bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrocatalytic Reduction of CO2 to Acetic Acid by a Molecular Manganese Corrole Complex
Authors: De Ratnadip , Gonglach Sabrina , Paul Shounik , Haas Michael , Sreejith S. S. , Gerschel Philipp , Apfel Ulf‐Peter , Vuong Thanh Huyen , Rabeah Jabor , Roy Soumyajit , Schöfberger Wolfgang
Published: April 2020

The controlled electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide to value added chemicals is an important strategy in terms of renewable energy technologies. Therefore, the development of efficient and stable catalysts in an aqueous environment is of great importance. In this context, we focused on synthesizing and studying a molecular MnIII‐corrole complex, which is modified on the three meso‐positions with polyethylene glycol moieties for direct and selective production of acetic acid from CO2. Electrochemical reduction of MnIII leads to an electroactive MnII species, which binds CO2 and stabilizes the reduced intermediates. This catalyst allows to electrochemically reduce CO2 to acetic acid in a moderate acidic aqueous medium (pH 6) with a selectivity of 63 % and a turn over frequency (TOF) of 8.25 h−1, when immobilized on a carbon paper (CP) electrode. In terms of high selectivity towards acetate, we propose the formation and reduction of an oxalate type intermediate, stabilized at the MnIII‐corrole center.
Dinitrosyl Iron Complex [K‐18‐crown‐6‐ether][(NO)2Fe(MePyrCO2)]: Intermediate for Capture and Reduction of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Tseng Yu‐Ting , Ching Wei‐Min , Liaw Wen‐Feng , Lu Tsai‐Te
Published: April 2020

Continued efforts are made for the utilization of CO2 as a C1 feedstock for regeneration of valuable chemicals and fuels. Mechanistic study of molecular (electro‐/photo‐)catalysts disclosed that initial step for CO2 activation involves either nucleophilic insertion or direct reduction of CO2. In this study, nucleophilic activation of CO2 by complex [(NO)2Fe(μ‐MePyr)2Fe(NO)2]2− (2, MePyr=3‐methylpyrazolate) results in the formation of CO2‐captured complex [(NO)2Fe(MePyrCO2)]− (2‐CO2, MePyrCO2=3‐methyl‐pyrazole‐1‐carboxylate). Single‐crystal structure, spectroscopic, reactivity, and computational study unravels 2‐CO2 as a unique intermediate for reductive transformation of CO2 promoted by Ca2+. Moreover, sequential reaction of 2 with CO2, Ca(OTf)2, and KC8 established a synthetic cycle, 2 → 2‐CO2 → [(NO)2Fe(μ‐MePyr)2Fe(NO)2] (1) → 2, for selective conversion of CO2 into oxalate. Presumably, characterization of the unprecedented intermediate 2‐CO2 may open an avenue for systematic evaluation of the effects of alternative Lewis acids on reduction of CO2.
Cell Engineering with Functional Poly(oxanorbornene) Block Copolymers
Authors: Church Derek C. , Pokorski Jonathan K.
Published: April 2020

Cell‐based therapies are gaining prominence in treating a wide variety of diseases and using synthetic polymers to manipulate these cells provides an opportunity to impart function that could not be achieved using solely genetic means. Herein, we describe the utility of functional block copolymers synthesized by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) that can insert directly into the cell membrane via the incorporation of long alkyl chains into a short polymer block leading to non‐covalent, hydrophobic interactions with the lipid bilayer. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these polymers can be imbued with advanced functionalities. A photosensitizer was incorporated into these polymers to enable spatially controlled cell death by the localized generation of 1O2 at the cell surface in response to red‐light irradiation. In a broader context, we believe our polymer insertion strategy could be used as a general methodology to impart functionality onto cell‐surfaces.
Light‐Promoted Nickel Catalysis: Etherification of Aryl Electrophiles with Alcohols Catalyzed by a NiII‐Aryl Complex
Authors: Yang Liu , Lu Huan‐Huan , Lai Chu‐Hui , Li Gang , Zhang Wei , Cao Rui , Liu Fengyi , Wang Chao , Xiao Jianliang , Xue Dong
Published: April 2020

A highly effective C−O coupling reaction of (hetero)aryl electrophiles with primary and secondary alcohols is reported. Catalyzed by a NiII‐aryl complex under long‐wave UV (390–395 nm) irradiation in the presence of a soluble amine base without any additional photosensitizer, the reaction enables the etherification of aryl bromides and aryl chlorides as well as sulfonates with a wide range of primary and secondary aliphatic alcohols, affording synthetically important ethers. Intramolecular C−O coupling is also possible. The reaction appears to proceed via a NiI–NiIII catalytic cycle.
Adsorption Site Regulation to Guide Atomic Design of Ni–Ga Catalysts for Acetylene Semi‐Hydrogenation
Authors: Cao Yueqiang , Zhang Hao , Ji Shufang , Sui Zhijun , Jiang Zheng , Wang Dingsheng , Zaera Francisco , Zhou Xinggui , Duan Xuezhi , Li Yadong
Published: April 2020

