bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Saltatory evolution
Authors: Schwartz Jeffrey H.
Published: October 2018

Although Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould's model of punctuated equilibria generated much debate after its publication in 1972, and was perceived as anti‐Darwinian, it was not. It was a version of paleontologist George Gaylord Simpson's “quantum evolution,” in which rapid, and continuous, change occurs via small populations. The major difference: In punctuated equilibria, species do not continue to change after they emerge, but remain morphologically static. Theories of rapid evolutionary change have always existed as alternatives to a Darwinian model of continuous, usually gradual, change. However, in contrast to punctuated equilibria and quantum evolution, these theories—genetical, morphological, and paleontological—proposed that the origin of species is sudden, and due to processes different from those involved in the survival of species, to which Darwin's theory appears most relevant.
Race: conceptual history
Authors: Caspari Rachel
Published: October 2018

Race has been a core concept throughout the history of biological anthropology. Sometimes termed the biological race concept or the Western race concept, it developed as part of the taxonomy associated with the natural history tradition, defining large continental geographic groups—for example, Asians, Africans, Europeans, Americans (i.e., Native Americans)—as subspecies ofHomo sapiens: that is, as “races” in the biological sense. As taxonomy, the race concept is typological and carries phylogenetic assumptions about the causes of geographic variation. Race is often conflated with geographic variation, influencing understandings of biological diversity. Although largely rejected by biological anthropologists today, the race concept continues to play an important role in biological anthropology because of its relationship to social race categories and the primacy of racial thinking, which influences the interpretation of human variation.
Sexual selection
Authors: Jensen‐Seaman Michael I.
Published: October 2018

While all forms of natural selection result in traits that increase lifetime reproductive success, sexual selection refers specifically to the competition among individuals for mates. The major forms of sexual selection seen in primates include male combat, female and male choice, sperm competition, and infanticide. Such selection has resulted in a variety of adaptations including sexual dimorphism in body and canine tooth size, sex‐specific coloration and ornaments, large testes, and copulatory plugs. The major form of sexual selection in modern humans is probably mate choice, although other means may play a role. Male combat may have been more important in at least some extinct hominin species.
Dental macrowear and microwear
Authors: Schmidt Christopher W.
Published: October 2018

Dental macrowear is the nonpathological loss of dental hard tissues resulting from tooth use, usually related to mastication. Other factors leading to macrowear include bruxism and extramasticatory activities. As opposing teeth come into contact, food particles and exogenous grit remove microscopic amounts of enamel and dentin that, over time, aggregate to create macroscopic wear. Macrowear records long‐term changes in tooth surfaces and, in a broad sense, provides evidence of age, diet, and nuances of tooth use. In general, poorly processed diets, like those of foragers, tend to lead to faster rates of macrowear compared to farmers. It is usually scored on ordinal scales that rank cusp height and dentin exposure, although quantitative approaches exist. Dental microwear analysis is the study of microscopic features on the enamel and usually focuses on phase II wear facets. Microwear study began with light microscopy, but transitioned to the scanning electron microscope (SEM). Later, dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) developed, which uses a white‐light confocal profiler and scale‐sensitive fractal analysis software to collect and analyze 3D surface data, such as surface complexity and feature orientation. Hard diets produce more complex surfaces and fibrous diets produce features similarly oriented.
V
on
B
aer,
K
arl
E
rnst
Authors: Weiss Kenneth M.
Published: October 2018

Karl von Baer was an influential founder of modern embryology. He identified major primary embryonic animal tissue layers, set forth basic principles of embryology, and had some ideas and generated evidence that was important to Charles Darwin and others in recognizing and supporting the idea of biological evolution.
V
on
K
oenigswald,
G
ustav
H
einrich
R
alph
Authors: Antón Susan C.
Published: October 2018

Gustav Heinrich Ralph von Koenigswald (1902–82), a geologist and vertebrate paleontologist who specialized in Asian paleontology and stratigraphy, is best known for the discovery and description of key
Homo erectus
fossils from Indonesia. Working first for the Dutch Geological Survey and then under private funding, von Koenigswald established a mammalian stratigraphy for Java and participated in excavations at Ngandong, and he and his team discovered important human fossils from Sangiran and Modjokerto. With Franz Weidenreich he argued that the main Indonesian fossils and those from Zhoukoudian, China, belonged to a single genus; they would eventually be known as
Homo erectus
. Von Koenigswald also studied ape evolution, including naming
Gigantopithecus blacki
, conducting fieldwork in the Siwaliks of Pakistan, and arguing that Asia played an important early role in hominization.
W
eidenreich,
F
ranz
Authors: Wolpoff Milford H.
Published: October 2018

Franz Weidenreich was born in Edenkoben Germany in 1873 and died in 1948 in New York. Educated at the University of Strasbourg (Doctorate 1899), he lived and worked in Germany, China, and the United States. He was a superb human anatomist, studied the Paleolithic fossil record wherever hominids were found, and incorporated racial variation in his
polycentric model
that combined geographic variation and mixture.
Rising Star
Authors: Hawks John
Published: October 2018

