bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Body size at birth in babies born during World War II: The evidence from Poland
Authors: Liczbińska Grażyna , Králík Miroslav
Published: April 2020

Objectives

The objective of the study was to determine whether exposure of pregnant women to stresses caused by World War II (WWII) negatively affected pregnancy and perinatal outcomes.

Methods

Individual medical documents deposited in the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Clinic of Medical University, Poznań (1934‐1943; N = 7058) were evaluated. These were divided into two birth cohorts: before WWII and during it. Frequency tables were constructed for the numbers of pregnancy outcomes: miscarriages, stillbirths, live births, and neonatal deaths, according to the period of birth and sex of a child. The numbers of recorded days were standardized and the numbers of cases per day were computed. Statistical differences in the averages (medians) between periods and years under study were tested. Birth weight, length, and body mass index (BMI) were compared according to the periods related to WWII.

Results

Significant differences in proportions of males, females, and subjects with unknown sex were found between the periods: a higher proportion of males and different structure of/within negative outcomes were found during WWII. Children born during WWII were heavier and longer than those born before it.

Conclusions

As an explanation, adverse conditions of WWII, related to the psychological stress and food shortages, could have influenced greater elimination of fetuses and neonates of male sex during pregnancy and shortly after delivery. Higher average body size in newborns recorded during WWI could be explained by a hidden process of increased early prenatal mortality of weaker individuals, differences in average gestation length between the periods, differences in parity, or some undocumented differences in social/ethnic composition of the sample.
Severe SOPH syndrome due to a novel NBAS mutation in a 27‐year‐old woman—Review of this pleiotropic, autosomal recessive disorder: Mystery solved after two decades
Authors: Lacassie Yves , Johnson Britt , Lay‐Son Guillermo , Quintana Rita , King Andrew , Cortes Fanny , Alvarez Cecilia , Gomez Ricardo , Vargas Alfonso , Chalew Stuart , King Alejandra , Guardia Sylvia , Sorensen Ricardo U. , Aradhya Swaroop
Published: April 2020

Autosomal recessive SOPH syndrome was first described in the Yakuts population of Asia by Maksimova et al. in 2010. It arises from biallelic pathogenic variants in the NBAS gene and is characterized by severe postnatal growth retardation, senile facial appearance, small hands and feet, optic atrophy with loss of visual acuity and color vision, and normal intelligence (OMIM #614800). The presence of Pelger‐Hüet anomaly in this disorder led to its name as an acronym for Short stature, Optic nerve atrophy, and Pelger‐Hüet anomaly. Recent publications have further contributed to the characterization of this syndrome through additional phenotype–genotype correlations. We review the clinical features described in these publications and report on a 27‐year‐old woman with dwarfism with osteolysis and multiple skeletal problems, minor anomalies, immunodeficiency, diabetes mellitus, and multiple secondary medical problems. Her condition was considered an unknown autosomal recessive disorder for many years until exome sequencing provided the diagnosis by revealing a founder disease‐causing variant that was compound heterozygous with a novel pathogenic variant in NBAS. Based on the major clinical features of this individual and others reported earlier, a revision of the acronym is warranted to facilitate clinical recognition.
In training emergency physicians the carotid artery Doppler with passive leg raise, does previous sonographic experience influence scan time and competency?
Authors: Osgood Robert , Mohan Sangeeth , John Lisa , Stirling Erin , Stirling Scott
Published: April 2020

Background

Determination of fluid responsiveness (FR) associated with intravascular fluid resuscitation in hypotensive patients poses a challenge, with current best evidence methods fraught with poor retest reliability and difficulty in image acquisition (Osman, Crit Care Med 2007; 35: 64; Marik, Crit Care Med 2009; 37: 2642). Doppler carotid blood flow with passive leg raise (PLR) is a recent modality for determining FR (Marik, Chest 2013; 143: 364).

Purpose

This study aimed to determine whether emergency physicians with limited ultrasound experience can reliably acquire this skill.

Method

This prospective study recruited 60 emergency physicians with varying experience, who underwent a 3‐step learning programme. Participants performed carotid velocity time integral (VTi) Doppler on healthy subjects, followed by repeat measurements in the PLR position. A 16‐point checklist and time recorded were assessed for each sonographer, with each participant completing a post‐study questionnaire to evaluate perceived competence and ease of skill acquisition.

Results

Of the 60 emergency physicians recruited, 37 (61.6%) were inexperienced and 23 (38.4%) were experienced. Against the 16‐point assessment, 61% completed assessment without any errors. Fifty‐six out of 60 (94.3%) completed the assessment to acceptable standard with errors recognised and corrected, and four participants (6.7%) made critical errors without correction (Figure 1). Average (±SEM) total scan time was 4:52 ± 0:19, with no significant difference found between inexperienced and experienced groups.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated feasibility to train emergency physicians, demonstrating that average FR assessment was obtained within 5 min, with no difference between prior experience in scan quality/time taken. 94% completed the scan to acceptable standards, demonstrating ease of carotid Doppler flow with PLR to provide critical information in management of the hypotensive patient.
Comment on “Bad Language”: Resolving some Ambiguities about Chirality
Authors: Petitjean Michel
Published: April 2020

