bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydro(deoxygenation) Reaction Network of Lignocellulosic Oxygenates
Authors: Dutta Saikat
Published: March 2020

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is a key transformation step to convert lignocellulosic oxygenates into drop‐in and functional high‐value hydrocarbons through controlled oxygen removal. Nevertheless, the mechanistic insights of HDO chemistry have been scarcely investigated as opposed to a significant extent of hydrodesulfurization chemistry. Current requirements emphasize certain underexplored events of HDO of oxygenates, which include 1) interactions of oxygenates of varied molecular size with active sites of the catalysts, 2) determining the conformation of oxygenates on the active site at the point of interaction, and 3) effects of oxygen contents of oxygenates on the reaction rate of HDO. It is realized that the molecular interactions of oxygenates with the surface of the catalyst dominates the degree and nature of deoxygenation to derive products with desired selectivity by overcoming complex separation processes in a biorefinery. Those oxygenates with high carbon numbers (>C10), multiple furan rings, and branched architectures are even more complex to understand. This article aims to focus on concise mechanistic analysis of biorefinery oxygenates (C10–35) for their deoxygenation processes, with a special emphasis on their interactions with active sites in a complex chemical environment. This article also addresses differentiation of the mode of interactions based on the molecular size of oxygenates. Deoxygenation processes coupled with or without ring opening of furan‐based oxygenates and site–substrate cooperativity dictate the formation of diverse value‐added products. Oxygen removal has been the key step for microbial deoxygenation by the use of oxygen‐removing decarbonylase enzymes. However, challenges to obtain branched and long‐chain hydrocarbons remain, which require special attention, including the invention of newer techniques to upgrade the process for combined depolymerization–HDO from real biomass.
Root vertical distributions of two Artemisia species and their relationships with soil resources in the Hunshandake desert, China
Authors: Gao Xiuli , Liu Xiaoqiang , Ma Linna , Wang Renzhong
Published: March 2020

Plant root variations and their relations with soil moisture and nutrient supply have been well documented for many species, while effects of drought, combined with extreme poor soil nutrients, on plant roots remain unclear.

Herein, we addressed root vertical distributions of two typical xerophyte semishrub species, Artemisia sphaerocephala and A. intramongolica, and their relations with soil moisture, total soil nitrogen and carbon contents in arid Hunshandake desert, China. The two species experienced similar light regimes and precipitation, but differed in soil moisture and soil nutrients.

Root vertical distribution patterns (e.g., coarse root diameter, root depth and root biomass) differed considerable for the two species due to high heterogeneity of soil environments. Coarse and fine root biomasses for A. intramongolica, distributed in relatively moist fixed dunes, mainly focused on surface layers (94%); but those for A. sphaerocephala dropped gradually from the surface to 140 cm depth. Relations between root traits (e.g., diameter, root biomass) and soil moisture were positive for A. intramongolica, but those for A. sphaerocephala were negative.

In general, the root traits for both species positively correlated with total soil nitrogen and carbon contents. These findings suggest that both soil moisture and poor soil nutrients were the limiting resources for growth and settlement of these two species.
Environmental forcing and predator consumption outweigh the nonconsumptive effects of multiple predators on oyster reefs
Authors: Kimbro David L. , Tillotson Hanna G. , White J. Wilson
Published: March 2020

The ability to predict how predators structure ecosystems has been shown to depend on identifying both consumptive effects (CEs) and nonconsumptive effects (NCEs) of predators on prey fitness. Prey populations may also be affected by interactions between multiple predators across life stages of the prey and by environmental factors such as disturbance. However, the intersection of these multiple drivers of prey dynamics has yet to be empirically evaluated. We addressed this knowledge gap using eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), a species known to suffer NCEs, as the focal prey. Over 4 months, we manipulated orthogonally the life stage (none, juvenile, adult, or both) at which oysters experienced simulated predation (CE) and exposure to olfactory cues of a juvenile oyster predator (crab), adult predator (conch), sequentially the crab and then the conch, or none. We replicated this experiment at three sites along an environmental gradient in a Florida (USA) estuary. For both juvenile and adult oysters, survival was reduced solely by CEs, and variation in growth was best explained by among‐site variation in water flow, with a much smaller and negative effect of predator cue. Adults exposed to conch cue exhibited reduced growth (an NCE), but this effect was outweighed by a positive CE on growth: Surviving oysters grew faster at lower densities. Finally, conch cue reduced larval settlement (another NCE), but this was swamped by among‐site variation in larval supply. This research highlights how strong environmental gradients and predator CEs may outweigh the influence of NCEs, even in prey known to respond to predator cues. These findings serve as a cautionary tale for the importance of evaluating NCE processes over temporal scales and across environmental gradients relevant to prey demography.
Synthesis of Zinc Tetraaminophthalocyanine Functionalized Graphene Nanosheets as an Enhanced Material for Sensitive Electrochemical Determination of Uric Acid
Authors: Shi Yan‐mei , Mei Lin , Zhang Jun‐xia , Hu Kai , Zhang Xi , Li Zhu‐zhu , Miao Ming‐san , Li Xiu‐min
Published: March 2020

