bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Training for Failure: A Simulation Program for Emergency Medicine Residents to Improve Communication Skills in Service Recovery
Authors: Frallicciardi Alise , Lotterman Seth , Ledford Matthew , Prenovitz Ilana , Meter Rochelle Van , Kuo Chia‐Ling , Nowicki Thomas , Fuller Robert 
Published: June 2018

AbstractObjectivesService failures such as long waits, testing delays, and medical errors are daily occurrences in every emergency department (ED). Service recovery refers to the immediate response of an organization or individual to resolve these failures. Effective service recovery can improve the experience of both the patient and the physician. This study investigated a simulation‐based program to improve service recovery skills in postgraduate year 1 emergency medicine (PGY‐1 EM) residents.MethodsEighteen PGY‐1 EM residents participated in six cases that simulated common ED service failures. The patient instructors (PIs) participating in each case and two independent emergency medicine (EM) faculty observers used the modified Master Interview Rating Scale to assess the communication skills of each resident in three simulation cases before and three simulation cases after a service recovery debriefing. For each resident, the mean scores of the first three cases and those of the last three cases were termed pre‐ and postintervention scores, respectively. The means and standard deviations of the pre‐ and postintervention scores were calculated by the type of rater and compared using paired t‐tests. Additionally, the mean scores of each case were summarized. In the framework of the linear mixed‐effects model, the variance in scores from the PIs and faculty observers was decomposed into variance contributed by PIs/cases, the program effect on individual residents, and the unexplained variance. In reliability analyses, the intraclass correlation coefficient between rater types and the 95% confidence interval were reported before and after the intervention.ResultsWhen rated by the PIs, the pre‐ and postintervention scores showed no difference (p = 0.852). In contrast, when scored by the faculty observers, the postintervention score was significantly improved compared to the preintervention score (p < 0.001). In addition, for the faculty observers, the program effect was a significant contributor to the variation in scores. Low intraclass correlation was observed between rater groups.ConclusionsThis innovative simulation‐based program was effective at teaching service recovery communication skills to residents as evaluated by EM faculty, but not PIs. This study supports further exploration into programs to teach and evaluate service recovery communication skills in EM residents.
Central Doping of a Foreign Atom into the Silver Cluster for Catalytic Conversion of CO2 toward C−C Bond Formation
Authors: Liu Yuanyuan , Chai Xiaoqi , Cai Xiao , Chen Mingyang , Jin Rongchao , Ding Weiping , Zhu Yan 
Published: June 2018

AbstractClusters with an exact number of atoms are of particular interest in catalysis. Their catalytic behaviors can be potentially altered with the addition or removal of a single atom. Now the effects of doping with a single foreign atom (Au, Pd, and Pt) into the core of an Ag cluster with 25 atoms on the catalytic properties are explored, where the foreign atom is protected by 24 Ag atoms (Au@Ag24, Pd@Ag24, and Pt@Ag24). The central doping of a single atom into the Ag25 cluster has a substantial influence on the catalytic performance in the carboxylation reaction of CO2 with terminal alkyne through C−C bond formation to produce propiolic acid. These studies reveal that the catalytic properties of the cluster catalysts can be dramatically changed with the subtle alteration by a single atom away from the active sites.
Internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) barcodes: A useful tool for identifying Chinese Zanthoxylum
Authors: Zhao Li‐Li , Feng Shi‐Jing , Tian Jie‐Yun , Wei An‐Zhi , Yang Tu‐Xi 
Published: June 2018

