bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shear Wave Elastography in the Evaluation of the Kidneys in Pediatric Patients with Unilateral Vesicoureteral Reflux
Authors: Kalyoncu Ucar Ayse , Cicek Rumeysa Yasemin , Alis Deniz , Akbas Serkan , Arioz Habibi Hatice , Arslan Mine Usta , Eral Gokalp , Suleyman Ayse , Caliskan Salim , Adaletli Ibrahim
Published: July 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the ability of shear wave elastography (SWE) to detect renal parenchymal scar formation in patients with vesicoureteral reflux.

Methods

We prospectively evaluated 49 patients with unilateral grade 2 or higher‐degree VUR. All patients underwent dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy for evaluation of the renal parenchymal scar. After the DMSA scan, 2 radiologists, who were blinded to clinical data and each other's measurements, evaluated the kidneys of the patients using SWE. The kidneys were divided into 3 parts: upper pole, middle region, and lower pole, and 3 regions of interest were placed to each part. Shear wave velocity (SWV) values were calculated using meters per second as a unit and recorded for each region. Afterward, SWV values were compared to DMSA results.

Results

There was no significant difference between the observers' mean SWV values of kidneys with VUR without scar formation (mean ± SD, 2.11 ± 0.06 and 2.09 ± 0.05 m/s) and the contralateral normal kidney SVW values (2.11 ± 0.06 and 2.10 ± 0.05 m/s; P = .936 and .724, respectively). We observed a significant difference between the mean SWV values of the kidneys with VUR accompanied by scar formation (2.28 ± 0.10 and 2.27 ± 0.11 m/s) and the mean SWV values of the contralateral normal kidneys (2.09 ± 0.05 and 2.10 ± 0.04 m/s; P < .001 for both observers).

Conclusions

Shear wave elastography could detect scar tissue in kidneys; however, the variability of the stiffness due to the kidney's complex structure, and variations in blood perfusion and the glomerular filtration rate of the kidney might limit the use of SWE in current clinical diagnostic algorithms for VUR.
Diagnostic Value of Transthoracic Echocardiography Combined With Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography in Mediastinal Masses
Authors: Wang Ding , Zhang Jun , Liu Yani , Sun Ruiying , Tian Jie , Zhao Wei , Deng Youbin
Published: July 2018

Objectives

Multiple types of mediastinal masses, especially masses in the anterior mediastinum, may be encountered in routine echocardiographic examinations for symptomatic or asymptomatic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of transthoracic echocardiography combined with contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography in determining the location, composition, and vascularization of mediastinal masses.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 48 consecutive patients who first had a diagnosis of mediastinal masses by echocardiography. The location of the mass, tissue components, and relationships with the heart and great vessels were analyzed on the basis of multiple transthoracic echocardiographic views. Further contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography was performed to determine the vascularization of masses in 25 patients. The clinical, computed tomographic, and histopathologic findings were all recorded and analyzed.

Results

The localization, ultrasonographic characteristics of the mass, degree of vascularization, and relationships with the heart and great vessels assessed on echocardiography allowed a correct diagnosis in most of the cases.

Conclusions

Transthoracic echocardiography is a useful method for diagnosing mediastinal. Further contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography could provide more details on the degree of vascularization, which could facilitate accurate diagnosis and differentiation diagnosis.
Oriented Overgrowths of Poly(l‐Lactide) on Oriented Isotactic Polypropylene: A Sequence of Soft and Hard Epitaxies
Authors: Guan Guangwu , Zhang Jie , Sun Xiaoli , Li Huihui , Yan Shouke , Lotz Bernard
Published: July 2018

The crystallization behavior of an amorphous poly(l‐lactide) (PLLA) layer deposited on uniaxially oriented isotactic polypropylene (iPP) substrate is been studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy combined with electron diffraction. A patterned PLLA structure with two fixed lamella and chain orientations is observed. Electron diffraction demonstrates that the major lamellar set is oriented with molecular chains perpendicular to the chain direction of the iPP. The minor lamellar set is inclined at ≈64° to both the iPP chain axis direction and the lamellae of the major set as judged from both the bright field electron micrograph and the AFM image. The orientation of the main set is explained in terms of “soft” epitaxy or graphoepitaxy, in which PLLA chains oriented parallel to the ditches of the iPP substrate caused by alternatively arranged crystalline and amorphous regions. The minor set is due to a homoepitaxy of PLLA with parallelism of the helical paths. The orientation of this minor set of lamellae therefore depends on and can help determine the chirality—l or d—of the PLA investigated.
The bainite transformation behavior, the influencing factors and control strategy in ferritic‐pearlitic forged crankshafts with coarse grains
Authors: Wu M. , He G. , Zheng X. , Zhao F. , Jiang B. , Zhang C. , Liu Y.
Published: July 2018

