bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolutions and upcoming on Zika virus diagnosis through an outbreak: A systematic review
Authors: Jorge Fernando A. , Thomazella Mateus V. , de Castro Moreira Deborah , Lopes Luciana D. G. , Teixeira Jorge J. V. , Bertolini Dennis A.
Published: March 2020

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an enveloped, positive single‐stranded sense RNA virus transmitted by Aedes species. Many efforts have been conducted to find a good, reliable and cost‐effective test for ZIKV diagnosis. Diagnosis is still imprecise, expensive and there is not a standard model. We investigated the publications on ZIKV diagnostics and analyzed varieties of diagnostic methods, sensibility, specificity, and the evolution of new methodologies. Conducted in accordance with the PRISMA‐P statement, three blocks of MeSH terms were assembled: group I: virus infection; group II: diagnostic methodologies; group III: characteristics and varieties on diagnostic methods. Search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science and SCOPUS databases. Eighteen articles were retrieved, reporting serological and molecular diagnostic techniques. Serum was used as the main biological material in the serological diagnosis, but urine and sperm were presented as an alternative. Molecular methods used structural and nonstructural regions of ZIKV genome. Experimental methodologies were more efficient, faster, and cheaper. Serological tests are faster and less expensive than molecular assays, but molecular assays are more specific. The use of both methodologies would be the most appropriate and reliable way to obtain correct diagnostic results.
A comparison of turbine entrainment rates and seasonal entrainment vulnerability of two sympatric char species, bull trout and lake trout, in a hydropower reservoir
Authors: Harrison Philip M. , Ward Taylor , Algera Dirk A. , Culling Brad , Euchner Ted , Leake Alf , Crossman James A. , Cooke Steven J. , Power Michael
Published: March 2020

Potadromous salmonids that reside in hydropower reservoirs often have a high recreational and conservation value. However, the potential seasonal turbine entrainment vulnerability patterns of potadromous salmonids are not well understood. Here, we use acoustic telemetry to test the hypothesis that adults of two species of the Salvelinus genus (bull trout and lake trout) differ in their seasonal patterns of entrainment and entrainment vulnerability over a 2‐year period. Our results show that while both species were entrained at similarly low annual rates (~1%), these two salmonids differed in their patterns of forebay residency and proximity, with implications for entrainment risk. Bull trout occupied the forebay at low rates across all seasons, with no clear seasonal pattern of forebay proximity. In contrast, lake trout displayed a strongly seasonal pattern of entrainment vulnerability with a distinct movement away from the forebay during the summer, and a large increase in forebay proximity and use in the winter and spring. These findings provide a novel species‐specific demonstration of the potential entrainment vulnerability of lake trout. The seasonal patterns of entrainment vulnerability seen in previous bull trout studies, where bull trout occupied top pelagic predator niches, were not replicated in our study where bull trout occur in sympatry with another top pelagic predator. These findings, which indicate that species composition plays an important role determining entrainment vulnerability, have important implications for the conservation of indigenous lake trout and bull trout populations, and together highlight the need for a site‐specific approach to entrainment quantification.
Brane webs and magnetic quivers for SQCD
Authors: Bourget Antoine , Cabrera Santiago , Grimminger Julius F. , Hanany Amihay , Zhong Zhenghao
Published: March 2020

Abstract

It is widely considered that the classical Higgs branch of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 SQCD is a well understood object. However there is no satisfactory understanding of its structure. There are two complications: (1) the Higgs branch chiral ring contains nilpotent elements, as can easily be checked in the case of SU(N) with 1 flavour. (2) the Higgs branch as a geometric space can in general be decomposed into two cones with nontrivial intersection, the baryonic and mesonic branches. To study the second point in detail we use the recently developed tool of magnetic quivers for five-brane webs, using the fact that the classical Higgs branch for theories with 8 supercharges does not change through dimensional reduction. We compare this approach with the computation of the hyper-Kähler quotient using Hilbert series techniques, finding perfect agreement if nilpotent operators are eliminated by the computation of a so called radical. We study the nature of the nilpotent operators and give conjectures for the Hilbert series of the full Higgs branch, giving new insights into the vacuum structure of 4d $$ \mathcal{N} $$
N
= 2 SQCD. In addition we demonstrate the power of the magnetic quiver technique, as it allows us to identify the decomposition into cones, and provides us with the global symmetries of the theory, as a simple alternative to the techniques that were used to date.
On critical exponents for self-similar collapse
Authors: Antonelli Riccardo , Hatefi Ehsan
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We explore systematically perturbations of self-similar solutions to the Einstein-axion-dilaton system, whose dynamics are invariant under spacetime dilations combined with internal 𝔰𝔩(2, ℝ) transformations. The self-similar solutions capture the enticing behavior “critical” systems on the verge of gravitational collapse, in arbitrary spacetime dimensions. Our methods rest on a combination of analytical and numerical tools, apply to all three conjugacy classes of 𝔰𝔩(2, ℝ) transformations and allow accurate estimates of the corresponding Choptuik exponents. It is well known that these exponents depend on the spacetime dimension and on the matter content. Our main result is that they also attain different values, even within a given conjugacy class, for the distinct types of critical solutions that we recently identified in the Einstein-axion-dilaton system.
Giant gravitons on the Schrödinger pp-wave geometry
Authors: Georgiou George , Zoakos Dimitrios
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We construct a new giant graviton solution on the recently constructed pp-wave geometry of the non-supersymmetric Schrödinger background. That solution exhibits an intriguing behavior as the deformation parameter of the spacetime varies. Firstly, the degeneracy between the giant and the point graviton is lifted for the benefit of the giant graviton as soon as the deformation is turned on. Secondly, when the deformation parameter exceeds a critical value the barrier separating the point from the giant graviton disappears. This suggests that the mere presence of a D3-brane leads to the spontaneous breaking of conformal invariance. We perform a detailed analysis of the full bosonic spectrum, which reveals that the deformation induces a coupling between the scalar and the gauge field fluctuations. It is exactly this coupling that keeps the giant graviton free of tachyonic instabilities. Furthermore, the giant graviton configuration completely breaks the supersymmetry of the pp-wave background, as the Kappa-symmetry analysis suggests.
Global aspects of conformal symmetry and the ANEC in dS and AdS
Authors: Rosso Felipe
Published: March 2020

