bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New insights into the molecular characteristics behind the function of Renilla luciferase
Authors: Fanaei‐Kahrani Zahra , Ganjalikhany Mohamad Reza , Rasa Seyed Mohammad Mahdi , Emamzadeh Rahman
Published: August 2017

Renilla Luciferase (RLuc) is a blue light emitter protein which can be applied as a valuable tool in medical diagnosis. But due to lack of the crystal structure of RLuc‐ligand complex, the functional motions and catalytic mechanism of this enzyme remain largely unknown. In the present study, the active site properties and the ligand‐receptor interactions of the native RLuc and its red‐shifted light emitting variant (Super RLuc 8) were investigated using molecular docking approach, molecular dynamics (MD) analysis, and MM‐PBSA method. The detailed analysis of the main clusters led to identifying a lid‐like structure and its functional motions. Furthermore, an induced‐fit mechanism is proposed where ligand‐binding induces conformational changes of the active site. Our findings give an insight into the deeper understanding of RLuc conformational changes during binding steps and ligand‐receptor pattern. Moreover, our work broaden our understanding of how active site geometry is adjusted to support the catalytic activity and red‐shifted light emission in Super RLuc 8.
SENP1/HIF‐1α feedback loop modulates hypoxia‐induced cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT in human osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Wang Xiaowei , Liang Xiaoju , Liang Huan , Wang Bing
Published: August 2017

Hypoxia is an element intrinsic to most solid‐tumor microenvironments, including that of osteosarcoma (OS), and is associated with resistance to therapy, poor survival, and a malignant phenotype. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of SUMO‐specific protease 1 (SENP1)/hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) feedback loop in hypoxic microenvironment of OS. We observed that the expression of SENP1 was remarkably upregulated in OS cells. Additionally, there was a concomitant high expression of HIF‐1α and SENP1 in MG‐63 cells under a hypoxic microenvironment. Interestingly, blockage of HIF‐1α repressed the enhancement of SENP1. Moreover, knockdown of SENP1 with siRNA notably inhibited cell viability and accelerated cell apoptosis accompanied by a decrease in the expression of Bcl‐2 and an increase in the expression of Bax in MG‐63 cells following exposure to hypoxia. Furthermore, repression of SENP1 dramatically suppressed cell invasive ability through modulating epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) marked genes as reflected by the upregulation of E‐cadherin, as well as the downregulation of vimentin and N‐cadherin under hypoxic conditions. Most importantly, SENP1 positively regulated HIF‐1α expression level in the setting of hypoxic; subsequently, depletion of SENP1 expression markedly ameliorated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production triggered by hypoxia. Taken together, positive feedback loop between HIF‐1α and SENP1 in the regulating of the process of cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT in OS cells under hypoxic conditions, suggesting that the SENP1/HIF‐1α axis may serve as a new potential therapeutic agent for OS treatments.
Retracted: Effects of long noncoding RNA SPRY4‐IT1‐mediated EZH2 on the invasion and migration of lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wen Xin , Han Xin‐Rui , Wang Yong‐Jian , Fan Shao‐Hua , Zhuang Juan , Zhang Zi‐Feng , Shan Qun , Li Meng‐Qiu , Hu Bin , Sun Chun‐Hui , Wu Qiao , Tan Jun‐Hua , Wu Dong‐Mei , Lu Jun , Zheng Yuan‐Lin
Published: August 2017

We aim to investigate the interaction between the EZH2 and the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) SPRY4‐IT1. We also explore their respective effects on human lung adenocarcinoma (LA) cell invasion and migration. Both LA and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 256 LA patients. SPTY4‐IT expression and EZH2 mRNA expressions in tissues and cells were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). The siRNAs against SPRY4‐IT1 and EZH2 were co‐transfected into A549 and H1975 cells. The interaction between SPRY4‐IT1 and EZH2 was determined using a RNA pull‐down assay and a RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. A Transwell assay and scratch assay were used to evaluate the cell migration and invasion abilities. The expressions of E‐cadherin and Vimentin in the epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) and EZH2 protein expression were detected through western blotting. SPRY4‐IT1 expression was observed to be significantly lower, while the expression of EZH2 was higher in the LA tissues than in the adjacent normal tissues. Compared with the HBE cell line, expressions of SPRY4‐IT1 in each human LA cell line had decreased, with the lowest observed reduction in the A549 cell line, while EZH2 mRNA and protein expression increased in each human LA cell lines. After SPRY4‐IT1‐siRNA was transfected into A549 and H1975 cells, invasion and migration abilities were enhanced, in addition to a reduction in the expression of E‐cadherin, while expressions of Vimentin exhibited an increased rate. Consequently, we find that EZH2 promotes LA cell invasion and metastasis by inhibiting SPRY4‐IT1 expression.
Synthesis of Bis‐Thiazolidinones Using Chitosan‐attached Nano‐CuFe2O4 as an Efficient and Retrievable Heterogeneous Catalyst
Authors: Safaei‐Ghomi Javad , Shahbazi‐Alavi Hossein , Nazemzadeh Seyed Hadi
Published: August 2017

