bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trypanosoma cruzi Circulating in the Southern Region of the State of Mexico (Zumpahuacan) Are Pathogenic: A Dog Model
Authors: Barbabosa-Pliego Alberto , Díaz-Albiter Hector M. , Ochoa-García Laucel , Aparicio-Burgos Esteban , López-Heydeck Sandra M. , Velásquez-Ordoñez Valente , Fajardo-Muñoz Raul C. , Díaz-González Sandra , De Oca-Jimenez Roberto Montes , Barbosa-Mireles Marco , Guzmán-Bracho Carmen , Estrada-Franco Jose G. , Garg Nisha Jain , Vázquez-Chagoyán Juan C.
Published: September 2018

Here we describe clinical and pathologic evidence of Chagas disease caused in dogs by circulating Trypanosoma cruzi from a newly recognized endemic area in Mexico. We show that the Zumpahuacan isolate, although less virulent than the Sylvio-X10 reference strain that caused acute myocarditis and death, was pathogenic in dogs. Dogs infected with the Zumpahuacan isolate exhibited electrocardiographic alterations, left- and right-ventricle dilation, and hydropericardium. Histologically, diffused perimysial and endomysial lymphoplasmacytic cell infiltration, cardiomyocyte necrosis, and amastigote nests were noted in Zumpahuacan-infected dogs. These findings suggest that the risk of T. cruzi infection and Chagas disease is present in the State of Mexico, and further research is needed to identify the T. cruzi bio-types circulating in southern State of Mexico.
Immunolocalization and Challenge Studies Using a Recombinant Vibrio cholerae Ghost Expressing Trypanosoma brucei Ca2+ ATPase (TBCA2) Antigen
Authors: Ramey Kiantra , Eko Francis O. , Thompson Winston E. , Armah Henry , Igietseme Joseph U. , Stiles Jonathan K.
Published: September 2018

Human African trypanosomiasis is a neglected disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei spp. A parasite cation pump (Ca2+ ATPase; TBCA2) essential for survival and cation homeostasis was identified and characterized. It was hypothesized that targeting this pump using a Vibrio cholerae ghost (VCG)-based vaccine could protect against murine T. brucei infection. mRNA and protein expression of TBCA2 was differentially expressed in blood and insect stages of parasites and immunolocalized in the pericellular membrane and the flagellar pocket of bloodstream forms. Antigen-specific antibodies and Th1 cytokines, interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were induced in rVCG-TBCA2-immunized mice and in vitro on antigen stimulation of splenic immune T cells, but the corresponding Th2-type response was unremarkable. Despite an increased median survival of 6 days in vaccinated mice, the mice were not protected against infection. Thus, immunization of mice produced robust parasite-specific antibodies but failed to protect mice against parasite challenge.
Development of a Species-Specific Coproantigen ELISA for Human Taenia solium Taeniasis
Authors: Guezala Maria-Claudia , Rodriguez Silvia , Zamora Humberto , Garcia Hector H. , Gonzalez Armando E. , Tembo Alice , Allan James C. , Craig Philip S.
Published: September 2018

Taenia solium causes human neurocysticercosis and is endemic in underdeveloped countries where backyard pig keeping is common. Microscopic fecal diagnostic methods for human T. solium taeniasis are not very sensitive, and Taenia saginata and Taenia solium eggs are indistinguishable under the light microscope. Coproantigen (CoAg) ELISA methods are very sensitive, but currently only genus (Taenia) specific. This paper describes the development of a highly species-specific coproantigen ELISA test to detect T. solium intestinal taeniasis. Sensitivity was maintained using a capture antibody of rabbit IgG against T. solium adult whole worm somatic extract, whereas species specificity was achieved by utilization of an enzyme-conjugated rabbit IgG against T. solium adult excretory-secretory (ES) antigen. A known panel of positive and negative human fecal samples was tested with this hybrid sandwich ELISA. The ELISA test gave 100% specificity and 96.4% sensitivity for T. solium tapeworm carriers (N = 28), with a J index of 0.96. This simple ELISA incorporating anti-adult somatic and anti-adult ES antibodies provides the first potentially species-specific coproantigen test for human T. solium taeniasis.
Etiologies of Bacterial Meningitis in Bangladesh: Results from a Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Gurley Emily S. , Hossain M. Jahangir , Montgomery Susan P. , Petersen Lyle R. , Sejvar James J. , Mayer Leonard W. , Whitney Anne , Dull Peter , Nahar Nazmun , Uddin A. K. M. Rafique , Rahman M. Ekhlasur , Ekram A. R. M. Saifuddin , Luby Stephen P. , Breiman Robert F.
Published: September 2018

