bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comics Theory
Authors: Murray Chris
Published: May 2017

Comics theory refers to any attempt to describe the nature of “comics,” to identify it as a distinct art form, and to address the medium's formal properties. Since the 1960s comics have attracted an increasing amount of attention from scholars working in different fields. This has in part been due to wider challenges to the elitist hierarchies that once operated within academia. Popular culture, including mass entertainment such as television and film, are now studied at many universities alongside more traditional subjects. Also, from the late 1970s onward there has been increased critical activity, with publications such as
The Comics Journal
foregrounding what it calls “serious comics criticism.” However, even within this more open culture of research and criticism, academia has been relatively slow to embrace comics as a subject of serious study, and “comics studies” is yet to emerge fully as a field in its own right. Part of the problem has been the perception that comics are synonymous with childish or simplistic storytelling. Such ill‐founded prejudice ignores the numerous artistic achievements in the medium. In countries such as France and Japan, comics enjoy a rather higher status than in Britain or America and are very much a part of the fabric of culture as a whole. In fact, even though the medium is still largely dominated by genre entertainment, the number of “art comics” is very much on the increase, and production has moved from reliance on periodical publication to new formats, notably graphic novels and webcomics. However, even if the various residual prejudices surrounding the study of comics are set aside, there remains the issue of how comics are to be categorized. Are they primarily literary artifacts or artistic ones? Should they be studied by specialists in literature or in film, or by art historians, cultural historians, sociologists, psychologists, linguists, or semiologists? All these avenues are currently being explored and the result is a burgeoning field of study that is dynamic, innovative, and inherently interdisciplinary, drawing on a wide variety of perspectives and methodologies.
Critical Discourse Analysis
Authors: Jolliffe David A.
Published: May 2017

Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is the collective name for a system of beliefs and practices that scholars in several disciplines employ to analyze stretches of discourse longer than the sentence for evidence of ideological power imbalances, and to advocate for redressing these apparent inequities. As its name implies, CDA's deepest roots are in discourse analysis per se, the research method initially promoted by Zellig Harris (1952) and his followers. To Harris, discourse analysis was simply the formal linguistic analysis of the structure of continuous text. What makes CDA distinctive, in the view of two of its principal practitioners, Norman Fairclough ∓Ruth Wodak, are “(a) its view of the relationship between language and society, and (b) the relationship between analysis and the practices analysed” (1997: 258). Fair‐clough explains:
Cultural Capital
Authors: Power Nina
Published: May 2017

Cultural capital is a concept coined by Pierre Bourdieu and Jean‐Claude Passeron to describe a variety of forms of cultural status possessed by students from the upper classes, including extracurricular activities such as attending elite cultural events. This was particularly important as a way of explaining the reproduction of the upper classes in the French education system, which was, and still is, notoriously hierarchical. The term has since passed into common usage across a wide range of disciplines.
Cultural Materialism
Authors: Daly Macdonald
Published: May 2017

The term “cultural materialism” refers to twentieth‐century attempts to apply the Marxist notion of materialism to the study of culture. It was first used by Raymond Williams more than a century after Marx's own adumbration of “historical” and later “dialectical” materialism. Williams's claim in
Marxism and Literature
(1977), where he explored the term in most detail and at most length, was not only that the concept was a Marxist concept, but that it rendered Marxism more fully “materialist” than it had hitherto been.
D
ebord,
G
uy
Authors: Bunyard Tom
Published: May 2017

Guy Debord (1931–94) was a French theorist, filmmaker, writer, and political activist. He is most commonly known as the author of
The Society of the Spectacle
(1995[1967]) and was the most prominent member of the Situationist International (SI). His work constituted a militant response to the postwar advances of capitalism, and was based around the need to reintroduce vitality, creativity, and self‐determination into human experience.
Fantasy
Authors: Rankin Sandy
Published: May 2017

Fantasy is a genre of popular fiction that is set in imaginary worlds that differ from the modern world in ways that science can't explain, imaginary worlds of magical and supernatural beings and events. Indeed, fantasy can be thought of as the genre of the
impossible
, as it typically expresses the yearning for an idealized premodern and rural past before the advent of industrial capitalism, before science and reason superseded superstition and faith. Fantasy has been recognized for its utopian possibilities, but most often described by scholars as consolatory and escapist, praised or dismissed as a genre that mystifies historical conditions. Moreover, scholars usually characterize fantasy by contrasting it with science fiction, the genre of the
not yet possible
. Science fiction often looks to a future of technology more advanced than our own, but with the laws of physics intact or somewhat reimagined and explained via pseudo‐science. However, recent developments in fantasy have begun to alter perceptions about its nature and function. Fantasy now appears able to reveal rather than to conceal the historical conditions of its existence, representing the unreal and the real, the irrational and the rational. Fantasy can sometimes subvert ossified norms regarding genre and regarding reality, while also proposing itself as a way of linking to reality with the intent of imagining how we might in fact alter reality with the assistance of fantasy.
Gender and Cultural Studies
Authors: Whitlow Susan
Published: May 2017

