bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Achiral Polydialkylsilane Aggregates That Record Stirring Direction
Authors: Tang Xianhui , Ji Xingxing , Li Yi , Li Baozong , Yang Yonggang
Published: January 2016

Achiral polysilane aggregates can recognize the chirality of low‐molecular‐weight compounds. It was found that they can also record the stirring direction. Poly(n‐decyl‐2‐methylpropylsilane), poly(n‐nonyl‐2‐methylpropylsilane), poly(n‐decyl‐2‐ethylbutylsilane), and poly(n‐decyl‐(S)‐2‐methylbutylsilane) aggregates were prepared in a mixture of tetrahydrofuran/isopropanol. Although the optical activity of the aggregates of the polysilane with chiral side chains was not tunable by changing the direction of the vortex flow, that of the aggregates of the optically inactive polysilane had a strong relationship to the direction, time, and rate of the vortex flow. The chiral stacked polysilanes were proposed to exist at the surfaces of the aggregates. The optically inactive polysilanes also exhibited optical activity under shear force with a distinct signal in the linear dichroism (LD) spectra of the achiral aggregates in vortex flows. However, the LD signals did not have a significant influence on the circular dichroism signals.
Rare‐Earth‐Based Nanoparticles with Simultaneously Enhanced Near‐Infrared (NIR)‐Visible (Vis) and NIR‐NIR Dual‐Conversion Luminescence for Multimodal Imaging
Authors: Ma Dandan , Xu Xiang , Hu Min , Wang Jing , Zhang Zhenxi , Yang Jian , Meng Lingjie
Published: January 2016

Multifunctional NaGdF4:Yb3+,Er3+,Nd3+@NaGdF4:Nd3+core–shell nanoparticles (called Gd:Yb3+,Er3+,Nd3+@Gd:Nd3+NPs) with simultaneously enhanced near‐infrared (NIR)‐visible (Vis) and NIR‐NIR dual‐conversion (up and down) luminescence (UCL/DCL) properties were successfully synthesized. The resulting core–shell NPs simultaneously emitted enhanced UCL at 522, 540, and 660 nm and DCL at 980 and 1060 nm under the excitation of a 793 nm laser. The enhanced UCL and DCL can be explained by complex energy‐transfer processes, Nd3+→Yb3+→Er3+and Nd3+→Yb3+, respectively. The effects of Nd3+concentration and shell thickness on the UCL/DCL properties were systematically investigated. The UCL and DCL properties of NPs were observed under the optimal conditions: a shell Nd3+content of 20 % and a shell thickness of approximately 5 nm. Moreover, the Gd:Yb3+,Er3+,Nd3+@Gd:20 % Nd3+NPs exhibited remarkable magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) properties similar to that of a clinical agent, Omniscan. Thus, the core–shell NPs with excellent UCL/DCL/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) properties have great potential for both in vitro and in vivo multimodal bioimaging.
Pre‐Actuation and Optimal State Transition Based Precise Tracking for Maximum Phase System
Authors: Zhang Youling , Liu Shan
Published: January 2016

Precise trajectory tracking for the maximum phase system can be achieved by the stable inversion method. However, its side effect is requiring the sufficient extended zero trajectory. To overcome this drawback, firstly, this paper introduces the concept of stable initial state which is of vital importance to achieve precise output tracking. And then several methods have been presented to obtain the stable initial state. Both the standard method and the pre‐actuation method can be seen as the simplified stable inversion method under certain conditions, but the two methods only perform approximate output tracking. To achieve precise trajectory tracking, the optimal state transition method and the combination method consisting of the pre‐actuation and the optimal state transition are introduced. Finally, the optimal combination method is proposed to obtain the best overall tracking effect. In brief, different methods are fit for different situation but the optimal combination method is the finest method in practical situation. The effectiveness of the proposed methods are verified through numerical simulations for the maximum phase system.
Being Real About Governance
Authors: Oliver Caroline
Published: January 2016

Caroline Oliver, Editor of Board Leadership, suggests that better governance would be served if we were more willing to face the limitations of our current understanding and practice. Here, she starts the process for herself and asks you to do the same.
Heed our fathers' advice for success in the workplace
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: January 2016

Every day I read another article or blog post about how to be successful. Really the only advice we've ever needed we got while growing up. Our fathers gave us the best advice we've ever gotten. Heed it and you'll never need to read anything else about success. Their tenets were simple. Here's what my dad told me:
Mechanistic Aspects of the Holmium‐Mediated, Reciprocal Hydrogen/Sulfur Exchange in the Gas Phase: C6H5CH3+CH2S→C6H5CHS+CH4
Authors: Zhou Shaodong , Li Jilai , Schlangen Maria , Schwarz Helmut
Published: January 2016

The thermal reaction of [Ho(CH2S)]+ with toluene giving rise to [C6H5CHSHo]+ and CH4 has been investigated using Fourier‐transform ion cyclotron resonance (FT‐ICR) mass spectrometry complemented by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The high reactivity of [Ho(CH2S)]+ which is in distinct contrast with the non‐reactivity of “bare” Ho+ has its origin in the presence of a carbon‐centered radical; the latter initiates hydrogen‐atom abstraction from the methyl group of toluene as the first step of a sequence of hydrogen and sulfur transfer mediated by cationic holmium.
Synthesis and Application of C2 and C3 Symmetric (R)‐Phenylglycinol‐Derived Chiral Stationary Phases
Authors: Yu Jeongjae , Ryoo Dong Hyun , Lee Jung Mi , Ryoo Jae Jeong
Published: January 2016

