bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and metal ion uptake studies of chelating polyurethane resin containing donor atoms: Experimental optimization and temperature studies
Authors: Kirupha Selvaraj Dinesh , Narayanasamy Ramasamy , Sornalatha Manickam , Sivanesan Subramanian , Ravikumar Lingam
Published: January 2017

Novel polyurethane (PU) bearing metal binding sites was synthesized by poly‐condensation. Synthesized polyurethane was characterized by using Fourier transformation IR spectrometry (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H‐NMR), and thermo‐gravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. The structural morphology of polyurethane was analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the polymer was used as an adsorbent for metal extraction using batch adsorption studies in aqueous media. Upon observation, it was found that maximum adsorption was obtained at pH = 6 with the adsorbent dose of 20 mg/L at 60 min of contact time for 100 mg/L of Pb(II) and Cu(II) as initial metal ion concentration. In comparison with 2‐parameter and 3‐parameter non‐linear isotherm modelling, Redlich‐Peterson adsorption model (3‐P) fits well supporting Langmuir (2‐P) compared with other sorption isotherms. From the Langmuir isotherm, maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 496 mg/g and 481.8 mg/g for Pb(II) and Cu(II) ions were obtained, respectively. From the pseudo‐second order equation, the R2 values of Pb(II) and Cu(II) were found to be 0.9984 and 0.9958. Based on tan, the exothermic nature of adsorption is evidenced. PU was found to be stable after 5 cycles with 0.1 N H2SO4, suggesting that the synthesized polyurethane resin was chemically stable and could act as a potential adsorbent for heavy metal extractions in the aqueous media.
Mycosynthesized Silver Nanoparticles as Potent Growth Inhibitory Agents Against Selected Waterborne Human Pathogens
Authors: Sonar Harshal , Nagaonkar Dipali , Ingle Avinash P. , Rai Mahendra
Published: January 2017

Search for innovative technologies for eradication of water contamination and thereby reducing waterborne diseases is a global need. Use of antimicrobial metal nanoparticles for water purification processes has opened up new possibilities to combat waterborne diseases. The present study demonstrates the synthesis of antibacterial silver nanoparticles by using fungal filtrates of Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma sorghina. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the synthesis of isotropic, spherical nanoparticles with 20–25 nm as mean size. The mycosynthesized nanoparticles were evaluated for their growth inhibition activity against waterborne pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most susceptible organism to the silver nanoparticles synthesized from P. sorghina; whereas, high bacteriostatic activity of silver nanoparticles was observed against Brevibacillus borstelensis. The present findings indicate the potential of silver nanoparticles for use in water purification processes.
Cytology assessment can predict survival for patients with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms
Authors: Sigel Carlie S. , Guo Huimin , Sigel Keith M. , Zhang Ming , Rekhtman Natasha , Lin Oscar , Klimstra David S. , Jungbluth Achim A. , Tang Laura K.
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND

Histological features and Ki‐67 index have known usefulness in predicting prognosis and guiding therapy among patients with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms. Fine‐needle aspiration may offer advantages for Ki‐67 assessment because the technique obtains highly cellular, well‐preserved specimens with the potential for broader tumor sampling. In the current study, the authors evaluated concordance for grade and differentiation between concurrent core needle biopsy and cytology preparations. Cytological features and grade then were correlated with survival.

METHODS

Differentiation, grade by Ki‐67 index, and correlation of these features with survival were compared between concurrent core needle biopsy and cytology specimens from 44 patients with metastatic pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms.

RESULTS

Differentiation by cytology smear resulted in 38 cases of well (86%) and 6 cases of poor (14%) differentiation. Agreement for differentiation between smear and cell block, smear and core needle biopsy, and cell block and core needle biopsy was 88%, 94%, and 83%, respectively, and agreement for grade was 68%, 54%, and 22%, respectively. Cytology differentiation and cytology grade were found to be strong predictors of outcome with respective hazard ratios of 8.3 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.1‐22.1; P<.001) and 1.9 (95% CI, 1.2‐2.9) for each ascending grade. The median disease‐specific survival cytology projections were 121 months (95% CI, 57‐185 months [estimated]) for grade 1, 45 months (95% CI, 29‐87 months) for grade 2, and 19 months (95% CI, 1‐44 months) for grade 3, with median survivals of 45 months and 3 months, respectively, for patients with well‐differentiated and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Grading of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms on cytology may not correlate exactly with concurrent core needle biopsy, but cytology differentiation and grade are predictive of survival based on stage‐adjusted analysis. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:188–196. © 2016 American Cancer Society.
Identification of a conserved cis‐regulatory element controlling mid‐diencephalic expression of mouse Six3
Authors: Lee Bumwhee , Yoon Jiyeon , Tri Lam Duc , Yoon Jaeseung , Baek Kwanghee , Jeong Yongsu
Published: January 2017

