bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Linking coordinated hydraulic traits to drought and recovery responses in a tropical montane cloud forest
Authors: Berry Z. Carter , Espejel Ximena , Williams‐Linera Guadalupe , Asbjornsen Heidi
Published: September 2019

Premise

Understanding plant hydraulic functioning and water balance during drought has become key in predicting species survival and recovery. However, there are few insightful studies that couple physiological and morphological attributes for many ecosystems, such as the vulnerable Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCF). In this study, we evaluated drought resistance and recovery for saplings for five tree species spanning deciduous to evergreen habits from a Mexican TMCF.

Methods

In drought simulations, water was withheld until plants reached species‐specific P50 or P88 values (pressures required to induce a 50 or 88% loss in hydraulic conductivity), then they were rewatered. Drought resistance was considered within the isohydric–anisohydric framework and compared to leaf gas exchange, water status, pressure–volume curves, specific leaf area, and stomatal density.

Results

The TMCF species closed stomata well before significant losses in hydraulic conductivity (isohydric). Yet, despite the coordination of these traits, the traits were not useful for predicting the time needed for the species to reach critical hydraulic thresholds. Instead, maximum photosynthetic rates explained these times, reinforcing the linkage between hydraulic and carbon dynamics. Despite their varying hydraulic conductivities, stomatal responses, and times to hydraulic thresholds, 58 of the 60 study plants recovered after the rewatering. The recovery of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance can be explained by the P50 values and isohydry.

Conclusions

This study raises new questions surrounding drought management strategies, recovery processes, and how lethal thresholds are defined. Further studies need to consider the role of water and carbon balance in allowing for both survival and recovery from drought.
Photocatalytic Aerobic Double Friedel‐Crafts Reaction of Glycine Derivatives with Anilines: An Efficient Synthesis of Diarylmethanes
Authors: Sun Bin , Yang Jin , Zhang Liang , Shi Rongcheng , Zhang Xun , Xu Tengwei , Zhuang Xiaohui , Zhu Rui , Yu Chuanming , Jin Can
Published: September 2019

A mild and efficient aerobic double Friedel‐Crafts reaction of glycine derivatives with anilines has been developed with the assist of a photocatalytic system involving inexpensive Eosin Y as a photocatalyst. Under the optimized conditions, a range of N‐arylglycine derivatives underwent this oxidative coupling reaction smoothly to give the desired diarylmethane derivatives with high para‐regioselectivities in moderate to excellent yields. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that this transformation followed a radical‐mediated pathway. This strategy featured mild conditions, operational simplicity, wide substrate scope and good functional group tolerance.
Low‐Barrier and Canonical Hydrogen Bonds Modulate Activity and Specificity of a Catalytic Triad
Authors: Kumar Prashasti , Agarwal Pratul K. , Waddell M. Brett , Mittag Tanja , Serpersu Engin H. , Cuneo Matthew J.
Published: September 2019

The position, bonding and dynamics of hydrogen atoms in the catalytic centers of proteins are essential for catalysis. The role of short hydrogen bonds in catalysis has remained highly debated and led to establishment of several distinctive geometrical arrangements of hydrogen atoms vis‐à‐vis the heavier donor and acceptor counterparts, that is, low‐barrier, single‐well or short canonical hydrogen bonds. Here we demonstrate how the position of a hydrogen atom in the catalytic triad of an aminoglycoside inactivating enzyme leads to a thirty‐fold increase in catalytic turnover. A low‐barrier hydrogen bond is present in the enzyme active site for the substrates that are turned over the best, whereas a canonical hydrogen bond is found with the least preferred substrate. This is the first comparison of these hydrogen bonds involving an identical catalytic network, while directly demonstrating how active site electrostatics adapt to the electronic nature of substrates to tune catalysis.
Highly Robust but Surface‐Active: An N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Stabilized Au25 Nanocluster
Authors: Shen Hui , Deng Guocheng , Kaappa Sami , Tan Tongde , Han Ying‐Zi , Malola Sami , Lin Shui‐Chao , Teo Boon K. , Häkkinen Hannu , Zheng Nanfeng
Published: September 2019

Surface organic ligands play a critical role in stabilizing atomically precise metal nanoclusters in solutions. However, it is still challenging to prepare highly robust ligated metal nanoclusters that are surface‐active for liquid‐phase catalysis without any pre‐treatment. Now, an N‐heterocyclic carbene‐stabilized Au25 nanocluster with high thermal and air stabilities is presented as a homogenous catalyst for cycloisomerization of alkynyl amines to indoles. The nanocluster, characterized as [Au25(iPr2‐bimy)10Br7]2+ (iPr2‐bimy=1,3‐diisopropylbenzimidazolin‐2‐ylidene) (1), was synthesized by direct reduction of AuSMe2Cl and iPr2‐bimyAuBr with NaBH4 in one pot. X‐ray crystallization analysis revealed that the cluster comprises two centered Au13 icosahedra sharing a vertex. Cluster 1 is highly stable and can survive in solution at 80 °C for 12 h, which is superior to Au25 nanoclusters passivated with phosphines or thiols. DFT computations reveal the origins of both electronic and thermal stability of 1 and point to the probable catalytic sites. This work provides new insights into the bonding capability of N‐heterocyclic carbene to Au in a cluster, and offers an opportunity to probe the catalytic mechanism at the atomic level.
Identification of the C‐Glycoside Synthases during Biosynthesis of the Pyrazole‐C‐Nucleosides Formycin and Pyrazofurin
Authors: Ren Daan , Wang Shao‐An , Ko Yeonjin , Geng Yujie , Ogasawara Yasushi , Liu Hung‐wen
Published: September 2019

