bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous determination of the styrene unit content and assessment of molecular weight of triblock copolymers in adhesives by a size exclusion chromatography method
Authors: Wang Mingfang , Wang Yuerong , Luo Pei , Zhang Hongyang , Zhang Min , Hu Ping
Published: August 2017

The content of styrene units in nonhydrogenated and hydrogenated styrene‐butadiene‐styrene and styrene‐isoprene‐styrene triblock copolymers significantly influences product performance. A size exclusion chromatography method was developed to determine the average styrene content of triblock copolymers blended with tackifier in adhesives. A complete separation of the triblock copolymer from the other additives was realized with size exclusion chromatography. The peak area ratio of the UV and refraction index signals of the copolymers at the same effective elution volume was correlated to the average styrene unit content using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with commercial copolymers as standards. The obtained calibration curves showed good linearity for both the hydrogenated and nonhydrogenated styrene‐butadiene‐styrene and styrene‐isoprene‐styrene triblock copolymers (r = 0.974 for styrene contents of 19.3–46.3% for nonhydrogenated ones and r = 0.970 for the styrene contents of 23–58.2% for hydrogenated ones). For copolymer blends, the developed method provided more accurate average styrene unit contents than nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy provided. These results were validated using two known copolymer blends consisting of either styrene‐isoprene‐styrene or hydrogenated styrene‐butadiene‐styrene and a hydrocarbon tackifying resin as well as an unknown adhesive with styrene‐butadiene‐styrene and an aromatic tackifying resin. The methodology can be readily applied to styrene‐containing polymers in blends such as poly(acrylonitrile‐butadiene styrene).
Ice formation and the risk of chloride toxicity in shallow wetlands and lakes
Authors: Dugan Hilary A. , Helmueller Greta , Magnuson John J.
Published: August 2017

The process of ice formation in shallow waterbodies can increase chloride to toxic levels in waterbodies already impacted by chloride loading from road salt (NaCl deicer) application. Chloride concentrations were measured bi‐weekly in a shallow, urban wetland in Madison, Wisconsin. We found that in this shallow waterbody, ice thickening doubled chloride concentrations from ion exclusion as the water froze. To understand the role of ice formation and ion exclusion, we constructed a numerical model to predict chloride concentrations beneath the ice resulting from ion exclusion. Where chloride levels already are elevated above background and flushing rates are low, ice thickening can push concentrations well above toxicity thresholds for much of the winter. The compounding effects of road salt runoff and ice formation should be considered in the management of water quality and ecosystem health in shallow urban water bodies or waterbodies receiving road salt runoff from nearby roadways.
Do you want to talk about it? When word of mouth alleviates the psychological discomfort of self‐threat
Authors: Thomas Veronica L. , Saenger Christina , Bock Dora E.
Published: August 2017

When consumers experience a self‐threat due to receiving negative information that calls the positivity of their self‐concept into question, psychological discomfort ensues, motivating consumers to seek a resolution. This research examines how consumers use word of mouth to overcome this discomfort and cope with a self‐threat. The psychological discomfort associated with a self‐threat generally influences consumers to refrain from spreading word of mouth in order to avoid the potential for further negative evaluations. However, a self‐threat can encourage the spread of word of mouth if consumers perceive a brand as possessing attributes positively associated with the threatened aspect of the self, signaling sufficiency in the threat domain. Furthermore, this research demonstrates that spreading word of mouth about a brand that signals sufficiency in the threat domain is an effective coping tactic that alleviates the psychological discomfort caused by the self‐threat. Overall, the present research deepens the current understanding of the relationships among self‐threat, symbolic brands, and word of mouth by revealing that a brand's symbolic associations shape the effect of the self‐threat on word of mouth.
Click Chemistry in Functional Aliphatic Polycarbonates
Authors: Dai Yu , Zhang Xiaojin , Xia Fan
Published: August 2017

Click chemistry, one of the most important methods in conjugation, plays an extremely significant role in the synthesis of functional aliphatic polycarbonates, which are a group of biodegradable polymers containing carbonate bonds in their main chains. To date, more than 75 articles have been reported on the topic of click chemistry in functional aliphatic polycarbonates. However, these efforts have not yet been highlighted. Six categories of click reactions (alkyne‐azide reaction, thiol‐ene reaction, Michael addition, epoxy‐amine/thiol reaction, Diels‐Alder reaction, and imine formation) that have been afforded for further post‐polymerization modification of polycarbonates are reviewed. Through this review, a comprehensive understanding of functional aliphatic polycarbonates aims to afford insight on the design of polycarbonates for further post‐polymerization modification via click chemistry and the expectation of the practical application.
Catenane Crosslinked Mechanically Adaptive Polymer Gel
Authors: Xing Hao , Li Zhengtao , Wu Zi Liang , Huang Feihe
Published: August 2017

