bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Migration of researchers in the Baltic region: a forecast and factors
Authors: Dezhina Irina G. , Soldatova Svetlana E. , Ushakova Svetlana E.
Published: April 2020

The importance of this research relates to the need for increasing the human capital of Russian science and for assisting the spatial development of the country, particularly, its border areas. This study tests several hypotheses. The first one holds that the outflow of researchers will reduce over the next few years. Others concern factors affecting the number of researchers in the Russian Federation in general and its Baltic part in particular. These factors include salaries and workplace environment. Methodologically, the study draws on Russian and international sources on the migration of researchers and builds models of two types to trace connections and to produce forecasts, while calculating the emigration rate. The models of the first type describe how the amount of salary and workplace conditions affect the number of researchers. These are vector autoregression models built in the R software environment, using statistical time series. The models of the second type use Excel forecast function to carry out prospective evaluations of the number of researchers and migration rates. The study did not confirm the hypothesis that the reduction in the number of researchers was slowing down in Russia and St Petersburg in particular. Thus, the state measures aimed to preserve the human capital of national science will be insufficient to prevent either a decline in the number of researchers or their emigration in the near future. The article provides concrete recommendations for reforming the system of remuneration in research to reverse the negative trend.
Simulation-based Clinical Judgment and Performance Ability for Tracheal Suction in Nursing Students
Authors: Lim Kyung Choon
Published: April 2020

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore the relationship between simulation-based clinical judgment and performance ability for tracheal suction in nursing students. Methods: With a convenience sampling, 207 nursing students participated in this descriptive study. Lasater clinical judgment rubric was used for self-reported clinical judgment in addition to observe the skill of tracheal suction using a checklist. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficients using the SPSS/WIN 22. Results: A scenario with pneumonia patient was developed to observe the skill of tracheal suction during simulation-based practices. Then self-reported clinical judgment was scored. The mean score of total sum of clinical judgment, total mean of clinical judgment, and performance skill were $36.44{pm}4.82$, $13.44{pm}1.71$, and $42.32{pm}5.05$, respectively. Statistically, students having good skills in suction showed significant differences in clinical judgment of interpreting (p=.031) compared to students having fair skills. Conclusion: The results of this study show that a structured debriefing method utilizing Lasater clinical judgment rubric is helpful. Also, simulation-based practice related to adult nursing in the respiratory system was useful for increasing the core basic skills among nursing students.
Effects of Simulated Interdisciplinary Communication Training for Nursing Students on Self-confidence in Communication, Communication Behavior and Technical Skill Performance
Authors: Nam Kyoung A , Kim Eun Jung , Ko Eun Jeong
Published: April 2020

