bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphological characteristics and thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of cellulose nanocrystals‐containing biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/poly(ε‐caprolactone) blend composites
Authors: Motloung Mpho Phillip , Ojijo Vincent , Bandyopadhyay Jayita , Ray Suprakas Sinha 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTThis work investigates the effect of cellulose nanocrystal (CN) loading on the properties of polylactide/poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLA/PCL) (70/30) blend processed in a twin‐screw extruder as a potential material that can be utilized in various applications where biodegradation is highly desired. The morphological analysis revealed a reduction in droplet size of dispersed PCL phase upon addition of CN at low concentrations (1 and 2 wt %) with maximum reduction at 2 wt % which led to maximum improvement in mechanical properties. The reinforcing effect of CN in increasing the DMA storage modulus of the prepared systems was noticed when CN concentration was increased. Further, CN enhanced the crystallization of PCL, whereas the cold crystallization of PLA remained the same with CN addition. Both melt strength and viscosity of PLA improved with the incorporation of PCL and CN. In general, a green composite material with improved properties was successfully prepared using an environmentally friendly filler material. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48665.
Tailoring the irreversible thermal expansion of 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene crystals by bioinspired polydopamine coating
Authors: Lin Congmei , Cheng Bibo , Zhang Haobin , Gong Feiyan , Yang Zhijian , Liu Shijun , Li Jiang , Guo Shaoyun 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTBioinspired polydopamine (PDA) was selected for the fabrication of 1,3,5‐triamino‐2,4,6‐trinitrobenzene (TATB)‐based microcapsules to improve the thermal stability via a facile in situ polymerization of dopamine on the surface of explosive crystals in a weak alkaline aqueous solution. The effects of experimental conditions, including TATB core size, PDA shell content, elevated‐temperature hold time, hold temperature, and test stress on the irreversible thermal expansion of TATB crystals, were comprehensively and comparatively studied. After coating, the strain change at each cooling and heating stage in a thermal cycling test from −54 to 74 °C visibly decreased, attributing to the fact that the highly crosslinked and dense PDA shell acted as a rigid pressure vessel to constrain the expansion of energetic crystals. The irreversible expansion strain at room temperature after a 23–113 °C cycle decreased with the increasing of PDA shell thickness. Compared with raw fine grains TATB (FTATB) crystals, FTATB enabled in 1.5 wt % PDA showed a dramatically drop in the irreversible expansion strain at room temperature by 27.7% (from 0.520 to 0.376%). The results demonstrated the excellent ability of PDA to alleviate irreversible thermal expansion of anisotropic energetic crystals. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 137, 48695.
Reconstruction and analysis of a three‐compartment genome‐scale metabolic model for Pseudomonas fluorescens
Authors: Huang Xiaoyan , Lin Yen‐Han 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWith the versatile metabolic diversity, Pseudomonas fluorescens is a potential candidate in petroleum aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) bioremediation. Genome‐scale metabolic model (GSMM) can provide systematic information to guide the development of metabolic engineering strategy to improve microbial activity. In this study, a GSMM for P. fluorescens SBW25 was reconstructed, which is termed as lCW1057. The reconstruction was based on automatic reannotation and manual curation. The periplasmic compartment was constructed to better represent the proton gradient profile. The reconstructed proton transport chain has a P/O (ATP generated per atom oxygen consumed by the respiratory chain) ratio of 11/8. Flux balance analysis (FBA) was performed to explore the whole‐cell metabolic flow. The model suggested that instead of Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway, Entner–Doudoroff pathway was used in glycolytic metabolism of P. fluorescens, indicating that the growth of P. fluorescens is more energy dependent. Furthermore, P. fluorescens can use nitrate as the terminal electron acceptor for the glucose metabolism. The β‐ketoadipate pathway was involved in catechol metabolism. The uptake of oxygen is mandatory for the aromatic ring cleavage. The in silico and in vitro maximum specific growth rate was compared, resulting in 10% difference when catechol was used as the sole carbon source.
Materiality in integrated and sustainability reporting: A paradigm shift?
Authors: Mio Chiara , Fasan Marco , Costantini Antonio 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThis paper investigates the implementation of integrated reporting (IR) by Generali, one of the most important listed companies in Italy. The research questions we aim at answering are the following: Is the IR approach to materiality inherently different from the sustainability reporting (SR) approach? Does IR lead to the identification of different material topics than does SR? On the one hand, institutional theory suggests that IR and SR material topics are going to be significantly different because IR is mainly driven by a market logic, whereas SR is inspired by a stakeholder logic. On the other hand, organizational change theory predicts there will be some resistance to change by the organization, therefore leading to IR and SR topics being similar. In order to answer our research questions, we implement two empirical analyses. First, we propose and develop an innovative methodological approach on the basis of content analysis, which allows measuring the materiality of different issues under the IR approach. Second, we rely on evidence obtained through interviews, which suggests that IR and SR approaches to materiality are inherently different.
Electronic and Physical Property Manipulations: Recent Achievements towards Heterogeneous Carbon‐based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Nie Yao , Wei Zidong 
Published: November 2019