A new electrochemical sensor material has been fabricated via the non‐covalent functionalization of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and soluble tetramino zincphthalocyanines (ZnPc‐NH2). Immobilization of uricase onto the synthesized nanohybrids can evidently improve the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity. The obtained composite membrane possesses a great enhancement of electron transfer rate and excellent synergistic electrocatalytic effect toward uric acid (UA) oxidation under the working potential at 0.620 V vs. Ag/AgCl with a scan rate of 0.125 V/s. The effects of the experimental parameters on the electrochemical oxidation responses of UA were investigated and optimized in detail. Under the optimized conditions, the peak currents were proportional to the UA concentration in a range from 0.5 to 100 μmol/L with detection limit of 0.15 μmol/L. Moreover, the developed sensor was applied for UA determination in human urine samples with high accuracy and satisfactory recovery, which is envisioned to have promising applications in monitoring UA in clinical research.
A new competitive multiverse optimization technique for solving single‐objective and multiobjective problems
Authors: Benmessahel Ilyas , Xie Kun , Chellal Mouna
Published: March 2020

The development of useful algorithms for solving global optimization problems has recently drawing the research community's attention. A number of optimization algorithms have been suggested, which mimic a particular biological process or imitate natural evolution. In this work, a novel population‐based optimization technique is proposed, the so‐called competitive multiverse optimizer (CMVO) for solving global optimization problems. This novel method is fundamentally inspired by the multiverse optimizer algorithm (MVO) but with a different framework. Our basic idea is to inject a pairwise competition
mechanism between universes and adopts a novel update strategy that make universes learn from the winner. In CMVO, the mechanism of updating universes is not confined to the optimal universe but rather uses a bicompetitive scheme at each generation in which the universe that loses the competition learns from the winner, unlike in MVO in which all universes learn from the optimal universe. The main idea of this work is to raise the exploration rate for the search space by performing pairwise competition and improve the exploitation ability through learning from the winner. This work also presents a multi‐objective version of CMVO called MOCMVO with a simple structure to show the rapid convergence toward the Pareto front. The performance of our proposed method in single‐objective optimization is demonstrated on a large number of mathematical problems of standard benchmark. The results obtained confirm the superior overall performance of CMVO in terms of the quality of obtained solutions, computational efficiency, and convergence speed relative to many of the state‐of‐the‐art metaheuristic algorithms. In multiobjective optimization, the proposed MOCMVO is evaluated and compared to other multiobjective algorithms using 10 multiobjective benchmarks involving five unconstrained, three constrained, and two engineering design problems. The experimental results of the proposed method in multiobjective optimization demonstrate the competitiveness of the proposed method in term of quantitative and qualitative measures.
A review of the Swedish fire safety regulation: From the industry's perspective
Authors: Mossberg Axel , McNamee Robert , Nyman Hans , Olander Martin
Published: March 2020

As in many countries, the Swedish building regulation is constantly updated. In most cases, these updates are small and do not affect the overall structure of the building code. However, from time to time, larger changes are made and the framework of how to use the code is changed. The latest of these major changes was made in 2011 and the code is since then a mix of performance‐based and prescriptive requirements. During 2016, a study was initiated with the purpose to get the Swedish fire safety industry's perspective on the current structure of the Swedish building code and how the code should be developed in the future. This study concludes that there are substantial differences within the fire safety industry on the view of the building code. Both on the state of the current code and on how the code should develop in the future. However, in some points, the majority of the participants agree, for example, most participants think that the control system for ensuring fire safety should be expanded, both in the design and in the construction phase.
Effect of different cooking methods on sensory quality assessment and in vitro digestibility of sturgeon steak
Authors: Feng Qiufeng , Jiang Suisui , Feng Xiao , Zhou Xiaodong , Wang Haiyan , Li Yujin , Wang Jinmei , Tang Shuwei , Chen Yiping , Zhao Yuanhui
Published: March 2020

Sous vide can keep the nutritional properties and improve taste of food compared with other conventional methods. In addition, this method may reduce the risk of recontamination after cooking and during storage. The purpose of this paper was to study the effects of four cooking methods (steaming, microwaving, baking, and frying) on the sensory and digestibility on sturgeon steak pretreated by sous vide during the cold storage (0–25 days). The results showed that the digestibility of steaming and microwaving groups (range from 80.34% to 90.12%) significantly higher than that of the other treatment groups (p < .05); however, the overall acceptability of the two groups was lower. What more, the frying group has the highest acceptability and the lowest digestibility (range from 65.12% to 70.89%). The springiness (4.12–6.56 mm) and chewiness (1.75–3.12 mm) of the frying group were significantly higher than those of the other treatment groups, which was consistent with the results of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that frying treatment group has a denser structure and smaller pores. With the prolonged refrigeration time, especially between 15 and 25 days, the volatile flavor components (nitrogen oxide, methane, and alcohol) and stagnant water (T21) were significantly decreased. Principal component analysis showed that the moisture content was the main factor affecting the overall acceptability and best consumption time of the sturgeon was within 15 days. Simulating the effects of home cooking conditions and refrigeration storage time on the quality of sturgeon steak provided a reference for consumers using similar products.
Late Carboniferous crustal evolution of the Chinese Central Tianshan microcontinent: Insights from zircon U–Pb and Hf isotopes of granites
Authors: Wen Ding‐Jun , He Zhen‐Yu
Published: March 2020

