bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Job satisfaction and turnover intentions of correctional officers in a Prague prison
Authors: Botek Marek
Published: November 2019

Job satisfaction is one of the most researched phenomena. But I am not aware of a study that assesses job satisfaction in Czech prisons despite the fact that it is a specific job with high physical and mental demands in a potentially dangerous environment. The purpose of this paper is to create a model describing job satisfaction and verify the anticipated relationship between job satisfaction and turnover of Prague correctional officers. While the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions has been confirmed, the anticipated strong relationship between supervisor support and correctional officer job satisfaction has not been confirmed. Descriptive statistics have also revealed the surprising fact that the employees with the lowest tenure have the weakest turnover intentions.
Do Socially Responsible Companies Benefit from Higher Levels of Customer Satisfaction, Trust and Loyalty?
Authors: Marinković Veljko , Stojanović-Aleksić Vesna , Bošković Aleksandra
Published: November 2019

The paper aims to determine the impact of customer perceptions of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) on customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty. The data for the empirical study was obtained through a survey of 180 respondents, customers of mobile telephony companies in Serbia. The results show that responsibility for customers and CSR disclosure are factors that have a positive influence on customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty. There is a medium level of positive correlation between responsibility for community and environment, on the one hand, and trust, on the other hand. The paper contributes to the literature and provides information for managers concerning their decision-making in the area of CSR.
Fabien Girardin
Authors: González Paco
Published: November 2019

Fabien Girardin es cofundador del Near Future Laboratory, una práctica que piensa, crea, diseña, desarrolla e investiga especulando sobre las posibilidades del futuro de los mundos digitales. Es activo en los dominios de la experiencia de usuario, la ciencia de datos y la informática urbana.
Proyecto #metaOER – Guía de recursos (v1.1)
Authors: Minguillón Julià
Published: November 2019

Entre los años 2005 y 2007, una comunidad de interés alrededor de los recursos educativos en abierto (OER, según sus iniciales en inglés) impulsada porla UNESCOparticipó en un estudio para averiguar cuáles eran las principales cuestiones clave para promover e impulsar el movimiento de los recursos educativos en abierto y hacerlos salir de los pequeños nichos académicos donde se estaban desarrollando.
Álex Candela
Authors: Pérez Beatriz , Casado Martínez Carlos
Published: November 2019

Álex Candela es productor musical y director del estudio creativo de grabación Flow Audio.
La Orquesta de Portátiles de la ESMUC
Authors: Comajuncosas Josep Maria , Guaus Enric
Published: November 2019

Este artículo presenta la Orquesta de Portátiles de la ESMUC, formación instrumental un tanto inédita en nuestro país que permitió el fortalecimiento de los lazos entre la creación musical e interpretación con ordenadores y la investigación más tecnológica que se cuece en las universidades.
Bringing on the itch
Authors: Waizman Daniel A , Ghosh Sourav , Rothlin Carla V
Published: November 2019

Neutrophils are the first immune cells that enter the skin and cause itch in atopic dermatitis.
Subject expression in a Southeastern U.S. Mexican community
Authors: Limerick Philip
Published: November 2019

Through an analysis of immigrant Spanish in Georgia, potential contact-induced language change is investigated through the lens of subject pronoun expression. Pronoun variation among Mexican speakers is examined using sociolinguistic interview data. Tokens of subject pronouns (N = 4,649) were coded for linguistic variables previously shown to constrain subject expression (e.g. person/number, tense-mood-aspect [TMA], polarity) as well as social variables (e.g. English proficiency, age), and then analysed using multivariate analyses in Rbrul. Results indicate an overall pronoun rate of 27%, which is slightly higher than what has been reported for monolingual Mexican Spanish. Several linguistic variables (e.g. person/number, switch-reference, morphological ambiguity, polarity) and one social variable (age) played a significant role in pronoun variation. Moreover, differential effects were revealed when compared to monolingual Mexican Spanish for variables such as TMA. These findings point in the direction of dialect contact influences and the presence of a unique variety of Mexican Spanish in the U.S.
Relationship between the Dark Triad and depressive symptoms
Authors: Gómez-Leal Raquel , Megías-Robles Alberto , Gutiérrez-Cobo María José , Cabello Rosario , Fernández-Abascal Enrique G. , Fernández-Berrocal Pablo
Published: November 2019

The Dark Triad (DT) is composed of three closely related personality traits: psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism. These traits have been linked to emotional deficits. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between the DT traits, including sub-dimensions, and depressive symptoms in order to identify those factors most strongly associated with the development of depression in individuals scoring high on DT. For these purposes, a total of 791 adults (M = 35.76 years; 24.91% males) completed a questionnaire battery including DT traits and depression measures. A positive significant correlation was found between psychopathy and Machiavellianism traits (total score and all sub-dimensions) and depressive symptoms. For narcissism, the direction of the correlation was dependent on the sub-dimension assessed. A model explaining 26.2% of the depressive symptoms scores was composed of the callous affect and criminal tendencies sub-dimensions of psychopathy, cynical view of human nature, which is a sub-dimension of Machiavellianism, and entitlement and self-sufficiency, which are sub-dimensions of narcissism. In addition, some of the relationships found between DT sub-dimensions and depressive symptoms appeared to depend on gender. Our results could have implications for detection and intervention programs aimed at decreasing the negative emotional consequences suffered by individuals with high DT scores. Limitations and future lines of research are discussed.
Combined effects of body mass index and unhealthy behaviors on disability in older Japanese adults: the Okayama study
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Mitsuhashi Toshiharu , Yamakawa Michiyo , Sasai Megumi , Tsuda Toshihide , Doi Hiroyuki , Hamada Jun
Published: November 2019

