bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of blown film linear low‐density polyethylene‐clay nanocomposites: Part B: Mechanical and rheological characterization
Authors: Said Melissa , Challita Georges , Seif Sylvain
Published: October 2019

In a previous article nanocomposite films made from linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) as matrix and org‐MMT clay as reinforcement were produced. Morphology, thermal stability, and barrier properties were already investigated. The actual work constitutes a complement of the aforementioned article where many mechanical aspects will be assessed: Unlike maleic anhydride grafted styrene‐ethylene‐butylene‐styrene (SEBS‐g‐MA) as compatibilizer, using maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (PE‐g‐MA) has shown remarkable improvement of most of the properties and this for an optimum clay content ranging between 2 and 4%: the tensile strength has increased by 45%, the stiffness in transverse direction (TD) by 48%, the dart impact has improved by 20%, the tear resistance in machine direction (MD) has increased by 33% and the creep resistance by 20%. Other properties were found to improve with the clay content. In addition, the evolution of the storage and loss moduli as well as the complex viscosity with the frequency were recorded; the drop by 76% of the crossover frequency for 6% weight of clay has shown that the solid‐like behavior of the composite is pronounced with the increment of clay content. Melt flow index was found to vary inversely with clay amount; this indicates an increase in and hence a good dispersion of the clay within the polyethylene matrix. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48590.
Preparation of monosultap‐polyurethane microcapsules in an inverse emulsion through interfacial polymerization
Authors: Wang Rui , Xiao Yao
Published: October 2019

In this study, we prepared monosultap microcapsules in an inverse emulsion through interfacial polymerization for the first time. The microcapsules are spherical pellets with intact and smooth shell and have a narrow particle size distribution with an average size of about 2.35 μm. More importantly, our microcapsules have excellent thermal stability with a starting decomposition temperature of 233.1 °C, high encapsulation efficiency of 81.9% as well as long‐term slow release of monosultap under different conditions. In addition, the shell of the microcapsules can degrade completely in the natural condition, avoiding the pollution to the environment. It can be believed that our microcapsules will show good service performance if employed in agricultural industry. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48594.
Partially ordered porous structures on layer‐by‐layer polyaniline/poly(vinyl sulfate sodium) ultrathin films: Easy fabrication of robust submicroscopic patterning
Authors: Faria A. M. A. , Miranda M. A. , Gonçalves G. E. , Bianchi R. F. , Bianchi A. G. C. , Cuba C. , Neves B. R. A. , Pinto E. S.
Published: October 2019

The use of polyaniline (PANI) as a conductive material has steadily increased in recent years due to its interesting physicochemical properties, low manufacturing cost, and easy processing. This conductive material, associated with the diffraction properties of organized nanostructures in thin films, has excellent application potential in microelectronics and photonic devices. Initially, this work presents improvement routes for the breath figure method (a nanopatterning technique) in polystyrene (PS) films through the control of film deposition parameters and the presence of water in the polymer solution. Such improvements are then extended to the production of PANI nanostructures, in the form of pores, from patterned porous PS films. Consequently, PANI films with a partially ordered pore structure (mean pore diameter of ~100 nm) are produced in a facile and easily scalable method. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48597.
You can choose your relatives: Building marine protected area networks from sister sites
Authors: Wenzel Lauren , Cid Gonzalo , Haskell Ben , Clark Athline , Quiocho Kalani , Kiene William , Causey Billy , Ward Nathalie
Published: October 2019

The world's oceans are often perceived as barriers that separate countries. To counter these divisions and improve protection of ocean resources, marine protected area (MPA) managers have formed alliances that bridge jurisdictional boundaries to share strategies and resources with other protected areas.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has embraced this sister site approach to connect MPA management based on ecological and cultural links. Designed to strengthen the management of ecologically and culturally connected areas, these relationships between protected areas serve as catalysts for effective stewardship of the ocean's biological resources and show the important benefits of transnational cooperation.

This paper summarizes the lessons from over a decade of sister site partnerships, including case studies from Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and four sites in the Caribbean working together to protect a shared population of humpback whales; the Gulf of Mexico Sister Site Network being developed by the USA, Mexico, and Cuba; Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Rapa Nui in Chile; and broader collaboration among MPAs in the USA and Chile on the Pacific coast.
The decline of short‐beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the waters off the island of Ischia (Gulf of Naples, Italy)
Authors: Mussi Barbara , Vivaldi Carlotta , Zucchini Antonio , Miragliuolo Angelo , Pace Daniela Silvia
Published: October 2019

This study presents data on a local population of short‐beaked common dolphin monitored in the waters off Ischia Island (Gulf of Naples, Italy) over a 16‐year period (2000‐2015). We examine dolphin occurrence and distribution and perform photoidentification analysis.

The data presented support the hypothesis that the waters around Ischia Island represent a feeding area, as well as a calving and an important nursery area for this local population, providing favourable conditions in which to give birth and raise calves.

The levelling‐off of the photoidentification curves together with the continuous decline of the encounter rate lead us to believe that the area has been a hotspot for a local population (mainly resident) for years and that now this population is dying (has died) or is moving (has moved) to other locations.

Several expanding human activities at sea have the potential to impact on the common dolphin in the study area, the most significant possibly being habitat disturbance and degradation (including traffic and noise pollution) and overexploitation of food resources by the fishery.