Purpose: Ineffective communication between healthcare professionals leads to medical errors and puts patients at risk of harm. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of interdisciplinary communication training in simulated settings on self-confidence in communication, observed communication behavior, and technical skill performances of nursing students. Methods: A repeated measures design with one group was conducted. Data was collected from 92 nursing students through a self-administered questionnaire and an observed behavior checklist. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, a paired t-test, the Wilcoxon signed rank test, the Friedmann test, a Repeated Measures ANOVA, and the Spearman correlation coefficient. Results: Self-confidence in communication, observed Identification-Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation-Read Back communication behavior, and technical skill performances of nursing students were significantly improved. In observed communication behavior, the performance of Assessment and Read Back communication significantly improved. However, communication of Background, Assessment, and Recommendation did not improve to a satisfactory level. Observed communication behavior was not correlated with the overall technical skill performance. Conclusion: These results indicate that interdisciplinary communication training in simulated settings was effective in improving nursing students' confidence and communication skills with physicians. Longitudinal studies with larger samples are recommended in order to verify the effects of interdisciplinary communication training on clinical outcomes as well as communication competence.
Factors Influencing Patient Privacy Protection Behavior among Nursing Students
Authors: Lee Eun Joo , Shin Hyun Sook , Ha Eun Chae
Published: April 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing patient privacy protection behavior among nursing students and examine the relationships between these factors. Methods: Participants in this study were 144 nursing students who have experienced clinical practice. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, Scheffe test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple regression with IBM SPSS Win 23.0 program. Results: Professional self-concept and ethical values were factors influencing patient privacy protection behavior among nursing students. These variables explained 21.9% of the variance for patient privacy protection behavior. A higher level of patient privacy protection behavior was associated with higher levels of professional self-concept and ethical values. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that strategies for enhancing patient privacy protection behaviors of nursing students should include methods for forming images of positive nurses and firming ethical values.
Effects of a Program to Promote Multicultural Awareness and Multicultural Efficacy toward North Korean Defectors for Nursing Students
Authors: Park Jin Kyoung
Published: April 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a program to improve the cultural competence of nursing students related to North Korean defectors and to investigate the effectiveness of the program. Methods: There were 36 nursing students in the experimental group and 30 in the control group, who were recruited from a university in I-city, Korea. A Chi-square, t-test, and ANOVA with the SPSS/Win 21.0 program were used to analyze the data. Results: After the intervention, the experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in the total score for multicultural awareness toward North Korean defectors over the control group (t=0.85, p=.026). Scores for cognitive area (t=0.89; p=.037), ritual area (t=-0.10, p=.915), and action area (t=1.18, p=.031) increased, but the conscious area score was not statistically significant. The experimental group showed a statistically significant increase in the total score for multi-cultural efficacy for North Korean refugees (t=0.36, p=.030). Scores for cognitive area (t=0.63; p=.029), working area (t=0.05, p=.955), and emotional area (t=0.79 and p=030) increased, but the working area score was not statistically significant. Conclusion: It was found that the program to promote multicultural efficacy related to North Korean defectors applied in this study was effective in enhancing multicultural awareness and efficacy of nursing students.
Factors Influencing Metacognition, Communication Skills, and Confidence in the Performance of Core Basic Nursing Skills on Clinical Competency in Nursing Students
Authors: Jang Soeun , Kim Soyoung , Park Namhee
Published: April 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of metacognition, communication skills, and confidence in the performance of core basic nursing skills on clinical competency in nursing students. Methods: A total of 158 students were recruited from two nursing colleges in B metropolitan city. Data were collected by means of self-reported questionnaires from December 3-31, 2018 and analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson's correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression with SPSS 21.0. Results: Metacognition, communication skills, and confidence in the performance of core basic nursing skills were higher than normal and the relationship between the variables metacognition (r=.69, p=<.001), communication skills (r=.69, p=<.001), and confidence in the performance of core basic nursing skills (r=.59, p=<.001) were highly positively correlated with clinical performance. Factors influencing these three variables accounted for 64.4% of clinical competency. Conclusion: Further research on the development of the curriculum and intervention program, and the verification of the effect are needed.
Experiences of Precocious Puberty in Primary School Girls with Hormone Therapeutics
Authors: Cheon Soon Mi , Jung Hye Young
Published: April 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the nature of precocious puberty and to explore what it means in primary schools. Methods: The participants of this phenomenological study were nine primary school girls who were diagnosed with precocious puberty and experienced hormone therapeutics, applying a convenience sampling method. Data were collected from July 2017 to January 2018 through individual in-depth interviews of the participants, including gestures, facial expressions and nonverbal means. The data analysis followed the method of Giorgi. Results: The study identified 37 concepts, 12 clusters, and five themes from experiences of precocious puberty. The essential five themes were as follows: 'ashamed and concealing experience', 'there is no therapeutics option', 'difficulties in the process of therapeutics', 'difficulties in daily life', and 'ambivalence toward therapeutics'. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate physical, psychological and social difficulties faced by girls with precocious puberty. Based on this results of the study, it is necessary to develop nursing intervention programs focusing on healthy growth and development for children with precocious puberty.
Correlation of warranties and means of securing performance of obligations
Authors: Emelianova Olesia
Published: April 2020

This article presents the analysis of the current Russian civil legislation that regulates warranties of contractual obligations, which represent a fairly new contractual instrument for Russian economic turnover and means of securing performance of obligations (mainly by co-signing and independent warranty), being the traditional legal construct for Russian legal order. To carry out detailed study and comparison of the aforementioned legal constructs, the author also examines the relevant case law and doctrinal approaches regarding the subject of obligations, performance of obligations, means of securing performance of obligations, and civil legal responsibility. The methodology is based on the dogmatic, formal-logical, systemic, analytical and other methods. The result of this research yielded a conclusion that warranty within the system of Russian civil law is an independent legal instrument and is not a part of the system of means of securing performance of obligations, even in presence of coincidence with some of such means. The main criterion for distinction consists in the different functional and target designation of such legal means.
Additives Control the Stability of Amorphous Calcium Carbonate via Two Different Mechanisms: Surface Adsorption versus Bulk Incorporation
Authors: Zou Zhaoyong , Yang Xiaofei , Albéric Marie , Heil Tobias , Wang Qihang , Pokroy Boaz , Politi Yael , Bertinetti Luca
Published: April 2020

The mechanisms by which organisms control the stability of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) are yet not fully understood. Previous studies have shown that the intrinsic properties of ACC and its environment are critical in determining ACC stability. Here, the question, what is the effect of bulk incorporation versus surface adsorption of additives on the stability of synthetic ACC, is addressed. Using a wide range of in situ characterization techniques, it is shown that surface adsorption of poly(Aspartic acid) (pAsp) has a much larger stabilization effect than bulk incorporation of pAsp and only 1.5% pAsp could dramatically increase the crystallization temperature from 141 to 350 °C. On the contrary, surface adsorption of PO43− ions and OH− ions does not effectively stabilize ACC. However, bulk incorporation of these ions could significantly improve the ACC stability. It is concluded that the stabilization mechanism of pAsp is entirely different from that of PO43− and OH− ions: while pAsp is effectively inhibiting calcite nucleation at the surface of ACC particle, the latter acts to modify the ion mobility and delay crystal propagation. Thus, new insights on controlling the stability and crystallization processes of metastable amorphous materials are provided.
Zwitterionic Polysulfamide Drug Nanogels with Microwave Augmented Tumor Accumulation and On‐Demand Drug Release for Enhanced Cancer Therapy
Authors: Peng Shaojun , Wang Hao , Zhao Wei , Xin Yongjie , Liu Yu , Yu Xiangrong , Zhan Meixiao , Shen Shun , Lu Ligong
Published: April 2020

