bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acene‐Modified Small‐Molecule Donors for Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Sung Min Jae , Hong Jisu , Cha Hyojung , Jiang Yifei , Park Chan Eon , Durrant James R. , An Tae Kyu , Kwon Soon‐Ki , Kim Yun‐Hi
Published: June 2019

A series of acene‐modified small molecules have been designed and synthesized, and their photovoltaic characteristics were studied by using the small molecules in organic photovoltaics (OPVs). Different cores were introduced to modulate the conjugation lengths of the small molecules and the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) morphologies. Three small‐molecule donors were prepared, namely Ph‐TTR, Na‐TTR, and An‐TTR, which have phenyl, naphthalene, and anthracene moieties, respectively, as conjugated cores. These donors were synthesized in a few steps and exhibited favorable BHJ morphologies, thereby giving promising power conversion efficiencies (PCEs). The donors showed excellent miscibility with the acceptor PC71BM, and the use of the additive 1,8‐diiodooctane (DIO) led to a remarkable increase in crystallinity, thereby increasing the PCEs of their OPVs. Of the three donors, Na‐TTR showed the most efficient charge carrier generation and favorable molecular packing structures; hence, of the three types of devices tested, the Na‐TTR:PC71BM devices exhibited the highest PCE, specifically 6.27 %, without pre‐ or post‐treatments. The promising PCEs achieved from these easily synthesized acene‐modified small molecules suggested that acene‐modified small molecules can be useful materials in OPVs.
Delaying Anticancer Drug Delivery by Self‐Assembly and Branching Effects of Minimalist Dendron–Drug Conjugates
Authors: Correard Florian , Roy Myriam , Terrasson Vincent , Braguer Diane , Estève Marie‐Anne , Gingras Marc
Published: June 2019

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Marc Gingras and Diane Braguer and their colleagues at Aix‐Marseille Université. The image depicts the anticancer activity (boxing glove) of PEG‐dendrons conjugated to paclitaxel (yellow) against cancer cells (red cells). Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201801092.
Funktionalisierung von Ultrafiltrationsmembranen zur Integration von spezifischen Adsorbereigenschaften
Authors: Koch Dereck , Ulbricht Mathias
Published: June 2019

Das Anwendungspotenzial der Ultrafiltration (UF) zur Wasserreinigung kann durch die Einbindung eines Adsorberpolymers für die Komplexierung von Schwermetallen in die Porenstruktur einer UF‐Membran erweitert werden. Der Lösungsweg in dieser Arbeit basiert auf der Funktionalisierung eines Membran‐ und eines Adsorberpolymers mit komplementären Reaktivgruppen und der kovalenten Immobilisierung des Adsorberpolymers in der porösen Stützschicht der UF‐Membran durch Click‐Reaktion. Die Trennleistungen und Membrancharakteristika der hergestellten Membranen sind mit denen konventioneller UF‐Membranen vergleichbar.
Prediction of the colorimetric parameters and mass loss of heat‐treated bamboo: Comparison of multiple linear regression and artificial neural network method
Authors: Gürgen Ayşenur , Topaloğlu Elif , Ustaömer Derya , Yıldız Sibel , Ay Nurgül
Published: June 2019

In this study, the colorimetric parameters (L*, a*, b*) and mass loss of heat‐treated bamboo were investigated, and the obtained results were modeled by using two methods: multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN). First, bamboo samples were exposed to heat treatment at different temperatures (110°C, 140°C, 170°C, and 200°C) and durations (15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, and 115 minutes) in a laboratory oven. Then, the colorimetric parameters (L*, a*, b*) and mass loss of each sample were measured after each period of heat treatment. All data were modeled by using two methods separately for each parameter and the performances of these proposed methods were compared. It was found that color change and mass loss increased with increasing temperature and duration of heat treatment. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values of all obtained MLR ranged from 0.64% to 10.63%, while the all MAPE values of ANN were found to be lower than 1.5%. Based on these results, it can be said that MLR and ANN could be used to evaluate the changes on the selected properties of heat‐treated bamboo samples. On the other hand, it should be emphasized that the ANN gave more accurate results than the MLR method because of its learning capability.
Thiazolocatechol: Electron‐Withdrawing Catechol Anchoring Group for Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Higashino Tomohiro , Iiyama Hitomi , Kurumisawa Yuma , Imahori Hiroshi
Published: June 2019

Anchoring groups adopting a five‐membered bidentate chelating are attractive to realize high power conversion efficiency (η) and long‐term durability in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). In this regard, we chose catechol as an anchoring group that can adopt the chelating. However, the DSSCs with catechol‐based sensitizers have never exceeded an η‐value of 2 %. These poor photovoltaic performances may be associated with the electron‐donating ability of the hydroxy groups in catechol. Considering these, we envisioned that fusing an electron‐withdrawing thiazole moiety with a catechol anchoring group would improve its photovoltaic performance. Herein, we report a push‐pull porphyrin sensitizer ZnPTC with a thiazolocatechol anchoring group. The DSSC with ZnPTC exhibited η=4.87 %. This value is the highest ever reported for catechol‐anchor based DSSCs. Meanwhile, the long‐term cell durability was not improved, although the robust anchoring properties were attained under harsh conditions.
Efficient Non‐Fullerene Organic Solar Cells Based on a Wide‐Bandgap Polymer Donor Containing an Alkylthiophenyl‐Substituted Benzodithiophene Moiety
Authors: Xie Ruihao , Ying Lei , An Kang , Zhong Wenkai , Yin Qingwu , Liao Shengzu , Huang Fei , Cao Yong
Published: June 2019

