bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment Coverage and Drug Expenditure in Hepatitis C Patients From 2013 to 2019: A Journey of Improving Treatment Accessibility in Malaysia Through Government-led Initiatives
Authors: Chan Huan-Keat , Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Md Said Rosaida , Abu Hassan Muhammad Radzi
Published: November 2020

Background: Hepatitis C is a public health threat, affecting approximately 1.9% of the Malaysian population. Objectives: This study demonstrates how a series of initiatives taken by the Ministry of Health (MOH) of Malaysia have impacted the treatment coverage and drug expenditure for hepatitis C patients since 2013, the year in which the first direct-acting antiviral (DAA) was introduced in public health institutions. Methods: The data were obtained from all the 144 hospitals and 33 primary healthcare centers throughout the country, which were identified to have offered the pharmacological treatment to hepatitis C patients over the last seven years. Results: The total number of hepatitis C patients treated each year was shown to increase by more than 10 times, reaching 3,116 in 2019. However, the drug expenditure for hepatitis C relative to the overall health expenditure did not significantly increase over time (P = 0.094). The use of DAAs was once limited by its exorbitant cost. A remarkable elevation in the number of patients receiving the treatment only took place as of 2016, particularly following the engagement of the MOH in endeavors driven by non-profit organizations to enhance the accessibility of DAAs and the issuance of a compulsory license to sofosbuvir. Conclusions: Timely decisions of the MOH and the judicious use of policy tools were shown to have transformed the landscape of hepatitis C management in Malaysia without considerably raising the budgetary pressure. Yet, continuous efforts to massively upscale the screening and treatment of the disease are warranted going forward.
In Vitro Replication of HCV RNA in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Isolated from Patients Undergoing Treatment for Hepatitis C Virus Infection
Authors: Zarnegar Golnoosh , Farhadi Ali , Seyyedi Noorossadat , Aboualizadeh Farzaneh , Ranjbaran Reza , Farzanfar Ehsan , Nejabat Nargess , Behzad-Behbahani Abbas
Published: November 2020

Background: Although the liver is the main site for the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) replication, there is still an essential debate about extrahepatic HCV reservoirs. Objectives: It has been proposed that Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) could be the possible virus replication sites. Therefore, PBMCs may be candidates for recurrent HCV infection after achieving Sustained Virologic Response (SVR). In this study, we designed a lymphocyte culture to explore more about virus replication in PBMCs collected from patients with chronic hepatitis C. Methods: Plasma and PBMC samples were collected from 16 randomly selected seropositive patients for the anti-HCV antibody. Four out of 16 (25%) patients received combination therapy with alpha interferon and ribavirin. PBMCs were isolated from whole blood. Between 106-107 cells were cultured with optimized concentrations of IL-2 (10 mg/ml) and phytohemagglutinin A (5 mg/ml). Total RNA was extracted from the first collected sera and harvested lymphocytes. Constructed plasmids containing the NCR coding region were used to plot the standard curve for the relative quantification of SYBR green real-time PCR. The sensitivity and specificity of the detection were established by using plasmids containing cDNA. Results: With this plasmid containing the NCR coding region, the Limit of Detection (LOD) of in-house-developed real-time RT-PCR sensitivity was 2×101 copies. Using primers for the NCR region, 10 out of 16 (62.5 %) PBMCs were positive for negative-strand HCV RNA. Among the four samples collected from patients with SVR, negative-strand HCV RNA was found in two patient samples. Conclusions: Our results indicated that cultured lymphoid cells from patients with chronic hepatitis, even with SVR, in the presence of IL-2 and PHA, markedly enhanced the detection of HCV RNA replica-tive strands. Therefore, PBMCs may be reservoirs for recurrent hepatitis infection after SVR and antiviral treatment. However, more clinical samples and control groups (lymphocyte culture without mitogen) should be examined to support the data presented in this study.
Post-Operative Symptoms and Complications in Patients Having Undergone Coronary Artery Bypass Graft in Hamadan: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Oshvandi Khodayar , Pakrad Fatemeh , Mohamadi Saleh Ramesh , Seif Rabiei Mohamad Ali , Shams Amir
Published: November 2020

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is one of the common treatments for cardiac diseases, despite the numerous complications of CABG. Objectives: This study was carried out to investigate post-operative complications and symptoms in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 170 patients who were referred to Farshchian heart Center in Hamadan in 2018. The data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and a standard checklist for the assessment of cardiac symptoms. All patients completed the demographic information questionnaire, and patients' contact information was recorded. One month after the discharge, the cardiac symptom questionnaire was completed through the phone interview with the participants. Data were analyzed by the SPSS software version 21. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and regression were used for data analysis. Results: Of 170 patients, 130 cases were male, and 70% were under the age of 60 years old. The most common symptom after surgery was leg swelling (40.6%), and the least common complication was a fluttering chest (3.5%). There was a significant relationship between age and chest pain (P = 0.01), smoking and dyspnea (P = 0.032), troubles of sleeping (P = 0.044), and leg swelling (P = 0.035), depression and gender (P < 0.001), BMI and poor appetite (P = 0.042). Conclusions: It is important to consider the symptoms and complications of CABG in these patients. Leg swelling, trouble of sleeping, and fatigue were common symptoms in these patients. It is suggested that appropriate training is provided to patients, particularly smoking cessation.
Knowledge, Perception, and Use of Medical Applications Among Health Professions’ Students in a Nigerian University
Authors: Mbada Chidozie Emmanuel , Olakorede David Bamidele , Igwe Chizoba Favour , Fatoye Clara Toyin , Olatoye Funminiyi Sunday , Oyewole Adewale Isaiah , Okonji Adaobi Margaret , Odetunde Marufat Oluyemisi , Odole Adesola Christiana , Fatoye Francis
Published: November 2020

