bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A comparative analysis of Wolbachia‐induced host reproductive phenotypes reveals transition rate heterogeneity
Authors: zu Dohna Heinrich , Houry Carine , Kambris Zakaria
Published: January 2018

The endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia infects a wide range of arthropods and their relatives. It is an intracellular parasite transmitted through the egg from mother to offspring. Wolbachia can spread and persist through various means of host reproductive manipulation. How these different mechanisms of host manipulation evolved in Wolbachia is unclear. Which host reproductive phenotype is most likely to be ancestral and whether evolutionary transitions between some host phenotypes are more common than others remain unanswered questions. Recent studies have revealed multiple cases where the same Wolbachia strain can induce different reproductive phenotypes in different hosts, raising the question to what degree the induced host phenotype should be regarded as a trait of Wolbachia. In this study, we constructed a phylogenetic tree of Wolbachia and analyzed the patterns of host phenotypes along that tree. We were able to detect a phylogenetic signal of host phenotypes on the Wolbachia tree, indicating that the induced host phenotype can be regarded as a Wolbachia trait. However, we found no clear support for the previously stated hypothesis that cytoplasmic incompatibility is ancestral to Wolbachia in arthropods. Our analysis provides evidence for heterogeneous transition rates between host phenotypes.
Are Hong Kong and Taiwan stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China?
Authors: Lu Jianbo , Li Shao‐peng , Wu Yujia , Jiang Lin
Published: January 2018

Understanding the origins and introduction pathways of invasive species is a fundamental issue for invasion biology, which is necessary for predicting and preventing future invasion. Once an invasive species is established in a new location, this location could serve as a stepping‐stone for further invasions. However, such “stepping‐stone” effect has not been widely investigated. Using the published literature and records, we compiled the first found locations of 127 top invasive species in China. Our study showed that the most common landing spots of these invasive species were Hong Kong (22 species) and Taiwan (20 species), which accounted for one‐third of the invasive species in China. Our analysis revealed that the invasive species in mainland China were more likely to transport from Hong Kong than Macau, a neighboring region with a similar area and colonial history. Similarly, more invasive species were also first landed on Taiwan than Hainan, a nearby island sharing similar climate conditions. Together, our findings indicate that Hong Kong and Taiwan are the most important stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China and suggesting that the increasing trade exchange of China's coastal ports constitutes a potential risk for the spread of more invasive species. We suppose that they would be the future stepping‐stones for invasive species to the mainland of China and these coastal ports regions where improved biosecurity is needed now.
A Proposal and Implementation of Communication Control Function for NTMobile
Authors: KANEMATSU YUYA , OKUBO YOHEI , YAMADA TAKAYUKI , SUZUKI HIDEKAZU , NAITO KATSUHIRO , WATANABE AKIRA
Published: January 2018

NTMobile (Network Traversal with Mobility) has been proposed to achieve end‐to‐end encryption communication supporting IP mobility in environments where IPv4/IPv6 networks coexist. However, since NTMobile unconditionally establishes an encrypted User Datagram Protocol (UDP) tunnel between NTMobile‐ready nodes (NTM nodes), a malicious NTM node can attack a target NTM node through the encrypted UDP tunnel without being detected by a firewall. Moreover, since communication with a general server always passes through a relay server (RS), the route becomes redundant even when IP mobility is not needed, and the communication delay increases. In order to solve these problems, this paper proposes an access control function using the name of the correspondent node and a “Route option” that can select whether the RS is used or not. As a result of implementation of the prototype system and evaluation of its performance, it was confirmed that the increase of the start‐up time and that of the overhead at the beginning of the communication were quite small, and there was little influence on practical use.
Histaminol and Its Complexes with Copper(II) – Studies in Solid State and Solution
Authors: Maślewski Piotr , Wyrzykowski Dariusz , Witwicki Maciej , Dołęga Anna
Published: January 2018

Histaminol [4(5)‐(β‐hydroxyethyl)imidazole, 4‐(1H‐imidazol‐2‐yl)ethanol, L] is an analogue of histamine and its minor metabolite. So far its properties have not been studied in detail due to the synthetic difficulties. Here, the structure and acid‐base properties of histaminol, as well as the results of studies on its copper(II) complexes in solid state and aqueous solution are reported. Stability constants of the histaminol–CuII system are measured and each stage of the complex formation is illustrated with the relevant crystal structure and the EPR spectrum.
Construction of 2‐Thiabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes by Organocatalytic Asymmetric Formal [3+3] Cycloaddition
Authors: Ramachary Dhevalapally B. , Reddy P. Srinivasa , Gujral Jagjeet
Published: January 2018

Powerful asymmetric desymmetrization of thiane‐3,5‐diones through formal [3+3] cycloaddition with alkyl vinyl ketones has been disclosed to access functionally rich 2‐thiabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes in very good yields with excellent enantio‐ and diastereoselectivities by using organocatalysis.
Joint effects of chlorpyrifos and mancozeb on the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus: A multiple biomarker approach
Authors: Morgado Rui G. , Ferreira Nuno G.C. , Cardoso Diogo N. , Silva Patrícia V. , Soares Amadeu M.V.M. , Loureiro Susana
Published: January 2018

