bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integral model for the implementation of environmental policy strategy
Authors: Rivera Jaime
Published: May 2019

This article responds to demands for a more in‐depth study on how to implement an environmental policy strategy (EPS). Following the strategic choice framework, this study seeks to address this issue by testing a theoretical model of several managerial and organisational variables associated with a firm's EPS. The managerial variables examined include managers' perceptions of environmental pressures, managers' consciousness of environmental problems, and managers' perceptions of the potential benefits associated with the implementation of an EPS. The organisational variables that are investigated relate to the structure, systems, and processes of the representative organisations. Control variables include the firm's industrial sector, its country of origin, its size, and its international character. A model based on structural equations with the weighted least squares estimation method is used to test the hypotheses in a large sample of firms. The results confirm the need to consider a multidisciplinary view of the implementation of an EPS.
Analysis of force vector field during centrifugation for optimizing cell sheet adhesion
Authors: Haraguchi Yuji , Kagawa Yuki , Kubo Hirotsugu , Shimizu Tatsuya
Published: May 2019

A three‐dimensional tissue was fabricated by layering cell sheets with centrifugation. In this system, an optimal centrifugal force promoted the adhesion between (a) a cell sheet and a culture dish, and (b) layered cell sheets, resulting in a significant decrease in the fabrication time of the tissue. However, negative effects like sliding/significant deformation of cell sheets were observed upon high rotational speed use. These negative effects inhibit the further shortening of the fabrication time. The sliding/deformation suggests that the centrifugal forces were applied on the cell sheets in unwanted directions. Studies on the force vector field applied to the object placed on the plate during centrifugation are not available, and thus, the reason for the occurrence of such negative effects is unclear. Here, we theoretically derived the spatial distribution of acceleration applied on a plate during centrifugation. Using this theory, we found that the negative effects were triggered by the centrifugal force in the direction parallel to the plate surface, which appeared due to an inclination of the plate surface against a horizontal plane. Therefore, by adding weights on the plate edge to maintain the plate surface in a horizontal position, we succeeded in eliminating the negative effects and in increasing the rotational speed, with the minimum risk of sliding/deformation of cell sheets. We succeeded in reducing the time to establish tight adhesion between a mouse myoblast sheet and a culture dish, and layered cell sheets by increasing the centrifugal force from 5 min to 1 min without significant cytotoxicity.
Efficient CO2 Hydrogenation to Formate with Immobilized Ir‐Catalysts Based on Mesoporous Silica Beads
Authors: Lo Hung‐Kun , Thiel Indre , Copéret Christophe
Published: May 2019

The Nozaki Ir‐based CO2 hydrogenation catalyst was successfully immobilized on post‐functionalized silica beads (d=200 μm) through click chemistry. This material hydrogenates CO2 into formic acid with turnover numbers reaching 2.8×104 in a batch reactor within 24 hours, paving the way towards the design of efficient heterogeneous catalysts for this transformation.
Importance of proper hydrodynamics modelling in fixed‐bed reactors: Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis study case
Authors: Méndez César I. , Ancheyta Jorge , Trejo Fernando
Published: May 2019

The importance of hydrodynamics, particularly gas density, superficial gas velocity, and total pressure in axial and radial directions, was analyzed for the modelling of a catalytic reactor using a non‐isothermal pseudo‐homogeneous approach. The modelling of a fixed‐bed reactor in one and two stages for CO conversion by Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis was taken as a study case. For the validation of the proposed model, the results of the simulations for the CO conversion and temperature profiles were compared with experimental data reported in the literature. Simulations for CO conversion and reactor temperature profiles confirmed the model's ability to predict the selectivity of the liquid products in the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis reactor in one and two stages. The proposed model predicts more suitable profiles of CO conversion and temperature along the reactor, which makes it a more robust and efficient tool for design, optimization, and control purposes.
Environmentally benign catalytic synthesis and hydro‐refining of linear alkylbenzenes
Authors: Ren Jie , Qin Fei , Deng You , Shen Lian
Published: May 2019

The synthesis technology of linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) was studied through the preparation of an Al‐SBA‐15 catalyst, the optimization of alkylation conditions, and the regeneration of deactivated catalyst. The hydro‐refining over the Pd/Al2O3 catalyst was carried out to remove unsaturated hydrocarbon impurities from the LAB. The results of the alkylation reactions over the Al‐SBA‐15 catalyst in a liquid fixed bed reactor showed that the olefin conversion remained above 98 % for time on stream of 3000 h, and the LAB selectivity was above 93 % under the following conditions: temperature of 260 °C; pressure of 5.0 MPa; weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) of 1.0 h−1; and the molar ratio of benzene to olefin of 25:1. Through the burning coke regeneration, the catalytic performance of the deactivated alkylation catalyst was satisfactorily restored. The quality of the LAB synthesized through alkylation and hydro‐refining was better than that of the industrial LAB produced using the hydrofluoric acid catalytic process.
A new approach for describing and solving the reversible Briggs‐Haldane mechanism using immobilized enzyme
Authors: Carrazco‐Escalante Marco , Caro‐Corrales José , Iribe‐Salazar Rosalina , Ríos‐Iribe Erika , Vázquez‐López Yessica , Gutiérrez‐Dorado Roberto , Hernández‐Calderón Oscar
Published: May 2019

