bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrarailroad and Intermodal Competition Impacts on Railroad Wheat Rates
Authors: Babcock Michael W. , Atems Bebonchu
Published: November 2019

The issue addressed in this paper is more fully understanding the relationship of intrarailroad competition and rail rates for wheat in the largest wheat producing states, which are Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington. The overall objective of the study is to investigate railroad pricing behavior for wheat shipments. The rate model was estimated with OLS in double-log specification utilizing the 2012 STB Confidential Waybill sample and other data.The research found that the distance from origin to destination and the total shipment weight had the expected negative relationships with railroad wheat rates and were statistically significant. The distance from origin to the nearest barge loading location had the expected positive relationship to railroad wheat rates and was also significant. The weight of each covered hopper car and the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index were both non-significant. However, the study used other data to determine that intrarailroad competition for wheat shipments within states appears to be present in most states.
The Analysis of the Soundtrack to Baz Luhrmen’s Romeo and Juliet
Authors: Yang Lisa
Published: November 2019

Ian Inglis states in his book Popular music and film that music is the primary instrument for emotional direction in film. The soundtrack to Baz Lurhmen’s Romeo and Juliet includes a spectrum of genres including classical to popular music. The music used in the film both enhanced each scene as well as attract a wider audience. Through this, Luhrmen is able to re-reveal this classic story through a different medium. It is through the direction of the film which includes the music, visuals and plot thatjuxtaposesthe original dialogue that Lurhmen chooses to keep in film. This allows the audience to understand the film better as there are visual and musical cues. This medium also attracts a wider audience and makes the story more accessible and understandable. The objective of this article is to examine the effectiveness of popular music that is used in the film and how it helpsto enhance the storyline as well as make it more accessible to a wider audience.
An Ecological Compensation Model for Liuxi River Basin Based on Emission Rights
Authors: Pan Bole , Tan Haoxuan , Mao Bojun , Shen Yixian , Lu Zhuoyuan , Pan Yongzhang , Zuo Wei
Published: November 2019

Researches on standards of ecological compensation will raise awareness of protecting the ecological environment in the basin and maintain the economy’s and society’s sustainable development. This paper constructed an ecological compensation model on the Liuxi River Basin in Guangzhou, China. Data and statistics were acquired from the statistical yearbook in Guangzhou Statistical Information Network, including the total GDP, total wastewater discharge amount and total population of Guangzhou for 13 years (1995, 2000, 2005–2015). Then, SPSS was used to fit the scatter plot of volume of wastewater discharged per capita and GDP per capita, and the most accurate regression equation was selected. Most importantly, an ecological compensation model was constructed based on emission rights and it was then used to calculate the annual eco-compensation fee for Conghua, where the river’s upper part is located. The results showed that the amount of ecological compensation in 2017 was 33.821 billion Chinese Yuan, which should be used to compensate Conghua for the emission rights it had given up for protecting water quality of the Liuxi River. This study provided an effective reference to the government’s decision on continuous improvement of the “Guangzhou Ecological Compensation Plan for Liuxi River Basin”.
Entrepreneurial Orientation and Innovation Capabilities in Mexican Small Business
Authors: Maldonado-Guzman Gonzalo , Pinzon-Castro Sandra Yesenia , Rodriguez-Gonzalez Ruben Michael
Published: November 2019

In an environment of business uncertainty that has characterized the 21st century, enterprises, mainly small and medium-sized ones (SMEs), have to redirect or adequate their business strategies in order to adapt as fast as possible to the changes demanded by the market. Therefore, SMEs have to be more proactive nowadays, take higher risks and be more innovative in order to survive as well as to improve significantly their innovation capabilities in products, services and management systems. In simple terms, SMEs have to adopt and implement the entrepreneurial orientation as part of their everyday activities so they have more possibilities to increase their innovation level. Thus, the main objective of this research is to analyze the existing relation between proactivity, risk taking and innovativeness (dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation) with the innovation capabilities (innovation in products, services and management systems). The results obtained show that there is a positive and significant relation among the three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and innovation capabilities.
Ossifying Fibromyxoid Tumor: A Review With Emphasis on Recent Molecular Advances and Differential Diagnosis
Authors: Carter Cody S. , Patel Rajiv M.
Published: November 2019

Context.—

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumor (OFMT) is a rare, slow-growing mesenchymal neoplasm of uncertain histogenesis with intermediate malignant potential.

Objective.—

To highlight the most important diagnostic features, including morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular findings; to provide comparisons to other entities in the differential diagnosis; and to provide a summary of the clinical features and outcomes in cases reported to date.

Data Sources.—

The data sources include recently published literature encompassing OFMT and tumors in the histologic differential diagnosis, and cases from institutional files.

