bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reduced lung cancer burden by selective immunomodulators elicits improvements in muscle proteolysis and strength in cachectic mice
Authors: Salazar‐Degracia Anna , Granado‐Martínez Paula , Millán‐Sánchez Aïna , Tang Jun , Pons‐Carreto Alba , Barreiro Esther
Published: March 2019

Identification of to what extent tumor burden influences muscle mass independently of specific treatments for cancer‐cachexia remains to be elucidated. We hypothesized that reduced tumor burden by selective treatment of tumor with immunomodulators may exert beneficial effects on muscle wasting and function in mice. Body and muscle weight, grip strength, physical activity, muscle morphometry, apoptotic nuclei, troponin‐I systemic levels, interleukin‐6, proteolytic markers, and tyrosine release, and apoptosis markers were determined in diaphragm and gastrocnemius muscles of lung cancer (LP07 adenocarcinoma cells) mice (BALB/c) treated with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), against immune check‐points and pathways (CD‐137, cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte associated protein‐4, programed cell death‐1, and CD‐19;
N = 10/group). Nontreated lung cancer cachectic mice were the controls. T and B cell numbers and macrophages were counted in tumors of both mouse groups. Compared to nontreated cachectic mice, in the mAbs‐treated animals, T cells increased, no differences in B cells or macrophages, the variables final body weight, body weight and grip strength gains significantly improved. In diaphragm and gastrocnemius of mAbs‐treated cachectic mice, number of apoptotic nuclei, tyrosine release, proteolysis, and apoptosis markers significantly decreased compared to nontreated cachectic mice. Systemic levels of troponin‐I significantly decreased in treated cachectic mice compared to nontreated animals. We conclude that reduced tumor burden as a result of selective treatment of the lung cancer cells with immunomodulators elicits per se beneficial effects on muscle mass loss through attenuation of several biological mechanisms that lead to increased protein breakdown and apoptosis, which translated into significant improvements in limb muscle strength but not in physical activity parameters.
Facile synthesis of MnOx‐loaded biochar for the removal of doxycycline hydrochloride: effects of ambient conditions and co‐existing heavy metals
Authors: Liu Si‐jia , Liu Yun‐guo , Tan Xiao‐fei , Liu Shao‐bo , Li Mei‐fang , Liu Ni , Yin Zhi‐hong , Tian Si‐rong , Zhou Ya‐hui
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

In this study, manganese oxide (MnOx) nanoparticle loaded biochar (BC) was applied for doxycycline hydrochloride (DOX) removal from water. Biochar composites were synthesized by either pre‐treating biomass using MnCl2/KMnO4/NaOH (PMBC) or inserting MnOx ultrafine particles after pyrolysis of biomass (AMBC). In complex water environments, the presence of heavy metals may affect the removal of antibiotics. Cu(II) and Cr(VI) were used to study their effect on DOX removal.

RESULTS

The BC loaded with MnOx exhibited superior adsorption properties for DOX. The adsorption capacity of AMBC and PMBC was ≈93 mg/g and 104 mg g−1, respectively, which was about nine‐ and ten‐fold higher than that of raw BC (11.48 mg g−1). The characterization indicated that AMBC and PMBC had better surface structure and more surface functional groups than raw BC. The main mechanisms for DOX adsorption onto PMBC were surface complexation, H‐bond, π–π interaction and electrostatic interaction. DOX removal by PMBC also involved its degradation effect on DOX. Adsorption experiments were carried out with the influence of pH, ionic strength and background electrolyte. The presence of Cu(II) obviously enhanced the DOX adsorption capability through Cu(II) bridging effect, whereas the presence of Cr(VI) significantly inhibited DOX adsorption through competitive adsorption and electrostatic repulsion.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggested that PMBC could be implemented as a cost‐effective and environmentally friendly adsorbent for DOX removal from water. Heavy metal ions can obviously enhance or weaken the adsorption ability of PMBC for DOX. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Investigating Schizocarp morphology as a taxonomic tool in study of Apiaceae family by utilizing LM and SEM techniques
Authors: Kalsoom Nomana , Zafar Muhammad , Ahmad Mushtaq , Sultana Shazia , Usma Anwer , Jabeen Asma
Published: March 2019

In present study, the schizocarp morphology of 14 species belonging to Apiaceae family has been investigated. Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been utilized to highlight qualitative and quantitative features of studied species. Variations have been observed in macro‐ and micro‐morphological features such as color, shape, symmetry, length, width, apex, epicuticular projections, surface patterns, anticlinal, and periclinal wall patterns. Schizocarp shapes observed were oval, round, triangular, linear, elliptic, and globose. Fruit was either homomorphic or heteromorphic. Crystalloids, stellate hair, multicellular spines, and platelets were mostly observed epicuticular projections. Surface patterns on the fruit surface were striate, rugulate‐striate, reticulate, and striato‐knotted. Both macro‐ and micro‐morphological characters can serve as an important tool in classifying Apiaceae family at various taxonomic ranks. Substantial variations observed can assist as useful constraints at various taxonomic levels as they provide reliable and constant details. Disparities observed in schizocarp features can pave a path for Apiaceae family classification based on phylogenetic and molecular studies.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of New 2,10‐Dichloro‐6‐phenylaminobenzyl‐dibenzo[d,g] [1,3 ,6,2]dioxathiaphosphocin 6‐Oxides
Authors: Kasthuraiah M. , Balakrishna A. , Kishore Kumar Reddy K.R. , Siva Kumar B. , Suresh Reddy C. , Nagaraju C.
Published: March 2019