The sine oculis homeobox protein Six3 plays pivotal roles in the development of the brain and craniofacial structures. In humans, SIX3 haploinsufficiency results in holoprosencephaly, a defect in anterior midline formation. Although much is known about the evolutionarily conserved functions of Six3, the regulatory mechanism responsible for the expression pattern of Six3 remains relatively unexplored. To understand how the transcription of Six3 is controlled during embryogenesis, we screened ∼300 kb of genomic DNA encompassing the Six3 locus for cis‐acting regulatory elements capable of directing reporter gene expression to sites of Six3 transcription in transgenic mouse embryos. We identified a novel enhancer element, whose activity recapitulates endogenous Six3 expression in the ventral midbrain, pretectum, and thalamus. Cross‐species comparisons revealed that this Six3 brain enhancer is functionally conserved in other vertebrates. We also showed that normal Six3 transcription in the ventral midbrain and pretectum is dependent on Ascl1, a basic helix‐loop‐helix proneural factor. Moreover, loss of Ascl1 resulted in downregulation of the Six3 brain enhancer activity, emphasizing its unique role in regulating Six3 expression in the developing brain.
Review changes in higher education
Authors: Dennis Marguerite J.
Published: January 2017

In the middle of the academic year, it may be a good idea to review some of the changes and trends taking place in higher education across the United States. This list is by no means exhaustive but does offer some insights on the pace of change in higher education.
Stand out from the competition with effective marketing strategies
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: January 2017

Enrollment is down across the country. According to numbers recently released by the National Student Clearinghouse, enrollment fell by more than 270,000 students for fall 2016 compared with the previous year. What marketing strategies can help your institution stand out so that you enroll enough students to meet your targets — students who will persist and graduate?
Optimal design and performance evaluation of systems with Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI)
Authors: Pietrosanti D. , De Angelis M. , Basili M.
Published: January 2017

The paper concerns the optimal design and performance evaluation of a Tuned Mass Damper Inerter (TMDI) to reduce dynamic vibrations. The system exploits properties of the inerter, a two‐terminal mechanical device able to produce a force proportional to the relative acceleration between terminals, with the ability of generating an apparent mass even two orders of magnitude greater than its own physical mass. A primary single‐degree‐of‐freedom structure is equipped with a classical linear Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), the secondary structure, whose mass is connected to the ground via an inerter. The optimal design of the TMDI is conducted by assuming a white noise process as base input and utilizing three different design methodologies: displacement minimization, acceleration minimization and maximization of the ratio between the energy dissipated in the secondary system and the total input energy. Optimal results obtained with the different methodologies are carried out and compared. Two limit cases are also considered when the inerter is not contemplated: conventional and non‐conventional TMDs, characterized by a low and a large mass ratio, respectively. The TMDI performance is evaluated and compared with conventional and non‐conventional TMDs; moreover, its robustness is assessed with a sensitivity analysis varying the design parameters. Attention is focused not exclusively on the primary structure response but also on the secondary one. Finally, the effectiveness of the optimally designed TMDI is evaluated having considered earthquake base excitation. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of TMDI systems for dynamic response reduction with superior performances and robustness than classical TMDs. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors predicting incidence of post‐operative delirium in older people following hip fracture surgery: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Smith T. O. , Cooper A. , Peryer G. , Griffiths R. , Fox C. , Cross J.
Published: January 2017

Objective

Delirium is one of the most common complications following hip fracture surgery in older people. This study identified pre‐ and peri‐operative factors associated with the development of post‐operative delirium following hip fracture surgery.

Methods

Published and unpublished literature were searched to identify all evidence reporting variables on patient characteristics, on‐admission, intra‐operative and post‐operative management assessing incident delirium in older people following hip fracture surgery. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and mean difference of those who experienced delirium compared to those who did not were calculated for each variable. Evidence was assessed using the Downs and Black appraisal tool and interpreted using the GRADE approach.

Results

A total of 6704 people (2090 people with post‐operative delirium) from 32 studies were analysed. There was moderate evidence of nearly a two‐times greater probability of post‐operative delirium for those aged 80 years and over (OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.87), whether patients lived in a care institution pre‐admission (OR: 2.65; 95% CI: 1.79, 3.92), and a six‐times greater probability of developing post‐operative delirium with a pre‐admission diagnosis of dementia (OR: 6.07, 95% CI: 4.84, 7.62). There was no association with intra‐operative variables and probability of delirium.

Conclusion

Clinicians treating people with a hip fracture should be vigilant towards post‐operative delirium if their patients are older, have pre‐existing cognitive impairment and poorer overall general health. This is also the case for those who experience post‐operative complications such as pneumonia or a urinary tract infection. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alcohol Oxidations Using Reduced Polyoxovanadates
Authors: Campbell McKenzie L. , Sulejmanovic Dino , Schiller Jacqueline B. , Turner Emily M. , Hwu Shiou‐Jyh , Whitehead Daniel C.
Published: January 2017

