bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Never enough hours in the day”: Employed mothers’ perceptions of time pressure
Authors: Rose Judy
Published: April 2017

Finding sufficient time to meet work and family commitments poses immense challenges for employed mothers in 21st century contemporary life. Understanding how employed women with children manage their finite time resources requires deeper investigation of how time pressures accrue across work and home contexts. This study draws on data from in‐depth interviews with 18 working mothers from diverse occupations (professional, sales, service, clerical, technical and trades) and across a range of employment hours (full and part‐time). The findings from this study show that employed mothers endure high levels of time pressure related to time poverty (insufficient time for necessary or discretionary activities), time intensity (multitasking and merging work and home boundaries) and time density (familial emotion and organisation work). When women use strategies to increase time efficiency, it does not necessarily reduce their perceptions of time pressure. Juggling multiple tasks simultaneously distorts women's temporal experiences and diminishes the quality of time. Workplaces and policymakers need to find better ways to encourage employed fathers to share the responsibility for home‐ and family‐related care and organisational work. Such measures may reduce the time stress and time inequity women endure, particularly in the time management control centre of the home.
Non‐Thermal Plasma Activation of Gold‐Based Catalysts for Low‐Temperature Water–Gas Shift Catalysis
Authors: Stere Cristina E. , Anderson James A. , Chansai Sarayute , Delgado Juan Jose , Goguet Alexandre , Graham Willam G. , Hardacre C. , Taylor S. F. Rebecca , Tu Xin , Wang Ziyun , Yang Hui
Published: April 2017

Non‐thermal plasma activation has been used to enable low‐temperature water‐gas shift over a Au/CeZrO4 catalyst. The activity obtained was comparable with that attained by heating the catalyst to 180 °C providing an opportunity for the hydrogen production to be obtained under conditions where the thermodynamic limitations are minimal. Using in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), structural changes associated with the gold nanoparticles in the catalyst have been observed which are not found under thermal activation indicating a weakening of the Au−CO bond and a change in the mechanism of deactivation.
Magneto‐Adaptive Surfactants Showing Anti‐Curie Behavior and Tunable Surface Tension as Porogens for Mesoporous Particles with 12‐Fold Symmetry
Authors: Hermann Stefanie , Wessig Martin , Kollofrath Dennis , Gerigk Melanie , Hagedorn Kay , Odendal James A. , Hagner Matthias , Drechsler Markus , Erler Philipp , Fonin Mikhail , Maret Georg , Polarz Sebastian
Published: April 2017

Gaining external control over self‐organization is of vital importance for future smart materials. Surfactants are extremely valuable for the synthesis of diverse nanomaterials. Their self‐assembly is dictated by microphase separation, the hydrophobic effect, and head‐group repulsion. It is desirable to supplement surfactants with an added mode of long‐range and directional interaction. Magnetic forces are ideal, as they are not shielded in water. We report on surfactants with heads containing tightly bound transition‐metal centers. The magnetic moment of the head was varied systematically while keeping shape and charge constant. Changes in the magnetic moment of the head led to notable differences in surface tension, aggregate size, and contact angle, which could also be altered by an external magnetic field. The most astonishing result was that the use of magnetic surfactants as structure‐directing agents enabled the formation of porous solids with 12‐fold rotational symmetry.
Anisotropic Polymer Nanoparticles with Tunable Emission Wavelengths by Intersegmental Chain Packing
Authors: Ruiz Perez Julian D. , Mecking Stefan
Published: April 2017

The shape of nanoparticles is decisive for their self‐assembly properties, as well as for the behavior of individual particles in many instances. The introduction and control of anisotropy is well‐known for inorganic nanocrystals but a largely unresolved problem for polymer nanoparticles, especially for conjugated polymers. Here, we report a reproducible preparation method using heterophase polymerization for a range of stable dispersions of ellipsoidal conjugated polymer nanoparticles with sizes in the range of 50 to 180 nm and narrow size and shape distributions. The nanoparticles show a bright fluorescence with tunable emission wavelengths and quantum yields as high as ϕ=78 %. Structural investigations reveal the nanoparticles to be composed of a highly ordered β‐ and α′‐phase within a nematic matrix. Preliminary studies on the origin of particle anisotropy suggest a concerted mechanism in which anisotropic shape evolves from intersegmental packing that occurs along with progressing chain formation by polymerization.
From Two‐ to Three‐Dimensional Structures of a Supertetrahedral Boran Using Density Functional Calculations
Authors: Getmanskii Iliya V. , Minyaev Ruslan M. , Steglenko Dmitrii V. , Koval Vitaliy V. , Zaitsev Stanislav A. , Minkin Vladimir I.
Published: April 2017

With help of the DFT calculations and imposing of periodic boundary conditions the geometrical and electronic structures were investigated of two‐ and three‐dimensional boron systems designed on the basis of graphane and diamond lattices in which carbons were replaced with boron tetrahedrons. The consequent studies of two‐ and three‐layer systems resulted in the construction of a three‐dimensional supertetrahedral borane crystal structure. The two‐dimensional supertetrahedral borane structures with less than seven layers are dynamically unstable. At the same time the three‐dimensional superborane systems were found to be dynamically stable. Lack of the forbidden electronic zone for the studied boron systems testifies that these structures can behave as good conductors. The low density of the supertetrahedral borane crystal structures (0.9 g cm−3) is close to that of water, which offers the perspective for their application as aerospace and cosmic materials.
Shape‐Shifting Patchy Particles
Authors: Zheng Xiaolong , Liu Mingzhu , He Mingxin , Pine David J. , Weck Marcus
Published: April 2017