C‐Nucleosides are characterized by a C−C rather than a C−N linkage between the heterocyclic base and the ribofuranose ring. While the biosynthesis of pseudouridine‐C‐nucleosides has been studied, less is known about the pyrazole‐C‐nucleosides such as the formycins and pyrazofurin. Herein, genome screening of Streptomyces candidus NRRL 3601 led to the discovery of the pyrazofurin biosynthetic gene cluster pyf. In vitro characterization of gene product PyfQ demonstrated that it is able to catalyze formation of the C‐glycoside carboxyhydroxypyrazole ribonucleotide (CHPR) from 4‐hydroxy‐1H‐pyrazole‐3,5‐dicarboxylic acid and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP). Similarly, ForT, the PyfQ homologue in the formycin pathway, can catalyze the coupling of 4‐amino‐1H‐pyrazole‐3,5‐dicarboxylic acid and PRPP to form carboxyaminopyrazole ribonucleotide. Finally, PyfP and PyfT are shown to catalyze amidation of CHPR to pyrazofurin 5′‐phosphate thereby establishing the latter stages of both pyrazofurin and formycin biosynthesis.
Accessing Difluoromethylated and Trifluoromethylated cis‐Cycloalkanes and Saturated Heterocycles: Preferential Hydrogen Addition to the Substitution Sites for Dearomatization
Authors: Zhang Xue , Ling Liang , Luo Meiming , Zeng Xiaoming
Published: September 2019

Reported here is a straightforward process in which a cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene/Rh catalyst system facilitates the preferential addition of hydrogen to the substitution sites of difluoromethylated and trifluoromethylated arenes and heteroarenes, leading to dearomative reduction. This strategy enables the diastereoselective synthesis of cis‐difluoromethylated and cis‐trifluoromethylated cycloalkanes and saturated heterocycles, and even allows formation of all‐cis multi‐trifluoromethylated cyclic products with a defined equatorial orientation of the di‐ and trifluoromethyl groups. Deuterium‐labeling studies indicate that hydrogen preferentially attacks the substitution sites of planar arenes, resulting in dearomatization, possibly with heterogeneous Rh as the reactive species, followed by either reversible or irreversible hydrogen addition to the nonsubstitution sites.
The Family Movement, Bowen Theory, and Theoretical Medicine: A View from the 21st Century
Authors: Kerr Michael
Published: September 2019

Important changes have occurred in the family movement in the United States since it emerged in the mid‐1950s. Psychiatry supported the movement in its early years, but that changed as psychiatry abandoned the biopsychosocial model and adopted the biological paradigm through the 1970s. This development pushed family and other therapies to the periphery of the discipline. Medicine is dominated by the biological paradigm and cause‐and‐effect thinking. The roots of the medical model go back to Pasteur. In contrast, psychiatry in the United States had been dominated through the 20th century by psychoanalytic thinking, which rendered the discipline a step‐child to medicine. This and other factors pushed psychiatry to get biological. The change generated a ‘failure of nerve’ in the family movement, abandoning the role of the family in schizophrenia in the face of psychiatry's assertion that all serious mental illnesses had nothing to do with the family. Other important changes separating the family movement from psychiatry occurred as well. Bowen theory is anchored in biology and evolution, but it is not a biological paradigm. Maintaining solid connections to the scientific disciplines are important for keeping the theory an open system. The recent emergence of systems biology and systems medicine could challenge psychiatry's allegiance to the biological paradigm and bring family systems theory centre stage in the discipline. These new disciplines may also arrive at a systems theory of the individual that can be integrated with family theory, powering a paradigm shift in medicine as a whole.
Antioxidant Activity and Total Polyphenols Content of Camellia Oil Extracted by Optimized Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Wang Weifang , Han Sai , Jiao Zhen , Cheng Jiangrui , Song Junying
Published: September 2019

In this study, Camellia oil is co‐extracted from Camellia oleifera seeds and green tea scraps by supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2), which is optimized on the extraction yield, ABTS‐scavenging activity, and total polyphenols content (TPC) of oil by single‐factor experiments combined with response surface methodology (RSM). The extraction temperature, pressure, dynamic time, carbon dioxide (CO2) flow rate, and seed mass ratio were investigated with single‐factor experiments. The results indicated the optimum CO2 flow rate and dynamic extraction time were 15 L hour−1 and 60 min (i.e., 2.382 kg CO2/100 g sample). Furthermore, the complicated effects of extraction temperature (40–50 °C), pressure (20–30 MPa), and seed mass ratio (0.25–0.75) were optimized by RSM based on the Box–Behnken design (BBD). The models with high R‐squared values were obtained and used to predict the optimum operating conditions of the process. Under the optimum operating conditions (i.e., temperature of 46 °C, pressure of 30 MPa, and seed mass ratio of 0.35), the extraction yield, ABTS‐scavenging activity, and TPC of oil were 14.43 ± 0.17 g/100 g sample, 73.70 ± 0.34%, and 2.18 ± 0.05 mg GAE/g oil, which were in good agreement with the predicted values. In addition, the experiments indicated that the Camellia oil obtained was rich in polyphenols, resulting in better oxidation stability and antioxidant activity than the original oil.
Fault tolerant control for a class of nonlinear system with actuator faults
Authors: Ma Liling , Huang Yuan , Zhou Lushan , Wang Junzheng , Shi Dawei
Published: September 2019

