bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extraction and characterization of collagen and gelatin from body wall of sea cucumbers Stichopus horrens and Holothuria arenicola
Authors: Barzkar Noora , Attaran-Fariman Gilan , Taheri Ali , Venmathi Maran Balu Alagar
Published: October 2024

Background

Marine invertebrates, including sponges, molluscs, jellyfish, mussels, and sea cucumbers, are abundant sources of high-quality collagen and offer advantages such as availability, ease of processing, lower inflammatory response, and good metabolic compatibility. Approximately 70% of the total protein in the body wall of sea cucumbers is collagen. Gelatin is a water-soluble protein produced from heat-denatured collagen and has various industrial applications.

Methods

Pepsin-solubilized collagen was extracted from the body wall of two sea cucumber Stichopus horrens and Holothuria arenicola, species found in the Oman Sea and characterized with SDS-PAGE and amino acid composition. Then gelatin was extracted from pepsin-solubilized collagen of S. horrens and some rheological properties were measured.

Results

Amino acid composition and SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the collagen from both species was type I, with one α1 chain and β chains, with molecular weights of 125 and 250 kDa, respectively. Glycine was the most abundant amino acid in the collagen from both sea cucumber species. The pepsin-soluble collagens from both species had high levels of glycine, proline, alanine, glutamic acid, and hydroxyproline. The gelatin from S. horrens had a melting point of 30 °C and displayed exceptional thermal stability, surpassing that of mammalian gelatin. Its gelling point was 5 °C, like that of cold-water fish gelatin, with a viscosity of 2.065 cp-lower than mammal gelatins. These findings suggested that collagen and gelatin from sea cucumbers could be useful in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.
Serviços médico-hospitalares e dinâmica de propagação do SARS-COV-2 na rede urbana da região geográfica imediata de Colinas, Maranhão, Brasil
Authors: Oliveira Allison Bezerra , Ribeiro de Moraes Júnior Arialdo , Henrique Araújo Santos Pedro
Published: October 2024

O objetivo desse trabalho é discutir a dinâmica de difusão da Covid-19 na rede urbana da Região Geográfica Imediata de Colinas (RGIC), Maranhão, Brasil. O período analisado abrange o primeiro ano de pandemia, a partir do primeiro caso registrado no Maranhão (20 de março de 2020 a 20 de março de 2021). Trata-se de um estudo espacial baseado no levantamento de dados secundários quantitativos e públicos, analisados qualitativamente. Utilizou-se três bases de dados principais: Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Maranhão (SES/MA) e Departamento de Informática do Sistema Único de Saúde (DATASUS). O estudo sugere que a disseminação de especialistas, equipamentos e estabelecimentos médicos na região é tido como fator determinante para o aumento das circulações em busca de atendimento por Covid-19 na rede urbana. Ademais, os dados apontam para uma rarefeita e concentrada oferta de serviços de saúde entre os municípios da região, o que gera fluxos de pessoas à procura de atendimento, uma vez que se deslocam de um centro menor a um centro mais relevante economicamente, expressando a configuração da hierarquia do espaço urbano-regional, caracterizada pelas relações de subordinação e dependência entre as cidades, além de mostrar diferentes debilidades socioeconômicas.
ALTERNATIVAS DE MANEJO E DRENAGEM URBANA: ANÁLISE COMPARATIVA NA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIO JAGUARIBE, SALVADOR/BA
Authors: Ribeiro de Santana Crislane , Dantas da Luz Lafayette
Published: October 2024

A solução para problemas de inundações e alagamentos urbanos passa por diferentes formas de abordagem, quanto a políticas regulatórias, concepções de projetos, bem como às alternativas técnicas estruturais e não-estruturais a serem adotadas, dentre outros aspectos. Este artigo avalia comparativamente alternativas de manejo e drenagem das águas urbanas na bacia hidrográfica do rio Jaguaribe, em Salvador, Bahia, visando o controle das inundações. Com o auxílio do programa de modelagem hidrológico-hidráulica SWMM, foram simulados seis casos distintos para análise, nos quais se modificaram as condições de escoamento no leito fluvial (natural e canalizado), frente a diferentes condições de impermeabilização da bacia e/ou emprego de algumas técnicas sustentáveis. Após a modelagem matemática, os casos de análise que contaram com as medidas sustentáveis se mostraram mais eficientes e observou-se que a medida que melhor se ajusta à bacia do rio Jaguaribe para o controle do escoamento superficial, se expressou na proposta que adota técnicas para o amortecimento da vazão, associadas ao leito fluvial natural. Confirma-se, neste estudo, que as canalizações do leito de rios, como medida isolada de controle de inundações, se mostram ineficazes, assim requerendo uma abordagem mais sistêmica para tal objetivo, o que ainda resulta em benefícios adicionais para a cidade e sua população.
Die Bedeutung ethischer Produkte im Normregime des UN-Kaufrechts
Authors: Aslan Ciya
Published: October 2024