The preparation of bis‐thiazolidinones has been achieved by a one‐pot condensation reaction of araldehydes, ethylenediamine, and 2‐mercaptoacetic acid in the presence of nano‐CuFe2O4@chitosan under reflux conditions in toluene. The catalyst was characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and FT‐IR spectroscopy. This method provides several advantages including excellent yields, wide range of products, reusability of the catalyst, and a low amount of the catalyst.
Apelin/APJ system: A novel potential therapy target for kidney disease
Authors: Huang Zhen , Wu Lele , Chen Linxi
Published: August 2017

Apelin is an endogenous ligand of seven‐transmembrane G protein‐coupled receptor APJ. Apelin and APJ are distributed in various tissues, including the heart, lung, kidney, and even in tumor tissues. Studies show that apelin mRNA is highly expressed in the inner stripe of kidney outer medulla, which plays an important role in process of water and sodium balance. Additionally, more studies also indicate that apelin/APJ system exerts a broad range of activities in kidney. Therefore, we review the role of apelin/APJ system in kidney diseases such as renal fibrosis, renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetic nephropathy, polycystic kidney disease, and hemodialysis (HD). Apelin/APJ system can improve renal interstitial fibrosis by reducing the deposition of extracellular matrix. Apelin/APJ system significantly reduces renal ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting renal cell death. Apelin/APJ system involves the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Apelin/APJ system also predicts the process of polycystic kidney disease. Besides, apelin/APJ system prevents some dialysis complications in HD patients. And apelin/APJ system alleviates chronic kidney disease (CKD) by inhibiting vascular calcification (VC). Overall, apelin/APJ system plays diversified roles in kidney disease and may be a potential target for the treatment of kidney disease.
Climatic diagnostics associated with anomalous lightning incidence during the summer 2012/2013 in Southeast Brazil
Authors: dos Santos Ana Paula Paes , Coelho Caio A. S. , Pinto Júnior Osmar , dos Santos Sérgio Rodrigo Quadros , de Lima Francisco José Lopes , de Souza Everaldo Barreiros
Published: August 2017

The State of São Paulo in Southeast Brazil experienced during the 2012/2013 summer one of the most severe electrical storm events in recent years, causing various impacts to society, e.g. fires and fatalities. Thus, the objective of this work is to understand which mechanisms and climatic variability modes are associated with the lightning incidence during this summer in this region. The study includes a statistical‐temporal assessment of cloud‐to‐ground (CG) lightning occurrence comprising the 16 years period from 1999 to 2014. The results showed that, for this period of analysis, the lightning incidence was associated with climatic patterns connecting the tropical and extratropical region, through a wave train, from the Indian Ocean to South America, favouring the formation and development of convective storms over Southeast Brazil.
Future changes due to model biases in probabilities of extreme temperatures over East Asia using CMIP5 data
Authors: Seo Ye‐Won , Yun Kyung‐Sook , Lee June‐Yi , Lee Yang‐Won , Ha Kyung‐Ja , Jhun Jong‐Ghap
Published: August 2017

This study examines the performances of 31 global climate models in the Coupled Model Inter‐comparison Project 5 (CMIP5) in terms of probability density functions (PDFs) for maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) air temperatures over East Asia in the present and CMIP5‐model projected future changes. In general, most of models well reproduce warm‐season peak for both Tmax and Tmin but exhibit large inter‐model spread for simulating cold‐season peak, especially for Tmin. Minimum values of Tmin and Tmax are more strongly dependent upon model selection than maximum values of them. For the last 25 years of the 21st century, under the Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 scenario, models project shifts toward warmer values in the PDFs of Tmax and Tmin and broadening in the shape of PDFs. Models with warm biases in PDFs tend to show larger shifts in temperature changes, but seasonal mean temperature biases do not affect to future changes. It is notable that the broadening of PDFs in the future influences temperature extreme events. Using the changes in probabilities of heat waves as one of extreme temperature events by comparing multi‐model ensemble (MME) and models with good performance of PDFs, this study shows that MME tends to overestimate its duration. Our findings suggest that future changes in temperature extremes projected by models are strongly come from the biases detected in those models when simulating present extreme temperature PDFs. Therefore, correcting the intrinsic biases of models rather than seasonal mean correction is necessary to reduce the uncertainties in predicting future changes in temperature extremes.
Does Ultrasound‐Enhanced Instruction of Musculoskeletal Anatomy Improve Physical Examination Skills of First‐Year Medical Students?
Authors: Walrod Bryant J. , Schroeder Allison , Conroy Mark J. , Boucher Laura C. , Bockbrader Marcia , Way David P. , McCamey Kendra L. , Hartz Clinton A. , Jonesco Michael A. , Bahner David P.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Ultrasound imaging is commonly used to teach basic anatomy to medical students. The purpose of this study was to determine whether learning musculoskeletal anatomy with ultrasound improved performance on medical students' musculoskeletal physical examination skills.

Methods

Twenty‐seven first‐year medical students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 instructional groups: either shoulder or knee. Both groups received a lecture followed by hands‐on ultrasound scanning on live human models of the assigned joint. After instruction, students were assessed on their ability to accurately palpate 4 anatomic landmarks: the acromioclavicular joint, the proximal long‐head biceps tendon, and the medial and lateral joint lines of the knee. Performance scores were based on both accuracy and time. A total physical examination performance score was derived for each joint. Scores for instructional groups were compared by a 2‐way analysis of variance with 1 repeated measure. Significant findings were further analyzed with post hoc tests.

