bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An ancient germ cell-specific RNA-binding protein protects the germline from cryptic splice site poisoning
Authors: Ehrmann Ingrid , Crichton James H , Gazzara Matthew R , James Katherine , Liu Yilei , Grellscheid Sushma Nagaraja , Curk Tomaž , de Rooij Dirk , Steyn Jannetta S , Cockell Simon , Adams Ian R , Barash Yoseph , Elliott David J
Published: January 2019

Male germ cells of all placental mammals express an ancient nuclear RNA binding protein of unknown function called RBMXL2. Here we find that deletion of the retrogene encoding RBMXL2 blocks spermatogenesis. Transcriptome analyses of age-matched deletion mice show that RBMXL2 controls splicing patterns during meiosis. In particular, RBMXL2 represses the selection of aberrant splice sites and the insertion of cryptic and premature terminal exons. Our data suggest a Rbmxl2 retrogene has been conserved across mammals as part of a splicing control mechanism that is fundamentally important to germ cell biology. We propose that this mechanism is essential to meiosis because it buffers the high ambient concentrations of splicing activators, thereby preventing poisoning of key transcripts and disruption to gene expression by aberrant splice site selection.
How muscle contraction strengthens tendons
Authors: Glenn Nicole O , Henry Clarissa A
Published: January 2019

The force generated by muscles leads to signaling that helps to shape nearby tendon precursor cells.
Legacies of Engagement with East Asia
Authors: Heer Paul J.
Published: January 2019

This concluding chapter summarizes Kennan’s experience with East Asia and the legacies of his engagement with the region. It surveys his strategic approach to the Far East and highlights his explanation of why he did not believe his doctrine of containment was applicable there. It tracks the evolution of his thinking about China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia—and the attitudes he maintained toward each—from the 1960s until the end of his life. The chapter offers a balance sheet of the strengths and weaknesses of his approach to East Asia. Finally, it discusses the current policy relevance of the key issues Kennan confronted in the region and his response to them.
Beyond Jedwabne
Authors: Kopstein Jeffrey S. , Wittenberg Jason
Published: January 2019

This chapter examines the summer 1941 pogroms in what had been the Białystok and Polesie voivodships of Poland before the Soviet annexation. The main ethnic groups inhabiting these areas were Poles, Jews, and Belarusians. Our analysis illustrates that the pogroms were most likely to occur where support for Jewish national equality and the popularity of parties advocating cross-ethnic cooperation were strongest. In these localities Poles seeking a nationally homogeneous state felt most threatened, leading some to commit violence and others less likely to come to the rescue of their Jewish neighbors.
State Control and the Rise of Socialist Entertainment
Authors: Wang Di
Published: January 2019

This chapter describes state control over cultural life, which occurred as soon as the People’s Liberation Army entered Chengdu. This would over time transform the major teahouse theaters and the performance troupes associated with them. The goal was to usurp old-fashioned performances with “socialist entertainment.” The chapter provides a survey of folk performers that the local government undertook in the mid-1950s so as to control and reduce the number of performers and thus weaken all forms of popular entertainment. Through this old-style public arena the new government disseminated political propaganda, and the teahouse became a political stage for a newly created political culture. Initially, long-established and revolutionary forms of entertainment coexisted, but as time went on the former was increasingly attacked, controlled, and reformed, until socialist entertainment dominated.
The Resurgence of Teahouses in the Reform Era
Authors: Wang Di
Published: January 2019

This chapter shows that at the end of the Cultural Revolution they did not suffer total destruction, as had the city’s walls and many popular spaces, as well as forms of folk entertainment. Teahouses were indeed dormant, but not dead; they recovered immediately once conditions were politically favorable, as seen in the renewed popularity of street-corner teahouses and emergence of the high-end tea balconies. Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, teahouses re-emerged on every corner in the city and today thrive as never before.
Urban Residents and Migrant Workers in Public Life
Authors: Wang Di
Published: January 2019

This chapter focuses on the various types of teahouse patron and those who made a living in and associated with the teahouse, especially migrant workers. With the post-Mao reforms and weakening of state control, teahouses could exist in a relatively more open social environment, serving all levels and all kinds of customers across the social spectrum regardless of outward status, class, gender, and age; in particular they became the domain of the retired and elderly. Furthermore, as local markets strengthened and management practices improved, people once again began to earn a living in teahouses.
Introduction
Authors: Vanderputten Steven
Published: January 2019

This introduction reviews the state of the art in the study of women's monasticism between 800 and 1050, draws attention to the inconsistencies in traditional accounts, and develops a new way of looking at the primary evidence to reconstruct a more accurate narrative. Besides presenting the case study of forty communities in Lotharingia, it also outlines the triple hypothesis of the book.
The Woes of Aging
Authors: Honeck Mischa
Published: January 2019

The book concludes with an epilogue that links the partial demise of Boy Scouting in the United States to the countercultural youth movements and antiwar protests of the global sixties. Ending on the theme of organized youth in crisis, however, is not meant to suggest a simplistic narrative arc delineating the rise and fall of the BSA. Rather, it speculates on how the dramatic membership loss of the 1970s had the paradoxical effect of invigorating both the forces of reform and reentrenchment in the movement, while the alleged assault on traditional American values in the culture wars and the “War on Terror” provided new outlets for young imperial masculinities.
The Proliferation and Codification of the Laws of War
Authors: Fazal Tanisha M.
Published: January 2019

