bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and In Vivo Evaluation of a Kit‐Type 99mTc‐labeled N‐(2‐Aminoethyl)‐3‐(4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐(isopropylaminopropoxy)phenyl)propanamide as a Selective β1‐Adrenoceptor‐binding SPECT Radiotracer
Authors: Lu Yingqing , Jung Jae Ho , Lee Hong Jin , Moon Byung Seok , Lee Byung Chul , Kim Sang Eun
Published: December 2016

To develop a novel β1‐adrenoceptor selective radiotracer,
99mTc‐labeld N‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐3‐(4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐(isopropylaminopropoxy)phenyl)propanamide ([
99mTc]1) was prepared by incorporating [
99mTcO4
]− into the precursor 3. Radiotracer [
99mTc]1 was optimized in several reaction conditions for kit‐type preparation of
99mTc‐radiopharmaceuticals. The radiochemical yield was around 95% (non‐decay corrected) within 30 s labeling time and radiochemical purity showed over 98%. In image studies, [
99mTc]1 provided a good heart accumulation, whereas liver and lung uptakes showed relatively low at initial time. Furthermore, [
99mTc]1 images at 25 min post‐injection provided a clearly visible cardiac image with high contrast. To confirm the β1‐adrenoceptor‐binding specificity of [
99mTc]1, a blocking experiment was performed. In vivo blocking with excess esmolol (18 mg/kg) or atenolol (2 mg/kg) resulted in significantly reduced radioactivity uptake in the heart around 92 and 76%, respectively. The results suggested that [
99mTc]1 might be of worth applying to the assessment of β1‐adrenoceptor expression in the heart diseases.
Pyridylmethylamine–Palladium Catalytic Systems: A Selective Alternative in the C−H Arylation of Indole
Authors: Perato Serge , Large Benjamin , Lu Qiao , Gaucher Anne , Prim Damien
Published: December 2016

A highly efficient pyridylmethylamine‐Pd alternative catalytic system for the C−H arylation of indole was explored. Variously substituted aryl groups were regio‐ and chemoselectively installed at the indole nucleus by using barium hydroxide as the base. The method was found to be efficient even in the presence of hindered coupling partners and Pd‐reactive bonds.
ANN Analysis of a Roller Compaction Process in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Sajjia Mustafa , Shirazian Saeed , Kelly Catherine B. , Albadarin Ahmad B. , Walker Gavin
Published: December 2016

Dry granulation via a roller compactor was simulated based on the artificial neural network (ANN) methodology. Two process parameters, including roll force and screw speed, were considered as input of the simulation whereas ribbon density was considered as output. Experimental work was carried out using an industrial‐scale roller compactor. The results showed an excellent agreement between simulation and experiments. The findings were compared as well with the results obtained in a previous study employing the Johanson model, which is the predominant model for the simulation of a roller compaction process. The overall deviation observed for the developed ANN model was found to be significantly improved in comparison with the deviation obtained for the Johanson model. The results demonstrated a very good capability and robustness of the developed ANN model in design and optimization of the roller compaction process.
Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Driven by [FeFe] Hydrogenase Models Tethered to Fluorene and Silafluorene Sensitizers
Authors: Goy Roman , Bertini Luca , Rudolph Tobias , Lin Shu , Schulz Martin , Zampella Giuseppe , Dietzek Benjamin , Schacher Felix H. , De Gioia Luca , Sakai Ken , Weigand Wolfgang
Published: December 2016

It is successfully shown that photocatalytic proton reduction to dihydrogen in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor, such as trimethylamine (TEA) and ascorbate, can be driven by compact sensitizer–catalyst dyads, that is, dithiolate‐bridged [FeFe] hydrogenase models tethered to organic sensitizers, such as fluorenes and silafluorenes (1 a–4 a). The sensitizer–catalyst dyads 1 a–4 a show remarkable and promising catalytic activities as well as enhanced stabilities during photocatalysis performed under UV‐light irradiation. The photocatalysis was carried out both in non‐aqueous and aqueous media. The latter experiments were performed by solubilizing the photocatalysts within micelles formed by either sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). In this study a turnover number of 539 (7 h) is achieved under optimized conditions, which corresponds to an exceptionally high turnover frequency of 77 h−1. Theoretical investigations as well as emission decay experiments were performed to understand the observed phenomena together with the mechanisms of photocatalytic H2 generation.
Fluorescent Oligonucleotide Probes for Screening High‐Affinity Nucleobase Surrogates
Authors: Aro‐Heinilä Asmo , Lönnberg Tuomas
Published: December 2016

Double‐helical oligonucleotide probes featuring a single‐nucleotide gap opposed by one of the canonical nucleobases and flanked by the fluorescent nucleobase analogue pyrrolocytosine have been synthesized and titrated with PdII chelates of dipicolinamide and its N2,N6‐dialkylated derivatives. The fluorometric titrations revealed greatly increased affinity of the PdII chelates for the nucleobases opposing the gap compared to the respective free nucleotides in solution. Owing to the constrained environment of the single‐nucleotide gap, the relative stabilities of the various PdII‐mediated base pairs were also significantly different from those previously reported at monomer level.
The Anticancer Potential of Ionic Liquids
Authors: Dias Ana Rita , Costa‐Rodrigues João , Fernandes Maria Helena , Ferraz Ricardo , Prudêncio Cristina
Published: December 2016

