bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative estimation of sulfiredoxin levels between chronic periodontitis and healthy patients – A case‐control study
Authors: Ramesh Asha , Varghese Sheeja , Jayakumar Nadathur D. , Malaiappan Sankari
Published: July 2018

Background

Growing evidence suggests that oxidative stress forms a key component in the etiopathogenesis of periodontitis. Studies have shown potential antioxidants responsible for combating the pro‐oxidants which stress the periodontium. But, peroxiredoxin‐sulfiredoxin system is the least explored in periodontal disease.

Methods

A case‐control study was conducted on 30 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria from the Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India. The patients were divided into two groups: 1) Group A‐ healthy controls (n = 18), 2) Group B‐ patients with generalized chronic periodontitis (n = 17). Following clinical examination, gingival tissue samples were procured from both the groups and subjected to protein quantification by Lowry method. The samples with adequate protein concentration (n = 30) from the two groups were further analyzed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for estimation of sulfiredoxin levels.

Results

Sulfiredoxin levels were significantly higher in the gingival tissues of chronic periodontitis patients (171.20 ± 16.97 ng/mL) than in healthy controls (131.20 ± 22.87) with P < 0.001. Also, the levels of sulfiredoxin in gingival tissue of periodontitis patients positively correlated with site‐specific probing depth (r = 0.67; P = 0.007) and clinical attachment level (r = 0.55; P = 0.035).

Conclusions

The present study was a novel attempt to estimate the levels of sulfiredoxin which was significantly elevated in the diseased sites of patients with chronic periodontitis. Future studies are required to probe the role of sulfiredoxin in the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease.
Survival rates of hybrid rough surface implants and their alveolar bone level alterations
Authors: Lee Chun‐Teh , Tran Duong , Jeng Ming‐Dih , Shen Yi‐Tung
Published: July 2018

Background

The design of hybrid surface implants takes advantage of characteristics of two different textures to improve clinical outcomes. To date, there are limited numbers of studies reporting the clinical results of hybrid surface implants. This study aimed to assess hybrid surface implants with two different rough textures in regard to survival, marginal bone level change, and biological complications.

Methods

Retrospective review of dental records was conducted for 161 patients who had 460 hybrid surface implants to analyze survival rate. These implants had the dual sandblasted and anode oxidized surface. Sixty patients with 192 implants who had consecutive radiographs taken at specific time points and complete clinical examinations were included in the comprehensive analysis. The associations between patient‐ and implant‐related characteristics, and clinical results were analyzed by log‐rank test, Cox regression, and linear regression analysis.

Results

Cumulative survival at 12, 36, and 60 months after placement was 97.4%, 96.4%, and 95.8%, respectively. The average marginal bone level change from baseline to the last visit was 0.31 ± 0.68 mm and 0.34 ± 0.77 mm at the mesial and distal sites, respectively. Prevalence of peri‐implantitis was 0.5% at the implant level and 1.7% at the patient level. Implant site was associated with implant failure (P = 0.03). Smoking habit, history of periodontitis, and implant site were significantly associated with marginal bone level change (P = 0.001, < 0.001, 0.01, respectively).

Conclusions

Hybrid rough surface implants had high survival rate, stable bone level, and low prevalence of biological complications. This surface design demonstrated promising clinical outcomes. More studies are needed to further support the clinical advantages of hybrid surface implants.
Composite Cellularized Structures Created from an Interpenetrating Polymer Network Hydrogel Reinforced by a 3D Woven Scaffold
Authors: Moffat Kristen L. , Goon Kelsey , Moutos Franklin T. , Estes Bradley T. , Oswald Sara J. , Zhao Xuanhe , Guilak Farshid
Published: July 2018

Biomaterial scaffolds play multiple roles in cartilage tissue engineering, including controlling architecture of newly formed tissue while facilitating growth of embedded cells and simultaneously providing functional properties to withstand the mechanical environment within the native joint. In particular, hydrogels—with high water content and desirable transport properties—while highly conducive to chondrogenesis, often lack functional mechanical properties. In this regard, interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) hydrogels can provide mechanical toughness greatly exceeding that of individual components; however, many IPN materials are not biocompatible for cell encapsulation. In this study, an agarose and poly(ethylene) glycol IPN hydrogel is seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Results show high viability of MSCs within the IPN hydrogel, with improved mechanical properties compared to constructs comprised of individual components. These properties are further strengthened by integrating the hydrogel with a 3D woven structure. The resulting fiber‐reinforced hydrogels display functional macroscopic mechanical properties mimicking those of native articular cartilage, while providing a local microenvironment that supports cellular viability and function. These findings suggest that a fiber‐reinforced IPN hydrogel can support stem cell chondrogenesis while allowing for significantly enhanced, complex mechanical properties at multiple scales as compared to individual hydrogel or fiber components.
Finite satisfiability for two‐variable, first‐order logic with one transitive relation is decidable
Authors: Pratt‐Hartmann Ian
Published: July 2018

