bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Principle of reasonable and legitimate expectations in international law as a premise for investments in the energy sector
Authors: Krzykowski Michał , Mariański Michał , Zięty Jakub
Published: March 2020

A stable and predictable legal environment is one of the basic factors considered in the investment process. It is of particular importance in the energy sector with its characteristically long-term investments which require substantial financial outlays. It has to be underlined that the nature of energy industry is rapidly changing both from the overall shape of the investment and regulatory models. One can observe that the model of the energy market that used to be based on state monopoly evolved into private or half private structure. However, of the particular importance is the fact that together with liberalisation and privatisation of the market the state becomes an active regulator of the market. It is especially noticeable in renewable energy sector in which governments by anticipating and incentivizing are creating conditions for new investments. Simultaneously, one cannot ignore that the state active regulatory policy may also bring a risk that support for certain investments will last as long as it is necessary to achieve its goals such as environmental protection, the need to strengthen awareness or equalise support costs. Therefore, abrupt change in the legal framework may affect the previously accepted financial set-up of the investment. In extreme cases, the change may make the investment unprofitable and thereby cause damage to the investor. This raises the question as to what legal remedies are available to foreign investors in the event of an unexpected and unjustified revision of the legal environment by the host state, provided that said revision causes damage to the investor. The authors assume the following thesis: the investor’s interests are protected under the principle of reasonable and legitimate expectations established in the framework of international law. The practical aspect of the hypothesis is also related to the question of the legal force of the arguments contained in the cases that were analysed and given as an example in the paper. As the paper analyses the principle of reasonable and legitimate expectations in the framework of international law through the prism of the investments in the energy sector, it is reasonable to verify the hypothesis regarding the effectiveness of the said principle as a legal basis for bringing claims by the investor. By analysing the doctrine itself and the related legislation and judgements, the authors shall attempt to determine when, and under what conditions, it is possible to apply the principle of reasonable and legitimate expectations in order to minimise the regulatory risk of an investment.
Managing Implementation of a Parental Support Programme for Obesity Prevention in the School Context: The Importance of Creating Commitment in an Overburdened Work Situation, a Qualitative Study
Authors: Bergström Helena , Sundblom Elinor , Elinder Liselotte Schäfer , Norman Åsa , Nyberg Gisela
Published: March 2020

Health-related behaviours in children can be influenced by parental support programmes. The aim of this study was to explore barriers to and facilitators for the implementation of a parental support programme to promote physical activity and healthy dietary habits in a school context. We explored the views and experiences of 17 coordinating school nurses, non-coordinating school nurses, and school principals. We based the interview guide on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. We held four focus group discussions with coordinating and non-coordinating school nurses, and conducted three individual interviews with school principals. We analysed data inductively using qualitative content analysis. We identified “Creating commitment in an overburdened work situation” as an overarching theme, emphasising the high workload in schools and the importance of creating commitment, by giving support to and including staff in the implementation process. We also identified barriers to and facilitators of implementation within four categories: (1) community and organisational factors, (2) a matter of priority, (3) implementation support, and (4) implementation process. When implementing a parental support programme to promote physical activity and healthy dietary habits for 5- to 7-year-old children in the school context, it is important to create commitment among school staff and school nurses. The implementation can be facilitated by political support and additional funding, external guidance, use of pre-existing resources, integration of the programme into school routines, a clearly structured manual, and appointment of a multidisciplinary team. The results of this study should provide useful guidance for the implementation of similar health promotion interventions in the school context.
Impacts of hydrological restoration on lowland river floodplain plant communities
Authors: Richards Daniel R. , Moggridge Helen L. , Warren Philip H. , Maltby Lorraine
Published: March 2020

Many lowland floodplain habitats have been disconnected from their rivers by flood defence banks. Removing or lowering these banks can reinstate regular flooding and thus restore these important wetland plant communities. In this study we analyse changes in wetland hydrology and plant community composition following the lowering of flood defence banks at a floodplain of the River Don in the United Kingdom (UK). The aim of the restoration project was to improve the quality of “floodplain grazing marsh” habitat, which is a group of wetland communities that are of conservation interest in the UK. We analyse changes in species richness and community composition over a period of 6 years, and compare the presence of indicator species from the target floodplain grazing marsh plant communities. The lowering of the flood banks increased the frequency of flood events, from an estimated average of 1.7 floods per year to 571 floods per year. The increased flooding significantly increased the proportion of time that the wetland was submerged, and the heterogeneity in hydrological conditions within the floodplain. There were significant differences in composition between the pre-restoration and restored plant communities. Plants with traits for moisture tolerance became more abundant, although the communities did not contain significantly more ‘target’ floodplain grazing marsh species at the end of the study period than prior to restoration. Colonisation by floodplain grazing marsh species may have been limited because environmental conditions were not yet suitable, or because of a shortage of colonising propagules. While the desired target plant community has not been achieved after 5 years, it is encouraging that the community has changed dynamically as a result of hydrological changes, and that moisture-tolerant species have increased in occurrence. Over the next few decades, the restored flood regime may cause further environmental change or colonisation events, thus helping increase the occurrence of desired floodplain grazing marsh indicator species.
Volume or value? How relative performance information affects task strategy and performance
Authors: Schreck Philipp
Published: March 2020

