bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on the Bill of Quantities Pricing Model for Prefabricated Buildings Based on BIM
Authors: Zhao Lu
Published: December 2024

In recent years, with continuous advancements in prefabricated construction technology and management practices, the accuracy and quality of prefabricated components have improved. As a result, the practice of pre-manufacturing components off-site and assembling them on-site has become an inevitable construction method for the development of the building industry. This paper discusses the current issues faced by prefabricated buildings and analyzes the feasibility of integrating BIM (Building Information Modeling) technology with cost estimation for prefabricated construction.The paper proposes a cost estimation process for prefabricated buildings, which involves adapting BIM’s measurement rules to suit local requirements for concrete quantity calculations. By creating precast (PC) components in BIM software and adding cost-related information, a BIM-based quantity take-off list can be generated.This study provides valuable insights into the application of BIM in the cost management of prefabricated buildings and the further research on quantity take-offs for such projects. It also broadens the scope of BIM applications, offering significant potential for the development and widespread adoption of BIM technology.
Perbandingan Sistem Struktur Rumah Gadang Koto Piliang dan Bodi Caniago Terhadap Gempa
Authors: Ivena Elora , William Reinaldo Nathanael , Agustinanda Felicya , Hariyanto Agus Dwi
Published: December 2024

Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi perbandingan sistem struktur dari arsitektur vernakular rumah gadang Koto Piliang dan Bodi Caniago dalam merespon seismik lokal Minangkabau, yaitu kestabilan sistem struktur bangunan terhadap gempa. Metode penelitian dengan cara mengumpulkan data-data sekunder digunakan untuk menentukan landasan teori yang akan digunakan dalam penelitian, yaitu seismik lokal Minangkabau, sistem struktur vernakular rumah gadang, serta join yang mempengaruhi sistem struktur dalam merespon beban gempa. Interpretasi penyaluran beban gempa serta efektivitas sistem struktur dalam merespon beban gempa dilakukan dengan cara menganalisa dari data-data sekunder yang telah dikumpulkan.
Bilişsel Esneklik Araştırmalarının Bibliyometrik Analizi ve Geleceğe Dair Görüler
Authors: Toraman Çetin , Çalişkan Çiğdem , Korkmaz Güneş
Published: December 2024

Bu çalışma, Web of Science (WoS) verilerine dayalı olarak Bilişsel Esneklik (BE) konusundaki araştırmaların güncel durumunu ortaya koymayı ve gelişimini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada, 1975-2023 yılları arasında WoS'tan elde edilen meta veriler kullanılarak, BE üzerine yazılmış araştırma literatürünün haritalandırılması için bibliyometrik analiz yaklaşımı benimsenmiştir. Analiz, yayın yılına göre makale dağılımı ve ortalama atıf durumu, BE üzerine en fazla yayın yapan dergiler ve BE ile ilgili atıf sayısı, en çok atıf alan BE makaleleri ve yazarları, BE hakkındaki makalelerin en çok atıf aldığı ülkeler, BE üzerine en fazla makale üreten yazarlar, yayınları, yazarların ülkeleri ve makalelerde BE ile ilişkili kelimelerin eğilimi gibi faktörleri içermektedir. Sonuçlar, yıllara göre makale yayınlama eğilimi son yıllarda artmasına rağmen, BE makalelerine atıfların en yüksek artışının 1990 ve 1994 yıllarında yaşandığını ortaya koymaktadır. En fazla yayın yapan dergiler ise Behavioural Brain Research, Psychiatry Research, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, Journal of Neuroscience dergileridir. Bir diğer bulgu ise, BE makalelerinin en çok atıf aldığı ve en yüksek üretim oranlarına sahip ülkenin ABD olduğudur. Ayrıca, BE makalelerinde en sık kullanılan kelimelerin esneklik, prefrontal korteks, beyin, çalışma belleği, görev, bilişsel, bellek, karar verme, korteks, aktivasyon, yanıt-engelleme, yürütücü işlev, interferans, bilişsel kontrol ve şizofreni olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışma, BE literatürü hakkında kapsamlı bir değerlendirme sunmakta ve gelecekteki araştırmalar için alanın gelişimi hakkında ilginç bilgiler sağlamaktadır.
Egr‐1 transcriptionally activates protein phosphatase PTP1B to facilitate hyperinsulinemia‐induced insulin resistance in the liver in type 2 diabetes
Authors: Wu Jing , Tao Weiwei , Bu Dandan , Zhao Yue , Zhang Tongyu , Chong Danyang , Xue Bin , Xing Zheng , Li Chaojun
Published: July 2019

During the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hyperinsulinemia is the earliest symptom. It is believed that long‐term high insulin stimulation might facilitate insulin resistance in the liver, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Herein, we report that hyperinsulinemia could induce persistent early growth response gene‐1 (Egr‐1) activation in hepatocytes, which provides negative feedback inhibition of insulin sensitivity by inducing the expression of protein tyrosine phosphatase‐1B (PTP1B). Deletion of Egr‐1 in the liver remarkably decreases glucose production, thus improving systemic glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Mechanistic analysis indicates that Egr‐1 inhibits insulin receptor phosphorylation by directly activating PTP1B transcription in the liver. Our results reveal the molecular mechanism by which hyperinsulinemia accelerates insulin resistance in hepatocytes during the progression of T2DM.
Device Physics of the Carrier Transporting Layer in Planar Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Ren Xingang , Wang Zi Shuai , Choy Wallace C. H.
Published: July 2019