Atomic regulation of metal catalysts has emerged as an intriguing yet challenging strategy to boost product selectivity. Here, we report a density functional theory‐guided atomic design strategy for the fabrication of a NiGa intermetallic catalyst with completely isolated Ni sites to optimize acetylene semi‐hydrogenation processes. Such Ni sites show not only preferential acetylene π‐adsorption, but also enhanced ethylene desorption. The characteristics of the Ni sites are confirmed by multiple characterization techniques, including aberration‐corrected high‐resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray absorption spectrometry measurements. The superior performance is also confirmed experimentally against a Ni5Ga3 intermetallic catalyst with partially isolated Ni sites and against a Ni catalyst with multi‐atomic ensemble Ni sites. Accordingly, the NiGa intermetallic catalyst with the completely isolated Ni sites shows significantly enhanced selectivity to ethylene and suppressed coke formation.
Analysis of Copenhagen problem with a repulsive quasi‐homogeneous Manev‐type potential within the frame of variable mass
Authors: Suraj Md Sanam , Mittal Amit , Kaur Charanpreet , Aggarwal Rajiv
Published: April 2020

The present problem is devoted to the special case of restricted problem of three bodies, always referred as the Copenhagen problem when we consider the primaries of equal masses. In this manuscript, we have considered the third body of infinitesimal mass as variable and moreover, instead of taking only Newtonian potential and forces, a quasi‐homogeneous potential produced by the main primaries has also been taken into account. This implies that, in order to approximate the phenomena such as the radiation pressure or the primaries' nonsphericity, we insert an inverse cube corrective term to the gravitational law of inverse square. In this model, the impact of the parameters, arise as a result of variable mass on the number and locations of the in‐plane and out‐of‐plane equilibrium points, is discussed. Moreover, their stability is also analyzed and the impact of these parameters on the regions, where motion of the third particle is possible, is unveiled. The basins of convergence associated with these equilibrium points are also illustrated by the Newton–Raphson iterative scheme of two or more variables.
Flexible Solid‐State Asymmetric Supercapacitors with Enhanced Performance Enabled by Free‐Standing MXene−Biopolymer Nanocomposites and Hierarchical Graphene−RuOx Paper Electrodes
Authors: Qin Leiqiang , Tao Quanzheng , Liu Lianlian , Jiang Jianxia , Liu Xianjie , Fahlman Mats , Hou Lintao , Rosen Johanna , Zhang Fengling
Published: April 2020

Two‐dimensional (2D) transition metal carbides and carbonitrides, called MXenes, with metallic conductivity and hydrophilic surfaces, show great promise as electrode materials for supercapacitors. A major drawback of 2D nanomaterials is the re‐stacking of the nanosheets, which prevents full utilization of surface area and blocks the access of the electrolyte. In this study, a free‐standing nanocomposite paper electrode is realized by combining Mo1.33C MXene and positively charged biopolymer lignin (the second most abundant biopolymer in nature, L‐DEA). The self‐assembled layered architecture with alternating polymer and MXene flakes increases the interlayer space to promote ion transport, and with combining charge storage capability of the lignin derivative and MXene in an interpenetrating MXene/L‐DEA nanocomposite, which offers an impressive capacitance of 503.7 F g−1. Moreover, we demonstrate flexible solid‐state asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) using Mo1.33C@L‐DEA as the negative electrode and electrochemically exfoliated graphene with ruthenium oxide (EG@RuOx) as the positive electrode. This asymmetric device operates at a voltage window of 1.35 V, which is about two times wider than that of a symmetric Mo1.33C@L‐DEA based supercapacitor. Finally, the ASCs can deliver an energy density of 51.9 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 338.5 W kg−1, with 86 % capacitance retention after 10000 charge‐discharge cycles.
Chemical Production from Methanol Using Natural and Synthetic Methylotrophs
Authors: Chen Arvin Y. , Lan Ethan I.
Published: April 2020

Methanol as a chemical feedstock is becoming increasingly important as it is derived from natural gas and is a feasible end‐product for captured carbon dioxide. Biological conversion of methanol through natural and synthetic methylotrophs increases the chemical repertoire and is an important direction for one carbon (C1) based chemical economy. Advances in the metabolic engineering and synthetic biology enable development of microbial cell factories for converting methanol into various platform chemicals. In this review, the current status of methanol utilizing microbial factory development is summarized. Also the development of synthetic methylotrophy and methanol‐augmented bioproductions is discussed.
Can we improve the detection rate of prostate cancer using standard 12‐core TRUS‐guided prostate biopsy? Focused on the location of prostate biopsy
Authors: Yoo Sangjun , Suh Jungyo , Park Juhyun , Cho Min Chul , Son Hwancheol , Jeong Hyeon
Published: April 2020

Background

We assessed the effect of biopsy location on the prostate cancer detection and clinically significant prostate cancer.

Methods

A total of 2774 patients with 12‐core prostate transrectal ultrasound‐guided prostate biopsy were included for per core analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of the location of biopsy on the prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer detection.

Results

Prostate cancer was found in 775 patients (27.9%) and 576 prostate cancer patients (20.8%) were found to be clinically significant. The core length (P = .043), tumor length (P < .001), and % tumor length (P < .001) were significantly different according to the biopsy location. The detection rates for prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer differed significantly according to the location of biopsy. Multivariate analysis revealed that the apical core was significantly related with increased detection of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer. The lateral core, in addition to apical core, was found to be significantly related with increased detection rates of prostate cancer and clinically significant prostate cancer in men with prostate‐specific antigen <10 ng/mL.

