bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Xenophobia
Authors: Chiweshe Manase Kudzai
Published: November 2019

Xenophobia is the social construction of exclusion of outsiders based on a myriad of factors, including notions of nationalism, ethnocentrism, and fear of foreigners or noncitizens posing some sort of a threat to the recipient communities' identity or rights. It expresses itself through subtle behaviors, such as dehumanizing remarks and negative stereotypes, and also via more pronounced actions, such as violence, harassment, discriminatory policies, and exclusion from social services.
Adolescence and Youth
Authors: Helve Helena
Published: November 2019

This entry provides a brief history of theory on adolescence and youth, recognizing themes in contemporary research regarding the phase in which transition to adulthood appears. The article discusses adolescents' sociological, psychological, and cultural routes from developmental psychology to life‐course sociology, and how these are connected with cultural and ecological research perspectives on human development within childhood to adolescence transitions. The focus of the entry is the sociological and cultural aspects of adolescence and, due to overlapping interests in contemporary research of adolescence, there is a need for synthesis and integration.
Hydrogel Coatings for Heart Stents
Authors: Chen Kaifeng , Yang Jun , Guo Song , Chen Chia‐Hung , Luo Rongcong , Wu Yun‐Long
Published: November 2019

Heart stents are medical devices used to keep or expand the lumen of arteries. For more than the last three decades, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)‐based stent placement was applied as a primary choice in treating coronary artery diseases (CADs). Despite the success in relieving the symptoms of narrowed or weak arteries, bare metal stent placement is inevitably associated with restenosis, leading to stent failure in a relatively short timescale. To overcome this problem, bioactive‐containing polymer layer is coated on the stents, the so‐called drug‐eluting stent (DES), had been designed and successfully used to lower the restenosis rate. Thein situdelivery of the active substances and/or the surface functionalities from the coatings of stents can facilitate re‐endothelialization, anti‐platelet aggregation, anti‐inflammation, and anti‐thrombosis and reduce the potential risk of PCI procedure to the surrounding tissues. Among the various coating strategies, hydrophilic polymeric hydrogel coatings show unique advantages such as capability of loading hydrophilic bioactives and/or cells, moldable softness to cell modulus, and tight fixation to arteries after placement. Consequently, hydrogel coating for heart stents are attracting more attention. This review aims at providing a timely summary and outlook for hydrogel coatings of heart stents.
Defect‐Engineered Atomically Thin MoS2 Homogeneous Electronics for Logic Inverters
Authors: Gao Li , Liao Qingliang , Zhang Xiankun , Liu Xiaozhi , Gu Lin , Liu Baishan , Du Junli , Ou Yang , Xiao Jiankun , Kang Zhuo , Zhang Zheng , Zhang Yue
Published: November 2019

Ultrathin molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) presents ideal properties for building next‐generation atomically thin circuitry. However, it is difficult to construct logic units of MoS2 monolayer using traditional silicon‐based doping schemes, such as atomic substitution and ion implantation, as they cause lattice disruption and doping instability. An accurate and feasible electronic structure modulation strategy from defect engineering is proposed to construct homogeneous electronics for MoS2 monolayer logic inverters. By utilizing the energy‐matched electron induction of the solution process, numerous pure and lattice‐stable monosulfur vacancies (Vmonos) are introduced to modulate the electronic structure of monolayer MoS2 via a shallow trapping effect. The resulting modulation effectively reduces the electronic concentration of MoS2 and improves the work function by 100 meV. Under modulation of Vmonos, an atomically thin homogenous monolayer MoS2 logic inverter with a voltage gain of 4 is successfully constructed. A brand‐new and practical design route of defect modulation for 2D‐based circuit development is provided.
New Strategies for Defect Passivation in High‐Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Akin Seckin , Arora Neha , Zakeeruddin Shaik M. , Grätzel Michael , Friend Richard H. , Dar M. Ibrahim
Published: November 2019

Lead halide perovskite solar cells now show excellent efficiencies and encouraging levels of stability. Further improvements in performance require better control of the trap states which are considered to be associated with vacancies and defects at crystallite surfaces. Herein, a reflection on the ways in which these traps can be mitigated is presented by improving the quality of the perovskite layer and interfaces in fully assembled device configurations. In this review, the most recent design strategies reported in the literature, which have been explored to tune grain orientation, to passivate defects, and to improve charge‐carrier lifetimes, are presented. Specifically, the advances made with single‐cation, mixed‐cation and/or mixed‐halide, and 3D/2D bilayer‐based light absorbers are discussed. The interfacial, compositional, and band alignment engineering along with their consequent effects on the open‐circuit voltage, power conversion efficiency, and stability are a particular focus.
Computer‐based engineering of thermostabilized antibody fragments
Authors: Lee Jiwon , Der Bryan S. , Karamitros Christos S. , Li Wenzong , Marshall Nicholas M. , Lungu Oana I. , Miklos Aleksandr E. , Xu Jianqing , Kang Tae Hyun , Lee Chang‐Han , Tan Bing , Hughes Randall A. , Jung Sang Taek , Ippolito Gregory C. , Gray Jeffrey J. , Zhang Yan , Kuhlman Brian , Georgiou George , Ellington Andrew D.
Published: November 2019