Theoretical approaches that seek to understand the role played by gender in culture and society are an important element of the field of cultural studies. Gender theory in the modern sense is typically considered to have begun in the late nineteenth century with the arrival of the first wave of feminism. However, to the extent that gender theory involves the study of constructions and representations of gender in Western literature, society, and thought, an exhaustive survey would necessarily reach back at least to Homer and Sappho and include a myriad of iconic writers, philosophers, and leaders from the past several centuries to the present day. Nevertheless, as gender theory is generally agreed to have begun with feminist theory, it is useful to begin chronologically with the rise of modern feminism and to examine how other gender theories then arose to offer new visions and revisions to feminist thought.
Hartley,John
Authors: McKee Alan
Published: May 2017

John Hartley is a cultural historian and theorist of modernity. His work is notable for a commitment to cultural democracy (he does not assume that elite culture is better than working‐class culture), to comfort (he sees material comfort as an acceptable goal for human struggle), to empirical research (he always provides extensive textual evidence to support his arguments), and to an awareness of the disciplinary positioning of knowledge. His writing is also notable for its pace and density, its colorful neologisms, and its puns: for example, he describes the move from modern to postmodern with the heading “From Arnold to Schwarzenegger” (Hartley 2002b).
M
acdonald,
D
wight
Authors: Idris Farhad
Published: May 2017

Dwight Macdonald (1906–82) was a prominent American author, editor, film critic, cultural critic, and political activist. He was a leading figure in the cultural scene from the 1940s through the 1960s and was widely known for his many stances on the issues of the time. He held no consistent political philosophy; rather, he advocated a brand of politics that veered from left to right and to left again. These “positions” led to heated controversies.
Mass Culture
Authors: Idris Farhad
Published: May 2017

The term “mass culture” refers to cultural products that are mass produced and intended for commercial success, particularly in the context of the latter half of the twentieth century. It therefore has a strong association with consumer culture and with the commodification of culture under capitalism. Social critics have struggled to develop a sense of “culture” appropriate for a large population ever since the eighteenth century when the Industrial Revolution concentrated people in vast urban centers. In its broad sense, “culture” denotes not only aesthetic expressions but also life's other aspects. Raymond Williams unravels some of the complexities of the concept in his influential
Culture and Society: 1780–1950
(1960[1958]). He explains the term's evolution and associations with related concepts, such as industry, democracy, class, and art (xiii‐xx). Culture, he argues, is not merely “a state or habit of the mind”; it is “a whole way of life” (xviii). On the other hand, cultural critics in the twentieth century often made a distinction between “high” culture and “low” culture. The latter resembles working‐class culture as well as popular culture. “Mass culture,” as distinguished from “popular culture,” tends to have negative connotations and to suggest the cultural manipulation of the masses by the large corporate entities that produce mass culture.
Multiculturalism
Authors: Libretti Tim
Published: May 2017

Multiculturalism, which might be defined as a careful attention to and respect for a diversity of cultural perspectives, has been a crucial part of cultural studies throughout the history of the discipline. Cultural studies and multiculturalism at some fundamental level share the common mission of destabilizing the entrenched bodies of knowledge, ideological perspectives, and most particularly the representational and interpretive practices through which the dominant culture shapes and regulates the production and consumption of knowledge. Both academic discourses, in their original forms, fundamentally challenge traditional literary and cultural canons, what counts as “literature” and “culture,” as well as what are considered appropriate tools or modes of interpretation for assessing and analyzing literature and culture. In their most progressive forms, they are effectively allied and mutually supportive juggernaut theoretical movements and discursive fields that powerfully infiltrated and influenced reconfigurations of academic institutions in the 1980s and ‘90s, reshaping – or attempting to reshape – the contours and contents of traditional disciplines and their modes and methods of inquiry.
Popular Music
Authors: Shuker Roy
Published: May 2017

The term “popular music” is generally used to indicate the diverse range of music genres produced in commodity form for a mass, predominantly youth, market. In cultural terms, popular music is of enormous importance in daily life, and for some it is central to their social identities. In economic terms the products of the music industry make it a leading cultural industry, with income including not just the sales of recorded music, but also revenue from copyright, live music (concerts, tours), and merchandising; along with sales of the music press, musical instruments, sound systems, and sheet music.
Postmodernism
Authors: Ryan Michael
Published: May 2017

Postmodernism refers both to a historical moment and to an intellectual and artistic movement that can be seen either as uniquely contemporary or as a continuation of a dissonant tradition within Western culture that originates with the sophists and the pre‐Socratic philosophers in ancient Greece and that is evident in bohemian, countercultural, and avant‐garde intellectual and cultural movements throughout Western history down to the present, from the Albigensians and the aesthetes to the anarchists and the punks.
Situationist International, The
Authors: Bunyard Tom
Published: May 2017

The Situationist International (SI) was a group of artists, theorists, and activists that existed between 1957 and 1972. The group emerged from the milieu of avantgarde art and culture, but its stated aim of uniting art and life entailed a theoretical output that was chiefly concerned with the relation between capitalism and subjectivity, and with the possibilities for revolutionary social change.
Technology and Popular Culture
Authors: Stoate Robin
Published: May 2017

While not really a field in itself with obvious, consistent boundaries, the study of technology and its relationship with popular culture is a growing enterprise involving the work of an increasing number of critics and theorists in a diverse set of disciplines. The “question” of technology and how it affects everyday life and culture is also one that occurs frequently and explicitly within cultural texts themselves (books, films, websites, and the like, whether fictional or otherwise).
W
est,
C
ornel
Authors: Tucker Terrence
Published: May 2017

