bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Political Economy of the Anglosphere: Geography Trumps History
Authors: Ravenhill John , Huebner Jefferson
Published: May 2020

Economic integration among Anglosphere economies peaked during the period from 1870 to 1960. Maintenance of Imperial Preferences and the Sterling Area ensured that Britain remained the dominant market for most colonies and Dominions in the early post-Second World War period. Britain’s entry into the EEC, the ending of Commonwealth preferences, and the rapid growth of Asian economies caused the UK’s share in Anglosphere economies’ exports to decline rapidly. Growth in the US market share offset some of this decline until the financial crisis of 2007–8 reversed this trend. The significance of intra-Anglosphere trade has declined substantially – from approximately two-thirds of countries’ total trade in 1913 and in 1947 to just over one-third in 2016. Contemporary trade patterns are shaped more by geography than history. The world economy remains substantially regionalised, especially for manufacturing. Many preferential trade agreements (PTAs) are regional in scope: Anglosphere economies have been prominent participants in these arrangements but their partners are typically neighbouring countries rather than other Anglosphere economies. The EU has been the most active negotiator of PTAs: the challenge for a post-Brexit UK will be to negotiate access to markets equivalent to that currently enjoyed through membership of EU PTAs.
The Anglosphere and the American Embrace: The End of the British Empire and After
Authors: Bridge Carl , Zielinski Bart
Published: May 2020

In 1919 and 1945, an English-speaking alliance had a seeming solidity born of victory. In the inter-war period, a British-led Anglosphere continued and even increased trading connections in times of crisis and remained a defence unit, while the Americans went into isolation, which was broken up by another war. After 1945, American hegemony of the Anglosphere, and the rest of the Western world, was a given and trumped the British Empire. This led to NATO, as the British imperial element of this ‘Anglo’ order was undergoing change. Australia and New Zealand could not join NATO, while Canada did, and formed ANZUS with the United States and without Britain. Trade divergence ensued, as Britain joined the EEC and the former Dominions went separate ways embedded in their regions. In the post-Cold War era, the Anglosphere remains one of the cornerstones of a global security structure, whereas, ominous for Brexit, in the important area of world trade, the Anglosphere has no relevance.
Churchill, Powell and the Conservative ‘Brexiteers’: The Political Legacies of the Anglosphere
Authors: Kenny Michael , Pearce Nick
Published: May 2020

This chapter advances the case for a more ‘political’ reading of the Anglosphere discourse than is typically offered by its advocates, or by its academic commentators and critics. The authors stress the plentiful rhetorical resources and motifs associated with this shifting current of thinking, and the political opportunities and dilemmas associated with its recurrent deployment in high politics throughout the twentieth century. They give particular emphasis to the ways in which the Anglosphere ideal was re-worked and re-invented in different eras. And they explore its particular importance in the last three decades in British politics, highlighting its growing importance as a vehicle for an antithetical characterisation of the UK’s past and future to conventional ideas about the integral importance of the European Union to British prospects. They highlight the stirrings of this manner of thinking during the Thatcher years, its coalescence within a wider Anglo-American community in the 1990s, and its subsequent influence over leading campaigners for Brexit. They draw lessons from this account for wider debates about how the Anglosphere might be conceptualised and interpreted.
WINCKELMANN’S APOLLO AND THE PHYSIOGNOMY OF RACE
Authors: Hodne Lasse
Published: May 2020

The taste for classical art that induced museums in the West to acquire masterpieces from ancient Greece and Rome for their collections was stimulated largely by the writings of Johann Joachim Winckelmann. In the past decade, a number of articles have claimed that Winckelmann’s glorification of marble statues representing the white, male body promotes notions of white supremacy. The present article challenges this view by examining theories prevalent in the eighteenth century (especially climate theory) that affected Winckelmann’s views on race. Through an examination of different types of classicism, the article also seeks to demonstrate that Winckelmann’s aesthetics were opposed to the eclectic use of ancient models typical of the fascist regimes of the twentieth century.
THE VERTICAL CITY: APPROACHES TO THE SKYSCRAPER CITY AS PHENOMENOLOGICAL SPACE AND SEMANTIC FIELD
Authors: Troelsen Anders
Published: May 2020

The article is a kind of “project essay” or “brain storm” concerning skyscraper cities. It proposes different approaches for the study of this subject. Starting with the observation that in Danish traditional houses are lying (ligger), whereas skyscrapers are “standing” (står), different phenomenological and discursive perspectives for the study are sketched. The article also suggests that the analysis of contemporary skyscraper cities can shed new light on more traditional cities in the same way as new media illuminate the characterics of old media.
Ideolab
Authors: Mosaic
Published: May 2020

Ideolab, Laboratorio de Ideas, son Carlos Hermosilla (Logroño, 1975), Elena Salas (Vitoria, 1974) y Leire Garagalza (Vitoria, 1975), tres diseñadores gráficos y web que más allá de sus proyectos profesionales para diferentes empresas se han unido para investigar sobre arte digital e interacción entre usuarios. Ideolab trabaja tanto en proyectos pensados específicamente para Internet como en su posterior desarrollo para exposiciones, y ha obtenido numerosos premios y reconocimientos para seguir desarrollándose en el futuro.
Edelweiss Medienwerkstatt
Authors: Marín Antoni , Albadalejo Carlos
Published: May 2020