We used the molecular modeling program Rosetta to identify clusters of amino acid substitutions in antibody fragments (scFvs and scAbs) that improve global protein stability and resistance to thermal deactivation. Using this methodology, we increased the melting temperature (Tm) and resistance to heat treatment of an antibody fragment that binds to the Clostridium botulinum hemagglutinin protein (anti‐HA33). Two designed antibody fragment variants with two amino acid replacement clusters, designed to stabilize local regions, were shown to have both higher Tm compared to the parental scFv and importantly to retain full antigen binding activity after 2 hr of incubation at 70°C. The crystal structure of one thermostabilized scFv variants was solved at 1.6 Å and shown to be in close agreement with the RosettaAntibody model prediction.
Molecular Design Strategy of Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescent Emitters Using CN‐Substituted Imidazopyrazine as a New Electron‐Accepting Unit
Authors: Kothavale Shantaram , Lee Kyung Hyung , Lee Jun Yeob
Published: November 2019

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF)‐based organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) have attracted enormous attention recently due to their capability to replace conventional phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes for practical applications. In this work, a newly designed CN‐substituted imidazopyrazine moiety was utilized as an electron‐accepting unit in a TADF emitter. Two TADF emitters, 8‐(3‐cyano‐4‐(9,9‐dimethylacridin‐10(9H)‐yl)phenyl)‐2‐phenylimidazo[1,2‐a]pyrazine‐3‐carbonitrile (Ac‐CNImPyr) and 8‐(3‐cyano‐4‐(10H‐phenoxazin‐10‐yl)phenyl)‐2‐phenylimidazo[1,2‐a]pyrazine‐3‐carbonitrile (PXZ‐CNImPyr), were developed based on the CN‐substituted imidazopyrazine acceptor combined with acridine and phenoxazine donor, respectively. A CN‐substituted phenyl spacer was introduced between the donor and acceptor for a sufficiently small singlet‐triplet energy gap (ΔEST) and molecular orbital management. Small ΔEST of 0.07 eV was achieved for the phenoxazine donor‐based PXZ‐CNImPyr emitter. As a result, an organic light‐emitting diode based on the PXZ‐CNImPyr emitter exhibited a high external quantum efficiency of up to 12.7 %, which surpassed the EQE limit of common fluorescent emitters. Hence, the CN‐modified imidazopyrazine unit can be introduced as a new acceptor for further modifications to develop efficient TADF‐based OLEDs.
Double‐Decker Paramagnetic {(K)(H3Hhp)2}⋅2−Radical Dianions Comprising Two [30]Trithia‐2,3,5,10,12,13,15,20,22,23,25,30‐Dodecaazahexaphyrins and a Potassium Ion
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Islyaikin Mikhail K. , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Kitagawa Hiroshi , Lyubovskaya Rimma N. , Ivanov Evgenii N. , Koifman Oskar I. , Zhabanov Yuriy A.
Published: November 2019

Reduction of free‐base [30]trithia‐2,3,5,10,12,13,15,20,22,23,25,30‐dodecaazahexaphyrin (H3Hhp) yields {cryptand[2.2.2](K)}2{(K)(H3Hhp)2}⋅4C6H4Cl2(1) containing double‐decker {(K)(H3Hhp)2}⋅2−radical dianions, whose structure was elucidated using X‐ray diffraction. Potassium ion forms 12 short (K+)⋅⋅⋅N(H3Hhp) contacts with two H3Hhp macrocycles in the 3.048–3.157 Å range. Dianions haveS=1/2 spin state manifesting an effective magnetic moment of 1.64 μBat 300 K and a narrow Lorentzian electron paramagnetic resonance signal. Quantum chemical calculations support the ionic nature of the (K+)‐N(H3Hhp) interactions and the nearly equal distribution of the −1.5 charge over each macrocycle. H3Hhp takes the role of an aza‐crown ether in free‐base reduced state and forms a new type of double‐decker complex.
(Co,Fe)3O4 Decorated Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes in Nano‐Composite Gas Diffusion Layers as Highly Stable Bifunctional Catalysts for Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Batteries
Authors: Aasen Drew , Clark Michael P. , Ivey Douglas G.
Published: November 2019

(Co,Fe)3O4 nanoparticles are decorated onto N‐doped carbon nanotubes at room temperature through a simple mixing process and are simultaneously deposited within a porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) by an impregnation technique. The (Co,Fe)3O4 nanoparticles are identified as the spinel phase through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The composite GDL is used as the air electrode for Zn‐air batteries and shows excellent performance as a bifunctional catalyst with initial discharge and charge potentials of 1.19 V and 2.00 V, respectively, at 20 mA cm−2. Cycling performance of the impregnated electrode compares favourably with benchmark Pt‐RuO2 catalysts at both 10 mA cm−2 and 20 mA cm−2. The (Co,Fe)3O4/N‐CNT impregnated GDL had a final discharge/charge efficiency of 58.5 % after 100 h (200 cycles) of bifunctional cycling at 10 mA cm−2, which is superior to that of Pt‐RuO2 (55.3 % efficiency). The cycling efficiency for (Co,Fe)3O4/N‐CNT impregnated GDL at 20 mA cm−2 is also better than that for Pt−Ru (53.5 % vs 41.3 % after 50 h (100 cycles)). The result is a simple and easily scalable one‐pot electrode synthesis method for high performing bi‐functional air electrodes for Zn‐air batteries.
Contemporary prostate cancer treatment choices in multidisciplinary clinics referenced to national trends
Authors: Tang Chad , Hoffman Karen E. , Allen Pamela K. , Gabel Molly , Schreiber David , Choi Seungtaek , Chapin Brian F. , Nguyen Quynh‐Nhu , Davis John W. , Corn Paul , Logothetis Christopher , Ward John , Frank Steven J. , Navai Neema , McGuire Sean E. , Anscher Mitchell , Pisters Louis , Pettaway Curtis A. , Kumar Rachit , Linson Patrick , Tripuraneni Prabhakar , Tomaszewski Jeffrey J. , Patel Ashish B. , Augspurger Mark , Kuban Deborah A.
Published: November 2019