Cornel West is one of the most visible and popular African American public intellectuals in the latter half of the twentieth century and the early years of the twenty‐first. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1953, West has been teaching religion and African‐American studies at Princeton University since 2008. He has also taught at Union Theological Seminary, Yale University, Harvard University, and the University of Paris. West's works have ranged from the academic to the political to the pop‐cultural. Whether writing about philosophy and Marxism, supporting the presidential campaigns of Bill Bradley, Al Sharpton, or Barack Obama, or recording hip‐hop albums
(Sketches of My Culture
[2001] and
Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations
[2007]), West has explicitly advocated for a progressive social justice agenda. In his initial works, West challenged fixed ideas of morality and ideology in an attempt to explore ways of achieving social justice. In
The Ethical Dimensions of Marxist Thought
(1991) he views Marx's ethical concerns as paramount to his critiques of capitalist exploitation of the working class. He rejects the criticisms of Marx as simultaneously inconsistent and morally nihilistic by embracing the idea of a weak relativism that allows for a shift from one position to another and from one strategy to the next. He sees this as necessary to move beyond a paralysis that results from a reduction of Marxism to epistemic concerns that fail to seek concrete social change. West attempts to snatch Marx away from those who would relegate Marx's work to the philosophical.
Investigations of Corrosion Resistance of Laser Separated Open Cell Metal
Authors: Baumann Robert , Herwig Patrick , Wetzig Andreas , Beyer Eckhard
Published: May 2017

Open cell metal foam contributes promising solutions to the light weight design, battery applications, and renewable energy. Still, challenges are present concerning the cutting into a defined shape. Mechanical processes like milling and grinding create surface smearing on the foam, which leads to a loss of their open cell behavior. Laser remote cutting offers a promising solution in order to overcome those challenges. Their investigations consider that this technique has a high potential concerning cutting speed, which is increased by more than 500% compared to state of the art laser separation techniques. Nevertheless, quality improvements regarding spatter formation and fouling or corrosion resistance has to be investigated. This paper offers insight into the viability of remote laser cutting and how quality aspects can be improved.
Dendrimers as Powerful Building Blocks in Central Nervous System Disease: Headed for Successful Nanomedicine
Authors: Leiro Victoria , Duque Santos Sofia , Lopes Cátia D. F. , Paula Pêgo Ana
Published: May 2017

Dendrimers have emerged as a powerful class of nanomaterials in the nanomedicine field due to their unique structural features: globular, well‐defined, highly branched and controllable structure, nanosize‐scale, low polydispersity, and the presence of several terminal groups that can be functionalized with different ligands simulating the multivalency present in different biological systems. Although in its infancy, the application of dendrimers as therapeutics or theranostic tools in central nervous system (CNS) disorders is already significant and has opened promising avenues in the treatment of many conditions where the inherent “smartness” of the dendritic structures is being explored to effectively target the CNS. Here we present an overview of the past and future challenges of the use of dendrimers to respond to one of the ultimate challenges in the (nano)medicine field: to attain CNS repair and regeneration.
Carbon‐Nanotube‐Templated, Sputter‐Deposited, Flexible Superconducting NbN Nanowire Yarns
Authors: Kim Jeong‐Gyun , Kang Haeyong , Lee Yourack , Park Jeongmin , Kim Joonggyu , Truong Thuy Kieu , Kim Eun Sung , Yoon Doo Hyun , Lee Young Hee , Suh Dongseok
Published: May 2017

Flexible superconducting yarns consisting of sputter‐deposited NbN nanowires on highly aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) array sheets are reported. In the microscopic view, the NbN nanowires are formed on top of individual CNT fibrils, and the superconductivity property of the twist‐spun NbN–CNT yarn system is comparable to that of a typical NbN thin film on a normal solid substrate. Because of its intrinsic porosity, the system exhibits superior mechanical flexibility with a small bending radius. It also remains a superconducting state even when subjected to severe mechanical deformations, primarily due to the proximity superconductivity through carbon nanotube bundles. The results demonstrate the possibility of fabricating flexible superconducting yarns in a conventional thin‐film deposition process, using ultraflexible free‐standing CNT sheets as a template. In addition, preliminary tests on reducing the normal‐state resistance toward superconducting cable applications are presented.
‘Printability' of Candidate Biomaterials for Extrusion Based 3D Printing: State‐of‐the‐Art
Authors: Kyle Stuart , Jessop Zita M. , Al‐Sabah Ayesha , Whitaker Iain S.
Published: May 2017

Regenerative medicine has been highlighted as one of the UK's 8 ‘Great Technologies' with the potential to revolutionize patient care in the 21st Century. Over the last decade, the concept of ‘3D bioprinting' has emerged, which allows the precise deposition of cell laden bioinks with the aim of engineering complex, functional tissues. For 3D printing to be used clinically, there is the need to produce advanced functional biomaterials, a new generation of bioinks with suitable cell culture and high shape/print fidelity, to match or exceed the physical, chemical and biological properties of human tissue. With the rapid increase in knowledge associated with biomaterials, cell‐scaffold interactions and the ability to biofunctionalize/decorate bioinks with cell recognition sequences, it is important to keep in mind the ‘printability' of these novel materials. In this illustrated review, we define and refine the concept of ‘printability' and review seminal and contemporary studies to highlight the current ‘state of play' in the field with a focus on bioink composition and concentration, manipulation of nozzle parameters and rheological properties.
Morphology‐Conserved Transformations of Metal‐Based Precursors to Hierarchically Porous Micro‐/Nanostructures for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
Authors: Chen Min , Zhang Yueguang , Xing Lidan , Liao Youhao , Qiu Yongcai , Yang Shihe , Li Weishan
Published: May 2017

