bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIERARCHICAL HETEROSTRUCTURE OF RUTILE TiO2 NANOFLOWER ARRAY ON ANATASE TiO2 SHEET WITH ENHANCED PHOTOCATALYTIC PERFORMANCE
Authors: LAI MIN , YONG HAIBO , ZHONG KUN , WANG WEI , HUANG JIALEI , YAO SHENGNAN , WANG XIAOQING
Published: September 2018

Hierarchical heterostructure of rutile TiO2 nanoflower array on anatase TiO2 sheet was fabricated by a two-step method. Anatase TiO2 sheet was synthesized by a modified dip coating method, followed by the formation of rutile TiO2 nanoflower array via a wet chemical route. Studies by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy indicated the formation of hierarchical heterostructure. Tests on degradation of methylene blue under UV light illumination showed that the hierarchical TiO2 film exhibited superior photocatalytic performance to those with monophased anatase and rutile TiO2 films and commercial P25 film. It was attributed to efficient separation of photogenerated charge carriers and prevention of the unfavorable multiple electron transfer on biphase interface. Investigation on the influence of addition of scavengers on photocatalysis suggested that hydroxy radicals and superoxide anion radicals dominated the photocatalytic degradation of MB. The hierarchical TiO2 film exhibited excellent photocatalytic stability in cycling tests.
Pyrolysis of (thio)carbonates via computation analysis
Authors: Xia Jingjing , Asiri Abdullah M. , Alamry Khalid A. , Wu Ping , Huang Zhihao
Published: September 2018

The regioselective production of alkenes from (thio)carbonates was calculated by MP2/6-31G(d) method via pyrolysis processes. Four (thio)carbonates were calculated in this paper. They are S-sec-butyl O-methyl thiocarbonate (I), O-sec-butyl S-methyl thiocarbonate (II), sec-butyl methyl thioncarbonate (III), and sec-butyl methyl dithiocarbonate (IV). Thirteen potential thermolysis routes were revealed for the pyrolysis of each substance, including nine routes to produce regioselective alkenes and four rearrangement/decompose alternatives. Among nine alkene generation routes, six-membered ring transition states via a two-step mechanism required the lowest energy, while the other routes exhibited higher energy barriers. The calculation results demonstrated an alkene distribution hierarchy of 1-butene [Formula: see text] E-butene [Formula: see text] Z-butene for substances I and II, and an order of E-butene [Formula: see text] 1-butene [Formula: see text] Z-butene for substances III and IV.
DOES CEO PROMOTE INNOVATION IN SMEs? A COMPARISON BETWEEN INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CEO
Authors: CORSI CHRISTIAN , PRENCIPE ANTONIO
Published: September 2018

Internal and external hired CEOs could differently affect company investment behaviour and capability to encourage strategic changes and entrepreneurship, such as innovation activity. Based on a sample of 13,749 European manufacturing SMEs, the paper shows that CEO has a significant effect on the innovative activities in SMEs. However, this effect is negative in case the CEO is appointed from the external of the company, while the effect becomes positive in case of internal CEO. These findings remark that external CEO may lack firm-specific knowledge to manage the innovation process and experience with firms’ available resources and innovation capabilities.
Nonlocal Thermal and Mechanical Buckling of Nonlinear Orthotropic Viscoelastic Nanoplates Embedded in a Visco-Pasternak Medium
Authors: Sobhy Mohammed , Zenkour Ashraf M.
Published: September 2018

This paper discusses the thermal and mechanical buckling of simply supported and clamped orthotropic viscoelastic graphene sheets (nanoplates) embedded in a visco-Pasternak elastic medium. For this purpose, the nonlocal continuum mechanical model is employed with two-variable plate theory. The material of the present nanoplate is assumed to be orthotropic and viscoelastic. The modified nonlinear Kelvin–Voigt viscoelastic model is utilized to formulate the constitutive relations depending on the viscoelastic structural damping coefficient. Moreover, the visco-Pasternak elastic medium is composed of both viscoelastic and shear layers. The viscoelastic layer includes a set of dashpots and elastic springs connected in parallel. In accordance with the two-variable theory, two governing equations are derived via Hamilton’s principle. These equations are analytically solved for various boundary conditions to obtain the explicit solution for critical buckling temperature and buckling load. The present buckling load and buckling temperature both are compared well with the published ones in the literature. In addition, various numerical studies are thoroughly carried out, concentrating on the influences of the plate geometric, nonlocal parameter, structural damping coefficient, elastic foundation parameters, foundation damping parameter and boundary conditions on the critical buckling load and temperature of the nanoplates. The results show that the involvement of the viscidity of the nanoplate and viscoelastic foundation enhances the strength of the nanoplates and therefore increases the resistance of them to external loads.
Facile preparation of Co3O4 microspheres and their utilization in the pyrolysis of ammonium perchlorate
Authors: Li Gang , Bai Weiyang , Ge Shuping , Cheng Zhiliang
Published: September 2018

In this study, Co3O4 microspheres, with diameters of 1.0–2.5[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m were prepared by a facile additive-free solvothermal method in combination with a post-annealing treatment. The catalytic properties of the as-prepared microspherical Co3O4 on the pyrolysis of ammonium perchlorate (AP) were explored using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) method. The experimental results showed that Co3O4 microspheres played an important role in accelerating the AP pyrolysis. The pyrolysis temperature decreased by 111∘C and the activation energy of AP pyrolysis reduced from [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kJ[Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kJ[Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text], when 2[Formula: see text]wt.% of Co3O4 microspheres were added. Moreover, the introduction of Co3O4 microspheres led to a 2.76-fold increase in the exothermic heat during AP pyrolysis. This study reveals that Co3O4 microspheres can be served as a potential catalyst for the AP pyrolysis.
Urban Specialization of Chinese Cities
Authors: SU Hongjian
Published: September 2018

