bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Techniques for minimizing sedation in pediatric MRI
Authors: Dong Su‐Zhen , Zhu Ming , Bulas Dorothy
Published: March 2019

MRI is used widely in infants and young children. However, in these young cases deep sedation or general anesthesia is often required to minimize motion artifacts during MRI examinations. Although the benefits of MR typically outweigh the potential risks of sedation when delivered by an experienced team, there are increasing concerns regarding the affect of sedation on young children. There continues to be a push to develop various strategies that can minimize the need for sedation. The present review summarizes several technical and clinical approaches that can help decrease the need for sedation in the pediatric patient. Optimization of the MRI environment, the role of child life specialists, feed‐and‐bundle and distraction techniques, noise‐reduction methods, artificial intelligence, and MRI advances to decrease both scan times and motion artifacts will be discussed.

Level of Evidence: 5

Technical Efficacy Stage: 1

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019.
Simultaneous high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry quantification of six bioactive components in rat plasma after oral administration of Yougui pill
Authors: Liu Haolong , Qiu Feng , Zhao Haiyu , Bian Baolin , Wang Lei
Published: March 2019

Yougui pills are a classic Chinese medicine that shows significant effects on nerve regeneration and neuroprotection in modern pharmacological studies. With a complex formula, Yougui pills have faced significant challenges in the fields of bioanalysis and pharmacokinetics in animals and human studies. In the present study, a specific and accurate high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of the six bioactive components in rat plasma after oral administration of Yougui pills. Chromatographic separation was performed on a C18 column with a gradient elution system. Samples were analysed using positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring mode. The assay showed good linearity for all six bioactive components in the dynamic range of 0.50 to 50 ng/mL with acceptable intra‐ and inter‐batch accuracy and precision. The lower limits of quantification were 0.50 ng/mL for all six bioactive components. The method was successfully applied to rat pharmacokinetics after oral administration of Yougui pills. All six bioactive components were detected in rat plasma, including songorine, benzoylhypaconitine, benzoylmesaconitine, neoline, karacoline, and sweroside, while some other target compounds were not detected, such as rhmannioside A, loganin, and cornuside I. After oral administration of Yougui pills at a dose of 2500 mg/kg, all six bioactive components were rapidly absorbed, resulting in tmax values less than 1 h and relative lower Cmax values. The t1/2 values for songorine, benzoylhypaconitine, benzoylmesaconitine, neoline, karacoline, and sweroside were calculated to be 2.62 ± 0.67, 2.11 ± 0.45, 1.94 ± 0.35, 1.88 ± 0.31, 2.07 ± 0.44, and 1.59 ± 0.30 h, which indicated that Yougui pills should be taken in multiple oral doses over a relatively short period.
Is perception of destination image stable or does it fluctuate? A measurement of three points in time
Authors: Kim Seongseop (Sam) , Stylidis Dimitrios , Oh Munhyang (Moon)
Published: March 2019

This study aimed to identify variations of three types of perceived image including affective, cognitive, and overall image over three points in time and to test the efficacy of image in explaining satisfaction, knowledge, and attachment with a destination. Although previous studies used results collected through a cross‐sectional survey, this study surveyed the same samples at three different times, that is, before, during, and after travel, to enrich our understanding of how image develops through the three key stages of a trip. The findings indicate that there is significant variation in perceived image domains, extracted as a result of factor analysis, and overall image across time. To predict satisfaction, attachment, and knowledge, “vividness” of the affective image domains and “diverse tourism attraction” of the cognitive image domains showed significance on regression models. Interestingly, “developed tourism industry” was not reported being significant predictor in any model. The results suggest that future studies need to measure destination image over time in line with traveler's movement.
Longitudinal change of comprehensive lower urinary tract symptoms and various types of urinary incontinence during robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy
Authors: Fujimura Tetsuya , Igawa Yasuhiko , Aizawa Naoki , Niimi Aya , Yamada Yuta , Sugihara Toru , Kamei Jun , Sato Yusuke , Matsunaga Akiko , Yoshida Mikako , Shinoda Yusuke , Fukuhara Hiroshi , Nakagawa Tohru , Homma Yukio , Kume Haruki
Published: March 2019

Aims

To clarify longitudinal change of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and various types of urinary incontinence following robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) using validated questionnaires.

Materials and methods

The core lower urinary tract symptom score (CLSS) and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ)‐Short Form (SF) questionnaires were administered to 607 consecutive, treatment‐naïve men receiving RARP before and after surgery. The time course of comprehensive LUTS and various types of urinary incontinence, including stress‐, urgency‐, and urinary incontinence with no obvious reason, were evaluated. Continence recovery rates were compared for the different types of incontinence using Cox hazard regression analysis.

Results

After surgery, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) was reported most frequently (32% of cases) as the chief complaint with the most impact on daily life, as assessed by the CLSS questionnaire, followed by urgency urinary incontinence (UUI; 27% of cases). The rates of continence recovery differed among the different types of urinary incontinence, such as after urinating, when dressed, when asleep, when physically active or exercising, when coughing or sneezing, before reaching the toilet, and for no obvious reason. Incontinence for no obvious reason at 1 month after RARP was a strongest prognostic factor of delayed continence recovery (hazard ratio, 0.61; P < 0.0001), whereas patients reporting SUI and UUI gradually regained continence.

