bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies for Improving the Performance and Application of MOFs Photocatalysts
Authors: Li Shixiong , Luo Pei , Wu Haizhen , Wei Chaohai , Hu Yun , Qiu Guanglei
Published: April 2019

Residual pollutants in the water treatment process restrict the advanced treatment and purification of wastewater, because most of them have stable structures, and some are not easily to be enriched. Photocatalytic oxidation technology can directly use solar energy to drive a series of chemical reactions, which has advantages such as low energy consumption, mild reaction conditions and rarely secondary pollution. It is an effective way to solve the organic pollution problem in wastewater treatment. The key to this process is to find and design efficient photocatalysts. The current photocatalytic materials mainly include inorganic semiconductors and metal organic frameworks (MOFs). They have been studied for pollutants degradation, hydrogen evolution, CO2 reduction, and organic transformation. But, most of these catalysts have not been used in real application. In this paper, recent research advances in MOFs photocatalysts and the key factors affecting their photocatalytic efficiency were critically reviewed. It is believed that the pursuit of more efficient photocatalyst needs to be considered from the adsorption‐photocatalytic mechanism, redox‐free radical mechanism, valence‐level regulation mechanism and energy transfer mechanism of photocatalysis. It is very necessary to research and develop nanoscale and quantum level mixed valence MOFs photocatalysts, which are constructed by strong electron‐donating groups.
Self‐Supported ZIF‐Derived Co3O4 Nanoparticles‐Decorated Porous N‐Doped Carbon Fibers as Oxygen Reduction Catalyst
Authors: Song Li , Tang Jing , Wang Tao , Wu Chao , Ide Yusuke , He Jianping , Yamauchi Yusuke
Published: April 2019

Oxygen reduction is a significant cathodic reaction in the state‐of‐art clean energy devices such as fuel cell and metal–oxygen battery. Here, ZIF‐incorporated hybrid polymeric fibres have been fabricated by using a dual‐phase electrospinning method. These are then transformed into Co3O4‐nanoparticle‐decorated porous N‐doped carbon fibres (ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF) through multi‐step annealing treatment. The resultant ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF is interweaved into a self‐supported film and can be used as a bi‐functional catalyst for catalysing oxygen reduction in both aqueous and non‐aqueous electrolytes. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF displays a high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction with a half‐wave potential (E1/2) of 0.813 V (vs. RHE) and an almost favourable four‐electron reduction pathway in alkaline medium. ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF catalyst only shows 4 mV negative shift of E1/2 after 5000 continuous CV cycles. In addition, the ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF can be applied as the cathode catalyst of non‐aqueous Li–O2 battery, exhibiting a remarkable ORR activity in LiPF6 contained 1,2‐dimethoxyethane electrolyte. The excellent electrocatalytic performance of ZIF‐Co3O4/NCF is probably due to the abundance of active sites of graphitic carbon‐wrapped Co3O4 nanoparticles, as well as the cross‐linked fibrous nitrogen‐doped carbon texture.
Benign Recycling of Spent Batteries towards All‐Solid‐State Lithium Batteries
Authors: Wang Yao‐Yao , Diao Wan‐Yue , Fan Chao‐Ying , Wu Xing‐Long , Zhang Jing‐Ping
Published: April 2019

Lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs) are one of the most significant energy storage devices applied in power supply facilities. However, a huge number of spent LIBs would bring harmful resource waste and environmental hazards. In this study, a benign hydrometallurgical method using phytic acid as precipitant is proposed to recover useful metallic Mn ions from spent LiMn2O4 batteries. Besides Mn‐based cathodes, this recovery process is also applicable for other commercial batteries. More importantly, for the first time, the as‐obtained manganous complex is employed as a nanofiller in a polyethylene oxide matrix to largely improve Li+ conductivity and transference number. As a result, when applied in all‐solid‐state lithium batteries, high capacity and outstanding cyclic stability are achieved with capacity retention of 86.4 % after 60 cycles at 0.1 C. The recovery of spent lithium batteries not only has benefits for the environment and resources, but also shows great potential application in all‐solid‐state lithium batteries, which opens up a costless and efficient circulation pathway for clean and reliable energy storage systems.
Advances in Porous Organic Polymers for Efficient Water Capture
Authors: Byun Yearin , Je Sang Hyun , Talapaneni Siddulu Naidu , Coskun Ali
Published: April 2019

Desiccant driven dehumidification for maintaining the proper humidity levels and atmospheric water capture with minimum energy penalty are important aspects in heat pumps, refrigeration, gas and liquid purifications, gas sensing, and clean water production for improved human health and comfort. Water adsorption by using nanoporous materials has emerged as a viable alternative to energy‐intensive industrial processes, thus understanding the significance of their porosity, high surface areas, vast pore volumes, chemical and structural features relative to the water adsorption is quite important. In this review article, important features of nanoporous materials are presented, including zeolites, porous carbons, as well as crystalline and amorphous porous organic polymers (POPs) to define the interactions between the water molecules and the polar/non‐polar functional groups on the surface of these nanoporous materials. In particular, focus is placed on the recent developments in POPs in the context of water capture as a result of their remarkable stability towards water and wide range of available synthetic routes and building blocks for their synthesis. We also highlighted recent approaches to increase the water sorption capacity of POPs by modifying their structure, morphology, porosity, and chemical functionality while emphasizing their promising future in this emerging area.
Cancer diagnosis and risk of suicide after accounting for prediagnosis psychiatric care: A matched‐cohort study of patients with incident solid‐organ malignancies
Authors: Klaassen Zachary , Wallis Christopher J.D. , Chandrasekar Thenappan , Goldberg Hanan , Sayyid Rashid K. , Williams Stephen B. , Moses Kelvin A. , Terris Martha K. , Nam Robert K. , Urbach David , Austin Peter C. , Kurdyak Paul , Kulkarni Girish S.
Published: April 2019