We consider two‐variable, first‐order logic in which a single distinguished predicate is required to be interpreted as a transitive relation. We show that the finite satisfiability problem for this logic is decidable in triply exponential non‐deterministic time. Complexity falls to doubly exponential non‐deterministic time if the transitive relation is constrained to be a partial order.
Ice‐Templated Poly(vinyl alcohol): Enhanced Strength and Low Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Voges Kevin , Hübner Christian , Vadalá Miriana , Lupascu Doru C.
Published: July 2018

The freeze‐casting technique has been used for a variety of materials to tailor their pore structure. The growing ice crystals act as a template for the subsequent voids present in the body. While it is mostly used for inorganic oxide materials, the method is also applicable to polymers like poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). The synthesized materials have an aligned anisotropic pore structure which significantly influences the mechanical behavior and the thermal conductivity. Glutaraldehyde (GA) can be used as a cross‐linking agent to reduce the water solubility of the PVA samples. The composition‐dependent thermal conductivities are measured, and found to be 0.055–0.078 W m−1 K−1 parallel to the freezing direction and 0.048–0.058 W m−1 K−1 in the transverse direction. The scaffold‐like structure resembling the hydroxyapatite structures in bones yields high strength values in the axial direction well exceeding that of common unsupported building insulation materials.
Inverse spectral problem for the operators with non‐local potential
Authors: Zolotarev Vladimir A.
Published: July 2018

The main object under consideration in the paper is the second derivative operator on a finite interval with zero boundary conditions perturbed by a self‐adjoint integral operator with the degenerate kernel (non‐local potential). The inverse problem, i.e., the reconstruction of the perturbation from the spectral data, is solved by means of the step‐by‐step procedure based on the n‐interlacing property of the spectrum.
An algebraic formula for the index of a ‐form on a real quotient singularity
Authors: Ebeling Wolfgang , Gusein‐Zade Sabir M.
Published: July 2018

Let a finite abelian group G act (linearly) on the space and thus on its complexification . Let W be the real part of the quotient (in general ). We give an algebraic formula for the radial index of a 1‐form on the real quotient W. It is shown that this index is equal to the signature of the restriction of the residue pairing to the G‐invariant part of . For a G‐invariant function f, one has the so‐called quantum cohomology group defined in the quantum singularity theory (FJRW‐theory). We show that, for a real function f, the signature of the residue pairing on the real part of the quantum cohomology group is equal to the orbifold index of the 1‐form on the preimage of W under the natural quotient map.
Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly (PISA) of 1,5‐Cyclooctadiene Using Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization
Authors: Torres‐Rocha Olga Lidia , Wu Xiaowei , Zhu Chunyang , Crudden Cathleen M. , Cunningham Michael F.
Published: July 2018

Ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) is a technique that allows the synthesis of well‐defined linear polyolefins. Polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA) involves the synthesis of amphiphilic block copolymers: a hydrophilic block is first polymerized homogeneously in solution (usually water) followed by polymerization of a second hydrophobic block, resulting in a diblock copolymer that self‐assembles. In this communication, preliminary results of the development of PISA for the synthesis of amphiphilic block linear polyolefins via ROMP using a water‐soluble PEGylated ruthenium alkylidene catalyst are presented. In the first step, a water‐soluble modified‐norbornene monomer was polymerized in water, then 1,5‐cyclooctadiene was added to the system to produce amphiphilic block polyolefins. By varying the concentrations of hydrophilic versus hydrophobic monomer, stable latexes with final particles of ≈200 nm diameter were prepared.
A Numerical Simulation of Enhanced Mixing of a Non‐Newtonian Fluid in a Cavity with Asymmetric Non‐Twin Rotors
Authors: Xu Baiping , Liu Yao , Yu Huiwen , Turng Lih‐Sheng , Liu Chuntai
Published: July 2018

Novel non‐twin rotors are developed to introduce a symmetry break to enhance the mixing in a cavity. The novel rotors co‐rotate and have different geometries with a speed ratio of 2. Numerical simulations are carried out using a finite element scheme with the mesh superposition technique. The time‐dependent flow field of a non‐Newtonian fluid obeying the Bird–Carreau constitutive model is solved. Mixing details are analyzed with regard to particle tracking, tracer evolution, an invariance index, and the Manas‐Zloczower mixing index. The numerical results reveal that the bifurcation (cutting) action occur in the clearance between the rotors when the strips of material closely approach the upper and lower intermeshing zones. A similar Baker’s transformation is found to control the whole mixing process, especially in the non‐twin group where asymmetric rotors provide more opportunity to achieve the cutting and reorientation of fluid striations. The results confirm that the new geometry provide better distributive and dispersive mixing than the commonly used traditional twin rotors.
Personalized molecular modeling for pinpointing associations of protein dysfunction and variants associated with hereditary cancer syndromes
Authors: Macklin Sarah , Mohammed Ahmed , Jackson Jessica , Hines Stephanie L. , Atwal Paldeep S. , Caulfield Thomas
Published: July 2018

Background

Although the process of reclassification of a variant of uncertain significance can be complex, they are commonly detected through molecular testing. It often takes years before enough clinical data are acquired, and it can be costly and time‐consuming to perform functional analysis of a single variant. It is important that other tools are developed to aid in clarifying how a specific genetic variant impacts a protein's function, and ultimately the health of the patient.

