bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phonological awareness and reading in Northern Sotho – Understanding the contribution of phonemes and syllables in Grade 3 reading attainment
Authors: Wilsenach Carien
Published: March 2019

Background: The role of phonological awareness (PA) in successful reading attainment in Northern Sotho has received some attention. However, the importance of developing an awareness to the different phonological grain sizes that underlie decoding (i.e. to different dimensions of PA) has not been established in this language.Aim: This study assessed different levels of PA in Northern Sotho learners in order to determine the relationship between phoneme awareness, syllable awareness and reading.Setting: The research was conducted in Atteridgeville, a suburb in Tshwane. The participants were Grade 3 learners who spoke Northern Sotho as home language, and who received their literacy instruction in Northern Sotho in the foundation phase.Methods: The research was cross-sectional, with a correlational component. Phoneme awareness was assessed via a phoneme identification and elision task, whereas syllable awareness was assessed with a syllable elision task.Results: Statistical analyses revealed that Northern Sotho learners are significantly better at identifying syllables than phonemes, but that phoneme awareness predicts reading outcomes more accurately.Conclusion: This study suggests that phoneme awareness does not necessarily develop early or automatically in languages with a simple syllable structure and a transparent orthography and evaluates this finding against the predictions of the Psycholinguistic Grain Size Theory. The importance of explicitly teaching phoneme–grapheme correspondences to Northern Sotho learners is highlighted.
Distribution of additive relation word problems in South African early grade Mathematics workbooks
Authors: Mostert Ingrid
Published: March 2019

Background: Workbooks were introduced by the South African Department of Basic Education (DBE) in 2011. Although the workbooks were designed as supplementary materials, in some schools they are used as the sole teaching text. Therefore, an analysis of the content coverage of the workbooks is warranted. This article provides such an analysis in terms of additive relation word problems.Aim: This article aims firstly to expound on the existing literature to propose a comprehensive additive relation word problem typology and secondly to analyse the prevalence of particular word problem types in the foundation phase Mathematics workbooks.Setting: This research was conducted in South Africa, focusing on additive relation word problems in foundation phase Mathematics workbooks.Methods: A comprehensive typology of additive relation word problem types was developed based on typologies used in previous studies. All the additive relation word problems in the 2017 Grades 1–3 foundation phase Mathematics workbooks were categorised according to this typology.Results: In total there were 61 single-step additive relation word problems with numerical answers across the three grades. This is a small number in comparison to other countries. There was also an uneven distribution of problem types, with more problems in the easier subcategories and fewer or no problems in the more difficult subcategories.Conclusion: This article provides evidence for the need to revise the word problems in the DBE workbooks. It also provides a theoretical framework to use in the revision of the workbooks and in any supplementary teaching material developed for teachers.
The information technology role in supplier-customer information-sharing in the supply chain management of South African small and medium-sized enterprises
Authors: Mathu Kenneth M.
Published: March 2019

Background: The study background looked at the advent of supply chain management in the last generation which ushered in technology that drives information-sharing within, and across enterprises. The information flow facilitates synchronisation of business activities, such as relationship-building, supply chain management among others.Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate how information technology (IT) application in the South African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) enhanced supplier-customer information sharing.Setting: Interviews were conducted with SMEs samples that comprised mixed owner-managers from food, and general trading SMEs in Gauteng Province of South Africa.Methods: A qualitative research methodology was used, and a non-probability sampling process was pursued.Results: The results indicated that IT application in the South African SMEs enhanced supplier-customer information-sharing, as it improved interaction through supply chain collaboration and integration.Conclusion: The conclusion of the study highlighted that IT application in enterprises as obtained from South African SMEs enhanced supplier-customer information-sharing.
Mycotoxin-producing Penicillium spp. and other fungi isolated from grapes for wine production in Small Carpathians wine region
Authors: Felšöciová Soňa , Kačániová Miroslava
Published: March 2019

The diversity of mycobiota associated with grapevine in Vrbove, Slovakia at the harvest time in 2018 was evaluated. Fourteen samples of grapes were analyzed by plating methods and by plating methods with surface disinfection. The identification of fungi was performed using the morphological and microscopical characteristics. From the 1001 strains detected and identified from exogenous mycobiota, the most frequent genera were Alternaria, Rhizopus and Sordaria. Their relative density was low, except Alternaria. The most frequently encountered moulds and with the highest relative density from endogenous mycobiota were Alternaria, Cladosporium and Penicillium. Most of all genera had relative density less than 1%. Penicillium contributed small proportion in both sources. Penicillium citrinum was the most dominant species in exogenous and endogenous mycobiota. Penicillium expansum and P. glabrum were recorded in exogenous source and P. hordei, P. chrysogenum and P. griseofulvum in endogenous. Potentially toxigenic Penicillium species were tested for their toxigenic ability by thin layer chromatography method. Out of 15 tested isolates representing five potentially toxigenic species 11 produced at least one mycotoxin. Positive toxinogenity was detected in all tested strains of Penicillim citrinum (9/9).
Qualitative parameters of protein gels from albumen base
Authors: Ondruší­ková Sylvie , Nedomová Šárka , Jarošová Alžbeta , Kumbár Vojtěch
Published: March 2019

