bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A preliminary study of momentary, naturalistic indicators of binge‐eating episodes in adults with obesity
Authors: Goldschmidt Andrea B. , Crosby Ross D. , Cao Li , Wonderlich Stephen A. , Mitchell James E. , Engel Scott G. , Peterson Carol B.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

Binge eating is common in adults with obesity. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders describes five indicators of binge eating (eating more rapidly than usual; eating until uncomfortably full; eating large amounts of food when not physically hungry; eating alone because of embarrassment over how much one is eating; and feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, or very guilty after overeating), but their validity is unclear.

Method

We examined preliminary associations between the five indicators and binge versus nonbinge episodes among 50 adults with obesity via ecological momentary assessment.

Results

Generalized linear models revealed that, relative to nonbinge episodes, self‐reported binge episodes were associated with lower pre‐episode hunger (p = .004), higher postepisode fullness (p < .001), a greater likelihood of reporting moderate to extreme shame prior to eating in conjunction with eating alone (p < .001), and a greater likelihood of reporting moderate to extreme disgust, depression, and/or guilt after eating (p < .001), but not with eating more rapidly than usual (p = .85).

Discussion

Results support the validity of most binge‐eating indicators, although the utility of the rapid eating criterion is questionable. Future research should examine whether modifying these indicators in binge‐eating interventions would reduce the occurrence of loss of control and/or overeating.
Characterization and correlates of exercise among adolescents with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa
Authors: Nagata Jason M. , Carlson Jennifer L. , Kao Jessica M. , Golden Neville H. , Murray Stuart B. , Peebles Rebecka
Published: November 2017

Objective

To characterize exercise behaviors among adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN), atypical AN, or bulimia nervosa (BN), and determine associations between exercise and medical risk.

Study design

Cross‐sectional electronic medical records of all patients evaluated by the Eating Disorder Program at Stanford between January 1997 and February 2011 were retrospectively reviewed.

Results

1,083 subjects (961 females, 122 males; mean age 15.6) met eligibility criteria. Most patients (89.7%) reported exercise (mean 7.0 h per week over mean 5.4 days per week) prior to presentation. Running (49.9%), calisthenics (40.7%), walking (23.4%), soccer (20.9%), and swimming (18.2%) were the most common exercises; a majority (60.6%) reported team sport participation. Males were less likely to report team exercise (p = .005). Bradycardia (heart rate <50) at presentation was associated with team sport participation (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–2.72) and hours of exercise per week (AOR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02–1.09), controlling for diagnosis, sex, age, duration of illness, rate of weight loss, and percent median body mass index (%mBMI).

Discussion

Adolescents with AN, atypical AN, and BN reported high levels of exercise. Females reported more team sport participation. Greater exercise frequency and team sport participation were associated with bradycardia. Further studies assessing the relationship between exercise and bradycardia may help inform the medical management of adolescents with these eating disorders who are more physically active.
A Learning Method for Block‐Based Neural Networks with Structure Search Based on the Least Number of Routes
Authors: NORIMATSU NAOTO , KOAKUTSU SEIICHI , OKAMOTO TAKASHI
Published: November 2017

In recent years, a study of evolvable hardware (EHW) which can adapt to new an unknown environment attracts much attention among hardware designers. EHW is reconfigurable hardware and can be implemented combining reconfigurable devices such as FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and evolutionary computation such as Genetic Algorithms (GAs). As such research of EHW, Block‐Based Neural Networks (BBNNs) have been proposed. BBNNs have simplified network structures and their weights and network structure can be optimized at the same time using GAs. The learning of BBNNs without constraint of network structure is, however, not efficient because the degree of difficulty of learning depends on network structures. In this paper, we proposed a new evaluation index of network structures for BBNNs based on the least number of routes which are from inputs to outputs, and apply it to the structure search. The learning of BBNNs is efficiently executed with structure constraint condition based on the proposed index because the network structures which are difficult to learn are excluded. In order to evaluate the proposed method, we apply it to XOR, 3 bit‐parity, square function approximation, contact lenses fitting, Fisher's iris classification, and Wine classification. Results of computational experiments indicate the validity of the proposed method.
Is it time to eliminate field surveys from hydromorphological assessments of rivers?—Comparison between a field survey and a remote sensing approach
Authors: Knehtl Miha , Petkovska Vesna , Urbanič Gorazd
Published: November 2017