The extent of urban specialization is closely related to urban development level. This paper distinguishes relative specialization and absolute specialization in terms of their connotations and measurement methods, and examines functional specialization in general. Using data on prefecture-and-above cities in China, this paper also reviews the characteristics of indicators of urban specialization in China. The findings are as follows. There exists a [Formula: see text]-shaped relationship between the relative specialization index and city size and income level; the absolute specialization index shows a significant negative correlation with city size and a significant positive correlation with income level. Functional specialization coefficient and city size manifest a significant positive correlation; there is clear division of functions among city clusters, and functional specialization coefficient is significantly related to administrative level of cities. Finally, from the perspective of functional division and specialization of cities (city clusters), this paper makes the proposition of coordinating the spatial, scale and industrial structures of Chinese cities.
A workflow for parametric sensitivity analysis of heat and gas release from a deep geological repository for SF/HLW
Authors: Papafotiou Alexandros , Namhata Argha , Singh Abhishek , Williams Mark , Jigmond Marius , Marschall Paul
Published: September 2018

A key component of the site comparison planned for the deep geological disposal of spent fuel and high-level waste (SF/HLW) in Switzerland is the assessment of the evolution of repository-induced perturbations in the repository nearfield associated with thermal effects from heat production due to radioactive decay of radionuclides, as well as gas pressures developing in the backfilled underground structures from the anaerobic corrosion of the steel waste canisters and tunnel support materials. The assessment of such effects is integrated in the site comparison through safety indicators used to evaluate repository performance. In this context, probabilistic assessments need to integrate the uncertainty of the entire ensemble of input parameters, and estimate the propagation to these indicators in a reliable and computationally efficient manner. This paper presents the development of a methodology for an indicator-based assessment of heat- and gas-induced effects in a SF/HLW repository in Opalinus Clay integrating a probabilistic treatment of parametric uncertainty. The workflow is demonstrated using preliminary data, repository configurations and indicators. Complementary simulations are presented to demonstrate the feedback to the optimization of repository design in order to mitigate repository-induced effects that can potentially compromise the safety function of the engineered and natural barriers.
The Enhanced Sealing Project (ESP): 2009–17 monitoring of a full-scale shaft seal installed in granitic rock
Authors: Dixon D. , Priyanto D. , Hansen J. , Farhoud R. , ŽivkoviĆ A.
Published: September 2018

The Enhanced Sealing Project (ESP) is monitoring the thermal–hydraulic–mechanical (THM) responses of a full-scale shaft seal at Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) former Underground Research Laboratory (URL) site. The evolution of such a full-scale construction has direct relevance to closure design of repository shafts (and tunnels) in a range of host rock types.

The shaft seal is installed across a water-bearing fracture (fracture zone (FZ2) at
c.
270 m depth), marking the interface between deeper, more saline groundwater and nearer-surface freshwater environments. Intended to demonstrate an ability to install a sealing structure that can limit the movement of water between the two hydrological regimes, the main shaft seal consists of a 40% bentonite clay: 60% fine aggregate by dry mass component (
c.
6 m thickness) sandwiched between two 3 m-thick concrete segments in the approximately 5 m-diameter main shaft. The clay and concrete components provide the primary hydraulic sealing and mechanical constraint to the sealing material, respectively.

This paper presents the monitoring results of the ESP from its installation in 2009 through to mid-2017. At present, the seal is still not completely water-saturated, pressures within it are still developing and flooding of the upper shaft is continuing. The ESP provides a comprehensive long-term dataset that will assist in calibrating numerical models describing the performance of placement room/shaft/tunnel seals in a Deep Geological Repository.
Multiphase flow and underpressured shale at the Bruce nuclear site, Ontario, Canada
Authors: Plampin Michelle R. , Neuzil C. E.
Published: September 2018

Hydraulic testing has revealed dramatic underpressures in Paleozoic shales and carbonates at the Bruce nuclear site in Ontario. Although evidence from both laboratory and field studies suggests that a small amount of gas-phase methane could be present in the shale, previous studies examining causal linkages between the gas phase and the underpressure have been inconclusive. To better elucidate processes in such a system, we used a highly simplified 1D representation of the site to test, by using iTOUGH2-EOS7C, the effects of various factors on the evolution of gas-phase methane and pressures within the system. Heterogeneity was represented by three stratigraphic regions with slightly different capillary pressure characteristics and, in one case, three thin distinct zones with very different characteristics. Underpressure occurred only when gas pressures set as an initial condition required it, and even in this case it was geologically short-lived. We conclude that the presence of multiple fluid phases is unlikely to explain the underpressure at the site; we suggest that the influence of gas-phase methane on porewater flow is minimal. This is consistent with prior conceptualizations of the underpressured section as a thick aquiclude, in which solute transport occurs extremely slowly, bounded by aquifers of significantly higher permeability.
General Belief Revision
Authors: Delgrande James P. , Peppas Pavlos , Woltran Stefan
Published: September 2018