The data presented in this study offer a strong argument for explicit and urgent population‐specific conservation and management strategies to be developed and applied locally for common dolphins, considering that they rely on the region for important biological processes.
Securing effective and equitable coverage of marine protected areas: The UK's progress towards achieving Convention on Biological Diversity commitments and lessons learned for the way forward
Authors: Johnson David E. , Rees Siân E. , Diz Daniela , Jones Peter J.S. , Roberts Callum , Barrio Froján Christopher
Published: October 2019

Current international agreements call for protecting 10% of marine and coastal waters by 2020, with the intention of increasing that target to 30% by 2030. With 24% of its territorial waters protected, the UK falls short of the new expected target.

As well as quantitative targets, qualitative criteria have been internationally agreed for protected area designation, including minimum coverage values and characteristics that encompass effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well‐connected systems of protected areas and other effective area‐based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape.

The legal framework supporting protected area designations at sea is summarized and explained for UK territorial waters. Efforts to date to achieve current marine protected area (MPA) targets are reviewed, with emphasis on how well the existing protected area portfolio captures the qualitative criteria. Examples are given of other effective conservation measures complementary to formalized MPAs, especially with regard to achieving and promoting qualitative criteria for biodiversity conservation, including appropriate recognition of and support for areas conserved by indigenous people, local communities and private entities.

A precis on the governance of MPAs and other effective conservation measures in the UK and its overseas territories is presented. Whilst the UK has made exceptional progress with quantitative MPA coverage, it is still not clear whether designated areas offer effective protection. A UK‐level strategy is in place to address this; and at site level, Lyme Bay MPA illustrates the benefits of addressing qualitative criteria. Illustrated by the UK example, an urgent call is made for ongoing and future marine in situ area‐based conservation efforts to substantiate quantitative and qualitative considerations, and to ensure that MPA networks are ultimately fit for purpose.
Spatial and seasonal differences in the top predators of Easter Island: Essential data for implementing the new Rapa Nui multiple‐uses marine protected area
Authors: Morales Naiti A. , Easton Erin E. , Friedlander Alan M. , Harvey Euan S. , Garcia Rodrigo , Gaymer Carlos F.
Published: October 2019

Reef fishes are an important component of marine biodiversity, and changes in the composition of the assemblage structure may indicate ecological, climatic, or anthropogenic disturbances. To examine spatial differences in the reef fish assemblage structure around Easter Island, eight sites were sampled during autumn and summer 2016–2017 with baited remote underwater video systems.

To determine seasonal changes, quarterly (seasonal) sampling was conducted at five of those eight sites. Fifteen pelagic species of fishes were recorded during this study, some of which have not previously been recorded in scuba surveys, including the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis, Snodgrass & Heller, 1905) and tunas (Scrombidae).

Significant spatial and seasonal differences were found in the fish assemblage. Fish assemblages from the south coast differed significantly from those along the west and east coasts, mainly due to the occurrence of top predators. Winter differed from other seasons, especially along the south coast where the island is more exposed to large oceanic swells and winds from Antarctica.

Owing to the variety and high relative abundance of species recorded during this survey, baited remote underwater video systems seemed to be an effective method for studying top predators at Easter Island. The identification of priority zones for the protection of top predator species represents an important contribution of this study, in order to develop management and conservation strategies to be implemented in the newly created Rapa Nui multiple uses coastal marine protected areas.
Common dolphins, common in neritic waters off southern Israel, demonstrate uncommon dietary habits
Authors: Brand Denna , Edelist Dor , Goffman Oz , Hadar Nir , Scheinin Aviad , Kerem Dan
Published: October 2019

During the last decade, the common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) has become the second most sighted species in Israeli coastal waters, after the common bottlenose dolphin. Documentation mostly relies on opportunistic, photo and/or video‐backed second‐party reports, delimited within a 10 km near‐shore strip.

Sightings occur year round, are confined to the southern part of the Israeli coast and typically comprise relatively large groups (mean ± SD: 21.5 ± 13.3), often with young calves.

Strandings are relatively scarce, typically one per year, and have so far yielded five upper digestive tract contents for diet analysis.

Cephalopods comprised 1.2% of the estimated number of prey items in the combined content. Surprisingly, by far the most abundant and prevalent prey item found (57% of pooled prey items; present and dominant in four out of five tracts) was the Balearic eel (Ariosoma balearicum), a sand burrower which is also a major dietary component of the common bottlenose dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins in Israel are known to forage in association with bottom trawlers, leading to the notion that common dolphins also make use of this foraging mode. Indeed, in addition to their association with purse seiners, they have been documented accompanying bottom trawlers, by both day and night. The slender Balearic eels are frequently found protruding from the net's eyes, presumably making easy prey for both dolphin species.

