bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HLA‐DRB3/4/5 mismatches are associated with increased risk of acute GVHD in 10/10 matched unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Ducreux Stéphanie , Dubois Valérie , Amokrane Kahina , Yakoub‐Agha Ibrahim , Labalette Myriam , Michallet Mauricette , Rubio Marie‐Thérèse , Kennel Anne , Forcade Edouard , Lafarge Xavier , Bulabois Claude‐Eric , Masson Dominique , Daguindau Etienne , Devys Anne , Moalic Virginie , Quelvennec Erwann , Boudifa Abdelali , Picard Christophe , Van Endert Peter , de Matteis Muriel , Delbos Florent , Filloux Matthieu , Pedron Béatrice , Renac Virginie , Hau Françoise , Bonneau Julie , Parissiadis Anne , Fort Marylise , Dormoy Anne , Maillard Natacha , Jollet Isabelle , Chevallier Patrice , Cesbron Anne , Bay Jacques‐Olivier , Quainon Fabienne , Garnier Federico , Socié Gérard , Loiseau Pascale , Porcher Raphaël , Peffault de Latour Régis ,   on behalf of the Société Francophone de Greffe de Moelle et de Thérapie Cellulaire (SFGM‐TC) and the Société Francophone d'Histocompatibilité et d'Immunogénétique (SFHI)
Published: May 2018

Matching for HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C, and ‐DRB1 loci (8/8 match) is currently the gold standard for unrelated donor hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). In Europe, patients are also matched at the HLA‐DQB1 loci (10/10 match). However, there is increasing evidence that matching at HLA‐DRB3/4/5 loci may help to lower transplant‐related morbidity and mortality. We therefore investigated the impact of HLA‐DRB3/4/5 mismatches on outcomes in 1975 patients who received a first 10/10 matched unrelated donor (MUD) HCT in France from 2000 to 2012 for a hematological malignancy. High‐resolution typing was performed at HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C, ‐DRB1, ‐DQB1, ‐DPB1, and ‐DRB3/4/5 loci for all donor/recipient pairs. Compared with DRB3/4/5‐matched pairs, patients who received a MUD HCT from a DRB3/4/5 mismatched donor had a significantly increased risk of grade II‐IV acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD) (Adjusted Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.43 (1.07 to 1.90)) associated with lower graft‐versus‐host disease‐free and relapse‐free survival (GRFS) (Adjusted HR 1.20 (1.02 to 1.42)). Conversely, we observed no differences in terms of chronic GVHD, nonrelapse mortality, relapse and overall survival. However, we believe that patients stand to benefit from DRB3/4/5 loci being considered for unrelated donor selection to improve GRFS and then quality of life after unrelated HCT.
Patient‐reported health‐related quality of life from the phase III TOURMALINE‐MM1 study of ixazomib‐lenalidomide‐dexamethasone versus placebo‐lenalidomide‐dexamethasone in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma
Authors: Leleu Xavier , Masszi Tamas , Bahlis Nizar J. , Viterbo Luisa , Baker Bartrum , Gimsing Peter , Maisnar Vladimir , Samoilova Olga , Rosiñol Laura , Langer Christian , Song Kevin , Izumi Tohru , Cleeland Charles , Berg Deborah , Lin Huamao Mark , Zhu Yanyan , Skacel Tomas , Moreau Philippe , Richardson Paul G.
Published: May 2018

TOURMALINE‐MM1 is a phase III, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of ixazomib plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (IRd) versus placebo‐Rd in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma following 1–3 prior lines of therapy. The study met its primary endpoint, demonstrating significantly longer progression‐free survival (PFS) in the IRd arm versus placebo‐Rd arm (median 20.6 vs 14.7 months, hazard ratio 0.74, P = .01), with limited additional toxicity. Patient‐reported health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) was a secondary endpoint of TOURMALINE‐MM1. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core‐30 (QLQ‐C30) and Multiple Myeloma Module 20 (QLQ‐MY20) were completed at screening, the start of cycles 1 and 2, every other cycle, the end of treatment, and every 4 weeks until progression. Over median follow‐up of 23.3 and 22.9 months in the IRd and placebo‐Rd arms, mean QLQ‐C30 global health status (GHS)/QoL scores were maintained from baseline over the course of treatment in both groups, with no statistically significant differences between groups. EORTC QLQ‐C30 function domain scores were also generally maintained from baseline; similarly, physical, emotional, and social function domains were maintained with IRd versus placebo‐Rd, with slightly higher mean change from baseline scores at earlier time points with IRd. Findings from this double‐blind study demonstrate that addition of ixazomib to Rd significantly improved efficacy while HRQoL was maintained, reflecting the limited additional toxicity seen with IRd versus placebo‐Rd, and support the feasibility of long‐term IRd administration.
Syntheses of Highly Functionalized Spirocyclohexenes by Formal [4+2] Annulation of Arylidene Azlactones with Allenoates
Authors: Eitzinger Andreas , Zielke Katharina , Widhalm Michael , Robiette Raphaël , Waser Mario
Published: May 2018

A straightforward phosphine‐catalyzed formal [4+2] annulation between α‐branched allenoates and arylidene azlactones has been developed to access highly functionalized spirocyclohexenes. This cyclization favors the γ‐addition of the phosphine‐activated allenoates over a β′‐addition pathway. Detailed computational studies support the proposed mechanism and provide a reasonable explanation for the observed regioselectivity and the noted effect of the catalyst.
Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation evokes resonant neural activity
Authors: Sinclair Nicholas C. , McDermott Hugh J. , Bulluss Kristian J. , Fallon James B. , Perera Thushara , Xu San San , Brown Peter , Thevathasan Wesley
Published: May 2018