The Rising Star cave system in South Africa is best known as the discovery site of the hominin species
Homo naledi
. Situated within the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cave system comprises more than 2 km of passages, including at least two chambers with hominin fossil remains.
Homo naledi
presents a mosaic morphology sharing features with species within both
Homo
and
Australopithecus
. Its relationship with other species of
Homo
is not clear; it may be among the earliest branches of the genus, or it may be a sister species of modern and archaic humans. The date of the Dinaledi Chamber hominin fossils has been estimated between 236,000 and 335,000 years ago.
Evolutionary medicine
Authors: Trevathan Wenda
Published: October 2018

Evolutionary medicine is defined as the application of principles of evolutionary theory to medical practice and research. Among its proponents are biological anthropologists who offer a number of perspectives on human evolutionary processes and contemporary health challenges. Examples include enhancing the understanding of disease resistance afforded by overuse of antibiotics and distinguishing the differences between “defenses” (healthful bodily reactions) and “defects” (unhealthful reactions). Other contributions from biological anthropologists include considerations of mismatches that result when bodies that are the outcome of millions of years of human evolution are embedded in contemporary twenty‐first‐century environments. Many “diseases of civilization” such as heart problems, some forms of cancer, hypertension, and reproductive challenges result from these mismatches. Because evolutionary medicine is infrequently taught in medical schools, many medical students depend on undergraduate courses in biology and biological anthropology as their only sources of information about this potentially beneficial approach.
Urban environments
Authors: Schell Lawrence M.
Published: October 2018

More than half of the contemporary human population lives in cities and this longstanding trend is predicted to continue, especially in less economically developed countries. The lineage ofHomo sapiensevolved under very different, nonurban conditions, creating the possibility of a mismatch between our evolutionary biology and our contemporary environment. Cities may pose significant biological challenges to which people either adapt or suffer. Cities have changed since their origin and their influence on human biology has too. However, they are characterized by: (1) social stratification that is often extreme; (2) exposure to pollutants and contaminants in air, food, and water; (3) increased exposure to infectious agents; (4) altered energy balance; and (5) psychosocial stress. The proportion and severity of these influences on urban populations vary over space and time, thereby contributing to human variation in morbidity, mortality, fertility, and prenatal and postnatal growth over space and time.
Growth in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Scheffler Christiane , Hermanussen Michael
Published: October 2018

The human growth pattern with different developmental stages is a result of evolutionary trade‐offs showing specific features. The prolonged childhood and adolescence with their typical growth spurts is associated with age‐ and sex‐specific development of maturation signs, and changes of body proportions and dimensions. Biological age can be estimated with different methods and helps to classify human growth‐specific biological age stages. These stages include typical body markers, but also sociocultural and cognitive signs. Age‐specific growth velocity patterns and changes in proportions and dimensions are genetically fixed. Humans exhibit phenotypic plasticity that can result in secular trends. Conventionally, increases of body height and earlier maturation are explained by better nutrition and living conditions. However,
strategic growth adjustments
are being considered as possible explanations for the secular increase in height. In addition, reductions in some skeletal proportions in contemporary populations are assumed to be the result of reduced physical activity.
Terrestrial locomotion
Authors: Schmitt Daniel , Zeininger Angel , Gruss Laura
Published: October 2018

Terrestrial locomotion is uncommon in primates. As a fundamentally arboreal radiation, primates have anatomical and behavioral specializations associated with movement in the trees that are retained when they move on the ground, making primate terrestrial quadrupedal locomotion unusual in its mechanics and development compared with other terrestrial mammals. In addition, primate bipedal locomotion on the ground exhibits a compliant form in apes and a few other species, and a stiff‐legged form in humans. The ways in which terrestrial primates differ from other mammals, and human locomotion differs from that of other primates, provide insight into primate evolutionary history.
Barnicot,NigelA.
Authors: Meier Robert J.
Published: October 2018

Nigel Ashworth Barnicot (1914–1975) is notable for his efforts in helping to establish human biology in the United Kingdom. His research interests spanned many areas within human biology, including the distributions of blood groups, hemoglobin variants, and hair and skin pigmentation. He employed a population field study approach in seeking to describe and explain the nature of human variation. He also was interested in nonhuman primate biology and taxonomy.
C
arpenter,
C
larence
R
ay
Authors: Glander Kenneth E.
Published: October 2018

Clarence Ray Carpenter (1905–75) was a pioneer in primate behavior, ecology, and communication. He believed that the only way to truly understand these things was to observe them in the wild. Because the methods used by zoologists for naturalistic studies did not work for wild primates, Carpenter was compelled to modify existing techniques and develop innovative methodology, which is still being used by modern primatologists.
Reproductive ecology
Authors: Ellison Peter T.
Published: October 2018

Human reproductive ecology developed as a field beginning in the 1980s from an intersection of demography, physiology, and evolutionary biology. Studies of numerous populations around the world living under diverse conditions have shown that female fecundity varies with energetic conditions, that male testosterone varies less sensitively, and that there are age patterns to gonadal function in both sexes, among other basic findings. Most of these patterns have analogs among nonhuman primates as well. More recent work is illuminating developmental influences on reproductive function, and exploring additional areas such as interactions with immune function.
Roche,AlexF.
Authors: Malina Robert M.
Published: October 2018

