bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Further evaluation of a nonsequential approach to studying operant renewal
Authors: Craig Andrew R. , Sullivan William E. , Roane Henry S.
Published: October 2019

Basic‐laboratory assessments of renewal may inform clinical efforts to maintain reduction of severe destructive behavior when clients transition between contexts. The contextual changes arranged during standard renewal procedures, however, do not necessarily align with those that clients experience during outpatient therapy. More specifically, clients transition between clinical (associated with extinction for target behavior) and home/community (associated with reinforcement for target behavior) contexts during outpatient treatment. Standard renewal assessments do not incorporate these contextual alternations during treatment. The present experiment aimed to directly compare renewal of rats' lever pressing following a standard (“sequential”) ABA renewal procedure (i.e., baseline in Context A, extinction in Context B, renewal test in Context A) and a “nonsequential” renewal assessment wherein treatment consisted of daily alternation between Context A (associated with reinforcement for lever pressing) and Context B (associated with extinction). Lever pressing renewed to a greater extent for rats in the Nonsequential group than for rats in the Sequential group, suggesting the contextual changes that clients experience during outpatient treatment for severe destructive behavior may be a variable that is important to consider in translational research on renewal. Potential implications of these findings for basic and clinical research on renewal are discussed.
The larval morphology of the spongefly Sisyra nigra (Retzius, 1783) (Neuroptera: Sisyridae)
Authors: Jandausch Kenny , Beutel Rolf G. , Bellstedt Ronald
Published: October 2019

The morphology of mature larvae of Sisyra nigra was studied and documented with a broad spectrum of techniques. Special emphasis is on the cephalic anatomy and on the digestive tract. Cephalic structures are highly modified, with numerous autapomorphic conditions, including a globular head capsule, an extended area with large cornea lenses, a massive tentorium, a strongly developed prepharyngeal pumping apparatus with a horizontal arrangement of dilators, a sharp bend between the prepharynx and pharynx, and an unusual filter apparatus at the entrance of the large crop. The thoracic and abdominal muscle sets, and the legs are largely unmodified. Postcephalic apomorphies are conspicuous tergal setiferous tubercles, trifid setiferous pleural projections, single pretarsal claws, zigzag‐shaped abdominal tracheal gills, and a dense vestiture of setae on the terminal abdominal segments. Mandibulo‐maxillary stylets curved outwards are an unusual apomorphy also found in the semiaquatic larvae of Osmylidae. Semiaquatic or aquatic habits and secondarily multisegmented antennae are potential synapomorphies of these two groups and Nevrorthidae (Osmyloidea). A sistergroup relationship between Sisyridae and Nevrorthidae suggests that fully aquatic habits of larvae may be a synapomorphy of both families. A specialized terminal antennal seta is a potential groundplan apomorphy of Neuroptera, with secondary loss in Nevrorthidae and Ithonidae + Myrmeleontiformia, respectively. A trumpet‐shaped empodium is likely an apomorphy of Neuroptera excluding Coniopterygidae and Osmyloidea, and the secondary loss an apomorphy of Ithonidae on one hand, and Myrmeleontiformia excl. Psychopsidae on the other.
Histopathological Features of MRI‐Invisible Regions of Prostate Cancer Lesions
Authors: van Houdt Petra J. , Ghobadi Ghazaleh , Schoots Ivo G. , Heijmink Stijn W.T.P.J. , de Jong Jeroen , van der Poel Henk G. , Pos Floris J. , Rylander Susanne , Bentzen Lise , Haustermans Karin , van der Heide Uulke A.
Published: October 2019

Background

Previous studies have reported tumor volume underestimation with multiparametric (mp)MRI in prostate cancer diagnosis.

Purpose

To investigate why some parts of lesions are not visible on mpMRI by comparing their histopathology features to those of visible regions.

Study Type

Retrospective.

Population

Thirty‐four patients with biopsy‐proven prostate cancer scheduled for prostatectomy (median 68.7 years).

Field Strength/Sequence

T2‐weighted, diffusion‐weighted imaging, T2 mapping, and dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI on two 3T systems and one 1.5T system.

Assessment

Two readers delineated suspicious lesions on mpMRI. A pathologist delineated the lesions on histopathology. A patient‐customized mold enabled the registration of histopathology and MRI. On histopathology we identified mpMRI visible and invisible lesions. Subsequently, within the visible lesions we identified regions that were visible and regions that were invisible on mpMRI. For each lesion and region the following characteristics were determined: size, location, International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade, and Gleason subpatterns (density [dense/intermediate], tumor morphology [homogeneous/heterogeneous], cribriform growth [yes/no]).

Statistical Tests

With generalized linear mixed‐effect modeling we investigated which features explain why a lesion or a region was invisible on MRI. We compared imaging values (T2, ADC, and Ktrans) for these features with one‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results

Small, anterior, and ISUP grade 1–2 lesions (n = 34) were missed more frequent than large, posterior, ISUP grade ≥ 3 lesions (n = 35). Invisible regions on mpMRI had lower tumor density, heterogeneous tumor morphology, and were located in the transition zone. Both T2 and ADC values were higher in "intermediate" compared with "dense" regions (P = 0.002 and < 0.001) and in regions with heterogeneous compared with homogeneous morphology (P < 0.001 and 0.03). Ktrans was not significantly different (P = 0.24 and 0.99).

