bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Synthesis of a New Non‐Fullerene Acceptor for High‐Performance Photomultiplication‐Type Organic Photodiodes
Authors: Sim Hye Ryun , Kang Mingyun , Yu Seong Hoon , Nam Geon‐Hee , Lim Bogyu , Chung Dae Sung
Published: December 2020

Photomultiplication‐type organic photodiodes (PM‐OPDs) rely on acceptor molecules for both charge separation and efficient gain generation. Herein, a new non‐fullerene acceptor is designed and synthesized by introducing thienylenevinylene (TV) groups into the conventional 2,2ʹ‐[[6,6,12,12‐tetrakis(4‐hexylphenyl)‐6,12‐dihydrodithieno[2,3‐d:2ʹ,3ʹ‐dʹ]‐s‐indaceno[1,2‐b:5,6‐bʹ]dithiophene‐2,8‐diyl]bis[methylidyne(3‐oxo‐1H‐indene‐2,1(3H)‐diylidene)]]bis[propanedinitrile] (ITIC) structure. The resulting TV‐ITIC acceptor possesses not only extended π‐conjugation length, which leads to lower energy bandgap as well as deeper lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) level, but also enhanced hydrophobic characteristics, owing to the increased volumetric portion of the aliphatic chain, which improves the miscibility with the donor polymer semiconductor, poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl) (P3HT). Moreover, pristine TV‐ITIC films consist of intrinsically well‐ordered anisotropic crystallites, which are confirmed by 2D grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction (2D‐GIXD) analysis. All of these photophysical properties are beneficial for efficient exciton separation, electron trapping, and charge injection abilities of PM‐OPDs compared to those obtained with conventional ITIC. Because of such synergetic contributions of TV‐ITIC to the photomultiplication mechanism, the resulting optimized PM‐OPD exhibits a high external quantum efficiency (>74,000%) and a large specific detectivity (>1012 Jones).
Catalase Inhibitors with Dual Pro‐Oxidant Effect as New Therapeutic Agents in Castration‐Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Chen Yuan‐Yuan , Liang Hao‐Qi , Liu Meng‐Ting , Huang Wei , Yi Peng‐Fei , Yuan Si‐Qi , Mei Long‐Can , Hu Ying‐Hui , Cao Ya‐Ya , Hao Ge‐Fei , Zhang Dan , Yang Guang‐Fu
Published: December 2020

Almost all patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) will eventually progress to incurable castration‐resistant PCa (CRPC) if endocrine therapy fails. Therefore, identifying potential cellular targets is critical for the development of novel and effective treatments for CRPC. Based on the investigation of the molecular mechanism of ATN‐224, an anticancer drug in clinical trials, in CRPC DU145 cells, the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT) has been recognized as an actionable CRPC therapeutic target, and the modulation of intracellular redox state through CAT inhibition has great potential for CRPC treatment. After systematic design and synthesis, the benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derivative BT‐1 is shown to be effective CAT inhibitor in DU145 cells. This inhibition induces the significant increase of both superoxides (O2•−) and H2O2 levels in DU145 cells. Finally, the dual pro‐oxidant effect of BT‐1 is demonstrated to lead to apoptosis as well as cell‐cycle arrest in DU145 cells, effectively reducing CRPC tumors.
Local perceptions of mental health in Iran, Semnan Province
Authors: Baradaran Eftekhari Monir , Mahmoodi Zohreh , Dejman Masoumeh , Forouzan Ameneh Setareh , Falahat Katayoun , Shati Mohsen , Jandaghi Jafar , Kane Jeremy
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Understanding local perceptions of mental health in different cultures and contexts is crucial for designing and implementing appropriate mental healthcare services.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted to investigate local perceptions of mental health in two highly populated provincial districts in Iran. Data were collected using the free list technique and interviews. A two‐phase training workshop was held with the research team at a local health center, followed by a pilot study with the participation of six subjects. All the interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed by the third and fourth authors in DEDOOSE.

Results

A total of 30 individuals (20 in the free list and 10 as key informants in the interviews) took part in the study. Based on the study findings and the key informants' ideas, mental health problems were categorized into three categories of depression, anxiety, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).

Conclusions

Mental health problems appear to be expressed in different ways and with different symptoms in different cultures, and there is a distinct need for examining mental disorders in each culture and nationality separately using culturally appropriate tools for disease screening.
Effective inhibition of miR‐330/SHIP1/NF‐κB signaling pathway via miR‐330 sponge repolarizes microglia differentiation
Authors: Feng Yang , Li Tao , Xing Changyang , Wang Chen , Duan Yunyou , Yuan Lijun , Zhang Yajun
Published: December 2020

