bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding land use and cover change impacts on run‐off and sediment load at flood events on the Loess Plateau, China
Authors: Zhang Xiaoping , Lin Pengfei , Chen Hao , Yan Rui , Zhang Jianjun , Yu Yipeng , Liu Erjia , Yang Yahui , Zhao Wenhui , Lv Du , Lei Siyue , Liu Baoyuan , Yang Xihua , Li Zhiguang
Published: January 2018

The Loess Plateau has been experiencing large‐scale land use and cover changes (LUCCs) over the past 50 years. It is well known about the significant decreasing trend of annual streamflow and sediment load in the catchments in this area. However, how surface run‐off and sediment load behaved in response to LUCC at flood events remained a research question. We investigated 371 flood events from 1963 to 2011 in a typical medium‐sized catchment within the Plateau in order to understand how LUCC affected the surface run‐off generation and sediment load and their behaviours based on the analysis of return periods. The results showed that the mean annual surface run‐off and sediment load from flood events accounted for 49.6% and 91.8% of their mean annual totals. The reduction of surface run‐off and associated sediment yield in floods explained about 85.0% and 89.2% of declines in the total annual streamflow and sediment load, respectively. The occurrences of flood events and peak sediment concentrations greater than 500 kg/m3showed a significantly downward trend, yet the counterclockwise loop events still dominated the flood event processes in the catchment. The results suggest that LUCC over the past 50 years resulted in significant changes in the water balance components and associated soil erosion and sediment transportation in the catchment. This was achieved mainly by reducing surface run‐off and sediment yield during floods with return period of less than 5 years. Run‐off–sediment load behaviour during the extreme events with greater than 10‐year return periods has not changed. Outcomes from this study are useful in understanding the eco‐hydrological processes and assisting the sustainable catchment management and land use planning on the Loess Plateau, and the methodologies are general and applicable to similar areas worldwide.
Tibolone and risk of gynecological hormone sensitive cancer
Authors: Løkkegaard Ellen Christine Leth , Mørch Lina Steinrud
Published: January 2018

Risk of ovarian cancer with hormone therapy is associated with use of both unopposed estrogen therapy and combined estrogen–progestin therapy, whereas for endometrial cancer addition of continuous progestin decreases the estrogen induced increased risk. Less is known about risk with use of tibolone; a synthetic steroid with estrogenic, progestagenic and androgenic properties. We assessed these associations in a prospective cohort study, including all Danish women 50–79 years of age and followed 1995–2009. National Danish Registers captured individually updated exposure information, cancer cases including histology and confounding factors. Poisson regression analyses provided multiple adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs). More than 900,000 women were followed for 9.8 years on average; 4,513 were diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 6,202 with endometrial cancer. Compared to women never on postmenopausal hormone therapy, current users of tibolone had an increased IRR for ovarian cancer (1.42(95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01–2.00) and serous ovarian tumors (2.21(95%CI 1.48–3.32)). The risk increased with duration of use, particularly for serous ovarian tumors. Compared to never users, the IRR of endometrial cancer was 3.56(95%CI 2.94–4.32) among current users of tibolone and 3.80(95%CI 3.08–4.69) of Type I endometrial cancer. The steepest risk increase with duration of use was for Type I tumors. In conclusion, tibolone is associated with increased risk for ovarian and endometrial cancer overall; and particular the risk of serous ovarian tumors and Type I endometrial cancer. Because the associations are stronger with increasing durations of use – and for hormone sensitive tumors – the results seem indicative of causality.
Multiple biological defects caused by calycosin‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans are associated with the activation of oxidative damage
Authors: Zhang Jianqin , Xue Xiaoli , Yang Yang , Ma Wen , Han Yan , Qin Xuemei
Published: January 2018

Calycosin‐7‐O‐β‐d‐glucoside (CG) is an important active isoflavone compound in Radix Astragali that has many bioactivities. However, the toxicological effects and related toxicological mechanism of CG have been rarely documented. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the toxicity effects of CG on the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Some characteristics of the nematode, including lifespan, movement behavior and reproductive capacity, were used to detect the toxic effects of CG on C. elegans. The results showed that CG could shorten the lifespan of C. elegans by up to 25.3% and severely damage the movement of N2 larvae compared with the control group. Moreover, CG could prolong the generation times and reduce the brood sizes. Furthermore, CG promoted the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which caused oxidative stress, increased the mRNA expression of sod‐1, sod‐2, sod‐3, sod‐5, ctl‐1, ctl‐2 and ctl‐3, and induced the antioxidant enzymes activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase to scavenge free radicals. However, antioxidant treatment experiments showed that Trolox could reduce the level of ROS caused by CG to the normal state of the control. These results suggested that the generation and elimination of ROS could not restore normal homeostasis in C. elegans treated by CG. These findings indicated that the activation of oxidative damage is one of the most important toxic mechanisms of CG in C. elegans.
Cell type‐specific effects of Notch signaling activation on intervertebral discs: Implications for intervertebral disc degeneration
Authors: Zheng Yixin , Liu Cunchang , Ni Li , Liu Zhaoyang , Mirando Anthony J. , Lin Jun , Saijilafu  , Chen Di , Hilton Matthew J. , Li Bin , Chen Jianquan
Published: January 2018