In artificial intelligence, a key question concerns how an agent may rationally revise its beliefs in light of new information. The standard (AGM) approach to belief revision assumes that the underlying logic contains classical propositional logic. This is a significant limitation, since many representation schemes in AI don’t subsume propositional logic. In this article, we consider the question of what the minimal requirements are on a logic, such that the AGM approach to revision may be formulated. We show that AGM-style revision can be obtained even when extremely little is assumed of the underlying language and its semantics; in fact, one requires little more than a language with sentences that are satisfied at models, or possible worlds. The classical AGM postulates are expressed in this framework and a representation result is established between the postulate set and certain preorders on possible worlds. To obtain the representation result, we add a new postulate to the AGM postulates, and we add a constraint to preorders on worlds. Crucially, both of these additions are redundant in the original AGM framework, and so we
extend
, rather than
modify
, the AGM approach. As well, iterated revision is addressed and the Darwiche/Pearl postulates are shown to be compatible with our approach. Various examples are given to illustrate the approach, including Horn clause revision, revision in extended logic programs, and belief revision in a very basic logic called
literal revision
.
Tracing My Roots: How I Became a Plant Biologist
Authors: Ausubel Frederick M.
Published: September 2018

My trajectory to becoming a plant biologist was shaped by a complex mix of scientific, political, sociological, and personal factors. I was trained as a microbiologist and molecular biologist in the late 1960s and early 1970s, a time of political upheaval surrounding the Vietnam War. My political activism taught me to be wary of the potential misuses of scientific knowledge and to promote the positive applications of science for the benefit of society. I chose agricultural science for my postdoctoral work. Because I was not trained as a plant biologist, I devised a postdoctoral project that took advantage of my microbiological training, and I explored using genetic technologies to transfer the ability to fix nitrogen from prokaryotic nitrogen-fixing species to the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana with the ultimate goal of engineering crop plants. The invention of recombinant DNA technology greatly facilitated the cloning and manipulation of bacterial nitrogen-fixation ( nif) genes, but it also forced me to consider how much genetic engineering of organisms, including human beings, is acceptable. My laboratory has additionally studied host–pathogen interactions using Arabidopsis and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as model hosts.
Item statistics derived from three-option versions of multiple-choice questions are usually as robust as four- or five-option versions: implications for exam design
Authors: Loudon Catherine , Macias-Muñoz Aide
Published: September 2018

Different versions of multiple-choice exams were administered to an undergraduate class in human physiology as part of normal testing in the classroom. The goal was to evaluate whether the number of options (possible answers) per question influenced the effectiveness of this assessment. Three exams (each with three versions) were given to each of two sections during an academic quarter. All versions were equally long, with 30 questions: 10 questions with 3 options, 10 questions with 4, and 10 questions with 5 (always one correct answer plus distractors). Each question appeared in all three versions of an exam, with a different number of options in each version (three, four, or five). Discrimination (point biserial and upper-lower discrimination indexes) and difficulty were evaluated for each question. There was a small increase in difficulty (a lower average score on a question) when more options were provided. The upper-lower discrimination index indicated a small improvement in assessment of student learning with more options, although the point biserial did not. The total length of a question (number of words) was associated with a small increase in discrimination and difficulty, independent of the number of options. Quantitative questions were more likely to show an increase in discrimination with more options than nonquantitative questions, but this effect was very small. Therefore, for these testing conditions, there appears to be little advantage in providing more than three options per multiple-choice question, and there are disadvantages, such as needing more time for an exam.
Switching from Epoetin Alfa (Epogen®) to Epoetin Alfa-Epbx (RetacritTM) Using a Specified Dosing Algorithm: A Randomized, Non-Inferiority Study in Adults on Hemodialysis
Authors: Thadhani Ravi , Guilatco Ruffy , Hymes Jeffrey , Maddux Franklin W. , Ahuja Ajay
Published: September 2018