Ethisch bzw. sozial hergestellte Produkte bilden derzeit einen wichtigen Bestandteil des modernen Konsums ab. Im Zuge der Warenbeschaffung kann es allerdings zwischen den jeweiligen Vertragspartnern zur Lieferung vertragswidriger Produkte kommen, etwa wenn die Ware trotz des Labels „Faire Produktion“ durch Kinderarbeit hergestellt wurde. Dieser Beitrag skizziert und beantwortet die unterschiedlichen Rechtsfragen aus dem Blickwinkel des UN-Kaufrechts (unter Bezugnahme zum Beschaffenheitsbegriff i.S.v. § 434 BGB).
Erweiterte gewerbesteuerliche Kürzung bei unterjähriger Veräußerung des letzten Grundstücks und anschließender Liquidation der Kapitalgesellschaft
Authors: Kracylo Christian , Spingler Alessia
Published: October 2024

Die erweiterte gewerbesteuerliche Kürzung steht grundstücksbesitzenden Kapitalgesellschaften zu, wenn sie während des gesamten Erhebungszeitraums ausschließlich vermögenverwaltende Tätigkeiten ausüben. Wird das letzte Grundstück unterjährig verkauft, gehen die Finanzämter regelmäßig vom Wegfall der Voraussetzungen für die erweiterte gewerbesteuerliche Kürzung aus. Der unmittelbaren Liquidation der vermögensverwaltenden Gesellschaft nach dem Grundstücksverkauf messen die Finanzämter keine Bedeutung bei. Der folgende Beitrag zeigt die Grenzen der Sichtweise der Finanzämter auf die erweiterte gewerbesteuerliche Kürzung bei einer unterjährigen Veräußerung des letzten Grundstücks auf und erbringt den Gegenbeweis für die Berücksichtigung der gewerbesteuerlichen Kürzung in Fällen, in denen die vermögensverwaltende Kapitalgesellschaft im Anschluss an den unterjährigen Grundstücksverkauf liquidiert wird.
Accelerated middle Miocene exhumation of the Talesh Mountains constrained by U‐Th/He thermochronometry: Evidence for the Arabia‐Eurasia collision in the NW Iranian Plateau
Authors: Madanipour Saeed , Ehlers Todd A. , Yassaghi Ali , Enkelmann Eva
Published: July 2017

The Talesh Mountains at the NW margin of the Iranian Plateau curve around the southwestern corner of the South Caspian Block and developed in response to the collision of the Arabian‐Eurasian Plates. The timing, rates, and regional changes in late Cenozoic deformation of the Talesh Mountains are not fully understood. In this study, we integrate 23 new apatite and zircon bedrock U‐Th/He ages and structurally restored geologic cross sections with previously published detrital apatite fission track data to reconstruct the deformation history of the Talesh Mountains. Our results reveal that slow rock exhumation initiated during the late Oligocene (~27–23 Ma) and then accelerated in the middle Miocene (~12 Ma). These events resulted in the present‐day high‐elevation and curved geometry of the mountains. The spatial and temporal distribution of cooling ages suggest that the Oligocene bending of the Talesh Mountains was earlier than in the eastern Alborz, Kopeh Dagh, and central Alborz Mountains that initiated during the late Cenozoic. Late Oligocene and middle Miocene deformation episodes recorded in the Talesh Mountains can be related to the collisional phases of the Arabian and Eurasian Plates. The lower rate of exhumation recorded in the Talesh Mountains occurred during the initial soft collision of the Arabian‐Eurasian Plates in the late Oligocene. The accelerated exhumation that occurred during final collision since the middle Miocene resulted from collision of the harder continental margin.
Simulating the long‐term impacts of drainage and restoration on the ecohydrology of peatlands
Authors: Young Dylan M. , Baird Andy J. , Morris Paul J. , Holden Joseph
Published: July 2017

Drainage alters the carbon storage and accumulation functions of peatlands, but the long‐term effects of drainage ditches, and their restoration, on peatland development are poorly understood. Timescales of monitoring studies in ditch‐drained and restored peatlands are typically limited to a few years, and occasionally decades. In addition, experimental studies seldom monitor spatial changes in peat structure caused by ditches, despite such changes affecting water flow and water retention in peat. Ecosystem models offer an alternative to experimental studies and can help explain how complex systems such as peatlands may respond to external disturbances. Here we report on a 2‐D application of a peatland development model (DigiBog) to explore how contour‐parallel ditches, and their damming, affect the ecohydrology of peatlands over decades to centuries, using blanket peatlands as a case study. Drainage resulted in the rapid loss of peat due to increased oxic decay. The majority of these losses occurred in the first 100 years after the ditch was created, but water table dynamics were altered even centuries later. Restoration halted the loss of peat and encouraged net peat accumulation, although the amount lost in 100 years of drainage had not been replaced 200 years after the ditch was dammed. Restoration of ditches in sloping peatlands brought about more peat regrowth downslope of the restored ditch than further upslope. Our study demonstrates the potential for spatially distributed ecosystem‐scale models as tools to explore complex spatiotemporal responses to disturbance, and to support land managers in making decisions about peatland drainage and restoration.
Critical zone structure controls concentration‐discharge relationships and solute generation in forested tropical montane watersheds
Authors: Wymore Adam S. , Brereton Richard L. , Ibarra Daniel E. , Maher Kate , McDowell William H.
Published: July 2017

Concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationships are poorly known for tropical watersheds, even though the tropics contribute a disproportionate amount of solutes to the global ocean. The Luquillo Mountains in Puerto Rico offer an ideal environment to examine C‐Q relationships across a heterogeneous tropical landscape. We use 10–30 years of weekly stream chemistry data across 10 watersheds to examine C‐Q relationships for weathering products (SiO2(aq), Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+) and biologically controlled solutes (dissolved organic carbon [DOC], dissolved organic nitrogen [DON],
,
,
, K+, and
). We analyze C‐Q relationships using power law equations and a solute production model and use principal component analysis to test hypotheses regarding how the structure of the critical zone controls solute generation. Volcaniclastic watersheds had higher concentrations of weathering solutes and smaller tributaries were approximately threefold more efficient at generating these solutes than larger rivers. Lithology and vegetation explained a significant amount of variation in the theoretical maximum concentrations of weathering solutes (r2 = 0.43–0.48) and in the C‐Q relationships of
(r2 = 0.63) and SiO2(aq) (r2 = 0.47). However, the direction and magnitude of these relationships varied. Across watersheds, various forms of N and P displayed variable C‐Q relationships, while DOC was consistently enriched with increasing discharge. Results suggest that
may be a useful indicator of watershed function. Relationships between C‐Q and landscape characteristics indicate the extent to which the structure and function of the Critical zone controls watershed solute fluxes.
Revealing the economic value of managed aquifer recharge: Evidence from a contingent valuation study inItaly
Authors: Damigos D. , Tentes G. , Balzarini M. , Furlanis F. , Vianello A.
Published: July 2017

Managed aquifer recharge [MAR) is a promising water management tool toward restoring groundwater balance and securing groundwater ecosystem services (i.e., water for drinking, industrial or irrigation use, control of land subsidence, maintenance of environmental flows to groundwater dependent ecosystems, etc.). Obviously, MAR projects can improve the quality of lives of the people by several ways. Thus, from a social perspective, the benefits of MAR cannot and should not be based only on market revenues or costs. Although the value of groundwater, from a social perspective, has been a subject of socio‐economic research, literature on the value of MARper seis very limited. This paper, focusing on Italy which is a country with extensive utilization of MAR, aims to estimate the economic value of MAR and makes a first step toward filling this gap in the literature. For this purpose, the Contingent Valuation method was implemented to provide a monetary estimate and to explore the factors influencing people's attitude and willingness to pay for MAR. The results show that society holds not only use but also significant nonuse values, which are a part of the total economic value (TEV) of groundwater according to related research efforts. To this end, MAR valuation highlights its social importance for groundwater conservation and provides a solid basis for incorporating its nonmarket benefits into groundwater management policies and assessments.
Quaternary tectonic evolution of the Pamir‐Tian Shan convergence zone, Northwest China
Authors: Thompson Jobe Jessica Ann , Li Tao , Chen Jie , Burbank Douglas W. , Bufe Aaron
Published: July 2017

The Pamir‐Tian Shan collision zone in the western Tarim Basin, northwest China, formed from rapid and ongoing convergence in response to the Indo‐Eurasian collision. The arid landscape preserves suites of fluvial terraces crossing structures active since the late Neogene that create fault and fold scarps recording Quaternary deformation. Using geologic and geomorphic mapping, differential GPS surveys of deformed terraces, and optically stimulated luminescence dating, we create a synthesis of the active structures that delineate the timing, rate, and migration of Quaternary deformation during ongoing convergence. New deformation rates on eight faults and folds, when combined with previous studies, highlight the spatial and temporal patterns of deformation within the Pamir‐Tian Shan convergence zone during the Quaternary. Terraces spanning ~130 to ~8 ka record deformation rates between ~0.1 and 5.6 mm/yr on individual structures. In the westernmost Tarim Basin, where the Pamir and Tian Shan are already juxtaposed, the fastest rates occur on actively deforming structures at the interface of the Pamir‐Tian Shan orogens. Farther east, as the separation between the Pamir‐Tian Shan orogens increases, the deformation has not been concentrated on a single structure, but rather has been concurrently distributed across a zone of faults and folds in the Kashi‐Atushi fold‐and‐thrust belt and along the NE Pamir margin, where shortening rates vary on individual structures during the Quaternary. Although numerous structures accommodate the shortening and the locus of deformation shifts during the Quaternary, the total shortening across the western Tarim Basin has remained steady and approximately matches the current geodetic rate of 6–9 mm/yr.
Estimating rainfall time series and model parameter distributions using model data reduction and inversion techniques
Authors: Wright Ashley J. , Walker Jeffrey P. , Pauwels Valentijn R. N.
Published: July 2017

Floods are devastating natural hazards. To provide accurate, precise, and timely flood forecasts, there is a need to understand the uncertainties associated within an entire rainfall time series, even when rainfall was not observed. The estimation of an entire rainfall time series and model parameter distributions from streamflow observations in complex dynamic catchments adds skill to current areal rainfall estimation methods, allows for the uncertainty of entire rainfall input time series to be considered when estimating model parameters, and provides the ability to improve rainfall estimates from poorly gauged catchments. Current methods to estimate entire rainfall time series from streamflow records are unable to adequately invert complex nonlinear hydrologic systems. This study aims to explore the use of wavelets in the estimation of rainfall time series from streamflow records. Using the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to reduce rainfall dimensionality for the catchment of Warwick, Queensland, Australia, it is shown that model parameter distributions and an entire rainfall time series can be estimated. Including rainfall in the estimation process improves streamflow simulations by a factor of up to 1.78. This is achieved while estimating an entire rainfall time series, inclusive of days when none was observed. It is shown that the choice of wavelet can have a considerable impact on the robustness of the inversion. Combining the use of a likelihood function that considers rainfall and streamflow errors with the use of the DWT as a model data reduction technique allows the joint inference of hydrologic model parameters along with rainfall.
Reducing equifinality using isotopes in a process‐based stream nitrogen model highlights the flux of algal nitrogen from agricultural streams
Authors: Ford William I. , Fox James F. , Pollock Erik
Published: July 2017

