bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Urban Wildlife
Authors: Reyes‐Paecke Sonia
Published: April 2019

Urban wildlife
refers to all native animals seeking food and shelter in urban and suburban areas, including birds, mammals, reptiles, arthropods, amphibians, fish, and aquatic invertebrates, but excluding domestic and exotic animals. Urban wildlife presents behavioral changes in feeding, nesting, and shelter with respect to wild populations, and its abundance and diversity are favored by tree cover, vegetation diversity, and native vegetation cover. Urban wildlife is classified as urban exploiters, urban adaptors, and urban avoiders: urban exploiters use anthropogenic resources for food and shelter, reaching large densities in city centers, urban adaptors can use some anthropogenic resources and have been more abundant in suburbs and residential areas, while urban avoiders are restricted to urban fringes. Urban wildlife also provides ecosystem services (e.g., pollination, pest control), but can be a source of conflicts with humans because some species can be seen as a nuisance for property or people.
Amsterdam
Authors: Musterd Sako
Published: April 2019

Amsterdam is a pragmatic, entrepreneurial city, characterized by its reputation of openness and social justice, by the unique built environment – marked by the canals and their prestigious buildings – and by its global interconnectedness. However, Amsterdam also has its darker side. Currently, there are a couple of important challenges the city has to deal with if it intends to maintain its positive image. Globalization and liberalization may bring new opportunities to the city, but they also threaten its special and unique character, and the inequality that comes with them may undermine the city's reputation for being a home for all social classes.
Resilient Cities
Authors: Godschalk David R.
Published: April 2019

Resilient cities survive traumatic blows, successfully recovering from major disasters. Resilience is a planning goal and a metaphor for the community that effectively responds to catastrophic stress. Its importance has increased with the increased frequency and severity of natural, technological, and other hazards. Building urban resilience requires advance planning, community organization, resourceful leadership, and robust physical and social infrastructure.
Small Cities/Transitional Cities
Authors: Massin Thomas
Published: April 2019

Small cities are essential components of the global urban landscape, but suffer from a conceptual confusion. However, they constitute original urban objects, which should shed new light on the diversity of urbanization patterns. One way to understand and strengthen them is to consider them as a powerful element of transition to a sustainable urban development.
Structurally Weak Rural Regions
Authors: Mayer Heike , Habersetzer Antoine
Published: April 2019

Structurally weak rural regions are defined as regions that face a multitude of socioeconomic disadvantages resulting from dynamics such as out‐migration, aging of the population, labor shortages, economic transformations of traditional sectors, and a weak endowment with organizations that may help alleviate these problems. Due to societal shifts and large‐scale migration to urban areas, structurally weak rural regions, in both the Global North and Global South, face important development challenges. New rural paradigm policy approaches aim at responding to these challenges by strengthening endogenous and sustainable development potentials of local businesses, improving public services, especially ICT infrastructure, and by preserving and valuing ecological and cultural amenities. As a response to modernization approaches, the new rural paradigm argues for a holistic perspective on rural development, which encompasses a broader set of values and highlights qualitative aspects of development.
Urban Studies
Authors: Paddison Ronan
Published: April 2019

Defined by its multidisciplinarity, “urban studies” is an umbrella term encompassing the study of cities from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, mainly those in the social sciences but also stretching into the humanities. Its multidisciplinary nature is both a source of strength – in contributing to the richness and vibrancy of urban analysis – and also a challenge to developing more interdisciplinary forms of analysis able to confront the complexities of cities. The recent resurgence in urban research reflects wider trends, deepening globalization, and a reappreciation of the centrality of cities in contemporary life. A defining feature of the field is the eclecticism of the different theoretical and methodological perspectives which are used to explore the urban condition.
Apartheid
Authors: Mphambukeli Thulisile N.
Published: April 2019

The term “apartheid” has been used to advance arguments about South African particularism. These arguments perpetuate a normalizing behavior and thinking about apartheid as the sole process that fashioned South Africa's unconventional practices of urbanism. Apartheid's legacies on the spatial landscape of South Africa have persisted through more than two decades postapartheid. They have not only proved to be one of the country's more pressing and irreparable challenges, but also confirmed that the form of the cities developed under apartheid owe their shape and development to processes more global than racial segregation.
Black Metropolis
Authors: Rosa Andrew J.
Published: April 2019

Published in 1945, St. Clair Drake and Horace R. Cayton's
Black Metropolis
was the first comprehensive study of the black community of Bronzeville in Chicago's Southside. Emerging from the Cayton–Warner research project, which was carried out between 1935 and 1937, and written primarily by Drake, with contributions by Cayton, Richard Wright, and William Lloyd Warner,
Black Metropolis
advanced a social theory of a black community as a “metropolis within a metropolis.” This view of black Chicago made
Black Metropolis
a pioneering work in the sociology of race relations, urban sociology, and the study of spatial segregation in the city.
Citizen Participation
Authors: Åström Joachim
Published: April 2019

