bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanogap‐Rich Au Nanowire SERS Sensor for Ultrasensitive Telomerase Activity Detection: Application to Gastric and Breast Cancer Tissues Diagnosis
Authors: Eom Gayoung , Kim Hongki , Hwang Ahreum , Son Hye‐Young , Choi Yuna , Moon Jeong , Kim Donghyeong , Lee Miyeon , Lim Eun‐Kyung , Jeong Jinyoung , Huh Yong‐Min , Seo Min‐Kyo , Kang Taejoon , Kim Bongsoo
Published: August 2017

Telomerase has attracted much attention as a universal cancer biomarker because telomerase is overexpressed in more than 85% of human cancer cells while suppressed in normal somatic cells. Since a strong association exists between telomerase activity and human cancers, the development of effective telomerase activity assay is critically important. Here, a nanogap‐rich Au nanowire (NW) surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor is reported for detection of telomerase activity in various cancer cells and tissues. The nanogap‐rich Au NWs are constructed by deposition of nanoparticles on single‐crystalline Au NWs and provided highly reproducible SERS spectra. The telomeric substrate (TS) primer‐attached nanogap‐rich Au NWs can detect telomerase activity through SERS measurement after the elongation of TS primers, folding into G‐quadruplex structures, and intercalation of methylene blue. This sensor enables us to detect telomerase activity from various cancer cell lines with a detection limit of 0.2 cancer cells mL−1. Importantly, the nanogap‐rich Au NW sensor can diagnose gastric and breast cancer tissues accurately. The nanogap‐rich Au NW sensors show strong SERS signals only in the presence of tumor tissues excised from 16 tumor‐bearing mice, while negligible signals in the presence of heated tumor tissues or normal tissues. It is anticipated that nanogap‐rich Au NW SERS sensors can be used for a universal cancer diagnosis and further biomedical applications including a diverse biomarker sensing.
Novel Cranial Implants of Yttria‐Stabilized Zirconia as Acoustic Windows for Ultrasonic Brain Therapy
Authors: Gutierrez Mario I. , Penilla Elias H. , Leija Lorenzo , Vera Arturo , Garay Javier E. , Aguilar Guillermo
Published: August 2017

Therapeutic ultrasound can induce changes in tissues by means of thermal and nonthermal effects. It is proposed for treatment of some brain pathologies such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's diseases, and cancer. However, cranium highly absorbs ultrasound reducing transmission efficiency. There are clinical applications of transcranial focused ultrasound and implantable ultrasound transducers proposed to address this problem. In this paper, biocompatible materials are proposed for replacing part of the cranium (cranial implants) based on low porosity polycrystalline 8 mol% yttria‐stabilized‐zirconia (8YSZ) ceramics as acoustic windows for brain therapy. In order to assess the viability of 8YSZ implants to effectively transmit ultrasound, various 8YSZ ceramics with different porosity are tested; their acoustic properties are measured; and the results are validated using finite element models simulating wave propagation to brain tissue through 8YSZ windows. The ultrasound attenuation is found to be linearly dependent on ceramics' porosity. Results for the nearly pore‐free case indicate that 8YSZ is highly effective in transmitting ultrasound, with overall maximum transmission efficiency of ≈81%, compared to near total absorption of cranial bone. These results suggest that 8YSZ polycrystals could be suitable acoustic windows for ultrasound brain therapy at 1 MHz.
Data processing and case identification in an agricultural and logging morbidity surveillance study: Trends over time
Authors: Scott Erika , Bell Erin , Krupa Nicole , Hirabayashi Liane , Jenkins Paul
Published: August 2017

Background

Agriculture and logging are dangerous industries, and though data on fatal injury exists, less is known about non‐fatal injury. Establishing a non‐fatal injury surveillance system is a top priority. Pre‐hospital care reports and hospitalization data were explored as a low‐cost option for ongoing surveillance of occupational injury.

Methods

Using pre‐hospital care report free‐text and location codes, along with hospital ICD‐9‐CM external cause of injury codes, we created a surveillance system that tracked farm and logging injuries.

Results

In Maine and New Hampshire, 1585 injury events were identified (2008‐2010). The incidence of injuries was 12.4/1000 for agricultural workers, compared to 10.4/1000 to 12.2/1000 for logging workers.

Conclusions

These estimates are consistent with other recent estimates. This system is limited to traumatic injury for which medical treatment is administered, and is limited by the accuracy of coding and spelling. This system has the potential to be both sustainable and low cost.
Phenotype analysis of congenital and neurodevelopmental disorders in the next generation sequencing era
Authors: Carey John C.
Published: August 2017