Data Conclusion

Regions of prostate cancer lesions that are invisible on mpMRI have different histopathology features than visible regions. This may have implications for monitoring during active surveillance and focal treatment strategies.

Level of Evidence: 3

Technical Efficacy: Stage 3

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:1235–1246.
Prostate Cancer Risk Stratification in Men With a Clinical Suspicion of Prostate Cancer Using a Unique Biparametric MRI and Expression of 11 Genes in Apparently Benign Tissue: Evaluation Using Machine‐Learning Techniques
Authors: Montoya Perez Ileana , Jambor Ivan , Pahikkala Tapio , Airola Antti , Merisaari Harri , Saunavaara Jani , Alinezhad Saeid , Väänänen Riina‐Minna , Tallgrén Terhi , Verho Janne , Kiviniemi Aida , Ettala Otto , Knaapila Juha , Syvänen Kari T. , Kallajoki Markku , Vainio Paula , Aronen Hannu J. , Pettersson Kim , Boström Peter J. , Taimen Pekka
Published: October 2019

Background

Accurate risk stratification of men with a clinical suspicion of prostate cancer (cSPCa) remains challenging despite the increasing use of MRI.

Purpose

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a unique biparametric MRI protocol (IMPROD bpMRI) combined with clinical and molecular markers in men with cSPCa.

Study Type

Prospective single‐institutional clinical trial (NCT01864135).

Subjects

Eighty men with cSPCa.

Field Strength/Sequence

3T, surface array coils. Two T2‐weighted and three diffusion‐weighted imaging (DWI) acquisitions: 1) b‐values 0, 100, 200, 300, 500 s/mm2; 2) b‐values 0,1500 s/mm2; 3) b‐values 0, 2000 s/mm2.

Assessment

IMPROD bpMRI examinations were qualitatively (IMPROD bpMRI Likert score) and quantitatively (DWI‐based Gleason grade score) prospectively reported. Men with IMPROD bpMRI Likert 3–5 had two targeted biopsies followed by 12‐core systematic biopsies (SB); those with IMPROD bpMRI Likert 1–2 had only SB. Additionally, 2‐core from normal‐appearing prostate areas were obtained for the mRNA expression of ACSM1, AMACR, CACNA1D, DLX1, PCA3, PLA2G7, RHOU, SPINK1, SPON2, TMPRSS2‐ERG, and TDRD1 measured by quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Statistical Tests

Univariate and multivariate analysis using regularized least‐squares, feature selection and tournament leave‐pair‐out cross‐validation (TLPOCV), as well as 10 random splits of the data in training‐testing sets, were used to evaluate the mRNA, clinical and IMPROD bpMRI parameters in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (SPCa) defined as Gleason score ≥ 3 + 4. The evaluation metric was the area under the curve (AUC).

Results

IMPROD bpMRI Likert demonstrated the highest TLPOCV AUC of 0.92. The tested clinical variables had AUC 0.56–0.73, while the mRNA and additional IMPROD bpMRI parameters had AUC 0.50–0.67 and 0.65–0.89 respectively. The combination of clinical and mRNA biomarkers produced TLPOCV AUC of 0.87, the highest TLPOCV performance without including IMPROD bpMRI Likert.

Data Conclusion

The qualitative IMPROD bpMRI Likert score demonstrated the highest accuracy for SPCa detection compared with the tested clinical variables and mRNA biomarkers.

Level of Evidence:1

Technical Efficacy Stage:2

J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:1540–1553.
Rising mean and extreme near‐surface air temperature across Nepal
Authors: Karki Ramchandra , ul Hasson Shabeh , Gerlitz Lars , Talchabhadel Rocky , Schickhoff Udo , Scholten Thomas , Böhner Jürgen
Published: October 2019

Owing to unique topographic and ecological diversity, central Himalayan state of Nepal is exposed to adverse impacts of climate change and associated disasters. However, countrywide historical assessment of mean and extreme temperature changes, a prerequisite for devising adequate adaptation strategies, is still lacking. Here, we present a comprehensive picture of mean and extreme temperature trends across Nepal over the 1980–2016 period, based on high‐quality daily temperature observations from 46 stations. Our results suggest that besides winter cooling in southern lowlands, the country features a widespread warming, which is higher for maximum temperature (~0.04°C⋅year−1) than for minimum temperature (~0.02°C⋅year−1), over the mountainous region than in valleys and lowlands and during the pre‐monsoon season than for the rest of the year. Consistently, we found a higher increasing trend for warm days (13 days⋅decade−1) than for warm nights (4 days⋅decade−1), whereas the rates of decrease for cold days and cold nights are the same (6 days⋅decade−1). Further investigations reveal that pronounced warming in maximum temperature over mountain regions can be attributed to less cloud cover and snowfall in recent decades during non‐monsoon seasons as a result of positive geopotential height anomalies and strengthening of anticyclonic circulations in the mid‐to‐upper troposphere. Similarly, increased stability of lower atmosphere during winter and post‐monsoon seasons caused prolonged and frequent periods of fog over lowlands, resulting in significant winter cooling there.
Effect of green garlic/cucumber crop rotation for 3 years on the dynamics of soil properties and cucumber yield in Chinese anthrosol
Authors: Ding Haiyan , Ali Ahmad , Cheng Zhihui
Published: October 2019

BACKGROUND

Long‐term drastic anthropic inputs in conventional monoculture systems cause negative plant–soil feedback that will largely affect sustainable cucumber cultivation. The inclusion of multicropping in intensive cropping systems could reduce the detrimental effects of continuous cropping obstacles. The present study investigated the dynamics of soil microbial communities, soil enzyme activities and cucumber yield under plastic tunnel cultivation for three successive growing seasons (2013, 2014 and 2015).