Neuroinflammation mediated by microglia has been identified as vital pathogenesis in Parkinson's disease (PD). This study aimed to investigate the role and potential regulatory mechanism of microRNA‐330 in the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced chronic neuroinflammatory model. Primary microglia chronic inflammation model and PD animal model were established by LPS treatment. Bulged microRNA‐330 sponges containing six microRNA binding sites were constructed and delivered by plasmid or recombinant adeno‐associated virus (rAAV2)/5‐green fluorescent protein (GFP) vector. The expression levels of microRNA‐330 were assessed by a quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Primary microglia polarization was determined by flow cytometry; meanwhile, dopamine and pro‐(anti‐)inflammatory cytokines were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Expression levels of GFAP, lba1, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), Arg1, SHIP1, cytoplasmic, and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) were analyzed by Western blot. The behavioral deficit was determined by the rotarod test. The expression of microRNA‐330 increased in the first 4 days and reached a plateau subsequently after LPS treatment. The sponges‐mediated repression effect on M1 polarization was gradually enhanced with time. Treatment of miR‐330 sponges increased the SHIP1 and Arg1 expression, and decreased the translocation of NF‐κB and iNOS expression, suggesting the repression of inflammation. In the LPS‐induced PD mice, administration of rAAV‐sponge‐GFP suppressed activation of microglia, downregulated proinflammatory cytokines, resumed the secretion of dopamine, rescued the dopaminergic neurons, and alleviated motor dysfunction. Our results demonstrated that microRNA‐330 sponges could sustainably suppress LPS‐induced polarization of microglia both in vivo and in vitro probably by negatively regulating NF‐κB activity via target SHIP1 in microglia, which might be a promising neuroprotective strategy in neurological diseases, such as PD.
Impella percutaneous left ventricular assist device as mechanical circulatory support for cardiogenic shock: A retrospective analysis from a tertiary academic medical center
Authors: Nouri Shayan Nabavi , Malick Waqas , Masoumi Amirali , Fried Justin A. , Topkara Veli K. , Brener Michael I. , Ahmad Yousif , Prasad Megha , Rabbani LeRoy E. , Takeda Koji , Karmpaliotis Dimitrios , Moses Jeffrey W. , Leon Martin B. , Kirtane Ajay J. , Garan A. Reshad
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To describe hemodynamic efficacy and clinical outcomes of Impella percutaneous left ventricular assist device (pLVAD) in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS).

Background

Percutaneous LVADs are increasingly used in CS management. However, device‐related outcomes and optimal utilization remain active areas of investigation.

Methods

All CS patients receiving pLVAD as mechanical circulatory support (MCS) between 2011 and 2017 were identified. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were analyzed. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to predict MCS escalation despite pLVAD. Outcomes were compared between early and late implantation.

Results

A total of 115 CS patients (mean age 63.6 ± 13.8 years; 69.6% male) receiving pLVAD as MCS were identified, the majority with CS secondary to acute myocardial infarction (AMI; 67.0%). Patients experienced significant cardiac output improvement (median 3.39 L/min to 3.90 L/min, p = .002) and pharmacological support reduction (median vasoactive‐inotropic score [VIS] 25.4 to 16.4, p = .049). Placement of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) occurred in 48 (41.7%) of patients. Higher pre‐pLVAD VIS was associated with subsequent MCS escalation in the entire cohort and AMI subgroup (OR 1.27 [95% CI 1.02–1.58], p = .034 and OR 1.72 [95% CI 1.04–2.86], p = .035, respectively). Complications were predominantly access site related (bleeding [9.6%], vascular injury [5.2%], and limb ischemia [2.6%]). In‐hospital mortality was 57.4%, numerically greater survival was noted with earlier device implantation.

Conclusions

Treatment with pLVAD for CS improved hemodynamic status but did not uniformly obviate MCS escalation. Mortality in CS remains high, though earlier device placement for appropriately selected patients may be beneficial.
Methods to Validate Binding and Kinetics of “Proximity‐Inducing” Covalent Immune‐Recruiting Molecules
Authors: Kapcan Eden , Lake Benjamin , Yang Zi , Rullo Anthony F.
Published: December 2020

The emergence of covalent inhibitors and chemoproteomic probes in translational chemical biology research requires the development of robust biophysical and analytical methods to characterize their complex interactions with target biomolecules. Importantly, these methods must efficiently assess target selectivity and accurately discern noncovalent binding from the formation of resultant covalent adducts. One recently reported covalent chemical tool used in tumor immune oncology, covalent immune recruiters (CIRs), increases the proximity of immune cells and cancer cells, promoting immune recognition and response. Herein we describe biolayer interferometry (BLI) biosensor, flow cytometry, and solution fluorescence‐based assay approaches to characterize CIR:antibody binding and CIR‐antibody covalent‐labeling kinetics. BLI technology, akin to surface plasmon resonance, provides the unique opportunity to investigate molecular binding and labeling kinetics both on a solid surface (Basic Protocol 1) and in solution (Alternate Protocol 1). Here, recruitment of mass‐containing proteins to the BLI probe via CIR is measured with high sensitivity and is used as a readout of CIR labeling activity. Further, CIR technology is used to label antibodies with a fluorescent handle. In this system, labeling is monitored via SDS‐PAGE with a fluorescence gel imager, where increased fluorescence intensity of a sample reflects increased labeling (Basic Protocol 2). Analysis of CIR:antibody target‐specific immune activation is demonstrated with a flow cytometry‒based antibody‐dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) assay (Basic Protocol 3). This ADCP protocol may be further used to discern CIR:antibody binding from covalent adduct formation (Alternate Protocol 3). For the protocols described, each method may be used to analyze characteristics of any covalent‐tagging or antibody‐recruiting small molecule or protein‐based technology. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Determining “on‐probe” reaction kinetics of CIR1/CIR4 via biolayer interferometry with Octet RED96

Alternate Protocol 1: Determining “in‐solution” reaction kinetics of prostate‐specific membrane antigen targeting CIR (CIR3) via biolayer interferometry with Octet RED96

Basic Protocol 2: Reaction kinetics of covalently labeled antibodies via fluorescence SDS‐PAGE

