bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enumerating bone marrow blasts from nonerythroid cellularity improves outcome prediction in myelodysplastic syndromes and permits a better definition of the intermediate risk category of the Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS‐R)
Authors: Calvo Xavier , Arenillas Leonor , Luño Elisa , Senent Leonor , Arnan Montserrat , Ramos Fernando , Pedro Carme , Tormo Mar , Montoro Julia , Díez‐Campelo María , Blanco María Laura , Arrizabalaga Beatriz , Xicoy Blanca , Bonanad Santiago , Jerez Andrés , Nomdedeu Meritxell , Ferrer Ana , Sanz Guillermo F , Florensa Lourdes
Published: March 2017

The Revised International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS‐R) has been recognized as the score with the best outcome prediction capability in MDS, but this brought new concerns about the accurate prognostication of patients classified into the intermediate risk category. The correct enumeration of blasts is essential in prognostication of MDS. Recent data evidenced that considering blasts from nonerythroid cellularity (NECs) improves outcome prediction in the context of IPSS and WHO classification. We assessed the percentage of blasts from total nucleated cells (TNCs) and NECs in 3924 MDS patients from the GESMD, 498 of whom were MDS with erythroid predominance (MDS‐E). We assessed if calculating IPSS‐R by enumerating blasts from NECs improves prognostication of MDS. Twenty‐four percent of patients classified into the intermediate category were reclassified into higher‐risk categories and showed shorter overall survival (OS) and time to AML evolution than those who remained into the intermediate one. Likewise, a better distribution of patients was observed, since lower‐risk patients showed longer survivals than previously whereas higher‐risk ones maintained the outcome expected in this poor prognostic group (median OS < 20 months). Furthermore, our approach was particularly useful for detecting patients at risk of dying with AML. Regarding MDS‐E, 51% patients classified into the intermediate category were reclassified into higher‐risk ones and showed shorter OS and time to AML. In this subgroup of MDS, IPSS‐R was capable of splitting our series in five groups with significant differences in OS only when blasts were assessed from NECs. In conclusion, our easy‐applicable approach improves prognostic assessment of MDS patients.
Inhaled steroids reduce pain and sVCAM levels in individuals with sickle cell disease: A triple‐blind, randomized trial
Authors: Glassberg Jeffrey , Minnitti Caterina , Cromwell Caroline , Cytryn Lawrence , Kraus Thomas , Skloot Gwen S. , Connor Jason T. , Rahman Adeeb H. , Meurer William J.
Published: March 2017

Clinical and preclinical data demonstrate that altered pulmonary physiology (including increased inflammation, increased blood flow, airway resistance, and hyper‐reactivity) is an intrinsic component of Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and may contribute to excess SCD morbidity and mortality. Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), a safe and effective therapy for pulmonary inflammation in asthma, may ameliorate the altered pulmonary physiologic milieu in SCD. With this single‐center, longitudinal, randomized, triple‐blind, placebo controlled trial we studied the efficacy and feasibility of ICS in 54 nonasthmatic individuals with SCD. Participants received once daily mometasone furoate 220 mcg dry powder inhalation or placebo for 16 weeks. The primary outcome was feasibility (the number who complete the trial divided by the total number enrolled) with prespecified efficacy outcomes including daily pain score over time (patient reported) and change in soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM) levels between entry and 8‐weeks. For the primary outcome of feasibility, the result was 96% (52 of 54, 95% CI 87%‐99%) for the intent‐to‐treat analysis and 83% (45 of 54, 95% CI 71%‐91%) for the per‐protocol analysis. The adjusted treatment effect of mometasone was a reduction in daily pain score of 1.42 points (95%CI 0.61‐2.21, P = 0.001). Mometasone was associated with a reduction in sVCAM levels of 526.94 ng/mL more than placebo (95% CI 50.66‐1003.23, P = 0.03). These results support further study of ICS in SCD including multicenter trials and longer durations of treatment. www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02061202)
Detailed examination of nitrile stretching vibrations relevant for understanding the behavior of thermally treated polyacrylonitrile
Authors: Ruhland Klaus , Haase Nino , Fischer Andreas
Published: March 2017

The influence of electronic and environmental effects on the wave number of nitrile stretching vibrations was examined with respect to moieties relevant for the polyacrylonitrile homopolymer and its assumed transformation products on thermal treatment in the course of carbon fiber production on the basis of four sources of information. Literature values were collected. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements on relevant commercially available compounds were performed. For the first time, model compounds were synthesized and examined, and for the first time, density functional theory calculations for unavailable important compounds were performed. The results place the interpretation of the FTIR data on much safer scientific ground than any other study before; in particular, they unequivocally disprove suggestions given in the previous literature and provide quantitative relative oscillation strengths for important peaks necessary for the quantitative kinetic evaluation of the changes, which will enable the systematic fine‐tuning of new proposals. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44936.
Production of jet fuel precursor monoterpenoids from engineered Escherichia coli
Authors: Mendez‐Perez Daniel , Alonso‐Gutierrez Jorge , Hu Qijun , Molinas Margaux , Baidoo Edward E.K. , Wang George , Chan Leanne J.G. , Adams Paul D. , Petzold Christopher J. , Keasling Jay D. , Lee Taek S.
Published: March 2017

