bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of multi‐class antibiotic residues in compost by microwave‐enhanced accelerated solvent extraction and ultra performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Lu Xue‐feng , Zhou Yang , Zhang Jian , Ren Yu‐peng
Published: January 2019

This work reports the development and application of a multi‐class compound analysis method for the determination of 20 antibiotic residues in compost. Samples were processed by microwave‐enhanced accelerated solvent extraction at 120°C for 7.5 min. Salting‐out homogeneous liquid‐liquid extraction was used to remove water and water‐soluble impurities from the extract before ultra performance convergence chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis. By using the supercritical fluid (carbon dioxide) and organic solvent (methanol) as the mobile phase, the 20 antibiotics and the internal standard were well separated in 8.2 min without obvious matrix effect. Method validation was performed and good trueness (relative error in the range of ±5.0%) and precision (inter‐ and intraday relative standard deviations < 10.8%) were obtained. Method detection and quantitation limits were 0.8–1.9 and 2.7–7.1 ng/g, respectively. Recoveries were assessed at three concentration levels (10, 60, and 400 ng/g) and acceptable mean values (70.4–111.9%) were found. This method has also been used to analyze real samples, and the average concentrations of antibiotics (excepting the concentrations < method quantitation limits) were determined up to 123.6 ng/g. The results showed the method could be helpful for the analysis of multi‐class antibiotics in environmental samples.
Revisiting age‐related admission following tonsillectomy in the pediatric population
Authors: Evans Sean S. , Cho Do Yeon , Richman Joshua , Kulbersh Brian
Published: January 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

The objectives of this study were to examine patient outcomes using a 36‐month age cutoff as a strict admission criterion following tonsillectomy, and review the safety and determine the plausibility of same‐day discharge of children under 3 years old following tonsillectomy.

Study Design

Retrospective chart review.

Methods

A chart review of patients aged 24 to 42 months undergoing tonsillectomy over a 3‐year period was conducted. Patients were stratified into <36 months and ≥ 36 months cohorts. Data collected included demographics, medical/sleep history, inpatient records, 30‐day emergency department visits, and readmission data. Bivariate comparisons were made using χ2 and Wilcoxon tests for categorical and continuous variables.

Results

Between July 2014 and July 2017, 427 patients aged 24 to 42 months underwent tonsillectomy at our institution. Thirty‐day emergency department visit, readmission, and greater‐than‐expected length of stay rates were 3.0% versus 3.7% (P = .75), 1.0 versus 1.8% (P = .61), and 4.7% versus 4.5% (P = 1.00) between the younger and older cohorts, respectively, with no difference in complication rates identified based on age.

Conclusions

No significant difference in adverse outcomes was appreciated based on a cutoff of 36 months of age at a tertiary center over 3 years. There should continue to be ongoing studies addressing strict age‐related admission criteria.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 129:E389–E394, 2019
Tracking Lagrangian transport in Lake Geneva: A 3D numerical modeling investigation
Authors: Cimatoribus A. A. , Lemmin U. , Barry D. A.
Published: January 2019

Lake Geneva, the largest freshwater lake in Western Europe, is subject to important environmental pressures from its densely populated shores and watershed. To maintain and improve water quality in this lake, as well as in other enclosed or semi‐enclosed basins, it is essential to understand and be able to predict how nutrients and pollutants are transported within it. A 3D numerical modeling study of Lagrangian transport in Lake Geneva is presented, showing the dispersion of water (based on tracking inert water particles) inflowing from the lake's main tributary, the Rhône River. The relation between dominant winds, circulation patterns, and transport was analyzed. The results demonstrated that transport within the lake is highly inhomogeneous in space and intermittent in time, because water mass movements are controlled by the wind‐induced formation of large‐scale gyres and their subsequent breakdown into smaller ones. Particle spreading was shown to be sensitive to the depth of the initial particle release, and to the mean depth of the particles’ trajectory. However, several preferential pathways could be identified. Some water particles rapidly (days) traveled across the entire lake, through the near‐shore region in the upper layer, while others remained trapped for months, particularly in the central region of the lake at depth. Deeper particles tended to remain longer in the lake, due to the insulating effect of stratification, bathymetry obstacles, and slower currents at greater depth.
Zwitterionic Functionalizable Scaffolds with Gyroid Pore Architecture for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Kostina Nina Yu. , Blanquer Sebastien , Pop‐Georgievski Ognen , Rahimi Khosrow , Dittrich Barbara , Höcherl Anita , Michálek Jiří , Grijpma Dirk W. , Rodriguez‐Emmenegger Cesar
Published: January 2019

Stereolithography‐assisted fabrication of hydrogels of carboxybetaine methacrylamide (CBMAA) and a α,ω‐methacrylate poly(d,l‐lactide‐block‐ethylene glycol‐block‐
d,l‐lactide) (MA‐PDLLA‐PEG‐PDLLA‐MA) telechelic triblock macromer is presented. This technique allows printing complex structures with gyroid interconnected porosity possessing extremely high specific area.