The Central Tianshan microcontinent (CTM) in the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt is characterized by Precambrian crustal basements and widespread Palaeozoic granitic rocks. However, the Palaeozoic tectonic process and associated crustal evolution of the CTM have not been well constrained. In this paper, we report whole‐rock geochemistry, zircon U–Pb ages, Hf isotopes, and trace elements for the Late Carboniferous granodiorite and monzogranite from the Hongliujingbei area of the eastern CTM. These data were further integrated with previously published whole‐rock geochemistry and zircon Hf isotopic data of the intensive Late Carboniferous (327–300 Ma) magmatic rocks in the CTM in order to gain more insights into the crustal and tectonic evolution of the CTM during the Late Carboniferous. LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb dating results indicate that the granodiorite and monzogranite from the Hongliujingbei area were emplaced at ~320 Ma. Their highly variable zircon εHf(t) values (−0.1 to +12.9) suggest that the magmas of these rocks were formed by the mixing of mantle‐ and crustal‐derived magmas. The Late Carboniferous magmatic rocks from the CTM, as a whole, show a wide range of zircon εHf(t) values (−3.7 to +13.4) and geochemical characteristics typical for magma evolution in an active continental margin setting. Therefore, we suggest that the Late Carboniferous magmatic rocks in the CTM were probably generated in a continental arc formed by the southward subduction of the North Tianshan Ocean Plate beneath the CTM, and their mostly depleted zircon Hf isotopic compositions indicate that juvenile crustal growth was a dominant process in the CTM during the Late Carboniferous.
Petrogenesis and tectonic significance of the late Devonian‐early Carboniferous Jianxiashan pluton in the western domain of the eastern Kunlun Orogen, northern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Jiao Deyang , Liu Changfeng , Liu Wencan , Su He , He Junling , Zhao Zixian , Ye Baoying , Xu Xin
Published: March 2020

The Eastern Kunlun arc activities were interrupted by repeated continent–continent collision followed by ocean opening along the older suture zones previous created in the Neoproterozoic. The first report of the later Devonian‐early Carboniferous arc magmatism has played a vital role in constraining the evolution of the Eastern Kunlun Orogen. We undertook zircon U–Pb dating, Hf isotopic compositions, whole‐rock geochemical and Nd–Sr isotopic analyses of the Jianxiashan pluton in the western end of the Eastern Kunlun Range. The pluton is composed of tonalite, granodiorite, and monzogranites. Our new data suggest that the pluton formed during the late Devonian‐early Carboniferous with ages of 339–358 Ma. These rocks have high A/CNK = 1.06–1.30, with 1.11–3.80% of normative corundum and are characterized by negative Eu anomalies and strong depletion in Ba, Nb, and Sr elements. The zircon Hf isotopic analyses give predominantly negative εHf(t) values (−9.25 to −2.80), whereas the values of inherited zircons are various from −25.84 to +8.80. The U–Pb age and Hf isotopic data of these inherited zircons are similar to the widespread meta‐sediments of Kuhai Group basement. The peraluminous granitoids have negative εNd(t) values (−7.1 to −5.1) and relatively high initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.71009). These isotopic compositions suggest that the Kuhai Group could possibly be the source rocks of these peraluminous granitoids. We suggest the tonalite and granodiorite are I‐S transition type, whereas the monzogranite is highly fractionated S‐type formed in a back‐arc extensional tectonic setting, which was possibly related to the northern subduction of the Paleo‐Kunlun oceanic lithosphere.
Intelligent modeling of rheological and thermophysical properties of nanoencapsulated PCM slurry
Authors: Hashemi Jirandeh Mohhammad Reza , Mohammadiun Mohammad , Mohammadiun Hamid , Dubaie Mohammad Hosein , Sadi Meisam
Published: March 2020

Nanoencapsulated phase change material slurries (NPCMS) combine properties of carried fluid and phase change material (PCM). Usage of NPCMS instead of water as a working fluid has a lot of advantages in many industrial fields. The costly and time‐consuming determination of thermophysical properties of NPCMS through the experimental analysis led the current investigations to use soft computing methods like correlating, artificial neural network (ANN), and ant colony optimization (ACOR). In this study, the application of ANN, empirical correlations, and ACOR for modeling the thermophysical properties of NPCM slurry, which has been synthesized through a facile and eco‐friendly procedure, has been investigated. PCM nanocapsules have been synthesized using a miniemulsion polymerization method. Nancapsules consist of AP‐25 as core and a Styrene shell, which is modified with graphene oxide nanosheets as an extra protective screen. The morphology and thermal properties of nanocapsules were characterized and analyzed, respectively. Results revealed that minimum average particle‐size values result in a melting latent heat of 146.8 J/g. In case of NPCM slurry, the results showed that the thermal conductivity of MPCS decreased with particle concentration for the temperatures below the melting point. The NPCMS can be considered a Newtonian fluid within the test region (shear rate > 200/seconds and mass fraction < 0.25). The ANN‐ACOR model consists of two neurons in the input layer, six neurons in the hidden layer, and two neurons in the output layer. The input layer consists of two nodes (PCM concentration and temperature) that correspond to parameters found essential and sufficient for thermophysical properties prediction. Upon comparison, the results show that the presented model, which is a combination of the ACOR algorithm and an artificial neural network, is compatible with experimental work.
THE FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD ASTHMA
Authors: Main Denise
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the construction of Childhood Asthma Syndrome by families of affected children. That is, ways in which families understand and describe their child's illness, how they respond to the frequent changes, find ways to adjust to and accommodate being caretakers of a child with a chronic illness. The data revealed families' perception of childhood asthma as a process of frequent change in regard to the asthma condition itself, the child with asthma, individual family members and the family as a unit. Adjustment in family lifestyle was seen as necessary to accommodate the caretaker role of families of a child with a chronic illness. Therefore, to support the role the family plays in this process, additional insights are needed which focus on enabling family empowerment.
A retrospective observational study investigating the factors associated with right heart failure in patients with primary acute pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Kobayashi Satoshi , Muto Makoto , Yabe Hitoshi , Imao Masashi , Okada Yukinori
Published: March 2020

