bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction
Authors: Dzenovska Dace , De Genova Nicholas
Published: March 2018

In this introduction, we reflect on the proliferation of an amorphous
desire for the political in the post–Cold War era. The desire for the political, we
argue, is shaped by two sets of tensions: the desire to criticize power via forms of
action conventionally characterized as “politics,” but without a clear analysis of
how power is organized or exercised; and the desire to overcome the present in
the name of an alternative (better) future, but without a clear sense of the form
that future might take. We start from the vantage points of critical scholarship that
distinguishes itself from the mainstream, and people and places that are geopolitically
in Europe, but “not quite” European if viewed in relation to “Europe” as a
normative trope.
Development of severe hyponatremia due to cerebrospinal fluid leakage following meningomyelocele surgery in a newborn
Authors: Gökce Ismail Kürşad , Turgut Hatice , Ozdemir Ramazan , Onal Selami Cagatay
Published: March 2018

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage following meningomyelocele surgery is a frequent complication in the wound-healing period and is associated with wound dehiscence. CSF loss can cause severe hyponatremia, especially in the newborn and early infancy periods when dietary sodium content is relatively low. Hyponatremia in the newborn period can result in adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. In addition, hyponatremia’s cerebral effects can increase complications in neurosurgery patients. The authors present the case of a newborn in whom CSF leakage from the operative site and severe hyponatremia developed following meningomyelocele surgery. To the best of their knowledge, severe hyponatremia caused by CSF leakage after meningomyelocele surgery has not been previously reported in the literature.
Effect of choice of treatment modality on the incidence of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage
Authors: Koyanagi Masaomi , Fukuda Hitoshi , Saiki Masaaki , Tsuji Yoshihito , Lo Benjamin , Kawasaki Toshinari , Ioroi Yoshihiko , Fukumitsu Ryu , Ishibashi Ryota , Oda Masashi , Narumi Osamu , Chin Masaki , Yamagata Sen , Miyamoto Susumu
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVE

Shunt-dependent hydrocephalus (SDHC) may arise after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) as CSF resorptive mechanisms are disrupted. Using propensity score analysis, the authors aimed to investigate which treatment modality, surgical clipping or endovascular treatment, is superior in reducing rates of SDHC after aSAH.

METHODS

The authors’ multicenter SAH database, comprising 3 stroke centers affiliated with Kyoto University, Japan, was used to identify patients treated between January 2009 and July 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to characterize risk factors for SDHC after aSAH. A propensity score model was generated for both treatment groups, incorporating relevant patient covariates to detect any superiority for prevention of SDHC after aSAH.

RESULTS

A total of 566 patients were enrolled in this study. SDHC developed in 127 patients (22%). On multivariate analysis, age older than 53 years, the presence of intraventricular hematoma, and surgical clipping as opposed to endovascular coiling were independently associated with SDHC after aSAH. After propensity score matching, 136 patients treated with surgical clipping and 136 with endovascular treatment were matched. Propensity score–matched cohorts exhibited a significantly lower incidence of SDHC after endovascular treatment than after surgical clipping (16% vs 30%, p = 0.009; OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.2–4.2). SDHC was independently associated with poor neurological outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score 3–6) at discharge (OR 4.3, 95% CI 2.6–7.3; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

SDHC after aSAH occurred significantly more frequently in patients who underwent surgical clipping. Strategies for treatment of ruptured aneurysms should be used to mitigate SDHC and minimize poor outcomes.
Spinal ependymoma in adults: a multicenter investigation of surgical outcome and progression-free survival
Authors: Wostrack Maria , Ringel Florian , Eicker Sven O. , Jägersberg Max , Schaller Karl , Kerschbaumer Johannes , Thomé Claudius , Shiban Ehab , Stoffel Michael , Friedrich Benjamin , Kehl Victoria , Vajkoczy Peter , Meyer Bernhard , Onken Julia
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVE

Spinal ependymomas are rare glial neoplasms. Because their incidence is low, only a few larger studies have investigated this condition. There are no clear data concerning prognosis and therapy. The aim of the study was to describe the natural history, perioperative clinical course, and local tumor control of adult patients with spinal ependymomas who were surgically treated under modern treatment standards.

METHODS

The authors performed a multicenter retrospective study. They identified 158 adult patients with spinal ependymomas who had received surgical treatment between January 2006 and June 2013. The authors analyzed the clinical and histological aspects of these cases to identify the predictive factors for postoperative morbidity, tumor resectability, and recurrence.

RESULTS

Gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 80% of cases. At discharge, 37% of the patients showed a neurological decline. During follow-up the majority recovered, whereas 76% showed at least preoperative status. Permanent functional deterioration remained in 2% of the patients. Transient deficits were more frequent in patients with cervically located ependymomas (p = 0.004) and in older patients (p = 0.002). Permanent deficits were independently predicted only by older age (p = 0.026). Tumor progression was observed in 15 cases. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 80%, and GTR (p = 0.037), WHO grade II (p = 0.009), and low Ki-67 index (p = 0.005) were independent prognostic factors for PFS. Adjuvant radiation therapy was performed in 15 cases. No statistically relevant effects of radiation therapy were observed among patients with incompletely resected ependymomas (p = 0.079).