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is the major cause of back pain. Notch signaling is activated in annulus fibrosus (AF) and nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues of degenerated IVDs, and induced by IL1‐β and TNF‐α in NP cells. However, the role of Notch activatin in the pathogenesis of IVD degeneration is largely unknown. In this study, we overexpressed the Notch1 intracellular domain (NICD1) in AF, NP, and chondrogenic ATDC5 cells via adenoviruses. Overexpression of NICD1 activated transcription of Notch signaling target genes in AF, NP, and ATDC5 cells, and caused cell type‐specific effects on expression of matrix anabolic and catabolic genes. Activation of Notch signaling promoted expression of matrix catabolic genes and inhibited expression of matrix anabolic genes in both AF and ATDC5 cells, whereas its activation suppressed expression of matrix catabolic genes (including Mmp3, Mmp13, Adamts4, and Adamts5) and attenuated TNF‐α and inflammatory macrophage‐induced Mmp13 expression in NP cells. Consistently, sustained activation of Notch1 signaling in postnatal IVDs in mice severely disrupted growth plate and endplate cartilage tissues, but did not overly affect NP tissues. Together, these data indicated that activation of Notch signaling exerted differential and cell type‐specific effects in intervertebral discs, and specific Notch signaling regulation may be considered during the treatment of IVD degeneration.
Morphological specializations of the epidermis of an angler catfish Chaca chaca (Siluriformes, Chacidae) in relation to its ecological niche: A scanning electron microscopic investigation
Authors: Mistri Arup , Kumari Usha , Mittal Swati , Mittal Ajay Kumar
Published: January 2018

The present work was undertaken with the aim to deduce morphological adaptations in skin of an angler catfish Chaca chaca by means of scanning electron microscopy. The fish is nocturnal, bottom dwelling, sluggish, ambush predator, lives in sand, mud, or soft substrates often buried and camouflaged for protection and to feed. The surface of the epidermis is covered with polygonal epithelial cells, each having surface relief of microridges forming intricate patterns. In between epithelial cells irregularly distributed mucous cell openings, randomly distributed epidermal specialized structures, taste buds, and neuromasts are discernible. The epidermal specialized structures are keratinized. These are either irregularly the rounded elevated plaque like or the cone shaped structures. The superficial keratinized cells could frequently be discernible exfoliated at the surface. At intervals, characteristic epidermal projections could be observed. Surface of these projections at intervals is differentiated into short stumpy protuberances, each bearing a taste bud at its summit. Further, near the basal portion of these epidermal projections, conical, or rounded plaque like epidermal specialized structures are also discernible. The surface sculpture of the skin of Chaca chaca is associated with the structural and functional significance and physiological adaptations of the epidermis with respect to its ecological niche.
Tandem mass spectroscopy as a tool for investigation of complexes of PNP‐lariat ether derivative with metal ions
Authors: Gutowska Natalia , Seliger Piotr , Andrijewski Grzegorz , Adamus Grażyna , Kwiecień Iwona
Published: January 2018

The novel PNP‐lariat ether L with cyclotriphosphazene ring incorporated in the macrocyclic structure was synthesized and checked by the electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS) method for the ability to bind different types of ions Ag+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, and Pb2+. Furthermore, the stability constants of the abovementioned ion complexes with the investigated ligand have been determined by direct and competitive potentiometric methods. To evaluate the stability of various complex types and to confirm the way of metal cation binding, the tandem mass spectra of the investigated ligand and its complexes were taken. As a result, we obtained quite a good relationship between the number and main types of complex species observed in ESI‐MS experiments and the forms of complexes for which the stabilization constants were determined by potentiometric methods. Moreover, we also concluded that in case of big discrepancies of stability constants, ESI‐MS experiments could provide information about the most stable form of the complexes, but they fail when the differences between the strength of the coordination binding are slightly different.
Seasonal prediction skill of Indian summer monsoon rainfall in NMME models and monsoon mission CFSv2
Authors: Pillai Prasanth A. , Rao Suryachandra A. , Ramu Dandi A. , Pradhan Maheswar , George Gibies
Published: January 2018

The present study compares the Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) prediction skill of monsoon mission climate forecast system version 2 (CFSv2‐T382) with that of the seasonal prediction models participating in US National Multi‐Model Ensemble (NMME) project. In general, the present‐day models simulate cooler than observed sea surface temperature (SST) in majority of the Tropics and extratropics. The model rainfall has strong dry bias over major continental regions and wet bias over tropical oceans. Meanwhile, prediction of the boundary forcing such as SST is essential for driving the atmospheric response through teleconnections. It is noted that even though the prediction skill for SST boundary forcings like El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is not at the best in CFSv2‐T382 compared to a few of the NMME models, it shows better skill for ISMR hindcasts initialized at 3‐month lead time (February IC). This may be attributed to the better teleconnection pattern of ENSO and IOD in CFSv2‐T382, which has minimum biases in equatorial Indo‐Pacific region. It also has a better ISMR–SST teleconnections in the Tropics with a pattern correlation of around 0.6. In many of the NMME models, the better prediction skill of the inter‐annual variability of SST indices is not transformed into the improvement of ISMR skill through teleconnections. It is therefore concluded that having good prediction skill for major SST boundary forcings is not sufficient, but capturing the appropriate teleconnections of these SST boundary forcings in the model is critical for the better prediction of ISMR. The study points out that the present‐day seasonal prediction systems need to be improved in their simulation of tropical SST–monsoon teleconnections, which can improve the seasonal prediction skill of Indian summer monsoon further. One area where the immediate focus is required is the Indian Ocean SST and ISMR teleconnection.
Sources of moisture for different intensities of summer rainfall over the Chinese Loess Plateau during 1979–2009
Authors: Hu Qin , Jiang Dabang , Lang Xianmei
Published: January 2018