Background

The relationship between the risk of right heart failure in primary acute pulmonary embolism after embolization and the residual thrombus sites in the pelvis and lower limbs is not clear.

Methods

This single‐center retrospective observational study examined the results of contrast‐enhanced computed tomography and venous ultrasonography of patients with primary acute PE and DVT. We assessed the association between the occurrence of right heart failure and age; gender; pulmonary thrombosis distribution; most proximal site of deep vein thrombosis in the soleal vein, inferior vena cava (IVC), or common iliac vein (CIV); DVT distribution; and malignancy using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

In all, 77 of 165 patients were male (mean age: 65.1 ± 13.7 years). Right heart failure occurred in 53 patients (32.1%). Multivariate analysis revealed that the odds ratio (OR) for right heart failure was significantly lower in patients with the most proximal site of DVT in the IVC/CIV (OR = 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01‐0.62, P = .017), while it was significantly higher in females (OR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.05‐6.01, P = .039), and in patients who exhibited the presence of bilateral venous thrombosis (OR = 3.89, 95% CI 1.60‐9.48, P = .003).

Conclusion

A significant factor involved in PE without right heart failure was the most proximal site of DVT in the IVC/CIV, and significant risk factors associated with PE with right heart failure were more prevalent in females and in patients who exhibited the presence of bilateral venous thrombosis.
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone: A survival analysis from the National Cancer Database
Authors: Malik Azeem T. , Baek Jae , Alexander John H. , Voskuil Ryan T. , Khan Safdar N. , Scharschmidt Thomas J.
Published: March 2020

Background and Objectives

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone, now known as undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of bone, is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 2% of all primary malignant bone tumors. The objective of the current study was to evaluate prognosis and survival for MFH of bone.

Methods

The 2004 to 2016 National Cancer Database was queried to identify patients with a primary MFH of bone. Kaplan‐Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were used to analyze overall survival and risk factors associated with overall mortality.

Results

The overall 5‐year and 10‐year survival rates were 38.3% and 30.5%, respectively. Increasing stage and metastatic disease at presentation were associated with poor overall survival (P < .001). Patients aged 18 to 50 years (hazard ratio [HR], 0.51), 51 to 75 years (HR, 0.61), and those undergoing surgery (HR, 0.39) had improved survival. Having Medicare insurance (HR, 1.48), residing in a low educated area (HR, 2.56), and positive surgical margins (HR, 1.80) were associated with poor survival.

Conclusions

The overall prognosis of MFH of bone is poor with a reported 5‐year survival rate of 38.3%. Undergoing surgery and younger age were associated with a better prognosis. Older age, having Medicare insurance, and positive surgical margins were predictors of mortality.
Improvement by projection for integro‐differential equations
Authors: Mennouni Abdelaziz
Published: March 2020

The aim of this work is to establish an improved convergence analysis via Kulkarni method to approximate the solution of an integro‐differential equation in
. We prove the following convergence orders: Kulkarni order is
, and Kulkarni iterated order is
. The present study extends and improves earlier results in the literature. A numerical example illustrates the theoretical results and shows the effectiveness of the method.
Correlation of hyperpolarized 13C‐MRI data with tissue extract measurements
Authors: Lee Casey Y. , Lau Justin Y. C. , Geraghty Benjamin J. , Chen Albert P. , Gu Yi‐Ping , Cunningham Charles H.
Published: March 2020

Hyperpolarized (HP)
MRI provides the means to monitor lactate metabolism noninvasively in tumours. Since
‐lactate signal levels obtained from HP
imaging depend on multiple factors, such as the rate of
substrate delivery via the vasculature, the expression level of monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and the local lactate pool size, the interpretation of HP
metabolic images remains challenging. In this study, ex vivo tissue extract measurements (i.e., NMR isotopomer analysis, western blot analysis) derived from an MDA‐MB‐231 xenograft model in nude rats were used to test for correlations between the in vivo
data and the ex vivo measures. The lactate‐to‐pyruvate ratio from HP
MRI was strongly correlated with [1‐
]lactate concentration measured from the extracts using NMR (R = 0.69, p
0.05), as well as negatively correlated with tumour wet weight (R =
 0.60, p
0.05). In this tumour model, both MCT1 and MCT4 expressions were positively correlated with wet weight (
= 0.78 and 0.93, respectively, p
0.01). Lactate pool size and the lactate‐to‐pyruvate ratio were not significantly correlated.
Membrane Treatment: Operators Need to Understand Critical Concepts
Authors: Chen Elise C. , Tackaert Rodrigo A. , Pisarenko Aleksey N. , Guerreiro Juan
Published: March 2020

