bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intimate partner violence and constraints to reproductive autonomy and reproductive health among women seeking abortion services in Bangladesh
Authors: Pearson Erin , Andersen Kathryn L. , Biswas Kamal , Chowdhury Rezwana , Sherman Susan G. , Decker Michele R.
Published: February 2017

Objective

To understand intersections between intimate partner violence (IPV) and other constraints to women's reproductive autonomy, and the influence of IPV on reproductive health.

Methods

A secondary analysis examined cross‐sectional data from a facility‐based sample of women seeking abortion care (for spontaneous or induced abortion) between March 1 and October 31, 2013. Women aged 18–49 years, who received abortion services and selected a short‐acting contraceptive method or no contraception completed an interviewer‐administered survey after treatment. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were calculated for associations between IPV experience and potential constraints to reproductive autonomy and health outcomes.

Results

There were 457 participants included in the present analysis and 118 (25.8%) had experienced IPV in the preceding year. IPV was associated with discordance in fertility intentions with husbands/partners and in‐laws, with in‐law opposition to contraception, with perceived religious prohibition of contraception, and with presenting unaccompanied (all P<0.05). IPV was also associated with receiving post‐abortion care after an induced abortion compared with accessing legal menstrual regulation, and with the use of medication abortion compared with manual vacuum aspiration (both P<0.05).

Conclusion

Intimate partner violence was associated with additional constraints on reproductive autonomy from husbands/partners, in‐laws, and religious communities. Seeking induced abortion unaccompanied and using medication abortion could be strategies to access abortion covertly among women experiencing IPV. Ensuring women's reproductive freedom requires addressing IPV and related constraints.
Vaginal delivery with prior cesarean delivery following appendix rupture and diffuse purulent peritonitis in a patient with complete wound dehiscence
Authors: Zahumensky Jozef , Braticak Michal , Hlavek Robert , Bucko Marek
Published: February 2017

A patient with wound dehiscence and a history of cesarean delivery successfully underwent vaginal delivery following laparotomy owing to diffuse peritonitis.
It is a matter of how you say it: Verbal content and prosody matching as an index of emotion regulation strategies during the Adult Attachment Interview
Authors: Spinelli Maria , Fasolo Mirco , Coppola Gabrielle , Aureli Tiziana
Published: February 2017

Emotional activation can be detected by the prosodic properties of the voice. This study aimed to explore the match between the valence of the words used by secure and dismissing women in describing the relationship with their parents during the Adult Attachment Interview and their emotional activation as expressed through the prosody of the voice. Contrary to what observed for secure women, a discrepancy emerged in dismissing individuals between the content of their verbal reports during the interview and the emotional activation of their voice while speaking. Negative experiences, usually cognitively minimised and normalised, were expressed with high emotional arousal, while positive descriptors, often exaggerated semantically, were expressed with neutral arousal. Therefore, the defensive inhibition strategy seems to control the content but not the prosody of narratives and prosody has the potential to allow a better understanding of the emotion regulation strategies used by individuals while discussing their caregiving histories.
Lake Urmia Basin Drought Risk Management: A Trade‐Off Between Environment and Agriculture
Authors: Moghaddasi M. , Morid S. , Delavar M. , Hossaini Safa H.
Published: February 2017

The increasing severity of drought worldwide and recent environmental efforts to restore wetlands have put more pressure on management of water resources.The Lake Urmia Basin is an excellent example of this; the lake has been shrinking for the last two decades, agricultural water demand is growing and frequent drought has affected the basin negatively. The present study is part of the Lake Urmia drought risk management (DRM) that suggests a drought warning system with measures to reduce agricultural water consumption and allocate a reasonable amount of water for the lake at each drought level. The approaches to reduce agricultural demand include reductions in cropped area and deficit irrigation; these have been accepted by stakeholders and are calculated by means of optimization models. Strategies to allocate water to Lake Urmia include full allocation of 3100 MCM yr−1 (the new water allocation of the lake) or up to 65% partial allocation of this amount in accordance with the severity of drought. These policies were simulated for the agricultural and environmental sectors throughout the historical and generated time series for streamflow. The results of simulation show that the new water allocations put increasing pressure on the agricultural sector and the basin will remain under water scarcity for more than 50% of the time after applying the DRM. It is a unique way to save the lake, which will otherwise dry up within a decade. The methodology can be recommended to model components of similar drought plans which will benefit from its applicability and objectivity. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Award Winner in the Young Investigator Category, 2017 Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting and Exposition, Minneapolis, MN, April 05—08, 2017: Lymph node stiffness‐mimicking hydrogels regulate human B‐cell lymphoma growth and cell surface receptor expression in a molecular subtype‐specific manner
Authors: Apoorva F.N.U. , Tian Ye F. , Pierpont Timothy M. , Bassen David M. , Cerchietti Leandro , Butcher Jonathan T. , Weiss Robert S. , Singh Ankur
Published: February 2017