Information gaps on common dolphins include range extension to the south/south-west, abundance estimation and genetic flow/isolation. Even so, its unusual diet and the fact that the closest known populations to the north/north-west are from the Aegean Sea, were major considerations in the recent designation of the ‘Coastal Shelf Waters of the South-east Levantine Sea’ as a Mediterranean Important Marine Mammal Area.
Assessing the effects of local turbulence and velocity profiles on electromagnetic flowmeter accuracy
Authors: Beck Kade J. , Barfuss Steven L. , Johnson Michael C.
Published: October 2019

While various researchers have explored the effects of turbulence profile development on orifice plates, the literature is not clear on how magnetic flowmeters respond to increased levels of local turbulence. Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of local turbulence and velocity profiles on magnetic flowmeter accuracy. Using five magnetic flowmeters from five different manufacturers, laboratory tests were conducted with a flow conditioner located at different distances upstream of the meter. Numerical modeling using commercially available computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software showed local turbulence levels in the pipe to be four times greater at one diameter downstream of a flow conditioner than the local turbulence levels without a flow conditioner installed. Furthermore, the CFD showed that the deviations in flowmeter accuracy were not proportional to the levels of local turbulence.
Human urinary kallidinogenase or edaravone combined with butylphthalide in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Qian Yun , Lyu Yi , Jiang Minhai , Tang Bo , Nie Tian , Lu Shan
Published: October 2019

Aim

The effectiveness of neuroprotective agents is still unclear. Here we analyzed the clinical outcomes of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with human urinary kallidinogenase (HUK) or edaravone (Eda) combined with butylphthalide (NBP).

Methods

From January 2016 to December 2017, a total of 165 AIS patients were enrolled in this open‐label, randomized controlled clinical study. Patients were randomly allocated into HUK group and Eda group in a ratio of 2:1. All the patients received basic treatments and NBP (200 mg p.o. qid) while HUK group received 0.15 PNA unit of HUK injection (ivgtt. qd) and Eda group received 30 mg Eda (ivgtt. bid) for 14 consecutive days. Independency rate [12‐month modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≤ 1] and related factors were compared between the two groups.

Results

Twelve‐month mRS score of the HUK group (1, IQR 0~1) was significantly lower compared with Eda group (2, IQR 1~3,p < .0001). The HUK treatment achieved an independency rate of 79.1% while the Eda treatment only had 45.3% (p < .0001). Further binary logistic regression showed that recurrent stroke (RR: 0.1, 95% CI: 0.0~0.1,p = .038) and HUK treatment (RR: 4.2, 95% CI: 1.1~16.5,p = .041) could significantly affect patients' 12‐month outcomes.

Conclusion

Human urinary kallidinogenase combined with NBP can enhance AIS patients' long‐term independency rate, and the effectiveness of HUK combined therapy is better than Eda.
The association between use of statin or aspirin and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: A nested case‐control study in a Korean nationwide cohort
Authors: Choi Jin Ho , Lee Sang Hyub , Huh Gunn , Chun Jung Won , You Min Su , Paik Woo Hyun , Ryu Ji Kon , Kim Yong‐Tae
Published: October 2019

Background

Although several studies have suggested that aspirin and statins may help prevent pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), this concept has been controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association between use of statin or aspirin and PDAC in a nationwide large cohort.

Methods

In this nested case‐control study, we used data from a 12‐year nationwide longitudinal cohort in Korea. Cases with PDAC and controls who were matched to cases by age, sex, income, and index year at a 1:5 ratio were established. We used multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify the independent risk factors of PDAC.

Results

We identified a total of 827 patients with PDAC between 2007 and 2013, and included 4135 matched controls. Diabetes mellitus, chronic and acute pancreatitis, pancreatic cystic lesions, and cholelithiasis were independent risk factors for PDAC. Statin use (odds ratio [OR], 0.92; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76‐1.11; P = .344; adjusted OR [aOR], 0.70; 95% CI 0.56‐0.87; P = .001) was associated with a reduced risk of PDAC after correction of the confounding factors, but aspirin use (OR, 0.98; 95% CI 0.84‐1.15; P = .838; aOR 0.84; 95% CI 0.70‐1.01, P = .068) was not associated with PDAC. Among the patients with risk factors, both statin use (OR, 0.50; 95% CI 0.38‐0.66; P < .001; aOR, 0.62; 95% CI 0.45‐0.84; P = .002) and aspirin use (OR, 0.48; 95% CI 0.31‐0.67; P < .001; aOR 0.67; 95% CI 0.50‐0.89, P = .006) were associated with a reduced risk of PDAC.

Conclusion

This study suggests that statin use was associated with a reduced risk of PDAC incidence but aspirin use was not. Both statin use and aspirin use were associated a reduced risk of PDAC incidence for patients with risk factors.
Transseptal access for left heart structural interventions in the setting of prior atrial septal defect closure
Authors: Yap Jonathan , Chen Sarah , Stripe Benjamin R. , Smith Thomas W. R. , Rogers Jason H. , Singh Gagan D.
Published: October 2019

