bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Government That Mexicans Deserve: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Divide
Authors: De Tuya Manuel , Schurr Monica
Published: April 2017

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Mexico's political history has seen several parties rise and fall in the 21st century, and amidst the many transitions, the Mexican people have seen a divide growing in their society. This divide covers many areas, such as economic standing, access to healthcare and education, and access to digital technology. The digital divide means that access to internet service and smartphones is often limited to the affluent. However, access to technology is just one aspect of the digital divide. Citizens also require training and education in how to use the technology and where to access information. Currently, the vast majority of internet users in Mexico are 24 years of age and younger, meaning that older generations need the access and education in technology use. With more Mexican citizens given access to technology, more can actively participate in government and create a government that they deserve.
Data Science in Libraries
Authors: Burton Matt , Lyon Liz
Published: April 2017

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The new field of data science involves advanced knowledge in statistics and computer science, combined with copious amounts of data. A report from the Big Data and Research Initiative under the Obama Administration, The Federal Big Data Research and Development Strategic Plan, calls attention to the roles that librarians will play in the future of data science. However, there are skills and management gaps librarians face that inhibit their ability to move forward in data science. A number of educational programs are now offered to remedy this problem, such as the Data and Visualization Institute for Librarians from North Carolina State University, the volunteer‐led Library Carpentry program, and most recently, the Data Sciences in Libraries Project, funded by the IMLS. This project aims to get librarians and library managers together to discuss the world of data science and create a roadmap for strategic planning.
Even Better Than the Basics on Metadata
Authors: Creekmore Laura
Published: April 2017

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

Metadata, taxonomies and other similar structures are essential in information architecture today, but often take a long time to fully understand. Metadata is especially misunderstood by many, considering its beginnings as a very technical discipline. For those looking to broaden their knowledge on metadata, Michael C. Andrews' book, Metadata Basics for Web Content: The Unification of Structured Data and Content, is an excellent resource. Despite the title, the book covers the basics of metadata and then goes a step further to explain relationships and present actual use cases. Andrews also defines the terms he is using early on in the book, so that professionals from all areas of information architecture can understand his meaning, even with terms that take on many meanings in the industry.
RuCl3 Supported on N‐Doped Graphene as a Reusable Catalyst for the One‐Step Glucose Oxidation to Succinic Acid
Authors: Rizescu Cristina , Podolean Iunia , Cojocaru Bogdan , Parvulescu Vasile I. , Coman Simona M. , Albero Josep , Garcia Hermenegildo
Published: April 2017

Impregnation of RuCl3 on N‐doped graphenes results in the formation of well‐dispersed, small ruthenium oxyhydroxide nanoparticles supported on N‐doped graphene that may exhibit high selectivity (87 %) for the conversion of glucose into succinic acid under wet oxidation conditions (160 °C, 18 atm O2 pressure). Ruthenium loading and N‐atom distribution on graphene influence the catalytic activity, the best performing catalyst having 1 wt. % Ru loading on a graphene having a large population of graphenic N atoms. The high catalytic selectivity to succinic acid was correlated with the presence of small ruthenium nanoparticles. The present catalyst improves the best one previously reported because it does not require the continuous addition of an excess of amine to reach high succinic acid selectivity and reusability.
Electroactivity of NiCr Catalysts for Urea Oxidation in Alkaline Electrolyte
Authors: Singh Ramesh Kumar , Schechter Alex
Published: April 2017

Inexpensive Ni‐based catalysts have shown comparable urea oxidation activity to that of precious metals in an alkaline electrolyte. We investigated the urea oxidation on binary NiCr catalysts supported on a carbon matrix in 1 m KOH and 0.33 m urea. The amount of Cr was optimized in the catalyst layer, and it was found that the catalyst with 40 % Cr (Ni60Cr40/C) exhibits the highest urea oxidation activity of 2933 mA mgNi−1 at 0.55 V; with an onset potential of 0.32 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Chronoamperometry curves of NiCr catalysts show stability over 2000 s in oxidizing urea. A lower charge‐transfer resistance of 3.3 Ω cm2 at 0.40 V was calculated on Ni60Cr40/C compared to that on Ni/C (13 Ω cm2). The exceptionally high mass activity of Ni60Cr40/C is attributed to its improved charge‐transfer kinetics, enhanced surface coverage of NiII/NiIII redox center, better dispersion of Ni nuclei, and a low‐Tafel slope.
Kinetic Control of Hexagonal Mg(OH)2 Nanoflakes for Catalytic Application of Preferential CO Oxidation
Authors: Li Huixia , Li Liping , Chen Shaoqing , Zhang Yuelan , Li Guangshe
Published: April 2017