Perovskite solar cells (PVSCs) have emerged as a promising candidate for addressing the energy crisis due to their rapid efficiency improvement up to 24.2% within 10 years. The defects existing in perovskite film have been found to be as low as 1015 cm−3 indicating that the bulk nonradiative recombination loss is very small. The major efficiency loss has been attributed to inefficient carrier transportation and collection, particularly at the interfaces of the carrier transport layers (CTLs). Moreover, the mobile ions that can penetrate into or be blocked by the CTLs have been considered to play a significant role in the determination of device efficiency and stability. The further improvement of the PVSC performances relies on interfacial engineering. Meanwhile, it is highly desirable to gain an in‐depth physical understanding of interfacial engineering in PVSCs. Herein, the recent works on CTLs in planar PVSCs are reviewed and the device physics for designing high‐performance PVSCs is unveiled. This work describes the (1) materials and strategies for efficient CTLs; (2) effects of mobile ions and the influence of CTLs; and (3) theoretical modeling and understanding of PVSCs. This work can, therefore, contribute to designing and improving high‐performance PVSCs for future practical commercialized applications.
Surface Plasmon‐Assisted Transparent Conductive Electrode for Flexible Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Sun Qi , Chen Jing‐De , Zheng Jia‐Wei , Qu Tian‐Yi , Jin Teng‐Yu , Li Yan‐Qing , Tang Jian‐Xin
Published: July 2019

Flexible perovskite solar cells (PeSCs) possess the extraordinary potential in the applications of portable power sources and wearable electronics because of their superiorities in ease fabrication and efficient power conversion. These features are reinforced when a transparent conductive electrode with good flexibility is achieved. A unique electrode based on Ag periodic mesh (APM) perforated with hexagonal close‐packed nanoholes is proposed, showing a square resistance of ≈19.0 Ω sq−1 and optical transmittance of 66.0% in the whole visible region. PeSCs made on the optimal APM electrode with a rigid glass substrate achieve over twofold of photocurrent as compared to the counterpart on flat Ag film, resulting in a maximum power conversion efficiency of 17.06%. Experimental and theoretical characterizations indicate that the performance enhancement is mainly ascribed to the surface plasmon‐assisted extraordinary transmission enhancement and the scattering of incident light. Furthermore, the APM electrode enables PeSCs that are not only efficient but also highly flexible against bending deformation. Flexible PeSCs on plastic remain 90% of their initial efficiency after 1500 bending cycles with a bending radius of 3.0 mm. It is anticipated that the APM electrode with unique light coupling abilities provides a facile design route to achieving efficient and flexible PeSCs.
Enzyme‐Catalysed Synthesis of Secondary and Tertiary Amides
Authors: Petchey Mark R. , Grogan Gideon
Published: July 2019

The synthesis of the amide bond between an amine and a carboxylic acid is one of the most significant reactions in industrial pharmaceutical synthesis. Despite the apparent simplicity of synthetic methods for amide bond formation, many of these are disadvantaged by their requirement for toxic or hazardous reagents for the activation of the acid component, or poor atom economy resulting from the need for stoichiometric amounts of coupling reagents. In this context, biocatalysis has emerged as an alternative catalytic method for amide bond formation, presenting the advantages of both environmentally benign reagents and conditions and also atom economy. In this review we detail developments in the enzyme‐catalysed preparation of secondary and tertiary amides for the synthesis of pharmaceutical‐type molecules and review the applications of hydrolases, such as lipases and penicillin acylases, to these reactions. We also summarise the activity of ATP‐dependent enzymes for amide bond formation and assess their potential for the preparative synthesis of amides from carboxylic acids and amines in aqueous media.

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Rear seating position is associated with a higher risk of mortality in motor vehicle crashes: analysis of Japanese Trauma Data Bank
Authors: Okada Nobunaga , Matsuyama Tasuku , Takebe Kotaro , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Sado Junya , Ohta Bon
Published: July 2019

Aim

The study examined the association of vehicle seating positions with the risk of death in serious motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in Japan.

Methods

Data from the Japan Trauma Data Bank between 2004 and 2015 were analyzed. All MVC drivers with the legal age for driving and all copassengers were enrolled (n = 23,040). The cases were divided into three groups based on their seating position during the crash: the driver seat, front passenger seat, and rear passenger seats. The primary outcome variable was in‐hospital mortality. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between the seating position and in‐hospital mortality. Potential factors associated with each seating position and in‐hospital mortality were also assessed.

Results

The odds ratios (ORs) for deaths were estimated for front and rear passengers compared to those for the driver in MVCs. The adjusted ORs (95% confidence interval [CI]) for death were 0.96 (0.84–1.11) and 1.22 (1.04–1.42) for front and rear passengers, respectively. Factors significantly associated with MVC deaths were age over 71 years (OR = 3.38; 95% CI, 2.58–4.41), male gender (OR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.39–1.71), and night driving (OR = 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06–1.29).