In this work, a fault tolerant control scheme is proposed for a class of nonlinear system with actuator faults. In this fault tolerant control strategy, an estimator is designed to estimate both the system states and the fault signal simultaneously. Based on these estimations, the control law is constructed to achieve the fault tolerant control for the nonlinear system considered. It is shown that the estimation error and the system state can be guaranteed to be bounded. The obtained theoretic results have been verified through the simulation examples on the three‐tank system.
Cover Image, Volume 13, Issue 5
Authors: Dessbesell Luana , Souzanchi Sadra , Venkateswara Rao Kasanneni Tirumala , Carrillo Alejandro Alarcon , Bekker Devon , Hall Kristen Amanda , Lawrence Katherine Mary , Tait Carolyn Lindsay Judge , Xu Chunbao (Charles)
Published: September 2019

The cover image is based on the Review Article Production of 2,5‐Furandicarboxylic Acid (FDCA) from Starch, Glucose or High Fructose Corn Syrup: Techno‐economic Analysis by Chunbao (Charles) Xu et al., DOI: 10.1002/bbb.2014.

image
Modeling the hazard of transition into the absorbing state in the illness‐death model
Authors: Tassistro Elena , Bernasconi Davide Paolo , Rebora Paola , Valsecchi Maria Grazia , Antolini Laura
Published: September 2019

The illness‐death model is the simplest multistate model where the transition from the initial state 0 to the absorbing state 2 may involve an intermediate state 1 (e.g., disease relapse). The impact of the transition into state 1 on the subsequent transition hazard to state 2 enables insight to be gained into the disease evolution. The standard approach of analysis is modeling the transition hazards from 0 to 2 and from 1 to 2, including time to illness as a time‐varying covariate and measuring time from origin even after transition into state 1. The hazard from 1 to 2 can be also modeled separately using only patients in state 1, measuring time from illness and including time to illness as a fixed covariate. A recently proposed approach is a model where time after the transition into state 1 is measured in both scales and time to illness is included as a time‐varying covariate. Another possibility is a model where time after transition into state 1 is measured only from illness and time to illness is included as a fixed covariate. Through theoretical reasoning and simulation protocols, we discuss the use of these models and we develop a practical strategy aiming to (a) validate the properties of the illness‐death process, (b) estimate the impact of time to illness on the hazard from state 1 to 2, and (c) quantify the impact that the transition into state 1 has on the hazard of the absorbing state. The strategy is also applied to a literature dataset on diabetes.
Transplantation of fecal microbiota from patients with alcoholism induces anxiety/depression behaviors and decreases brain mGluR1/PKC ε levels in mouse
Authors: Zhao Wenbo , Hu Ying , Li Chuangang , Li Ning , Zhu Shaowei , Tan Xu , Li Meng , Zhang Yue , Xu Zheng , Ding Zhaoxi , Hu Lingming , Liu Zengxun , Sun Jinhao
Published: September 2019

Recent studies have revealed that the gut microbiota participates in the psychiatric behavior changes in disorders associated with alcohol. But it still remains unknown whether alcoholism is involved in changes in gut microbiota and its underlying mechanism is also not clear. Here, we tested the gut microbiota of patients with alcoholism and conducted fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from patients with alcoholism to C57BL/6J mice whose gut microbiota had been sharply suppressed with antibiotics (ABX). Then we evaluated their alcohol preference degree, anxiety, and depression‐like behaviors and social interaction behaviors, together with molecular changes in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Our data indicated that the gut microbiota of patients with alcoholism was drastically different from those of the healthy adults. The abundance of p_Firmicutes was significantly increased whereas p_Bacteroidetes was decreased. Compared to mice transplanted with fecal microbiota from healthy male adults, the mice accepting fecal microbiota from patients with alcoholism showed (a) anxiety‐like and depression‐like behaviors, (b) decreased social interaction behaviors, (c) spontaneous alcohol preference, and (d) decreased brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), alpha 1 subunit of GABA type A receptor (α1GABAAR) in mPFC and decreased metabotropic glutamate receptors 1 (mGluR1), protein kinase C (PKC) ε in NAc. Overall, our results suggest that fecal microbiota from patients with alcoholism did induce a status like alcohol dependence in C57BL/6J mice. The decreased expression of BDNF, α1GABAAR, and mGluR1/ PKC ε may be the underlying mechanism.
Current trend of worsening prognosis of prostate small cell carcinoma: A population‐based study
Authors: Wang Jili , Liu Xiaoyan , Wang Yan , Ren Guoping
Published: September 2019

Objective

To determine the accurate age‐adjusted incidence of prostate small cell carcinoma (SCC), update the clinical and pathological characteristics, as well as survival data of prostate SCC from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) datasets.

Methods

A total of 260 patients with prostate SCC were selected from the SEER database of the National Cancer Institute between 2004 and 2015. Age‐adjusted incidence (AAI) rates, the observed and relative survival rates were evaluated over time by the SEER*Stat Software version 8.3.5. Overall survival (OS) rates that stratified by summary stage and treatment effects were evaluated by Kaplan‐Meier method. The significant differences were assessed in a log‐rank test. Univariate and multivariate cox hazard regression analysis were performed to determine independent predictors of OS.

