bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the effect of postharvest tomato temperatures on two toxigenic Alternaria spp. strains: growth, mycotoxins and cell‐wall integrity‐related gene expression
Authors: da Cruz Cabral Lucía , Rodríguez Alicia , Delgado Josué , Patriarca Andrea
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Tomato fruit is susceptible to Alternaria spp. spoilage. Correct postharvest management is necessary to prevent mold growth and mycotoxin accumulation, temperature being one of the main factors associated with these problems. The effect of different postharvest temperatures (5, 12, 25, and 35 °C) on growth, mycotoxin production, and stress‐related gene expression by two Alternaria spp. was assessed.

RESULTS

Growth rates decreased rapidly when temperature was higher than the optimum (25 °C), while a gradual reduction was detected at lower temperatures. Tenuazonic acid (TeA) was strongly synthesized at all the temperatures that were evaluated, with a maximum between 12 and 25 °C. Alternariol monomethyl ether (AME) was produced only at the two lowest temperatures, with a peak at 12 °C. Regarding the expression of the stress‐related RHO1 gene, during active fungal growth both Alternaria spp. showed more copies of the gene as temperature increased. At the stationary phase, RHO1 gene expression was significantly higher at 12 °C, coinciding with the highest accumulation of AME.

CONCLUSION

Changes in temperature related to different postharvest stages of tomato fruits markedly affect toxigenic Alternaria spp. The highest levels of both mycotoxins were recorded at 12 °C, a common storage temperature for tomato fruit. An association between alternariol biosynthesis and the cell wall integrity pathway was also noticed in relation to temperature, suggesting that temperature may act as a stressor stimulating the RHO1 gene expression, which in turn triggers this mycotoxin synthesis. These results will be useful in developing new strategies to control Alternaria spoilage efficiently in tomato fruit and by‐products. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Functional and sensory properties of pistachio nuts as affected by cultivar
Authors: Noguera‐Artiaga Luis , Salvador María D , Fregapane Giuseppe , Collado‐González Jacinta , Wojdyło Aneta , López‐Lluch David , Carbonell‐Barrachina Ángel A
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Modern agriculture allows farmers to choose among different cultivars of the same fruit to fulfill their agronomic needs and consumers' demands; however, there are only a few studies that describe and compare key functional and sensory properties of different pistachio cultivars. The main objective of this study was to compare eight pistachio cultivars by analyzing key functional properties (phenolic compounds, polymeric procyanidins, antioxidant activity, and inhibition of α‐amylase and β‐glucosidase), aromatic compounds with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), and by examining their sensory properties with a trained panel.

RESULTS

A combination of LC‐PDA‐MS‐QTof (liquid chromatography photodiode array quadrupole time‐off flight mass spectrometry) and electrospray ionization was used to determine two phenolic acids, nine flavonols, one anthocyanin, and three flavan‐3‐ols in pistachio cultivars, with a total concentration ranging from 500 to 6065 mg 100 g−1 dry weight (dw). The total polymeric procyanidins concentrations oscillated between 348 and 5919 mg 100 g−1 dw, (−)‐epicatechin being the major monomer contributor. Pinene was the most abundant volatile compound (∼200 mg kg−1 dw), and, in the sensory analysis of samples, 23 sensory attributes were found to differ significantly among the cultivars.

CONCLUSION

The cultivar ‘Larnaka’ stood out as having the best functional profile (high polyphenolic content, high antioxidant activity, and high values of α‐amylase and β‐glucosidase inhibition), and the cultivars ‘Kastel’ and ‘Kerman’ showed the most attractive sensory properties, mainly the most intense flavor. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of different strategies of Lactobacillus plantarum incorporation in chorizo sausages
Authors: Cavalheiro Carlos Pasqualin , Ruiz‐Capillas Claudia , Herrero Ana Maria , Jiménez‐Colmenero Francisco , Pintado Tatiana , de Menezes Cristiano Ragagnin , Fries Leadir Lucy Martins
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Chorizo is a high‐value Spanish‐type dry fermented sausage, highly appreciated by consumers. In this kind of product, Lactobacillus plantarum plays an important role in the fermentation process and can also be considered as a probiotic. The impact of different strategies for incorporating probiotic L. plantarum into the physico‐chemical, microbiological, and sensorial characteristics of chorizo sausages was studied. These strategies were: free cells (Cfc); alginate beads (Calg); water‐in‐oil emulsion (Cwo), and water‐in‐oil‐in‐water emulsion (Cwow). Proximate composition, weight loss, pH, aw, color, and microbiological behavior were evaluated during the ripening (20 days) of chorizo.