We conducted a study at four hospitals from June 2003 to July 2005 to investigate the etiologies of bacterial meningitis in Bangladesh. A total of 2,609 patients met the clinical case definition, and 766 had cerebrospinal fluid tested by at least one of the following methods: latex agglutination, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, or real-time polymerase chain reaction for Neisseria meningitidis A and C, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib); culture results were noted from patient records. In total, 189 patients (24%) of those tested, representing all age groups, were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis; 136 (18%) had meningococcal, 23 (3%) had pneumococcal, and 25 (3%) had Hib infection. Twenty percent of patients with Hib meningitis (5/25) were > 15 years old. Case-fatality ratios were 10% for N. meningitidis, 22% for S. pneumoniae, and 24% for Hib. Bacterial meningitis from vaccine-preventable pathogens causes significant morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh in adults and children.
Stability of Interferon-Gamma and Interleukin-10 Responses to Plasmodium falciparum Liver Stage Antigen 1 and Thrombospondin-Related Adhesive Protein Immunodominant Epitopes in a Highland Population from Western Kenya
Authors: Moormann Ann M. , Sumba Peter Odada , Tisch Daniel J. , Embury Paula , King Charles H. , Kazura James W. , John Chandy C.
Published: September 2018

Long-term planning to prevent malaria epidemics requires in-depth understanding of immunity to Plasmodium falciparum in areas of unstable transmission. Cytokine responses to immunodominant epitope peptides from liver stage antigen 1 (LSA-1) and thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP) were evaluated over a nine-month interval in adults and children in Kenya from a malaria epidemic–prone highland area after several years of low transmission. The proportion and magnitude of interferon-gamma ELISPOT responses and the proportion of interleukin-10 responders to LSA-1 and TRAP peptides tended to be higher in adults than children. Frequencies of interferon-gamma responders to these peptides were similar at the two time points, but responses were not consistently generated by the same persons. These results suggest that T cell memory to pre-erythrocytic stage malaria antigens is maintained but may be unavailable for consistent detection in peripheral blood, and that these antigens induce both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses in this population.
Cost-Effectiveness of Adding Bed Net Distribution for Malaria Prevention to Antenatal Services in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Authors: Becker-Dreps Sylvia I. , Biddle Andrea K. , Pettifor Audrey , Musuamba Gertrude , Imbie David Nku , Meshnick Steven , Behets Frieda
Published: September 2018

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of distributing insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) for malaria prevention at antenatal clinics in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. A decision tree model was used to estimate costs, outcomes, and incremental cost-effectiveness for 17,893 pregnant women attending 28 antenatal clinics who received long-lasting ITNs free of charge. Costs including purchase, transportation, storage, and distribution of ITNs were derived from program records. The ITN efficacy and other parameters were derived from peer-reviewed literature. Outcomes modeled included low birth weight (LBW) deliveries, infant deaths averted, life-years saved (LYs), and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) averted. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted. For the 17,893 women in our program, ITN distribution would be expected to avert 587 LBW deliveries and 414 infant deaths. The incremental cost-effectiveness was US $17.22 per DALY averted (95% confidence interval [CI] = US $8.54–$30.90), US $15.70 per LY saved (95% CI = US $7.65–$27.68), and US $411.13 per infant death averted (95% CI = US $353.95–$1,085.89). If resources were constrained, the greatest benefit would be among women in their first through fourth pregnancies. Thus, ITN distribution is a cost-effective addition to antenatal services.
Assessing Mosquito Feeding Patterns on Nestling and Brooding Adult Birds Using Microsatellite Markers
Authors: Ligon Russell A. , Burkett-Cadena Nathan D. , Liu Mark , Hill Geoffrey E. , Hassan Hassan K. , Unnasch Thomas R.
Published: September 2018

The role that different age classes of birds play in the amplification of arthropod-borne viruses depends critically on the feeding choices made by mosquitoes. To determine if mosquitoes are more likely to feed on nestling or adult birds, we introduced Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes into eastern bluebird Sialia sialis nest boxes after dark and recaptured them the following morning. We collected blood from each nestling and brooding mother and used molecular genotyping methods to trace the blood meals of individual mosquitoes to the individual bird fed upon (mothers or chicks). Of the 14 recaptured mosquitoes, whose blood meals were identified to the species level, 10 fed only on nestlings, three fed only on an adult, and one mosquito fed on an adult and two nestlings. These preliminary data show that microsatellite genotyping may be used to answer important questions concerning mosquito feeding patterns on different age classes of birds.
The Effects of Sustained Release Metofluthrin on the Biting, Movement, and Mortality of Aedes aegypti in a Domestic Setting
Authors: Rapley Luke P. , Russell Richard C. , Montgomery Brian L. , Ritchie Scott A.
Published: September 2018

The impact of a sustained release metofluthrin emanator and an allethrin-based mosquito coil on biting, movement and mortality of female Aedes aegypti was assessed in an apartment. In the room in which the metofluthrin emanator was activated, mosquito biting counts were reduced to zero. Metofluthrin also had a spillover effect, significantly (P < 0.001) reducing biting counts in a neighboring room 1, 4, and 24 hours after the emanator was activated when compared with either the coil or control (untreated) treatment. Mosquitoes were neither repelled nor expelled from a room exposed to metofluthrin. Indeed, a significantly (P = 0.023) greater proportion of mosquitoes were found in the treated room after exposure to metofluthrin when compared with either the coil or control treatment. Furthermore, in the room treated with metofluthrin the majority of mosquitoes died and a spillover effect into the neighboring room caused greater than one-third mortality of the mosquitoes. Metofluthrin could be used to prevent dengue transmission within a household.
A Little Respect: Swearing, Police and Criminal Justice Discourse
Authors: Methven Elyse
Published: September 2018