This chapter makes three arguments in presenting a history of the development of the laws of war governing belligerent conduct. First, the laws of war have increased dramatically in number over the past 150 years. Second, military participation in international humanitarian lawmaking has similarly decreased dramatically. And third, the laws of war were designed by states and meant to govern interstate war; rebel groups in civil war are typically only mentioned with the purpose of denying them international legal standing. The analysis in this chapter is based on original content analysis of the commentaries to the 1949 Geneva Conventions and the 1977 Additional Protocols to the Geneva Conventions.
Ghost Markets and Moving Bazaars in Hanoi’s Urban Space
Authors: Hüwelmeier Gertrud
Published: January 2019

This chapter explores the demolition and renewal of traditional marketplaces in urban Hanoi, each in a different stage of renovation. It focuses on female traders, hawkers, and street vendors who employ creative strategies to cope with the loss of their livelihoods. By drawing on concepts such as clientelization and beneficial relations (quan hệ) this contribution highlights some of the social relationships that traders build up over time with members of the market management, other vendors, and customers in various marketplaces.
Dealing with Uncertainty: Itinerant Street Vendors and Local Officials in Hanoi
Authors: Barthelmes Lisa
Published: January 2019

Despite various bans and hostile state policies since the 1990s, mobile street vendors continue to exist in large numbers on Hanoi’s streets. Due to the lack of transparent information about the legal framework in place, itinerant street vendors operate in a political environment that is characterized by uncertainty. This allows local officials a significant level of flexibility, in which they shift between tolerance and discipline. The chapter analyzes the tactics and strategies that Hanoi’s itinerant street vendors employ to deal with this uncertainty. These tactics and strategies range from evasion techniques and moral claims to the performance of “ruralness.”
Regulations and Raids, or the Precarious Place of Gold Shops in Vietnam
Authors: Truitt Allison
Published: January 2019

In 2014, police raided a gold shop in Ho Chi Minh City and confiscated US dollars, Thai baht, and more than 500 SJC gold bars. The public outcry following the raid underscores the contentious reaction to a 2012 government decree prohibiting gold shops from exchanging foreign currency and gold bars. This chapter examines official justifications for the raid as well as popular perceptions as a means of assessing the vulnerability of gold traders in Vietnam’s shifting monetary landscape.
The Honor of the Trophy
Authors: Goff Alice
Published: January 2019

This chapter discusses how and why during the Napoleonic wars, French armies expropriated artwork from across Europe to be displayed at the new Louvre Museum in Paris in the name of Enlightenment universalism. It focuses on the bronze statue known as Adorans that had been discovered in 1503 in Rhodes and brought to Venice, whence it circulated through noble and royal private collections until it was captured by the French and put on public display in the Louvre. Prussian administrators subsequently repatriated the statue to serve their own idealistic vision of art's transcendent spirit. The bronze statue was damaged a number of times along this trajectory, so damaged that even fundamental questions such as whether the boy's arms were extended heavenward in supplication or in some other posture became the subject of intense debate. Ultimately, the chapter argues for the importance of the object's materiality and also for the crucial role of its human captors and interpreters.
PROTOCOLO VERBAL E TESTE DE ASSOCIAÇÃO LIVRE DE PALAVRAS: perspectivas de instrumentos de pesquisa introspectiva e projetiva na ciência da informação
Authors: Neves Dulce Amélia B. , Brito Raisa Carneiro de , Códula Ana Cláudia Cruz , Silva Julianne Teixeira e , Tavares Dereck Warwick da S
Published: January 2019

Estratégias cognitivas e metacognitivas possibilitam ao indivíduo planejar e monitorar o seu desempenho de aprendizagem, permitindo, com isto, a tomada de consciência dos processos utilizados para aprender. Favorecem a tomada de decisões apropriadas sobre quais estratégias adotar em cada tarefa e a avaliar a sua eficácia, alterando-as quando não produzem os resultados desejados. Nesse sentido, os estudos sobre a cognição humana encontram-se na base para a compreensão de como o ser humano processa, armazena, representa e recupera a informação. O Protocolo Verbal (PV) e o Teste de Associação Livre de Palavras (TALP) são técnicas aplicadas enquanto instrumento de pesquisa na coleta de dados que fornecem informações introspectivas (PV) e projetivas (TALP) relacionadas aos processos mentais dos indivíduos pesquisados. O objetivo desta pesquisa é refletir sobre as viabilidades corroborativas que podem permear ambos os instrumentos de coleta de dados em pesquisas no âmbito da Ciência da Informação.
Validity and reliability of work ability index (WAI) questionnaire among Iranian workers; a study in petrochemical and car manufacturing industries
Authors: Adel Mazloumi , Akbar Rostamabadi , Ehsan Garosi
Published: January 2019

Objectives

Maintenance and promotion of employees’ work ability is one of the important social goals. This study is aimed at investigating psychometric properties of the Persian translation of work ability index (WAI).

Methods

A total number of 750 employees were randomly selected from car manufacturing and petrochemical industries. Reliability of the questionnaire was determined using test-retest and Cronbach alpha coefficient. Factor analysis was used for assessing construct validity. To determine discriminant validity, the mean score of total WAI was compared between workers with high and low sick leave rate.

Results

Intraclass correlation coefficients for its seven dimensions were estimated higher than 0.7. The questionnaire showed a good internal consistency, Cronbach α = 0.78. Factor analysis showed a three-factor structure model for Persian translation of WAI including: mental resources, self-perceived work ability, and presence of disease and health-related limitation. A good level of discriminant validity was observed for all WAI dimensions except the item “work ability regarding work demands.”