Conclusions

This hospital‐based study suggested that rear seating increased the risk of MVC‐related death. Further studies are needed in order to find mechanisms of the increase in mortality by the seating position.
Electronic Structure of a Semiconducting Imine‐Covalent Organic Framework
Authors: Mishra Vipin , Yadav Vivek K. , Singh Jayant K. , Gopakumar Thiruvancheril G.
Published: July 2019

Imine COF (covalent organic framework) based on the Schiff base reaction between p‐phenylenediamine (PDA) and benzene‐1,3,5‐tricarboxaldehyde (TCA) was prepared on the HOPG‐air (air=humid N2) interface and characterized using different probe microscopies. The role of the molar ratio of TCA and PDA has been explored, and smooth domains of imine COF up to a few μm are formed for a high TCA ratio (>2) compared to PDA. It is also observed that the microscopic roughness of imine COF is strongly influenced by the presence of water (in the reaction chamber) during the Schiff base reaction. The electronic property of imine COF obtained by tunneling spectroscopy and dispersion corrected density functional theory (DFT) calculation are comparable and show semiconducting nature with a band gap of ≈1.8 eV. Further, we show that the frontier orbitals are delocalized entirely over the framework of imine COF. The calculated cohesive energy shows that the stability of imine COF is comparable to that of graphene.
Fluorinated Photovoltaic Materials for High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells
Authors: Fan Qunping , Méndez‐Romero Ulises A. , Guo Xia , Wang Ergang , Zhang Maojie , Li Yongfang
Published: July 2019

Over the past decade, organic solar cells (OSCs) have achieved a dramatic boost in their power conversion efficiencies from about 6 % to over 16 %. In addition to developments in device engineering, innovative photovoltaic materials, especially fluorinated donors and acceptors, have become the dominant factor for improved device performance. This minireview highlights fluorinated photovoltaic materials that enable efficient OSCs. Impressive OSCs have been obtained by developing some important molds of fluorinated donor and acceptor systems. The molecular design strategy and the matching principle of fluorinated donors and acceptors in OSCs are discussed. Finally, a concise summary and outlook are presented for advances in fluorinated materials to realize the practical application of OSCs.
Social Optimal mean field control problem for population growth model
Authors: Yu Wenguang , Wang Fei , Huang Yujuan , Liu Haodong
Published: July 2019

In this paper, we consider a class of social optimal mean field control problem of the population growth model. Suppose a fishpond has N‐fish schools, the population of each of them is described by a geometry Brownian motion, the fisherman is on one hand to minimize the total nourishment investments and on another hand to minimize the expected population level measured by the state average of the population of all fish schools. By solving an optimal control problem involved N‐controls and approximating the state average appearing in the adjoint equation, a series of decentralized controls is designed which have a property of asymptotic social optimality. Finally, a simulation example is given.
Evaluation of novel highly specific antibodies to cancer testis antigen Centrin‐1 for radioimmunoimaging and radioimmunotherapy of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Jiao Rubin , Allen Kevin J. H. , Malo Mackenzie E. , Helal Muath , Jiang Zewei , Smart Karishma , Buhl Susan V. , Rickles David , Bryan Ruth A. , Dadachova Ekaterina
Published: July 2019

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) accounts for >90% of pancreatic malignancies, and has median survival of <6 months. There is an urgent need for diagnostic and therapeutic options for PDAC. Centrin1 (CETN1) is a novel member of Cancer/Testis Antigens, with a 25‐fold increase of CETN1 gene expression in PDX from PDAC patients. The absence of selective anti‐CETN1 antibodies is hampering CETN1 use for diagnosis and therapy. Here we report the generation of highly specific for CETN1 antibodies and their evaluation for radioimmunoimaging and radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of experimental PDAC.

Methods

The antibodies to CETN1 were generated via mice immunization with immunogenic peptide distinguishing CETN1 from CETN2. Patient tumor microarrays were used to evaluate the binding of the immune serum to PDAC versus normal pancreas. The antibodies were tested for their preferential binding to CETN1 over CETN2 by ELISA. Mice bearing PDAC MiaPaCa2 xenografts were imaged with microSPECT/CT and treated with 213Bi‐ and 177Lu‐labeled antibodies to CETN1.

Results

Immune serum bind to 50% PDAC cases on patient tumor microarrays with no specific binding to normal pancreas. Antibodies demonstrated preferential binding to CETN1 versus CETN2. Antibody 69‐11 localized to PDAC xenografts in mice in vivo and ex vivo. RIT of PDAC xenografts with 213Bi‐labeled antibodies was effective, safe, and CETN1‐specific.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate the ability of these novel antibodies to detect CETN1 both in vitro and in vivo; as well, the RIT treatment of experimental PDAC when radiolabeled with 213Bi is highly efficient and safe. Further evaluation of these novel reagents for diagnosis and treatment of PDAC is warranted.
Aqueous‐Phase Selective Oxidation of Methane with Oxygen over Iron Salts and Pd/C in the Presence of Hydrogen
Authors: Kang Jongkyu , Park Eun Duck
Published: July 2019