Alexander Francis (Alex) Roche (M.D., Ph.D., D.Sc., 1921–2017) was a major scientist among those of his generation who focused on the biological growth and maturation of children. His contributions to biological anthropology were many and diverse, as evident in publications addressing growth and maturation in general, and methodology—especially longitudinal data analysis, reference data, skeletal maturation, body composition, height prediction, cranio‐facial growth, nutrition, aging, human hearing, dermatoglyphics, and Down syndrome.
Linear and Third‐Order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Chalcogenopyrylium‐Terminated Heptamethine Dyes with Rigid, Bulky Substituents
Authors: Getmanenko Yulia A. , Allen Taylor G. , Kim Hyeongeu , Hales Joel M. , Sandhu Bhupinder , Fonari Marina S. , Suponitsky Kyrill Yu. , Zhang Yadong , Khrustalev Victor N. , Matichak Jonathan D. , Timofeeva Tatiana V. , Barlow Stephen , Chi San‐Hui , Perry Joseph W. , Marder Seth R.
Published: October 2018

The aggregation of chalcogenopyrylium‐terminated heptamethine dyes in high‐chromophore density films can be substantially suppressed by attachment of rigid, bulky substituents that project out of the plane of the conjugated π‐system of the dye, allowing the retention in the solid state of favorable linear and nonlinear optical properties relevant to all‐optical signal processing (AOSP). Dye structures are systematically engineered with a range of out‐of‐plane substituents to investigate the impacts on the optical properties at 1550 nm in the solid state. Large magnitudes of the third‐order susceptibility are obtained for solid films. Very high values of the two‐photon figure‐of‐merit (2PA‐FOM), an important parameter for AOSP, are observed in dilute solutions of seleno‐ and telluropyrylium dyes (in several cases >30). In the case of the telluropyrylium dye, the 2PA‐FOM is not measureable for 50 wt% blends with polymers. Blends of the selenopyrylium examples exhibit 2PA‐FOM values that, although decreased substantially relative to the solution values, in some cases meet the requirements for AOSP.
Soft Rectangular Sub‐5 nm Tiling Patterns by Liquid Crystalline Self‐Assembly of T‐Shaped Bolapolyphiles
Authors: Lehmann Anne , Scholte Alexander , Prehm Marko , Liu Feng , Zeng Xiangbing , Ungar Goran , Tschierske Carsten
Published: October 2018

Square and other rectangular nanoscale tiling patterns are of contemporary interest for soft lithography. Though soft square patterns on a ≈40 nm length scale can be achieved with block copolymers, even smaller tiling patterns below 5 nm can be expected for liquid crystalline phases of small molecules. However, these usually form lamellar and hexagonal morphologies and thus the challenge is to specifically design liquid crystal (LC) phases forming square and rectangular structures, being compatible with industrial standards. Here, two distinct types of liquid crystalline rectangular tiling patterns are reported occurring in a series of T‐shaped p‐terphenyl‐based bolapolyphiles. By directed side chain engineering sub‐5 nm sized quadrangular honeycombs with rhombic (c2mm), square (p4mm), and rectangular (p2mm) shapes of the cells are formed by spontaneous self‐assembly. The rectangular honeycomb with p2mm lattice represents a new mode of LC self‐assembly in polygonal honeycombs. In addition, pentagonal and hexagonal tiling motifs can be obtained by molecular fine tuning.
Surface Effect on 2D Hybrid Perovskite Crystals: Perovskites Using an Ethanolamine Organic Layer as an Example
Authors: Ho Kang‐Ting , Leung Siu‐Fung , Li Ting‐You , Maity Partha , Cheng Bin , Fu Hui‐Chun , Mohammed Omar F. , He Jr‐Hau
Published: October 2018

Despite the remarkable progress of optoelectronic devices based on hybrid perovskites, there are significant drawbacks, which have largely hindered their development as an alternative of silicon. For instance, hybrid perovskites are well‐known to suffer from moisture instability which leads to surface degradation. Nonetheless, the dependence of the surface effect on the moisture stability and optoelectronic properties of hybrid perovskites has not been fully investigated. In this work, the influence of the surface effect of 2D layered perovskites before and after mechanical exfoliation, representing rough and smooth surfaces of perovskite crystals, are studied. It is found that the smooth 2D perovskite is less sensitive to ambient moisture and exhibits a considerably low dark current, which outperforms the rough perovskites by 23.6 times in terms of photodetectivity. The superior moisture stability of the smooth perovskites over the rough perovskites is demonstrated. Additionally, ethanolamine is employed as an organic linker of the 2D layered perovskite, which further improves the moisture stability. This work reveals the strong dependence of the surface conditions of 2D hybrid perovskite crystals on their moisture stability and optoelectronic properties, which are of utmost importance to the design of practical optoelectronic devices based on hybrid perovskite crystals.
Enhanced Electron Collection and Light Harvesting of CH3NH3PbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells Using Nanopatterned Substrates
Authors: Chan Chia‐Hua , Lin Chang‐Rong , Liu Mai‐Chih , Lee Kun‐Mu , Ji Zhong‐Jia , Huang Bo‐Chiau
Published: October 2018