Conclusions.—

Ossifying fibromyxoid tumor is important to recognize because of its low-grade morphology but potential for recurrence and metastasis. Recent molecular analysis has expanded the morphologic spectrum of OFMT, with additional cases discovered that are enriched for aggressive behavior. The diagnosis can often be rendered through a combination of morphology and coexpression of S100 protein and desmin, although only a minority of cases described contain all of these primary features. In cases that do not have all of these features, a high index of suspicion guided by morphology and exclusion of other tumors in the histologic differential diagnosis can lead to the correct diagnosis. Growing access to molecular genetic testing will become increasingly important for correct diagnosis of tumors at the ends of the morphologic spectrum.
Therapeutic Advances in First-Line Management of Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Pollyea Daniel A.
Published: November 2019

Over the past several years, drug approvals for first-line treatment of acute myeloid leukemia have changed the landscape from a “wasteland” to an “embarrassment of riches.” In general, patients deemed “fit” for induction chemotherapy who have a core-binding factor abnormality should receive 7 + 3 in combination with gemtuzumab, 7 + 3 with midostaurin for those with an FLT3 abnormality, and liposomal cytarabine + daunorubicin for patients with secondary AML. Although other options exist, Dr. Daniel A. Pollyea recommended a venetoclax/azacitidine regimen for newly diagnosed “unfit” patients. Future research should focus on more clearly determining the definition of a “fit” patient, he said at the NCCN 2019 Annual Congress: Hematologic Malignancies.
Du document aux flux : sites et temporalité(s) de quelques oeuvres d’art
Authors: Paquet Suzanne
Published: November 2019

Cet article étudie, à partir de l’image (photographique), les modes d’être de certaines oeuvres d’art, pour lesquelles il n’y a plus de médium unique, mais tout un réseau de gestes, d’images, de résonances et de reprises, circulant et se multipliant, composant ainsi une chronogéographie inédite. Ce sont les questions de leur médialité et des flux sociotechniques contribuant à faire de ces propositions artistiques des entités en réseaux, ainsi que leur temporalité particulière se conjuguant au présent et par la présence, qui sont examinées et exemplifiées à partir des oeuvres Spiral Jetty (1970), de Robert Smithson, Sun Tunnels (1976), de Nancy Holt, et Virtually There (2009–), d’Andreas Rutkauskas.
Film-théâtre, intermédialité et nouveaux enjeux esthétiques
Authors: Siméon Sandrine
Published: November 2019

Comment l’analyse intermédiale permet-elle de souligner l’interpénétration médiatique à l’oeuvre entre la performance scénique et les modes d’écriture de l’enregistrement audiovisuel du spectacle vivant ? Cet article évalue les manières dont la rhétorique filmique agit sur le dispositif scénique, puis comment, à son tour, la scène influence l’esthétique inédite du film-théâtre, lui conférant un statut autotélique.
Volume-Image: The Future as Memory in Thierry Kuntzel’s Video Installation The Waves (2003)1
Authors: Nony Anaïs
Published: November 2019

Video-objects are often discussed in terms of their ability to reflect upon the speed of our narcissistic culture, but less acknowledged is video’s agency to perform electronic events outside of human experience. This article engages in scholarship interested in the space of video operations where lived and imagined, real and virtual phenomena are experienced at the threshold of perception. Bringing into this conversation a discussion of The Waves (2003), an interactive installation by video pioneer and media critic Thierry Kuntzel, the article moves away from the time/movement nexus grounded in a filmic understanding of the image to position video-memory as the emergence of a volume of time. Different from the time-image and movement-image of cinema, the volume-image of video defines a mode of engaging with multiple temporalities within the continuum of the video itself. Constituted progressively through layers of ever-changing signal processes, the volume-image of video technology is an open field, a transductive zone where multiple intensities create new representational rhythms, which disrupt the durational model of time so often attached to human experience.
Repetition, Feedback, and Temporality in Two Compositions by William Basinski
Authors: Jackson David Christopher
Published: November 2019

In this essay I examine how William Basinski’s loop-based recordings reveal and extend the aesthetic concurrence between technological, biological, and human duration, memory, and the perception of the industrial temporal object. The examination of how looping stresses a composition’s flow in the perception of a time-based media object and the exchange between memory and the machine as a performance and configuration of the mental sphere, pursues a line of thought that brings together ideas about repetition in Basinski’s compositions as a sonic reformatting of the mental sphere and the technology of Basinski’s slow, analog, compositions contra the accelerated digitalism of twenty-first-century life.
PAP TEST PRACTICE AND BARRIERS OF NURSES IN BANDUNG, WEST JAVA
Authors: Suantika Putu Inge Ruth , Hermayanti Yanti , Kurniawan Titis
Published: November 2019

The lack of interest from the public and health workers, such as nurses to carry out a pap test, is one of the triggers of cervical cancer cases. The purpose of this study was to identify the implementation of pap tests and barriers of nurses in Bandung, West Java. This study used a cross-sectional descriptive study design with a sample of 286 married nurses. Data collection was conducted during two months. The analysis was conducted by the Fisher exact test or chi-square test. The results showed that the level of education and religion had a significant relationship with the pap test behavior (p= 0,000; p= 0.031). The most perceived barrier was that respondents felt uncomfortable with the male examiners. So it was recommended to provide female examiners in the ob-gyn section in the hospitals and to improve the nurses' perceptions with pap test. Keywords: barrier, nurse, pap smear, practice Abstrak Perilaku dan hambatan pap smear pada perawat di Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat. Fenomena yang terjadi pada kasus kanker serviks adalah minimnya minat dari masyarakat bahkan petugas kesehatan seperti perawat untuk melakukan pap smear sebagai bentuk pencegahan kanker serviks. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi pelaksanaan pap smear serta hambatannya pada perawat di Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain studi deskriptif cross-sectional dengan jumlah sampel 286 perawat yang sudah menikah. Pengumpulan data dilakukan pada Februari hingga Maret 2018. Analisis menggunakan fisher exact test atau chi-square test. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tingkat pendidikan dan agama memiliki hubungan yang signifikan dengan perilaku pap smear (p= 0.000; p= 0.0301). Hambatan yang paling dirasakan adalah responden merasa kurang nyaman dengan pemeriksa laki-laki sehingga direkomendasikan untuk penyediaan pemeriksa perempuan pada bagian obgyn di rumah sakit serta memperbaiki persepsi perawat yang salah terhadap pap smear.  Kata Kunci: hambatan, pap smear, perawat, perilaku
Livsmod
Authors: Pahuus Mogens
Published: November 2019