Zwitterionic polymers demonstrate as a class of antifouling materials with long blood circulation in living subjects. Despite extensive research on their antifouling abilities, the responsive zwitterionic polymers that can change their properties by mild outside signals are poorly explored. Herein, a sulfamide‐based zwitterionic monomer is developed and used to synthesize a series of polysulfamide‐based (poly (2‐((2‐(methacryloyloxy)ethyl) dimethylammonio)acetyl) (phenylsulfonyl) amide (PMEDAPA)) nanogels as drug carriers for effective cancer therapy. PMEDAPA nanogels are proved to exhibit prolonged blood circulation without inducing the accelerated blood clearance phenomenon. Intriguingly, PMEDAPA nanogels can sensitively respond to hyperthermia by adjusting the crosslinker degree. After modified with transferrin (Tf), the nanogels (PMEDAPA‐Tf) achieve shielded tumor targeting at normothermia, while exhibiting recovered tumor targeting at hyperthermia, leading to enhanced tumor accumulation. Meanwhile, PMEDAPA‐Tf nanogels show superior penetration ability in 3D tumor spheroids and faster drug release at hyperthermia compared with that at normothermia. In combination with mild microwave heating (≈41 °C), the drug‐loaded PMEDAPA‐Tf nanogels show a pronounced tumor inhibition effect in a humanized orthotropic liver cancer model. Therefore, the study provides a novel hyperthermia‐responsive zwitterionic nanogel that can achieve augmented tumor accumulation and on‐demand drug release assisted with clinically used microwave heating for cancer therapy.
Exceptional Robustness and Self‐Reconfigurability of Liquid Marbles on Superhydrophobic Substrate
Authors: Tenjimbayashi Mizuki , Watanabe Yuko , Nakamura Yasuyuki , Naito Masanobu
Published: April 2020

Nonstick transport of droplets on a solid surface is observed when they are covered with jammed hydrophobic particles. However, these “liquid marbles” (LMs) have low mechanical stability because, in controlling the jammed particles, exposure of the droplet surface often occurs with deformation that irreversibly causes the droplet to adhere to the solid surface in a funicular state. Here, it is shown that LMs on superhydrophobic surfaces are mechanically stable and self‐reconfigurable following mechanical impact or exposure of the droplet surface. Observation by a high‐speed bottom‐view camera revealed that this is because of reversible capillary‐partial Cassie transitions. Thus, superhydrophobic surfaces are scalable and low‐cost platforms for LM synthesis and manipulation, and enable reversible tuning of interfacial packing on LMs with mechanical stability.
Anomalous Conductivity Switch Observed in Treated Hafnium Diselenide Transistors
Authors: Albagami Malak , Alrasheed Abdullah , Alharbi Mervat , Alhazmi Abrar , Wong Kin , Qasem Hussam , Alodan Sarah , Alolaiyan Olaiyan , Wang Kang L. , Amer Moh. R.
Published: April 2020

Layered hafnium diselenide (HfSe2) is an emerging Van der Waals semiconductor in which a hafnium layer is sandwiched between two selenium layers. Owning to its indirect band gap with magnitudes close to silicon's band gap and high predicted carrier mobility, hafnium diselenide material is a strong candidate for device applications. Here, the effect of laser treatment on 2H‐ HfSe2 devices is shown in ambient conditions using µ‐Raman spectroscopy. It is shown that an emerging Raman peak evolves with increasing laser exposure time. It is also shown that top‐down fabricated 2H‐HfSe2 devices exhibit an anomalous p‐type behavior post laser treatment, with Ion/Ioff ratio as high as 103. This anomalous conductivity change can be observed after thermal and electrical annealing. For bottom‐up devices, it is observed that p‐type conductivity with remarkable Ion/Ioff ratio reaching 104. This conductivity switch can also be shown on 1T‐HfSe2 devices post laser irradiation and high Vds bias treatments. Based on the circuit model, this conductivity switch is attributed to contact doping caused by an increase in the Schottky barrier height at each contact, which shifts the Fermi energy closer to the valance band. These results demonstrate a unique conductivity switching mechanism for HfSe2‐FET devices.
Tracing temporal trends in dementia incidence over 25 years in central Stockholm, Sweden
Authors: Ding Mozhu , Qiu Chengxuan , Rizzuto Debora , Grande Giulia , Fratiglioni Laura
Published: April 2020

Introduction

Recent reports from high‐income countries have suggested a declining incidence of dementia.

Methods

Trends in dementia incidence over 25 years among people ≥75 years of age were examined using two population‐based cohort studies: the Kungsholmen Project (KP, n = 1473, 1987‐1998) and the Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen (SNAC‐K, n = 1746, 2001‐2013).