Recently immobilized enzymes have been widely used in industrial processes due to their outstanding advantages, such as high stability and recyclability; however, their kinetic behaviour is generally controlled by mass diffusion effects. Thus, in order to improve these enzymatic processes, a clear discernment between the kinetic and diffusion mechanisms that control the production of the metabolite require investigation. In practice, it is typical to establish apparent kinetics for immobilized enzyme operations, and the validity of the apparent kinetics is restricted to the studied cases. In this work, a new approach for mathematically describing the kinetic and diffusion mechanics in an immobilized biocatalyst bead is established, in which the fraction of residual enzymatic activity is included, and is defined as a measure of the active and available enzymes in the bead porous network. In addition, the diffusion and kinetic mechanisms are described by the effective diffusion coefficient and the free enzyme kinetics, since the porous network of the bead is assumed as the bioreaction volume. Therefore, free enzyme kinetics were determined from glucose to fructose bioconversion using a stirred tank reactor with free glucose‐isomerase, in which substrate and enzyme concentrations and temperature were varied. The fraction of residual enzymatic activity () and the effective diffusion coefficient () were obtained from the isomerization of glucose to fructose using a stirred tank reactor with immobilized glucose‐isomerase in calcium alginate beads at different substrate and enzyme concentrations. Finally, simulations were carried out to establish the bioreaction solid‐phase characteristics that most significantly influence productivity.
CFD Simulation of Mixing and Segregation of Binary Solid Mixtures in a Dense Fluidized Bed
Authors: Anicic Bozidar , Lu Bona , Lin Weigang , Wu Hao , Dam‐Johansen Kim , Wang Wei
Published: May 2019

The mixing and segregation behaviour of binary solid mixtures has been extensively studied through various experiments, while accurate CFD simulations are difficult to achieve due to process complexity and a lack of reliable constitutive relations. In this study, CFD simulations of a dense fluidized bed with glass and polystyrene particles were performed in order to identify a universal set of simulation parameters and models for simulating binary mixtures with different mixed and segregation behaviour. Through a comparison to experimental data, it was found that the EMMS drag model coupled with the Ma‐Ahmadi solid pressure and radial distribution models predicted more a reasonable axial distribution of solid phases than the Syamlal O'Brien drag model coupled with the Lun et al. solid pressure and radial distribution models. The increase in the solid‐solid drag further improved the simulation results.
Digital image‐assisted quantitative nuclear analysis improves diagnostic accuracy of thyroid fine‐needle aspiration cytology
Authors: Chain Krista , Legesse Teklu , Heath Jonathon E. , Staats Paul N.
Published: May 2019

Background

Thyroid fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) plays a key role in triaging thyroid nodules. Yet many cases are assigned to indeterminate categories. The new category “noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary‐like features” (NIFTP) complicates thyroid cytology. Digital image‐derived nuclear measurements might objectively distinguish papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) from benign nodules and NIFTP.

Methods

All thyroid FNAs from 2012 to 2016 of atypia of undetermined significance (A; n = 8) and suspicious for malignancy (S; n = 2) with sufficient cellularity and surgical follow‐up, all FNAs preceding NIFTP (n = 6), and a random sample of PTC (n = 9) and benign (n = 10) cytology were studied. A modified Giemsa‐stained slide from each case was scanned using the Aperio imaging system, and long (dl) and short (ds)‐axis diameters were measured for 125 nuclei per case. Nuclear area and elongation were calculated.

Results

Nuclear area was larger in PTC (mean, 77.2 μm2 [range, 70.6‐86.0 μm2]) than benign (mean, 43.3 μm2 [range 38.2‐52.2 μm2]) (P < .001). Nuclear areas from indeterminate FNAs segregated according to final histology (A/S PTC mean 72.7 μm2, A/S benign mean 53.7 μm2; P = 0.004), and were not significantly different from definitive FNAs of the same diagnosis. NIFTP nuclear area was smaller than PTC (mean, 54.8 μm2 [range, 46.7‐66.1 μm2]; P < .001). Nuclear elongation showed similar results, but with greater group overlap.

Conclusion

Nuclear area and elongation can be calculated using a commercial digital imager; both correlate with the final surgical pathology diagnosis of PTC versus benign, including NIFTP. Area provides greater resolution than elongation. This technique could be used to resolve indeterminate cytology in which PTC is considered.
High‐throughput and flexible ASIC implementations of SIMON and SPECK lightweight block ciphers
Authors: Rashidi Bahram
Published: May 2019

In this paper, high‐throughput and flexible hardware implementations of the SIMON and SPECK lightweight block ciphers are presented. The most complex block in the SPECK algorithm is addition modulo 2n, where n is word size (half of the input data). In the proposed structure of modular adder, we used the Sklansky adder, which is an efficient parallel prefix adder with low critical path delay and suitable hardware resources. In the SIMON block cipher, to reduce critical path delay, we use a tree structure for implementation of XOR operations. In addition, we proposed flexible structures that can perform various configurations of the SIMON and SPECK ciphers to support variable key sizes (128, 144, 192, and 256 bits) and block sizes (64, 96, and 128 bits). Therefore, the flexible architectures provide versatile implementations with adaptive security level and the ability of encryption of longer messages based on variable key size and variable block size. Implementation results of the proposed structures in 180 nm CMOS technology for different key and block sizes are achieved. The results show that the proposed structures have better critical path delay compared with other's related works.
Emerging ICT UAV applications and services: Design of surveillance UAVs
Authors: Kwak Jeonghoon , Park Jong Hyuk , Sung Yunsick
Published: May 2019

