bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Generalizable, Data-Driven Approach to Predict Daily Risk ofClostridium difficileInfection at Two Large Academic Health Centers
Authors: Oh Jeeheh , Makar Maggie , Fusco Christopher , McCaffrey Robert , Rao Krishna , Ryan Erin E. , Washer Laraine , West Lauren R. , Young Vincent B. , Guttag John , Hooper David C. , Shenoy Erica S. , Wiens Jenna
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVE

An estimated 293,300 healthcare-associated cases ofClostridium difficileinfection (CDI) occur annually in the United States. To date, research has focused on developing risk prediction models for CDI that work well across institutions. However, this one-size-fits-all approach ignores important hospital-specific factors. We focus on a generalizable method for building facility-specific models. We demonstrate the applicability of the approach using electronic health records (EHR) from the University of Michigan Hospitals (UM) and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).

METHODS

We utilized EHR data from 191,014 adult admissions to UM and 65,718 adult admissions to MGH. We extracted patient demographics, admission details, patient history, and daily hospitalization details, resulting in 4,836 features from patients at UM and 1,837 from patients at MGH. We used L2 regularized logistic regression to learn the models, and we measured the discriminative performance of the models on held-out data from each hospital.

RESULTS

Using the UM and MGH test data, the models achieved area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values of 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80–0.84) and 0.75 ( 95% CI, 0.73–0.78), respectively. Some predictive factors were shared between the 2 models, but many of the top predictive factors differed between facilities.

CONCLUSION

A data-driven approach to building models for estimating daily patient risk for CDI was used to build institution-specific models at 2 large hospitals with different patient populations and EHR systems. In contrast to traditional approaches that focus on developing models that apply across hospitals, our generalizable approach yields risk-stratification models tailored to an institution. These hospital-specific models allow for earlier and more accurate identification of high-risk patients and better targeting of infection prevention strategies.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2018;39:425–433
Accuracy of Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor using a coherent wound fibre image bundle
Authors: Zheng Jessica R. , Goodwin Michael , Lawrence Jon
Published: March 2018

Shack–Hartmannwavefront sensors using wound fibre image bundles are desired for multi-object adaptive optical systems to provide large multiplex positioned by Starbugs. The use of a large-sized wound fibre image bundle provides the flexibility to use more sub-apertures wavefront sensor for ELTs. These compact wavefront sensors take advantage of large focal surfaces such as the Giant Magellan Telescope. The focus of this paper is to study the wound fibre image bundle structure defects effect on the centroid measurement accuracy of a Shack–Hartmann wavefront sensor. We use the first moment centroid method to estimate the centroid of a focused Gaussian beam sampled by a simulated bundle. Spot estimation accuracy with wound fibre image bundle and its structure impact on wavefront measurement accuracy statistics are addressed. Our results show that when the measurement signal-to-noise ratio is high, the centroid measurement accuracy is dominated by the wound fibre image bundle structure, e.g. tile angle and gap spacing. For the measurement with low signal-to-noise ratio, its accuracy is influenced by the read noise of the detector instead of the wound fibre image bundle structure defects. We demonstrate this both with simulation and experimentally. We provide a statistical model of the centroid and wavefront error of a wound fibre image bundle found through experiment.
Genetic risk for neuroticism predicts emotional health depending on childhood adversity
Authors: Lehto Kelli , Karlsson Ida , Lundholm Cecilia , Pedersen Nancy L.
Published: March 2018

Background

Existing evidence for gene × environment interaction (G × E) in neuroticism largely relies on candidate gene studies, although neuroticism is highly polygenic. This study aimed to investigate the long-term associations between polygenic risk scores for neuroticism (PRSN), objective childhood adversity and their interplay on emotional health aspects such as neuroticism itself, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, loneliness and life satisfaction.

Methods

The sample consisted of reared-apart (TRA) and reared-together (TRT) middle- and old age twins (N= 699; median age at separation = 2). PRSNwere created under ninepvalue cut-off thresholds (pT-s) and thepTwith the highest degree of neuroticism variance explained was chosen for subsequent analyses. Linear regressions were used to assess the associations between PRSN, childhood adversity (being reared apart) and emotional health. G × E was further investigated using a discordant twin design.

Results

PRSNexplained up to 1.7% (pT< 0.01) of phenotypic neuroticism in the total sample. Analyses across two separation groups revealed substantial heterogeneity in the variance explained by PRSN; 4.3% was explained in TRT, but almost no effect was observed in TRA. Similarly, PRSNexplained 4% and 1.7% of the variance in depressive symptoms and loneliness, respectively, only in TRT. A significant G × E interaction was identified for depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

By taking advantage of a unique sample of adopted twins, we demonstrated the presence of G × E in neuroticism and emotional health using PRSNand childhood adversity. Our results may indicate that genome-wide association studies are detecting genetic main effects associated with neuroticism, but not those susceptible to early environmental influences.
Change or stability in the structure of interest group networks? Evidence from Scottish Public Policy Consultations
Authors: Ackland Robert , Halpin Darren R.
Published: March 2018