In this comment on the Essay entitled “Bad Language” by Dunitz I add new elements which enlighten the discussion. I hope that they contribute to suppress ambiguities and preconceived ideas about chirality.
High‐Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells Enabled by Anatase TiO2 Nanopyramid Arrays with an Oriented Electric Field
Authors: Lv Yinhua , Yuan Ruihan , Cai Bing , Bahrami Behzad , Chowdhury Ashraful Haider , Yang Chi , Wu Yihui , Qiao Qiquan , Liu Shengzhong (Frank) , Zhang Wen‐Hua
Published: April 2020

One‐dimensional (1D) nanostructured oxides are proposed as excellent electron transport materials (ETMs) for perovskite solar cells (PSCs); however, experimental evidence is lacking. A facile hydrothermal approach was employed to grow highly oriented anatase TiO2 nanopyramid arrays and demonstrate their application in PSCs. The oriented TiO2 nanopyramid arrays afford sufficient contact area for electron extraction and increase light transmission. Moreover, the nanopyramid array/perovskite system exhibits an oriented electric field that can increase charge separation and accelerate charge transport, thereby suppressing charge recombination. The anatase TiO2 nanopyramid array‐based PSCs deliver a champion power conversion efficiency of approximately 22.5 %, which is the highest power conversion efficiency reported to date for PSCs consisting of 1D ETMs. This work demonstrates that the rational design of 1D ETMs can achieve PSCs that perform as well as typical mesoscopic and planar PSCs.
Building an Air Stable and Lithium Deposition Regulable Garnet Interface from Moderate‐Temperature Conversion Chemistry
Authors: Duan Hui , Chen Wan‐Ping , Fan Min , Wang Wen‐Peng , Yu Le , Tan Shuang‐Jie , Chen Xiang , Zhang Qiang , Xin Sen , Wan Li‐Jun , Guo Yu‐Guo
Published: April 2020

Garnet‐type electrolytes suffer from unstable chemistry against air exposure, which generates contaminants on electrolyte surface and accounts for poor interfacial contact with the Li metal. Thermal treatment of the garnet at >700 °C could remove the surface contaminants, yet it regenerates the contaminants in the air, and aggravates the Li dendrite issue as more electron‐conducting defective sites are exposed. In a departure from the removal approach, here we report a new surface chemistry that converts the contaminants into a fluorinated interface at moderate temperature <180 °C. The modified interface shows a high electron tunneling barrier and a low energy barrier for Li+ surface diffusion, so that it enables dendrite‐proof Li plating/stripping at a high critical current density of 1.4 mA cm−2. Moreover, the modified interface exhibits high chemical and electrochemical stability against air exposure, which prevents regeneration of contaminants and keeps high critical current density of 1.1 mA cm−2. The new chemistry presents a practical solution for realization of high‐energy solid‐state Li metal batteries.
Synergistic Covalent and Supramolecular Polymers for Mechanically Robust but Dynamic Materials
Authors: Zhang Zhaoming , Cheng Lin , Zhao Jun , Wang Lei , Liu Kai , Yu Wei , Yan Xuzhou
Published: April 2020

Nature has engineered delicate synergistic covalent and supramolecular polymers (CSPs) to achieve advanced life functions, such as the thin filaments that assist in muscle contraction. Constructing artificial synergistic CSP materials with bioinspired mechanically adaptive features, however, represents a challenging goal. Here, we report an artificial CSP system to illustrate the integration of a covalent polymer (CP) and a supramolecular polymer (SP) in a synergistic fashion, along with the emergence of notable mechanical and dynamic properties which are unattainable when the two polymers are formed individually. The synergistic effect relies on the peculiar network structures of the SP and CPs, which endow the resultant CSPs with overall improved mechanical performance in terms of the stiffness, strength, stretchability, toughness, and elastic recovery. Moreover, the dynamic properties of the SP, including self‐healing, stimuli‐responsiveness, and reprocessing, are also retained in the CSPs, thus leading to their application as programmable and tunable materials.
Performance evaluation of an air breathing–direct methanol fuel cell with different cathode current collectors with liquid electrolyte layer
Authors: Boni Muralikrishna , Srinivasa Rao S. , Naga Srinivasulu G.
Published: April 2020

Development of possible technologies for the generation of green energy is the focus of research worldwide. Fuel cells are a promising option in this regard. Out of the various categories of fuel cells, air breathing–direct methanol fuel cells (AB‐DMFCs) are finding a prominent place as an electric power source for charging of compact electronic devices. In AB‐DMFC, the design and construction of the cathode current collector is very crucial, since the cathode current collector performs important functions in the fuel cell operation such as collecting the electrons, facilitating the flow of oxygen for the cathode reaction and evacuating the water bubbles formed at the cathode side. An ideal current collector improves the cell performance multifold. The present paper deals about the performance of an AB‐DMFC fitted with three different cathode current collector designs, viz., a wire mesh current collector (WMCC) made of SS316L, WMCC with a supporting plate (SP) and a perforated current collector (PCC) with an open ratio of 45.40%. A single serpentine flow channel engraved on a graphite plate was used as the anode flow channel plate. Experimental investigations are carried out to examine the impact of the cathode current collector design on the performance of AB‐DMFC and also by varying the operating parameters of methanol flow rate and concentration. The next stage of the experiments are carried out with the addition of a liquid electrolyte layer (LE), which is kept between two half Membrane Electrode Assemblies. Experimental results reveal that the LE layer enhances the fuel cell performance compared to conventional AB‐DMFC.
Bio‐based flexible polyurethane foam synthesized from palm oil and natural rubber
Authors: Jaratrotkamjorn Ruedee , Tanrattanakul Varaporn
Published: April 2020