Monoterpenes (C10 isoprenoids) are the main components of essential oils and are possible precursors for many commodity chemicals and high energy density fuels. Monoterpenes are synthesized from geranyl diphosphate (GPP), which is also the precursor for the biosynthesis of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP). FPP biosynthesis diverts the carbon flux from monoterpene production to C15 products and quinone biosynthesis. In this study, we tested a chromosomal mutation of Escherichia coli's native FPP synthase (IspA) to improve GPP availability for the production of monoterpenes using a heterologous mevalonate pathway. Monoterpene production at high levels required not only optimization of GPP production but also a basal level of FPP to maintain growth. The optimized strains produced two jet fuel precursor monoterpenoids 1,8‐cineole and linalool at the titer of 653 mg/L and 505 mg/L, respectively, in batch cultures with 1% glucose. The engineered strains developed in this work provide useful resources for the production of high‐value monoterpenes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1703–1712. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In vitro gene expression‐coupled bacterial cell chip for screening species‐specific antimicrobial enzymes
Authors: Kwon Seok‐Joon , Kim Domyoung , Lee Inseon , Kim Jungbae , Dordick Jonathan S.
Published: March 2017

Targeting infectious bacterial pathogens is important for reducing the evolution of antibiotic‐resistant bacteria and preserving the endogenous human microbiome. Cell lytic enzymes including bacteriophage endolysins, bacterial autolysins, and other bacteriolysins are useful antibiotic alternatives due to their exceptional target selectivity, which may be used to lysins rapidly kill target bacteria and their high specificity permit the normal commensal microflora to be left undisturbed. Genetic information of numerous lysins is currently available, but the identification of their antimicrobial function and specificity has been limited because most lysins are often poorly expressed and exhibit low solubilities. Here, we report the development of bacterial cell chip for rapidly accessing the function of diverse genes that are suggestive of encoding lysins. This approach can be used to evaluate rapidly the species‐specific antimicrobial activity of diverse lysins synthesized from in vitro transcription and translation (TNT) of plasmid DNA. In addition, new potent lysins can be assessed that are not expressed in hosts and display low solubility. As a result of evaluating the species‐specific antimicrobial function of 11 (un)known lysins with an in vitro TNT‐coupled bacterial cell chip, a potent recombinant lysin against Staphylococcus strains, SA1, was identified. The SA1 was highly potent against not only S. aureus, but also both lysostaphin‐resistant S. simulans and S. epidermidis cells. To this end, the SA1 may be applicable to treat both methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and lysostaphin‐resistant MRSA mutants. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 1648–1657. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reaction Kinetics and Coking Behavior for Furan Deoxygenation via Catalytic Pyrolysis Using Methane
Authors: Gunawardena Duminda A. , Fernando Sandun D.
Published: March 2017

The effective deoxygenation of oxygenates remains a major challenge that needs to be overcome for industrial‐scale conversion of biomass to fuels. Present technology uses expensive gaseous hydrogen for deoxygenation. This work looks at the possibility of using methane or natural gas as an alternative for the deoxygenation process. Catalytic pyrolysis studies were carried out using furan as the model oxygenate in the presence of methane in a fixed‐bed reactor over 5 % Ni/HZSM‐5 as catalyst. The effects of temperature and space velocity on the catalyst activity, reaction kinetics, and deactivation behavior were studied. It was found that the deoxygenation of furan was first and second order with respect to furan and methane concentration, respectively. Deactivation studies suggested that catalyst deactivation takes place through poisoning, fouling, and sintering.
Computing on many cores
Authors: Goossens Bernard , Parello David , Porada Katarzyna , Rahmoune Djallal
Published: March 2017

This paper presents an alternative method to parallelize programs, better suited to manycore processors than actual operating system–/API‐based approaches like OpenMP and MPI. The method relies on a parallelizing hardware and an adapted programming style. It frees and captures the instruction‐level parallelism (ILP). A many‐core design is presented in which cores are multithreaded and able to fork new threads. The programming style is based on functions. The hardware creates a concurrent thread at each function call. The programming style and the hardware create the conditions to free the ILP, by eliminating the architectural dependences between a call and its continuation after return. We illustrate the method on a sum reduction, a matrix multiplication and a sort. We measure the ILP of the parallel runs and show that it is high enough to feed thousands of cores because it increases with data size. We compare our method to pthread parallelization, showing that (1) our parallel execution is deterministic, (2) our thread management is cheap, (3) our parallelism is implicit, and (4) our method parallelizes functions and loops. Implicit parallelism makes parallel code easy to write and read. Deterministic parallel execution makes parallel code easy to debug.
Recurrent persistent hypophosphatemia in a male‐to‐female transgender patient with anorexia nervosa: Case report
Authors: Beaty L. , Trees N. , Mehler P.
Published: March 2017

Refeeding hypophosphatemia remains a serious and common complication during the early phases of nutritional rehabilitation and weight restoration for patients with anorexia nervosa. Typically, the risk of refeeding hypophosphatemia diminishes after the first 1–2 weeks of the refeeding process and thus, frequent monitoring serum phosphorus levels becomes less important as refeeding proceeds. Herein, we describe a case of persistent recurrent hypophosphatemia in a male‐to‐female transgender patient with severe anorexia nervosa. As transgender patients become increasingly seen in the realm of eating disorders, it is worth noting this phenomenon to mitigate adverse events.
A pilot evaluation of a social media literacy intervention to reduce risk factors for eating disorders
Authors: McLean Siân A. , Wertheim Eleanor H. , Masters Jennifer , Paxton Susan J.
Published: March 2017

Objective

This pilot study investigated the effectiveness of a social media literacy intervention for adolescent girls on risk factors for eating disorders.