Edelweiss Medienwerkstatt es la agencia multimedia austriaca responsable de la saga de juegos en Flash Yetisports. Christiane Moser y Rolf-Jürgen Hornasek nos hablan del trabajo de producción de sus juegos, de la tecnología que utilizan, su visión de futuro en el campo y la clave de su éxito.
LANDSLIDES ON THE ROADS OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA AS A RESULT OF ELEMENTAL OR ANTHROPOGENIC PROCESSES
Authors: Đurić Neđo , Đurić Dijana
Published: May 2020

The Republic of Srpska, which is an integral part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was affected by intense precipitation during May 2014 and May 2015. The northern part of the Republic of Srpska is located between the plain area of the Sava River and the mountain massif of the inner Dinarides, while the eastern and western parts are confined to the rivers Drina and Una. Increased precipitation, which in 2014 was three times higher than the average, activated large number of landslides, and most of them threatened the facilities of various purposes. One year later, in the same month, this area was again hit by intense precipitation, less than in the previous year, but more significant by the size of activated landslides.

The most significant landslides were formed along the roads, and the degree of damage is different, depending on the method of construction and maintenance during exploitation.The slopes on which roads are built are in general conditionally stable, and for years have kept their stability in natural conditions. By engineering interventions during the construction of the roads, the natural state of balance was disturbed, which was manifested with delay, since the slopes were not well repaired. The open terrain profiles on the slopes created favorable conditions for water to flow into the quasi homogeneous and heterogeneous clay sediments, where their stability was disturbed.

The roads that were built of good quality as well as slope reparations during construction did not have significant damage during intense precipitation, although some of them were built several decades earlier. During the inventory of landslides on the roads, the effects of elemental and anthropogenic processes were analyzed, where 23 of the characteristic landslides were selected. The periods of construction before and after 1990 were separated, that is, the periods of earlier quality construction of facilities from today's modern one.
ELIMINATION OF TOXIC ELEMENTS BY NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC ADSORBENTS
Authors: Danková Zuzana , Bekényiová Alexandra , Mitróová Zuzana , Gešperová Danka
Published: May 2020

The adsorption of Zn(II) and Cu(II) onto siderite (S) and kaolin (K) and adsorption of As(V) onto bentonite (B) was studied. The chemical modification – precipitation of MnO2 on the kaolin (KM) and siderite (SM) surface was used to improve the adsorption properties of natural materials for their application in columns. In the batch tests the higher adsorption capacity was observed for the KM sample. The binary solution of Zn(II)/Cu(II) was percolated through the columns filled with quartz sand (QS) as a bearer of KM or SM. The effect of toxic elements removal reached in average 90 % for both columns.

The adsorption of As(V) onto natural bentonite (B) and synthetic magnetic particles (MP) was studied by batch as well as column tests. Whereas the B sample did not perform good adsorption properties in batch test, in dynamic conditions its effect was comparable with MP. The effect of As(V) removal was studied in a number of series with different materials beddings and cycles repetitions. The results showed that the most effective was the column filled with QS+B+MP containing more coarse-grained fraction of bentonite. In the second cycle its removal effect reached 60 % of As(V) elimination from the solution.
COPPER RESISTANCE OF LAWN GRASS AND CHRYSANTHEMUM CARINATUM PLANTS
Authors: Gladkov A. Evgeny , Tashlieva I. Ilina , Gladkova V. Olga
Published: May 2020

Condition and quality of the lawn grass and flowering plants is important indicators of the level of landscaping and the urban environment. Copper ions significantly reduce the quality of ornamental plants. The aim of this study was to assess phytotoxicity of copper for Chrysanthemum carinatum, Festuca rubra and Agrostis stolonifera.

High contamination of copper significantly limits the spread of Chrysanthemum carinatum and lawn grass. Chrysanthemum carinatum was less resistant than lawn grass to copper. Chrysanthemum carinatum can grow only with a low level of soil contamination with copper.
TERMAL COMFORT IN THE CITY OF BIJELJINA, FOR THE PERIOD 2009 – 2018 DEFINED BY WGBT
Authors: Đurić Dijana , Topalić Marković Jovana
Published: May 2020

In paper are presented results of bioclimatic model Wet bulbe globe temperature (WBGT) for the area of the city of Bijeljina, for the period of 10 years, from 2009 to 2018. The city is located in the north east part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and has a moderate continental climate. Results were obtained by calculation of meteorological data in software program Biklima 2.6. They show the presence of all five values defined with the WBGT index. Results differ in during the year, and seasons and have different number of days with the Unlimited (<18) being the most common value and Activity should be stopped (>30) the least presence. Some years have the high number of high values (over 30) and present a potential danger for a human organism if exposed to physical activities. Number of consecutive days with high value rises and presents danger for human organism.
AN ANALYSIS OF THE INFLUENCE OF AIR TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY ON OUTDOOR THERMAL COMFORT IN BELGRADE (SERBIA) USING A SIMPLE HEAT INDEX
Authors: Lukić Milica
Published: May 2020

