bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aesthetic outcome following breast-conserving surgery assessed by three evaluation modalities in relation to health-related quality of life
Authors: Dahlbäck C , Ringberg A , Manjer J
Published: August 2018

Background

The aim of this study was to compare the agreement between three different methods for evaluation of aesthetic outcome following breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy: a patient questionnaire, panel evaluation of photographs and the software BCCT.core. A further aim was to examine how these modalities predict health-related quality of life as measured by the validated Breast-Q™ questionnaire.

Methods

At 1-year follow-up after breast-conserving surgery, patients completed a study-specific questionnaire. Postoperative photographs were evaluated using the software BCCT.core. A panel of three healthcare professionals assessed preoperative and postoperative photographs. Agreement between methods was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients (rs). The Breast-Q™ questionnaire was sent to study participants. The ability of the different evaluation methods to predict Q-scores for the health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) domains satisfaction with breasts and psychosocial well-being was investigated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

A total of 532 patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery were examined before surgery. At 1-year follow-up, 334 patients completed the study-specific questionnaire. Postoperative photographs from 310 patients were evaluated using BCCT.core. The panel of healthcare professionals assessed photographs from 215 patients. Agreement between the different evaluation modalities was poor. The strongest agreement was noted between the panel evaluation for symmetry and BCCT.core results (rs = 0·59, P < 0·001). The Breast-Q™ questionnaire was returned by 348 patients. Patient satisfaction ratings at 1-year follow-up best predicted long-term HRQoL measured using the Breast-Q score, both in terms of satisfaction with breasts (area under the curve (AUC) 0·80, P < 0·001) and psychosocial well-being (AUC 0·73, P < 0·001).

Conclusion

There is currently no ideal method for evaluating aesthetic outcome after breast-conserving surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy. These results emphasize the use of patient-related outcome measures.
The direct and moderating effects of power distance on carbon transparency: An international investigation of cultural value and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Luo Le , Tang Qingliang , Peng Juan
Published: August 2018

There are limited studies on the influence of national culture on corporate social responsibility, and thus, the issue is underexplored. Using an international sample, we show that higher power distance decreases corporate carbon transparency. In addition to this direct effect, we find that power distance also plays a moderating role in the relationship between carbon performance and carbon transparency. We report evidence of a negative association between carbon disclosure and carbon performance in our sample firms, which suggests that disclosure is driven by legitimation purposes. Further findings demonstrate that the tendency toward legitimation is more pronounced in countries with high power distance, which implies that a lower concentration of power promotes corporate social responsibility and reduces carbon opaqueness. Overall, our findings significantly enhance understanding of the role of culture in managerial response to climate change. Such an understanding is extremely important because climate change must be managed by people, and people are influenced by the underlying national cultural preference.
Evidence of Diradicals Involved in the Yeast Transketolase Catalyzed Keto‐Transferring Reactions
Authors: Hsu Ning‐Shian , Wang Yung‐Lin , Lin Kuan‐Hung , Chang Chi‐Fon , Ke Shyue‐Chu , Lyu Syue‐Yi , Hsu Li‐Jen , Li Yi‐Shan , Chen Sheng‐Chia , Wang Kuei‐Chen , Li Tsung‐Lin
Published: August 2018

Transketolase (TK) catalyzes a reversible transfer of a two‐carbon (C2) unit between phosphoketose donors and phosphoaldose acceptors, for which the group‐transfer reaction that follows a one‐ or two‐electron mechanism and the force that breaks the C2“−C3” bond of the ketose donors remain unresolved. Herein, we report ultrahigh‐resolution crystal structures of a TK (TKps) from Pichia stipitis in previously undiscovered intermediate states and support a diradical mechanism for a reversible group‐transfer reaction. In conjunction with MS, NMR spectroscopy, EPR and computational analyses, it is concluded that the enzyme‐catalyzed non‐Kekulé diradical cofactor brings about the C2“−C3” bond cleavage/formation for the C2‐unit transfer reaction, for which suppression of activation energy and activation and destabilization of enzymatic intermediates are facilitated.
Role of Organic Components in Electrocatalysis for Renewable Energy Storage
Authors: Liu Gejun , Bai Haipeng , Zhang Bo , Peng Huisheng
Published: August 2018

Carbon dioxide electroreduction and water splitting are known as two promising strategies to convert renewable intermittent electrical energy into chemical energy. Thus, the three half‐reactions, namely, CO2 reduction reaction, hydrogen evolution reaction, and the oxygen evolution counter reaction, in these two electrolytic processes have attracted wide research interest. Organic polymer electrocatalysts or electrocatalysts containing organic components play important roles in these catalytic processes. It has been shown that the organic molecules can efficiently catalyze the reactions themselves, and modulate the active sites towards high selectivity and efficiency. The roles of the organic molecules in conducting polymers, the metal complexes, and the framework materials are extracted for the three half‐reactions mentioned above, and this comprehensive review will serve as a guide for future research and aid in the design of electrocatalysts related to organic molecules.
An Omni‐Healable and Highly Sensitive Capacitive Pressure Sensor with Microarray Structure
Authors: Liu Feng , Han Fei , Ling Lei , Li Jinhui , Zhao Songfang , Zhao Tao , Liang Xianwen , Zhu Deliang , Zhang Guoping , Sun Rong , Ho Derek , Wong Ching‐Ping
Published: August 2018