To meet future market demand, developing new structured materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems is essential. Hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures are favorable for designing such high‐performance materials because of their unique features, including: i) the prevention of nanosized particle agglomeration and minimization of interfacial contact resistance, ii) more active sites and shorter ionic diffusion lengths because of their size compared with their large‐size counterparts, iii) convenient electrolyte ingress and accommodation of large volume changes, and iv) enhanced light‐scattering capability. Here, hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures produced by morphology‐conserved transformations of metal‐based precursors are summarized, and their applications as electrodes and/or catalysts in rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cells are discussed. Finally, research and development challenges relating to hierarchically porous micro‐/nanostructures that must be overcome to increase their utilization in renewable energy applications are outlined.
Simultaneous Enhancement of Charge Separation and Hole Transportation in a TiO2–SrTiO3 Core–Shell Nanowire Photoelectrochemical System
Authors: Wu Fei , Yu Yanhao , Yang Huang , German Lazarus N. , Li Zhenquan , Chen Jianguo , Yang Weiguang , Huang Lu , Shi Weimin , Wang Linjun , Wang Xudong
Published: May 2017

Efficient charge separation and transportation are key factors that determine the photoelectrochemical (PEC) water‐splitting efficiency. Here, a simultaneous enhancement of charge separation and hole transportation on the basis of ferroelectric polarization in TiO2–SrTiO3 core–shell nanowires (NWs) is reported. The SrTiO3 shell with controllable thicknesses generates a considerable spontaneous polarization, which effectively tunes the electrical band bending of TiO2. Combined with its intrinsically high charge mobility, the ferroelectric SrTiO3 thin shell significantly improves the charge‐separation efficiency (ηseparation) with minimized influence on the hole‐migration property of TiO2 photoelectrodes, leading to a drastically increased photocurrent density ( Jph). Specifically, the 10 nm‐thick SrTiO3 shell yields the highest Jph and ηseparation of 1.43 mA cm−2 and 87.7% at 1.23 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, respectively, corresponding to 83% and 79% improvements compared with those of pristine TiO2 NWs. The PEC performance can be further manipulated by thermal treatment, and the control of SrTiO3 film thicknesses and electric poling directions. This work suggests a material with combined ferroelectric and semiconducting features could be a promising solution for advancing PEC systems by concurrently promoting the charge‐separation and hole‐transportation properties.
Organic Ultraviolet Photodetectors Exhibiting Photomultiplication, Low Dark Current, and High Stability
Authors: Esopi Monica R. , Calcagno Max , Yu Qiuming
Published: May 2017

Organic UV photodetectors can provide a cheap, durable alternative to current technologies used for applications such as missile detection and arc flash protection. The wide‐bandgap semiconductor poly[(9,9‐dioctylfluorenyl‐2,7‐diyl)‐alt‐co‐(bithiophene)] (F8T2), combined disproportionately with the fullerene‐derivative [6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM) in weight ratios of 100:4 and 100:1, comprises the active layers of organic UV photodetectors. The small clusters of PC71BM trap charges, enhancing band bending and charge injection and thus enabling photomultiplication. These clusters also prevent electrons from transporting through the device, helping produce a low dark current. Although devices without an electron transfer layer (ETL) exhibit more efficient photomultiplication, they tend to be unstable. Devices with a F8T2:PC71BM weight ratio of 100:4 and with an ETL demonstrate an external quantum efficiency peaking at 5600%, at 360 nm and −40 V bias, and a low dark current of 2.7 × 10−7 mA cm−2 at −1 V bias. These devices are stable and behave well even under strong biases, which enhance the UV‐selectivity and response speed of the devices.
The Way towards Ultrafast Growth of Single‐Crystal Graphene on Copper
Authors: Zhang Zhihong , Xu Xiaozhi , Qiu Lu , Wang Shaoxin , Wu Tianwei , Ding Feng , Peng Hailin , Liu Kaihui
Published: May 2017

The exceptional properties of graphene make it a promising candidate in the development of next‐generation electronic, optoelectronic, photonic and photovoltaic devices. A holy grail in graphene research is the synthesis of large‐sized single‐crystal graphene, in which the absence of grain boundaries guarantees its excellent intrinsic properties and high performance in the devices. Nowadays, most attention has been drawn to the suppression of nucleation density by using low feeding gas during the growth process to allow only one nucleus to grow with enough space. However, because the nucleation is a random event and new nuclei are likely to form in the very long growth process, it is difficult to achieve industrial‐level wafer‐scale or beyond (e.g. 30 cm in diameter) single‐crystal graphene. Another possible way to obtain large single‐crystal graphene is to realize ultrafast growth, where once a nucleus forms, it grows up so quickly before new nuclei form. Therefore ultrafast growth provides a new direction for the synthesis of large single‐crystal graphene, and is also of great significance to realize large‐scale production of graphene films (fast growth is more time‐efficient and cost‐effective), which is likely to accelerate various graphene applications in industry.
Molybdenum cofactor deficiency: Identification of a patient with homozygote mutation in the MOCS3 gene
Authors: Huijmans Jan G. M. , Schot Rachel , de Klerk Johannis B. C. , Williams Monique , de Coo René F. M. , Duran Marinus , Verheijen Frans W. , van Slegtenhorst Marjon , Mancini Grazia M. S.
Published: May 2017