The exposure to pesticides by nontarget soil biota has long been regarded as a serious downside of modern agricultural regimes and the subject of heated debate. Of utmost relevance is the exposure to pesticide mixtures because their effects have been shown to not necessarily reflect the individual toxicity of their components, and even the simple addition of effects may lead to consequences not clearly anticipated. In the present study, a multiple biomarker approach was employed to identify the mechanistic and time effects underlying several single and mixture treatments of chlorpyrifos (CPF) and mancozeb (MCZ) in juveniles and adults of the terrestrial isopod Porcellionides pruinosus. The effects of the individual pesticides and the mixtures at recommended doses were mostly transitory under these controlled conditions and one-pulse exposure. Whereas imbalances were identified on detoxification and oxidative stress-related enzymes, the isopods generally showed the ability to recover through the end of the experiment. However, juveniles displayed greater vulnerability than adults. Most of the differences between life stages occurred in energy-related parameters where distinct performances and stress-handling behaviors were observed, suggesting higher metabolic costs to juveniles. Our results stress that understanding the time dependence of the underlying mechanisms governing the joint effects of the pesticides can help in assessing and anticipating the effects of the pesticide mixtures. Moreover, we emphasize the importance of taking life stage–related differences into consideration when evaluating the environmental risks of pesticides and pesticide mixtures. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:1446–1457. © 2018 SETAC
Fire performance of charring closed‐cell polymeric insulation materials: Polyisocyanurate and phenolic foam
Authors: Hidalgo Juan P. , Torero José L. , Welch Stephen
Published: January 2018

Results are presented from 2 series of ad hoc experimental programmes using the cone calorimeter to investigate the burning behaviour of charring closed‐cell polymeric insulation materials, specifically polyisocyanurate (PIR) and phenolic (PF) foams. These insulation materials are widely used in the construction industry due to their relatively low thermal conductivity. However, they are combustible in nature; therefore, their fire performance needs to be carefully studied, and characterisation of their thermal degradation and burning behaviour is required in support of performance‐based approaches for fire safety design. The first series of experiments was used to examine the flaming and smouldering of the char from PIR and PF. The peak heat release rate per unit area was within the range of 120 to 170 kW/m2 for PIR and 80 to 140 kW/m2 for PF. The effective heat of combustion during flaming was within the range of 13 to 16 kJ/g for PIR and around 16 kJ/g for PF, while the CO/CO2 ratio was within 0.05 to 0.10 for PIR and 0.025 to 0.05 for PF. The second experimental programme served to map the thermal degradation processes of pyrolysis and oxidation in relation to temperature measurements within the solid phase under constant levels of nominal irradiation. Both programmes showed that surface regression due to smouldering was more significant for PF than PIR under the same heat exposure conditions, essentially because of the different degree of overlap in pyrolysis and oxidation reactions. The smouldering of the char was found to self‐extinguish after removal of the external heat source.
Numerical evaluation of the flame to solid heat flux during poly(methyl methacrylate) combustion
Authors: Galgano A. , Di Blasi C. , Branca C.
Published: January 2018

The total net heat flux of the flame from a burning solid fuel is an important issue for the formulation of comprehensive solid‐phase models useful for the fire testing of materials, but measurements are often affected by significant inaccuracy. In this study, an evaluation is conducted using a state‐of‐the‐art model, coupling the descriptions of both gas‐ and solid‐phase processes, for a thick poly(methyl methacrylate) slab burning in a cone calorimeter. It is observed that the total net heat flux (conductive and radiant flame heat fluxes minus surface reradiation losses) remains approximately constant (about 18 kW/m2) as the intensity of the cone irradiance increases from 15 to 60 kW/m2. The influences of some model assumptions and the solid degradation kinetics on this process variable are also assessed. Acceptable agreement is obtained between the predicted and the measured mass loss rates.
An adaptive multilevel wavelet framework for scale‐selective WENO reconstruction schemes
Authors: Maulik R. , San O. , Behera R.
Published: January 2018

We put forth a dynamic computing framework for scale‐selective adaptation of weighted essential nonoscillatory (WENO) schemes for the simulation of hyperbolic conservation laws exhibiting strong discontinuities. A multilevel wavelet‐based multiresolution procedure, embedded in a conservative finite volume formulation, is used for a twofold purpose. (i) a dynamic grid adaptation of the solution field for redistributing grid points optimally (in some sense) according to the underlying flow structures, and (ii) a dynamic minimization of the in built artificial dissipation of WENO schemes. Taking advantage of the structure detection properties of this multiresolution algorithm, the nonlinear weights of the conventional WENO implementation are selectively modified to ensure lower dissipation in smoother areas. This modification is implemented through a linear transition from the fifth‐order upwind stencil at the coarsest regions of the adaptive grid to a fully nonlinear fifth‐order WENO scheme at areas of high irregularity. Therefore, our computing algorithm consists of a dynamic grid adaptation strategy, a scale‐selective state reconstruction, a conservative flux calculation, and a total variation diminishing Runge‐Kutta scheme for time advancement. Results are presented for canonical examples drawn from the inviscid Burgers, shallow water, Euler, and magnetohydrodynamic equations. Our findings represent a novel direction for providing a scale‐selective dissipation process without a compromise on shock capturing behavior for conservation laws, which would be a strong contender for dynamic implicit large eddy simulation approaches.
Gas Supplies and Availability Solid for 2018 Winter
Authors: Young‐Allen  ,   FERC Staff
Published: January 2018