Results

All students performed significantly better on the knee examination, irrespective of instructional group (F = 14.9; df = 1.25; P = .001). Moreover, the shoulder instruction group performed significantly better than the knee group on the overall assessment (t = –3.0; df = 25; P < .01). Post hoc analyses revealed that differences in group performance were due to the shoulder group's higher scores on palpation of the biceps tendon (t = –2.8; df = 25; P = .01), a soft tissue landmark. Both groups performed similarly on palpation of all other anatomic structures.

Conclusions

The use of ultrasound appears to provide an educational advantage when learning musculoskeletal physical examination of soft tissue landmarks.
Rubrene‐Based Green‐Light‐Sensitive Photoinitiating Systems of Polymerization
Authors: Xiao Pu , Zhang Jing , Graff Bernadette , Fouassier Jean Pierre , Lalevée Jacques
Published: August 2017

Rubrene, a compound that exhibits green light absorption, interacts with an iodonium salt through its excited singlet state to generate cations and free radicals under a green laser line at 532 nm or a halogen lamp delivering a low light intensity of polychromatic visible light. The photochemical mechanisms are investigated by steady‐state photolysis, fluorescence, electrochemistry, and electron spin resonance spin trapping techniques. The produced cations and free radicals initiate both the cationic photopolymerization of epoxides and the free radical photopolymerization of acrylates. Moreover, the addition of N‐vinylcarbazole into the system enhances the photopolymerization efficiency. The Rubrene/amine/chlorotriazine photoinitiating system also exhibits a much higher photoinitiation ability for the free radical photopolymerization of acrylates.
Qualitative theory for strongly damped wave equations
Authors: Azevedo Joelma , Cuevas Claudio , Soto Herme
Published: August 2017

We investigate the asymptotic periodicity, Lp‐boundedness, classical (resp., strong) solutions, and the topological structure of solutions set of strongly damped semilinear wave equations. The theoretical results are well complemented with a set of very illustrating applications.
Comparison of image intensity, local, and multi‐atlas priors in brain tissue classification
Authors: Wang Liping , Labrosse Frédéric , Zwiggelaar Reyer
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Automated and accurate tissue classification in three‐dimensional brain magnetic resonance images is essential in volumetric morphometry or as a preprocessing step for diagnosing brain diseases. However, noise, intensity in homogeneity, and partial volume effects limit the classification accuracy of existing methods. This paper provides a comparative study on the contributions of three commonly used image information priors for tissue classification in normal brains: image intensity, local, and multi‐atlas priors.

Methods

We compared the effectiveness of the three priors by comparing the four methods modeling them: K‐Means (KM),KMcombined with a Markov Random Field (KM‐MRF), multi‐atlas segmentation (MAS), and the combination ofKM,MRF, andMAS(KM‐MRF‐MAS). The key parameters and factors in each of the four methods are analyzed, and the performance of all the models is compared quantitatively and qualitatively on both simulated and real data.

Results

TheKM‐MRF‐MASmodel that combines the three image information priors performs best.

Conclusions

The image intensity prior is insufficient to generate reasonable results for a few images. Introducing local and multi‐atlas priors results in improved brain tissue classification. This study provides a general guide on what image information priors can be used for effective brain tissue classification.
Symmetry, outliers, and geodesics in coronary artery centerline reconstruction from rotational angiography
Authors: Unberath Mathias , Taubmann Oliver , Hell Michaela , Achenbach Stephan , Maier Andreas
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The performance of many state‐of‐the‐art coronary artery centerline reconstruction algorithms in rotational angiography heavily depends on accurate two‐dimensional centerline information that, in practice, is not available due to segmentation errors. To alleviate the need for correct segmentations, we propose generic extensions to symbolic centerline reconstruction algorithms that target symmetrization, outlier rejection, and topology recovery on asymmetrically reconstructed point clouds.

Methods

Epipolar geometry‐ and graph cut‐based reconstruction algorithms are used to reconstruct three‐dimensional point clouds from centerlines in reference views. These clouds are input to the proposed methods that consist of (a) merging of asymmetric reconstructions, (b) removal of inconsistent three‐dimensional points using the reprojection error, and (c) projection domain‐informed geodesic computation. We validate our extensions in a numerical phantom study and on two clinical datasets.

Results

In the phantom study, the overlap measure between the reconstructed point clouds and the three‐dimensional ground truth increased from 68.4 ± 9.6% to 85.9 ± 3.3% when the proposed extensions were applied. In addition, the averaged mean and maximum reprojection error decreased from 4.32 ± 3.03 mm to 0.189 ± 0.182 mm and from 8.39 ± 6.08 mm to 0.392 ± 0.434 mm. For the clinical data, the mean and maximum reprojection error improved from 1.73 ± 0.97 mm to 0.882 ± 0.428 mm and from 3.83 ± 1.87 mm to 1.48 ± 0.61 mm, respectively.