Capacitive pressure sensors with high flexibility, sensitivity, and excellent healable properties are desirable for a wide variety of applications, such as e‐skin. However, implementing these characteristics onto a device presently remains a great challenge. In this work, a flexible pressure sensor with high sensitivity and strong healable properties has been developed based on healable polyurethane (HPU), silver nanowires and graphene. The HPU‐based microstructured capacitive pressure sensor exhibited a high sensitivity of 1.9 kPa−1 (<3 kPa), a fast response time (<100 ms), low detection limit (10 Pa), and long‐term durability (1000 cycles). Touch‐finger and vocal‐cord vibration detection have been demonstrated and exhibit a high sensitivity to both static and dynamic pressure. More notably, the entire pressure sensor including the dielectric layer and electrodes is omni‐healable after complete separation. The prototype has experimentally shown tremendous potential for wearable, healable applications, such as healthcare monitoring and human‐machine interfaces.
Sodium‐Doped C3N4/MOF Heterojunction Composites with Tunable Band Structures for Photocatalysis: Interplay between Light Harvesting and Electron Transfer
Authors: Pan Yating , Li Dandan , Jiang Hai‐Long
Published: August 2018

The search for ideal model systems to investigate the role of different parameters in heterojunction composites for enhanced photocatalysis is a high‐priority target. Herein, a series of heterojunction composites, namely Nax‐C3N4/Pt@UiO‐66, being composed of UiO‐66 and Na‐doped g‐C3N4 with adjustable light absorbance and band structures, have been prepared with different Na contents, which exhibit a volcano curve towards photocatalytic H2 production. Benefiting from the interplay of the two critical factors between light harvesting ability and electron transfer efficiency, the optimized Na0.02‐C3N4/Pt@UiO‐66 shows excellent photocatalytic H2 production, far surpassing its corresponding single counterparts.
Spontaneous Substitutions at Phosphorus Trihalides in Imidazolium Halide Ionic Liquids: Grotthuss Diffusion of Anions?
Authors: Hollóczki Oldamur , Wolff Alexander , Pallmann Julia , Whiteside Rachel E. , Hartley Jennifer , Grasser Matthias A. , Nockemann Peter , Brunner Eike , Doert Thomas , Ruck Michael
Published: August 2018

PX3 compounds (X=Cl, Br, I) in imidazolium halide ionic liquids combine with the anion Z (Z=Cl, Br, I) of the solvent to form [PX3Z]− complex anions. These anions have a sawhorse shape in which the lone pair of the phosphorus atom fills the third equatorial position of the pseudotrigonal bipyramid. Theoretical results show that this association remains incomplete due to strong hydrogen bonding with the cations of the ionic liquid, which competes with the phosphorus trihalide for interaction with the Z− anion. Temperature‐dependent 31P NMR experiments indicated that the P−Z binding is weaker at higher temperature. Both theory and experiment evidence dynamic exchange of the halide anions at the phosphorus atom, together with continuous switching of the ligands at the phosphorus atom between equatorial and axial positions. Detailed knowledge of the mechanism of the spontaneous exchange of halogen atoms at phosphorus trihalides suggests a way to design novel, highly conducting ionic‐liquid mixtures.
Aggregation of Rare Earth Coordination Complexes in Solution Studied by Paramagnetic and DOSY NMR
Authors: Poh Adeline W. J. , Aguilar Juan A. , Kenwright Alan M. , Mason Kevin , Parker David
Published: August 2018

The degree of aggregation of neutral, 9‐coordinate rare earth coordination complexes has been shown to affect their ligand field, as revealed by diffusion‐ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY‐NMR) measurements on Y(III) complexes, paramagnetic NMR analyses of Yb and Tb analogues and emission spectral studies with the EuIII systems. In non‐polar media a lipophilic tris‐isopropyl complex, [Ln.L2] tends to aggregate in chloroform and dichloromethane giving rise to oligomers, whereas in acetic and trifluoroacetic acid the more polar parent complex, [Ln.L1], also aggregates, profoundly affecting the pseudocontact shift and the form of the Eu emission spectrum. Such behaviour has important implications in the design of responsive spectral probes.
Rational Design of a 3D MnII‐Metal–Organic Framework Based on a Nonmetallated Porphyrin Linker for Selective Capture of CO2 and One‐Pot Synthesis of Styrene Carbonates
Authors: Sharma Nayuesh , Dhankhar Sandeep Singh , Kumar Sandeep , Kumar T. J. Dhilip , Nagaraja C. Mallaiah
Published: August 2018

