bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis of novel poly(1‐naphthylamine)‐silver nanocomposites and its catalytic studies on reduction of 4‐nitrophenol and methylene blue
Authors: Kanjirathamathadathil Saidu Femina , Joseph Alex , Thomas George V. 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTA novel poly(1‐naphthylamine)‐silver (PNA‐Ag) nanocomposite has been prepared and used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP) and methylene blue (MB). In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been incorporated to PNA via a simple and fast one‐step route, where PNA acts as the reductant for silver ions and stabilizer for AgNPs. The prepared PNA‐Ag nanocomposites were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), energy dispersive X‐ray scattering (EDAX), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. They provided ample evidence for the anchoring of AgNPs to the PNA chains. Enhanced electrochemical performance of the PNA‐Ag nanocomposite has been evidenced by cyclic voltammetry studies. Catalytic studies confirmed that the rate of reduction of both 4‐NP and MB with sodium borohydride have been enhanced significantly in the presence of AgNPs loaded PNA in comparison to neat PNA. This nanocomposite could find application as catalyst for reductive degradation of toxic organic pollutants. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 48318.
Impact strength elastomer composites based on polystyrene components separated from waste electrical and electronic equipment
Authors: Grigorescu Ramona M. , Ghioca Paul , Iancu Lorena , Grigore Madalina E. , Ion Rodica‐Mariana , Nicolae Cristian‐Andi , Gabor Raluca , Filipescu Mircea I. , Rapa Maria , Trusca Roxana D. , Ghiurea Marius 
Published: August 2019

ABSTRACTThe reuse of plastic components of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) is an important concern both for environmental issues and to preserve the material resources, with minimum energy consumption. Considering that polystyrene fraction was reported as approximate 80% of the total amount of WEEE plastic, this article aims to evaluate the recycling of this fraction, without separation by components, by melt compounding with styrene‐butadiene block‐copolymer (SBS) and hydrogenated and maleinized SBS, the blend of the two elastomers acting both as an impact modifier and compatibilizer. The composites are characterized by mechanical analysis, impact tests, dynamic mechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, and X‐ray diffraction. The recycling conditions of the polystyrene fraction as composites without eliminating the WEEE additives for improved UV and flame resistance, with physical mechanical properties comparable to those of high‐impact polystyrene resulted from the study. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48329.
Solving Future Water Challenges: Trends in Water Reuse
Authors: Curl Jason , Brown A. Randolph , Wait Steve , Dai Ning , Vorheis Jonathan 
Published: August 2019

Key TakeawaysWater reuse is today more commonly considered as a potential component of utilities’ overall water portfolios.A demonstration facility can demystify the treatment process while providing a test for community acceptance.The list of contaminants of emerging concern continues to grow as analytical capabilities advance and new compounds are introduced in commercial products.
The interplay of corporate entrepreneurship, environmental orientation, and performance in clean‐tech firms—A double‐edged sword
Authors: Niemann Christoph Constantin , Dickel Petra , Eckardt Gordon 
Published: August 2019

AbstractClean‐tech innovations are an important driver in solving global issues such as climate change and for the sustainable development of economies around the world. Whereas a large part of the literature focuses on clean‐tech ventures, less is known on corporate entrepreneurship, that is, entrepreneurial behavior in established firms and its relation to sustainability. This paper extends the sustainable entrepreneurship debate to corporate entrepreneurship, which represents a fruitful avenue to further developing clean technologies. We focus particularly on clean‐tech firms' organizational preparedness for corporate entrepreneurship (OPCE), that is, how well a firm's structures and processes are set for entrepreneurial activities. On the basis of contingency theory, this study investigates how the level of OPCE influences the environmental and financial performance of clean‐tech firms and whether their environmental orientation affects these relationships. Building on data from 103 firms, we find support for a positive effect of OPCE on both environmental and financial performance. Both effects are stronger the higher the external environmental orientation. In contrast, the leverage of internal environmental orientation is not equally positive. Our study reveals that the effect of OPCE on financial performance diminishes for firms that are more strongly driven by an internal than an external environmental orientation.
Hypoxic preconditioning improves the survival and neural effects of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells via CXCL12/CXCR4 signalling in a rat model of cerebral infarction
Authors: Hu Yueqiang , Chen Wei , Wu Lin , Jiang Lingfei , Qin Hongling , Tang Nong 
Published: August 2019