The fate of bioavailable nitrogen species transported through agricultural landscapes remains highly uncertain given complexities of measuring fluxes impacting the fluvial N cycle. We present and test a new numerical model named Technology for Removable Annual Nitrogen in Streams For Ecosystem Restoration (TRANSFER), which aims to reduce model uncertainty due to erroneous parameterization, i.e., equifinality, in stream nitrogen cycle assessment and quantify the significance of transient and permanent removal pathways. TRANSFER couples nitrogen elemental and stable isotope mass‐balance equations with existing hydrologic, hydraulic, sediment transport, algal biomass, and sediment organic matter mass‐balance subroutines and a robust GLUE‐like uncertainty analysis. We test the model in an agriculturally impacted, third‐order stream reach located in the Bluegrass Region of Central Kentucky. Results of the multiobjective model evaluation for the model application highlight the ability of sediment nitrogen fingerprints including elemental concentrations and stable N isotope signatures to reduce equifinality of the stream N model. Advancements in the numerical simulations allow for illumination of the significance of algal sloughing fluxes for the first time in relation to denitrification. Broadly, model estimates suggest that denitrification is slightly greater than algal N sloughing (10.7% and 6.3% of dissolved N load on average), highlighting the potential for overestimation of denitrification by 37%. We highlight the significance of the transient N pool given the potential for the N store to be regenerated to the water column in downstream reaches, leading to harmful and nuisance algal bloom development.
An evaluation of terrain‐based downscaling of fractional snow covered area data sets based on LiDAR‐derived snow data and orthoimagery
Authors: Cristea Nicoleta C. , Breckheimer Ian , Raleigh Mark S. , HilleRisLambers Janneke , Lundquist Jessica D.
Published: July 2017

Reliable maps of snow‐covered areas at scales of meters to tens of meters, with daily temporal resolution, are essential to understanding snow heterogeneity, melt runoff, energy exchange, and ecological processes. Here we develop a parsimonious downscaling routine that can be applied to fractional snow covered area (fSCA) products from satellite platforms such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) that provide daily ∼500 m data, to derive higher‐resolution snow presence/absence grids. The method uses a composite index combining both the topographic position index (TPI) to represent accumulation effects and the diurnal anisotropic heat (DAH, sun exposure) index to represent ablation effects. The procedure is evaluated and calibrated using airborne‐derived high‐resolution data sets across the Tuolumne watershed, CA using 11 scenes in 2014 to downscale to 30 m resolution. The average matching F score was 0.83. We then tested our method's transferability in time and space by comparing against the Tuolumne watershed in water years 2013 and 2015, and over an entirely different site, Mt. Rainier, WA in 2009 and 2011, to assess applicability to other topographic and climatic conditions. For application to sites without validation data, we recommend equal weights for the TPI and DAH indices and close TPI neighborhoods (60 and 27 m for downscaling to 30 and 3 m, respectively), which worked well in both our study areas. The method is less effective in forested areas, which still requires site‐specific treatment. We demonstrate that the procedure can even be applied to downscale to 3 m resolution, a very fine scale relevant to alpine ecohydrology research.
An explicit, parsimonious, and accurate estimate for ponded infiltration into soils using the Green and Ampt approach
Authors: Selker John S. , Assouline Shmuel
Published: July 2017

The Green and Ampt solution for vertical ponded infiltration is implicit in time, which makes the result often cumbersome to apply. Here we present a simple explicit solution for the position of the wetting front in time based on approximating the term describing early time behavior by means of the sum of gravitational flow and the exact solution for capillary imbibition. The result is within 1% of the exact implicit solution of vertical Green and Ampt infiltration. We also check the overall accuracy of the Green and Ampt approach, and find it to be within 15% of numerical simulation results for the same soils obtained with the Richards equation. Hence, the proposed approximation adds essentially no error to the Green and Ampt approach, but greatly simplifies computation of infiltration. The approximation also makes explicit the role of the representation of capillarity, which can be adjusted in ways not possible with the implicit result. We find that predictions can be markedly improved by adjusting capillary versus gravitational drivers per soil texture, revealing both a limitation of the Green and Ampt approach, but also providing a potential refinement of Green and Ampt predictions per soil type (demonstrated for sandy and clayey soils). Further, the new approximation allows for simple computation of useful quantities such as flux and cumulative infiltration.
Celebrating hydrologic science: The “Science is Essential” collection
Authors: Clark Martyn P. , Luce Charles H. , van Meerveld H. J. (Ilja)
Published: July 2017