Conclusions

Further time course on continent recovery after RARP would be more precisely predictable based on the incontinence status at one month postoperatively. Especially, incontinence with no obvious reason would be a significant factor for delayed recovery.
Overactive bladder and associated psychological symptoms: A possible link to vitamin D and calcium
Authors: Abdul‐Razzak Khalid K. , Alshogran Osama Y. , Altawalbeh Shoroq M. , Al‐Ghalayini Ibrahim F. , Al‐Ghazo Mohammad A. , Alazab Rami S. , Halalsheh Omar M. , Sahawneh Feras E.
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Overactive bladder (OAB) is a prevalent syndrome that is associated with multiple urinary tract symptoms and could affect the patient's quality of life and well‐being. Vitamin D is shown to be linked to OAB syndrome, which exacerbated by stress conditions. This study evaluated the relationship between vitamin D status, daily calcium intake and OAB, and the associated psychological symptoms.

Methods

The study included 55 patients with OAB and 129 healthy controls. Psychological symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum vitamin D was measured. Patients with OAB with low vitamin D level received orally vitamin D supplementation. Urinary symptoms, psychological symptoms, and quality of life were evaluated before and after vitamin D supplementation plus dairy products.

Results

Vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in cases (80%) vs controls (34.9%). Depression (43.7% vs 20.2%) and anxiety (52.8% vs 10.9%) scores (HADS, ≥8) were also more frequent in cases vs controls, respectively. Some 85.5% of the patients’ group had musculoskeletal pain vs 0.0% for the control. Depression was negatively correlated with daily calcium intake and positively with anxiety. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, vitamin D, and anxiety scores were significant predictors of OAB. Vitamin D supplements with increased calcium intake had significant improvement in urinary symptoms, psychological distress, and quality of life.

Conclusions

Vitamin D supplements and improved calcium intake may improve urinary and psychological symptoms and quality of life among patients with OAB syndrome. Assessment for vitamin D status in patients with OAB may be warranted.
HTPB‐Clay Nanocomposites (HCN): An Efficient Burning Rate Catalyst for Composite Propellant
Authors: Ghosh Kavita , Chimurkar Dhanraj , Kumar Guddu , Kumar Arvind , Banerjee Shaibal , Gupta Manoj
Published: March 2019

In present study, two types of montmorillonite clay, organically modified with polar and apolar moieties, are used, for preparation of HTPB‐clay nanocomposites (HCN) by dispersion of nanoclay in polymer matrix with high shear mixing. These nanocomposites are evaluated in composite propellants for their catalytic effect on decomposition of ammonium perchlorate a work horse oxidizer. Several composite propellant formulations containing 1–3 weight % of nanoclays over binder, were prepared. Along with this, formulations with conventional burning rate catalyst like iron oxide in 1–3 weight % over binder, and formulation without any burning rate catalyst as base composition were also processed. All these formulations were evaluated by means of theoretical prediction, end of mix viscosity, ballistic properties, mechanical properties, sensitivity parameters and thermophysical properties. Experimental results showed that HCN based compositions have lower or comparable end of mix viscosity than base compositions. Further characterization revealed that formulations with 3 weight % of nanoclays over binder have 70 % higher burning rate than base composition as well as 20–25 % higher burning rate than compositions having 3 weight % of iron oxide over binder. Pressure exponent values are determined for 3 to 11 MPa of pressure range and were found to be significantly higher for HCN based compositions (0.33 to 0.7) in comparison to the base composition. Mechanical properties and sensitivity data of HCN based compositions are comparable with base composition. Thermal studies revealed decrease in onset temperature of decomposition of AP with presence of nanoclay which may be the probable cause for enhancement in burning rate.
A Variable‐Rate Firing Optimization of Launcher Based on Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: He Huizhi , Zhang Xiaobing
Published: March 2019

In the continuous firing process of the launcher, the firing rate is usually taken as a fixed value. As such, there exists an issue that low rate firing lacks shooting efficiency while in high rate firing cases the heat accumulates continuously and the temperature increases rapidly in the barrel of the launcher; consequently, this high temperature threatened the service life of the barrel and the safety of the propellant. In this paper, in contrast to the traditional firing method that has a fixed firing rate, a variable‐rate firing method is proposed to solve this issue. Particle swarm optimization algorithm is exploited in this method to optimize the firing rate (cooling time) of the launcher with the objective that the launcher can conduct the entire shooting in a properly short time while without exceeding the safe temperature of the barrel. The temperature distribution of the barrel is obtained by establishing and solving the coupled model between the interior ballistics and the heat transfer process in the barrel. The optimization results show that the proposed firing method with variable rates can effectively improve the firing rate under the premise of ensuring the safety of the barrel temperature.
Evaluation of cyclodextrin‐micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography with pyrrolidinium‐based ionic liquid surfactant as a pseudostationary phase for chiral separation
Authors: Yu Tao , Zhang Jinjing , Sun Xiaodong , Du Yingxiang
Published: March 2019