Methods

Two more newly characterized, suspected pathogenic variants in NBN and PTEN were analyzed through personalized protein modeling. Comparisons between the wild‐type and altered protein were studied using simulations, genomic exome analysis, and clinic study.

Results

Modeling of the new NBN and PTEN protein structures suggested loss of essential domains important for normal enzymatic function for these personalized genomic examples which matched the clinical findings.

Conclusion

The defects detected through modeling were consistent with the expected clinical effect. Personalized protein modeling is another tool for determination of correct variant classification, which can become further useful through construction of deposition archive.
Evaluating the Efficiency of Pulsed Gastric Lavage for Age-0 Walleyes
Authors: Blankman Trevor , Ball Emily E. , Weber Michael J.
Published: July 2018

Assessing fish diets through stomach content analysis leads to advances in the understanding of trophic dynamics, predation rates, and prey availability for fish populations. Although pulsed gastric lavage (PGL) is an effective nonlethal technique for sampling stomach contents of adult fishes, variable effectiveness has been reported for age-0 fishes. Our objective was to assess the efficiency of PGL on age-0 Walleyes Sander vitreus. Stomach contents were extracted from 49 age-0 Walleyes with PGL using three 140-mL syringes filled with purified water. After PGL, age-0 Walleyes were euthanized and returned to the laboratory, and stomachs were removed and rinsed with water to check for remaining stomach contents. No injuries or deaths were observed during the PGL process. Only 4 of 49 age-0 Walleye stomachs (8.2%) contained no prey items after PGL and dissection and therefore were not included in analysis. Of the 45 stomachs containing prey, only three stomachs (6.7%) still contained prey items after PGL; thus, PGL successfully removed all prey in 93.3% of stomachs containing prey items. Of the 45 stomachs containing prey items, 71.1% contained fish, 44.4% contained benthic invertebrates, and 48.9% contained zooplankton. Individual age-0 Walleyes consumed an average of one fish (SD = 1), three benthic invertebrates (SD = 7), and four zooplankton (SD = 7). Pulsed gastric lavage recovered an average of 98.7% (SD = 6.4%) of total prey by number from age-0 Walleyes. Mean percent recovery was 97.3% (95% CI = 4.2) for fish, 100% (95% CI = 0) for benthic invertebrates, and 99.5% (95% CI = 0.9) for zooplankton. Removal efficiency of PGL was not strongly correlated to the total number of consumed prey items per individual for fish, benthic invertebrates, or zooplankton nor to age-0 Walleye TL. Combined, these results suggest that PGL is an effective nonlethal technique for recovering stomach contents of age-0 Walleyes.
New fluid approaches for studying the performance of elastic traffic under class based weighed fair queuing system
Authors: Boussada Mohamed El Hedi , Garcia Jean Marie , Frikha Mounir
Published: July 2018

Although TCP is typically designed to carry data (transfer of documents such as files or web pages), it is also suitable, today, for transporting most commercial video‐streaming traffic such as YouTube or Netflix traffic. The class‐based weighted fair queuing is still an important router discipline that allows different classes of elastic flows (generally, TCP flows) to be transported together in a truly converged network. Such system has been extensively studied in packet level by evaluating several criteria of effectiveness such as the mean queue length and the average queue waiting time, without proposing a general model that captures the flow‐level dynamics and the real coupling aspect between different queues. Moreover, most studies limited their works to a simple two‐queue system where performance evaluation is very much easier. Even the few works focusing on providing extended results did not give accurate results for very loaded systems. Proposed packet‐level models seem, then, to be not convenient to predict the performance of large‐scale operator networks with millions of users, millions of flows, and unexpected user behaviors. This paper aims to overcome these limitations by presenting new analytical explicit mathematical expressions evaluating the flow‐level performance metrics of elastic traffic under a general class‐based weighted fair queuing system. The core of our analysis is based on some approximations proven for balanced fairness allocation, which provides a reasonable framework for estimating bandwidth sharing among elastic traffic for best‐effort allocations. Detailed packet level simulations are used to verify the accuracy and the effectiveness of the proposed approaches.
FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation: Evaluating the Quality of the Evidence behind the Drug Approvals
Authors: Herink Megan C. , Irwin Adriane N. , Zumach Gregory M.
Published: July 2018

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has created approval pathways and designations to accelerate access to medications indicated for serious or life‐threatening conditions with limited treatment options. Implemented in 2012, the most recent of these is the breakthrough therapy designation (BTD). The purpose of this article was to review the evidence surrounding approval of medications with nononcology indications approved with the BTD designation from 2012 to 2016. Fifteen medications were identified for eight conditions, ranging from conditions that are relatively common, such as chronic hepatitis C infection, to those that are extremely rare, such as lysosomal acid lipase deficiency. The quality of evidence behind these approvals was highly heterogeneous. Much remains unknown about the safety and efficacy of many agents approved through the BTD. Health care professionals should be aware of these limitations to better educate patients and other providers appropriately.
Separator Modification and Functionalization for Inhibiting the Shuttle Effect in Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Chen Dongjiang , Wen Kechun , Lv Weiqiang , Wei Zhaohuan , He Weidong
Published: July 2018