Results

We identified 440 (29.9%) and 388 (22.2%) incident dementia cases in the KP and SNAC‐K cohorts, respectively. The incidence of dementia declined by 30% (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61‐0.80) during the second decade. Adjustment of education, psychosocial working conditions, lifestyle, and vascular diseases did not substantially change the results (HR = 0.77, 95% CI 0.65‐0.90). This decline was observed particularly in women and people with elementary education.

Discussion

Our study provides direct evidence of a declining trend in dementia incidence. Improved cognitive reserve and cardiovascular health could partially explain the decline.
Ein auf Arylazopyrazol basierendes N‐heterocyclisches Carben als Photoschalter auf Goldoberflächen: Lichtschaltbare Benetzbarkeit, Austrittsarbeit und Leitwert
Authors: Nguyen D. Thao , Freitag Matthias , Gutheil Christian , Sotthewes Kai , Tyler Bonnie J. , Böckmann Marcus , Das Mowpriya , Schlüter Friederike , Doltsinis Nikos L. , Arlinghaus Heinrich F. , Ravoo Bart Jan , Glorius Frank
Published: April 2020

Ein neuartiges photoempfindliches und vollständig konjugiertes N‐heterocyclisches Carben (NHC) wurde synthetisiert, um die hervorragenden photophysikalischen Eigenschaften von Arylazopyrazolen (AAPs) mit einem NHC als robustem Oberflächenanker (AAP‐BIMe) zu kombinieren. Die Bildung von selbstorganisierten Monoschichten (SAMs) auf Gold wurde durch ToF‐SIMS und XPS nachgewiesen, und der organische Film zeigte eine sehr hohe Stabilität bei erhöhten Temperaturen. Diese Stabilität zeigte sich auch in einer hohen Desorptionsenergie, die durch temperaturprogrammierte SIMS‐Messungen bestimmt wurde. Die E‐/Z‐AAP‐BIMe@Au‐Photoisomerisierung führte zu reversiblen Änderungen der Oberflächenenergie (d. h. der Benetzbarkeit), des Oberflächenpotentials (d. h. der Austrittsarbeit) und des Leitwertes (d. h. des Widerstandes). Die Effekte konnten durch den Unterschied im Dipolmoment der Isomere erklärt werden. Darüber hinaus ermöglichte die sequentielle Applikation eines Platzhalter‐Liganden durch Mikrokontaktdruck und anschließende Verfüllung mit AAP‐BIMe seine Strukturierung auf Gold. Nach unserem besten Wissen ist dies das erste Beispiel für ein photoschaltbares NHC auf einer Gold‐Oberfläche. Diese Eigenschaften von AAP‐BIMe@Au veranschaulichen seine Eignung als molekularer Schalter für neuartige elektronische Geräte.
Temperature Down‐Shift Modifies Expression of UPR‐/ERAD‐Related Genes and Enhances Production of a Chimeric Fusion Protein in CHO Cells
Authors: Torres Mauro , Akhtar Samia , McKenzie Edward A. , Dickson Alan J.
Published: April 2020

Low culture temperature enhances the cell‐specific productivity of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells expressing varied recombinant (r‐) proteins, but the mechanisms remain unclear. Regulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) pathway genes, such as transcriptional regulatory factors and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐resident proteins, appear to be involved in the improvements of r‐protein production under low temperature conditions. The transcriptional regulation of UPR‐specific targets is studied in response to decreased culture temperature in relation to production of a difficult‐to‐express protein. A clonally‐derived CHO cell line expressing a chimeric fusion protein (human erythropoietin [hEPO] linked to a murine Fc region, hEPO‐Fc) is evaluated in terms of growth, metabolism, r‐protein production and UPR‐/ER associated degradation (ERAD)‐specific gene expression at standard (37 °C) and low (32 °C) temperature in batch and fed‐batch systems. Low temperature decreased peak cell density, improved viability, generated cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase and enhanced hEPO‐Fc expression in both batch and fed‐batch cultures. A low culture temperature significantly upregulated genes encoding UPR‐specific transcriptional activators (xbp1s, ddit3, and atf5) and ER‐resident proteins (grp78, grp94, trib3, and ero1α), that are associated with folding and processing of proteins within the ER. Further, low culture temperature decreased expression of genes involved in ERAD (edem3, sels, herpud1, and syvn1) indicating a decreased potential for protein degradation.
Anion‐Responsive π‐Electronic Systems Exhibiting Diverse Conformations and Stoichiometries in Anion Binding
Authors: Haketa Yohei , Naganawa Atsushi , Sugiura Shinya , Yasuda Nobuhiro , Maeda Hiromitsu
Published: April 2020

Dimers of pyrrole‐based anion‐responsive π‐electronic molecules that are linked by appropriate π‐conjugated spacers were synthesized through metal‐catalyzed coupling reactions. The dimers showed [2+1]‐, [1+1]‐, and [1+2]‐type anion binding in solution, whereas [2+2]‐ and [1+2]‐type complexes were formed in the solid state, depending on the length and electronic properties of the spacer units. The dimer with an electron‐deficient spacer unit formed a [2+1]‐type double helical structure with shuttling of the bound anion between two binding sites.
Truncation of CXCL8 to CXCL8(9-77) enhances actin polymerization and in vivo migration of neutrophils
Authors: Metzemaekers Mieke , Vandendriessche Sofie , Berghmans Nele , Gouwy Mieke , Proost Paul
Published: April 2020