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess treatment choices among men with prostate cancer who presented at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center multidisciplinary (MultiD) clinic compared with nationwide trends.

Methods

In total, 4451 men with prostate cancer who presented at the MultiD clinic from 2004 to 2016 were analyzed. To assess nationwide trends, the authors analyzed 392,710 men with prostate cancer who were diagnosed between 2004 and 2015 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The primary endpoint was treatment choice as a function of pretreatment demographics.

Results

Univariate analyses revealed similar treatment trends in the MultiD and SEER cohorts. The use of procedural forms of definitive therapy decreased with age, including brachytherapy and prostatectomy (all P < .05). Later year of diagnosis/clinic visit was associated with decreased use of definitive treatments, whereas higher risk grouping was associated with increased use (all P < .001). Patients with low‐risk disease treated at the MultiD clinic were more likely to receive nondefinitive therapy than patients in SEER, whereas the opposite trend was observed for patients with high‐risk disease, with a substantial portion of high‐risk patients in SEER not receiving definitive therapy. In the MultiD clinic, African American men with intermediate‐risk and high‐risk disease were more likely to receive definitive therapy than white men, but for SEER the opposite was true.

Conclusions

Presentation at a MultiD clinic facilitates the appropriate disposition of patients with low‐risk disease to nondefinitive strategies of patients with high‐risk disease to definitive treatment, and it may obviate the influence of race.
Recognizing and minimizing bias: Helping patients make their best choice for prostate cancer management through multidisciplinary clinics
Authors: Eggener Scott E.
Published: November 2019

Patient‐centered and clinician‐centered biases are obstacles to optimal prostate cancer decisions. Striving for true patient‐centered prostate cancer recommendations is improved through multidisciplinary visits.
HIV Cure Research: Risks Patients Expressed Willingness to Accept
Authors: Kratka Allison , Ubel Peter A. , Scherr Karen , Murray Benjamin , Eyal Nir , Kirby Christine , Katz Madelaine N. , Holtzman Lisa , Pollak Kathryn , Freedburg Kenneth , Blumenthal‐Barby Jennifer
Published: November 2019

Despite doing well on antiretroviral therapy, many people living with HIV have expressed a willingness to accept substantial risks for an HIV cure. To date, few studies have assessed the specific quantitative maximal risk that future participants might take; probed whether, according to future participants, the risk can be offset by the benefits; and examined whether taking substantial risk is a reasonable decision. In this qualitative study, we interviewed 22 people living with HIV and used standard gamble methodology to assess the maximum chance of death a person would risk for an HIV cure. We probed participants’ reasoning behind their risk‐taking responses. Conventional inductive content analysis was used to categorize key themes regarding decision‐making. We found that some people would be willing to risk even death for an HIV cure, and some of their reasons were plausible and went far beyond the health‐related utility of an HIV cure. We contend that people's expressed willingness to take substantial risk for an HIV cure should not be dismissed out of hand.
Perioperative intravenous low‐dose ketamine for neuropathic pain after major lower back surgery: A randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Czarnetzki Christoph , Desmeules Jules , Tessitore Enrico , Faundez Antonio , Chabert Jocelyne , Daali Youssef , Fournier Roxane , Dupuis‐Lozeron Elise , Cedraschi Christine , Richard Tramèr Martin
Published: November 2019

Background

Chronic pain after major lower back surgery is frequent. We investigated in adults the effect of perioperative low‐dose ketamine on neuropathic lower back pain, assessed by the DN4 questionnaire, 6 and 12 months after major lower back surgery.

Methods

In this single‐centre randomized trial, 80 patients received intravenous ketamine 0.25 mg/kg preoperatively, followed by 0.25 mg kg−1 hr−1 intraoperatively, and 0.1 mg kg−1 hr−1 from 1 hr before the end of surgery until the end of recovery room stay; 80 controls received placebo.

Results

Preoperatively, 47.4% of patients in the ketamine group and 46.3% in the placebo group had neuropathic pain; 10% and 3.8%, respectively, were using strong opioids. At the end of the infusion, the median cumulative dose of ketamine was 84.8 mg (IQR 67.4–106.7) and the median plasma level was 97 ng/ml (IQR 77.9–128.0). At 6 months, 28.8% of patients in the ketamine group and 23.5% in the placebo group had neuropathic pain (absolute difference, 5.2%; 95% CI −10.7 to 21.1; p = .607). At 12 months, 26.4% of patients in the ketamine group and 17.9% in the placebo group had neuropathic pain (absolute difference 8.5%; 95% CI −6.7 to 23.6; p = .319).