Background: For patients with anemia undergoing hemodialysis, erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) are typically dosed via precise algorithms. Using one such algorithm, we assessed the maintenance of hemoglobin levels in patients switched from epoetin alfa reference product (Epogen®) to epoetin alfa-epbx (RetacritTM; a biosimilar to US-licensed Epogen®/Procrit®). Methods: This randomized, open-label, non-inferiority study was conducted at Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) hemodialysis centers. Patients with anemia and chronic kidney disease undergoing maintenance hemodialysis and receiving routine intravenous (IV) Epogen® were randomized 1: 1 to switch to IV RetacritTM or continue standard-of-care (Epogen®) for 24 weeks, using analogous versions of the FMCNA ESA-dosing algorithm. The primary endpoint was the proportion of time patients’ hemoglobin was 9–11 g/dL during weeks 17–24. Results: Of 432 randomized patients, 418 received treatment (RetacritTM, n = 212; standard-of-care, n = 206) and comprised the full analysis set. A similar proportion of patients discontinued from each arm. The proportion of time patients’ hemoglobin was within the target range was 61.9% (95% CI 57.5–66.2) in the RetacritTM arm and 63.3% (95% CI 58.7–67.7) in the standard-of-care arm. The difference in proportions between treatment arms was –1.4% (95% CI –7.6 to 4.9), and the lower bound of the confidence interval was within the pre-specified non-inferiority margin of –12.5%. There was no statistically significant difference between arms in the mean change from baseline in the weekly mean ESA dose during weeks 17–24, and no clinically relevant differences in safety outcomes. Conclusions: Switching to RetacritTM was non-inferior to continuing ­Epogen® in maintaining hemoglobin levels in patients receiving hemodialysis, when both ESAs were dosed using a specified algorithm (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02504294).
Protective Effects of 2-Dodecyl-6-Methoxycyclohexa-2,5 -Diene-1,4-Dione Isolated from Averrhoa Carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) Roots on Neuron Apoptosis and Memory Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Wei Xiaojie , Xu Xiaohui , Chen Zhenfeng , Liang Tao , Wen Qingwei , Qin Ni , Huang Wansu , Huang Xiang , Li Yuchun , Li Juman , He Junhui , Wei Jinbin , Huang Renbin
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: The roots of Averrhoa carambola L. (Oxalidaceae) have long been used as a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of headaches, vomiting, coughing and hangovers. 2-dodecyl-6-methoxycyclohexa-2, 5-1, 4-dione (DMDD) has been isolated from A. carambola L. roots, and this study was carried out to investigate the potential beneficial effects of DMDD on neuron apoptosis and memory deficits in Alzheimer's disease. Methods: The effects of a DMDD on learning and memory in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice in vivo were investigated via Morris water maze and Y-type electric maze tests. In vitro, Cell viability was assessed by CCK-8. Apoptosis was assessed by Annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometry assay, and transmission electron microscopy assay. Relative quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to determine the expressions of genes and proteins. Results: The spatial learning and memory deficit, fear memory deficit, as well as apoptosis and loss of neuron in hippocampal area of APP/PS1 mice were reversed by DMDD in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice. DMDD protected against the Aβ1-42-induced apoptosis, loss of mitochondria membrane potential, induction of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family protein Bax, reduction of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bcl-2, and activation of Caspase-3, and -9 in PC-12 cells. The Bcl-2/Bax ratio was also increased in DMDD-pretreated PC-12 cells in vitro and APP/PS1 mice in vivo. Conclusion: DMDD has potential benefit on treating learning and memory deficit in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice, and its effects may be associated with reversing the apoptosis of neuron via inhibiting Bax/Bcl-2 mediated mitochondrial membrane potential loss.
Enhanced Expression of TGFBI Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Glioma Cells
Authors: Guo Shi-Kun  , Shen Ming-Feng , Yao Hong-Wei , Liu Yong-Sheng
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Transforming growth factor beta-induced protein (TGFBI) is an extracellular matrix protein induced by TGF-β. Previous studies have reported that the abnormal expression of TGFBI is related to the occurrence and development of some types of cancers, while the role of TGFBI in glioma is uncertain. Methods: The association between TGFBI expression and the prognosis of patients with glioma was analyzed based on data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. TGFBI expression was analyzed in 3 normal human brains and 57 cases of human gliomas by immunohistochemistry followed by an evaluation of the relationships between TGFBI expression and clinic-pathological features. Furthermore, the RNA interference plasmid pSUPER-shTGFBI was constructed and transfected into U87 and U251 cells to explore the effect of short hairpin RNA against TGFBI (shTGFBI) on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the expression of proteins related to apoptosis and proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Results: High TGFBI expression was found to be associated with poor prognosis in patients with glioblastoma multiforme. Immunohistochemistry showed that TGFBI expression was significantly higher in glioma tissue than in normal human brain tissues. The expression level of TGFBI showed no significant correlation with age, sex, lymph-node metastasis, or pathological grade. sh-TGFBI could inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration and induce apoptosis in U87 and U251 cells in vitro. Furthermore, the phosphorylation levels of AKT and mTOR declined significantly in sh-TGFBI transfected U81 and U251 cells when compared with control. Conclusion: TGFBI was up-regulated in glioma cells and played a promoting role in the growth and motility of U87 and U251 cells. These results suggested that TGFBI has the potential to be a diagnostic marker and to serve as a target for the treatment of gliomas.
S100A4 Knockout Sensitizes Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinoma Cells Harboring BRAFV600E/Mt to Vemurafenib
Authors: Jiao Xuelong , Zhang Hongmei , Xu Xiangpeng , Yu Ying , Zhang Honglai , Zhang Jinna , Ning Liang , Hao Fengyun , Liu Xinfeng , Niu Min , Chen Chen-Tong , Chen Dong , Zhang Kejun
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), with 25% BRAFV600E mutation, is one of the most lethal human malignancies that currently has no effective therapy. Vemurafenib, a BRAFV600E inhibitor, has shown promise in clinical trials, including ATC patients, but is being hampered by the acquisition of drug resistance. Therefore, combination therapy that includes BRAFV600E inhibition and avoids resistance is a clinical need. Methods: ATC cell lines 8505C (BRAFV600E/mt), SW1736 (BRAFV600E/mt), KAT18 (BRAFV600E/wt) and Cal-62(BRAFV600E/wt) cells were used in the study. The ability of S100A knockout or /and in combination with the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib on growth, apoptosis, invasion and apoptosis in ATC cells in vitro was demonstrated by MTT and BrdUrd incorporation assay, Annexin-V-FITC staining analyzed by flow cytometry, Transwell migration and Matrigel invasion assay. S100A4,pERK1/2, pAKT and pROCK1/2 protein was detected by western blot assay; Small molecule inhibitors of Y27632, U0126, MK-2206 and constitutively active forms of pCDNA-Myc-pERK, pCMV6-HA-Akt, pCMV-RhoA were employed, and the mechanistic studies were performed. We assessed the efficiency of in vivo combination treatment with S100A4 knockout and Vemurafenib on tumors. Results: S100A4 knockout induced apoptosis and reduced proliferation by inactivation of pAKT and pERK signals, and inhibited invasion and migration by inactivation of pAKT and RhoA/ROCK1/2 signals in 8505C or Cal-62 cells in vitro, and vice versa in SW1736 and KAT18 cells. Vemurafenib did not affect apoptosis of both 8505C and SW1736 cells, but reduced proliferation via arresting cell cycle, and promoted cell migration and invasion in vitro. Combination treatment with S100A4 knockdown and vemurafenib reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro compared to the S100A4 knockdown or Vemurafenib alone. Vemurafenib treatment resulted in a transient inhibition of pERK expression and gradually activation of pAKT expression, but quickly recovery from ERK1/2 activation inhibition by vemurafenib treatment in 4 h for SW1736 and 8505C cells. Combined treatment completely inhibited ERK1/2 and AKT activation during 48 h. In an in vivo mouse model of SW1736 and 8505C, vemurafenib treatment alone did not significantly inhibit tumor growth in both of the tumors, but inhibited tumor growth in combined groups. Conclusion: Our results show S100A4 knockout alone inhibits ATC cells (rich endogenous S100A4) survival and invasion, regardless of the BRAFV600E status, and potentiates the effect of vemurafenib on tumor regression in vitro and in vivo. In addition, S100A4 knockout potently inhibits the recovery from ERK1/2 activation inhibition and the AKT activation following vemurafenib treatment and reversed the vemurafenib resistance. This therapeutic combination may be of benefit in patients with ATC.
ВПЛИВ МІСЦЕВОЇ ТА ЗАГАЛЬНОЇ МЕТАБОЛІЧНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ НА СТАН ЗОРОВОГО АНАЛІЗАТОРА В ДІТЕЙ ІЗ НАБУТОЮ МІОПІЄЮ, АСОЦІЙОВАНОЮ З СИНДРОМОМ НЕДИФЕРЕНЦІЙОВАНОЇ ДИСПЛАЗІЇ СПОЛУЧНОЇ ТКАНИНИ
Authors: Tsybulska Т. Ye. , Pashkova O. Ye.
Published: September 2018