CXCL8 is the principal human neutrophil-attracting chemokine and a major mediator of inflammation. The chemokine exerts its neutrophil-chemotactic and neutrophil-activating activities via interaction with glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and activation of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) CXCR1 and CXCR2. Natural CXCL8 displays an exceptional degree of amino (NH2)-terminal heterogeneity. Most CXCL8 forms result from proteolytic processing of authentic CXCL8(1-77). Here, we compared the potencies to activate and recruit neutrophils of the 3 most abundant natural CXCL8 forms: full-length 77 amino acid CXCL8 and the 2 major natural truncated forms lacking 5 or 8 NH2-terminal amino acids. NH2-terminal truncation hardly affected the capacity of CXCL8 to induce shedding of CD62L or to up-regulate the expression of the adhesion molecules CD11a, CD11b, or CD15 on human neutrophils. In addition, the potency of CXCL8 to induce neutrophil degranulation and its effect on phagocytosis remained unaltered upon removal of 5 or 8 NH2-terminal residues. However, NH2-terminal truncation strongly potentiated CXCL8-induced actin polymerization. CXCL8(6-77) and CXCL8(9-77) showed a comparable capacity to induce Ca2+ signaling in human neutrophils and to direct in vitro neutrophil migration. Strikingly, the ability of CXCL8(9-77) to recruit neutrophils into the peritoneal cavity of mice was significantly enhanced compared to CXCL8(6-77). These results suggest that NH2-terminal truncation influences specific biological activities of CXCL8 and indicate that CXCL8(9-77) may be the most potent neutrophil-attracting CXCL8 form in vivo.
The interplay between innate and adaptive immunity in cancer shapes the productivity of cancer immunosurveillance
Authors: Chang Renee B , Beatty Gregory L
Published: April 2020

The immune system is a vital determinant of cancer and shapes its trajectory. Notably, the immune reaction to cancer harbors dual potential for suppressing or promoting cancer development and progression. This polarity of the immune response is determined, in part, by the character of the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity. On the one hand, the innate immune compartment is a necessary proponent of cancer immunity by supporting an immunostimulatory state that enables T cell immunosurveillance. However, in the setting of cancer, innate immune cells are commonly polarized with immune-suppressive properties and as a result, orchestrate a tolerogenic niche that interferes with the cytotoxic potential of tumor antigen-specific T cells. Here, we discuss the role of innate immunity as a positive and negative regulator of adaptive immunosurveillance; moreover, we highlight how tumor cells may skew leukocytes toward an immunosuppressive state and, as such, subvert the phenotypic plasticity of the immune compartment to advance disease progression. These observations establish the precedent for novel therapeutic strategies that aim to restore the tumor microenvironment to an immunoreactive state and, in doing so, condition and maintain the immunogenicity of tumors to yield deep and durable responses to immunotherapy.
Integrin α4β7 in HIV-1 infection: A critical review
Authors: Liu Qingbo , Lusso Paolo
Published: April 2020

Over the past decade, a series of observations linking α4β7, the principal gut-homing integrin, with various aspects of HIV-1 infection have generated considerable interest in the field of HIV-1 research. After the initial report that the major HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, can bind to α4β7, intensive research efforts have been focused on the role of α4β7 as a key factor in HIV-1 pathogenesis and as a potential target for prevention and treatment. The interaction between α4β7 and its natural ligand, MAdCAM-1, directs infected CD4+ T cells and HIV-1 virions carrying incorporated α4β7 to the gut mucosa, which may facilitate HIV-1 seeding and replication in the intestinal compartment during the early stages of infection. In addition, cells that express high levels of α4β7, such as Th17 cells, represent preferential targets for infection, and their frequency in the circulation was shown to correlate with susceptibility to HIV-1 infection and disease progression. A number of in vivo studies in nonhuman primates have investigated whether blockage of α4β7 may affect SIV transmission and pathogenesis. Administration of a primatized anti-α4β7 antibody that blocks MAdCAM-1 binding to α4β7 was reported to reduce SIV mucosal transmission in rhesus macaques. However, the mechanism responsible for such a protective effect is still undefined, and conflicting results have been reported on the effects of the same antibody, in combination with ART, during the early chronic phase of SIV infection. Thus, despite a series of tantalizing results accrued over the past decade, the jury is still out on the role of α4β7 in HIV-1 infection.
Insight into non‐enzymatic browning of shelf‐stable orange juice during storage: A fractionation and kinetic approach
Authors: Pham Huong Tran Thuy , Bista Archana , Kebede Biniam , Buvé Carolien , Hendrickx Marc , Van Loey Ann
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Non‐enzymatic browning (NEB) is the main quality defect in shelf‐stable orange juice and other fruit juices during storage. Previous studies on NEB focused solely on the soluble fraction of orange juice, regardless of the fact that both soluble and insoluble fractions turn brown during extended storage. Clear evidence of the relative contribution of both fractions to NEB is currently lacking in the literature. This study investigated the contribution of the soluble and insoluble fractions of orange juice, which were obtained by centrifugation and ethanol precipitation, to NEB during storage. Changes in different NEB‐related attributes, such as ascorbic acid (AA) degradation, and the browning index (BI), were quantified and kinetically modeled.