Basic Protocol 3: Small molecule‒directed antibody‐dependent cellular phagocytosis on live human cells measured via flow cytometry

Alternate Protocol 2: Kinetic analysis of CIR3:antibody labeling via antibody‐dependent cellular phagocytosis on flow cytometry

Support Protocol 1: Activation of U937 monocytes with interferon γ

Support Protocol 2: Labeling streptavidin beads with biotinylated prostate‐specific membrane antigen receptor
From a crisis to an opportunity: Eight insights for doing science in the COVID‐19 era and beyond
Authors: Chacón‐Labella Julia , Boakye Mickey , Enquist Brian J. , Farfan‐Rios William , Gya Ragnhild , Halbritter Aud H. , Middleton Sara L. , von Oppen Jonathan , Pastor‐Ploskonka Samuel , Strydom Tanya , Vandvik Vigdis , Geange Sonya R.
Published: December 2020

The COVID‐19 crisis has forced researchers in Ecology to change the way we work almost overnight. Nonetheless, the pandemic has provided us with several novel components for a new way of conducting science. In this perspective piece, we summarize eight central insights that are helping us, as early career researchers, navigate the uncertainties, fears, and challenges of advancing science during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We highlight how innovative, collaborative, and often Open Science‐driven developments that have arisen from this crisis can form a blueprint for a community reinvention in academia. Our insights include personal approaches to managing our new reality, maintaining capacity to focus and resilience in our projects, and a variety of tools that facilitate remote collaboration. We also highlight how, at a community level, we can take advantage of online communication platforms for gaining accessibility to conferences and meetings, and for maintaining research networks and community engagement while promoting a more diverse and inclusive community. Overall, we are confident that these practices can support a more inclusive and kinder scientific culture for the longer term.
The effect of optimism on the facial expression of pain: Implications for pain communication
Authors: Basten‐Günther Johanna , Kunz Miriam , Peters Madelon , Lautenbacher Stefan
Published: December 2020

Background

There is a broad range of evidence on optimism dampening the pain experience, as assessed by subjective self‐report. Facial expression of pain conveys supplementary information about the pain experience, is an integral part of pain communication and assists psychosocial pain coping. Nevertheless, the effect of induced optimism on facial activity during pain has to our knowledge not been examined.

Methods

In our experiment, 40 healthy participants underwent two blocks of thermal stimulation containing phasic non‐painful and painful stimuli. Between the two blocks, the Best Possible Self imagery and writing task was performed to induce situational optimism, while a control group wrote about their typical day. Facial activity and self‐report ratings of intensity and unpleasantness were recorded. Facial activity was analysed using the Facial Action Coding System.

Results

The optimism manipulation was successful in increasing state optimism. It did not affect self‐report ratings, but resulted in a stronger facial expression of pain, caused especially by increases in Action Units 4 (furrowed brows) and 6_7 (narrowed eyes).

Conclusions

All Action Units, which were affected by the optimism induction, are known to be prevalent during pain stimulation. The increase in facial expression might reflect reduced inhibition of pain communication in temporarily optimistic participants. Optimism might lead to expecting positive and helpful reactions from others and, by that, to great readiness to elicit these reactions by non‐verbal social behaviour.

Significance

This study is the first to indicate that state optimism increases the facial expression of pain as a social signal for help and empathy without concomitant changes in the subjective pain experience.
Tapping Teen Power: (Re)Positioning Students for Civic Action
Authors: Koudelka Cindi M.
Published: December 2020

Conducting Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) is more than a methodology; it is an epistemology—a way of positioning adolescents as agents for critical civic praxis. Educators attempting to use YPAR in traditional spaces often must navigate tensions between this type of critical pedagogy and systems that limit the definition of citizenship to civic engagement and position adolescents as passive consumers. The author examines how engaging adolescents in an action research project is subsequently reflected in their civic praxis. The author conducted a critical discourse analysis (Fairclough, 2015) to observe patterns of agency, civic praxis, and social discourse among ten high school freshmen from a rural school district in the Midwestern United States. This article describes the second phase of the qualitative study in which the adolescents completed a youth participatory action research project exploring the problem of bullying at their high school.
Proteomic analysis of talazoparib resistance in triple‐negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Guney Eskiler Gamze , Yanar Sevinc , Akpinar Gurler , Kasap Murat
Published: December 2020

Talazoparib (TAL) has been effectively used for the treatment of gBRCA1/2‐mutated HER2‐negative metastatic breast cancer. However, acquired resistance to TAL remains a major challenge that impedes the clinical success of TAL treatment. Therefore, elucidation of proteins and pathways that contribute to or are affected by the TAL resistance is urgently needed to improve the treatment response and provide novel treatment strategies for advanced metastatic breast cancers. Herein, we aimed to investigate the altered protein signatures in TAL‐resistant triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells by comparing with the TNBC parental cell line via proteomic analysis. After validation of TAL‐resistance by WST‐1 and Annexin V analysis, two‐dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE)‐based proteomic analysis coupled to matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)–time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry was performed to identify differentially regulated proteins. The findings revealed the identities of 10 differentially regulated proteins in TAL‐resistant TNBC cells whose bioinformatic analysis predicted changes in EGF/FGF signaling pathways as well as in the AMPK signaling pathway. In addition, phosphorylation/dephosphorylation dynamics were predicted to be altered in TAL‐resistant cells. The proteins identified in this study might be the targets to overcome TAL resistance for the treatment of TNBC.
Seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 in Utsunomiya City, Greater Tokyo, after the first pandemic in 2020
Authors: Nawa Nobutoshi , Kuramochi Jin , Sonoda Shiro , Yamaoka Yui , Nukui Yoko , Miyazaki Yasunari , Fujiwara Takeo
Published: December 2020

Background

A seroepidemiological study was conducted on a random sample of households in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, Greater Tokyo, Japan, to assess the seroprevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2.