Conclusions

More in‐depth discussions on the location of standard 12‐core prostate biopsy are considered necessary. Apical core and lateral core biopsies may be helpful, especially in patients with prostate‐specific antigen ˂10 ng/mL if additional biopsies are planned following findings of no target lesions on imaging studies.
DGUOK‐AS1 promotes cell proliferation in cervical cancer via acting as a ceRNA of miR‐653‐5p
Authors: Wu Nanchang , Song Honglin , Ren Yaoyao , Tao Shan , Li Shiting
Published: April 2020

Cervical cancer (CC) holds the second highest incidence and is the fourth dominating cause of cancer‐induced death in women. It has been widely accepted that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in pathological and physiological activities of CC. However, the research of lncRNAs is still in the initial stage. The biological function of lncRNA deoxyguanosine kinase antisense RNA 1 (DGUOK‐AS1) in human cancers has not been reported yet. We found that DGUOK‐AS1 was aberrantly upregulated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC) tissues through TCGA database. Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) also verified the high expression of DGUOK‐AS1 in CC cell lines. Loss‐of‐function assays indicated that DGUOK‐AS1 silence repressed CC cell growth. In addition, dual‐luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) experiments validated the binding relation between miR‐653‐5p and DGUOK‐AS1 or EMSY. Results of the rescue assays elucidated that EMSY overexpression or miR‐653‐5p downregulation reversed the suppressive function of DGUOK‐AS1 knockdown on cell growth and DNA repair in CC. To sum up, this research highlighted that DGUOK‐AS1 could promote CC cell proliferation via serving as a ceRNA of miR‐653‐5p to release EMSY, which might inspire us to discover novel strategies for CC treatment.

Significance of the study

DGUOK‐AS1 knockdown hinders proliferation of CC cells. DGUOK‐AS1 sequesters miR‐653‐5p to elevate EMSY in CC. EMSY is required for DGUOK‐AS1 to induce cell proliferation and repress DNA damage in CC.
New insights into small‐cell lung cancer development and therapy
Authors: Wang Yuwen , Zou Songyun , Zhao Zhuyun , Liu Po , Ke Changneng , Xu Shi
Published: April 2020

Small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for approximately 15% of lung cancer cases; however, it is characterized by easy relapse and low survival rate, leading to one of the most intractable diseases in clinical practice. Despite decades of basic and clinical research, little progress has been made in the management of SCLC. The current standard first‐line regimens of SCLC still remain to be cisplatin or carboplatin combined with etoposide, and the adverse events of chemotherapy are by no means negligible. Besides, the immunotherapy on SCLC is still in an early stage and novel studies are urgently needed. In this review, we describe SCLC development and current therapy, aiming at providing useful advices on basic research and clinical strategy.
LINC00667 promotes the proliferation, migration, and pathological angiogenesis in non–small cell lung cancer through stabilizing VEGFA by EIF4A3
Authors: Yang Huizhen , Yang Wuchen , Dai Wanqing , Ma Yun , Zhang Guojun
Published: April 2020

To better treat patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the investigations on novel molecules affecting NSCLC progression are of vital importance. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are identified as pivotal regulators that can affect the cellular activities of carcinomas. Long intergenic non‐protein coding RNA 667 (LINC00667) is a newly found lncRNA, and its expression pattern and potent mechanisms are still obscure in NSCLC. Our study was the first to illustrate that LINC00667 was upregulated in NSCLC and LINC00667 silence refrained the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of NSCLC cells in vitro. In addition, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was modulated by LINC00667 at posttranscriptional level. Furthermore, mechanism experiments depicted that LINC00667 recruited eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) to stabilize VEGFA messenger RNA. Eventually, rescue assays implied that LINC00667 modulated NSCLC progression via EIF4A3‐stabilized VEGFA. Jointly, these findings hinted that LINC00667 was a tumor promoter in NSCLC, providing guidance for the exploration on NSCLC treatment.
Knockdown of ghrelin‐O‐acyltransferase attenuates colitis through the modulation of inflammatory factors and tight junction proteins in the intestinal epithelium
Authors: Tian Peiying , Lu Xiaolan , Jin Nuyun , Shi Jianping
Published: April 2020

Ghrelin‐O‐acyltransferase (GOAT) is a membrane‐bound enzyme that attaches eight‐carbon octanoate to a serine residue in ghrelin and thereby acylates inactive ghrelin to produce active ghrelin. In this study, we investigated the function of GOAT in the intestinal mucosal barrier. The intestinal mucosal barrier prevents harmful substances such as bacteria and endotoxin from entering the other tissues, organs, and blood circulation through the intestinal mucosa. Here, we established 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced colitis in mice and found that the body weight and colon weight were significantly decreased in these mice. Furthermore, increased inflammation and apoptosis were observed in the tissues of DSS‐induced colitis mice, with increased expression of tumor necrosis factor‐α, interleukin‐6, phosphorylation of nuclear factor kappa B‐p65 (p‐NF‐κB‐p65), and cleaved caspase‐3, and decreased expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins such as zonula occluden‐1 and occludin. The knockdown of GOAT significantly attenuated colitis‐induced inflammation responses and apoptosis, while GOAT overexpression significantly enhanced the induction of colitis. These results suggest that knockdown of GOAT may attenuate colitis‐induced inflammation, ulcers, and fecal occult blood by decreasing the intestinal mucosal permeability via the modulation of inflammatory factors and TJ proteins.
Variable linezolid exposure and response and the role of therapeutic drug monitoring: Case series
Authors: Alghamdi Wael A. , Al‐Shaer Mohammad H. , Klinker Kenneth P. , Peloquin Charles A.
Published: April 2020

