bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphology‐Directed Selective Production of Ethylene or Ethane from CO2 on a Cu Mesopore Electrode
Authors: Yang Ki Dong , Ko Woo Ri , Lee Jun Ho , Kim Sung Jae , Lee Hyomin , Lee Min Hyung , Nam Ki Tae
Published: December 2016

The electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 to value‐added hydrocarbons is receiving significant attention as a promising way to close the broken carbon‐cycle. While most metal catalysts produce C1 species, such as carbon monoxide and formate, the production of various hydrocarbons and alcohols comprising more than two carbons has been achieved using copper (Cu)‐based catalysts only. Methods for producing specific C2 reduction outcomes with high selectivity, however, are not available thus far. Herein, the morphological effect of a Cu mesopore electrode on the selective production of C2 products, ethylene or ethane, is presented. Cu mesopore electrodes with precisely controlled pore widths and depths were prepared by using a thermal deposition process on anodized aluminum oxide. With this simple synthesis method, we demonstrated that C2 chemical selectivity can be tuned by systematically altering the morphology. Supported by computational simulations, we proved that nanomorphology can change the local pH and, additionally, retention time of key intermediates by confining the chemicals inside the pores.
Amino Acid‐Specific, Ribonucleotide‐Promoted Peptide Formation in the Absence of Enzymes
Authors: Griesser Helmut , Bechthold Maren , Tremmel Peter , Kervio Eric , Richert Clemens
Published: December 2016

Nucleic acids and polypeptides are at the heart of life. It is interesting to ask whether the monomers of these biopolymers possess intrinsic reactivity that favors oligomerization in the absence of enzymes. We have recently observed that covalently linked peptido RNA chains form when mixtures of monomers react in salt‐rich condensation buffer. Here, we report the results of a screen of the 20 proteinogenic amino acids and four ribonucleotides. None of the amino acids prevent phosphodiester formation, so all of them are compatible with genetic encoding through RNA chain growth. A reactivity landscape was found, in which peptide formation strongly depends on the structure of the amino acid, but less on the nucleobase. For example, proline gives ribonucleotide‐bound peptides most readily, tyrosine favors pyrophosphate and phosphodiester formation, and histidine gives phosphorimidazolides as dominant products. When proline and aspartic acid were allowed to compete for incorporation, only proline was found at the N‐terminus of peptido chains. The reactivity described here links two fundamental classes of biomolecules through reactions that occur without enzymes, but with amino acid specificity.
Substrate Binding by a Parallel Metal Sheet Sandwich Complex: A Unique Role of an Additional Metal Atom
Authors: Ishikawa Yuki , Yamamoto Koji , Murahashi Tetsuro
Published: December 2016

A unique metal addition to the edge of a triangular palladium sandwich cluster is reported. While the edge coordination sites of a parallel sandwich complex are narrow because of two sterically encumbering π‐ligands, association of an additional metal atom to a metal sheet gives a wider coordination site. It was proved that the additional metal atom plays a crucial role in binding of cyclopentadienyl by a Pd3 sheet sandwich complex.
“Helix‐in‐Helix” Superstructure Formation through Encapsulation of Fullerene‐Bound Helical Peptides within a Helical Poly(methyl methacrylate) Cavity
Authors: Ousaka Naoki , Mamiya Fumihiko , Iwata Yoshiaki , Nishimura Katsuyuki , Yashima Eiji
Published: December 2016

A one‐handed 310‐helical hexapeptide is efficiently encapsulated within the helical cavity of st‐PMMA when a fullerene (C60) derivative is introduced at the C‐terminal end of the peptide. The encapsulation is accompanied by induction of a preferred‐handed helical conformation in the st‐PMMA backbone with the same‐handedness as that of the hexapeptide to form a crystalline st‐PMMA/peptide‐C60 inclusion complex with a unique optically active helix‐in‐helix structure. Although the st‐PMMA is unable to encapsulate the 310‐helical peptide without the terminal C60 unit, the helical hollow space of the st‐PMMA is almost filled by the C60‐bound peptides. This result suggests that the C60 moiety can serve as a versatile molecular carrier of specific molecules and polymers in the helical cavity of the st‐PMMA for the formation of an inclusion complex, thus producing unique supramolecular soft materials that cannot be prepared by other methods.
Gold‐Catalyzed Direct Oxidative Arylation with Boron Coupling Partners
Authors: Hofer Manuel , Genoux Alexandre , Kumar Roopender , Nevado Cristina
Published: December 2016

An efficient synthesis of biaryls through a gold‐catalyzed oxidative cross‐coupling of arenes with strong electron‐deprived aryl boronates is presented herein. Regio‐ and chemocontrol are achieved by the selective activation of these coupling partners by gold at different oxidation states. Under reaction conditions devoid of basic additives or directing groups, the role of acetato ligand as an internal base has been revealed as a key parameter for expanding the reaction scope in these transformations.
Electrically conductive polycarbonate/ethylene‐propylene copolymer/multi‐walled carbon nanotubes nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties
Authors: Taraghi Iman , Fereidoon Abdolhossein , Paszkiewicz Sandra , Roslaniec Zbigniew
Published: December 2016