RESULT

In the amended crop rotation system, soil pH decreased with increasing number of cropped garlic bulbs. The soil electrical conductivity significantly changed during the entire growth period and increased with increasing number of incorporated garlic bulbs. The level of soil organic matter content increased in the last year (2015). Soil catalase activity was generally induced by the treatments of 10, 15, 20 and 25 garlic bulbs, and soil invertase activity was also enhanced by all the treatments in the last year. Similarly, fungal species richness dramatically increased under these crop rotation systems. In this study, we found the highest cucumber yield under the cropping treatment of 20 garlic bulbs.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that the green garlic/cucumber cropping system is a sustainable and efficient cropping system for cucumber production and can improve the soil environment to a certain extent. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Associations Among Childhood Trauma, Childhood Mental Disorders, and Past‐Year Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military and Civilian Men
Authors: Syed Sheriff Rebecca , Van Hooff Miranda , Malhi Gin , Grace Blair , McFarlane Alexander
Published: October 2019

To identify early life factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), we investigated the association between childhood trauma and mental disorders with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)‐diagnosed past‐year PTSD in employed military and civilian men. Data were derived from the 2010 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study (N = 1,356) and the 2007 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing Study (N = 2,120) and analyzed using logistic regression and generalized structural equation modeling. After controlling for demographics, PTSD was associated with childhood anxiety, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 3.94, 95% CI [2.36, 6.58]; and depression, AOR = 7.01, 95% CI [2.98, 16.49], but not alcohol use disorders, in the ADF. In civilians, PTSD was associated with childhood anxiety only, AOR = 7.06, 95% CI [3.50, 14.22]. These associations remained significant after controlling for childhood and adult trauma in both populations and service factors and deployment, combat, or adult trauma in the ADF. In both populations, PTSD was associated with more than three types of childhood trauma: AOR = 2.97, 95% CI [1.53, 5.75] for ADF and AOR = 5.92, 95% CI [3.00, 11.70] for ABS; and childhood interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal, trauma: AOR = 3.08, 95% CI [1.61, 5.90] for ADF and AOR = 6.63, 95% CI [2.74, 16.06] for ABS. The association between childhood trauma and PTSD was fully mediated by childhood disorder in the ADF only. Taking a lifetime perspective, we have identified that the risk of PTSD from childhood trauma and disorder is potentially predictable and, therefore, modifiable.
Carbon dioxide supersaturation in high‐elevation oligotrophic lakes and reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada, California
Authors: Cohen Adam P. , Melack John M.
Published: October 2019

To better understand the contribution of alpine lakes to global CO2 emissions, carbon dioxide concentrations and fluxes to the atmosphere were measured in five high‐elevation lakes and five reservoirs in the Sierra Nevada, California. Median summer surface concentrations of dissolved CO2 (reservoirs: 21.1 μM, lakes: 23.7 μM) were supersaturated for most of the ice‐free season. Median diffusive flux of CO2 was low as compared to other inland waters (lakes: 260 mg CO2 m−2 d−1, reservoirs: 192 mg CO2 m−2 d−1). Linear mixed modeling demonstrated that the length of ice cover, persisting for 5–9 months and allowing for accumulation of under‐ice CO2, was a strong predictor of summer surface CO2. During the ice‐free period, surface evasion of CO2 was highest for the first 40 d after ice‐off when carbon dioxide that had accumulated during winter was released, although supersaturation and evasion continued until fall at most sites despite low rates of ecosystem metabolism. This study suggests that the contribution of high‐elevation, oligotrophic lakes and reservoirs in the Sierra to global CO2 emissions are small despite persistent supersaturation, and are primarily driven by the duration of ice cover.
Intracavity‐Squeezed Optomechanical Cooling
Authors: Gan Jing‐Hui , Liu Yong‐Chun , Lu Cuicui , Wang Xiao , Tey Meng Khoon , You Li
Published: October 2019

Quantum ground‐state cooling of macroscopic mechanical resonators is of essential importance to both fundamental physics and applied science. The conventional method of laser cooling is limited by the quantum backaction, which requires the mechanical sideband to be resolved in order to cool to ground state. Herein, an idea to break the quantum backaction limit by engineering intracavity optical squeezing is presented. It gives rise to quantum interference for all the dissipation channels, and under certain circumstances can totally remove the influence of the cavity dissipation and the resultant quantum backaction, with much lower cooling limit irrespective of the sideband resolution. It is shown that the scheme enables ground‐state cooling in the highly unresolved sideband limit and it also works beyond the weak coupling regime, which provides the opportunity for quantum manipulation of macroscopic mechanical systems.
Long‐term exposure of austenitic steels and nickel‐based alloys in lignite‐biomass cofiring
Authors: Montero Xabier , Rudolphi Mario , Galetz Mathias C.
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study was to assess the long‐term impact that the addition of biomass provokes on superheater materials exposed to fireside corrosion environments. Alloys covering a broad range of commercially available materials were investigated. Their corrosion kinetics under different corrosive deposits and atmospheres was evaluated, and their corrosion products analyzed to deepen understanding of the underlying corrosion mechanisms. Therefore, three nickel‐based alloys and three austenitic steels containing 20–24 wt.% Cr were tested at 650°C for 7,000 hr. The long‐term exposure shows new mechanistic aspects of Type II hot corrosion that were revealed by accelerated material depletion. The formation of Ni–NiS eutectic and the formation of a Cr depleted zone close to the substrate corrosion product interface are indicative of the breakaway occurrence. Differences in the corrosion behavior are related to the balance of Ni, Mo, Co, and Cr and can serve as the material selection argument. The evaluation concluded with the finding that alloys presenting Mo and Ni might be preferentially used in fireside corrosion in the presence of biomass, whereas the use of austenitic steels suffer less corrosion if no biomass is present in the corrosive atmosphere.
Effect of anodizing on galvanic corrosion behavior of T300 CFRP/5083P‐O Al bolted joints
Authors: Shan Meile , Guo Kang , Gou Guoqing , Fu Zhenghong , Yang Bangjian , Lu Wei
Published: October 2019