The treatment of neural deficiency after cerebral infarction is challenging, with limited therapeutic options. The transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to the ischemic penumbra is a potential therapeutic approach. In the present study, a cerebral infarction model was generated by performing middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in SD rats. The expression of CXCR4 increased, and the number of MSCs migrating to the peri‐infarct area was higher in rats transplanted with preconditioned MSCs than in rats transplanted with untreated MSCs. The rate of apoptosis, as evaluated by TUNEL staining and immunoblotting assays, was reduced in rats receiving preconditioned MSCs. A significant amelioration of neural regeneration and improved neurological function were observed in rats injected with preconditioned MSCs compared with those injected with untreated MSCs. However, the application of an siRNA targeting CXCL12 significantly inhibited the protective role of preconditioned MSCs against apoptosis and promoted the migration of MSCs to the ischemic area, leading to impaired neuronal regeneration and limited recovery of neuronal function. Hypoxic preconditioning of MSCs prior to transplantation suppressed apoptosis and increased their migration abilities, leading to the promotion of neuronal regeneration and improvement in neural function after transplantation. This preconditioning strategy may be considered as a potential approach for the modification of MSCs prior to cell transplantation therapy in patients with cerebral infarction.Significance of the StudyWe found that hypoxic preconditioning of MSCs improved their ability to promote neuronal regeneration and the recovery of neuronal function. Moreover, we showed that CXCR4 inhibited apoptosis, improved cell homing, and promoted neuronal differentiation, without influencing angiogenesis. Our study provides a relatively safe preconditioning method for potential use for cell transplantation therapy in ischemic cerebral infarction. The results presented here will facilitate the development of novel strategies and techniques to improve the tolerance and migration ability of transplanted cells for the treatment of cerebral infarction sequelae.
Amplification and attenuation of lung metastases depending on glucocorticoid dosage implicating long‐acting activated memory cells induced by nivolumab against malignant melanoma
Authors: Katagiri Katsunori , Shiga Kiyoto , Saito Daisuke , Oikawa Shin‐ichi , Ikeda Aya , Tsuchida Kodai , Miyaguchi Jun 
Published: August 2019

AbstractFirstly, glucocorticoids such as prednisolone can attenuate the effect of anti–PD‐1 antibody nivolumab. Secondly, malignant melanoma cells survived latently and unnoticeably in places other than those of previous metastatic lesions. Thirdly, effector T cells activated by nivolumab sustained their memory to attack malignant melanoma cells for several months.
The association of pharmacy fill synchronization with breast cancer endocrine therapy adherence
Authors: Neuner Joan M. , Fergestrom Nicole M. , Laud Purushottam W. , Nattinger Ann B. , Beyer Kirsten M. M. , Flynn Kathryn E. , Pezzin Liliana E. 
Published: August 2019

BackgroundOne‐third to one‐half of patients prescribed adjuvant endocrine therapy are nonadherent during the recommended 5‐year endocrine therapy course. This study investigated whether poor pharmacy synchronization of medication fills (requiring refills on different days) acts as a barrier to adherence.MethodsA cohort of older women with stage 0 to III endocrine receptor–positive breast cancer in 2011 was identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result–Medicare claims‐linked cancer registry. Women with endocrine therapy and at least 1 other medication fill were identified, and the 3‐month synchronization of their fills was calculated as 1 minus the quotient of the number of pharmacy visits and the number of filled medications. Regression models were used to examine the association between synchronization (in quartiles adjusted for the number of medications) and adherence to endocrine therapy (defined as a medication possession ratio ≥80%) over the subsequent year.ResultsDuring the 3 months after the first endocrine therapy prescription, the study cohort of 3212 women had a mean of 8.6 pharmacy visits (standard deviation, 4.7) with a mean synchronization of 0.3 (standard deviation, 0.2). Those in the third (odds ratio, 1.29; 95% confidence interval, 1.04‐1.59) and fourth (most) medication number–adjusted synchronization quartiles (odds ratio, 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.19‐1.86) were more likely to be adherent than those in the least. Multivariate model predictions showed that the proportion of patients who were adherent over 1 year varied from 68.9% in the least synchronized quartile to 76.6% in the most synchronized one.ConclusionsPrescription refill synchronization is strongly associated with adherence to endocrine therapy. Efforts to improve adherence should address this.
The Mini‐Organo: A rapid high‐throughput 3D coculture organotypic assay for oncology screening and drug development
Authors: Chitty Jessica L. , Skhinas Joanna N. , Filipe Elysse C. , Wang Shan , Cupello Carmen Rodriguez , Grant Rhiannon D. , Yam Michelle , Papanicolaou Michael , Major Gretel , Zaratzian Anaiis , Da Silva Andrew M. , Tayao Michael , Vennin Claire , Timpson Paul , Madsen Chris D. , Cox Thomas R. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe use of in vitro cell cultures is a powerful tool for obtaining key insights into the behaviour and response of cells to interventions in normal and disease situations. Unlike in vivo settings, in vitro experiments allow a fine‐tuned control of a range of microenvironmental elements independently within an isolated setting. The recent expansion in the use of three‐dimensional (3D) in vitro assays has created a number of representative tools to study cell behaviour in a more physiologically 3D relevant microenvironment. Complex 3D in vitro models that can recapitulate human tissue biology are essential for understanding the pathophysiology of disease.AimThe development of the 3D coculture collagen contraction and invasion assay, the “organotypic assay,” has been widely adopted as a powerful approach to bridge the gap between standard two‐dimensional tissue culture and in vivo mouse models. In the cancer setting, these assays can then be used to dissect how stromal cells, such as cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs), drive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling to alter cancer cell behaviour and response to intervention. However, to date, many of the published organotypic protocols are low‐throughput, time‐consuming (up to several weeks), and work‐intensive with often limited scalability. Our aim was to develop a fast, high‐throughput, scalable 3D organotypic assay for use in oncology screening and drug development.Methods and resultsHere, we describe a modified 96‐well organotypic assay, the “Mini‐Organo,” which can be easily completed within 5 days. We demonstrate its application in a wide range of mouse and human cancer biology approaches including evaluation of stromal cell 3D ECM remodelling, 3D cancer cell invasion, and the assessment of efficacy of potential anticancer therapeutic targets. Furthermore, the organotypic assay described is highly amenable to customisation using different cell types under diverse experimental conditions.ConclusionsThe Mini‐Organo high‐throughput 3D organotypic assay allows the rapid screening of potential cancer therapeutics in human and mouse models in a time‐efficient manner.
Energy‐efficient system‐on‐chip reconfigurable architecture design for sum of absolute difference computation in motion estimation process of H.265/HEVC video encoding
Authors: Chandran K.R. Sarath , Chandramani Premanand Venkatesh 
Published: August 2019

