bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sono‐Immunotherapeutic Nanocapturer to Combat Multidrug‐Resistant Bacterial Infections
Authors: Pang Xin , Liu Xue , Cheng Yi , Zhang Chang , Ren En , Liu Chao , Zhang Yang , Zhu Jing , Chen Xiaoyuan , Liu Gang
Published: June 2019

Antibiotic‐free methods hold particular promise for preventing and controlling multidrug‐resistant (MDR) bacterial infection via eradiation of bacteria and their pathogenic virulence. A facile and bioinspired strategy is presented for bridging antibacterial sonodynamic therapy and antivirulence immunotherapy. As a proof‐of‐concept, an antibody which neutralizes alpha‐toxin of methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is genetically engineered on to the surface of cell membrane nanovesicles, which then undergo sonosensitizer encapsulation. Compared with conventional passive virulence absorption using natural red blood membrane, the highly active antibody–toxin interaction enables the nanovesicles to capture virulence more potently in vitro. Upon ultrasound activation, the sonosensitizers efficiently generate reactive oxygen species to kill bacteria and accelerate the virulence clearance. In vivo optical imaging shows that the antibody‐piloted nanocapturer can successfully locate MRSA infection and accurately distinguish the foci from sterile inflammation. In situ magnetic resonance imaging and oxyhemoglobin saturation detection visualize the treatment progression, revealing a complete sono‐immunotherapeutic eradication of MRSA myositis in mice. The first combination of antibacterial sonodynamic therapy and antivirulence immunotherapy, which promises a new way for antibiotic‐free nanotheranostics to robustly combat MDR bacterial infections, is presented.
Controlled Cooling for Synthesis of Cs2AgBiBr6 Single Crystals and Its Application for X‐Ray Detection
Authors: Yin Lixiao , Wu Haodi , Pan Weicheng , Yang Bo , Li Penghua , Luo Jiajun , Niu Guangda , Tang Jiang
Published: June 2019

Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite recently emerges as a promising semiconductor for ionization detections because of the low detection limit and nontoxic composition. However, it suffers from unsatisfactory reproducibility and wide fluctuation of electrical properties, as also in other halide perovskite systems. Here, solubility and supersolubility are employed as quantitative indicators to direct the growth of Cs2AgBiBr6 single crystals. The optimized Cs2AgBiBr6 crystals exhibit smooth surface as well as high resistivity with narrow distribution from 6.10 × 109 to 3.31 × 1010 Ω cm, in contrast to the unoptimized Cs2AgBiBr6 crystals ranging from 6.04 × 107 to 5.61 × 109 Ω cm. Moreover, the fabricated X‐ray detector has a sensitivity of 1974 µC Gyair−1 cm−2 under 50 V mm−1 electric field, which is close to lead halide perovskite detectors. This study highlights the importance of quantitative understanding about the growth process, and might also be applicable to other crystal growth methods, for instance, antisolvent or solvent evaporation method.
Glycosaminoglycan and Proteoglycan Biotherapeutics in Articular Cartilage Protection and Repair Strategies: Novel Approaches to Visco‐supplementation in Orthobiologics
Authors: Hayes Anthony J. , Melrose James
Published: June 2019

The aim of this study is to review developments in glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan research relevant to cartilage repair biology and in particular the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Glycosaminoglycans decorate a diverse range of extracellular matrix and cell associated proteoglycans conveying structural organization and physico‐chemical properties to tissues. They play key roles mediating cellular interactions with bioactive growth factors, cytokines, and morphogenetic proteins, and structural fibrillar collagens, cell interactive and extracellular matrix proteoglycans, and glycoproteins which define tissue function. Proteoglycan degradation detrimentally affects tissue functional properties. Therapeutic strategies have been developed to counter these degenerative changes. Neo‐proteoglycans prepared from chondroitin sulfate or hyaluronan and hyaluronan or collagen‐binding peptides emulate the interactive, water imbibing, weight bearing, and surface lubricative properties of native proteoglycans. Many neo‐proteoglycans outperform native proteoglycans in terms of water imbibition, matrix stabilization, and resistance to proteolytic degradation. The biospecificity of recombinant proteoglycans however, provides precise attachment to native target molecules. Visco‐supplements augmented with growth factors/therapeutic cells, hyaluronan, and lubricin (orthobiologicals) have the capacity to lubricate and protect cartilage, control inflammation, and promote cartilage repair and regeneration of early cartilage lesions and may represent a more effective therapeutic approach to the treatment of mild to moderate OA and deserve further study.
Mode of progression after first line treatment correlates with outcome of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Authors: Al‐Sawaf Othman , Bazeos Alexandra , Robrecht Sandra , Bahlo Jasmin , Gower Craig , Fink Anna‐Maria , Tresckow Julia , Cramer Paula , Langerbeins Petra , Kutsch Nadine , Humphrey Kathryn , Fingerle‐Rowson Günter , Stilgenbauer Stephan , Wendtner Clemens‐Martin , Fischer Kirsten , Eichhorst Barbara , Hallek Michael , Goede Valentin
Published: June 2019