Controlling the growth of nanocrystals is one of the most challenged issues in current catalytic field, which helps to further understand the size and morphology related behaviors for catalytic applications. In this work, we investigated the plane growth kinetics of Mg(OH)2 for catalytic application in preferential CO oxidation. Nanoflakes were synthesized through hydrothermal method. The morphology and structure of nanoflakes were characterized by TEM, SEM, and XRD. By varying the reaction temperature and time, Mg(OH)2 nanoflakes underwent an anisotropic growth. Benefited from the Ostwald ripening process, the thickness of nanoflake corresponding to the (110) plane of Mg(OH)2 was tuned from 7.6 nm to 24.0 nm, while the diameter of (001) plane increased from 18.2 nm to 30.2 nm. The grain growth kinetics for the thickness was well described in terms of an equation, D5 = 7.65 + 6.9 × 108exp(−28.14/RT). After depositing Pt nanoparticles onto these Mg(OH)2 nanoflakes, an excellent catalytic performance was achieved for preferential CO oxidation in H2‐rich streams with a wide temperature window from 140 °C to 240 °C for complete CO conversion due to the interaction between Pt and hydroxyl groups. The findings reported here would be helpful in discovering novel catalysts for application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells.
Studies towards Bioinspired Synthesis of Hetidine‐Type C20‐Diterpenoid Alkaloids
Authors: Zhu Min , Li Xiaohuan , Song Xue , Wang Zhixiu , Liu Xiaoyu , Song Hao , Zhang Dan , Wang Fengpeng , Qin Yong
Published: April 2017

Details of a biogenetically inspired strategy that led to the synthesis of the hetidine‐type C20‐diterpenoid alkaloid skeleton are reported in this paper. Key steps of our synthesis include a C—H oxidation to convert the atisine‐type core to the ajaconine skeleton, as well as an aza‐Prins cyclization that establishes the hetidine alkaloid skeleton. An unexpected heptacyclic framework bearing a unique tricyclo[3.3.1.02,7]nonane moiety has been obtained during our studies, which may represent a new type of C20‐diterpenoid alkaloids yet to be discovered.
Patterns of care and predictors of adjuvant therapies in elderly patients with glioblastoma: An analysis of the National Cancer Data Base
Authors: Amsbaugh Mark J. , Yusuf Mehran B. , Gaskins Jeremy , Burton Eric C. , Woo Shiao Y.
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND

The objectives of this study were to characterize patterns of care and to identify predictors for adjuvant therapy in elderly patients with glioblastoma in the modern era. METHODS. The National Cancer Data Base was queried for patients aged 70 years and older with glioblastoma diagnosed from January 1, 2004 through December 31, 2012. Multinomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors for receiving adjuvant therapy. Survival outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method and were analyzed using Cox regression models and the log‐rank test.

RESULTS

In total, 14,886 patients were identified. Of these, 8214 patients (55.2%) received combined‐modality therapy with chemotherapy and radiation (CRT), 3955 (26.6%) received no adjuvant therapy, 2065 (13.9%) received radiation therapy (RT) alone, and 652 (4.4%) received chemotherapy (CT) alone after undergoing resection. The receipt of CRT increased in frequency over the study interval, from 40.3% in 2004 to 59.8% in 2012. Younger patients (ages 70‐75 years) were more likely to receive CRT than no adjuvant therapy (P < .0001 for all other age groups) or adjuvant RT alone (P < .0001 for all other age groups). Combined‐modality therapy with adjuvant CRT produced improved survival outcomes, and the highest median overall survival was 9.2 months.

CONCLUSIONS

In this analysis of elderly patients who had glioblastoma diagnosed from 2004 through 2012, a significant increase in the receipt of combined‐modality therapy was observed. Combined‐modality treatment produces improved survival outcomes and should be considered as adjuvant treatment for carefully selected elderly patients. Cancer 2017;123:3277‐84. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Long‐Range Behavior of the van der Waals Force
Authors: Anapolitanos Ioannis , Sigal Israel Michael
Published: April 2017

We prove van der Waals–London's law of decay of the van der Waals force for a collection of neutral atoms at large separation.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimizing the interested area coverage with efficient mobile advertisement user selection
Authors: Xu Wanru , Yang Panlong
Published: April 2017

Mobile advertisement distribution effects are vitally important for advertisers as well as users. Status quo studies are focusing on efficient distribution especially when user mobilities are involved. Unfortunately, previous studies have shown the interested area property during mobile advertisement propagation. In achieving efficient and effective mobile advertisement applications, this work advocates the concept of location‐centric mobile crowdsourcing network, where locations are vitally important for advertisement distribution, and mobile users need to be carefully selected for efficiency considerations. Different from traditional user‐centric and platform‐centric crowdsourcing networks, this work focuses on the mobile advertisement user selection problem when interested area coverage is considered.

There are several fundamentally important challenges needed to be addressed before developing a location‐centric scheme for mobile advertisement user selection. First of all, we need to deal with the spatio‐temporal features for each user, where the interested area coverage ratio needs to be effectively evaluated. Even worse, budget constraint makes this problem intractable. In tackling aforementioned challenges, this work makes the following efforts: First, a budget‐constrained user selection problem is formulated when location sensitive mobile advertisement applications are considered, which is proved NP‐hard. Second, the submodularity feature is explored, and a simple but efficient heuristic algorithm is presented with guaranteed approximation ratio
. Finally, extensive simulation results show that, our scheme could effectively improve the propagation effects for mobile advertisement with 125%. When considering the user's interest to different advertisements, the real user interest data set has also been used to validate that our proposed method could achieve improved performance than the random method.
Dramatic Effect of Solvent on the Rate of Photobleaching of Organic Pyrrole‐BF2 (BOPHY) Dyes
Authors: Woodford Owen , Harriman Anthony , McFarlane William , Wills Corinne
Published: April 2017

