bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiosynthesis of microtubule‐targeted theranostic methyl N‐[5‐(3’‐radiohalobenzoyl)‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl]carbamates
Authors: Kortylewicz Zbigniew P. , Baranowska‐Kortylewicz Janina
Published: April 2018

Microtubules are a target for a broad spectrum of drugs used as chemotherapeutics to treat hematological malignancies and solid tumors. Most of these drugs have significant dose‐limiting toxicities including peripheral neuropathies that can be debilitating and permanent. In an ongoing effort to develop safer and more effective drugs, benzimidazole‐based compounds are being developed as replacement for vincristine and similar agents. In this report, we describe radiosyntheses of novel microtubule‐targeting methyl N‐[5‐(3’‐radiohalobenzoyl)‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl]carbamates 4 that are intended as potential imaging agents and molecular radiotherapeutics. 125I‐ and 131I‐radiolabeled derivatives were prepared either by direct radioiodination of methyl N‐(6‐benzoyl‐1H‐benzimidazol‐2‐yl)carbamate 1 or radioiododestannylation of the corresponding stannane precursor 3. The direct radioiodination was conducted in a solution of 1 in triflic acid and produced after ~1 hour at elevated temperatures and HPLC purification on average 62% of the no‐carrier added products 125I‐4 and 131I‐4. Radioiododestannylation of 3’‐trimethylstannane 3 proceeded with ease at room temperature in the presence of H2O2 as the oxidant and produced no‐carrier‐added 125I‐4 and 131I‐4 in high isolated yields, on average 85%. The radiohalodestannylation protocol is universal and can be applied to other radiohalides including 124I to produce 124I‐4, a positron emission tomography agent, and 211At to produce 211At‐4, an α‐particle emitting radiotherapeutic.
Analysis of diffusion tensor measurements of the human cervical spinal cord based on semiautomatic segmentation of the white and gray matter
Authors: Dostál Marek , Keřkovský Miloš , Korit′áková Eva , Němcová Eva , Stulík Jakub , Staňková Monika , Bernard Vladan
Published: April 2018

Background

Segmentation of the gray and white matter (GM, WM) of the human spinal cord in MRI images as well as the analysis of spinal cord diffusivity are challenging. When appropriately segmented, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the spinal cord might be beneficial in the diagnosis and prognosis of several diseases.

Purpose

To evaluate the applicability of a semiautomatic algorithm provided by ITK‐SNAP in classification mode (CLASS) for segmenting cervical spinal cord GM, WM in MRI images and analyzing DTI parameters.

Study Type

Prospective.

Subjects

Twenty healthy volunteers.

Sequences

1.5T, turbo spin echo, fast field echo, single‐shot echo planar imaging.

Assessment

Three raters segmented the tissues by manual, CLASS, and atlas‐based methods (Spinal Cord Toolbox, SCT) on T2‐weighted and DTI images. Masks were quantified by similarity and distance metrics, then analyzed for repeatability and mutual comparability. Masks created over T2 images were registered into diffusion space and fractional anisotropy (FA) values were statistically evaluated for dependency on method, rater, or tissue.

Statistical Tests

t‐test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), coefficient of variation, Dice coefficient, Hausdorff distance.

Results

CLASS segmentation reached better agreement with manual segmentation than did SCT (P < 0.001). Intra‐ and interobserver repeatability of SCT was better for GM and WM (both P < 0.001) but comparable with CLASS in entire spinal cord segmentation (P = 0.17 and P = 0.07, respectively). While FA values of whole spinal cord were not influenced by choice of segmentation method, both semiautomatic methods yielded lower FA values (P < 0.005) for GM than did the manual technique (mean differences 0.02 and 0.04 for SCT and CLASS, respectively). Repeatability of FA values for all methods was sufficient, with mostly less than 2% variance.

Data Conclusion

The presented semiautomatic method in combination with the proposed approach to data registration and analyses of spinal cord diffusivity can potentially be used as an alternative to atlas‐based segmentation.

Level of Evidence: 1

Technical Efficacy: Stage 2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1217–1227.
Development of an organ‐specific insert phantom generated using a 3D printer for investigations of cardiac computed tomography protocols
Authors: Abdullah Kamarul A. , McEntee Mark F. , Reed Warren , Kench Peter L.
Published: April 2018

Introduction

An ideal organ‐specific insert phantom should be able to simulate the anatomical features with appropriate appearances in the resultant computed tomography (CT) images. This study investigated a 3D printing technology to develop a novel and cost‐effective cardiac insert phantom derived from volumetric CT image datasets of anthropomorphic chest phantom.

Methods

Cardiac insert volumes were segmented from CT image datasets, derived from an anthropomorphic chest phantom of Lungman N‐01 (Kyoto Kagaku, Japan). These segmented datasets were converted to a virtual 3D‐isosurface of heart‐shaped shell, while two other removable inserts were included using computer‐aided design (CAD) software program. This newly designed cardiac insert phantom was later printed by using a fused deposition modelling (FDM) process via a Creatbot DM Plus 3D printer. Then, several selected filling materials, such as contrast media, oil, water and jelly, were loaded into designated spaces in the 3D‐printed phantom. The 3D‐printed cardiac insert phantom was positioned within the anthropomorphic chest phantom and 30 repeated CT acquisitions performed using a multi‐detector scanner at 120‐kVp tube potential. Attenuation (Hounsfield Unit, HU) values were measured and compared to the image datasets of real‐patient and Catphan® 500 phantom.