The number of potable reuse projects in the United States has increased the need for operators who are knowledgeable about advanced water treatment processes, including membrane treatment technologies.
Valve Renewal Averts Critical Asset Failure
Authors: Fleet Alex , Pratt Wayne
Published: March 2020

Consider rehabilitating large water main valves to extend the service life of these critical infrastructure components
From Amherst (Massachusetts, USA) to Padua (Italy) and back again: Louis A. Carpino's scientifically productive journey
Authors: Toniolo Claudio , Moretto Alessandro , Formaggio Fernando , Broxterman Quirinus B. , Crisma Marco
Published: March 2020

In this work, we studied and discussed a relevant aspect of peptide science, strictly related to the scientific production of Prof. Louis A. Carpino who passed away in early 2019. Specifically, we carried out a statistical survey on the significant 3D‐structural parameters (bond lengths, bond angles, and torsion angles) of the currently extensively used 9‐fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) α‐amino protecting group introduced by Carpino in peptide synthesis. In this compilation, we considered all 131 X‐ray diffraction structures available in the literature on amino acid / linear peptide derivatives and Fmoc‐labeled amines. Both Fmoc secondary and tertiary urethane functionalities were examined and separately analyzed.
Comparative Proteomic Analyses of the Liver in D‐Galactosamine‐Sensitized Mice Treated with Different Toll‐Like Receptor Agonists
Authors: Hao Jun , Qi Tingting , Zhu Xiaoying , Chen Jinjun
Published: March 2020

Acute liver failure (ALF) is a severe consequence of abrupt hepatocyte injury and has lethal outcomes. Three toll‐like receptor agonists, including polyinosinic‐polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)), lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and cytosine‐phosphate‐guanine (CpG) DNA, cause acute and severe hepatitis, respectively, in D‐galactosamine (D‐GalN)‐sensitized mice. However, the molecular differences among three ALF models (LPS/D‐GalN, poly(I:C)/D‐GalN, and CpG DNA/D‐GalN), are unclear. Here, tandem mass tag based quantitative proteomic analyses of three ALF mouse models are performed. 52 common differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) are identified, in three ALF groups, compared to the control. Gene ontology analyses show that among the common DEPs, ten proteins are involved in immune system process, and 39 proteins in metabolic process. Among 80,195, and 23 specifically‐expressed proteins in poly(I:C)/D‐GalN, LPS/D‐GalN, and CpG DNA/D‐GalN groups, LPS/D‐GalN‐specific proteins are mostly distributed in the endoplasmic reticulum and more enriched in metabolic pathways, whereas poly (I:C)/D‐GalN‐specific proteins are mainly in the membrane and CpG DNA/D‐GalN‐specific proteins are related to the ribosome structural composition. In conclusion, the common and specific DEPs in three ALF mouse models at molecular level are identified; and determined a close‐to‐complete reference map of mouse liver proteins which will be useful for clinical diagnosis and treatment of liver failure in humans.
Role of concurrent chemoradiotherapy and stereotactic body radiation treatment for palliation of previously untreated head and neck cancers
Authors: Vengaloor Thomas Toms , Packianathan Satyaseelan , Ahmed Hiba Zarah , Joseph Sanjay , Bhanat Eldrin , Mundra Eswar K , Kuruvilla Teessa Perekattu , Vijayakumar Srinivasan
Published: March 2020

Palliative concurrent chemoradiotherapy has not been well evaluated for patients who are not a candidate for definitive treatment. Even though stereotactic radiotherapy has established a role in the re‐irradiation of recurrent head and neck tumors, its role is not established as a possible primary treatment modality for patients who are not eligible for curative treatment. This article reviews the available literature on the role of chemoradiotherapy and stereotactic radiation for palliation of previously untreated head and neck cancers.
Docetaxel‐resistant prostate cancer cells become sensitive to gemcitabine due to the upregulation of ABCB1
Authors: Seo Ho Kyung , Lee Sang‐Jin , Kwon Whi‐An , Jeong Kyung‐Chae
Published: March 2020

Background

Docetaxel is the preferred chemotherapeutic agent for hormone‐refractory prostate cancer (PC) patients. However, patients eventually develop docetaxel resistance, and no effective treatment options are available for them.

Objective

We aimed to establish docetaxel resistance in castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) cell lines (DU145/TXR, PC‐3/TXR, and CWR22/TXR) and characterized transcriptional changes upon acquiring resistance to the docetaxel.

Methods

Human PC cells (DU145, PC‐3, CWR22) and all docetaxel‐resistant cells were maintained in Roswell Park Memorial Institute Medium (RPMI) 1640 media supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin/streptomycin. ABCB1 was detected by using both parental and docetaxel‐resistant CRPCs prepared for flow cytometry. For the evaluation of tumor‐suppressive effects under each chemotherapeutic agent, subcutaneous xenografts of DU145 or DU145/TXR were implanted at the mouse flank.