The shuttling effect of polysulfides through the separator is detrimental for the practical application of lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries. Tremendous efforts have been centered on inhibiting the shuttle effect by improving traditional separators or designing novel separators. Here, recent advances in addressing the shuttling effect through various strategies are overviewed and discussed. The methods of employing inorganic/carbonic ingredients to fabricate bilayer/trilayer separators with filtration and coating processing are evaluated. Functionalization of polyolefin‐based separators to realize the electrostatic repulsion between oxygen/nitrogen groups and sulfur‐containing species is also discussed. Then, composite separators incorporated with MOF(metal‐organic framework)@GO(graphene oxide), GF(glass fiber)@Mxene, nanowires, etc. are analyzed. In the end, perspectives for realizing stable operation of Li‐S batteries are presented for future research.
Ab Initio Calculations on the Electronic Structure and Photocatalytic Properties of Two‐Dimensional WS2 (0001) Nanolayers of Varying Thickness
Authors: Bocharov Dmitry , Piskunov Sergei , Zhukovskii Yuri F. , Evarestov Robert A.
Published: July 2018

2D layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDC) structurized in hexagonal 2H c phase possess space group P63/mmc and graphite‐type morphology (e.g., WS2 bulk), as well as strong chemical bonds and weak coupling between S‐W‐S three‐plane monolayers (MLs). Ab initio calculations on pristine WS2 (0001) nanolayers are performed using CRYSTAL14 code within the formalism of hybrid density functional theory and Hartree–Fock method (HSE06 Hamiltonian properly adapted to describe tungsten disulphide bulk). An ordered stack of graphene‐type WS2 (0001)‐oriented MLs (in absence of any point defects including dopants) with thikness varies from 1 to 40 MLs is found to be suitable for photocatalysis since irrespectively of this thickness the bandgap corresponds to the varied range of visible spectrum between its violet and red edges, respectively. The authors calculate the electronic structure of these nanolayers. The highest photocatalytic efficiency is achieved for WS2 2 ML with band gap △ϵgap ≈ 2.06 eV (yellow range of the visible spectrum). Additionally, all the edges of ordered pristine 2H c WS2 (0001) nanosheets (ϵVB and ϵCB levels corresponding to the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band) are properly aligned relative to the oxidation and reduction potentials ( and ): ϵVB <  <  < ϵCB, which means that probability of photocatalytic electron‐hole recombination is rather minimal, being reduced with a decrease of stack thickness.
Quantifying the predictability of a predictand: Demonstrating the diverse roles of serial dependence in the estimation of forecast skill
Authors: Jarman Alexander S. , Smith Leonard A.
Published: July 2018

Predictability varies. In geophysical systems, and related mathematical dynamical systems, variations are often expressed as serial dependence in the skill with which the system is, or can be, predicted. It is well known, of course, that estimation is more complicated in cases where the time series sample in hand does not reflect an independent from the target population; failure to account for this results in erroneous estimates both of the skill of the forecast system and of the statistical uncertainty in the estimated skill. This effect need not be indicated in the time series of the predictand; specifically, it is proven by example that linear correlation in the predictand is neither necessary nor sufficient to identify misestimation. It has been shown that temporal correlations in forecast skill give rise to biased estimates of skill of a forecast system, and progress has been made on accounting for this effect in probability‐of‐precipitation forecasts. Related effects are explored in probability density forecasts of a continuous target in three different dynamical systems (demonstrating that linear correlation in the predictand is neither necessary nor sufficient), and a simple procedure is presented as a straightforward, good practice test for the effect when estimating the skill of a forecast system.
Can we distinguish respiratory viral infections based on clinical features? A prospective pediatric cohort compared to systematic literature review
Authors: Ma Xiaolin , Conrad Tim , Alchikh Maren , Reiche Janine , Schweiger Brunhilde , Rath Barbara
Published: July 2018

Studies have shown that the predictive value of “clinical diagnoses” of influenza and other respiratory viral infections is low, especially in children. In routine care, pediatricians often resort to clinical diagnoses, even in the absence of robust evidence‐based criteria.

We used a dual approach to identify clinical characteristics that may help to differentiate infections with common pathogens including influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, adenovirus, metapneumovirus, rhinovirus, bocavirus‐1, coronaviruses, or parainfluenza virus: (a) systematic review and meta‐analysis of 47 clinical studies published in Medline (June 1996 to March 2017, PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017059557) comprising 49 858 individuals and (b) data‐driven analysis of an inception cohort of 6073 children with ILI (aged 0‐18 years, 56% male, December 2009 to March 2015) examined at the point of care in addition to blinded PCR testing. We determined pooled odds ratios for the literature analysis and compared these to odds ratios based on the clinical cohort dataset.

