bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Spirulina Flour Addition in Feed on the Increase of Colour Brightness Nemo Fish (Premnas biaculeatus)
Authors: Rahayu Indah , Junaidi Muhammad , Rahmadani Thoy batun Citra
Published: October 2024

The nemo fish (Premnas biaculeatus) is a type of marine ornamental fish in Indonesia that is in high demand among the general public. The popularity of this fish can be attributed to several factors, one of which is the brightness of its coloration. One of the plants that can be employed as a color enhancer for ornamental fish is spirulina. Spirulina is a microalgae that has been demonstrated to enhance the brightness of fish coloration. Therefore, it is necessary to research on the effect of adding spirulina flour to feed on increasing the brightness of the color of nemo fish (Premnas biaculeatus). The method used in this research is an experimental method with a completely randomized design. This treatment was carried out with 5 treatments and 3 repetitions, namely: P0 : 0%/kg, P1 : 2%/kg, P2 : 4%/kg, P3 : 6%/kg and P4 : 8%/kg.  The 5 treatments were repeated 3 times, resulting in 15 experimental units. The results of the researches carried out, it can be concluded that the addition of spirulina flour to feed on the brightness of the color of nemo fish (Premnas biaculeatus) is proven to increase the brightness of the color of nemo fish and the best treatment is p3 with a dose of 6%. The addition of spirulina flour to feed on the growth of length and absolute weight of nemo fish (Premnas biaculeatus) has a significant effect, while the survival rate has no significant effect.
Streptococcus pneumoniae in Medical Districts of Burkina Faso: Serotype Distribution and Antibiotic Susceptibility during 2010 to 2012
Authors: Chaibou Yaou , Hadiza Bawa Ibrahim , Somlare Hermann , Ouattara Kalifa , Kienou Maxime C. , Sanou Idrissa
Published: October 2024

Introduction: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a highly virulent pathogen. Despite the recent introduction of vaccines in the program of prevention in Burkina Faso, treatment by antibiotics has remained in use. The aim of this study was to determine the serotypes implied in invasive pneumococcal infections and their resistance to antibiotics used for routine treatment in Burkina Faso.
Methods: From March 2010 to December 2012, a total of 6,102 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and pleural fluid (PF) specimens were collected in Burkina Faso. The specimens were analyzed by latex agglutination assay, culture, and real time polymerase chain reaction (rt-PCR) for species identification. Serotyping was performed by rt-PCR and minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined by the E-test.
Results: Among 562 S. pneumoniae strains identified from 6,102 specimens, 440 isolates were serotyped by rt-PCR. Serotypes 1 and 5 were the most common (50%); however, 70 (15.9%) strains were not detected by rt-PCR methodology. Among patients of less than 20 years of age, serotype 1 was the most frequent strain identified (9.3% to 13.2%). Ampicillin and ceftriaxone were the most active antibiotics in vitro against the strains identified. The rate of S. pneumoniae strains susceptible to chloramphenicol was 83%. Serotypes 1 (7/49) and 5 (5/7) were non-susceptible to chloramphenicol.
Conclusion: Serotypes 1 and 5 were the common serotypes identified. Conjugate vaccines introduced in Burkina Faso should take in account these valences, to decrease the incidence of pneumococcal infections efficiently.
Compartmental Model for Unemployment Dynamics in Ghana using Caputo Fractional Derivative
Authors: Nti Alex Emmanuel , Acquah Joseph , Otoo Henry
Published: October 2024

The study develops a compartmental model for unemployment dynamics in Ghana. The compartmental model is first developed through the method of compartmental designs under certain assumptions such as, all entrants into the labor force qualify for any job, some of the employed become unemployed with time, some of the unemployed go through skill training, among others. The compartmental model is further represented in terms of integral form, and the value of the kernel is thereafter substituted as a power law correlation function to achieve a Caputo fractional derivative model. The Caputo model is analyzed to ascertain its invariant and boundedness, its fixed points and its stability. The unemployment basic reproduction number \(\Re_0\) which determines the threshold of recruitment is analyzed using the Next Generation Method Approach, and the global stability for the unemployment-free equilibrium is also analyzed through the approach of Lyapunov function. The results from the analysis show that, there is attraction of all the solution of the model in \(\mathbb{R}_+^4\) since the region is positively invariant. Again, the results indicates that, the model has two fixed point. Thus, unemployment-free equilibrium and risky-unemployment equilibrium. Notwithstanding, the analysis of both the local and global stability of the model show that, the unemployment free equilibrium is local asymptotically stable (LAS) for \(\Re_0\) <1, and global asymptotically stable (GAS). The results indicate that, the model can examine the unemployment dynamics decision making.
Polypropylene Packaged Ten Days Cold Stored Rose Cut Flowers cv. Bordeaux Influenced by Different Pulsing Solution
Authors: Makwana R. J. , Singh Alka , Chaudhary U. C.
Published: October 2024