Scholars have hotly debated the structure of group engagement in policymaking. Two aspects of this conversation are examined here. First, some claim that the “explosion” of organised interests brings with it increasing fragmentation but also policy “balkanisation”. Others suggest increasing fragmentation, but with overlap between subsectors. A second area of this debate concerns the existence and number of “central” or “core” groups. Although existing studies show that, in aggregate, there is no more policy specialisation among United Kingdom organised interests, we do not know whether this means that there are fewer or more central groups. In this article, we utilise public policy consultations in Scotland over a continuous 25-year period, and the tools of network analysis, to examine the above propositions. We find that the expanding system of policy consultation is not associated with more balkanisation or with a decline of central policy actors that span policy communities.
Cortisol, cortisone, and BDNF in amniotic fluid in the second trimester of pregnancy: Effect of early life and current maternal stress and socioeconomic status
Authors: Deuschle Michael , Hendlmeier Ferdinand , Witt Stephanie , Rietschel Marcella , Gilles Maria , Sánchez-Guijo Alberto , Fañanas Lourdes , Hentze Sabine , Wudy Stefan A. , Hellweg Rainer
Published: March 2018

The prenatal environment shapes the offspring's phenotype; moreover, transgenerational stress and stress during pregnancy may play a role. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glucocorticoids influence neurodevelopment during pregnancy, and there is evidence that BDNF in amniotic fluid is mainly of fetal origin, while the source of glucocorticoids is maternal. We tested the hypothesis that maternal early life stress, psychiatric diagnoses, anxiety, perceived stress, and socioeconomic status influence BDNF and glucocorticoid concentrations in amniotic fluid in the second trimester. We studied 79 pregnant women who underwent amniocentesis in the early second trimester and analyzed BDNF, cortisol, and cortisone concentrations in amniotic fluid. The endocrine data were related to maternal early life adversities (Childhood Trauma Questionaire), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), anxiety, socioeconomic status (family income), and the presence of psychiatric diseases. We found BDNF in amniotic fluid to be positively related to maternal early adversity (Childhood Trauma Questionaire). Low family income (socioeconomic status) was related to high amniotic fluid glucocorticoid concentrations. Neither glucocorticoid concentrations nor hydroxy steroid dehydrogenase (HSD2) activity could be related to BDNF concentrations in amniotic fluid. Early maternal adverse events may be reflected in the fetal BDNF regulation, and it should be tested whether this relates to differences in neurodevelopment.
THE BROWSING VICTORIAN READER
Authors: Allen Christie
Published: March 2018

John Stuart Mill famously writesin hisAutobiography(1873) that reading William Wordsworth's poetry brought him relief when he was depressed. Exhausted by the “habit of analysis” instilled in him through his father's rigorous educational program, Mill recalls that “the state of my thoughts and feelings made the fact of my reading Wordsworth for the first time . . . an important event in my life” (137, 146; ch. 5). He describes how he “took up the collection of [Wordsworth's] poems from curiosity, with no expectation of mental relief from it,” but fortuitously found “the precise thing for [his] mental wants at that particular juncture,” the delightful “states of feeling” the poems conjure in their renderings of beauty (146-48; ch. 5).
FASHION, FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE, AND THE VICTORIAN NOVEL: THE VERSATILE CASE OFBLEAK HOUSE
Authors: Li Sumiao
Published: March 2018

That an advertisement onfashionable clothing should reference a novel which ostensibly satirizes the world of fashion is not as striking as it seems. It points toward the affinity between clothes/body making and novel/book production, an affinity widely attested to in contemporary literature. An 1836Court Magazinepiece, for instance, puts it like this:

FASHION in books may now be said to fluctuate as frequently as fashion in bonnets, and a monthly commentary on the changes in literarymodes, might just as well be circulated as a periodical magazine of fashion in dress. We might express ourselves thus: – “One of the metropolitan publishers has introduced elegantnoveltiesin the way of townprints, produced with small neatplates, judiciousgatherings, and a becomingbinding. . . .” (“The Vicissitudes of a Silver Tea-Pot” 68)

For this writer and many others, book production and bonnet making can be talked about in very many of the same terms – modes, novelties, prints, plates – not the least because they are underwritten by the same language, or rather subjected to the same rule, of “FASHION.” Fashion – mostly but not always with a capitalized F and tautologically conceived of as that which makes it fashionable – has become such a paradigmatic driving force in modern England that anti-fashion functions as the shortest, most direct route to be in: an advertising strategy deployed by companies like Moses and Son in a rhetoric that makes full use of the fluidity of language to circulate everything back to the magnetic space constituted by polar opposites.
CHRISTINA ROSSETTI'S RADICAL OBJECTIVITY
Authors: Miller Ashley
Published: March 2018

For decades now, ChristinaRossetti's poetry has proven to be a rich vantage point from which to explore the complexity of Victorian attitudes toward the material world. This is certainly true of her most famous poem, “Goblin Market.” Deliciously steeped in the sensual experiences it simultaneously condemns, “Goblin Market” is a poem invested – ambiguously, for most critics – in the relationship between humans and material things: the things they buy, look at, feel, taste. This is a relationship we tend to consider in terms of commodity culture and economic exchange. And such a reading makes sense: Rossetti's poem, a tale of two sisters whose domesticity is disrupted by the tramp of mysterious goblin men selling fruit from unknown climes, grapples in many ways with these exact terms. Laura (who barters a lock of hair for the goblin fruit and then begins to waste away from an insatiable appetite) and Lizzie (who saves her sister by bringing home an antidote in the form of fruit juice, which she herself has refused to consume) seem to embody the potential dangers faced by the female consumer. Indeed, so much has been written about the relationship between women and consumer culture in “Goblin Market” that it nearly qualifies as its own subfield in Victorian studies.
Reducing meat consumption in the USA: a nationally representative survey of attitudes and behaviours
Authors: Neff Roni A , Edwards Danielle , Palmer Anne , Ramsing Rebecca , Righter Allison , Wolfson Julia
Published: March 2018

Objective

Excess meat consumption, particularly of red and processed meats, is associated with nutritional and environmental health harms. While only a small portion of the population is vegetarian, surveys suggest many Americans may be reducing their meat consumption. To inform education campaigns, more information is needed about attitudes, perceptions, behaviours and foods eaten in meatless meals.