Background

Body mass index (BMI) is a significant predictor of functional disability in older adults. However, when evaluated, the association between BMI and incident functional disability, considering behaviors only as covariates or not, may not be appropriate. The primary purpose of the study was to investigate the combined effects of BMI and unhealthy behaviors on the risk of incident functional disability.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study that took place in Okayama City, Japan. Data on BMI and unhealthy behaviors were obtained using the health check-up questionnaire. The certification of Long-Term Care Insurance was used to measure functional disability. Cox proportional hazard models were used; adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated for incidence of functional disability across categories of BMI and number of unhealthy behaviors.

Results

The relationship between BMI and incident functional disability was U-shaped (HR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.11–1.25], among the underweight range; and 1.26 [1.19–1.34] among the obesity range), and its risk was significantly higher within the normal-to-overweight range of BMI values with co-occurring unhealthy behaviors (with normal weight range and one, 1.17 [1.01–1.21]; two, 1.29 [1.18–1.41]; and three or four unhealthy behaviors 1.38 [1.24–1.54]; as well as among overweight range and one, 1.16 [1.05–1.27]; two, 1.26 [1.15–1.38]; and three or four unhealthy behaviors, 1.47 [1.31–1.64]). In each BMI category, the risk of incident functional disability increased with increasing number of unhealthy behaviors (p< 0.05 for linear tread), with the highest risk (1.87 [1.58–2.20]) occurring in combination with at least three unhealthy behaviors with BMI ≥ 27.5, for both sexes (2.20 [1.64–2.92] in men and 1.66 [1.35–2.04] in women).

Conclusion

It is necessary to consider the combined effects of BMI and behaviors on incident functional disability. Furthermore, interventions targeting multiple behaviors should be considered as such interventions may offer greater benefits than simple interventions.
Polyphenol-rich Trapa quadrispinosa pericarp extract ameliorates high-fat diet induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease by regulating lipid metabolism and insulin resistance in mice
Authors: Jian Tunyu , Lü Han , Ding Xiaoqin , Wu Yuexian , Zuo Yuanyuan , Li Jiawei , Chen Jian , Gu Hong
Published: November 2019

In China, Trapa quadrispinosa (also called water caltrop) has long been used as a function food and folk medicine to treat diabetes mellitus for years. In the present study, the extract of T. quadrispinosa pericarp (TQPE) which mainly contains hydrolysable tannins was prepared to investigate the potential therapeutic action in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) mice induced by high fat-diet (HFD). After the administration of TQPE (15, 30 mg/kg/day) for 8 weeks, the increased weight of body and liver were significantly suppressed. TQPE also ameliorated liver lipid deposition and reduced lipids parameters of blood in mice. Moreover, TQPE attenuated oxidative stress and showed a hepatoprotective effect in mice. TQPE was also found to decrease the value of homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance. In addition, TQPE administration increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and inhibited sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP) in the liver tissue. Meanwhile, TQPE elevated insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRs-1) and protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation. These results reflected that, as a nature product, TQPE is a potential agent for suppressing the process of NAFLD via regulation of the AMPK/SREBP/ACC and IRs-1/Akt pathways.
A BARCA FURADA? JOVENS ALUNOS E SUAS RELAÇÕES COM A SALA DE AULA
Authors: De Lima Márcia Regina Canhoto , Gouveia Júnior Sérgio Augusto , De Lima José Milton
Published: November 2019

Este artigo apresenta uma investigação sobre as relações de jovens alunos com a sala de aula com o objetivo de verificar se eles apreciavam aquilo que vivenciavam dentro dela. Foi realizado em uma escola de Ensino Médio e adotou como procedimentos metodológicos para coleta de dados: o grupo focal, entrevistas e questionários. Assumiu como referencial teórico principal, os estudos no campo da juventude, com ênfase na Sociologia da Juventude. Diante dos resultados inferiu que as impressões de senso-comum que os jovens não gostam da sala de aula não correspondem com o que foi pesquisado. Os jovens alunos, pelo contrário, apreciam a sala de aula, todavia, almejam um espaço mais inclusivo, significativo e que respeite as culturas juvenis.
POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS BRASILEIRAS DE EAD NO ENSINO SUPERIOR: EVOLUÇÃO HISTÓRICA E ALGUMAS ANÁLISES
Authors: Orth Miguel Alfredo , Mangan Patrícia Kayser Vargas , Neves Marcus Freitas
Published: November 2019

O artigo discute as políticas públicas brasileiras de Educação a Distância (EaD) com foco no ensino superior a partir da proposição de uma linha do tempo dividida em duas fases e quatro ciclos. Metodologicamente, apoia-se na revisão de literatura da área e na pesquisa documental. Entre os resultados destacamos a do amparo legal que a EaD obteve na década de 2000, bem como o conjunto de políticas públicas que foram pensadas para estimular e regular a EaD nas IES do Brasil.  Além disso, destacamos a contradição que emerge entre o enunciado do artigo 67 da LDB nº 9.394/96, que fala da valorização dos profissionais da educação e o processo de precarização das condições de trabalho dos profissionais da educação em EaD, e da contradição que emerge entre os projetos pedagógicos e a concepção de tutoria que a maioria dos  cursos apresenta.
MESTRADO PROFISSIONAL EM EDUCAÇÃO PROFISSIONAL E TECNOLÓGICA NO INSTITUTO FEDERAL DO PARANÁ: DESAFIOS E EXPECTATIVAS
Authors: Machado Mércia Freire Rocha Cordeiro , Urbanetz Sandra Terezinha
Published: November 2019