Ionic liquids have drawn increasing attention in separation science recently. As a new promising brand of surfactants, ionic‐liquid‐based surfactants have their unique properties and superior aggregation behavior, which can be introduced as micelle‐forming surfactants in micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography mode. There have been few reports of the applications of ionic‐liquid‐based surfactants for micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography enantioseparation. In this study, pyrrolidinium‐based ionic liquids surfactants were applied for the first time for chiral separation with hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin as a chiral selector by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography. As observed, the established micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography systems with ionic‐liquid‐based surfactants could provide better separation of tested chiral drugs than conventional non‐ionic liquid cationic surfactant. In addition, parameters such as the alkyl chain length, concentration of ionic‐liquid‐based surfactants, type and proportion of organic modifier, concentration of chiral selector and composition and pH of buffer solution were systematically investigated to optimize the cyclodextrin‐micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography system.
Elemental patterns of verification strategies
Authors: Salado Alejandro , Kannan Hanumanthrao
Published: March 2019

This paper proposes a set of seven elemental patterns of verification strategies. These patterns can be useful in modeling verification strategies in a wide range of engineered systems. They form the building blocks under which any verification strategy can be modeled. The patterns lead to a fundamental understanding of the interplay between system parameters and verification activities, as well as an understanding of the mechanisms by which verification evidence builds up. For each pattern, we provide a description and a few examples of its application. A few important theoretical properties of the corresponding set of patterns are discussed, such as belief update, inferential properties, and graph disconnection, as well as some practical guidance to be taken into account when applying them to authentic verification problems. These patterns are intended to be a useful tool for researchers, practitioners, and educators, by formalizing the application of Bayesian networks to verification problems, hence facilitating instruction and communication among verification engineers and with researchers from other domains, particularly statisticians and Bayesian analysts.
Atmospheric analysis of the cold late February and early March 2018 over the UK
Authors: Greening Katie , Hodgson Amy
Published: March 2019

A strong blocking anticyclone developed over Scandinavia through the last week of February and persisted into early March 2018, driving a bitter easterly wind from Siberia and bringing a severe cold outbreak and significant snowfall to the UK. A second spell of severe weather and low temperatures then returned to the UK over 17–19 March. The severe weather was preceded by a split in the stratospheric polar vortex and the onset of a sudden stratospheric warming event. In turn, there was an equatorward shift in the tropospheric Atlantic jet, which set up an amplified Greenland ridge that stretched from central Russia, over Scandinavia to Iceland, and across the North Atlantic to Hudson Bay. Here, we revisit the severe cold outbreak that impacted the UK, discussing the sequence of events and synoptic setup, followed by a more in‐depth examination of the contributing factors, including a sudden stratospheric warming event.
Development of Quaternary travertines in the carbonate mountains of the western Costa del Sol, Málaga, southern Spain
Authors: Guerra-Merchán Antonio , Serrano Francisco , García-Aguilar José M. , Ortiz José E. , Torres Trinidad , Sánchez-Palencia Yolanda
Published: March 2019

The predominantly carbonate nature of the mountains near the coast of Málaga and Marbella (Costa del Sol, southern Spain) and the presence of springs have favored the formation of travertine buildups during the Quaternary. The geomorphic characteristics of the slopes and the location of the springs have determined the development of three types of travertine growths: (1) spring travertines, located preferentially on the south mountainside, where the slope is steepest; (2) pool-dam-cascade travertines, which form along the north and east edges, far from the carbonate relief and with a gentler slope; and (3) river-valley travertines, formed in the courses of the springs of any sector. Field observations combined with new amino acid racemization (AAR) dating of Helicidae gastropods show that most of the travertine formations are polyphasic and that their development was interrupted by stages of erosion and incision. Five stages of travertine development are evident, most of which are related to warm, moist episodes corresponding to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 7, 5, 3, and 1, although local travertine growth also occurred during MIS 6 and during the transition from MIS 3 to 2.
The Effects of β-Lactam Antibiotics on Surface Modifications of Multidrug-Resistant Escherichia coli: A Multiscale Approach
Authors: Uzoechi Samuel C. , Abu-Lail Nehal I.
Published: March 2019

Possible multidrug-resistant (MDR) mechanisms of four resistant strains of Escherichia coli to a model β-lactam, ampicillin, were investigated using contact angle measurements of wettability, crystal violet assays of permeability, biofilm formation, fluorescence imaging, and nanoscale analyses of dimensions, adherence, and roughness. Upon exposure to ampicillin, one of the resistant strains, E. coli A5, changed its phenotype from elliptical to spherical, maintained its roughness and biofilm formation abilities, decreased its length and surface area, maintained its cell wall integrity, increased its hydrophobicity, and decreased its nanoscale adhesion to a model surface of silicon nitride. Such modifications are suggested to allow these cells to conserve energy during metabolic dormancy. In comparison, resistant strains E. coli D4, A9, and H5 elongated their cells, increased their roughness, increased their nanoscale adhesion forces, became more hydrophilic, and increased their biofilm formation upon exposure to ampicillin. These results suggest that these strains resisted ampicillin through biofilm formation that possibly introduces diffusion limitations to antibiotics. Investigations of how MDR bacterial cells modify their surfaces in response to antibiotics can guide research efforts aimed at designing more effective antibiotics and new treatment strategies for MDR bacterial infections.
Quantitative Determination of Low Contents of Manganese in Steels by EPMA
Authors: Wang Daoling , Sun Aiqin
Published: March 2019