Results

The P‐glycoprotein‐encoding gene ABCB1 was distinctively upregulated in the resistant cells, and its overexpression played an essential role in docetaxel resistance in CRPC. When tested for the cytotoxicity of gemcitabine, another option for chemotherapy, the docetaxel‐resistant cells were shown to become sensitive to the drug, implying additional phenotypic transformation in the docetaxel‐resistant cells. Studies using xenograft animal models demonstrated that the growth of tumors composed of both docetaxel‐sensitive and docetaxel‐resistant cells was deterred most profoundly when docetaxel and gemcitabine were administered together.

Conclusion

This study suggests that when a drug develops therapeutic resistance, sensitivity tests could be another option, ultimately providing insight into a novel alternative clinical strategy.
A Thermometer Based on Er‐Sensitized Phosphors Gd2(WO4)3:Er,Yb@SiO2 in Near‐Infrared and Visible Regions
Authors: Wang Huayao , Sun Zhen , Wei Yanling , Jia Mochen , Hou Bofei , Li Xin , Lin Fang , Zhang Mingxuan , Xu Yang , Fu Zuoling
Published: March 2020

Currently, the ratiometric temperature sensing based on thermally coupled levels and nonthermally coupled levels dominates the optical thermometers. Herein, Gd2(WO4)3:Er,Yb@SiO2 phosphors are successfully synthesized by the one‐pot coprecipitation method. The themperature sensing properties based on fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) at 808 nm excitation are investigated in detail. In the visible region, the maximum relative sensitivity (Sr) of 0.0112 K−1 based on thermally coupled energy levels of Er3+ (2H11/2 and 4S3/2) is achieved at 323 K, whereas the maximum of Sr based on nonthermally coupled energy levels of Er3+ (4I13/2) and Yb3+ (2F5/2) in the near‐infrared region is 0.0035 K−1 at the lowest temperature 303 K, indicating that the thermometer can be used in the biological temperature range. Moreover, to determine which kind of thermal sensing method is more reliable, the relative standard deviation (RSD) is calculated. In comparison, it is confirmed that temperature sensing based on thermally coupled levels is more stable.
Topological Surface States‐Induced Perpendicular Magnetization Switching in Pt/Co/Bi2Se3 Heterostructures
Authors: Zhang Xu , Cui Baoshan , Mao Jian , Yun Jijun , Yan Ze , Chang Meixia , Zuo Yalu , Xi Li
Published: March 2020

Recently, the topological insulators (TIs) with topological surface states (TSS) exhibiting large spin–orbit torques (SOTs) in topological insulators/ferromagnetic (TIs/FM) systems have been a hot spot research in spintronics. Herein, the effective spin Hall angles () in perpendicularly magnetized Pt/Co/Bi2Se3 stacks with different thicknesses of the Bi2Se3 layers are investigated by the harmonic Hall resistance measurements. The results show that the for the TIs/FM heterostructures is substantially larger than the previously reported heavy metal/ferromagnetic (HM/FM). Moreover, keeps constant with the value around 0.35 in Pt/Co/Bi2Se3 stacks with the variation of the thickness of Bi2Se3 from 3.0 to 15.0 nm, indicating that the SOTs are mainly derived from the contribution of the TSS of Bi2Se3 rather than the interfacial Rashba effect and/or bulk spin Hall effect. The results confirm that TIs with unique spintronic texture can play a crucial role in spintronics applications.
Sample size and power calculations for open cohort longitudinal cluster randomized trials
Authors: Kasza Jessica , Hooper Richard , Copas Andrew , Forbes Andrew B.
Published: March 2020

When calculating sample size or power for stepped wedge or other types of longitudinal cluster randomized trials, it is critical that the planned sampling structure be accurately specified. One common assumption is that participants will provide measurements in each trial period, that is, a closed cohort, and another is that each participant provides only one measurement during the course of the trial. However some studies have an “open cohort” sampling structure, where participants may provide measurements in variable numbers of periods. To date, sample size calculations for longitudinal cluster randomized trials have not accommodated open cohorts. Feldman and McKinlay (1994) provided some guidance, stating that the participant‐level autocorrelation could be varied to account for the degree of overlap in different periods of the study, but did not indicate precisely how to do so. We present sample size and power formulas that allow for open cohorts and discuss the impact of the degree of “openness” on sample size and power. We consider designs where the number of participants in each cluster will be maintained throughout the trial, but individual participants may provide differing numbers of measurements. Our results are a unification of closed cohort and repeated cross‐sectional sample results of Hooper et al (2016), and indicate precisely how participant autocorrelation of Feldman and McKinlay should be varied to account for an open cohort sampling structure. We discuss different types of open cohort sampling schemes and how open cohort sampling structure impacts on power in the presence of decaying within‐cluster correlations and autoregressive participant‐level errors.
On the Problem of Multiple Minima on the S2 Excited Potential Energy Surface of Benzene: A Restricted Active Space Self Consistent Field Study
Authors: Varras Panayiotis C. , Gritzapis Panagiotis S. , Siskos Michael G.
Published: March 2020