RESULTS

The strategy of incorporating L. plantarum significantly affected the proximate composition, pH, and aw of sausages. However, the traditional red color of chorizo was maintained for all formulations. The incorporation of probiotics as free cells or encapsulated in alginate beads resulted in higher counts of lactic acid bacteria and L. plantarum, lower counts of Enterobacteriaceae, and in acceptable sensory scores.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the quality of chorizo sausages was conditioned by the incorporation strategy, and the addition of probiotics in alginate beads (Calg) was the most effective strategy. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Content and bioavailability of trace elements and nutrients in grape pomace
Authors: Pérez Cid Benita , Muinelo Martínez María , Vázquez Vázquez Francisco A , Río Segade Susana
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

The possible agricultural use of grape pomace could be limited by the content and mobility of metals. This is influenced by many factors. In this study, the abundance and availability of heavy metals and essential nutrients were evaluated comprehensively in different grape pomace residues from winemaking of five white and red grape varieties, before and after the distillation process.

RESULTS

The total metal content found in grape pomace skins and seeds confirmed that there was greater metal accumulation in skins than in the corresponding seeds, with the exception of Ca and Mg. The enrichment of all metals (except K) during the distillation stage was confirmed by means of a significant correlation (R = 0.996, P < 0.001) between the metal content obtained in distilled and undistilled samples. Regarding availability, multivariate statistical analysis showed different behavior among elements, but a great similarity for metal mobility in both distilled and undistilled grape pomace samples and in both skins and seeds, except for Mn, Zn and Mg.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in this study suggest the potential application of these grape residues as organic fertilizers for agricultural soils, without limitations resulting from heavy metal contamination. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Effect of enzyme types on the stability of oil‐in‐water emulsions formed with rice protein hydrolysates
Authors: Pan Xin , Fang Yong , Wang Lingling , Xie Minhao , Hu Bing , Zhu Yiqing , Zhao Ermin , Pei Fei , Shen Fei , Li Peng , Shen Xinchun , Hu Qiuhui
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Common oil‐in‐water plant‐based emulsions are allergenic and unstable to environmental stress, leading to increased consumer concerns about the food industry. To solve the problem of safety and instability, we investigated the influence of environmental stress on the stability of emulsions containing various rice protein hydrolysates, and compared the performance to whey protein, a common food emulsifier.

RESULTS

Rice protein hydrolysates were obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis with different proteases (neutrase, trypsin and alcalase). We evaluated the stability of emulsions produced with different hydrolysates according to storage, pH, ionic strength and thermal processing. Trypsin hydrolysates formed emulsion as stable as emulsion containing whey protein against a range of environmental stress containing pH (pH 6 to 7), salt (< 150 mmol L–1 NaCl) and temperature (30–90 °C). Moreover, a higher partition coefficient of protein in emulsion showed that the trypsin hydrolysates were easy to adsorb at the oil–water droplet interface, indicating its higher stability.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained in the present study suggest that trypsin hydrolysates could be utilized as natural emulsifiers to stabilize emulsion instead of traditional animal‐based emulsifiers, opening many opportunities with respect to hypoallergenic emulsion systems in the food industry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Efficacy of Behavioral Couples Therapy Versus Individual Recovery Counseling for Addressing Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Women With Drug Use Disorders
Authors: Schumm Jeremiah A. , O'Farrell Timothy J. , Murphy Marie M. , Muchowski Patrice
Published: July 2019

Behavioral couples therapy (BCT) for substance use disorder shares similar intervention strategies with empirically supported couples therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Like couples‐based PTSD therapies, BCT includes interventions that may help to improve PTSD, such as increasing positive behavioral exchanges and improving communication. Studies have yet to examine whether BCT, which has demonstrated efficacy for improving substance‐related outcomes, is efficacious for reducing PTSD. We conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial comparing individually based treatment (IBT) to BCT plus IBT (BCT+IBT) for women with drug use disorders. Women in both conditions received 26 therapy sessions over 13 weeks. Women completed the PTSD Diagnostic Scale at baseline, posttreatment, and quarterly during the 1‐year follow‐up. Of the 61 women who were randomized to treatment, 51 (83.6%) reported a lifetime traumatic event. Of the 50 women who endorsed a “worst traumatic event,” 25 (50.0%) had a baseline PTSD diagnosis. The treatments did not differ on baseline PTSD severity or diagnosis. Women who received BCT+IBT had significant reductions in PTSD severity from baseline to each of four posttreatment follow‐ups, ds = 0.34–0.80; there were no changes in the IBT group. Generalized estimating equation results showed that women who received BCT+IBT had significantly lower PTSD severity during follow‐up versus those who received IBT, d = 0.35. There were no differences in the proportion of participants diagnosed with PTSD following treatment. This was the first study to show that BCT+IBT is efficacious for reducing PTSD among women with drug use disorders.
Moving Moral Injury Into the Future With Functional Contextualism: A Response to Nash's “Unpacking Two Models for Understanding Moral Injury” (2019)
Authors: Farnsworth Jacob K. , Borges Lauren M. , Walser Robyn D.
Published: July 2019

