bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk factors for Burkitt lymphoma in East African children and minors: A case–control study in malaria‐endemic regions in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya
Authors: Peprah Sally , Ogwang Martin D. , Kerchan Patrick , Reynolds Steven J. , Tenge Constance N. , Were Pamela A. , Kuremu Robert T. , Wekesa Walter N. , Sumba Peter O. , Masalu Nestory , Kawira Esther , Magatti Josiah , Kinyera Tobias , Otim Isaac , Legason Ismail D. , Nabalende Hadijah , Dhudha Herry , Ally Hillary , Genga Isaiah O. , Mumia Mediatrix , Ayers Leona W. , Pfeiffer Ruth M. , Biggar Robert J. , Bhatia Kishor , Goedert James J. , Mbulaiteye Sam M.
Published: May 2019

Endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL) is the most common childhood cancer in sub‐Saharan African countries, however, few epidemiologic studies have been undertaken and none attempted enrolling cases from multiple countries. We therefore conducted a population‐based case–control study of eBL in children aged 0–15 years old in six regions in Northern Uganda, Northern Tanzania and Western Kenya, enrolling 862 suspected cases and 2,934 population controls (response rates 98.5–100%), and processing ~40,000 vials of samples using standardized protocols. Risk factor questionnaires were administered, and malaria period prevalence was measured using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). A total of 80.9% of the recruited cases were diagnosed as eBL; 61.4% confirmed by histology. Associations with eBL risk were computed using logistic regression models adjusted for relevant confounders. Associations common in at least two countries were emphasized. eBL risk was decreased with higher maternal income and paternal education and elevated with history of inpatient malaria treatment >12 months before enrollment. Reporting malaria‐attributed fever up to 6 months before enrollment and malaria‐RDT positivity at enrollment were associated with decreased eBL risk. Conversely, reporting exposure to mass malaria suppression programs (e.g., indoor residual insecticide) was associated with elevated risk. HIV seropositivity was associated with elevated eBL risk, but the relative impact was small. The study shows that it is feasible to conduct networked, multisite population‐based studies of eBL in Africa. eBL was inversely associated with socioeconomic status, positively associated with inpatient malaria treatment 12 months ago and with living in areas targeted for malaria suppression, which support a role of malaria in eBL.
FIGO Statement: Restrictive use rather than routine use of episiotomy
Authors: Nassar Anwar H. , Visser Gerard H.A. , Ayres‐de‐Campos Diogo , Rane Ajay , Gupta Sandhya ,   the FIGO Safe Motherhood and Newborn Health Committee
Published: May 2019

Restrictive rather than routine use of episiotomy should be exercised due to the potential short‐ and long‐term complications associated with episiotomy.
Glioma brain tumor detection and segmentation using weighting random forest classifier with optimized ant colony features
Authors: Rajagopal R.
Published: May 2019

The uncontrolled growth of cells in brain regions leads to the tumor regions and these abnormal tumor regions are scanned by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique as an image. This paper proposes random forest classifier based Glioma brain tumor detection and segmentation methodology using feature optimization technique. The texture features are derived from brain MRI image and these derived feature set are now optimized by ant colony optimization algorithm. These optimized set of features are trained and classified using random forest classification method. This classifier classifies the brain MRI image into Glioma or non‐Glioma image based on the optimized set of features. Furthermore, energy‐based segmentation method is applied on the classified Glioma image for segmenting the tumor regions. The proposed methodology for Glioma brain tumor stated in this paper achieves 97.7% of sensitivity, 96.5% of specificity, and 98.01% of accuracy.
Defensive patterns in reflective group supervisions at Child Health Centres
Authors: Salomonsson Björn
Published: May 2019

Reflective group supervision with infant healthcare workers has been described in several publications. It aims to enhance their ability to help distressed families, and to comprehend and relieve themselves of the distress that they encounter in such work. The ultimate aim has been formulated as an effort at increasing the professional's reflective function. The present article adds to the literature by applying an ego‐psychological perspective on the group process and investigating defensive patterns in such supervisions. This approach includes a critical discussion of the place of the reflective function concept in psychoanalytic metapsychology. The article also suggests a Bionian perspective to account for skewed communicative patterns in groups, so‐called basic assumptions. Some technical recommendations are provided on the frame in group supervision. They aim to disarm such defenses and facilitate the group participants’ possibilities of understanding and thus helping their colleague's problematic relationship with the family. To illustrate the discussion, and to help readers form an image of the supervision process, brief detailed accounts of such work are submitted.
Utilization of therapeutic plasma exchange for hyperbilirubinemia in a premature newborn on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Belousova Tatiana , Tong Yi , Bai Yu , Klein Kimberly , Tint Hlaing , Castillo Brian
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

We report a case of a premature newborn girl with a hospital course complicated by suspected respiratory syncytial virus pneumonitis for which she was placed on veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO). Despite phototherapy, her total bilirubin steadily increased to a peak of 50.4 mg/dL with concern for bilirubin‐induced neurologic dysfunction, kernicterus.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) was achieved via connection with the VA‐ECMO circuit. Our institution's standard apheresis procedural parameters were adjusted to account for the small body weight and thus the low blood volume of the neonate while on ECMO. These included calculating the total blood volume to include the patient as well as the ECMO circuit, priming of the apheresis instrument with packed red blood cells to limit the extracorporeal volume, using a lower inlet flow rate, the connection setup of the inlet and return line, and monitoring of ionized calcium and anticoagulation throughout the procedure.