This article interrogates a commonly articulated idea in relation to the criminalisation of offensive language: namely, that swearing at police challenges their authority and thereby deserves criminal punishment. Drawing on critical discourse analysis, the article examines representations of swearing at police officers in offensive language cases and parliamentary debates, including constructions of power, authority and order. It contributes to—but also denaturalises—conceptions about police power and authority in the context of public order policing. The article argues that criminal justice discourse plays a significant and often under-acknowledged role in naturalising the punishment of swearing at, or in the presence of, police officers.
Special Issue: Hidden Criminalisation—Punitiveness at the Edges: Guest Editors’ Introduction
Authors: Quilter Julia , McNamara Luke
Published: September 2018

This special issue had its origins in a workshop on criminal law and criminalisation which we co-convened, and our law schools co-hosted, in 2017. That workshop was the fourth in what has become an annual event in Australia (starting with a Sydney Law School-hosted event in 2014 (see Crofts and Loughnan 2015)). These workshops came into being because of a recognised gap in the Australian scholarly environment: a place for criminalisation scholars to share, discuss and receive feedback on their work (see also Anthony and Croft 2017; Henderson 2016).

To access the full text of the guest editor's introducton to this special issue on 'Hidden Criminalisation—Punitiveness at the Edges', download the accompanying PDF file.
Patricia Faraldo-Cabana (2017) Money and the Governance of Punishment: A Genealogy of the Penal Fine. Routledge.
Authors: Hogg Russell
Published: September 2018

Not applicable
A Study on the Influence of Institutional Investor Heterogeneity on the Executive Pay Stickiness——Based on the Perspective of Industrial Factor Intensity
Authors: Yu Qitong , Fang Shaoyang , Wang Jianjun
Published: September 2018

Based on the data of Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies from 2012-2016, this paper empirically studies the influence of heterogeneous institutional investors on executive compensation stickiness of listed companies by using the method of multiple regression. The results show that the pay stickiness is very common in the listed companies. The overall institutional investor’s shareholding is promoting the executive compensation stickiness. The empirical results show that the institutional investors are divided into the pressure resistance institutional investors and the pressure sensitive institutional investors, according to whether the institutional investors have the commercial relationship with the listed companies. The empirical results show that they are compared to the pressure. Sensitive institutions, pressure resistance institutional investors can significantly inhibit the stickiness of executive compensation. However, different types of institutional investors have different preferences for the types of listed companies, and the enthusiasm of participating in corporate governance is different, and the pressure resistance institutional investors pay more attention to labor out of social responsibility. The long-term performance of a force intensive enterprise has a significant inhibitory effect on the stickiness of the executive compensation, while the pressure sensitive institutional investors actively manage and supervise the production and operation of the technology intensive enterprises for the consideration of the investment income, which has a restraining effect on the pay stickiness of the technology intensive enterprises.
A novel scheme for predicting the behaviors of liquid and vapor phases of water using the ideal gas theory
Authors: ABOLPOUR Bahador , SHAMSODDİNİ Rahim
Published: September 2018

The ideal gas equation of state is the
simplest equation of state for estimating the values of temperature, pressure
and volume. This equation of state has a simple structure based on its simple
theory. Hence, it has an explicit relation between these variables. In addition, calculating other
thermodynamic properties (such as, internal energy, enthalpy and specific
heats) is very simple for ideal gases. In this study, the ideal gas theory has
been applicable for the liquid and vapor phases of water. To this aim, the
temperature and molar volume have been modified as functions of the fluid
molecular compressibility. In the presented method, effects of the temperature
and volume on the non-ideality of the behaviors are considered, separately. Comparing
the predicted values with the real data shows at least R-squared value equal to
0.98.
De constitutionele advisering door de Venice Commission
Authors: Vermeulen B.P. , Jasiak A.
Published: September 2018

De constitutionele advisering door de Venice Commission

De Venice Commission heeft zich sinds 1990 ontwikkeld tot een gezaghebbende constitutioneel raadgever met betrekking tot de verenigbaarheid van (grond)wetgeving met de beginselen van de rule of law, mensenrechten en democratie voor de lidstaten van de Raad van Europa. Besproken wordt wat de Commissie is, wat zij doet en hoe zij dat doet. Vervolgens wordt ingegaan op de maatstaven die zij hanteert, en de specifieke uitdagingen die haar internationale positie, mede gezien het opkomend populisme en het spanningsveld tussen democratie en rechtsstaat, met zich brengen voor de mate van terughoudendheid in haar oordeelsvorming. Daarbij wordt specifiek ingegaan op de ‘casus Polen’.
Zware dicta van de Raad van State over AMvB’s
Authors: Borman T.C.
Published: September 2018