Courage to beIn the first part of the essay the question is: What is and what characterizes courage to be? - I here distinguish between courage to be in children, where it is attached to children´s play, and the courage to be in adults, where ist combined with self-conquest and with integration of the ability to act purposely. I stress five dimensions in courage to be: power, possibility, vitality, courage and meaning. It is made clear, that even if courage to be in adults are not attached to bodily unfolding, yet it is stored in the body and therefore can be called forth in a bodily way. In the second part of the essay I discuss the relation between courage to be on one side and fear of life, selfishness and joy of life on the other side. It is demonstrated, that what nourishes and maintains courage to be is joy of life and self-devotion. The thesis of the essay is accordingly that courage to be is created and maintained partly by vitality in its different forms, partly by its attachment to joy of life.
Visible and near-infrared radiation may be transmitted or absorbed differently by beetle elytra according to habitat preference
Authors: Cuesta Eva , Lobo Jorge M.
Published: November 2019

Background

The exoskeleton of an insect could be an important factor in the success of its evolutionary process. This reaches its maximum expression in beetles, which constitute the most diversified animal taxon. The involvement in the management of environmental radiation could be one of the most important functions of the exoskeleton due to the passive contributions to the thermoregulation of body temperature. We study whether the elytra of two sympatric and closely related beetle species respond differentially to the radiation of distinct wavelengths in agreement with their ecological preferences.

Methods

Onthophagus coenobita (Herbst) and O. medius (Kugelaan) occupy different habitats and environmental conditions (shaded vs. unshaded from solar radiation). The potential adaptive variations to thermoregulation under these different ecological conditions were studied using the responses of their exoskeletons to radiation of different wavelengths (ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared). For these two species, the amounts of the three wavelengths that were reflected, transmitted or absorbed by the exoskeleton were measured using of a spectrophotometer. In addition, the darkness and thickness of the elytra were examined to determine whether these two features influence the management of radiation by the exoskeleton.

Results

Both species differ in the management of visible and near-infrared radiation. In agreement with habitat preferences, the species inhabiting shaded conditions would allow infrared and visible radiation to penetrate the elytra more easily to heat internal body parts, while the elytra of the heliophilous species would have increased absorbance of these same types of radiation. An increase in body size (and therefore in elytron thickness) and the quantity of dark spots may serve as barriers against exogenous heat gain. However, the maintenance of between-species differences independent of the effects of these two morphological features led us to suspect that an unconsidered elytron characteristic may also be affecting these differences.

Discussion

The results of the involvement of the exoskeleton thickness and spots in the thermoregulation of insects opens new research lines to obtain a better understanding of the function of the exoskeleton as a passive thermoregulation mechanism in Coleoptera.
Clinical Features and Outcome of Birth Asphyxia in Hôpital du Cinquantenaire of Kisangani: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: G. Mande B. , V. Muyobela K. , E. Hasivirwe V. , B. Batoko L.
Published: November 2019

Aims: There paucity of studies on asphyxia, one of the three main reasons for newborn deaths in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In this country, newborn mortality is among the highest in Africa. This study was conducted to identify the clinical features and outcome of perinatal asphyxia. Risk factors associated with asphyxia were also determined.

Study Design: A cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: It was conducted in the pediatric department of Hôpital du Cinquantenaire of Kisangani (HCK), from March 2013 to March 2017.

Methodology: Clinical and biologic parameters (prenatal, perinatal and postnatal) of term newborns, hospitalised for perinatal asphyxia in the HCK were retrospectively collected and analysed. Data of dead newborns were compared to those who survived to determine risk factors associated with asphyxia mortality. One case matched three controls of the same sex.

Results: During the period above, 612 newborns were received in the HCK, and 146 died. One hundred and nineteen out of 612 had perinatal asphyxia (19.4%), and 26 out of 119 died (17.8% of all newborn deaths and 21.8% of all asphyxia cases). The most frequent perinatal antecedents were premature rupture of the membranes, meconium-stained amniotic liquid, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. In bivariate analysis, factors associated with asphyxia lethality were low birthweight (P=.02), reference from another hospital (P =.01), age more than 24 hours (P =.02), associated sepsis (P =.003), asphyxia severity (P<.001) and the Stage 3 of Sarnat (P<.001).