The photochemical stability of two symmetrical pyrrole‐BF2 (BOPHY) dyes has been assessed under continuous exposure to white light. The parent dye, lacking conjugated substituents, is highly stable when illuminated in a nonpolar film for prolonged periods but autocatalysis is observed such that the rate of degradation escalates with increasing exposure time. The rate of photofading is faster in solution and involves intermediate formation of a coloured product. The nature of the solvent exerts a small effect on the rate of bleaching. Under the same conditions, a BOPHY derivative equipped with both extended π‐conjugation and a high internal dipole moment displays a pronounced solvent effect. Here, the rate of photofading varies over a factor of 2 000‐fold on changing the solvent from cyclohexane to toluene. Most of the kinetic data can be explained in terms of polar and neutral resonance forms but, on the basis of NMR spectroscopy, it is concluded that toluene forms a weak complex with the dye that provides protection against photochemical damage.
Modeling of terahertz radiation emission from a free‐electron laser
Authors: Sharma Suresh C. , Panwar Jyotsna , Sharma Rinku
Published: April 2017

In this article, we report the generation of terahertz (THz) radiation using the interaction of a laser‐modulated relativistic electron beam (REB) with a surface plasma wave. Two laser beams propagating through the modulator interact with the REB, leading to velocity modulation of the beam. This results in pre‐bunching of the REB. The pre‐bunched beam travels through the drift space, where the velocity modulation translates into density modulation. The density‐modulated beam, on interacting with the surface plasma pump wave, acquires an oscillatory velocity that couples with the modulated beam density to give rise to a nonlinear current density which acts as an antenna to give THz radiation. By optimizing the parameters of the beam and the wiggler, we obtain power of the order of 10−4 using the current scheme.
Increased productivity in wet years drives a decline in ecosystem stability with nitrogen additions in arid grasslands
Authors: Wang Junfeng , Knops Johannes M. H. , Brassil Chad E. , Mu Chunsheng
Published: April 2017

Adding nutrients to nutrient‐limited ecosystems typically lowers plant diversity and decreases species asynchrony. Both, in turn, decrease the stability of productivity in the response to negative climate fluctuations such as droughts. However, most classic studies examining stability have been done in relatively wet grasslands dominated by perennial grasses. We examined how nutrient additions influence the stability of productivity to rainfall variability in an arid grassland with a mix of perennial and annual species. Of the nutrients, only nitrogen increased productivity, and only in wet years. In addition, only nitrogen decreased the stability of productivity. Thus, nutrient addition makes ecosystem productivity less stable in both wet and arid grasslands. However, the mechanism is very different. In contrast to wet grasslands, adding nitrogen to an arid grassland did not decrease diversity. Rather, stability decreased with nitrogen addition due to an increase in annual species that increased productivity. In other words, in our arid grassland, nitrogen addition decreased ecosystem stability because of increased ecosystem responsiveness to positive climate fluctuations. These climate fluctuations were facilitated by annual species that take advantage of wet years and can escape dry years as seeds. Our data support the conclusion that nutrient additions decrease the stability of productivity in both wet and arid grasslands. Nutrient enrichment increases the sensitivity of productivity to low rainfall years in wet grasslands, whereas nutrient enrichment in arid grasslands increases the sensitivity of productivity to high rainfall years.
Are single stock futures used as an alternative during a short‐selling ban?
Authors: Benzennou Bouchra , ap Gwilym Owain , Williams Gwion
Published: April 2017

The response of the single stock futures (SSF) market to a short‐selling ban is investigated. The hypothesis is that traders use SSF as a substitute instrument for short‐selling. A significant increase in SSF trading activity is documented, accompanied by narrower spreads. SSF market volatility did not react during the ban, which suggests that the increased trading activity did not weaken SSF market quality. The quality of the underlying market during the ban period is also assessed, with the results suggesting that changes in SSF market activity had neither positive nor negative effects on the stocks’ liquidity, volatility, and volume.
Heat as a groundwater tracer in shallow and deep heterogeneous media: Analytical solution, spreadsheet tool, and field applications
Authors: Kurylyk Barret L. , Irvine Dylan J. , Carey Sean K. , Briggs Martin A. , Werkema Dale D. , Bonham Mariah
Published: April 2017

