bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing reliability of precipitation data over the Mekong River Basin: A comparison of ground‐based, satellite, and reanalysis datasets
Authors: Chen Aifang , Chen Deliang , Azorin‐Molina Cesar
Published: July 2018

Accurate precipitation data are the basis for hydro‐climatological studies. As a highly populated river basin, with the biggest inland fishery in Southeast Asia, freshwater dynamics is extremely important for the Mekong River Basin (MB). This study focuses on evaluating the reliability of existing gridded precipitation datasets both from satellite and reanalysis, with a ground observations‐based gridded precipitation dataset as the reference. Two satellite products (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission [TRMM] and the Precipitation Estimation from Remote Sensing Information using an Artificial Neural Network—Climate Data Record [PERSIANN‐CDR]), as well as three reanalysis products (Modern‐Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications [MERRA2], the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts interim reanalysis [ERA‐Interim], and the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis [CFSR]) were compared with the Asian Precipitation—Highly Resolved Observational Data Integration Towards Evaluation of Water Resources (APHRODITE) over the MB. The APHRODITE was chosen as the reference for the comparison because it was developed based on ground observations and has also been selected as reference data in previous studies. Results show that most of the assessed datasets are able to capture the major climatological characteristics of precipitation in the MB for the 10‐year study period (1998–2007). Generally, both satellite data (TRMM and PERSIANN‐CDR) show higher reliability than reanalysis products at both spatial and temporal scales across the MB, with the TRMM outperforming when compared to the PERSIANN‐CDR. For the reanalysis products, MERRA2 is more reliable in terms of temporal variability, but with some underestimation of precipitation. The other two reanalysis products CFSR and ERA‐Interim are relatively unreliable due to large overestimations. CFSR is better positioned to capture the spatial variability of precipitation, while ERA‐Interim shows inconsistent spatial patterns but more realistically resembles the daily precipitation probability. These findings have practical implications for future hydro‐climatological studies.
Inter‐annual and inter‐decadal variability modes of the Athens total cloud cover
Authors: Kalimeris Anastasios , Founda Dimitra
Published: July 2018

The historical observations of the total cloud cover (TCC) index since 1900 from the National Observatory of Athens archives were used here, in order to investigate the inter‐annual variability of TCC. Multi‐spectral decomposition analysis was applied in order to resolve statistically significant modes of TCC variability out of the estimated stochastic variations. An increase of the Athens TCC (A‐TCC) was ascertained during the observational period (1900–2012). The observed A‐TCC variability was found to be composed by “a dominant nonlinear trend” that represents the centennial increment of the cloud cover, and “a small number of sub‐decadal oscillatory modes,” particularly in the winter series. Additionally, the evolutionary history of the A‐TCC variability involves a significant regime shift in about 1960 that was followed by an increase on the mean TCC level and an enhancement of the positive TCC trends apart from winter, in which the trend was faded out. The influence of global and hemispheric climatic variability patterns on the observed A‐TCC changes was explored in the timescale domain along with the impacts of the Mediterranean evaporation field. Results showed that the A‐TCC inter‐decadal variability is strongly coupled with the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Mediterranean evaporation during all seasons, except winter, in which the atmospheric dynamic drives decadal and sub‐decadal TCC variations, primarily modulated by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). During the hot season, the AMO and the Mediterranean Sea thermodynamic processes become major regulators of the A‐TCC variability, particularly on the inter‐decadal scales, but the tropospheric North Atlantic activity still affects the A‐TCC through the summer NAO (SNAO) pattern. In this framework, different epochs were discerned in the relation of the A‐TCC with the Mediterranean evaporation field, which seem to be associated with the prevalence either of sea thermodynamic processes or of the atmospheric dynamics.
Positive Affect Mediates the Relationship Between Self‐efficacy and Innovative Behavior in Entrepreneurs
Authors: Mielniczuk Emilia , Laguna Mariola
Published: July 2018

Innovativeness is one of the crucial factors allowing companies to grow, and innovative behavior of entrepreneurs is an important source of firm innovativeness and business success. This study aims to better understand self‐regulatory mechanisms stimulating the innovative behavior of entrepreneurs. We have tested the mediation model in which work‐related affect (enthusiasm, comfort, anxiety, and depression) mediates the relationship between work self‐efficacy and innovative behavior. A longitudinal study with three measurement times was conducted on a sample of entrepreneurs–business owners. The mediation analysis with bias‐corrected bootstrapping method confirmed that the relation between work self‐efficacy and innovative behavior of entrepreneurs is mediated by their work‐related positive affect—comfort and enthusiasm—but not by negative affect.
Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT) attenuation is associated with stiffness of intact knee cartilage
Authors: Nickmanesh Reza , Stewart Rachel C. , Snyder Brian D. , Grinstaff Mark W. , Masri Bassam A. , Wilson David R.
Published: July 2018

Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CECT) using charged contrast‐agents enables quantification of cartilage glycosaminoglycan content. Since glycosaminoglycan content is a key determinant of cartilage compressive stiffness, CECT measurements have the potential to non‐invasively assess cartilage stiffness. The objective of this study was to determine whether CECT attenuation, using a cationic contrast‐agent (CA4+), correlates with the stiffness of intact cartilage. Six fresh femoral and six fresh tibial compartments with intact cartilage were obtained from patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery. The instantaneous stiffness was determined for 25–50 points on the surface of each compartment using an established indentation technique. The samples were then immersed in CA4+ solution for 48 h, scanned in a micro‐CT scanner, and the average CECT attenuation at each indentation site was found for the superficial cartilage. A significant (p < 0.01) and positive correlation was observed between stiffness and CECT attenuation for sites from each individual cartilage surface, with correlation coefficients ranging from r = 0.37–0.57 and r = 0.48–0.69 (p < 0.01) for the tibia and femur, respectively. When data for each type of cartilage surface were pooled together, the correlation coefficients were r = 0.73 for femoral condyle data points and r = 0.49 for tibial plateau data points. CECT provided a map of cartilage stiffness across each surface, which allows regions of low stiffness to be identified. These findings support continued evaluation and development of quantitative imaging techniques to assess the functional properties of cartilage. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:2641–2647, 2018.
Periodontal status of liver transplant candidates and healthy controls
Authors: Di Profio Bruna , Inoue Gislene , Marui Vanessa Costa , de França Bruno Nunes , Romito Giuseppe Alexandre , Ortega Karem Lopez , Holzhausen Marinella , Pannuti Claudio Mendes
Published: July 2018

Background

This study aimed to compare the periodontal status of liver transplant candidates (LTCs) with healthy controls.

Methods

Fifty liver transplant candidates (LTC group) and fifty patients without liver disease (control group) underwent a complete periodontal examination. The groups were matched according to sex, age, and smoking status. A structured questionnaire was applied to record demographic data, systemic health, and information related to liver disease. Full‐mouth complete periodontal examination of six sites per tooth was performed: gingival recession (GR), probing depth (PD), attachment loss (AL), bleeding on probing (BOP), and visible plaque index (VPI). The groups were compared in regard to periodontal clinical variables.

Results

Patients with cirrhosis had greater prevalence of periodontitis than healthy controls (P < 0.001). In addition, they had greater mean percentage of sites with AL ≥3 mm (P = 0.008) and AL ≥5 mm (P = 0.023), greater mean AL (P = 0.003), greater mean gingival recession (P < 0.001), and more missing teeth than in the control group (P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Liver transplant candidates presented greater prevalence, extent, and severity of periodontitis than matched control patients.
Influence of the bordering shelves on nutrient distribution in the Arctic halocline inferred from water column nitrate isotopes
Authors: Fripiat F. , Declercq M. , Sapart C. J. , Anderson L. G. , Bruechert V. , Deman F. , Fonseca‐Batista D. , Humborg C. , Roukaerts A. , Semiletov I. P. , Dehairs F.
Published: July 2018

The East Siberian Sea and contiguous western Arctic Ocean basin are characterized by a subsurface nutrient maximum in the halocline, generally attributed to both Pacific inflow and intensive remineralization in shelf bottom waters that are advected into the central basin. We report nitrogen and oxygen isotopic measurement of nitrate from the East Siberian Sea and western Eurasian Basin, in order to gain insight into how nitrate is processed by the microbial community and redistributed in the Arctic Ocean. A large decoupling between nitrate δ15N and δ18O is reported, increasing and decreasing upward from the Atlantic temperature maximum layer toward the surface, respectively. A correlation between water and nitrate δ18O indicates that most of the nitrate (> 60%) at the halocline has been regenerated within the Arctic Ocean. The increase in nitrate δ15N correlates with the fixed N deficit, indicating a causal link between the loss of fixed N and the 15N enrichment. This suggests that a significant share of benthic denitrification is driven by nitrate supplied by remineralization and partial nitrification, allowing residual 15N‐enriched ammonium to diffuse out of the sediments. By increasing nutrient concentrations and fixed N deficit in shelf bottom waters, this imprint is attenuated offshore following advection into the halocline by nitrate regeneration and mixing. Estimation of the sedimentary isotope effect related to benthic denitrification yields values in the range of 2.4–3.8‰, with its magnitude driven by both the degree of coupling between remineralization and nitrification, and fixed N concentrations in shelf bottom waters.
Factors affecting trophic compositions of offshore benthic invertebrates at a sub‐Antarctic archipelago
Authors: Puccinelli Eleonora , McQuaid Christopher D. , Ansorge Isabelle J.
Published: July 2018