This combined analysis suggested significant associations between influenza and fever or headache, as well as between respiratory syncytial virus infection and cough, dyspnea, and wheezing. Similarly, literature and cohort data agreed on significant associations between HMPV infection and cough, as well as adenovirus infection and fever. Importantly, none of the abovementioned features were unique to any particular pathogen but were also observed in association with other respiratory viruses.

In summary, our “real‐world” dataset confirmed published literature trends, but no individual feature allows any particular type of viral infection to be ruled in or ruled out. For the time being, laboratory confirmation remains essential. More research is needed to develop scientifically validated decision models to inform best practice guidelines and targeted diagnostic algorithms.
Complexity in hydroecological modelling: A comparison of stepwise selection and information theory
Authors: Visser Annie Gallagher , Beevers Lindsay , Patidar Sandhya
Published: July 2018

Understanding of the hydroecological relationship is vital to maintaining the health of the river and thus its ecosystem. Stepwise selection is widely used to develop numerical models which represent these processes. Increasingly, however, there are questions over the suitability of the approach, and coupled with the increasing complexity of hydroecological modelling, there is a real need to consider alternative approaches. In this study, stepwise selection and information theory are employed to develop models which represent two realizations of the system which recognizes increasing complexity. The two approaches are assessed in terms of model structure, modelling error, and model (statistical) uncertainty. The results appear initially inconclusive, with the information theory approach leading to a reduction in modelling error but greater uncertainty. A Monte Carlo approach, used to explore this uncertainty, revealed modelling errors to be only slightly more distributed for the information theory approach. Consideration of the philosophical underpinnings of the two approaches provides greater clarity. Statistical uncertainty, as measured by information theory, will always be greater due to its consideration of two sources, parameter and model selection. Consequently, by encompassing greater information, the measure of statistical uncertainty is more realistic, making an information theory approach more reflective of the complexity in real‐world applications.
Ag3PO4‐MIL‐53(Fe) Composites with Visible‐Light‐Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities for Rhodamine B Degradation
Authors: Han Yide , Shi Huilei , Bai Chunpeng , Zhang Lianxia , Wu Junbiao , Meng Hao , Xu Yan , Zhang Xia
Published: July 2018

Ag3PO4/MIL‐53(Fe) composites were successfully synthesized via a facile grinding method. The resulting Ag3PO4/MIL‐53(Fe) composites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activities for Rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. Under visible light irradiation, RhB was completely decomposed after 90 min. Further experimental results revealed that the introduction of Ag3PO4 might inhibit the recombination of photogenerated electron‐hole pairs in the system. Through the grinding process, the effective interfacial contact between Ag3PO4 and MIL‐53(Fe) and more active sites were achieved, which are beneficial for the improvement of photocatalytic performance. In addition, a possible photocatalytic mechanism was proposed and the stability of photocatalyst was investigated in detail.
Selective Production of Benzaldehyde Using Metal‐Free Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon Nitride Hybrid Photocatalysts
Authors: Lima Maria J. , Pastrana‐Martínez Luisa M. , Sampaio Maria J. , Dražić Goran , Silva Adrián M. T. , Faria Joaquim L. , Silva Cláudia G.
Published: July 2018

Benzyl alcohol was selectively oxidized to benzaldehyde in aqueous solution, at ambient conditions of temperature and pressure, by using a photocatalytic approach, with two types of irradiation sources, namely monochromatic UV−A light (392 nm) and visible light (400‐700 nm). Conversion after 4 h of reaction was more efficient under UV than under visible, with selectivity in excess of 80% for both irradiating sources. Composites of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) containing small amounts of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) (up to 1 wt.%) were used as photocatalysts. The presence of rGO was confirmed by spectroscopic and microscopic analyses. Results show that small amounts of rGO phase can considerably enhance the photocatalytic activity of g‐C3N4 based catalysts, the best load being 0.10 wt.%. This improvement is attributed to the critical modification of morphological and electronic properties provided by the presence of rGO.
Elucidating the Influences of Size, Surface Chemistry, and Dynamic Flow on Cellular Association of Nanoparticles Made by Polymerization‐Induced Self‐Assembly
Authors: Khor Song Yang , Vu Mai N. , Pilkington Emily H. , Johnston Angus P. R. , Whittaker Michael R. , Quinn John F. , Truong Nghia P. , Davis Thomas P.
Published: July 2018

The size and surface chemistry of nanoparticles dictate their interactions with biological systems. However, it remains unclear how these key physicochemical properties affect the cellular association of nanoparticles under dynamic flow conditions encountered in human vascular networks. Here, the facile synthesis of novel fluorescent nanoparticles with tunable sizes and surface chemistries and their association with primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) is reported. First, a one‐pot polymerization‐induced self‐assembly (PISA) methodology is developed to covalently incorporate a commercially available fluorescent dye into the nanoparticle core and tune nanoparticle size and surface chemistry. To characterize cellular association under flow, HUVECs are cultured onto the surface of a synthetic microvascular network embedded in a microfluidic device (SynVivo, INC). Interestingly, increasing the size of carboxylic acid–functionalized nanoparticles leads to higher cellular association under static conditions but lower cellular association under flow conditions, whereas increasing the size of tertiary amine–decorated nanoparticles results in a higher level of cellular association, under both static and flow conditions. These findings provide new insights into the interactions between polymeric nanomaterials and endothelial cells. Altogether, this work establishes innovative methods for the facile synthesis and biological characterization of polymeric nanomaterials for various potential applications.
Advection Flows‐Enhanced Magnetic Separation for High‐Throughput Bacteria Separation from Undiluted Whole Blood
Authors: Jung Su Hyun , Hahn Young Ki , Oh Sein , Kwon Seyong , Um Eujin , Choi Sungyoung , Kang Joo H.
Published: July 2018