CONCLUSIONS

Due to its beneficial value for PFS, GTR is important in the treatment of spinal ependymoma. Gross-total resection is feasible in the majority of cases, with acceptable rates of permanent deficits. Also, Ki-67 appears to be an important prognostic factor and should be included in a grading scheme for spinal ependymomas.
PageRank Topic Model: Estimation of Multinomial Distributions using Network Structure Analysis Methods
Authors: Ikegami Kenshin , Ohsawa Yukio
Published: March 2018

It is useful to extract review sentences based on an assigned viewpoint for purposes such as summarization tasks. Previous studies have considered review extraction using semi-supervised learning or association mining. However, we approach this task using a clustering method. In particular, we focus on a topic model as a clustering method. In the conventional topic model, after randomly initializing the word distribution and the topic distribution, these distributions are estimated in order to minimize the perplexity using Gibbs sampling or variational Bayes. We introduce a new method called the PageRank topic model (PRTM) for estimating multinomial distributions over topics and words using network structure analysis methods. PRTM extracts topics by focusing on the co-occurrence relationships of words and it does not need randomly initialized values. Therefore, it can calculate unique word and topic distributions. In experiments using synthetic data, we showed that PRTM can infer an appropriate number of topics by clustering short sentences, and it was particularly effective when the sentences were covered by a small number of topics. Furthermore, in a real-world review data experiment, we showed that PRTM performed better with a shorter runtime compared with other models that infer the number of topics.
Bright New Dawns and Bastard Children
Authors: Sargeant Amy
Published: March 2018

The article addresses debates around the introduction of commercial television in Britain, conducted in Parliament, lobby groups, the advertising trade press and broader cultural commentary. It notes that the boundaries between these interest groups were porous. The article refers to sample advertisements produced by agencies in anticipation of the 1955 launch of ITV in London and other regions thereafter, setting advertisers' initial caution against the bullishness subsequently checked by the 1962 report of the Pilkington Committee. ‘Americanisation’ is identified as a recurrent theme of anxiety, and advertising as a symptom of it, prompting complaints on both sides of the Atlantic. Many of the production strategies anticipated experimentally in the 1950s are with us still, as are concerns regarding differentiation of advertisements from programme content, advertisements' target audiences and commodities advertised on television. For legislators and advertisers alike, print media provided a model for imitation more often than did cinema. Competition between old and new platforms for advertisements – then as now – is identified as an opportunity for mutual advantage rather than displacement.
Adopting a Female Perspective: An Account of the Films of Ethyle Batley, 1912–17
Authors: Turvey Gerry
Published: March 2018

Ethyle Batley was Britain's first woman film director, responsible for some 64 one- and two-reel films between 1912 and her death in 1917. Her unique, albeit brief, career was carved out in an industry domain conventionally reserved for men but her film-making practice appears to have been inflected by her experiences as a woman, especially as she began producing at the moment the Women's Social and Political Union was entering its most militant phase. Consequently, she developed a subject matter that drew on an identifiably ‘female perspective’. Adopting a short-story narrative approach and working in a range of genres, she used them to address such themes as childhood, women and children in wartime, working-class poverty, fragmented families and intimate personal relationships – emphases contrasting with those of her closest male co-worker, her husband Ernest. At the same time, her command over the formal resources of film became increasingly confident and sophisticated, as a consecutive reading of her few extant films demonstrates.
Evaluation of Alternative Euthanasia Methods of Neonatal Chickens
Authors: Gurung Shailesh , White Dima , Archer Gregory , Zhao Dan , Farnell Yuhua , Byrd J. , Peebles E. , Farnell Morgan
Published: March 2018

Hatched male layer chicks are currently euthanized by maceration in the United States. Public concerns on the use of maceration have led to the search for alternative methods. We hypothesized that gas inhalation and low atmospheric pressure stunning (LAPS) are viable and humane alternatives to instantaneous mechanical destruction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological and behavioral responses of recently hatched male layer chicks when subjected to carbon dioxide, nitrogen inhalation, or LAPS. The study consisted of seven treatments: breathing air (NEG), 25% carbon dioxide (CO2), 50% CO2, 75% CO2, 90% CO2, 100% nitrogen (N2), or LAPS. Ten day-of-hatch, male layer chicks were randomly assigned to each treatment, and each treatment was replicated on ten different days. A custom-made vacuum system was used to reduce air pressure inside the chamber from 100.12 kPa to 15.3 kPa for the LAPS treatment. Serum corticosterone and serotonin levels were measured using commercially available competitive enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Latencies to loss of posture and motionlessness were determined from video recordings. The 25% and 50% CO2 treatments were discontinued after the first replication, as the majority of the chicks recovered. The chicks in the negative (NEG) group had significantly higher levels of corticosterone than the other four euthanasia treatments. On the other hand, the serotonin levels of chicks in the NEG group was significantly lower when compared to the other four euthanasia treatments. The latencies to loss of posture and motionlessness of chicks exposed to 75% and 90% CO2 were significantly shorter than those in the LAPS and N2 inhalation treatments. These data suggest that the stress responses of chicks to the CO2, N2, and LAPS treatments do not differ among each other. However, the CO2 inhalation method was faster in inducing loss of posture and motionlessness in chicks than the LAPS and N2 inhalation treatments.
Advanced Hysteretic Model of a Prototype Seismic Isolation System Made of Polymeric Bearings
Authors: Falborski Tomasz , Jankowski Robert
Published: March 2018