A 3D MnII‐porphyrin metal–organic framework (MOF), [{Mn2(TCPP)⋅2H2O}⋅DMF]n (MOF1) (TCPP=5,10,15,20‐tetrakis(4‐benzoate)porphyrin), was constructed; it exhibits an interesting 3D framework structure with two types of 1D channels of dimensions of 3.94×8.37 Å2 and 4.66×4.93 Å2 running along the crystallographic a axis. Owing to the presence of a nonmetallated porphyrin cavity, MOF1 exhibits selective storage of CO2 with an isosteric heat of adsorption value of 32.1 kJ mol−1, which is further supported by theoretical calculations with the calculated binding energy (BE) of 29.78 kJ mol−1. Interestingly, the nonmetallated nature of the porphyrin ligand was exploited for implantation of coordinatively unsaturated FeIII ions to generate a FeIII@MOF1 framework, which acts as an efficient recyclable catalyst for the oxidation of styrenes to the corresponding epoxides in the presence of PhIO as an oxidant at room temperature. Moreover, the one‐pot synthesis of styrene carbonates from styrenes and CO2 was also achieved using FeIII@MOF1 as a catalyst. The rational design of a porous MnII‐porphyrin MOF for the selective capture of CO2 and the one‐pot synthesis of styrene carbonates at mild conditions is reported.
Chemoselective Aerobic Cross‐Dehydrogenative Coupling of Terminal Alkynes with Hydrosilanes by a Nanoporous Gold Catalyst
Authors: Kavthe Rahul D. , Ishikawa Yoshifumi , Kusuma Indra , Asao Naoki
Published: August 2018

Aerobic cross‐dehydrogenative coupling between terminal alkynes and hydrosilanes occurred in the presence of nanoporous gold catalyst under O2 atmosphere. A variety of alkynylsilanes were synthesized in good‐to‐high yields and the catalyst was easily recovered and reused many times. Furthermore, the chemoselective direct silyl protection of terminal acetylenes of alkynols over the hydroxyl groups was achieved with this catalytic system.
Nitrostyrene‐Modified 2‐(2‐Hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole: Enol‐Emission Solvatochromism by ESICT‐ESIPT and Aggregation‐Induced Emission Enhancement
Authors: Niu Yahui , Wang Rong , Shao Panlin , Wang Yuxiu , Zhang Yanrong
Published: August 2018

Excited‐state intramolecular charge transfer (ESICT) and excited‐state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) are two competitive reactions that occur in the excited states of organic dyes that contain intramolecular hydrogen‐bonds and electron acceptors and donors. Determining the mechanisms of these processes is key to understanding their multiple emission features, as the manner in which these processes interact can be modulated by modifying the dye structure. In addition, donor–π–acceptor (D–π–A) molecules often suffer from aggregation‐induced quenching. Herein, we report the synthesis of three nitrophenyl‐modified 2‐(2‐hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (HBT) derivatives, HBT‐s‐NO2, HBT‐d‐NO2, and HBT‐t‐NO2, which have C−C, C=C, and C≡C bonds between their HBT and nitrophenyl moieties, respectively. Compared with the enol emissions from HBT‐s‐NO2 and HBT‐t‐NO2, that from HBT‐d‐NO2 exhibits outstanding solvatochromism owing to consecutive ESICT‐ESIPT. In addition, X‐ray diffraction reveals that despite the highly planar and polar nature of HBT‐d‐NO2, which is strongly H‐aggregated, it exhibits highly efficient fluorescence. Hence, this study provides new insight into the design of ESICT/ESIPT‐coupled systems and for engendering planar dipolar molecules with excellent emission properties in the solid state.
Hybrid Molecular Container Based on Glycoluril and Triptycene: Synthesis, Binding Properties, and Triggered Release
Authors: Liu Wenjin , Lu Xiaoyong , Xue Weijian , Samanta Soumen K. , Zavalij Peter Y. , Meng Zihui , Isaacs Lyle
Published: August 2018

Invited for the cover of this issue are the groups of Lyle Isaacs at the University of Maryland and Zihui Meng at the Beijing Institute of Technology. The image depicts the structures of a hybrid water soluble acyclic receptor and bilayer vesicles while CB[6] and PA[5] are fitted in the background to indicate the conceptional relationship between the receptor and CB[n] and PA[n]. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201802981.
Exploiting β‐Amino Acid Enolates in Direct Catalytic Diastereo‐ and Enantioselective C−C Bond‐Forming Reactions
Authors: Yu Jin‐Sheng , Noda Hidetoshi , Shibasaki Masakatsu
Published: August 2018

In contrast to the widespread use of α‐amino acid‐equivalent enolates for the preparation of non‐natural amino acids, the utilization of β‐amino‐acid counterparts has been limited. This deficit has resulted in a short supply of β2, 2‐amino acids bearing two substituents at the α‐carbon, especially for peptide synthesis. Herein, racemic 4‐substituted isoxazolidin‐5‐ones were used as precursors of β2‐amino acid enolates in the direct catalytic diastereo‐ and enantioselective C−C bond‐forming reactions, constructing two adjacent stereocenters in a highly stereoselective fashion. The obtained adducts were smoothly coupled with α‐amino acid‐derived α‐ketoacids to afford α/β2, 2‐hybrid dipeptides suitable for 9‐fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)‐based solid‐phase peptide synthesis. Moreover, the Mannich adducts obtained from isatin‐derived imines were converted to spirocyclic β‐lactams, which have recently received increased attention due to their unique biological activities and conformational preferences.
Organic Salts Suppress Aggregation and Enhance the Hyperpolarizability of a π‐Twisted Chromophore
Authors: Lou Alexander J.‐T. , Righetto Stefania , Cariati Elena , Marks Tobin J.
Published: August 2018