RESULTS

A total of three TPE procedures were performed over three consecutive days. This resulted in improvement and stabilization of the patient's bilirubin.

CONCLUSION

This case emphasizes that TPE is feasible on a neonate with a suboptimal body weight and thus a low blood volume due to the increased blood volume provided while on ECMO. In the absence of ECMO, whole blood manual exchange transfusion is recommended as TPE would be unsafe due to significant extracorporeal volume that would occur during TPE in a pediatric patient with low body weight.
Potential overestimation of community respiration in the western Pacific boundary ocean: What causes the putative net heterotrophy in oligotrophic systems?
Authors: Huang Yibin , Chen Bingzhang , Huang Bangqin , Zhou Hui , Yuan Yongquan
Published: May 2019

Microbial metabolism is of great importance in affecting the efficiency of biological pump and global carbon cycles. However, the metabolic state of the oligotrophic ocean, the largest biome on Earth, remains contentious. We examined the planktonic and bacterial metabolism using in vitro incubations along the western Pacific boundary during September and October 2016. The integrated gross primary production (GPP) of the photic zone exhibited higher values in the region of 2°–8°N along 130°E and the western Luzon Strait, which is consistent with the regional variability of nutrients in the different ocean provinces. Spatially, the community respiration (CR) was less variable than the GPP and slightly exceeded the GPP at most of the sampling stations. Overall, the in vitro incubation results suggest a prevailing heterotrophic state in this region. A comparison of the metabolic rates from the in vitro incubations with recently published biogeochemical model results in the same region shows that our observed GPP values were close to those predicted by the model, but the measured CR was approximately 30% higher than the modeled values. We also found that most of the in vitro CR estimates were higher than the upper range of the empirical CR estimated from the sum of the contributions of the main trophic groups. Conversely, the estimates of the empirical CR support the rationality of the CR predicted by the biogeochemical model. In general, the results indicate that systematic net heterotrophy is more likely a result of the overestimation of CR measured by the light–dark bottle incubation experiments, although the exact cause of the methodological problem remains unknown.
Benthic communities and their drivers: A spatial analysis off the Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Gutt Julian , Arndt Janina , Kraan Casper , Dorschel Boris , Schröder Michael , Bracher Astrid , Piepenburg Dieter
Published: May 2019

Multiple environmental factors control benthic community patterns, and their relative importance varies with spatial scale. Since this variation is difficult to evaluate quantitatively, extensive sampling across a broad range of spatial scales is required. Here, we present a first case study on Southern Ocean shelf benthos, in which mega‐epibenthic communities and biota‐environment relationships have been explored at multiple spatial scales. The analyses encompassed 20 seafloor, water‐column, and sea‐ice parameters, as well as abundances of 18 mega‐epibenthic taxa in a total of 2799 high‐resolution seabed images taken at 28 stations at 32–786 m depth off the northern Antarctic Peninsula. Based on a priori nesting of sampling stations into ecoregions, subregions, and habitats, analyses indicated most pronounced patchiness levels at finest (within transects among adjacent seabed photos) and largest (among ecoregions) spatial scale considered. Using an alternative approach, explicitly involving the spatial distances between the geo‐referenced data, Moran's Eigenvector mapping (MEM) classified the continuum of spatial scales into four categories: broad (> 60 km), meso (10–60 km), small (2–10 km), and fine (< 2 km). MEM analyses generally indicated an increase in mega‐epibenthic community complexity with increasing spatial scale. Moreover, strong relationships between biota and environmental drivers were found at scales of > 2 km. In contrast, few environmental variables contributed to explaining biotic structures at finer scales. These are likely rather determined by nonmeasured environmental variables, as well as biological traits and interactions that are assumed to be most effective at small spatial scales.
Landscape process domains drive patterns of CO2 evasion from river networks
Authors: Rocher‐Ros Gerard , Sponseller Ryan A. , Lidberg William , Mörth Carl‐Magnus , Giesler Reiner
Published: May 2019

Streams are important emitters of CO2 but extreme spatial variability in their physical properties can make upscaling very uncertain. Here, we determined critical drivers of stream CO2 evasion at scales from 30 to 400 m across a 52.5 km2 catchment in northern Sweden. We found that turbulent reaches never have elevated CO2 concentrations, while less turbulent locations can potentially support a broad range of CO2 concentrations, consistent with global observations. The predictability of stream pCO2 is greatly improved when we include a proxy for soil‐stream connectivity. Catchment topography shapes network patterns of evasion by creating hydrologically linked “domains” characterized by high water‐atmosphere exchange and/or strong soil‐stream connection. This template generates spatial variability in the drivers of CO2 evasion that can strongly bias regional and global estimates. To overcome this complexity, we provide the foundations of a mechanistic framework of CO2 evasion by considering how landscape process domains regulate transfer and supply.
Transcriptome analysis identifies metallothionein as biomarkers to predict recurrence in hepatocellular cacinoma
Authors: Wang Sufang , Gribskov Michael
Published: May 2019