magnified image

A series of novel 2,10‐dichloro‐6‐phenylaminobenzyldibenzo[d,g][1 ,3,6,2]dioxa‐thiaphosphocin 6‐oxides were synthesized in two steps. In the first step, 5,5'‐dichloro‐2.2'‐dihydroxydiphenyl sulphide 1 was reacted with phosphorus tribromide in the presence of triethylamine in dry toluene at room temperature to yield an intermediate, phosphorobromodite 2. In the second step, 2 was treated in situ with aromatic aldehydes 3 and aromatic amines 4 in toluene at retluxing temperature ytelded the title compounds 5a‐h. Their structures were established by analytical, IR, NMR (1H, 13C and 31P) and mass spectra. Compounds 5a‐h have been screened for their antimicrobial activity. They exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activity.
Synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of fluorinated benzo[7]annulen‐7‐amines as GluN2B‐selective NMDA receptor antagonists
Authors: Thum Simone , Schepmann Dirk , Reinoso Raquel F. , Alvarez Inés , Ametamey Simon M. , Wünsch Bernhard
Published: March 2019

Because of their neuroprotective potential, GluN2B‐selective ligands are of great interest for the treatment of various neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. Fluorinated benzo[7]annulen‐7‐amines, capable for PET, were synthesized by combining fluorinated phenylalkylamines with differently substituted ketones. Relationships between substitution pattern and GluN2B affinity as well as selectivity towards σ1 and σ2 receptors were investigated. Two promising ligands (18a and 20c) were selected for further pharmacological evaluation. Besides a slight serotonin transporter (SERT), norepinephrine transporter (NET), and hERG affinity, they did not show interaction with other targets. Furthermore, the pKa value of a set fluorinated ligands, bearing the fluorine atom in different positions, was determined.
Parvovirus B19 seroprevalence, viral load, and genotype characterization in volunteer blood donors from southern Brazil
Authors: Slavov Svetoslav N. , Rodrigues Evandra S. , Sauvage Virginie , Caro Valérie , Diefenbach Cristiane F. , Zimmermann Ana M. , Covas Dimas T. , Laperche Syria , Kashima Simone
Published: March 2019

Usually transmitted via respiratory droplets, parvovirus B19 (B19V) can also be acquired by blood transfusion especially because of viral persistence, resistance to blood treatment procedures, and high viral load during the early infection phase. This is particularly problematic in immunocompromised or anemic patients where the infection can have a severe outcome. As B19V DNA was detected in blood donations from South Brazil during a viral metagenomic survey performed by Next‐Generation Sequencing, the objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate the seroprevalence, B19V DNA presence and circulating genotypes in a Hospital Blood Transfusion Service in Santa Maria city in South Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state). Among 480 volunteer blood donors, 53.9% (n = 258 of 479) were anti‐B19V IgG‐positive, and 9 (1.9%) plasma samples presented B19V DNA. In almost all cases (n = 7 of 9, 77.8%), B19V DNA load was accompanied by the presence of anti‐B19V IgG suggesting a persistent infection. The sequencing of the strains demonstrated that all belong to genotype 1 which is the most prevalent worldwide. The analysis of the recipient information of the positive for B19V DNA units revealed no related posttransfusion adverse effects. Our results demonstrate for the first time, B19V seroprevalence, viral load, and genotypes among blood donors from South Brazil and give a light for the circulation and impact of this B19V in this part of the country.
Downscaling rainfall using deep learning long short‐term memory and feedforward neural network
Authors: Tran Anh Duong , Van Song P. , Dang Thanh D. , Hoang Long P.
Published: March 2019

Choosing downscaling techniques is crucial in obtaining accurate and reliable climate change predictions, allowing for detailed impact assessments of climate change at regional and local scales. Traditional statistical methods are likely inefficient in downscaling precipitation data from multiple sources or complex data patterns, so using deep learning, a form of nonlinear models, could be a promising solution. In this study, we proposed to use deep learning models, the so‐called long short‐term memory and feedforward neural network methods, for precipitation downscaling for the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. Model performances were assessed for 2036–2065 period, using original climate projections from five climate models under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5, for two Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). The results exhibited that there were good correlations between the modelled and observed values of the testing and validating periods at two long‐term meteorological stations (Can Tho and Chau Doc). We then analysed extreme indices of precipitation, including the annual maximum wet day frequency (Prcp), 95th percentile of precipitation (P95p), maximum 5‐day consecutive rain (R5d), total number of wet days (Ptot), wet day precipitation (SDII) and annual maximum dry day frequency (Pcdd) to evaluate changes in extreme precipitation events. All the five models under the two scenarios predicted that precipitation would increase in the wet season (June–October) and decrease in the dry season (November–May) in the future compared to the present‐day scenario. On average, the means of multiannual wet season precipitation would increase by 20.4 and 25.4% at Can Tho and Chau Doc, respectively, but in the dry season, these values were projected to decrease by 10 and 5.3%. All the climate extreme indices would increase in the period of 2036–2065 in comparison to the baseline. Overall, the developed downscaling models can successfully reproduce historical rainfall patterns and downscale projected precipitation data.
Heat waves in Central Europe and tropospheric anomalies of temperature and geopotential heights
Authors: Tomczyk Arkadiusz M. , Bednorz Ewa
Published: March 2019