T300 carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) and 5083P‐O aluminum (5083P‐O Al) alloy bolted joints have been used in high‐speed trains due to the advantages of light weight and high strength. However, high potential difference between the CFRP and 5083P‐O Al will induce galvanic corrosion and result in accelerating corrosion rate of 5083P‐O Al, which is a potential risk for its engineering applications. In this work, combination with the electrochemical analysis, surface and cross‐section corrosive morphologies analysis, the galvanic corrosion behavior between CFRP/5083P‐O Al bolted joints with and without anodizing in 3.5 wt.% NaCl spray was investigated. Results indicated that severe corrosion occurred on unanodized 5083P‐O Al in the coupled regions of the CFRP/5083P‐O Al bolted joint due to galvanic corrosion. With the content of sulfuric acid increasing, the thickness of each Al2O3 layer and atomic oxygen content increases significantly. 5083P‐O Al anodized by the 135 g/L H2SO4 + 8 g/L H3BO3 mixed solution had the favorable Al2O3 film, which increased the resistance of 5083P‐O Al by roughly three orders of magnitude, effectively improving the corrosion resistance of 5083P‐O Al.
Synthesis of (1,4‐Methylenephenylphosphinic acid) Piperazine and Its Application as a Flame Retardant in Epoxy Thermosets
Authors: Ma Wen , Xu Bo , Shao Lushan , Liu Yanting , Chen Yajun , Qian Lijun
Published: October 2019

An efficient flame retardant (1,4‐methylenephenylphosphinic acid) piperazine (MPPAP) is successfully synthesized. The application of MPPAP in epoxy (EP) thermosets increases limited oxygen index values of composites to 30.2% and 6 wt% or more loading makes the materials get through UL94 V‐0 rating. The investigation of the combustion process indicates that MPPAP clearly changes the combustion behavior of EP composites, forms a char layer on the surface of the composites, and presents an effective flame inhibition effect, consequently resulting in clear reduction of the flammability and smoke production. The thermal degradation process of MPPAP/EP indicates that MPPAP promotes the matrix to decompose earlier and increases the char‐forming ability of composites. The morphology and structure of the final char shows MPPAP can promote the formation of cross‐linking structures and increase the graphitization degree of char residues acting as an excellent barrier. Furthermore, the flame‐retardant mechanism illuminates that MPPAP can reduce the generation of volatile fuels, and the pyrolysis products of MPPAP contain PO and PO2, which exert free radical quenching effect in the gas phase. Therefore, MPPAP is a terrific flame retardant for epoxy thermosets which manifests a flame retarding action in the gas phase and condensed phase.
Stability of Timoshenko systems with thermal coupling on the bending moment
Authors: Cardozo C. L. , Jorge Silva M. A. , Ma T. F. , Muñoz Rivera J. E.
Published: October 2019

The Timoshenko system is a distinguished coupled pair of differential equations arising in mathematical elasticity. In the case of constant coefficients, if a damping is added in only one of its equations, it is well‐known that exponential stability holds if and only if the wave speeds of both equations are equal. In the present paper we study both non‐homogeneous and homogeneous thermoelastic problems where the model's coefficients are non‐constant and constants, respectively. Our main stability results are proved by means of a unified approach that combines local estimates of the resolvent equation in the semigroup framework with a recent control‐observability analysis for static systems. Therefore, our results complement all those on the linear case provided in [22], by extending the methodology employed in [4] to the case of Timoshenko systems with thermal coupling on the bending moment.
Techno‐mechanical properties of cocoon, raw silk and filament of two mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) strains
Authors: Bajwa G.A. , Nawab Y. , Umair M. , Rizwan Z.
Published: October 2019

Natural silk is considered as queen of textile due to its superior traits. This study was conducted to assess technical properties of cocoon, and raw silk and mechanical properties of silk filament produced by two mulberry silkworm strains. The Chinese strain (205PO) produced dry cocoon of 0.61±0.04 g with raw silk of 0.30±0.02 g and the Japanese strain (J101) produced dry cocoon of 0.49±0.01 g with raw silk of 0.23±0.00 g. The single filament length of 205PO and J101 was 1203.1±20.42 m cocoon−1 and 1082.3±48.95 m cocoon−1, respectively. The filament was finer in the Japanese silkworm strain (1.91±0.06 denier) compared to the Chinese silkworm strain (2.26±0.15 denier). The filament tenacity, tenacity rupture and strain of J101 was 6.24 %, 24.62 % and 4.42 % greater compared to 205PO. The tensile strength of 205PO was 11.82 % greater compared to J101. The filament diameter was 22.01±0.42 μm and 21.98±0.15 μm of 205PO and J101, respectively. Based on these findings, it is recommended that silkworm strains with superior techno‐mechanical properties may be included in breeding programmes for enhancing the quality of silk textile.
Impact of high‐velocity oxy‐fuel sprayed TiAlN surface coating on mechanical and slurry erosion performance of aluminium alloys
Authors: Kiragi V.R. , Patnaik A. , Singh T.
Published: October 2019