A facile method to synthesize shape‐shifting patchy particles on the colloidal scale is described. The design is based on the solvent‐induced shifting of the patch shape between concave and convex features. The initial concave patchy particles were synthesized in a water suspension by a swelling‐induced buckling process. Upon exposure to different solvents, the patches were tuned reversibly to be either concave or convex. These particles can be assembled into chained, branched, zigzag, and cyclic colloidal superstructures in a highly site‐specific manner by surface–liquid capillary bridging. The biphasic nature of the particles also enables site‐selective surface functionalization.
A Fully Phosphane‐Substituted Disilene
Authors: Izod Keith , Evans Peter , Waddell Paul G.
Published: April 2017

There is growing interest in compounds containing functionalized E=E multiple bonds (E=Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) because of their potential to exhibit novel physical and chemical properties. However, compounds containing multiple functionalizations are rare, with scarcity increasing with increasing degree of substitution. The first ditetrelene R2E=ER2 in which the E=E bond is substituted by four heteroatoms (other than Si) is described. The tetraphosphadisilene {(Mes)2P}2Si=Si{P(Mes)2}2 (7) is readily isolated from the reaction between SiBr4 and [(Mes)2P]Li, the latter of which acts as a sacrificial reducing agent. The structure of 7 is presented, while the bonding in, and stability of 7 were probed using DFT calculations.
A Plastic–Crystal Electrolyte Interphase for All‐Solid‐State Sodium Batteries
Authors: Gao Hongcai , Xue Leigang , Xin Sen , Park Kyusung , Goodenough John B.
Published: April 2017

The development of all‐solid‐state rechargeable batteries is plagued by a large interfacial resistance between a solid cathode and a solid electrolyte that increases with each charge–discharge cycle. The introduction of a plastic–crystal electrolyte interphase between a solid electrolyte and solid cathode particles reduces the interfacial resistance, increases the cycle life, and allows a high rate performance. Comparison of solid‐state sodium cells with 1) solid electrolyte Na3Zr2(Si2PO4) particles versus 2) plastic–crystal electrolyte in the cathode composites shows that the former suffers from a huge irreversible capacity loss on cycling whereas the latter exhibits a dramatically improved electrochemical performance with retention of capacity for over 100 cycles and cycling at 5 C rate. The application of a plastic–crystal electrolyte interphase between a solid electrolyte and a solid cathode may be extended to other all‐solid‐state battery cells.
Switch in Catalyst State: Single Bifunctional Bi‐state Catalyst for Two Different Reactions
Authors: Semwal Shrivats , Choudhury Joyanta
Published: April 2017

Disclosed here is a molecular switch which responds to acid‐base stimuli and serves as a bi‐state catalyst for two different reactions. The two states of the switch serve as a highly active and poorly active catalyst for two catalytic reactions (namely a hydrogenation and a dehydrogenative coupling) but in a complementary manner. The system was used in an assisted tandem catalysis set‐up involving dehydrogenative coupling of an amine and then hydrogenation of the resulting imine product by switching between the respective states of the catalyst.
Photo‐ and Electronically Switchable Spin‐Crossover Iron(II) Metal–Organic Frameworks Based on a Tetrathiafulvalene Ligand
Authors: Wang Hai‐Ying , Ge Jing‐Yuan , Hua Carol , Jiao Cheng‐Qi , Wu Yue , Leong Chanel F. , D'Alessandro Deanna M. , Liu Tao , Zuo Jing‐Lin
Published: April 2017

A major challenge is the development of multifunctional metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), wherein magnetic and electronic functionality can be controlled simultaneously. Herein, we rationally construct two 3D MOFs by introducing the redox active ligand tetra(4‐pyridyl)tetrathiafulvalene (TTF(py)4) and spin‐crossover FeII centers. The materials exhibit redox activity, in addition to thermally and photo‐induced spin crossover (SCO). A crystal‐to‐crystal transformation induced by I2 doping has also been observed and the resulting intercalated structure determined. The conductivity could be significantly enhanced (up to 3 orders of magnitude) by modulating the electronic state of the framework via oxidative doping; SCO behavior was also modified and the photo‐magnetic behavior was switched off. This work provides a new strategy to tune the spin state and conductivity of framework materials through guest‐induced redox‐state switching.
Complementary Lock‐and‐Key Ligand Binding of a Triplet Transmitter to a Nanocrystal Photosensitizer
Authors: Li Xin , Fast Alexander , Huang Zhiyuan , Fishman Dmitry A. , Tang Ming Lee
Published: April 2017

