bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Evaluation of Thiophene‐Based Organic Dyes Contain­ing a Rigid and Nonplanar Donor with Secondary Electron Donors for Use in Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Fuse Shinichiro , Takahashi Ryota , Maitani Masato M. , Wada Yuji , Kaiho Tatsuo , Tanaka Hiroshi , Takahashi Takashi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWe demonstrate herein the divergent synthesis of six dyes containing our originally developed rigid and nonplanar donor with three different secondary electron donors (SEDs), namely thiophene, 4‐methoxybenzene, and diphenylethene. Evaluation of the photophysical properties of the synthesized dyes revealed that the introduction of the SEDs resulted in an increased absorbance in the 350–450 nm region. The influence of the SEDs on the electrochemical and photovoltaic properties depended on their structure and position of attachment. The introduction of the thiophene SED to D4π4A2, which we previously reported to be our best dye, resulted in an increased Jsc. The dye‐sensitized solar cell (DSSC) prepared by using dye 2b, which contains the thiophene SED, shows a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE; η = 4.62 ± 0.02 %) and a higher incident photon‐to‐current conversion efficiency (IPCE) in the region 300–600 nm than D4π4A2.
Greater family identification—but not greater contact with family members—leads to better health: Evidence from a Spanish longitudinal study
Authors: Wakefield Juliet R. H. , Sani Fabio , Herrera Marina , Khan Sammyh S. , Dugard Pat 
Published: December 2015

AbstractWe investigated the effect of family identification (one's subjective sense of belonging to and commonality with the family) on self‐reported ill‐health in 206 Valencian undergraduates, with eight months between Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2). While greater family identification T1 predicted lower ill‐health T2, ill‐health T1 did not predict family identification T2. Family contact T1 (one's intensity of interaction with family) was unrelated to ill‐health T2. This shows that family identification impacts positively on health over time (rather than health impacting positively on family identification over time), and this is not reducible to effects exerted by family contact. These findings indicate that encouraging patients to engage in group activities might produce negligible health gains unless the patient identifies with the group in question.
A chronic toxicity test for the tropical marine snail Nassarius dorsatus to assess the toxicity of copper, aluminium, gallium, and molybdenum
Authors: Trenfield Melanie A. , van Dam Joost W. , Harford Andrew J. , Parry David , Streten Claire , Gibb Karen , van Dam Rick A. 
Published: December 2015

Abstract

Chronic toxicity test methods for assessing the toxicity of contaminants to tropical marine organisms are generally lacking. A 96-h chronic growth rate toxicity test was developed for the larval stage of the tropical dogwhelk, Nassarius dorsatus. Growth rates of N. dorsatus larvae were assessed following exposures to copper (Cu), aluminium (Al), gallium (Ga), and molybdenum (Mo). Exposure to Cu at 28 °C validated the sensitivity of the test method, with 10% (EC10) and 50% (EC50) effect concentrations of 4.2 μg/L and 7.3 μg/L Cu, respectively. The EC10 and EC50 values for Al (&lt;0.45-μm filtered fraction) at 28 °C were 115 μg/L and 185 μg/L, respectively. The toxicity of Cu and Al was also assessed at 24 °C and 31 °C, representing average year-round water temperatures for subtropical and tropical Australian coastal environments. At 24 °C, the growth rate of control larvae was reduced by 52% compared with the growth rate at 28 °C and there was an increase in sensitivity to Cu (EC50 = 4.7 μg/L) but a similar sensitivity to Al (EC50 = 180 μg/L). At 31 °C the control growth rate increased by 35% from that measured at 28 °C and there was reduced sensitivity to both Cu and Al (EC50s = 8.5 μg/L and 642 μg/L, respectively). There was minimal toxicity resulting from Ga (EC50 = 4560 μg/L) and Mo (no effect at ≤7000 μg/L Mo). Environ Toxicol Chem 2016;35:1788–1795. © 2015 SETAC
Identifying a Deletion Affecting Total Lung Capacity Among Subjects in the COPDGene Study Cohort
Authors: Begum Ferdouse , Ruczinski Ingo , Li Shengchao , Silverman Edwin K. , Cho Michael H. , Lynch David A. , Curran‐Everett Douglas , Crapo James , Scharpf Robert B. , Parker Margaret M. , Hetmanski Jacqueline B. , Beaty Terri H. 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease with both environmental and genetic risk factors. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple genomic regions influencing risk of COPD. To thoroughly investigate the genetic etiology of COPD, however, it is also important to explore the role of copy number variants (CNVs) because the presence of structural variants can alter gene expression and can be causal for some diseases. Here, we investigated effects of polymorphic CNVs on quantitative measures of pulmonary function and chest computed tomography (CT) phenotypes among subjects enrolled in COPDGene, a multisite study. COPDGene subjects consist of roughly one‐third African American (AA) and two‐thirds non‐Hispanic white adult smokers (with or without COPD). We estimated CNVs using PennCNV on 9,076 COPDGene subjects using Illumina's Omni‐Express genome‐wide marker array. We tested for association between polymorphic CNV components (defined as disjoint intervals of copy number regions) for several quantitative phenotypes associated with COPD within each racial group. Among the AAs, we identified a polymorphic CNV on chromosome 5q35.2 located between two genes (FAM153B and SIMK1, but also harboring several pseudo‐genes) giving genome‐wide significance in tests of association with total lung capacity (TLCCT) as measured by chest CT scans. This is the first study of genome‐wide association tests of polymorphic CNVs and TLCCT. Although the ARIC cohort did not have the phenotype of TLCCT, we found similar counts of CNV deletions and amplifications among AA and European subjects in this second cohort.
Does targeted cognitive training reduce educational disparities in cognitive function among cognitively normal older adults?
Authors: Clark Daniel O. , Xu Huiping , Unverzagt Frederick W. , Hendrie Hugh 
Published: December 2015