As environment friendly polymers are required to reduce the green‐house gas emissions and global warming, bio‐based polyurethane foam (PUF) is attracting interest from the industrial sector and researchers. Bio‐based polyols for PUF have been synthesized from various renewable resources, mostly plant oils. The present study explored a novel bio‐based PUF produced from a mixture of bio‐based polyols synthesized from palm oil and natural rubber. Palm oil‐based polyol (POP) was synthesized via an epoxidation reaction of double bonds of palm oil followed by complete oxirane ring‐opening. Hydroxy telechelic natural rubber (HTNR) was synthesized by oxidative degradation using periodic acid and sodium borohydride. For comparison, two diisocyanates were used: toluene‐2,4‐diisocyanate and polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. POP and HTNR were miscible and all PUFs showed polyhedral semi‐closed cells and hardness was in the flexible foam range. One possible application of the novel PUF could be thermal insulation.
Concentrations of Cortical GABA and Glutamate in Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Kolodny Tamar , Schallmo Michael‐Paul , Gerdts Jennifer , Edden Richard A. E. , Bernier Raphael A. , Murray Scott O.
Published: April 2020

The balance of excitation and inhibition in neural circuits is hypothesized to be increased in autism spectrum disorder, possibly mediated by altered signaling of the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA), yet empirical evidence in humans is inconsistent. We used edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to quantify signals associated with both GABA and the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate in multiple regions of the sensory and sensorimotor cortex, including primary visual, auditory, and motor areas in adult individuals with autism and in neurotypical controls. Despite the strong a priori hypothesis of reduced GABA in autism spectrum disorder, we found no group differences in neurometabolite concentrations in any of the examined regions and no correlations of MRS measure with psychophysical visual sensitivity or autism symptomatology. We demonstrate high data quality that is comparable across groups, with a relatively large sample of well‐characterized participants, and use Bayesian statistics to corroborate the lack of any group differences. We conclude that levels of GABA and Glx (glutamate, glutamine, and glutathione) in the sensory and sensorimotor cortex, as measured with MRS at 3T, are comparable in adults with autism and neurotypical individuals. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1111‐1129. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

γ‐Aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate are the main inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the human brain, respectively, and their balanced interaction is necessary for neural function. Previous research suggests that the GABA and glutamate systems might be altered in autism. In this study, we used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure concentrations of these neurotransmitters in the sensory areas in the brains of young adults with autism. In contradiction to the common hypothesis of reduced GABA in autism, we demonstrate that concentrations of both GABA and glutamate, in all the brain regions examined, are comparable in individuals with autism and in neurotypical adults. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Environmental regulation, total factor productivity, and enterprise duration: Evidence from China
Authors: Ai Hongshan , Hu Shenglan , Li Ke , Shao Shuai
Published: April 2020

Environmental regulation has been confirmed to have an important impact on enterprise productivity, which is regarded as a crucial factor of enterprise duration. However, existing studies have paid little attention to how environmental regulation affects enterprise duration. Using firm‐level data from the Chinese Industrial Enterprises Database (2003–2007) and the stochastic frontier analysis method, we estimate enterprise total factor productivity (TFP) and its four decomposed components (scale efficiency change, technological change, factor allocation efficiency change, and technical efficiency change). Meanwhile, we adopt a comprehensive index to measure the environmental regulation intensity. Furthermore, we use the linear probability model and the proportional hazards model to investigate the effect of environmental regulation on enterprise duration through the mediating role of enterprise TFP. The results show that although environmental regulation per se negatively impacts on enterprise duration, environmental regulation can present a synthetic positive effect on enterprise duration due to its positive effect on enterprise TFP. Specifically, environmental regulation significantly mitigates the scale efficiency and technical efficiency of regulated enterprises. It also stimulates regulated enterprises' technological innovation and improves their factor allocation efficiency. In addition, state‐owned and large‐scale enterprises are more malleable when facing environmental regulations. We propose that the government should encourage enterprises to innovate and improve the allocation efficiency of production factors, so as to achieve the purpose of controlling environmental pollution in stages while extending enterprise duration.
The Quest for Xenobiotic Enzymes: From New Enzymes for Chemistry to a Novel Chemistry of Life
Authors: Vornholt Tobias , Jeschek Markus
Published: April 2020

Enzyme engineering has made impressive progress in the past decades, paving the way for the widespread use of enzymes for various purposes. In contrast to “classical” enzyme engineering, which focuses on optimizing specific properties of natural enzymes, a more recent trend towards the creation of artificial enzymes that catalyze fundamentally distinct, new‐to‐nature reactions is observable. While approaches for creating such enzymes differ significantly, they share the common goal of enabling biocatalytic novelty to broaden the range of applications for enzymes. Although most artificial enzymes reported to date are only moderately active and barely function in vivo, they have the potential to endow cells with capabilities that were previously out of reach and thus herald a new wave of “functional xenobiology”. Herein, we highlight recent developments in the field of artificial enzymes with a particular focus on challenges and opportunities for their use in xenobiology.
Regulation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition via sonic hedgehog/glioma‐associated oncogene homolog 1 signaling pathway in peritoneal mesothelial cells
Authors: Xu Yanyan , Wang Jing , Ding Hong
Published: April 2020