With growing accessibility to remote sensing (RS) data, field surveys (FS) are no longer the only tool for obtaining information on river hydromorphology. The current study addresses the question of comparability between RS‐ and FS‐based assessments of large river hydromorphological (HM) characteristics, using the Slovenian hydromorphological assessment method as a comparison tool. The applied RS approach was based on manual digitalization and free‐available RS imagery, while FS were conducted using the River habitat survey. FS and RS data were obtained for 73 sites, covering a broad gradient of large river conditions, from nearly natural to severely modified. To account for natural diversity, sites were grouped into simple and complex channel sites. Furthermore, the RS approach was tested for its ability to trace changes in HM conditions along the river continuum (1,144 sites) and to detect factors of major HM change. Our research showed that FS‐ and RS‐based approaches can give very similar outcomes in large river HM assessment, especially when assessing general HM conditions, as the high correlations of the final indices of the Slovenian hydromorphological assessment method illustrate. Stronger relationships were recognized for simple compared to complex channel sites. The applied RS approach proved its viability in tracing habitat conditions along the river continuum, exposing hydro‐dams and urbanization as the main drivers of habitat change. Overall, our findings support a stronger integration of RS into HM assessments, although caution is recommended when applied on complex systems. In order to capture the whole HM diversity of large rivers, FS are still needed.
Net radiation rather than surface moisture limits evapotranspiration over a humid alpine meadow on the northeastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zhang Fawei , Li Hongqin , Wang Wenying , Li Yikang , Lin Li , Guo Xiaowei , Du Yangong , Li Qian , Yang Yongsheng , Cao Guangmin , Li Yingnian
Published: November 2017

Accurately quantifying evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial to fully understanding regional water resource management and potential feedbacks to climate change in alpine grasslands. The quantitative relationships between ET and environmental controls were investigated by a continuous eddy covariance dataset from June 2014 to December 2016 over an alpine Kobresia meadow on the northeastern Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that daily ET averaged 1.7± 1.5 mm/day (Mean ± 1 S.D.), with values of 2.9 ± 1.3, 1.6 ± 1.0, and 0.7± 0.6 mm/day during the growing season, seasonal transition period, and nongrowing season, respectively. Cumulative growing season ET was 63% of annual ET with little annual variability (349.9 ± 12.1 mm). Paired‐samples t‐test analysis indicated that monthly ET was larger than maximum potential ET derived from the FAO‐56 reference crop ET by 17% (p < .001, N = 12) in the growing season, likely because of high aerodynamic conductance, but was less than the minimum equilibrium ET by 19% (p < .001, N = 14) during the nongrowing season owing to limited surface moisture availability from the frozen soil. The structural equation models revealed that daily ET was mostly dominated by net radiation (the standardized coefficient of the total effect was 0.78). Soil surface moisture and leaf area index played secondary roles in daily ET variability during the nongrowing season and growing season, respectively. At an annual scale, the bulk surface conductance (8.25–10.65 mm/s), decoupling coefficient (0.43–0.48, 0.61 in the growing season), and the ratio of ET to equilibrium ET (1.08–1.33) were consistent with the strongly energy‐limited conditions in the alpine meadow. This study indicated that initial vegetation rehabilitation on the severely degraded meadow would be at the risk of rapid water consumption in humid alpine regions.
Synthesis of Actinide Fluoride Complexes Using Trimethyltin Fluoride as a Mild and Selective Fluorinating Reagent
Authors: Kagan Benjamin D. , Lichtscheidl Alejandro G. , Erickson Karla A. , Monreal Marisa J. , Scott Brian L. , Nelson Andrew T. , Kiplinger Jaqueline L.
Published: November 2017

Trimethyltin fluoride (Me3SnF) is a mild and selective reagent for the installation of actinide fluoride bonds as demonstrated by the room temperature synthesis of a variety of organometallic and inorganic thorium(IV), uranium(IV), and uranium(V) fluoride complexes {(1,2,4‐tBu3C5H2)2ThF2, (C5Me5)2U(F)(O‐2,6‐iPr2C6H3), U(F)(O‐2,6‐tBu2C6H3)3, U(F)[N(SiMe3)2]3, (C5Me5)2UF2(L) (L = O=PMe3, O=PPh3, O=PCy3), and (C5Me5)2U(F)(=N‐2,6‐iPr2C6H3)} from their corresponding chloride, bromide, and iodide analogues. From these reactions, the new (C5Me5)2UF2(L) (L = O=PPh3, O=PCy3) uranium fluoride complexes were isolated and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray crystallography.
Comparison of Voltammetric Techniques for Ammonia Sensing in Ionic Liquids
Authors: Hussain Ghulam , Silvester Debbie S.
Published: November 2017

In electroanalytical chemistry, it is often observed that square wave voltammetry (SWV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) are more sensitive techniques compared to linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), due to their method of sampling which minimises the charging current (non‐faradaic processes). In this work, a comparison of the three techniques (LSV, DPV and SWV) is performed for ammonia (NH3) gas oxidation (a chemically and electrochemically irreversible redox process) in an ionic liquid over a concentration range of 10–100 ppm. Four different platinum electrodes are employed: a screen‐printed electrode (SPE), a thin‐film electrode (TFE), a microarray thin‐film electrode (MATFE) and a Pt microdisk electrode (μ‐disk). Calibration plots (current vs concentration) for all three different electrochemical techniques on all four surfaces showed excellent linearity with increased concentrations of NH3 gas and relatively low limits of detection (LODs). On the larger mm‐sized surfaces (SPE and TFE), the current responses for LSV and SWV were quite similar, but DPV gave the lowest currents. Whereas for the smaller micron sized electrodes (MATFE and μ‐disk), currents were of the order LSV>SWV>DPV, with LSV being far superior to the pulse techniques. These findings suggest that the pulse techniques of SWV and DPV may not be the optimum methods, particularly on microelectrodes, for the detection of analytes such as ammonia in RTILs.
In‐depth insight into the methods of plasma protein‐drug interaction studies: Comparison of capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry, circular dichroism and equilibrium dialysis
Authors: Nevídalová Hana , Michalcová Lenka , Glatz Zdeněk
Published: November 2017