TiAlN coatings were deposited on AA1050 and AA5083 aluminium alloys by high‐velocity oxy‐fuel (HVOF) spray process and evaluated for their mechanical and slurry erosion performance. In comparison to base alloys, the mechanical properties were found to enhance upon coating. The effect of working parameters namely impingement angle, impact velocity, erodent size and erodent feed rate on the slurry erosion wear rate has been investigated. The slurry erosion wear rate of the uncoated samples was found to decrease with an increase in the impingement angle whereas for coated samples the slurry erosion wear rate first increased, reached to a maximum value at 60° and then decreased with further increase in the impingement angle. For uncoated and coated samples the slurry erosion wear rate was found to increase with an increase in impact velocity, erodent size and erodent feed rate. Finally, the morphology of the eroded surfaces was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and the possible erosion mechanisms have been studied.
Production and investigation of the wear behavior of inductively melted hardpaint coatings
Authors: Schwarz P. , Deuerler F. , Weber S.
Published: October 2019

Reibungs‐ und Verschleißprozesse erzeugen in der industriellen Produktion jährlich einen signifikanten wirtschaftlichen Schaden durch Instandhaltungs‐ und Instandsetzungskosten sowie durch Produktionsstillstand. Verschleißbeständige Beschichtungen stellen eine Maßnahme zur Reduzierung von Verschleiß dar. In diesem Zusammenhang wird in dieser Arbeit das neuartige Hardpaint‐Verfahren einer flüssigauftragbaren Einbrennbeschichtung beschrieben. Prinzipbedingt lassen sich sowohl Bauteile mit komplexen Geometrien als auch Bohrungen oder Hinterschneidungen einfach und kostengünstig beschichten. Es werden zwei Schutzschichten thematisiert und hinsichtlich ihrer Mikrostruktur charakterisiert. Dazu wurden Dichtemessungen, Härteprüfungen und rasterelektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Beide Pulverschichten wurden nach dem Auftragen induktiv eingeschmolzen und basieren auf einer Hartlegierung (Eisen‐Basis), die üblicherweise zum Plasma‐Pulver‐Auftragsschweißen verwendet wird. Die Verschleißbeständigkeit gegenüber Abrasion wird basierend auf den durchgeführten Verschleißuntersuchungen und der vorliegenden Mikrostruktur bewertet. Die Ergebnisse werden vergleichend mit einem martensitisch gehärteten Feinkornstahl (Hardox 450), der üblicherweise in abrasiv beanspruchten Bereichen verwendet wird, diskutiert. Gegenüber Hardox 450 weisen beide Hardpaint‐Beschichtungen aufgrund der ausgebildeten harten Phasen ein deutlich verschleißbeständigeres Verhalten auf. Darüber hinaus konnte die erfolgreiche Einbettung von thermisch sensiblen Wolframschmelzkarbiden mittels des Hardpaint‐Verfahrens belegt und hierdurch der Verschleißwiderstand gegen Abrasion signifikant erhöht werden.
High coding capacity chipless radiofrequency identification tags
Authors: Abdulkawi Wazie M. , Sheta Abdelfattah A.
Published: October 2019

A novel tristate coupled line microstrip resonator is proposed for compact chipless radiofrequency identification tags. The proposed resonator can be reconfigured to present one of the three possible states: 00, 10, and 01, which denote no resonance, resonance at f1, and resonance at f2, respectively. The resonator can be designed with f1 and f2 at appropriate positions, reducing the required spectrum. A multiresonator prototype consisting of 14 elements of the proposed resonator is designed, analyzed, and experimentally characterized. This prototype is implemented on an RT Duroid 5880 substrate with a dielectric constant of 2.2 and a thickness of 0.78 mm. The prototype can be reconfigured for 314 codes. A test‐bench comprising six resonators and transmitting and receiving wideband antennas is established and used to experimentally characterize a prototype tag. The experimental results exhibit good agreement with the simulation.
The dynamics of gene expression during and post meiosis sets the sperm agenda
Authors: Pandey Aastha , Yadav Santosh Kumar , Vishvkarma Rahul , Singh Bineta , Maikhuri Jagdamba P. , Rajender Singh , Gupta Gopal
Published: October 2019

