bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Designing Melittin‐Graphene Hybrid Complexes for Enhanced Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Lu Xuemei , Liu Jiaojiao , Gou Lu , Li Jingliang , Yuan Bing , Yang Kai , Ma Yuqiang
Published: March 2019

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) promise a fundamental solution to the devastating threat of drug‐resistant bacteria. However, drawbacks of AMPs (e.g., poor cell membrane penetration efficiency) seriously block their clinical use. In this work, rational design of a hybrid complex of melittin (as a representative AMP) and graphene or graphene oxide (Gra or GO) nanosheets for enhanced antibacterial ability is achieved, via combining in‐silico prediction and in‐tube test. In comparison to pristine melittin, the specifically designed AMP‐Gra (/GO) complex exhibits remarkable efficiency in transmembrane perforation with an over tenfold decrease in the threshold working concentration of peptide; moreover, it has an up to 20‐fold enhancement in antibacterial activity against both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. Such improvement is ascribed to the synergetic insertion of nanosheets and melittin due to similarity in antibacterial mechanism between them and is further regulated by the structural factors of the complex, including the intersheet spacing and surface functionalization of the Gra/GO sheets, etc. These results provide practical guidelines to engineer AMPs with nanotechnology for improved antimicrobial performances, especially based on targeted functionalization of the Gra/GO nanosheets.
Self‐Assembling Proteins as High‐Performance Substrates for Embryonic Stem Cell Self‐Renewal
Authors: Hill Christopher J. , Fleming Jennifer R. , Mousavinejad Masoumeh , Nicholson Rachael , Tzokov Svetomir B. , Bullough Per A. , Bogomolovas Julius , Morgan Mark R. , Mayans Olga , Murray Patricia
Published: March 2019

The development of extracellular matrix mimetics that imitate niche stem cell microenvironments and support cell growth for technological applications is intensely pursued. Specifically, mimetics are sought that can enact control over the self‐renewal and directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for clinical use. Despite considerable progress in the field, a major impediment to the clinical translation of hPSCs is the difficulty and high cost of large‐scale cell production under xeno‐free culture conditions using current matrices. Here, a bioactive, recombinant, protein‐based polymer, termed ZTFn, is presented that closely mimics human plasma fibronectin and serves as an economical, xeno‐free, biodegradable, and functionally adaptable cell substrate. The ZTFn substrate supports with high performance the propagation and long‐term self‐renewal of human embryonic stem cells while preserving their pluripotency. The ZTFn polymer can, therefore, be proposed as an efficient and affordable replacement for fibronectin in clinical grade cell culturing. Further, it can be postulated that the ZT polymer has significant engineering potential for further orthogonal functionalization in complex cell applications.
Large‐Scale, Low‐Power Nonvolatile Memory Based on Few‐Layer MoS2 and Ultrathin Polymer Dielectrics
Authors: Yang Sang Cheol , Choi Junhwan , Jang Byung Chul , Hong Woonggi , Shim Gi Woong , Yang Sang Yoon , Im Sung Gap , Choi Sung‐Yool
Published: March 2019

With the advent of artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things, demand has grown for flexible, low‐power, high‐density nonvolatile memory capable of handling vast amounts of information. Ultrathin‐layered 2D semiconductor materials such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) have considerable potential for flexible electronic device applications because of their unique physical properties. However, development of flexible MoS2‐based flash memory is challenging, as there is a lack of flexible dielectric materials with sufficient insulating properties for use in flash memory devices with dielectric bilayers. Here, large‐scale, low‐power nonvolatile memory is realized based on a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)‐grown millimeter‐scale few‐layer MoS2 semiconductor channel and polymer dielectrics prepared via an initiated CVD (iCVD) process. Using the outstanding insulating properties and solvent‐free nature of iCVD, fabricated memory devices with a tunable memory window, a high on/off ratio (≈106), low operating voltages (≈13 V), stable retention times exceeding 105 s with a possible extrapolated duration of years, and cycling endurance exceeding 1500 cycles are demonstrated. Owing to these characteristics, these devices distinctly outperform previously reported MoS2‐based memory devices. Leveraging the inherent mechanical flexibility of both ultrathin polymer dielectrics and MoS2, this work is a step toward realization of large‐scale, low‐power, flexible MoS2‐based flash memory.
Band Structure and Spin–Orbital Texture of the (111)‐KTaO3 2D Electron Gas
Authors: Bruno Flavio Y. , McKeown Walker Siobhan , Riccò Sara , de la Torre Alberto , Wang Zhiming , Tamai Anna , Kim Timur K. , Hoesch Moritz , Bahramy Mohammad S. , Baumberger Felix
Published: March 2019