Methods

The level of IgG antibodies in the blood of the recruited subjects was assessed using chemiluminescence immunoassay analysis. In addition, the population‐based prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 was estimated.

Results

Three positive afebrile cases were confirmed. The estimated unweighted prevalence and weighted prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection were 0.40% and 1.23%, respectively.

Conclusions

This study suggests that the prevalence of SARS‐CoV‐2 may have been underestimated. Wider testing strategies may lead to revealing more SARS‐CoV‐2 cases.
An updated synthesis of N1′‐([11C]methyl)naltrindole for positron emission tomography imaging of the delta opioid receptor
Authors: Kaur Tanpreet , Brooks Allen F. , Hockley Brian G. , Torres Jovany , Henderson Bradford D. , Scott Peter J.H. , Shao Xia
Published: December 2020

A new method for the synthesis of the highly selective delta opioid receptor (DOR) antagonist radiotracer N1′‐([11C]methyl)naltrindole ([11C]MeNTI) is described. The original synthesis required hydrogenation of a benzyl protecting group after 11C‐labeling, which is challenging in modern radiochemistry laboratories that tend to be heavily automated and operate according to current good manufacturing practice. To address this challenge, we describe development of a novel MeNTI precursor bearing a methoxymethyl acetal (MOM) protecting group, which is easily removed with HCl, and employ it in an updated synthesis of [11C]MeNTI. The new synthesis is fully automated and validated for clinical use. The total synthesis time is 45 min and provides [11C]MeNTI in good activity yield (49 ± 8 mCi), molar activity (3,926 ± 326 Ci/mmol) and radiochemical purity (97% ± 2%).
Examination of data citation guidelines in style manuals and data repositories
Authors: Yoon JungWon , Chung EunKyung , Schalk Janet , Kim Jihyun
Published: December 2020

This study investigated the status of data citation guidelines by analysing 15 style manuals and 100 data repositories in various fields. Analysis results are presented through a comparison with eight items in the Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles (JDDCP). Only nine style manuals and only 20 repositories contain instructions regarding data citation. The guidelines generally agree on the importance of the author, publication date, title, and publisher, but there is large variation between the different guides. Analysis of the guidelines revealed that they generally reflect the principles of the JDDCP. In particular, the principle of Credit and Attribution is significantly reflected in style manuals and data repositories and supports one of the major motivations for data sharing. The principles of Unique Identification, Access, and Persistence are less well supported in data citation guidelines. However, the principles of Importance, Evidence, Specificity and Verifiability, and Interoperability and Flexibility are rarely supported. The findings of this study reveal that better guidelines are required, and future work could investigate developing and assessing the standard guidelines for data citation in different fields.
In Situ Compatibilization of Polyamide 6/Carboxylated Acrylonitrile Butadiene Rubber Blends with Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxane
Authors: Alcântara Stanley P. , Sirqueira Alex S. , Santos Taiane A. , Naccache Monica F.
Published: December 2020

The aim of the study is to prepare thermoplastic elastomer composites of polyamide (PA6) with carboxylated acrylonitrile butadiene rubber (XNBR), compatibilized with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane with epoxy groups (POSS‐epoxy). The addition of POSS‐epoxy, particularly 3.5 phr, improved the specialty characteristics of the PA/XNBR thermoplastic‐elastomer blend. The PA/POSS/XNBR mainly showed a considerable improvement in the elastic torque. The in situ compatibilization is confirmed by density and oil swelling analyses. The structural property relationships of the vulcanized thermoplastic, measured by XRD, DSC and Raman spectroscopy, revealed there are changes in the chemical structure induced by the molecular interactions of PA‐POSS‐XNBR. The Raman spectra confirmed the presence of silane in the PA/XNBR blend. The crystallinity results obtained from the XRD spectra of the PA/XNBR blend are modified by the POSS‐epoxy, corroborating the oil swelling results.
Evaluation of Polyurethane Elastomers for Encapsulation of Hydroacoustic Transducers
Authors: Lemos Maurício F. , Lima Roberto da C. , Cunha Rodrigo H. , Santos Jonas F.
Published: December 2020

Hydroacoustic transducers are devices capable of converting mechanical energy from acoustic waves into electrical energy, and vice versa, through piezoelectric elements connected to electronics that need to be protected from contact with the water. This tightness is provided by the encapsulation of the transducers with elastomers. The use of fillers and chain extenders are known to promote a barrier for water diffusion, but it would inevitably change the other properties of the elastomer. Thus, this work aims to evaluate the effects of filler and chain extender addition on the properties of polyurethane elastomers (PUR) for this application. Thermogravimetric, thermomechanical, glass‐rubber transition temperature, hardness, and dielectric loss analyses are performed. It is observed an increase in the dielectric loss, hardness, and thermal stability with the addition of mineral fillers and carbon black. The addition of chain extender promoted a greater hardness in the final elastomer, but has no measurable effects on the dielectric loss, and decreased the thermal and dimension stability with temperature. Glass‐rubber transition temperatures remain in the range from –78 to –80 °C, which is in the acceptable range for the application as encapsulants.
PLA/Coffee Grounds Composites: A Study of Photodegradation and Biodegradation in Soil
Authors: da Silva Ana Paula , Pereira Matheus de Paula , Passador Fábio Roberto , Montagna Larissa Stieven
Published: December 2020

