bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ID Interviews Doug Kreysar, Chief Solutions Officer at Radiant Vision Systems
Authors: Donelan Jenny
Published: January 2019

Doug Kreysar heads engineering, operations, and quality teams for Radiant Vision System a company based in Redmond, Washington, that creates imaging systems for light and col measurement. Kreysar received a B.S. in physics from Vanderbilt University and an M.S. in applied physics from the University of Michigan. He is the author of multiple technical papers and has been awarded eight US patents.
ID Interviews Harman's Rashmi Rao
Authors: Donelan Jenny
Published: January 2019

Rashmi Rao is currently Senior Director, Advanced Engineering and User Experience, for the Connected Car Division at Harman, a Samsung Company, where she focuses on combining cutting‐edge technologies with advanced user experience (UX) design and human‐machine interactions (HMIs). She has more than 15 years of experience working for companies that include Apple, Qualcomm, and GE.
Advances in Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Technologies
Authors: Bhowmik Achintya K.
Published: January 2019

Virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) technologies offer the promise of seamlessly blending the real and the virtual worlds, thereby enabling many exciting immersive and interactive applications and experiences. This article provides a synopsis of some of the key new developments in the field presented at Display Week 2018.
ID Interviews Yiorgos Bontzios, CEO of Fieldscale
Authors: Donelan Jenny
Published: January 2019

Yiorgos Bontzios sets the vision and long‐term targets for Fieldscale, a company based in Thessaloniki, Greece, that makes simulation software for touch‐panel developers. Bontzios has a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the Aristotle University of Greece. He is the principal inventor of one patent, and has published over 20 papers and 4 books.
Possible Contribution of Wnt-Responsive Chondroprogenitors to the Postnatal Murine Growth Plate
Authors: Usami Yu , Gunawardena Aruni T , Francois Noelle B , Otsuru Satoru , Takano Hajime , Hirose Katsutoshi , Matsuoka Masatake , Suzuki Akiko , Huang Jiahui , Qin Ling , Iwamoto Masahiro , Yang Wentian , Toyosawa Satoru , Enomoto-Iwamoto Motomi
Published: January 2019

Active cell proliferation and turnover in the growth plate is essential for embryonic and postnatal bone growth. We performed a lineage tracing of Wnt/β-catenin signaling responsive cells (Wnt-responsive cells) using Axin2CreERT2;Rosa26ZsGreen mice and found a novel cell population that resides in the outermost layer of the growth plate facing the Ranvier's groove (RG; the perichondrium adjacent to growth plate). These Wnt-responsive cells rapidly expanded and contributed to formation of the outer growth plate from the neonatal to the growing stage but stopped expanding at the young adult stage when bone longitudinal growth ceases. In addition, a second Wnt-responsive sporadic cell population was localized within the resting zone of the central part of the growth plate during the postnatal growth phase. While it induced ectopic chondrogenesis in the RG, ablation of β-catenin in the Wnt-responsive cells strongly inhibited expansion of their descendants toward the growth plate. These findings indicate that the Wnt-responsive cell population in the outermost layer of the growth plate is a unique cell source of chondroprogenitors involving lateral growth of the growth plate and suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulates function of skeletal progenitors in a site- and stage-specific manner. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Abstract

The Wnt-responsive cells in the outermost layer of growth plate, labeled by the Axin2CreER;RosaZsGreen mouse system, expand and contribute to formation of the outer growth plate from the neonatal to the growing stage.
Low expression of microRNA‐340 confers adverse clinical outcome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Wang Qi , Feng Tao , Xu Jun , Miao Mei‐Hua , Ji Xue‐Qiang , Zhu Hong , Shao Xue‐Jun
Published: January 2019

MicroRNA‐340 (miR‐340) was considered as a tumor suppressor by affecting cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and migration, and was downregulated in diverse cancers. Moreover, dysregulation of miR‐340 was also found to be associated with drug resistance and predicted patients’ survival in various cancers. Herein, we investigated miR‐340 expression and its clinical significance in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect miR‐340 expression in bone marrow (BM) from 99 newly diagnosed AML patients except for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), 19 AML patients achieved complete remission (CR), and 29 healthy donors. BM miR‐340 expression was significantly underexpressed in newly diagnosed AML patients as compared with controls (p = 0.031) and AML patients achieved CR (p = 0.025). No significant differences were observed between miR‐340 expression and most of the clinicopathologic features (p > 0.05). However, low miR‐340 expression was found to be associated with lower CR rate in both non‐APL‐AML and cytogenetically normal AML (CN‐AML; p = 0.001 and 0.031, respectively), and acted as an independent risk factor for CR by logistic regression analysis (p = 0.001 and 0.021, respectively). More important, among both non‐APL‐AML and CN‐AML, low expression of miR‐340 was also associated with shorter overall survival (OS; p = 0.013 and 0.005, respectively), and was further validated by Cox regression (p = 0.031 and 0.039, respectively). Collectively, our study showed that BM miR‐340 expression was downregulated in AML, and low expression of miR‐340 correlated with adverse prognosis.
Synthesis of Some Benzimidazole‐based Heterocycles and their Application as Copper Corrosion Inhibitors
Authors: Eldebss Taha M. A. , Farag Ahmad M. , Shamy Adel Y. M.
Published: January 2019

