bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the climate effects of surface uplifts from the northern Tibetan Plateau, the Tianshan, and the Mongolian Plateau on the East Asian climate
Authors: Zhang Ran , Jiang Dabang , Zhang Zhongshi , Cheng Zhigang , Zhang Qing
Published: July 2017

Surface uplifting from the northern East Asian mountains has had an important effect on the evolution of the East Asian climate since the late Miocene; however, the uplifting climate effects from each of these mountains remain unclear. This paper compares the climate effects of surface uplifts from the northern Tibetan Plateau (TP), the Tianshan, and the Mongolian Plateau (MP) on the East Asian climate. Our model results indicate that each of these mountains has different climate effects along an uplifting sequence from south to north. Compared to the combined surface uplifts from the northern TP and the Tianshan, the last surface uplift from the MP made a greater contribution to the decreased annual precipitation over inland Asia north of ~45°N and strengthened summer middle tropospheric westerly wind on its north side; furthermore, it made a comparable contribution to the intensified winter low‐level (850 hPa) northwesterlies in northern East Asia and intensified winter middle tropospheric westerly wind over the region from East Asia to the northwestern Pacific. However, different uplift scenarios influenced these uplifting climate effects. For example, if the MP rose without the northern TP and the Tianshan, the uplifting climate effects of the MP described above largely weakened. In comparison, the further combined surface uplifts of the northern TP and the Tianshan had a more marked regional climate effect, particularly for the winter monsoon wind, and summer and winter middle tropospheric westerly wind.
Numerical simulation of urban land surface effects on summer convective rainfall under different UHI intensity in Beijing
Authors: Zhang Yizhou , Miao Shiguang , Dai Yongjiu , Bornstein Robert
Published: July 2017

To investigate the effect of urban land surface on rainfall under different urban heat island intensity (UHII) conditions in Beijing, numerical simulation and sensitivity experiments on two individual summer convective rainfall events are performed, using the Weather Research and Forecasting/Noah/urban canopy model (UCM) model system. It is found that the cloud ice and cloud graupel formation processes in the microphysics parameterization scheme play a pivotal role in increasing the model's ability to simulate convective rainfall. When UHI is weak prior to the start of rainfall, urban land surface primarily affects rainfall through its dynamic action. Rainfall systems develop a tendency to bifurcate in the windward periphery of the urban area and move around it along both sides. Consequently, precipitation in the central urban area and its downstream area decreases, whereas precipitation in the suburban areas at the sides of the periphery of the urban area increases. When UHI is strong before rainfall begins, the thermal effect of the urban land surface is the main factor that affects rainfall. The lower atmosphere over urban area is more unstable, and horizontal convergence is enhanced, increasing the intensity of the convective system after it moves to the urban area. As a result, precipitation increases in the urban area. This study demonstrates that UHII can be used as an important factor for distinguishing the effect of urban land surface on rainfall.
Exploring the combined effects of the Arctic Oscillation and ENSO on the wintertime climate over East Asia using self‐organizing maps
Authors: Huang Wenyu , Chen Ruyan , Yang Zifan , Wang Bin , Ma Wenqian
Published: July 2017

To examine the combined effects of the different spatial patterns of the Arctic Oscillation (AO)‐related sea level pressure (SLP) anomalies and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)‐related sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies on the wintertime surface temperature anomalies over East Asia, a nonlinear method based on self‐organizing maps is employed. Investigation of identified regimes reveals that the AO can affect East Asian temperature anomalies when there are significant SLP anomalies over the Arctic Ocean and northern parts of Eurasian continent. Analogously, ENSO is found to affect East Asian temperature anomalies when significant SST anomalies are present over the tropical central Pacific. The regimes with the warmest and coldest temperature anomalies over East Asia are both associated with the negative phase of the AO. The ENSO‐activated, Pacific‐East Asian teleconnection pattern could affect the higher latitude continental regions when the impact of the AO is switched off. When the spatial patterns of the AO and ENSO have significant, but opposite, impacts on the coastal winds, no obvious temperature anomalies can be observed over south China. Further, the circulation state with nearly the same AO and Niño3 indices may drive rather different responses in surface temperature over East Asia. The well‐known continuous weakening (recovery) of the East Asian winter monsoon that occurred around 1988 (2009) can be attributed to the transitions of the spatial patterns of the SLP anomalies over the Arctic Ocean and Eurasian continent, through their modulation on the occurrences of the Ural and central Siberian blocking events.
Dust load and rainfall characteristics and their relationship over the South Asian monsoon region under various warming scenarios
Authors: Singh Charu , Ganguly Dilip , Dash S. K.
Published: July 2017

Present study investigates the similarities and differences in the pattern of dust load and rainfall and their relationship over the South Asian monsoon region under various future warming scenarios with respect to the historical period using multiple coupled climate model runs that participated in Coupled Model Inter‐comparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5). Based on statistically robust significance tests, we unravel several likely changes in the pattern of the dust load and rainfall over the South Asia under different future warming scenarios by the end of 21st century compared to the historical period. Kolmogorov‐Smirnov test results reveal a significant change (at 5% significance level) in the amount of dust and rainfall under different warming scenarios over the study region. Northern part of the Indian subcontinent is likely to witness increased dust loading in future, and regions with increase in dust load are also likely to be the regions of increased rainfall over North India. Positive correlation between rainfall over the Indian region and dust over the Arabian region is also likely to strengthen in future. Considerable changes in the spatial correlation pattern between dust and rainfall are noted under different representative concentration pathways; however, no noteworthy changes are recorded in their temporal relationship. Notable intermodel differences in the patterns of dust load and rainfall relationship over South Asia are possibly caused by variations in the dust emission schemes among the CMIP5 models as well as the parameterization of aerosol indirect effect in addition to the differences in the meteorology simulated by various models under identical forcing scenarios.
Toward Bioelectronic Medicine—Neuromodulation of Small Peripheral Nerves Using Flexible Neural Clip
Authors: Lee Sanghoon , Peh Wendy Yen Xian , Wang Jiahui , Yang Fengyuan , Ho John S. , Thakor Nitish V. , Yen Shih‐Cheng , Lee Chengkuo
Published: July 2017