Among the many challenges that the pharmaceutical industry currently faces is the need to develop innovative and effective therapies. The investigation of alternative and effective therapies against cancer is a current goal of the pharmaceutical industry. Ionic liquids (ILs) have emerged recently as a topic of study by researchers in the pharmaceutical industry in their search for new therapeutic agents. By definition, ILs are organic salts with melting points below 100 °C that are composed only by ions. Their main advantage lies in the numerous possible combinations of cations and anions, which allow adjustments in their physicochemical properties. The combination between ILs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) may improve the properties of APIs. In addition, the antitumor properties of these compounds have been described. Several studies have reported the use of ILs in biomedical applications as therapeutic agents, namely as antitumor agents. This review describes the recent proposed applications of ILs as antitumor agents.
Improving the safety and quality of cancer care
Authors: Burke Harry B.
Published: December 2016

The cancer community is increasingly interested in improving its safety and quality. Improvement will be driven by the expansion of safety and quality research and by a commitment to publish studies that advance high‐quality, safe cancer care. Cancer 2017;123:549–550. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Clinicopathological features and clinical outcomes associated with TP53 and BRAFNon‐V600 mutations in cutaneous melanoma patients
Authors: Kim Dae Won , Haydu Lauren E. , Joon Aron Y. , Bassett Roland L. , Siroy Alan E. , Tetzlaff Michael T. , Routbort Mark J. , Amaria Rodabe N. , Wargo Jennifer A. , McQuade Jennifer L. , Kemnade Jan , Hwu Patrick , Woodman Scott E. , Roszik Jason , Kim Kevin B. , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Lazar Alexander J. , Davies Michael A.
Published: December 2016

BACKGROUND

BRAFV600, NRAS, TP53, and BRAFNon‐V600 are among the most common mutations detected in non‐acral cutaneous melanoma patients. Although several studies have identified clinical and pathological features associated with BRAFV600 and NRAS mutations, limited data are available regarding the correlates and significance of TP53 and BRAFNon‐V600 mutations.

METHODS

This study analyzed the patient demographics, primary tumor features, and clinical outcomes of a large cohort of non‐acral cutaneous melanoma patients who had undergone clinically indicated molecular testing (n = 926).

RESULTS

The prevalence of BRAFV600, NRAS, TP53, and BRAFNon‐V600 mutations was 43%, 21%, 19%, and 7%, respectively. The presence of a TP53 mutation was associated with older age (P = .019), a head and neck primary tumor site (P = .0001), and longer overall survival (OS) from the diagnosis of stage IV disease in univariate (P = .039) and multivariate analyses (P = .015). BRAFNon‐V600 mutations were associated with older age (P = .005) but not with primary tumor features or OS from stage IV. Neither TP53 nor BRAFNon‐V600 mutations correlated significantly with OS with frontline ipilimumab treatment, and the TP53 status was not significantly associated with outcomes with frontline BRAF inhibitor therapy. Eleven patients with BRAFNon‐V600 mutations were treated with a BRAF inhibitor. Three patients were not evaluable for a response because of treatment cessation for toxicities; the remaining patients had disease progression as the best response to therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

These results add to the understanding of the clinical features associated with TP53 and BRAFNon‐V600 mutations in advanced cutaneous melanoma patients, and they support the rationale for evaluating the prognostic significance of TP53 in other cohorts of melanoma patients. Cancer 2017;123:1372–1381. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
RICS‐DFA: a space and time‐efficient signature matching algorithm with Reduced Input Character Set
Authors: Tang Qiu , Jiang Lei , Dai Qiong , Su Majing , Xie Hongtao , Fang Binxing
Published: December 2016

Regular expression matching as a core component of deep packet inspection is widely used in various kinds of modern network intrusion detection system, traffic classification system, network monitoring system, and so on. In these systems, regular expressions are typically converted to a deterministic finite automaton (DFA), which takes O(1) to scan each input character. However, DFA generally consumes a large amount of memory. This paper proposes a novel, space‐efficient and time‐efficient DFA presentation, called reduced input character set DFA (RICS‐DFA). A character escaping and replacing scheme is first introduced to decrease the size of DFA's character set and then to reduce DFA's space requirement with a series of optimization techniques. Based on transition rewriting, a RICS‐DFA constructing algorithm with time complexity of O(n) is presented in this paper. For real rule‐sets, RICS‐DFA reduces the memory consumption by 68–92%, compared with the original DFA. Finally, this paper designs a scalable RICS‐DFA matching engine on field‐programmable gate array platform in which the reduced state transition matrix is mapped to on‐chip memories. The throughput of executing deep packet inspection for real rule‐sets can achieve 7–50.5 Gbps. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Timely address space rerandomization for resisting code reuse attacks
Authors: Chen Xiaoquan , Xue Rui , Wu Chuankun
Published: December 2016