Microstructural characterization of the bainite in a ferritic–pearlitic forged crankshaft was carefully investigated. A Gleeble thermo‐mechanical simulator as well as a high resolution dilatometer were also used to analyze the effect of cooling rate on the bainite formation and the bainite transformation mechanism in steels with different austenite grain sizes. Results show that the fine structure of the bainite mainly consists of bainitic ferrite and martensite. No segregations are found where bainite forms. Bainite tends to form in the slower cooled inner part of the crankshaft with an austenite grain size exceeding 100 μm. The formation of bainite is mainly affected by the austenite grain size as well as the cooling rate in the crankshaft studied. As the austenite grain size increases, ferrite start, pearlite finish and bainite finish temperatures are decreased. More bainite forms when bainite finish temperature decreases. The critical cooling rate of bainite transformation is increased from 0.34 °C⋅s‐1 to 0.44 °C⋅s‐1, if the maximum austenite grain size is refined from 216 μm to 100 μm. For ferritic–pearlitic crankshafts, or other bulky products, the elimination of bainite can be achieved through austenite grain refinement.
Comparison of sparse domain approaches for 4D SPECT dynamic image reconstruction
Authors: Mitra Debasis , Abdalah Mahmoud , Boutchko Rostyslav , Chang Haoran , Shrestha Uttam , Botvinick Elias , Seo Youngho , Gullberg Grant T.
Published: July 2018

Purpose

Dynamic imaging (DI) provides additional diagnostic information in emission tomography in comparison to conventional static imaging at the cost of being computationally more challenging. Dynamic single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) reconstruction is particularly difficult because of the limitations in the sampling geometry present in most existing scanners. We have developed an algorithm Spline Initialized Factor Analysis of Dynamic Structures (SIFADS) that is a matrix factorization method for reconstructing the dynamics of tracers in tissues and blood directly from the projections in dynamic cardiac SPECT, without first resorting to any 3D reconstruction.

Methods

SIFADS is different from “pure” factor analysis in dynamic structures (FADS) in that it employs a dedicated spline‐based pre‐initialization. In this paper, we analyze the convergence properties of SIFADS and FADS using multiple metrics. The performances of the two approaches are evaluated for numerically simulated data and for real dynamic SPECT data from canine and human subjects.

Results

For SIFADS, metrics analyzed for reconstruction algorithm convergence show better features of the metric curves vs iterations. In addition, SIAFDS provides better tissue segmentations than that from pure FADS. Measured computational times are also typically better for SIFADS implementations than those with pure FADS.

Conclusion

The analysis supports the utility of the pre‐initialization of a factorization algorithm for better dynamic SPECT image reconstruction.
Tibial nerve axonal excitability in type 1 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Gencpinar Pinar , Çelmeli Gamze , Duman Özgür , Haspolat Şenay , Uysal Hilmi
Published: July 2018

Introduction: The aim of this study was to determine alterations in axonal excitability in tibial nerve as compared with median nerve axonal excitability in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Methods: Six patients with diabetic polyneuropathy and 10 patients with diabetes mellitus without polyneuropathy were enrolled. Results: Compared with diabetic patients without polyneuropathy, the tibial nerve strength–duration time constant was significantly longer and supernormality was lower in those with polyneuropathy. Threshold electrotonus studies showed abnormalities in patients with diabetic polyneuropathy, in which smaller threshold changes from long‐depolarizing and hyperpolarizing conditioning, termed “fanning‐in,” were found. Discussion: This study confirms that axonal excitability is significantly altered in the tibial nerve of patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Evaluating the axonal excitability of the median and tibial nerves may reveal the presence of length‐dependent polyneuropathy at an early stage. Muscle Nerve 59:76–81, 2019
The prevalence of job stressors among nurses in private in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres
Authors: Khoa Le Dang , Quang Tran Nhat , Vinh Dang Quang , Anh Nguyen Thi Ngoc , Tuong Ho Manh , Foster Kirsty
Published: July 2018

Aim

The primary aim of this study was to identify the level of stress and the stressors having an impact on nurses compared with other medical workers in private IVF centres.

Background

Stressful working conditions can an adversely affect not only the health and well‐being of health professionals but also subsequently to patient outcomes if care is given to infertile couples. This is of relevance particularly in view of Vietnam's recent economic growth and the increase in the number of private IVF centres. This is the first study looking at the levels of stress experienced by health workers (especially nurses) providing IVF services.

Design

A cross‐sectional survey.

Methods

All health workers in seven IVF Clinics in HCMC were invited to complete an Occupational Stress Index (OSI) questionnaire.

