bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exponential convergence in ‐Wasserstein distance for diffusion processes without uniformly dissipative drift
Authors: Luo Dejun , Wang Jian
Published: February 2016

By adopting the coupling by reflection and choosing an auxiliary function which is convex near infinity, we establish the exponential convergence of diffusion semigroups with respect to the standard ‐Wasserstein distance for all . In particular, we show that for the Itô stochastic differential equation
urn:x-wiley:0025584X:media:mana201500351:mana201500351-math-0006if the drift term b is such that for any ,
urn:x-wiley:0025584X:media:mana201500351:mana201500351-math-0008holds with some positive constants K1, K2 and , then there is a constant such that for all , and ,
urn:x-wiley:0025584X:media:mana201500351:mana201500351-math-0014where is a positive constant. This improves the main result in where the exponential convergence is only proved for the L1‐Wasserstein distance.
Spatial location of indomethacin associated with unimeric amphiphilic carrier macromolecules as determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy
Authors: Orban David E. , Moretti Alysha , Uhrich Kathryn E.
Published: February 2016

A combination of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques including, proton NMR, relaxation analysis, two‐dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy, and diffusion‐ordered spectroscopy, has been used to demonstrate the spatial location of indomethacin within a unimolecular micelle. Understanding the location of drugs within carrier molecules using such NMR techniques can facilitate rational carrier design. In addition, this information provides insight to encapsulation efficiency of different drugs to determine the most efficient system for a particular bioactive. This study demonstrates that drugs loaded by the unimolecular amphiphile under investigation are not necessarily encapsulated but reside or localize to the periphery or interfacial region of the carrier molecule. The results have further implications as to the features of the unimolecular carrier that contribute to drug loading. In addition, evidence of drug retention associated with the unimolecular surfactant is possible in organic media, as well as in an aqueous environment. Such findings have implications for rational carrier design to correlate the carrier features to the drug of interest and indicate the strong retention capabilities of the unimolecular micelle for delivery applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A faster and accurate explicit algorithm for quasi‐harmonic dynamic problems
Authors: Li Eric , He Z. C. , Xu Xu , Zhang G. Y. , Jiang Yong
Published: February 2016

It is known that the explicit time integration is conditionally stable. The very small time step leads to increase of computational time dramatically. In this paper, a mass‐redistributed method is formulated in different numerical schemes to simulate transient quasi‐harmonic problems. The essential idea of the mass‐redistributed method is to shift the integration points away from the Gauss locations in the computation of mass matrix for achieving a much larger stable time increment in the explicit method. For the first time, it is found that the stability of explicit method in transient quasi‐harmonic problems is proportional to the softened effect of discretized model with mass‐redistributed method. With adjustment of integration points in the mass matrix, the stability of transient models is improved significantly. Numerical experiments including 1D, 2D and 3D problems with regular and irregular mesh have demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed mass‐redistributed method with the combination of smoothed finite element method in terms of accuracy as well as stability. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Revisiting Agency and Stewardship Theories
Authors: Bernstein Ruth , Buse Kathleen , Bilimoria Diana
Published: February 2016

Using principal–agent theories, this study examined differences in the perceptions of nonprofit chief executive officers (CEOs) and board chairs on key governance aspects, including board performance, leadership, satisfaction with diversity, and board meetings. Using data from the CEOs and board chairs of 474 nonprofit organizations, we found statistically significant differences in the governance perceptions of these leaders of nonprofit organizations. The findings provide support for an agency theory explanation about the differing interests of principals (board chairs) and agents (CEOs). The findings suggest that these two sets of nonprofit actors frequently operate from different perspectives, potentially affecting the governance of their organizations.
Consider pricing models for prior learning assessment
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: February 2016

BALTIMORE, MD. — What should your institution charge for prior learning assessment? The answer depends on factors including what you offer and where you offer it, said Becky Klein‐Collins, associate vice president for research and policy for the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.
The power of people: Finesse your faculty pages
Authors: Talarico Donna
Published: February 2016

Our academic programs are our product, but we can't overlook that our people are part of the package. We can leverage our faculty members' experiences in our marketing efforts by way of informative Web content. On many colleges' meet‐the‐faculty‐type pages, though, I've seen simply a list of faculty members' names, degrees, current company and email address. This doesn't tell us much, only that someone went through the motions of “introducing” the faculty. If your profile pages resemble a directory, consider revamping them using the following tips.
Collaborate to meet institution's, students' needs
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: February 2016

Lisandra De Jesus had the opportunity to go to college because others saw her potential. She attended high school in the South Bronx after her family moved to the mainland from Puerto Rico, and was admitted to the State University of New York at New Paltz after being recruited through a program that sought inner‐city students. She started college in a summer bridge program and went on to earn her doctorate.
Pre‐pregnancy maternal obesity and the risk of preterm preeclampsia in the American primigravida
Authors: Young Omar M. , Twedt Roxanna , Catov Janet M.
Published: February 2016

Objective

To estimate the risk of preterm preeclampsia in primiparous women by pre‐pregnancy obesity class.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of primiparous women with singleton gestations was performed for deliveries from January 2003 to April 2014. Cases were stratified by delivery occurring either at ≥ 37 weeks or < 37 weeks. Pre‐pregnancy maternal obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30 kg/m2. World Health Organization criteria were used to define BMI class of obesity. Multinomial logistic regression modeling estimated the association between term and preterm preeclampsia and pre‐pregnancy obesity.

