bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Neuropsychological and socioeconomic outcomes in adult survivors of pediatric low‐grade glioma
Authors: Ris M. Douglas , Leisenring Wendy M. , Goodman Pamela , Di Chongzhi , Noll Jennie , Levy Wendy , Robison Leslie L. , Armstrong Gregory T. 
Published: June 2019

BackgroundCurrent estimates suggest that 75% of children diagnosed with a central nervous system (CNS) tumor will become 5‐year survivors. However, survivors of childhood CNS tumors are at increased risk for long‐term morbidity.MethodsTo determine long‐term neuropsychological and socioeconomic status (SES) outcomes, adult survivors of pediatric low‐grade gliomas (n = 181) in the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study and a sibling comparison group that was frequency‐matched by age and sex (n = 105) completed a comprehensive battery of standardized neuropsychological tests and an SES assessment. Multivariable regression models compared treatment‐specific groups for neuropsychological and SES outcomes and evaluated associations with tumor location, age at diagnosis, sex, and age at evaluation.ResultsIn adjusted models, survivors treated with surgery and radiotherapy (surgery+RT; median age at diagnosis, 7 years; median age at assessment, 41 years) scored lower on estimated IQ than survivors treated with surgery only, who scored lower than siblings (surgery+RT, 93.9; surgery only, 101.2; siblings, 108.5; all P values <.0001). Survivors diagnosed at younger ages had low scores for all outcomes (P < .05) except for attention/processing speed. For SES outcomes, survivors treated with surgery+RT had lower occupation scores (odds ratio [OR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1‐5.9), lower income (OR, 2.6; 95% CI, 1.3‐5.0), and less education (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1‐4.0) than those treated with surgery only.ConclusionsDecades after treatment, survivors treated with radiotherapy and at younger ages had poorer neuropsychological and SES outcomes. Lifelong surveillance of survivors of pediatric low‐grade gliomas may be warranted as life events, stages, and transitions (employment, family, and aging) present new challenges and risks.
DFT Study of Methanol Adsorption on Defect‐Free CeO2 Low‐Index Surfaces
Authors: Liu Zhao , Sorrell Charles C. , Koshy Pramod , Hart Judy N. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractMethanol decomposition is a promising method for hydrogen production. However, the performance of current catalysts for this process is not sufficient for commercial applications. In this work, methanol adsorption on the CeO2 low‐index surfaces is studied by density functional theory (DFT). The results show that methanol always dissociates spontaneously on the (100) surface, whereas dissociation on the (110) surface is site‐selective; dissociation does not occur at all on the (111) surface, where only weak physisorption is found. The results confirm that surfaces with higher energies are more catalytically active. Analysis of the surface geometries shows that the dominant factors for the dissociation of methanol are the degree of undercoordination and the charges of the surface ions. The adsorption energy of each methanol molecule decreases with increasing coverage and there is a transition threshold between dissociative and associative adsorption. The present work indicates that a strategy to design catalysts with high activity is to maximize exposure of surfaces on which the ions have a high degree of undercoordination and a strong tendency to donate/accept electrons. The results demonstrate the importance of appropriately selecting and controlling exposed facets and particle morphology for optimizing catalyst performance.
Odd‐Even Effect on Luminescence Properties of Europium Aliphatic Dicarboxylate Complexes
Authors: Assunção Israel P. , Carneiro Neto Albano N. , Moura Renaldo T. , Pedroso Cássio C. S. , Silva Ivan G. N. , Felinto Maria C. F. C. , Teotonio Ercules E. S. , Malta Oscar L. , Brito Hermi F. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe odd–even effect in luminescent [Eu2(L)3(H2O)x]⋅y(H2O) complexes with aliphatic dicarboxylate ligands (L: OXA, MAL, SUC, GLU, ADP, PIM, SUB, AZL, SEB, UND, and DOD, where x=2–6 and y=0–4), prepared by the precipitation method, was observed for the first time in lanthanide compounds. The final dehydration temperatures of the Eu3+ complexes show a zigzag pattern as a function of the carbon chain length of the dicarboxylate ligands, leading to the so‐called odd‐even effect. The FTIR data confirm the ligand–metal coordination via the mixed mode of bridge–chelate coordination, except for the Eu3+‐oxalate complex. XRD results indicate that the highly crystalline materials belong to the monoclinic system. The odd–even effect on the 4 f–4 f luminescence intensity parameters (Ω2 and Ω4) is explained by using an extension of the dynamic coupling mechanism, herein named the ghost‐atom model. In this method, the long‐range polarizabilities (
) were simulated by a ghost atom located at the middle of each ligand chain. The values of
were estimated using the localized molecular orbital approach. The emission intrinsic quantum yield (
) of the Eu3+ complexes also presented an the odd‐even effect, successfully explained in terms of the zigzag behavior shown by the Ω2 and Ω4 intensity parameters. Luminescence quenching due to water molecules in the first coordination sphere is also discussed and rationalized.
Lead‐Free Perovskites: Metals Substitution towards Environmentally Benign Solar Cell Fabrication
Authors: Shalan Ahmed Esmail , Kazim Samrana , Ahmad Shahzada 
Published: June 2019