AbstractHeterogeneous carbon‐based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts with distinctive properties afford new exciting opportunities of low‐cost processing, address critical issues in real‐world applications and strengthen economic competitiveness of catalytic process. This minireview is mainly centered on the recent achievements of new and interesting design concepts of carbon‐based ORR catalysts, especially focusing on the electronic structure manipulations of both metal‐free heteroatom doped‐carbons and M−N−C catalysts. Effect of other key physical factors including density and dispersity of active sites, pore structure and conductivity on ORR behavior and accordingly nichetargeting synthetic strategies will be also illustrated. In the end, a brief illumination of challenges and future research directions for heterogeneous carbon‐based ORR catalysts will be provided.
Dual Escherichia coli DNA Gyrase A and B Inhibitors with Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Fois Benedetta , Skok Žiga , Tomašič Tihomir , Ilaš Janez , Zidar Nace , Zega Anamarija , Peterlin Mašič Lucija , Szili Petra , Draskovits Gábor , Nyerges Ákos , Pál Csaba , Kikelj Danijel 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe emergence of multidrug‐resistant bacteria is a global health threat necessitating the discovery of new antibacterials and novel strategies for fighting bacterial infections. We report first‐in‐class DNA gyrase B (GyrB) inhibitor/ciprofloxacin hybrids that display antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Whereas DNA gyrase ATPase inhibition experiments, DNA gyrase supercoiling assays, and in vitro antibacterial assays suggest binding of the hybrids to the E. coli GyrA and GyrB subunits, an interaction with the GyrA fluoroquinolone‐binding site seems to be solely responsible for their antibacterial activity. Our results provide a foundation for a new concept of facilitating entry of nonpermeating GyrB inhibitors into bacteria by conjugation with ciprofloxacin, a highly permeable GyrA inhibitor. A hybrid molecule containing GyrA and GyrB inhibitor parts entering the bacterial cell would then elicit a strong antibacterial effect by inhibition of both the GyrA and GyrB subunits of DNA gyrase and potentially slow bacterial resistance development.
Risk of malignancy in the various categories of the UK Royal College of Pathologists Thy terminology for thyroid FNA cytology: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Poller David N. , Bongiovanni Massimo , Trimboli Pierpaolo 
Published: November 2019