In CLL, progressive disease (PD) following remission after first line treatment can present with varying phenotypes. We hypothesized that the mode of PD correlates with clinical outcomes. Data from three phase III trials of the German CLL Study Group (GCLLSG) (CLL8, CLL10, CLL11) including a total of 2159 patients receiving first line (immuno)‐chemotherapy (FCR, FC, CLB, CLB‐R, CLB‐Ob) were analyzed. Patients were categorized as “ALC” if PD was due to increasing absolute lymphocyte count, or as “Ly” if due to lymphadenopathy. A group of 241 patients progressed with ALC, and 727 progressed with Ly, including 329 who progressed on both modalities. In fit patients, median TTNT after PD in the Ly group was 12.3 months vs 17.0 months in the ALC group (HR 1.299 [1.036‐1.628]; P = .024). Median OS after PD was 45.1 months in the Ly group and 42.4 months in the ALC group (HR=1.023 [0.753‐1.389]; P = .885). For unfit patients, median TTNT in the Ly group was 11.7 months vs 21.4 months in the ALC group (HR 1.357 [1.051‐1.753]; P = .019). Median OS was 42.8 months in the Ly group and not reached in the ALC group (HR 1.851 [1.280‐2.677]; P = .001). Patients in the Ly group more frequently showed impairment of quality of life (QoL). This analysis demonstrates that patients with progressive lymphadenopathy have a significantly shorter TTNT, OS and less favorable QoL. Our findings might help physicians to better estimate the clinical course of a progressing CLL patient.
Exploring biocultural models of chewing tobacco andpaanamong reproductive‐aged women: Self‐medication, protection, or gender inequality?
Authors: Placek Caitlyn , Roulette Casey , Hudanick Natalie , Khan Anisa , Ravi Kavitha , Jayakrishna Poornima , Srinivas Vijaya , Madhivanan Purnima
Published: June 2019

Objectives

Tobacco and areca nut are two of the most widely used psychoactive plant substances worldwide, yet the biocultural factors that account for variation in use patterns are not well understood. Here we attempt to understand the high prevalence of, and variation in, tobacco and areca nut use among reproductive‐aged women.

Methods

Research was carried out in Mysore, Karnataka, India. First, we conducted a qualitative investigation where participants engaged in semistructured interviews and focus group discussions to uncover cultural norms of women's tobacco use. Findings informed the second stage of research which quantitatively tested three models of tobacco and areca nut use (N = 74).

Results

The qualitative study found that women were more likely to chew “natural” forms of tobacco and areca nut products (kaddipudiandpaan). Quantitative tests of our hypotheses revealed thatkaddipudiand combined tobacco use were best explained by the self‐medication model, with somatic and environmental stress as strong indicators of use. The presence of cotinine, our biological indicator of tobacco use, was best modeled by gender inequality. We also found that men and women reported approximately equal tobacco use, even though their preferred types of tobacco and areca nut products differed.

Conclusions

Findings did not support the protection hypothesis as it relates to plant toxins. Instead, this study suggests that women might exploit neurotoxins such as nicotine and arecoline to offset the cognitive and energetic costs associated with iron deficiency in stressful environments.
Synthesis of Pyrimidines with Ammonium Acetate as Nitrogen Source Under Solvent‐Free Conditions
Authors: Wang Peigen , Zhang Xueguo , Liu Yafeng , Chen Baohua
Published: June 2019

A three‐component tandem reaction for the synthesis of multisubstituted pyrimidines from chalcone, benzyl alcohol and NH4OAc have been developed. This transformation represents an example for the simultaneous formation of two new C(sp2)−N bonds and a six‐membered ring using NH4OAc as nitrogen source under solvent‐free conditions.
Implementation of Controlled‐NOT Gate by Lyapunov Control
Authors: Liu Shuai , Ran Du , Shi Zhi‐Cheng , Song Jie , Xia Yan
Published: June 2019

A scheme to implement the controlled‐NOT (CNOT) gate for quantum systems is proposed, which is based on Lyapunov control. The scheme does not require precise control of the interaction time since the system is stable when the control fields vanish. In particular, the control fields can be easily obtained by most initial states. As an example, the CNOT gate is realized for two atoms trapped in an optical cavity by exploiting two disturbance cases. Compared to continuous disturbance, the fidelity of the CNOT gate is higher under impulsive disturbance, however, interaction times are much longer. Numerical simulations indicate that the scheme is robust against variations of control parameters and decoherence caused by atomic spontaneous emission and cavity decay. Therefore, the scheme may provide useful applications in quantum computation.
Green and rapid synthesis of dihydropyrimido [4,5‐b]quinolinetrione derivatives using CoFe2O4@PPA as high efficient solid acidic catalyst under ultrasonic irradiation
Authors: Moradi Leila , Mahdipour Pegah
Published: June 2019

A new high efficient and green protocol for the preparation of dihydropyrimido[4,5‐b]quinolinetrione derivatives using magnetically solid acid catalyst was presented. High performance solid acid catalyst was prepared through a three‐step reaction. Firstly, CoFe2O4 nano particles were synthesized using co‐precipitation method. In second step, CoFe2O4 nano particles were coated with SiO2 shell through treatment with tetraethyl orthosilicate (CoFe2O4@SiO2). Finaly, CoFe2O4@SiO2 was modified with polyphosphoric acid (CoFe2O4@SiO2/PPA) in a simple manner. Green reusable catalyst was characterized in details using FTIR, VSM, TEM, FESEM, EDX and used as catalyst for the synthesis of dihydropyrimido[4,5‐b]quinolinetrione derivatives. Reaction was performed under ultrasonic irradiation as green, effective and mild conditions and products were achieved in high to excellent yields. Green and eco‐friendly conditions, short reaction times with high yield of products in addition to easy workup are some merits of presented method.
Copy number variations in individuals with conotruncal heart defects reveal some shared developmental pathways irrespective of 22q11.2 deletion status
Authors: Xie Hongbo M. , Taylor Deanne M. , Zhang Zhe , McDonald‐McGinn Donna M. , Zackai Elaine H. , Stambolian Dwight , Hakonarson Hakon , Morrow Bernice E. , Emanuel Beverly S. , Goldmuntz Elizabeth
Published: June 2019

