bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Instandsetzungsplanung der Rheinbrücke Emmerich
Authors: Kratzke Bastian , Uphoff Henning
Published: December 2017

Mit 803 m Länge ist die Rheinbrücke Emmerich nicht nur die längste Hängebrücke in Deutschland, sondern weist mit 500 m auch die größte Stützweite aller Brücken hierzulande auf. Doch nicht nur deswegen ist diese von Hellmut Homberg entworfene Brücke eine Ikone des deutschen Stahlbaus des 20. Jh., markiert sie doch gleichermaßen den nationalen technischen Höhepunkt dieser Brückenkategorie. Aufgrund zum Großteil alterungsbedingter Schäden sind heute umfangreiche Instandsetzungsarbeiten erforderlich, doch vorangestellt wurde eine umfassende Nachrechnung des Bestandsbauwerks, um die Wirtschaftlichkeit dieser Maßnahmen im Vorhinein bewerten zu können. Eine Besonderheit hierbei war, dass die Nachrechnung zusätzlich durch Untersuchungen und Probeinstandsetzungen am Bauwerk unterstützt wurde.
Analyzing Horizontal Transfer of Transposable Elements on a Large Scale: Challenges and Prospects
Authors: Peccoud Jean , Cordaux Richard , Gilbert Clément
Published: December 2017

Whoever compares the genomes of distantly related species might find aberrantly high sequence similarity at certain loci. Such anomaly can only be explained by genetic material being transferred through other means than reproduction, that is, a horizontal transfer (HT). Between multicellular organisms, the transferred material will likely turn out to be a transposable element (TE). Because TEs can move between loci and invade chromosomes by replicating themselves, HT of TEs (HTT) profoundly impacts genome evolution. Yet, very few studies have quantified HTT at large taxonomic scales. Indeed, this task currently faces difficulties that range from the variable quality of available genome sequences to limitations of analytical procedures, some of which have been overlooked. Here we review the many challenges that an extensive analysis of HTT must overcome, we expose biases and limits of current methods, suggest solutions or workarounds, and reflect upon approaches that could be developed to better quantify this phenomenon.
Low‐Intensity Ultrasound Upregulates the Expression of Cyclin‐D1 and Promotes Cellular Proliferation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Budhiraja Gaurav , Sahu Neety , Subramanian Anuradha
Published: December 2017

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) hold great potential for cellular based therapeutics and tissue engineering applications and their expansion is an interesting prospect due to their low availability from in vivo sources. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of continuous‐wave low‐intensity ultrasound (LIUS) at 5.0‐MHz and 14.0‐kPa (<20 mW cm−2) on the proliferative capacity, colony‐formation efficiency, genetic stability, and differentiation potential of hMSCs. Additionally, potential signaling pathways involved in LIUS‐mediated proliferation of hMSCs are studied. Compared to non‐stimulated controls, LIUS‐treated hMSCs shows a 1.9‐fold greater colony‐forming efficiency and 2.5‐fold higher rate of cell proliferation, respectively. Differential staining and qRT‐PCR analysis for selective chondrogenic, osteogenic, and adipogenic markers further confirmed that the LIUS treatment did not impact the multipotency of hMSCs. LIUS‐treated hMSCs expressed normal male karyotype. The synthesis of cyclin‐D1, a master regulator of cellular proliferation, is upregulated under LIUS and its enhanced mRNA expression under LIUS is noted to be mediated by the activation of both MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways. In conclusion, LIUS promotes proliferation and self‐renewal capacity of hMSCs.
Autophagy: novel applications of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs for primary cancer
Authors: Yu Chen , Li Wei‐bing , Liu Jun‐bao , Lu Jian‐wei , Feng Ji‐feng
Published: December 2017

In eukaryotic cells, autophagy is a process associated with programmed cell death. During this process, cytoplasmic proteins and organelles are engulfed by double‐membrane autophagosomes, which then fuse with lysosomes to form autolysosomes. These autolysosomes then degrade their contents to recycle the cellular components. Autophagy has been implicated in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes that are closely related to tumorigenesis. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have indicated that nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, such as celecoxib, meloxicam, sulindac, aspirin, sildenafil, rofecoxib, and sodium salicylate, have diverse effects in cancer that are mediated by the autophagy pathway. These nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs can modulate tumor autophagy through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK/ERK1/2, P53/DRAM, AMPK/mTOR, Bip/GRP78, CHOP/ GADD153, and HGF/MET signaling pathways and inhibit lysosome function, leading to p53‐dependent G1 cell‐cycle arrest. In this review, we summarize the research progress in autophagy induced by nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in cancer cells to provide a reference for the potential benefits of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in cancer chemotherapy.
AKT3 drives adenoid cystic carcinoma development in salivary glands
Authors: Zboray Katalin , Mohrherr Julian , Stiedl Patricia , Pranz Klemens , Wandruszka Laura , Grabner Beatrice , Eferl Robert , Moriggl Richard , Stoiber Dagmar , Sakamoto Kazuhito , Wagner Kay‐Uwe , Popper Helmut , Casanova Emilio , Moll Herwig P.
Published: December 2017