In his commentary on the Journal of Traumatic Stress special issue on moral injury (Vol. 32, Issue 3), Nash (2019) critiques both Farnsworth's (2019) descriptive–prescriptive framework for differentiating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from moral injury and Farnsworth, Drescher, Evans, and Walser's (2017) functional contextual definition of moral injury and related concepts. To make his arguments, Nash contrasts these two frameworks with the Navy and Marine Corps Combat Operational Stress Control (COSC) model wherein moral stressors are presumed to cause literal damage to intrapsychic structures. Unfortunately, in drawing his comparisons, Nash makes several misstatements that we feel are important to clarify. We respond to Nash's commentary by first identifying the proper sources for the critiqued frameworks and correctly locate Farnsworth et al.’s functional contextual definition of moral injury within the domain of third‐wave cognitive behavioral therapies. We go on to compare and contrast the respective origins of the COSC and functional contextual models, noting important differences in their intended purposes. Next, we defend our model against Nash's critiques by highlighting how a functional contextual approach to moral injury (a) links with evolutionary science, (b) captures multiple levels of analysis, (c) is parsimonious, (d) serves diverse populations, (e) directly informs interventions, (f) promotes moral humility, and (g) decreases stigma while preserving client autonomy. In our conclusion, we recognize the value of the COSC model for its intended purposes while also encouraging deep and respectful dialogue among researchers and clinicians regarding the proposed benefits of the functional contextual model of moral injury.
Slide laryngotracheoplasty for congenital subglottic stenosis in newborns and infants
Authors: Rovó László , Erdélyi Eszter , Tóbiás Zoltán , Gál Péter , Szegesdi Ilona , Sztanó Balázs , Sandu Kishore , Bach Ádám
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Subglottic stenosis is the most common laryngeal anomaly necessitating tracheostomy in early childhood. Crico‐ and laryngotracheal resection and laryngotracheal reconstruction—usually with autologous cartilage graft implantation—are the most effective treatments. These surgical techniques are obviously challenging in neonatal age and infancy. However, a reconstructive surgery performed at early age may prevent the sequel of complications.

Methods

The authors present their novel surgical method for congenital subglottic stenosis. Seven infants had inspiratory stridor; two of them had to be intubated and one required tracheostomy. Laryngotracheoscopy, CT or MRI revealed subglottic stenosis: Cotton‐Myer grade II in one, and grade III in six cases. Slide laryngotracheoplasty was performed before 5 months of age (10–130 days), with a follow‐up period of average 36 months (4–80 months). Phoniatry and quality of life questionnaire were used for evaluation of postoperative results.

Results

Slide laryngotracheoplasty in the neonatal age made the temporary tracheostomy unnecessary. All babies remained intubated for 3 to 10 days with an uncuffed tracheal tube. After extubation, no dyspnea or swallowing disorder occurred. A subjective quality of life questionnaire, laryngotracheoscopy, clinical growth charts showed satisfactory functional results.

Conclusions

Single‐stage slide laryngotracheoplasty might be a favorable solution for subglottic stenosis, even in early childhood. In one step, the airway can be maintained without stenting and tracheostomy.

Level of Evidence

4

Laryngoscope, 130:E199–E205, 2020
The effect of surgeon experience on tympanic membrane closure
Authors: Bedri Es‐hak , Worku Alemayehu , Redleaf Miriam
Published: July 2019

Objective

Review of the English language literature finds little documentation of the relation of otology or otolaryngology outcomes to a surgeon's age, years in practice, or numbers of cases previously performed. Because of one surgeon's adoption of a new tympanoplasty technique for uncomplicated tympanic membrane perforations, our institution was situated to report an example of a surgical learning curve with its outcome. Experience versus outcome is worth establishing objectively because these relationships reflect on training and certification.

Design

This retrospective review of the medical records tallied preoperative risk factors and perforation sizes for four consecutive 100‐blocks of double‐layer tympanoplasties.

Setting

An otology specialty care facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Participants

Participants were 359 patients with tympanic membrane perforations without ossicular discontinuity or erosion who underwent 400 primary simple tympanoplasties.

Intervention

A double‐layer tympanoplasty was performed in each operation using an endaural approach.

Outcome Measures

The outcomes were closure of the perforation and change in hearing.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences between the four 100‐block case cohorts in preoperative risk factors and perforation sizes. Preoperative, postoperative, and change of hearing were also the same between the four groups; and statistically there was no significant difference between the four 100‐block cohorts. Perforation closure for each successive 100‐block increased from 74% to 98%. The closure rates of the second, third, and fourth 100‐block were each statistically significantly different from the first 100‐block, but not from each other.

Conclusion

This simple study demonstrates the surgical learning curve with increased surgeon experience, and is one of very few such documentations. With each additional 100 cases, the outcomes improved, and sheds light on the numbers of cases necessary for competency.

Level of Evidence

3
TASP1 mutation in a female with craniofacial anomalies, anterior segment dysgenesis, congenital immunodeficiency and macrocytic anemia
Authors: Balkin Daniel M. , Poranki Menitha , Forester Craig M. , Dorsey Morna J. , Slavotinek Anne , Pomerantz Jason H.
Published: July 2019

Background

Threonine Aspartase 1 (Taspase 1) is a highly conserved site‐specific protease whose substrates are broad‐acting nuclear transcription factors that govern diverse biological programs, such as organogenesis, oncogenesis, and tumor progression. To date, no single base pair mutations in Taspase 1 have been implicated in human disease.