2D electron gases (2DEGs) in oxides show great potential for the discovery of new physical phenomena and at the same time hold promise for electronic applications. In this work, angle‐resolved photoemission is used to determine the electronic structure of a 2DEG stabilized in the (111)‐oriented surface of the strong spin–orbit coupling material KTaO3. The measurements reveal multiple sub‐bands that emerge as a consequence of quantum confinement and form a sixfold symmetric Fermi surface. This electronic structure is well reproduced by self‐consistent tight‐binding supercell calculations. Based on these calculations, the spin and orbital texture of the 2DEG is determined. It is found that the 2DEG Fermi surface is derived from bulk J = 3/2 states and exhibits an unconventional anisotropic Rashba‐like lifting of the spin‐degeneracy. Spin‐momentum locking holds only for high‐symmetry directions and a strong out‐of‐plane spin component renders the spin texture threefold symmetric. It is found that the average spin‐splitting on the Fermi surface is an order of magnitude larger than in SrTiO3, which should translate into an enhancement in the spin–orbitronic response of (111)‐KTaO3 2DEG‐based devices.
An allometry between seed kernel and seed coat shows greater investment in physical defense in small seeds
Authors: Wu La‐Mei , Chen Si‐Chong , Wang Bo
Published: March 2019

Premise of the Study

Numerous studies have treated the mass of a whole seed as an integrated unit, although the components seed kernel and seed coat play different roles and are subject to different evolutionary selection pressures. In this study, we provided the first global‐scale quantification of the relative biomass investments in seed coats and seed kernels. We tested the following hypotheses: there is a negative allometry between seed kernel mass and seed coat mass, and therefore, seed coat ratio (SCR) is negatively correlated with seed mass.

Methods

We compiled a global‐scale data set from the published literature, including 680 plant species from 420 genera and 108 families. The relationships between seed components were quantified using standardized major axis regression, ordinary least squares regression, and phylogenetic independent analyses.

Key Results

We found a weak but significantly negative allometry between seed kernel mass and seed coat mass, which resulted in a negative relationship between seed mass and SCR. Similar results were found after accounting for the phylogeny.

Conclusions

The finding that smaller seeds invest more in protective tissues but less in stored reserves may explain the general prediction that larger seeds suffer greater predation than smaller seeds. Furthermore, this weak allometry may also explain, at least in part, why so many studies failed to identify a clear pattern of the effect of seed mass on many ecological processes. Our study suggests that the allometry between the two seed components must be considered when evaluating the ecological significance and evolutionary history of seed mass.
Improved clinical outcome following liver transplant in patients with ethylmalonic encephalopathy
Authors: Tam Allison , AlDhaheri Noura Salem , Mysore Krupa , Tessier Mary Elizabeth , Goss John , Fernandez Luis A. , D'Alessandro Anthony M. , Schwoerer Jessica Scott , Rice Gregory M. , Elsea Sarah H. , Scaglia Fernando
Published: March 2019

Ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) is a rapidly progressive autosomal recessive mitochondrial disease caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the ETHE1 gene that encodes the mitochondrial sulfur dioxygenase. It is characterized by neurodevelopmental delay and regression, pyramidal and extrapyramidal signs, recurrent petechiae, chronic diarrhea, and orthostatic acrocyanosis. Laboratory findings include elevated serum levels of lactate and C4‐C5 acylcarnitines, and elevated urinary excretion of ethylmalonic acid and C4‐C6 acylglycines, notably isobutyrylglycine and 2‐methylbutyrylglycine. These findings are attributed to deficiency of the mitochondrial sulfur dioxygenase resulting in toxic accumulation of hydrogen sulfide metabolites in vascular endothelium and mucosal cells of the large intestine. Medical management has thus far been directed toward decreasing the accumulation of hydrogen sulfide metabolites using a combination of metronidazole and N‐acetylcysteine. More recently, orthotopic liver transplant (OLT) has been reported as a new therapeutic option for EE. Here, we report two additional cases of EE who achieved psychomotor developmental improvement after 7‐ and 22‐months following OLT. The second case serves as the longest developmental outcome follow‐up reported, thus far, following OLT for EE. This report provides additional evidence to validate OLT as a promising therapeutic approach for what was considered to be a fatal disease.
Association between perihematomal cerebral blood volume and intracerebral hemorrhage expansion: A computed tomography perfusion study
Authors: Morotti Andrea , Busto Giorgio , Bernardoni Andrea , Tamborino Carmine , Fainardi Enrico
Published: March 2019

We investigated whether computed tomography (CT) perfusion can identify intracerebral hemorrhage patients at high risk of hematoma growth (HG). A total of 155 subjects underwent CT perfusion on admission. Variables associated with log‐transformed absolute HG were explored with multivariable linear regression. Perihematomal cerebral blood volume (CBV) was inversely associated with HG (B = –0.20; p < 0.001), independently from blood pressure, hematoma volume, and other confounders. This association was not dose dependent, and only very low CBV (<1.4 ml/100 g) was significantly associated with HG (B = 0.25; p < 0.001). In conclusion, reduced perihematomal CBV is associated with HG, suggesting a potential role of the perihematomal region in the pathophysiology of hematoma enlargement. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:943–947.
Silver Tarnishing Mechanism Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations
Authors: Saleh Gabriele , Xu Chen , Sanvito Stefano
Published: March 2019