Biodegradable polymers are an alternative to replacing petroleum‐derived polymers. This work aimed to incorporate coffee grounds (CG) in different contents (5 and 15 wt%) as an accelerator of the biodegradation process to reduce the degradation time of poly (lactic acid) (PLA). The use of this natural source filler can minimize environmental problems, due to its low cost and easy access, since this waste is produced in large quantities. Thus, biodegradable composite can be produced with the use of CG as filler in the PLA matrix. PLA/CG composites are processed using a thermokinetic homogenizer (DRAIS), followed by hot pressing. The samples are subjected to accelerated degradation (ultraviolet radiation – UV) and biodegradation in soil and later are characterized by the percentage of weight loss, visual analysis, morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (differential scanning calorimetry – DSC) and mechanical properties (Izod impact test). After the biodegradation tests and analysis, it is possible to verify improvements in the mechanical properties of the developed composite, as well as the desired biodegradative effects.
Microstructure Characterization of Amorphous Phase of Polypropylene Impact Copolymers
Authors: Simanke Adriane G. , Cangussú Manoela E. , Nyland Laura , Correia Gabriela F.
Published: December 2020

In this work, three polypropylene impact copolymers (ICPs) with different chemical compositions are characterized using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with triple detection: infrared (IR), viscometer (VIS) and multi angle light scattering (MALS), crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF), thermal gradient interaction chromatography (TGIC), nuclear magnetic resonance (13C‐NMR) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The average rubber composition is determined and correlated with the ICP morphology and final mechanical properties. GPC‐IR is used to analyze the ethylene content and distribution along the molecular weight distribution (MWD). The amorphous phase composition distribution is analyzed as a function of temperature by TGIC. The microstructure and morphology of ICP amorphous phase are studied in detail by 13C‐NMR, GPC 3D, TGIC, SEM and AFM allowing to differentiate the samples.
Influence of Morphology on Fracture Propagation of PMMAe/PC Blend in Tensile Tests at High Strain Rate
Authors: Gomes Felipe Pedro da Costa , Reinaldo Juciklécia da Silva , Rodrigues Antônio Henrique Venâncio , de Macedo Thatiana Cristina Pereira , Silva Bismarck Luiz , Ito Edson Noriyuki
Published: December 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate toughness mechanism of elastomeric poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMAe) and polycarbonate (PC) blend through crack propagation at high speed tensile tests. Samples are processed using two types of extruders, single and twin screw, in order to eliminate the influence of processing in the final product's properties. Pure polymers and polymer blend samples are cryo‐ultramicrotomed and their morphology is characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Fractured samples obtained from uniaxial tensile tests at high strain rate are inspected using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results obtained for the PMMAe/PC blend in tests at high deformation rate showed that the shear rate during the mixing process influences the maximum strength of the polymer blend near its region of co‐continuous morphology. The visual evaluation of the fracture surface and the fractographic analysis corroborated the results of this study of polymer toughening.
Effects of flame‐retardant additives on the manufacturing, mechanical, and fire properties of basalt fiber‐reinforced polybenzoxazine
Authors: Wolter Nick , Carrillo Beber Vinicius , Haubold Thorben , Sandinge Anna , Blomqvist Per , Goethals Frederik , Van Hove Marc , Jubete Elena , Mayer Bernd , Koschek Katharina
Published: December 2020

Basalt fiber‐reinforced polybenzoxazines (BFRP) were manufactured through vacuum infusion using resorcinol bis (diphenyl phosphate) and poly‐(m‐phenylene methylphosphonate) together with bisphenol‐F and aniline based benzoxazine. Different types and loadings of flame‐retardant additives showed to have catalysis or dilution effects in viscosity measurements. BFRPs show well‐penetrated fibers and near‐zero porosity. Additive addition did not influence tensile properties, while apparent interlaminar shear strength decreased indicating a lower adhesion between fiber and matrix. BFRP's heat and smoke release properties increased, though time to ignition increased and flammability behavior improved by decreasing delamination yielding oxygen indices in between 72 and 91%.
Proximity‐Induced Magnetism Enhancement Emerged in Chiral Magnet MnSi/Topological Insulator Bi2Se3 Bilayer
Authors: Choi Won‐Young , Jeon Jae Ho , Bang Hyun‐Woo , Yoo Woosuk , Jerng Sahng‐Kyoon , Chun Seung‐Hyun , Lee Sunghun , Jung Myung‐Hwa
Published: December 2020