In this study, a CH3NH3PbI3‐based perovskite solar cell (PSC) with high power conversion efficiency (PCE) has achieved by incorporating a nanopatterned fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate (NPFS). This NPFS‐PSC is prepared with different structural depths (100, 150, and 200 nm) using both self‐assembly and sphere lithography techniques. As determine through the optical and electrical analysis of different PSC devices, the NPFS‐PSCs not only display the enhanced light absorption (due to the 2D diffraction grating) but also improve the electron collection efficiency by increasing the FTO/electron transport layer (ETL) and ETL/perovskite effective interface area. Compared to a planar PSC, the photocurrent density of the 200 nm etched NPFS‐PSC is enhanced from 19.27 to 23.81 mA cm−2 leading to an increase in the PCE from 14.21% to 17.85%. These results indicate that introducing the NPFS into the TiO2‐based PSC can improve both light absorption ability and electron extraction and, therefore, represents a novel, promising, high‐performance photovoltaic device.
Sensitive and Wearable Optical Microfiber Sensor for Human Health Monitoring
Authors: Li Jin‐hong , Chen Jin‐hui , Xu Fei
Published: October 2018

Silica‐fiber‐based sensors have the advantage of being small, electrically isolated, immune to electromagnetic fields, and easily incorporated into networks. However, only few of them were used for monitoring physiological signals directly, due to their limited sensitivity, comfort, and safety. In this work, a simple architecture for sensitive and wearable photonic sensors, which are capable of strain and pressure detection for healthcare applications is reported. The proposed sensor consists of a hybrid plasmonic microfiber knot resonator embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane membrane. The mechanical sensitivity is more than one order of magnitude larger than exhibited by traditional electronic devices or other fiber devices, including Bragg gratings. In addition, the sensing of wrist pulse, respiration, and finger pulse are also experimentally demonstrated. This novel photonic‐based platform may provide a new basis for designing sensitive and wearable sensors for personalized diagnostics and physiological monitoring applications. With their potential to be embedded into networks of smart clothing and remote health monitoring of patients, these sensors possessing great biocompatibility will have a distinguished advantage in military, aerospace, and medical applications, particularly in high‐magnetic‐field environments, e.g., magnetic resonance imaging.
Impact of Phosphorescent Sensitizers and Morphology on the Photovoltaic Performance in Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Popp Johannes , Kaiser Waldemar , Gagliardi Alessio
Published: October 2018

Phosphorescent sensitizers (PSs) are considered as a promising alternative for increasing the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) in organic solar cells (OSCs). By converting short‐lifetime singlet into long‐living triplet excitons, enhanced exciton diffusion and dissociation have been reported previously. However, only a limited increase in the OSC performance has been achieved. In this work, the interplay of the PS with both singlet and triplet excitons within organic blends is examined using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations including a comprehensive model of excitonic processes. Different morphologies of the conventional P3HT:PCBM solar cell are simulated, and the excitonic properties and their influence on the photovoltaic performance under doping are studied. The use of phosphorescent sensitization ensures high intersystem crossing and enlarges the diffusion length. An increase in the IQE of 34% is observed for a bilayer OSC. The increasing decay of triplets in proximity to the PS due to a strong spin‐orbit coupling limits the IQE. Unlike expected, triplet‐triplet annihilation does not provide a significant loss of excitons. A doped planar‐mixed molecular heterojunction outperforms an undoped bulk‐heterojunction OSC due to the enhanced exciton diffusion. A further study of optimal PS parameters predicts an increase in the IQE within bilayer solar cells by about 100%.
Twin Structure in BiVO4 Photoanodes Boosting Water Oxidation Performance through Enhanced Charge Separation and Transport
Authors: Huang Meirong , Li Changli , Zhang Li , Chen Qiao , Zhen Zhen , Li Zhihong , Zhu Hongwei
Published: October 2018

The homojunction induced by twin structure in semiconductors is found to be highly effective in decreasing the bulk recombination. Theoretical and experimental results have demonstrated the “back to back” potentials and directional diffusion that originate from the homojunction could facilitate the charge separation and transport of BiVO4 (BVO) single crystals. As expected, the resultant homojunction can lead to significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity. To eliminate the significant reduction of performance caused by solution mediated interface recombination on exposed fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO), a strategy for improving substrate coverage by a new “n‐step” method is applied. The BVO photoanode with preferable twin structure and high substrate coverage ratio reaches a photocurrent density of ≈3.1 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and exhibits over 1.35% half‐cell solar‐to‐hydrogen conversion efficiency at 0.6 V versus RHE. This finding offers a new and effective way of fabricating twin structures to reduce bulk recombination of BVO photoanodes, which can also be applied to other semiconductors.
Nanowires in Energy Storage Devices: Structures, Synthesis, and Applications
Authors: Yu Kesong , Pan Xuelei , Zhang Guobin , Liao Xiaobin , Zhou Xunbiao , Yan Mengyu , Xu Lin , Mai Liqiang
Published: October 2018