A series of new substituted benzimidazoles embedded with a variety of function groups has been synthesized from N‐methyl‐2‐bromoacetylbenzimidazole. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized, and their structures were elucidated based on elemental analysis, spectral data, and alternative synthetic pathways, whenever possible. Some of benzimidazole derivatives were tested as corrosion inhibitors.
Synthesis of 2‐Nitrothiophenes via Tandem Henry Reaction and Nucleophilic Substitution on Sulfur from β‐Thiocyanatopropenals
Authors: Rong Lin , Shen Yingxia , Xiong Guoxi , Gong Yuefa
Published: January 2019

A new synthetic route of 2‐nitrothiophenes was described through a tetra‐n‐butylammonium fluoride‐promoted or diisopropylethylamine‐promoted tandem Henry reaction and nucleophilic substitution of nitromethane with 3‐thiocyanatopropenals, which were conveniently prepared by the replacement reaction of 3‐chloropropenals with potassium thiocyanate under a mild acidic condition.
Counseling Canadian Indigenous Peoples: The Therapeutic Alliance and Outcome
Authors: Shaw Sidney L. , Lombardero Anayansi , Babins‐Wagner Robbie , Sommers‐Flanagan John
Published: January 2019

The aim of this study was to determine whether client therapeutic alliance ratings and client symptom severity were predictors of counseling outcomes among Canadian Indigenous clients. Participants included 179 Canadian Indigenous clients who completed an outcome measure at the 1st and last sessions and an alliance measure at both the 2nd and 3rd sessions. Results indicated that higher client alliance ratings at Sessions 2 and 3 and baseline client symptom severity were significant predictors of outcome.

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar si las valoraciones del cliente de la alianza terapéutica y la severidad de los síntomas del cliente fueron indicadores de los resultados de la consejería entre clientes indígenas canadienses. Los participantes incluyeron 179 clientes indígenas canadienses que completaron una medida de resultados en la primera y última sesión, además de una medida de la alianza en la segunda y tercera sesión. Los resultados indicaron que unas valoraciones del cliente más altas de la alianza en las sesiones 2 y 3 y la severidad preliminar de los síntomas del cliente fueron indicadores significativos del resultado.
Study of the cyanoacrylate fuming mechanism by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: O'Neill Kelly C. , Lee Young Jin
Published: January 2019

Despite cyanoacrylate fuming being widely used in the forensic science field, its mechanism is not well understood. In this study, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry is used to study latent fingerprints that have been cyanoacrylate fumed in an attempt to gain insight into the fuming mechanism. In the negative mode mass spectrometry data, four compounds related to the polymerization of cyanoacrylate are identified and their structures are determined from accurate mass and MS/MS. A mechanism is proposed for the formation of these compounds that are regarded as intermediates in the polymerization reaction. In addition, based on the fuming of standard endogenous compounds, we suggest that fatty acids and amino acids are the major catalytic nucleophiles that initiate the polymerization reactions.
Nonlinear current source charge scheme for comparator based switched capacitor integrator
Authors: Valianpour Ehsan , Chaharmahali Iman , Biabanifard Sadegh
Published: January 2019

The continuous development of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technology makes it difficult to design high speed and low power amplifiers. One of the appropriate alternatives is comparator‐based circuits. In this paper, a modified structure for comparator‐based switched‐capacitor integrator is presented. This structure increases the clock frequency considerably by using a nonlinear current source. The proposed integrator involves replacing the two linear current sources in conventional comparator‐based switched‐capacitor integrator with just one nonlinear current source. Also, the new logic part is presented, which reduces the circuit size and power dissipation consequently. The suggested circuit reduces integration dependency to the logic part while decreases charge transfer phases to just a single phase. According to the proposed structure, a first order comparator‐based switched‐capacitor integrator is designed in 0.18 μm complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology with a 100 MHz as the clock frequency.
Gasdermin D serves as a key executioner of pyroptosis in experimental cerebral ischemia and reperfusion model both in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Zhang Dongping , Qian Jinhong , Zhang Peng , Li Haiying , Shen Haitao , Li Xiang , Chen Gang
Published: January 2019

Even though ischemic stroke is among the leading causes of death worldwide, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying ischemia reperfusion (I/R) brain injury remain unclear. Gasdermin D (GSDMD), as an important factor of pyroptotic death execution downstream of caspase‐11 (noncanonical inflammasome) and caspase‐1 (canonical inflammasome), may be implicated in I/R injury. The current study aimed to investigate the role and possible underlying mechanisms of GSDMD in pyroptosis during I/R injury. Results indicated that the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like receptors (NLR family) pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes were assembled and activated after middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R), leading to increased levels of IL‐1β and IL‐18. Additionally, GSDMD levels were elevated, and its N‐terminal fragment (GSDMD‐N) was cleaved to induce pyroptosis after MCAO/R, which was partly dependent on caspase‐1 activation and its Asp280 amino acid site. Furthermore, it was found that GSDMD‐N could bind to membrane lipids and exhibit membrane‐disrupting cytotoxicity, depending on its Glu15 and Leu156 amino acid sites. Nevertheless, the C‐terminal fragment of gasdermin (GSDMD‐C) exhibited an auto‐inhibitory effect on GSDMD‐N‐induced pyroptosis via binding to GSDMD in the cytoplasm. Taken together, this information suggests that GSDMD may participate in caspase‐1‐mediated pyroptosis during I/R injury both in vivo and in vitro, which could be a potential therapeutic target to reduce brain I/R injury.
Biochar properties and soil type drive the uptake of macro‐ and micronutrients in maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Bornø Marie Louise , Müller-Stöver Dorette Sophie , Liu Fulai
Published: January 2019