Over 50% of patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (DS) have a conotruncal or related cardiac defect (CTRD). We hypothesized that similar genetic variants, developmental pathways and biological functions, contribute to disease risk for CTRD in patients without a 22q11.2 deletion (ND‐CTRD) and with a 22q11.2 deletion (DS‐CTRD). To test this hypothesis, we performed rare CNV (rCNV)‐based analyses on 630 ND‐CTRD cases and 602 DS‐CTRD cases with comparable cardiac lesions separately and jointly. First, we detected a collection of heart development related pathways from Gene Ontology and Mammalian Phenotype Ontology analysis. We then constructed gene regulation networks using unique genes collected from the rCNVs found in the ND‐CTRD and DS‐CTRD cohorts. These gene networks were clustered and their predicted functions were examined. We further investigated expression patterns of those unique genes using publicly available mouse embryo microarray expression data from single‐cell embryos to fully developed hearts. By these bioinformatics approaches, we identified a commonly shared gene expression pattern in both the ND‐CTRD and DS‐CTRD cohorts. Computational analysis of gene functions characterized with this expression pattern revealed a collection of significantly enriched terms related to cardiovascular development. By our combined analysis of rCNVs in the ND‐CTRD and DS‐CTRD cohorts, a group of statistically significant shared pathways, biological functions, and gene expression patterns were identified that can be tested in future studies for their biological relevance.
A module integrating conventional teaching and student‐centered approach for critical reading of scientific literature
Authors: Kulkarni Anuttama , Vartak Rekha
Published: June 2019

One of the well‐accepted ways of introducing undergraduates to the method of scientific inquiry is to introduce them to primary literature. A matter of concern is that undergraduate students of Indian universities are generally not trained to read primary literature. We combined traditional teaching and student‐centered approach in a 3‐day module for introducing first‐year students to critical reading of primary literature. This article describes the design of the module, the method of assessment of student performance, the learning outcomes, and student feedback. We received positive feedback from students and observed significant improvement in their understanding of the rationale and results of the research paper under consideration. The module may be viewed as an example of a simple introductory activity to enthuse and initiate college students to scientific thinking and research paper reading. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(5):581–588, 2019.
Neuroprotective effect of omega‐3 fatty acids on spinal cord injury induced rats
Authors: Bi Jiaqi , Chen Chong , Sun Peiyu , Tan Haining , Feng Fan , Shen Jianxiong
Published: June 2019

Introduction

In this study, the effects of omega‐3 fatty acids were examined in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

Methods

The rats were classified into sham, control, spinal cord injury plus 50 mg/kg Omega‐3 fatty acids and spinal cord injury plus 100 mg/kg Omega‐3 fatty acids. The levels of oxidative, apoptotic, and inflammatory markers were examined in each of these groups.

Results

Altered lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), and catalase were normalized. Omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation decreased tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) levels by >50%. TNF‐α and IL‐6 mRNA expression were reduced. Caspase‐3, p53, bax, and pro‐NGF mRNA expression levels were increased by 1.3‐, 1.4‐, 1.2‐, and 0.9‐fold, respectively, whereas bcl‐2 mRNA expression was decreased by 0.77‐fold in control rats. Omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation decreased p53, caspase‐3, bax, and pro‐NGF mRNA expression by >40%, while the level of bcl‐2 mRNA expression was increased by 286.9%. Omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation decreased caspase‐3 and p53 protein expression by >30%.

Conclusion

Taken together, our results suggested that omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation reduced oxidative stress, apoptosis, and the levels of inflammatory markers in ischemia‐reperfusion‐induced rats.
Can board environmental orientation improve U.S. firms' carbon performance? The mediating role of carbon strategy
Authors: Moussa Tantawy , Allam Amir , Elbanna Said , Bani‐Mustafa Ahmed
Published: June 2019

Overwhelming evidence from prior research suggests a positive association between corporate board characteristics and carbon performance; however, very little is known about the mechanisms linking the two variables. This study attempts to fill this gap by developing and empirically testing a conceptual model that highlights the role of carbon strategy in the relationship between board environmental orientation (BEO) and carbon performance. We argue that BEO can directly and indirectly influence carbon performance through carbon strategy. Using structural equation modelling to analyse data consisting of 2,301 U.S. firm‐year observations over the 2005–2015 period, we find that the greater the BEO is, the better its carbon performance (i.e., lower greenhouse gas emissions). The results also provide evidence of the mediating effect of carbon strategy on the relationship between BEO and carbon performance. Splitting the sample into high and low carbon‐intensive industries shows a partial mediation effect in high carbon‐intensive industries and a full mediation effect in low carbon‐intensive industries. The findings of the study and its implications for scholars, policymakers, managers, investors, and environmentalists are discussed.
Genomic analysis of pancreatic juice DNA assesses malignant risk of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of pancreas
Authors: Mateos Raúl N. , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Hirono Seiko , Takano Shinichi , Fukasawa Mitsuharu , Yanagisawa Akio , Yasukawa Satoru , Maejima Kazuhiro , Oku‐Sasaki Aya , Nakano Kaoru , Dutta Munmee , Tanaka Hiroko , Miyano Satoru , Enomoto Nobuyuki , Yamaue Hiroki , Nakai Kenta , Fujita Masashi
Published: June 2019

Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of pancreas has a high risk to develop into invasive cancer or co‐occur with malignant lesion. Therefore, it is important to assess its malignant risk by less‐invasive approach. Pancreatic juice cell‐free DNA (PJD) would be an ideal material in this purpose, but genetic biomarkers for predicting malignant risk from PJD are not yet established. We here performed deep exome sequencing analysis of PJD from 39 IPMN patients with or without malignant lesion. Somatic alterations and copy number alterations (CNAs) detected in PJD were compared with the histologic grade of IPMN to evaluate their potential as a malignancy marker. Somatic mutations of KRAS, GNAS, TP53, and RNF43 were commonly detected in PJD of IPMNs, but no association with the histologic grades of IPMN was found. Instead, mutation burden was positively correlated with the histologic grade (r = 0.427, P = 0.015). We also observed frequent copy number deletions in 17p13 (TP53) and amplifications in 7q21 and 8q24 (MYC) in PJDs. The amplifications in 7q21 and 8q24 were positively correlated with the histologic grade and most prevalent in the cases of invasive carcinoma (P = 0.002 and 7/11; P = 0.011 and 6/11, respectively). We concluded that mutation burden and CNAs detected in PJD may have potential to assess the malignant progression risk of IPMNs.
Investigating the Structure and Dynamics of Apo‐Photosystem II
Authors: Han Ruocheng , Rempfer Katharina , Zhang Miao , Dobbek Holger , Zouni Athina , Dau Holger , Luber Sandra
Published: June 2019

Photosynthetic water oxidation is a model for future technologies employing solar energy to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Natural water oxidation is carried out by a special manganese catalyst, the water‐oxidizing complex (WOC), located in photosystem II (PSII) of cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. Hence, there is great interest in the molecular structure as well as structural changes during catalytic activity and assembly/disassembly of the WOC. In particular, the light‐driven assembly during photosystem II repair under physiological conditions is poorly understood, and structural information about manganese depleted PSII (apo‐PSII) is required as a starting point for improving this understanding. Recently Zhang et al. (eLife 2017;6:e26933) showed that the cavity harboring the WOC in PSII remains largely intact upon manganese‐depletion and suggested that deprotonation of hydrogen‐bonding pairs enables the charge‐compensated insertion of the manganese cations without any major change of the cavity structure. By computational methods we have further investigated the structure of apo‐PSII and show how it can be stabilized by protons localized at the terminal carboxylate groups inside the remaining cavity. Ab‐initio molecular dynamics simulations suggest that not more than two water molecules fill the void left by manganese depletion.
Electronic Communication in Confined Space Coronas of Shell‐by‐Shell Structured Al2O3 Nanoparticle Hybrids Containing Two Layers of Functional Organic Ligands
Authors: Stiegler Lisa M. S. , Hirsch Andreas
Published: June 2019

A first series of examples for confined space interactions of electron‐rich and electron‐poor molecules organized in an internal corona of shell‐by‐shell (SbS)‐structured Al2O3 nanoparticle (NP) hybrids is reported. The assembly concept of the corresponding hierarchical architectures relies on both covalent grafting of phosphonic acids on the NPs surface (SAMs formation; SAM=self‐assembled monolayer) and exohedral interdigitation of orthogonal amphiphiles as the second ligand layer driven by solvophobic interactions. The electronic communication between the chromophores of different electron demand, such as pyrenes, perylenediimides (PDIs; with and without pyridinium bromide headgroups) and fullerenes was promoted at the layer interface. In this work, it is demonstrated that the efficient construction principle of the bilayer hybrids assembled around the electronically “innocent” Al2O3 core is robust enough to achieve control over electronic communication between electron‐donors and ‐acceptors in the interlayer region. The electronic interactions between the electron‐accepting and electron‐donating moieties approaching each other at the layer interface were monitored by fluorescence measurements.
Stability and Efficiency of Mixed Aryl Phosphonate Prodrugs
Authors: Foust Benjamin J. , Li Jin , Hsiao Chia‐Hung Christine , Wiemer David F. , Wiemer Andrew J.
Published: June 2019

A set of phosphonate prodrugs of a butyrophilin ligand was synthesized and evaluated for plasma stability and cellular activity. The mixed aryl acyloxy esters were prepared either via a standard sequence through the phosphonic acid chloride, or through the more recently reported, and more facile, triflate activation. In the best of cases, this class of prodrugs shows cellular potency similar to that of bis‐acyloxyalkyl phosphonate prodrugs and plasma stability similar to that of aryl phosphonamidates. For example, {[((3E)‐5‐hydroxy‐4‐methylpent‐3‐en‐1‐yl) (naphthalen‐2‐yloxy)phosphoryl]oxy}methyl 2,2‐dimethylpropanoate can activate BTN3A1 in K562 cells after just 15 minutes of exposure (at an EC50 value of 31 nm) and is only partially metabolized (60 % remaining) after 20 hours in human plasma. Other related novel analogues showed similar potency/stability profiles. Therefore, mixed aryl acyloxyalkyl phosphonate prodrugs are an exciting new strategy for the delivery of phosphonate‐containing drugs.
Inhibition of the Photobleaching of Methylene Blue by Association with Urea
Authors: Nassar Sulafa Jamal M. , Wills Corinne , Harriman Anthony
Published: June 2019

