bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determining the quantity and quality of biomass obtained from the thinning of Turkish red pine stands
Authors: Eker Mehmet , Spinelli Raffaele , Gürlevik Nevzat
Published: November 2017

Red pine (Pinus brutia Ten.) is the most common tree species in Turkey, where it covers almost 6 million hectares. The first thinning of red pine stands is a fundamental tending measure that may yield between 4 and 12 dry tons of biomass per hectare. While this is not a very large amount per se, it is larger than obtained from the recovery of logging residues from final felling operations, which have represented the main subject of previous studies. What is more, valorization of the non‐commercial biomass component can boost work productivity and increase owner revenues, with strong benefits on the financial sustainability of an operation that normally incurs substantial cost and tends to be neglected. Therefore, increased use of biomass can support proper tending of young stands and a general improvement of their quality and future value. The study also indicates that small‐tree size favors whole‐tree harvesting, even when performed with animal or manual power, as customary in Turkey and in most developing economies. Whole‐tree chipping is probably the best option in stands growing on poor yield sites, whereas multi‐product harvesting is advisable on good yield sites. This study addresses specifically Turkish red pine, but it frames a general paradigm that applies to most forest stands and countries, and as such it can be generalized to a great extent. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Reproductive and neurobehavioral effects of maternal exposure to ethiprole in F1‐generation mice
Authors: Tanaka Toyohito , Suzuki Toshinari , Inomata Akiko
Published: November 2017

Background

Few published studies are reported for neurobehavioral toxicity of the phenylpyrazole insecticide ethiprole in mammals. This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive and neurobehavioral effects of maternal exposure to ethiprole in mice.

Methods

Ethiprole was given in the diet to provide levels of 0 (control), 0.0002, 0.001, and 0.005% during the gestation and lactation periods. Selected reproductive and neurobehavioral parameters were measured in the F1 generation.

Results

No adverse effect of ethiprole was observed in litter size, litter weight, or sex ratio at birth. The average body weight of male and female offspring was increased significantly in treatment groups at postnatal day (PND) 21. With respect to behavioral developmental parameters, the time of olfactory orientation on PND 14 of male offspring was accelerated significantly in the high‐dose group. For movement activity of exploratory behavior of female offspring in the F1 generation, number of horizontal activities increased significantly in the high‐dose group and the average speed declined significantly in all treatment groups. After weaning, the rearing time and the average time of rearing lengthened in a significant dose‐related trend in adult males and females of the F1 generation. Spontaneous behavior examination indicated that total distance and rearing time increased in the high‐dose group, and number of horizontal activities and movement time decreased in a significant dose‐related trend through 120 min in the F1‐generation females.

Conclusions

The high‐dose level of ethiprole in the present study produced several adverse effects in neurobehavioral parameters after weaning without administration in mice.
Lipid Hydrolysis Catalyzed by Graphene Oxide
Authors: Trinh Hong‐Nhung , Tran Lan‐Huong , Lee ChangWoo , Jang Sei‐Heon
Published: November 2017

Graphene oxide (GO) is a two‐dimensional carbon nanomaterial. It has oxygen‐containing functional groups, including alcohols, epoxides, and carboxylic acids. Herein, we show that GO catalyzes the hydrolysis of typical lipid molecules—phospholipids, triacylglycerols, sphingomyelins, and cholesterol esters—at temperatures above 50 °C. Ester bonds at both 1‐ and 2‐positions of phosphatidylcholine were hydrolyzed by GO, indicating that the hydrolysis reaction is non‐regiospecific in nature. GO‐mediated lipid hydrolysis was facilitated by ethanol with maximal activity at 60% ethanol, whereas lipid hydrolysis by porcine pancreatic lipase showed maximal activity at 30% ethanol. The catalytic efficiency of recovered GO for phosphatidylcholine hydrolysis was approximately 80% up to four cycles.
Real life experience with bioresorbable‐polymer everolimus‐eluting stents. Is this an answer in search of a question?
Authors: Rahban Youssef , Kimmelstiel Carey
Published: November 2017

Key Points

Stent thrombosis and clinically driven restenosis are rare in the era of newer generation DES.

The Synergy bioresorbable polymer DES appears to be comparable to other durable polymer and other bioabsorbable polymer DES in terms of safety and efficacy at 1‐year post implantation.

Further long‐term study is needed to determine the specific role of the Synergy stent and other DES with bioabsorbable polymers.
Infrapopliteal peripheral arterial disease and critical limb ischemia: The time has come for collaborative, streamlined diagnostic, and treatment paradigms
Authors: Levy Michael S.
Published: November 2017

Key Points

The diagnosis, surveillance, and management of infrapopliteal critical limb ischemia remain inconsistent among clinicians.

This study demonstrates that using an absolute ankle pressure of >73 mm Hg or an absolute toe pressure increase of 1 mm Hg or greater post endovascular intervention in patients with infrapopliteal critical limb ischemia may be predictive of a reduction in target limb revascularization, amputation, and death.

This study highlights the need for vascular societies to come together to promote standardized screening, surveillance, and treatment paradigms for this complex population.
Are new devices required to reduce contrast load in the cath lab, or is behavioral change sufficient?
Authors: Rogers Toby , Satler Lowell F.
Published: November 2017

Key Points

A novel device that diverts a proportion of contrast injected by hand through the manifold can potentially reduce volume of contrast delivered to the patient by almost 50% to reduce risk of contrast‐induced nephropathy.