Results

Of 28,361 women with complete pre‐pregnancy BMI data, 2,588 women (9.1%) had a diagnosis of preeclampsia. Women who developed preeclampsia prior to 37 weeks (n = 784) were more likely to be women with obesity compared to women who developed preeclampsia after 37 weeks (33.1% vs. 25.3%, P = 0.0001). Compared to normal‐weight women without preeclampsia, the risk of preterm preeclampsia increased proportionally with pre‐pregnancy obesity class, with women with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2 having the greatest risk (RR 5.23, 95% CI: 3.86‐7.09, P <0.001).

Conclusions

The risk of preterm preeclampsia increased significantly as the severity of maternal pre‐pregnancy obesity increased. Reduction in maternal pre‐pregnancy BMI may be protective in mitigating such risk.
Sweet taste preferences before and after an intensive medical weight loss intervention
Authors: Asao K. , Rothberg A. E. , Arcori L. , Kaur M. , Fowler C. E. , Herman W. H.
Published: February 2016

Objective

Medical weight loss could change sweet taste threshold and preferences. The decrease in sweet taste preferences may, in turn, help in the maintenance of weight loss. This study examined the association between sweet taste preferences at baseline and weight change during a medical weight management programme and the impact of diet‐induced weight loss on sweet taste preferences.

Methods

Adult patients with body mass index ≥32 kg m−2 were recruited from a medical weight management clinic. Sweet taste preference was assessed using a forced‐choice, paired‐comparison tracking method before and after a very‐low‐calorie diet (VLCD).

Results

Twenty participants were included in the analysis: mean age was 53.1 (standard deviation [SD]: 11.4) years, and 14 were female. The mean body mass index was 41.4 (SD: 7.5) kg m−2. The median preferred sucrose concentration before VLCD was 0.45 M. Following VLCD, mean change in weight was −13.3 (SD: 6.6) kg, and percentage weight change was −11.3% (SD: 5.9%). Based on mixed models with and without adjustment for demographic factors, diabetes status and smoking history, preferred sucrose concentration at baseline did not predict change in longer‐term body weight. The change of preferred sucrose concentration following 12 weeks of VLCD was not significant (P‐value 0.95).

Conclusions

Change in weight during and after VLCD was not associated with sweet taste preferences at baseline. After diet‐induced weight loss, sweet taste preferences did not change.
A 6‐month telephone‐based weight loss intervention in overweight and obese subjects with idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Authors: Weil Richard , Kovacs Betty , Miller Neil , McDermott Michael P. , Wall Michael , Kupersmith Mark , Pi‐Sunyer F. Xavier ,   NORDIC Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Study Group
Published: February 2016

Objectives

The purpose of this paper is to measure the change in body weight after a 6‐month telephone‐based weight loss intervention in overweight and obese subjects with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and mild visual loss randomized to receive either acetazolamide or placebo.

Methods

One hundred sixty‐five subjects with IIH, aged 29.1 ± 7.5 (mean ± SD) and BMI 39.9 + 8.3 kg/m2, enrolled at 38 academic and private practice sites in North America, participated in this trial. This was a randomized, double‐masked, placebo‐controlled trial of acetazolamide in subjects with IIH and mild visual loss. All participants received a reduced‐sodium, weight‐reduction diet and a 6‐month telephone‐based weight loss intervention. Six‐month changes from baseline in body weight, perimetric mean deviation as assessed by automated perimetry and quality of life using the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire 25 and the 36‐item Short Form Health Survey were measured.

Results

Mean percent weight change at 6 months was −5.9% ± 6.7% of initial body weight overall, −3.5% ± 5.9% in the placebo group and −7.8% ± 6.8% in the acetazolamide group. Weight change was not associated with changes in either mean deviation or quality of life scores.

Conclusion

Patients with IIH and mild visual loss assigned to either acetazolamide or placebo, all of whom received a 6‐month telephone‐based weight loss intervention, lost an average of 5.9% of initial body weight, consistent with NHLBI guidelines of 5% to 10% of body weight loss for clinically significant health benefit.
Modelling the relationship between counter‐knowledge and open‐mindedness for policy development
Authors: Martínez‐Ortiz Pedro‐José , Moffett Sandra , Cegarra‐Navarro Juan‐Gabriel , López Hernández Fernando A.
Published: February 2016