The use of biochar in agriculture is a promising management tool to mitigate soil degradation and anthropogenic climate change. However, biochar effects on soil nutrient bioavailability are complex and several concurrent processes affecting nutrient bioavailability can occur in biochar‐amended soils. In a short‐term pot experiment, the concentration of N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, Mn, B, Fe, and Na in the shoots of maize grown in three different soil types [sandy soil (S1), sandy loam (S2), and sandy clay loam (S3)] was investigated. The soils were either unamended or amended with two different biochars [wheat straw biochar (SBC) or pine wood biochar (WBC)] at two P fertilizer regimes (–/+ P). We used three‐way ANOVA and Principal Component Analyses (PCA) of transformed ionomic data to identify the effects of biochar, soil, and P fertilizer on the shoot nutrient concentrations. Three distinct effects of biochar on the shoot ionome were detected: (1) both biochars added excess K to all three soils causing an antagonistic effect on the uptake of Ca and Mg in maize shoots. (2) Mn uptake was affected by biochar with varying effects depending on the combined effect of biochar and soil properties. (3) WBC increased maize uptake of B, despite the fact that WBC increased soil pH and added additional calcite to the soil, which would be expected to reduce B bioavailability. The results of this study highlight the fact that the bioavailability of several macro and micronutrients is affected by biochar application to soil and that these effects depend on the combined effect of biochar and soils with different properties.
Application of fabric phase sorptive extraction with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in selected vegetable samples
Authors: Kaur Ramandeep , Kaur Ripneel , Rani Susheela , Malik Ashok Kumar , Kabir Abuzar , Furton Kenneth G.
Published: January 2019

In the present work, a high‐efficiency and solvent minimized microextraction technique, fabric phase sorptive extraction followed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analysis is proposed for the rapid determination of four organophosphorus pesticides (terbufos, malathion, chlorpyrifos, and triazofos) in vegetable samples including beans, tomato, brinjal, and cabbage. Fabric phase sorptive extraction combines the beneficial features of sol‐gel derived microextraction sorbents with the rich surface chemistry of cellulose fabric substrate, which collectively form a highly efficient microextraction system. Fabric phase sorptive extraction membrane, when immersed directly into the sample matrix, may extract target analytes even when high percentage of matrix interferents are present. The technique also greatly simplifies sample preparation workflow. Most important fabric phase sorptive extraction parameters were investigated and optimized. The developed method displayed good linearity over the concentration range 0.5–500 ng/g. Under optimum experimental conditions, the limits of detection were found in the range of 0.033 to 0.136 ng/g. The relative standard deviations for the extraction of organophosphorus pesticides were < 5%. Subsequently, the new method was applied to beans, tomato, brinjal, and cabbage samples. The results from the real sample analysis indicate that the method is green, rapid, and economically feasible for the determination of organophosphorus pesticides in vegetable samples.
Carbon outwelling and outgassing vs. burial in an estuarine tidal creek surrounded by mangrove and saltmarsh wetlands
Authors: Santos Isaac R. , Maher Damien T. , Larkin Reece , Webb Jackie R. , Sanders Christian J.
Published: January 2019

Mangrove‐ and saltmarsh‐dominated estuaries have high rates of organic carbon burial. Here, we estimate soil, pore water, and surface‐water carbon fluxes in an Australian estuarine tidal creek to assess whether (1) advective pore water exchange releases some of the soil carbon, (2) outwelling (lateral exports) represents a major carbon sequestration mechanism, and (3) methane emissions offset soil carbon sequestration. A radon (222Rn) mass balance implied tidally driven pore‐water exchange rates ranging from 5.5 ± 3.6 to 15.6 ± 8.1 cm d−1. Pore water exchange explained most of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and methane surface‐water fluxes but not dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and alkalinity. Organic carbon burial in soils derived from 239 + 240Pu dating was 11–63 g C m−2 yr−1. Methane and carbon dioxide emissions at the water–air interface were 0.27 ± 0.03 and 63 ± 166 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively. When calculated as CO2‐equivalents, aquatic CH4 emissions converted to 19–94 g C‐CO2 m−2 yr−1. Upscaling methane and soil carbon fluxes to representative areas revealed that CH4 emissions could offset < 5% of soil carbon burial. DIC outwelling (12 ± 6 mmol m−2 catchment d−1) was less than five‐fold greater than DOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) outwelling and four‐fold greater than catchment‐wide carbon burial. Because much of this DIC remains in the ocean after air–water equilibration, lateral DIC exports may represent an important long‐term carbon sink. Recent research has focused on quantifying carbon burial rates in blue carbon habitats such as saltmarshes and mangroves. We suggest that DIC outwelling and methane outgassing should also be considered when assessing the carbon sequestration capacity of these coastal vegetated habitats.
Corrosion protection of steel cut‐edges by hot‐dip galvanized Al(Zn,Mg) coatings in 1 wt% NaCl: Part II. Numerical simulations
Authors: Dolgikh Olga , Simillion Hans , Lamaka Sviatlana V. , Bastos Alexandre C. , Xue Huibin B. , Taryba Maryna G. , Oliveira Andre R. , Allély Christian , Van Den Bossche Bart , Van Den Bergh Krista , De Strycker Joost , Deconinck Johan
Published: January 2019