Another simple solution to reducing contrast volume is to limit the number of angiographic views and cine runs acquired.

A conscious effort by the angiographer to limit the contrast volume to less than the eGFR should be considered.
Bulk Production of Non‐Precious Metal Catalysts with High Surface Area and Excellent Activity in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Hou Bei‐Hua , Wang Qiang , Lu Wen‐Chao , Xiao Yao , Zhang Hai‐Xia , Liao Min‐Ji , Zhu Zi‐Chun , Chen Ping
Published: November 2017

Developing oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts, which have non‐precious metal or metal‐free features, high performance, and stability to enhance the whole price/performance ratio, has become a great challenge in the practical application of fuel cells and zinc−air batteries. Here, we report the bulk preparation of the N, Fe co‐doped carbon with high surface area (NFe−C‐HSA). The typical catalyst has a three‐dimension network structure. The N, Fe co‐doped nanoporous carbon material has a very high surface area, with a Brunauer−Emmett−Teller surface area of 1776.68 m2 g−1, and a total pore volume of 1.58 cm3 g−1. NFe−C‐HSA exhibits superior ORR activity to state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C (20 %) catalyst and excellent stability in alkaline media as well as high ORR activity in acidic media. In the practical application of Zn−air batteries, NFe−C‐HAS also has superior performance to Pt/C (20 %). Owing to the high surface area and co‐doping of nitrogen and iron elements, the prepared nanoporous carbon material may have other applications in many fields such as supercapacitors, sewage treatment, sensors, gas uptake, and so on.
A Valence‐Delocalised Osmium Dimer capable of Dinitrogen Photocleavage: Ab Initio Insights into Its Electronic Structure
Authors: Krewald Vera , González Leticia
Published: November 2017

The search for molecular catalysts that efficiently activate or cleave the dinitrogen molecule is an active field of research. While many thermal dinitrogen cleavage catalysts are known, the photochemical activation of N2 has received considerably less attention. In this paper, the first computational study of the osmium dimer [Os(II,III)2(μ‐N2)(NH3)10]5+, which was shown to be capable of dinitrogen photocleavage, is presented. Despite its deceptively simple geometry, it has a complex electronic structure with a valence‐delocalized and electronically degenerate ground state. Using multiconfigurational methods, the electronic structure at the ground state geometry and along the dinitrogen cleavage coordinate was investigated. The results indicate that an unoccupied molecular orbital with σ‐bonding character between osmium and μ‐N atoms and σ‐antibonding dinitrogen character is most affected by N–N distance elongation. This implies that a lower barrier for thermal or photochemical N2 activation in linear M‐N‐N‐M complexes can be achieved by lowering the energetic separation between this unoccupied orbital and the HOMO, representing a specific target for future catalyst design.
Biomass‐Derived N‐doped Carbon Materials with Silica‐Supported Ultrasmall ZnO Nanoparticles: Robust Catalysts for the Green Synthesis of Benzimidazoles
Authors: Chen Bo , Zhang Chan , Niu Libo , Shi Xiaozhen , Zhang Huiling , Lan Xingwang , Bai Guoyi
Published: November 2017

Ultrasmall ZnO nanoparticles anchored on N‐doped carbon materials with a silica support (ZnO/SiO2‐NC) were fabricated from chitosan and metal ions by using a one‐pot self‐assembly strategy and were successfully applied to the synthesis of 2‐arylbenzimidazoles under mild conditions. These catalysts showed excellent stability and could be used six times without any loss of conversion and selectivity. The use of silica gel and the biomass chitosan as a source of hydrophilic N‐doped carbon materials facilitated the uniform dispersion of the ZnO nanoparticles in methanol and therefore the contact of these nanoparticles with reactants, thus contributing to a high catalytic performance. TEM analysis showed that the ZnO nanoparticles were around 2.55 nm in diameter and uniformly distributed on the support surface. The binding behavior of ZnO and N‐doped carbon materials affected the catalytic activity. Interestingly, temperature‐programmed NH3 desorption indicated that the interactions between ZnO and N‐doped carbon materials might induce the presence of more acidic sites in these catalysts, thus resulting in enhanced activity and hence promoting this transformation.
Transition‐Metal‐Catalyzed Selective Cage B−H Functionalization of o‐Carboranes
Authors: Quan Yangjian , Qiu Zaozao , Xie Zuowei
Published: November 2017