Groundwater flow advects heat, and thus, the deviation of subsurface temperatures from an expected conduction‐dominated regime can be analysed to estimate vertical water fluxes. A number of analytical approaches have been proposed for using heat as a groundwater tracer, and these have typically assumed a homogeneous medium. However, heterogeneous thermal properties are ubiquitous in subsurface environments, both at the scale of geologic strata and at finer scales in streambeds. Herein, we apply the analytical solution of Shan and Bodvarsson (), developed for estimating vertical water fluxes in layered systems, in 2 new environments distinct from previous vadose zone applications. The utility of the solution for studying groundwater‐surface water exchange is demonstrated using temperature data collected from an upwelling streambed with sediment layers, and a simple sensitivity analysis using these data indicates the solution is relatively robust. Also, a deeper temperature profile recorded in a borehole in South Australia is analysed to estimate deeper water fluxes. The analytical solution is able to match observed thermal gradients, including the change in slope at sediment interfaces. Results indicate that not accounting for layering can yield errors in the magnitude and even direction of the inferred Darcy fluxes. A simple automated spreadsheet tool (Flux‐LM) is presented to allow users to input temperature and layer data and solve the inverse problem to estimate groundwater flux rates from shallow (e.g., <1 m) or deep (e.g., up to 100 m) profiles. The solution is not transient, and thus, it should be cautiously applied where diel signals propagate or in deeper zones where multi‐decadal surface signals have disturbed subsurface thermal regimes.
The HDAC6 Inhibitor Tubacin Induces Release of CD133+ Extracellular Vesicles From Cancer Cells
Authors: Chao Olivia S. , Chang Tim C. , Di Bella Maria A. , Alessandro Riccardo , Anzanello Fabio , Rappa Germana , Goodman Oscar B. , Lorico Aurelio
Published: April 2017

Tumor‐derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as an important mode of intercellular communication, capable of transferring biologically active molecules that facilitate the malignant growth and metastatic process. CD133 (Prominin‐1), a stem cell marker implicated in tumor initiation, differentiation and resistance to anti‐cancer therapy, is reportedly associated with EVs in various types of cancer. However, little is known about the factors that regulate the release of these CD133+ EVs. Here, we report that the HDAC6 inhibitor tubacin promoted the extracellular release of CD133+ EVs from human FEMX‐I metastatic melanoma and Caco‐2 colorectal carcinoma cells, with a concomitant downregulation of intracellular CD133. This effect was specific for tubacin, as inhibition of HDAC6 deacetylase activity by another selective HDAC6 inhibitor, ACY‐1215 or the pan‐HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA), and knockdown of HDAC6 did not enhance the release of CD133+ EVs. The tubacin‐induced EV release was associated with changes in cellular lipid composition, loss of clonogenic capacity and decrease in the ability to form multicellular aggregates. These findings indicate a novel potential anti‐tumor mechanism for tubacin in CD133‐expressing malignancies. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 4414–4424, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effectiveness of online, family‐based media literacy education for substance abuse prevention in elementary school children: Study of the Media Detective Family Program
Authors: Scull Tracy M. , Kupersmidt Janis B. , Weatherholt Tara N.
Published: April 2017

The present study investigates the effectiveness of a family‐based, online media literacy education (MLE) program for substance abuse prevention in children from rural areas. A total of 83 families were randomly assigned to receive Media Detective Family (MDF; n = 47) or a control computer program (n = 36) between pre‐ and posttest questionnaires. A total of 51% (N = 42) completed a 3‐month follow‐up questionnaire. Children receiving MDF reported a significant reduction in their use of substances over time compared to children in the control group (d = −.80). Parents receiving MDF reported that the program was convenient and engaging. The current study showed that an online substance use prevention program using MLE and designed for families is an effective intervention method for reducing children's substance use.
Effects of electrical stimulation on cell proliferation and apoptosis
Authors: Love Maria R. , Palee Siripong , Chattipakorn Siriporn C. , Chattipakorn Nipon
Published: April 2017

The application of exogenous electrical stimulation (ES) to cells in order to manipulate cell apoptosis and proliferation has been widely investigated as a possible method of treatment in a number of diseases. Alteration of the transmembrane potential of cells via ES can affect various intracellular signaling pathways which are involved in the regulation of cellular function. Controversially, several types of ES have proved to be effective in both inhibiting or inducing apoptosis, as well as increasing proliferation. However, the mechanisms through which ES achieves this remain fairly unclear. The aim of this review was to comprehensively summarize current findings from in vitro and in vivo studies on the effects of different types of ES on cell apoptosis and proliferation, highlighting the possible mechanisms through which ES induced these effects and define the optimum parameters at which ES can be used. Through this we hope to provide a greater insight into how future studies can most effectively use ES at the clinical trial stage.
The effects of 100 dB 1‐kHz and 22‐kHz tones as punishers on lever pressing in rats
Authors: Friedel Jonathan E. , DeHart William B. , Odum Amy L.
Published: April 2017

Aversive control is an important yet understudied process of learning. One reason aversive control may be relatively understudied is ethical concerns about painful stimuli (e.g., electric shock). High decibel broad‐band noise and 22‐kHz vocalizations both demonstrably affect rodent behavior while not necessarily being painful. The goal of this study was to determine if 100‐dB 22‐kHz‐pure tones were differentially more effective in reducing operant response rates in rats. We examined whether 22‐kHz pure tones would function as aversive stimuli, specifically as positive punishers. The effects of response‐dependent as well as continuously presented 22‐kHz and 1‐kHz tones on rate of response maintained by variable interval 30‐s food deliveries were assessed across several conditions. We found that response rates were lower when tones were presented response dependently than when tones were presented continuously throughout a session. We also found that the lower response rates obtained with response‐dependent 22‐kHz tones were not significantly different from response rates obtained with response‐dependent 1‐kHz tones. The primary conclusion of this experiment is that both 1‐kHz and 22‐kHz tones functioned as punishers, but that the 22‐kHz tones were not differentially more effective in reducing response rate.
Noncontingent reinforcement competes with response performance
Authors: Kelley Michael E. , Nadler Cy B. , Rey Catalina , Cowie Sarah , Podlesnik Christopher A.
Published: April 2017