The designation, phenotype, was proposed as a term by Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909. The word is derived from the Greek, phano (showing) and typo (type), phanotypos. Phenotype has become a widely recognized term, even outside of the genetics community, in recent years with the ongoing identification of human disease genes. The term has been defined as the observable constitution of an organism, but sometimes refers to a condition when a person has a particular clinical presentation. Analysis of phenotype is a timely theme because advances in the understanding of the genetic basis of human disease and the emergence of next generation sequencing have spurred a renewed interest in phenotype and the proposal to establish a “Human Phenome Project.” This article summarizes the principles of phenotype analysis that are important in medical genetics and describes approaches to comprehensive phenotype analysis in the investigation of patients with human disorders. I discuss the various elements related to disease phenotypes and highlight neurofibromatosis type 1 and the Elements of Morphology Project as illustrations of the principles. In recent years, the notion of “deep phenotyping” has emerged. Currently there are now a number of proposed strategies and resources to approach this concept. Not since the 1960s and 1970s has there been such an exciting time in the history of medicine surrounding the analysis of phenotype in genetic disorders.
A method of factor analysis for shape coordinates
Authors: Bookstein Fred L.
Published: August 2017

Currently the most common reporting style for a geometric morphometric (GMM) analysis of anthropological data begins with the principal components of the shape coordinates to which the original landmark data have been converted. But this focus often frustrates the organismal biologist, mainly because principal component analysis (PCA) is not aimed at scientific interpretability of the loading patterns actually uncovered. The difficulty of making biological sense of a PCA is heightened by aspects of the shape coordinate setting that further diverge from our intuitive expectations of how morphometric measurements ought to combine. More than 50 years ago one of our sister disciplines, psychometrics, managed to build an algorithmic route from principal component analysis to scientific understanding via the toolkit generally known as factor analysis. This article introduces a modification of one standard factor‐analysis approach, Henry Kaiser's varimax rotation of 1958, that accommodates two of the major differences between the GMM context and the psychometric context for these approaches: the coexistence of “general” and “special” factors of form as adumbrated by Sewall Wright, and the typical loglinearity of partial warp variance as a function of bending energy. I briefly explain the history of principal components in biometrics and the contrast with factor analysis, introduce the modified varimax algorithm I am recommending, and work three examples that are reanalyses of previously published cranial data sets. A closing discussion emphasizes the desirability of superseding PCA by algorithms aimed at anthropological understanding rather than classification or ordination.
Copper(I) bromide coordinated by the ionic liquid 1‐[(diethyl amine)amine]ethyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium chloride to catalyze the atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate in 1‐allyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium chloride
Authors: Xue Teng , Tang Erjun , Zhou Jian , Han Ruitao , Liu Shaojie
Published: August 2017

A coordinating ionic liquid (IL), 1‐[(diethyl amine)amine]ethyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium chloride ([N3MIM]Cl), was prepared as an alternative to a simple organic ligand to coordinate to copper(I) bromide (CuBr). We, thereby, obtained a novel catalyst for atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) reactions. This catalyst was applied to the ATRP of methyl methacrylate in the IL 1‐allyl‐3‐methyl imidazolium chloride ([AMIM]Cl). The chemical structures of the ILs obtained were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and 1H‐NMR analyses. The coordination ability of [N3MIM]Cl was assessed by cyclic voltammetry, and the redox potential of [N3MIM]Cl–CuBr was −0.507 V. The [N3MIM]Cl–CuBr complex was expected to be a markedly more active catalyst than the amine DETA–CuBr complex. The coordination mode toward CuBr was also examined. The [N3MIM]Cl–CuBr catalyst system showed good controllability in the aforementioned ATRP reaction in [AMIM]Cl. The Cu catalyst was easily separated from the obtained polymer with the coordinating IL as a ligand. Consequently, the coordinating IL overcame the shortcomings of traditional organic ligands, such as poor compatibility with IL media and poor separation of the catalyst from the polymer; this makes it highly promising for applications in the ATRP field. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45484.
Differential response to disturbance factors for the population of sympatric crocodilians (Gavialis gangeticus and Crocodylus palustris) in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, India
Authors: Choudhary Shikha , Choudhury B.C. , Gopi G.V.
Published: August 2017

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary along the Indo‐Nepal border in India harbours a well‐known breeding gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) population in its global distribution range together with a substantial population of breeding muggers (Crocodylus palustris). However, no systematic information on size and structure is available for either of the species' populations in the protected area.

This study was undertaken in winter and the ensuing summer of 2010–2011 to estimate the relative population density and structure of the two crocodilian species and to examine the effect of various disturbance factors, with the main focus on the effects of tourism and illegal fishing on the behavioural attributes of the two species.

Five daytime surveys were conducted from December 2010 to April 2011. Relative density based on encounter rate (number per 20 km) was highest for gharial juveniles followed by gharial adults and gharial sub‐adults in all the five surveys. Muggers, on the other hand, showed the opposite trend, with the lowest encounter rate being for juveniles, followed by sub‐adults and adults. The encounter rate of both species declined with increase in the mean ambient temperature from December to April.

The river habitat was divided into 2 km segments and disturbance factors were recorded at intervals of 100 m on both river banks. Wariness was taken as an indicator of response to disturbance caused by human beings and was measured from mechanized boats used for tourism and non‐mechanized boats used for illegal fishing.

Segments with sandbars, in spite of moderate to high disturbance rate, were preferred for basking by both species. In conclusion, with suitable habitat for basking, gharials and muggers were observed to tolerate moderate levels of disturbance. Wariness resulting from disturbances from the non‐mechanized boats was higher than that from the mechanized boats. Gharials tend to avoid humans, possibly with age/size acquired experience and knowledge, whereas muggers become more tolerant to human presence with increased age/size.