In this article, the effect of Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of polycarbonate (PC) toughened with cross‐linked ethylene‐propylene copolymer (EPC) was investigated. The solubility parameters of the PC and EPC were calculated using Hoy methods to clarify the miscibility of the polymer blends. It could be concluded that in the cooled state, the blends form a heterogeneous structure with two separate phases. The tensile, flexural, impact toughness properties of the PC/EPC blend and PC/EPC/MWCNT nanocomposites were carried out to illuminate the optimum concentration of polymer blends and MWCNTs. The 335% increment for the impact strength results appeared with combination of 10% EPC in the PC matrix. The flexural modulus and strength of PC/EPC blend increased by 75.1% and 59.1%, respectively. The Nielsen model was performed to fit the best curve of theoretical simulation to experimental results for elastomeric dispersed in the plastic matrix. Halpin‐Tsai model was applied to estimate the stiffness of nanocomposites blends with different volume fraction and aspect ratio of MWCNTs in the PC/EPC blends. Finally, in the presence of MWCNTs, all nanocomposite samples were semi‐conducting and the percolation threshold of the PC/EPC (10%) blends was between 0.5% and 1.0% MWCNTs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44661.
A Comparative Morphological Study of the Jugal and Quadratojugal in Early Birds and Their Dinosaurian Relatives
Authors: Wang Min , Hu Han
Published: December 2016

The zygoma (called jugal bar) in modern birds accounts for a large portion of the ventral margin of the cranium. As a delicate and rod‐like element, the jugal bar is functionally integrated into the avian cranial kinesis, a unique property that allows the beak to be elevated or depressed with respect to the braincase and thus distinguishes birds from all other modern vertebrates. Developmental studies show that the jugal bar of modern birds is formed by the fusion of the jugal and quadratojugal that are ossified from separated centers. However, those two bones are unfused and exhibit complicated morphological variations in basal birds and their dinosaurian relatives. Moreover, the jugal and quadratojugal form rigid articulations with the postorbital and squamosal, respectively, consequently hindering the movement of the upper jaw in most non‐avian dinosaurs and some basal birds. A comparative study of the jugal and quadratojugal morphology of basal birds and their close relatives such as dromaeosaurids and oviraptorids elucidates how modern birds has achieved its derived jugal bar morphology, and sheds light on the evolution of the postorbital configuration of birds. We propose that numerous morphological modifications of those two elements (morphology changes and reduced articulation with other elements) took place in early bird history, and some of them pertinent to the refinement of the cranial kinesis. Anat Rec, 300:62–75, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TheEvolution of theZygomaticBoneFromAgnatha toTetrapoda
Authors: Gai Zhikun , Yu Xiaobo , Zhu Min
Published: December 2016

Establishing the homology of the zygomatic or jugal bone and tracing its origin and early evolution represents a complex issue because of large morphological gaps between various groups of vertebrates. Using recent paleontological findings, we discuss the deep homology of the zygomatic or jugal bone in stem gnathostomes (placoderms) and examine its homology and modifications in crown gnathostomes (acanthodians, chondrichthyans and osteichthyans). The discovery of the placodermEntelognathusfrom the Silurian of China (∼423 million years ago) established that the large dermal plates in placoderms and osteichthyans are homologous. InEntelognathus, the jugal was joined by a new set of bones (premaxilla, maxilla, and lachrymal), marking the first appearance of the typical vertebrate face found in tetrapods including humans. In non‐Entelognathusplacoderms, the jugal (homologized with the suborbital plate) occupied most of the cheek region and covered the palatoquadrate laterally. In antiarch placoderms (the most basal jawed vertebrates), the jugal (represented by the ventrally positioned mental plate) functioned as part of the upper jaw. In osteichthyans, the preopercular arose as a novel bone and separated the jugal from the opercular in piscine osteichthyans. A single bone in basal osteichthyans, the preopercular may have divided into two or three elements (the preopercular, the squamosal and/or the quadratojugal) in several later osteichthyan groups. Subsequent modifications of the jugal in the fish‐tetrapod transition (its enlargement leading to its contact with the quadratojugal and the separation of the squamosal from the maxilla) brought the vertebrate face to the typical model we see in living tetrapods. Anat Rec, 300:16–29, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
GPR versus Geoarchaeological Findings in a Complex Archaeological Site (Badia Pozzeveri, Italy)
Authors: Ribolini Adriano , Bini Monica , Isola Ilaria , Coschino Francesco , Baroni Carlo , Salvatore Maria Cristina , Zanchetta Giovanni , Fornaciari Antonio
Published: December 2016

The results of a Ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) survey were compared with the archaeological excavation outcomes of a twelfth century abbey site (Badia Pozzeveri). The goal was to associate the types of reflections recorded in GPR profiles and high‐amplitude features visible in amplitude maps with unearthed archaeological features. GPR profiles crossing the walls evidenced axes of hyperbolic point source reflections and short planar reflections respectively generated by the stones forming the lateral sides/upper corners and the top of the structure. Moreover, the stones in the core of the wall caused small hyperbolic point source reflections with interfering axes, which produced a chaotic reflection profile. The resampling and gridding of these reflections collectively generated high‐amplitude linear features in the amplitude maps. The presence in the graves of bones generates small hyperbolic point source reflections with interfering axes in the GPR profile, with a consequently chaotic reflection profile. Moreover, the existence of lythic slabs topping and/or siding the graves generates short planar reflections and axes of hyperbolic point source reflections. The resampling and gridding of these types of reflections generates in the amplitude map features that cannot be locally distinguished from those caused by the local aggregation of sediments with no archaeological relevance. The GPR profiles crossing trenches and pit‐kiln showed dipping reflectors unconformably resting on a basal planar reflector. Disconformity marks the onset of trench and pit‐kiln decommissioning with the infilling of clayey silty layers and anthropogenic remains. These features in the amplitude maps correspond to medium to high‐amplitude areas.