Natural gas markets are entering this winter with a strong storage base and an expanding pipeline network that is delivering more supply to local markets and beyond.
Geochronology and geochemistry of the Carboniferous Ulann Tolgoi granite complex from northern Inner Mongolia, China: Petrogenesis and tectonic implications for the Uliastai continental margin
Authors: Zhou Wenxiao , Zhao Xiaocheng , Fu Dong , Sun Junjun , Li Ziqian , Huang Bo , Mengchun Ge
Published: January 2018

This study presents zircon U–Pb ages and geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data for acid granites from the Uliastai continental margin, which is located in the Ulaan Tolgoi area of the south‐eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Although most samples have similar calc‐alkaline (K2O/Na2O = 0.55–1.70, average of 1.35) and peraluminous (A/CNK = 1.02–1.20 and A/NK = 1.09–1.87) characteristics, the granodiorites, monzogranites, and alkali feldspar granites exhibit distinct light rare earth element (LREE)/heavy REE (HREE) anomalies, including negative Nb, P, Ti, Sr, and Ba anomalies and negative εNd(t) values. These characteristics indicate that this complex massif comprises lower Early Carboniferous subduction‐related calc‐alkaline granodiorites (348 ± 1 Ma); an upper Early Carboniferous syn‐collisional segment characterized by S‐type, high‐K, calc‐alkaline, and peraluminous monzonitic granites (334 ± 1 Ma); and Late Carboniferous post‐orogenic extensional A2‐type peraluminous alkali feldspar granites (317 ± 1 Ma). Previous studies performed on coeval volcanic rocks and Early Palaeozoic granites in the same area have demonstrated that the Early Carboniferous granodiorites have the same geochemical characteristics as volcanic arc granites (VAGs), thus indicating that the northward subduction of the Hegenshan Ocean may have continued through the Early Carboniferous. The monzogranite and alkali feldspar granites, in conjunction with the Late Carboniferous lagged arc volcanic rocks observed in this area, suggest a syn‐collisional to post‐collisional setting. The new data presented in this study provide constraints on the timing of the transition from island‐arc magmatism to post‐collisional extension‐related magmatism in this region during the later stage of the Early Carboniferous.
Sequence stratigraphy, palaeogeography, and coal accumulation in a gently sloping paralic basin: A case study from the Carboniferous–Early Permian Wuwei Basin, northwestern China
Authors: Shen Wenchao , Shao Longyi , Tian Wenguang , Sun Bin , Chen Gang , Chen Fei , Tian Ye , Lu Jing
Published: January 2018

The Wuwei Basin is one of the major coal‐ and hydrocarbon‐bearing basins in northwestern China. Depositional environments, sequence stratigraphy, and palaeogeography of the Carboniferous to Early Permian coal measures in the Wuwei Basin were studied based on the data from outcrop sections and boreholes cores. The coal accumulation model is established within the sequence‐stratigraphic context. Fourteen lithofacies were recognized with the lithologies ranging from conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, carbonates, to coals, which are arranged into five facies associations representing delta, tidal flats, barrier and lagoon, littoral and associated strand‐plain, estuary, and carbonate ramp environments. These facies associations collectively revealed an overall marine‐continental transitional basin setting. The key sequence bounding surfaces, such as the regional unconformity, the basal surface of incised valley fills, and the surface that mark the facies reversal from regression to transgression, have been identified. Based on these surfaces, the Carboniferous to Early Permian in the Wuwei Basin were subdivided into seven third‐order sequences. The distribution of lithofacies and depositional facies in borehole sections, outcrop sections, and three correlation cross sections was investigated, and the sequence‐based palaeogeographic maps were reconstructed. It is inferred from the coal thickness and palaeogeographic maps that the most favourable coal accumulation environments were tidal flat and barrier–lagoon, followed by delta. The sequence stratigraphic framework controls the vertical horizons of the coal seams, whereas the palaeogeographic units determine the lateral development of the coal seams. Tidal flat, barrier–lagoon, and delta in the late transgressive systems tract and early highstand systems tract are the most favourable coal accumulation palaeogeographic units. The main coal accumulation centres were mainly distributed in the Yingpan Sag in the south of the basin, followed by the Ermahu Sag in the north of the basin.
Geochemistry and chronology of a diorite pluton in the Yinshan Block, implications for crustal growth and evolution of North China Craton
Authors: Ma Xudong , Zhong Yan
Published: January 2018

The Yinshan Block constitutes the northwestern segment of the North China Craton. We characterized the geochemistry, zircon U–Pb geochronology, and Hf isotopic composition of a diorite pluton in the Yinshan Block. The zircon U–Pb data yield a protolith formation age of 2535 ± 8 Ma (MSWD = 0.46), followed by recrystallization at 2465 ± 14 Ma or 2431 ± 30 Ma; the granite vein which intruded into the diorite pluton gives a formation age of 2453 ± 5 Ma (MSWD = 1.6), according with the recrystallization age of the diorite. These diorites are characterized by moderate Mg# value and MgO, Cr, and Ni content and have relatively low Sr/Y and (La/Yb)N ratios and slightly Eu anomalies and are enriched in LILEs and depletion in high field strength elements. High‐Sr + Ba granites with low K2O/Na2O characteristics are also shown by these diorites, and the εHf(t) of zircons lie between +1.3 and −7.2, imply these diorites are most likely derived from partial melting of a thickened lower crust with minor involvement of enriched mantle. These geochemical and isotopic characteristics suggest the diorite magmas derived from an accreted arc‐related rocks remelting in a low‐pressure environment along the continent margin. Hereby, we propose a supplement to the model of crustal growth and evolution in the Yinshan Block, involving subduction and collision in the Neoarchean.
Abundant microspherules from the Upper Ordovician of northern Tarim Basin, Northwest China: Origin and palaeoenvironmental implications
Authors: Chang Xiao‐Lin , Hou Ming‐Cai , Liu Xin‐Chun , Orr Elizabeth , Deng Min , Chao Hui , Wang Song , Xiao Christopher
Published: January 2018