Background

Previous studies have demonstrated an association between a diagnosis of cancer and the risk of suicide; however, they failed to account for psychiatric care before a cancer diagnosis, which may confound this relationship. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a cancer diagnosis on the risk of suicide, accounting for prediagnosis psychiatric care utilization.

Methods

All adult residents of Ontario, Canada who were diagnosed with cancer (1 of prostate, breast, colorectal, melanoma, lung, bladder, endometrial, thyroid, kidney, or oral cancer) between 1997 and 2014 were identified. Noncancer controls were matched 4:1 based on sociodemographics, including a psychiatric utilization gradient (PUG) score (with 0 indicating none; 1, outpatient; 2, emergency department; and 3, hospital admission). A marginal, cause‐specific hazard model was used to assess the effect of cancer on the risk of suicidal death.

Results

Among 676,470 patients with cancer and 2,152,682 matched noncancer controls, there were 8.2 and 11.4 suicides per 1000 person‐years of follow‐up, respectively. Patients with cancer had an overall higher risk of suicidal death compared with matched patients without cancer (hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.22‐1.48). This effect was pronounced in the first 50 months after cancer diagnosis (hazard ratio, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.42‐1.81); patients with cancer did not demonstrate an increased risk thereafter. Among individuals with a PUG score 0 or 1, those with cancer were significantly more likely to die of suicide compared with controls. There was no difference in suicide risk between patients with cancer and controls for those who had a PUG score of 2 or 3.

Conclusions

A cancer diagnosis is associated with increased risk of death from suicide compared with the general population even after accounting for precancer diagnosis psychiatric care utilization. The specific factors underlying the observed associations remain to be elucidated.
Enhancement of Nonlinear Optical Scattering by Gold Nanoparticles through Aggregation‐Induced Plasmon Coupling in the Near‐Infrared
Authors: de Coene Yovan , Deschaume Olivier , Zhang Yuqing , Billen Arne , He Jing , Seré Stephanie , Knoppe Stefan , Van Cleuvenbergen Stijn , Verbiest Thierry , Clays Koen , Ye Jian , Bartic Carmen
Published: April 2019

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are regarded as promising building blocks in functional nanomaterials for sensing, drug delivery and catalysis. One remarkable property of these particles is the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR), which gives rise to augmented optical properties through local field enhancement. LSPR also influences the nonlinear optical properties of metal NPs (MNPs) making them potentially interesting candidates for fast, high resolution nonlinear optical imaging. In this work we characterize and discuss the wavelength dependence of the hyper‐Rayleigh scattering (HRS) behavior of spherical gold nanoparticles (GNP) and gold nanorods (GNR) in solution, from 850 nm up to 1300 nm, covering the near‐infrared (NIR) window relevant for deep tissue imaging. The high‐resolution spectral data allows discriminating between HRS and two photon photoluminescence contributions. Upon particle aggregation, we measured very large enhancements (ca. 104) of the HRS intensity in the NIR, which is explained by considering aggregation‐induced plasmon coupling effects and local field enhancement. These results indicate that purposely designed coupled nanostructures could prove advantageous for nonlinear optical imaging and biosensing applications.
Energy spectra of three‐dimensional harmonium under Debye potential obtained using the shifted 1/N expansion approach
Authors: Sandouqa A.S.
Published: April 2019

In this work, the problem of harmonium was investigated using the method of the shifted 1/N expansion. The energy eigenvalues and the classical equilibrium interelectron distance were calculated for ground and few first excited states under Debye potential as a function of both the Debye screening length and the harmonic confinement strength. It was found that harmonium becomes a Wigner molecule at the strong‐correlation limit in which the two electrons oscillate about the classical equilibrium interelectron distance r0. The results show reasonable agreement with the previous results both quantitatively and qualitatively.
New Boron(III) Blue Emitters for All‐Solution Processed OLEDs: Molecular Design Assisted by Theoretical Modeling
Authors: Salla Cristian A. M. , Teixeira dos Santos Jéssica , Farias Giliandro , Bortoluzi Adailton J. , Curcio Sergio F. , Cazati Thiago , Izsák Róbert , Neese Frank , de Souza Bernardo , Bechtold Ivan H.
Published: April 2019

Invited for the cover of this issue is Ivan Bechtold from Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil. The cover image shows the ideal cycle of prediction‐testing‐update that is demonstrated in this work, focusing on the most efficient blue‐emitting boron complex synthesized and the OLED made from it.
A General Photocatalytic Route to Prenylation
Authors: Rathnayake Manjula D. , Weaver Jimmie D.
Published: April 2019