The results show that types of reflection can be associated to specific elements of archaeological structure for a detailed interpretation of a complex subsurface setting. Furthermore, it is evidenced that the interpretation of GPR profiles must be considered an indispensable pre‐requisite for a full comprehension of amplitude maps. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Discovery of T Cell Receptor β Motifs Specific to HLA–B27–Positive Ankylosing Spondylitis by Deep Repertoire Sequence Analysis
Authors: Faham Malek , Carlton Victoria , Moorhead Martin , Zheng Jianbiao , Klinger Mark , Pepin Francois , Asbury Thomas , Vignali Marissa , Emerson Ryan O. , Robins Harlan S. , Ireland James , Baechler‐Gillespie Emily , Inman Robert D.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a chronic inflammatory disorder, has a notable association with HLA–B27. One hypothesis suggests that a common antigen that binds to HLA–B27 is important for AS disease pathogenesis. This study was undertaken to determine sequences and motifs that are shared among HLA–B27–positive AS patients, using T cell repertoire next‐generation sequencing.

Methods

To identify motifs enriched among B27‐positive AS patients, we performed T cell receptor β (TCRβ) repertoire sequencing on samples from 191 B27‐positive AS patients, 43 B27‐negative AS patients, and 227 controls, and we obtained >77 million TCRβ clonotype sequences. First, we assessed whether any of 50 previously published sequences were enriched in B27‐positive AS patients. We then used training and test cohorts to identify discovered motifs that were enriched in B27‐positive AS patients versus controls.

Results

Six previously published and 11 discovered motifs were enriched in the B27‐positive AS samples as compared to controls. After combining motifs related by sequence, we identified a total of 15 independent motifs. Both the full set of 15 motifs and a set of 6 published motifs were enriched in the B27‐positive AS patients as compared to B27‐positive healthy individuals (P = 0.049 and P = 0.001, respectively). Using an independent cohort, we validated that at least some of these motifs were associated with AS, and not simply with B27‐positive status.

Conclusion

We identified TCRβ motifs that are enriched in B27‐positive AS patients as compared to B27‐positive healthy controls. This suggests that a common antigen, presented by HLA–B27 and detected by CD8+ T cells, may be associated with AS disease pathogenesis.
Knowledge‐dissemination channels: Analytics of stature evaluation
Authors: Chen Liang , Holsapple Clyde W. , Hsiao Shih‐Hui (Steven) , Ke Zhihong , Oh Jae‐Young , Yang Zhiguo
Published: December 2016

Understanding relative statures of channels for disseminating knowledge is of practical interest to both generators and consumers of knowledge flows. For generators, stature can influence attractiveness of alternative dissemination routes and deliberations of those who assess generator performance. For knowledge consumers, channel stature may influence knowledge content to which they are exposed. This study introduces a novel approach to conceptualizing and measuring stature of knowledge‐dissemination channels: the power‐impact (PI) technique. It is a flexible technique having 3 complementary variants, giving holistic insights about channel stature by accounting for both attraction of knowledge generators to a distribution channel and degree to which knowledge consumers choose to use a channel's knowledge content. Each PI variant is expressed in terms of multiple parameters, permitting customization of stature evaluation to suit its user's preferences. In the spirit of analytics, each PI variant is driven by objective evidence of actual behaviors. The PI technique is based on 2 building blocks: (a) power that channels have for attracting results of generators' knowledge work, and (b) impact that channel contents' exhibit on prospective recipients. Feasibility and functionality of the PI‐technique design are demonstrated by applying it to solve a problem of journal stature evaluation for the information‐systems discipline.
Incremental author name disambiguation by exploiting domain‐specific heuristics
Authors: Santana Alan Filipe , Gonçalves Marcos André , Laender Alberto H. F. , Ferreira Anderson A.
Published: December 2016

The vast majority of the current author name disambiguation solutions are designed to disambiguate a whole digital library (DL) at once considering the entire repository. However, these solutions besides being very expensive and having scalability problems, also may not benefit from eventual manual corrections, as they may be lost whenever the process of disambiguating the entire repository is required. In the real world, in which repositories are updated on a daily basis, incremental solutions that disambiguate only the newly introduced citation records, are likely to produce improved results in the long run. However, the problem of incremental author name disambiguation has been largely neglected in the literature. In this article we present a new author name disambiguation method, specially designed for the incremental scenario. In our experiments, our new method largely outperforms recent incremental proposals reported in the literature as well as the current state‐of‐the‐art non‐incremental method.
Co‐word maps and topic modeling: A comparison using small and medium‐sized corpora (N < 1,000)
Authors: Leydesdorff Loet , Nerghes Adina
Published: December 2016