The mechanism of silver–oxygen and silver–sulfur reactions is revealed by means of molecular dynamics simulations, performed with reactive force fields purposely built and extensively tested against quantum‐chemical results. Different reaction mechanisms and rates for Ag–O and Ag–S emerge. This study solves the long‐lasting question why silver exposed to the environment is strongly vulnerable to sulfur corrosion (tarnishing) but hardly reacts with O2, despite the thermodynamic prediction that both oxide and sulfide should form. The reliability of the simulation results is confirmed by the agreement with a multitude of experimental results from the literature.
Total Synthesis of (−)‐Cephalotaxine and (−)‐Homoharringtonine via Furan Oxidation–Transannular Mannich Cyclization
Authors: Ju Xuan , Beaudry Christopher M.
Published: March 2019

Homoharringtonine and its congener cephalotaxine were synthesized. Oxidative ring‐opening of a furan unveils an amine‐tethered dicarbonyl, which undergoes spontaneous transannular Mannich cyclization. The cascade builds the full cephalotaxine substructure in a single operation in 60 % yield. A Noyori reduction enabled synthesis of the title compounds with excellent enantioselectivity (krel=278).
Rheologically determined phase diagram of poly(ε‐caprolactone)/poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) blends: Role of ramp rate in dynamic measurements
Authors: Naziri Amir Ali , Khonakdar Hossein Ali , Hemmati Farkhondeh , Jafari Seyed Hassan , Ehsani Morteza
Published: March 2019

The phase behavior of poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/poly(styrene‐co‐acrylonitrile) (SAN) blends, with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST)‐type phase diagram over a virtual upper critical solution temperature (UCST) one, was investigated through thermal analysis and dynamic rheological measurements as a function of ramp rate. The LCST phase diagram was detected rheologically from the observed slope changes in the dynamic temperature ramps of storage modulus (G′). The determined phase transition points along with the spinodal temperatures, which are estimated based on the theoretical approach of Ajji and Choplin's mean field theory, shift to higher temperatures by reducing the ramp rate. The detected shifts show a composition dependency. Far away from the critical point, the phase transition temperatures of PCL/SAN blends change more noticeably, which originates from the smaller magnitude of concentration fluctuations in the metastable region and the stronger competition between the phase dissolution and cooling rate. The Flory–Huggins interaction parameter (χ) was appropriately adjusted into the LCST phase boundary as a function of temperature and composition. The results confirmed that the adjusted χ has higher temperature dependency at larger ramp rate of the dynamic measurements. The experimentally combined LCST and UCST phase behavior were also verified by the compressible regular solution model. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2019,136, 47750.
Science and its significant other: Representing the humanities in bibliometric scholarship
Authors: Franssen Thomas , Wouters Paul
Published: March 2019

The cognitive and social structures, and publication practices, of the humanities have been studied bibliometrically for the past 50 years. This article explores the conceptual frameworks, methods, and data sources used in bibliometrics to study the nature of the humanities, and its differences and similarities in comparison with other scientific domains. We give a historical overview of bibliometric scholarship between 1965 and 2018 that studies the humanities empirically and distinguishes between two periods in which the configuration of the bibliometric system differs remarkably. The first period, 1965 to the 1980s, is characterized by bibliometric methods embedded in a sociological theoretical framework, the development and use of the Price Index, and small samples of journal publications from which references are used as data sources. The second period, the 1980s to the present day, is characterized by a new intellectual hinterland—that of science policy and research evaluation—in which bibliometric methods become embedded. Here metadata of publications becomes the primary data source with which publication profiles of humanistic scholarly communities are analyzed. We unpack the differences between these two periods and critically discuss the analytical avenues that different approaches offer.
Local and long range potentials for heparin‐protein systems for coarse‐grained simulations
Authors: Samsonov Sergey A. , Lubecka Emilia A. , Bojarski Krzysztof K. , Ganzynkowicz Robert , Liwo Adam
Published: March 2019

Heparin belongs to glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), a class of periodic linear anionic polysaccharides, which are functionally important components of the extracellular matrix owing to their interactions with various protein targets. Heparin is known to be involved in many cell signaling processes, while the experimental data available for heparin are significantly more abundant than for other GAGs. At the same time, the length and conformational flexibility of the heparin represent major challenges for its theoretical analysis. Coarse‐grained (CG) approaches, which enable us to extend the size‐ and time‐scale by orders of magnitude owing to reduction of system representation, appear, therefore, to be useful in simulating these systems. In this work, by using umbrella‐sampling molecular dynamics simulations, we derived and parameterized the CG backbone‐local potentials of heparin chains and the orientational potentials for the interactions of heparin with amino acid side chains to be further included in the physics‐based Unified Coarse‐Grained Model of biological macromolecules. With these potentials, simulations of extracellular matrix processes where both heparin and multiple proteins participate will be possible.
Flour from Triticum polonicum L. as a potential ingredient in bread production
Authors: Suchowilska Elżbieta , Szafrańska Anna , Słowik Elżbieta , Wiwart Marian
Published: March 2019

Background and objectives

The experiment involved 35 lines of Triticum polonicum, three common wheat cultivars, and one durum wheat cultivar.