A new strategy is introduced to prepare an adaptive polymer gel that has a unique adaptability in response to environmental stimuli. This gel is prepared by the thiol‐ene “click” reaction between a bisvinyl [2]catenane and a poly(ethylene glycol) derivative containing multiple thiol groups. The catenane crosslinker is responsive to external stimuli due to the existence of intercomponent hydrogen bonding (IHB). The strong IHB restricts the rotation and movement of the crosslinker, giving it a rigid feature; however, the crosslinker becomes flexible when the IHB is destroyed. In consequence, the resulting gel can be reversibly switched between tough and soft states under stimulations.
Functional genetic variants of XRCC4 and ERCC1 predict survival of gastric cancer patients treated with chemotherapy by regulating the gene expression
Authors: Cheng Lei , Qiu Lixin , Wang Mengyun , Zhang Ruoxin , Sun Menghong , Zhu Xiaodong , Wang Yanong , Wei Qingyi
Published: August 2017

DNA repair protects genomic integrity and may modulate chemotherapy efficacy. Few large‐scale studies have evaluated predictive roles of genetic variants of DNA repair genes in survival of Chinese gastric cancer (GCa) patients treated with chemotherapy. Here, we assessed the roles of 35 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DNA repair genes in survival of 1002 GCa patients, of whom 694 received chemotherapy and 308 did not. Among patients receiving chemotherapy, the ERCC1 rs2298881A allele was associated with a better survival [hazards ratio (HR) = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.69‐0.98; P = 0.03], whereas two XRCC4 SNPs were associated with a worse survival (HR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.03‐1.54 for the rs10040363G allele, P = 0.02; and HR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.06‐1.59 for the rs2075685T allele, P = 0.01). These three SNPs were unique survival predictors for patients treated with chemotherapy (P < 0.05 for all) but not for patients without chemotherapy (P > 0.05 for all), suggesting that they modulated chemotherapy efficacy. Patients who received chemotherapy and had haplotypes with at least one death‐risk allele in XRCC4 had a poor survival, and the trend for an increase in the number of death‐risk alleles adversely affecting the survival was also observed in an allelic dose‐dependent manner (Ptrend = 0.001). Further functional analysis revealed that the death‐risk alleles up‐regulated the gene expression, leading to a worse survival as suggested by our meta‐analysis pooling both mRNA microarray data from the GEO database and published data (ERCC1: HR = 1.31 [1.08‐1.58]; P = 0.006). These functional genetic variants may independently or jointly affect survival in chemotherapy‐treated GCa patients by modulating the gene expression in the tumors.
HBO1 promotes cell proliferation in bladder cancer via activation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling
Authors: Chen Zhaohui , Zhou Lijie , Wang Longwang , Kazobinka Gallina , Zhang Xiaoping , Han Xiaomin , Li Bin , Hou Teng
Published: August 2017

Histone acetyltransferase binding to ORC1 (HBO1), a histone acetyltransferase, was recently identified as an oncoprotein; however, its role in bladder cancer remains unknown. In this study, we showed that HBO1 was highly expressed at both the mRNA and the protein levels in bladder cancer. HBO1 expression was associated with the clinical features of human bladder cancer, including tumor size (P = 0.018) and T (P = 0.007) classifications. Patients with higher HBO1 expression had shorter recurrence‐free survival time, whereas patients with lower HBO1 expression had better survival time. Moreover, we found that ectopic overexpression of HBO1 promoted, whereas HBO1 silencing inhibited tumor growth in bladder cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. We further demonstrated that upregulation of HBO1 activated the Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathway and led to nuclear localization of β‐catenin and upregulation of downstream targets of of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling. These findings suggest that HBO1 plays a key role in the progression of bladder cancer via the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway, and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of bladder cancer.
Genetic variants in the metzincin metallopeptidase family genes predict melanoma survival
Authors: Xu Yinghui , Wang Yanru , Liu Hongliang , Shi Qiong , Zhu Dakai , Amos Christopher I. , Fang Shenying , Lee Jeffrey E. , Hyslop Terry , Li Xin , Han Jiali , Wei Qingyi
Published: August 2017

Metzincins are key molecules in the degradation of the extracellular matrix and play an important role in cellular processes such as cell migration, adhesion, and cell fusion of malignant tumors, including cutaneous melanoma (CM). We hypothesized that genetic variants of the metzincin metallopeptidase family genes would be associated with CM‐specific survival (CMSS). To test this hypothesis, we first performed Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to evaluate the associations between genetic variants of 75 metzincin metallopeptidase family genes and CMSS using the dataset from the genome‐wide association study (GWAS) from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) which included 858 non‐Hispanic white patients with CM, and then validated using the dataset from the Harvard GWAS study which had 409 non‐Hispanic white patients with invasive CM. Four independent SNPs (MMP16 rs10090371 C>A, ADAMTS3 rs788935 T>C, TLL2 rs10882807 T>C and MMP9 rs3918251 A>G) were identified as predictors of CMSS, with a variant‐allele attributed hazards ratio (HR) of 1.73 (1.32‐2.29, 9.68E‐05), 1.46 (1.15‐1.85, 0.002), 1.68 (1.31‐2.14, 3.32E‐05) and 0.67 (0.51‐0.87, 0.003), respectively, in the meta‐analysis of these two GWAS studies. Combined analysis of risk genotypes of these four SNPs revealed a decreased CMSS in a dose‐response manner as the number of risk genotypes increased (Ptrend < 0.001). An improvement was observed in the prediction model (area under the curve [AUC] = 81.4% vs. 78.6%), when these risk genotypes were added to the model containing non‐genotyping variables. Our findings suggest that these genetic variants may be promising prognostic biomarkers for CMSS.
An existence result for nonisothermal immiscible incompressible 2‐phase flow in heterogeneous porous media
Authors: Amaziane Brahim , Jurak Mladen , Pankratov Leonid , Piatnitski Andrey
Published: August 2017