Hydrogels are characterized by infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). The copolymerization with zwitterionic comonomer leads hydrogels with high equilibrium water content (EWC), up to 700% while maintaining mechanical robustness. The introduction of carboxybetaine yields excellent resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption while providing a facile way for specific biofunctionalization with a model protein, fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin (BSA). The homogeneous protein immobilization across the hydrogel pores prove the accessibility to the innermost pore volumes.

The remarkably low protein adsorption combined with the interconnected nature of the porosity allowing fast diffusion of nutrient and waste product and the mimicry of bone trabecular, makes the hydrogels presented here highly attractive for tissue engineering.
NIR‐Induced Disintegration of CuS‐Loaded Nanogels for Improved Tumor Penetration and Enhanced Anticancer Therapy
Authors: Zhang Zihao , Zhang Xucheng , Ding Yuxue , Long Peihua , Guo Jia , Wang Changchun
Published: January 2019

Nanocarrier‐based cancer therapy suffers from poor tumor penetration and unsatisfied therapeutical efficacy, as its vascular extravasation efficiency is often compromised by the intrinsic physiological heterogeneity in tumor tissues. In this work, novel near infrared (NIR)‐responsive CuS‐loaded nanogels are prepared to deliver anticarcinogen into the tumor. These hybrid polymeric nanogels possess high photothermal conversion efficiency, and are able to load a large amount of antitumor drug (e.g., doxorubicin [DOX]). More importantly, the thermal heat could induce self‐destruction of the big‐size framework of hybrid nanogels into small nanoparticles, which greatly facilitates tumor penetration to release DOX deep inside the tumor, as validated by photoacoustic (PA) imaging which exhibits 26.3 times enhancement at the interior region compared to signals of groups without laser irradiation. Such structural alteration, combined with strong photothermal and chemotherapy effects, leads to remarkable inhibition of tumor growth in mice. As a result, this NIR‐induced disintegration of CuS‐loaded nanogels provides a novel drug delivery strategy and might open a new window for clinical cancer treatment.
Promoted Proliferation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells Enabled by a Hyaluronic Acid/Carbon Nanotubes Antioxidant Hydrogel
Authors: Zhang Yuanhao , Tong Yudong , Pan Xiuwei , Cai Haibo , Gao Yun , Zhang Weian
Published: January 2019

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level is closely associated with the physiological function of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in ex vivo culture systems. Previously developed hydrogels in use of HSCs culture have generally failed in considering their antioxidant property. In the present work, antioxidant hydrogels are constructed to evaluate the biological effect of ROS on HSCs proliferation by suppressing oxidative stress damage. Functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which act as potential antioxidants, are physically encapsulated in biocompatible hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels to achieve long‐term antioxidant activity. Consequently, these hybrid hydrogels exhibit enhanced physical properties and superior scavenging capability on oxides and peroxides compared to the pure HA hydrogel. The results indicate that ROS significantly inhibit the biological characteristics of HSCs. Nevertheless, the proliferation ability and pluripotency are dramatically improved when the culture system is supplied with the antioxidant hydrogel, revealing that the CNT‐incorporated hydrogel can effectively relieve oxidative stress response in HSCs and reduce apoptosis from ROS. Therefore, the HA/CNT hydrogel can provide a novel strategy to establish an artificial microenvironment with a low ROS level for HSCs proliferation.
Resonance Effects in High‐Frequency Heating of Isolated Protonated Poly(ethylene oxide) Chains in a Vacuum
Authors: Dubrovskii Sergey A. , Balabaev Nikolay K.
Published: January 2019

Heating of isolated protonated poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) chains in an intense high‐frequency electric field in a vacuum is studied using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The chain heats up, absorbing the energy of the field due to internal friction. The absorption coefficient depends on the frequency of the field, and also on the length and temperature of the chain. At high temperatures, the absorption spectrum has two distinct peaks in the frequency range from 1 to 100 GHz. Near these peaks and at higher frequencies, the chain rotates as a single whole and takes stretched conformations. The frequency of rotation is determined by the length and degree of stretching of the chain. This frequency and the frequencies of the absorption peaks are inversely proportional to the chain length. The observed behavior is explained by considering the chain as a damped spatial oscillator in which both the linear (conventional) and nonlinear resonances arise.
Mechanical and tribological performance of polyamide 12 reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets and paraffin oil nanocomposites
Authors: Hassan A. E. M. , EiD A. I. , El‐Sheikh M. , Ali W.Y.
Published: January 2019

With polymeric nanocomposites many problems due to their extensive applications such as aerospace, automobiles, coatings, and packaging materials were solved. In this study, polyamide 12/graphene nanoplatelets impregnated by paraffin oil were fabricated by a hot compression technique. Elastic modulus has been determined by compression tests using a universal testing machine. Microhardness of unfilled polyamide 12 and its nanocomposites has been measured by Vickers microhardness testing machine. Tribological properties of the unfilled polyamide 12 and its nanocomposites have been investigated by pin‐on‐disc tester under applied normal loads of 10 N, 20 N and 30 N, 1.2 m/s sliding speed, and 212 m sliding distance. The results showed that the elastic modulus and microhardness of polyamide 12/graphene nanoplatelets (PA12/GNPs) nanocomposites are higher than that of the unfilled polyamide 12, and then gradually increased by adding paraffin oil contents. Tribological properties showed that polyamide 12/graphene nanoplatelets nanocomposites have lower coefficient of friction and wear rates in comparison with polyamide 12. By adding paraffin oil contents to the unfilled polyamide 12 and its nanocomposites, coefficient of friction and wear rates gradually decreased. Worn surfaces were imaged using scanning electron microscope.
Comparative analysis of wear behavior of garnet and fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite
Authors: Mishra S. , Patnaik A. , Kumar S.R.
Published: January 2019