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a rapidly expanding treatment for neurological and psychiatric conditions; however, a target‐specific biomarker is required to optimize therapy. Here, we show that DBS evokes a large‐amplitude resonant neural response focally in the subthalamic nucleus. This response is greatest in the dorsal region (the clinically optimal stimulation target for Parkinson disease), coincides with improved clinical performance, is chronically recordable, and is present under general anesthesia. These features make it a readily utilizable electrophysiological signal that could potentially be used for guiding electrode implantation surgery and tailoring DBS therapy to improve patient outcomes. Ann Neurol 2018;83:1027–1031
Blue‐Emissive Cobalt(III) Complexes and Their Use in the Photocatalytic Trifluoromethylation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons
Authors: Pal Amlan K. , Li Chenfei , Hanan Garry S. , Zysman‐Colman Eli
Published: May 2018

Room‐temperature luminescent CoIII complexes (1 and 2) are presented that exhibit intense ligand‐to‐metal and ligand‐to‐ligand charge transfer absorption in the low‐energy UV region (λabs≈360–400 nm) and low‐negative quasi‐reversible reduction events (E1/2(red)=−0.58 V and −0.39 V vs. SCE for 1 and 2, respectively). The blue emission of 1 and 2 at RT is due to the large bite angles and strong σ‐donation of the ligands, the combined effect of which helps to separate the emissive 3LMCT (triplet ligand‐to‐metal charge transfer) and the non‐emissive 3MC (triplet metal‐centered) states. 1 and 2 were found to be powerful photo‐oxidants (E
=2.26 V and 2.75 V vs. SCE of 1 and 2, respectively) and were used as inexpensive photoredox catalysts for the regioselective mono(trifluoromethylation) of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in good yields (ca. 40–58 %).
Reinforcement effect of nanocellulose on thermal stability of nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) composites
Authors: Abdul Rashid Erfan Suryani , Muhd Julkapli Nurhidayatullaili Binti , Abdul Hadi Yehya Wageeh
Published: May 2018

Poor physical and chemical attraction between nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) matrix and filler resulted in low thermal properties. Therefore, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) as a reinforcement agent was used to increase the heat resistance and thermal stability of NBR composites. The addition of 2 phr NCC increased thermal stability and activation energy of NBR up to 75%. Meanwhile, the storage modulus of composites increased by 12 GPa at the similar loading of NCC. Good interfacial bonds of electrostatic interactions, formation of hydrogen bonds, crystallinity and nanosized of NCC are the main factors contribute to the final properties of NBR/NCC composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46594.
Gender differences in mental rotation strategy depend on degree of autistic traits
Authors: Stevenson Jennifer L. , Nonack Mary B.
Published: May 2018

Participants with low, medium, and high autistic traits completed a mental rotation task while their eye movements were recorded. Men were more accurate than women (F(1, 102) = 4.36, P = 0.04, η2p = 0.04), but there were no group differences in reaction time. In terms of eye movements, all participants tended to rely on top corners of cube figures for most angles of rotation, and bottom corners of cube figures for 0 and 90 degree rotations (duration: F(8, 816) = 21.70, P < 0.001, η2p = 0.18; count: F(8, 816) = 24.42, P < 0.001, η2p = 0.19) suggesting a shift in strategy with rotation angle. Eye movements to corners of cube figures also varied by autistic traits group and gender (duration: F(4, 204) = 2.44, P = 0.05, η2p = 0.05; count: F(4, 204) = 2.47, P = 0.05, η2p = 0.05). Participants with low and medium autistic traits tended to rely more often on the top corners, whereas women with high autistic traits relied on both the top and bottom corners and men with high autistic traits relied on all corners equally. These results suggest mental rotation strategies may vary by both gender and autistic traits. Autism Res 2018, 11: 1024–1037. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay Summary

The current study looked at eye movements to assess adults' strategies when mentally rotating three‐dimensional cube figures. Adults with varying levels of autistic traits differ in their mental rotation strategies. In addition, gender differences in strategies are observed in adults with the highest level of autistic traits.
Single‐Turnover Kinetics Reveal a Distinct Mode of Thiamine Diphosphate‐Dependent Catalysis in Vitamin K Biosynthesis
Authors: Qin Mingming , Song Haigang , Dai Xin , Chan Chi‐Kong , Chan Wan , Guo Zhihong
Published: May 2018

MenD, or (1R,2S,5S,6S)‐2‐succinyl‐5‐enolpyruvyl‐6‐hydroxycyclohex‐3‐ene‐1‐carboxylate (SEPHCHC) synthase, uses a thiamine diphosphate (ThDP)‐dependent tetrahedral Breslow intermediate rather than a canonical enamine for catalysis in the biosynthesis of vitamin K. By real‐time monitoring of the cofactor chemical state with circular dichroism spectroscopy, we found that a new post‐decarboxylation intermediate was formed from a multistep process that was rate limited by binding of the α‐ketoglutarate substrate before it quickly relaxed to the characterized tetrahedral Breslow intermediate. In addition, the chemical steps leading to the reactive post‐decarboxylation intermediates were not affected by the electrophilic substrate, isochorismate, whereas release of the product was found to limit the whole catalytic process. Moreover, these intermediates are likely kinetically stabilized owing to the low biological availability of isochorismate under physiological conditions, in contrast to the tight coupling of enamine formation with binding of the electrophilic acceptor in some other ThDP‐dependent enzymes. Together with the unusual tetrahedral structure of the intermediates, these findings strongly support a new ThDP‐dependent catalytic mode distinct from canonical enamine chemistry.
A custom‐made percutaneous flow‐restrictor to manage a symptomatic congenital porto‐systemic shunt in an infant
Authors: Roggen Mieke , Cools Bjorn , Maleux Geert , Gewillig Marc
Published: May 2018

