bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
УТИЦАЈ МОРФОЛОШКИХ КАРАКТЕРИСТИКА НА МОТОРИЧКЕ СПОСОБНОСТИ КОД ДЈЕЦЕ МЛАЂЕГ ШКОЛСКОГ УЗРАСТА
Authors: Кривокапић Никола , Пајкић Александар
Published: March 2019

С обзиром да се током раста и развоја релације моторичкихспособности и морфолошких карактеристика мијењају, неопходно их је пратитиу различитoм узраснoм добу. На узорку од 53 испитаника узраста 8 година,±6 мјесеци, измјерено је 8 морфолошких карактеристика и један моторичкитест. Измјерене морфолошке каракеристике су: тјелесна висина, тјелеснатежина, средњи обим грудног коша, средњи обим опружене надлактице,средњи обим опружене подлактице, кожни набор трбуха, кожни набор леђаи кожни набор надлактице. Моторичка варијабла била је тест скок у даљ. Уовом истраживању примијењена је трансверзална метода прикупљањаподатака. На основу резултата регресионе анализе, може се закључити даизмјерене морфолошке карактеристике на овом узорку испитаника немајустатистички значајан утицај на резултат у скоку у даљ, јер је значајносткоефицијента мултипле корелације износила (P=0,786) што се објашњава саоко 10% заједничког варијабилитета. Добијени резултати обрађени сустатистичким софтвером SPSS v21.0. Коришћени инструменти су били:мјерна трака, метар, дигитална вага и калипер.
Perception in autism does not adhere to Weber’s law
Authors: Hadad Bat-Sheva , Schwartz Sivan
Published: March 2019

Perceptual atypicalities are a widely acknowledged but poorly understood feature of autism. We demonstrate here a striking violation of one of the most adaptive psychophysical computations – Weber’s law – in high-functioning individuals with autism. JNDs based on the best-fitting psychometric functions were measured for size visual judgments (Exp. 1), weight haptic discrimination (Exp. 2), and illusive perception of weight (brightness-weight illusion; Exp. 3). Results for the typically developed group confirmed Weber’s law, demonstrating a linear increase in JNDs with intensity, resulting in constant fractions across intensities. The results for the ASD, in contrast, showed no scaling of JNDs with intensity; instead, fractions decreased linearly with intensity. In striking contrast to its consistency in typical perception, Weber’s law does not hold for visual and haptic perception in autism. These robust modulations in psychophysical computations, demonstrated for different domains of perception, suggest a modality-independent, low-level mechanism driving altered perception in autism.
Amorphous silica nanoparticles induce tumorigenesis via regulating ATP5H/SOD1-related oxidative stress, oxidative phosphorylation and EIF4G2/PABPC1-associated translational initiation
Authors: Xie Dongli , Zhou Yang , Luo Xiaogang
Published: March 2019

Background

Recent studies indicate amorphous silica nanoparticles (SiNPs), one of the widely applied nanomaterials, have potential toxicity in humans and induces cell malignant transformation. However, its carcinogenic mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study’s purpose was to investigate the underlying toxic mechanisms of amorphous SiNPs on human lung epithelial cells model by using microarray data.

Methods

Microarray dataset GSE82062 was collected from Gene Expression Omnibus database, including three repeats of Beas-2B exposed to amorphous SiNPs for 40 passages and three repeats of passage-matched control Beas-2B cells. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using linear models for microarray data method. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using data from the STRING database followed by module analysis. The miRwalk2 database was used to predict the underlying target genes of differentially miRNAs. Function enrichment analysis was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) online tool.

Results

A total of 323 genes were identified as DEGs, including 280 downregulated (containing 12 pre-miRNAs) and 43 upregulated genes (containing 29 pre-miRNAs). Function enrichment indicated these genes were involved in translational initiation (i.e., eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 2 (EIF4G2), poly (A) binding protein cytoplasmic 1 (PABPC1)), response to reactive oxygen species (i.e., superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1)) and oxidative phosphorylation (i.e., ATP5H). PABPC1 (degree = 15), ATP5H (degree = 11) and SOD1 (degree = 8)] were proved to be hub genes after PPI-module analyses. ATP5H/SOD1 and EIF4G2/PABPC1 were overlapped with the target genes of differentially expressed pre-miR-3648/572/661 and pre-miR-4521.

Conclusions

Amorphous SiNPs may induce tumorigenesis via influencing ATP5H/SOD1-related oxidative stress, oxidative phosphorylation and EIF4G2/PABPC1-associated translational initiation which may be regulated by miR-3648/572/661 and miR-4521, respectively.
Employing toxin-antitoxin genome markers for identification of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus strains in human metagenomes
Authors: Klimina Ksenia M. , Kasianov Artem S. , Poluektova Elena U. , Emelyanov Kirill V. , Voroshilova Viktoriya N. , Zakharevich Natalia V. , Kudryavtseva Anna V. , Makeev Vsevolod J. , Danilenko Valery N.
Published: March 2019