The present paper reports the results of acomprehensive study designed to verify the effectiveness of an advanced mathematical model in simulating the complex mechanical behaviour of a prototype seismic isolation system made of polymeric bearings (PBs). Firstly, in order to construct the seismic bearings considered in this research, a specially prepared flexible polymeric material with increased damping properties was employed. High effectiveness of PBs in reducing structural vibrations due to seismic excitations was already confirmed during a previously conducted shaking table investigation. In order to accurately capture the complex mechanical behaviour of PBs in numerical analysis, the proposed mathematical model defines the lateral force as a nonlinear function of shear displacement and deformation velocity. Function parameters were evaluated by fitting the general form of the mathematical model into the experimentally obtained hysteresis loops, using the least squares optimisation method. The effectiveness of the mathematical model was verified by comparing the experimental data (i.e., seismic response of a 1.20 m high single-storey and a 2.30 m high two-storey structure models under various ground motions) with the results obtained from the detailed numerical analysis, where the experimental models were idealized as multi-degree-of-freedom systems. The results obtained from this investigation explicitly confirmed that the proposed mathematical model can be successfully adopted to accurately capture complex mechanical behaviour of PBs in numerical studies.
Investigation on the Sensitivity of Ultrasonic Test Applied to Reinforced Concrete Beams Using Neural Network
Authors: Ongpeng Jason , Oreta Andres , Hirose Sohichi
Published: March 2018

An experiment on reinforced concrete beams using four-point bending test during an ultrasonic test was conducted. Three beam specimens were considered for each water/cement ratio (WC) of 40% and 60%, with three reinforcement schedules named design A (comprising two top bars and two bottom bars), design B (with two bottom bars), and design C (with one bottom bar). The concrete beam had a size of 100 mm × 100 mm × 400 mm in length with a plain reinforcement bar of 9 mm in diameter. An ultrasonic test with pitch–catch configuration was conducted at each loading with the transducers oriented in direct transmission across the beams' length with recordings of 68 datasets per beam specimen. Recordings of ultrasonic test results and strains at the top and bottom surfaces subjected to multiple step loads in the experiment were done. After the collection of the data, feed-forward backpropagation artificial neural network (ANN) was used to investigate the sensitivity of the ultrasonic parameters to the mechanical load applied. Five input parameters were examined, as follows: neutral axis (NA), fundamental harmonic amplitude (A1), second harmonic amplitude (A2), third harmonic amplitude (A3), and peak-to-peak amplitude (PPA), while the output parameter was the percentage of ultimate load. Optimum models were chosen after training, validating, and testing 60 ANN models. The optimum model was chosen on the basis of the highest Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient (R) and soundness, confirming that it exhibited good behavior in agreement with theories. A classification of sensitivity was performed using simulations based on the developed optimum models. It was found that A2 and NA were sensitive to all WC and reinforcements used in the ANN simulation. In addition, the range of sensitivity of A2 and NA was inversely and directly proportional to the reinforcing bars, respectively. This study can be used as a guide in the selection of ultrasonic parameters to assess damage in concrete with low or high WC and varying reinforcement content.
Pneumatic Rotary Actuator Position Servo System Based on ADE-PD Control
Authors: Zhang Yeming , Li Ke , Wei Shaoliang , Wang Geng
Published: March 2018

In order to accurately control the rotation position of a pneumatic rotary actuator, the flow state of the gas and the motion state of the pneumatic rotary actuator in the pneumatic rotary actuator position servo system are analyzed in this paper. The mathematical model of the system and the experiment platform are established after that. An Adaptive Differential Evolution (ADE) algorithm which adaptively ameliorates the scaling factor and crossover probability in the process of individual evolution is proposed and applied to the parameter optimization of PD controller. The experimental platform is used to compare the controller with Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm and NCD-PID controller. Finally, the characteristics of the system are tested by increasing the inertial load. The experimental results illustrate that system using ADE-PD control strategy has greater position precision and faster response than using DE-PD and NCD-PID strategies, and shows great robustness.
Depth Retrieval Procedures in Pulsed Thermography: Remarks in Time and Frequency Domain Analyses
Authors: Theodorakeas Panagiotis , Koui Maria
Published: March 2018