Two patients with normal renal function, yet each showed unexpected, supra‐ and subtherapeutic linezolid plasma concentrations resulting in toxicity and ineffective therapy, respectively. TDM helps to early identify and correct such excursions.
Gastric EBV‐positive mucocutaneous ulcer: A rare pathological entity
Authors: Gabsi Azza , Zenzri Yosr , Sahraoui Ghada , Ben Brahim Ihsen , Cherif Mouna , Yahyaoui Yosra , Chraiet Nesrine , Mrad Karima , Chedly Achraf , Ben Maamer Anis , Mezlini Amel
Published: April 2020

The gastric location of EBVMCU is extremely rare. The pathology examination and immunochemistry are mandatory for the diagnosis. It is essential that physicians be aware of this new entity to accurately diagnose and handle this disease.
A case of pulmonary embolism caused by compression of the vena cava by intra‐abdominal masses in autosomal polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Holzmann‐Littig Christopher , Lorenz Georg , Wen Ming , Heemann Uwe , Renders Lutz
Published: April 2020

Dyspnea can have among other reasons pulmonological and cardiological causes. In cases with intra‐abdominal masses such as in severe autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, mechanical occlusion of the vena cava may result in pulmonary embolism.
Intravagal parathyroid adenomas: Case report and literature review
Authors: List Marna A. , Boyce Brian J. , Dziegielewski Peter T.
Published: April 2020

Intravagal parathyroid adenomas remain an exceedingly rare diagnosis; however, their true incidence may be higher than currently known. It is important to keep intravagal sites within the list of potential ectopic locations of parathyroid adenomas.
Recent Advances in C−H Functionalization with Electrochemistry and Various Iodine‐Containing Reagents
Authors: Qian Peng , Zha Zhenggen , Wang Zhiyong
Published: April 2020

Iodine‐catalyzed C−H functionalization has emerged as an attractive tool for the construction of various C−X (X=C, N, O, S, etc.) bonds, without the use of toxic transition‐metal catalysts. Nevertheless, strong chemical oxidants are usually required for the regeneration of iodine‐containing catalysts, which leads to poor atom economy and undesirable side reactions. Organic electrochemistry provides new opportunities for the assembly of various chemical bonds in an environmentally friendly manner. This Minireview discusses the recent advances of synthetic electrochemistry in C−H functionalization with various iodine‐containing reagents.
Conductive metal‐organic frameworks: Recent advances in electrochemical energy‐related applications and perspectives
Authors: Guo Lingzhi , Sun Jinfeng , Wei Jingxuan , Liu Yang , Hou Linrui , Yuan Changzhou
Published: April 2020

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOFs), typically constructed with metallic nodes and organic linkers, have influenced the development of modular solid materials. Their adjustable molecular structure provides a remarkable variety of MOF‐based solid‐state structures towards diverse applications. However, the low conductivity of traditional MOFs extremely hinders their applications in electronic and electrochemical devices. The emerging conductive MOFs, generally possessing two‐dimensional layered structures, are endowed with both the structural merits of common MOFs and exceptional electronic/ionic conductivities. Besides, the selection and optimization of ligands and metal centers, as well as synthetic methods enormously affects the intrinsic conductivity of conductive MOFs. The distinctive crystal structures and superb conductivity promise their appealing applications in electrochemical energy‐related fields. In the review, we mainly summarize representative crystal features, conducting mechanisms and recent advances in rational design and synthesis of conductive MOFs, along with their versatile applications as electrodes for electrochemical capacitors and rechargeable batteries, and as catalysts towards electrocatalysis. Finally, the involved challenges and future trends/prospects of the conductive MOFs for electrochemical energy‐related applications are further proposed.
Electrophoretic Deposition of Binder‐Free MOF‐Derived Carbon Films for High‐Performance Microsupercapacitors
Authors: Li Yang , Park Teahoon , Kim Minjun , Xie Huaqing , Yi Jin Woo , Li Jing , Alshehri Saad M. , Ahamad Tansir , Na Jongbeom , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: April 2020

Recently, miniaturized power supplies have become essential components of micro‐electromechanical systems (MEMS) and portable microdevices due to their high‐power density, moderate specific energy, and superior long‐term cyclability. In this study, microsupercapacitors with ZIF‐8‐derived carbons as active materials were successfully fabricate by electrophoretic deposition method. The carbon materials on microsupercapacitors, which are directly deposited or obtained by pyrolyzing predeposited ZIF‐8 particles, play a crucial role in achieving outstanding electrochemical performances. The microsupercapacitor of 16 interdigital finger electrodes, prepared by electrophoretic deposition of ZIF‐8 particles and subsequent pyrolysis, shows maximum specific power 687.6 mW cm−3, specific energy 2.87 mWh cm−3, and 97.8 % capacitance retention rate after 10 000 cycles. The simple and facile process of electrophoretic deposition and subsequent pyrolysis of ZIF‐8 particles generates a film of densely populated microporous carbon particles on microsupercapacitor, leading to superior capacitive performances.
Salen‐Based Conjugated Microporous Polymers for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Zhou Wei , Yang Li , Zhou Fu‐Yu , Deng Qi‐Wen , Wang Xiao , Zhai Dong , Ren Guo‐Qing , Han Ke‐Li , Deng Wei‐Qiao , Sun Lei
Published: April 2020