The main objective of this paper is to study the outdoor thermal comfort of the central urban zone of Belgrade during summer season in order to examine how different bioclimatic conditions affect human body. For this purposes Humidex, a simple heat index was applied. The research involved analyzing different Humidex values, the so-called “sub-indices” calculated based on hourly (7:00 and 14:00), mean daily and maximum values of meteorological parameters (air temperature and humidity) that were recorded at the meteorological station Belgrade - Vračar.), for the period 1999-2018. Outdoor thermal comfort in Belgrade is generally more adverse in July and August, resulting in most days belonging to the categories of “some discomfort” (30-39) and “great discomfort” (40-44), with periodic recording of the most severe categories of heat stress, as a category “very dangerous”(Humidex>55). Category of “very dangerous” heat stress shows linear increase during July, with positive trend of 0.03 days/10 years. The findings also show that from 1999 to 2018, mean index value gradually rose and values of sub-indices Humidex14h and HumidexTmax have exceeded thresholds 40 for great discomfort and 45 for dangerous heat stress more often then in the previous decades.
CRACK RESISTANCE OF REINFORCED CONCRETED AND REINFORCED RUBBER CONCRETE BEAMS
Authors: Levchenko Artem , Polikutin Aleksei , Barabash Dmitry
Published: May 2020

The issue of the appearance and development of cracks, as well as an increase the cracking moment is of particular importance for bending elements operating under aggressive environmental conditions. In structures without cracks, steel reinforcement operates in fairly favorable conditions. However, when cracks appear in the sections of the structural element, the reinforcing bar is exposed to aggressive environmental influences, the voltage drop across the reinforcement also increases, etc.

In reinforced concrete structures, tensile stresses are perceived by reinforcing bars, an increase in the content of longitudinal reinforcement in the section leads to some increase in crack resistance of structures, however, an increase in the percentage of longitudinal reinforcement causes a number of undesirable phenomena such as increased consumption of reinforcement and increased weight of the structure. Also, the introduction of reinforcement into the concrete body does not eliminate such disadvantages of concrete as susceptibility to corrosion, low elasticity, low tensile strength and tensile strength. The use of polymer concrete improves these properties of reinforced concrete structures, while the density of fiber rubcon and rubcon is slightly lower than that of traditional concrete, and, consequently, the weight of structures made of this polymer concrete.
UNEVENNESS OF WATER CONSUMPTION IN SETTLEMENT ON THE CASE OF DOBOJ
Authors: Hrnjadović Jasmin , Suljić Nedim
Published: May 2020

Water consumption in a settlement is an extremely variable size that changes constantly over time. Changes in water consumption occur on an annual, monthly, weekly, daily and hourly basis, and depend on many factors such as: climate, season, temperatures, hours of work, consumer habits, etc.

Extreme value of consumption, ie. the peak hour flow is defined as the product of the average daily consumption and the hourly non-uniformity coefficient. Non-uniformity coefficient is defined as the ratio of maximum flow to mean flow over a day, and given that actual flows fluctuate constantly over time, then it is easy to conclude that the non-uniformity coefficient is a variable that varies over time. In this case, the non-uniformity coefficient can be represented as a function C=f(t), which has local extremes at certain points, while at all other time intervals it has a smaller value.

With the known function of uneven consumption, using computer technology, it is possible to program different simulations of consumption and flow in the water supply system. In this way it is possible to optimize the system itself in terms of water consumption, dimensions and capacities of facilities in the system, as well as energy consumption for water transport.
IMPACT ANALYSIS OF THE BANJA LUKA-DOBOJ MOTORWAY CONSTRUCTION ON THE QUALITY OF WATERCOURSES WITH A LOWER RECEIVING CAPACITY
Authors: Knežević Nebojša , Pešević Dušica
Published: May 2020

Prevention of the surface water quality deterioration as a result of motorway construction or similar anthropogenic activities is certainly a rather more demanding task relating to watercourses with lower flow rates than larger watercourses. The paper presents the impact of part of the Banja Luka - Doboj motorway construction site, notably section 1: Banja Luka - Prnjavor, in Miloševci and Hrvaćani, on the Crkvena river water quality. The Banja Luka-Doboj motorway, with a length of 71.91 km, represents a key regional connection in the Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It will connect the Gradiška - Banja Luka motorway (E-661) to Corridor 5c.

Conducted sampling included the Crkvena river water, a right-bank tributary of the Vrbas river, in the Miloševci settlement, and at a new measuring point along the Crkvena River, at the culvert location in the settlement of Hrvaćani, near the motorway construction site. The goal of water sampling is monthly Crkvena river water quality monitoring in order to keep track of the of newly built motorway section's impact on this watercourse in the Miloševci settlement; the purpose of water sampling at a new measuring point in Hrvaćani is to control the Crkvena river water quality before the commencement of works at this location so that the impact of same on this watercourse could later be followed up.
Eficacia de captura de tejones (Meles meles) en el contexto de la investigación de la tuberculosis animal en la España atlántica
Authors: Prieto José Manuel , Quirós Pablo , Balseiro Ana
Published: May 2020

Understanding factors affecting the number of badgers (Meles meles) captured around the setts, latrine and passage areas, is of considerable application in a context of animal tuberculosis research. These factors could be used to define and develop strategies to control tuberculosis, to estimate badgers densities and, in the future, to manage vaccination programs. This study analyzes the trappability of 49 badgers from 2015 to 2017 and describes the capture rate in comparison with these variables: season of the year, meteorological temperature and precipitation, number of night traps and different trapping habitats. The highest capture rate (2.76 badgers/100 night traps) was obtained in late winter-early spring, which could be directly related to the availability of food. Among the adult badgers captured, the females were trapped in higher proportion (63%) than males (37%), which could be related to a greater involvement of the females in the search for food. The best capture rate was obtained around of the setts and no statistical significance was found with respect to the meteorological variables studied.
Selection of reference genes for RT‐qPCR normalization in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum × angustifolium) under various abiotic stresses
Authors: Deng Yu , Li Yadong , Sun Haiyue
Published: May 2020