Design

A web-based survey administered in April 2015 assessed meat reduction behaviours, attitudes, what respondents ate in meatless meals and sociodemographic characteristics.

Setting

Nationally representative, web-based survey in the USA.

Subjects

US adults (n1112) selected from GfK Knowledgeworks’ 50 000-member online panel. Survey weights were used to assure representativeness.

Results

Two-thirds reported reducing meat consumption in at least one category over three years, with reductions of red and processed meat most frequent. The most common reasons for reduction were cost and health; environment and animal welfare lagged. Non-meat reducers commonly agreed with statements suggesting that meat was healthy and ‘belonged’ in the diet. Vegetables were most often consumed ‘always’ in meatless meals, but cheese/dairy was also common. Reported meat reduction was most common among those aged 45–59 years and among those with lower incomes.

Conclusions

The public and environmental health benefits of reducing meat consumption create a need for campaigns to raise awareness and contribute to motivation for change. These findings provide rich information to guide intervention development, both for the USA and other high-income countries that consume meat in high quantities.
Caregiver perceptions of children’s linear growth in Bangladesh: a qualitative analysis
Authors: Hossain Muttaquina , Ickes Scott , Rice Lauren , Ritter Gaelen , Naila Nurun Nahar , Zia Tasnia , Nahar Baitun , Mahfuz Mustafa , Denno Donna M , Ahmed Tahmeed , Walson Judd
Published: March 2018

Objective

To understand caregivers’ perceptions of children’s linear growth and to identify the cultural meanings and perceptions of risk associated with poor height attainment.

Design

Three investigators from Bangladesh conducted twelve focus group discussions.

Setting

The study was conducted in rural and slum settings in Bangladesh.

Subjects

Participants included mothers and alternative caregivers (n81) who were recruited by household screening. No eligible, recruited subjects refused participation.

Results

Caregivers reported limited experience with growth monitoring services from the health system. Caregivers mainly use visual cues and developmental milestones to understand if children are growing properly, and recognize that children normally experience both weight gain and linear growth with age. Mothers expressed concern over children’s malnutrition and short stature, but did not discuss children’s failure to attain a ‘growth potential’ or distinguish inherited short stature from stunting. Caregivers interpret the consequences of poor height attainment as primarily social and economic and cite few health risks.

Conclusions

Linear growth interpretation is determined more by community norms than by guidance from nutrition programming or the health system. Interventions to prevent or reduce linear growth failure may be perceived to have limited value where appropriate linear growth in children is determined by comparison to peers and siblings. Such perceptions may be significant barriers to programmes addressing stunting prevention in settings where many children are stunted. Efforts to raise awareness about the risks of linear growth faltering may need to consider delivering messages to caregivers that emphasize the social and economic consequences of stunting.
A review of guidance on fish consumption in pregnancy: is it fit for purpose?
Authors: Taylor Caroline M , Emmett Pauline M , Emond Alan M , Golding Jean
Published: March 2018

Objective

Public health messages to reduce Hg exposure for pregnant women have focused exclusively on advice on fish consumption to limit Hg exposure, with little account being taken of the positive contribution of fish to nutritional quality. The aim of the present review was to compare and contrast the content and presentation of national guidelines on fish consumption in pregnancy, and comment on their evidence base and impact on consumption.

Design

We searched for national and international guidelines on fish consumption in pregnancy using Internet search strategies. The detailed content and style of presentation of the guidelines were compared. The evidence base for the guidelines, and evidence for the impact of the guidelines on fish consumption levels, were assessed.

Results

We identified nineteen national guidelines and three international guidelines. There was great variation in the content, complexity and presentation style. The guidelines were based largely on the Hg content of fish with far less consideration being given to the positive beneficial effects of nutrients provided by fish. The complexity of the guidelines may lead to pregnant women reducing their fish intake, or not eating fish at all.

Conclusions

Guidelines on fish consumption in pregnancy should take the beneficial effects of fish into account. Guidelines need to be clear and memorable, and appropriately disseminated, to achieve impact. Guidelines could include visual rather than narrative content. Use of technology, for example apps, could enable women to record their fish consumption in real time and log compliance with guidance over a week or other time period.
A successful Charter challenge to medicare? Policy options for Canadian provincial governments
Authors: Flood Colleen M. , Thomas Bryan
Published: March 2018