Method

A quasi‐experimental pre‐ to post‐test design comparing intervention and control conditions was used. Participants were 101 adolescent girls (Mage = 13.13, SD = 0.33) who were allocated to receive three social media literacy intervention lessons (n = 64) or to receive classes as usual (n = 37). Self‐report assessments of eating disorder risk factors were completed one week prior to, and one week following the intervention.

Results

Significant group by time interaction effects revealed improvements in the intervention condition relative to the control condition for body image (body esteem–weight; d = .19), disordered eating (dietary restraint; d = .26) and media literacy (realism scepticism; d = .32).

Discussion

The outcomes of this pilot study suggest that social media literacy is a potentially useful approach for prevention of risk for eating disorders in adolescent girls in the current social media environment of heightened vulnerability. Replication of this research with larger, randomized controlled trials, and longer follow‐up is needed.
Membrane peroxidation in vertebrates: Potential role in metabolism and growth
Authors: Else Paul L.
Published: March 2017

Membrane acyl (fatty acid) composition of vertebrates varies dependent upon body size, body temperature, developmental stage, phylogeny (endothermic or ectothermic) and diet. These differences often involve increases or decreases in the amount and level of unsaturation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), changes that can readily alter the propensity of membranes to undergo peroxidation. These changes are examined in vertebrates using the peroxidation index (PI), a value that calculates the relative peroxidisability of membranes based on the bisallylic methylene concentration of PUFA. A brief discussion of the relevance of PI to tissue peroxidation is presented (with consideration of antioxidant mechanisms). It is proposed that contrary to the deleterious effect of high levels of peroxidation, that low levels of peroxidation may have a positive effect on growth and metabolism in vertebrates.

Practical applications: Potential implications of this work include understanding how vertebrates modulate their metabolism and growth; with changes in body size, as a result of the evolution and development of endothermy, and how ectothermic vertebrates can sustain relatively increased rates of metabolism and growth in cold environments.

Membrane fatty acid composition varies amongst vertebrates. This often includes changes in relative amount and unsaturation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Such changes can alter the peroxidisability of membranes (PI) and when combined with membrane density differences could have significant effects on the biology of vertebrates. This idea is investigated in terms of increased basal rates of peroxidation stimulating growth and metabolism.
Mutagenicity and oxidative damage induced by an organic extract of the particulate emissions from a simulation of the deepwater horizon surface oil burns
Authors: DeMarini David M. , Warren Sarah H. , Lavrich Katelyn , Flen Alexis , Aurell Johanna , Mitchell William , Greenwell Dale , Preston William , Schmid Judith E. , Linak William P. , Hays Michael D. , Samet James M. , Gullett Brian K.
Published: March 2017

Emissions from oil fires associated with the “Deepwater Horizon” explosion and oil discharge that began on April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed chemically to only a limited extent at the time but were shown to induce oxidative damage in vitro and in mice. To extend this work, we burned oil floating on sea water and performed extensive chemical analyses of the emissions (Gullett et al., Marine Pollut Bull, in press, ). Here, we examine the ability of a dichloromethane extract of the particulate material with an aerodynamic size ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) from those emissions to induce oxidative damage in human lung cells in vitro and mutagenicity in 6 strains of Salmonella. The extract had a percentage of extractable organic material (EOM) of 7.0% and increased expression of the heme oxygenase (HMOX1) gene in BEAS‐2B cells after exposure for 4 hr at 20 µg of EOM/ml. However, the extract did not alter mitochondrial respiration rate as measured by extracellular flux analysis. The extract was most mutagenic in TA100 +S9, indicative of a role for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), reflective of the high concentrations of PAHs in the emissions (1 g/kg of oil consumed). The extract had a mutagenicity emission factor of 1.8 ± 0.1 × 105 revertants/megajoulethermal in TA98 +S9, which was greater than that of diesel exhaust and within an order of magnitude of open burning of wood and plastic. Thus, organics from PM2.5 of burning oil can induce oxidative responses in human airway epithelial cells and are highly mutagenic. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 58:162–171, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A novel method to calculate the pressure interaction between dust and fluid using SPH
Authors: Kwon Jihoe , Cho Heechan
Published: March 2017