A proximity effect between magnetic materials and topological surface states can generate and modulate the localized spins without complicated material structures, but its origin is not clearly verified. MnSi single layer and MnSi/Bi2Se3 bilayer on Al2O3(001) substrates are fabricated by magnetron co‐sputtering and molecular beam epitaxy systems, in which a large proximity effect between the chiral magnetic structure and the topological surface states is manifested. The magnetic and electronic properties of both samples are meticulously compared and the proximity‐induced magnetism enhancement in the MnSi/Bi2Se3 bilayer is found. Interestingly, this effect persists up to temperatures above 300 K. Furthermore, for the MnSi/Bi2Se3 bilayer, the increase of charge carrier density and the decrease of carrier mobility near the Curie temperature TC = 40 K are observed, which can mediate the ferromagnetic exchange interaction enhancing the magnetization. The finding provides insight into a new platform to consist of materials with distinct topological phases for future spintronic devices.
Boosting the Performance of Graphene Cathodes in Na–O2 Batteries by Exploiting the Multifunctional Character of Small Biomolecules
Authors: Enterría Marina , Gómez‐Urbano Juan Luis , Munuera Jose María , Villar‐Rodil Silvia , Carriazo Daniel , Paredes Juan Ignacio , Ortiz‐Vitoriano Nagore
Published: December 2020

Graphene aerogels derived from a biomolecule‐assisted aqueous electrochemical exfoliation route are explored as cathode materials in sodium–oxygen (Na–O2) batteries. To this end, the natural nucleotide adenosine monophosphate (AMP) is used in the multiple roles of exfoliating electrolyte, aqueous dispersant, and functionalizing agent to access high quality, electrocatalytically active graphene nanosheets in colloidal suspension (bioinks). The surface phenomena occurring on the electrochemically derived graphene cathode is thoroughly studied to understand and optimize its electrochemical performance, where a cooperative effect between the nitrogen atoms and phosphates from the AMP molecules is demonstrated. Moreover, the role of the nitrogen atoms in the adenine nucleobase of AMP and short‐chain phosphate is unraveled. Significantly, the use of such cathodes with a proper amount of AMP molecules adsorbed on the graphene nanosheets delivers a discharge capacity as high as 9.6 mAh cm−2 and performs almost 100 cycles with a considerably reduced cell overpotential and a coulombic efficiency of ≈97% at high current density (0.2 mA cm−2). This study opens a path toward the development of environmentally friendly air cathodes by the use of natural nucleotides which offers a great opportunity to explore and manufacture bioinspired cathodes for metal–oxygen batteries.
Mudirac: A Dirac equation solver for elemental analysis with muonic X‐rays
Authors: Sturniolo Simone , Hillier Adrian
Published: December 2020

We present a new open‐source software for the integration of the radial Dirac equation developed specifically with muonic atoms in mind. The software, called mudirac, is written in C++ and can be used to predict frequencies and probabilities of the transitions between levels of the muonic atom. In this way, it provides an invaluable tool in helping with the interpretation of muonic X‐ray spectra for elemental analysis. We introduce the details of the algorithms used by the software, show the interpretation of a few example spectra and discuss the more complex issues involved with predicting the intensities of the spectral lines. The software is available publicly at https://github.com/muon-spectroscopy-computational-project/mudirac.
Wie lässt sich die Eliminierung von Hepatitis B, C und D in Deutschland messen? Ergebnisse eines interdisziplinären Arbeitstreffens
Authors:   die Hepatitis-Monitoring-Arbeitsgruppe, Zimmermann Ruth , Külper-Schiek Wiebe , Steffen Gyde , Gillesberg Lassen Sofie , Bremer Viviane , Dudareva Sandra
Published: December 2020

Hintergrund

Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) hat 2016 eine Strategie zur Eliminierung von Hepatitis-B-, -C- und -D-Virusinfektionen verfasst und Indikatoren zum Monitoring des Fortschritts definiert. Das Robert Koch-Institut hat 2019 ein interdisziplinäres Arbeitstreffen zur Verbesserung der Datenlage veranstaltet.

Ziele

Ziele waren die Vernetzung der Akteure, die Erstellung einer Übersicht zu den in Deutschland vorhandenen Datenquellen zu Hepatitis B, C und D und die Diskussion methodischer Aspekte.

Material und Methoden

Die für Deutschland relevanten WHO-Indikatoren wurden extrahiert und es wurde bestimmt, wie diese anhand vorliegender Daten konstruiert werden können. Bei dem Arbeitstreffen mit AkteurInnen aus dem öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst, aus Kliniken, Laboren, von Krankenkassen, Forschungsinstituten, Datenhaltern und Registern wurden in Arbeitsgruppen Erhebungsmethoden diskutiert, welche dazu dienen können, fehlende Daten zu ermitteln. Die Datenquellen und Daten wurden hinsichtlich Qualität, Vollständigkeit sowie praktischer Umsetzbarkeit evaluiert und priorisiert.

Ergebnisse

Für die Allgemeinbevölkerung können die Indikatoren zu Prävention, Testung, Diagnose, Behandlung, Heilung, Folgeschäden und Mortalität aus Diagnose‑, Versorgungs- und Registerdaten, Daten aus Laboren und klinischen Zentren sowie einzelnen Studien konstruiert werden. Datenquellen für vulnerable Gruppen beschränken sich auf einzelne Studien zu Drogengebrauchenden, Männern, die Sex mit Männern haben, und HIV-Ko-Infizierten. Daten für MigrantInnen, Inhaftierte und SexarbeiterInnen sind kaum verfügbar; ebenso fehlen aktuelle Daten zur Krankheitslast chronischer Hepatitisinfektionen in der Allgemeinbevölkerung.