The major weakness of address space layout randomization is the address space of the program being randomized only once at loading. Therefore, it cannot prevent those advanced code reuse attacks, such as just‐in‐time return‐oriented programming. In view of this situation, we propose an instantaneous and continual address space rerandomization approach, called just‐in‐time address space rerandomization (JIT‐ASR) to thwart the attack. The JIT‐ASR uses the virtual memory management and can ceaselessly change the program's address space by modifying the virtual page number of the code address and page table at runtime. In this way, the address space of the program will change continually. This mechanism will make the addresses used by the attacker become stale, and the attack payload cannot be performed successfully. To demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of JIT‐ASR, we apply it to SPEC CPU2006 benchmark suite. The evaluation results and security analysis show that JIT‐ASR can resist the code reuse attacks, especially just‐in‐time return‐oriented programming, and yield low runtime performance overhead (1.2% on average on the SPEC CPU2006 benchmark).
Simultaneous Upgrading of Furanics and Phenolics through Hydroxyalkylation/Aldol Condensation Reactions
Authors: Bui Tuong V. , Sooknoi Tawan , Resasco Daniel E.
Published: December 2016

The simultaneous conversion of cyclopentanone and m‐cresol has been investigated on a series of solid‐acid catalysts. Both compounds are representative of biomass‐derived streams. Cyclopentanone can be readily obtained from sugar‐derived furfurals through Piancatelli rearrangement under reducing conditions. Cresol represents a family of phenolic compounds, typically obtained from the depolymerization of lignin. In the first biomass conversion strategy proposed here, furfural is converted in high yields and selectivity to cyclopentanone (CPO) over metal catalysts such as Pd‐Fe/SiO2 at 600 psi (∼4.14 MPa) H2 and 150 °C. Subsequently, CPO and cresol are further converted through acid‐catalyzed hydroxyalkylation. This C−C coupling reaction may be used to generate products in the molecular weight range that is appropriate for transportation fuels. As molecules beyond this range may be undesirable for fuel production, a catalyst with a suitable porous structure may be advantageous for controlling the product distribution in the desirable range. If Amberlyst resins were used as a catalyst, C12–C24 products were obtained whereas when zeolites with smaller pore sizes were used, they selectively produced C10 products. Alternatively, CPO can undergo the acid‐catalyzed self‐aldol condensation to form C10 bicyclic adducts. As an illustration of the potential for practical implementation of this strategy for biofuel production, the long‐chain oxygenates obtained from hydroxyalkylation/aldol condensation were successfully upgraded through hydrodeoxygenation to a mixture of linear alkanes and saturated cyclic hydrocarbons, which in practice would be direct drop‐in components for transportation fuels. Aqueous acidic environments, which are typically encountered during the liquid‐phase upgrading of bio‐oils, would inhibit the efficiency of base‐catalyzed processes. Therefore, the proposed acid‐catalyzed upgrading strategy is advantageous for biomass conversion in terms of process simplicity.
Solvothermally‐Prepared Cu2O Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction with Tunable Selectivity by the Introduction of p‐Block Elements
Authors: Larrazábal Gastón O. , Martín Antonio J. , Krumeich Frank , Hauert Roland , Pérez‐Ramírez Javier
Published: December 2016

The electroreduction of CO2 to fuels and chemicals is an attractive strategy for the valorization of CO2 emissions. In this study, a Cu2O electrocatalyst prepared by a simple and potentially scalable solvothermal route effectively targeted CO evolution at low‐to‐moderate overpotentials [with a current efficiency for CO (CECO) of ca. 60 % after 12 h at −0.6 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE], and its selectivity was tuned by the introduction of p‐block elements (In, Sn, Ga, Al) into the catalyst. SEM, HRTEM, and voltammetric analyses revealed that the Cu2O catalyst undergoes extensive surface restructuring (favorable for CO evolution) under the reaction conditions. The modification of Cu2O with Sn and In further enhanced the current efficiency (CE) for CO (ca. 75 % after 12 h at −0.6 V). In contrast, the introduction of Al altered the selectivity profile of the catalyst significantly, decreasing the selectivity toward CO but promoting the reduction of CO2 to ethylene (CE≈7 %), n‐propanol, and ethanol (CE≈2 % each) at −0.8 V vs. RHE. This result is related to a decreased reducibility of Al‐doped Cu2O that might preserve Cu+ species (favorable for C2H4 production) under the reaction conditions, which is supported by XRD, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and H2 temperature‐programmed reduction observations.
MVL‐PUFs: multiple‐valued logic physical unclonable functions
Authors: Tao Sha , Dubrova Elena
Published: December 2016

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are promising hardware security primitives suitable for protecting resource‐constrained devices. In this paper, we propose to use multiple‐valued logic (MVL) for implementing hardware‐efficient PUF integrated circuits. We show that by extracting device mismatch in either current‐mode or voltage‐mode MVL comparators, the proposed PUF circuits can generate unique and reliable chip identifiers. In order to stabilize PUF responses, we utilize multiple thresholds of MVL comparators, whose outputs are selected and combined according to the sensed temperature. To reduce power and further enhance reliability, the PUF circuits are biased in the weak‐inversion region. Evaluation results show that the proposed MVL‐PUFs are unique and reliable over a wide temperature range. In addition, they significantly improve the energy efficiency of the state‐of‐the‐art PUFs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of protein‐flavour binding on flavour delivery and protein functional properties: A special emphasis on plant‐based proteins
Authors: Wang Kun , Arntfield Susan D.
Published: December 2016