Conclusion: The frequency of the asphyxia is high in the HCK and its mortality associated with avoidable factors. Networking newborn referral, improving skills of nurses about obstetrical and neonatal emergency cares, and making available equipment for newborn resuscitation can reduce that mortality.
Management of Paediatric Pain: Knowledge and Practice of Healthcare Providers at a Tertiary Centre, Southern Nigeria
Authors: Eke G. K. , Briggs D. C.
Published: November 2019

Background: Many disease processes and interventional procedures in paediatrics are associated with pain. In spite of its frequency, it is undertreated globally, exposing children to the risks of long-term physical and psychological sequelae, which can have adverse effects on future treatments.

Objectives: To ascertain the knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare providers towards management of paediatric pain at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

Methods: In this cross-sectional survey, a semi-structured and self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst a convenient sample of physicians and nurses attached to clinical departments/units where children are cared for, and those in educational units, between June and August 2017. Their knowledge and attitude toward pain management were analysed using Epi Info v7 software (CDC, USA).

Results: One hundred and ninety seven subjects participated in the study, 95(48.2%) physicians and 102(51.8%) nurses, all of various cadres. Seventy-four percent of them had more than 5 years working experience. One third of participants (30.4%) could name up to 3 non-pharmacological methods of pain management, of which the commonest were cold compress (48(24.4%) with nurses>physicians), followed by hot compress (38(19%)) and distraction (24(12%)). The commonest procedures for which non-pharmacological interventions of pain management were usually applied included immunisation of infants (20%) and venepuncture (17%) while lumbar puncture was the least (1.5%). Half of respondents (52%) had never prescribed/administered morphine to children.

Conclusion: Healthcare providers had poor knowledge of paediatric pain management. There is an urgent need to build their capacity to enable optimal relief of pain among paediatric patients.
Diabetes Keto-acidosis in Children: A Report of Two Cases and Literature Review
Authors: Mande B. G. , Batina A. S. , Alworonga O. J. , Ngbonda D. N.
Published: November 2019

Aims: To present features of two cases of diabetes keto-acidosis observed in the Nouveau Village de Pédiatrie, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), between 2014 and 2018.

Cases Presentation: The first case was a male patient, 13 years-old, who arrived with fever, vomiting, polyuria, unconsciousness, respiratory distress and coma. His fasting plasma glucose was 570 mg/dl. Urea nitrogen 56,4 mg/dl; Creatinine 2,1 mg/dl. C reactive protein was 27 mg/l. The treatment of diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA) was based on insulin, fluids and antibiotics. Despite glycemic normalization, he died with cerebral edema and sepsis. The second case was a female child of 6 years, received with fever, polydipsia, asthenia, polyuria, a familial history of diabetes. Random plasma glucose was 500 mg/dl and C reactive protein 10 mg/l. Despite insulin and antibiotics, her clinical state worsened by a pyelonephritis and pulmonary edema and, probably tuberculosis. She also died.

Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus type 1 in children, complicated with DKA and sepsis, have worse prognosis. More children death would be avoidable by correct global treatment including insulin and hydro-electrolytic balance to prevent cerebral or pulmonary edema. Children with tuberculosis should realize routine screening for diabetes mellitus and inversely.
Sampling and analysis of airborne ammonia in workplaces of China
Authors: Xu Zhizhen , Guo Ling , Wang Dongxu , Bi Zhe , Fu Zhaohui
Published: November 2019

Objectives

With the increasing demand for the detection of occupational hazard factors in workplaces, the national standard determination method for ammonia (sampling with absorbing solution-analysis with Nessler reagent spectrophotometry) in the air of workplace presents many drawbacks during application in China. This review summarized the improvement and the alternate methods of the current sampling and analysis procedures for ammonia, aiming to provide reference to establish an appropriate method for the determination of ammonia in workplace air.

Methods

Scientific publications in English and Chinese and the standard methods of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) in Germany, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States, and Ministry of Health in China for airborne ammonia collection and analysis in the workplace were reviewed.

Results

The measures to improve the current sampling and analysis procedures for ammonia in China were firstly summarized. For sampling, the decrease of absorbing solution concentration and the methanesulfonic acid solution as the alternate sampling solution were suggested. For analysis, the anti-interference measures and the optimum reaction condition between ammonia and Nessler reagent were discussed. The alternate methods including sampling conducted using solid sorbent tubes and analysis performed by ion chromatography were then considered for the determination of ammonia.

Conclusions

The methods—sampling with acid-treated solid sorbent tubes and analysis with ion chromatography—were more suitable for the determination of ammonia in workplace air. However, some details about ammonia sampling and analysis still need further investigation.
Feasibility of the new copper pipe method for evaluating half‐value layer in computed tomography: A measurement and Monte Carlo simulation study
Authors: Okubo Rena , Matsubara Kosuke , Chusin Thunyarat , Hibino Tomoya , Ito Yusuke
Published: November 2019