Portosystemic shunts allow splanchnic blood to bypass the liver unfiltered, and may cause serious pulmonary and cerebral dysfunction; closure is therefore recommended. In patients where the portal system is hypoplastic, closure by a staged approach with a flow reducer may be necessary. We report a new, reliable, short, and adjustable device that can be delivered through a small 8‐Fr sheath.
Cost implications of intraprocedural thrombotic events and bleeding in percutaneous coronary intervention: Results from the CHAMPION PHOENIX ECONOMICS Study
Authors: Tamez Hector , Généreux Philip , Yeh Robert W. , Amin Amit P. , Fan Weihong , White Harvey D. , Kirtane Ajay J. , Stone Gregg W. , Gibson C. Michael , Harrington Robert A. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Pinto Duane S. ,   on behalf of the CHAMPION PHOENIX ECONOMICS Investigators
Published: May 2018

Background

Despite improvements in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), intraprocedural thrombotic events (IPTE) and bleeding complications occur and are prognostically important. These have not been included in prior economic studies.

Methods

PHOENIX ECONOMICS was a substudy of the CHAMPION PHOENIX trial, evaluating cangrelor during PCI. Hospital bills were reviewed from 1,171 patients enrolled at 22 of 63 US sites. Costs were estimated using standard methods including resource‐based accounting, hospital billing data, and the Medicare fee schedule. Bleeding and IPTE, defined as abrupt vessel closure (transient or sustained), new/suspected thrombus, new clot on wire/catheter, no reflow, side‐branch occlusion, procedural stent thrombosis or urgent need for CABG were identified. Costs were calculated according to whether a complication occurred and type of event. Multivariate analyses were used to estimate the incremental costs of IPTE and postprocedural events.

Results

IPTE occurred in 4.3% and were associated with higher catheterization laboratory and overall index hospitalization costs by $2,734 (95%CI $1,117, $4,351; P = 0.001) and $6,354 (95% CI $4,122, $8,586; P < 0.001), respectively. IPTE were associated with MI (35.4% vs. 3.6%; P < 0.001), out‐of‐laboratory stent thrombosis (4.2% vs. 0.1%; 0 = 0.005), ischemia driven revascularization (12.5% vs. 0.3%; P < 0.001), but not mortality (2.1% vs. 0.2%; P = 0.12) vs. no procedural thrombotic complication. By comparison, ACUITY minor bleeding increased hospitalization cost by $1,416 (95%CI = 312, $2,519; P = 0.012). ACUITY major bleeding increased cost of hospitalization by $7,894 (95%CI $4,154, $11,635; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

IPTE and bleeding complications, though infrequent, are associated with substantial increased cost. These complications should be collected in economic assessments of PCI.
Enantioselective, Noncovalent, Substrate‐Directable Heck–Matsuda and Oxidative Heck Arylations of Unactivated Five‐Membered Carbocyclic Olefins
Authors: de Oliveira Juliana Manso , Angnes Ricardo Almir , Khan Ismat Ullah , Polo Ellen Christine , Heerdt Gabriel , Servilha Bruno M. , Menezes da Silva Vitor H. , Braga Ataualpa A. C. , Correia Carlos Roque Duarte
Published: May 2018

Highly diastereo‐ and enantioselective, noncovalent, substrate‐directable Heck desymmetrizations of cyclopentenyl olefins containing hydroxymethyl and carboxylate functional groups are presented. These conformationally unbiased cyclic olefins underwent effective arylations in yields of up to 97 %, diastereoselectivity up to >20:1, and enantiomeric excesses of up to 99 %. Noncovalent directing effects were shown to be prevalent in both Heck–Matsuda and oxidative Heck reactions, allowing the preferential formation of cis‐substituted aryl cyclopentenes containing two stereocenters, including quaternary stereocenters. These results further validate the internal out‐of‐coordination‐sphere ion–dipole interaction concept directing the reaction diastereoselectivity to the cis‐Heck product. This approach is complementary to existing methods using bis‐phosphine monoxide ligands to give the opposite trans‐diastereoisomer. The applicability of the method is showcased by the straightforward synthesis of a potent phosphodiesterase 4 inhibitor in a diastereo‐ and enantioselective manner. The reaction is operationally simple and has broad scope with regard to the nature of the arenediazonium salt and boronic acid employed. The mechanism and origin of stereoselectivity were investigated with control experiments and DFT calculations that fully supported the stabilizing internal out‐of‐coordination‐sphere ion–dipole interaction between the resident functional group and cationic palladium.
Characteristics and outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies receiving chemotherapy in the intensive care unit
Authors: Pastores Stephen M. , Goldman Debra A. , Shaz David J. , Kostelecky Natalie , Daley Ryan J. , Peterson Tim J. , Tan Kay See , Halpern Neil A.
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study was to evaluate the short‐term and long‐term outcomes of adult patients with hematologic malignancies who received chemotherapy in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

This was a retrospective, single‐center study comparing the outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies who received chemotherapy in the ICU with a matched cohort of ICU patients who did not receive chemotherapy. Conditional logistic regression and shared‐frailty Cox regression were used to assess short‐term (ICU and hospital) mortality and death by 12 months after hospital discharge, respectively.