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling regulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cultured rat peritoneal mesothelial cells (PMCs) remains an under‐investigated topic. The current study aimed to elucidate the role of Shh signaling in the regulation of EMT in PMCs to attenuate peritoneal injury, with the view of enhancing the efficacy of peritoneal dialysis (PD). PMCs were initially extracted from male Wistar rats using pancreatic enzyme digestion. The expression of Shh and glioma‐associated oncogene homolog (Gli1) was quantitatively analyzed using the reverse‐transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and western blot analysis. Migration of PMCs was determined using Transwell assay. The expression of Shh, Gli1, and EMT markers including α‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA), fibronectin, collagen I, snail1, and E‐cadherin was examined by RT‐qPCR, western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence respectively. High glucose induction was identified to promote cell migration and increase the expression of Shh and Gli1 in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner in rat PMCs. Cyclopamine (CPN) was observed to block the Shh signaling induced by high glucose, accompanied by cell migration inhibition, decreased expression of α‐SMA, fibronectin, collagen I and snail1 as well as increased expression of E‐cadherin. Altogether, overexpression of Gli1 by transfected Gli1 plasmid promotes cell migration and upregulates α‐SMA, fibronectin, Snail1, and collagen I expression, while downregulating E‐cadherin expression. Shh/Gli1 signaling is important in mediating EMT in rat PMCs, which provides a potential novel therapeutic approach for clinical investigation on renal failure treatment.
Telesupported procedures: when and how
Authors: Megaly Michael , Brilakis Emmanouil S.
Published: April 2020

Key Points

Telesupport means guidance of a procedure performed at one location by another clinician at a different location.

In a pilot study, 21 percutaneous coronary interventions and nine catheter ablations were successfully performed without complications with telesupport from a remote university hospital.

Telesupport is a powerful tool that can be especially useful when urgent care is needed or when transfer is not an option, but it also has limitations, such as network failure or difficulties handling complications; judicious use is key to optimizing outcomes.
Feasibility and early outcomes of aortic coarctation treatments with BeGraft Aortic stent
Authors: Promphan Worakan , Han Siang Koay , Prachasilchai Pimpak , Jarutach Jirayut , Makonkawkeyoon Krit , Siwaprapakorn Warawut , Chutimapongrat Nantapol , Sueachim Pantipa , Butchan Yuttana
Published: April 2020

Objectives

To assess feasibility and early outcomes of using BeGraft Aortic stent in the treatment of aortic coarctation (CoA).

Background

BeGraft Aortic stent (Bentley InnoMed, Hechingen, Germany) allows large postdilation diameter up to 30 mm. With availability of lengths of 19–59 mm and lower stent profile, they can be used in native and recurrent CoA in adults and in pediatric patients.

Materials and methods

This is a multicentre retrospective analysis of 12 implanted BeGraft Aortic stents in CoA between May 2017 and April 2019.

Results

Twelve patients aged 7.7–38 years (median 18.3 years) with body weight of 19.9–56 kg (median 45.5 kg). Eight patients (66%) had native juxtaductal CoA while four had recurrent CoA after previous surgical or transcatheter treatments. The stents were implanted successfully in all the patients with no serious adverse events. The length of the stents ranged from 27 to 59 mm and the implanted stent diameter varied from 12 to 18 mm. The median intraprocedural CoA pressure gradient decreased from 25 mmHg (range 16–66 mmHg) to 2 mmHg (range 0–13 mmHg). The mean follow‐up duration was 10.2 months. Two patient (16.6%) had residual stent narrowing requiring staged redilation. One patient (8%) had pseudoaneurysm formation at 1 year cardiac CT follow‐up.

Conclusions

The BeGraft Aortic stent may be considered to be safe and effective in the short term in treatment of CoA from childhood to adulthood. Long‐term follow‐up is needed.
Treatments of dental crown caries, root surface caries, and dentin hypersensitivity using the instant adhesive cyanoacrylate
Authors: Oh Hourei , Kubota Naohiro , Masuno Kazuya , Makita Yoshimasa
Published: April 2020

The instant adhesive cyanoacrylate is appropriate for the suppression of caries progression, dentin hypersensitivity, and secondary caries.
Flame Front Deformation Instabilities of Filtration Combustion for Initial Thermal Perturbation
Authors: Xia Yongfang , Chen Lu , Shi Junrui , Li Benwen
Published: April 2020

The flame front deformation instability of low‐velocity filtration combustion within an inert packed bed is studied based on the initial preheating non‐uniformity. Based on the experimental phenomena, an initial thermal perturbation model is numerically proposed so as to predict the deformation behaviors of the flame front instabilities. The numerical prediction indicates that the assumption of an initial thermal perturbation is a feasible explanation as the cause of the flame front inclination instability. As the initial thermal perturbation increases, the phenomena of the flame front break and shrinking instabilities could easily occur at high filtration velocity or low equivalence ratio. Moreover, the evolutions of the flame front break rate and the shrinking rate are quantitatively analyzed.
Lamellar FeOcPc‐Ni/GO Composite‐Based Enzymeless Glucose Sensor
Authors: Safadi Bill N. , Gonçalves Josué M. , Castaldelli Evandro , Matias Tiago A. , Rossini Pamela O. , Nakamura Marcelo , Angnes Lucio , Araki Koiti
Published: April 2020