Food availability is a key regulator of the distribution, metabolism, and success of benthic populations. In deep sea ecosystems, hydrodynamics and depth play fundamental roles in determining benthic food resources. Recent studies suggest that the Southern Ocean sub‐Antarctic front is shifting southward, with implications for primary production and food availability around the sub‐Antarctic Islands embedded in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. We used fatty acid (FA) and stable isotope (SI) analyses to investigate the trophic pattern of benthic invertebrates and suspended particulate matter (SPM) at three Depths (shallow: 100 m, middle: 300 m, and deep: 600 m) in three hydrographic regions with different flow and productivity regimes around the Prince Edward Islands. Both region and depth affected the SI values of SPM, while feeding guild was the key factor influencing consumer trophic values. Depth affected the δ15N of all trophic groups and the FA compositions of suspension feeders. Deeper samples had a higher δ15N and showed a greater proportion of mono‐ and saturated fatty acids, reflecting greater remineralization of SPM and of food reaching the seafloor. Region affected the δ13C and FA values of SPM, suspension feeders and deposit feeder/scavengers, with differences between the interisland and open ocean regions. This was probably linked to the retention of nutrients and phytoplankton between the islands. Critically, the effects of depth and hydrographic region were taxon specific, indicating that long‐term responses to environmental change may have complex consequences for the feeding ecology and viability of benthic populations, with implications for the higher trophic levels that these populations support.
Resolving the long‐standing puzzles about the observed Secchi depth relationships
Authors: Lee Zhongping , Shang Shaoling , Du Keping , Wei Jianwei
Published: July 2018

Various empirical relationships have been developed in the past nine decades to link the Secchi‐disk depth (ZSD) with the diffuse attenuation coefficient (KPAR), the euphotic zone depth (Zeu), and chlorophyll (Chl) concentration, where the latter two are important for the quantification and evaluation of photosynthesis in aquatic environments. There was also a classical theory regarding Secchi‐disk sighting, but large gaps existed between the observations and model outcomes. These gaps have puzzled the ocean community for > 60 yr and have resulted in contradictory conclusions regarding the interpretation and usefulness of ZSD. Here, we compare these measurements with data simulated based on an innovative theory and model regarding ZSD, and we found remarkable agreements between theoretical predictions and these century‐long observations. The results not only resolve the long‐standing puzzles associated with these observations, but also unify the relationships published in the literature. In particular, the ratio of Zeu to ZSD is found to be ∼ 3.5 for all waters, which is ∼ 45% greater than the consensus value of ∼ 2.4 suggested in the past for clear waters. In addition, the new model validates an empirical relationship between ZSD and Chl developed for global oceanic waters, thus providing strong support for using historical ZSD data to study changes of phytoplankton in global oceans in the past century.
Assimilation of ancient organic carbon by zooplankton in Tibetan Plateau lakes is depending on watershed characteristics
Authors: Su Y. , Hu E. , Liu Z. , Jeppesen E. , Middelburg J. J.
Published: July 2018

Ancient (i.e., radiocarbon depleted) organic carbon (OC) is exported from ice sheet, glacier, and permafrost systems and may be buried, respired, or assimilated in downstream aquatic systems. Few studies have explored the potential use of this ancient OC in lake food webs. We combined natural abundance radiocarbon and stable carbon isotope data (Δ14C andδ13C) to study ancient OC utilization by zooplankton in six lakes covering a large climate gradient on the central and peripheral Tibetan Plateau. A depleted Δ14C signature of dissolved and particulate OC was found in the inflowing streams and lakes, ranging from – 49‰ to – 569‰, corresponding to radiocarbon ages between 403 yr and 6757 yr. The Δ14C values for zooplankton in the lakes ranged from – 45‰ to – 264‰, reflecting that zooplankton obtain14C‐depleted signatures through assimilation of ancient OC and/or indirectly through consumption of phytoplankton or aquatic plant utilizing14C‐depleted inorganic carbon. Moreover, ancient OC from inflowing streams contributed more to zooplankton diets in the temperate glacier area than in the cold glacier area. Assimilation of ancient OC by zooplankton in lakes is not only affected by drainage basin characteristics, such as the recharge coefficient of the lake, but also by the biogeochemical properties of OC. Use of ancient OC by zooplankton in high‐altitude lakes may constitute an important link between the contemporary aquatic food webs and the glaciated watersheds. Our findings have important implications for the contribution of ancient carbon to the modern lake food webs of high‐altitude and polar lakes.
Combining nutrient, productivity, and landscape‐based regressions improves predictions of lake nutrients and provides insight into nutrient coupling at macroscales
Authors: Wagner Tyler , Schliep Erin M.
Published: July 2018