Al7075 hybrid composites reinforced with varying weight percentage (0 wt.%, 5 wt.%, 10 wt.%, 15 wt.%) of each of garnet and fly ash were fabricated and characterized for their comparative wear assessment. The sliding wear test was conducted on a reciprocating tribometer in dry medium under the working conditions of applied normal load (2 N, 4 N, 6 N, 8 N), sliding velocities (0.04 m/s, 0.08 m/s, 0.12 m/s, 0.16 m/s), sliding distance (20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m) and working temperature (25 °C, 50 °C, 75 °C, 100 °C). The experiments were performed as per steady‐state condition and Taguchi (L25) orthogonal array design to evaluate specific wear rate of the Al7075 hybrid composites. The finding of results indicated that the wear rate was decreased with the increase in the filler content in both the case of garnet and fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composites. The results from Taguchi experiments suggested that the filler content and load were the most significant factors affecting wear behavior of composites while temperature and sliding distance are the least significant factors. Also, the garnet reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite indicated less specific wear rate as compared to that of fly ash reinforced Al7075 hybrid composite.
Development of XIAP Antagonists Based On De Novo 8,5‐Fused Bicyclic Lactams
Authors: Sheng Zhaojun J. , Shi Yiming M. , Xu Ximing , Bellynck Sébastien , Zhang Kun , Du Zhiyun Y. , Xu Xuetao , Maurel François , Dong Chang‐Zhi
Published: January 2019

In order to develop original water soluble antagonists of X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), a novel bicyclic scaffold was designed based on 8,5‐fused bicyclic lactam. During its preparation, a spontaneous rearrangement from 8,5‐ to 7,5‐fused bicyclic lactam was observed and confirmed by MS and NMR analyses, in particular the HMBC spectra. DFT calculations were performed to understand the corresponding mechanism. It was finally prevented through changing the reaction order in the synthesis route and a Smac mimetic with this core structure, ZJ‐1 was successfully obtained. The structure of this new bicyclic scaffold was well confirmed by HRMS and NMR (1H, 13C, NOESY) analyses. ZJ‐1 presented in addition a binding affinity to XIAP‐BIR3, nearly 6 times better than that of AVPI, similar to the reported SM‐128 in an in vitro fluorescence polarization (FP) assay. This preliminary result suggests that this new bicyclic scaffold could be very attractive in the development of novel anticancer agents targeting XIAP.
Plastics Engineering's New Frontier: Embracing the Brave New World of 3D Printing
Authors: Romeo Jim
Published: January 2019

The Toly Group is a small manufacturer on the island of Malta that creates packaging for the cosmetics industry: lipstick holders, compacts, cream jars and bottles, and the like. Thanks to three‐dimensional (3D) printing (also known as additive manufacturing), the company is able to rapidly prototype design variants to determine shape and use with its customers—and showcase proposed designs before a purchase and production decision is made. The flexibility and low cost of 3D printing makes a fast turnaround possible.
Thermosets Bring Benefits to New Markets and Applications
Authors: Lamontagne Nancy D.
Published: January 2019

SPE's annual Thermoset TOPCON will feature the latest developments in thermoset plastics. This industry is poised for growth as there is more recognition that the mechanical properties and low cost of these materials make them ideal for replacing metal, ceramics, and engineering thermoplastics in a variety of applications. Thermosets can also help improve performance by consolidating parts, reducing weight, and eliminating secondary operations.
Effect of vasopressin on a porcine model of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn
Authors: Amer Reem , Elsayed Yasser N. , Graham Marjory Ruth , Sikarwar Anurag S. , Hinton Martha , Dakshinamurti Shyamala
Published: January 2019

Background

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) is due to a failure of pulmonary vascular relaxation. Vasopressin, a systemic vasoconstrictor acting on smooth muscle AVPR1a receptors, is used in treatment of PPHN. We sought to determine acute effects of vasopressin infusion on pulmonary hemodynamics in a large animal model of hypoxic PPHN.

Methods

PPHN was induced in 6 newborn piglets by 72 h normobaric hypoxia (FiO2 = 0.10); controls were 7 age‐matched 3‐day‐old piglets. Animals were anesthetized and ventilated with central venous and arterial lines, and after stabilization, randomized using a crossover design to normoxic or hypoxic ventilation, then 30 min infusion of 0.0012 U/kg/min vasopressin, followed by 45 min vasopressin washout period. Echocardiographic parameters and oxygen consumption were measured before and after vasopressin. Relaxation to vasopressin was tested in isolated PPHN and control pulmonary arteries by isometric myography. Expression of AVPR1a receptor mRNA was quantified in arterial and myocardial tissues.