Conclusions

In this patient population with a high prevalence of neuropathic lower back pain undergoing major lower back surgery, a perioperative intravenous low‐dose ketamine infusion did not have an effect on the prevalence of neuropathic lower back pain at 6 or 12 months postoperatively.

Significance

We were unable to show any analgesic benefit of a short‐term perioperative ketamine infusion as an adjuvant to multimodal analgesia in patients with a high prevalence of neuropathic lower back pain undergoing major back surgery. Based on these data, the widespread opinion that ketamine is universally analgesic across different pain conditions must be challenged.

Prior presentations

Abstract presentation at the annual congress of the Swiss Society of Anaesthesiology, 2016, Basel, Switzerland.

Clinical trial number and registry URL

Registered by Dr Christoph Czarnetzki as principal investigator on February 20, 2008 at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT00618423).
A long non‐coding RNA LNBC3 facilitates non‐small cell lung cancer progression by stabilizing BCL6
Authors: Shen Jian , Ma Jun , Li Jianghong , Wang Xin , Wang Yi , Ma Jie
Published: November 2019

Background

The non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common malignancy worldwide. Numerous reports have shown the critical role of long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in NSCLC. However, the role of a novel lncRNA named LNBC3 is still unknown.

Methods

By lncRNA profiling, novel lncRNAs related to NSCLC were identified. LNBC3 expression was quantified by qRT‐PCR. Migration and viability assays were performed to evaluate the function of LNBC3 in vitro. In vivo xenograft model was conducted to determine the oncogenic functions of LNBC3. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) followed by mass spectrometry (MS) was utilized to identify BCL6 as LNBC3 binding target.

Results

LNBC3 is markedly overexpressed in tumor tissues and NSCLC cell lines. Higher LNBC3 levels correlated with advanced TNM stages, larger tumor size, and metastasis. LNBC3 promoted NSCLC migration and viability. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that xenograft tumor growth and proliferation were facilitated with increasing LNBC3 levels. The antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting LNBC3 substantially inhibited lung cancer progression. Mechanistic studies showed that LNBC3 could interact with BCL6 leading to BCL6 stabilization through reduced proteasomal degradation.

Conclusions

Collectively, our data have identified a novel lncRNA LNBC3 in NSCLC progression. The LNBC3‐BCL6 axis might be a potential target for pharmaceutical intervention.
Digital hyperextension has no influence on the active self‐drying of gecko adhesive subdigital pads
Authors: Garner Austin M. , Buo Carrie , Piechowski Jennifer M. , Pamfilie Alexandra M. , Stefanovic Sharon R. , Dhinojwala Ali , Niewiarowski Peter H.
Published: November 2019

The remarkable properties of the gecko adhesive system have been intensively studied. Although many gecko‐inspired synthetic adhesives have been designed and fabricated, few manage to capture the multifunctionality of the natural system. Analogous to previously documented self‐cleaning, recent work demonstrated that gecko toe pads dry when geckos take steps on dry substrates (i.e., self‐drying). Whether digital hyperextension (DH), the distal to proximal peeling of gecko toe pads, is involved in the self‐drying process, had not been determined. Here, the effect of DH on self‐drying was isolated by preventing DH from occurring during normal walking locomotion of Gekko gecko after toe pads were wetted. Our initial analysis revealed low statistical power, so we increased our sample size to determine the robustness of our result. We found that neither DH nor the DH–substrate interaction had a significant effect on the maximum shear adhesive force after self‐drying. These results suggest that DH is not necessary for self‐drying to occur. Interestingly, however, we discovered that shear adhesion is higher on a surface tending hydrophobic compared to a hydrophilic surface, demonstrating that gecko adhesion is sensitive to substrate wettability during the subdigital pad drying process. Furthermore, we also observed frequent damage to the adhesive system during shear adhesion testing post‐drying, indicating that water may compromise the structural integrity of the adhesive structures. Our results not only have behavioral and ecological implications for free‐ranging geckos but also have the potential to influence the design and fabrication of gecko‐inspired synthetic adhesives that can regain adhesion after fouling with water.
SO4−2/SnO2–catalyzed cyclocondensation for the synthesis of fully functionalized pyridines
Authors: Koduri Ramesh Goud , Pagadala Ramakanth , Boodida Sathyanarayana , Varala Ravi
Published: November 2019

An efficient and promising synthetic approach to assemble skeletons of multifunctionalized pyridine derivatives in presence of recyclable heterogeneous sulfated tin oxide (STO) catalyst has been evolved. The STO catalyst was used as a promoter for the cyclocondensation process in ethanol at 70°C. Overall performance of this catalyst was attributed to the cooperative contribution of its Lewis and Brønsted‐Lowry acidic sites. Nanosized STO catalyst was synthesized by using sol‐gel process and characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), 1H‐NMR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This catalyst tolerates most of the substrates, and protocol shows precious capabilities consist of high yields, operational simplicity, less reaction time, and eco‐friendly conditions. The newly synthesized heterogeneous catalyst was easily separated and reused. All the reactions are carried out for subsequent cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity and with good proficiency.
PDZ/PDZ interaction between PSD‐95 and nNOS neuronal proteins
Authors: Murciano‐Calles Javier , Coello Andrea , Cámara‐Artigas Ana , Martinez Jose C.
Published: November 2019