Exploring high‐performance electrocatalysts, especially non‐noble metal electrocatalysts, for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical to energy storage and conversion. Herein, we report for the first time that conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) incorporating salen can be used as OER electrocatalysts with outstanding performances. The best OER electrocatalyst (salen‐CMP‐Fe‐3) exhibits a low Tafel slope of 63 mV dec−1 and an overpotential of 238 mV at 10 mA cm−2. DFT and Grand Canonical Monte Carlo calculations confirmed that the significantly improved electrocatalytic properties can be attributed to the intrinsic catalytic activity of the salen moiety and the enrichment effect of the pore structures. This work demonstrates that salen‐based conjugated polymers are a type of metal‐coordinated porous polymer that show excellent catalyst performance.
The Chicago Consensus Guidelines for peritoneal surface malignancies: Introduction
Authors:   Chicago Consensus Working Group
Published: April 2020

The Chicago Consensus Working Group provides multidisciplinary recommendations for the management of peritoneal surface malignancies of various causes. These guidelines are developed with input from leading experts including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care physicians, and pharmacists. These guidelines recognize and address the emerging need for increased awareness of the appropriate management of peritoneal surface disease. They are not intended to replace the quest for higher levels of evidence. This article serves as an introduction to this effort.
The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Methodology
Authors:   Chicago Consensus Working Group
Published: April 2020

The Chicago Consensus Working Group provides multidisciplinary recommendations for the management of peritoneal surface malignancies of various causes. These guidelines are developed with input from leading experts, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care physicians, and pharmacists. These guidelines recognize and address the emerging need for increased awareness of the appropriate management of peritoneal surface disease. They are not intended to replace the quest for higher levels of evidence. This article explains the process and methodology of building these guidelines and pathways.
The Chicago Consensus on peritoneal surface malignancies: Management of colorectal metastases
Authors:   Chicago Consensus Working Group
Published: April 2020

The Chicago Consensus Working Group provides multidisciplinary recommendations for the management of colorectal cancer specifically as it relates to the management of peritoneal surface malignancy. These guidelines are developed with input from leading experts, including surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, palliative care physicians, and pharmacists. These guidelines recognize and address the emerging need for increased awareness in the appropriate management of peritoneal surface disease. They are not intended to replace the quest for higher levels of evidence.
Double Emulsion‐Templated Single‐Core PLGA Microcapsules with Narrow Size Distribution and Controllable Structure by Using Premix Membrane Emulsification
Authors: Na Xiangming , Guo Jianjun , Li Tong , Zhou Weiqing , Ma Guanghui
Published: April 2020

A scalable and versatile strategy was developed for fabrication of double emulsion‐templated single‐core PLGA microcapsules with narrow size distribution and controllable structure. A single‐core water‐in‐oil‐in‐water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion was generated from two‐step premix membrane emulsification, which guaranteed the narrow size distribution and size controllability of emulsion. During a secondary emulsification process, coalescence of W1 droplets within oil droplet allowed multi‐core W1/O/W2 double emulsion to spontaneously transform to a single‐core one. The osmotic pressure and solvent diffusion rate were used to control the shell‐thickness and surface morphology of single‐core PLGA microcapsules, respectively. The method proposed in this study could be extended for the fabrication of uniform single‐core polymeric microcapsules with controllable structures and size.
Reducing the amount of out‐of‐core data access for GPU‐accelerated randomized SVD
Authors: Lu Yuechao , Yamazaki Ichitaro , Ino Fumihiko , Matsushita Yasuyuki , Tomov Stanimire , Dongarra Jack
Published: April 2020

We propose two acceleration methods, namely, Fused and Gram, for reducing out‐of‐core data access when performing randomized singular value decomposition (RSVD) on graphics processing units (GPUs). Out‐of‐core data here are data that are too large to fit into the GPU memory at once. Both methods accelerate GPU‐enabled RSVD using the following three schemes: (1) a highly tuned general matrix‐matrix multiplication (GEMM) scheme for processing out‐of‐core data on GPUs; (2) a data‐access reduction scheme based on one‐dimensional data partition; and (3) a first‐in, first‐out scheme that reduces CPU‐GPU data transfer using the reverse iteration. The Fused method further reduces the amount of out‐of‐core data access by merging two GEMM operations into a single operation. By contrast, the Gram method reduces both in‐core and out‐of‐core data access by explicitly forming the Gram matrix. According to our experimental results, the Fused and Gram methods improved the RSVD performance up to 1.7× and 5.2×, respectively, compared with a straightforward method that deploys schemes (1) and (2) on the GPU. In addition, we present a case study of deploying the Gram method for accelerating robust principal component analysis, a convex optimization problem in machine learning.
Short text similarity measurement using context‐aware weighted biterms
Authors: Yang Shuiqiao , Huang Guangyan , Ofoghi Bahadorreza , Yearwood John
Published: April 2020