Despite many disturbance factors, the crocodilian population in Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary is doing relatively well compared with populations in other habitats in India. With the involvement of local stakeholders and strict implementation of forest laws, the habitat can be further improved and a healthy gharial population can be ensured.
Risk factors for orofacial clefts in India: A case–control study
Authors: Neogi Sutapa Bandyopadhyay , Singh Samiksha , Pallepogula Dinesh Raj , Pant Hira , Kolli Sunanda Reddy , Bharti Priyanka , Datta Vikram , Gosla Srinivas Reddy , Bonanthaya Krishnamurthy , Ness Andy , Kinra Sanjay , Doyle Pat , Gudlavalleti Venkata Satyanarayana Murthy
Published: August 2017

Background

Orofacial clefts (OFC) are linked with several genetic and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to explore the association of potential risk factors with OFCs in India.

Methods

This was a hospital‐based, matched case–control (1:4 ratio; matching done for parity) study conducted in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi‐National Capital Region. Cases (nonsyndromic clefts) were recruited from treatment centers, while controls (live births) were recruited from maternity centers. Information on exposures was collected during personal interviews. Exposures of interest included folic acid supplementation during the peri‐conceptional period, consanguineous marriage, exposure to drugs, infections during pregnancy, family history of OFC, and dietary factors.

Results

A total of 785 participants were included in the study: 157 cases and 628 controls. A family history of cleft lip/palate (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 15.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.36–54.96; p value = 0.001), exclusive vegetarianism (AOR, 4.47; 95% CI, 1.83–10.98; p value = 0.001), and delayed first conception (AOR, 2.55, 95% CI, 1.25–5.21, p = 0.01) were found to be strongly associated with higher risk of OFCs. Supplementation with folic acid during first 3 months of pregnancy was not found to be protective against OFCs (AOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.59–2.58; p value = 0.56).

Conclusion

Our study confirmed the importance of family history as a risk factor for OFC. Our study did not show an association with folic acid supplementation but was underpowered to detect small effects. Our finding of higher risk among vegetarians requires replication. Birth Defects Research 109:1284–1291, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Species Differences in Renal Development and Associated Developmental Nephrotoxicity
Authors: Frazier Kendall S.
Published: August 2017

The developing kidney is sensitive to both morphological and functional disturbances during the gestational and postnatal phases of growth and differentiation. Exposure to drugs or chemicals during these critical windows of renal development can result in aplasia, dysplasia, polycystic kidney disease, hydronephrosis, or other features characteristic of nephrotoxicity, including tubule dilation, necrosis, or mineralization. Functional effects can occur without associated morphological abnormalities. Differences in the timing of nephrogenesis and morphologic renal development among species help to explain specific phenotypes of various gestational and postnatal teratogens and nephrotoxins. Functional maturation follows anatomical maturation, but important differences in maximally achieved glomerular filtration rate, concentrating ability and acid–base equilibrium between species makes comparison of these timings critical for accurate and consistent translation of laboratory animal toxicity data to the human clinical experience. Species and age dependent differences in the maturation of kidney transporters, renal xenobiotic metabolism and renal blood flow can have a profound effect on the toxicity profiles of agents and marked differences in the tolerability based on age. Advances in the understanding of the genetics of inherited renal diseases and the underlying cellular and molecular pathogenesis of renal developmental anomalies has helped provide mechanistic understanding of many teratogenic and perinatal nephrotoxic agents. Investigative studies have provided important translational and mechanistic information for assessing human pediatric nephrotoxic potential. Birth Defects Research 109:1243–1256, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A study on effect of curcumin on anticerebral aneurysm in the male albino rats
Authors: Bo Li‐Juan , Miao Zhuang , Wang Zhan‐Feng , Zhang Kai‐Zhi , Gao Zheng
Published: August 2017

Introduction

This study investigated the curcumin effect on the cerebral aneurysm. Apoptosis is known to play a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of a cerebral aneurysm. Therefore, we investigated the effect of curcumin on apoptosis of smooth muscle cells of a cerebral aneurysm‐induced male albino rats.

Methods

In this study, the cerebral aneurysm has been induced in the male albino rats by the CaCl2 administration. After cerebral aneurysm induction, smooth muscle cells were isolated. Cells were treated with curcumin (25 & 50 mg/kg bwt) for 48 hr.

Results

Curcumin reduced altered mitochondrial morphology significantly, evidenced through fluorescence and confocal study. Curcumin treatment reduced the expression of p53, caspase‐3, and bax/bxl‐2 ratio significantly. Curcumin treatment also reversed the cellular architecture of smooth muscle cell wall significantly. Fluorescence and the confocal study confirmed the reduction in apoptosis in a cerebral aneurysm‐induced smooth muscle cells of male albino rats.