Results

The incidence of prostate SCC has increased over time. The average age of prostate SCC patients was 70.25 years. More than 90% of tumors were poorly differentiated or undifferentiated. The majority of prostate SCC (77.7%) was at stage IV. 49% of patients had lymph node metastases and 68% of patients presented distant metastases (Compared with 60.5% of patients with distant metastases between 1973‐2003). Interestingly only 23.5% patients had high level PSA (>10 ng/mL). 58.8% of patients underwent chemotherapy, 25.4% of patients were treated by surgery, and 31.9% of patients were treated by radiotherapy. The observed survival rates of 1‐year, 2‐year, and 5‐year were 42.1%, 22.1%, and 12.5%, respectively (Compared with 47.9%, 27.5%, and 14.3%, respectively, between 1973 and 2003). Chemotherapy prolonged the OS of patients with regional (distant) metastases from 3 months (2 months) to 12 months (9 months). Multivariate cox regression analysis showed age, race, and stage were independent prognostic factors for prostate SCC patients.

Conclusion

Prostate SCC is a highly malignant cancer and our analysis of recent data has shown its incidence is increasing. Incidence rate of metastatic prostate SCC has increased and the survival rates have worsened in recent years. However, chemotherapy shows some survival benefit for prostate SCC patients with regional and distant metastasis over other treatment methods. Further work is needed to understand the reason prognosis of this type prostate cancer is worsening.
Synthesis, Structural Characterization and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Ruthenium Complexes with Heteroaromatic Carboxylic Acids
Authors: Rogala Patrycja , Czerwonka Grzegorz , Michałkiewicz Sławomir , Hodorowicz Maciej , Barszcz Barbara , Jabłońska‐Wawrzycka Agnieszka
Published: September 2019

The antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of two new ruthenium complexes againstE. coli,S. aureus,P. aeruginosaPAO1 (laboratory strain) andP. aeruginosaLES B58 (clinical strain) were evaluated. Complexes,mer‐[RuIII(2‐bimc)3] ⋅ H2O (1) andcis‐[RuIVCl2(2,3‐pydcH)2] ⋅ 4H2O (2), were obtained using aromatic carboxylic acid ligands, namely, 1H‐benzimidazole‐2‐carboxylic acid (2‐bimcH) and pyridine‐2,3‐dicarboxylic acid (2,3‐pydcH2). Compounds were physicochemically characterized using X‐ray diffraction, Hirshfeld surface analysis, IR and UV/VIS spectroscopies, as well as magnetic and electrochemical measurements. Structural characterization revealed that Ru(III) and Ru(IV) ions in the complexes adopt a distorted octahedral geometry. The intermolecular classical and weak hydrogen bonds, andπ⋅⋅⋅πcontacts significantly contribute to structure stabilization, leading to the formation of a supramolecular assembly. Biological studies have shown that the Ru complexes inhibit the growth of bacteria and biofilm formation by the tested strains and the complexes seem to be a potential as antimicrobial agents.
Balloon assisted translocation of the mitral anterior leaflet to prevent left ventricular outflow obstruction (BATMAN): A novel technique for patients undergoing transcatheter mitral valve replacement
Authors: Helmy Tarek , Hui Dawn S. , Smart Steve , Lim Michael J. , Lee Richard
Published: September 2019

Introduction

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) is an option for patients at high risk for mitral valve replacement or repair via sternotomy or left thoracotomy approach. TMVR carries up to 22% risk of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction. Severe LVOT obstruction can have devastating hemodynamic and clinical consequences.

Hypothesis

We previously presented a novel technique to prevent LVOT obstruction during transapical retrograde mitral valve replacement, by penetrating and ballooning the anterior mitral leaflet (AML), resulting in creation of a “hole” and posterior translocation of AML, then deploying the valve.

Methods

Three patients underwent TMVR at Saint Louis University for severe mitral regurgitation after being deemed too high risk for surgery, and not candidates for a Mitra‐clip procedure. These patients were deemed to be at risk for LVOT obstruction based on the preprocedural evaluation. Via transapical approach, a needle was advanced “through,” perforating the AML and wire was placed in the left atrium. Over the wire, an 20‐mm valvuloplasty balloon was positioned “within” the anterior leaflet and inflated leading to translocation of the AMVL. Then the valve was deployed.

Results

This novel technique has been performed on three patients at our institution. Sapien S3 transcatheter valves were used in all three patients, with 100% procedural success rate. Intraoperative TEE demonstrated no significant LVOT obstruction, cardiopulmonary bypass time was 42–44 min.

Conclusion

The balloon assisted translocation of the mitral anterior leaflet to prevent left ventricular outflow obstruction technique described here may offer the option of transcatheter mitral valve implantation in patients at high risk of LVOT obstruction. A variation of this technique to allow application in cases with transseptal approach is under investigation.
Perfluoro Alkyl Hypofluorites and Peroxides Revisited
Authors: Nissen Jan H. , Drews Thomas , Schröder Benjamin , Beckers Helmut , Steinhauer Simon , Riedel Sebastian
Published: September 2019