A transseptal puncture is critical for “left‐sided” structural heart interventions. Procedures such as transcatheter edge‐to‐edge repair (MitraClip) and left atrial appendage (LAA) closure (Watchman) require precise puncture of the interatrial septum (IAS), and the presence of a prior atrial septal defect (ASD) closure device poses a challenge. We aim to present a successfully completed case of MitraClip and Watchman in the presence of ASD closure device in two different patients. A review of the literature will be reported, and pertinent clinical and technical considerations will be discussed in depth to achieve procedural success. In summary, transseptal puncture for left heart structural interventions is feasible in the presence of a prior ASD/patent foramen ovale closure device. A detailed understanding of the anatomical considerations as well as the use of multimodality imaging to evaluate the IAS will aid in improving procedural success rates.
Cauda equina syndrome in an ovarian malignant‐mixed müllerian tumor with leptomeningeal spread
Authors: Bernstock Joshua D. , Ostby Stuart , Fox Brandon , Sotoudeh Houman , Janssen Andrew , Kang Yun Jee , Chen Jason , Prattipati Veeranjaneyulu , Elsayed Galal , Chagoya Gustavo , Yamashita Daisuke , Friedman Gregory K. , Nabors Burt , Huh Warner K. , Lobbous Mina
Published: October 2019

Leptomeningeal metastasis is extremely rare in patients with ovarian cancer, but should be considered in patients presenting with neurologic deficits such as cauda equine syndrome. Given its poor prognosis and lack of data currently on management, additional studies are needed to optimize treatment regimens and improve outcomes.
In Situ IR‐ATR Study of the Interaction of Nitrogen Heteroaromatic Compounds with HY Zeolites: Experimental and Theoretical Approaches
Authors: Khalil Ibrahim , Celis‐Cornejo Carlos M. , Thomas Karine , Bazin Philippe , Travert Arnaud , Pérez‐Martínez David J. , Baldovino‐Medrano Víctor G. , Paul Jean François , Maugé Françoise
Published: October 2019

In the present work, the liquid‐solid interaction of liquid N‐heteroaromatic compounds, commonly present in the petroleum feedstocks of the refineries, with Y zeolites used as hydrocracking catalysts was followed using IR‐ATR spectroscopy. The inhibition of the zeolitic acid sites by strongly basic pyridine and weakly basic indole was highlighted using a continuous flow IR‐ATR cell. Results were assessed by Density Functional Theory calculations to compute the vibrational frequencies of pyridine and indole according to the nature of the interaction sites: silanol groups or acidic OH groups. The study points out that IR‐ATR spectroscopy opens the way for investigating the interaction modes of low vapor pressure molecules (e. g. indole) that present an inherent difficulty to be operated in the gas phase. Moreover, the IR‐ATR makes possible the analysis of the little‐explored low wavenumber zone (<800 cm−1), that presents informative vibrational modes on the adsorption mode of N‐molecules. Hence, this work points out that for pyridine, the bands at 686 and 727 cm−1 are characteristic of pyridinium species formed over zeolitic OH groups, meanwhile, the signals at 703 and 750 cm−1, are associated to pyridine in interaction with silanol groups. The IR‐ATR study reveals that indole, a weakly basic compound, can be protonated on acidic Y zeolites as unambiguously evidenced by the formation of the bands at 1617, 1608, 1543 and 705 cm−1. Findings here exposed are crucial for studying inhibitory effects exerted by weak nitrogenated compounds on acidic materials during hydrocracking processes.
Vibrational Spectroscopic Characterization of Glycerol Reaction Pathways over Metal‐Modified Molybdenum Carbide Surfaces
Authors: Wan Weiming , Lin Zhexi , Chen Jingguang G.
Published: October 2019

As the production of biodiesel increases, it is economically preferable to upgrade the excess by‐product, glycerol, into value‐added products. Metal‐modified molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) is a class of promising catalysts for this application due to their promising hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) activity. In this work, Pt, Fe and Cu were used to modify the Mo2C surface and tune the product selectivity of glycerol. Pt/Mo2C showed reforming activity to produce syngas, Fe/Mo2C cleaved all the C−O bonds of glycerol to produce propylene, while Cu/Mo2C broke only one C−O bond of glycerol to form acetol. Consecutive temperature‐programmed desorption (TPD) experiments demonstrated an enhanced stability of all surfaces when compared to Mo2C. High‐resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) characterization indicated that the Fe/Mo2C surface weakened the C−O bonds of glycerol, while the Pt/Mo2C surface showed no activity towards C−O bond cleavage. This study demonstrated that the Pt/Mo2C, Fe/Mo2C and Cu/Mo2C surfaces were active, selective and stable for converting glycerol into syngas, propylene, and acetol, respectively. The combination of TPD and HREELS also served as an example of utilizing surface spectroscopy to identify the reaction pathways and intermediates on model catalyst surfaces. This should, in turn, provide insights to guide the design of metal‐modified carbide catalysts for the upgrading of biomass‐derived oxygenates.
Die Verkettung zweier Stickstoffmoleküle
Authors: Rang Maximilian , Braunschweig Holger
Published: October 2019

Den Übergangsmetall‐ähnlichen Charakter von niedervalenten Borverbindungen konnten Braunschweig et al. bereits im Jahr 2015 aufzeigen. Dabei gelang die Koordination zweier Kohlenstoffmonoxid (CO)‐Liganden an ein elektronisch ungesättigtes Borzentrum – ein solches Borzentrum, welches gleichzeitig über ein freies Elektronenpaar und zugängliche vakante Orbitale verfügt, wird als Borylen bezeichnet. Würde das Borylen mit dem zum CO isoelektronischen Stickstoffmolekül N2 eine analoge Reaktion eingehen?
Metastatic breast cancer survival improvement restricted by regional disparity: Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results and institutional analysis: 1990 to 2011
Authors: Malmgren Judith A. , Calip Gregory S. , Atwood Mary K. , Mayer Musa , Kaplan Henry G.
Published: October 2019

Background

The extent of breast cancer outcome disparity can be measured by comparing Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) breast cancer‐specific survival (BCSS) by region and with institutional cohort (IC) rates.