Results

The output of the 3D‐printed cardiac insert phantom was a solid acrylic plastic material, which was strong, light in weight and cost‐effective. HU values of the filling materials were comparable to the image datasets of real‐patient and Catphan® 500 phantom.

Conclusions

A novel and cost‐effective cardiac insert phantom for anthropomorphic chest phantom was developed using volumetric CT image datasets with a 3D printer. Hence, this suggested the printing methodology could be applied to generate other phantoms for CT imaging studies.
Right versus left: How does political ideology affect the workplace?
Authors: Johnson Andrew F. , Roberto Katherine J.
Published: April 2018

Underscored by perceived moral truths and at times punctuated by hypocrisy, political ideology is a deeply held conviction for many individuals, affecting their behavior. In an organizational setting, conflicting political ideologies may lead to a number of undesirable outcomes. This Incubator calls for further study into this important individual trait.
Evaluation of the chemical and nutritional characteristics of almonds (Prunus dulcis (Mill). D.A. Webb) as influenced by harvest time and cultivar
Authors: Summo Carmine , Palasciano Marino , De Angelis Davide , Paradiso Vito M , Caponio Francesco , Pasqualone Antonella
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Several workers have studied the effect of harvest time on chemical and nutritional composition of almonds, but the results are partly conflicting, probably due to differences in the cultivars considered and to different agronomic and climatic conditions in the growing areas. In this paper, the influence of harvest time and cultivar on the chemical and nutritional composition of almonds (Prunus dulcis (Mill). D.A. Webb) were evaluated. Ten cultivars were considered, grown in the same orchard and subjected to the same agronomical regime. Almonds were collected at two different harvest times: (i) when the fruits were unripe, but already edible, and showed green and moist hull; and (ii) when the fruits were ripe, with dry brown hull. The analyses of proximate composition, fatty acid profile, total phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity were carried out.

RESULTS

Lipid content increased (P < 0.001) during ripening, while both protein and carbohydrate content decreased (P < 0.01). Fatty acid composition showed a not univocal behavior during ripening and was highly influenced by cultivar. Total phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity varied among cultivars but increased during ripening with the exception of cv Marcona. The ‘Genco’ and ‘Francolì’ cultivars were found to be phenolic rich.

CONCLUSION

Harvest time and cultivar significantly influenced the chemical and nutritional composition of almonds. Genotype strongly influenced fatty acid composition and total phenolic compounds. The changes of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity suggest that the synthesis of antioxidants also occurs in the last stage of ripening. Unripe almonds, a valuable niche product, showed interesting nutritional value. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
World's first large size 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display
Authors: Park Chan Il , Seong Miryn , Kim Mi Ae , Kim Dojin , Jung Hyunju , Cho Mingu , Lee Sang Hoon , Lee Hyokang , Min Sungjoon , Kim Jaehyeong , Kim Minseok , Park Jong‐Hyun , Kwon Seyeoul , Kim Binn , Kim Se June , Park Weonseo , Yang Joon‐Young , Yoon Sooyoung , Kang Inbyeong
Published: April 2018

Large flexible organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) display provides various electronic applications such as curved, bendable, rollable, and commercial display, because of its thinness, light weight, and design freedom. In this work, the process flow and key technologies to fabricate the world's first large size 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display are introduced. “White OLED on TFT + color filter” method is used to fabricate the aforementioned display. On both thin‐film transistor and color filter substrates, transparent polyimide (PI) was used as plastic substrate with multi‐barrier. In case of a transparent flexible display, the multi‐barrier is required for the additional consideration to overcome the decrease of transmittance due to the difference in refractive index of the conventional multi‐barrier. We developed the special multi‐barrier to increase transparency with superior water vapor transition rate characteristic. The optimized amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide thin‐film transistors were employed on the multi‐barrier, and it shows the highly uniform electrical performance and reliability on plastic substrate. Also, the typical panel failure mechanism during laser lift‐off process caused by a particle in PI is studied, and a sacrificial layer was suggested between PI and a carrier glass to reduce the panel failure. Finally, we successfully realized the world's first 77‐inch transparent flexible OLED display with ultra‐high‐definition resolution, which can be rolled up to a radius of 80 mm with a transmittance of 40%.
Ultrasonography in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Davis Joshua J. , Wessner Corinne E. , Potts Jacqueline , Au Arthur K. , Pohl Charles A. , Fields J. Matthew
Published: April 2018

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the evidence of educational outcomes associated with teaching ultrasonography (US) to medical students.

Methods

A review of databases through 2016 was conducted for research studies that reported data on teaching US to medical students. Each title and abstract were reviewed by teams of 2 independent abstractors to determine whether the article would be ordered for full‐text review and subsequently by 2 independent authors for inclusion. Data were abstracted with a form developed a priori by the authors.

Results

Ninety‐five relevant unique articles were included (of 6936 identified in the databases). Survey data showed that students enjoyed the US courses and desired more US training. Of the studies that assessed US‐related knowledge and skill, most of the results were either positive (16 of 25 for knowledge and 24 of 58 for skill) or lacked a control (8 of 25 for knowledge and 27 of 58 for skill). The limited evidence (14 of 95 studies) of the effect of US training on non‐US knowledge and skill (eg, anatomy knowledge or physical examination skill) was mixed.