Empirical nutrient models that describe lake nutrient, productivity, and water clarity relationships among lakes play a prominent role in limnology. Landscape‐based regressions are also used to understand macroscale variability of lake nutrients, clarity, and productivity (hereafter referred to as nutrient‐productivity). Predictions from both models are used to inform eutrophication management globally. To date, these two classes of models are generally conducted separately, which ignores the known dependencies among nutrient‐productivity variables. We present a statistical model that integrates nutrient‐productivity and landscape‐based regressions—where lake nutrients, productivity, and clarity variables are modeled jointly. We fitted a joint nutrient‐productivity model to over 7000 lakes with three nutrients (total phosphorus, total nitrogen, nitrate concentrations), chlorophyllaconcentrations, and Secchi disk depth as response variables and landscape features as predictor variables. Because lakes in different regions respond to landscape features differently, we focused our analysis on two subregions with different dominant land uses, the agricultural Midwest and the forested Northeast U.S. Predictive performance was enhanced by modeling nutrient‐productivity variables jointly. We also found strong evidence that nutrient‐productivity variables were coupled, and that only nitrate may be decoupled from other nutrient‐productivity variables in the forested region. We speculate that these regional differences may be related to differences in the strength of biogeochemical cycles and stoichiometric controls between these regions. Jointly modeling nutrient‐productivity variables in lakes effectively integrates the two dominant approaches for studying lakes nutrient‐productivity relationships and provides novel insight into macroscale patterns of the coupling of nutrients, chlorophyll, and water clarity in lakes.
Photophysiology of nitrate limited phytoplankton communities in Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen
Authors: Kulk Gemma , van de Poll Willem H. , Buma Anita G. J.
Published: July 2018

In Arctic coastal regions, the phytoplankton bloom is often initiated by meltwater induced stratification in spring, while subsequent nutrient depletion is believed to drive phytoplankton succession in summer. The associated changes in photophysiology are difficult to identify, because these can be governed by acclimation to light and nutrient availability as well as variations in phytoplankton biomass and taxonomic composition. In the present study, the consequences of nutrient limitation for photophysiology and growth were assessed in natural phytoplankton communities from Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen. A series of nutrient addition experiments demonstrated N‐limitation from mid‐June onwards and possible co‐limitation with P later in summer. The onset of N‐limitation was associated with a pronounced change in taxonomic composition from a dictyochophytes to a haptophytes dominated community. Fast Repetition Rate fluorometry measurements of photosystem II (PSII) photophysiology showed that the dictyochophytes dominated community was characterized by high PSII efficiency and electron transport rates which were efficiently used for growth. Marked changes in PSII photophysiology were observed later in summer, with decreasing efficiencies, lower connectivity between reaction centers, and slower turnover rates. Simultaneously, alternative electron requirements downstream of PSII became more important and energy was likely allocated to the uptake of nutrients rather than carbon fixation and growth. Relief of nutrient limitation during the nutrient addition experiments did not lead to pronounced changes in PSII photophysiology. It is, therefore, concluded that PSII photophysiology of the phytoplankton community in Kongsfjorden is associated with changes in species composition rather than a direct effect of nutrient availability or nutrient limitation.
Near‐Field Characterization of Graphene Plasmons by Photo‐Induced Force Microscopy
Authors: Liu Jianxun , Park Sung , Nowak Derek , Tian Mengchuan , Wu Yanqing , Long Hua , Wang Kai , Wang Bing , Lu Peixiang
Published: July 2018

The near‐field features of graphene plasmons (GPs) using a recently developed photo‐induced force microscopy (PiFM) technique are characterized here. The GPs are excited by a mid‐infrared laser beam obliquely incident on graphene suspended over a metallic grating with a dielectric spacer. The PiFM records the optical force yielded by the interaction between the electric field of GPs in the normal direction and dipoles in a metallic tip. The magnitude of the optical force is proportional to the field intensity of the GPs. By detecting the interference pattern of GPs on the grating trenches, the wavelength and propagation distance of GPs can be obtained. The PiFM technique demonstrated here provides a powerful tool to precisely characterize GPs in a deeply subwavelength scale and aid in the design of nanoscale optical devices based on graphene.
Mixed EHL analysis of planetary drives with small teeth number difference considering real tooth geometry
Authors: Dai Ling , Pu Wei , Wang Jiaxu
Published: July 2018

Planetary drives with small teeth number difference are key components widely used for transmitting significant power. In general, these components are designed with short tooth depth to avoid the interference of addendum, which may have significant effect on contact conditions and lubrication characteristics. In the present study, a modified mixed elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is employed to analyse the lubrication performance in tooth pairs with consideration of real geometry profile (short tooth depth) and 3D machined roughness. Numerous sets of cases from meshing in to meshing out have been analysed under a wide range of operating conditions to study the tribological behaviour. Obtained results suggest that the lubrication and friction behaviours are much worse especially at meshing out points than those ignoring the influence of real tooth geometry. The modified elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is compared with finite element analysis results which indicate that it is able to handle practical cases in which the real contact width is much shorter than Hertzian contact width and can be employed for the analysis and design of planetary drives with small teeth number difference.
Tribocorrosion behaviour of F690 and 316L steel in artificial seawater
Authors: Ma Fuliang , Li Jinlong , Zeng Zhixiang , Gao Yimin
Published: July 2018