In the present article, we study the temperature effects on two‐phase immiscible incompressible flow through a porous medium. The mathematical model is given by a coupled system of 2‐phase flow equations and an energy balance equation. The model consists of the usual equations derived from the mass conservation of both fluids along with the Darcy‐Muskat and the capillary pressure laws. The problem is written in terms of the phase formulation; ie, the saturation of one phase, the pressure of the second phase, and the temperature are primary unknowns. The major difficulties related to this model are in the nonlinear degenerate structure of the equations, as well as in the coupling in the system. Under some realistic assumptions on the data, we show the existence of weak solutions with the help of an appropriate regularization and a time discretization. We use suitable test functions to obtain a priori estimates. We prove a new compactness result to pass to the limit in nonlinear terms.
Physician‐ and self‐assessed myasthenia gravis activities of daily living score
Authors: Lee Hye Lim , Min Ju‐Hong , Seok Jin Myoung , Cho Eun Bin , Cho Hye Jin , Kim Yong‐Dae , Kim Byoung Joon
Published: August 2017

Introduction

The Myasthenia Gravis—Activities of Daily Living (MG‐ADL) profile scale is a simple‐to‐use instrument. We aimed to validate this scale in the Korean language and compare physician‐ and self‐assessed MG‐ADL scores (pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K).

Methods

pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K and MG Composite (MGC) scores were obtained from patients. The correlation between pMG‐ADL‐K and MGC and the relationship between the pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K were assessed using the Cronbach α and the Spearman coefficient. By intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the reliability of each sub‐item of pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K was evaluated.

Results

We included data from 40 patients. The pMG‐ADL‐K score showed a strong correlation with the MGC score (rho = 0.80, P < 0.01). The Cronbach α was 0.98 between pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K, and sub‐items showed good consistency (ICC 0.684–0.985, P < 0.001).

Discussion

The MG‐ADL‐K is a valid tool and the sMG‐ADL‐K shows excellent correlation with pMG‐ADL‐K. Both the pMG‐ADL‐K and sMG‐ADL‐K can be used to measure MG severity. Muscle Nerve 57: 419–422, 2018
Numerical solution of Lyapunov equations related to Markov jump linear systems
Authors: Damm Tobias , Sato Kazuhiro , Vierling Axel
Published: August 2017

We suggest and compare different methods for the numerical solution of Lyapunov‐like equations with application to control of Markovian jump linear systems. First, we consider fixed‐point iterations and associated Krylov subspace formulations. Second, we reformulate the equation as an optimization problem and consider steepest descent, conjugate gradient, and trust‐region methods. Numerical experiments illustrate that, for large‐scale problems, the trust‐region method is more efficient than a direct solution or a standard solver for linear matrix inequalities. The fixed‐point approach, however, is superior to the optimization methods. As an application, we consider a networked control system, where the Markov jumps are induced by the wireless communication protocol.
Sisal fibril epoxy composite—a high strength electrical insulating material
Authors: Nimanpure Subhash , Hashmi S.A.R. , Kumar Rajnish , Nigrawal Archana , Bhargaw H.N. , Naik Ajay
Published: August 2017

Environment friendly high strength electrical insulating material was developed using fibrillated sisal and epoxy resin. Coarse sisal fibers were fibrillated into fibrils using mechanical disintegration. Fibrillated fibers provided a high strength, renewable, light weight dielectric variant reinforcement to epoxy resin. Different weight fractions (10–35%) of Agave sisalana fibrils were thoroughly mixed with epoxy resin system to develop composites. Chemical treatment was employed to improve the surface as well as chemical composition of sisal fibril to enhance mechanical strength and electrical insulating properties of composite. Chemical treatment of fibrils improved the tensile strength from 47.4 to 51.99 MPa at 35 wt% loading of sisal fibril in epoxy composite. A few important predictive models namely rule of mixture, Halpin–Tsai, Nielson Chen and Manera model were compared with the experimental values obtained in this present study. Nielson Chan model predicted the experimental data most accurately with an average relative error of 15.82%. Similarly the dissipation factor touched a level of 0.097, thereby indicating good insulation properties of composite. The tests were conducted at lower frequency range to higher frequency range 1–10 kHz and the composite material exhibited stability at high frequency range as compared to low frequency range. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2175–E2184, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Creep and interfacial behavior of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy filament wound laminates
Authors: Almeida José Humberto S. , Ornaghi Heitor L. , Lorandi Natália P. , Bregolin Bernardo P. , Amico Sandro C.
Published: August 2017