Conclusions

There is ample evidence that students can learn US knowledge and skills and that they enjoy and want US training in medical school. The evidence for the effect of US on external outcomes is limited, and there is insufficient evidence to recommend it for this purpose at this time.
Acute Acalculous Cholecystitis in Hospitalized Patients With Hematologic Malignancies and Prognostic Importance of Gallbladder Ultrasound Findings
Authors: Thampy Rajesh , Khan Ahmad , Zaki Islam H. , Wei Wei , Korivi Brinda Rao , Staerkel Greg , Bathala Tharakeswara K.
Published: April 2018

Objectives

Patients with hematologic malignancies, especially those with acute disease or those receiving intense chemotherapy, are known to develop acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic value of the established ultrasound (US) diagnostic criteria for AAC in patients with acute hematologic malignancies who were clinically suspected to have AAC.

Methods

We retrospectively studied the US findings of the gallbladder in patients with hematologic malignancies and correlated these findings with the duration of clinical symptoms, complications, and gallbladder‐specific mortality. The major criteria were a 3.5‐mm or thicker wall, pericholecystic fluid, intramural gas, and a sloughed mucosal membrane. The minor criteria were echogenic bile and hydrops (gallbladder distension > 4 cm). Ultrasound findings were considered positive if they included 2 major criteria or 1 major and 2 minor criteria.

Results

Ninety‐four (25.5%) of 368 patients with hematologic malignancies had clinical signs of AAC during their acute phase of illness or during intense chemotherapy. Forty‐three (45.7%) of these 94 patients had AAC‐positive test results based on US criteria. The mean duration of symptoms was significantly longer (7.8 days) in this group than among the patients with negative test results (3.9 days; P < .001). Patients with positive test results had a higher rate of complications or mortality (20.9%) than those with negative test results (0%; P < .001).

Conclusions

Symptomatic patients who meet the US criteria for the diagnosis of AAC have a poor prognosis. Other patients require a close follow‐up US examination within 1 week to detect early progression.
Recent Advances in Amphiphilic Polymers as the Stabilizers of Colloidal Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Dai Yu , Zhang Xiaojin
Published: April 2018

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) exhibit high catalytic activity as catalysts and have potential applications in biomedicine. To prevent the aggregation of colloidal AuNPs, the stabilizers including organic small molecules, organic ligands, inorganic ligands, and polymers, are necessary to be added in the synthesis of colloidal AuNPs. Among these stabilizers, amphiphilic polymers have attracted significant attention from scientists in the development of polymerization and modification methods. To date, numerous efforts are employed to develop amphiphilic polymers as the stabilizers of colloidal AuNPs but are not well‐summarized yet. In this review, four parts (amphiphilic linear polymers, amphiphilic graft polymers, amphiphilic hyperbranched polymers, and amphiphilic dendrimers) according to the polymer architectures will be discussed. Comprehensive understanding of amphiphilic polymers that are used for stabilizing colloidal AuNPs is provided.
Fine‐scale analysis of a severe hailstorm using crowd‐sourced and conventional observations
Authors: Clark Matthew R. , Webb Jonathan D. C. , Kirk Peter J.
Published: April 2018

On 1 July 2015, severe hailstorms developed over northern England. One storm tracked across an area with a dense network of privately owned (i.e. ‘home’) automatic weather stations (AWSs), permitting analysis of surface wind, pressure and temperature fields on the storm scale. The home AWS data were filtered and corrected by comparison with data from the nearest United Kingdom Met Office AWS, where measurements are made with calibrated sensors having known error characteristics. A time‐compositing technique was applied to the corrected home AWS data, before interpolation onto a 1 km grid using Delaunay triangulation. The resulting analyses were compared with radar data to assess their quality and provide insights into storm evolution and structure. Surface analyses resolved a pressure anomaly couplet on the right, rear flank of the storm, gust fronts, and regions of inflow and outflow. The pressure couplet was closely collocated with the radar‐observed mid‐level updraught position, with the mesolow (mesohigh) situated underneath the downshear (upshear) flank. The mesolow was also collocated with the strongest inflow winds. Structural features in the surface analyses (e.g. forward‐ and rear‐flank gust fronts and a prominent inflow notch) compared well with radar‐observed structures, and conformed closely to established conceptual models of supercell storm morphology. Further insight into storm structure was gained by synthesis of the surface analyses, Doppler radar data, crowd‐sourced hail reports and eyewitness photographs. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the gridded home AWS data may be of sufficient quality for use in post‐event studies of severe thunderstorms and, potentially, in the operational forecasting environment.
Lq‐estimates for the stationary Oseen equations on the exterior of a rotating obstacle
Authors: Kim Dugyu
Published: April 2018

We study the Dirichlet problem for the stationary Oseen equations around a rotating body in an exterior domain. Our main results are the existence and uniqueness of weak and very weak solutions satisfying appropriate Lq‐estimates. The uniqueness of very weak solutions is shown by the method of cut‐off functions with an anisotropic decay. Then our existence result for very weak solutions is deduced by a duality argument from the existence and estimates of strong solutions. From this and interior regularity of very weak solutions, we finally establish the complete D1,r‐result for weak solutions of the Oseen equations around a rotating body in an exterior domain, where 4/3<r <4. Here, D1,r is the homogeneous Sobolev space.
Phenethyl Isothiocyanate, a Dual Activator of Transcription Factors NRF2 and HSF1
Authors: Dayalan Naidu Sharadha , Suzuki Takafumi , Yamamoto Masayuki , Fahey Jed W. , Dinkova‐Kostova Albena T.
Published: April 2018

Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of glucosinolates which are the biogenic precursor molecules of isothiocyanates (ITCs). The relationship between the consumption of cruciferous vegetables and chemoprotection has been widely documented in epidemiological studies. Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) occurs as its glucosinolate precursor gluconasturtiin in the cruciferous vegetable watercress (Nasturtium officinale). PEITC has multiple biological effects, including activation of cytoprotective pathways, such as those mediated by the transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2 p45‐related factor 2 (NRF2) and the transcription factor heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), and can cause changes in the epigenome. However, at high concentrations, PEITC leads to accumulation of reactive oxygen species and cytoskeletal changes, resulting in cytotoxicity. Underlying these activities is the sulfhydryl reactivity of PEITC with cysteine residues in its protein targets. This chemical reactivity highlights the critical importance of the dose of PEITC for achieving on‐target selectivity, which should be carefully considered in the design of future clinical trials.
Level set topology optimization for design‐dependent pressure load problems
Authors: Emmendoerfer Hélio , Fancello Eduardo Alberto , Silva Emílio Carlos Nelli
Published: April 2018

This work presents a level set framework to solve the compliance topology optimization problem considering design‐dependent pressure loads. One of the major technical difficulties related to this class of problem is the adequate association between the moving boundary and the pressure acting on it. This difficulty is easily overcome by the level set method that allows for a clear tracking of the boundary along the optimization process. In the present approach, a reaction‐diffusion equation substitutes the classical Hamilton‐Jacobi equation to control the level set evolution. This choice has the advantages of allowing the nucleation of holes inside the domain and the elimination of the undesirable reinitialization steps. Moreover, the proposed algorithm allows merging pressurized (wet) boundaries with traction‐free boundaries during level set movements. This last property, allied to the simplicity of the level set representation and successful combination with the reaction‐diffusion based evolution applied to a design‐dependent pressure load problem, represents the main contribution of this paper. Numerical examples provide successful results, many of which comparable with others found in the literature and solved with different techniques.
Solid‐Phase Synthesis of Fluorinated Analogues of Glycosyl 1‐Phosphate Repeating Structures from Leishmania using the Phosphoramidite Method
Authors: Hara Rintaro Iwata , Yaoita Aya , Takeda Katsuya , Ueki Hiroaki , Ishii Ayumu , Imoto Hideyuki , Kobayashi Satoshi , Sano Michi , Noro Mihoko , Sato Kazuki , Wada Takeshi
Published: April 2018

Bacterial and protozoan sugar chains contain glycosyl 1‐phosphate repeating structures; these repeating structures have been studied for vaccine development. The fluorinated analogues of [β‐Gal‐(1→4)‐α‐Man‐(1→6)‐P‐]n, which are glycosyl 1‐phosphate repeating structures found in Leishmania, were synthesised using the solid‐phase phosphoramidite method. This method has been less extensively studied for the synthesis of glycosyl 1‐phosphate units than H‐phosphonate chemistry. A stepwise synthesis of a compound containing five such repeating units has been conducted using the phosphoramidite method herein, which is the longest glycosyl 1‐phosphate structures to be chemically constructed in a stepwise manner.
CDKN2A loss and PIK3CA mutation in myoepithelial‐like metaplastic breast cancer
Authors: Bartels Stephan , van Luttikhuizen Jana Lisa , Christgen Matthias , Mägel Lavinia , Luft Angelina , Hänzelmann Sonja , Lehmann Ulrich , Schlegelberger Brigitte , Leo Fabian , Steinemann Doris , Kreipe Hans
Published: April 2018

Metaplastic breast carcinoma comprises a heterogeneous group of tumours with poorly understood pathogenesis. A subset of metaplastic breast cancers show myoepithelial differentiation and constitute a morphological spectrum with ill‐defined borders from fibromatosis‐like spindle cell carcinoma to myoepithelial carcinoma. In a series of 34 metaplastic breast cancers with spindle cell and myoepithelial differentiation, we found recurrent genetic aberrations, which set them apart from other metaplastic breast cancers and suggest a unique pathogenesis. The majority of cases (28 of 34 patients; 82.4%) showed distinct chromosomal loss in the 9p21.3 region, including CDKN2A and CDKN2B. Biallelic loss of the CDKN2A/B region was found in 50% of deleted cases. Expression of the cyclin‐dependent kinase inhibitor CDKN2A (p16) was missing in all samples affected by 9p21.3 loss. Other genomic alterations frequently occurring in triple‐negative and metaplastic breast cancer were absent or found in only a minority of cases. Gains of whole chromosome 5 and chromosomal region 5p were observed in nine cases, and were associated with recurrences (p < 0.001). In 64.3% of cases, 9p21.3 loss was accompanied by concurrent PIK3CA mutation. Both genomic abnormalities were also detectable in adenomyoepitheliomas (4/12), which are considered to represent the precursor lesion of myoepithelial metaplastic breast cancer. In adenomyoepithelioma, PIK3CA mutation was present in both luminal epithelial and myoepithelial cells, whereas p16 loss was found only in the latter. We conclude that 9p21.3 (CDKN2A) loss and PIK3CA mutation characterize a subgroup of metaplastic breast cancers with myoepithelial and spindle cell differentiation. Myoepithelial cells in adenomyoepithelioma may show identical aberrations. Copyright © 2018 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Application of box‐behnken design and neural computation for tribo‐mechanical performance analysis of iron‐mud‐filled glass‐fiber/epoxy composite and parametric optimization using PSO
Authors: Pani Biswajyoti , Chandrasekhar Polymersetty , Singh Saranjit
Published: April 2018