With the development of internet technologies, social media and mobile devices, short texts have become an increasingly popular medium among users to communicate with friends, search information and review products. Measuring the similarity between short texts is a fundamental task due to its importance in many applications, such as text retrieval, topic discovery, and event detection. However, short texts generally comprise sparse, noisy, and ambiguous information. Hence, effectively measuring the distance between short texts is a challenging task. In this paper, we exploit the advantageous corpus‐wide word co‐occurrence information into document‐level feature enrichment to mitigate the challenges caused by the sparseness of short texts for distance measurement. We propose a novel context‐aware weighted Biterm method for short text Distance Measurement (BDM). In BDM, we extract biterms (ie, word pairs) from a short text corpus and exploit a biterm topic model to determine the global weights of biterms in the corpus. We then determine the local importance of a biterm in different contexts (ie, short texts) based on the corpus‐level biterm weight. The distance between two short texts is computed using the context‐aware weighted biterms. Experimental results on three real‐world datasets demonstrate better accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed
BDM.
Guaranteeing differential privacy for sequence predictions in bike sharing systems
Authors: Xie Zhipu , Du Bowen , Huang Shangfo , Huang Bo , Sun Leilei , Lv Weifeng
Published: April 2020

Being part of public transportations, the bike sharing system plays an important role in solving the “last mile” problem. With more advantages than traditional bike sharing systems relying on fixed docks, dockless bike sharing systems are rapidly expanding, which generally operated under cloud‐based architectures. Emerging Things‐Edge‐Cloud (TEC) architectures are showing many advantages than cloud‐based architectures including greater potential in reducing risks of privacy leakage due to their decentralized computing manners. However, even in the TEC architecture, differential attacks, which aims to mine information of individuals in the aggregated data, still cause major threats. To solve this problem, this article proposes a novel encoding and decoding framework within the TEC architecture for time series predictions in bike sharing systems, with considerations of guaranteeing differential privacy. In particular, we first construct a dynamic autoencoder based on the Long Short Term Memory (LSTM) network, then the collected raw temporal data are encoded into a hidden state in the edge end. In the cloud end, the trained output weights are used to reconstruct the current time series and predict the next‐period time series according to received hidden states. This framework not only improves the computation efficiency of bike sharing system by leveraging computing power at the node end but also provides safer data publications that meet the differential privacy requirements. Experiments are conducted on real‐world datasets, results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in providing data services with both high utility in sequence predictions and high safety level for users' privacy.
Expressions of ezrin, ERK, STAT3, and AKT in tongue cancer and association with tumor characteristics and patient survival
Authors: Noi Masaharu , Mukaisho Ken‐ichi , Murakami Shoko , Koshinuma Shinya , Machida Yoshisato , Yamori Masashi , Nakayama Takahisa , Ogawa Takao , Nakata Yusuke , Shimizu Takeshi , Yamamoto Gaku , Sugihara Hiroyuki
Published: April 2020

Background

Ezrin, ERK, STAT3, and AKT are proteins that are overexpressed in various types of cancer, although their expressions in tongue cancer has received less focus. This study aimed to address associations between the expression levels of these proteins and with characteristics of the tumor and patient survival.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemical staining of ezrin, ERK, STAT3, and AKT in tumors from patients with tongue carcinoma in situ (CIS, n = 17) and tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, n = 46). Statistical differences between the SCC versus the CIS cohorts were estimated by calculations of bivariate odds ratios of low versus high expression of the proteins. Fisher's exact tests were used to appraise interassociations between the proteins, as well as expression levels versus patient and tumor characteristics. Survival based on Kaplan–Meier statistics in combination log‐rank tests were used to address potential effects of the patient and tumor characteristics versus 5‐year survival rate.

Results

The relative high: low expression of all four proteins in the two cohorts differed, and particularly ERK was markedly overexpressed in the SCC versus the CIS cohort (odds ratio = 45.3, p < .01). The relative high: low expression each protein versus patient and tumor characteristics; showed associations between AKT expression and T stage (p = .002) plus node metastases (p = .12), and between ERK expression and drinking (p = .01) and smoking history (p = .01). There was no significant difference observed between ERK and the three other molecules, nor any significant difference between the degree of expression of each protein and the 5‐year disease‐specific survival rate.

Conclusion

Ezrin, ERK, STAT3, and AKT appear to be involved in the progress from carcinoma in situ in the tongue into squamous cell carcinoma. ERK in particular is overexpressed, suggesting that ERK may be a novel therapeutic target for preventing tongue cancer.
CEO social capital in family businesses and its effect on investment opportunities: Asset or liability?
Authors: Romano Mauro , Favino Christian , Pennacchio Luca , Grimaldi Francesco
Published: April 2020

Social capital is a widely recognized critical intangible resource for firm success, especially in family businesses, which are considered “emotional arenas”. CEOs' social capital could represent a decisive factor, although its influence is unclear. This research aims to deepen the relationship between CEOs' social capital and firm investment opportunity set (IOS). The research hypothesis assumes a positive relationship between CEO social capital and firm's IOS. CEO social capital is estimated considering network centrality indicators suggested by the authoritative social network analysis literature. The IOS is represented by a single composite indicator of four price‐based proxies and one accounting variable. Using a wide sample of listed Italian family firms, the analysis shows that a CEO with a broader relational network decreases firm investment opportunities. The findings suggest that family businesses, in the Italian context, lack the environmental conditions and critical factors to valorize the CEO's social capital in terms of future investment opportunities.
Population genomic response to geographic gradients by widespread and endemic fishes of the Arabian Peninsula
Authors: DiBattista Joseph D. , Saenz‐Agudelo Pablo , Piatek Marek J. , Cagua Edgar Fernando , Bowen Brian W. , Choat John Howard , Rocha Luiz A. , Gaither Michelle R. , Hobbs Jean‐Paul A. , Sinclair‐Taylor Tane H. , McIlwain Jennifer H. , Priest Mark A. , Braun Camrin D. , Hussey Nigel E. , Kessel Steven T. , Berumen Michael L.
Published: April 2020