The study included different pulsing solution viz., water, HQC 200mg/l, sucrose 50g/l + HQC 200 mg/l, citric acid 200mg/l, α-lipoic acid 200mg/l, GA3 100 mg/l and BA 100mg/l to study the effect on flower quality and vase life of PP (polypropylene) packaged cold storage (at 2°C) rose cv. Bordeaux, for the period of 10 days. Pre-storage pulsing of GA3 100mg/l solution treatment showed highly promising results in extending flowers vase life along with maintained flower quality just after storage and at 4th DAS in vase life. Further, GA3 100mg/l solution treatment recorded significantly higher water up take (175.65 ml), change in fresh weight (10.50%) at 4th DAS, total dissolve solids (8.85 °brix, 8.05 °brix and 6.75 °brix) and membrane stability index (81.97 %, 65.97 % and 37.88 %) at 2nd, 4th and 6th DAS. Moreover, it was evident from the results that same treatment recoded significantly higher total soluble sugar (59.65 mg/g fresh weight), Estimated protein (18.79 mg/g fresh weight), catalase activity (20.42 µ mol H2O2 min-1 g-1 protein), peroxidation activity (40.30 µ mol H2O2 min-1 g-1 protein), pigment content (15.82 mg/g fresh weight) anthocyanin content in the petals at 4th DAS. Whereas, GA3 100 mg/l pulsing solution treated PP packaged cold stored rose cut flowers cv. Bordeaux recorded significantly higher vase life (6.88 days) which was at par with treatment P2 (Sucrose 50 g/l + HQC 200 mg/l).
The Non Pharmacological 3: An In-depth Review and Recommendations for Venous Thromboembolism Prevention in the Peripartum Period in Low and Middle Income Countries
Authors: Sabi Theophilus Ben , Duku Gideon Nomafo , Hoedoafia Lawrence
Published: October 2024

Venous thromboembolism is a significant direct cause of maternal mortality worldwide. Most women who suffer from venous thromboembolism have identifiable risk factors and therefore it is considered a largely preventable condition. There are 2 main ways of preventing this, pharmacological and non-pharmacological. The main pharmacological means of preventing venous thromboembolism include the use of low molecular weight heparin. This is an expensive method and it is sometimes not available in most parts of low and middle income countries due to economic push and pull factors. Even when it is available, majority of the women are unable to afford it, and those who can, get inadequate treatment in form of inappropriate dose or duration of treatment. We shed light on the 3 non-pharmacological methods of prevention of venous thromboembolism and provide recommendations on how it can be deployed in the peripartum period in low and middle income countries to maximise its potential benefit.
Efficacy of Different Bio-Pesticide and Botanical against Onion Thrips (Thrips tabaci L.)
Authors: Gocher Deepak Kumar , Chaudhary A. K. , Kumar Pradeep , Goswami Jatin
Published: October 2024

The field experiment was conducted to evaluate efficacy of Bio-pesticide and botanical against thrips on onion and was carried out at experimental Farm of Organic Research farm Karguwan Ji, Department of Entomology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (Utter Pradesh) during Rabi Season of 2022-2023. The Bio-pesticide and botanical evaluated were Beauveria bassiana, Garlic extract, Metarrhizium anisopliae, Castor oil, NSKE, Neem oil, were tested against onion thrips under field conditions along with untreated control. Two sprays were given at an interval of fifteen days starting at the ETL. The treatment with Garlic extract emerged as the most effective treatment and recorded the least (2.07- 2.80) thrips /5 leaves.
Pest and Disease Video Classification with Convolutional Neural Network and Transfer Learning
Authors: Y. R. Ghodasara , R. S. Parmar , G. J. Kamani , D. B. Sisodiya , R. G. Parmar
Published: October 2024

The important field crops of agriculture are affected due to attack of various pests and diseases which leads to reduction in crop production. Early classification and identification of pests and diseases in plant helps farmers to take mitigation steps. To address this issue with computer vision based techniques, convolutional neural network (CNN) based deep learning models were studied for classification of pests and diseases videos. Six different CNN models were developed. Two approaches namely from scratch learning and transfer learning were used. Data augmentation techniques such as reflection, scaling, rotation, and translation were also applied to prevent the network from overfitting. The classification accuracy of 99.19%, 99.08% and 98.80% was attained in VGG19, DENSENET201 and CNN 5 Layer model. The results demonstrated that CNN models with good architecture can classify pests and diseases with good performance.
A Rank-Based Quotient Analysis of Constraints Faced by PM-KISAN Beneficiaries across Southern States of India: Key Issues and Policy Implications
Authors: M Kaleeswaran , M Ramasubramanian , R Velusamy , S Sendhilnathan , K Prabakaran , V Iniya
Published: October 2024

The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme, launched in 2018, aims to provide crucial financial support to farmers in India. This study analyses the constraints experienced by PM-KISAN recipients across five southern Indian states: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala. Data was gathered from 1,900 farmers through open-ended surveys, and the constraints were ranked using the Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) method. The top constraint, cited by 98.2% of farmers, was the inadequacy of the Rs. 6,000 annual payments, which was considered insufficient for meaningful agricultural investment. Other key issues included exclusion due to outdated land records (88.8%), ineligibility of tenant farmers (85.5%), irregular fund disbursement (75.4%), and a lack of awareness about the scheme's guidelines (70.5%). These findings indicate the need for policy reforms, including increasing the grant amount, revising eligibility criteria, and improving awareness and transparency in fund distribution. Addressing these issues could significantly improve the impact of the PM KISAN scheme, particularly for small and marginal farmers.
Three Dimensional Tree Modeling Based on the Skeleton Path Optimization and Geometrical Shapes
Authors: Li Xin , Zhou Xuan , Xu Sheng
Published: October 2024