Two wide‐bandgap polymer donors containing an alkylthiophenyl substituted benzo[1,2‐b : 4,5‐b′]dithiophene moiety, namely PTZPO and PTZPS, were designed and synthesized. Both polymers exhibit relatively wide optical bandgap of 1.95 V with similar absorption profiles. The polymer PTZPS with alkylthiophenyl substituted benzo[1,2‐b : 4,5‐b′]dithiophene units showed enhanced light‐harvesting capabilities, leading to improved short‐circuit current densities. The PTZPS : ITIC film shows more appreciable film morphology and phase separation than the film composed of a blend of ITIC with alkoxyl substitutions containing copolymer PTZPO, which facilitates exciton dissociation and charge transport. The PTZPS : ITIC‐based non‐fullerene organic solar cells show clearly improved short‐circuit current density and an impressively high power conversion efficiency of more than 11 %. These observations demonstrate the great promise of using PTZPS as electron‐donating materials for high‐performance non‐fullerene organic solar cells.
Triclinic Pedial Sarcosinium Hydrogen l(+)‐Tartrate—Crystal Growth, Pyroelectricity, Thermal Expansion, and Linear Optical Properties
Authors: Bohatý Ladislav , Bayarjargal Lkhamsuren , Andersen Lionel , Held Peter , Becker Petra
Published: June 2019

Single crystals of optical quality and dimensions up to 25 × 25 × 40 mm3 of sarcosinium hydrogen l(+)‐tartrate and up to 15 × 20 × 30 mm3 of sarcosinium hydrogen d(−)‐tartrate are grown from aqueous solution during growth periods of 10–14 weeks. For sarcosinium hydrogen l(+)‐tartrate refractive indices and their dispersion in the wavelength range 365–1083 nm are determined. The biaxial positive crystals show marked optical anisotropy with maximum birefringence at 365 nm of Δn = 0.089 and only small orientation dispersion of the principal axes of the optical indicatrix. Based on the linear optical data, phase matching conditions for collinear second harmonic generation (SHG) are analyzed. The optical properties allow SHG phase matching for both, type I and type II processes. Temperature‐dependent coefficients of the tensor of thermal expansion [αij] between 145 and 300 K show pronounced anisotropy and moderate orientation dispersion of thermal expansion, with principal values at 293 K of = −3.3(1) × 10−6 K−1, = 35.7(1) × 10−6 K−1, and = 66.6(1) × 10−6 K−1. The absolute value of the pyroelectric vector |pσ| of sarcosinium hydrogen l(+)‐tartrate amounts to about 20 µC K−1 m−2 and varies only slightly with temperature in the temperature range 100–320 K.
How corporate social responsibility boosts firm financial performance: The mediating role of corporate image and customer satisfaction
Authors: Ali Hafiz Yasir , Danish Rizwan Qaiser , Asrar‐ul‐Haq Muhammad
Published: June 2019

A great number of studies have been conducted to examine the direct impact of corporate social responsibility on firm's financial performance, but this direct relationship seems to be spurious and imprecise. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to investigate the intervening role of corporate image and customer satisfaction on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and financial performance. Data is collected from 229 companies listed on Pakistan stock exchange using simple random sampling technique. Structural equation modelling has been used for the measurement model and for hypotheses testing. Results indicate that corporate image and customer satisfaction partially mediate the association between corporate social responsibility and financial performance. The study concludes that corporate social responsibility significantly affects the firm's financial performance by developing a positive image among the stakeholders and decreasing overall costs. This study will help management of organizations to realize the importance of corporate social responsibility.
Understanding sustainable innovation: A systematic literature review
Authors: Cillo Valentina , Petruzzelli Antonio Messeni , Ardito Lorenzo , Del Giudice Manlio
Published: June 2019

In order to adhere to the concept of sustainable development, firms are increasingly expected to develop innovations that reconcile economic, environmental, and social goals (i.e., sustainable innovations). However, achieving this goal is not straightforward, and although several studies have attempted to improve our understanding of sustainable innovation, a systematization of extant findings is lacking. Therefore, this paper conducts a literature review with the objective of organizing previous research regarding sustainable innovation. A systematic approach is adopted, identifying 69 relevant articles. These articles are organized according to three key perspectives: internal managerial, external relational, and performance evaluation. The results demonstrate that the first perspective, incorporating diverse managerial aspects, is the most considered, whereas the second and third perspectives remain underdeveloped. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.
Comparison of sex determination mechanism of germ cells between birds and fish: Cloning and expression analyses of chicken forkhead box L3‐like gene
Authors: Ichikawa Kennosuke , Ezaki Ryo , Furusawa Shuichi , Horiuchi Hiroyuki
Published: June 2019

Background

Birds harbor specific sex determination and differentiation mechanisms. Although the molecular mechanisms associated with sex determination in somatic cells have been elucidated, those for germ cells remain unclear.