N‐Methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors are key components in synaptic communication and are highly relevant in central nervous disorders, where they trigger excessive calcium entry into the neuronal cells causing harmful overproduction of nitric oxide by the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) protein. Remarkably, NMDA receptor activation is aided by a second protein, postsynaptic density of 95 kDa (PSD95), forming the ternary protein complex NMDA/PSD95/nNOS. To minimize the potential side effects derived from blocking this ternary complex or either of its protein components, a promising approach points to the disruption of the PSD‐95/nNOS interaction which is mediated by a PDZ/PDZ domain complex. Since the rational development of molecules targeting such protein‐protein interaction relies on energetic and structural information herein, we include a thermodynamic and structural analysis of the PSD95‐PDZ2/nNOS‐PDZ. Two energetically relevant events are structurally linked to a “two‐faced” or two areas of recognition between both domains. First, the assembly of a four‐stranded antiparallel β‐sheet between the β hairpins of nNOS and of PSD95‐PDZ2, mainly enthalpic in nature, contributes 80% to the affinity. Second, binding is entropically reinforced by the hydrophobic interaction between side chains of the same nNOS β‐hairpin with the side chains of α2‐helix at the binding site of PSD95‐PDZ2, contributing the remaining 20% of the total affinity. These results suggest strategies for the future rational design of molecules able to disrupt this complex and constitute the first exhaustive thermodynamic analysis of a PDZ/PDZ interaction.
When entrepreneurs instigate institutional change through coopetition: The case of winemakers in south of France
Authors: Granata Julien , Géraudel Mickael , d'Armagnac Sophie
Published: November 2019

Winemakers in South France combine contingently institutional logics to achieve economic performance. Entrepreneurs who decide to cooperate with their competitors must manage four phases of “coopetition”: launch, formalization, protection, and reinforcement. They engage in the coopetition process by referring to a professional logic that becomes dominant, and they complete the process by fostering a community logic that is combined with the professional logic. Identity and legitimacy are the key elements that entrepreneurs segregate and blend, which entails new combinations in the respective influential power of state logic, professional logic and community logic.
Changes in chlorophyll concentration and phenology in the North Sea in relation to de‐eutrophication and sea surface warming
Authors: Desmit Xavier , Nohe Anja , Borges Alberto Vieira , Prins Theo , De Cauwer Karien , Lagring Ruth , Van der Zande Dimitry , Sabbe Koen
Published: November 2019

At least two major drivers of phytoplankton production have changed in recent decades in the North Sea: sea surface temperature (SST) has increased by ~ 1.6°C between 1988 and 2014, and the nitrogen and phosphorus loads from surrounding rivers have decreased from the mid‐1980s onward, following reduction policies. Long time series spanning four decades (1975–2015) of nutrients, chlorophyll (Chl), and pH measurements in the Southern and Central North Sea were analyzed to assess the impact of both the warming and the de‐eutrophication trends on Chl. The de‐eutrophication process, detectable in the reduction of nutrient river loads to the sea, caused a decrease of nutrient concentrations in coastal waters under riverine influence. A decline in annual mean Chl was observed at 11 out of 18 sampling sites (coastal and offshore) in the period 1988–2016. Also, a shift in Chl phenology was observed around 2000, with spring bloom formation occurring earlier in the year. A long time series of pH in the Southern North Sea showed an increase until the mid‐1980s followed by a rapid decrease, suggesting changes in phytoplankton production that would support the observed changes in Chl. Linear correlations, however, did not reveal significant relationships between Chl variability and winter nutrients or SST at the sampling sites. We propose that the observed changes in Chl (annual or seasonal) around 2000 are a response of phytoplankton dynamics to multiple stressors, directly or indirectly influenced by de‐eutrophication and climate warming.
The global Microcystis interactome
Authors: Cook Katherine V. , Li Chuang , Cai Haiyuan , Krumholz Lee R. , Hambright K. David , Paerl Hans W. , Steffen Morgan M. , Wilson Alan E. , Burford Michele A. , Grossart Hans‐Peter , Hamilton David P. , Jiang Helong , Sukenik Assaf , Latour Delphine , Meyer Elisabeth I. , Padisák Judit , Qin Boqiang , Zamor Richard M. , Zhu Guangwei
Published: November 2019

