bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA‐181a exerts anti‐inflammatory effects via inhibition of the ERK pathway in mice with intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Sun Yanpeng , Shi Xiangqin , Peng Xiaodong , Li Yanzhou , Ma Husheng , Li Dongfang , Cao Xiangyang
Published: September 2019

Enzymatic decomposition of extracellular matrix and possibly local inflammation may cause intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD). MicroRNAs have been reported to correlate with the development of IDD. In this experiment, we aim at finding out the role of miR‐181a in the inflammation of IDD and the underlying mechanism. The targeting relationship between miR‐181a and tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) was verified. Following the establishment of IDD mouse models, disc height index (DHI) and the change of DHI (%DHI) were measured. The functional role of miR‐181a in IDD was determined using ectopic expression and depletion and reporter assay experiments. Expression of miR‐181a, TRAIL, extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) pathway‐related genes and inflammatory factors was evaluated. Also, the expression of collagen I and collagen II was observed. miR‐181a directly targeted TRAIL. IDD mice exhibited significant degeneration of the intervertebral disc. miR‐181a was downregulated while TRAIL was upregulated in mice with IDD. miR‐181a upregulation and the ERK pathway inhibition could reduce expression of TRAIL, ERK pathway‐related genes, inflammatory factors, and collagen I, but promote collagen II expression. Our results reveal that upregulation of miR‐181a protects against inflammatory response by inactivating the ERK pathway via suppression of TRAIL in IDD mice. These results point to miR‐181a as a potential therapeutic target for the clinical management of IDD.
Differentially methylated gene patterns between age‐matched sarcopenic and non‐sarcopenic women
Authors: He Lingxiao , Khanal Praval , Morse Christopher I. , Williams Alun , Thomis Martine
Published: September 2019

Background

Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive decreases in muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle function with ageing. Although many studies have investigated the mechanisms of sarcopenia, its connection with epigenetic factors, such as DNA methylation, still remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to explore sarcopenia‐related DNA methylation differences in blood samples between age‐matched sarcopenic and non‐sarcopenic older women.

Methods

A sarcopenic group (n = 24) was identified and selected from a set of 247 older Caucasian women (aged 65–80 years) based on cut‐off points of skeletal muscle index at 6.75 kg/m2 and grip strength at 26 kg (the lower quintile of grip strength in the set). A non‐sarcopenic group (n = 24) was created with a similar age distribution as that of the sarcopenic group. DNA methylation patterns of whole blood samples from both groups were analysed using Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip arrays. Differentially methylated cytosin–phosphate–guanine sites (dmCpGs) were identified at a P value threshold of 0.01 by comparing methylation levels between the sarcopenic and non‐sarcopenic groups at each CpG site. dmCpG‐related genes were annotated based on Homo sapiens hg19 genome build. The functions of these genes were further examined by GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.

Results

The global methylation level of all analysed CpG sites (n = 788 074) showed no significant difference between the sarcopenic and non‐sarcopenic groups (0.812), while the average methylation level of dmCpGs (n = 6258) was significantly lower in the sarcopenic group (0.004). The sarcopenic group had significantly higher methylation levels in TSS200 (the region from transcription start site to 200 nucleotides upstream of the site) and lower methylation levels in gene body and 3'UTR regions. In respect of CpG regions, CpG islands in promoters and some intragenic regions showed greater levels of methylation in the sarcopenic group. dmCpG‐related KEGG pathways were mainly associated with muscle function, actin cytoskeleton regulation, and energy metabolism. Seven genes (HSPB1, PBX4, CNKSR3, ORMDL3, MIR10A, ZNF619, and CRADD) were found with the same methylation direction as previous studies of blood sample methylation during ageing. Fifty‐four genes were shared with previous studies of resistance training.

Conclusions

Our results improve understanding of epigenetic mechanisms of sarcopenia by identifying sarcopenia‐related DNA methylation differences in blood samples of older women. These methylation differences suggest underlying alterations of gene expression and pathway function, which can partially explain sarcopenia‐related muscular changes.
Mechanochemical synthesis and cycloaddition reactions of fluoro nitrone under solvent‐free conditions and potential antimicrobial activities of the cycloadducts
Authors: Chakraborty Bhaskar
Published: September 2019

Synthesis and cycloaddition reactions of fluoro nitrone under solvent‐free conditions using ball‐milling technique have been reported. Significant change in rate and yields of the cycloadducts have been noticed compared with solvent‐free microwave‐induced reactions of fluoro nitrones. The present study reports synthesis of N‐benzyl fluoro nitrone and its cycloaddition reactions with maleimides and few electron deficient alkynes under solvent‐free conditions. The synthesized fluoro cycloadducts were found to exhibit potential antimicrobial activities.
RNF144B inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses via binding TBK1
Authors: Zhang Zhen , Zhang Luoyan , Wang Bin , Zhu Xiaoxiao , Zhao Lin , Chu Chu , Guo Qiang , Wei Ran , Yin Xunqiang , Zhang Yunhong , Li Xia
Published: September 2019