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma, with multiple molecular subtypes. The activated B‐cell‐like DLBCL subtype accounts for roughly one‐third of all the cases and has an inferior prognosis. There is a need to develop better class of therapeutics that could target molecular pathways in resistant DLBCLs; however, this requires DLBCLs to be studied in representative tumor microenvironments. The pathogenesis and progression of lymphoma has been mostly studied from the point of view of genetic alterations and intracellular pathway dysregulation. By comparison, the importance of lymphoma microenvironment in which these malignant cells arise and reside has not been studied in as much detail. We have recently elucidated the role of integrin signaling in lymphomas and demonstrated that inhibition of integrin‐ligand interactions abrogated the proliferation of malignant cells in vitro and in patient‐derived xenograft. Here we demonstrate the role of lymph node tissue stiffness on DLBCL in a B‐cell molecular subtype specific manner. We engineered tunable bioartificial hydrogels that mimicked the stiffness of healthy and neoplastic lymph nodes of a transgenic mouse model and primary human lymphoma tumors. Our results demonstrate that molecularly diverse DLBCLs grow differentially in soft and high stiffness microenvironments, which further modulates the integrin and B‐cell receptor expression level as well as response to therapeutics. We anticipate that our findings will be broadly useful to study lymphoma biology and discover new class of therapeutics that target B‐cell tumors in physical environments. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 105A: 1833–1844, 2017.
Canalization Leads to Similar Whole Bone Mechanical Function at Maturity in Two Inbred Strains of Mice
Authors: Schlecht Stephen H , Smith Lauren M , Ramcharan Melissa A , Bigelow Erin MR , Nolan Bonnie T , Mathis Noah J , Cathey Amber , Manley Eugene , Menon Rajasree , McEachin Richard C , Nadeau Joseph H , Jepsen Karl J
Published: February 2017

Previously, we showed that cortical mineralization is coordinately adjusted to mechanically offset external bone size differences between A/J (narrow) and C57BL/6J (wide) mouse femora to achieve whole bone strength equivalence at adulthood. The identity of the genes and their interactions that are responsible for establishing this homeostatic state (ie, canalization) remain unknown. We hypothesize that these inbred strains, whose interindividual differences in bone structure and material properties mimic that observed among humans, achieve functional homeostasis by differentially adjusting key molecular pathways regulating external bone size and mineralization throughout growth. The cortices of A/J and C57BL/6J male mouse femora were phenotyped and gene expression levels were assessed across growth (ie, ages 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 16 weeks). A difference in total cross-sectional area (p < 0.01) and cortical tissue mineral density were apparent between mouse strains by age 2 weeks and maintained at adulthood (p < 0.01). These phenotypic dissimilarities corresponded to gene expression level differences among key regulatory pathways throughout growth. A/J mice had a 1.55- to 7.65-fold greater expression among genes inhibitory to Wnt pathway induction, whereas genes involved in cortical mineralization were largely upregulated 1.50- to 3.77-fold to compensate for their narrow diaphysis. Additionally, both mouse strains showed an upregulation among Wnt pathway antagonists corresponding to the onset of adult ambulation (ie, increased physiological loads). This contrasts with other studies showing an increase in Wnt pathway activation after functionally isolated, experimental in vivo loading regimens. A/J and C57BL/6J long bones provide a model to develop a systems-based approach to identify individual genes and the gene-gene interactions that contribute to trait differences between the strains while being involved in the process by which these traits are coordinately adjusted to establish similar levels of mechanical function, thus providing insight into the process of canalization. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
A Chaperone Complex Formed by HSP47, FKBP65, and BiP Modulates Telopeptide Lysyl Hydroxylation of Type I Procollagen
Authors: Duran Ivan , Martin Jorge H , Weis Mary Ann , Krejci Pavel , Konik Peter , Li Bing , Alanay Yasemin , Lietman Caressa , Lee Brendan , Eyre David , Cohn Daniel H , Krakow Deborah
Published: February 2017

Lysine hydroxylation of type I collagen telopeptides varies from tissue to tissue, and these distinct hydroxylation patterns modulate collagen cross‐linking to generate a unique extracellular matrix. Abnormalities in these patterns contribute to pathologies that include osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), fibrosis, and cancer. Telopeptide procollagen modifications are carried out by lysyl hydroxylase 2 (LH2); however, little is known regarding how this enzyme regulates hydroxylation patterns. We identified an ER complex of resident chaperones that includes HSP47, FKBP65, and BiP regulating the activity of LH2. Our findings show that FKBP65 and HSP47 modulate the activity of LH2 to either favor or repress its activity. BiP was also identified as a member of the complex, playing a role in enhancing the formation of the complex. This newly identified ER chaperone complex contributes to our understanding of how LH2 regulates lysyl hydroxylation of type I collagen C‐telopeptides to affect the quality of connective tissues. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Connexin43 Mutant Patient‐Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Exhibit Altered Differentiation Potential
Authors: Esseltine Jessica L , Shao Qing , Brooks Courtney , Sampson Jacinda , Betts Dean H , Séguin Cheryle A , Laird Dale W
Published: February 2017