The aim of the article was to provide a detailed analysis of pressure conditions, employing the anomalies of geopotential heights, during the occurrence of heat waves in Central Europe, but also in the days preceding and following their occurrence. The study uses data from 1966 to 2015 from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, Deutscher Wetterdienst and the National Centre for Environmental Prediction/National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR). A heat wave was defined as a sequence of at least 3 days with a maximum daily air temperature of >30°C. The study showed an increase in the number of hot days, which was statistically significant in the majority of the area. In the analysed years, an increasing number of heat waves were recorded, and this occurrence was associated with high pressure systems. Anticyclonic blocking in the summer inhibits the zonal flow of air masses and intensifies meridional flow, which in Central Europe in the summer means the presence of polar continental and tropical air masses. During heat waves, there were positive anomalies of isobaric surface heights over the study area with a maximum in the upper troposphere. On average, anomalies at the 300 hPa pressure level began to form over the Atlantic Ocean. Determining atmospheric preconditions of persisting blocking events in summer resulting in heat waves may be helpful in predicting thereof.
Joint probability risk modelling of storm surge and cyclone wind along the coast of Bay of Bengal using a statistical copula
Authors: Bushra Nazla , Trepanier Jill C. , Rohli Robert V.
Published: March 2019

High winds and storm surges associated with torrential rain from tropical cyclones (TCs) cause massive destruction to property and cost the lives of many people. The coastline of the Bay of Bengal (BoB) ranks as one of the most susceptible to storm surges in the world due to low‐lying elevation and a high frequency of TC occurrence. This study uses data from 1885 to 2011 and a bivariate statistical copula to describe the relationship and dependency between empirical TC storm surge and reported wind speed before landfall at the BoB. Among the copulas and their families, an Archimedean, Gumbel copula with margins defined by the empirical distributions is specified as the most appropriate choice for the BoB. The model provides return periods for pairs of TC storm surge and 12‐hr pre‐landfall wind along the BoB coastline. On the shortest timescale, the BoB can expect a TC with 12‐hr pre‐landfall winds of at least 24 m/s and surge heights of at least 4.0 m, on average, once every 3.9 years. On the other hand, the long‐term, worst case scenario suggests the BoB can expect 12‐hr pre‐landfall winds of 62 m/s and surge heights of at least 8.0 m, on average, once every 311.8 years. Using a copula to model the combined frequency of cyclone wind speeds along with storm surges along the BoB coastline increases the understanding of the dangerous TC characteristics in this region, which can reduce fatalities and monetary losses.
Climatology of the spring Red Sea Trough
Authors: Baseer Muhammad N. , Awad Adel M. , Almazroui Mansour
Published: March 2019

The spring Sudan low and its Red Sea Trough (RST) were detected objectively using sea level pressure data obtained from a National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis dataset spanning the period from 1955 to 2014. The climatology of the detected lows suggested that the Sudan low was active for approximately 69.5% of the spring and that approximately 56.2% of this time the Sudan low developed into the RST. Furthermore, three main genesis regions of the RST, which generated 95.25% of the RST, were identified over Sudan, South Sudan and the Red Sea, approximately 61.76% of which was over South Sudan. In addition, three main outermost areas of the RST, which received 94.1% of the RST, were specified to the west, east and north of the Red Sea, approximately 54.88% of which was in the eastern region. Synoptically, the orientations of the detected RST around the Red Sea are strongly influenced by the Siberian and Azores high systems. The RST is directed along the western side of the Red Sea if the Siberian high extends westward and the Azores high shrinks westward, whereas the RST is oriented to the east if the Siberian high shrinks eastward and the Azores high extends eastward. The RST extends directly northward if the Siberian and Azores high systems withdraw eastward and westward, respectively. These results also demonstrate that the core position and strength of the upper maximum winds play an important role in the generation of RST. The selected case studies have confirmed the synoptic climate results and indicate that the Sudan low will not develop into RST when the northern region has been affected by a high‐pressure system and the core of the upper maximum wind is located over the northern Arabian Peninsula.
Fermented soymilk and soy and cow milk mixture, supplemented with orange peel fiber or Tremella flava fermented powder as prebiotics for high exopolysaccharide‐producing Lactobacillus pentosus SLC 13
Authors: Huang Min‐Lang , Huang Jing‐Yao , Kao Cheng‐Yen , Fang Tony J
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

A high exopolysaccharide‐producing Lactobacillus pentosus SLC 13 strain was isolated from mustard pickles and showed the characteristics of a probiotic. Orange peel fiber powder (OPFP) and Tremella flava fermented powder (TFP) were shown to be potential prebiotics for L. pentosus SLC 13. The present study aimed to further develop new symbiotic fermented lactic acid beverages using SLC 13 with different proportions of cow milk and soymilk as food substrates, as well as with OPFP or TFP as prebiotics.