Carboranes are a class of carbon–boron molecular clusters with unusual thermal and chemical stabilities. They have been proved as very useful building blocks in supramolecular design, optoelectronics, nanomaterials, boron neutron capture therapy agents and organometallic/coordination chemistry. Thus, the functionalization of o‐carboranes has received growing interests. Over the past decades, most of the works in this area have been focused on cage carbon functionalization as the weakly acidic cage C−H proton can be readily deprotonated by strong bases. In sharp contrast, selective cage B−H activation/functionalization among chemically very similar ten B−H vertices is very challenging. Considering the differences in electron density of ten cage B−H bonds in o‐carborane and the nature of transition metal complexes, we have tackled this selectivity issue by means of organometallic chemistry. Our strategy is as follows: using electron‐rich transition metal catalysts for the functionalization of the most electron‐deficient B(3,6)−H vertices (bonded to both cage CH vertices); using electron‐deficient transition‐metal catalysts for the functionalization of relatively electron‐rich B(8,9,10,12)−H vertices (with no bonding to both cage CH vertices); and using the combination of directing groups and electrophilic transition metal catalysts for the functionalization of B(4,5,7,11)−H vertices (bonded to only one cage CH vertex). Successful applications of such a strategy result in the preparation of a large variety of cage B‐functionalized carboranes in a regioselective and catalytic manner, which are inaccessible by other means. It is believed that as this field progresses, other cage B‐functionalized carboranes are expected to be synthesized, and the results detailed in this concept article will further these efforts.
Transition metals cobaltites spinel for depollution of NOx emissions using SCR technology
Authors: Yadav Deepak , Kavaiya Ashish R. , Mohan Devendra , Prasad Ram
Published: November 2017

The catalytic performances of various transition metal (M = Cu, Mn, and Ni) cobaltites prepared by the nanocasting method were investigated for the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO under lean burn conditions. KIT‐6 was used as a hard template in the nanocasting method for preparation of catalysts. The catalyst samples were characterized by various techniques such as XRD, low‐temperature N2 physisorption, SEM‐EDS, and XPS. The catalysts were examined for the SCR of NO by NH3 and H2‐LPG in a packed bed tubular flow reactor under the following reaction conditions: 500 ppm NO, 8 % O2, (0.1 % NH3) or (1000 ppm LPG, 1 % H2) in Ar with 200 mg catalyst. The inlet and outlet gases of the reactor were analyzed by an Eco Physics CLD 62 chemiluminescence NO/NOx analyzer and online GC. NO and NO2 measurements were done by an Eco Physics CLD 62 chemiluminescence NO/NOx analyzer. Two separate GCs equipped with Porapak Q/capillary columns and FID/ECD detectors were used to analyze the hydrocarbons/−N2O respectively. The addition of 1 % H2 with LPG promoted NO reduction at a remarkably low temperature. It was found that the nature of the dispersed metal strongly affects the light‐off temperature (52 °C) and enhances NO conversion. The oxygen‐deficient MnCo2O4 spinel structure enhanced NO reduction (87.1 %) at a lower temperature of 250 °C as compared to Cu and Ni cobaltites using H2‐LPG‐SCR. The H2‐LPG reductant showed the best de‐NOx activity and the order of catalyst activity followed the sequence: MnCo2O4 > CuCo2O4 > NiCo2O4.
Hospital quality, patient risk, and Medicare expenditures for cancer surgery
Authors: Shubeck Sarah P. , Thumma Jyothi R. , Dimick Justin B. , Nathan Hari
Published: November 2017

BACKGROUND

Surgical resection is a cornerstone of curative‐intent therapy for patients with solid organ malignancies. With increasing attention paid to the costs of surgical care, there is a new focus on variations in the costs of cancer surgery. This study evaluated the potential interactive effect of hospital quality and patient risk on expenditures for cancer resections.

METHODS

With 100% Medicare claim data for 2010‐2013, patients aged 65 to 99 years who had undergone cancer resection were identified. Medicare payments were calculated for the surgical episode from the index admission through 30 days after discharge. Risk‐ and reliability‐adjusted hospital rates of serious complications and mortality within 30 days of the index operation were assessed to categorize high‐ and low‐quality hospitals.

RESULTS

There was no difference in patient characteristics between the highest and lowest quality hospitals. There were substantial increases in expenditures for procedures performed at the lowest quality hospitals for each procedure. Increased expenditures at the lowest quality hospitals were found for all patients, but they were highest for the highest risk patients. At low‐quality hospitals, low‐risk patients undergoing pancreatectomy had payments of $29,080, whereas high‐risk patients had average payments of $62,687; this was a difference of $33,607 per patient episode.

CONCLUSIONS

Total episode expenditures for cancer resections were lower when care was delivered at low‐complication, high‐quality hospitals. Expenditure differences were particularly large for high‐risk patients, and this suggests that the selective referral of high‐risk patients to high‐quality centers may be an effective strategy for optimizing value in cancer surgery. Cancer 2018;124:826‐32. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Convergent, incremental, and criterion‐related validity of multi‐informant assessments of adolescents' fears of negative and positive evaluation
Authors: Karp Jeremy N. , Makol Bridget A. , Keeley Lauren M. , Qasmieh Noor , Deros Danielle E. , Weeks Justin W. , Racz Sarah J. , Lipton Melanie F. , Augenstein Tara M. , De Los Reyes Andres
Published: November 2017