As a small fruit rich in anthocyanins, blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum × angustifolium) has become a focus of research in recent years for identifying genes related to anthocyanin transport and stress resistance mechanisms based on transcriptome sequencing. However, the lack of validated, stably expressed reference genes greatly limits the functional study of blueberry genes. Therefore, in this study, we selected 14 candidate reference genes from a blueberry transcriptome database and used three algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper) to evaluate the expression stability of these genes in various organs at different fruit developmental stages under five abiotic stress conditions. EF1α, EIF and TBP were observed to be the most stable and were thus chosen as reference genes for quantitative real‐time PCR. Measurement of the relative expression of VcMATE1 (European Nucleotide Archive accession number KF875433) in blueberry further verified the reliability of these reference genes, which may have great utility for determining the accuracy of gene expression analyses in future research on blueberry.
Confusion Matrix
Authors: Piegorsch Walter W.
Published: May 2020

The concept and definition of a confusion matrix, most often seen in supervised learning/informatic studies of a classification procedure, are described.
Bayesian Demography
Authors: Bijak Jakub , Bryant John
Published: May 2020

Demography – the scientific study of populations – has had a long relationship with statistical methods. In particular, the last 30 years have witnessed an increasing number of applications of Bayesian statistics. At present, the main areas of interest of Bayesian demography include population forecasting, dealing with inadequate data, and small area estimation, with a few studies on demographic impacts. However, the current gaps in demographic literature, including a lack of theoretical foundations, challenges related to the management of different sources of uncertainty, and the use of new sources of data are also well suited for applications of Bayesian methods. This is where we predict that the next developments will be concentrated, especially if the current challenges, such as those related to computations, can be overcome.
Toward a Highly Functional Hybrid ZnO Nanofiber–rGO Gas Sensor
Authors: Salehi Talieh , Taherizadeh Aboozar , Bahrami Abbas , Allafchian Alireza , Ghafarinia Vahid
Published: May 2020

Herein, a hybrid ZnO nanofiber/reduced graphene oxide (rGO) gas sensor is fabricated to detect acetone gas. Metal oxides, including ZnO, SnO2, and TiO2, have been widely used as gas sensors. This article investigates the implications of incorporating rGO into the network of ZnO nanofibers for the sensing characteristics of ZnO. Electrospinning, followed by a calcination treatment at 600 °C, is used to synthesize ZnO nanofibers. The synthesis is carried out with different ratios of zinc acetate (ZnAc) and GO. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to study the morphology of the nanofibers before and after calcination. Results show that the diameter of nanofibers before and after calcination is in the range of 400–650 and 190–480 nm, respectively. Results also confirm that rGO sheets are very well intermingled with ZnO nanofibers. It appear that the higher the weight fraction of ZnAc, the higher sensitivity to acetone can be attained. The addition of graphene to the ZnO‐based sensor is associated with an increase in the sensitivity of the fabricated sensor from 2.3 to 4 and a significant decrease in the operating temperature of the sensor from 400 to 200 °C.
Development of Heat Treatments for Selective Laser Melting Ti6Al4V Alloy: Effect on Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Resistance
Authors: Cecchel Silvia , Ferrario Davide , Cornacchia Giovanna , Gelfi Marcello
Published: May 2020

To evaluate the introduction of selective laser melting (SLM) for serial application, some features directly related to the components safety and performances are to be deeply analyzed. To this purpose, the present article applies three different types of heat treatment on Ti6Al4V as‐received samples produced by SLM: 1) annealing stress relieving, 2) solubilization super‐β transus, and 3) sub‐β transus followed by a tempering. Then, the related microstructures, mechanical resistance, residual stresses, and corrosion resistance are studied. The results identify a set of heat treatment parameters (super‐β transus followed by tempering), which guarantee the required properties. These samples show equiaxial grains composed of α + β phase, good mechanical properties, a high resistance to corrosion, and residual stresses almost null. Finally, this study confirms that Ti6Al4V made by SLM is applied in the transport field.
Toward Möbius and Tubular Cyclopolyarene Nanorings via Arylbutadiyne Macrocycles
Authors: Luo Zhouyang , Yang Xiao , Cai Kang , Fu Xiangyu , Zhang Di , Ma Yuguo , Zhao Dahui
Published: May 2020

By harnessing a highly efficient metal‐catalyzed tandem cycloaddition reaction as the key benzannulation step, a series of cyclopolyarene nanorings of varied sizes are obtained from poly(arylene‐butadiynylene) macrocyclic precursors, which can be synthesized relatively conveniently. Interestingly, due to the nonparallel bond connectivity of the repeat unit, unique Möbius topology is manifested by the cyclopolyarene nanorings composed of an odd number of repeat units, whereas cylindrical tubular structures with radial conjugation are formed with those consisting of an even number of repeat units.
Manganese‐Catalyzed Hydroarylation of Unactivated Alkenes
Authors: Liu Ting , Yang Yunhui , Wang Congyang
Published: May 2020