Plasma protein‐drug binding assays are routinely performed during the early stages of drug discovery and development, which creates demand for an automated high‐throughput screening assay to increase laboratory efficiency. A comprehensive comparison of the four methods typically used for determining the binding parameters is presented in this study with respect to the above demand. Capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis, isothermal titration calorimetry, circular dichroism and equilibrium dialysis were used to study the affinity of human serum albumin for diclofenac and lidocaine. These model drugs were chosen due to their different physico‐chemical properties and different binding sites on the albumin molecule, also resulting in different binding strength. The binding parameters estimated under the conditions as similar as possible were comparable among all these approaches as well as to the literature values. Besides this, the comparison of the results and especially other considerations demonstrated the benefits and drawbacks of the selected methods, with capillary electrophoresis‐frontal analysis being the best candidate for such studies.
Development and validation of a novel sensitive UV‐direct capillary electrophoresis method for quantification of alendronate in release studies from biomaterials
Authors: Cattalini Juan Pablo , Mouriño Viviana Silvia , Lucangioli Silvia Edith
Published: November 2017

A simple, highly sensitive, and robust CE method applied to the determination of alendronate (ALN) was developed from matrices for tissue engineering, characterized by being highly complex systems. The novel method was based on the ALN derivatization with o‐phthalaldehyde and 2‐mercaptoethanol for direct ultraviolet detection at 254 nm. The BGE consisted of 20 mM sodium borate buffer at pH 10, and the electrophoretic parameters were optimized.The method was validated in terms of specificity, linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, accuracy, and robustness. The LOD and LOQ obtained were 0.8 and 2.7 μg/mL, respectively. In addition, the method offers higher sensitivity and specificity compared to other CE and HPLC methods using UV‐detectors, as well as low cost and simplicity that allowed the rapid and simple quantitation of ALN from bone regeneration matrices.
A first‐order, ratio‐based nonparametric separability test for spatiotemporal point processes
Authors: Fuentes‐Santos Isabel , González‐Manteiga Wenceslao , Mateu Jorge
Published: November 2017

Testing whether the intensity function of a spatiotemporal point process is separable should be one of the first steps in the analysis of any observed pattern. Under separability, the risk of observing an event at timetis spatially invariant, that is, the ratio between the intensity functions of the spatiotemporal point process and its spatial marginal does not depend on the spatial location of events. Considering this property, this work proposes testing separability through a regression test that checks the dependence of the ratio function on the spatial locations. To implement the test, we introduce a kernel estimator of the log‐ratio function and a cross‐validation bandwidth selector. The simulation studies conducted to analyze the performance of the test point out the need to use a permutation test to calibrate the null distribution. Comparison with nonparametric separability tests currently available reported that the no‐effect test provides a better calibration under the null hypothesis, and it is competitive in power with the current tests under the alternative hypothesis. The performance of the test is also illustrated throughout its application to the analysis of the spatiotemporal patterns of wildfires registered in Galicia (NW Spain) during 2006.
Are doses of lamotrigine or levetiracetam adjusted during pregnancy?
Authors: Richards Noni , Reith David , Stitely Michael , Smith Alesha
Published: November 2017

Subtherapeutic levels of lamotrigine and levetiracetam are more likely to occur during pregnancy owing to the effect of pregnancy on their pharmacokinetics. This can lead to suboptimal control of epilepsy, and guidelines recommend proactive dose adjustment in the second and third trimesters alongside therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). This retrospective cohort study using administrative databases aimed to investigate whether prescribers adjust the dose of lamotrigine or levetiracetam during and after pregnancy and whether TDM is used to manage dose adjustment. In 460 individual pregnancies, 232 women (61.4%) had their lamotrigine dose increased in the second and third trimesters and 44 women (53.7%) had their levetiracetam dose increased. Only 57 women (12.4%) had any TDM. The dose was not always decreased postpartum, and 157 women (56.9% of those who had escalated doses during pregnancy) had dose reduced following birth. Between 2012 and 2015, 29 women had an epilepsy‐coded hospital discharge during pregnancy and were more likely to have had their dose of lamotrigine or levetiracetam increased. Overall, doses of lamotrigine and levetiracetam were not increased during pregnancy in 40% of the study population, dose changes were not often guided by TDM, and doses were not always reduced postpartum.
A depth‐averaged two‐phase model for debris flows over erodible beds
Authors: Li Ji , Cao Zhixian , Hu Kaiheng , Pender Gareth , Liu Qingquan
Published: November 2017