Twisted intramolecular charge‐transfer (TICT) chromophores exhibit extraordinary hyperpolarizabilities, β, and are therefore promising for electro‐optic technologies. Nevertheless, centrosymmetric aggregate formation severely diminishes β in concentrated solutions or in polymer matrices. Herein, the remarkable effects of organic salts on the linear and nonlinear optical response of a high β benzimidazolium‐based TICT chromophore, B2TMC‐2, are reported. Addition of Bu4P+Br− to B2TMC‐2 solution in CHCl3 induces a halochromic blueshift, primarily reflecting interactions between Bu4P+Br− and the B2TMC‐2 cationic portion. DC electric‐field induced second‐harmonic generation (EFISH) measurements on B2TMC‐2+Bu4P+Br− solution reveal a large μβ=−22,160×10−48 esu, unprecedented for any chromophore with such a broad optical transparency window. Moreover, Bu4P+Br− is shown to suppress B2TMC‐2 aggregation, thereby preserving high μβ in concentrated solutions. This phenomenon should be applicable to many other NLO chromophores.
Combination of the Suzuki–Miyaura Cross‐Coupling Reaction with Engineered Transaminases
Authors: Dawood Ayad W. H. , Bassut Jonathan , de Souza Rodrigo O. M. A. , Bornscheuer Uwe T.
Published: August 2018

The combination of enzymatic and chemical reaction steps is one important area of research in organic synthesis, preferentially as cascade reactions in one‐pot to improve total conversion and achieve high operational stability. Here, the combination of the Suzuki–Miyaura reaction is described to synthesize biaryl compounds followed by a transamination reaction. Careful optimization of the reaction conditions required for the chemo‐ and biocatalysis reaction enabled an efficient two‐step‐one‐pot reaction yielding the final chiral amines with excellent optical purity (>99 % ee) in up to 84 % total conversion. Key to the success was the protein engineering of the amine transaminases from Asperguillus fumigatus (4CHI‐TA) where single alanine mutations increased the conversion up to 2.3‐fold. Finally, the transfer to a continuous flow system after immobilization of the best 4CHI‐TA variant is demonstrated.
Dependability analysis of a cyber‐physical system for smart environments
Authors: Andrade Ermeson , Nogueira Bruno , Callou Gustavo , Alves Gabriel
Published: August 2018

Cyber‐Physical Systems (CPSs) represent a new generation of smart systems that orchestrates physical elements with computation. This new class of system is intelligent and connected and is changing the way people deal with engineered systems, just as the Internet transformed the way people interact with information. Although several works have been proposed to support the design and development of CPSs, dependability evaluation of these systems have been investigated little. Dependability assessment (eg, reliability and availability) of cyber‐physical systems is of great importance as, very often, they are deployed in safety or business‐critical contexts. This paper presents a strategy based on Stochastic Petri Nets (SPNs) for dependability modeling, evaluation, and tuning of smart CPSs. The tuning is carried out through sensitivity analysis on the SPN models to efficiently identify the system components that most impact on the system's overall availability. The feasibility of our approach is demonstrated by evaluating a smart CPS deployed in a water treatment plant. Experimental results revealed that the proposed strategy helps highlight which components require attention when attempting to achieve high availability, and by adding redundancy to these components, the downtime of adopted CPS was reduced drastically from half a day to only 8 minutes.
Node importance to community based caching strategy for information centric networking
Authors: Shan Chun , Cai Jun , Liu Yan , Luo JianZhen
Published: August 2018

Information Centric Networking (ICN) is a novel future network architecture that is focusing on content distribution. Its ubiquitous caching schemes can improve network performance. In this paper, we propose a node importance to community based caching scheme with network coding in ICN, which is named as NICNC. For each community, content router makes cache decision depending on its node importance to community to make content cached more reasonable in temporal and spatial distribution. Moreover, by applying network coding into ICN, one coded blocks containing information of multiple chunks can satisfy multiple interests for different chunks sent by different consumers. This can significantly enhance cache diversity and cache hit rate without increasing cache capacity. Experimental results show that our scheme can improve the network performance at many aspects, such as average download time, cache hit rate, and instantaneous hop reduction rate.
Optimization of checkpointing/recovery strategy in cloud computing with adaptive storage management
Authors: Meroufel Bakhta , Belalem Ghalem
Published: August 2018

Cloud Computing is a type of distributed system that is usually based on the services offered to the user based on SLA contract. In this case, the implementation of a fault‐tolerant system that ensures the reliability and the services continuity becomes a major requirement. In this paper, we propose a fault tolerance strategy based on checkpointing and replication. Our approach uses a smart checkpoint infrastructure for cloud computing tasks. The checkpoints are stored in alternative already paid VMs. This allows resuming a task execution faster and cheaper after a node crash. Since checkpoints are distributed and replicated, our approach increases also the system reliability. The experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in term of energy consumption, SLA (System Level Aggregation) violation, and reliability.
A PETSc parallel‐in‐time solver based on MGRIT algorithm
Authors: Mele Valeria , Constantinescu Emil M. , Carracciuolo Luisa , D'Amore Luisa
Published: August 2018