Accompanied by the development and utilization of renewable energy sources, efficient energy storage has become a key topic. Electrochemical energy storage devices are considered to be one of the most practical energy storage devices capable of converting and storing electrical energy generated by renewable resources, which are also used as the power source of electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. The ultimate goals of electrochemical energy storage devices are long lifespan, high safety, high power, and high energy density. To achieve the above goals, researchers have attempted to use various nanomaterials to improve electrochemical performance. Among these, 1D materials play a critical role. This review classifies nanowires according to morphologies (simple nanowires, core–shell/coated nanowires, hierarchical/heterostructured nanowires, porous/mesoporous nanowires, hollow structures) and combined forms (nanowire arrays, nanowire networks, nanowire bundles) and introduces their characteristics and corresponding synthetic methods. The characteristics and advantages of nanowires in lithium‐ion, sodium‐ion and zinc‐ion batteries, and supercapacitors, along with in situ characterization of nanowire electrode are reflected in the application examples. In the summary and outlook section, some comments are presented to provide directions for further exploring nanowire based electrochemical energy storage in the future.
CanadiEM: Accessing a Virtual Community of Practice to Create a Canadian National Medical Education Institution
Authors: Ting Daniel K. , Thoma Brent , Luckett‐Gatopoulos S. , Thomas Adam , Syed Shahbaz , Bravo Michael , Zaver Fareen , Purdy Eve , Kwok Edmund S.H. , Chan Teresa M.
Published: October 2018

Background

The rise of free open‐access medical education (FOAM) has led to a wide range of online resources in emergency medicine. Canadian physicians have been active contributors to FOAM.

Objectives

We aimed to create a virtual community of practice that would serve as a national platform for collaboration, learning, and knowledge dissemination.

Methods

CanadiEM was formed in 2016 from the merger of two Canadian websites and a podcast. Using a community‐of‐practice model, we introduced two training programs to support junior community members in becoming core editorial team members and employed asynchronous Web technologies to facilitate collaboration. We also introduced a coached peer review process and formed strategic alliances that aim to ensure a high quality of publication.

Results

CanadiEM has become a portal for readers to access a broad range of FOAM content. The website has published 782 articles. Of these, 71 have undergone a coached peer review process. The website has received over 2.5 million page views from 217 countries, and the associated CRACKCast podcast has been downloaded over 750,000 times.

Conclusions

CanadiEM has succeeded in building a national multi‐interface dissemination network that fosters collaboration and knowledge sharing in emergency medicine while fostering junior digital scholars. The construction of a community of practice has been facilitated by quality assurance, training programs, and the use of asynchronous Web technologies. Ongoing challenges in sustainability include a volunteer workforce with high turnover.
Mutual Conversions Between Knill–Laflamme–Milburn and W States
Authors: Shen Cai‐Peng , Gao Ya , Su Shi‐Lei , Mao Yanchao , Liang Erjun , Chen Shu
Published: October 2018

Herein, two proposals are speculated to realize mutual conversions between Knill–Laflamme–Milburn (KLM) and W entangled states via X homodyne measurement (HM). By one of these proposals three‐qubit mutual conversions can be realized between these two photonic polarization entangled states. The other can be generalized to convert an arbitrary‐qubit KLM state to a W state adopting a control‐NOT gate. With the increasing number of qubits, the utilization ratio of photons in the second proposal would be close to unity. Analyses of the three‐qubit mutual conversions show that the proposal has a low error rate and high utilization ratio of photons. Moreover, the fidelity can also be very high even in consideration of decoherence. The P homodyne measurement is analyzed as well to improve the precision. The proposals, especially the second one, are expected to be helpful to reveal the relationship between these two robust multiple‐qubit entanglements.
PIP2 Phospholipid‐Induced Aggregation of Tau Filaments Probed by Tip‐Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Talaga David , Smeralda Willy , Lescos Laurie , Hunel Julien , Lepejova‐Caudy Nad'a , Cullin Christophe , Bonhommeau Sébastien , Lecomte Sophie
Published: October 2018

The morphology and secondary structure of peptide fibers formed by aggregation of tubulin‐associated unit (Tau) fragments (K18), in the presence of the inner cytoplasmic membrane phosphatidylinositol component (PIP2) or heparin sodium (HS) as cofactors, are determined with nanoscale (<10 nm) spatial resolution. By means of tip‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), the inclusion of PIP2 lipids in fibers is determined based on the observation of specific C=O ester vibration modes. Moreover, analysis of amide I and amide III bands suggests that the parallel β‐sheet secondary structure content is lower and the random coil content is higher for fibers grown from the PIP2 cofactor instead of HS. These observations highlight the occurrence of some local structural differences between these fibers. This study constitutes the first nanoscale structural characterization of Tau/phospholipid aggregates, which are implicated in deleterious mechanisms on neural membranes in Alzheimer's disease.
Polymer blending or fiber blending: A comparative study using chitosan and poly(ε‐caprolactone) electrospun fibers
Authors: Valente Tiago , Ferreira José Luís , Henriques Célia , Borges João Paulo , Silva Jorge Carvalho
Published: October 2018