Diabetes is a serious yet controllable disease, primarily caused by a disorder in insulin production, which has become a major public health problem worldwide, motivating the development of enzymatic and non‐enzymatic electrochemical glucose sensors. In this work, a lamellar composite was prepared by coordinating nickel(II) ions on graphene oxide (GO) sheets and then attaching iron octacarboxyphthalocyanine (FeOcPc) and nickel hydroxide (Ni) on the nickel sites leading to their stacking and formation of a stable material for enzymeless glucose sensor, through a facile solvothermal route. The new composite was shown to be formed by amorphous and ultrasmall α‐Ni(OH)2 nanoparticles that are not easily converted to the less active β‐Ni(OH)2 phase even in the presence of 5 mM of glucose, asserting its stability and reproducibility, allied to a sensitivity as high as 192.13 μA mM−1 cm−2, and a limit of detection as low as 0.625 μM.
Formic Acid, a Ubiquitous but Overlooked Component of the Early Earth Atmosphere
Authors: Mohammadi Elmira , Petera Lukáš , Saeidfirozeh Homa , Knížek Antonín , Kubelík Petr , Dudžák Roman , Krůs Miroslav , Juha Libor , Civiš Svatopluk , Coulon Rémi , Malina Ondřej , Ugolotti Juri , Ranc Václav , Otyepka Michal , Šponer Jiří , Ferus Martin , Šponer Judit E.
Published: April 2020

Terrestrial volcanism has been one of the dominant geological forces shaping our planet since its earliest existence. Its associated phenomena, like atmospheric lightning and hydrothermal activity, provide a rich energy reservoir for chemical syntheses. Based on our laboratory simulations, we propose that on the early Earth volcanic activity inevitably led to a remarkable production of formic acid through various independent reaction channels. Large‐scale availability of atmospheric formic acid supports the idea of the high‐temperature accumulation of formamide in this primordial environment.
Cobalt‐Catalyzed Intramolecular Hydroacylation Involving Cyclopropane Cleavage
Authors: Yang Junfeng , Mori Yuto , Yamanaka Masahiro , Yoshikai Naohiko
Published: April 2020

A simple cobalt‐diphosphine catalyst has been found to efficiently promote intramolecular cyclization of ortho‐cyclopropylvinyl‐ and cyclopropylidenemethyl‐substituted benzaldehydes into benzocyclooctadienone and benzocycloheptadienone derivatives, respectively. This ring‐opening hydroacylation likely involves aldehyde C−H oxidative addition, olefin insertion, cyclopropane cleavage by β‐carbon elimination, and C−C bond‐forming reductive elimination, as was supported by mechanistic experiments and DFT calculations.
Self‐Assembled Supramolecular Hybrid Hydrogel Beads Loaded with Silver Nanoparticles for Antimicrobial Applications
Authors: Piras Carmen C. , Mahon Clare S. , Smith David K.
Published: April 2020

This Full Paper reports the formation of silver (Ag) NPs within spatially resolved two‐component hydrogel beads, which combine a low‐molecular‐weight gelator (LMWG) DBS‐CONHNH2 and a polymer gelator (PG) calcium alginate. The AgNPs are formed through in situ reduction of AgI, with the resulting nanoparticle‐loaded gels being characterised in detail. The antibacterial activity of the nanocomposite gel beads was tested against two drug‐resistant bacterial strains, often associated with hospital‐acquired infections: vancomycin‐resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA14), and the AgNP‐loaded gels showed good antimicrobial properties against both types of bacteria. It is suggested that the gel bead format of these AgNP‐loaded hybrid hydrogels makes them promising versatile materials for potential applications in orthopaedics or wound healing.
Renal tubular damage and worsening renal function in chronic heart failure: Clinical determinants and relation to prognosis (Bio‐SHiFT study)
Authors: Brankovic Milos , Akkerhuis K. Martijn , Hoorn Ewout J. , van Boven Nick , van den Berge Jan C. , Constantinescu Alina , Brugts Jasper , van Ramshorst Jan , Germans Tjeerd , Hillege Hans , Boersma Eric , Umans Victor , Kardys Isabella
Published: April 2020

Background

It is uncertain that chronic heart failure (CHF) patients are susceptible to renal tubular damage with that of worsening renal function (WRF) preceding clinical outcomes.

Hypothesis

Changes in tubular damage biomarkers are stronger predictors of subsequent clinical events than changes in creatinine (Cr), and both have different clinical determinants.

Methods

During 2.2 years, we repeatedly simultaneously collected a median of 9 blood and 8 urine samples per patient in 263 CHF patients. We determined the slopes (rates of change) of the biomarker trajectories for plasma (Cr) and urinary tubular damage biomarkers N‐acetyl‐β‐d‐glucosaminidase (NAG), and kidney‐injury‐molecule (KIM)‐1. The degree of tubular injury was ranked according to NAG and KIM‐1 slopes: increase in neither, increase in either, or increase in both; WRF was defined as increasing Cr slope. The composite endpoint comprised HF‐hospitalization, cardiac death, left ventricular assist device placement, and heart transplantation.