This article focuses on the investigation of the interfacial and creep characteristics of carbon fiber‐reinforced epoxy laminates at different fiber orientations. Flat unidirectional 12‐layer laminates were manufactured by dry‐filament winding and cured under hot compression. The following winding sequences were studied: [0]12, [30]12, [45]12, [60]12, and [90]12. Short‐beam testing aided by microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis were used to assess interfacial characteristics and creep behavior of the laminates. Short beam strength and creep behavior were strongly influenced by fiber orientation. Short beam strength decreased 270%, and only the laminates wound at 0° presented delamination purely at the mid‐plane. Fiber/matrix stress transfer is more efficient for laminates wound at 0°, providing better creep behavior. Dynamic mechanical analysis results indicated the storage modulus to be dependent on the ply angle. Findley's and Burger's fitting were used to analyze creep data from the DMA and correlate structure and property of the composites. The creep strain increases from longitudinal to transversal fiber orientation and by increasing the temperature. At higher temperatures, samples longitudinally oriented exhibited an elastic behavior, with good agreement with the Findley's model. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2199–E2206, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Single‐particle cryo‐EM—Improved ab initio 3D reconstruction with SIMPLE/PRIME
Authors: Reboul Cyril F. , Eager Michael , Elmlund Dominika , Elmlund Hans
Published: August 2017

Cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo‐EM) and single‐particle analysis now enables the determination of high‐resolution structures of macromolecular assemblies that have resisted X‐ray crystallography and other approaches. We developed the SIMPLE open‐source image‐processing suite for analysing cryo‐EM images of single‐particles. A core component of SIMPLE is the probabilistic PRIME algorithm for identifying clusters of images in 2D and determine relative orientations of single‐particle projections in 3D. Here, we extend our previous work on PRIME and introduce new stochastic optimization algorithms that improve the robustness of the approach. Our refined method for identification of homogeneous subsets of images in accurate register substantially improves the resolution of the cluster centers and of the ab initio 3D reconstructions derived from them. We now obtain maps with a resolution better than 10 Å by exclusively processing cluster centers. Excellent parallel code performance on over‐the‐counter laptops and CPU workstations is demonstrated.
Metal cation controls phosphate release in the myosin ATPase
Authors: Ge Jinghua , Huang Furong , Nesmelov Yuri E.
Published: August 2017

Myosin is an enzyme that utilizes ATP to produce a conformational change generating a force. The kinetics of the myosin reverse recovery stroke depends on the metal cation complexed with ATP. The reverse recovery stroke is slow for MgATP and fast for MnATP. The metal ion coordinates the γ phosphate of ATP in the myosin active site. It is accepted that the reverse recovery stroke is correlated with the phosphate release; therefore, magnesium “holds” phosphate tighter than manganese. Magnesium and manganese are similar ions in terms of their chemical properties and the shell complexation; hence, we propose to use these ions to study the mechanism of the phosphate release. Analysis of octahedral complexes of magnesium and manganese show that the partial charge of magnesium is higher than that of manganese and the slightly larger size of manganese ion makes its ionic potential smaller. We hypothesize that electrostatics play a role in keeping and releasing the abstracted γ phosphate in the active site, and the stronger electric charge of magnesium ion holds γ phosphate tighter. We used stable myosin–nucleotide analog complex and Raman spectroscopy to examine the effect of the metal cation on the relative position of γ phosphate analog in the active site. We found that in the manganese complex, the γ phosphate analog is 0.01 nm further away from ADP than in the magnesium complex. We conclude that the ionic potential of the metal cation plays a role in the retention of the abstracted phosphate.
Dissecting the behaviour of β‐amyloid peptide variants during oligomerization and fibrillation
Authors: Shi Jing‐Ming , Zhang Lin , Liu En‐Qi
Published: August 2017

The oligomerization and fibrillation of β‐amyloid (Aβ) peptides are important events in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. However, the motifs within the Aβ sequence that contribute to oligomerization and fibrillation and the complex interplay among these short motifs are unclear. In this study, the oligomerization and fibrillation abilities of the Aβ variants Aβ1–28, Aβ1–36, Aβ11–42, Aβ17–42, Aβ1–40 and Aβ1–42 were examined by thioflavin T fluorescence, western blotting and transmission electron microscopy. Compared with two C‐terminal‐truncated peptides (i.e. Aβ1–28 and Aβ1–36), Aβ11–42, Aβ17–42 and Aβ1–42 had stronger abilities to form oligomers. This indicated that amino acids 37–42 strengthen the β‐hairpin structure of Aβ. Both Aβ1–42 and Aβ1–40 could form fibres, but Aβ17–42 formed irregular fibres, suggesting that amino acids 1–17 were essential for Aβ fibre formation. Aβ1–28 and Aβ1–36 exhibited weak oligomerization and fibrillation, implying that they formed an unstable β‐hairpin structure owing to the incomplete C‐terminal region. Intermediate peptides were likely to form a stable structure, consistent with previous results. This work explains the roles and interplay among motifs within Aβ during oligomerization and fibrillation. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Navigation of carlike robots in an extended dynamic environment with swarm avoidance
Authors: Sharma B. N. , Raj J. , Vanualailai J.
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we propose a new solution to the motion planning and control problem for a team of carlike mobile robots traversing in an extended dynamic environment. Motivated by the emerging necessity to avoid or defend against a swarm of autonomous robots, the wide array of obstacles in this dynamic environment for the first time includes a swarm of boids governed separately by a system of ordinary differential equations. The swarm exhibits collective emergent behaviors, whereas the carlike mobile robots safely navigate to designated targets. We present a set of nonlinear continuous controllers for obstacle, collision, and swarm avoidance. The controllers provide a collision‐free trajectory within a constrained workspace cluttered with various fixed and moving obstacles while satisfying the nonholonomic and kinodynamic constraints associated with the vehicular robotic system. An advantage of the proposed method is the ease in deriving the acceleration‐based control laws from the Lyapunov‐based control scheme. The effectiveness of the control laws is demonstrated via computer simulations. The novelty of this paper lies in the simplicity of the controllers and the ease in the treatment of an extended dynamic environment, which includes swarm avoidance.
Predictive control for networked systems affected by correlated packet loss
Authors: Peters Edwin G.W. , Marelli Damian , Quevedo Daniel E. , Fu Minyue
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we consider the predictive control problem of designing receding horizon controllers for networked linear systems subject to random packet loss in the controller to actuator link. The packet dropouts are temporarily correlated in the sense that they obey a Markovian transition model. Our design task is to solve the optimal controller that minimizes a given receding horizon cost function, using the available packet loss history. Due to the correlated nature of the packet loss, standard linear quadratic regulator methods do not apply. We first present the optimal control law by considering the correlations. This controller turns out to depend on the packet loss history and would typically require a large lookup table for implementation when the Markovian order is high. To address this issue, we present and compare several suboptimal design approaches to reduce the number of control laws.
Fingerprinting source contributions to bed sediment‐associated organic matter in the headwater subcatchments of the River Itchen SAC, Hampshire, UK
Authors: Zhang Y. , Collins A.L. , McMillan S. , Dixon E.R. , Cancer‐Berroya E. , Poiret C. , Stringfellow A.
Published: August 2017