Findings

Triticum polonicum lines were characterized by significantly higher protein (17.33%) and ash (2.30%) content than Triticum aestivum (11.65 and 1.90%, respectively). Despite the high gluten content of T. polonicum (37.1%), its gluten index (11%) and falling number (182 s) were lower in comparison with T. aestivum (82% and 397 s, respectively). The dough and bread made from T. polonicum flour were characterized by high yield and high crumb moisture. The loaves of bread baked from T. polonicum flour were generally less risen, and in some cases, they were flatter in shape and had less fluffy crumb with somewhat larger and thicker‐walled pores than the breads made from common wheat and durum wheat flour.

Conclusions

However, T. polonicum bread had more desirable sensory properties than the products made with the flour of common wheat and durum wheat. The flour from T. polonicum grain can be an interesting alternative for bread production.

Significance and novelty

So far, there is no information on the technological quality of the grain of T. polonicum. This species could be a valuable initial material for new wheat cultivars breeding.
The efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation for patients with chronic pouchitis: A case series
Authors: Nishida Atsushi , Imaeda Hirotsugu , Inatomi Osamu , Bamba Shigeki , Sugimoto Mitsushige , Andoh Akira
Published: March 2019

Key Clinical Message

Pouchitis is one of the most common complications that develop after restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch‐anal anastomosis for ulcerative colitis. Single fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) by colonoscopy was performed safely on three patients with pouchitis. However, the efficacy of FMT on pouchitis was limited.
Recent Progress on Two‐Dimensional Heterostructures for Catalytic, Optoelectronic, and Energy Applications
Authors: Xi Yilian , Zhuang Jincheng , Hao Weichang , Du Yi
Published: March 2019

Two‐dimensional (2D) heterostructures have attracted tremendous attention over the past few years, owing to the fascinating electronic and photoelectric properties determined by the heterointerface of different components, which has led to significant efforts being devoted to exploring novel applications based on 2D heterostructures in the field of nanomaterials. Here, recent progress on the features of 2D heterostructures that make them the promising candidates for electronic and optoelectronic applications are discussed. The potential applications of these 2D heterostructures, based on the experimental results, as field‐effect transistors (FETs), diodes, solar cells, photocatalysis, and photodetectors, are reviewed and their challenges and outlook are considered.
Robust Triplatinum Redox‐Chromophore for a Post‐Synthetic Color‐Tunable Electrochromic System
Authors: Yoshida Masaki , Shitama Hotaka , Sameera W. M. C. , Kobayashi Atsushi , Kato Masako
Published: March 2019

An electrochromic system showing ease of color tunability has been constructed using a triple‐decker PtII complex [Pt3(μ3‐pydt)2(bpy)3]2+ (H2pydt=2,6‐pyridinedithiol, bpy=2,2′‐bipyridine). The divalent complex undergoes electrochemically quasi‐reversible two‐electron transfer coupled with the coordination/dissociation of axial ligands, forming higher valent Pt(+2.67) species [Pt3X2(μ3‐pydt)2(bpy)3]2+ (X=Cl−, Br−, and SCN−). These higher valent species exhibit characteristic colors ranging from red to cyan depending on the counter anion X− of the electrolyte. The triple‐decker structure provides a novel multicolor electrochromic system with favorable stability and reversibility. Theoretical calculations indicate that the colors of the Pt(+2.67) species are tunable by the trans influence of the axial ligand X−. This novel strategy of post‐synthetic color‐tuning using triplatinum systems should enable the facile preparation of colorful electrochromic devices without any complicated procedures, which may find application in flexible displays, optical devices, and sensors.
Across the Board: Keiichi Tomishige
Authors: Tomishige Keiichi
Published: March 2019

In this series of articles, the board members of ChemSusChem discuss recent research articles that they consider of exceptional quality and importance for sustainability. This entry features Prof. K. Tomishige, who highlights the importance of the chemical conversion of monosaccharides and the future necessity for the development of heterogeneous catalysts.
Morphological and digestive adjustments buffer performance: How staging shorebirds cope with severe food declines
Authors: Zhang Shou‐Dong , Ma Zhijun , Choi Chi‐Yeung , Peng He‐Bo , Melville David S. , Zhao Tian‐Tian , Bai Qing‐Quan , Liu Wen‐Liang , Chan Ying‐Chi , van Gils Jan A. , Piersma Theunis
Published: March 2019