In this paper a mechanistic model is elaborated to simulate the corrosion behavior of aluminum–zinc–magnesium coatings on steel. The model is based on the mass transport and reactions of the ions in the electrolyte (MITReM). The finite element method has been used, which allows to perform time‐dependent simulations with micrometer scale to study local corrosion effects. The formation of corrosion products and the prediction of electrolyte concentration distributions are compared for different metallic coating compositions. The spatial and temporal simulation of complex precipitates provides an additional tool to validate the model through corrosion product characterization. The simulation results are compared to experimental observations, presented in part I of this paper. The MITReM simulations are limited to the micro‐scale and therefore to small geometries. A link is made with the potential model which can be applied on macro‐scale objects. A qualitative agreement is found between the simulations at both scales and the experiments. Further quantification of this model would optimize the simulations for material design and for predictive maintenance.
Evaluation of as‐extruded ternary Zn–Mg–Zr alloys for biomedical implantation material: In vitro and in vivo behavior
Authors: Ren Tiantian , Gao Xue , Xu Cheng , Yang Lijing , Guo Pushan , Liu Huinan , Chen Yanxia , Sun Wensheng , Song Zhenlun
Published: January 2019

In this study, Zn‐xMg‐0.5Zr alloys (x = 0.5, 1, 1.5 wt%) were designed to improve the mechanical properties and biodegradability of pure Zn for potential biomedical implantation materials. The microstructure, mechanical properties, in vitro corrosion behavior, and in vivo biocompatibility of the as‐extruded alloys were investigated. The Zn–Mg–Zr alloys exhibit a significant grain refinement and improved tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and cytotoxicity by comparison with pure Zn. With the increasing Mg content, the tensile strength and corrosion rate of Zn–Mg–Zr alloys increase whereas the elongation increases and then decreases and the cytocompatibility decreases. Due to the combination of hot extrusion and micro‐alloying of Mg and Zr, the Zn–1Mg–0.5Zr alloy has homogenous microstructure, uniform and slow biodegradation, improved mechanical properties and good biocompatibility, is a suitable candidate material for load‐bearing biodegradable implant application.
Mannobiose‐Grafting Shifts PEI Charge and Biphasic Dependence on pH
Authors: Basu Saswati , Venable Richard M. , Rice Bria , Ogharandukun Eric , Klauda Jeffery B. , Pastor Richard W. , Chandran Preethi L.
Published: January 2019

How the 4% grafting of mannobiose alters the properties of the polyelectrolyte, linear polyethylenimine (PEI), which has protonable amines and is used widely for complexing DNA, is investigated. The pH‐dependence of the PEI charge, zeta potential, and hydrodynamic radius changes when the polymer charge increases beyond 50–60%. According to MD simulations, this transition in pH‐ or charge‐ dependence is a short‐range structural response to amine protonation (i.e., change in intrinsic persistence length) rather than a longer‐range charge‐repulsion response. Upon mannobiosylation, the 50% charge state of PEI shifts from ≈pH 6 toward ≈pH 4. The protonability of PEI is lowered and restricted to limited charge states. These mannobiosylation‐induced shifts are reversed by salt and uncharged chaotropes, indicating that hydrogen‐bonding interactions fostered by the grafted sugars are lowering the protonation pKa of PEI. These findings have broad implications for the analytical modeling of polyelectrolytes, the design of PEI‐based gene‐delivery systems, and for understanding how oligosaccharides modify cell and protein surfaces.
Unknown mutations and genotype/phenotype correlations of autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis in patients from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
Authors: Lima Cunha Dulce , Alakloby Omar Mohammed , Gruber Robert , Kakar Naseebullah , Ahmad Jamil , Alawbathani Salem , Plank Roswitha , Eckl Katja , Krabichler Birgit , Altmüller Janine , Nürnberg Peter , Zschocke Johannes , Borck Guntram , Schmuth Matthias , Alabdulkareem Adnan S. , Abdulaziz Alnutaifi Kholood , Hennies Hans Christian
Published: January 2019

Background

Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous skin disease, associated with defects in the skin permeability barrier. Several but not all genes with underlying mutations have been identified, but a clear correlation between genetic causes and clinical picture has not been described to date.

Methods

Our study included 19 families from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Pakistan. All patients were born to consanguineous parents and diagnosed with ARCI. Mutations were analyzed by homozygosity mapping and direct sequencing.

Results

We have detected mutations in all families in five different genes: TGM1, ABCA12, CYP4F22, NIPAL4, and ALOXE3. Five likely pathogenic variants were unknown so far, a splice site and a missense variant in TGM1, a splice site variant in NIPAL4, and missense variants in ABCA12 and CYP4F22. We attributed TGM1 and ABCA12 mutations to the most severe forms of lamellar and erythematous ichthyoses, respectively, regardless of treatment. Other mutations highlighted the presence of a phenotypic spectrum in ARCI.