Results

Here, we characterized the chicken forkhead box L3 (foxl3)‐like gene as a sex‐determination factor in sexually indifferent medaka germline stem cells. The foxl3‐like gene was cloned by rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and the nucleotide sequence was analyzed. The deduced amino acid sequence was compared with FOXL3 sequences from other species, revealing low identity and similarity scores. Expression analysis of foxl3‐like mRNA during gonadogenesis showed female left‐gonad‐specific temporal expression in an egg incubated from 10 to 16 days, as well as low general expression in certain hatched female chicken organs. Moreover, the amino acid sequence deduced for the FOXL3‐like protein displayed low identity with medaka FOXL3, with the FOXL3‐like protein specifically localized in the oogonia, whereas medaka FOXL3 was found in sexually indifferent germline stem cells. Furthermore, the timing of expression differed between the foxl3‐like gene and that of medaka foxl3.

Conclusions

These results suggest that chicken FOXL3‐like protein and medaka FOXL3 differ in terms of their functions as female sex‐determination factors.
Modern pollen‐assemblage data from small lakes paired with local forest‐composition data in northeastern United States
Authors: Jackson Stephen T.
Published: June 2019

Understanding and modeling of how forest composition and pattern are recorded by sedimentary pollen assemblages requires data sets in which modern pollen assemblages are paired with forest‐composition data across a range of spatial scales. Pollen data from 33 small lakes (<2.0 ha) in the northeastern United States, paired with estimates of forest composition and basal area by species within successive radial distances from the lake margins (0–20, 20–50, 50–100, 100–500, 500–1,000 m), can support further studies of pollen–vegetation relationships and development of calibration models. There are no copyright or proprietary restrictions for research or teaching purposes, other than citation of this source of the data.
Two New Sandwich‐Type Phosphomolybdates: Thermal Decomposition and Photocatalytic Degradation Behavior of a UV‐Excited Solid‐Phase Fenton Catalyst
Authors: Chen Wu‐Hua , Hu Zhi‐Biao , Zhou Jiang‐Cong , Xiong Jin‐Hua , Luo Jiang‐Shui , Zhang Han‐Qiang , Mi Jin‐Xiao
Published: June 2019

Although classical homogeneous Fenton reaction systems (FeII+ H2O2) are widely used for organic pollutant degradation, this technology has important shortcomings such as waste generation and difficult Fe2+recycling. These shortcomings originate secondary pollution issues and make it difficult to control the reactions. Polyoxometalates (POMs) are characterized by bearing large electron‐donating conjugate systems able to stabilize Fe2+. To explore a new kind of heterogeneous Fenton reagent, we prepared a new‐type of stable heterogeneous Fenton reagent, (H3O)3.5(H3DETA)3.5{FeII[H4MoV6O15(PO4)4]2} (DETA = diethylenetriamine) (1) by inserting FeIIinto the POMs. The sandwich‐type1was excited by ultraviolet (UV) light, showed high efficiency as a solid‐phase Fenton catalyst, and can be potentially recycled to control the reactions. The coordinating reaction mechanisms for the catalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) over the1+ H2O2reaction system was studied, including photocatalysis and Fenton oxidation effects. As a contrast, another new phosphomolybdate, (H3DETA)4{ZnII[H5MoV6O15(PO4)4]2}·7.5H2O (2), which has the same sandwich‐type polyanion but ZnIIacting as the sandwich‐atom, has also been synthesized, characterized. The comparative study of photocatalytically degrading MO has also been carried out. In addition, by studying the thermal decomposition behavior of1, we revealed, for the first time, the presence of Mo4P3as a decomposition residue of1.
Shake‐table investigation of scoured RC pile‐group‐supported bridges in liquefiable and nonliquefiable soils
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Ye Aijun , Shang Yu , Zhou Lianxu
Published: June 2019

This paper presents results of one‐g shake‐table tests on scoured pile‐group‐supported bridge models in saturated (liquefiable) and dry (nonliquefiable) sands. The primary objective is to reveal the influence of liquefaction on seismic demands and failure mechanism of scoured bridges. To this end, two identical models, each consisting of a 2 × 2 reinforced concrete pile‐group with a center‐to‐center spacing of 3 times pile diameter, a cap and a single pier with a lumped iron block, were constructed and embedded into saturated and dry sands, respectively, with the same scour depth of 4 times pile diameter. Typical test results, including excess pore pressure, acceleration and displacement demands are interpreted first, followed by the focus on curvature demands and associated seismic failure mechanism identification. Finally, inertial and kinematic effects on pile curvature demands are estimated using cross‐correlation analyses. Results show that near‐pile liquefied soils exhibit more remarkable dilation tendency as compared to far field. For bridges under the given scour depth, soil liquefaction tends to significantly affect the failure modes via transferring damage positions from pier bottom to pile head and meanwhile from underground pile to pile head. In addition, pile group effects appear to be significant in nonliquefiable soils while to be relatively inessential in liquefied soils. Moreover, the inertial effect is more prominent in nonliquefiable soils, while the kinematic effect itself generally appears to be more significant in liquefiable soils. The test results can be used to validate numerical models for future studies.
Clustering‐based real‐time anomaly detection—A breakthrough in big data technologies
Authors: Ariyaluran Habeeb Riyaz Ahamed , Nasaruddin Fariza , Gani Abdullah , Amanullah Mohamed Ahzam , Abaker Targio Hashem Ibrahim , Ahmed Ejaz , Imran Muhammad
Published: June 2019