Bacteria play key roles in the function and diversity of aquatic systems, but aside from study of specific bloom systems, little is known about the diversity or biogeography of bacteria associated with harmful cyanobacterial blooms (cyanoHABs). CyanoHAB species are known to shape bacterial community composition and to rely on functions provided by the associated bacteria, leading to the hypothesized cyanoHAB interactome, a coevolved community of synergistic and interacting bacteria species, each necessary for the success of the others. Here, we surveyed the microbiome associated with Microcystis aeruginosa during blooms in 12 lakes spanning four continents as an initial test of the hypothesized Microcystis interactome. We predicted that microbiome composition and functional potential would be similar across blooms globally. Our results, as revealed by 16S rRNA sequence similarity, indicate that M. aeruginosa is cosmopolitan in lakes across a 280° longitudinal and 90° latitudinal gradient. The microbiome communities were represented by a wide range of operational taxonomic units and relative abundances. Highly abundant taxa were more related and shared across most sites and did not vary with geographic distance, thus, like Microcystis, revealing no evidence for dispersal limitation. High phylogenetic relatedness, both within and across lakes, indicates that microbiome bacteria with similar functional potential were associated with all blooms. While Microcystis and the microbiome bacteria shared many genes, whole‐community metagenomic analysis revealed a suite of biochemical pathways that could be considered complementary. Our results demonstrate a high degree of similarity across global Microcystis blooms, thereby providing initial support for the hypothesized Microcystis interactome.
Prevalence and Clinical Aspects of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Baiano Chiara , Barone Paolo , Trojano Luigi , Santangelo Gabriella
Published: November 2019

Mild cognitive impairment associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) is a risk factor for the development of dementia. Despite the importance of early identification of mild cognitive impairment in PD, its prevalence and clinical correlates are still debated. The present meta‐analysis provides a robust estimate of prevalence rate of mild cognitive impairment in PD according to the Movement Disorder Society clinical criteria and to explore the differences between PD patients with and without mild cognitive impairment in demographic, clinical, and neuropsychiatric features. A systematic literature search was performed up to April 2019 using PsycInfo (PROQUEST), PubMed, and Scopus. From 4706 titles and abstracts, 41 studies were selected (n = 7053 patients). Pooled mild cognitive impairment prevalence was 40% on a total sample of 7053 PD patients (95% confidence interval = 36–44; Q = 490.14, P < 0.0001; I2 = 91.84%) with a higher frequency for the multiple domain subtype (31%; 95% confidence interval = 23–41, Q = 93.24; P < 0.0001; I2 = 92.49%). Meta‐regression analysis revealed that stage of PD moderate prevalence estimates of mild cognitive impairment (β = 2.80; P = 0.008). Mild cognitive impairment in PD was associated with older age, lower education, longer disease duration, higher levodopa equivalent daily dose, more severe motor symptoms, and postural instability/gait difficulty motor subtype, poorer quality of life, higher levels of apathy, and depression. The present meta‐analysis indicated that mild cognitive impairment in PD is a frequent cognitive status deserving to be early detected by means of standardized cognitive assessments in clinical practice. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
A cosparse analysis model with combined redundant systems for MRI reconstruction
Authors: Luo Yu , Ling Jie , Gong Yi , Long Jinyi
Published: November 2019

Purpose

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used due to its noninvasive and nonionizing properties. However, MRI requires a long scanning time. In this paper, our goal is to reconstruct a high‐quality MR image from its sampled k‐space data to accelerate the data acquisition in MRI.

Methods

We propose a cosparse analysis model with combined redundant systems to fully exploit the sparsity of MR images. Two fixed redundant systems are used to characterize different structures, namely, the wavelet tight frame and Gabor frame. An alternating iteration scheme is used for reconstruction with simple implementation and good performance.

Results

The proposed method is tested on two MR images under three sampling patterns with sampling ratios ranging from 10% to 60%. The results show that the proposed method outperforms other state‐of‐the‐art MRI reconstruction methods in terms of both subjective visual quality and objective quantitative measurement. For instance, for brain images under random sampling with a ratio of 10%, compared to the other three methods, the proposed method improves the peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR) by more than 9 dB.

Conclusions

To better characterize different sparsities of different structures of MRI, a cosparse analysis model combining the wavelet tight frame and Gabor frame is proposed. A partial norm regularization is leveraged to obtain the optimal solution in a lower dimension. Compared to other state‐of‐the‐art MRI reconstruction methods, the proposed method improves the reconstruction quality of MRI, especially highly undersampled MRI.
Robust outer volume suppression utilizing elliptical pulsed second order fields (ECLIPSE) for human brain proton MRSI
Authors: Kumaragamage Chathura , De Feyter Henk M. , Brown Peter , McIntyre Scott , Nixon Terence W. , de Graaf Robin A.
Published: November 2019

Purpose

The robust and reliable utilization of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) at high fields is hampered by several key technical difficulties, including contamination from extracranial lipids. To that end, this work presents novel lipid suppression sequences for proton MRSI in the human brain utilizing elliptical localization with pulsed second‐order fields (ECLIPSE).

Methods

Two lipid suppression methods were implemented with the ECLIPSE gradient insert. One method is a variable power, 4‐pulse sequence optimized to achieve outer volume suppression (OVS) and compared against a standard, 8‐slice OVS method. The second ECLIPSE method is implemented as an inversion recovery (IR) sequence with elliptical inner volume selection (IVS) and compared against a global IR method.

Results

The ECLIPSE‐OVS sequence provided a 116‐fold mean lipid suppression (range, 104–134), whereas an optimized 8‐slice OVS sequence achieved 15‐fold suppression (range, 13–18). Furthermore, the superior ECLIPSE‐OVS suppression was achieved at 30% of the radiofrequency (RF) power required by 8‐slice OVS. The ECLIPSE‐based IR sequence suppressed skull lipids by 155‐fold (range, 122–257), compared to 16‐fold suppression (range, 14–19) achieved with IR.