Genetic structure within marine species may be driven by local adaptation to their environment, or alternatively by historical processes, such as geographic isolation. The gulfs and seas bordering the Arabian Peninsula offer an ideal setting to examine connectivity patterns in coral reef fishes with respect to environmental gradients and vicariance. The Red Sea is characterized by a unique marine fauna, historical periods of desiccation and isolation, as well as environmental gradients in salinity, temperature, and primary productivity that vary both by latitude and by season. The adjacent Arabian Sea is characterized by a sharper environmental gradient, ranging from extensive coral cover and warm temperatures in the southwest, to sparse coral cover, cooler temperatures, and seasonal upwelling in the northeast. Reef fish, however, are not confined to these seas, with some Red Sea fishes extending varying distances into the northern Arabian Sea, while their pelagic larvae are presumably capable of much greater dispersal. These species must therefore cope with a diversity of conditions that invoke the possibility of steep clines in natural selection. Here, we test for genetic structure in two widespread reef fish species (a butterflyfish and surgeonfish) and eight range‐restricted butterflyfishes across the Red Sea and Arabian Sea using genome‐wide single nucleotide polymorphisms. We performed multiple matrix regression with randomization analyses on genetic distances for all species, as well as reconstructed scenarios for population subdivision in the species with signatures of isolation. We found that (a) widespread species displayed more genetic subdivision than regional endemics and (b) this genetic structure was not correlated with contemporary environmental parameters but instead may reflect historical events. We propose that the endemic species may be adapted to a diversity of local conditions, but the widespread species are instead subject to ecological filtering where different combinations of genotypes persist under divergent ecological regimes.
Age of European silver eels during a period of declining abundance in Norway
Authors: Durif Caroline M. F. , Diserud Ola H. , Sandlund Odd Terje , Thorstad Eva B. , Poole Russell , Bergesen Knut , Escobar‐Lux Rosa H. , Shema Steven , Vøllestad Leif Asbjørn
Published: April 2020

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla) is critically endangered throughout its range. Knowledge about age distribution of future spawners (silver eels) is essential to monitor the status and contribute to the recovery of this species. Determination of age in anguillid eels is challenging, especially in eels from the northern part of the distribution area where growth is slow and age at maturation can be up to 30 years or more. Eels from the river Imsa in Norway have been monitored since 1975, and this reference time series has been used to assess the stock at the European level. Population dynamics in this catchment were analyzed during the late 1980s by estimating ages on whole cleared otoliths. However, techniques for revealing annual increments on otoliths have evolved over the years sometimes yielding significant differences in age estimates. In this study, the historical otolith data were reanalyzed using a grinding and polishing method rather than reading the whole otolith. The new age estimates were considerably higher than the previous ones, sometimes by up to 29 years. Since the 1980s, mean age of silver eels only slightly increased (from 19 to 21 years in the 2010s). This was mainly due to the disappearance of younger silver eels (<15 years) in the 2010s. The new age estimates agreed with the steep decline in recruitment which occurred in the late 1980s in the Imsa catchment. Mean growth (30 mm/year, min–max: 16–64 mm/year) has not changed since the 1980s, although density in the catchment has decreased. Revealing and reading age of slow‐growing eels remain a challenge but adding a measure of otolith reading uncertainty may improve age data collection and contribute to recovery measures for this species.
Relationships between survival and habitat suitability of semi‐aquatic mammals
Authors: Barela Isidro , Burger Leslie M. , Taylor Jimmy , Evans Kristine O. , Ogawa Ryo , McClintic Lance , Wang Guiming
Published: April 2020

Spatial distribution and habitat selection are integral to the study of animal ecology. Habitat selection may optimize the fitness of individuals. Hutchinsonian niche theory posits the fundamental niche of species would support the persistence or growth of populations. Although niche‐based species distribution models (SDMs) and habitat suitability models (HSMs) such as maximum entropy (Maxent) have demonstrated fair to excellent predictive power, few studies have linked the prediction of HSMs to demographic rates. We aimed to test the prediction of Hutchinsonian niche theory that habitat suitability (i.e., likelihood of occurrence) would be positively related to survival of American beaver (Castor canadensis), a North American semi‐aquatic, herbivorous, habitat generalist. We also tested the prediction of ideal free distribution that animal fitness, or its surrogate, is independent of habitat suitability at the equilibrium. We estimated beaver monthly survival probability using the Barker model and radio telemetry data collected in northern Alabama, United States from January 2011 to April 2012. A habitat suitability map was generated with Maxent for the entire study site using landscape variables derived from the 2011 National Land Cover Database (30‐m resolution). We found an inverse relationship between habitat suitability index and beaver survival, contradicting the predictions of niche theory and ideal free distribution. Furthermore, four landscape variables selected by American beaver did not predict survival. The beaver population on our study site has been established for 20 or more years and, subsequently, may be approaching or have reached the carrying capacity. Maxent‐predicted increases in habitat use and subsequent intraspecific competition may have reduced beaver survival. Habitat suitability‐fitness relationships may be complex and, in part, contingent upon local animal abundance. Future studies of mechanistic SDMs incorporating local abundance and demographic rates are needed.
Within‐season changes in habitat use of forest‐dwelling boreal bats
Authors: Vasko Ville , Blomberg Anna S. , Vesterinen Eero J. , Suominen Kati M. , Ruokolainen Lasse , Brommer Jon E. , Norrdahl Kai , Niemelä Pekka , Laine Veronika N. , Selonen Vesa , Santangeli Andrea , Lilley Thomas M.
Published: April 2020