Significant role in the formation of myopic refraction in children plays the syndrome of undifferentiated connective tissue dysplasia (SUCTD). On the background of metabolic abnormalities of the connective tissue occur morphological changes in the connective tissue of the sclera, which change its supporting function and contribute to the development and progression of myopia. This substantiates the expediency of the appointment of local and general metabolic therapy in the treatment of this category of children.The aim of the study – to evaluate the effect of local metabolic therapy on the state of the visual analyzer in children with acquired myopia associated with SU CTD.Materials and Methods. Оphthalmologic examination was performed on 65 children (130 eyes) from 7 to 12 years old with acquired myopia and phenotypic features of SU CTD . I group – 35 patients (70 eyes) received complex metabolic therapy for 2 months with the preparation "Cardonat", "Magnesium V6", and also eye drops "Tioretin A". The second group of observation included 15 children (30 eyes) with acquired myopia and SUDST who did not receive general and local therapy.Results and Discussion. After treatment in children of the group I, visual acuity is increased by an average of 0.15 c.u., obtained in 82.8 % of patients (58 eyes), reserves of absolute accommodation, reserve of relative accommodation by an average of 1.5 dpi and 2.5 dpi (p<0.05). In group II, on the contrary, the reduction of uncompressed visual acuity was determined at 0.09 c.u. (p<0.05), the indicators of accommodation function did not change significantly, remaining low. In the group I, only 17.1 % of patients (12 eyes) experienced an increase in clinical refraction by an average of 0.25–0.5 dpi, (p>0.05). In the group II, this indicator increased by an average of 0.42 dpi (p<0.05). The increase in the axial length of the eye was an average of 0.12 mm in the group I; 0.22 mm in the group II (p<0.05).Conclusions. Metabolic therapy by using Cardonate, Magnesium V6 and eye drops "Thioretin A" in children with myopia associated with SU CTD increases the visual acuity without correction on average by 1.8 times, increases the absolute accommodation and reserves of relative accommodation on average 2.1 and 1.9 times respectively.
ДЕЯКІ ОСОБЛИВОСТІ СУЇЦИДАЛЬНОЇ ПОВЕДІНКИ ХВОРИХ НА ПАРАНОЇДНУ ШИЗОФРЕНІЮ
Authors: Marunkevych Ya. Yu.
Published: September 2018