Recent research has indicated that in addition to the unique genotype each individual may also have a unique microbiota composition. Difference in microbiota composition may emerge from both its species and strain constituents. It is important to know the precise composition especially for the gut microbiota (GM), since it can contribute to the health assessment, personalized treatment, and disease prevention for individuals and groups (cohorts). The existing methods for species and strain composition in microbiota are not always precise and usually not so easy to use. Probiotic bacteria of the genus Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus make an essential component of human GM. Previously we have shown that in certain Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species the RelBE and MazEF superfamily of toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems may be used as functional biomarkers to differentiate these groups of bacteria at the species and strain levels. We have composed a database of TA genes of these superfamily specific for all lactobacilli and bifidobacteria species with complete genome sequence and confirmed that in all Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species TA gene composition is species and strain specific. To analyze composition of species and strains of two bacteria genera, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, in human GM we developed TAGMA (toxin antitoxin genes for metagenomes analyses) software based on polymorphism in TA genes. TAGMA was tested on gut metagenomic samples. The results of our analysis have shown that TAGMA can be used to characterize species and strains of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in metagenomes.
PCR effects of melting temperature adjustment of individual primers in degenerate primer pools
Authors: Naqib Ankur , Jeon Trisha , Kunstman Kevin , Wang Weihua , Shen Yiding , Sweeney Dagmar , Hyde Marieta , Green Stefan J.
Published: March 2019

Deep sequencing of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene amplicons continues to be the most common approach for characterization of complex microbial communities. PCR amplifications of conserved regions of SSU rRNA genes often employ degenerate pools of primers to enable targeting of a broad spectrum of organisms. One little noticed feature of such degenerate primer sets is the potential for a wide range of melting temperatures between the primer variants. The melting temperature variation of primers in a degenerate pool could lead to variable amplification efficiencies and PCR bias. Thus, we sought to adjust the melting temperature of each primer variant individually. Individual primer modifications were used to reduce theoretical melting temperature variation between primers, as well as to introduce inter-cluster nucleotide diversity during Illumina sequencing of primer regions. We demonstrate here the suitability of such primers for microbial community analysis. However, no substantial differences in microbial community structure were revealed when using primers with adjusted melting temperatures, though the optimal annealing temperature decreased.
Predicting stress and test anxiety among 1st-year chiropractic students
Authors: Zhang Niu , Henderson Charles N.R.
Published: March 2019

Objective:

We evaluated perceived stress in 1st-year chiropractic students and the relationship between perceived stress and test anxiety. Moreover, we sought student-identified stressors that complicate chiropractic education.

Methods:

We tested 3 hypotheses in a longitudinal descriptive study: (1) student-perceived stress would increase over 6 months of chiropractic training, (2) depression level and grade-point average (GPA) at matriculation would predict student-perceived stress 6 months into the program, and (3) perceived stress would correlate with cognitive and emotional test anxiety levels. Assessments used were prematriculation GPA, perceived chiropractic college stress (PCCS), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Test Anxiety Inventory.

Results:

Four hundred and seven students participated during 2014 and 2015. PCCS increased 18% after 6 months (t(406) = 6.32, p < .001, d = .33). Prematriculation GPA was not a significant predictor of PCCS at 6 months, p = .082. By contrast, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale at the beginning of the chiropractic training program was a significant predictor p < .001, multiple R2 = 7.1%. PCCS correlated with test anxiety worry and emotionality (r = .37, p < .001 and r = .35, p < .001, respectively). The top 4 stressors identified by students were (by priority) finances, time for a life outside school, personal competence/endurance, and curriculum/environment.

Conclusion:

Our findings are consistent with perceived stress increases during medical school. Surprisingly, prematriculation GPA, a widely used academic performance predictor, was a poor predictor of PCCS, while depression level at matriculation was a moderate predictor. PCCS correlated with test anxiety worry and emotionality, known academic performance impediments.
On Agricultural Performance amidst Macroeconomic Instability in Nigeria; Autoregressive Distributed Lagged Modelling (2010Q1-2017Q4)
Authors: Godwin Tuaneh, Lebari , Iboh Okidim, Andrew
Published: March 2019

The interaction among macroeconomic indicators causes shock among themselves and by extension shocks on other macroeconomic variables including agricultural performance. This study investigated agricultural performance amidst macroeconomic instability in Nigeria. Data on the study variables spanning from first quarter of 2010 to the fourth quarter of 2017 was sourced from the Statistical Bulletin of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Diagnostic checks revealed that the variables were integrated of order I(0) and I(1) hence the used of the Autoregressive Distributed Lagged model The cointegration bounds test indicated a long run cointegration consequently the  ECM which results showed a correct sign, significant effect and 40.1% speed of adjustment. Empirical, results also indicated that; 91.3% variation in agricultural sector performance was explained by the adopted explanatory variables of the parsimonious model (R2 =0.913). Particularly, changes in the fourth lag of agricultural sector performance, current period exchange rate, the first, second and third lag of exchange rate were significant determinant of agricultural performance within the period under review.
Poverty: A Major Challenge to the African Rural Educational System Development and the Way Forward (Review)
Authors: Okeowhor Donatus , Okoh Joel Ogechukwu , Baakel Anthony , Okolo Ogochukwu Judith
Published: March 2019