Premise of the StudyThe genus Zanthoxylum in the Rutaceae family of trees and shrubs has a long history of domestication and cultivation in Asia for both economic and medicinal purposes. However, many Zanthoxylum species are morphologically similar and are easily confused. This often leads to false authentication of source materials and confusion in herbal markets, hindering their safe utilization and genetic resource conservation. DNA barcoding is a promising tool for identifying plant taxa.MethodsWe used three candidate DNA barcoding regions (ITS2, ETS, and trnH‐psbA) to identify 69 accessions representing 13 Chinese Zanthoxylum species. The discriminatory capabilities of these regions were evaluated in terms of PCR amplification success, intra‐ and interspecific divergence, DNA barcoding gaps, and identification efficiency using the BLAST and tree‐building methods.ResultsITS2 proved the most useful for discriminating Chinese Zanthoxylum species, with a correct identification rate of 100%, and this region also exhibited significantly higher intra‐ and interspecific divergence.DiscussionPhylogenetic analysis confirmed that ITS2 has a powerful discriminatory ability both at and below the species level. We confirmed that ITS2 is a powerful barcoding region for identifying Chinese Zanthoxylum species, and will be useful for analyzing and managing Chinese Zanthoxylum germplasm collections.
Application of the Hirsch Generic Convergence Statement to the Set‐Point Regulation of Excitable‐Transparent‐Monotone Systems
Authors: Agahi Hamed 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMonotone systems are dynamical systems whose solutions preserve an ordering, relative to the initial data. This paper focuses on the set‐point regulation problem for excitable‐transparent‐monotone single‐input single‐output systems with well‐defined static characteristics. The suggested technique for designing a static feedback controller is inspired from the Hirsch Theorem for monotone autonomous systems. It is shown that the closed‐loop system is strongly monotone and its generic solution converges to the desired set‐point. A remark is given on the application of the suggested design methodology to delay systems, as well as to systems with reaction‐diffusion equations. A simulation example from the biological world demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy in real applications.
Surveillance of microcephaly and selected brain anomalies in Argentina: Relationship with Zika virus and other congenital infections
Authors: Tellechea Ana Laura , Luppo Victoria , Morales María Alejandra , Groisman Boris , Baricalla Agustin , Fabbri Cintia , Sinchi Anabel , Alonso Alicia , Gonzalez Cecilia , Ledesma Bibiana , Masi Patricia , Silva María , Israilev Adriana , Rocha Marcela , Quaglia Marcela , Bidondo María Paz , Liascovich Rosa , Barbero Pablo ,   RENAC Task Force
Published: June 2018

BackgroundZika virus (ZIKV) vertical transmission may lead to microcephaly and other congenital anomalies. In March and April 2016, the first outbreak of ZIKV occurred in Argentina. The objective was to describe the surveillance of newborns with microcephaly and other selected brain anomalies in Argentina, and evaluation different etiologies.MethodsParticipants were enrolled between April 2016 and March 2017.Casesnewborns from the National Network of Congenital Abnormalities of Argentina (RENAC) with head circumference lower than the 3rd percentile according to gestational age and sex, or selected brain anomalies. Blood and urine samples from cases and their mothers were tested for ZIKV by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), antigen‐specific Immunoglobulin M (MAC‐ELISA) and plaque‐reduction neutralization test (PRNT90). Toxoplasmosis, rubella, herpes simplex, syphilis, and cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection were also tested.ResultsA total of 104 cases were reported, with a prevalence of 6.9 per 10,000 [95% confidence interval (CI): 5.7–8.4], a significant increase when compared with the data prior to 2016, Prevalence Rate Ratio 1.7 (95% CI 1.2–2.3). In five cases positive serology for ZIKV (IgM and IgG by PRNT) was detected. The five cases presented microcephaly with craniofacial disproportion. We detected four cases of CMV infection, three cases of congenital toxoplasmosis, two cases of herpes simplex infection, and one case of congenital syphilis.ConclusionThe prevalence of microcephaly was significantly higher when compared with the previous period. The system had the capacity to detect five cases with congenital ZIKV syndrome in a country with limited viral circulation.
Expression of genes encoding the luciferase from Photobacterium leiognathi in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) and its application in NADH detection
Authors: Xuan Guanhua , Xiao Qilin , Wang Jingxue , Lin Hong , Pavase Tushar 
Published: June 2018