Excessive accumulation of sediment‐associated organic matter in river beds has detrimental impacts on aquatic ecology, including fish. Sediment and source samples were collected from 3 headwater tributaries of the River Itchen, in southern England. Near infrared spectra and bulk stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes were employed as fingerprint properties to quantify the relative contributions from catchment‐based (farmyard manures/slurries, damaged road verges, and septic tanks) and channel‐based (decaying instream vegetation, watercress farms, and fish farms) sources. The findings suggested that over the duration of the sampling period, the final estimated median relative contributions in the Candover Stream subcatchment were in the order: farmyard measures/slurries 74% > decaying instream vegetation 15% > watercress farms 6% > septic tanks 3% > damaged road verges 2%. For the River Arle subcatchment, corresponding estimated median relative contributions were in the order: watercress farms 40% > farmyard manures/slurries 28% > decaying instream vegetation 21% > fish farms 7% > damaged road verges and septic tanks 2% each. Similar contributions were estimated for the Tichborne Stream subcatchment: watercress farms 36% > farmyard manures/slurries 26% > decaying instream vegetation 26% and damaged road verges and septic tanks at 6% each. These source apportionment estimates will contribute to stakeholder engagement and targeted management interventions.
Detailed peak fitting analysis of the Zn 2p photoemission spectrum for metallic films and its initial oxidation stages
Authors: Cabrera‐German D. , Molar‐Velázquez G. , Gómez‐Sosa G. , de la Cruz W. , Herrera‐Gomez A.
Published: August 2017

The metallic Zn 2p photoemission spectra hold a complex background that requires individual assignment of Shirley background for each peak comprising the spectra. For this reason, a close fit requires the use of the Shirley‐Vegh‐Salvi‐Castle background‐type under the active background approach. We found that the intensity of the plasmon peaks and their associated background cannot be described through existing energy loss (intrinsic and extrinsic) formalisms. We also analyzed the Zn 2p and O 1s spectra for the initial stages of oxide formation at various oxygen exposures. We found that the composition of the oxide layer is ZnO1.00±0.10 for all exposures, suggesting that our assessment of the primary function of metallic Zn is accurate and can be employed for quantitative studies. We also present a set of parameters to accurately fit and resolve the metallic and oxide Zn 2p peaks.
Joint Bayesian weight and height postnatal growth model to study the effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy
Authors: Carles Sophie , Charles Marie‐Aline , Heude Barbara , Ahmed Ismaïl , Botton Jérémie ,   the EDEN mother‐child study group
Published: August 2017

Growth models used for describing the dynamics of body weight and height generally consider each trait independently. We proposed modeling height and weight trajectories jointly with a nonlinear heteroscedastic mixed model based on the Jenss‐Bayley growth function with correlated individual random effects and using Bayesian inference techniques. Simulations showed that our model provides good estimates of the growth parameters. We illustrated how it can be used to assess the associations between maternal smoking during pregnancy, an early‐life factor potentially involved in prenatal programming of obesity, and children's growth from birth to 5 years of age. We used real data from the EDEN study, a large French mother‐child cohort study with a high number of height and weight measurements (a total of approximately 30 000 measurements for each of the 2 traits across the 1666 children). Our results supported the existence of a relationship between maternal smoking during pregnancy and growth from birth to 5 years of age. Children from mothers who smoked throughout pregnancy were shown to display a higher body mass index from the first few months of life onwards compared to children from nonsmokers. At 5 years of age, their mean body mass index was 0.21 kg/m2 higher than unexposed children. It was mainly explained by the fact that these children tended to be smaller at birth but rapidly exceeded the weight of children from nonsmokers postnatally.
Joint two‐part Tobit models for longitudinal and time‐to‐event data
Authors: Dagne Getachew A.
Published: August 2017