This study aimed to verify the accuracy of half‐value layer (HVL) measured using the new copper pipe method with the CT ionization chamber while the X‐ray tube is rotating and to compare it with the conventional nonrotating method and Monte Carlo simulation method based on the actual measurement and geometry of the new copper pipe method. HVL was measured while the X‐ray tube was rotating using a CT ionization chamber surrounded by copper pipe absorbers and located at the isocenter of the CT gantry. The exposure as the copper pipe thickness approached 0 mm was extrapolated from the attenuation curve to take the influence of scatter radiation into consideration. The results of the new copper pipe method were compared with those of the other two methods. Data were acquired using two different CT scanners on a single axial scan. The two one‐sided test (TOST) equivalent test yielded equivalence between HVLs derived from the new copper pipe and the nonrotating methods (P < 0.05) and those derived from the new copper pipe and the simulation methods (P < 0.05) at the equivalence margins of ± 0.03 mmCu. The mean absolute difference in HVL between the new copper pipe and conventional nonrotating methods was 0.01 ± 0.02 mmCu, which corresponded to an error of effective energy of (0.86 ± 1.66)%. The new copper pipe method can ensure that HVL of CT scanner can easily be evaluated using solely the CT ionization chamber and copper pipe absorbers without requiring service engineering mode.
Catalytic Metal Foam by Chemical Melting and Sintering of Liquid Metal Nanoparticles
Authors: Allioux Francois‐Marie , Merhebi Salma , Tang Jianbo , Idrus‐Saidi Shuhada A. , Abbasi Roozbeh , Saborio Maricruz G. , Ghasemian Mohammad B. , Han Jialuo , Namivandi‐Zangeneh Rashin , O'Mullane Anthony P. , Koshy Pramod , Daiyan Rahman , Amal Rose , Boyer Cyrille , Kalantar‐Zadeh Kourosh
Published: November 2019

Metal foams are highly sought‐after porous structures for heterogeneous catalysis, which are fabricated by templating, injecting gas, or admixing blowing agents into a metallic melt at high temperatures. They also require additional catalytic material coating. Here, a low‐melting‐point liquid metal is devised for the single‐step formation of catalytic foams in mild aqueous environments. A hybrid catalytic foam fabrication process is presented via simultaneous chemical foaming, melting, and sintering reaction of liquid metal nanoparticles. As a model, nanoparticles of tertiary low‐melting‐point eutectic alloy of indium, bismuth, and tin (Field's metal) are processed with sodium hydrogen carbonate, an environmentally benign blowing agent. The competing endothermic foaming and exothermic sintering reactions are triggered by an aqueous acidic bath. The overall foaming process occurs at a localized temperature above 200 °C, producing submicron‐ to micron‐sized open‐cell pore foams with conductive cores and semiconducting surface decorations. The catalytic properties of the metal foams are explored for a range of applications including photo‐electrocatalysis, bacteria electrofiltration, and CO2 electroconversion. In particular, the Field's metal‐based foams show exceptional CO2 electrochemical conversion performance at low applied voltages. The facile process presented here can be extended to other low‐temperature post transition and transition metal alloys.
A Cell Membrane‐Targeting Self‐Delivery Chimeric Peptide for Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy and In Situ Therapeutic Feedback
Authors: Ma Wen , Sha Sui‐Nan , Chen Pei‐Ling , Yu Meng , Chen Jian‐Jun , Huang Chao‐Bo , Yu Bin , Liu Yun , Liu Li‐Han , Yu Zhi‐Qiang
Published: November 2019

Nowadays, cell membrane‐targeted therapy, which owns high antitumor efficacy by avoiding cell barriers, has received great attention. Here, a cell membrane‐targeted self‐delivery theranostic chimeric peptide CMP‐PpIX is designed for simultaneously targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumor and real‐time therapeutic feedback. Self‐assembled CMP‐PpIX nanoparticles can effectively accumulate in tumor by enhanced permeability and retention effect without additional vector. And this chimeric peptide CMP‐PpIX has low background fluorescence, which is due to its relatively high intramolecular Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) quenching efficiency between 5(6)‐carboxyfluorescein (FAM) and 4‐(dimethylaminoazo)‐benzene‐4‐carboxylic acid (Dabcyl). More importantly, CMP‐PpIX can be anchored on the tumor cell membrane for more than 8 h. Under irradiation, reactive oxygen species produced by CMP‐PpIX directly damage cell membrane and rapidly induce apoptosis, which significantly improve the efficacy of PDT in vitro and in vivo. Then, peptide sequence Asp‐Glu‐Val‐Asp (DEVD) is subsequently cleaved by activated caspase‐3 and activated caspase‐7, which separates the FAM and Dabcyl and terminates the FRET process. Therefore, fluorescence of FAM is recovered to monitor the expression of activated caspase‐3 in vitro and in vivo to feedback real‐time PDT therapeutic efficacy. In general, a novel cell membrane‐targeted self‐delivery theranostic chimeric peptide offers new promise for effective imaging‐guided PDT.
The gaits of marsupials and the evolution of diagonal‐sequence walking in primates
Authors: Cartmill Matt , Brown Kaye , Atkinson Christopher , Cartmill Erica A. , Findley Erica , Gonzalez‐Socoloske Daniel , Hartstone‐Rose Adam , Mueller Joanne
Published: November 2019

Objectives

Documenting the variety of quadrupedal walking gaits in a variety of marsupials (arboreal vs. terrestrial, with and without grasping hind feet), to aid in developing and refining a general theory of gait evolution in primates.