Owing to the difficulty in comprehensively characterizing nanocrystal (NC) surfaces, clear guidance for ligand design is lacking. In this work, a series of bidentate bis(pyridine) anthracene isomers (2,3‐PyAn, 3,3‐PyAn, 2,2‐PyAn) that differ in their binding geometries were designed to find the best complementary fit to the NC surface. The efficiency of triplet energy transfer (TET) from the CdSe NC donor to a diphenylanthracene (DPA) acceptor mediated by these isomers was used as a proxy for the efficacy of orbital overlap and therefore ligand binding. 2,3‐PyAn, with an intramolecular N–N distance of 8.2 Å, provided the best match to the surface of CdSe NCs. When serving as a transmitter for photon upconversion, 2,3‐PyAn yielded the highest upconversion quantum yield (QY) of 12.1±1.3 %, followed by 3,3‐PyAn and 2,2‐PyAn. The TET quantum efficiencies determined by ultrafast transient absorption measurements showed the same trend.
Synthesis and Bowl‐in‐Bowl Assembly of a Geodesic Phenylene Bowl
Authors: Ikemoto Koki , Kobayashi Ryo , Sato Sota , Isobe Hiroyuki
Published: April 2017

A phenylene multiring with a corannulenoidal skeleton was synthesized. Geodesic constraints over 20 phenylene panels resulted in its nanometer‐sized, bowl‐shaped molecular structure, which was unequivocally revealed by crystallographic analysis. The crystal structure also showed the presence of a bowl‐in‐bowl dimeric assembly, which was driven by entropic factors in solution.
Isolated Single Iron Atoms Anchored on N‐Doped Porous Carbon as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Chen Yuanjun , Ji Shufang , Wang Yanggang , Dong Juncai , Chen Wenxing , Li Zhi , Shen Rongan , Zheng Lirong , Zhuang Zhongbin , Wang Dingsheng , Li Yadong
Published: April 2017

The development of low‐cost, efficient, and stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is desirable but remains a great challenge. Herein, we made a highly reactive and stable isolated single‐atom Fe/N‐doped porous carbon (ISA Fe/CN) catalyst with Fe loading up to 2.16 wt %. The catalyst showed excellent ORR performance with a half‐wave potential (E1/2) of 0.900 V, which outperformed commercial Pt/C and most non‐precious‐metal catalysts reported to date. Besides exceptionally high kinetic current density (Jk) of 37.83 mV cm−2 at 0.85 V, it also had a good methanol tolerance and outstanding stability. Experiments demonstrated that maintaining the Fe as isolated atoms and incorporating nitrogen was essential to deliver the high performance. First principle calculations further attributed the high reactivity to the high efficiency of the single Fe atoms in transporting electrons to the adsorbed OH species.
Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biological activity of new zinc(II) complexes of the nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug sulindac and nitrogen‐donor ligands
Authors: Abu Ali Hijazi , Shalash Asia M. , Akkawi Mutaz , Jaber Suhair
Published: April 2017

Metal carboxylate compounds with nitrogen‐ and/or oxygen‐donor ligands with various carboxylate coordination modes, monodentate, bidentate and bridging bidentate, have been shown to be important from biological and chemical aspects. Five zinc ion binary compounds, diaqua‐bis‐(2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetato)zinc(II) (1), aqua‐bis‐(2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetato)pyridin‐2‐aminezinc(II) (2), (2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetato) pyridin‐2‐ylmethanaminezinc(II) (2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetate) (3), bis‐(2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetato)‐1,10‐phenanthrolinezinc(II) (4) and bis‐(2‐((E)‐5‐fluoro‐2‐methyl‐1‐(4‐(methylsulfinyl)benzylidene)‐1H–inden‐3‐yl)acetato)‐1,10‐phenanthrolinezinc(II) (5), have been prepared and fully characterized. In addition, the complexes were evaluated for their antibacterial activity using the in vitro agar diffusion method against two Gram‐positive (Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus) and two Gram‐negative (Bordetella, Escherichia coli) bacteria and yeast species (Saccharomyces and Candida). Complex 5 showed reasonable activity against yeast. All compounds showed greater antibacterial activity against Gram‐positive than Gram‐negative bacteria. Results indicated that the efficiency of complex 5 in preventing the formation of β‐hematin was 67.6%. The efficiency of chloroquine as a standard drug was reported as 93%. Furthermore, the phosphatase activity of the Zn(II) complexes was studied and results indicated an effect of the zinc complexes on phosphatase activity.
TiO2/nanoclinoptilolite as an efficient nanocatalyst in the synthesis of substituted 2‐aminothiophenes
Authors: Javadi Farzad , Tayebee Reza , Bahramian Bahram
Published: April 2017

TiO2/nanoclinoptilolite (TiO2/NCP) was prepared by the mediation of hexadecyltrimethylammonium (HDTMA) as surfactant and used as an effective heterogeneous nanocatalyst for the preparation of substituted 2‐aminotiophenes. The modified HDTMA/NCP was impregnated with titanium(IV) chloride solution followed by calcination at 500 °C for 20 h. The obtained nanocomposite was characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Moreover, the prepared nanocomposite had high stability and recoverability under mild and solvent‐free conditions.
Synthesis, structure and electrocatalytic properties of a water‐soluble copper complex supported by 2‐ethyl‐2‐(2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane‐1,3‐diol ligand
Authors: Li Dong , Tang Ling‐Zhi , Liu Yan , Zhan Shu‐Zhong
Published: April 2017