Results

Of the invited 131 medical professionals, 105 (80%) completed the confidential self‐administered questionnaire. Thirty‐five participants (33.3%) were nurses, 19 (18.1%) were doctors and 51 (48.6%) were lab technicians. Approximately two‐thirds reported not having children (67.6%), half (50.48%) married and three‐quarters (76.2%) were women, with a significant difference by medical worker group (p < 0.05). Among the three groups, nurses have higher occupational stress index score compared with the others. The OSI score only had a strong relationship with the “high demand” (p < 0.001). Some demographic variables (e.g., income, long working hours, education level) statistically represented the high significant source of job stress.
Personality and Integrative Negotiations: A Hexaco Investigation of Actor, Partner, and Actor–Partner Interaction Effects on Objective and Subjective Outcomes
Authors: Amistad Clark , Dunlop Patrick D. , Ng Ryan , Anglim Jeromy , Fells Ray
Published: July 2018

The present study sought to expand the literature on the relations of major dimensions of personality with integrative negotiation outcomes by introducing the HEXACO model, investigating both effects of the negotiators’ and their counterparts’ personality traits on objective and subjective negotiation outcomes, and investigating two interactions between the negotiators’ and counterparts’ personalities. One hundred forty–eight participants completed the HEXACO–100 measure of personality. Participants then engaged in a dyadic negotiation task that contained a mix of distributive and integrative elements (74 dyads). Measures of subjective experience and objective economic value were obtained, and actor–partner interdependence models were estimated. Personality was generally a better predictor of subjective experience than objective economic value. In particular, partner honesty–humility, extraversion, and openness predicted more positive negotiation experiences. An actor–partner interaction effect was found for actor–agreeableness by partner–honesty–humility on economic outcomes; agreeable actors achieved worse (better) economic outcomes when negotiating with partners that were low (high) on honesty–humility. © 2018 European Association of Personality Psychology
A Bayesian K‐PD model for synergy: A case study
Authors: La Gamba Fabiola , Jacobs Tom , Geys Helena , Ver Donck Luc , Faes Christel
Published: July 2018

Coadministration of 2 or more compounds can alter both the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of individual compounds. While experiments on pharmacodynamic drug‐drug interactions are usually performed in an in vitro setting, this experiment focuses on an in vivo setting. The change over time of a safety biomarker is modeled using an indirect response model, in which the virtual pharmacokinetic profile of one compound drives the effect of the other. Several experiments at different dose level combinations were performed sequentially. While a traditional frequentist analysis consists of estimating the model parameters based on all the data simultaneously, in this work, we consider a Bayesian inference framework allowing to incorporate the results from a historical dose‐response experiment.
Monitoring of oxygen using colorimetric indicator based on graphene/TiO2 composite with first‐order kinetics of methylene blue for modified atmosphere packaging
Authors: Huang Shuting , Li Huijie , Wang Yixiang , Liu Xinghai , Li Houbin , Zhan Zhan , Jia Ling , Chen Lingyun
Published: July 2018

Oxygen is crucial to food preservation and food spoilage. For the purpose of monitoring the integrity of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) by nondestructive testing and controlling the reaction rate during recovery stage, we reported on a convenient and visual colorimetric oxygen indicator based on a graphene/titanium oxide composite, incorporating glycerol, methylene blue (MB), hydroxyethyl cellulose, and polyvinyl alcohol. The graphene/titanium oxide composite was synthesized from a modified Hummers synthesis of graphene oxide, followed by the hydro‐thermal treatment with butyl titanate without using any reducing agent, then the morphology and structure characteristics were analysed by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, Raman spectra, ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy, SEM, and TEM. Supported by the performance tests using ultraviolet‐visible spectroscopy and CIElab, the indicator demonstrated the pseudo first‐order kinetics of MB for MAP in detecting stage. The results confirmed that the prepared colorimetric indicator could actually detect the integrity of MAP without destruction. Additionally, the reaction time of indicator in recovery stage can be controlled by changing the concentration of MB because of pseudo first‐order kinetics.
Using multi‐criteria decision analysis for assessing sustainability of agricultural systems
Authors: Talukder Byomkesh , Hipel Keith W. , vanLoon Gary W.
Published: July 2018