A major challenge to scale up a microfluidic magnetic separator for extracorporeal blood cleansing applications is to overcome low magnetic drag velocity caused by viscous blood components interfering with magnetophoresis. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop an effective method to position magnetic particles to the area of augmented magnetic flux density gradients while retaining clinically applicable throughput. Here, a magnetophoretic cell separation device, integrated with slanted ridge‐arrays in a microfluidic channel, is reported. The slanted ridges patterned in the microfluidic channels generate spiral flows along the microfluidic channel. The cells bound with magnetic particles follow trajectories of the spiral streamlines and are repeatedly transferred in a transverse direction toward the area adjacent to a ferromagnetic nickel structure, where they are exposed to a highly augmented magnetic force of 7.68 µN that is much greater than the force (0.35 pN) at the side of the channel furthest from the nickel structure. With this approach, 91.68% ± 2.18% of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bound with magnetic nanoparticles are successfully separated from undiluted whole blood at a flow rate of 0.6 mL h−1 in a single microfluidic channel, whereas only 23.98% ± 6.59% of E. coli are depleted in the conventional microfluidic device.
Microservices migration patterns
Authors: Balalaie Armin , Heydarnoori Abbas , Jamshidi Pooyan , Tamburri Damian A. , Lynn Theo
Published: July 2018

Microservices architectures are becoming the defacto standard for building continuously deployed systems. At the same time, there is a substantial growth in the demand for migrating on‐premise legacy applications to the cloud. In this context, organizations tend to migrate their traditional architectures into cloud‐native architectures using microservices. This article reports a set of migration and rearchitecting design patterns that we have empirically identified and collected from industrial‐scale software migration projects. These migration patterns can help information technology organizations plan their migration projects toward microservices more efficiently and effectively. In addition, the proposed patterns facilitate the definition of migration plans by pattern composition. Qualitative empirical research is used to evaluate the validity of the proposed patterns. Our findings suggest that the proposed patterns are evident in other architectural refactoring and migration projects and strong candidates for effective patterns in system migrations.
Hot Deformation Behavior and Microstructural Evolution of SA508‐IV Steel
Authors: Dai Xin , Yang Bin
Published: July 2018

The hot deformation behavior and microstructural evolution of SA508‐ІV steel are studied through hot compressive tests in the temperature range of 950–1250 °C, and in the strain rate range of 0.001–1 s−1. The hot deformation activation energy and the stress exponent are calculated to be 328.73 KJ mol−1 and 3.29 by the regression analysis of sine hyperbolic function. On this basis, the constitutive Equations are developed. Moreover, the relationship between work hardening and dynamic softening is explained, and a two‐stage constitutive model is established to predict the flow stress of SA508‐ІV steel. The predicted and experimental values show a good consistency. Based on the conventional dynamic recrystallization kinetics model, the volume fraction of the dynamic recrystallization is also estimated, and the results show that the maximum fraction is close to 100% under the higher temperature and lower strain rate. Furthermore, the microstructural evolutions at different deformation conditions are also analyzed, and the DRX grain size has an exponential increase with increasing deformation temperature and decreasing strain rate.
Effects of configuration parameters on seismic performance of steel frames equipped with composite steel panel wall
Authors: Jiang Liqiang , Zheng Hong , Hu Yi
Published: July 2018

This paper aims to investigate the effects of configuration parameters on seismic performance of steel frames equipped with composite steel panel wall (CPWF). First, cyclic tests on two 1:3 scale CPWF and a same‐size bare steel frame were conducted to obtain the seismic behavior of the CPWF structures. Then, numerical models for CPWF structures were established based on the finite element method, and such models were validated by the tests. Besides, parametric analysis was performed to study the impacts of the length‐to‐height ratio, height‐to‐thickness ratio, and bolt spacing of CPW on ultimate load capacity of CPWF. Lastly, a unified formula for the shearing load resistance and such parameters of CPW was developed, and the approximate relationship curves for these parameters were fitted. The results show that (a) the shearing load resistance, ductility, lateral stiffness of the steel frame increased with increasing the length‐to‐height ratio of equipped CPW according to the test results, and the maximum lateral drift of the CPWF was larger than 4%; (b) the shearing load resistance of CPWF increased with increasing the length‐to‐height ratio of CPW but with decreasing the height‐to‐thickness ratio and bolt spacing, and the proposed formula was fitted by the numerical results.
Latin America in the climate change negotiations: Exploring the AILAC and ALBA coalitions
Authors: Watts Joshua , Depledge Joanna
Published: July 2018