Innate immune responses need to be precisely controlled to avoid prolonged inflammation and prevent unwanted damage to the host. Here, we report that RNF144B responded dynamically to LPS stimulation and negatively regulated LPS-induced inflammation. We found that RNF144B interacted with the scaffold/dimerization domain (SDD) of TANK binding kinase 1 (TBK1) through the in between RING (IBR) domain to inhibit its phosphorylation and K63-linked polyubiquitination, which led to TBK1 inactivation, IRF3 dephosphorylation, and IFN-β reduction. RNF144B knockdown with siRNA increased IRF3 activation and IFN-β production in response to LPS stimulation. Our study identifies that RNF144B interaction with TBK1 is sufficient to inactivate TBK1 and delineates a previously unrecognized role for RNF144B in innate immune responses.
Intensified hydroclimatic regime in Korean basins under 1.5 and 2°C global warming
Authors: Kim Jeong‐Bae , Im Eun‐Soon , Bae Deg‐Hyo
Published: September 2019

This study assesses the potential changes in regional hydroclimates over South Korea in response to 1.5 and 2.0°C of global warming above preindustrial levels based on multimodel ensemble projections forced by a representative concentration pathway (RCP4.5) scenario. The meteorological inputs, which are derived from five global climate models after removing systematic bias using quantile mapping, are fed into a distributed hydrological model, the variable infiltration capacity model, to estimate the hydrologic responses to different levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in future periods. The changes in seasonal mean precipitation differ between monsoon and intermonsoon seasons. An increase in summer precipitation and a decrease in winter precipitation commonly occur under 1.5 and 2.0°C of global warming, resulting in intensified precipitation seasonality. However, changes in spring and fall precipitation show opposite change signals or relatively little robustness (as measured by model agreement) in response to different degrees of warming. Spatial and seasonal changes in precipitation are directly transferred to runoff patterns, increasing the disparity between wet and dry seasons. Global warming also leads to changes in the distributions of daily precipitation and streamflow, and the projected changes systematically involve an increase in high‐intensity precipitation and a decrease in relatively low‐intensity precipitation. This behaviour tends to be amplified under 2.0°C in comparison to 1.5°C of global warming, with potential implications for increased water stress under a much warmer climate. More importantly, under 2.0°C of global warming, the magnitude of extremes such as the annual maximum day flow in Korean basins is likely to be enhanced. This study demonstrates that changes in precipitation characteristics can explicitly modulate runoff and subsequently streamflow patterns, suggesting positive benefits of half a degree less warming in terms of the frequency and intensity of extreme streamflow.
Review of various measurement methodologies of migration ion influence on LCD image quality and new measurement proposal beyond LCD materials
Authors: Inoue Masaru
Published: September 2019

Nowadays, thin‐film transistor liquid crystal displays (TFT‐LCDs) have realized high reliability of display characteristics by improving liquid crystal (LC) materials and cell fabrication processes. In order to improve display reliability, measurement methodologies are important to see the progress of improvement of materials and processes; thus, our group has proposed voltage holding ratio (VHR), ion impurity, residual direct current (DC) and elastic constants for LC cells, and the optical anisotropy of an alignment layer on indium tin oxide (ITO) glass substrate for LCD industry. In case of an ion impurity, we have succeeded in measuring the ion impurity amount in TFT‐LCD. Furthermore, we have recently proposed ion impurity measurement methodology for beyond LCD applications that are organic light emitting diode (OLED) and organic photovoltaics (OPV).

In this review, I introduce each measurement methodology for LCDs and beyond LCDs in detail.
Multicentric study applying the european laryngological society classification of benign laryngotracheal stenosis in adults treated by tracheal or cricotracheal resection and anastomosis
Authors: Fiz Ivana , Monnier Philippe , Koelmel Jan C. , Di Dio Diana , Fiz Francesco , Missale Francesco , Piazza Cesare , Peretti Giorgio , Sittel Christian
Published: September 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

Introduction and widespread use of cricotracheal resection and anastomosis (CTRA) as routine treatment for high‐grade benign laryngotracheal stenosis (LTS) led to the need for a new classification system that could accurately predict surgical outcomes by integrating crucial stenosis and patient‐related information. In 2015, the European Laryngological Society (ELS) proposed a new classification for benign LTS. We retrospectively tested it in adults treated at three referral centers to assess its reliability in predicting surgical outcomes.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

We included 166 adults treated by open tracheal resection and anastomosis (TRA) and CTRA procedures, restaged according to the ELS classification evaluating grade of stenosis (I–IV, Myer‐Cotton), number of subsites involved, and presence of systemic comorbidities. We correlated these parameters with decannulation, number of retreatments, and complications.

Results

Final decannulation was predicted by a proposed ELS score ≥ IIIb, history of previous treatment, and length of resection (P < .05). Decannulation was achieved in 99% of patients without and in 88% of patients with surgical complications (P < .01). The incidence of surgical complications was related to the proposed ELS score (P < .01); an ELS score < IIIb showed a lower complication rate compared to patients with a ≥ IIIb score (32.8% vs. 57.7%, P < .01). Additional treatment was required in 73 (44%) patients (mean = 2.7 ± 2.2, range = 1–11). ELS score ≥ IIIb, length of resection, and occurrence of surgical complications predicted the number of such treatments (P < .05, P < .05, and P < .001, respectively).