Nowadays, the 3D individual tree reconstruction has played a significant role in the phenotypic study of trees. This paper proposes a new automatic method for extracting skeletons of individual trees and reconstructing 3D models. Firstly, the Euclidean clustering is performed to obtain center points of candidate branch regions. Then, the initial skeletons of LiDAR point clouds are obtained by slicing clusters in three dimensions. Secondly, skeleton points are completed by the proposed branch tracking. Then, the radius of the branches is accurately estimated from the branches. Thirdly, optimal points are interpolated in appropriate directions to refine skeletons of individual trees. Then, the Laplacian algorithm is conducted for smoothing branches. After that, optimal geometric shapes are formulated to reconstruct the final 3D tree models. Experimental results show that the average accuracy of our individual tree models is up to 97.49%, which shows a promising algorithm in 3D tree reconstructions.
The radical‐SAM enzyme Viperin catalyzes reductive addition of a 5′‐deoxyadenosyl radical to UDP‐glucose in vitro
Authors: Honarmand Ebrahimi Kourosh , Carr Stephen B. , McCullagh James , Wickens James , Rees Nicholas H. , Cantley James , Armstrong Fraser A.
Published: July 2017

Viperin, a radical‐S‐adenosylmethionine (SAM) enzyme conserved from fungi to humans, can restrict replication of many viruses. Neither the molecular mechanism underlying the antiviral activity of Viperin, nor its exact physiological function, is understood: most importantly, no radical‐SAM activity has been discovered for Viperin. Here, using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy, we show that uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP‐glucose) is a substrate of a fungal Viperin (58% pairwise identity with human Viperin at the amino acid level) in vitro. Structural homology modeling and docking experiments reveal a highly conserved binding pocket in which the position of UDP‐glucose is consistent with our experimental data regarding catalytic addition of a 5′‐deoxyadenosyl radical and a hydrogen atom to UDP‐glucose.
U‐Pb‐Hf‐REE‐Ti zircon and REE garnet geochemistry of the Cambrian Attunga eclogite, New England Orogen, Australia: Implications for continental growth along eastern Gondwana
Authors: Manton Ryan J. , Buckman Solomon , Nutman Allen P. , Bennett Vickie C. , Belousova Elena A.
Published: July 2017

The timing and location of eclogite metamorphism is central to understanding subduction events responsible for the assembly of eastern Gondwana. The Attunga eclogite is one of only six eclogites in Australia and occurs as small blocks within a schistose serpentinite mélange known as the Weraerai terrane, along the Peel Fault of the southern New England Orogen. Our zircon data reveal the presence of high Th/U oscillatory zoned magmatic zircon with a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 534 ± 14 Ma and recrystallized metamorphic domains with an age of 490 ± 14 Ma. The latter have lower Th/U ratios, mostly no Eu anomalies and heavy rare earth element (HREE)‐depleted patterns. Garnet rims demonstrate that the final stages of garnet growth occurred in a HREE‐depleted environment, due to coeval formation with metamorphic zircon. Direct application of the Ti‐in‐zircon thermometer to metamorphic zircon yields temperatures of 770–610°C. Hf isotopic analyses of the zircons have an average εHf(t) of +13, indicating a juvenile crustal signature. We interpret the Attunga eclogite to be an indicator of Late Cambrian subduction beneath an oceanic suprasubduction zone prior to accretion against eastern Gondwanan in the latest Devonian. Phillips et al. () suggest two metamorphic age populations within the Attunga eclogite, based on U‐Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar phengite data. These are ~515 Ma and ~480 Ma. We confirm these data, but our zircon trace element chemistry data indicate that the Early Cambrian age (530 Ma) represents igneous protolith formation rather than eclogite metamorphism.
Critical density gradients for small‐scale plasma irregularity generation in the E and F regions
Authors: Makarevich Roman A.
Published: July 2017

Electron density gradients that can make plasma unstable in the ionospheric E and F regions are analyzed. We focus on critical gradient values required for plasma instability to become operational to produce decameter‐scale plasma irregularities observed by the Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) without any nonlinear wave cascade. Analytic expressions are developed for the critical gradients using a recently developed general formalism for arbitrary geometry and with the ion inertia and stabilizing thermal diffusion effects included. It is demonstrated that the problem can be analyzed using a single equation applicable in both the E and F regions that only differs in the sign of the main term related to convection strength. Analytic expressions are obtained, and results are presented for (1) critical gradient strength for arbitrary gradient and propagation directions, (2) range of propagation directions with unstable primary waves, (3) most favorable configuration and minimum critical gradient, and (4) most favorable propagation direction for arbitrary gradient direction. It is shown that the most favorable configuration is achieved for propagation along the differential drift and gradient perpendicular to it and that an unexpected exception is the F region under strong convection when propagation and gradient are both rotated by a certain angle. It is estimated that in the F region, from which most of the SuperDARN backscatter comes, primary decameter waves can be generated for gradient scales as large as 100 km for favorable orientations and strong plasma convection >500 m/s and that much smaller scales of 200–1000 m are required for unfavorable orientations.
Quasi‐thermal noise spectroscopy: The art and the practice
Authors: Meyer‐Vernet N. , Issautier K. , Moncuquet M.
Published: July 2017