Conclusion

Taking all these data together, it may suggest that the curcumin could significantly reduce the CaCl2‐induced cerebral aneurysm through the inhibition of cell apoptosis in the cells.
Reproducibility of quantitative structural and physiological MRI measurements
Authors: McGuire Stephen A. , Wijtenburg S. Andrea , Sherman Paul M. , Rowland Laura M. , Ryan Meghann , Sladky John H. , Kochunov Peter V.
Published: August 2017

Introduction

Quantitative longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/S) is used to assess progress of brain disorders and treatment effects. Understanding the significance of MRI/S changes requires knowledge of the inherent technical and physiological consistency of these measurements. This longitudinal study examined the variance and reproducibility of commonly used quantitative MRI/S measurements in healthy subjects while controlling physiological and technical parameters.

Methods

Twenty‐five subjects were imaged three times over 5 days on a Siemens 3T Verio scanner equipped with a 32‐channel phase array coil. Structural (T1, T2‐weighted, and diffusion‐weighted imaging) and physiological (pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy) data were collected. Consistency of repeated images was evaluated with mean relative difference, mean coefficient of variation, and intraclass correlation (ICC). Finally, a “reproducibility rating” was calculated based on the number of subjects needed for a 3% and 10% difference.

Results

Structural measurements generally demonstrated excellent reproducibility (ICCs 0.872–0.998) with a few exceptions. Moderate‐to‐low reproducibility was observed for fractional anisotropy measurements in fornix and corticospinal tracts, for cortical gray matter thickness in the entorhinal, insula, and medial orbitofrontal regions, and for the count of the periependymal hyperintensive white matter regions. The reproducibility of physiological measurements ranged from excellent for most of the magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements to moderate for permeability‐diffusivity coefficients in cingulate gray matter to low for regional blood flow in gray and white matter.

Discussion

This study demonstrates a high degree of longitudinal consistency across structural and physiological measurements in healthy subjects, defining the inherent variability in these commonly used sequences. Additionally, this study identifies those areas where caution should be exercised in interpretation. Understanding this variability can serve as the basis for interpretation of MRI/S data in the assessment of neurological disorders and treatment effects.
Peripheral neuropathy in limbic encephalitis with anti‐glutamate receptor antibodies: Case report and systematic literature review
Authors: Wei Yi‐Chia , Huang Chin‐Chang , Liu Chi‐Hung , Kuo Hung‐Chou , Lin Jainn‐Jim
Published: August 2017

Introduction

Autoantibodies to the alpha‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor and N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor are known to be the causes of autoimmune encephalitis particularly limbic encephalitis. The involvement of the peripheral nervous system is rarely reported.

Methods

We analyzed the serial nerve conduction studies of a previously reported case of anti‐AMPA receptor encephalitis, who was presented with conscious disturbance and quadriplegia. Initial nerve conduction studies (NCS) revealed motor axonal polyneuropathy with active denervation. We also performed systematic review of similar cases with overlapped peripheral neuropathy and glutamate receptor encephalitis through Embase, PubMed, and MEDLINE.

Results

Follow‐up NCS of the patient with anti‐AMPA receptor encephalitis found reverse of the acute neuropathy, which was compatible with clinical recovery of quadriplegia. The systematic review identified 10 cases with overlapping peripheral neuropathy with anti‐AMPA or NMDA receptor encephalitis. Motor or sensorimotor neuropathies were more common than pure sensory neuropathies. Anti‐Hu, anti‐amphiphysin, or anti‐gnaglioside antibodies coexisted in some cases and might be associated with the peripheral symptoms.

Conclusions

Both anti‐AMPA and anti‐NMDA receptor encephalitis could overlap with acute peripheral neuropathy. It is important to consider peripheral symptoms and perform diagnostic tests.
Metabolomics analysis reveals distinct profiles of nonmuscle‐invasive and muscle‐invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Sahu Divya , Lotan Yair , Wittmann Bryan , Neri Bruce , Hansel Donna E.
Published: August 2017

Urothelial carcinoma is the most common form of bladder cancer, but pathway changes that occur with stage‐wise progression have not been well defined. We used a metabolomics approach to identify potential metabolic pathways uniquely altered in normal urothelium, nonmuscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). We performed global metabolomic profiling using GC‐mass spectrometry (MS) and LC‐MS platforms to identify metabolite signatures between normal urothelium and high‐grade urothelial carcinoma of different stages. Pathways globally dysregulated in cancer relative to normal urothelium included glucose, tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, lipid, amino acid, and nucleotide pathways. Urothelial carcinoma showed elevated glucose utilization for glycolysis and increased sorbitol pathway intermediates, consistent with Warburg effect. Anaplerosis to sustain energy production suggested by increased late TCA cycle intermediates, amino acids, and dipeptides occurs in bladder cancer. Urothelial carcinoma also shows altered membrane lipid membrane metabolism and differential derivation of nucleic acid components pyrimidine and purine. In stage comparison, MIBC appears to preferentially enhance cyclooxygenase (COX) and lipoxygenase (LOX) signaling, increase heme catabolism, and alter nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesis with a possible influence from associated inflammatory cells. We identify numerous metabolomic alterations in NMIBC and MIBC that likely reflect underlying pathway changes. Differential pathway activity may have value in designing stage‐specific novel therapeutics in urothelial carcinoma.
DNA Arrays with a Silver Lining
Authors: Chandrasekaran Arun Richard
Published: August 2017