In September 2016, a case went to trial in British Columbia that seeks to test the constitutionality of provincial laws that (1) ban private health insurance for medically necessary hospital and physician services; (2) ban extra-billing (physicians cannot charge patients more than the public tariff); and (3) require physicians to work solely for the public system or ‘opt-out’ and practice privately. All provinces have similar laws that have been passed to meet the requirements of federal legislation, theCanada Health Act(and thus qualify for federal funds). Consequently, a finding of unconstitutionality of one or more of these laws could have a very significant impact on the future of Canada’s single-payer system (‘medicare’). However, should the court find that a particular law is not in compliance with theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the baton is then passed back to the government which may respond with other laws or policies that they believe to be constitutionally compliant. The ultimate impact of any successfulCharterchallenge to laws protecting medicare from privatization will thus significantly depend on how Canadian governments respond. Provincial governments could allow privatization to undercut equity and access, or they could respond creatively with new legal and policy solutions to both improve equity and access and tackle some of the problems that have long bedeviled Canadian medicare. This paper provides an understanding – grounded in comparative health systems evidence – of law and policy options available to Canadian lawmakers for limiting two-tier care in the wake of any successful challenge to existing laws. The paper presents the results of a large inter-disciplinary, comparative study, started in 2015, that systematically reviewed the legal and broader regulatory schemes used to regulate the public/private divide in 15 Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development countries with a particular eye to what the effect of such regulations would be upon wait times.
When health technology assessment is confidential and experts have no power: the case of Hungary
Authors: Csanádi Marcell , Löblová Olga , Ozierański Piotr , Harsányi András , Kaló Zoltán , McKee Martin , King Lawrence
Published: March 2018

Health technology assessment (HTA) is not simply a mechanistic technical exercise as it takes place within a specific institutional context. Yet, we know little about how this context influences the operation of HTA and its ability to influence policy and practice. We seek to demonstrate the importance of considering institutional context, using a case study of Hungary, a country that has pioneered HTA in Central and Eastern Europe. We conducted 26 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with public- and private-sector stakeholders. We found that while the HTA Department, the Hungarian HTA organisation, fulfilled its formal role envisaged in the legislation, its potential for supporting evidence-based decision-making was not fully realised given the low levels of transparency and stakeholder engagement. Further, the Department’s practical influence throughout the reimbursement process was perceived as being constrained by the payer and policy-makers, as well as its own limited organisational capacity. There was also scepticism as to whether the current operational form of the HTA process delivered ‘good value for money’. Nevertheless, it still had a positive impact on the development of a broader institutional HTA infrastructure in Hungary. Our findings highlight the importance of considering institutional context in analysing the HTA function within health systems.
Predictors of Suicide Behavior Relapse in Pediatric Population
Authors: Villar Francisco , Castellano-Tejedor Carmina , Verge Mireia , Sánchez Bernardo , Blasco-Blasco Tomás
Published: March 2018

Identifying patients at increased risk of suicide remains a challenge today. It has been reported that 10% of patients committing a suicide attempt end up dying and that both the risk and the severity of clinical symptomatology increase with the number of attempts. Within the framework of selective and indicated prevention, it is essential to identify the group of patients with an increased risk of recurrence. The objective of this study is to identify factors predicting suicide attempt relapse to improve the decision making process in the therapeutic approach to suicidal behavior. The methodology employed was a longitudinal design aimed at identifying factors, in a binary logistic regression model (stepwise), predicting the repetition of suicidal behavior among a sample of 417 participants aged between 8 and 17 years old, at the six months follow-up. A statistically significant model χ2(3, N = 417) = 18.610; p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = .096 including the following factors was obtained: current diagnosis of personality disorder/maladaptive personality OR = .806, p = .028, 95% CI [1.091, 4.595], personal history of self-injury OR = .728, p = .043, 95% CI [1.023, 4.192], and family history of psychopathological diagnosis OR = .925, p = .021, 95% CI [1.151, 5.530]. Considering these results, having a diagnosis of personality disorder or maladaptive personality traits, presence or history of self-harm and family history of psychopathology draws a predictive profile of autolytic attempt recurrence during the six months after the initial intervention at the emergency room.
Porous translucent electrodes enhance current generation from photosynthetic biofilms
Authors: Wenzel Tobias , Härtter Daniel , Bombelli Paolo , Howe Christopher J. , Steiner Ullrich
Published: March 2018

Some photosynthetically active bacteria transfer electrons across their membranes, generating electrical photocurrents in biofilms. Devices harvesting solar energy by this mechanism are currently limited by the charge transfer to the electrode. Here, we report the enhancement of bioelectrochemical photocurrent harvesting using electrodes with porosities on the nanometre and micrometre length scale. For the cyanobacteria Nostoc punctiforme and Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 on structured indium-tin-oxide electrodes, an increase in current generation by two orders of magnitude is observed compared to a non-porous electrode. In addition, the photo response is substantially faster compared to non-porous anodes. Electrodes with large enough mesopores for the cells to inhabit show only a small advantage over purely nanoporous electrode morphologies, suggesting the prevalence of a redox shuttle mechanism in the electron transfer from the bacteria to the electrode over a direct conduction mechanism. Our results highlight the importance of electrode nanoporosity in the design of electrochemical bio-interfaces.
Velocity correlated crack front and surface marks in single crystalline silicon
Authors: Zhao Lv , Bardel Didier , Maynadier Anne , Nelias Daniel
Published: March 2018