Considering the significance of rural poverty across the continent of Africa, it should come as no surprise that rural school children are the most disadvantaged from a socioeconomic perspective when it comes to access to a quality education. Rural schools generally have less qualified teachers and not enough teachers for the number of children enrolled in school. This is clearly evident in the low teachers-per-school ratios and teacher-to-pupil ratios in most rural African regions. The reasons for these low numbers in rural Africa are many and very much linked to poverty and other inequalities and socioeconomic conditions. For example, teachers generally prefer urban to rural schools because urban areas offer greater opportunities and higher incomes. There is also a better quality of life in urban areas, with better access to good infrastructure, other services (such as healthcare) and general public goods. In contrast, rural areas in Africa are often characterized by poor or nonexistent infrastructure and little or no provisions for other critical social services. This in turn negatively impacts the quality of education for rural-area children since even getting to school is a more difficult challenge and illness of a pupil or a family member may force the pupil to drop out of school entirely. Students in rural regions of Africa are further disadvantaged by the fact that their parents are generally uneducated. Again, we see that other socioeconomic conditions and inequalities greatly impact the quality of education in rural areas compared to urban centers. The continent’s education crisis is serious and it adversely affects rural areas more than urban ones. African governments and their development partners should not underestimate the long-term consequences of continued poverty and socioeconomic inequalities in rural areas. These conditions will only continue to exacerbate the education and learning gaps between rural and urban African schoolchildren. And in turn, poor quality education in rural areas will only continue to perpetuate long-term poverty in the region.
Training National and Vocational Women: Characteristics of Curriculum of Female Secondary Education in Colonized Manchuria
Authors: Wang Wenwen
Published: March 2019

Background: The Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo (1932-1945) set up a specialized curriculum and published textbooks specifically for girls, with the purpose of training girls to become “good wives and wise mothers”. Over the course of the state’s existence, the regime adjusted its curriculum, following the policies and needs of the Japanese Empire. This paper assesses how the government changed the curriculum, focusing on and what kind of female roles they tried to teach to the Chinese girls.

Methodology: This paper compares and analyzes the content and classroom hours of the curriculum of public women’s secondary schools in Manchuria in three periods: 1) 1926-1937, 2) 1938-1941, and 3) 1941-1945. The data of this study was collected from material published by the Fengtian Female Normal School, and the Manchukuo provincial education magazine Fengtian Education.

Results: From the state’s earliest period, Manchukuo education officials emphasized females’ “natural duty” as “Good Wives, Wise Mothers.” Over time, however, they also increasingly emphasized learning the Japanese language, vocational skills, and patriotic content, in order to serve the goals of Japan during the World War II.

Conclusion: Despite the consistent rhetoric which emphasized women becoming mothers, and possibly teachers, the curriculum and contents of the education changed according to the interests of the state and the needs of the war, encouraging women to serve the state by taking up some of the roles that men had played.
Reproductive Toxicity and Biomarker Response to a Daily Dose of Tramadol in Male Albino Rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Authors: Obemeata E. Oriakpono, , Ogechi M. Ajah,
Published: March 2019

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of a daily dose of tramadol on selected biomarkers viz: haematological parameters, sperm count, kidney and liver damage in male albino rats. Twenty four wistar rats were divided randomly into two groups: control group and treated groups, the treated group were further divided into four groups and housed in cages. Clean drinking water was served to control (group 1), and 1.6 mg/kg bodyweight of tramadol was administered to group 2 (7 days treatment), group 3 (14 days treatment), group 4 (21 days treatment) and group 5 (21 days treatment +7 days withdrawal) in addition to a daily standard diet for all groups. Treatment of rats with tramadol caused significant decrease (P<0.05) in WBC, platelet and lymph. in group 2, on bicarbonate, AST and protein, it showed significant decrease (P<0.05) in group 3, and it showed significant decrease (P<0.05) in group 5 on Cl-, AST, ALT, bicarbonate, AST, PCV, Hb, RBC, WBC, platelet, lymphocytes and sperm count. The results indicates that tramadol has negative effects on the liver which may induce severe liver damage when used for a prolonged period, the results also shows that tramadol can cause anaemia as seen by the observed negative changes in the blood parameters evaluated. Therefore, administration should be with great caution and from a licensed pharmacist or doctor while self prescription or over the counter administration should be avoided considering the associated adverse effects.
Assessment of Wind-Induced Sediment Resuspension Zones in the Patzcuaro Lake Using Empirical Equations
Authors: Calderón-Vega Felícitas , González-Verdugo José-Alfredo
Published: March 2019

Aims: An analysis to determine sediment resuspension zones in the Patzcuaro lake (Mexico) through empirical equations is carried out.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at the Patzcuaro Lake in Michoacán, Mexico. The last stage of the project was finished during January 2019.

Methodology: The site wind force is considered as the main cause inducing the resuspension. Wind data recorded at two near stations (Chupícuaro and Pacanda) were processed and the main wind directions, in terms of intensity and duration, were obtained. Additionally, wind-induced wave values and the initial depth for the resuspension phenomenon were computed. Finally, bathymetry maps are plotted to indicate the zones where sediment resuspension occurs in the lake for the minimum water depth scenario concurrent with maximum winds and a sufficiently long duration to generate resuspension.

Results: Towards the north zone a larger particles motion is observed in the lakes riviera, form 5 m depth to the shore. In the middle part of the lake a larger incidence of the resuspension phenomenon is exhibited, since it is developed for all the considered depth levels. In the south part the resuspension is almost absent; only a spot between the Tecuén and Janitzio Islands show resuspension.