Suicidal behavior is one of the most pressing social and medical problems. At the same time, a number of important issues related to the suicidal behavior of schizophrenic patients, in particular gender features, remain insufficiently studied.The aim of the study – to learn the peculiarities of suicidal behavior of patients with paranoid schizophrenia taking into account the gender factor on the basis of a comparative analysis of medical records and direct clinical research.Materials and Methods. To study the peculiarities of suicidal behavior of patients with paranoid schizophrenia, taking into account the gender factor, a study of suicidal behavior was conducted by studying medical records of 407 men and 409 women and a clinical examination of 53 men and 49 women with paranoid schizophrenia.Results and Discussion. A relatively low prevalence of suicidal phenomena before the onset of schizophrenia: a suicidal ideation was found in 1.0 % of men and 1.5 % of women according to medical records and 5.7 % of men and 4.1 % of women according to the clinical examination, suicidal actions – in 1.5 % of women according to medical records. Installed that after the debut of schizophrenia, the suicidal activity of patients sharply increases: according to the analysis of medical documentation suicidal thoughts were found in 17.2 % of men and 18.8 % of women, according to the clinical survey – in 47.2 % of men and 20.4 % of women, suicide attempts were in 9.3% and 15.6%, respectively, and 26.4 %, respectively, versus 10.2 %. The significant severity of psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia in patients with suicidal tendencies is established. The most closely associated with the presence of suicidal thoughts are negative symptoms and behavioral disorders (97.3 % among all patients, 95.7 % among men, 98.7 % among women according to the documentation analysis, 100.0 % according to the clinical survey). Suicidal actions are characterized by close association with negative symptoms.Conclusions. Patients with paranoid schizophrenia are characterized by high suicidal activity, both at the level of suicidal thoughts and at the level of suicidal actions.
СУБМІКРОСКОПІЧНІ ЗМІНИ КОМПОНЕНТІВ АЕРОГЕМАТИЧНОГО БАР’ЄРУ РЕСПІРАТОРНОГО ВІДДІЛУ ЛЕГЕНЬ ЩУРІВ У РАННІ ТЕРМІНИ ПІСЛЯ ГОСТРОГО УРАЖЕННЯ ХЛОРИДНОЮ КИСЛОТОЮ
Authors: Beskyy V. O. , Nebesna Z. M. , Marushchak M. I. , Hryshchuk L. A.
Published: September 2018

Submicroscopic studies of the respiratory part of the lungs after 2 and 6 hours after the experimental acute lung injury with hydrochloric acid established adaptive-compensatory and destructive changes in the components of the air-blood barrier.The aim of the study – to learn submicroscopic changes in the components of the air-blood barrier of the lungs in the early period after acute lung injury.Materials and Methods. The experiments were carried out on 30 white mature non-linear male rats weighing 200–220 g. The animals were divided into 3 groups: 1 – control group, 2 – hydrochloric acid damage after 2 hours, 3 – hydrochloric acid damage after 6 hour.Results and Discussion. In an experiment on mature white rats, a study was made of the submicroscopic state of the components of the air-blood barrier in the early periods after acute lung injury. It has been established that adaptive-compensatory and initial destructive changes of the alveolar epithelium and the walls of the hemocapillary take place at 2 o'clock in the experiment. The cytoplasm of respiratory epitheliocytes during this period of the experiment was focal-edematous and enlightened, organelles were destructively altered. For alveolocytes of type I, there was a significant swelling and clarification of the cytoplasm. During this period of the experiment, an increased number of actively phagocytizing macrophages appeared, which acquired a rounded shape, clearly contoured membranes of the cariolema, their invaginations were determined, and in the karyoplasm euchromatin predominated. In alveolocytes of type II, after 6 hours, the progression of destructive changes was established. For which there were peculiarity hypertrophied nuclei with deep invagination of the cariolema, in which there were few nuclear pores, locally expanded perinuclear space. In the edematous cytoplasm, organelles were found to be destructively altered.Conclusions. Acute damage to the lungs leads to a disruption of the ultrastructural organization of the air-blood barrier. Established adaptive-compensatory processes and signs of destructive changes in the alveolar epithelium and the walls of hemocapillaries, which leads to deterioration of gas-exchange processes in the lungs.
“To See Thee I Must [See] Thee, to Love, Love”
Authors: Lichtmann Maria
Published: September 2018

In early poems from his years at Oxford, before his conversion to Roman Catholicism and reception into the church by John Henry Newman, Gerard Manley Hopkins wrote several poems, “The Half-way House,” “Nondum,” “Let me to Thee,” and “My prayers must meet a brazen heaven,” where the absence of God—of the direct, immediate experience of God—is the theme. The poet seems to long for an ontological moment of being in his words, “inscaped” by God. In his childhood faith of the established religion of the Church of England, he has known only a God who is “above.” When he prays the paradox, “To see Thee, I must see Thee, to love, love,” Hopkins is setting out a major theme of his poetic and personal endeavors. This note of longing for an immanent God will be both fulfilled and frustrated in his life and in his art. Duns Scotus’s two incarnations of Christ, into the Eucharist and into human nature, will bring much of that fulfillment philosophically, as his acceptance of the Real Presence brought it spiritually.
Early Hanseatic Manuscripts in the Mid-Eighteenth-Century Discourse between Lübeck and Saint Petersburg
Authors: Squires Catherine
Published: September 2018

This paper deals with the correspondence between Carl Heinrich Dreyer (1723–1802), the syndic of Lübeck, Germany, and Gerhard Friedrich Müller (1705–1783), Secretary of the Academy of Sciences in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The letters, written in 1761–1762, exhibit international cooperation in the scholarly study of medieval Hanseatic trade with Novgorod the Great. Dreyer’s letter accompanies his gift to the Academy of a thirteenth-century parchment document, a lesser-known copy of the famous treaty of 1269. This article discusses Dreyer’s membership of the Academy in connection to the prospects of further research cooperation. In addition, details of archival practice and aspects of scholarly morals are discussed against a background of ethical, historical and political issues of the day. As this article will demonstrate, some consequences of the described events and decisions can be connected to modern problems of historiography.
Beliefs are Object-Attribute Associations of Varying Strength
Authors: Jong Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Associative theories of cognitive representation begin with an ontology of two kinds of entities: concepts and associations. According to most social cognitive theories of attitudes, attitudes are object-evaluation associations of varying strength, where strength is defined in terms of accessibility. This paper proposes a cognitive account of belief such that beliefs are object-attribute associations of varying strength: thus, insofar as evaluative concepts are examples of attribute concepts, attitudes are a species of belief. This cognitive account of belief also denies that additional processes of endorsement—explicit or otherwise—are strictly required for an object-attribute association to count as a belief.
Two new genera and species of the leafhopper tribe Idiocerini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and redescription of the type species of Paraidioscopus
Authors: XUE QINGQUAN , ZHANG YALIN
Published: September 2018