Methylene Blue has a long history as a photochemical reagent and is known to undergo photofading on exposure to visible light in aqueous solution. Under aerobic conditions, photobleaching occurs by way of a two‐step process involving intermediary formation of singlet oxygen. The first step is ascribed to regio‐selective addition of singlet oxygen within the precursor complex. This geminate reaction ultimately leads to formation of the leuco‐dye via a slower second step. Urea forms a weak ground‐state complex with Methylene Blue which affects the optical properties of the dye but is not evident by NMR spectroscopy. This complex is weakly fluorescent and undergoes intersystem crossing to the triplet manifold. The presence of urea decreases the rate of photobleaching of the dye and, at high concentrations of urea, the bleaching kinetics are consistent with an equilibrium mixture of complexed and free dye. The complexed dye does not bleach on the timescale of the experiment. Such protection might arise from urea blocking access to the site where geminate addition of O2 takes place.
Selective Cellulose Hydrogenolysis to Ethanol Using Ni@C Combined with Phosphoric Acid Catalysts
Authors: Liu Qiying , Wang Haiyong , Xin Haosheng , Wang Chenguang , Yan Long , Wang Yingxiong , Zhang Qi , Zhang Xinghua , Xu Ying , Huber George W. , Ma Longlong
Published: June 2019

Ethanol is an important bulk chemical with diverse applications. Biomass‐derived ethanol is traditionally produced by fermentation. Direct cellulose conversion to ethanol by chemocatalysis is particularly promising but remains a great challenge. Herein, a one‐pot hydrogenolysis of cellulose into ethanol was developed by using graphene‐layers‐encapsulated nickel (Ni@C) catalysts with the aid of H3PO4in water. The cellulose was hydrolyzed into glucose, which was activated by forming cyclic di‐ester bonds between the OH groups of H3PO4and glucose, promoting ethanol formation under the synergistic hydrogenation of Ni@C. A 69.1 % yield of ethanol (carbon mole basis) was obtained, which is comparable to the theoretical value achieved by glucose fermentation. An ethanol concentration of up to 8.9 wt % was obtained at an increased cellulose concentration. This work demonstrates a chemocatalytic approach for the high‐yield production of ethanol from renewable cellulosic biomass at high concentration.
Fluoridated Iron–Nickel Layered Double Hydroxide for Enhanced Performance in the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Pei Chengang , Gu Ying , Liu Zong , Yu Xu , Feng Ligang
Published: June 2019

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are very promising but still far from satisfactory for catalyzing the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis. Herein, it was found that the catalytic performance of iron–nickel LDHs for OER can be largely boosted by a facile and controllable fluoridation approach at low temperatures. Temperature dependence of the crystal structure and surface chemical state was observed for the simple fluoridation of the iron–nickel LDH. However, no significant surface roughness and electrochemical active surface area increases were found, which was probably owing to the structure change from nanosheets to nanorods. Significant improvements in the performance, including the catalytic activity, stability, efficiency, and kinetics, were found compared with the pristine iron–nickel LDH. Specifically, iron–nickel fluoride obtained at 250 °C afforded the lowest overpotential of 225 mV (no iR correction) to drive 10 mA cm−2 loaded on an inert glassy carbon electrode with a small Tafel slope of 79 mV dec−1, outperforming the noble‐metal IrO2 catalyst and most of the similar Fe–Ni based catalysts. The performance improvement could be mainly attributed to the phase‐structure transfer from metal−O bonding in the FeNi‐LDHs to metal−F bonding after fluoridation, which means it is easier to form the real active sites of Fe‐doped high‐valence Ni‐(oxy)hydroxide over the iron–nickel fluoride surface.
Risk of end‐stage renal disease from chronic kidney disease defined by decreased glomerular filtration rate in type 1 diabetes: A comparison with type 2 diabetes and the effect of metabolic syndrome
Authors: Lee You‐Bin , Han Kyungdo , Kim Bongsung , Jun Ji Eun , Lee Seung‐Eun , Ahn Jiyeon , Kim Gyuri , Jin Sang‐Man , Kim Jae Hyeon
Published: June 2019

Background

We estimated the end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The ESRD risk of CKD in patients with T1D was compared with that of CKD in patients without diabetes and with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We also evaluated the predictive value of metabolic syndrome (MetS) for ESRD development in CKD patients with T1D.

Materials and Methods

The Korean National Health Insurance Service datasets of preventive health check‐ups from 2009 to 2016 were used. The risk of incident ESRD was analysed according to the presence and type of diabetes in CKD (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) patients aged 20 years or older. Incident ESRD risk according to the presence of MetS was calculated among adult patients with CKD and T1D.

Results

During 10 701 375.84 person‐years of follow‐up, 43 693 cases of ESRD developed. Hazard ratios (HRs) for incident ESRD from CKD in the T1D group were 2.580 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.336‐2.849) and 9.267 (95% CI, 8.378‐10.251) compared with T2D and nondiabetes groups, respectively. In CKD patients with T1D, the presence of MetS increased incident ESRD risk by an HR of 2.023 (95% CI, 1.501‐2.727).