Quasi‐thermal noise spectroscopy is an efficient tool for measuring in situ macroscopic plasma properties in space, using a passive wave receiver at the ports of an electric antenna. This technique was pioneered on spinning spacecraft carrying very long dipole antennas in the interplanetary medium—like ISEE‐3 and Ulysses—whose geometry approached a “theoretician's dream.” The technique has been extended to other instruments in various types of plasmas on board different spacecraft and will be implemented on several missions in the near future. Such extensions require different theoretical modelizations, involving magnetized, drifting, or dusty plasmas with various particle velocity distributions and antennas being shorter, biased, or made of unequal wires. We give new analytical approximations of the plasma quasi‐thermal noise (QTN) and study how the constraints of the real world in space can (or cannot) be compatible with plasma detection by QTN spectroscopy. We consider applications to the missions Wind, Cassini, BepiColombo, Solar Orbiter, and Parker Solar Probe.
Graphene‐Contacted Ultrashort Channel Monolayer MoS2 Transistors
Authors: Xie Li , Liao Mengzhou , Wang Shuopei , Yu Hua , Du Luojun , Tang Jian , Zhao Jing , Zhang Jing , Chen Peng , Lu Xiaobo , Wang Guole , Xie Guibai , Yang Rong , Shi Dongxia , Zhang Guangyu
Published: July 2017

2D semiconductors are promising channel materials for field‐effect transistors (FETs) with potentially strong immunity to short‐channel effects (SCEs). In this paper, a grain boundary widening technique is developed to fabricate graphene electrodes for contacting monolayer MoS2. FETs with channel lengths scaling down to ≈4 nm can be realized reliably. These graphene‐contacted ultrashort channel MoS2 FETs exhibit superior performances including the nearly Ohmic contacts and excellent immunity to SCEs. This work provides a facile route toward the fabrication of various 2D material‐based devices for ultrascaled electronics.
Dynamics of Templated Assembly of Nanoparticle Filaments within Nanochannels
Authors: Miele Ermanno , Raj Sanoj , Baraissov Zhaslan , Král Petr , Mirsaidov Utkur
Published: July 2017

Nanoparticles (NPs) can self‐assemble into complex, organized superstructures on patterned surfaces through fluid‐mediated interactions. However, the detailed mechanisms for such NP assemblies are largely unknown. Here, using in situ transmission electron microscopy, the stepwise self‐assembly dynamics of hydrophobic gold NPs into long filaments formed on the surfaces of water‐filled patterned nanochannel templates is observed. First, the formation of a meniscus between the nanochannel walls, during the slow drying of water, causes accumulation of the NPs in the middle of the nanochannels. Second, owing to the strong van der Waals attraction between the NP ligands, the NPs condense into filaments along the centers of the nanochannels. Filaments with highly fluctuating longitudinal NP densities are also observed to fragment into separated structures. Understanding the intermediate stages of fluid‐mediated NP self‐assembly on patterned surfaces will have important implications for the controlled formation of templated NP assemblies with numerous applications.
Full‐Color Inorganic Carbon Dot Phosphors for White‐Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Tian Zhen , Zhang Xutao , Li Di , Zhou Ding , Jing Pengtao , Shen Dezhen , Qu Songnan , Zboril Radek , Rogach Andrey L.
Published: July 2017

Light‐emitting carbon dots (CDots) are widely investigated due to their distinct merits. However, it is still a challenge to modulate their bandgap emissions and conquer their aggregation‐induced luminescence quenching to achieve full‐color highly emissive CDot‐based phosphors. Herein, this study proposes an approach toward realization of full‐color emissive CDots from two common precursors, citric acid and urea, through employing three different solvents (water, glycerol, and dimethylformamide) and their combinations in a solvothermal synthesis. Employing sodium silicate solution, this study further demonstrates the microwave‐assisted method allowing to incorporate CDots into a silica network, which effectively prevents aggregation of CDots and results in strongly luminescent full‐color inorganic CDot phosphors with photoluminescence quantum yields of 30–40%. Through deposition of the red‐ and green‐emitting CDot phosphors on blue‐emitting InGaN chips, white‐light‐emitting diodes are fabricated with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage of (0.34, 0.31) and the color rendering index of 82.4, indicating their promising application for solid‐state lighting.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Alkylation with Alkyl Halides by C(sp3)−H Activation
Authors: Wu Zhuo , Ma Ding , Zhou Bo , Ji Xiaoming , Ma Xiaotian , Wang Xiaoling , Zhang Yanghui
Published: July 2017