Citizen participation is at the heart of democracy. Unless citizens can participate freely in the government process, democracy is not possible. While voting has been the primary way for individual citizens to make their voices heard in the political system, social changes and technical advancements have brought about an expansion of political activities. In keeping up with these changes, conceptualizations of citizen participation have been continuously debated and updated. In general terms, however, it refers to citizens' activities aimed at influencing political decisions. The study of citizen participation includes descriptions of new participatory landscapes, explanations for participatory inequalities, and explorations of complex power relations when citizens are invited to take part in decision‐making processes.
Collective Efficacy
Authors: Feinberg Seth L. , Sturm McKenzee
Published: April 2019

Collective efficacy theory suggests that neighbors can create prosocial outcomes in their urban environments through informal networks rooted in cohesion, trust, and reciprocity. Efficacious neighborhoods are able to protect residents by acting in collaboration to prevent deleterious community outcomes such as crime and violence. Like all theories of urban space and place, the context through which informal social control is exerted and the larger macrostructural characteristics of the community will affect the ability of collective efficacy to improve neighborhood outcomes.
Community
Authors: Schafer Tyler S.
Published: April 2019

Community is a concept infamous for its ambiguity. The entry examines the career of the concept, tracing the contours of major debates over its meaning and existence, and describes some areas of consensus. The emphasis in this entry is on face‐to‐face community in urban settings, but there is also a brief discussion of virtual communities.
Eviction
Authors: Rodríguez María Florencia
Published: April 2019

Day by day, in different parts of the world, diverse populations are exposed to eviction and expulsion processes. Although there is bibliography about these dynamics at an international level, it is relevant to approach evictions in a conceptual manner. Urban studies and human rights international organizations have worked on eviction processes. Rethinking the polysemic character of the term and the characteristics that these processes assume – taking into account urban transformations, intervening actors, procedures, claims – is relevant if one wants to approach an increasingly recurrent problem in the cities of the world today. Besides, this kind of rethinking will create protection mechanisms for the population affected by expulsion.
P
ark,
R
obert
Authors: Kivisto Peter
Published: April 2019

Robert E. Park advanced American sociology during its formative period and made lasting contributions to ethnic and racial studies and to urban sociology, while also writing about public opinion and collective behavior.
The Preindustrial City
: An Update
Authors: Sjoberg Gideon
Published: April 2019

In this entry, I am revisiting my book
The Preindustrial City
(1960). I elaborate upon, and, in the process, clarify, the modes of reasoning employed when documenting the existence of the preindustrial city. In light of recent research by other scholars, the differences that exist between preindustrial cities and more contemporary industrial cities can be brought into sharper relief.
Spatial Mismatch
Authors: Tuttle Steven
Published: April 2019

Spatial mismatch, often called the spatial mismatch hypothesis, is a theory that aims to explain high rates of unemployment among black men living in racially segregated inner city neighborhoods. The theory postulates that racial residential segregation negatively affects black unemployment by reducing the number of jobs available, as many low‐skill jobs moved from inner cities to suburbs after World War II. Spatial mismatch is thought to result in lower inner city employment rates because increased cost and difficulty to travel to work might discourage workers from traveling to the suburbs, people living in inner city neighborhoods might lack information about job opportunities far from where they live, and suburban employers might discriminate against black job seekers. Evidence exists showing that distance from residential to employment areas contributes to inner city unemployment, but many researchers argue that the decline of manufacturing jobs and racial discrimination are the more significant issues.
DuBois,W. E. B.
Authors: Loughran Kevin
Published: April 2019

This entry presents an overview of W. E. B. DuBois's contributions to urban studies scholarship. Core arguments from important texts likeThe Philadelphia Negroare introduced. Also discussed are the contributions of DuBois's research program at Atlanta University and the legacy of the body of his work within urban studies.
B
ogota
Authors: Alfonso Óscar A.
Published: April 2019

Bogota is the largest city as well as the largest metropolitan area in Colombia. The large aggregation of inhabitants has grown continuously in proportion to the rest of the country during the past 30 years. In the last decade, the limited amount of space within the city limits has of necessity resulted in an ever‐increasing density of buildings and a greater population density. Within this concentrated density is a strictly defined segregation of living area by economic status with a widely divergent difference in commensurate quality of housing. The obvious prosperity of certain well‐planned neighborhoods contrasts sharply with areas on the periphery of the city in which 44.4 percent of the population live, and which are seriously lacking in community facilities, transportation services, and public spaces, greatly impairing social mixing.
Concentric Zone Theory
Authors: Banai Reza
Published: April 2019

In the first decades of the twentieth century, the Chicago School of urban sociology theorized the growth of the city by a set of concentric zones that depicted the city's land‐use dynamics in a natural manner, by analogy with plant ecology. Subsequent modifications and refinements of urban theory in the twenty‐first century have concentric zone theory and the Chicago School as a fundamental origin. The concentric zone theory, however, remains akin to contemporary theories that explain the physical pattern of urban growth as a response to “natural” forms of sociospatial change in an essentially unfettered market economy.
Urban Riots and Public Disorder
Authors: Young Sean L.
Published: April 2019