In this study, moisture sources for different intensities of summer (June–July–August) rainfall over the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) were investigated by performing a transient simulation for the period 1979–2009 using the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART. The results showed that continental areas surrounding the CLP, namely northwestern China–eastern central Asia and central eastern China, were major moisture source regions for summer rainfall over the CLP and that oceanic moisture originated from the East China Sea, the South China Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Arabian Sea played a secondary role. The moisture contribution of northwestern China–eastern central Asia to the CLP significantly decreased with increasing intensity of rainfall, whereas the contribution of central eastern China to the CLP slightly increased. Moreover, the moisture contribution of oceanic source regions to the CLP increased with the increased rainfall intensity. The East China Sea and the Bay of Bengal were the two most substantial oceanic moisture source regions for the 0–5th percentile (0–P5th) to 50th–75th percentile (P50th–P75th) rainfall classes, whereas the South China Sea and the Bay of Bengal were the two most substantial oceanic moisture source regions for the 75th–95th percentile (P75th–P95th) and the 95th–100th percentile (P95th–P100th) rainfall classes.
Temperature–topographic elevation relationship for high mountain terrain: an example from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Kattel Dambaru Ballab , Yao Tandong
Published: January 2018

This study quantifies the spatial–temporal distribution of the near‐surface temperature lapse rate (TLR) on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (SETP) on the northern slopes of the eastern Himalayas, using the jackknife regression model. A 20‐year (1985–2004) climatic data set of 16 stations between the elevation range of 3553–4801 m asl was used for this investigation. Controls for the spatial–temporal variation on TLRs and causes of higher mean square error (MSE) from the jackknife regressions were also analysed. Dry convection due to increasing sensible heating at lower elevations associated with clear skies, the effect of cold air surges, cloud/fog, as well as pronounced long‐wave radiation loss due to snow cover at higher elevation, results in the super‐dry adiabatic TLR in the dry winter. In response to the effects of high rainfall and humidity, intense latent heating at higher elevation due to moist adiabatic cooling causes TLRs to decrease significantly in summer. The variation in net radiation due to differences in moisture, rainfall, cloud cover and air mass between higher (fewer) and lower (higher) elevations further contributes to reducing TLRs values in this season. Observed steeper values of TLRs at higher elevations and more shallow values at lower elevations are due to the thermal contrast between snow‐free ground and snow‐covered mountain terrain, as well as the effect of variations in air mass and moisture. Based on derived values, this article also estimates near‐surface temperature at higher elevations and analyses the precision of estimated values. Measurement of the lowest discrepancy (bias) between observed and estimated values from this study suggests that the estimation skills of the model are good enough. More precisely, including the smallest MSE from the jackknife regression and biases of the estimated values can be made for summer, perhaps due to the moisture controlled throughout the SETP, i.e. associated with the Indian monsoon. Higher MSE and biases are observed during winter and are due to the substantial effects of westerlies, as well as the station's geographical coordinate, local topography and microclimate. The MSE and the estimated biases are lowest at high‐elevation stations and are associated with the lower contaminating effects of the surface. This estimation model, using derived values from this investigation, could be useful for glacier‐hydro‐climatic and ecological modelling in this region.
Influence of Contrast Administration on Computed Tomography–Based Analysis of Visceral Adipose and Skeletal Muscle Tissue in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Paris Michael T. , Furberg Helena F. , Petruzella Stacey , Akin Oguz , Hötker Andreas M. , Mourtzakis Marina
Published: January 2018

Background

Computed tomography (CT) scans are being utilized to examine the influence of skeletal muscle and visceral adipose quantity and quality on health‐related outcomes in clinical populations. However, little is known about the influence of contrast administration on these parameters.

Methods

Precontrast, arterial, and 3‐minute postcontrast CT images of 45 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma were downloaded from The Cancer Imaging Archive and retrospectively analyzed for visceral adipose cross‐sectional area (CSA) and density, and muscle CSA and density at the third lumbar vertebrae. Low muscle CSA index was defined as ≤38.9 cm2/m2 for women and ≤55.4 cm2/m2 for men. Low muscle density was defined as <41 Hounsfield units (HU) for body mass index (BMI) <24.9 kg/m2 and <33 HU for BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2.