Neural modulation technology and the capability to affect organ function have spawned the new field of bioelectronic medicine. Therapeutic interventions depend on wireless bioelectronic neural interfaces that can conformally and easily attach to small (few hundred micrometers) nerves located deep in the body without neural damage. Besides size, factors like flexibility and compliance to attach and adapt to visceral nerves associated moving organs are of paramount importance and have not been previously addressed. This study proposes a novel flexible neural clip (FNC) that can be used to interface with a variety of different peripheral nerves. To illustrate the flexibility of the design, this study stimulates the pelvic nerve, the vagus nerve, and branches of the sciatic nerve and evaluates the feasibility of the design in modulating the function of each of these nerves. It is found that this FNC allows fine‐tuning of physiological processes such as micturition, heart rate, and muscle contractions. Furthermore, this study also tests the ability of wirelessly powered FNC to enable remote modulation of visceral pelvic nerves located deep in the body. These results show that the FNC can be used with a range of different nerves, providing one of the critical pieces in the field of bioelectronics medicines.
Noonan syndrome in diverse populations
Authors: Kruszka Paul , Porras Antonio R. , Addissie Yonit A. , Moresco Angélica , Medrano Sofia , Mok Gary T. K. , Leung Gordon K. C. , Tekendo‐Ngongang Cedrik , Uwineza Annette , Thong Meow‐Keong , Muthukumarasamy Premala , Honey Engela , Ekure Ekanem N. , Sokunbi Ogochukwu J. , Kalu Nnenna , Jones Kelly L. , Kaplan Julie D. , Abdul‐Rahman Omar A. , Vincent Lisa M. , Love Amber , Belhassan Khadija , Ouldim Karim , El Bouchikhi Ihssane , Shukla Anju , Girisha Katta M. , Patil Siddaramappa J. , Sirisena Nirmala D. , Dissanayake Vajira H. W. , Paththinige C. Sampath , Mishra Rupesh , Klein‐Zighelboim Eva , Gallardo Jugo Bertha E. , Chávez Pastor Miguel , Abarca‐Barriga Hugo H. , Skinner Steven A. , Prijoles Eloise J. , Badoe Eben , Gill Ashleigh D. , Shotelersuk Vorasuk , Smpokou Patroula , Kisling Monisha S. , Ferreira Carlos R. , Mutesa Leon , Megarbane Andre , Kline Antonie D. , Kimball Amy , Okello Emmy , Lwabi Peter , Aliku Twalib , Tenywa Emmanuel , Boonchooduang Nonglak , Tanpaiboon Pranoot , Richieri‐Costa Antonio , Wonkam Ambroise , Chung Brian H. Y. , Stevenson Roger E. , Summar Marshall , Mandal Kausik , Phadke Shubha R. , Obregon María G. , Linguraru Marius G. , Muenke Maximilian
Published: July 2017

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a common genetic syndrome associated with gain of function variants in genes in the Ras/MAPK pathway. The phenotype of NS has been well characterized in populations of European descent with less attention given to other groups. In this study, individuals from diverse populations with NS were evaluated clinically and by facial analysis technology. Clinical data and images from 125 individuals with NS were obtained from 20 countries with an average age of 8 years and female composition of 46%. Individuals were grouped into categories of African descent (African), Asian, Latin American, and additional/other. Across these different population groups, NS was phenotypically similar with only 2 of 21 clinical elements showing a statistically significant difference. The most common clinical characteristics found in all population groups included widely spaced eyes and low‐set ears in 80% or greater of participants, short stature in more than 70%, and pulmonary stenosis in roughly half of study individuals. Using facial analysis technology, we compared 161 Caucasian, African, Asian, and Latin American individuals with NS with 161 gender and age matched controls and found that sensitivity was equal to or greater than 94% for all groups, and specificity was equal to or greater than 90%. In summary, we present consistent clinical findings from global populations with NS and additionally demonstrate how facial analysis technology can support clinicians in making accurate NS diagnoses. This work will assist in earlier detection and in increasing recognition of NS throughout the world.
Early evaluation of severity in patients with severe sepsis: a comparison with “septic shock” — subgroup analysis of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine Sepsis Registry (JAAM‐SR)
Authors: Tarui Takehiko , Yamaguchi Yoshihiro , Suzuki Koichiro , Tsuruta Ryosuke , Ikeda Hiroto , Ogura Hiroshi , Kushimoto Shigeki , Kotani Joji , Shiraishi Shin‐ichiro , Suzuki Yasushi , Takuma Kiyotsugu , Takeyama Naoshi , Fujishima Seitaro , Mayumi Toshihiko , Miki Yasuo , Yamashita Norio , Aikawa Naoki , Gando Satoshi
Published: July 2017

Aim

The purpose of this subgroup analysis of a Japanese multicenter registry, the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine Sepsis Registry Advanced (JAAM‐SR‐Advanced), was to identify early outcome indicators for severe sepsis that are useful and more objective than “septic shock.”