As an environment that intensifies social processes, urban society produces tensions along social fault lines such as race or class, which may erupt in collective violence in times of inequality. Urban riots and public disturbances are unconventional and violent collective responses by typically socially marginalized groups provoked by the interaction of city and state characteristics that exacerbate social exclusion. Local factors such as patterns of governance, inequality, intergroup competition, and police practices may make a particular city riot‐prone, whereas national regimes of citizenship and belonging may make some groups more likely to respond to social exclusion through violence. Thus future research should examine the continued interaction of city and national characteristics as well as the impacts of social processes that exacerbate political, economic, and social exclusion.
C
hicago
S
chool
Authors: Bennett Larry
Published: April 2019

In the early decades of the twentieth century, the Chicago School of urban sociology constituted the pioneering cohort of researchers exploring the internal dynamics of industrial cities. Chicago School urban sociologists were human ecologists, interpreters of urban phenomena who adapted biological concepts to the examination of urban growth, neighborhood formation and transition, and urban subcultures. Although the use of biological metaphors to structure urban analysis has fallen out of favor, various of the Chicago School's substantive emphases, such as the exploration of local urban cultures, as well as characteristic research techniques, including ethnographic studies, remain mainstays of urban investigation.
Regional Development
Authors: Liu Xingjian , Zhao Yimin
Published: April 2019

This entry seeks to review the main theoretical approaches to understanding regional development, with attention paid to the convergence–divergence debate and to policy implications. Several major regional development theories are discussed, including neoclassical growth and trade theories, endogenous growth theories, Keynesian theories, theories of structural changes, and new economic geography.
Water
Authors: Obeng‐Odoom Franklin
Published: April 2019

This entry describes the nature of the water challenge in cities. The entry also identifies causes and posited mainstream solutions, and analyzes the criticisms of mainstream views on the water challenge. Overall, the evidence suggests that the mainstream analyses of the water challenge and its accompanying policy prescriptions of marketization are seriously defective, often leading to a worsening of the water challenge. Neither top‐down state intervention nor exclusive bottom‐up practices of governing water as a commons constitutes a defensible panacea – contrary to popular views. The evidence shows that, while the governance of water as commons provides much better prospects to guarantee the right to water in cities around the world, state support patterned after the political economy of the commons is crucial to addressing the water challenge.
Alcohol intoxication impairs eyewitness memory and increases suggestibility: Two field studies
Authors: van Oorsouw Kim , Broers Nick J. , Sauerland Melanie
Published: April 2019

Two field studies tested the effect of alcohol intoxication on memory for a live interaction at immediate, delayed, and repeated testing. In Study 1 (N = 86), one researcher presented bar tenants with (misleading) questions regarding a preceding interaction with another researcher. One week later, participants' memory was tested again. Study 2 (N = 189) added a delayed‐testing only condition. We hypothesized intoxication to impair memory and enhance suggestibility and explored whether time of testing affected the outcome on these variables. In Study 1, intoxication reduced completeness and increased suggestibility. In Study 2, intoxication reduced completeness and increased suggestibility in delayed‐only and repeated testing, compared with immediate testing. Sober participants benefited from repeated testing in Study 2, but not Study 1. Findings lend support for consolidation and decay theory and suggest that immediate (intoxicated) testing is preferable over delayed‐only testing. Findings provide little support for alcohol myopia theory.
Synchrotron Microtomography of Polymer Derived Macroporous SiOC Ceramics
Authors: Choudhary Abhisek , Agrawal Ashish K. , Pratihar Swadesh K. , Singh Balwant , Behera Shantanu K.
Published: April 2019

Porous ceramics have found immense applications in leading technological areas including porous burners, catalyst supports, and filtration media. It is extremely important to understand morphological features of highly porous ceramic bodies, and extract detailed quantitative information, including porosity, pore size distribution, interconnectivity, pore anisotropy, and sphericity. Synchrotron X‐ray microtomography has evolved as an excellent technique to acquire information on the complex three‐dimensional geometry and topology of reticulated structures. In this work, macroporous silicon oxycarbide ceramics are fabricated by positive replication of polyurethane sponge with the use of a preceramic polymer, and their topology has been studied by synchrotron X‐ray microtomography. Further, ceramic bodies have been prepared with progressive increase in the preceramic polymer concentration in the solution, and the ensuing change in the porous morphology of the structures have been studied. The results indicate the formation of excellent reticulated ceramics with 88–92% porosity, and with dense and uniform struts. The pore size distribution is uniform with very good sphericity and minimal anisotropy. The overall porosity indicates excellent interconnectivity with highly negative Euler numbers. The work presents a comprehensive analysis of reticulated ceramic bodies fabricated by preceramic polymer pyrolysis route.
Review of Polymer‐Based Nanodielectric Exploration and Film Scale‐Up for Advanced Capacitors
Authors: Tan Daniel Q.
Published: April 2019