A continuous record of abundant microspherules, pyrite framboids, and bacterial fossils is obtained from the Upper Ordovician in the Dawangou section of northern Tarim Basin, Northwest China. Chemical and physical characteristics of these microspherules were determined using a scanning electron microscope and an energy dispersive spectrometer. Microspherules were formed as a single spherule, spherule aggregates, and drop‐like particles. Physical morphology of the spherules has no relation to its formational process. Energy dispersive spectrometry results indicate that microspherules are mainly composed of Ca, C, O, Si, Al, S, Fe, and Ti. Thus, these microspherules are further categorized into 5 major types: iron, titaniferous‐iron, siliceous, calcareous, and organic microspherules. The first 3 types of microspherules are likely of volcanic origin rather than extraterrestrial origins (i.e., impact event or cosmic dusts) or modern industrial pollutions due to their morphologies and chemical compositions. Both calcimicrospherules and organic microspherules are biogenic, and they are distributed in the lower part of the studied section (Beds 4–6), in which cephalopods, brachiopods, and bacterial fossils are also commonly present and pyrite framboids are absent. These features generally point to an oxic condition. In contrast, other microspherules are abundant in the upper part of the section (Beds 9–13), in which tiny pyrite framboids (mean diameters 4.6–7.3 μm) are rather abundant and typical of euxinic to dysoxic conditions. Both microspherule and pyrite framboid evidences indicate that the northern Tarim region became oxygen‐poor conditions, which were coupled with intensive volcanic eruptions during the Late Ordovician.
S‐velocity characterization of the crust and upper mantle structure beneath the Bay of Bengal
Authors: Corchete V.
Published: January 2018

A 3D S‐velocity model has been determined from fundamental‐mode Rayleigh‐wave analysis in a wide period band (from 5 s to 175 s), to attain the characterization of the geologic structures existing in the Bay of Bengal, from 0 to 300 km depth. This model is presented by means of S‐velocity maps. In these maps, the S‐velocity in the depth range from 0 to 10 km is principally affected by the distribution of the sediment deposits. The S‐velocity generally increases with depth, showing the lowest values for shallow depths in which are present unconsolidated sediments. The S‐velocity mapping also allows the clear differentiation between the 85E Ridge and the 90E Ridge. The lower S‐velocity determined for the 85E Ridge compared with its adjacent region suggests that this ridge is less dense than its adjacent region. The existence of compensation beneath both ridges also is definitively confirmed in the Moho map performed in this study. The lower S‐velocities determined for the regions of the Andaman Sea and the northernmost part of the Bay of Bengal, in the depth range from 15 to 40 km, are associated to the existence of a thick crust beneath this regions. The results obtained in the present study confirm that the crust beneath the Bay of Bengal is in general thin crust. Although the controversy about the nature of the crust beneath the Bay of Bengal (is it oceanic or continental?) still persist, the results of the present study show that both hypotheses (oceanic crust and continental crust) are reasonable. The 3D S‐velocity model shows that the huge sediment load located at the northernmost part of the Bay of Bengal has originated at the thickening of the crust and the lithosphere, whereas the asthenosphere is almost unaffected by this load. This model also shows that the subduction of the Indian Plate below the Burma Plate, at the east of the Sunda Trench, also has produced a thickening of the crust and the lithosphere, but the asthenosphere is almost not affected by this effect. Finally, the dependency of the S‐velocity with the age of the lithosphere and the asthenosphere is shown very clearly for the lithosphere whereas it is only slight visible for the asthenosphere.
Circulating Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Bone Mineral Density: Mendelian Randomization Study
Authors: Larsson Susanna C , Melhus Håkan , Michaëlsson Karl
Published: January 2018

There is considerable discussion of the importance for increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (S-25OHD) concentration associated with adequacy for bone health. Accordingly, whether long-term high S-25OHD concentration in general positively affects bone mineral density (BMD) is uncertain. We used a Mendelian randomization design to determine the association between genetically increased S-25OHD concentrations and BMD. Five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in or near genes encoding enzymes and carrier proteins involved in vitamin D synthesis or metabolism were used as instrumental variables to genetically predict 1 standard deviation increase in S-25OHD concentration. Summary statistics data for the associations of the S-25OHD-associated SNPs with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)-derived femoral neck and lumbar spine BMD were obtained from the Genetic Factors for Osteoporosis (GEFOS) Consortium (32,965 individuals) and ultrasound-derived heel estimated BMD from the UK Biobank (142,487 individuals). None of the SNPs were associated with BMD at Bonferroni-corrected significance level, but there was a suggestive association between rs6013897 near CYP24A1 and femoral neck BMD (p = 0.01). In Mendelian randomization analysis, genetically predicted 1 standard deviation increment of S-25OHD was not associated with higher femoral neck BMD (SD change in BMD 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] –0.03 to 0.07; p = 0.37), lumbar spine BMD (SD change in BMD 0.02; 95% CI –0.04 to 0.08; p = 0.49), or estimated BMD (g/cm2 change in BMD –0.03; 95% CI –0.05 to –0.01; p = 0.02). This study does not support a causal association between long-term elevated S-25OHD concentrations and higher BMD in generally healthy populations. These results suggest that more emphasis should be placed on the development of evidence-based cut-off points for vitamin D inadequacy rather than a general recommendation to increase S-25OHD. © 2018 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Inhibition of glycolytic metabolism in glioblastoma cells by Pt3glc combinated with PI3K inhibitor via SIRT3‐mediated mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt–MAPK pathway
Authors: Wang Gang , Fu Xing‐Li , Wang Jun‐Jie , Guan Rui , Sun Yan , Tony To Shing‐shun
Published: January 2018