In this paper, the tribocorrosion behaviours of F690 steel and 316L steel in artificial seawater were studied for exploring the difference of tribocorroision behaviour between nonpassive materials and passive materials. The tribocorrosion tests reveal that the evolution of potential and current density of F690 steel under the simultaneous action of wear and corrosion is the opposite of that observed for 316L steel because of the different passivation capacities for the F690 and 316L steel. The passive materials possess a better tribocorrosion resistance than nonpassive materials in artificial seawater because of the presence of passive film based on the current research results. The wear resistance and corrosion resistance of F690 steel need to be further improved to extend the lifetime.
Protein‐protein interactions as antibiotic targets: A medicinal chemistry perspective
Authors: Cossar Peter J. , Lewis Peter J. , McCluskey Adam
Published: July 2018

There are 27 small molecule protein‐protein interaction (PPI) modulators in Phase I, II, and III clinical trials targeting cancer, viruses, autoimmune disorders, and as immune suppression agents. Targeting PPIs as an antibiotic drug discovery strategy remains in relative infancy by comparison. However, a number of molecules are in development which target PPI within the replisome, divisome, transcriptome, and translatome are showing significant promise at the medicinal chemistry stage of drug development. Hence, the success of future PPI agents as antibiotics will build upon the techniques and design strategies of these molecules.
Existence of weak solutions to the Ericksen‐Leslie model for a general class of free energies
Authors: Emmrich Etienne , Lasarzik Robert
Published: July 2018

A model due to Ericksen and Leslie describing incompressible liquid crystals is studied for a general class of free energies. Global existence of weak solutions is proven via a Galerkin approximation with eigenfunctions of a strongly elliptic operator. A novelty is that the principal part of the differential operator appearing in the director equation can be nonlinear.
Glycation of the Major Milk Allergen β‐Lactoglobulin Changes Its Allergenicity by Alterations in Cellular Uptake and Degradation
Authors: Perusko Marija , van Roest Manon , Stanic‐Vucinic Dragana , Simons Peter J. , Pieters Raymond H. H. , Cirkovic Velickovic Tanja , Smit Joost J.
Published: July 2018

Scope

During food processing, the Maillard reaction (МR) may occur, resulting in the formation of glycated proteins. Glycated proteins are of particular importance in food allergies because glycation may influence interactions with the immune system. This study compared native and extensively glycated milk allergen β‐lactoglobulin (BLG), in their interactions with cells crucially involved in allergy.

Methods and results

BLG was glycated in MR and characterized. Native and glycated BLG were tested in experiments of epithelial transport, uptake and degradation by DCs, T‐cell cytokine responses, and basophil cell degranulation using ELISA and flow cytometry. Glycation of BLG induced partial unfolding and reduced its intestinal epithelial transfer over a Caco‐2 monolayer. Uptake of glycated BLG by bone marrow–derived dendritic cells (BMDC) was increased, although both BLG forms entered BMDC via the same mechanism, receptor‐mediated endocytosis. Once inside the BMDC, glycated BLG was degraded faster, which might have led to observed lower cytokine production in BMDC/CD4+ T‐cells coculture. Finally, glycated BLG was less efficient in induction of degranulation of BLG‐specific IgE sensitized basophil cells.

Conclusions

This study suggests that glycation of BLG by MR significantly alters its fate in processes involved in immunogenicity and allergenicity, pointing out the importance of food processing in food allergy.
Dynamic modelling of retrogressive landslides with emphasis on the role of clay sensitivity
Authors: Zhang Xue , Sloan Scott W. , Oñate Eugenio
Published: July 2018

This paper presents a detailed numerical study of the retrogressive failure of landslides in sensitive clays. The dynamic modelling of the landslides is carried out using a novel continuum approach, the particle finite element method, complemented with an elastoviscoplastic constitutive model. The multiwedge failure mode in the collapse is captured successfully, and the multiple retrogressive failures that have been widely observed in landslides in sensitive clays are reproduced with the failure mechanism, the kinematics, and the deposition being discussed in detail. Special attention has been paid to the role of the clay sensitivity on each retrogressive failure as well as on the final retrogression distance and the final run‐out distance via parametric studies. Moreover, the effects of the viscosity of sensitive clays on the failure are also investigated for different clay sensitivities.
Nonlinearly preconditioned L‐BFGS as an acceleration mechanism for alternating least squares with application to tensor decomposition
Authors: De Sterck Hans , Howse Alexander J.M.
Published: July 2018