The uprising demands for electrical power and electrification requires advanced dielectric functionalities including high capacitance density, high energy density, high current handling capability, high voltage, high temperature, high thermal conductivity, light weight, and environmental reliability. Nanodielectric engineering emerges and attracts extensive efforts from many countries as a result. Unlike prior reviews focusing on lab scale nanocomposite study, this review focuses on recent innovations in polymer‐based nanodielectric design on a large scale and their film scale‐up efforts for advanced capacitors. The unconventional polymer‐nanofiller engineering and their process in the last two decades are discussed. The nanofunctionalized polymers on a molecular level for high dielectric constants and high dielectric strength are briefly described. The challenge associated with film scale‐up and retention of nanodielectric properties are then pointed out to be crucial toward a transfer of dielectric and capacitor technology. Several important attempts at scaling up dielectric films and capacitors recently supported by the US government and industry are reviewed. An alternative strategic approach to achieving high performance polymer films is introduced by leveraging 2D surface coating on commercially mature large‐scale polymer films. Future pathways for high quality scalable dielectric films exhibiting desirable dielectric properties and feasibility for capacitor manufacturing are suggested.
A Photoaddressable Liquid Crystalline Phase Transition in Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites
Authors: Crespo Maria , Santagiuliana Giovanni , Picot Olivier , Portale Giuseppe , Bilotti Emiliano , Gautrot Julien E.
Published: April 2019

The multifunctionality of graphene has the potential to unlock important developments in nanocomposite science. However, the manipulation of graphene without interfering with its unique properties and while controlling its spatial organization remains challenging. Here, the formation of a photoaddressable liquid crystalline (LC) solution through the stabilization of graphene oxide (GO) with photocleavable brushes is described. The LC behavior leads to the thermodynamic entrapment of GO into low aspect ratio domains that fail to display the properties typically predicted for graphene nanocomposites. The morphology and structural and electronic performance of these nanocomposites are regenerated through the brush cleavage, which controls the phase transition of the LC phase. These results show that kinetic control of graphene assembly can be an attractive tool toward the dynamic regulation of processable sol states and structured percolated networks for rational composite manufacturing.
Reversible/Irreversible Photobleaching of Fluorescent Surface Defects of SiC Quantum Dots: Mechanism and Sensing of Solar UV Irradiation
Authors: Dai Dejian , Zhang Chengyu , Wang Ling , Wang Yang , Zhang Baohua , Deng Kaiming , Lu Wei , Fan Jiyang
Published: April 2019

Knowledge about photobleaching properties of the fluorescent surface defects of the semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) is crucial for their applications. Here, the photobleaching properties of the fluorescent surface defects of the colloidal 3C‐SiC QDs are reported. The combined experimental and theoretical study reveals that the observed violet fluorescence at around 392 nm stems from the carboxylic acid group‐related surface defects. When the SiC QDs are exposed to the UV irradiation, the 392 nm fluorescent surface defects show both reversible and irreversible photobleaching, whereas the 438 nm fluorescent surface defects show only irreversible photobleaching. The photochemical mechanisms dominating these phenomena are explored. The photobleaching property of the SiC QDs is utilized to detect the solar UV irradiation with high accuracy. The photobleaching of the SiC QDs is highly sensitive to the hydrogen or metal ion concentration in the colloid solution. These findings deepen the understanding of the properties of the fluorescent surface defects of the SiC QDs and pave the way for their applications in sensing.
Cobalt supported on dendronized magnetic nanoparticles: A new highly efficient and recyclable catalyst for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction
Authors: Arghan Maryam , Koukabi Nadiya , Kolvari Eskandar
Published: April 2019

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) is one of the most interesting types of hyperbranched polymers that carry a large number of amino groups on its surface. PAMAM has gained significant attention from synthetic organic chemists due to its structural characteristics, controllable structure, inner porosity, and ability to trap a wide range of ions and molecules. So, in this work, the PAMAM dendrimer was synthesized, grafted onto the surface of magnetite nanoparticles, and the resulting hybrid nanoparticles were then employed as suitable host for immobilizing cobalt nanoparticles. The newly developed catalyst was well characterized by Fourier transform‐infrared, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, element mapping and energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis. The efficiency of the as‐prepared nanocatalyst was evaluated for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reactions. The MNP@PAMAM‐Co represented perfect catalytic efficiency and high selectivity for the Mizoroki–Heck cross‐coupling reaction compared with previously reported catalysts. The catalyst separation from the reaction mixture was easily achieved with the assistance of an external magnetic field, and its recycling was also investigated for five consecutive runs. Hot filtration confirmed no leaching of the active metal during the Heck coupling.
Novel 3‐Hydroxy‐2‐naphthoic hydrazone and Ni(II), Co(II) and Cu(II) Complexes: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, Antimicrobial, DNA Cleavage and Computational Studies
Authors: Ekennia Anthony C. , Ibezim Elochukwu C. , Okpareke Obinna C. , Ibeji Collins U. , Anarado Chigozie J.O. , Babahan Ilknur , Coban Burak , Abulhasanov Bahruz , Cömert Füsun , Ujam Oguejiofo T.
Published: April 2019