BackgroundThe UK Royal College of Pathologists Thy terminology for reporting thyroid fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), first published in 2009 is used throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, in some parts of Italy and Switzerland and elsewhere. There is no review of the literature or meta‐analysis of the risk of malignancy (ROM) in the various categories of the UK Thy terminology. The goal of this study was to establish the published ROM for each Thy category and compare the results with other existing terminology systems for which similar meta‐analyses are available.MethodsA comprehensive literature search of online databases was conducted in May 2019 to examine the ROMs for histologically proven nodules with preoperative FNAC classified according to the UK Thy terminology.ResultsTwenty‐five articles were identified that showed results of both cytology and histology. Twelve of these articles were excluded to prevent a selection bias because they showed data in just 1 Thy category. In the remaining 13 articles, the pooled ROMs were as follows: Thy1, 12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5%‐22%); Thy2, 5% (95% CI, 3%‐9%); Thy3, 22% (95% CI, 18%‐26%); Thy3a, 25% (95% CI, 20%‐31%); Thy3f, 31% (95% CI, 24%‐39%); Thy4, 79% (95% CI, 70%‐87%); and Thy5, 98% (95% CI, 97%‐99%).ConclusionsThis meta‐analysis shows results comparable to those of meta‐analyses of other internationally recognized reporting terminologies for the pooled ROMs for surgically excised nodules in the various Thy reporting categories. There is comparatively little difference (only 6%) between the pooled ROMs of Thy3a and Thy3f surgically excised nodules.
A Machine‐Learning Approach to Identify a Prognostic Cytokine Signature That Is Associated With Nivolumab Clearance in Patients With Advanced Melanoma
Authors: Wang Rui , Shao Xiao , Zheng Junying , Saci Abdel , Qian Xiaozhong , Pak Irene , Roy Amit , Bello Akintunde , Rizzo Jasmine I. , Hosein Fareeda , Moss Rebecca A. , Wind‐Rotolo Megan , Feng Yan 
Published: November 2019

Lower clearance of immune checkpoint inhibitors is a predictor of improved overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced cancer. We investigated a novel approach using machine learning to identify a baseline composite cytokine signature via clearance, which, in turn, could be associated with OS in advanced melanoma. Peripheral nivolumab clearance and cytokine data from patients treated with nivolumab in two phase III studies (n = 468 (pooled)) and another phase III study (n = 158) were used for machine‐learning model development and validation, respectively. Random forest (Boruta) algorithm was used for feature selection and classification of nivolumab clearance. The 16 top‐ranking baseline inflammatory cytokines reflecting immune‐cell modulation were selected as a composite signature to predict nivolumab clearance (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.75; accuracy = 0.7). Predicted clearance (high vs. low) via the cytokine signature was significantly associated with OS across all three studies (P < 0.01), regardless of treatment (nivolumab vs. chemotherapy).
Selective TiO2 Nanolayer Coating by Polydopamine Modification for Highly Stable Ni‐Rich Layered Oxides
Authors: Kim Hyeongwoo , Jang Jihye , Byun Dongjin , Kim Hyung‐Seok , Choi Wonchang 
Published: November 2019

AbstractNi‐rich layered oxides are promising cathode materials for developing high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries. To overcome the major challenge of surface degradation, a TiO2 surface coating based on polydopamine (PDA) modification was investigated in this study. The PDA precoating layer had abundant OH catechol groups, which attracted Ti(OEt)4 molecules in ethanol solvent and contributed towards obtaining a uniform TiO2 nanolayer after calcination. Owing to the uniform coating of the TiO2 nanolayer, TiO2‐coated PDA‐LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O2 (TiO2‐PNCM) displayed an excellent electrochemical stability during cycling under high voltage (3.0–4.5 V vs. Li+/Li), during which the cathode material undergoes a highly oxidative charge process. In addition, TiO2‐PNCM exhibited excellent cyclability at elevated temperature (60 °C) compared with the bare NCM. The surface degradation of the Ni‐rich cathode material, which is accelerated under harsh cycling conditions, was effectively suppressed after the formation of an ultra‐thin TiO2 coating layer.
A randomized, placebo‐controlled crossover trial of phentermine‐topiramate ER in patients with binge‐eating disorder and bulimia nervosa
Authors: Safer Debra L. , Adler Sarah , Sethi Shebani , Bentley Jason P. , Toyama Hannah , Pajarito Sarah , Najarian Thomas 
Published: November 2019