Organisms cope with environmental stressors by behavioral, morphological, and physiological adjustments. Documentation of such adjustments in the wild provides information on the response space in nature and the extent to which behavioral and bodily adjustments lead to appropriate performance effects. Here we studied the morphological and digestive adjustments in a staging population of migrating Great Knots Calidris tenuirostris in response to stark declines in food abundance and quality at the Yalu Jiang estuarine wetland (northern Yellow Sea, China). At Yalu Jiang, from 2011 to 2017 the densities of intertidal mollusks, the food of Great Knots, declined 15‐fold. The staple prey of Great Knots shifted from the relatively soft‐shelled bivalve Potamocorbula laevis in 2011–2012 to harder‐shelled mollusks such as the gastropod Umbonium thomasi in 2016–2017. The crushing of the mollusks in the gizzard would require a threefold to 11‐fold increase in break force. This was partially resolved by a 15% increase in gizzard mass which would yield a 32% increase in shell processing capacity. The consumption of harder‐shelled mollusks was also accompanied by reliance on regurgitates to excrete unbreakable parts of prey, rather than the usual intestinal voidance of shell fragments as feces. Despite the changes in digestive morphology and strategy, there was still an 85% reduction in intake rate in 2016–2017 compared with 2011–2012. With these morphological and digestive adjustments, the Great Knots remaining faithful to the staging site to a certain extent buffered the disadvantageous effects of dramatic food declines. However, compensation was not complete. Locally, birds will have had to extend foraging time and use a greater daily foraging range. This study offers a perspective on how individual animals may mitigate the effects of environmental change by morphological and digestive strategies and the limits to the response space of long‐distance migrating shorebirds in the wild.
Pteropus lylei primarily forages in residential areas in Kandal, Cambodia
Authors: Choden Kinley , Ravon Sébastien , Epstein Jonathan H. , Hoem Thavry , Furey Neil , Gely Marie , Jolivot Audrey , Hul Vibol , Neung Chhoeuth , Tran Annelise , Cappelle Julien
Published: March 2019

Bats are the second most species‐rich Mammalian order and provide a wide range of ecologically important and economically significant ecosystem services. Nipah virus is a zoonotic emerging infectious disease for which pteropodid bats have been identified as a natural reservoir. In Cambodia, Nipah virus circulation has been reported in Pteropus lylei, but little is known about the spatial distribution of the species and the associated implications for conservation and public health.

We deployed Global Positioning System (GPS) collars on 14 P. lylei to study their movements and foraging behavior in Cambodia in 2016. All of the flying foxes were captured from the same roost, and GPS locations were collected for 1 month. The habitats used by each bat were characterized through ground‐truthing, and a spatial distribution model was developed of foraging sites.

A total of 13,643 valid locations were collected during the study. Our study bats flew approximately 20 km from the roost each night to forage. The maximum distance traveled per night ranged from 6.88–105 km and averaged 28.3 km. Six of the 14 bats visited another roost for at least one night during the study, including one roost located 105 km away.

Most foraging locations were in residential areas (53.7%) followed by plantations (26.6%). Our spatial distribution model confirmed that residential areas were the preferred foraging habitat for P. lylei, although our results should be interpreted with caution due to the limited number of individuals studied.

Synthesis and applications: Our findings suggest that the use of residential and agricultural habitats by P. lylei may create opportunities for bats to interact with humans and livestock. They also suggest the importance of anthropogenic habitats for conservation of this vulnerable and ecologically important group in Cambodia. Our mapping of the probability of occurrence of foraging sites will help identification of areas where public awareness should be promoted regarding the ecosystem services provided by flying foxes and potential for disease transmission through indirect contact.
Antipredator response diminishes during periods of resource deficit for a large herbivore
Authors: Oates B. A. , Merkle J. A. , Kauffman M. J. , Dewey S. R. , Jimenez M. D. , Vartanian J. M. , Becker S. A. , Goheen J. R.
Published: March 2019

The starvation–predation hypothesis predicts that, during resource shortages, prey forego antipredator behavior and forage as much as possible to avoid starvation, even when risk of predation is high. We tested this hypothesis using GPS locations collected simultaneously from moose (Alces alces) and wolves (Canis lupus) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of North America. We assessed shifts in the speed, displacement, and habitat selection of moose 24 h following encounter with wolves (0–1,500 m distance). We examined whether the strength of antipredator behaviors would weaken as winter progressed and the nutritional condition of moose declined. Moose responded to wolf encounters by increasing their rate of movement in early winter, but only within 500 m distance. Importantly, these responses attenuated as winter progressed. Moose did not avoid their preferred foraging habitat (riparian areas) following encounters with wolves at any distance, and instead they more strongly selected riparian areas, especially in early winter. Our findings support theoretical predictions that resource deficits should dampen prey antipredator behavior, and suggest that nutritional condition of prey may buffer against run‐away risk effects in food webs involving large mammalian predators and prey.
Effect of Microwave Irradiation Parameters on Co/Fe Hydrotalcite Nanocatalysts for the Total Oxidation of VOCs
Authors: Serhal Cynthia Abou , Mallard Isabelle , Poupin Christophe , Labaki Madona , Siffert Stéphane , Cousin Renaud
Published: March 2019