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an aircraft with no pilot. The autonomous flight technology of a UAV is combined with emerging Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications and services to monitor diverse kinds of environments. UAVs are suitable for surveillance of targets because of their onboard cameras. It is possible to autonomously capture images of surveillance targets based on predefined paths. However, UAVs must generate a flight path for autonomous flight considering the surveillance targets. This paper proposes a UAV control process for surveillance taking into account various aspects of their operation. In particular, because flights of autonomous UAVs are based on analyzed past flight records, this paper first described surveillance using UAVs and then introduced the sequential processes for the generation of optimal UAV flight paths.
A pilot study of multifamily therapy group for young adults with anorexia nervosa: Reconnecting for recovery
Authors: Tantillo Mary , McGraw Jennifer Sanftner , Lavigne Holly McGregor , Brasch Judith , Le Grange Daniel
Published: May 2019

Objective

We tested the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effect sizes on outcome measures of Reconnecting for Recovery (R4R) Multifamily Therapy Group for young adults with anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method

Ten participants (mean age = 23 years, SD = 3.6) meeting Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th Edition criteria for a restrictive eating disorder (AN or other specified feeding and eating disorder) and 14 family members received 16 R4R outpatient sessions over 26 weeks. Feasibility and acceptability were evaluated by recruitment and retention rates and patient/family member suitability scores. Outcomes were determined utilizing the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), weight (body mass index), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.

Results

All participants and 12 family members were retained, and the majority found R4R acceptable. EDE global score and lack of emotional awareness improved significantly from baseline (BL) to end‐of‐treatment (EOT) and BL to 6‐month follow‐up (6MFU) with moderate to large effect sizes (0.47–1.41). Limited access to emotion regulation strategies (LAERS) improved significantly from BL to 6MFU (moderate effect size; 0.57). Improvements in LAERS from BL to EOT (0.32) and weight from BL to EOT and BL to 6MFU were not significant (effect sizes 0.16–0.22).

Discussion

Findings provide preliminary evidence that R4R is feasible, acceptable, and produces clinically significant changes in targeted outcomes.
Ductility demands of tall buildings subjected to base rocking induced by Rayleigh waves
Authors: Meza Fajardo Kristel C. , Papageorgiou Apostolos S.
Published: May 2019

Performance‐based earthquake engineering requires accurate estimation of structural response associated with different damage states because of strong ground motion. In recent work (Meza‐Fajardo and Papageorgiou, 2018, EESD), we demonstrated that a significant contribution to the response of elastic soil‐structure systems for high‐rise buildings is attributed to base rocking associated with Rayleigh waves. The present paper presents results of a study investigating the effects of Rayleigh waves on the response of soil‐structure systems with nonlinear behavior at the level of the superstructure. By introducing a rigid‐elastic rotational spring at the base of the building, we take into account the stiffness reduction due to damage to the lateral load‐resisting system at its root, and with it, increased displacement demands. Considering different levels of ductility and post‐yield stiffness, we investigate the impact of rocking because of Rayleigh waves on maximum and residual interstory drift ratios. Our results indicate that rocking due to surface waves should be an important consideration for design and evaluation of tall buildings, as inelastic action elongates their effective natural period, and consequently, they are more prone to be damaged by resonance and excitation of extended duration because of Rayleigh waves.
Machine learning identifies unaffected first‐degree relatives with functional network patterns and cognitive impairment similar to those of schizophrenia patients
Authors: Jing Rixing , Li Peng , Ding Zengbo , Lin Xiao , Zhao Rongjiang , Shi Le , Yan Hao , Liao Jinmin , Zhuo Chuanjun , Lu Lin , Fan Yong
Published: May 2019

Schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and their unaffected first‐degree relatives (FDRs) share similar functional neuroanatomy. However, it remains largely unknown to what extent unaffected FDRs with functional neuroanatomy patterns similar to patients can be identified at an individual level. In this study, we used a multivariate pattern classification method to learn informative large‐scale functional networks (FNs) and build classifiers to distinguish 32 patients from 30 healthy controls and to classify 34 FDRs as with or without FNs similar to patients. Four informative FNs—the cerebellum, default mode network (DMN), ventral frontotemporal network, and posterior DMN with parahippocampal gyrus—were identified based on a training cohort and pattern classifiers built upon these FNs achieved a correct classification rate of 83.9% (sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 80.0%, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC] 0.914) estimated based on leave‐one‐out cross‐validation for the training cohort and a correct classification rate of 77.5% (sensitivity 72.5%, specificity 82.5%, and AUC 0.811) for an independent validation cohort. The classification scores of the FDRs and patients were negatively correlated with their measures of cognitive function. FDRs identified by the classifiers as having SCZ patterns were similar to the patients, but significantly different from the controls and FDRs with normal patterns in terms of their cognitive measures. These results demonstrate that the pattern classifiers built upon the informative FNs can serve as biomarkers for quantifying brain alterations in SCZ and help to identify FDRs with FN patterns and cognitive impairment similar to those of SCZ patients.
A marathon, not a sprint: Growth and evolution of community‐based pharmacy residency education and training
Authors: Goode Jean‐Venable R. , Owen James A. , Bennett Marialice S. , Burns Anne L.
Published: May 2019