Employees face volume–value trade-offs when they perform tasks with multiple characteristics, leaving them with a choice between different strategies towards the goal of maximizing the total value of their output. Either they produce many, less valuable units of output (volume strategy); or fewer, more valuable units (value strategy). In such a situation, the provision of relative performance information (RPI) may be useful for both, motivating employees to exert high levels of effort, and helping them to find the optimal strategy relative to their individual abilities. The study investigates how useful two common forms of RPI—simple and detailed—are in improving the performance of employees who face volume–value trade-offs. In particular, it analyzes how group composition in terms of the group members’ relative abilities moderates the behavioral consequences of RPI. Results of a laboratory experiment suggest that the behavioral effects of RPI depend on group composition, indeed: While in homogeneous groups, performance is highest under simple RPI, in heterogeneous groups, performance is highest under detailed RPI.
Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung für Kleinwasserkraftwerke in China
Authors: Tettenborn Felix , Sartorius Christian
Published: March 2020

In China besteht ein hohes hydroenergetisches Potenzial an dezentralen emissionsarmen Lösungen in Form von Kleinwasserkraftwerken. Deren Nutzung kann helfen, soziale Ungleichgewichte abzubauen, gleichzeitig resultieren daraus international kontrovers diskutierte deutliche Eingriffe in Natur und Landschaft und damit in die Gesellschaft. Zur Erfassung und Bewertung der systemischen Auswirkungen der Nutzung von Wasserkraft wurde ein multikriterieller Ansatz erarbeitet, mit dessen Hilfe Planungsprozesse unterstützt und innovative Finanzmittel mobilisiert werden können.
Hybrid Reduced Graphene Oxide with Special Magnetoresistance for Wireless Magnetic Field Sensor
Authors: Yang Songlin , Tan Mingyan , Yu Tianqi , Li Xu , Wang Xianbin , Zhang Jin
Published: March 2020

Very few materials show large magnetoresistance (MR) under a low magnetic field at room temperature, which causes the barrier to the development of magnetic field sensors for detecting low-level electromagnetic radiation in real- time. Here, a hybrid reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-based magnetic field sensor is produced by in situ deposition of FeCo nanoparticles (NPs) on reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Special quantum magnetoresistance (MR) of the hybrid rGO is observed, which unveils that Abrikosov’s quantum model for layered materials can occur in hybrid rGO; meanwhile, the MR value can be tunable by adjusting the particle density of FeCo NPs on rGO nanosheets. Very high MR value up to 21.02 ± 5.74% at 10 kOe at room temperature is achieved, and the average increasing rate of resistance per kOe is up to 0.9282 Ω kOe−1. In this paper, we demonstrate that the hybrid rGO-based magnetic field sensor can be embedded in a wireless system for real-time detection of low-level electromagnetic radiation caused by a working mobile phone. We believe that the two-dimensional nanomaterials with controllable MR can be integrated with a wireless system for the future connected society.
Migration status, emotional engagement, and social exclusion in Chinese schools
Authors: Zhang Liangliang , He Guangye , Chen Yunsong , Shi Annan
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Since migration has become one of the pressing issues of our time, the school engagement of migrant children in the destination cities has drawn increasing scholarly attention. While most existing studies have focused on the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of school engagement of migrant children compared to local children, the emotional dimension has received less scholarly attention. Using a large‐scale, national representative, school‐level longitudinal survey data conducted in 2014 in China, this study examined the effect of migration status on children's emotional engagement in school.

Methods

This study was conducted with 15,872 Chinese junior high school students (mean age = 13.52, SD = 1.24) using ordered logistic regression. KHB mediation analysis was employed to explain migration‐emotional engagement linkage.

Results

Compared with urban local children, both rural and urban migrant children are less likely to feel closely connected to their peers in school and are more likely to feel bored and to express escapism. The KHB mediation analysis further suggests that compared with the number of friends and proportions of the same‐school friends, the percentages of local friends at the same school mediate most of the effect of migration status on all three measures of emotional engagement, particularly for rural migrant children.

Conclusions

These findings revealed that although both social exclusion and the absence of friendship play statistically significant mediation roles, social exclusion is of vital importance in understanding the differences between migrant and local children in emotional engagement.
Ritual Economy and the Organization of Scioto Hopewell Craft Production: Insights from the Outskirts of the Mound City Group
Authors: Everhart Timothy D. , Ruby Bret J.
Published: March 2020

This article offers insights into the organization of Scioto Hopewell craft production and examines the implications of this organization through the lens of ritual economy. We present a novel analysis of investigations at the North 40 site, concluding that it is a craft production site located on the outskirts of the renowned Mound City Group. High-resolution landscape-scale magnetic survey revealed a cluster of three large structures and two rows of associated pits; one of the buildings and three of the pits were sampled in excavations. Evidence from the North 40 site marks this as the best-documented Scioto Hopewell craft production site. Mica, chert, and copper were crafted here in contexts organized outside the realm of domestic household production and consumption. Other material remains from the site suggest that crafting was specialized and embedded in ceremonial contexts. This analysis of the complex organization of Scioto Hopewell craft production provides grounds for further understanding the elaborate ceremonialism practiced by Middle Woodland (AD 1–400) societies and adds to the known complexity of craft production in small-scale societies. Furthermore, this article contributes to a growing body of literature demonstrating the utility of ritual economy as a framework for approaching the sociality of small-scale societies.
Effect of 4 weeks daily wild blueberry supplementation on symptoms of depression in adolescents
Authors: Fisk Jeni , Khalid Sundus , Reynolds Shirley A. , Williams Claire M.
Published: March 2020