Meiosis is the defining event of spermatogenesis. Spermatocytes undergo meiosis to give rise to round spermatids, which in turn metamorphose to flagellated spermatozoa that mature in the epididymis. To characterize the dynamics of gene expression during these important stages of spermatogenesis, we undertook transcriptome analysis in >90% pure pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids, and pure mature sperm of rat by massive parallel deep sequencing. The study has identified 10,719 total transcripts expressed in meiotic and postmeiotic cells, out of which 7,641 were present in all the three cell types. Most abundant transcripts were related to gametogenesis in spermatocytes and spermatids, and mitochondrial energy metabolism in sperm. Importantly, 108 transcripts were specific to spermatocytes, including Cpeb2, Dpf3, H2afy, Haus7, Plcb1, Taf9, and Tdrd7 strongly linked with meiosis. Similarly, 323 transcripts unique to round spermatids included Arpc5, Apoa1, Cntrob, Dcaf17, Ift88, and Ly6k that play essential roles in spermiogenesis. Likewise, 178 transcripts unique to sperm included Camta1, Hoxb1, and Prdx6 having assigned roles in fertility and/or embryonic development. Levels of ~16% transcripts declined from spermatocytes to sperm while two (Cd300e and Ddx17) increased. New candidate genes with possible roles in meiosis (91), spermiogenesis (298), and sperm function (171), have been identified. This study has provided new potential targets for contraception and/or treatment of male infertility. (CDRI communication number 9889).
Impact of disuse muscular atrophy on the compound muscle action potential
Authors: Mobach Theo , Brooks John , Breiner Ari , Warman‐Chardon Jodi , Papp Steven , Gammon Braden , Nandedkar Sanjeev D. , Bourque Pierre R.
Published: October 2019

Background

Disuse atrophy from immobilization is the result of decreased neural activity and muscle unloading.

Methods

We studied the impact of disuse on hand intrinsic compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) in a cohort of 39 patients with unilateral 6‐week immobilization of the hand in a cast, after distal radius fracture. We excluded patients with nerve injury. We compared side‐to‐side CMAP characteristics at the time of cast removal and at a subsequent follow‐up visit, after a mean interval of 7.8 weeks.

Results

Statistically significant reductions in CMAP amplitude were noted for the abductor pollicis brevis (29.2%), abductor digiti minimi (19.0%), and first dorsal interosseus (24.9%). There was partial repair of the relative CMAP reduction at the follow‐up visit (20.1%, 10.7%, and 8.7%, respectively). There was no significant change in CMAP duration.

Conclusions

These results provide a framework for quantifying the degree of hand intrinsic CMAP amplitude reduction attributed to disuse.
An ESIPT‐Based Ratiometric Fluorescent Probe for Highly Sensitive and Rapid Detection of Sulfite in Living Cells
Authors: Liu Yupeng , Ren Tian‐Bing , Cheng Dan , Hou Jianing , Su Dongdong , Yuan Lin
Published: October 2019

The novel ratiometric fluorescent probe HPQRB with an ESIPT effect based on Michael addition for highly sensitive and fast detection of sulfite in living HepG2 cells is reported. HPQRB can be easily synthesized by a two‐step condensation reaction. HPQRB has a large emission shift (Δλ=116 nm), which is beneficial for fluorescence imaging research, and its sulfite‐responsive site is based on a rhodamine‐like structure with the emission peak at 566 nm, which decreases with increasing sulfite concentration. and its HPQ structure always has an ESIPT effect throughout the reaction process, keeping the emission peak at 450 nm as a self‐reference. In particular, HPQRB has high selectivity for sulfite and responds quickly (within 30 s) with a low detection limit (44 nM). Furthermore, HPQRB has been successfully used for fluorescence imaging of sulfite in HepG2 cells, demonstrating the superior ability to detect sulfite under physiological conditions.
Recent developments in deep learning applied to protein structure prediction
Authors: Kandathil Shaun M. , Greener Joe G. , Jones David T.
Published: October 2019

Although many structural bioinformatics tools have been using neural network models for a long time, deep neural network (DNN) models have attracted considerable interest in recent years. Methods employing DNNs have had a significant impact in recent CASP experiments, notably in CASP12 and especially CASP13. In this article, we offer a brief introduction to some of the key principles and properties of DNN models and discuss why they are naturally suited to certain problems in structural bioinformatics. We also briefly discuss methodological improvements that have enabled these successes. Using the contact prediction task as an example, we also speculate why DNN models are able to produce reasonably accurate predictions even in the absence of many homologues for a given target sequence, a result that can at first glance appear surprising given the lack of input information. We end on some thoughts about how and why these types of models can be so effective, as well as a discussion on potential pitfalls.
The unusual conformation of cross‐strand disulfide bonds is critical to the stability of β‐hairpin peptides
Authors: Deplazes Evelyne , Chin Yanni K.‐Y. , King Glenn F. , Mancera Ricardo L.
Published: October 2019

The cross‐strand disulfides (CSDs) found in β‐hairpin antimicrobial peptides (β‐AMPs) show a unique disulfide geometry that is characterized by unusual torsion angles and a short Cα‐Cα distance. While the sequence and disulfide bond connectivity of disulfide‐rich peptides is well studied, much less is known about the disulfide geometry found in CSDs and their role in the stability of β‐AMPs. To address this, we solved the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) structure of the β‐AMP gomesin (Gm) at 278, 298, and 310 K, examined the disulfide bond geometry of over 800 disulfide‐rich peptides, and carried out extensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of the peptides Gm and protegrin. The NMR data suggests Cα‐Cα distances characteristic for CSDs are independent of temperature. Analysis of disulfide‐rich peptides from the Protein Data Bank revealed that right‐handed and left‐handed rotamers are equally likely in CSDs. The previously reported preference for right‐handed rotamers was likely biased by restricting the analysis to peptides and proteins solved using X‐ray crystallography. Furthermore, data from MD simulations showed that the short Cα‐Cα distance is critical for the stability of these peptides. The unique disulfide geometry of CSDs poses a challenge to biomolecular force fields and to retain the stability of β‐hairpin fold over long simulation times, restraints on the torsion angles might be required.
Molecular basis of drug resistance in smoothened receptor: An in silico study of protein resistivity and specificity
Authors: Sinha Noopur , Chowdhury Saikat , Sarkar Ram Rup
Published: October 2019