Single crystalline silicon fractures on low-energy cleavage planes such as (111) and (110). The crack propagation cannot accurately be predicted by linear elastic fracture mechanics since it does not account for small scale and inelastic phenomena such as atomic lattice trapping. Here we show that, under pure bending load, (110) cleavage in silicon single crystal rapidly accelerates to 3700 m/s without crack path deviation or crack branching, contrasting previous observations. We highlight that the crack front shape involves strong velocity dependence and presents a curvature jump during very high-speed crack growth. In addition, we observe special marks—a kind of periodic surface undulation—that exclusively arise on the rapid fracture surfaces, and we suggest that they are front wave traces resulting from an intrinsic local velocity fluctuation. This finding gives insight to the wavy nature of the crack front in the absence of material asperity.
A salt or a co-crystal – when crystallization protocol matters
Authors: Losev E. A. , Boldyreva E. V.
Published: March 2018

By controlling nucleation and growth through choice of crystallization conditions, the stable co-crystal or metastable salt can be reproducibly obtained in accordance with Ostwald's rule of stages and the concept of ‘disappearing polymorphs’.
Chiral catalysts immobilized on achiral polymers: effect of the polymer support on the performance of the catalyst
Authors: Altava Belén , Burguete M. Isabel , García-Verdugo Eduardo , Luis Santiago V.
Published: March 2018

Achiral polymeric supports can have important positive effects on the activity, stability and selectivity of supported chiral catalysts.
Synthesis and application of a highly selective molecularly imprinted adsorbent based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes for selective removal of perfluorooctanoic acid
Authors: Cao Fengmei , Wang Lei , Yao Yiming , Wu Fengchang , Sun Hongwen , Lu Shaoyong
Published: March 2018

Prepared MWCNTs@MIPs allowed for rapid separation and selective enrichment of PFOA from an aqueous environment.
Ultrasonicated Lespedeza cuneata extract prevents TNF-α-induced early atherosclerosis in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Ha Su Jeong , Lee Jangho , Song Kyung-Mo , Kim Young Ho , Lee Nam Hyouck , Kim Young-Eon , Jung Sung Keun
Published: March 2018

This study evaluated the use of ultrasonication to extract Lespedeza cuneata as a potential nutraceutical for preventing vascular inflammation.
Zeolitic imidazolate framework-coated acoustic sensors for room temperature detection of carbon dioxide and methane
Authors: Devkota Jagannath , Kim Ki-Joong , Ohodnicki Paul R. , Culp Jeffrey T. , Greve David W. , Lekse Jonathan W.
Published: March 2018

The integration of nanoporous materials such as metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with sensitive transducers can result in robust sensing platforms for monitoring gases and chemical vapors for a range of applications.
Crystallization characteristic and scaling behavior of germanium antimony thin films for phase change memory
Authors: Wu Weihua , Zhao Zihan , Shen Bo , Zhai Jiwei , Song Sannian , Song Zhitang
Published: March 2018

The scaling effects of the Ge8Sb92 thin films on the phase change behavior, thermal properties, phase structure, crystallization mechanism and electrical switching characteristics of phase change memory were systematically investigated.
An environmentally sustainable plasticizer toughened polylactide
Authors: Kang Hailan , Li Yushi , Gong Ming , Guo Yilin , Guo Zhuo , Fang Qinghong , Li Xue
Published: March 2018

Cardanol, derived from renewable resources, exhibits good plasticizing efficiency for PLA, meeting “double green” criteria.
Hyperthermia properties of hyaluronic acid-coated La0.7Sr0.3−xBaxMnO3 nanoparticles
Authors: Chen Yuanwei , Wang Ying , Wang Peng , Ma Tianyong , Wang Tao
Published: March 2018

The heating efficiency of LSMO nanoparticles for hyperthermia was improved drastically by doping Ba ions.
Pulsed amperometric detection of pharmacologic adulterants in dietary supplements using a gold electrode coupled to HPLC separation
Authors: Muratt Diana T. , Müller Larissa S. , Molin Thais Dal , Viana Carine , de Carvalho Leandro M.
Published: March 2018

The enlargement of the dietary supplement market has been observed in several countries around the world.
Fast determination of fipronil and its metabolites in seafood using PRiME pass-through cleanup followed by isotope dilution UHPLC-MS/MS
Authors: Zhang Yun , Zhao Yong-Gang , Cheng He-Li , Muhammad Nadeem , Chen Wei-Sheng , Zeng Xiu-Qiong , Zhu Yan
Published: March 2018

A simple and effective method based on the PRiME pass-through cleanup procedure followed by UHPLC-MS/MS was developed for analyzing fipronil and its metabolites in seafoods.
A symmetrical ionic liquid/Li salt system for rapid ion transport and stable lithium electrochemistry
Authors: Al-Masri Danah , Yunis Ruhamah , Hollenkamp Anthony F. , Pringle Jennifer M.
Published: March 2018

A concentrated lithium salt electrolyte utilising the diethylpyrrolidinium cation and bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide anion shows high ionic conductivity and good Li electrochemistry.
Colloidal silica assisted fabrication of N,O,S-tridoped porous carbon nanosheets with excellent oxygen reduction performance
Authors: Xing Zihao , Xiao Meiling , Guo Zilong , Yang Wensheng
Published: March 2018

We demonstrate a new approach for the fabrication of N,O,S-tridoped porous carbon nanosheets with excellent oxygen reduction performance using colloidal silica as a template and an O source.
Generation of sulfonated 1-isoindolinones through a multicomponent reaction with the insertion of sulfur dioxide
Authors: Zhang Jun , Zhang Feng , Lai Lifang , Cheng Jiang , Sun Jiangtao , Wu Jie
Published: March 2018