Methods

A female infant with a new pattern of diagnostic abnormalities was identified, including severe craniofacial anomalies, anterior and posterior segment dysgenesis, immunodeficiency, and macrocytic anemia. Trio‐based whole exome sequencing was performed to identify disease‐causing variants.

Results

Whole exome sequencing revealed a normal female karyotype (46,XX) without increased regions of homozygosity. The proband was heterozygous for a de novo missense variant, c.1027G>A predicting p.(Val343Met), in the TASP1 gene (NM_017714.2). This variant has not been observed in population databases and is predicted to be deleterious.

Conclusion

One human patient has been reported previously with a large TASP1 deletion and substantial evidence exists regarding the role of several known Taspase 1 substrates in human craniofacial and hematopoietic disorders. Moreover, Taspase 1 deficiency in mice results in craniofacial, ophthalmological and structural brain defects. Taken together, there exists substantial evidence to conclude that the TASP1 variant, p.(Val343Met), is pathogenic in this patient.
Skin fibroblasts of patients with geleophysic dysplasia due to FBN1 mutations have lysosomal inclusions and losartan improves their microfibril deposition defect
Authors: Piccolo Pasquale , Sabatino Valeria , Mithbaokar Pratibha , Polishchuk Elena , Hicks John , Polishchuk Roman , Bacino Carlos A. , Brunetti‐Pierri Nicola
Published: July 2019

Background

Geleophysic dysplasia (GPHYSD) is a disorder characterized by dysmorphic features, stiff joints and cardiac involvement due to defects of TGF‐β signaling. GPHYSD can be caused by mutations in FBN1, ADAMTLS2, and LTBP3 genes.

Methods and Results

Consistent with previous reports, we found intracellular inclusions of unknown material by electron microscopy (EM) in skin fibroblasts of two GPHYSD individuals carrying FBN1 mutations. Moreover, we found that the storage material is enclosed within lysosomes and is associated with the upregulation of several lysosomal genes. Treatment of GPHYSD fibroblasts carrying FBN1 mutations with the angiotensin II receptor type 1 inhibitor losartan that inhibits TGF‐β signaling did not reduce the storage but improved the extracellular deposition of fibrillin‐1 microfibrils.

Conclusion

Losartan is a promising candidate drug for treatment of GPHYSD due to FBN1 defects.
Provider organization in North Carolina seeks to establish major research center
Authors: Enos Gary
Published: July 2019

The challenges inherent in successfully treating major mental illnesses always have provider organizations looking to identify additional treatment options. Leaders of North Carolina's largest outpatient behavioral health organization have decided to prioritize this effort by stepping up its clinical research initiatives, via a multiyear partnership agreement with a research organization.
Automatic liver segmentation by integrating fully convolutional networks into active contour models
Authors: Guo Xiaotao , Schwartz Lawrence H. , Zhao Binsheng
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Automatic and accurate three‐dimensional (3D) segmentation of liver with severe diseases from computed tomography (CT) images is a challenging task. Fully convolutional networks (FCNs) have emerged as powerful tools for automatic semantic segmentation, with multiple potential applications in medical imaging. However, the use of a large receptive field and multiple pooling layers in the network leads to poor localization around object boundaries. The network usually makes pixel‐wise prediction independently, making it difficult to respect local label consistency and enforce the smoothness of the object boundary.

Methods

We have developed an automatic liver segmentation method based on a novel framework that integrates fully convolutional network predictions into active contour models (ACM). We use only a single network architecture to generate a pixel label map containing spatial regional information (foreground and background) as well as layered boundary information. We exploit the structured network outcome to define an external constraint force of active contour models. A unique property of the designed force is that both its strength and direction are adaptive to its position and relative distance to the object boundary. The resulting integrated active contour models have the advantages of incorporating both high‐level and low‐level image information simultaneously, while enforcing the smoothness of the contour. Because the external constraint force can push the evolving contour to the liver boundary and exists everywhere in the image domain, it allows us to place the initial contour far away from the liver boundary. It potentially allows us to control the evolution of the contour in order to preserve the topology of the liver.

Results

We have trained and evaluated our model on 73 liver CT scans from a clinic study. The integrated ACM model yields mean dice coefficients (DICE) 95.8 ± 1.4 (%). Without further fine‐tuning the network weights for two independent datasets, it yields mean DICE 96.2 ± 0.9 (%) for the SLIVER07 training dataset, and mean DICE 94.3 ± 2.7 (%) for the LiTS training dataset. In comparison with FCN alone model, the integrated ACM model yields improvements in terms of surface distance and DICE values for almost all the cases. Furthermore, the initialization of the active contour can be very far away from the liver boundary.

