bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between phenotypic characteristics and clinical parameters of broilers and intestinal microbial development throughout a production cycle: A field study
Authors: Kers Jannigje G. , de Oliveira Jean E. , Fischer Egil A. J. , Tersteeg‐Zijderveld Monique H. G. , Konstanti Prokopis , Stegeman Jan Arend (Arjan) , Smidt Hauke , Velkers Francisca C.
Published: October 2020

Disturbances in intestinal health are a common problem affecting commercial broiler chickens worldwide. Several studies have revealed associations between health, production performance, and intestinal microbiota. This study aimed to describe the development of the intestinal microbiota of broilers within a production cycle to evaluate to what extent clinical parameters and phenotypic characteristics can explain the intestinal microbiota variation. Of four well‐performing flocks within two farms, the cecal content was collected of nine broilers at 0, 2, 4, or 5, 7, 11, or 12, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 40 days of the production cycle. In total, 342 samples were analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing. Variables as macroscopic gut abnormalities, gut lesions, age, individual body weight, sex, footpad integrity, the color of ceca, and foam in cecal content were determined. Ileum tissue was collected for histological quantification of villus length and crypt depth. Flock infection levels of the intestinal disease coccidiosis were measured in pooled feces from the poultry house. Increases in phylogenetic diversity were observed from hatch until day 21 of age. Constrained multivariate analysis indicated that age, farm, body weight, ileum crypt depth, cecal color, and the coccidiosis lesion score were important variables to describe the variation in cecal microbiota. These results contribute to determining relevant variables in flocks that may be indicative of the intestinal microbiota composition. Moreover, this knowledge increases the awareness of interactions between the intestinal microbiota and broiler health as well as their relative importance.
Application of non‐local and non‐singular kernel to an epidemiological model with fractional order
Authors: Dokuyucu Mustafa Ali , Dutta Hemen , Yildirim Cansu
Published: October 2020

In this century when computers and other electronic devices have taken over the world, the rate at which malwares including viruses are infecting these devices has also started to increase rapidly. The developments of computer systems and its ever increasing uses require preventing strategies of malwares. This study aims to analyze an epidemiological model on the spread of computer viruses. We investigated the existence and uniqueness of solutions, examined the stability of the model, and performed numerical simulations. First, a model has been extended with the help of Atangana–Baleanu fractional derivative in Caputo sense. Then, the fixed point approach has been adopted to investigate the existence and uniqueness of solution of the model. Furthermore, the stability of the model has been examined with the help of the Hyers–Ulam stability method, and the model's numerical solutions have been obtained with the help of the Adam–Bashforth method. Lastly, the model's simulations have been performed considering various fractional derivative values.
A modified self‐adaptive extragradient method for pseudomonotone equilibrium problem in a real Hilbert space with applications
Authors: Rehman Habib ur , Kumam Poom , Dong Qiao‐Li , Cho Yeol Je
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we consider an improvement of the extragradient method to figure out the numerical solution for pseudomonotone equilibrium problems in arbitrary real Hilbert space. A new method is proposed with an inertial scheme and a self adaptive step size rule that is revised on each iteration based on the previous three iterations. The weak convergence of the method is proved by assuming standard cost bifunction assumptions. We also consider the application of our results to solve different kinds of variational inequality problems and a particular class of fixed point problems. For a numerical part, we study the well‐known Nash‐Cournot equilibrium model and other test problems to support our well‐established convergence results and to ensure that our proposed method has a competitive edge over CPU time and a number of iterations.
In Vitro Studies Toward the Use of Chitin as Nutraceutical: Impact on the Intestinal Epithelium, Macrophages, and Microbiota
Authors: Dong Liyou , Ariëns Renata M. C. , Tomassen Monic M. , Wichers Harry J. , Govers Coen
Published: October 2020

Scope

Chitin, the most abundant polysaccharide found in nature after cellulose, is known for its ability to support wound healing and to lower plasma‐oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. Studies have also revealed immunomodulatory potential but contradicting results are often impossible to coalesce through usage of chitin of different or unknown physicochemical consistency. In addition, only a limited set of cellular models have been used to test the bioactivity of chitin.

Methods and Results

Chitin is investigated with well‐defined physicochemical consistency for its immunomodulatory potency using THP‐1 macrophages, impact on intestinal epithelial barrier using Caco‐2 cells, and fermentation by fecal‐derived microbiota. Results show that chitin with a degree of acetylation (DA) of ≈83%, regardless of size, does not affect the intestinal epithelial barrier integrity. Large‐sized chitin significantly increases acetic acid production by gut microbiota without altering the composition. Exposure of small‐sized chitin to THP‐1 macrophages lead to significantly increased secretion of IL‐1β, IL‐8, IL‐10, and CXCL10 in a multi‐receptor and clathrin‐mediated endocytosis dependent manner.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that small‐sized chitin does not harm the intestinal barrier nor affects SCFA secretion and microbiota composition, but does impact immune activity which could be beneficial to subjects in need of immune support or activation.
Identifying jitter outliers in single fiber electromyography: Comparison of four methods
Authors: Anagnostou Evangelos , Dimopoulou Panagiota , Sklavos Sokratis , Zouvelou Vasiliki , Zambelis Thomas
Published: October 2020

Background

Little is known about how different outlier estimation methods affect cutoff limits for outliers in single fiber electromyography.