Conclusions

ELS classification of benign LTS is able to accurately predict success in adult TRA/CTRA procedures and may be helpful in choice of therapy and patient counseling.

Level of Evidence

2b

Laryngoscope, 130:1640–1645, 2020
Impact of an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection on Botulinum Toxin Efficacy in Spasmodic Dysphonia Patients
Authors: Kirke Diana N. , Kaye Rachel , Blitzer Andrew
Published: September 2019

Objective

To determine whether the presence of a concomitant upper respiratory tract infection (URI) impacts upon Botulinum toxin (BoNT) efficacy in spasmodic dysphonia (SD) patients.

Study Design

Case series and literature review.

Methods

All SD patients with a concurrent URI, presenting for BoNT therapy at a clinical research center from November 2016 to December 2017 were included. A total of 12 patients were identified. Patients were followed for at least two BoNT treatment cycles (approximately 6 months). The primary outcome measure was efficacy of the initial BoNT injection and the secondary outcome measure was the efficacy of the subsequent BoNT injection.

Results

All subjects had adductor type SD (ADSD). There were 10 females and two males with a median age of 55 years (±19.5). All patients were well established on a consistent BoNT treatment regime, with an average administered dose of 1.0 unit (range 0.2–1.80 units). Bilateral injections were administered to 10 patients. Regarding the primary outcome measure, five failed to have any response to BoNT (41.7%), four had a partial response (33.3%), and three had a positive response to treatment (25.0%). When patients had their follow‐up injection in the absence of URI symptoms, 11 patients had a positive response to treatment (91.7%).

Conclusion

While the interplay between illness and BoNT efficacy is yet to be elucidated, we report that some patients are affected. We recommend that SD patients presenting for BoNT administration with a concomitant URI, should be counseled that their treatment might have decreased effect.

Level of Evidence

4 Laryngoscope, 130:1746–1749, 2020
Health‐Related Quality of Life and Cognitive Functioning in Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
Authors: Ohnemus Daniella , Neighbors Katie , Rychlik Karen , Venick Robert S. , Bucuvalas John C. , Sundaram Shikha S. , Ng Vicky L. , Andrews Walter S. , Turmelle Yumi , Mazariegos George V. , Sorensen Lisa G. , Alonso Estella M. ,   for Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT)
Published: September 2019

The goal of this work was to examine the change in health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) and cognitive functioning from early childhood to adolescence in pediatric liver transplantation (LT) recipients. Patients were recruited from 8 North American centers through the Studies of Pediatric Liver Transplantation consortium. A total of 79 participants, ages 11‐18 years, previously tested at age 5‐6 years in the Functional Outcomes Group study were identified as surviving most recent LT by 2 years and in stable medical follow‐up. The Pediatric Quality of Life 4.0 Generic Core Scale, Pediatric Quality of Life Cognitive Function Scale, and PROMIS Pediatric Cognitive Function tool were distributed to families electronically. Data were analyzed using repeated measures and paired t tests. Predictive variables were analyzed using univariate regression analysis. Of the 69 families contacted, 65 (94.2%) parents and 61 (88.4%) children completed surveys. Median age of participants was 16.1 years (range, 12.9‐18.0 years), 55.4% were female, 33.8% were nonwhite, and 84.0% of primary caregivers had received at least some college education. Median age at LT was 1.1 years (range, 0.1‐4.8 years). The majority of participants (86.2%) were not hospitalized in the last year. According to parents, adolescents had worse HRQOL and cognitive functioning compared with healthy children in all domains. Adolescents reported HRQOL similar to healthy children in all domains except psychosocial, school, and cognitive functioning (P = 0.02; P < 0.001; P = 0.04). Participants showed no improvement in HRQOL or cognitive functioning over time. For cognitive and school functioning, 60.0% and 50.8% of parents reported “poor” functioning, respectively (>1 standard deviation below the healthy mean). Deficits in HRQOL seem to persist in adolescence. Over half of adolescent LT recipients appear to be at risk for poor school and cognitive functioning, likely reflecting attention and executive function deficits.
Neutralizing the shamefulness judgements of materialistic buyer behavior: The role of price promotions and the smart‐shopper attribution
Authors: Zhang Yi , Mick David Glen
Published: September 2019

As a value and lifestyle of acquiring more things to attain happiness, materialism has been long condemned by religious leaders, philosophers, and psychologists, among others. This criticism comes also from American citizens who readily affix moral‐shamefulness judgments to their country's standing as a leading materialistic culture, while they continue, nonetheless, purchasing discretionary, and self‐presentational goods at breath‐taking levels. We integrate dispersed literature on materialism, moral psychology, American history, and retailing to propose that observers judge higher materialistic buyer behavior as being more morally shameful; however, we also propose that observers will reduce the harshness of their judgments when the buyer secures a favorable price promotion that has been shown in prior research to evoke the smart‐shopper attribution. Three studies provide supportive evidence, including the moderating role of different levels or types of price promotions on shamefulness judgments and the mediating role of the smart‐shopper attribution. Together these new insights reveal the substantive and theoretical knowledge value of considering materialism more intently from a moral psychology perspective and considering how retail promotions can influence materialism judgments and buying behavior. Discussion focuses on extensions of our findings in future research and for consumer education.
Benchmark rainfall verification of landfall tropical cyclone forecasts by operational ACCESS‐TC over China
Authors: Yu Zifeng , Chen Ying Jun , Ebert Beth , Davidson Noel E. , Xiao Yi , Yu Hui , Duan Yihong
Published: September 2019