Conclusion

OVS and IVS executed with ECLIPSE provide robust and effective lipid suppression at reduced RF power with high immunity to variations in B1 and T1.
Maceration determines diagnostic yield of fetal and neonatal whole body post‐mortem ultrasound
Authors: Shelmerdine Susan Cheng , Langan Dean , Mandalia Uday , Sebire Neil James , Arthurs Owen John
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To determine factors in nondiagnostic fetal and neonatal post‐mortem ultrasound (PMUS) examinations.

Methods

All fetal and neonatal PMUS examinations were included over a 5‐year study period (2014‐2019). Nondiagnostic image quality by body parts (brain, spine, thorax, cardiac, and abdomen) was recorded and correlated with patient variables. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed to identify significant factors for nondiagnostic studies.

Results

Two hundred sixty‐five PMUS examinations were included, with median gestational age of 22 weeks (12‐42 wk), post‐mortem weight of 363 g (16‐4033 g), and post‐mortem interval of 8 days (0‐39 d).

Diagnostic imaging quality was achieved for 178/265 (67.2%) studies. It was high for abdominal (263/265, 99.2%), thoracic (264/265, 99.6%), and spine (265/265, 100%) but lower for brain (210/265, 79.2%) and cardiac imaging (213/265, 80.4%). Maceration was the best overall predictor for nondiagnostic imaging quality (P < .0001). Post‐mortem fetal weight was positively associated with cardiac (P = .0133) and negatively associated with brain imaging quality (P = .0002). Post‐mortem interval was not a significant predictor.

Conclusions

Fetal maceration was the best predictor for nondiagnostic PMUS, particularly for brain and heart. Fetuses with marked maceration and suspected cardiac or brain anomalies should be prioritised for post‐mortem MRI.
Escapement mechanisms: Efficient free energy transduction by reciprocally‐coupled gating
Authors: Carter Charles W.
Published: November 2019

Conversion of the free energy of NTP hydrolysis efficiently into mechanical work and/or information by transducing enzymes sustains living systems far from equilibrium, and so has been of interest for many decades. Detailed molecular mechanisms, however, remain puzzling and incomplete. We previously reported that catalysis of tryptophan activation by tryptophanyl‐tRNA synthetase, TrpRS, requires relative domain motion to re‐position the catalytic Mg2+ ion, noting the analogy between that conditional hydrolysis of ATP and the escapement mechanism of a mechanical clock. The escapement allows the time‐keeping mechanism to advance discretely, one gear at a time, if and only if the pendulum swings, thereby converting energy from the weight driving the pendulum into rotation of the hands. Coupling of catalysis to domain motion, however, mimics only half of the escapement mechanism, suggesting that domain motion may also be reciprocally coupled to catalysis, completing the escapement metaphor. Computational studies of the free energy surface restraining the domain motion later confirmed that reciprocal coupling: the catalytic domain motion is thermodynamically unfavorable unless the PPi product is released from the active site. These two conditional phenomena—demonstrated together only for the TrpRS mechanism—function as reciprocally‐coupled gates. As we and others have noted, such an escapement mechanism is essential to the efficient transduction of NTP hydrolysis free energy into other useful forms of mechanical or chemical work and/or information. Some implementation of both gating mechanisms—catalysis by domain motion and domain motion by catalysis—will thus likely be found in many other systems.
A systematic review of the clinical use of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction
Authors: Ng Qin Xiang , Loke Wayren , Foo Nadine Xinhui , Tan Weng Jun , Chan Hwei Wuen , Lim Donovan Yutong , Yeo Wee Song
Published: November 2019

Many developed countries are experiencing a rapidly “greying” population, and cognitive decline is common in the elderly. There is no cure for dementia, and pharmacotherapy options to treat cognitive dysfunction provide limited symptomatic improvements. Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), a popular herb highly valued in Ayurvedic medicine, has often been used to aid memory and cognition. This systematic review thus aimed to evaluate the clinical evidence base and investigate the potential role of W. somnifera in managing cognitive dysfunction. Using the following keywords [withania somnifera OR indian ginseng OR Ashwagandha OR winter cherry] AND [brain OR cognit* OR mental OR dementia OR memory], a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO and Clinicaltrials.gov databases found five clinical studies that met the study's eligibility criteria. Overall, there is some early clinical evidence, in the form of randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind trials, to support the cognitive benefits of W. somnifera supplementation. However, a rather heterogeneous study population was sampled, including older adults with mild cognitive impairment and adults with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder. In most instances, W. somnifera extract improved performance on cognitive tasks, executive function, attention, and reaction time. It also appears to be well tolerated, with good adherence and minimal side effects.
Retracted: Ganoderic Acid A exerts the cytoprotection against hypoxia‐triggered impairment in PC12 cells via elevating microRNA‐153
Authors: Li Hong , Lou Bo , Zhang Yingying , Zhang Changyuan
Published: November 2019