Background

Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the major liver tumor type seen in adults. HCC is usually caused by chronic liver disease such as hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus infection. One of the promising treatments for HCC is liver transplantation, in which a diseased liver is replaced with a healthy liver from another person. However, recurrence of HCC after surgery is a significant problem. Therefore, it is important to discover reliable cellular biomarkers that can predict recurrence in HCC.

Methods

We analyzed previously published HCC RNA‐Seq data that includes 21 paired tumor and normal samples, in which nine tumors were recurrent after orthotopic liver transplantation and 12 were nonrecurrent tumors with their paired normal samples. We used both the reference genome and de novo transcriptome assembly based analyses to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) and used RandomForest to discover biomarkers.

Results

We obtained 398 DEG using the Reference approach and 412 DEG using de novo assembly approach. Among these DEG, 258 genes were identified by both approaches. We further identified 30 biomarkers that could predict the recurrence. We used another independent HCC study that includes 50 patients normal and tumor samples. By using these 30 biomarkers, the prediction accuracy was 100% for normal condition and 98% for tumor condition. A group of Metallothionein was specifically discovered as biomarkers in both reference and de novo assembly approaches.

Conclusion

We identified a group of Metallothionein genes as biomarkers to predict recurrence. The metallothionein genes were all down‐regulated in tumor samples, suggesting that low metallothionein expression may be a promoter of tumor growth. In addition, using de novo assembly identified some unique biomarkers, further confirmed the necessity of conducting a de novo assembly in human cancer study.
‘KnowBrainer’ campaign aims to raise $5 million for MH
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2019

In observance of May Is Mental Health Month, a video streaming mental health company is donating up to $5 million to four mental health charities as part of a campaign for consumers to learn about the importance of the brain and become more informed about mental health overall. The campaign will run through the end of the year.
Untreated perinatal anxiety, depression costly, study finds
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2019

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) affect one in seven pregnant women nationwide, making them the most common obstetric complication, and leading to billions in societal costs, according to researchers of a new mathematical model that quantifies the societal cost of untreated PMADs from conception to age five.
National Council, Walgreens join forces to train pharmacists
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: May 2019

Given that pharmacists are considered the most accessible health care providers in the community and among the most trusted, they can play a key role as part of patients' care teams to help address the growing need for mental health resources. With that in mind, the National Council for Behavioral Health and Walgreens, along with the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), on May 1 announced a collaboration to offer Mental Health First Aid training to Walgreens pharmacists and team members.
Determining the energy spectrum of clinical linear accelerator using an optimized photon beam transmission protocol
Authors: Choi Hyun Joon , Park Hyojun , Yi Chul Young , Kim Byoung‐Chul , Shin Wook‐Geun , Min Chul Hee
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The complex beam delivery techniques for patient treatment using a clinical linear accelerator (linac) may result in variations in the photon spectra, which can lead to dosimetric differences in patients that cannot be accounted for by current treatment planning systems (TPSs). Therefore, precise knowledge of the fluence and energy spectrum (ES) of the therapeutic beam is very important. However, owing to the high energy and flux of the beam, the ES cannot be measured directly, and validation of the spectrum modeled in the TPS is difficult. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient beam transmission measurement procedure for accurately reconstructing the ES of a therapeutic x‐ray beam generated by a clinical linac.

Methods

The attenuation of a 6 MV photon beam from an Elekta Synergy Platform clinical linac through different thicknesses of graphite and lead was measured using an ion chamber. The response of the ion chamber as a function of photon energy was obtained using the Monte Carlo (MC) method in the Geant4 simulation code. Using the curves obtained in the photon beam transmission measurements and the ion chamber energy response, the ES was reconstructed using an iterative algorithm based on a mathematical model of the spectrum. To evaluate the accuracy of the spectrum reconstruction method, the reconstructed ES (ESrecon) was compared to that determined by the MC simulation (ESMC).

Results

The ion chamber model in the Geant4 simulation was well validated by comparing the ion chamber perturbation factors determined by the TRS‐398 calibration protocol and EGSnrc; the differences were within 0.57%. The number of transmission measurements was optimized to 10 for efficient spectrum reconstruction according to the rate of increase in the spectrum reconstruction accuracy. The distribution of ESrecon obtained using the measured transmission curves was clearly similar to the reference, ESMC, and the dose distributions in water calculated using ESrecon and ESMC were similar within a 2% local difference. However, in a heterogeneous medium, the dose discrepancy between them was >5% when a complex beam delivery technique composed of 171 control points was used.