Counter‐knowledge refers to flaws in citizens' mental models arising from utilization of rumours, inappropriate knowledge structures, outdated routines or procedures. When counter‐knowledge is applied to civil servants, it may result in problems of efficiency, equity and motivation. This paper examines the relationship between counter‐knowledge and open‐mindedness to model a framework for improving city marketing and policy development. This study tested two measurement models. While the theoretical model represents the effect of counter‐knowledge on city marketing and that the latter has a negative effect on open‐mindedness, the alternative model involves that counter‐knowledge has a positive indirect impact on open‐mindedness. These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of 203 Spanish city halls. The results show a potential positive indirect effect of counter‐knowledge on open‐mindedness through city marketing programmes. This paper clarifies the existing literature, which tries to contribute to the discussion of city marketing, and helps us to obtain meaning out of the relationship between counter‐knowledge, city marketing and open‐mindedness. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of hydroxytyrosol methyl carbonate on the thermal, migration and antioxidant properties of PVA‐based films for active food packaging
Authors: Fortunati Elena , Luzi Francesca , Dugo Laura , Fanali Chiara , Tripodo Giusy , Santi Luca , Kenny José M , Torre Luigi , Bernini Roberta
Published: February 2016

Hydroxytyrosol methyl carbonate (HTyr‐MC), a synthetic non‐cytotoxic hydroxytyrosol‐derived compound showing excellent antioxidant capacity, was obtained in high yield and purity by an ecofriendly procedure and used as active ingredient for poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix. Novel PVA/HTyr‐MC binary films were developed by solvent casting in water adding 2%, 5% and 10% by weight of HTyr‐MC to PVA. Morphological, thermal and optical properties, water absorption capacity, migration to food simulant and antioxidant characteristics of PVA/HTyr‐MC films were finely investigated in view of their potential application as active food packaging materials. The morphological and transparency studies underlined that HTyr‐MC was homogeneously dispersed in the PVA matrix and it is able to act as a nucleation agent, influencing the diffusion processes of the water through the polymer chain without negatively affecting the release of the active ingredient. The overall migration levels for all studied formulations were lower than the migration limits permitted by the current legislation for food contact materials while the data of antioxidant assays demonstrated a good antioxidant activity induced by HTyr‐MC presence also at the lowest concentration. These novel films represent a valid and sustainable alternative to non‐ecofriendly‐based materials. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
InGaP//GaAs//c‐Si 3‐junction solar cells employing spectrum‐splitting system
Authors: Kang Dong‐Won , Takiguchi Yuki , Sichanugrist Porponth , Konagai Makoto
Published: February 2016

In this work, we practically demonstrated spectrum‐splitting approach for advances in efficiency of photovoltaic cells. Firstly, a‐Si:H//c‐Si 2‐junction configuration was designed, which exhibited 24.4% efficiency with the spectrum splitting at 620 nm. Then, we improved the top cell property by employing InGaP cells instead of the a‐Si:H, resulting in an achievement of efficiency about 28.8%. In addition, we constructed 3‐junction spectrum‐splitting system with two optical splitters, and GaAs solar cells as middle cell. This InGaP//GaAs//c‐Si architecture was found to deliver 30.9% conversion efficiency. Our splitting system includes convex lenses for light concentration about 10 suns, which provided concentrated efficiency exceeding 33.0%. These results suggest that our demonstration of 3‐junction spectrum‐splitting approach can be a promising candidate for highly efficient photovoltaic technologies. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prevalence and course of sexual relationship difficulties in recovered and non‐recovered patients with borderline personality disorder over 16 years of prospective follow‐up
Authors: Karan Esen , Niesten Isabella J. M. , Frankenburg Frances R. , Fitzmaurice Garrett M. , Zanarini Mary C.
Published: February 2016

Although borderline patients experience a wide range of sexual problems, including promiscuity, there is less evidence documenting their sexual relationship difficulties. This study had two aims. The first was to examine the prevalence of these difficulties (i.e. avoidance of sex and being symptomatic after sex) over 16 years of prospective follow‐up among recovered and non‐recovered patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The second was to determine time‐to‐remission, recurrence and new onset of these sexual relationship difficulties. The sexual relationship difficulties of 290 patients meeting both DIB‐R and DSM‐III‐R criteria for BPD were assessed at baseline using the Abuse History Interview and reassessed every two years over eight waves of prospective follow‐up. The prevalence of sexual relationship difficulties declined significantly over time for both groups of patients, while remaining significantly more common among non‐recovered patients. By 16‐year follow‐up, over 95% of each group achieved remission for both types of difficulties. Recurrences of avoidance of sex were significantly more common in non‐recovered patients. Non‐recovered patients had higher rates of new onsets compared to recovered patients for each type of sexual relationship difficulty. Taken together, the results suggest that sexual relationship difficulties are not chronic for those with BPD regardless of recovery status. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐pressure sorption of carbon dioxide and methane in all‐aromatic poly(etherimide)‐based membranes
Authors: Ogieglo Wojciech , Madzarevic Zeljka P. , Raaijmakers Michiel J. T. , Dingemans Theo J. , Benes Nieck E.
Published: February 2016