Direct conversion of methane into value‐added chemicals is a challenging but worthwhile subject. In this communication, the direct conversion of methane into methane oxygenates was achieved in an aqueous solution at room temperature using iron salts and Pd/C as catalysts and hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant. The hydrogen peroxide can be directly added or generated in situ from hydrogen and oxygen. The Pd/C catalyst greatly enhanced the reaction rate together with the iron salts. The effect of some parameters such as reaction temperature, reaction time, pH, acid type, and catalyst amount on the yields of the methane oxygenates was also investigated. When hydrogen peroxide was directly added, the turnover frequency (TOF), defined as the moles of methane oxygenates per moles of Fe per unit time, at 293 K was 29 h−1 at pH=2.3. The TOF at 293 K was 42 h−1 at pH=1.3 with in situ generated hydrogen peroxide from hydrogen and oxygen.
A First‐Principles Study of Boron‐Doped BC2N Sheet as Potential Anode Material for Li/Na‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Li Hui , Duan Qian , Jiang Dayong , Hou Jianhua , Guo Xin
Published: July 2019

Two‐dimensional materials have attracted a lot of attention in rechargeable batteries due to their unique physical and chemical properties. Here, we perform density functional theory calculations to evaluate the feasibility of using model‐I, model‐II, and model‐III BC2N with B substitution of C (denoted as BC2NBC) as an anode material for Li/Na‐ion batteries (LIBs/NIBs). The results demonstrate that each of them has its advantages. Model‐I BC2NBC has the highest theoretical capacity (1789.7 mAh/g for Li and 686.2 mAh/g for Na), model‐II BC2NBC has the lowest diffusion barrier (0.39 eV for Li and 0.16 eV for Na) and model‐III BC2NBC has the largest adsorption energies (3.81 eV for Li and 3.2 eV for Na), which can satisfy the requirement of energy storage devices to anode materials. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations indicate that model‐I/II/III BC2NBC and its lithiation/sodiation are stable at 300 and 400 K. Therefore, model‐I/II/III BC2NBC monolayer can be a good candidate anode material for LIBs/NIBs.
Rational Design of Enzyme‐Modified Electrodes for Optimized Bioelectrocatalytic Activity
Authors: Zhang Lin , Carucci Cristina , Reculusa Stéphane , Goudeau Bertrand , Lefrançois Pauline , Gounel Sébastien , Mano Nicolas , Kuhn Alexander
Published: July 2019

The immobilization of bilirubin oxidase (BOD) on macroporous gold electrodes for the optimization of bioelectrocatalytic activity is described. A bilirubin oxidase mutant S362C (cys‐BOD) engineered with a cysteine residue located on purpose at the enzyme surface close to the T1 active center was used. It allows the attachment in one‐step of a self‐assembled monolayer of the enzyme to gold through a reaction between the thiol group of the cysteine residue and the metal surface. BOD immobilization of wild type and S362C mutant in macroporous gold electrodes allowed high retention of activity and perfect control of the overall BOD loading due to the fine‐tuning of the macroporous structure. The macroporous arrangement together with the use of cys‐BOD makes these rationally designed enzyme‐modified electrodes very promising candidates for high‐performance bioelectrocatalytic devices with improved activity and stability.
Enantioselective hydrogenation of α‐ketoesters catalyzed by cinchona alkaloid stabilized Rh nanoparticles in ionic liquid
Authors: Jiang He‐yan , Xu Jie , Sun Bin
Published: July 2019

The heterogeneous enantioselective hydrogenation of α‐ketoesters catalyzed by rhodium nanoparticles (Rh NPs) in ionic liquid was studied with the stabilization and modification of cinchona alkaloids. TEM characterization showed that well‐dispersed Rh NPs of about 1.96 nm were obtained in ionic liquid. The results showed that cinchona alkaloids not only had good enantiodifferentiating ability but also accelerated the catalytic reaction. Under the optimum reaction conditions, the enantiomeric excess in ethyl benzoylformate hydrogenation could reach as high as 60.9%.
Sorafenib plus intensive chemotherapy improves survival in patients with newly diagnosed, FLT3‐internal tandem duplication mutation–positive acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Sasaki Koji , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Kadia Tapan , Patel Keyur , Loghavi Sanam , Garcia‐Manero Guillermo , Jabbour Elias J. , DiNardo Courtney , Pemmaraju Naveen , Daver Naval , Dalle Iman Abou , Short Nicholas , Yilmaz Musa , Bose Prithviraj , Naqvi Kiran , Pierce Sherry , Yalniz Fevzi , Cortes Jorge E. , Ravandi Farhad
Published: July 2019

Background

The addition of midostaurin to induction chemotherapy improves survival in younger patients with newly diagnosed, FLT3–mutated acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Sorafenib is a potent multikinase inhibitor with efficacy when given as monotherapy. The authors investigated whether the addition of sorafenib to intensive induction chemotherapy improves outcomes in patients with FLT3‐internal tandem duplication (ITD)–mutated AML.

Methods

In total, 183 patients who were newly diagnosed with FLT3‐ITD–mutated AML between February 2001 and December 2017 were identified. Of these, 79 patients (43%) underwent intensive chemotherapy with the addition of sorafenib, and 104 (57%) received intensive chemotherapy alone. Propensity score matching identified 42 patients in each cohort.

Results

The overall response rate was 98% in the sorafenib cohort and 83% in the intensive chemotherapy cohort (P = .057). The median follow‐up was 54 months. The median event‐free survival was 35 months in the sorafenib cohort and 8 months in the intensive chemotherapy cohort (P = .019), and the median overall survival was 42 and 13 months, respectively (P = .026). With censoring at the time of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, the median event‐free survival was 31 and 8 months in the sorafenib and intensive therapy cohorts, respectively (P = .031), and the median overall survival was not reached and 10 months, respectively (P = .001). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models confirmed that treatment with sorafenib was a favorable prognostic factor (P = .009; hazard ratio, 0.558; 95% CI, 0.360‐0.865).