Two new genera of Idiocerini, Lambirocerus gen. nov. with type species Lambirocerus cycloformulus sp. nov. and Undophomorpha gen. nov. with type species Undophomorpha glauctata sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Malaysia. The type species of Paraidioscopus Maldonado-Capriles, P. tagalicus (Baker) is also redescribed and illustrated.
Juliaca Melichar, 1926 (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini): description of a new species from Southeastern Brazil and redescriptions of J. sertigerula (Jacobi, 1905) and J. xanthogramma (Signoret, 1854) comb. nov.
Authors: SANTOS ALANA C. DOS , CAVICHIOLI RODNEY R. , TAKIYA DANIELA M. , MEJDALANI GABRIEL
Published: September 2018

A new species of the sharpshooter genus Juliaca Melichar, 1926, J. nigra sp. nov., from Southeastern Brazil (State of Espírito Santo) is described based on specimens collected on a coffee plantation. In addition, J. sertigerula (Jacobi, 1905), an Andean species, and Tettigonia xanthogramma Signoret, 1854, from Southeastern Brazil (states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro), are redescribed. The former species was not adequately illustrated and the latter was not treated in the most recent monograph on the Cicadellini. The identity of T. xanthogramma is elucidated and it is transferred to Juliaca (J. xanthogramma comb. nov.).
Synthesis of Fluorescent Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Quantum Dots for Selective Detection of Picric Acid in Water Samples
Authors: Tian Min , Wang Yingte , Zhang Yong
Published: September 2018

In this work, fluorescent nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) were pyrolysis synthesized using edetic acid and acrylamide as precursors without further surface modication. The as-prepared N-CDs were mono-dispersed spherical nanoparticles with an average diameter of 3.25 nm. The blue
fluorescence emission was dependent of the excitation wavelengths, releasing stable and strong blue fluorescence under the maximum excitation wavelength. More strikingly, after adding picric acid (PA), the fluorescence of N-CDs aqueous solution gave rise to the obviously fluorescence quenching
due to the inner filter effect. Under the optimum conditions, the fluorescence probe can be used for the selective detection of PA with a wide linear relationship in the range of 0.01–32 μM and the detection as low as 0.046 μM. Depending on the fluorescence quenching
phenomenon, the resultant fluorescent probe for accurate and selective monitor of PA in Fenhe river samples was explored. The recoveries fell in the range of 97.13%–106.21% and the relative standard deviation was below 3% with satisfactory results.
A Study on the Structure and the Photoelectrical Properties of the Al-Doped ZnO Thin Films by Atomic Layer Deposition in Low Temperatures
Authors: Wang Guangde , Zhang Xinyu , Jiang Wenlong , Wang Lizhong
Published: September 2018

The AZO transparent conductive films are prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a low temperature of 150 °C. The different Al–Zn doping ratios were designed during the deposition. The phase structure of the films was characterized by XRD, the electrical properties
of thin films were analyzed by the Holzer test, and the optical properties of thin films were analyzed by the UV-3600 (UV-VIS-NIR) spectrophotometer. The results showed that all the films preferred the orientation of the C axis during the growth process, the AZO films have a very low
resistivity of 6.955×10−4 Ω·cm with the Al doping ratio by 2%, the deposition temperature is 150 °C and the thickness of the film is 200 nm. The transmission of AZO films with the different doping ratios in the visible region is 85%. The proper doping
ratio can be selected to get the excellent photoelectric properties of AZO thin films. Such low resistivity AZO transparent conductive film is expected to replace the ITO as the transparent electrode for the organic light-emitting devices and the other new generation of the optoelectronic
devices.
Study on the Fabrication of White Organic Light-Emitting Devices Using the Doping Characteristics of Rubrene and Programmed Test Circuit
Authors: Li Shumei , Li Xu , Wang Lizhong , Liu Hongbo
Published: September 2018

A white organic light emitting device with structure of ITO/2T-NATA(20)/NPBX(15)/DPVBi(15)/ Alq:Rub(10, x)/Alq3(40)/LiF/Al was fabricated using doping rubrene. When the concentration of rubrene is 3 wt.%, the chromaticity is the best (0.319, 0.317), and the color coordinates are stable.
When the thickness of the doping layer is 20 nm, the efficiency and luminance of the devices are the highest, which are 5.1022 cd/A and 17130 cd/m2, respectively. On the basis, a test system is consisted of Solomon’s OLED display control driver chip SSD1306 and microcontroller
AT89C52, which tests the OLED dot matrix through the program to determine whether the matrix has dead point. Through experimental comparison, the test results are consistent with the external power supply test. The system has the characteristics of high efficiency and display characters of
dynamic and static pictures, which provides a feasible driving method for the practical application of OLED.
Preparation and Optimization of New High-Power Nanoscale Li4Ti5O12 Full-Cell System
Authors: Fang Zhao , Peng Jiaxin , Ma Nani , Liang Lisi , Gao Hongquan , Zhou Haitao , Jin Xinkai , Yang Jianhong , Liu Manbo , Du Jinjing , Li Qian , Li Xiaoming , Li Linbo
Published: September 2018