A full account of our recently communicated room temperature alcohol oxidation using reduced polyoxovanadates (r‐POVs) is presented. Extensive optimizations revealed optimal conditions employing 0.02 equiv. of r‐POV catalyst Cs5(V14As8O42Cl), 5 equiv. tert‐butyl hydrogen peroxide (tBuOOH) as the terminal co‐oxidant, in an acetone solvent for the quantitative oxidation of aryl‐substituted secondary alcohols to their ketone products. The substrate scope tolerates most aryl substituted secondary alcohols in good to quantitative yields while alkyl secondary and primary activated alcohols were sluggish in comparison under similar conditions. Catalyst recyclability was successful on a 1.0 mmol scale of starting alcohol 1‐phenylethanol. The oxidation was also successfully promoted by the VIV/VV mixed valent polyoxovanadate (POV) Cs11Na3Cl5(V15O36Cl). Finally, a third POV, Cs2.64(V5O9)(AsO4)2, was investigated for catalytic activity using our established reaction protocol, but proved ineffective as compared to the other two r‐POV catalysts. This study expands the field of POM‐mediated alcohol oxidations to include underexplored r‐POV catalysts. While our catalysts do not supplant the best catalysts known for the transformation, their study may inform the development of other novel oxidative transformations mediated by r‐POVs.
A pattern‐based approach to extract REA value models from business process models
Authors: Boubaker Anis , Leshob Abderrahmane , Mili Hafedh , Charif Yasmine
Published: January 2017

Business models are economic models that describe the rationale of why organizations create and deliver value. These models focus on what organizations offer and why. Business process models capture business activities and the ways in which they are accomplished (i.e. their coordination). They explain who is involved in the activities, and how and when these activities should be performed. This paper discusses the alignment between business models and business process models. It proposes a novel systematic method for extracting a value chain (i.e. business model) expressed in the Resources, Events, Agents (REA) ontology from a business process model expressed in Business Process Model and Notation™. Our contribution is twofold: (1) from a theoretical standpoint we identified a set of structural and behavioural patterns that enable us to infer the corresponding REA value chain; (2) from a pragmatic perspective, our approach can be used to derive useful knowledge about the business process and serve as a starting point for business analysis.
Multifaceted effects of antimetabolite and anticancer drug, 2‐deoxyglucose on eukaryotic cancer models budding and fission yeast
Authors: Vishwanatha Akshay , D'Souza Cletus Joseph Michael
Published: January 2017

Glycolytic inhibitors are of interest therapeutically as they are effective against cancers that display increased glycolytic rate and mitochondrial defects. 2‐Deoxyglucose (2‐DG) is one such glycolytic inhibitor and was identified to be a competitive inhibitor of glucose. Studies from past few decades have shown that the mechanism of action of 2‐DG is complex involving several metabolic and signaling pathways. Budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe are two important models for studying metabolism, cell cycle and cell signaling. These two unicellular eukaryotes are Crabtree positive yeasts exhibiting a metabolism similar to that of cancer cells. Effects of 2‐DG in yeast is of interest owing to these similarities and hence yeasts have emerged as ideal model organisms to study the mode of action and resistance to 2‐DG. In this review, we summarize the studies on biological effect and resistance to 2‐DG in budding and fission yeasts and give an insight into its possible mechanism of action as models for understanding cancer metabolism and drugs affecting cancer progression. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(3):137–147, 2017
Reaching multi‐nanosecond timescales in combined QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations through parallel horsetail sampling
Authors: Martins‐Costa Marilia T. C. , Ruiz‐López Manuel F.
Published: January 2017

We report an enhanced sampling technique that allows to reach the multi‐nanosecond timescale in quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics simulations. The proposed technique, called horsetail sampling, is a specific type of multiple molecular dynamics approach exhibiting high parallel efficiency. It couples a main simulation with a large number of shorter trajectories launched on independent processors at periodic time intervals. The technique is applied to study hydrogen peroxide at the water liquid–vapor interface, a system of considerable atmospheric relevance. A total simulation time of a little more than 6 ns has been attained for a total CPU time of 5.1 years representing only about 20 days of wall‐clock time. The discussion of the results highlights the strong influence of the solvation effects at the interface on the structure and the electronic properties of the solute. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Validity of simple clinical and biological parameters as screening tool for sickle cell anemia for referral to tertiary center in highly resource constraints
Authors: Kadima Bertin Tshimanga , Gini‐Ehungu Jean Lambert , Mbutiwi Fiston Ikwa Ndol , Bahati John Tunda , Aloni Michel Ntetani
Published: January 2017

Background

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the incidence of sickle cell anemia (SCA) is estimated around 40 000 neonates per year. However, it is notoriously difficult to perform conventional electrophoresis in all hospitals and laboratories, especially at peripheral levels and rural area. A panel of multiple clinical and laboratory features that would enhance sickle cell disease were assessed for the detection of the disease in highly resource‐scarce settings.

Methods

A prospective study was conducted in Kinshasa. Venous blood samples were drawn from each study participant in order to determine the hematologic parameters, the peripheral smears, and the hemoglobin electrophoresis. We used Cohen's κ statistic to examine the agreement of each variable and diagnosis of sickle cell disease.

Results

A total of 807 patients were screened for sickle cell disease. Among these 807 children, 36 (4.5%) were homozygous for Hb S disease. The presence of at least 8% erythroblasts (PPV: 91%, NPV: 99%, sensitivity: 83.3%, specificity: 99.6%, κ value: .86) and sickle cells (PPV:100%, NPV: 98%, sensitivity: 50%, specificity: 100%, κ value: .66) in the peripheral blood smear had an acceptable agreement for sickle cell disease.