Results from object‐based verification of rainfall forecasts for landfalling tropical cyclones (TCs) over China during the period 2012–2015 are presented. The sample consists of 25 landfall events and 133 operational numerical forecasts from the TC version of the Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator. Mean equitable threat scores, probabilities of detection and false alarm ratios for the 30 mm isohyet for the unadjusted forecasts at 0–6 hr (essentially the initialization) are (0.23, 0.55, 0.65), while the performance measures of 24 hr forecast accumulations are the best for the 0–24 hr forecast (0.37, 0.67, 0.40) and then worsen to (0.16, 0.38, 0.66) for the 48–72 hr forecast. Forecast ability also decreases with the increase in rainfall amount. The contiguous rain area (CRA) verification method is used to diagnose the source of systematic errors from the displacement, rotation, volume and pattern of the forecasted rain fields. Results show that the errors are mostly from rainfall patterns, followed by displacement errors, particularly for very heavy rain. After application of the displacement and rotation adjustments of the CRA method, averaged errors improve by about 15%. Results suggest that rainfall prediction will continue to improve with improved track prediction, but more work is needed on model initialization and the prediction of TC structure. The study has uncertainty related to the limited sample size, which could cause large variability, particularly for heavy rainfall at 6 and 72 hr. However, the results still represent a useful benchmark for future verification of landfalling TCs.
A Combination of Pharmacophore and Docking‐based Virtual Screening to Discover new Tyrosinase Inhibitors
Authors: Vittorio Serena , Seidel Thomas , Germanò Maria Paola , Gitto Rosaria , Ielo Laura , Garon Arthur , Rapisarda Antonio , Pace Vittorio , Langer Thierry , De Luca Laura
Published: September 2019

Melanogenesis controls the formation of melanin pigment whose overproduction is related to various hyperpigmentary disorders in humans. Tyrosinase is a type‐3 copper enzyme involved in the rate limiting step of melanin synthesis, therefore its inhibition could represent an efficient way for the development of depigmenting agents. In this work, a combination of pharmacophore and docking‐based studies has been employed to screen two in‐house 3D compound databases containing about 2,000 molecules from natural and synthetic sources. As result we selected two “hit compounds” which proved to inhibit tyrosinase activity showing IC50 values in the micromolar range.
Implicit implementation of the stabilized non‐ordinary state‐based peridynamic model
Authors: Li Pan , Hao Zhiming , Yu Shaorong , Zhen Wenqiang
Published: September 2019

This paper presents a stabilized non‐ordinary state‐based peridynamic model, in which the numerical instability problems induced by the zero‐energy mode are overcome. The implicit discretization formulation of this model is proposed. In order to depict the progressively damaging process in coarse discretization conditions, a bilinear damage model based on the influence function is developed. An implicit implementation of the stabilized non‐ordinary state‐based peridynamic model is presented, in which an iterative procedure based on the secant stiffness method is used to solve the nonlinear problem. This method does not need to introduce a damping term in solving static problems, and relatively large load steps are desirable. Five numerical examples are analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the present method for quantitatively simulating the quasi‐static crack propagation problems.
Learning from usability testing of an arts‐based knowledge translation tool for parents of a child with asthma
Authors: Archibald Mandy M. , Scott Shannon D.
Published: September 2019

Aim

Digital, art‐ and story‐based resources can be viable and engaging knowledge translation strategies in health care. Understanding the usability of these approaches can help maximize their impact. The aim of this work is to understand what aspects of ‘My Asthma Diary’, an art‐based digital knowledge translation tool for parents of children with asthma, has an impact on usability.

Design

Sequential explanatory mixed methods pilot study.

Methods

Eighteen parents of children with asthma reviewed ‘My Asthma Diary’ in a paediatric emergency department and completed a usability questionnaire. Follow‐up interviews were conducted with five parents and analysed with qualitative description.

Results

We identified four themes which complemented the quantitative results: (a) the eBooks are relatable and mirror personal experience; (b) the digital format is convenient and easy to navigate; (c) the narrative structure aids learning; and (d) the narrative and illustrations are synergistic. We summarize core usability considerations for subsequent research and creative knowledge translation tool development in other contexts.
Dealing with adolescents' recurrent pain problems in school health care—Swedish school nurses' view
Authors: Golsäter Marie , Nilsson Stefan , Wigert Helena
Published: September 2019

Aim

To explore school nurses' strategies for supporting adolescents with recurrent pain.

Design

An explorative inductive qualitative design.

Method

Twenty‐one Swedish school nurses were interviewed, and the interviews were subjected to content analysis.