The aim of this research was to monitor strength of egg albumen gels depending on addition additives - salt, sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, citric acid in combination with sugar, whey protein and apple fiber. The egg albumen gel was prepared under two temperature limits at 70 and 90 °C. The highest strengths of egg albumen gel were achieved at 90 °C in the albumen gel with the addition of 1% citric acid and 3.5% sugar with a strength of 7.38 N, with the lowest strength of 1.61 N being achieved with the albumen gel with 0.1% salt. For an egg albumen gel prepared at 70 °C, the strength ranged from 1.34 N (0.1% salt) to 6.63 N (1% citric acid + 3.5% sugar). On average, the pH of egg albumen gels ranged from 4.67 (1% citric acid + 3.5% sugar) to 9.05 (0.1% salt). For the strength of egg albumen gel and pH with additives of various additives at a given concentration, a statistically significant difference was found.
Unusual aspects of the fat content of mealworm larvae as a novel food
Authors: Adámek Martin , Mlček Jiří­ , Adámková Anna , Borkovcová Marie , Bednářová Martina , Musilová Zuzana , Skácel Josef , Sochor Jiří­ , Faměra Oldřich
Published: March 2019

The work focuses on some aspects of content and properties of the fat in mealworm as a novel food. The total fat content of this species is a markedly variable nutritional value that is significantly dependent on the breeding conditions. In this work, the fat content of a mealworm from various Czech suppliers ranged from 202 g.kg-1 to 282 g.kg-1 dry matter, determined using the Soxhlet extraction method. The total average value from all suppliers was 235.8 ±40.8 g.kg-1. This is a range that can be expected by the customer when buying mealworm larvae from a random Czech supplier. Furthermore, the work graphically compares the values of the total fat content with other comparable commodities of animal origin, e.g. chicken or fish. Finally, the aim was to obtain initial information about the comparison of the sensory properties of the mealworm fat with other fats of animal origin using a simple electronic nose. There was a difference between the fat obtained from insect larvae and the conventional unprocessed fats. This work brings a wider view of fat as a taste carrier in a new food - a mealworm.
FEATURES OF MELTING IN THE THERMOCHEMICAL PLUME CONDUIT AND HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER DURING CRYSTALLIZATION DIFFERENTIATION OF BASALTIC MELT IN A MUSHROOM-SHAPED PLUME HEAD
Authors: Kirdyashkin A. A. , Kirdyashkin A. G. , Surkov N. V.
Published: March 2019

The number Ka=N/N1is used to evaluate the thermal power of a plume;Nis the thermal power transferred from the plume base to its conduit, andN1is the thermal power transferred from the plume conduit into the surrounding mantle. At the relative thermal power 1.9<Ka<10, after eruption of the melt from the plume conduit to the surface, melting occurs in the crustal block above the plume roof, resulting in the formation of a mushroom-shaped head of the plume. A thermochemical plume originates at the core-mantle boundary and ascends (melts up) to the surface. Based on laboratory and theoretical modeling data, we present the flow structure of melt in the conduit and the head of the thermochemical plume. The features of melting in the plume conduit are elucidated on the basis of the phase diagram of the CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2model system. The two upper convection cells of the plume conduit relate to the region of basic and ultrabasic compositions. Our study shows that melting in these cells proceeds according to monovariant equilibria of eutectic type L=Cpx+Opx+An+Sp and L=Fo+An+Cpx+Opx. In case of the CaO–MgO–Al2O3–SiO2–Na2O system, crystallization differentiation proceeds as separation of plagioclase crystals. Separation of plagioclase crystals enriched in anorthite component leads to enrichment of the residual melt in silica and alkaline components. Assuming the initial basaltic melt, we calculated the compositional changes in the melt, which are powered by the heat and mass transfer processes in the mushroom-shaped plume head. The calculations were performed in two stages: (1) after settling of refractory minerals; (2) after settling of plagioclase in the melt resulting from the first stage. In the second stage, the melt contains 88.5 % of plagioclase component. The calculations were performed for melt temperatureTmelt=1410 °C and pressureP=2.6 kbar and 6.3 kbar. The calculated weight contents of oxides, the normative compositions for solid phase, and the oxide content and normative composition for the residual melt were tabulated. The SiO2content in the residual melt amounts to 59.6–62.3 % and corresponds to the crustal SiO2content.
A TEST OF THE OBLIQUE-RIFTING MODEL FOR TRANSFER ZONE DEFORMATION IN THE NORTHERN FEN-WEI RIFT: IMPLICATIONS FROM THE 1989 M 6.1 DATONG-YANGGAO EARTHQUAKE SWARM
Authors: Zhuo Yan-Qun , Guo Yanshuang , Bornyakov S. A. , Ma Jin
Published: March 2019

Tectonophysical experiments show that the evolution of the Fen-Wei Rift is controlled by oblique rifting. A key characteristic of the model in our study is that the western and eastern borders of the transfer zone between the adjacent NEE-striking extensional basins tend to form right-lateral strike-slip faults with slight normal slip as a result of the interaction between the adjacent NEE-striking extensional basins under oblique rifting. The current deformation of the Fen-Wei Rift can be clarified by testing this predicted deformation characteristic. Our analysis of the relocation and focal mechanism solutions of the 1989 M 6.1 Datong-Yanggao earthquake swarm, which was the largest earthquake that occurred in the Fen-Wei Rift in the last 200 years, suggests that the transfer zone between the Yangyuan and Hunyuan basins is bounded by the NNE-striking right-lateral strike-slip faults with slight normal slip at its eastern and western edges. This consistency between the model and the current tectonic activity in the study area indicates that oblique rifting still plays an important role in the current deformation of the northern Fen-Wei Rift.
MODERN MOVEMENTS OF THE CRUST SURFACE IN GORNY ALTAI FROM GPS DATA
Authors: Timofeev V. Yu. , Ardyukov D. G. , Timofeev A. V. , Boiko E. V.
Published: March 2019