AbstractObjectiveOpen trials suggest phentermine/topiramate ER (PHEN/TPM‐ER), food and drug administration (FDA) approved for obesity, has utility for binge eating. With no randomized controlled trials (RCTs) yet performed, this trial aimed to evaluate PHEN/TPM‐ERs efficacy and safety in a crossover RCT for patients with binge‐eating disorder (BED) or bulimia nervosa (BN).MethodParticipants were randomized to 12‐weeks PHEN/TPM‐ER (3.75 mg/23 mg–15 mg/92 mg) or placebo followed by 2‐weeks drug washout, then 12‐week crossover. Demographics, vitals, eating disorder behaviors, mood, and side effects were measured. Primary outcome was objective binge‐eating (OBE) days/4‐weeks; secondary outcomes included binge abstinence. Mixed‐effect models estimated treatment effects, with fixed effects adjusting for treatment, study period, and diagnosis.ResultsThe 22 adults (BED = 18, BN = 4) were female (96%), Caucasian (55%), aged 42.9 (SD = 10.1) years with body mass index = 31.1 (SD = 6.2) kg/m2. Baseline OBE days/4‐weeks decreased from 16.2 (SD = 7.8) to 4.2 (SD = 8.4) after PHEN/TPM‐ER versus 13.2 (SD = 9.1) after placebo (p < .0001), with abstinence rates = 63.6% on PHEN/TPM‐ER versus 9.1% on placebo (p < .0001). Weight changes = −5.8 kg on PHEN/ TPM‐ER versus +0.4 kg on placebo. Drop‐out = 2 (9%) on PHEN/TPM‐ER and 2 (9%) on placebo, with few side effects. Vital sign changes with PHEN/TPM‐ER were minimal and similar to placebo. Responses were not significantly different for BED versus BN.DiscussionThis first RCT to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PHEN/TPM‐ER for BED/BN found this drug combination significantly more effective at reducing binge eating than placebo and well tolerated. However, with only four participants with BN, findings regarding the safety of PHEN/TPM‐ER in patients with BN must be taken with caution.Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02553824 registered on 9/17/2015. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02553824
Study on thermal stability of typical carbon fiber epoxy composites after airworthiness fire protection test
Authors: Zhang Xu , Li Sen , Wang Zhi , Wang Donglin 
Published: November 2019

SummaryThe thermal stability of the T700 carbon fiber epoxy composites, which had been tested under different conditions (nonvibration plus nonscrubbing airflow, vibration, scrubbing airflow, and vibration plus scrubbing airflow), were investigated according to the obtained weight loss behavior, integral program decomposition temperature (IPDF), and activation energies (E) by using thermogravietry‐differential thermal analyzer. The results indicate that the weight loss ratio, IPDF, and E of T700 carbon fiber epoxy and its residues in the third and fourth layers are similar under the nonvibration plus nonscrubbing airflow and vibration, and the thermal stability under the vibration condition is slightly stronger. In addition, the weight loss ratio, IPDF, and E of the epoxy and its residues in materials are also similar under scrubbing airflow and vibration plus scrubbing airflow, and the thermal stability under vibration plus scrubbing airflow is better. However, it is significantly less than the thermal stability of materials under nonvibration plus nonscrubbing airflow and vibration. Therefore, it can be found that the vibration exacerbates the flame severity and the scrubbing airflow has a significant cooling effect on the material during the airworthiness fire protection test, which have guiding significance on the airworthiness fire prevention items formulation of carbon fiber composite.
Adverse health effects of abuse‐deterrent opioids: Evidence from the reformulation of OxyContin
Authors: Beheshti David 
Published: November 2019