Prenylation is an essential reaction on which nature relies to modify properties of molecules and build terpenoids, but remains a challenging chemical reaction. Aiming to capitalize on recent advances in photocatalysis to easily and cleanly generate a broad range of carbon based radicals, we have developed a prenyl transfer reagent that is captured by transiently generated radicals. The reagent can be made in bulk, is bench stable, and broadly applicable such that it can be used with existing photocatalytic methods with very few changes to reaction conditions. Ultimately, this provides a true drop‐in solution for prenylation, expanding the scope of substrates that can be readily prenylated.
A Novel Arch‐Shaped Hybrid Composite Triboelectric Generator Using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers
Authors: Oney Claire‐Lise , Outrequin Théo , Hubert Cédric , Yan Xue , Arafa Mustafa , Gathercole Nicholas , Bowen Chris Rhys
Published: April 2019

With the diminution of energy sources and the need for using cleaner energy, alternatives must be found. In addition, the desire to supply energy to autonomous low‐power electronics has spurred interest in triboelectric materials. An arch‐shaped hybrid carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite triboelectric device is fabricated, which employs a curved upper copper electrode and a flat lower polyimide layer, both of which are combined with CFRP materials. This device can be used as a triboelectric energy harvesting source for self‐powered sensors that can be combined with fiber reinforced composite‐based structures. A voltage up to 300 mV is produced, which can charge a capacitor to 250 mV. The ability to combine triboelectric and CFRP materials provides a new approach to integrate energy harvesting into engineering structures and manufacture robust harvesting devices.
Receptor‐Interacting Protein Kinase 3 Deficiency Recruits Myeloid‐Derived Suppressor Cells to Hepatocellular Carcinoma Through the Chemokine (C‐X‐C Motif) Ligand 1–Chemokine (C‐X‐C Motif) Receptor 2 Axis
Authors: Li Yi‐Ming , Liu Zhen‐Yu , Wang Jian‐Chao , Yu Jing‐Min , Li Zhu‐Chun , Yang Hai‐Jiao , Tang Juan , Chen Zhi‐Nan
Published: April 2019

Receptor‐interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3) is the core regulator that switches cell death from apoptosis to necrosis. However, its role in tumor immunity is unknown. In this study, decreased RIP3 expression was observed in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which correlates with myeloid‐derived suppressor cell (MDSC) accumulation. Moreover, RIP3 is a prognosis factor for patients with HCC. We further found that RIP3 knockdown results in an increase of MDSCs and a decrease of interferon gamma–positive (IFN‐γ+) cluster of differentiation 8–positive (CD8+) tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (IFN‐γ+ CD8+ T cells) in hepatoma tissues, thus promoting immune escape and HCC growth in immunocompetent mice. By phosphorylating P65Ser536 and promoting phosphorylated P65Ser536 nuclear translocation, RIP3 knockdown increases the expression of chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1) in HCC cells. RIP3 knockdown induces MDSC recruitment through the CXCL1–chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) receptor 2 (CXCR2) axis. Furthermore, a CXCR2 antagonist substantially suppresses MDSC chemotaxis and HCC growth in RIP3 knockout mice. Conclusion: RIP3 deficiency is an essential factor directing MDSC homing to HCC and promoting CXCL1/CXCR2‐induced MDSC chemotaxis to facilitate HCC immune escape and HCC progression; blocking the CXCL1–CXCR2 chemokine axis may provide an immunological therapeutic approach to suppress progression of RIP3 deficiency HCC.
SOAN: Self‐organizing aerial networks
Authors: Cunha André V. S. , Vieira Luiz F. M.
Published: April 2019

Flying objects, including quadrotors or hexacopters, have grown in popularity mainly due to technology advancements, reduced cost, and its simplicity. In the past years, these flying objects have been investigated to be applied to diverse activities, such as rescue missions, search, monitoring, and surveillance. Because of its small size and easy maintenance, the flying object is deployed, in some cases, in a group context, acting as cooperative agents and forming a network of flying objects. These flying object networks have network maintenance and flying objects positioning challenges, including maintaining the network connectivity, avoiding flying objects collisions, and building a communication path to the Internet with good link quality. In this paper, we discuss the arrangement of flying objects in space to guarantee network operations. In this paper it is proposed SOAN (self‐organizing aerial networks), a self‐organizing, decentralized, and adaptive topology control for flying object networks that allows us to balance the network coverage and the communication quality among flying objects. Our solution reduces the number of retransmission packets and increases the signal quality on the communication path.
Collagen‐alginate‐nano‐silica microspheres improved the osteogenic potential of human osteoblast‐like MG‐63 cells
Authors: Khatami Neda , Khoshfetrat Ali Baradar , Khaksar Majid , Zamani Arezoo Rezaie Nezhad , Rahbarghazi Reza
Published: April 2019