Composite indicators for six key categories of agricultural sustainability are utilized within a Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) structure to assess and compare the sustainability of different agricultural systems. Individual indicators – productivity, stability, efficiency, durability, compatibility and equity – were used to develop composite indicators. In this research, the major steps used to obtain the aggregated indicators and assess sustainability are: define sustainability; recognize sustainability issues; identify indicators; categorize sustainability; measure indicator values to develop composite indicators; give weighting to the categories of sustainability; aggregate composite indicators; and compare the sustainability of different agricultural systems. Using composite indicators, an MCDA structure is employed to evaluate and rank the agricultural systems of southwest coastal Bangladesh in terms of the level of agricultural sustainability of each one. The case study demonstrates that this MCDA approach has the potential to become a useful framework for agricultural sustainability assessment.
Tunable Fabrication of NiAl‐LDHs Containing Acid Activity Sites as Green Catalyst for Acetalization of Furfural to Furfural Diethyl Acetal
Authors: Du Yali , Liu Xuezhen , Wu Xu , Cheng Qiangqiang , Ci Chao , Huang Wei
Published: July 2018

NiAl‐LDHs with different acid‐base activity sites were fabricated by tuning the synthetic pH. NiAl‐LDH was introduced into acetalization of furfural to furfural diethyl acetal for the first time. As the result showed that carbonate form LDH (marked as NiAl‐CO3‐LDH) obtained at basic pH presented inert activity as for the absence of appropriate acid activity sites. However, while at acidic pH ambience, nitrate form LDH (marked as NiAl‐NO3‐LDH) was produced. NiAl‐NO3‐LDH expressed preferable acid catalytic property with fine acid activity sites, when setting reaction time of 30 minutes, the equilibrium conversion of furfural was up to 78.5% and the selectivity of furfural diethyl acetal was nearly 100%. Besides, it could be recycled several times and showed stable activity without structural change. Different from the Brønsted acidity catalysts, this is an excellent result ever achieved for the synthesis of furfural diethyl acetal on the Lewis acidic catalyst.
High Capacity Electrospun MgFe2O4–C Composite Nanofibers as an Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Narsimulu D. , Rao B. Nageswara , Satyanarayana N. , Srinadhu E. S.
Published: July 2018

MgFe2O4‐C composite nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning technique followed by carbonization at 600 °C. Thermogravimetric‐differential thermal analysis (TG‐DTA) results showed ignition, decomposition and carbonization temperatures of the as‐grown fibers. Formation of the nanocrystalline phase of the MgFe2O4 over the amorphous phase of the carbon fibers sample was confirmed from the analysis of the measured XRD results. FE‐SEM images of the as‐spun and calcined fibers sample showed that the formation of one dimensional (1‐D) MgFe2O4‐C composite nanofibers and the formed 1‐D nanofibers were well interconnected with high porous structured morphology. The electrochemical properties of the MgFe2O4‐C composite nanofibers sample were tested as an anode material for lithium‐ion battery. Lithium‐ion battery made up of the newly developed MgFe2O4‐C composite nanofibers sample, used as an anode material, showed discharge capacity of 575 mAh g−1 at a current density of 100 mA g−1 after 20th cycles. Further, the discharge capacity of the lithium‐ion battery also measured at a high current density of 1 A g−1 and it was found to be 433 mAh g−1 even after 85 cycles. Also, the lithium‐ion battery showed exceptional reversible capacity with the coulombic efficiency of 99.6% even after 85 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g−1. Hence the electrochemical properties suggest that the newly developed MgFe2O4‐C composite nanofibers can be used as high capacity anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries.
Nonprecious Nanoalloys Embedded in N‐Enriched Mesoporous Carbons Derived from a Dual‐MOF as Highly Active Catalyst towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Authors: He Jiaping , Gao Tianyuan , Jiang Tengyao , Mu Bin , Suo Yange , Zhang Zhiguo , Su Jianwei
Published: July 2018

In this work, we reported the synthesis of a novel electro‐catalyst composed of Fe and Co bimetallic nanoalloys embedded in N‐enriched carbon framework (FeCo@NC) for oxygen reduction reaction. The FeCo@NC was synthesized through pyrolyzing a dual metal‐organic framework (MOF) under argon atmosphere. This FeCo@NC electrocatalyst showed remarkable performance towards ORR with a high half‐wave potential of 0.827 V versus reversible hydrogen potential (RHE), which was comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art commercial Pt/C catalyst. The enhanced activity could be ascribed to the large specific surface area, the abundant active sites and the synergistic effect of bimetallic alloy.
An Aldehyde‐Azomethine Imine [3+2]‐Cycloaddition: High‐Yielding Regioselective Synthesis of Substituted N,N‐Bicyclic Pyrazolidinones
Authors: Gujral Jagjeet , Reddy T. Prabhakar , Gorachand B. , Ramachary Dhevalapally B.
Published: July 2018