Latin American nations and negotiators have long been prominent actors in the United Nations climate change negotiations, but for many years, no distinctively Latin American coalition existed in that process. Since 2009, however, two Latin American coalitions have emerged—the “Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas” (ALBA), which came to the fore during the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Conference (COP‐15), and the “Independent Association of Latin America and the Caribbean” (AILAC), which was launched at the 2012 Doha Climate Conference (COP‐18). These two groups propose very different approaches for Latin American engagement on climate change, largely corresponding to their broader political and economic aspirations for the continent. Although ALBA reflects a Bolivarian vision of regional solidarity that rejects U.S.‐led neoliberalism, AILAC is more conciliatory toward the North, echoing a more outward‐looking vision of hemispheric unity. In line with these different underlying visions, the two groups have adopted contrasting positions and forms of engagement with the negotiations, with differing degrees of impact and success. AILAC now seems to be emerging as the stronger coalition, with its conciliatory approach better aligned with the current positive tone of the international negotiations. In contrast, internal contradictions within ALBA's narrative on climate change, along with political upheavals experienced by some of its key members, are weakening that group's cohesion. Theories of regionalism, combined with insights from the existing literature and some empirical analysis, help to illuminate these developments, enriching our understanding of international climate politics more broadly.

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > International Policy Framework
Structure and Reactivity of Copper Complexes Supported by a Bulky Tripodal N4 Ligand: Copper(I)/Dioxygen Reactivity and Formation of a Hydroperoxide Copper(II) Complex
Authors: Paria Sayantan , Ohta Takehiro , Morimoto Yuma , Sugimoto Hideki , Ogura Takashi , Itoh Shinobu
Published: July 2018

A copper(I) complex, [CuI(TIPT2aped)(CH3CN)]ClO4 (1), and two copper(II) complexes, [CuII(TIPT2aped)(Cl)]PF6 (2) and [CuII(TIPT2aped)(ClO4)]ClO4 (3), were synthesized and characterized. The reaction of 1 with dioxygen in acetone at –90 °C gave an end‐on superoxide copper(II) complex 4. The superoxide copper(II) complex 4 reacted with 2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidin‐1‐ol (TEMPO‐H) and 2,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐methoxyphenol (DTBMP) to generate a hydroperoxide copper(II) complex 6. These copper‐oxygen adducts were thoroughly characterized by UV/Vis, resonance Raman, EPR, and NMR spectroscopic techniques. Complex 6 was also synthesized from the copper(II) complex 3 in the presence of hydrogen peroxide and triethylamine. The reaction of 4 with TEMPO‐H showed a relatively large kinetic deuterium isotope effect (kH/kD = 5.8) and a largely negative activation enthalpy (ΔH‡). Based on the kinetic data, the reaction mechanism for the conversion of 4 to 6 is discussed.
Directed flow from C-odd gluon correlations at small x
Authors: Boer Daniël , van Daal Tom , Mulders Piet J. , Petreska Elena
Published: July 2018

Abstract

It is shown that odd harmonic azimuthal correlations, including the directed flow v
1, in forward two-particle production in peripheral proton-nucleus (pA) collisions can arise simply from the radial nuclear profile of a large nucleus. This requires consideration of the C-odd part of the gluonic generalized transverse momentum dependent (GTMD) correlator of nucleons in the nucleus. The gluonic GTMD correlator is the Fourier transform of an off-forward hadronic matrix element containing gluonic field strength tensors that are connected by gauge links. It is parametrized in terms of various gluon GTMD distribution functions (GTMDs). We show (in a gauge invariant way) that for the relevant dipole-type gauge link structure in the small-x limit the GTMD correlator reduces to a generalized Wilson loop correlator. The Wilson loop correlator is parametrized in terms of a single function, implying that in the region of small x there is only one independent dipole-type GTMD, which can have a C-odd part. We show that the odderon Wigner distribution, which is related to this C-odd dipole GTMD by a Fourier transform, generates odd harmonics in the two-particle azimuthal correlations in peripheral pA collisions. We calculate the first odd harmonic v
1 for forward production within the color glass condensate framework in the limit of a large number of colors. We find that nonzero odd harmonics are present without breaking the rotational symmetry of the nucleus, arising just from its inhomogeneity in the radial direction. Using a CGC model with a cubic action, we illustrate that percent level v
1 can arise from this C-odd mechanism. In contrast, we show that only even harmonics arise in diffractive dijet production in ultra-peripheral pA collisions where this gluon dipole GTMD also appears.
Symmetry enhancement and closing of knots in 3d/3d correspondence
Authors: Gang Dongmin , Yonekura Kazuya
Published: July 2018