Conclusion

These two biological markers may guide the clinician in the decision‐making to initiate the management of the children as a sickle cell patient, pending confirmation of the disease by electrophoresis techniques.
Phosphorus removal by marine bacterium enhanced with iron in the presence of silicon
Authors: Wang Yanru , Sun Cuiping , Wang Zhende , Zhao Haixia , Zhang Yu‐Zhong , Zhou Weizhi
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND

Seeking efficient phosphorus (P) removal methods is of great significance in both aspects of environmental protection and resource conservation. Silicon (Si) is always present in marine sediments and it contributes significantly to P removal by iron (Fe(III)) oxides. Marine microbes play the major role in marine biomineralization. The aim of this study was to investigate P removal performance by marine bacterium enhanced with Fe (III) in the presence of Si and the role Si played in the system.

RESULTS

The optimal Fe/Si/P molar ratio for P removal was 1:1.5:1. P removal efficiency was 47.79%, 96.02%, and 97.87% in systems of pure bacterial cultures, bacteria with Fe (III), and bacteria with Fe (III) and Si, respectively, at P of 30 mg L−1. Flocs and micro‐precipitates were formed around cells in P removal systems containing Fe (III) or Si. Moreover, the amount and size of flocs in systems containing Si were larger than those without Si.

CONCLUSION

P removal by marine bacterium enhanced with Fe (III) had good performance through precipitation and adsorption. Si was able to strengthen P removal ability and sludge settleability. This study can provide us with new insights into bacterial induced metal phosphate precipitate and into the marine P cycle. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Improving and Quantifying the Process Window
Authors: Deile Jochen , Gäbler Frank
Published: January 2017

Femtosecond lasers bring numerous process‐enabling advantages to precision microprocessing applications. However, taking a new, ultrafast laser‐based application from a first demonstration to full‐blown manufacturing at market‐enabling throughput rates is usually more difficult than for longer pulsewidth lasers. This is because processes utilizing nanosecond (and longer) pulsewidth lasers can rely on a massive knowledge base, built up by laser manufacturers, systems builders and end users, over decades of application. In contrast, femtosecond laser processing is very much in its infancy, with a limited body of proven applications (or even research and development) to draw on. In this article, we describe how a process window was defined, improved, and finalized in the specific case of precision cutting of thin glass panels for display applications.
Diode Laser Systems for Industrial Metal Processing
Authors: Neukum Jörg , Horn Wolfgang
Published: January 2017

High power diode laser systems are widely spread in the industry. Whereas systems with several hundred watts are used for plastic welding and soldering, mainly in automotive, medical device and consumer applications, kW‐class diode lasers systems are used in metal processing applications to a large extent. Some direct beam applications use beam shaping to facilitate hardening of knife edges in industrial applications. The majority of applications take advantage fiber‐coupled solutions, of in robotic applications for example. Here, we describe the concept from chip level, via automated beam shaping, up to fully integrated, fiber‐coupled, kW‐class, turn‐key diode laser systems.
Laser + Camera = Innovation
Authors: Lehmann Wolfgang
Published: January 2017

The use of modern laser technology has become standard in industrial manufacturing thanks to its speed, accuracy and effectiveness. Lasers are used to engrave parts, electronic printed circuit boards or chip cards. They perforate packaging, structure semiconductor wafers, drill, cut and weld plastics or metals, and create highly complex structures via 3D printing — all contactless, with no application of force and wear‐free.
Cost‐Effective Polymethacrylate‐Based Electrospun Fluorescent Fibers toward Ammonia Sensing
Authors: Petropoulou Afroditi , Christodoulou Kyriakos , Polydorou Christiana , Krasia‐Christoforou Theodora , Riziotis Christos
Published: January 2017

The fabrication of cost‐effective, polymer‐based electrospun fluorescent fibrous grids and their evaluation as candidates for sensing is reported, drawing useful results on their applicability and efficiency in gas sensing applications. A well‐defined, methacrylic homopolymer functionalized with anthracene moieties as fluorescent elements has been blended with a commercially available poly(methyl methacrylate) for the production of fluorescent electrospun polymer fibers. The formation of 3D grids can provide large interaction area with gas analytes and thus overcome quenching limitations induced by polymeric films, for more efficient sensing. These materials have been evaluated for ammonia sensing based on the fluorescence quenching of the anthracene fluorophores in the presence of ammonia vapors, exhibiting fast response at concentration up to 10 000 ppm. The covalent bonding of the anthracene fluorophore onto a hydrophobic polymethacrylate‐based backbone enables the future exploitation of the presented materials in sensing applications involving metal ions and biomolecules in aqueous media.

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The “collimator monitoring fill factor” of a two‐dimensional detector array, a measure of its ability to detect collimation errors
Authors: Stelljes Tenzin Sonam , Looe Hui Khee , Harder Dietrich , Poppe Björn
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Two‐dimensional detector arrays are routinely used for constancy checks and treatment plan verification in photon‐beam radiotherapy. In addition to the spatial resolution of the dose profiles, the “coverage” of the radiation field with respect to the detection of any beam collimation deficiency appears as the second characteristic feature of a detector array. The here proposed “collimator monitoring fill factor” (CM fill factor) has been conceived to serve as a quantitative characteristic of this “coverage”.