Materials and Methods

Video records of koalas, ringtail possums, tree kangaroos, sugar gliders, squirrel gliders, wombats, numbats, quolls, a thylacine, and an opossum walking on a variety of substrates were made and analyzed to derive duty factors and diagonalities for symmetrical walking gaits. The resulting distributions of data points were compared with published data and theories.

Results

Terrestrial marsupials' gaits overwhelmingly plot slightly below the theoretical “horse line” (Cartmill et al., Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 2002;136:401–420) typical of terrestrial mammals; arboreal marsupials' gaits overwhelmingly plot more decisively above it. Both distributions are roughly parallel to the horse line, but arboreal animals exhibit increased diagonality, so that their higher‐speed walking gaits overlap with those of typical primates on the Hildebrand diagram of diagonality against duty factor.

Conclusions

Quadrupeds avoid gaits lying exactly on the (theoretically optimum) horse line, to avoid fore/hind limb interference (“forging”). This can be accomplished by either a slight reduction in diagonality (“downshifting”) or a more decisive increase (“upshifting”). Tree‐dwellers adopt the second option to eliminate unilateral bipods of support from the gait cycle. The upshifted horse line represents an early phase in the evolution of primate‐like diagonal‐sequence gaits.
Taxonomic variation in the supraorbital region of catarrhine primates
Authors: White Suzanna , Soligo Christophe , Pope Matt , Hillson Simon
Published: November 2019

Objectives

This study aimed to test the taxonomic utility of the catarrhine supraorbital region using 3D geometric morphometrics, with the aim of establishing its potential use in elucidating the position of more debated hominin groups.

Materials and Methods

230 3D coordinates were used to record the supraorbital morphology of two datasets: one containing 460 non‐hominin catarrhine primates from species and subspecies of Gorilla, Pan, Papio, and Macaca; and the other containing 55 Pleistocene hominins from Homo, Australopithecus, and Paranthropus. Principal component analyses in tangent, form, and allometry‐free shape space were used to assess differentiation of taxa, with biological distinctiveness of taxa being established using step‐wise discriminant analysis with subsampling.

Results

Results indicated that the recorded supraorbital morphology could be used to separate non‐hominin catarrhine primate genera, species, and subspecies, although accuracy was found to decrease with decreasing Linnaean rank. In addition, analyses in tangent space were found to produce the highest accuracy when classifying primates of known taxonomy. Biological distinctiveness of the middle and later Homo species was comparable to or higher than that of the non‐hominin primates, and relatively lower for the earlier groups of Homo.

Discussion

This study indicates that the supraorbital region preserves taxonomic information that can be used to delineate between closely related groups, both within hominins and wider catarrhine primates. Therefore, this region may be used to provide insight when assessing the taxonomic affiliation of disputed hominin specimens.
Systemic Autoimmune Disease Among Adults Exposed to the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack
Authors: Miller‐Archie Sara A. , Izmirly Peter M. , Berman Jessica R. , Brite Jennifer , Walker Deborah J. , Dasilva Renato C. , Petrsoric Lysa J. , Cone James E.
Published: November 2019

Objective

Autoimmune disease is an emerging condition among persons exposed to the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center (WTC). Components of the dust cloud resulting from the collapse of the WTC have been associated with development of a systemic autoimmune disease, as has posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We undertook this study to determine whether dust exposure and PTSD were associated with an increased risk of systemic autoimmune disease in a 9/11‐exposed cohort.

Methods

Among 43,133 WTC Health Registry enrollees, 2,786 self‐reported having a post‐9/11 systemic autoimmune disease. We obtained informed consent to review medical records to validate systemic autoimmune disease diagnoses for 1,041 enrollees. Diagnoses of systemic autoimmune diseases were confirmed by classification criteria, rheumatologist diagnosis, or having been prescribed systemic autoimmune disease medication. Controls were enrollees who denied having an autoimmune disease diagnosis (n = 37,017). We used multivariable log‐binomial regression to examine the association between multiple 9/11 exposures and risk of post‐9/11 systemic autoimmune disease, stratifying by responders (rescue, recovery, and clean‐up workers) and community members (e.g., residents, area workers).

Results

We identified 118 persons with systemic autoimmune disease. Rheumatoid arthritis was most frequent (n = 71), followed by Sjӧgren's syndrome (n = 22), systemic lupus erythematosus (n = 20), myositis (n = 9), mixed connective tissue disease (n = 7), and scleroderma (n = 4). Among 9/11 responders, those with intense dust cloud exposure had almost twice the risk of systemic autoimmune disease (adjusted risk ratio 1.86 [95% confidence interval 1.02–3.40]). Community members with PTSD had a nearly 3‐fold increased risk of systemic autoimmune disease.