Conclusion: The empirical equations are a useful alternative to evaluate the quality of shallow lakes in terms of sediment resuspension.
Development of Paramagnetism Analyze
Authors: Ewetumo T. , Orokhe J. E.
Published: March 2019

One of the quantities of fundamental importance in describing magnetic phenomena and materials is the magnetic moment. This research focused on the development of a paramagnetic materials analyzer using locally sourced materials to determine magnetic moment of magnetic materials. This involves the design of a sensing unit. The sensing unit comprised of a colpitts oscillator, preamplifier and shaping circuit, K – type thermocouple sensor, thermocouple amplifier, microcontroller, matrix keypad and a LCD. The developed instrument was calibrated using a known standard magnetic moment value of iron. The instrument was tested and it was able to determine the magnetic moment of available magnetic materials with a standard deviation of 0.0163. The value of magnetic moment obtained for the available known materials fall within the range of values obtained from literature.
Higher risk of dementia in primary Sjogren's syndrome
Authors: Hou Tsung‐Yun , Hsu Hui‐Ching , Lin Tzu‐Min , Chang Yu‐Sheng , Chen Wei‐Sheng , Kuo Pei‐I , Lin Yi‐Chun , Chang Chi‐Ching , Chen Jin‐Hua
Published: March 2019

Objective

We studied the risk of dementia in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) using a nationwide, population‐based cohort in Taiwan.

Methods

Our study analyzed the medical data of the Taiwanese population from 2000 to 2014. We identified 17,072 patients with pSS and 68,270 controls. Dementia risk was analyzed using a Cox proportional hazards regression model stratified by sex, age, and comorbidities.

Results

A higher incidence of dementia development in the pSS group during the observation period (P = 0.0001). In multivariate analysis adjusted by age groups, gender, and the comorbidities, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of developing dementia was 1.246 (95% CI 1.123–1.384) times greater in the pSS group than in the non‐pSS group. When stratified by sex, age, and comorbidities, the patients with pSS less than 60 years (aHR 1.67, 95% CI 1.16–2.41), and without any comorbidity (aHR 2.27, 95% CI 1.76–2.93) were particularly associated with a higher risk of dementia. Furthermore, the patients with pSS combined with any other comorbidity had an additionally higher risk of dementia (aHR: 3.978, 95% CI 3.309–4.782), also suggesting that pSS was an independent risk factor for the development of dementia.

Interpretation

Primary Sjogren's syndrome is associated with increased dementia risk and further study is needed to understand why and what the specific dementia phenotypes are.
New Materials and Processes for Transport Applications: Going Hybrid and Beyond
Authors: Lehmhus Dirk , von Hehl Axel , Hausmann Joachim , Kayvantash Kambiz , Alderliesten René , Hohe Jörg
Published: March 2019

The present text introduces a Special Section of Advanced Engineering Materials linked to the symposium Advanced Materials for Transport Applications organized by the authors within the framework of the EUROMAT 2017 conference. It introduces the contributions that make up this Special Section, and takes the fact that a majority of them is related to the broader topic of hybrid materials and structures as a motivation for a short overview of this exciting area of research.
Sandwich, Vertical‐Channeled Thick Electrodes with High Rate and Cycle Performance
Authors: Zhao Zedong , Sun Minqiang , Chen Wuji , Liu Yao , Zhang Long , Dongfang Nanchen , Ruan Yingbo , Zhang Jiajia , Wang Peng , Dong Lei , Xia Yongyao , Lu Hongbin
Published: March 2019

3D thick electrode design is a promising strategy to increase the energy density of lithium‐ion batteries but faces challenges such as poor rate and limited cycle life. Herein, a coassembly method is employed to construct low‐tortuosity, mechanically robust 3D thick electrodes. LiFe0.7Mn0.3PO4 nanoplates (LFMP NPs) and graphene are aligned along the growth direction of ice crystals during freezing and assembled into sandwich frameworks with vertical channels, which prompts fast ion transfer within the entire electrode and reveals a 2.5‐fold increase in ion transfer performance as opposed to that of random structured electrodes. In the sandwich framework, LFMP NPs are entrapped in the graphene wall in a “plate‐on‐sheet” contact mode, which avoids the detachment of NPs during cycling and also constitutes electron transfer highways for the thick electrode. Such vertical‐channel sandwich electrodes with mass loading of 21.2 mg cm−2 exhibit a superior rate capability (0.2C–20C) and ultralong cycle life (1000 cycles). Even under an ultrahigh mass loading of 72 mg cm−2, the electrode still delivers an areal capacity up to 9.4 mAh cm−2, ≈2.4 times higher than that of conventional electrodes. This study provides a novel strategy for designing thick electrodes toward high performance batteries.
Electrochromic Effect in Titanium Carbide MXene Thin Films Produced by Dip‐Coating
Authors: Salles Pol , Pinto David , Hantanasirisakul Kanit , Maleski Kathleen , Shuck Christopher E. , Gogotsi Yury
Published: March 2019