Mass exchange between debris flow and the bed plays a vital role in debris flow dynamics. Here a depth‐averaged two‐phase model is proposed for debris flows over erodible beds. Compared to previous depth‐averaged two‐phase models, the present model features a physical step forward by explicitly incorporating the mass exchange between the flow and the bed. A widely used closure model in fluvial hydraulics is employed to estimate the mass exchange between the debris flow and the bed, and an existing relationship for bed entrainment rate is introduced for comparison. Also, two distinct closure models for the bed shear stresses are evaluated. One uses the Coulomb friction law and Manning's equation to determine the solid and fluid resistances respectively, while the other employs an analytically derived formula for the solid phase and the mixing length approach for the fluid phase. A well‐balanced numerical algorithm is applied to solve the governing equations of the model. The present model is first shown to reproduce average sediment concentrations in steady and uniform debris flows over saturated bed as compared to an existing formula underpinned by experimental datasets. Then, it is demonstrated to perform rather well as compared to the full set of USGS large‐scale experimental debris flows over erodible beds, in producing debris flow depth, front location and bed deformation. The effects of initial conditions on debris flow mass and momentum gain are resolved by the present model, which explicitly demonstrates the roles of the wetness, porosity and volume of bed sediments in affecting the flow. By virtue of extended modeling cases, the present model produces debris flow efficiency that, as revealed by existing observations and empirical relations, increases with initial volume, which is enhanced by mass gain from the bed. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anomalous bioaccumulation of lead in the earthworm Eisenoides lonnbergi (Michaelsen)
Authors: Beyer W. Nelson , Codling Eton E. , Rutzke Michael A.
Published: November 2017

Lead concentrations in soil organisms are usually well below those in the associated soil and tend to decrease with each higher trophic level in a food chain. Earthworms of the species Eisenoides lonnbergi provide an exception to this observation, accumulating very high concentrations of lead from acidic soils. Earthworms belonging to this species were collected from strongly to extremely acidic soils at 16 sites on a wildlife refuge in Maryland, USA. A lead concentration as high as 766 mg/kg, dry weight, was detected in depurated E. lonnbergi collected from soil containing only 17 mg/kg of lead. Concentration factors (ratio of lead concentration in earthworms to lead concentration in soil, dry wt) were highly variable at the sites, from 1.0 to 83. As suggested previously, lead absorption by earthworms is enhanced in low-calcium soils. The anomalously high concentrations of lead found in E. lonnbergi are more closely correlated with the uptake of calcium from acidic soils than with bioaccessibility of soil lead. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:914–919. Published 2017 Wiley Periodicals Inc. on behalf of SETAC. This article is a US government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.
Multivariate statistical analysis of a large odorants database aimed at revealing similarities and links between odorants and odors
Authors: Tromelin Anne , Chabanet Claire , Audouze Karine , Koensgen Florian , Guichard Elisabeth
Published: November 2017

The perception of odor is an important component of smell; the first step of odor detection, and the discrimination of structurally diverse odorants depends on their interactions with olfactory receptors (ORs). Indeed, the perception of an odor's quality results from a combinatorial coding, in which the deciphering remains a major challenge.

Several studies have successfully established links between odors and odorants by categorizing and classifying data. Hence, the categorization of odors appears to be a promising way to manage odors.

In the proposed study, we performed a computational analysis using odor descriptions of the odorants present in Flavor‐Base 9th Edition (2013). We converted the Flavor‐Base data into a binary matrix (1 when the odor note appears in the odor description, 0 otherwise). We retained 251 odor notes and 3508 odorants, considering only the orthonasal perception. Two categorization methods were performed: agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC), and self‐organizing map (SOM). AHC was based on a measure of the distance between the elements performed by multidimensional scaling (MDS) for the odorants, and correspondence analysis (CA) for the odor notes.

The results demonstrated that the SOM classes appeared to be less dependent on the frequency of the odor notes than those of the AHC clusters. SOMs are especially useful for identifying the associations between less than 4 or 5 odor notes within groups of odorants.

The obtained results highlight subsets of odorants sharing similar groups of odor notes, suggesting an interesting and promising way of using computational approaches to help decipher olfactory coding.
Geoarchaeology in an urban context: The town of Reggio Emilia and river dynamics during the last two millennia in Northern Italy
Authors: Cremaschi Mauro , Storchi Paolo , Perego Alessandro
Published: November 2017

On the grounds of geomorphological evidence, core stratigraphy, and archaeological and historical sources, the relationships between the urban development of Reggio Emilia (Po River plain, Northern Italy) and the adjoining Crostolo River are reconstructed over the last two millennia. The town of Reggio Emilia was established in the second century B.C. along the Crostolo River, but geographic relationships between river and town changed several times because of the collective effects of human activity, geological processes, and climatic change. The course of the Crostolo was artificially diverted outside Reggio Emilia during the Roman age and in the years A.D. 1250 and A.D. 1571, largely because of westward stream migration. This progressive shift was triggered by the neotectonic activity of buried folded thrusts. Vertical displacements resulted in uplift and conversely in the subsidence of Reggio Emilia's northwest margin. Stream migration patterns were thereby displaced westward. Climate change also affected the behavior of the Crostolo River as increased flooding during the early Medieval period and consequent channel instability underpinned engineering efforts to rechannel stream flow via a canal built along the city walls in A.D. 1571 at the onset of the Little Ice Age.
Current technical approaches to brain energy metabolism
Authors: Barros L. Felipe , Bolaños Juan P. , Bonvento Gilles , Bouzier‐Sore Anne‐Karine , Brown Angus , Hirrlinger Johannes , Kasparov Sergey , Kirchhoff Frank , Murphy Anne N. , Pellerin Luc , Robinson Michael B. , Weber Bruno
Published: November 2017