RESULTS

Acidification rate (soymilk groups, 3.02–4.37 mU min−1; soymilk/milk mixture groups, 1.33–2.84 mU min−1) and fermentation time (soymilk groups, 7.09–9.25 h; soymilk/milk mixture groups, 12.51–27.34 h) indicated that soymilk represents a suitable substrate for SLC 13‐mediated fermentation. Moreover, OPFP and TFP induced a higher exopolysaccharide production of SLC 13 and a higher water holding capacity of fermented beverages. Sensory evaluations suggested that soymilk groups fermented with 10 g kg−1 OPFP (SF‐1.0P) and that with 5 g kg−1 TFP (SF‐0.5T) and also soymilk/milk mixture groups fermented with 5 g kg−1 OPFP (HSMF‐0.5P) and that with 10 g kg−1 TFP (HSMF‐1.0T) represent potential fermented drinks. Additionally, SF‐1.0P and SF‐0.5T products could be preserved for at least 21 days at 4 °C, with high viable cell counts (> 8.8 log10 CFU mL−1) and water holding capacity.

CONCLUSION

In the present study, we developed SF‐1.0P and SF‐0.5T products as a new symbiotic fermented lactic acid beverages. However, in the future, consumer acceptability could be improved by properly regulating the ratio of sugar to acid or seasoning. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Development of an immunoassay for the detection of carbaryl in cereals based on a camelid variable heavy‐chain antibody domain
Authors: Liu Zhiping , Wang Kai , Wu Sha , Wang Zhanhui , Ding Guochun , Hao Xiujing , Li Qing X , Li Ji , Gee Shirley J , Hammock Bruce D , Xu Ting
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

The variable domain of camelid heavy‐chain antibodies (VHH) is increasingly being adapted to detect small molecules in various matrices. The insecticide carbaryl is widely used in agriculture while its residues have posed a threat to food safety and human health.

RESULTS

VHHs specific for carbaryl were generated from an alpaca immunized with the hapten CBR1 coupled to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on the VHH C1 and the coating antigen CBR2‐BSA was developed for the detection of carbaryl in cereals. This assay, using an optimized assay buffer (pH 6.5) containing 10% methanol and 0.8% NaCl, has a half‐maximum signal inhibition concentration of 5.4 ng mL−1 and a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.3 ng mL−1 for carbaryl, and shows low cross reactivity (≤0.8%) with other tested carbamates. The LOD of carbaryl using the VHH‐based ELISA was 36 ng g−1 in rice and maize and 72 ng g−1 in wheat. Recoveries of carbaryl in spiked rice, maize and wheat samples were in the range of 81–106%, 96–106% and 83–113%, respectively. Relative standard deviations of repeatability and intra‐laboratory reproducibility were in the range of 0.8–9.2% and 2.9–9.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The VHH‐based ELISA was highly effective in detecting carbaryl in cereal samples after simple sample extraction and dilution. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Conversion to Chronic Invasive Fungal Sinusitis From Allergic Fungal Sinusitis in Immunocompetence
Authors: Edelmayer Luke , Ito Christopher , Lee Won Sok , Kimbrough James , Kountakis Stilianos E. , Byrd J. Kenneth
Published: March 2019

A review of the treatment of allergic and invasive fungal sinusitis, as well as a presentation of the first recorded case of a conversion from allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS) to chronic granulomatous invasive sinusitis and the fourth case of invasive fungal sinusitis associated with Curvularia. This immunocompetent patient suffering from chronic AFS converted after repeated high‐dose steroid tapers and noncompliance. AFS may present atypically and should be suspected even in immunocompetent patients with sinus disease who report new onset pain and neurologic symptoms. Clinicians should consider the potential complications associated with repeated systemic steroid administration.

Laryngoscope, 129:2447–2450, 2019
Particulate inorganic to organic carbon production as a predictor for coccolithophorid sensitivity to ongoing ocean acidification
Authors: Gafar N. A. , Eyre B. D. , Schulz K. G.
Published: March 2019

Ocean acidification (OA) can induce shifts in plankton community composition, with coccolithophores being mostly negatively impacted. This is likely to change particulate inorganic and organic carbon (PIC and POC, respectively) production, with impacts on the biological carbon pump. Hence, assessing and, most importantly, understanding species‐specific sensitivities of coccolithophores is paramount. In a multispecies comparison, spanning more than two orders of magnitude in terms of POC and PIC production rates, among Calcidiscus leptoporus, Coccolithus pelagicus subsp. braarudii, Emiliania huxleyi, Gephyrocapsa oceanica, and Scyphosphaera apsteinii, we found that cellular PIC : POC was a good predictor for a species’ OA sensitivity. This is likely related to the need for cellular pH homeostasis, which is challenged by the process of calcification producing protons internally, especially when seawater pH decreases in an OA scenario. With higher PIC : POC, species and strains being more sensitive to OA coccolithophores may shift toward less calcified varieties in the future.
A NEW PLAYBOOK FOR LEADERS
Authors: Marquet L. David
Published: March 2019