Results

Vasopressin did not alleviate hypoxia‐responsiveness of PPHN pulmonary circuit. There were no significant differences in pulmonary hypertension, cardiac function indices, or oxygenation indices after vasopressin infusion. Vasopressin did not dilate control or PPHN pulmonary arteries, and AVPR1 was minimally expressed.

Conclusions

Vasopressin does not have a direct pulmonary vasodilator effect in PPHN, within the timeframe studied.
A comparative study of confidence intervals to assess biosimilarity from analytical data
Authors: Quiroz Jorge , Montes Richard , Shi Heliang , Roychoudhury Satrajit
Published: January 2019

Assessment of analytical similarity of tier 1 quality attributes is based on a set of hypotheses that tests the mean difference of reference and test products against a margin adjusted for standard deviation of the reference product. Thus, proper assessment of the biosimilarity hypothesis requires statistical tests that account for the uncertainty associated with the estimations of the mean differences and the standard deviation of the reference product. Recently, a linear reformulation of the biosimilarity hypothesis has been proposed, which facilitates development and implementation of statistical tests. These statistical tests account for the uncertainty in the estimation process of all the unknown parameters. In this paper, we survey methods for constructing confidence intervals for testing the linearized reformulation of the biosimilarity hypothesis and also compare the performance of the methods. We discuss test procedures using confidence intervals to make possible comparison among recently developed methods as well as other previously developed methods that have not been applied for demonstrating analytical similarity. A computer simulation study was conducted to compare the performance of the methods based on the ability to maintain the test size and power, as well as computational complexity. We demonstrate the methods using two example applications. At the end, we make recommendations concerning the use of the methods.
Corneal Wound Healing Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome Delivered Within a Viscoelastic Gel Carrier
Authors: Fernandes-Cunha Gabriella Maria , Na Kyung-Sun , Putra Ilham , Lee Hyun Jong , Hull Sarah , Cheng Yu-Chia , Blanco Ignacio Jesus , Eslani Medi , Djalilian Ali R. , Myung David
Published: January 2019

Severe corneal injuries often result in permanent vision loss and remain a clinical challenge. Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and their secreted factors (secretome) have been studied for their antiscarring, anti-inflammatory, and antiangiogeneic properties. We aimed to deliver lyophilized MSC secretome (MSC-S) within a viscoelastic gel composed of hyaluronic acid (HA) and chondroitin sulfate (CS) as a way to enhance corneal re-epithelialization and reduce complications after mechanical and chemical injuries of the cornea. We hypothesized that delivering MSC-S within HA/CS would have improved wound healing effects compared the with either MSC-S or HA/CS alone. The results showed that a once-daily application of MSC-S in HA/CS enhances epithelial cell proliferation and wound healing after injury to the cornea. It also reduced scar formation, neovascularization, and hemorrhage after alkaline corneal burns. We found that combining MSC-S and HA/CS increased the expression of CD44 receptors colocalized with HA, suggesting that the observed therapeutic effects between the MSC-S and HA/CS are in part mediated by CD44 receptor upregulation and activation by HA. The results from this study demonstrate a reproducible and efficient approach for delivering the MSC-S to the ocular surface for treatment of severe corneal injuries. Stem Cells Translational Medicine  2019;8:478–489
Female parliamentarism and genuine savings: A cross‐country test
Authors: Salahodjaev Raufhon , Jarilkapova Dilyafruz
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study to contribute to the ongoing research on the effect of female political participation on socioeconomic outcomes. In this study, we explore the link between the proportion of women in parliament and sustainable development, measured by genuine savings indicator. Our study finds that a 10 percentage point increase in the share of women in parliament is associated with an almost 1.25 percentage point increase in the genuine savings rate. In addition, using instrumental variable regression to overcome the problem of endogeneity, we find that women in parliament have causal effect on genuine savings.
Mechanism of High Chrome Uptake of Tanning Pickled Pelt by Carboxyl‐Terminated Hyper‐Branched Polymer Combination Chrome Tanning
Authors: Yao Qi , Wang Yetao , Chen Hualin , Huang Henghui , Liu Bailing
Published: January 2019

Hyper‐branched polymer (HBP) is extensively used in chrome tanning of leather as high chrome exhaustion auxiliary. In this paper, the promoting tanning effect of tanning pickled pelt is compared with different auxiliary, carboxyl‐terminated HBP (CHBP−Cr), gallic acid (GA−Cr), and citric acid (CA−Cr), respectively. The results show that using of CHBP can endow the wet‐blue leather up to 95.2% chrome uptake much higher than gallic acid (89.5%) and citric acid (79.3%) and control trial (69.3%). Furthermore, the thermal degradation stability and hydrothermal stability, which including denaturation temperature and enthalpy are also improved compared to blank trial. In order to explore the mechanism of CHBP acting in, the adding timing of CHBP, chrome concentration variation during the tanning process, the alkaline stability of CHBP as well as chrome distribution in wet‐blue leather are also investigated. It is found that CHBP could expert its optimum effect when adding in the pickling process. In which, CHBP could act as excellent masking agent with good alkaline stability, which slow down the basification process and make the chrome dispersed evenly along the collagen. Moreover, the increased crosslinking density of collagen fibers could stabilize chrome and inhibit outward diffusion of chrome. These results lay a foundation of developing high exhausted chrome agent for clean chrome tanning.
Hierarchical Porous N‐doped Carbon Nanofibers Supported Fe3C/Fe Nanoparticles as Efficient Oxygen Electrocatalysts for Zn−Air Batteries
Authors: Li Qin , Zhao Jing , Wu Mengchen , Li Congling , Han Lei , Liu Rui
Published: January 2019