Transition‐metal‐catalyzed hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes with strategic use of remote coordinating functional groups has received significant attention recently to address the issues of both low reactivity and poor selectivity. The bidentate 8‐aminoquinoline amide group is the most successfully adopted in unactivated alkenes for Pd and Ni catalysis. We describe the first manganese‐catalyzed hydroarylation of unactivated alkenes bearing diverse simple functionalities with arylboronic acids. A series of δ‐ and γ‐arylated amides, ketones, pyridines, and amines was accessed with excellent regioselectivity and in high yields. Hydroalkenylation of unactivated alkenes was also shown to be applicable under this manganese‐catalysis regime. The method features earth‐abundant manganese catalysis, easily available substrates, broad functional‐group tolerance, and excellent regioselective control.
Polyvinylpyrrolidone‐Coordinated Single‐Site Platinum Catalyst Exhibits High Activity for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Li Can , Chen Zheng , Yi Hong , Cao Yi , Du Lei , Hu Yidong , Kong Fanpeng , Kramer Campen Richard , Gao Yunzhi , Du Chunyu , Yin Geping , Zhang Igor Ying , Tong Yujin
Published: May 2020

The essence of developing a Pt‐based single‐atom catalyst (SAC) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is the preparation of well‐defined and stable single Pt sites with desired electrocatalytic efficacy. Herein, we report a facile approach to generate uniformly dispersed Pt sites with outstanding HER performance via a photochemical reduction method using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) molecules as the key additive to significantly simplify the synthesis and enhance the catalytic performance. The as‐prepared catalyst displays remarkable kinetic activities (20 times higher current density than the commercially available Pt/C) with excellent stability (76.3 % of its initial activity after 5000 cycles) for HER. EXAFS measurements and DFT calculations demonstrate a synergetic effect, where the PVP ligands and the support together modulate the electronic structure of the Pt atoms, which optimize the hydrogen adsorption energy, resulting in a considerably improved HER activity.
A Stable and Conductive Metallophthalocyanine Framework for Electrocatalytic Carbon Dioxide Reduction in Water
Authors: Huang Ning , Lee Ka Hung , Yue Yan , Xu Xiaoyi , Irle Stefan , Jiang Qiuhong , Jiang Donglin
Published: May 2020

Transformation of carbon dioxide to high value‐added chemicals becomes a significant challenge for clean energy studies. Here a stable and conductive covalent organic framework was developed for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction to carbon monoxide in aqueous solution. The cobalt(II) phthalocyanine catalysts are topologically connected via robust phenazine linkage into a two‐dimensional tetragonal framework that is stable under boiling water, acid, or base conditions. The 2D lattice enables full π conjugation along x and y directions as well as π conduction along the z axis across the π columns. With these structural features, the electrocatalytic framework exhibits a faradaic efficiency of 96 %, an exceptional turnover number up to 320 000, and a long‐term turnover frequency of 11 412 hour−1, which is a 32‐fold improvement over molecular catalyst. The combination of catalytic activity, selectivity, efficiency, and durability is desirable for clean energy production.
Palladium nanoparticles immobilized over Strawberry fruit extract coated Fe3O4 NPs: A magnetic reusable nanocatalyst for Suzuki‐Miyaura coupling reactions
Authors: Hemmati Saba , Yousefi Mohammad , Salehi Mirmehdi Hashemi , Amiri Mahdis , Hekmati Malak
Published: May 2020

This paper develops a green method for in situ decorated of palladium nanoparticles over Fe3O4 nanoparticles, by utilizing Strawberry fruit extract and ultrasound irradiations, with no use of any toxic reducing agent. The structure's characterization is represented via diverse analytical methods such as FT‐IR, FE‐SEM, TEM, WDX, ICP, EDS and XXPS. Catalytic efficiency of magnetic Fe3O4@Strawberry/Pd nanocatalyst is investigated in production of different biphenyls with good turnover frequencies (TOF) and turnover numbers (TON) through Suzuki coupling reactions. Furthermore, the catalyst could be recovered and reused 7 runs without considerable palladium leaching or alteration in its performance.
Copper supported on N‐heterocyclic carbene‐functionalized porous organic polymer for efficient oxidative carbonylation of methanol
Authors: Lei Yizhu , Fan Meitao , Lan Guosong , Li Guangxing
Published: May 2020

A new heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol to dimethyl carbonate based on copper coordinated in N‐heterocyclic carbene‐functionalized porous organic polymer (Cu@PQP‐NHC) was presented. The solid catalyst that featured relatively large surface area, hierarchical pore structure, and excellent swelling property, was prepared via a facile copolymerization reaction of tetra‐vinylphosphonium salt and bis‐vinylimidazolium salt, followed by successful immobilization of CuCl. Accordingly, the resulting Cu@PQP‐NHC showed excellent catalytic performance for the oxidative carbonylation of methanol. A 10 mmol/l of Cu usage was sufficient for 9.3% conversion of methanol with a high TOF number of 57 h−1. Importantly, the catalyst was easily recovered by simple centrifugation, and could be reused up to 10 consecutive recycles without obvious loss of its initial activity. Also, the solid catalyst showed negligible Cu leaching during the recycling, and 99% Cu species was still retained after reusing 10 times. The results in this study highlights the advantages of porous organic polymer supported NHC‐Cu catalyst as a highly active and stable heterogeneous catalyst, providing a promising route for the synthesis of dimethyl carbonate.
Construction of an engineered biocatalyst system for the production of medium‐chain α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids from medium‐chain ω‐hydroxycarboxylic acids
Authors: Kim Tae‐Hun , Kang Su‐Hwan , Park Jin‐Byung , Oh Deok‐Kun
Published: May 2020