Conclusion

Our results contribute to expanding the mutational spectrum of ARCI and revealed new insights into genotype/phenotype correlations. The findings are instrumental for a faster and more precise diagnosis, a better understanding of the pathophysiology, and the definition of targets for more specific therapies for ARCI.
Contra: Hochschulen sind keine Berufsschulen
Authors: Hippler Horst
Published: January 2019

Berufsanfänger auf die Betriebspraxis vorzubereiten, ist Aufgabe der Unternehmen, nicht der Universitäten, entgegnet Horst Hippler.
Tag der Organischen Chemie an der
Authors: Laschat Sabine
Published: January 2019

Mitte Oktober 2018 fand zum 22. Mal der Tag der Organischen Chemie an der Universität Stuttgart statt. Doktoranden, Arbeitsgruppenleiter und Vertreter der Industrie hatten hier Gelegenheit, sich auszutauschen; zwölf Doktoranden präsentierten in Kurzvorträgen ihre Forschungsergebnisse.
Reaktionen im kontinuierlichen Strom
Authors: Breugst Martin , König Jonas
Published: January 2019

Sollen Reaktionen möglichst sauber, schnell, ökonomisch, sicher oder leicht skalierbar sein, lassen sich auch im Forschungslabor Durchflussreaktoren nutzen. Denn Flow Chemistry ist nicht nur für großtechnische Produktionen sinnvoll, sondern eignet sich auch für kleinere Ansätze.
Alles frei zugänglich
Authors: Süssmuth Lisa
Published: January 2019

Etwa 88 % der von den US National Institutes of Health geförderten Publikationen sind frei zugänglich, von der US National Science Foundation sind es die Hälfte.
50 Jahre Mitgliedschaft in der CG/GDCh – Wir gratulieren!
Authors: Bräutigam Maximilian , Lindhorst Thisbe K. , Koch Wolfram
Published: January 2019

Zu Beginn des Internationalen Jahres des Periodensystems 2019 gratulieren wir herzlich unseren Kolleginnen und Kollegen zu ihren Goldenen Jubiläen in der GDCh bzw. zu ihren 50‐jährigen Mitgliedschaften in der Chemischen Gesellschaft der DDR (CG) und nach der Wiedervereinigung in der GDCh:
Mehr Geld für Praxisnähe
Authors: Süssmuth Lisa
Published: January 2019

Die Bundesregierung fördert die Forschung von Fachhochschulen mit jährlich 60 Mio. Euro.
Noninvasive fetal electrocardiography for the detection of fetal arrhythmias
Authors: Behar Joachim A. , Bonnemains Laurent , Shulgin Vyacheslav , Oster Julien , Ostras Oleksii , Lakhno Igor
Published: January 2019

Objective

To assess whether noninvasive fetal electrocardiography (NI‐FECG) enables the diagnosis of fetal arrhythmias.

Methods

A total of 500 echocardiography and NI‐FECG recordings were collected from pregnant women during a routine medical visit in this multicenter study. All the cases with fetal arrhythmias (n = 12) and a matching number of control (n = 14) were used. Two perinatal cardiologists analyzed the extracted NI‐FECG while blinded to the echocardiography. The NI‐FECG‐based diagnosis was compared with the reference fetal echocardiography diagnosis.

Results

NI‐FECG and fetal echocardiography agreed on all cases (Ac = 100%) on the presence of an arrhythmia or not. However, in one case, the type of arrhythmia identified by the NI‐FECG was incorrect because of the low resolution of the extracted fetal P‐wave, which prevented resolving the mechanism (2:1 atrioventricular conduction) of the atrial tachycardia.

Conclusion

It is possible to diagnose fetal arrhythmias using the NI‐FECG technique. However, this study identifies that improvement in algorithms for reconstructing the P‐wave is critical to systematically resolve the mechanisms underlying the arrhythmias. The elaboration of a NI‐FECG Holter device will offer new opportunities for fetal diagnosis and remote monitoring of problematic pregnancies because of its low‐cost, noninvasiveness, portability, and minimal setup requirements.
An economic evaluation of a telephone outcall intervention for informal carers of cancer patients in Australia: An assessment of costs and quality‐adjusted‐life‐years
Authors: Richards‐Jones Scott , Mihalopoulos Cathrine , Heckel Leila , Gunn Kate M. , Tan Marcus , Livingston Patricia M.
Published: January 2019

Objective

Carers of people with cancer provide uncompensated care that is often physically, emotionally, and financially demanding, which results in neglect of their own health. This study's objective was to conduct an economic evaluation following a randomised control trial (RCT) involving a proactive telephone outcall intervention aimed at improving health outcomes among carers of cancer patients.

Methods

The trial was a single‐blind, multicentre, RCT conducted across four Australian health services, comprising three outcalls from trained Cancer Council 131120 (Cancer Council telephone and information support services) nurses compared with three phone call reminders of the availability of 131120 services (control group). Outcalls consisted of telephone contacts to the caregivers initiated by the Cancer Council nurses. The primary trial outcome was reduced carer burden. Health care resource use was measured using a resource use questionnaire (RUQ), and costs were presented in 2013 $(AUS). Quality‐adjusted‐life‐years (QALYs) were also used as health outcomes. An incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated, with bootstrapping used to quantify sampling variability. A $50 000 per QALY‐gained willingness‐to‐pay threshold was used. Sensitivity analyses were conducted.