We address the development of a modular implementation of the MGRIT (MultiGrid‐In‐Time) algorithm to solve linear and nonlinear systems that arise from the discretization of evolutionary models with a parallel‐in‐time approach in the context of the PETSc (the Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific computing) library. Our aim is to give the opportunity of predicting the performance gain achievable when using the MGRIT approach instead of the Time Stepping integrator (TS). To this end, we analyze the performance parameters of the algorithm that provide a‐priori the best number of processing elements and grid levels to use to address the scaling of MGRIT, regarded as a parallel iterative algorithm proceeding along the time dimension.
The σ‐Hole Coulombic Interpretation of Trihalide Anion Formation
Authors: Clark Timothy , Murray Jane S. , Politzer Peter
Published: August 2018

It is shown that the interactions of dihalogen molecules XY with halide anions Z− to form trihalide anions (XYZ)− can be satisfactorily described as Coulombic, involving the σ‐holes on the atoms Y, but only if polarization is taken into account. We have approximated the polarizing effect of the halide anion Z− by means of a unit negative point charge. The CCSD/aug‐cc‐pVTZ computed interaction energies ΔE correlate well with the most positive electrostatic potentials associated with the induced σ‐holes over a ΔE range of −12 to −63 kcal mol−1. The (XYZ)− anions are more stable when the central atom is the largest, as has been observed, because the central atom is then the most polarizable, making the electrostatic potential associated with its σ‐hole more positive.
Bandwidth utilization efficiency enhancement for OFDM‐based WSN
Authors: H. Ansar , M.S. Noor
Published: August 2018

Normally IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) is used for mainly downlink traffic applications. However in the upper tier of 2‐tier (WiMAX‐WiFi) wireless sensor network, the uplink bandwidth faces bottlenecks for high throughput. In this paper, a solution has been proposed for this limitation of uplink bandwidth allocation through the use of queuing theoretic performance modeling. A Markov‐modulated Poisson process traffic model has been formed for orthogonal frequency division multiple access‐based transmission along with discrete time Markov chain system model for queuing. A downlink traffic pattern has been defined for wireless sensor network nodes. Analytical methods are used to estimate the performance parameters like throughput, delay, and probability of packet drop for resource allocation. An algorithm is formulated to find out minimum resource requirement for downlink and to transfer rest of the resources to uplink bandwidth allocation, for throughput enhancement. Uplink frame utilization is determined through another discrete time Markov chain model for adaptive triggering between the proposed maximum and the normal downlink to uplink ratio operations, for efficient distribution of bandwidth resources. Algorithm and simulation results prove outstanding improvement in the uplink throughput around 50%, without degrading the downlink throughput.
Identification of a distinct phenotype of elderly latent autoimmune diabetes in adults: LADA China Study 8
Authors: Niu Xiaohong , Luo Shuoming , Li Xia , Xie Zhiguo , Xiang Yufei , Huang Gan , Lin Jian , Yang Lin , Liu Zhenqi , Wang Xiangbing , Leslie R. David , Zhou Zhiguang
Published: August 2018

Background

Latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) exhibits significant clinical heterogeneity, but the underlying causes remain unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate whether age of onset of LADA contributes to the observed clinical heterogeneity by comparing the clinical, metabolic, and immunogenetic characteristics between elderly and young LADA patients.

Methods

The cross‐sectional study included a total of 579 patients with LADA which was further divided into elderly LADA (E‐LADA) group (n = 135, age of onset ≥60 years) and young LADA (Y‐LADA) group (n = 444, age of onset <60 years). Age‐matched subjects with type 2 diabetes were served as control (E‐T2D group, n = 622). Clinical characteristics, serum autoantibodies, and HLA‐DQ haplotypes were compared among these groups.

Results

Compared with patients with Y‐LADA, patients with E‐LADA have better residual beta‐cell function and higher level of insulin resistance (both P < .01), more metabolic syndrome characteristics, similar proportion of islet autoantibody positivity, and strikingly different HLA‐DQ genetic background. In comparison with E‐T2D patients, E‐LADA patients tend to have similar metabolic syndrome prevalence, comparable C‐peptide levels, and insulin resistance levels and share similar HLA‐DQ genetic characteristics.