As the loss of free volatile compounds in aqueous protein systems is known to greatly influence the quality, and therefore the consumer acceptability, of protein‐containing foods, examination of the ability of different proteins to react with volatile flavour compounds as well as the nature of the interaction are of great interest to flavour chemists. It is generally believed that the affinity of flavour to proteins is a multi‐factor function related to protein source, protein conformation and stereochemistry of the flavour compound. However, the nature of protein‐flavour interactions has not been explicit. Less focus has been put on plant‐based proteins in comparison to animal proteins. With an increase in the use of plant‐based proteins in food systems, this article provides a fundamental review of the impact protein‐flavour interactions on flavour retention and release with a special emphasis on plant protein materials. Flavour‐food matrix interactions have been examined with a focus on how they influence flavour perception. Current knowledge on methodologies involved in protein‐flavour binding studies, binding mechanisms and factors affecting the interaction have been discussed. The implication of protein‐flavour interaction on protein functionality specifically protein thermal gelation properties has also been considered. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of Persian and almond gums as fat replacers on the physicochemical, rheological, and microstructural attributes of low‐fat Iranian White cheese
Authors: Jooyandeh Hossein , Goudarzi Mostafa , Rostamabadi Hadis , Hojjati Mohammad
Published: December 2016

The effect of Persian and almond gums (0, 0.1 and 0.2% (w/w)) as fat replacers and milk fat (0.4, 0.9, and 1.4% (w/w)) on physicochemical and rheological characteristics and microstructure of low‐fat Iranian White cheese was studied. Persian and almond gums both effectively increased moisture‐to‐protein (M:P) ratio of low‐fat cheese samples which in turn led to a significant reduction in the hardness parameters fracture stress and Young's and storage (G’) moduli (p < .05); however, the effect of Persian gum was more pronounced (p < .01). Gum addition promoted cheese yield and proteolysis rate (p < .05). Response surface optimization described that supplementation of cheese milk containing 0.9% fat with 0.2% Persian gum and 0.12% almond gum would result in a low‐fat cheese with textural properties similar to its full‐fat counterpart. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the fat replacers produced full‐fat‐like structure in the low‐fat Iranian White cheese, when incorporated at the optimum levels.
Whole exome association of rare deletions in multiplex oral cleft families
Authors: Fu Jack , Beaty Terri H. , Scott Alan F. , Hetmanski Jacqueline , Parker Margaret M. , Wilson Joan E. Bailey , Marazita Mary L. , Mangold Elisabeth , Albacha‐Hejazi Hasan , Murray Jeffrey C. , Bureau Alexandre , Carey Jacob , Cristiano Stephen , Ruczinski Ingo , Scharpf Robert B.
Published: December 2016

By sequencing the exomes of distantly related individuals in multiplex families, rare mutational and structural changes to coding DNA can be characterized and their relationship to disease risk can be assessed. Recently, several rare single nucleotide variants (SNVs) were associated with an increased risk of nonsyndromic oral cleft, highlighting the importance of rare sequence variants in oral clefts and illustrating the strength of family‐based study designs. However, the extent to which rare deletions in coding regions of the genome occur and contribute to risk of nonsyndromic clefts is not well understood. To identify putative structural variants underlying risk, we developed a pipeline for rare hemizygous deletions in families from whole exome sequencing and statistical inference based on rare variant sharing. Among 56 multiplex families with 115 individuals, we identified 53 regions with one or more rare hemizygous deletions. We found 45 of the 53 regions contained rare deletions occurring in only one family member. Members of the same family shared a rare deletion in only eight regions. We also devised a scalable global test for enrichment of shared rare deletions.
Physical restraints and associations with neuropsychiatric symptoms and personal characteristics in residential care: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kuronen Marja , Kautiainen Hannu , Karppi Pertti , Hartikainen Sirpa , Koponen Hannu
Published: December 2016

Background

Physical restraints are widely used in residential care. The objective was to investigate restraint use and its associations with neuropsychiatric symptoms and personal characteristics in residential care.

Methods

Data were collected in the South Savo Hospital District from 66 of 68 public or private institutions providing long‐term residential care. Nurses assessed the use of physical restraints and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) included in the symptom list of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Drug use was obtained from medical records, and activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed by the nurses according to the Barthel Index.

Results

The total number of persons in residential care was 1386. Any restraint was used for 721 patients (52%) in the preceding 24 h. Bedrails were the most common restraints. In the multivariate analysis, psychotic symptoms (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.14–3.31) and use of benzodiazepines (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.18–2.41) were positively associated with restraint use, whereas antipsychotic (OR 0.62, 95% CI 0.44–0.87) and antidepressant drug use (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.45–0.90) and higher ADL score (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.92–0.93) were negatively associated. Concomitant use of at least two restraints was associated with high prevalence of hyperactivity NPS symptoms.

Conclusions

More than half of the residents were exposed to some physical restraint, most frequently bedrails, within the last 24 h. Psychotic symptoms and benzodiazepine use increased while good ADL and antipsychotic or antidepressant use decreased the risk of restraint use. Bedridden persons were the most frequently restrained which may pose an ethical problem. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The cost of care homes for people with dementia in England: a modelling approach
Authors: Romeo Renee , Knapp Martin , Salverda Suzanne , Orrell Martin , Fossey Jane , Ballard Clive
Published: December 2016

Objectives

To examine the cost of care for people with dementia in institutional care settings, to understand the major cost drivers and to highlight opportunities for service development.