Methods

The CM fill factor is defined as the probability of a 2D array to detect any collimator position error. Therefore, it is represented by the ratio of the “sensitive area” of a single detector, in which collimator position errors are detectable, and the geometrical “cell area” associated with this detector within the array. Numerical values of the CM fill factor have been Monte Carlo simulated for 2D detector arrays equipped with air‐vented ionization chambers, liquid‐filled ionization chambers and diode detectors and were compared with the “FWHM fill factor” defined by Gago‐Arias et al. (2012).

Results

For arrays with vented ionization chambers, the differences between the CM fill factor and the FWHM fill factor are moderate, but occasionally the latter exceeds unity. For narrower detectors such as liquid‐filled ionization chambers and Si diodes and for small sampling distances, large differences between the FWHM fill factor and the CM fill factor have been observed. These differences can be explained by the shapes of the fluence response functions of these narrow detectors.

Conclusions

A new parameter “collimator monitoring fill factor” (CM fill factor), applicable to quantitate the collimator position error detection probability of a 2D detector array, has been proposed. It is designed as a help in classifying the clinical performance of two‐dimensional detector arrays in photon‐beam radiotherapy.
Discriminating solitary cysts from soft tissue lesions in mammography using a pretrained deep convolutional neural network
Authors: Kooi Thijs , van Ginneken Bram , Karssemeijer Nico , den Heeten Ard
Published: January 2017

Purpose

It is estimated that 7% of women in the western world will develop palpable breast cysts in their lifetime. Even though cysts have been correlated with risk of developing breast cancer, many of them are benign and do not require follow‐up. We develop a method to discriminate benign solitary cysts from malignant masses in digital mammography. We think a system like this can have merit in the clinic as a decision aid or complementary to specialized modalities.

Methods

We employ a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify cyst and mass patches. Deep CNNs have been shown to be powerful classifiers, but need a large amount of training data for which medical problems are often difficult to come by. The key contribution of this paper is that we show good performance can be obtained on a small dataset by pretraining the network on a large dataset of a related task. We subsequently investigate the following: (a) when a mammographic exam is performed, two different views of the same breast are recorded. We investigate the merit of combining the output of the classifier from these two views. (b) We evaluate the importance of the resolution of the patches fed to the network. (c) A method dubbed tissue augmentation is subsequently employed, where we extract normal tissue from normal patches and superimpose this onto the actual samples aiming for a classifier invariant to occluding tissue. (d) We combine the representation extracted using the deep CNN with our previously developed features.

Results

We show that using the proposed deep learning method, an area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.80 can be obtained on a set of benign solitary cysts and malignant mass findings recalled in screening. We find that it works significantly better than our previously developed approach by comparing the AUC of the ROC using bootstrapping. By combining views, the results can be further improved, though this difference was not found to be significant. We find no significant difference between using a resolution of 100 versus 200 micron. The proposed tissue augmentations give a small improvement in performance, but this improvement was also not found to be significant. The final system obtained an AUC of 0.80 with 95% confidence interval [0.78, 0.83], calculated using bootstrapping. The system works best for lesions larger than 27 mm where it obtains an AUC value of 0.87.

Conclusion

We have presented a computer‐aided diagnosis (CADx) method to discriminate cysts from solid lesion in mammography using features from a deep CNN trained on a large set of mass candidates, obtaining an AUC of 0.80 on a set of diagnostic exams recalled from screening. We believe the system shows great potential and comes close to the performance of recently developed spectral mammography. We think the system can be further improved when more data and computational power becomes available.
Brainstem reflex excitability changes in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Cengiz Bülent , Ercan Merve Bahar , İskender Mustafa , Kuruoğlu Hidayet Reha
Published: January 2017

Introduction: In this study we explored brainstem reflex excitability changes, blink reflex recovery cycles (BRRCs), and masseter inhibitory reflexes (MIRs) in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Fourteen ALS patients and 14 healthy control subjects were recruited. The BRRC was examined at interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 ms. The latencies and durations of silent period 1 (SP1) and silent period 2 (SP2) of the MIR were measured. Results: Decreased R2 area suppression was prominent in the ALS group at ISIs of 200, 300, and 400 ms (P < 0.02), whereas no significant differences between groups at 100, 500, and 600 ms ISIs (P > 0.05) were observed. SP2 duration was significantly prolonged in the ALS group compared with controls (P = 0.01). Conclusions: Brainstem inhibitory and excitatory interneuronal activity is altered in ALS, possibly brought about by physiological and morphological changes at the cortical or bulbar levels. Muscle Nerve 56: 925–929, 2017
Subacute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy complicating Epstein–Barr virus infection in GATA2 haploinsufficiency
Authors: Kazamel Mohamed , Klein Christopher J. , Benarroch Eduardo E. , Patnaik Mrinal M. , Tracy Jennifer A.
Published: January 2017