Conclusions

The proposed measurement procedure required a total time of approximately 1 h to obtain and analyze 20 transmission measurements. In addition, it was confirmed that the transmission curve of high‐Z materials influences the accuracy of spectrum reconstruction more than that of low‐Z materials. A well‐designed transmission measurement protocol suitable for clinical environments could be an essential tool for better dosimetric accuracy in patient treatment and for periodic verification of the beam quality.
Summary of the AAPM task group 248 report: Interoperability assessment for the commissioning of medical imaging acquisition systems
Authors: Walz‐Flannigan Alisa , Weiser John , Goode Allen R. , Junck Kevin , Tarbox Lawrence , Dave Jaydev K. , Clunie David A. , McColl Roderick W. , Langer Steve G.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

We summarize the AAPM TG248 Task Group report on interoperability assessment for the commissioning of medical imaging acquisition systems in order to bring needed attention to the value and role of quality assurance testing throughout the imaging chain.

Methods

To guide the clinical physicist involved in commissioning of imaging systems, we describe a framework and tools for incorporating interoperability assessment into imaging equipment commissioning.

Results

While equipment commissioning may coincide with equipment acceptance testing, its scope may extend beyond validation of product or purchase specifications. Equipment commissioning is meant to provide assurance that a system is ready for clinical use, and system interoperability plays an essential role in the clinical use of an imaging system.

Conclusion

The functionality of a diagnostic imaging system extends beyond the acquisition console and depends on interoperability with a host of other systems such as the Radiology Information System, a Picture Archive and Communication System, post‐processing software, treatment planning software, and clinical viewers.
Magnetization transfer in liposome and proteoliposome samples that mimic the protein and lipid composition of myelin
Authors: Yang Weiqi , Lee Jae‐Seung , Leninger Maureen , Windschuh Johannes , Traaseth Nathaniel J. , Jerschow Alexej
Published: May 2019

Although magnetization transfer (MT) has been widely used in brain MRI, for example in brain inflammation and multiple sclerosis, the detailed molecular origin of MT effects and the role that proteins play in MT remain unclear. In this work, a proteoliposome model system was used to mimic the myelin environment and to examine the roles of protein, cholesterol, brain cerebrosides, and sphingomyelin embedded in the liposome matrix. Exchange parameters were determined using a double‐quantum filter experiment. The goal was to determine the relative contributions to exchange and MT of cerebrosides, sphingomyelin, cholesterol, and proteins in 1,2‐dimyristoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine bilayers. The main finding was that cerebrosides produced the strongest exchange effects, and that these were even more pronounced than those found for proteins. Sphingomyelin (which also has exchangeable groups at the head of the fatty acid chains, albeit closer to the lipid acyl chains) and cholesterol showed only minimal transfer. Overall, the extracted exchange rates appeared much smaller than commonly assumed for ‐OH and ‐NH groups.
c‐Met‐dependent phosphorylation of RhoA plays a key role in gastric cancer tumorigenesis
Authors: Liu Jianjun , Li Shun , Chen Shangxiang , Chen Shuai , Geng Qirong , Xu Dazhi
Published: May 2019

RhoA has been identified as having a gain‐of‐function mutation in approximately 20% of diffuse gastric cancer patients. However, the carcinogenic role of RhoA mutations in gastric cancer (GC) is unclear. In the present study, we report that RhoA directly interacts with c‐Met and can be phosphorylated by c‐Met at Y42 before subsequent K48‐linked polyubiquitination and proteasome‐mediated protein degradation. Y42C‐mutated RhoA exhibits higher protein levels and promotes the proliferation and motility of GC cells. Interestingly, a c‐Met inhibitor significantly repressed the growth of GC cells transfected with WT RhoA but not RhoA mutated at Y42 in vivo and in vitro. Analyses of human GC tissues showed that the combined levels of p‐c‐Met and p‐RhoA are a better predictor for prognosis than either factor alone. Taken together, our findings unravel the mechanism by which the RhoA Y42 mutant is linked to poor prognosis in GC. Moreover, this study helps to identify a strategy for patient stratification and optimization of targeted c‐Met therapy. © 2019 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Phosphoproteome Profiling of Isogenic Cancer Cell‐Derived Exosome Reveals HSP90 as a Potential Marker for Human Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Weeraphan Churat , Phongdara Amornrat , Chaiyawat Parunya , Diskul‐Na‐Ayudthaya Penchatr , Chokchaichamnankit Daranee , Verathamjamras Chris , Netsirisawan Pukkavadee , Yingchutrakul Yodying , Roytrakul Sittiruk , Champattanachai Voraratt , Svasti Jisnuson , Srisomsap Chantragan
Published: May 2019