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant and aggressive glioma with abnormal expression of genes that mediate glycolytic metabolism and tumor cell growth. Petunidin‐3‐O‐glucoside (Pt3glc) is a kind of anthocyanin in the red grape and derived beverages, representing the most common naturally occurring anthocyanins with a reduced incidence of cancer and heart diseases. In this study, whether Pt3glc could effectively regulate glycolysis to inhibit GBM cell was investigated by using the DBTRG‐05MG cell lines. Notably, Pt3glc displayed potent antiproliferative activity and significantly changed the protein levels related to both glycolytic metabolism and GBM cell survival. The expression of the proapoptotic protein Bcl‐2‐associated X protein was increased with concomitant reduction on the levels of the antiapoptotic protein B‐cell lymphoma 2 and caspase‐3 activity. Furthermore, the levels of survival signaling proteins, such as protein kinase B (Akt) and phospho‐Akt (Scr473), extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) and phospho‐ERK, were significantly decreased by Pt3glc in combination with the phosphoinositide 3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor of LY294002. Most importantly, the levels of Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) and phosphorylated p53 were also downregulated, indicating that Pt3glc combinated with PI3K inhibitor could induce GBM cell death may act via the SIRT3/p53‐mediated mitochondrial and PI3K/Akt‐ERK pathways. Our findings thus provide rational evidence that the combination of Pt3glc with PI3K inhibitor, which target alternative pathways in GBM cells, may be a useful adjuvant therapy in glioblastoma treatment.
Effect of sex steroid hormone fluctuations in the pathophysiology of male‐retinal pigment epithelial cells
Authors: Astarita Carlo , D'Angelo‐Maansson Barbara , Massaro‐Giordano Mina , Alba Maria P. , Boffo Silvia , Macchi Ilaria , Giordano Antonio , Macaluso Marcella
Published: January 2018

Gender‐based differences may influence the occurrence of several ocular conditions suggesting the possibility that fluctuations in sex steroid homeostasis may have direct effects on the eye physiology. Here, we evaluated the effect of sex steroid hormone fluctuations in male retinal pigment epithelial cells, RPEs (ARPE‐19). To mimic hormonal fluctuations occurring during aging, we exposed ARPE‐19 to acute, prolonged or chronic estradiol, and progesterone challenges. We found that chronic estradiol treatment promotes a remarkable necrosis of RPE cells, and does not affect pRb2/p130 or PAI‐2 sub‐cellular localization. In contrast, chronic progesterone exposure induces nuclear subcellular rearrangement of pRb2/p130, co‐immunolocalization of pRb2/p130 with PAI‐2, and accumulation of cells in G2/M phase, which is accompanied by a remarkable reduction of necrosis in favour of apoptosis activation.

This study has a high clinical significance since it considers sex steroid fluctuations as inducers of milieu change in the retina able to influence pathological situations occurring with aging in non‐reproductive systems such as the eye. Exogenous administration of physiologically significant amounts of sex hormones for long periods of time is a common clinical practice for transgender patients seeking sex reassignment. In particular, our study offers the unique opportunity to unravel the effects of sex hormones, not only in determining gender differences but also in affecting the physiology of non‐reproductive systems, such as the eye, in the underserved transgender community.
The creation of a postcolonial subject: The Chicago and Ateneo de Manila schools and the Peace Corps in the Philippines, 1960–1970
Authors: Wirth Christa
Published: January 2018

In the 1950s and 1960s scholars from the University of Chicago and the Ateneo de Manila created social scientific knowledge that helped establish the Peace Corps as a Cold War institution in the Philippines. Central were the social scientists at the University of Chicago and the Ateneo de Manila University who established a knowable postcolonial subject: “the Filipino,” which resulted from their research on Philippine values. In this context, the Ateneo/Chicago social scientists developed the “SIR,” the “smooth interpersonal relation” model that entails the notion that Filipinos and Filipinas particularly valued this nonconfrontational skill set among people. The SIR model was taught by social science experts to early Peace Corps volunteers as they prepared for their assignments in the Philippines. The article shows how the SIR model could cause distress and confusion as it was applied by Peace Corps volunteers in the Philippines.
Risk Preferences and Farmers' Livelihood Strategies: A Case Study from Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Alemayehu Molla , Beuving Joost , Ruben Ruerd
Published: January 2018