We describe the clinical presentation and 17 years follow up of a boy, born to consanguineous parents and presenting with intellectual disability (ID), autism, “marfanoid” dysmorphic features, and moderate abnormalities of sulfite metabolism compatible with molybdenum cofactor deficiency, but normal sulfite oxidase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts. Genomic exome analysis revealed a homozygous MOCS3 missense mutation, leading to a p.Ala257Thr substitution in the highly conserved ubiquitin‐like‐domain of the protein. MOCS3 is the third protein, besides MOCS1 and MOCS2, involved in the biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor and has a dual ubiquitin‐like function in tRNA thiolation. It is plausible that the phenotype results from deficiency of this dual function, not only from defective synthesis of molybdenum cofactor, which would explain similarities and differences from the MOCS1 and MOCS2‐related disorders. This observation should encourage testing of additional ID patients with mild abnormalities of sulfite metabolism for MOCS3 mutations.
Mandibulofacial dysostosis Bauru type: Refining the phenotype
Authors: Moura Priscila P. , Kokitsu‐Nakata Nancy M. , Yatabe Marília S. , Vendramini‐Pittoli Siulan , Hori Pedro H. , Guion‐Almeida Maria L. , Garib Daniela G. , Richieri‐Costa Antonio , Zechi‐Ceide Roseli M.
Published: May 2017

Mandibulofacial dysostosis (MFD) Bauru type (OMIM 604830) is a rare genetic condition characterized mainly by malar hypoplasia, orofacial cleft, and micrognathia. Here, we describe the clinical and radiographic sings of 13 individuals (12 female and 1 male) from eight unrelated kindreds with MFD Bauru type, including four previously reported cases, treated at the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies. The clinical phenotype was characterized by severe underdevelopment of mandible, midface hypoplasia, orofacial cleft, bitemporal narrowing, mild upper eyelid down slanting, high nasal bridge, thick and everted lower lip, minor ears abnormalities, and hearing loss. Radiographic aspects included downslanting of zygomatic arch, maxillary hypoplasia, microretrognathia, hypoplastic mandibular condyles, and ectopic external auditory canal. Recurrence was observed in two of eight families and the affected distribution pattern was compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance in one and autosomal recessive in another, indicating possible genetic heterogeneity for this condition. Clinical and radiographic findings in this report contribute to the delineation of this rare MFD.
The use of electronic health records for psychiatric phenotyping and genomics
Authors: Smoller Jordan W.
Published: May 2017

The widespread adoption of electronic health record (EHRs) in healthcare systems has created a vast and continuously growing resource of clinical data and provides new opportunities for population‐based research. In particular, the linking of EHRs to biospecimens and genomic data in biobanks may help address what has become a rate‐limiting study for genetic research: the need for large sample sizes. The principal roadblock to capitalizing on these resources is the need to establish the validity of phenotypes extracted from the EHR. For psychiatric genetic research, this represents a particular challenge given that diagnosis is based on patient reports and clinician observations that may not be well‐captured in billing codes or narrative records. This review addresses the opportunities and pitfalls in EHR‐based phenotyping with a focus on their application to psychiatric genetic research. A growing number of studies have demonstrated that diagnostic algorithms with high positive predictive value can be derived from EHRs, especially when structured data are supplemented by text mining approaches. Such algorithms enable semi‐automated phenotyping for large‐scale case‐control studies. In addition, the scale and scope of EHR databases have been used successfully to identify phenotypic subgroups and derive algorithms for longitudinal risk prediction. EHR‐based genomics are particularly well‐suited to rapid look‐up replication of putative risk genes, studies of pleiotropy (phenomewide association studies or PheWAS), investigations of genetic networks and overlap across the phenome, and pharmacogenomic research. EHR phenotyping has been relatively under‐utilized in psychiatric genomic research but may become a key component of efforts to advance precision psychiatry.
Glucosamine has an antiallergic effect in mice with allergic asthma and rhinitis
Authors: Jung Ah‐Yeoun , Heo Min‐Jeong , Kim Young Hyo
Published: May 2017

Background

Glucosamine (GlcN) is generally used as a dietary supplement because of its antiinflammatory effects. We evaluated the antiallergic effect of GlcN in mice with allergic asthma and rhinitis.