Adolescence is an important period for cognitive maturation and emotional regulation, and this age group is particularly vulnerable to developing depression. Diets rich in fruits and vegetables have been associated with decreased risk of developing depressive disorders across the lifespan, maybe due to the high flavonoid content of these foods. Previously, we have shown increases in transient positive affect (PA) in both children and young adults 2 h after administration of a wild blueberry (WBB) intervention. Here, using a randomised double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we investigated the effects of 4 weeks, daily WBB supplementation (containing about 253 mg anthocyanins) on transient and chronic mood in adolescents. Healthy 12–17-year old (n 64, thirty-five females) participants were randomly assigned to receive either a WBB or matched placebo supplementation. Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention period using the Mood and Feeling Questionnaire and Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale. Transient affect was assessed before, 2 weeks and at 4 weeks using PA and negative affect. Following the intervention period, there were significantly fewer self-reported depression symptoms in participants who were supplemented with WBB compared with placebo (P = 0·02, 95 % CI –6·71, –5·35). There was no between-group effect on anxiety symptoms or on transient affect. Further investigation is required to identify specific mechanisms that link flavonoids consumption and mood. If replicated, the observed effects of WBB supplementation may be a potential prevention strategy for adolescent depression and may have benefits for public mental health.
Sub-regional anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity revealed default network subsystem dysfunction in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Peng Xiaolong , Wu Xiaoping , Gong Ruxue , Yang Rui , Wang Xiang , Zhu Wenzhen , Lin Pan
Published: March 2020

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent mental disorder characterized by impairments in affect, behaviour and cognition. Previous studies have indicated that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may play an essential role in the pathophysiology of depression. In this study, we systematically identified changes in functional connectivity (FC) for ACC subdivisions that manifest in MDD and further investigated the relationship between these changes and the clinical symptoms of depression.

Methods

Sub-regional ACC FC was estimated in 41 first-episode medication-naïve MDD patients compared to 43 healthy controls. The relationships between depressive symptom severity and aberrant FC of ACC subdivisions were investigated. In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis to generate the distributions of MDD-related abnormal regions from previously reported results and compared them to FC deficits revealed in this study.

Results

In MDD patients, the subgenual and perigenual ACC demonstrated decreased FC with the posterior regions of the default network (DN), including the posterior inferior parietal lobule and posterior cingulate cortex. FC of these regions was negatively associated with the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire scores and largely overlapped with previously reported abnormal regions. In addition, reduced FC between the caudal ACC and precuneus was negatively correlated with the Hamilton Anxiety Scale scores. We also found increased FC between the rostral ACC and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions

Our findings confirmed that functional interaction changes in different ACC sub-regions are specific and associated with distinct symptoms of depression. Our findings provide new insights into the role of ACC sub-regions and DN in the pathophysiology of MDD.
Vivre sans ma voiture: une intervention pour soutenir les Canadiens-francophones âgés
Authors: Pigeon Caroline , Blais Evelyne , Grondin Roxanne , Bolduc-Rouleau Esther , Fontaine-Pagé Laura , Lanoie Noémie , Laramée Caroline , Gabaude Catherine , Levasseur Mélanie
Published: March 2020

The cessation of driving is a difficult transition for the elderly, but it can be facilitated through interventions. The purpose of this study was to explore the satisfaction, usefulness and applicability of theCarFreeMeintervention in the French-Canadian context. A qualitative clinical research device was used on ten older adults aged between 61 and 90 years. The participants had stopped driving within the last twelve months or were planning to stop driving in the near future and did not have cognitive impairments. After the intervention, the participants were generally satisfied and reported on its usefulness and applicability in a French-Canadian context. In addition, they identified the positive impacts related to their social involvement as they re-engaged in or pursued their significant activities. Further research is required to assess the intervention’s effects and the practicability of implementing it in Canada.
Amino acid transportation, sensing and signal transduction in the mammary gland: key molecular signalling pathways in the regulation of milk synthesis
Authors: Wu Zhihui , Heng Jinghui , Tian Min , Song Hanqing , Chen Fang , Guan Wutai , Zhang Shihai
Published: March 2020

The mammary gland, a unique exocrine organ, is responsible for milk synthesis in mammals. Neonatal growth and health are predominantly determined by quality and quantity of milk production. Amino acids are crucial maternal nutrients that are the building blocks for milk protein and are potential energy sources for neonates. Recent advances made regarding the mammary gland further demonstrate that some functional amino acids also regulate milk protein and fat synthesis through distinct intracellular and extracellular pathways. In the present study, we discuss recent advances in the role of amino acids (especially branched-chain amino acids, methionine, arginine and lysine) in the regulation of milk synthesis. The present review also addresses the crucial questions of how amino acids are transported, sensed and transduced in the mammary gland.
Artistic Research in the SATORI Common Ethical Framework
Authors: Holmes Lucille
Published: March 2020