Results

The findings show that the nurses are aware that recurrent pain problems are common among the adolescents. In their attempt to support these adolescents, the nurses describe how they are striving in attempts to acquire an understanding of the adolescents' situation, to understand the cause of the pain problem and to devise strategies that can be used to help the adolescents handle the situation.
Reduced‐order LQG/LTR procedure for the plant output side
Authors: Ishihara Tadashi , Zheng Liang‐An
Published: September 2019

It is commonly believed that reduced‐order observers, including reduced‐order Kalman filters, cannot be used in the loop transfer recovery (LTR) design of the plant output side. In contrast to common understanding, we show that, at least for nonminimum‐phase plants, the reduced‐order Kalman filter can be used in the linear‐quadratic‐Gaussian (LQG)/LTR design of the plant output side with clear meaning in systems theory. The key concept is to regard a reduced‐order Kalman filter as a high‐gain full‐order Kalman filter. For the reduced‐order LQG controller, we examine the asymptotic property achieved by applying the recovery procedure used in the full‐order LQG/LTR design. Using the equivalent full‐order Kalman filter, we find that the sensitivity property of the reduced‐order LQG controller is asymptotically equivalent to that of a high‐gain partial output injection system. Motivated by this result, we propose the reduced‐order LQG/LTR procedure taking the high‐gain partial output injection system as a target. Some target properties are discussed to clarify the difference from the full‐order design. A multivariable design example is presented to show that the procedure provides a systematic design of a reduced‐order controller with optimality consideration.
Shape memory behavior of carbon nanotube‐reinforced trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene and low‐density polyethylene composites
Authors: Xia Lin , Wu Hao , Qiu Guixue
Published: September 2019

Shape memory composites of trans‐1,4‐polyisoprene (TPI) and low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) with easily achievable transition temperatures were prepared by a simple physical blending method. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were introduced to improve the mechanical properties of the TPI/LDPE composites. The mechanical, cure, thermal, and shape memory properties of the TPI/LDPE/CNTs composites were investigated in this study. In these composites, the cross‐linked network generated in both the TPI and LDPE portions acted as a fixed domain, while the crystalline regions of the TPI and LDPE portions acted as a domain of reversible shape memory behavior. We found that CNTs acted as not only reinforced fillers but also nucleation agents, which improved the crystalline degree of the TPI and LDPE portions of the composites. Compared with the properties at the other CNT doses, the mechanical properties of the TPI/LDPE composites when the CNT dose was 1 phr were improved significantly, showing excellent shape memory properties (Rf = 97.85%, Rr = 95.70%).
Crosslinking of polyamides using dianhydrides, diacid chloride and dialdehyde: a promising approach for water treatment
Authors: Zahra Manzar , Zulfiqar Sonia , Skene William G , Sarwar Muhammad Ilyas
Published: September 2019

New crosslinked polyamides were successfully produced from the condensation of pre‐synthesized monomer, 5‐(2,2,2‐trifluoroacetamido)isophthaloylchloride (TFAIAC) and diamines at low temperature. These polyamides were used as promising metal‐chelating adsorbents due to the presence of O and N donor sites on the crosslinked polyamides. For this purpose, trifluoroacetic anhydride was used to protect the amino group of 5‐aminoisophthalic acid, thus generating 5‐(2,2,2‐trifluoroacetamido)isophthalic acid (TFAIA). TFAIA was converted into TFAIAC using oxalyl chloride, which was exploited as a suitable monomer for the synthesis of aromatic polyamides. Amino groups were then set free under basic conditions and the crosslinking was carried out through amino groups present on the polyamide chains with different dianhydrides, isophthaloyl chloride and 2,5‐thiophenedicarboxaldehyde. The synthesis of monomers and polymers was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and molar masses of the polyamides were measured by gel permeation chromatography. The crosslinked macromolecules were found to possess enough chain alignment as depicted by their XRD patterns. The thermal stability of the crosslinked polyamides was increased as their decomposition temperatures were improved from 420 to 619 °C. Metal ion uptake was scrutinized through atomic absorption spectroscopy with 83%–85% adsorption capacity at optimized parameters, i.e. a contact time of 3 h at pH 6. The mechanism of adsorption was further investigated through the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption isotherms. The results reveal that uptake of metal ions followed monolayer adsorption of cations owing to coordination to electronegative centers on the macromolecules, confirming the Langmuir adsorption model. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Proteome Oxidative Modifications and Impairment of Specific Metabolic Pathways During Cellular Senescence and Aging
Authors: Hamon Marie‐Paule , Ahmed Emad K. , Baraibar Martín A. , Friguet Bertrand
Published: September 2019