Low‐return livelihood strategies are crucial drivers of food insecurity that may cause irreversible long‐term damage to livelihoods. Experiments and survey results were used to examine the relative importance of risk preference and socio‐economic characteristics for households' decision to engage in specific livelihood strategies in rural Ethiopia. Agricultural intensification and diversification are prevailing strategies, and farming households who participate in non‐farm activities are better off than others. Education, information access, household income and cooperative membership correlate significantly with high participation rates in non‐farm activities and on‐farm diversification. Risk preference is an especially important barrier to households' participation in these strategies. Therefore, policy interventions that help to expand farmers' asset base and reduce entry barriers to these strategies are required to improve smallholders' welfare. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The enabling role of institutional entrepreneurs in the adoption of IPSAS within a transitional economy: The case of Estonia
Authors: Argento Daniela , Peda Peeter , Grossi Giuseppe
Published: January 2018

In the light of neoinstitutional theory and by adopting case study research methodology, this article explains the adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards for modernizing public sector accounting in Estonia. This article reveals that the smooth—yet gradual—adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards‐compliant accounting systems was enabled by the involvement of powerful actors (i.e., institutional entrepreneurs) with foreign and/or business backgrounds. In addition, the change in public sector accounting in Estonia was facilitated by the developments in its international positioning, characterized by the transition from a Soviet communist to a market economy and subsequent European Union membership and by the absence of past accounting practices, which could potentially hinder the change.
Clinical experience of laboratory follow‐up with noninvasive prenatal testing using cell‐free DNA and positive microdeletion results in 349 cases
Authors: Schwartz S. , Kohan M. , Pasion R. , Papenhausen P. R. , Platt L. D.
Published: January 2018

Objective

Screening via noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) involving the analysis of cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) from plasma has become readily available to screen for chromosomal and DNA aberrations through maternal blood. This report reviews a laboratory's experience with follow‐up of positive NIPT screens for microdeletions.

Methods

Patients that were screened positive by NIPT for a microdeletion involving 1p, 4p, 5p, 15q, or 22q who underwent diagnostic studies by either chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis were evaluated.

Results

The overall positive predictive value for 349 patients was 9.2%. When a microdeletion was confirmed, 39.3% of the cases had additional abnormal microarray findings. Unrelated abnormal microarray findings were detected in 11.8% of the patients in whom the screen positive microdeletion was not confirmed. Stretches of homozygosity in the microdeletion were frequently associated with a false positive cfDNA microdeletion result.

Conclusions

Overall, this report reveals that while cfDNA analysis will screen for microdeletions, the positive predictive value is low; in our series it is 9.2%. Therefore, the patient should be counseled accordingly. Confirmatory diagnostic microarray studies are imperative because of the high percentage of false positives and the frequent additional abnormalities not delineated by cfDNA analysis.
Transcriptomic insight into pathogenicity‐associated factors ofConidiobolus obscurus, an obligate aphid‐pathogenic fungus belonging to Entomopthoromycota
Authors: Wang Jianghong , Zhou Xiang , Guo Kai , Zhang Xinqi , Lin Haiping , Montalva Cristian
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Conidiobolus obscurusis a widespread fungal entomopathogen with aphid biocontrol potential. This study focused on ade novotranscriptomic analysis ofC. obscurus.

RESULTS

A number of pathogenicity‐associated factors were annotated for the first time from the assembled 17 231 fungal unigenes, including those encoding subtilisin‐like proteolytic enzymes (Pr1s), trypsin‐like proteases, metalloproteases, carboxypeptidases and endochitinases. Many of these genes were transcriptionally up‐regulated by at least twofold in mycotized cadavers compared with thein vitrofungal cultures. The resultant transcriptomic database was validated by the transcript levels of three selected pathogenicity‐related genes quantified from differentin vivoandin vitromaterial in real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The involvement of multiple Pr1 proteases in the first stage of fungal infection was also suggested. Interestingly, a unique cytolytic (Cyt)‐like δ‐endotoxin gene was highly expressed in both mycotized cadavers and fungal cultures, and was more or less distinct from its homologues in bacteria and other fungi.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide the first global insight into various pathogenicity‐related genes in this obligate aphid pathogen and may help to develop novel biocontrol strategy against aphid pests. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Mass trapping designs for organic control of the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
Authors: Piñero Jaime C , Dudenhoeffer Austen P
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

In some regions of North America, damage caused by the Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, has been increasing as beetle populations continue to become established and expand. This poses a pest management challenge for crop farmers, in particular organic producers. From 2014 to 2016 we evaluated the ability of novel mass trapping systems to capture P. japonica in elderberry and blueberry orchards in Missouri, USA.

RESULTS

Across a 3‐year period in two locations, the mass trapping systems collected 10.3 million P. japonica adults while season‐long adult densities on crop plants were comparatively low (elderberry: 0.5–3.7 per plant; blueberry: 0.01–0.07 per plant). Damage by P. japonica averaged 6.8% per plant in elderberry and 0.12% in blueberry. In 2015 and 2016, large‐capacity bins with increased ventilation captured similar beetle numbers as did 1.2‐m‐long mesh socks (single design used in 2014), and these two trap designs outperformed non‐ventilated bins.