Results

Higher baseline NT‐proBNP and lower eGFR predicted more severe tubular damage (adjusted odds ratio, adj. OR [95%CI, 95% confidence interval] per doubling NT‐proBNP: 1.26 [1.07‐1.49]; per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 eGFR decrease 1.16 [1.03‐1.31]). Higher loop diuretic doses, lower aldosterone antagonist doses, and higher eGFR predicted WRF (furosemide per 40 mg increase: 1.32 [1.08‐1.62]; spironolactone per 25 mg decrease: 1.76 [1.07‐2.89]; per 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 eGFR increase: 1.40 [1.20‐1.63]). WRF and higher rank of tubular injury individually entailed higher risk of the composite endpoint (adjusted hazard ratios, adj. HR [95%CI]: WRF 1.9 [1.1‐3.4], tubular 8.4 [2.6‐27.9]; when combined risk was highest 15.0 [2.0‐111.0]).

Conclusion

Slopes of tubular damage and WRF biomarkers had different clinical determinants. Both predicted clinical outcome, but this association was stronger for tubular injury. Prognostic effects of both appeared independent and additive.
Stable Trimetallic NiFeCu Catalysts with High Carbon Resistance for Dry Reforming of Methane
Authors: Jin Feikai , Fu Yu , Kong Wenbo , Wang Jiyang , Cai Fufeng , Yuan Changkun , Pan Bingrong , Zhang Jun , Sun Yuhan
Published: April 2020

Copper has been incorporated into Ni−Fe alloys to form a series of ternary NiFeCu alloy catalysts with molar ratio of Cu/Fe varying from 0 to 1.5, which were tested in dry reforming of methane (DRM) at 923 K and atmospheric pressure with a CH4/CO2 ratio of 1. XRD, TPR‐H2 and FE‐TEM measurements confirm the formation of Ni−Fe−Cu alloys with particle size of 5.0‐5.7 nm. The Ni3Fe1Cu1‐MgxAlyOz (2.6 wt% Cu) shows the highest carbon resistance with only 5.0 % carbon by thermogravimetric analysis. Importantly, XPS analyses complemented with XAFS demonstrate that doping an appropriate quantity of Cu to form stable trimetallic alloy enhances the interaction between Ni and Fe, thus inhibiting Fe segregation and reducing carbon deposition. However, doping excessive Cu (3.9 wt%) weakens the Ni−Fe bond, preventing Fe from providing labile oxygen to Ni sites, which is unfavorable for carbon elimination.
Shelter availability and human attitudes as drivers of rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) expansion along a rural–urban gradient
Authors: Ben‐Moshe Noam , Iwamura Takuya
Published: April 2020

While anthropogenic land‐use changes threaten wildlife globally, some species take advantage of such changes and disperse into urban areas. The wildlife in urban areas often promotes conflicts with humans, notably when the animals are associated with the spread of zoonotic diseases. In Israel, current urban invasion of rock hyraxes (Procavia capensis) draws public attention, since the species is a reservoir host of cutaneous leishmaniasis, a serious skin disease. The rock hyrax, however, has seldom been studied in densely populated areas, and the drivers for its urban expansion, as well as its abilities to live and spread in core urban areas, are relatively unknown. Here, we explore the rock hyrax expansion to urban areas process by examining the availability, characteristics and use of shelter along an urban gradient. Our findings suggest that a series of factors determines shelter availability and quality for the rock hyrax, which facilitates its dispersion across the urban gradient. We found that rock hyraxes from the Judean Desert expand to the peri‐urban region of Jerusalem by colonizing new rocky shelters formed as by‐products of urban development. With their populations reaching extreme densities in this area and saturating the available shelters, there is some spill over to the adjacent core urban areas where they colonize littered sites, which are made available due to the local socio‐economic conditions and cultural norms of waste disposal and illegal placement of temporary structures. Our work emphasizes the significance of the urban gradient approach for studying the mechanisms promoting wildlife expansion to cities. Our findings suggest that changes in shelter availability and quality due to urban development, and cultural norms promote shifts of the hyrax population by pushing from the already established areas and pulling into new environment across the urban gradient.
City limits: Heat tolerance is influenced by body size and hydration state in an urban ant community
Authors: Johnson Dustin J. , Stahlschmidt Zachary R.
Published: April 2020

Cities are rapidly expanding, and global warming is intensified in urban environments due to the urban heat island effect. Therefore, urban animals may be particularly susceptible to warming associated with ongoing climate change. We used a comparative and manipulative approach to test three related hypotheses about the determinants of heat tolerance or critical thermal maximum (CTmax) in urban ants—specifically, that (a) body size, (b) hydration status, and (c) chosen microenvironments influenceCTmax. We further tested a fourth hypothesis that native species are particularly physiologically vulnerable in urban environments. We manipulated water access and determinedCTmaxfor 11 species common to cities in California's Central Valley that exhibit nearly 300‐fold variation in body size. There was a moderate phylogenetic signal influencingCTmax, and inter (but not intra) specific variation in body size influencedCTmaxwhere larger species had higherCTmax. The sensitivity of ants’CTmaxto water availability exhibited species‐specific thresholds where short‐term water limitation (8 hr) reducedCTmaxand body water content in some species while longer‐term water limitation (32 hr) was required to reduce these traits in other species. However,CTmaxwas not related to the temperatures chosen by ants during activity. Further, we found support for our fourth hypothesis becauseCTmaxand estimates of thermal safety margin in native species were more sensitive to water availability relative to non‐native species. In sum, we provide evidence of links between heat tolerance and water availability, which will become critically important in an increasingly warm, dry, and urbanized world that others have shown may be selecting for smaller (not larger) body size.
Plant–parasite coevolution: A weak signature of local adaptation between Peruvian Globodera pallida populations and wild potatoes
Authors: Gautier Camille , Fournet Sylvain , Piriou Christophe , Renault Lionel , Yvin Jean‐Claude , Nguema‐Ona Eric , Grenier Eric , Montarry Josselin
Published: April 2020