The development of molecular electronics is one of the current focuses of bottom‐up nanotechnology. DNA has been the building block for nanostructures with a variety of applications, and its use has been extended to the formation of conducting nanowires. The one‐dimensional silver/DNA hybrid arrays reported recently are a step towards achieving longer DNA nanowires.
Coronary atherectomy is associated with improved procedural and clinical outcomes among patients with calcified coronary lesions: Insights from the VA CART program
Authors: Armstrong Ehrin J. , Stanislawski Maggie A. , Kokkinidis Damianos G. , Plomondon Mary E. , Barón Anna E. , Giri Jay , Shunk Kendrick A. , Banerjee Subhash , Maddox Thomas M. , Waldo Stephen W.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

We sought to evaluate the prevalence of calcified coronary lesions and the association between the use of atherectomy and clinical outcomes.

Background

Calcified coronary arteries are associated with an increased risk of procedural complications during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The outcomes of coronary atherectomy for adjunctive treatment of calcified coronary lesions are not well described.

Methods

We identified all patients treated for calcified coronary lesions at VA hospitals. A propensity weighted cohort was created for those treated with or without adjunctive atherectomy to evaluate the complications and outcomes between groups.

Results

From 2007 to 2015, 9,719 patients underwent single‐vessel PCI for treatment of naïve native calcific coronary lesions. The proportion of patients undergoing revascularization of calcified lesions increased over the study period (P = 0.03) and 1,731 patients (18%) were treated with atherectomy. Adjunctive atherectomy was more likely to be used in high‐risk lesions (76.5% vs. 46.8%, P < 0.001). After propensity weighting, coronary atherectomy was associated with a 38% decrease in the odds of procedural complications and a 54% decrease in the odds of clinical complications (both P = 0.005). There was no difference in rates of 2‐year death (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 0.92–1.24), myocardial infarction (HR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.75–1.23) or target vessel revascularization (HR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.78–1.19)

Conclusions

Percutaneous treatment of calcified coronary lesions has increased over time. The adjunctive use of coronary atherectomy was associated with a reduction in procedural complications among patients with calcified coronary arteries. Two‐year TVR, MI and overall mortality were similar between the two groups.
Nitrogen‐Doped Cobalt Ferrite/Carbon Nanocomposites for Supercapacitor Applications
Authors: Alshehri Saad M. , Ahmed Jahangeer , Alhabarah Ameen N. , Ahamad Tansir , Ahmad Tokeer
Published: August 2017

Nitrogen‐doped CoFe2O4/C (NCFC) nanocomposites (NCs) with an average size of 10 nm were obtained from the polymeric route, using egg white albumin followed by firing at 700 °C/3 h under the flow of helium gas. Structural and morphological studies of prepared materials were investigated by using powder X‐day diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and electron microscopic techniques. NCFC‐NCs exhibit excellent supercapacitive performances compared to pure MFe2O4 nanoparticles (M=Ni, Co, Cu, etc.). The specific capacitance (Cs) of NCFC‐NCs was found to be approximately 474 F/g, which is around five times higher than that of pure CoFe2O4 nanoparticles (Cs=94 F/g) at a scan rate of 5 mV/s in 5 M KOH. The energy densities of NCFC‐NCs and pure CoFe2O4 nanoparticles were found to be about 116 and 23 Wh/kg, respectively. Galvanostatic charge−discharge measurements of NCFC‐NCs reveals the loss of less energy and the discharge time of the nanocomposites was found to be approximately ten times higher compared to pure CoFe2O4 nanoparticles for 50 segments. The stability tests of the materials were also carried out by the cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and chronopotentiometric measurements for the purpose of industrial applications.
High‐Rate Polyaniline/Carbon‐Cloth Electrodes: Effect of Mass Loading on the Pseudocapacitive Performance
Authors: Tomšík Elena , Ivanko Iryna , Kohut Olena , Hromádková Jiřina
Published: August 2017

Polyaniline/carbon‐cloth electrodes with various mass loadings of polyaniline are prepared for use as high‐rate charge/discharge pseudocapacitors. The dependence of the capacitance, energy, and power density on the polyaniline mass loading is studied in the current work to determine the operating power spectrum of the polyaniline/carbon‐cloth electrodes. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time that the polyaniline/carbon‐cloth electrode simultaneously possesses high values of the specific and areal characteristics. Moreover, we show that such high values of the specific power and energy were obtained with time constants in the range from 0.8 to 6.25 s, depending on the amount of active material used. It is determined that the maximum areal capacitance is obtained for the highest mass loading of polyaniline with a value of 2450 mF/cm2 measured at 75 mA/cm2, corresponding to an areal energy density of 265 μWh/cm2 and areal power density of 48 mW/cm2. On the other hand, the maximum specific capacitance is obtained for the lowest mass loading of polyaniline with a value of 1120 F/g measured at 28 A/g, corresponding to a specific energy of 147 Wh/kg and specific power of 19 kW/kg.
Synthetic Talc and Talc‐Like Structures: Preparation, Features and Applications
Authors: Claverie Marie , Dumas Angela , Carême Christel , Poirier Mathilde , Le Roux Christophe , Micoud Pierre , Martin François , Aymonier Cyril
Published: August 2017