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate educational differences in treatment responses to memory, reasoning, and speed of processing cognitive training relative to no‐contact control.MethodsSecondary analyses of the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly trial were conducted. Two thousand eight hundred older adults were randomized to memory, reasoning, or speed of processing training or no‐contact control. A repeated‐measures mixed‐effects model was used to investigate immediate post‐training and 1‐year outcomes with sensitivity analyses out to 10 years. Outcomes were as follows: (1) memory composite of Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, and Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test; (2) reasoning composite of letter series, letter sets, and word series; and (3) speed of processing measured using three trials of useful field of view and the digit symbol substitution test.ResultsThe effects of reasoning and memory training did not differ by educational attainment. The effect of speed of processing training did. Those with fewer than 12 years of education experienced a 50% greater effect on the useful field of view test compared with those with 16 or more years of education. The training advantage for those with fewer than 12 years of education was maintained to 3 years post‐training.ConclusionOlder adults with less than a secondary education are at elevated risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The analyses here indicate that speed of processing training is effective in older adults with low educational attainment.
Directed Tests of No Cross‐Sectional Correlation in Large‐N Panel Data Models
Authors: Demetrescu Matei , Homm Ulrich 
Published: December 2015

SummaryThe paper proposes tests for no cross‐correlation based on the information matrix equality. The tests rely on suitably weighted residual cross‐covariances or cross‐correlations, and are in this sense a generalization of Pesaran's (2004, CESifo working paper 1229) test for no cross‐sectional dependence. They follow chi‐squared distributions under joint N,T asymptotics without restrictive sphericity or distributional assumptions. When using the outcome of the directed tests to decide whether to use panel‐robust standard errors or not for testing slope parameters, the latter tests are apparently not affected; they can be severely affected, though, if using generic cross‐correlation tests as pretests. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Allopurinol induces innate immune responses through mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways in HL‐60 cells
Authors: Nakajima Akira , Oda Shingo , Yokoi Tsuyoshi 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAllopurinol, an inhibitor of xanthine oxidase, is a frequent cause of severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCARs) in humans, including drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms, Stevens–Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Although SCARs have been suspected to be immune‐mediated, the mechanisms of allopurinol‐induced SCARs remain unclear. In this study, we examined whether allopurinol has the ability to induce innate immune responsesin vitrousing human dendritic cell (DC)‐like cell lines, including HL‐60, THP‐1 and K562, and a human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT. In this study, we demonstrate that treatment of HL‐60 cells with allopurinol significantly increased the mRNA expression levels of interleukin‐8, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 and tumor necrosis factor α in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner. Furthermore, allopurinol induced the phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPK), such as c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, which regulate cytokine production in DC. In addition, allopurinol‐induced increases in cytokine expression were inhibited by co‐treatment with the MAPK inhibitors. Collectively, these results suggest that allopurinol has the ability to induce innate immune responses in a DC‐like cell line through activation of the MAPK signaling pathways. These results indicate that innate immune responses induced by allopurinol might be involved in the development of allopurinol‐induced SCARs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A New Subtype of Multiple Synostoses Syndrome Is Caused by a Mutation in GDF6 That Decreases Its Sensitivity to Noggin and Enhances Its Potency as a BMP Signal
Authors: Wang Jian , Yu Tingting , Wang Zhigang , Ohte Satoshi , Yao Ru-en , Zheng Zhaojing , Geng Juan , Cai Haiqing , Ge Yihua , Li Yuchan , Xu Yunlan , Zhang Qinghua , Gusella James F , Fu Qihua , Pregizer Steven , Rosen Vicki , Shen Yiping 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACT

Growth and differentiation factors (GDFs) are secreted signaling molecules within the BMP family that have critical roles in joint morphogenesis during skeletal development in mice and humans. Using genetic data obtained from a six-generation Chinese family, we identified a missense variant in GDF6 (NP_001001557.1; p.Y444N) that fully segregates with a novel autosomal dominant synostoses (SYNS) phenotype, which we designate as SYNS4. Affected individuals display bilateral wrist and ankle deformities at birth and progressive conductive deafness after age 40 years. We find that the Y444N variant affects a highly conserved residue of GDF6 in a region critical for binding of GDF6 to its receptor(s) and to the BMP antagonist NOG, and show that this mutant GDF6 is a more potent stimulator of the canonical BMP signaling pathway compared with wild-type GDF6. Further, we determine that the enhanced BMP activity exhibited by mutant GDF6 is attributable to resistance to NOG-mediated antagonism. Collectively, our findings indicate that increased BMP signaling owing to a GDF6 gain-of-function mutation is responsible for loss of joint formation and profound functional impairment in patients with SYNS4. More broadly, our study highlights the delicate balance of BMP signaling required for proper joint morphogenesis and reinforces the critical role of BMP signaling in skeletal development. © 2015 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Analysis of laryngoscopic features in patients with unilateral vocal fold paresis
Authors: Woo Peak , Parasher Arjun K. , Isseroff Tova , Richards Amanda , Sivak Mark 
Published: December 2015

Objectives/HypothesisThe diagnosis of paresis in patients with vocal fold motion impairment remains a challenge. More than 27 clinical parameters have been cited that may signify paresis. We hypothesize that some features are more significant than others.Study DesignProspective case series.MethodsTwo laryngologists rated laryngoscopy findings in 19 patients suspected of paresis. The diagnosis was confirmed with laryngeal electromyography. A standard set of 27 ratings was used for each examination that included movement, laryngeal configuration, and stroboscopy signs. A Fisher exact test was completed for each measure. A kappa coefficient was calculated for effectiveness in predicting the laterality of paresis.ResultsLeft‐sided vocal fold paresis (n = 13) was significantly associated with ipsilateral axis deviation, thinner vocal fold, bowing, reduced movement, reduced kinesis, and phase lag (P < .05). Right‐sided vocal fold paresis (n = 6) was significantly associated with ipsilateral shorter vocal fold, axis deviation, reduced movement, and reduced kinesis (P < .05). Using these key parameters, the senior author was accurately able to diagnose the side of paresis in 89.5% of cases for a kappa coefficient of 0.78.ConclusionsOf the multiple features on laryngoscopy, glottic configuration, ipsilateral thin vocal fold, vocal fold bowing, reduced movement, reduced kinesis, and phase lag were more likely to be associated with vocal fold paresis.Level of Evidence4 Laryngoscope, 126:1831–1836, 2016
DNA double‐strand breaks disrupted the spindle assembly in porcine oocytes
Authors: Wang HaiYang , Luo YiBo , Zhao Ming‐Hui , Lin ZiLi , Kwon Jeongwoo , Cui Xiang‐Shun , Kim Nam‐Hyung 
Published: December 2015