MXenes, a large family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides, have shown potential in energy storage and optoelectronic applications. Here, the optoelectronic and pseudocapacitive properties of titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) are combined to create a MXene electrochromic device, with a visible absorption peak shift from 770 to 670 nm and a 12% reversible change in transmittance with a switching rate of <1 s when cycled in an acidic electrolyte under applied potentials of less than 1 V. By probing the electrochromic effect in different electrolytes, it is shown that acidic electrolytes (H3PO4 and H2SO4) lead to larger absorption peak shifts and a higher change of transmittance than the neutral electrolyte (MgSO4) (Δλ is 100 nm vs 35 nm and ΔT770 nm is ≈12% vs ≈3%, respectively), hinting at the surface redox mechanism involved. Further investigation of the mechanism by in situ X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy reveals that the reversible shift of the absorption peak is attributed to protonation/deprotonation of oxide‐like surface functionalities. As a proof of concept, it is shown that Ti3C2Tx MXene, dip‐coated on a glass substrate, functions as both transparent conductive coating and active material in an electrochromic device, opening avenues for further research into optoelectronic and photonic applications of MXenes.
Freely Suspended, van der Waals Bound Organic Nanometer‐Thin Functional Films: Mechanical and Electronic Characterization
Authors: Schaffroth Lilian S. , Lenz Jakob , Giegold Veit , Kögl Maximilian , Hartschuh Achim , Weitz R. Thomas
Published: March 2019

Determining the electronic properties of nanoscopic, low‐dimensional materials free of external influences is key to the discovery and understanding of new physical phenomena. An example is the suspension of graphene, which has allowed access to their intrinsic charge transport properties. Furthermore, suspending thin films enables their application as membranes, sensors, or resonators, as has been explored extensively. While the suspension of covalently bound, electronically active thin films is well established, semiconducting thin films composed of functional molecules only held together by van der Waals interactions could only be studied supported by a substrate. In the present work, it is shown that by utilizing a surface‐crystallization method, electron conductive films with thicknesses of down to 6 nm and planar chiral optical activity can be freely suspended across several hundreds of nanometers. The suspended membranes exhibit a Young's modulus of 2–13 GPa and are electronically decoupled from the environment, as established by temperature‐dependent field‐effect transistor measurements.
Rational Design of Holey 2D Nonlayered Transition Metal Carbide/Nitride Heterostructure Nanosheets for Highly Efficient Water Oxidation
Authors: Kou Zongkui , Wang Tingting , Gu Qilin , Xiong Mo , Zheng Lirong , Li Xin , Pan Zhenghui , Chen Hao , Verpoort Francis , Cheetham Anthony K. , Mu Shichun , Wang John
Published: March 2019

Due to integrated advantages in electrochemical functionalities for energy conversion, 2D nonlayered heterostructure nanosheets offer new and fascinating opportunities for electrocatalysis but their fabrication is challenging when compared with the widely studied 2D layered heterostructure. Herein, a bottom‐up approach is established for facile synthesis of holey 2D transition metal carbide/nitride heterostructure nanosheets (h‐TMCN) with regulated hole sizes by controlled thermal annealing of the Mo/Zn bimetallic imidazolate frameworks (Mo/Zn BIFs). Ex situ phase and structural identifications disclose that the Mo/Zn BIFs precursor experiences interconnected three steps of transformation to produce h‐TMCN. Especially, the slow successive solid‐state diffusion of nitrogen and carbon into immediate noncrystalline molybdenum oxides allows the intergrowth of Mo2C and Mo2N into the 2D nonlayered heterostructure. X‐ray fine structure analysis coupled with high resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrate that Mo2C and Mo2N in the microdomains can chemically bond with each other, producing the abundant active N–Mo–C interfaces toward water splitting. Consequently, h‐TMCN affords low overpotentials, high turnover frequencies, rapid charge transfer, and superior long‐term stability toward electrocatalytic water oxidation. The present work demonstrates the feasibility of developing a broad range of 2D nonlayered heterostructures for high efficiency chemical energy conversion.
Measuring local droplet parameters using single optical fiber probe
Authors: Kim Taeho , Ahn Taehwan , Bae Byeonggeon , Jeong Jae Jun , Yun Byongjo , Kim Kyungdoo
Published: March 2019

This article proposes a new single optical fiber probe (OFP) sensor method for measuring local droplet parameters such as droplet fraction, droplet velocity, and droplet diameter. To this end, we developed a stretched conical optical fiber probe (SC‐OFP) sensor that minimizes the wetting of the sensing tip at a high droplet velocity, a discrimination algorithm based on the first and second derivatives of the output of the raw signal of the OFP sensor, and a method that uses neural network training to determine local droplet velocity independently of droplet size. In the experiments conducted, the developed SC‐OFP sensor measured local droplet velocity with a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) smaller than 4.1% for velocities ranging from 2 to 32 m/s, and droplet diameter with a MAPE smaller than 4.9% for diameters ranging from 0.29 to 1.78 mm.
Selective N‐Monomethylation of Amines and Nitroarenes using Methanol over an Encapsulated Iridium Nanocatalyst
Authors: Fu Aixiao , Liu Qiang , Jiang Mingxiang , Xu Guoqiang
Published: March 2019

A highly selective N‐monomethylation of aniline and nitrobenzene using methanol as methylating reagent was achieved with high efficiency when using an encapsulated iridium nanocatalyst. A wide range of amines and nitro compounds reacted well in the established catalytic system with moderate to excellent product yields and good functional group tolerance. The transfer hydrogenation and successive cyclization coupling reaction of ortho‐phenylenediamine with methanol to afford benzimidazole and N‐methylbenzimidazole was also efficiently realized under moderate reaction conditions. Recycling experiments showed that the iridium nanocatalyst had a good stability without obvious activity loss.
Palladium‐Mediated Direct Disulfide Bond Formation in Proteins Containing S‐Acetamidomethyl‐cysteine under Aqueous Conditions
Authors: Laps Shay , Sun Hao , Kamnesky Guy , Brik Ashraf
Published: March 2019