An enolate mediated aldehyde‐azomethine imine [3+2] cycloaddition of various aldehydes with N,N‐cyclic azomethine imines is reported under DBU or tBuOK‐catalysis. High reaction rate, ease of operation, simple catalyst, easily accessible starting materials and a wide substrate scope with numerous applications make this reaction an ideal addition to the click chemistry.
Carbazoles and Hydrazone‐Bridged Thiazole‐Pyrrole Derivatives as New Inhibitors of α‐Glucosidase
Authors: Ghani Usman , Albarrag Ahmed , Yurttaş Leyla , Demirci Fatih , Kaplancikli Zafer Asim
Published: July 2018

Carbazoles and hydrazone‐bridged thiazole‐pyrrole derivatives are known to exhibit a wide range of biological activities including antimicrobial activity. This work is a further extension of their biological activities that identifies a total of 13 of these derivatives as new α‐glucosidase inhibitors. The carbazole derivatives exhibited noncompetitive inhibition of the enzyme with the inhibitor possessing the 2‐benzoimidazole substitution being the most potent in the series. Compounds possessing the 2‐benzothiazole, 2‐benzoxazole and quinoline groups were also found to be promising for enzyme inhibition. The hydrazone‐bridged thiazole‐pyrrole derivatives showed competitive enzyme inhibition with a number of groups responsible for potent enzyme inhibition including 4‐nitrophenyl, 4‐bromophenyl, and 4‐methoxyphenyl groups. Moreover, the hydrazone derivatives with unsubstituted pyrrole ring were found to be more favorable to α‐glucosidase inhibition than the ones possessing the methyl‐substituted ring. The current work may provide new structural and functional diversity to drug discovery of promising α‐glucosidase inhibitors as anti‐diabetic drugs.
Rational Design of Hierarchical TiO2/Epitaxially Aligned MoS2–Carbon Coupled Interface Nanosheets Core/Shell Architecture for Ultrastable Sodium‐Ion and Lithium–Sulfur Batteries
Authors: Yang Yong , Wang Shitong , Lin Sen , Li Yutong , Zhang Weiyu , Chao Yuguang , Luo Mingchuan , Xing Yi , Wang Kai , Yang Chao , Zhou Peng , Zhang Yelong , Tang Zilong , Guo Shaojun
Published: July 2018

The development of electrode materials with superior cycling stability is currently receiving intensive research for next‐generation portable electronic equipment. Herein, a novel 3D hierarchical architecture composed of TiO2/epitaxially aligned MoS2–carbon coupled interface nanosheets is reported for boosting sodium‐ion storage and lithium–sulfur batteries, in which the MoS2 nanosheets are epitaxially aligned grown on the surface of carbon nanosheets through a simple calculation conversion process. The resulting hybrid demonstrates ultralong‐life performance for sodium‐ion storage and lithium–sulfur batteries, owing to synergistic effects among the stable TiO2 nanowires, the high‐conductivity carbon nanosheets, and the vertical MoS2 nanostructure. Even at a high current density of 8 A g−1, the capacity can be maintained at 169 mA h g−1 after 15 000 cycles, one of the highest values for TiO2‐based electrodes. Moreover, such peculiar sheet‐on‐sheet structure also brings benefits for lithium–sulfur batteries, providing an effective physical shield against polysulfide shuttling and chemical adsorption of polysulfides, with a low fading rate (0.039% per cycle over 1500 cycles). The present work highlights that this rationally designed hybrid nanoarchitecture is an effective strategy to boost the stability of electrochemical energy storage.
Validated HPLC Method for the simultaneous determination of acyclovir and co‐administered vitamin B3 and gabapentin in spiked human plasma
Authors: Sayed Rania , El‐Masry Manal , Hassan Wafaa , El‐Mammli Magda , Shalaby Abdalla , Aboul‐Enein Hassan Y.
Published: July 2018

In this work, a new, sensitive and accurate high‐performance liquid chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of acyclovir and co‐administered vitamin B3 and gabapentin used in treatment of herpes zoster disease was developed and validated. Protein precipitation with methanol was performed to extract the cited drugs from plasma. Thermo Hypersil (250 mm × 4.6 mm I.D, 5 μm particle size) column was used for the chromatographic separation. Isocratic elution of mobile phase consisting of methanol and 0.03 M potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate adjusted to pH 3.5 with 0.1% orthophosphoric acid (30:70, v/v) was used for separation. Photodiode array detector was used and detection was performed at 210 nm. The method was linear over the concentration range 1–100 μg/mL for both acyclovir and vitamin B3 and 5–150 μg/mL for gabapentin. The proposed method was validated and successfully applied for the commercial dosage forms of the three drugs and in human plasma. Statistical analysis of the results revealed its high accuracy and good precision.
Use of an amino acid ionic liquid as an ion exchange chromatography mobile phase modifier for the analysis of magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron ions
Authors: Di Huawei , Liu Wei , Li Qi , Gao Qing , Zhu Xiashi
Published: July 2018