Off late, the ever increasing usage of a connected Internet‐of‐Things devices has consequently augmented the volume of real‐time network data with high velocity. At the same time, threats on networks become inevitable; hence, identifying anomalies in real time network data has become crucial. To date, most of the existing anomaly detection approaches focus mainly on machine learning techniques for batch processing. Meanwhile, detection approaches which focus on the real‐time analytics somehow deficient in its detection accuracy while consuming higher memory and longer execution time. As such, this paper proposes a novel framework which focuses on real‐time anomaly detection based on big data technologies. In addition, this paper has also developed streaming sliding window local outlier factor coreset clustering algorithms (SSWLOFCC), which was then implemented into the framework. The proposed framework that comprises BroIDS, Flume, Kafka, Spark streaming, SparkMLlib, Matplot and HBase was evaluated to substantiate its efficacy, particularly in terms of accuracy, memory consumption, and execution time. The evaluation is done by performing critical comparative analysis using existing approaches, such as K‐means, hierarchical density‐based spatial clustering of applications with noise (HDBSCAN), isolation forest, spectral clustering and agglomerative clustering. Moreover, Adjusted Rand Index and memory profiler package were used for the evaluation of the proposed framework against the existing approaches. The outcome of the evaluation has substantially proven the efficacy of the proposed framework with a much higher accuracy rate of 96.51% when compared to other algorithms. Besides, the proposed framework also outperformed the existing algorithms in terms of lesser memory consumption and execution time. Ultimately the proposed solution enable analysts to precisely track and detect anomalies in real time.
Effect of different smoking processes on the nutritional and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons composition of smoked Clarias gariepinus and Cyprinus carpio
Authors: Tiwo Cristelle T. , Tchoumbougnang François , Nganou Elvis , Kumar Pankaj , Nayak Binay
Published: June 2019

The effect of different smoking processes on the nutritional value and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs) content of Clarias gariepinus and Cyprinus carpio has been assessed in this study. After smoking processes, the finish products were analyzed to determine the nutritional quality and the PAHs content. Different smoking processes significantly decreased (p < 0.05) lipids content of fish. The smoked fish with unfiltered Psidium guajava has revealed higher lipid contents of 14.17 ± 0.15% and 14.96 ± 0.05%, respectively, for SNE GSF and SE GSF. A significant reduction (p < 0.05) in protein content (% DM) has been observed in the two fish's species submitted to smoking processes. We found that evisceration of fish before smoking leads to increase the level of naphthalene, acenaphthene, and benzo (a) pyrene in smoked C. gariepinus and C. carpio. The use of metallic filter in the smoking of noneviscerated fish leads to the significant reduction (p < 0.05) of the PAHs content in smoked fishes. Higher levels of PAH such as naphthalene and acenaphthene with values of 1,451.54 ± 49.58 and 709.91 ± 8.12 ng/kg were found in smoked C. carpio and 1,841.1 ± 11.41 and 809.91 ± 1.10 ng/kg were found in smoked C. gariepinus obtained in the case of traditional smoking. The PAHs content was higher in fish smoked using traditional ovens. Therefore, the quality of smoked fish was improved using a metallic filter during different smoking processes.
BRCA1/BRCA2‐containing complex subunit 3 controls oligodendrocyte differentiation by dynamically regulating lysine 63‐linked ubiquitination
Authors: Wang Chih‐Yen , Deneen Benjamin , Tzeng Shun‐Fen
Published: June 2019

Oligodendrocytes (OLs) provide the myelin sheath surrounding axons that propagates action potentials in the central nervous system (CNS). The metabolism of myelinated membranes and proteins is strictly regulated in the OLs and is closely associated with OL differentiation and maturation. The ubiquitination‐associated proteasome and endosomal system have not yet been well studied during OL differentiation and maturation. Here, we determined the functions of the Lys63‐linked ubiquitination (K63Ub) and K63‐specific deubiquitination (DUB) systems regulated by BRCA1/BRCA2‐containing complex subunit 3 (BRCC3) during OL differentiation. The competitive inhibition of K63Ub by overexpression of mutant ubiquitin (K63R) in oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) indicated that the two major CNS myelin proteins, myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP), were upregulated in OLs derived from K63R OPCs. In contrast, the knockdown of BRCC3 (BRCC3‐KD) through the application of lentivirus‐mediated shRNA delivery system into OPCs suppressed OL differentiation by decreasing MBP expression and PLP production. Further immunoprecipitation assays revealed higher levels of sphingolipid GalC, MBP, and PLP, which were associated with K63Ub‐immunoprecipitants and detected in endosome/lysosomal compartments, in BRCC3‐KD OLs than those in OLs transfected with the scrambled shRNA (scramble OLs). The differentiation of OLs from BRCC3‐KD OPCs was impaired in the demyelinating corpus callosum of rats receiving a cuprizone‐containing diet. In the demyelinating tissues from human patients suffering from multiple sclerosis, we detected a decreased number of BRCC3‐expressing OLs at the lesion site, accompanied by a greater number of OLs expressing EEA1 and K63Ub at high levels. Altogether, the counterbalance of the K63Ub machinery and BRCC3‐triggered DUB machinery are important for the cellular trafficking of myelin proteins and OL differentiation.
Quantitative phase microscopy with enhanced contrast and improved resolution through ultra‐oblique illumination (UO‐QPM)
Authors: Ma Ying , Guo Siyue , Pan Yang , Fan Rong , Smith Zachary J. , Lane Stephen , Chu Kaiqin
Published: June 2019