Plant–parasite coevolution has generated much interest and studies to understand and manage diseases in agriculture. Such a reciprocal evolutionary process could lead to a pattern of local adaptation between plants and parasites. Based on the phylogeography of each partner, the present study tested the hypothesis of local adaptation between the potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida and wild potatoes in Peru. The measured fitness trait was the hatching of cysts which is induced by host root exudates. Using a cross‐hatching assay between 13 populations of G. pallida and root exudates from 12 wild potatoes, our results did not show a strong pattern of local adaptation of the parasite but the sympatric combinations induced better hatching of cysts than allopatric combinations, and there was a negative relationship between the hatching percentage and the geographical distance between nematode populations and wild potatoes. Moreover, a strong effect of the geographic origin of root exudates was found, with root exudates from south of Peru inducing better hatching than root exudates from north of Peru. These results could be useful to develop new biocontrol products or potato cultivars to limit damages caused by G. pallida.
Weights of gaur (Bos gaurus) and banteng (Bos javanicus) killed by tigers in Thailand
Authors: Khaewphakdee Supawat , Simcharoen Achara , Duangchantrasiri Somphot , Chimchome Vijak , Simcharoen Saksit , Smith James L. D.
Published: April 2020

The primary prey of tigers across much of South‐East Asia has been depleted, reducing the ability of already limited habitat to support tigers. To better understand the extent to which two of the largest prey species, gaur (Bos gaurus) and banteng (Bos javanicus), contribute to the tiger's diet, we estimated the average size of these species killed by tigers. This information is needed to more accurately calculate biomass of these species in the tiger's diet and to devise strategies to increase tiger carrying capacity where habitat is fragmented and limited in west‐central Thailand. We used temporally clumped locations of 24 satellite radio‐collared tigers to identify their kill sites and obtained mandibles from 82 gaur and 79 banteng. Kills were aged by teeth eruption sequence, sectioning the M1 molar and counting cementum annuli. Of all gaur killed, 45.2% were adults; of all banteng killed, 55.7% were adults. The average weight of banteng killed was 423.9 kg, which was similar to the 397.9 kg average weight for gaur. The mean weight of both prey species is 3.5–4.5 times greater than the predicted 1:1 preferred prey to predator ratio. In the absence of medium‐sized prey, killing these larger animals may be especially critical for female tigers provisioning nearly independent young when male offspring are already larger than the mother. This is the first study to present data on the average weights of gaur and banteng killed in South‐East Asia, and these results suggest that these are key prey species to target in tiger prey recovery efforts.
Refining predictions of metacommunity dynamics by modeling species non‐independence
Authors: Opedal Øystein H. , von Numers Mikael , Tikhonov Gleb , Ovaskainen Otso
Published: April 2020

Predicting the dynamics of biotic communities is difficult because species’ environmental responses are not independent, but covary due to shared or contrasting ecological strategies and the influence of species interactions. We used latent‐variable joint species distribution models to analyze paired historical and contemporary inventories of 585 vascular plant species on 471 islands in the southwest Finnish archipelago. Larger, more heterogeneous islands were characterized by higher colonization rates and lower extinction rates. Ecological and taxonomical species groups explained small but detectable proportions of variance in species’ environmental responses. To assess the potential influence of species interactions on community dynamics, we estimated species associations as species‐to‐species residual correlations for historical occurrences, for colorizations, and for extinctions. Historical species associations could to some extent predict joint colonization patterns, but the overall estimated influence of species associations on community dynamics was weak. These results illustrate the benefits of considering metacommunity dynamics within a joint framework, but also suggest that any influence of species interactions on community dynamics may be hard to detect from observational data.
The occurrence of inositolphosphoceramides in spirulina microalgae
Authors: Calvano C.D. , Coniglio D. , D'Alesio P.E. , Losito I. , Cataldi T.R.I.
Published: April 2020

Spirulina microalga (Arthrospira platensis) is an interesting phototrophic organism because of its high content of nutrients including proteins, lipids, essential amino acids, antioxidants, vitamins, polysaccharides, and minerals. Hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) coupled to linear ion trap (LIT) and Orbitrap Fourier transform mass spectrometry (FTMS) via ESI was employed for the separation and characterization of lipid species in A. platensis. Inositolphosphoceramides (IPC) are minor but important constituents of spirulina; their investigation was accomplished by HILIC–ESI–MS including collision‐induced dissociation (MS2, MS3) of deprotonated molecules in the LIT analyzer and a schematic fragmentation pattern is described. All four commercial spirulina samples revealed the occurrence of the same IPC species at m/z 796.6 (d18:0/16:0;1), 810.6 (d18:0/17:0;1), 824.6 (d18:0/18:0;1), and 826.6 (d18:0/17:0;2) but in diverse relative abundance. This study sets the stage for future investigations on IPC in other algae and microalgae.
Wood retention at inclined racks: Effects on flow and local bedload processes
Authors: Schalko Isabella
Published: April 2020