Methods

Among 624 patients with severe sepsis registered in JAAM‐SR‐Advanced, 554 with valid serum lactate data were retrospectively studied. Hypotension before and after fluid resuscitation and the highest lactate values over the initial 24 h were compared for their ability to predict in‐hospital mortality.

Results

Of the study group, 155 (28.0%) patients were non‐survivors and had significantly lower systolic blood pressures and higher lactate peaks. The mortality of 364 patients with initial hypotension was higher than those patients without it (32.7% versus 19.1%, P < 0.01). Patients with the worst lactate values ≥4 mmol/L had much higher mortality than other patients (P < 0.001). In an attempt to predict outcomes, we combined initial hypotension and the worst lactate values. The patient group with initial hypotension and the worst lactate values ≥4 mmol/L (183 patients, 33.0%) had a significantly higher mortality rate of 48.6% than the other groups (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The novel combined criterion of initial hypotension and the worst lactate values ≥4 mmol/L within the initial 24 h is potentially useful as a single outcome predictor for severe sepsis.
Myelopathy in Behçet's disease: The Bagel Sign
Authors: Uygunoglu Ugur , Zeydan Burcu , Ozguler Yesim , Ugurlu Serdal , Seyahi Emire , Kocer Naci , Islak Civan , Kantarci Kejal , Saip Sabahattin , Siva Aksel , Kantarci Orhun H.
Published: July 2017

Objective

To describe the clinical and distinctive imaging features of myelopathy associated with Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods

We evaluated the records of patients meeting the following criteria: (1) fulfillment of the International Study Group criteria for BD; (2) clinically suggestive of myelopathy; (3) simultaneous spinal cord and brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs) within 1 month of acute worsening of myelopathy; and (4) follow‐up duration ≥ 1 year after initial MRI evaluation. Patients not fulfilling all inclusion criteria and having MRIs with poor quality or missing sequences were excluded.

Results

In 11 patients (9 men, 2 women), we studied 14 MRIs during distinct myelopathy episodes and nine follow‐up MRIs. Two distinct MRI patterns of spinal cord involvement were described according to T2‐weighted (T2W) axial images: (1) “Bagel Sign” pattern: a central lesion with hypointense core and hyperintense rim with or without contrast enhancement; and (2) “Motor Neuron” pattern: a symmetric involvement of the anterior horn cells. Bagel Sign was present in 13 of 14 myelopathy episodes whereas Motor Neuron pattern was observed in 1 of 14 MRIs. Of the 13 MRIs with Bagel Sign long myelopathy (n = 9), both long and short myelopathy (n = 2) and short myelopathy (n = 2) was observed. All patterns cleared with some residual lesions after steroid use and immunomodulation with associated clinical recovery in patients.

Interpretation

The signal characteristics of the Bagel Sign potentially represent venous engorgement and/or acute blood products within the spinal cord. To our knowledge, Bagel Sign has not been observed in other forms of longitudinal myelopathy outside of BD, including neuromyelitis optica. Ann Neurol 2017;82:288–298
Copper‐Catalyzed Amination of Congested and Functionalized α‐Bromocarboxamides with either Amines or Ammonia at Room Temperature
Authors: Ishida Syo , Takeuchi Kentaro , Taniyama Nobuhiro , Sunada Yusuke , Nishikata Takashi
Published: July 2017

There are several reports on the synthesis of alkylamines, but most of the reported methods are not suitable for the synthesis of hindered amines. In this research, we found that a copper catalyst is effective for the formation of congested C−N bonds at room temperature. Control experiments revealed that a copper amide is a key intermediate. Moreover, when a chiral amine was used, a quaternary carbon stereogenic center was created with good selectivity.
A ferrocene‐containing porous organic polymer linked by tetrahedral silicon‐centered units for gas sorption
Authors: Ma Qingyu , Qi Yipeng , Li Jianquan , Wang Weiguo , Sun Xuejiao
Published: July 2017

A novel ferrocene‐containing porous organic polymer (FPOP) has been prepared by Sonogashira‐Hagihara coupling reaction of 1,1′‐dibromoferrocene and tetrakis(4‐ethynylphenyl)silane. Compared with other polymers, the resulting polymer possesses excellent thermal stability with the decomposition temperature of 415°C and high porosity with Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area of 542 m2 g−1 as measured by nitrogen adsorption‐desoprtion isotherm at 77 K. For applications, it shows moderate carbon dioxide uptakes of up to 1.42 mmol g−1 (6.26 wt%) at 273 K/1.0 bar and 0.82 mmol g−1 (3.62 wt%) at 298 K/1.0 bar, and hydrogen capacity of up to 0.45 mmol g−1 (0.91 wt%) at 77 K/1.0 bar, indicating that FPOP might be utilized as a promising candidate for storing carbon dioxide and hydrogen. Although FPOP possesses lower porosity than many porous polymers, the gas capacities are higher or comparable to them, thereby revealing that the incorporation of ferrocene units into the network is an effective strategy to enhance the affinity between the framework and gas.
Fe3O4@S‐ABENZ@VO: Magnetically separable nanocatalyst for the efficient, selective and mild oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols
Authors: Rezaei Somaieh , Ghorbani‐Choghamarani Arash , Badri Rashid , Nikseresht Ahmad
Published: July 2017