AbstractPerovskite solar cells have attracted significant attention during the current decade owing to their efficacy and photovoltaics performance, which has reached a new milestone in the thin‐film category. Perovskite solar cells have witnessed a remarkable 25.2 % light‐to‐electricity conversion efficiency; however, the toxicity of the commonly employed Pb counterpart towards humans as well as the environment, in addition to material instability, are current bottlenecks towards commercial application. The scientific community has explored other metal ions as substitutions for Pb, while preserving the unique properties of the material, to produce environment‐friendly perovskites. In this Review, we highlight the recent developments and challenges of Pb‐free halide perovskite‐based light harvesters for solar cell applications. This summary is intended to aid in the further development of a materials library for this sustainable technology.
Web video classification with visual and contextual semantics
Authors: Afzal Mehtab , Shah Nadir , Muhammad Tufail 
Published: June 2019

SummaryOn the social Web, the amount of video content either originated from wireless devices or previously received from media servers has increased enormously in the recent years. The astounding growth of Web videos has stimulated researchers to propose new strategies to organize them into their respective categories. Because of complex ontology and large variation in content and quality of Web videos, it is difficult to get sufficient, precisely labeled training data, which causes hindrance in automatic video classification. In this paper, we propose a novel content‐ and context‐based Web video classification framework by rendering external support through category discriminative terms (CDTs) and semantic relatedness measure (SRM). Mainly, a three‐step framework is proposed. Firstly, content‐based video classification is proposed, where twofold use of high‐level concept detectors is leveraged to classify Web videos. Initially, category classifiers induced from VIREO‐374 detectors are trained to classify Web videos, and then concept detectors with high confidence for each video are mapped to CDT through SRM‐assisted semantic content fusion function to further boost the category classifiers, which intuitively provide a more robust measure for Web video classification. Secondly, a context‐based video classification is proposed, where twofold use of contextual information is also harnessed. Initially, cosine similarity and then semantic similarity are measured between text features of each video and CDT through vector space model (VSM)‐ and SRM‐assisted semantic context fusion function, respectively. Finally, classification results from content and context are fused to compensate for the shortcomings of each other, which enhance the video classification performance. Experiments on large‐scale video dataset validate the effectiveness of the proposed solution.
Taking insight into the gut microbiota of three spider species: No characteristic symbiont was found corresponding to the special feeding style of spiders
Authors: Hu Guowen , Zhang Lihua , Yun Yueli , Peng Yu 
Published: June 2019