Methods

Data on 277 residents with dementia in 16 UK residential or nursing homes were collected. We estimated care and support costs and fitted models to the data. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

Results

Care home residents cost £792 weekly: 95% of the costs accounted for by direct fees. Hospital contacts contributed the largest proportion of the additional costs. Having an established diagnosis of dementia (b = 0.070; p < 0.05) was associated with higher costs. No association was found between cost and needs (b = −0.002; p = 0.818).

Conclusion

The absence of an association between cost and needs emphasizes the importance of a more needs‐based costing system which could result in clinical and economic advantages. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Categorical ERP repetition effects for human and furniture items in 7‐month‐old infants
Authors: Peykarjou Stefanie , Wissner Julia , Pauen Sabina
Published: December 2016

Behavioural and recent neural evidence indicates that young infants discriminate broad stimulus categories. However, little is known about the categorical perception of humans represented as full bodies with heads and their discrimination from inanimate objects. This study compares infants' brain processing of human and furniture pictures, probing infants' categorization skills with an event‐related potential (ERP) paradigm. Seven‐month‐old infants (n = 23) were tested in a rapid repetition ERP paradigm. Trials consisted of two consecutive stimuli: prime and target. Different ERP parameters (Nc, PSW) were compared across human and furniture items and for repeated and unrepeated categories. The PSW was consistently enhanced for unrepeated compared to repeated categories, thus indicating category discrimination. Nc amplitude was enhanced for furniture primes compared to human primes, but not for corresponding targets. In sum, these findings suggest that ERP rapid repetition studies are suitable for probing perceptual category discrimination in infancy. 7‐month‐olds discriminated between humans, presented as full body pictures, and furniture exemplars, but did not seem to prefer either of these categories.

Highlights

7‐month‐olds' ability to categorize humans and furniture items was tested using rapid repetition ERPs.

The PSW was enhanced for unrepeated categories, indicating broad categorization.

The Nc, indicating neural attention, was not enhanced for humans compared to furniture items.
Development and utility of a medication self‐assessment tool for community‐based healthcare services
Authors: Ritchie Usha C. , Turner Sean C. , Field Carolyn
Published: December 2016

The safe and quality use of medicines is a key priority for healthcare organisations, and there are governance responsibilities for all facilities in which medications are stored, prescribed and administered. There are often difficulties in understanding medication use in smaller community‐based healthcare services. In the absence of suitable existing published resources, we developed a self‐assessment tool to help identify gaps in medication management and safety specifically for use in the Women's and Children's Health Network's services located external to the main hospital campus. The tool identified several issues, including insufficient licensing, suboptimal communication of medication practice changes and inadequate documentation of medicine administration in some settings. Action plans were developed in consultation with clinical staff. The self‐assessment tool was well received by staff, improved our organisation's understanding of medication use outside the main hospital, and has helped provide evidence for meeting accreditation requirements for the safe and quality use of medicines.
Population responses of a native bird species to rat control
Authors: Armstrong Doug P.
Published: December 2016

Invasive‐predator control can be beneficial to native species, but it is important to quantify those benefits to ensure they justify the costs. In a previous study (2005–2011), a modified before‐after‐control‐impact (BACI) design was used to estimate the effect of rat control in farmland forest fragments on vital rates of North Island robins (Petroica longipes), a New Zealand native bird species often targeted in private restoration initiatives. Based on the results, continuous rat control was implemented in 5 fragments predicted to have a high probability of subpopulation growth. Here, I report subsequent abundance estimates; the number of robins in those fragments increased from 57 to 134, from 2011–2014, closely matching the prediction of 131 based on the previous vital rate estimates. In comparison, numbers declined or stayed relatively stable over this period in 8 non‐controlled fragments, except for 1 fragment that was adjacent to 1 of the controlled fragments and therefore would have received juveniles dispersing from it. Therefore, the results illustrate that where there is uncertainty about where to conduct control operations, short‐term data on survival and reproduction can be used to predict longer‐term effects, allowing predator‐control efforts to be done strategically. © 2016 The Wildlife Society.
Analytic invariant curves for an iterative equation related to dissipative standard map
Authors: Zhao Houyu , Tian Liu
Published: December 2016

In this paper, we study existence of invariant curves of an iterative equation

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma4260:mma4260-math-0001
which is from dissipative standard map. By constructing an invertible analytic solution g(x) of an auxiliary equation of the form

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma4260:mma4260-math-0002
invertible analytic solutions of the form g(λg − 1(x)) for the original iterative functional equation are obtained. Besides the hyperbolic case 0 < |λ| < 1, we focus on those λ on the unit circle S1, that is, |λ| = 1. We discuss not only those λ at resonance, that is, at a root of the unity, but also those λ near resonance under the Brjuno condition. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Gradient‐echo EPI using a high‐degree shim insert coil at 7 T: Implications for BOLD fMRI
Authors: Kim Tae , Lee Yoojin , Zhao Tiejun , Hetherington Hoby P. , Pan Jullie W.
Published: December 2016

Purpose

To quantitatively assess the effects of high degree and order (1st–4th+) relative to 1st–2nd degree B0 shimming at 7 Tesla (T) on gradient‐echo echo planar imaging (GE‐EPI) and blood‐oxygen‐level dependent (BOLD) activation.