This contribution gives a comprehensive review about the progress in preparation methods, properties and applications of the different synthetic talc types: i) crystalline nanotalc synthesized by hydrothermal treatment; ii) amorphous and/or short‐range order nanotalc obtained by precipitation, and iii) organic–inorganic hybrid talc‐like structures obtained through a sol–gel process or a chemical grafting. Several advantages of nanotalc such as high chemical purity, high surface area, tunable submicronic size, high thermal stability, and hydrophilic character (leading to be the first fluid mineral) are emphasized. Synthetic nanotalc applications are also considered including its use as nanofiller in composite materials, as absorbers of organic compounds, as anticorrosion coatings and as agents for cosmetic applications. Regarding their high industrial application potential, intensive research has been carried out to better understand their behavior and develop processes to produce them. To facilitate further research and development, scientific and technical challenges are discussed in this Review article.
Long Straczekite δ‐Ca0.24V2O5⋅H2O Nanorods and Derived β‐Ca0.24V2O5 Nanorods as Novel Host Materials for Lithium Storage with Excellent Cycling Stability
Authors: Ma Yining , Zhou Huaijuan , Zhang Shuming , Gu Sui , Cao Xun , Bao Shanhu , Yao Heliang , Ji Shidong , Jin Ping
Published: August 2017

Nanorods of δ‐Ca0.24V2O5⋅H2O, a straczekite group mineral with an open double‐layered structure, have been successfully fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method and can be transformed into the tunnel β geometry (β‐Ca0.24V2O5) through a vacuum annealing treatment. The generated β‐Ca0.24V2O5 still preserves the nanorod construction of δ‐Ca0.24V2O5⋅H2O without substantial sintering and degradation of the nanostructure. As cathode materials, both calcium vanadium bronzes exhibit high reversible capacity, good rate capability, as well as superior cyclability. Compared with the hydrated vanadium bronze, the β‐Ca0.24V2O5 nanorods show better cycling performance (81.68 and 97.93 % capacity retention after 200 cycles at 100 and 400 mA g−1, respectively) and excellent long‐term cyclic stability with an average decay of 0.035 % per cycle over 500 cycles at 500 mA g−1. Note that the double‐layered δ‐Ca0.24V2O5⋅H2O electrode irreversibly converts into β‐CaxV2O5 phase during the initial Li+ insertion/extraction process, while in contrast, the β‐phase calcium vanadium bronze electrode shows excellent structural stability during cycling. The excellent electrochemical performance demonstrates that the two calcium vanadium bronzes are potential cathode candidates for rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries.
Catalytic Functionalization of Styrenyl Epoxides via 2‐Nickela(II)oxetanes
Authors: Desnoyer Addison N. , Geng Jialing , Drover Marcus W. , Patrick Brian O. , Love Jennifer A.
Published: August 2017

Low‐valent nickel is shown to preferentially isomerize mono‐ or disubstituted epoxides into their corresponding aldehydes. Experiments with tetrasubstituted epoxides demonstrate that these reactions proceed via reactive 2‐nickelaoxetane intermediates, and that the oxidative addition step likely occurs with retention of configuration. The monosubstituted aldehyde isomerization products were found to rapidly react with HBpin to form boronate esters. These hydroboration reactions could be performed catalytically.
Optimizing the Accuracy and Computational Cost in Theoretical Squaramide Catalysis: The Henry Reaction
Authors: Alegre‐Requena Juan V. , Marqués‐López Eugenia , Herrera Raquel P.
Published: August 2017

This study represents the first example where the accuracy of different combinations of density functional theory (DFT) methods and basis sets have been compared in squaramide catalysis. After an optimization process of the precision obtained and the computational time required in the computational calculations, highly precise results were achieved compared to the experimental outcomes while requiring the least amount of time possible. Here, we have explored computationally and experimentally the mechanism of the squaramide‐catalyzed Henry reaction. This is a complex reaction of about 100 atoms and a great number of diverse non‐covalent interactions. Moreover, this research is one of the scarce examples where the organocatalyst acts in a trifunctional manner and is the first investigation in which a trifunctional squaramide catalyst has been employed. Functional ωB97X‐D showed the best results when used with different versions of the 6‐311 basis sets, leading to highly accurate calculations of the outcomes of the Henry reaction when using nine aldehydes with different structural characteristics. Furthermore, in these relatively large systems, the use of a split‐valence triple‐zeta basis set saves a large amount of time compared with using larger basis sets that are sometimes employed in organocatalytic studies, such as the TZV and Def2TZV basis set families.
Chiral dialkyl ditellurides: Conformation of chiral chromophore by circular dichroism and DFT calculation
Authors: Ścianowski Jacek , Pacuła Agata J. , Skowronek Paweł
Published: August 2017