Zware dicta van de Raad van State over AMvB’s

Het is op dit moment niet duidelijk hoe de exacte formulering luidt van het zwaarste dictum dat de Afdeling advisering van de Raad van State in huis heeft voor het eindoordeel over een AMvB. Het in nr. 171 van het Draaiboek voor de regelgeving opgenomen dictum (‘niet te bekrachtigen’) is in ieder geval een dictum dat reeds lang niet meer wordt gebruikt. Anders dan in nr. 171 van het Draaiboek is vermeld, kan uit jaarverslagen van de Raad van State worden afgeleid dat de Raad van State bij AMvB’s niet twee maar drie zware dicta hanteert, dus net zoals bij de advisering over wetsvoorstellen. Dictum 5 bevat dan de formulering ‘niet aldus’, dictum 6 ‘niet overeenkomstig’. Het door de Raad van State genoemde dictum 6 voor AMvB’s (‘niet overeenkomstig’) heeft echter onvoldoende onderscheidend vermogen ten opzichte van dictum 5 (‘niet aldus’). Het zou daarom duidelijker zijn als wordt teruggekeerd naar de praktijk waarin het zwaarste dictum luidde: ‘geeft U in overweging het ontwerpbesluit niet te bekrachtigen’. Overigens is onduidelijk of het dictum ‘niet overeenkomstig’ nog wel bestaat, omdat dat dictum al acht jaar lang niet meer is toegekend. Het verdient daarom aanbeveling dat de Afdeling advisering van de Raad van State duidelijkheid verschaft over de formulering van de zware dicta die zij hanteert voor AMvB’s. Als die duidelijkheid er is, moeten deze dicta worden opgenomen in nr. 171 van het Draaiboek voor de regelgeving en in de toelichting bij Ar 7.14.
Connecting Ship Operation and Architecture in Ship Design Processes
Authors: Gernez Etienne
Published: September 2018

It is challenging to deal with the operation of ships by crew members in ship design processes. This is important because the efficiency and safety of ship operations ultimately depends on the ability of human operators to use the technological systems designed for them, no matter how well the technology might perform. The challenge is that there are limited ship design processes combining coherent coevolution of ship architecture and ship operation. I propose a framework that helps ship designers connect the operation of ships by human operators with the design of ships and ship systems.

1. Introduction

Analysis of the actual uses of ship systems by human operators can inform the design of ships and ship systems with the aim of making them safe and efficient to use. However, this analysis is challenging because human-centered design (HCD) methods are not common in ship design practice and research (Lützhöft 2004; Lundh et al. 2011; Lurås & Mainsah 2013; Costa & Lützhöft 2014; Abeysiriwardhane et al. 2015). This research explores how HCD methods can be introduced to the ship design process. In this article, I present a set of human-centered methods structured into a framework that connects the operation of ships by human operators with the design of ships and ship systems.

Rothblum (2000) states that designers need to understand the tasks of the human operators during ship operations and use this understanding to create designs that are compatible with all the systems the ship users interact with. Research on ship accident statistics supports the importance of this claim and shows that most accidents are connected to errors by human operators in their use of and interaction with ship systems (Kataria et al. 2015; Praetorius et al. 2015). There are good reasons to suppose that, similar to safety, the efficiency of ship operations is also closely connected to how ship systems enable the human operators to perform their tasks efficiently.
Review on the Design of the Isolation Techniques for UWB-MIMO Antennas
Authors: Gnanaharan I. , Anbazhagan R.
Published: September 2018

Ultra wide band - Multiple Input Multiple Output antenna technology provides higher data rates and the combination of the ultra wide band (UWB) and the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technologies provides a solution for the demand of still higher data rates i.e. in excess of 3 Gb/sec in the future.  As the antenna technologies are improving, the size of the MIMO antenna is growing smaller and smaller. Placing the antenna elements in such close proximity increases the coupling between them. Various isolation techniques have to be introduced between the antenna elements to decrease the coupling and to improve the isolation. A study of the various isolation enhancement techniques have been made in this review. It analyses the various isolation enhancement methods such as using orthogonal polarization, parasitic elements, varied decoupling structures, defected ground structures (DGS), neutralization line (NL) and finally by using metamaterials. Metamaterials is a technology to perk up the isolation between the antenna elements. Split ring resonator (SRR) behaves as a metamaterial and it is used as an isolation mechanism in this study. The antennas are simulated and the results are compared. The method using parasitic elements gives the highest isolation of 35 dB and it is 5 dB better than the methods using orthogonal polarization and using the decoupling structure. The performance of all the antennas satisfies the conditions for minimum isolation. The envelope correlation coefficient is nearly zero in all the antennas and it implies good diversity performance. The diversity gain is also calculated for the various antennas and it satisfies good diversity performance. The bandwidth of the antennas is in the UWB frequency range and they have a fractional bandwidth above the required value of 1.09. The capacity loss for all the antennas is very low and the antennas using defected ground structure and the decoupling structure gives very low capacity loss.
Broadband Magnetic Composite Energy Harvester
Authors: Khan Mohammed Asadullah , Mohammed Hanan , Kosel Jürgen
Published: August 2018

Energy from ambient vibrations is a potential source for powering the multitude of sensing and computing systems that comprise the internet of things. In order to exploit the broadband nature of natural low frequency vibrations, a magnetic composite energy harvester that has a dual resonant response in the sub–100 Hz region is presented by the authors. A unique structure composed of a proof mass mounted on an array of high aspect ratio, bioinspired hair like structures called cilia is fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) − NdFeB magnetic microcomposite. This structure has a frequency response comprised of two closely spaced resonant peaks facilitating the desirable broadband behavior at low frequency. Each cilium is shaped like a conical frustum with a top diameter of 200 μm and a bottom diameter of 450 μm and has a height of 3 mm, while the proof mass is cuboid with dimensions of 12 × 12 × 8 mm3. This composite structure is fabricated on top of a micromachined 1 cm2 planar coil, made up of 40 turns of 7.6 μm thick electroplated copper. The effect of material composition of the magnetic composite on the resonant frequencies, bandwidth, and energy harvesting performance of the device is studied.
Thickness‐Dependent Carrier Transport Characteristics of a New 2D Elemental Semiconductor: Black Arsenic
Authors: Zhong Mianzeng , Xia Qinglin , Pan Longfei , Liu Yuqing , Chen Yabin , Deng Hui‐Xiong , Li Jingbo , Wei Zhongming
Published: August 2018