The sorption of compressed carbon dioxide and methane in a series of all‐aromatic poly(etherimide) (PEI) thin films is presented. The polymer films are derived from the reactions between an arylether diamine (P1) and four different dianhydrides [3,3′,4,4′‐oxydiphthalic dianhydride (ODPA), 3,3′,4,4′ biphenyltetra‐carboxylic dianhydride (BPDA), 3,3′,4,4′‐benzo‐phenonetetracarboxylic dianhydride (BTDA), and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA)] that have been selected to systematically change the flexibility of the polymer backbone, the segmental mobility, and the nonequilibrium excess free volume (EFV) of the polymer. The EFV, gas sorption capacities, and sorption‐ and temperature‐induced dynamic changes in film thickness and refractive index have been investigated by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The sorption capacity depends to a great extent on the PEI backbone composition. PMDA‐P1 shows the highest carbon dioxide sorption, combined with the lowest sorption selectivity because of the predominant sorption of methane in the EFV. For ODPA‐P1, the highest sorption selectivity is obtained, while it shows little long‐term relaxations at carbon dioxide pressures up to 25 bar. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2016, 54, 986–993
Cross‐resistance to prosulfocarb + S‐metolachlor and pyroxasulfone selected by either herbicide in Lolium rigidum
Authors: Busi Roberto , Powles Stephen B
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Weeds can be a greater constraint to crop production than animal pests and pathogens. Pre‐emergence herbicides are crucial in many cropping systems to control weeds that have evolved resistance to selective post‐emergence herbicides. In this study we assessed the potential to evolve resistance to the pre‐emergence herbicides prosulfocarb + S‐metolachlor or pyroxasulfone in 50 individual field Lolium rigidum populations collected in a random survey in Western Australia prior to commercialisation of these pre‐emergence herbicides.

RESULTS

This study shows for the first time that in randomly collected L. rigidum field populations the selection with either prosulfocarb + S‐metolachlor or pyroxasulfone can result in concomitant evolution of resistance to both prosulfocarb + S‐metolachlor and pyroxasulfone after three generations.

CONCLUSIONS

In the major weed L. rigidum, traits conferring resistance to new herbicides can be present before herbicide commercialisation. Proactive and multidisciplinary research (evolutionary ecology, modelling and molecular biology) is required to detect and analyse resistant populations before they can appear in the field. Several studies show that evolved cross‐resistance in weeds is complex and often unpredictable. Thus, long‐term management of cross‐resistant weeds must be achieved through heterogeneity of selection by effective chemical, cultural and physical weed control strategies that can delay herbicide resistance evolution. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
DroidScreening: a practical framework for real‐world Android malware analysis
Authors: Yu Junfeng , Huang Qingfeng , Yian CheeHoo
Published: February 2016

Analyzing Android malware sample is a time‐consuming and error‐prone work. Automatic techniques to perform suspicious apps screening and threat level evaluation is highly desired by the antivirus industry. In this paper, we proposed a novel automated framework called DroidScreening to speed up the Android malware analysis process and to assist antivirus analyst in generating the heuristics pattern for scanner. DroidScreening employs lazy associative classification (LAC) algorithms to produce classification model by learning from malicious evidence features extracted by using static analysis on Android application package files. Moreover, we proposed a novel high‐interaction execution environment that can interact with malicious Android code, so that the analysis samples are induced to start executing their true malicious behavior. Experimentation on malware datasets and using LAC with traditional learning approaches show that the LAC algorithms outperformed other classification algorithms. Finally, we analyzed the performance of DroidScreening and compare it with other similar research work. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A deep learning approach for detecting malicious JavaScript code
Authors: Wang Yao , Cai Wan‐dong , Wei Peng‐cheng
Published: February 2016

Malicious JavaScript code in webpages on the Internet is an emergent security issue because of its universality and potentially severe impact. Because of its obfuscation and complexities, detecting it has a considerable cost. Over the last few years, several machine learning‐based detection approaches have been proposed; most of them use shallow discriminating models with features that are constructed with artificial rules. However, with the advent of the big data era for information transmission, these existing methods already cannot satisfy actual needs. In this paper, we present a new deep learning framework for detection of malicious JavaScript code, from which we obtained the highest detection accuracy compared with the control group. The architecture is composed of a sparse random projection, deep learning model, and logistic regression. Stacked denoising auto‐encoders were used to extract high‐level features from JavaScript code; logistic regression as a classifier was used to distinguish between malicious and benign JavaScript code. Experimental results indicated that our architecture, with over 27 000 labeled samples, can achieve an accuracy of up to 95%, with a false positive rate less than 4.2% in the best case. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Welding of IN792 DS superalloy by electron beam
Authors: Montanari R. , Varone A. , Barbieri G. , Soltani P. , Mezzi A. , Kaciulis S.
Published: February 2016

Ni‐based superalloys are widely used in the components of aeronautic engines and gas turbines operating at the highest temperatures. During the service life, surface cracks may form in these mechanical parts; therefore, their repairing by welding is of great technological relevance.

Seams have been realized by means of electron beam welding (EBW) on plates of IN792 DS superalloy with material pre‐heating. They are free of macro‐defects like cracks and pores; however, microstructural changes are observed in molten (MZ) and heat affected (HAZ) zones. The amount of γ' phase in MZ is smaller than that in the base metal, and the particles are very fine with an average size of 20 nm that leads to an increase of hardness. In HAZ particle, coarsening takes place as a consequence of heating; therefore, hardness slightly decreases with respect the base metal.