We derive nonlinear acceleration methods based on the limited‐memory Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno (L‐BFGS) update formula for accelerating iterative optimization methods of alternating least squares (ALS) type applied to canonical polyadic and Tucker tensor decompositions. Our approach starts from linear preconditioning ideas that use linear transformations encoded by matrix multiplications and extends these ideas to the case of genuinely nonlinear preconditioning, where the preconditioning operation involves fully nonlinear transformations. As such, the ALS‐type iterations are used as fully nonlinear preconditioners for L‐BFGS, or equivalently, L‐BFGS is used as a nonlinear accelerator for ALS. Numerical results show that the resulting methods perform much better than either stand‐alone L‐BFGS or stand‐alone ALS, offering substantial improvements in terms of time to solution and robustness over state‐of‐the‐art methods for large and noisy tensor problems, including previously described acceleration methods based on nonlinear conjugate gradients and the nonlinear generalized minimal residual method. Our approach provides a general L‐BFGS‐based acceleration mechanism for nonlinear optimization.
Investigate on mechanical and tribological properties of solution styrene butadiene and butadiene rubber composites
Authors: Wu Yanping , Dong Jia , Yuan Rui , Wan Hongqi , Chen Lei , Li Jinlong , Zhou Huidi , Chen Jianmin
Published: July 2018

Solution styrene butadiene and butadiene rubber (SSBR‐BR) composites reinforced with different contents of SiO2‐graphene have been fabricated firstly. The mechanical properties of the rubber composites were comparatively investigated using tensile tests; experimental results showed that, as an overall trend, the tensile and tear strength increased with increasing contents of SiO2‐graphene. Most importantly, under the condition of simulating practical working condition, the tribological behavior of SSBR‐BR composites with different contents of SiO2‐graphene was explored via a universal ring‐plate frictional tester in detail. Combined with the surface roughness of the counterparts, the wear mechanisms were discussed for SSBR‐BR composites under the cement and asphalt counterparts. Finally, several wear mechanisms under different actual working conditions were proposed.
What is the quality of drug safety information for patients: An analysis of REMS educational materials
Authors: Chan Hilda W. , Russell Andrea M. , Smith Meredith Y.
Published: July 2018

Background

Poor‐quality patient drug information has been identified as a major cause of preventable medication errors in the United States. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to require marketing authorization holders of medicinal products to implement risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS) to ensure that the benefits of a drug or biological product outweigh its risks. Aside from medication guides, no research has been conducted to assess the quality of patient‐targeted REMS materials, including whether, and to what extent, patients find these materials understandable and actionable.

Purpose

To describe the readability, understandability, and actionability of patient educational materials in currently approved REMS programs, and to highlight opportunities for improving both the quality and effectiveness of these important drug safety tools.

Methods

Seventy‐seven REMS programs were identified from the FDA REMS database. We excluded medication guides (MGs) from our analysis because of the fact that there is a mandatory MG template. Based on this, we identified a total of 27 (non‐MG) REMS patient materials on the FDA REMS website for analysis purposes. The materials were tested for readability using the Lexile Measure, the Gunning Fog Index, and Flesch Kincaid and then assessed using the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for printable materials, for understandability and actionability.

Results

Twenty‐three of 77 (30%) REMS programs used educational materials to communicate serious risks to patients, yielding a total of 27 REMS patient materials for analysis. The median readability score for these materials was at a ninth‐grade reading level or higher. While most (89%) of these patient education materials met established criteria for being understandable, less than half (49%) were deemed actionable.

Discussion

Currently approved REMS patient materials fell short in terms of recommended reading level, and over half did not meet recommended standards for actionability. Developers of these materials should apply plain language principles when design these materials to improve their readability and to assess both understandability and actionability in order to increase the effectiveness when distributed to patients.
Time Course and Extent of Renal Function Changes in Patients Receiving Treatment for Staphylococcal Pneumonias: An Analysis Comparing Telavancin and Vancomycin from the ATTAIN Trials
Authors: Nogid Boris , Lacy Melinda K. , Jacobs Micah , Bruss Jon , Dwyer Jamie
Published: July 2018

Study Objective

Telavancin and vancomycin are both approved for treatment of hospital‐acquired and ventilator‐associated bacterial pneumonias caused by Staphylococcus aureus, and both agents can cause renal dysfunction. The objective of this study was to assess renal function changes by performing renal shift table analyses of telavancin‐ and vancomycin‐treated patients in phase III trials.

Design

Retrospective, descriptive analysis of data from the safety population from the Assessment of Telavancin for Treatment of Hospital‐Acquired Pneumonia (ATTAIN) trials.

Patients

A total of 1503 adults with hospital‐acquired or ventilator‐associated bacterial pneumonia primarily caused by gram‐positive pathogens and who received telavancin (n = 751) or vancomycin (n = 752).