Results

In both the arterial and 3‐minute phases, contrast administration decreased visceral adipose CSA (−20.9 and −20.9 cm2; P < .001) and increased visceral adipose density (4.8 and 5.8 HU; P < .001), relative to precontrast images. Muscle CSA index marginally increased in the arterial (0.6 cm2/m2; P = .007) and 3‐minute phases (0.8 cm2/m2; P < .001). This likely represents clinically insignificant changes because it does not alter the identification of low muscle CSA (44.4% vs 42.2%; P = 1.00). Skeletal muscle density increased in the arterial (6.4 HU; P < .001) and 3‐minute phases (8.7 HU; P < .001), which altered the identification of low muscle density (6.7% vs 31.1%; P < .001).

Conclusions

Future analyses should consider the phase of contrast during CT imaging because it may alter the interpretations of several parameters.
Definition der Vergesellschaftung (Assoziation) der Böden sowie deren Einstufung am Beispiel der ostfriesischen Nordseeinsel Borkum (TK‐2306)
Authors: Imamoglu Ali E.
Published: January 2018

Bei kleinen Kartenmaßstäben ist die Zusammenfassung der Kartiereinheilen unumgänglich. Es werden hier die in der Kartieranleitung (4. Auflage, 1995) vorgeschlagenen 7 Aggregierungsstufen am Beispiel der ostfriesischen Insel Borkum (TK‐2306) von der Punktbeschreibung bis zur Bodenregion vorgestellt.
Genotypic differences in uptake and translocation of cadmium in bean and maize inbred lines
Authors: Guo Yanliang , Marschner Horst
Published: January 2018

For better understanding of mechanisms responsible for genotypic differences in uptake and translocation of cadmium (Cd) in different plant species, two maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines (B37 and F2) and a bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivar (Saxa) were grown in a complete nutrient solution with additional 0.5 μM Cd and 250 μM buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of PC synthesis, alone or in combination. The maize line B37 had a much higher Cd content in shoots (116.2 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt.) than F2 (32.7 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt.) and bean (1.83 in leaves, and 2.85 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt. in stems), whereas in roots the Cd content was much higher in bean (602.6 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt.) than in maize (427.1 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt. in B37, and 428.2 mg Cd kg−1 dry wt. in F2). Application of BSO markedly decreased Cd contents in roots of bean and maize lines, and also Cd contents in shoots and stem basis of both maize lines, while Cd contents in leaves, stems and stem basis of bean were not reduced by BSO.

In root extracts (Tris‐HCl buffer, pH 8.0) the proportion of Cd in the soluble fraction was much lower in bean (29.6%) than in the maize lines B37 (58.6%) and F2 (60.1%). Compared with the whole root tissue, Cd contents in the stele of the roots were much lower, especially in bean, and decreased by BSO in both maize lines, but not in bean.

Gel‐chromatography of root extracts strongly suggested that in the soluble fraction about 80% of the Cd was present as Cd‐phytochelatin (PC) complexes in B37, whereas in F2 this Cd fraction accounted for about 50%, and in bean only for a few percent in the soluble fraction, Our results suggest that Cd‐PC complexes constitute a mobile form in plants. The lower proportion of Cd in the soluble fraction as well as lower PC production in roots of bean compared to maize lines may be the main reasons for the very low Cd translocation from roots to shoots in bean plants.
Linkage between contextual factors, knowledge‐sharing mediums, and behaviour: Moderating effect of knowledge‐sharing intentions
Authors: Dey Toshali , Mukhopadhyay Susmita
Published: January 2018

In today's competitive and dynamic economy, knowledge‐intensive organisations constantly face challenges for sustenance. Therefore, successful knowledge management (KM) system is viewed as an important factor to maintain competitive advantage. These days, knowledge‐sharing practices are encouraged in organisations to improve performance of the human assets. However, the behaviour of employees determines the success of potential KM system of organisations, which often fails due to various organisational and individual factors. On the basis of prior literature, this paper investigates the effect of varying internal and external dimensions, which are contextual factors, knowledge‐sharing mediums (KSM), and knowledge‐sharing intentions on knowledge‐sharing behaviour (KSB) of employees. Data were gathered from a sample of 231 managers of various public sector units in India. The results are analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. The outcomes of this study show the impact of contextual factors and KSM on KSB. Further analysis leads to the conclusion that there is a moderating effect of knowledge‐sharing intentions on this relationship. This research intends to contribute the understanding of KSB to help managers in promoting knowledge sharing and hence developing knowledge base in organisations. This study will also encourage better managerial practices to build an environment for knowledge dissemination. Moreover, it also provides insight related to importance of KSM in promoting efficient KM processes, making this article important for both practitioners and academicians.
Identifying sediment source areas in a Mediterranean watershed using the SWAT model
Authors: Ricci Giovanni Francesco , De Girolamo Anna Maria , Abdelwahab Ossama M.M. , Gentile Francesco
Published: January 2018