Salivary gland cancer is an aggressive and painful cancer, but a rare tumor type accounting for only ~0.5% of cancer cases. Tumors of the salivary gland exhibit heterogeneous histologic and genetic features and they are subdivided into different subtypes, with adenoid cystic carcinomas (ACC) being one of the most abundant. Treatment of ACC patients is afflicted by high recurrence rates, the high potential of the tumors to metastasize, as well as the poor response of ACC to chemotherapy. A prerequisite for the development of targeted therapies is insightful genetic information for driver core cancer pathways. Here, we developed a transgenic mouse model toward establishment of a preclinical model. There is currently no available mouse model for adenoid cystic carcinomas as a rare disease entity to serve as a test system to block salivary gland tumors with targeted therapy. Based on tumor genomic data of ACC patients, a key role for the activation of the PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR pathway was suggested in tumors of secretory glands. Therefore, we investigated the role of Akt3 expression in tumorigenesis and report that Akt3 overexpression results in ACC of salivary glands with 100% penetrance, while abrogation of transgenic Akt3 expression could revert the phenotype. In summary, our findings validate a novel mouse model to study ACC and highlight the druggable potential of AKT3 in the treatment of salivary gland patients.
Synthesis of d‐mannitol‐based crown ethers and their application as catalyst in asymmetric phase transfer reactions
Authors: Nemcsok Tamás , Rapi Zsolt , Keglevich György , Grün Alajos , Bakó Péter
Published: December 2017

A few new d‐mannitol‐based monoaza‐15‐crown‐5 type chiral lariat ethers and 18‐crown‐6 type macrocycles were synthesized. These crown compounds were used as phase transfer catalysts in asymmetric Michael addititons and in a Darzens condensation under mild conditions to afford the corresponding products in a few cases in good to excellent enantioselectivities. In the Michael addition of diethyl acetoxymalonate to trans‐chalcone, in the addition of diethyl acetamidomalonate to ß‐nitrostyrene, in the reaction of diethyl bromomalonate with benzylidene malononitriles, in the cyclopropanation reaction of diethyl bromomalonate and 2‐benzylidene‐1,3‐indandione, and in the Darzens condensation of α‐chloroacetophenone with benzaldehyde, maximum enantioselectivities of 39%, 65%, 99%, 56%, and 62%, respectively, were obtained in the presence of the d‐mannitol‐based macrocycles as the catalysts.
Effect of Triticale Milling Coarseness on Biogas Production
Authors: Moeller Lucie , Zehnsdorf Andreas , Müller Roland Arno
Published: December 2017

The objective of this study was to investigate the digestibility of triticale grain kernels in anaerobic digestion (AD) systems as compared with coarse triticale. Although the biogas yield of grain kernels in fermentation batch tests was 11 % lower than the biogas yield of coarse triticale after 39 days fermentation time, the parallel semi‐continuous fermentations showed the adaptability of the system to the grain kernels AD. The results are important for the prevention of foaming when grain is used as a substrate in AD plants.
Modelling methane and ethane photolysis in waste gas: Optimization of reaction networks
Authors: Asili Vahid , De Visscher Alex
Published: December 2017

A mechanistic model for the ultraviolet degradation of methane and ethane in waste gas was developed with the focus on reaction network development and optimization. The research serves a dual purpose of removing natural gas condensate emissions, and converting condensates to added‐value products. A comprehensive reaction network including all possible reactions was developed, and kinetic constants were taken from the literature or estimated based on analogues. Overall, 162 reactions were included for the most complete case. Next, the model was screened for reactions that did not affect the simulation results. As complexity increases, it was shown that the model devotes an increasing fraction of time calculating reactions that are negligible in the overall process. Based on the simulation results it is expected that the model can be extended to higher alkanes with a reasonable run‐time in addition to keeping precise simulation results. The model predicts that high ethane conversion is possible while maintaining low methane conversion, and it is expected that this effect will be even more pronounced in the presence of higher alkanes. Overall, the projected model can be used to establish the feasibility of converting natural gas condensates to value‐added products without degrading its main content, methane; provided that oxygen and water vapour are available for the oxidation.
Étude de l'amélioration des propriétés des anodes par le brai modifié
Authors: Bureau Julie , Kocaefe Duygu , Kocaefe Yasar , Bhattacharyay Dipankar
Published: December 2017

Dans l'industrie de l'aluminium, les anodes sont utilisées afin de fournir le carbone nécessaire à la réduction électrolytique de l'aluminium. Toutefois, la compatibilité des matériaux de base est compromise par la qualité décroissante du coke et du brai nuisant à l'obtention des propriétés finales des anodes. L'objectif de ce travail est de vérifier si l'amélioration de la mouillabilité du coke par un brai modifié chimiquement peut contribuer à améliorer certaines des propriétés d'anodes. La méthodologie prévoit la fabrication d'anodes au laboratoire de carbone de l'UQAC à partir de brais modifiés à l'aide d'un additif chimique et la comparaison avec des anodes standards. Deux additifs chimiques ont été testés. Les anodes sont ensuite carottées et les échantillons sont caractérisés à l'état cru et cuit selon les normes appropriées. Dans cette étude, les deux additifs sélectionnés ont permis de démontrer une amélioration significative de certaines des propriétés des anodes.
Recent Advances in Transition Metal‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Radical Reactions
Authors: Wang Kuai , Kong Wangqing
Published: December 2017