Results

Results showed that the total mean QALYs‐gained were higher (0.02 QALYs, P = 0.01) in the control group, and total mean costs were lower in the control group ($477, P < 0.001) over the trial duration. The intervention group was dominated by the control group. Results were robust to sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

Results suggest policy makers should not adopt this intervention into routine health care in its current form. Further research into the efficacy and cost‐effectiveness of telephone‐based interventions for carers is required.
Facile Synthesis of Fluorescent Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots Using Scindapsus as a Carbon Source
Authors: Yang Lili , Sun Xue , Li Dan , Qu Chunhong , Liu Huilian , Wei Maobin , Liu Xiaoyan , Yang Jinghai
Published: January 2019

A green method is used to synthesize nitrogen‐doped carbon quantum dots (N‐CQDs) using dried scindapsus leaves as the carbon source. The average diameter of the N‐CQDs varies from 2 to 6 nm. The N‐CQDs emit blue light, and the emission wavelength exhibits excitation wavelength dependence. The characteristic peak is found to originate from a N‐related state. The surface defects and quantum effects of the CQDs play a strong role in the luminescence process and resulted in the excitation wavelength dependence of the photoluminescence, which is confirmed by changing the solvent to ethanol. This work can encourage the exploration of new carbon sources to synthesize doped CQDs and stimulate investigation of the photoluminescence mechanism of CQDs.
Computational Study on Interfaces and Interface Defects of Amorphous Silica and Silicon
Authors: Li Pei , Song Yu , Zuo Xu
Published: January 2019

The amorphous SiO2/Si interface is arguably the most important part in semiconductor technology, strongly influencing the device reliability. Its electronic structure is affected by the defects, majorly the dangling bonds known as Pb‐type defects, which have been studied for decades. These defects are usually passivated by hydrogen atoms in device processing, which eliminates the defect levels in the silicon bandgap and thus removes their electric activity. However, when the interface is exposed to ionization radiation, the passivated defects can be reactivated by the protons generated by radiation, which significantly affects the device performance and causes reliability issues. In this review, computational studies on the amorphous SiO2/Si interface and interface defects are summarized, including the modeling of the interface, the main interface defects, and their depassivation, and compared to experimental results. The hyperfine parameters are emphasized, because they are essential to identify the structures of the interface defects. The defect levels and depassivation of the defects are also emphasized, because the former directly affect the device performance and the latter directly generates the dangling bonds in the interface.
Mechanism Behind the Easy Exfoliation of Ga2O3 Ultra‐Thin Film Along (100) Surface
Authors: Barman Sajib K. , Huda Muhammad N.
Published: January 2019

The transparent wide band gap semiconductor β‐Ga2O3 has gained wide attention due to its suitability to a wide range of applications. Despite not being a van der Waals material and having highly strong ionic bonding, the material can be mechanically cleaved and exfoliated easily along favorable surfaces to make ultra‐thin layers and used in device fabrications. One of the interesting properties of this material is that thin layers preserve the pristine bulk‐like electronic properties, which makes it even more promising for applications in power devices. However, very little is known about the mechanism why such ultra‐thin film or even single bilayer exfoliation is favorable from the bulk. In this letter, we have explained the mechanism of such phenomenon by detailed analyses of different types of Ga–O bonding character. The protocol of methodology used and developed in this study can be utilized in general to understand bond breaking and forming of other complex materials as well. This understanding will give us a better control to fabricate thin film 2D devices.
Two‐Dimensional GaX/SnS2 (X = S, Se) van der Waals Heterostructures for Photovoltaic Application: Heteroatom Doping Strategy to Boost Power Conversion Efficiency
Authors: Wu Hong‐Yu , Yang Ke , Si Yuan , Huang Wei‐Qing , Hu Wangyu , Huang Gui‐Fang
Published: January 2019

Two‐dimensional (2D) heterostructures with novel and tunable physical properties are regarded as promising candidates for high‐efficiency photovoltaics. The band gap and band alignment at the interface are fundamental properties determining photovoltaic‐device efficiency. Here, by systematic first‐principles density‐functional calculations, we demonstrate that 2D GaX/SnS2 (X = S, Se) van der Waals heterostructures with a narrow band gap are solar cell candidate materials. The results show that compared to their individuals, the band gaps of the heterostructures are significantly reduced, allowing harvesting a wide range of solar light. The type‐II band alignment at the interface would promote the electron transfer from one constituent to another, and enhance the separation efficiency of electron–hole pairs in the heterostructures. Interestingly, heteroatom doping, especially N atom doping can significantly increase the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 2D GaX/SnS2 heterostructures up to 16% (increased by 162%). This work suggests that the heteroatom doping strategy is an effective scheme to develop efficient 2D heterostructure‐based optoelectronic devices.
Polynomial static output feedback H∞ control via homogeneous Lyapunov functions
Authors: Lo Ji‐Chang , Liu Jung‐Wei
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we study a polynomial static output feedback (SOF) stabilization problem with H∞ performance via a homogeneous polynomial Lyapunov function (HPLF). It is shown that the quadratic stability ascertaining the existence of a single constant Lyapunov function becomes a special case. With the HPLF, the proposal is based on a relaxed two‐step sum of square (SOS) construction where a stabilizing polynomial state feedback gain K(x) is returned at the first stage and then the obtained K(x) gain is fed back to the second stage, achieving the SOF closed‐loop stabilization of the underlying polynomial fuzzy control systems. The SOS equations obtained thus effectively serve as a sufficient condition for synthesizing the SOF controllers that guarantee polynomial fuzzy systems stabilization. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed polynomial fuzzy SOF H∞ control, benchmark examples are provided for the new approach.
Trajectories of functional ability over the life course: a conceptual model of the interaction of stressor‐induced functional loss and resilience
Authors: Matchar David B. , Ansah John P. , Koh Victoria , Whitson Heather E.
Published: January 2019