The reaction of 2‐ethyl‐2‐(2‐hydroxybenzylideneamino)propane‐1,3‐diol (H3L) with CuCl2⋅2H2O affords a new copper complex, [ClCu(H2L)], which has been determined using X‐ray crystallography. In the solid, copper atom is four‐coordinated by two oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom from the ligand and one chlorine atom. Electrochemical studies show that the complex can act as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution from a dimethylformamide solution of acetic acid and a neutral buffer (pH = 7.0) with a turnover frequency of 46.2 and 482 moles of hydrogen per mole of catalyst per hour at an overpotential of 941.6 and 837.6 mV, respectively.
Sling, Scoop, and Squirter: Anatomical Features Facilitating Prey Transport, Processing, and Swallowing in Rorqual Whales (Mammalia: Balaenopteridae)
Authors: Werth Alexander J. , Ito Haruka
Published: April 2017

Much is known about lunge feeding in balaenopterid whales, but many key aspects of structure, function, and behavior have not yet been explained in detail, especially with regard to concentrating, positioning, and swallowing large aggregations of prey. We describe a novel system of three integrated structural components, all of which are involved in sequential feeding activities (intraoral transport, filtration, and swallowing of prey) that follow lunge‐feeding engulfment of prey‐laden water in rorquals: (1) a hammock‐like muscular sling comprising extrinsic lingual musculature along the midline of the ventral pouch; (2) the flattened scoop‐like arrangement of caudal‐most baleen plates converging in the oropharynx adjacent to the esophageal opening; and (3) a flow‐diverting flange at the posterior dorsum of the lip, by a flow channel at the angle of the mouth. Subsequent to contraction of the ventral pouch and concomitant expulsion of the mouthful of ingested water, these three structures together, we contend, aid in (1) channeling prey posteriorly toward the esophageal opening; (2) concentrating prey as excess water is squeezed from (what is presumed to be) the slurry‐like mixture of nektonic and/or planktonic prey and water; and (3) guiding prey into the isthmus of the fauces while simultaneously (4) facilitating expulsion of water. These related functions occur along with, and are in part achieved by, elevation and retraction of the tongue and oral floor. Given their presumed functional role, these systems are best described as a suite of integrated structural adaptations. Anat Rec, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Anat Rec, 300:2070–2086, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A dynamical link between deep Atlantic extratropical cyclones and intense Mediterranean cyclones
Authors: Raveh‐Rubin Shira , Flaounas Emmanouil
Published: April 2017

Breaking of atmospheric Rossby waves has been previously shown to lead to intense Mediterranean cyclones, one of the most prominent environmental risks in the region. Wave breaking may be enhanced by warm conveyor belts (WCBs) associated with extratropical cyclones developing over the Atlantic Ocean. More precisely, WCBs supply the upper troposphere with air masses of low potential vorticity that, in turn, amplify ridges and thus favor Rossby wave breaking. This study identifies the mechanism that connects Atlantic cyclones and intense mature Mediterranean cyclones through ridge amplification by WCBs, and validates its climatological relevance. Using European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA‐Interim reanalyses and a feature‐based approach, we analyze the 200 most intense Mediterranean cyclones for the years 1989–2008 and show that their majority (181 cases) is indeed associated with this mechanism upstream. Results show that multiple Atlantic cyclones are associated with each case of intense Mediterranean cyclone downstream. Moreover, the associated Atlantic cyclones are particularly deeply intensifying compared with climatology.
Origin–destination synthesis for aviation network data: examining hub operations in the domestic and international US markets
Authors: Park Yongha , O'Kelly Morton E.
Published: April 2017

Hub‐and‐spoke networking is a key feature of current aviation markets in which hubs, as connecting points, function to consolidate and redistribute flows. This indicates that observation of traffic on a segment does not necessarily convey information about the origin to destination routing of passenger journeys because of the unavoidable detours in the system. This paper examines the heterogeneity of the flow composition in domestic and international US markets, which in turn allows us to observe the variation of operations across major hubs. A modified Route Flow Estimator for origin–destination synthesis (or origin–destination matrix estimation) is designed to decompose the segment traffic into itinerary‐based passenger trips. Several public and commercial databases, which are easily accessible, are exploited (and reconciled) for the model in order to (i) generate possible trip itineraries using those segment markets, and (ii) link data‐driven operational conditions with the underlying segment flows. The results are validated with US domestic trip observations and empirical knowledge related to the air transportation system. Then, the variability of the hub operations is examined based on sensitivity tests using the model parameters. From the resolution of itinerary‐based estimates, we observe that major airports' hub operations are spatially uneven, particularly with respect to domestic and international connecting passengers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is there sexual dimorphism of hyperserotonemia in autism spectrum disorder?
Authors: Shuffrey Lauren C. , Guter Stephen J. , Delaney Shannon , Jacob Suma , Anderson George M. , Sutcliffe James S. , Cook Edwin H. , Veenstra‐VanderWeele Jeremy
Published: April 2017