Diskussion

Für alle ausgewählten Indikatoren konnten Datenquellen, ihre Besonderheiten und Limitationen identifiziert werden. Im nächsten Schritt gilt es, die entwickelten Ideen in konkrete Projekte mit einzelnen Datenhaltern umzusetzen.
Risikofaktoren für Krebserkrankungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Stanulla M. , Erdmann F. , Kratz C. P.
Published: December 2020

Die Ursachen von Krebs im Kindes- und Jugendalter sind weitestgehend unbekannt. Beispiele für konsistent beobachtete Risikofaktoren, die in umfangreichen epidemiologischen Untersuchungen identifiziert wurden, sind Strahlenexposition, Chemotherapie, niedriges und hohes Geburtsgewicht, höheres Alter der Mutter, Geschlecht und das Vorhandensein angeborener Anomalien. Diese Faktoren erklären jedoch nur einen geringen Anteil aller inzidenten Fälle. Die derzeit vielversprechendsten Ansätze zur Verbesserung des Verständnisses über die Ursachen von Krebserkrankungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter stammen von genetischen Analysen. Abgesehen von den durch genomweite Assoziationsstudien identifizierten Allelen mit geringem Krebsrisiko wurde festgestellt, dass seltene Keimbahnvarianten, die Krebsprädispositionsyndrome verursachen, mit einem erhöhten Risiko für die Entwicklung von Krebs im Kindes- und Jugendalter verbunden sind. Dieser Beitrag fasst das aktuelle Wissen über die exogenen und endogenen Ursachen von Krebserkrankungen in den frühen Lebensjahren zusammen und gibt einen Ausblick darauf, wie stetig wachsendes Wissen in diesem Bereich zukünftige präventive, diagnostische und therapeutische Strategien beeinflussen könnte.
Design and overview of the Origins of Alzheimer’s Disease Across the Life course (ORACLE) study
Authors: Lamballais Sander , Adank Maria C. , Hussainali Rowina F. , Schalekamp-Timmermans Sarah , Vernooij Meike W. , Luik Annemarie I. , Steegers Eric A. P. , Ikram Mohammad Arfan
Published: December 2020

Brain development and deterioration across the lifespan are integral to the etiology of late-life neurodegenerative disease. Factors that influence the health of the adult brain remain to be elucidated and include risk factors, protective factors, and factors related to cognitive and brain reserve.
To address this knowledge gap we designed a life-course study on brain health, which received funding through the EU ERC Programme under the name Origins of Alzheimer’s Disease Across the Life course (ORACLE) Study. The ORACLE Study is embedded within Generation R, a prospective population-based cohort study of children and their parents, and links this with the Rotterdam Study, a population-based study in middle-aged and elderly persons. The studies are based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Generation R focuses on child health from fetal life until adolescence with repeated in-person examinations, but has also included data collection on the children’s parents. The ORACLE Study aims to extend the parental data collection in nearly 2000 parents with extensive measures on brain health, including neuroimaging, cognitive testing and motor testing. Additionally, questionnaires on migraine, depressive symptoms, sleep, and neurological family history were completed. These data allow for the investigation of longitudinal influences on adult brain health as well as intergenerational designs involving children and parents. As a secondary focus, the sampling is enriched by mothers (n = 356) that suffered from hypertensive disorders during pregnancy in order to study brain health in this high-risk population. This article provides an overview of the rationale and the design of the ORACLE Study.
Relative Deprivation and Hope: Predictors of Risk Behavior
Authors: Keshavarz Shahriar , Coventry Kenny R. , Fleming Piers
Published: December 2020

The belief that one is in a worse situation than similar others (Relative Deprivation) has been associated with involvement in a range of maladaptive escape behaviors, including excessive risk taking. Yet not everyone scoring high on measures of relative deprivation makes maladaptive choices. We hypothesized thathopemay ameliorate the negative effects of relative deprivation. In two laboratory-based experiments using a novel risk-taking task (N = 101) we show that hope reduces risk-taking behavior in relatively deprived participants. A third study (N = 122) extended the moderating effect of hope on relative deprivation to real-world risk behavior; increased hope was associated with decreased likelihood of loss of control of one’s gambling behavior in relatively deprived individuals. Nurturing hope in relatively deprived populations may protect them against maladaptive behaviors with potential applications for harm reduction.
Water Resources and Hydraulics
Authors: Wang Xixi
Published: December 2020

This exciting new textbook introduces the concepts and tools essential for upper-level undergraduate study in water resources and hydraulics. Tailored specifically to fit the length of a typical one-semester course, it will prove a valuable resource to students in civil engineering, water resources engineering, and environmental engineering. It will also serve as a reference textbook for researchers, practicing water engineers, consultants, and managers. The book facilitates students' understanding of both hydrologic analysis and hydraulic design. Example problems are carefully selected and solved clearly in a step-by-step manner, allowing students to follow along and gain mastery of relevant principles and concepts. These examples are comparable in terms of difficulty level and content with the end-of-chapter student exercises, so students will become well equipped to handle relevant problems on their own. Physical phenomena are visualized in engaging photos, annotated equations, graphical illustrations, flowcharts, videos, and tables.
Bede Part 2
Authors: Biggs Fred , Brown George
Published: December 2020

This newest volume in a long-running work of mapping the sources of Anglo-Saxon literary culture in England from 500 to 1100 CE takes up one of the most important authors of the period, the eighth-century monk-scholar known as the Venerable Bede. Bede is best known as the author of the Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, which is one of the key sources for our historical and cultural knowledge of the period; this collection covers that and more, drawing on manuscript evidence, medieval library catalogues, Anglo-Latin and Old English versions, citations, quotations, and more, putting Bede and his work in the context of his period.
AN ACROSTIC IN AENEID 11.902–6
Authors: Hosle Paul K.
Published: December 2020