In 2000–2017, the GPS technology was first applied to study inter-seismic, co-seismic and post-seismic processes in the crust of the Altai Mountains (Gorny Altai). Our study aims at investigating the fields of displacement and deformation in the Gorny Altai region as a part of Asia.The 3D displacement fields are reconstructed for the period before the M 7.3 Chuya earthquake that occurred in the southern sector of the Altai GPS network (49° to 55°N, and 81° to 89°E)on 27 September 2003.Anomalous behavior features are discovered in the displacement orientations, as well as in the distribution of velocities and deformation in the zone of the future earthquake.The spatial displacement pattern defined for the period of co-seismic displacements corresponds to the right-lateral strike-slip along the vertical fault. The fault depth is estimated using the elastic model and the experimental data (change in displacement from 0.30 m to 0.02 m at the distances of 14 km and 84 km from the fault, respectively); it amounts to 8–10 km.The co-seismic deformation field is investigated.In the post-seismic stage (2004–2017), displacements revealedin the epicentral zone show the right-lateral strike-slip along the fault at the rate of 2 mm/yr. Therefore, two-layer viscoelastic models can be considered. The estimated viscosity of the lower crust ranges from 6×1019to 3×1020Pa×s, and the elastic upper crust thickness is 25 km. Analyzed are modern movements in the Gorny Altai region outside the Chuya earthquake area.The results of our study show that modern horizontal displacements occur in the NNW direction at the rate of 1.1 mm/yr, which is twice lower than the displacement rate before the earthquake.
Comparison of Executive Function of Brain between Drug-dependent, in Abstinences and Normal Individuals in Tehran
Authors: Sadghi Zahra , Talemi Abouzar Nouri , Ghahari Shahrbanoo , Asgharnejadfarid Ali Asghar
Published: March 2019

Aim: Drug addiction causes many of brain dysfunctions and intellectual abnormalities so that its problem should be addressed. Hence, this study is aimed  at comparing executive functions among drug-dependent, in abstinence, and normal individuals in Tehran.

Methodology: Research method is descriptive-comparative. Studied samples consisted of men chosen from addiction treatment centers in Tehran, using random sampling method. Members of normal groups consisted of 25 normal people without any experience of opiates use; drug user group consisted of 25 drug-dependent patients; and group of in abstinence individuals consisted of 25 members who had been drug abusers before but were under treatment during this study. To compare executive functions of the brain of these three groups, Letter-Number Sequence Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were used.

Results: Drug users had lower function compared with normal but had a better function compared with in-abstinence groups in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. in Letters-Digits Sequence Test, normal group have better performance than two other groups significantly; whereas, among two drug user and in-abstinence groups, drug users significantly performed better than in-abstinence group. Also. this current study showed that there is a relationship between substance use duration and low executive functions of brain (P<0.01).

Conclusion: Drug users have lower function compared with normal and in-abstinence groups in Wisconsin Card Sorting and Letters-Digits Sequence test. Moreover, short-term deprivation from drugs correlate with lower executive function of brain in cognitive tasks.
The fusion landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Chengpei , Wu Liangcai , Lv Yanling , Guan Jinxia , Bai Xue , Lin Jianzhen , Liu Tingting , Yang Xiaobo , Robson Simon C. , Sang Xinting , Xue Chenghai , Zhao Haitao
Published: March 2019

Most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are already advanced at the time of diagnosis, which limits treatment options. Challenges in early‐stage diagnosis may be due to the genetic complexity of HCC. Gene fusion plays a critical function in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in multiple cancers, yet the identities of fusion genes as potential diagnostic markers in HCC have not been investigated. Here, we employed STAR‐Fusion and identified 43 recurrent fusion events in our own and four public RNA‐seq datasets. We identified 2354 different gene fusions in two hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐HCC patients. Validation analysis against the four RNA‐seq datasets revealed that only 1.8% (43/2354) were recurrent fusions. Comparison with the four fusion databases demonstrated that 19 recurrent fusions were not previously annotated to diseases and three were annotated as disease‐related fusion events. Finally, we validated six of the novel fusion events, including RP11‐476K15.1‐CTD‐2015H3.2, by RT‐PCR and Sanger sequencing of 14 pairs of HBV‐related HCC samples. In summary, our study provides new insights into gene fusions in HCC and may contribute to the development of anti‐HCC therapy.
Flexible Low‐Power Operative Organic Source‐Gated Transistors
Authors: Kim Yonghee , Lee Eun Kwang , Oh Joon Hak
Published: March 2019