Control of enantioselectivity in radical reactions was a formidable challenge for organic chemists for decades. Thanks to the key role of transition metal complexes both in promoting and highly enantioselectively controlling sophisticated synthetic routes, great improvements in this filed have been achieved by merging transition‐metal asymmetric catalysis with radical chemistry. Herein we provide a perspective of some of the most significant contributions in the field during the past decades. Accordingly, the major advances are classified based on different strategies for controlling stereoselectivity including: (1) chiral metal complex chelation, (2) chiral metal complex combined with radical species and reductive elimination, (3) chiral metal complex outer‐sphere substitution by radical intermediate. Brief discussion of mechanism is presented whenever relevant.
Development and evaluation of the Expressions of Moral Injury Scale—Military Version
Authors: Currier Joseph M. , Farnsworth Jacob K. , Drescher Kent D. , McDermott Ryon C. , Sims Brook M. , Albright David L.
Published: December 2017

There is consensus that military personnel can encounter a far more diverse set of challenges than researchers and clinicians have historically appreciated. Moral injury (MI) represents an emerging construct to capture behavioural, social, and spiritual suffering that may transcend and overlap with mental health diagnoses (e.g., post‐traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder). The Expressions of Moral Injury Scale—Military Version (EMIS‐M) was developed to provide a reliable and valid means for assessing the warning signs of a MI in military populations. Drawing on independent samples of veterans who had served in a war‐zone environment, factor analytic results revealed 2 distinct factors related to MI expressions directed at both self (9 items) and others (8 items). These subscales generated excellent internal consistency and temporal stability over a 6‐month period. When compared to measures of post‐traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, and other theoretically relevant constructs (e.g., forgiveness, social support, moral emotions, and combat exposure), EMIS‐M scores demonstrated strong convergent, divergent, and incremental validity. In addition, although structural equation modelling findings supported a possible general MI factor in Study 2, the patterns of associations for self‐ and other‐directed expressions yielded evidence for differential validity with varying forms of forgiveness and combat exposure. As such, the EMIS‐M provides a face valid, psychometrically validated tool for assessing expressions of apparent MI subtypes in research and clinical settings. Looking ahead, the EMIS‐M will hopefully advance the scientific understanding of MI while supporting innovation for clinicians to tailor evidence‐based treatments and/or develop novel approaches for addressing MI in their work.
SecCloudSharing: Secure data sharing in public cloud using ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based proxy re‐encryption with revocation
Authors: Tiwari Deepnarayan , Gangadharan G. R.
Published: December 2017

An efficient cryptography mechanism should enforce an access control policy over the encrypted data to provide flexible, fine‐grained, and secure data access control for secure sharing of data in cloud storage. To make a secure cloud data sharing solution, we propose a ciphertext‐policy attribute‐based proxy re‐encryption scheme. In the proposed scheme, we design an efficient fine‐grained revocation mechanism, which enables not only efficient attribute‐level revocation but also efficient policy‐level revocation to achieve backward secrecy and forward secrecy. Moreover, we use a multiauthority key attribute center in the key generation phase to overcome the single‐point performance bottleneck problem and the key escrow problem. By formal security analysis, we illustrate that our proposed scheme achieves confidentiality, secure key distribution, multiple collusions resistance, and policy‐ or attribute‐revocation security. By comprehensive performance and implementation analysis, we illustrate that our proposed scheme improves the practical efficiency of storage, computation cost, and communication cost compared to the other related schemes.
Underestimation of N2O emissions in a comparison of the DayCent, DNDC, and EPIC models
Authors: Gaillard Richard K. , Jones Curtis D. , Ingraham Pete , Collier Sarah , Izaurralde Roberto Cesar , Jokela William , Osterholz William , Salas William , Vadas Peter , Ruark Matthew D.
Published: December 2017

Process‐based models are increasingly used to study agroecosystem interactions and N2O emissions from agricultural fields. The widespread use of these models to conduct research and inform policy benefits from periodic model comparisons that assess the state of agroecosystem modeling and indicate areas for model improvement. This work provides an evaluation of simulated N2O flux from three process‐based models: DayCent, DNDC, and EPIC. The models were calibrated and validated using data collected from two research sites over five years that represent cropping systems and nitrogen fertilizer management strategies common to dairy cropping systems. We also evaluated the use of a multi‐model ensemble strategy, which inconsistently outperformed individual model estimations. Regression analysis indicated a cross‐model bias to underestimate high magnitude daily and cumulative N2O flux. Model estimations of observed soil temperature and water content did not sufficiently explain model underestimations, and we found significant variation in model estimates of heterotrophic respiration, denitrification, soil NH4+, and soil NO3−, which may indicate that additional types of observed data are required to evaluate model performance and possible biases. Our results suggest a bias in the model estimation of N2O flux from agroecosystems that limits the extension of models beyond calibration and as instruments of policy development. This highlights a growing need for the modeling and measurement communities to collaborate in the collection and analysis of the data necessary to improve models and coordinate future development.
Multiple signaling functions of song in a polymorphic species with alternative reproductive strategies
Authors: Grunst Melissa L. , Grunst Andrea S. , Formica Vince A. , Gonser Rusty A. , Tuttle Elaina M.
Published: December 2017