Non‐precious metal nanocomposite has attracted extensive attention as an effective catalyst for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, hierarchically porous N‐doped carbon nanofibers supported Fe3C/Fe nanoparticles (denoted as Fe/N‐HCNFs) have been successfully fabricated. The synthesis involved the successive steps of electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐8) nanofiber, surface functionalization of tannic acid (TA), coordination with ferric salt and carbonization. The obtained Fe/N‐HCNFs exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic performance for both ORR and OER. Furthermore, Fe/N‐HCNFs delivered a higher power density and an excellent long‐term stability when applied in a constructed Zn‐air battery, which illustrated its outstanding prospects for energy storage and conversion.
Diversely Functionalized N‐Alkyl/Substituted alkyl, S‐2‐nitro‐1‐arylethyl Dithiocarbamates: Green Synthesis, Large Scale Application, and Insights in Reaction Mechanism
Authors: Brahmachari Goutam , Karmakar Indrajit
Published: January 2019

A diverse range of functionalized N‐alkyl/substituted alkyl, S‐2‐nitro‐1‐arylethyl dithiocarbamates (4) has been synthesized following a modified protocol based on a three‐component tandem reaction between amines (1), carbon disulfide (2), and substituted β‐nitrostyrenes (3) at ambient temperature. Large scale synthetic application and an investigation to explore the mechanistic aspects of the reaction have also been performed.
Structure and Properties of Starch/Poly (vinyl alcohol) Film Modificated by Different Inorganic Salts
Authors: Du Wenhao , Jiang Ting , Shi Mengke , Yang Zhaojie , Zhang Xi
Published: January 2019

In this paper, the regularity of different inorganic salts on the structure and properties of starch/ poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) film was studied. The effects of inorganic salts on the structure and properties of starch/PVA film were investigated by scanning election microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, water content test, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis and tensile test, respectively. The results showed that the plasticizing effect of inorganic salts on starch/PVA composite film was related to the valence and radius of ions. Compared with Li+ and Al3+, the incorporation of Mg2+ significantly improved the compatibility of starch/PVA composite films. Meanwhile, the ability of above three metal chloride salts to destroy the crystal structure of the starch/PVA composite film was essentially the same. When the cation was the same, the effect of inorganic salt containing Cl− on the compatibility of starch/PVA composite film and the destruction of the crystalline structure of starch/PVA composite film were greater than that of NO3−. Among all prepared samples, the magnesium chloride modified starch/PVA composite film has the highest elongation at break and the best flexibility.
Photopolymerized Micelle‐Laden Hydrogels Can Simultaneously Form and Encapsulate Nanocrystals to Improve Drug Substance Solubility and Expedite Drug Product Design
Authors: Godfrin Paul Douglas , Lee Hyundo , Lee Ji Hyun , Doyle Patrick S.
Published: January 2019

Formulation technologies are critical for increasing the efficacy of drug products containing poorly soluble hydrophobic drugs, which compose roughly 70% of small molecules in commercial pipelines. Nanomedicines, such as nanocrystal formulations and amorphous solid suspensions, are effective approaches to increasing solubility. However, existing techniques require additional processing into a final dosage form, which strongly influences drug delivery and clinical performance. To enhance hydrophobic drug product efficacy and clinical throughput, a hydrogel material is developed as a sacrificial template to simultaneously form and encapsulate nanocrystals. These hydrogels contain micelles chemically bound to the hydrogel matrix, where the surfactant structure dictates the crystal size and drug loading. Therefore, nanocrystals can be produced in high yield (up to 90% drug loading, by weight) with precisely controlled sizes as small as 4 nm independently of hydrogel composition. Nanocrystals and surfactant are then released together to increase the solubility up to 70 times above bulk crystalline material. By integrating nanocrystals into a final dosage form, micelle‐laden hydrogels simplify hydrophobic drug product design.
Promoting the Hole Extraction with Co3O4 Nanomaterials for Efficient Carbon‐Based CsPbI2Br Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Zhou Yang , Zhang Xiang , Lu Xubing , Gao Xingsen , Gao Jinwei , Shui Lingling , Wu Sujuan , Liu Jun‐Ming
Published: January 2019

Carbon‐based perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have gathered much attention due to their excellent thermal stability and low cost. However, the typically used hole‐conductor‐free PSCs based on carbon electrodes show the worst performance due to the serious charge recombination at the perovskite/carbon interface. In this work, the efficient and stable carbon‐based CsPbI2Br PSCs using Co3O4 as the hole transport material (HTM) are fabricated and their photoelectric properties are systematically investigated. It is found that the Co3O4 inorganic HTM effectively promotes photo‐generated charges separation and extraction, and suppresses charge recombination at the CsPbI2Br/carbon electrode interface, resulting in the improved photovoltaic performance. At the optimal Co3O4 concentration, the carbon‐based CsPbI2Br PSCs achieve the maximum efficiency of 11.21% with a negligible J–V hysteresis. This work provides a novel strategy to fabricate efficient and stable all‐inorganic PSCs.
Transformation of Rural Economies in Asia and Africa
Authors: Estudillo Jonna P. , Cureg Elyzabeth F. , Otsuka Keijiro
Published: January 2019