A more convenient synthesis of the perfluoro alkyl hypofluorite (F3C)3COF as well as the hitherto unknown (C2F5)(F3C)2COF compound is reported. Both hypofluorites can be prepared by use of the corresponding tertiary alcohols RFOH and elemental fluorine in the presence of CsF. An appropriate access to these highly reactive hypofluorites is crucial. The hypofluorites are then transferred into their corresponding perfluoro bisalkyl peroxides RFOORF[RF=(F3C)3C, (C2F5)(F3C)2C] by treatment with partially fluorinated silver wool. NMR, gas‐phase infrared, and solid‐state Raman spectra of the perfluoro bisalkyl peroxides are presented and their chemical properties are discussed.
Photo‐isomerization of the Cyanine Dye Alexa‐Fluor 647 (AF‐647) in the Context of dSTORM Super‐Resolution Microscopy
Authors: Karlsson Joshua K. G. , Laude Alex , Hall Michael J. , Harriman Anthony
Published: September 2019

Cyanine dyes, as used in super‐resolution fluorescence microscopy, undergo light‐induced “blinking”, enabling localization of fluorophores with spatial resolution beyond the optical diffraction limit. Despite a plethora of studies, the molecular origins of this blinking are not well understood. Here, we examine the photophysical properties of a bio‐conjugate cyanine dye (AF‐647), used extensively in dSTORM imaging. In the absence of a potent sacrificial reductant, light‐induced electron transfer and intermediates formed via the metastable, triplet excited state are considered unlikely to play a significant role in the blinking events. Instead, it is found that, under conditions appropriate to dSTORM microscopy, AF‐647 undergoes reversible photo‐induced isomerization to at least two long‐lived dark species. These photo‐isomers are characterized spectroscopically and their interconversion probed by computational means. The first‐formed isomer is light sensitive and transforms to a longer‐lived species in modest yield that could be involved in dSTORM related blinking. Permanent photobleaching of AF‐647 occurs with very low quantum yield and is partially suppressed by the anaerobic redox buffer.
Bile duct involvement by hepatocellular carcinoma: A rare occurrence and poor prognostic indicator in bile duct brushing samples
Authors: Bhattarai Shristi , Graham Rondell P. , Sigel Carlie S. , Shi Jiaqi , Gonzalez Raul S. , Xue Yue , Krasinskas Alyssa M. , HooKim Kim , Adsay Volkan , Reid Michelle D.
Published: September 2019

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) rarely involves the biliary tree and may be inadvertently sampled on bile duct brushings (BDBs).

Methods

The pathology archives of 5 institutions were searched for BDBs with HCC involvement.

Results

A total of 17 BDBs from 14 patients were obtained. There was a male:female ratio of 6:1; the median age of the patients was 59.5 years (range, 22‐80 years). The median hepatic tumor size was 6.2 cm (range, 2.2‐13.0 cm). HCC risk factors included viral hepatitis (5 patients), cirrhosis (5 patients), hemochromatosis (1 patient), and alcoholic steatohepatitis (1 patient). Jaundice with elevated bilirubin, liver enzymes, and α‐fetoprotein was common. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography demonstrated bile duct dilatation, polypoid intraductal masses (5 samples), clots/debris (2 samples), or strictures (4 samples). All BDBs had single and clustered large cells with naked atypical nuclei, granular cytoplasm, high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratios, and nuclei with prominent macronucleoli. Less common findings included clear/microvesicular cytoplasm (35%), papillae (29%), and anisonucleosis (35%). Classic HCC features (widened trabeculae [35%], endothelial wrapping [24%], multinucleation [24%], and cytoplasmic bile pigment [35%]) were uncommon. A total of 11 BDBs were diagnosed as malignant (10 with HCC and 1 with cholangiocarcinoma), 2 were diagnosed as atypical, and 1 BDB was diagnosed as negative; approximately two‐thirds were found to have polysomy on fluorescence in situ hybridization. Approximately 71% of patients died of disease at a median of 3.5 months.

Conclusions

HCC may extend into the intrahepatic and/or extrahepatic biliary tree, causing masses and/or strictures that may be sampled on BDB. Although cytologically malignant, the classic features of HCC are uncommon, which can cause misdiagnosis. Cytopathologists should be mindful of this differential when evaluating BDBs, particularly when concomitant liver masses and/or HCC risk factors are present. Because of the associated high mortality and rapid rate of death, its presence should be conveyed clearly in pathology reports.
An assessment of blast modelling techniques for injury biomechanics research
Authors: Yu Xiancheng , Ghajari Mazdak
Published: September 2019

Blast‐induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been affecting combatants and civilians. The blast pressure wave is thought to have a significant contribution to blast‐related TBI. Due to the limitations and difficulties of conducting blast tests on surrogates, computational modelling has been used as a key method for exploring this field. However, the blast wave modelling methods reported in current literature have drawbacks. They either cannot generate the desirable blast pressure wave history or they are unable to accurately simulate the blast wave/structure interaction. In addition, boundary conditions, which can have significant effects on model predictions, have not been described adequately. Here, we critically assess the commonly used methods for simulating blast wave propagation in air (open‐field blast) and its interaction with the human body. We investigate the predicted blast wave time history, blast wave transmission, and the effects of various boundary conditions in three‐dimensional (3D) models of blast prediction. We propose a suitable meshing topology, which enables accurate prediction of blast wave propagation and interaction with the human head and significantly decreases the computational cost in 3D simulations. Finally, we predict strain and strain rate in the human brain during blast wave exposure and show the influence of the blast wave modelling methods on the brain response. The findings presented here can serve as guidelines for accurately modelling blast wave generation and interaction with the human body for injury biomechanics studies and design of prevention systems.
Light‐Emitting Chiral Nematic Dimers with Anomalous Odd‐Even Effect
Authors: Veerabhadraswamy B. N. , Bhat Sachin A. , Hiremath Uma S. , Yelamaggad Channabasaveshwar V.
Published: September 2019