X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy analyses carried out inside and outside the MZ, and the results show that the distribution of chemical elements remains homogeneous in the sample. Auger electron spectroscopy line scans with higher lateral resolution evidenced that the center of MZ is depleted of Mo and rich of Cr. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using family members to augment genetic case–control studies of a life‐threatening disease
Authors: Chen Lu , Weinberg Clarice R. , Chen Jinbo
Published: February 2016

Survival bias is difficult to detect and adjust for in case–control genetic association studies but can invalidate findings when only surviving cases are studied and survival is associated with the genetic variants under study. Here, we propose a design where one genotypes genetically informative family members (such as offspring, parents, and spouses) of deceased cases and incorporates that surrogate genetic information into a retrospective maximum likelihood analysis. We show that inclusion of genotype data from first‐degree relatives permits unbiased estimation of genotype association parameters. We derive closed‐form maximum likelihood estimates for association parameters under the widely used log‐additive and dominant association models. Our proposed design not only permits a valid analysis but also enhances statistical power by augmenting the sample with indirectly studied individuals. Gene variants associated with poor prognosis can also be identified under this design. We provide simulation results to assess performance of the methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plantain‐starch: Microstructural, physicochemical, and morphological characteristics of two cultivars grown in Malaysia
Authors: Shittu Rafiat , Lasekan Ola , Karim Roselina , Sulaiman Rabiah
Published: February 2016

Starches isolated from mature green “Nangka” and “Tanduk” plantain (Musa paradisiaca L) cultivars grown in Malaysia were appraised for their morphological, physicochemical, and structural properties. The amylose contents of “Nangka” and “Tanduk” starches were 31.79 and 26.08% and the degree of relative crystallinity were 62.1 and 52.1%, respectively. Both cultivar starches presented an A‐type diffraction pattern, which has rarely been reported for banana starches. Gelatinization temperatures evaluated by differential scanning calorimeter were higher for “Tanduk” starch than “Nangka” starch. The scanning electron micrograph of “Nangka” starch granules was larger than “Tanduk” starch with an average particle size of 38.77 and 23.91 μm, respectively. In addition, “Nangka” starch produced lower molar mass (Mw) and gyration radius (RG) compared to “Tanduk” starch.
A study on the effect of black cumin extract on the swelling power, textural, and pasting properties of different starches
Authors: Alamri Mohammed , Hussain Shahzad , Mohamed Abdellatif , Abdo Qasem Akram A. , Ibraheem Mohamed
Published: February 2016

The effect of black cumin extract (BCE) on the physicochemical properties of rice (RS), chickpeas (CP), and sweet potato (SP) starches was investigated using a rapid visco‐analyzer (RVA), a Brookfield viscometer, a texture analyzer, and light microscopy. Starch was gelatinized in BCE as is and at pH 5 or pH 9. Compared to the control, the RVA data revealed that the peak, setback, and final viscosities of all three starches were reduced due to BCE as is. Brookfield profiles confirmed the increase in shear stress at higher shear rate indicating the system's pseudoplasticity (n < 1). The activation energy (Ea) of CP starch in distilled water was higher than RS and SP, but SP cooked in BCE had the highest Ea indicating more temperature dependency. In general, it can be concluded that BCE has changed the properties of the starches, particularly by decreasing viscosity, setback, and pseudoplasticity. The hardness of the starch gels and the starch swelling power were reduced as well.
Novel Function of Serine Protease HTRA1 in Inhibiting Adipogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells via MAP Kinase-Mediated MMP Upregulation
Authors: Tiaden André N. , Bahrenberg Gregor , Mirsaidi Ali , Glanz Stephan , Blüher Matthias , Richards Peter J.
Published: February 2016

Adipogenesis is the process by which mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) develop into lipid-laden adipocytes. Being the dominant cell type within adipose tissue, adipocytes play a central role in regulating circulating fatty acid levels, which is considered to be of critical importance in maintaining insulin sensitivity. High temperature requirement protease A1 (HTRA1) is a newly recognized regulator of MSC differentiation, although its role as a mediator of adipogenesis has not yet been defined. The aim of this work was therefore to evaluate HTRA1's influence on human MSC (hMSC) adipogenesis and to establish a potential mode of action. We report that the addition of exogenous HTRA1 to hMSCs undergoing adipogenesis suppressed their ability to develop into lipid laden adipocytes. These effects were demonstrated as being reliant on both its protease and PDZ domain, and were mediated through the actions of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The relevance of such findings with regards to HTRA1's potential influence on adipocyte function in vivo is made evident by the fact that HTRA1 and MMP-13 were readily identifiable within crown-like structures present in visceral adipose tissue samples from insulin resistant obese human subjects. These data therefore implicate HTRA1 as a negative regulator of MSC adipogenesis and are suggestive of its potential involvement in adipose tissue remodeling under pathological conditions.
High Content Imaging of Early Morphological Signatures Predicts Long Term Mineralization Capacity of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells upon Osteogenic Induction
Authors: Marklein Ross A. , Lo Surdo Jessica L. , Bellayr Ian H. , Godil Saniya A. , Puri Raj K. , Bauer Steven R.
Published: February 2016