Modular bone tissue engineering is touted as an alternative approach to replace the damaged bone tissue. Hydrogel microcapsules could promote therapeutic properties by providing 3D condition and an increased cell‐to‐cell interaction. We investigated the osteogenic properties of alginate‐nano‐silica hydrogels enriched with collagen and gelatin on human osteoblast‐like MG‐63 cells. For encapsulation, cells were divided into three groups; control (alginate+ nano‐silica), collagen (alginate + collagen + nano‐silica), and gelatin (alginate + gelatin + nano‐silica) and expanded for 28 days. Cell survival was determined by trypan blue staining and 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. To confirm the osteogenic potential, we measured the alkaline phosphatase activity. Alizarin red S staining was used to reveal the existence of hydroxyapatite and transcription BMP‐2, osteocalcin and osteonectin evaluated by the real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Collagen substrate caused a reduced swelling ratio compared with the control and gelatin groups (P < 0.05). Compared with other groups, collagen had potential to improve mechanical strength and generate porous membrane structure. The addition of collagen (4‐fold) and gelatin (1.5‐fold) increased cell proliferation rate compared with the control (P < 0.05). Biochemical analysis and Alizarin red S staining showed that collagen‐induced osteogenesis by induction of alkaline phosphatase and matrix mineralization. The expression of osteocalcin and BMP‐2 was increased in cells from the collagen group. As a result, the combination of natural polymers collagen and gelatin with alginate + nano‐silica can increase the osteogenic potential of human osteoblasts.
LY411575, a potent γ‐secretase inhibitor, suppresses osteoclastogenesis in vitro and LPS‐induced calvarial osteolysis in vivo
Authors: Chen Xinwei , Chen Xuzhuo , Zhou Zhihang , Qin An , Wang Yexin , Fan Baoting , Xu Weifeng , Zhang Shanyong
Published: April 2019

A series of osteolytic bone diseases are usually related to excessive bone resorption and osteoclast formation. Thus, agents or drugs which can target osteoclast development and attenuate bone loss are potentially considerable in preventing and treating of bone lytic diseases. In recent years, many studies have reported that Notch signaling has substantial impacts on the process of osteoclast differentiation, maturation, and bone destruction. In the present study, we showed that LY411575, a γ‐secretase inhibitor, could potently suppress osteoclast differentiation, osteoclast‐specific gene expression, and bone resorption via suppressing Notch/HES1/MAPK (ERK and p38)/Akt‐mediated NFATc1 induction in vitro. Consistent with in vitro results, LY411575 exhibited protective effects in lipopolysaccharides‐induced calvarial bone destruction in vivo. Collectively, these results indicate that LY411575 may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of osteoclast‐mediated osteolytic bone diseases.
miR‐192/215‐5p act as tumor suppressors and link Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer by targeting common metabolic pathways: An integrated informatics analysis and experimental study
Authors: Zhao Hu , Chen Junqiu , Chen Jin , Kong Xuhui , Zhu Hehuan , Zhang Yongping , Dong Huiyue , Wang Jie , Ren Qun , Wang Qinghua , Chen Shushang , Deng Zhen , Chen Zhan , Cui Qiang , Zheng Junqiong , Lu Jun , Wang Shuiliang , Tan Jianming
Published: April 2019

MicroRNAs have emerged as key regulators involved in a variety of biological processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that miR‐192/215 participated in progression of Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer. However, their concrete relationships and regulation networks in diseases remain unclear. Here, we used bioinformatics methods to expound miR‐192/215‐5p macrocontrol regulatory networks shared by two diseases. For data mining and figure generation, several miRNA prediction tools, Human miRNA tissue atlas, FunRich, miRcancer, MalaCards, STRING, GEPIA, cBioPortal, GEO databases, Pathvisio, Graphpad Prism 6 software, etc
. are extensively applied. miR‐192/215‐5p were specially distributed in colon tissues and enriched biological pathways were closely associated with human cancers. Emerging role of miR‐192/215‐5p and their common pathways in Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer was also analyzed. Based on results derived from multiple approaches, we identified the biological functions of miR‐192/215‐5p as a tumor suppressor and link Crohn's disease and colorectal cancer by targeting triglyceride synthesis and extracellular matrix remodeling pathways.
The climatology and interannual variability of cyclone tracks in the National Center for Environmental Prediction's climate forecast system model for the Southern Hemisphere
Authors: Eichler Timothy P. , Market Patrick
Published: April 2019

Evaluating cyclone tracks in climate models represents an excellent way to evaluate their ability to simulate synoptic‐scale phenomena. Cyclone tracks were generated from two free‐runs from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System (CFSv1) model for the Southern Hemisphere (SH), and compared with cyclone tracks generated from CFS reanalysis and ERA Interim data from 1979 to 2016. It is demonstrated that CFSv1 is capable of simulating realistic SH cyclone track climatology for both intensity and frequency. The CFSv1's ability to capture interannual variability is also highlighted. Specifically, the impacts of the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO), El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on cyclone track frequency and intensity were assessed. The CFSv1 exhibits an annular structure in frequency and intensity in response to the AAO. For the reanalysis data, AAO cyclone frequency is less annular in the South Pacific especially during Austral Summer, possibly due to a positive trend in the AAO in recent decades. To test this, a reconstruction of cyclone tracks for ERA40 data from 1958 to 2001 produces a more annular structure. The response of cyclone tracks due to ENSO is fairly robust, with the reanalysis datasets and one member of the CFSv1 producing a pattern of cyclone variability consistent with the Pacific South American teleconnection pattern. In contrast, the cyclone frequency and intensity response to the IOD shows little agreement between reanalysis and CFSv1. An examination of 200‐hPa stream function supports the CFS model producing a teleconnection response to ENSO but not the IOD, possibly due to anomalous heating generated from the IOD being too small. Our results suggest that assessing interannual variability of cyclone tracks in current state‐of‐the‐art models be done with large‐number ensembles when possible, especially when considering sensitivity to initial conditions and the magnitude of external forcing.
Antecedents and Consequences of Creativity in Teams: When and How Leader Humility Promotes Performance via Team Creativity
Authors: Wang Xing , Li Hongli , Yin Hongbiao
Published: April 2019