Oxovanadium(IV) immobilized on Fe3O4@S‐ABEN is reported as a highly efficient nanocatalyst for the oxidation of sulfides and oxidative coupling of thiols (using H2O2 as green oxidant), the products of which are obtained in high to excellent yields. The products can be separated by a simple extraction with organic solvent and the catalyst is highly efficient, especially in terms of selectivity of desired product. The catalytic system can be recycled and reused without significant loss of catalytic activity.
Green route for selective gram‐scale oxidation of sulfides using tungstate/triazine‐based ionic liquid immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles as a phase‐transfer heterogeneous catalyst
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Hassan , Tavakolizadeh Maryam , Zohreh Nasrin , Soleyman Rouhollah
Published: July 2017

Tungstate ions were successfully loaded onto triazine‐based ionic liquid‐functionalized magnetic nanoparticles through an anion exchange process. The use of triazine core for creating ionic liquid led to the immobilization of high amounts of WO42−. The resulting catalyst showed high activity and selectivity in the oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with H2O2 as a green oxidant at room temperature. In addition, due to the presence of ammonium groups in the catalyst structure, water dispersibility of the catalyst was increased. More important, the catalyst was magnetically recovered and reused for up to six runs without any marked decrease of activity and selectivity. Finally, easy gram‐scale oxidation of methylphenyl sulfide as well as fast separation of catalyst and product makes the protocol economical and industrially applicable.
CuO nanoparticles supported on three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene as a promising catalyst for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate
Authors: Hosseini Seyed Ghorban , Khodadadipoor Zahra , Mahyari Mojtaba
Published: July 2017

In the present work, CuO nanoparticles grown on three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene‐based frameworks (CuO@3D‐(N)GFs) were synthesized using a two‐step method. After the synthesis of three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene, CuO nanoparticles were deposited on it, by adding cupric acetate followed by thermal treatment. Different analysis methods were used to characterize the products. The as‐prepared nanocomposite was used as a promising catalyst for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) as one of the most common oxidizer in composite propellants. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) techniques were used to investigate the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. According to the DSC/TGA, high temperature decomposition of AP decreased to 111 °C in the presence of 4% CuO@3D‐(N)GFs and the total heat release (ΔH) from decomposition of AP increased to 1893 J g−1 which is much more than 590 J g−1 for pure AP.
Graphene‐mesoporous anatase TiO2 nanocomposite: A highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for one‐pot multicomponent synthesis of benzodiazepine derivatives
Authors: Shoeb Mohd , Mobin Mohammad , Ali Abad , Zaman Shamsuz , Naqvi Alim H.
Published: July 2017

The potential to bias chemical reaction pathways is a significant goal for physicists and material researchers to design revolutionary materials. Recently, two‐dimensional materials have appeared as a promising candidate for exploring novel catalyst activity in organic reaction. In this context, herein we report an easy and efficient synthesis of substituted benzodiazepines in high yields through the graphene‐based mesoporous TiO2 nanocomposite (Gr@TiO2 NCs) catalyst. To validate the merits of the Gr@TiO2 NCs as a catalyst, we have also designed TiO2 nanoparticle (NPs) under similar conditions. Successful comprehension realization of Gr@TiO2 NCs and TiO2 NPs were concluded from the XRD, SEM, HR‐TEM, EDS elemental mapping, FT‐IR, Raman, UV–Vis and TGA analysis. Gr@TiO2 NCs has the propitious catalyst performance (~98%) over the TiO2 NPs (~77%), which could be scrutinized in terms of graphene support toward the TiO2 NPs and enable the large contact area between graphene and TiO2 NPs. Incorporated graphene maintaining TiO2 as a catalytically active and attracting electron to site isolation, as well as protecting TiO2 from oxidative degradation during the reaction. Moreover, the role of graphene is suggested to prolonged reaction duration, yield and unaltered throughout the reaction because of the π‐π interaction between graphene and TiO2 NPs. Additionally, the catalyst is recycled by filtration and reprocessed six times without having a significant loss in its catalytic activity.
Cross‐coupling reactions using porous multipod Cu2O microcrystals as recoverable catalyst in aqueous media
Authors: Tang Lin , Wu Chaoting , Hu Qiyan , Li Qian , Zhang Wu
Published: July 2017

Porous multipod Cu2O microcrystals were found to be an efficient, highly recyclable and eco‐friendly catalyst for the cross‐coupling reactions of aryl halides and terminal alkynes with high yields in aqueous media. Noteworthy, the Cu2O catalyst can be reused for several times without significant decrease in catalytic activity.
Microwave‐assisted rapid fabrication of antibacterial polyacrylonitrile microfibers/nanofibers via nitrile click chemistry and electrospinning
Authors: Wang Wenxiang , Wang Yuxue , Liu Ye , Jiang Linlin , Bai Liangjiu , Chen Hou , Cheng Zhenping
Published: July 2017

Postmodified polyacrylonitrile (PAN) microfibers/nanofibers with durable antibacterial performance was fabricated by a rapid and green method of microwave irradiation and electrospinning technologies. The fibers were endowed with antibacterial activity because of silver ions, which were embedded into PAN by nitrile click chemistry with microwave irradiation; they were then electrospun into neat and smooth microfibers/nanofibers. The obtained microfibers/nanofibers were tested against Staphylococcus aureus and exhibited powerful and long‐lasting antibacterial properties. The production of endurable antibacterial materials could effectively prevent the spread of microbes and beautify the living environment. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45490.
Cationization of cellulose/polyamide on UV protection, bio‐activity, and electro‐conductivity of graphene oxide‐treated fabric
Authors: Hasani Mahfam , Montazer Majid
Published: July 2017