Conclusions

Experimental results for segmenting livers (with severe diseases on CT images resulting in shape and density abnormalities) have revealed that our proposed model improves segmentation results in comparison with FCN alone. Without further fine‐tuning the network weights for two independent datasets, the model is capable of handling image variations from different datasets due to its inherent deformable nature. It is relatively easy to integrate more advanced (either existing or future) FCN architecture into our framework to further improve the segmentation performance.
Clinical safety assessment of the Halcyon system
Authors: Pawlicki Todd , Atwood Todd , McConnell Kristen , Kim Gwe-Ya
Published: July 2019

Purpose

The Halcyon consists of precommissioned linear accelerator and treatment planning algorithms that were designed to simplify the acceptance, commissioning, and clinical workflow for image‐guided intensity‐modulated radiotherapy. The purpose of this work was to perform a comprehensive safety assessment for the clinical use of the Halcyon.

Methods

Systems‐Theoretic Process Analysis was used as the safety assessment tool. As part of the analysis, a number of control loops and control actions are created to describe system function. Safety is assessed by determining unsafe control actions and a corresponding list of causal scenarios that leads to accidents. The scope of the analysis was from the acceptance of the Halcyon to routine patient treatments. All aspects of treating patients were considered including the roles of physicians, physicists, dosimetrists, and therapists. The analysis was completed by four physicists with input from other members of the radiation therapy team. The causal scenarios were summarized using the causality categories from the consensus recommendations for incident learning database structures in radiation oncology (Med Phys, Vol. 39, No. 12, Dec 2012).

Results

Twenty‐three (23) control loops containing 52 control actions were created for the clinical use of the Halcyon. One hundred forty‐four (144) unsafe control actions were identified with 385 associated causal scenarios. Twenty‐seven percent (27%) of the causal scenarios were related to equipment technical issues, while 73% of the causal scenarios were predominantly related to procedural issues, human behavior, and organizational management.

Conclusions

For routine clinical use of closed or largely automated radiation therapy equipment, the majority of safety concerns is related to nontechnical issues. The Halcyon and other similar systems may present opportunities to streamline, reduce, or eliminate some traditional equipment commissioning and routine quality assurance activities in exchange for an increased focus on issues related to organizational management, procedures, and human behavior.
A mixed finite element for the nonlinear analysis of in‐plane loaded masonry walls
Authors: Nodargi Nicola A. , Bisegna Paolo
Published: July 2019

A mixed membrane eight‐node quadrilateral finite element for the analysis of masonry walls is presented. Assuming that a nonlinear and history‐dependent 2D stress‐strain constitutive law is used to model masonry material, the element derivation is based on a Hu‐Washizu variational statement, involving displacement, strain, and stress fields as primary variables. As the behavior of masonry structures is often characterized by strain localization phenomena, due to strain softening at material level, a discontinuous, piecewise constant interpolation of the strain field is considered at element level, to capture highly nonlinear strain spatial distributions also within finite elements. Newton's method of solution is adopted for the element state determination problem. For avoiding pathological sensitivity to the finite element mesh, a novel algorithm is proposed to perform an integral‐type nonlocal regularization of the constitutive equations in the present mixed formulation. By the comparison with competing serendipity displacement‐based formulation, numerical simulations prove high performances of the proposed finite element, especially when coarse meshes are adopted.
Nurses’ contribution to relatives’ involvement in neurorehabilitation: Facilitators and barriers
Authors: Guldager Rikke , Willis Karen , Larsen Kristian , Poulsen Ingrid
Published: July 2019

Aim

The aim of the present study was to identify possible facilitators and barriers that differently positioned relatives are facing when being actively involved in the rehabilitation process of patients with traumatic brain injury.

Design

A qualitative secondary analysis of data from a qualitative study.

Methods

Data comprised participant observations and semi‐structured interviews with relatives of patients with traumatic brain injury. Data were analysed using a qualitative content analysis.

Results

Three exemplary cases illustrate how relatives’ differential and unequal resources function as facilitators and barriers. Facilitators for involvement are as follows: participating in nursing care situations, the possibility for being present during hospitalization, the relationship with the providers, experience with illness, dedication and proactivity. Contrary, being reactive, non‐participating in nursing care situations, unable to express own wants and needs, and minimal flexibility from workplace are barriers to involvement.
Dynamics of novel polybutadiene ionomers
Authors: Hemmer James R. , Mason Brian P. , Casalini Riccardo
Published: July 2019

The dynamics of novel ionomers based on a low‐molecular‐weight polybutadiene with zinc acrylate moieties were investigated as a function of the number of ionic bonds by using a combination of calorimetry, dielectric broadband spectroscopy and rheology. We find that the ionic bonds have profound effects on the mechanical properties, including the introduction of a sol–gel transition. However, all techniques consistently indicate that the segmental dynamics of the polymer chains remain largely unaffected, and only very small changes in the glass transition were observed. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2019,57, 1074–1079
Collapse Transition‐Assisted Crystallization in P3HT Solution
Authors: Sun Lei , Zhao Jingnan , Huang Weiheng , Chen Xiaowei , Zhang Wenhua , Ding Yanwei , Li Liangbin
Published: July 2019