Four acids were used as the mobile phase of ion exchange chromatography to analyze magnesium, calcium, zinc, and iron ions, and nitric acid showed the best character. The amino acid ionic liquid was then added to the mobile phase to analyze its effect on the retention time, peak height and resolution of detected cations. When the imidazole glycine ionic liquid was used, the retention time was reduced, peak shape was improved, resolution of analytes was optimized and the detect limit was reduced effectively. The optimum conditions of this experiment were that adding 0.10 mM imidazole glycine ionic liquid to mobile phase and the flow rate of mobile phase was 0.8 mL·min−1 at room temperature. Under these conditions, the peak area was proportional to the concentration of cations, and the linear equations of the magnesium, calcium, zinc, iron ions were S = 0.0126 + 4.4463 C, S = –0.0452 + 3.9224 C, S = –0.0241 + 7.461 C, and S = –0.0213 + 6.3154 C, and the detection limits of four ions were 0.96, 3.58, 2.12, 0.57 μg·L−1 respectively. Furthermore, this method was successfully applied in determining cations in actual samples.
More adequate seismic design force pattern for yielding structures considering structural and ground motion uncertainties effects
Authors: Ganjavi Behnoud , Gholamrezatabar Abolfazl
Published: July 2018

In the present paper, a new algorithm to achieve optimum lateral load pattern for inelastic steel shear‐building structures is proposed and the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in terms of convergence speed and stability is investigated. Then, by conducting this algorithm on 28,800 elastic and inelastic steel shear‐building structures having different dynamic characteristics subjected to 40 design compatible earthquakes, a new seismic force pattern incorporating higher modes effect is proposed, and the adequacy of the proposed load pattern is parametrically investigated on the basis of the concepts of structural weight and dissipated energy and cumulative damage index. Through conducting numerous nonlinear dynamic analyses, the effects of uncertainties in story shear strength, structural fundamental period, and damping ratio by using the Monte Carlo simulation are parametrically investigated. Result indicates that optimum structures are in general more sensitive to the random variation of fundamental period and story lateral strength, whereas up to 40% of damping ratio variation does not affect the seismic performance of the optimum design frames. Finally, compared with recently proposed optimum structures without consideration of higher modes and code‐complaint design structures, the proposed mean optimum designed buildings of this study exhibit up to 42% less cumulative damage under the design earthquakes.
Essentials of de novo protein design: Methods and applications
Authors: Marcos Enrique , Silva Daniel‐Adriano
Published: July 2018

The field of de novo protein design has undergone a rapid transformation in the last decade and now enables the accurate design of protein structures with exceptional stability and in a large variety of folds not necessarily restricted to those seen in nature. Before the existence of de novo protein design, traditional strategies to engineer proteins relied exclusively on modifying existing proteins already with a similar to desired function or, at least, a suitable geometry and enough stability to tolerate mutations needed for incorporating the desired functions. De novo computational protein design, instead, allows to completely overcome this limitation by permitting the access to a virtually infinite number of protein shapes that can be suitable candidates to engineer function. Recently, we have seen the first examples of such functionalization in the form of de novo proteins custom designed to bind specific targets or small molecules with novel medical and biotechnological applications. Despite this progress, the incursion on this nascent field can be difficult due to the plethora of approaches available and their constant evolution. Here, we review the most relevant computational methods for de novo protein design with the aim of compiling a comprehensive guide for researchers embarking on this field. We illustrate most of the concepts in the view of Rosetta, which is the most extensively developed software for de novo protein design, but we highlight relevant work with other protein modeling softwares. Finally, we give an overall view of the current challenges and future opportunities in the field.

This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Computer Algorithms and Programming

Structure and Mechanism > Computational Biochemistry and Biophysics

Software > Molecular Modeling

Structure and Mechanism > Molecular Structures
Case studies of springtime fog in Hong Kong
Authors: Chan P. W. , Li Q. S.
Published: July 2018

Two typical cases of fog in Hong Kong are documented in this paper. The meteorological conditions leading to the occurrence of fog are examined using observations from ground‐based, remote sensing meteorological instruments. An acoustic sounding system and a microwave radiometer were used to monitor the atmospheric boundary layer and nowcast the low visibility weather conditions. The measurements from these instruments provide many interesting observations of both the sea fog and mixing fog, including temperature inversions and changes in the humidity profiles. The skill of the numerical weather prediction models in forecasting fog episodes is also briefly discussed. The global model is found to have skill in predicting the occurrence of low visibility weather up to 2 days in advance.
Mean field quantization of effective string
Authors: Makeenko Yuri
Published: July 2018