Large wood (LW) transport can increase greatly during floods, leading to accumulations at river infrastructures. To mitigate the potential flood hazard, racks are a common method to retain LW upstream of endangered settlements or infrastructures. The majority of LW retention racks consist of vertical bars and, therefore, disrupt bedload transport. It can be hypothesized that inclined racks reduce backwater rise and local scour, as wood will block the upper part of the rack, thereby increasing the open flow cross‐section below the accumulation. Flume experiments were conducted under clear water conditions to analyse backwater rise and local scour as a function of (1) rack inclination, (2) hydraulic inflow condition, (3) uniform bed material, and (4) LW volume. In addition, the first experiments were performed under live bed scour conditions to study the effect of bedload transport on local scour and backwater rise. Based on the experiments, backwater rise and local scour decrease with decreasing rack angle to the horizontal. LW predominantly accumulated at the upper part of the rack, leading to an open flow cross‐section below the accumulation. The effect of rack angle was included in existing design equations for backwater rise and local scour depth. In addition, the first experiments with bedload transport resulted in smaller backwater rise and local scour depth. This study contributes to an enhanced process understanding of wood retention and bedload transport at rack structures and an improved design of LW retention racks. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling of frequency containment reserve prices with econometrics and artificial intelligence
Authors: Kraft Emil , Keles Dogan , Fichtner Wolf
Published: April 2020

The forecasting of prices for electricity balancing reserve power can essentially improve the trading positions of market participants in competitive auctions. Having identified a lack of literature related to forecasting balancing reserve prices, we deploy approaches originating from econometrics and artificial intelligence and set up a forecasting framework based on autoregressive and exogenous factors. We use SARIMAX models as well as neural networks with different structures and forecast based on a rolling one‐step forecast with reestimation of the models. It turns out that the naive forecast performs reasonably well but is outperformed by the more advanced models. In addition, neural network approaches outperform the econometric approach in terms of forecast quality, whereas for the further use of the generated models the econometric approach has advantages in terms of explaining price drivers. For the present application, more advanced configurations of the neural networks are not able to further improve the forecasting performance.
Selective Wettability Membrane for Continuous Oil−Water Separation and In Situ Visible Light‐Driven Photocatalytic Purification of Water
Authors: Ezazi Mohammadamin , Shrestha Bishwash , Kim Sun‐I. , Jeong Bora , Gorney Jerad , Hutchison Katie , Lee Duck Hyun , Kwon Gibum
Published: April 2020

Membrane‐based technologies are attractive for remediating oily wastewater because they are relatively energy‐efficient and are applicable to a wide range of industrial effluents. For complete treatment of oily wastewater, removing dissolved contaminants from the water phase is typically followed by adsorption onto an adsorbent, which complicates the process. Here, an in‐air superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic membrane‐based continuous separation of surfactant‐stabilized oil‐in‐water emulsions and in situ decontamination of water by visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic contaminants is reported. The membrane is fabricated by utilizing a thermally sensitized stainless steel mesh coated with visible light absorbing iron‐doped titania nanoparticles. Post annealing of the membrane can enhance the adhesion of nanoparticles to the membrane surface by formation of a bridge between them. An apparatus that enables continuous separation of surfactant‐stabilized oil‐in‐water emulsion and in situ photocatalytic degradation of dissolved organic matter in the water‐rich permeate upon irradiation of visible light on the membrane surface with greater than 99% photocatalytic degradation is developed. The membrane demonstrates the recovery of its intrinsic water‐rich permeate flux upon continuous irradiation of light after being contaminated with oil. Finally, continuous oil−water separation and in situ water decontamination is demonstrated by photocatalytically degrading model toxins in water‐rich permeate.
Petrophysical and geochemical characterization of sediments filling V‐shaped ditches of Roman camps in Moravia, Czech Republic: Filling processes and the role of pedogenesis
Authors: Lenďáková Zuzana , Bábek Ondřej , Komoróczy Balázs , Vlach Marek , Hüssen Claus‐Michael , Rajtár Ján
Published: April 2020

The infilling of defense structures (ditches) of the Roman temporary camps in South Moravia (Czech Republic) were studied quantitatively to characterize the ditch‐filling processes, role of pedogenesis, and the effect of geological setting. Samples of soil and sediment were taken from ditch profiles at three sites in South Moravia, Czech Republic (Pasohlávky, Přibice, and Charvátská Nová Ves) and three shallow control cores located in close vicinity to the ditches. Physical and chemical parameters (grain size analysis, magnetic susceptibility, element geochemistry, and sediment color analysis) were measured in combination with lithological descriptions. The primary infilling processes were colluviation and pedogenesis, largely controlled by the nature of the geologic substrate in which the ditches are excavated. The dependence of the magnetic susceptibility to iron ratio on grain size are highlighted as a useful proxy of detecting depositional processes within the ditches. High values of the Fe‐normalized magnetic susceptibility together with the frequency‐dependent magnetic susceptibility indicate a strong magnetic enhancement of the upper parts of the ditch filling, particularly in the top soil. This study demonstrates the potential for specific chemical and physical proxies to characterize the depositional history of Roman ditches when limited to coring.