This study aims to evaluate the suitability of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model in simulating runoff and sediment loss in the Carapelle (SE Italy), a typical Mediterranean watershed, where continuous measurements of streamflow and sediment concentration were collected over a 5‐year period, on a half‐hour timescale, processed on a daily timescale. After sensitivity analysis, the model was calibrated and validated for runoff and sediment. Statistics show generally satisfactory efficiency. To further improve sediment simulation performance, we used a seasonal calibration scheme, in which data recorded in the dry and wet seasons were used to calibrate sediments separately, on a seasonal basis. We also tested the model's capability in identifying the major sediment source zones and river segments where there is sediment deposition. On the basin scale, the average water yield (186 mm) corresponds to 27% of the total rainfall (686 mm), and average annual sediment load was estimated to be 6.8 t ha−1 year−1. On the subbasin scale, a gradient of sediment yield was found that is characterised by a large difference among the upper (7 to 13 t ha−1 year−1), central, and lower parts (<1 t ha−1 year−1) of the study area. Conversely, deposition in channel flow has its highest values in the central part of the watershed, where there is an alluvial plain. Winter wheat and olive land use are the major source areas, in terms of sediment. This study confirms that the Mediterranean watershed is a fragile ecosystem, and measures are needed to mitigate soil depletion.
Protein/Polysaccharide‐Based Hydrogels Prepared by Vapor‐Induced Phase Separation
Authors: Wang Chang‐Sheng , Virgilio Nick , Wood‐Adams Paula M. , Heuzey Marie‐Claude
Published: January 2018

The preparation of hydrogels via vapor‐induced phase separation (VIPS) has received limited attention. VIPS consists of exposing a solution containing a gelling agent to a vapor that induces gelation via mass transfer at the gas/liquid interface. Using mixtures of gelatin B and xanthan gum exposed to acetic acid vapor, it is demonstrated that VIPS is efficient for the preparation of protein/polysaccharide mixed gels. This method prevents the typical precipitation of protein/polysaccharide complexes observed in the strong electrostatic attraction regime. It significantly extends the pH window associated with gel formation, and yields mechanically stronger gels as compared to other preparation techniques such as using glucono delta‐lactone or the conventional dropwise pH adjustment technique. Finally, VIPS yields gels at very low gelling agent content, and for a variety of other mixed systems, including globular proteins such as bovine serum albumin.
Controllable Cross‐Linking Anion Exchange Membranes with Excellent Mechanical and Thermal Properties
Authors: Wang Chao , He Zhenfeng , Xie Xiaofeng , Mai Xianmin , Li Yingchun , Li Tingxi , Zhao Min , Yan Chao , Liu Hu , Wujcik Evan K. , Guo Zhanhu
Published: January 2018

A new monomer called 2,2′‐(4,4′‐oxydiphenol‐4,4′‐diyl)bis(2‐methyl‐2,3,3a,4,7,7a‐hexahydro‐1H‐4,7‐methanoisoindol‐2‐ium) iodide (d3) is synthesized possessing both cross‐linker and functional groups. The membranes are formed by copolymerizing d3 with norbornene and (3aR,4S,7R,7aS)‐2‐methyl‐2‐(3‐(trimethylammonio)propyl)‐2,3,3a,4,7,7a‐hexahydro‐1H‐4,7‐methanoisoindol‐2‐ium iodide (a3) at varying ratios. The water uptake is 41.35% at 60 °C, and ion exchange capacity is 2.35 mequiv g−1 for a mole ratio of a3, norbornene, and d3 (1:6:3). The conductivity is 12, 37, and 40 mS cm−1 when d3 is decreased. Meanwhile, the conductivity increases quickly with increasing the temperature. Furthermore, the mechanical properties and thermal properties are improved, attributed to the increased cross‐linker. The membrane has a tensile strength of 41.3 MPa and the elongation at break of 38.0 %, and the 5 wt% loss temperature for membrane is ≈159 °C. The H2/O2 single fuel cells with this membrane show a maximum power density of 124 mW cm−2 at 50 °C. The cross‐linked membranes demonstrate high‐dimensional stability in alkaline solution.
Phase Behavior of a Flexible Star Polymer Chain in Good Solvent near an Attractive Surface
Authors: Douah Sarra , Sabeur Sid Ahmed
Published: January 2018

The phase behavior of a flexible star polymer chain in good solvent near an attractive surface is investigated by multicanonical Monte Carlo simulations where the specific heat, the parallel and the perpendicular components of the gyration tensor, and the fraction of adsorbed monomers are computed. Temperature–surface attraction strength pseudo‐phase diagrams are constructed for three chain lengths (N = 31, 41, 61) with three numbers of arms (f = 3, 4, 6). The star polymer chain adopts a desorbed expanded conformation for high temperatures and low surface attraction strength. With decreasing temperature and for sufficient surface attraction strength, the star polymer chain undergoes a transition from 3D to a 2D structure. At low temperatures, the chain is mostly adsorbed for low surface attraction strength and adopts a two‐layer arrangement at high values of the latter. In this context, it is also found that the phase behavior of flexible star polymer chains in good solvent near an attractive surface is affected by the number of arms f and that a star polymer chain with a high number of arms is necessary for a precise classification of all intermediate pseudo phases.
Recent progress in the antiviral activity and mechanism study of pentacyclic triterpenoids and their derivatives
Authors: Xiao Sulong , Tian Zhenyu , Wang Yufei , Si Longlong , Zhang Lihe , Zhou Demin
Published: January 2018