Methods

Simulations and GE‐EPI were performed at (2mm)3 and (3mm)3 resolution, evaluating the temporal signal‐to‐noise ratio (tSNR), transverse relaxivity (
), BOLD % signal change and activated pixel counts in a breath‐hold task.

Results

Comparing the 1st–4th+ degree with 1st–2nd degree shimmed B0 maps generated spatially varying regions of
. As binned in 10‐Hz intervals, the two center Δ|B0| (±10 Hz) bins maintained the B0 offset of 48.6% of gray‐matter pixels. In the positive Δ|B0| bins greater than 10 Hz, the 1st–4th+degree shimming improved the B0 offset in 41.1%; in negative Δ|B0| bins less than −10 Hz, the offset worsened in 10.2% of the pixels. In the positive Δ|B0| bins, we found variable but significant increases in BOLD sensitivity; the negative Δ|B0| bins showed significant decreases. In the breath‐hold studies, positive bins showed significantly increased activated pixel numbers (+5–29%), whereas negative bins showed −18 to 0% decline.

Conclusion

1st–4th+ degree shimming maintained B0 homogeneity over central brain regions while improving most of the other regions, including the inferior frontal lobe. Magn Reson Med 78:1734–1745, 2017. © 2016 The Authors Magnetic Resonance in Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
Characteristics and significance of doublets on needle EMG
Authors: Lamb Christopher J. , Rubin Devon I.
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Voluntary doublets are electrophysiological phenomena thought to be associated with metabolic derangements or neuromuscular conditions.

Methods

We prospectively studied 232 consecutive patients examined by a single examiner during routine electromyography (EMG) to determine the frequency of doublets in individual patients, specific muscles, neuromuscular conditions, electrolyte levels, and doublet characteristics.

Results

Of 232 patients, 25 (10.7%) exhibited doublets. The mean age was 59 (52% men). Only 32 of 1,303 (2.5%) muscles exhibited doublets. Lower extremity and paraspinal groups represented 91% of muscles with doublets. Doublet frequency grouped by EMG diagnoses was: ALS (3 of 11; 27.1%), myopathy (3 of 10; 30.0%), axonal polyneuropathy (7 of 29; 24.1%), and no disease (7 of 109; 6.4%). There were no differences in serum electrolytes between doublet and matched subjects.

Conclusions

Doublets occur in approximately 10% of patients, more commonly in lower extremity and paraspinal muscles, and are not correlated with a specific metabolic abnormality or neuromuscular condition. Muscle Nerve 55: 598–600, 2017
HPTLC Bioautography Guided Isolation of α‐Glucosidase Inhibiting Compounds from Justicia secunda Vahl (Acanthaceae)
Authors: Theiler Barbara A. , Istvanits Stefanie , Zehl Martin , Marcourt Laurence , Urban Ernst , Caisa Lugardo O. Espinoza , Glasl Sabine
Published: December 2016

Introduction

α‐Glucosidase inhibitors form an essential basis for the development of novel drugs in diabetes type 2 treatment. Searching for α‐glucosidase inhibitors in plants, TLC bioautographic assays have been established and improved within the last years. In traditional medicine, extracts from the leaves of Justicia secunda Vahl are used to treat diabetes mellitus symptoms.

Objective

To screen for α‐glucosidase inhibitors in J. secunda via HPTLC bioautography.

Methodology – Extracts from the leaves of J. secunda and fractions thereof were evaluated in terms of their α‐glucosidase inhibiting potential by subjecting them to HPTLC bioautography. The aqueous (AQ) fraction deriving from the methanol extract was further fractionated via column chromatography on polystyrene Diaion® HP‐20. Two AQ subfractions revealed active compounds, which were isolated via preparative HPTLC and semipreparative HPLC. Their identification and structure elucidation was achieved employing HPLC‐ESI‐MSn, HRESI‐MS, and NMR analyses.

Results

α‐Glucosidase inhibitors were visualised as white zones on violet background on the TLC plate. The crude water extract, the methanol extract, and the methanol extract derived AQ fraction showed α‐glucosidase inhibiting effects. In the latter, two diastereomeric mixtures responsible for the α‐glucosidase inhibition were enriched. They were identified as the novel 2‐caffeoyloxy‐4‐hydroxy‐glutaric acid and the diastereomers secundarellone B and C.

Conclusion

The current study presents the α‐glucosidase inhibiting potential of J. secunda supporting its traditional medicinal use in diabetes mellitus treatment. HPTLC bioautography screening for α‐glucosidase inhibitors provides a simple and effective method for the investigation of complex samples, such as plant extracts. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance of MDockPP in CAPRI rounds 28‐29 and 31‐35 including the prediction of water‐mediated interactions
Authors: Xu Xianjin , Qiu Liming , Yan Chengfei , Ma Zhiwei , Grinter Sam Z. , Zou Xiaoqin
Published: December 2016