A four-component reaction of 2-vinylbenzoic acids, aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates, sulfur dioxide, and nitriles under photocatalysis in the presence of visible light is developed, leading to sulfonated 1-isoindolinones in moderate to good yields.
On-surface synthesis of polyethylenedioxythiophene
Authors: Di Bernardo Iolanda , Hines Peter , Abyazisani Maryam , Motta Nunzio , MacLeod Jennifer , Lipton-Duffin Josh
Published: March 2018

On-surface synthesis of conjugated polymers is made challenging by the need to promote the desired reaction while preventing or minimizing unwanted ancillary reactions that compromise the product integrity.
Oxidation-induced generation of a mild electrophile for proximity-enhanced protein–protein crosslinking
Authors: Shang X. , Chen Y. , Wang N. , Niu W. , Guo J.
Published: March 2018

Oxidation-induced and proximity-enhanced protein–protein crosslinking through a genetically encoded vinyl thioether probe.
Correction: Encoding matter with regiospecific 12C/13C isotopic labels
Authors: La Clair James J.
Published: March 2018

Correction for ‘Encoding matter with regiospecific 12C/13C isotopic labels’ by James J. La Clair et al., Chem. Commun., 2018, 54, 2611–2614.
Synthesis of Bi2O3–Bi4V2O11 heterojunctions with high interface quality for enhanced visible light photocatalysis in degradation of high-concentration phenol and MO dyes
Authors: Liu Ting , Mao Yan Ge , Peng Yin
Published: March 2018

Bi2O3–Bi4V2O11 heterostructures with high interface quality were synthesized by calcining Bi2VO5.5–Bi(OHC2O4)·2H2O precursors. The Bi2O3–Bi4V2O11 heterostructure exhibits outstanding photocatalytic activity for degrading phenol and MO dyes with high concentration under visible light irradiation.
Indium selenide monolayer: a two-dimensional material with strong second harmonic generation
Authors: Lin Jing , Fang Zhenxing , Tao Huilin , Li Yi , Huang Xin , Ding Kaining , Huang Shuping , Zhang Yongfan
Published: March 2018

The In2Se3 monolayer may be a material with the strongest SHG response among IIIA–VIA semiconductors reported to date.
Synthesis, structure and characterization of two solvatochromic metal–organic frameworks for chemical-sensing applications
Authors: Gao Sheng , Zhao Limin , Han Lin , Zhang Zhenjie , Zhao Hong
Published: March 2018

Two isostructural Zr and Hf metal–organic frameworks with doubly interpenetrated fcu-c topology, exhibits obvious solvatochromic behaviour for solvent sensing application.
A novel route with a Cu(ii)-MOF-derived structure to synthesize Cu/Cu2O NPs@graphene: the electron transfer leads to the synergistic effect of the Cu(0)–Cu(i) phase for an effective catalysis of the Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions
Authors: Sun Wei , Gao Lingfeng , Sun Xu , Zheng Gengxiu
Published: March 2018

A Cu(ii)-MOF-derived route for twophase Cu/Cu2O-graphene. The electron transfer leads to a synergistic catalysis in the Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions.
Phosphate glasses via coacervation route containing CdFe2O4 nanoparticles: structural, optical and magnetic characterization
Authors: Orives Juliane R. , Viali Wesley R. , Santagneli Silvia H. , Afonso Conrado R. M. , Carvalho Maria H. , de Oliveira Adilson J. A. , Nalin Marcelo
Published: March 2018

Phosphate glasses containing CdFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles coated with SiO2 were successfully prepared by a melt-quenching methodology.
Up-conversion monodispersed spheres of NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+: green and red emission tailoring mediated by heating temperature, and greatly enhanced luminescence by Mn2+ doping
Authors: Zhu Qi , Song Caiyun , Li Xiaodong , Sun Xudong , Li Ji-Guang
Published: March 2018

Mn2+ doping resulted in greatly enhanced luminescent intensity and red shift of emission color. Elevating the temperature induced color tunable emission.
New infrared-heated sample introduction system for enhanced analytical performance of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry
Authors: Al Hejami Ahmed , Beauchemin Diane
Published: March 2018

A cyclonic spray chamber was modified to allow the insertion of an infrared lamp to improve detection limits and robustness.
Polymorphism controls the degree of charge transfer in a molecularly doped semiconducting polymer
Authors: Jacobs Ian E. , Cendra Camila , Harrelson Thomas F. , Bedolla Valdez Zaira I. , Faller Roland , Salleo Alberto , Moulé Adam J.
Published: March 2018

Jacobs et al. present the first observation of both fractional and integer charge transfer phases in a single OSC:dopant system.
The structural isomerism in gold nanoclusters
Authors: Xu Wen Wu , Zeng Xiao Cheng , Gao Yi
Published: March 2018

The isomerism in thiolate-protected gold (Au) nanoclusters is important for the understanding of structure–property correlations and the design of Au nanoclusters with specific structures and properties.
Copper-mediated regioselective hydrodifluoroalkylation of alkynes
Authors: Feng Xiaorui , Wang Xiaoyang , Chen Hongtai , Tang Xiangyang , Guo Minjie , Zhao Wentao , Wang Guangwei
Published: March 2018

A highly regioselective copper-mediated hydrodifluoroalkylation of alkynes with ethyl bromodifluoroacetate or bromodifluoroacetamides has been developed.
Kinetically controlled assembly of cadmium chalcogenide nanorods and nanorod heterostructures
Authors: Enright Michael J. , Sarsito Harrison , Cossairt Brandi M.
Published: March 2018