Methods

We compared in a prospective fashion the established 18th jitter value (18thjv) method to three, whole‐distribution based, outlier detection methods: the interquartile range (IQR), the log‐normal, and the Z‐score method. The reference limits were probed in a normal cohort and in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients.

Results

Differences in outlier cutoff values between the different methods were in the range of 2 μs. The number of abnormal muscles according to the computed criteria was similar for all four methods in the control group. Classification metrics (sensitivity, specificity, Youden's statistic, and predictive values) were also similar among the different methods. In the MG group, however, the Z‐score method failed to identify the abnormal jitter values. Accordingly, Kappa agreement was substantial to perfect (0.658 to 1) between the three methods (18thjv, IQR, and log‐normal), but was equivalent to chance between the three methods and the Z‐score in the MG group.

Conclusions

The established 18thjv method proved largely robust when compared to whole‐distribution based methods, and its use in clinical practice is justified. Simple estimation of outlier limits by adding two SDs to the mean of the data, leads to unacceptable deviations from the true cutoff values. Moreover, in a clinical scenario in which the final electrodiagnosis depends only on the number of outliers, it is meaningful to accept a tolerance zone of about 2 μs, which is the approximate variation range among the different methods.
Reference jitter values for the sternocleidomastoid muscle with concentric needle electrodes
Authors: Kula Ezgi , Tanridag Tulin , Kahraman Koytak Pinar , Uluc Kayihan
Published: October 2020

Background

The aim of this study was to establish reference jitter values for the voluntary activated sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle using a concentric needle electrode (CNE).

Methods

The study included 39 healthy participants (20 female and 19 male) aged 18–77 y. Jitter was expressed as the mean consecutive difference (MCD) of 80–100 consecutive discharges. Filters were set at 1 and 10 kHz. The mean MCDs for all participants were pooled, and the mean value +2.5 SD was accepted as the upper limit for the mean MCD. The upper limit for individual MCD was calculated using +2.5 SD of the upper 10th percentile MCD for individual participants.

Results

Mean age of the participants was 45 ± 14.5 y. Mean MCD was 16.20 ± 2.23 μs (range: 12–21 μs), and the upper limit of normal for mean MCD was 21.8 μs. The mean value for 823 individual jitters was 23.3 ± 4.61 μs (range: 6.6–36.9 μs), and the upper limit of normal for each individual jitter was 34.6 μs.

Conclusions

The present findings indicate that upper normal limit for mean MCD is 22 μs and for individual data it is 35 μs.
Stranded Kokanee Salvaged from Turbine Intake Infrastructure Are at Low Risk for Reentrainment: A Telemetry Study in a Hydropower Facility Forebay
Authors: Algera Dirk A. , Ward Taylor , Zemlak Randy , Crossman James , Harrison Philip , Leake Alf , Power Michael , Cooke Steven J.
Published: October 2020

Entrainment at hydropower facilities, where fish (volitionally and nonvolitionally) enter hydropower infrastructure such as intake towers, can lead to fish becoming stranded for considerable periods of time rather than being flushed to downstream areas. To reduce fish injury and/or mortality from entrainment stranding events, hydropower operators will salvage stranded fish and release them back into the upstream reservoir. We documented the postrelease movements of salvaged fish to determine their vulnerability to reentrainment at a large hydropower facility. Kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka were collected from the turbine intake towers at the W. A. C. Bennett Dam in northeastern British Columbia, surgically implanted with small acoustic transmitters, and released in the forebay area of the hydropower facility. Fish movements were tracked using an array of hydrophones in the forebay area. While the depths and hydraulics of the forebay resulted in low detection efficiency of the receiver array, detection data for 25 fish revealed that 72% (n = 18) of fish were last detected at hydrophones located >1,000 m from the turbine intakes (considered low risk to restranding or reentrainment), 24% (n = 6) of fish were last detected at hydrophones <500 m to the turbine intakes (considered vulnerable to restranding), and one reentrainment event (n = 1; 4% maximal entrainment rate) was observed. Our results indicate there is a low risk associated with kokanee reentrainment events at this large hydropower facility and that manual salvage appears to be a reasonable approach to mitigate fish loss.
Magneto‐optical properties of monolayer MoS2‐SiO2/Si structure measured via terahertz time‐domain spectroscopy
Authors: Wen Hua , Xu Wen , Wang Chao , Song Dan , Mei Hongying , Zhang Jie , Ding Lan
Published: October 2020