Conclusion

Intense dust cloud exposure among responders and PTSD among community members were associated with a statistically significant increased risk of new‐onset systemic autoimmune disease. Clinicians treating 9/11 survivors should be aware of the potential increased risk of systemic autoimmune disease in this population.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Ligand‐Free C‐N Coupling Reactions: Selective Diheteroarylation of Amines with 2‐Halobenzimidazoles
Authors: Sang Wei , Gavi Ayao Jean , Yu Bao‐Yi , Cheng Hua , Yuan Ye , Wu Yuan , Lommens Petra , Chen Cheng , Verpoort Francis
Published: November 2019

2‐Aminobenzimidazoles are widely present in a number of bioactive molecules. Generally, the preparation of these molecules could be realized by the mono‐substitution of 2‐halobenzimidazoles with amines. However, rare examples were reported for the di‐substituted products and the selectivity of mono‐ vs. di‐substitution was relatively low. Considering the potential values of the di‐substituted products, we accomplished the first selective diheteroarylation of amines with 2‐halobenzimidazoles. Notably, this Pd‐catalyzed transformation was realized under ligand‐free conditions. Accordingly, numerous target products were efficiently produced from various aromatic or aliphatic amines and 2‐halobenzimidazoles. It was worth noting that two representative products were further confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. More significantly, this catalytic process could be applied to the synthesis and discovery of new bioactive compounds, which demonstrated the synthetic usefulness of this newly developed approach.
Galaxy rotation curve from classical Cepheids
Authors: Gnaciński Piotr
Published: November 2019

The galaxy rotation curve is usually assumed to be flat. However, some galaxies have rotation curves that are lower than the flat rotation curve. In our galaxy, the Keplerian rotation of interstellar clouds in the galactic longitude l = 135° was observed. We use a kinematic approach to derive the rotational velocity of classical Cepheids. The rotational velocity was calculated from radial velocity and from proper motion. The derived rotational velocities of Cepheids are between Keplerian rotation and the flat one. We fit a galaxy rotation model consisting of a black hole, bulge, disk, and halo to the rotation curve. The density of dark matter halo is at least 60% less than the value obtained from the flat rotation curve.
Surface‐enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Studies of Riboflavin, Lumiflavin, and Lumichrome Adsorbed on Silver Colloids
Authors: Yun Min‐Ju , Cheong Byeong‐Seo , Cho Han‐Gook
Published: November 2019

Spectroscopic investigation of riboflavin, lumiflavin, and lumichrome has been proceeded by means of surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) using silver colloids. While the SERS spectra of these molecules are somewhat alike to their Raman spectra, some of the bands show clear enhancements while others diminish. Weakening of the SERS spectra in acidic solution is greatly affected by the substituent on the isoalloxazine ring. The higher acidity of lumichrome leads to the stability of the molecule coordinated to silver colloid. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed for the plausible configurations of the molecules coordinated to a silver adatom. Our results indicate that deprotonation precedes adsorption, and the molecules coordinate to an Ag+ adatom via a single N atom between the two carbonyl groups. The calculated spectra well reproduce the observed spectra, and they have been used to assign the observed vibrational bands. The uniqueness of lumichrome arises from the absence of substituent and resulting tautomerism.
Extraction and UHPLC–DAD detection of undeclared substances in market‐available dietary supplements and slimming products in Eastern region, Saudi Arabia: An application of principal component analysis
Authors: Ahmad Rizwan , Ahmad Niyaz , AlHudaithi Nourah , AlHebshi Asmaa , Bukhari Areej
Published: November 2019

Background

Dietary supplements (DS) containing undeclared substances may pose serious risk to s public health. The consumers of DS should be aware of such products in order to avoid the risk of fatal outcomes.

Aim of the study

The study is based on the determination and identification of undeclared substances – theobromine (TB), theophylline (TH), pseudoephedrine (PE), caffeine (C), hydrochlorothiazide (HTZ) and yohimbine (Y) – in market‐available DS.

Material and methods

Ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (UHPLC–DAD) was utilized to identify and quantify the presence of undeclared substances, in 52 different DS collected from the market.

Results

A fast and reliable UHPLC–DAD method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of the analyte where an efficient separation was achieved within 7 min runtime (TB 1.47, TH 1.79, PE 2.08, C 2.26, HTZ 3.78, Y 6.50) with resolution >1.5. The method validation produced r2 values ranging from 0.975 to 0.999 within a linearity range of 1–300 ppm. The UHPLC method revealed the presence of undeclared substances in 11 samples (HD3, HD4, HD9, HD13, HD14, HD15, HD21, HD24, HD27, HD38 and HD40), where the most widely distributed analyte was PE and C. The analyte found to have the highes concentrations (mg) in these DS were PE (11) and C (2.01). Among the 52 DS products tested, the product HD3 revealed a greater number and amount (mg) of undeclared substances, i.e. TH (0.05), C (2.01), HTZ (0.37) and Y (0.05), followed by HD14, i.e. PE (9.31), C (0.40), HTZ (0.01) and HD9 PE (11.00), C (0.41).