In this article, we show how Tobit models can address problems of identifying characteristics of subjects having left‐censored outcomes in the context of developing a method for jointly analyzing time‐to‐event and longitudinal data. There are some methods for handling these types of data separately, but they may not be appropriate when time to event is dependent on the longitudinal outcome, and a substantial portion of values are reported to be below the limits of detection. An alternative approach is to develop a joint model for the time‐to‐event outcome and a two‐part longitudinal outcome, linking them through random effects. This proposed approach is implemented to assess the association between the risk of decline of CD4/CD8 ratio and rates of change in viral load, along with discriminating between patients who are potentially progressors to AIDS from patients who do not. We develop a fully Bayesian approach for fitting joint two‐part Tobit models and illustrate the proposed methods on simulated and real data from an AIDS clinical study.
Decomposition of UML activity diagrams
Authors: Chen Huifeng , Jiang Jian‐min , Hong Zhong , Lin Ling
Published: August 2017

In software engineering, UML activity diagrams in general can be useful for a modeling system functional behavior, ranging from the sequences of activities/actions from business processes within an organization or among organizations down to the detail of an algorithm. The stepwise refinement process makes activity diagrams more and more complex. To guarantee the behavior consistency and correctness under refinement, the activity diagrams must be decomposed according to the divide‐and‐conquer strategy. Traditional decomposition methods adopt manual techniques and cannot ensure the independence and completeness of the obtained subdiagrams. In this paper, a novel decomposition approach is proposed, which can automatically divide an activity diagram into atomic and correct subdiagrams (subdiagrams without abnormal behavioral problems) at the same level. When such an activity diagram specifies the whole functional behavior of a software system, the approach can in fact decompose a system into multiple atomic subsystems. Every atomic subsystem is a completely independent system. It may be independently developed, independently tested, and independently deployed. The method facilitates the management, development, and maintenance of a software system. With the help of a prototype tool, a case study demonstrates the decomposition method.
Ouabain impairs cell migration, and invasion and alters gene expression of human osteosarcoma U‐2 OS cells
Authors: Shih Yung‐Luen , Au Man‐Kuan , Liu Ko‐Lin , Yeh Ming‐Yang , Lee Ching‐Hsiao , Lee Mei‐Hui , Lu Hsu‐Feng , Yang Jiun‐Long , Wu Rick Sai‐Chuen , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: August 2017

Ouabain, the specific Na+/K+‐ATPase blocker, has biological activity including anti‐proliferative and anti‐metastasis effects in cancer cell. There is no study to show ouabain inhibiting cell migration and invasion in human osteosarcoma U‐2 OS cells. Thus, we investigated the effect of ouabain on the cell migration and invasion of human osteosarcoma U‐2 OS cells. Results indicated that ouabain significantly decreased the percentage of viable cells at 2.5‐5.0 μM, thus, we selected 0.25‐1.0 μM for inhibiting studies. Ouabain inhibited cell migration, invasion and the enzymatic activities of MMP‐2, and also affected the expression of metastasis‐associated protein in U‐2 OS cells. The cDNA microarray assay indicated that CDH1, TGFBR3, SHC3 and MAP2K6 metastasis‐related genes were increased, but CCND1, JUN, CDKN1A, TGFB1, 2 and 3, SMAD4, MMP13, MMP2 and FN1 genes were decreased. These findings provide more information regarding ouabain inhibited cell migration and invasion and associated gene expressions in U‐2 OS cells after exposed to ouabain.
Cover Image, Volume 7, Issue 5
Authors: Duster Adam W. , Wang Chun‐Hung , Garza Christina M. , Miller Danielle E. , Lin Hai
Published: August 2017

The cover image, by Adam W. Duster et al., is based on the Advanced Review Adaptive quantum/molecular mechanics: what have we learned, where are we, and where do we go from here?, DOI: 10.1002/wcms.1310.

image
Stationary Oldroyd model with diffusive stress in thin pipes
Authors: Chupin Laurent , Ichim Andrei , Martin Sébastien
Published: August 2017

The aim of this paper is to study the stationary flow of an Oldroyd fluid with particular diffusive stress, flowing through a thin 3D pipe. An asymptotic expansion with respect to a small parameter describing the ratio between the diameter of the cross section and the length is calculated and rigorously justified. The result obtained is compared against a numerical solution in the particular case of axisymmetric geometries.
The Significance of Upfront Knowledge of N2 Disease in Non‐small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Thomas Daniel C. , Arnold Brian N. , Rosen Joshua E. , Salazar Michelle C. , Detterbeck Frank C. , Blasberg Justin D. , Boffa Daniel J. , Kim Anthony W.
Published: August 2017

Background

Previous literature suggests that patients with non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and unsuspected N2 disease (cN0, pN2) represent a distinct subgroup associated with improved overall survival compared to patients with N2 disease identified prior to resection (cN2, pN2).

