte’s response to the larger problem of specifying the relation between the rote ‘letter’ of a philosophical doctrine and the intersubjective ‘spirit’ of its communicability.