Introduction: Autosomal dominant haploinsufficiency of GATA2 causes monocytopenia and natural killer cell lymphopenia, resulting in predisposition to mycobacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Methods: Herein we report on the clinical, serologic, electrophysiologic, and pathologic evaluations of a 29‐year‐old woman with GATA2 haploinsufficiency and active Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection complicated by subacute painful neuropathy. Results: Nerve conduction and electromyography studies showed predominantly demyelinating sensorimotor polyradiculoneuropathy. Lumbar spine MRI showed thickening and enhancement of the cauda equina nerve roots. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid anti‐IgG and IgM EBV capsid and nucleic acid antibodies were positive. Sural nerve biopsy showed microvasculitis and an increased frequency of fibers with segmental demyelination. Intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids improved the patient's neuropathy. Conclusion: GATA2 mutation–related immunodeficiency may predispose to EBV‐associated subacute demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy by both viral susceptibility and immune dysregulation. In patients who present in this manner, immunodeficiency syndromes should be considered when lymphomatous infiltration is excluded. Immunotherapy can be helpful. Muscle Nerve 57: 150–156, 2018
Recentralization and vertical alignment in the French health‐care system
Authors: Simonet Daniel
Published: January 2017

In foreign exemplars, key new public management (NPM) features such as decentralization and devolution of health‐care responsibilities had outcomes below expectations. Other NPM traits such as the patient as overseer of reforms or the empowerment of patient remained elusive. In France, the integration of public values such as greater participation of patients and local actors (NGOs and elected officials) and NPM‐driven private values such as performance evaluation has yet to be seen. Taking advantage of NPM's failings and austerity agenda, a French welfare elite regained control over health‐care policy decisions at the expense of regions and other local actors. NPM outcomes were below expectations. Austerity cures led to weakening of the regional decision spaces, which can be explained under the principal–agent relationship. Accountability shifted to managerial (the professionalization of hospital managers) and legal (governance via regulations) forms in a bid to restore central government control. A democratic recess results from the lack of public engagement in recent health reforms.
Evaluation of the efficacy of insecticidal coatings based on teflutrin and chlorpyrifos against Rhynchophorus ferrugineus
Authors: Pugliese Massimo , Rettori Andrea Alberto , Martinis Roberto , Al‐Rohily Khalid , Velate Suresh , Moideen Mohamed Ashraf , Al‐Maashi Ali
Published: January 2017

BACKGROUND

The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.), an important economic resource for many nations worldwide, has recently been threatened by the presence of different insect pests, like the red palm weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

RESULTS

Two products, a glue (polyvinyl acetate) and an oil (raw linseed oil) were used as coatings and applied together with a repellent and two insecticides (teflutrin and chlorpyrifos) at different dosages on two species of palm (P. dactylifera and P. canariensis). Phytotoxic effects of the treatments were evaluated in a greenhouse on 260 potted palms (130 P. dactylifera and 130 P. canariensis) and no negative effects were observed. Afterwards, a trial lasting 400 days was carried out in a nursery located in Sicily (south Italy), treating 572 potted palm trees (286 P. dactylifera and 286 P. canariensis) with an average diameter at the base of 18–20 cm. After 400 days, 48% of the untreated palms were infested, while only 3% of date palms and 7% of Canary palms treated with insecticide at lower dosages were infested.

CONCLUSIONS

The application of an insecticide‐based coating is a good strategy to control and prevent the red palm weevil infestation, in particular on date palms. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Carrier transfer and luminescence characteristics of thickness‐dependent organic light‐emitting diodes using transporting material as the host of emitting layer
Authors: Guo Kunping , Wang Shuanglong , Si Changfeng , Wang Taohong , Zhang Jing , Chen Changbo , Jing Yuelin , Yang Lianqiao , Chen Guo , Wei Bin
Published: January 2017

We have systematically investigated hole/electron distribution and exciton dynamics in blue fluorescent and yellow phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). We demonstrate that the importance of appropriate charge carrier confinement and exciton management for the realization of highly efficient and stable OLEDs. For yellow phosphorescent device based on Ir(MePQ)2(acac), we have studied the behavior of various intrinsic emission zones on the characteristics of OLEDs with the hole/electron‐transporting matrix. The current efficiency increases from 15.7 to 31.7 cd A−1 with the rise in electron‐transporting matrix from 20 to 80 nm. We attributed the improved performance to the strong hole‐transfer capabilities and relatively weak electron‐donating abilities of Ir‐complex doped transporting matrix. In contrast, the efficiencies of blue devices decreased with increasing emitting layer (EML), suggesting that the rate of hole‐electron pair recombination continuously decrease with the increasing EML thickness due to blue fluorescent dopant hindering hole transfer. In addition, the complementary‐color white OLEDs (WOLEDs) with various EML thickness were also demonstrated. Based on their performance, we have found that the use of thin EML in WOLEDs can significantly improve optoelectronic conversion efficiency, whereas deteriorated device properties reversely.
Screening Active Effects in Supersaturated Designs with Binary Response via Control Charts
Authors: Drosou K. , Koukouvinos C. , Lappa A.
Published: January 2017