O objetivo deste artigo é apresentar a proposta de Mestrado Profissional em Educação Profissional e Tecnológica, o ProfEPT, ofertado em Rede, por 18 Institutos Federais, contextualizando desafios e as expectativas. Considerando a complexidade do objeto, suas relações e causas, caracteriza-se, como de abordagem qualitativa. Conclui-se que alinhado as finalidades institucionais, o ProfEPT se propõe a: i) ofertar formação continuada, numa perspectiva interdisciplinar e em nível de mestrado; ii) promover o desenvolvimento de trabalhos de investigação interdisciplinar, na perspectiva de melhoria dos processos educativos e de gestão; e iii) atender a demanda nacional por formação de recursos humanos em cursos de pós-graduação stricto sensu, com vistas ao desenvolvimento de pesquisas que integrem os saberes práticos inerentes ao mundo do trabalho.
Prevalence and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Salmonella from Chicken Eggs in Naogaon District of Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md. Saroat , Hossain K. M. Mozaffor , Sarker Md. Mahbubul Alam , Hamid Sm. Ahasanul
Published: November 2019

Salmonella is one of the most common zoonotic bacteria that cause foodborne illness in humans. An investigation was conducted to determine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility patterns of Salmonella isolates from chicken eggs in the Naogaon district, Bangladesh. Salmonella was isolated from cultures on different selective-differential media and further identified by biochemical tests. Antibiogram study was done by the disk diffusion method. The overall prevalence of Salmonella was recorded as 7.78%, whereas 5.56% was on eggshell surfaces and 2.22% was in egg contents. The Salmonella prevalence was 8.33%, 13.33% and 1.67% in chicken eggs from layer farms, whole sellers and retailers, respectively. Salmonella isolates were found 50.0% to 85.71% sensitive to chloramphenicol, gentamycin, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone. Resistance against gentamycin, chloramphenicol, and ampicillin was found significant ranging from 21.43% to 71.42%. The highest resistance was found in amoxicillin (92.86%). The present study proposes that chicken eggs are a potential reservoir of multidrug-resistant Salmonella. Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella will pose a problem to treat Salmonella infection in humans. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess the risk of Salmonella resistance in chicken eggs.
Study of Congenital Ocular Anomalies Prevalent in Routine Eye OPD in a Tertiary Care Hospital
Authors: Kumar Arvind , Shukla Abha , Matoli Dinesh
Published: November 2019

Aims: Congenital ocular anomalies require treatment, visual rehabilitation and genetic counselling. Goes undetected in neonates and children due to lack of routine eye checkup. Diagnosed later during eye examination or when come for disability certificate.

Study Design: Prospective and observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: We conducted study at tertiary care hospital, over a period of six months (from January 2018 to June 2018).

Methodology: Patients with congenital ocular anomalies irrespective of their age were identified. Findings were confirmed by detailed ocular examination and investigations when required. Whatever best management like correcting refractive error, surgery, low vision aids or rehabilitation was advised. Those having acquired defects giving similar appearance as in congenital anomalies, cases of ocular trauma, infections, with prior surgical intervention were excluded.

Results: Over a period of six months 128 eyes were detected with congenital ocular anomalies. The most common anomalies were microphthalmos, microcornea and iris coloboma seen in 85 eyes. Other congenital anomalies were congenital cataract, nystagmus, anophthalmos, aniridia, congenital glaucoma, Ankyloblepharon, coloboma of disc, congenital esotropia, lid coloboma, congenital ptosis, axenfield anomaly, limbal dermoid.

Conclusion: Patient with congenital ocular anomalies and their parents should be counseled regarding possible current treatment, visual prognosis and genetic counselling regardless of age and time of presentation.
Inchinnan 5
Authors: Kasten Megan
Published: November 2019

The site of All Hallows Church in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire, had its foundations in the early medieval period, an interpretation supported by the identification of four carved stones from the site that date between the 9th and 11th centuries ad. Thanks to a recent community project ‘597 ad St Conval to All Hallows: 1420 Years and Counting’, led by Heather James of Calluna Archaeology and the members of the Inchinnan Historical Interest Group with Spectrum Heritage, a fifth carved stone has been discovered. Inspection of the photogrammetric three-dimensional models and the Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) files of the late medieval recumbent monuments at the site, produced by Spectrum Heritage, revealed that one worn specimen was originally an early medieval recumbent cross slab conforming to the ‘Govan School’ of carving. After identifying the remnants of carving and applying a novel digital analysis technique, it was possible to recover and identify many of the worn decorative motifs from Inchinnan 5. This reconstruction allows for Inchinnan 5 to be compared with other stones from the Govan School, especially those found at Govan and St Blane’s, Bute.
Comparative analysis of TTF‐1 binding DNA regions in small‐cell lung cancer and non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Hokari Satoshi , Tamura Yusuke , Kaneda Atsushi , Katsura Akihiro , Morikawa Masato , Murai Fumihiko , Ehata Shogo , Tsutsumi Shuichi , Ishikawa Yuichi , Aburatani Hiroyuki , Kikuchi Toshiaki , Miyazono Kohei , Koinuma Daizo
Published: November 2019