The fluorescence effect induced by Kβ photons is usually so small that it can be neglected. However, in the Fe–Mn system, omitting Kβ fluorescence correction will lead to the overestimation of the Mn content especially when Mn is the minor alloy element. In this study, the error in the Mn concentration induced by Kβ fluorescence was investigated by both Monte Carlo simulation, using the pyPENELOPE program, and systematic electron probe measurements on the Fe–0.53% Mn alloy standard by the aid of CalcZAF software. It is shown that the error caused by Kβ fluorescence exceeds 4% for the Fe–0.53% Mn alloy. The problem can be overcome by utilizing CalcZAF in which β-line fluorescence has been included, or by employing a similar standard Fe–0.85% Mn for Mn in the absence of β-line fluorescence correction. In addition, a modified calibration curve method, using k-values instead of X-ray intensity as a variable, is presented and used to measure the Mn concentration. The accuracy of this method is as good as or better than that of the conventional matrix correction method. Compared with conventional calibration curve methods, it is time-saving because the k-value is not sensitive to instrument fluctuations and the established curve remains valid for a long period.
Science Down, Lunar Exploration Up in NASA Budget Request
Authors: Cartier Kimberly
Published: March 2019

Here are five key takeaways from the president’s recent budget request for NASA.
In situ reversible underwater superwetting transition by electrochemical atomic alternation
Authors: Wang Qianbin , Xu Bojie , Hao Qing , Wang Dong , Liu Huan , Jiang Lei
Published: March 2019

Materials with in situ reversible wettability have attractive properties but remain a challenge to use since the inverse process of liquid spreading is normally energetically unfavorable. Here, we propose a general electrochemical strategy that enables the in situ reversible superwetting transition between underwater superoleophilicity and superoleophobicity by constructing a binary textured surface. Taking the copper/tin system as an example, the surface energy of the copper electrode can be lowered significantly by electrodeposited tin, and be brought back to the initial high-energy state as a result of dissolving tin by removing the potential. Tin atoms with the water depletion layer inhibit the formation of a hydrogen-bonding network, causing oil droplets to spread over the surface, while copper atoms, with a high affinity for hydroxyl groups, facilitate replacing the oil layer with the aqueous electrolyte. The concept is applicable to other systems, such as copper/lead, copper/antimony, gold/tin, gold/lead and gold/antimony, for both polar and nonpolar oils, representing a potentially useful class of switchable surfaces.
Intrinsic photoisomerization dynamics of protonated Schiff-base retinal
Authors: Kiefer Hjalte V. , Gruber Elisabeth , Langeland Jeppe , Kusochek Pavel A. , Bochenkova Anastasia V. , Andersen Lars H.
Published: March 2019

The retinal protonated Schiff-base (RPSB) in its all-trans form is found in bacterial rhodopsins, whereas visual rhodopsin proteins host 11-cis RPSB. In both cases, photoexcitation initiates fast isomerization of the retinal chromophore, leading to proton transport, storage of chemical energy or signaling. It is an unsolved problem, to which degree this is due to protein interactions or intrinsic RPSB quantum properties. Here, we report on time-resolved action-spectroscopy studies, which show, that upon photoexcitation, cis isomers of RPSB have an almost barrierless fast 400 fs decay, whereas all-trans isomers exhibit a barrier-controlled slow 3 ps decay. Moreover, formation of the 11-cis isomer is greatly favored for all-trans RPSB when isolated. The very fast photoresponse of visual photoreceptors is thus directly related to intrinsic retinal properties, whereas bacterial rhodopsins tune the excited state potential-energy surface to lower the barrier for particular double-bond isomerization, thus changing both the timescale and specificity of the photoisomerization.
Brain sugar consumption during neuronal activation detected by CEST functional MRI at ultra-high magnetic fields
Authors: Roussel Tangi , Frydman Lucio , Le Bihan Denis , Ciobanu Luisa
Published: March 2019

Blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) indirectly measures brain activity based on neurovascular coupling, a reporter that limits both the spatial and temporal resolution of the technique as well as the cellular and metabolic specificity. Emerging methods using functional spectroscopy (fMRS) and diffusion-weighted fMRI suggest that metabolic and structural modifications are also taking place in the activated cells. This paper explores an alternative metabolic imaging approach based on Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) to assess potential metabolic changes induced by neuronal stimulation in rat brains at 17.2 T. An optimized CEST-fMRI data acquisition and processing protocol was developed and used to experimentally assess the feasibility of glucoCEST-based fMRI. Images acquired under glucose-sensitizing conditions showed a substantial negative contrast that highlighted the same brain regions as those activated with BOLD-fMRI. We ascribe this novel fMRI contrast to CEST’s ability to monitor changes in the local concentration of glucose, a metabolite closely coupled to neuronal activity. Our findings are in good agreement with literature employing other modalities. The use of CEST-based techniques for fMRI is not limited to glucose detection; other metabolic pathways involved in neuronal activation could be potentially probed. Moreover, being non invasive, it is conceivable that the same approach can be used for human studies.
Pro-angiogenic Ginsenosides F1 and Rh1 Inhibit Vascular Leakage by Modulating NR4A1
Authors: Kang Ji In , Choi Yoonjung , Cui Chang-Hau , Lee Daeyoup , Kim Sun Chang , Kim Ho Min
Published: March 2019