A C3 symmetric (R)‐phenylglycinol N‐1,3,5‐benzenetricarboxylic acid‐derived chiral stationary phase (CSP) and three C2 symmetric (R)‐phenylglycinol CSPs were newly synthesized using o‐, m‐, and p‐phthaloyl dichlorides. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

These CSPs were used to compare the resolution of 25 chiral samples using a previously reported 3,5‐dinitrobenzoyl (R)‐phenylglycinol‐derived CSP. Even though all CSPs have the same chiral moiety, the C3 symmetric CSP showed the best resolution. Chirality 28:186–191, 2016.© 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effectiveness of the low‐glucose suspend feature of insulin pump during fasting during Ramadan in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Elbarbary Nancy Samir
Published: January 2016

Background

Severe hypoglycaemia during the daytime of Ramadan fasting is a highly feared complication. In a prospective study, we investigated the effect of the low‐glucose suspend (LGS) algorithm on the frequency of hypoglycaemia in adolescents with T1DM who wished to fast during Ramadan.

Subjects and methods

Sixty patients (19 males and 41 females, 15.6 ± 2.7 years, duration of diabetes 5.8 ± 2.9 years, pump therapy for 1.73 ± 0.99 years, used the Paradigm(®) Veo(™) System (Medtronic) and were divided into two groups: first (n=25), those who used the sensor with low‐glucose suspend (LGS) feature and second (n = 35), those who used the sensor but turned off low‐glucose suspend (LGS) feature.

Results

A total of 2716 LGS alerts occurred, and 48.6% began in the afternoon between 4pm and 7pm. The mean duration of LGS events was 26.5 min, 38% lasted for <5 min and 5.3% lasted for 120 min. Among these episodes, the mean sensor glucose was 62.3 ± 5.96 mg/dL at LGS activation, rose to 129.8 ± 11.6 mg/dL by the end of the LGS episode (when insulin delivery was automatically resumed) and was 155.6 ± 11.1 mg/dL at 240 min. LGS usage significantly reduced area under the curve (AUC) <70, AUC <60 mg/dL (p = 0.0001) and >240 mg/dL (p = 0.006). None of the LGS‐on group broke their fast versus 15 in the second group (p = 0.001). No episodes of severe hyperglycaemia or DKA were noticed in either groups.

Conclusions

Usage of low‐glucose suspend (LGS) significantly reduced exposure to hypoglycaemia without compromising safety. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolic control and hypoglycaemia in people with type 2 diabetes on conventional or intensified insulin therapy: a 22 year retrospective single centre survey
Authors: Kramer G. , Kuniss N. , Kloos C. , Lehmann T. , Müller N. , Sämann A. , Wolf G. , Müller U. A.
Published: January 2016

Background

Multiple insulin injection therapy can easily be adapted to the patient's needs. Therefore, it is supposed that more intensive insulin therapy is associated with better metabolic control and less hypoglycaemia compared with a conventional insulin strategy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

HbA1c and incidence of non‐severe and severe hypoglycaemia were analysed with regard to the strategy of insulin therapy [multiple insulin injection therapy with preprandial insulin with or without basal insulin or conventional insulin therapy with twice‐daily premix insulin] from 20 943 visits of 1417 people treated with insulin with type 2 diabetes in a university outpatient department for endocrinology and metabolic diseases over a period of 22 years.

Results

Multiple insulin injection therapy was used in 13 896 (66.4%) of all 20 942 visits. Compared with conventional insulin therapy, these patients were younger (62.0 vs 68.7 years; p < 0.001), had a slightly longer diabetes duration (16.5 vs 15.8 years; p < 0.001) and higher body mass index (32.8 vs 30.9 kg/m2; p < 0.001), a higher insulin dose (76.4 vs 46.5 IU/day; p < 0.001), more frequent blood glucose monitorings/week (24.2 vs 14.8; p < 0.001), a slightly lower HbA1c [7.7 (61.2) vs 7.9% (62.9 mmol/mol); p < 0.001] but more non‐severe hypoglycaemic incidences per week (0.3 vs 0.2; p = 0.01). Episodes of severe hypoglycaemia were rare and comparable (0.01/patient/year) with both insulin therapy strategies.

Conclusions

Multiple insulin injection therapy and conventional insulin therapy yielded comparable metabolic control with HbA1c below 8% (63.9 mmol/mol), but multiple insulin injection therapy is associated with higher body mass index and higher incidence of non‐severe hypoglycaemia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conditional restoration and inactivation of Rbm47 reveal its tissue‐context requirement for viability and growth
Authors: Fossat Nicolas , Radziewic Tania , Jones Vanessa , Tourle Karin , Tam Patrick P. L.
Published: January 2016