Conclusions

The addition of sorafenib improves survival in patients with FLT3‐ITD–mutated AML regardless of whether they undergo allogeneic stem cell transplantation.
Tin Oxide Based Nanomaterials and Their Application as Anodes in Lithium‐Ion Batteries and Beyond
Authors: Zoller Florian , Böhm Daniel , Bein Thomas , Fattakhova‐Rohlfing Dina
Published: July 2019

Herein, recent progress in the field of tin oxide (SnO2)‐based nanosized and nanostructured materials as conversion and alloying/dealloying‐type anodes in lithium‐ion batteries and beyond (sodium‐ and potassium‐ion batteries) is briefly discussed. The first section addresses the importance of the initial SnO2 micro‐ and nanostructure on the conversion and alloying/dealloying reaction upon lithiation and its impact on the microstructure and cyclability of the anodes. A further section is dedicated to recent advances in the fabrication of diverse 0D to 3D nanostructures to overcome stability issues induced by large volume changes during cycling. Additionally, the role of doping on conductivity and synergistic effects of redox‐active and ‐inactive dopants on the reversible lithium‐storage capacity and rate capability are discussed. Furthermore, the synthesis and electrochemical properties of nanostructured SnO2/C composites are reviewed. The broad research spectrum of SnO2 anode materials is finally reflected in a brief overview of recent work published on Na‐ and K‐ion batteries.
Biomass‐Derived Carbon: A Value‐Added Journey Towards Constructing High‐Energy Supercapacitors in an Asymmetric Fashion
Authors: Divya M. L. , Natarajan Subramanian , Lee Yun‐Sung , Aravindan Vanchiappan
Published: July 2019

Currently, asymmetric supercapacitors (ASCs) produced from supercapacitors (SCs) offer more benefits for energy‐storage applications because they display a high operational voltage in aqueous‐based electrolytes that may enhance grid storage and zero‐power transportation with high energy density in the future. At the same time, the realization of low‐cost energy devices through the construction of cheap electrode materials deserves a permanent place in the market once the goals of high energy, extra power, and long cycling stability are achieved. Biomass‐derived carbon retrieved from sources such as plants has attracted considerable attention because of the rich abundance, low cost, and environmentally friendliness. In addition, the utilization of porous hierarchical structures has achieved enhanced electrochemical performance with excellent capacitance, outstanding stability, and praiseworthy rate capability. However, issues still persist in procedures used to obtain biomass‐derived carbon materials with a high yield and a high degree of carbonization/graphitization, surface functionality, and porous characteristics, wherein the materials are used as electrodes in ASC devices. The present review briefly addresses the need for biomass‐derived carbon materials in ASCs, comprehensively categorizes SCs in the context of their historical background, and elucidates the SC mechanism. In addition, influencing factors, such as the pore size distribution, role of surface functional groups, surface area, active‐material loading, heteroatom doping, and activation techniques used in the preparation of biomass‐derived carbon, have been discussed in detail. Moreover, this review assesses other nanostructured carbon electrodes used in ASCs and advances made in the fabrication of ASCs by using biomass‐derived carbon in aqueous electrolytes. Finally, existing challenges and mandatory solutions toward developing cost‐effective and high‐performance ASCs by using environmentally friendly biomass‐derived carbon materials are discussed in detail.
Structure, development, and functional morphology of the cement gland of the giant danio, Devario malabaricus
Authors: Nelson Hannah M. , Coffing Gabrielle C. , Chilson Sarah , Hester Kamil , Carrillo Casandra , Ostreicher Samantha , Tomamichel Wendy , Hanlon Samuel , Burns Alan R. , Lafontant Pascal J.
Published: July 2019

Background

Aquatic species in several clades possess cement glands producing adhesive secretions of various strengths. In vertebrates, transient adhesive organs have been extensively studied in Xenopus laevis, other anurans, and in several fish species. However, the development of these structures is not fully understood.

Results

Here, we report on the development and functional morphology of the adhesive gland of a giant danio species, Devario malabaricus. We found that the gland is localized on the larval head, is composed of goblet‐like secretory cells framed by basal, bordering, and intercalated apical epithelial cells, and is innervated by the trigeminal ganglion. The gland allows nonswimming larvae to adhere to various substrates. Its secretory cells differentiate by 12 hours postfertilization and begin to disappear in the second week of life. Exogenous retinoic acid disrupts the gland's patterning. More importantly, the single mature gland emerges from fusion of two differentiated secretory cells fields; this fusion is dependent on nonmuscle myosin II function.