Application of the Restricted Active Space Self‐Consistent Field Theory on the S2 excited state potential energy surface of benzene shows the existence of three minima. Of these, the first one is planar with a D6h molecular point group, while the other two have a boat type structure with an approximate C2v symmetry. All three minima have a biradicaloid structure and constitute potential candidates for new photochemical pathways on the S2 surface. A common S2/S1 Conical Intersection, which is accessible from all three S2 minima has been found which decays to the S1 potential energy surface (PES) giving benzene S1 minimum as the only photoproduct.
Efficient Synthesis, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Study of 2‐(2‐Hydrazineyl)thiazole Derivatives
Authors: Adole Vishnu A. , More Rahul A. , Jagdale Bapu S. , Pawar Thansing B. , Chobe Santosh S.
Published: March 2020

In the present investigation, an alluring green PEG‐400 mediated one‐pot synthesis of novel 2‐(2‐hydrazinyl)thiazole derivatives from 1,2,6,7‐tetrahydro‐8H‐indeno[5,4‐b]furan‐8‐one has been unveiled via a novel synthetic pathway. The application of PEG in organic reactions as a reaction media is one of the fantastic tools of green chemistry as reactions can be carried out under generous conditions limiting environmental peril and chemical waste. PEG‐400 is recognized as a low‐cost, non‐flammable, environmentally benign, recyclable, and richly available green solvent. A series of novel 2‐(2‐hydrazineyl)thiazole derivatives have been synthesized in good to excellent yield by using the green capability of PEG‐400 solvent. These newly synthesized compounds were tested for their antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The results revealed that these compounds show good activities compared with the standard. Additionally, all the synthesized compounds exhibit negligible cytotoxicity as compared to the positive control. The structures of all novel compounds reported herein are established using FT‐IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, D2O exchange experiment and HRMS techniques.
Influence of Anion on Physical and Electronic Property of Imidazolium Ionic Liquids: Role of Weak Interactions
Authors: Panja Sumit K.
Published: March 2020

In present work, role of weak interactions on physical property of newly synthesized 2,4‐Dinitrophenolate (DNP) anion‐based imidazolium room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) has been investigated for understanding effect of small structural change in anion. Aromatic and aliphatic H‐bonding interaction do not play significant role on physical properties of these RTILs. But weak π‐π stacking interaction plays an important role to determine the physical properties of these RTILs. The DNP anion shows unique characteristic intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) process due to presence of its quinoid structure in solution. Quinoid structure of DNP anion in these RTILs does not allow to form strong intermolecular ion‐pair cluster through π‐π stacking interaction. As intermolecular interactions are very less, DNP based RTILs are liquids at room temperature. Tuning electronic and physical properties of these yellow coloured DNP based RTILs are raised only from DNP anion.
Synthesis of New Aza‐ and Thia‐Crown Ether Based Amino Acids
Authors: Schneider Tobias , Brüssow Nico , Yuvanc Alev , Budisa Nediljko
Published: March 2020

Crown ethers have been known since the middle of the 20th century as metal chelating agents with numerous applications. For example, amino acids functionalized with crown ethers have been used to create artificial ion channels. However, only a few of those crown amino acids are known, all of which contain exclusively oxygen as heteroatoms in the crown ether moiety. Alternative structures may be desirable to explore new biological or pharmaceutical applications. Hence, we aim to expand the scope of available crown ether amino acids ‐ in particular those with heteroatoms other than oxygen. Herein we describe the synthesis of three previously unknown amino acids bearing a crown ether moiety. We use two distinct synthetic routes to avoid the use of hazardous reagents. Two of these three amino acids bear sulfur atoms in the crown ether, while the third contains a nitrogen atom.
“Brown‐Ring”‐Related Coordination Polymers of the Quartet‐{FeNO}7Chromophore
Authors: Monsch Georg , In‐Iam Areenan , Kästele Xaver , Klüfers Peter
Published: March 2020

A conspicuous detail of the so‐called brown‐ring test (the analytical test on nitrate) is the reddish color of the bottom layer of concentrated sulfuric acid, which develops upon the bleeding of the brown layer into the acid. Crystals of the same color form from a solution of ferrous sulfate in concentrated sulfuric acid on saturation with gaseous nitric oxide. The structure of this H3O[{Fe(NO)(μ4‐SO4)(μ2‐SO4)0.5}n/n] (1a) is made up from infinite chessboard‐type layers with sulfur on the field junctions and Fe(NO) moieties below the black and above the white fields. An Fe–N–O angle of about 160° causes disorder in the tetragonal space groupI4/mmm. A similar crystal pathology was found in the related [{Fe(MeOH)(NO)(μ4‐SO4)}n/n] (1b) in the same crystal class. A one‐dimensional coordination polymer is formed in crystals of a third compound that comprises the Fe(NO)O5coordination pattern, namely the brown oxalato species [{Fe(H2O)(NO)(μ2‐ox)}n/n·H2O] (2). A still larger NO tilt of about 156° is not obscured by disorder in the triclinic crystals of2.
Diurnal variation of salivary cortisol in captive African elephants (Loxodonta africana) under routine management conditions and in relation to a translocation event
Authors: Hambrecht Susan , Oerke Ann‐Kathrin , Heistermann Michael , Dierkes Paul Wilhelm
Published: March 2020