Adolescents who experience social anxiety tend to hold fears about negative evaluations (e.g., taunting) and may also hold fears about positive evaluations (e.g., praise from a teacher). The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation (BFNE) scale and Fear of Positive Evaluation Scale (FPES) are 2 widely used measures of adults' evaluative concerns. Yet we know little about their psychometric properties when assessing adolescents. In a mixed clinical/community sample of 96 adolescents (66.7% female; M = 14.50 years, SD = 0.50; 63.3% African American), we examined both self‐report and parent report versions of the BFNE and FPES. Adolescents and parents also provided reports about adolescents on survey measures of social anxiety and depressive symptoms. Adolescents participated in multiple social interactions in which they self‐reported their state arousal before and during the tasks. Adolescent and parent BFNE and FPES reports distinguished adolescents who displayed elevated social anxiety from those who did not. Both informants' reports related to survey measures of adolescent social anxiety, when accounting for domains that commonly co‐occur with social anxiety (i.e., depressive symptoms). Further, both the BFNE and FPES displayed incremental validity in relation to survey measures of adolescent social anxiety, relative to each other. However, only adolescents' BFNE and FPES reports predicted adolescents' self‐reported arousal within social interactions, and only adolescents' FPES displayed incremental validity in predicting self‐reported arousal, relative to their BFNE. Adolescent and parent BFNE and FPES reports display convergent validity and in some cases incremental and criterion‐related validity. These findings have important implications for evidence‐based assessments of adolescents' evaluative concerns.
Comparative study of anxiety and depression following maxillofacial and orthopedic injuries. Study from a Nigerian University Teaching Hospital
Authors: Braimah Ramat Oyebunmi , Ukpong Dominic Ignatius , Ndukwe Kizito Chioma , Akinyoola Akinyele Lawrence
Published: November 2017

This study hopes to compare levels of anxiety and depression in the maxillofacial and orthopedic injured patients over a period of 12 weeks. This was a prospective, repeated measure design. A total of 160 participants (80 with maxillofacial and 80 with long bone fractures) had repeated review follow‐ups within 1 week of arrival in the hospital (Time 1), 4–8 weeks after initial contact (Time 2) and 10–12 weeks thereafter (Time 3), using hospital anxiety and depression scale questionnaire. Road traffic accident remained the main cause of injury in both groups of subjects. The Hospital anxiety and Depression scale detected 42 (52.5%) cases of depression at baseline, 36 (47.4%) cases at Time 2, and 14 (18.4%) cases at Time 3 in the maxillofacial injured group. In the long bone fracture subjects, 47 (58.8%) cases were depressed at baseline, 23(33.3%) cases at Time 2, and only 5 (7.2%) cases at Time 3. Both groups showed reduction in depression levels with time. Fifty‐six (70.0%) had anxiety at baseline, 32 (42.1%) at Time 2, and only 9 (11.8%) had anxiety at Time 3 in the maxillofacial fracture group, whereas in the long bone fracture group, 69 (86.3%) subjects were anxious at baseline, 32 (46.4%) at Time 2, and 22 (31.9%) at Time 3. There were significant differences in depression and anxiety level in both the maxillofacial and the long bone fracture subjects at baseline (Time 1), Time 2(4–8 weeks) and Time 3(10–12 weeks).
The virulence–transmission relationship in an obligate killer holds under diverse epidemiological and ecological conditions, but where is the tradeoff?
Authors: Ben‐Ami Frida
Published: November 2017

Parasite virulence is a leading theme in evolutionary biology. Modeling the course of virulence evolution holds the promise of providing practical insights into the management of infectious diseases and the implementation of vaccination strategies. A key element of virulence modeling is a tradeoff between parasite transmission rate and host lifespan. This assumption is crucial for predicting the level of optimal virulence. Here, I test this assumption using the water fleaDaphnia magnaand its castrating and obligate‐killing bacteriumPasteuria ramosa. I found that the virulence–transmission relationship holds under diverse epidemiological and ecological conditions. In particular, parasite genotype, absolute and relative parasite dose, and within‐host competition in multiple infections did not significantly affect the observed trend. Interestingly, the relationship between virulence and parasite transmission in this system is best explained by a model that includes a cubic term. Under this relationship, parasite transmission initially peaks and saturates at an intermediate level of virulence, but then it further increases as virulence decreases, surpassing the previous peak. My findings also highlight the problem of using parasite‐induced host mortality as a “one‐size‐fits‐all” measure of virulence for horizontally transmitted parasites, without considering the onset and duration of parasite transmission as well as other equally virulent effects of parasites (e.g., host castration). Therefore, mathematical models may be required to predict whether these particular characteristics of horizontally transmitted parasites can direct virulence evolution into directions not envisaged by existing models.
Soil‐mediated effects of global change on plant communities depend on plant growth form
Authors: Hines Jes , Pabst Susann , Mueller Kevin E. , Blumenthal Dana M. , Cesarz Simone , Eisenhauer Nico
Published: November 2017

Understanding why species respond to climate change is critical for forecasting invasions, diversity, and productivity of communities. Although researchers often predict species’ distributions and productivity based on direct physiological responses to environments, theory suggests that striking shifts in community composition could arise if global change alters indirect feedbacks mediated by resources, mutualists, or antagonists. To test whether global change influences plant communities via soil‐mediated feedbacks, we grew model communities in soils collected from a seven‐year field manipulation of CO2, warming, and invasion. We evaluated mechanisms underlying variation in the model communities by comparing species’ growth in equivalent soil histories with, and without, experimentally reduced soil biota (via sterilization) and nutrient limitation (via fertilization). We show that grasses performed consistently across all soil history scenarios and that soil biota limited grasses more than nutrients. In contrast, forbs were differentially sensitive to soil history scenarios, with the magnitude and direction of responses to soil biota and nutrients dependent upon plant species and global change scenario. The asymmetry in importance of soil history for grasses and forbs is likely explained by differences in life history strategy. We conclude that accounting for species’ growth strategies will improve predictions of species sensitivity to altered soil feedbacks in future climates.
Haemodynamic effects of an acute vasodilator challenge in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and different forms of post‐capillary pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Ghio Stefano , Crimi Gabriele , Temporelli Pier Luigi , Traversi Egidio , La Rovere Maria Teresa , Cannito Antonia , Vizza Dario , Scelsi Laura , Raineri Claudia , Guazzi Marco , Oltrona Visconti Luigi
Published: November 2017