Rbm47 encodes a RNA binding protein that is necessary for Cytidine to Uridine RNA editing. Rbm47gt/gt mutant mice that harbor inactivated Rbm47 display poor viability. Here it was determined that the loss of Rbm47gt/gt offspring is due to embryonic lethality at mid‐gestation. It was further showed that growth of the surviving Rbm47gt/gt mutants is impaired. Rbm47 is expressed in both the visceral endoderm and the definitive endoderm. Using the utility of the switchable FlEx gene‐trap cassette and the activity of Cre and FLP recombinases to generate mice that conditionally inactivate and restore Rbm47 function in tissue‐specific manner, it was demonstrated that Rbm47 function is required in the embryo proper, and not the visceral endoderm, for viability and growth. genesis 54:115–122, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Noncentrosomal microtubules in C. elegans epithelia
Authors: Quintin Sophie , Gally Christelle , Labouesse Michel
Published: January 2016

The microtubule cytoskeleton has a dual contribution to cell organization. First, microtubules help displace chromosomes and provide tracks for organelle transport. Second, microtubule rigidity confers specific mechanical properties to cells, which are crucial in cilia or mechanosensory structures. Here we review the recently uncovered organization and functions of noncentrosomal microtubules in C. elegans epithelia, focusing on how they contribute to nuclear positioning and protein transport. In addition, we describe recent data illustrating how the microtubule and actin cytoskeletons interact to achieve those functions. genesis, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. genesis 54:229–242, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Varying foraging patterns in response to competition? A multicolony approach in a generalist seabird
Authors: Corman Anna‐Marie , Mendel Bettina , Voigt Christian C. , Garthe Stefan
Published: January 2016

Reducing resource competition is a crucial requirement for colonial seabirds to ensure adequate self‐ and chick‐provisioning during breeding season. Spatial segregation is a common avoidance strategy among and within species from neighboring breeding colonies. We determined whether the foraging behaviors of incubating lesser black‐backed gulls (Larus fuscus) differed between six colonies varying in size and distance to mainland, and whether any differences could be related to the foraging habitats visited. Seventy‐nine incubating individuals from six study colonies along the German North Sea coast were equipped with GPS data loggers in multiple years. Dietary information was gained by sampling food pellets, and blood samples were taken for stable isotope analyses. Foraging patterns clearly differed among and within colonies. Foraging range increased with increasing colony size and decreased with increasing colony distance from the mainland, although the latter might be due to the inclusion of the only offshore colony. Gulls from larger colonies with consequently greater density‐dependent competition were more likely to forage at land instead of at sea. The diets of the gulls from the colonies furthest from each other differed, while the diets from the other colonies overlapped with each other. The spatial segregation and dietary similarities suggest that lesser black‐backed gulls foraged at different sites and utilized two main habitat types, although these were similar across foraging areas for all colonies except the single offshore island. The avoidance of intraspecific competition results in colony‐specific foraging patterns, potentially causing more intensive utilization of terrestrial foraging sites, which may offer more predictable and easily available foraging compared with the marine environment.
Nested species interactions promote feasibility over stability during the assembly of a pollinator community
Authors: Saavedra Serguei , Rohr Rudolf P. , Olesen Jens M. , Bascompte Jordi
Published: January 2016

The foundational concepts behind the persistence of ecological communities have been based on two ecological properties: dynamical stability and feasibility. The former is typically regarded as the capacity of a community to return to an original equilibrium state after a perturbation in species abundances and is usually linked to the strength of interspecific interactions. The latter is the capacity to sustain positive abundances on all its constituent species and is linked to both interspecific interactions and species demographic characteristics. Over the last 40 years, theoretical research in ecology has emphasized the search for conditions leading to the dynamical stability of ecological communities, while the conditions leading to feasibility have been overlooked. However, thus far, we have no evidence of whether species interactions are more conditioned by the community's need to be stable or feasible. Here, we introduce novel quantitative methods and use empirical data to investigate the consequences of species interactions on the dynamical stability and feasibility of mutualistic communities. First, we demonstrate that the more nested the species interactions in a community are, the lower the mutualistic strength that the community can tolerate without losing dynamical stability. Second, we show that high feasibility in a community can be reached either with high mutualistic strength or with highly nested species interactions. Third, we find that during the assembly process of a seasonal pollinator community located at The Zackenberg Research Station (northeastern Greenland), a high feasibility is reached through the nested species interactions established between newcomer and resident species. Our findings imply that nested mutualistic communities promote feasibility over stability, which may suggest that the former can be key for community persistence.
Facile Preparation of AgI/Bi2MoO6 Heterostructured Photocatalysts with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Xu Ming , Zhang Wei‐De
Published: January 2016

Bi2MoO6 microspheres were modified by loading AgI nanoparticles on their surfaces by a facile deposition/precipitation approach. The as‐prepared AgI/Bi2MoO6 heterostructured photocatalysts exhibit much higher photocatalytic activities for the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) and bisphenol A (BPA) than P25, AgI, Bi2MoO6, and a mechanical mixture of AgI and Bi2MoO6. The composite with 20 wt.‐% AgI shows the highest degradation efficiency. The enhanced photocatalytic properties of the AgI/Bi2MoO6 heterostructures are attributed to their larger surface areas, extended absorption in the visible‐light range, and efficient separation of photoinduced carriers at the interfaces of the AgI and Bi2MoO6 nanocrystals. The AgI/Bi2MoO6 photocatalyst is stable during the catalytic reaction and can be used repeatedly. Moreover, O2·– and h+ were verified as the main active species in the decomposition of organic pollutants. A possible photocatalytic mechanism is also proposed.
Diastereoselective Hydrosilylation of N‐(tert‐Butylsulfinyl)imines Catalyzed by Zinc Acetate
Authors: Adamkiewicz Anna , Mlynarski Jacek
Published: January 2016