The present study assessed the diurnal variation in salivary cortisol in captive African elephants during routine management (baseline) and in relation to a potential stressor (translocation) to evaluate to what extent acute stress may affect diurnal cortisol patterns. Under baseline conditions, we collected morning and afternoon saliva samples of 10 animals (three zoos) on different days in two study periods (n = 3–10 per animal, daytime and period). Under stress conditions, we sampled the transported cow (newcomer) and the two cows of the destination zoo before and after the transport in the morning and afternoon (n = 3–9 per animal, daytime and transport phase), as well as after the first introduction of the newcomer to the bull (n = 1 per animal). Cortisol was measured in unextracted samples by enzyme immunoassay. Under baseline conditions, we observed the expected diurnal variation with higher cortisol levels in the morning than in the afternoon. Under stress conditions, neither a significant difference between pre‐ and posttransport, nor between morning and afternoon levels was found. The percentage difference between morning and afternoon cortisol after the transport, however, was remarkably lower than before the transport in the newcomer potentially indicating a stress response to familiarization. Saliva samples taken immediately after the introduction of the newcomer to the bull revealed a marked cortisol increase. Our findings indicate that stressors may disturb the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Furthermore, provided that samples can be collected promptly, salivary cortisol is a useful minimally invasive measure of physiological stress in the African elephant.
NLO massive event-shape differential and cumulative distributions
Authors: Lepenik Christopher , Mateu Vicent
Published: March 2020

Abstract

We provide a general method to effectively compute differential and cumulative event-shape distributions to O(αs) precision for massive quarks produced primarily at an e+e− collider. In particular, we show that at this order, due to the screening of collinear singularities by the quark mass, for all event shapes linearly sensitive to soft dynamics, there appear only two distributions at threshold: a Dirac delta function and a plus distribution. Furthermore, we show that the coefficient of the latter is universal for any infra-red and collinear safe event shape, and provide an analytic expression for it. Likewise, we compute a general formula for the coefficient of the Dirac delta function, which depends only on the event-shape measurement function in the soft limit. Finally, we present an efficient algorithm to compute the differential and cumulative distributions, which does not rely on Monte Carlo methods, therefore achieving a priory arbitrary precision even in the extreme dijet region. We implement this algorithm in a numeric code and show that it agrees with analytic results on the distribution for 2-jettiness, heavy jet mass and a massive generalization of C-parameter.
Erratum to: Hearing preservation in children with electric-acoustic stimulation after cochlear implantation
Authors: Rader T. , Bohnert A. , Matthias C. , Koutsimpelas D. , Kainz M-A. , Strieth S.
Published: March 2020

The article Hearing preservation in children with electric-acoustic stimulation after cochlear implantation—Outcome after electrode insertion with minimal insertion trauma, written by T. Rader, A. Bohnert, C. Matthias, D. Koutsimpelas, M‑A. Kainz, S. Strieth was originally published electronically
Accidental perforations during root canal treatment: an 8-year nationwide perspective on healthcare malpractice claims
Authors: Vehkalahti Miira M. , Swanljung Outi
Published: March 2020

Objectives

To assess occurrence and its variation over time of serious accidental perforations during endodontic treatment and the fate of perforated teeth by tooth type and characteristics of patients and dentists.

Materials and methods

Data, based on patient documents on healthcare malpractice claims, comprised all endodontic injuries (n = 970) verified by the Patient Insurance Centre in Finland in 2002–2006 and 2011–2013. Two specialists in endodontics scrutinized the documents. Accidental perforations were recorded by location (tooth type, chamber/canals) and dichotomized as avoidable (could have been avoided by following good clinical practice) or unavoidable (normal treatment-related risks). Fate of perforation cases was recorded as treatment discontinued, root canal(s) filled, or tooth extracted. Background information included patients’ and dentists’ sex and age and the service sector. Statistical evaluation used Chi-square tests.

Results

Serious accidental perforations comprised 29% of all verified injuries. Most perforations were judged as avoidable: 93% in patients aged below 35 years, 87% when located in the pulp chamber or in molars (84%); 70% of all perforations and 75% of those in molars resulted in tooth extraction. The overall rate of serious accidental perforations was 17.6 cases per 100,000 endodontic patients per year.

Conclusions

The rate of serious accidental perforations increased over time. The majority was in molars and resulted in tooth extraction.

Clinical relevance

Accidental perforations comprise almost a third of serious injuries during root canal treatment. However, four of five perforations could be avoided by following good clinical practice. Therefore, training is needed before adopting new working equipment and methods.
Analyse von Tilgerkonfigurationen mit trockenen Reibungselementen
Authors: Aramendiz Jimmy , Fidlin Alexander
Published: March 2020

Die Ergreifung von Maßnahmen zur Schwingungsreduktion ist eine im Maschinenbau wichtige Aufgabe, da unerwünschte Vibrationen zu Systemstörungen führen können. Insbesondere bei Leichtbausystemen wird die natürlich vorhandene interne Dämpfung des Systems reduziert und neue, innovative, energieeffiziente Dämpfungsalternativen sind erforderlich. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit zwei Systemen: der trockene Lock-Up Dämpfer und der vorgespannte trockene Reibungstilger. Diese Systeme basieren auf trockener Reibung und nutzen die Haft-Gleit-Eigenschaften aus, um Schwingungen im System zu reduzieren. Die Bewegungsgleichung dieser Systeme, sowie numerische Parameterstudien und analytische Lösungen via Mittelwertbildungsverfahren werden vorgestellt. Anschließend werden die Dämpfungsmechanismen in transienten Simulationen verglichen.