Conclusions

The application of the proposed extensions yielded superior reconstruction quality in all cases and effectively removed erroneously reconstructed points. Future work will investigate possibilities to integrate parts of the proposed extensions directly into reconstruction.
Regularly incremented phase encoding – MR fingerprinting (RIPE‐MRF) for enhanced motion artifact suppression in preclinical cartesian MR fingerprinting
Authors: Anderson Christian E. , Wang Charlie Y. , Gu Yuning , Darrah Rebecca , Griswold Mark A. , Yu Xin , Flask Chris A.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

The regularly incremented phase encoding–magnetic resonance fingerprinting (RIPE‐MRF) method is introduced to limit the sensitivity of preclinical MRF assessments to pulsatile and respiratory motion artifacts.

Methods

As compared to previously reported standard Cartesian–MRF methods (SC‐MRF), the proposed RIPE‐MRF method uses a modified Cartesian trajectory that varies the acquired phase‐encoding line within each dynamic MRF dataset. Phantoms and mice were scanned without gating or triggering on a 7T preclinical MRI scanner using the RIPE‐MRF and SC‐MRF methods. In vitro phantom longitudinal relaxation time (T1) and transverse relaxation time (T2) measurements, as well as in vivo liver assessments of artifact‐to‐noise ratio (ANR) and MRF‐based T1 and T2 mean and standard deviation, were compared between the two methods (n = 5).

Results

RIPE‐MRF showed significant ANR reductions in regions of pulsatility (P < 0.005) and respiratory motion (P < 0.0005). RIPE‐MRF also exhibited improved precision in T1 and T2 measurements in comparison to the SC‐MRF method (P <  0.05). The RIPE‐MRF and SC‐MRF methods displayed similar mean T1 and T2 estimates (difference in mean values < 10%).

Conclusion

These results show that the RIPE‐MRF method can provide effective motion artifact suppression with minimal impact on T1 and T2 accuracy for in vivo small animal MRI studies. Magn Reson Med 79:2176–2182, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Diagnostic value of the near‐nerve needle sensory nerve conduction in sensory inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
Authors: Odabasі Zekі , Oh Shin J.
Published: August 2017

Introduction

In this study we report the diagnostic value of the near‐nerve needle sensory nerve conduction study (NNN‐SNCS) in sensory inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (IDP) in which the routine nerve conduction study was normal or non‐diagnostic.

Methods

The NNN‐SNCS was performed to identify demyelination in the plantar nerves in 14 patients and in the median or ulnar nerve in 2 patients with sensory IDP.

Results

In 16 patients with sensory IDP, routine NCSs were either normal or non‐diagnostic for demyelination. Demyelination was identified by NNN‐SNCS by dispersion and/or slow nerve conduction velocity (NCV) below the demyelination marker. Immunotherapy was initiated in 11 patients, 10 of whom improved or remained stable.

Discussion

NNN‐SNCS played an essential role in identifying demyelinaton in 16 patients with sensory IDP, leading to proper treatment. Muscle Nerve 57: 414–418, 2018
Colloidal quantum dot solar cell power conversion efficiency optimization using analysis of current‐voltage characteristics and electrode contact imaging by lock‐in carrierography
Authors: Hu Lilei , Liu Mengxia , Mandelis Andreas , Melnikov Alexander , Sargent Edward H.
Published: August 2017

Although the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of colloidal quantum dot solar cells (CQDSCs) has increased sharply, researchers are struggling with the lack of comprehensive device efficiency optimization strategies, which retards significant progress in CQDSC improvement. This paper addresses this critical issue through analyzing the impact of colloidal quantum dot (CQD) carrier hopping mobility, bandgap energy, illumination intensity, and electrode/CQD interface on device performance to develop a guiding criterion for CQDSC PCE optimization. This general strategy has been used for the successful fabrication of high‐efficiency CQDSCs yielding certified PCEs as high as 11.28 %. A major experimental finding of this work is that the widely used constant photocurrent density (Jph) assumption is invalid as Jph is external‐voltage dependent due to the low carrier hopping mobility. Furthermore, the theoretical model developed herein predicts the nonmonotonic dependence of CQDSC PCE on carrier hopping mobility and bandgap energy, which were also demonstrated with the high‐efficiency CQDSCs. These results constitute a revision basis of the widespread belief that higher mobility and lower bandgap energy correspond to a higher CQDSC efficiency. Furthermore, electrode/CQD interface‐dependent surface recombination velocities were investigated in the framework of our abovementioned theoretical model using lock‐in carrierography, a contactless, large‐area frequency‐domain photocarrier diffusion‐wave imaging methodology that elucidated the carrier collection process at the electrodes through open‐circuit voltage distribution imaging. Lock‐in carrierography eliminates the limitations of today's widely used small‐spot (<0.1 cm2) testing methods which, however, raise questionable overall solar cell performance and stability estimations.
A Novel Class of Nitrogen‐rich Explosives Containing High Oxygen Balance to Use as High Performance Oxidizers in Solid Propellants
Authors: Keshavarz Mohammad Hossein , Abadi Yasin Hayat , Esmaeilpour Karim , Damiri Sajjad , Oftadeh Mohsen
Published: August 2017