2D elemental layered crystals, such as graphene and black phosphorus (B‐P), have received tremendous attentions due to their rich physical and chemical properties. In the applications of nanoelectronic devices, graphene shows super high electronic mobility, but it lacks bandgap which impedes development in logical devices. As an alternative, B‐P shows high mobility of up to about 1000 cm2 V−1 s−1. However, B‐P is very unstable and degrades rapidly in ambient conditions. Orthorhombic arsenic (black arsenic; b‐As) is the “cousin” of B‐P; theoretical prediction shows that b‐As also has excellent physical and chemical properties, but there is almost no experimental report on b‐As. Herein, it is reported on the unique transport characteristics and stability of monolayer and few‐layer b‐As crystals which are exfoliated from the natural mineral. The properties of field‐effect transistors (FETs) strongly depend on the thickness of crystals. In the monolayer limit, the performance shows relatively high carrier mobilities and large on/off ratios. Moreover, the b‐As crystals exhibit a relatively good ambient stability. The few‐layer arsenic based FET still function after exposure to air for about one month. Therefore, b‐As is expected to be a promising 2D material candidate in nanoelectronic devices.
Hierarchical Tumor Microenvironment‐Responsive Nanomedicine for Programmed Delivery of Chemotherapeutics
Authors: Wang Sheng , Yu Guocan , Wang Zhantong , Jacobson Orit , Tian Rui , Lin Li‐Sen , Zhang Fuwu , Wang Jing , Chen Xiaoyuan
Published: August 2018

Nanomedicines have been demonstrated to have passive or active tumor targeting behaviors, which are promising for cancer chemotherapy. However, most nanomedicines still suffer from a suboptimal targeting effect and drug leakage, resulting in unsatisfactory treatment outcome. Herein, a hierarchical responsive nanomedicine (HRNM) is developed for programmed delivery of chemotherapeutics. The HRNMs are prepared via the self‐assembly of cyclic Arg‐Gly‐Asp (RGD) peptide conjugated triblock copolymer, poly(2‐(hexamethyleneimino)ethyl methacrylate)‐poly(oligo‐(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether methacrylate)‐poly[reduction‐responsive camptothecin] (PC7A‐POEG‐PssCPT). In blood circulation, the RGD peptides are shielded by the POEG coating; therefore, the nanosized HRNMs can achieve effective tumor accumulation through passive targeting. Once the HRNMs reach a tumor site, due to the hydrophobic‐to‐hydrophilic conversion of PC7A chains induced by the acidic tumor microenvironment, the RGD peptides will be exposed for enhanced tumor retention and cellular internalization. Moreover, in response to the glutathione inside cells, active CPT drugs will be released rapidly for chemotherapy. The in vitro and in vivo results confirm effective tumor targeting, potent antitumor effect, and reduced systemic toxicity of the HRNMs. This HRNM is promising for enhanced chemotherapeutic delivery.
A β‐Diketiminate‐Stabilized Sila‐Acyl Chloride: Systematic Access to Base‐Stabilized Silicon Analogues of Classical Carbonyl Compounds
Authors: Do Dinh Cao Huan , Protchenko Andrey V. , Ángeles Fuentes M. , Hicks Jamie , Kolychev Eugene L. , Vasko Petra , Aldridge Simon
Published: August 2018

An oxidation/substitution strategy for the synthesis of silicon analogues of classical organic carbonyl compounds is reported, by making use of a novel β‐diketiminate‐supported sila‐acyl chloride—the first example of such a compound isolated without the use of a stabilizing Lewis acid. Nucleophilic substitution at the SiIV center allows direct access to the corresponding sila‐aldehyde and sila‐ester. An alternative approach utilizing the reverse order of synthetic steps is thwarted by the facile rearrangement of the corresponding SiII systems featuring either H or OR substituents. As such, the isolation of (N‐nacnac)Si(O)Cl represents a key step forward in enabling the synthesis of sila‐carbonyl compounds by a synthetic approach ubiquitous in organic chemistry.
All‐Inorganic Perovskite CsSnBr3 as a Thermally Stable, Free‐Carrier Semiconductor
Authors: Li Binghan , Long Ruiying , Xia Yu , Mi Qixi
Published: August 2018