This study investigates the possible utilization of iron mine waste for developing a new class of hybrid polymer composites. The composites were fabricated using hand‐layup process by reinforcing woven glass fibers in the epoxy polymer filled with different weight proportions of iron‐mud. Abrasion wear experiments were conducted according to Box‐Behnken design approach under controlled laboratory conditions using a dry abrasion tester. It was found that hardness, tensile modulus, impact energy and abrasion resistance of the fabricated composites improved with filler addition. Also, a prediction tool based on artificial neural network was implemented to investigate the tribological properties of the composites and the results were compared with the experimental ones. A metaheuristic approach like particle swarm optimization was also used to reveal the minimum wear (in volume) at optimal parametric combination. The results showed increase in both wear (in volume) and specific wear rate with respect to increase in the loads as well as sliding velocity. It also exhibited an increase in the wear with decrease in the specific wear rate with respect to the abrading distance. Finally, the morphology of the abraded surfaces was examined by using scanning electron microscopy and the possible abrasion mechanisms were critically examined and presented. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:1433–1449, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Clinical outcomes of a stepped care program for borderline personality disorder
Authors: Laporte Lise , Paris Joel , Bergevin Tanya , Fraser Ronald , Cardin Jean‐François
Published: April 2018

Objective

This study examines the clinical outcomes of two clinics for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a naturalistic setting, offering a stepped care model with both short‐term (ST) treatment lasting 12 weeks and extended care (EC) up to 24 months.

Methods

A total of 479 patients attending the ST clinic and 145 attending the EC clinic were assessed on depression, impulsivity, self‐esteem, emotion dysregulation, substance abuse, self‐harm and suicidality.

Results

There were significant reductions in all symptoms in both clinics with the exception that substance abuse was only reduced in the EC clinic. On all symptoms, no significant differences in magnitude of changes were observed between patients who stayed in EC clinic for 6–12 months in comparison to those who stayed for 18–24 months.

Conclusions

These results support the concept that for the majority of patients with BPD, brief treatment can be effective. While some patients still need longer treatment, the results are encouraging for brief treatment as a first step for the majority of patients with BPD. While this study adds to the weight of evidence to support ST interventions for patients with BPD, further research using a control group is needed. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A theoretical investigation about sensing mechanism of fluoride anion for (E)‐2‐(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)‐6‐(4‐hydroxystyryl)‐1H‐benzo[de]‐isoquinoline‐1,3 (2H)‐dione
Authors: Song Xiaoyan , Yang Guang , Jia Min , Zhang Qiaoli
Published: April 2018

In the present work, we theoretical study the sensing mechanism of a new fluoride chemosensor (E)‐2‐(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)‐6‐(4‐hydroxystyryl)‐1H‐benzo[de]‐isoquinoline‐1,3(2H)‐dione (the abbreviation is NIM). Based on density functional theory and time‐dependent density functional theory methods, the fluoride anion response mechanism has been confirmed via constructing potential energy curve. The exothermal deprotonation process along with the intermolecular hydrogen bond O–H···F reveals the uniqueness of detecting F−. After capturing hydrogen proton forming NIM‐A anion configuration, a new absorption peak around 655 nm appears in dimethyl sulfoxide solvent. In addition, the emission of NIM can be quenched when adding F− has been also confirmed. Due to the twisted intramolecular charge transfer character NIM‐A‐S1 form, we further verify the experimental phenomenon. The theoretical electronic spectra (vertical excitation energies and fluorescence peak) reproduced previous experimental results (ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014, 6, 7996), which not only reveals the rationality of our theoretical level used in this work but also confirms the correctness of geometrical attribution. In view of the excitation process, the strong intramolecular charge transfer process of S0 → S1 transition explain the redshift of absorption peak for NIM with the addition of fluoride anion. This work presents a straightforward sensing mechanism (deprotonation process) of fluoride anion for the novel NIM chemosensor.
Poly(propylene)/carbon composite thin films obtained by pulsed electron‐beam deposition
Authors: Jędrzejewski Roman , Piwowarczyk Joanna , Jędrzejewska Anna , Kwiatkowski Konrad , Baranowska Jolanta
Published: April 2018

For the first time pulsed electron beam deposition (PED) was used to deposit thin films composed of polymer‐carbon composite material. The targets were polypropylene‐carbon (PP/C) composites, with different carbon fillers: carbon black, nanotubes, or graphene. It was confirmed that coatings with composite structure were obtained – the PED method enables complex structures, including nanotubes, to be ablated whole from the target, transported toward substrate, and incorporated into the polymer matrix. These breakthrough results can contribute significantly to improved understanding of the mechanism of electron beam ablation of polymer and composite materials, and open up new possibilities for the deposition of complex composite thin films for use in, for example, advanced sensor applications.
High Adsorption Pearl‐Necklace‐Like Composite Membrane Based on Metal–Organic Framework for Heavy Metal Ion Removal
Authors: Hou Xuebin , Zhou Huimin , Zhang Jin , Cai Yibing , Huang Fenglin , Wei Qufu
Published: April 2018