Conclusions

The presence of diabetes increases the risk for ESRD development from CKD. Furthermore, patients with T1D have a higher risk for ESRD incidence from CKD than do patients with T2D in a Korean population. MetS may be a useful predictor for ESRD in CKD patients with T1D.
Labile C dynamics reflect soil organic carbon sequestration capacity: Understory plants drive topsoil C process in subtropical forests
Authors: Chen Yuanqi , Cao Jianbo , Zhao Jie , Wu Jianping , Zou Xiaoming , Fu Shenglei , Zhang Weixin
Published: June 2019

The huge background pool of soil organic carbon (SOC) is likely to impede the ready detection of SOC changes. We propose to explore SOC changes by monitoring the dynamics of soil labile organic carbon (LOC); namely if LOC could be largely retained in soils rather than respired rapidly, the SOC would be ready to be sequestered. The effects of the two major functional groups of plants, that is, canopy trees and understory plants, on SOC accumulation were then illustrated with this LOC‐based approach. The characteristics of LOC and SOC of topsoils (0–20 cm) in a field manipulation experiment with 5‐yr treatments of understory removal and tree girdling in both a young and a mature Eucalyptus plantations were examined. The concentration and potential turnover time of soil LOC were used to indicate the state of vegetation‐induced C accumulation in soils, which were estimated by a sequential fumigation‐incubation procedure. Soil natural abundances of 13C and 15N were measured to reflect the proportion of newly retained LOC in soils. We found that, in the young plantation, understory removal did not significantly affect both soil LOC and SOC concentrations, but significantly increased the potential turnover time of soil LOC. In contrast, in the mature plantation, understory removal significantly decreased soil LOC and SOC concentrations, but did not significantly alter the potential turnover time of soil LOC. However, tree girdling did not significantly affect SOC concentration, soil LOC concentration, or potential turnover time in either the young plantation or the mature plantation. These results demonstrated that understory plant‐derived C was one of the major components of LOC pool in topsoils, and it may be readily mineralized in the young plantation but accumulated as an important fraction of SOC in the mature plantation. This study suggests that the LOC‐based approach is potentially useful in monitoring SOC changes and improves our understanding of how plant functional groups and soil fertility status could jointly affect LOC and SOC dynamics. In considering the great contribution of understory plants to SOC processes, we propose that understory plants should be maintained in subtropical plantation ecosystems.
Predictors of cardiac function in acute heart failure patients with mid‐range ejection fraction: AURORA study
Authors: Yanagawa Kyosuke , Nakamura Hitoshi , Matsuhiro Yutaka , Yasumoto Koji , Yasumura Keisuke , Tanaka Akihiro , Matsunaga‐Lee Yasuharu , Nakamura Daisuke , Yano Masamichi , Yamato Masaki , Egami Yasuyuki , Shutta Ryu , Sakata Yasushi , Nishino Masami , Tanouchi Jun
Published: June 2019

Aim

The factors correlated with prognosis in heart failure with mid‐range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) is unclear, especially for acute heart failure (AHF) with HFmrEF. Thus, we investigated the factors correlated with the improvement in the ejection fraction (EF) over 1 year in AHF patients with HFmrEF.

Methods and results

In Acute Heart Failure Registry in the Osaka Rosai Hospital, we examined 159 consecutive HFmrEF patients out of 1051 HF patients who were admitted to our hospital for AHF from January 2015 to December 2017. We divided them into improved EF (IM) group whose EF improved (≧10%) and non‐IM group who had no improvement. We compared the baseline characteristics, echocardiographic data, medications, examinations for ischaemia, invasive treatments, and clinical outcomes between IM group and non‐IM group. IM group consisted of 21 patients (20%). IM group had a significantly more de novo heart failure, higher serum albumin (Alb), lower EF, smaller left ventricular dimension during diastole, more frequent coronary angiogram during hospitalization, and coronary intervention. Multivariate analysis revealed that Alb, left ventricular dimension during diastole, and coronary angiogram performed during hospitalization were independently associated with the improvement in the EF. In addition, IM group had less rehospitalizations over 1 year and a greater reduction in the B‐type natriuretic peptide level during the follow‐up than non‐IM group.

Conclusions

In AHF patients with HFmrEF, we should evaluate for any ischaemic heart disease during hospitalization, especially in patients with non‐enlarged left ventricular and non‐reduced serum Alb. AHF patients with HFmrEF who showed improvement in the EF tended to have better prognosis than those without improvement.
On the wind blade's surface roughness due to dust accumulation and its impact on the wind turbine's performance: A heuristic QBlade‐based modeling assessment
Authors: Papadopoulou Kalliopi , Alasis Christos , Xydis George A.
Published: June 2019

The development of wind projects requires good knowledge of energy production that depends on the rotor aerodynamics and its potential of making optimal use of wind power. It has been noted that dust accumulation across the rotor's blade surfaces can seriously affect the overall wind farm (WF) performance and lead to severe energy losses. In the present work, surface roughness that occurs on the wind blade surfaces due to dust accumulation and its possible effect on wind turbine's performance, are the subjects studied. For this purpose, a heuristic modeling assessment was conducted by means of the widely used open source tool QBlade. All available data, pertain to dust accumulation in four different areas, at which, the evolution of the phenomenon and its effect on the aerodynamic performance regarding energy production were studied. It was revealed that for low wind speeds (<10 m/s) no significant effect on the aerodynamic power was observed. This has led all manufacturers, decision makers, and wind farm operators to comprehend phenomena influencing the wind turbine's performance, which were neglected so far.
A new approach to advanced exergoeconomic analysis: The unit cost of entropy generation
Authors: Uysal Cuneyt
Published: June 2019