Background: Harnessing the potentials of applications (apps) for clinical training and practice has turned into the focal point of innovation. Objectives: The current study was aimed to determine knowledge, perception, and medical apps use among medical students of a Nigerian University. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 320 medical students (193 males and 127 females) are participated, with a response rate of 90.9%. The face and content validity was determined by a pilot test on obtained information about knowledge, perception, and use of medical applications, as well as socio-demographic characteristics. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Alpha level was set at P < 0.05. Results: The 12-months and point prevalence of smartphone ownership and using smartphone-based medical apps were 90% and 81.9%; and 65.9% and 50.9%, respectively. There was a high level of knowledge (81.9%), and positive perception (80%) about medical apps use. Knowledge of medical apps usage was significantly associated with each of age (χ2 = 30.541, P = 0.001) and academic levels (χ2 = 19.270, P = 0.001). A significant association was found between the perception of medical apps and age (χ2 = 13.554, P = 0.004). Also, there was a significant association between current use of medical apps and each of age (χ2 = 12.018, P = 0.007) and academic levels (χ2 =11.297, P = 0.002). Conclusions: Although smartphone ownership was high among Nigerian medical students, their usage of smartphone-based medical apps was moderate. Being of younger age and higher level of study are major contributors to a high level of knowledge and positive perception about medical apps use.
Public Adults Information Seeking Behaviors During Early Weeks of COVID-19 Epidemic: Early Lessons for Improvement of Epidemic Communication
Authors: Molavi Hossein , Sharifi Hamid , Delavari Sajad , Sharifi Mohammad Hossein
Published: November 2020

Background: Public support plays a crucial in managing public health crises. Communicating with the public during a pandemic has a major role in gaining public support. Public information-seeking behaviors are the core element of epidemic communication.. Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate the Iranian information-seeking behaviors during the first three weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the use of web search queries to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran from December 2019 to March 1 2020, is investigated. The Iranian search queries for COVID-19 were evaluated from December 30, 2019, to March 1, 2020. Google trend reports were used to retrieve data on the number of search queries. Queries were categorized into “epidemic news”, “necessary protective equipment”, “prevention strategies”, and “treatment”. To analyze the data, segmented regression was applied. Also, the daily percent change (DPI) was estimated. Results: The frequency of Google searches for COVID19-related queries first increased during the period of 18 - 23 February 2020 (DPC: 34.0; P value < 0.001), and then declined to March 1, 2020 (DPS: -3.9; P value < 0.001). The most prevalent query was “Epidemic news” (54%), followed by “necessary equipment” (33%). The frequency of these two queries increased from 18 - 23 February. "Prevention strategies" was the most common search category on March 1. Conclusions: When an epidemic begins to spread, people try to get the “latest news” and “what they need to protect themselves”.
Cliché
Authors: Chovanec Jan
Published: November 2020

This entry extends the definition of cliché from its traditional understanding as a trite and stereotypical form of linguistic expression to a broader conception of any unoriginal semiotic communicative act based on the non‐creative reuse of diverse formal elements that are recognizable from other contexts. The definition stresses the constitutive role of metapragmatic awareness – both its absence on the part of the producer of a cliché and its presence on the part of the recipient, who is thus able to identify the cliché. As shown by current corpus data, cliché may also be subject to a self‐reflexive discussion on the level of metadiscourse by its very producer: in this role, it serves as a face‐saving mechanism, namely to preempt the recipients' possible negative evaluative reactions.
Evans‐Pritchard, E.E.
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

E.E. Evans‐Pritchard (1902–1973) was one of the most important anthropologists of the twentieth century. An exemplar of the structural‐functional school of British social anthropology (though questioning its sometime spurious scientism), he was noted for his careful attention to translation of “native categories,” his sympathetic interpretation of “native” philosophies, and his often literary approach to ethnography.
Language Evolution
Authors: Hauck Jan David
Published: November 2020

Language evolution refers to the origins and development of the human system of communication. Research on language evolution compares aspects of human communication with those of other animals, especially nonhuman primates, and analyzes gestures, multimodal communication, pidgins and creoles, child development, the physiology of the vocal tract, genes and neurons, the brain and brain damage, as well as the fossil record. Theories of language evolution discuss whether human language emerged gradually or abruptly and through which evolutionary adaptations or exaptations, as well as whether there are any key features of human language. Controversies remain but recent research has contributed to a more nuanced picture of differences between humans and nonhumans that may prove to not be qualitative but quantitative.
Freud, Sigmund
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was one of the most influential – and highly controversial – thinkers of the twentieth century. He is widely credited with being the founder of psychoanalysis. Language, however, plays a key part in almost all of Freud's work, from psychotherapy to the analysis of humor, to his famous “slips of the tongue.”
International Phonetic Alphabet
Authors: Zimman Lal
Published: November 2020