Viral infections cause many serious human diseases with high mortality rates. New drug‐resistant strains are continually emerging due to the high viral mutation rate, which makes it necessary to develop new antiviral agents. Compounds of plant origin are particularly interesting. The pentacyclic triterpenoids (PTs) are a diverse class of natural products from plants composed of three terpene units. They exhibit antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, and antiviral activities. Oleanolic, betulinic, and ursolic acids are representative PTs widely present in nature with a broad antiviral spectrum. This review focuses on the recent literatures in the antiviral efficacy of this class of phytochemicals and their derivatives. In addition, their modes of action are also summarized.
Generating functions for unification of the multidimensional Bernstein polynomials and their applications
Authors: Simsek Yilmaz
Published: January 2018

The aim of this paper is to construct generating functions for m‐dimensional unification of the Bernstein basis functions. We give some properties of these functions. We also give derivative formulas and a recurrence relation of the m‐dimensional unification of the Bernstein basis functions with help of their generating functions. By combining the m‐dimensional unification of the Bernstein basis functions with m variable functions on simplex and cube, we give m‐dimensional unification of the Bernstein operator. Furthermore, by applying integrals method including the Riemann integral, the q‐integral, and the p‐adic integral to some identities for the (q‐) Bernstein basis functions, we derive some combinatorial sums including the Bernoulli numbers and Euler numbers and also the Stirling numbers and the Cauchy numbers (the Bernoulli numbers of the second kind).
Existence and Hyers‐Ulam stability of fractional nonlinear impulsive switched coupled evolution equations
Authors: Wang JinRong , Shah Kamal , Ali Amjad
Published: January 2018

In this paper, we study a class of fractional nonlinear impulsive switched coupled evolution equations. Existence and uniqueness of solutions as well as Hyers‐Ulam stability results are presented. An example is provided for the verification of our results.
On the edge detection of an image by numerical differentiations for gray function
Authors: Wang Yuchan , Liu Jijun
Published: January 2018

The detection of image edges is of great importance in image processing. One of the efficient implementations for this image recovery problem is based on the identification of sharp jumps of the gray function of the image. Mathematically, this problem can be modeled by the numerical differentiation of the gray function with 2 variables. For this ill‐posed problem with nonsmooth solution, we investigate the regularization schemes with total variation and L1 penalty term, respectively. We prove that the regularizing parameter under the Tikhonov regularization framework can be uniquely chosen in terms of the Morozov's discrepancy principle and then establish the convergence rate of the regularizing solutions in terms of the Bregman distance. The discrete schemes are performed by the lagged diffusivity fixed point iteration, with numerical implementations showing the validity of the proposed scheme.
A Mark–Recapture-Based Approach for Estimating Angler Harvest
Authors: Hansen Jon M. , Van Kirk Robert W.
Published: January 2018

Fishing effort in “traditional” creel surveys is derived from instantaneous angler counts, which in some fisheries can carry a high cost in personnel time, resources, and safety. To estimate angler effort more efficiently and at lower cost, we used mark–recapture methods to estimate weekly angler populations in Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. and steelhead O. mykiss fisheries on the Salmon River, Idaho. Weekly harvest estimates were the product of weekly angler population, mean number of days fished per angler per week, and mean harvest per angler per day. We compared traditional and mark–recapture estimates of weekly harvest using paired analysis on a sample of 48 weeks. We found no significant difference in harvest estimates between traditional and mark–recapture methods, and the mark–recapture estimates in our fisheries could be made at a savings of up to 50% in vehicle mileage associated with conducting angler counts. However, the width of 95% CIs around harvest estimates was significantly higher for the mark–recapture method, due to higher upper confidence limits resulting from right-skewness of the sampling distribution of the mark–recapture-based estimator. Precision could be improved by replacing time spent on counts in the traditional method with more time spent “capturing” anglers at access sites, still providing savings in vehicle mileage.
Optimization of Hook Size to Reduce Discards and Injury in the New Jersey Summer Flounder Hook-and-Line Fishery
Authors: Salierno J. D. , Overton A. S. , Benson C. L.
Published: January 2018

Catch-and-release angling introduces potential mortality in discarded fish, yet their survival is essential for maintaining fish stocks. Regulation of hook size in the hook-and-line fishery for Summer Flounder Paralichthys dentatus can reduce the number of discards as well as hook injury associated with catch and release. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of different J-hooks on discards and the effect of hook set location in Summer Flounder. We evaluated the influence of eight different-sized J-hooks (2/0–9/0) on Summer Flounder (N = 7,764) catch composition in coastal New Jersey during the spring and summer of 2014. Fish TL and the hook location were recorded for each Summer Flounder. Hook set locations included lip, mouth, eye, gill, gut, and external foul (i.e., viscera or muscle). Larger J-hooks (6/0–9/0) caught larger fish (381–406 mm TL) than 2/0–5/0 hooks (365–381 mm TL). In addition, larger J-hooks (6/0–9/0) decreased the total number of fish caught and the number of discards, with no reductions in legal-sized fish caught compared to smaller hooks (2/0–5/0). The majority of fish were hooked either in the lip or in the mouth. Larger hooks decreased hooking in the gut and increased external foul hooking compared to smaller hooks. We conclude that larger J-hooks outperform smaller hooks by catching larger fish, reducing the number of discarded fish, and reducing the incidence of fish hooked in the gut. Therefore, the use of larger hooks has the potential to reduce discards and the discard mortality rate related to catch and release in the Summer Flounder hook-and-line fishery.
Diffusion tensor imaging MRI of sickle cell kidney disease: initial results and comparison with iron deposition
Authors: Donnola Shannon B. , Piccone Connie M. , Lu Lan , Batesole Joshua , Little Jane , Dell Katherine M. , Flask Chris A.
Published: January 2018