Abstract

Starting from the averaged null energy condition (ANEC) in Minkowski we show that conformal symmetry implies the ANEC for a conformal field theory (CFT) in a de Sitter and anti-de Sitter background. A similar and novel bound is also obtained for a CFT in the Lorentzian cylinder. Using monotonicity of relative entropy, we rederive these results for dS and the cylinder. As a byproduct we obtain the vacuum modular Hamiltonian and entanglement entropy associated to null deformed regions of CFTs in (A)dS and the cylinder. A third derivation of the ANEC in dS is shown to follow from bulk causality in AdS/CFT. Finally, we use the Tomita-Takesaki theory to show that Rindler positivity of Minkowski correlators generalizes to conformal theories defined in dS and the cylinder.
Endemic species predation by the introduced smooth-billed ani in Galápagos
Authors: Cooke Sophia C. , Anchundia David , Caton Emma , Haskell Lucy E. , Jäger Heinke , Kalki Yatindra , Mollá Óscar , Rodríguez Jacqueline , Schramer Tristan D. , Walentowitz Anna , Fessl Birgit
Published: March 2020

The introduced smooth-billed ani Crotophaga ani has become widespread across the Galápagos archipelago in the past half-century. It is known to predate upon a range of native and endemic species, and is a potential vector for the spread of invasive plants and parasites. Here we report previously undocumented examples of smooth-billed ani predation in Galápagos, including that of an endemic racer snake and a scorpion. We highlight the possibility of smooth-billed anis having a serious impact on the endemic Galápagos carpenter bee, a major pollinator, as well as native and endemic Lepidopterans and other invertebrates. In addition, we report smooth-billed ani predation of other introduced species and note the importance of further research on the wide-scale impacts of smooth-billed anis in Galápagos and their role within the archipelago’s ecological networks.
Preserving fertility in young women undergoing chemotherapy for early breast cancer; the Maastricht experience
Authors: Vriens Ingeborg J. H. , ter Welle-Butalid Elena M. , de Boer Maaike , de Die-Smulders Christine E. M. , Derhaag Josien G. , Geurts Sandra M. E. , van Hellemond Irene E. G. , Luiten Ernest J. T. , Dercksen M. Wouter , Lemaire Bea M. D. , van Haaren Els R. M. , Vriens Birgit E. P. J. , van de Wouw Agnes J. , van Riel Anne-marie M. G. H. , Janssen-Engelen Sandra L. E. , van de Poel Marlène H. W. , Schepers-van der Sterren Ester E. M. , van Golde Ron J. T. , Tjan-Heijnen Vivianne C. G.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

We assessed the uptake of fertility preservation (FP), recovery of ovarian function (OFR) after chemotherapy, live birth after breast cancer, and breast cancer outcomes in women with early-stage breast cancer.

Methods

Women aged below 41 years and referred to our center for FP counseling between 2008 and 2015 were included. Data on patient and tumor characteristics, ovarian function, cryopreservation (embryo/oocyte) and transfer, live birth, and disease-free survival were collected. Kaplan–Meier analyses were performed for time-to-event analyses including competing risk analyses, and patients with versus without FP were compared using the logrank test.

Results

Of 118 counseled women with a median age of 31 years (range 19–40), 34 (29%) chose FP. Women who chose FP had less often children, more often a male partner and more often favorable tumor characteristics. The 5-year OFR rate was 92% for the total group of counseled patients. In total, 26 women gave birth. The 5-year live birth rate was 27% for the total group of counseled patients. Only three women applied for transfer of their cryopreserved embryo(s), in two combined with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) because of BRCA1-mutation carrier ship. The 5-year disease-free survival rate was 91% versus 88%, for patients with versus without FP (P = 0.42).