Conclusions

Elderly LADA differs phenotypically and genetically from Y‐LADA but has a clinical and genetic profile more similar to that of E‐T2D. These distinct phenotypes could potentially help physicians better manage patients with E‐LADA.
Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists in type 2 diabetes treatment: are they all the same?
Authors: Gentilella Raffaella , Pechtner Valeria , Corcos Antonella , Consoli Agostino
Published: August 2018

Glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1) receptor agonists (RAs) are an important class of drugs with a well‐established efficacy and safety profile in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Agents in this class are derived from either exendin‐4 (a compound present in Gila monster venom) or modifications of human GLP‐1 active fragment. Differences among these drugs in duration of action (ie, short‐acting vs long‐acting), effects on glycaemic control and weight loss, immunogenicity, tolerability profiles, and administration routes offer physicians several options when selecting the most appropriate agent for individual patients. Patient preference is also an important consideration. The aim of this review is to discuss the differences between and similarities of GLP‐1 RAs currently approved for clinical use, focusing particularly on the properties characterising the single short‐acting and long‐acting GLP‐1 RAs rather than on their individual efficacy and safety profiles. The primary pharmacodynamic difference between short‐acting (ie, exenatide twice daily and lixisenatide) and long‐acting (ie, albiglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide once weekly, liraglutide, and semaglutide) GLP‐1 RAs is that short‐acting agents primarily delay gastric emptying (lowering postprandial glucose) and long‐acting agents affect both fasting glucose (via enhanced glucose‐dependent insulin secretion and reduced glucagon secretion in the fasting state) and postprandial glucose (via enhanced postprandial insulin secretion and inhibition of glucagon secretion). Other advantages of long‐acting GLP‐1 RAs include smaller fluctuations in plasma drug concentrations, improved gastrointestinal tolerability profiles, and simpler, more convenient administration schedules (once daily for liraglutide and once weekly for albiglutide, dulaglutide, the long‐acting exenatide formulation, and semaglutide), which might improve treatment adherence and persistence.
The dual effect of C‐peptide on cellular activation and atherosclerosis: Protective or not?
Authors: Alves Michelle Teodoro , Ortiz Mylena Maira Oliveira , dos Reis Guilherme Victor Oliveira Pimenta , Dusse Luci Maria Sant'Ana , Carvalho Maria das Graças , Fernandes Ana Paula , Gomes Karina Braga
Published: August 2018

C‐peptide is a cleavage product of proinsulin that acts on different type of cells, such as blood and endothelial cells. C‐peptide biological effects may be different in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Besides, there are further evidence for a functional interaction between C‐peptide and insulin. In this way, C‐peptide has ambiguous effects, acting as an antithrombotic or thrombotic molecule, depending on the physiological environment and disease conditions. Moreover, C‐peptide regulates interaction of leucocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets with the endothelium. The beneficial effects include stimulation of nitric oxide production with its subsequent release by platelets and endothelium, the interaction with erythrocytes leading to the generation of adenosine triphosphate, and inhibition of atherogenic cytokine release. The undesirable action of C‐peptide includes the chemotaxis of monocytes, lymphocytes, and smooth muscle cells. Also, C‐peptide was related with increased lipid deposits and elevated smooth muscle cells proliferation in the vessel wall, contributing to atherosclerosis. Purpose of this review is to explore these dual roles of C‐peptide on the blood, contributing at one side to haemostasis and the other to atherosclerotic process.
Apoptosis and epicardial contributions act as complementary factors in remodeling of the atrioventricular canal myocardium and atrioventricular conduction patterns in the embryonic chick heart
Authors: Vicente Steijn Rebecca , Sedmera David , Blom Nico A. , Jongbloed Monique , Kvasilova Alena , Nanka Ondrej
Published: August 2018

Background: During heart development, it has been hypothesized that apoptosis of atrioventricular canal myocardium and replacement by fibrous tissue derived from the epicardium are imperative to develop a mature atrioventricular conduction. To test this, apoptosis was blocked using an established caspase inhibitor and epicardial growth was delayed using the experimental epicardial inhibition model, both in chick embryonic hearts. Results: Chicken embryonic hearts were either treated with the peptide caspase inhibitor zVAD‐fmk by intrapericardial injection in ovo (ED4) or underwent epicardial inhibition (ED2.5). Spontaneously beating embryonic hearts isolated (ED7–ED8) were then stained with voltage‐sensitive dye Di‐4‐ANEPPS and imaged at 0.5–1 kHz. Apoptotic cells were quantified (ED5–ED7) by whole‐mount LysoTracker Red and anti‐active caspase 3 staining. zVAD‐treated hearts showed a significantly increased proportion of immature (base to apex) activation patterns at ED8, including ventricular activation originating from the right atrioventricular junction, a pattern never observed in control hearts. zVAD‐treated hearts showed decreased numbers of apoptotic cells in the atrioventricular canal myocardium at ED7. Hearts with delayed epicardial outgrowth showed also increased immature activation patterns at ED7.5 and ED8.5. However, the ventricular activation always originated from the left atrioventricular junction. Histological examination showed no changes in apoptosis rates, but a diminished presence of atrioventricular sulcus tissue compared with controls. Conclusions: Apoptosis in the atrioventricular canal myocardium and controlled replacement of this myocardium by epicardially derived HCN4‐/Trop1‐ sulcus tissue are essential determinants of mature ventricular activation pattern. Disruption can lead to persistence of accessory atrioventricular connections, forming a morphological substrate for ventricular pre‐excitation. Developmental Dynamics 247:1033‐1042, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Polycentric struggles: The experience of the global climate justice movement
Authors: Tormos‐Aponte Fernando , García‐López Gustavo A.
Published: August 2018