In this report, based on the results derived from the extensive study into the thermal and photophysical properties, an anomalous mesomorphic behavior of photoluminescent, chiral nematic (N*) liquid crystalline dimers, belonging to two different series has been revealed. They comprise cholesterol and fluorescent three‐ring Schiff base or salicylaldimine core interlinked via an ω‐oxyalkanoyloxy spacer of varying length and parity. The effect of molecular structure on the liquid crystal (LC) behavior and photophysical properties of both the series has been probed by varying the length of the terminal n‐alkoxy tails for a fixed (odd or even) parity of the spacer. The detailed investigations using complementary techniques not only evidenced the existence of the N* phase in all the dimers synthesized but also the occurrence of an intriguing odd‐even effect; blue phases (BPs) exist in all the dimers comprising even‐membered spacer, which surprisingly remains totally absent in their odd‐membered counterparts. While the results reported hitherto are exactly opposite to the aforesaid findings, this atypical behavior has been interpreted in terms of the over‐all shape of the dimers rendered by the orientation of terminal tails. Photophysical studies carried out clearly revealed the intrinsic light emitting feature of the dimers not only in their dilute solutions but also in their three condensed states viz., solid, N* phase, and isotropic liquid state; the emission intensities of the N* phase varies with the change in temperature, as expected. CD spectra of the N* phase recorded as a function of temperature show bisignate CD band characteristically, signifying large chiral correlations in the molecular self‐assembly, while the origin of bands from positive to negative region suggests a right‐handed twist of the N* helix.
0.6‐V CMOS cascode OTA with complementary gate‐driven gain‐boosting and forward body bias
Authors: Cellucci Danilo , Centurelli Francesco , Di Stefano Valerio , Monsurrò Pietro , Pennisi Salvatore , Scotti Giuseppe , Trifiletti Alessandro
Published: September 2019

An innovative low‐voltage low‐power complementary metal‐oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) gain boosting approach is presented. It exploits complementary gate‐driven gain boosting and adopts forward body bias, resulting in the minimum possible supply requirement of one threshold plus two saturation voltages, without requiring any additional current branch. The solution is also exploited in a rail‐to‐rail high‐performance single‐stage cascode operational transconductance amplifier (OTA). Simulations using a 40‐nm process with thresholds around 0.45 V show that 0.6 V and 50 μA are adequate to supply the designed OTA, which exhibits a 60‐dB direct current (DC) gain, a 45‐MHz unity‐gain frequency, and an 18‐V/μs slew rate, under a 1‐pF load.
Health care service delivery based on the Internet of things: A systematic and comprehensive study
Authors: Usak Muhammet , Kubiatko Milan , Shabbir Muhammad Salman , Viktorovna Dudnik Olesya , Jermsittiparsert Kittisak , Rajabion Lila
Published: September 2019

Today, the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes a heterogeneous and highly distributed structure which can respond to the daily needs of people and different organizations. With the fast development of IT‐based technologies such as IoT and cloud computing, low‐cost health services and their support, efficient supervision of the centralized management, and monitoring of public health can be realized. Therefore, there has been increasing attention in the integration of IoT and health care both in academic and the business world. However, while the health care service industry fully holds the welfares of information systems for its personnel and patients, there is a need for an improved understanding of the issues and opportunities related to IoT‐based health care systems. But, as far as we know, the detailed review and deep discussion in this field are very rare. Hence, in this paper, we presented a literature review on the IoT‐based health care services from papers published until 2018. Moreover, the drawbacks and benefits of the reviewed mechanisms have been discussed, and the main challenges of these mechanisms are highlighted for developing more efficient IoT techniques over health care services in the future. The results of this paper will be valuable for both practitioners and academicians, and it can provide visions into future research areas in this domain. By providing comparative information and analyzing the current developments in this area, this paper will directly support academics and working professionals for better knowing the progress in IoT mechanisms. As a general result, we found that IoT could help the governments to improve health services in society and commercial interactions.
Analysis of interval‐grouped data in weed science: The binnednp Rcpp package
Authors: Barreiro‐Ures Daniel , Francisco‐Fernández Mario , Cao Ricardo , Fraguela Basilio B. , Doallo Ramón , González‐Andújar José Luis , Reyes Miguel
Published: September 2019

Weed scientists are usually interested in the study of the distribution and density functions of the random variable that relates weed emergence with environmental indices like the hydrothermal time (HTT). However, in many situations, experimental data are presented in a grouped way and, therefore, the standard nonparametric kernel estimators cannot be computed.

Kernel estimators for the density and distribution functions for interval‐grouped data, as well as bootstrap confidence bands for these functions, have been proposed and implemented in the binnednp package. Analysis with different treatments can also be performed using a bootstrap approach and a Cramér‐von Mises type distance. Several bandwidth selection procedures were also implemented. This package also allows to estimate different emergence indices that measure the shape of the data distribution. The values of these indices are useful for the selection of the soil depth at which HTT should be measured which, in turn, would maximize the predictive power of the proposed methods.

This paper presents the functions of the package and provides an example using an emergence data set of Avena sterilis (wild oat).