Marquet, who before he became a leadership advisor was the captain of the nuclear submarine USS Santa Fe, writes about the language people use in workplace settings, and how they react to people in different positions of power. Part of this includes dissecting the tragedy of a container ship, El Faro, that sank in 2015, causing the deaths of all 33 aboard. Marquet writes: “The problem is that the captain and crew had been programmed with an industrial age leadership playbook.” In that bygone age, workers were separated into those whose job involved thinking and those who performed the work. “Society and cultures,” Marquet states, “developed rituals, symbols, and uniforms to allow us to label and identify which group people belonged to.”
Recovery and functional validation of hidden soil enzymes in metagenomic libraries
Authors: Calderon Dayana , Peña Luis , Suarez Angélica , Villamil Carolina , Ramirez‐Rojas Adan , Anzola Juan M. , García‐Betancur Juan C. , Cepeda Martha L. , Uribe Daniel , Del Portillo Patricia , Mongui Alvaro
Published: March 2019

The vast microbial diversity on the planet represents an invaluable source for identifying novel activities with potential industrial and therapeutic application. In this regard, metagenomics has emerged as a group of strategies that have significantly facilitated the analysis of DNA from multiple environments and has expanded the limits of known microbial diversity. However, the functional characterization of enzymes, metabolites, and products encoded by diverse microbial genomes is limited by the inefficient heterologous expression of foreign genes. We have implemented a pipeline that combines NGS and Sanger sequencing as a way to identify fosmids within metagenomic libraries. This strategy facilitated the identification of putative proteins, subcloning of targeted genes and preliminary characterization of selected proteins. Overall, the in silico approach followed by the experimental validation allowed us to efficiently recover the activity of previously hidden enzymes derived from agricultural soil samples. Therefore, the methodology workflow described herein can be applied to recover activities encoded by environmental DNA from multiple sources.
Windshear detection by Terminal Doppler Weather Radar during Tropical Cyclone Mujigae in 2015
Authors: Tse Shuk Mei , Hagio Masahiro , Maeda Yuji
Published: March 2019

Located at the southeastern coast of Guangdong Province of China, Hong Kong is susceptible to the effects of severe convective weather and tropical cyclones. The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is susceptible to windshear and microbursts caused by convective weather. Due to the complex terrain around the HKIA, windshear caused by strong winds of tropical cyclones across complex terrain can be as strong as microbursts generated by thunderstorms. A Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR) has been used to detect microbursts and windshear in real time to safeguard aviation safety. The TDWR at Brothers Point, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong, was optimized to detect windshear and microbursts in a highly cluttered environment. Stationary and moving clutters were suppressed and radar velocity data were dealiased by the hybrid multiple pulse repetition interval method during radar system optimization. A case on October 4, 2015 showed that the TDWR performed satisfactorily with a probability of detection and a false alarm ratio of 91% and 1% respectively in detecting microbursts by comparing microburst features identified by the TDWR and human truth, which is a method to identify areas of interest by analysts.
Can disaster events reporting be used to drive remote sensing applications? A Latin America weather index insurance case study
Authors: Brahm Manuel , Vila Daniel , Martinez Saenz Sofia , Osgood Daniel
Published: March 2019

A new data set was commissioned over Latin America with the goal of supporting decision‐making in various socioeconomic activities and, in particular, for climate insurance products. The Historical Database for Gridded Daily Precipitation Dataset over Latin America (LatAmPrec), based on the combined scheme approach developed at the Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (CPTEC/INPE), provides a new high‐resolution, low‐latency, gauge–satellite‐based analysis of daily precipitation over Latin America for the period March 2000–July 2017. In order to understand the strengths and limitations of the new data set for use in weather index insurance, the present study applies two different validation methodologies. The first focuses on capturing, through a cross‐correlation process, the accuracy and improved characteristics of the new gauge‐merged data set. Second, to gauge the skill of the data set in the context of insurance losses, the study uses a statistical approach, previously applied at a village level and here applied at regional levels, to assess how well the new data set predicts evidence of loss events. This is performed for both farmer interview data and national‐level disaster data sets. The results from both validation methodologies show that LatAmPrec performs well when compared with other data sources and can satisfactorily capture the insurance‐relevant losses on the ground. One main advantage of the new product is its high spatial resolution and low latency compared with other existing products used in the weather index insurance industry.
A prenatally diagnosed case of Meckel–Gruber syndrome with novel compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in the TXNDC15 gene
Authors: Ridnõi Konstantin , Šois Marek , Vaidla Eve , Pajusalu Sander , Kelder Larissa , Reimand Tiia , Õunap Katrin
Published: March 2019

Background

Meckel–Gruber syndrome (MKS) is a well‐known rare disease that can be detected on prenatal ultrasound. Meckel–Gruber syndrome has very heterogeneous etiology; at least, 17 genes have been described in association with MKS. The characteristic findings in fetuses affected by MKS are encephalocele (usually occipital), postaxial polydactyly, and polycystic dysplastic kidneys. However, the association of the TXNDC15 gene with MKS has been reported only once before in three consanguineous families.