The northeastern region of Thailand is well known to have a high incidence and mortality of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Protein phosphorylation status has been reported to reflect a key determinant of cellular physiology, but identification of phosphoproteins can be a problem due to the presence of phosphatase. Exosomes are stable toward circulating proteases and other enzymes in human blood and can be recognized before the onset of cancer progression. Here an in vitro metastatic model of isogenic CCA cells is used to provide insight into the phosphorylation levels of exosomal proteins derived from highly invasive cells. Gel‐based and gel‐free proteomics approaches are used to reveal the proteins differentially phosphorylated in relation to tumor cell phenotypes. Forty‐three phosphoproteins are identified with a significant change in phosphorylation level. Phos‐tag western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining are then employed to validate the candidate phosphoproteins. Heat shock protein 90 is successfully confirmed as being differentially phosphorylated in relation to tumor malignancy. Importantly, the aberrant phosphorylation of exosomal proteins might serve as a promising tool for the development of a biomarker for metastatic CCA.
The quest for a triplet ground‐state alkene: Highly twisted C═C double bonds
Authors: Wu Judy I. , van Eikema Hommes Nico J.R. , Lenoir Dieter , Bachrach Steven M.
Published: May 2019

Density functional theory and extrapolated CCSD(T) computations of several “anti‐Bredt” alkenes were carried to explore possible 1,2‐diyl “alkene” candidates with a triplet ground state. Ten candidates containing twisted double bonds at the bridgehead positions of bicyclic structures (1‐6) or adamantene (7‐10) derivatives were studied. Based on a combination of ring strain, rigid scaffolding, and steric crowding, four species were identified to have surprisingly low singlet‐triplet energy gaps (lower than 4 kcal/mol). A tert‐butyl substituted bicyclic structure (4) was identified to have a near‐zero singlet‐triplet energy gap, but no triplet ground‐state alkene was found. Ring strain energy (RSE) calculations, π‐orbital axis vector (POAV) analyses, and multiple linear regression models were performed to elucidate the geometric and energetic effects of double bond twisting in 1‐10. Based on our computational exploration, it appears unlikely that there is a ground‐state triplet olefin.
Prophets and Loss: How “Soft Facts” on Social Media Influenced the Brexit Campaign and Social Reactions to the Murder of Jo Cox MP
Authors: Dobreva Diyana , Grinnell Daniel , Innes Martin
Published: May 2019

This article examines “soft facts” about security issues in the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign. Soft facts arise when information provenance is uncertain, and are forms of malleable and contingent knowledge, such as rumors, conspiracy theories, and propaganda. There is a growing appreciation that digital communications environments are especially conducive to the dissemination of these kinds of information. Informed by empirical data comprising forty‐five thousand nine hundred and fifty‐seven data points collected by monitoring social media before and after the UK Brexit referendum campaign (June 16–October 12, 2016), the analysis examines how and why a series of soft facts concerning Brexit were mobilized. By developing the concept of “digital prophecy,” the article explores how influence is exerted by online prophets who were connecting current events to past grievances, to advance negative predictions about the future. This starts to capture the tradecraft of digital influencing, in ways that move beyond the structural topologies of communication networks. In policy terms, the analysis reminds us of the need to attend not just to how influence is achieved through fake news (e.g., using social media bots to amplify a message), but also why influence is sought in the first place.
Pre‐NQ Manifolds and Correspondence Spaces: the Nilmanifold Example
Authors: Deser Andreas
Published: May 2019

Courant algebroids correspond to degree‐2 symplectic differential graded manifolds or NQ‐manifolds for short. We review how a similar construction shows that locally the gauge structure of Double Field Theory corresponds to degree‐2 symplectic pre‐NQ manifolds. To illustrate first steps towards a global understanding of the pre‐NQ case, we apply the local constructions to 3‐dimensional nilmanifolds carrying an abelian gerbe. These are among prime examples where T‐duality is well‐understood and allow us to investigate classic results in the graded language.
Annealing Conditions’ Influence on the Oxidation of Silicon‐Aluminium‐Alloys in Combinatorial Thin‐Film Libraries
Authors: Niederwimmer Karin , Mardare Cezarina Cela , König Wolfgang T. , Huber Silvia , Angeli Gerhard , Hassel Achim Walter
Published: May 2019

Alloys containing aluminium and silicon are of wide use. Due to their abundance, these elements are promising contributors to technical materials. A combinatorial thin‐film approach (silicon content within 27 at.% and 65 at.%, and aluminium between 35 at.% and 73 at.%, deposited by simultaneous co‐sputtering) is chosen for systematic investigations of reactions and compositions of high‐silicon containing alloys with aluminium. As the melting points of silicon and aluminium are far from each other and, furthermore, the binary system comes along with a eutectic point, high‐temperature stability oxidation of these alloys is of interest. Moreover, due to the high oxygen affinity of both, silicon and aluminium, the stability under different annealing conditions is explored. These annealing conditions provide different partial pressures of oxygen while leaving the remaining parameters constant in order not to superimpose the effect of the annealing atmosphere. Surface imaging, together with chemical analysis and contact potential difference (CPD) by Scanning Kelvin Probe along and across libraries provide an insight into the influence of annealing atmosphere onto the surface properties. However, determining an influence of the deposition method on the results is not subject to this investigation.
Bending Effects in Graphene: Implication for Flexible Transparent Electronics
Authors: Liu Lizhao , Liu Yang , Li Xinying , Liu Nanshu , Cui Bo , Huang Xiaoming
Published: May 2019