Low‐voltage operation and fast switching ability are necessary for wearable electronic devices. Recently, electrolyte dielectric materials have been widely used to decrease driving voltages; however, they often exhibit unwanted doping effects and power dissipation problems. Here, a method for dramatically lowering driving voltages is reported in organic electronics via source‐gated transistor (SGT) structures. SGTs are fabricated by evaporating asymmetric metals with different work functions for the source and drain electrodes. Versatile organic semiconductor‐based SGTs demonstrate a significantly lower drain voltage (<10 V) for the saturation regime compared to that of typical field‐effect transistors with the same dielectric layer (>80 V). Furthermore, coating reduced Pyronin B (rPyB) onto n‐type SGTs decreases the threshold voltage from 51.2 to 0.1 eV and improves air‐stability, exhibiting a maintained electron mobility (>90%) for 40 d. The air‐stability is due to both the energetic and kinetic factors, including a decreased lowest unoccupied molecular orbital level of the n‐type semiconductor after doping and covering the active layer with rPyB. Finally, flexible SGTs are fabricated on a Parylene‐C substrate that shows highly stable operation in a bending test. The results demonstrate a promising technology for low‐power, flexible electronic devices via electrode engineering.
Searching General Sufficient‐and‐Necessary Conditions for Ultrafast Hydrogen‐Evolving Electrocatalysis
Authors: Guan Daqin , Zhou Jing , Hu Zhiwei , Zhou Wei , Xu Xiaomin , Zhong Yijun , Liu Bo , Chen Yuhui , Xu Meigui , Lin Hong‐Ji , Chen Chien‐Te , Wang Jian‐Qiang , Shao Zongping
Published: March 2019

The development of cost‐effective and high‐performance electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is one critical step toward successful transition into a sustainable green energy era. Different from previous design strategies based on single parameter, here the necessary and sufficient conditions are proposed to develop bulk non‐noble metal oxides which are generally considered inactive toward HER in alkaline solutions: i) multiple active sites for different reaction intermediates and ii) a short reaction path created by ordered distribution and appropriate numbers of these active sites. Computational studies predict that a synergistic interplay between the ordered oxygen vacancies (at pyramidal high‐spin Co3+ sites) and the O 2p ligand holes (OLH; at metallic octahedral intermediate‐spin Co4+ sites) in RBaCo2O5.5+δ
(δ = 1/4; R = lanthanides) can produce a near‐ideal HER reaction path to adsorb H2O and release H2, respectively. Experimentally, the as‐synthesized (Gd0.5La0.5)BaCo2O5.75 outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst in many aspects. The proof‐of‐concept results reveal that the simultaneous possession of ordered oxygen vacancies and an appropriate number of OLH can realize a near‐optimal synergistic catalytic effect, which is pivotal for rational design of oxygen‐containing materials.
A Tandem Organic Solar Cell with PCE of 14.52% Employing Subcells with the Same Polymer Donor and Two Absorption Complementary Acceptors
Authors: Meng Lingxian , Yi Yuan‐Qiu‐Qiang , Wan Xiangjian , Zhang Yamin , Ke Xin , Kan Bin , Wang Yanbo , Xia Ruoxi , Yip Hin‐Lap , Li Chenxi , Chen Yongsheng
Published: March 2019

The tandem structure is an efficient way to simultaneously tackle absorption and thermalization losses of the single junction solar cells. In this work, a high‐performance tandem organic solar cell (OSC) using two subcells with the same donor poly[(2,6‐(4,8‐bis(5‐(2‐ethylhexyl)thiophen‐2‐yl)‐benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene))‐alt‐(5,5‐(1′,3′‐di‐2‐thienyl‐5′,7′‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)benzo[1′,2′‐c:4′,5′‐c′]dithiophene‐4,8‐dione))] (PBDB‐T) and two acceptors, F‐M and 2,9‐bis(2‐methylene‐(3(1,1‐dicyanomethylene)benz[f ]indanone))7,12‐dihydro‐(4,4,10,10‐tetrakis(4‐hexylphenyl)‐5,11‐diocthylthieno[3′,2′:4,5]cyclopenta[1,2‐b]thieno[2″,3″:3′,4′]cyclopenta[1′,2′:4,5]thieno[2,3‐f][1]benzothiophene (NNBDT), with complementary absorptions is demonstrated. The two subcells show high Voc with value of 0.99 V for the front cell and 0.86 V for the rear cell, which is the prerequisite for obtaining high Voc of their series‐connected tandem device. Although there is much absorption overlap for the subcells, a decent Jsc of the tandem cell is still obtained owing to the complementary absorption of the two acceptors in a wide range. With systematic device optimizations, a best power conversion efficiency of 14.52% is achieved for the tandem device, with a high Voc of 1.82 V, a notable FF of 74.7%, and a decent Jsc of 10.68 mA cm−2. This work demonstrates a promising strategy of fabricating high‐efficiency tandem OSCs through elaborate selection of the active layer materials in each subcell and tradeoff of the Voc and Jsc of the tandem cells.
Conjugated Polymer Actuators and Devices: Progress and Opportunities
Authors: Melling Daniel , Martinez Jose G. , Jager Edwin W. H.
Published: March 2019

Conjugated polymers (CPs), as exemplified by polypyrrole, are intrinsically conducting polymers with potential for development as soft actuators or “artificial muscles” for numerous applications. Significant progress has been made in the understanding of these materials and the actuation mechanisms, aided by the development of physical and electrochemical models. Current research is focused on developing applications utilizing the advantages that CP actuators have (e.g., low driving potential and easy to miniaturize) over other actuating materials and on developing ways of overcoming their inherent limitations. CP actuators are available as films, filaments/yarns, and textiles, operating in liquids as well as in air, ready for use by engineers. Here, the milestones made in understanding these unique materials and their development as actuators are highlighted. The primary focus is on the recent progress, developments, applications, and future opportunities for improvement and exploitation of these materials, which possess a wealth of multifunctional properties.
Controllable Growth of Aligned Monocrystalline CsPbBr3 Microwire Arrays for Piezoelectric‐Induced Dynamic Modulation of Single‐Mode Lasing
Authors: Yang Zheng , Lu Junfeng , ZhuGe Minghua , Cheng Yang , Hu Jufang , Li Fangtao , Qiao Shuang , Zhang Yufei , Hu Guofeng , Yang Qing , Peng Dengfeng , Liu Kaihui , Pan Caofeng
Published: March 2019