Measurements and Main Results

Decline or improvement in creatinine clearance (CrCl) across seven defined categories (≤30, >30–40, >40–50, >50–60, >60–70, >70–80, and >80 ml/min) was classified as negative or positive shifts, respectively. The number of categories crossed (either positive or negative) determined the grade of shift (of a potential grades 1–6, with crossing from one category to the next adjacent category defined as a grade 1 shift) at specific time points compared with baseline: day 4, day 7, and end of therapy (EOT). Approximately 77%–91.6% of patients had either no change or improvement of CrCl across all time points for both treatments. Negative shifts were consistent for telavancin (day 4, 19.3%; day 7, 19.0%; EOT, 23.0%) but increased over time for vancomycin (day 4, 8.4%; day 7, 12.3%; EOT, 19.3%). A significantly lower proportion of patients receiving vancomycin showed renal function decline on day 4 and day 7. At EOT, negative shift rates were similar between treatments (treatment difference 3.6% [95% CI −0.7 to 7.9]). At day 7 and EOT, a higher percentage of vancomycin‐treated patients experienced high‐grade negative shifts relative to telavancin (day 7, vancomycin 2.8% vs telavancin 1.9%; EOT, vancomycin 4.7% vs telavancin 4.1%), though differences were not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Use of shift tables revealed differences in timing of renal function changes in patients receiving telavancin and vancomycin. Telavancin‐related declines in renal function were similar at day 4 and day 7, with a slight increase by EOT. This differed from vancomycin, which caused a steady increase in the percentage of patients with renal function decline over time. A significant difference in negative renal shifts between treatments occurred at day 4 and day 7 and favored vancomycin; however, the difference was minimal and not significant at EOT.
Molecular structure and driving force to metastable states: Janus faces in polymer crystallization
Authors: Mathot Vincent BF
Published: July 2018

This paper is a retrospective of a past dedicated to research on polymers and a situation sketch of the present and the near future. (Co)polymers discussed are mainly based on ethylene. (Cross‐)fractionation techniques combined with state‐of‐the‐art characterization techniques, like quantitative differential scanning calorimetry, are powerful tools for the study of the links between two main topics: molecular structure and crystallization/melting. These form the two ‘Janus faces’ polymers can show, namely Face 1: the molecular structure resulting from polymerization with the keyword ‘nature’; and Face 2: the driving force of crystallization towards a metastable state, with the keyword ‘nurture’. After all, to meet demands for properties of products, in principle one starts with a given molecular architecture, after which dedicated processing, including application of temperature–time ramps, has to do the job. With new instrumentation, especially fast scanning (chip) calorimetry, for the first time in history the driving force towards crystallization into one of the possible metastable states – via Face 2 – can be controlled, of course within certain limits given by Face 1. This promising outlook of combining the faces to a useful symbiosis of Janus will be a challenge for those working in the science of crystallization of polymers. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
A dopant‐free polymer as hole‐transporting material for highly efficient and stable perovskite solar cells
Authors: Li Xianqiang , Tang Xiaohong , Yang Yijie , Ye Tao , Wu Dan , Wang Hong , Li Jun , Wang Xizu
Published: July 2018

A series of thiazolothiazole‐thiophene‐based polymer hole‐transporting materials (HTMs) are synthesized and applied into perovskite solar cells (PSCs). These polymer HTMs have good performance and stability without any dopants. The improved performance and stability of PSCs is attributed to the polymer HTMs' crystallinity which can be controlled by adjusting the thiophene units on the polymer backbone. The highest PCE of the polymer HTMs based PSCs reached 14.02%. The stability of the PSCs was shown by retaining 80% PCE of the original value after stored them in a N2‐filled glovebox for 113 days.
A multilevel analysis of home and classroom literacy environments in relation to preschoolers’ early literacy development
Authors: Altun Dilek , Tantekin Erden Feyza , Snow Catherine E.
Published: July 2018

This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of preschoolers’ home and classroom literacy environments and the relationships between receptive and expressive vocabulary, phonological awareness, and concepts about print (CAP) development. The participants were 168 parents and their children from five private preschools in a large suburban area. Two waves of data were collected. Multilevel linear modeling was used to analyze the two‐level data set. The findings of the study revealed that children have more oral language related home experiences than print‐related experiences. Similarly, the scores of the children's classroom environment that were related to oral language sources had the highest average of all rated dimensions. Print‐related resources and experiences and provisions for book corners in the classrooms were limited. The results revealed that children's spring semester early literacy scores were significantly associated with their initial early literacy scores, mother's education level, and the classroom literacy environment. However, the home literacy environment was not significantly related to spring semester CAP scores.
The effect of psychomotor physical therapy on health‐related quality of life, pain, coping, self‐esteem, and social support
Authors: Bergland Astrid , Olsen Cecilie Fromholt , Ekerholt Kirsten
Published: July 2018

Background

Norwegian psychomotor physiotherapy (NPMP) is commonly applied for patients with long‐lasting pain and psychological symptoms. The approach is based on a bio‐psychosocial model of health and might have benefits to physical, psychological, and physical domains of health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). No previous randomized controlled clinical trials have been performed to examine the effectiveness of NPMP as individual treatment. The aim was therefore to assess the effect of a 6‐month intervention of NPMP on HRQOL and on pain, coping, social support, and self‐esteem.

Methods

The study was a pragmatic randomized controlled trial comparing an intervention group with a control group. Participants were recruited from 36 physiotherapists specialized in NPMP, working in private practice. The intervention group received NPMP once weekly for 6 months, whereas the control group received no intervention. Measurements were performed at baseline and after 6 months. A total of 105 participants were included. HRQOL was measured by the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey, SF‐36. To examine the effect of the intervention, independent samplettests were performed with the “difference in mean values,” delta (=∆, posttest result − baseline result).