A series of Co/Fe hydrotalcite‐like samples were prepared by the traditional co‐precipitation method and treated under microwave irradiation at different temperatures, powers, and for various durations. The resulting samples have been calcined to obtain the nano‐oxide catalysts. Characterization by different physicochemical techniques including X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), temperature programmed reduction by hydrogen (H2‐TPR), and X‐ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) was carried out. The nanocatalysts were also tested in the total oxidation of propene. Comparing both conventional and microwave synthesis, a significant improvement in the catalytic activity was found for the samples prepared with microwave treatment. A minimum of irradiation time, power, and temperature (1 min, 40 W, and 40 °C) is enough to get higher surface area, larger pore size, smaller crystallite size, and a higher amount of reducible species than those for the non‐irradiated solid. All these factors are responsible for the enhancement of the catalytic activity.
The role of lay beliefs about group transgressions in acceptance of responsibility for ingroup harm‐doing
Authors: Bilali Rezarta , Iqbal Yeshim , Erisen Cengiz
Published: March 2019

Denial of responsibility by perpetrator groups is the most common response to group‐based transgressions. Refusal to acknowledge responsibility has dire consequences for intergroup relations. In this research we assessed whether shifting lay beliefs about group‐based transgressions in general influences acceptance of responsibility for a specific ingroup transgression. In two experimental studies we manipulated lay beliefs about group transgressions as reflecting either a group's stable character (i.e., a global defect construal) or a specific characteristic (i.e., a specific defect construal). Specific defect construals (compared to global defect construals) increased acceptance of ingroup responsibility by increasing group malleability beliefs, but reduced acceptance of ingroup responsibility by reducing the ingroup's perceived moral failure. These effects were moderated by ingroup superiority in Study 1, but not Study 2. We draw implications for our understanding of mechanisms of denial of responsibility, identity threat, and coping with this threat.
Optimal Fractional Order BELBIC to Ameliorate Small Signal Stability of Interconnected Hybrid Power System
Authors: Darvish Falehi Ali
Published: March 2019

The small signal stability of power systems integrated with fallback large‐scale distributed energy resources is of utmost importance during the perturbation conditions. Among the various renewable resources in power systems: photovoltaic, fuel cell, wind turbine, diesel engine, aqua electrolyser, battery, ultra‐capacitor, and flywheel is becoming more favored in last decades. AGC, a main control system of frequency modulation, must correctly alleviate the low frequency oscillations caused by the perturbation and variable output power of renewable resources. In this regard, FOBELBIC is here introduced to enhance the damping capability of AGC. Since both the frequency and tie‐line power oscillations must be concomitantly alleviated, the small signal stability problem has been multi‐objectively formulated. Due to the exploration capability of MOALO, it has been chosen to extract the optimal parameters of FOBELBIC. Furthermore, MOPSO, MOBA, and NSGA‐II have been studied to demonstrate the capability of MOALO. To verify and validate the damping performance of suggested controller, it has been evaluated in three‐area reconstructed power system under the load perturbations as well as wind speed and sun radiation variations, and at the same time compared with BELBIC and PID controllers. Finally, the simulation results have evidently confirmed the damping the performance of MOALO‐based FOBELBIC to enhance the small signal stability of hybrid power system. © 2019 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13146, 2019
Modeling the relationship between the influencing factors and the multiple responses of coal‐like materials using Taguchi‐Gray correlation analysis for their utilization in gas seepage studies
Authors: Li Qingmiao , Liang Yunpei , Zou Quanle
Published: March 2019

Coal‐like sampling obtained through compression molding is an important application of powder compression molding technology in mining engineering. To obtain ideal coal‐like samples for the revelation of the seepage property of low‐permeability soft coals, gas seepage studies, which utilized the Taguchi method, were performed on coal‐like materials with different particle sizes, activated carbon weight, Portland cement weight, and forming pressure. The effect of a single factor on the fluid‐solid coupling property of coal‐like materials was analyzed. The results indicate that the permeability and axial stress curves that correlated with strain in the conventional triaxial tests can be divided into three clear phases, and that layered damage appears in all tested specimens. The stress‐permeability relationship model of coal‐like materials is proposed. The influence of process parameters on the strength and permeability of coal briquettes during gas seepage tests was experimentally investigated. The Taguchi method and gray correlation analysis were integrated to determine the best combination of input factors through the key indicator of the gray relational grade, which is required to satisfy multiple quality goals in gas seepage coal‐like materials. The contribution percentage of the input factors to the outputs was determined using analysis of variance; it indicated that coal particle size was the prominent influencing parameter followed by activated carbon, forming pressure, and Portland cement.
Altered ability to access a clinically relevant control network in patients remitted from major depressive disorder
Authors: Figueroa Caroline A. , Cabral Joana , Mocking Roel J. T. , Rapuano Kristina M. , van Hartevelt Tim J. , Deco Gustavo , Expert Paul , Schene Aart H. , Kringelbach Morten L. , Ruhé Henricus G.
Published: March 2019