Abstract

Understanding the factors that influence functional ability over the life course is integral to identifying clinical and public health policies to facilitate successful aging. The World Health Organization has advocated a conceptual framework to clarify the policy discussion. We have sought to translate this general framework into an explicit system dynamics model of the interaction of physiological loss, stressors and endogenous responses to produce a familiar variety of trajectories of functional ability over the life courses. Simulation experiments were implemented for both a 30‐month duration with only one major stressor; and for the life course with an initial major stressor and subsequent stressors determined by the level of functional ability. For both contexts, variations in the few parameters in the scenarios led to a realistic range of trajectories of function over time.

© 2019 System Dynamics Society
What Should (Knightian) Economists Do? James M. Buchanan's 1980 Visit to Chile
Authors: Farrant Andrew
Published: January 2019

Although Milton Friedman and Arnold Harberger became involved with Pinochet's Chile in the mid‐1970s, an increasingly influential body of scholarship argues that James M. Buchanan was similarly eager to provide Pinochet's dictatorship with advice. Buchanan reportedly had a heavy influence on the development of Chile's 1980 Constitution and similarly helped to design Chile's binomial electoral system. Buchanan's seeming willingness to advise Pinochet's dictatorship provides a stark contrast to his longstanding advocacy of Frank Knight's view that democracy is “government by discussion” and Buchanan's oft‐repeated insistence that democratic consensus trumps economic expertise. This article draws upon a wealth of largely ignored archival evidence and Chilean primary source material to engage and evaluate whether Buchanan—a Knightian economist par excellence—abandoned his advocacy of “government by discussion” and provided early 1980s advice that helped Pinochet's regime of “institutionalized terror” (Valdes , p. 30) design a constitution that would chain any subsequent Chilean democracy.
How to Compete? Cournot versus Bertrand in a Vertical Structure with an Integrated Input Supplier
Authors: Fanti Luciano , Scrimitore Marcella
Published: January 2019

We study whether a quantity or a price contract is chosen at equilibrium by one integrated firm and its retail competitor in a differentiated duopoly. Using a similar vertical structure, Arya et al. () show that Bertrand competition is more profitable than Cournot competition, which contrasts with conventional wisdom. In this article, we first demonstrate that such a result is robust to the endogenous determination of the type of contract. Second, by introducing managerial incentives in the model, we find that delegation to managers may lead each firm to choose a quantity contract and, as long as products are sufficiently differentiated, entails conflicting choices causing nonexistence of equilibrium in pure strategies. Significantly high product substitutability reconciles firms' objectives under delegation, leading unique or multiple equilibria with symmetric types of contracts to arise.
Microstructure and Properties of 1.0C–1.5Cr Bearing Steel in Processes of Hot Rolling, Spheroidization, Quenching, and Tempering
Authors: Li Chang‐Sheng , Li Zhen‐Xing , Ren Jin‐Yi , Tu Xing‐Yang , Li Bin‐Zhou
Published: January 2019

A novel online subcritical spheroidization annealing technology is proposed. To verify the validity and advantage, microstructure, and properties of 1.0C–1.5Cr bearing steel in three process of hot rolling, spheroidization, quenching, and tempering are investigated. It is demonstrated that the refining of hot rolled microstructure is beneficial to obtaining finer spheroidized microstructure, which accelerates cementite dissolution during the austenitization process of subsequent quenching treatment. When the ferrite grain size of spheroidized microstructure decreases from 8.3 to 1.7 µm, and mean diameter of spheroidized cementite decreases from 0.38 to 0.22 µm, the prior austenite grain size of the microstructure quenched from 850 °C decreases by about 27%, and mean diameter of undissolved cementite decreases by at least 20%. The fatigue limit of the tested steel after quenching and tempering is measured. It is increased from 789 to 986 MPa due to the comprehensive effect of the refining of both undissolved cementite and prior austenite grain, and the increase of retained austenite content in the martensite matrix.
Transdiagnostic dimensions of psychosis in the Bipolar‐Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B‐SNIP)
Authors: Reininghaus Ulrich , Böhnke Jan R. , Chavez‐Baldini UnYoung , Gibbons Robert , Ivleva Elena , Clementz Brett A. , Pearlson Godfrey D. , Keshavan Matcheri S. , Sweeney John A. , Tamminga Carol A.
Published: January 2019