This chapter explores the causes and consequences of the long-term process of economic transformation in emerging economies in Asia and assesses to what extent such experience is being replicated in Africa. Economic transformation is defined broadly as the process whereby the foci of economic activities shift away from the agriculture to the industry and service sectors. We identified population pressure, modern agricultural technology, and human capital as three drivers of transformation using panel and repeated cross-section household-level datasets drawn from the Philippines, Vietnam, Myanmar, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in Asia and Mozambique, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia in Africa. Our main finding is that the three drivers interact in a distinct way that, nonetheless, defines a common regional path to emerging economies, which highlights the role of agricultural development as a strong stimulus for economic transformation. The Asian sequence wherein the Green Revolution leads to higher farm income, investment in human capital, sustained nonfarm income growth and poverty reduction is becoming increasingly apparent in Africa as well.
Holographic entanglement of purification for thermofield double states and thermal quench
Authors: Yang Run-Qiu , Zhang Cheng-Yong , Li Wen-Ming
Published: January 2019

Abstract

We explore the properties of holographic entanglement of purification (EoP) for two disjoint strips in the Schwarzschild-AdS black brane and the Vaidya-AdS black brane spacetimes. For two given strips on the same boundary of Schwarzschild-AdS spacetime, there is an upper bound of the separation beyond which the holographic EoP will always vanish no matter how wide the strips are. In the case that two strips are in the two boundaries of the spacetime respectively, we find that the holographic EoP exists only when the strips are wide enough. If the width is finite, the EoP can be nonzero in a finite time region. For thermal quench case, we find that the equilibrium time of holographic EoP is only sensitive to the width of strips, while that of the holographic mutual information is sensitive not only to the width of strips but also to their separation.
Supergravity backgrounds of the η-deformed AdS2 × S2 × T6 and AdS5 × S5 superstrings
Authors: Hoare Ben , Seibold Fiona K.
Published: January 2019

Abstract

We construct supergravity backgrounds for the integrable η-deformations of the AdS2 × S2 × T6 and AdS5 × S5 superstring sigma models. The η-deformation is governed by an R-matrix that solves the non-split modified classical Yang-Baxter equation on the superisometry algebra of the model. Such R-matrices include those of Drinfel’d-Jimbo type, which are constructed from a Dynkin diagram and the associated Cartan-Weyl basis. Drinfel’d-Jimbo R-matrices associated with inequivalent bases will typically lead to different deformed backgrounds. For the two models under consideration we find that the unimodularity condition, implying that there is no Weyl anomaly, is satisfied if and only if all the simple roots are fermionic. For AdS2 × S2 × T6 we construct backgrounds corresponding to the three Dynkin diagrams. When all the simple roots are fermionic we find a supergravity background previously obtained by directly solving the supergravity equations. For AdS5 × S5 we construct a supergravity background corresponding to the Dynkin diagram with all fermionic simple roots.
The cellular effects of novel triazine nitrogen mustards in glioblastoma LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines
Authors: Krętowski Rafał , Drozdowska Danuta , Kolesińska Beata , Kamiński Zbigniew , Frączyk Justyna , Cechowska-Pasko Marzanna
Published: January 2019

1,3,5-triazine is an important heterocyclic skeleton for mono, two or three 2-chloroethylamine groups. The study presented here provides novel information on cellular effects of 1,3,5-triazine with mono, two or three 2-chloroethylamine groups in glioblastoma LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines. In our study, the most cytotoxic effect was observed in 1,3,5-triazine with three 2-chloroethylamine groups (12f compound). It has been demonstrated that 12f induce time- and dose-dependent cytotoxicity in all investigated glioma cell lines. Apart from that in glioblastoma cells, treated with 12f compound, we noticed strong induction of apoptosis. In conclusion, this research provides novel information concerning cellular effects of apoptosis in LBC3, LN-18 and LN-229 cell lines. Moreover, we suggest that 12f compound may be a candidate for further evaluation as an effective chemotherapeutic agent for human glioblastoma cells.
Prevalence of late-life depression and gap in mental health service use across European regions
Authors: Horackova Katerina , Kopecek Miloslav , Machů Vendula , Kagstrom Anna , Aarsland Dag , Motlova Lucie Bankovska , Cermakova Pavla
Published: January 2019

Background We aimed to determine the prevalence and gap in use of mental health services for late-life depression in four European regions (Western Europe, Scandinavia, Southern Europe and Central and Eastern Europe) and explore socio-demographic, social and health-related factors associated with it.

Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data from the Survey on Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. Participants were a population-based sample of 28 796 persons (53% women, mean age 74 years old) residing in Europe. Mental health service use was estimated using information about the diagnosis or treatment for depression.