CsPbBr3 shows great potential in laser applications due to its superior optoelectronic characteristics. The growth of CsPbBr3 wire arrays with well‐controlled sizes and locations is beneficial for cost‐effective and largely scalable integration into on‐chip devices. Besides, dynamic modulation of perovskite lasers is vital for practical applications. Here, monocrystalline CsPbBr3 microwire (MW) arrays with tunable widths, lengths, and locations are successfully synthesized. These MWs could serve as high‐quality whispering‐gallery‐mode lasers with high quality factors (>1500), low thresholds (<3 µJ cm−2), and long stability (>2 h). An increase of the width results in an increase of the laser quality and the resonant mode number. The dynamic modulation of lasing modes is achieved by a piezoelectric polarization‐induced refractive index change. Single‐mode lasing can be obtained by applying strain to CsPbBr3 MWs with widths between 2.3 and 3.5 µm, and the mode positions can be modulated dynamically up to ≈9 nm by changing the applied strain. Piezoelectric‐induced dynamic modulation of single‐mode lasing is convenient and repeatable. This method opens new horizons in understanding and utilizing the piezoelectric properties of lead halide perovskites in lasing applications and shows potential in other applications, such as on‐chip strain sensing.
Stereoselective Haliranium, Thiiranium and Seleniranium Ion‐Triggered Friedel–Crafts‐Type Alkylations for Polyene Cyclizations
Authors: Maji Biswajit
Published: March 2019

The review is aimed at describing the advances in electrophilic “iranium” ion‐triggered Friedel–Crafts‐type alkylation for polyene cyclizations. Owing to the great potential of halo‐, seleno‐ and sulfeno‐functionalized Friedel–Crafts alkylated compounds, numerous catalytic methods have been developed in either racemic or enantiopure forms. More importantly, these arene‐alkylated or polyene‐cyclized products containing halo, seleno and sulfeno functionality could be useful in further synthetic planning to access biologically active molecules and natural products with highly complex architectures. Starting from a wide range of classical Lewis acids, Brønsted acids and Lewis bases through to the very recently developed halogen bond catalysts (XB‐cat.), selenonium cations as Lewis acids etc. are utilized to access these types of compounds. More recently, some of the co‐operative catalytic systems such as phosphite‐thiourea, sulfonic acid‐phosphoramidite, sulfonic acid‐selenophosphoramide, sulfonic acid‐anion binding thiourea, etc. catalyzing highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective polyene cyclizations have also been described. The configurational stability, reactivity and selectivity of three‐membered cationic “iranium ions” generatedin situfrom alkenes and their subsequent trapping by electron‐rich aromatic compounds as terminating nucleophiles is systematically discussed. This review directs attention to both the developments that have been accomplished in this research field and to suggestions for future work most warranted in this important area.

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Flexible Conductors from Brown Algae for Green Electronics
Authors: Maccagnani Piera , Bertoldo Monica , Dinelli Franco , Murgia Mauro , Summonte Caterina , Ortolani Luca , Pizzochero Giulio , Verucchi Roberto , Collini Cristian , Capelli Raffaella
Published: March 2019

In this paper a novel approach is presented to prepare flexible and transparent conducting films, whose components can be separated and recovered via a recycling process. The fabrication method is based on low power sputtering of ultrathin gold layers on sodium alginate free‐standing films. The resulting foils are thin, easy to handle, and shape, while showing good conductive properties. In particular, they show excellent resistance to mechanical stress, like bending or rubbing, and are highly stable in ambient atmosphere over several months. Therefore they may represent a very promising candidate to be employed in green electronics, thanks to the reduced energy consumption required for their fabrication, the absence of toxic components or chemicals that are derived from oil, and the possibility to disassemble the devices at the end of their life in environmentally friendly conditions.
Tumor Cell “Slimming” Regulates Tumor Progression through PLCL1/UCP1‐Mediated Lipid Browning
Authors: Xiong Zhiyong , Xiao Wen , Bao Lin , Xiong Wei , Xiao Haibing , Qu Yan , Yuan Changfei , Ruan Hailong , Cao Qi , Wang Keshan , Song Zhengshuai , Wang Cheng , Hu Wenjun , Ru Zeyuan , Tong Junwei , Cheng Gong , Xu Tianbo , Meng Xiangui , Shi Jian , Chen Zhixian , Yang Hongmei , Chen Ke , Zhang Xiaoping
Published: March 2019