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in angiogenesis, but VEGF-induced angiogenesis is often accompanied by a vascular permeability response. Ginsenosides are triterpenoid saponins from the well-known medicinal plant, ginseng, and have been considered a candidate for modulating angiogenesis. Here, we systemically investigated the effects of 10 different ginsenosides on human umbilical vein endothelial cells and newly identified that two PPT-type ginsenosides, F1 and Rh1 induce the migration and proliferation of endothelial cells. Interestingly, RNA transcriptome analysis showed that gene regulation induced by VEGF in endothelial cells is distinct from that of ginsenoside F1 and Rh1. In addition, F1 and Rh1 significantly inhibited vascular leakage both in vitro and in vivo, which are induced by vascular endothelial growth factor. Furthermore, comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that these effects of F1 and Rh1 on vascular leakage restoration are mainly caused by changes in VEGF-mediated TNFα signaling via NFκB, particularly by the suppression of expression and transcriptional activity of NR4A1 by F1 and Rh1, even in the presence of VEGF. These findings demonstrate that ginsenosides F1 and Rh1 can be a promising herbal remedy for vessel normalization in ischemic disease and cancer and that NR4A1 is the key target.
Wing morphology predicts geographic range size in vespertilionid bats
Authors: Luo Bo , Santana Sharlene E. , Pang Yulan , Wang Man , Xiao Yanhong , Feng Jiang
Published: March 2019

Why some species are widespread across continents while others are confined geographically remains an open question in ecology and biogeography. Previous research has attempted to explain interspecific variation in geographic range size based on differences in dispersal ability. However, the relationship between dispersal ability and geographic range size remains uncertain, particularly in mammals. The goal of this study is to test whether geographic range size can be predicted by dispersal capacity among vespertilionid bats within a phylogenetic comparative framework. We integrated a large dataset on range area, longitudinal extent, wing morphology (a proxy for dispersal ability), migratory habit, and biogeographic realm across 126 vespertilionid bat species. We used phylogenetic regressions to disentangle the associations between these predictor factors and species range size while controlling for the effects of migration and biogeographic realm. Our analyses revealed that bat species with higher wing loading exhibit larger distribution ranges than those with lower wing loading, and that the size of geographic ranges was associated with wing aspect ratio in bats. These results highlight the relationship between wing morphology and range size in flying mammals, and suggest a role of dispersal capacity in shaping species’ geographic distributions.
Shotgun Proteomics of Human Dentin with Different Prefractionation Methods
Authors: Widbiller Matthias , Schweikl Helmut , Bruckmann Astrid , Rosendahl Andreas , Hochmuth Eduard , Lindner Sophia R. , Buchalla Wolfgang , Galler Kerstin M.
Published: March 2019

Human dentin is not only a composite material of a collagenous matrix and mineral to provide strength and elasticity to teeth, but also a precious reservoir full of bioactive proteins. They are released after demineralization caused by bacterial acids in carious lesions, by decalcifying irrigants or dental materials and they modulate tissue responses in the underlying dental pulp. This work describes a first-time analysis of the proteome of human dentin using a shotgun proteomic approach that combines three different protein fractionation methods. Dentin matrix proteins were extracted by EDTA and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), OFFGEL isoelectric focusing (IEF) or strong cation exchange chromatography (SCX). Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identified 813 human proteins with high confidence, however, isoelectric focusing turned out to be the most beneficial prefractionation method. All Proteins were categorized based on the PANTHER system and representation analysis revealed 31 classes and subclasses to be overrepresented. The acquired knowledge provides a comprehensive insight into the number of proteins in human dentin as well as their physiological and pathological functions. Thus, the data presented paves the way to the analysis of specific functions of dentin matrix proteins in vivo and their potential in tissue engineering approaches to regenerate dental pulp.
Challenges and Opportunities in Lithium-ion Battery Supply
Authors: Bernhart Wolfgang
Published: March 2019