An experimental study on terahertz (THz) magneto‐optical (MO) properties of monolayer (ML) molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) on SiO2/Si substrate is conducted by using THz time‐domain spectroscopy (TDS) in the presence of the magnetic field in the Faraday geometry at liquid nitrogen temperature of 80 K. The complex longitudinal MO conductivity, σxx(ω), is measured for ML MoS2 in different magnetic fields up to 8 T. The real and imaginary parts of σxx(ω) for ML MoS2 depend strongly on the magnetic field and fit well to the generalized MO Drude‐Smith formula. Through fitting the experimental results with the theoretical formula, the key sample and material parameters for ML MoS2 (e.g., the electron density, the electronic relaxation time, the electronic localization factor) are determined magneto‐optically and their dependence upon the magnetic field is examined. It is shown that the presence of the magnetic field can significantly weaken the effect of optically induced electronic backscattering or localization in ML MoS2. This work demonstrates that the MO measurement on the basis of the THz TDS is a powerful experimental technique for the investigation of atomically thin electronic materials and devices such as ML MoS2 on a substrate.
An International Continence Society (ICS) report on the terminology for female pelvic floor fistulas
Authors: Elneil Sohier , Romanzi Lauri , Goh Judith , Haylen Bernard , Grace Chen Chi Chiung , Ghoniem Gamal , Ijaiya Munir'deen , Kwon Soo , Lee Joseph , Mourad Sherif , Ramanah Rajeev , Regmi Mohan , Mohsin Rivzi Raheela , Rogers Rebecca , Shaw Jonothan , Sung Vivian
Published: October 2020

Introduction

The terminology for female pelvic floor fistulas (PFF) needs to be defined and organized in a clinically based consensus Report.

Methods

This Report combines the input of members of the International Continence Society (ICS) assisted at intervals by external referees. Appropriate core clinical categories and a sub‐classification were developed to give a coding to definitions. An extensive process of 19 rounds of internal and external review was involved to examine each definition, with decision‐making by collective opinion (consensus).

Results

A terminology report for female PFF, encompassing 416 (188 NEW) separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user‐friendliness have been key aims to make it interpretable by practitioners and trainees in different specialty groups involved in female pelvic floor dysfunction and PFF. Female‐specific imaging (ultrasound, radiology, and magnetic resonance imaging) and conservative and surgical PFF managements as well as appropriate figures have been included to supplement and clarify the text. Interval (5–10 years) review is anticipated to keep the document updated and as widely acceptable as possible.

Conclusion

A consensus‐based terminology report for female PFF has been produced to aid clinical practice and research.
Spiritual coping strategies and quality of life in older adults who have sustained a hip fracture: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Sammut Roberta , Azzopardi Christian , Camilleri Liberato
Published: October 2020

Aims

To investigate the relationship between spiritual coping strategies and quality of life in persons with a hip fracture.

Design

A correlational, cross‐sectional survey design.

Methods

The total population of Maltese‐speaking adults over 65 years (N = 299), with a hip fracture receiving treatment in a public hospital in Malta in 2015, were invited.

The WHOQOL‐BREF questionnaire and the Spiritual Coping Strategies Scale were used.

Results

A response rate of 51% (n = 147) was achieved. The poorest quality of life was for the physical and psychological domains. Spiritual coping strategies were associated with better quality of life with the exception of physical quality of life. Non‐religious coping strategies were the stronger predictor of quality of life compared with religious coping strategies. The former predicted physical, psychological, environmental, social and overall quality of life.

Conclusion

Hip fractures have serious implications on quality of life which could be improved by promoting non‐religious spiritual coping strategies.
Ondansetron use in early pregnancy and the risk of late pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Suarez Elizabeth A. , Boggess Kim , Engel Stephanie M. , Stürmer Til , Lund Jennifer L. , Funk Michele Jonsson
Published: October 2020

Background

The effects of ondansetron, used off‐label to treat nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, on common pregnancy complications are understudied. Modest effects of a commonly used drug could result in adverse events for large numbers of pregnant women. Therefore, our objective was to compare the risk of stillbirth, preterm birth, gestational hypertensive disorders, small for gestational age, and differences in birth weight between women prescribed ondansetron and women prescribed alternative antiemetics in early pregnancy.

Methods

A cohort of pregnant women receiving a prescription for ondansetron or comparator antiemetics (metoclopramide or promethazine) during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy was identified using electronic health record data from a health care system in North Carolina, USA. Confounding by multiple covariates was controlled using stabilized inverse probability of treatment weights. Weighted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) accounted for competing events.

Results

We identified 2677 eligible pregnancies with antiemetic orders, 66% for ondansetron. The small number of stillbirths (n = 15) resulted in an imprecise estimate of the association with ondansetron (HR = 1.60; 95%CI 0.51, 4.97). No association was observed for preterm birth (HR = 0.90; 95%CI 0.67, 1.20) or gestational hypertensive disorders (HR = 0.87; 95%CI 0.68, 1.12). We observed an association with small for gestational age (HR = 1.37; 95%CI 0.98, 1.90), however mean birth weight among term births was similar between groups.