The International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA, is among the oldest and most fundamental tools of modern linguistic description and analysis. Established by the International Phonetic Association in the late nineteenth century, the IPA serves as a universal, standardized system for representing human speech, regardless of the language(s) of the speaker or the transcriber. The IPA has a number of useful qualities, the most important of which are (i) its one‐to‐one relationship between symbols and sounds and (ii) its goal of representing all of the sounds of the world's language. The symbols of the alphabet include both pulmonic and non‐pulmonic consonants, vowels, and a large set of diacritics that can mark variations from the unmarked form of a segment as well as certain prosodic features. Because of its centrality in the field, the IPA is often presented as an atheoretical tool, but the alphabet carries a number of both linguistic and sociocultural implications. Linguistically, it segments speech, identifies the relevant categories of contrast and analysis, and creates categorical distinctions for linear phenomena. Socioculturally, the IPA is grounded in the orthographic norms and language ideologies of Western Europe and is heavily shaped by the colonial history of linguistics and anthropology.
Language and Creativity: Fiction Language and Writing
Authors: Schreyer Christine
Published: November 2020

Fictional languages are a type of artificial language known as a constructed language. They, and their writing systems, are developed in association with fictional works including literature, television, and film to bring a sense of authenticity to the fictional world. The fictional languages also act to help add a realistic element to the sociolinguistic aspects of the world, as dialects of a language may be used to illustrate social standing. Fictional languages and writing systems are of interest to linguistic anthropologists as they help us understand a unique form of human creativity, they can be tools for students to learn about linguistic structures and the relationship between language and culture, and they are often learned by fans, who develop speech communities associated with the fictional languages.
Marking and Markedness
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Marking is a universal property of language whereby one member of a pair of lexemes (often antonyms) is somehow thought to be the more natural, common, or preferred choice; and the “marked” one, different or aberrant. This entry reviews the numerous marking criteria that have been proposed, and examines the presence of marking in phonology, code‐switching, kinship, and social identity.
Meter
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

The term “meter” can be used in two ways. First, by definition, it can be used to label the formal features that “mark poetic texts against ordinary discourse.” Second, it can refer to actual prosodic features, like the pulse and rhythm of some discourse.
Methods in Linguistic Anthropology: Ethics
Authors: Pine Judith M.S.
Published: November 2020

Ethics in linguistic anthropology must operate within the peculiar conditions of ethnographic research, while responding to concerns which apply to all research involving human subjects. Linguistic anthropologists must pay attention to, and take into account in their decision‐making, the interests of all parties involved in their research, recognizing that the researcher's understanding of what those interests may be, and who those parties may include, will evolve over time in the context of research.
Misunderstanding
Authors: Kerekes Julie , Soroka Ostap
Published: November 2020

A misunderstanding occurs when, in a verbal or written communication between two or more interlocutors, the intended meaning and resulting interpretation are insufficiently matched. Misunderstanding is a co‐constructed interpretive failure. Causes include infelicities of physical substrate, language production, semantic context, pragmatic context, and sociocultural context. Resolution of misunderstanding requires noticing/recognition, acknowledgment, and repair. The prevalence of intercultural communicative events in today's globalized world requires acknowledgment of increasingly variable meanings in everyday interactions.
Participant, Role and Status of
Authors: Sweet Nikolas
Published: November 2020

Although the role of participant might appear to be self‐evident in the analysis of social interaction, it is anything but. It might seem tempting to count the individuals present at any given encounter and view them as participants; however, Erving Goffman deconstructed the roles of speaker and hearer in a way that showed laminated forms of participation within any ostensible interlocutor and across interactions. Subsequent scholarship has tracked how interlocutors constitute participation roles in emergent interactions. Multimodal and intertextual approaches furthermore demonstrate the importance of tracking potentially competing involvements across a range of semiotic modes in a way that does not take for granted the categorical roles offered by Goffman's initial work.
Person and Self
Authors: Sidnell Jack
Published: November 2020

The concepts of person(hood) and self(hood) have long been at the center of anthropological theory and ethnographic description. This entry focuses specifically on what a linguistic and semiotic perspective adds to an anthropological account.
Powell, John Wesley
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

John Wesley Powell (1834–1902) was one of the founders of American anthropology in the late nineteenth century. As a linguist he is known for the first attempt at classifying and mapping of all the languages of North America.
Pragmatics
Authors: Slotta James
Published: November 2020

Pragmatics is a branch of linguistics that investigates the ways language is tied to the contexts in which it is used. Pragmatics thus coalesces as a distinct and coherent domain of inquiry only in relation to the study of language abstracted from its use in context, the prime focus of both twentieth‐century linguistics and philosophy of language. Investigation of standard pragmatic issues such as deixis, presupposition, speech acts, implicatures, politeness, and information structure has been motivated by a variety of difficulties and impasses encountered in the analysis of language in a significantly decontextualized form. This entry focuses on the ways such pragmatic phenomena have challenged propositional and lexical‐grammatical idealizations of language, and some of the prominent pragmatic frameworks developed to address these challenges.
Pragmatism
Authors: Koyama Wataru
Published: November 2020