Results The prevalence of late-life depression was 29% in the whole sample and was highest in Southern Europe (35%), followed by Central and Eastern Europe (32%), Western Europe (26%) and lowest in Scandinavia (17%). Factors that had the strongest association with depression were total number of chronic diseases, pain, limitations in instrumental activities of daily living, grip strength and cognitive impairment. The gap in mental health service use was 79%.

Conclusions We suggest that interventions to decrease the burden of late-life depression should be targeted at individuals that are affected by chronic somatic comorbidities and are limited in mental and physical functioning. Promotion of help-seeking of older adults, de-stigmatization of mental illness and education of general practitioners could help decrease the gap in mental health service utilization.
What Do Different Measures of Pain Tell Us? A Comparison in Sexually Active Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia
Authors: Wammen Rathenborg Frederikke Louise , Zdaniuk Bozena , Brotto Lori A.
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Studies of pain measurement in women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) use various methods of capturing pain intensity. The degree to which these different measures of pain correspond with one another is not known.

Aim

To compare 3 different measures of pain intensity in sexually active women with PVD participating in a clinical treatment study.

Methods

A total of 64 women (mean age 30.9 years) provided baseline measures of pain intensity using (i) a numeric rating scale that provided a self-report of pain during recalled vaginal penetration; (ii) the pain subscale of the female sexual function index; and (iii) pain elicited with a vulvalgesiometer, an objective method of eliciting pain.

Main Outcome Measure

Correlations among these 3 measures of pain were moderate in size (range r = 0.39–0.61). Moreover, the numeric rating scale of pain was more likely to be associated with self-reported measures of pain catastrophizing and pain hypervigilance than were scores on the pain subscale of the female sexual function index or scores from the vulvalgesiometer.

Clinical Implications

Overall, there was a moderate level of correlation between different often-used measures of pain in women with PVD. These findings suggest that, in addition to measuring a common dimension, these different measures tap into different aspects of women’s experiences with vulvovaginal pain, and researchers should consider how the chosen measure addresses their primary research question when selecting pain measures in future PVD research.

Strengths & Limitations

A strength of this study was the large sample size (n = 64 sexually active women) who had received confirmed clinical diagnoses of PVD. 1 limitation of the findings is that our self-report outcome measures are based on retrospective ratings of pain over 4 weeks, and it is possible that other variables, such as mood, could have impacted scores on these measures.

Conclusion

This study showed statistically significant and moderate correlations among 3 different pain measures widely used in PVD research and treatment. In addition, only 1 pain measure showed a significant independent association with emotion function measures. These findings provide a rationale for including multiple measures of pain and emotional function in treatment outcome studies of PVD.
Blood Pressure, Sexual Activity, and Erectile Function in Hypertensive Men: Baseline Findings from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT)
Authors: Foy Capri G. , Newman Jill C. , Berlowitz Dan R. , Russell Laurie P. , Kimmel Paul L. , Wadley Virginia G. , Thomas Holly N. , Lerner Alan J. , Riley William T.
Published: January 2019

Introduction

Erectile function, an important aspect of quality of life, is gaining increased research and clinical attention in older men with hypertension.

Aim

To assess the cross-sectional association between blood pressure measures (systolic blood pressure [SBP]; diastolic blood pressure [DBP]; and pulse pressure [PP]) and (i) sexual activity and (ii) erectile function in hypertensive men.

Methods

We performed analyses of 1,255 male participants in a larger randomized clinical trial of 9,361 men and women with hypertension aged ≥50 years.

Main Outcome Measures

The main outcome measures were self-reported sexual activity (yes/no) and erectile function using the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5).

Results

857 participants (68.3%) reported being sexually active during the previous 4 weeks. The mean (SD) IIEF-5 score for sexually active participants was 18.0 (5.8), and 59.9% of the sample reported an IIEF-5 score <21, suggesting erectile dysfunction (ED). In adjusted logistic regression models, neither SBP (adjusted odds ratio = 0.998; P = .707) nor DBP (adjusted odds ratio = 1.001; P = .929) was significantly associated with sexual activity. In multivariable linear regression analyses in sexually active participants, lower SBP (β = −0.04; P = .025) and higher DBP (β = 0.05; P = .029) were associated with better erectile function. In additional multivariable analyses, lower PP pressure was associated with better erectile function (β = −0.04; P = .02).

Clinical Implications

Blood pressure is an important consideration in the assessment of erectile function in men with hypertension.

Strengths & Limitations

Assessments of blood pressure and clinical and psychosocial variables were performed using rigorous methods in this multi-ethnic and geographically diverse sample. However, these cross-sectional analyses did not include assessment of androgen or testosterone levels.