RESULTS

Evaluation of color during storage showed that the orange juice and the soluble compound‐containing fractions turned brown whereas the insoluble fractions did not. The soluble compound‐containing fractions showed exactly the same browning behavior with storage as the plain orange juice. Based on the kinetic parameters obtained, the degradation of AA, the hydrolysis of sucrose, the increase in the glucose and fructose content, and the formation of furfural and 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural during storage were similar for the plain orange juice and the soluble compound‐containing fractions.

CONCLUSION

This work provided evidence that the soluble fraction of orange juice plays the major role in NEB, unlike the insoluble fraction, which seems to make no contribution. Results from this work also demonstrate the potential use of the soluble fraction as an orange‐juice‐based model system of reduced complexity that can be used for the further investigation of NEB processes. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Extreme MRI: Large‐scale volumetric dynamic imaging from continuous non‐gated acquisitions
Authors: Ong Frank , Zhu Xucheng , Cheng Joseph Y. , Johnson Kevin M. , Larson Peder E. Z. , Vasanawala Shreyas S. , Lustig Michael
Published: April 2020

Purpose

To develop a framework to reconstruct large‐scale volumetric dynamic MRI from rapid continuous and non‐gated acquisitions, with applications to pulmonary and dynamic contrast‐enhanced (DCE) imaging.

Theory and Methods

The problem considered here requires recovering 100 gigabytes of dynamic volumetric image data from a few gigabytes of k‐space data, acquired continuously over several minutes. This reconstruction is vastly under‐determined, heavily stressing computing resources as well as memory management and storage. To overcome these challenges, we leverage intrinsic three‐dimensional (3D) trajectories, such as 3D radial and 3D cones, with ordering that incoherently cover time and k‐space over the entire acquisition. We then propose two innovations: (a) A compressed representation using multiscale low‐rank matrix factorization that constrains the reconstruction problem, and reduces its memory footprint. (b) Stochastic optimization to reduce computation, improve memory locality, and minimize communications between threads and processors. We demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method on DCE imaging acquired with a golden‐angle ordered 3D cones trajectory and pulmonary imaging acquired with a bit‐reversed ordered 3D radial trajectory. We compare it with “soft‐gated" dynamic reconstruction for DCE and respiratory‐resolved reconstruction for pulmonary imaging.

Results

The proposed technique shows transient dynamics that are not seen in gating‐based methods. When applied to datasets with irregular, or non‐repetitive motions, the proposed method displays sharper image features.

Conclusions

We demonstrated a method that can reconstruct massive 3D dynamic image series in the extreme undersampling and extreme computation setting.
Controlling thermal conductivities and electrical insulation properties of carbon nanofiber/polyimide composites using surface coating techniques
Authors: Haruki Masashi , Tanaka Keitaro
Published: April 2020

In the present work, sandwich‐structured composite sheets consisting of a core layer of carbon nanofiber (CNF)/polyimide (PI) and an outer layer of either pristine PI or hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/PI were proposed and characterized for the possibility that they could enhance the effective thermal conductivity (TC) of PI composite sheets while also retaining their electrical insulation properties. The sandwiched structures were prepared using a dip coating method. The electrical insulation properties were evaluated via the breakdown voltage (BDV) of direct current. By using hBN with an average size of 0.5 μm as filler for the outer layer, a composite sheet with a highly effective level of TC was prepared. The BDV achieved more than 2 kV, when the outer layer had a total thickness of approximately more than 60 μm even at 30 vol% of hBN_0.5 content. The tensile strengths of the sandwich‐structured sheets indicated the values between each single layer of the 10 vol%‐CNF/PI and hBN_0.5/PI composites.
Soluble and film‐formable homopolymer tethering side‐opened cage silsesquioxane pendants
Authors: Sato Yuri , Imoto Hiroaki , Naka Kensuke
Published: April 2020

Cage silsesquioxane, denoted as polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) has high crystallinity to readily cause aggregation when it is induced into polymer side chain. In this work, side‐opened POSS was employed to construct a bifunctional monomer for cyclopolymerization. The collapsed symmetry of the POSS core effectively reduced the crystallinity to realize homogeneous films, while a traditional POSS homopolymer formed turbid and brittle films. The obtained film showed high transparency and thermal stability.
Tuning the Mechanical Properties of the Anti‐Tetrachiral System Using Nonuniform Ligament Thickness
Authors: Farrugia Pierre-Sandre , Gatt Ruben , Grima-Cornish James N. , Grima Joseph N.
Published: April 2020