In the present study, a Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) sample of trapezoid shape, consisting of internal artificial delaminations of various sizes and depth locations, is investigated by means of optical pulsed thermography for the retrieval of quantitative depth information. The main objectives of this work are to evaluate the produced depth estimation accuracy from two contrast-based depth inversion procedures as well as to correlate the acquired results with characteristics such as the location and size of the detected features and with analysis parameters such as the selection of the sound area. Quantitative analysis is performed in both the temporal and frequency domains, utilising, respectively, the informative parameters of thermal contrast peak slope time and blind frequency. The two depth retrieval procedures are applied for the depth estimation of features ranging in size from 3 mm to 15 mm and in depth from 0.2 mm to 1 mm. The results of the present study showed that the two different analyses provided efficient depth estimations, with frequency domain analysis presenting a greater accuracy. Nevertheless, predicting errors were observed in both cases and the factors responsible for these errors are defined and discussed.
Robust Image Watermarking Algorithm Based on ASIFT against Geometric Attacks
Authors: Wang Chengyou , Zhang Yunpeng , Zhou Xiao
Published: March 2018

Image processing technology has been developed rapidly in recent years, and altering the content of an image is easy for everyone, but may be illegal for an attacker. Thus, it is urgent and necessary to overcome this problem to protect the integrity and authenticity of images. Watermarking is a powerful technique proposed to solve this problem. This paper introduces a robust image watermarking algorithm working in the wavelet domain, embedding the watermark information into the third level low frequency coefficients after the three-level discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and singular value decomposition (SVD). Additionally, to improve the robustness to geometric attacks, the affine-scale-invariant feature transform (ASIFT) is applied to obtain feature points which are invariant to geometric attacks. Then, features of acquired points between the watermarked image and the received image are used to realize the resynchronization to improve the robustness. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm achieves great balance between robustness and imperceptibility, and is robust against geometric attacks, JPEG compression, noise addition, cropping, median filters, and so on.
Molecular Characterization of Gastric Carcinoma: Therapeutic Implications for Biomarkers and Targets
Authors: Kankeu Fonkoua Lionel , Yee Nelson
Published: March 2018

Palliative chemotherapy is the mainstay of treatment of advanced gastric carcinoma (GC). Monoclonal antibodies including trastuzumab, ramucirumab, and pembrolizumab have been shown to provide additional benefits. However, the clinical outcomes are often unpredictable and they can vary widely among patients. Currently, no biomarker is available for predicting treatment response in the individual patient except human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) amplification and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression for effectiveness of trastuzumab and pembrolizumab, respectively. Multi-platform molecular analysis of cancer, including GC, may help identify predictive biomarkers to guide selection of therapeutic agents. Molecular classification of GC by The Cancer Genome Atlas Research Network and the Asian Cancer Research Group is expected to identify therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers. Complementary to molecular characterization of GC is molecular profiling by expression analysis and genomic sequencing of tumor DNA. Initial analysis of patients with gastroesophageal carcinoma demonstrates that the ratio of progression-free survival (PFS) on molecular profile (MP)-based treatment to PFS on treatment prior to molecular profiling exceeds 1.3, suggesting the potential value of MP in guiding selection of individualized therapy. Future strategies aiming to integrate molecular classification and profiling of tumors with therapeutic agents for achieving the goal of personalized treatment of GC are indicated.
Accuracy of Continuous Glucose Monitoring before, during, and after Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Biagi Lyvia , Bertachi Arthur , Quirós Carmen , Giménez Marga , Conget Ignacio , Bondia Jorge , Vehí Josep
Published: March 2018

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) plays an important role in treatment decisions for patients with type 1 diabetes under conventional or closed-loop therapy. Physical activity represents a great challenge for diabetes management as well as for CGM systems. In this work, the accuracy of CGM in the context of exercise is addressed. Six adults performed aerobic and anaerobic exercise sessions and used two Medtronic Paradigm Enlite-2 sensors under closed-loop therapy. CGM readings were compared with plasma glucose during different periods: one hour before exercise, during exercise, and four hours after the end of exercise. In aerobic sessions, the median absolute relative difference (MARD) increased from 9.5% before the beginning of exercise to 16.5% during exercise (p < 0.001), and then decreased to 9.3% in the first hour after the end of exercise (p < 0.001). For the anaerobic sessions, the MARD before exercise was 15.5% and increased without statistical significance to 16.8% during exercise realisation (p = 0.993), and then decreased to 12.7% in the first hour after the cessation of anaerobic activities (p = 0.095). Results indicate that CGM might present lower accuracy during aerobic exercise, but return to regular operation a few hours after exercise cessation. No significant impact for anaerobic exercise was found.
Effects of Mesopore Internal Surfaces on the Structure of Immobilized Pd-Bisphosphine Complexes Analyzed by Variable-Temperature XAFS and Their Catalytic Performances
Authors: Motokura Ken , Fukuda Takuma , Uemura Yohei , Matsumura Daiju , Ikeda Marika , Nambo Masayuki , Chun Wang-Jae
Published: March 2018