Utilizing halogens as traceless directing goups represents an attractive strategy for C−H functionalization. A two C−H alkylation system, initiated by the oxidative addition of organohalides to Pd0, has been developed. The first reaction involves an intermolecular alkylation of palladacycles to form C(sp3)−C(sp2) bonds followed by C(sp2)−H activation/cyclization to deliver alkylated benzocyclobutenes as the final products. In the second reaction, two C−C bonds are formed by the reaction of palladacycles with CH2Br2, and provides a facile and efficient method for the synthesis of indanes. The alkylated benzocyclobutene products can be transformed into tricyclic hyrocarbons, and the indane derivatives are essential structural motifs in bioactive and odorant molecules.
Mannich Ketones as Possible Antimycobacterial Agents
Authors: Lutz Zsolt , Orbán Katalin , Bóna Ágnes , Márk László , Maász Gábor , Prókai László , Seress Lázló , Lóránd Tamás
Published: July 2017

Twenty‐three known unsaturated and fused Mannich ketones and their reduced derivatives (amino alcohols) were selected for an antituberculotic study. They were screened against several mycobacterial strains including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, M. xenopi, and M. gordonae, and minimum inhibitory concentration values were also determined using the standard antituberculotic drug isoniazid (INH) as a reference. Structure–activity relationships were also studied. The mode of action of the test compounds was investigated using transmission electron microscopy, high‐performance liquid chromatography, and matrix‐assisted desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. Several test substances proved to be as potent as INH, but their antimycobacterial spectra were broader than that of INH. Our findings suggest that their mode of action is probably through the inhibition of mycobacterial cell wall biosynthesis.
Take away body parts! An investigation into the use of 3D‐printed anatomical models in undergraduate anatomy education
Authors: Smith Claire F. , Tollemache Nicholas , Covill Derek , Johnston Malcolm
Published: July 2017

Understanding the three‐dimensional (3D) nature of the human form is imperative for effective medical practice and the emergence of 3D printing creates numerous opportunities to enhance aspects of medical and healthcare training. A recently deceased, un‐embalmed donor was scanned through high‐resolution computed tomography. The scan data underwent segmentation and post‐processing and a range of 3D‐printed anatomical models were produced. A four‐stage mixed‐methods study was conducted to evaluate the educational value of the models in a medical program. (1) A quantitative pre/post‐test to assess change in learner knowledge following 3D‐printed model usage in a small group tutorial; (2) student focus group (3) a qualitative student questionnaire regarding personal student model usage (4) teaching faculty evaluation. The use of 3D‐printed models in small‐group anatomy teaching session resulted in a significant increase in knowledge (P = 0.0001) when compared to didactic 2D‐image based teaching methods. Student focus groups yielded six key themes regarding the use of 3D‐printed anatomical models: model properties, teaching integration, resource integration, assessment, clinical imaging, and pathology and anatomical variation. Questionnaires detailed how students used the models in the home environment and integrated them with anatomical learning resources such as textbooks and anatomy lectures. In conclusion, 3D‐printed anatomical models can be successfully produced from the CT data set of a recently deceased donor. These models can be used in anatomy education as a teaching tool in their own right, as well as a method for augmenting the curriculum and complementing established learning modalities, such as dissection‐based teaching. Anat Sci Educ 11: 44–53. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.
Stabilization Criteria for Singular Fuzzy Systems With Random Delay and Mixed Actuator Failures
Authors: Rathinasamy Sakthivel , Rathika M. , Kaviarasan B. , Shen Hao
Published: July 2017

The problem of reliable sampled‐data control design for uncertain singular fuzzy system with randomly occurring delay and nonlinear actuator failures is studied in this paper. The fault model is composed of two parts in which, linear part stands for the gain missing of actuators that vary with the true control input linearly, while the nonlinear part indicates some bounded nonlinear variation. Moreover, the time delay which encountering in the proposed controller is assumed to be randomly varying and satisfies Bernoulli distributed probabilities. By constructing a proper time‐dependent Lyapunov functional, some novel sufficient conditions are derived in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) for the existence of robustly stochastically stabilizing reliable sampled‐data controllers. Two simulation examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Die‐by Framing both Lengthens and Shortens Life: Further Evidence on Constructed Beliefs in Life Expectancy
Authors: Comerford David A. , Robinson Jenny
Published: July 2017

Decisions regarding consumption over the lifespan require some estimate of how long that lifespan is likely to be. Payne et al. (2013) found that respondents' estimates of their own life expectancy are on average 8.6 years shorter when elicited using a die‐by frame than when elicited by a live‐to frame. If decision makers act on these life expectancies, then an arbitrary detail of framing will lead to drastically different choices. We propose that the framing effect is sensitive to the iterative probabilistic elicitation procedure employed by the previous literature. Study 1 compares the framing effect across the iterative probabilistic procedure and a point estimate procedure that simply asks respondents the age they will live to/die by. The iterative probabilistic procedure implies a life expectancy six years shorter in the die‐by frame than in the live‐to frame, replicating the results of Payne et al. (2013). With the point estimate procedure, however, the framing effect reverses: the die‐by frame increases life expectancy by three years. In Study 2, we test for the framing effect using a point estimate procedure on a representative sample of 2000 Britons. Again, and in contrast with the previous literature, we find that the die‐by frame implies longer life. Our results reinforce the previous literature that beliefs around life expectancy are constructed. We recommend caution when attempting to debias life expectancy estimates or using life expectancies in choice architecture. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cell size control – a mechanism for maintaining fitness and function
Authors: Miettinen Teemu P. , Caldez Matias J. , Kaldis Philipp , Björklund Mikael
Published: July 2017