Noncontingent reinforcement is a commonly used procedure to decrease levels of problem behavior. Goals of this intervention are to decrease motivation, responding, and the functional relation between behavior and consequences, but it could also possibly compete with performance of alternative desirable responses. In the current study, we assessed the effects of noncontingent reinforcement arranged from 0% to 100% of sessions on performance of alternative responding across two experiments. Experiment 1 assessed manding (i.e., requests) maintained by attention and tangibles with a child with developmental disabilities and Experiment 2 assessed keypecking maintained by food with six pigeons. We extended previous research by (a) showing that noncontingent reinforcement competes with both the acquisition and maintenance (performance) of an alternative response, (b) extending the generality of the findings across nonhuman and human participants, and (c) eliminating influence of sequence effects through random manipulations of noncontingent value in pigeons. Overall, greater amounts of noncontingent reinforcement competed with both acquisition and maintenance of alternative responding.
Graph operations and upper bounds on graph homomorphism counts
Authors: Sernau Luke
Published: April 2017

We construct a family of countexamples to a conjecture of Galvin [5], which stated that for any n‐vertex, d‐regular graph G and any graph H (possibly with loops),
urn:x-wiley:03649024:media:jgt22148:jgt22148-math-0001where is the number of homomorphisms from G to H. By exploiting properties of the graph tensor product and graph exponentiation, we also find new infinite families of H for which the bound stated above on holds for all n‐vertex, d‐regular G. In particular, we show that if HWR is the complete looped path on three vertices, also known as the Widom–Rowlinson graph, then
urn:x-wiley:03649024:media:jgt22148:jgt22148-math-0004for all n‐vertex, d‐regular G. This verifies a conjecture of Galvin.
Validation of water sorption‐based clay prediction models for calcareous soils
Authors: Arthur Emmanuel , Razzaghi Fatemeh , Moosavi Ali Akbar
Published: April 2017

Soil particle size distribution (PSD), particularly the active clay fraction, mediates soil engineering, agronomic and environmental functions. The tedious and costly nature of traditional methods of determining PSD prompted the development of water sorption‐based models for determining the clay fraction. The applicability of such models to semi‐arid soils with significant amounts of calcium carbonate and/or gypsum is unknown. The objective of this study was to validate three water sorption‐based clay prediction models for 30 calcareous soils from Iran and identify the effect of CaCO3 on prediction accuracy. The soils had clay content ranging from 9 to 61% and CaCO3 from 24 to 97%. The three water sorption models considered showed a reasonably fair prediction of the clay content from water sorption at 28% relative humidity (RMSE and ME values ranging from 10.6 to 12.1 and −8.1 to −4.2, respectively). The model that considers hysteresis had better prediction accuracy than the other two that do not. Moreover, the prediction errors of all three models arose from under‐prediction of the clay content. The amount of hygroscopic water scaled by clay content decreased with increasing CaCO3 content. The low organic carbon content of the soils and the low fraction of low‐activity clay minerals like kaolinite suggested that the clay content under‐predictions were due to large CaCO3 contents. Thus, for such water‐sorption based models to work accurately for calcareous soils, a correction factor that considers the reduction of water content due to large CaCO3 content should be included.
The albatross plot: A novel graphical tool for presenting results of diversely reported studies in a systematic review
Authors: Harrison Sean , Jones Hayley E. , Martin Richard M. , Lewis Sarah J. , Higgins Julian P.T.
Published: April 2017

Meta‐analyses combine the results of multiple studies of a common question. Approaches based on effect size estimates from each study are generally regarded as the most informative. However, these methods can only be used if comparable effect sizes can be computed from each study, and this may not be the case due to variation in how the studies were done or limitations in how their results were reported. Other methods, such as vote counting, are then used to summarize the results of these studies, but most of these methods are limited in that they do not provide any indication of the magnitude of effect.

We propose a novel plot, the albatross plot, which requires only a 1‐sided P value and a total sample size from each study (or equivalently a 2‐sided P value, direction of effect and total sample size). The plot allows an approximate examination of underlying effect sizes and the potential to identify sources of heterogeneity across studies. This is achieved by drawing contours showing the range of effect sizes that might lead to each P value for given sample sizes, under simple study designs. We provide examples of albatross plots using data from previous meta‐analyses, allowing for comparison of results, and an example from when a meta‐analysis was not possible.
Oxidative deterioration of pork during superchilling storage
Authors: Pomponio Luigi , Ruiz‐Carrascal Jorge
Published: April 2017

BACKGROUND

In superchilling (SC), meat is kept at temperatures around 1 °C below its initial freezing point, leading to a significant increase in shelf life. This study aimed to address the oxidative changes taking place in pork loins during prolonged storage at SC temperature. Loins were stored either at chilling (CH) conditions (2–4 °C) for 4 weeks or at SC temperature (around −1 °C) for 12 weeks.