The zeolitic imidazolate framework‐67 (ZIF‐67)‐based “pearl‐necklace‐like” composite membranes are prepared by in situ intergrown on the surface of 2‐methylimidazole/cellulose acetate (MIM/CA) electrospun nanofibers for the first time. With the aid of MIM, the ZIF‐67 nanocrystals successfully grow throughout the composites and attach to the fibers just like the pearls in necklace. The incubation time of ZIF‐67 has a significant influence on the structures and properties of the composites. And with an approximate saturation of ZIF‐67 nanocrystals, the integrated composites achieve a much higher surface area of 463.1 m2 g−1, which is as dozens of times as that of pure MIM/CA electrospun nanofibers (6.9 m2 g−1). In addition, the composites performed a high Cu(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption of 18.9 mg g−1 and 14.5 mg g−1, respectively. The adsorption data are well fitted with the pseudo‐second‐order kinetics. Moreover, adsorption mechanism is also discussed, and the electrostatic adsorption and ions exchange contribute to the high adsorption of Cu(II) and Cr(VI), and the existence of Cr(III) indicates that the Cr(VI) ions are partially reduced to Cr(III) during the adsorption. Therefore, the fabricated metal organic framework‐composite membrane with special “pearl‐necklace‐like” is a promising environmental material for removing heavy metal ions from water.
Propranolol pharmacokinetics in infants treated for Infantile Hemangiomas requiring systemic therapy: Modeling and dosing regimen recommendations
Authors: Del Frari Laurence , Léauté‐Labrèze Christine , Guibaud Laurent , Barbarot Sébastien , Lacour Jean‐Philippe , Chaumont Christine , Delarue Alain , Voisard Jean‐Jacques , Brunner Valérie
Published: April 2018

Propranolol has become the first choice therapy for complicated Infantile Hemangiomas (IH). The pharmacokinetics of propranolol were evaluated after repeated oral administration of a new pediatric solution of propranolol at 3 mg kg−1 day−1 given twice daily (BID) in infants (77‐243 days) with IH. A population model was built to describe the pharmacokinetics of propranolol in infants and to simulate different dosing regimens. One hundred and sixty‐seven plasma concentrations from 22 infants were used in the population analysis. Weight effect was tested on apparent clearance and volume of distribution. Monte‐Carlo simulations were performed for 4 dosing regimens: BID dosing with irregular or strict 12‐hour intervals and 2 different 3 time daily dosing (TID) regimens. The best model was a one‐compartment model with first‐order absorption and elimination rates. The weight affected the clearance but not the volume. Typical oral clearance was estimated at 3.06 L hour−1 kg−1 (95% CI: 1.14‐8.61 L hour−1 kg−1), close to adult clearance data. When regular BID dosing was compared to TID or irregular BID regimens, simulated median Cmin and Cmax were <20% different. To conclude, a model using a weight allometric function on clearance was established and confirmed that the dose in mg/kg should be used without adaptation by range of age in treatment of complicated IH. The simulations support the use of a BID dosing preferably to a TID dosing thanks to close Cmin and Cmax at steady state between both regimen and showed the possibility of irregular BID dosing, allowing early administration in the evening when needed.
Effects of the Temperature Gradient Near the Crystal‐Melt Interface in Top Seeded Solution Growth of SiC Crystal
Authors: Ha Minh‐Tan , Shin Yun‐Ji , Lee Myung‐Hyun , Kim Cheol‐Jin , Jeong Seong‐Min
Published: April 2018

The top seeded solution growth (TSSG) method is a promising technique for fabricating high‐quality silicon carbide (SiC) single crystals. The carbon required to grow SiC is provided by dissolving the graphite crucible in the silicon melt, and the carbon distribution in the silicon melt is governed by various factors. In this study, two hot zone structures are evaluated using the finite element analysis (FEA) simulation, especially for the temperature distribution, the velocity field, and the carbon concentration in the silicon melt. The results of the simulations revealed significant differences between the two hot zone structures in terms of temperature and carbon concentrations, especially near the interface between the crystal and the melt. SiC crystals are experimentally grown to verify the simulation results with the two hot zone structures. The grown crystals are evaluated to study their surface morphology, crystal quality, polytype stability, and dislocation density by using optical microscopy, high‐resolution X‐ray diffraction, micro‐Raman spectroscopy, and chemical etching, respectively. The simulations and experiments suggests that the hot zone structure with a small temperature gradient especially near the interface between the crystal and the melt promotes stable conditions for growing SiC crystals via the TSSG method.
Sanitization of Data in Nanoscale Flash Memory by Thermal Erasing and Reuse of Storage
Authors: Park Jun‐Young , Moon Dong‐Il , Kim Seong‐Yeon , Im Hwon , Chang Ki Soo , Jeong Chanbae , Choi Yang‐Kyu
Published: April 2018