The mechanical properties of the anti‐tetrachiral structure having the thickness of the ligament changing symmetrically around the center are investigated using analytical and numerical methods. For the purpose of deriving a theoretical model, the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory is used to determine the relation among the acting moment, the angle of rotation of the nodes, and the bending energy stored. Analysis of the results indicates that a change in geometry has a minor effect on Poisson's ratio, if any at all; however, it can result in relatively large changes in Young's modulus. Hence, it is shown that the mechanical properties can be altered selectively by adjusting the geometric features of chiral structures. The indications of the analytical model are validated using numerical methods for different values of the geometric parameters and are found to be in good agreement. In the process, it is shown that there are regions of the parameter space where the mechanical properties of the anti‐tetrachiral are insensitive to variations in certain geometric dimensions.
Stress‐Driven Phase Transitions of SrI2: A First‐Principles Investigation
Authors: Dai Jingjing , Feng Qingguo
Published: April 2020

The structural and electronic properties of strontium iodide (SrI2) under hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic compressions up to 20 GPa are investigated using first‐principles calculations. Upon hydrostatic compression, SrI2 undergoes a phase transition from the Pbca structure to a quasilayered Pbcm structure around 13.2 GPa, and the bandgap narrows with increasing pressure. Upon uniaxial compression, the system exhibits strong anisotropy. Along [010], a Pbca → Cmcm phase transition is observed at about 16.8 GPa via an intermediate metastable Pbcm structure, whereas along [100] and [001], the Pbca structure remains with cell shape changed. These phase transitions are systematically analyzed with shear moduli, band structures, and densities of states. The suitable bandgaps manifested during its uniaxial compression are exploited for optical and semiconductor applications.
Alveolar wars: The rise of in vitro models to understand human lung alveolar maintenance, regeneration, and disease
Authors: Evans Kelly V. , Lee Joo-Hyeon
Published: April 2020

Diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia injure the gas-exchanging alveoli of the human lung. Animal studies have indicated that dysregulation of alveolar cells, including alveolar type II stem/progenitor cells, is implicated in disease pathogenesis. Due to mouse-human differences, there has been a desperate need to develop human-relevant lung models that can more closely recapitulate the human lung during homeostasis, injury repair, and disease. Here we discuss how current single-cell RNA sequencing studies have increased knowledge of the cellular and molecular composition of human lung alveoli, including the identification of molecular heterogeneity, cellular diversity, and previously unknown cell types, some of which arise specifically during disease. For functional analysis of alveolar cells, in vitro human alveolar organoids established from human pluripotent stem cells, embryonic progenitors, and adult tissue from both healthy and diseased lungs have modeled aspects of the cellular and molecular features of alveolar epithelium. Drawbacks of such systems are highlighted, along with possible solutions. Organoid-on-a-chip and ex vivo systems including precision-cut lung slices can complement organoid studies by providing further cellular and structural complexity of lung tissues, and have been shown to be invaluable models of human lung disease, while the production of acellular and synthetic scaffolds hold promise in lung transplant efforts. Further improvements to such systems will increase understanding of the underlying biology of human alveolar stem/progenitor cells, and could lead to future therapeutic or pharmacological intervention in patients suffering from end-stage lung diseases.

Significance statement Over the last decade, stem cell-derived culture model systems of human lungs have garnered renewed interest, as they recapitulate human lung tissues in a dish. This study summarizes the current concepts and advances in the field of human distal lung alveoli, which is the most critical region for the respiratory function and disease, and thereby has been moving forward so rapidly. Specifically, this study compares the differences in cellular compositions of distal lungs between mouse and human and discusses the current model systems to study maintenance, regeneration, and disease of human lung alveoli, which is difficult to model in animal studies.
Climate change projections of temperature and precipitation in Chile based on statistical downscaling
Authors: Araya-Osses Daniela , Casanueva Ana , Román-Figueroa Celián , Uribe Juan Manuel , Paneque Manuel
Published: April 2020

General circulation models (GCMs) allow the analysis of potential changes in the climate system under different emissions scenarios. However, their spatial resolution is too coarse to produce useful climate information for impact/adaptation assessments. This is especially relevant for regions with complex orography and coastlines, such as in Chile. Downscaling techniques attempt to reduce the gap between global and regional/local scales; for instance, statistical downscaling methods establish empirical relationships between large-scale predictors and local predictands. Here, statistical downscaling was employed to generate climate change projections of daily maximum/minimum temperatures and precipitation in more than 400 locations in Chile using the analog method, which identifies the most similar or analog day based on similarities of large-scale patterns from a pool of historical records. A cross-validation framework was applied using different sets of potential predictors from the NCEP/NCAR reanalysis following the perfect prognosis approach. The best-performing set was used to downscale six different CMIP5 GCMs (forced by three representative concentration pathways, RCPs). As a result, minimum and maximum temperatures are projected to increase in the entire Chilean territory throughout all seasons. Specifically, the minimum (maximum) temperature is projected to increase by more than 2 °C (6 °C) under the RCP8.5 scenario in the austral winter by the end of the twenty-first century. Precipitation changes exhibit a larger spatial variability. By the end of the twenty-first century, a winter precipitation decrease exceeding 40% is projected under RCP8.5 in the central-southern zone, while an increase of over 60% is projected in the northern Andes.
Zufriedenheit in der Partnerschaft und Untreue: Ein Zusammenhang, zwei Richtungen
Authors: Bozoyan Christiane , Schmiedeberg Claudia
Published: April 2020