Thyroid transcription factor‐1 (TTF‐1, encoded by the NKX2‐1 gene) is highly expressed in small‐cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LADC), but how its functional roles differ between SCLC and LADC remains to be elucidated. Here, we compared the genome‐wide distributions of TTF‐1 binding regions and the transcriptional programs regulated by TTF‐1 between NCI‐H209 (H209), a human SCLC cell line, and NCI‐H441 (H441), a human LADC cell line, using chromatin immunoprecipitation‐sequencing (ChIP‐seq) and RNA‐sequencing (RNA‐seq). TTF‐1 binding regions in H209 and H441 cells differed by 75.0% and E‐box motifs were highly enriched exclusively in the TTF‐1 binding regions of H209 cells. Transcriptome profiling revealed that TTF‐1 is involved in neuroendocrine differentiation in H209 cells. We report that TTF‐1 and achaete‐scute homolog 1 (ASCL1, also known as ASH1, an E‐box binding basic helix–loop–helix transcription factor, and a lineage‐survival oncogene of SCLC) are coexpressed and bound to adjacent sites on target genes expressed in SCLC, and cooperatively regulate transcription. Furthermore, TTF‐1 regulated expression of the Bcl‐2 gene family and showed antiapoptotic function in SCLC. Our findings suggest that TTF‐1 promotes SCLC growth and contributes to neuroendocrine and antiapoptotic gene expression by partly coordinating with ASCL1.
Singlet Oxygen‐Generating Biomaterials
Authors: Liu Yuting , Yu Shancheng , Yang Ping , Hu Benhui
Published: November 2019

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is one of noninvasive therapeutic methods that can effectively cure tumors and invading bacteria. The phototoxicity involved in PDT is attributed to singlet oxygen produced by the photosensitizer. Generally, absorption of light and intersystem crossing with oxygen can promote photosensitizer to excited state and generate radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS), in which singlet oxygen is included. Modern developments in materials science and technology result in various types of biomaterials that can be utilized to produce singlet oxygen, performing active PDT for biomedical applications.
Rapid uncertainty propagation and chance‐constrained path planning for small unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Berning Andrew W. , Girard Anouck , Kolmanovsky Ilya , D'Souza Sarah N.
Published: November 2019

With the number of small unmanned aircraft systems in the national airspace projected to increase in the next few years, there is growing interest in a traffic management system capable of handling the demands of this aviation sector. It is expected that such a system will involve trajectory prediction, uncertainty propagation, and path planning algorithms. In this work, we use linear covariance propagation in combination with a quadratic programming‐based collision detection algorithm to rapidly validate declared flight plans. Additionally, these algorithms are combined with a dynamic informed RRT∗ algorithm, resulting in a computationally efficient algorithm for chance‐constrained path planning. Detailed numerical examples for both fixed‐wing and quadrotor small unmanned aircraft system models are presented.
Emerging Soft Conductors for Bioelectronic Interfaces
Authors: Gao Dace , Parida Kaushik , Lee Pooi See
Published: November 2019

Bidirectional interfacing between electrodes and biological systems has enabled diagnostics and therapeutics in modern medicine; however, the inherent dissimilarity between the soft, ion‐rich, dynamic biological tissues and the rigid, dry, static electronic systems hinders the establishment of effective and reliable bioelectronic interfaces. In the past decade, the scope of flexible/stretchable electronics has been broadened into bioelectronics owing to the need of implementation of various biocompatible soft conductors. Herein, the basic requirements for the construction of both epidermal and implantable bioelectronic interfaces utilizing soft materials are discussed, the most recent progress in the development of soft conductors, which are customized to interface with skin and other tissues, are summarized. An outlook into the remaining obstacles is provided and possible strategies to facilitate technological advances in bioelectronics are also outlined.
Acoustic Holographic Cell Patterning in a Biocompatible Hydrogel
Authors: Ma Zhichao , Holle Andrew W. , Melde Kai , Qiu Tian , Poeppel Korbinian , Kadiri Vincent Mauricio , Fischer Peer
Published: November 2019

Acoustophoresis is promising as a rapid, biocompatible, noncontact cell manipulation method, where cells are arranged along the nodes or antinodes of the acoustic field. Typically, the acoustic field is formed in a resonator, which results in highly symmetric regular patterns. However, arbitrary, nonsymmetrically shaped cell assemblies are necessary to obtain the irregular cellular arrangements found in biological tissues. It is shown that arbitrarily shaped cell patterns can be obtained from the complex acoustic field distribution defined by an acoustic hologram. Attenuation of the sound field induces localized acoustic streaming and the resultant convection flow gently delivers the suspended cells to the image plane where they form the designed pattern. It is shown that the process can be implemented in a biocompatible collagen solution, which can then undergo gelation to immobilize the cell pattern inside the viscoelastic matrix. The patterned cells exhibit F‐actin‐based protrusions, which indicate that the cells grow and thrive within the matrix. Cell viability assays and brightfield imaging after one week confirm cell survival and that the patterns persist. Acoustophoretic cell manipulation by holographic fields thus holds promise for noncontact, long‐range, long‐term cellular pattern formation, with a wide variety of potential applications in tissue engineering and mechanobiology.
High‐Voltage Aqueous Na‐Ion Battery Enabled by Inert‐Cation‐Assisted Water‐in‐Salt Electrolyte
Authors: Jiang Liwei , Liu Lilu , Yue Jinming , Zhang Qiangqiang , Zhou Anxing , Borodin Oleg , Suo Liumin , Li Hong , Chen Liquan , Xu Kang , Hu Yong‐Sheng
Published: November 2019