We present for the first time the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a patient with a connexin‐linked disease. The importance of gap junctional intercellular communication in bone homeostasis is exemplified by the autosomal dominant developmental disorder oculodentodigital dysplasia (ODDD), which is linked to mutations in the GJA1 (Cx43) gene. ODDD is characterized by craniofacial malformations, ophthalmic deficits, enamel hypoplasia, and syndactyly. In addition to harboring a Cx43 p.V216L mutation, ODDD iPSCs exhibit reduced Cx43 mRNA and protein abundance when compared to control iPSCs and display impaired channel function. Osteogenic differentiation involved an early, and dramatic downregulation of Cx43 followed by a slight upregulation during the final stages of differentiation. Interestingly, osteoblast differentiation was delayed in ODDD iPSCs. Moreover, Cx43 subcellular localization was altered during chondrogenic differentiation of ODDD iPSCs compared to controls and this may have contributed to the more compact cartilage pellet morphology found in differentiated ODDD iPSCs. These studies highlight the importance of Cx43 expression and function during osteoblast and chondrocyte differentiation, and establish a potential mechanism for how ODDD‐associated Cx43 mutations may have altered cell lineages involved in bone and cartilage development. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Serum bilirubin and the risk of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Juping Du , Yuan Yuan , Shiyong Chen , Jun Li , Xiuxiu Zhou , Haijian Ying , Jianfeng Shi , Bo Shen
Published: February 2017

Background

Oxidative stress and immune imbalance play an important role in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Bilirubin is a powerful antioxidant and also regarded as immunomodulator. Increased evidence shows that bilirubin should be a protective factor for autoimmune disease. However, the relationship between bilirubin and RA remain unclear.

Methods

We analyzed serum bilirubin levels and other laboratory and clinical data in 130 RA patients (35 patients without any complications), 81 osteoarthritis (OA) patients and 96 healthy controls.

Results

Binary logistic regression adjusted by age and gender revealed that the levels of serum total, indirect bilirubin were significantly lower in RA patients, when compared with healthy controls (P=.015, OR=0.767, 95% CI=0.619‐0.951; P=.010, OR=0.664, 95% CI=0.487‐0.906, respectively) or OA patients (P=.000, OR=0.763, 95% CI=0.661‐0.882; P=.000, OR=0.656, 95% CI=0.532‐0.808, respectively). A reduced trend of levels of bilirubin has been detected along with increased disease activity, despite with no significance (P>.05). Spearman rank test further demonstrated that IgG and ESR were negative associated with total, indirect bilirubin, and albumin, prealbumin, APOA, HDL‐C were positively associated with bilirubin.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the levels of serum bilirubins were decreased in RA, and decreased levels could be associated with IgG, albumin and inflammatory marker ESR.
WHO'S LEFT OUT AND WHO'S STILL ON THE MARGINS? SOCIAL EXCLUSION IN COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY JOURNALS
Authors: Graham Tanya M.
Published: February 2017

Although community psychology claims to have a social justice‐oriented value base, archival studies of publications in the field have identified deficits in marginalized group representation and a tendency for published work to perpetuate social exclusion. This disjuncture has implications for our understanding of power relations in community psychology scholarship. In this article, I analyze who is included and excluded in the participant choices of 895 empirical studies published in 4 international community psychology journals over a decade. The analysis shows that studies largely report on minority world populations that signify privileged social groups or fail to foreground groups affected by processes of social exclusion. I argue that understanding how knowledge creation may perpetuate social exclusion is fundamental to the role of community psychologists. The article highlights the consequences for the field of the choices of groups we choose to study and report on, as well as those we neglect, in knowledge‐making enterprises.
ASSESSING PARENTING AND FAMILY FUNCTIONING MEASURES FOR URBAN AMERICAN INDIANS
Authors: Ayers Stephanie L. , Kulis Stephen , Tsethlikai Monica
Published: February 2017

Urban American Indian (AI) families often “live in two worlds,” and widely used parenting measures may not adequately capture their parenting styles. Drawing from baseline surveys of AI parents living in 3 urban communities in Arizona (n = 606), this study examines the applicability of using 6 previously validated measures with urban AI parents: parent self‐agency, parental supervision, positive parenting practices, discipline, family cohesion, and parent–adolescent conflict. A 4‐step factor analytic sequential procedure was employed, and results indicate the only measure remaining as a single factor is discipline. The χ2 difference tests of the remaining 5 measures indicate multiple factors fit the data significantly better than the previously validated single factor. These findings indicate previously validated measures are not adequate holistic descriptions of the parenting and familial experiences of urban AIs. Understanding how urban AIs conceptualize parenting provides a foundation for strengthening urban AI families.
COPRODUCTION FOR SUSTAINABILITY: SEEKING THE PERSPECTIVES OF INFORMAL DEMENTIA CARERS’ ON CAPACITY BUILDING FOR COMMUNITY SERVICES
Authors: Elliott Kate‐Ellen J. , Stirling Christine M. , Martin Angela J. , Robinson Andrew L. , Scott Jennifer L.
Published: February 2017

Dementia is a worldwide health priority and much of the burden of care for people with dementia is placed on family members and informal systems of care in the community. The perspectives of 36 informal dementia carers on current and future community‐based services for people with dementia in Tasmania, Australia, are reported using a mixed methods design. Qualitative data were collected, thematically analyzed, and double coded. Quantitative data were collected and analyzed to determine carers’ level of satisfaction with services. Three main themes were identified: (a) quality support for carers and people with dementia; (b) adaptive, tailored, and flexible organizations; and (c) development of the workforce. Although most carers were highly satisfied with the current support services they received, they wanted organizational and workforce changes to meet their varied and complex needs. Results suggest a community‐driven agenda for a coproduction approach for aged and dementia care reform in Australia.
A complete Raman study of common acid red dyes: application to the identification of artistic materials in polychrome prints
Authors: Cesaratto Anna , Centeno Silvia A. , Lombardi John R. , Shibayama Nobuko , Leona Marco
Published: February 2017