Conclusions

Our results do not suggest that ondansetron increases the risk of preterm birth or gestational hypertensive disorders. The weak association observed between ondansetron use and small for gestational age warrants further investigation.
An innovative synergy between solution electrospinning process technique and self‐healing of materials. A critical review
Authors: Kotrotsos Athanasios
Published: October 2020

An overview of recent advances related to self‐healing (SH) of materials and solution electrospinning (SEP) is provided. SH agents (SHAs) in electrospun form seems to be one of the most promising approaches for SH and exhibit an increasing trend for a wide range of applications. The aim of the current review paper is to report contributions and advances related to SH of materials by using SHAs in electrospun form and provide insights for further improvement of this promising technology. More specifically, this paper contains investigations in which the SHAs or the SHA containers were exclusively prepared by SEP.
Self‐assembly of hairpin peptides mediated by Cu(II) ion: Effect of amino acid sequence
Authors: Wang Jiqian , Wang Chengdong , Ge Yanqing , Sun Yawei , Wang Dong , Xu Hai
Published: October 2020

The alteration of amino acid register in peptides could affect their folding properties and thus functions. The effect of sequence in metal ion induced folding of peptide/protein is important in the design of new functional protein structures, such as biomimetics. In this paper, a set of hairpin peptides with identical composition but different histidine locations have been designed to exploit the metal ion‐mediated peptide intramolecular folding transformation through the adjustment of histidine and lysine residue locations. The results demonstrated that the histidine positions in peptide sequence could dramatically affect the coordination modes between peptides and Cu(II) ion. The Cu(II) coordination could affect the secondary structure transformation and self‐assembly along with electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding synergistically. Three molecules with VHVH sequence at each side of the turn segment (VDPPT) were apt to coordinate with Cu(II) ion with three or four histidines. The closer the VHVH motifs were to the turn segment, the more easier the molecules were to form β sheet structure with the promotion of Cu(II) ions. These results demonstrated that the purposeful location of key amino acids in peptides could achieve the controllable conformation transformation of hairpin peptides, which provides useful strategies for biomimetic design, such as metalloenzymes.
Analgesia and Sedation Strategies in Mechanically Ventilated Adults with COVID‐19
Authors: Adams Christopher D. , Altshuler Jerry , Barlow Brooke L. , Dixit Deepali , Droege Christopher A. , Effendi Muhammad K. , Heavner Mojdeh S. , Johnston Jackie P. , Kiskaddon Amy L. , Lemieux Diana G. , Lemieux Steven M. , Littlefield Audrey J. , Owusu Kent A , Rouse Ginger E. , Thompson Bastin Melissa L. , Berger Karen
Published: October 2020

Evidence‐based management of analgesia and sedation in COVID‐19‐associated acute respiratory distress syndrome remains limited. Non‐guideline recommended analgesic and sedative medication regimens and deeper sedation targets have been employed for patients with COVID‐19 due to exaggerated analgesia and sedation requirements with extended durations of mechanical ventilation. This, coupled with a desire to minimize nurse entry into COVID‐19 patient rooms, marked obesity, altered end‐organ function, and evolving medication shortages, presents numerous short‐ and long‐term challenges. Alternative analgesic and sedative agents and regimens may pose safety risks and require judicious bedside management for appropriate use. The purpose of this commentary is to provide considerations and solutions for designing safe and effective analgesia and sedation strategies for adult patients with considerable ventilator dyssynchrony and sedation requirements, such as COVID‐19.
Cefiderocol: A Novel Siderophore Cephalosporin against Multidrug‐Resistant Gram‐Negative Pathogens
Authors: Abdul‐Mutakabbir Jacinda C. , Alosaimy Sara , Morrisette Taylor , Kebriaei Razieh , Rybak Michael J.
Published: October 2020

Cefiderocol (CFDC), (formerly S‐649266), is a novel injectable siderophore cephalosporin developed by Shionogi & Co., Ltd., with potent in vitro activity against Gram‐negative pathogens including multidrug‐resistant (MDR) Enterobacteriaceae and non‐fermenting organisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Burkholderia cepacia, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. Characterized by its siderophore catechol‐moiety, CFDC uses a “trojan‐horse approach” to navigate through the bacterial periplasmic space, thus evading various beta‐lactam degrading enzymes and other mechanisms of resistance present in Gram‐negative bacteria. More specifically in carbapenem‐resistant Enterobacteriaceae, CFDC has been shown to have activity against extended spectrum beta‐lactamases (ESBLs), such as CTX‐type, SHV‐type, and TEM‐type, as well as the Ambler classes of beta‐lactamases, including class A (KPC), class B (NDM, IMP, and VIM), class C (AmpC), and class D (OXA, OXA‐24, OXA‐48, and OXA‐48‐like). In addition to the strong activity that CFDC has been shown to have against MDR P. aeruginosa, it has also displayed activity against the OXA‐23, OXA‐24, and OXA‐51, beta‐lactamases commonly found in MDR A. baumannii. Cefiderocol was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI), including pyelonephritis, for use in patients 18 years or older with limited or no alternative options for treatment, and is currently being evaluated in a phase III trial for use in nosocomial pneumonia caused by Gram‐negative pathogens. The unique features and enhanced activity of CFDC suggest that it is likely to serve as a viable therapeutic option in the treatment of MDR Gram‐negative infections. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of previously published literature explaining CFDC’s pharmacology, pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic (PK / PD) properties, microbiologic activity, resistance mechanisms, safety parameters, dosing and administration, clinical data, and potential place in therapy.
Dynamic Profiling of Protein Mole Synthesis Rates during C2C12 Myoblast Differentiation
Authors: Stansfield Ben N. , Brown Alexander D. , Stewart Claire E. , Burniston Jatin G.
Published: October 2020