An efficient zinc‐catalyzed diastereoselective hydrosilylation of N‐(tert‐butylsulfinyl)imines has been developed that does not require the use of ligands or noble metals. A variety of N‐(tert‐butylsulfinyl)imines were reduced by this protocol in the presence of a catalytic amount of zinc acetate (5 mol‐%) to provide the corresponding secondary amines in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 98 % de). This experimentally simple catalytic procedure is easily applicable to the synthesis of both aromatic and aliphatic amines by using triethoxysilane as an efficient hydrogen source.
Pyrazinoporphyrins: Expanding a Pyrrolic Building Block in meso‐Tetraphenylporphyrin by a Nitrogen Atom
Authors: Head Michelle L. , Zarate Gloria , Brückner Christian
Published: January 2016

Application of a variant of our “porphyrin breaking and mending strategy” to free base and NiII complexes of meso‐tetraarylporphyrin – dihydroxylation, oxidative diol cleavage and reaction of the resulting seco‐chlorin bis(aldehyde) with ammonia – generates pyrazinoporphyrins. Thus, a nitrogen atom was inserted between the two former β‐carbon atoms, overall formally replacing a pyrrolic building block by a pyrazine moiety. Treatment of the initially formed pyrazine hemiaminals with alcohols converts them into the corresponding hemiaminal ethers. This stabilizes the chromophores significantly, but the free‐base pyrazinoporphyrins still remain sensitive toward (acid‐induced) degradation reactions. Free‐base pyrazinoporphyrins possess slightly redshifted porphyrin‐type UV/Vis spectra, while the spectra of the pyrazinoporphyrin NiII complexes resemble more those of metallochlorins.
Asymmetric Synthesis of Aromatic and Heteroaromatic α‐Amino Acids Using a Recyclable Axially Chiral Ligand
Authors: Li Jia , Zhou Shengbin , Wang Jiang , Kawashima Aki , Moriwaki Hiroki , Soloshonok Vadim A. , Liu Hong
Published: January 2016

In this work, we introduce a new chiral nucleophilic glycine equivalent containing a recyclable axially chiral ligand. As the first synthetic application of this glycine reagent, we describe its alkylation reactions with various alkyl bromides, conducted under unconventional conditions using methanol as the reaction medium. The alkylation products were isolated in diastereomerically pure state in high >80 % yields. The wide structural scope of this method and its limitations are convincingly demonstrated and critically discussed. The recyclable nature of the nonracemizable axially chiral ligands together with the generally excellent stereochemical outcome makes this a very valuable method for the practical preparation of enantiomerically pure aromatic tailor‐made α‐amino acids.
Synthesis of Bio‐Dimethyl Ether Based on Carbon Dioxide‐Enhanced Gasification of Biomass: Process Simulation Using Aspen Plus
Authors: Parvez Ashak M. , Mujtaba Iqbal M. , Hall Philip , Lester Edward H. , Wu Tao
Published: January 2016

Process simulation for a single‐step synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) based on the CO2‐enhanced gasification of rice straw was conducted using Aspen Plus. The process consists of a gasification unit, a heat recovery unit, a gas purification unit, a single‐step DME synthesis unit, and a DME separation unit. In the simulation, highly pure DME was produced by the control of CO2 concentration in syngas to a very low level prior to synthesis. A gasification system efficiency of 36.7 % and CO2 emission of 1.31 kg kgDME−1 were achieved. This bio‐DME production based on the CO2‐enhanced gasification of biomass was cost‐effective as it required 19.6 % less biomass than that of DME production based on conventional biomass gasification. The performance and environmental benefits of the proposed process could be further improved by the utilization of unreacted gases and the managing of CO2 generated by the incorporation of a polygeneration concept or carbon storage.
Testing for seasonal means in time series data
Authors: Liu Gang , Shao Qin , Lund Robert , Woody Jonathan
Published: January 2016

The statistician often needs to test whether or not a time series has a seasonal first moment. The problem often arises in environmental series, where most time‐ordered data display some type of periodic structure. This paper reviews the problem, proposing new statistics in both the time and frequency domains. Our new time domain statistic has an analysis of variance form that is based on the one‐step‐ahead prediction errors of the series. This statistic inherits the classic traits of theF‐distribution arising in one‐way analysis of variance tests, is easy to use, and is asymptotically equivalent to the likelihood ratio test. The statistics asymptotic distribution is quantified when time series parameters are estimated. In the frequency domain, a statistic modifying Fisher's classical test for a sinusoidal mean superimposed on independent and identically distributed Gaussian noise is devised. The performance and comparison of these statistics are studied via simulation. Implementation of the methods merely requires sample means, autocovariances, and periodograms of the series. Application to a data set of monthly temperatures from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is given. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comprehensive study on the characterization and comparison of oil‐containing sludge and alkali‐containing sludge
Authors: Xu Mingfeng , Shi Huisheng , Wu Kai , Guo Xiaolu , Yang Anliang
Published: January 2016