Pragmatism is an American‐born philosophical tradition, closely linked with German (neo)Kantianism, the Boasian tradition, and linguistic anthropology. This entry explores the sociohistorical, philosophical, and scientific backgrounds of pragmatism, focusing on Charles Peirce, William James, John Dewey, and G.H. Mead. Classical pragmatism is explicated in relation not only to twentieth‐century American philosophy, including logical empiricism, (post)analytic philosophy, and neopragmatism, but also to the social sciences and activism, focusing on intertwined developments in the Midwest (Ann Abor and especially Chicago), involving Dewey, Mead, Cooley, Jane Addams and Hull House, Chicago sociology, symbolic interactionism, and in New York City, involving Dewey, Boas, Herskovitz, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Alain Locke. Finally, this entry tries to explain Peircean pragmaticism/semiotics in terms of its architectonic principles and (con)textual relationships with Kant, Wilhelm von Humboldt, Völkerpsychologie, Boas, Sapir, Jakobson, and semiotic/linguistic anthropology, as well as with Latour, Whitehead, and the “ontological turn.”
Speech Community
Authors: Muehlmann Shaylih
Published: November 2020

This entry focuses on the speech community by tracing the historical significance of “social aggregates.” It examines how social aggregates are differentiated based on which features of discursive practice are selected as criterion for each definition. The entry argues that what makes the history of thought on social aggregates particularly interesting and relevant, not just for social linguists but also for the general public, is the degree to which theoretical conceptions about aggregates have been linked to major geopolitical changes. This is why every definition of the social aggregate, when it becomes accepted (whether as a folk‐category or as a “scientific” term), also has sociopolitical implications.
Text Metricalization
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Text metricalization, or text metricality, refers to various repetitions and parallelism of co‐occurring chunks of text found in discourse.
Turner, Lorenzo Dow
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Lorenzo Dow Turner (1890–1972) has been called the first African American linguist, and founder of Gullah studies. He helped establish linguistics and the field of dialect geography in the United States before World War II.
Vygotsky, Lev
Authors: Khor Su Yin , Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Lev Semionovich Vygotsky (1896–1934) was a psychologist whose work has been highly influential in language and education research. Specifically, sociocultural theory and its core concepts, most notably the zone of proximal development, mediation, activity theory, and internalization, have been widely used by scholars to understand language learning and development.
Ervin‐Tripp, Susan
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Susan Ervin‐Tripp (1927–2018) is generally considered to be one of the founders of both the fields of sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. She wrote on a wide variety of topics, including language and cognition, ethnolinguistics, language acquisition, bilingualism, gender issues, and even humor. She was also at the forefront of the struggle for gender equality in academia.
Goodenough, Ward
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Ward Goodenough (1919–2013) was one of the leading anthropologists of the last half of the twentieth century. He was a premier culture theorist, and was most well‐known for advocating a linguistically based model of culture. He made major contributions to cognitive anthropology, the study of kinship, and the ethnography of Oceania.
Halliday, Michael
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Michael Halliday (1925–2018) was an influential linguist, semiotician, and language‐teaching theorist. He is widely known for a highly ethnographic approach to language called “systemic function linguistics,” an all‐embracing model of grammar and language use in social context.
Nida, Eugene
Authors: Stanlaw James
Published: November 2020

Eugene Nida (1914–2011) is widely regarded today as the founder of modern Bible translating, but he also made important contributions to theories of translation in general as well as language pedagogy. He is most well known for two basic orientations in translating: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence.
The Effects of Laser‐Assisted Ultrasonic Nanocrystal Surface Modification on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 300M Steel
Authors: Zhao Weidong , Liu Daoxin , Liu Jun , Zhang XiaoHua , Zhang Hao , Zhang Ruixia , Dong Yalin , Ye Chang
Published: November 2020

Herein, an innovative surface severe plastic deformation method, laser‐assisted ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (LA‐UNSM), is used to treat 300M ultra‐high‐strength steel. The results show that the synergistic effect of laser heating and ultrasonic striking results in a thicker plastic deformation layer in 300M steel compared with UNSM treatment alone. Moreover, the depth of the deformation layer gradually increases as the laser power level is increased. At the laser power of 68 W, the greatest thickness in the plastic deformation layer (≈53.6 μm) is observed, which is 1.7 times the thickness in the UNSM‐treated samples. In addition, the surface of 300M steel forms dense oxide following LA‐UNSM treatment and the surface oxide concentration increases with laser power level. Because of the martensitic lath refinement, work hardening, and oxidation, the highest surface hardness is obtained after LA‐UNSM treatment at 45 W. As higher plastic strain is induced when a smaller UNSM tip (1.5 mm) is used, the largest and deepest surface plastic deformation layer is obtained in the LA‐UNSM‐45 W‐1.5 mm sample. However, the most significant hardness difference between LA‐UNSM and UNSM is observed when the 4.0 mm tip is used. This study shows that LA‐UNSM can effectively improve the hardness of high‐strength metals.
Analysis of the Human Plasma Proteome Using Multi‐Nanoparticle Protein Corona for Detection of Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Corbo Claudia , Li Andrew A. , Poustchi Hossein , Lee Gha Young , Stacks Sabrina , Molinaro Roberto , Ma Philip , Platt Theo , Behzadi Shahed , Langer Robert , Farias Vivek , Farokhzad Omid C.
Published: November 2020