Approximately 30% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have elevated whole blood serotonin (5‐HT) levels. Genetic linkage and association studies of ASD and of whole blood 5‐HT levels as a quantitative trait have revealed sexual dimorphism. Few studies have examined the presence of a sex difference on hyperserotonemia within ASD. To assess whether the rate of hyperserotonemia is different in males than in females with ASD, we measured whole blood 5‐HT levels in 292 children and adolescents with ASD, the largest sample in which this biomarker has been assessed. Based upon previous work suggesting that hyperserotonemia is more common prior to puberty, we focused our analysis on the 182 pre‐pubertal children with ASD. 42% of pre‐pubertal participants were within the hyperserotonemia range. In this population, we found that males were significantly more likely to manifest hyperserotonemia than females (P = 0.03). As expected, no significant difference was found in the post‐pubertal population. Additional work will be needed to replicate this intriguing finding and to understand whether it could potentially explain differences in patterns of ASD risk between males and females. Autism Res 2017, 10: 1417–1423. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Evaluating Effort: Influences of Evaluation Mode on Judgments of Task‐specific Efforts
Authors: Dunn Timothy L. , Koehler Derek J. , Risko Evan F.
Published: April 2017

The claim that humans adapt their actions in ways that avoid effortful processing (whether cognitive or physical) is a staple of various theories of human behavior. Although much work has been carried out focusing on the determinants of such behaviors, less attention has been given to how individuals evaluate effort. In the current set of experiments, we utilized the general evaluability theory to examine the evaluability of effort by examining subjective value functions across different evaluation modes. Individuals judged the anticipated effort of four task‐specific efforts indexed by stimulus rotation, items to be remembered, weight to be lifted, and stimulus degradation across joint (i.e., judged comparatively) and single evaluation modes (i.e., judged in isolation). General evaluability theory hypothesizes that highly evaluable attributes should be consistently evaluated (i.e., demonstrate similar subjective value functions) between the two modes. Across six experiments, we demonstrate that the perceived effort associated with items to be remembered, weight to be lifted, and stimulus degradation can be considered relatively evaluable, while the effort associated with stimulus rotation may be relatively inevaluable. Results are discussed within the context of subjective evaluation, internal reference information, and strategy selection. In addition, methodological implications of evaluation modes are considered. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Infantile Hemangiomas: An Updated Review on Risk Factors, Pathogenesis, and Treatment
Authors: Smith Chelsey J. Forbess , Friedlander Sheila Fallon , Guma Monica , Kavanaugh Arthur , Chambers Christina D.
Published: April 2017

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common vascular tumors in infants, appearing in early infancy and ultimately regressing with time. Clinical presentation may vary, with a minority of lesions causing impairment of vital function (e.g., respiratory or visual obstruction), permanent scarring, and/or disfigurement. The pathogenesis of IH is complex and poorly understood. Risk factors implicated in their development include preterm birth and placental anomalies. IH presents a myriad of clinical challenges, including correct diagnosis and whether or not to pursue treatment. This article is a review of the current literature regarding pathogenesis, clinical presentation, treatment, and prognosis of IH. Birth Defects Research 109:809–815, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nano hydroxyapatite‐blasted titanium surface affects pre‐osteoblast morphology by modulating critical intracellular pathways
Authors: Bezerra Fábio , Ferreira Marcel R. , Fontes Giselle N. , da Costa Fernandes Célio Jr , Andia Denise C. , Cruz Nilson C. , da Silva Rodrigo A. , Zambuzzi Willian F.
Published: April 2017

Although, intracellular signaling pathways are proposed to predict the quality of cell‐surface relationship, this study addressed pre‐osteoblast behavior in response to nano hydroxyapatite (HA)‐blasted titanium (Ti) surface by exploring critical intracellular pathways and pre‐osteoblast morphological change. Physicochemical properties were evaluated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and wettability considering water contact angle of three differently texturized Ti surfaces: Machined (Mac), Dual acid‐etching (DAE), and nano hydroxyapatite‐blasted (nHA). The results revealed critical differences in surface topography, impacting the water contact angle and later the osteoblast performance. In order to evaluate the effect of those topographical characteristics on biological responses, we have seeded pre‐osteoblast cells on the Ti discs for up to 4 h and subjected the cultures to biological analysis. First, we have observed pre‐osteoblasts morphological changes resulting from the interaction with the Ti texturized surfaces whereas the cells cultured on nHA presented a more advanced spreading process when compared with the cells cultured on the other surfaces. These results argued us for analyzing the molecular machinery and thus, we have shown that nHA promoted a lower Bax/Bcl2 ratio, suggesting an interesting anti‐apoptotic effect, maybe explained by the fact that HA is a natural element present in bone composition. Thereafter, we investigated the potential effect of those surfaces on promoting pre‐osteoblast adhesion and survival signaling by performing crystal violet and immunoblotting approaches, respectively. Our results showed that nHA promoted a higher pre‐osteoblast adhesion supported by up‐modulating FAK and Src activations, both signaling transducers involved during eukaryotic cell adhesion. Also, we have shown Ras‐Erk stimulation by the all evaluated surfaces. Finally, we showed that all Ti‐texturing surfaces were able to promote osteoblast differentiation up to 10 days, when alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and osteogenic transcription factors were up‐modulated. Altogether, our results showed for the first time that nano hydroxyapatite‐blasted titanium surface promotes crucial intracellular signaling network responsible for cell adapting on the Ti‐surface.Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1888–1898. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of COMT Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of early life stress
Authors: Klaus Kristel , Butler Kevin , Durrant Simon J. , Ali Manir , Inglehearn Chris F. , Hodgson Timothy L. , Gutierrez Humberto , Pennington Kyla
Published: April 2017

Introduction

Previous research has indicated that variation in genes encoding catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) may influence cognitive function and that this may confer vulnerability to the development of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia. However, increasing evidence suggests environmental factors such as early life stress may interact with genetic variants in affecting these cognitive outcomes. This study investigated the effect of COMT Val158Met and DRD2 C957T polymorphisms on executive function and the impact of early life stress in healthy adults.