Human bone marrow-derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells, often referred to as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), represent an attractive cell source for many regenerative medicine applications due to their potential for multi-lineage differentiation, immunomodulation, and paracrine factor secretion. A major complication for current MSC-based therapies is the lack of well-defined characterization methods that can robustly predict how they will perform in a particular in vitro or in vivo setting. Significant advances have been made with identifying molecular markers of MSC quality and potency using multivariate genomic and proteomic approaches, and more recently with advanced techniques incorporating high content imaging to assess high-dimensional single cell morphological data. We sought to expand upon current methods of high dimensional morphological analysis by investigating whether short term cell and nuclear morphological profiles of MSCs from multiple donors (at multiple passages) correlated with long term mineralization upon osteogenic induction. Using the combined power of automated high content imaging followed by automated image analysis, we demonstrated that MSC morphology after 3 days was highly correlated with 35 day mineralization and comparable to other methods of MSC osteogenesis assessment (such as alkaline phosphatase activity). We then expanded on this initial morphological characterization and identified morphological features that were highly predictive of mineralization capacities (>90% accuracy) of MSCs from additional donors and different manufacturing techniques using linear discriminant analysis. Together, this work thoroughly demonstrates the predictive power of MSC morphology for mineralization capacity and motivates further studies into MSC morphology as a predictive marker for additional in vitro and in vivo responses.
JNK/SAPK Signaling Is Essential for Efficient Reprogramming of Human Fibroblasts to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Neganova Irina , Shmeleva Evgenija , Munkley Jennifer , Chichagova Valeria , Anyfantis George , Anderson Rhys , Passos Joao , Elliott David J. , Armstrong Lyle , Lako Majlinda
Published: February 2016

Reprogramming of somatic cells to the phenotypic state termed “induced pluripotency” is thought to occur through three consecutive stages: initiation, maturation, and stabilisation. The initiation phase is stochastic but nevertheless very important as it sets the gene expression pattern that permits completion of reprogramming; hence a better understanding of this phase and how this is regulated may provide the molecular cues for improving the reprogramming process. c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/stress-activated protein kinase (SAPKs) are stress activated MAPK kinases that play an essential role in several processes known to be important for successful completion of the initiation phase such as cellular proliferation, mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) and cell cycle regulation. In view of this, we postulated that manipulation of this pathway would have significant impacts on reprogramming of human fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells. Accordingly, we found that key components of the JNK/SAPK signaling pathway increase expression as early as day 3 of the reprogramming process and continue to rise in reprogrammed cells throughout the initiation and maturation stages. Using both chemical inhibitors and RNA interference of MKK4, MKK7 and JNK1, we tested the role of JNK/SAPK signaling during the initiation stage of neonatal and adult fibroblast reprogramming. These resulted in complete abrogation of fully reprogrammed colonies and the emergence of partially reprogrammed colonies which disaggregated and were lost from culture during the maturation stage. Inhibition of JNK/SAPK signaling resulted in reduced cell proliferation, disruption of MET and loss of the pluripotent phenotype, which either singly or in combination prevented establishment of pluripotent colonies. Together these data provide new evidence for an indispensable role for JNK/SAPK signaling to overcome the well-established molecular barriers in human somatic cell induced reprogramming.
Gene Expression Profiling Supports the Neural Crest Origin of Adult Rodent Carotid Body Stem Cells and Identifies CD10 as a Marker for Mesectoderm-Committed Progenitors
Authors: Navarro-Guerrero Elena , Platero-Luengo Aida , Linares-Clemente Pedro , Cases Ildefonso , López-Barneo José , Pardal Ricardo
Published: February 2016

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are promising tools for understanding nervous system plasticity and repair, but their use is hampered by the lack of markers suitable for their prospective isolation and characterization. The carotid body (CB) contains a population of peripheral NSCs, which support organ growth during acclimatization to hypoxia. We have set up CB neurosphere (NS) cultures enriched in differentiated neuronal (glomus) cells versus undifferentiated progenitors to investigate molecular hallmarks of cell classes within the CB stem cell (CBSC) niche. Microarray gene expression analysis in NS is compatible with CBSCs being neural crest derived-multipotent progenitor cells able to sustain CB growth upon exposure to hypoxia. Moreover, we have identified CD10 as a marker suitable for isolation of a population of CB mesectoderm-committed progenitor cells. CD10 + cells are resting in normoxia, and during hypoxia they are activated to proliferate and to eventually complete maturation into mesectodermal cells, thus participating in the angiogenesis necessary for CB growth. Our results shed light into the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in CBSC fate choice, favoring a potential use of these cells for cell therapy.
Searching for Classical Brown Fat in Humans: Development of a Novel Human Fetal Brown Stem Cell Model
Authors: Di Franco Alessandra , Guasti Daniele , Squecco Roberta , Mazzanti Benedetta , Rossi Francesca , Idrizaj Eglantina , Gallego-Escuredo José M. , Villarroya Francesc , Bani Daniele , Forti Gianni , Vannelli Gabriella Barbara , Luconi Michaela
Published: February 2016