SummaryMotion estimation is the important and computationally intensive part of any video encoding. The objective of this paper is to design and analyze the coarse and fine reconfiguration of processing element‐based hardware design for block matching–based motion estimation in H.265/HEVC video processing. Sum of absolute difference (SAD) is the commonly used criteria for block matching in the motion estimation process. User input is taken as the parameter for coarse reconfiguration, and the threshold value in SAD is considered for the fine reconfiguration. Processing elements are the hardware units designed for performing SAD calculation. In this work, the hardware for block‐based motion estimation for H.265/HEVC encoder is designed using multiple processing elements, which will calculate the SAD values. A system‐on‐chip architecture is implemented and verified the optimization in terms of power and area utilization by reconfiguring the architecture dynamically based on the input video quality requirement.
Drowsy driving detection using neural network with backpropagation algorithm implemented by FPGA
Authors: Choi Hyun‐Sik 
Published: August 2019

SummaryNeural networks have recently attracted much attention due to the development of artificial intelligence or deep learning technology. These can be implemented by applying the current hardware technology such as a central processing unit and a graphics processing unit. In this case, the applications are limited because considerable power and large volume are used. To overcome these shortcomings, hardware development for artificial intelligence is accelerated, and this technology is called the neuromorphic system, which is especially suitable for low‐power and small‐area applications such as wearable devices. In this study, the neuromorphic system is implemented using the field‐programmable gate array (FPGA), and it is applied to wearable systems. This system is especially developed for a module that measures the drowsiness of a user based on biosignals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyography (EMG). The measured biosignals are fed to the neuromorphic system for supervised learning using the backpropagation algorithm. Therefore, it is possible to make the drowsiness driving assessment specific to each user, and the error on the user's condition can be minimized. In addition, by integrating artificial intelligence including learning algorithm and biosensor circuits, it is possible to minimize disturbance to the driver or user through miniaturization and low power consumption.
Overview of Methods to Differentiate Sympathetic Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Wu Hsueh Fu , Zeltner Nadja 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSympathetic neurons are crucial for maintenance of body homeostasis and regulation of all organs. Diseases can arise from malfunction of sympathetic neurons, including malignancies, hypertension, and genetic disorders. Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) allow modeling of human diseases and the in‐depth study of pathologies of specific cell types associated with such disorders. Advances in the ability to differentiate hPSCs in vitro has allowed the generation of specific cell types such as sympathetic neurons, which provides the novel opportunity to study diseases affecting the sympathetic nervous system in the human context. Here, we compare selected recent publications that have achieved the goal of generating sympathetic neurons from hPSCs. We discuss strengths and weaknesses of each approach and debate future improvements and the next steps for using these neurons to better our understanding of sympathetic neuron disorders and their treatments. © 2019 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sexual Dimorphism in Titi Monkeys’ Digit (2D:4D) Ratio is Associated with Maternal Urinary Sex Hormones During Pregnancy
Authors: Baxter Alexander , Wood Elizabeth K. , Witczak Lynea R. , Bales Karen L. , Higley J. Dee 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe second‐to‐fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio is a sexually‐dimorphic biomarker for prenatal sex hormone exposure. We investigated whether titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) exhibit sexually‐dimorphic 2D:4D ratio, and whether variation in 2D:4D ratio correlates with maternal testosterone and estrogen levels during early pregnancy. Subjects were 61 adult titi monkeys (32 males, 29 females). For 26 subjects, maternal urine samples were collected approximately 15–20 weeks before birth and assayed for testosterone and estrone conjugate (E1C). Titi monkeys exhibited a human‐like pattern of sexual dimorphism