Neurobiological models to explain vulnerability of major depressive disorder (MDD) are scarce and previous functional magnetic resonance imaging studies mostly examined “static” functional connectivity (FC). Knowing that FC constantly evolves over time, it becomes important to assess how FC dynamically differs in remitted‐MDD patients vulnerable for new depressive episodes. Using a recently developed method to examine dynamic FC, we characterized re‐emerging FC states during rest in 51 antidepressant‐free MDD patients at high risk of recurrence (≥2 previous episodes), and 35 healthy controls. We examined differences in occurrence, duration, and switching profiles of FC states after neutral and sad mood induction. Remitted MDD patients showed a decreased probability of an FC state (p < 0.005) consisting of an extensive network connecting frontal areas—important for cognitive control—with default mode network, striatum, and salience areas, involved in emotional and self‐referential processing. Even when this FC state was observed in patients, it lasted shorter (p < 0.005) and was less likely to switch to a smaller prefrontal–striatum network (p < 0.005). Differences between patients and controls decreased after sad mood induction. Further, the duration of this FC state increased in remitted patients after sad mood induction but not in controls (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest reduced ability of remitted‐MDD patients, in neutral mood, to access a clinically relevant control network involved in the interplay between externally and internally oriented attention. When recovering from sad mood, remitted recurrent MDD appears to employ a compensatory mechanism to access this FC state. This study provides a novel neurobiological profile of MDD vulnerability.
The effect of mental countermeasures on neuroimaging‐based concealed information tests
Authors: Hsu Chun‐Wei , Begliomini Chiara , Dall'Acqua Tommaso , Ganis Giorgio
Published: March 2019

During the last decade and a half, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been used to determine whether it is possible to detect concealed knowledge by examining brain activation patterns, with mixed results. Concealed information tests rely on the logic that a familiar item (probe) elicits a stronger response than unfamiliar, but otherwise comparable items (irrelevants). Previous work has shown that physical countermeasures can artificially modulate neural responses in concealed information tests, decreasing the accuracy of these methods. However, the question remains as to whether purely mental countermeasures, which are much more difficult to detect than physical ones, can also be effective. An fMRI study was conducted to address this question by assessing the effect of attentional countermeasures on the accuracy of the classification between knowledge and no‐knowledge cases using both univariate and multivariate analyses. Results replicate previous work and show reliable group activation differences between the probe and the irrelevants in fronto‐parietal networks. Critically, classification accuracy was generally reduced by the mental countermeasures, but only significantly so with region of interest analyses (both univariate and multivariate). For whole‐brain analyses, classification accuracy was relatively low, but it was not significantly reduced by the countermeasures. These results indicate that mental countermeasure need to be addressed before these paradigms can be used in applied settings and that methods to defeat countermeasures, or at least to detect their use, need to be developed.

Highlights

FMRI‐based concealed information tests are vulnerable to mental countermeasures

Measures based on regions of interest are affected by mental countermeasures

Whole‐brain analyses may be more robust than region of interest ones

Methods to detect mental countermeasure use are needed for forensic applications
Microstructural changes of the dentato‐rubro‐thalamic tract after transcranial MR guided focused ultrasound ablation of the posteroventral VIM in essential tremor
Authors: Pineda‐Pardo Jose A. , Martínez‐Fernández Raul , Rodríguez‐Rojas Rafael , Del‐Alamo Marta , Hernández Frida , Foffani Guglielmo , Dileone Michele , Máñez‐Miró Jorge U. , De Luis‐Pastor Esther , Vela Lydia , Obeso José A.
Published: March 2019

Essential tremor is the most common movement disorder in adults. In patients who are not responsive to medical treatment, functional neurosurgery and, more recently, transcranial MR‐guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy are considered effective therapeutic approaches. However, the structural brain changes following a thalamotomy that mediates the clinical improvement are still unclear. In here diffusion weighted images were acquired in a cohort of 24 essential tremor patients before and 3 months after unilateral transcranial MR‐guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy targeting at the posteroventral part of the VIM. Microstructural changes along the DRTT were quantified by means of probabilistic tractography, and later related to the clinical improvement of the patients at 3‐months and at 1‐year after the intervention. In addition the changes along two neighboring tracts, that is, the corticospinal tract and the medial lemniscus, were assessed, as well as the relation between these changes and the presence of side effects. Thalamic lesions produced local and distant alterations along the trajectory of the DRTT, and each correlated with clinical improvement. Regarding side effects, gait imbalance after thalamotomy was associated with greater impact on the DRTT, whereas the presence of paresthesias was significantly related to a higher overlap between the lesion and the medial lemniscus. This work represents the largest series describing the microstructural changes following transcranial MR‐guided focused ultrasound thalamotomy in essential tremor. These results suggest that clinical benefits are specific for the impact on the cerebello‐thalamo‐cortical pathway, thus reaffirming the potential of tractography to aid thalamotomy targeting.
Tracking the acquisition of anticipatory postural adjustments during a bimanual load‐lifting task: A MEG study
Authors: Di Rienzo Franck , Barlaam Fanny , Daligault Sébastien , Delpuech Claude , Roy Alice C. , Bertrand Olivier , Jerbi Karim , Schmitz Christina
Published: March 2019