In this study, mesoporous and nonporous silica-supported Pd complexes were synthesized and characterized. Variable-temperature XAFS measurements and a curve-fitting analysis showed a slightly larger contribution of σ2static when the Pd complexes were on a nonporous support in comparison to a mesoporous support. In contrast, the catalytic performance of the attached Pd complex in the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction was not affected by such small differences in the static disorder of the Pd complex.
Development of EOG-Based Human Computer Interface (HCI) System Using Piecewise Linear Approximation (PLA) and Support Vector Regression (SVR)
Authors: Yang Jung-Jin , Gang Gyeong , Kim Tae
Published: March 2018

Electrooculogram (EOG)-based human-computer interfaces (HCIs) are widely researched and considered to be a good HCI option for disabled people. However, conventional systems can only detect eye direction or blinking action. In this paper, we developed a bio-signal-based HCI that can quantitatively estimate the horizontal position of eyeball. A designed bio-signal acquisition system can measure EOG and temporalis electromyogram (EMG) signals simultaneously without additional electrodes. For real-time processing for practical application, modified sliding window algorithms are designed and applied for piecewise linear approximation (PLA). To find the eyeball position, support vector regression (SVR) is applied as a curve-fitting model. The average tracking error for target circle with a diameter of 3 cm showed only 1.4 cm difference on the screen with a width of 51 cm. A developed HCI system can perform operations similar to dragging and dropping used in a mouse interface in less than 5 s with only eyeball movement and bite action. Compare to conventional EOG-based HCI that detects the position of the eyeball only in 0 and 1 levels, a developed system can continuously track the eyeball position in less than 0.2 s. In addition, compared to conventional EOG-based HCI, the reduced number of electrodes can enhance the interface usability.
Management Recommendations for Improving Decentralized Wastewater Treatment by the Food and Beverage Industries in Nigeria
Authors: Kayode Olajumoke , Luethi Christoph , Rene Eldon
Published: March 2018

The main aim of this study was to identify the enabling conditions that can lead to better wastewater management by industries (non-oil and gas sector) in Nigeria. The relevant data and information’s required for this study were obtained through semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders in the Nigerian environmental sector. The lack of financial capability, technical expertise, and environmental awareness was envisaged as the main reason for non-compliance. According to the results, the enabling conditions that can lead to better decentralized wastewater management are government support, improved legal and regulatory framework, increased capacity, and skills of the regulators and financial arrangements for implementing environmental policies and treatment technologies in polluting facilities.
Optimization of Conditions for Extraction of Polyphenols and the Determination of the Impact of Cooking on Total Polyphenolic, Antioxidant, and Anticholinesterase Activities of Potato
Authors: Laib Imen , Barkat Malika
Published: March 2018

In this work we optimized the cooking and extraction conditions for obtaining high yields of total polyphenols from potato and studied the effect of three domestic methods of cooking on total phenols, antioxidant activity, and anticholinesterase activities. The optimization of the experiment was carried out by the experimental designs. The extraction of the polyphenols was carried out by maceration and ultrasonication. Determination of the polyphenols was performed by using the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent method. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by three methods: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), and CUPRAC(Cupric reducing antioxidant capacity), the anticholinesterase activity was evaluated by the method of Elmann. The optimum of total phenolic obtained was: 4.668 × 104, 1.406 × 104, 3357.009, 16,208.99 µg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/g of dry extract for crude potato, steamed potatoes, in boiling water, and by microwave, respectively. The three modes of cooking cause a decrease in the total polyphenol contents, antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities.
The Inside Story of Adenosine
Authors: Camici Marcella , Garcia-Gil Mercedes , Tozzi Maria
Published: March 2018

Several physiological functions of adenosine (Ado) appear to be mediated by four G protein-coupled Ado receptors. Ado is produced extracellularly from the catabolism of the excreted ATP, or intracellularly from AMP, and then released through its transporter. High level of intracellular Ado occurs only at low energy charge, as an intermediate of ATP breakdown, leading to hypoxanthine production. AMP, the direct precursor of Ado, is now considered as an important stress signal inside cell triggering metabolic regulation through activation of a specific AMP-dependent protein kinase. Intracellular Ado produced from AMP by allosterically regulated nucleotidases can be regarded as a stress signal as well. To study the receptor-independent effects of Ado, several experimental approaches have been proposed, such as inhibition or silencing of key enzymes of Ado metabolism, knockdown of Ado receptors in animals, the use of antagonists, or cell treatment with deoxyadenosine, which is substrate of the enzymes acting on Ado, but is unable to interact with Ado receptors. In this way, it was demonstrated that, among other functions, intracellular Ado modulates angiogenesis by regulating promoter methylation, induces hypothermia, promotes apoptosis in sympathetic neurons, and, in the case of oxygen and glucose deprivation, exerts a cytoprotective effect by replenishing the ATP pool.
Venomics-Accelerated Cone Snail Venom Peptide Discovery
Authors: Himaya S. , Lewis Richard
Published: March 2018