Supersaturated designs are designs in which the number of factors exceeds the run size; consequently, there are not enough degrees of freedom to estimate all the main effects. The goal here is to identify the dominant factors that constitute a small proportion of the overall set of factors, according to the assumption of effect sparsity. The analysis of such designs constitutes a challenging task and, even though many methods have been proposed in the literature assuming a normal response, only few works attempted to address the case of non‐normal responses. In this paper, we propose a method for screening out the most important features in supersaturated designs assuming a Bernoulli distributed response. This new approach is based on an effective chart in Statistical Process Control, the cumulative sum control chart, combined with an information theoretic measure, and it is referred as the MIC algorithm. We judge the value of MIC through comparisons with three existing approaches suggested in the literature: the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator penalization method, and two feature selection algorithms, the Conditional Mutual Information Maximization and the minimal‐redundancy‐maximal‐relevance. The simulation study reveals that the proposed method can be considered an advantageous method because of its extremely good performance in terms of statistical power. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Design of the S2 Control Charts Based on Conditional Performance via Exact Methods
Authors: Guo Baocai , Wang Bing Xing
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we consider the conditional performance of the equal‐tailed and average run lengths (ARL)‐unbiased two‐sided S2 charts when the in‐control variance of a normal process is estimated. We derive the exact probability distributions of the conditional ARL for the two S2 charts. Then we evaluate the performance of each S2 chart in terms of the percentiles, mean and standard deviation of the conditional in‐control ARL distribution. Because the parameter estimation seriously affects the conditional performance of these S2 charts, we propose an exact method to design the equal‐tailed and ARL‐unbiased S2 charts with desired conditional in‐control performance. The results indicate that the new ARL‐unbiased S2 chart has far smaller standard deviation ARL values and the unconditional ARL values are more close to the desired value than the corresponding new equal‐tailed S2 chart. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced stego block chaining (ESBC) for low bandwidth channels
Authors: Khan Sahib , Ismail Muhammad , Khan Tawab , Ahmad Nasir
Published: January 2017

This paper presents a new enhanced stego block chaining (ESBC) technique for data hiding to address the bandwidth and transmission time issues of simple stego block chaining (SBC). In simple SBC data hiding method, the security of the hidden information is increased by increasing the number of stages, but the addition of each stage decreases the hiding capacity. This increases the size of the data needed to transmit the secret message and thus results in an increase in the required bandwidth and transmission time. The proposed ESBC technique addresses the bandwidth and transmission time issues of the simple SBC method. The output of the ESBC is a high quality stego image with peak signal‐to‐noise ratio above 40 dB and provides the same additional security as simple SBC but reduces the requirements of the bandwidth and transmission time by one half of that of the simple SBC and, thus, solves the hiding capacity issues of SBC for low bandwidth channels. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cleanable Air Filter Transferring Moisture and Effectively Capturing PM2.5
Authors: Zhao Xinglei , Li Yuyao , Hua Ting , Jiang Pan , Yin Xia , Yu Jianyong , Ding Bin
Published: January 2017

The lethal danger of particulate matter (PM) pollution on health leads to the development of challenging individual protection materials that should ideally exhibit a high PM2.5 purification efficiency, low air resistance, an important moisture‐vapor transmission rate (MVTR), and an easy‐to‐clean property. Herein, a cleanable air filter able to rapidly transfer moisture and efficiently capture PM2.5 is designed by electrospinning superhydrophilic polyacrylonitrile/silicon‐dioxide fibers as the adsorption–desorption vector for moisture‐vapor, and hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride fibers as the repellent components to avoid the formation of capillary water under high humidity. The desorption rate of water molecules increases from 10 to 18 mg min−1, while the diameters of polyacrylonitrile fibers reduce from 1.02 to 0.14 µm. Significantly, by introducing the hydroxyl on the surface of polyacrylonitrile nanofibers, rapid adsorption–desorption of the water molecules is observed. Moreover, by constructing a hydrophobic to super‐hydrophilic gradient structure, the MVTR increases from 10 346 to 14 066 g m−2 d−1. Interestingly, the prepared fibrous membranes is easy to clean. More importantly, benefiting from enhanced slip effect, the resultant fibrous membranes presented a low air resistance of 86 Pa. A field test in Shanghai shows that the air filter maintains stable PM2.5 purification efficiency of 99.99% at high MVTR during haze event.
1D Coordination Polymers from Zinc(II) and Cadmium(II) Halides and 2,2′‐Dithiobis(pyridine N‐oxide): Isostructurality and Structural Diversity
Authors: Seidel Rüdiger W. , Schulze A. Carina , Oppel Iris M.
Published: January 2017