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs in over one‐third of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) and can progress to end‐stage renal disease. Unfortunately, current clinical assessments of kidney function are insensitive to early‐stage CKD. Previous studies have shown that diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can sensitively detect regional renal microstructural changes associated with early‐stage CKD. However, previous MRI studies in patients with SCD have been largely limited to the detection of renal iron deposition assessed by T2* relaxometry. In this pilot imaging study, we compare MRI assessments of renal microstructure (diffusion) and iron deposition (T2*) in patients with SCD and in non‐SCD control subjects. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and T2* relaxometry MRI data were obtained for pediatric (n = 5) and adult (n = 4) patients with SCD, as well as for non‐SCD control subjects (n = 10), on a Siemens Espree 1.5‐T MRI scanner. A region‐of‐interest analysis was used to calculate mean medullary and cortical values for each MRI metric. MRI findings were also compared with clinical assessments of renal function and hemolysis. Patients with SCD showed a significant decrease in medullary fractional anisotropy (FA, p = 0.0001) in comparison with non‐SCD subjects, indicative of microstructural alterations in the renal medulla of patients with SCD. Cortical and medullary reductions in T2* (increased iron deposition, p = ≤0.0001) were also observed. Significant correlations were also observed between kidney T2* assessments and multiple measures of hemolysis. This is the first DTI MRI study of patients with SCD to demonstrate reductions in medullary FA despite no overt CKD [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 100 mL/min/1.73 m2]. These medullary FA changes are consistent with previous studies in patients with CKD, and suggest that DTI MRI can provide a useful measure of kidney injury to complement MRI assessments of iron deposition.
Observer‐based fuzzy adaptive optimal control for nonlinear continuous‐time saturation interconnected systems
Authors: Wang Tiechao , Tong Shaocheng
Published: January 2018

A fuzzy adaptive optimal output‐feedback control problem is investigated for nonlinear continuous‐time interconnected systems with saturation constraints. The system dynamics and the mismatched interconnections of each subsystem are unknown, and each subsystem contains unavailable states. Based on fuzzy logic systems, a fuzzy state observer is designed to approximate the unknown system states and the interconnections of the nonlinear interconnected system. By using adaptive dynamic programming technology, the decentralized optimal controller of each subsystem is given and the saturation control input is updated via the critic fuzzy logic systems. The proposed fuzzy adaptive observer‐based optimal control scheme can guarantee that the closed‐loop interconnected system is ultimately uniformly bounded stable. A simulation example validates the effectiveness of the presented scheme.
NOURISH‐T: Targeting caregivers to improve health behaviors in pediatric cancer survivors with obesity
Authors: Stern Marilyn , Bleck Jennifer , Ewing Linda J. , Davila Esther , Lynn Courtney , Hale Gregory , Mazzeo Suzanne
Published: January 2018

Background

Obesity rates in pediatric cancer survivors (PCS) are alarmingly high. Although healthy lifestyle changes may prevent future health complications, promoting healthy behaviors in PCS is challenging, and few interventions have successfully addressed this issue.

Procedure

This randomized control trial evaluated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a parent‐focused six‐session intervention, NOURISH‐T (Nourishing Our Understanding of Role Modeling to Improve Support and Health for Healthy Transitions), compared with enhanced usual care (EUC) on the outcomes of caregiver and PCS anthropometric measurements, eating behaviors, and physical activity. Behavioral and self‐report assessments of caregivers and PCS in both conditions were conducted at baseline, postintervention, and at a 4‐month follow‐up.

Results

In comparison to no change among EUC caregivers, NOURISH‐T caregivers showed small yet significant decreases from baseline through follow‐up on BMI, waist‐hip ratio, and total daily caloric intake. However, there was no change with regard to daily fat and sugar intake. NOURISH‐T caregivers also showed positive changes in their child feeding behaviors, including decreases in pressuring their child to eat and restricting their child's eating and increased eating together as a family. Similarly, decreases in BMI percentile, waist‐hip ratio, and sugary beverage consumption were found for NOURISH‐T PCS from baseline to postintervention. NOURISH‐T PCS also significantly increased their daily steps, whereas EUC PCS decreased their daily steps.