Understanding the multiple phase transitions such as collapse transition, phase separation, and crystallization in solutions is of fundamental importance to control the solution structure of conjugated polymers in device processing. Combining in situ synchrotron radiation small and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering, ultrasensitive differential scanning calorimetry, ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy, and polarized optical microscopy, we investigate the order–disorder transitions in poly(3‐hexylthiophene)/toluene solutions during cooling and heating processes. We demonstrate the occurrence of collapse transition of polymer chains from a random coil state to a lower dimensional network prior to the onset of crystallization during cooling in solution. This conformational preordering can lead to the formation of a lyotropic liquid crystalline phase, which is of great significance to the crystallization and ordering in polymer films, and further to promote its electric performance. It is examined that the mobility of films cast from chain‐collapsed solutions can be one order of magnitude higher than that from isotropic solutions with random‐coiled conformations. Thus, the conformational preordering in solutions is proposed to be a more efficient way than the postannealing of films to improve the electric performance of conjugated polymer films. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2019, 57, 1105–1114
Stability and change of postchemotherapy symptoms in relation to optimism and subjective stress: A prospective study of breast cancer survivors
Authors: Cohen Miri , Levkovich Inbar , Pollack Shimon , Fried Georgeta
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Inconsistent findings were reported about the course of postchemotherapy symptoms; specifically, the effect of changes in optimism and perception of subjective stress on the evolution of symptoms remains understudied. This prospective study aimed (a) to examine the course of postchemotherapy symptoms of emotional distress, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties among breast cancer survivors and (2) to assess the effect of changes in optimism and subjective stress on the trajectory of these symptoms.

Methods

Ninety‐eight breast cancer survivors, diagnosed at stages I to III, aged 30 to 74, recruited consecutively (response rate 84.7%) completed fatigue, emotional distress, self‐reported cognitive difficulties, optimism, and subjective stress questionnaires at three points in time: upon enrollment (1‐6 months after completing treatment, Time 1) posttreatment, 6 months (Time 2), and 12 months (Time 3). A linear mixed‐effects model was used to analyze the data.

Results

Emotional distress decreased between time‐points, level of cognitive difficulties remained stable, and a marginal decrease in fatigue was evident. Optimism or subjective stress predicted changes in each of the symptoms (P<.01), except for the effect of optimism on cognitive difficulties (P=.06). The interactions between time and optimism and between time and subjective stress were only significant regarding their effect on emotional distress (P<.05), showing that the strongest effect of these variables was at Time 2.

Conclusion

The course of postchemotherapy symptoms shows patterns of stability and change over a 1‐year period. Optimism and subjective perceptions of stress were shown to affect the decrease of symptoms. Therefore, these two factors should be specifically targeted in psycho‐social interventions.
Homolog comparisons further reconcile in vitro and in vivo correlations of protein activities by revealing over‐looked physiological factors
Authors: Tungtur Sudheer , Schwingen Kristen M. , Riepe Joshua J. , Weeramange Chamitha J. , Swint‐Kruse Liskin
Published: July 2019

To bridge biological and biochemical disciplines, the relationship between in vitro protein biochemical function and in vivo activity must be established. Such studies can (a) help determine whether properties measured in simple, dilute solutions extrapolate to the complex in vivo conditions and (b) illuminate cryptic biological factors that are new avenues for study. We have explored the in vivo–in vitro relationship for chimeras built from LacI/GalR transcription regulators. In prior studies of individual chimeras, amino acid changes that altered in vitro DNA binding affinity exhibited correlated changes in in vivo transcription repression. However, discrepancies arose when the two datasets were compared to each other: Although their DNA binding domains were identical and their in vitro binding affinities spanned the same range, their in vivo repression ranges differed by >50‐fold. Here, we determined that the presence of endogenous ligand for one chimera further exacerbated the offset, but that different abilities to simultaneously bind and “loop” two DNA operators resolves the discrepancy. Indeed, results suggest that the lac operon can be looped by even weakly interacting repressor dimers. For looping‐competent repressors, we measured in vitro binding to the secondary operator. Surprisingly, this was largely insensitive to amino acid changes in the repressor protein, which reflects altered specificity; this supports the emerging view that the locations of specificity determining positions can be unique to each protein homolog. In aggregate, this work illustrates how a comparative approach can enrich understanding of the in vivo–in vitro relationship and suggest unexpected avenues for future study.
Expect the unexpected when thinking extreme weather
Authors: Sanders Roy E.
Published: July 2019

I had the pleasure of being on a ride out crew within a large 650 acre chemical manufacturing facility for Hurricane Rita in September 2005. It sure was a team building experience. Despite the passage of time, I have some vivid memories to share, including some unexpected wrinkles.
Tunable Organic Polymer/Inorganic Silicon Diode Using an Ionic Liquid Gel Gate Dielectric
Authors: Rijos Luis M. , Pinto Nicholas J.
Published: July 2019