Conclusions

Taken together, our studies provide the first documentation of the embryonic development, structure, and function of the adhesive apparatus of a danioninae. To our knowledge, this is also the first report of a cement gland arising from convergence of two bilateral fields.
Neighborhood effects explain increasing asynchronous seedling survival in a subtropical forest
Authors: Chen Lei , Wang Yunquan , Mi Xiangcheng , Liu Xiaojuan , Ren Haibao , Chen Jianhua , Ma Keping , Kraft Nathan J. B.
Published: July 2019

Biotic interactions play a critical role in mediating community responses to temporal environmental variation, but the importance of these effects relative to the direct effects of environmental change remains poorly understood, particularly in diverse forest communities. Here we combine a neighborhood modeling approach with insights from coexistence theory to assess the effects of temporal variation in species interactions and environmental conditions (e.g., precipitation, temperature, and understory light availability) on seedling survival over nine census years in a subtropical forest. We find significant temporal shifts in the magnitude of neighborhood effects on both community‐wide and species‐level seedling survival (statistically significant random effects of neighborhood × year and neighborhood × species × year interactions). These results are consistent with the idea that environmental change will play a fundamental role on forest regeneration dynamics by altering biotic interactions at the neighborhood scale. Moreover, differences among species in response to neighbors over time contribute to a pattern of temporal decoupling of seedling survival between species, which can help to promote diversity in certain contexts. In separate analyses of multiple regression on distance matrices (MRM), altered interactions with neighbors are much stronger predictors of asynchronous seedling survival among species than the pure effects of climate and plant functional traits, explaining twice as much variation (43.9% vs. 22.2%). In sum, these results reveal that divergent species responses to interannual environmental variability detected are driven primarily by indirect effects mediated by changing biotic environments. This highlights the importance of including indirect effects from local biotic (neighborhood) interactions in forecasts of forest community responses to global change.
Liver enzyme profile and progression in association with thyroid autoimmunity in Graves' disease
Authors: Hsieh Albert , Adelstein Stephen , McLennan Susan V. , Williams Paul F. , Chua Elizabeth L. , Twigg Stephen M.
Published: July 2019

Objective

To investigate the associations of Graves' disease (GD) severity, autoimmunity and longitudinal liver enzyme changes with time in a cohort with well‐characterized GD.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Patients

Patients diagnosed with Graves' disease, treated at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Sydney, Adult Thyroid Clinic from 2000 to 2012 inclusive.

Measurements

Inclusion criteria were patients with a complete set of TSH, FT4, FT3, liver enzymes and TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) results prior to commencement of thionamide therapy.

Results

Of the 146 patients who had complete results, 69 (47%) had at least one abnormal liver enzyme. Gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT) was most frequently abnormal (74%), followed by alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (57%), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (39%) and then aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (29%). Subsequent to thyroid function normalization, 78% of the liver enzymes were normalized, 10% were persistently abnormal and 12% were lost to follow‐up. Circulating TRAb, FT3 and FT4 results were categorized into mild, moderate and severe elevations. At univariate regression analyses, TRAb, FT3 and FT4 levels were each significantly associated with abnormal liver enzyme profile. Multivariate regression including TRAB, FT3 and FT4 as independent variables demonstrated FT3 and FT4 were more strongly associated with abnormal liver profile than TRAb. However, the initial FT3 and FT4 levels were not associated with abnormal liver profile in the subgroup with persistently abnormal liver profile.

Conclusion

Graves' disease is commonly associated with abnormal liver enzymes, and most commonly with abnormal levels of GGT, and that an abnormal liver enzyme profile is more directly linked to the degree of thyrotoxicosis than levels of TRAB.
Evaluation of the effect of sodium–glucose co‐transporter 2 inhibition with empagliflozin on morbidity and mortality of patients with chronic heart failure and a reduced ejection fraction: rationale for and design of the EMPEROR‐Reduced trial
Authors: Packer Milton , Butler Javed , Filippatos Gerasimos S. , Jamal Waheed , Salsali Afshin , Schnee Janet , Kimura Karen , Zeller Cordula , George Jyothis , Brueckmann Martina , Anker Stefan D. , Zannad Faiez ,   the EMPEROR‐Reduced Trial Committees and Investigators
Published: July 2019

Drugs that inhibit the sodium–glucose co‐transporter 2 (SGLT2) have been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalizations for heart failure in patients with type 2 diabetes. In populations that largely did not have heart failure at the time of enrolment, empagliflozin, canagliflozin and dapagliflozin decreased the risk of serious new‐onset heart failure events by ≈30%. In addition, in the EMPA‐REG OUTCOME trial, empagliflozin reduced the risk of both pump failure and sudden deaths, the two most common modes of death among patients with heart failure. In none of the three trials could the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors on heart failure be explained by the actions of these drugs as diuretics or anti‐hyperglycaemic agents. These observations raise the possibility that SGLT2 inhibitors could reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with established heart failure, including those without diabetes. The EMPEROR‐Reduced trial is enrolling ≈3600 patients with heart failure and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (≤ 40%), half of whom are expected not to have diabetes. Patients are being randomized to placebo or empagliflozin 10 mg daily, which is added to all appropriate treatment with inhibitors of the renin–angiotensin system and neprilysin, beta‐blockers and mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists. The primary endpoint is the time‐to‐first event analysis of the combined risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure, but the trial will also evaluate the effects of empagliflozin on renal function, cardiovascular death, all‐cause mortality, and recurrent hospitalization events. By adjusting eligibility based on natriuretic peptide levels to the baseline ejection fraction, the trial will preferentially enrol high‐risk patients. A large proportion of the participants is expected to have an ejection fraction < 30%, and the estimated annual event rate is expected to be at least 15%. The EMPEROR‐Reduced trial is well‐positioned to determine if the addition of empagliflozin can add meaningfully to current approaches that have established benefits in the treatment of chronic heart failure with left ventricular systolic dysfunction.
Android malware detection through generative adversarial networks
Authors: Amin Muhammad , Shah Babar , Sharif Aizaz , Ali Tamleek , Kim Ki-Il , Anwar Sajid
Published: July 2019