The maintenance of cell size homeostasis has been studied for years in different cellular systems. With the focus on ‘what regulates cell size’, the question ‘why cell size needs to be maintained’ has been largely overlooked. Recent evidence indicates that animal cells exhibit nonlinear cell size dependent growth rates and mitochondrial metabolism, which are maximal in intermediate sized cells within each cell population. Increases in intracellular distances and changes in the relative cell surface area impose biophysical limitations on cells, which can explain why growth and metabolic rates are maximal in a specific cell size range. Consistently, aberrant increases in cell size, for example through polyploidy, are typically disadvantageous to cellular metabolism, fitness and functionality. Accordingly, cellular hypertrophy can potentially predispose to or worsen metabolic diseases. We propose that cell size control may have emerged as a guardian of cellular fitness and metabolic activity.
Development and application of the ChArduino toolkit for teaching how to program Arduino boards through the C/C++ interpreter Ch
Authors: Montironi Maria Alessandra , Qian Binsen , Cheng Harry H.
Published: July 2017

The growing popularity of microcontroller‐based prototyping boards in many engineering and science applications has greatly increased the demand of mechatronic skills in the technical job market. The need to keep up with this new tend, combined with the proven effectiveness of integrating theoretical learning with hands‐on, project‐based activities has driven the development of new educational standards and curricula pivoting on the use of microcontroller‐based prototyping boards. However, the most common Integrated Development Environments (IDE) used to simplify program development lack the intuitiveness and post‐processing capabilities needed in an instructional environment. This paper presents an approach aimed at overcoming these obstacles. It provides a unique and comprehensive framework for programming Arduino boards through the C/C++ interpreter Ch. It extends the authors’ previous work on the topic by integrating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a library of functions, and by improving the serial communication protocol. The paper also shows how the toolkit can be easily integrated with other features and toolkits available in Ch such as plotting and line‐by‐line debugging to create comprehensive projects tailored for K‐14 students at different levels. The concepts presented in this work are applied to programming Arduino boards but provide a general basis upon which similar frameworks can be implemented for other boards or in other programming languages.
Severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia during pegylated interferon plus ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C: a case report
Authors: Wang Shasha , Qin Eryun , Zhi Yixiao , Hua Rui
Published: July 2017

Key Clinical Message

We report a rare case of severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia triggered by pegylated interferon during combination therapy for chronic HCV. This case demonstrated that interferon can de novo induce autoimmune hemolytic anemia during therapy for chronic hepatitis C in a previously healthy patient.
Trends of Alkane Activation on Doped Cobalt (II, III) Oxide from First Principles
Authors: Fung Victor , Tao Franklin (Feng) , Jiang De‐en
Published: July 2017

The surface doping of a metal oxide can tune its catalytic performance, but it remains unclear how the tuning depends on the dopant type and the surface facet. Herein we study doped Co3O4 (1 1 1) and (3 1 1) surface facets using first‐principles density functional theory (DFT) to obtain general descriptors for oxygen reactivity (which include vacancy formation energy and hydrogen adsorption energy) and correlate them to ethane C−H activation energy as a measure of the catalytic performance. The periodic trends of the dopants are investigated for a total of 20 dopants, namely, the elements from K to Ge. We find strong linear correlations between the oxygen reactivity descriptors and the computed energy barriers. We also discover a strong surface facet sensitivity among certain dopants such that different surface orientations and sites lead to different or even the opposite dopant performance. This work provides a useful guide for dopant performance in ethane activation on the two very different Co3O4 surfaces.
Fault diagnosis of output‐related processes with multi‐block MOPLS
Authors: Sun Rongrong , Zhang Yingwei , Feng Lin , Li Xuguang
Published: July 2017

For fault diagnosis of output‐related processes, a relatively high false alarm rate (FAR) of output‐irrelevant faults exists because the output‐irrelevant variables are not removed completely by conventional approaches. A relatively large number of computational loads is thus required. Therefore, in this paper, a new fault diagnosis approach based on multiblock modified orthogonal projections to latent structures is proposed to complete fault diagnosis for complex chemical processes, particularly for the penicillin fermentation process. The main contributions are as follows: (1) Multiblock orthogonal projections to latent structures are applied to remove the noncorrelated variables of input blocks, which requires a relatively low computational load. In addition, block scores are obtained by block weights rather than super weights to better describe the character of each subblock. (2) Complete orthogonal decomposition between input block variables and output is explored to completely separate output‐related and output‐irrelevant variables to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. (3) A hierarchical diagnosis scheme, which is composed of block monitoring statistics and subblock monitoring statistics, is proposed to monitor and localize faults. Penicillin fermentation process is considered in this study, and the penicillin concentration‐relevant fault in each block and subblock is analyzed. The results of this study show that the proposed method has steadier performance on output‐related fault diagnoses and diagnoses faults more accurately.
Targeted Delivery of a Mannose‐Conjugated BODIPY Photosensitizer by Nanomicelles for Photodynamic Breast Cancer Therapy
Authors: Zhang Quan , Cai Ying , Li Qiu‐Yan , Hao Lin‐Na , Ma Zheng , Wang Xiao‐Jun , Yin Jian
Published: July 2017