Vocal traits can be sexually selected to reflect male quality, but may also evolve to serve additional signaling functions. We used a long‐term dataset to examine the signaling potential of song in dimorphic white‐throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). We investigated whether song conveys multifaceted information about the vocalizing individual, including fitness, species identity, individual identity, and morph. We also evaluated whether song traits correlate differently with fitness in the two morphs, as the more promiscuous strategy of white, relative to tan, morph males might impose stronger sexual selection. Males with high song rates achieved higher lifetime reproductive success, and this pattern was driven by white morph males. In addition, males that sang songs with many notes survived longer, but this pattern was less robust. Thus, song traits reflect differences in fitness and may more strongly affect fitness in the white morph. Song frequency was unrelated to fitness, body size, or morph, but was individual specific and could signal individual identity. Songs of the two morphs displayed similar frequency ratios and bandwidths. However, tan morph males sang songs with longer first notes, fewer notes, and higher variability. Thus, song could be used in morph discrimination. Variation in frequency ratios between notes was low and could function in conspecific recognition, but pitch change dynamics did differ between four different song types observed. Our results support a multiple messages model for white‐throated sparrow song, in which different song traits communicate discrete information about the vocalizing individual.
Comparative impacts of aboveground and belowground enemies on an invasive thistle
Authors: Nunes Krystal A. , Kotanen Peter M.
Published: December 2017

Most research examining how herbivores and pathogens affect performance of invasive plants focuses on aboveground interactions. Although important, the role of belowground communities remains poorly understood, and the relative impact of aboveground and belowground interactions is still debated. As well, most studies of belowground interactions have been carried out in controlled environments, so little is known about the role of these interactions under natural conditions or how these relationships may change across a plant's range. Using the invasive plant Cirsium arvense, we performed a reciprocal transplant experiment to test the relative impacts of above‐ and belowground interactions at three sites across a 509‐km latitudinal gradient in its invaded range in Ontario, Canada. At each site, C. arvense seedlings were protected with above‐ and/or belowground exclosures in a factorial design. Plant performance (biomass, height, stem thickness, number of leaves, length of longest leaf, maximum rhizome length) was greatest when both above‐ and belowground exclosures were applied and lowest when no exclosures were applied. When only one type of exclosure was applied, biomass generally improved more with belowground exclosures than with aboveground exclosures. Despite site‐to‐site differences in foliar damage, root damage, and mesofaunal populations, belowground interactions generally had a greater negative impact on performance than aboveground herbivory alone. These results stress the importance of including both aboveground enemy interactions and plant–soil interactions in studies of plant community dynamics and invader performance.
Social structure modulates the evolutionary consequences of social plasticity: A social network perspective on interacting phenotypes
Authors: Montiglio Pierre‐Olivier , McGlothlin Joel W. , Farine Damien R.
Published: December 2017

Organisms express phenotypic plasticity during social interactions. Interacting phenotype theory has explored the consequences of social plasticity for evolution, but it is unclear how this theory applies to complex social structures. We adapt interacting phenotype models to general social structures to explore how the number of social connections between individuals and preference for phenotypically similar social partners affect phenotypic variation and evolution. We derive an analytical model that ignores phenotypic feedback and use simulations to test the predictions of this model. We find that adapting previous models to more general social structures does not alter their general conclusions but generates insights into the effect of social plasticity and social structure on the maintenance of phenotypic variation and evolution. Contribution of indirect genetic effects to phenotypic variance is highest when interactions occur at intermediate densities and decrease at higher densities, when individuals approach interacting with all group members, homogenizing the social environment across individuals. However, evolutionary response to selection tends to increase at greater network densities as the effects of an individual's genes are amplified through increasing effects on other group members. Preferential associations among similar individuals (homophily) increase both phenotypic variance within groups and evolutionary response to selection. Our results represent a first step in relating social network structure to the expression of social plasticity and evolutionary responses to selection.
Pre‐Activation‐Based Stereoselective Glycosylations
Authors: Yang Bo , Yang Weizhun , Ramadan Sherif , Huang Xuefei
Published: December 2017