In this work, we present a complete Raman investigation of a class of compounds that has not received great attention yet, the red naphthol‐based azo dyes. We selected a group of red azo dyes often used by artists in inks and lake pigments: acid red 1, acid red 14, acid red 18, acid red 26, acid red 27, and acid red 73. A set of reference materials was studied by dispersive Raman, FT‐Raman, and surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy. The reference spectra were used in the study of late 19th century Japanese polychrome woodblock prints. The azo dyes selected for this study generally gave good Raman spectra at all excitation wavelengths. The results obtained by the various Raman techniques are compared, and the main difficulties in the identification of the compounds in works of art are illustrated and discussed. The fluorescence coming from the matrix in which the colorants are embedded can obscure their Raman signal. For this reason, the advantages and drawbacks of surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy with non‐sampling extraction of the colorants have been evaluated. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification and characterization of a novel Fusobacterium nucleatum adhesin involved in physical interaction and biofilm formation with Streptococcus gordonii
Authors: Lima Bruno P. , Shi Wenyuan , Lux Renate
Published: February 2017

To successfully colonize the oral cavity, bacteria must directly or indirectly adhere to available oral surfaces. Fusobacterium nucleatum plays an important role in oral biofilm community development due to its broad adherence abilities, serving as a bridge between members of the oral biofilm that cannot directly bind to each other. In our efforts to characterize the molecular mechanisms utilized by F. nucleatum to physically bind to key members of the oral community, we investigated the involvement of F. nucleatum outer membrane proteins in its ability to bind to the pioneer biofilm colonizer, Streptococcus gordonii. Here, we present evidence that in addition to the previously characterized fusobacterial adhesin RadD, the interaction between F. nucleatum ATCC 23726 and S. gordonii V288 involves a second outer membrane protein, which we named coaggregation mediating protein A (CmpA). We also characterized the role of CmpA in dual‐species biofilm formation with S. gordonii V288, evaluated growth‐phase‐dependent as well as biofilm expression profiles of radD and cmpA, and confirmed an important role for CmpA, especially under biofilm growth conditions. Our findings underscore the complex set of specific interactions involved in physical binding and thus community integration of interacting bacterial species. This complex set of interactions could have critical implications for the formation and maturation of the oral biofilms in vivo, and could provide clues to the mechanism behind the distribution of organisms inside the human oral cavity.
Single‐nucleotide substitution T to A in the polypyrimidine stretch at the splice acceptor site of intron 9 causes exon 10 skipping in the ACAT1 gene
Authors: Sasai Hideo , Aoyama Yuka , Otsuka Hiroki , Abdelkreem Elsayed , Nakama Mina , Hori Tomohiro , Ohnishi Hidenori , Turner Lesley , Fukao Toshiyuki
Published: February 2017

Background

β‐ketothiolase (T2, gene symbol ACAT1) deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder, affecting isoleucine and ketone body metabolism. We encountered a patient (GK03) with T2 deficiency whose T2 mRNA level was <10% of the control, but in whom a previous routine cDNA analysis had failed to find any mutations. Genomic PCR‐direct sequencing showed homozygosity for c.941‐9T>A in the polypyrimidine stretch at the splice acceptor site of intron 9 of ACAT1. Initially, we regarded this variant as not being disease‐causing by a method of predicting the effect of splicing using in silico tools. However, based on other findings of exon 10 splicing, we eventually hypothesized that this mutation causes exon 10 skipping.

Methods

cDNA analysis was performed using GK03's fibroblasts treated with/without cycloheximide (CHX), since exon 10 skipping caused a frameshift and nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Minigene splicing experiment was done to confirm aberrant splicing.

Results

cDNA analysis using fibroblasts cultured with cycloheximide indeed showed the occurrence of exon 10 skipping. A minigene splicing experiment clearly showed that the c.941‐9T>A mutant resulted in transcripts with exon 10 skipping. There are few reports describing that single‐nucleotide substitutions in polypyrimidine stretches of splice acceptor sites cause aberrant splicing.

Conclusion

We showed that c.941‐9T>A induces aberrant splicing in the ACAT1 gene. Our ability to predict the effects of mutations on splicing using in silico tools is still limited. cDNA analysis and minigene splicing experiments remain useful alternatives to reveal splice defects.
Flexural and low velocity impact characterization of thermoplastic composites based on PEN and high performance woven fabrics
Authors: Sorrentino Luigi , Silva de Vasconcellos Davi , D'Auria Marco , Tirillò Jacopo , Sarasini Fabrizio
Published: February 2017