Induced by “big data,” “topic modeling” has become an attractive alternative to mapping co‐words in terms of co‐occurrences and co‐absences using network techniques. Does topic modeling provide an alternative for co‐word mapping in research practices using moderately sized document collections? We return to the word/document matrix using first a single text with a strong argument (“The Leiden Manifesto”) and then upscale to a sample of moderate size (n = 687) to study the pros and cons of the two approaches in terms of the resulting possibilities for making semantic maps that can serve an argument. The results from co‐word mapping (using two different routines) versus topic modeling are significantly uncorrelated. Whereas components in the co‐word maps can easily be designated, the topic models provide sets of words that are very differently organized. In these samples, the topic models seem to reveal similarities other than semantic ones (e.g., linguistic ones). In other words, topic modeling does not replace co‐word mapping in small and medium‐sized sets; but the paper leaves open the possibility that topic modeling would work well for the semantic mapping of large sets.
Citation behavior: A large‐scale test of the persuasion by name‐dropping hypothesis
Authors: Frandsen Tove Faber , Nicolaisen Jeppe
Published: December 2016

Citation frequencies are commonly interpreted as measures of quality or impact. Yet, the true nature of citations and their proper interpretation have been the center of a long, but still unresolved discussion in Bibliometrics. A comparison of 67,578 pairs of studies on the same healthcare topic, with the same publication age (1–15 years) reveals that when one of the studies is being selected for citation, it has on average received about three times as many citations as the other study. However, the average citation‐gap between selected or deselected studies narrows slightly over time, which fits poorly with the name‐dropping interpretation and better with the quality and impact‐interpretation. The results demonstrate that authors in the field of Healthcare tend to cite highly cited documents when they have a choice. This is more likely caused by differences related to quality than differences related to status of the publications cited.
Beyond distributions and primary goods: Assessing applications of rawls in information science and technology literature since 1990
Authors: Hoffmann Anna Lauren
Published: December 2016

This article reviews the ways in which the work and ideas of political philosopher John Rawls have been appropriated or applied by scholars of information science, technology, and related areas since 1990. The article begins with an overview of Rawls's work, paying particular attention to its foundations and methods. Subsequently, a 2‐phase discussion of the literature is presented. The first phase reviews engagements with Rawls from more than 150 scholarly articles from databases and journals dedicated to information and technology ethics, information/technology studies, philosophy of technology, and technology and human values. The second phase focuses on scholars who have demonstrated a significant commitment to Rawlsian theory in these areas. Overall, the review demonstrates that most significant applications of Rawls are oriented toward unequal distributions of informational goods exacerbated by advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs). Critically, however, scholars in this area have overlooked the relevance of Rawls's foundations for the sorts of complex networked relationships afforded by those same advanced ICTs. Rather than representing a fatal gap, it opens up a new avenue for the renewed consideration of Rawls—his ideas on the basic structure of society and the importance of self‐respect are offered as 2 possible paths forward.
Book genre and author gender: Romance>Paranormal‐Romance to Autobiography>Memoir
Authors: Thelwall Mike
Published: December 2016

Although gender differences are known to exist in the publishing industry and in reader preferences, there is little public systematic data about them. This article uses evidence from the book‐based social website Goodreads to provide a large scale analysis of 50 major English book genres based on author genders. The results show gender differences in authorship in almost all categories and gender differences the level of interest in, and ratings of, books in a minority of categories. Perhaps surprisingly in this context, there is not a clear gender‐based relationship between the success of an author and their prevalence within a genre. The unexpected almost universal authorship gender differences should give new impetus to investigations of the importance of gender in fiction and the success of minority genders in some genres should encourage publishers and librarians to take their work seriously, except perhaps for most male‐authored chick‐lit.
Real‐Time Sliding Mode Observer Scheme for Shear Force Estimation in a Transverse Dynamic Force Microscope
Authors: Nguyen Thang , Khan Said G , Hatano Toshiaki , Zhang Kaiqiang , Edwards Christopher , Herrmann Guido , Harniman Robert , Burgess Stuart C. , Antognozzi Massimo , Miles Mervyn
Published: December 2016

This paper describes a sliding mode observer scheme for estimation of the shear force affecting the cantilever in a Transverse Dynamic Force Microscope (TDFM). The vertically oriented cantilever is oscillated in the proximity to the specimen under investigation. The amplitude of oscillation of the cantilever tip is affected by these shear forces. They are created by the ordered‐water layer above the specimen. The oscillation amplitude is therefore a measure of distance between the tip and the surface of the specimen. Consequently, the estimation of the shear forces provides useful information about the specimen characteristics. For estimating the shear forces, an approximate finite dimensional model of the cantilever is created using the method of lines. This model is subsequently reduced in terms of its order. An unknown input sliding mode observer has been used to reconstruct the unknown shear forces using only tip position measurements and the cantilever excitation. This paper describes the development of the sliding mode scheme and presents experimental results from the TDFM set up at the Centre for Nanoscience and Quantum Information (NSQI) at Bristol University.
Convergence Results of the Biconjugate Residual Algorithm for Solving Generalized Sylvester Matrix Equation
Authors: Hajarian Masoud
Published: December 2016