Water Resources Research published nine commentaries in the AGU “Science is Essential” collection. The goal of these papers is to celebrate the advances in hydrologic science, to show how hydrologic science is essential for society, and to illustrate how hydrologic science has influenced policies. Here we provide a brief introduction to these papers, to encourage you to explore them in full.
Precarious maintenance of simple DNA repeats in eukaryotes
Authors: Neil Alexander J. , Kim Jane C. , Mirkin Sergei M.
Published: July 2017

In this review, we discuss how two evolutionarily conserved pathways at the interface of DNA replication and repair, template switching and break‐induced replication, lead to the deleterious large‐scale expansion of trinucleotide DNA repeats that cause numerous hereditary diseases. We highlight that these pathways, which originated in prokaryotes, may be subsequently hijacked to maintain long DNA microsatellites in eukaryotes. We suggest that the negative mutagenic outcomes of these pathways, exemplified by repeat expansion diseases, are likely outweighed by their positive role in maintaining functional repetitive regions of the genome such as telomeres and centromeres.
Randomized clinical trial of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation versus sham electrical stimulation in patients with faecal incontinence
Authors: van der Wilt A A , Giuliani G , Kubis C , van Wunnik B P W , Ferreira I , Breukink S O , Lehur P A , La Torre F , Baeten C G M I
Published: July 2017

Background

The aim was to assess the effects of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) in the treatment of faecal incontinence (FI) by means of an RCT.

Methods

Patients aged over 18 years with FI were included in a multicentre, single-blinded RCT. The primary endpoint was reduction in the median or mean number of FI episodes per week. Secondary endpoints were changes in measures of FI severity, and disease-specific and generic quality of life. Outcomes were compared between PTNS and sham stimulation after 9 weeks of treatment.

Results

A higher proportion of patients in the PTNS (13 of 29) than in the sham (6 of 30) group showed a reduction of at least 50 per cent in the median number of FI episodes/week (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2·40, 95 per cent c.i. 1·10 to 5·24; P = 0·028), but not in the mean number of episodes/week (10 of 29 versus 8 of 30; IRR 1·42, 0·69 to 2·92; P = 0·347). The absolute median number of FI episodes per week decreased in the PTNS but not in the sham group (IRR 0·66, 0·44 to 0·98; P = 0·041), as did the mean number (IRR 0·65 (0·45 to 0·97); P = 0·034). Scores on the Cleveland Clinic Florida faecal incontinence scale decreased significantly in both groups, but more steeply in the PTNS group (mean difference –1·3, 95 per cent c.i. –2·6 to 0·0; P = 0·049). The aggregated mental component score of Short Form 36 improved in the PTNS but not in the sham group (mean difference 5·1, 0·5 to 9·6; P = 0·028).

Conclusion

PTNS may offer a small advantage in the clinical management of FI that is insufficiently responsive to conservative treatment. The key challenge will be to identify patients who may benefit most from this minimally invasive surgical procedure. Registration number: NCT00974909 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov).
A‐waves increase the risk of developing neuropathy
Authors: Srotova Iva , Vlckova Eva , Dusek Ladislav , Bednarik Josef
Published: July 2017

Introduction

A‐waves, which are observed following the M‐wave during motor nerve conduction studies (NCS), are late responses that are frequently found in many types of neurogenic disorders. However, A‐waves are also common in healthy individuals, where their significance remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine whether the occurrence of A‐waves does in fact represent an increased risk for the future development of changes upon NCS or needle electromyography (EMG) in the corresponding nerve.

Methods

Nerve conduction studies/needle electromyography findings at control examination were evaluated in relation to the occurrence of initial A‐waves in 327 individuals who had undergone repeated NCS/EMG examination and exhibited normal initial findings, with or without the occurrence of A‐waves as the only acceptable abnormality.

Results

The odds ratio, which reflects the predictive power of the occurrence of A‐waves at the initial testing for the development of an abnormality (neuropathy or radiculopathy) at the follow‐up examination, ranged from 2.7 (p = .041) in the tibial nerve and 3.9 (p = .034) in peroneal one, to 30.0 (p = .002) in the ulnar nerve.

Conclusions

A‐waves constitute an initial abnormality in all nerves, and they may be predictive for the future development of broader NCS/EMG abnormalities in the corresponding nerve.
Probing Electron Transfer in the Manganese‐Oxide‐Forming MnxEFG Protein Complex using Fourier Transformed AC Voltammetry: Understanding the Oxidative Priming Effect
Authors: Tao Lizhi , Simonov Alexandr N. , Romano Christine A. , Butterfield Cristina N. , Tebo Bradley M. , Bond Alan M. , Spiccia Leone , Martin Lisandra L. , Casey William H.
Published: July 2017

MnxG, a multicopper oxidase, is an enzyme from the marine Bacillus species, which produces manganese oxide minerals through the aerobic oxidation of dissolved Mn2+ − a key process in global manganese geochemical cycling. When isolated in an active form as a part of the MnxEFG protein complex, the enzymatic activity of MnxG is substantially enhanced by mild oxidative priming. Herein, the mechanism for this effect is probed by using direct current (dc) and Fourier transformed alternating current (ac) voltammetric analysis of the MnxEFG complex and the catalytically inactive MnxEF subunit immobilised on a carbon electrode. Analysis of these ac voltammetric data reveals a significant enhancement in the rate of electron transfer in the Type 2 Cu sites upon oxidative priming of the enzyme, which is attributed to the improved catalytic activity of MnxG in the MnxEFG protein complex.
Counsel students with ADHD to minimize their increased driving risks
Authors: Bedrossian Louise
Published: July 2017