Mole (MSR) and fractional (FSR) synthesis rates of proteins during C2C12 myoblast differentiation are investigated. Myoblast cultures supplemented with D2O during 0–24 h or 72–96 h of differentiation are analyzed by LC‐MS/MS to calculate protein FSR and MSR after samples are spiked with yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH1). Profiling of 153 proteins detected 70 significant (p ≤ 0.05, FDR ≤ 1%) differences in abundance between cell states. Early differentiation is enriched by clusters of ribosomal and heat shock proteins, whereas later differentiation is associated with actin filament binding. The median (first–third quartile) FSR (%/h) during early differentiation 4.1 (2.7–5.3) is approximately twofold greater than later differentiation 1.7 (1.0–2.2), equating to MSR of 0.64 (0.38–1.2) and 0.28 (0.1–0.5) fmol h−1 µg−1 total protein, respectively. MSR corresponds more closely with abundance data and highlights proteins associated with glycolytic processes and intermediate filament protein binding that are not evident among FSR data. Similarly, MSR during early differentiation accounts for 78% of the variation in protein abundance during later differentiation, whereas FSR accounts for 4%. Conclusively, the interpretation of protein synthesis data differs when reported in mole or fractional terms, which has consequences when studying the allocation of cellular resources.
Fear of cancer recurrence in childhood cancer survivors: A developmental perspective from infancy to young adulthood
Authors: Tutelman Perri R. , Heathcote Lauren C.
Published: October 2020

Aims

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is among the most prevalent and distressing concerns reported by cancer survivors. While younger age is the most consistent predictor of elevated FCR, research to date has focused almost exclusively on adult cancer survivors. This is despite the fact that children with cancer are more likely to survive compared to adults, and will become regular, lifelong users of the medical system to mitigate the effects of toxic treatment. The early experience of cancer yields unique challenges and circumstances that may impact children's capacity for and experience of FCR across the developmental trajectory. The aim of this paper is to present a developmental perspective of FCR from infancy to young adulthood.

Methods

Drawing on the developmental science literature and recent theoretical advancements in FCR, we outline cognitive and social factors that may influence children's capacity for and experience of FCR across the developmental trajectory.

Results

First, distinct developmental groups that fall under the classification of “childhood cancer survivor,” and that all require attention, are summarized. Using the structure of these groupings, we centrally provide a developmental perspective of FCR that offers a useful starting point for research in pediatric populations. Key research gaps, including the need for validated assessment tools to measure FCR in child and adolescent survivors, are highlighted.

Conclusions

Consideration of the unique context of childhood is needed to guide the identification of childhood cancer survivors at risk for FCR as well as the development of effective FCR interventions for this population.
Genomic screening and molecular dynamics simulations of cyanovirin‐N homologs from cyanobacteria phylum
Authors: Siqueira Andrei Santos , Lima Alex Ranieri Jerônimo , Aguiar Delia Cristina Figueira , Santos Alberdan Silva , Gonçalves Evonnildo Costa
Published: October 2020

The phylum cyanobacteria are one of the most ancient groups of organisms on the planet and are well recognized due to its wide distribution, ecological role, and biotechnological potential. Cyanobacterial lectins are being extensively explored due to their antiviral activity, mainly because of their capacity of inhibiting HIV strains from infecting human cells by gp120 and gp41 binding. Cianovirin‐N from Nostoc ellipsosporum was the first lectin isolated with this property. Since then, various homologs have been discovered and characterized. In this article, we present results of a genomic screening to find cyanovirin‐N homologs (CVNH) in all cyanobacteria genomes available in the GenBank, resulting in 155 CVNH proteins with 63 presenting significant identity differences of cyanovirin‐N. Homology modeling and molecular dynamics were employed to characterize 18 unexplored models and their functional capacity of binding to Manα(1‐2)Man. Results presented here support the hypothesis of multiple ligand recognition for the CVNH family and may help to understand the function of these lectins for the producer cyanobacteria. Additionally, the theoretical results observed here justify carrying out experimental investigations that can expand the therapeutic potential of cyanobacterial lectins.
Direct Heteroepitaxy and Selective Area Growth of GaP and GaAs on Si by Hydride Vapor Phase Epitaxy
Authors: Strömberg Axel , Bhargava Prakhar , Xu Zhehan , Lourdudoss Sebastian , Sun Yan-Ting
Published: October 2020

Direct heteroepitaxy and selective area growth (SAG) of GaP and GaAs on Si(100) and Si(111) are implemented by low‐pressure hydride vapor phase epitaxy (LP‐HVPE), which are facilitated by buffer layers grown at 410–490 °C with reactive gas mixing directly above Si substrates. High‐density islands observed on GaP buffer layers on Si result in rough morphology and defect formation in the subsequent GaP layers grown at 715 °C. The impact of growth temperature of GaAs buffer layers on the crystal quality of GaAs/Si is studied. A decreased nucleation temperature significantly improves the morphology and crystalline quality of the overall GaAs growth on Si. It is observed that Si(111) substrates are favorable for both GaP and GaAs growths in comparison with Si(100). In SAGs of GaP/Si and GaAs/Si, the high selectivity innate to HVPE is maintained in the used unconventional growth regime. The spatially resolved photoluminescence mapping reveals the material quality of GaAs/Si is enhanced by defect filtering by SAG. The outcomes of this work will pave the way of III–V/Si integration realized by cost‐effective HVPE for photonic device applications.
Itinerant Magnetism in Ga‐Rich Ga–Mn–Co Full Heusler Alloys
Authors: Samanta Tamalika , Srihari Velaga , Bhobe Preeti A.
Published: October 2020