Conclusions

Erectile dysfunction was highly prevalent in this sample of men with hypertension, and SBP, DBP, and PP were associated with erectile function in this sample.
Perfectionism and the Place of the Interior Life in Business: Toward an Ethics of Personal Growth
Authors: Nunziato Joshua S. , Hill Ronald Paul
Published: January 2019

Stanley Cavell’s moral perfectionism places the task of cultivating richer self-understanding and self-expression at the center of corporate life. We show how his approach reframes business as an opportunity for moral soul-craft, achieved through the articulation of increasingly reflective inner life in organizational culture. Instead of norming constraints on business activity, perfectionism opens new possibilities for conducting commercial exchange as a form of conversation, leading to personal growth. This approach guides executives in designing businesses that foster genius and channel creativity, while giving all stakeholders a meaningful voice within a culture of trust. We first give an account of Cavellian perfectionism. Then, we explain how this underrepresented strand of moral reflection challenges and enriches, but does not supplant, prevailing ethical theories—including other versions of perfectionism. We then demonstrate the salience of Cavellian perfectionism to business ethics through examples from marketing, human resources, and executive organizational design and development.
Water entry of an expanding body with and without splash
Authors: Semenov Y. A. , Wu G. X.
Published: January 2019

A self-similar flow generated by water entry of an expanding two-dimensional smooth and curved body is studied based on the incompressible velocity potential theory, with gravity and surface tension effects being ignored. At each expansion speed, mathematical solutions for detached flow with a splash jet and attached flow with jet leaning on the body surface are obtained, both of which have been found possible in experiment, corresponding to hydrophobic and hydrophilic bodies, respectively. The problem is solved using the integral hodograph method, which converts the governing Laplace equations into two integral equations along the half real and imaginary axes of a parameter plane. For the detached flow, the conditions for continuity and finite spatial derivative of the velocity at the point of flow departing form the body surface are imposed. It is found that the Brillouin–Villat criterion for flow detachment of steady flow is also met in this self-similar flow, which requires the curvatures of the free surface and the body surface to be the same at the detachment point. Solutions for the detached flow have been obtained in the whole range of the expansion speeds, from zero to infinity, relative to the water entry speed. For the attached flow there is a minimal expansion speed below which no solution cannot be obtained. Detailed results in terms of pressure distribution, free surface shape and streamlines and tip angle of the jet are presented. It is revealed that when solutions for both detached and attached flows exist, the pressure distributions on the cylinder surface are almost the same up to the point near the jet root. Beyond that point, the pressure relative to the ambient one drops to zero at the detachment point in the former, while it drops below zero in the jet attached on the body and then returns to zero at the contact point in the latter.
Is spontaneous generation of coherent baroclinic flows possible?
Authors: Bakas Nikolaos A. , Ioannou Petros J.
Published: January 2019

Geophysical turbulence is observed to self-organize into large-scale flows such as zonal jets and coherent vortices. Previous studies of barotropic $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$-plane turbulence have shown that coherent flows emerge from a background of homogeneous turbulence as a bifurcation when the turbulence intensity increases. The emergence of large-scale flows has been attributed to a new type of collective, symmetry-breaking instability of the statistical state dynamics of the turbulent flow. In this work, we extend the analysis to stratified flows and investigate turbulent self-organization in a two-layer fluid without any imposed mean north–south thermal gradient and with turbulence supported by an external random stirring. We use a second-order closure of the statistical state dynamics, that is termed S3T, with an appropriate averaging ansatz that allows the identification of statistical turbulent equilibria and their structural stability. The bifurcation of the statistically homogeneous equilibrium state to inhomogeneous equilibrium states comprising zonal jets and/or large-scale waves when the energy input rate of the excitation passes a critical threshold is analytically studied. Our theory predicts that there is a large bias towards the emergence of barotropic flows. If the scale of excitation is of the order of (or larger than) the deformation radius, the large-scale structures are barotropic. Mixed barotropic–baroclinic states with jets and/or waves arise when the excitation is at scales shorter than the deformation radius with the baroclinic component of the flow being subdominant for low energy input rates and insignificant for higher energy input rates. The predictions of the S3T theory are compared with nonlinear simulations. The theory is found to accurately predict both the critical transition parameters and the scales of the emergent structures but underestimates their amplitude.
Analytical solutions for mass transport in hydrodynamic focusing by considering different diffusivities for sample and sheath flows
Authors: Sadeghi Arman
Published: January 2019

The fluid flow and mass transfer characteristics in two-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing are theoretically investigated by considering different physical properties for the sample and sheath flows. Adopting a single-domain formulation, which assigns the region variable physical properties, three-dimensional analytical solutions are obtained for species transport under hydrodynamically fully developed conditions. In addition, simplified analytical solutions are derived assuming a uniform velocity field appropriate to electrokinetic focusing. The results show that the normalized overall mean velocity is an increasing function of the height to width ratio and a decreasing function of the sheath to sample viscosity ratio. The dependence of this normalized mean velocity on the sheath to sample flow-rate ratio is, however, non-monotonic: it grows with the flow-rate ratio when the sample fluid is more viscous than the sheath fluid, whereas the opposite is true when the sheath fluid is more viscous. Moreover, although an increase in either the viscosity or flow-rate ratios results in creating a smaller value of the normalized focused width, varying the channel aspect ratio may lead to either thinner or thicker focused regions, depending on the viscosity ratio. The inspection of the mass transport characteristics reveals that only the viscosity ratio and the Péclet number can significantly alter the mixing length. Surprisingly, the minimum mixing length in the presence of significant axial diffusion is achieved for a single-phase flow. Finally, the dimensionless mixing length is reduced by increasing the Péclet number, although the changes are negligible when this parameter is above 10. This threshold is only true when the Péclet number is calculated based on the higher of the sample and sheath diffusion coefficients.