Medium‐chain α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids produced from renewable long‐chain fatty acids are valuable as precursors in the chemical industry. However, they are difficult to produce biologically at high concentrations. Although improved biocatalyst systems consisting of engineering of Baeyer–Villiger monooxygenases are used in the production of ω‐hydroxycarboxylic acids from long‐chain fatty acids, the engineering of biocatalysts involved in the production of α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids from ω‐hydroxycarboxylic acids has been rarely attempted. Here, we used highly active bacterial enzymes, Micrococcus luteus alcohol dehydrogenase and Archangium violaceum aldehyde dehydrogenase, for the efficient production of α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids from ω‐hydroxycarboxylic acids and constructed a biocatalyst with cofactor regeneration system by introducing NAD(P)H flavin oxidoreductase as the NAD(P)H oxidase. The inhibition of the biocatalyst by hydrophobic substrates was attenuated by engineering a biocatalyst system with an adsorbent resin, which allowed us to obtain 196 mM decanedioic, 145 mM undecanedioic, and 114 mM dodecanedioic acid from 200 mM of C10, C11, and C12 hydroxyl saturated carboxylic acids, respectively, and 141 mM undecanedioic acid from 150 mM C11 unsaturated carboxylic acids, with molar conversions of 98%, 97%, 95%, and 94%, respectively. The concentration of undecanedioic acid obtained was approximately 40‐fold higher than that in the previously highest results. Our results from this study can be applied for the industrial production of medium‐chain α,ω‐dicarboxylic acids from renewable long‐chain fatty acids.
HIF‐1α interacts with Kindlin‐2 and influences breast cancer elasticity: A study based on shear wave elastography imaging
Authors: Xue Xiaowei , Xue Shaowei , Wan Wenbo , Li Junlai , Shi Huaiyin
Published: May 2020

Breast cancer was the most frequent and the second most deadly cancer in women in 2018 in China; thus, early diagnosis of breast cancer is important. Studies have reported that tissue stiffness promotes cancer progression through increased collagen or fibrosis. Shear wave elastography (SWE) is a technique for measuring tissue stiffness. However, the mechanisms underlying cancer tissue stiffness or fibrosis are not entirely clear. Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 (HIF‐1α) is expressed in response to hypoxia and contributes to tumor progression and metastasis. Kindlin‐2 is an important co‐activator of integrin. We have reported that Kindlin‐2 influences breast cancer stiffness and metastasis. In this study, SWE was used to determine the maximum elasticity (Emax) of patients before operation or core needle biopsy. The specimens were used for staining. Knockdown, overexpression, co‐immunoprecipitation, and immunofluorescence assays were used to explore the relationship between HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2. We found that HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2 were highly expressed in invasive breast cancer and that the expression levels of HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2 were correlated with Emax. HIF‐1α interacts with Kindlin‐2. Besides, HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2 influence the expression of P4HA1, an important protein in collagen biogenesis through the integrin/FAK pathway. Our study first identified a new mechanism of invasive breast cancer stiffness by linking HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2 to collagen biogenesis. Therefore, based on SWE, Emax could be a physical biomarker of invasive breast cancer for early, noninvasive diagnosis, and HIF‐1α and Kindlin‐2 could be pathological markers for early diagnosis and targeted therapy.
Epidermal growth factor and three‐dimensional scaffolds provide conducive environment for differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells into oocyte‐like cells
Authors: Soleimani Azam , Fard Nehleh Zarei , Talaei‐Khozani Tahereh , Bahmanpour Soghra
Published: May 2020

Three‐dimensional (3D) culture provides a biomimicry of the naive microenvironment that can support cell proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration. Some growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), facilitate normal meiosis during oocyte maturation in vivo. In this study, a scaffold‐based 3D coculture system using purified alginate was applied to induce oocyte differentiation from mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). mESCs were induced to differentiate into oocyte‐like cells using embryoid body protocol in the two‐dimensional or 3D microenvironment in vitro. To increase the efficiency of the oocyte‐like cell differentiation from mESCs, we employed a coculture system using ovarian granulosa cells in the presence or absence of epidermal growth factor (+EGF or −EGF) for 14 days and then the cells were assessed for germ cell differentiation, meiotic progression, and oocyte maturation markers. The cultures exposed to EGF in the alginate‐based 3D microenvironment showed the highest level of premeiotic (Oct4 and Mvh), meiotic (Scp1, Scp3, Stra8, and Rec8), and oocyte maturation (Gdf9, Cx37, and Zp2) marker genes (p < .05) in comparison to other groups. According to the gene‐expression patterns, we can conclude that alginate‐based 3D coculture system provided a highly efficient protocol for oocyte‐like cell differentiation from mESCs. The data showed that this culture system along with EGF improved the rate of in vitro oocyte‐like cell differentiation.
Tumor‐suppressor Fbxw7 targets SIK2 for degradation to interfere with TORC2‐AKT signaling in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zhang Ming‐xia , Wang Hao , Sun Guo‐ping
Published: May 2020