Nonwoven membranes of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) and chitosan (CS) were produced according to the two methods: by blending the polymers in solution followed by electrospinning – polymer blending method – and by simultaneous deposition of fibers electrospun from separate solutions – fiber blending (FB) method. The two production methods were compared by assessing fiber morphology, mass loss, swelling degree, water contact angle, and mechanical properties of the resulting electrospun membranes. Furthermore, the adhesion, proliferation, and morphology of human dermal fibroblasts on the eight types of scaffold produced were evaluated to assess if the blending method used would influence cell–scaffold interaction. Cell adhesion to the different scaffolds lied in the interval 40–60%, with the CS scaffold presenting the lowest value. Interestingly, cell proliferation was the same when comparing polymer blending and FB scaffolds having 3:1 or 1:3 PCL/CS ratios but very different when the ratio was 1:1 – the FB scaffold sustained a proliferation rate double that of the polymer blending scaffold. This work shows that, when blending polymers to improve the properties of a scaffold for tissue engineering or 3D cell culture, their spatial distribution may considerably affect scaffold's properties and should be considered as another parameter requiring optimization. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47191.
The Chemistry and Properties of Energetic Materials Bearing [1,2,4]Triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4,5]tetrazine Fused Rings
Authors: Wang Guilong , Lu Tian , Fan Guijuan , Li Chengqiu , Yin Hongquan , Chen Fu‐Xue
Published: October 2018

Treatment of heterocyclic amines featuring fused rings of [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4,5]tetrazine with fuming HNO3/P2O5 leads to six fully characterized explosives through multiple nitration and reduction or oxidation mechanism. Thus, 4‐nitro‐N‐(3‐nitro[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4,5]tetrazin‐6‐yl)‐1,2,5‐oxadiazol‐3‐amine (3 b, TTDNF) showed high performance (D=9180 m s−1, P=36.7 GPa) and low impact sensitivity (IS>40 J) while N‐([1,2,4]triazolo[4,3‐b][1,2,4,5]tetrazin‐6‐yl)‐3‐nitro‐1,2,4‐oxadiazol‐5‐amine (4 a, TTNOA) exhibited a potential cast explosive component with low melting point at 88.2 °C and high onset decomposition temperature at 226.2 °C.
Recent Advancements in Graphene‐Based Supports of Metal Complexes/Oxides for Epoxidation of Alkenes
Authors: Li Zhifang , Yang Changlong , Cui Jinxing , Ma Yuanyuan , Kan Qiubin , Guan Jingqi
Published: October 2018

In the past decade, there has been great progress in the preparation and catalytic applications of graphene‐supported metal complexes/oxide catalysts. Graphene‐based materials have attracted tremendous research interest owing to special physicochemical properties, for example, unique two‐dimensional structure, high theoretical specific surface area, high electrical conductivity, and outstanding acid–base resistance properties. Graphene‐supported metal complexes/oxides have been extensively investigated, and exhibit good catalytic activity and stability in water splitting (H2 generation or oxygen evolution), oxidation/epoxidation of alkenes, C−C bond formation, and so forth. Herein, recent developments in graphene‐supported metal complexes/oxides for the catalytic epoxidation of different alkenes are summarized. Site isolation and synergistic interactions between metal complexes/oxides and graphene are the two key roles for enhancing the catalytic activity, whereas the hydrophobicity of the support can efficiently improve epoxide selectivity. In addition, the possible mechanisms of catalytic epoxidation are summarized. This review provides a feasible scheme for the potential application of graphene‐based materials and guidance for the rational design of heterogeneous catalysts for catalytic applications.
Disparities in the management of paediatric splenic injury
Authors: Warwick A M , Jenks T , Fisher R , Garrett-Cox R , Lecky F , Yates D
Published: October 2018

Background

The non-operative management of splenic injury in children is recommended widely, and is possible in over 95 per cent of episodes. Practice appears to vary between centres.

Methods

The Trauma Audit and Research Network (TARN) database was interrogated to determine the management of isolated paediatric splenic injuries in hospitals in England and Wales. Rates of non-operative management, duration of hospital stay, readmission and mortality were recorded. Management in paediatric surgical hospitals was compared with that in adult hospitals.

Results

Between January 2000 and December 2015 there were 574 episodes. Children treated in a paediatric surgical hospital had a 95·7 per cent rate of non-operative management, compared with 75·5 per cent in an adult hospital (P < 0·001). Splenectomy was done in 2·3 per cent of children in hospitals with a paediatric surgeon and in 17·2 per cent of those treated in an adult hospital (P < 0·001). There was a significant difference in the rate of non-operative management in children of all ages. There was some improvement in non-operative management in adult hospitals in the later part of the study, but significant ongoing differences remained.

Conclusion

The management of children with isolated splenic injury is different depending on where they are treated. The rate of non-operative management is lower in hospitals without a paediatric surgeon present.
Adsorptive Removal of Cd(II) Ions on a Pyrolyzed Tire Carbon (PTC) Derived from Waste Automotive Tires
Authors: Kim Daeik , Kim Youngjung , Choi Jong‐Ha , Hong Yong Pyo , Ryoo Keon Sang
Published: October 2018