Through empirical determination of precursor consumption rates for growing nanorods, a comprehensive rubric for the colloidal synthesis of customizable nanorods and their heterostructures is established.
Synthesis of fused benzimidazoles via successive nucleophilic additions of benzimidazole derivatives to arynes under transition metal-free conditions
Authors: Li Bingnan , Mai Shaoyu , Song Qiuling
Published: March 2018

An expedient and efficient strategy was developed for the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives from aryne precursors under transition metal-free conditions.
Impact of terminal polar substitution on elastic, electro-optic and dielectric properties of four-ring bent-core nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Khan R. K. , Turlapati S. , Begum N. , Mohiuddin G. , Rao N. V. S. , Ghosh S.
Published: March 2018

Here we report the influence of terminal –F, –Cl and –NO2 substitution on the elastic, dielectric and polar switching behavior of four-ring bent-core liquid crystals (LCs).
How does chiral self-sorting take place in the formation of homochiral Pd6L8 capsules consisting of cyclotriveratrylene-based chiral tritopic ligands?
Authors: Kai Shumpei , Kojima Tatsuo , Thorp-Greenwood Flora L. , Hardie Michaele J. , Hiraoka Shuichi
Published: March 2018

The chiral self-sorting in the formation of homochiral Pd6L8 capsules consisting of cyclotriveratrylene (CTV)-based chiral tritopic ligands and Pd(ii) ions takes place through the initial formation of heterochiral Pd6L8X2 (X indicates a leaving ligand) immature capsules (ICs) followed by the correction of chirality in the ICs assisted by the free tritopic ligands to lead to the homochiral capsules.
Rational selection of small aromatic molecules to functionalize graphene for enhancing capacitive energy storage
Authors: Zhao Yi , Liu Jinzhang , Wang Na , Li Qi , Hu Mingjun
Published: March 2018

A comparison study on using small aromatic molecules containing amino or hydroxyl groups, or both, to endow graphene with pseudocapacitance.
pH-Dependence in facet-selective photo-deposition of metals and metal oxides on semiconductor particles
Authors: Guo Yuxi , Siretanu Igor , Zhang Yihe , Mei Bastian , Li Xiaowei , Mugele Frieder , Huang Hongwei , Mul Guido
Published: March 2018

Facet specific photodeposition of metals and metal oxides is determined by pH of solution.
Investigation of FePC amorphous alloys with self-renewing behaviour for highly efficient decolorization of methylene blue
Authors: Wang Qianqian , Chen Mingxiu , Lin Pinghua , Cui Zhiqiang , Chu Chenglin , Shen Baolong
Published: March 2018

The reusability of FePC amorphous ribbons is improved by their “self-renewing” behaviour.
Fred Wudl's fifty-year contribution to organic semiconductors
Authors: Zhang Qichun , Perepichka Dmitrii F. , Bao Zhenan
Published: March 2018

Guest editors Qichun Zhang, Dmitrii Perepichka and Zhenan Bao introduce this Journal of Materials Chemistry C themed issue on organic semiconductors, in celebration of Professor Fred Wudl's fifty-year contribution to the field.
Gtgen3A, a novel plant GH3 β-glucosidase, modulates gentio-oligosaccharide metabolism in Gentiana
Authors: Takahashi Hideyuki , Kikuchi-Fujisaki Sayaka , Yoshida Chiharu , Yamada Hidetoshi , Yamashita Tetsuro , Konno Naotake , Takeda Takumi
Published: March 2018

Gentiobiose, a β-1,6-linked glycosyl-disaccharide, accumulates abundantly in Gentianaceae and is involved in aspects of plant development, such as fruits ripening and release of bud dormancy. However, the mechanisms regulating the amount of gentio-oligosaccharide accumulation in plants remain obscure. The present study aimed to identify an enzyme that modulates gentio-oligosaccharide amount in gentian (Gentiana triflora). A protein responsible for gentiobiose hydrolysis, GtGen3A, was identified by partial purification and its peptide sequence analysis. The enzyme had a molecular mass of ∼67 kDa without a secretory signal peptide sequence. Sequence analysis revealed that GtGen3A could be a β-glucosidase member belonging to glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3). GtGen3A showed a homology to GH3 β-glucan exohydrolases, ExoI of Hordeum vulgare, and ExgI from Zea mays, which preferentially hydrolyzed β-1,3- and β-1,4-linked oligosaccharides. The purified recombinant GtGen3A (rGtGen3A) produced in Escherichia coli showed optimal reaction at pH 6.5 and 20°C. The rGtGen3A liberated glucose from β-1,2-, β-1,3-, β-1,4-, and β-1,6-linked oligosaccharides, and showed the highest activity toward gentiotriose among the substrates tested. Kinetic analysis also revealed that rGtGen3A preferentially hydrolyzed gentiotriose. Virus-induced gene silencing of Gtgen3A in gentian plantlets resulted in predominant accumulation of gentiotriose rather than gentiobiose. Furthermore, the expression level of Gtgen3A was almost similar to the amount of gentiobiose in field-grown gentians. These findings suggest that the main function of GtGen3A is the hydrolysis of gentiotriose to gentiobiose, and that GtGen3A plays a role in modulating gentiobiose amounts in gentian.
The association of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, mean platelet volume, and platelet distribution width with diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy: a meta-analysis
Authors: Liu Juxiang , Liu Xingguang , Li Youpeng , Quan Jinxing , Wei Suhong , An Siqin , Yang Ruifei , Liu Jing
Published: March 2018