A novel hydrazone ligand derived from condensation reaction of 3‐hydroxy‐2‐naphthoic hydrazide with dehydroacetic acid, and its Ni(II), Cu(II) and Co(II) complexes were synthesized, characterized by spectroscopic, elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility and conductivity methods, and screened for antimicrobial, DNA binding and cleavage properties. Spectroscopic analysis and elemental analyses indicated the formula, [MLCl2], for the complexes; square planar geometry for the nickel, and tetrahedral geometry for copper and cobalt complexes. The non‐electrolytic natures of the complexes in Dimethyl Sulphoxide (DMSO) were confirmed by their molar conductance values in the range of 6.11–14.01 Ω−1cm2mol−1. The copper complex had the best antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213). DNA cleavage activities of the compounds, evaluated on pBR322 DNA, by agarose gel electrophoresis, in the presence and absence of oxidant (H2O2) and free radical scavenger (DMSO), indicated no activity for the ligand, and moderate activity for the complexes, with the copper complex cleaving pBR322 DNA more efficiently in the presence of H2O2. When the complexes were evaluated for antibacterial and A‐DNA activity using Molecular docking technique, the copper complex was found to be most effective against Gram‐positive (S. aureus) bacteria. [CuLCl2] showed good hydrogen bonding interaction with the major‐groove (C2.G13 base pair) of A‐DNA. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the structural and electronic properties of the complexes revealed that [CuLCl2] had a smaller HOMO‐LUMO gap, suggesting a higher tendency to donate electrons to electron‐accepting species of biological targets.
Insight into Coordination of Uranyl Ions with N,N′‐bis(2‐five‐membered heterocyclidene)‐1,8‐anthradiamines
Authors: Long Li‐yu , Tao Peng , Li Tian‐liang , Wu Si , Kong Xiang‐he , Liao Li‐fu , Xiao Xi‐lin , Nie Chang‐ming
Published: April 2019

To find new adsorbents for uranyl ions, the density functional theory (DFT) was adopted to design a series of new ligands containing an anthracene and two five‐membered heterocycles with nitrogen family nonmetal elements (N, P, As) or oxygen family nonmetal elements (O, S, Se, Te), for example, ligands N,N′‐bis(2‐five‐membered heterocyclidene)‐1,8‐anthradiamines (BFHADAs). Then the uranyl ions were coordinated with BFHADAs to generate five new coordination complexes (Uranyl‐BFHADAs) with heteroatoms N, S, As, Se and Te, respectively. The five‐membered heterocyclic rings of Uranyl‐BFHADA with oxygen atoms were broken under the structural optimization and Uranyl‐BFHADA with heterocyclic atoms P was not obtained. Several structures and property parameters of the ligands BFHADAs (containing heteroatoms N, S, As, Se and Te) and their uranyl complexes Uranyl‐BFHADAs were theoretically investigated and analyzed. The results showed that uranyl ions could form stable coordination complexes with these five BFHADAs. The formed bonds between uranyl ions and the heteroatoms in BFHADAs were coordination bonds rather than other types of bonds. These results could provide insightful information and theoretical guidance for the coordination of uranyl with the atoms N, S, Se, As and Te in other ligands.
Investigations on thermal properties of microencapsulated phase‐change materials with different acrylate‐based copolymer shells as thermal insulation materials
Authors: Ma Yanhong , Xie Qifei , Wang Xinzhong
Published: April 2019

A series of microencapsulated phase‐change materials (micro‐PCMs) with binary cores and acrylate‐based copolymer shells were prepared. The micro‐PCMs contained octadecane and butyl stearate as binary‐core materials. Allyl methacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, 1,4‐butanediol diacrylate (BDDA), and 1,6‐hexanediol dimethacrylate were respectively introduced to copolymerize with divinylbenzene (DVB) to form different microcapsule shells. In this work, the influence of the types of core and shell materials and core–shell weight ratios on the thermal properties of micro‐PCMs was studied. The chemical structures, morphologies, thermal properties, and thermal insulation properties of the wallboards were all tested and discussed. Scanning electron microscope photographs show that these micro‐PCMs have relatively spherical profiles and compact surfaces with diameters ranging from 10 to 80 μm. Differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that their microencapsulation efficiency ranged from 48 wt % to 80 wt %. A thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that these micro‐PCMs can ensure their thermal stability below 210°C. Finally, a thermal insulation wallboard fabricated with synthesized P(BDDA‐co‐DVB) micro‐PCMs showed excellent thermal energy storage performance, keeping the temperature fluctuation within 2.5°C. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47777.
A Multicenter, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Atorvastatin for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Events in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Kitas George D. , Nightingale Peter , Armitage Jane , Sattar Naveed , Belch Jill J. F. , Symmons Deborah P. M. ,   the TRACE RA Consortium
Published: April 2019

Objective

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with increased cardiovascular event (CVE) risk. The impact of statins in RA is not established. We assessed whether atorvastatin is superior to placebo for the primary prevention of CVEs in RA patients.

Methods

A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial was designed to detect a 32% CVE risk reduction based on an estimated 1.6% per annum event rate with 80% power at P < 0.05. RA patients age >50 years or with a disease duration of >10 years who did not have clinical atherosclerosis, diabetes, or myopathy received atorvastatin 40 mg daily or matching placebo. The primary end point was a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischemic attack, or any arterial revascularization. Secondary and tertiary end points included plasma lipids and safety.