The antecedents of team creativity and their effects on team task performance are explored in this study, with a particular focus on how leader humility promotes team creativity and when team creativity can be converted into performance. Hypotheses were tested via a multiple‐source and time‐lagged study with 341 employees and 104 teams from five different organizations in China. The results showed that leader humility promotes team creativity through team creative efficacy, and leader conscientiousness moderates this indirect effect. Furthermore, team creativity is more positively related to team task performance when teams are more future oriented. The theoretical contributions and management significance of these findings are discussed, followed by a discussion of limitations and directions for future research.
Under drought conditions NaCl improves the nutritional status of the xerophyte Zygophyllum xanthoxylum but not of the glycophyte Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Wang Wen-Ying , Chai Wei-Wei , Zhao Chang-Yu , Rowland Owen , Wang Bao-Shan , Song Xin , Liu Ya-Qi , Ma Qing , Wang Suo-Min
Published: April 2019

Zygophyllum xanthoxylum is a salt‐accumulating xerophytic species with excellent adaptability to adverse environments. Previous studies demonstrated that Z. xanthoxylum absorbs a great quantity of Na+ as an osmoregulatory substance under arid conditions. To investigate the nutritional status of Z. xanthoxylum in comparison with a typical glycophyte, Arabidopsis thaliana, seedlings were exposed to NaCl (50 mM for Z. xanthoxylum and 5 mM for A. thaliana), osmotic stress (–0.5 MPa), and osmotic stress combined with the NaCl treatment. Compared to the control, NaCl treatment or osmotic stress significantly increased Na+ concentration in leaves and roots of Z. xanthoxylum, but not of A. thaliana. Under osmotic stress, the addition of NaCl significantly increased Na+ concentration in leaves and roots of Z. xanthoxylum, resulting in improved biomass and tissue water content. However, such changes were not observed in A. thaliana. Compared to the control, K+ concentrations in leaves and roots remained unchanged in Z. xanthoxylum when exposed to osmotic stress, with or without additional 50 mM NaCl. In contrast, significant reductions in shoot K+ concentrations of A. thaliana were observed under osmotic stress alone or when combined with 5 mM NaCl. Moreover, NaCl alone or when combined with osmotic stress enhanced the accumulation of N, P, Fe, Si, Ca2+, and Mg2+ in Z. xanthoxylum, but did not cause such nutritional changes in A. thaliana. Compared to the glycophyte A. thaliana, Z. xanthoxylum could accumulate Na+ and maintain the stability of nutritional status at a relatively constant level to cope with drought stress.
Minimizing blind men effect in strategic group research: Visualizing complex turbulent markets
Authors: Rebière Philippe , Mavoori Hareesh
Published: April 2019

Increasing complexity and turbulence of modern markets calls for nonstatic multitheoretical/empirical approaches with intrinsic triangulation and intuitive strategic cluster visualization to minimize the “blind men effect” to offer unbiased insights for various stakeholders: corporate strategic managers, policy researchers, and market legislators. This study presents a refined framework for multi‐time‐point dynamic analysis that integrates and superposes multiple dimensions of strategic flexibility, agility, and orientation for cross‐validated insights. It also addresses long‐standing critical debates on strategic group theory via the metaphor of the blind men and the elephant justifying the need for an in‐depth, multiperspective approach. Our approach reveals the evolution of the market structure (strategic and competitive dynamics) of the French pharmaceutical market over time by mapping and interpreting strategic movements over a turbulent time period.
Rapid in‐field failures following adjuvant radiation for buccal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Factor Oren , Su William , Lazarev Stanislav , Miles Brett , Genden Eric , Sharma Sonam , Gupta Vishal , Misiukiewicz Krzysztof , Bakst Richard L.
Published: April 2019

Objectives/Hypothesis

Squamous cell carcinoma originating in the buccal mucosa and retromolar trigone (RMT) have historically poor outcomes. Difficulties in discriminating tumor origin often result in these subsites being combined in surgical and pathological reports. We aimed to determine if making this anatomical distinction has implications for treatment design and clinical outcomes.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Methods

We identified 27 tumors from either the buccal mucosa patients or RMT patients who underwent surgery followed by radiation. For patients who developed a local failure, we fused the pretreatment imaging, simulation computed tomography, and follow‐up imaging to determine the location of failures relative to the radiation field. We calculated the 2‐year locoregional control and 2‐year disease‐free survival.

Results

The median time from surgery to radiation was 50 days (range, 32–133 days). The 2‐year locoregional control for buccal mucosa versus RMT, respectively, were 35.9% versus 68.4% (P = .252). The 2‐year disease‐free survival rates were 32.7% versus 68.4%, respectively (P = .196). The median times to failure were 12.00 months (range, 4.9–115.0 months) versus 18.5 months (range, 4.5–61.0 months), respectively. All buccal mucosa failures occurred within the high‐dose planning target volume, with a median dose of 60 Gy within the failure region. Following locoregional failure, 10 of the 12 patients have died, with a median time from local failure to death of 3.6 months (range, 1–17.6 months).