As the population affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) grows, so does the need for a noninvasive and accurate diagnostic tool. Current research reveals that AD pathogenesis begins as early as decades before clinical symptoms. The unique properties of nanoparticles (NPs) may be exploited to develop noninvasive diagnostics for early detection of AD. After exposure of NPs to biological fluids, the NP surface is altered by an unbiased but selective and reproducible adsorption of biomolecules commonly referred to as the biomolecular corona or protein corona (PC). The discovery that the plasma proteome may be differentially altered during health and disease leads to the concept of disease‐specific PCs. Herein, the disease‐specific PCs formed around NPs in a multi‐NPs platform are employed to successfully identify subtle changes in plasma protein patterns and detect AD (>92% specificity and ≈100% sensitivity). Similar discrimination power is achieved using banked plasma samples from a cohort of patients several years prior to their diagnosis with AD. With the nanoplatform's analytic ability to analyze pathological proteomic changes into a disease‐specific identifier, this promising, noninvasive technology with implications for early detection and intervention could benefit not only patients with AD but other diseases as well.
Scalable Substitutional Re‐Doping and its Impact on the Optical and Electronic Properties of Tungsten Diselenide
Authors: Kozhakhmetov Azimkhan , Schuler Bruno , Tan Anne Marie Z. , Cochrane Katherine A. , Nasr Joseph R. , El‐Sherif Hesham , Bansal Anushka , Vera Alex , Bojan Vincent , Redwing Joan M. , Bassim Nabil , Das Saptarshi , Hennig Richard G. , Weber‐Bargioni Alexander , Robinson Joshua A.
Published: November 2020

Reliable, controlled doping of 2D transition metal dichalcogenides will enable the realization of next‐generation electronic, logic‐memory, and magnetic devices based on these materials. However, to date, accurate control over dopant concentration and scalability of the process remains a challenge. Here, a systematic study of scalable in situ doping of fully coalesced 2D WSe2 films with Re atoms via metal–organic chemical vapor deposition is reported. Dopant concentrations are uniformly distributed over the substrate surface, with precisely controlled concentrations down to <0.001% Re achieved by tuning the precursor partial pressure. Moreover, the impact of doping on morphological, chemical, optical, and electronic properties of WSe2 is elucidated with detailed experimental and theoretical examinations, confirming that the substitutional doping of Re at the W site leads to n‐type behavior of WSe2. Transport characteristics of fabricated back‐gated field‐effect‐transistors are directly correlated to the dopant concentration, with degrading device performances for doping concentrations exceeding 1% of Re. The study demonstrates a viable approach to introducing true dopant‐level impurities with high precision, which can be scaled up to batch production for applications beyond digital electronics.
Triantennary GalNAc Molecular Imaging Probes for Monitoring Hepatocyte Function in a Rat Model of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Authors: Mishra Anurag , Castañeda Tamara R. , Bader Erik , Elshorst Bettina , Cummings Sheila , Scherer Petra , Bangari Dinesh S. , Loewe Claudia , Schreuder Herman , Pöverlein Christoph , Helms Mike , Jones Seth , Zech Gernot , Licher Thomas , Wagner Michael , Schudok Manfred , de Hoop Meltsje , Plowright Alleyn T. , Atzrodt Jens , Kannt Aimo , Laitinen Iina , Derdau Volker
Published: November 2020

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a progressive form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that can lead to irreversible liver cirrhosis and cancer. Early diagnosis of NASH is vital to detect disease before it becomes life‐threatening, yet noninvasively differentiating NASH from simple steatosis is challenging. Herein, bifunctional probes have been developed that target the hepatocyte‐specific asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR), the expression of which decreases during NASH progression. The results show that the probes allow longitudinal, noninvasive monitoring of ASGPR levels by positron emission tomography in the newly developed rat model of NASH. The probes open new possibilities for research into early diagnosis of NASH and development of drugs to slow or reverse its progression.
Can arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and biochar enhance plant resistance to low‐temperature stress?
Authors: Yan Ping , Li Geng , Sun Haoqi , Zhang Zhenhua , Yang Runya , Sun Junna
Published: November 2020