Very shortly before the end of Book 11 of the Aeneid, Turnus, hearing of Camilla's death, is forced to abandon his ambush in order to fall back to the city. Just after he leaves the wooded gorge, Aeneas passes through it unscathed with his company. Both then head toward the city walls. Virgil marks this near miss of the two commanders by an acrostic (Aen. 11.901–7):ille furens (et saeua Iouis sic numina pellunt)deserit obsessos collis, nemora aspera linquit.uix e conspectu exierat campumque tenebat,cum pater Aeneas saltus ingressus apertosexsuperatque iugum siluaque euadit opaca.sic ambo ad muros rapidi totoque ferunturagmine nec longis inter se passibus absunt.
Gender Trouble's Afterlife in Chinese Studies
Authors: Hershatter Gail
Published: December 2020

As anyone who has written a book can tell you, when you finally finish wrestling with it and it is confined between covers, or tucked away in e-book form, it goes on to have an afterlife, sometimes quite a complicated one, which the author may glimpse only in intermittent and fragmentary form. An original and provocative book such as Judith Butler's Gender Trouble will travel to places its author never anticipated and become embroiled in conversations the author may not overhear. A book's influence on another field far from its point of origin is not best assessed by a citation index—though Gender Trouble's numbers are massive. To take the measure of the work that Gender Trouble has done for scholars working in Asian studies (itself a constructed and constantly morphing category, like gender), we should ask how the book traveled. Which pieces were taken up by scholars of Asia, and what conversations and challenges did the book enable, not as a blueprint but as an incubator of locally grounded thinking? How has it been adapted, pruned down to one or two insights, or expanded into new domains?
Gender Trouble in South Asia
Authors: Patel Geeta
Published: December 2020

It is the thirtieth anniversary of the publication of Gender Trouble by the feminist philosopher of gender, sexuality, and governmentality, Judith Butler. When Gender Trouble came out in the United States, it hit the stands like a hit; it transformed and unraveled the modalities through which ontologies and epistemologies of gender came to be. This was especially the case with the trouble, the disturbances, the turbulence that Gender Trouble carried along with it. Gender Trouble's thematics sometimes syncopated against familiar habits of belief that were and are carefully nursed and held to one's heart, upending them in sometimes unexpected ways. The concept of “performativity,” for instance, generated a buzz, partly because it unhinged and reoriented several fail-safe, deeply felt materialized beliefs, such as the ontological immutability of gender cohering resolutely and unremittingly in and through an inveterate notion of the biological (belief certainty in the sense that the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein might intend as the unnoticed grounding of one's sense of and use of language itself laid in so deeply that it disappeared from immediate purchase). Gender Trouble also asked us to address the seemingly intransigent separations between interiority and exteriority and the obdurate artifice of an “interior core” (psyche, soul, etc.), which, because it was constituted as a priori, meant that people believed it lay beyond being touched or constituted by any social, economic, or political exigencies, “regulations,” or “disciplinary practices” and thus “preclude[d] an analysis of the political constitution of the gendered subject.”
Cryostratigraphy of mid-Miocene permafrost at Friis Hills, McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica
Authors: Verret Marjolaine , Dickinson Warren , Lacelle Denis , Fisher David , Norton Kevin , Chorley Hannah , Levy Richard , Naish Tim
Published: December 2020

The origin and stability of ground ice in the stable uplands of the McMurdo Dry Valleys remains poorly understood, with most studies focusing on the near-surface permafrost. The 2016 Friis Hills Drilling Project retrieved five cores reaching 50 m depth in mid-Miocene permafrost, a period when Antarctica transitioned to a hyper-arid environment. This study characterizes the cryostratigraphy of arguably the oldest permafrost on Earth and assesses 15 Myr of ground ice evolution using the REGO model. Four cryostratigraphic units were identified: 1) surficial dry permafrost (0–30 cm), 2) ice-rich to ice-poor permafrost (0.3–5.0 m) with high solute load and δ18O values (-16.2 ± 1.8‰) and low D-excess values (-65.6 ± 4.3‰), 3) near-dry permafrost (5–20 m) and 4) ice-poor to ice-rich permafrost (20–50 m) containing ice lenses with low solute load and δ18O values (-34.6 ± 1.2‰) and D-excess of 6.9 ± 2.6‰. The near-surface δ18O profile of ground ice is comparable to other sites in the stable uplands, suggesting that this ice is actively responding to changing surface environmental conditions and challenging the assumption that the surface has remained frozen for 13.8 Myr. The deep ice lenses probably originate from the freezing of meteoric water during the mid-Miocene, and their δ18O composition suggests mean annual air temperatures ~7–11°C warmer than today.
Isolated right subclavian artery in a left aortic arch with ventricular septal defect
Authors: Shati Ayed A.
Published: December 2020

Isolated origin of the subclavian artery is a congenital anomaly of the aortic arch in which one subclavian artery is attached to the ipsilateral pulmonary artery through ligamentous arteriosus. An isolated right subclavian artery with the left-sided aortic arch is an extremely rare condition. We report on an asymptomatic 2-year-old-girl, who was referred because of an incidental cardiac a murmur. She was diagnosed by echocardiography to have an isolated right subclavian artery connected to the right pulmonary artery in a left aortic arch with a ventricular septal defect. MRI confirmed the findings.