The potential therapeutic applications of targeting brown adipose tissue open new clinical avenues in fighting against metabolic pathologies. However, due to the limited extension in adult humans of brown depots, which are dramatically reduced after birth, solid cell models to study human brown adipogenesis and its regulatory factors in pathophysiology are urgently needed. Here, we generated a novel human model of brown adipose stem cells, hfB-ASC, derived for the first time from fetal interscapular brown fat depots. Besides the characterization of their stem and classical brown adipose properties, we demonstrated that these cells retain a specific intrinsic differentiation program to functional brown adipocytes, even spontaneously generating organoid structures with brown features. Moreover, for the first time, we investigated the thermogenic and electrophysiological activity of the in vitro-derived fetal brown adipocytes compared to their undifferentiated precursors hfB-ASC, in basal and norepinephrine-induced conditions. In conclusion, from interscapular brown fat of the human fetus we developed and functionally characterized a novel physiological brown adipose stem cell model early programmed to brown differentiation, which may represent a unique opportunity for further studies on brown adipogenesis processes in humans as well as the most suitable target to study novel therapeutic approaches for stimulating brown activity in metabolic pathologies.
A survey of pet feeding practices of dog owners visiting a veterinary practice inColombo,SriLanka
Authors: Seneviratne Maheeka , Subasinghe Dynatra W.D. , Watson Penny J.
Published: February 2016

In Sri Lanka, home‐cooked diets are often fed due to the cost and poor availability of commercial diets. Milk has traditionally been a popular food to give to dogs in this country. There is a recent perceived increase in the number of owners choosing commercial diets for their pets. This study aimed to determine how dog owners visiting a single veterinary practice in Colombo fed their pets. We hoped that this would help achieve a general understanding of pet feeding practices in Sri Lanka and gain some basic demographic information on the owned dog population. The study was conducted via questionnaires distributed to pet owners visiting a first opinion and referral practice in Colombo. Hundred questionnaires were collected and analysed, 69% of study dogs were neutered, 42% of dogs were fed only home‐cooked food, while 18% were fed only commercial food. About 40% of dogs were fed a mixture of commercial and home‐cooked food, 49% of dogs were fed milk as a separate meal in addition to their normal diet and 57% of dogs received dietary supplements. Dogs consuming commercial food for more than half their intake were no less likely (P = 0.75) to receive dietary supplements than dogs fed homemade food for more than half their diet. This study provides some basic information regarding the feeding practices and demographics of the owned dog population in one Sri Lankan city, Colombo, highlighting some areas of concern.
Efficient location‐based topology control algorithms for wireless ad hoc and sensor networks
Authors: Zhang Baoxian , Jiao Zhenzhen , Li Cheng , Yao Zheng , Vasilakos Athanasios V.
Published: February 2016

Topology control is an efficient strategy for improving the performance of wireless ad hoc and sensor networks by building network topologies with desirable features. In this process, location information of nodes can be used to improve the performance of a topology control algorithm and also ease its operations. Many location‐based topology control algorithms have been proposed. In this paper, we propose two location‐assisted grid‐based topology control (GBP) algorithms. The design objective of our algorithm is to effectively reduce the number of active nodes required to keep global network connectivity. In grid‐based topology control, a network is divided into equally spaced squares (called grids). We accordingly design cross‐sectional topology control algorithm and diagonal topology control algorithm based on different network parameter settings. The key idea is to build near‐minimal connected dominating set for the network at the grid level. Analytical and simulation results demonstrate that our designed algorithms outperform existing work. Furthermore, the diagonal algorithm outperforms the cross‐sectional algorithm. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Routing design avoiding energy holes in underwater acoustic sensor networks
Authors: Zidi Chaima , Bouabdallah Fatma , Boutaba Raouf
Published: February 2016

Interest in underwater acoustic sensor networks (UW‐ASNs) has rapidly increased with the desire to control the large portion of the world covered by oceans. Energy efficiency is one of the major concerns in UW‐ASNs due to the limited energy budget of the underwater sensor nodes. In this paper, we tackle the problem of energy holes in UW‐ASNs while taking into consideration the unique characteristics of the underwater channel. We prove that we can evenly distribute the transmission load among sensor nodes provided that sensors adjust their communication range when they send or forward the periodically generated data. In particular, we propose a balanced routing strategy along with the associated deployment pattern that meticulously determines the load weight for each possible next hop that leads to fair energy consumption among all underwater sensors. Consequently, the energy holes problem is overcome, and hence, the network lifetime is improved. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work that addresses the energy hole problem in UW‐ASNs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Coverage‐aware connectivity‐constrained unattended sensor deployment in underwater acoustic sensor networks
Authors: Senel Fatih
Published: February 2016