The targeted delivery of a photosensitizer (PS) with appropriate carriers represents an attractive means of selectively delivering cargo to target tissues or subcellular compartments for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Herein, a three‐arm distyryl BODIPY derivative conjugated with mannose units (denoted by BTM) that can co‐assemble with Tween 80 to form nanomicelles (BTM‐NMs) for targeted PDT is reported. MDA‐MB‐231 breast cancer cells recognized and specifically internalized BTM‐NMs via mannose‐receptor‐mediated endocytosis with preferential accumulation in the lysosomes. These NMs could disassemble in cell lysosomes and subsequently induce highly efficient singlet oxygen (1O2) generation upon light irradiation. 1O2 disrupted the lysosomal membrane and promoted the escape of BTM from the lysosome into the cytoplasm, thereby resulting in the efficient and selective killing of cancer cells through PDT. This study may provide a new strategy for designing targeted PDT systems to fight cancer.
Selective 19F‐Labeling of Functionalized Carboxylic Acids with Difluoromethyl Diazomethane (CF2HCHN2)
Authors: Mykhailiuk Pavel K. , Kishko Igor , Kubyshkin Vladimir , Budisa Nediljko , Cossy Janine
Published: July 2017

The incorporation of fluorinated moieties into organic structures is a particularly powerful approach for generating compounds with useful biological applications in industry, pharmacology, and agriculture. Here, the recently developed reagent—CF2HCHN2—selectively esterifies carboxyl groups on organic molecules in the presence of other polar functional groups. The reaction is remarkably simple, proceeding at room temperature in chloroform without addition of a catalyst. The procedure allows “last‐step” incorporation of a fluorinated ester moiety into organic structures, including bioorganic molecules such as peptides and proteins. The fluorinated ester can subsequently function as a 19F‐probe in biomolecules, thereby enabling molecular size determination by diffusion 19F NMR experiments.
A centralized mailed program with stepped increases of support increases time in compliance with colorectal cancer screening guidelines over 5 years: A randomized trial
Authors: Green Beverly B. , Anderson Melissa L. , Cook Andrea J. , Chubak Jessica , Fuller Sharon , Meenan Richard T. , Vernon Sally W.
Published: July 2017

BACKGROUND

Screening over many years is required to optimize reductions in colorectal cancer (CRC) mortality. However, no prior trials have compared strategies for obtaining long‐term adherence.

METHODS

Systems of Support to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening and Follow‐Up was implemented in an integrated health care organization in Washington State. Between 2008 and 2009, 4675 individuals aged 50 to 74 years were randomized to receive the usual care (UC), which included clinic‐based strategies to increase CRC screening (arm 1), or, in years 1 and 2, mailings with a call‐in number for colonoscopy and mailed fecal tests (arm 2), mailings plus brief telephone assistance (arm 3), or mailings and assistance plus nurse navigation (arm 4). Active‐intervention subjects (those in arms 2, 3, and 4 combined) who were still eligible for CRC screening were randomized to mailings being stopped or continued in years 3 and 5. The time in compliance with CRC screening over 5 years was compared for persons assigned to any intervention and persons assigned to UC. Screening tests contributed time on the basis of national guidelines for screening intervals (fecal tests annually, sigmoidoscopy every 5 years, and colonoscopy every 10 years).

RESULTS

All participants contributed data, but they were censored at disenrollment, death, the age of 76 years, or a diagnosis of CRC. Compared with UC participants, intervention participants had 31% more adjusted covered time over 5 years (incidence rate ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.25‐1.37; covered time, 47.5% vs 62.1%). Fecal testing accounted for almost all additional covered time.

CONCLUSIONS

In a health care organization with clinic‐based activities to increase CRC screening, a centralized program led to increased CRC screening adherence over 5 years. Longer term data on screening adherence and its impact on CRC outcomes are needed. Cancer 2017;123:4472‐80. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
A Novel Two‐Step Ammonia‐Free Atomic Layer Deposition Approach for Boron Nitride
Authors: Hao Wenjun , Marichy Catherine , Journet Catherine , Brioude Arnaud
Published: July 2017

Due to their high potential in energy and environment domains, synthetic approach allowing fabrication of high quality boron nitride (BN) structures in a controlled manner is of great interest. Herein, a two‐step ammonia‐free atomic layer deposition approach to BN, based on polymer‐derived‐ceramics chemistry, is reported for the first time. Using trichloroborazine and hexamethyldisilazane as precursors, a conformal pre‐ceramic polymer layer is grown at low temperature, 80 °C, and then converted into dense hexagonal BN (h‐BN). The present approach allows conformal and homogeneous deposition of h‐BN films on various substrates with a thickness control at the atomic scale. It proves to be successful for fabricating various tuned BN nanostructures and composites that are efficient in water purification. In particular, the obtained nanostructures demonstrate high hydrophobicity and they are investigated as water filters for organic/water separation. Good separation efficiency is demonstrated that highlights the high potential of such atomic layer deposition (ALD) structures in water treatment.
Three‐dimensional color prediction modeling of single‐ and double‐layered woven fabrics
Authors: Chae Youngjoo , Hua Tao , Xin John H.
Published: July 2017