Water‐in‐salt (WiS) electrolytes provide a new pathway to widen the electrochemical window of aqueous electrolytes. However, their formulation strongly depends on the solubility of the chosen salts, imposing a stringent restriction on the number of possible WiS systems. This issue becomes more severe for aqueous Na‐ion batteries (ANIBs) owing to the relatively lower solubility of sodium salts compared to its alkaline cousins (Li, K, and Cs). A new class of the inert‐cation‐assisted WiS (IC‐WiS) electrolytes containing the tetraethylammonium (TEA+) inert cation is reported. The Na IC‐WiS electrolyte at a superhigh concentration of 31 mol kg–1 exhibits a wide electrochemical window of 3.3 V, suppresses transition metal dissolution from the cathode, and ensures singular intercalation of Na into both cathode and anode electrodes during cycling, which is often problematic in mixed alkali cation systems such as K–Na and Li–Na. Owing to these unique advantages of the IC‐WiS electrolyte, the NaTiOPO4 anode and Prussian blue analog Na1.88Mn[Fe(CN)6]0.97·1.35H2O cathode can be coupled to construct a full ANIB, delivering an average voltage of 1.74 V and a high energy density of 71 Wh kg−1 with a capacity retention of 90% after 200 cycles at 0.25C and of 76% over 800 cycles at 1C.
A Bacterial Photosynthetic Enzymatic Unit Modulating Organic Transistors with Light
Authors: Di Lauro Michele , la Gatta Simona , Bortolotti Carlo A. , Beni Valerio , Parkula Vitaliy , Drakopoulou Sofia , Giordani Martina , Berto Marcello , Milano Francesco , Cramer Tobias , Murgia Mauro , Agostiano Angela , Farinola Gianluca M. , Trotta Massimo , Biscarini Fabio
Published: November 2019

The photochemical core of every photosynthetic apparatus is the reaction center, a transmembrane enzyme that converts photons into charge‐separated states across the biological membrane with an almost unitary quantum yield. A light‐responsive organic transistor architecture, which converts light into electrical current by exploiting the efficiency of this biological machinery, is presented. Proper surface tailoring enables the integration of the bacterial reaction center as photoactive element in organic transistors, allowing the transduction of its photogenerated voltage into photomodulation of the output current up to two orders of magnitude. This device architecture, termed light‐responsive electrolyte‐gated organic transistor, is the prototype of a new generation of low‐power hybrid bio‐optoelectronic organic devices.
Light‐Stimulated Artificial Synapses Based on 2D Organic Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Fang Lu , Dai Shilei , Zhao Yiwei , Liu Dapeng , Huang Jia
Published: November 2019

2D organic semiconductors (OSCs) with atomically layered scaling structure have been attracting intensive attention in recent years. Benefiting from their unique size advantages, 2D materials have the potential to be immune to short‐channel effects. High‐performance photoresponsive transistors based on 2D OSC films with excellent light‐stimulated synaptic properties are reported. They exhibit a high Iphoto/Idark (up to 1.7 × 105), a competitive photoresponsivity (up to 3 × 103 A W−1), and an ultrahigh detectivity (exceeding 1014 Jones). More interestingly, synapse‐like behaviors including short‐term plasticity and learning ability are successfully imitated. The 2D OSC films are prepared by a solution epitaxy method eliminating the effect of dielectric surface on the morphology of the deposited OSC films, which also simplifies the understanding of the photoresponse mechanism. It is believed that, by comparing the device performance with and without surface modification, synapse‐like behaviors are derived from the interfacial charge trap effect. This is the first report of 2D OSC‐based light‐stimulated synaptic devices. This work not only expands the material selection range of current synaptic electronics, but may also provide an alternative simple and effective solution for the size‐scaling of synaptic transistors in neuromorphic chips.
Water turnover among human populations: Effects of environment and lifestyle
Authors: Swanson Zane S. , Pontzer Herman
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To discuss the environmental and lifestyle determinants of water balance in humans and identify the gaps in current research regarding water use across populations. Methods: We investigated intraspecific variation in water turnover by comparing data derived from a large number of human populations measured using either dietary survey or isotope tracking. We also used published data from a broad sample of mammalian species to identify the interspecific relationship between body mass and water turnover.

Results

Water facilitates nearly all physiological tasks and water turnover is strongly related to body size among mammals (r2=0.90). Within humans, however, the effect of body size is small. Instead, water intake and turnover vary with lifestyle and environmental conditions. Notably, despite living physically active lives in conditions that should increase water demands, the available measures of water intake and turnover among small‐scale farming and pastoralist communities are broadly similar to those in less active, industrialized populations.