Poly(Ethylene 2,6‐Naphthalate)—PEN has been used as matrix for laminates with the aim to develop woven fiber reinforced composites with a service temperature as high as 100°C. Three different classes of fibers have been considered as reinforcement in woven fabric form: carbon, polymers (Twaron and Vectran) and mineral (basalt). Composites were manufactured by using the film stacking technique, alternating layers of balanced plain weave fabrics (0/90) and films of amorphous PEN. The manufacturing process was optimized to obtain a good impregnation of fibers and very low void content. Static flexural tests, dynamic mechanical analysis and low velocity impacts were used to characterize the mechanical behavior of the composites. The flexural modulus and strength of laminates resulted to be very high, in particular for the PEN/Carbon and PEN/Basalt systems. The storage modulus from the dynamic mechanical analysis indicated that 100°C is a suitable service temperature for all configurations. The impact resistance of the composites showed a different trend with respect to static tests, since PEN/Basalt and PEN/Aramid exhibited the best performances. These results prove that PEN is a viable option for the production of structural composites as replacement of thermosetting matrices due to its high performance/cost ratio, in particular when combined with basalt fibers. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2942–2951, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Statins during pregnancy: a cohort study using the General Practice Research Database to investigate pregnancy loss
Authors: McGrogan Anita , Snowball Julia , Charlton Rachel A.
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The aim of this study was to determine if there are any differences between the types of pregnancy loss experienced by women who have been prescribed a statin just before or early in pregnancy compared with those who have not.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study using the General Practice Research Database was carried out. Women aged 10–49 years at pregnancy start who received a prescription for a statin in the 3 months before and/or during the first trimester of pregnancy were matched to up to 10 pregnancies on age at start date, diabetes and hypertension status before pregnancy. Pregnancies occurring between 1/1/1992 and 31/3/2009 were included. Pregnancy losses were identified and categorised as spontaneous (including miscarriage), induced for medical, other or unknown reasons. Freetext was used to determine the type of loss where this was not clear from the coded medical records.

Results

Two hundred eighty‐one pregnancies potentially exposed to statins were identified and matched to 2643 unexposed pregnancies. About 54.45% of pregnancies potentially exposed to a statin resulted in a delivery compared with 62.81% of those not exposed. 25.27% of all pregnancies potentially exposed to a statin resulted in a spontaneous loss compared with 20.81% in those not exposed. Using a time to event analysis with exposure as a time‐dependent covariate gave an adjusted hazards ratio of 1.64 (95%CI 1.10 to 2.46) of spontaneous pregnancy loss in the statin exposed group.

Conclusions

This study is the first to report the differences in types of pregnancy loss following the potential exposure to a statin just before or early in pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carboxylesterase 2 Is a Fatty Acid Ethyl Ester Synthase
Authors: Tseng Yu‐Wei , Lin Chueh‐Yu , Tsai Chung‐Lin , Chou Tsong‐Yung , Hung Chih‐Huang , Kuo Ching‐Hua , Lai Shang‐Chi , Tzeng Yin‐Jeh
Published: February 2017

Alcoholic beverages are consumed in high volumes globally, and the absorbed ethanol is metabolized by oxidative and non‐oxidative pathways. Although the latter pathways are minor, the resulting accumulation of fatty acid ethanol esters (FAEEs) has been implicated in organ damage and dysfunction, including in the liver and the pancreas. Carboxylesterase 2 (CES2) has not yet been characterized as a FAEE synthase versus several identified esterase. In this study, we aim to determine whether CES2 synthesizes FAEE from palimitic acid (PA) and ethanol. Mouse recombinant CES2 protein was mixed with PA and deuterated ethanol (EtOD) and the production of FAEE was monitored using GC/MS. The results showed that deuterated palmitic acid ethyl ester (PAEED) was produced, with EtOD concentration‐ and time‐dependent yields. At a constant palmitic acid concentration of 4 mM, the apparent Km and Vmax values for ethanol and for PAEED synthesis were 898.1 mM and 36.5 pM/min respectively. The protein structure and active site of CES2 was predicted using sequence alignments with well characterized CES1. Although the amino sequence of CES2 shares only 45 % identity with human carboxylesterase 1 (hCES1), the main domain and active site are conserved. We made a docking simulation and thus speculate that CES2 is a FAEE synthase with a similar catalytic mechanism to CES1. These data provide an important first step in vivo for pathological and therapeutic studies of FAEE‐mediated organ damages.
Sorption and Desorption of Cyhalofop‐Butyl on Mesopotamic Agricultural Soils
Authors: Bordón Alexander Germán , Pila Andrea Natalia , Profeta Mariela Inés , Jorge María Josefa , Romero Jorge Marcelo , Jorge Nelly Lidia , Michellod Alcides Martín Miguel
Published: February 2017

The ability of herbicides to be adsorbed by the soil and their tendency to be desorbed are some of the most important factors affecting soil and water contamination. Therefore, a sorption and desorption study were conducted to evaluate the adsorption‐desorption of cyhalofop‐butyl, in the sandy clay loam and at different depths using a batch equilibrium method. The adsorption of cyhalofop‐butyl was found positively related with the clay and organic carbon content. The kinetic profiles occurred in three steps. With an initial rapid adsorption in the early hours followed by slow adsorption and then it was constant during the rest of the range studied. Adsorption data conformed well to the Freundlich isotherm, whit increasing of adsorption with increasing of organic matter of the soil of different depth. The desorption process showed an important hysteresis phenomenon. The adsorption isotherm suggested a relatively higher affinity of cyhalofop‐butyl to the adsorption sites at low equilibrium concentrations. The low value of the soil organic carbon partition coefficient (Koc) of cyhalofop‐butyl in the sandy loam soil suggested its weaker adsorption in soil and thus increased its risk of mobility into water sources.
Melamine and Spermine Mediated Supramolecular self–assembly of Octaphosphonate Tetraphenyl Porphyrin
Authors: Bhosale Rajesh S. , La Duong Duc , Al Kobaisi Mohammad , Bhosale Sidhanath V. , Bhosale Sheshanath V.
Published: February 2017