Methods

Thirty‐two mice were allocated equally into 4 groups (n = 8). In group A (control), we performed intraperitoneal/intranasal challenge using sterile saline. In group B (asthma/rhinitis), we used ovalbumin for intraperitoneal/intranasal challenge to induce allergic asthma and rhinitis. In groups C and D (GlcN treatment), mice were given 1% and 5% GlcN throughout the period of ovalbumin challenge, respectively. We measured serum total and ovalbumin‐specific immunoglobulin E (IgE), cytokine titers (interleukin‐1, ‐4, ‐5, ‐6, ‐10, and ‐17; tumor necrosis factor‐α; and interferon‐γ), and the number of inflammatory cells (eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes) in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. We also performed histopathologic examination of the lung and nasal cavity. Finally, we performed real‐time polymerase chain reaction for the genes Bcl‐2, EC‐SOD, VEGF, caspase‐3, Bax, COX‐2, Hif‐1α, and heme oxygenase‐1.

Results

Compared with group B, group D had significant serum total and ovalbumin‐specific IgE decreases after GlcN treatment (p < 0.05). Titers for IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐6, and IL‐17 in BAL fluid were significantly decreased in group D (p < 0.05). Eosinophils in BAL fluid were significantly decreased in group D compared with group B (p < 0.05). Groups C and D showed significant improvement of inflammation compared with group B. Group D had significant downregulation of EC‐SOD, Bax, Hif‐1α, and heme oxygenase‐1 compared with group B.

Conclusion

GlcN had a significant antiallergic effect in mice with allergic asthma and rhinitis.
Enantioselective Reaction of 2H‐Azirines with Phosphite Using Chiral Bis(imidazoline)/Zinc(II) Catalysts
Authors: Nakamura Shuichi , Hayama Daiki
Published: May 2017

The first highly enantioselective nucleophilic addition reaction of phosphites with 2H‐azirines has been developed. The reaction was applied to various 3‐substituted 2H‐azirines using novel chiral bis(imidazoline)/ZnII catalysts to afford products in good yield with high enantioselectivity. The transformation of the obtained optically active aziridines showed that 2H‐azirines act as either α,β‐ or β,β‐dicarbocationic amine synthons.
Electronic Structure and Magnetic Anisotropy of an Unsaturated Cyclopentadienyl Iron(I) Complex with 15 Valence Electrons
Authors: Chakraborty Uttam , Demeshko Serhiy , Meyer Franc , Rebreyend Christophe , de Bruin Bas , Atanasov Mihail , Neese Frank , Mühldorf Bernd , Wolf Robert
Published: May 2017

The 15 valence‐electron iron(I) complex [CpArFe(IiPr2Me2)] (1, CpAr=C5(C6H4‐4‐Et)5; IiPr2Me2=1,3‐diisopropyl‐4,5‐dimethylimidazolin‐2‐ylidene) was synthesized in high yield from the FeII precursor [CpArFe(μ‐Br)]2. 57Fe Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopic data, magnetic measurements, and ab initio ligand‐field calculations indicate an S= 3/2 ground state with a large negative zero‐field splitting. As a consequence, 1 features magnetic anisotropy with an effective spin‐reversal barrier of Ueff=64 cm−1. Moreover, 1 catalyzes the dehydrogenation of N,N‐dimethylamine–borane, affording tetramethyl‐1,3‐diaza‐2,4‐diboretane under mild conditions.
Feeding regulation by neuropeptide Y on Asian corn borer Ostrinia furnacalis
Authors: Yue Zhen , Zhao Zhangwu
Published: May 2017

The Asian Corn Borer Ostrinia furnacalis is a major agricultural pest. In this study, a full‐length neuropeptide Y (npy) gene in O. furnacalis was sequenced and cloned from cDNA library, which contains an ORF of 273 bp by encoding 90 amino acid residues. The mature OfurNPY is composed of 29 amino acids with amidation in C‐terminal. The spatiotemporal expression analysis showed that npy highest expression level was in the midgut of the fifth instar larvae (the gluttony period). When the expression of npy was knocked down by feeding or injecting dsNPY, larval food consumption, body size, and body weight were significantly inhibited compared to controls. These results indicate that NPY is an important regulator in the control of feeding of O. furnacalis.
Online serendipity: A contextual differentiation of antecedents and outcomes
Authors: Lutz Christoph , Pieter Hoffmann Christian , Meckel Miriam
Published: May 2017

Critics worry that algorithmic filtering could lead to overly polished, homogeneous web experiences. “Serendipity,” in turn, has been touted as an antidote. Yet, the desirability of serendipity could vary by context, as users may be more or less receptive depending on the services they employ. We propose a nomological model of online serendipity experiences, conceptualizing both cognitive and behavioral antecedents. Based on a survey of 1,173 German Internet users, we conduct structural equation modeling and multigroup analyses to differentiate the antecedents and effects of serendipity across three distinct contexts: online shopping, information services, and social networking sites. Our findings confirm that antecedents and outcomes of digital serendipity vary by context, with serendipity only being associated with user satisfaction in the context of social network sites.
Single‐step isolation of embelin using high‐performance countercurrent chromatography and determination of the fatty acid composition of seeds of Embelia schimperi
Authors: Atlabachew Minaleshewa , Mehari Bewketu , Combrinck Sandra , McCrindle Robert
Published: May 2017