Unstable behavior of smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) dust particles, such as clumping or fingering under certain conditions, has been reported by several researchers who have conducted studies on dusty fluid SPH. The simulation results in this study show that this instability is numerical, and the instability is mainly attributable to the ill‐interpolated pressure gradient in the interaction term between 2 phases. In this paper, we introduce a new method to calculate the pressure force interaction term between dust and fluid particles. The key idea is to first interpolate the pressure gradient at SPH fluid particles and then use the values to calculate the pressure gradient at SPH dust particles, in a consecutive manner. To compare the new method with the existing method, we first conducted an interpolation of pressure gradient at hydrostatic equilibrium under gravity to estimate any error. The results show that the new method is more accurate. We then conducted additional numerical tests, namely, dust‐liquid counterflow, sedimentation in a confined tank, and sedimentation in the presence of turbulence. The unphysical unstable behavior of SPH dust particles such as clumping or fingering was significantly reduced in the new method. The results also show that the instability becomes more significant when using the existing method especially for the case when simulating a flow with relatively high concentration of dust or for the case in which inertia dominates the dynamics of dust particles. Especially, in those cases, the existing method should be avoided, and the newly proposed method is highly recommended.
Acute ethanol exposure‐induced autophagy‐mediated cardiac injury via activation of the ROS‐JNK‐Bcl‐2 pathway
Authors: Zhu Zhongxin , Huang Yewei , Lv Lingchun , Tao Youli , Shao Minglong , Zhao Congcong , Xue Mei , Sun Jia , Niu Chao , Wang Yang , Kim Sunam , Cong Weitao , Mao Wei , Jin Litai
Published: March 2017

Binge drinking is associated with increased cardiac autophagy, and often triggers heart injury. Given the essential role of autophagy in various cardiac diseases, this study was designed to investigate the role of autophagy in ethanol‐induced cardiac injury and the underlying mechanism. Our study showed that ethanol exposure enhanced the levels of LC3‐II and LC3‐II positive puncta and promoted cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. In addition, we found that ethanol induced autophagy and cardiac injury largely via the sequential triggering of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, activation of c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase (JNK), phosphorylation of Bcl‐2, and dissociation of the Beclin 1/Bcl‐2 complex. By contrast, inhibition of ethanol‐induced autophagic flux with pharmacologic agents in the hearts of mice and cultured cells significantly alleviated ethanol‐induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and heart injury. Elimination of ROS with the antioxidant N‐acetyl cysteine (NAC) or inhibition of JNK with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 reduced ethanol‐induced autophagy and subsequent autophagy‐mediated apoptosis. Moreover, metallothionein (MT), which can scavenge reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, also attenuated ethanol‐induced autophagy and cell apoptosis in MT‐TG mice. In conclusion, our findings suggest that acute ethanol exposure induced autophagy‐mediated heart toxicity and injury mainly through the ROS‐JNK‐Bcl‐2 signaling pathway.
Evaluation of left ventricular longitudinal deformation in patients with and without ST segment depression during supraventricular tachycardia
Authors: Shaabani Sonia , Sadeghian Saeed , Hosseinsabet Ali
Published: March 2017

Background

The cumulative effect of repeated demand ischemia on left ventricular (LV) systolic function has been previously demonstrated. We evaluated the longitudinal deformation of LV myocardial fibers at systole and diastole using two‐dimensional speckle‐tracking echocardiography (2DSTE) in patients with and without ST‐segment depression during supraventricular tachycardia.

Methods

We recruited 104 consecutive patients, who were admitted to our hospital for the ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia or atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia. The patients were thereafter evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography and 2DSTE, and longitudinal systolic strain and strain rate as well as early and late diastolic strain rates were measured.

Results

We found no statistically significant differences in longitudinal systolic strain and strain rate as well as in early and late diastolic strain rates between the two study groups.

Conclusions

The longitudinal deformation properties of LV muscle fibers were not different between patients with and without ST‐segment depression during supraventricular tachycardia. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:343–349, 2017;
The cardiovascular functions of salusin‐β mediated by muscarinic receptors, glutamate receptors or L‐type calcium channels within the rostral ventrolateral medulla of rats
Authors: Xie Fu‐Jia , Chai Chen , Zhu Ping , Li Bin , Cai Hong‐Yan , Lu Yan , Cao Nong
Published: March 2017

Salusin‐α and salusin‐β are newly identified bioactive peptides of 28 and 20 amino acids, respectively, that were initially predicted using in silico analyses and are widely distributed in the endocrine system, hematopoietic system, and central nervous system. The goal of our study was to investigate the cardiovascular effect of salusin‐β microinjections into the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in anesthetized rats and study their mechanism of action. Microinjection of the artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF) into the RVLM did not affect the blood pressure (BP) or heart rate (HR) in anesthetized rats. Topical application of salusin‐β into the RVLM produced a dose‐dependently increase of BP in anesthetized rats. Microinjection of higher dose salusin‐β produced significant tachycardia. Prior application of the L‐NAME into the RVLM of rats did not alter the hypertension and tachycardia induced by intra‐RVLM salusin‐β. Notable, the cardiovascular functions elicited by intra‐RVLM salusin‐β were significantly decreased by pretreatment with Nic, KYN and atropine. In conclusion, the present study shows that the hypertension and tachycardia induced by intra‐RVLM salusin‐β might be partly mediated, at least in our opinion, by muscarinic receptors, glutamate receptors or L‐type calcium channels.
TiO2–SiO2 Catalyzed Eco‐friendly Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity of Benzopyrano[2,3‐d]pyrimidine Derivatives
Authors: Kabeer Shaik Ahammed , Reddy Gajjala Raghavendra , Sreelakshmi Poola , Manidhar Darla Mark , Reddy Cirandur Suresh
Published: March 2017