One of the applied synthetic strategies for correct disulfide bond formation relies on the use of orthogonal Cys protecting groups. This approach requires purification before and after the deprotection steps, which prolongs the entire synthetic process and lowers the yield of the reaction. A major challenge in using this approach is to be able to apply one‐pot synthesis under mild conditions and aqueous media. In this study, we report the development of an approach for rapid disulfide bond formation by employing palladium chemistry and S‐acetamidomethyl‐cysteine [Cys(Acm)]. Oxidation of Cys(Acm) to the corresponding disulfide bond is achieved within minutes in a one‐pot operation by applying palladium and diethyldithiocarbamate. The utility of this reaction was demonstrated by the synthesis of the peptide oxytocin and the first total chemical synthesis of the protein thioredoxin‐1. Our investigation revealed a critical role of the Acm protecting group in the disulfide bond formation, apparently due to the generation of a disulfiram in the reaction pathway, which significantly assists the oxidation step.
The Generation of Difluoroketenimine and Its Application in the Synthesis of α,α‐Difluoro‐β‐amino Amides
Authors: Zhang Rui , Zhang Zhikun , Zhou Qi , Yu Lefei , Wang Jianbo
Published: March 2019

Fluorine‐containing β‐amino acids and their derivatives have attracted significant attention due to their importance in life sciences. Herein the previously unknown difluoroketenimine, the analogue of the elusive difluoroketene, has been generated by the reaction of difluorocarbene and isocyanide, which further undergoes [2+2] cycloaddition with imine. The three‐component reaction affords α,α‐difluoro‐β‐amino amides in good yields. Mechanistic studies reveal the unique properties of the difluoroketenimine in the [2+2] cycloaddition with imine.
Engineering the Distribution of Carbon in Silicon Oxide Nanospheres at the Atomic Level for Highly Stable Anodes
Authors: Zhu Guanjia , Zhang Fangzhou , Li Xiaomin , Luo Wei , Li Li , Zhang Hui , Wang Lianjun , Wang Yunxiao , Jiang Wan , Liu Hua Kun , Dou Shi Xue , Yang Jianping
Published: March 2019

The application of high‐performance silicon‐based anodes, which are among the most prominent anode materials, is hampered by their poor conductivity and large volume expansion. Coupling of silicon‐based anodes with carbonaceous materials is a promising approach to address these issues. However, the distribution of carbon in reported hybrids is normally inhomogeneous and above the nanoscale, which leads to decay of coulombic efficiency during deep galvanostatic cycling. Herein, we report a porous silicon‐based nanocomposite anode derived from phenylene‐bridged mesoporous organosilicas (PBMOs) through a facile sol–gel method and subsequent pyrolysis. PBMOs show molecularly organic–inorganic hybrid character, and the resulting hybrid anode can inherit this unique structure, with carbon distributed homogeneously in the Si‐O‐Si framework at the atomic scale. This uniformly dispersed carbon network divides the silicon oxide matrix into numerous sub‐nanodomains with outstanding structural integrity and cycling stability.
Free‐radical‐mediated copper‐catalyzed triazole formation under UV‐irradiation
Authors: Nandi Debkumar , Taher Abu , Isalm Rafique Ul , Mallick Kaushik
Published: March 2019

Methoxy‐polyethylene glycol (MPEG)‐doped Cu (I)‐polyaniline acts as an efficient catalyst for the 1,2,3‐triazole formation reaction. The catalyst shows excellent performance when the reaction was carried out under ultraviolet irradiation conditions due to the photo‐induced free‐radical formation from the MPEG. A detailed mechanistic discussion on the free‐radical generation, free‐radical‐mediated hydrogen abstraction and triazole formation has been outlined in this manuscript. The catalyst system is equally active for one‐pot multi‐component strategies for the title reaction.
Tandem magnetization and post‐synthetic metal ion exchange of metal–organic framework: Synthesis, characterization and catalytic study
Authors: Yadollahi Mahtab , Hamadi Hosein , Nobakht Valiollah
Published: March 2019

For the first time, metal‐exchange in a magnetic metal–organic framework (MOF) via tandem magnetization and post‐synthetic modification has been developed. The new magnetic mixed‐metal metal–organic framework nanocomposite, CoFe2O4/[Cu0.63/Zn0.37‐TMU‐17‐NH2] (CoFe2O4/[Cu/Zn‐MOF]) has been synthesized by immersing the CoFe2O4/Zn‐TMU‐17‐NH2 (CoFe2O4/Zn‐MOF) as a template in DMF solution of Cu (II) salts. CoFe2O4/[Cu/Zn‐MOF] showed to be a highly reactive and easily recoverable magnetic catalyst for the preparation of tetrazole derivatives via one‐pot three‐component reactions of different aldehydes with hydroxyl amine hydrochloride and sodium azide. Our results (Fourier transform‐infrared, inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, field emission‐scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy‐mapping and vibrating‐sample magnetometer) show successful partial metal‐exchange in which the framework integrity remained intact during the metal‐exchange process.
Effect of different initiators on temperature‐sensitive monolithic columns and application in online enrichment of β‐sitosterol
Authors: Guo Bin , Wang Huimin , Lan Danan , Pang Xiaomin , Li Yiming , Liu Haiyan , Yan Hongyuan , Bai Ligai
Published: March 2019