It is well known that academic research which includes human participants undergoes an ethical review which, in many countries today, includes all academic disciplines and not only medical science. But what about those disciplines with the least experience of ethical codes for research, such as the visual and performing arts? How are they defined and positioned in ethical codes and guidelines that are intended to apply to all disciplines? What are the challenges to ethical frameworks which aim to be inclusive of the visual and performing arts? This article examines the European Commission-funded SATORI project (Stakeholders Acting Together On the ethical impact assessment of Research and Innovation) in its aim to produce the first comprehensive, international standard for the ethical assessment of research in all fields including the arts.
Fine-grained analysis of language varieties and demographics
Authors: Rangel Francisco , Rosso Paolo , Zaghouani Wajdi , Charfi Anis
Published: March 2020

The rise of social media empowers people to interact and communicate with anyone anywhere in the world. The possibility of being anonymous avoids censorship and enables freedom of expression. Nevertheless, this anonymity might lead to cybersecurity issues, such as opinion spam, sexual harassment, incitement to hatred or even terrorism propaganda. In such cases, there is a need to know more about the anonymous users and this could be useful in several domains beyond security and forensics such as marketing, for example. In this paper, we focus on a fine-grained analysis of language varieties while considering also the authors’ demographics. We present a Low-Dimensionality Statistical Embedding method to represent text documents. We compared the performance of this method with the best performing teams in the Author Profiling task at PAN 2017. We obtained an average accuracy of 92.08% versus 91.84% for the best performing team at PAN 2017. We also analyse the relationship of the language variety identification with the authors’ gender. Furthermore, we applied our proposed method to a more fine-grained annotated corpus of Arabic varieties covering 22 Arab countries and obtained an overall accuracy of 88.89%. We have also investigated the effect of the authors’ age and gender on the identification of the different Arabic varieties, as well as the effect of the corpus size on the performance of our method.
The Giant Marine Gastropod Campanile Giganteum (Lamarck, 1804) as a High‐Resolution Archive of Seasonality in the Eocene Greenhouse World
Authors: de Winter Niels J. , Vellekoop Johan , Clark Alexander J. , Stassen Peter , Speijer Robert P. , Claeys Philippe
Published: March 2020

Giant gastropods are among the largest mollusks in the fossil record, but their potential as paleoseasonality archives has received little attention. Here, we combine stable isotope and trace element analyses with microscopic observations and growth modeling on shells of two species of the gastropod genus Campanile: the extinct Campanile giganteum from Lutetian (~45 Ma) deposits in the Paris Basin (France), the longest gastropod known from the fossil record, and its modern relative Campanile symbolicum from southwestern Australia. The C. giganteum shells contain original aragonite and have pristine nacre in their apertures. We show that these gastropods attained growth rates exceeding 600 mm/year along their helix, depositing over 300 cm3 aragonite per year. High growth rates and excellent preservation make C. giganteum excellent archives for reconstructing environmental change at high (potentially daily) temporal resolution, while providing enough material for methods such as clumped isotope analysis. Growth models show that Campanile gastropods grew nearly year‐round, albeit slower in winter. Stable oxygen isotope ratios in modern C. symbolicum faithfully record a seasonal variability of 18–25°C in sea surface temperature, only failing to record the coolest winter temperatures (down to ~16°C). Similarly, C. giganteum specimens likely record a nearly complete seasonal temperature range. Assuming constant sea water isotope composition, their oxygen isotope seasonality of up to 2.5‰ would translate to a Lutetian temperature range of 21–32°C in the Paris Basin. We hypothesize that these high and seasonally variable temperatures formed the breeding ground for the Lutetian shallow marine biodiversity hotspot in the Paris Basin.
Microphysical Model Predictions of Fault Restrengthening Under Room‐Humidity and Hydrothermal Conditions: From Logarithmic to Power‐Law Healing
Authors: Chen Jianye , van den Ende Martijn P. A. , Niemeijer André R.
Published: March 2020

The maximum fault strength and rate of interseismic fault strengthening (“healing”) are of great interest to earthquake hazard assessment studies, as they directly relate to event magnitude and recurrence time. Previous laboratory studies have revealed two distinct frictional healing behaviors, referred to as Dieterich‐type and non‐Dieterich‐type healing. These are characterized by, respectively, log‐linear and power‐law increase in the strength change with time. To date, there is no physical explanation for the frictional behavior of fault gouges that unifies these seemingly inconsistent observations. Using a microphysical friction model previously developed for granular fault gouges, we investigate fault strengthening analytically and numerically under boundary conditions corresponding to laboratory slide‐hold‐slide tests. We find that both types of healing can be explained by considering the difference in grain contact creep rheology at short and long time scales. Under hydrothermal conditions favorable for pressure solution creep, healing exhibits a power‐law evolution with hold time, with an exponent of ~1/3, and an “apparent” cutoff time (α) of hundreds of seconds. Under room‐humidity conditions, where grain contact deformation exhibits only a weak strain‐rate dependence, the predicted healing also exhibits a power‐law dependence on hold time, but it can be approximated by a log‐linear relation with α of a few seconds. We derive analytical expressions for frictional healing parameters (i.e., healing rate, cutoff time, and maximum healing), of which the predictions are consistent with numerical implementation of the model. Finally, we apply the microphysical model to small fault patches on a natural carbonate fault and interpret the restrengthening during seismic cycles.
Symmetry-enforced three-dimensional Dirac phononic crystals
Authors: Cai Xiangxi , Ye Liping , Qiu Chunyin , Xiao Meng , Yu Rui , Ke Manzhu , Liu Zhengyou
Published: March 2020