Aims

The most recent European guidelines have proposed new definitions of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in left heart disease, to better approach the characteristics required to reflect the presence of pulmonary vascular disease. The purpose of this study was to assess whether different haemodynamic definitions of post‐capillary PH imply a different reversibility of PH in response to acute vasodilator administration in heart failure patients with reduced ejection fraction and PH (HFrEF‐PH).

Methods and results

Right heart catheterization and reversibility testing was performed in 156 HFrEF‐PH patients. Patients were classified as combined post‐capillary and pre‐capillary pulmonary hypertension (Cpc‐PH) vs. isolated post‐capillary pulmonary hypertension (Ipc‐PH) and on the basis of diastolic pulmonary gradient (DPG) ≥ 7 vs. < 7 mmHg or of transpulmonary gradient (TPG) >12 vs. ≤12 mmHg. After vasodilator administration, Cpc‐PH patients showed a greater per cent improvement in pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), DPG and TPG as compared with Ipc‐PH patients (all Pint < 0.001); only pulmonary compliance (PCa) improved less in Cpc‐PH than in Ipc‐PH patients (Pint = 0.007). However, despite vasodilatation, Cpc‐PH patients remained in an unfavourable portion of the inverse hyperbolic relationship between PVR and PCa. The number of patients in whom PVR was reduced below 2.5 wood units was similar in Cpc‐PH, DPG ≥7 mmHg and TPG >12 mmHg groups (28.3, 26.7 and 18.9%, respectively).

Conclusion

Although substantial improvements in PVR, DPG and TPG were observed in Cpc‐PH patients after acute vasodilator administration, this response was associated with persistent abnormalities in the PVR vs. PCa relationship. The link between baseline right heart haemodynamics and pulmonary vascular disease remains elusive.
Function and mechanism of the pyrin inflammasome
Authors: Heilig Rosalie , Broz Petr
Published: November 2017

Pyrin, encoded by the MEFV gene, is an intracellular pattern recognition receptor that assembles inflammasome complexes in response to pathogen infections. Mutations in the MEFV gene have been linked to autoinflammatory diseases such as familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) or pyrin‐associated autoinflammation with neutrophilic dermatosis (PAAND). Recent insights have now revealed how pyrin is activated during infection, providing a molecular basis for the understanding of such disease‐causing mutations in pyrin. Interestingly, pyrin does not directly recognize molecular patterns (pathogen‐ or host‐derived danger molecules), but rather responds to disturbances in cytoplasmic homeostasis caused by the infection. In the case of pyrin, these perturbations, recently defined as ‘homeostasis‐altering molecular processes’ (HAMPs), are processes leading to the inactivation of the RhoA GTPase. This review attempts to combine early observation and findings with the most recent discoveries on how pyrin detects inactivation of RhoA to shed light on the function and mechanism of pyrin activation.
Electroanalysis in 2D‐TiO2 Nanosheet Hosts: Electrolyte and Selectivity Effects in Ferroceneboronic Acid – Saccharide Binding
Authors: Tri Wahyuni Wulan , Riza Putra Budi , Harito Christian , Bavykin Dmitry V. , Walsh Frank C. , James Tony D. , Kociok‐Köhn Gabriele , Marken Frank
Published: November 2017

A 2D‐TiO2 nanosheet material (as a film deposit of approximately 1 μm thickness on glassy carbon) is employed to host ferroceneboronic acid receptor molecules. It is suggested that the negative surface charge on 2D‐TiO2 nanosheets allows weak binding of ferroceneboronic acid, which can then be employed to detect fluoride, glucose, or fructose. The nature of the aqueous electrolyte is shown to strongly affect the ferroceneboronic acid – host interaction. In the presence of di‐sodium sulfate stable reversible voltammetric responses are observed. In the presence of fluoride loss of the ferroceneboronic acid occurs probably due to weakening of the boron‐titanate interaction. For glucose and for fructose “bound” and “unbound” states of the ferroceneboronic acid are observed as long as fast square wave voltammetry is employed to capture the “bound” state before decomplexation can occur. It is shown that this kinetic selectivity is highly biassed towards fructose and essentially insensitive to glucose.
Water production through CO2 capture in coal‐fired power plants
Authors: Feron Paul , Thiruvenkatachari Ramesh , Cousins Ashleigh
Published: November 2017