Neuroscience is a technology‐driven discipline and brain energy metabolism is no exception. Once satisfied with mapping metabolic pathways at organ level, we are now looking to learn what it is exactly that metabolic enzymes and transporters do and when, where do they reside, how are they regulated, and how do they relate to the specific functions of neurons, glial cells, and their subcellular domains and organelles, in different areas of the brain. Moreover, we aim to quantify the fluxes of metabolites within and between cells. Energy metabolism is not just a necessity for proper cell function and viability but plays specific roles in higher brain functions such as memory processing and behavior, whose mechanisms need to be understood at all hierarchical levels, from isolated proteins to whole subjects, in both health and disease. To this aim, the field takes advantage of diverse disciplines including anatomy, histology, physiology, biochemistry, bioenergetics, cellular biology, molecular biology, developmental biology, neurology, and mathematical modeling. This article presents a well‐referenced synopsis of the technical side of brain energy metabolism research. Detail and jargon are avoided whenever possible and emphasis is given to comparative strengths, limitations, and weaknesses, information that is often not available in regular articles.
Dynamics and fluxes of organic carbon and nitrogen in two Guiana Shield river basins impacted by deforestation and mining activities
Authors: Gallay Marjorie , Mora Abrahan , Martinez Jean‐Michel , Gardel Antoine , Laraque Alain , Sarrazin Max , Beaucher Eric , Doudou Jean‐Claude , Lagane Christelle
Published: November 2017

Deforestation and mining activities have proven to be very damaging to rivers because these activities disturb the environmental characteristics of rivers. Thus, the concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), and Chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐a) were measured monthly during 2 hydrological years in the Maroni and Oyapock Rivers to assess the dynamics and fluxes of organic carbon and nitrogen in these 2 Guiana Shield basins, which have been strongly (Maroni) and weakly (Oyapock) impacted by deforestation and mining activities. The 2‐year time series show that DOC, POC, PN, and Chl‐a concentrations vary seasonally with discharge in both rivers, indicating a hydrologically dominated control. Temporal patterns of DOC, POC, and PN indicate that these variables show maximum concentrations in rising waters due to the yield of organic matter and nitrogen accumulated in soils, which are incorporated into the rivers during rainfall. However, the Chl‐a concentrations were at a maximum during low‐water stages. The C/N and C/Chl‐a ratios also showed a seasonal trend, with lower values during the low water periods due to an increase in algal biomass. During high water, the POC in both rivers is the result of terrestrial organic matter, whereas during low‐water autochthonous organic matter can reach up to 34% of the POC. The mean annual fluxes of TOC and PN were higher (4.56 × 105 tonC year−1 and 1.77 × 104 tonN year−1, respectively) in the Maroni River than those (1.84 × 105 tonC year−1 and 0.54 × 104 tonN year−1, respectively) in the Oyapock River. However, the specific fluxes of DOC, POC, and PN from both basins were nearly the same. Although gold mining activities are performed in both basins, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the impact of these activities on the dynamics of organic matter and particulate nitrogen in the Maroni and Oyapock Rivers.
Expanding Argument Instruction: Incorporating Multimodality and Digital Tools
Authors: Howell Emily
Published: November 2017

The researcher conducted a formative experiment in a ninth‐ and a 10th‐grade English classroom to observe a multiliteracies‐based intervention implemented to improve high school students’ arguments. Traditionally, argument is taught from a cognitive perspective, emphasizing concepts such as claims, evidence, and warrants. However, arguments are also creations of social practice that incorporate the multimodality that digital tools afford. The author discusses three assertions regarding multimodality, social practice and digital tools, and transfer in relation to expanding argument instruction.
Measuring crisis risk using conditional copulas: An empirical analysis of the 2008 shipping crisis
Authors: Opitz Sebastian , Seidel Henry , Szimayer Alexander
Published: November 2017

The shipping crisis starting in 2008 was characterized by sharply decreasing freight rates and sharply increasing financing costs. We analyze the dependence structure of these two risk factors employing a conditional copula model. As conditioning factors we use the supply and demand of seaborne transportation. We find that crisis risk strongly increased already about 1 year before the actual crisis outburst and that the shipping crisis was predominantly driven by an oversupply of transport capacity. Therefore, market participants could have prevented or alleviated the consequences of the crisis by reducing the ordering and financing of new vessels.
Inflammatory milieu cultivated Sema3A signaling promotes chondrocyte apoptosis in knee osteoarthritis
Authors: Sun Jie , Wei Xuelei , Wang Zengliang , Liu Yunjiao , Lu Jie , Lu Yandong , Cui Meng , Zhang Xi , Li Fangguo
Published: November 2017