In this study, density functional theory (DFT) calculations and the best available reliable predictive methods are used to assess performance, thermodynamics, physical and sensitivity of several high nitrogen content energetic tetrazole derivatives. Detonation pressure and velocity of these compounds are greater than 470 GPa and 10.2 km/s, respectively. Furthermore, suitable methods are used to study the condensed phase heat of formation, Gibbs free energy of formation, heat of sublimation, heat of combustion, melting point, enthalpy of fusion, entropy of fusion, specific impulse, Gurney velocity, strength, deflagration temperature, impact sensitivity and shock sensitivity of the novel compounds. The predicted results of the new compounds are compared with the calculated and experimental values of N,N‐bis(1H‐tetrazol‐5‐yl)amine (HTBA), dihydroxylammonium 5,5′‐bistetrazole‐1,1′‐diolate (TKX‐50) and 1,3,5,7‐tetranitro‐1,3,5,7‐tetrazocine (HMX) as high performance energetic compounds.
Elucidation of insulin assembly at acidic and neutral pH: Characterization of low molecular weight oligomers
Authors: Mawhinney Matthew T. , Williams Thomas L. , Hart James L. , Taheri Mitra L. , Urbanc Brigita
Published: August 2017

Deficiency in insulin secretion and function that characterize type 2 diabetes often requires administration of extraneous insulin, leading to injection‐site amyloidosis. Insulin aggregation at neutral pH is not well understood. Although oligomer formation is believed to play an important role, insulin oligomers have not been fully characterized yet. Here, we elucidate similarities and differences between in vitro insulin aggregation at acidic and neutral pH for a range of insulin concentrations (2.5–100 μM) by using kinetic thioflavin T fluorescence, circular dichroism, atomic force and electron microscopy imaging. Importantly, we characterize the size distribution of insulin oligomers at different assembly stages by the application of covalent cross‐linking and gel electrophoresis. Our results show that at the earliest assembly stage, oligomers comprise up to 40% and 70% of soluble insulin at acidic and neutral pH, respectively. While the highest oligomer order increases with insulin concentration at acidic pH, the opposite tendency is observed at neutral pH, where oligomers up to heptamers are formed in 10 μM insulin. These findings suggest that oligomers may be on‐ and off‐pathway assemblies for insulin at acidic and neutral pH, respectively. Agitation, which is required to induce insulin aggregation at neutral pH, is shown to increase fibril formation rate and fibrillar mass both by an order of magnitude. Insulin incubated under agitated conditions at neutral pH rapidly aggregates into large micrometer‐sized aggregates, which may be of physiological relevance and provides insight into injection‐site amyloidosis and toxic pulmonary aggregates induced by administration of extraneous insulin.
Antimicrobial activity of leucine‐substituted decoralin analogs with lower hemolytic activity
Authors: Torres Marcelo Der Torossian , Pedron Cibele Nicolaski , da Silva Lima Julia Aparecida , da Silva Pedro Ismael , da Silva Fernanda Dias , Oliveira Vani Xavier
Published: August 2017

Linear cationic α‐helical antimicrobial peptides are promising chemotherapeutics. Most of them act by different mechanisms, making it difficult to microorganisms acquiring resistance. Decoralin is an example of antimicrobial peptide; it was described by Konno et al. and presented activity against microorganisms, but with pronounced hemolytic activity. We synthesized leucine‐substituted decoralin analogs designed based on important physicochemical properties, which depend on the maintenance of the amphiphilic α‐helical tendency of the native molecule. Peptides were synthesized, purified, and characterized, and the conformational studies were performed. The results indicated that the analogs presented both higher therapeutic indexes, but with antagonistic behavior. While [Leu]10‐Dec‐NH2 analog showed similar activity against different microorganisms (c.a. 0.4–0.8 μmol L−1), helical structuration, and some hemolytic activity, [Leu]8‐Dec‐NH2 analog did not tend to helical structure and presented antimicrobial activities two orders higher than the other two peptides analyzed. On the other hand, this analog showed to be the less hemolytic (MHC value = 50.0 μmol L−1). This approach provided insight for understanding the effects of the leucine substitution in the amphiphilic balance. They led to changes on the conformational tendency, which showed to be important for the mechanism of action and affecting antimicrobial and hemolytic activities. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predictive power of remote sensing versus temperature‐derived variables in modelling phenology of herbivorous insects
Authors: Pöyry Juha , Böttcher Kristin , Fronzek Stefan , Gobron Nadine , Leinonen Reima , Metsämäki Sari , Virkkala Raimo
Published: August 2017

Application of remote sensing datasets in modelling phenology of heterotrophic animals has received little attention. In this work, we compare the predictive power of remote sensing versus temperature‐derived variables in modelling peak flight periods of herbivorous insects, as exemplified by nocturnal moths. Moth phenology observations consisted of weekly observations of five focal moth species (Orthosia gothica,Ectropis crepuscularia,Cabera exanthemata,Dysstroma citrataandOperophtera brumata) gathered in a national moth monitoring scheme in Finland. These species were common and widespread and had peak flight periods in different seasons. Temperature‐derived data were represented by weekly accumulating growing degree days (GDD) calculated from gridded temperature observations. Remote sensing data were obtained from three sources: (1) snow melt‐off date from theMODISdaily snow maps, (2) greening date using theNDWIfromMODISdata and (3) dates of start, maximum and end of growing season based on theJRC FAPARproducts. Peak phenology observations of moths were related to different explanatory variables by using linear mixed effect models (LMM), with 70% of the data randomly selected for model calibration. Predictive power of models was tested using the remaining 30% of the data. Remote sensing data (snow melt‐off and vegetation greening date) showed the highest predictive power in two moth species flying in the early and late spring, whereas in the three other species none of the variables showed reasonable predictive power. Flight period of the spring species coincides with natural events such as snow melt or vegetation greening that can easily be observed using remote sensing techniques. We demonstrate the applicability of our methodology by predictive spatial maps of peak flight phenology covering the entire Finland for two of the focal species. The methods are applicable in situations that require spatial predictions of animal activity, such as the management of populations of insect pest species.
Developing IntegrityCatalog, a software system for managing integrity‐related metadata in digital repositories
Authors: Chondros Nikos , Roussopoulos Mema
Published: August 2017