The twisted structure of ditellurides, in a similar way as in other dichalcogenes, leads to different absorption of circularly polarized light by quasi‐enantiomeric chiral orbitals. Chiral optically active ditellurides are not common compounds and this phenomenon is not widely reported. As chiral ditellurides found an application in asymmetric synthesis, their molecular structure, understood as their conformation, became an important factor for understanding their reactivity. Until now there are few examples of chiral ditellurides known and their structure was not analyzed in details. This article presents the results of our most recent research on the structure of chiral ditellurides investigated by electronic circular spectroscopy (ECD) supported by quantum‐chemical calculation. This enables us to suggest a relationship between chirality of alkyl substituent and chirality (conformation) of ditelluride.
Chirality sensing of bioactive compounds with amino alcohol unit via circular dichroism
Authors: Górecki Marcin , Groszek Grażyna , Frelek Jadwiga
Published: August 2017

The aim of the present work was to test various chiroptical techniques, including in particular the in situ dirhodium methodology, to assign the absolute configuration of 1,2‐ and 1,3‐amino alcohols. As models, we selected mainly compounds that have both an additional strongly absorbing and interfering chromophoric system and application in medicinal chemistry. Determination of the absolute configuration (AC) of the tested molecules such as cinchona alkaloids, Tamiflu, and others was carried out using a combination of electronic and vibrational circular dichroism (ECD, VCD) spectroscopy. It has been demonstrated that both 1,2‐ and 1,3‐aminol moieties are subject to the same sector rule correlating stereostructure of formed Rh2‐complex with chiroptical properties, and that the changes in the position of the stereogenic center do not affect its proper use.
Fermentable sugars production by enzymatic processing of agave leaf juice
Authors: González‐Llanes Marcos D. , Hernández‐Calderón Oscar M. , Rios‐Iribe Erika Y. , Alarid‐García Cristian , Castro Montoya Agustín J. , Escamilla‐Silva Eleazar M.
Published: August 2017

The Mexican mezcal industry annually processes approximately 2.92 × 105 t of mezcal agave, generating roughly 1.46 × 105 t of agave leaves per year, which represents a potential carbon source of at least 8170 t via enzymatic processing of agave leaf juice. This carbon source is considered an attractive alternative to produce biofuels and/or chemical products since it is produced and used without adversely affecting the environment. The aim of this investigation was to determine the effect of temperature, pH, enzyme concentration, and bioreaction time on the enzymatic hydrolysis of agave leaf juice enriched in fructan to maximize the fermentable sugars production from three varieties of mezcal agave, using a low‐cost commercial brand of hydrolase. This process generated a sugar‐enriched juice of 80.07–136.12 g/L of reducing sugars. A Box‐Behnken experimental design and a mathematical surface response analysis of the hydrolysis were used for process optimization.
Study on the volatilization inhibition performance and mechanism of monolayer during the leakage process of ammonia solution
Authors: Fangming Yang , Yan Wu , Lijuan Ma
Published: August 2017

A new kind of ammonia solution evaporation inhibitor was prepared and tested. The effects of temperature on the volatilization characteristics of ammonia solution and the evaporation resistance of inhibitor were also investigated. The inhibitor prepared could rapidly and orderly be distributed on the liquid surface, its inhibition rate was up to 99 % at 25–45 °C, and the mass transfer coefficient of ammonia solution was near zero. In order to explain the mechanism, molecular simulation, energy barrier theory, and thermodynamic analysis were employed, the results were entirely consistent with that of experiment.
Thermal‐aware task assignments in high performance computing clusters
Authors: Taneja Shubbhi , Kulkarni Sanjay , Zhou Yi , Qin Xiao
Published: August 2017

Cluster‐level thermal management has gained much attention over the past decade due to rising cooling costs associated with data centers. In this research, we propose and implement a static scheduler called SSched and a dynamic one named DSched. These 2 algorithms schedule jobs based on CPU and disk temperatures of a Hadoop cluster's nodes. Our schedulers rely on a monitoring mechanism to keep track of CPU and disk utilization, maintaining CPU and disk temperatures below a threshold through thermal‐aware scheduling decisions. To facilitate the design of SSched and DSched, we classify jobs into the CPU‐intensive and disk‐intensive categories. When a job arrives, SSched retrieves the utilization stats from a profiled log, estimates the thermal behavior, and places the job on NodeManager to minimize thermal impacts. Unlike SSched, DSched improves thermal efficiency of Hadoop clusters through dynamic load balancing. DSched keeps track of the coolest and hottest nodes in the cluster; tasks are migrated from hot nodes into cool ones if any hot spot is detected. To evaluate the effectiveness of our schedulers, we keep track of average CPU and disk temperatures in a node, managing an optimal outlet temperature across a cluster. We demonstrate that compared with the traditional Hadoop scheduler, SSched and DSched achieve approximately 15% savings in terms of cooling cost with little performance overhead.
Smart Amphiphilic Janus Microparticles: One‐Step Synthesis and Self‐Assembly
Authors: Ge Xue‐Hui , Geng Yu‐Hao , Chen Jian , Xu Jian‐Hong
Published: August 2017