In this study, a systematic study on the characterization of two kinds of steelmaking sludges, oil‐containing sludge (Sludge‐I) and alkali‐containing sludge (Sludge‐II), were carried out by using X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), leaching toxicity test, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), TG‐DSC, and proximate analysis, and their potential of being recycled as alternative fuel and raw materials in cement production was also discussed. Results showed that Al2O3, Fe2O3, SiO2, and CaO were the major compositions in calcinated Sludge‐I and Sludge‐II after being calcinated at 850°C. The calorific values of Sludge‐I and Sludge‐II were 8513 J g−1 and 3299 J g−1 and the combustible contents were 62.22% and 34.03%, respectively. The content of alkalis in Sludge‐I was lower than that in Sludge‐II and both of these values were within the scope of requirement for cement. Considering the similar compositions as cement raw materials, high calorific values and combustible contents, both of the two sludges had potential of being recycled as alternative fuel and raw materials in cement production. But the higher heat and lower alkali content in Sludge‐I made its potential better. The research would be helpful to understand the composition and thermal behavior of the sludges and to further develop more ideal utilization methods. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 35: 957–961, 2016
Nutrient content of some Cameroonian traditional dishes and their potential contribution to dietary reference intakes
Authors: Ponka Roger , Fokou Elie , Beaucher Eric , Piot Michel , Gaucheron Frédéric
Published: January 2016

Malnutrition is a serious public health problem in Cameroon. The research study was conducted to determine nutrient content of some Cameroonian traditional dishes and their potential contribution to dietary reference intakes. These dishes were Ekomba, prepared from maize flour with roasted peanuts paste; Ekwang, prepared from crushed cocoyam tubers and cocoyam leaves; Tenue militaire, prepared from dried maize flour and cocoyam leaves and Koki, prepared from dried crushed cowpea seeds. The samples were subjected to proximate, minerals, carotenoids, and amino acids analyses. Results showed that the protein content ranged between 1.4 and 5.4 g/100 g edible portion. The mineral content expressed in mg/100 g edible portion ranged between 13.4 and 38.9 (calcium), 12.9–30.7 (magnesium), 336.2–567.9 (sodium), 63.3–182.7 (potassium), 0.5–1.5 (iron), 0.3–1.1 (zinc), 0.1–0.2 (copper), and 0.3–0.4 (manganese). Vitamin A activity content ranged between 0.1 and 0.4 mg Retinol Activity Equivalents/100 g edible portion. Consumption of each dish (100 g) (Ekwang, Tenue militaire, and Koki) by children aged 1–2 years would meet more than 100% of their daily recommended intake for vitamin A. Except in Ekomba, essential amino acids in all dishes represented up to 33% of total amino acids, indicating a good equilibrium between amino acids. This up‐to‐date appropriate information will contribute for the calculation of accurate energy and nutrient intakes, and can be used to encourage the consumption of these dishes.
Antioxidant properties in some selected cyanobacteria isolated from fresh water bodies of Sri Lanka
Authors: Hossain Md Fuad , Ratnayake R. R. , Meerajini Kirisnashamy , Wasantha Kumara K. L.
Published: January 2016

Phytonutrients and pigments present in cyanobacteria act as antioxidants, which facilitate the formation of body's defense mechanism against free radical damage to cells. The aim of this investigation was to study the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), antioxidant activity, phycobiliproteins (PBPs), and active compounds in four cyanobacterial species, that is, Oscillatoria sp., Lyngbya sp., Microcystis sp., and Spirulina sp. isolated from fresh water bodies of Sri Lanka. In this study, Lyngbya sp., showed highest TPC (5.02 ± 0.20 mg/g), TFC (664.07 ± 19.76 mg/g), and total PBPs (127.01 mg/g) value. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was recorded highest in Oscillatoria sp. (39.63 ± 7.02), whereas the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity was also reported the highest in Oscillatoria sp. (465.31 ± 25.76) followed by Lyngbya sp. (248.39 ± 11.97). In FTIR spectroscopy, Lyngbya sp. does not show any N‐H stretching band which is ultimately responsible for the inhibition of antioxidant activity. The study revealed that Lyngbya sp. and Oscillatoria sp. can be an excellent source for food, pharmaceutical, and other industrial uses.
Little people, big problems
Authors: Johnston Josephine
Published: January 2016

This November I spent three days in Washington, D.C., splitting my time between The March of Dimes Prematurity Prevention Conference and a National Institutes of Health meeting about the use of genome sequencing technology in newborns. The trip was a powerful reminder for me of a problem I've confronted before.
Fever of the Tuskegee Study
Authors: White Robert
Published: January 2016

A commentary on “Fevered Decisions: Race, Ethics, and Clinical Vulnerability in the Malarial Treatment of Neurosyphilis, 1922–1953,” by Matthew Gambino in the July‐August 2015 issue.
The Promise and Perils of Open Medical Data
Authors: Hoffman Sharona
Published: January 2016

Not long ago I visited the Personal Genome Project's website. The PGP describes its mission as “creating public genome, health, and trait data.” In the “Participant Profiles” section, I found several entries that disclosed the names of individuals along with their date of birth, sex, weight, height, blood type, race, health conditions, medications, allergies, medical procedures, and more. Other profiles did not feature names but provided all of the other details. I had no special access to this information. It is available to absolutely anyone with Internet access. The PGP is part of a trend known as “open data.” Many government and private entities have launched initiatives to compile very large data resources (also known as “big data”) and to make them available to the public. President Obama himself has endorsed open data by issuing a May 2013 executive order directing that, to the extent permitted by law, the federal government must release its data to the public in forms that make it easy to locate, access, and use.
Learning to Listen, Listening to Learn
Authors: Lantos John D.
Published: January 2016