During bimanual coordination, that is, manipulating with the dominant hand an object held by the postural hand, anticipatory postural adjustments are required to cancel the perturbations and ensure postural stabilization. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we investigated changes mediating the acquisition of anticipatory postural adjustments during a bimanual load‐lifting task. Participants lifted a load with their right hand, hence triggering the fall of a second load fixed to their left (postural) forearm. During Acquisition, the onset of load‐lifting and the fall of the second load were experimentally delayed after few trials. During Control, load‐lifting triggered the fall of the second load without delay. Upward elbow rotation decreased with trial repetition during Acquisition, hence attesting the ongoing acquisition of anticipatory postural adjustments. Bilateral event‐related desynchronisation (ERD) of the alpha rhythm (8–12 Hz) was recorded. Generators of the mu rhythm were found within central and associative motor regions. Their spatial distribution within the hemisphere contralateral to the load‐lifting arm was less refined and circumscribed during Acquisition compared to Control. Regression analyses emphasized the specific involvement of the precuneus in the right hemisphere contralateral to the postural forearm, and a medial prefrontal region in the left hemisphere. Analyses of the time course power showed that an increase in preunloading activation within the precuneus and a decrease in postunloading inhibition within the medial prefrontal region were associated with the acquisition of anticipatory postural adjustments. The study provides original insights into cortical activations mediating the progressive tuning of anticipatory postural adjustments during the acquisition stage of motor learning.
Health insurance and opioid deaths: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act young adult provision
Authors: Wettstein Gal
Published: March 2019

The concurrence of health insurance expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and increasing opioid‐related mortality has led to debate whether insurance increases or decreases opioid deaths. I use the introduction of the ACA young adult (YA) provision as a quasi‐experiment and utilize the resulting policy‐induced variation across states over time in YA access to insurance to study the effect of coverage on opioid‐related mortality. I rely on the share of state populations which stood to gain insurance before the ACA to perform a dose–response analysis, and find that the YA provision reduced opioid‐related mortality. The analysis suggests that 1 percentage point more coverage reduced opioid mortality among YA by 2.5/100,000 or 19.8%.
Lnc‐UCID Promotes G1/S Transition and Hepatoma Growth by Preventing DHX9‐Mediated CDK6 Down‐regulation
Authors: Wang Yun‐Long , Liu Jin‐Yu , Yang Jin‐E , Yu Xiao‐Man , Chen Zhan‐Li , Chen Ya‐Jing , Kuang Ming , Zhu Ying , Zhuang Shi‐Mei
Published: March 2019

Although thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been annotated, only a limited number of them have been functionally characterized. Here, we identified an oncogenic lncRNA, named lnc‐UCID (lncRNA up‐regulating CDK6 by interacting with DHX9). Lnc‐UCID was up‐regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and a higher lnc‐UCID level was correlated with shorter recurrence‐free survival of HCC patients. Both gain‐of‐function and loss‐of function studies revealed that lnc‐UCID enhanced cyclin‐dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) expression and thereby promoted G1/S transition and cell proliferation. Studies from mouse xenograft models revealed that tumors derived from lnc‐UCID‐silenced HCC cells had a much smaller size than those from control cells, and intratumoral injection of lnc‐UCID small interfering RNA suppressed xenograft growth. Mechanistically, the 850‐1030‐nt domain of lnc‐UCID interacted physically with DEAH (Asp‐Glu‐Ala‐His) box helicase 9 (DHX9), an RNA helicase. On the other hand, DHX9 post‐transcriptionally suppressed CDK6 expression by binding to the 3′‐untranslated region (3′UTR) of CDK6 mRNA. Further investigation disclosed that lnc‐UCID enhanced CDK6 expression by competitively binding to DHX9 and sequestering DHX9 from CDK6‐3′UTR. In an attempt to explore the mechanisms responsible for lnc‐UCID up‐regulation in HCC, we found that the lnc‐UCID gene was frequently amplified in HCC. Furthermore, miR‐148a, whose down‐regulation was associated with an increase of lnc‐UCID in HCC, could bind lnc‐UCID and inhibit its expression. Conclusion: Up‐regulation of lnc‐UCID, which may result from amplification of its gene locus and down‐regulation of miR‐148a, can promote HCC growth by preventing the interaction of DHX9 with CDK6 and subsequently enhancing CDK6 expression. These findings provide insights into the biological functions of lncRNAs, the regulatory network of cell cycle control, and the mechanisms of HCC development, which may be exploited for anticancer therapy.
Nonstationary self‐similar Gaussian processes as scaling limits of power‐law shot noise processes and generalizations of fractional Brownian motion
Authors: Pang Guodong , Taqqu Murad S.
Published: March 2019

We study shot noise processes with Poisson arrivals and nonstationary noises. The noises are conditionally independent given the arrival times, but the distribution of each noise does depend on its arrival time. We establish scaling limits for such shot noise processes in two situations: (a) the conditional variance functions of the noises have a power law and (b) the conditional noise distributions are piecewise. In both cases, the limit processes are self‐similar Gaussian with nonstationary increments. Motivated by these processes, we introduce new classes of self‐similar Gaussian processes with nonstationary increments, via the time‐domain integral representation, which are natural generalizations of fractional Brownian motions.