Dirac semimetals, the materials featuring fourfold degenerate Dirac points, are critical states of topologically distinct phases. Such gapless topological states have been accomplished by a band-inversion mechanism, in which the Dirac points can be annihilated pairwise by perturbations without changing the symmetry of the system. Here, we report an experimental observation of Dirac points that are enforced completely by the crystal symmetry using a nonsymmorphic three-dimensional phononic crystal. Intriguingly, our Dirac phononic crystal hosts four spiral topological surface states, in which the surface states of opposite helicities intersect gaplessly along certain momentum lines, as confirmed by additional surface measurements. The novel Dirac system may release new opportunities for studying elusive (pseudo) and offer a unique prototype platform for acoustic applications.
Effect of corneal stromal pocket irrigation in small-incision lenticule extraction
Authors: Wang Han , Ding Hui , Ouyang Bo-wen , Yang Zhenduo , Zhong Tan , Fan Hongming , Zhong Xingwu
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To investigate the effect of corneal stromal pocket irrigation after small-incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) on visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), corneal parameters and complications after surgery.

Methods

A total of 242 eyes of 121 patients undergoing SMILE were enrolled in this prospective controlled study, and it was designed for one eye to randomly undergo SMILE with balanced salt solution irrigation of the corneal stromal pocket, while the other eye was not. The uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA) and slit lamp examination were recorded at 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month. Postoperative corneal density, corneal biomechanical, corneal endothelial cell number, and anterior OCT images were compared at 1 day, 1 week, and 1 month.

Results

Compared with the nonirrigation group, the irrigation group showed significantly higher UDVA at 1 day postoperatively (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference during the rest of the postoperative period (1 hour, 1 week, and 1 month). In addition, no significant differences were found in IOP, corneal density, corneal biomechanics, corneal endothelial cells, and corneal morphology. No visual decline or severe postoperative complications were found in the patients in this study.

Conclusions

Interlamellar irrigation did not affect IOP, corneal parameters, morphology, complications, or UDVA at 1 hour, 1 week, and 1 month after the operation, but it may promote UDVA 1 day after the operation.
Author Correction: Evolutionary and expression analysis of CAMTA gene family in Nicotiana tabacum yielded insights into their origin, expansion and stress responses
Authors: Kakar Kaleem U. , Nawaz Zarqa , Cui Zhouqi , Cao Peijian , Jin Jingjing , Shu Qingyao , Ren Xueliang
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Long-range replica exchange molecular dynamics guided drug repurposing against tyrosine kinase PtkA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Nagpal Priya , Jamal Salma , Singh Hina , Ali Waseem , Tanweer Sana , Sharma Rahul , Grover Abhinav , Grover Sonam
Published: March 2020

Tuberculosis (TB) is a leading cause of death worldwide and its impact has intensified due to the emergence of multi drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB strains. Protein phosphorylation plays a vital role in the virulence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) mediated by protein kinases. Protein tyrosine phosphatase A (MptpA) undergoes phosphorylation by a unique tyrosine-specific kinase, protein tyrosine kinase A (PtkA), identified in the M.tb genome. PtkA phosphorylates PtpA on the tyrosine residues at positions 128 and 129, thereby increasing PtpA activity and promoting pathogenicity of MptpA. In the present study, we performed an extensive investigation of the conformational behavior of the intrinsically disordered domain (IDD) of PtkA using replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations. Long-term molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed to elucidate the role of IDD on the catalytic activity of kinase core domain (KCD) of PtkA. This was followed by identification of the probable inhibitors of PtkA using drug repurposing to block the PtpA-PtkA interaction. The inhibitory role of IDD on KCD has already been established; however, various analyses conducted in the present study showed that IDDPtkA had a greater inhibitory effect on the catalytic activity of KCDPtkA in the presence of the drugs esculin and inosine pranobex. The binding of drugs to PtkA resulted in formation of stable complexes, indicating that these two drugs are potentially useful as inhibitors of M.tb.
A cost-effective polyethylene glycol-based method for the isolation of functional edible nanoparticles from ginger rhizomes
Authors: Kalarikkal Sreeram Peringattu , Prasad Durga , Kasiappan Ravi , Chaudhari Sachin R. , Sundaram Gopinath M.
Published: March 2020