Conclusions

More work is required to better understand the environmental, behavioral, and cultural determinants of water turnover in humans living across a variety of ecosystems and lifestyles. The results of such work are made more vital by the climate crisis, which threatens the water security of millions around the globe.
Phenotypic expansion of POGZ‐related intellectual disability syndrome (White‐Sutton syndrome)
Authors: Assia Batzir Nurit , Posey Jennifer E. , Song Xiaofei , Akdemir Zeynep Coban , Rosenfeld Jill A. , Brown Chester W. , Chen Emily , Holtrop Shannon G. , Mizerik Elizabeth , Nieto Moreno Margarita , Payne Katelyn , Raas‐Rothschild Annick , Scott Richard , Vernon Hilary J. , Zadeh Neda ,   Baylor‐Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics, Lupski James R. , Sutton V. Reid
Published: November 2019

White‐Sutton syndrome (WHSUS) is a recently‐identified genetic disorder resulting from de novo heterozygous pathogenic variants in POGZ. Thus far, over 50 individuals have been reported worldwide, however phenotypic characterization and data regarding the natural history are still incomplete. Here we report the clinical features of 22 individuals with 21 unique loss of function POGZ variants. We observed a broad spectrum of intellectual disability and/or developmental delay with or without autism, and speech delay in all individuals. Other common problems included ocular abnormalities, hearing loss and gait abnormalities. A validated sleep disordered breathing questionnaire identified symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea in 4/12 (33%) individuals. A higher‐than‐expected proportion of cases also had gastrointestinal phenotypes, both functional and anatomical, as well as genitourinary anomalies. In line with previous publications, we observed an increased body mass index (BMI) z‐score compared to the general population (mean 0.59, median 0.9; p 0.0253). Common facial features included microcephaly, broad forehead, midface hypoplasia, triangular mouth, broad nasal root and flat nasal bridge. Analysis of the Baylor Genetics clinical laboratory database revealed that POGZ variants were implicated in approximately 0.14% of cases who underwent clinical exome sequencing for neurological indications with or without involvement of other body systems. This study describes a greater allelic series and expands the phenotypic spectrum of this new syndromic form of intellectual disability and autism.
Randomized Placebo‐Controlled Trial of Intravenous Immunoglobulin in Autoimmune LGI1/CASPR2 Epilepsy
Authors: Dubey Divyanshu , Britton Jeffrey , McKeon Andrew , Gadoth Avi , Zekeridou Anastasia , Lopez Chiriboga Sebastian A. , Devine Michelle , Cerhan Jane H. , Dunlay Katie , Sagen Jessica , Ramberger Melanie , Waters Patrick , Irani Sarosh R. , Pittock Sean J.
Published: November 2019

Objective

Drug‐resistant seizures are common in patients with leucine‐rich, glioma‐inactivated 1 (LGI1)‐IgG associated and contactin‐associated protein‐like 2 (CASPR2)‐IgG associated encephalitis. We performed the first randomized double‐blind placebo‐controlled trial to evaluate efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in reducing seizure frequency.

Methods

Our enrollment goal was 30 LGI1/CASPR2‐IgG–seropositive adult patients with ≥2 seizures per week. Patients were randomized to receive IVIG (0.5g/kg day 1, 1g/kg day 2, 0.6g/kg weeks 3 and 5) or volume‐matched intravenous normal saline. Following the blinded phase, the nonresponders in the placebo group received IVIG. The primary clinical outcome was 50% reduction in seizure frequency from baseline to 5 weeks.

Results

After enrollment of 17 patients (LGI1‐IgG, 14; CASPR2‐IgG, 3) over 34 months, the study was terminated due to slow enrollment. Six of 8 patients in the IVIG group were responders, compared to 2 of 9 in the placebo group (p = 0.044, odds ratio = 10.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.1–98.9). For the LGI1‐IgG seropositive subgroup, 6 of 8 patients in the IVIG group were responders, compared to zero of 6 in the placebo group. Two LGI1‐IgG–seropositive patients receiving IVIG, but none receiving placebo, were seizure‐free at the end of the blinded phase. Four of the 6 patients entering the open‐label IVIG arm reported ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency. There were no correlations with LGI1/CASPR2‐IgG1–4 subclasses.

Interpretation

Superiority of IVIG to placebo reached statistical significance for the primary endpoint for all patients and the subset with LGI1‐IgG. These results have to be interpreted with the caveat that the study did not reach its originally selected sample size. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:313–323
Symmetric electric double‐layer capacitor containing imidazolium ionic liquid‐based solid polymer electrolyte: Effect of TiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles on electrochemical behavior
Authors: Das Sayan , Ghosh Aswini
Published: November 2019

Poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropene) (PVDF–HFP)‐based polymer electrolytes embedded with 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate ioniliquid have been synthesized to improve the ionic conductivity. Electric double‐layer capacitors (EDLC) have been prepared using the synthesized polymer electrolytes. Inorganic oxide fillers (5 wt %) such as titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles have been added to polymer electrolytes to compare the electrochemical behavior of the fabricated EDLC. The intrinsic dielectric constant of nanoparticles contributes in ionic dissociation which enhances ionic conductivity of electrolytes and also controls the specific capacitance of the EDLC fabricated with these electrolytes. Physicochemical properties of polymer nanocomposites have been investigated using X‐ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and Fourier transform infrared analysis, which confirms decrease of crystalline phase in host polymer PVDF–HFP. The maximum voltage stability is obtained for TiO2‐based polymer electrolyte. The high specific capacitance as well as high energy density is obtained for the EDLC cell with TiO2‐based polymer electrolyte compared to EDLC with ZnO nanoparticles‐based electrolyte. EDLC cells show specific capacitance of 76.4 and 44.51% of initial specific capacitance value at 2000th cycle for ZnO and TiO2‐based polymer electrolytes, respectively. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48757.
G protein‐coupled receptor binding and pharmacological evaluation of indole‐derived thiourea compounds
Authors: Szulczyk Daniel , Bielenica Anna , Kędzierska Ewa , Leśniak Anna , Pawłowska Agata , Bujalska‐Zadrożny Magdalena , Saccone Irene , Sparaco Rosa , Fiorino Ferdinando , Savchenko Oleksandra , Struga Marta
Published: November 2019