In this research, the three‐dimensional structural and colorimetric modeling of three‐dimensional woven fabrics was conducted for accurate color predictions. One‐hundred forty single‐ and double‐layered woven samples in a wide range of colors were produced. With the consideration of their three‐dimensional structural parameters, three‐dimensional color prediction models,K/S‐,R‐, andL*a*b*‐based models, were developed through the optimization of previous two‐dimensional models which have been reported to be the three most accurate models for single‐layered woven structures. The accuracy of the new three‐dimensional models was evaluated by calculating the color differences ΔL*, ΔC*, Δh°, and ΔECMC(2:1)between the measured and the predicted colors of the samples, and then the error values were compared to those of the two‐dimensional models. As a result, there has been an overall improvement in color predictions of all models with a decrease in ΔECMC(2:1)from 10.30 to 5.25 units on average after the three‐dimensional modeling.
A novel collective matrix factorization model for recommendation with fine‐grained social trust prediction
Authors: Wang Jinkun , Zhang Shasha , Liu Xiao , Jiang Yuanchun , Zhang Min
Published: July 2017

Recommender systems are playing an increasing role in improving user satisfaction as they can recommend items which might be highly interested to users. Recent advances have proven that social relations such as trust and distrust relations among users are helpful in improving recommendation accuracy. Traditional social recommendation methods directly utilize unweighted trust and distrust relations into collaborative filtering framework. These methods will lose their power when the trust or distrust relation data is sparse, which significantly hinders the improvement of rating prediction accuracy. To address this problem, we transform the unweighted trust and distrust relations into fine‐grained weighted social trust matrix which is denser and encodes the trust and distrust degree for pair of users. The weighted social trust matrix is then combined with the rating matrix in a collective matrix factorization framework to implement rating prediction task. Experimental results based on Extended Epinions dataset show that the proposed collective matrix factorization model with fine‐grained weighted social trust matrix can achieve better accuracy than conventional social recommendation algorithms such as SoRec and its extensions.
An acceleration of quasigroup operations by residue arithmetic
Authors: Krömer Pavel , Platoš Jan , Nowaková Jana , Snášel Václav
Published: July 2017

Quasigroup operations are essential for a wide range of cryptographic procedures that includes cryptographic hash functions, electronic signatures, pseudorandom number generators, and stream and block ciphers. Quasigroup cryptography achieves high levels of security at low memory and computational costs by an iterative application of quasigroup operations to streams and blocks of data. The use of large quasigroups can further improve the strength of cryptographic operations. However, the order of used quasigroups is the main factor affecting the memory requirements of quasigroup cryptographic schemes. Alternative quasigroup representations that do not store their multiplication tables in computer memory yield increased computational costs. In any case, an efficient implementation of quasigroup operations is critical for practical applications of quasigroup cryptography. Residue number systems allow a fast, concurrent realization of addition and multiplication. In this work, residue arithmetic is used to accelerate quasigroup operations, and an efficient computational approach to their implementation, designed with respect to the extended instruction sets of modern processors, is proposed.
Quality assessment and improvement of “Unsatisfactory” liquid‐based cervicovaginal papanicolaou smears
Authors: Mirzamani Neda , Chau Karen , Rafael Oana , Shergill Uday , Sajjan Sujata , Sumskaya Irina , Gimenez Cecilia , Klein Melissa , Das Kasturi
Published: July 2017

Objectives

The quality of cervicovaginal smears determines the success of cytology in screening programs for cervical cancer. Bethesda 2014 revisited the adequacy criteria for atrophic smears and redefined the squamous cell count in the “unsatisfactory” category. In this study, we evaluated the smear quality of Thinprep liquid‐based cervicovaginal Papanicolaou cytology slides (TPS) that were previously deemed unsatisfactory, to determine reasons for such categorization. In addition, we attempted to establish the impact of the new adequacy criteria on the rate and management of unsatisfactory diagnosis.

Methods

About 234 unsatisfactory TPS were examined. The reasons for unsatisfactory were noted. The number of squamous cells was recounted, as per the new Bethesda criteria, in borderline adequacy cases that showed an atrophic pattern.

Results

The leading cause for unsatisfactory TPS was lubricating gel, followed by blood, as observed in older and younger age groups, respectively (Figure 1). Eleven borderline cases were reclassified as “satisfactory” using the new Bethesda cell count, with 27% above 60 years of age. About 82% of these borderline cases were negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy on repeat testing.

Conclusions

There was no difference of management or change in rate of unsatisfactory when patients above 60 were reclassified into the satisfactory category using the new Bethesda count. However, a larger study is needed to evaluate whether the new recommendation for minimum cellularity can be implemented in patients above a certain age cut‐off. The study highlights the need for improvement in collection practices and education of practitioners.