RESULTS

One hundred eighty‐one patients with hematologic malignancies received chemotherapy in the ICU. The ICU and hospital mortality rates were 25% and 42% for chemotherapy patients and 22% and 33% for non‐chemotherapy patients, respectively. Higher severity of illness scores on ICU admission were significantly associated with higher ICU mortality (odds ratio, 1.07; P < .001) and hospital mortality (odds ratio, 1.05; P ≤ .001). Six‐month and 12‐month survival estimates posthospital discharge were 58% and 50%, respectively. Compared with the matched cohort of patients who did not receive chemotherapy, those who did receive chemotherapy had a significantly longer length of stay in the ICU (median, 6 vs 3 days; P < .001) and in the hospital (median, 22 vs 14 days; P = .024). In multivariable analysis, the patients who received chemotherapy in the ICU had a trend toward a higher risk of dying by 12 months (hazard ratio, 1.45; P = .08).

CONCLUSIONS

Short‐term mortality was similar among patients with hematologic malignancies who did and did not receive chemotherapy in the ICU, although patients who received chemotherapy had increased resource utilization. These results may inform ICU triage and goals‐of‐care discussions with patients and their families regarding outcomes after receiving chemotherapy in the ICU. Cancer 2018;124:3025‐36. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Patient‐centered prioritization of bladder cancer research
Authors: Smith Angela B. , Chisolm Stephanie , Deal Allison , Spangler Alejandra , Quale Diane Z. , Bangs Rick , Jones J. Michael , Gore John L.
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

Patient‐centered research requires the meaningful involvement of patients and caregivers throughout the research process. The objective of this study was to create a process for sustainable engagement for research prioritization within oncology.

METHODS

From December 2014 to 2016, a network of engaged patients for research prioritization was created in partnership with the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network (BCAN): the BCAN Patient Survey Network (PSN). The PSN leveraged an online bladder cancer community with additional recruitment through print advertisements and social media campaigns. Prioritized research questions were developed through a modified Delphi process and were iterated through multidisciplinary working groups and a repeat survey.

RESULTS

In year 1 of the PSN, 354 patients and caregivers responded to the research prioritization survey; the number of responses increased to 1034 in year 2. The majority of respondents had non–muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), and the mean time since diagnosis was 5 years. Stakeholder‐identified questions for noninvasive, invasive, and metastatic disease were prioritized by the PSN. Free‐text questions were sorted with thematic mapping. Several questions submitted by respondents were among the prioritized research questions. A final prioritized list of research questions was disseminated to various funding agencies, and a highly ranked NMIBC research question was included as a priority area in the 2017 Patient‐Centered Outcomes Research Institute announcement of pragmatic trial funding.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient engagement is needed to identify high‐priority research questions in oncology. The BCAN PSN provides a successful example of an engagement infrastructure for annual research prioritization in bladder cancer. The creation of an engagement network sets the groundwork for additional phases of engagement, including design, conduct, and dissemination. Cancer 2018. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Incremental parallel computing for continuous queries in dynamic graphs using a transactional model
Authors: Tripathi Anand , Sharma Rahul R. , Khandelwal Manu , Mehta Tanmay
Published: May 2018

In dynamically evolving graphs, one may be interested in continuously observing certain properties of the graph. One approach for continuous monitoring is to re‐execute the graph analytics program on the entire graph after it is updated. However, this approach can lead to high computation cost and latency in case of large graphs. An alternate approach, which we present in this paper, is to execute the analytics program only initially and then perform incremental computations for supporting continuous queries as the graph is modified. The goal of our work is to develop incremental parallel computing techniques to continuously monitor a graph as it is updated to check for the properties of interest. We present the results of our investigation of utilizing a transactional model of parallel programming for supporting continuous queries on dynamic and evolving graphs. In our model, the graph updates are performed as transactions, which trigger the execution of a set of transactional tasks to perform incremental computations. In our testbed system, the graph data is stored in the RAM of cluster nodes, and continuous queries involve the parallel execution of transactional tasks on the cluster nodes. Using a set of graph problems, we illustrate this approach and evaluate its performance.
Internet of things in smart education environment: Supportive framework in the decision‐making process
Authors: Abdel‐Basset Mohamed , Manogaran Gunasekaran , Mohamed Mai , Rushdy Ehab
Published: May 2018