Four 2‐(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)ethylthiourea derivatives were prepared by condensation of 2‐(1H‐indol‐3‐yl)ethanamine with the corresponding aryl/alkylisothiocyanates in a medium‐polarity solvent. Their structures were confirmed by spectral techniques, and the molecular structure of 3 was determined by X‐ray crystal analysis. For all derivatives, the binding affinities at the 5‐HT2A and 5‐HT2C receptors, as well as their functional activities at the 5‐HT1A and D2 receptors, were determined. The arylthioureas 1 and 4 were the most active at the 5‐HT1A receptor, showing, at the same time, significant selectivity over the studied 5‐HT2 and D2 receptor subtypes. The compounds were tested for their pharmacological activities within the central nervous system in relevant mouse models. The involvement of the serotonergic system in the activity of 1 and 4 was indicated. The antinociceptive action of 4 was linked to its anti‐inflammatory activity.
Observer design and practical stability of nonlinear systems under unknown time‐delay
Authors: Echi Nadhem
Published: November 2019

In the present paper, we study observer design and we establish some sufficient conditions for practical exponential stability for a class of time‐delay nonlinear systems written in triangular form. In case of delay is assumed to be constant and known, the exponential convergence of the observer was confirmed. Based on the Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functionals, the practical stability of the proposed observer is achieved. Finally, a physical model and simulation findings show the feasibility of the suggested strategy.
Realkalisierungspotenzial von Trinkwasserbehälterbeschichtungen
Authors: Merkel Melanie , Breit Wolfgang , Schulte Holthausen Robert , Raupach Michael
Published: November 2019

Die realkalisierende Wirkung von mineralischen Mörteln ist aus der Instandsetzung von karbonatisierten Betonen im Hochbau bekannt. Die Anwendungsgrenzen beziehen sich dabei entsprechend der DAfStb‐Richtlinie „Schutz und Instandsetzung von Betonbauteilen“ auf die Verwendung eines portlandzementbasierten (CEM I) Instandsetzungsmaterials sowie darauf, dass die mittlere Karbonatisierungstiefe um nicht mehr als 20 mm hinter die Bewehrung vorgedrungen ist. Bei der Instandsetzung von Trinkwasserbehältern sind zudem besondere Randbedingungen sowohl aus hygienischer als auch technischer Sicht zu beachten. Nach DVGW‐Arbeitsblatt W 300‐3 werden zementgebundene Beschichtungen nach ihrer Fähigkeit, einen ausgelaugten oder karbonatisierten Beton zu realkalisieren, unterschieden. Das sogenannte Realkalisierungsdepot des Mörtels und die vorhandene Restalkalität des Untergrunds sind entscheidend für die Wahl des Auskleidungsprinzips. Dabei sind die Zusammenhänge zwischen der Porosität und dem Alkalitätsdepot des Instandsetzungsmörtels, dem Untergrundbeton sowie den Umgebungsbedingungen für die Realkalisierung nicht ausreichend bekannt. In einem DVGW‐geförderten Forschungsvorhaben wurde die Leistungsfähigkeit von Instandsetzungsmörteln untersucht. Die Ergebnisse zeigen die für eine dauerhafte Realkalisierung notwendigen Materialeigenschaften und Randbedingungen auf und ermöglichen eine nähere Beschreibung der Realkalisierung. Hierdurch wird die zu erwartende Realkalisierung für Planer und Anwender besser verständlich und abschätzbar.
Left internal mammary artery side branch intervention in the management of coronary steal syndrome following coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Mangels Daniel , Penny William , Reeves Ryan
Published: November 2019

Objective

The objective of this qualitative review is to summarize the pathophysiological and clinical data behind the clinical entity of left internal mammary artery (LIMA) side branch coronary steal as well as the potential diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available.

Background

The presence of persistent unligated LIMA side branches following coronary artery bypass grafting has previously been associated with stable angina and acute coronary syndromes. However, despite numerous attempts to objectively demonstrate a coronary steal phenomenon, the pathophysiology of LIMA side branch flow diversion remains elusive and the clinical utility of intervention is not well elucidated.

Methods

A review of literature and available data including case reports, case series, and investigational studies was performed.

Results

Therapeutic closure of LIMA side branches has been reported in at least 44 patients and in at least 31 publications since 1990 and is associated with an 87.5% rate of freedom from angina amongst technically successful initial interventions. In all patients with pre‐ and post‐ stress testing, intervention was associated with an improvement and/or resolution of previously observed reversible ischemia.