Edible nanoparticles (ENPs) are nano-sized vesicles derived from edible plants. These ENPs are loaded with plant derived microRNAs, protein, lipids and phytochemicals. Recently, ginger derived ENPs was shown to prevent inflammatory bowel diseases and colon cancer, in vivo, highlighting their therapeutic potential. Conventionally, differential centrifugation with an ultra-centrifugation step is employed to purify these ENPs which imposes limitation on the cost-effectiveness of their purification. Herein, we developed polyethylene glycol-6000 (PEG6000) based ginger ENP purification (PEG-ENPs) method, which eliminates the need for expensive ultracentrifugation. Using different PEG6000 concentrations, we could recover between 60% to 90% of ENPs compared to ultracentrifugation method. PEG-ENPs exhibit near identical size and zeta potential similar to ultra-ENPs. The biochemical composition of PEG-ENPs, such as proteins, lipids, small RNAs and bioactive content is comparable to that of ultra-ENPs. In addition, similar to ultra-ENPs, PEG-ENPs are efficiently taken up by the murine macrophages and protects cells from hydrogen peroxide induced oxidative stress. Since PEG has been approved as food additive, the PEG method described here will provide a cost-effective alternative to purify ENPs, which can be directly used as a dietary supplement in therapeutic formulations.
Increasing incidence of macular edema in excessive morning blood pressure surge in patients with retinal vein occlusion
Authors: Kim Hyun-Jin , Shin Yong Un , Lee Yonggu , Kang Min Ho , Seong Mincheol , Cho Heeyoon , Heo Ran , Park Jin-kyu , Lim Young-Hyo , Shin Jeong-Hun
Published: March 2020

Morning blood pressure surge (MBPS) had been known to be associated with hypertensive target organ injury and vascular events. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is also known to be related with underlying cardiovascular risk factors. This study investigated the effect of MBPS on patients with RVO. In total, 76 patients with RVO who had undergone systemic cardiovascular examination including a 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, carotid artery intima media thickness, and pulse wave velocity were evaluated between January 2015 and February 2019. The MBPS was calculated as follows: mean systolic blood pressure measured over two hours after awakening minus mean systolic blood pressure measured during the one hour that included the lowest sleep blood pressure. Macular edema was significantly more prevalent in the MBPS group compared with the non-MBPS group. After adjusting for confounding factors, multivariate regression analyses revealed that MBPS independently predicted macular edema in patients with RVO [Odds ratio 4.75, 95% confidence interval 1.136–16.6, p = 0.015]. In conclusion, evaluating blood pressure patterns, especially MBPS, using 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring may be useful for assessing and predicting ophthalmologic outcome and may facilitate better blood pressure control in patients with RVO.
Author Correction: Propagation and Selectivity of Axonal Loss in Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy
Authors: Coussa Razek Georges , Merat Pooya , Levin Leonard A.
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
The detection of age groups by dynamic gait outcomes using machine learning approaches
Authors: Zhou Yuhan , Romijnders Robbin , Hansen Clint , Campen Jos van , Maetzler Walter , Hortobágyi Tibor , Lamoth Claudine J. C.
Published: March 2020

Prevalence of gait impairments increases with age and is associated with mobility decline, fall risk and loss of independence. For geriatric patients, the risk of having gait disorders is even higher. Consequently, gait assessment in the clinics has become increasingly important. The purpose of the present study was to classify healthy young-middle aged, older adults and geriatric patients based on dynamic gait outcomes. Classification performance of three supervised machine learning methods was compared. From trunk 3D-accelerations of 239 subjects obtained during walking, 23 dynamic gait outcomes were calculated. Kernel Principal Component Analysis (KPCA) was applied for dimensionality reduction of the data for Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification. Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) were applied to the 23 gait outcomes without prior data reduction. Classification accuracy of SVM was 89%, RF accuracy was 73%, and ANN accuracy was 90%. Gait outcomes that significantly contributed to classification included: Root Mean Square (Anterior-Posterior, Vertical), Cross Entropy (Medio-Lateral, Vertical), Lyapunov Exponent (Vertical), step regularity (Vertical) and gait speed. ANN is preferable due to the automated data reduction and significant gait outcome identification. For clinicians, these gait outcomes could be used for diagnosing subjects with mobility disabilities, fall risk and to monitor interventions.
Ultrasonic synthesis of nano-PrO1.8 as nanozyme for colorimetric determination of trans-resveratrol
Authors: Wang Lizhi , Liu Yang , Lu Chanfang , Yang Zhouping , Liu Yaqing , Wang Yanying , Rao Hanbing , Zhang Wei , Wang Xianxiang
Published: March 2020

In this study, nano-PrO1.8 were synthesized successfully in ionic liquids (ILs) as template assisted ultrasonic irradiation method. Various precipitating agents and different types of ILs were investigated to determine their respective effects on the morphology of the end products. Using hydrazine hydrate as a precipitating agent and 1-carboxymethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride as a template, spherical structure with an average diameter of 250 nm was obtained. It is worth noting that the prepared material exhibits high peroxidase-like activity and weak oxidase activity. Then, the catalytic oxidation capacity of the nano-PrO1.8 was evaluated by the peroxidase substrate 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB). The colorless of TMB can be converted into blue oxidized TMB (oxTMB) in the presence of nano-PrO1.8, but trans-resveratrol inhibited its peroxidase-like activity and weakened the blue color. Hence, we developed a sensitive, selective and simple colorimetric method for trans-resveratrol detection using nano-PrO1.8 as peroxidase-like enzyme. A linear relationship was found in the range of 0.30 µM–16 µM trans-resveratrol with the detection limit of 0.29 µM. Satisfactory results were achieved when the method was submitted to the determination of trans-resveratrol in white wine samples.
Surgical treatment of acute Rockwood III acromioclavicular dislocations—Comparative study between two flip-button techniques
Authors: WANG Yu-chen , M. A. Yong , Y. U. Wei-zhong , WANG Hui
Published: March 2020