The role of education, which propagates knowledge, becomes increasingly significant in the past little years due to the fulminatory expansion in knowledge. Meantime, the model of education process is going via a conversion in which the learning of different students need to be completed in various ways. Therefore, the smart education environment is encouraged. It incorporates different information and communication technologies to activate learning process and adjust to the requirements of different students. The quality of learning process for students can be enhanced through continually monitoring and analyzing the state and activities of different students via information sensing devices and information processing platforms for offering feedback about learning process of different students. The Internet of Things pledges to achieve a great variation in life, goodness of individual's life, and organizations' productivity. Via a vastly dispensed locally smart network of intelligent objects, the IoT has the chance to allow expansions and improvements to essential utilities in various fields, while introducing a novel ecosystem for developing application. Applying the concept of Internet of Things in any education environment will increase the quality of education process because students will learn rapidly, and teachers will fulfill their job efficiently. This paper is designed to illustrate the basic concepts, definitions, characteristics, technology, and challenges of Internet of Things. We also illustrated the role of Internet of Things in building a smart educational process, and also, in making efficient and effective decisions, which is vital in our daily life.
Enhanced Crystallization by Methanol Additive in Antisolvent for Achieving High‐Quality MAPbI3 Perovskite Films in Humid Atmosphere
Authors: Yang Fu , Kamarudin Muhammad Akmal , Zhang Putao , Kapil Gaurav , Ma Tingli , Hayase Shuzi
Published: May 2018

Perovskite solar cells have attracted considerable attention owing to their easy and low‐cost solution manufacturing process with high power conversion efficiency. However, the fabrication process is usually performed inside a glovebox to avoid moisture, as organometallic halide perovskites are easily dissolved in water. In this study, we propose a one‐step fabrication of high‐quality MAPbI3 perovskite films in around 50 % relative humidity (RH) humid ambient air by using diethyl ether as an antisolvent and methanol as an additive into this antisolvent. Because of the presence of methanol, the water molecules can be efficiently removed from the gaps of the perovskite precursors and the perovskite film formation can be slightly controlled, leading to pinhole‐free and low roughness films. Concurrently, methanol can be used to tune the DMSO ratio in the intermediate perovskite phase to regulate perovskite formation. Planar solar cells fabricated by using this method exhibited the best efficiency of 16.4 % with a reduced current density–voltage hysteresis. This efficiency value is approximately 160 % higher than the devices fabrication by using only diethyl ether treatment. From the impedance measurement, it is also found that the recombination reaction is suppressed when the device is prepared with methanol additive in the antisolvent. This method presents a new path for controlling the growth and morphology of perovskite films in humid climates and laboratories with uncontrolled environments.
Pop‐Inference: An educational application to evaluate statistical differences among populations
Authors: Arrontes Julio
Published: May 2018

Pop‐Inference is an educational tool designed to help teaching of hypothesis testing using populations. The application allows for the statistical comparison of demographic parameters among populations. Input demographic data are projection matrices or raw demographic data. Randomization tests are used to compare populations. The tests evaluate the hypothesis that demographic parameters differ among groups of individuals more that should be expected from random allocation of individuals to populations. Confidence intervals for demographic parameters are obtained using the bootstrap. Tests may be global or pairwise. In addition to tests on differences, one‐way life table response experiments (LTRE) are available for random and fixed factors. Planned (a priori) comparisons are possible. Power of comparison tests is evaluated by constructing the distribution of the test statistic when the null hypothesis is true and when it is false. The relationship between power and sample size is explored by evaluating differences among populations at increasing population sizes, while keeping vital rates constant.
Interactions among predators and plant specificity protect herbivores from top predators
Authors: Bosc Christopher , Roets Francois , Hui Cang , Pauw Anton
Published: May 2018

The worldwide loss of top predators from natural and agricultural systems has heightened the need to understand how important they are in controlling herbivore abundance. The effect of top predators on herbivore species is likely to depend on (1) the importance of the consumption of intermediate predators by top predators (intra‐guild predation; IGP), but also on (2) plant specificity by herbivores, because specialists may defend themselves better (enemy‐free space; EFS). Insectivorous birds, as top predators, are generally known to effectively control herbivorous insects, despite also consuming intermediate predators such as spiders, but how this effect varies among herbivore species in relation to the cascading effects of IGP and EFS is not known. To explore this, we excluded birds from natural fynbos vegetation in South Africa using large netted cages and recorded changes in abundance relative to control plots for 199 plant‐dwelling intermediate predator and 341 herbivore morpho‐species that varied in their estimated plant specificity. We found a strong negative effect of birds on the total abundance of all intermediate predators, with especially clear effects on spiders (strong IGP). In contrast with previous studies, which document a negative effect of birds on herbivores, we found an overall neutral effect of birds on herbivore abundance, but the effect varied among species: some species were negatively affected by birds, suggesting that they were mainly consumed by birds, whereas others, likely released from spiders by IGP, were positively affected. Some species were also effectively neutrally affected by birds. These tended to be more specialized to plants compared to the other species, which may imply that some plant specialists benefited from protection provided by EFS from both birds and spiders. These results suggest that the response of herbivore species to top predators may depend on cascading effects of interactions among predators and on their degree of plant specificity.
VIVO and VIV Species Formed in Aqueous Solution by the Tridentate Glutaroimide–Dioxime Ligand – An Instrumental and Computational Characterization
Authors: Sanna Daniele , Ugone Valeria , Sciortino Giuseppe , Parker Bernard F. , Zhang Zhicheng , Leggett Christina J. , Arnold John , Rao Linfeng , Garribba Eugenio
Published: May 2018