Results

Significant differences between the two groups were observed in six of the eight SF‐36 domains: Physical Functioning, Bodily Pain, General Health, Mental Health, Social Functioning, and Vitality. Effect size ranged from 0.9 for Vitality to 0.3 for Role Physical and Role Emotional. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between groups regarding pain and self‐esteem in favour of the intervention group. The Cohen'sdeffect sizes of the different dimensions of HRQOL ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 with a median of 0.6.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate that 6‐month intervention of NPMP increased HRQOL and self‐esteem as well as reduced pain.
Screening of anticancer drugs to detect drug‐induced interstitial pneumonia using the accumulated data in the electronic medical record
Authors: Shimai Yoshie , Takeda Toshihiro , Okada Katsuki , Manabe Shirou , Teramoto Kei , Mihara Naoki , Matsumura Yasushi
Published: July 2018

Because drug‐induced interstitial pneumonia (DIP) is a serious adverse drug reaction, its quantitative risk with individual medications should be taken into due consideration when selecting a medicine. We developed an algorithm to detect DIP using medical record data accumulated in a hospital. Chest computed tomography (CT) is mainly used for the diagnosis of IP, and chest X‐ray reports, KL‐6, and SP‐D values are used to support the diagnosis. The presence of IP in the reports was assessed by a method using natural language‐processing, in which IP was estimated according to the product of the likelihood ratio of characteristic keywords in each report. The sensitivity and the specificity of the method for chest CT reports were 0.92 and 0.97, while those for chest X‐ray reports were 0.83 and 1, respectively. The occurrence of DIP was estimated by the patterns of presence of IP before, during, and after the administration of the target medicine. The occurrence rate of DIP in cases administered Gefitinib; Methotrexate (MTX); Tegafur, Gimeracil, and Oteracil potassium (TS‐1); and Tegafur and Uracil (UTF) was 6.0%, 2.3%, 1.4%, and 0.7%, respectively. The estimated DIP cases were checked by having the medical records independently reviewed by medical doctors. By chart review, the positive predictive values of DIP against Gefitinib, MTX, TS‐1, and UFT were 69.2%, 44.4%, 58.6%, and 77.8%, respectively. Although the cases extracted by this method included some that did not have DIP, this method can estimate the relative risk of DIP between medicines.
Time‐correlated model error in the (ensemble) Kalman smoother
Authors: Amezcua Javier , van Leeuwen Peter Jan
Published: July 2018

Data assimilation is often performed in a perfect‐model scenario, where only errors in initial conditions and observations are considered. Errors in model equations are increasingly being included, but typically using rather adhoc approximations with limited understanding of how these approximations affect the solution and how these approximations interfere with approximations inherent in finite‐size ensembles.

We provide the first systematic evaluation of the influence of approximations to model errors within a time window of weak‐constraint ensemble smoothers. In particular, we study the effects of prescribing temporal correlations in the model errors incorrectly in a Kalman smoother, and in interaction with finite‐ensemble‐size effects in an ensemble Kalman smoother.

For the Kalman smoother we find that an incorrect correlation time‐scale for additive model errors can have substantial negative effects on the solutions, and we find that overestimating of the correlation time‐scale leads to worse results than underestimating. In the ensemble Kalman smoother case, the resulting ensemble‐based space–time gain can be written as the true gain multiplied by two factors, a linear factor containing the errors due to both time‐correlation errors and finite ensemble effects, and a nonlinear factor related to the inverse part of the gain. Assuming that both errors are relatively small, we are able to disentangle the contributions from the different approximations. The analysis mean is affected by the time‐correlation errors, but also substantially by finite‐ensemble effects, which was unexpected. The analysis covariance is affected by both time‐correlation errors and an in‐breeding term. This first thorough analysis of the influence of time‐correlation errors and finite‐ensemble‐size errors on weak‐constraint ensemble smoothers will aid further development of these methods and help to make them robust for e.g. numerical weather prediction.
Assessing the reliability of ensemble forecasting systems under serial dependence
Authors: Bröcker Jochen
Published: July 2018

The problem of testing the reliability of ensemble forecasting systems is revisited. A popular tool to assess the reliability of ensemble forecasting systems (for scalar verifications) is the rank histogram; this histogram is expected to be more or less flat, since, for a reliable ensemble, the ranks are uniformly distributed among their possible outcomes. Quantitative tests for flatness (e.g. Pearson's goodness‐of‐fit test) have been suggested; without exception, however, these tests assume the ranks to be a sequence of independent random variables, which is not the case in general, as can be demonstrated with simple toy examples. In this article, tests are developed that take the temporal correlations between the ranks into account. A refined analysis exploiting the reliability property shows that the ranks still exhibit strong decay of correlations. This property is key to the analysis, and the proposed tests are valid for general ensemble forecasting systems with minimal extraneous assumptions.