Mobile and cell devices have empowered end users to tweak their cell phones more than ever and introduce applications just as we used to with personal computers. Android likewise portrays an uprise in mobile devices and personal digital assistants. It is an open‐source versatile platform fueling incalculable hardware units, tablets, televisions, auto amusement frameworks, digital boxes, and so forth. In a generally shorter life cycle, Android also has additionally experienced a mammoth development in application malware. In this context, a toweringly large measure of strategies has been proposed in theory for the examination and detection of these harmful applications for the Android platform. These strategies attempt to both statically reverse engineer the application and elicit meaningful information as features manually or dynamically endeavor to quantify the runtime behavior of the application to identify malevolence. The overgrowing nature of Android malware has enormously debilitated the support of protective measures, which leaves the platforms such as Android feeble for novel and mysterious malware. Machine learning is being utilized for malware diagnosis in mobile phones as a common practice and in Android distinctively. It is important to specify here that these systems, however, utilize and adapt the learning‐based techniques, yet the overhead of hand‐created features limits ease of use of such methods in reality by an end user. As a solution to this issue, we mean to make utilization of deep learning–based algorithms as the fundamental arrangement for malware examination on Android. Deep learning turns up as another way of research that has bid the scientific community in the fields of vision, speech, and natural language processing. Of late, models set up on deep convolution networks outmatched techniques utilizing handmade descriptive features at various undertakings. Likewise, our proposed technique to cater malware detection is by design a deep learning model making use of generative adversarial networks, which is responsible to detect the Android malware via famous two‐player game theory for a rock‐paper‐scissor problem. We have used three state‐of‐the‐art datasets and augmented a large‐scale dataset of opcodes extracted from the Android Package Kit bytecode and used in our experiments. Our technique achieves F1 score of 99% with a receiver operating characteristic of 99% on the bytecode dataset. This proves the usefulness of our technique and that it can generally be adopted in real life.
Bit error probability of the M‐QAM scheme subject to multilevel double gated additive white Gaussian noise and η‐μ, κ‐μ, or α‐μ fading
Authors: Silva Hugerles S. , Queiroz Wamberto J. L. , Almeida Danilo B. T. , Madeiro Francisco , Alencar Marcelo S.
Published: July 2019

This paper presents new and exact expressions for the bit error probability (BEP) of the square M‐ary quadrature amplitude modulation scheme subject to η‐μ, κ‐μ or α‐μ fading and multilevel double gated additive white Gaussian noise, which is composed by the sum of a white Gaussian component of variance
and a white Gaussian noise component of variance
gated by a discrete random process defined in continuous time, which takes values into a finite discrete set. BEP curves, with and without imperfect channel estimation, corroborated by simulations using the Monte Carlo method, are presented for different values of parameters that characterize mathematically the channel.
In Situ Monitoring of the Antibacterial Activity of a Copper–Silver Alloy Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and pH Microsensors
Authors: Ciacotich Nicole , Kragh Kasper Nørskov , Lichtenberg Mads , Tesdorpf Jens Edward , Bjarnsholt Thomas , Gram Lone
Published: July 2019

The antibacterial efficacy of a copper–silver alloy coating under conditions resembling build up of dry surface bacterial biofilms is successfully demonstrated according to US EPA test methods with a ≥99.9% reduction of test organisms over a 24 h period. A tailor‐made confocal imaging protocol is designed to visualize in situ the killing of bacterial biofilms at the copper–silver alloy surface and monitor the kinetics for 100 min. The copper–silver alloy coating eradicates a biofilm of Gram‐positive bacteria within 5 min while a biofilm of Gram‐negative bacteria are killed more slowly. In situ pH monitoring indicates a 2‐log units increase at the interface between the metallic surface and bacterial biofilm; however, the viability of the bacteria is not directly affected by this raise (pH 8.0–9.5) when tested in buffer. The OH− production, as a result of the interaction between the electrochemically active surface and the bacterial biofilm under environmental conditions, is thus one aspect of the contact‐mediated killing of the copper–silver alloy coating and not the direct cause of the observed antibacterial efficacy. The combination of oxidation of bacterial cells, release of copper ions, and local pH raise characterizes the antibacterial activity of the copper–silver alloy‐coated dry surface.
Renewable absorbents for CO2 capture: from biomass to nature
Authors: He Qingyao , Shi Mingfei , Liang Feihong , Xu Lang , Ji Long , Yan Shuiping
Published: July 2019

The chemical absorption process for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture is a promising method to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the energy industry. Worldwide applications of the CO2 chemical absorption process will consume plenty of chemical absorbents and have hazardous impacts on the environment. The development of renewable absorbents from biomass can not only fill the gap of absorbent production, but also provide a novel green approach to recycle the used absorbents into nature without additional pollution. In this review, we summarized several renewable absorbents available from biomass such as biomass ash slurries, alkanolamines, aqueous ammonia, and amino acid salts. The preparations, CO2 absorption capacities, advanced treatments, and applications of the renewable absorbents were also reviewed. Moreover, the advantages and challenges in the preparation of the renewable absorbents were discussed, as well as their CO2 absorption performance improvement. Finally, future research avenues into degradation and utilization of renewable absorbents in nature were suggested. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impact of geochemical and geomechanical changes on CO2 sequestration potential in sandstone and limestone aquifers
Authors: Raza Arshad , Gholami Raoof , Rabiei Minou , Rasouli Vamegh , Rezaee Reza , Fakhari Nikoo
Published: July 2019