Results

A total of 3,002 patients (mean age 61 years; 74% female) were followed up for a median of 2.51 years (interquartile range [IQR] 1.90, 3.49 years) (7,827 patient‐years). The study was terminated early due to a lower than expected event rate (0.70% per annum). Of the 1,504 patients receiving atorvastatin, 24 (1.6%) experienced a primary end point, compared with 36 (2.4%) of the 1,498 receiving placebo (hazard ratio [HR] 0.66 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.39, 1.11]; P = 0.115 and adjusted HR 0.60 [95% CI 0.32, 1.15]; P = 0.127). At trial end, patients receiving atorvastatin had a mean ± SD low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level 0.77 ± 0.04 mmoles/liter lower than those receiving placebo (P < 0.0001). C‐reactive protein level was also significantly lower in the atorvastatin group than the placebo group (median 2.59 mg/liter [IQR 0.94, 6.08] versus 3.60 mg/liter [IQR 1.47, 7.49]; P < 0.0001). CVE risk reduction per mmole/liter reduction in LDL cholesterol was 42% (95% CI −14%, 70%). The rates of adverse events in the atorvastatin group (n = 298 [19.8%]) and placebo group (n = 292 [19.5%]) were similar.

Conclusion

Atorvastatin 40 mg daily is safe and results in a significantly greater reduction of LDL cholesterol level than placebo in patients with RA. The 34% CVE risk reduction is consistent with the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists’ Collaboration meta‐analysis of statin effects in other populations.
Greetings from foodland: Teaching biochemistry to BS students in food‐related courses in Italy
Authors: Iametti Stefania , Barbiroli Alberto , Marengo Mauro , Bonomi Francesco
Published: April 2019

Biochemistry has always been a mandatory topic within BS courses aimed at food science students at the University of Milan, namely: Food Science & Technology and Catering Sciences. Addressing biochemistry topics in this peculiar setting requires: (i) specific focus on topics that are seldom considered in courses offered in bio‐medical curricula; (ii) close integration with other area disciplines, such as food biotechnology; (iii) ad hoc design of laboratory classes; and (iv) an array of elective courses covering specific aspects of biochemistry. In this context, for example, protein chemistry is presented by using food proteins of known structure and discussed in terms of structural features in the raw materials and of structural and chemical modifications occurring upon processing. Along the same lines, metabolic pathways and their regulation are presented starting from widespread metabolism‐related issues and to issues related to food safety (including food allergies and intolerances). A similar “hands on” approach is used for laboratory classes, that cover about one third of total credits and are aimed at providing fundamental‐type information by analyzing practical situations in the food chain. In spite of their inherent complexity and volume, biochemistry courses score very well with the students in mandatory anonymous surveys. Our approach to biochemistry courses seems to help the students in “visualizing” the practical implications of concepts acquired in other courses within their curricula. The students' appreciation is confirmed by the sizeable attendance to elective and specialized biochemical‐themed courses. © 2019 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 47(4):394–403, 2019.
Dosimetry of the brain and hypothalamus predicting acute lymphopenia and the survival of glioma patients with postoperative radiotherapy
Authors: Ye Lu‐Lu , Fan Xing‐Wen , Hu Chao‐Su , He Xia‐Yun , Wang Xiao‐Shen , Shen Chun‐Ying , Xu Ting‐Ting , Ying Hong‐Mei
Published: April 2019

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate dosimetric factors for predicting acute lymphopenia and the survival of glioma patients with postoperative intensity‐modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Methods

A total of 148 glioma patients were reviewed. Acute lymphopenia was defined as a peripheral lymphocyte count (PLC) lower than 1.0 × 109/L during radiotherapy with a normal level at pretreatment. PLCs with the corresponding dates and dose volume histogram parameters were collected. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were constructed to assess the significance of risk factors associated with lymphopenia and overall survival (OS).

Results

Sixty‐nine (46.6%) patients developed lymphopenia during radiotherapy. Multivariate analyses revealed that the risk increased with the maximal dose of the hypothalamus (HT Dmax) ≥56 Gy (58.9% vs 28.5%, P = 0.002), minimal dose of the whole brain (WB Dmin) ≥2 Gy (54.3% vs 33.9%, P = 0.006), or mean dose of the WB (WB Dmean) ≥34 Gy (56.0% vs 37.0%, P = 0.022). Patients with older age, high‐grade glioma, development of lymphopenia, high HT Dmax, WB Dmin, and WB Dmean had significantly inferior OS in the multivariate analyses.