Community‐based pharmacy residency programs, which emerged over 35 years ago, have grown to 218 programs to be the second largest first‐year postgraduate pharmacy residency education and training program in the United States. This paper is intended to provide a history and current status of community‐based pharmacy residency education and training. Multiple major milestones and activities, including funding, advisory panels, training for meeting the Accreditation Standard and other resources have contributed to the evolution of community‐based pharmacy residency programs. Over the years, the community‐based residency program education and training guidelines and standards have changed to focus on the individual. This focus has resulted in the emergence of new practice sites for training such as health‐system community pharmacies and federally‐qualified healthcare centers. The longitudinal learning experiences of the Standard enable residency graduates to function as community‐based pharmacist practitioners (CPPs). CPPs provide leadership and patient care services to meet the needs of patients in the communities that they serve. The next generation of CPPs will lead the advancement and transformation of community‐based pharmacy practice and provide increased access to care and improved patient outcomes.
Bioadaptive nanorod array topography of hydroxyapatite and TiO2 on Ti substrate to preosteoblast cell behaviors
Authors: Pang Shumin , Sun Manman , Huang Zhiqiang , He Yuan , Luo Xueshi , Guo Zhenzhao , Li Hong
Published: May 2019

Bioadaptive nanostructure coatings of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and TiO2 on titanium (Ti) implants are essential for biomaterial‐tissue osteointegration. However, there is no specific report, so far, that focuses on the different influences of the two bioadaptive coatings on preosteoblast behaviors. Herein, adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic potential of preosteoblast on HAP and TiO2 coatings with nanorod array topography were studied. XRD, TEM, and SAED analysis indicated that rod‐like HAP nanoarray and anatase TiO2 nanoarray coatings were fabricated successfully, and there was insignificant difference in roughness and fibronectin adsorption of the two coatings. Adhesion and proliferation of MC3T3‐E1 cells on the two coatings were of no significant difference, besides a larger projected area of the cells on HAP coating. MC3T3‐E1 cells cultured on the HAP coating displayed significantly higher expression of runt‐related transcription factor‐2 (Runx2), osteocalcin (OCN) and collagen type‐1 (Col I) after culture for 21 days compared with those on TiO2 coating, except alkaline phosphatase (ALP). This study provides beneficial suggestion for intelligent selection of biocoatings.
Fibulin‐5 contributes to colorectal cancer cell apoptosis via the ROS/MAPK and Akt signal pathways by downregulating transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1
Authors: Chen Yan , Li Junzhi , Jin Lei , Lei Kai , Liu Haiwang , Yang Yong
Published: May 2019

Fibulin‐5, a multifunctional extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, is secreted into the ECM, regulating metastasis and invasion in many malignant tumors. However, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been reported. In this study, we detected the expression of fibulin‐5 in 56 CRC patients and eight CRC cell lines, revealing that fibulin‐5 was expressed lower in CRC tumor tissues than in peritumor tissues. Furthermore, our study verified that fibulin‐5 promoted cell apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by inhibiting transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) in CRC cells. Moreover, NAC (the scavenger of ROS), SB203580 (the inhibitor of p38), PD98059 (the inhibitor of ERK), and SC79 (the activator of Akt) were used to uncover that fibulin‐5 induced apoptosis through the ROS/mitogen‐activated protein kinase and Akt signal pathways by downregulating TRPV1. Together, these results suggest that fibulin‐5 might serve as a novel drug target for the treatment of CRC patients.
Autophagy and mTOR pathways in mouse embryonic stem cell, lung cancer and somatic fibroblast cell lines
Authors: Oltulu Fatih , Kocatürk Duygu Ç. , Adalı Yasemin , Özdil Berrin , Açikgöz Eda , Gürel Çevik , Karabay Yavasoğlu N. Ulku , Aktuğ Huseyin
Published: May 2019

Embryonic developmental stages and regulations have always been one of the most intriguing aspects of science. Since the cancer stem cell discovery, striking for cancer development and recurrence, embryonic stem cells and control mechanisms, as well as cancer cells and cancer stem cell control mechanisms become important research materials. It is necessary to reveal the similarities and differences between somatic and cancer cells which are formed of embryonic stem cells divisions and determinations. For this purpose, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), mouse skin fibroblast cells (MSFs) and mouse lung squamous cancer cells (SqLCCs) were grown in vitro and the differences between these three cell lines signalling regulations of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and autophagic pathways were demonstrated by immunofluorescence and real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Expressional differences were clearly shown between embryonic, cancer and somatic cells that mESCs displayed higher expressional level of Atg10, Hdac1 and Cln3 which are related with autophagic regulation and Hsp4, Prkca, Rhoa and ribosomal S6 genes related with mTOR activity. LC3 and mTOR protein levels were lower in mESCs than MSFs. Thus, the mechanisms of embryonic stem cell regulation results in the formation of somatic tissues whereas that these cells may be the causative agents of cancer in any deterioration.
miR‐497a‐5p attenuates lipopolysaccharide‐induced inflammatory injury by targeting IRAK2
Authors: Guo Shuai , Chen Yu , Liu Junfeng , Yang Jing , Yang Chao , Zhang Tao , Jiang Kangfeng , Wu Zhimin , Shaukat Aftab , Deng Ganzhen
Published: May 2019