Accumulation of oxidatively modified proteins is a hallmark of organismal aging in vivo and of cellular replicative senescence in vitro. Failure of protein maintenance is a major contributor to the age‐associated accumulation of damaged proteins that is believed to participate to the age‐related decline in cellular function. In this context, quantitative proteomics approaches, including 2‐D gel electrophoresis (2‐DE)‐based methods, represent powerful tools for monitoring the extent of protein oxidative modifications at the proteome level and for identifying the targeted proteins, also referred as to the “oxi‐proteome.” Previous studies have identified proteins targeted by oxidative modifications during replicative senescence of human WI‐38 fibroblasts and myoblasts and have been shown to represent a restricted set within the total cellular proteome that fall in key functional categories, such as energy metabolism, protein quality control, and cellular morphology. To provide mechanistic support into the role of oxidized proteins in the development of the senescent phenotype, untargeted metabolomic profiling is also performed for young and senescent myoblasts and fibroblasts. Metabolomic profiling is indicative of energy metabolism impairment in both senescent myoblasts and fibroblasts, suggesting a link between oxidative protein modifications and the altered cellular metabolism associated with the senescent phenotype of human myoblasts and fibroblasts.
Controlled ring‐expansion polymerization of thiiranes based on cyclic aromatic thiourethane initiator
Authors: Takahashi Akira , Yuzaki Ryu , Ishida Yoshihito , Kameyama Atsushi
Published: September 2019

Ring‐expansion polymerization (REP) of thiiranes was investigated using 3H‐benzothiazol‐2‐one (BT) as the cyclic aromatic thiourethane initiator in the presence of tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) catalyst. The polymerization proceeded in a well‐controlled manner to afford cyclic polysulfides with one BT moiety per macrocycle, as confirmed by MALDI‐TOF MS spectroscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurement of the obtained cyclic polysulfides revealed slight decrease in the glass‐transition temperature as the increase in the molecular weight, supporting the cyclic topology of the products. Postpolymerization of thiiranes using the BT‐initiated cyclic polysulfide as the macroinitiator afforded the ring‐expanded product while maintaining the narrow polydispersity and well‐defined cyclic structure, which enabled precise synthesis of cyclic block copolymer with different thiirane combination. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2442–2449
Changes in mean flow and atmospheric wave activity in the North Atlantic sector
Authors: Paeth Heiko , Pollinger Felix
Published: September 2019

In recent years, the midlatitudes are characterized by more intense heatwaves in summer and sometimes severe cold spells in winter that might emanate from changes in atmospheric circulation, including synoptic‐scale and planetary wave activity in the midlatitudes. In this study, we investigate the heat and momentum exchange between the mean flow and atmospheric waves in the North Atlantic sector and adjacent continents by means of the physically consistent Eliassen–Palm flux diagnostics applied to reanalysis and forced climate model data. In the long‐term mean, momentum is transferred from the mean flow to atmospheric waves in the northwest Atlantic region, where cyclogenesis prevails. Further downstream over Europe, eddy fluxes return momentum to the mean flow, sustaining the jet stream against friction. A global climate model is able to reproduce this pattern with high accuracy. Atmospheric variability related to atmospheric wave activity is much more expressed at the intraseasonal rather than the interannual time‐scale. Over the last 40 years, reanalyses reveal a northward shift of the jet stream and a weakening of intraseasonal weather variability related to synoptic‐scale and planetary wave activity. This pertains to the winter and summer seasons, especially over central Europe, and correlates with changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation as well as regional temperature and precipitation. A very similar phenomenon is found in a climate model simulation with business‐as‐usual scenario, suggesting an anthropogenic trigger in the weakening of intraseasonal weather variability in the midlatitudes.
Major dams and the challenge of achieving “No Net Loss” of biodiversity in the tropics
Authors: Jones Isabel L. , Bull Joseph W.
Published: September 2019

Dam construction is booming across tropical regions critical for global biodiversity and ecosystem service provision. The principle of “No Net Loss” (NNL)—under which biodiversity impacts of development projects are quantified and fully mitigated—is being increasingly applied to large infrastructure development worldwide, including dams. We discuss the impacts of major tropical dams and associated implementation of NNL policies and outline three major challenges in achieving NNL: (1) overcoming practicalities implementing NNL in highly connected river systems over large spatio‐temporal scales; (2) the stakes are high if NNL fails because tropical regions are hyper‐diverse, rich in species endemism, and difficult to restore; and (3) inclusion of ecosystem services in NNL design is necessary due to the importance of tropical biodiversity for ecosystem service provision at multiple spatial scales. Overcoming these challenges is crucial when hundreds of dams are planned and under construction across the tropics, many potentially subject to NNL policies.
Effect of Reducing Agent NaBH4 on Photocatalytic Properties of Bi/BiOBr/Bi2WO6 Composites
Authors: Gao Zhanyao , Yao Binghua , Ji Liangliang , Xu Tiantian
Published: September 2019