Conclusions

HT Dmax, WB Dmin, and WB Dmean are promising indicators of lymphopenia and the survival of glioma patients undergoing postoperative IMRT. The necessity and feasibility of dosimetric constraints for HT and WB is warranted with further investigation.
New Immunomodulating Polyhydroxypregnane Glycosides from the Roots of Cynanchum otophyllum C.K.Schneid.
Authors: Zhan Zha‐Jun , Bao Shu‐Min , Zhang Yue , Qiu Fei‐Jun , Shan Wei‐Guang , Ma Lie‐Feng
Published: April 2019

Seven new polyhydroxypregnane glycosides, named cynotophyllosides P–V, together with three known analogs were isolated from the roots of Cynanchum otophyllum C.K.Schneid. Their structures were elucidated by a variety of spectroscopic techniques, as well as acid‐catalyzed hydrolysis. All isolates were tested for their immunological activities in vitro against Con A‐ and LPS‐induced proliferation of mice splenocytes. Immunoenhancing (for 1, 9) and immunosuppressive (for 2) activities were observed. Furthermore, cynotophylloside R (3) showed immunomodulatory as it enhanced the proliferation of splenocytes in low concentration and suppressed immune cells in concentration more than 1.0 μg/ml.
Impact of low‐dose prasugrel on platelet reactivity and cardiac dysfunction in acute coronary syndrome patients requiring primary drug‐eluting stent implantation: A randomized comparative study
Authors: Kitano Daisuke , Takayama Tadateru , Fukamachi Daisuke , Migita Suguru , Morikawa Tomoyuki , Tamaki Takehiro , Kojima Keisuke , Mineki Takashi , Murata Nobuhiro , Akutsu Naotaka , Sudo Mitsumasa , Hiro Takafumi , Hirayama Atsushi , Okumura Yasuo
Published: April 2019

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare how prasugrel and clopidogrel affect platelet aggregation reactivity, cardiac enzyme release, cardiac remodeling, and the formation of in‐stent thrombi after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background

The advantages of using prasugrel over clopidogrel in cardiac injury following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remain unclear.

Methods

A total of 78 ACS patients were randomly allocated into clopidogrel (300 mg loading/75 mg maintenance) or prasugrel (20 mg loading/3.75 mg maintenance) treatment groups, followed by undergoing primary PCI. Platelet reactivity and cardiac enzymes were measured before and after primary PCI. Moreover, cardiac function was measured by ultrasound echocardiography and coronary angioscopic observation was after primary PCI up to 8 months later.

Results

Antiplatelet reactivity in the prasugrel treatment group reached optimal levels (P2Y12 reaction units [PRU] less than 262) immediately after the administration and was maintained even at 8 months, independently of the CYP2C19 genotype. Prasugrel treatment significantly suppressed creatine kinase elevation compared to clopidogrel treatment (median value 404 IU/L to 726 IU/L vs. 189 IU/L to 1,736 IU/L, p = 0.018 for maximum values) and reduced left ventricular mass (217.2–168.8 g in prasugrel, p = 0.045; 196.9–176.4 g in clopidogrel, p = 0.061). There were no significant differences in the incidence of in‐stent attached thrombi between the two groups.

Conclusions

Compared to clopidogrel, prasugrel produced a stable platelet aggregation inhibitory effect in patients with ACS regardless of CYP2C19 genotype, reduced cardiac enzyme release, and prevented cardiac remodeling after ACS.
Limitations of Preferential Enrichment: A Case Study on Tryptophan Ethyl Ester Hydrochloride
Authors: De Saint Jores Clément , Brandel Clément , Gharbi Najla , Sanselme Morgane , Cardinael Pascal , Coquerel Gérard
Published: April 2019

Since eutomer and distomer show different biological effects, access to pure enantiomers is essential. Preferential enrichment is a relatively new process of chiral resolution developed in the 90s. Extension of its scope was attempted with tryptophan ethyl ester hydrochloride. This salt meets one of the most important requirements for preferential enrichment, namely, a larger solubility for the pure enantiomers with reference to the racemic compound. But, due to the absence of a solid solution, this salt cannot perform preferential enrichment. This impossibility was endorsed by semi‐empirical molecular modeling.
Mn3O4@NC Composite Nanorods as a Cathode for Rechargeable Aqueous Zn‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Sun Ming , Li Dong‐Shuai , Wang Yi‐Fan , Liu Wei‐Liang , Ren Man‐Man , Kong Fan‐Gong , Wang Shou‐Juan , Guo Yong‐Ze , Liu Yong‐Mei
Published: April 2019

Rechargeable aqueous zinc‐ion batteries (ZIBs) have attracted escalating attention recently, owing to their energy density, decreasing cost, advanced safety, and environmental benignity. Nevertheless, ZIBs still lack suitable cathode materials with stable cycling performance, owing to the high polarization of zinc ion. Therefore, developing candidate materials with excellent properties remains a great challenge. Herein, we successfully synthesize a novel Mn3O4@N‐doped carbon matrix composite nanorods (Mn3O4@NC Nrs) by using MnOOH nanorods (the self‐sacrifice templates) and polypyrrole (carbon and nitrogen source). Benefiting from the N‐doped carbon shell and the synergetic effect of Zn2+ and Mn2+ in the electrolyte, the Mn3O4@NC Nrs show superior cycling stability and long cycling features for ZIBs. Specifically, the zinc cell conducts a high reversible capacity of 280 mAh g−1 at 100 mA g−1 and retains a high reversible capacity of 97 mAh g−1 at 1000 mA g−1 after 700 cycles. In addition, the work provides a new approach to fabricate long‐term and high‐rate capability cathodes for ZIBs.
Ambulatory status after surgical and nonsurgical treatment for spinal metastasis
Authors: Schoenfeld Andrew J. , Losina Elena , Ferrone Marco L. , Schwab Joseph H. , Chi John H. , Blucher Justin A. , Silva Genevieve S. , Chen Angela T. , Harris Mitchel B. , Kang James D. , Katz Jeffrey N.
Published: April 2019