In this work, cationized cotton/nylon fabric was treated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) to produce highly conductive fabric. The fabric was cationized with 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxy propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride to attract more anionic GO. The fabric was then treated with GO followed by reduction with sodium dithionite. The results of energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy indicated entire coverage of the fabric surface with rGO. The color of fabrics changed to gray‐black and the electrical resistance decreased to 0.6 × 103 Ω sq−1. The washing fastness was measured according to ISO 105‐CO5 for color change and also electrical resistance of the samples demonstrated well stability of rGO on the fabric surface. The antibacterial activities of the treated fabrics improved against Gram‐negative bacteria including Escherichia coli (84.8%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (96.4%) and also Gram‐positive bacteria consisting Staphylococcus aureus (100%) and Enterococcus faecalis (98.4%). Further, the treated fabrics indicated an excellent UV reflectance of 100%. Finally heating of the cationized rGO fabric at 220 °C displayed a lower electrical resistance of 0.5 × 103 Ω sq−1. The thermogravimetric analysis showed that heating has a slight effect on the dimensional thermal stability of the treated fabric as shrunk 2.43%. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45493.
Improving adhesion between aramid fibers and natural rubber through morphological and synthetic modification of the fibers
Authors: Kanbargi Nihal , Lesser Alan J.
Published: July 2017

In this article, we present new methods to improve the adhesion between poly(paraphenylene terephthalamide) fibers and a natural rubber for tire reinforcement. Fiber pretreatments are applied to create new surface morphologies on the fiber that enables enhanced adhesion between the fiber and rubber matrix. The pretreated fibers are then subject to treatments with coupling agents in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) in an attempt to permeate the fiber surface and chemically bind the fiber to the rubber matrix. Shear lag analysis using a Kelly Tyson approach is compared to more refined models to evaluate optimum test parameters for fiber pull‐out adhesion tests. The results show that the adhesion increases by approximately 100% when compared to conventional composites. Failure analysis of fiber surface reveals a suppression of interfacial failure. The effects of pretreatments on fiber properties are also characterized, and the optimization between fiber properties, fiber–matrix interface properties, and overall composite properties are discussed. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45520.
Effects of risk aversion and decision preference on equilibriums in supply chain finance incorporating bank credit with credit guarantee
Authors: Yan Nina , Liu Chongqing , Liu Ye , Sun Baowen
Published: July 2017

We constructed a Stackelberg game in a supply chain finance (SCF) system including a manufacturer, a capital‐constrained retailer, and a bank that provides loans on the basis of the manufacturer's credit guarantee. To emphasize the financial service providers' risks, we assumed that both the bank and the manufacturer are risk‐averse and formulated trade‐off objective functions for both of them as the convex combination of the expected profit and conditional value‐at‐risk. To explore the effects of the risk preferences and decision preferences on SCF equilibriums, we mathematically analyzed the optimal order quantities, wholesale prices, and interest rates under different risk preference scenarios and performed numerical analyses to quantify the effects. We found that incorporating bank credit with a credit guarantee can effectively balance the retailer's financing risk between the bank and the manufacturer through interest rate charging and wholesale pricing. Moreover, SCF equilibriums with risk aversion are highly affected by the degree of both the lender's and guarantor's risk tolerance in regard to the borrower's default probability and will be more conservative than those in the risk‐neutral cases that only maximize expected profit.
The choice of screening design
Authors: Tyssedal John , Chaudhry Muhammad Azam
Published: July 2017

A screening design is an experimental plan used for identifying the expectedly few active factors from potentially many. In this paper, we compare the performances of 3 experimental plans, a Plackett‐Burman design, a minimum run resolution IV design, and a definitive screening design, all with 12 and 13 runs, when they are used for screening and 3 out of 6 factors are active. The functional relationship between the response and the factors was allowed to be of 2 types, a second‐order model and a model with all main effects and interactions included. D‐efficiencies for the designs ability to estimate parameters in such models were computed, but it turned out that these are not very informative for comparing the screening performances of the 2‐level designs to the definitive screening design. The overall screening performance of the 2‐level designs was quite good, but there exist situations where the definitive screening design, allowing both screening and estimation of second‐order models in the same operation, has a reasonable high probability of being successful.
Influence of TFAP2B and KCTD15 genetic variability on personality dimensions in anorexia and bulimia nervosa
Authors: Gamero‐Villarroel Carmen , González Luz M. , Rodríguez‐López Raquel , Albuquerque David , Carrillo Juan A. , García‐Herráiz Angustias , Flores Isalud , Gervasini Guillermo
Published: July 2017

Introduction

TFAP2B and KCTD15 are obesity‐related genes that interact to regulate feeding behavior. We hypothesize that variability in these loci, isolated or in combination, could also be related to the risk of eating disorders (ED) and/or associated psychological traits.

Methods

We screened 425 participants (169 ED patients, 75 obese subjects, and 181 controls) for 10 clinically relevant and tag single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in KCTD15 and TFAP2B by the Sequenom MassARRAY platform and direct sequencing. Psychometric evaluation was performed with EDI‐2 and SCL‐90R inventories.