Most disability services providers know that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterized by problems with sustained attention/concentration, distractibility, impulsivity, and sometimes hyperactivity, as well as difficulties with executive function, including planning, organizing, and time management, all of which increase the probability of having traffic accidents. Younger drivers with ADHD not only have less experience, they also have a maturational lag in executive function development. Although teens are even more likely to have accidents and violations, adults with ADHD are also at higher risk than their nondisabled counterparts.
Review of Microfabricated Electrochemical Devices for the Analysis of Cell Functions and Biological Samples
Authors: TANABE KOJI , YOSHIZUMI YOSHITAKA , TSUCHIYA SHINNOSUKE , USUBA RYO , SUZUKI HIROAKI
Published: July 2017

There is a strong interest in onsite rapid analysis and monitoring of the activity of cells and biological samples. Such analyses contribute not only to the understanding of cell functions, but also to the improvement of point‐of‐care testing and quality‐of‐life. In promoting miniaturization and integration of sensing components, electrochemistry is advantageous. By coupling this technique with microfluidic techniques, additional functions that can never be realized with only independent sensors can be realized. In this review paper, we introduce our recent electrochemical devices, particularly focusing on analyses of cell functions and biological samples.
Design, Synthesis, and Reactivity of Multidentate Ligands with Rhenium(I) and Rhenium(V) Cores
Authors: Wang Jin‐Hui , Eychenne Romain , Wolff Mariusz , Mallet‐Ladeira Sonia , Lepareur Nicolas , Benoist Eric
Published: July 2017

Synthetic pathways to a range of potentially N3O‐tetradentate ligands designed to coordinate to rhenium cores, as well as their coordination behaviors towards different rhenium cores (oxidation states +I and +V) are investigated. Two functionalized N‐{[1‐(4‐R)‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl]methyl}‐2‐(pyridin‐2‐ylmethoxy)aniline derivatives L1H (R = methyl acetate) and L2H (R = 4‐nitrophenyl) act exclusively as bidentate ligands and lead to the formation of mononuclear tricarbonylrhenium(I) complexes of the general formula [(LH)Re(CO)3Cl] with L = L1 or L2. Both complexes are characterized by 1H NMR and 13C NMR, FTIR spectroscopy, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, and in the case of [(L2H)Re(CO)3Cl], single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The rhenium is coordinated by three carbonyl groups, a chlorine atom and two nitrogen atoms of a triazole group, and a nitrogen of the aniline ring of the ligand, respectively. A theoretical study shows complex [(L2H)Re(CO)3Cl] is the most stable structural isomer. In addition, the oxorhenium(V) complex [(L3)ReO] is isolated and fully characterized after the reaction of the ReV precursor [ReOCl3(PPh3)2] with L3H3 [methyl 2‐(4‐{[2‐(2‐hydroxyphenylamino)‐2‐oxoethylamino]methyl}‐1H‐1,2,3‐triazol‐1‐yl)acetate]. Its corresponding 99mTc complex was achieved with a good radiochemical yield (> 90 %). The convenient synthesis of this ligand, coupled with its high affinity for [ReO]3+ and [99mTcO]3+ cores, make it a promising chelator for biomedical applications.
Monosodium glutamate as a tool to reduce sodium in foodstuffs: Technological and safety aspects
Authors: Maluly Hellen D. B. , Arisseto‐Bragotto Adriana P. , Reyes Felix G. R.
Published: July 2017

Sodium chloride (NaCl) is the most commonly used ingredient to provide salty taste to foods. However, excess sodium in the bloodstream has been associated with the development of several chronic noncommunicable diseases. In order to limit sodium intake to levels considered safe, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends for adults a daily intake of not more than 5 g of NaCl (less than 2 g of sodium). One of the strategic actions recommended by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to reduce sodium intake is reformulation of processed foods. This recommendation indicates there is an urgent need to find salt substitutes, and umami compounds have been pointed as an alternative strategy. Like salty, umami is also a basic taste and the major compound associated to umami is monosodium L‐glutamate (MSG). The available scientific data on the toxicity of MSG has been evaluated by scientific committees and regulatory agencies. The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives and the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) not specified, which indicated that the substance offers no health risk when used as a food additive. The United States Food and Drug Administration and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology classified MSG as a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) substance. In this paper, an overview about salty and umami taste physiology, the potential applications of MSG use to reduce sodium content in specific industrialized foods and safety aspects of MSG as food additive are presented.
Iron‐related markers are associated with infection after liver transplantation
Authors: Chow Jennifer K. L. , Ganz Tomas , Ruthazer Robin , Simpson Mary Ann , Pomfret Elizabeth A. , Gordon Fredric D. , Westerman Mark E. , Snydman David R.
Published: July 2017