Herein, the crystal structure and the magnetic and electrical properties of two Ga‐rich, off‐stoichiometric full Heusler‐type compositions with x = 0.2 and 0.4 are investigated. The innate site disorder in the crystal structure is clarified using synchrotron X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Experimentally, it is observed that a control over magnetic ordering temperature () and total magnetic moment can be achieved by tuning the Ga:Mn ratio in these alloys. Consequently, for the resultant compositions, and , Curie temperatures of ≈245 and 375 K, respectively, are obtained, lying in the vicinity of room temperature. The atomic site disorder arising out of excess Mn leads to spin fluctuation scattering which is reflected in its magnetic and transport properties. Temperature dependence of resistivity shows an anomalous occurrence of a maximum, reflecting a change in the sign of the temperature coefficient of resistance, coincidental with . Furthermore, the magnetization results indicate an itinerant‐type ferromagnetic ground state over the Heisenberg‐type state, with the moment values as low as 0.35 .
Primer and probe conservation issue in the quantification of hepatitis B virus DNA
Authors: Teh Chye Phing , Chook Jack Bee , Ngeow Yun Fong , Tong Tommy Yuh Koon , Tee Kok Keng , Bong Jan Jin , Mohamed Rosmawati
Published: October 2020

Current treatment strategies for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection aim at long‐term suppression of the viral replication since a cure remains elusive. Its clinical management therefore relies greatly on routine monitoring of serum HBV DNA levels using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays. Designing a highly conserved oligonucleotide set for the qPCR assay can be challenging due to the high genetic heterogeneity of the virus. The ever‐increasing number of HBV genomes deposited in the GenBank nucleotide database warrants a revisit to previous primer and probe designs. We examined primer and probe sets from 53 qPCR assays published in the past 2 decades for their coverage in 9864 complete HBV genomes retrieved from GenBank. Of all the 53 qPCR assays, only 17% achieved ≥80% coverage. About 40% of the 53 assays covered less than 20% of the 9864 genomes. In silico DNA thermodynamics analysis demonstrated reduced primer/probe binding affinity, which further increases the risk of viral load misdetection and underestimation for certain HBV variants. Taken together, there is a pressing need for improving available qPCR designs for the quantification of HBV DNA based on the updated genome data.
Hamilton cycles in random graphs with minimum degree at least 3: An improved analysis
Authors: Anastos Michael , Frieze Alan
Published: October 2020

In this paper we consider the existence of Hamilton cycles in the random graph . This random graph is chosen uniformly from , the set of graphs with vertex set [n], m edges and minimum degree at least 3. Our ultimate goal is to prove that if m = cn and c > 3/2 is constant then G is Hamiltonian w.h.p. In Frieze (2014), the second author showed that c ≥ 10 is sufficient for this and in this paper we reduce the lower bound to c > 2.662…. This new lower bound is the same lower bound found in Frieze and Pittel (2013) for the expansion of so‐called Pósa sets.
Effectiveness of a low‐dose mindfulness‐based intervention for alleviating distress in young unemployed adults
Authors: Roemer Anja , Sutton Anna , Grimm Carsten , Medvedev Oleg N.
Published: October 2020

While the effectiveness of mindfulness‐based interventions (MBIs) with respect to distress has been widely researched, unemployed individuals, who often suffer from high levels of distress, have largely been neglected in MBI research. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of a low‐dose MBI on distress in a sample of young unemployed adults. The sample included 239 young unemployed adults enrolled for a 6‐week long employability‐related training camp. Participants were allocated into an intervention group that received weekly 1‐hour mindfulness training over 4 weeks, and a control group. Dispositional mindfulness, distress and well‐being were assessed in the entire sample prior to the start and upon completion of the mindfulness training. A mixed model ANCOVA showed that distress was inversely and significantly predicted by baseline levels of mindfulness and well‐being. After accounting for the baseline levels of mindfulness and well‐being, a significant effect of the mindfulness intervention was evident. This result shows that a low‐dose MBI can decrease distress in a sample of young unemployed adults and its effectiveness is positively associated with initial levels of dispositional mindfulness and well‐being.
The relationship between stressors of temporary work and counterproductive work behaviour
Authors: Striler Jamie , Shoss Mindy , Jex Steve
Published: October 2020