Results

The KCTD15 rs287103 T variant allele was associated with increased risk of bulimia nervosa (BN) (OR = 4.34 [1.47–29.52]; p = .003) and with scores of psychopathological scales of these patients. Haplotype *6 in KCTD15 was more frequent in controls (OR = 0.40 [0.20–0.80], p = .009 for anorexia nervosa), while haplotype *4 in TFAP2B affected all three scales of the SCL‐90R inventory in BN patients (p ≤ .01). Epistasis analyses revealed relevant interactions with body mass index of BN patients (p < .001). Genetic profiles in obese patients did not significantly differ from those found in ED patients.

Conclusions

This is the first study that evaluates the combined role of TFAP2B and KCTD15 genes in ED. Our preliminary findings suggest that the interaction of genetic variability in these loci could influence the risk for ED and/or anthropometric and psychological parameters.
High throughput automated microbial bioreactor system used for clone selection and rapid scale‐down process optimization
Authors: Velez‐Suberbie M. Lourdes , Betts John P. J. , Walker Kelly L. , Robinson Colin , Zoro Barney , Keshavarz‐Moore Eli
Published: July 2017

High throughput automated fermentation systems have become a useful tool in early bioprocess development. In this study, we investigated a 24 x 15 mL single use microbioreactor system, ambr 15f, designed for microbial culture. We compared the fed‐batch growth and production capabilities of this system for two Escherichia coli strains, BL21 (DE3) and MC4100, and two industrially relevant molecules, hGH and scFv. In addition, different carbon sources were tested using bolus, linear or exponential feeding strategies, showing the capacity of the ambr 15f system to handle automated feeding. We used power per unit volume (P/V) as a scale criterion to compare the ambr 15f with 1 L stirred bioreactors which were previously scaled‐up to 20 L with a different biological system, thus showing a potential 1,300 fold scale comparability in terms of both growth and product yield. By exposing the cells grown in the ambr 15f system to a level of shear expected in an industrial centrifuge, we determined that the cells are as robust as those from a bench scale bioreactor. These results provide evidence that the ambr 15f system is an efficient high throughput microbial system that can be used for strain and molecule selection as well as rapid scale‐up. © 2017 The Authors Biotechnology Progress published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 34:58–68, 2018
Multiple myeloma presenting in association with gastric phytobezoar
Authors: Appleton Elizabeth S. , Lee Natasha A. , Ford Alexander C.
Published: July 2017

Key Clinical Message

We present a rare case of a patient with delayed gastric emptying, gastric phytobezoar formation, and osteosclerotic bone lesions as an atypical association with multiple myeloma. Associated gastric features in myeloma, which include diffuse infiltration, gastric plasmacytomas, or delayed gastric emptying, are rare and have a poor prognosis.
Formation of Spherical Agglomerates in Cooling Crystallization of Hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine
Authors: Lee Jae-Eun , Kim Jae-Kyeong , Kim Hyoun-Soo , Koo Kee-Kahb
Published: July 2017

The production of spherical agglomerates of hexahydro‐1,3,5‐trinitro‐1,3,5‐triazine (RDX) from acetone by cooling crystallization with poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) is described. It was found that PVP suppresses the nucleation of RDX at the initial stage, but tremendous nucleation of RDX occurred abruptly after the induction period. The rapid nucleation may be associated with the primary nucleation due to the presence of PVP. It can be concluded that the addition of PVP results in the formation of RDX particles with sufficient number density for spherical agglomeration. It was found that such spherical agglomeration propagates very rapidly after nucleation within one minute and the size of spherical agglomerates is affected by the cooling rate.
The Stepwise Reaction of Rhodium and Iridium Complexes of Formula [MCl2(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)] with Silver Cations: A Case of trans‐Influence and Chiral Self‐Recognition
Authors: Carmona María , Tejedor Leyre , Rodríguez Ricardo , Passarelli Vincenzo , Lahoz Fernando J. , García‐Orduña Pilar , Carmona Daniel
Published: July 2017

Acetonitrile suspensions of the dichlorido complexes [MCl2(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)] [M=Rh (1), Ir (2)] react with AgSbF6 in a 1:2 molar ratio affording the bis‐acetonitrile complexes [M(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)(NCMe)2][SbF6]2 (3 and 4). The reaction takes place in a sequential manner and the intermediates can be isolated varying the M:Ag molar ratio. In a 2:1 molar ratio, it affords the dimetallic monochlorido‐bridged compounds [{MCl(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)}2(μ‐Cl)][SbF6] (5 and 6). In a 1:1 molar ratio, the monosubstituted solvato‐complexes [MCl(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)(Solv)][SbF6] (Solv=H2O, MeCN, 7–10) were obtained. Finally, in a 2:3 molar ratio, it gives complexes 11 and 12 of formula [{M(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)(NCMe)(μ‐Cl)}2Ag][SbF6]3 in which a silver cation joints two cationic monosubstituted acetonitrile‐complexes [MCl(κ4C,N,N′,P−L)(NCMe)]+ through the remaining chlorido ligands and two Ag⋅⋅⋅C interactions with one of the phenyl rings of each PPh2 group. In all the complexes, the aminic nitrogen and the central metal atom are stereogenic centers. In the trimetallic complexes 11 and 12, the silver atom is also a stereogenic center. The formation of the cation of the dimetallic complexes 5 and 6, as well as that of the trimetallic complexes 11 and 12, takes place with chiral molecular self‐recognition. Experimental data and DFT calculations provide plausible explanations for the observed molecular recognition. The new complexes have been characterized by analytical, spectroscopic means and by X‐ray diffraction methods.
Fast further purification of diastereomeric salts of a nonracemic acid by gas antisolvent fractionation
Authors: Kőrösi Márton , Madarász János , Sohajda Tamás , Székely Edit
Published: July 2017