The dust‐jacket photo of Eric Cassell portrays him as a magician. He wears a dark suit, a bow tie, and big dark‐rimmed glasses. His head is tilted down; his forehead is massive; his eyes are intense. It is an interrogating look that is crucial to the central theme of his most recent books, The Nature of Healing: The Modern Practice of Healing and The Nature of Clinical Medicine: The Return of the Clinician.
The Pedagogical Challenges of Teaching High School Bioethics: Insights from the Exploring Bioethics Curriculum
Authors: Solomon Mildred Z. , Vannier David , Chowning Jeanne Ting , Miller Jacqueline S. , Paget Katherine F.
Published: January 2016

A belief that high school students have the cognitive ability to analyze and assess moral choices and should be encouraged to do so but have rarely been helped to do so was the motivation for developing Exploring Bioethics, a six‐module curriculum and teacher guide for grades nine through twelve on ethical issues in the life sciences. A multidisciplinary team of bioethicists, science educators, curriculum designers, scientists, and high school biology teachers worked together on the curriculum under a contract between the National Institutes of Health and Education Development Center, a nonprofit research and development organization with a long history of innovation in science education. At the NIH, the Department of Bioethics within the Clinical Center and the Office of Science Education within the Office of the Director guided the project.Our overarching goal for Exploring Bioethics was to introduce students to bioethics as a field of inquiry and to enable them to develop ethical reasoning skills so they could move beyond “gut reactions” to more nuanced positions.
What's Wrong with Evidence‐Based Medicine?
Authors: Fins Joseph J.
Published: January 2016

Medicine in the last decades of the twentieth century was ripe for a data sweep that would bring systematic analysis to treatment strategies that seemingly had stood the test of time but were actually unvalidated. Coalescing under the banner of evidence‐based medicine, this process has helped to standardize care, minimize error, and promote patient safety. But with this advancement, something of the art of medicine has been lost.
Disrupted white matter connectivity underlying developmental dyslexia: A machine learning approach
Authors: Cui Zaixu , Xia Zhichao , Su Mengmeng , Shu Hua , Gong Gaolang
Published: January 2016

Developmental dyslexia has been hypothesized to result from multiple causes and exhibit multiple manifestations, implying a distributed multidimensional effect on human brain. The disruption of specific white‐matter (WM) tracts/regions has been observed in dyslexic children. However, it remains unknown if developmental dyslexia affects the human brain WM in a multidimensional manner. Being a natural tool for evaluating this hypothesis, the multivariate machine learning approach was applied in this study to compare 28 school‐aged dyslexic children with 33 age‐matched controls. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging were acquired to extract five multitype WM features at a regional level: white matter volume, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity. A linear support vector machine (LSVM) classifier achieved an accuracy of 83.61% using these MRI features to distinguish dyslexic children from controls. Notably, the most discriminative features that contributed to the classification were primarily associated with WM regions within the putative reading network/system (e.g., the superior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto‐occipital fasciculus, thalamocortical projections, and corpus callosum), the limbic system (e.g., the cingulum and fornix), and the motor system (e.g., the cerebellar peduncle, corona radiata, and corticospinal tract). These results were well replicated using a logistic regression classifier. These findings provided direct evidence supporting a multidimensional effect of developmental dyslexia on WM connectivity of human brain, and highlighted the involvement of WM tracts/regions beyond the well‐recognized reading system in dyslexia. Finally, the discriminating results demonstrated a potential of WM neuroimaging features as imaging markers for identifying dyslexic individuals. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1443‐1458, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Incorporating Demand and Supply Constraints into Economic Evaluations in Low‐Income and Middle‐Income Countries
Authors: Vassall Anna , Mangham‐Jefferies Lindsay , Gomez Gabriela B. , Pitt Catherine , Foster Nicola
Published: January 2016

Global guidelines for new technologies are based on cost and efficacy data from a limited number of trial locations. Country‐level decision makers need to consider whether cost‐effectiveness analysis used to inform global guidelines are sufficient for their situation or whether to use models that adjust cost‐effectiveness results taking into account setting‐specific epidemiological and cost heterogeneity. However, demand and supply constraints will also impact cost‐effectiveness by influencing the standard of care and the use and implementation of any new technology. These constraints may also vary substantially by setting. We present two case studies of economic evaluations of the introduction of new diagnostics for malaria and tuberculosis control. These case studies are used to analyse how the scope of economic evaluations of each technology expanded to account for and then address demand and supply constraints over time. We use these case studies to inform a conceptual framework that can be used to explore the characteristics of intervention complexity and the influence of demand and supply constraints. Finally, we describe a number of feasible steps that researchers who wish to apply our framework in cost‐effectiveness analyses.
Validation of a DNA methylation HPV triage classifier in a screening sample
Authors: Lorincz Attila T. , Brentnall Adam R. , Scibior‐Bentkowska Dorota , Reuter Caroline , Banwait Rawinder , Cadman Louise , Austin Janet , Cuzick Jack , Vasiljević Natasa
Published: January 2016