Embelin (2,5‐dihydroxy‐3‐undecyl‐p‐benzoquinone) is known for its potent anthelmintic activity, but also for wound‐healing, antidiabetic, anticonvulsant, antitumour, anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antibacterial and antispermatogenic activities. A high‐performance countercurrent chromatography method was developed for the purification of embelin from an extract of the seeds of Embelia schimperi fruit. The optimized solvent system (n‐hexane–ethylacetate–ethanol–water, 7:3:7:3) resulted in the isolation of 13.9 mg of embelin, directly from 100 mg of crude extract, in a single step within a short time (40 min). Although the compound appeared to be completely pure when analysed by ultra‐performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) with photo diode array detection, the purity was established as ~90% by UPLC–mass spectrometry. Furthermore, we report the fatty acid composition of the seeds of E. schimperi fruit. Nine fatty acids were quantified from the fruit seed extract by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, with linoleic (46.4%), palmitic (21.5%) and oleic (19.6%) acids making up the largest proportions.
Allelopathic Effects, Physiological Responses and Phenolic Compounds in Litter Extracts of Juniperus rigidaSieb. et Zucc.
Authors: Liu Jing , Li Dengwu , Wang Dongmei , Liu Yu , Song Huiying
Published: May 2017

The allelopathic effects of Juniperus rigida litter aqueous extract (LE) on wheat and Pinus tabuliformis were studied, as well as the physiological responses to the extract. High concentration LE (0.10 g Dw/ml) significantly inhibited the seed germination and seedling growth in receptor plants. The chlorophyll content and root activity in the wheat seedlings were reduced significantly across all treatments; however, those were more prominently reduced at high concentration (0.10 g Dw/ml) but received little stimulation at low concentration (0.025 g Dw/ml) in P. tabuliformis. The content of malonaldehyde (MDA) increased with increasing concentrations of LE, except at 0.025 g Dw/ml. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (POD, CAT and SOD) in receptor plants were all significantly inhibited at high concentrations but stimulated at low concentrations. These results demonstrate that the aqueous extract from J. rigida litter has allelopathic potential. Various phenolic compounds were identified in litter aqueous extract and litter ethanol extract by HPLC. The phenolic compound content in the aqueous extract was significantly lower than that in the ethanol extract. Chlorogenic acid and podophyllotoxin were the predominant phenolic compounds in both types of litter extracts. These findings suggest that the seed germination and seedling growth of P. tabuliformis and wheat would be inhibited when planted near large amounts J. rigida litter.
Late Incomplete stent apposition is associated with late/very late stent thrombosis: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Sethi Ankur , Singbal Yash , Rastogi Ujjwal , Prasad Vinoy S.
Published: May 2017

Background

There is a lingering controversy in the current literature about the impact of late incomplete stent apposition (LISA) on clinical outcomes, especially stent thrombosis (ST). Therefore, we aimed to synthesize the available evidence evaluating the association between LISA and adverse clinical outcomes.

Methods

We systematically searched electronic databases for studies reporting clinical outcomes in patients with and without LISA. Relevant study characteristics and clinical outcomes were extracted. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% Confidence Interval (CI) were computed. Sensitivity analyses were done.

Results

Sixteen studies with 4,946 patients; 666 patients with 20,035 patient‐months follow up with LISA and 4,280 patients with 121,855 patient‐months follow up without LISA were included. The estimated prevalence of LISA at follow up was 16% (95% CI 12–20%). The incidences of late/very late ST (IRR = 4.81, 95% CI 2.68–8.62) and myocardial infarction (MI) (IRR = 3.09, 95% CI 1.72–5.55) were significantly higher in the LISA group compared to patients without LISA. Subset analysis of studies reporting Academic Research Consortium definitive/probable ST (IRR = 4.98; 95% CI 2.51–9.89) and acquired LISA (IRR = 3.67, 95% CI 1.5–9.0) similarly showed increased risk of late/very late ST. The results of sensitivity analyses were consistent. There was no difference in cardiac death and target lesion revascularization.

Conclusion

The presence of LISA at a follow up of 6–18 months after stent implantation is associated with a higher risk of late/very late ST and MI. Additional studies are required to establish a cause and effect, and inform the management strategy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Carotid artery stenting in clinical practice depending on patient age
Authors: Ledwoch Jakob , Staubach Stephan , Segerer Manuela , Strohm Henning , Mudra Harald
Published: May 2017

Background

The age‐dependent outcome of carotid artery stenting (CAS) outside of randomized controlled trials is largely unknown. Therefore, we assessed acute and long‐term results of CAS in a single‐center real‐world registry.

Methods

All symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who consecutively underwent CAS were enrolled into the present analysis. The population was divided into three groups dependent on patients' age (<65, 65–74, and ≥75 years).

Results

Between 1999 and 2015, a total of 878 patients (24%, <65 years; 40%, 65–74 years; and 36%, ≥75 years) underwent CAS. The rate of the primary endpoint (30‐day composite of death, stroke, and myocardial infarction [MACCE] plus long‐term ipsilateral stroke) was higher in patients aged ≥75 years compared to the middle‐age group (hazard ratio [HR] 2.30, confidence interval [CI] 1.22–4.36; P = 0.001). Similarly, the rate of the stroke endpoint (30‐day any stroke plus long‐term ipsilateral stroke) was higher in patients aged ≥75 years compared to patients aged 65–74 years (HR 2.03, CI 1.01–4.10; P = 0.04). There was no significant age‐dependent difference of the primary endpoint and stroke endpoint in the subset of asymptomatic patients. Furthermore, age had no influence on the risk of stroke beyond the periprocedural period.