Discussion

The study findings indicate that the Persian version of WAI questionnaire has good psychometric properties of internal consistency and test-retest showed a good reliability of WAI questionnaire, which is in line with those found in previous studies. Therefore, this tool can be considered as a reliable instrument for assessing work ability.
Alternate quinone coupling in a new class of succinate dehydrogenase may potentiate mycobacterial respiratory control
Authors: Hards Kiel , Rodriguez Salome Molano , Cairns Charlotte , Cook Gregory M.
Published: January 2019

There is a paucity of information on the unique components that pathogens use to form respiratory chains. It is not known why mycobacteria encode multiple succinate dehydrogenases (SDHs) to perform menaquinone‐linked succinate oxidation, a thermodynamically unfavorable reaction (ΔG° = +21 kJ·mol−1). In other bacteria, specific di‐heme SDHs overcome this using the proton motive force. It is unknown if this holds true in mycobacteria. Here, succinate dehydrogenase 1 (Sdh1) from Mycobacterium smegmatis was purified and found to not contain heme cofactors. Proteoliposomes, containing Sdh1, are active with coenzyme Q2 (Km ~ 12 μm), are competitively inhibited by menaquinone (Ki ~ 25 μm) and do not generate or consume electrochemical gradients. Sdh1 may use higher potential quinones in vivo and forms a novel SDH class, which we term ‘Type F’.
RETRACTED: Mutual regulation of MDM4 and TOP2A in cancer cell proliferation
Authors: Liu Tao , Zhang Hailong , Yi Sha , Gu Lubing , Zhou Muxiang
Published: January 2019

MDM4 and topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) are overexpressed in various human cancers. MDM4 acts as an oncoprotein which promotes cancer progression by inhibiting tumor suppressor p53. As a DNA replication‐ and cell division‐regulating enzyme, TOP2A is the main target of many anticancer therapy regimens; however, the exact role of TOP2A in cancer remains elusive. Herein, we report that MDM4 and TOP2A bind to each other and are mutually upregulated at the post‐translational level, leading to TOP2A protein stabilization, inhibition of p53, and increased tumor‐cell proliferation. We demonstrate that the C‐terminal region (CTR) of TOP2A binds to a unique sequence (residues: 188–238) of MDM4, which contains an auto‐inhibitory segment regulating the MDM4‐p53 interaction. TOP2A binding in turn activates MDM4 for p53 binding, resulting in enhanced inhibition of p53 and cancer cell proliferation. Conversely, binding of the MDM4 sequence to the CTR of TOP2A stabilizes TOP2A protein, leading to increased TOP2A protein expression. These results reveal novel functions of MDM4 and TOP2A as well as their interactions in oncogenesis, suggesting that inhibition of the MDM4‐TOP2A interaction may represent a novel strategy in specifically and simultaneously targeting TOP2A and MDM4 for cancer treatment.
The EIL transcription factor family in soybean: Genome‐wide identification, expression profiling and genetic diversity analysis
Authors: Li Qing , Shen Yanting , Guo Luqin , Wang Hong , Zhang Yu , Fan Chengming , Zheng Yihong
Published: January 2019

The ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE3‐LIKE (EIL) transcription factor family plays a critical role in the ethylene signaling pathway, which regulates a broad spectrum of plant growth and developmental processes, as well as defenses to myriad stresses. Although genome‐wide analysis of this family has been carried out for several plant species, no comprehensive analysis of the EIL gene family in soybean has been reported so far. Furthermore, there are few studies on the functions of EIL genes in soybean. In this study, we identified 12 soybean (Gm) EIL genes, which we divided into three groups based on their phylogenetic relationships. We then detected their duplication status and found that most of the GmEIL genes have duplicated copies derived from two whole‐genome duplication events. These duplicated genes underwent strong negative selection during evolution. We further analyzed the transcript profiles of GmEIL genes using the transcriptome data and found that their spatio‐temporal and stress expression patterns varied considerably. For example, GmEIL1–GmEIL5 were found to be strongly expressed in almost every sample, while GmEIL8–GmEIL12 exhibited low expression, or were not expressed at all. Additionally, these genes showed different responses to dehydration, salinity and phosphate starvation. Finally, we surveyed genetic variations of these genes in 302 resequenced wild soybeans, landraces and improved soybean cultivars. Our data showed that most GmEIL genes are well conserved, and are not modified in domesticated or improved cultivars. Together, these findings provide a potentially valuable resource for characterizing the GmEIL gene family and lay the basis for further elucidation of their molecular mechanisms.
Self, peer, and teacher reports of victim‐aggressor networks in kindergartens
Authors: Huitsing Gijs , van Duijn Marijtje A. J. , Snijders Tom A. B. , Alsaker Françoise D. , Perren Sonja , Veenstra René
Published: January 2019