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a severe acute inflammatory reaction of the lungs caused by a variety of factors, which can lead to a high mortality rate. MicroRNAs are a novel therapeutic molecule that play a vital role in many diseases. However, its mechanism of action in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced mouse ALI is not clear. The study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of miR‐497 in LPS‐induced ALI. As a result, it was found that the expression of miR‐497 in the inflammatory reaction showed a decrease in time and dose trends. Importantly, miR‐497 reduced LPS‐induced expression levels of related inflammatory factors. In addition, we also demonstrated that IRAK2 is a direct target molecule of miR‐497. Interestingly, we further found that miR‐497 inhibits the expression of IRAK2 by targeting IRAK2–3′UTR. Therefore, miR‐497 can partially negatively regulate the activation of IRAK2‐NF‐κB pathway in LPS‐induced inflammatory responses.
Discovery of Novel D‐A and D‐π‐A Structured Carbazole‐Based Formazan Dyes: Synthesis, Characterization, and Spectroscopic Studies
Authors: Gundogdu Hizliates Cevher
Published: May 2019

In the current study, new carbazole‐based formazan dyes, D‐A and D‐π‐A, were synthesized, and their spectroscopic properties were studied for the first time. For this aim, carbazole aldehyde compounds were modified by the derivatization of carbazole, a natural electron‐donor compound, from 3‐ and 9‐position. Then, hydrazone derivatives were synthesized from these aldehyde derivatives. Finally, D‐A (5A–C) and D‐π‐A (6A–C) carbazole–formazan dyes were obtained by the interaction of the hydrazone compounds with p‐substituted aniline. After characterization of the structures of these compounds, photophysical properties of the carbazole–formazans were studied in the different polarity media (i.e., acetonitrile, toluene, and chloroform) in order to detect the solvent effects. Because of the π‐conjugated bridge and the electron acceptor nitro group at the para position, D‐π‐A structured carbazole–formazan dye 6C showed the highest Stokes shift of 155 nm.
Can texture analysis in ultrashort echo‐time MRI distinguish primary graft dysfunction from acute rejection in lung transplants? A multidimensional assessment in a mouse model
Authors: Euler André , Blüthgen Christian , Wurnig Moritz C. , Jungraithmayr Wolfgang , Boss Andreas
Published: May 2019

Background

Differentiation of early postoperative complications affects treatment options after lung transplantation.

Purpose

To assess if texture analysis in ultrashort echo‐time (UTE) MRI allows distinction of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) from acute transplant rejection (ATR) in a mouse lung transplant model.

Study Type

Longitudinal.

Animal Model

Single left lung transplantation was performed in two cohorts of six mice (strain C57BL/6) receiving six syngeneic (strain C57BL/6) and six allogeneic lung transplants (strain BALB/c (H‐2Kd)).

Field Strength/Sequence

4.7T small‐animal MRI/eight different UTE sequences (echo times: 50–5000 μs) at three different postoperative timepoints (1, 3, and 7 days after transplantation).

Assessment

Nineteen different first‐ and higher‐order texture features were computed on multiple axial slices for each combination of UTE and timepoint (24 setups) in each mouse. Texture features were compared for transplanted (graft) and contralateral native lungs between and within syngeneic and allogeneic cohorts. Histopathology served as a reference.

Statistical Tests

Nonparametric tests and correlation matrix analysis were used.

Results

Pathology revealed PGD in the syngeneic and ATR in the allogeneic cohort. Skewness and low‐gray‐level run‐length features were significantly different between PGD and ATR for all investigated setups (P < 0.03). These features were significantly different between graft and native lung in ATR for most setups (minimum of 20/24 setups; all P < 0.05). The number of significantly different features between PGD and ATR increased with elapsing postoperative time. Differences in significant features were highest for an echo‐time of 1500 μs.

Data Conclusion

Our findings suggest that texture analysis in UTE‐MRI might be a tool for the differentiation of PGD and ATR in the early postoperative phase after lung transplantation.

Level of Evidence: 1

Technical Efficacy: Stage 3 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:108–116.
Home Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy Feeding: Difficulties and Needs of Caregivers, Qualitative Study
Authors: Sezer Rana Elcin , Ozdemir Koken Zeliha , Senol Celik Sevilay
Published: May 2019

Background

Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) may cause complications when adequate and appropriate care is not provided. To avoid these complications, caregivers’ experiences and practices must be considered.

Methods

This study used the phenomenological qualitative research method. Twenty‐one caregivers underwent in‐depth interviews and were observed for PEG practices. Interview and observational data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results

This study revealed 8 themes and 24 subthemes under 3 categories of PEG management, social‐emotional change of the caregivers, and expectations, and it was observed that caregivers made errors in stoma care, tube feeding, and medication administration through the PEG tube.