Recent research on temporary work has suggested that temporary work experiences vary greatly in quality. In light of concerns about diminished quality of some temporary work experiences, we suggest that temporary workers may experience a variety of stressful work situations that could precipitate detrimental outcomes not only for these workers, but also for their co‐workers and organizations. Using a multi‐wave survey of temporary workers, this study examines the relationship between economic, interpersonal, and organizational stressors and counterproductive work behaviour (CWB). Specifically, we hypothesize that economic stressors (operationalized as economic hardship and job insecurity), interpersonal conflict and organizational constraints will predict the extent to which temporary workers perform CWB via emotional exhaustion and moral disengagement pathways. Three waves of data show that temporary workers experiencing higher levels of economic hardship, interpersonal conflict and organizational constraints reported greater emotional exhaustion, which was linked to increased frequency of CWBs. Additionally, higher levels of job insecurity and interpersonal conflict were related to higher levels of moral disengagement, which related to increased frequency of CWBs. These findings highlight relationships of different stressors with emotional and cognitive reactions that may trigger CWB in temporary workers.
Host–guest materials with room temperature phosphorescence: Tunable emission color and thermal printing patterns
Authors: Wang Yunsheng , Yang Jie , Gong Yanxiang , Fang Manman , Li Zhen , Tang Ben Zhong
Published: October 2020

The research of purely organic materials with long afterglow has drawn more and more attention, especially for those with stimulus‐response characteristic. So far, this kind of material is really very scarce and their performance is not good enough. In this study, we successfully developed an efficient heating‐responsive room‐temperature phosphorescence material with phosphorescence efficiency and lifetime up to 13.4% and 2.08 s through the simple host–guest doping strategy. Further on, by introducing the additional energy acceptor of fluorescein with concentration‐dependent emission to construct ternary doping systems, the afterglow color was extended from blue to yellow. Accordingly, the multicolor thermal printings have been easily realized, showing the great practical application prospects.
Harnessing Photoexcited Redox Centers of Semiconductor Photocatalysts for Advanced Synthetic Chemistry
Authors: Ou Wei , Xu Yangsen , Zhou Hongwei , Su Chenliang
Published: October 2020

Solar photocatalysis is emerging as an environment‐friendly and sustainable energy approach for the production of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals with high industrial and academic importance. Due to photochemical stability, tunable redox capability, and facile recyclability, semiconductor photocatalysts display remarkable advantages over molecular photocatalysts, thus attracting increasing attention. More importantly, photoexcited hole–electron pairs on semiconductor photocatalysts can accomplish two aligned redox reactions on the same semiconductor surface, resulting in unique designs of several semiconductor photocatalysis models. This review surveys recent advances in rational harnessing of photoexcited hole–electron pairs in semiconductor photocatalysts for oxidative and reductive synthetic transformations for chemical and pharmaceutical production. Depending on the catalytic behavior of the photogenerated redox centers, there are three major semiconductor photoredox reaction modes: 1) photoexcited hole‐induced oxidations, 2) photoexcited electron‐induced reductions, and 3) photoexcited electron–hole pairs co‐induced redox‐neutral reactions. The characteristics, reaction scopes, and mechanisms of these three semiconductor photocatalysis modes are discussed. Finally, the major challenges and future opportunities regarding the rational design of photoexcited redox centers in advanced synthetic chemistry are provided.
A Metal‐Segregation Approach to Generate CoMn Alloy for Enhanced Photothermal Conversion of Syngas to Light Olefins
Authors: Li Ruizhe , Li Yuan , Li Zhenhua , Wei Weiqin , Ouyang Shuxin , Yuan Hong , Zhang Tierui
Published: October 2020

As a promoter, Mn is widely used in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) such as in the form of MnO, but few studies have focused on the effect of CoMn alloy on catalytic performance of FTS. Herein, a catalyst of CoMn alloy–loaded MnO is synthesized by a one‐step wet‐chemical method. The metallic Mn is formed through a segregation process from MnO support, which is induced by Co that is decomposed from Co‐contained precursor; then, the two metals form an alloy in the following growing process. In photothermocatalytic FTS, the optimized catalyst delivers good selectivity for light olefins (27.0% with the ratio of olefins to paraffins = 3.2); meanwhile, low CO2selectivity (22.6%) ensures the effective use of carbon resources. Characterizations, including X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and energy dispersive X‐ray mapping, reveal that the catalysts comprise CoMn alloy on MnO support. The formed CoMn alloy is the key for promoting the generation of light olefins. This study demonstrates a novel catalyst of CoMn alloy–loaded MnO for the production of light olefins via CO hydrogenation, which attains a value‐added solar‐to‐chemical energy conversion.
Structures and Functional Properties of Amorphous Alloys
Authors: Jiang Hongyu , Shang Tongtong , Xian Haijie , Sun Baoan , Zhang Qinghua , Yu Qian , Bai Haiyang , Gu Lin , Wang Weihua
Published: October 2020

Amorphous alloys have attracted great attention due to their distinctive properties derived from unique packing structures. Recently, significant advances have been achieved for the understanding of structural characteristics and functional applications of amorphous alloys. Herein, an overview of the state of art of structure studies, accounting for the characteristics of amorphous alloys, are presented, and recent progresses in the functional applications of amorphous alloys are highlighted. The various structural models for the short‐range order, medium‐range order, and long‐range topological order for amorphous alloys are introduced. The functional applications in electrochemistry, mechanism, magnetism, optics, and biomedical engineering are presented in detail. The fundamental understanding of the correlations between structures and properties in amorphous alloys is discussed.
Linear and Nonlinear Polarization Syntheses and Their Programmable Controls based on Anisotropic Time‐Domain Digital Coding Metasurface
Authors: Ke Jun Chen , Dai Jun Yan , Chen Ming Zheng , Wang Li , Zhang Cheng , Tang Wankai , Yang Jin , Liu Wei , Li Xin , Lu Yunfeng , Cheng Qiang , Jin Shi , Cui Tie Jun
Published: October 2020