A novel, green possibility of the further purification of the diastereomeric salt of 4‐chloromandelic acid and 1‐phenylethane‐1‐amine was developed. Gas antisolvent method using supercritical carbon dioxide was applied for the first time to precipitate the diastereomeric salts with increased purity followed by the supercritical fluid extraction of the dissolved diastereomers. The RR‐salt can be purified to >99%, while fractionation‐based purification of the SR‐salt is limited to ~80%. The limiting initial diastereomeric excess correlates strongly with the atmospheric melting eutectic composition of the same salts, which suggests that despite the fast precipitation, the diastereomeric excess of the solid product is not kinetically determined. The efficiency of the diastereomeric enrichment is in the same range as that of the atmospheric reference experiments; however, technological advantages provided by the antisolvent precipitation method such as fast processing and dry product obtained suggest that this novel procedure is a promising alternative to the atmospheric methods.
Modification des propriétés du brai de goudron de houille utilisé dans la fabrication des anodes
Authors: Bureau Julie , Kocaefe Duygu , Kocaefe Yasar , Bhattacharyay Dipankar , Morais Brigitte
Published: July 2017

La fabrication de l'aluminium par le procédé d'électrolyse nécessite l'utilisation des anodes. Or, la qualité des anodes a un impact direct sur le coût du métal, la consommation d'énergie et les émissions environnementales. Une liaison satisfaisante entre le coke et le brai affecte fortement les propriétés finales de l'anode. Une des avenues les plus prometteuses pour améliorer cette liaison est la modification des propriétés du brai. L'objectif de ce travail est d'améliorer la mouillabilité du coke par le brai en modifiant les propriétés du brai par l'ajout de produits chimiques. Des tensioactifs ou agents de modification de surface sont sélectionnés afin d'enrichir les groupements fonctionnels requis pour augmenter la mouillabilité. De plus, les additifs chimiques sont choisis en fonction de l'impact environnemental de même que l'impact économique de cet ajout d'additif pour l'industrie tout en prévenant la contamination des anodes. La méthodologie prévoit d'analyser la composition chimique des brais modifiés par la spectroscopie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier (FTIR) afin d'évaluer l'enrichissement des groupements fonctionnels requis. Puis, l'interaction du brai modifié en présence du coke est vérifiée par la méthode goutte‐sessile afin d'en évaluer la mouillabilité du coke par le brai. Une amélioration de la mouillabilité signifie une possible amélioration de l'interaction entre les deux matériaux pouvant améliorer les propriétés anodiques. Dans cette étude, deux des additifs sélectionnés ont permis de démontrer une modification significative des propriétés du brai favorisant l'amélioration de la compatibilité du brai avec le coke.
A new type of neurons for machine learning
Authors: Fan Fenglei , Cong Wenxiang , Wang Ge
Published: July 2017

In machine learning, an artificial neural network is the mainstream approach. Such a network consists of many neurons. These neurons are of the same type characterized by the 2 features: (1) an inner product of an input vector and a matching weighting vector of trainable parameters and (2) a nonlinear excitation function. Here, we investigate the possibility of replacing the inner product with a quadratic function of the input vector, thereby upgrading the first‐order neuron to the second‐order neuron, empowering individual neurons and facilitating the optimization of neural networks. Also, numerical examples are provided to illustrate the feasibility and merits of the second‐order neurons. Finally, further topics are discussed.
Four years comparative follow‐up evaluation of community‐based, step‐down, and residential specialist psychodynamic programmes for personality disorders
Authors: Chiesa Marco , Cirasola Antonella , Fonagy Peter
Published: July 2017

Although the fulcrum of service provision for personality disorder (PD) has shifted from hospital‐based to psychodynamically‐ and cognitively‐oriented outpatient programmes, very few studies have attempted to compare specialist moderate intensity outpatient programmes with specialist high‐intensity residential models, or to explore whether a period of inpatient treatment may be necessary to improve outcome and prognosis. In this article, we prospectively compare changes over a 4‐year period in 3 groups of patients with personality disorders (N = 162) treated in a specialist community‐based (CBP, N = 30), a step‐down (RT‐CBP, N = 87), and a specialist residential programme (RT, N = 45) in psychiatric distress, deliberate self‐injury, and suicide attempt using multilevel modelling and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The results showed that percentages of early‐dropout were significantly different (p = .0001) for the 3 programmes (CBP = 13.4%, RT‐CBP = 10.2%, and RT = 41.4%). A significant interaction between treatment model and time was found for psychiatric distress (p = .001), with CBP and RT‐CBP achieving more marked changes (g = 1.20 and g = 0.68, respectively) compared to RT (g = 0.30) at 48‐month follow‐up. CBP and RT‐CBP were found to significantly reduce impulsive behaviour (deliberate self‐injury and suicide attempt) compared to RT. Severity of presentation was not found to be a significant predictor of outcome. Long‐term RT showed no advantage over long‐term CBP, either as stand‐alone or as step‐down treatment. Replication may be needed to confirm generalizability of results, and a number of limitations in the study design may moderate the inferences that can be drawn from the results.
Reverse Translation for Assessment of Confidence in Animal Models of Multiple Sclerosis for Drug Discovery
Authors: 't Hart Bert A. , Laman Jon D. , Kap Yolanda S.
Published: July 2017