Digital repositories must periodically check the integrity of stored objects to assure users of their correctness. Prior solutions calculate integrity metadata and require the repository to store it alongside the actual data objects. To safeguard and detect damage to this metadata, prior solutions rely on widely visible media (unaffiliated third parties) to store and provide back digests of the metadata to verify it is intact. However, they do not address recovery of the integrity metadata in case of damage or adversarial attack. We introduce IntegrityCatalog, a novel software system that can be integrated into any digital repository. It collects all integrity‐related metadata in a single component and treats them as first class objects, managing both their integrity and their preservation. We introduce a treap‐based persistent authenticated dictionary managing arbitrary length key/value pairs, which we use to store all integrity metadata, accessible simply by object name. Additionally, IntegrityCatalog is a distributed system that includes a network protocol that manages both corruption detection and preservation of this metadata, using administrator‐selected network peers with 2 possible roles. Verifiers store and offer attestations on digests and have minimal storage requirements, while preservers efficiently synchronize a complete copy of the catalog to assist in recovery in case of a detected catalog compromise on the local system. We present our approach in developing the prototype implementation, measure its performance experimentally, and demonstrate its effectiveness in real‐world situations. We believe the implementation techniques of our open‐source IntegrityCatalog will be useful in the construction of next‐generation digital repositories.
The Transcription Factor 7-Like 2–Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator-1 Alpha Axis Connects Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Metabolic Shift with Stem Cell Commitment to Hepatic Differentiation
Authors: Wanet Anaïs , Caruso Marino , Domelevo Entfellner Jean-Baka , Najar Mehdi , Fattaccioli Antoine , Demazy Catherine , Evraerts Jonathan , El-Kehdy Hoda , Pourcher Guillaume , Sokal Etienne , Arnould Thierry , Tiffin Nicki , Najimi Mustapha , Renard Patricia
Published: August 2017

Increasing evidence supports that modifications in the mitochondrial content, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) activity, and cell metabolism influence the fate of stem cells. However, the regulators involved in the crosstalk between mitochondria and stem cell fate remains poorly characterized. Here, we identified a transcriptional regulatory axis, composed of transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) (a downstream effector of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, repressed during differentiation) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) (the master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis, induced during differentiation), coupling the loss of pluripotency and early commitment to differentiation, to the initiation of mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolic shift toward OXPHOS. PGC-1α induction during differentiation is required for both mitochondrial biogenesis and commitment to the hepatocytic lineage, and TCF7L2 repression is sufficient to increase PGC-1α expression, mitochondrial biogenesis and OXPHOS activity. We further demonstrate that OXPHOS activity is required for the differentiation toward the hepatocytic lineage, thus providing evidence that bi-directional interactions control stem cell differentiation and mitochondrial abundance and activity.
Maternal hemodynamics in normal pregnancy and in pregnancy affected by pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Stott D. , Nzelu O. , Nicolaides K. H. , Kametas N. A.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To determine if, in a high‐risk group of women in the first half of pregnancy, those who develop pre‐eclampsia (PE) with fetal growth restriction (FGR) demonstrate distinct hemodynamics compared with those with PE in the absence of FGR (PE only).

Methods

Cardiac output (CO), peripheral vascular resistance (PVR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured at the first hospital visit at 9–24 weeks' gestation in 69 women who had chronic hypertension and 67 who had had a hypertensive disorder in a previous pregnancy. These women were divided into five groups according to pregnancy outcome. In total, 19 subsequently developed PE only, 22 developed PE with FGR, 17 developed pregnancy‐induced hypertension, 39 had chronic hypertension without PE or FGR and 39 had had a hypertensive disorder in a previous pregnancy without PE, pregnancy‐induced hypertension or FGR in the index pregnancy. The hemodynamic values in each of these groups were compared with those in a cohort of 300 low‐risk women with normal pregnancy.

Results

In all the high‐risk groups, PVR and MAP were higher than in women with a normal pregnancy, but CO was lower in the group of women with PE and FGR, whereas in the other high‐risk groups, it was not significantly different from normal.