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading degenerative joint disease and featured by articular cartilage destruction, where chondrocyte apoptosis plays a critical role. Semaphorin‐3A (Sema3A) has been implicated in OA chondrocyte physiology. In this study we aimed to uncover how Sema3A signaling is regulated in chondrocytes and investigate its role in OA chondrocyte survival. Here, we report that Sema3A and its receptor neuropilin‐1 (Nrp1) are synchronously upregulated in cartilage chondrocytes of knee OA patients. Their expressions in chondrocytes could be induced by the stimulation of proinflammatory cytokines IL‐1β and TNF‐α and subsequent transcriptional activation orchestrated by C/EBPβ. The resulting excessive Sema3A signaling promotes chondrocyte apoptosis through impairing PI3K/Akt prosurvival signaling. These findings indicate a regulatory mechanism and a proapoptotic function of aberrant Sema3A signaling in OA chondrocytes, and suggest that targeting Sema3A signaling might interfere OA pathogenesis.
A simple formula for the number of spanning trees of line graphs
Authors: Gong Helin , Jin Xian'an
Published: November 2017

Suppose is a loopless graph and is the graph obtained from G by subdividing each of its edges k () times. Let be the set of all spanning trees of G, be the line graph of the graph and be the number of spanning trees of . By using techniques from electrical networks, we first obtain the following simple formula:
urn:x-wiley:03649024:media:jgt22212:jgt22212-math-0009Then we find it is in fact equivalent to a complicated formula obtained recently using combinatorial techniques in [F. M. Dong and W. G. Yan, Expression for the number of spanning trees of line graphs of arbitrary connected graphs, J. Graph Theory. 85 (2017) 74–93].
Income Effects on Intra‐Household Time Allocation: Regression Discontinuity Evidence
Authors: Ndlovu Patrick , Mohapatra Sandeep , Luckert Marty
Published: November 2017

We examine the causal effect of income transfers on time allocations of household members into market work, domestic work and leisure, using primary data from rural South Africa. Female income decreases male leisure and increases male work, while men's income has opposite effects on women. Men's income is nurturing of women's time with salutary effects on both women's leisure and drudgery of domestic work. Adjustments in women's domestic work and leisure time remain missing links in the empirical literature on gender gaps. Our findings reveal significant gender‐based asymmetries in income effects that are critical for development policy design. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Incubation with Cu(II) and Zn(II) salts enhances MALDI‐TOF mass spectra of amyloid‐beta and α‐synuclein toward in vivo analysis
Authors: Kelley Andrea R. , Colley Madeline E. , Perry George , Bach Stephan B.H.
Published: November 2017

Insoluble senile plaque aggregates are indicative of Alzheimer's disease pathology. A similar phenomenon occurs in Parkinson's disease with the build‐up of Lewy bodies. The analysis of senile plaques, and other brain samples, from Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease patients by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry has advantages but also presents obstacles because of the nature of the processes utilized in isolation procedures and storage. Salts, buffers, and detergents necessary in the isolation of biological species may cause adducts and ion suppression that convolute the spectra obtained. We previously determined that amyloid‐beta from isolated senile plaque deposits fragment similarly to the synthetic 40 and 42 amino acid peptide when analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. In addition, α‐synuclein also fragments predictably by in‐source decay. This provides information that may be applied to the identification and localization of amyloid‐beta and α‐synuclein in senile plaques and intact tissue sections. Ion suppression must still be accounted for when analyzing biological samples, which makes identifying fragments at lower abundance difficult. The addition of certain transition‐metal salts (Cu(II), Zn(II)) to the sample prior to analysis serves to “clean” the spectra and allow the peptide fragments produced to be observed with a much higher signal to noise and occasionally, improved resolution. We present a systematic study of incubation with different metal salts and their impact on the quality of the spectra, as well as the role of the binding of the metals to the model biological compounds, obtained for synthetic amyloid‐beta, synthetic α‐synuclein, and isolated senile plaques. The optimized sample preparation methods presented will provide for simpler and more thorough identification of these biologically relevant species in human‐derived samples.
A temperature‐dependent surface potential‐based algorithm for extraction of threshold voltage in homojunction TFETs
Authors: Goswami Rupam , Bhowmick Brinda
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we propose an algorithm to extract threshold voltage in homojunction tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs). Single gate TFET and double gate TFET are the geometries which are considered for verification of the method. Firstly, a generalized model of surface potential based on 2D Poisson equation for homojunction TFETs is developed. Secondly, the algorithm involves a number of geometrical operations on surface potential plots, which are performed computationally. From the plots of surface potential and the geometrical constructions, a parameter, range_point, is defined through mathematical formulations. The threshold voltage is determined by subjecting the range_point to a set of constraints which are found to be same for both the devices. The validity of the algorithm is confirmed by considering different parameters like drain voltage, gate oxide thickness, and temperature for both low‐k and high‐k gate dielectric materials in TFETs. The temperature variation is validated for a heterojunction TFET too using the same generalized model of surface potential.
Expression, purification, and characterization of a novel laccase from Setosphaeria turcica in Eschericha coli
Authors: Ma Shuangxin , Liu Ning , Jia Hui , Dai Dongqing , Zang Jinping , Cao Zhiyan , Dong Jingao
Published: November 2017