What is the relationship between social movements and polycentric governance? The concept of polycentricity has been at the center of recent debates in environmental governance. While most of this work has analyzed polycentric arrangements in relation to collaborative and adaptive governance, some have recently focused on how political conflicts shape these arrangements. In this paper we build on this work through Luther Gerlach's forgotten framework of polycentric social movements to undertake the task of politicizing polycentricity. This task entails expanding the analytical focus of institutional analyses of polycentricity and examining the social group politics of social movements. To this end, we present a case study of the climate justice movement and its relation to climate change governance. We analyze whether and to what extent the movement has embodied polycentric arrangements throughout its history, and to what effects. We show that show that, in seeking to address the multiscalar nature of environmental problems and the limits of existing institutional arrangements, climate justice groups are increasingly organized in a polycentric fashion. Climate justice groups mobilize multiple strands of environmental justice movements from the global North and South, as well as from indigenous and peasant rights movements, and it is organized as a decentralized network of semiautonomous, coordinated units. We find that this strategy generates new opportunities and challenges for the movement, and thus has important implications for its effectiveness in achieving these transformations. Lastly, we find that through these polycentric arrangements, movements such as that for climate justice are able to exert simultaneous influence on multiple sites of environmental governance, from the local to the global, furthering increased polycentricity in formal institutional arrangements.
‘I have not witnessed it personally myself, but…’: Epistemics in managing talk on racism against immigrants in Ireland
Authors: Sambaraju Rahul , Minescu Anca
Published: August 2018

Social psychologists who study racism or prejudice argue that various versions of these are constructed in ways to suppress or minimise their relevance. However, researchers have not particularly examined how knowledge‐claims about racism can also be variously made or negotiated in attending to the relevance of racism. We offer such an examination through a discursive psychological analysis of interview talk with Irish nationals on immigration, since in these settings issues of immigration and racism are not readily relevant. Findings show that participants treated how knowledge of racism can be accessed and who has the rights to make knowledge‐claims about racism, as relevant. Epistemic access and rights were negotiated in ways that showed sensitivity to possibilities for suppressing alternative claims about racism. These findings are discussed in relation to current social psychological and discursive approaches to racism.
Semiparametric Bayesian joint modeling of clustered binary and continuous outcomes with informative cluster size in developmental toxicity assessment
Authors: Hwang Beom Seuk , Pennell Michael L.
Published: August 2018

Many authors have shown that joint modeling outcomes can effectively improve statistical power in studies involving clustered data. For instance, in developmental toxicity studies, fetal weight and malformation have been jointly analyzed to obtain more efficient inferences. Unfortunately, in these studies, the number of subjects is often correlated with the outcome values, which can result in biased estimates if the relationship is not accounted for. Most methods for joint modeling data with informative cluster size assume standard parametric response distributions. However, in developmental toxicity studies, it is possible that response distributions vary in location and shape with dose, which may not be easily captured by parametric models. Motivated by applications in developmental toxicity, we propose a semiparametric Bayesian joint model for clustered binary and continuous responses with informative cluster size. In our model, a nested kernel stick‐breaking process prior is assigned to the distribution of a random effect shared across outcomes, which allows simultaneous grouping of clusters and subjects within clusters, and flexible changes in distribution shape with dose shared across outcomes. We account for informative cluster size by modeling the number of subjects in each cluster using a Poisson regression model with a cluster‐specific random effect that is shared with the outcome variables. The Poisson assumption is relaxed by assigning a Dirichlet process prior to the unknown distribution of the cluster‐specific random effect. We apply our method to data from a developmental toxicity study of diethylhexyl phthalate.
Food addiction and impaired executive functions in women with obesity
Authors: Steward Trevor , Mestre‐Bach Gemma , Vintró‐Alcaraz Cristina , Lozano‐Madrid María , Agüera Zaida , Fernández‐Formoso José A. , Granero Roser , Jiménez‐Murcia Susana , Vilarrasa Nuria , García‐Ruiz‐de‐Gordejuela Amador , Veciana de las Heras Misericordia , Custal Nuria , Virgili Nuria , López‐Urdiales Rafael , Gearhardt Ashley N. , Menchón José M. , Soriano‐Mas Carles , Fernández‐Aranda Fernando
Published: August 2018

Background

Individuals with obesity (OB) often report suffering from addiction‐like symptoms. As in addictions, deficits in executive function domains, such as decision‐making and sustained attention, are found in OB. No study to date has examined the associations between food addiction, OB, and neuropsychological performance.

Method

Thirty‐three adult women with OB and 36 healthy weight controls completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0, a validated instrument used to assess food‐related addictive behaviours. Additionally, participants completed computerized versions of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Conners' Continuous Performance Test, second edition (CPT‐II) to examine decision‐making and attentional control, respectively.

Results

Food addiction criteria were met in 24.2% of the participants with OB and in 2.8% of the control group. In the OB group, food addiction severity levels were negatively correlated with overall scores on the IGT. Participants with OB meeting criteria for food addiction committed more omissions and perseveration errors on the CPT‐II compared with those without food addiction.