We demonstrate the supramolecular self‐assembly of {porphyrin‐5,10,15,20‐tetrayltetrakis[(benzene‐5,1,3‐triyl)bis (methylene)]}octakis(phosphonic acid) 1 in the presence of melamine and spermine. The morphology of 1 in the presence of melamine and spermine was different, indicated that change in analytes could be used to control nanostructures. UV‐vis and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were employed to investigate aggregation mode. The self‐assembled nanostructure was confirmed by SEM imaging and XRD measurements.
An in–situ Organic‐Inorganic Hybrid Methanol‐Permeation resistant PEM with Great Mechanical Stability Retention Capacity
Authors: Li Jing , Xiong Jie , Ma Liying , Xu Guoxiao , Jiang Yao , Luo Xingying , Cai Weiwei
Published: February 2017

An in‐situ organic‐inorganic hybrid strategy is proposed for proton exchange membrane (PEM) preparation based on a hyperbranched polyamide proton conductive macromolecule. With similar effects on proton conductivity and methanol permeability as that of the conventional organic‐inorganic hybrid strategy, the in‐situ organic‐inorganic hybrid one showed much better retention capacity on mechanical stability. With trace amount of TiO2 nanoparticle, acting as a model inorganic filler in this work, methanol permeability of a previously developed macromolecular polyamide proton conductor, which already showed higher proton conductivity and methanol resistivity than the commercial Nafion membrane, is further reduced by ca. 20 % while the proton conductivity is only slightly decayed. More importantly, mechanical strength of the in‐situ hybrid membrane remained almost the same as that of the original polymeric membrane while the conventional hybrid strategy would lead to a 25 % tensile strength loss.
Coordination Complexes of Manganese and Their Biomedical Applications
Authors: Ali Basharat , Iqbal Muhammad Adnan
Published: February 2017

The clinical success of metallodrugs is rapidly increasing. The historical use of cisplatin and recently a successful marketing of its clinically advanced derivatives (oxaliplatin, carboplatin, nedaplatin, lobaplatin and heptaplatin) for the treatment of various types of cancer has opened new horizons for metal based drugs. Complexes of cobalt, gold, ruthenium, palladium, manganese and even arsenic are either being marketed or close to get success in clinical trials for the treatment of various diseases. Current review compiles the advances on manganese complexes and their biomedical applications. A possible structure activity relationship has been discussed.
Temperature and Pressure Effects on the Catalytic Performance of Metalloporphyrins during Hydrogenation of Naphthalene
Authors: Liu He , Fan Shiguang , Wang Zongxian , Chen Kun , Guo Aijun
Published: February 2017

Temperature and pressure effects on the catalytic performance of metalloporphyrins (MPs) for naphthalene hydrogenation were studied. Naphthalene hydrogenation over MPs and sulfur (S), or S alone was examined at varying temperatures and pressures. MPs showed catalytic activity for naphthalene hydrogenation by aid of S. The catalytic activity was promoted by increasing pressure and temperature. The promotion for nickel porphyrinseemed stronger than that for vanadyl porphyrin. Excessive temperature hindered catalytic performance due to coke formation. To reveal role of temperature and pressure in catalytic performance of MPs, the demetalation was traced by ultraviolet‐visible(UV/Vis) spectroscopy, and catalytic species were characterized by Raman and high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). High catalytic activity was correlated with high conversion of MPs. The catalytic species were mixtures of different nickel sulfide phases. High pressure and temperature facilitatedformation of crystalline metal sulfides. This work can provide guidance for activating inherent MPs in heavy oil more effectively during hydroconversion.
M3NiAu5 [M= Na, K]: A Possible All Metal Magnetic Zintl Phase
Authors: Reddy G. Naaresh , Giri Santanab
Published: February 2017

A new all metal magnetic Zintl like ion [NiAu5]3‐ has been designed based on 18‐electron rule. Within the Density Functional Theory framework, we have shown that the triplet state of [NiAu5]3‐ is most stable and it remains in the same spin state after forming phases with alkali metal, Na and K. Charge distribution of these phases, Na3[NiAu5] and K3[NiAu5] reveals that these phases are mimicking Zintl phase.
Synthesis and Electrocatalysis of Diiron Monothiolate Complexes: Small Molecule Mimics of the [FeFe] Hydrogenase Enzyme
Authors: Natarajan Mookan , Pandey Indresh Kumar , Kaur‐Ghumaan Sandeep
Published: February 2017

Reaction of the precursor complexes [Fe2(μ‐SCH2Ph)2(CO)6] 1 and [Fe2(μ‐SEt)2(CO)6] A with the phosphine ligand (L=P(PhOMe‐p)3) yielded the mono‐substituted complexes [Fe2(μ‐SCH2Ph)2(CO)5(P(PhOMe‐p)3)] 2 and [Fe2(μ‐SEt)2(CO)5(P(PhOMe‐p)3)] 3. All the complexes were characterized by various spectroscopic techniques. X‐ray crystal structure has been reported for complex 3. The reduction potentials of the phosphine substituted complexes 2 and 3 appeared at more negative potentials in comparison to the precursor complexes 1 and A. Complexes 1–3 were catalytically active towards proton reduction in the presence of acids.
“Stationary” point processes are uncommon on linear networks
Authors: Baddeley Adrian , Nair Gopalan , Rakshit Suman , McSwiggan Greg
Published: February 2017