Wie hängen untreues Verhalten in einer Beziehung und die Zufriedenheit mit der Partnerschaft zusammen? Plausibel erscheint zunächst der Einfluss der Beziehungsqualität auf das Treueverhalten: Je unzufriedener ein Partner in einer Beziehung ist, desto eher sucht er oder sie Außenbeziehungen. Dies schließt jedoch nicht aus, dass sich die Partnerschaftsqualität oder deren Einschätzung nach der Untreueepisode aus Perspektive des Täters oder der Täterin ebenfalls verändern kann, z. B. aufgrund von durch die Untreue ausgelösten Konflikten und Ehekrisen oder um Gefühle kognitiver Dissonanz zu reduzieren. Anhand von Fixed-effects-Modellen auf Basis der Daten des Beziehungs- und Familienpanelspairfamüber den Beobachtungszeitraum 2008 bis 2016 untersuchen wir beide möglichen Wirkrichtungen im Längsschnitt mit 1‑ und 2‑jährigem Abstand zwischen den Messzeitpunkten. Es zeigt sich, dass Wechselwirkungen zwischen den beiden Faktoren bestehen, wobei die Auswirkungen von Untreue auf die Beziehungszufriedenheit bei Frauen größer sind als bei Männern. Während der Zusammenhang von Beziehungszufriedenheit und Untreuerisiko eher gering ist, zeigt sich, dass das Risiko fremdzugehen deutlich ansteigt, wenn die Langzeitorientierung in der Beziehung sinkt.
The Effect of Democratically Determined (In)equality on Cooperative Behavior
Authors: Schlösser Thomas , Steiniger Tim , Ehlebracht Daniel , Fetchenhauer Detlef
Published: April 2020

We investigated the relationship between democratically determined economic inequality and cooperation in a two-stage experimental design. Although the relationship between inequality and cooperation has been studied extensively, experimental results in this area are contradictory and find inequality to have either a positive, negative, or no effect on cooperation. Our participants were randomly assigned to one of three societal classes (upper class, middle class, lower class) in a simulated small-scale society, and they subsequently voted to implement a societal system in which wealth was distributed either relatively equally or relatively unequally. We found lower levels of cooperation (measured as the invested amount in a public-good game) among societies that previously opted for the unequal distribution, but did not observe a general effect of a participant’s personal vote on cooperative behavior. Instead, middle-class and lower-class participants in unequal societies cooperated less than their counterparts in the equal societies, causing the observed differences on the societal level. These findings suggest that democratically induced policies that ultimately lead to greater equality of wealth are potentially able to have positive consequences on the readiness to cooperate on the production of public goods.
Structural Compatibility of Infrastructures Utilizing Alternative Earth Construction Materials
Authors: Kolisoja Pauli , Kalliainen Antti
Published: April 2020

This paper presents analysis of the structural behavior of road pavements in which alternative construction materials are replacing the traditional ones in some of the structural layers. The analysis is consider important since from the structural performance point of view many of the alternative materials have mechanical properties far different from those of the traditional road construction materials, especially unbound aggregates, and as a consequence of that, the empirically calibrated design rules applied and adjusted for the normally utilized pavements solutions are not valid any more. The analysis is exemplified by means of four different low volume road pavement structures that are in line with the existing design guidelines in Finland. The mechanical behavior of these structures is analyzed using three different approaches: semi-empirical Oedemark design approach, multi-layer linear elastic analysis and finite element analysis. The obtained calculation results indicate clearly that if a low volume road structure containing a high stiffness layer made e.g. of stabilized fly ash is resting on soft subgrade soil, tensile stresses up to 1 MPa may be developed. Therefore, the performance and respective distress mechanisms of the structure are likely to be very different from those of a traditional solution. As a key conclusion from the analysis, need for a new concept, structural compatibility, was identified. It would help in drawing due attention to the mechanical behavior of alternative materials when they are used in replacing the traditional ones in road structures exposed to repeated heavy traffic loads.

Graphic Abstract
The mechanisms of decision-making when applying geometallurgical approach to the mining industry
Authors: Lishchuk Viktor , Pettersson Maria
Published: April 2020

It is believed that most of the production problems in modern mining industry could be solved solely by applying technical tools such as better machinery, more accurate models or more advanced technology. Geometallurgy was initially introduced as a tool aimed to improve production performance by integrating geological and process information into a predictive model. However, the actual benefits of geometallurgy cannot be achieved without considering actors involved and strategic decisions made by the management in addition. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a framework of decision-making in which technical and managerial aspects of the geometallurgy are fully integrated. This framework is aimed to be used for improving predictability of the geometallurgical programmes.