Bats utilize forests as roosting sites and feeding areas. However, it has not been documented how bats utilize these habitats in the boreal zone with methods afforded by recent technological advances. Forest structure and management practices can create a variety of three‐dimensional habitats for organisms capable of flight, such as bats. Here, we study the presence of boreal bats in a forest forming a mosaic of different age classes, dominant tree species, canopy cover, soil fertility, and other environmental variables, throughout their active season in the summer using passive ultrasound detectors. Our results indicate a preference for mature forest by Eptesicus nilssonii and a pooled set of Myotis bats. Both groups of bats also showed temporal changes in their habitat use regarding forest age. In June and July, both groups occurred more often in mature than young forests, but from August onwards, the difference in occurrence became less evident in Myotis and disappeared completely in E. nilssonii. In addition, E. nilssonii was more often present in forests with low canopy cover, and its occurrence shifted from coniferous forests to deciduous forests during the season. The results reflect the within‐season dynamics of bat communities and their ability to utilize different types of forest as environmental conditions change. Yet, the results most importantly emphasize the importance of mature forests to bat diversity and the need to conserve such environments in the boreal zone.
More widespread alien tree species do not have larger impacts on regeneration of native tree species in a tropical forest reserve
Authors: Kiswaga Samson Aman Samson , Mbwambo John Richard , Shirima Deo , Mndolwa Ahmed S. , Schaffner Urs , Eschen René
Published: April 2020

There is insufficient information regarding the factors affecting the environmental impacts of alien species. In particular, little is known about whether there is any relationship between the invasiveness (establishment and spread) of an introduced species and its per capita impact. We experimentally assessed the relationship between the extent of spread of up to 29 alien plant species and their impact on recruitment of native tree species in Amani Botanical Garden, Tanzania. We also studied the effects of allelochemicals of selected alien on native plant species to assess potential mechanisms of impact. We found no relationship between the extent of spread of an alien tree species and their impact on seed germination, seedling survival, and seedling communities of native trees in their understory, and no indication that allelochemicals consistently explain their effects on recruitment of the studied species. These results suggest that extent of spread cannot be used as a proxy for impact. Hence, managers should continue assessing both the spread and the impact of alien species when prioritizing alien species for management.
Distributed average consensus optimization for cooperative spectrum sensing in cognitive radio ad hoc networks
Authors: Gabriel Hernandes Aislan , Abrão Taufik
Published: April 2020

In this article, we develop a parameter and optimization analyses aiming at characterizing the performance of cooperative spectrum sensing (CSS) based on the distributed average consensus (DAC), taking into account the network topology effect, represented by adjacency matrices in cognitive radio ad hoc networks. The CSS performance is analyzed by the probability of detection, probability of false alarm, and probability of miss detection, besides the decision threshold and the number of collected samples. In this work, all secondary users are equipped with a simple energy detector. Despite the DAC technique has been successfully deployed in the distributed CSS context, however, a full analytical description taking into account the joint effects of the network topology and all the optimized system parameters remains unknown. Moreover, the CSS network decision threshold was optimized using the error probability minimization criterion. Numerical results deploying extensive Monte Carlo simulations have corroborated the proposed analytical expressions.
Correlation analysis between filamentous fungi and chemical compositions in a pu‐erh type tea after a long‐term storage
Authors: Zhou Binxing , Ma Cunqiang , Ren Xiaoying , Xia Tao , Zheng Chengqin , Liu Xiaohui
Published: April 2020

Storage environment caused the difference between Jinhua Pu‐erh tea (JPT) and General Pu‐erh tea. In this study, fungal flora and chemical compositions were analyzed. The results showed that storage environment caused significant (p < .05) differences of theaflavins (TF), theabrownins (TB), tea polyphenols (TP), and water‐soluble sugars (WSS), and a highly significant (p < .01) difference of thearubigins (TR). Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus pallidofulvus, Aspergillus sesamicola, Penicillium manginii, and Aspergillus tamarii were isolated from Pu‐erh teas and identified based on colony characteristics and ITS, β‐tubulin, and calmodulin gene sequences, respectively. A. pallidofulvus, A. sesamicola, and P. manginii were dominant fungi in JPT and generated macroscopic yellow cleistothecia after a long‐term storage. Correlation analysis showed that dominant fungi exhibited significantly (p < .05 or p < .01) positive or negative corrections with TF, TB, TP, WSS, TR, and gallic acid. This study revealed dominant fungi including A. pallidofulvus, A. sesamicola, and P. manginii and their effects on given chemical compositions.