The tumor suppressor F‐box/WD repeat‐containing protein 7 (Fbxw7) is a substrate‐recognition subunit of a ubiquitin ligase complex. We have previously proposed that Fbxw7 inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting β‐catenin. To identify other targets of Fbxw7 involved in pancreatic carcinogenesis, we screened the human protein database for Fbxw7 target candidates using the conserved Fbxw7‐recognizing sequences. Twenty‐three candidates are identified, including five known Fbxw7 targets and two cancer‐related genes (salt inducible kinase 2 [SIK2] and ZMIZ1). We identified SIK2 as an Fbxw7 target for degradation by binding to the “TPPPS” motif of SIK2 in pancreatic cancer cells. We also demonstrated that SIK2 promoted proliferation and mitotic progression of pancreatic cancer cells. Moreover, endogenous Fbxw7 downregulates SIK2 protein level for controlling cell cycle progression, possibly by interfering the SIK2/TORC2/AKT signaling pathway to modulate p21 expression. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Fbxw7 targets the cell cycle controller, SIK2, for degradation, thereby leading to the disruption of downstream TORC2/AKT signaling to inhibit pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression.
G‐CSF‐dependent neutrophil differentiation requires downregulation of MAPK activities through the Gab2 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhao Xianglin , Kawano Shun‐ichiro , Masuda Junko , Murakami Hiroshi
Published: May 2020

Granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF) stimulation of myeloid cells induced tyrosine‐phosphorylation of cellular proteins. One of the tyrosine‐phosphorylated proteins was found to be a scaffold protein, Grb2‐associated binding protein 2 (Gab2). Another member of Gab family protein, Gab3, was exogenously overexpressed in neutrophil progenitor cells to make the Gab3 protein to compete with the endogenous Gab2 for the G‐CSF‐dependent signaling. In Gab3‐overexpressed cells, the level of tyrosine phosphorylation of endogenous Gab2 by G‐CSF stimulation was markedly downregulated, while the phosphorylation of Gab3 was significantly enhanced. The Gab3‐overexpressed cells continuously proliferated in the medium containing G‐CSF and lost the ability to differentiate to the mature neutrophil, characterized by the lobulated nucleus. The G‐CSF stimulation‐dependent tyrosine phosphorylation of Gab3, the association of SHP2 to Gab3 and the following mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation were prolonged in the Gab3‐overexpressed cells, compared to the parental cells, where the binding of SHP2 to Gab2 protein and thereby the activation of MAPK were not sustained after G‐CSF stimulation. Inhibition of MAPK by pharmaceutical inhibitor restored the Gab3‐overexpressed cells to the ability to differentiate to mature neutrophil. Therefore, G‐CSF‐dependent Gab2 phosphorylation and following its downregulation led the short‐term MAPK activation. The downregulation of MAPK after transient Gab2 phosphorylation was necessary for the consequent neutrophil differentiation induced by G‐CSF stimulation.
Accuracy of the PARIS score and PCI complexity to predict ischemic events in patients treated with very thin stents in unprotected left main or coronary bifurcations
Authors: Gallone Guglielmo , D'Ascenzo Fabrizio , Conrotto Federico , Costa Francesco , Capodanno Davide , Muscoli Saverio , Chieffo Alaide , Yoichi Imori , Pennacchi Mauro , Quadri Giorgio , Nuñez‐Gil Ivan , Bocchino Pier Paolo , Piroli Francesco , De Filippo Ovidio , Rolfo Cristina , Wojakowski Wojciech , Trabattoni Daniela , Huczek Zenon , Venuti Giuseppe , Montabone Andrea , Rognoni Andrea , Parma Radoslaw , Figini Filippo , Mitomo Satoru , Boccuzzi Giacomo , Mattesini Alessio , Cerrato Enrico , Wańha Wojciech , Smolka Grzegorz , Cortese Bernardo , Ryan Nicola , Bo Mario , di Mario Carlo , Varbella Ferdinando , Burzotta Francesco , Sheiban Imad , Escaned Javier , Helft Gerard , De Ferrari Gaetano Maria
Published: May 2020

Background

The PARIS risk score (PARIS‐rs) and percutaneous coronary intervention complexity (PCI‐c) predict clinical and procedural residual ischemic risk following PCI. Their accuracy in patients undergoing unprotected left main (ULM) or bifurcation PCI has not been assessed.

Methods

The predictive performances of the PARIS‐rs (categorized as low, intermediate, and high) and PCI‐c (according to guideline‐endorsed criteria) were evaluated in 3,002 patients undergoing ULM/bifurcation PCI with very thin strut stents.

Results

After 16 (12–22) months, increasing PARIS‐rs (8.8% vs. 14.1% vs. 27.4%, p < .001) and PCI‐c (15.2% vs. 11%, p = .025) were associated with higher rates of major adverse cardiac events ([MACE], a composite of death, myocardial infarction [MI], and target vessel revascularization), driven by MI/death for PARIS‐rs and target lesion revascularization/stent thrombosis for PCI‐c (area under the curves for MACE: PARIS‐rs 0.60 vs. PCI‐c 0.52, p‐for‐difference < .001). PCI‐c accuracy for MACE was higher in low‐clinical‐risk patients; while PARIS‐rs was more accurate in low‐procedural‐risk patients. ≥12‐month dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) was associated with a lower MACE rate in high PARIS‐rs patients, (adjusted‐hazard ratio 0.42 [95% CI: 0.22–0.83], p = .012), with no benefit in low to intermediate PARIS‐rs patients. No incremental benefit with longer DAPT was observed in complex PCI.