RESULTS

Storage at SC temperature diminished the rate of lipid and protein oxidation and discoloration in pork loins, so that final levels of most oxidation products and instrumental color values after 12 weeks of SC storage were similar to those after 4 weeks at CH conditions. However, hexanal content peaked by the end of SC storage, pointing to a potential accumulation of compounds from lipid oxidation during SC storage.

CONCLUSION

SC storage of pork slows down the rate of lipid and protein oxidation. However, accumulation of volatile compounds from lipid oxidation could be a limiting factor for shelf life. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Linear extension operators for continuous functions on definable sets in the p‐adic context
Authors: Thamrongthanyalak Athipat
Published: April 2017

Let E be a subset of . A linear extension operator is a linear map that sends a function on E to its extension on some superset of E. In this paper, we show that if E is a semi‐algebraic or subanalytic subset of , then there is a linear extension operator such that is semi‐algebraic (subanalytic) whenever f is semi‐algebraic (subanalytic).
Identification of Sequence Variants within Experimentally Validated Protein Interaction Sites Provides New Insights into Molecular Mechanisms of Disease Development
Authors: Skrlj Blaz , Konc Janez , Kunej Tanja
Published: April 2017

Protein interactions (PI) underlie complex biological processes. Protein interaction partners include DNA, RNA, ions, small chemical compounds, and proteins (protein‐protein interactions; PPI). Analysis of sequence variants within regions corresponding to experimentally validated PI sites presents novel opportunities for understanding of complex diseases. Such information has not been systematically collected due to the fact that datasets are dispersed throughout databases and publications. Sequence variants and PI regions were obtained from the UniProt database. The location of the variants was compared to start and end positions of each PPI. Associations of sequence variants with phenotype were obtained from databases including COSMIC, GAD, PharmGKB, and dbSNP. We developed a catalogue of 603 sequence variants located within regions corresponding to experimentally validated PI sites, mostly PPI regions. These sequence variants were previously associated with risk for cancer, reproduction, ageing, renal, and immune system diseases. The developed catalogue connects information from different research papers and databases, represents a new layer of information and enables designing new hypotheses. It provides a baseline for prioritization of sequence variants, which may affect protein function and binding sites. The study contributes to the development of the proteogenomics field and provides new insights for understanding molecular mechanisms underlying disease development.
Computer‐aided Dereplication and Structure Elucidation of Natural Products at the University of Reims
Authors: Bakiri Ali , Plainchont Bertrand , de Paulo Emerenciano Vicente , Reynaud Romain , Hubert Jane , Renault Jean‐Hugues , Nuzillard Jean‐Marc
Published: April 2017

Natural product chemistry began in Reims, France, in a pharmacognosy research laboratory whose main emphasis was the isolation and identification of bioactive molecules, following the guidelines of chemotaxonomy. The structure elucidation of new compounds of steadily increasing complexity favored the emergence of methodological work in nuclear magnetic resonance. As a result, our group was the first to report the use of proton‐detected heteronuclear chemical shift correlation spectra for the computer‐assisted structure elucidation of small organic molecules driven by atom proximity relationships and without relying on databases. The early detection of known compounds appeared as a necessity in order to deal more efficiently with complex plant extracts. This goal was reached by an original combination of mixture fractionation by centrifugal partition chromatography, analysis by 13C NMR, digital data reduction and alignment, hierarchical data clustering, and computer database search.
Reproductive tract modifications of the boar sperm surface
Authors: Gadella Bart M.
Published: April 2017

The sperm cell has a unique, polarized, and segregated surface that is modified extensively by the changing environments in both the male and the female reproductive tracts. The sperm cannot refresh its surface, as protein translation and membrane recycling by intracellular vesicular transport have ceased upon its maturation. So, how is the sperm surface modified in the reproductive tracts and how do these processes affect fertilization? This review traces these modifications as boar sperm travels from their liberation from the Sertoli cell into the lumen of seminiferous tubules of the testis to the site of fertilization in the ampulla of the oviduct in the sow, via an artificial insemination route. The effect of sperm dilution for artificial insemination, as well as more extensive sperm processing for in vitro fertilization, cryopreservation, or sex sorting, are also discussed with respect to how these procedures affect sperm surface organization and fertilization capacity.
Electrophysiological effects of anthracyclines in adult survivors of pediatric malignancy
Authors: Markman Timothy M. , Ruble Kathryn , Loeb David , Chen Allen , Zhang Yiyi , Beasley Gary S. , Thompson W. Reid , Nazarian Saman
Published: April 2017

Background

Anthracycline use is limited by cardiotoxicity, including arrhythmias and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction. We aim to characterize the association between electrophysiological changes and LV dysfunction.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted, including all 147 pediatric cancer survivors at our institution over 18 years of age and treated with an anthracycline. One hundred thirty‐four patients who had at least one electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiogram were analyzed. The association between dysfunction and baseline characteristics, treatment history, and electrocardigraphic parameters were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Additionally, a longitudinal generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to examine the temporal association between repeated measure corrected QT (QTc) intervals and subsequent LV function.