This study, a thermal method for erasing and permanently destroying data stored in flash memory fabricated on a suspended silicon nanowire is demonstrated. An intentionally applied heat treatment is used to erase the data stored in the charge trap layer of the flash memory. The data destruction is verified and analyzed at a unit cell level as well as in a commercial off‐the‐shelf chip. Characteristics of memory performance and reliability are also investigated. Then, the feasibility of the proposed method is further evaluated for next generation 3‐dimensional V‐NAND.
Distinct Photoluminescence in Multilayered van der Waals Heterostructures of MoS2/WS2/ReS2 and BN
Authors: Bhat Usha , Singh Rajendra , Vishal Badri , Sharma Ankit , Horta Sharona , Sahu Rajib , Datta Ranjan
Published: April 2018

Van der Waals heterostructures of (TMDL = 1/BNL = 1–4/TMDL = 1/BNL = 1–4), [TMD = MoS2, WS2, and ReS2] are grown on c‐plane sapphire substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) under slow kinetic condition. The heterostructure systems show strong emission around 2.3 eV and subsidiary peaks around 2.8, 1.9, 1.7, and 1.5 eV. BN and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) form type‐I heterojunction and the emission peaks observed are explained in terms of various band to band recombination processes and considering relative orientation of Brillouin zones. The emission peak around 2.3 eV is promising for solar and photovoltaic applications. The observation is almost similar for three different heterostructure systems.
Thermoelectric Properties of Topological Insulators
Authors: Ivanov Yuri V. , Burkov Alexander T. , Pshenay‐Severin Dmitry A.
Published: April 2018

Many efficient thermoelectric materials belong to the class of topological insulators. Therefore, in recent years considerable efforts have been made to elucidate the influence of nontrivial electronic topology on the thermoelectric properties of thermoelectrics. This review describes the basic transport properties of helical surface states of topological insulators. Their effect on the thermoelectric efficiency of materials is discussed. The main attention is paid to (Bi,Sb)2(Te,Se)3 alloys, which combine the properties of the best thermoelectrics and a model topological insulator.
Hafnium Thin Film as a Rear Metallization Scheme for Polymer/Silicon Hybrid Solar Cells
Authors: Yang Linlin , Chen Jianhui , Ge Kunpeng , Guo Jianxin , Ge Dayong , Huang Zhiping , Li Feng , Xu Ying , Mai Yaohua
Published: April 2018

In this work, a hafnium (Hf) thin film is introduced for the first time as the rear metallization scheme between the rear side of n‐type crystalline silicon (n‐Si) and Ag electrode in the poly (3, 4‐ethylenedioxythiophene) doped with poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) polymer/Si hybrid solar cell. Hf thin films are uniformly deposited at room temperature by sputtering technology, showing its advantages of stable electrical sheet resistance at the atmosphere with the relative humidity of 40%. The insertion of Hf thin film reduced interfacial carrier recombination and contact resistance loss, leading to a significant improvement in the open circuit voltage (Voc) and the fill factor (FF) of the polymer/Si hybrid solar cell. Eventually, compared with the reference device (only Ag back metallization), a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) is obtained. This efficacy could be attributed to low work function of Hf thin film to ensure the highly transparent to electrons at the rear side of the hybrid solar cell.
Point‐Defect‐Induced Half Metal in CrCl3 Monolayer
Authors: Gao Yuan , Wang Jing , Li Yan , Xia Meirong , Li Zhiping , Gao Faming
Published: April 2018

Electronic and magnetic properties of CrCl3 monolayers are studied using density functional theory (DFT), including electron‐electron Coulomb repulsion interactions (U). Our calculations indicate CrCl3 single layer is achievable from easily cleavable, layered and insulating CrCl3 bulk. The CrCl3 monolayer is ferromagnetic and the magnetic order would be enhanced by a Cr vacancy. Most importantly, the point defect will introduce an insulator‐to‐half‐metal transition, making it a promising candidate for spintronics in room temperature. Atomic point defects are omnipresent in materials and this study paves a new way to realize 100% spin polarization.
Electron Interference in a Double‐Dopant Potential Structure
Authors: Weinbub Josef , Ballicchia Mauro , Nedjalkov Mihail
Published: April 2018

Herein, an analysis of interference effects as a result of the electron evolution within a coherent transport medium is presented, offering a double‐dopant Coulomb potential structure. Injection of coherent electron states into the structure is used to investigate the effects on the current transport behavior within the quantum Wigner phase space picture. Quantum effects are outlined by using classical simulation results as a reference frame. The utilized signed particle approach inherently provides a seamless transition between the classical and quantum domain. Based on this the occurring quantum effects caused by the non‐locality of the action of the quantum potential, leading to spatial resonance, can be indentified. The resulting interference patterns enable novel applications in the area of entangletronics.
Autophagy: The multi‐purpose bridge in viral infections and host cells
Authors: Abdoli Asghar , Alirezaei Mehrdad , Mehrbod Parvaneh , Forouzanfar Faezeh
Published: April 2018

Autophagy signaling pathway is involved in cellular homeostasis, developmental processes, cellular stress responses, and immune pathways. The aim of this review is to summarize the relationship between autophagy and viruses. It is not possible to be fully comprehensive, or to provide a complete “overview of all viruses”. In this review, we will focus on the interaction of autophagy and viruses and survey how human viruses exploit multiple steps in the autophagy pathway to help viral propagation and escape immune response. We discuss the role that macroautophagy plays in cells infected with hepatitis C virus, hepatitis B virus, rotavirus gastroenteritis, immune cells infected with human immunodeficiency virus, and viral respiratory tract infections both influenza virus and coronavirus.
Dealing with competing risks in clinical trials: How to choose the primary efficacy analysis?
Authors: Troendle James F. , Leifer Eric S. , Kunz Lauren
Published: April 2018