Acromioclavicular joint dislocation is a common shoulder injury, usually caused by direct violence on the shoulder. Optimal treatment of type III is still a hot discussion currently in orthopedic surgeons. With the advent of many flip-button techniques, Tightrope system and Endobutton system become popular techniques for reconstruction of coracoclavicular ligaments. The purpose of the study was to compare the clinical and radiological results between the two techniques. A retrospective case-control study was conducted in 60 patients with acute Rockwood III acromioclavicular joint dislocation. The two techniques conducted were open procedures using Twin Tail Tightrope system (Group A, n = 30) and Endobutton system (Group B, n = 30). 60 patients were followed up at least two years. Surgical parameters including incision length, operation time and operative blood loss were analyzed. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Constant-Murley Score. Radiological results were assessed based on coracoclavicular distance preoperatively, one day postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. 60 patients were followed up for at least 24 months (range 24 to 32). The incision length and operation time were shorter in Group A than that in Group B. The blood loss of surgery was significantly less in the Group A. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding the Constant-Murley Score at the final follow-up. No significant differences were found in the coracoclavicular distance preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at the final follow-up. Both techniques offered satisfying functional outcomes, however the Tightrope system provided better surgical parameters.
Author Correction: A semi-automated virtual workflow solution for the design and production of intraoral molding plates using additive manufacturing: the first clinical results of a pilot-study
Authors: Grill Florian D. , Ritschl Lucas M. , Bauer Franz X. , Rau Andrea , Gau Dominik , Roth Maximilian , Eblenkamp Markus , Wolff Klaus-Dietrich , Loeffelbein Denys J.
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Two-dimensional 67Zn HYSCORE spectroscopy reveals that a Zn-bacteriochlorophyll aP′ dimer is the primary donor (P840) in the type-1 reaction centers of Chloracidobacterium thermophilum
Authors: Charles Philip , Kalendra Vidmantas , He Zhihui , Khatami Mohammad Hassan , Golbeck John H. , van der Est Art , Lakshmi K. V. , Bryant Donald A.
Published: March 2020

Using pulsed EPR spectroscopy and isotopic labeling we demonstrate that reaction centers of Chloracidobacterium thermophilum have an unusual primary donor that is a dimer of Zn-bacteriochlorophyll aP′ molecules.
Electrochemically active sites inside crystalline porous materials for energy storage and conversion
Authors: Kong Lingjun , Zhong Ming , Shuang Wei , Xu Yunhua , Bu Xian-He
Published: March 2020

This review provides references for the preparation of electroactive CPMs via rational design and modulation of active sites and the space around them, and their application in electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems.
Enhancing the methane steam reforming catalytic performance of Ni monolithic catalysts via Ni–Re surface alloying
Authors: Xu Ya , Hirano Toshiyuki , Kunieda Hirotaka , Hara Yuta , Miyata Yasushi
Published: March 2020

The methane steam reforming catalytic performance of Ni monolithic catalysts was effectively enhanced by coating of a Ni–Re bimetallic layer because the Re atoms promoted hydrogen adsorption, thereby suppressing the oxidation of the adjacent Ni atoms.
Chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of piperine with nitrones. A cycloadditive route to aminoalcohols
Authors: Wójtowicz-Rajchel Hanna , Kaźmierczak Marcin
Published: March 2020

The chemoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between piperine and nitrones and further transformation of the cycloadducts to novel acyclic 1,3-amino alcohols.
The protective potential of aFraxinus xanthoxyloidesethyl acetate fraction against CCl4-induced oxidative stress in the cardiac tissue of rats
Authors: Younis Tahira , Jabeen Faiza , Jafri Laila , Rasul Azhar , Manzoor Maleeha , Shaheen Mussarat , Riaz Ammara
Published: March 2020

Secondary metabolites present in medicinal plants offer a golden opportunity to fight different ailments, such as cancer, infections, diabetes, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases,etc.
Identification of blood-activating components from Xueshuan Xinmaining Tablet based on the spectrum–effect relationship and network pharmacology analysis
Authors: Tan Jing , Liu Junli , Wang Han , Zhang Ying , Lin Hongqiang , Wang Zhongyao , Si Hanrui , Zhang Yutong , Liu Jinping , Li Pingya , Sun Kai
Published: March 2020

To identify active components of XXT and discuss the potential mechanism, the relationship between HPLC fingerprints and blood-activating effects were established by GRA and PLSR, and the mechanism was discussed by the network pharmacology analysis.
The protective effects of GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide on oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced deregulation of endothelial tube formation
Authors: Xiao Mochao , Lu Daifeng , Tian Jiali , Yu Yang , Zhang Qin , Zhang Lili , Chang Dong
Published: March 2020