This study investigated if and how children and teachers differ in their assessment of victim‐aggressor relationships in kindergartens. Self‐, peer, and teacher reports of victimization‐aggression networks (who is victimized by whom) were investigated in 25 Swiss kindergartens with 402 5‐ to 7‐years‐old. It was examined whether child characteristics (sex and parent‐reported internalizing and externalizing behavior) influence informant reports of victimization and/or aggression. Findings from statistical network models indicated higher concordance between self and peer reports than between one of these and teacher reports. Results further showed more agreement among informants on aggressors than on victims. Aggressors reported by self and peer reports were low on internalizing behavior, and aggressors reported by self and teacher reports were high on externalizing behavior; teacher‐reported victims were also high on externalizing behavior. Internalizing behavior was unrelated to victimization. According to self and peer reports, boys as well as girls were victimized by boys and girls equally; teachers reported less cross‐sex victimization than same‐sex victimization. The different views of teachers and children on victim‐aggressor relationships have implications for the identification of aggression in early childhood. Mutual sharing of information between children, their parents, peers, and teachers may contribute to signaling victims and aggressors in the early school years.
Toward Chirality‐Encoded Domain Wall Logic
Authors: Omari Khalid A. , Broomhall Thomas J. , Dawidek Richard W. S. , Allwood Dan A. , Bradley Ruth C. , Wood Jonathan M. , Fry Paul W. , Rosamond Mark C. , Linfield Edmund H. , Im Mi‐Young , Fischer Peter J. , Hayward Tom J.
Published: January 2019

Nonvolatile logic networks based on spintronic and nanomagnetic technologies have the potential to create high‐speed, ultralow power computational architectures. This article explores the feasibility of “chirality‐encoded domain wall logic,” a nanomagnetic logic architecture where data are encoded by the chiral structures of mobile domain walls in networks of ferromagnetic nanowires and processed by the chiral structures' interactions with geometric features of the networks. High‐resolution magnetic imaging is used to test two critical functionalities: the inversion of domain wall chirality at tailored artificial defect sites (logical NOT gates) and the chirality‐selective output of domain walls from 2‐in‐1‐out nanowire junctions (common operation to AND/NAND/OR/NOR gates). The measurements demonstrate both operations can be performed to a good degree of fidelity even in the presence of complex magnetization dynamics that would normally be expected to destroy chirality‐encoded information. Together, these results represent a strong indication of the feasibility of devices where chiral magnetization textures are used to directly carry, rather than merely delineate, data.
Impact of the Solvation State of Lead Iodide on Its Two‐Step Conversion to MAPbI3: An In Situ Investigation
Authors: Barrit Dounya , Cheng Peirui , Tang Ming‐Chun , Wang Kai , Dang Hoang , Smilgies Detlef‐M. , Liu Shengzhong (Frank) , Anthopoulos Thomas D. , Zhao Kui , Amassian Aram
Published: January 2019

Producing high efficiency solar cells without high‐temperature processing or use of additives still remains a challenge with the two‐step process. Here, the solution processing of MAPbI3 from PbI2 films in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) is investigated. In‐situ grazing incidence wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (GIWAXS) measurements reveal a sol–gel process involving three PbI2‐DMF solvate complexes—disordered (P0) and ordered (P1, P2)—prior to PbI2 formation. When the appropriate solvated state of PbI2 is exposed to MAI (methylammonium Iodide), it can lead to rapid and complete room temperature conversion into MAPbI3 with higher quality films and improved solar cell performance. Complementary in‐situ optical reflectance, absorbance, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM‐D) measurements show that dry PbI2 can take up only one third of the MAI taken up by the solvated‐crystalline P2 phase of PbI2, requiring additional annealing and yet still underperforming. The perovskite solar cells fabricated from the ordered P2 precursor show higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) and reproducibility than devices fabricated from other cases. The average PCE of the solar cells is greatly improved from 13.2(±0.53)% (from annealed PbI2) to 15.7(±0.35)% (from P2) reaching up to 16.2%. This work demonstrates the importance of controlling the solvation of PbI2 as an effective strategy for the growth of high‐quality perovskite films and their application in high efficiency and reproducible solar cells.
Enhanced Charge Injection Properties of Organic Field‐Effect Transistor by Molecular Implantation Doping
Authors: Kim Youngrok , Chung Seungjun , Cho Kyungjune , Harkin David , Hwang Wang‐Taek , Yoo Daekyoung , Kim Jae‐Keun , Lee Woocheol , Song Younggul , Ahn Heebeom , Hong Yongtaek , Sirringhaus Henning , Kang Keehoon , Lee Takhee
Published: January 2019

Organic semiconductors (OSCs) have been widely studied due to their merits such as mechanical flexibility, solution processability, and large‐area fabrication. However, OSC devices still have to overcome contact resistance issues for better performances. Because of the Schottky contact at the metal–OSC interfaces, a non‐ideal transfer curve feature often appears in the low‐drain voltage region. To improve the contact properties of OSCs, there have been several methods reported, including interface treatment by self‐assembled monolayers and introducing charge injection layers. Here, a selective contact doping of 2,3,5,6‐tetrafluoro‐7,7,8,8‐tetracyanoquinodimethane (F4‐TCNQ) by solid‐state diffusion in poly(2,5‐bis(3‐hexadecylthiophen‐2‐yl)thieno[3,2‐b]thiophene) (PBTTT) to enhance carrier injection in bottom‐gate PBTTT organic field‐effect transistors (OFETs) is demonstrated. Furthermore, the effect of post‐doping treatment on diffusion of F4‐TCNQ molecules in order to improve the device stability is investigated. In addition, the application of the doping technique to the low‐voltage operation of PBTTT OFETs with high‐k gate dielectrics demonstrated a potential for designing scalable and low‐power organic devices by utilizing doping of conjugated polymers.
IronIII‐catalyzed Chemoselective Cycloaromatization Reactions for the synthesis of 5‐Brominated Benzo[b]fluorenones
Authors: Tan Jie , Wang Zhihua , Yuan Jianjun , Peng Yiyuan , Chen Zhiyuan
Published: January 2019

A FeIII‐catalyzed cycloaromatization reaction of acyclic diaryldiyn‐3‐ones has been established. The reaction proceeds under gentle catalytic conditions with good functional group tolerance, to offer a straightforward and chemoselective avenue to 5‐brominated benzo[b]fluorenones. An allenoate‐type nine‐membered organoferric cyclic species and an alternative concerted mechanism were proposed in this reaction.