Though serum iron has been known to be associated with an increased risk of infection, hepcidin, the major regulator of iron metabolism, has never been systematically explored in this setting. Finding early biomarkers of infection, such as hepcidin, could help identify patients in whom early empiric antimicrobial therapy would be beneficial. We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients (n = 128) undergoing first‐time, single‐organ orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) without known iron overload disorders at 2 academic hospitals in Boston from August 2009 to November 2012. Cox regression compared the associations between different iron markers and the development of first infection at least 1 week after OLT; 47 (37%) patients developed a primary outcome of infection at least 1 week after OLT and 1 patient died. After adjusting for perioperative bleeding complications, number of hospital days, and hepatic artery thrombosis, changes in iron markers were associated with the development of infection post‐OLT including increasing ferritin (hazard ratio [HR], 1.51; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12‐2.05), rising ferritin slope (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03‐1.17), and increasing hepcidin (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.93). A decreasing iron (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.20‐2.57) and a decreasing iron slope (HR, 4.21; 95% CI, 2.51‐7.06) were also associated with subsequent infections. In conclusion, hepcidin and other serum iron markers and their slope patterns or their combination are associated with infection in vulnerable patient populations. Liver Transplantation 23 1541–1552 2017 AASLD.
Designing adaptive accelerated life tests using Bayesian methods
Authors: Xiang Shihu , Yang Jun , Shen Lijuan
Published: July 2017

The traditional constant‐stress accelerated life test may encounter the problem of no or a few failures at the low stress level, if the test is stopped after a fixed period. Insufficient failures usually make it difficult to estimate reliability characteristics and to discover design deficiencies of the product. To mitigate the problem, the adaptive plan is designed based on Bayesian methods in this study. Under the constraints of test facilities, test units, time, and cost, the adaptive plan is optimized according to the criterion of minimizing the preposterior variance of the logarithm of a quantile of the lifetime distribution at the use condition. Large‐sample approximation is applied to reduce the computational burden. Genetic algorithm is adopted to determine the optimal design of the adaptive plan. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed adaptive plan.
Epidemiological profile and clinical characteristics of patients with intestinal inflammatory disease
Authors: Arantes Jhelly Aparecida Valcanaia , Santos Carlos Henrique Marques dos , Delfino Breno Matos , Silva Bruno Alexandre da , Souza Rafaela Maria Maran de , Souza Thaynara Maria Maran de , Flávio Isabella Demeis , Ferreira Caroline Gil , Cruz Samuel Bellin Gomes da
Published: July 2017

According to several epidemiological studies, there is a significant increase in cases of inflammatory disease in developing countries.

Objective To describe epidemiological data and clinical features of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in patients enrolled in Campo Grande, MS.

Method A retrospective descriptive study with a database analysis of patients who were enrolled and renewed their process in the Exceptional Medications Program of the Health Department from January 2008 to December 2016.

Results 423 patients participated in the study, 260 women and 163 men. Of these, 238 patients had Crohn's disease and 185 had ulcerative rectocolitis. The patients’ mean age was 46 years. The most commonly used medication for both diseases was mesalazine and 34.3% of the patients needed to switch their medication during the treatment, most of them with Crohn's disease. In Crohn's patients, the most affected segment was the colon (40.6%) and in patients with ulcerative rectocolitis the entire large intestine was involved (78.8%) was more common. Of the total number of patients, 10.8% of the women and 18.4% of the men needed to use an anti-TNF.

Conclusion Most people on treatment for IBD are female, with a mean age of 46 years and suffering from Crohn's disease. The most affected segments were the entire large intestine in URC cases and the colon in Crohn's disease cases. Mesalazine was the most used drug in both diseases. There was more drug replacement in Crohn's disease patients. In Crohn's disease, younger patients used infliximab more frequently.
Physical proximity increases persuasive effectiveness through visual imagery
Authors: Jia Yanli , Huang Yunhui , Wyer Robert S. , Shen Hao
Published: July 2017

Six experiments converged on the conclusion that consumers' physical distance from the verbal description of an event or a product can influence their beliefs in its implications. For example, participants' proximity to information about the likelihood of surviving an airline crash can influence their expectations that there would be survivors of a real‐life airplane accident, and being close to the description of a commercial product can influence beliefs that the product would be effective. These and other effects are mediated by the vividness of the mental image that participants form on the basis of the information. Consequently, the effects were attenuated when participants are under high cognitive load or when the verbal description lacks the detail necessary for forming a clear mental image. Alternative interpretations in terms of task involvement, perceptual fluency and construal levels are evaluated.
Placental apoptosis in recurrent miscarriage
Authors: Atia Tarek A.
Published: July 2017

Apoptosis is an interactive and dynamic biological process involved in all phases of embryogenesis. We aimed to study the effect of placental apoptosis on recurrent miscarriage (RM). Placental tissue samples were collected from 40 women with RM (study group) and 30 women with sporadic spontaneous abortion (control group). Samples were prepared and stained immunohistochemically with markers for both the apoptotic protein (p53) and anti‐apoptotic Bcl‐2 antibodies. Our results showed that expression of the apoptotic (p53) protein was significantly increased in the placental tissues of the RM group (p = 0.003). By contrast, the expression of anti‐apoptotic (Bcl‐2) antibodies was significantly increased in the placental tissues of the control group (p = 0.025). We concluded that placental apoptosis plays a crucial role in pregnancy continuation. However, increased p53 expression in placental tissue in early pregnancy could negatively affect pregnancy continuation.
Practical Bayesian Inference
Authors: Bailer-Jones Coryn A. L.
Published: July 2017