A novel integrated liquid absorbent‐based CO2 capture and desalination process is proposed. It is based on the use of a forward osmosis operation replacing the trim cooler in the capture process. This cooler controls the absorption liquid inlet temperature to the absorber. In the forward osmosis operation water is transferred from a saline solution to the absorption liquid. It can be recovered in two ways: via the overhead condenser of the desorber or via an intercooling operation by flashing the absorption liquid under vacuum, followed by condensation of the water vapor produced. In both cases the energy requirement for the water production process is considered negligible as it is part of the energy requirement of the capture process. The amount of produced water and its quality is such that it can be used as makeup for flue gas desulphurization and/or cooling tower makeup. Thus, it can provide a resolution for the increase in specific cooling water requirement as a result of a CO2 capture retrofit to an existing coal‐fired power station. Monoethanolamine and sodium glycinate solutions were evaluated as absorption liquids in this study. Amino acid salt solutions are preferred because of the high osmotic pressure and low vapor pressure, providing the best option for high water quality.
The characterization of iron (III) in seawater and related toxicity to early life stages of scleractinian corals
Authors: Leigh-Smith Justin , Reichelt-Brushett Amanda , Rose Andrew L.
Published: November 2017

Currently toxicity data for iron (Fe) in seawater are limited; furthermore, these data are of poor quality as a result of the importance of Fe solubility in test solutions being overlooked. The present study characterized the solubility and lability of Fe(III) in seawater and then examined the effects of Fe(III) on the fertilization success and larval survival of the tropical marine scleractinian corals Acropora spathulata and Platygyra daedalea. We present the first assessment of the effects of Fe on the early life stages of scleractinian corals. Concentrations of both soluble and labile forms of Fe were very low, with dissolved Fe concentrations ≤0.195 mg/L in bioassay test solutions and chemical determinations revealing labile Fe concentrations ≤1.21 mg/L. For fertilization experiments, the median effect concentration (EC50) value for total Fe was 25 mg/L for the most sensitive species, P. daedalea, whereas the EC50 values for A. spathulata ranged between 40 and 66 mg/L. The median lethal concentration value for P. daedalea larval survival was 47 mg/L Fe after 72-h exposure. We provide Fe toxicity data for tropical marine keystone species that could be used to help generate more reliable guideline values for Fe in marine waters. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1104–1114. © 2017 SETAC
Numerical bifurcation analysis for 3‐dimensional sudden expansion fluid dynamic problem
Authors: Guevel Y. , Allain T. , Girault G. , Cadou J.M.
Published: November 2017

This paper deals with bifurcation analysis methods based on the asymptotic‐numerical method. It is used to investigate 3‐dimensional (3D) instabilities in a sudden expansion. To do so, high‐performance computing is implemented in ELMER, ie, an open‐source multiphysical software. In this work, velocity‐pressure mixed vectors are used with asymptotic‐numerical method–based methods, remarks are made for the branch‐switching method in the case of symmetry‐breaking bifurcation, and new 3D instability results are presented for the sudden expansion ratio, ie, E=3. Critical Reynolds numbers for primary bifurcations are studied with the evolution of a geometric parameter. New values are computed, which reveal new trends that complete a previous work. Several kinds of bifurcation are depicted and tracked with the evolution of the spanwise aspect ratio. One of these relies on a fully 3D effect as it breaks both spanwise and top‐bottom symmetries. This bifurcation is found for smaller aspect ratios than expected. Furthermore, a critical Reynolds number is found for the aspect ratio, ie, Ai=1, which was not previously reported. Finally, primary and secondary bifurcations are efficiently detected and all post‐bifurcated branches are followed. This makes it possible to plot a complete bifurcation diagram for this 3D case.
A sharp‐interface immersed boundary framework for simulations of high‐speed inviscid compressible flows
Authors: Brahmachary Shuvayan , Natarajan Ganesh , Kulkarni Vinayak , Sahoo Niranjan
Published: November 2017

A new finite‐volume flow solver based on the hybrid Cartesian immersed boundary (IB) framework is developed for the solution of high‐speed inviscid compressible flows. The IB method adopts a sharp‐interface approach, wherein the boundary conditions are enforced on the body geometry itself. A key component of the present solver is a novel reconstruction approach, in conjunction with inverse distance weighting, to compute the solutions in the vicinity of the solid‐fluid interface. We show that proposed reconstruction leads to second‐order spatial accuracy while also ensuring that the discrete conservation errors diminish linearly with grid refinement. Investigations of supersonic and hypersonic inviscid flows over different geometries are carried out for an extensive validation of the proposed flow solver. Studies on cylinder lift‐off and shape optimisation in supersonic flows further demonstrate the efficacy of the flow solver for computations with moving and shape‐changing geometries. These studies conclusively highlight the capability of the proposed IB methodology as a promising alternative for robust and accurate computations of compressible fluid flows on nonconformal Cartesian meshes.
Variable Step Size IC MPPT Controller for PEMFC Power System Improving Static and Dynamic Performances
Authors: Harrag A. , Messalti S.
Published: November 2017

In this paper, a variable step size IC MPPT controller for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) power system is proposed. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm has been studied successfully using a 7 kW PEMFC fed by DC‐DC boost converter derived using the proposed MPPT controller implemented under Matlab/Simulink environment. Comparison results obtained using both implemented fixed and variable step size IC MPPTs on two scenarios test considering temperature and hydrogen pressure variation show that the proposed variable step size IC MPPT outperforms the conventional fixed step size in static and dynamic performances.
Pneumoparotitis as a complication of long‐term oronasal positive airway pressure for sleep apnea
Authors: Goates Andrew J. , Lee Daniel J. , Maley Joan E. , Lee Phillip C. , Hoffman Henry T.
Published: November 2017

Background

Parotid swelling is rarely caused by pneumoparotitis from retrograde insufflation of air into Stensen's duct. Previous reports have identified occupational exposures, self‐induced habits, exercise, spirometry, and short‐term positive pressure airway ventilation as causes of salivary duct insufflation.