Self‐assembly is the process to form ordered compound structures. Theories and experiments involving nanosized Janus particles have proved that the assembled cluster structures are related to the unit number. Micrometer‐sized amphiphilic Janus particles could also act as surfactants to stabilize droplets and aggregate to form clusters. When the scale order increases to the millimeter size, particles are usually connected under shape‐match mechanism, which means that the assembled structure is related to the particular particle morphology rather than the particle number. Similar to millimeter‐sized particles, sub‐millimeter‐sized particles are larger and heavier such that their gravity cannot be ignored, whereas their Brownian motion could be neglected. To investigate the self‐assembly behavior of sub‐millimeter‐sized Janus particles, we synthesize smart amphiphilic Janus microparticles directly from water–oil Janus droplets in one step by using a double‐core capillary device. We find that the amphiphilic Janus particles could also be distributed directionally between the sides of the water–oil interface. When in oil solutions with several water droplets, the particles self‐assemble into micelle‐like structures to cover the water droplets with the hydrophilic phase inside. After evaporation, structures with a hydrophilic concave and a hydrophobic convex are formed. This paper demonstrates that sub‐millimeter‐sized amphiphilic Janus particles exhibit similar ability to nano‐sized Janus particles to aggregate into clusters with ordered structures.
3D Differentiation of LUHMES Cell Line to Study Recovery and Delayed Neurotoxic Effects
Authors: Harris Georgina , Hogberg Helena , Hartung Thomas , Smirnova Lena
Published: August 2017

Current neurotoxicity testing and the study of molecular mechanisms in neurodegeneration in vitro usually focuses on acute exposures to compounds. 3D Lund human mesencephalic (LUHMES) cells allow long‐term treatment or pulse exposure in combination with compound washout to study delayed neurotoxic effects as well as recovery and neurodegeneration pathways. In this unit we describe 3D LUHMES culture and characterization. Characterization of the model involves immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and qPCR measurements. Studying the delayed effects of compounds is more relevant to human exposures and neurodegenerative diseases with a strong genetic or environmental component. Most assays for molecular endpoints have been developed for monolayer cell culture and therefore need to be adapted for 3D models. In this unit, we further describe toxicological assays for molecular endpoints such as ATP levels, mitochondrial viability, and neurite outgrowth, which have been adapted for use in 3D LUHMES cultures. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Measurement reliability of current perception threshold and pain threshold in parallel with blood sampling
Authors: Ogawa Takahiro , Kimoto Suguru , Nakashima Yoshio , Furuse Nobuhiko , Ono Masanori , Furokawa So , Okubo Masakazu , Yazaki Takahiro , Kawai Yasuhiko
Published: August 2017

The irritation and pain associated with oral blood sampling necessary to monitor glycemic control can alter oral sensation, but no studies have measured the reliability of oral sensation testing when performed concurrently with blood sampling. The primary and secondary aims of this study were to verify the measurement reliability of current perception threshold (CPT) and pain threshold (PT) tests performed before and after blood sampling and to investigate the differences in CPTs/PTs obtained from the oral cavity, hand, and foot, respectively. CPT/PT measurements were obtained from the oral mucosa and the tips of fingers and toes of 18 volunteers (10 males and 8 females, average age = 26.3 years) using electrical stimulation at frequencies of 5, 250, and 2,000 Hz. Participants also provided blood samples by pricking their own index fingers with a small needle. All subjects completed the following 3 conditions at once‐weekly intervals as follows: (a) sensory measurements followed by blood sampling (SB block); (b) blood sampling followed by sensory measurements (BS block); (c) sensory measurements without blood sampling (CO control block). Cronbach's α coefficients were over 0.78 for the SB, BS, and CO blocks, and are considered to be acceptable for assuring measurement reliability. The oral cavity had significantly lower CPT/PTs than both hands and feet, such that the threshold increased in the order oral cavity < hand < foot. CPT and PT measurements performed concurrently with blood sampling are both reliable and region specific, and for which the oral cavity is the most sensitive testing region.
An efficient routing protocol for the QoS support of large‐scale MANETs
Authors: Nazhad Seyed Hossein Hosseini , Shojafar Mohammad , Shamshirband Shahaboddin , Conti Mauro
Published: August 2017

The hierarchical routing algorithm is categorized as a kind of routing method using node clustering to create a hierarchical structure in large‐scale mobile ad hoc network (LMANET). In this paper, we proposed a new hierarchical clustering algorithm (HCAL) and a corresponded protocol for hierarchical routing in LMANET. The HCAL is designed based on a cost metric in the form of the link expiration time and node's relative degree. Correspondingly, the routing protocol for HCAL adopts a reactive protocol to control the existing cluster head (CH) nodes and handle proactive nodes to be considered as a cluster in LMANET. Hierarchical clustering algorithm jointly utilizes table‐driven and on‐demand routing by using a combined weight metric to search dominant set of nodes. This set is composed by link expiration time and node's relative degree to establish the intra/intercommunication paths in LMANET. The performance of the proposed algorithm and protocol is numerically evaluated in average end‐to‐end delay, number of CH per round, iteration count between the CHs, average CH keeping time, normalized routing overhead, and packet delivery ratio over a number of randomly generated benchmark scenarios. Furthermore, to corroborate the actual effectiveness of the HCAL algorithm, extensive performance comparisons are carried out with some state‐of‐the‐art routing algorithms, namely, Dynamic Doppler Velocity Clustering, Signal Characteristic‐Based Clustering, Dynamic Link Duration Clustering, and mobility‐based clustering algorithms.