Results

In our population, 24% of patients had LV dysfunction. The initial posttreatment QTc interval was longer in patients with LV dysfunction (438 ± 35 vs. 420 ± 20 msec, P = 0.002). In logistic regression analysis, QTc interval (P < 0.001) and cumulative radiation dose (P = 0.027) were associated with LV dysfunction. On ECGs performed prior to evidence of LV dysfunction, the QTc was longer than on ECGs preceding a normal echocardiogram (451 ± 32 msec vs. 423 ± 25 msec, P < 0.001). Mean time from QTc ≥ 450 msec to evidence of LV dysfunction was 1.8 ± 2.9 years. In the longitudinal GEE model, QTc prolongation was associated with subsequent decreased fractional shortening.

Conclusions

Among adult survivors of pediatric cancer treated with anthracyclines, prolongation of the QTc interval was associated with subsequent LV dysfunction.
Clinically relevant discordances identified after tertiary reassessment of fetuses with isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia
Authors: Done Elisa , Gucciardo Leonardo , Van Mieghem Tim , Devriendt Koen , Allegaert Karel , Brady Paul , Devlieger Roland , De Catte Luc , Lewi Liesbeth , Deprest Jan
Published: April 2017

Objective

Fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion (FETO) may improve outcome of severe isolated congenital diaphragmatic hernia (iCDH). We aimed to identify any discrepancy between initial assessment at the referring hospital and the evaluation at the fetal surgery center, and to document parental decisions following counseling for fetal surgery.

Design

Single center retrospective study on patients with presumed iCDH either referred for assessment and counseling or referred for fetal surgery. Discordant findings were defined as either a >10% difference in lung size, discordant liver position or associated anomalies.

Results

Outcomes from 129 consecutive assessments over 24 months were analyzed. Among fetal surgery referrals, 2% did not have CDH, and 10% had undiagnosed associated anomalies. Liver position was discordant in 7%. Thirty‐three per cent had discordant lung size. Ninety‐four per cent of patients eligible for surgery underwent FETO. In patients referred because of suspicion of CDH, associated anomalies were found in 14%. Fetal liver and lung assessments were discordant in 50% resp. 38%. Of those patients eligible for FETO, 26% requested termination. For three patients, the postnatal course was marked by a genetic or syndromic additional diagnosis.

Conclusion

Discordances between initial assessment before referral and evaluation in our institution were frequent, some of them clinically relevant. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predicting postnatal renal function of prenatally detected posterior urethral valves using fetal diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient determination
Authors: Faure Alice , Panait Nicoleta , Panuel Michel , Alessandrini Pierre , D'Ercole Claude , Chaumoitre Kathia , Merrot Thierry
Published: April 2017

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fetal diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) determination to predict postnatal renal function (nadir creatinine at 1 year and eGFR) of men with posterior urethral valves (PUV).

Methods

Between 2003 and 2014, 11 MRI were performed on fetuses (between 28 and 32 weeks) in whom second trimester sonography suggested severe bilateral urinary tract anomalies, suspected of PUV.

Results

The ADC of the 11 fetuses ranged from 1.3 to 2.86 mm2 s−1 (median = 1.79 mm2 s−1, normal range for fetal kidney: 1.1–1.8). Two pregnancies with ADC > 2.6 mm2 s−1 were interrupted; the autopsy confirmed PUV and Potter syndrome. For the remaining nine babies, the follow‐up was 5.4 years (0.8–10). Four children with abnormal ADC (1.8–2.3) had chronic kidney disease. The remaining five cases with normal nadir creatinine and eGFR had normal ADC. One case with unilateral elevated ADC had a poor ipsilateral renal function on dimercaptosuccinic acid scan.

Conclusion

Here, it seems that diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging with ADC determination could be useful in accurately evaluating fetal kidneys in PUV and predicting renal function. It may be an additional, non‐invasive method when biologic and sonographic findings are inconclusive, especially in the case of oligohydramnios. Further studies are needed to confirm our data. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Who are the support persons of haematological cancer survivors and how is their performance perceived?
Authors: Hall Alix , Lynagh Marita , Carey Mariko , Sanson‐Fisher Rob , Mansfield Elise
Published: April 2017

Objective

To explore: (1) how haematological cancer survivors and their support persons perceive the overall performance of the support person; (2) disagreement between survivor and support person ratings; and (3) characteristics associated with support persons rating their performance poorly.

Methods

This is a substudy of a larger project of Australian haematological cancer survivors and their support persons. For this substudy, haematological cancer survivors were recruited from 4 Australian population‐based cancer registries and asked to pass on a questionnaire package to their support persons. Survivors who passed on a questionnaire package to their support person were asked to answer questions about the support person and how they perceived the support person's performance. Similarly, support persons answered questions on their own performance as a support person.

Results

A total of 924 haematological cancer survivors and 821 support persons were eligible for this study. Most survivors rated their support person as performing very well (84%) while less than half (48%) of support persons rated their own performance as very well. There was significant disagreement between survivor and their support person (dyad) ratings of the support person's performance. Support persons with above normal levels of depression (vs those with normal levels) had significantly higher odds of rating their own performance as “not well/somewhat well.”