A cost‐effective and eco‐friendly synthesis of benzopyrano[2,3‐d]pyrimidine derivatives has been developed via three component one‐pot tandem approach by condensing different salicylaldehydes and secondary amines with malononitrile in the presence of TiO2–SiO2 catalyst at 80°C under solvent‐free conditions. Mild experimental conditions, reusability of the catalyst, and cost effectiveness are the merits of this procedure. Compounds 4g, 4h, and 4i bearing 2‐OMe group on the hydroxyphenyl group linked to the central carbon present in between the two nitrogen atoms of the pyrimidine ring were found to exhibit good antioxidant activity while other compounds have moderate antioxidant activity.
Strain improvement of industrially important microorganisms based on resistance to toxic metabolites and abiotic stress
Authors: Fiedurek Jan , Trytek Mariusz , Szczodrak Janusz
Published: March 2017

Improvement of the biosynthetic capabilities of industrially relevant microbes to produce desired metabolites in higher quantities is one of the important topics of modern biotechnology. In this article, different strategies of improvement of mutated microbial strains are briefly described. This is followed by the first comprehensive review of the literature on obtaining high yielding microorganisms, that is, mutants exhibiting resistance to antimetabolites, nutritional repression, and abiotic stresses as well as tolerance to solvents and toxic substrates or products. Furthermore, the efficiency of the microbial metabolites produced by improved microbial strains, advantages, and limitations, as well as future prospects for strategies of strain development are discussed.
The effect of prophylactic lymphovenous anastomosis and shunts for preventing cancer‐related lymphedema: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Jørgensen Mads G. , Toyserkani Navid M. , Sørensen Jens A.
Published: March 2017

Background

Lymphedema is one of the most dreaded side effects to any cancer treatment involving lymphadenectomy. Progressed lymphedema is adversely complex and currently there is no widely acknowledged curative treatment. Therefore recent focus has shifted to risk reduction and prevention. It has been hypothesized that bypassing lymphatic vessels to veins prophylactically, could minimize the lymphatic dysfunction seen following lymphadenectomy.

Methods

To investigate this possible future treatment modality, we performed a systematic meta‐analysis of studies treating patients with prophylactic lymphovenous analysisstomosis (LVA) for the prevention of secondary lymphedema following lymphadenectomy. A systematic search yielded 12 articles included in the qualitative analysis and four of these were further eligible to be included in the quantitative analysis.

Results

We found that patients treated with prophylactic LVA had a significant reduction in lymphedema incidence (Relative risk: 0.33, 95%CI: 0.19 to 0.56) when compared to patients receiving no prophylactic treatment (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Prophylactic LVA in relation to lymphadenectomy shows promising results, however because of the low number of eligible studies and method heterogeneity between studies, there is an urgent need for uniformly high quality studies, before the treatment can be concluded effective.
Wide‐angle and polarization‐independent broadband microwave metamaterial absorber
Authors: Thi Quynh Hoa Nguyen , Huu Lam Phan , Duy Tung Phan
Published: March 2017

We present a broadband metamaterial absorber (MA) in the microwave frequency regime by utilizing a periodic array of metallic‐dielectric multilayered conical frustums. The absorption performance of the proposed MA is simulated and analyzed in details by using the finite‐difference time domain method. The absorption efficiencies greater than 90% can be achieved while maintaining with large incidence angles up to 600. Furthermore, the perfect polarization independence is also obtained due to its rotational symmetrical structure. The obtained excellent absorber performance reveals that the proposed MA is promising candidates for camouflage and stealth radome applications. Moreover, we believe that this structure can be extended to design perfect broadband absorbers in the terahertz, infrared, and optical frequencies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1157–1161, 2017
Matched loads using substrate integrated waveguide and shaped absorbing material for KA‐/Q‐band applications
Authors: Huang Yong Mao , Peng Yujia , Jiang Wei , Wang Tengxing , Jin Haiyan , Leng Supeng , Wang Guoan
Published: March 2017

Two planar matched loads using substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) and absorbing material are presented. The magnetic‐loss absorbing material is cut into horn and concave shapes and loaded into SIW sections respectively to form two SIW matched loads. Measured results of the proposed SIW matched loads show comparable agreement with their corresponding simulations. Moreover, the proposed matched loads exhibit fractional bandwidths of 46.1 and 68%, respectively with a return loss over 18.5 dB, as well as system integration capability, low complexity and low cost, which demonstrate their suitability for Ka‐ and Q‐band applications. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1174–1178, 2017
Theorical and numerical analysis of an all‐optical delta‐sigma modulator
Authors: Davoudzadeh Nima , Goddard Lynford L. , Sayeh Mohammad R.
Published: March 2017