Abstract

I describe the recently proposed quantization of bosonic string about the meanfield ground state, paying special attention to the differences from the usual quantization about the classical vacuum which turns out to be unstable for d > 2. In particular, the string susceptibility index γ
str is 1 in the usual perturbation theory, but equals 1/2 in the mean-field approximation that applies for 2 < d < 26. I show that the total central charge equals zero in the mean-field approximation and argue that fluctuations about the mean field do not spoil conformal invariance.
NLO and off-shell effects in top quark mass determinations
Authors: Heinrich Gudrun , Maier Andreas , Nisius Richard , Schlenk Johannes , Schulze Markus , Scyboz Ludovic , Winter Jan
Published: July 2018

Abstract

We study the impact of different theoretical descriptions of top quark pair production on top quark mass measurements in the di-lepton channel. To this aim, the full NLO corrections to

$$ pp\to {W}^{+}{W}^{-}b\overline{b}\to \left({e}^{+}{\nu}_e\right)\left({\mu}^{-}{\overline{\nu}}_{\mu}\right)b\overline{b} $$

pp
→

W
+

W
−

b

b
¯

→

e
+

ν
e

μ
−

ν
¯

μ

b

b
¯

production are compared to calculations in the narrow width approximation, where the production of a top quark pair is calculated at NLO and combined with three different descriptions of the top quark decay: leading order, next-to-leading order and via a parton shower. The different theory predictions then enter the calibration of template fit functions, which are used for a fit to pseudo-data. The offsets in the top quark mass resulting from the fits based on the various theoretical descriptions are determined.
Early Surgery in Prone Position for Associated Injuries in Patients Undergoing Non‐operative Management for Splenic and Liver Injuries
Authors: Markert Kathrin , Haltmeier Tobias , Khatsilouskaya Tatsiana , Keel Marius J. , Candinas Daniel , Schnüriger Beat
Published: July 2018

Background

In patients undergoing non‐operative management (NOM) of blunt splenic and/or liver injuries, no data exist on the safety of same‐admission surgery in prone position for concomitant injuries.

Methods

Retrospective study including adult trauma patients with blunt splenic/liver injuries and attempted NOM from 01/2009 to 06/2015 was conducted. Patient and injury characteristics as well as outcomes [failed (f)NOM, mortality] of patients with/without surgery in prone position were compared (‘prone’ vs. ‘non‐prone’ group).

Results

A total of 244 patients with blunt splenic/liver injury and attempted NOM were included. Forty patients (16.4%) underwent surgery in prone position on median post‐injury day 2.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 3.0]. Surgery in prone position was mostly performed for associated spinal or pelvic injuries. The ISS was significantly higher, and the proportion of patients with high‐grade injuries (OIS ≥ 3) was significantly less frequent in the ‘proneʼ group (30.0 ± 14.5 vs. 23.9 ± 13.2, p = 0.009 and 27.5 vs. 53.9%, p = 0.002). In‐hospital mortality as well as NOM failure rates were not significantly different between the ‘prone’ and ‘non‐proneʼ group (2.5 vs. 2.9%, p = 1.000; 0.0 vs. 4.4%, p = 0.362). Eleven patients with high‐grade injuries were operated in prone position at median day 3 (IQR 3.0). None of these patients failed NOM. However, one patient with a grade IV splenic injury required immediate splenectomy after being operated in right‐sided position on the day of admission.

Conclusion

In this single‐center analysis, surgery in prone position was performed in a substantial number of patients with splenic/liver injuries without increasing the fNOM rate. However, caution should be used in patients with grade IV/V splenic injuries.
The Mechanism Behind the Oxidation Protection of High Mg Al Alloys with Beryllium
Authors: Smith Nicholas , Kvithyld Anne , Tranell Gabriella
Published: July 2018

The addition of beryllium to Al-Mg alloys is known to cause a dramatic decrease in oxidation; however, the mechanism behind this protective effect is not yet fully understood. To aid in finding an alternative to the toxic Be, a fundamental study of Be additions has been carried out. Industrial samples containing 2 ppm Be and a model alloy with 100 ppm Be were oxidized at temperatures between 550 °C and 750 °C in a horizontal tube furnace. The oxide layer and oxide–metal interface were investigated using SEM, FIB, and XPS. It was found that Be forms a uniform oxide layer at the oxide–metal interface which slows the diffusion of Mg and Al from the metal into the oxide layer resulting in a reduced oxidation rate and an increase in the time for breakaway oxidation to occur.
Petrographic and Geochemical Study of Gurha Lignites, Bikaner Basin, Rajasthan, India: Implications for Thermal Maturity, Hydrocarbon Generation Potential and Paleodepositional Environment
Authors: Singh Alok K. , Kumar Alok
Published: July 2018

In the present study an attempt has been made to characterize the Gurha lignites employing petrographic and geochemical techniques on a large number of lignite samples. The data generated has been discussed to understand the hydrocarbon generation potential as well as the evolution of the paleomires of these lignites. The present investigation indicates that these lignites are mainly dominated by the huminite followed by inertinite and liptinites occurs in meager concentration. The huminite reflectance values rank the Gurha lignite as a low-rank B lignite.