Conclusions

Squamous cell carcinomas of the buccal mucosa appear to have a poor prognosis characterized by rapid in‐field failure. Therefore, differentiating tumor origin may be important for prognostication and treatment.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 130:413–417, 2020
Chronic renal dysfunction, proteinuria, and risk of Parkinson's disease in the elderly
Authors: Nam Ga Eun , Kim Nan Hee , Han Kyungdo , Choi Kyung Mook , Chung Hye Soo , Kim Jin Wook , Han Byoungduck , Cho Sung Jung , Jung Seung Jin , Yu Ji Hee , Park Yong Gyu , Kim Seon Mee
Published: April 2019

Background

The roles of chronic kidney disease and proteinuria in the development of Parkinson's disease have not been widely studied. The objective of this study was to examine the associations of chronic renal dysfunction and proteinuria with the risk of PD in older adults using cohort data of the whole South Korean population.

Methods

We included 3,580,435 individuals aged ≥65 years who had undergone health checkups provided by the National Health Insurance Service of South Korea between 2009 and 2012 and were followed until 2015. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed.

Results

During a mean follow‐up of 5.2 ± 1.3 years, 30,813 individuals (0.86% of the total population) developed PD. Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate and a higher degree of proteinuria on a dipstick test were associated with higher incidence probability of PD (log‐rank P < 0.001). In Cox regression models, chronic renal dysfunction graded by estimated glomerular filtration rate (mL/min/1.73 m2) was associated with increased risk of PD after adjusting for potential confounding variables; hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) was 1.13 (1.10–1.17) for estimated glomerular filtration rate 60–90, 1.36 (1.31–1.42) for estimated glomerular filtration rate 30–60, and 1.47 (1.32–1.63) for estimated glomerular filtration rate <30 (P for trend <0.001). Proteinuria ≥1+ was also associated with increased risk of PD development (hazard ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.06–1.18). Coexistence of chronic kidney disease and proteinuria showed an increased hazard ratio of 1.33 (95% confidence interval, 1.23–1.45) for PD occurrence.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that chronic renal dysfunction and dipstick‐positive proteinuria may be independent risk factors for the development of PD in older adults. © 2019 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
Whole genome sequencing reveals novel IGHMBP2 variant leading to unique cryptic splice‐site and Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth phenotype with early onset symptoms
Authors: Cassini Thomas A. , Duncan Laura , Rives Lynette C. , Newman John H. , Phillips John A. , Koziura Mary E. , Brault Jennifer , Hamid Rizwan , Cogan Joy ,   Undiagnosed Diseases Network
Published: April 2019

Background

Rare variants (RV) in immunoglobulin mu‐binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2) [OMIM 600502] can cause an autosomal recessive type of Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth (CMT) disease [OMIM 616155], an inherited peripheral neuropathy. Over 40 different genes are associated with CMT, with different possible inheritance patterns.

Methods and Results

An 11‐year‐old female with motor delays was found to have distal atrophy, weakness, and areflexia without bulbar or sensory findings. Her clinical evaluation was unrevealing. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed a maternally inherited IGHMBP2 RV (c.1730T>C) predicted to be pathogenic, but no variant on the other allele was identified. Deletion and duplication analysis was negative. She was referred to the Undiagnosed Disease Network (UDN) for further evaluation.

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) confirmed the previously identified IGHMBP2 RV and identified a paternally inherited non‐coding IGHMBP2 RV. This was predicted to activate a cryptic splice site perturbing IGHMBP2 splicing. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis was consistent with activation of the cryptic splice site. The abnormal transcript was shown to undergo nonsense‐mediated decay (NMD), resulting in halpoinsufficiency.

Conclusion

This case demonstrates the deficiencies of WES and traditional molecular analyses and highlights the advantages of utilization of WGS and functional studies.
The behaviour of near‐surface soils through ultrasonic near‐surface inundation testing
Authors: Taylor Oliver‐Denzil S. , Cunningham Amy L. , Walker Robert E. , McKenna Mihan H. , Martin Kathryn E. , Kinnebrew Pamela G.
Published: April 2019

Seismometers installed within the upper metre of the subsurface can experience significant variability in signal propagation and attenuation properties of observed arrivals due to meteorological events. For example, during rain events, both the time and frequency representations of observed seismic waveforms can be significantly altered, complicating potential automatic signal processing efforts. Historically, a lack of laboratory equipment to explicitly investigate the effects of active inundation on seismic wave properties in the near surface prevented recreation of the observed phenomena in a controlled environment. Presented herein is a new flow chamber designed specifically for near‐surface seismic wave/fluid flow interaction phenomenology research, the ultrasonic near‐surface inundation testing device and newvp‐saturation andvs‐saturation relationships due to the effects of matric suction on the soil fabric.
Colonial and modern fisheries in the Indian River Lagoon, Florida, USA
Authors: Fradkin Arlene
Published: April 2019