Science is fundamentally about learning from data, and doing so in the presence of uncertainty. This volume is an introduction to the major concepts of probability and statistics, and the computational tools for analysing and interpreting data. It describes the Bayesian approach, and explains how this can be used to fit and compare models in a range of problems. Topics covered include regression, parameter estimation, model assessment, and Monte Carlo methods, as well as widely used classical methods such as regularization and hypothesis testing. The emphasis throughout is on the principles, the unifying probabilistic approach, and showing how the methods can be implemented in practice. R code (with explanations) is included and is available online, so readers can reproduce the plots and results for themselves. Aimed primarily at undergraduate and graduate students, these techniques can be applied to a wide range of data analysis problems beyond the scope of this work.
Nutrient digestibility, hindgut metabolites and antioxidant status of dogs supplemented with pomegranate peel extract
Authors: Jose Tony , Pattanaik Ashok K. , Jadhav Sunil E. , Dutta Narayan , Sharma Shalini
Published: July 2017

The present study assessed the effect of dietary supplementation of pomegranate peel (methanolic) extract (PPE) on the nutrient digestibility, faecal fermentative metabolites and antioxidant status of dogs. Six medium-sized dogs of mixed breeds were allocated to two groups in a replicated cross-over design and fed a basal diet with and without supplementation of PPE at 50 mg/kg body weight. Each of the experimental periods consisted of 30 d, with a 21 d washout period in between. Results indicated that PPE supplementation led to no significant changes in nutrient digestibility except a trend of improvement (P = 0·070) in crude fibre digestibility. PPE supplementation significantly (P < 0·001) influenced faecal pH, ammonia and lactate production, indicative of positive effects of PPE polyphenols. PPE supplementation further increased faecal SCFA concentration accompanied by a reduction (P < 0·01) in branched-chain fatty acids. PPE supplementation also improved (P < 0·05) indices of erythrocytic antioxidants, namely reduced glutathione, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase together with an improvement in lipid peroxidation. Overall, it can be concluded that dietary supplementation with PPE at 50 mg/kg body weight had a positive impact on hindgut fermentation and antioxidant status in dogs, thereby demonstrating its potential as a gut health-promoting nutraceutical.
The Perceived Problems of People With Subclinical Personality Disorders: A Mental Health Literacy Study
Authors: Furnham Adrian , Petropoulou Kelly
Published: July 2017

This study looked at lay theories of how people with personality disorders (PDs) are perceived to cope with their interpersonal relationships. In all, 213 participants read 14 vignettes derived from Oldham's and Morris's (2000) book describing DSM III personality disorders for a popular audience. Participants were invited to do six ratings, including how happy each person in each vignette appeared to be and how successful at establishing long-term relationships. Effect sizes for each question across the 14 vignettes were small to medium. The six ratings factored into a single social adjustment scale, and there were many differences across the PDs on this measure. Those with dependent PD were judged as most successful in their social relationships while those who were schizoid PD were judged as least successful. A similar analysis using the three higher order clusters showed significant differences: Cluster C disordered people were judged as better adjusted than Cluster A people. Limitations of the methodology and implications are discussed.
New speleothem data from Molinos and Ejulve caves reveal Holocene hydrological variability in northeast Iberia
Authors: Moreno Ana , Pérez-Mejías Carlos , Bartolomé Miguel , Sancho Carlos , Cacho Isabel , Stoll Heather , Delgado-Huertas Antonio , Hellstrom John , Edwards R. Lawrence , Cheng Hai
Published: July 2017

New speleothem records from northeastern Iberian caves provide data to explore the climatic patterns during the Holocene. We present δ13C and Mg/Ca from three speleothems from two different caves located in the Iberian Range allowing replication of the climatic signal for several millennia. Through the integration of those stalagmites covering since the Holocene onset to 2 ka, the early Holocene (11.7–8.5 ka) appears as the wettest interval. A marked change towards aridity is observed during the middle Holocene (8.5–4.8 ka) and an increase of humidity afterwards (4.8–2 ka). This three-part pattern, contrasting with other Iberian sequences, seems to be associated with the different role that seasonality has played in the response of different proxies (or records) to changes in water availability. Interpreting our speleothem records as changes in winter-spring precipitation along the Holocene allows reconciling previous data on hydrological variability from the western Mediterranean borderlands.
Transforming the Nation? The Bolivarian Education Reform in Venezuela
Authors: ABBOTT JARED A. , SOIFER HILLEL DAVID , VOM HAU MATTHIAS
Published: July 2017

The Chávez government introduced a ‘Bolivarian’ national curriculum to promote radically different understandings of Venezuelan history and identity. We place the fate of this reform initiative within the broader study of state formation and nationalism. Scholars have long identified mass schooling as the key institution for socialising citizens and cultivating national loyalties, and many states have attempted to alter the nationalist content of schooling with these ends in mind. Venezuela constitutes an ideal case for identifying the specific conditions under which transformations of official national ideologies do and do not gain broader resonance. Using evidence derived from textbook analysis and semi-structured interviews with educational officials and teachers in Caracas, we highlight a new argument, showing that intrastate tensions between the central government and teachers, heightened by a well-established cultural machinery and by teachers’ increasing exclusion from the Chavista political coalition, explain the limited success in government efforts to implement Bolivarian nationalism through the school curriculum.