The demand for batteries from the automotive industry sector is the main driver for the future lithium-ion battery market. The cell manufacturing market is dominated by a few large players from Asia, with China getting more important. Cell costs will level out around €75 kWh−1 in the second half of the next decade. Increased volumetric energy density is the main cost reduction lever, but manufacturing processes will also provide further cost reduction opportunities. In that context, for solid state technology to be successful in automotive application, it must fulfil all important performance requirements such as fast charging capabilities, long cycle life and safety, while being significantly cheaper. Process technology development will scale volume of cathode active material processing units, causing a severe cost disadvantage risk to small sized players. Overall, demand for (battery-grade) nickel, cobalt and lithium will increase significantly. Therefore price risks due to high concentration levels for raw and refined materials and political country risks need to be mitigated, but supply shortages are unlikely. As a consequence recycling is getting increasingly important—from a cost perspective, as well as from the perspective of securing raw material supply.
Composites of metal oxides and intrinsically conducting polymers as supercapacitor electrode materials: the best of both worlds?
Authors: Fu Lijun , Qu Qunting , Holze Rudolf , Kondratiev Veniamin V. , Wu Yuping
Published: March 2019

Composite materials combining intrinsically conducting polymers and metal oxides suggested as electrode materials in supercapacitors are reviewed with attention to achieved stability and specific functions and effects both components contribute to the performance of the materials.
Ag-Based nanocomposites: synthesis and applications in catalysis
Authors: Liao Guangfu , Fang Jiasheng , Li Qing , Li Sihan , Xu Zushun , Fang Baizeng
Published: March 2019

Supported Ag nanocomposites and bimetallic Ag-based nanocomposites with various morphologies and compositions engineered for representative catalytic applications are reviewed.
From binary to quaternary: high-tolerance of multi-acceptors enables development of efficient polymer solar cells
Authors: Liu Longzhu , Chen Hui , Chen Wei , He Feng
Published: March 2019

Two typical fullerene derivatives were incorporated into a PTB7-Th:IEICO-4F binary host to enable development of efficient quaternary polymer solar cells with PCE values up to 12.52%.
Impacts of single nucleotide polymorphisms in three microRNAs (miR-146a, miR-196a2 and miR-499) on the susceptibility to cervical cancer among Indian women
Authors: Thakur Nisha , Singhal Pallavi , Mehrotra Ravi , Bharadwaj Mausumi
Published: March 2019

Background: Cervical cancer is the second major female cancer in India and constitutes one-fourth of the world’s burden. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is an essential but insufficient cause for cervical cancer. Genetic variants in microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) play an important role in the susceptibility of various types of cancers.

Objective: To evaluate the association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in miR-146a (rs2910164), miR-196a2 (rs11614913), and miR-499 (rs3746444), with cervical cancer susceptibility in Indian population.

Methods: Three hundred samples were genotyped by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Both patients and controls were also screened for the presence of HPV DNA.

Results: In this case–control study, 125 (83.3%) cervical cancer cases were found to be infected with HPV DNA. The frequency of miR-146a C allele was higher in controls than in cases [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)) = 0.81 (0.57–1.14), P-value = 0.258]. miR-196a2 T allele was found to be associated with the decreased risk of cervical cancer [OR (95% CI) = 0.36 (0.26–0.50), P-value<0.0001]. Approximately 1.22-fold increased risk has been observed in individuals carrying miR-499 TT genotypes [OR (95% CI) = 1.22 (0.63–2.36), P-value = 0.617]. Interaction studies for miR-196a2/miR-499 loci showed that women carrying TT/CC and TT/CT genotypes were less likely to develop cervical cancer than CC/CC combination [P<0.05]. Likewise, miR-146a/miR-196a2 genotypic combinations (CC/TT, CG/TT, GG/TT) followed the similar trend [P<0.05], exhibited the protective effect against cervical cancer with reference to CC/CC group. Combined genotypes of miR-146a/miR-499 [CC/CT, CG/CC, CG/CT, CG/TT, GG/CC, GG/CT, GG/TT] demonstrated a non-significant trend toward higher cervical cancer risk [OR > 1.00, P>0.05].

Conclusion: Polymorphisms in miR-146a, miR-196a2, and miR-499 individually or collectively have the prospective to emerge as biomarkers for cervical cancer.
Inzidentelle Befunde in der onkologischen Staging-CT-Untersuchung
Authors: Meyer Hans-Jonas , Surov Alexey
Published: March 2019

Incidental findings are frequently detected in modern cross sectional imaging in up to 73 % of all radiological examinations with an increasing incidence. Especially clinically relevant findings, such as thromboembolisms, inflammation or therapy associated findings can be found in staging examinations of oncological patients. Those findings should be categorized according to their clinical relevance.
Kommentar: Wir brauchen erfolgreiche Geschäftsmodelle
Authors: Eigenmann Marcel
Published: March 2019

„Wer hat’s erfunden – WIR!“ In einer Zeit, in der sich die Mitbewerber mehren, zählen schon längst keine Sprüche mehr, um sich einen Kunden angeln zu können.
Central Nervous System Complications due to Human Herpesvirus 6 Infection in Pediatric Age Group
Authors: Barrea Christophe , Demonceau Nathalie , Loeckx Isabelle , Senterre Jean-Marc , Philippet Pierre
Published: March 2019

Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) has been demonstrated to be a neurotropic virus and has been linked to several neurological complications associated with a wide range of clinical outcomes. Here, we present data from immunocompetent children with a central neurological condition and intrathecal DNA detection of HHV-6 virus. Through these cases, physiopathology, investigations, and outcome of the disease will be described. Finally, specific treatment will be discussed.
Conventional Nanofat and SVF/ADSC-Concentrated Nanofat: A Comparative Study on Improving Photoaging of Nude Mice Skin
Authors: Zheng Hui , Qiu Lihong , Su Yingjun , Yi Chenggang
Published: March 2019

Background

Nanofats could improve photoaging. Stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) may play pivotal roles. However, SVFs and ADSCs in nanofats processed by conventional methods cannot be enriched. Some researchers have found that after centrifugation, the SVF/ADSC density increases from top to bottom.