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a complication of atherosclerosis that takes place in coronary arteries.
Nobiletin, a citrus polymethoxyflavone, enhances the effects of bicalutamide on prostate cancer cellsviadown regulation of NF-κB, STAT3, and ERK activation
Authors: Ma Yuran , Ren Xiang , Patel Nandini , Xu Xuetao , Wu Panpan , Liu Wenfeng , Zhang Kun , Goodin Susan , Li Dongli , Zheng Xi
Published: March 2020

Nobiletin enhance the anticancer effect of bicalutamide on prostate cancer cellsviadown regulation of NF-κB, STAT3, Erk activation.
Constructing a TiO2/PDA core/shell nanorod array electrode as a highly sensitive and stable photoelectrochemical glucose biosensor
Authors: Xu Wei , Yang Wenke , Guo Hongkai , Ge Lianyuan , Tu Jinchun , Zhen Chao
Published: March 2020

Developing stable PEC glucose biosensors with high sensitivity and low detection limit is highly desirable in the biosensor field.
Intrinsic insight on localized surface plasmon resonance enhanced methanol electro-oxidation over a Au@AgPt hollow urchin-like nanostructure
Authors: Bi Jinglei , Gao Pengfei , Wang Bin , Yu Xiaojing , Kong Chuncai , Xu Liang , Zhang Xiaojing , Yang Shengchun
Published: March 2020

The plasmon effect on the catalytic performance of metal nanoparticles (NPs) has shown great potential for the design of novel catalytic reactions.
Sub-nanoscale probing of nanojunction using heterogeneous gap-mode Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Shin Dongha , Lee Jong Woo
Published: March 2020

Heterogeneous gap mode nanostructures with diisocyanide linker molecules provide the platform to distinguish the electrochemical phenomena at subnanoscale resolution.
Metal ion adaptive self-assembly of photoactive lanthanide-based supramolecular hosts
Authors: Li Xiao-Zhen , Zhou Li-Peng , Hu Shao-Jun , Cai Li-Xuan , Guo Xiao-Qing , Wang Zhuo , Sun Qing-Fu
Published: March 2020

Metal-adaptive self-assembly and post-assembly transmetallation modification of functional lanthanide-porphyrin hosts were presented.
Ion migration in Br-doped MAPbI3 and its inhibition mechanisms investigated via quantum dynamics simulations
Authors: Zhang Bing , Liao Yinjie , Tong Lei , Yang Yieqin , Wang Xiaogang
Published: March 2020

The mechanisms of ion migration caused by Br− doping in MAPb(I1−xBrx)3 and the migration inhibition by Cs+ doping are revealed.
The direct decomposition of NO into N2 and O2 over copper doped Ba3Y4O9
Authors: Fang Siman , Takagaki Atsushi , Watanabe Motonori , Ishihara Tatsumi
Published: March 2020

Both NO decomposition activity and long-term stability increase significantly after the introduction of Cu into Ba3Y4O9.
Bilberry anthocyanin extracts enhance anti-PD-L1 efficiency by modulating gut microbiota
Authors: Wang Luoyang , Jiang Guoqiang , Jing Nan , Liu Xuerun , Li Qicheng , Liang Wei , Liu Zheng
Published: March 2020

Bilberry anthocyanin extracts change the gut microbiota and enhance the anti-tumor efficiency of the PD-L1 antibody.
Combining the furoxanylhydrazone framework with various energetic functionalities to prepare new insensitive energetic materials with 3D-cube layer stacking
Authors: Tang Jie , Yang Hongwei , Xiong Hualin , Hu Wei , Lei Caijin , Cheng Guangbin
Published: March 2020

We provide a new series of energetic salts and neutral compounds containing furoxanylhydrazone with 3D-cube layer stacking.
Tunable acidity in mesoporous carbons for hydrolysis reactions
Authors: Ferri M. , Campisi S. , Carniti P. , Gervasini A. , Shen J.
Published: March 2020

The acidity of a mesoporous carbon has been enhanced and strengthened thanks to the formation of new oxygenated functionalities.
The design, synthesis and catalytic performance of vanadium-incorporated mesoporous silica with 3D mesoporous structure for propene epoxidation
Authors: Held Agnieszka , Janiszewska Ewa , Czerepińska Justyna , Kowalska-Kuś Jolanta
Published: March 2020

Novel promising vanadium catalysts based on mesoporous silica of 3D structure, namely KIT-6, SBA-12, and MCF, for the direct propene epoxidation with N2O.
Three-component reaction of azulene, aryl glyoxal and 1,3-dicarbonyl compound for the synthesis of various azulene derivatives
Authors: Gong Jing , Peshkov Anatoly A. , Yu Jiafeng , Amandykova Sagadat , Gimnkhan Aidana , Huang Jianjun , Kashtanov Stepan , Pereshivko Olga P. , Peshkov Vsevolod A.
Published: March 2020

Three-component reaction of azulene, aryl glyoxal and 1,3-dicarbonyl compound and subsequent post-transformations provide access to three distinct types of azulene derivatives.