Advanced exergoeconomic analysis is based on costing of avoidable/unavoidable and endogenous/exogenous exergy destruction rates obtained with advanced exergy analysis. For this purpose, the unit cost of fuel of any system (cF) is used. In this study, a unit cost term, which is called as unit cost of entropy generation (cS), is assigned for exergy destruction rate and is used on costing of exergy destruction terms. Modified Productive Structure Analysis (MOPSA) thermoeconomic method is used to determine the unit cost of entropy generation value. Approach proposed in this study is applied to an electricity‐generating facility that operates with natural gas. As a result, the unit cost of entropy generation value for the considered system is calculated to be −1.5748 $/GJ. In addition, it is found that the exergy destruction cost rates obtained with approach proposed in this study are lower compared to that of advanced exergoeconomic analysis.
Co‐combustion of lignite with sewage sludge and refuse‐derived fuel
Authors: Ozfidan Merve , Haykiri‐Acma Hanzade , Yaman Serdar
Published: June 2019

Burning behavior of fuel blends consisted of lignite samples and waste biomass species such as sewage sludge (SS) and refuse‐derived fuel (RDF) was studied. The blends where the wastes account for 5, 10, and 15 wt% were burned in a thermal analyzer up to 900°C. The nonisothermal burning kinetics were established using Borchardt and Daniels method that bases on the data obtained from differential scanning calorimetry. The maximum rate of combustion (Rmax), the peak temperature (TR‐max), the ignition temperature (Tign), and the burnout temperature (Tb) that predicts the thermal reactivity were considered to evaluate the effects of RDF and SS on the burning characteristics of the lignite samples. It was determined that the combinations of the additive behavior and the synergistic interactions govern the burning characteristics of the fuel blends. The thermal reactivity of the samples can be arranged in the order of RDF > lignite > SS. On the other hand, blending of RDF or SS with the lignite samples did not led to any significant segregation in the heat flow characteristics, and can be concluded that these wastes can be safely burned with lignite.
The sorption of cationic and anionic heavy metal species on the biosorbent of Aspergillus terreus: Isotherm, kinetics studies
Authors: Shokoohi Reza , Salari Mehdi , Molla Mahmoudi Mohammad , Azizi Salah , Ghiasian Seyed A. , Faradmal Javad , Faraji Hossein
Published: June 2019

In this study, the capacity of Aspergillus terreus fungus biomass to remove Cr (VI) and Cd from aqueous solution was investigated. The present experimental study employed the shake flask method to cultivate fungal biomass. For the preparation of adsorbent, after inoculation of Aspergillus terreus in PDA medium, it was placed on a shaker at 150 rpm, at 25°C for 4 days. After separation of living biomass, it was boiled in a 0.5% NaOH solution. The ability of the biomass to remove of Cr (VI) and Cd from aqueous solution was examined under conditions including initial concentrations of (20–120 mg/L); pH of 3, 5, 7, and 9; contact times of 15–120 min; and the adsorbent doses of 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, and 2 g. The concentration of the heavy metals was determined by an atomic absorption device. The results showed that in the optimum conditions of the input variables; contact time of 90 min, pH of 7, the initial metal concentration of 20 mg/L, and the adsorbent dose of 1 g, the removal efficiency of Cd and Cr (VI) was 94 and 89%, respectively. The processes of Cd and Cr (VI) adsorption were successfully described by Freundlich isotherm with R2 = 0.9463 and R2 = 0.9949, respectively, and well‐followed pseudo‐first‐order kinetic with R2 = 0.9935 and R2 = 0.9718, respectively. Due to the high adsorption capacity of this biomass in removing metals in comparison to other adsorbents, it can be proposed as a suitable adsorbent in treatment processes.
Bayesian network approach to fault diagnosis of a hydroelectric generation system
Authors: Xu Beibei , Li Huanhuan , Pang Wentai , Chen Diyi , Tian Yu , Lei Xiaohui , Gao Xiang , Wu Changzhi , Patelli Edoardo
Published: June 2019

This study focuses on the fault diagnosis of a hydroelectric generation system with hydraulic‐mechanical‐electric structures. To achieve this analysis, a methodology combining Bayesian network approach and fault diagnosis expert system is presented, which enables the time‐based maintenance to transform to the condition‐based maintenance. First, fault types and the associated fault characteristics of the generation system are extensively analyzed to establish a precise Bayesian network. Then, the Noisy‐Or modeling approach is used to implement the fault diagnosis expert system, which not only reduces node computations without severe information loss but also eliminates the data dependency. Some typical applications are proposed to fully show the methodology capability of the fault diagnosis of the hydroelectric generation system.
Investigation on heat extraction characteristics in randomly fractured geothermal reservoirs considering thermo‐poroelastic effects
Authors: Han Songcai , Cheng Yuanfang , Gao Qi , Yan Chuanliang , Han Zhongying , Zhang Jincheng
Published: June 2019