Methods

We present 2 cases of pneumoparotitis in patients on long‐term oronasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for obstructive sleep apnea.

Results

A diagnosis of pneumoparotitis was made by CT scan in case 1 and sialography in case 2. Patients were advised to transition from oronasal to nasal‐only CPAP. One patient was successfully transferred and had good symptomatic improvement, whereas the second patient did not tolerate nasal CPAP and had persistent symptoms on oronasal CPAP.

Conclusion

Long‐term use of oronasal CPAP is a potential cause of pneumoparotitis.
U‐CH17P, ‐M and ‐S, a new cell culture system for tumor diversity and progression in chordoma
Authors: Jäger D. , Lechel A. , Tharehalli U. , Seeling C. , Möller P. , Barth T.F.E. , Mellert K.
Published: November 2017

Chordoma is a rare bone tumor with a known intrinsic heterogeneity. Here, we address this tumor heterogeneity in a new cell culture model for tumor diversity and progression in chordoma. The three cell lines U‐CH17P, U‐CH17M, and U‐CH17S were established from a primary sacral chordoma and its derived metastases, a soft tissue and a skin metastasis, respectively. The lesions had divergent differentiation patterns which are conserved in the derived cell lines making them a suitable in vitro model for the analysis of tumorigenesis in chordoma. A common feature of the three cell lines is the expression of typical chordoma markers, such as Brachyury, vimentin, cytokeratins, EMA and S100 protein. A comparison of the genomic aberrations by array comparative genomic hybridization of the cell lines and the corresponding parental tumor tissues revealed that the precursor cells of U‐CH17P, U‐CH17M and U‐CH17S were already present in the primary tumor. Therefore, we show that clonal diversity of this chordoma exists in the primary tumor and that not all of these subclones tend to metastasize. All cell lines had a CDKN2A loss. A comparison of the gene expression profiles of the cell lines revealed significant differences in the expression of several genes like MAGEC2 and SEMA6A known to be associated with the tendency to metastasize or proliferation and migration. Since the underlying mechanisms of tumor progression in chordoma are still largely unclear, the three U‐CH17 cell lines are a suitable in vitro model for elucidating chordoma oncobiology.
Performance of the Dimension TAC assay and comparison of multiple platforms for the measurement of tacrolimus
Authors: Cho Eun‐Jung , Ko Dae‐Hyun , Lee Woochang , Chun Sail , Lee Hae‐Kyung , Min Won‐Ki
Published: November 2017

Background

Therapeutic monitoring of tacrolimus is essential for reducing organ rejection and adverse effects. The measurement of tacrolimus in whole blood is taken by many automated platforms. We evaluated the analytical performance of the Dimension TAC assay, which is an upgraded reagent from the previous Dimension TACR assay.

Methods

The evaluations involved determination of precision, linearity, detection capability, and reagent lot‐to‐lot variability between three lot numbers. Correlation studies were conducted using the Dimension TACR assay, Architect, Elecsys assay, and MassTrak LC‐MS/MS.

Results

The total coefficient of variation was below 10%. Acceptable linearity was observed in their respective reportable ranges. The limit of blank, limit of detection, and limit of quantification were 0.29, 0.47, and 0.81 ng/mL, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated that the Dimension TAC assay results were comparable to that of the Dimension TACR assay, Architect, and Elecsys results in liver and heart transplant patients. In kidney transplant patients, the Dimension TAC assay showed the poor correlation with Architect and Elecsys. The results from these assays were slightly higher than that of MassTrak. We found little lot‐to‐lot reagent variation among the reagents evaluated.

Conclusion

The overall analytical performance of the Dimension TAC assay is acceptable for therapeutic monitoring in clinical practice. Our study that compared different platforms may provide some useful information regarding which test method to use.
Circulating PCSK9 is lowered acutely following surgery
Authors: Druce Irena , Abujrad Hussein , Chaker Seham , Meggison Hilary , Hill Andrew , Raymond Angela , Mayne Janice , Ooi Teik Chye
Published: November 2017

Background

A decrease in serum low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) is well documented after acute stress. Plasma proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 (PCSK9), which promotes degradation of low‐density lipoprotein receptor (LDL‐R) resulting in reduced plasma clearance of low‐density lipoproteins (LDL) and an increase in serum LDL‐C, would be predicted to decrease. Yet, a few studies have demonstrated an increase 1‐8 days after acute stress. Our objective was to assess the earlier status of plasma PCSK9, within the first 24 hours of onset of stress.

Methods

We measured serum lipids and plasma PCSK9 in 39 patients before and soon after an elective surgical procedure (abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair).

Results

We observed an early decrease in PCSK9 following surgery, as well as a decrease in total cholesterol (TC), LDL‐C, high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‐C), non–high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (non‐HDL‐C) and triglycerides (TG).