Due to the wide presence of carbohydrates in nature and their crucial roles in numerous important biological processes, oligosaccharides have attracted a lot of attention in synthetic organic chemistry community. Many innovative synthetic methods have been developed for oligosaccharide synthesis, among which the pre‐activation‐based glycosylation is particularly noteworthy. Traditionally, glycosylation reactions are carried out when the glycosyl donor and the acceptor are both present when the promoter is added. In comparison, the pre‐activation‐based glycosylation is unique, where the glycosyl donor is activated by the promoter in the absence of the acceptor. Upon complete donor activation, the acceptor is added to the reaction mixture enabling glycosylation. The key step in any oligosaccharide synthesis is the stereoselective formation of the glycosidic bond. As donor activation and acceptor glycosylation are temporally separated, pre‐activation‐based glycosylation can bestow unique stereochemical control. This review systematically discusses factors impacting the stereochemical outcome of a pre‐activation‐based glycosylation reaction including substituents on the glycosyl donor, reaction solvent, and additives. Applications of pre‐activation‐based stereoselective glycosylation in assembly of complex oligosaccharides are also discussed.
Preparation of Epirubicin Aptasensor Using Curcumin as Hybridization Indicator: Competitive Binding Assay between Complementary Strand of Aptamer and Epirubicin
Authors: Hashkavayi Ayemeh Bagheri , Raoof Jahan Bakhsh , Ojani Reza
Published: December 2017

The present work explains the fabrication of a novel electrochemical aptasensor for identifying and measuring the epirubicin (Epi) by using curcumin (Cur) as an anticancer electrochemical indicator. The aptasensor prepared by immobilizing the thiolated aptamer on the surface of graphite screen‐printed electrode modified with gold nanoparticles/functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes, ionic liquid and chitosan nanocomposite (AuNPs/FMWCNTs‐IL‐Chit/SPE). To evaluate the willingness of aptamer to interaction with Epi in the presence of complementary strand DNA, competitive binding assay between the complementary strand of aptamer and Epi were used. Cur tends to bound to the grooves of two strands DNA. With increasing the concentration of Epi in the range of 0.007–7.0 μM, the peak current of Cur decreased, due to the formation of aptamer‐Epi complex and decreasing the amount of complementary strand DNA. Through the control experiments, we examined the response of fabricated aptasensor for some anticancer drugs, which have a structure similar to the Epi. The results showed that using the thiol‐terminated aptamer as a recognition layer led to a sensor with a high tendency for Epi compared to other anticancer drugs.
Augmentative Approaches in Family‐Based Treatment for Adolescents with Restrictive Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review
Authors: Richards Imogen Lim , Subar Anni , Touyz Stephen , Rhodes Paul
Published: December 2017

Objective

To systematically review the literature reporting outcomes of augmentative family‐based treatment (FBT) interventions for adolescents with restrictive eating disorders (EDs).

Method

Articles were identified through a systematic search of five electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database).

Results

Thirty articles were included, reporting on FBT augmentations featuring adjunctive treatment components, modified treatment structure and/or content with adherence to FBT principles, and adaptations allowing FBT delivery in different settings. All reported significant improvements in weight and/or ED symptoms at end‐of‐treatment, although few compared augmentative and standard FBT interventions and good quality follow‐up data was generally lacking.

Conclusions

There is early evidence for the effectiveness of augmentative FBT‐based approaches in facilitating weight and/or ED symptom improvements for adolescents with restrictive EDs. There remains a lack of robust evidence demonstrating superior effects of such approaches over standard FBT, and further controlled studies are required to expand on the current evidence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
Energy‐efficient joint power control and resource allocation for cluster‐based NB‐IoT cellular networks
Authors: Zhu Shuqiong , Wu Wenquan , Feng Lei , Zhao Pan , Zhou Fanqin , Yu Peng , Li Wenjing
Published: December 2017

As a new cellular technology introduced in 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 13, Narrow‐band Internet of Things (NB‐IoT) provides wide‐area coverage for massive IoT devices. In the perspective of NB‐IoT business applications, it is easily known that energy efficiency is of utmost importance. In this paper, we propose an energy‐efficient joint resource allocation and power control for cluster‐based NB‐IoT cellular networks. The scheme mainly consists of 2 parts, ie, the formation of NB‐IoT device clusters and joint optimization of power and channel allocation. Firstly, by considering the geographical distribution density and the communication capability of NB‐IoT devices, we propose a fast cluster formation scheme to categorize a group of devices into multiple clusters. The cluster head is selected based on the strategy of maximal remaining battery energy due to its higher power consumption than that of clustered devices. Then, a joint optimization of resource and power is proposed for the maximization of energy efficiency of cluster‐based NB‐IoT cellular networks. Exploiting the properties of an objective function, we transform the original nonconvex optimization problem into equivalent 2‐step subproblems. In the first step, the optimal power allocation for any feasible channel reuse assignments is solved by finding the Nash equilibrium point based on noncooperative gaming. In the second step, the resource assignment problem is modeled as bipartite graphs matching and a Hungarian algorithm is used to obtain the perfect matching of channel reusing for maximal energy efficiency. Numerical results demonstrate the remarkable improvements in terms of energy efficiency and device access rate during a period by using the proposed scheme.
Human T cell responses to Dengue and Zika virus infection compared to Dengue/Zika coinfection
Authors: Badolato‐Corrêa Jessica , Sánchez‐Arcila Juan Camilo , Alves de Souza Thiara Manuele , Santos Barbosa Luciana , Conrado Guerra Nunes Priscila , da Rocha Queiroz Lima Monique , Gandini Mariana , Bispo de Filippis Ana Maria , Venâncio da Cunha Rivaldo , Leal de Azeredo Elzinandes , de‐Oliveira‐Pinto Luzia Maria
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV) co‐circulated during latest outbreaks in Brazil, hence, it is important to evaluate the host cross‐reactive immune responses to these viruses. So far, little is known about human T cell responses to ZIKV and no reports detail adaptive immune responses during DENV/ZIKV coinfection.