Objectives

The authors hypothesized that centrifugation can be used to obtain SVF/ADSC-concentrated nanofats that are superior to conventional nanofats in improving the photoaging of skin.

Methods

After a photoaging model was successfully established in nude mice, the back of each mouse was divided into 4 areas and randomly injected with conventional nanofat, centrifuged nanofat (either the middle or lower layer of centrifuged nanofat), or normal saline. Wrinkles, dermis thickness, dermal collagen content, and elastic fiber morphology were measured and compared at weeks 4 and 8.

Results

Compared with the wrinkles in the physiological saline injection areas, the wrinkles in the areas injected with the 3 nanofats (lower and middle layers of centrifuged nanofat and conventional nanofat) were significantly reduced. All 3 nanofat groups showed increased dermal thickness, increased collagen content, and a more regular distribution of elastic fibers compared with the saline injection areas.

Conclusions

The study established the efficacy of nanofats in improving photoaging by reducing wrinkles and increasing the thickness of dermal collagen, making nanofats a promising novel treatment for photoaging. The SVF/ADSC-concentrated nanofats exhibited the most improvement.
Global Contributions to Aesthetic Surgery Journal Over the Past Decade
Authors: Moore Meredith L Grogan , Van Belle Christopher , Ovalle Fernando , Kitzmiller William John , Gobble Ryan M
Published: March 2019

Background

The Aesthetic Surgery Journal (ASJ) is a world-renowned publication with valuable contributions from around the globe.

Objectives

To better characterize the journal’s evolving representation of global contributions to aesthetic surgery, the authors examined the author affiliations of all articles published in ASJ over the last decade.

Methods

A PubMed search was performed for all journal articles published in ASJ from January 2008 to August 2018. For each article, the first author’s primary affiliation as indexed in MEDLINE was recorded as the source country. Data were tabulated by source country and year. The authorless errata, corrigenda, and Cosmetic Surgery National Data Bank Statistics were excluded from analysis.

Results

A total of 1746 articles were published during this period, contributed from 49 distinct countries. All continents other than Antarctica were represented. Higher income countries where aesthetic surgery is more prevalent produced 87% of published articles. The total number of published articles in ASJ has climbed from 77 annually in 2008 to 318 in 2018 as of August. In 2008, 27.3% of articles were from non-US countries, whereas in 2018 this increased to 43.7%. In particular, Turkey, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, and Italy demonstrate steady increases in contributions over the 10-year period.

Conclusions

Publications in ASJ have increased in number over the past decade, and the journal has become increasingly global in its network of contributing authors. The increased global contribution to the ASJ may enhance readers’ experience both in the United States and in the world beyond.
mirtronDB: a mirtron knowledge base
Authors: Da Fonseca Bruno Henrique Ribeiro , Domingues Douglas Silva , Paschoal Alexandre Rossi
Published: March 2019

Motivation

Mirtrons arise from short introns with atypical cleavage by using the splicing mechanism. In the current literature, there is no repository centralizing and organizing the data available to the public. To fill this gap, we developed mirtronDB, the first knowledge database dedicated to mirtron, and it is available at http://mirtrondb.cp.utfpr.edu.br/. MirtronDB currently contains a total of 1407 mirtron precursors and 2426 mirtron mature sequences in 18 species.

Results

Through a user-friendly interface, users can now browse and search mirtrons by organism, organism group, type and name. MirtronDB is a specialized resource that provides free and user-friendly access to knowledge on mirtron data.

Availability and implementation

MirtronDB is available at http://mirtrondb.cp.utfpr.edu.br/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
FoldX 5.0: working with RNA, small molecules and a new graphical interface
Authors: Delgado Javier , Radusky Leandro G , Cianferoni Damiano , Serrano Luis
Published: March 2019

A new version of FoldX, whose main new features allows running classic FoldX commands on structures containing RNA molecules and includes a module that allows parametrization of ligands or small molecules (ParamX) that were not previously recognized in old versions, has been released. An extended FoldX graphical user interface has also being developed (available as a python plugin for the YASARA molecular viewer) allowing user-friendly parametrization of new custom user molecules encoded using JSON format.

Availability and implementation

http://foldxsuite.crg.eu/
Significance tests for analyzing gene expression data with small sample sizes
Authors: Ullah Insha , Paul Sudhir , Hong Zhenjie , Wang You-Gan
Published: March 2019

Motivation

Under two biologically different conditions, we are often interested in identifying differentially expressed genes. It is usually the case that the assumption of equal variances on the two groups is violated for many genes where a large number of them are required to be filtered or ranked. In these cases, exact tests are unavailable and the Welch’s approximate test is most reliable one. The Welch’s test involves two layers of approximations: approximating the distribution of the statistic by a t-distribution, which in turn depends on approximate degrees of freedom. This study attempts to improve upon Welch’s approximate test by avoiding one layer of approximation.