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Variational Quantum Simulation for Quantum Chemistry
Authors: Li Yifan , Hu Jiaqi , Zhang Xiao‐Ming , Song Zhigang , Yung Man‐Hong
Published: January 2019

Variational quantum‐classical hybrid algorithms are emerging as important tools for simulating quantum chemistry with quantum devices. These algorithms can be applied to evaluate various molecular properties, including potential energy surfaces. Here in, recent progresses on the development of the so‐called variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) are surveyed. The eigensolver aims at reducing the consumption of quantum resources as much as possible. The key feature of VQE is that variation quantum states are optimized by a feedback process, where the measurement of the Hamiltonian is implemented term by term. This approach avoids the need of encoding all of the information about the molecular Hamiltonian in a quantum circuit. The VQE method is also compatible with classical methods in quantum chemistry, such as unitary coupled‐cluster ansatz. Furthermore, basic elements of VQE are covered, such as qubit encoding, mapping rules of the fermionic operators, ansatz preparation, together with several techniques for improving the performance, including constraining, and error mitigation.
Fully Bioabsorbable Capacitor as an Energy Storage Unit for Implantable Medical Electronics
Authors: Li Hu , Zhao Chaochao , Wang Xinxin , Meng Jianping , Zou Yang , Noreen Sehrish , Zhao Luming , Liu Zhuo , Ouyang Han , Tan Puchuan , Yu Min , Fan Yubo , Wang Zhong Lin , Li Zhou
Published: January 2019

Implantable medical electronic devices are usually powered by batteries or capacitors, which have to be removed from the body after completing their function due to their non‐biodegradable property. Here, a fully bioabsorbable capacitor (BC) is developed for life‐time implantation. The BC has a symmetrical layer‐by‐layer structure, including polylactic acid (PLA) supporting substrate, PLA nanopillar arrays, self‐assembled zinc oxide nanoporous layer, and polyvinyl alcohol/phosphate buffer solution (PVA/PBS) hydrogel. The as‐fabricated BC can not only work normally in air but also in a liquid environment, including PBS and the animal body. Long‐term normal work time is achieved to 30 days in PBS and 50 days in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats. The work time of BC in the liquid environment is tunable from days to weeks by adopting different encapsulations along BC edges. Capacitance retention of 70% is achieved after 3000 cycles. Three BCs in series can light up 15 green light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) in vivo. Additionally, after completing its mission, the BC can be fully degraded in vivo and reabsorbed by a SD rat. Considering its performance, the developed BC has a great potential as a fully bioabsorbable power source for transient electronics and implantable medical devices.
Therapeutic Remodeling of the Tumor Microenvironment Enhances Nanoparticle Delivery
Authors: Chen Yuanxin , Liu Xiujie , Yuan Hengfeng , Yang Zhaogang , von Roemeling Christina A. , Qie Yaqing , Zhao Hai , Wang Yifan , Jiang Wen , Kim Betty Y. S.
Published: January 2019

A major challenge in the development of cancer nanomedicine is the inability for nanomaterials to efficiently penetrate and deliver therapeutic agents into solid tumors. Previous studies have shown that tumor vasculature and extracellular matrix regulate the transvascular and interstitial transport of nanoparticles, both critical for successfully delivering nanomedicine into solid tumors. Within the malignant tumor microenvironment, blood vessels are morphologically abnormal and functionally exhibit substantial permeability. Furthermore, the tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), unlike that of the normal tissue parenchyma, is densely packed with collagen. These pathophysiological properties greatly impede intratumoral delivery of nanomaterials. By using an antivascular endothelial growth factor receptor antibody, DC101, and an antitransforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) antibody, normalization of the tumor vasculature and ECM is achieved, respectively, in a syngeneic murine glioma model. This normalization effect results in a more organized vascular network, improves tissue perfusion, and reduces collagen density, all of which contribute to enhanced nanoparticle delivery and distribution within tumors. These findings suggest that combined vascular and ECM normalization strategies can be used to remodel the tumor microenvironment and improve nanomedicine delivery into solid tumors, which has significant implications for developing more effective combinational therapeutic strategies using cancer nanomedicine.
Outstanding Piezoelectric Performance in Lead‐Free 0.95(K,Na)(Sb,Nb)O3‐0.05(Bi,Na,K)ZrO3 Thick Films with Oriented Nanophase Coexistence
Authors: Wang Yumei , Wu Haijun , Qin Xian , Yao Kui , Pennycook Stephen J. , Tay Francis Eng Hock
Published: January 2019