Methods

One hundred and twenty‐two healthy adult males (mean age 35.2 years, range 21–63) were enrolled in the study. Cognitive function was assessed using Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and early life stress was assessed using the Childhood Traumatic Events Scale (Pennebaker & Susman, 1988).

Results

DRD2 C957T was significantly associated with executive function, with CC homozygotes having significantly reduced performance in spatial working memory and spatial planning. A significant genotype–trauma interaction was found in Rapid Visual Information Processing test, a measure of sustained attention, with CC carriers who had experienced early life stress exhibiting impaired performance compared to the CC carriers without early life stressful experiences. There were no significant findings for COMT Val158Met.

Conclusions

This study supports previous findings that DRD2 C957T significantly affects performance on executive function related tasks in healthy individuals and shows for the first time that some of these effects may be mediated through the impact of childhood traumatic events. Future work should aim to clarify further the effect of stress on neuronal systems that are known to be vulnerable in mental health disorders and more specifically what the impact of this might be on cognitive function.
HIF‐1α binding to AEG‐1 promoter induced upregulated AEG‐1 expression associated with metastasis in ovarian cancer
Authors: Zhao Ting , Zhao Chenyan , Zhou Yanting , Zheng Jing , Gao Shujun , Lu Yuan
Published: April 2017

Ovarian cancer with the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies is one of common cancers among female cancer patients. As reported in recent years, AEG‐1 was associated with the occurrence, development, and metastasis of ovarian cancer, but the mechanisms remain unclear. In the current study, invasion capabilities of ovarian cancer OVCAR3 cells were measured by viral infection and transwell assay. Western blot analysis was used to evaluate the expression levels of β‐catenin, E‐cadherin, MMP2, and MMP9. With qRT‐PCR analysis, AEG‐1 and HIF‐1α gene expression were detected. We used luciferase reporter gene to measure AEG‐1 promoter activity under normoxia/hypoxia in OVCAR3 cells. Our work demonstrated that AEG‐1 significantly enhanced invasion capabilities of OVCAR3 cells and the expression levels of β‐catenin, E‐cadherin, MMP2, and MMP9 associated with invasion capabilities of OVCAR3 cells were upregulated. Furthermore, hypoxia enhanced invasion capabilities of OVCAR3 cells and induced AEG‐1 high gene expression, which was reversed by AEG‐1 knockdown lentivirus. HIF‐1α expression upregulation was induced in OVCAR3 cells after hypoxia. HIF‐1α knockdown lentivirus induced downregulated expression of AEG‐1 and invasion capabilities of OVCAR3 cells were also inhibited. Wild‐type AEG‐1 promoter activity under hypoxic conditions was significantly higher than that AEG‐1 mutation under normoxic conditions in the absence of hypoxia response. Our results suggested that HIF‐1α binds to AEG‐1 promoter to upregulate its expression, which was correlated with metastasis in ovarian cancer by inducing the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 as well as inhibiting expression of E‐cadherin and β‐catenin.
The Effects of smoking status and smoking history on patients with brain metastases from lung cancer
Authors: Shenker Rachel F. , McTyre Emory R. , Ruiz Jimmy , Weaver Kathryn E. , Cramer Christina , Alphonse‐Sullivan Natalie K. , Farris Michael , Petty William J. , Bonomi Marcelo R. , Watabe Kounosuke , Laxton Adrian W. , Tatter Stephen B. , Warren Graham W. , Chan Michael D.
Published: April 2017

There is limited data on the effects of smoking on lung cancer patients with brain metastases. This single institution retrospective study of patients with brain metastases from lung cancer who received stereotactic radiosurgery assessed whether smoking history is associated with overall survival, local control, rate of new brain metastases (brain metastasis velocity), and likelihood of neurologic death after brain metastases. Patients were stratified by adenocarcinoma versus nonadenocarcinoma histologies. Kaplan–Meier analysis was performed for survival endpoints. Competing risk analysis was performed for neurologic death analysis to account for risk of nonneurologic death. Separate linear regression and multivariate analyses were performed to estimate the brain metastasis velocity. Of 366 patients included in the analysis, the median age was 63, 54% were male and, 60% were diagnosed with adenocarcinoma. Current smoking was reported by 37% and 91% had a smoking history. Current smoking status and pack‐year history of smoking had no effect on overall survival. There was a trend for an increased risk of neurologic death in nonadenocarcinoma patients who continued to smoke (14%, 35%, and 46% at 6/12/24 months) compared with patients who did not smoke (12%, 23%, and 30%, P = 0.053). Cumulative pack years smoking was associated with an increase in neurologic death for nonadenocarcinoma patients (HR = 1.01, CI: 1.00–1.02, P = 0.046). Increased pack‐year history increased brain metastasis velocity in multivariate analysis for overall patients (P = 0.026). Current smokers with nonadenocarcinoma lung cancers had a trend toward greater neurologic death than nonsmokers. Cumulative pack years smoking is associated with a greater brain metastasis velocity.
Encourage student‐athletes, staff to serve as coaches, mentors to young students
Authors: Santovec Mary Lou
Published: April 2017