The Indian River Lagoon is a narrow estuary extending 251 km (156 mi) along the Atlantic coast of Florida. One of the most biodiverse waterways in North America, this aquatic ecosystem is currently home to more than 4,000 plant and animal species, including approximately 700 fish species. According to archaeological faunal evidence from a mid‐18th‐century colonial settlement in the northern Indian River Lagoon region, this estuary also provided an abundance of wild animal resources in the past. The colonists relied heavily upon the lagoon as indicated by the predominance of ray‐finned fishes in the examined faunal samples. A comparison between particular fish species represented in the archaeological colonial record and those currently found in the lagoon today demonstrates that these fishes were comparable in relative frequency and size.
The contagion of optimism: The relationship between patient optimism and palliative care clinician overestimation of survival among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer
Authors: Ingersoll Luke T , Alexander Stewart C. , Ladwig Susan , Anderson Wendy , Norton Sally A. , Gramling Robert
Published: April 2019

Objective

Clinicians frequently overestimate survival time among seriously ill patients, and this can result in medical treatment at end of life that does not reflect the patient's preferences. Little is known, however, about the sources of clinicians' optimistic bias in survival estimation. Related work in social networks and experimental psychology demonstrates that psychological states—such as optimism—can transfer from one person to another.

Methods

We directly observed and audio recorded 189 initial inpatient palliative care consultations among hospitalized patients with advanced cancer. Patients self‐reported their level of trait optimism and expectations for survival prognosis prior to the palliative care consultation, and the palliative care clinicians rated their expectations for the patient's survival time following the initial conversation with the patient. We followed patient mortality for 6 months.

Results

Patient optimism was associated with clinician overestimation of their survival in a dose–response relationship. Clinicians were approximately three times as likely to overestimate the survival of patients endorsing both high trait optimism and optimistic ratings of their survival time compared with neither (OR: 2.95; 95% CI: 1.24‐7.02). This association was not attenuated by adjustment for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income, cancer type, functional status, quality of life, or white blood cell count (ORadj: 3.45; 95% CI: 1.24‐9.66).

Conclusion

Patients' optimism may have some influence over their clinicians' prognostic judgments.
Groundwater hydrogeochemistry in permafrost regions
Authors: Cochand Marion , Molson John , Lemieux Jean‐Michel
Published: April 2019

This review paper provides a summary of the current state of knowledge regarding groundwater hydrogeochemistry in permafrost regions and presents expected impacts of permafrost degradation on groundwater quality. Using published case studies, the most practical monitoring approaches are reviewed, possible monitoring issues are highlighted, and links between groundwater chemistry signatures and associated flow systems in northern climates are identified. Hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in permafrost regions depend on the same reactions as in nonpermafrost regions, but in acting as a confining layer, permafrost can affect groundwater chemistry by restricting recharge and limiting exchange of energy and mass between the ground surface, surface water and groundwater. Rock (mineral)–water interactions can also increase due to longer residence times. The impacts of climate change on groundwater quality in permafrost regions are thought to be linked to the loss of this confining layer. Various studies have reported significant modifications in shallow and deep groundwater contributions to surface water, marked by a decrease in dissolved organic carbon and an increase in total dissolved solids in stream water linked to declining permafrost coverage. Future studies related to hydrogeology in permafrost areas should include better in situ hydrogeochemical characterization of groundwater to assess its potential for future use as the climate warms.
Radium isotope fingerprinting of permafrost ‐ applications to thawing and intra‐permafrost processes
Authors: Weinstein Yishai , Rotem Dotan , Kooi Henk , Yechieli Yoseph , Sültenfuß Jurgen , Kiro Yael , Harlavan Yehudit , Feldman Mor , Christiansen Hanne H.
Published: April 2019

Permafrost in circum‐polar regions has been recently undergoing thawing, with severe environmental consequences, including the release of greenhouse gases and amplification of global warming. Although highly important, direct methods of tracking thawing hardly exist. In a research study conducted at Adventdalen, Svalbard, we identified a permafrost radioisotope fingerprint, and show that it can be used to track thawing. Ratios of long‐ to the shorter‐lived radium isotopes are higher in ground ice than in active layer water, which we attribute to the permafrost closed system and possibly to the long residence time of ground ice in the permafrost. Also, daughter–parent 224Ra/228Ra ratios are lower in permafrost than in the active layer. These fingerprints were also identified in a local stream, confirming the applicability of this tool to tracing thawed permafrost in periglacial watersheds. A combination of radium isotope ratios and 3H allowed the identification of recent intra‐permafrost segregation processes. The permafrost radium fingerprint should be applicable to other permafrost areas, which could assist in regional quantification of the extent of permafrost thawing and carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
Preparation of an Electrochemical Sensor Based on Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polymers Modified Electrode and its Application in Detection of Nitrocellulose
Authors: Meng Xiangjun , Yang Yan , Xiao Zhenggang
Published: April 2019

In order to develop a novel method for the detection of nitrocellulose (NC), an electrochemical sensor based on silica surface molecularly imprinted polymers (SiO2/MIPs) modified electrode was prepared to detect NC. In addition, SiO2 non‐imprinted polymers‐based (SiO2/NIPs) sensor was prepared as a control. The response characteristic of SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor to NC was studied with [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− as a probe molecule. The SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor have an optimized current responsiveness to NC when it was prepared at temperature of 50 °C and 1 : 3 proportion of methacrylic acid to ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate. The current response of SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor is the most significant under the NC solution of 4.0 mg mL−1, incubation period of 1 min and [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− electrolyte of 5 mM. The SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor had the greatest response capacity for NC among the several analogues, which indicates that the SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor has a good specificity to NC. Furthermore, the SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor exhibited an excellent reproducibility in repeated measurements. Results show the prepared SiO2/MIPs‐based sensor can be a potential candidate for the detection of NC in the security checking and hazard control.
Health professionals’ and researchers’ opinions on conducting clinical deprescribing trials
Authors: Clough Alexander J. , Hilmer Sarah N. , Kouladjian‐O'Donnell Lisa , Naismith Sharon L. , Gnjidic Danijela
Published: April 2019