Employing the density functional theory, a graphene device model for flexible transparent electronics is studied in terms of mechanical, electronic, and optical properties. A small bending modulus of ≈0.25 nN nm indicates the high flexibility of graphene. Bending can open a small band gap within 0.05 eV due to the decreased π orbital electrons, but hardly destroy the electronic conductance of graphene near the Fermi energy, as indicated by the electronic conductance transmission. However, large bending angles above 70° will lead to a drop in the conductance in high energy regions above ≈2 eV. On the other hand, despite the decreased optical transmittance of graphene under bending due to new absorption peaks at 0.9 and 4.1 eV from the π→π* interband transitions, the optical transmittance is still above 94% even at the high bending angle of 90°. Also, there is a clear drop in optical transmittance above the bending angle of 70°. Therefore, a critical bending angle of 70° is predicted where the graphene can maintain the performance under bending in flexible transparent electronics.
Iterative ‐conic controller synthesis
Authors: Bridgeman Leila Jasmine , Forbes James Richard
Published: May 2019

This paper proposes a method to synthesize controllers that minimize an upper bound on the closed‐loop
‐norm while imposing desired controller conic bounds. An initial conic controller is synthesized and iteratively improved. Conic sectors can be used to characterize a variety of input‐output properties, such as gain, phase, and minimum gain. If such plant properties hold robustly to uncertainty present, then closed‐loop stability can be ensured robustly via the Conic Sector Theorem by imposing desired controller conic bounds. Consequently, this paper provides a versatile optimal and robust controller synthesis method. Moreover, it relies only on the solution of convex optimization problems subject to linear matrix inequality constraints, making it readily implementable.
TiO2‐Based Photopolymerized Hybrid Catalysts with Visible Light Catalytic Activity Induced by In Situ Generated Ag/Au NPs
Authors: Melinte Violeta , Buruiana Tinca , Rosca Irina , Chibac Andreea L.
Published: May 2019

This work describes the use of surface modified TiO2 nanoparticles in combination with photopolymerizable monomers in the achieving of hybrid photocrosslinked polymer networks for photocatalysis. The surface of TiO2 nanoparticles was functionalized by means of a silane coupling agent with acrylic sequences and quaternary ammonium units in order to attain a covalent linkage of the nanoparticles inside the photocured matrix. To increase the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 NPs and to expand its catalytic activity under visible light, Ag/Au NPs were in situ photogenerated in the acrylic matrix simultaneously with the photopolymerization process. The photopolymerization profile, diffraction patterns and nanoparticles distribution were established for the hybrid films by FTIR, XRD and TEM, respectively. Additionally, the hybrid films exhibited good antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The photocatalytic efficiency of the hybrid coatings was tested on phenol and Congo Red photodecomposition under UV and visible light irradiation, the best results being observed for the materials incorporating Ag/Au NPs.
Sampling sup‐normalized spectral functions for Brown–Resnick processes
Authors: Oesting Marco , Schlather Martin , Schillings Claudia
Published: May 2019

Sup‐normalized spectral functions form building blocks of max‐stable and Pareto processes and therefore play an important role in modelling spatial extremes. For one of the most popular examples, the Brown–Resnick process, simulation is not straightforward. In this paper, we generalize two approaches for simulation via Markov chain Monte Carlo methods and rejection sampling by introducing new classes of proposal densities. In both cases, we provide an optimal choice of the proposal density with respect to sampling efficiency. The performance of the procedures is demonstrated in an example.
Influence of permanent magnet parameters on output performance of a High‐speed permanent‐magnet generator
Authors: Qiu Hongbo , Zhao Xifang , Yang Cunxiang , Yi Ran , Wei Yanqi
Published: May 2019

Remanence and coercivity are important parameters to characterize the magnetic properties of permanent magnetic (PM) materials. The variation of PM parameters will lead to the variation of generator output performance. To find out the key PM parameter affecting generator output performance, a 117‐kW, 60 000‐rpm high‐speed permanent‐magnet generator is taken as an example and a 2D finite element model is established. By comparing the calculation results and the test data, the accuracy of the model is verified. By using the field‐circuit coupling method, the mechanism of nonlinear variation of output voltage with the change of load is revealed when the variation degree of remanence and coercivity is consistent. The sensitivities of no‐load electromotive force (EMF), output voltage at rated power, voltage regulation, and overload capability to the variations of PM parameters are studied. Furthermore, the mechanism of PM parameters affecting generator output performance is revealed. The results show that the sensitivity of generator output performance to different PM parameters is different and the influence degree of PM parameters on the generator output performance depends on the permeance of the main magnetic circuit. Finally, the basis for selecting PM parameters is given. The research can assist generator designers to select PM in the design stage. © 2019 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Recent advances in photodynamic therapy for cancer and infectious diseases
Authors: Shi Xutong , Zhang Can Yang , Gao Jin , Wang Zhenjia
Published: May 2019