Conclusion

Results indicated that comprehensive and practical discharge training, and home care and counseling services should be provided to effectively address the challenges faced by caregivers of patients with PEG.
Salt Effect on the Solution Properties of Cationic Gemini/Conventional Surfactants in the Presence of the Nonionic Polymer Hydroxypropylmethyl Cellulose
Authors: Bhardwaj Prashant , Kamil Mohammad , Panda Manorama
Published: May 2019

In this article, we report the salt effect on interaction of a water‐soluble polymer hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) with the cationic Gemini surfactant (ethane‐1, 2‐diyl bis(N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐hexadecylammoniumacetoxy) dichloride, 16‐E2‐16), and also its monomeric counterpart cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) using the tensiometric method. Surface tension of the amphiphiles diminished in the presence of the polymer as well as salts; eventually, the polymer gets saturated with the surfactant and there is no further change of surface tension of the solution. Interaction between the polymer and surfactant starts at the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) that is stronger for 16‐E2‐16 than CTAC. CAC and critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of the surfactant‐polymer binary mixtures at various concentrations of the polymer were determined. CAC as well as CMC of 16‐E2‐16 are considerably lower than CTAC. The inorganic salts (KCl and KBr) have a considerable influence on the polymer–surfactant interaction.
Effect of raw material and starters on the metabolite constituents and microbial community diversity of fermented soy sauce
Authors: Liang Ru , Huang Jun , Wu Xueming , Fan Jun , Xu Yi , Wu Chongde , Jin Yao , Zhou Rongqing
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

The quality of soy sauce is strongly affected by microorganisms and raw materials (defatted soybean or whole soybean). The present study investigated the effect of two types of fortified pattern, including inoculation with starters (Tetragenococcus halophilus combined with Zygosaccharomyces rouxii and Candida versatilis), and adding culture medium (saccharified rice flour solution), on the metabolite profiles and microbial community of soy sauce produced from defatted soybean (DP) and whole soybean (HD). Relationships between microbes and volatiles, and their interactions, were shown.

RESULTS

The dominant metabolites differed in the soy sauce samples except for isoflavones. Alcohols and phenols were higher in DP moromi. Two classes of dominant esters, long‐chain fatty acid esters (LFAE) and unsaturated‐short‐chain fatty acid esters (USFAE), were higher in HD moromi than DP. Weissella, Leuconostoc, and Aspergillus were the dominant microbes. Leuconostoc, and Aspergillus increased, and Weissella decreased in moromi inoculated with starters compared with a control. Similar changes to Leuconostoc were observed in moromi added culture medium.

CONCLUSIONS

The microbes were responsible for the formation of volatiles. The intergeneric interactions with microbes were affected by fortified pattern. The effect of starters or culture medium on microbial community and metabolites of soy sauce depended on the raw material. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Annual survival in female white‐winged scoters and lesser scaup
Authors: Slattery Stuart M. , Clark Robert G.
Published: May 2019

Quantifying survival and understanding underlying sources of variation are important for developing population models and informing management decisions. We estimated apparent survival (i.e., true survival less permanent emigration) for adult female white‐winged scoters (Melanitta fusca) and lesser scaup (Aythya affinis) breeding at a northern boreal forest site in western Canada, 2002–2008. We also evaluated variation in survival relative to indices of breeding status, individual quality, spring weather conditions, local small‐mammal abundance, and overwinter climate. Breeding female scoters had higher apparent survival than did nonbreeding females, suggesting that breeders had higher survival or fidelity to the study area, or that more nonbreeders were transient birds that may have bred elsewhere in subsequent years. Apparent survival rate for breeding female scoters was unrelated to other individual and environmental covariates. Nest‐trapped female scaup had higher apparent survival rates than did prenesting females captured in decoy traps, implying that more pre‐nesters dispersed permanently or died after marking. Nesting female scaup with higher body condition or those in years when small mammals were more abundant had higher apparent survival; associations between survival and other environmental covariates were less certain. Overall, apparent survival rate of breeding adult female scoters was lower than reported for scoters from other North American locations or for other sea duck species, whereas estimates for nesting female scaup were comparable with those from other boreal and prairie‐parkland locations. Our results indicate that for scaup in this region, factors influencing female body condition, such as maintaining high‐quality habitat, areas with abundant food or low disturbance, could improve annual survival. © The Wildlife Society, 2019
Maxwell‐compensated design of asymmetric gradient waveforms for tensor‐valued diffusion encoding
Authors: Szczepankiewicz Filip , Westin Carl‐Fredrik , Nilsson Markus
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Diffusion encoding with asymmetric gradient waveforms is appealing because the asymmetry provides superior efficiency. However, concomitant gradients may cause a residual gradient moment at the end of the waveform, which can cause significant signal error and image artifacts. The purpose of this study was to develop an asymmetric waveform designs for tensor‐valued diffusion encoding that is not sensitive to concomitant gradients.

Methods

The “Maxwell index” was proposed as a scalar invariant to capture the effect of concomitant gradients. Optimization of “Maxwell‐compensated” waveforms was performed in which this index was constrained. Resulting waveforms were compared to waveforms from literature, in terms of the measured and predicted impact of concomitant gradients, by numerical analysis as well as experiments in a phantom and in a healthy human brain.

Results

Maxwell‐compensated waveforms with Maxwell indices below 100 (mT/m)2 ms showed negligible signal bias in both numerical analysis and experiments. By contrast, several waveforms from literature showed gross signal bias under the same conditions, leading to a signal bias that was large enough to markedly affect parameter maps. Experimental results were accurately predicted by theory.