Three temperature‐sensitive monolithic columns were prepared by atom transfer radical polymerization and oxidation–reduction method using the initiator systems of CCl4/FeCl2, BPO/DMA, and APS/TEMED, respectively. The three monoliths were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption, and thermogravimetric analysis. The obtained monolithic columns were used as on‐line solid phase extraction sorbent coupled with high‐performance liquid chromatography for the enrichment of β‐sitosterol. By comparing some influencing factors on the adsorption, the optimum temperature‐sensitive monolithic column which was initiated by CCl4/FeCl2was selected for enrichment of β‐sitosterol from plant oil. The maximum adsorption capacity of the monolith for β‐sitosterol was 10.0031 mg/g. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation were 0.039 and 0.13 mg/mL, respectively. The recovery was in the range of 90.21–98.26%. The results showed that the monolith had better selectivity for β‐sitosterol and could be used for enrichment of β‐sitosterol in food samples. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2019,136, 47683.
Semi‐global bipartite output consensus of heterogeneous multi‐agent systems subject to input saturation by finite‐time observer
Authors: Duan Jie , Zhang Huaguang , Wang Yingchun , Ren He
Published: March 2019

In this paper, the semi‐global bipartite output consensus problem of heterogeneous linear multi‐agent systems is studied. Compared with related works, both cooperative interactions and antagonistic interactions between agents are considered, and the input saturation on each follower is taken into account. First, two distributed finite‐time observers are designed to recover the leader's state. Particularly, the setting time can be independent of any initial states. Due to the antagonistic interactions, estimation values are the same as the leader's state in modulus but may not in sign. Then, the low‐gain feedback technique is used to develop the distributed control law for each follower. Moreover, we summarize a framework for solving the semi‐global bipartite output consensus problem of heterogeneous multi‐agent systems subject to input saturation. Finally, examples are given to illustrate the results.
Drinking Water: If We Don't Learn From History, We Are Bound to Repeat It
Authors: Roberson J. Alan
Published: March 2019

As drinking water community knowledge evolves, it's up to water professionals to use that knowledge to shape future drinking water regulations.
What We've Learned in the Two Years of WIFIA's Existence
Authors: Vedachalam Sridhar , Lindquist Anna
Published: March 2019

With support from lawmakers, the water infrastructure financing and innovation act has significantly transformed in the past two years to support and fund more projects to repair and rehabilitate aging infrastructure in the united states.
Validation of a HPLC/MS method for simultaneous quantification of clonidine, morphine and its metabolites in human plasma
Authors: Tang Fei , Bada Henrietta , Ng Chee M. , Leggas Markos
Published: March 2019

A high‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the simultaneous quantification of morphine, morphine's major metabolites morphine‐3‐glucuronide and morphine‐6‐glucuronide, and clonidine, to support the pharmacokinetic analysis of an ongoing double‐blinded randomized clinical trial that compares the use of morphine and clonidine in infants diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Plasma samples were processed by solid‐phase extraction and separated on an Inertsil ODS‐3 (4 μm) column using an 0.1% formic acid in water–0.1% formic acid in methanol gradient. Detection of the analytes was conducted in the positive multiple reaction monitoring mode. The range of quantitation was 1–1000 ng/mL for morphine, morphine‐3‐glucuronide and morphine‐6‐glucuronide, and 0.25–100 ng/mL for clonidine. Intra‐day and inter‐day accuracy and precision were ≤15% for all analytes across the quantitation range. Extraction recovery rates were ≥94% for morphine, ≥90% for M3G, ≥87% for M6G and ≥ 79% for clonidine. Matrix effect ranged from 85–94% for clonidine to 101–106% for M3G. The method fulfilled all predetermined acceptance criteria and required only 100 μL of starting plasma volume. Furthermore, it was successfully applied to 30 clinical trial plasma samples.
Synthesis of Graphite Oxide/Cobalt Molybdenum Oxide Hybrid Nanosheets for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance in Supercapacitors and the Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Authors: Ahmed Jahangeer , Ubaidullah Mohd , Ahmad Tokeer , Alhokbany Norah , Alshehri Saad M.
Published: March 2019

Reduced graphite oxide (rGO)/cobalt molybdenum oxide (CoMoO4) hybrid nanosheets (NSs) have been prepared by using the hydrothermal method followed by detailed characterization with X‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The unusual rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid NSs allow the electrochemical reactions of electrodes for supercapacitors. Therefore, an excellent specific capacitance (ca. 450 F/g at 2 mV/s) and stability performance of the rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid NSs were observed in alkaline medium (i. e. 5  M KOH electrolyte). The rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid NSs show five times higher specific capacitance compared to pure CoMoO4 NSs. The cyclic stability of the rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid NSs reveals retention of approximately 98 % of the initial capacitance after 1500 cycles. Moreover, the rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid electrocatalyst shows higher oxygen evolution activity than CoMoO4 NSs in 0.1 M KOH versus Ag/AgCl. Cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge‐discharge (GCD), linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), and chronoamperometric (CA) measurements strongly support the enhanced electrochemical performance of the rGO/CoMoO4 hybrid NSs.
EcForest: Extractive document summarization through enhanced sentence embedding and cascade forest
Authors: Yang Kang , He Hongye , Al‐Sabahi Kamal , Zhang Zuping
Published: March 2019