Improving plant resistance to abiotic stress, such as low temperature, is conducive to plant normal growth and development. The aim of this study was to clarify whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and biochar have a synergistic effect on plant growth and resistance to low‐temperature stress in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). A pot experiment was conducted to measure the effects of AMF (Glomus intraradices) inoculation, biochar addition (4%, w/w), and their combination on the biomass, inorganic ion contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, and osmotic regulator contents in L. perenne plants growing under room temperature and low temperature conditions. A saline soil with the total salt content of 5.21 g kg–1 was used in the experiment. Results showed that the AMF‐only treatment decreased biomass growth under room temperature condition, whereas the biochar‐only treatment increased total biomass under low temperature condition. The combined treatment with AMF and biochar evidently increased biomass growth via a synergistic effect under both room temperature and low temperature conditions. Under low‐temperature stress, the AMF‐ and biochar‐only treatments increased proline content in the plant leaves. Meanwhile, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities were enhanced substantially in the AMF‐only group compared to the control group. The combined treatment with AMF and biochar considerably increased catalase activity and proline content and reduced malondialdehyde content in the plant leaves under low‐temperature stress. In conclusion, AMF and biochar exhibited a synergistic effect in promoting plant growth of L. perenne and played a role in improving plant resistance to low‐temperature stress in the saline soil.
Transition Metal‐Catalyzed Cycloaddition of Azides with Internal Alkynes
Authors: Ma Jiahao , Ding Shengtao
Published: November 2020

Metal‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition reactions represent the most convenient and atom‐economic way to construct robust 1,2,3‐triazole units. Remarkable copper‐ and ruthenium‐based catalytic systems have been well established for regioselective preparation of 1,4‐ and 1,5‐disubstituted 1,2,3‐triazoles, both of which have been widely utilized in various areas. In comparison, exploitation of efficient methods to promote the cycloaddition of azides with internal alkynes to afford 1,4,5‐trisubstituted 1,2,3‐triazole motifs with high regioselectivity is still challenging and attractive. This review provides a thorough summary of the developments in metal‐catalyzed cycloaddition of azides with internal alkynes. Besides discussions about mechanism and scope, applications of these strategies were also briefly overviewed.
Age‐related changes in chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) cognition: Cross‐sectional and longitudinal analyses
Authors: Hopkins William D. , Mareno Mary C. , Neal Webb Sarah J. , Schapiro Steven J. , Raghanti Mary A. , Sherwood Chet C.
Published: November 2020

Chimpanzees are the species most closely related to humans, yet age‐related changes in brain and cognition remain poorly understood. The lack of studies on age‐related changes in cognition in chimpanzees is particularly unfortunate in light of the recent evidence demonstrating that this species naturally develops Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology. Here, we tested 213 young, middle‐aged, and elderly captive chimpanzees on the primate cognitive test battery (PCTB), a set of 13 tasks that assess physical and social cognition in nonhuman primates. A subset of these chimpanzees (n = 146) was tested a second time on a portion of the PCTB tasks as a means of evaluating longitudinal changes in cognition. Cross‐sectional analyses revealed a significant quadratic association between age and cognition with younger and older chimpanzees performing more poorly than middle‐aged individuals. Longitudinal analyses showed that the oldest chimpanzees at the time of the first test showed the greatest decline in cognition, although the effect was mild. The collective data show that chimpanzees, like other nonhuman primates, show age‐related decline in cognition. Further investigations into whether the observed cognitive decline is associated with AD pathologies in chimpanzees would be invaluable in understanding the comparative biology of aging and neuropathology in primates.
Human engagement and great ape conservation in Africa
Authors: Bettinger Tammie , Cox Debby , Kuhar Chris , Leighty Katherine
Published: November 2020

Despite large investments of funding into great ape conservation in Africa, wild populations of gorillas (Gorilla ssp), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes ssp) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) continue to decline. Causes for this decline fall into three broad categories: habitat loss, illegal hunting, and disease. Contributing factors to all of these causes are linked to pressure from the expanding human population competing for forest resources. We have moved beyond the time of debating the pros and cons of including human engagement activities in conservation. If humans are part of the problem, they must also be part of the solution. To move our understanding of which human engagement activities are effective, what methodologies are being used and best practices for setting up a successful framework, we interviewed practitioners representing 53 projects working in great ape habitat in Africa. The interviewees represented almost 900 years of experience with African great ape conservation. We found that all practitioners agreed that for conservation to succeed, projects must engage with humans utilizing resources from great ape habitats. However, evaluation of such work was elusive. Projects that employed at least one person designated as an educator were more likely to have structured programs, regular engagement activities, and to evaluate their work. To date, little information on the success or failure of the activities has been published, thus perpetuating the problem of relying on personal experience rather than evidence when developing new engagement programs. Additionally, linking human engagement activities to biological impact remains a challenge. The results presented in this paper demonstrate the importance placed on human engagement activities to effectively conserve great apes in Africa while at the same time identifies gaps in our understanding on the link between such activities and project success.
Nickel‐Catalyzed, Regio‐ and Enantioselective Benzylic Alkenylation of Olefins with Alkenyl Bromide
Authors: Liu Jiandong , Gong Hegui , Zhu Shaolin
Published: November 2020

A NiH‐catalyzed migratory hydroalkenylation reaction of olefins with alkenyl bromides has been developed, affording benzylic alkenylation products with high yields and excellent chemoselectivity. The mild conditions of the reaction preclude olefinic products from undergoing further isomerization or subsequent alkenylation. Catalytic enantioselective hydroalkenylation of styrenes was achieved by using a chiral bisoxazoline ligand.
Insights into the Redox Chemistry of Organosulfides Towards Stable Molecule Design in Nonaqueous Energy Storage Systems
Authors: Zhang Leyuan , Zhao Bochen , Zhang Changkun , Yu Guihua
Published: November 2020

Nonaqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) have great potential to achieve high‐energy storage systems. However, they have been limited by low solubility and poor stability of active materials. Here we demonstrate organosulfides as a new‐type model material system to explore the rational design of redox‐active molecules in nonaqueous systems. The tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD) molecule shows high solubility in various common organic solvents and achieves a high reversible capacity of ca. 50 Ah L−1 at a high concentration of 1 M. The resonance structures in the reduced product endow the molecule with high electrochemical stability in different organic electrolytes. The underlying mechanism in redox chemistry of organodisulfides involving the cleavage and reformation of disulfide bonds is revealed by material/structural characterizations. This study provides a new perspective of molecule designs for the development of redox‐active materials for high‐performance nonaqueous RFBs.
Insights into the Capacity and Rate Performance of Transition‐Metal Coordination Compounds for Reversible Lithium Storage
Authors: Du Jia , Ren Jie , Shu Miao , Xu Xiufang , Niu Zhiqiang , Shi Wei , Si Rui , Cheng Peng
Published: November 2020

Coordination compounds are well‐known compounds that are being used as new materials for lithium storage because of their unique advantages, that is, designable structures, abundant active sites, and facile as well as mild synthetic routes. However, the electrode stability, low rate performance, and cycle life of coordination compounds are currently the main issues preventing their application as electrode materials, and the lithium‐storage mechanism in coordination networks is not well understood. Herein, isostructural one‐dimensional coordination compounds were synthesized to study their lithium‐storage performance. Co‐HIPA and Ni‐HIPA showed superior electrolyte stability than other M‐HIPAs, and Co‐HIPA displayed a superior reversible capacity and cycle stability, excellent rate performance, and clear voltage platform. DFT calculations and kinetic analysis revealed the influence of the metal center with different electronic structures on the lithium‐storage mechanism.
Diterpen‐Biosynthese in Catenulispora acidiphila: Über den Mechanismus der Catenul‐14‐en‐6‐ol‐Synthase
Authors: Li Geng , Guo Yue‐Wei , Dickschat Jeroen S.
Published: November 2020

Eine neue Diterpensynthase aus dem Actinomyceten Catenulispora acidiphila wurde identifiziert und die Strukturen ihrer Produkte wurden aufgeklärt, einschließlich der absoluten Konfigurationen, die durch enantioselektive Deuterierung ermittelt wurden. Der Mechanismus der kationischen Terpencyclisierungskaskade wurde mit isotopenmarkierten Substraten und mit Substratanaloga mit partiell blockierter Reaktivität studiert. Letztere lieferten Abbruchprodukte, die detaillierte Einblicke in die Intermediate entlang der Kaskadenreaktion gaben. Untersuchungen zu ihrer Chemie erlaubten die biomimetische Synthese eines diterpenoiden Analogons eines bromierten Sesquiterpens aus der Rotalge Laurencia microcladia.
α‐SnF2: A UV Birefringent Material with Large Birefringence and Easy Crystal Growth
Authors: Guo Jingyu , Tudi Abudukadi , Han Shujuan , Yang Zhihua , Pan Shilie
Published: November 2020

The simple binary fluoride α‐SnF2 is shown to be an excellent birefringent material with outstanding birefringence, about 14 times that of MgF2. Furthermore, it exhibits a shorter UV cutoff edge and easy crystal growth at ambient temperature compared to YVO4 and TiO2. A novel theoretical calculation mode was established to analyze the stereochemical‐activity lone‐pair (SCALP) contribution to the birefringence (SCB) based on the SCALP′s strength and arrangement, and it was found that the large birefringence of α‐SnF2 mainly benefits from well‐aligned [SnF5] polyhedra with a strong SCALP. The exploration of the α‐SnF2 birefringent crystal points out the direction of the future search for excellent birefringent materials.
Strategies for Mitigating Dissolution of Solid Electrolyte Interphases in Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Ma Le Anh , Naylor Andrew J. , Nyholm Leif , Younesi Reza
Published: November 2020

The interfacial reactions in sodium‐ion batteries (SIBs) are not well understood yet. The formation of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) in SIBs is still challenging due to the higher solubility of the SEI components compared to lithium analogues. This study therefore aims to shed light on the dissolution of SEI influenced by the electrolyte chemistry. By conducting electrochemical tests with extended open circuit pauses, and using surface spectroscopy, we determine the extent of self‐discharge due to SEI dissolution. Instead of using a conventional separator, β‐alumina was used as sodium‐conductive membrane to avoid crosstalk between the working and sodium‐metal counter electrode. The relative capacity loss after a pause of 50 hours in the tested electrolyte systems ranges up to 30 %. The solubility of typical inorganic SEI species like NaF and Na2CO3 was determined. The electrolytes were then saturated by those SEI species in order to oppose ageing due to the dissolution of the SEI.
Triorganotin(IV) derivatives with semirigid heteroditopic hydroxo‐carboxylato ligands: Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxic properties
Authors: Basu Baul Tushar S. , Addepalli Maheswara Rao , Duthie Andrew , Singh Priya , Koch Biplob , Gildenast Hans , Englert Ulli , Rojas‐León Irán , Höpfl Herbert
Published: November 2020