CONCLUSION

The mass trapping designs captured high numbers of adult P. japonica, while comparatively few adults and little damage to the foliage were recorded on plants. Mass trapping may provide effective alternative management options for P. japonica with less or no insecticides applied to the crop. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl resistance conferred by cytochrome P450s and target site mutation in Alopecurus japonicus
Authors: Chen Guoqi , Xu Hongle , Zhang Teng , Bai Congqiang , Dong Liyao
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Alopecurus japonicus is a serious grass weed species in wheat fields in eastern Asia, and has evolved strong resistance to acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACCase)‐inhibiting herbicides. Although target‐site resistance (TSR) to ACCase inhibitors in A. japonicus has been reported, non‐target site resistance (NTSR) has not. This study investigated both TSR and NTSR in a fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl‐resistant A. japonicus population (AHFD‐3), which was collected in Feidong County, Anhui Province, China.

RESULTS

We found that AHFD‐3 exhibited high resistance to fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl and low resistance to flucarbazone‐sodium. The sensitivity of AHFD‐3 to fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl increased significantly after treatment with cytochrome P450 (P450) inhibitors; however, such synergies between P450 inhibitors and fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl were not found in two control populations. Sequences of the entire carboxyltransferase domain of A. japonicus ACCase were obtained, and AHFD‐3 plants showed an Asp‐2078‐Gly substitution in the ACCase. With the derived cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (dCAPS) method, we found that 85.4% of the plants of AHFD‐3 carried this mutation. The P450 content in AHFD‐3 plants was significantly higher than those of the two control populations after treatment with fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl. Ten partial sequences of P450 genes in A. japonicus were cloned. Three P450 genes were up‐regulated 12 h after fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl treatment, which were all from the P450 subfamily CYP72A. Moreover, a P450 gene from the P450 family CYP81 was up‐regulated after fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl treatment in all populations studied.

CONCLUSION

Fenoxaprop‐P‐ethyl resistance in AHFD‐3 plants was conferred by up‐regulation of cytochrome P450s in the CYP72A subfamily and target site mutation of the ACCase gene. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Steady‐state ARL analysis of ARL‐unbiased EWMA‐RZ control chart monitoring the ratio of two normal variables
Authors: Tran Kim Phuc , Knoth Sven
Published: January 2018

Very recently, control charts for monitoring the ratio of 2 normal variables have been investigated in statistical process control. In the two‐sided case, however, these control charts tend to be average run length (ARL) biased, in the sense that some out‐of‐control ARL values are larger than the in‐control ARL. This paper proposes an ARL‐unbiased EWMA control chart for monitoring of this kind of ratio with each subgroup consisting of n⩾1 sample units. Also, to study the long‐term properties of ARL‐unbiased EWMA‐RZ control chart, we investigate the steady‐state ARL. Several tables and figures are given to show the statistical properties of the proposed control charts. The comparison results show that the proposed ARL‐unbiased chart outperforms other two‐sided control charts in terms of the zero‐state and steady‐state ARL. An example illustrates the use of this chart on a real quality control problem from the food industry.
Mitigation of Fluoride from Brackish Water via Electrodialysis: An Environmentally Friendly Process
Authors: Sharma Prem P. , Yadav Vikrant , Maru Pravin D. , Makwana Babulal S. , Sharma Saroj , Kulshrestha Vaibhav
Published: January 2018

Present study reports the removal of fluoride from brackish water by electrodialysis (ED) process using indigenous ion exchange membranes. Defluoridation study was performed using in‐house made laboratory scale ED unit of effective area 200 cm2 using synthetic as well as real field sample. The effect of experimental conditions such as applied potential, brackishness in feed samples and fluoride concentration have been investigated during ED process. Experiments were performed with 2050 mg/L of salt concentration with 5, 10, 20 mg/L of fluoride in brackish water. Performance evolution study in terms of power consumption and current efficiency has also been studied to evaluate the suitability of the process for the defluoridation of brackish water. The experimental results revealed that the defluoridation performance increased as we increased potential. 2.0 volt/cell pair applied potential found to be optimum for defluoridation of brackish water in term of power consumption (1.2 kWh /kg) and current efficiency (87.0%) during electrodialysis. Study shows that ED system found to be suitable for defluoridation of brackish water.
Temperature Dependence of Uranium and Vanadium Adsorption on Amidoxime‐Based Adsorbents in Natural Seawater
Authors: Kuo Li‐Jung , Gill Gary A. , Tsouris Costas , Rao Linfeng , Pan Horng‐Bin , Wai Chien M. , Janke Christopher J. , Strivens Jonathan E. , Wood Jordana R. , Schlafer Nicholas , D'Alessandro Evan K.
Published: January 2018

Recent advances in the development of amidoxime‐based adsorbents have made it highly promising for seawater uranium extraction. However, there is a great need to understand the influence of temperature on the uranium sequestration performance of the adsorbents in natural seawater. Here the apparent enthalpy and entropy of the sorption of uranium (VI) and vanadium (V) with amidoxime‐based adsorbents were determined in natural seawater tests at 8, 20, and 31 °C that cover a broad range of ambient seawater temperature. The sorption of U was highly endothermic, producing apparent enthalpies of 57 ± 6.0 and 59 ± 11 kJ mol−1 and apparent entropies of 314 ± 21 and 320 ± 36 J K−1 mol−1, respectively, for two adsorbent formulations. In contrast, the sorption of V showed a much smaller temperature sensitivity, producing apparent enthalpies of 6.1 ± 5.9 and −11 ± 5.7 kJ mol−1 and apparent entropies of 164 ± 20 and 103 ± 19 J K−1 mol−1, respectively. This new thermodynamic information suggests that amidoxime‐based adsorbents will deliver significantly increased U adsorption capacities and improved selectivity in warmer waters. A separate field study of seawater uranium adsorption conducted in a warm seawater site (Miami, FL, USA) confirm the observed strong temperature effect on seawater uranium mining. This strong temperature dependence demonstrates that the warmer the seawater where the amidoxime‐based adsorbents are deployed the greater the yield for seawater uranium extraction.
Clay‐Based Solid Acid Catalyst for the Alkylation of p‐Cresol with tert‐Butyl Alcohol
Authors: Muraleedharan Lakshmy , Bellundagere  , Chandrashekara M. , Bangalore  , Prakash S. Jai , Yajnavalkya  , Bhat S.
Published: January 2018