Conclusions

Remarkably, most women achieved OFR, probably related to the young age at diagnosis. Most pregnancies occurred spontaneously, two of three women applied for embryo transfer because of the opportunity to apply for PGD.
Excess deaths and Hurricane María
Authors: Spagat Michael , van Weezel Stijn
Published: March 2020

We clarify the distinction between direct and indirect effects of disasters such as Hurricane María and use data from the Puerto Rico Vital Statistics System to estimate monthly excess deaths in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane which struck the island in September of 2017. We use a Bayesian linear regression model fitted to monthly data for 2010–2016 to predict monthly death tallies for all months in 2017, finding large deviations of actual numbers above predicted ones in September and October of 2017 but much weaker evidence of excess mortality in November and December of 2017. These deviations translate into 910 excess deaths with a 95% uncertainty interval of 440 to 1390. We also find little evidence of big pre-hurricane mortality spikes in 2017, suggesting that such large spikes do not just happen randomly and, therefore, the post-hurricane mortality spike can reasonably be attributed to the hurricane.
Assessing the threat of lone-actor terrorism: the reliability and validity of the TRAP-18
Authors: Guldimann Angela , Meloy J. Reid
Published: March 2020

Terrorism, especially lone-actor terrorism, is considered a major national security threat in both North America and Europe. The threat of terrorism has many faces and violence can arise from all ideological extremes. The authors present the theoretical model and current empirical validation of the Terrorist Radicalization Assessment Protocol (TRAP-18), a structured professional judgment instrument for those engaged in risk assessment of persons of concern for acts of terrorist violence. It can be used independently of a particular ideology. The TRAP-18 consists of 8 proximal warning behaviors and 10 distal characteristics, and has been designed to help prioritize the imminency of risk in specific cases, and therefore determine the intensity of monitoring and active management a case requires. Research has demonstrated excellent interrater reliability, and promising content, criterion, discriminant, and predictive validity. More research is in progress. The TRAP-18 is currently used by counterterrorism experts in North America and Europe. It offers a useful approach for professionals who may be assessing and treating individuals of national security concern.
Comprehensive Broiler Supply Chain Model with Vertical and Horizontal Linkages: Impact of US–China Trade War and USMCA
Authors: Unveren Hakan , Luckstead Jeff
Published: March 2020

This paper builds a comprehensive supply chain model of the US broiler industry that accounts for corn and soybean meal, feed mills, breeders, hatcheries, grow-out farms, broiler processing, value-added processing, and international trade. The model is calibrated and simulated to analyze the effects of (1) corn and soybeans tariffs imposed by China and (2) change in the Canadian tariff-rate quota proposed under US–Mexico–Canada–Agreement. The first scenario indicates that feed price falls while supply increases, which decreases the production costs of breeders and grow-out farms. The second scenario shows that exports to Canada rise at the expense of exports to Mexico.
BIOMETRICS, RACE MAKING, AND WHITE EXCEPTIONALISM: THE CONTROVERSY OVER UNIVERSAL FINGERPRINTING IN KENYA
Authors: WEITZBERG KEREN
Published: March 2020

This article excavates the imperial origins behind the recent turn towards digital biometrics in Kenya. It also tells the story of an important moment of race-making in the years after the Second World War. Though Kenya may be considered a frontier market for today's biometrics industry, fingerprinting was first introduced in the early twentieth century. By 1920, the Kenyan colonial government had dictated that African men who left their reserves be fingerprinted and issued an identity card (known colloquially as akipande). In the late 1940s, after decades of African protest, the colonial government replaced thekipandewith a universal system of registration via fingerprinting. This legislative move was accompanied by protests from members of the white settler community. Ironically, the effort to deracialize Kenya's identification regime only further normalized the use of biometrics, but also failed to fully undermine associations between white male exceptionalism and exemption from fingerprinting.
Between Bodies and Borders: The place of the natural in the thought of M. K. Gandhi and V. D. Savarkar
Authors: MENON PRIYANKA
Published: March 2020

This article investigates the relationship between ideas of nature and those of politics in the thought of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. In particular, it seeks to elucidate the connection between conceptions of nature and the use of violence as a means of revolutionary action in the philosophies of both thinkers, locating the point of their divergence on the question of violence in their respective understandings of the natural world. For Savarkar, such a relationship manifests itself in the ways in which he understands the notion of borders, both geographic and political. In contrast, Gandhi places his focuses on the individual's use of their body. Both understandings, this article holds, depend on a view of nature as politics.
Integrating Formal Technology Assessment into an Integrated Healthcare Delivery System: Smart Innovation
Authors: Landaas Erik J. , Baird Geoffrey S. , Hansen Ryan N. , Flum David R. , Sullivan Sean D.
Published: March 2020

Objectives

We designed, developed, and implemented a new hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) program called Smart Innovation. Smart Innovation is a decision framework that reviews and makes technology adoption decisions. Smart Innovation was meant to replace the fragmented and complex process of procurement and adoption decisions at our institution. Because use of new medical technologies accounts for approximately 50 percent of the growth in healthcare spending, hospitals and integrated delivery systems are working to develop better processes and methods to sharpen their approach to adoption and management of high cost medical innovations.

Methods

The program has streamlined the decision-making process and added a robust evidence review for new medical technologies, aiming to balance efficiency with rigorous evidence standards. To promote system-wide adoption, the program engaged a broad representation of leaders, physicians, and administrators to gain support.

Results

To date, Smart Innovation has conducted eleven HB-HTAs and made clinician-led adoption decisions that have resulted in over $5 million dollars in cost avoidance. These are comprised of five laboratory tests, three software-assisted systems, two surgical devices, and one capital purchase.