Conclusions

Results suggest that an intervention targeting parents is feasible and demonstrates preliminary effectiveness. NOURISH‐T showed a longer term effect on caregivers, and, although shorter term effect, a positive impact on the PCS themselves. Implications for ways to improve NOURISH‐T as an intervention for increasing healthy behaviors of PCS are discussed.
Improved outcome at end of treatment in the collaborative Wilms tumour Africa project
Authors: Israels Trijn , Paintsil Vivian , Nyirenda Dalida , Kouya Francine , Mbah Afungchwi Glenn , Hesseling Peter , Tump Clara , Kaspers Gertjan , Burns Liz , Singh Arora Ramandeep , Chagaluka George , Nana Philippa , Renner Lorna , Molyneux Elizabeth
Published: January 2018

Background

The Collaborative Wilms Tumour (WT) Africa Project has implemented an adapted WT treatment guideline in sub‐Saharan Africa as a multi‐centre prospective clinical trial. A retrospective, baseline evaluation of end‐of‐treatment outcome was performed for a 2‐year period prior to the introduction of this guideline. The collaborative project aims to reduce both treatment abandonment and death during treatment to less than 10% for improving survival.

Procedure

All participating centres obtained local Institutional Research Board (IRB) approval and implemented the adapted WT treatment guideline. End‐of‐treatment outcome was documented for 2 years. It was divided into alive without evidence of disease, treatment abandonment, death during treatment and persistent disease. The outcome of children enroled in the first 2 years of the prospective clinical trial has been compared to the outcome before the start of the project.

Results

One hundred twenty‐two patients were included in the baseline evaluation (2011–2012) and 133 in the first 2 years of the collaborative clinical trial (2014–2015). The percentage of patients alive without evidence of disease at the end of treatment increased from 52% (63/122) to 68% (90/133; P = 0.01). Treatment abandonment decreased from 23% (28/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.03). Death during treatment decreased from 21% (26/122) to 13% (17/133; P = 0.07).

Conclusion

This collaboration, using relatively simple and low‐cost interventions, led to a significant decrease in treatment abandonment and increase in survival without evidence of disease at the end of treatment.
Pediatric patients with cutaneous melanoma: A European study
Authors: Brecht Ines B. , De Paoli Angela , Bisogno Gianni , Orbach Daniel , Schneider Dominik T. , Leiter Ulrike , Offenmueller Sonja , Cecchetto Giovanni , Godzinski Jan , Bien Ewa , Stachowicz‐Stencel Teresa , Ben‐Ami Tal , Chiaravalli Stefano , Maurichi Andrea , De Salvo Gian Luca , Sorbara Silvia , Bodemer Christine , Garbe Claus , Reguerre Yves , Ferrari Andrea
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Cutaneous melanoma is rare in childhood and published studies have mainly been retrospective single‐institution series or small case series. Given the absence of clinical protocols dedicated to pediatric melanoma, the treatment approach is generally extrapolated from the ones applied to adults.

Methods

Coordinated by the European Cooperative Study Group for Pediatric Rare Tumors (EXPeRT), this study collected patients prospectively registered between 2002 and 2012 under national cooperative projects dedicated to rare pediatric tumors in Italy, Poland, Germany, and France. Additional cases were collected from dermatology registries in Germany and Israel.

Results

A total of 219 patients aged 0–18 years (median 14.4) were included in the analysis. Sentinel lymph node biopsy was performed in 112 patients (76% of those with Breslow thickness > 0.75 mm) and was positive in 37.5%. Systemic therapy was used in 33 cases. In stage III cases, survival rates were similar for patients who received (23 cases) or not (21 cases) adjuvant therapy. For the whole series, 3‐year overall and disease‐free survival rates were 91.4% and 84.0%, respectively (median follow‐up 41.8 months). Tumor site, tumor stage, and ulceration influenced survival rates. Patients treated by pediatric oncologists (n = 140) were more likely to have advanced disease than those treated by dermatologists (n = 79).

Discussion

This study would suggest that the clinical history of melanoma in children and adolescents might resemble that of adult counterpart. Cooperative efforts are needed to make new drugs more readily available to pediatric patients to increase the outcome of patient with advanced disease.
The effects of traumatic experiences on academic relationships and expectations in justice‐involved children
Authors: Johnson Micah E.
Published: January 2018

Positive school experiences are an important predictor of long‐term health and well‐being. Developing positive relationships with school personnel and positive academic expectations set the foundation for success. Positive relationships and expectations can be a powerful protective factor or intervention to redirect troubled children toward a more positive path. Unfortunately, children who experience trauma are more prone to academic underachievement and negative school experiences. This link is especially evident and troubling for children—also called justice‐involved children (JIC)—in the juvenile justice system. JIC are exposed to more traumatic experiences and have a higher prevalence of academic failure than other children. Despite evidence showing that (1) trauma is harmful to achievement in the general population, (2) JIC have a higher prevalence of trauma, and (3) JIC have a higher prevalence of academic underachievement and failure, only a few studies have examined traumatic experiences and achievement in JIC. The Childhood Trauma Model (CTM) submits that childhood trauma is central to understanding adolescent outcomes. CTM hypothesizes that (H‐1) JIC who experience trauma will have more academic risk factors than those who do not, and (H‐2) JIC who experience multiple types of trauma will have higher academic risks than those who experience a single type of trauma. The current study tests (1) whether 10 different types of traumatic experiences are individually associated with increased risks for fewer positive adult relationships and lower expectations of graduating from high school among JIC, and (2) whether experiencing multiple types of trauma has a larger impact than experiencing a single type of trauma.