Laccases are multicopper oxidases (E.C. 1.10.3.2) that catalyze the oxidation of many phenolic compounds. In this study, a novel laccase, Stlac4, from Setosphaeria turcica was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli by insertion into the pET‐30a expression plasmid. The recombinant laccase was purified and visualized on SDS–PAGE as a single band with an apparent molecular weight of 71.5 KDa, and confirmed by Western blot. The maximum activity of the purified laccase was 127.78 U · mg−1, the optimum temperature and pH value were 60 °C and 4.0 respectively, measured by oxidation of 2,2′‐Azinobis‐(3‐ethylbenzthiazoline‐6‐sulphonate) (ABTS). Purified laccase activity under different metal ions and an inhibitor were tested, revealing that laccase activity increased by approximately 434.8% with Fe3+, and 217.4% with Cu2+ at 10 mmol · L−1 concentrations, Mn2+ increased the laccase activity only at 5 mmol · L−1, while Na+ increased activity at 1 mmol · L−1 but inhibited activity at 5 and 10 mmol · L−1. SDS increased laccase activity at 1 mmol · L−1, and inhibited activity at 5 and 10 mmol · L−1.
Development, evolution and drainage of glacial Lake Naskaupi during the deglaciation of north‐central Quebec and Labrador
Authors: DUBÉ‐LOUBERT HUGO , ROY MARTIN
Published: November 2017

Deglaciation of north‐central Quebec and Labrador led to the development of large ice‐dammed lakes in river valleys surrounding Ungava Bay. These lakes are poorly understood due to uncertainties in the regional pattern of ice retreat. Lake Naskaupi occupied the George River valley where systematic mapping of glacial landforms and extensive elevation measurements of shorelines reveal a complex history characterized by multiple lake levels. Our reconstruction documents three well‐defined lake levels marking extensive lake stages. Additional lake levels are poorly developed and relate to short‐lived, transient lake stages. During its main stage (N2′), Lake Naskaupi consisted of two separate basins that evolved independently for some time. This configuration resulted from the persistence of cold‐based ice conditions during the deglaciation that caused the retreating ice margin to remain in the middle section of the river valley. The presence of this ice dam is supported by large‐scale outburst flood deposits that record the abrupt drainage of the southern Naskaupi basin. The magnitude of the elevation changes between the remaining lower lake levels suggests the occurrence of at least one other major drawdown before the final lake drainage. Reconstruction of the N2′ lake stage provides a minimum meltwater volume estimate for the lake.
Cover Image, Volume 97, Issue 15
Authors: Ventura‐Aguilar Rosa Isela , Bosquez‐Molina Elsa , Bautista‐Baños Silvia , Rivera‐Cabrera Fernando
Published: November 2017

The cover image, by Rosa Isela Ventura‐Aguilar et al., is based on the Review Cactus stem (Opuntia ficus‐indica Mill): anatomy, physiology and chemical composition with emphasis on its biofunctional properties, DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.8493.

image
3D Micro‐Printing Goes Macro
Authors: Rodríguez Sofía , Frölich Andreas
Published: November 2017

In 1997, Satoshi Kawata and his colleagues from the Osaka University in Japan introduced a revolutionary method for three‐dimensional microfabrication based on two‐photon polymerization (2PP) [1]. Today, this 3D direct laser writing technique allows for building nano‐, micro‐ and millimeter‐sized objects of almost any desired shape with easy processes along a classical 3D printing workflow. 2PP uses photopolymerizable resins as printable matter. For this purpose, tailor‐made 2PP resins have been designed. They target needs ranging from nanometer resolution printing to reduced aberration patterning and smooth surface finishes. However, when deciding on mesoscale fabrication, the right choice of 3D printing technique is not evident. A novel, tailor‐made resin provides a viable approach for rapid 3D printing on the mesoscale.
Sequence Controlled Polymers from a Novel β‐Cyclodextrin Core
Authors: Abdouni Yamin , Yilmaz Gökhan , Becer C. Remzi
Published: November 2017

In this work the synthesis and use of a novel β‐cyclodextrin‐based single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) initiator are reported. Three different approaches toward the synthesis of this initiator, based on several “click”‐like reactions (copper(I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition, nucleophilic thiol‐ene reaction, and radical thiol‐ene reaction), are explored and discussed. Synthesis via radical thiol‐ene proves to be most successful in achieving this. The β‐cyclodextrin‐based initiator is subsequently used for the polymerization of several acrylates in a controlled fashion, yielding 7‐arm multiblock copolymers. The achieved sequence‐controlled polymers exhibit low dispersities (≤1.12) and are completed under 6.5 h at high monomer conversion (≥95%) for each block.
Asymptotic approximation for the solution to a semilinear parabolic problem in a thin star‐shaped junction
Authors: Klevtsovskiy Arsen , Mel'nyk Taras
Published: November 2017

A semilinear parabolic problem is considered in a thin 3‐D star‐shaped junction that consists of several thin curvilinear cylinders that are joined through a domain (node) of diameter

The purpose is to study the asymptotic behavior of the solution uε as ε→0, ie, when the star‐shaped junction is transformed in a graph. In addition, the passage to the limit is accompanied by special intensity factors
and
in nonlinear perturbed Robin boundary conditions.