Statistical methodology for analysing patterns of points on a network of lines, such as road traffic accident locations, often assumes that the underlying point process is “stationary” or “correlation‐stationary.” However, such processes appear to be rare. In this paper, popular procedures for constructing a point process are adapted to linear networks: many of the resulting models are no longer stationary when distance is measured by the shortest path in the network. This undermines the rationale for popular statistical methods such as the K‐function and pair correlation function. Alternative strategies are proposed, such as replacing the shortest‐path distance by another metric on the network. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nitridische und oxinitridische HPPMS‐Beschichtungen für den Einsatz in der Kunststoffverarbeitung (Teil 2)
Authors: Bobzin Kirsten , Grundmeier Guido , Brögelmann Tobias , de los Arcos Teresa , Wiesing Martin , Kruppe Nathan C.
Published: February 2017

In der vorherigen Ausgabe wurden drei oxinitridische Hartstoffschichten auf CrAl‐Basis beschrieben, die mittels der physikalischen Gasphasenabscheidung (physical vapour deposition, PVD) als Schutzschichten vor adhäsivem und abrasivem Verschleiß in der Kunststoffextrusion hergestellt wurden. Die Beschichtungen wurden mit variierendem Sauerstoffgehalt synthetisiert, um den Einfluss der chemischen Zusammensetzung auf Schichteigenschaften und Verbundeigenschaften zwischen Beschichtung und beschichtetem Werkzeug zu untersuchen. In diesem Beitrag werden darauf aufbauend anwendungsorientierte Systemeigenschaften der drei betrachteten Schichtsysteme gegenüber einer Polycarbonatschmelze untersucht.
Die Dichtheitsprüfung an Beschichtungsanlagen
Authors: Konwitschny Rudolf , Barfuss Heinz
Published: February 2017

In diesem Beitrag geben die Autoren Einblicke in ihre langjährige Erfahrung bei optimalen Installation und der dem effektivsten Betrieb eines Heliumlecksuchers zur Dichtheitsprüfung an Beschichtungsanlagen mit Gaseinlasssystem. Der Anwender erfährt physikalische Zusammenhänge und Abhängigkeiten, welche die Ansprech‐ und Erholungszeiten beeinflussen. Der von Hilfspumpen größeren Einsatz bei Kammervolumina und das daraus resultierende Teilstromverhältnis werden betrachtet. Grundsätzliche Einsatzhinweise runden den Artikel ab.
Growth and expression of relevant metabolic genes of Clostridium thermocellum cultured on lignocellulosic residues
Authors: Leitão Vanessa O , Noronha Eliane F , Camargo Brenda R , Hamann Pedro R V , Steindorff Andrei S , Quirino Betania F , de Sousa Marcelo Valle , Ulhoa Cirano J , Felix Carlos R
Published: February 2017

The plant cell wall is a source of fermentable sugars in second-generation bioethanol production. However, cellulosic biomass hydrolysis remains an obstacle to bioethanol production in an efficient and low-cost process. Clostridium thermocellum has been studied as a model organism able to produce enzymatic blends that efficiently degrade lignocellulosic biomass, and also as a fermentative microorganism in a consolidated process for the conversion of lignocellulose to bioethanol. In this study, a C. thermocellum strain (designated B8) isolated from goat rumen was characterized for its ability to grow on sugarcane straw and cotton waste, and to produce cellulosomes. We also evaluated C. thermocellum gene expression control in the presence of complex lignocellulosic biomasses. This isolate is capable of growing in the presence of microcrystalline cellulose, sugarcane straw and cotton waste as carbon sources, producing free enzymes and residual substrate-bound proteins (RSBP). The highest growth rate and cellulase/xylanase production were detected at pH 7.0 and 60 °C, after 48 h. Moreover, this strain showed different expression levels of transcripts encoding cellulosomal proteins and proteins with a role in fermentation and catabolic repression.
Constantia: The Last Constantinian
Authors: McEvoy Meaghan
Published: February 2017

This article highlights the significant role played by Constantia, posthumous daughter of the emperor Constantius II, in late fourth century dynastic politics and ideology. Though Constantia has generally been neglected in modern studies of the period, close examination of the surviving sources reveals her pivotal position, even from her earliest years, as a coveted link between the Constantinian dynasty and new emperors seeking to establish themselves and their families in the turbulent years of the 360s, 370s and 380s AD. Through investigation of the source material relating to Constantia’s short life, we gain further vital insight into the perennial importance to imperial politics of dynastic loyalty, and specifically loyalty to the Constantinian house, in the late fourth century, as well as emerging new ideas about the complexities of the marriages of imperial women.
Utopian Motifs in Early Greek Concepts of the Afterlife
Authors: Burton Diana
Published: February 2017