Lead‐free 0.95(K0.48Na0.52)(Nb0.95Sb0.05)O3‐0.05Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5ZrO3 (KNSN‐BNKZ0.05) piezoelectric films with preferred crystal orientation and enhanced thickness are fabricated on silicon substrates from a chemical solution approach. Adequate K excess is introduced to obtain a single perovskite phase in the resulting thicker films. The effects of thickness, crystal orientation, and structure of the films on the performance are investigated. Outstandingly large effective piezoelectric strain coefficient up to 250 pm V−1 is demonstrated over a macroscopic scale using a laser scanning vibrometer in the [100]‐KNSN‐BNKZ0.05 film with an enhanced thickness of 2.7 µm, competitive to the benchmark oriented lead zirconate titanate films on silicon. Atomically resolved electron microscopy reveals the coexistence of oriented ferroelectric rhombohedral (R) and tetragonal (T) phases at the nanometer scale with gradual polarization rotation, which can lower the domain wall energy and facilitate the large piezoelectric response. The increased film thickness reduces the in‐plane mechanical clamping to enable more free deformation in the thickness direction and improve domain wall mobility, both further contributing to enhanced piezoelectric response.
Dehydrative C‐ and S‐Alkylation: Access to Highly Substituted 1‐Sulfonylpropanes
Authors: Aegurla Balakrishna , Peddinti Rama Krishna
Published: January 2019

A dehydrative C− and S−alkylation procedure by nucleophilic substitution of γ‐hydroxysufones with arenes and thiophenols is reported. This study represents an elegant and ecological concept to construct C−C and C−S bonds leading to unsymmetrical 1,1‐ and 3,3‐branched propanes. The γ‐hydroxysufones underwent BF3 ⋅ OEt2‐mediated dehydrative arylation and thiolation at room temperature and elimination at 40 °C. The nucleophile attack occurred on the less hindered side of a planar benzylic carbocation to furnish the title compounds with good diastereoselectivity.
Microcurrent technology for rapid relief of sinus pain: a randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blinded clinical trial
Authors: Maul Ximena A. , Borchard Nicole A. , Hwang Peter H. , Nayak Jayakar V.
Published: January 2019

Background

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has proven to be effective in alleviating chronic pain from facial myalgias. We evaluated the efficacy of a novel handheld microcurrent‐emitting device in short‐term, office‐based treatment of patients with sinus pain. This device, which is U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐cleared, detects and treats regions corresponding to nerve fibers.

Methods

Randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled trial. Seventy‐one participants with facial pain attributed to self‐reported nasal/sinus disease were recruited from a tertiary rhinologic practice and the surrounding community and randomly assigned to either office‐based use of an active (n = 38) or placebo (n = 33) microcurrent emitter. The study device was repetitively applied by each patient to the bilateral periorbital areas for 5 minutes. A visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain severity was administered before, and 10 minutes after, treatment.

Results

Active microcurrent‐treated patients had a reduction in mean pain score from 5.63 pretreatment to 3.97 posttreatment (mean difference, 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20 to 2.12). Patients using the sham device also reported sinus pain reductions (mean difference, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.61 to 1.21). However, the active device demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in pain compared to sham (0.75‐point difference, p = 0.007). Notably, 23.7% of patients using the active device had a reduction of 3 or more points by VAS compared to 0% of sham device patients (p = 0.003). One minor occurrence of transient facial skin erythema was noted.

Conclusion

This trial suggests that treatment of rhinologic facial pain using this noninvasive microcurrent device is safe and effective in providing rapid relief of nasal/sinus pain. Additional studies with longer term follow‐up are warranted.
NIFTy 3 – Numerical Information Field Theory: A Python Framework for Multicomponent Signal Inference on HPC Clusters
Authors: Steininger Theo , Dixit Jait , Frank Philipp , Greiner Maksim , Hutschenreuter Sebastian , Knollmüller Jakob , Leike Reimar , Porqueres Natalia , Pumpe Daniel , Reinecke Martin , Šraml Matevž , Varady Csongor , Enßlin Torsten
Published: January 2019

NIFTy, “Numerical Information Field Theory,” is a software framework designed to ease the development and implementation of field inference algorithms. Field equations are formulated independently of the underlying spatial geometry allowing the user to focus on the algorithmic design. Under the hood, NIFTy ensures that the discretization of the implemented equations is consistent. This enables the user to prototype an algorithm rapidly in 1D and then apply it to high‐dimensional real‐world problems. This paper introduces NIFTy 3, a major upgrade to the original NIFTy framework. NIFTy 3 allows the user to run inference algorithms on massively parallel high performance computing clusters without changing the implementation of the field equations. It supports n‐dimensional Cartesian spaces, spherical spaces, power spaces, and product spaces as well as transforms to their harmonic counterparts. Furthermore, NIFTy 3 is able to handle non‐scalar fields, such as vector or tensor fields. The functionality and performance of the software package is demonstrated with example code, which implements a mock inference inspired by a real‐world algorithm from the realm of information field theory. NIFTy 3 is open‐source software available under the GNU General Public License v3 (GPL‐3) at https://gitlab.mpcdf.mpg.de/ift/NIFTy/tree/NIFTy_3.
Doping Sumanene with Both Chalcogens and Phosphorus(V): One‐Step Synthesis, Coordination, and Selective Response Toward AgI
Authors: Wang Shitao , Yan Chaoxian , Shang Jihai , Wang Wenbo , Yuan Chengshan , Zhang Hao‐Li , Shao Xiangfeng
Published: January 2019