High‐risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) DNA tests have excellent sensitivity for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or higher (CIN2+). A drawback of hrHPV screening, however, is modest specificity. Therefore, hrHPV‐positive women might need triage to reduce adverse events and costs associated with unnecessary colposcopy. We compared the performance of HPV16/18 genotyping with a predefined DNA methylation triage test (S5) based on target regions of the human gene EPB41L3, and viral late gene regions of HPV16, HPV18, HPV31 and HPV33. Assays were run using exfoliated cervical specimens from 710 women attending routine screening, of whom 38 were diagnosed with CIN2+ within a year after triage to colposcopy based on cytology and 341 were hrHPV positive. Sensitivity and specificity of the investigated triage methods were compared by McNemar's test. At the predefined cutoff, S5 showed better sensitivity than HPV16/18 genotyping (74% vs 54%, P = 0.04) in identifying CIN2+ in hrHPV‐positive women, and similar specificity (65% vs 71%, P = 0.07). When the S5 cutoff was altered to allow equal sensitivity to that of genotyping, a significantly higher specificity of 91% was reached (P < 0.0001). Thus, a DNA methylation test for the triage of hrHPV‐positive women on original screening specimens might be a valid approach with better performance than genotyping.
Nested Validation of Aquacrop Model for Simulation of Winter Wheat Grain Yield, Soil Moisture and Salinity Profiles under Simultaneous Salinity and Water Stress
Authors: Mohammadi M. , Ghahraman B. , Davary K. , Ansari H. , Shahidi A. , Bannayan M.
Published: January 2016

Improvement of water management and water use efficiency at field scale is highly important under simultaneous salinity and water stress. The models that can translate the effects of different quantity and quality of water to crop yield, are useful tools for water management and improving water productivity (WP). AquaCrop (v4.0) simulates yield, water requirement, WP, soil water content and salinity under different conditions in the field, including water‐limiting and different quality of irrigation water. This study was carried out as split plot design (factorial form) in Birjand, in the east of Iran, in order to evaluate the AquaCrop model. Treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation water salinity (S1, S2, S3 corresponding to 1.4, 4.5, 9.6 dS m‐1) as the main plot, two wheat varieties (Ghods and Roshan), and four levels of irrigation water amount (I1, I2, I3, I4 corresponding to 125, 100, 75, 50% water requirement) as subplot. The model was nested, calibrated and validated separately for each salinity treatment, and also simultaneously for all three salinity treatments. The overall model accuracy was higher for estimating soil moisture profile, as compared to soil salinity profile. For simulation of soil water content, the average values of RMSE, d, CRM and R2 in both calibration and validation were 11.8%, 0.79, 0.05 and 0.61 respectively, while for simulation of soil salinity they were 24.4%, 0.72, 0.19 and 0.57 respectively. The AquaCrop successfully simulated yield, biomass and WP for two wheat varieties under salinity and water‐limiting treatments with high accuracy. Average values of NRMSE, d, CRM, and R2 for both calibration and validation of simulated grain yield were 7.1%, 0.97, 0.001 and 0.9 respectively, for the Roshan variety, while these measures were 8.2%, 0.98, −0.004 and 0.87 respectively, for the Ghods variety. Crop transpiration coefficient (KcTr), normalized crop water productivity (WP*), reference harvest index (HIO), volumetric water content at field capacity (θFC), soil water content at saturation (θsat), and temperature were the most sensitive parameters. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zooplankton community and tributary effects in free‐flowing section downstream a large tropical reservoir
Authors: Portinho Jorge L. , Perbiche‐Neves Gilmar , Nogueira Marcos G.
Published: January 2016

This study aimed to evaluate the zooplankton structures and environmental conditions in the interface reservoir‐downstream river and tributaries. Zooplankton structure and environmental variables were analyzed in the lacustrine zone of Itaipu Reservoir and downstream this dam at Paraná River and in two lateral tributaries. A total of nine sites were sampled in July 2009 and January 2010 (winter/dry vs. summer/wet). In the free‐flowing section downstream of the Itaipu Reservoir (Paraná River), the physical–chemical influence of the dammed water can persist for approximately 15 km in the dry period and 30 km in the rainy period. The lateral tributaries (Iguaçu and Monday Rivers) introduce sediments (particulate organic and inorganic matter), nutrients and potamoplankton biota that contribute to fluvial restoration, particularly in the dry period when the main river flow is low. The zooplankton community structure and composition varied over space (longitudinal) and time. Rotifers dominated in the lateral tributaries, whereas microcrustaceans from the reservoir were abundant in the Paraná River. The density of zooplankton downstream of the reservoir decreased, with the highest reduction occurring in the first 5 km downstream of the dam, however, the species composition persisted in the all free‐flowing section downstream studied. Associations were found among zooplankton abundance and environmental variables, mainly the current velocity and water discharge; zooplankton groups had different responses to these variables. Differences in the zooplankton ecological structure along a stretch of the Paraná River clearly indicate the effects of damming and tributaries.
Parallelization and improvements of the generalized born model with a simple sWitching function for modern graphics processors
Authors: Arthur Evan J. , Brooks Charles L.
Published: January 2016