Conclusions

Smart Innovation has achieved cost savings, avoided uncertain or low-value technologies, and assisted in the implementation of new technologies that have strong evidence. The keys to its success have been the program's collaborative and efficient decision-making systems, partnerships with clinicians, executive support, and proactive role with vendors.
Detection of Abnormal Vessel Behaviour Based on Probabilistic Directed Graph Model
Authors: Tang Huang , Wei Liqiao , Yin Yong , Shen Helong , Qi Yinghong
Published: March 2020

To detect the abnormal behaviour of ships in the waters of any jurisdiction and to improve the safety of maritime navigation, the meshing-based method is adopted to obtain discrete trajectory data and a probabilistic directed graph model is established to obtain historical data from ships' AIS (automatic identification systems). The state statistical characteristics of each node in the ship probability map are obtained to detect the navigation state of the ship in real time. By predicting the normal navigation trajectory of the ship, it can be judged whether the ship has the potential to behave abnormally at some moment in the future. Simulation experiments were designed based on a maritime simulator platform. The experimental results indicate that the model can correctly predict abnormal behaviour by ships, including excessive speed and deviation from the channel or normal sailing mode.
Economic Loss Analysis of Fishing Boat Collisions Considering Spatial-Temporal Interaction Effects
Authors: Weng Jinxian , Li Guorong
Published: March 2020

Considering unobserved spatial-temporal interaction effects, this study proposes a Bayesian spatial-temporal interaction model for predicting economic loss from fishing boat collisions using 10-year (2004–2014) collision records from six different areas in the waters of Fujian, China. Results show strong spatial heterogeneity and correlation effects in fishing boat collisions, while the economic loss from boat collisions gradually decreases with the time trend. Collision time, collision location, visibility and the involvement of LNG/LPG/chemical-carrying ships show similar marginal effects on the economic loss for the two collision types: fishing boat collisions and collisions involving no fishing boats. Navigational status and the involvement of cargo ships exhibit much bigger effects in fishing boat collisions compared with collisions involving no fishing boat. Unlike collisions involving no fishing boat, fishing boat collisions are associated with reduced economic loss in poor weather conditions characterised by strong wind/waves because in Fujian waters additional safety measures are adopted for fishing boats in such conditions. The proposed model is useful for policymakers in adopting safety enhancement strategies to decrease the economic loss resulting from fishing boat collisions.
The role of lawyers, judges, country experts and officials in British asylum and immigration law
Authors: Campbell John R.
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the work of lawyers, judges and country experts involved in asylum and migration litigation. I begin by analysing their work in the wider semi-autonomous asylum field within which a number of powerful institutions operate to shape policy, define the roles of key actors and determine access to legal redress/justice by asylum applicants and migrants. To understand the work of these three legal actors, I analyse four very different types of legal cases involving asylum, foreign adoption and migration law. An analysis of these cases helps to identify the constraints on effective litigation on behalf of refugees and migrants against the British Home Office and it illustrates the fact that it is Home Office policy, and the decisions taken by Home Office officials, that created the injustice for the individuals concerned by blurring the ‘bright line’ differentiating between the rights of nationals and those of ‘foreigners’.
Addressing Publication Bias in Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tsuji Sho , Cristia Alejandrina , Frank Michael C. , Bergmann Christina
Published: March 2020

Abstract. Meta-analyses are an indispensable research synthesis tool for characterizing bodies of literature and advancing theories. One important open question concerns the inclusion of unpublished data into meta-analyses. Finding such studies can be effortful, but their exclusion potentially leads to consequential biases like overestimation of a literature’s mean effect. We address two questions about unpublished data using MetaLab, a collection of community-augmented meta-analyses focused on developmental psychology. First, we assess to what extent MetaLab datasets include gray literature, and by what search strategies they are unearthed. We find that an average of 11% of datapoints are from unpublished literature; standard search strategies like database searches, complemented with individualized approaches like including authors’ own data, contribute the majority of this literature. Second, we analyze the effect of including versus excluding unpublished literature on estimates of effect size and publication bias, and find this decision does not affect outcomes. We discuss lessons learned and implications.
Armageddon at 10,000 BCE
Authors: Barbuzano Javier
Published: March 2020

Fragments of a comet likely hit Earth 12,800 years ago, and a little Paleolithic village in Syria might have suffered the impact.
Integrative analysis of genomic amplification-dependent expression and loss-of-function screen identifies ASAP1 as a driver gene in triple-negative breast cancer progression
Authors: He Jichao , McLaughlin Ronan P. , van der Beek Lambert , Canisius Sander , Wessels Lodewyk , Smid Marcel , Martens John W. M. , Foekens John A. , Zhang Yinghui , van de Water Bob
Published: March 2020