Conclusion

Unlike other studies which showed an increase in PCSK9 after the onset of stress, our study detected a fall in PCSK9 following acute surgical stress. The observed difference is likely due to the earlier timing of PCSK9 measurement in our study. Further studies involving serial poststress measurements for several days are needed to determine whether PCSK9 behaves as an acute‐phase reactant, whether it displays a biphasic response to acute stress, and whether changes in circulating PCSK9 are responsible for lipoprotein changes observed after surgical stress. (Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov study ID NCT00493389)
FSCN1 predicts survival and is regulated by a PI3K‐dependent mechanism in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Mengping , Zhao Zhijian , Duan Xiaolu , Chen Ping , Peng Zhenwei , Qiu Huijuan
Published: November 2017

While overexpression of FSCN1 is reported in several cancers, the prognostic significance of FSCN1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unclear. We retrospectively enrolled 194 patients with non‐metastatic clear‐cell RCC undergoing nephrectomy in our center between 2008 and 2011. FSCN1 expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining and its association with clinicopathologic features and survival were evaluated. Functional effects of a modulated FSCN1 expression were analyzed with regard to invasion in RCC cell lines and metastasis in vivo. Here, we reported that FSCN1 was up‐regulated in RCC tissues compared to non‐tumor tissues, and associated with poor overall survival and recurrence‐free survival. Its expression was not associated with age, tumor size, and clinical TNM stage. The incorporation of FSCN1 into the T stage and histologic grade would help to refine individual risk stratification. Preclinical studies using multiple RCC cells and orthotopic xenografts mice model indicated that FSCN1 could promote RCC cell invasion in vitro, and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, overexpression of FSCN1 led to an up‐regulation of MMP9 and N‐Cadherin. Notably, treating RCC cells with PI3 K/AKT inhibitors or knockdown GSK‐3β decreased the expression of FSCN1, and then attenuated RCC invasion. Together, our results demonstrate that FSCN as an oncogene is a potential novel prognostic biomarker for RCC patients after nephrectomy, and can promote RCC metastasis.
The decycling number and maximum genus of cubic graphs
Authors: Long Shude , Ren Han
Published: November 2017

Let and denote the minimum size of a decycling set and maximum genus of a graph G, respectively. For a connected cubic graph G of order n, it is shown that . Applying the formula, we obtain some new results on the decycling number and maximum genus of cubic graphs. Furthermore, it is shown that the number of vertices of a decycling set S in a k‐regular graph G is , where c and are the number of components of and the number of edges in , respectively. Therefore, S is minimum if and only if is minimum. As an application, this leads to a lower bound for of a k‐regular graph G. In many cases this bound may be sharp.
Size, shape, and sex‐dependent variation in force production by crayfish chelae
Authors: Malavé Brian M. , Styga Joseph M. , Clotfelter Ethan D.
Published: November 2017

The ability to generate large closing forces is important for many animals. Several studies have demonstrated that bite or pinching force capacity is usually related to the linear dimensions of the closing apparatus. However, relatively few studies have applied geometric morphometrics to examine the effects of size‐independent shape on force production, particularly in studies of crustacean pinching force. In this study, we utilized traditional and geometric morphometric techniques to compare the pinching force of Procambarus clarkii crayfish to their chela morphology. We found that males possessed larger chelae and pinched harder than females, but that their chela shape and size were weak predictors of strength. Female pinching force was significantly affected by both chela size and shape, with shape variation along the short axis of the claw contributing most to pinching force. We discuss our results in the context of reliable signaling of strength by males and females, and the different selective forces acting on chela shape in the two sexes.
Built to bite? Differences in cranial morphology and bite performance between narrow‐ and broad‐headed European glass eels
Authors: De Meyer Jens , Van Wassenbergh Sam , Bouilliart Mathias , Dhaene Jelle , Adriaens Dominique
Published: November 2017

The presence of two phenotypes in a single species is a widespread phenomenon, also observed in European eel (Anguilla anguilla). This dimorphism has been related to dietary differences in the subadult elver and yellow eel stages, with broad‐heads generally feeding on harder and/or larger‐bodied prey items than narrow‐heads. Nevertheless, both broad‐ and narrow‐headed phenotypes can already be found among glass eels, the stage preceding the elver eel stage. As these glass eels are considered nonfeeding, we investigate here to what degree the observed variation in head width is reflected in variation in the musculoskeletal feeding system, as well as whether this reflects the same variation observed in the older, dimorphic yellow eels. Additionally, we investigate whether musculoskeletal differences between broad‐ and narrow‐headed glass eels have implications on their feeding performance and could thus impact prey preference when eels start feeding. Therefore, we compared the cranial musculoskeletal system of five broad‐ and narrow‐headed glass eels using 3D‐reconstructions and simulated the glass eel's bite force using the data of the muscle reconstructions. We found that the variation in the musculoskeletal system of glass eels indeed reflects that of the yellow eels. Broader heads were related to larger jaw muscles, responsible for mouth closure. Accordingly, broad‐heads could generate higher bite forces than narrow‐headed glass eels. In addition, broader heads were associated with higher coronoid processes and shorter hyomandibulae, beneficial for dealing with higher mechanical loadings and consequently, harder prey. We, thus, show that head width variation in glass eels is related to musculoskeletal differences which, in turn, can affect feeding performance. As such, differences in prey preference can already take place the moment the eels start feeding, potentially leading to the dimorphism observed in the elver and yellow eel stage.