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment by combining light and a photosensitizer to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) for cellular damage, and is used to treat cancer and infectious diseases. In this review, we focus on recent advances in design of new photosensitizers for increased production of ROS and in genetic engineering of biological photosensitizers to study cellular signaling pathways. A new concept has been proposed that PDT‐induced acute inflammation can mediate neutrophil infiltration to deliver therapeutics in deep tumor tissues. Combination of PDT and immunotherapies (neutrophil‐mediated therapeutic delivery) has shown the promising translation of PDT for cancer therapies. Furthermore, a new area in PDT is to treat bacterial infections to overcome the antimicrobial resistance. Finally, we have discussed the new directions of PDT for therapies of cancer and infectious diseases. In summary, we believe that rational design and innovations in nanomaterials may have a great impact on translation of PDT in cancer and infectious diseases.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Examining the independent and joint effects of molecular genetic liability and environmental exposures in schizophrenia: results from the EUGEI study
Authors: Guloksuz Sinan , Pries Lotta‐Katrin , Delespaul Philippe , Kenis Gunter , Luykx Jurjen J. , Lin Bochao D. , Richards Alexander L. , Akdede Berna , Binbay Tolga , Altınyazar Vesile , Yalınçetin Berna , Gümüş‐Akay Güvem , Cihan Burçin , Soygür Haldun , Ulaş Halis , Cankurtaran EylemŞahin , Kaymak Semra Ulusoy , Mihaljevic Marina M. , Petrovic Sanja Andric , Mirjanic Tijana , Bernardo Miguel , Cabrera Bibiana , Bobes Julio , Saiz Pilar A. , García‐Portilla María Paz , Sanjuan Julio , Aguilar Eduardo J. , Santos José Luis , Jiménez‐López Estela , Arrojo Manuel , Carracedo Angel , López Gonzalo , González‐Peñas Javier , Parellada Mara , Maric Nadja P. , Atbaşog˘lu Cem , Ucok Alp , Alptekin Köksal , Saka Meram Can ,   Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) investigators, Arango Celso , O'Donovan Michael , Rutten Bart P.F. , van Os Jim
Published: May 2019

Schizophrenia is a heritable complex phenotype associated with a background risk involving multiple common genetic variants of small effect and a multitude of environmental exposures. Early twin and family studies using proxy‐genetic liability measures suggest gene‐environment interaction in the etiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, but the molecular evidence is scarce. Here, by analyzing the main and joint associations of polygenic risk score for schizophrenia (PRS‐SCZ) and environmental exposures in 1,699 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 1,542 unrelated controls with no lifetime history of a diagnosis of those disorders, we provide further evidence for gene‐environment interaction in schizophrenia. Evidence was found for additive interaction of molecular genetic risk state for schizophrenia (binary mode of PRS‐SCZ above 75% of the control distribution) with the presence of lifetime regular cannabis use and exposure to early‐life adversities (sexual abuse, emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and bullying), but not with the presence of hearing impairment, season of birth (winter birth), and exposure to physical abuse or physical neglect in childhood. The sensitivity analyses replacing the a priori PRS‐SCZ at 75% with alternative cut‐points (50% and 25%) confirmed the additive interaction. Our results suggest that the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia involves genetic underpinnings that act by making individuals more sensitive to the effects of some environmental exposures.
The symptom‐specific efficacy of antidepressant medication vs. cognitive behavioral therapy in the treatment of depression: results from an individual patient data meta‐analysis
Authors: Boschloo Lynn , Bekhuis Ella , Weitz Erica S. , Reijnders Mirjam , DeRubeis Robert J. , Dimidjian Sona , Dunner David L. , Dunlop Boadie W. , Hegerl Ulrich , Hollon Steven D. , Jarrett Robin B. , Kennedy Sidney H. , Miranda Jeanne , Mohr David C. , Simons Anne D. , Parker Gordon , Petrak Frank , Herpertz Stephan , Quilty Lena C. , John Rush A. , Segal Zindel V. , Vittengl Jeffrey R. , Schoevers Robert A. , Cuijpers Pim
Published: May 2019

A recent individual patient data meta‐analysis showed that antidepressant medication is slightly more efficacious than cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in reducing overall depression severity in patients with a DSM‐defined depressive disorder. We used an update of that dataset, based on seventeen randomized clinical trials, to examine the comparative efficacy of antidepressant medication vs. CBT in more detail by focusing on individual depressive symptoms as assessed with the 17‐item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Five symptoms (i.e., “depressed mood” , “feelings of guilt” , “suicidal thoughts” , “psychic anxiety” and “general somatic symptoms”) showed larger improvements in the medication compared to the CBT condition (effect sizes ranging from .13 to .16), whereas no differences were found for the twelve other symptoms. In addition, network estimation techniques revealed that all effects, except that on “depressed mood” , were direct and could not be explained by any of the other direct or indirect treatment effects. Exploratory analyses showed that information about the symptom‐specific efficacy could help in identifying those patients who, based on their pre‐treatment symptomatology, are likely to benefit more from antidepressant medication than from CBT (effect size of .30) versus those for whom both treatments are likely to be equally efficacious. Overall, our symptom‐oriented approach results in a more thorough evaluation of the efficacy of antidepressant medication over CBT and shows potential in “precision psychiatry” .
Error possibility, contextualism, and bias
Authors: Buckwalter Wesley
Published: May 2019