The genetically heterogeneous triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) continues to be an intractable disease, due to lack of effective targeted therapies. Gene amplification is a major event in tumorigenesis. Genes with amplification-dependent expression are being explored as therapeutic targets for cancer treatment. In this study, we have applied Analytical Multi-scale Identification of Recurring Events analysis and transcript quantification in the TNBC genome across 222 TNBC tumors and identified 138 candidate genes with positive correlation in copy number gain (CNG) and gene expression. siRNA-based loss-of-function screen of the candidate genes has validated EGFR, MYC, ASAP1, IRF2BP2, and CCT5 genes as drivers promoting proliferation in different TNBC cells. MYC, ASAP1, IRF2BP2, and CCT5 display frequent CNG and concurrent expression over 2173 breast cancer tumors (cBioPortal dataset). More frequently are MYC and ASAP1 amplified in TNBC tumors (>30%, n = 320). In particular, high expression of ASAP1, the ADP-ribosylation factor GTPase-activating protein, is significantly related to poor metastatic relapse-free survival of TNBC patients (n = 257, bc-GenExMiner). Furthermore, we have revealed that silencing of ASAP1 modulates numerous cytokine and apoptosis signaling components, such as IL1B, TRAF1, AIFM2, and MAP3K11 that are clinically relevant to survival outcomes of TNBC patients. ASAP1 has been reported to promote invasion and metastasis in various cancer cells. Our findings that ASAP1 is an amplification-dependent TNBC driver gene promoting TNBC cell proliferation, functioning upstream apoptosis components, and correlating to clinical outcomes of TNBC patients, support ASAP1 as a potential actionable target for TNBC treatment.
C3G contributes to platelet activation and aggregation by regulating major signaling pathways
Authors: Gutiérrez-Herrero Sara , Fernández-Infante Cristina , Hernández-Cano Luis , Ortiz-Rivero Sara , Guijas Carlos , Martín-Granado Víctor , González-Porras José Ramón , Balsinde Jesús , Porras Almudena , Guerrero Carmen
Published: March 2020

C3G is a GEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor) for Rap GTPases, among which the isoform Rap1b is an essential protein in platelet biology. Using transgenic mouse models with platelet-specific overexpression of C3G or mutant C3GΔCat, we have unveiled a new function of C3G in regulating the hemostatic function of platelets through its participation in the thrombin-PKC-Rap1b pathway. C3G also plays important roles in angiogenesis, tumor growth, and metastasis through its regulation of the platelet secretome. In addition, C3G contributes to megakaryopoiesis and thrombopoiesis. Here, we used a platelet-specific C3G-KO mouse model to further support the role of C3G in hemostasis. C3G-KO platelets showed a significant delay in platelet activation and aggregation as a consequence of the defective activation of Rap1, which resulted in decreased thrombus formation in vivo. Additionally, we explored the contribution of C3G-Rap1b to platelet signaling pathways triggered by thrombin, PMA or ADP, in the referenced transgenic mouse model, through the use of a battery of specific inhibitors. We found that platelet C3G is phosphorylated at Tyr504 by a mechanism involving PKC-Src. This phosphorylation was shown to be positively regulated by ERKs through their inhibition of the tyrosine phosphatase Shp2. Moreover, C3G participates in the ADP-P2Y12-PI3K-Rap1b pathway and is a mediator of thrombin-TXA2 activities. However, it inhibits the synthesis of TXA2 through cPLA2 regulation. Taken together, our data reveal the critical role of C3G in the main pathways leading to platelet activation and aggregation through the regulation of Rap1b.
Author Correction: Concyclic CH-π arrays for single-axis rotations of a bowl in a tube
Authors: Matsuno Taisuke , Fujita Masahiro , Fukunaga Kengo , Sato Sota , Isobe Hiroyuki
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Author Correction: Design rules for light-emitting electrochemical cells delivering bright luminance at 27.5 percent external quantum efficiency
Authors: Tang Shi , Sandström Andreas , Lundberg Petter , Lanz Thomas , Larsen Christian , van Reenen Stephan , Kemerink Martijn , Edman Ludvig
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Improvement in the Synthesis Conditions and Studying the Physicochemical Properties of the Zeolite Li-A(BW) Obtained from a Kaolinitic Rock
Authors: Novembre Daniela , Gimeno Domingo , Vecchio Alessandro Del
Published: March 2020

Crystallization of zeolite Li-A(BW) from kaolinite (Standard Porcelain by the IMERYS Minerals Ltd) through a conventional hydrothermal treatment is here achieved for the first time with no additives as reported in the literature. Moreover lower kaolin calcination temperatures and lower synthesis temperatures are tested and verified in this work. The synthesis process is rather simple as the reaction of kaolinite with alkali occurs very readily after calcination of at 650 °C. Metakaolin is mixed with calculated amount of aluminum hydroxide and lithium hydroxide and the experiment is performed at ambient pressure and 180 ± 0.1 °C. Li-A(BW) is characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, high temperature X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, thermal analysis and infrared spectroscopy. Calculation of cell parameters (through Rietveld Refinement) and density, specific surface and pore size are also achieved. The amount of amorphous phase in the synthesis powders is estimated with quantitative phase analysis using the combined Rietveld and reference intensity ratio methods. The results become notably attractive in view of a possible industrial transfer of the synthesis protocol.
Effect of non-thermal radiofrequency on body temperature in mice
Authors: Mai Thi Cuc , Delanaud Stéphane , Bach Véronique , Braun Anne , Pelletier Amandine , de Seze René
Published: March 2020