Conclusions

In women who develop PE, there is evidence of high PVR and MAP from the first half of pregnancy, whilst PE and FGR are associated with failure in physiological expansion of CO. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Wind turbine performance decline in Sweden
Authors: Olauson Jon , Edström Per , Rydén Jesper
Published: August 2017

We show that Swedish wind turbines constructed before 2007 lose 0.15 capacity factor percentage points per year, corresponding to a lifetime energy loss of 6%. A gradual increase of downtime accounts for around one third of the deterioration and worsened efficiency for the remaining. Although the performance loss in Sweden is considerably smaller than previously reported in the UK, it is statistically significant and calls for a revision of the industry practice for wind energy calculations. The study is based on two partly overlapping datasets, comprising 1,100 monthly and 1,300 hourly time series spanning 5–25 years each.
Appendiceal Duplication: A Comprehensive Review of Published Cases and Clinical Recommendations
Authors: Nageswaran H. , Khan U. , Hill F. , Maw A.
Published: August 2017

Background

Duplex appendix is very rare (incidence 0.004%) but has clinical relevance given the frequency of appendicectomies performed. Failure to recognise duplication can result in failure of treatment and medico‐legal consequences. A review of published cases was undertaken to identify factors that may help in managing this rare condition.

Methods

All English and non‐English publications were identified in PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases. Patient demographics, intraoperative findings, anatomical details and histopathology were analysed.

Results

A total of 141 cases were identified [male/female ratio 1.4:1, median age 20 years (range foetus to 69 years)]. Duplication of the appendix ranges from branching of the appendix trunk to a fully matured appendix located elsewhere along the colon. Most can be categorised by the Cave–Wallbridge classification. There were 22 Type A, 8 Type B1, 46 Type B2 and 10 Type C cases (Cave–Wallbridge). There were six cases of horseshoe and two cases of triple appendix. Six reports gave anatomical descriptions that could not be classified by Cave–Wallbridge categories and in 11 cases there were no anatomical descriptions.

Conclusions

An anteriorly placed appendix, away from the convergence of the taenia, or a normal appendix in the presence of convincing clinical or radiological signs of appendicitis should instigate a careful examination of the caecal pole and possible exploration of the retrocaecal space for appendiceal duplication. If the patient had previous surgery for congenital abnormalities, Type B1 or Type C duplication should be considered.
PVC-O pipe innovations
Authors: Onieva Cristina , Blázquez Almudena
Published: August 2017

Molecor, a Spanish company founded in 2006, is the current leading company in the development of the Molecular Orientation Technology applied to water under pressure canalizations. Its genuine and exclusive technology has allowed the company to launch innovative developments over the years into the market that nowadays it is considered one of the most important referents of growth, continuous improvement and internationalization.
The Competition of Beverage Products in Current Market: A Composite Demand Analysis
Authors: Heng Yan , House Lisa A. , Kim Hyeyoung
Published: August 2017

The beverage sector plays an important role in consumers' daily diet. Recent declines in fruit beverage and soft drink consumption may be a reflection of changing consumers' lifestyles and perceptions. This study uses recent scanner data to develop a demand analysis to examine the competition of various beverages. To obtain reliable demand and elasticity estimates, we test for valid aggregations using the generalized composite commodity theorem. Results suggest that while consumers substitute refrigerated juice with low calorie drinks, a larger proportion of consumers substitute regular soft drinks with fruit drinks.
ON THE AGGREGATION OF EXPERTS' INFORMATION IN BONUS–MALUS SYSTEMS
Authors: Blanco Víctor , Pérez-Sánchez José M.
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we propose a new family of premium calculation principles based on the use of prior information from different sources. Under this framework and based on the use of Ordered Weighted Averaging operators, we provide alternative collective and Bayes premiums and describe some approaches to efficiently compute them. Several examples are detailed to illustrate the performance of the new methods.
Shaping Church-State Relations After Constantine: The Political Theology of Hilary of Poitiers
Authors: Wickman Eric
Published: August 2017

Writing in the half-century after the “conversion” of Constantine, Bishop Hilary of Poitiers wrote two works regarding Emperor Constantius II. The first,Ad Constantium, is a polite and formal letter, seeking an audience with the emperor. The second,In Constantium, is a harangue against the emperor. Some scholars have proposed that the difference in tone between these two documents indicates that Hilary had come to advocate for the emperor to be completely uninvolved in the affairs of the Church. Closer analysis reveals that Hilary always endorsed a position in which the emperor should be involved in ecclesiastical affairs, so long as he submitted to the higher authorities of scripture and the ancient apostolic faith. Hilary would have had no concerns with a pro-Nicene emperor enforcing proto-orthodox church councils and creeds. Prior to Hilary, most of Christianity had accepted imperial involvement in the Church. But the involvement of the Roman emperors in ecclesial matters caused many to have to consider the problems of someone outside of the Church making decisions for the Church. Hilary's efforts stand as one of the first western attempts to nuance and limit the emperor's ecclesiastical role.
The Disputed Origins of Dutch Calvinism: Religious Refugees in the Historiography of the Dutch Reformation
Authors: Spohnholz Jesse , van Veen Mirjam G. K.
Published: August 2017