Emerging evidence has highlighted the important role of abnormal lipid accumulation in cancer development and progression, but the mechanism for this phenomenon remains unclear. Here, it is demonstrated that phospholipase C‐like 1/uncoupling protein 1 (PLCL1)/(UCP1)‐mediated lipid browning promotes tumor cell “slimming” and represses tumor progression. By screening three independent lipid metabolism‐related gene sets in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and analyzing the TCGA database, it is found that PLCL1 predicted a poor prognosis and was downregulated in ccRCC. Restoration of PLCL1 expression in ccRCC cells significantly represses tumor progression and reduces abnormal lipid accumulation. Additionally, a phenomenon called tumor cell “slimming,” in which tumor cell volume is reduced and lipid droplets are transformed into tiny pieces, is observed. Further studies show that PLCL1 promotes tumor cell “slimming” and represses tumor progression through UCP1‐mediated lipid browning, which consumes lipids without producing ATP energy. Mechanistic investigations demonstrate that PLCL1 improves the protein stability of UCP1 by influencing the level of protein ubiquitination. Collectively, the data indicate that lipid browning mediated by PLCL1/UCP1 promotes tumor cell “slimming” and consumes abnormal lipid accumulation, which represses the progression of ccRCC. Tumor cell “slimming” offers a promising new concept and treatment modality against tumor development and progression.
Constructing High‐Performance All‐Small‐Molecule Ternary Solar Cells with the Same Third Component but Different Mechanisms for Fullerene and Non‐fullerene Systems
Authors: Chang Yanhong , Chang Yilin , Zhu Xiangwei , Zhou Xuehua , Yang Chen , Zhang Jianqi , Lu Kun , Sun Xiangnan , Wei Zhixiang
Published: March 2019

Two types of all‐small‐molecule ternary solar cells consisting of two small‐molecule donors and one acceptor (fullerene/non‐fullerene) are developed. Interestingly, both these devices have a common component: a carefully designed medium bandgap small molecule, which possesses appropriate energy levels and displays good compatibility with the host donor. In the fullerene system, the charge‐relaying role of the additive donor is confirmed by the improved charge transportation and suppressed charge recombination. While in the non‐fullerene system, the mixed face‐on and edge‐on orientation of the ternary film induced by the additive donor dominates the promotion of charge transportation. Accordingly, both ternary devices deliver higher short‐circuit current density, fill factor, and power conversion efficiencies of over 10% compared to binary ones. This work offers a promising guideline on the construction of high‐performance all‐small‐molecule ternary solar cells by incorporating a miscible small‐molecule donor.
Short‐term forecast of pig price index on an agricultural internet platform
Authors: Wang Ming
Published: March 2019

From the perspective of agribusiness, the market price of live pigs reflects the current demand. Therefore, tracking and forecasting market prices are important tasks in agrimanagement, by which the production schedule can be adjusted to increase profit. An agricultural internet platform was developed as an integrated cloud service for market tracking. To quantitatively forecast online pig trading, in this study, a short‐term forecasting model of the pig price index was developed; the model automatically retrieved historical data as a training data set and determined the price index forecast with an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) algorithm for a time‐series analysis. The mean square error (MSE) of the AR(1) model for predicting the pig price index in Henan Province was 159.010, and the MSE of the ARIMA(1,1) model for predicting pig price index in Fujian Province was 92.294. The results demonstrated that the error between the predicted calculation and verification test results was small, and the results efficiently improved the prediction accuracy (EconLit citations: C6, L86, Q1).
Nonlinear variable selection algorithms for surrogate modeling
Authors: Zhai Jianyuan , Boukouvala Fani
Published: March 2019

Having the ability to analyze, simulate, and optimize complex systems is becoming more important in all engineering disciplines. Decision‐making using complex systems usually leads to nonlinear optimization problems, which rely on computationally expensive simulations. Therefore, it is often challenging to detect the actual structure of the optimization problem and formulate these problems with closed‐form analytical expressions. Surrogate‐based optimization of complex systems is a promising approach that is based on the concept of adaptively fitting and optimizing approximations of the input–output data. Standard surrogate‐based optimization assumes the degrees of freedom are known a priori; however, in real applications the sparsity and the actual structure of the black‐box formulation may not be known. In this work, we propose to select the correct variables contributing to each objective function and constraints of the black‐box problem, by formulating the identification of the true sparsity of the formulation as a nonlinear feature selection problem. We compare three variable selection criteria based on Support Vector Regression and develop efficient algorithms to detect the sparsity of black‐box formulations when only a limited amount of deterministic or noisy data is available.
From process to progress—2017 International Conference on Neurofibromatosis 1, Neurofibromatosis 2 and Schwannomatosis
Authors: Ferner Rosalie E. , Bakker Annette , Elgersma Ype , Evans D. Gareth R. , Giovannini Marco , Legius Eric , Lloyd Alison , Messiaen Ludwine M. , Plotkin Scott , Reilly Karlyne M. , Schindeler Aaron , Smith Miriam J. , Ullrich Nicole J. , Widemann Brigitte , Sherman Larry S.
Published: March 2019

The neurofibromatoses are inherited, tumor suppressor disorders that are characterized by multiple, benign peripheral nerve sheath tumors and other nervous system tumors. Each disease is associated with a distinct genetic mutation and with a different pathogenesis and clinical course. Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) is common and epitomized by multiple neurofibromas with widespread complications. NF2 and schwannomatosis are rare diseases that are typified by multiple schwannomas that are particularly painful in people with schwannomatosis. Since 1985, the Children's Tumor Foundation (formerly the National Neurofibromatosis Foundation) has hosted an international Neurofibromatosis Conference, bringing together international participants who are focused on NF research and clinical care. The 2017 Conference, held in Washington, DC, was among the largest gatherings of NF researchers to date and included presentations from clinicians and basic scientists, highlighting new data regarding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying each of these diseases as well as results from clinical studies and clinical trials. This article summarizes the findings presented at the meeting and represents the current state‐of‐the art for NF research.
Reported environmental exposures are inversely associated with obtaining a genetic diagnosis in the Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Authors: Silverman Edwin K. , Allard Patrick , Loscalzo Joseph , Mulvihill John J. , Korrick Susan A. ,   The Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Published: March 2019

The Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) aims to achieve a unifying etiologic diagnosis for patients with mysterious conditions. Although the UDN has focused on the identification of genetic determinants, environmental etiologies may be causative or modifying agents that interact with predisposing genes. We developed and implemented a screening questionnaire to assess environmental exposures in UDN patients. We hypothesized that patients with potentially adverse environmental exposures would be less likely to have a genetic basis for their undiagnosed disease. Among seven postnatal environmental exposure categories assessed in 269 UDN participants, patients with a confirmed or strong candidate genetic diagnosis were significantly less likely to report exposures to metals, dust, or chemicals (p < 0.05). A composite variable of the seven exposure categories was substantially more common (40%) in patients without a genetic diagnosis than in those with a genetic diagnosis (18.4%) (p = 0.004). In multivariable analysis adjusting for age and sex, the composite variable of any positive environmental exposure was associated with a reduced odds of finding a genetic diagnosis (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.18–0.96, p = 0.04). These results were generally robust to exclusion of patients with early life disease onset. Our results suggest a possible approach to increase the yield of genetic etiologies for adult undiagnosed diseases by first focusing on patients without significant environmental exposures. Still, there is ample reason to expect cases in which specific environmental exposures impact the risk of clinically evident genetic disease. Our findings emphasize the importance of systematic investigations of potential environmental risk factors for undiagnosed diseases.
Zoonotic Staphylococcus pseudintermedius sinonasal infections: risk factors and resistance patterns
Authors: Ference Elisabeth H. , Danielian Arman , Kim Han Wool , Yoo Fredrick , Kuan Edward C. , Suh Jeffrey D.
Published: March 2019

Background

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a Gram‐positive bacteria that colonizes the skin and orifices of healthy canines and felines. It has recently been identified as a cause of sinonasal infections in humans.

Methods

This study was a retrospective review of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) patients with S pseudintermedius‒positive sinonasal cultures and comparison to a prospectively collected control sample of patients who underwent culture for acute exacerbation of CRS.

Results

Thirty‐three patients with CRS had nasal cultures positive for S pseudintermedius. Of the positive cultures, 82% demonstrated resistance to penicillin, 58% to clindamycin, 45% to trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole, 33% to doxycycline, and 27% to oxacillin. Ninety‐seven percent of patients with S pseudintermedius were dog owners. There was no significant difference in age, gender, recent endoscopic sinus surgery, or immunosuppression or deficiency between S pseudintermedius patients and patients undergoing culture for acute exacerbation of CRS, but S pseudintermedius infection was associated with dog ownership (p < 0.01). S pseudintermedius infection was not associated with behaviors such as a dog sleeping in the bedroom, routinely licking humans, or being diagnosed with a soft tissue infection.

Conclusion

Although a rare cause of infection in humans, S pseudintermedius should be considered in sinonasal infections refractory to standard medical management, especially if the patient has regular contact with dogs. S pseudintermedius is not readily identified with routine laboratory diagnostic testing and often demonstrates multidrug resistance, making it a pathogen that is commonly misdiagnosed and difficult to treat.
Structural Features and HER activity of Cadmium Phosphohalides
Authors: Roy Anand , Singh Anjali , Aravindh S. Assa , Servottam Swaraj , Waghmare Umesh V. , Rao C. N. R.
Published: March 2019

We have carried out a combined experimental and theoretical investigation of the structures and properties of a family of cadmium phosphochlorides with varying Cl/Cd and P/Cd ratios, Cd2P3Cl, Cd4P2Cl3, Cd3PCl3, and Cd7P4Cl6. Their optical band gaps are in the visible region and the values are sensitive to the Cl/Cd and P/Cd ratios, leading to an increase and decrease, respectively. First‐principles calculations were used to understand the bonding and electronic structures. All phosphochlorides except Cd2P3Cl possess direct band gaps. The calculated dielectric constants and Born effective charges illustrate the bonding, hybridization, and ionic character in these compounds. The band positions indicate the thermodynamic feasibility to perform water splitting. All systems can be used in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), where Cd7P4Cl6 has the highest activity and Cd3PCl3 the lowest. The apparent quantum yield is highest in Cd7P4Cl6 (20.1 %) even without the assistance of a co‐catalyst. The HER activity can be understood on the basis of photoelectrochemical measurements.
Asymmetric Lewis Acid Catalyzed Electrochemical Alkylation
Authors: Zhang Qinglin , Chang Xihao , Peng Lingzi , Guo Chang
Published: March 2019

Lewis‐acid catalysis and electrochemistry represent two powerful fields that have found widespread application in organic chemistry. Reported herein is an asymmetric electrosynthesis in combination with a chiral Ni catalyst leading to an intermolecular alkylation reaction in good yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee). Mechanistic studies suggest that the Lewis‐acid‐bound radical intermediate from a single‐electron anodic oxidation selectively reacts with the benzylic radical species to generate the desired adducts.
The Mechanism of Nonenzymatic Template Copying with Imidazole‐Activated Nucleotides
Authors: Walton Travis , Zhang Wen , Li Li , Tam Chun Pong , Szostak Jack W.
Published: March 2019