SUMMARYWe used etoposide (25–100 µg/mL) to induce DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) in porcine oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage to determine how such damage affects oocyte maturation. We observed that DNA damage did not delay the rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), but did inhibit the final stages of maturation, as indicated by the failure to extrude the first polar body. Oocytes with low levels of DSBs failed to effectively activate ataxia telangiectasia‐mutated (ATM) kinase, while those with severe DNA DSBs failed to activate checkpoint kinase 1 (CHK1)—the two regulators of the DNA damage response pathway—indicating that porcine oocytes lack an efficient G2/M phase checkpoint. DSBs induced spindle defects and chromosomal misalignments, leading to the arrest of these oocytes at meiotic metaphase I. The activity of maturation‐promoting factor also did not increase appropriately in oocytes with DNA DSBs, although its abundance was sufficient to promote GVBD and chromosomal condensation. Following parthenogenetic activation, embryos from etoposide‐treated oocytes formed numerous micronuclei. Thus, our results indicate that DNA DSBs do not efficiently activate the ATM/CHK1‐dependent DNA‐damage checkpoint in porcine oocytes, allowing these DNA‐impaired oocytes to enter M phase. Oocytes with DNA damage did, however, arrest at metaphase I in response to spindle defects and chromosomal misalignments, which limited the ability of these oocytes to reach meiotic metaphase II. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 83: 132–143, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Der Kraft‐durch‐Freude‐Chemiker Wilhelm Jander
Authors: Kahlert Heinrich 
Published: December 2015

Abstract“Gute Wissenschaftler waren keine guten Nazis” — so hieß es nach der Entnazifizierung. Otto Hahn und Werner Heisenberg, angeblich ohne NS‐Vergangenheit, untermauerten diesen Mythos. Wilhelm Jander beweist das Gegenteil: Als ernsthafter Chemiker war er eng mit Nazi‐Deutschland verbunden.
A micromechanics‐based model for concrete materials subjected to carbonation
Authors: Ghorbanbeigi Hamid , Shen Wanqing , Yurtdas Ismail , Shao Jian‐Fu 
Published: December 2015

SummaryIn this paper, we present a micromechanics‐based elastic–plastic model to describe the mechanical behaviour of concrete composites subjected to carbonation. For this purpose, a three‐step nonlinear homogenization procedure is employed. At the microscopic scale, calcite grains generated by the carbonation are embedded in the solid calcium silicate hydrates phase. At the mesoscopic scale, the cement paste is considered as a porous medium. At the macroscopic scale, large aggregates are taken into account. By using the modified secant method, the homogenization procedure leads to a closed‐form plastic yield function for the carbonated concrete, taking into account the effects of the volume fraction of calcite grains, the porosity and the aggregates volume fraction. An associated plastic model is then formulated by introducing a specific plastic hardening law. Further, a heuristic non‐associated plastic potential is proposed directly at the macroscopic scale in order to capture differences with the associated model for the description of plastic volumetric strain and porosity change. The proposed models are implemented in a standard finite element code and applied to reproduce a series of laboratory tests. Comparisons between numerical results and experimental data are presented to assess the capacity of the model to take into consideration the main features of mechanical behaviour of concrete composites. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Public Sector Management Reform in Developing Countries: Perspectives Beyond NPM Orthodoxy
Authors: Brinkerhoff Derick W. , Brinkerhoff Jennifer M. 
Published: December 2015