Hybrid organic‐inorganic perovskites, especially methylammonium lead triiodide (MAPbI3), are intensely studied for their optoelectronic properties. The organic MA+ cation is held responsible for the superior performance of MAPbI3 but also its instability toward moisture and heat. To explore compositions beyond MAPbI3, we performed experiments and calculations on two isomorphous perovskites CsSnBr3 and MASnBr3. CsSnBr3 is slightly smaller than MASnBr3 in cell dimension, but outperforms MASnBr3 in band gap energy, charge‐carrier reduced effective mass, and optical dielectric constant all by ≈19 %. These merits accumulate to drastically cut the exciton binding energy from 33 meV for MASnBr3 to 19.6 meV for CsSnBr3, making CsSnBr3 a black, free‐carrier semiconductor. CsSnBr3 also exhibits distinctly higher stability toward moisture and heat than its organic counterparts. These advantages suggest ecofriendly applications for CsSnBr3, such as tandem solar cells and direct X‐ray detectors.
Covalent Functionalization of Exfoliated Arsenic with Chlorocarbene
Authors: Sturala Jiri , Ambrosi Adriano , Sofer Zdeněk , Pumera Martin
Published: August 2018

Few‐layer and monolayer arsenic (arsenene) materials have been attracting great attention mainly from a theoretical perspective. Chemical modification of these materials would expand significantly the range of their applications. Here, we describe a chlorocarbene‐mediated modification of exfoliated layered arsenic materials. Carbene‐based species are highly reactive and offer further possibilities of functionalization. Our approach for modifying the arsenic surface by chlorocarbene generated from organolithium and dichloromethane resulted in a large surface coverage and a highly luminescent functionalized material, opening the door for its application in modern optoelectronic devices.
Structural analysis of poly(ethylene terephthalate) modified by polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride from rheological data
Authors: Khaledi Behnam , Golshan Ebrahimi Nadereh
Published: August 2018

During some investigations on compatibilizing poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) blends by maleic anhydride–grafted polyolefins (PO‐g‐MA), the reaction between PET and PO‐g‐MA and the formation of PO‐g‐PET were proposed. However, the effect of PO‐g‐MA on the rheological properties of PET has not been the aim of any specific study. In our study, polypropylene (PP)‐g‐MA was melt reacted with PET, and the effects of its content and grafting degree on the intrinsic viscosity and linear viscoelastic properties of PET were investigated. The results reveal that the addition of PP‐g‐MA leads to increasing intrinsic viscosity, which confirms the reaction between PP‐g‐MA and PET. Rheological measurements suggest that the addition of PP‐g‐MA improves the elastic behavior and increases the complex viscosity of PET. No shear thinning behavior was observed for any samples, indicating that branching is not widespread. The increase in PP‐g‐MA content or grafting degree leads to increases in the intrinsic and complex viscosities and improves the elastic behavior. Furthermore, we reported the unusual observation of an increasing viscosity with frequency in modified sa"mples due to the transesterification phenomenon. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019, 136, 46896.
Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of new pyrrole carboxamide derivatives: In vitro and in silico studies
Authors: Kıbrız İbrahim Evren , Saçmacı Mustafa , Yıldırım İsmail , Abbas Ali Noma Samir , Taşkın Tok Tuğba , Ateş Burhan
Published: August 2018

Pyrrole carboxamide rings are rarely used as active scaffold in designing inhibitors for enzymes. Herein, we described the structure–activity relationship for novel xanthine oxidase inhibitors based on the pyrrole carboxamide scaffold. A series of novel‐substituted pyrrole carboxamide derivatives were synthesized and characterized; their in vitro and in silico inhibitory activities were determined against xanthine oxidase. Among these compounds, those which contain no substituent and one methyl group at the para‐position of the phenyl moiety in the main structure, respectively, were found out as most active according to the xanthine oxidase inhibition activity study. In silico techniques reveal why these compounds display more activities than others, based on their binding interactions with xanthine oxidase and the surface scanning results of the enzyme. Furthermore, the binding energy calculations displayed good agreement with the experimental activity values.
Exploring the Dimensions of Medical Student Engagement with Technology‐Enhanced Learning Resources and Assessing the Impact on Assessment Outcomes
Authors: Pickering James D. , Swinnerton Bronwen J.
Published: August 2018

Anatomy curricula are becoming increasingly populated with blended learning resources, which utilize the increasing availability of educational technology. The educational literature postulates that the use of technology can support students in achieving greater learning outcomes by increasing engagement. This study attempts to investigate the dimensions of student engagement with technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) resources as part of a medical program’s anatomy curriculum using exploratory factor analysis. A 25‐item five‐point Likert‐based survey was administered to 192 first‐year medical students, with three emergent factors discerned: satisfaction, goal setting and planning, and physical interaction. The three factors closely aligned with the existing literature and therefore additional nonparametric analysis was conducted that explored the levels of engagement across three custom‐made anatomy TEL resources, including: (1) anatomy drawing screencasts; (2) an eBook; and (3) a massive open online course (MOOC). Usage data indicated that the most popular resource to be accessed across the cohort was the anatomy drawing screencasts via YouTube, with the MOOC being used least. Moreover, some evidence suggests that those students who utilized the MOOC were more engaged. Generally, however, no correlations were observed between the levels of engagement and TEL resource usage or assessment outcomes. The results from this study provide a clear insight intohowstudents engage with TEL resources, but do not reveal any relationship between levels of engagement, usage, and assessment outcomes.
Systematic assessment of triticale‐based biorefinery strategies: techno‐economic analysis to identify investment opportunities
Authors: Sanaei Shabnam , Stuart Paul R
Published: August 2018