College athletics administrators frequently point to having at least one mentor who contributed to their professional success. Good mentors support, encourage, and even remove barriers that could derail a career.
Gain insight into the legal aspects of intellectual property as it relates to coaches
Authors: Wilson Mark
Published: April 2017

When John Calipari sought trademark protection for the phrase “Refuse to Lose” in the early 1990s, at least a few people were flabbergasted. As it turns out, Calipari was prescient about the future use and value of similar trademarks in college athletics.
Feasibility, safety, and efficacy of transcatheter aortic valve replacement without balloon predilation: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Auffret Vincent , Regueiro Ander , Campelo‐Parada Francisco , del Trigo María , Chiche Olivier , Chamandi Chekrallah , Puri Rishi , Rodés‐Cabau Josep
Published: April 2017

Objectives

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of direct transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), that is, TAVR without balloon predilation (BPD), by performing a systematic review and meta‐analysis of available evidence.

Background

Avoiding BPD during TAVR was shown to be feasible in previous studies but the risks and benefits of this technique are unknown owing to the limited number of patients included in these studies.

Methods

We performed a systematic search for studies comparing direct TAVR vs TAVR performed with BPD. Crude risk ratios (RRs) or mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each endpoint were calculated using random effects models.

Results

Twenty studies including 3586 patients (1606 undergoing direct TAVR) were selected for the analysis. Mean device success with direct TAVR was 88% with <5% of bail‐out techniques. There were no differences between direct and BPD‐TAVR in short‐term (in‐hospital or 30‐day) mortality (RR: 1.06; 95% CI: 0.78–1.43) or cerebrovascular events (RR: 0.92; 95% CI: 0.58–1.46). Direct TAVR associated with reduced moderate or severe paravalvular leak post‐TAVR (RR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.36–0.98) but not with a reduced risk of permanent pacemaker implantation (RR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.71–1.02). A slight increase in postdilation was observed in direct transfemoral‐TAVR recipients (RR: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.00–1.44).

Conclusion

Direct TAVR is feasible and safe. However, given the unadjusted nature of our results, uncertainties remain regarding the independent effect of direct TAVR on outcomes post‐TAVR. Randomized studies are warranted to determine the potential benefits of direct TAVR. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chronic sinusitis in a patient with selective IgG4 subclass deficiency controlled with enriched immunoglobulins
Authors: Dine Gérard , Ali‐Ammar Nadia , Brahimi Said , Rehn Yves
Published: April 2017

Key Clinical Message

A 71‐year‐old female patient with no major history of infection had presented with recurrent chronic purulent sinusitis over the past 3 years. These recurrent infections started in 2000 with otolaryngologists’ support before diagnosis of IgG4 deficiency be asked. The patient was treated with increasingly extensive courses of antibiotics and underwent several maxillary and sphenoidal sinus washouts. She continued to present with purulent nasal discharge containing Staphylococcus epidermidis. The blood and immune work‐ups were normal. Her antinuclear antibody count was 1/320, with no unusual types. The total immunoglobulin (Ig)E, serology, CD4 count, and lymphocyte B phenotype results were all normal. No humoral immune deficiency was detected. The analyses confirmed an underlying specific IgG4 deficiency with values of 3–4 mg/L over 4 months. The patient was treated in March 2011 with prophylactic antibiotic therapy, sinus drainage, and IV infusions of enriched immunoglobulins (IVIg 10%) administered at the outpatient clinic every 4 weeks for 3 months. The IgIV treatment was not interrupted. Her general condition improved within a few months, with her IgG4 levels rising to 44 mg/L. The IVIg infusions were well tolerated. The purulent nasal discharge was controlled, and the antibiotics were stopped. The follow‐up visits at 2 and 9 months after introduction of IVIg showed that her IgG4 level had improved, rising to 15 and 11 mg/L, respectively, although it had not yet returned to normal. The infusions were then given every 3 weeks. At her last visit, the patient's clinical condition had substantially improved. She was able to start using the subcutaneous Ig concentrate form (20% SCIg), 15 g every 2 weeks, leading to a clear improvement in her clinical condition, with stabilization of her otolaryngologists’ symptoms and signs. The complete blood count was normal, IgG4 were stable at 40 mg/L, and the other immunoglobulins and IgG subclasses were normal. It was then possible to reduce the SCIg dose to 10 g every 3 weeks, while continuing to monitor her clinical condition and laboratory test results. This is one of the rare cases of selective IgG4 subclass deficiency treated with immunoglobulins. Treatment resulted in a significant improvement in IgG4 levels versus pretreatment levels. The first improvement noted was the stabilization otolaryngologists’ infections particularly purulent nasal discharge.
Severe dermatitis might be caused by a cross‐reaction between nickel and palladium and dental amalgam resolved following removal of dental restorations
Authors: Fujii Yoshiro
Published: April 2017