AbstractMicroorganisms in insect guts have been recognized as having a great impact on their hosts' nutrition, health, and behavior. Spiders are important natural enemies of pests, and the composition of the gut microbiota of spiders remains unclear. Will the bacterial taxa in spiders be same as the bacterial taxa in insects, and what are the potential functions of the gut bacteria in spiders? To gain insight into the composition of the gut bacteria in spiders and their potential function, we collected three spider species, Pardosa laura, Pardosa astrigera, and Nurscia albofasciata, in the field, and high‐throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA V3 and V4 regions was used to investigate the diversity of gut microbiota across the three spider species. A total of 23 phyla and 150 families were identified in these three spider species. The dominant bacterial phylum across all samples was Proteobacteria. Burkholderia, Ralstonia, Ochrobactrum, Providencia, Acinetobacter, Proteus, and Rhodoplanes were the dominant genera in the guts of the three spider species. The relative abundances of Wolbachia and Rickettsiella detected in N. albofasciata were significantly higher than those in the other two spider species. The relative abundance of Thermus, Amycolatopsis, Lactococcus, Acinetobacter Microbacterium, and Koribacter detected in spider gut was different among the three spider species. Biomolecular interaction networks indicated that the microbiota in the guts had complex interactions. The results of this study also suggested that at the genus level, some of the gut bacteria taxa in the three spider species were the same as the bacteria in insect guts.
Homoploid hybridization of plants in the Hengduan mountains region
Authors: Yang Rui , Folk Ryan , Zhang Ningning , Gong Xun 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) is a major global biodiversity hotspot. Complex tectonic and historical climatic conditions created opportunities for natural interspecific hybridization. Likewise, anthropogenic disturbance potentially raises the frequency of hybridization. Among species studies to date, the frequency of homoploid hybridization appears in the HMR. Of nine taxa in which natural hybridization has been detected, three groups are involved in homoploid hybrid speciation, and species pairs from the remaining six genera suggest that continuous gene flow occurs in hybrid zones. Reproductive isolation may greatly affect the dynamic and architecture of hybrid zones in the HMR. Asymmetrical hybridization and introgression can primarily be attributed to both prezygotic and postzygotic barriers. The frequent observation of such asymmetry may imply that reproductive barrier contributes to maintaining species boundaries in the alpine region. Ecological isolations with environmental disturbance may promote breeding barriers between parental species and hybrids. Hybrid zones may be an important phase for homoploid hybrid speciation. Hybrid zones potentially provided abundant genetic resources for the diversification of the HMR flora. The ecological and molecular mechanisms of control and mediation for natural hybridization will help biologists to understand the formation of biodiversity in the HMR. More researches from ecological and molecular aspects were required in future studies.
Dynamic simulation and experimental verification of foam transport in porous media based on level set method
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wang Fei , Li Zhaomin , Chen Hailong 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThe properties of the foam fluid in porous media depend on its dynamic structure. However, few studies have focused on the dynamic structural change in foam. In this research, a method based on the level set method is proposed for the simulation of aqueous foam transport in porous media. As a first step, we focus on the Jamin effect, and a concise relation is established which reveals that the resultant pressure is proportional to the capillary pressure. Second, the snap‐off process of foam in porous media is studied, and both the two stages, including partial disintegration, are revealed based on the results. Third, the conclusion that foam automatically selects a larger channel in which to continue flowing is obtained by studying the foam selectivity. Finally, experiments are carried out to verify the simulation results using different models. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. These results are expected to be helpful for further understanding the foam characteristics and their effective applications.
Modeling and forecasting commodity market volatility with long‐term economic and financial variables
Authors: Nguyen Duc Khuong , Walther Thomas 
Published: June 2019

AbstractThis paper investigates the time‐varying volatility patterns of some major commodities as well as the potential factors that drive their long‐term volatility component. For this purpose, we make use of a recently proposed generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity–mixed data sampling approach, which typically allows us to examine the role of economic and financial variables of different frequencies. Using commodity futures for Crude Oil (WTI and Brent), Gold, Silver and Platinum, as well as a commodity index, our results show the necessity for disentangling the short‐term and long‐term components in modeling and forecasting commodity volatility. They also indicate that the long‐term volatility of most commodity futures is significantly driven by the level of global real economic activity as well as changes in consumer sentiment, industrial production, and economic policy uncertainty. However, the forecasting results are not alike across commodity futures as no single model fits all commodities.
Issues in assessing the health risks of n‐butanol
Authors: Segal Deborah , Bale Ambuja S. , Phillips Linda J. , Sasso Alan , Schlosser Paul M. , Starkey C. , Makris Susan L. 
Published: June 2019