Group 12 halides and 2,2′‐dithiobis(pyridine N‐oxide) (dtpo) form the crystalline the 1D coordination polymers [ZnX2(μ‐dtpo‐κ2O:O′)]n [X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3)], [Cd3(μ‐Cl)4Cl2(μ‐dtpo‐κ2O:O′)2(CH3OH)2]n (4), [(CdBr2)2(μ3‐dtpo‐κ3O,O:O′)2(H2O)2]n (5), and [(CdI2)2(μ‐dtpo‐κ2O:O′)3]n (6) in methanol. The compounds were structurally characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray analysis. Compounds 1–3 represent an isomorphous series of single‐stranded coordination polymers, whereas the CdII derivatives are structurally diverse. The metal nodes in 4 and 5 are trinuclear and dinuclear cadmium clusters, respectively. In 4 and 5, the metal nodes are linked into double‐stranded 1D coordination polymers by two dtpo bridging ligands. Compound 6 contains mononuclear CdI2 units as nodes and can be viewed as an alternating copolymer of CdI2(μ‐dtpo‐κ2O:O′)2 and CdI2(μ‐dtpo‐κ2O:O′) entities. Owing to the disulfide moiety, the dtpo bridging ligand inevitably exhibits an axially chiral angular structure. The dtpo ligand adopts various coordination modes through the pyridine N‐oxide oxygen atoms.
A Prospective Investigation of the Impact of Distinct Posttraumatic (PTSD) Symptom Clusters on Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Panagioti Maria , Angelakis Ioannis , Tarrier Nicholas , Gooding Patricia
Published: January 2017

Inconsistent findings have been reported by previous cross-sectional studies regarding the association between specific posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom clusters and suicidality. To advance the understanding of the role of specific PTSD symptoms in the development of suicidality, the primary aim of this study was to investigate the predictive effects of the three specific PTSD symptom clusters on suicidal ideation prospectively. Fifty-six individuals diagnosed with PTSD completed a two-stage research design, at baseline and 13–15 months follow-up. The clinician administered PTSD scale (CAPS) was used to assess the severity of the PTSD symptom clusters and validated self-report measures were used to assess suicidal ideation, severity of depressive symptoms and perceptions of defeat entrapment. The results showed that only the hyperarousal symptom cluster significantly predicted suicidal ideation at follow-up after controlling for baseline suicidal ideation, severity of depressive symptoms and perceptions of defeat and entrapment. These findings suggest that both disorder-specific and transdiagnostic factors are implicated in the development of suicidal ideation in PTSD. Important clinical implications are discussed in terms of predicting and treating suicidality in those with PTSD.
Molecular Weight Distribution of Low Molecular Weight Polyols Derived from Fatty Acid Methyl Esters
Authors: Mohd Noor Mohd Azmil , Tuan Ismail Tuan Noor Maznee , Sendijarevic Vahid , Schiffman Christi M. , Sendijarevic Ibrahim , Ghazali Razmah , Idris Zainab
Published: January 2017

A series of commercial polyether polyols with well‐defined molecular weights (MW) was used along with propylene glycol and dipropylene glycol as gel permeation chromatography (GPC) calibration standards to determine the MW and oligomeric composition of the synthesized low MW fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) polyols, having an MW of lower than 600 Da. This GPC analysis was compared to the one calibrated against the commercially‐available polystyrene (PS) standards and to the number‐average molecular weight (Mn) obtained via vapor pressure osmometry (VPO) technique. The MW of FAME polyols obtained with GPC calibrated against polyether polyols were closer to the Mn values obtained via VPO than the MW obtained via GPC calibrated against PS standards. Using the reliable GPC calibration, the MW distribution and the hydroxyl functionality of FAME polyols were determined with greater confidence.
Ukrainian kleptocrats and America’s real-life House of Cards: Corruption, lobbyism and the rule of law
Authors: Kuzio Taras
Published: January 2017

Washington DC is not only a center for democracy promotion programs by government-funded and private foundations and think tanks. Washington DC has also attracted hundreds of millions of dollars for lobbyists, political consultants and think tanks from authoritarian political forces and kleptocrats who have little in common with American and European values. Both Republicans and Democrats have been recipients of these illicit funds from state officials and oligarchs who are seeking to ingratiate themselves with American public opinion. Political consultants, lobbyists, lawyers and think tanks which receive funds from such sources are part of a bigger problem of reverse corruption and cynicism and the export of authoritarian practices from Ukraine and post-Soviet states to the West. This was clearly seen in the hiring of Paul Manafort, Viktor Yanukovych’s long-time political consultant by US presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump’s promise to ‘drain the (Washington) swamp’ rings hollow after it was revealed he accepted funds from a Ukrainian oligarch who had earlier donated funds to the Clinton’s (Reader 2016).
Free motion of a body in a boundary layer or channel flow
Authors: Smith Frank T.
Published: January 2017

Coupling is considered between fluid flow and a freely moving body shorter than the development length in an oncoming boundary layer or channel flow but longer than the flow thickness. The body lies within the core of the flow. The coupling occurs between the inviscid-dominated displacement and the viscous–inviscid pressure, the latter acting to move the body. This interaction can be unstable. It is found however that three factors serve to stabilise the interaction as each one alters the decisive balance of angular momentum. One is a 10 % shift forward in the position of the centre of mass. The second is a degree of flexibility in the body shape by means of its response to the induced pressure force. Third is a slight streamwise movement of the body which is sufficient to modify the viscous–inviscid pressure response and again produce stabilisation. The effects are largely independent of the lateral position of the body.