Methods

Patients who were diagnosed with a first primary, de novo, stage IV breast cancer at ages 25 to 84 years from 1990 to 2011 were studied. The change in 5‐year BCSS over time from 1990 to 2011 was compared using the SEER 9 registries (SEER 9) without the Seattle‐Puget Sound (S‐PS) region (n = 12,121), the S‐PS region alone (n = 1931), and the S‐PS region IC (n = 261). The IC BCSS endpoint was breast cancer death confirmed from chart and/or death certificate and cause‐specific survival for SEER registries. BCSS was estimated using the Kaplan‐Meier method. Hazard ratios (HzR) were calculated using Cox proportional‐hazards models.

Results

For SEER 9 without the S‐PS region, 5‐year BCSS improved 7% (from 19% to 26%) over time, it improved 14% for the S‐PS region (21% to 35%), and it improved 27% for the S‐PS IC (29% to 56%). In the IC Cox proportional‐hazards model, recent diagnosis year, chemotherapy, surgery, and age <70 years were associated with better survival. For SEER 9, additional significant factors were white race and positive hormone receptor status and S‐PS region was associated with better survival (HzR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.84‐0.90). In an adjusted model, hazard of BC death decreased in the most recent time period (2005‐2011) by 28% in SEER 9 without S‐PS, 43% in the S‐PS region and 45% in the IC (HzR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.67‐0.76], 0.57 [95% CI, 0.49‐0.66], and 0.55 [95% CI, 0.39‐0.78], respectively).

Conclusions

Over 2 decades, the survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer improved nationally, but with regional survival disparity and differential improvement. To achieve equitable outcomes, access and treatment approaches will need to be identified and adopted.
Fertility preservation before breast cancer treatment appears unlikely to affect disease‐free survival at a median follow‐up of 43 months after fertility‐preservation consultation
Authors: Letourneau Joseph M. , Wald Kaitlyn , Sinha Nikita , Juarez‐Hernandez Flor , Harris Eve , Cedars Marcelle I. , McCulloch Charles E. , Dolezal Milana , Chien A. Jo , Rosen Mitchell P.
Published: October 2019

Background

The objective of this study was to determine whether fertility preservation (FP) with oocyte/embryo cryopreservation is associated with differences in disease‐free survival (DFS).

Methods

This retrospective study included patients aged 18 to 45 who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer between 2007 and 2017 and were seen for FP consultation at a university fertility center before cancer treatment. The primary endpoint, DFS, was defined as the time from FP consultation until patients developed a locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, a contralateral breast tumor, or a new primary malignancy. DFS was compared for FP versus no FP using Kaplan‐Meier survival estimates and Cox proportional‐hazard regression analysis.

Results

The study included 329 women, with 207 (63%) in the FP group and 122 (37%) in the no FP group. Patients who underwent FP had more aggressive initial disease profiles than those in the no FP group. In addition, they were younger (35 vs 37 years; P = .009), more often had stage II or III disease (67% vs 55%; P = .03), and had higher rates of requiring chemotherapy (77% vs 65%; P = .01). Over a median follow‐up of 43 months, the rates of DFS were similar among patients in the FP group and the no FP group (93% vs 94%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR] 0.7; 95% CI, 0.3‐1.7). Positive ER status (79% vs 83%; P = .38), neoadjuvant chemotherapy (41% vs 48%; P = .32), ER‐positive DFS (HR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.1‐1.6), and neoadjuvant chemotherapy DFS (HR, 1.4; 95% CI, 0.2‐9.1) were similar in the FP and no FP groups, respectively.

Conclusions

At a median follow‐up of 43 months, FP appears unlikely to affect DFS, even in the setting of tumors with positive ER status or treatment with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (in which the tumor remains in situ during FP).
Enhancing online security using selective DOM approach to counter phishing attacks
Authors: Nirmal K. , Janet B. , Kumar R.
Published: October 2019

Today's computer era has paved the way for innovations like self‐driving cars, quantum computing, and other ingenious advancements. As technology advances at a rapid pace, some issues yet remain unresolved. One of the issues is phishing, which dates back to the 1980s. Phishing is an art used by cybercriminals from the 1980s until to date targeting online users to harvest financial, confidential, and other sensitive information. The art and the methodologies used by cybercriminals have not evolved much from the AOL (American online) heydays. However, the counter mechanisms to defeat phishing have undergone considerable changes over the past two decades. Although sophisticated antiphishing systems are in place, statistics shows that phishing is a major threat. Our practical research proves that one of the state‐of‐the‐art antiphishing systems can be bypassed using simple techniques. The research further demonstrates why today's antiphishing mechanisms fail and the need for a novel mechanism that will identify the authenticity of the website. In this manuscript, an antiphishing algorithm, PhishSec (PH‐Sec), is introduced. PhishSec will not consider the URL of the website as the primary factor to determine the authenticity, rather take a reverse approach where the URL of the website is derived by analyzing the content of the visited website to establish its authenticity. To accomplish this, the HTML DOM (document object model) of a given web page on load is considered. This manuscript quotes the research results of the analysis of a state‐of‐the‐art antiphishing system along with the introduced algorithm to counter‐attack phishing. The introduced system detects phishing attacks with 99.21% of accuracy.
Crosslinkable Bis(diphenylamine)‐Substituted Mixed Dihydroindeno[1,2‐b]fluorenes for Solution‐Processed Multilayer Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Hempe Matthias , Paschek Johanna , Schelter Jürgen , Umbach Anne , Meerholz Klaus , Reggelin Michael
Published: October 2019