AbstractA literature review and health effects evaluation were conducted for n‐butanol, a chemical that occurs naturally in some foods, which is an intermediate in the production of butyl esters and can be used as a gasoline additive or blend. Studies evaluating n‐butyl acetate were included in the review as n‐butyl acetate is rapidly converted to n‐butanol following multiple routes of exposure. The primary n‐butanol health effects identified were developmental and nervous system endpoints. In conducting the literature review and evaluating study findings, the following observations were made: (1) developmental findings were consistently identified; (2) neurodevelopmental findings were inconsistent; (3) evidence for nervous system effects was weak; (4) comparing internal doses from oral and inhalation exposures using physiologically based pharmacokinetic models introduces uncertainties; and (5) a lack of mechanistic information for n‐butanol resulted in the reliance on mechanistic data for ethanol, which may or may not be applicable to n‐butanol. This paper presents findings from a literature review on the health effects of n‐butanol and proposes research to help reduce uncertainty that exists due to database limitations.
Prokaryotic SPHINX replication sequences are conserved in mammalian brain and participate in neurodegeneration
Authors: Szigeti‐Buck Klara , Manuelidis Laura 
Published: June 2019

AbstractA new class of viral mammalian Slow Progressive Hidden INfections of variable (X) latency (“SPHINX”) DNAs, represented by the 1.8 and 2.4 kb nuclease‐protected circular elements, were discovered in highly infectious cytoplasmic particles isolated from Creutzfeldt‐Jakob Disease (CJD) and scrapie samples. These DNAs contained replication initiation sequences (REPs) with approximately 70% homology to those of environmental Acinetobacter phage. Antibodies against REP peptides from the 1.8 kb DNA highlighted a 41 kDa protein (spx) on Western blots, and in situ studies previously revealed its peripheral tissue expression, for example, in pancreatic islet cells, keratinocytes, kidney tubules, and oocytes but not pancreatic exocrine cells, alveoli, and striated muscle. To determine if spx concentrated in specific neurons and synapses, and also maintained a conserved pattern of architectural organization in mammalian brains, we evaluated mouse, rat, hamster, guinea pig (GP), and human samples. Most outstanding was the cross‐species concentration of spx in huge excitatory synapses of mossy fibers and small internal granule neuron synapses, the only excitatory neuron within the cerebellum. Spx also localized to excitatory glutamate type synapses in the hippocampus, and both cerebellar and hippocampal synaptic spx was demonstrable ultrastructurally. Studies of two well‐characterized models of sporadic CJD (sCJD) revealed novel spx pathology. Vacuolar loss of cerebellar synaptic complexes, thinning of the internal granule cell layer, and fibrillar spx accumulations within Purkinje neurons were prominent in sCJD GP brains. In rats, comparable spx fibrillar changes appeared in hippocampal pyramidal neurons, and they preceded prion protein misfolding. Hence, spx is an integral player in progressive neurodegeneration. The evolutionary origin, spread, and neuropathology of SPHINX 1.8 REP sequences opens another unanticipated chapter for mammalian symbiotic interactions with environmental microbes.
Sulforaphane administration alleviates diffuse axonal injury (DAI) via regulation signaling pathway of NRF2 and HO‐1
Authors: Wu Dong‐Mei , Zheng Zi‐Hui , Fan Shao‐Hua , Zhang Zi‐Feng , Chen Gui‐Quan , Lu Jun 
Published: June 2019

AbstractBackgroundNuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) can alleviate diffuse axonal injury (DAI)‐induced apoptosis by regulating expression of heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1), while sulforaphane (SFN) was shown to reduce oxidative stress by increasing the expression of Nrf2. Therefore, we aimed to investigate therapeutic effect of SFN in the treatment of DAI and the ability of SFN to reduce oxidative stress.MethodsThe 3‐(4,5‐dimethyl‐2‐thiazolyl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐2H‐tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to observe the effects of H2O
2 and SFN on cell viability. Fluorometric assay, Western blot analysis, and flow cytometry were conducted to validate the protective role of SFN in an animal model of DAI. In addition, the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were measured in DAI rats treated by SFN, while Western blot, immunohistochemistry assay, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were carried out to verify the effect of SFN in different animal groups.ResultsCell viability was reduced by H2O
2 in a dose‐dependent manner, while the treatment by SFN significantly promoted cell growth. Meanwhile the administration of SFN effectively reduced the levels of caspase‐3/poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity increased by the H
2O
2 treatment, indicating that the protective effect of SFN could be mediated by its ability to suppress caspase‐3 activation and PARP cleavage. In addition, the SFN treatment reduced the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation induced by H
2O
2. Moreover, the MDA levels of SOD/GPx activity in various rat groups showed the protective effects of SFN in DAI rats. It is suspected that the protective effect of SFN was exerted via the activation of the Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway. In this study, DAI and DAI + phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) groups also showed the presence of more TUNEL‐positive cells compared with the sham‐operated group, while the SFN treatment reduced the extent of neuronal apoptosis.ConclusionsBy activating the Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling pathway and reducing the activity of caspase‐3, SFN reduces the apoptosis of neurons in brain trauma‐induced DAI.
Green synthesis of bis‐coumarin derivatives using Fe(SD)3as a catalyst and investigation of their biological activities
Authors: Mahmoodi Nosrat O. , Jalalifard Zeinab , Fathanbari Ghanbari Pirbasti 
Published: June 2019

AbstractA convenient, practical, green, and environmentally friendly method was developed for the synthesis of biscoumarins and corresponding tetrakis products from the reaction of 4‐hydroxycoumarin and various aldehydes. The bis‐coumarins were synthesized in high yield under mild reaction conditions. Products were obtained in the presence of in situ prepared Fe(SD)3[Iron(III) dodecyl sulfate] as a combined Lewis acid–surfactant catalyst (LASC) in water in short reaction times. Also, the antibacterial activity of compounds was screened againstPseudomonas aeruginosaandEscherichia colias Gram‐negative bacteria andMicrococcus luteusandStaphylococcus aureusas Gram‐positive bacterial strains. Products3g,3k–lwere most active than cefotaxime againstE. coliand also compounds3cand3gwere most active than cefotaxime againstS. aureus.
Inhibition of microRNA‐103 attenuates inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress in atherosclerosis through disrupting the PTEN‐mediated MAPK signaling
Authors: Jiang Li , Qiao Yanguo , Wang Zhenghui , Ma Xiuzhu , Wang Haichao , Li Jian 
Published: June 2019

AbstractAtherosclerosis (AS), a chronic disorder of large arteries, is the underlying pathological process of heart disease and stroke. Former researchers have found that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in the several key processes of AS. Apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE−/−) mice fed a high‐fat‐diet (HFD) to establish AS model. The expression of miR‐103 was characterized in the mice model. The effects of miR‐103 on inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) were analyzed when the expression of miR‐103 was inhibited in ApoE
−/− mice fed an HFD and human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) exposed to oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL). The relationship between miR‐103 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was identified by luciferase activity detection and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). Gain‐ and loss‐function approaches were further applied for investigating the regulatory effects of miR‐103 and PTEN on ERS. Role of MAPK signaling was then analyzed using PD98059 to block this pathway. miR‐103 was highly expressed in the ApoEApoE
−/− mice fed an HFD. Downregulation of miR‐103 suppressed inflammation and ERS in endothelial cells isolated from ApoE
−/− mice fed a HFD and ox‐LDL‐exposed HAECs. In addition, miR‐103 can target PTEN and downregulate its expression. Overexpression of PTEN reversed the miR‐103‐induced activation of MAPK signaling. Moreover, PTEN upregulation or MAPK signaling inhibition ease miR‐103‐induced inflammation and ERS in vivo and in vitro. Thus, miR‐103 depletion restrains the progression of AS through blocking PTEN‐mediated MAPK signaling.