A central theoretical motivation for epistemic contextualism is that it can explain something that invariantism cannot. Specifically, contextualism claims that judgments about “knowledge” are sensitive to the salience of error possibilities and that this is explained by the fact that salience shifts the evidential standard required to truthfully say someone “knows” something when those possibilities are made salient. This paper presents evidence that undermines this theoretical motivation for epistemic contextualism. Specifically, it demonstrates that while error salience does sometimes impact “knowledge” judgments as contextualism predicts, it does so in ways that are consistent with invariantism and does not require positing any additional contextualist semantics to explain. These results advance our understanding of the pathways by which error possibility affects “knowledge” judgments, answer a major challenge to invariantism, and suggest several methodological improvements for the study of knowledge attribution.
Planning for Problems with Short-term Lets? A Comparative Economic Analysis of the use of Town Planning Versus Private Law Systems to Tackle Spill-over Effects
Authors: WELLS Liam
Published: May 2019

New business models, such as that of Airbnb, have led to a rise in the use of residential properties as short-term lets. In this paper, the writer considers the social efficiency of the use of the public town planning system and alternative private law systems, to regulate the activity. Specifically, the paper considers the use of these in order to tackle spill-over amenity effects upon neighbouring properties. The writer applies the general framework of Ellickson (1973) in performing a comparative economic analysis of the systems. This includes an analysis of the “90-nights” rule of UK planning law, which applies to London. The writer argues that in the specific case of short-term lets, the private law systems disclose relatively low transaction costs. This, in conjunction with their allocative efficiencies, makes them preferred to town planning. Taking into account the problem of nonconvexities, it is concluded that the “90-nights” rule, and the requirement for planning permission for short-term lets, should be repealed. This conclusion encloses an understanding that the amenity effects considered here involve little uncertainty. The courts, if equipped with private information from litigants and public information from development plans, are well placed to regulate this activity.
Who Should Regulate Disruptive Technology?
Authors: KOŁACZ Marta Katarzyna , QUINTAVALLA Alberto , YALNAZOV Orlin
Published: May 2019

The primary concern of the present paper is the cost of acquiring information by judges and legislators in the process of regulating new technologies. The paper distinguishes between risky and uncertain applications of technology. A risky technology poses an obvious risk, and the problem before the regulator is one of comparing cost and benefit. We argue that the judiciary, which acquires information gratis from litigants, is better suited to the regulation of risky technologies. Uncertain technologies, on the other hand, can be harmful in ways which cannot be foreseen at the time of the technological innovation. Cost and benefit are incalculable; regulation must instead be based on subjective preferences about the degree of uncertainty that society should tolerate. Legislative law-making is designed with a view to aggregating subjective preferences. Accordingly, uncertain technologies should be regulated through statute.
COHERENT EXTENSION OF PARTIAL AUTOMORPHISMS, FREE AMALGAMATION AND AUTOMORPHISM GROUPS
Authors: SINIORA DAOUD , SOLECKI SŁAWOMIR
Published: May 2019

We give strengthened versions of the Herwig–Lascar and Hodkinson–Otto extension theorems for partial automorphisms of finite structures. Such strengthenings yield several combinatorial and group-theoretic consequences for homogeneous structures. For instance, we establish a coherent form of the extension property for partial automorphisms for certain Fraïssé classes. We deduce from these results that the isometry group of the rational Urysohn space, the automorphism group of the Fraïssé limit of any Fraïssé class that is the class of all ${\cal F}$-free structures (in the Herwig–Lascar sense), and the automorphism group of any free homogeneous structure over a finite relational language all contain a dense locally finite subgroup. We also show that any free homogeneous structure admits ample generics.
A Local Structure Graph Model: Modeling Formation of Network Edges as a Function of Other Edges
Authors: Chyzh Olga V. , Kaiser Mark S.
Published: May 2019

Localized network processes are central to the study of political science, whether in the formation of political coalitions and voting blocs, balancing and bandwagoning, policy learning, imitation, diffusion, tipping-point dynamics, or cascade effects. These types of processes are not easily modeled using traditional network approaches, which focus onglobalrather thanlocalstructures within networks. We show that localized network processes, in which network edges form in response to the formation of other edges, are best modeled by shifting from the traditional theoretical framework of nodes-as-actors to what we terma nodes-as-actionsframework, which allows for zeroing in on relationships among network connections. We show that the proposed theoretical framework is statistically compatible with a local structure graph model (LSGM). We demonstrate the properties of LSGMs using a Monte Carlo experiment and explore action–reaction processes in two empirical applications: formation of alliances among countries and legislative cosponsorships in the US Senate.