The synthesis and application of a series of crosslinkable bis(diphenylamine)‐substituted mixed dihydroindeno[1,2‐b]fluorenes as model systems for the fabrication of solution‐processed, multilayer organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is described. Introducing a novel functionalization approach by C(sp3)−C(sp2) Suzuki‐Miyaura reactions, the synthesis is based on a modular strategy, leading to eight nearly isoelectronic derivatives that allow for the observation of structure‐property relationships in the context of crosslinkable hole‐transport materials, e. g., for use in OLEDs. By systematically altering structural parameters, such as the number of crosslinkable oxetane moieties per molecule (2–6 moieties) and their position of attachment (geminal and/or lateral), process‐relevant thermal properties such as thermal stability (Td95, 170‐350°C) and glass‐transition temperature (15‐100°C) can be influenced and allow for the investigation of their impact on the crosslinking behavior and the resulting device performance.
Improving the Reliability and Accuracy of Ammonia Quantification in Electro‐ and Photochemical Synthesis
Authors: Duan Guo Yi , Ren Yuan , Tang Yang , Sun Yan Zhi , Chen Yong Mei , Wan Ping Yu , Yang Xiao Jin
Published: October 2019

The reliable and accurate quantification of ammonia in electrochemical and photochemical experiments has been a technical challenge owing to the extremely low concentration of generated ammonia, interference from trace amounts of cations and organic compounds, and ammonia contamination from various sources. As a result, overestimation and significant errors may happen in many research works. Herein, accuracy and precision of ion chromatography (IC) are evaluated at different pH; excellent performance with a low detection limit (<2 μg L−1) under acidic and neutral conditions is found, whereas the linearity is unsatisfactory in the low NH4+ concentration range (0–100 μg L−1) under alkaline conditions. High concentrations of Li+ and Na+ are difficult to separate from NH4+ in conventional IC, but this can be solved by employing a high‐exchange‐capacity column or gradient elution. The interference effects of 14 common transition metal cations and 6 common organic compounds on the quantification of ammonium with low‐level concentration (500 μg L−1) using IC are systematically investigated, and the results demonstrate good robustness. The overestimation caused by ammonia contamination from reagent water, surroundings, and even the analytical grade of inorganic and organic reagents are confirmed and the results indicate the necessity to prepare and test fresh electrolyte solutions before each experiment, owing to the high sensitivity of acidic and neutral solutions to ammonia contamination from the surroundings. The ammonization of a Nafion membrane during experiments and the underestimation in quantification are also discussed. Finally, a reliable level of synthesized ammonia is identified and some recommendations are presented to improve the reliability and accuracy of ammonia quantification.
Microfluidic Cytometry for High‐Throughput Characterization of Single Cell Cytoplasmic Viscosity Using Crossing Constriction Channels
Authors: Wang Ke , Sun Xiaohao , Zhang Yi , Wei Yuanchen , Chen Deyong , Wu Hengan , Song Zijian , Long Rong , Wang Junbo , Chen Jian
Published: October 2019

This article presents an approach of microfluidic flow cytometry capable of continuously characterizing cytoplasmic viscosities of single cells. The microfluidic system consists of a major constriction channel and a side constriction channel perpendicularly crossing each other. Cells are forced to rapidly travel through the major channel and are partially aspirated into the side channel when passing the channel junction. Numerical simulations were conducted to model the time dependence of the aspiration length into the side channel, which enables the measurement of cytoplasmic viscosity by fitting the model results to experimental data. As a demonstration for high‐throughput measurement, the cytoplasmic viscosities of HL‐60 cells that were native or treated by N‐Formylmethionine‐leucyl‐phenylalanine (fMLP) were quantified with sample sizes as large as thousands of cells. Both the average and median cytoplasmic viscosities of native HL‐60 cells were found to be about 10% smaller than those of fMLP‐treated HL‐60 cells, consistent with previous observations that fMLP treatment can increase the rigidity of white blood cells. Furthermore, the microfluidic system was used to process granulocytes from three donors (sample size >1,000 cells for each donor). The results revealed that the cytoplasmic viscosity of granulocytes from one donor was significantly higher than the other two, which may result from the fact that this donor just recovered from an inflammation. In summary, the developed microfluidic system can collect cytoplasmic viscosities from thousands of cells and may function as an enabling tool in the field of single‐cell analysis. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry
TOPVISOR: Two‐level controller‐based approach for service advertisement and discovery in vehicular cloud network
Authors: Jafari Kaleibar Farhoud , Abbaspour Maghsoud
Published: October 2019