While clinical deprescribing trials are increasingly being performed, there is no guidance on the optimum conduction of such studies. The aim of this survey was to explore the perspectives, attitudes, interests, barriers, and enablers of conducting clinical deprescribing trials among health professionals and researchers. An anonymous survey was developed, reviewed, and piloted by all investigators and informed by consultation with experts, as well as current deprescribing guidelines. The questions were formulated around current clinical trial frameworks and incorporated identified enablers and barriers of performing deprescribing studies. The survey was sent to members of Australian and international deprescribing, pharmacological, and pharmacy organizations, and other researchers published in deprescribing. A total of 96 respondents completed the survey (92.3% completion rate). Respondents indicated the main deprescribing trial rationale is to generate evidence to optimize patient‐centered outcomes (79.2%). Common barriers identified included the time and effort required (18.2%), and apprehension of health professionals involved in trials (17.1%). Studies are enabled by positive attitudes toward deprescribing of treating prescribers (24.4%) and patients (20.9%). Classical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were deemed the most appropriate methodology (93.2%). Sixty percent of participants indicated a good clinical practice framework is required to guide the conduct of deprescribing trials. There were no significant differences in responses based on previous experience in conducting clinical deprescribing trials. In conclusion, clinical deprescribing trials should be conducted to investigate whether deprescribing medications improves patient care. A future deprescribing trial framework should use classical RCTs as a model, ensure participant safety, and target patient‐centered outcomes.
Migration and health in China: Linking sending and host societies
Authors: Wang Senhu , Hu Yang
Published: April 2019

China's large‐scale internal migration has stimulated ongoing debates about consequences of geographical mobility for population health. Although existing research predominantly focused on migrants' health in host societies, the complex relationship between migration and health throughout the full migratory cycle remains understudied. Analysing data from 2010 China General Social Survey (N = 1,660), we investigate variations in migrants' physical and mental health across four distinct migratory stages—intended, temporary, permanent, and return migration. Supporting the “healthy migrant” and “salmon” hypotheses, we found that intended migrants have better health than rural residents with no migration intention, and migrants have better health than return migrants. The health disparity between nonmigrants and migrants is largely explained by selective demographic and socio‐economic traits, but not health behaviours. Rural‐to‐urban migration is associated with adverse health outcomes, particularly among permanent migrants. The findings suggest potential health risks associated with rural‐to‐urban migration and migrant assimilation in urban China.
Nanofiber‐Reinforced Silver Nanowires Network as a Robust, Ultrathin, and Conformable Epidermal Electrode for Ambulatory Monitoring of Physiological Signals
Authors: Liu Lu , Li Hua Yang , Fan You Jun , Chen Yang Hui , Kuang Shuang Yang , Li Ze Bin , Wang Zhong Lin , Zhu Guang
Published: April 2019

Extremely soft and thin electrodes with high skin conformability have potential applications in wearable devices for personal healthcare. Here, a submicrometer thick, highly robust, and conformable nanonetwork epidermal electrode (NEE) is reported. Electrospinning of polyamide nanofibers and electrospraying of silver nanowires are simultaneously performed to form a homogeneously convoluted network in a nonwoven way. For a 125 nm thick NEE, a low sheet resistance of ≈4 Ω sq−1 with an optical transmittance of ≈82% is achieved. Due to the nanofiber‐based scaffold that undertakes most of the stress during deformation, the electric resistance of the NEE shows very little variation; less than 1.2% after 50 000 bending cycles. The NEE can form a fully conformal contact to human skin without additional adhesives, and the NEE shows a contact impedance that is over 50% lower than what is found in commercial gel electrodes. Due to conformal contact even under deformation, the NEE proves to be a stable, robust, and comfortable approach for measuring electrocardiogram signals, especially when a subject is in motion. These features make the NEE promising for use in the ambulatory measurement of physiological signals for healthcare applications.
Recent Advances Utilized in the Recycling of Homogeneous Catalysis
Authors: Shende Vaishali S. , Saptal Vitthal B. , Bhanage Bhalchandra M.
Published: April 2019

Homogeneous catalysts often show high activity and selectivity towards the various chemical transformations. Most of the transition metal‐based active catalysts are expensive, rare, and have strict regulations for their use in pharmaceutical products. Hence, there is a requirement to develop suitable technologies for the practical separation and recycling of metal complex catalysts along with the sustainability of the process. This review focuses on the recent techniques used for the catalyst separation, their recovery, and recyclability of the homogeneous form of catalysts based on their economic compatibility and industrial applications. Various homogeneous catalysts have been reviewed on the basis of their support or media, active centres and recyclability aspects of the catalysts. This review gives brief insights into the varied examples of different recycling techniques utilized in the past 6–7 years.