We establish qualitatively different cases in the asymptotic behavior of the solution depending on the value of the parameters {αi}and {βi}. Using the multiscale analysis, the asymptotic approximation for the solution is constructed and justified as the parameter ε→0. Namely, in each case, we derive the limit problem (ε=0)on the graph with the corresponding Kirchhoff transmission conditions (untypical in some cases) at the vertex,   define other terms of the asymptotic approximation and prove appropriate asymptotic estimates that justify these coupling conditions at the vertex, and show the impact of the local geometric heterogeneity of the node and physical processes in the node on some properties of the solution.
Existence and asymptotic behavior of the least energy solutions for fractional Choquard equations with potential well
Authors: Guo Lun , Hu Tingxi
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we consider the following nonlinear Choquard equation driven by fractional Laplacian

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma4653:mma4653-math-0001
where V(x) is a nonnegative continuous potential function, 0<s<1, N≥2, (N−4s)+<α<N, and λ is a positive parameter. By variational methods, we prove the existence of least energy solution which localizes near the bottom of potential well int(V−1(0)) as λ large enough.
The Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry: Proposal for a polytomous scoring system
Authors: Gómez‐Benito Juana , Berrío Ángela I. , Guilera Georgina , Rojo Emilio , Purdon Scot , Pino Oscar
Published: November 2017

The Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry is a simple, fast, and easy to administer scale that has been validated in clinical and community samples. The aim of this study was to propose a polytomous scoring system for the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry and to demonstrate its functioning, thus providing new and complementary information regarding the utility and precision of this screening tool. Three hundred seventy‐six Spanish patients diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorder were evaluated. A polytomous scoring system was generated and analyzed by means of the partial credit model. Category assessment revealed optimal functioning after collapsing the 7‐category system to 1 with either 5 or 4 categories, depending on the item. The proposed polytomous scoring system shows good psychometric properties and an adequate fit to the partial credit model. These results provide further confirmation of the test's utility in clinical settings and of its suitability for detecting cognitive impairment.
In silico size selection is effective in reducing false positive NIPS cases of monosomy X that are due to maternal mosaic monosomy X
Authors: Shubina Jekaterina , Trofimov Dmitry Yu , Barkov Ilya Yu , Stupko Olga K. , Goltsov Andrey Yu , Mukosey Irina S. , Tetruashvili Nana K. , Kim Lyudmila V. , Bakharev Vladimir A. , Karetnikova Natalia A. , Kochetkova Taisya O. , Krasheninnikova Regina V. , Bystritskiy Andrey A. , Sukhikh Gennady T.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

The aim of this study was to establish maternal contribution to false positive noninvasive prenatal DNA screening (NIPS) results and develop the method to distinguish maternal and fetal origin of high‐risk monosomy X NIPS calls including mosaic maternal cases.

Method

A total of 906 women carrying singleton pregnancies have been recruited. Maternal plasma DNA semiconductor massive parallel sequencing was performed to detect common aneuploidies. For the case of high monosomy X risk call, analysis method to distinguish fetal and maternal monosomy X has been additionally applied.

Results

According to NIPS results, 18 patients had a high risk of fetal monosomy X. In 11 (61%) cases, fetal aneuploidy was confirmed by karyotyping. Other 7 cases were false positives. In 3 out of 7 cases, additional analysis based on in silico size selection was allowed to assume maternal monosomy X. In these cases, fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis confirmed mosaic monosomy X in maternal blood cells.

Conclusion

The prevalence of mosaic monosomy X karyotype is 0.3% (3/906)—10 times higher than published before. Additional in silico size‐selection and data analysis increases PPV for monosomy X from 61% to 73% for studied population.
Fetal growth standards in gastroschisis: Reference values for ultrasound measurements
Authors: Barbieri Mariane Massaini , Bennini João Renato , Nomura Marcelo Luís , Morais Sirlei Siani , Surita Fernanda Garanhani
Published: November 2017

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to create growth curves based on ultrasonography biometric parameters of fetuses with gastroschisis, comparing them with normal growth standards, and to analyze umbilical artery (UA) Doppler velocimetry patterns.

Methods

A cohort study of 72 fetuses with gastroschisis, at gestational ages between 14 and 39 weeks was designed. Mean and standard deviation were calculated, with the 5th, 10th, 50th, 90th, and 95th centiles being established for biometric parameters according to gestational age. Curves were obtained, comparing with normal reference via the Mann‐Whitney test. UA Doppler velocimetry patterns were obtained.

Results

A total of 434 examinations were performed, and centiles were established for biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, and estimated fetal weight. A significant difference was observed between the gastroschisis measurements when compared to control, with all curves shifted downwards. Abdominal circumference was the parameter presenting the largest difference. Estimated fetal weight was also lower, with mean difference of 256.3 ± 166.8 g for the 50th centile (P < .0001). UA Doppler velocimetry was normal in 97.5%.

Conclusions

Fetuses with gastroschisis show symmetrical growth deficits in the second and third trimesters, with normal UA Doppler velocimetry. These results reinforce the hypothesis that they are constitutionally smaller, yet not restricted because of placental insufficiency.