Heterasumanenes 4–6 containing chalcogen (S, Se, and Te) and phosphorus atoms have been synthesized in a one‐pot reaction from trichalcogenasumanenes 1–3 by replacing one chalcogen atom with a P=S unit. The P=S unit makes 4–6 almost planar and shrinks the HOMO–LUMO gap as compared to 1–3. The bonding between Ag+ and S atom on P=S brings about a distinct change to the optical properties of 4–6; 4 in particular shows a selective fluorescence response toward Ag+ with LOD of 0.21 μm. Compounds 4–6 form complexes with AgNO3 to be (4)2⋅AgNO3, (5)2⋅AgNO3, and (6)2⋅(AgNO3)3. In complexes, the coordination between Ag+ and P=S is observed, which leads to shrinkage of C−P and C−X (X=S, Se, Te) bond lengths. As a result, 4, 5, and 6 are all bowl‐shaped in complexes with bowl‐depths reaching to 0.66 Å, 0.42 Å, and 0.40 Å, respectively. There are Ag−Te dative bonds between Ag+ and Te atom on telluorophene in (6)2⋅(AgNO3)3.
Composites of poly(lactic acid)/poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) blend with wood fiber and wollastonite: Physical properties, morphology, and biodegradability
Authors: Chaiwutthinan Phasawat , Chuayjuljit Saowaroj , Srasomsub Sarinya , Boonmahitthisud Anyaporn
Published: January 2019

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was first melt blended with five weight percentages (10–50 wt %) of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) on a twin‐screw extruder and then injection molded. The blend at 30 wt % PBAT exhibited the highest impact strength and elongation‐at‐break without phase inversion. The 70/30 (w/w) PLA/PBAT blend with high toughness improvement was selected for preparing both single and hybrid composites using an organic filler, wood fiber (WF) and inorganic filler, wollastonite (WT) with a fix total loading at 30 parts per hundred of resin (phr) throughout the experiment. Five WF/WT (phr/phr) ratios for the composites were 30/0, 10/20, 15/15, 20/10, and 0/30. The prepared composites were investigated for the mechanical and thermal properties, melt flow index (MFI), morphology, flammability, water uptake, and biodegradability as a function of composition. All the composites showed a filler‐dose‐dependent decrease in the impact strength, elongation‐at‐break, MFI, and thermal stability, but an increase in the tensile and flexural modulus, tensile and flexural strength, antidripping ability, and water uptake compared with the neat blend. The addition of WF and WT was also found to promote the biodegradability of the PLA/PBAT blend. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47543.
Molar mass distribution by size exclusion chromatography: Comparison of multi‐angle light scattering and universal calibration
Authors: Podzimek Stepan
Published: January 2019

Series of polymers of various molar mass, chemical composition, and molecular architecture was analyzed by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) coupled with a multi‐angle light scattering (MALS) photometer and an online viscometer. The molar mass averages were determined from the signal of MALS or calculated from the intrinsic viscosity and universal calibration. The comparison of the obtained results showed significant differences between the two methods. The MALS detection was shown to be more accurate for the determination of the weight‐average molar mass and less vulnerable to the spreading of polymer peak by band broadening. The universal calibration can yield more accurate estimation of the number‐average molar mass of branched polymers. It is also significantly more accurate for the characterization of fluorescent polymers than MALS with a regular laser of 660 nm. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 47561.
Digital data archives as knowledge infrastructures: Mediating data sharing and reuse
Authors: Borgman Christine L. , Scharnhorst Andrea , Golshan Milena S.
Published: January 2019

Digital archives are the preferred means for open access to research data. They play essential roles in knowledge infrastructures—robust networks of people, artifacts, and institutions—but little is known about how they mediate information exchange between stakeholders. We open the “black box” of data archives by studying DANS, the Data Archiving and Networked Services institute of The Netherlands, which manages 50+ years of data from the social sciences, humanities, and other domains. Our interviews, weblogs, ethnography, and document analyses reveal that a few large contributors provide a steady flow of content, but most are academic researchers who submit data sets infrequently and often restrict access to their files. Consumers are a diverse group that overlaps minimally with contributors. Archivists devote about half their time to aiding contributors with curation processes and half to assisting consumers. Given the diversity and infrequency of usage, human assistance in curation and search remains essential. DANS' knowledge infrastructure encompasses public and private stakeholders who contribute, consume, harvest, and serve their data—many of whom did not exist at the time the DANS collections originated—reinforcing the need for continuous investment in digital data archives as their communities, technologies, and services evolve.
An interview with Sam C. Saunders
Authors: Leiva Víctor
Published: January 2019

Sam C. Saunders, the son of Elizabeth Cundiff and Winston E. Saunders, was born in Richland, OR, on February 24, 1931. The family moved to La Grande, OR, in 1944, where Sam completed high school and two years at Eastern Oregon College. He then received the BSc degree in Mathematics from the University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, in 1952, and he attended the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, receiving a PhD degree under Z. W. Birnbaum. After graduating, he accepted employment at the Boeing Company in its Mathematical Services Unit and, in 1972, a position as a Full Professor at Washington State University, Pullman, WA, from which he retired in 1996.
Baffling efficiency insights gained from tracer studies at 32 Washington treatment plants
Authors: Porter Russell L. , Stewart Keith P. , Feagin Nancy , Perry Sam
Published: January 2019

This article summarizes tracer studies performed at 32 water treatment plants in Washington State ranging from 5 to 5,400 gpm, with contact basins from 200 gal to 1.5 mil gal. Multiple tracer studies were performed at each plant. The goal of the tracer studies was to determine the baffling efficiency (BE) of each basin by determining T10/T, where T10 is the time at which 10% of a tracer is measured at the outlet of a basin, and T is the hydraulic residence time. The tracer studies indicated that most facilities historically used BE values higher than what the tracer studies indicated for calculating compliance with disinfection regulations. The majority of the basins were rectangular, baffled basins. The tracer studies indicated that standard design parameters, such as length‐to‐width ratio, were not as accurate in predicting basin performance compared with calculating baffled channel cross‐sectional velocity. This effect was pronounced where cross‐sectional flow velocity was below the Reynolds laminar flow threshold. For circular, baffled basins, a relationship between cross‐sectional velocity and BE was also evident. The study also identified issues with plants having parallel, chlorine contact basins where uneven flow splitting between basins created an overall system BE less than the BE of individual basins.
The effect of surge flows on residential water meters
Authors: Weller Ryan P. , Barfuss Steven L. , Johnson Michael C.
Published: January 2019