AbstractCloning of genes encoding the luciferase from Photobacterium leiognathi YL in Escherichia coli Rosetta (DE3) was performed successfully and the expressed forms of lux AB were purified to homogeneity. Experimental measurements revealed that luciferase from Photobacterium leiognathi YL has good thermal stability and a high residual activity at extreme pH values, which are extremely important for its various ecological, industrial and medical applications. Furthermore, we made a first attempt for quantitative detection of NADH by recombinant E. coli Rosetta (DE3) coupled enzyme system. A good linear relationship between luminescence intensity and NADH with low (1–12 nmol/L) and high (10–500 nmol/L) concentration was observed, whose standard curve was y = 772.97× + 4041.1, R2 = 0.9884 and y = 1710× + 4.99 × 105, R2 = 0.9727, respectively. Our results demonstrate a high sensitivity of recombinant E. coli coupled enzyme system to NADH on the basis of high soluble expression of recombinant luciferase and continuous and stable expression of some NAD(P)H‐dependent flavin mononucleotide (FMN) reductases.
Bimolecular fluorescence quenching reactions of the biologically active coumarin composite 2‐acetyl‐3H‐benzo[f]chromen‐3‐one in different solvents
Authors: Koppal V. V. , Melavanki R. M. , Kusanur R. A. , Patil N. R. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractA study on fluorescence quenching was carried out for the coumarin derivative 2‐acetyl‐3H‐benzo[f]chromen‐3‐one (2AHBC) with aniline at room temperature. Efficient fluorescence quenching was observed and Stern–Volmer (S–V) plots showed upward curves from linearity in all solvents of different polarities. For the solute 2AHBC, ground state complex formation does not hold in our study. The kinetic distance (r) value was found to be greater than the encounter distance (R) and indicated that the quenching reaction was held within the sphere of action. Diffusion‐limited reactions were found to be more prominent in high polarity solvents, namely dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), DMF, ACN, methanol, ethanol, propanol and DCM. The relationships between quenching constant (KSV) and dielectric constants (ε) of the different solvents were studied.
Protective effects of timosaponin BII on oxidative stress damage in PC12 cells based on metabolomics
Authors: Xie Qinmei , Zhao Hongxia , Li Na , Su Li , Xu Xu , Hong Zhanying 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPeroxide and oxygen free radicals are some of the causes of oxidative stress in brain tissue, and could lead to the change of brain structure and function. In addition, oxidative damage is one of the most important causes of the aging of the vast majority of tissues. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of timosaponin BII on oxidative stress damage of PC12 induced by H2O2 using metabolomics based on the UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS technique. Partial least‐squares discriminant analysis method was used to identify 35 metabolites as decisive marker compounds in a preliminary interpretation of the mechanism of the antioxidative effect of timosaponin BII. The majority of these metabolites are involved in the glutathione metabolism, amino acid metabolism, sphingolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolism. Our results suggest that timosaponin BII demonstrates systematic antioxidant effects in the PC12 oxidative damage cell model via the regulation of multiple metabolic pathways. These findings provide insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying oxidative stress damage and suggest innovative and effective treatments for this disorder, providing a reliable basis for the development of novel therapeutic target in timosaponin BII treatment of oxidative stress.
Simple Route for the Synthesis of Highly Active Bimetallic Nanoparticle Catalysts with Immiscible Ru and Ni Combination by utilizing a TiO2 Support
Authors: Masuda Shinya , Mori Kohsuke , Sano Taiki , Miyawaki Kohei , Chiang Wei‐Hung , Yamashita Hiromi 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTiO2 support was proven to be acted as an efficient platform for the synthesis of RuNi bimetallic alloy, which are essentially immiscible at most of equilibrium composition, by simple impregnation followed by H2 reduction at 300 °C. Characterization by means of HAADF‐STEM and EDX analysis confirmed the formation of RuNi bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) with a mean diameter of 2.3 nm. H2‐TPR and in situ XAFS measurements suggested the intraparticle hydrogen spillover mechanism on the surface of TiO2, which originated from the improved reducibility of the Ni species and retarded reducibility of the Ru species in comparison with those for the monometallic samples. RuNi/TiO2 catalyst exhibits remarkably high catalytic activity for the dehydrogenation from ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3) (TOF=914 min−1) compared with those prepared with other conventional supports. DFT calculation study also suggested the synergistic alloying effect due to the random distribution of Ru−Ni NPs plays a crucial role in the improvement of the adsorption energy of AB, which ultimately resulted in the exceptional catalytic performance.
Facile Synthesis of S‐Substituted L‐Cysteines with Nano‐sized Immobilized O‐Acetylserine Sulfhydrylase
Authors: Vahidi Akbar K. , Wang Zunsheng , Li Zhi 
Published: June 2018