Conclusions

In the setting of ULM/bifurcation PCI, the residual ischemic risk is better predicted by a clinical risk estimator than by PCI complexity, which rather appears to reflect stent/procedure‐related events. Careful procedural risk estimation is warranted in patients at low clinical risk, where PCI complexity may substantially contribute to the overall residual ischemic risk.
Generation of 3D Tumor Spheroids with Encapsulating Basement Membranes for Invasion Studies
Authors: Nazari Shayan S.
Published: May 2020

In the past, in vitro studies of invasion and tumor progression were performed primarily using cancer cells cultured on a flat, two‐dimensional (2D) surface in a monolayer. In recent years, however, many studies have demonstrated differences in cell signaling and cell migration between 2D and 3D cell cultures. Traditional 2D monolayer cancer cell invasion models do not fully recapitulate 3D cell‐to‐cell and cell−to−extracellular matrix interactions that in vivo models can provide. Moreover, although in vivo animal models are irreplaceable for studying tumor biology and metastasis, they are costly, time‐consuming, and impractical for answering preliminary questions. Thus, emergent and evolving 3D spheroid cell culture models have changed the way we study tumors and their interactions with their surrounding extracellular matrix. In the case of breast cancer, metastasis of breast cancer tumors results in high mortality rates, and thus development of robust cell culture models that are reproducible and practical for studying breast cancer progression is important for ultimately developing preventatives for cancer metastasis. This article provides a set of protocols for generating uniform spheroids with a thin sheet of basement membrane for studying the initial invasion of mammary epithelial cells into a surrounding collagen‐rich extracellular matrix. Details are provided for generating 3D spheroids with a basement membrane, polymerizing collagen I, embedding the spheroids in the 3D collagen gel, and immunostaining the spheroids for invasion studies. Published 2020. U.S. Government.

Basic Protocol 1: Growth of uniformly sized tumor spheroids with an encapsulating basement membrane

Basic Protocol 2: Polymerization and embedding of tumor spheroids in a 3D type I collagen gel

Alternate Protocol: Embedding of tumor spheroids in collagen gels using a sandwich method

Basic Protocol 3: Fixing and immunostaining of tumor spheroids embedded in 3D collagen gels
Women in management and sustainable development of SMEs: Do relational environmental management instruments matter?
Authors: Graafland Johan
Published: May 2020

Scientific literature on the relationship between gender diversity in management and sustainability of large companies has produced mixed results. Whether and how gender diversity stimulates the sustainable development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) has not yet been researched. We hypothesize that having more women in management positions improves the sustainability of SMEs, because this encourages the use of relational environmental management instruments. Small business literature has shown this type of instrument to be more effective in improving the sustainability of SMEs than bureaucratic management instruments. We test the model on a sample of 3,663 European SMEs and find support for this hypothesis. However, the effect is nonlinear and sustainability reaches its maximum when the proportion of women managers is 54%. The management implication is that SMEs can improve their sustainability by a gender balanced management team.
Unmasking features of the auto‐epitope essential for β1‐adrenoceptor activation by autoantibodies in chronic heart failure
Authors: Wölfel Angela , Sättele Mathias , Zechmeister Christina , Nikolaev Viacheslav O. , Lohse Martin J. , Boege Fritz , Jahns Roland , Boivin‐Jahns Valérie
Published: May 2020

Aims

Chronic heart failure (CHF) can be caused by autoantibodies stimulating the heart via binding to first and/or second extracellular loops of cardiac β1‐adrenoceptors. Allosteric receptor activation depends on conformational features of the autoantibody binding site. Elucidating these features will pave the way for the development of specific diagnostics and therapeutics. Our aim was (i) to fine‐map the conformational epitope within the second extracellular loop of the human β1‐adrenoceptor (β1ECII) that is targeted by stimulating β1‐receptor (auto)antibodies and (ii) to generate competitive cyclopeptide inhibitors of allosteric receptor activation, which faithfully conserve the conformational auto‐epitope.

Methods and results

Non‐conserved amino acids within the β1ECII loop (compared with the amino acids constituting the ECII loop of the β2‐adrenoceptor) were one by one replaced with alanine; potential intra‐loop disulfide bridges were probed by cysteine–serine exchanges. Effects on antibody binding and allosteric receptor activation were assessed (i) by (auto)antibody neutralization using cyclopeptides mimicking β1ECII ± the above replacements, and (ii) by (auto)antibody stimulation of human β1‐adrenoceptors bearing corresponding point mutations. With the use of stimulating β1‐receptor (auto)antibodies raised in mice, rats, or rabbits and isolated from exemplary dilated cardiomyopathy patients, our series of experiments unmasked two features of the β1ECII loop essential for (auto)antibody binding and allosteric receptor activation: (i) the NDPK211–214 motif and (ii) the intra‐loop disulfide bond C209↔C215. Of note, aberrant intra‐loop disulfide bond C209↔C216 almost fully disrupted the functional auto‐epitope in cyclopeptides.

Conclusions

The conformational auto‐epitope targeted by cardio‐pathogenic β1‐receptor autoantibodies is faithfully conserved in cyclopeptide homologues of the β1ECII loop bearing the NDPK211–214 motif and the C209↔C215 bridge while lacking cysteine C216. Such molecules provide promising tools for novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in β1‐autoantibody‐positive CHF.