Recent developments in phase contrast microscopy have enabled the label‐free visualization of certain organelles due to their distinct morphological features, making this method an attractive alternative in the study of cellular dynamics. However tubular structures such as endoplasmic reticulum (ER) networks and complex dynamics such as the fusion and fission of mitochondria, due to their low phase contrast, still need fluorescent labeling to be adequately imaged. In this article, we report a quantitative phase microscope with ultra‐oblique illumination that enables us to see those structures and their dynamics with high contrast for the first time without labeling. The imaging capability was validated through comparison to the fluorescence images with the same field‐of‐view. The high image resolution (~270 nm) was validated using both beads and cellular structures. Furthermore, we were able to record the vibration of ER networks at a frame rate of 250 Hz. We additionally show complex cellular processes such as remodeling of the mitochondria networks through fusion and fission and vesicle transportation along the ER without labels. Our high spatial and temporal resolution allowed us to observe mitochondria “spinning”, which has not been reported before, further demonstrating the advantages of the proposed method.
Theoretical prediction of Ni(I)‐catalyst for hydrosilylation of pyridine and quinoline
Authors: Singh Vijay , Sakaki Shigeyoshi , Deshmukh Milind M.
Published: June 2019

Catalytic synthesis of dihydropyridine by transition‐metal complex is one of the important research targets, recently. Density functional theory calculations here demonstrate that nickel(I) hydride complex (bpy)NiIH (bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) 1 is a good catalyst for hydrosilylation of both quinoline and pyridine. Two pathways are possible; in path 1, substrate reacts with 1 to form stable intermediate Int1. After that, N3─C1 bond of substrate inserts into Ni─H bond of 1 via TS1 to afford N‐coordinated 1,2‐dihydroquinoline Int2 with the Gibbs activation energy (ΔG°‡) of 21.8 kcal mol−1. Then, Int2 reacts with hydrosilane to form hydrosilane σ‐complex Int3; this is named path 1A. In the other route (path 1B), Int1 reacts with phenylsilane in a concerted manner via hydride‐shuttle transition state TS2 to afford Int3. In TS2, Si atom takes hypervalent trigonal bipyramidal structure. Formation of hypervalent structure is crucial for stabilization of TS2 (ΔG°‡ = 17.3 kcal mol−1). The final step of path 1 is metathesis between Ni─N3 bond of Int3 and Si─H bond of PhSiH3 to afford N‐silylated 1,2‐dihydroproduct and regenerate 1 (ΔG°‡ = 4.5 kcal mol−1). In path 2, 1 reacts with hydrosilane to form Int5, which then forms adduct Int6 with substrate through Si–N interaction between substrate and PhSiH3. Then, N‐silylated 1,2‐dihydroproduct is produced via hydride‐shuttle transition state TS5 (ΔG°‡ = 18.8 kcal mol−1). The absence of N‐coordination of substrate to NiI in TS5 is the reason why path 2 is less favorable than path 1B. Quinoline hydrosilylation occurs more easily than pyridine because quinoline has the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital at lower energy than that of pyridine. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Microscopic evaluation of the dentinal walls of extracted human teeth following electrochemical dissolution of fragmented nickel–titanium instruments
Authors: Kowalczuck Alexandre , Borges Murilo M. , Kruger Helington , Piasecki Lucila , da Silva Neto Ulisses X. , Westphalen Vânia P. D. , Laurindo Carlos A. H. , Carneiro Everdan
Published: June 2019

Electrochemical dissolution is a method in which fluoridated solution in direct contact with the fractured instrument receives an electrical current that speeds up fragment dissolution. The aim of this study was to assess the integrity of dentinal walls during the electrochemical dissolution of fractured rotary endodontic instruments in extracted human teeth. Forty‐five human mandibular incisors subjected to the electrochemical dissolution process using fluoride solution with low NaCl concentration (LC group: NaF 12 g/L + NaCl 1 g/L, pH = 5.0), fluoride solution with saturating NaCl concentration (SC group: NaF 12 g/L + NaCl 180 g/L, pH = 5.0) and distilled water (control group) were evaluated. For each group, 15 incisors were submitted for the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation. The roots were sectioned longitudinally; each hemisection was analyzed (n = 30), and energy‐dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was performed. The amount of dentinal tubule openings was analyzed by SEM. Statistical analyses were performed. The test solutions did not alter the amount of dentinal tubule openings when compared with the control group. No Ni or Ti was impregnated into the dentinal tubules after electrochemical techniques. The dentinal structure remained unchanged following the electrochemical dissolution method.
Titanium Nanorods Loaded PCL Meshes with Enhanced Blood Vessel Formation and Cell Migration for Wound Dressing Applications
Authors: Augustine Robin , Hasan Anwarul , Patan Noorunnisa Khanam , Augustine Anitha , Dalvi Yogesh B. , Varghese Ruby , Unni Raghunath Narayanan , Kalarikkal Nandakumar , Al Moustafa Ala‐Eddin , Thomas Sabu
Published: June 2019