A diode is fabricated using poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly(styrene sulfonic acid) (PEDOT‐PSS) and n‐doped Si. Using an ionic liquid (IL) gel as the gate dielectric, the diode rectification ratio is tunable up to four orders of magnitude at very low operating voltages. Both p–n and Schottky type diodes are observed in the same device depending on the polarity of the gate voltage. IL‐gated electrostatic/electrochemical doping in PEDOT‐PSS is believed to be responsible for this switch. The turn‐on voltage in the first quadrant of the current–voltage (I–V) curve for the p–n diode is in the range 0.2–0.4 V. The Schottky diode operates in the third quadrant. This is the first report on a tunable diode using an IL to control its operation, and the low operating voltages make these diodes excellent candidates for use in reduced power consumption electronics.
Electronic Structure, Optical, and Magnetic Properties of Mn100−xGex (x = 20, 25, and 30) Alloys Near Tetragonal–Orthorhombic Structural Phase Transition
Authors: Dash Shubhra , Patra Ajit K. , Vasundhara M. , Lukoyanov Alexey V. , Baglasov Evgenii D. , Knyazev Yury V. , Kuz'min Yury I. , Shreder Elena I.
Published: July 2019

Electronic, structural, optical, and magnetic properties of the Mn100−xGex alloys for x = 20, 25, and 30 are investigated near a tetragonal–orthorhombic structural phase transition. In the electronic structure calculations, the ferrimagnetic ground state is found which is in excellent agreement with the experimental observation of magnetic properties. The calculations reveal that the main contribution to the optical absorption is associated with the electronic transitions in the system of 3d manganese bands, these states significantly change near the Fermi energy. The optical conductivity of the alloys is also transformed with an increase of the low‐energy absorption values near structural phase transition due to the enhanced electronic transitions. Among different compositions of the studied Mn–Ge, the highest magnetization is observed for Mn70Ge30 whereas highest coercivity is observed for the Mn75Ge25 alloy. High coercivity can be ascribed to the highest magneto‐crystalline anisotropy of the sample whereas high magnetization of Mn70Ge30 can be due to the presence of a hexagonal ferromagnetic phase with higher magnetization. The effect of Mn–Ge composition on the structural phase transition and its relationship with the electronic structure, optical, and magnetic properties may allow for better designing of new Heusler alloys for various customized applications.
Competing failure analysis considering cascading functional dependence and random failure propagation time
Authors: Zhao Guilin , Xing Liudong
Published: July 2019

Functional dependence (FDEP) exists in many real‐world systems, where the failure of one component (trigger) causes other components (dependent components) within the same system to become isolated (inaccessible or unusable). The FDEP behavior complicates the system reliability analysis because it can cause competing failure effects in the time domain. Existing works have assumed noncascading FDEP, where each system component can be a trigger or a dependent component, but not both. However, in practical systems with hierarchical configurations, cascading FDEP takes place where a system component can play a dual role as both a trigger and a dependent component simultaneously. Such a component causes correlations among different FDEP groups, further complicating the system reliability analysis. Moreover, the existing works mostly assume that any failure propagation originating from a system component instantaneously takes effect, which is often not true in practical scenarios. In this work, we propose a new combinatorial method for the reliability analysis of competing systems subject to cascading FDEP and random failure propagation time. The method is hierarchical and flexible without limitations on the type of time‐to‐failure distributions for system components. A detailed case study is performed on a sensor system used in smart home applications to illustrate the proposed methodology.
Tandem mass spectrometric analysis of novel caffeine scaffold‐based bifunctional compounds for Parkinson's disease
Authors: Nwabufo Chukwunonso K. , El‐Aneed Anas , Krol Ed S.
Published: July 2019

Rationale

Novel bifunctional compounds composed of a caffeine scaffold attached to nicotine (C8‐6‐N), 1‐aminoindan (C8‐6‐I), or caffeine (C8‐6‐C8) were designed as therapeutics or diagnostics for Parkinson's disease (PD). In order to probe their pharmacological and toxicological profile, an appropriate analytical method is required. The goal of this study is to establish a tandem mass spectrometric fingerprint for the development of quantitative and qualitative methods that will aid future assessment of the in vitro and in vivo absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion (ADME) and pharmacokinetic properties of these lead bifunctional compounds for PD.

Methods

Accurate mass measurement was performed using a hybrid quadrupole orthogonal time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer while multistage MS/MS and MS3 analyses were conducted using a triple quadrupole linear ion trap mass spectrometer. Both instruments are equipped with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source and were operated in the positive ion mode. The source and compound parameters were optimized for all three tested bifunctional compounds.

Results

The MS/MS analysis indicates that the fragmentation of C8‐6‐N and C8‐6‐I is driven by the dissociation of the nicotine and 1‐aminoindan moieties, respectively, but not caffeine. A significant observation in the MS/MS fragmentation of C8‐6‐C8 suggests that a previously reported loss of acetaldehyde during caffeine dissociation is instead a loss of CO2.