Two fundamental challenges of simulating biologically relevant systems are the rapid calculation of the energy of solvation and the trajectory length of a given simulation. The Generalized Born model with a Simple sWitching function (GBSW) addresses these issues by using an efficient approximation of Poisson–Boltzmann (PB) theory to calculate each solute atom's free energy of solvation, the gradient of this potential, and the subsequent forces of solvation without the need for explicit solvent molecules. This study presents a parallel refactoring of the original GBSW algorithm and its implementation on newly available, low cost graphics chips with thousands of processing cores. Depending on the system size and nonbonded force cutoffs, the new GBSW algorithm offers speed increases of between one and two orders of magnitude over previous implementations while maintaining similar levels of accuracy. We find that much of the algorithm scales linearly with an increase of system size, which makes this water model cost effective for solvating large systems. Additionally, we utilize our GPU‐accelerated GBSW model to fold the model system chignolin, and in doing so we demonstrate that these speed enhancements now make accessible folding studies of peptides and potentially small proteins. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Identifying risks in the realm of enterprise risk management
Authors: Carroll Roberta
Published: January 2016

An enterprise risk management (ERM) discipline is comprehensive and organization‐wide. The effectiveness of ERM is governed in part by the strength and breadth of its practices and processes. An essential element in decision making is a thorough process by which organizational risks and value opportunities can be identified. This article will offer identification techniques that go beyond those used in traditional risk management programs and demonstrate how these techniques can be used to identify risks and opportunity in the ERM environment.
A new frontier in healthcare risk management: Working to reduce avoidable patient suffering
Authors: Card Alan J. , Klein Victor R.
Published: January 2016

This article presents a new avenue for healthcare risk managers to drive improvement for patients and healthcare organizations alike: working to reduce avoidable patient suffering. It briefly describes the problem of patient suffering, differentiates between avoidable and unavoidable suffering, and suggests that common risk management tools can be used to tackle the problem. It also highlights a success story from one large health system.
Relationship Banking in Practice: Perspectives from Retired and Serving Retail Branch Managers
Authors: Durkin Mark , Kerr Roisin
Published: January 2016

As the banking industry continues to go through dramatic change, this study explores the views and perspectives of retired and serving managers in a case bank with respect to how relationship management in retail branch banking has changed over the last 50 years.
Internal Electronic Information as a Competitiveness‐Enhancing Resource in German Automotive Industry Suppliers
Authors: Bakos Alexander , Miller Christopher , Packham Gary , Pickernell David , Thomas Brychan
Published: January 2016

In German automotive industry suppliers, internal electronic information (IEI) satisfies the requirements of being a competitiveness‐enhancing resource.
Knowledge Acquisition in Information System Development: A Case Study of System Developers in an International Bank
Authors: White Gareth R.T. , Parry Glenn Charles , Puckering Aneka
Published: January 2016

System developers quickly acquire knowledge of the benefits and limitations of system development approaches and this knowledge enables them to adopt or adapt methodologies according to the scope and scale of projects.
Efficient fabrication of high‐capacity immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographic media: The role of the dextran‐grafting process and its manipulation
Authors: Zhao Lan , Zhang Jingfei , Huang Yongdong , Li Qiang , Zhang Rongyue , Zhu Kai , Suo Jia , Su Zhiguo , Zhang Zhigang , Ma Guanghui
Published: January 2016

Novel high‐capacity Ni2+immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographic media were prepared through the dextran‐grafting process. Dextran was grafted to an allyl‐activated agarose‐based matrix followed by functionalization for the immobilized metal ion affinity chromatographic media. With elaborate regulation of the allylation degree, dextran was completely or partly grafted to agarose microspheres, namely, completely dextran‐grafted agarose microspheres and partly dextran‐grafted ones, respectively. Confocal laser scanning microscope results demonstrated that a good adjustment of dextran‐grafting degree was achieved, and dextran was distributed uniformly in whole completely dextran‐grafted microspheres, while just distributed around the outside of the partly dextran‐grafted ones. Flow hydrodynamic properties were improved greatly after the dextran‐grafting process, and the flow velocity increased by about 30% compared with that of a commercial chromatographic medium (Ni Sepharose FF). A significant improvement of protein binding performance was also achieved by the dextran‐grafting process, and partly dextran‐grafted Ni2+chelating medium had a maximum binding capacity for His‐tagged lactate dehydrogenase about 2.5 times higher than that of Ni Sepharose FF. The results indicated that this novel chromatographic medium is promising for applications in high‐efficiency and large‐scale protein purification.
Secondary Traumatic Stress in Postdisaster Field Research Interviewers
Authors: McLennan Jim , Evans Lynette , Cowlishaw Sean , Pamment Lindsay , Wright Lyndsey
Published: January 2016

Numerous studies show that those involved in disaster response may develop posttraumatic stress disorder or experience secondary traumatic stress (STS). There are few reports about the experiences of postdisaster field research interviewers. We report findings from a follow‐up study of researchers who conducted postwildfire field research interviews with residents affected by 5 severe wildfire events in Australia over the period 2009–2014. There were 33 postwildfire research interviewers who reported their experiences, and 18 of them (54.5%) described distressing interviews involving deaths, surviving severe threats to life, and destruction of houses. There were 27 (81.6%) who reported having experienced 1 or more STS symptoms on a 20‐item measure. Those who conducted interviews following a multifatality wildfire event reported higher levels of STS symptoms compared with researchers whose interviews followed nonfatal wildfires. There were 21 (63.6%) researchers who reported that their interviewing experiences had positive effects on their lives. This indicates that the researcher role of gathering information so that future wildfire risk could be mitigated may have served a protective function.