Complexation of VIV in aqueous solution with glutaroimide–dioxime (H3L), a ligand proposed for the possible sequestration of uranium from seawater, was studied by the combined application of spectroscopic (EPR and UV/Vis), spectrometric (ESI‐MS), electrochemical (CV), and computational (DFT) techniques. The results indicate that a rare non‐oxido VIV species, with formula [VIVL2]2–, is formed in the pH range 3–5. It transforms into a usual VIVO complex, [VIVOL(OH)]2–, at pH > 6. The non‐oxido species is characterized by a “type 3” EPR spectrum with Az ≈ 126 × 10–4 cm–1 and a UV/Vis signal with ε > 2000 m–1 cm–1 in the visible region. The detection of VV species by ESI‐MS spectrometry was related to two possible oxidation processes, the first one in solution and the second one in‐source during the recording of the spectra. The cyclic voltammogram of [VIVL2]2– shows two quasi‐reversible processes, at E1/2 = –0.75 V and E1/2 = 0.03 V, assigned to the VIV/VIII reduction and VIV/VV oxidation, respectively. All the experimental results were verified by DFT calculations, which indicated that the geometry of the non‐oxido VIV complex is intermediate between an octahedron and a trigonal prism and allowed us to predict its 51V hyperfine coupling (HFC) tensor A, the electron absorption spectrum, the two redox processes in the cyclic voltammogram, and the electronic structure that, in turn, determines its EPR and UV/Vis behavior.
Gold(III)‐Catalysed cis‐to‐trans Cyclopropyl Isomerization
Authors: Reiersølmoen Ann Christin , Østrem Elise , Fiksdahl Anne
Published: May 2018

Novel chiral gold(III) complexes, based on bisoxazoline (BOX) and 2‐pyridyl‐(–)menthol ligands, were prepared and characterised (X‐ray), and their catalytic properties in cyclopropanation reactions of propargyl esters with alkenes were explored. The BOX‐AuIII catalysts gave excellent results for fast cyclopropanation and subsequent in situ cis‐to‐trans vinylcyclopropyl isomerization. AuI and AuIII catalytic species showed different abilities to tune the reactions and transform the initially formed cis product into the isomerized trans product. The appropriate choice of gold(I) or gold(III) complex enabled highly stereoselective formation of cis or trans products (up to 99 % dr), in high yields (63–98 %). The pure cis isomers were used in isomerization studies, showing that rapid cis‐to‐trans isomerization took place at room temperature in the presence of BOX‐AuIII catalysts.
The relation between R. A. Fisher's sexy-son hypothesis and W. D. Hamilton's greenbeard effect
Authors: Faria Gonçalo S. , Varela Susana A. M. , Gardner Andy
Published: May 2018

Recent years have seen a growing interest in the overlap between the theories of kin selection and sexual selection. One potential overlap is with regards to whether R. A. Fisher's “sexy-son” hypothesis, concerning the evolution of extravagant sexual ornamentation, may be framed in terms of W. D. Hamilton's greenbeard effect, concerning scenarios in which individuals carry an allele that allows them to recognize and behave differently toward other carriers of the same allele. Specifically, both scenarios involve individuals behaving differently toward social partners who exhibit a phenotypic marker, with linkage disequilibrium between marker and behavior loci ensuring genetic relatedness between actor and recipient at the behavior locus. However, the formal connections between the two theories remain unclear. Here, we develop these connections by: (1) asking what kind of greenbeard is involved in the sexy-son hypothesis; (2) exploring the relationship between the problem of “falsebeards” and the “lek paradox”; (3) investigating whether these two problems may be resolved in analogous ways; and (4) determining whether population structure facilitates both of these evolutionary phenomena. By building this conceptual bridge, we are able to import results from the field of kin selection to sexual selection, and vice versa, yielding new insights into both topics.
The charring rate and charring depth of bamboo scrimber exposed to a standard fire
Authors: Xu Ming , Cui Zhaoyan , Chen Zhongfan , Xiang Jinhua
Published: May 2018

To better understand the charring properties of bamboo scrimber, a standard fire test was conducted to examine the effect of moisture content, exposure time, and grain direction on the charring rate of bamboo scrimber. The bamboo scrimber specimens were exposed to fire on one side with furnace temperatures following the requirements of ISO 834. The experimental results indicated the charring depth decreased as moisture content increased from 6% to 18%. Due to the thermal insulation of the char layer of bamboo scrimber, the charring rate decreased non‐linearly as the fire exposure time increased from 10 to 40 minutes. The charring rate of bamboo scrimber parallel to grain was approximately 1.23 times that perpendicular to grain. The non‐linear equation to express the charring rate of bamboo scrimber with moisture content, exposure time, and grain direction was established by regression analysis of the test data. The temperature of the char front was approximately 280°C, determined by heat transfer analysis of the 3‐dimensional finite element method model. Compared with different timber species in the literature and in standards, bamboo scrimber has better fire performance and a lower charring rate.
Development of caffeine‐encapsulated alginate‐based matrix combined with different natural biopolymers, and evaluation of release in simulated mouth conditions
Authors: Mohammadi Nima , Ehsani Mohammad Reza , Bakhoda Hossein
Published: May 2018

Caffeine was encapsulated into calcium alginate microcapsules, and these microcapsules were produced with four types of material – starch, xanthan, chitosan, and whey protein isolate – in combination with alginate. Formulation characteristics such as the efficiency of microencapsulation, microcapsule size, viscosity, and texture properties of the microcapsules have been evaluated. The release of caffeine from different microcapsules was conducted in simulated saliva fluid. Alginate microcapsules with chitosan coating provided the slowest release of caffeine, compared with the other microcapsules. Significant differences in the appearance of the microcapsules were detectable by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical microscopy. Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) analysis confirmed the existence of carbonyl groups in caffeine‐loaded microcapsules, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms indicated the glass transition temperature of the microcapsules. This study showed that the microencapsulation of caffeine with alginate may be helpful for designing fast (alginate) as well as prolonged caffeine release (alginate–starch–xanthan with chitosan).
Effect of high‐amylose corn starch addition on canning of yellow alkaline noodle composed of wheat flour and microbial transglutaminase: Optimization by RSM
Authors: Mojarrad Lida Shahsavani , Rafe Ali
Published: May 2018