CO2 storage in different geological formations has been recognized as one of the promising mitigation approaches to reduce the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. There are many complex hydro‐chemo‐mechanical interactions (effective stress changes, water acidification, and mineral dissolution) that may take place in a storage site during or after injection, reducing the integrity of formations in the short or long term. Although there have been several studies carried out in the past to assess the feasibility of sandstones and limestone formations as a safe CO2 storage site, the effect of hydrological, mechanical, and chemical processes on the storage site integrity has not been deeply addressed. The aim of this study is to couple thermo‐hydro‐chemo‐mechanical processes upon CO2 injection and assess their impact on the key storage aspects of quartz‐rich sandstone and calcite‐rich limestone. A numerical model was built to simulate CO2 flooding into a saline aquifer with sandstone and limestone composition for 500 years. The results obtained indicated that geochemical activity and CO2 dissolution are significantly higher in limestone and may increase the porosity by ∼16%. During injection, a decrease in the reservoir strength was observed in both rock types upon exposure to CO2. A remarkable variation in the geomechanical characteristics was also revealed in the sandstone after injection. However, ground displacements (subsidence) of 0.0017 and 0.033 m were, respectively, observed in sandstone and limestone aquifers, at the end of 500 years. It is recommended to consider a high‐strength reservoir for carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects in order to reduce the likelihood of compaction. It was also found that both rock types have a good storage capacity, injectivity, and trapping potentials (the structural and dissolution trappings) to capture and hold CO2 in place. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Palaeoproductivity and organic matter accumulation during the deposition of the Chang 7 organic‐rich shale of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation, Ordos Basin, China
Authors: Yuan Wei , Liu Guangdi , Zhou Xiaoxing , Xu Liming , Li Chaozheng
Published: July 2019

The lacustrine Chang 7 organic‐rich shale of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation is a very important hydrocarbon source rock and contains high total organic carbon content (average = 5.54 wt.%). Previous studies suggest that deposits of the Chang 7 accumulated slowly under dominantly oxic–suboxic bottom‐water conditions occasionally interrupted by the establishment of anoxic conditions. However, questions remain regarding the role of palaeoproductivity in accumulation of the Chang 7 organic matter. Palaeoproductivity indicators, including P/Al, Ni/Al, Cu/Al, and Zn/Al, suggest that the deposition of the Chang 7 period was accompanied by high primary productivity level. Furthermore, productivity appears to have been highest in the middle and south‐east region of the lake, diminishing to the north‐east, the north‐west, and the south‐west. Elevated productivity resulted in the flux of large amounts of organic matter to the lake floor. Intermittent anoxic bottom‐water conditions caused by oxygen consumption during organic matter degradation favoured enhanced preservation of organic matter even under oxic–suboxic water column. Low sedimentation rate made the organic matter in sediments avoid dilution of terrigenous clastics, which made it play a positive role in the accumulation of organic matter.
Roommate effects in health outcomes
Authors: Frijters Paul , Islam Asad , Lalji Chitwan , Pakrashi Debayan
Published: July 2019

We use randomized roommate assignment in dormitories in a college in Kolkata in India to examine peer effects in weight gains among roommates. We use administrative data on weight, height, and test scores of students at the time of college admission and then survey these students at the end of their first and second years in college. We do not find any significant roommate specific peer effect in weight gain. Our results rather suggest that an obese roommate reduces the probability that the other roommates become obese in subsequent years. We examine potential mechanism using survey data on students' eating habits, smoking, exercise, and sleeping patterns. We find that obese roommates sleep longer, which in turn improves the sleep pattern of others, which might explain the weak negative effect of obese roommates on the weight of others in the same room.
The impact of pharmaceutical marketing on market access, treatment coverage, pricing, and social welfare
Authors: Critchley Gregory J. , Zaric Gregory S.
Published: July 2019

Pharmaceutical spending in the United States, Canada, and the EU is growing. Public payers cover a large portion of these costs and have responded by instituting various pricing and access policies to limit their expenditure. One challenge that public payers face is additional demand induced by a manufacturer's marketing effort. We use a game theoretic approach to study the impact of pharmaceutical marketing on six practical pricing and access policies: negotiated pricing, open pricing, controlled pricing, a listing process, a risk‐sharing arrangement, and a value‐based pricing with risk‐sharing arrangement. We find that all non‐value‐based policies result in either restricted access or suboptimal treatment coverage. We find that marketing is the highest in the first‐best setting where all decisions are made by a social planner. We also find that the value‐based pricing with risk‐sharing arrangement is preferred by the manufacturer and from a societal perspective whereas no policy is universally preferred by a health care payer. A value‐based pricing with risk‐sharing arrangement always results in zero net monetary benefit for a health care payer. Therefore, considering non‐value‐based arrangements, we find that a negotiated pricing policy, a controlled pricing policy, or a risk‐sharing arrangement may be socially preferred.