Ganoderic Acid A (GAA) is often applied for healing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular ailments, but the influences in cerebral ischemia injury are still hazy. The research delved into the functions of GAA in hypoxia‐triggered impairment in PC12 cells. PC12 cells received hypoxia management for 12 hr, and subsequently, cell viability, migration, apoptosis, and correlative protein levels were assessed. After preprocessing with GAA, above cell behaviors were monitored again. The vector of microRNA (miR)‐153 inhibitor was utilized for PC12 cell transfection to further explore the functions of miR‐153 in hypoxia‐impaired cells. Pathways of phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) were investigated via executing western blot for uncovering the latent mechanism. Results revealed that hypoxia disposition triggered PC12 cells impairment via restraining cell viability and migration and accelerating apoptosis. However, GAA visibly mollified hypoxia‐provoked impairment in PC12 cells. Interestingly, the enhancement of miR‐153 triggered by GAA was observed in hypoxia‐impaired PC12 cells. After miR‐153 inhibitor transfection, the protective functions of GAA in hypoxia‐impaired PC12 cells were dramatically inversed. Furthermore, GAA caused PI3K/AKT and mTOR activations via enhancement of miR‐153 in hypoxia‐impaired PC12 cells. The findings evinced that GAA exhibited the protective functions in PC12 cells against hypoxia‐evoked impairment through activating PI3K/AKT and mTOR via elevating miR‐153.
Decentralized event‐triggered circle formation control for multiagent systems via synchronous periodic event detection
Authors: Wen Jiayan , Wang Chen , Xu Peng , Xie Guangming
Published: November 2019

This paper investigates circle formation problem of multiagent systems over a kind of strongly connected and weight‐unbalanced directed graphs. To solve the concerned problem, decentralized periodic event‐triggered algorithms subject to or not to time delays are proposed, which have the advantages of decreasing the overall burden of the network in terms of finite communication and control input updates. In such algorithms, each agent independently evaluates whether the locally sampled information of itself should be broadcasted to or not to its neighbors. Furthermore, another advantage of our proposed algorithms is to automatically exclude Zeno behavior, which should be seriously considered in a variety of event‐based network systems. Sufficient conditions on circle formation control are derived under which the states of all agents can be ensured to converge to some desired equilibrium point. Simulation results are given to validate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
The Advances of Metal Sulfides and In Situ Characterization Methods beyond Li Ion Batteries: Sodium, Potassium, and Aluminum Ion Batteries
Authors: Chen Jingwei , Chua Daniel H. C. , Lee Pooi See
Published: November 2019

With increasing cost and supply risks of lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs), exploitation of alternative metal‐ion batteries has been ongoing in recent years. Sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs), potassium‐ion batteries (PIBs), and aluminum‐ion batteries (AIBs) have unique advantages as post‐LIB alternatives. Nonetheless, development of electrode materials with high capacity, good reversibility, and extended cycling stability remains challenging. Metal sulfides (MSs), with improved electronic conductivity and better reversibility than metal oxide counterparts, as well as high theoretical capacities, are deemed as promising electrode materials and have been investigated in SIBs, PIBs, and AIBs. However, the cycling stability of MSs is still a persistent limitation. In order to manifest the advantages while overcoming the drawbacks of MSs, multiple strategies have been attempted. In this review, the approaches to improve the electrochemical performances of MSs in SIBs, PIBs, and AIBs, including nanostructuring and carbon incorporation, creation of hollow interiors, composition and crystal structures engineering, etc., are summarized and elaborated. Recent advances using in situ characterization methods to probe the complex electrochemical mechanisms of MSs in SIBs, PIBs, and AIBs are also presented and highlighted. The issues to be tackled are listed and the future directions for performance improvements of MSs in SIBs, PIBs, and AIBs are discussed.
Graphitic Carbon Nitride‐Based Low‐Dimensional Heterostructures for Photocatalytic Applications
Authors: Khan Muhammad Shuaib , Zhang Fengkai , Osada Minoru , Mao Samuel S. , Shen Shaohua
Published: November 2019

Low‐dimensional materials and heterostructure photocatalysts are distinct research topics in artificial photocatalysis. The rational design of photocatalysts considering both aspects has established significant importance due to the fascinating advantages of superior charge carrier transport/transfer and photocatalytic performances. Graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4), a captivating metal‐free and visible light‐active photocatalyst, has drawn interdisciplinary attention in the field of solar energy conversion and pollutant degradation because of its appropriate electronic band structure, excellent physicochemical stability, facile synthesis, and unique layered structure. The g‐C3N4‐based low‐dimensional heterostructures demonstrate various mechanisms for photogenerated charge carrier transfer including type I heterojunction, type II heterojunction, p–n heterojunction, Z‐scheme heterojunction, Schottky junction, and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. Herein, the state‐of‐the‐art g‐C3N4‐based low‐dimensional heterostructure photocatalysts are analyzed to provide an insightful outlook with respect to doping and defect engineering, band structures tuning, and charged carrier dynamics to realize enhanced visible light absorption, improved photoinduced charge carrier transport/transfer, and spatially separated electron–hole pairs for improved photocatalytic performances. Furthermore, the potential application of g‐C3N4‐based low‐dimensional heterostructures for water splitting, CO2 reduction, and pollutant degradation is also presented. Finally, conclusion and invigorating perspective about challenges and opportunities for advanced design of g‐C3N4‐based low‐dimensional heterostructures are briefed.