Vehicular cloud is a kind of mobile cloud in which vehicles share their resources and provide services for each other. The first step in establishing a vehicular cloud network is the service advertisement and discovery. Due to the dynamic nature of vehicular cloud networks, services are not continuous and the service location may vary at any time depending on the vehicle location. Therefore, higher network traffic is generated to access the consistent and up‐to‐date information. In this paper, a two‐level hierarchical approach is proposed for service advertisement and discovery in vehicular cloud networks. To register the services' specification in this approach, the distributed directories in RSUs and central controllers are used. Moreover, a method is used to avoid extra update packets by localizing the updates. The simulation results show improvement in the packet delivery rate as well as a reduction in transmission bandwidth preventing the network congestion.
Registration, reporting, and replication in clinical trials: The case of anorexia nervosa
Authors: Murray Stuart B. , Compte Emilio J. , Quintana Daniel S. , Mitchison Deborah , Griffiths Scott , Nagata Jason M.
Published: October 2019

Objective

Treatment outcomes for anorexia nervosa (AN) remain modest, and recent research suggests that clinical trials may be of limited methodological quality. With increasing evidence illustrating the irreproducibility of psychological research, no research to date has systematically examined the cumulative effect of bias in research relating to the treatment of AN.

Method

We identified all AN trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov between 2000 and 2018 and examined rates of (a) the noncompletion of clinical trials, the (b) nonpublication of trials once listed as completed, (c) the nonprospective registration of clinical trials, and (d) the nonreplication of findings.

Results

We note that of 201 trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, only 101 have been completed, and of those, only 41 have been published. Moreover, of these 41 published trials, only eight demonstrated evidence of prospective trial registration, and only seven have had their primary findings replicated in other studies.

Discussion

These results illustrate the profound cumulative effect of methodological bias in registered trials for AN, which may have a significant impact both on what appears in the current evidence base, and on the reproducibility of studies comprising this evidence base.
Estimating the economic benefits and costs of highly‐protected marine protected areas
Authors: Davis Katrina J. , Vianna Gabriel M. S. , Meeuwig Jessica J. , Meekan Mark G. , Pannell David J.
Published: October 2019

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are an increasingly popular, but debated, management strategy to conserve marine biodiversity and ensure sustainable human use of the oceans. Economic studies can contribute to the debate about MPAs as a management option by evaluating their benefits and costs to society. In this paper, we outline how to evaluate the economic benefits and costs of MPAs and provide examples from the literature to demonstrate the methods described. We review challenges and opportunities of different economic methods. One key challenge is to meaningfully compare market and non‐market benefits of MPAs—this comparison is complicated by the scarcity of studies that quantify the non‐market benefits of MPAs. Another key challenge is to quantify how the value of marine areas may change with and without MPAs. Costs are often easier to estimate than benefits, but some costs—such as maintenance and compliance costs—are rarely recognized. Analytical choices will influence the identified economic costs and benefits of MPAs. For example, the spatial extent of analyses will influence what changes in underlying ecological processes are captured and conclusions about the equitable distribution of costs and benefits across society. For these reasons, it is important that managers are aware of the challenges and opportunities described here, so that they can obtain and use the best‐quality economic information to guide decision making about MPAs.
Using citizen science to examine the nesting ecology of ground‐nesting bees
Authors: Maher Stephanie , Manco Fabrizio , Ings Thomas C.
Published: October 2019

Suitable nest sites are a crucial habitat requirement of ground‐nesting bees, but empirical studies of fossorial solitary bee nesting ecology in the UK are few in number. This study used a citizen science approach to overcome the logistical and temporal barriers associated with this type of research and to gather data on the abiotic environment associated with the nesting aggregations of four fossorial solitary bee species in the UK. Three hundred and ninety‐four records were submitted by the public between March and November 2017. Sixty percent (236) of these records were verified as indicative of active nesting aggregations of the target species. Overall, the species in this study demonstrated the capacity to nest within a broad range of environmental variables. Although Colletes hederae (Schmidt and Westrich 1993) was often reported from sloped, unshaded sites, and Andrena fulva (Müller in Allioni 1766) was regularly associated with flat, shaded locations. This study demonstrated the efficacy of a citizen science approach in surmounting the intrinsic difficulties associated with studying solitary bee nest sites, which are both ephemeral and cryptic structures in the landscape.
A semi‐oblivious approach for robust segment routing in software‐defined wide area networks
Authors: Roomi Hamid , Khorsandi Siavash
Published: October 2019