The validity of the classification of non‐affective and affective psychoses as distinct entities has been disputed, but, despite calls for alternative approaches to defining psychosis syndromes, there is a dearth of empirical efforts to identify transdiagnostic phenotypes of psychosis. We aimed to investigate the validity and utility of general and specific symptom dimensions of psychosis cutting across schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and bipolar I disorder with psychosis. Multidimensional item‐response modeling was conducted on symptom ratings of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, Young Mania Rating Scale, and Montgomery‐Åsberg Depression Rating Scale in the multicentre Bipolar‐Schizophrenia Network on Intermediate Phenotypes (B‐SNIP) consortium, which included 933 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia (N=397), schizoaffective disorder (N=224), or bipolar I disorder with psychosis (N=312). A bifactor model with one general symptom dimension, two distinct dimensions of non‐affective and affective psychosis, and five specific symptom dimensions of positive, negative, disorganized, manic and depressive symptoms provided the best model fit. There was further evidence on the utility of symptom dimensions for predicting B‐SNIP psychosis biotypes with greater accuracy than categorical DSM diagnoses. General, positive, negative and disorganized symptom dimension scores were higher in African American vs. Caucasian patients. Symptom dimensions accurately classified patients into categorical DSM diagnoses. This study provides evidence on the validity and utility of transdiagnostic symptom dimensions of psychosis that transcend traditional diagnostic boundaries of psychotic disorders. Findings further show promising avenues for research at the interface of dimensional psychopathological phenotypes and basic neurobiological dimensions of psychopathology.
Automating Event-B invariant proofs by rippling and proof patching
Authors: Lin Yuhui , Bundy Alan , Grov Gudmund , Maclean Ewen
Published: January 2019

The use of formal method techniques can contribute to the production of more reliable and dependable systems. However, a common bottleneck for industrial adoption of such techniques is the needs for interactive proofs. We use a popular formal method, called
Event-B
, as our working domain, and set invariant preservation (INV) proofs as targets, because INV proofs can account for a significant proportion of the proofs requiring human interactions. We apply an inductive theorem proving technique, called rippling, for Event-B INV proofs. Rippling automates proofs using meta-level guidance. The guidance is in particular useful to develop proof patches to recover failed proof attempts. We are interested in the case when a missing lemma is required. We combine a scheme-based theory-exploration system, called
IsaScheme
[
MRMDB10
], with rippling to develop a proof patch via lemma discovery. We also develop two new proof patches to unfold operator definitions and to suggest case-splits, respectively. The combined use of rippling with these three proof patches as a proof method significantly improves the proof automation for our evaluation set.
A Novel Prediction Model for Bloodstream Infections in Hepatobiliary–Pancreatic Surgery Patients
Authors: Yang Po‐Sheng , Liu Chang‐Pan , Hsu Yi‐Chiung , Chen Chuen‐Fei , Lee Chi‐Chan , Cheng Shih‐Ping
Published: January 2019

Background

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are an important source of postoperative mortality in hepatobiliary–pancreatic surgery (HBPS) patients, and no prediction model has been analyzed before.

Methods

Using big data from the electronic medical records of the administrative and culture databases of MacKay Memorial Hospital, we identified the potential risk factors for community‐acquired and healthcare‐associated BSI and mortality of patients who received HBPS. Subsequently, we analyzed the microorganisms’ profiles and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns for these BSI.

Results

BSI were found in 6.3% patients (349 of 5513 HBPS patients), and hospital mortality was 1.48% (82 of 5513). Dividing patients into low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk groups on the basis of sex, age, status of comorbidity (renal failure, peptic ulcer disease, fluid and electrolyte disorders, and acute cholecystitis), a predictive BSI risk score model was developed. According to this model, BSI risk ranged from 1.43% to 11.95%; AUROC to predict BSI risk was 0.72 (95% CI 0.69–0.75). From this retrospective study, Enterobacteriaceae were the most common microorganisms that were isolated from BSI. For both community‐acquired and healthcare‐associated BSI, imipenem and colistin are the most successful.

Conclusion

This novel model can be useful to predict who is at risk of BSI after HBPS, and new prophylactic protocols for these patients are needed.
The osnR gene of Corynebacterium glutamicum plays a negative regulatory role in oxidative stress responses
Authors: Jeong Haeri , Kim Younhee , Lee Heung-Shick
Published: January 2019

Among the Corynebacterium glutamicum ORFs that have been implicated in stress responses, we chose ORF cg3230, designated osnR, and analyzed it further. Unlike the osnR-deleted strain (ΔosnR), the osnR-overexpressing strain (P180-osnR) developed growth defects and increased sensitivity to various oxidants including H2O2. Transcription in the P180-osnR strain of genes such as sodA (superoxide dismutase), ftn (ferritin biosynthesis), and ahpD (alkyl hydroperoxide reductase; cg2674), which are involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species, was only 40% that of the wild type. However, transcription of katA, encoding H2O2-detoxifying catalase, was unchanged in this strain. Genes such as trxB (thioredoxin reductase) and mtr (mycothiol disulfide reductase), which play roles in redox homeostasis, also showed decreased transcription in the strain. 2D-PAGE analysis indicated that genes involved in redox reactions were considerably affected by osnR overexpression. The NADPH/NADP+ ratio of the P180-osnR strain (1.35) was higher than that of the wild-type stain (0.78). Collectively, the phenotypes of the ΔosnR and P180-osnR strains suggest a global regulatory role as well as a negative role for the gene in stress responses, particularly in katA-independent oxidative stress responses.