Protein‐protein interactions are either through direct contacts between two binding partners or mediated by structural waters. Both direct contacts and water‐mediated interactions are crucial to the formation of a protein‐protein complex. During the recent CAPRI rounds, a novel parallel searching strategy for predicting water‐mediated interactions is introduced into our protein‐protein docking method, MDockPP. Briefly, a FFT‐based docking algorithm is employed in generating putative binding modes, and an iteratively derived statistical potential‐based scoring function, ITScorePP, in conjunction with biological information is used to assess and rank the binding modes. Up to 10 binding modes are selected as the initial protein‐protein complex structures for MD simulations in explicit solvent. Water molecules near the interface are clustered based on the snapshots extracted from independent equilibrated trajectories. Then, protein‐ligand docking is employed for a parallel search for water molecules near the protein‐protein interface. The water molecules generated by ligand docking and the clustered water molecules generated by MD simulations are merged, referred to as the predicted structural water molecules. Here, we report the performance of this protocol for CAPRI rounds 28–29 and 31–35 containing 20 valid docking targets and 11 scoring targets. In the docking experiments, we predicted correct binding modes for nine targets, including one high‐accuracy, two medium‐accuracy, and six acceptable predictions. Regarding the two targets for the prediction of water‐mediated interactions, we achieved models ranked as “excellent” in accordance with the CAPRI evaluation criteria; one of these two targets is considered as a difficult target for structural water prediction. Proteins 2017; 85:424–434. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Semi‐global leader‐following consensus of discrete‐time linear multi‐agent systems subject to actuator position and rate saturation
Authors: Zhou Hongtao , Yang Yucheng , Su Housheng , Zeng Wei
Published: December 2016

This paper deals with the leader‐following consensus of discrete‐time multi‐agent systems subject to both position and rate saturation. Each agent is described by a discrete‐time general linear dynamic with actuator subject to position and rate saturation. A modified algebraic Riccati equation and low‐gain feedback design technique are used to construct both state feedback and output feedback control protocols. It is established that a semi‐global leader‐following consensus can be achieved when the system is asymptotically null controllable with bounded controls and a leader agent has a directed path to every follower agent. Finally, several simulations are carried out to illustrate the results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modulation classification for cognitive radios using stacked denoising autoencoders
Authors: Zhu Xu , Fujii Takeo
Published: December 2016

This paper proposes a modulation classification method based on stacked denoising autoencoders (SDAE). This method can extract the modulation features automatically and classify the input signals based on the extracted features. The scenarios of rapid classification and high‐accuracy classification are considered. In a rapid classification scenario, the classification speed has priority over the classification accuracy. Therefore, a long‐symbol sequence is not attainable for this scenario. Moreover, expert features are not necessary for this scenario, simplifying the modulation classification procedure and rendering rapid classification more achievable. In addition, in a high‐accuracy classification scenario, higher cumulants are used as the expert features owing to their advantage over the other features at noise resistance. We use complex symbols rather than pulse shaped complex signals as the network inputs, simplifying the network topology and reducing the calculation overhead. The results of the average classification accuracy, the individual classification accuracy, the execution time and the influence of the signal sampling synchronization are presented, demonstrating significant performance advantages over the other methods. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Meta‐analysis of standardised mean differences from randomised trials with treatment‐related clustering associated with care providers
Authors: Walwyn Rebecca , Roberts Chris
Published: December 2016

In meta‐analyses, where a continuous outcome is measured with different scales or standards, the summary statistic is the mean difference standardised to a common metric with a common variance. Where trial treatment is delivered by a person, nesting of patients within care providers leads to clustering that may interact with, or be limited to, one or more of the arms. Assuming a common standardising variance is less tenable and options for scaling the mean difference become numerous. Metrics suggested for cluster‐randomised trials are within, between and total variances and for unequal variances, the control arm or pooled variances. We consider summary measures and individual‐patient‐data methods for meta‐analysing standardised mean differences from trials with two‐level nested clustering, relaxing independence and common variance assumptions, allowing sample sizes to differ across arms. A general metric is proposed with comparable interpretation across designs. The relationship between the method of standardisation and choice of model is explored, allowing for bias in the estimator and imprecision in the standardising metric. A meta‐analysis of trials of counselling in primary care motivated this work. Assuming equal clustering effects across trials, the proposed random‐effects meta‐analysis model gave a pooled standardised mean difference of −0.27 (95% CI −0.45 to −0.08) using summary measures and −0.26 (95% CI −0.45 to −0.09) with the individual‐patient‐data. While treatment‐related clustering has rarely been taken into account in trials, it is now recommended that it is considered in trials and meta‐analyses. This paper contributes to the uptake of this guidance. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Closed vs Open‐Shell CTV Based Host Compounds: A Direct Comparison
Authors: Lefevre Sara , Simonet Raphaël , Pitrat Delphine , Mulatier Jean‐Christophe , Vanthuyne Nicolas , Jean Marion , Dutasta Jean‐Pierre , Guy Laure , Martinez Alexandre
Published: December 2016

New hemicryptophane compounds combining a cyclotriveratrylene (CTV) unit, three binaphthol moieties in the linkers and closed by a simple benzene unit have been synthesized enantiomerically and diastereomerically pure. Assignment of their absolute configuration was achieved by chemical correlation. These closed shell host compounds were then tested in the recognition of carbohydrates and compared with their open‐shell counterparts. Closing the molecular cage induces a slight drop in affinity, associated with an improvement in the stereoselectivity of the recognition process, probably related to the higher preorganization of the cage compounds.
Phosphomolybdate@Carbon‐Based Nanocomposites as Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: Nunes Marta , Fernandes Diana M. , Rocha Inês M. , Pereira Manuel F. R. , Mbomekalle Israel‐Martyr , de Oliveira Pedro , Freire Cristina
Published: December 2016