Cone snail venoms are considered a treasure trove of bioactive peptides. Despite over 800 species of cone snails being known, each producing over 1000 venom peptides, only about 150 unique venom peptides are structurally and functionally characterized. To overcome the limitations of the traditional low-throughput bio-discovery approaches, multi-omics systems approaches have been introduced to accelerate venom peptide discovery and characterisation. This “venomic” approach is starting to unravel the full complexity of cone snail venoms and to provide new insights into their biology and evolution. The main challenge for venomics is the effective integration of transcriptomics, proteomics, and pharmacological data and the efficient analysis of big datasets. Novel database search tools and visualisation techniques are now being introduced that facilitate data exploration, with ongoing advances in related omics fields being expected to further enhance venomics studies. Despite these challenges and future opportunities, cone snail venomics has already exponentially expanded the number of novel venom peptide sequences identified from the species investigated, although most novel conotoxins remain to be pharmacologically characterised. Therefore, efficient high-throughput peptide production systems and/or banks of miniaturized discovery assays are required to overcome this bottleneck and thus enhance cone snail venom bioprospecting and accelerate the identification of novel drug leads.
Once Daily High Dose Tigecycline Is Optimal: Tigecycline PK/PD Parameters Predict Clinical Effectiveness
Authors: Baron Jeffrey , Cai Shuntao , Klein Natalie , Cunha Burke
Published: March 2018

Objective: The clinical effectiveness of tigecycline depends on appropriate use, and PK/PD (pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic) parameters related to dose and dosing interval. Methods: In our 600-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital, we conducted a tigecycline efficacy review over a three-month period in 34 evaluable patients. Parameters assessed included clinical response, cure or treatment failure, once daily as q12h dosing, maintenance dosing, high dose vs. standard loading regimens, adverse effects, and the effect of infectious disease consultation on outcomes. Results: We found once daily high dose tigecycline (HDT) was highly effective in treating serious systemic infections due to MDR Gram-positive/negative pathogens as well as C. difficile colitis. Adverse effects were infrequent and limited to mild nausea/vomiting. Once daily HDT was highly effective, and the few treatment failures were related to suboptimal/split dosing regimens. Conclusion: Once daily HDT was highly effective when used to treat susceptible pathogens and when optimally dosed, i.e., 200–400 mg (IV) loading dose ×1, followed by a once daily maintenance dose of 100–200 mg (IV) q24h.
Outcomes for Women with Gestational Diabetes Treated with Metformin: A Retrospective, Case-Control Study
Authors: McGrath Rachel , Glastras Sarah , Scott Emma , Hocking Samantha , Fulcher Gregory
Published: March 2018

Metformin is increasingly being used a therapeutic option for the management of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The aim of this study was to compare the maternal characteristics and perinatal outcomes of women with GDM treated with metformin (with or without supplemental insulin) with those receiving other management approaches. A retrospective, case-control study was carried out and 83 women taking metformin were matched 1:1 with women receiving insulin or diet and lifestyle modification alone. Women managed with diet and lifestyle modification had a significantly lower fasting plasma glucose (p < 0.001) and HbA1c (p < 0.01) at diagnosis of GDM. Furthermore, women managed with metformin had a higher early pregnancy body mass index (BMI) compared to those receiving insulin or diet and lifestyle modification (p < 0.001). There was no difference in mode of delivery, birth weight or incidence of large- or small-for-gestational-age neonates between groups. Women receiving glucose lowering therapies had a higher rate of neonatal hypoglycaemia (p < 0.05). The incidence of other adverse perinatal outcomes was similar between groups. Despite their greater BMI, women with metformin-treated GDM did not have an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Metformin is a useful alternative to insulin in the management of GDM.
Dynamic Recrystallization Behavior and Corrosion Resistance of a Dual-Phase Mg-Li Alloy
Authors: Liu Gang , Xie Wen , Wei Guobing , Yang Yan , Liu Junwei , Xu Tiancai , Xie Weidong , Peng Xiaodong
Published: March 2018

The hot deformation and dynamic recrystallization behavior of the dual-phase Mg-9Li-3Al-2Sr-2Y alloy had been investigated using a compression test. The typical dual-phase structure was observed, and average of grain size of as-homogenized alloy is about 110 µm. It mainly contains β-Li, α-Mg, Al4Sr and Al2Y phases. The dynamic recrystallization (DRX) kinetic was established based on an Avrami type equation. The onset of the DRX process occurred before the peak of the stress–strain flow curves. It shows that the DRX volume fraction increases with increasing deformation temperature or decreasing strain rate. The microstructure evolution during the hot compression at various temperatures and strain rates had been investigated. The DRX grain size became larger with the increasing testing temperature or decreasing strain rate because the higher temperature or lower strain rate can improve the migration of DRX grain boundaries. The fully recrystallized microstructure can be achieved in a small strain due to the dispersed island-shape α-Mg phases, continuous the Al4Sr phases and spheroidal Al2Y particles, which can accelerate the nucleation. The continuous Al4Sr phases along the grain boundaries are very helpful for enhancing the corrosion resistance of the duplex structured Mg-Li alloy, which can prevent the pitting corrosion and filiform corrosion.
Study of Hyperbranched Poly(ethyleneimine) Polymers of Different Molecular Weight and Their Interaction with Epoxy Resin
Authors: Román Frida , Colomer Pere , Calventus Yolanda , Hutchinson John
Published: March 2018