Delta‐sigma modulation is a powerful technique for optical signal processing due to its high bandwidth, noise immunity, and low cost. In this article, a theory for all‐optical delta‐sigma modulation is presented along with the calculation and design parameters for optical system implementation. An optical delta‐sigma modulator can be used in a microwave photonic link to encode the radio frequency signal into the duty cycle of the optical pulses. Simulation results are presented that confirm the theory and also the possibility of reaching a few GHz modulation rate in a chip‐level implementation. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 59:1168–1173, 2017
Investigation on the microscopic mechanism of potassium permanganate modification and the properties of ramie fiber/polypropylene composites
Authors: He Liping , Li Wenjun , Chen Dachuan , Lu Gang , Chen Liangpeng , Zhou Dianwu , Yuan Jianmin
Published: March 2017

The microscopic mechanism of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) modification and the properties of ramie fiber/polypropylene (RF/PP) composites were investigated with experiments and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at the molecular and atomic levels. The MD simulations suggested that the microscopic modification mechanism for the improved properties of the KMnO4 modified RF/PP composites were contributed to the decrease of the free volume of cellulose molecular and increase of the weak Van der Waals force at the interface of the modified fiber and PP matrix. The decrease of the free volume of cellulose molecular can reduce the water absorption of natural fiber. Conversely, the increase in the weak Van der Waals force at interface can improve the interface adhesion strength of the composites and further result in the improvement of the compatibility of RF/PP composites. Additionally, the experimental work showed that KMnO4 treatment led to a higher surface roughness of the modified fiber besides the oxidization effect of oxidizing hydroxyl groups within cellulose molecular to be aldehyde and carboxyl groups. This can achieve a better bond strength at interface of fiber and polymer matrix, and finally resulted in the good mechanical properties of the KMnO4 modified RF/PP composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3353–3362, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Forecasting rare disease outbreaks from open source indicators
Authors: Rekatsinas Theodoros , Ghosh Saurav , Mekaru Sumiko R. , Nsoesie Elaine O. , Brownstein John S. , Getoor Lise , Ramakrishnan Naren
Published: March 2017

Background

Rapidly increasing volumes of news feeds from diverse data sources, such as online newspapers, Twitter, and online blogs, are proving to be extremely valuable resources in helping to anticipate, detect, and forecast outbreaks of rare diseases. The goal of this paper is to develop techniques that can effectively forecast the emergence and progression of rare infectious diseases by combining data from disparate data sources.

Methods

We introduce SourceSeer, a novel algorithmic framework that combines spatiotemporal topic models with source‐based anomaly detection techniques. SourceSeer is capable of discovering the location focus of each source, allowing sources to be used as experts with varying degrees of authoritativeness. To fuse the individual source predictions into a final outbreak prediction, we employ a multiplicative weights algorithm taking into account the accuracy of each source.

Results

We evaluate the performance of SourceSeer using incidence data for hantavirus syndromes in multiple countries of Latin America provided by HealthMap over a time span of 15 months. We demonstrate that SourceSeer makes predictions of increased accuracy compared to several baselines and can forecast disease outbreaks in a timely manner even when no outbreaks were previously reported.
Design and Synthesis of a Dimethylindole Red Trimer: A New Light‐Up Red‐Emitting Fluorescent Probe for G‐Quadruplexes
Authors: Jiang Guimei , Chen Xing , Xu Lijun , Cao Yi , Hong Shanni , Liu Min , Cao Weiguo , Pei Renjun
Published: March 2017

We present a zwitterionic fluorescent probe based on dimethylindole red (Dir) derivative (named Dir‐Trimer), which was synthesized by organic amine covalently linking three red‐emitting Dir units. The unique structure of Dir‐Trimer with three zwitterionic units largely decreased its intrinsic fluorescence. Fluorescence experiments exhibit that Dir‐Trimer selectively interacts with G‐quadruplexes with large fluorescence enhancement and sensitivity. Further studies indicate that Dir‐Trimer could visualize G‐quadruplexes on cell level.
The association of trajectories of protein intake and age-specific protein intakes from 2 to 22 years with BMI in early adulthood
Authors: Wright Melecia , Sotres-Alvarez Daniela , Mendez Michelle A. , Adair Linda
Published: March 2017

No study has analysed how protein intake from early childhood to young adulthood relate to adult BMI in a single cohort. To estimate the association of protein intake at 2, 11, 15, 19 and 22 years with age- and sex-standardised BMI at 22 years (early adulthood), we used linear regression models with dietary and anthropometric data from a Filipino birth cohort (1985–2005, n 2586). We used latent growth curve analysis to identify trajectories of protein intake relative to age-specific recommended daily allowance (intake in g/kg body weight) from 2 to 22 years, then related trajectory membership to early adulthood BMI using linear regression models. Lean mass and fat mass were secondary outcomes. Regression models included socioeconomic, dietary and anthropometric confounders from early life and adulthood. Protein intake relative to needs at age 2 years was positively associated with BMI and lean mass at age 22 years, but intakes at ages 11, 15 and 22 years were inversely associated with early adulthood BMI. Individuals were classified into four mutually exclusive trajectories: (i) normal consumers (referent trajectory, 58 % of cohort), (ii) high protein consumers in infancy (20 %), (iii) usually high consumers (18 %) and (iv) always high consumers (5 %). Compared with the normal consumers, ‘usually high’ consumption was inversely associated with BMI, lean mass and fat mass at age 22 years whereas ‘always high’ consumption was inversely associated with male lean mass in males. Proximal protein intakes were more important contributors to early adult BMI relative to early-childhood protein intake; protein intake history was differentially associated with adulthood body size.
‘God Even Blessed Me with Less Money’: Disappointment, Pentecostalism and the Middle Classes in Brazil
Authors: ST. CLAIR GEORGE
Published: March 2017