In this article, we investigate a variant of the biconjugate residual (BCR) algorithm to solve the generalized Sylvester matrix equation
which includes the well‐known Lyapunov, Stein and Sylvester matrix equations. We show that the BCR algorithm with any (special) initial matrix pair can smoothly compute the (least Frobenius norm) solution pair of the generalized Sylvester matrix equation within a finite number of iterations in the absence of round‐off errors. Finally the accuracy and effectiveness of the BCR algorithm in comparison to some existing algorithms are demonstrated by two numerical examples.
Negletein as a neuroprotectant enhances the action of nerve growth factor and induces neurite outgrowth in PC12 cells
Authors: Phan Chia‐Wei , Sabaratnam Vikineswary , Bovicelli Paolo , Righi Giuliana , Saso Luciano
Published: December 2016

Negletein has been shown to have therapeutic potential for inflammation‐associated diseases, but its effect on neurite outgrowth is still unknown. The present study showed that negletein alone did not trigger PC12 cells to differentiate and extend neurites. When compared with the cells in the untreated control, a significant (P < 0.05) induction and a higher neurite outgrowth activity was observed when the cells were cotreated with negletein (10 µM) and a low dose of nerve growth factor (NGF; 5 ng/mL). The neurite outgrowth process was blocked by the tyrosine kinase receptor (Trk) inhibitor, K252a, suggesting that the neuritogenic effect was NGF‐dependent. Negletein (10 µM) together with NGF (5 ng/mL) enhanced the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs), protein kinase B (Akt), and cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB). The growth associated protein‐43 (GAP‐43) and the NGF level were also upregulated by negletein (10 µM) and a low dose of NGF (5 ng/mL). Negletein at nanomolar concentration also was found to be sufficient to mediate the survival of serum‐deprived PC12 cells up to 72 h. Taken together, negletein might be useful as an efficient bioactive compound to protect neurons from cell death and promote neuritogenesis. © 2016 BioFactors, 42(6):591–599, 2016
Short‐term ubiquinol supplementation reduces oxidative stress associated with strenuous exercise in healthy adults: A randomized trial
Authors: Sarmiento Alvaro , Diaz‐Castro Javier , Pulido‐Moran Mario , Moreno‐Fernandez Jorge , Kajarabille Naroa , Chirosa Ignacio , Guisado Isabel M. , Javier Chirosa Luis , Guisado Rafael , Ochoa Julio J.
Published: December 2016

Studies about Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation on strenuous exercise are scarce, especially those related with oxidative stress associated with physical activity and virtually nonexistent with the reduced form, Ubiquinol. The objective of this study was to determine, for the first time, whether a short‐term supplementation with Ubiquinol can prevent oxidative stress associated to strenuous exercise. The participants (n = 100 healthy and well trained, but not on an elite level) were classified in two groups: Ubiquinol (experimental group), and placebo group (control). The protocol consisted of conducting two identical strenuous exercise tests with a rest period between tests of 24 h. Blood and urine samples were collected from the participants before supplementation (basal value) (T1), after supplementation (2 weeks) (T2), after first physical exercise test (T3), after 24 h of rest (T4), and after second physical exercise test (T5).The increase observed in the lactate, isoprostanes, DNA damage, and hydroperoxide levels reveals the severity of the oxidative damage induced by the exercise. There was a reduction in the isoprostanes, 8‐OHdG, oxidized LDL, and hydroperoxydes in the supplemented Ubiquinol group, an increase in total antioxidant status, fat soluble antioxidant (both plasma and membrane), and CAT activity. Also, NO in the Ubiquinol‐supplemented group was maintained within a narrow range. Oxidative stress induced by strenuous exercise is accumulative and increases transiently in subsequent sessions of physical activity. A short‐term supplementation (2 weeks) with Ubiquinol (200 mg/day) before strenuous exercise, decreases oxidative stress and increases plasma NO, fact that could improve endothelial function, energetic substrate supply, and muscle recovery after strenuous exercise. © 2016 BioFactors, 42(6):612–622, 2016
Oral 2‐oleyl glyceryl ether improves glucose tolerance in mice through the GPR119 receptor
Authors: Hassing H.A. , Engelstoft M.S. , Sichlau R.M. , Madsen A.N. , Rehfeld J.F. , Pedersen J. , Jones R.M. , Holst J.J. , Schwartz T.W. , Rosenkilde M.M. , Hansen H.S.
Published: December 2016

The intestinal G protein‐coupled receptor GPR119 is a novel metabolic target involving glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1)‐derived insulin‐regulated glucose homeostasis. Endogenous and diet‐derived lipids, including N‐acylethanolamines and 2‐monoacylglycerols (2‐MAG) activate GPR119. The purpose of this work is to evaluate whether 2‐oleoyl glycerol (2‐OG) improves glucose tolerance through GPR119, using wild type (WT) and GPR 119 knock out (KO) mice. We here show that GPR119 is essential for 2‐OG‐mediated release of GLP‐1 and CCK from GLUTag cells, since a GPR119 specific antagonist completely abolished the hormone release. Similarly, in isolated primary colonic crypt cultures from WT mice, GPR119 was required for 2‐OG‐stimulated GLP‐1 release while there was no response in crypts from KO mice. In vivo, gavage with 2‐oleyl glyceryl ether ((2‐OG ether), a stable 2‐OG analog with a potency of 5.3 µM for GPR119 with respect to cAMP formation as compared to 2.3 µM for 2‐OG), significantly (P < 0.05) improved glucose clearance in WT littermates, but not in GPR119 KO mice. Finally, deletion of GPR119 in mice resulted in lower glucagon levels, whereas the levels of insulin and GIP were unchanged. In the present study we show that 2‐OG stimulates GLP‐1 secretion through GPR119 activation in vitro, and that fat‐derived 2‐MAGs are potent candidates for mediating fat‐induced GLP‐1 release through GPR119 in vivo. © 2016 BioFactors, 42(6):665–673, 2016
Meta-analysis of operative experiences of general surgery trainees during training
Authors: Elsey E J , Griffiths G , Humes D J , West J
Published: December 2016