We present EcForest, an extractive summarization model through Enhanced Sentence Embedding and Cascade Forest. Sentence representation is of great significance for many summarization methods. Bag‐of‐words mostly fails to grasp the semantics, and typical embedding models cannot capture more complex semantic features, such as polysemy and the meaning of a phrase, which is usually ignored by simply averaging the word embeddings included in a sentence. To this end, we propose Enhanced Sentence Embedding (ESE) model to solve such drawbacks via mapping several valid features to dense vectors. Essentially, the enhanced sentence embedding is a novel model for improving the distributed representation of sentence. Our sentence embedding model is universally applicable and it can be adapted to other NLP tasks. Moreover, deep forest is used as a sentence extraction algorithm for its robustness to the hyper‐parameters and its efficient training algorithm compared to deep neural network. The evaluation of variant models proposed in this work proves the validation of the enhanced sentence embedding. The comparison results between EcForest and several baselines on two different datasets demonstrate that the proposed summarization model performs better than or with high competitiveness to the state‐of‐the‐art.
The vibrational properties of the dust trap created in standing striation
Authors: Kartasheva A.A. , Golubovskii Yu.B. , Karasev V.Yu.
Published: March 2019

The forced vertical oscillations of a single dust particle trapped in a standing striation are investigated. The particle oscillations associated with the displacement of the striation are induced by square wave modulation of discharge current. Amplitude frequency characteristics depending on the shapes of modulating signal are measured at pressure p = 0.16 torr. The resonance frequency, the eigenfrequency, the damping constant, and the amplitude of the resonance peak are determined. The quantitative description of the resonance behaviour of the dust particle is based on the theory of the forced harmonic oscillator. The Q‐factor of a dusty plasma system is measured for the first time. The Q‐factor takes the value of the order of several units, which indicates the large energy dissipation in the dusty plasma systems.
Functional Impairment of Circulating FcεRI+ Monocytes and Myeloid Dendritic Cells in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Cholangiocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Martín‐Sierra Carmen , Martins Ricardo , Laranjeira Paula , Abrantes A. Margarida , Oliveira R. Caetano , Tralhão J. Guilherme , Botelho M. Filomena , Furtado Emanuel , Domingues Rosário , Paiva Artur
Published: March 2019

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) represent the most common primary liver malignancies whose outcome is influenced by the immune response.

Methods

In this study, we have functionally characterized, by flow cytometry, circulating myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs) and FcεRI+ monocytes in a group of healthy individuals (n = 10) and in a group of patients with HCC (n = 19) and CCA (n = 8), at the time point of the surgical resection (T0) and once the patient had recovered from surgery (T1). Moreover, we proceeded to a more in depth phenotypic characterization of the FcεRI+ monocyte subpopulation.

Results

A significant decrease in the frequency of TNFα producing FcεRI+ monocytes and mDCs in HCC and CCA patients when compared to the group of healthy individuals was observed, and a close association between FcεRI+ monocytes and mDCs dysfunction was identified. In addition, the phenotypic characteristics of FcεRI+ monocytes from healthy individuals strongly suggest that this population drives to mDCs, which matches with the fact that both populations are functionally affected.

Conclusions

The frequency and the function of circulating mDCs and FcεRI+ monocytes are affected in both HCC and CCA patients, and FcεRI+ monocytes could represent those fated to become mDCs. © 2019 International Clinical Cytometry Society
The Shape of Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Down Syndrome
Authors: Zamponi E. , Helguera P. R.
Published: March 2019

Oxidative stress (OS) and mitochondrial dysfunction (MD) have been extensively studied and defined as therapeutic targets in Down syndrome (DS). Though originally associated to individual genes located in supernumerary chromosome 21, OS and MD metabolic compromises appear to be linked to whole genome functionally defined transcriptional fingerprints that further exacerbate the contribution of critical genes in DS–AD pathology. As the main ROS generator, mitochondrial complex double‐membrane organization, tightly regulated fission/fusion dynamics, and involvement in critical pathways, makes it particularly vulnerable to functional alterations. Consequently, mitochondrial network morphology depends on its metabolic state and has been used as an indicator of cellular homeostasis. Initial qualitative categorization, suitable for sparse arranged fragments analysis, were proven to be ineffective to measure network connectivity and replaced by innovative tools that involve the transformation of raw images to linear skeletons. These manipulations allowed the development of a new generation of structural parameters, such as mean degree value (MDV). Alterations in DS mitochondrial networks include increased frequency of aberrant morphologies, shorter mitochondrial fragments, and significantly lower mitochondrial network connectivity. Similar structural and functional mitochondrial defects are common to other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson disease and Prion disease, and to a progeroid syndrome like HGPS. Therapeutic interventions aimed to either increase mitochondrial biogenesis or diminish OS using mitochondrial‐targeted antioxidants, successfully restored mitochondrial activity and structural organization, confirming the strong correlation between network form and function.