We investigate different primary efficacy analysis approaches for a 2‐armed randomized clinical trial when interest is focused on a time to event primary outcome that is subject to a competing risk. We extend the work of Friedlin and Korn (2005) by considering estimation as well as testing and by simulating the primary and competing events' times from both a cause‐specific hazards model as well as a joint subdistribution–cause‐specific hazards model. We show that the cumulative incidence function can provide useful prognostic information for a particular patient but is not advisable for the primary efficacy analysis. Instead, it is preferable to fit a Cox model for the primary event which treats the competing event as an independent censoring. This is reasonably robust for controlling type I error and treatment effect bias with respect to the true primary and competing events' cause‐specific hazards model, even when there is a shared, moderately prognostic, unobserved baseline frailty for the primary and competing events in that model. However, when it is plausible that a strongly prognostic frailty exists, combining the primary and competing events into a composite event should be considered. Finally, when there is an a priori interest in having both the primary and competing events in the primary analysis, we compare a bivariate approach for establishing overall treatment efficacy to the composite event approach. The ideas are illustrated by analyzing the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
Phase‐Engineered Type‐II Multimetal–Selenide Heterostructures toward Low‐Power Consumption, Flexible, Transparent, and Wide‐Spectrum Photoresponse Photodetectors
Authors: Chen Yu‐Ze , Wang Sheng‐Wen , Su Teng‐Yu , Lee Shao‐Hsin , Chen Chia‐Wei , Yang Chen‐Hua , Wang Kuangye , Kuo Hao‐Chung , Chueh Yu‐Lun
Published: April 2018

Phase‐engineered type‐II metal–selenide heterostructures are demonstrated by directly selenizing indium‐tin oxide to form multimetal selenides in a single step. The utilization of a plasma system to assist the selenization facilitates a low‐temperature process, which results in large‐area films with high uniformity. Compared to single‐metal–selenide‐based photodetectors, the multimetal–selenide photodetectors exhibit obviously improved performance, which can be attributed to the Schottky contact at the interface for tuning the carrier transport, as well as the type‐II heterostructure that is beneficial for the separation of the electron–hole pairs. The multimetal–selenide photodetectors exhibit a response to light over a broad spectrum from UV to visible light with a high responsivity of 0.8 A W−1 and an on/off current ratio of up to 102. Interestingly, all‐transparent photodetectors are successfully produced in this work. Moreover, the possibility of fabricating devices on flexible substrates is also demonstrated with sustainable performance, high strain tolerance, and high durability during bending tests.
Uniform Luminous Perovskite Nanofibers with Color‐Tunability and Improved Stability Prepared by One‐Step Core/Shell Electrospinning
Authors: Tsai Ping‐Chun , Chen Jung‐Yao , Ercan Ender , Chueh Chu‐Chen , Tung Shih‐Huang , Chen Wen‐Chang
Published: April 2018

A one‐step core/shell electrospinning technique is exploited to fabricate uniform luminous perovskite‐based nanofibers, wherein the perovskite and the polymer are respectively employed in the core and the outer shell. Such a coaxial electrospinning technique enables the in situ formation of perovskite nanocrystals, exempting the needs of presynthesis of perovskite quantum dots or post‐treatments. It is demonstrated that not only the luminous electrospun nanofibers can possess color‐tunability by simply tuning the perovskite composition, but also the grain size of the formed perovskite nanocrystals is largely affected by the perovskite precursor stoichiometry and the polymer solution concentration. Consequently, the optimized perovskite electrospun nanofiber yields a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 30.9%, significantly surpassing the value of its thin‐film counterpart. Moreover, owing to the hydrophobic characteristic of shell polymer, the prepared perovskite nanofiber is endowed with a high resistance to air and water. Its photoluminescence intensity remains constant while stored under ambient environment with a relative humidity of 85% over a month and retains intensity higher than 50% of its initial intensity while immersed in water for 48 h. More intriguingly, a white light‐emitting perovskite‐based nanofiber is successfully fabricated by pairing the orange light‐emitting compositional perovskite with a blue light‐emitting conjugated polymer.
Dimension‐Based Design of Melt Electrowritten Scaffolds
Authors: Hrynevich Andrei , Elçi Bilge Ş. , Haigh Jodie N. , McMaster Rebecca , Youssef Almoatazbellah , Blum Carina , Blunk Torsten , Hochleitner Gernot , Groll Jürgen , Dalton Paul D.
Published: April 2018

The electrohydrodynamic stabilization of direct‐written fluid jets is explored to design and manufacture tissue engineering scaffolds based on their desired fiber dimensions. It is demonstrated that melt electrowriting can fabricate a full spectrum of various fibers with discrete diameters (2–50 µm) using a single nozzle. This change in fiber diameter is digitally controlled by combining the mass flow rate to the nozzle with collector speed variations without changing the applied voltage. The greatest spectrum of fiber diameters was achieved by the simultaneous alteration of those parameters during printing. The highest placement accuracy could be achieved when maintaining the collector speed slightly above the critical translation speed. This permits the fabrication of medical‐grade poly(ε‐caprolactone) into complex multimodal and multiphasic scaffolds, using a single nozzle in a single print. This ability to control fiber diameter during printing opens new design opportunities for accurate scaffold fabrication for biomedical applications.