Proper management of nonhealing wounds is an imperative clinical challenge. For the effective healing of chronic wounds, suitable wound coverage materials with the capability to accelerate cell migration, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and wound healing are required to protect the healing wound bed. Biodegradable polymeric meshes are utilized as effective wound coverage materials to protect the wounds from the external environment and prevent infections. Among them, electrospun biopolymeric meshes have got much attention due to their extracellular matrix mimicking morphology, ability to support cell adhesion, and cell proliferation. Herein, electrospun nanocomposite meshes based on polycaprolactone (PCL) and titanium dioxide nanorods (TNR) are developed. TNR incorporated PCL meshes are fabricated by electrospinning technique and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis, and X‐Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. In vitro cell culture studies, in ovo angiogenesis assay, in vivo implantation study, and in vivo wound healing study are performed. Interestingly, obtained in vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the presence of TNR in the PCL meshes greatly improved the cell migration, proliferation, angiogenesis, and wound healing. Owing to the above superior properties, they can be used as excellent biomaterials in wound healing and tissue regeneration applications.
Embedding Banach spaces into the space of bounded functions with countable support
Authors: Johnson William B. , Kania Tomasz
Published: June 2019

We prove that a WLD subspace of the space consisting of all bounded, countably supported functions on a set Γ embeds isomorphically into if and only if it does not contain isometric copies of . Moreover, a subspace of is constructed that has an unconditional basis, does not embed into , and whose every weakly compact subset is separable (in particular, it cannot contain any isomorphic copies of ).
Liquid Crystal Templates Combined with Photolithography Enable Synthesis of Chiral Twisted Polymeric Microparticles
Authors: Akdeniz Burak , Bukusoglu Emre
Published: June 2019

Liquid crystals (LC), when combined with photolithography, enable synthesis of microparticles with 2D and 3D shapes and internal complexities. Films of nematic LCs are prepared using mixtures of reactive (RM257) and non‐reactive mesogens with controlled alignment of LCs at the confining surfaces, photo‐polymerized the RM257 using a photomask, and then extracted the unreacted mesogens to yield the polymeric microparticles. The extraction results in a controlled anisotropic shrinkage amount dependent on the RM257 content and the direction dependent on LC alignment. Control over the aspect ratio, size, and thickness of the microparticles are obtained with a coefficient of variance less than 2%. In addition, non‐parallel LC anchoring at the two surfaces results in a controllable right‐ or left‐handed twisting of microparticles. These methods may find substantial use in applications including drug delivery, emulsions, separations, and sensors, besides their potential in revealing new fundamental concepts in self‐assembly and colloidal interactions.
Anti–Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Encephalitis Presenting With Choreo‐Dystonic Movements and Coexisting Electrographic Seizures
Authors: Azevedo Kauppila Linda , Coelho Miguel , Franco Ana Catarina , Teodoro Tiago , Peralta Ana Rita , Bentes Carla , Falcão Filipa , Albuquerque Luísa
Published: June 2019

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Respiration resolved imaging with continuous stable state 2D acquisition using linear frequency SWEEP
Authors: Jackson L. H. , Price A. N. , Hutter J. , Ho A. , Roberts T. A. , Slator P. J. , Clough J. R. , Deprez M. , McCabe L. , Malik S. J. , Chappell L. , Rutherford M. A. , Hajnal J. V.
Published: June 2019

Purpose

To investigate the potential of continuous radiofrequency (RF) shifting (SWEEP) as a technique for creating densely sampled data while maintaining a stable signal state for dynamic imaging.

Methods

We present a method where a continuous stable state of magnetization is swept smoothly across the anatomy of interest, creating an efficient approach to dense multiple 2D slice imaging. This is achieved by introducing a linear frequency offset to successive RF pulses shifting the excited slice by a fraction of the slice thickness with each successive repeat times (TR). Simulations and in vivo imaging were performed to assess how this affects the measured signal. Free breathing, respiration resolved 4D volumes in fetal/placental imaging is explored as potential application of this method.

Results

The SWEEP method maintained a stable signal state over a full acquisition reducing artifacts from unstable magnetization. Simulations demonstrated that the effects of SWEEP on slice profiles was of the same order as that produced by physiological motion observed with conventional methods. Respiration resolved 4D data acquired with this method shows reduced respiration artifacts and resilience to non‐rigid and non‐cyclic motion.

Conclusions

The SWEEP method is presented as a technique for improved acquisition efficiency of densely sampled short‐TR 2D sequences. Using conventional slice excitation the number of RF pulses required to enter a true steady state is excessively high when using short‐TR 2D acquisitions, SWEEP circumvents this limitation by creating a stable signal state that is preserved between slices.
Insights into Allosteric Control of Human Blood Group A and B Glycosyltransferases from Dynamic NMR
Authors: Flügge Friedemann , Peters Thomas
Published: June 2019

Human blood group A and B glycosyltransferases (GTA, GTB) are retaining glycosyltransferases, requiring a catalytic mechanism that conserves the anomeric configuration of the hexopyranose moiety of the donor substrate (UDP‐GalNAc, UDP‐Gal). Previous studies have shown that GTA and GTB cycle through structurally distinct states during catalysis. Here, we link binding and release of substrates, substrate‐analogs, and products to transitions between open, semi‐closed, and closed states of the enzymes. Methyl TROSY based titration experiments in combination with zz‐exchange experiments uncover dramatic changes of binding kinetics associated with allosteric interactions between donor‐type and acceptor‐type ligands. Taken together, this highlights how allosteric control of on‐ and off‐rates correlates with conformational changes, driving catalysis to completion.
Improving survival outcomes of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A 25‐year experience from a single center in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Jastaniah Wasil
Published: June 2019

Introduction

The development of cancer programs in developing countries to meet the standards observed in high‐income developed countries is not well documented.