Communication technologies based on radiofrequency (RF) propagation bring great benefits to our daily life. However, their rapid expansion raises concerns about possible impacts on public health. At intensity levels below the threshold to produce thermal effects, RF exposure has also recently been reported to elicit biological effects, resembling reactions to cold. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of non-thermal RF on body temperature in mice and the related mechanisms. 3-months-old C57BL/6 J mice were exposed to a continuous RF signal at 900 MHz, 20 ± 5 V.m−1 for 7 consecutive days, twice per day during the light phase, for one hour each time. The SAR was 0.16 ± 0.10 W.kg−1. We showed that body temperature patterns in mice change synchronously with the RF exposure periods. Average body temperature in the light phase in the exposed group was higher than in the control group. The expression of the TRPM8 gene was not affected by RF in trigeminal ganglia. Furthermore, the injection of a TRPM8 antagonist did not induce a temperature decrease in exposed mice, as this was the case for sham-controls. These findings indicate that 900 MHz RF exposure at non-thermal level produce a physiological effect on body temperature in mice. However, the involvement of TRPM8 receptors in the mechanism by which RF induced changes in body temperature of mice which remains to be further explored. It must then be assessed if this effect is extrapolable to man, and if this could lead to consequences on health.
Development of a chromophore-solid phase peptide reaction assay (C-SPRA) for assessing skin sensitizationin vitro
Authors: Miyazaki Hiroshi , Hamada Yoshio , Takaishi Hikaru , Minamino Yuuki , Ikeda Hidefumi , Mekata Hideaki , Takaishi Masayuki , Yamashita Kunihiko , Usui Kenji
Published: March 2020

We developed anin vitrochromophore-solid phase peptide reaction assay (C-SPRA) using chromophores and immobilized peptides on microbeads. C-SPRA would enable accurate and high-throughput assessments of various chemicals.
Boron-doped carbon nanodots dispersed on graphitic carbon as high-performance catalysts for acetylene hydrochlorination
Authors: Yue Yuxue , Wang Bolin , Wang Saisai , Jin Chunxiao , Lu Jinyue , Fang Zheng , Shao Shujuan , Pan Zhiyan , Ni Jun , Zhao Jia , Li Xiaonian
Published: March 2020

Boron-doped carbon nanodot materials, comprising evenly distributed BC3-nanodots in a layered carbon matrix, are prepared through a pre-assembly assisted carbonization synthetic strategy.
A computational exploration of the 1D TiS2(en) nanostructure for lithium ion batteries
Authors: Huang Chun-Hao , Chang Chun-Chih , Li Elise Y.
Published: March 2020

The tailored nanostructure of TiS2(en) is expected to facilitate 1D diffusion of Li ions.
A naphtha reforming process development methodology based on the identification of catalytic reactivity descriptors
Authors: Said-Aizpuru Olivier , Allain Florent , Diehl Fabrice , Farrusseng David , Joly Jean-François , Dandeu Aurélie
Published: March 2020

This critical review proposes an original and pragmatic naphtha reforming process development approach aimed at merging catalyst development with kinetic modelling through the identification of “effective” and “measurable” catalytic descriptors.
IL@CQD catalyzed active ester rearrangement for the detection and removal of cyanide ions
Authors: Chaudhary Monika , Verma Meenakshi , Raj Pushap , Jena Kailash C. , Singh Narinder
Published: March 2020

Recognition of cyanide ion with IL@CQDs catalyzed rearranged product.
Ni-modified MoS2 nanoflake arrays with stepped sites on carbon nanotubes for efficient hydrodesulfurization of coal-to-liquid fuel
Authors: Xu Jisheng , Shi Chengxiang , Xiao Zhourong , Gao Ruijie , Li Yueting , Zhang Xiangwen , Pan Lun , Zou Ji-Jun
Published: March 2020

Citric acid-assisted controllable synthesis of Ni-modified MoS2 nanoflakes with plentiful stepped sites on CNTs for efficient hydrodesulfurization of coal-to-liquid fuel.
Reconstruction of nano-flares based on Au–Se bonds for high-fidelity detection of RNA in living cells
Authors: Zhan Renhui , Guo Wenfei , Gao Xiaonan , Liu Xiaojun , Xu Kehua , Tang Bo
Published: March 2020

We have, for the first time, developed a Au–Se–DNA nanoprobe by upgrading the conventional Au–S bonds of nano-flares to more stable Au–Se bonds for high-fidelity imaging of target RNAs in living cells.
Participation of methane in an economically and environmentally favorable catalytic asphaltene upgrading process
Authors: Xu Hao , Li Zhaofei , Pryde Robert L. , Meng Shijun , Li Yimeng , Song Hua
Published: March 2020

Methane presence notably facilitates the conversion of low-cost asphaltene into valuable light fractions including diesel and medium distillate with better quality over metal modified zeolitic catalyst.
A porous fluorinated organic [4+4] imine cage showing CO2and H2adsorption
Authors: Kunde Tom , Nieland Esther , Schröder Hendrik V. , Schalley Christoph A. , Schmidt Bernd M.
Published: March 2020

We report the first POC, containing perfluorinated aromatic panels forming quickly and in high purity, despite low preorganization encoded in the starting materials.
Phase transitions and photoluminescence switching in hybrid antimony(iii) and bismuth(iii) halides
Authors: Shen Nannan , Wang Zeping , Jin Jiance , Gong Liaokuo , Zhang Zhizhuan , Huang Xiaoying
Published: March 2020

In this review, the stimuli-responsive phase transitions and photoluminescence switching in inorganic–organic hybrid antimony(iii)/bismuth(iii) halides were summarized.
A new Fourier transformation method for SAXS of polymer lamellar crystals
Authors: Li Xiangyang , Ding Jianjun , Chen Pujing , Zheng Kang , Chen Lin , Tian Xingyou
Published: March 2020