Methods

We report a new case of MKS diagnosed at 12 + 1 weeks of gestation with typical ultrasound findings, but with novel compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in the TXNDC15 gene identified by whole‐exome sequencing (WES).

Results

This is the second clinical report supporting TXNDC15 as a novel causative gene of MKS, and the first describing a case in a non‐consanguineous family with causative compound heterozygous mutations.

Conclusions

Meckel–Gruber syndrome is a very heterogeneous syndrome in terms of the associated causal genes. In the first‐line diagnosis, we used an next‐generation sequencing (NGS)‐based large gene panel, but only 10 MKS genes were available on the platform used. In the case of prenatal ultrasound findings that are highly suggestive of MKS and a negative NGS MKS gene panel, WES should also be performed to not miss rare gene associations.
Synthesis of X‐band trisection bandpass filters using hybrid structures of λ/4 and λ/2 resonators
Authors: Anwar Muhammad Sufian , Nikolaou Symeon , Nawaz Hamza , Abbasi Muhammad Ali Babar
Published: March 2019

This paper presents the design of compact cross‐coupled microstrip trisection bandpass filters based on the hybrid structures of quarter‐wavelength (λ/4) and half‐wavelength (λ/2) resonators. The desired cross‐couplings for transmission zeros (TZs) are realized by parallel‐coupled transmission‐line sections (J‐inverter) or coupled via sections (K‐inverter) of λ/4 resonators. The main‐line couplings, on the other hand, are formed by mixed‐coupled λ/4 and λ/2 resonators. To validate the proposed hybrid configurations, two X‐band trisection filters with 6.5% and 6.2% fractional bandwidth were designed. The first filter generates a TZ below the passband, while the second one produces a TZ above the passband. Minimum insertion loss of 1.7 dB and 1.5 dB was observed for the two trisection filters, respectively, while the hybrid configurations caused significant size reduction in the overall filter size. Moreover, the first spurious response for the proposed filter topologies was pushed to 3fo, resulting in a wide stopband.
Biodegradable body temperature‐responsive shape memory polyurethanes with self‐healing behavior
Authors: Shuai Li , Jun Zhang , Jianjun Chen , Ming Yao , Xuepeng Liu , Zhiguo Jiang
Published: March 2019

Biodegradable body temperature‐responsive shape memory polyurethanes, with self‐healing function, were synthesized here from PCDL, MDI and different chain extenders, in which the chain extenders are designed to adjust their transition temperatures and shape memory properties. Once deformed at proper temperature, they show more than 96% shape fixation until heated near body temperature, where they recover their original shape (100%) within 20 s. Moreover, these polyurethanes could be self‐healing at proper temperature, which makes them available in many medical fields. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E310–E316, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
Biobased plastics with insect‐repellent functionality
Authors: Annandarajah Cindu , Norris Edmund J. , Funk Ryan , Xiang Chunhui , Grewell David , Coats Joel R. , Mishek Danny , Maloy Benjamin
Published: March 2019

Natural insecticides/repellents, such as pyrethrum (derived from chrysanthemum plants), and insect repellent N,N‐Diethyl‐meta‐toluamide (DEET) were added to poly(lactic acid) (PLA) fibers through extrusion and spray coating on the PLA fabrics. Contact irritancy assay (CIA) showed that DEET‐treated PLA fabrics caused the lowest relative escape response of mosquitoes with an escape frequency of 33.3% ± 3.3%, indicating that DEET was less effect compared with natural insecticides/repellents. This was followed by the extruded natural pyrethrum‐treated PLA fabric with an escape frequency of 80% ± 6.3%. Finally, the PLA fabrics spray‐coated with natural pyrethrum caused the highest escape frequency of 98.3% ± 1.7%. Thus, it was found that pyrethrum/PLA fabrics functioned as a mosquito repellent better than DEET/PLA fabrics. In addition, TGA and tensile testing results demonstrated that pyrethrum was sufficiently thermally stable to be extrusion compounded with PLA. GPC results showed that DEET promoted de‐polymerization of PLA when co‐extruded. The results demonstrated that pyrethrum can be a viable additive for PLA to produce fibers that function as mosquito repellent to produce temporary garments that are compostable. The potential use of the developed biobased fibers with natural insect repellents is for single use of personal protection equipment (PPE) garments. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 59:E460–E467, 2019. © 2019 Society of Plastics Engineers
The effect of acrylate functionality on frontal polymerization velocity and temperature
Authors: Bynum Samuel , Tullier Michael , Morejon‐Garcia Catherine , Guidry Jesse , Runnoe Emma , Pojman John A.
Published: March 2019