Smoothened (SMO) antagonist Vismodegib effectively inhibits the Hedgehog pathway in proliferating cancer cells. In early stage of treatment, Vismodegib exhibited promising outcomes to regress the tumors cells, but ultimately relapsed due to the drug resistive mutations in SMO mostly occurring before (primary mutations G497W) or after (acquired mutations D473H/Y) anti‐SMO therapy. This study investigates the unprecedented insights of structural and functional mechanism hindering the binding of Vismodegib with sensitive and resistant mutant variants of SMO (SMOMut). Along with the basic dynamic understanding of Vismodegib‐SMO complexes, network propagation theory based on heat diffusion principles is first time applied here to identify the modules of residues influenced by the individual mutations. The allosteric modulation by GLY497 residue in Vismodegib bound SMO wild‐type (SMOWT) conformation depicts the interconnections of intermediate residues of SMO with the atom of Vismodegib and identify two important motifs (E‐X‐P‐L) and (Q‐A‐N‐V‐T‐I‐G) mediating this allosteric regulation. In this study a novel computational framework based on the heat diffusion principle is also developed, which identify significant residues of allosteric site causing drug resistivity in SMOMut. This framework could also be useful for assessing the potential allosteric sites of different other proteins. Moreover, previously reported novel inhibitor “ZINC12368305,” which is proven to make an energetically favorable complex with SMOWT is chosen as a control sample to assess the impact of receptor mutation on its binding and subsequently identify the important factors that govern binding disparity between Vismodegib and ZINC12368305 bound SMOWT/Mut conformations.
Protonation state of the selectivity filter of bacterial voltage‐gated sodium channels is modulated by ions
Authors: Damjanovic Ana , Chen Ada Y. , Rosenberg Robert L. , Roe Daniel R. , Wu Xiongwu , Brooks Bernard R.
Published: October 2019

The selectivity filter (SF) of bacterial voltage‐gated sodium channels consists of four glutamate residues arranged in a C4 symmetry. The protonation state population of this tetrad is unclear. To address this question, we simulate the pore domain of bacterial voltage‐gated sodium channel of Magnetococcus sp. (NavMs) through constant pH methodology in explicit solvent and free energy perturbation calculations. We find that at physiological pH the fully deprotonated as well as singly and doubly protonated states of the SF appear feasible, and that the calculated pKa decreases with each additional bound ion, suggesting that a decrease in the number of ions in the pore can lead to protonation of the SF. Previous molecular dynamics simulations have suggested that protonation can lead to a decrease in the conductance, but no pKa calculations were performed. We confirm a decreased ionic population of the pore with protonation, and also observe structural symmetry breaking triggered by protonation; the SF of the deprotonated channel is closest to the C4 symmetry observed in crystal structures of the open state, while the SF of protonated states display greater levels of asymmetry which could lead to transition to the inactivated state which possesses a C2 symmetry in the crystal structure. We speculate that the decrease in the number of ions near the mouth of the channel, due to either random fluctuations or ion depletion due to conduction, could be a self‐regulatory mechanism resulting in a nonconducting state that functionally resembles inactivated states.
All‐atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal how kinesin transits from one‐head‐bound to two‐heads‐bound state
Authors: Shi Xiao‐Xuan , Guo Si‐Kao , Wang Peng‐Ye , Chen Hong , Xie Ping
Published: October 2019

Kinesin dimer walks processively along a microtubule (MT) protofilament in a hand‐over‐hand manner, transiting alternately between one‐head‐bound (1HB) and two‐heads‐bound (2HB) states. In 1HB state, one head bound by adenosine diphosphate (ADP) is detached from MT and the other head is bound to MT. Here, using all‐atom molecular dynamics simulations we determined the position and orientation of the detached ADP‐head relative to the MT‐bound head in 1HB state. We showed that in 1HB state when the MT‐bound head is in ADP or nucleotide‐free state, with its neck linker being undocked, the detached ADP‐head and the MT‐bound head have the high binding energy, and after adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binds to the MT‐bound head, with its neck linker being docked, the binding energy between the two heads is reduced greatly. These results reveal how the kinesin dimer retains 1HB state before ATP binding and how the dimer transits from 1HB to 2HB state after ATP binding. Key residues involved in the head‐head interaction in 1HB state were identified.
Reflectivity and velocity radar data assimilation for two flash flood events in central Italy: A comparison between 3D and 4D variational methods
Authors: Mazzarella V. , Maiello I. , Ferretti R. , Capozzi V. , Picciotti E. , Alberoni P. P. , Marzano F. S. , Budillon G.
Published: October 2019