Key Clinical Message

This report demonstrates a case of atopic dermatitis that was unresponsive to topical steroid therapy. This clinical report highlights the fact that metals used in dental treatment, such as mercury, as well as cross‐reactions between nickel and palladium, may cause systemic hypersensitivity or toxicity.
Insight into Copper Oxide‐Tin Oxide Catalysts for the Catalytic Oxidation of Carbon Monoxide: Identification of Active Copper Species and a Reaction Mechanism
Authors: Bai Xueqin , Chai Shujing , Liu Cheng , Ma Kui , Cheng Qingpeng , Tian Ye , Ding Tong , Jiang Zheng , Zhang Jing , Zheng Lirong , Li Xingang
Published: April 2017

Herein, we report the high activity of CuO‐SnO2 catalysts for the catalytic oxidation of CO. In particular, SnCu30 shows the highest activity and a high water resistance. If we compare the XRD, X‐ray absorption fine structure, and H2 temperature‐programmed reduction results of SnCu30 before and after HNO3 treatment, we find the existence of three kinds of Cu species in the catalyst, that is, highly dispersed CuO, bulk CuO, and Cu incorporated in the SnO2 lattice. The highly dispersed CuO and the surface lattice oxygen species are the active sites for the catalytic oxidation of CO. We used X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy to confirm the existence of Cu+ species on the surface of the CuO‐SnO2 catalysts, which can provide the adsorption sites for CO. Our results show that the reaction pathways of the catalytic oxidation of CO over the CuO‐SnO2 catalysts follow the Mars–van Krevelen model.
One‐Step Synthesis of a MoS2−CuS Composite with High Electrochemical Activity as an Effective Counter Electrode for CdS/CdSe Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Kamaja Chaitanya Krishna , Devarapalli Rami Reddy , Shelke Manjusha V.
Published: April 2017

Inorganic nanostructured composite materials involving metal sulfides are increasingly important in electrochemical applications like solar cells. In this research, we have developed a one‐step in situ solvothermal method to synthesize a MoS2−CuS composite. MoS2 sheets increase electron‐transfer ability, assisting the improvement in catalytic activity of the MoS2−CuS counter electrode. The charge‐transfer resistance derived from impedance spectroscopy for the MoS2−CuS composite counter electrode at the electrode/electrolyte interface is very low, as compared to MoS2, mostly owing to the increased number of active catalytic sites for the reduction of polysulfide electrolyte. The Tafel polarization plot shows excellent electrocatalytic activity of the MoS2−CuS composite towards polysulfide electrolyte. Finally, the CdS/CdSe sensitized solar cell achieves a power conversion efficiency of about 5 % upon optimization of the MoS2−CuS composition.
Platinum‐Based Organometallic Folders for the Recognition of Electron‐Deficient Aromatic Substrates
Authors: Nuevo Daniel , Gonell Sergio , Poyatos Macarena , Peris Eduardo
Published: April 2017

A series of platinum complexes with cis‐oriented polyaromatic N‐heterocyclic carbene ligands were prepared and characterized. The relative disposition of the polyaromatic ligands about the metal cause these compounds to behave as metallofolders, featuring a cavity defined by the void space between the polyaromatic functionalities. The complexes were used as receptors of organic molecules, whereby selective affinity was displayed for electron‐deficient aromatic substrates, such as 1,2,4,5‐tetracyanobenzene (TCNB), 2,4,7‐trinitro‐9‐fluorenone (TNFLU), and 1,4,5,8‐naphtalenetetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA). The binding affinities of two of the metallofolders with these substrates were determined by means of 1H NMR titrations. Electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) was also used to assess the affinities. The molecular structure of one of the platinum folders was determined in the presence of TCNB, showing the clear interaction between this guest molecule and the folder formed by the two mutually cis‐oriented polyaromatic ligands. This work demonstrates how the presence of the mutually cis‐oriented polyaromatic ligands may be a very useful tool for the preparation of metal‐based receptors.
Enantiomeric NMR signal separation behavior and mechanism of samarium(III) and neodymium(III) complexes with (S,S)‐ethylenediamine‐N,N'‐disuccinate
Authors: Aizawa Sen‐Ichi , Okano Masaru , Kidani Takahiro
Published: April 2017

Enantiomeric 1H and 13C NMR signal separation behaviors of various α‐amino acids and DL‐tartarate were investigated by using the samarium(III) and neodymium(III) complexes with (S,S)‐ethylenediamine‐N,N'‐disuccinate as chiral shift reagents. A relatively smaller concentration ratio of the lanthanide(III) complex to substrates was suitable for the neodymium(III) complex compared with the samarium(III) one, striking a balance between relatively greater signal separation and broadening. To clarify the difference in the signal separation behavior, the chemical shifts of β‐protons for fully bound D‐ and L‐alanine (δb(D) and δb(L)) and their adduct formation constants (Ks) were obtained for both metal complexes. Preference for D‐alanine was similarly observed for both complexes, while it was revealed that the difference between the δb(D) and δb(L) values is the significant factor to determine the enantiomeric signal separation. The neodymium(III) and samarium(III) complexes can be used complementarily for higher and smaller concentration ranges of substrates, respectively, because the neodymium(III) complex gives the larger difference between the δb(D) and δb(L) values with greater signal broadening compared to the samarium(III) complex.