Frontal polymerization is a method of converting monomer(s) to polymer via a localized reaction zone that propagates from the coupling of thermal diffusion with the Arrhenius kinetics of an exothermic reaction. Several factors affect front velocity and temperature with the role of monomer functionality being of particular interest in this study. Polymerizing a di and triacrylate of equal molecular weight per acrylate revealed that as the proportion of triacrylate was increased the velocity and temperature increased. This is attributed to increased crosslinking and autoacceleration. Comparing several different acrylate monomers, both neat and diluted with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) so as to maintain constant acrylate group concentration, shows that velocity increases with increased functionality from mono to difunctional monomers. This trend breaks when applied to tri‐ and tetraacrylates, with fronts containing trifunctional monomer being the fastest. Acrylates containing hydroxyl functionality, as in the case of pentaerythritol‐based triacrylates, are slower than acrylates without. This is attributed to a chain‐transfer event and was tested using octanol and a hydroxyl‐free acrylate. It has also been shown that small amounts of water cause a lowering of front velocity due to energy lost via vaporization, which lowers the front temperature. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 982–988
Evolving data analysis of an Oral Lipid Tolerance Test toward the standard for the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test: Cross species modeling effects of AZD7687 on plasma triacylglycerol
Authors: Morentin Gutierrez Pablo , Yates James , Nilsson Catarina , Birtles Sue
Published: March 2019

We have developed a novel mechanistic pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model to describe the time course of plasma triglyceride (TAG) after Oral Lipid Tolerance Test (OLTT) and the effects of AZD7687, an inhibitor of diacylglycerol acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1), in humans, rats, and mice. Pharmacokinetic and plasma TAG data were obtained both in animals and in two phase I OLTT studies. In the PK/PD model, the introduction of exogenous TAG is represented by a first order process. The endogenous production and removal of TAG from plasma are described with a turnover model. AZD7687 inhibits the contribution of exogenous TAG into circulation. One or two compartment models with first order absorption was used to describe the PK of AZD7687 for the different species. Nonlinear mixed effect modeling was used to fit the model to the data. The effects of AZD7687 on the plasma TAG time course during an OLTT as well as interindividual variability were well described by the model in all three species. Meal fat content or data from single vs repeated dosing did not affect model parameter estimates. Body mass index was found to be a significant covariate on the plasma TAG baseline. The system parameters of the model will facilitate analysis for other compounds and provide tools to bring the standard of OLTT data analysis closer to the analyses of Oral Glucose Tolerance Test data maximizing knowledge gain.
Development of a goosegrass (Eleusine indica) draft genome and application to weed science research
Authors: Zhang Hui , Hall Nathan , Goertzen Leslie R , Bi Bo , Chen Charles Y , Peatman Eric , Lowe Elijah K , Patel Jinesh , McElroy Joseph S
Published: March 2019

BACKGROUND

Genomes are vital to the study of genomics, population genetics, and evolution of species. To date, only one genome (Echinochloa crus‐galli) for C4 annual weedy grass species has been sequenced. Research was conducted to develop a draft genome of goosegrass (Eleusine indica; 2n = 2x = 18), one of the most common and troublesome weeds in the world.

RESULTS

A draft assembly of an approximately 492 Mb whole‐genome sequence of goosegrass was obtained by de novo assembly of paired‐end and mate‐paired reads generated by Illumina sequencing of total genomic DNA. The genome was assembled into 24,072 scaffolds with N50 = 233,459 bp. More than 99% of transcriptome sequences were mapped to the goosegrass draft genome, and 95% of the commonly conserved plant genes were present. The assembled genome contains 25,467 unique protein‐coding genes. Genes associated with herbicide resistance were obtained and variant calling allowed the detection of 754,409 single nucleotide polymorphisms. In addition, we also report 115,417 simple sequence repeats which can be deployed in population genetics and phylogenetic analysis.

CONCLUSION

This is the first report of genome sequence of goosegrass. Our assembly was able to identify all major herbicide‐resistance related genes and develop a useful tool for other genomic and evolutionary analysis. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Asymmetry and structural information in preferential attachment graphs
Authors: Łuczak Tomasz , Magner Abram , Szpankowski Wojciech
Published: March 2019

Graph symmetries intervene in diverse applications, from enumeration, to graph structure compression, to the discovery of graph dynamics (e.g., node arrival order inference). Whereas Erdős‐Rényi graphs are typically asymmetric, real networks are highly symmetric. So a natural question is whether preferential attachment graphs, where in each step a new node with m edges is added, exhibit any symmetry. In recent work it was proved that preferential attachment graphs are symmetric for m = 1, and there is some nonnegligible probability of symmetry for m = 2. It was conjectured that these graphs are asymmetric when m ≥ 3. We settle this conjecture in the affirmative, then use it to estimate the structural entropy of the model. To do this, we also give bounds on the number of ways that the given graph structure could have arisen by preferential attachment. These results have further implications for information theoretic problems of interest on preferential attachment graphs.
Middle management involvement in resource allocation: The evolution of automated teller machines and bank branches in India
Authors: Natarajan Siddharth , Mahmood Ishtiaq P. , Mitchell Will
Published: March 2019

Research Summary

Managers at multiple levels of a firm influence resource allocation but most research focuses on senior rather than middle managers. We study involvement of middle managers in decision making, focusing on how rewards and controls shape resource allocation. We argue that higher income growth uncertainty (rewards) and lower monitoring (controls) increase resource allocation most strongly when middle managers are more involved in decisions. We test the arguments for ATM and bank branch allocations in Indian banks from 2011 to 2014. We assess causal mechanisms by comparing more and less favorable conditions for allocation, as well as considering a poststudy exogenous shock. The results suggest that the rewards and controls have different associations with resource allocation depending on the involvement of senior and middle managers.