The aim of this study is to provide an evaluation of the impact of two largely used data assimilation techniques, namely three‐ and four‐dimensional variational data assimilation systems (3D‐Var and 4D‐Var), on the forecasting of heavy precipitation events using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. For this purpose, two flash flood events in central Italy are analysed. The first occurred on September 14, 2012 during an Intensive Observation Period of the Hydrological cycle in the Mediterranean experiment (HyMeX) campaign, while the other occurred on May 3, 2018. Radial velocity and reflectivity acquired by C‐band weather radars at Mt. Midia (central Italy) and San Pietro Capofiume (northern Italy), as well as conventional observations (SYNOP and TEMP), are assimilated into the WRF model to simulate these damaging flash flood events. In order to evaluate the impact of the 3D‐Var and 4D‐Var assimilation systems on the estimation of short‐term quantitative precipitation forecasts, several experiments are carried out using conventional observations with and without radar data. Rainfall evaluation is performed by means of point‐by‐point and filtering methodologies. The results point to a positive impact of the 4D‐Var technique compared to results without assimilation and with 3D‐Var experiments. More specifically, the 4D‐Var system produces an increase of up to 22% in terms of the Fractions Skill Score compared to 3D‐Var for the first flash flood event, while an increase of about 5% is achieved for the second event. The use of a warm start initialization results in a considerable reduction in the spin‐up time and a significant improvement in the rainfall forecast, suggesting that the initial precipitation spin‐up problem still occurs when using 4D‐Var.
A new statistical early outbreak detection method for biosurveillance and performance comparisons
Authors: Cengiz Ünal , Karahasan Mehmet
Published: October 2019

Biosurveillance for rapid detection of epidemics of diseases is a challenging area of endeavor in many respects. Hence, this area is in need of development of methodology and opens to novel methods of detection. In this study, a new simple statistical early outbreak detection approach is proposed to detect outbreaks of diseases in real time. The new approach is called LWMAT since it is based on linearly weighted moving average. Furthermore, it does not require a long baseline and partly takes into account of likely features of biosurveillance data such as nonstationary and overdispersion to some extent. Moreover, this newly proposed method is easily adapted to automated use in public health surveillance systems to monitor simultaneously large number time series of indicators associated with the relevant diseases.

To compare the performance of the new method with those of some well‐known outbreak detection methods, semisynthetic data with outbreaks of various magnitudes and durations are simulated by considering the weekly number of outpatient visits for influenza‐like illness for the influenza seasons 2014‐2015 through 2017‐2018 at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. Under the conditions of the simulation studies, Serfling regression and Farrington flexible seem to be preferable methods for monitoring the weekly influenza data at CDC in terms of early identification of influenza outbreaks with a high probability. In addition, the newly proposed LWMAT‐type methods appear to be promising and useful methods in the case of small magnitude outbreaks with a short duration.
Novel Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine‐Containing Amide Derivatives: Synthesis, Molecular Docking, In Vitro and In Vivo Antidiabetic Activity
Authors: Reddy Bijivemula N. , Ruddarraju Radhakrishnam Raju. , Kiran Gangarapu. , Pathak Madhvesh , Reddy Anreddy Rama Narsimha
Published: October 2019

A new series of Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine containing amide derivatives (8 a‐l) were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro α‐amylase inhibitory activity. The IC50values of the target compounds ranged from 1.60±0.48 to 2.04±1.20 μM as compared to the standard acarbose 1.73±0.05 μM. All the Pyrazolo[3,4‐d]pyrimidine amide derivatives displayed good inhibitory activities, while seven analogs (8 d,8 f,8 g,8 h,8 i,8 jand8 k)exhibited more or less equipotent activity with IC50values 1.77±2.84, 1.65±0.45, 1.66±2.24, 1.73±0.37, 1.60±0.48, 1.75±0.36 and 1.64±0.03 μM respectively. Further, the most potent α‐amylase inhibitors8 dand8 kwere also screened for their in vivo antidiabetic activity against alloxan induced diabetic rat model at the dose of 25 and 50 mg/kg. Oral administration of these tested compounds significantly reduced the fasting blood glucose levels in dose dependent manner. The hypoglycemic effects of these compounds were more evident at 3 h and 5 h after administration of tested compounds which was similar to the effect displayed by the positive control. In addition, the binding energies calculated from the docking studies with the α‐amylase enzyme (PDB ID: 1HNY) and biological activities indicate that the compounds containing nitro moiety on the phenyl group contributed significantly towards the antidiabetic activity.
Patchable and Implantable 2D Nanogenerator
Authors: Han Sang A , Lee Ju‐Hyuck , Seung Wanchul , Lee Jaewoo , Kim Sang‐Woo , Kim Jung Ho
Published: October 2019

With the development of technology, electronic devices are becoming more miniaturized and multifunctional. With the development of small electronic devices, they are changing from the conventional accessory type, which is portable, to the patchable type, which can be attached to a person's apparel or body, and the eatable/implantable type, which can be directly implanted into the human body. In this regard, it is necessary to address various technical issues, such as high‐capacity/high‐efficiency small‐sized battery technology, component miniaturization, low power technology, flexible technology, and smart sensing technology. In addition, there is a demand for self‐powered wireless systems in particular devices. A piezoelectric/triboelectric nanogenerator (PENG/TENG) can generate electric energy from small amounts of mechanical energy such as from blood flow and heartbeats in the human body as well as human movement, so it is expected that it will enable the development of self‐powered wireless systems. Due to their unique properties, such as flexibility, transparency, mechanical stability, and nontoxicity, 2D materials are optimal materials for the development of implantable and patchable self‐powered nanodevices in the human body. In this Review, the studies related to patchable and implantable devices for the human body using PENGs/TENGs based on 2D materials are discussed.