Conclusions

Our results point to an association between food addiction severity levels and impairments in decision‐making and attentional capacity in individuals with OB. Given the heterogeneity found in OB, it stands to reason that this subset of patients with food addiction could potentially benefit from interventions targeting neuropsychological deficits.
Overestimation of short‐term coastal cliff retreat rates in the eastern Mediterranean resolved with a sediment budget approach
Authors: Mushkin Amit , Katz Oded , Porat Naomi
Published: August 2018

Our understanding of sea‐cliff erosion processes and their response to recent and/or projected environmental changes such as sea‐level rise, climate change and anthropogenic development hinges on our ability to quantify sea‐cliff retreat rates and their variability through time. Here, we focus on Israel's Mediterranean ‘Sharon’ sea‐cliff as a case study for examining the significance of recent short‐term (i.e. annual to decadal) cliff‐top retreat rates that appear to exceed longer‐term rates of ‘background’ (i.e. centennial to millennial) retreat by 1–2 orders of magnitude. We demonstrate that an inherent sampling bias in rate estimates inferred from observation intervals shorter than process episodicity can also explain such a pattern. This potential ambiguity leads to a striking paradox where despite highly accurate and robust documentation of recent cliff‐top retreat, such as that obtained from aerial photographs and/or instrumental surveys, the short‐term retreat rates of episodically retreating sea cliffs remain poorly constrained. To address this key data gap along the Sharon sea cliff we employed a sediment budget approach that focuses on quantifying the continuous wave scouring of cliff‐collapsed material from the shore platform as a rate‐limiting process for episodic retreat of the cliff above. We used four high‐resolution (0.5 m/pixel) airborne LiDAR data sets acquired between 2006 and 2015 to determine short‐term maximum retreat rates of up to ~0.08 m/yr during this nine‐year period. These modern retreat rates compare to the cliff's background retreat rate of 0.03 to 0.09 m/yr since the mid‐Holocene, as determined herein from multiple geologic and archeological observations. Our results demonstrate that previously reported twentieth century cliff‐top retreat rates for this sea cliff, which range up to values of several meters per year, are biased and that sea‐cliff erosion rates have not yet been significantly impacted by recent environmental changes in the eastern Mediterranean basin, such as the restriction of sediment supply following emplacement of the Nile's Aswan dam system. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The use of the slope–area function to analyse process domains in complex badland landscapes
Authors: Vergari Francesca , Troiani Francesco , Faulkner Hazel , Del Monte Maurizio , Della Seta Marta , Ciccacci Sirio , Fredi Paola
Published: August 2018

This paper explores the effectiveness of the widely‐used functional relationship between drainage area (A in m2) and slope (S in m/m) to identify local process domains and aid interpretation of process interactions in a complex badland landscape. In order to perform this investigation, a series of sub‐basins tributary to the Formone River in the Orcia catchment (central Italy) were selected as a suitable study area within which to explore our questions, given these basins' general representativeness of local terrain, the availability of a high resolution digital terrain model and previous extensive geomorphological research. Eroding basins containing both calanchi and landslides are common in the sub‐humid badland landscape of central Italy, where field observation identifies a complex pattern of erosive processes associated with a history of uplift, despite which parts of the local landscape appear disconnected. Results reveal that the shape of all S–A curves (plotted using S data binned on log A) is comparable with that described in the literature, although sub‐basins containing calanchi generally plot with higher S values than non‐calanchi ones, except in the ‘fluvial’ section of the plots. Second, when viewed on total data (non‐binned) S–A plots, landslide source area domains and calanchi domains are entirely coincident in all basins, supporting a cause–effect relationship. Additional plotting of the frequency characteristics of the raw data in a new way supports the interpretation that calanchi frequently initiate in landslide scars.

In general though, although the S–A plots can contribute to the disentanglement of geomorphological behaviour in some complex erosional landscapes, it became apparent that in this landscape, process domains do not separate out with clarity along the A axis as suggested by theory. Despite this, an alternative, broader‐scale morphoevolutive model can be proposed for the development of within‐landslide calanchi, driven by changes to basin connectivity to the base channel. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A robust method to estimate regional polygenic correlation under misspecified linkage disequilibrium structure
Authors: Paré Guillaume , Mao Shihong , Deng Wei Q.
Published: August 2018

Complex traits can share a substantial proportion of their polygenic heritability. However, genome‐wide polygenic correlations between pairs of traits can mask heterogeneity in their shared polygenic effects across loci. We propose a novel method (weighted maximum likelihood‐regional polygenic correlation [RPC]) to evaluate polygenic correlation between two complex traits in small genomic regions using summary association statistics. Our method tests for evidence that the polygenic effect at a given region affects two traits concurrently. We show through simulations that our method is well calibrated, powerful, and more robust to misspecification of linkage disequilibrium than other methods under a polygenic model. As small genomic regions are more likely to harbor specific genetic effects, our method is ideal to identify heterogeneity in shared polygenic correlation across regions. We illustrate the usefulness of our method by addressing two questions related to cardiometabolic traits. First, we explored how RPC can inform on the strong epidemiological association between high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and coronary artery disease (CAD), suggesting a key role for triglycerides metabolism. Second, we investigated the potential role of PPARγ activators in the prevention of CAD. Our results provide a compelling argument that shared heritability between complex traits is highly heterogeneous across loci.