Conclusion

Constraining the Maxwell index in the optimization of asymmetric gradient waveforms yields efficient diffusion encoding that negates the effects of concomitant fields while enabling arbitrary shapes of the b‐tensor. This waveform design is especially useful in combination with strong gradients, long encoding times, thick slices, simultaneous multi‐slice acquisition, and large FOVs.
Comparison of different green‐extraction techniques and determination of the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Echinacea angustifolia L. extracts
Authors: Russo Daniela , Faraone Immacolata , Labanca Fabiana , Sinisgalli Chiara , Bartolo Mariantonietta , Andrade Paula B. , Valentao Patricia , Milella Luigi
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Nowadays several plant species, such as Echinacea angustifolia L., can be considered natural important sources for therapeutic applications. Echinacea angustifolia is one of the most known medicinal plants, it shows protective and preventive effects against many chronic diseases, thanks to immunostimulant properties, mostly due to its polysaccharides and antioxidants. However, the optimisation of green extraction techniques to respect the environment is, currently, a hard challenge for the recovery of secondary metabolites.

Methodology

Hydro‐enzymatic extraction has been performed for the first time, it was compared with other different extraction techniques, for their efficacy in bioactive compound recovery. Phytochemical characterisation has been carried out through high‐performance liquid chromatography diode array detector (HPLC‐DAD) analysis and the antioxidant activity has been also measured.

Results

The highest extractive yields and the strongest antioxidant activity was obtained by cellulase and xylanase enzyme extraction. The enzymatic extraction with pectinase enzyme led to a higher polysaccharide content in comparison with the literature. The hydro‐enzymatic extraction method and analytical conditions allowed the identification and quantification of two compounds, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time in E. angustifolia root extract.

Conclusion

The optimised extraction methods discussed in this work led to a higher polysaccharides content, in comparison to previous literature results. The enzymatic extraction seems to be the best extraction technique, in terms of antioxidant yield and efficacy in bioactive compound recovery.
Carbon‐Coated Supraballs of Randomly Packed LiFePO4 Nanoplates for High Rate and Stable Cycling of Li‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Patil Virendra , Oh Woong , Yoo Jong Won , Pu Lyongsun , Park Jong Hyeok , Yoon Won‐Sub , Yi Gi‐Ra
Published: May 2019

One of the key strategies used to obtain high‐rate Li‐ion battery is the reduction of the Li‐ion path length inside the active materials and the enhancement of the ionic diffusion outside the active materials. It is demonstrated that electrochemical performance can be improved significantly at high C‐rates using carbon‐coated spherical aggregates or “supraballs” of randomly packed olivine LiFePO4 (LFP) nanoplates as cathode active materials. 258 nm LFP nanoplates with 30 nm thickness are synthesized through a high‐temperature solvothermal method, in which short lithium‐ion channels are formed perpendicular to the top or bottom planes. These thin nanoplates are formed into carbon‐coated “supraballs” through a spray‐drying and thermal annealing process, in which nanoplates are not stacked but randomly packed due to relatively fast drying. Internal and external nanoplate ion diffusion is therefore enhanced simultaneously due to the optimal molecular crystalline structure and interparticle pore structures of the nanoplates. Indeed, the initial capacity of the carbon‐coated supraballs is 162 mAh g−1 (173.34 mAh cm−3) at 0.1 C and more than 80% is retained (≈130.91 mAh g−1) at 50 C. Furthermore, they offer durable cycling stability (>500 cycles) at 1 C without compromising their capacity.
Effects of chronic dietary thiamethoxam and prothioconazole exposure onApis melliferaworker adults and brood
Authors: Wood Sarah C , de Mattos Igor Medici , Kozii Ivanna V , Klein Colby D , Dvylyuk Ihor , Folkes Crystani D A , de Carvalho Macedo Silva Roney , Moshynskyy Igor , Epp Tasha , Simko Elemir
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND

Chronic exposure of honey bees (Apis melliferaLinnaeus) to the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam and the fungicide prothioconazole is common during foraging in agricultural landscapes. We evaluated the survival and hypopharyngeal gland development of adult worker honey bees, and the survival of the worker brood when chronically exposed to thiamethoxam or thiamethoxam and prothioconazole in combination.

RESULTS

We found that 30 days of exposure to 40 μg kg–1of thiamethoxam significantly (P < 0.001) increased the frequency of death in worker adults by four times relative to solvent control. The worker brood required 23 times higher doses of thiamethoxam (1 mg L–1or 909 μg kg–1) before a significant (P = 0.04), 3.9 times increase in frequency of death was observed relative to solvent control. No additive effects of simultaneous exposure of worker adults or brood to thiamethoxam and prothioconazole were observed. At day 8 and day 12, the hypopharyngeal gland acinar diameter was not significantly different (P > 0.05) between controls and adult workers exposed to thiamethoxam and/or prothioconazole.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that chronic exposure to field‐realistic doses of thiamethoxam and/or prothioconazole are unlikely to affect the survival of adult workers and brood. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Gray wolf optimizer approach to the reliability‐cost optimization of residual heat removal system of a nuclear power plant safety system
Authors: Kumar Anuj , Pant Sangeeta , Ram Mangey
Published: May 2019