Two different commercial hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine)s (HBPEI), with molecular weights (MW) of 800 and 25,000 g/mol, and denoted as PEI800 and PEI25000, respectively, as well as the mixtures with a Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol-A (DGEBA) epoxy resin, have been studied using thermal analysis techniques (DSC, TGA), dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Only a single glass transition is observed in these mixtures by DSC. DRS of the HBPEIs shows three dipolar relaxations: γ, β, and α. The average activation energy for the γ-relaxation is similar for all HBPEIs and is associated with the motion of the terminal groups. The β-relaxation has the same average activation energy for both PEI800 and PEI25000; this relaxation is attributed to the mobility of the branches. The α-relaxation peak for all the HBPEIs is an asymmetric peak with a shoulder on the high temperature side. This shoulder suggests the existence of ionic charge trapped in the PEI. For the mixtures, the γ- and β-relaxations follow the behaviour of the epoxy resin alone, indicating that the epoxy resin dominates the molecular mobility. The α-relaxation by DRS is observed only as a shoulder, as a consequence of an overlap with conductivity effects, whereas by DMA, it is a clear peak.
Compound Formation and Microstructure of As-Cast High Entropy Aluminums
Authors: Sanchez Jon , Vicario Iban , Albizuri Joseba , Guraya Teresa , Koval Natalia , Garcia Jose
Published: March 2018

The aim of this work is to study the microstructure of four high entropy alloys (HEAs) produced by large scale vacuum die casting. Al40Cu15Mn5Ni5Si20Zn15, Al45Cu15Mn5Fe5Si5Ti5Zn20, Al35Cu5Fe5Mn5Si30V10Zr10, and Al50Ca5Cu5Ni10Si20Ti10 alloys formed a mixture of different structures, containing intermetallic compound (IC) and solid solution (SS) phases. The phases observed in the casting alloys were compared with the equilibrium phases predicted by Thermo-Calc. The measured densities varied from 3.33 g/cm−3 to 5.07 g/cm−3 and microhardness from 437 Hv to 887 Hv. Thus, the microhardness and estimated strength/density ratios are significantly higher than other lightweight high entropy alloys (LWHEAs).
Microstructural Characteristics and m23c6 Precipitate Behavior of the Course-Grained Heat-Affected Zone of T23 Steel without Post-Weld Heat Treatment
Authors: Lee Seong-Hyeong , Na Hye-Sung , Lee Kyong-Woon , Choe Youngson , Kang Chung
Published: March 2018

The microstructural characteristics of a simulated heat-affected zone (HAZ) in SA213-T23 (2.25Cr-1.6W steel) used for boiler tubes employed in thermal power plants were investigated using nital, alkaline sodium picrate, and Murakami’s etchants. In order to investigate the microstructure formation process of the HAZ in the welding process, simulated HAZ specimens were fabricated at intervals of 100 °C for peak temperatures between 950 and 1350 °C, and the microstructural features and precipitate behavior at various peak temperatures were observed. The alkaline-sodium-picrate-etched microstructures exhibited a black dot or band, which was not observed in the natal-etched microstructure. As the temperature increased from 950 to 1350 °C, the black dot and band became wider and thicker. Experimental analyses using an electron probe micro-analyzer, electron backscatter diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy revealed the appearance of austenite in the black dot region at a peak temperature of 950 °C; its amount increased up to a peak temperature of 1050 °C and thereafter decreased as the peak temperature further increased. The amount of M23C6 decreased with an increase in peak temperature. Based on these results, we investigated the behaviors of austenite and M23C6 as functions of the peak temperature.
Distinct Fracture Patterns in Construction Steels for Reinforced Concrete under Quasistatic Loading— A Review
Authors: Suárez Fernando , Gálvez Jaime , Cendón David , Atienza José
Published: March 2018

Steel is one of the most widely used materials in construction. Nucleation growth and coalescence theory is usually employed to explain the fracture process in ductile materials, such as many metals. The typical cup–cone fracture pattern has been extensively studied in the past, giving rise to numerical models able to reproduce this pattern. Nevertheless, some steels, such as the eutectoid steel used for manufacturing prestressing wires, does not show this specific shape but a flat surface with a dark region in the centre of the fracture area. Recent studies have deepened the knowledge on these distinct fracture patterns, shedding light on some aspects that help to understand how damage begins and propagates in each case. The numerical modelling of both fracture patterns have also been discussed and reproduced with different approaches. This work reviews the main recent advances in the knowledge on this subject, particularly focusing on the experimental work carried out by the authors.
Effects of Exogenous Application of Protocatechuic Acid and Vanillic Acid to Chlorophylls, Phenolics and Antioxidant Enzymes of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Submergence
Authors: Xuan Tran , Khang Do
Published: March 2018