Conclusions

The collision‐induced tandem mass spectrometry (CID‐MS/MS) analysis of these novel bifunctional compounds revealed compound‐specific diagnostic product ions and neutral losses for all three tested bifunctional compounds. The established MS/MS fingerprint will be applied to the future development of qualitative and quantitative methods.
Organic Solar Cells Based on the Aggregate of Synthetic Chlorophyll Derivative with over 5% Efficiency
Authors: Duan Shengnan , Zhou Qiang , Dall'Agnese Chunxiang , Chen Gang , Wang Xiao-Feng , Tamiaki Hitoshi , Sakai Kotowa , Ikeuchi Toshitaka , Sasaki Shin-ichi
Published: July 2019

The power conversion efficiency (PCE) of chlorophyll (Chl)‐based organic solar cells (OSCs) is generally about 2%. Herein, a Chl‐a derivative (CHL) and [6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) are successfully used to fabricate Chl‐based OSCs with PCE over 5%. Two different preparation methods are used to prepare the active layer: 1) two‐step spin‐coating the self‐aggregated CHL and PC71BM solutions sequentially and 2) one‐step spin‐coating the solution of CHL:PC71BM blends, forming the “bilayer” (BL) and traditional bulk heterojunction (BHJ) configurations, respectively. Based on the aforementioned two kinds of active‐layer preparation methods, both inverted and regular types of OSCs are successfully investigated. All four types of devices work normally, which is likely due to the ambipolar characteristics of the CHL aggregate. Unexpectedly, the BL‐based devices yield PCEs of 5.17% for the regular type and 5.19% for the inverted type, which are higher than those of the BHJ‐based devices (3.96% for the regular type and 3.50% for the inverted type). The main improvement in PCEs of BL‐based devices comes from the enhanced short‐circuit currents, which is due to the decreased charge transfer resistance and enlarged photocurrent contribution of PC71BM as well as slightly enhanced electron and hole mobilities.
More models for lepton mixing with four constraints
Authors: Jurčiukonis Darius , Lavoura Luís
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We propose new lepton-mixing textures that may be enforced through well-defined symmetries in renormalizable models. Each of our textures has four sum rules for the neutrino mass observables. The models are based on the type-I seesaw mechanism; their charged-lepton mass matrices are diagonal because of the symmetries imposed. Each model has three versions, depending on the identification of the charged leptons. Testing all the models, we have found that five of them agree with the data at the 1σ level when the neutrino-mass ordering is normal, and two models agree with the data for an inverted ordering. We detail the predictions of each of those seven models.
Building magnetic hysteresis in holography
Authors: Kim Kyung Kiu , Kim Keun-Young , Seo Yunseok , Sin Sang-Jin
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We study the spontaneous magnetization and the magnetic hysteresis using the gauge/gravity duality. We first propose a novel and general formula to compute the magnetization in a large class of holographic models. By using this formula, we compute the spontaneous magnetization in a model like a holographic superconductor. Furthermore, we turn on the external magnetic field and build the hysteresis curve of magnetization and charge density. To our knowledge, this is the first holographic model realizing the hysteresis accompanied with spontaneous symmetry breaking.
ΔACP within the Standard Model and beyond
Authors: Chala Mikael , Lenz Alexander , Rusov Aleksey V. , Scholtz Jakub
Published: July 2019

Abstract

In light of the recent LHCb observation of CP violation in the charm sector, we review standard model (SM) predictions in the charm sector and in particular for ΔA
CP. We get as an upper bound in the SM |ΔA
CP
SM
| ≤ 3.6 × 10−4, which can be compared to the measurement of ΔA
CP
LHCb2019
= (−15.4 ± 2.9) × 10−4. We discuss resolving this tension within an extension of the SM that includes a flavour violating Z′ that couples only to

$$ \overline{s}s $$

s
¯

s

and

$$ \overline{c}u $$

c
¯

u

. We show that for masses below 80 GeV and flavour violating coupling of the order of 10−4, this model can successfully resolve the tension and avoid constraints from dijet searches, D
0 −

$$ {\overline{D}}^0 $$

D
¯

0

mixing and measurements of the Z width.
Light hidden photon production in high energy collisions
Authors: Demidov S. , Gninenko S. , Gorbunov D.
Published: July 2019

Abstract

The visible and dark sectors of particle physics can be connected via the kinetic mixing between the ordinary (γ) and hidden photon (γ

′
). If the latter is light its production in high energy collisions of ordinary particles occurs via the γ − γ

′
oscillations similarly to the neutrino processes. Generically, the experiments are insensitive to mass of the hidden photon, if it is lighter than 1 MeV, and it does not decay into e
+
e
−-pair. Still, one can use the missing energy and scattering off the detector as signatures to search for light hidden photon. Presence of media suppresses production of the light vectors making the experiments insensitive to the entire model. In media the light hidden photon production is typically suppressed due to the dump of the γ − γ

′
oscillations making the experiments insensitive to the entire model. We present analytic formulas for the light hidden photon production, propagation and detection valid for searches at colliders and beam-target experiments and apply them to estimate the impact on the sensitivities of NA64, FASER, MATHUSLA, SHiP, T2K, DUNE and NA62 for the background-free case.