Managerial Summary

The study examines how rewards and controls shape resource allocation decisions by middle managers, focusing on rewards arising from uncertainty about employee income and controls based on monitoring. The work suggests that rewards and controls that influence resource allocation by one level of managers may have less effect for another level. Hence, a firm's plans for resource deployment need to include rewards and controls that are relevant for both senior and middle managers.
Corporate governance and the rise of integrating corporate social responsibility criteria in executive compensation: Effectiveness and implications for firm outcomes
Authors: Flammer Caroline , Hong Bryan , Minor Dylan
Published: March 2019

Research Summary

This study examines the integration of corporate social responsibility (CSR) criteria in executive compensation, a relatively recent practice in corporate governance. We construct a novel database of CSR contracting and document that CSR contracting has become more prevalent over time. We further find that the adoption of CSR contracting leads to (a) an increase in long‐term orientation; (b) an increase in firm value; (c) an increase in social and environmental initiatives; (d) a reduction in emissions; and (e) an increase in green innovations. These findings are consistent with our theoretical arguments predicting that CSR contracting helps direct management's attention to stakeholders that are less salient but financially material to the firm in the long run, thereby enhancing corporate governance.

Managerial Summary

This paper examines the effectiveness and implications of integrating environmental and social performance criteria in executive compensation (CSR contracting)—a recent practice in corporate governance that is becoming more and more prevalent. We show that CSR contracting mitigates corporate short‐termism and improves business performance. Firms that adopt CSR contracting experience a significant increase in firm value, which foreshadows an increase in long‐term operating profits. Furthermore, firms that adopt CSR contracting improve their environmental and social performance, especially with respect to the environment and local communities. Overall, our findings suggest that CSR contracting directs management's attention to stakeholders that are less salient but financially material to the firm in the long run, thereby improving a firm's governance and its impact on society and the natural environment.
Optimal distinctiveness, strategic categorization, and product market entry on the Google Play app platform
Authors: Barlow Matthew A. , Verhaal J. Cameron , Angus Ryan W.
Published: March 2019

Research Summary

New entrants often face uncertainty regarding how to optimally position themselves within product markets. We suggest that new entrants can use two important schemas to strategically categorize themselves to gain a competitive advantage in platform markets: category exemplars and category prototypes. Using a unique dataset of more than 83,000 new Google Play developers and more than 139,000 apps, we find that the optimally distinct entry point is at a high level of exemplar similarity and a low level of prototype similarity. We find that greater alignment of an entrant with the prototype corresponds to a weaker benefit of exemplar similarity. These findings have important implications for understanding competitive dynamics within product markets, strategic positioning at entry, and the interdependence of strategic categorization decisions.

Managerial Summary

Entrepreneurial startups often find it difficult to know how to optimally position their products among a large number of rivals in highly competitive platform markets. Our study suggests that these startups can draw on two reference points to help determine the optimal positioning for their products: category exemplars and category prototypes. Exemplars include the most successful products in a market category while prototypes represent the most common products in a category. Drawing on a large dataset obtained from the Google Play app store, we find that developers can substantially increase the installs of their first app by crafting an app text description that is as similar as possible to the description of a category exemplar and as different as possible from the category's prototypical description.
Complexity and the bulk volume, a new York time story
Authors: Belin Alexandre , Lewkowycz Aitor , Sárosi Gábor
Published: March 2019

Abstract

We study the boundary description of the volume of maximal Cauchy slices using the recently derived equivalence between bulk and boundary symplectic forms. The volume of constant mean curvature slices is known to be canonically conjugate to “York time”. We use this to construct the boundary deformation that is conjugate to the volume in a handful of examples, such as empty AdS, a backreacting scalar condensate, or the thermofield double at infinite time. We propose a possible natural boundary interpretation for this deformation and use it to motivate a concrete version of the complexity=volume conjecture, where the boundary complexity is defined as the energy of geodesics in the Kähler geometry of half sided sources. We check this conjecture for Bañados geometries and a mini-superspace version of the thermofield double state. Finally, we show that the precise dual of the quantum information metric for marginal scalars is given by a particularly simple symplectic flux, instead of the volume as previously conjectured.
Towards general super Casimir equations for 4D$$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$ SCFTs
Authors: Ramírez Israel A.
Published: March 2019

Abstract

Applying the Casimir operator to four-point functions in CFTs allows us to find the conformal blocks for any external operators. In this work, we initiate the program to find the superconformal blocks, using the super Casimir operator, for 4D

$$ \mathcal{N}=1 $$

N
=
1

SCFTs. We begin by finding the most general four-point function with zero U(1)
R
-charge, including all the possible nilpotent structures allowed by the superconformal algebra. We then study particular cases where some of the operators satisfy shortening conditions. Finally, we obtain the super Casimir equations for four point-functions which contain a chiral and an anti-chiral field. We solve the super Casimir equations by writing the superconformal blocks as a sum of several conformal blocks.