AbstractThe United States is currently in the midst of the worst drug epidemic in its history, with nearly 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016. In response, pharmaceutical companies have begun introducing abuse‐deterrent painkillers, pills with properties that make the drug more difficult to misuse. The first such painkiller, a reformulated version of OxyContin, was released in 2010. Previous research has found no net effect on opioid mortality, with users substituting from OxyContin toward heroin. This paper explores health effects of the reformulation beyond mortality. In particular, I show that heroin is substantially more likely to be injected than OxyContin, increasing exposure to blood‐borne diseases. Exploiting variation across states in OxyContin misuse prior to the reformulation, I find relative increases in the spread of hepatitis B and C in states most likely to be affected by the reformulation. In aggregate, the estimates suggest that absent the reformulation, we would have observed approximately 76% fewer cases of hepatitis C and 53% fewer cases of hepatitis B from 2011 to 2015. I find some suggestive evidence that the reformulation also lead to increases in HIV and hepatitis A, although these findings are less robust. These findings have important implications for future policies addressing the opioid crisis.
A numerical investigation on the high‐frequency geometry of spherical random eigenfunctions
Authors: Fantaye Yabebal , Cammarota Valentina , Marinucci Domenico , Todino Anna Paola 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA lot of attention has been drawn over the last few years by the investigation of the geometry of spherical random eigenfunctions (random spherical harmonics) in the high‐frequency regime, that is, for diverging eigenvalues. In this paper, we present a review of these results and we collect for the first time a comprehensive numerical investigation, focussing on particular on the behavior of Lipschitz‐Killing curvatures/Minkowski functionals (i.e., the area, the boundary length, and the Euler‐Poincaré characteristic of excursion sets) and on critical points. We show in particular that very accurate analytic predictions exist for their expected values and variances, for the correlation among these functionals, and for the cancellation that occurs for some specific thresholds (the variances becoming an order of magnitude smaller—the so‐called Berry's cancellation phenomenon). Most of these functionals can be used for important statistical applications, for instance, in connection to the analysis of cosmic microwave background data.
Diversity in Systems Engineering Special Feature Introduction
Authors: Hoverman Lisa , Long David , Squires Alice F. 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTThis inaugural special edition on ‘Diversity in Systems Engineering’ explores the role of the systems engineering community in embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as key enablers in the systems approach. As master integrators, systems engineers are accountable for delivering optimal affordable system solutions to complex problems. To do so requires more than an understanding of technology. It requires an understanding of people and social systems ‐ culture and the impact of cultural barriers, the cost of gender inequity, the need for cognitive and idea diversity, and a path to achieve inclusivity by design to name just a few areas. These represent a sample of the topics addressed in this special edition, where authors share their past experiences and forward thinking on the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in developing systems and global systems engineering leadership.
Harnessing the Diversity of Ideas for Competitive Advantage
Authors: Morgan Johnny D. 
Published: November 2019

ABSTRACTThe engineering community has made significant advances in traditional diversity measures in the last 50 years, but because the world has become more complex, the engineering community needs to embrace new ideas that are outside the realm of traditional engineering disciplines. This paper identifies that individuals are the sources of new ideas, but it is organizations that transform these ideas into value‐delivered innovations. It examines the relationship of maximizing information diversity to promote idea discovery while minimizing work force diversity to promote the sharing and acceptance of these ideas. It then discusses the concept of inclusion as a necessary team skill for organizations to deliver these ideas as innovations. This paper concludes by identifying systems engineering behaviors that create a diverse environment for idea discovery and an inclusive team environment that overcomes challenges and transitions ideas into delivered innovations, thus providing a competitive advantage.
Temperature‐dependent mucosal permeation kinetics of stigmasterol microspheres: In vivo mice model antioral candidiasis study
Authors: Niyogi Partha , Pattnaik Snigdha , Maharana Laxmidhar , Mohapatra Rajaram , Haldar Saikat 
Published: November 2019

AbstractEvaluation of mucosal permeation of stigmasterol from the glutaraldehyde cross linked chitosan microspheres at increasing experimental temperatures was performed. The activation energy of permeation, partition, and diffusion were estimated to understand the permeation kinetic with respect to the temperature. The formulation depicting least activation energy possessed the increased permeation thresholds of drug at the site of application. The encapsulation efficacy and mucoadhesive strength were found to be directly proportional to the polymer‐emulsifier ratio. Decreased intensity in crystallography directed the molecular dispersion of microencapsulated drug. The depleted enthalpic phase transition in thermogram affirmed the stigmasterol encapsulation. The sphericity and the size of microspheres were determined by scanning electron photo micrograph. The in vivo quantification of oralCandidainfection with different statistical approach and histopathological observation of infected tongue of mice on treatment with the stigmasterol encapsulated microspheres showed significant anti oral candidiasis activity by reduction of fungal colony count and recovery of papillae, reorganization of basal cell layer and newly formed papillae during 21–28 days of treatment.