Conclusions

LIMA side branch coronary steal should remain an ongoing consideration in symptomatic patients with large unligated side branches on angiography, particularly when there is clear evidence of reversible ischemic on perfusion imaging.
CHOpinionMiner: An unsupervised system for Chinese opinion target extraction
Authors: Wang Yuling , He Wei , Jiang Minghu , Huang Yunlong , Qiu Peijun
Published: November 2019

Opinion target extraction (OTE) is an important task in fine‐grained sentiment analysis field, which focuses on the identification of the targets of users' opinions or sentiments from online reviews. Existing approaches to OTE are mainly based on unsupervised rule‐based methods or supervised machine learning methods. However, the latter needs a large number of labeled samples to train their models and lack of labeled corpus limits the research progress on OTE of Chinese. In this paper, we proposed a novel unsupervised and domain independent system called CHOpinionMiner. First, noun phrases are extracted as candidate opinion targets based on phrase structure grammar, then the syntactic paths of the candidate opinion targets and the opinion words in one opinionated sentence are extracted. After that, the legal paths, or rather, the opinion targets‐opinion lexicon pairs that are syntactically associated are selected according to the syntactic rules. Finally, not only the formal targets but also the orientations are obtained. Experiments on data sets consisting of microblog topics and product reviews demonstrate that our approach outperforms the existing state‐of‐the‐art methods.
Construction of extended ant colony labor division model for traffic signal timing and its application in mixed traffic flow model of single intersection
Authors: Jiang Changbing , Chen Tinggui , Li Ruolan , Li Liang , Li Gongfa , Xu Chonghuan , Li Shufang
Published: November 2019

The ant colony labor division model can be used to solve the dynamic and variable traffic signal timing problem because of its adaptive and self‐adjusting characteristics. Based on the basic model, this paper proposes a new extended ant colony labor division model for traffic signal timing. This model is combined with the vehicle characteristics to modify the calculation method of environmental stimulus values. Using the vehicle delay in the unit period, the original fixed response threshold is modified to the dynamic response threshold, and the state transition equation is reconstructed. Based on the mixed traffic flow model of two‐phase single‐point intersection cellular automata, through comparative experiments and discussion and analysis, it is found that the extended ant colony labor division model can effectively improve road traffic capacity according to road conditions and reasonable traffic signal timing.
Clinal variation in drought resistance shapes past population declines and future management of a threatened plant
Authors: Krushelnycky Paul D. , Felts Jesse M. , Robichaux Robert H. , Barton Kasey E. , Litton Creighton M. , Brown Matthew D.
Published: November 2019

Predicting vegetation responses to increased future drought is challenging, owing to the complex interaction of multiple factors influencing both plant drought resistance and local climatic conditions, each of which may be subject to spatial and temporal heterogeneity. We conducted a detailed study of potential mechanisms underlying an elevational gradient in mortality that has characterized recent population declines of a threatened alpine plant, the Haleakalā silversword (Argyroxiphium sandwicense subsp. macrocephalum). We used a pair of greenhouse experiments staged at high and low elevations to test the influences of plasticity (to contrasting soil water availability and atmospheric conditions) and heredity (different seed source elevations) on the development of functional traits associated with drought resistance and on performance in a terminal drought. We then out‐planted a subset of plants into three common‐garden plots near the bottom, middle, and top of the silversword elevational range, and tracked growth and survival over 3.5 yr. A range of morphological traits (root and leaf mass fractions, specific leaf area, leaf area ratio, and root length per shoot mass) exhibited either heritable variation or plasticity or both. Among physiological traits measured, only water use efficiency exhibited a plastic treatment response. Survival of out‐plants was influenced during the first year by a home site advantage, and by the water treatment imposed in the greenhouses, with high water plants dying more often than low water plants. These effects subsequently dissipated, being replaced over the final 1.5 yr by a strengthening out‐plant site effect: survival was positively associated with site elevation, matching the pattern of mortality observed in the wild population. The balance of information suggests this pattern stems from lower elevation plants being less drought resistant than higher elevation plants, owing principally to plasticity, and thus suffering greater mortality during recent dry seasons. The pattern may be enhanced by stronger deviations from typical climatic conditions at lower elevations. Our findings suggest that future management should focus on climatically suitable habitat rather than advantageous genetic ecotypes. More broadly, they provide evidence that clinal variation can be important to consider when modeling future vegetation responses to climate change.
Wandering woodpeckers: foray behavior in a social bird
Authors: Barve Sahas , Hagemeyer Natasha D. G. , Winter Russell E. , Chamberlain Samuel D. , Koenig Walter D. , Winkler David W. , Walters Eric L.
Published: November 2019

In many cooperatively breeding taxa, nonbreeding subordinates, or helpers, use extra‐territorial forays to discover dispersal opportunities. Such forays are considered energetically costly and foraying birds face aggression from conspecific members of the territories they visit. In contrast, breeders in cooperatively breeding taxa are expected to foray seldomly. We used novel tracking technologies to follow 62 acorn woodpeckers (Melanerpes formicivorus), a cooperatively breeding bird, to study extra‐territorial foray behavior. Both helpers and breeders engaged in extra‐territorial forays routinely and often several times per day. Helpers forayed earlier in the day and invested more time when foraying to high‐quality territories. Unexpectedly, breeders forayed as often and as far as helpers. Breeders from high‐quality territories forayed closer to their home territories than breeders from low‐quality territories, reflecting a potential trade‐off between foraying and territory defense. Such a routine pattern of extra‐territorial forays in both helpers and breeders suggests that the motives behind forays differ by sex and social status and involve more than simply searching for dispersal opportunities.
Pulmonary artery pulsatility index: physiological basis and clinical application
Authors: Lim Hoong Sern , Gustafsson Finn
Published: November 2019

Pulmonary artery pulsatility index (PAPi) is a haemodynamic parameter that is derived from right atrial and pulmonary artery pulse pressures. A number of reports have described the prognostic value of PAPi in patients with advanced heart failure and cardiogenic shock. However, the derivation and physiological interpretation of this parameter have received little attention. This review will examine the physiological interpretation and clinical data for PAPi.