Conclusions

Health care providers should consider providing additional education and skills‐based interventions to support persons who experience increased symptoms of depression.
Self‐Assembled π‐Conjugated Organic Wires with Unique Properties
Authors: Lambrecht Julia , Isenberg Carolin , Bruhn Clemens , Saragi Tobat P. I.
Published: April 2017

We present unique properties of self‐assembled spirobi‐fluorene‐substituted perylenetetraccarboxylic diimide wires. The wires have shown an unusual molecular packing motif beyond the typical π‐π stacking. We are also able to estimate the corresponding electron mobility. Finally, the self‐healing effect of such wires, including the reversible color change, is presented and described
Design, Synthesis and Photophysical Property of a Doubly Widened Fused‐Triazolyl‐Phenanthrene Unnatural Nucleoside
Authors: Bag Subhendu Sekhar , Das Suman Kalyan
Published: April 2017

We report herein the design and synthesis of a novel fused triazolyl phenanthrene nucleoside as a new generation of doubly widened hydrophobic unnatural nucleobase surrogate which shows interesting photphysical property with chrysene type emission. Molecular dynamics simulation using Schrodinger Macromodel reveals that regardless of the opposite natural bases, all the DNA duplexes containing the designed nucleoside, FTPhen, adopt right‐handed B‐form helix. A theoretical (DFT) study has also been carried out to know the stacking propensity in the context of DNA which reveals a good stabilizing property of the designed base via pairing with natural bases in trimeric DNA duplexes.
Copper(II)‐Catalyzed and Chelation‐Induced Remote C‐H Halogenation of Quinolines under Neutral Conditions
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Ullah Aziz , Yamamoto Yoshinori , Almansour Abdulrahman I. , Arumugam Natarajan , Kumar Raju Suresh , Bao Ming
Published: April 2017

Copper(II)‐catalyzed highly regioselective halogenation of 8‐acylaminoquinolines was reported in this study. The halogenation of 8‐acylaminoquinolines proceeded smoothly in the presence of copper halide (CuBr2 or CuCl2) and potassium halide (KBr or KCl) as the catalyst and the halogen source, respectively, using oxygen in air as the terminal oxidant under neutral conditions to produce the corresponding C‐5 position halogenated products in satisfactory to good yields.
Switching the Enantioselectivities in Michael Addition of Pyrazolin‐5‐Ones to Nitroolefins by Benzoylthiourea Organocatalysts
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Ban Shurong , Yang Mengchen , Li Qingshan
Published: April 2017

A series ofnovel cinchonaalkaloid derived benzoylthiourea organocatalysts weresynthesized and applied as hydrogen bonding organocatalysts in the enantioselective Michael addition of pyrazolin‐5‐ones to nitroolefins. These organocatalysts promoted the Michael additions smoothly and gave the desired R or S enantiomers of the products flexibly in high yields with excellent enantioselectivities (up to 92 %ee and 89 %eerespectively) by the proper choice of organocatalysts.
Fabrication of Visible‐Light‐Responsive InVO4 for Photoreduction of CO2
Authors: Singhal Nikita , Kumar Umesh
Published: April 2017

The gradual rise in anthropogenic CO2 concentration in the atmosphere leads to global warming, and hence draws attention to develop different catalysts for CO2 reduction to fuel. Indium vanadate has attractive photocatalytic properties under visible light. InVO4 was synthesized by a hydrothermal method without using any organic precursor. Catalyst was well characterized with different techniques involving X‐ray diffraction, UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron microscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis. Its catalytic performance was evaluated for photoreduction of CO2 in a batch reactor under visible light irradiation. 520 ppm of CO was obtained in presence of triethanolamine (TEOA) as an electron donor.
Cycling Fading Mechanism for a Bismuth Fluoride Electrode in a Lithium‐Ion Battery
Authors: Konishi Hiroaki , Minato Taketoshi , Abe Takeshi , Ogumi Zempachi
Published: April 2017

The nanocomposite of BiF3 and carbon (BiF3/C) is a promising cathode material for lithium‐ion batteries because of its high capacity. When BiF3/C was charged and discharged within voltage range of 2.0–4.5 V, the BiF3/C exhibited high capacity; however, as the cycle progressed, the discharge‐charge capacities decreased and the charge voltage shifted towards higher region. When charge cut‐off voltage was changed from 4.5 to 3.5 V, the capacity degradation was suppressed. This indicates that the cause of capacity degradation was attributed to the isolation of active material from conductive network due to the large volume change. In contrast, when discharge cut‐off condition was limited to 150 mAh g–1, the shift of charge voltage was suppressed. The results obtained by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that the surface product which was formed by the reaction between electrolyte and Bi formed during the discharge process.
Learning from past experience: Yanukovych's implementation of authoritarianism after 2004
Authors: Hall Stephen G.F.
Published: April 2017

This paper argues that an important concept of authoritarian learning is missing. This is how leaders learn from domestic experience. Using Yanukovych's defeat in the Orange Revolution, the paper illustrates how he adapted to stop a new Colour Revolution. Through using Party of Regions resources, Yanukovych improved his image, developed Party of Region's electoral success, controlled institutions and the political system, coerced the opposition, built-up security forces and pro-regime groups and created a family. While the paper finds that Yanukovych adapted to the failure of the Orange Revolution these adjustments contributed to the Euromaidan and the learning from domestic experience resulted in ultimate failure.