Methods

Retrospective analysis of the National Cancer Database of patients from 2004 to 2011 with cN0 and cN2 status found to be pathologic stage III‐N2 NSCLC after surgical resection. Comparison of 5‐year survival of patients with unsuspected N2 disease versus those with known N2 disease after surgical resection using Kaplan–Meier analysis was made. The independent effect of unsuspected N2 disease on mortality was analyzed using multivariate analysis.

Results

A total of 3271 patients with pathologic stage III‐N2 NSCLC underwent curative intent surgical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy or chemotherapy and radiation. Unsuspected N2 disease was identified in 48% of patients. Patients with unsuspected N2 disease were more likely to have T1 tumors (37 vs. 32%, p < 0.001). Unsuspected N2 disease did not impact 5‐year overall survival compared with known N2 when adjuvant therapy was utilized (40 vs. 37%, p = 0.167). Multivariate analysis identified older age, higher comorbidity score, and treatment with surgery alone as independent risk factors for mortality. The presence of unsuspected N2 disease was not significant in this model.

Conclusions

The findings of this study suggest that unsuspected N2 disease is associated with equivalent 5‐year survival compared to cN2 disease when adjuvant therapy is employed. These results support the use of adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy when confronted with unsuspected N2 disease after surgical resection for stage IIIA‐NSCLC.
Climate and environmental changes driving idiosyncratic shifts in the distribution of tropical and temperate worm reefs
Authors: Faroni-Perez Larisse
Published: August 2017

An increasing number of studies have forecast the potential responses of marine life to future climate change. This study predicts how the distributional range of temperate and tropical worm reefs (WRs) might respond to climate and environmental changes (CECs). Compared with current distributions, the tested hypotheses were: (i) under a low CO2concentration and active atmospheric carbon capturing scenario (RCP2.6), both tropical and temperate WRs will maintain their current distributions and face only slight multi-directional biogeographic changes along the century; and (ii) under a high CO2concentration scenario (RCP8.5) WRs will shift toward higher latitudes, with marked changes for tropical species and slight changes for temperate species, specifically at the end of the 21st century. The hypotheses were tested using species distribution modelling, and exploratory statistical analyses were performed to tune model settings. Under scenario RCP2.6, in the middle of the century, areas of suitable habitat are predicted to slightly increase for the temperate WRs and conversely contract for tropical WRs. At the end of the century, multi-directional shifts without range retraction were predicted for both species, but tropical WRs showed major changes in their distribution. Under scenario RCP8.5 and throughout the century, multi-directional shifts increased the areas of suitable habitat for temperate WRs, whereas tropical WRs experienced shifts toward high latitudes and significant retraction at low latitudes. Results indicate that biogeographic range shifts are idiosyncratic for temperate and tropical WRs depending on the CECs scenarios considered.
Spatial patterns of species richness and taxonomic composition of polychaetes along the Baja California Peninsula, Eastern Pacific
Authors: Hernández-Alcántara Pablo , Cuéllar-Mercado Diana Melissa , Barbosa-López Adriana , Solís-Weiss Vivianne
Published: August 2017

Spatial variations of polychaetes along the Baja California Peninsula continental shelf were analysed in two ways: (1) by evaluating the species richness and defining the faunal assemblages from local sampling, and (2) by characterizing the latitudinal variation of beta-diversity based on the distribution of all polychaetes reported up to now. Twenty-seven stations from three oceanographic expeditions were sampled, and 2858 individuals from 38 families and 231 species were identified. Polychaetes were abundant (mean = 37.5 ind 0.1 m−2) and diversified (mean = 15 species station−1). Differences in species composition defined seven faunal assemblages, but their number of species did not show significant latitudinal changes. The beta-diversity analysis was based on distribution data of 730 species from 47 families. The presence of a group of islands in the middle Gulf could have a negative effect on the species distribution, since the lowest values ofβT-diversity (0.39) were found in the northern Gulf, but their species were different from those recorded in the central region. The wide variation inβT-diversity (0.5–0.87) showed latitudinal changes in the species composition, mainly in the Gulf mouth (0.86–0.87), which indicated that the fauna inside the Gulf was different from that inhabiting the Pacific coasts. The ICE and Chao2 estimators showed that the polychaetes in the study area are relatively well known (>80%), and that most species (415) have small distribution ranges. The effects of these infrequent species were similar at each latitudinal band, which suggested that the observedβT-diversity pattern could represent a suitable estimation.
Review of genera within theAxionice/Pistacomplex (Polychaeta, Terebellidae), with discussion of the taxonomic definition of other Terebellidae with large lateral lobes
Authors: Jirkov I.A. , Leontovich M.K.
Published: August 2017