Spatial polarization converter can shift the polarization state of incident wave to another state in a specific frequency band. The traditional polarization conversion devices mainly include natural materials and artificial electromagnetic (EM) structures, which are generally sensitive to the incident polarization states and cannot realize polarization manipulations of nonlinear harmonics. These drawbacks limit their developments in wireless communications and radar detection applications. Herein, a general polarization regulation scheme based on anisotropic time‐domain digital coding metasurface is proposed that can achieve both linear and nonlinear polarization syntheses and realize their programmable controls in real time. In this scheme, a nonlinear modulation theory into the polarization conversion methods is integrated, and thus, the scope of the polarization regulation is expanded. An anisotropic time‐domain digital coding metasurface is designed and fabricated to validate the feasibility of the proposed scheme. Theoretical predictions have good agreements with the experiments. The results of this study are expected to promote the developments of space‐time‐polarization regulations and provide efficient approaches for precise EM detections.
Experimental study on seismic behavior of precast beam‐column connections under cyclic loading
Authors: Zhang Qian , Wang Shuo , Meloni Marco , Feng Jian , Xu Jian , Cai Jianguo
Published: October 2020

Precast concrete structures have satisfactory performances in quality control and construction progress. This article experimentally studied the seismic behavior of a type of precast beam‐column connection. Three full‐scale specimens are designed with different longitudinal reinforcement ratios and details of connections. Precast beam‐column connections are systematically investigated focusing on their failure modes, hysteretic and skeleton curves, strength, ductility, stiffness degradation, and energy dissipation capacity. Test results show that the shear panel damage becomes more serious, and the ductility drops dramatically by 32.3% with the increased reinforcement ratio. Moreover, with the change from service holes to reserved grooves, the ductility of the specimen increases evidently, and the energy dissipation capacity fully developed, increasing by 24.0%. Furthermore, influences of reinforcement ratio and detail of construction on the trend of stiffness degradation showed to be not significant. Research findings could provide guidelines for the popularization and application of this type of precast beam‐column connection in reinforcement concrete frame structures.
A state of the art of flat‐slab frame tests for gravity and lateral loading
Authors: Coronelli Dario , Muttoni Aurelio , Pascu Ion R. , Ramos Antonio P. , Netti Teresa
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a critical review of the state of the art of experimental research concerning the seismic response of reinforced concrete flat slab frames. After a summary of tests on connections, the paper examines tests carried out on frames with gravity and cyclic lateral loading, and shake table tests; scaled specimens and one real scale study are included. A discussion of the results reached so far is provided focusing on the global response, the different load types and effects; the ultimate rotations at failure in relation to the gravity shear and a classification of different failure modes for different types of connections. Based on this analysis, the research needs are highlighted. An experimental program launched to address these open questions is described. Further open topics are highlighted.
Thymoquinone loaded calcium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol carrier inhibits the 7,12‐dimethylbenz[a]anthracene‐induced hamster oral cancer via the down‐regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways
Authors: Pu Yumei , Hu Shiqi , Chen Yongfeng , Zhang Qian , Xia Chengwan , Deng Han , Wang Yuxin , Hu Qingang
Published: October 2020

Oral cancer is a multifactorial cancer that affects millions of peoples worldwide. The current exploration aimed to evaluate the mechanisms that thymoquinone nanoencapsulated carrier and its effects on 7,12‐Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) stimulated hamster buccal pouch cancer in Syrian hamster model. Nanocarrier was characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR analysis. The incidence of tumor, and biochemicals makers was studied through standard methods. The mRNA expression level of inflammatory markers NF‐κBp50, NF‐κBp65, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR markers in the buccal tissues of control and experimental animals were investigated through RT‐PCR analysis. In thymoquinone (TQ) loaded calcium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol carrier (TQ/Ca‐alg‐PVA) no squamous cell carcinogenesis developed and others moderate dysplasia revealed differentiated form of hyperplasia and keratosis. In biochemical analyses with DMBA + TQ/Ca‐alg‐PVA (20 mg/kg bw) orally administered hamsters showed restored the antioxidants, detoxification, xenobiotic metabolising enzymes in DMBA induced plasma and oral tissues of hamsters. Further, mRNA expression level of NF‐κBp50/p65 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR were upregulated in the DMBA alone painted hamster. In contrast, these expressions were down regulated in orally TQ/Ca‐alg‐PVA treated experimental animals. This ability more eligible to deregulate the inflammatory and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway that proved it suppresses anti‐invasion/metastasis activity during hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. From this study, we recommended that TQ/Ca‐alg‐PVA has documented as effective chemopreventive agents, in further many molecular machineries need to study.