SummaryWith the passage of time and the accumulation of experience, the hegemony of the New Public Management (NPM) (now no longer new) as the dominant approach to public sector reform has weakened, particularly as applied to developing countries. What alternative frameworks for theory and practice offer insights and guidance beyond the NPM orthodoxy? This article offers some answers to this question and draws upon the contributions to this special issue to explore four analytic strands that constitute post‐NPM approaches to reform: political economy and institutions, public management function over form, iterative and adaptive reform processes, and individual and collective agency. The discussion highlights the significance of functional mimicry, the challenges of measuring results, the practical difficulties in achieving contextual fit and accounting for the inherent uncertainty in reform processes, the tensions between ownership and outside expertise, and unpacking political economy dynamics within various micro‐contexts and across regime types. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Poor‐prognosis disclosure preference in cancer patient–caregiver dyads and its association with their quality of life and perceived stress: a cross‐sectional survey in mainland China
Authors: Nie Xin , Ye Dawei , Wang Qiming , Manyande Anne , Yang Lin , Qiu Hong , Chao Tengfei , Zhang Peng , Gong Chen , Zhuang Liang , Yu Shiying , Xiong Huihua 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBackgroundThis study attempted to examine the discordance between family caregivers and cancer patients in their poor‐prognosis disclosure preferences in mainland China and then ascertained the associations between quality of life (QoL), perceived stress, and poor‐prognosis disclosure preferences.MethodsSix hundred fifty‐one pairs of inpatients and their matched caregivers (participation rate = 92.2%) were recruited in this cross‐sectional survey. A set of paired self‐administered questionnaires were completed independently by patient–caregiver dyads.ResultsFewer family caregivers than cancer patients felt that poor prognosis should be disclosed to patients (61.2% vs. 90.0%, p < 0.001). Patients' positive poor‐prognosis disclosure preference was associated with patients' better QoL (p < 0.05) and caregivers' reduced perceived stress levels (p = 0.013). However, caregivers' poor‐prognosis disclosure preference correlated only with their own physical state (p = 0.028). Moreover, the caregivers who concurred with patients in positive poor‐prognosis disclosure preference were more likely to experience a better QoL (p < 0.05) and lower perceived stress levels (p = 0.048) in the III–IV stage subgroup.ConclusionsThere was a significant discrepancy in poor‐prognosis disclosure preference between cancer patients and caregivers in China. The caregivers' preference of concealing poor prognosis from patients was not related to cancer patients' QoL or perceived stress. In addition, caregivers had better QoL and lower stress levels when they held the same positive poor‐prognosis disclosure preference as the patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
InN/GaN short‐period superlattices as ordered InGaN ternary alloys
Authors: Kusakabe Kazuhide , Imai Daichi , Wang Ke , Yoshikawa Akihiko 
Published: December 2015

AbstractCoherent (InN)1/(GaN)n short‐period superlattices (SPSs) were successfully grown through dynamic atomic layer epitaxy (D‐ALEp) mode by RF‐plasma molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), where GaN layer thicknesses n were thinned down to 4 monolayer (ML). After this achievement, we demonstrated quasi‐ternary InGaN behavior in their photoluminescence (PL) spectra for the first time. It was found interestingly that GaN layer thickness of n = 4 ML was the criterion both for structural control and continuum‐band formation. Although highly lattice‐mismatched InN/GaN interfaces easily introduce relaxation in (InN)1/(GaN)4 SPSs during growth depending on the dynamic surface stoichiometry condition, this problem was overcome by precise control/removal of fluid‐like residual In/Ga metals on the growth front with in‐situ monitoring method. The (InN)1/(GaN)n SPSs with n ≥ 7 ML showed a constant PL peak energy around 3.2 eV at 12 K, reflecting discrete electron/hole wavefunctions. On the other hand, the (InN)1/(GaN)4 SPSs indicated the red‐shifted PL peak at 2.93 eV at 12 K, which was attributed to the continuum‐band state with increasing in the overlap of electrons/hole wavefunctions. This result is concluded that the (InN)1/(GaN)4 SPSs can be considered as ordered InGaN alloys. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Screening for new brewing yeasts in the non‐Saccharomyces sector with Torulaspora delbrueckii as model
Authors: Michel Maximilian , Kopecká Jana , Meier‐Dörnberg Tim , Zarnkow Martin , Jacob Fritz , Hutzler Mathias 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThis study describes a screening system for future brewing yeasts focusing on non‐Saccharomyces yeasts. The aim was to find new yeast strains that can ferment beer wort into a respectable beer. Ten Torulaspora delbrueckii strains were put through the screening system, which included sugar utilization tests, hop resistance tests, ethanol resistance tests, polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting, propagation tests, amino acid catabolism and anabolism, phenolic off‐flavour tests and trial fermentations. Trial fermentations were analysed for extract reduction, pH drop, yeast concentration in bulk fluid and fermentation by‐products. All investigated strains were able to partly ferment wort sugars and showed high tolerance to hop compounds and ethanol. One of the investigated yeast strains fermented all the wort sugars and produced a respectable fruity flavour and a beer of average ethanol content with a high volatile flavour compound concentration. Two other strains could possibly be used for pre‐fermentation as a bio‐flavouring agent for beers that have been post‐fermented by Saccharomyces strains as a consequence of their low sugar utilization but good flavour‐forming properties. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.