Careful deployment of nodes in underwater acoustic sensor networks in a distributed manner with the goal of maximized coverage and guaranteed connectivity is a challenging problem because it is very difficult and costly to access the 3D underwater environment. This paper presents a novel algorithm for self‐deployment of nodes in underwater acoustic sensor networks assuming that the nodes are randomly dropped to the water surface and form a densely populated connected network at the water surface. The idea of the algorithm is based on calculating an optimized depth for each node in the network in such a way that the possible sensing coverage overlaps are minimized and the connectivity of final topology is guaranteed. The algorithm has three main phases. In the first phase, nodes are organized in a tree structure that is rooted at the surface station. In the second phase, the depths for all nodes are computed iteratively at surface station. In the final phase, the calculated depths are distributed to nodes so that the nodes start sinking. The performance of the proposed approach is validated through simulation. We observed that the proposed approach performs at least 10% better in terms of network coverage than contemporary schemes in the literature. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel Stibano Amines: Synthesis and Reactivity towards Group 13 Element Organics
Authors: Ringler Benjamin , von Hänisch Carsten
Published: February 2016

In this paper, the syntheses of antimony and nitrogen containing interpnictogen compounds are described. Using tBu2SbCl as reagent, a tert‐butyl‐substituted stibano amine tBu2SbN(H)tBu (1), an isopropyl‐substituted interpnictogen tBu2SbN(H)iPr (2), and a primary stibano amine tBu2SbNH2 (3) are obtained. Condensation of compound 3 leads to compound (tBu2Sb)2NH (4) with elimination of ammonia. All compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C, 15N NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and IR spectroscopy. These interpnictogens represent a new class of single‐source precursors for MOVPE process. The primary amine 3 reacts with AlEt3 and GaEt3 to form previously unknown stibane‐substituted [tBu2SbN(H)MEt2]2 ring compounds [M = Al (5), M = Ga (6)], which were characterized by different spectroscopic methods. Moreover, compounds 4 and 6 could be analyzed by X‐ray diffraction.
Radiofrequency catheter ablation of left‐sided accessory pathways via retrograde aortic approach in children
Authors: Ayabakan Canan , Şahin Murat , Çeliker Alpay
Published: February 2016

Background

We aimed to analyze the results of retrograde aortic radiofrequency catheter ablation of left‐sided accessory pathways in children.

Methods

Between January 2010 and September 2014, 25 children who underwent left‐sided accessory pathway ablation with a retrograde aortic approach were evaluated retrospectively.

Results

The mean age of the patients was 11.09±3.71 years. Seventeen patients were male (68%). The mean procedure and fluoroscopy times were 71.54±21.05 min and 31.42±19.57 min, respectively. Radiofrequency energy was delivered with 41.38±15.32 W at 52.38±5.45 °C. Sixteen patients (64%) presented with manifest preexcitation and, 9 had concealed accessory pathways. The location of accessory pathway was left lateral in 16 patients, posteroseptal in 5, left anterolateral in 2, and left posterolateral and left posterior in the remaining 2. The acute success rate was 96%. The patients were followed for a mean of 16.68±18.01 months. There were 2 recurrences. No major complications were observed in the periprocedural period. One patient had groin hematoma, another one had transient severe headache and vomiting. Trivial mitral regurgitation was noted in a patient, which remained the same throughout follow‐up. None of the patients developed new aortic regurgitation, pericardial effusion, or thrombi at the site of ablation.

Conclusions

The retrograde aortic approach can be safely employed with a high success rate for ablation of left‐sided accessory pathways in children.
Paralisias parciais idiopáticas do interósseo posterior - 8 casos
Authors: Botelheiro J.C. , Silvério S.
Published: February 2016

Introdução: As paralisias idiopáticas parciais do nervo interósseo posterior, atingindo apenas o polegar ou alguns dedos, são muito raras, sendo aparentemente causadas por uma compressão ao nível do músculo supinador.

Material e método: Observámos, nos últimos 10 anos, 8 casos, atingindo apenas alguns dedos (3 casos) ou o polegar (5) e não evoluindo para paralisias mais completas.

Resultados: Dois casos do polegar, com diagnóstico clínico precoce, curaram espontaneamente. Dos outros 6, observados tardiamente, 4 foram submetidos a cirurgia paliativa com bons resultados (2 polegares, um d3d4 e outro d4d5) e 2 recusaram cirurgia (um polegar e outro d4).

Conclusão: As paralisias parciais do interósseo existem e devem ser diferenciadas de roturas dos tendões extensores. Algumas recuperam espontaneamente. Nas outras, se vistas tardiamente, a cirurgia paliativa pode dar um bom resultado.
On a generalization of the Cartwright–Littlewood fixed point theorem for planar homeomorphisms
Authors: BOROŃSKI J. P.
Published: February 2016

We prove a generalization of the fixed point theorem of Cartwright and Littlewood. Namely, suppose that $h:\mathbb{R}^{2}\rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{2}$ is an orientation preserving planar homeomorphism, and let $C$ be a continuum such that $h^{-1}(C)\cup C$ is acyclic. If there is a $c\in C$ such that $\{h^{-i}(c):i\in \mathbb{N}\}\subseteq C$, or $\{h^{i}(c):i\in \mathbb{N}\}\subseteq C$, then $C$ also contains a fixed point of $h$. Our approach is based on Brown’s short proof of the result of Cartwright and Littlewood. In addition, making use of a linked periodic orbits theorem of Bonino, we also prove a counterpart of the aforementioned result for orientation reversing homeomorphisms, that guarantees a $2$-periodic orbit in $C$ if it contains a $k$-periodic orbit ($k>1$).