In recent years, interest has increased in biorefineries that use a variety of biomass residues and non‐food crops. Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) is a human‐developed crop that has the potential to become a preferred industrial energy crop for the biorefinery because of its capacity to grow on marginal land, its higher yields compared to existing cereal crops such as wheat, and its non‐competition with food‐based crops. However, implementation of the triticale‐based biorefinery will require the identification of sustainable strategies and as its sustainability pillar, the identification of economically promising strategies. In this study, the economic performance of several triticale‐based product‐process scenarios, including the production of ethanol, polylactic acid (PLA), and thermoplastic starch polymer, has been assessed through the evaluation of six economic criteria. These conflicting criteria have been evaluated in a multi‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) panel, demonstrated for PLA platform, which has made it possible (i) to rank the alternatives by their economic performance, and (ii) to identify a set of the most important criteria to be used in a sustainability study. The MCDM results show that the alternatives with the best performance on profitability‐oriented criteria do not necessarily achieve the highest overall economic score. This suggests the need to consider both business‐strategy‐oriented criteria and profitability‐oriented criteria in strategic decision‐making. The MCDM results show that the internal rate of return, the downside internal rate of return, and the resistance to supply market uncertainty with relative weights of 24.8%, 23.6%, and 18.1% respectively, are the most important of the criteria assessed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Recognizing economic value in multifunctional buffers in the lower Mississippi river basin
Authors: Xu Hui , Wu May , Ha Miae
Published: August 2018

Integrating conservation practices with bioenergy has been recommended as a promising strategy to improve bioeconomy and water quality but the literature on the economics of this strategy is limited. This study evaluated the value proposition of reducing nutrient loss from cropland by implementing switchgrass riparian buffers in the Lower Mississippi River Basin (LMRB). Nutrient loss was simulated by using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. The value proposition of nutrient abatement was quantified by estimating (1) value of trapped nutrients as fertilizer and (2) potential net returns of harvesting switchgrass as bioenergy feedstock at different farm‐gate prices. Results suggest that switchgrass buffers may reduce mean annual total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads from cropland in the LMRB by 23% and 31%, respectively. The value of trapped nutrients is considerable (mean = $69 ha−1 year−1) but far less than the cost of implementing a switchgrass buffer (mean = $163 ha−1 year−1). At biomass prices of $20, $40, $60, and $80 per dry‐ton, mean net returns of switchgrass buffers (without considering land‐use change from cropland to buffers) were estimated to be around −$66, $199, $463, and $727 ha−1 year−1, respectively. Total net returns for the LMRB may be reduced by 20% if switchgrass is grown without the addition of commercial fertilizer. The results highlight the potential of switchgrass buffers for improving water sustainability of both agricultural and bioenergy production. The value proposition of switchgrass buffers is nevertheless sensitive to future feedstock price. The impact of fertilizer prices change and forgone income on benefit analysis is also presented. © 2018 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The predictive ability of childhood animal cruelty methods for later interpersonal crimes
Authors: Hensley Christopher , Ketron Joseph B.
Published: August 2018

Research on the topic of childhood animal cruelty methods and their link to interpersonal violence is sparse. Most of the studies that do exist focus only on the frequencies of different methods of childhood animal cruelty. Only two studies to date have examined the predictive nature of these methods for later violence toward humans. One of these previous studies found that drowning and having sex with animals were predictive of later human violence, while the other found that sex with animals and the age at which the offenders began committing animal cruelty were its only statistically significant predictors. Using data collected from 257 anonymous self‐reports by male inmates at a medium‐security prison in a Southern state, we investigate the predictive ability of several retrospectively identified childhood animal cruelty methods (i.e., drowning, hitting/beating, hitting with rocks, shooting, kicking, choking, burning, stabbing, having sex, and starving/neglecting) for later violent crimes toward humans. Regression analyses revealed that recurrent (i.e., more than once) childhood animal cruelty and stabbing animals were the only statistically significant variables in the model that predicted recurrent interpersonal violence in adulthood.
Designing web‐games for transportation engineering education
Authors: Wang Qichao , Abbas Montasir
Published: August 2018

This paper presents the gamification of transportation engineering education. We identified what the authors deemed to be the key hard concepts in the taught course and designed five web‐games targeting five areas within transportation engineering. The developed games were tested with undergraduate students. The results show that the games can enhance the students’ understanding of the hard concepts.
“Inverse” Frustrated Lewis Pairs: An Inverse FLP Approach to the Catalytic Metal Free Hydrogenation of Ketones
Authors: Mummadi Suresh , Brar Amandeep , Wang Guoqiang , Kenefake Dustin , Diaz Rony , Unruh Daniel K. , Li Shuhua , Krempner Clemens
Published: August 2018

For the first time have boron‐containing weak Lewis acids been demonstrated to be active components of Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) catalysts in the hydrogenation of ketones to alcohols. Combining the organosuperbase (pyrr)3P=NtBu with the Lewis acid 9‐(4‐CF3‐C6H4)‐BBN generated an “inverse” FLP catalyst capable of hydrogenating a range of aliphatic and aromatic ketones including N‐, O‐ and S‐functionalized substrates and bio‐mass derived ethyl levulinate. Initial computational and experimental studies indicate the mechanism of catalytic hydrogenation with “inverse” FLPs to be different from conventional FLP catalysts that contain strong Lewis acids such as B(C6F5)3.
Improved RNA‐seq Workflows Using CyVerse Cyberinfrastructure
Authors: Chougule Kapeel M. , Wang Liya , Stein Joshua C. , Wang Xiaofei , Devisetty Upendra Kumar , Klein Robert R. , Ware Doreen
Published: August 2018