The interface distribution function is composed mainly of the self-interference item of the first interfaceF11, the interference term of the first and the second interfacesF12, and the interference term of the first and the third interfacesF13.
Charge assisted halogen and pnictogen bonds: insights from the Cambridge Structural Database and DFT calculations
Authors: Gomila Rosa M. , Frontera Antonio
Published: March 2020

This manuscript combines a search in the Cambridge Structural Database and DFT calculations to analyse the existence and importance of charge assisted pnictogen and halogen bonds in halophosphonium salts.
The structural α-relaxation times of prilocaine confined in 1 nm pores of molecular sieves: quantitative explanation by the coupling model
Authors: Ngai K. L. , Wojnarowska Z. , Paluch Marian
Published: March 2020

Changes of structural α-relaxation times and temperature dependence of prilocaine confined in 1 nm pores of molecular sieves explained quantitatively by the coupling model.
Predicting reactive sites with quantum chemical topology: carbonyl additions in multicomponent reactions
Authors: Ramírez-Palma David I. , García-Jacas Cesar R. , Carpio-Martínez Pablo , Cortés-Guzmán Fernando
Published: March 2020

The reactivity of an atom within a molecule depends mostly on the way the electron density polarizes reflected in the quadrupole moment of the reactive atom.
Stable mixed-valence diphenylphosphanido bridged platinum(ii)–platinum(iv) complexes
Authors: Fortuño Consuelo , Martín Antonio , Mastrorilli Piero , Latronico Mario , Petrelli Valentina , Todisco Stefano
Published: March 2020

New phosphido complexes displaying Pt in +4 oxidation state are described.
The use of a single ammonium acidic salt towards simple green co-precipitation synthesis for Mn4+-activated fluorides
Authors: Deng T. T. , Song E. H. , Zhou Y. Y. , Chen J. Y. , Cheng Y. F. , Yuan J. , Fan T.
Published: March 2020

Simply using acidic salt NH4HF2 contributes to the green co-precipitation synthesis of Mn4+-doped fluorides for W-LED applications.
Sustainable production of pyruvic acid: oxidative dehydrogenation of lactic acid over the FeMoO/P catalyst
Authors: Yin Chunyu , Li Xinli , Chen Zhi , Zou Weixin , Peng Yanli , Wei Song , Tang Congming , Dong Lin
Published: March 2020

Novel redox of FeMoO/P by electron transfer between Fe and Mo is favorable for the oxidative dehydrogenation of lactic acid.
Fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface using a simple in situ growth method of HKUST-1/copper foam with hexadecanethiol modification
Authors: Zhang Wanqing , Wei Shaohua , Tang Wenlong , Hua Kang , Cui Cheng-xing , Zhang Yalei , Zhang Yuping , Wang Zheng , Zhang Shouren , Qu Lingbo
Published: March 2020

A superhydrophobic HKUST-1/HDT/CF surface with excellent durability was fabricated by using an in situ growth method combined with surface HDT modification.
Sub-stoichiometric reductive etherification of carbohydrate substrates and one-pot protecting group manipulation
Authors: Chen Chiao Wen , Wang Ching Chi , Li Xin Ru , Witek Henryk , Mong Kwok-Kong Tony
Published: March 2020

Polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS): a sub-stoichiometric reducing agent for reductive etherification of carbohydrate substrates and its application for one-pot protecting group manipulation
Retraction: Facile preparation of bithiazole-based material for inkjet printed light-emitting electrochemical cell
Authors: Huo Jingpei , Zou Wanying , Zhang Yubang , Chen Weilan
Published: March 2020

Retraction of ‘Facile preparation of bithiazole-based material for inkjet printed light-emitting electrochemical cell’ by Jingpei Huo et al., RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 6163–6168.
Engineering interfacial entropic effects to generate giant viscosity changes in nanoparticle embedded polymer thin films
Authors: Swain Aparna , Begam Nafisa , Chandran Sivasurender , Bobji M. S. , Basu J. K.
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate a new method to study the viscosity of PNC thin films, consisting of polymer grafted nanoparticles (PGNPs) embedded in un-entangled homopolymer melt films, using atomic force microscopy based force–distance spectroscopy.
Stimuli responsive Janus microgels with convertible hydrophilicity for controlled emulsion destabilization
Authors: Haney Bobby , Werner Jörg G. , Weitz David A. , Ramakrishnan Subramanian
Published: March 2020

This is the first time a double-sided microgel particulate stabilizer with temperature responsive poly(NIPAM) on only one side is synthesized.
Plants signal the time
Authors: Noordally Zeenat B , Dodd Antony N
Published: March 2020

Plants are generally sessile photosynthetic autotrophs; they depend on light for their existence and cannot move to escape challenging environmental conditions. This means that the lives of plants are intimately linked to daily fluctuations in environmental conditions caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis. As a result, circadian regulation has an incredibly pervasive influence upon plant physiology, metabolism and development. For example, around 30% of the transcriptome of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana is circadian regulated. In plants, the circadian clock influences processes of crucial importance such as photosynthesis, opening of the stomatal pores that allow gas exchange with the atmosphere, plant growth rates and organ position. It also contributes to the seasonal regulation of flowering. Taken together, this means that the circadian clock influences plant traits that are crucial to agricultural food production.
Seasonal rhythms of energy metabolism
Authors: Ebling Francis JP
Published: March 2020