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). We searched for eligible studies from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and CNKI up to 1 December 2017. Standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. A total of 48 studies were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with patients with type Ⅱ diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and without DR, NLR, MPV, and PDW were higher in patients with DR (SMD = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.49–1.05; P<0.001; SMD = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.36–0.99; P<0.001; SMD = 0.52; 95% CI: 0.28–0.76; P<0.01). Compared with patients with T2DM and without DN, NLR, MPV, and PDW were higher in patients with DN (SMD = 0.63; 95% CI: 0.43–0.83; P<0.001; SMD = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.36–1.25; P<0.001; SMD = 0.70; 95% CI: 0.50–0.90; P<0.001). We also found that MPV was strongly associated with the severity of DR, and NLR was closely related to the degree of DN. Our findings indicated that NLR, MPV, and PDW could be recommended as inexpensive diagnostic biomarkers for DN and DR. However, considering several limitations in the present study, further high-quality clinical studies should be performed to investigate the relationship of NLR, MPV, and PDW to DN and DR.
Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor roxadustat (FG-4592) protects against cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury
Authors: Yang Yunwen , Yu Xiaowen , Zhang Yue , Ding Guixia , Zhu Chunhua , Huang Songming , Jia Zhanjun , Zhang Aihua
Published: March 2018

Renal hypoxia occurs in acute kidney injury (AKI) of various etiologies. Activation of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF) has been identified as an important mechanism of cellular adaptation to low oxygen. Preconditional HIF activation protects against AKI, suggesting a new approach in AKI treatment. HIF is degraded under normoxic conditions mediated by oxygen-dependent hydroxylation of specific prolyl residues of the regulative α-subunits by HIF prolyl hydroxylases (PHD). FG-4592 is a novel, orally active, small-molecule HIF PHD inhibitor for the treatment of anemia in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of FG-4592 (Roxadustat) on cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (cisplatin)-induced kidney injury. In mice, pretreatment with FG-4592 markedly ameliorated cisplatin-induced kidney injury as shown by the improved renal function (blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (Scr), and cystatin C) and kidney morphology (periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining) in line with a robust blockade of renal tubular injury markers of kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1) and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL). Meanwhile, the renal apoptosis and inflammation induced by cisplatin were also strikingly attenuated in FG-4592-treated mice. Along with the protective effects shown above, FG-4592 pretreatment strongly enhanced HIF-1α in tubular cells, as well as the expressions of HIF target genes. FG-4592 alone did not affect the renal function and morphology in mice. In vitro, FG-4592 treatment significantly up-regulated HIF-1α and protected the tubular cells against cisplatin-induced apoptosis. In summary, FG-4592 treatment remarkably ameliorated the cisplatin-induced kidney injury possibly through the stabilization of HIF. Thus, besides the role in treating CKD anemia, the clinical use of FG-4592 also could be extended to AKI.
Searching for a kinematic signature of the moderately metal-poor stars in the Milky Way bulge using N-body simulations
Authors: Gómez A. , Di Matteo P. , Schultheis M. , Fragkoudi F. , Haywood M. , Combes F.
Published: March 2018

Although there is consensus that metal-rich stars in the Milky Way bulge are formed via secular evolution of the thin disc, the origin of their metal-poor counterparts is still under debate. Two different origins have been invoked for metal-poor stars: they might be classical bulge stars or stars formed via internal evolution of a massive thick disc. We use N-body simulations to calculate the kinematic signature given by the difference in the mean Galactocentric radial velocity (ΔVGC) between metal-rich stars ([Fe/H] ≥ 0) and moderately metal-poor stars (–1.0 ≤ [Fe/H] < 0) in two models, one containing a thin disc and a small classical bulge (B/D = 0.1), and the other containing a thin disc and a massive centrally concentrated thick disc. We reasonably assume that thin-disk stars in each model may be considered as a proxy of metal-rich stars. Similarly, bulge stars and thick-disc stars may be considered as a proxy of metal-poor stars. We calculate ΔVGC at different latitudes (b = 0°, − 2°, − 4°, − 6°, − 8° and − 10°) and longitudes (l = 0°, ± 5°, ± 10° and ± 15°) and show that the ΔVGC trends predicted by the two models are different. We compare the predicted results with ARGOS data and APOGEE DR13 data and show that moderately metal-poor stars are well reproduced with the co-spatial stellar discs model, which has a massive thick disc. Our results give more evidence against the scenario that most of the metal-poor stars are classical bulge stars. If classical bulge stars exists, most of them probably have metallicities [Fe/H] < –1 dex, and their contribution to the mass of the bulge should be a small percentage of the total bulge mass.
Ozone aeration impact on the maturation phase in the process of green waste composting
Authors: Gliniak Maciej , Grabowski Łukasz , Polek Daria
Published: March 2018

The paper presents work results on optimization of stabilization phase in the biomass composting process. In these studies, it was examined the influence of two doses of ozone (10 and 20 mgO3·dm-3) in the air used for aeration of stabilization. The results showed the ability to reduce compost maturation time by more than 50%. Application of these ozone doses resulted in a reduction of organic matter content in the stabilizer by 30 to 60%, while reduction of moisture in the material by 20%.