in right‐hand 2D:4D ratio, with females exhibiting higher 2D:4D ratio than males (β = −0.29, p = 0.023). For left‐hand 2D:4D ratio, high levels of maternal E1C predicted low offspring 2D:4D ratio (β = −0.48, p = 0.009). For right‐hand 2D:4D ratio, high levels of testosterone (β = −0.53, p = 0.005) and testosterone‐to‐E1C ratio (β = −0.41, p = 0.028) predicted low offspring 2D:4D ratio. For 2D:4D ratio asymmetry (right‐hand – left‐hand), high levels of testosterone (β = −0.43, p = 0.03) and testosterone‐to‐E1C ratio (β = −0.53, p = 0.003) predicted low (right‐biased) asymmetry. This is the first report of sexually‐dimorphic 2D:4D ratio in New World monkeys, and the results support a growing literature suggesting prenatal sex hormones may modulate offspring 2D:4D ratio.
Ultraviolet irradiation increases size of the first clutch but decreases longevity in a marine copepod
Authors: Heine Kyle B. , Powers Matthew J. , Kallenberg Christine , Tucker Victoria L. , Hood Wendy R. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractAn important component of life history theory is understanding how natural variation arises in populations. Both endogenous and exogenous factors contribute to organism survival and reproduction, and therefore, it is important to understand how such factors are both beneficial and detrimental to population dynamics. One ecologically relevant factor that influences the life history of aquatic organisms is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. While the majority of research has focused on the potentially detrimental effects that UV radiation has on aquatic organisms, few studies have evaluated hormetic responses stimulated by radiation under select conditions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of UV‐A/B irradiation on life history characteristics in Tigriopus californicus copepods. After exposing copepods to UV‐A/B irradiation (control, 1‐, and 3‐hr UV treatments at 0.5 W/m2), we measured the impact of exposure on fecundity, reproductive effort, and longevity. We found that UV irradiation increased the size of the first clutch among all reproducing females in both the 1‐ and 3‐hr experimental groups and decreased longevity among all females that mated in the 1‐hr treatment. UV irradiation had no effect on the number of clutches females produced. These findings indicate a potential benefit of UV irradiation on reproductive performance early in life, although the same exposure came at a cost to longevity.
Bluebills and bayou bivalves: Hurricane‐driven trophic cascades affect wintering abundance of Lesser Scaup in Louisiana
Authors: Stroud Clay M. , Caputo Claire E. , Poirrier Michael A. , Reynolds Larry A. , Ringelman Kevin M. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractThe estuaries of coastal Louisiana overwinter a continentally significant proportion of Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis; colloquially, “bluebills”), a migratory bird species of conservation concern since population declines began in the 1980s. Thirty‐eight years of aerial waterfowl surveys of Lake Pontchartrain—an oligohaline estuarine lagoon in southeast Louisiana—show that scaup abundance fluctuates between 0 and 1,194,907 birds, though the mechanisms driving this variation are unknown. Previous studies have shown that scaup feed primarily on mollusks, and so changes in the benthic prey community have the potential to strongly influence scaup dynamics on the Lake. Benthic communities are in turn shaped by both natural and anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., hurricanes and spillway openings), potentially creating a lagged bottom‐up trophic cascade that ultimately affects scaup abundance. Using 22 yr of paired benthic invertebrate and aerial waterfowl survey data, we found scaup populations increased with the abundance of medium‐sized Rangia clams (Rangia cuneata) and Dwarf Surf Clams (Mulinia lateralis). Those prey species declined in years when the Lake was hit by a hurricane, but medium‐sized Rangia rebounded strongly the year after, likely because storm‐surge salinity induces spawning. Using long‐term aerial survey data for scaup, we indeed found strong declines on the Lake in years when a hurricane made landfall, but scaup abundance increased the following year, presumably responding to large numbers of medium‐sized Rangia. Our three‐part analysis makes a strong case for a hurricane‐driven bottom‐up trophic cascade that affects scaup populations on Lake Pontchartrain. This study adds to a growing literature demonstrating not only that estuaries are tidally and seasonally dynamic, but that punctuated disturbance events can be important for maintaining ecosystem function.