AbstractMany S‐substituted l‐cysteines are useful pharmaceutical intermediates but require a simple synthesis method. Here we developed enzymatic synthesis of several S‐aryl‐l‐cysteines and S‐benzyl‐l‐cysteine directly from O‐acetylserine (OAS) with immobilized O‐acetylserine sulfhydrylase CysM. Novel iron‐oxide magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with cobalt‐nitrilotriacetic acid function were prepared with a diameter of 80 nm in 75 % yield. Direct immobilization of His‐tagged CysM in the cell‐free extract on the MNPs via affinity attachment afforded stable nanobiocatalyst with 97 % enzyme loading efficiency and 93 % free enzyme activity. The immobilized enzyme catalyzed the biotransformation of benzylthiol and OAS to give S‐benzyl‐l‐cysteine in 88 % yield. The nanobiocatalyst also demonstrated high recyclability, retaining 95 % productivity in the fifth cycle. The immobilized CysM accepts various arylthiols to react with OAS, giving rise to a new synthesis route of several S‐substituted l‐cysteines in 60–96 % yield.
Direct Observation of Interfacial Charge Transfer between Rutile TiO2 and Ultrathin CuOx Film by Visible‐Light Illumination and Its Application for Efficient Photocatalysis
Authors: Osako Kazutaka , Matsuzaki Kosuke , Susaki Tomofumi , Ueda Shigenori , Yin Ge , Yamaguchi Akira , Hosono Hideo , Miyauchi Masahiro 
Published: June 2018

AbstractA well‐defined interface between CuOx film and TiO2 is constructed as a model for elucidating the interfacial charge transfer (IFCT) process that occurs during photocatalysis. Spectroscopic analysis revealed strong blue light absorption at 2.7 eV in this film system. Based on photoemission spectroscopy and the UV‐visible absorption analysis, the band offset of CuOx and TiO2 was investigated, and the observed blue absorption at 2.7 eV could be explained by an IFCT process, in which electrons in the valence band of TiO2 were excited into the conduction band of the ultrathin CuOx film. Furthermore, the IFCT transition was found to strongly depend on the crystal face of TiO2, as the IFCT absorption was significantly increased in the ultrathin CuOx film coated over the rutile TiO2 (110) substrate. Probe reduction and oxidation reactions were also used to investigate the charge transport process and determine photocatalytic reaction sites, which were located around a few nanometers‐scale region from the edge of the ultrathin CuOx and TiO2. The present findings provide a powerful method for the development of efficient visible‐light sensitive photocatalysts based on the IFCT concept.
Oxygen Electroreduction on Pt Nanoparticles Deposited on Reduced Graphene Oxide and N‐doped Reduced Graphene Oxide Prepared by Plasma‐assisted Synthesis in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Hussain Sajid , Erikson Heiki , Kongi Nadezda , Treshchalov Alexey , Rähn Mihkel , Kook Mati , Merisalu Maido , Matisen Leonard , Sammelselg Väino , Tammeveski Kaido 
Published: June 2018

AbstractPlatinum nanoparticles were deposited on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and nitrogen‐doped rGO (rGO−N) by He/H2 plasma jet treatment of H2PtCl6 aqueous solution for electroreduction of oxygen. Physical characterization of the prepared catalysts was performed by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Electrochemical characterization was carried out by cyclic voltammetry and CO‐stripping techniques. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of the prepared Pt/rGO and Pt/rGO−N catalyst materials was investigated using the rotating disk electrode method in 0.1 M KOH and 0.05 M H2SO4. In both acidic and alkaline electrolytes, the catalyst materials prepared by the plasma jet method demonstrated superior electrocatalytic properties compared to that of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. Specific activity values for the ORR in acid electrolyte were 2‐fold and in alkaline media more than 3‐fold higher than that obtained for commercial Pt/C catalyst.
Self‐Supported Hierarchical Shell@Core Ni3S2@Ni Foam Composite Electrocatalyst with High Efficiency and Long‐Term Stability for Methanol Oxidation
Authors: Yuan Gang , Niu Xiaopo , Chen Zhichao , Wang Li , Zhang Xiangwen , Wang Qingfa 
Published: June 2018

AbstractDirect methanol fuel cells are promising renewable energy devices for automobiles and portable electronic devices. The development of high effciency, poison tolerance, long‐term stability, and noble metal‐free electrocatalysts for methanol oxidation is still a major challenge. Herein, we develop a noble metal‐free, 3D self‐supported, defect‐rich, hierarchical shell‐core structured Ni3S2 composite on Ni foam as electrocatalyst. This electrocatalyst shows a good activity, poison tolerance, and long‐term durability towards methanol oxidation in alkaline media. It shows the lowest onset potential (−340 mV vs. Hg/HgO) among all the Ni‐based catalysts reported up to date and a Pt‐level specific activity. The methanol oxidation peak current of the electrocatalyst retains more than 97.5 % even after 5,000 voltammetry cycles in 0.5 M KOH+1 M CH3OH. The morphology and composition of the electrocatalysts before and after stability test were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, and XPS. The high activity, poison tolerance, and stability are attributed to the binder‐free, directly grown Ni3S2 shell on the Ni foam backbone, the lattice defect sites, and the synergetic eﬀects between the in‐situ formed active NiOx core and Ni3S2 shell during methanol oxidation. This work indicates that the self‐supported hierarchical shell‐core Ni3S2@Ni foam electrocatalyst is a viable alternative for commercial Pt‐based electrocatalyst applied in fuel cells.
A similarity index for comparing coupled matrices
Authors: Indahl Ulf G. , Næs Tormod , Liland Kristian Hovde 
Published: June 2018