This paper explores the use of utopian motifs in early Greek concepts of the afterlife. The notion of a paradisiacal existence for selected heroes after death is widespread in Greek thought, going back at least as far as Hesiod, and appearing in such diverse sources as Pindar, the Orphic gold leaves, Attic comedy, and Lucian. Such idyllic afterlives share various features common to Lewis Mumford’s ‘utopias of escape’ (The Story of Utopias, London, 1922, 15), such as the absence of pain and toil, plentiful and self-supplying food and drink, the company of one’s peers, and so forth. They also share the utopian ideals of selective and restricted citizenship – although the requirements for entry may vary. The popularity of eschatological utopias is associated with the theme of a lost ‘Golden Age’ and the consequent assumption of the inevitable decline of human societies. Although often regarded as escapist fantasies, eschatological utopias do react, often critically, to perceived issues in the societies that constructed them. Their unreal nature is regarded as problematic, and through their association with Kronos and the Golden Age they exemplify the dangers ofanomia.But they also provide a means by which an individual can preserve his consciousness and identity in death.
The Rhetoric of Fear in Euripides’Phoenician Women
Authors: Papadodima Efi
Published: February 2017

In accordance with its notoriously rich plot,Phoenician Womenexplores diverse aspects of fear that affect, and are thematised by, various parties at different stages of the plot.1Against the background of a virtually ‘irrational’ and inescapable divine necessity (treated as a source of dread in itself), Euripides presents the play’s central crisis as being largely determined by rational and controlled decision-making, within an array of moral disputes that enter the scene. The agents’ decision-making standardly comprises diverging, conflicting, or inconsistent attitudes towards fear and related emotions, such as shame (in both past and present).

The rhetoric of fear thus reflects and further highlights the characters’ conflicting viewpoints, as well as Euripides’ trademark tendency to toy with his audience’s expectations and assumptions about ethical values and what is ‘right’. This article argues that his approach is substantially different from the Aeschylean treatment of the same myth (Seven against Thebes). By offering a concrete and abstract treatment of the situational anxieties over war and familial feud, Euripides’ rhetoric of fear ultimately shifts the focus to the complexities and contradictions of human motivation.
Sport and Democracy in Classical Athens
Authors: Pritchard David M.
Published: February 2017

This article addresses the neglected problem of elite sport in classical Athens. Democracy may have opened up politics to every citizen, but it had no impact on sporting participation. Athenian sportsmen continued to be drawn from the elite. Thus it comes as a surprise that non-elite citizens judged sport to be a very good thing and created an unrivalled program of local sporting festivals on which they spent a staggering sum. They also shielded sportsmen from the public criticism that was otherwise normally directed towards the elite and its exclusive pastimes. The work of social scientists suggests that the explanation of this problem can be found in the close relationship that non-elite Athenians perceived between sporting contests and their own waging of war. The article’s conclusion is that it was the democracy’s opening up of war to non-elite citizens that legitimised elite sport.
AnAureusof Pompeius Magnus
Authors: Marshall Bruce
Published: February 2017

In a recent article in this journal, Kathryn Welch and Hannah Mitchell examined a much debated question: to what extent did Roman commanders, and in particular Pompeius, model themselves on Alexander the Great?1The opposing views on this question are best encapsulated by Peter Green on the one side, and Erich Gruen on the other.2One piece of evidence used in this continuing debate is anaureusof Pompeius, but there are two disputes related to it: the date of its issue and the iconography of its obverse. Unfortunately, due to a lack of specific evidence the discussion trying to resolve these disputes often ends without a clear conclusion, and we are left with speculation and conjecture.

The reverse of theaureusshows a triumph, and the nub of the question about dating the coin is which triumph does it depict. The argument here is that the coin depicts Pompeius’ third triumph in 61 BC, when he celebrated his extensive conquests in the East. That date will help the argument that the personification on the obverse has Alexander overtones, as some scholars suggest. If that can be established, it will give some idea of Pompeius’ intentions in minting the coin: Pompeius was not only channelling Alexander, but also trying to imply that he had surpassed the Macedonian king’s achievements.
The “Who?” Question in the Hate Speech Debate: Part 2: Functional and Democratic Approaches
Authors: Brown Alexander
Published: February 2017

This two-part article addresses the “Who?” question in the hate speech debate: namely, which characteristics, social identities or statuses should or should not be treated as protected characteristics within a body hate speech laws? Using United Kingdom incitement to hatred laws as a focal point, the article outlines and critically appraises five broad approaches to specification. Part 1 deals with consistency specification, which highlights norms of consistency both within incitement to hatred law itself and in relation to other laws, practical specification, which focuses on the ostensible goals or apparent aims of incitement to hatred laws, and formal specification, which looks at the formal qualities of the characteristics themselves and to the different forms of people’s relationships with those characteristics. And Part 2 considers functional specification, which concentrates on the underlying or real functions, purposes or objectives of incitement to hatred laws, and democratic specification, which appeals to democratic procedures as well as to democratic values, norms and principles that speak to the proper scope of incitement to hatred laws. Along the way I shall also critically assess a range of substantive arguments about which particular characteristics should or should not be covered by incitement to hatred laws given the aforementioned approaches. My main conclusion shall be that each of the approaches has its strengths and weakness and that, partly because of this, no single approach is adequate by itself as a tool for specifying the proper scope of incitement to hatred laws, but also, by the same token, no approach should be ruled out entirely. Instead, the best strategy is one that combines together all five approaches in reasonable ways given the law, the characteristic and the context.