Background

General surgical training curricula around the world set defined operative numbers to be achieved before completion of training. However, there are few studies reporting total operative experience in training. This systematic review aimed to quantify the published global operative experience at completion of training in general surgery.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched systematically for articles in any language relating to operative experience in trainees completing postgraduate general surgical training. Two reviewers independently assessed citations for inclusion using agreed criteria. Studies were assessed for quantitative data in addition to study design and purpose. A meta-analysis was performed using a random-effects model of studies with appropriate data.

Results

The search resulted in 1979 titles for review. Of these, 24 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review and data from five studies were used in the meta-analysis. Studies with published data of operative experience at completion of surgical training originated from the USA (19), UK (2), the Netherlands (1), Spain (1) and Thailand (1). Mean total operative experience in training varied from 783 procedures in Thailand to 1915 in the UK. Meta-analysis produced a mean pooled estimate of 1366 (95 per cent c.i. 1026 to 1707) procedures per trainee at completion of training. There was marked heterogeneity between studies (I2 = 99·6 per cent).

Conclusion

There is a lack of robust data describing the operative experiences of general surgical trainees outside the USA. The number of surgical procedures performed by general surgeons in training varies considerably across the world.
As one door closes, another opens
Authors: Earnshaw J J
Published: December 2016

Welcome to BJS Open
President's Page
Authors: Connaway Lynn Silipigni
Published: December 2016

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The 2016 ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Copenhagen was the first major event opening Lynn Silipigni Connaway's term as ASIS&T president for 2016–2017. Connaway expressed thanks to the meeting co‐chairs for organizing a stimulating program with a variety of new and familiar events, attracting attendees from 37 countries. She recalled the SIG CON dedicated to Dick Hill, retiring as executive director. As Nadia Caidi steps down as Association president, Connaway recognized her leadership with plans to build on her initiatives to broaden membership, strengthen member engagement and support Association groups and other organizations dedicated to the information profession. Celebrations of the Association's 80th anniversary are being planned throughout the year to culminate at the 2017 Annual Meeting. Connaway noted other international chapter events in Italy, Barcelona and Taipei scheduled for fall 2017. She closed by inviting members to get involved in Association committees.
Interview with Yolande Nanayakkara
Authors: Travis Irene
Published: December 2016

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Yolande Nanayakkara has been selected as the first communications officer by ASIS&T, a role prompted by the Board's view that the organization needs to be more visible and to engage more effectively with international members. In an interview with ASIS&T Bulletin editor Irene Travis, Nanayakkara noted that ASIS&T seeks to break down geographical barriers and enhance the free exchange of ideas and networking. She intends to focus on consistent branding throughout communications and marketing, emphasizing the connection between information science and other fields of study and industries, and expanding use of technology to promote interaction. Nanayakkara looks forward to applying her personal creativity, academic background in organizational psychology and broad career experience in the management of nonprofits to help strengthen and build ASIS&T through innovative marketing and communications.
Increasing Patient Findability of Medical Research: Annotating Clinical Trials Using Standard Vocabularies
Authors: Panzer Michael
Published: December 2016

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Multiple groups at Mayo Clinic organize knowledge with the aid of metadata for a variety of purposes. The ontology group focuses on consumer‐oriented health information using several controlled vocabularies to support and coordinate care providers, consumers, clinical knowledge and, as part of its research management, information on clinical trials. Poor findability, inconsistent indexing and specialized language undermined the goal of increasing trial participation. The ontology group designed a metadata framework addressing disorders and procedures, investigational drugs and clinical departments, adopted and translated the clinical terminology of SNOMED CT and RxNorm vocabularies to consumer language and coordinated terminology with Mayo's Consumer Health Vocabulary. The result enables retrieval of clinical trial information from multiple access points including conditions, procedures, drug names, organizations involved and trial phase. The jump in inquiries since the search site was revised and vocabularies were modified show evidence of success.
A Comparison of ddPCR and ARMS for detecting EGFR T790M status in ctDNA from advanced NSCLC patients with acquired EGFR‐TKI resistance
Authors: Wang Wenxian , Song Zhengbo , Zhang Yiping
Published: December 2016