AbstractApplication of different multivariate measurement technologies to the same set of samples is an interesting challenge in many fields of applied data analysis. Our proposal is a 2‐stage similarity index framework for comparing 2 matrices in this type of situation. The first step is to identify factors (and associated subspaces) of the matrices by methods such as principal component analysis or partial least squares regression to provide good (low‐dimensional) summaries of their information content. Thereafter, statistical significances are assigned to the similarity values obtained at various factor subset combinations by considering orthogonal projections or Procrustes rotations and how to express the results compactly in corresponding summary plots. Applications of the methodology include the investigation of redundancy in spectroscopic data and the investigation of assessor consistency or deviations in sensory science. The proposed methodology is implemented in the R‐package “MatrixCorrelation” available online from CRAN.
Rational Design of a 310‐Helical PIP‐Box Mimetic Targeting PCNA, the Human Sliding Clamp
Authors: Wegener Kate L. , McGrath Amy E. , Dixon Nicholas E. , Oakley Aaron J. , Scanlon Denis B. , Abell Andrew D. , Bruning John B. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe human sliding clamp (PCNA) controls access to DNA for many proteins involved in DNA replication and repair. Proteins are recruited to the PCNA surface by means of a short, conserved peptide motif known as the PCNA‐interacting protein box (PIP‐box). Inhibitors of these essential protein‐protein interactions may be useful as cancer therapeutics by disrupting DNA replication and repair in these highly proliferative cells. PIP‐box peptide mimetics have been identified as a potentially rapid route to potent PCNA inhibitors. Here we describe the rational design and synthesis of the first PCNA peptidomimetic ligands, based on the high affinity PIP‐box sequence from the natural PCNA inhibitor p21. These mimetics incorporate covalent i,i+4 side‐chain/side‐chain lactam linkages of different lengths, designed to constrain the peptides into the 310‐helical structure required for PCNA binding. NMR studies confirmed that while the unmodified p21 peptide had little defined structure in solution, mimetic ACR2 pre‐organized into 310‐helical structure prior to interaction with PCNA. ACR2 displayed higher affinity binding than most known PIP‐box peptides, and retains the native PCNA binding mode, as observed in the co‐crystal structure of ACR2 bound to PCNA. This study offers a promising new strategy for PCNA inhibitor design for use as anti‐cancer therapeutics.
Quantum Simulation Verifies the Stability of an 18‐Coordinated Actinium–Helium Complex
Authors: Ozama Eiki , Adachi Sadia , Takayanagi Toshiyuki , Shiga Motoyuki 
Published: June 2018

AbstractStructures of a trivalent actinium cation in helium clusters (Ac3+⋅Hen) have been studied by quantum path integral molecular dynamics simulations with different cluster sizes, n=18–200. The nuclear quantum effect of helium atoms plays an important role in the vibrational amplitude of the Ac3+–He complex at low temperatures (1–3 K) at which the complex is stable. We found that the coordination number of helium atoms comprising the first solvation shell can be as high as eighteen. In this case, the helium atoms are arranged in D4d symmetry. The Ac3+–He18 complex becomes more rigid as the cluster increases in size, which implies that it becomes more stable. The simulation results are based on an accurate description of the Ac3+–He interaction using relativistic ab initio calculations.
Electrochemical Cobalt‐Catalyzed C−H Activation
Authors: Sauermann Nicolas , Meyer Tjark H. , Ackermann Lutz 
Published: June 2018

AbstractCarbon–heteroatom bonds represent omnipresent structural motifs of the vast majority of functionalized materials and bioactive compounds. C−H activation has emerged as arguably the most efficient strategy to construct C−Het bonds. Despite of major advances, these C−H transformations were largely dominated by precious transition metal catalysts, in combination with stoichiometric, toxic metal oxidants. Herein, we discuss the recent evolution of cobalt‐catalyzed C−H activations that enable C−Het formations with electricity as the sole sustainable oxidant until May 2018.