A fully coupled thermal‐hydraulic‐mechanical (THM) model was developed to investigate the underlying response mechanisms during heat extraction in fractured geothermal reservoirs. The random fracture network in the stimulated zone was reproduced based on the fractal theory. The coupled model accounts for the dominant physical phenomena including (a) fluid flow, heat transport, and solid deformation in porous media and fractures; (b) local thermal nonequilibrium (LTNE) between rock matrix and flowing fluid; and (c) temperature‐dependent fluid thermodynamic properties and stress‐dependent pore and fracture permeability. The proposed model was validated by several analytic solutions. Sequentially, the evolution of pore pressure, equivalent temperature, effective stress, and reservoir permeability was analyzed. The sensitivity of the heat extraction performance to fracture network morphology was discussed. Results show that interconnected large‐scale fractures dominate mass and heat transport. Widely distributed small‐scale fractures contribute to the cooling of the heat rock mass along many flow paths in parallel. The change in effective stress associated with fully coupled thermo‐poroelastic effects may induce fracture shear dilation and pore expansion, resulting in an enhancement of the overall reservoir permeability. There is a significant temperature difference between the solid phase and the fluid phase in fractures, but not in porous media. It is more reasonable to use the LTNE theory to analyze the heat extraction of fractured geothermal reservoirs. The fracture network morphology has a profound effect on heat extraction efficiency and injectivity. Undeveloped fracture networks will result in a higher injection pressure, earlier thermal breakthrough, and shorter lifetime, but higher heat extraction ratio. Properly increasing the fracture density can delay the thermal breakthrough time, prolong the service life, and improve the injectivity. Fully connected fracture networks may result in thermal short‐circuiting and earlier thermal breakthrough. Generating a complex and scattered fracture network but without preferential channels is conducive to extracting more heat from geothermal reservoirs.
Mitigation of annular pressure buildup for deepwater wells using a recovery relief method
Authors: Ma Tianshou , Tang Yijia , Chen Ping , He Yufa
Published: June 2019

Annular pressure buildup (APB) is induced by high‐temperature tubing fluid heating the trapped annular fluid, which leads to liquid thermal expansion at the production stage in deepwater wells. Casing would be burst or collapsed without APB mitigation. A novel recovery relief method was adopted to mitigate APB through the principle of differential pressure. To assess the application effect of the method, APB prediction model and pressure relief threshold determination method were proposed, where the transient heat transfer and volume and pressure coupling were involved. The laboratory test of the principle prototype was conducted so that the feasibility of the recovery relief method was validated. The numerical APB mitigation effect was simulated by the field example. The production simulation results indicated that the high‐temperature‐induced APB caused casing failure. The simulation of APB mitigation with both inward and outward directions demonstrated that the casings using outward mitigation method were safer with lower safe factor. Besides, comparing the mitigating effect to the rupture disk, the recovery relief method had more maximum allowable APB of annulus A. Additionally, compared to other 11 ordinary mitigation methods with the qualities of engineering reliability, technology feasibility, and economy, the recovery relief method had best mitigation performance. Therefore, the recovery relief method was recommended for APB mitigating practice.
An efficient Deep reinforcement learning with extended Kalman filter for device‐to‐device communication underlaying cellular network
Authors: Khuntia Pratap , Hazra Ranjay
Published: June 2019

In this paper, a novel Deep Q‐learning in addition with an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed to solve the channel and power allocation issue for a device‐to‐device enabled cellular network, when the prior traffic information is not known to the base station. Furthermore, this paper work explores an optimal policy for resource and power allocation between users with the aim of maximizing the sum‐rate of the overall system. The proposed work comprises of four phases, ie, cell splitting, clustering, queuing model, channel allocation, and power allocation, simultaneously. The implementation of cell splitting with novel K‐means++ clustering technique increases the network coverage, reduces co‐channel cell interference, and minimizes the transmission power of nodes, whereas the M/M/C:N queuing model solves the issue of waiting time for users in a priority based data transmission. The difficulty with the Q‐learning and Deep Q‐learning environment is to achieve an optimal policy. This is because of the uncertainty of various parameters associated with the system, especially when the state space is extremely big. In order to improve the robustness of the learner, EKF together with the Deep Q‐network is presented in this paper, which incorporates weight uncertainty of the Q‐function as well as the state uncertainty during the transition. Furthermore, the use of EKF provides an improved version of the loss function that helps the learner in achieving an optimal policy. Through numerical simulation, the advantage of our resource sharing scheme over the other existing schemes is also verified.
Performance analysis of full‐duplex cellular two‐way relay networks with the Nth worst relay selection under channel estimation error and cochannel interference
Authors: Shukla Mahendra K. , Yadav Suneel , Purohit Neetesh
Published: June 2019

This paper considers a full‐duplex (FD) cellular multiuser two‐way multirelay network, wherein one Na‐antenna base station communicates bidirectionally with M single‐antenna users via L single‐antenna amplify‐and‐forward relays. A practical scenario where cochannel interference (CCI) and channel estimation error (CEE) present in the network is considered for the investigation. Considering the CEE and interferers at the relays, we formulate the Nth worst relay selection scheme, which consists the best relay selection as a special case. With such relay selection strategy, we derive the tight lower bound (LB) expressions for the overall outage probability, average bit error rate, and ergodic sum rate with CEE and CCI under Rayleigh fading. Furthermore, we deduce the asymptotic expressions for the overall outage probability and average bit error rate at high signal‐to‐noise ratio. Based on the asymptotic outage expression, we present some practical cases of interest, from which the impacts of CCI, CEE, and residual self‐interference (RSI) (imposed on the FD nodes) on system diversity order are presented. It is shown via the numerical results that CEE, CCI, and RSI have detrimental impact on the system performance. Our results also reveal that the impacts of CEE, CCI, and RSI can be alleviated by increasing the number of relays. We also obtain some insights on the self‐interference cancelation requirements for the FD mode. The numerical and simulation results verify our theoretical analysis.