Methods

Here, we studied T cells responses in well‐characterized groups of DENV, ZIKV, or DENV/ZIKV infected patients and DENV‐exposed healthy donors. We evaluated chemokine receptors expression and single/multifunctional frequencies of IFNγ, TNF, and IL2‐producing T cells during these infections. Even without antigenic stimulation, it was possible to detect chemokine receptors and IFNγ, TNF, and IL2‐producing T cells from all individuals by flow cytometry. Additionally, PBMCs’ IFNγ response to DENV NS1 protein and to polyclonal stimuli was evaluated by ELISPOT.

Results

DENV and ZIKV infections and DENV/ZIKV coinfections similarly induced expression of CCR5, CX3CR1, and CXCR3 on CD4 and CD8 T cells. DENV/ZIKV coinfection decreased the ability of CD4+ T cells to produce IFNγ+, TNF+, TNF + IFNγ+, and TNF + IL2+, compared to DENV and ZIKV infections. A higher magnitude of IFNγ response to DENV NS1 was found in donors with a history of dengue infection, however, a hyporesponsiveness was found in acute DENV, ZIKV, or DENV/ZIKV infected patients, even previously infected with DENV.

Conclusion

Therefore, we emphasize the potential impact of coinfection on the immune response from human hosts, mainly in areas where DENV and ZIKV cocirculate.
IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EVIDENCED‐BASED PARENTING PROGRAM IN A COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SETTING
Authors: Roosa Ordway Monica , McMahon Thomas J. , De Las Heras Kuhn Lourdes , Suchman Nancy E.
Published: December 2017

The process of mental health intervention implementation with vulnerable populations is not well‐described in the literature. The authors worked as a community‐partnered team to adapt and pilot an empirically supported intervention program for mothers of infants and toddlers in an outpatient mental health clinic that primarily serves a low‐income community. We used qualitative ethnographic methods to document the adaption of an evidence‐based intervention, Mothering from the Inside Out, and the pilot implementation in a community mental health clinic. Seventeen mothers and their identified 0‐ to 84‐month‐old children were enrolled in the study. Key lessons from this implementation include (a) the importance of formative work to build community relationships and effectively adapt the intervention to meet the needs of the therapists and their clients, (b) the importance of designing plans for training and reflective supervision that fit within the flow of the clinic and can tolerate disruptions, and (c) that use of an interdisciplinary approach is feasible with the development of a plan for communication and the support of a trained reflective clinical supervisor. These key lessons advance the scientific knowledge available to healthcare managers and researchers who are looking to adapt mental health clinical interventions previously tested in clinical trials to implementation in community settings.
CONFIGURING PROCESS VARIANTS THROUGH SEMANTIC REASONING IN SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Authors: Detro Silvana Pereira , Portela Edoardo , Rocha Eduardo Loures , Panetto Hervé , Lezoche Mario
Published: December 2017

When dealing with processes, engineering systems need to be able to deal with the existence of many versions of the same process, known as variants. Each process variant aims to represent a specific business context but, due to some differences in the activities, resources, and control flow, they may differ in their logic. As result, the concept of a customizable process model has emerged. A process model can be customized by representing the process family in one single model deriving a variant through transformations in this single model. However, the process customization is not a trivial‐task. It must be ensured that the variant is correct. Besides, the resulting variant must respect all requirements related to the application context and internal and external regulations, among others. In addition, recommendations and guidance should be provided during the customization. In this context, this research aims to propose a framework for customizing variants according to the user's requirements. The customization is achieved by reasoning in an ontology based on the rules for selecting a variant, in the internal/external regulations, and on expert knowledge.
A FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN ENGINEERING PROJECTS
Authors: Zheng Li , Baron Claude , Esteban Philippe , Xue Rui , Zhang Qiang
Published: December 2017

Performance measurement enables project managers to monitor the project progress and evaluate results. However, several issues remain, such as an unbalanced use of leading and lagging indicators. Lagging indicators are used to track how things are going. Leading indicators are used as precursors to the direction towards which things are going. The goal of this paper is to develop leading indicators to improve the measurement of projects performance. To address this issue, we consider the measurement processes and indicators in systems engineering measurement that promotes leading indicators. Our objective is to extend the performance measurement activities in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK version 5) by adapting the good practices in systems engineering measurement resulting in the proposal of a framework. Thereby, systems engineering leading indicators can be applied to project performance measurement, thus providing project managers with a wider type of indicators and measurement techniques.
Contribution of Water Management and Flood Protection to Food Security and Sustainable Development of Coastal and Deltaic Areas
Authors: Schultz Bart
Published: December 2017