This study evaluates how various types of 5/8 × 3/4 in. residential water meters respond to flow rates above the maximum rated flow rate per AWWA standards. Accuracy and pressure loss tests were conducted on a gravimetric test bench at flow rates of up to two and a half times the maximum rated flow rate. The results of this study show that the ultrasonic meters decreased significantly in accuracy for tests above 35 gpm. The nutating disk (ND) and oscillating piston (OP) meters were found to be accurate through nearly all surge flow rates tested, up to at least 65 gpm. The electromagnetic meters were found to be accurate up to 55 gpm. Comparing accuracy tests performed before and after surge flows showed that some ND and OP meters decreased in accuracy at flow rates below 2 gpm. The electronic meters had similar accuracy before and after surge flows.
Flowmeter performance comparison downstream of double 90° elbows out‐of‐plane
Authors: Day Matthew P. , Johnson Michael C. , Barfuss Steven L.
Published: January 2019

This study was completed to investigate the performance of six flowmeters placed at five diameters and, in some cases, zero diameters downstream from a double elbow out‐of‐plane (DEOP) in a laboratory piping installation. Each meter was installed in a straight pipeline and calibrated against a weight tank providing a baseline level of performance for each meter. A DEOP was set up, with the flowmeters installed at the desired downstream positions where each meter's performance was assessed. The baseline and the DEOP calibration results were compared with one another. The plausibility of using various types of flowmeters under similar conditions when cost and space do not allow for adequate upstream and downstream lengths of pipe is demonstrated in the results. In circumstances where the accuracy requirements of the installation go beyond those of this study, a physical laboratory calibration in a simulated pipe will be necessary.
Light emission from the Fe2+–EDTA–ascorbic acid–H2O2 system strongly enhanced by plant phenolic acids
Authors: Nowak Michal , Tryniszewski Wiesław , Sarniak Agata , Włodarczyk Anna , Nowak Piotr J. , Nowak Dariusz
Published: January 2019

Oxidative reactions can result in the formation of electronically excited species that undergo radiative decay depending on electronic transition from the excited state to the ground state with subsequent ultra‐weak photon emission (UPE). We investigated the UPE from the Fe2+–EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)–AA (ascorbic acid)–H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) system with a multitube luminometer (Peltier‐cooled photon counter, spectral range 380–630 nm). The UPE, of 92.6 μmol/L Fe2+, 185.2 μmol/L EDTA, 472 μmol/L AA, 2.6 mmol/L H2O2, reached 1217 ± 118 relative light units during 2 min measurement and was about two times higher (P < 0.001) than the UPE of incomplete systems (Fe2+–AA–H2O2, Fe2+–EDTA–H2O2, AA–H2O2) and medium alone. Substitution of Fe2+ with Cr2+, Co2+, Mn2+ or Cu2+ as well as of EDTA with EGTA (ethylene glycol‐bis(β‐aminoethyl ether)‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetraacetic acid) or citrate powerfully inhibited UPE. Experiments with scavengers of reactive oxygen species (dimethyl sulfoxide, mannitol, sodium azide, superoxide dismutase) revealed the dependence of UPE only on hydroxyl radicals. Dimethyl sulfoxide at the concentration of 0.74 mmol/L inhibited UPE by 79 ± 4%. Plant phenolics (ferulic, chlorogenic and caffec acids) at the concentration of 870 μmol/L strongly enhanced UPE by 5‐, 13.9‐ and 46.8‐times (P < 0.001), respectively. It is suggested that augmentation of UPE from Fe2+–EDTA–AA–H2O2 system can be applied for detection of these phytochemicals.
Buprofezin dissipation and safety assessment in open field cabbage and cauliflower using GC/ITMS employing an analyte protectant
Authors: Abdallah Osama , El Agamy Moustafa , Abdelraheem Ehab , Malhat Farag
Published: January 2019

An analytical method for the determination of buprofezin residues in cabbage and cauliflower was developed and validated using gas chromatography with ion trap mass spectrometry. The analyte protectant d‐sorbitol was used at a concentration level of 0.5 mg mL−1 in acetonitrile instead of in matrix for constructing the calibration curves of the buprofezin standard. The average recoveries ranged from 91.3 to 96.8%, with an RSD of ≤2.7%. The limits of detection and quantitation of the method in cabbage and cauliflower were 1.3, 1.7 and 4.3, 6.2 μg kg−1, respectively. The residual levels and dissipation kinetics of buprofezin 25% wettabe powder in cabbage and cauliflower cultivated under open field conditions was investigated at the single (T1) and double (T2) recommended rates of application. Half‐life periods were found to be 1.73 and 2.1 days in cabbage, whereas in cauliflower, these values were 1.85 and 2.36 days at T1 and T2, respectively. Based on the dissipation study, and the maximum residue limit value of 0.05 mg kg−1, the proposed pre‐harvest interval of buprofezin in cabbage was 3–6 days and that in cauliflower was 4–10 days. The results showed that buprofezin is safe for application at both recommended application rates.