In this paper, we have proposed a robust optimization for offline segment routing in software‐defined wide area networks combining traffic‐aware and traffic‐oblivious methods. Most prior works on segment routing assume accurate estimation of the traffic matrix, which is difficult to obtain due to the measurement costs and wide variations in traffic matrix over time. To deal with traffic uncertainties, an oblivious segment routing technique was previously developed. However, since all possible traffic fluctuations are considered, this leads to a considerable loss of routing performance in normal conditions. Since the traffic usually fluctuates around a normal pattern within a certain lower/upper bound, in this paper, we propose a semi‐oblivious segment routing method that optimizes routing for a predicted probable traffic matrix, while ensuring its robustness by guarantying the worst‐case performance under the fluctuations. Prior works also considered 2‐segment routing that is demonstrated to lead to routing deficiencies in some cases. We have extended the formulation to include 3‐Segment Routing (3‐SR) and using the strong duality theorem, the proposed semi‐oblivious 3‐SR method is formulated as a linear programming problem with an objective to maximize network throughput. We envision to apply this scheme in software‐defined networks where the controller is responsible to compute robust segment routing paths and to configure the edge routers accordingly. Simulation results show that the proposed method, while being robust to traffic fluctuations, significantly outperforms the traffic oblivious methods in normal network conditions and also achieves comparable performance to the models with known traffic matrix.
Application of γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and nitrogen regulates aroma biochemistry in fragrant rice
Authors: Xie Wenjun , Ashraf Umair , Zhong Dating , Lin Rongbin , Xian Peiqi , Zhao Tong , Feng Huoyi , Wang Shuli , Duan Meiyang , Tang Xiangru , Mo Zhaowen
Published: October 2019

The 2‐acetyl‐1‐pyrroline (2AP) is a key aroma compound in fragrant rice. The present study assessed the γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) and nitrogen (N) application induced regulations in the biochemical basis of rice aroma formation. Four N levels, that is, 0, 0.87, 1.75, and 2.61 g/pot, and two GABA treatments, that is, 0 mg/L (GABA0) and 250 mg/L (GABA250), were applied to three fragrant rice cultivars, that is, Yuxiangyouzhan, Yungengyou 14, and Basmati‐385. Results showed that GABA250 increased 2AP, Na, Mn, Zn, and Fe contents by 8.44%, 10.95%, 25.70%, 11.14%, and 43.30%, respectively, under N treatments across cultivars. The GABA250 further enhanced the activities of proline dehydrogenase (PDH), ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) (both at 15 days after heading (d AH), and diamine oxidase (DAO) (at maturity) by 20.36%, 11.24%, and 17.71%, respectively. Significant interaction between GABA and N for Mn, Zn, and Fe contents in grains, proline content in leaves, GABA content in leaves at 15 d AH and maturity stage (MS), Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylic acid (P5C) contents in leaves at 15 d AH, and Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate synthase (P5CS), PDH, and OAT activities in leaves at MS was noted. Moreover, the 2AP contents in grains at MS showed a significant and positive correlation with the proline contents in the leaves at 15d AH. In conclusion, GABA250 enhanced the 2AP, Na, Mn, Zn, and Fe contents, as well as the enzyme activities involved in 2AP biosynthesis. Exogenous GABA and N application improved the 2AP contents and nutrient uptake in fragrant rice.
Variational transition state theory rate constants and H/D kinetic isotope effects for CH3 + CH3OCOH reactions
Authors: de Carvalho Edson F. V. , Vicentini Guilherme D. , Alves Tiago Vinicius , Roberto‐Neto Orlando
Published: October 2019

The rate constants and H/D kinetic isotope effect for hydrogen abstraction reactions involving isotopomers of methyl formate by methyl radical are computed employing methods of the variational transition state theory (VTST) with multidimensional tunneling corrections. The energy paths were built with a dual‐level method using the moller plesset second‐order perturbation theory (MP2) method as the low‐level and complete basis set (CBS) extrapolation as the high‐level energy method. Benchmark calculations with the CBSD‐T approach give an enthalpy of reaction at 0 K for R1 (−4.5 kcal/mol) and R2 (−4.2 kcal/mol) which are in good agreement with the experiment, that is, −4.0 and − 4.8 kcal/mol. For the reactional paths involving the isotopomers CH3 + CH3OCOH → CH4 + CH3OCO and CH3 + CH3OCOD → CH3D + CH3OCO, the value of kH/kD (T = 455 K) using the canonical VTST/small‐curvature tunneling approximation method is 6.7 in close agreement with experimental value (6.2). © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quantitative modeling for prediction of thermodynamic properties of some pyridine derivatives using molecular descriptors and genetic algorithm‐multiple linear regressions
Authors: Hajibabaei Maryam , Shafiei Fatemeh , Abdoli‐Senejani Masumeh
Published: October 2019

Pyridines are compounds with a wide range of biological activities and they are the basis of several groups of drugs. In this study, the relationship between molecular descriptors and the thermal energy (EthkJ/mol), heat capacity (CvJ/molK), entropy (S J/mol K), enthalpy of formation (ΔHfkJ/mol), and Gibbs free energy (ΔGkJ/mol) of pyridine derivatives is studied. These properties were calculated at the Hartree–Fock level of theory and 6‐311G* G basis sets by Gaussian 09 software. The chemical structures of 171 pyridine derivatives were drawn by the Gauss View 05 program. The genetic algorithm‐multiple linear regression (GA‐MLR) and backward methods—were used to select the suitable descriptors and also for predicting the thermodynamic properties of pyridine derivatives. The correlations between the molecular descriptors in the best models were discussed by the Pearson coefficient correlation and collinearity statistics. The predictive powers of the GA‐MLR models are studied using leave‐one‐out (LOO) cross‐validation and external test set. The best quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models are obtained based on the statistical parameters, such asR2,Q2LOO, and RMSE values for the data sets. The predictive ability of the GA‐MLR models with two‐three selected molecular descriptors was found to be satisfactory and could be used for modeling and predicting of the mentioned properties of nontested pyridine derivatives.