Conclusions

Patients aged ≥75 years had poorer outcomes after CAS compared to younger patients. Importantly, age did not influence the outcome in asymptomatic patients and the risk for stroke beyond the periprocedural period.
The Pivotal Role of Catalysis in France: Selected Examples of Recent Advances and Future Prospects.
Authors: Olivier‐Bourbigou Hélène , Chizallet Céline , Dumeignil Franck , Fongarland Pascal , Geantet Christophe , Granger Pascal , Launay Franck , Löfberg Axel , Massiani Pascale , Maugé Françoise , Ouali Armelle , Roger Anne‐Cécile , Schuurman Yves , Tanchoux Nathalie , Uzio Denis , Jérôme François , Duprez Daniel , Pinel Catherine
Published: May 2017

The Review describes the most significant results achieved in France in the field of heterogeneous catalysis over the last 10 years and placed in the context of international research. The focus lies on the research conducted in French academic laboratories, often in close collaboration with industrial partners. A wide range of heterogeneous catalysis is covered, including ab initio calculations, biomass conversion, catalytic cracking, catalyst characterization, CO2 conversion, Fischer–Tropsch, pollution abatement, power‐to‐gas and kinetics.
Fast and stable partial least squares modelling: A benchmark study with theoretical comments
Authors: Björck Åke , Indahl Ulf G.
Published: May 2017

Algorithms for partial least squares (PLS) modelling are placed into a sound theoretical context focusing on numerical precision and computational efficiency. NIPALS and other PLS algorithms that perform deflation steps of the predictors (X) may be slow or even computationally infeasible for sparse and/or large‐scale data sets. As alternatives, we develop new versions of the Bidiag1 and Bidiag2 algorithms. These include full reorthogonalization of both score and loading vectors, which we consider to be both necessary and sufficient for numerical precision. Using a collection of benchmark data sets, these 2 new algorithms are compared to the NIPALS PLS and 4 other PLS algorithms acknowledged in the chemometrics literature. The provably stable Householder algorithm for PLS regression is taken as the reference method for numerical precision. Our conclusion is that our new Bidiag1 and Bidiag2 algorithms are the methods of choice for problems where both efficiency and numerical precision are important. When efficiency is not urgent, the NIPALS PLS and the Householder PLS are also good choices. The benchmark study shows that SIMPLS gives poor numerical precision even for a small number of factors. Further, the nonorthogonal scores PLS, direct scores PLS, and the improved kernel PLS are demonstrated to be numerically less stable than the best algorithms. Prototype MATLAB codes are included for the 5 PLS algorithms concluded to be numerically stable on our benchmark data sets. Other aspects of PLS modelling, such as the evaluation of the regression coefficients, are also analyzed using techniques from numerical linear algebra.
Arylthio‐ and Arylseleno‐Substituted s‐Heptazines
Authors: Posern Christian , Böhme Uwe , Wagler Jörg , Höhne Carl‐Christoph , Kroke Edwin
Published: May 2017

In contrast to numerous thio‐ and selenocyanuric acid derivatives, sulfur‐ or selenium‐containing s‐heptazines have not been reported so far. Thio‐ and selenocyameluric acid esters were obtained by substitution reactions of s‐heptazine chloride C6N7Cl3 with aromatic thiols and selenophenol; the resultant white or yellow solids were stable in air. They were comprehensively characterized by elemental analysis, 1H, 13C NMR, and IR spectroscopy. The thiocyameluric acid phenyl ester (1, C6N7(S(C6H5))3) and the corresponding selenium compound (7) formed co‐crystals with mesitylene, which were analyzed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Both structures showed unusually large channels of ≈12 Å diameter. The thermal stability was measured by TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), and the flame retardancy of compound 1 was tested in PP by carrying out limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurements, which gave promising results. Quantum chemical calculations of the title compounds were performed to explain the observed properties and structural characteristics.
Loops and Cycles at Surfaces: The Unique Properties of Topological Polymer Brushes
Authors: Benetti Edmondo M. , Divandari Mohammad , Ramakrishna Shivaprakash N. , Morgese Giulia , Yan Wenqing , Trachsel Lucca
Published: May 2017

Grafting synthetic polymers to inorganic and organic surfaces to yield polymer “brushes” has represented a revolution in many fields of materials science. Polymer brushes provide colloidal stabilization to nanoparticles (NPs), prevent and/or regulate the adsorption of proteins on biomaterials, and significantly reduce friction when applied to two surfaces sheared against each other. Can the performance of polymer brushes as steric stabilizers and boundary lubricants be improved? The answer to this question encompasses the application of polymer grafts presenting different chain topologies, beyond linearity. In particular, grafted polymers forming loops and cycles at the surface have been recently demonstrated to enable the modulation of interfacial physicochemical properties, including nanomechanical and nanotribological, to an extent that is difficultly addressed by using their linear counterparts. Loop and cyclic polymer brushes provide enhanced steric stabilization to surfaces, increase their biopassivity and show superlubricious behavior. Their distinctive structure, the methods applied to fabricate them and their application in several technologically relevant fields of materials science are reviewed in this contribution.