According to historiographical convention, the experience of exile by Protestants from the Habsburg Netherlands between the 1550s and the early 1570s played a critical role in promoting confessional Calvinism in the early Dutch Republic. But there are too many problems in the evidentiary basis to sustain this conclusion. This essay traces the historiography on the Dutch Reformation in order to isolate where and why this idea emerged. It demonstrates that no specific role for religious refugees in the development of Dutch Calvinism can be found in historical writing from the late sixteenth to the mid-nineteenth century. Only in the late nineteenth century, during a debate about the role of the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands, did the experiences of religious refugees come to take on a specific role in explaining the development of Dutch Calvinism. The idea first emerged among Neo-Calvinists who critiqued state supervision of their church. By the twentieth century, it came to be used by orthodox and moderate Reformed Protestants, as well as liberal and secular academic historians. This paper thus demonstrates that this key interpretive framework for understanding the Dutch Reformation was the product not of developments in the sixteenth-century Habsburg Netherlands, but of religious politics in the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the late nineteenth century.
Advocating for Poor Relief in Zurich: Heinrich Bullinger's Contributions to Religious Ideals and Policy Reforms
Authors: Chung-Kim Esther
Published: August 2017

Despite the demarcations of the political and religious spheres, Heinrich Bullinger (1504–1575) considered the city's system of poor relief to be a pastoral concern. The chief minister of Zurich expected the wealth from confiscated church property to be used for communal needs and believed that the magistrates needed the ministers to guide them in poor relief reforms. This article demonstrates that Bullinger's biblical interpretation was not peripheral to his political activity, but rather central to his contributions to poor relief and to the justification of his political involvement in poor relief reform. More specifically, Bullinger's involvement in poor relief reform was a consistent development from his articulation of his theological views in the 1530s, applied to the Zurich context in the 1550s, and politically supported in the 1570s. An examination of Bullinger's biblical interpretation and scriptural references in his commentaries, sermons, and speeches reveals a consistent concern for the care of the poor from the early years of his career to the end of his ministry in Zurich.
‘EVERYMAN A CAPITALIST’ OR ‘FREE TO CHOOSE’? EXPLORING THE TENSIONS WITHIN THATCHERITE INDIVIDUALISM
Authors: DAVIES ALED , FREEMAN JAMES , PEMBERTON HUGH
Published: August 2017

It is widely recognized that ‘the individual’ was prioritized by the Thatcher governments. However, there has been little analysis by historians of exactly how the Thatcher government conceptualized ‘the individual’. In this article, we attempt to remedy this deficiency by undertaking a case-study of a key Thatcherite social policy reform: the introduction of ‘personal pensions’. This approach allows us to understand the position of ‘the individual’ on the functional level of Thatcherite policy-making. In doing so, we argue that there was no coherent or fixed Thatcherite concept of the individual. Instead, we identify three fundamental tensions: (i) should individuals be capitalists or consumers; (ii) were they rational or irrational; and (iii) should they be risk-taking entrepreneurs or prudent savers? This reflected, in part, conflicts within the diverse tapestry of post-war neoliberal thought. We demonstrate in this article that these tensions undermined the Thatcher governments’ original attempt to create a society of entrepreneurial investor-capitalists, which in turn cemented their preference for simply maximizing individual freedom of choice within a competitive – yet tightly regulated – market environment.
CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGE IN JORDAN: AN UPDATE
Authors: Islam M. Mazharul , Ababneh Faisal M. , Khan MD Hasinur Rahaman
Published: August 2017

This study examined the recent level, trends and determinants of consanguineous marriage in Jordan using time-series data from the Jordan Population and Family Health Surveys (JPFHSs). According to the 2012 JPFHS, 35% of all marriages were consanguineous in Jordan in 2012. There has been a declining trend in consanguinity in the country, with the rate decreasing from a level of 57% in 1990. Most consanguineous marriage in 2012 were first cousin marriages, constituting 23% of all marriages and 66% of all consanguineous marriages. The data show that women with a lower age at marriage, older marriage cohort, larger family size, less than secondary level of education, rural place of residence, no employment, no exposure to mass media, a monogamous marriage, a husband with less than higher level of education and lower economic status, and those from the Badia region, were more likely to have a consanguineous marriage. Increasing age at marriage, level of education, urbanization and knowledge about the health consequences of consanguinity, and the ongoing socioeconomic and demographic transition in the country, will be the driving forces for further decline in consanguinity in Jordan.
Spatio-temporal analysis of benthic polychaete community structure in the north-western coast of Baja California, Mexico
Authors: Alvarez-Aguilar Arturo , Rodríguez-Villanueva Verónica , Macías-Zamora José Vinicio , Ramírez-Álvarez Nancy , Hernández-Guzmán Félix Augusto
Published: August 2017

A temporal analysis of the benthic polychaete community and its relationship with environmental variables was conducted by comparing coastal sediment samples collected in three separate sampling events between 1998 and 2013 from the southern end of the Southern California Bight (SCB). Environmental variables indicated a spatio-temporal increase of the sand fraction in sediment composition. Station stratification by depth from shallow to deep, and a reduction of trace metal enrichment (Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) was also found. There was a notable change in polychaete family composition due to high abundances and frequency of Spionidae, Chaetopteridae and Phyllodocidae in 2013, especially close to the Binational wastewater treatment plant discharge. An increase in polychaete abundance, richness and diversity was indicative of a probable relationship with regional weather conditions (El Niño-Southern Oscillation and recent drought events during sampling) along with local anthropogenic discharges of wastewater treatment plants in the area.