With the improvement of human living standards, a large amount of drugs in the fields of medicine, agriculture, animal husbandry and other fields have being invested and used, resulting in an increasing demand for cleaning antibiotics to clean water sources. In this study, Bi/BiOBr/Bi2WO6 composite photocatalyst was successfully synthesized by ahydrothermal method with BiOBr as the precursor. The effect of reducing agent sodium borohydride (NaBH4) on the structure and photocatalytic activity of the composite was studied. The results showed that most active photocatalyst was obtained when 20 mmol/L of sodium borohydride was used. The degradation of norfloxacin on Bi/BiOBr/Bi2WO6 reached 96.1%, which was about 6.7% higher than that on BiOBr/Bi2WO6. And the reaction rate was 1.4 times of BiOBr/Bi2WO6. The heterojunction formed by the three substances was the main reason for the enhanced catalytic activity. These results were beneficial for the practical application of high performance Bi/BiOBr/Bi2WO6 photocatalytic materials.
Iodine‐DMSO‐Catalyzed Chemoselective Biomimetic Aromatization of Tetrahydro‐β‐carbolines‐3‐carboxylic Acid: Mechanism Study with DFT‐Calculation
Authors: Gaikwad Sunil V. , Nadimetla Dinesh N. , Kobaisi Mohammad Al , Devkate Manisha , Joshi Rekha , Shinde Rohit G. , Gaikwad Milind V. , Nikalje Milind D. , Bhosale Sheshanath V. , Lokhande Pradeep D.
Published: September 2019

A new protocol for the chemoselective aromatization of tetrahydro‐β‐carboline‐3‐carboxylic acids to direct biomimetic one step synthesis of β‐carboline‐3‐carboxylic acids 2 A‐L using catalytic amount of I2 in DMSO/H+ produces very good yield. This method was also successfully extended for the aromatization of tetrahydro‐β‐carboline‐3‐methyl esters 5 A‐G as well as one‐step synthesis of Marinacarbolines‐D analog, respectively. Further, the mechanism and role of iodine–DMSO in aromatization has been studied by Density Functional Theory Calculation.
Jack of all trades and master of knowledge: The role of diversification in new distant knowledge integration
Authors: Nagle Frank , Teodoridis Florenta
Published: September 2019

Research Summary

We consider the role of individual‐level diversification as a mechanism through which skilled researchers engage in successful exploration—recognizing and integrating new knowledge external to one's domains of expertise. To approach an ideal experiment, we (a) employ a matching procedure and (b) exploit the unexpected adoption of Microsoft Kinect as a motion‐sensing technology in research. We evaluate the impact of Kinect and its embodiment of new knowledge on a set of ability‐matched, diversity‐varying researchers without prior experience in motion‐sensing and find that diversified researchers explore more successfully than their more specialized peers. We also examine the role of personal preferences and professional incentives as antecedents of diversification and find that culture, age and intellectual freedom are positively associated with the propensity to diversify successfully.

Managerial Summary

Organizations where R&D is core to driving competitive advantage face important tradeoffs when hiring researchers. Specifically, diverse combinations of knowledge generate the most impactful discoveries. Yet, coordinating such combinations increasingly requires larger teams as knowledge accumulation causes researchers to specialize in narrower areas. How should organizations achieve the best balance? We argue and show evidence that diversified researchers, individuals routinely criticized for their lack of knowledge depth, are more likely than specialized researchers of similar ability to integrate new knowledge from beyond their domains of expertise to create impactful innovations. Therefore, organizations aiming to create competitive advantage by pushing the boundaries of knowledge should carefully consider the nuanced tradeoffs between specialized and diversified researchers when strategizing about hiring the optimal types of expertise.
Socially aware microcloud service overlay optimization in community networks
Authors: Apolónia Nuno , Freitag Felix , Navarro Leandro , Girdzijauskas Sarunas
Published: September 2019

Community networks are a growing network cooperation effort by citizens to build and maintain Internet infrastructure in regions that are not available. Adding that, to bring cloud services to community networks (CNs), microclouds were started as an edge cloud computing model where members cooperate using resources. Therefore, enhancing routing for services in CNs is an attractive paradigm that benefits the infrastructure. The problem is the growing consumption of resources for disseminating messages in the CN environment. This is because the services that build their overlay networks are oblivious to the underlying workload patterns that arise from social cooperation in CNs. In this paper, we propose Select in Community Networks (SELECTinCN), which enhances the overlay creation for pub/sub systems over peer‐to‐peer (P2P) networks. Moreover, SELECTinCN includes social information based on cooperation within CNs by exploiting the social aspects of the community of practice. Our work organizes the peers in a ring topology and provides an adaptive P2P connection establishment algorithm, where each peer identifies the number of connections needed based on the social structure and user availability. This allows us to propagate messages using a reduced number of hops, thus providing an efficient heuristic to an NP‐hard problem that maps the workload graph to the structured P2P overlays resulting in a number of messages close to the theoretical minimum. Experiments show that, by using social network information, SELECTinCN reduces the number of relay nodes by up to 89% using the community of practice information versus the state‐of‐the‐art pub/sub notification systems given as baseline.
Catalytic Cleavage of Amide C−N Bond: Scandium, Manganese, and Zinc Catalysts for Esterification of Amides
Authors: Mashima Kazushi , Nishii Yuji , Nagae Haruki
Published: September 2019

Amide C−N bonds are thermodynamically stable and their fission, such as by hydrolysis and alcoholysis, is considered a long‐challenging organic reaction. In general, stoichiometric chemical transformations of amides into the corresponding esters and acids require harsh conditions, such as strong acids/bases at a high reaction temperature. Accordingly, the development of catalytic reactions that cleave not only primary and secondary amides, but also tertiary amides in mild conditions, is in high demand. Herein, we surveyed typical stoichiometric transformations of amides, and highlight our recent achievements in the catalytic esterification of amides using scandium, manganese, and zinc catalysts, together with some recent catalyst systems using late‐transition metal reported by other groups.
State space model for vibration control with arbitrary controller structures for soft mounted induction motors with sleeve bearings fixed on active motor foot mounts
Authors: Werner Ulrich
Published: September 2019