The emergence of the replication of RNA oligonucleotides was a critical step in the origin of life. An important model for the study of nonenzymatic template copying, which would be a key part of any such pathway, involves the reaction of ribonucleoside‐5′‐phosphorimidazolides with an RNA primer/template complex. The mechanism by which the primer becomes extended by one nucleotide was assumed to be a classical in‐line nucleophilic‐substitution reaction in which the 3′‐hydroxyl of the primer attacks the phosphate of the incoming activated monomer with displacement of the imidazole leaving group. Surprisingly, this simple model has turned out to be incorrect, and the dominant pathway has now been shown to involve the reaction of two activated nucleotides with each other to form a 5′–5′‐imidazolium bridged dinucleotide intermediate. Here we review the discovery of this unexpected intermediate, and the chemical, kinetic, and structural evidence for its role in template copying chemistry.
Persistent Solid‐State Phosphorescence and Delayed Fluorescence at Room Temperature by a Twisted Hydrocarbon
Authors: Salla Cristian A. M. , Farias Giliandro , Rouzières Mathieu , Dechambenoit Pierre , Durola Fabien , Bock Harald , de Souza Bernardo , Bechtold Ivan H.
Published: March 2019

The dehydrating cyclotrimerization of 1‐tetralone in the presence of titanium tetrachloride at high temperatures leads to homotruxene, a nonplanar arene in which the twist angles between its three outer benzene rings and the central benzene are stabilized by ethylene bridges. This non‐planar configuration allows for pronounced spin–orbit coupling and a high triplet energy, leading to room‐temperature phosphorescence in air with a lifetime of 0.38 s and a quantum yield of 5.6 %, clearly visible to the human eye after switching off the excitation. Triplet–triplet annihilation is found to simultaneously lead to a substantial delayed fluorescence, unprecedented from a pure hydrocarbon at ambient conditions, with a lifetime of 0.11 s.
Inverse emulsion polymerization of triple monomers of acrylamide, maleic anhydride, and styrene to achieve highly hydrophilic–hydrophobic modified polyacrylamide
Authors: Lalehgani Zahra , Ramazani S.A. Ahmad , Tamsilian Yousef , Shirazi Mahsa
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this study was the production of copolymers and terpolymers with highly hydrophilic–hydrophobic properties, using inexpensive and available monomers as potential enhancing oil recovery (EOR) and water production control agents for high‐temperature and high‐salinity (HTHS) oil reservoirs. For this purpose, several copolymers and terpolymers with different molar percentage of acrylamide/styrene, acrylamide/maleic anhydride, and acrylamide/styrene/maleic anhydride were synthesized by the inverse emulsion polymerization technique. The presence of hydrophobic styrene and hydrophilic maleic anhydride monomers in the copolymer and terpolymer structure, provided some unique properties compared to polyacrylamide, was confirmed by several analyses including HNMR, elemental analysis, FTIR, SEM, TGA, and DSC. Simulating HTHS oil reservoir condition under high salinity, temperature, and shear rate, the rheological studies suggested unlike traditional EOR agents such as polyacrylamide, the viscosity of the copolymer, and terpolymer aqueous solutions showed a considerable increase after a critical polymer concentration and less reduction with the salt increment at both ambient and elevated temperatures. Furthermore, the swelling ratio of the insoluble terpolymers measured versus the time and temperature in salt water increased with the maleic anhydride mole fraction, decreased with the salt concentration, and showed a maximum value at around 57 °C. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47753.
Latent curing agent DDM‐PMMA microcapsule for epoxy resin
Authors: Zhao Liyang , Yang Xiaojun , Li Qingyang , Ma Limin
Published: March 2019

A microcapsule‐type latent curing agent is prepared by solvent evaporation method with diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as the core material and PMMA as the wall material. The chemical structure, surface morphology, core content, and curing characteristics of as‐prepared microcapsule‐type curing agent are characterized by FTIR, SEM, TGA, and DSC. The results show that the obtained microcapsules have smooth surface and the core content is about 20 wt %. The one‐component adhesive consisting of DDM‐PMMA microcapsule and epoxy resin can be cured within 30 min at 130 °C, and the room temperature latent period is more than 30 days. In addition, the internal reasons influencing the core content of microcapsules are analyzed by comparing and analyzing the structural compatibility of three kinds of wall material PMMA, PS, and polyetherimide with DDM. The results show that the core content is affected by the compatibility of wall material and core material. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47757.
Synthesis of blocked waterborne polyurethane with 3,5‐dimethylpyrazole for industrial application in digital inkjet printing
Authors: Yin Qin , Wang Xiaomei , Chen Jinghong , Wu Xuefen , Zheng Jiaying
Published: March 2019

In this article, a series of blocked waterborne polyurethanes (BWPUs) were synthesized by isophorone diisocyanate, polyols, dimethylol butanoic acid (DMBA), and 3,5‐dimethylpyrazole. BWPUs were applied to digital inkjet printing of textiles. The successful synthesis and deblocking of BWPU were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The colorfastness was improved by deblocking the terminal NCO groups at 140 °C, which could react with fiber. This article presented a characterization method of filtering rate to evaluate the fluency of inkjet printing. Besides, the digital microscope was used to investigate the pigment transferred to the white test cloth. In the end, we chose poly(ethylene glycol adipate) 2000 as the polyol, 1,4‐butanediol as the chain extender, 1.6 as the NCO/OH molar ratio, and 4% as the mass fraction of DMBA. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2019,136, 47765.