Conclusion

The abundance of undeclared substances in these DS products was PE > C > Y > HTZ. None of the DS contained TB whereas TH was present in only one sample.
Environmental support programmes for small businesses: A systematic literature review
Authors: Oguntoye Olamide , Quartey Samuel Howard
Published: November 2019

The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of the performance of environmental support programmes for small businesses. With growing interests in promoting environmental sustainability among small businesses, developing a better understanding of environmental support programmes has become critical. Previous studies have investigated specific cases of environmental support programmes for small businesses. However, their findings are yet to be galvanised in a manner that improves our understanding of environmental support programmes for small businesses. This study addresses the gap in the literature by systematically reviewing 25 key journal articles and synthesizing their main findings. The findings from the deductive thematic analysis revealed that support provider/sponsor, client context, programme scope, capacity development, complementary support, service delivery network, and regulation influence the performance of environmental support programmes for small businesses. These findings highlight the ongoing efforts in developing and developed countries to promote environmental practices in small businesses. We, therefore, encourage sustainability and small business researchers to go beyond the design and implementation and focus more attention on how to improve the performance of environmental support programmes for small businesses.
Gaining sustainable development by green supply chain innovation: Perspectives of specific investments and stakeholder engagement
Authors: Wu Aihua , Li Tianfu
Published: November 2019

Despite general attention has been given to sustainable development and green innovation, little empirical effort has been made to explore the factors influencing green innovation performance in the context of supply chain relationships, especially in emerging countries like China. To address this research gap, from the perspectives of specific investments, we examine the role of specific investments in relation to the outcome of green supply chain innovation. Drawing on knowledge management theory, we propose that knowledge transfer plays a mediating role underlying the relationship. On the basis of the stakeholder involvement theory, we argue that partner social responsibility plays moderating roles not only in specific investments—green supply chain innovation performance link—but also in the link of knowledge transfer and performance. We tested the proposed relationships with a sample consisted of 331 questionnaires and validated responses from 187 high‐tech firms in China. The results generally support the proposed hypotheses, and the integrative model—moderated mediation—is also supported. As such, this study contributes to understand about how specific investments affect the performance of green supply chain innovation, providing new insights on stakeholder involvement and knowledge transfer in green supply chain innovation management.
Effects of Sparger Holes on Gas‐Liquid Hydrodynamics in Bubble Columns
Authors: Liu Yang , Zhang Li , Zhang Yongju , Zhou Lixing
Published: November 2019

A multiphase second‐order moment turbulent model was developed including an improved closure Reynolds stress transport to describe effectively the anisotropic characteristics of bubble‐liquid turbulent flow. The two‐phase hydrodynamics in a bubble column were numerically simulated by an in‐house code. The effect of the amount of jetting holes on bubble‐liquid hydrodynamics in relationship with a cell culture was investigated. Firstly, the bubble energy production correlation was proposed to verify the higher cell damage rate near gas inlet regions. The larger amounts of jetting holes resulted in an increase of bubble stress, bubble kinetic energy, and energy dissipation, particularly bubble energy production at the near gas inlet, which boosted cell damage.
Developmental mechanisms driving complex tooth shape in reptiles
Authors: Landova Sulcova Marie , Zahradnicek Oldrich , Dumkova Jana , Dosedelova Hana , Krivanek Jan , Hampl Marek , Kavkova Michaela , Zikmund Tomas , Gregorovicova Martina , Sedmera David , Kaiser Jozef , Tucker Abigail S. , Buchtova Marcela
Published: November 2019

Background

In mammals, odontogenesis is regulated by transient signaling centers known as enamel knots (EKs), which drive the dental epithelium shaping. However, the developmental mechanisms contributing to formation of complex tooth shape in reptiles are not fully understood. Here, we aim to elucidate whether signaling organizers similar to EKs appear during reptilian odontogenesis and how enamel ridges are formed.

Results

Morphological structures resembling the mammalian EK were found during reptile odontogenesis. Similar to mammalian primary EKs, they exhibit the presence of apoptotic cells and no proliferating cells. Moreover, expression of mammalian EK‐specific molecules (SHH, FGF4, and ST14) and GLI2‐negative cells were found in reptilian EK‐like areas. 3D analysis of the nucleus shape revealed distinct rearrangement of the cells associated with enamel groove formation. This process was associated with ultrastructural changes and lipid droplet accumulation in the cells directly above the forming ridge, accompanied by alteration of membranous molecule expression (Na/K‐ATPase) and cytoskeletal rearrangement (F‐actin).

Conclusions

The final complex shape of reptilian teeth is orchestrated by a combination of changes in cell signaling, cell shape, and cell rearrangement. All these factors contribute to asymmetry in the inner enamel epithelium development, enamel deposition, ultimately leading to the formation of characteristic enamel ridges.
Comparative analysis of CreER transgenic mice for the study of brain macrophages: A case study
Authors: Chappell‐Maor Louise , Kolesnikov Masha , Kim Jung‐Seok , Shemer Anat , Haimon Zhana , Grozovski Jonathan , Boura‐Halfon Sigalit , Masuda Takahiro , Prinz Marco , Jung Steffen
Published: November 2019

Conditional mutagenesis and fate mapping have contributed considerably to our understanding of physiology and pathology. Specifically, Cre recombinase‐based approaches allow the definition of cell type‐specific contributions to disease development and of inter‐cellular communication circuits in respective animal models. Here we compared Cx3cr1CreER and Sall1CreER transgenic mice and their use to decipher the brain macrophage compartment as a showcase to discuss recent technological advances. Specifically, we highlight the need to define the accuracy of Cre recombinase expression, as well as strengths and pitfalls of these particular systems that should be taken into consideration when applying these models.