In the field of irrigation, drainage and flood protection are two items crucial for the world's population, as well as for the work of the International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) as a global association of professionals in the water sector. The first concerns the contribution of water management to food security and the second the impacts of man‐induced changes in land use and climate change on living and working in coastal and deltaic areas. These two items are presented in light of the rapidly changing and urbanizing world. The first item is mainly based on the work that was done with a great involvement of many specialists for the 6th and 7th World Water Forums and the second one on research by the author during the past decades. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards automated cancer screening: Label‐free classification of fixed cell samples using wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Woolford Lana , Chen Mingzhou , Dholakia Kishan , Herrington C. Simon
Published: December 2017

The ability to provide quantitative, objective and automated pathological analysis would provide enormous benefits for national cancer screening programmes, in terms of both resource reduction and improved patient wellbeing. The move towards molecular pathology through spectroscopic methods shows great promise, but has been restricted by spectral quality, acquisition times and lack of direct clinical application. In this paper, we present the application of wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy for the automated label‐ and fluorescence‐free classification of fixed squamous epithelial cells in suspension, such as those produced during a cervical smear test. Direct comparison with standard Raman spectroscopy shows marked improvement of sensitivity and specificity when considering both human papillomavirus (sensitivity +12.0%, specificity +5.3%) and transformation status (sensitivity +10.3%, specificity +11.1%). Studies on the impact of intracellular sampling location and storage effects suggest that wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy is sufficiently robust to be used in fixed cell classification, but requires further investigations of potential sources of molecular variation in order to improve current clinical tools.
Age‐Related Deterioration of Bone Toughness Is Related to Diminishing Amount of Matrix Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)
Authors: Wang Xiaodu , Hua Rui , Ahsan Abu , Ni Qingwen , Huang Yehong , Gu Sumin , Jiang Jean X
Published: December 2017

Hydration status significantly affects the toughness of bone. In addition to the collagen phase, recent evidence shows that glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of proteoglycans (PGs) in the extracellular matrix also play a pivotal role in regulating the tissue‐level hydration status of bone, thereby affecting the tissue‐level toughness of bone. In this study, we hypothesized that the amount of GAGs in bone matrix decreased with age and such changes would lead to reduction in bound water and subsequently result in a decrease in the tissue‐level toughness of bone. To test the hypothesis, nanoscratch tests were conducted to measure the tissue‐level toughness of human cadaveric bone specimens, which were procured only from male donors in three different age groups: young (aged 26 ± 6 years), mid‐aged (aged 52 ± 5 years), and elderly (aged 73 ± 5 years), with 6 donors in each group. Biochemical and histochemical assays were performed to determine the amount and major subtypes of GAGs and proteoglycans in bone matrix. In addition, low‐field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements were implemented to determine bound water content in bone matrix. The results demonstrated that aging resulted in a statistically significant reduction (17%) of GAGs in bone matrix. Concurrently, a significant deterioration (20%) of tissue‐level toughness of bone with age was observed. Most importantly, the deteriorated tissue‐level toughness of bone was associated significantly with the age‐related reduction (40%) of bound water, which was partially induced by the decrease of GAGs in bone matrix. Furthermore, we identified that chondroitin sulfate (CS) was a major subtype of GAGs, and the amount of CS decreased with aging accompanied with a decrease of biglycan that is a major subtype of PGs in bone. The findings of this study suggest that reduction of GAGs in bone matrix is likely one of the molecular origins for age‐related deterioration of bone quality. © 2017 The Authors. JBMR Plus is published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Deletion of BCG Hip1 protease enhances dendritic cell and CD4 T cell responses
Authors: Bizzell Erica , Sia Jonathan Kevin , Quezada Melanie , Enriquez Ana , Georgieva Maria , Rengarajan Jyothi
Published: December 2017

Dendritic cells (DCs) play a key role in the generation of CD4 T cell responses to pathogens. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) harbors immune evasion mechanisms that impair DC responses and prevent optimal CD4 T cell immunity. The vaccine strain Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) shares many of the immune evasion proteins utilized by Mtb, but the role of these proteins in DC and T cell responses elicited by BCG is poorly understood. We previously reported that the Mtb serine protease, Hip1, promotes sub-optimal DC responses during infection. Here, we tested the hypothesis that BCG Hip1 modulates DC functions and prevents optimal antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses that limit the immunogenicity of BCG. We generated a strain of BCG lacking hip1 (BCGΔhip1) and show that it has superior capacity to induce DC maturation and cytokine production compared with the parental BCG. Furthermore, BCGΔhip1-infected DCs were more effective at driving the production of IFN-γ and IL-17 from antigen-specific CD4 T cells in vitro. Mucosal transfer of BCGΔhip1-infected DCs into mouse lungs induced robust CD4 T cell activation in vivo and generated antigen-specific polyfunctional CD4 T cell responses in the lungs. Importantly, BCGΔhip1-infected DCs enhanced control of pulmonary bacterial burden following Mtb aerosol challenge compared with the transfer of BCG-infected DCs. These results reveal that BCG employs Hip1 to impair DC activation, leading to attenuated lung CD4 T cell responses with limited capacity to control Mtb burden after challenge.
Effect of extrusion temperature and screw speed on properties of oat and rice flour extrudates
Authors: Sandrin Raceli , Caon Thiago , Zibetti André Wüst , de Francisco Alicia
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Whole oat and rice flours were mixed to develop instant flours by a high pressure and low mechanical shear extrusion process. The screw profile was designed aiming to obtain an infant food with gelatinized starch and high hydration ability. Response surface methodology was selected to study the impact of operating parameters such as temperature and screw speed (73–186 °C; 109–391 rpm) on physicochemical and pasting properties of the final extruded product. The main challenge of this study was to process high oats content, since they are characterized by high lipid and fiber content, which impact on material processing.