Background

Decisions for operative or nonoperative management remain challenging for patients with spinal metastases, especially when life expectancy and quality of life are not easily predicted. This study evaluated the effects of operative and nonoperative management on maintenance of ambulatory function and survival for patients treated for spinal metastases.

Methods

Propensity matching was used to yield an analytic sample in which operatively and nonoperatively treated patients were similar with respect to key baseline covariates. The study included patients treated for spinal metastases between 2005 and 2017 who were 40 to 80 years old, were independent ambulators at presentation, and had fewer than 5 medical comorbidities. It evaluated the influence of operative care and nonoperative care on ambulatory function 6 months after presentation as the primary outcome. Survival at 6 months and survival at 1 year were secondary outcomes.

Results

Nine hundred twenty‐nine individuals eligible for inclusion were identified, with 402 (201 operative patients and 201 nonoperative patients) retained after propensity score matching. Patients treated operatively had a lower likelihood than those treated nonoperatively of being nonambulatory 6 months after presentation (3% vs 16%; relative risk [RR], 0.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06‐0.46) as well as a reduced risk of 6‐month mortality (20% vs 29%; RR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49‐0.98).

Conclusions

These results indicate that in a group of patients with similar demographic and clinical characteristics, those treated operatively were less likely to lose ambulatory function 6 months after presentation than those managed nonoperatively. For patients with spinal metastases, our data can be incorporated into discussions about the treatments that align best with patients’ preferences regarding surgical risk, mortality, and ambulatory status.
Continuous‐Flow Visible Light Organophotocatalysis for Direct Arylation of 2H‐Indazoles: Fast Access to Drug Molecules
Authors: Vidyacharan Shinde , Ramanjaneyulu Bandaru T. , Jang Seungwook , Kim Dong‐Pyo
Published: April 2019

A continuous‐flow homogeneous photocatalytic method has been devised for the direct arylation of 2H‐indazoles. This visible‐light‐promoted approach directly accesses a wide range of structurally diverse C3‐arylated scaffolds of biological interest in a fast (1 min), single‐step reaction by using eosin Y as an organophotocatalyst. Furthermore, a microreactor technology is also employed for the fast synthesis of liver X receptor inhibitor drugs with very good yields under metal‐free conditions, whereas the reported methods required multiple steps and much longer reaction times (18–24 h).
Resting Escherichia coli as Chassis for Microbial Electrosynthesis: Production of Chiral Alcohols
Authors: Mayr Jeannine C. , Grosch Jan‐Hendrik , Hartmann Lena , Rosa Luis F. M. , Spiess Antje C. , Harnisch Falk
Published: April 2019

Invited for this month′s cover are the groups of Falk Harnisch at the Helmholtz‐Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ in Leipzig and of Antje C. Spieß at the TU Braunschweig. The image illustrates the essence of the outcome of their collaborative work: to have demonstrated that the workhorse of white biotechnology E. coli can serve as a chassis for the microbial electrochemical production of chiral compounds. The Communication itself is available at 10.1002/cssc.201900413.
Increase in inclusivity, employment opportunities for intellectually disabled students
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: April 2019

Postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities are becoming more inclusive, and leading to better life outcomes post‐graduation, according to a new study published by the Think College National Coordinating Center at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. The study was based on data from 48 postsecondary programs that received funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
Fluctuation‐independent niche differentiation and relative non‐linearity drive coexistence in a species‐rich grassland
Authors: Zepeda Verónica , Martorell Carlos
Published: April 2019

Despite the advances in ecological theory, evidence for the relative importance of the different mechanisms that promote species coexistence is lacking. Some mechanisms depend on the presence of interannual fluctuations in the environment combined with interspecific differences in the responses to such fluctuations. Among coexistence mechanisms, niche differentiation and storage effects have received much attention, whereas relative non‐linearity (RNL) has been thought to be an unlikely and weak mechanism for multi‐species coexistence and remains untested in nature. We quantified the relative contribution of different mechanisms to the coexistence of 19 grassland species by using field‐parameterized population models and invasion analysis. Our results showed that 17 out of 19 species had the potential to coexist stably. Species diversity was maintained by RNL and large fluctuation‐independent niche differences, i.e., between‐species differentiation that is unrelated to interannual variations in environmental factors. Moreover, RNL increased the fitness of species that were less favored by niche differentiation, contributing to their persistence in the community. Storage effect was negligible or destabilizing, making no contribution to stable coexistence. These results, altogether with recent theoretical developments and indirect evidence in published data, call for a reassessment of RNL as a relevant mechanism for multi‐species coexistence in nature.