In the paper, a state space model for vibration control with arbitrary controller structures for soft mounted induction motors with sleeve bearings fixed on active motor foot mounts is shown. Besides the mathematical description of the forced vibrations caused by dynamic rotor eccentricity, a procedure is presented to derive the threshold of vibration stability. The challenge of the paper is the use of arbitrary controller structures with different feedback strategies – feedback of the motor feet displacements, velocities or accelerations – in combination with a special vibration system. This specialty is, that the stiffness and damping matrices depend on the rotor angular frequency Ω, which corresponds to the excitation angular frequency, when analyzing the forced vibration, and depend additionally on the natural angular frequency ωstab of the critical mode, when analyzing the threshold of stability. After the mathematical description is shown, a numerical example of a 2‐pole induction motor (power rating 2.4 MW) is presented, in which the threshold of stability is analyzed as well as the forced vibrations due to dynamic rotor eccentricity by investigating the bearing housing vibrations, the foundation vibrations and the actuator forces.
Entanglement of purification in holographic systems
Authors: Liu Peng , Ling Yi , Niu Chao , Wu Jian-Pin
Published: September 2019

Abstract

The holographic entanglement of purification (EoP) in AdS4 and AdS-RN black hole backgrounds is studied. We develop an algorithm to compute the EoP for bipartite configuration with infinitely long strips. The temperature behavior of EoP is revealed for small, intermediate and large configurations: EoP monotonically increases with the temperature for small configurations; while for intermediate configurations, EoP is configuration-dependent; EoP vanishes for large configurations. Our numerical results verify some important inequalities of EoP, which we also prove geometrically in Poincaré coordinate.
Optimality of the quantified Ingham–Karamata theorem for operator semigroups with general resolvent growth
Authors: Debruyne Gregory , Seifert David
Published: September 2019

We prove that a general version of the quantified Ingham–Karamata theorem for $$C_0$$C0-semigroups is sharp under mild conditions on the resolvent growth, thus generalising the results contained in a recent paper by the same authors. It follows in particular that the well-known Batty–Duyckaerts theorem is optimal even for bounded $$C_0$$C0-semigroups whose generator has subpolynomial resolvent growth. Our proof is based on an elegant application of the open mapping theorem, which we complement by a crucial technical lemma allowing us to strengthen our earlier results.
Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between receptive arts engagement and loneliness among older adults
Authors: Tymoszuk Urszula , Perkins Rosie , Fancourt Daisy , Williamon Aaron
Published: September 2019

Purpose

Loneliness in older adulthood is a societal and public health challenge warranting identification of sustainable and community-based protective factors. This study investigated whether frequency of receptive arts engagement is associated with lower odds of loneliness in older adults.

Methods

We used data of respondents from waves 2 (2004–2005) and 7 (2014–2015) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and examined cross-sectional (n = 6222) and longitudinal (n = 3127) associations between frequency of receptive arts engagement (including visits to the cinema, museums/galleries/exhibitions, theatre/concerts/opera) and odds of loneliness (cut-off ≥ 6 on three-item short form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale). We fitted logistic regression models adjusted for a range of sociodemographic, economic, health and social, community and civic engagement factors.

Results

Cross-sectionally, we found dose–response negative associations between engagement with all receptive arts activities and odds of loneliness. Prospectively, in the fully-adjusted models we found most robust evidence for the negative association between engagement with museums/galleries/exhibitions and odds of loneliness (OR = 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.95) for those who engaged every few months or more often compared with those who never engaged. We found weaker evidence for lower odds of loneliness for more frequent engagement with theatre/concerts/opera.

Conclusions

Frequent engagement with certain receptive arts activities and venues, particularly museums, galleries and exhibitions, may be a protective factor against loneliness in older adults. Future research is needed to identify the mechanisms through which this process may occur, leading to better understanding of how arts activities and venues can reduce loneliness among older adults.
Versatile stabilized finite element formulations for nearly and fully incompressible solid mechanics
Authors: Karabelas Elias , Haase Gundolf , Plank Gernot , Augustin Christoph M.
Published: September 2019

Computational formulations for large strain, polyconvex, nearly incompressible elasticity have been extensively studied, but research on enhancing solution schemes that offer better tradeoffs between accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency remains to be highly relevant. In this paper, we present two methods to overcome locking phenomena, one based on a displacement-pressure formulation using a stable finite element pairing with bubble functions, and another one using a simple pressure-projection stabilized$$\mathbb {P}_1 - \mathbb {P}_1$$P1-P1finite element pair. A key advantage is the versatility of the proposed methods: with minor adjustments they are applicable to all kinds of finite elements and generalize easily to transient dynamics. The proposed methods are compared to and verified with standard benchmarks previously reported in the literature. Benchmark results demonstrate that both approaches provide a robust and computationally efficient way of simulating nearly and fully incompressible materials.