Functional materials as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are crucial for several renewable energy applications. Herein, we report the application of several nanocomposites, prepared by the incorporation of a vanadium‐substituted phosphomolybdate [PMo11VO40]4− (PMo11V) into some carbon‐based materials (carbon black (CBV), single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) and graphene (GF)), as ORR electrocatalysts. All nanocomposites, denominated as PMo11V@CBV, PMo11V@SWCNT and PMo11V@GF, show electrocatalytic activity for the ORR in acidic medium (pH 2.5 H2SO4/Li2SO4 buffer solution), with a strong dependency between the electrocatalytic ORR performance and the carbon‐based material employed. Among the materials studied, the PMo11V@GF nanocomposite exhibits the most promising performance, having the less negative onset potential (Eonset=‐0.16 V vs. Ag/AgCl (0.18 V vs. RHE)), which is explained by the excellent electronic properties of GF. An ORR process based in a 2‐electron mechanism is assumed for all modified electrodes. The PMo11V‐ and the nanocomposite‐modified electrodes are also effective for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide, with PMo11V@GF displaying the most promising electrocatalytic performance. The successful preparation of the nanocomposites is confirmed by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy techniques. The electrochemical characterization of all modified electrodes is also reported.
Low Temperature Synthesis of High Energy Facets Exposed Sheet–like Anatase TiO2 Mesocrystals Show Reduced e−/h+ Pair Recombination Rates and Enhanced Photoactivity
Authors: Sumina N. B. , Kumar S. Nishanth , Achu R. , Kumar B. S. Dileep , Ray Alok K , Warrier K. G. K. , Pillai Saju
Published: December 2016

Herein, we report low temperature synthesis of anatase TiO2 mesocrystals with {001} facets exposed sheet‐like morphology via fluorine‐free synthesis by the synergistic effect of microwave and ultrasound treatments. The synthesized TiO2 powder showed higher surface area and enhanced photocatalytic degradation of a model dye under white light irradiation. The sheet‐like anatase TiO2 mesocrystals resulted long‐lived charge carriers and separation that was confirmed from photoluminescence and photocurrent measurements. A five‐fold enhancement in the photocurrent was obtained for the mesocrystals compared to reference sample, which revealed that the orientation of nanocrystallites in sheet‐like morphology play a pivotal role in electron transport. The effect of charge carriers on photocatalytic activity was studied in detail and it followed the order, hydroxyl radicals> holes>electrons. Additionally, the TiO2 sol showed excellent stability. Further, the photoinactivation of Escherichia coli and Candida albicans was evaluated using zone of inhibition test under indoor irradiation and synthesized anatase TiO2 showed a clear zone of inhibition with diameter 37.2 mm and 40.0 mm, respectively whereas commercial TiO2 shows meager inactivation. The results indicate that our approach of combined microwave and sonication can serve as a facile approach for the synthesis of {001} facets exposed anatase sheet‐like TiO2 mesocrystals under halide‐free and low temperature conditions.
Detonation Nanodiamond as a New Option for Reduction of the Viscosity of one Novel Di–azide Functionalized Monocationic Ionic Liquid
Authors: Alamdari Reza Fareghi – , Hatefipour Razieh
Published: December 2016

A novel di‐azide functionalized monocationic ionic liquid (IL) based on the dicyanamide anion were synthesized and characterized. Reduced graphene oxide (r‐GO) and detonation nanodiamond (DND) were synthesized according Hummer′s method and explosion of the mixture of 60 wt% TNT (2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene) and 40 wt% RDX (1,3,5‐trinitroperhydro‐1,3,5‐triazine) respectively. Dispersions of DND, r‐GO and graphite (Gr) powder in the synthesized IL were successfully achieved with sonication at 80 °C. The viscosity as well as thermal behavior of these dispersions was investigated and compared with neat IL. The experimental results showed that particles, especially DND, added to the synthesized IL exhibit good viscosity‐reduction. So that, concentration of 0.08 % (w/w) of DND decreases the viscosity up to 63.33 cP at 25 °C, as compared to neat IL. The addition of DND with 0.08 % w/w to other ILs showed that this nanoparticle leads to decrease of the viscosity of these Ils. In addition, all of the particles caused to increase the thermal decomposition temperature of synthesized IL and there is no noticeable difference between them. In fact, this work offers DND as a new option for reduction of viscosity of ILs.
Guanidine Acetic Acid Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles: Recoverable Green Catalyst for Transamidation
Authors: Kazemi Miraki Maryam , Arefi Marzban , Yazdani Elahe , Abbasi Sepideh , Karimi Meghdad , Azizi Kobra , Heydari Akbar
Published: December 2016

In the presence of a catalytic amount of Fe3O4‐Guanidine acetic acid (GAA) nanoparticles, efficient transamidation of several amides with various amines is described under solvent‐free conditions. Fe3O4‐Guanidine acetic acid nanoparticles provide the first example of a magnetically recoverable organocatalyst for transamidation in the highest catalytic activity. The catalyst could be simply recycled with the assistance of an external magnet and reused for six runs without significant loss of its catalytic activity.