Abstract

We revisit Dimofte-Gaiotto-Gukov’s construction of 3d gauge theories associated to 3-manifolds with a torus boundary. After clarifying their construction from a viewpoint of compactification of a 6d$$ \mathcal{N}=\left(2,0\right) $$N=20theory ofA1-type on a 3-manifold, we propose a topological criterion for SU(2)/SO(3) flavor symmetry enhancement for theu(1) symmetry in the theory associated to a torus boundary, which is expected from the 6d viewpoint. Base on the understanding of symmetry enhancement, we generalize the construction to closed 3-manifolds by identifying the gauge theory counterpart of Dehn filling operation. The generalized construction predicts infinitely many 3d dualities from surgery calculus in knot theory. Moreover, by using the symmetry enhancement criterion, we show that theories associated to all hyperboilc twist knots have surprising SU(3) symmetry enhancement which is unexpected from the 6d viewpoint.
On Mellin amplitudes in SCFTs with eight supercharges
Authors: Zhou Xinan
Published: July 2018

Abstract

We extend the Mellin space techniques of [1] for computing holographic four-point correlation functions in maximally superconformal theories to theories with only eight Poincaré supercharges. The one-half BPS operators in these correlators are taken to be the superconformal primary in the

$$ \mathcal{D}\left[k\right] $$

D

k

multiplet (with k = 2 corresponding to the flavor current multiplet), and transform in the adjoint representation of a flavor group G. Because of the smaller R-symmetry group SU(2), each individual superconformal Ward identity is less powerful. On the other hand, the constraining power is compensated in number by the different flavor channels in the four-point function. As concrete test cases, we study the Seiberg theories in five dimensions and E-string theory in six dimensions at the large N limit. We show that the flavor current multiplet four-point functions are fixed by superconformal symmetry up to two free parameters, which are proportional to the squared OPE coefficients for the flavor current multiplet and the stress tensor multiplet.
Assessing signals of TMD physics in SIDIS azimuthal asymmetries and in the extraction of the Sivers function
Authors: Boglione M. , D’Alesio U. , Flore C. , Gonzalez-Hernandez J. O.
Published: July 2018

Abstract

New data on the Sivers azimuthal asymmetry measured in semi-inclusive deepinelastic scattering processes have recently been released by the COMPASS Collaboration at CERN. Their increased precision and their particular binning, in terms of Q
2 as well as x, motivates a new extraction of the Sivers function, within the framework of a simple and transparent parametrization. Signals of TMD effects visible in the Sivers asymmetries are critically assessed. A thorough study of the uncertainties affecting the extracted Sivers function is presented, including the low- and large-x regions.
Abundance of gut Prevotella at baseline and metabolic response to barley prebiotics
Authors: Sandberg Jonna , Kovatcheva-Datchary Petia , Björck Inger , Bäckhed Fredrik , Nilsson Anne
Published: July 2018

Purpose

We previously showed that short-term intervention with barley kernel bread (BKB) improved glucose tolerance. However, glucose tolerance was not improved in a subset of individuals (non-responders) who were characterized by a low Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if the baseline Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio can be used to stratify metabolic responders and non-responders to barley dietary fiber (DF).

Methods

Fecal samples were collected from 99 healthy humans with BMI < 28 kg/m2 between 50 and 70 years old. The abundance of fecal Prevotella and Bacteroides was quantified with 16S rRNA quantitative PCR. 33 subjects were grouped in three groups: subjects with highest Prevotella/Bacteroides ratios, “HP”, n = 12; subjects with lowest Prevotella/Bacteroides ratios, “LP”, n = 13; and subjects with high abundance of both measured bacteria, HPB, n = 8. A 3-day randomized crossover intervention with BKB and white wheat bread (control) was performed. Cardiometabolic test variables were analyzed the next day following a standardized breakfast.

Results

The BKB intervention lowered the blood glucose responses to the breakfast independently of Prevotella/Bacteroides ratios (P < 0.01). However, independently of intervention, the HP group displayed an overall lower insulin response and lower IL-6 concentrations compared with the LP group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the groups HP and HPB showed lower hunger sensations compared to the LP group (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Here we show that the abundance of gut Prevotella and Bacteroides at baseline did not stratify metabolic responders and non-responders to barley DF intervention. However, our results indicate the importance of gut microbiota in host metabolic regulation, further suggesting that higher Prevotella/Bacteroides ratio may be favorable.

ClinicalTrials.gov ID

NCT02427555
Engineering Escherichia coli to increase triacetic acid lactone (TAL) production using an optimized TAL sensor-reporter system
Authors: Li Ye , Qian Shuai , Dunn Rachel , Cirino Patrick C
Published: July 2018

Triacetic acid lactone (TAL) (4-hydroxy-6-methyl-2-pyrone) can be upgraded into a variety of higher-value products, and has potential to be developed into a renewable platform chemical through metabolic engineering. We previously developed an endogenous TAL sensor based on the regulatory protein AraC, and applied it to screen 2-pyrone synthase (2-PS) variant libraries in E. coli, resulting in the identification of variants conferring up to 20-fold improved TAL production in liquid culture. In this study, the sensor-reporter system was further optimized and used to further improve TAL production from recombinant E. coli, this time by screening a genomic overexpression library. We identified new and unpredictable gene targets (betT, ompN, and pykA), whose plasmid-based expression improved TAL yield (mg/L/OD595) up to 49% over the control strain. This work further demonstrates the utility of customized transcription factors as molecular reporters in high-throughput engineering of biocatalytic strains.