Through shedding light on traditional Pentecostalism in Brazil this article reveals how middle-class people in São Paulo, Brazil, manage disappointment relating to current socio-economic conditions. Ethnographic research on Brazil's oldest Pentecostal church, which preserves an anachronistic style of practice, shows how people embrace a marginal identity and thereby critique social conditions in the country. In stark contrast to newer forms of Pentecostalism, people featured in this paper respond to an ‘anti-prosperity gospel’, in which failures and setbacks are construed as signs of spiritual purity and development. In a country where a ‘new middle class’ is supposedly finding prosperity, this study shows a religiously-oriented way in which people confront the disappointing gap between the promises of neoliberalism and the realities of jobless growth.
Asset-based approaches, older people and social care: an analysis and critique
Authors: DALY MARY , WESTWOOD SUE
Published: March 2017

Asset-based thinking is increasingly prevalent in health policy and is to be found also in discourses on social care. This article explores and critiques the applicability of asset-based approaches to social care for older people, using Carol Bacchi's analytical framework to consider developments in the United Kingdom especially. The problem construction, assumptions and suggested solutions underpinning an asset-based approach are considered in turn. The paper draws two major conclusions. The first is that, while it has potential application to the field, the key assumptions and objectives of the asset-based approach do not hold well for social care and therefore adopting the approach carries risks. The paper concludes, secondly, that an asset-based approach is ‘over-promised’ in the sense of being insufficiently theorised and lacking empirical evidence. A number of suggestions are made for greater critical interrogation, improved empirical evidence and closer scrutiny of the policy ‘solutions’ associated with assets-related thinking.
Assessing factors influencing a possible South China tiger reintroduction: a survey of international conservation professionals
Authors: QIN YIYUAN , NYHUS PHILIP J.
Published: March 2017

Tigers are among the most at-risk large carnivores and the South China tiger is the most threatened tiger subspecies. Reintroduction programmes are one strategy to re-establishing extirpated populations. China is committed to restoring wild South China tigers, but uncertainty remains about factors constraining these efforts. The aim of this study was to query conservation and reintroduction professionals about their attitudes and concerns and to provide guidance regarding a possible tiger reintroduction effort in South Central China. We carried out a global survey of 287 scholars and practitioners involved with wildlife reintroduction and conservation. We received responses from 68 (23.7%) respondents. More than 70% supported a potential South China tiger reintroduction effort, but many expressed concerns over planning and implementation, adherence to International Union for Conservation of Nature reintroduction guidelines and elimination of underlying threats. Respondents generally believed that China has the capacity to carry out such a programme, but may not have the experience or socio-political environment to address the issues facing human populations; 62% of respondents suggested a plausible release site should be greater than 2000 km2. To our knowledge, this is the first survey related to a potential large carnivore reintroduction programme in Asia; it has implications for future reintroduction and recovery programmes in Asia and globally.
On Regularity Lemmas and their Algorithmic Applications
Authors: FOX JACOB , LOVÁSZ LÁSZLÓ MIKLÓS , ZHAO YUFEI
Published: March 2017

Szemerédi's regularity lemma and its variants are some of the most powerful tools in combinatorics. In this paper, we establish several results around the regularity lemma. First, we prove that whether or not we include the condition that the desired vertex partition in the regularity lemma is equitable has a minimal effect on the number of parts of the partition. Second, we use an algorithmic version of the (weak) Frieze–Kannan regularity lemma to give a substantially faster deterministic approximation algorithm for counting subgraphs in a graph. Previously, only an exponential dependence for the running time on the error parameter was known, and we improve it to a polynomial dependence. Third, we revisit the problem of finding an algorithmic regularity lemma, giving approximation algorithms for several co-NP-complete problems. We show how to use the weak Frieze–Kannan regularity lemma to approximate the regularity of a pair of vertex subsets. We also show how to quickly find, for each ε′>ε, an ε′-regular partition withkparts if there exists an ε-regular partition withkparts. Finally, we give a simple proof of the permutation regularity lemma which improves the tower-type bound on the number of parts in the previous proofs to a single exponential bound.
Uniform s-Cross-Intersecting Families
Authors: FRANKL PETER , KUPAVSKII ANDREY
Published: March 2017

In this paper we study a question related to the classical Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem, which states that any family of k-element subsets of the set [n] = {1,. . .,n} in which any two sets intersect has cardinality at most $\binom{n-1}{k-1}$.