Methods

An analysis of patient care of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at the Princess Noorah Oncology Center over 25 years was performed. A number of improvements were introduced over time including optimizing the cancer care delivery culture, improving access to care, optimizing supportive care, and refining diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Outcomes were evaluated over three time periods (period 1, 1989–2000; period 2, 2001–2007; and period 3, 2008–2014). These findings were compared with results of collaborative clinical trials (CCT).

Results

Of the 686 patients treated, the five‐year overall survival (OS) rate improved from 74% ± 2.7% in period 1 to 89.5% ± 2.3% in period 3 (P < 0.0001). Among all patients, the five‐year cumulative incidence of death decreased from 26% in period 1 to 10.5% in period 3 (P < 0.0001). This decrease was mainly due to reduction in the incidence of death from disease (P < 0.00001). In contrast, significant improvement in T‐cell ALL survival outcomes (P < 0.0001) was observed overtime (from period 1 to period 3) as a result of significant reduction in both toxic deaths (P = 0.005) and disease‐related deaths (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

Survival outcomes in Saudi Arabia have improved with five‐year OS rate now approaching 90%. However, further population‐based research is needed to understand variance in outcomes from those reported by CCT groups.
In situ contactless thermal characterisation and imaging of encapsulated photovoltaic devices using phosphor thermometry
Authors: Cao Yameng , Koutsourakis George , Sutton Gavin J. M. , Kneller James W. E. , Wood Sebastian , Blakesley James C. , Castro Fernando A.
Published: June 2019

Accurate temperature measurements of a photovoltaic (PV) device are not always straightforward. Compromises between accuracy and spatial resolution often have to be made to give either quantitative single point measurements or qualitative spatial measurements. Phosphor thermometry is demonstrated in this work to measure the temperature of an encapsulated silicon photovoltaic device with uncertainty less than 1 °C. Comparisons with contact thermocouple probes are made under external white‐light illumination and internal resistive heating. Under similar conditions, phosphor thermal imaging shows less sensitivity to sources of uncertainty such as poor probe positioning and reduced thermal contact, allowing the detection of faults and shunt induced thermal hot spots in encapsulated PV devices with a higher degree of confidence.
Detection of Ammonia Gas Molecules in Aqueous Medium by Using Nanostructured Ag‐Doped ZnO Thin Layer Deposited on Modified Clad Optical Fiber
Authors: Singh Shailendra K. , Dutta Debjit , Dhar Anirban , Das Shyamal , Paul Mukul C. , Gangopadhyay Tarun K.
Published: June 2019

The synthesis of Ag‐doped ZnO nanorod employing hydrothermal process over modified cladd optical fiber is reported. The developed material is characterized using X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) analysis to evaluate the morphology and the nature of nanorod formed. The initial performance of the coated modified clad optical fiber toward detection of ammonia gas in aqueous solution is also presented. The sensing performance revealed that the developed material possess improved sensitivity toward ammonia gas at room temperature compared to Ag doped nanowires containing optical fiber sensor.
Energetic Stability of Vacancy‐Carbon Clusters in Solid Solution Alloys: The Fe‐Cr‐C Case
Authors: Bonny Giovanni , Bakaev Alexander , Terentyev Dmitry
Published: June 2019

In carbon‐containing alloys, the energetic stability of vacancy‐carbon (v‐C) clusters plays a key role in the post‐irradiation damage recovery. So far, all interpretations of post‐irradiation annealing experiments are based on the theoretical knowledge established for the iron‐carbon alloy. For the interpretation of high‐Cr steels, the stability of v‐C clusters in the presence of a solid solution background is essential. Therefore, a simple and efficient model to estimate the stability of v‐C clusters in random solid solution alloys is proposed. The model is parameterized for the Fe‐Cr‐C alloy using density functional theory. The results are discussed accounting for available experimental evidences.
Crystallographic and first‐principles density functional theory study on the structure, noncovalent interactions, and chemical reactivity of 1,5‐benzodiazepin‐2‐ones derivatives
Authors: Hajji Melek , Mtiraoui Hasan , Amiri Nesrine , Msaddek Moncef , Guerfel Taha
Published: June 2019

The present work arose out of a desire to fundamentally understand the molecular geometry, weak interactions, electron density delocalization, and chemical reactivity features of 1,5‐benzodiazepines‐containing family. Herein, a complete X‐ray crystallographic study, supported by trustworthy sets of computational approaches, has been reported for two organic crystals. Quantifying intramolecular and intermolecular interactions by Hirshfeld‐Becke surfaces analysis conjointly with noncovalent interaction‐reduced density gradient topological study revealed that supramolecular assemblies are stabilized by N‐H
…O (inter) and O‐H
…N (intra) hydrogen bonds, Cg
…Cg (π
…π) and C‐H(O)
…π intercontacts, as well as Van der Waals interactions and steric effects. The long‐range‐corrected functional wB97XD, which uses Grimme's D2 dispersion model, seems to be just right for our systems. The quantum theory of atoms in molecules analysis confirms that both significant O1‐H1…N1 and N2‐H2A…O2 H‐bonds are weak and electrostatic in nature. Furthermore, global reactivity indices computed via the conceptual density functional theory framework allows these molecules to be classified as moderate electrophiles and marginal nucleophiles. The active sites favorable for nucleophilic/electrophilic attacks were also predicted based on local Parr functions. Finally, a comparative evaluation on the aromaticity character and π‐π stacking ability has been done for different (pseudo) rings.
Climate change will both exacerbate and attenuate urbanization impacts on streamflow regimes in southern Willamette Valley, Oregon
Authors: Wu Hong , Johnson Bart R.
Published: June 2019