Mixture experiment was applied to optimize the canned cross‐linked high‐amylose starch yellow alkaline noodle formula. Processing factors of canned yellow alkaline noodle (YAN) cross‐linked by MTGase at different levels of Hylon VII were surveyed. The factors were wheat flour, Hylon VII starch (HAS) as a high‐amylose starch, and water in the mixture to achieve reduction in cooking loss, water uptake, swelling index, and thickness. Due to the effect of retort processing on YAN, pH, color, and texture were also examined. Analysis of variance showed that the linear mixture had a significant effect on the noodle properties. Optimum conditions were as follows: wheat flour of 75 g, HAS of 15 g, and water 67 ml. Results showed the suitable effect of Hylon in improving texture of canned YAN as well as high gel strength, neutral pH, lowest cooking loss, water uptake, swelling index, and color after retort processing. Therefore, high‐amylose decreased swelling of starch, cooking yield, and improved hardness which obtain a strong gel and better stability in canned noodle. The pH fall and the attainment of yellow color in the YAN containing Hylon can be explained by the availability of two important amino acids, lysine and glutamine which were involved in both cross‐linking reactions. The synergistic effect of low amount of flour and Hylon produced more tensile and hardness properties in canned noodle. Overall, the canned YAN prepared by adding Hylon developed the stronger gel which can withstand at high thermal retort processing and finally improve the shelf life of the final product.
RAD50 germline mutations are associated with poor survival in BRCA1/2–negative breast cancer patients
Authors: Fan Cong , Zhang Juan , Ouyang Tao , Li Jinfeng , Wang Tianfeng , Fan Zhaoqing , Fan Tie , Lin Benyao , Xie Yuntao
Published: May 2018

RAD50 is a highly conserved DNA double‐strand break (DSB) repair gene. However, the associations between RAD50 germline mutations and the survival and risk of breast cancer have not been fully elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the clinical impact of RAD50 germline mutations in a large cohort of unselected breast cancer patients. In our study, RAD50 germline mutations were determined using next‐generation sequencing in 7657 consecutive unselected breast cancer patients without BRCA1/2 mutations. We also screened for RAD50 recurrent mutations (L719fs, K994fs, and H1269fs) in 5000 healthy controls using Sanger sequencing. We found that 26 out of 7,657 (0.34%) patients had RAD50 pathogenic mutations, and 16 patients carried one of the three recurrent mutations (L719fs, n = 6 cases; K994fs, n = 5 cases; and H1269fs, n = 5 cases); the recurrent mutation rate was 0.21%. The frequency of the three recurrent mutations in the 5,000 healthy controls was 0.18% (9/5,000). These mutations did not confer an increased risk of breast cancer in the studied patients [odds ratios (OR), 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.51–2.63; p = 0.72]. Nevertheless, multivariate analysis revealed that RAD50 pathogenic mutations were an independent unfavourable predictor of recurrence‐free survival (RFS) [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 2.66; 95% CI, 1.18–5.98; p = 0.018] and disease‐specific survival (DSS; adjusted HR 4.36; 95% CI, 1.58–12.03; p = 0.004) in the entire study cohort. Our study suggested that RAD50 germline mutations are not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but patients with RAD50 germline mutations have unfavourable survival compared to patients without these mutations.
Label‐free spectrochemical probe for determination of hemoglobin glycation in clinical blood samples
Authors: Pandey Rishikesh , Singh Surya P. , Zhang Chi , Horowitz Gary L. , Lue Niyom , Galindo Luis , Dasari Ramachandra R. , Barman Ishan
Published: May 2018

Glycated hemoglobin, HbA1c, is an important biomarker that reveals the average value of blood glucose over the preceding 3 months. While significant recent attention has been focused on the use of optical and direct molecular spectroscopic methods for determination of HbA1c, a facile test that minimizes sample preparation needs and turnaround time still remains elusive. Here, we report a label‐free approach for identifying low, mid and high‐HbA1c groups in hemolysate and in whole blood samples featuring resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy and support vector machine (SVM)‐based classification of spectral patterns. The diagnostic power of RR measurements stems from its selective enhancement of hemoglobin‐specific features, which simultaneously minimizes the blood matrix spectral interference and permits detection in the native solution. In this pilot study, our spectroscopic observations reveal that glycation of hemoglobin results in subtle but reproducible changes even when detected in the whole blood matrix. Leveraging SVM analysis of the principal component scores determined from the RR spectra, we show high degree of accuracy in classifying clinical specimen. We envisage that the promising findings will pave the way for more extensive clinical specimen investigations with the ultimate goal of translating molecular spectroscopy for routine point‐of‐care testing.
Effect of tissue staining in quantitative phase imaging
Authors: Ban Sungbea , Min Eunjung , Ahn Yujin , Popescu Gabriel , Jung Woonggyu
Published: May 2018