The binnednp package provides investigators with a unique set of tools allowing the weed science research community to analyze interval‐grouped data.
Synthesis of Ag‐Ag2S Heterodimers with Enhanced Violet Emission
Authors: Deng Yingshi , Peng Jiehui , Zhang Yanli , Xie Xinyuan , Zheng Wenjie
Published: September 2019

Ag‐Ag2S heterodimers with good dispersibility were prepared in polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG400) at 160 °C. The possible formation mechanism was proposed along the “CH3COOAg/Ag2S‐Ag2O/Ag2S–Ag/Ag2S” route. The products have strong emission peaks at 410 nm and the structure of dimer may promote the transmission of photoelectron from Ag2S to Ag which leads to a sharp increase in fluorescence intensity.
Dynamic Accumulation of Volatile Compounds Between Olive Pulps and Stones and Its Relation with the Fatty Acids Content During the Oil Extraction Process of Ouslati and Chemlali Olive Fruits
Authors: Sakouhi Faouzi , Saadi Chaima , Luigi Cioni Pier , Boukhchina Sadok
Published: September 2019

The characterization of both volatiles and fatty acids of Tunisian olive varieties (Ouslati and Chemlali) is achieved in order to understand their correlation with the aroma accumulation via the lipoxygenase (LOX) pathway. The main identified volatiles in both crushed pulps and crushed stones are hexanal, E‐(2)‐hexenal, (Z)‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol, 1‐hexanol, and hexyl acetate. With regard to their fatty acid composition, results show that both de‐stoned (DOO) and conventional (COO) olive oils contain mainly unsaturated fatty acids. The results also show that oleic acid (C18:1) is the main fatty acid in both DOO and COO. Meanwhile, linoleic acid (C18:2) is present in a relatively higher percentage (5.2% and 19.8%, respectively, for Ouslati and Chemlali DOI) than linolenic fatty acid (C18:3) (<2%). The analysis of volatiles shows that more than 80% of total LOX‐compounds from both crushed pulps and crushed stones have linolenic acid as synthesis precursor despite its lower level (2%). Moreover, the contribution of olive parts in generating aroma is much higher in crushed pulps (more than 80%) than in crushed stones, which explains the fact that DOO, extracted from crushed pulps, contains the dominant amount of volatiles. Therefore, the obtained results promote both the consumption and the marketing of DOO.

Practical Applications: The aroma and the organoleptic properties of olive oil are strictly correlated with both the olives quality and the extraction techniques used. Many technologies are developed to extract olive oil with highest quality. De‐stoned olive oil extraction process is one of these technical procedures. In the present work, the characterization of volatiles in pulp and stone separately provides important information about the contribution of olive constitutive parts on the accumulation of olive oil aroma during the oil extraction process.
Energy Transfer Catalysis by Visible Light: Atrop‐ and Regio‐Selective Intermolecular [2+2]‐Photocycloaddition of Maleimide with Alkenes
Authors: Ahuja Sapna , Jockusch Steffen , Ugrinov Angel , Sivaguru Jayaraman
Published: September 2019

Intermolecular [2+2]‐photocycloaddition of atropisomeric phenyl maleimide has been evaluated with substituted alkenes with complete control over regiochemistry. We were also successful in carrying out atropselective reactions with the removal of axial chirality leading to enantio‐enriched photoproducts. Based on detailed photophysical studies, a mechanistic rationale is proposed for the observed selectivity.
Consequences of agreement versus disagreement on physical disgust: How do people perceive the cleanliness and morality of someone who expresses inappropriate disgust
Authors: Katzir Maayan , Hoffmann Matan , Liberman Nira
Published: September 2019

We examined how people perceived a person who expressed inappropriate physical disgust—a person who was either under‐disgusted by physically disgusting stimuli or over‐disgusted by neutral stimuli. Participants formed an impression of a target after receiving information on how s/he rated disgusting (Studies 1, 2) or neutral (Studies 2, 3) pictures, and disgusting or angering scenarios (Study 4). Studies 1, 2 and 4 found that a target person who failed to experience disgust was seen as disgusting, immoral (but only to the extent that s/he was also seen unclean), and not socially desirable. A target who rated neutral stimuli as disgusting was not judged as disgusting but was nevertheless judged as immoral and not socially desirable (Studies 2, 3). Our results show that a target whose judgments of physical disgust deviate from one's own by showing either too much or too little disgust is perceived to be immoral.
A review of smartphone point‐of‐care adapter design
Authors: Alawsi Taif , Al‐Bawi Zainab
Published: September 2019

In this review, we explore the potential of smartphone‐based applications based on their unique ability to support portable, easy‐to‐use, precise, and efficient functions, which, in turn, makes lab‐on‐hardware a trending area of novel research. Smartphones can assist surgeons, physicians, biologists, chemists, ophthalmologists, and laboratory technicians in maintaining an easy‐to‐use, cost‐effective, and integrated environment for treatment, diagnosis, and point‐of‐care (POC) applications. These POC applications can improve patients' quality of life, offering patients a precise diagnosis and the correct treatment. This is a noble goal that aims to reduce costs and to increase the accuracy of sample testing, treatment, and diagnosis. Recent innovations have made major advances in smartphone adapters, providing portability, robustness, self‐powered devices, small‐sized adapters, and ease of usage. Lab‐on‐hardware is a progressing field, and smartphone imaging applications are increasingly expanding, resulting in POC applications with the latest and most advanced image analysis, enhancement, recognition, and other image processing techniques. The most recent studies in the field are explored to provide a solid background to interested researchers against which they can choose of application and/or adapter design they aim to develop, with a discussion of the methods reviewed here.
Google Earth as a data source for investigating river forms and processes: Discriminating river types using form‐based process indicators
Authors: Henshaw Alexander J. , Sekarsari Prima W. , Zolezzi Guido , Gurnell Angela M.
Published: September 2019