We say that two non-empty families ${\mathcal A}, {\mathcal B}\subset \binom{[n]}{k}$ are s-cross-intersecting if, for any A ∈ ${\mathcal A}$, B ∈ ${\mathcal B}$, we have |A ∩ B| ≥ s. In this paper we determine the maximum of |${\mathcal A}$|+|${\mathcal B}$| for all n. This generalizes a result of Hilton and Milner, who determined the maximum of |${\mathcal A}$|+|${\mathcal B}$| for non-empty 1-cross-intersecting families.
Evaluation of a Trauma-Focused CBT Training Programme for IAPT services
Authors: Murray Hannah
Published: March 2017

Background: Therapists in Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services are often expected to treat complex presentations of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), such as individuals with multiple, prolonged or early life trauma histories and significant co-morbidity, for which they have received minimal training. Although high recovery rates for PTSD have been demonstrated in randomized controlled trials, these are not always replicated in routine practice, suggesting that training interventions are required to fill the research–practice gap. Aims: This study investigated the outcomes of a therapist training programme on treating PTSD with trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT). Method: Twenty therapists from ten IAPT services participated in the training, which consisted of workshops, webinars and consultation sessions over a 6-month period. Results: Feedback indicated that participants found the training highly acceptable. PTSD knowledge and self- and supervisor-rated competence on TF-CBT measures improved following the training and improvements were maintained a year later. Client outcomes on a PTSD measure improved following the training. Participants reported attempts to disseminate learning from the course back to their teams. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the training programme was successful in improving TF-CBT knowledge, skills and outcomes for IAPT therapists. Tentative support for training ‘trauma experts’ within IAPT services was found, although institutional constraints and staff turnover may limit the sustainability of the model.
Amicus Curiae Briefs in the WTO DSM: Good or Bad News for Non-State Actor Involvement?
Authors: SQUATRITO THERESA
Published: March 2017

Since 1998, non-state actors have had access to submit an ‘amicus curiae’ brief to the WTO DSM. Like other forms of non-state actor involvement in the WTO, amicus curiae access has been controversial. Despite this controversy, non-state actors have made use of this access and submitted amicus curiae briefs. This article asks: What has come of these briefs once they are submitted and what explains how amicus are treated by the DSM? This article empirically maps amici in all disputes from 1998 (after amicus access was first recognized) through 2014, arguing that amicus access is conditioned by a combination of political and legal constraints faced by the WTO panels and AB. In particular, whether the content of an amicus is considered hinges on it having the endorsement of a disputing party and whether its consideration interferes with the WTO DSM's reputation for coherence. In all, these findings have implications for the debate over whether amicus curiae access is good or bad news for the WTO and non-state actor involvement.
Comparative analysis of the spatio-temporal dynamics of rotifer community structure based on taxonomic indices and functional groups in two subtropical lakes
Authors: Wen Xinli , Zhai Pan , Feng Ruonan , Yang Ruijie , Xi Yilong
Published: March 2017

Little research has focused on how rotifer communities respond to eutrophication based on their combined taxonomic and functional indices. In this research, the relationship of the environment and rotifer communities was comparatively investigated in two subtropical lakes over one year. The taxon-based indices, including species number (S), Margalef index (D), Simpson index (d), Shannon-wiener index (H′), and functional traits relying on the guild ratio (GR) and the modified guild ratio (GR′) from the moderately eutrophic Lake Xiyanghu were significantly lower than those from the slightly eutrophic Lake Jinghu. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that both lakes were distinct from each other. Taken together, the findings indicate that trophic state was an important factor affecting rotifer community structure. In addition, the average annual GR′ of Lake Xiyanghu was <0, suggesting the dominancy of microphagous rotifers. Over time,S,D,d, andH′ were positively correlated with temperature and phosphorus levels in Lake Jinghu, but were negatively correlated with NH4+-N levels in Lake Xiyanghu. Only GR′ was negatively associated with chlorophyll-ain Lake Xiyanghu, implying that the functional index (GR′) might be an effective tool to explore the relationship between trophic state and the rotifer community in seriously eutrophic lakes.
Chloro-benquinone Modified on Graphene Oxide as Metal-free Catalyst: Strong Promotion of Hydroxyl Radical and Generation of Ultra-Small Graphene Oxide
Authors: Zhao He , Wang Juehua , Zhang Di , Dai Qin , Han Qingzhen , Du Penghui , Liu Chenming , Xie Yongbing , Zhang Yi , Cao Hongbin , Fan Zhuangjun
Published: March 2017

Carbon-based metal-free catalyst has attracted more and more attention. It is a big challenge to improve catalytic activity of metal-free catalyst for decomposition of H2O2 to produce hydroxyl radical (HO•). Here, we report chloro-benquinone (TCBQ) modified on graphene oxide (GO) as metal-free catalyst for strong promotion of HO•. By the incorporation of GO, the HO• production by H2O2 and TCBQ is significantly promoted. Based on density functional theory, TCBQ modified GO (GO-TCBQ) is more prone to be nucleophilic attacked by H2O2 to yield HO• via electron transfer acceleration. Furthermore, the generated HO• can cut GO nanosheets into uniform ultra-small graphene oxide (USGO) through the cleavage of epoxy and C-C bonds. Interestingly, the damaged GO and in situ formed GO fragments can further enhance decomposition of H2O2 to produce HO•. Different from other catalytic processes, the GO-TCBQ metal-free catalysis process can be enhanced by GO itself, producing more HO•, and uniform USGO also can be generated. Thus, the metal free catalysis will be considered a fabrication method for uniform USGO, and may be extended to other fields including detoxifying organic pollutants and the application as disinfectants.