RNA‐seq is a vital method for understanding gene structure and expression patterns. Typical RNA‐seq analysis protocols use sequencing reads of length 50 to 150 nucleotides for alignment to the reference genome and assembly of transcripts. The resultant transcripts are quantified and used for differential expression and visualization. Existing tools and protocols for RNA‐seq are vast and diverse; given their differences in performance, it is critical to select an analysis protocol that is scalable, accurate, and easy to use. Tuxedo, a popular alignment‐based protocol for RNA‐seq analysis, has been updated with HISAT2, StringTie, StringTie‐merge, and Ballgown, and the updated protocol outperforms its predecessor. Similarly, new pseudo‐alignment‐based protocols like Kallisto and Sleuth reduce runtime and improve performance. However, these tools are challenging for researchers lacking command‐line experience. Here, we describe two new RNA‐seq analysis protocols, in which all tools are deployed on CyVerse Cyberinfrastructure with user‐friendly graphical user interfaces, and validate their performance using plant RNA‐seq data. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Installing, Maintaining, and Using a Local Copy of BLAST for Compute Cluster or Workstation Use
Authors: Ladunga Istvan
Published: August 2018

The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is the first resource to computationally characterize a novel amino acid or nucleic acid sequence. BLAST plays important roles in genomics, transcriptomics, and protein science. For numerous academic and commercial researchers, neither BLAST Web servers nor cloud resources satisfy the requirements of high‐throughput comparative genomic pipelines or company policies. For such users, this unit describes how to install BLAST locally, either on a standalone workstation, or preferably on a compute cluster. We provide practical guidance for the planning and the installation under the LINUX, Windows, and Mac OS X operating systems. We propose strategies for downloading existing and generating new sequence databases in BLAST format. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A stochastic scheduled operation of wind farm based on scenarios of the generated power with copula
Authors: Yoshida Kotaro , Negishi Shintaro , Takayama Satoshi , Ishigame Atsushi
Published: August 2018

Recently, the penetration of wind farm (WF) has been increasing because of the global warming and the lack of the fossil energy resource. However, WF output fluctuate due to the weather and the seasonality. Specially, the long‐term fluctuation is called “Ramp event.” It's difficult for WF output to dispatch to the power grid without controlling the ramp events. This article proposes the method of scheduled operation to mitigate the ramp events and reduce the imbalance energy with the stochastic programming. In this method, it's necessary to use the WF output scenarios. However, there has never been studied the method of generating scenarios with the temporal correlation so far. Therefore, we propose the production method of generating scenarios considering the temporal correlation with copula. Finally, this article shows the validity and the effectiveness of these methods through computational simulations using the integrated WF data of Tohoku area.
LC–MS/MS glycomics of idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Dong Xue , Mondello Stefania , Kobeissy Firas , Talih Farid , Ferri Raffaele , Mechref Yehia
Published: August 2018

Idiopathic REM sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) is now considered a prodromal stage of an α‑synucleinopathy‐related to neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's diseases. Emerging evidence has shown that post‐translational modification or glycosylation are implicated in dynamic disease mechanisms and the onset of many pathological conditions. We hypothesized that the characterization of the glycosylation pattern of patients with RBD would be of great value to understand the pathophysiology and underlying mechanisms and represent potentially useful biomarkers for disease‐associated molecular changes. To test this hypothesis, we assessed the serum glycome of patients with RBD and compared to that of healthy controls. NanoRPLC–MS was used to generate quantitative N‐glycan profiles while high‐temperature PGC‐LC–MS platform was employed to generate quantitative isomeric N‐glycan profiles. By analyzing permethylated glycans derived from human blood sera on C18‐LC–MS/MS, we identified 59 N‐glycan structures in healthy (control) cohort, 56 N‐glycans in RBD cohort. Sixteen N‐glycans structures were found to be significantly altered in the RBD cohort (p < 0.05). N‐glycans with the composition of HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1, HexNAc5Hex5, and HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1NeuAc1 presented the most substantial difference between controls and RBD patients (p < 0.01). HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1NeuAc1 showed a relatively high abundance (3.1 ± 0.7% in the control cohort versus 4 ± 3% in the idiopathic RBD cohort). These N‐glycans can be potential diagnostic biomarker candidates and provide a window into underlying neurodegenerative processes in patients with idiopathic RBD. In addition, 7 N‐glycan isomers were significantly different between controls and RBD patients (p < 0.05). HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1NeuAc1 (4511‐2) and HexNAc4Hex5Fuc1 NeuAc2 (4512‐2) showed the most substantial difference between the control and idiopathic RBD cohorts (p < 0.001). Levels of both these two isomeric structures were higher in the idiopathic RBD cohort. Further larger studies are required to assess the reproducibility of these findings and to elucidate the role played by the changes in glycan structures in the pathogenetic mechanisms of RBD. This information will be instrumental in developing molecular therapeutic targets to promote neuroprotection and prevention of neurodegeneration.