The poor predictive quality of currently used animal models in preclinical research is an important cause of the high attrition of promising drug candidates for human autoimmune disease in clinical trials. Examples from own work in a primate multiple sclerosis (MS) model illustrate that important lessons can be learned from a critical reassessment of failed drugs in the animal model, which can help improve the animal model and better understand the targeted disease.
An ECC‐based authenticated group key exchange protocol in IBE framework
Authors: Gupta Daya Sagar , Biswas G. P.
Published: July 2017

With the rapid demand for various increasing applications, the internet users require a common secret key to communicate among a group. The traditional key exchange protocols involve a trusted key generation center for generation and distribution of the group key among the various group members. Therefore, the establishment of a trusted key generation center server and the generation (and distribution) of common session key require an extra overhead. To avoid this difficulty, a number of group key exchange protocols have been proposed in the literature. However, these protocols are vulnerable to many attacks and have a high computational and communication cost. In this paper, we present an elliptic curve cryptography–based authenticated group key exchange (ECC‐AGKE) protocol, which provides better security and has lower computational cost compared to related proposed schemes. Further, a complexity reduction method is deployed to reduce the overall complexity of the proposed elliptic curve cryptography–based authenticated group key exchange protocol. The security of proposed work is ensured by the properties of elliptic curves. A security adversarial model is given and an extensive formal security analysis against our claim is done in the random oracle model. We also made a comparison of our proposed protocol with similar works and found that ours have better complexity, security and efficiency over others.
Middleware for integration of legacy electrical equipment into smart grid infrastructure using wireless sensor networks
Authors: Araújo Paulo Régis C. , Filho Raimir Holanda , Rodrigues Joel J. P. C. , Oliveira João P. C. M. , Braga Stephanie A.
Published: July 2017

To improve the efficiency of electricity distribution, smart grids allow communication between their devices. Pieces of legacy equipment operating in the distribution network do not communicate using any commercial protocol, such as DNP3, IEC 61850, or Modbus. Thus, herein, a middleware is proposed to allow the integration of the legacy electrical equipment into a smart grid using wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Each piece of legacy electrical equipment is connected to a sensor node, and the WSN sink node runs a middleware to enable the integration of this device with a smart grid, according to the commercial communication protocols. The middleware model is proposed to guide users in the development of a WSN‐based system for integrating electrical equipment into a smart grid. The middleware was validated in a real environment, which is related to the concept of power metering. Experiments were performed using the software supervisory control and data acquisition and distributed test manager to validate the communication between the electrical equipment and the computer of the power substation control centre.
4π‐Electron B–N Monocycles: Stability and (Anti)aromaticity
Authors: Baranac‐Stojanović Marija
Published: July 2017

This is a theoretical (DFT) study of the impact of electronic structural changes, induced by B–N/C–C isosterism, on two basic properties of 4π‐electron antiaromatic system, that is, stability and antiaromaticity. The main driving force for the nonplanarity of B2N2 rings is electrostatic energy, and that for a ring with one B–N unit is the relief of Pauli repulsion. The charge‐separation instability, inherent for a 1,3‐B,N relationship, turns the ground state of the BCNC system to an aromatic triplet, which is less stable than the isomeric BNCC system, mostly because of larger Pauli interactions. The alternating BNBN connectivity is favoured primarily by orbital interaction energy and, secondarily, by better electrostatic attraction. The C–C → B–N substitution weakens the antiaromatic character, except that for a 1,3‐B,N relationship, which results in increased antiaromaticity in the closed‐shell state relative to that of cyclobutadiene.q
Divergent Synthesis of Cyclopropane‐Containing Lead‐Like Compounds, Fragments and Building Blocks through a Cobalt Catalyzed Cyclopropanation of Phenyl Vinyl Sulfide
Authors: Chawner Stephen J. , Cases‐Thomas Manuel J. , Bull James A.
Published: July 2017

Cyclopropanes provide important design elements in medicinal chemistry and are widely present in drug compounds. Here we describe a strategy and extensive synthetic studies for the preparation of a diverse collection of cyclopropane‐containing lead‐like compounds, fragments and building blocks exploiting a single precursor. The bifunctional cyclopropane (E/Z)‐ethyl 2‐(phenylsulfanyl)‐cyclopropane‐1‐carboxylate was designed to allow derivatization through the ester and sulfide functionalities to topologically varied compounds designed to fit in desirable chemical space for drug discovery. A cobalt‐catalyzed cyclopropanation of phenyl vinyl sulfide affords these scaffolds on multigram scale. Divergent, orthogonal derivatization is achieved through hydrolysis, reduction, amidation and oxidation reactions as well as sulfoxide–magnesium exchange/functionalization. The cyclopropyl Grignard reagent formed from sulfoxide exchange is stable at 0 °C for > 2 h, which enables trapping with various electrophiles and Pd‐catalyzed Negishi cross‐coupling reactions. The library prepared, as well as a further virtual elaboration, is analyzed against parameters of lipophilicity (ALog P), MW and molecular shape by using the LLAMA (Lead‐Likeness and Molecular Analysis) software, to illustrate the success in generating lead‐like compounds and fragments.