Pyrolyzed tire carbon (PTC) was prepared by pyrolyzing waste automotive tire (WAT) at around 500°C for 4 h in an oxygen‐free atmosphere and evaluated as an adsorbent for the removal of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution. It was observed that PTC has greater adsorption efficiency for Cd(II) ions as compared to commercial activated carbon (CAC) due to the presence of higher mesopore volume. The adsorption characteristics of Cd(II) ions were investigated by means of equilibrium and kinetic studies. The adsorption data of Cd(II) ions were universally applicable to the Freundlich isotherm and the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model. Maximum adsorption capacities of Cd(II) ions on CAC and PTC were found to be 0.96 and 6.81 mg/g, respectively. The present study’ results suggest that PTC could be used beneficially for the removal of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solution.
Absence of infratentorial lesions in Fabry disease contributes to differential diagnosis with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ugga Lorenzo , Cocozza Sirio , Pontillo Giuseppe , Russo Camilla , Brescia Morra Vincenzo , Lanzillo Roberta , Riccio Eleonora , Pisani Antonio , Brunetti Arturo
Published: October 2018

Background and Purpose

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) has been proposed as a possible differential diagnosis with Fabry Disease (FD). We evaluated the incidence of infratentorial lesions in FD patients, investigating whether their presence could help in differentiating these two conditions. We explored the diagnostic accuracy of this sign alone and in combination to the involvement of corpus callosum (CC).

Methods

White Matter lesions were retrospectively evaluated on FLAIR images available from 136 MS and 144 FD patients. Infratentorial involvement was assessed considering the whole cerebellum, and the part of the brainstem included between the occipital foramen and the upper edge of the red nucleus. Furthermore, the presence of callosal lesions was also recorded, evaluating the portion of CC included between the two external walls of the lateral ventricles.

Results

Infratentorial involvement was detectable in 119/136 (87.5%) MS patients, while it was present in only 17/144 (11.8%) FD patients. When the diagnostic performance of a positive infratentorial involvement was evaluated in combination with the presence of CC lesions, a specificity of 97%, with a positive predictive value of 96% was reached.

Conclusions

We concluded that the absence of infratentorial lesions, especially when combined to the evaluation of other typical imaging features, can help in the differential diagnosis between MS and FD.
Chemically modified alginate bead matrix for efficient adsorptive recovery of trypsin from fresh bovine pancreas
Authors: Aravena Pilar , Brassesco Maria Emilia , Bosio Barbara , Picó Guillermo , Woitovich Valetti Nadia
Published: October 2018

The adsorption of commercial trypsin (Try) onto epichlorohydrin cross‐linked alginate–guar gum matrix has been studied at equilibrium in batch and in fixed bed column. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of ionic strength, temperature and to obtain a thermodynamic characterization of the adsorption process. The resulting adsorption isotherm fitted the Hill equation. Experimental breakthrough curve profiles were compared with the theoretical breakthrough profiles obtained from the mathematical model, bed depth service time. At pH 5.0, 1.0 g hydrated matrix adsorbed 480.0 milligram of Try per gram of dried bed. The desorption process showed 80% of Try recovery in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.00—500 mM NaCl—20% propylene glycol. The obtained results were applied to an adsorption/washing/desorption process with fresh pancreas homogenate yielded 20% of recovery and 5.7 purification factor of Try. The matrix remained functional until the fifth cycle of repeated batch enzyme adsorption. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2018
Integration of anatomical and radiological analysis suggests more segments in the human kidney
Authors: Macchi Veronica , Picardi Edgardo Enrico Edoardo , Porzionato Andrea , Morra Aldo , Ficarra Vincenzo , Loukas Marios , Shane Tubbs R. , De Caro Raffaele
Published: October 2018

An increasing number of observations have called the general scheme of five renal segments into question: anatomists, radiologists, and surgeons have reported discrepancies between Graves's scheme and morphological observations. The aims of the present study are: (1) to assess the correspondence between a virtual and a real vascular cast of the kidney; (2) to analyze the arterial anatomy with reference to the renal segments. Fifteen kidneys were injected with acrylic resins to obtain vascular casts, which were also analyzed by computed tomography. A mean of 6.3 (range 4–8) avascular fissures was found, indicating a mean of 7.3 segments (range 5–9). In the superior and middle territories there was a single segment in 4 (26.7%) and 8 (53.3%) cases, respectively, and there were two segments in 11 (73.3%) and in 7 (46.7%) cases, respectively. In the inferior territory there was a single segment in two cases (13.3%), two segments in nine (60%), and three segments in four (26.7%). A mean segmental volume of 550.5 mm3 was calculated; the posterior (1,030.1 mm3, 28.9%) and inferior (450.3 mm3, 24.2%) segments were the largest. More third order branches were identified in the inferior segments than in the other segments (three branches of the inferior segmental artery in 26.6%). According to these data the inferior segment occupies the inferior pole, extending both anteriorly and posteriorly. In conclusion, the high correspondence between a virtual and a real vascular cast permits more segments to be identified than those described by Graves, and the volume of each segment can be calculated. Clin. Anat., 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Would 1.0 cm be a more suitable cutoff to subdivide pT1 tumors in hormone receptor‐negative and HER2‐positive breast cancer?
Authors: Wang Changjun , Zhou Yidong , Zhu Hanjiang , Huang Wei , Chen Ziyuan , Mao Feng , Lin Yan , Zhang Xiaohui , Shen Songjie , Zhong Ying , Li Yan , Sun Qiang
Published: October 2018

Background

HER2+ and hormone receptor (HoR)‐negative breast cancer usually associated with poor outcome. However, it remained elusive for the prognosis of small (T1a‐T1c) HER2+/HoR‐ breast cancer. The present study retrospectively analyzed the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database to explore the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of T1a‐T1c HER2+/HoR‐ breast cancer.