Dealuminated montmorillonite, prepared by p‐toluenesulphonic acid (pTSA) treatment, was found to be an efficient catalyst in the liquid phase alkylation of p‐cresol (PC) with tert‐butyl alcohol (TBA) in the synthesis of 2‐tert‐butyl p‐cresol (2‐TBC). Comparative studies revealed that catalytic activity of montmorillonite clay sample treated with 0.5 M pTSA (D3‐MMT) was superior to aluminium exchanged montmorillonite (Ex‐MMT) and zeolites (beta and HZSM‐5) during alkylation reaction under microwave irradiation. Thermogravimetric analysis (TG‐DTG) showed that the deactivation of zeolites was mainly due to coke formation. Correlation studies were made for D3‐MMT catalyst between volume accessibility factor (VAF) and PC conversion. These studies suggested that mesopores and types of acidities (Brønsted, Lewis and combination of both) generated after pTSA treatment were found to play role supplementing each other in enhancing the PC conversion. The regenerated catalyst recovered from the reaction mixture under microwave heating retained its catalytic activity after three cycles under optimized conditions.
Chemically Sustainable and Green One‐Pot Multicomponent Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Polycyclic N‐Fused‐Pyrrolidine Heterocycles
Authors: Yan Li‐Jun , Wang Jun‐Liang , Xu Dan , Burgess Kevin S. , Zhu Ai‐Fei , Rao Yan‐Ying , Chen Xue‐Bing , Wang Yong‐Chao
Published: January 2018

An eco‐friendly, highly‐eﬃcient, atom‐economical three‐component cascade reaction of acenaphthenequinone (8), β‐nitroolefins (9) and α‐amino acid (10) in MeOH/H2O is developed for the synthesis of novel functionalized polycyclic N‐fused‐pyrrolidine derivatives (11). All products are obtained by filtration in the absence of column chromatography and recrystallization. Due to its operational simplicity, this green and chemically sustainable reaction can be easily applied toward the design and synthesis of target molecules for the discovery of novel biologically active compounds.
Fabrication of Direct Z‐scheme α‐Fe2O3/FeVO4 Nanobelts with Enhanced Photoelectrochemical Performance
Authors: Wang Qinyu , Liu Zhendong , Lu Qifang , Guo Enyan , Wei Mingzhi
Published: January 2018

A direct Z‐scheme type α‐Fe2O3/FeVO4 heterostructured photocatalyst with novel nanobelt structure just like the leaves of bryophyllum pinnatum has been successfully synthesized for the first time via integrating a facile electrospinning with annealing procedure. The as‐prepared products are characterized by XRD, FT‐IR, XPS, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, BET, PL, TOC, HPLC, EIS, Micro‐Raman and UV‐vis absorbance spectroscopy.The photocatalytic activity of α‐Fe2O3/FeVO4 nanobelts evaluated by themethylene blue (MB) degradation under visible light irradiation could be ascribed to the extended light absorption and improved charge separation efficiency. A reasonable Z‐scheme photocatalytic mechanism is proposed on the basis of structural and electrochemical characterization, which could well explain the enhanced migration rate of photogenerated carriers in α‐Fe2O3/FeVO4 heterojunctions.
HxZr3‐xPW12O40 as an Insoluble and Reusable Heteropolyacid for Highly Selective Dehydration of Fructose to 5‐Hydroxymethyl Fufural in DMSO System
Authors: Mulik Nagesh L. , Niphadkar Prashant S. , Pandhare Kiran V. , Bokade Vijay V.
Published: January 2018

Dehydration of fructose is a way to produce an important platform chemical such as 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) which is widely used to synthesize variety of renewable chemicals and fuel. Heteropoly acid, H3PW12O40 is highly soluble strong acidic catalyst with well‐defined structure. This study reports the modification of soluble heteropoly acid to insoluble and reusable heteropolyacid (HxZr3‐xPW12O40 ) by exchanging with Zr and investigation of its catalytic performance in selective transformation of renewable fructose to 5‐HMF in Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) system. The physico‐chemical properties of HxZr3‐xPW12O40were derived from Powder‐XRD, NH3‐TPAD and FT‐IR technique. The characterization of HxZr3‐xPW12O40 revealed that the Keggin structure of HPA remained intact as proton replaced by Zr. The partial exchange of Zr in H2Zr1PW12O40 catalyst resulted in an increase in acidity, however further increase of Zr above 1, acidity was found to be decreased. At optimized reaction condition, 5‐HMF yield of 85% with 100% selectivity was achieved with H1Zr2 PW12O40 catalyst at much lower reaction time of 10 min than reported. The catalyst was observed to be recoverable, reusable as compared to parent H3PW12O40.