A sensitive and convenient method for detecting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutations from circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with acquired EGFR‐TKI resistance would be desirable to direct patient sequential treatment strategy. A comparison of two platforms for detecting EGFR mutations in plasma ctDNA was undertaken. Plasma samples and tumor samples were collected from patients with acquired EGFR‐TKI resistance in Zhejiang Cancer Hospital from December 2014 to December 2015. Extracted ctDNA was analyzed using two platforms (Droplet Digital PCR and ARMS [dPCR]). A total of 108 patients were enrolled in this study. One hundred and eight patient plasma samples were detected by ddPCR and 75 were detected by ARMS. And 16 patients obtained tissue re‐biopsy, using ARMS assay for detecting EGFR T790M mutation. In all, 43.7% (47/108) had acquired T790M mutation by ddPCR. In 75 patient plasma samples, comparing ddPCR with ARMS, the rates of T790M mutation were 46.7% (35/75) and 25.3% (19/75) by ddPCR and ARMS, respectively. Of all, 16 patients both had tumor and plasma samples, the T790M mutation rates were 56.3% (9/16) by ARMS in tissue and 50.5% (8/16) by ddPCR in plasma ctDNA. The progression mode tended to gradual progression in T790M mutation patients (40.4%), but the T790M negative was inclined to the mode of dramatic progression (39.3%). The patients with T790M‐positive tumors had a longer time to disease progression after treatment with EGFR‐TKIs (median, 13.1 months vs. 10.8 months; P = 0.010) and overall survival (median, 35.3 months vs. 30.3 months; P = 0.214) compared with those with T790M‐negative patients. Our study demonstrates ddPCR assay may provide a highly sensitive method to detect EGFR T790M gene in plasma. And T790M‐positive patients have better clinical outcomes to EGFR‐TKIs than T790M‐negative patients.
Venous thromboembolism in metastatic urothelial carcinoma or variant histologies: incidence, associative factors, and effect on survival
Authors: Ramos Jorge D. , Casey Martin F. , Crabb Simon J. , Bamias Aristotelis , Harshman Lauren C. , Wong Yu‐Ning , Bellmunt Joaquim , De Giorgi Ugo , Ladoire Sylvain , Powles Thomas , Pal Sumanta K. , Niegisch Guenter , Recine Federica , Alva Ajjai , Agarwal Neeraj , Necchi Andrea , Vaishampayan Ulka N. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Galsky Matthew D. , Yu Evan Y. ,   RISC Investigators
Published: December 2016

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common in cancer patients. However, little is known about VTE risk in metastatic urothelial carcinoma or variant histologies (UC/VH). We sought to characterize the incidence, associative factors, including whether various chemotherapy regimens portend different risk, and impact of VTE on survival in metastatic UC/VH patients. Patients diagnosed with metastatic UC/VH from 2000 to 2013 were included in this multicenter retrospective, international study from 29 academic institutions. Cumulative and 6‐month VTE incidence rates were determined. The association of first‐line chemotherapy (divided into six groups) and other baseline characteristics on VTE were analyzed. Each chemotherapy treatment group and statistically significant baseline clinical characteristics were assessed in a multivariate, competing‐risk regression model. VTE patients were matched to non‐VTE patients to determine the impact of VTE on overall survival. In all, 1762 patients were eligible for analysis. There were 144 (8.2%) and 90 (5.1%) events cumulative and within the first 6 months, respectively. VTE rates based on chemotherapy group demonstrated no statistical difference when gemcitabine/cisplatin was used as the comparator. Non‐urotheilal histology (SHR: 2.67; 95% CI: 1.72–4.16, P < 0.001), moderate to severe renal dysfunction (SHR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.26–3.59, P = 0.005), and cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk factors (SHR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.49–3.45, P = 0.001) were associated with increased VTE rates. Overall survival was worse in patients with VTE (median 6.0 m vs. 10.2 m, P < 0.001). Thus, in metastatic UC/VH patients, VTE is common and has a negative impact on survival. We identified multiple associated potential risk factors, although different chemotherapy regimens did not alter risk.
Selectivity‐Enhancing Effect of a SCILL Catalyst in Butadiene Hydrogenation
Authors: Barth Theresa , Korth Wolfgang , Jess Andreas
Published: December 2016

Directing the selectivity towards one particular product in a series of consecutive reactions is challenging. Solid catalysts with an ionic liquid layer (SCILL) can be a tool to get a high selectivity of a desired intermediate. For the hydrogenation of butadiene, SCILL catalysts with palladium as active metal yield butene selectivities of up to 99 % even for full conversion of butadiene. Experimental results are presented which corroborate that the SCILL effect is mainly explained by competitive adsorption.
Large Areal Mass, Mechanically Tough and Freestanding Electrode Based on Heteroatom‐doped Carbon Nanofibers for Flexible Supercapacitors
Authors: Liu Rong , Ma Lina , Mei Jia , Huang Shu , Yang Shaoqiang , Li Enyuan , Yuan Guohui
Published: December 2016