Three organic hydroxy‐carboxylic acids separated by a semirigid aromatic diaza scaffold and carrying alkyl groups of different steric hindrance (H′HL1, cyclopropyl; H′HL2, cyclohexyl; H′HL3, adamantyl) were employed as pro‐ligands. Their reaction with suitable triorganotin precursors leads to 10 complexes of compositions: [Me3Sn(HL1)]n·0.5nC6H5CH3 1, [Et3Sn(HL1)]n 2, [nBu3Sn(HL1)]n 3, [Ph3Sn(HL1)]n 4, [Me3Sn(HL2)]2·2CH2Cl2 5, [Et3Sn(HL2)]2 6, {[nBu3Sn(HL2)][nBu3Sn(HL2)(H2O)]} 7, [Ph3Sn(HL2)]n·nC2H5OH 8, [nBu3Sn(HL3)]n 9, and [Ph3Sn(HL3)]n 10. The solid‐state structures of 1–10 were deduced from single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies along with two of the pro‐ligands: H′HL1 and H′HL2. In the solid state, four different extended structure types were observed. In compounds 1–3 with aliphatic substituents at the tin atoms and a small substituent at the ligand backbone (cyclopropyl), 1D coordination polymers based on carboxylate bridging were observed, whereas compounds 4 and 8–10 with large substituents attached to the metal and the ligand (cyclohexyl and adamantyl) were 1D coordination polymers based on heteroditopic binding of the ligands. Albeit having essentially the same ligand conformation, the compounds having smaller substituents at the tin atoms (5, R = Me; 6, R = Et) comprise 24‐membered macrocyclic ring structures. In 7, water molecules are coordinated to half the tin atoms, giving dinuclear fragments {[HL2][nBu3Sn][HL2][nBu3Sn(H2O)]}, which are linked through OwH···Osal hydrogen bonds into 1D hydrogen‐bonded tapes. In solution, the tin atoms in 1–10 are coordinated to a single monoanionic [HL1–3]− ligand molecule utilizing anisobidentate coordination with the carboxylate group, as revealed from 119Sn nuclear magnetic resonance spectral results. The antiproliferative activity of the tri‐n‐butyl and triphenyltin compounds 3, 4, and 7–10 was evaluated against the cervical cancer cells (HeLa) and normal kidney cells (HEK) using the 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Of these, the adamantyl‐substituted tin complexes 9 and 10 present increased activity with IC50 values of 0.51 ± 0.01 and 0.41 ± 0.03 (μM) and good selectivity. The cell death mechanism was identified as apoptosis based on dual staining with fluorescent dyes (Hoechst 33342/propidium iodide and acridine orange/ethidium bromide) and might be related to reactive oxygen species.
Self‐healing polymer blend based onPETGandEMAA
Authors: Silva Philipe A. P. , da Silva Aline Bruna , Santos João Paulo Ferreira , Oréfice Rodrigo Lambert
Published: November 2020

In this work, novel immiscible polymer blends with remarkable self‐healing properties were developed. The blends are based on poly(ethylene glycol‐co‐cyclohexane‐1,4‐dimethanol terephthalate) (PETG), a nonself‐healing polymer, and the ionomer sodium‐neutralized poly(ethylene‐co‐methacrylic acid) (EMAA), with self‐healing abilities. The ratios of (PETG)/ (EMAA) was varied from 0 to 100% (w/w) and mixtures were prepared using a twin‐screw melt extrusion. The blend studied compositions were characterized by scanning electron microscope, differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis and self‐repair tests. The results revealed that blends samples were able to self‐repair damages created by Vickers microhardness indentations. The self‐repair is presented through video records where the establishment of scars in the damaged area can be observed. For the composition 50/50 (w/w), the whole repair was observed due the synergic effect between polymer chain mobility, new chemical interactions promoted between PETG and EMAA, thus improving its self‐healing ability.
Construal level theory and risky decision making following near‐miss events
Authors: Kirshner Samuel N.
Published: November 2020

Near‐miss events, which occur when failure is avoided by chance, can lead to subsequent risky decisions due to base‐rate neglect. According to construal level theory, a lower level construal increases the neglect of base rates by giving more weight to case‐specific information. In four studies, I empirically test the hypothesis that low‐level construals moderate evaluations and decisions following near‐miss events by increasing the reliance on case information. In Study 1, I find that a higher construal correlates with negative assessments of a project manager responsible for a near‐miss incident. In Study 2, I prime participants to have a high‐ or low‐level construal and find that the manager evaluations in the low construal group are higher than evaluations of those in the high construal group. In Study 3, I examine whether construal levels impact decision making in personal contexts regarding natural disasters and provide evidence for the underlying mechanism of base‐rate neglect. In Study 4, I show that the construal levels affect decision making given that near‐miss information extends to variations in the temporal distance to near‐miss information. Thus, I find support that construal levels systematically influence evaluations and decision making following near‐miss events.