Lithium ion batteries with graphite negative electrodes have been developed to date due to their low power density, which limits their application in many cases, however. Nanoscale Li4Ti5O12 has higher power density than conventional graphite anode materials. In order to ensure that
the full-cell system has high power and high energy, cathode materials are very important. In this paper, three different cathode materials, LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA), LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (NCM622),
and LiCoO2 (LCO), were used to conduct a comprehensive study, and optimal NCA-Li4Ti5O12(LTO) full battery system was selected under high power conditions. On the basis, in order to further increase battery power density, and in combination with the
mechanism of the supercapacitor non-Faradic energy storage, polyaniline activated carbon material (PANI-AC) with excellent capacitance characteristics was prepared. In the end, we proposed a new type of hybrid battery capacitor system with high power and high energy.
Platinum–Copper Bimetallic Alloy Nanoflowers as Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Methanol Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Xing Ruimin , Li Rui , Tong Liangyu , Li Bingyue , Kong Deling , Tian Shufang , Liu Shanhu
Published: September 2018

Special morphological noble metal-based bimetallic alloy nanostructures became popular for methanol oxidation reaction in order to reduce the high cost of the Pt catalyst and improve the catalyst activity. Herein, we developed a facile one pot hydrothermal method for the synthesis of
platinum–copper bimetallic nanoflowers (Pt–Cu NFs) in the presence of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The morphology, structure and composition of Pt–Cu NFs were carefully characterized and the synthesized parameters were optimized systematically by adjusting
different experimental conditions. Results showed that the CTAB usage and the NaI amount were critical to the controlled synthesis of Pt–Cu NFs. The Pt–Cu NFs were high-performance electrocatalysts for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) with superior activity and superior stability
in alkaline solution, which were far better than pure Pt nanoparticle electrocatalysts.
Graphene Oxide Affects Growth and Resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Brassica napus L.
Authors: Liu Yufeng , Yuan Chengfei , Cheng Yong , Yao Guoxin , Xie Lingli , Xu Benbo
Published: September 2018

Researchers have shown that graphene oxide has a significant effect on plant and pathogen growth and development. To better understand the effect of graphene oxide on the resistance of Brassica napus L. to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, Zhongshuang 11 was used to evaluate changes
in the morphology and physiology after graphene oxide treatment. Detached leaf inoculation was used to detect S. sclerotiorum infection in rapeseed. The results indicated that treatment with a low concentration of graphene oxide had no significant effect on the growth of B. napus
“Zhongshuang 11.” Graphene oxide inhibited S. sclerotiorum in PDA medium. Treatment with 15 mg/L graphene oxide for 8–24 h in seeds and 8–16 h in seedlings suppressed S. sclerotiorum growth compared to the control samples. These results demonstrate that
a low concentration of graphene oxide did not harm the growth of B. napus but did enhance its resistance to S. sclerotiorum.
A Novel Method of Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbon Dots for Supersensitive and Selective Detection of Cancer Markers
Authors: Qi Jianrong , Hu Meixin , Li Hongxia , Jing Ruan , Shen Guangxia
Published: September 2018

Due to the dual role as an electron acceptor and an electron donor in solution, carbon dots (Cdots) have broad applications in environmental analysis, biological detection, and biosensors. Herein, we report a facile-green strategy for a large-scale synthesis of fluorescent N, P-doped
carbon dots (N, P-Cdots) with an absolute quantum yield of 66.08% by a simple one-step thermal decomposition. Glucose was selected as a carbon precursor and tryptophan (Trp) as an N-doping and passivation reagent. Organic polar solvents with a high boiling point, i.e., ethylene glycol and
glycerol, were used as the reaction medium, and phosphoric acid was employed as a P source and oxidation accelerator. It is shown that the emission wavelength of the N, P-Cdots can be tuned by adjusting the reaction conditions, such as mass ratio, heating time, temperature, and medium, without
further passivation. Finally, advantage was taken of the superior fluorescent characteristics of N, P-Cdots to detect selectively and with high sensitivity a cancer marker, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), based on the fluorescent quenching mechanism. Additionally, CEA was also detected in
human serum samples with high efficiency and RSD, further confirming that the proposed method has a good consistency and stability for supersensitive fluorimetric detection of cancer markers.
Preparation and Characterization of Bi2Ti2O7 Pyrochlore by Acetone Solvothermal Method
Authors: Li Panjie , Jiang Caiyun , Wang Qiong , Zuojiao Kaichao , Zhang Zheng , Liu Jiaxun , Wang Yuping
Published: September 2018

In this study, we reported a novel synthesis route of Bi2Ti2O7 pyrochlore by acetone solvothermal method. The bismuth nitrate and tetrabutyl titanate were used as reactant, and acetone was used as solvent. XRD patterns showed that the pure Bi2Ti2O7
particles were synthesized when the molar ratio of Bi/Ti was between 0.4 and 0.8. The SEM showed that the Bi2Ti2O7 crystal was uniform spherical particles. The carboxylic acid produced in the reaction system may be the main factor of bismuth mineralization.
Compared with TiO2, pure Bi2Ti2O7 photocatalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) and tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) under simulated solar light. The possible formation mechanism was proposed.