A flexible and freestanding supercapacitor electrode with a N,P‐co‐doped carbon nanofiber network (N,P‐CNFs)/graphene (GN) composite loaded on bacterial cellulose (BC) is first designed and fabricated in a simple, low‐cost, and effective approach. The porous structure and excellent mechanical properties make the BC paper an ideal substrate that shows a large areal mass of 8 mg cm−2. As a result, the flexible N,P‐CNFs/GN/BC paper electrode shows appreciable areal capacitance (1990 mF cm−2 in KOH and 2588 mF cm−2 in H2SO4 electrolytes) without sacrificing gravimetric capacitance (248.8 F g−1 and 323.5 F g−1), exhibits excellent cycling ability (without capacity loss after 20 000 cycles), and remarkable tensile strength (42.8 MPa). By direct coupling of two membrane electrodes, the symmetric supercapacitor delivers a prominent areal capacitance of 690 mF cm−2 in KOH and 898 mF cm−2 in H2SO4, and remarkable power/energy density (19.98 mW cm−2/0.096 mW h cm−2 in KOH and 35.01 mW cm−2/0.244 mW h cm−2 in H2SO4). Additionally, it shows stable behavior in both bent and flat states. These results promote new opportunities for N,P‐CNFs/GN/BC paper electrodes as high areal performance, freestanding electrodes for flexible supercapacitors.
Dithienyl Acenedithiophenediones as New π‐Extended Quinoidal Cores: Synthesis and Properties
Authors: Kawabata Kohsuke , Osaka Itaru , Sawamoto Masanori , Zafra José L. , Mayorga Burrezo Paula , Casado Juan , Takimiya Kazuo
Published: December 2016

We have synthesized two isomeric pairs of benzo‐ and naphthodithiophenediones with two flanking thiophenes and characterized them by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis, cyclic voltammetry, steady‐state optical electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies, transient absorption spectroscopy, and vibrational spectroscopies with in situ spectroelectrochemistry techniques, and then compared them with the thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene‐2,5‐dione counterpart that we previously reported. The results show that the central acenedithiophenedione cores have quinoidal conjugation with closed‐shell character. The π‐extension of the quinoidal core raises (lowers) the HOMO (LUMO) energy levels of the triads, resulting in the drastic reduction of their energy gaps from approximately 2.0 eV to 1.1 eV. Owing to the electron‐withdrawing nature of the carbonyl terminal group at the quinoidal core, the triads have low‐lying LUMO energy levels ranging from −3.9 eV to −4.3 eV, and can be regarded as strong electron‐acceptor building units. Interestingly, the pairs of structural isomers have similar electronic structures in both the neutral and charged states despite the different shapes (linear and angular) and/or symmetry (C2h and C2v) of the acenedithiophenedione cores.
Cyclopropane‐Based Peptidomimetics Mimicking Wide‐Ranging Secondary Structures of Peptides: Conformational Analysis and Their Use in Rational Ligand Optimization
Authors: Mizuno Akira , Kameda Tomoshi , Kuwahara Tomoki , Endoh Hideyuki , Ito Yoshihiko , Yamada Shizuo , Hasegawa Kimiko , Yamano Akihito , Watanabe Mizuki , Arisawa Mitsuhiro , Shuto Satoshi
Published: December 2016

Detailed conformational analyses of our previously reported cyclopropane‐based peptidomimetics and conformational analysis‐driven ligand optimization are described. Computational calculations and X‐ray crystallography showed that the characteristic features of cyclopropane function effectively to constrain the molecular conformation in a three‐dimensionally diverse manner. Subsequent principal component analysis revealed that the diversity covers the broad chemical space filled by peptide secondary structures in terms of both main‐chain and side‐chain conformations. Based on these analyses, a lead stereoisomer targeting melanocortin receptors was identified, and its potency and subtype selectivity were improved by further derivatization. The presented strategy is effective not only for designing non‐peptidic ligands from a peptide ligand but also for the rational optimization of these ligands based on the plausible target‐binding conformation without requiring the three‐ dimensional structural information of the target and its peptide ligands.
Text message reminders increased colorectal cancer screening in a randomized trial with Alaska Native and American Indian people
Authors: Muller Clemma J. , Robinson Renee F. , Smith Julia J. , Jernigan Meghan A. , Hiratsuka Vanessa , Dillard Denise A. , Buchwald Dedra
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUND

Alaska Native and American Indian people (AN/AIs) have a high incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) and CRC‐related mortality. Screening can prevent death from CRC, but screening rates are low in racially and ethnically diverse populations. The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial using text messaging to increase CRC screening among unscreened AN/AIs in a tribal health care system in Anchorage, Alaska.

METHODS

The intervention entailed up to 3 text messages sent 1 month apart. The authors randomized 2386 AN/AIs aged 40 to 75 years who were eligible for CRC screening to the intervention or usual‐care control conditions. Screening status was ascertained from electronic health records 3 months and 6 months after the last text message. Hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, stratified by age and sex.

RESULTS

The intervention increased CRC screening for AN/AIs aged 50 to 75 years (HR, 1.42; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.97‐2.09) and aged 40 to 49 years (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.95‐1.62). Within both age groups, the HRs were higher for women (HR, 1.69 [95% CI, 1.02‐2.80] and HR, 1.37 [95% CI, 1.01‐1.88]) compared with men (HR, 1.09 [95% CI, 0.59‐1.99] and HR, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.54‐1.53]). Interaction analysis yielded P values of .55 and .09, respectively, for age and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

A simple text messaging intervention was found to increase CRC screening rates in AN/AIs, a group with high CRC morbidity and mortality. Text messaging may be a cost‐effective means of reducing CRC screening disparities in AN/AIs and other populations. Cancer 2017;123:1382–1389. © 2016 American Cancer Society.