Results

We introduce a new distribution that generalizes the t-distribution and propose a Monte Carlo based test that uses only one layer of approximation for statistical inferences. Experimental results based on extensive simulation studies show that the Monte Carol based tests enhance the statistical power and performs better than Welch’s t-approximation, especially when the equal variance assumption is not met and the sample size of the sample with a larger variance is smaller. We analyzed two gene-expression datasets, namely the childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia gene-expression dataset with 22 283 genes and Golden Spike dataset produced by a controlled experiment with 13 966 genes. The new test identified additional genes of interest in both datasets. Some of these genes have been proven to play important roles in medical literature.

Availability and implementation

R scripts and the R package mcBFtest is available in CRAN and to reproduce all reported results are available at the GitHub repository, https://github.com/iullah1980/MCTcodes.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data is available at Bioinformatics online.
Baroque Theatricality
Authors: Gros de Gasquet Julia
Published: March 2019

This paper focuses on “baroque theatricality” as a historical approach to the stage in the seventeenth century and its subsequent representation in theaters in the twenty-first century. What do actors do with the text? How do they give life to the words and implied gestures? The expression of human emotions (joy, fear, anger, despair, etc.) was codified by rhetorical gestures and tones of voice, while the makeup was a codified way of drawing the emotions on the skin. The relation among the actors, architectural space, and the audience gives a special meaning to the concept of dramatic illusion in this period, as this illusion was crafted by actors rather than theoreticians.
Saints and Baroque Piety
Authors: Worcester Thomas
Published: March 2019

If Protestant reformers mocked the cult of the saints, Catholics in the century or so after the Council of Trent (1546–1563) not only reaffirmed the centrality of saints in their lives, but also recognized and celebrated holy women and men more than ever, including those formally recognized by the church (the beatified or canonized). Visual representations of the saints filled Catholic spaces and imaginations: saints were seen as valued intercessors or advocates with the divine, and as exemplars of how one ought to live one’s life. This article pays particular attention to case studies of Baroque models of sainthood, models honoring and privileging an exuberant piety of self-denial and self-giving. Baroque saints were women and men who, with the help of grace, chose light over darkness, good over evil, and persevered in those choices no matter the cost or consequences in this world. Baroques models of holiness developed both in Europe and also in what were “new” and strange lands for Europeans.
Epilogue
Authors: Palaima Thomas G. , Tritle Lawrence A.
Published: March 2019

In this short discussion Tom Palaima explores the literary impact of classical war, warriors, and authors into the modern world, while L. Tritle traces more historical traditions.
The Theory Of Innovative Enterprise
Authors: Lazonick William
Published: March 2019

This chapter outlines the theory of innovative enterprise, showing how it provides a framework for explaining the growth and performance of the firm, and drawing out the methodological, ideological, and political implications of the theory. In combination with strategic control and financial commitment, key to the success of the corporation is organizational integration, which is a set of social relations that provides participants in a complex division of labor with the incentives to cooperate in contributing their skills and efforts toward the achievement of common goals. Organizational integration provides an essential social condition for an enterprise to engage in and make use of collective and cumulative, or organizational, learning. Through organizational integration, people in a hierarchical and functional division of labor work together to create value that would otherwise not exist.
The Changing Nature of The Corporation and The Economic Theory of The Firm
Authors: Foss Nicolai J. , Linder Stefan
Published: March 2019

The economic theory of the firm has strongly influenced our current understanding of the raison d’être, functioning, and internal organization of organizations. Yet, organizations today operate under quite different conditions than the ones that prevailed when some of the foundations for the contemporary theory of the firm were laid (i.e., the 1930s to the 1970s). The unfolding knowledge economy and the growing pressure for corporate social responsibility promise to profoundly affect the nature of corporations. We discuss what the economic theory of the firm has to offer for understanding the challenges faced by corporations today, and where the knowledge economy and corporate social responsibility push the limits of the economics of organization.
Diagnostic Reasoning and Expertise in Health Care
Authors: Patel Vimla L. , Kaufman David R. , Kannampallil Thomas G.
Published: March 2019

The study of diagnostic expertise initially focused on characterizing the reasoning process and, later, on understanding the nature of expert knowledge and its impact on performance, including memory, comprehension, and reasoning. This research demonstrated that medical expertise is not a simple construct, and its development is characterized by non-linear growth in skills and knowledge. Facilitated by new technology, recent research has moved toward real-world studies (or a combination of both laboratory-based and naturalistic studies), with automated and often precise methods of data collection and analysis. Findings from these studies contribute to our knowledge of medical experts’ performance, which often varies as a function of domain complexity as well as the clinician’s ability to recognize and correct medical errors. The role of cognitive science in modeling diagnostic reasoning plays a significant role when building successful systems to support reasoning processes of individual experts, teams, and trainees in real-world settings.