Most environments on our planet are highly seasonal, reflecting the tilt in the Earth’s axis relative to the sun. As a consequence, the majority of life forms have evolved profound seasonal variations in their behaviour and physiology that allow them to anticipate these patterns in food supply and to optimize their reproductive strategy. Reproduction is an energetically costly process in mammals, for example, in supporting pregnancy and then lactation in females. There has been strong selective pressure to ensure births occur in the optimal seasonal for survival. Terrestrial mammals indigenous to temperate and polar regions tend to give birth in spring, when the climatic conditions and food availability are conducive to survival. Seasonal cycles of reproduction also occur in equatorial regions, where they may be linked to wet and dry seasons. Only the species that have been domesticated by man or intensively bred, such as the laboratory strains of mice and rats, fail to display this seasonality. Given the intimate link between energy availability and reproductive success, it is no surprise that body systems regulating energy intake, storage and expenditure are themselves highly seasonal.
To code or not to code? That is the question for RNA in timekeeping
Authors: Mosig Rebecca A , Kojima Shihoko
Published: March 2020

Elementary cellular biology teaches that proteins are the main actors within cells. In addition, the DNA carries genetic information and the mRNA serves as the go-between molecule to create protein using the genetic code from the DNA. Recent advances in sequencing technologies have revealed that a large portion of our DNA is transcribed even though it does not appear to encode proteins. Further studies have shown that many of these non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) serve regulatory functions within cells. Here, we examine the role of such molecules in the regulation of the circadian clock system as illustration of the wider ways in which ncRNAs can influence cellular processes.
In memoriam
Authors: Lloyd Matthew D , Davies Michael
Published: March 2020

The Biochemical Society offers its condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of all those they have lost recently.
Expression of CD44 and the survival in glioma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Wu Gang , Song Xinghui , Liu Jun , Li Shize , Gao Weiqin , Qiu Mingxing , Yang Changjin , Ma Yiming , Chen Yuhong
Published: March 2020

Background: Higher tumor expression of CD44, a marker of cancer stem cells (CSCs), is associated with poor overall survival (OS) in various cancers. However, the association between CD44 and poor OS remains inconsistent in glioma. We aimed to evaluate the potential predictive role of CD44 for prognosis of glioma patients in a meta-analysis.

Methods: Observational studies comparing OS of glioma patients according to the level of CD44 were identified through searching PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane’s Library databases. Meta-analyses were performed with a random- or fixed-effect model according to the heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses were performed to evaluate the influences of study characteristics.

Results: Eleven retrospective cohort studies were included. Results showed that increased CD44 expression in tumor predicted poor OS in glioma patients (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.97, P=0.04). Subgroup analyses showed that higher tumor CD44 expression significantly predicted poor OS in patients with World Health Organization (WHO) stages II–III glioma (HR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.53–5.89, P=0.002), but not in patients with glioblastoma (HR: 1.26, 95% CI: 0.76–2.08, P=0.47; P for subgroup difference = 0.03). Results were not statistically different between subgroups according to patient ethnicity, sample size, CD44 detection method, CD44 cutoff, HR estimation, univariate or multivariate analysis, or median follow-up durations (P-values for subgroup difference all >0.10).

Conclusion: Higher tumor expression of CD44 may predict poor survival in patients with glioma, particularly in those with WHO stage II–III glioma.
Design of a high thrust density moving magnet linear actuator with magnetic flux bridge
Authors: Ahmad Zahoor , Hassan Adnan , Khan Faisal , Lazoglu Ismail
Published: March 2020

This article presents a design of a high thrust density moving magnet linear actuator for linear refrigerator compressor. The shape of permanent magnet (PM) shows great effect on cost, fabrication and magnetic flux density generation in the actuator. Axially magnetised disk shaped PMs are low cost and convenient for fabrication. Moreover, axially magnetised PMs generate high flux density in a specific direction compared to radial magnets. This paper investigates the design of axially magnetised moving magnet linear oscillating actuator (LOA) which operates on single phase alternating supply. Additionally, an alternative path is proposed for the return of magnetic flux from mover to the stator. Using finite element method (FEM) tools, all the parameters of LOA are optimised. Moreover, with the help of a specially designed experimental setup, FEM simulation results are validated. This actuator demonstrates great advancement in thrust force density, motor constant and output power compared to the size of proposed LOA.
Research on weakening measure of radial electromagnetic force waves in permanent magnet synchronous motors by inserting auxiliary slots
Authors: Xing Zezhi , Wang Xiuhe , Zhao Wenliang
Published: March 2020

The accurate calculation and analysis of electromagnetic force waves are especially crucial for comprehensively predicting and weakening the electromagnetic vibration of electrical machines. In this study, a fast and accurate calculation method of radial electromagnetic force density of surface‐mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is presented, the radial electromagnetic force density including amplitude, frequency and order is obtained and the accuracy is verified. Comprehensively considering that the effects of the auxiliary slots on cogging torque and torque ripple, the weakening measure of radial electromagnetic force waves by inserting auxiliary slots is research, and the optimal determinations of the number and the structural parameters of auxiliary slots in PMSMs with different slot–pole combinations are summarised, and six PMSMs with 6‐pole/36‐slot (6p36s), 4p36s, 6p9s, 8p9s, 8p12s and 10p12s are analysed to verify the universality of the conclusions.