In this study, effects from application of protocatechuic acid (PA) and vanillic acid (VA) and their mixture on the submergence tolerance of rice were examined. The treatment of 0.01 mM PA and VA did not show significant increase of rice growth as compared to the controls. However, at higher concentrations (0.1–1.0 mM), rice shoot was elevated in submergence by 20.8–22.4%. The survival percentage of rice seedlings at any dose of PA, VA and their mixture was significantly higher than the controls. In general, the mixture of PA and VA was more active to promote shoot elongation and survival in submergence than sole treatment of either PA or VA. The amount of chlorophyll b by PA was significantly increased, while no change in chlorophyll a content was observed. VA remarkably reduced malondialdehyde quantity at three days of submergence, while no significant difference among treatment was observed in PA, the mixture, and respective controls. The two phenolic acids promoted contents of phenolics and flavonoids in rice leaves and roots, however the quantities of endogenous PA and VA in rice were not markedly differed after PA and VA treated on roots of rice seedlings. The ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities were enhanced, while the expression of genes encoding antioxidant enzymes was favored. VA increased the expression level of ascorbate peroxidase genes in higher levels than PA and their mixture, while no significant difference was observed in the other genes including superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and peroxidase. Findings of this study showed that PA and VA increased the submergence tolerance of rice by promoting the photosynthetic and anti-oxidative processes in rice seedlings. The treatment of PA and VA mixture on seedling roots was potent to promote the submergence tolerance in rice.
Efficient Separation of Four Antibacterial Diterpenes from the Roots of Salvia Prattii Using Non-Aqueous Hydrophilic Solid-Phase Extraction Followed by Preparative High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
Authors: Dang Jun , Cui Yulei , Pei Jinjin , Yue Huilan , Liu Zenggen , Wang Weidong , Jiao Lijin , Mei Lijuan , Wang Qilan , Tao Yanduo , Shao Yun
Published: March 2018

An efficient preparative procedure for the separation of four antibacterial diterpenes from a Salvia prattii crude diterpenes-rich sample was developed. Firstly, the XION hydrophilic stationary phase was chosen to separate the antibacterial crude diterpenes-rich sample (18.0 g) into three fractions with a recovery of 46.1%. Then, the antibacterial fractions I (200 mg), II (200 mg), and III (150 g) were separated by the Megress C18 preparative column, and compounds tanshinone IIA (80.0 mg), salvinolone (62.0 mg), cryptotanshinone (70.0 mg), and ferruginol (68.0 mg) were produced with purities greater than 98%. The procedure achieved large-scale preparation of the four diterpenes with high purity, and it could act as a reference for the efficient preparation of active diterpenes from other plant extracts.
Chemical Synthesis of High-Stable Amorphous FeCo Nanoalloys with Good Magnetic Properties
Authors: Yang Bai , Wu Yue , Li Xiaopan , Yu Ronghai
Published: March 2018

It is difficult to fabricate high-purity amorphous FeCo alloys by traditional physical methods due to their weak glass forming ability. In this work, the fully amorphous FeCo nanoalloys with high purity and good stability have been prepared by a direct chemical reduction of Fe2+ and Co2+ ions with NaBH4 as the reducing agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the surfactant. The morphologies, surface compositions and particle sizes with their distribution of these amorphous samples can be effectively tuned by the suitable PVP additions. High crystallization temperature up to 468 °C, high saturation magnetization of 196.2 A·m2·kg−1 and low coercivity of 83.3 Oe are obtained in amorphous FeCo nanoalloys due to their uniform distribution, weak surface oxidation and low surface B concentration. Good frequency-dependent magnetic properties can be also achieved in the fully compacted amorphous sample with a high density of 7.20 g/cm3. The simple chemical method, high stability and good magnetic properties for these amorphous FeCo nanoalloys promise their significant potential applications in high-power magnetic devices.
Milk Fat Globule Membrane Attenuates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity by Inhibiting Adipogenesis and Increasing Uncoupling Protein 1 Expression in White Adipose Tissue of Mice
Authors: Li Tiange , Gao Jing , Du Min , Song Jiajia , Mao Xueying
Published: March 2018

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), a protein-lipid complex surrounding the fat globules in milk, has many health benefits. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether MFGM could prevent obesity through inhibiting adipogenesis and promoting brown remodeling of white adipose tissue (WAT) in mice fed with high-fat diet. C57BL/6 mice were fed a normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD plus MFGM at 100 mg/kg BW, 200 mg/kg BW or 400 mg/kg BW for 8 weeks. Results showed that MFGM suppressed body weight gain induced by HFD, reduced white adipose tissue (WAT) mass accompanied with the decrease in adipocyte sizes. MFGM was found to have partially improved serum lipid profiles, as well as to have suppressed HFD-induced adipogenesis as shown by reduced expression of peroxisome proliferators-activator receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein-α (C/EBPα) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c). MFGM also markedly increased the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), showing activation of AMPK pathway. Moreover, MFGM promoted browning of inguinal WAT by upregulation the protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in HFD mice. Taken together, these findings provide evidence that MFGM may protect against diet-induced adiposity by suppressing adipogenesis and promoting brown-like transformation in WAT.