To ensure the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs), nuclear regulatory agencies set technical specifications (TSs). TSs define the safety‐related operational measures and specify essential requirements and set specific limitations that is necessarily be followed by a nuclear industry to meet the requirements for the safety of an NPP. One of the important bases for the setting of TSs is the estimates of the availability and reliability of various systems and costs associated with an NPP. In this work, authors have presented a framework based upon a hodiernal nature‐inspired metaheuristic called multiobjective gray wolf optimizer (MOGWO) algorithm, which mimic the hierarchal and hunting behavior of gray wolves (Canis lupus), for technical specifications optimization of residual heat removal system (RHRS) of an NPP safety system. The efficiency of MOGWO in optimizing the TSs is demonstrated by comparing its results with a very popular swarm‐based optimization technique named multiobjective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO).
Highly‐Luminescent DTTA‐Appended Water‐Soluble Lanthanide Complexes of 4‐(Het)aryl‐2,2′‐bipyridines: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties
Authors: Krinochkin Alexey P. , Kopchuk Dmitry S. , Kim Grigory A. , Ganebnykh Il'ya N. , Kovalev Igor S. , Santra Sougata , Zyryanov Grigory V. , Majee Adinath , Rusinov Vladimir L. , Chupakhin Oleg N.
Published: May 2019

New series of highly luminescent DTTA (DTTA=diethylenetriaminetetraacetic acid) ‐ appended water‐soluble lanthanide complexes of 4‐(het)aryl‐2,2′‐bipyridines were prepared. By using the Kröhnke method and the alkylation reaction sequence, the corresponding 4‐(het)aryl‐2,2′‐bipyridines were synthesized in good yields, and their Eu(III), Tb(III), Dy(III) and Sm(III) complexes were prepared. Photophysical properties were studied for all the obtained complexes and the influence of the nature of the (het)aromatic substituent of 2,2′‐bipyridine moiety on the photoluminescence of the resulted lanthanide complexes was investigated. An efficient sensitization of lanthanide luminescence by halogen‐ and methoxyphenyl‐substituted 2,2′‐bipyridine ligands were observed to result in up to 56% and up to 25% quantum yields for Tb(III) and Eu(III) luminescence accordingly.
Unveiling the Impact of the Polypyrrole Coating Layer Thickness on the Electrochemical Performances of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 in Li–Ion Battery
Authors: Li Baoyun , Li Guangshe , Zhang Dan , Fan Jianming , Chen Dandan , Ge Yongxin , Lin Feng , Zheng Chuting , Li Liping
Published: May 2019

Coating polypyrrole (PPy) on the surface of cathode materials could effectively enhance the electrochemical performances of lithium ion batteries (LIBs). The effect of the coated PPy layer thickness on the electrochemical performance, however, has not been well revealed. In this work, we study experimentally the impact of the PPy coating layer thickness on the electrochemical performance of the cathode materials in LIBs. The surface‐coated LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 (NCM) with different PPy layer thickness was synthesized by in situ growing PPy on the surface of NCM. When these coated‐samples were tested as cathodes of LIBs, the sample PPy5 with a coating layer thickness of about 3 nm exhibits an optimum electrochemical performance. More detailed analysis of electrochemical impedance spectra and structures for the cycled electrodes show that the coating layer of about 3 nm endows the PPy5 cathode with the smallest resistance and the most stable structure, ensuring its excellent cycle stability and rate performance. Comparatively, coating layer thickness of about 1 nm is too thin to maintain the structural stability of PPy1 cathode during a long‐term cycle, and an over thick coating layer (approximately 5 nm) significantly increases the resistance due to the shedding of the electrode, which results in their poor electrochemical performance. The results given in present paper will provide the guidance for optimizing the electrochemical properties of conductive polymer coated cathode materials.
Implications of Chemical Reduction Using Hydriodic Acid on the Antimicrobial Properties of Graphene Oxide and Reduced Graphene Oxide Membranes
Authors: Alayande Abayomi Babatunde , Park Hee‐Deung , Vrouwenvelder Johannes S. , Kim In S.
Published: May 2019

The antimicrobial properties of graphene‐based membranes such as single‐layer graphene oxide (GO) and modified graphene oxide (rGO) on top of cellulose ester membrane are reported in this study. rGO membranes are made from GO by hydriodic acid (HI) vapor treatment. The antibacterial properties are tested after 3 h contact time with selected model bacteria. Complete bacterial cell inactivation is found only after contact with rGO membranes, while no significant bacterial inactivation is found for the control i) GO membrane, ii) the mixed cellulose ester support, and the iii) rGO membrane after additional washing that removes the remaining HI. This indicates that the antimicrobial effect is neither caused by the graphene nor the membrane support. The antimicrobial effect is found to be conclusively linked to the HI eliminating microbial growth, at concentrations from 0.005%. These findings emphasize the importance of caution in the reporting of antimicrobial properties of graphene‐based surfaces.
Liesegang Banding for Controlled Size and Growth of Zeolitic‐Imidazolate Frameworks
Authors: Zakhia Douaihy Rita , Al‐Ghoul Mazen , Hmadeh Mohamad
Published: May 2019

Here, the formation of periodic precipitation (Liesegang bands) from hybrid (organic–inorganic) components is reported, namely ZIF‐8, ZIF‐67, and their mixed metal derivatives. The spacing and width laws that characterize the Liesegang system are determined and the resulting pattern is exploited to crystal engineer various sizes and doping of the ZIF material. Several key parameters that govern the crystallization process of ZIF‐8 are investigated in each band and the growth of the particles in each band is found to follow an Ostwald ripening mechanism.