Material and Methods

Data for patients diagnosed with either HER2‐/HoR+or HER2+/HoR‐ T1a‐T1c breast cancer between 2010 and 2012 were obtained from SEER program. Survival analyses were conducted by Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox proportion hazard regression.

Results

Totally, 2648 HER2+/HoR‐ and 56387 HER2‐/HoR+T1a‐T1c breast cancer patients were enrolled. There was a clear trend that tumor size had a positive correlation with advanced AJCC stage (P < 0.001) and N‐stage (P < 0.001). T1a and T1b HER2+/HoR‐ breast cancer had great homogeneity in that these two subgroups had comparable survival and both showed no significant survival difference with its counterpart of HER2‐/HoR+subtype. Conversely, T1c HER2+/HoR‐ breast cancers revealed worse prognosis than T1a/T1b HER2+/HoR‐ and T1c HER2‐/HoR+tumors (BCSS HR 3.847, P < 0.001; OS HR 2.055, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

T1a and T1b HER2+/HoR‐ breast cancer had favorable prognosis and great homogeneity, indicating 1.0 cm may be a suitable cutoff for subclassification of T1 cancer. Future randomized clinical trials were warranted to verify this hypothesis and elucidate the biological behavior of small T1 tumor to facilitate precise medicine.
Reversible and Tunable Photoswitching of Protein Function through Genetic Encoding of Azobenzene Amino Acids in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Luo Ji , Samanta Subhas , Convertino Marino , Dokholyan Nikolay V. , Deiters Alexander
Published: October 2018

The genetic encoding of three different azobenzene phenylalanines with different photochemical properties was achieved in human cells by using an engineered pyrrolysyl tRNA/tRNA synthetase pair. In order to demonstrate reversible light control of protein function, azobenzenes were site‐specifically introduced into firefly luciferase. Computational strategies were applied to guide the selection of potential photoswitchable sites that lead to a reversibly controlled luciferase enzyme. In addition, the new azobenzene analogues provide enhanced thermal stability, high photoconversion, and responsiveness to visible light. These small‐molecule photoswitches can reversibly photocontrol protein function with excellent spatiotemporal resolution, and preferred sites for incorporation can be computationally determined, thus providing a new tool for investigating biological processes.
Oxazoline or Oxazolinium Ion? The Protonation State and Conformation of the Reaction Intermediate of Chitinase Enzymes Revisited
Authors: Coines Joan , Alfonso‐Prieto Mercedes , Biarnés Xevi , Planas Antoni , Rovira Carme
Published: October 2018

The enzymatic hydrolysis of chitin, one of the most abundant carbohydrates in nature, is achieved by chitinases, enzymes of increasing importance in biomedicine and industry. Unlike most retaining glycosidases, family GH18 chitinases follow a substrate‐assisted mechanism in which the 2‐acetamido group of one N‐acetylglucosamine monomer, rather than a basic residue of the enzyme, reacts with the sugar anomeric carbon, forming an intermediate that has been described as an oxazolinium ion. Based on QM/MM metadynamics simulations on chitinase B from Serratia marcescens, we show that the reaction intermediate of GH18 chitinases features instead a neutral oxazoline in a 4C1/4H5 conformation, with an oxazolinium ion being formed on the pathway towards the reaction products. The role of a well‐defined hydrogen‐bond network that operates around the N‐acetyl group, orchestrating catalysis by protonation events, is discussed.
Transfer learning‐based online multiperson tracking with Gaussian process regression
Authors: Zhang Baobing , Li Siguang , Huang Zhengwen , Rahi Babak H. , Wang Qicong , Li Maozhen
Published: October 2018

Most existing tracking‐by‐detection approaches are affected by abrupt pedestrian pose changes, lighting conditions, scale changes, and real‐time processing, which leads to issues such as detection errors and drifts. To deal with these issues, we present a novel multi‐person tracking framework by introducing a new Gaussian Process Regression based observation model, which learns in a semi‐supervised manner. The background information is taken into consideration to build the discriminative tracker, training samples are re‐weighted appropriately to ease the impact of the potential sample misalignment and noisy during model updating. Unlabeled samples from the current frame provide rich information, which is used for enhancing the tracking inference. Experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms a number of state‐of‐the‐art methods on some benchmark datasets.
Attaining High Photovoltaic Efficiency and Stability with Multidimensional Perovskites
Authors: Kosasih Felix Utama , Ducati Caterina
Published: October 2018

The power conversion efficiency of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite solar cells has soared over the past ten years and currently rivals those of crystalline silicon and other thin‐film solar cells. Most of the research effort so far has been focused on three‐dimensional (3 D) perovskite crystals, producing devices with very high efficiency but poor operational and environmental stability. Two‐dimensional (2 D) Ruddlesden–Popper perovskite has recently shown its potential as a highly stable light absorber, albeit with low efficiency. This work reviews the current progress in attaining both high efficiency and stability in solar cells by using 2 D perovskite. In particular, the focus is on multidimensional perovskite as a way to combine the best characteristics of 3 D and 2 D perovskites. Future challenges and potential methods to boost the performance of multidimensional perovskite solar cells further are briefly presented.