RESULTS

The optimal response was achieved at 170 °C and 350 rpm. The optimal expansion ratio, bulk density, water absorption index, and water solubility index were 2.24, 289.65 kg m−3, 6.42 g g−1, and 4.75 g g−1 respectively. Overall, both temperature and screw speed affected the responses studied, except for water absorption index (only screw speed affected this response). Although lipids from oats reduce the expansion ratio of extrudates compared with samples containing higher starch proportions, their lipids protect the starch granules from mechanical degradation when higher screw speed values are used. As a result, both ungelatinized and gelatinized starches may be found in extrudates, which was confirmed by pasting property analyses.

CONCLUSION

High oat content may be efficiently processed by optimizing the extruder conditions (temperature, screw speed, and profile), improving the nutritional properties of the final product. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Use of Tunisian flavored olive oil as anisakicidal agent in industrial anchovy marinating process
Authors: Trabelsi Najla , Marotta Stefania M , Giarratana Filippo , Taamali Amani , Zarrouk Mokhtar , Ziino Graziella , Giuffrida Alessandro
Published: December 2017

BACKGROUND

Natural compounds are more frequently used against Anisakis, responsible for the important fish‐borne disease anisakidosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of enriched Tunisian olive oil with different spices (cumin, turmeric, clove, thyme, and lemon) against Anisakis larvae type 1.

RESULTS

In vitro experiment: larvae were submerged separately in the aforementioned oils and then examined to check viability. For each oil, LT50 and LT100 were calculated. Turmeric and cumin oils are the most effective against the parasites; followed by lemon, thyme and clove oils. For the in vivo experiment, turmeric and cumin oils were tested in anchovy fillets previously artificially parasitized with L3 larvae. Cumin was the most effective against parasites (dead after 5 days) compared with turmeric (8 days). For the two oils, the resulting odor was pleasant, as was the taste, while changes in color were much more evident in turmeric fillets.

CONCLUSION

All the flavored oils demonstrated a good nematodical action against Anisakis. Cumin oil was the most effective against encysted larvae. Turmeric oil showed the best activity in the in vitro experiment. The use of flavored oils in the marinating process could represent an efficient strategy to devitalize Anisakis. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma: A Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group (JMOG) study on 57 patients
Authors: Tsuda Yusuke , Ogura Koichi , Hakozaki Michiyuki , Kikuta Kazutaka , Ae Keisuke , Tsuchiya Hiroyuki , Iwata Shintaro , Ueda Takafumi , Kawano Hirotaka , Kawai Akira
Published: December 2017

Background

This study aimed to elucidate the clinical features and prognostic factors of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MCS) and investigate optimal treatment strategies.

Methods

Data from 57 patients with MCS were collected from a Japanese Musculoskeletal Oncology Group (JMOG) and retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Data from 29 males and 28 females were collected. Primary tumor sites were the head and neck (7 patients), trunk (35 patients), and extremities (15 patients). The tumors originating in the trunk were significantly associated with a worse OS compared with those originating at the other sites in all patients and those with localized disease (P = 0.020 and P = 0.019, respectively). In patients with localized disease, the tumors originating in the head and neck were significantly associated with better OS and MFS compared with those originating in the trunk (P = 0.024 and P = 0.014, respectively). Positive surgical margin was significantly correlated with the worse LRFS (P = 0.018). Adjuvant chemotherapy exhibited a clear trend toward improved OS when MCS was localized in the trunk or extremities (P = 0.057).

Conclusions

Adequate surgery is considered to be the mainstay of treatment for localized MCS. Prognosis was different depending on the site of tumor origin.
The role and outcomes of palliative surgery for retroperitoneal sarcoma
Authors: Zerhouni Siham , Van Coevorden Frits , Swallow Carol J.
Published: December 2017

Categories of noncurative surgery for retroperitoneal sarcoma include: i) grossly incomplete resection (R2) of primary or locally recurrent tumor; ii) resection in the setting of distant metastatic disease; and iii) true palliative‐intent symptom‐directed surgery. The value of R2 resection is debatable, since most series do not report initial operative intent. Debulking surgery provides symptom relief in the majority of patients, but relief is generally not durable. Quality of life is poorly studied.