Google Earth provides potential for exploiting an enormous reservoir of freely‐available remotely sensed data to support river science and management. In this paper, we consider how the platform can support investigation of river physical forms and processes by developing an empirically‐based reach‐scale classification of semi‐natural European single thread to transitional rivers. Using strict reach and image selection criteria, we identified 194 reaches of 68 rivers for analysis. Measurements of channel dimensions and counts of in‐channel and floodplain features, standardised for reach length and channel width where necessary, were used to derive a series of geomorphologically‐relevant process indicators. A suite of multivariate analyses were then applied to this data set, resulting in the discrimination of five river types: laterally stable, laterally active sinuous‐meandering; transitional (near‐braided); bedrock; and cascade/step dominated. The results of the classification were tested by examining the characteristics and distribution of the river classes in relation to known independent controls of river form including reach‐scale energy and valley confinement conditions. Our results show that if methods of data extraction are carefully developed, physically meaningful river reach discrimination can be achieved using Google Earth. Although there are limits to the types of information that can be extracted such that field investigations cannot always be avoided, there is enormous potential to mine Google Earth across different space and time scales, supporting the assembly of large, reliable data sets relevant to river forms and processes in a very cost‐effective way. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An expandable topology with low wiring congestion for silicon interposer‐based network‐on‐chip systems
Authors: Dadashi Sajed , Reshadi Midia , Reza Akram , Khademzadeh Ahmad
Published: September 2019

In 2.5D stacking technology, multiple chips have stacked side‐by‐side on a silicon interposer layer. The network‐on‐chip in the central processing unit (CPU) layer makes it possible to connect processing cores to each other. The interposer layer prepares the connection between the CPU cores and other chips such as memory chip. The memory chip usually contains several segments stacked vertically. The network‐on‐chip can be extended to the interposer layer to make use of unused routing resources of the interposer. Applying an efficient topology and deadlock‐free routing algorithm on the CPU layer and interposer layer is essential. In this paper, a new topology and routing algorithm are proposed to use on the CPU layer as well as on the interposer layer for creating a uniform interconnection network to decrease delay and power consumption. This topology is scalable and can be used simply for extensive networks. Most of interposer layer topologies are not scalable and have a lot of crossed links. Moreover, it is required to increase the degree of routers connected to memory segments. The proposed topology uses a few crossed links compared to other proposed interposer layer topologies. There will be some similar small sub‐networks that fairly connected together with intermediate routers. Furthermore, this topology can be extended in a hierarchical manner.
Study on the synergistic protective effect of Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharides and zinc sulfate on chronic alcoholic liver injury in rats
Authors: Yan Yamei , Wu Wanqiang , Lu Lu , Ren Jie , Mi Jia , Liu Xuebo , Cao Youlong
Published: September 2019

Both Lycium barbarum L. polysaccharides (LBP) and zinc have protective effects on liver injuries. In this paper, LBP and ZnSO4 were combined to study the effects on the prevention of alcoholic liver injury. The rats were divided into six groups, the normal group, alcohol group, zinc sulfate group, LBP group, low‐dose group of ZnSO4, and high‐dose group of ZnSO4 and LBP, used to explore the impact of LBP and ZnSO4 complex on liver lipid metabolism of alcohol, alcohol‐metabolizing enzymes, oxidative damage, and inflammation of the liver. The experimental model was established by gavage treatment, observation, and determination of indexes of rats. The results showed that the combination of LBP and ZnSO4 could significantly decrease the levels of triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), tumor necrosis factor‐α(TNF‐ɑ), malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and the activity of enzyme subtype 2E1 (CYP2E1). It also significantly increased the activities of total superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), glutathione peptide (GSH), and alcohol dehydrogenase, effectively improved the liver tissue lesion. What is more, the combination of LBP and ZnSO4 had a synergistic effect on the remission of alcoholic fatty liver, and alleviated chronic alcoholic liver injury by promoting lipid metabolism, inhibiting oxidative stress, controlling inflammatory responses, and regulating the expression and activity of alcohol‐metabolizing enzymes in rats.
Polyethylene glycol‐based ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic extraction, characterization, and antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo of polysaccharides from Lonicerae japonica leaves
Authors: Wu Wei , Huang Tingrong , Xiang Fu
Published: September 2019

In this paper, polyethylene glycol (PEG)‐based ultrasonic‐assisted enzymatic extraction (UAEE) was employed in polysaccharides extraction from Lonicerae japonica leaves (LJLP). The optimal extraction conditions (extraction time of 33 min, PEG concentration of 30%, and ultrasonic power of 191 W) were obtained by Box–Behnken design (BBD). Under this condition, the LJLP yield was 14.76%. Furthermore, LJLP was identified as a typical heteropolysaccharide considering the main constitutive monosaccharides include galactose (32.3%), glucose (20.9%), and ribose (15.2%). Moreover, LJLP exhibited high total reducing power and considerable scavenging activities on superoxide radicals, in a concentration‐dependent manner in vitro. In addition, antioxidant analysis in vivo revealed that for the LJLP‐treated mice, the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), catalase (CAT) activities, and total antioxidant capacity (TAOC) were significantly increased, while the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased in both serum and liver.