The definitions of terebellid genera have caused considerable confusion. Some genera, such asPistaMalmgren, 1866, are clearly not monophyletic and the need to revise them is widely accepted. A phylogenetic analysis of genus level morphological characters within theAxionice/Pistacomplex and other Terebellidae with large lateral lobes revealed two well defined groups; these differed in the arrangement of different forms of lateral lobes on segments 1–3, the shape of the branchiae, structure of the ventral pads and, if present, the origin of the manubrium on the uncini. One of the groups includes the type species ofPista; the other includes the type species ofAxioniceand almost all the other genera whose taxonomic status is discussed in this paper (Betapista,Eupistella,Lanice,Loimia,Paraxionice) which we propose to treat as its junior synonyms. Three other genera –Lanicides,LanicolaandScionella– did not fall within these two groups; they are accepted as distinct. A complete list of species ofAxioniceandPistais provided; 39 species currently included inPistashould be moved toAxionice, thusAxioniceincludes at least 94 species. Many authors’ descriptions of the type species ofPista(Amphitrite cristataMüller, 1776) conflict with the original description.Amphitrite cristatas. str. has been described as a new species:Scionella lornensisPearson, 1969 and the type species of a new genus:PistellaHartmann-Schröder, 1996.Scionella lornensisis here considered a junior synonym ofAmphitrite cristata. Redescriptions of the type species ofAxioniceandPistaare provided.
Fine structure of the tubes of Maldanidae (Annelida)
Authors: Shcherbakova Tatiana D. , Tzetlin Alexander B. , Mardashova Maria V. , Sokolova Olga S.
Published: August 2017

Many marine annelids are active tube builders. Several polychaete families make agglutinated tubes by fixing sediment particles with specific secretions from their epithelial glands. The fine structure of the tubes of six species of Maldanidae from five genera (Nicomache minor, N. lumbricalis, Maldane sarsi, Praxillella praetermissa, Axiothella catenata, Rhodine gracilior) was examined by scanning electron microscopy. These species exhibit different lifestyles. Nicomache minor and N. lumbricalis inhabit massive hard tubes attached to stones. Other species live in the sediment, Rhodine in rigid organic tubes, Praxillella, Axiothella and Maldane in sand or mud tubes. All the examined maldanid tubes have a similar basic structure. The inner sheath of the tubes is made of a hardened organic lining secreted by the worm. Fibres from the inner sheath fasten sediment particles of the agglutinated layer. In Nicomache the tube surface is covered with a fibrous outer layer. All tube layers contain variously arranged organic fibres, which form a 3D network in the agglutinated layer and fabric-like linings in the inner sheath and outer layer. The tubes of Maldanidae may be important for taxonomy, and useful for identification of fossils.
Captain Wiggins and Admiral Makarov: commerce and politics in the Russian Arctic (1874–1904)
Authors: Saunders David
Published: August 2017

This paper discusses the motives underlying two approaches to the development of the Russian Arctic in the late nineteenth century. The first, the brainchild of the British merchant seaman Joseph Wiggins (1832–1905), derived principally from private commercial instincts. The second, the work of Sergei Witte (1849–1915), Russia's Minister of Finance, and the innovative Russian Admiral Stepan Osipovich Makarov (1848–1904), had much less to do with trade and much more to do with projecting Russian national ambitions. The first required no great technological insight, but the second required the construction of the greatest of nineteenth century icebreakers. Although both approaches, the commercial and the political, the ‘low tech’ and the ‘high tech’, failed in the short term, both made a mark on subsequent developments. The paper concludes that although, at the time of their conception, political and diplomatic considerations made it unlikely that commercial and political approaches to the development of the Russian Arctic could be harmonised, the time for dovetailing them may be getting nearer.
The Many Racial Effigies of Sara Baartman
Authors: Hoxworth Kellen
Published: August 2017

Six African students enact a somber, silent dance. They stage a series of striking images at the base of South African artist Willie Bester's sculptureSara Baartman, in the Chancellor Oppenheimer Library at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Their faces and bodies smeared with black paint, the students articulate their protest ofSara Baartmanin explicitly racial terms, aligning their critiques of economic, colonial, and racial oppression under the sign of blackness.
Akute gastrointestinale Blutungen – wenn der Kliniker nur rot und der Patient nur noch schwarz sieht
Authors: Greuter Thomas , Magdeburg Bernhard
Published: August 2017

Zusammenfassung. Gastrointestinale Blutungen stellen sowohl auf der internistischen Notfallstation als auch in der hausärztlichen Praxis ein häufiges Krankheitsbild dar. Die klinische Präsentation ist breit und hängt ab von der Lokalisation sowie dem zeitlichen Auftreten der Blutung. Am gefürchtetsten, weil auch mit der höchsten Mortalitätsrate verbunden, sind akute obere gastrointestinale Blutungen. Untere gastrointestinale Blutungen sistieren hingegen meist spontan. Es ist daher unerlässlich für den Kliniker, anhand Anamnese, klinischer Untersuchung sowie einem Basislabor die Lokalisation und den zeitlichen Verlauf der Blutung zu eruieren sowie deren Risiko bezüglich ernsthafter Komplikationen abzuschätzen. Für Letzteres sind neben der aktuellen Klinik v.a. die Komorbiditäten des Patienten entscheidend. Klinische Scores helfen bei der Einschätzung der Akutspitalbedürftigkeit sowie bei der Bestimmung des optimalen Endoskopie-Zeitpunktes. Je nach Endoskopie-Befund ist eine ambulante Weiterbetreuung möglich, bei hoher Rezidivblutungsrate wie bei gewissen gastroduodenalen Ulzera ist jedoch eine stationäre, in Einzelfällen gar eine intensivmedizinische, Überwachung unerlässlich. In der folgenden Zusammenstellung werden die gängigsten Einteilungen der gastrointestinalen Blutungen, deren Klinik und Behandlungsoptionen sowie die Prognosen respektive Rezidivraten beschrieben.