Interactions between climate change and urbanization may affect stream ecosystems in unexpected ways. With an integrated modelling framework, we assessed the combined hydrological impacts of climate change and urbanization under historical and future climate regimes across varied development scenarios in three watersheds in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. First, through an agent‐based land use change model Envision, we created four development scenarios that consisted of 2 × 2 combinations of regional growth (compact population growth in urban cores vs. dispersed growth into rural areas) and stormwater management scenarios (with vs. without integrated stormwater management, ISM). ISM was defined as the integration of strategic organization of land uses with site‐scale stormwater best management practices. Next, two future climate regimes were developed by statistically downscaling projections from two general circulation models (CanESM2 and CNRM‐CM5) that performed well in replicating historical climate. The hydrological assessment of these scenarios was then conducted with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. Using 10 ecologically significant flow metrics, we evaluated each scenario based on the magnitude of change in each metric and the degree to which such changes could be mitigated. Climate change alone led to a drying trend in flow regimes under both future climates. Combined with urbanization, it magnified changes in six of 10 metrics but attenuated impacts for three other measures of flashiness in at least one basin. The combination of compact growth and ISM effectively mitigated alterations for seven (out of nine) metrics sensitive to the combined impacts in at least one basin, with ISM being more effective than compact growth. The modelling framework teased out both nuanced differences and generalizable trends in hydrological impacts of urbanization and climate change and offers key methodological innovations towards an integrated framework capable of linking landscape planning mechanisms with the goal of sustaining stream ecosystem health.
Trait‐based responses of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera to sediment stress in the Tsitsa River and its tributaries, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Akamagwuna Frank Chukwuzuoke , Mensah Paul Kojo , Nnadozie Chika Felicitas , Odume Oghenekaro Nelson
Published: June 2019

Elevated instream fine sediment is one of the most important water quality stressors affecting both the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. This study evaluates whether a predictable pattern of trait distribution of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) can be observed along a gradient of sediment stress in eight selected sites in the Tsitsa River and its tributaries. The sites were classified into four site groups according to their fine sediment loads. One‐way analysis of variance was used to test differences in the relative abundance of traits across the site groups. A predictable pattern was observed in 13 of the 27 trait attributes tested, with most traits displaying low abundances in highly disturbed site groups. The relationship between EPT traits and fine sediment stress was analysed using the multivariate RLQ analysis, and the result showed that traits such as swimming, shredding, operculate gill, small body size, and sclerotized body were the dominant traits in the sediment influenced site groups. In the less disturbed site groups, filter feeding, crawling, filamentous gill, soft and exposed body, and large body size were the dominant trait attributes. These observed relationships between EPT traits and sediment stress provide support for the potential usefulness of EPT traits as indicators of fine sediment stress in riverine ecosystems.
The genus of the Erdős‐Rényi random graph and the fragile genus property
Authors: Dowden Chris , Kang Mihyun , Krivelevich Michael
Published: June 2019

We investigate the genus g(n,m) of the Erdős‐Rényi random graph G(n,m), providing a thorough description of how this relates to the function m = m(n), and finding that there is different behavior depending on which “region” m falls into.

Results already exist for
and for , and so we focus on the intermediate cases. We establish that whp (with high probability) when n ≪ m = n1 + o(1), that g(n,m) = (1 + o(1))μ(λ)m whp for a given function μ(λ) when m∼λn for , and that whp when for n2/3 ≪ s ≪ n.

We then also show that the genus of a fixed graph can increase dramatically if a small number of random edges are added. Given any connected graph with bounded maximum degree, we find that the addition of ϵn edges will whp result in a graph with genus Ω(n), even when ϵ is an arbitrarily small constant! We thus call this the “fragile genus” property.
Adaptive group‐sequential design with population enrichment in phase 3 randomized controlled trials with two binary co‐primary endpoints
Authors: Sinha Arup K. , Moye Lemuel , Piller Linda B. , Yamal Jose‐Miguel , Barcenas Carlos H. , Lin Jianchang , Davis Barry R.
Published: June 2019

The use of co‐primary endpoints in drug development allows investigators to capture an experimental intervention's multidimensional effect more comprehensively than a single primary endpoint. We propose the theoretical basis and development of an adaptive population enrichment design with co‐primary endpoints, provide stage‐wise boundary values for futility and efficacy, and discuss power under different efficacy configurations, subgroup prevalence, and analysis times using a pre‐specified decision criterion. We considered a two‐arm, two‐stage, parallel group design where population enrichment occurs at the interim analysis by dropping any non‐responsive subgroups. A test for efficacy is conducted only in the enriched population. Two binary endpoints are evaluated as co‐primary endpoints. Our trial objective is to determine whether the experimental intervention is superior to the control intervention, with superiority required in both endpoints. We define the stopping boundary using alpha spending functions. Using a 0.025 significance level for each endpoint, we obtain the stage I threshold boundary values for futility and efficacy as −0.1040 and 2.2761, respectively, and the stage II boundary value for futility and efficacy is 2.2419. We show that in the presence of substantial heterogeneity of treatment effect, we gain more power to observe an effect in the subgroup where the benefits are greater. By allowing the dropping of non‐responsive subgroups at an early stage, our design reduces the likelihood of obtaining false‐negative results due to inclusion of the heterogeneous treatment effects of both subgroups, which would dilute the responsive subgroup's results.