Quantitative phase imaging (QPI) is an emerging modality, which enables the identification of abnormalities in tissue based on optical properties. QPI can be applied to any biological specimen due to its label‐free imaging capability, but its use in stained tissue is unclear. Here, we study the variability of QPI with the staining dye. Several tissues such as brain, heart and lung were stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and their optical properties compared at 550 and 730 nm. Our results showed that phase and scattering coefficients varied when QPI was used at the absorption wavelength of the staining dye. We also found that the variation of optical properties was dependent on tissue morphology.
Performance evaluation of the zero‐multipole summation method in modern molecular dynamics software
Authors: Sakuraba Shun , Fukuda Ikuo
Published: May 2018

The zero‐multiple summation method (ZMM) is a cutoff‐based method for calculating electrostatic interactions in molecular dynamics simulations, utilizing an electrostatic neutralization principle as a physical basis. Since the accuracies of the ZMM have been revealed to be sufficient in previous studies, it is highly desirable to clarify its practical performance. In this paper, the performance of the ZMM is compared with that of the smooth particle mesh Ewald method (SPME), where the both methods are implemented in molecular dynamics software package GROMACS. Extensive performance comparisons against a highly optimized, parameter‐tuned SPME implementation are performed for various‐sized water systems and two protein–water systems. We analyze in detail the dependence of the performance on the potential parameters and the number of CPU cores. Even though the ZMM uses a larger cutoff distance than the SPME does, the performance of the ZMM is comparable to or better than that of the SPME. This is because the ZMM does not require a time‐consuming electrostatic convolution and because the ZMM gains short neighbor‐list distances due to the smooth damping feature of the pairwise potential function near the cutoff length. We found, in particular, that the ZMM with quadrupole or octupole cancellation and no damping factor is an excellent candidate for the fast calculation of electrostatic interactions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Initial excited‐state relaxation of locked retinal protonated schiff base chromophore. An insight from coupled cluster and multireference perturbation theory calculations
Authors: Grabarek Dawid , Andruniów Tadeusz
Published: May 2018

The initial S1 excited‐state relaxation of retinal protonated Schiff base (RPSB) analog with central C11C12 double bond locked by eight‐membered ring (locked‐11.8) was investigated by means of multireference perturbation theory methods (XMCQDPT2, XMS‐CASPT2, MS‐CASPT2) as well as single‐reference coupled‐cluster CC2 method. The analysis of XMCQDPT2‐based geometries reveals rather weak coupling between in‐plane and out‐of‐plane structural evolution and minor energetical relaxation of three locked‐11.8 conformers. Therefore, a strong coupling between bonds length inversion and backbone out‐of‐plane deformation resulting in a very steep S1 energy profile predicted by CASSCF/CASPT2 calculations is in clear contradiction with the reference XMCQDPT2 results. Even though CC2 method predicts good quality ground‐state structures, the excited‐state structures display more advanced torsional deformation leading to ca. 0.2 eV exaggerated energy relaxation and significantly red shifted (0.4–0.7 eV) emission maxima. According to our findings, the initial photoisomerization process in locked‐11.8, and possibly in other RPSB analogs, studied fully (both geometries and energies) by multireference perturbation theory may be somewhat slower than predicted by CASSCF/CASPT2 or CC2 methods. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Group divisible designs with block size 4 and type
Authors: Forbes A. D. , Forbes K. A.
Published: May 2018

Building upon the work of Wei and Ge (Designs, Codes, and Cryptography 74, 2015), we extend the range of positive integer parameters g, u, and m for which group divisible designs with block size 4 and type are known to exist. In particular, we show that the necessary conditions for the existence of these designs when and are sufficient in the following cases: , with one exception, 2651, , and .
Association of VDR gene polymorphisms and 22 bp deletions in the promoter region of TLR2Δ22 (‐196‐174) with increased risk of pulmonary tuberculosis: A case‐control study in tea garden communities of Assam
Authors: Devi Kangjam Rekha , Mukherjee Kaustab , Chelleng Pradipta Kumar , Kalita Simanta , Das Upasana , Narain Kanwar
Published: May 2018

Background

A high number of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases have been reported from tea garden communities of Assam. Till date, no molecular epidemiological study was performed to investigate the association of candidate gene(s) with the risk PTB in this region. The present case‐control study was aimed to investigate the association of vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and 22 bp deletion in the promoter region of toll‐like receptor 2 (TLR2) gene with the risk of PTB in tea garden communities of Assam.

Methods

Genotyping of VDR polymorphisms and TLR2Δ22 (‐196‐174) gene was carried out for 169 PTB cases and 227 apparently healthy community controls using blood samples by PCR‐RFLP followed by DNA sequencing. For association study, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results

This study has shown that BsmI and FokI polymorphisms of VDR gene significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB (AOR = 3.58, 95% CI = 1.64‐7.80, P < .01 for B/b genotype of BsmI and AOR = 2.44, 95% CI = 1.40‐4.24, P < .01 for F/f genotype of FokI polymorphism). No significant association of TaqI and ApaI polymorphism of VDR gene was found with the risk of PTB. Moreover, this study has revealed that person carrying deletion allele in their TLR2Δ22 (‐196‐174) gene is significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB having b/b or F/f genotypes in BsmI or FokI polymorphisms of VDR gene.

Conclusion

This study has revealed that BsmI and FokI polymorphisms of VDR gene significantly associated with an increased risk of PTB.