Petrographic result indicates these lignites are thermally immature in nature and comprised of Type-III kerogen and may generate only gas on maturation which is further supported by the rock-eval pyrolysis. The plots of rock eval data also indicates the same. The GI and TPI as well as GWI and VI values and the petrography-based facies critical models indicate that these lignites originated mostly under wet forest swamp condition. The microscopic constituents have also shown that these lignites are from herbaceous plants in wet forest swamp environment and ombrotrophic hydrological condition. The presences of framboidal pyrite in the study area infer the marine influence which also supported by the presence of high sulphur content.
5-Hydroxymethylome in Circulating Cell-Free DNA as A Potential Biomarker for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhang Ji , Han Xiao , Gao Chunchun , Xing Yurong , Qi Zheng , Liu Ruijuan , Wang Yueqin , Zhang Xiaojian , Yang Yun-Gui , Li Xiangnan , Sun Baofa , Tian Xin
Published: July 2018

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the most common type of lung cancer accounting for 85% of the cases, is often diagnosed at advanced stages owing to the lack of efficient early diagnostic tools. 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) signatures in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that carries the cancer-specific epigenetic patterns may represent the valuable biomarkers for discriminating tumor and healthy individuals, and thus could be potentially useful for NSCLC diagnosis. Here, we employed a sensitive and reliable method to map genome-wide 5hmC in the cfDNA of Chinese NSCLC patients and detected a significant 5hmC gain in both the gene bodies and promoter regions in the blood samples from tumor patients compared with healthy controls. Specifically, we identified six potential biomarkers from 66 patients and 67 healthy controls (mean decrease accuracy >3.2, P < 3.68E−19) using machine-learning-based tumor classifiers with high accuracy. Thus, the unique signature of 5hmC in tumor patient’s cfDNA identified in our study may provide valuable information in facilitating the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for NSCLC.
Fisetin impedes developmental methylmercury neurotoxicity via downregulating apoptotic signalling pathway and upregulating Rho GTPase signalling pathway in hippocampus of F1 generation rats
Authors: Jacob Sherin , Thangarajan Sumathi
Published: July 2018

Methyl mercury is a teratogenic and neurodevelopmental toxicant in the environment. MeHg affects several biological pathways critical for brain development. The present study validated the effect of Fisetin on developmental MeHg exposure induced alterations in mitochondrial apoptotic pathway and Rho GTPase mRNA expressions in hippocampus of F1 generation rats. Pregnant Wistar rats were grouped as Group I : administered with vehicle control, Group II: MeHg (1.5 mg/kg b.w), Group III: MeHg + Fisetin (10 mg/kg b.w), Group IV: MeHg + Fisetin (30 mg/kg b.w), Group V: MeHg + Fisetin (50 mg/kg b.w), Group VI: MeHg + Fisetin (70 mg/kg b.w), Group VII: Fisetin (30 mg/kg b.w) alone. Fisetin reduced mercury accumulation in offspring brain. In hippocampus, Fisetin preserved mitochondrial total thiol status, glutathione antioxidant system, mitochondrial metabolic integrity and respiratory chain activity. Fisetin ameliorated apoptotic signals by preventing Cytochrome c release, down regulating ERK 1/2 and Caspase 3 gene expression. Fisetin also upregulated mRNA expressions of RhoA/Rac1/Cdc42 in hippocampus. Predominant effect of Fisetin was to reduce mercury accumulation in offspring brain there by diminishing the toxic effect of MeHg. Hence we showed that, gestational intake of Fisetin (30 mg/kg b.w.) impedes developmental MeHg neurotoxicity by regulating mitochondrial apoptotic and Rho GTPase signalling molecules and by reducing the mercury accumulation in hippocampus of F1 generation rats
Disappearance of cerebrovascular laminin immunoreactivity as related to the maturation of astroglia in rat brain
Authors: Kálmán Mihály , Oszwald Erzsébet , Pócsai Károly , Bagyura Zsolt , Adorján István
Published: July 2018

The present paper provides novel findings on the temporo‐spatial correlation of perivascular laminin immunoreactivity with the early postnatal astrocyte development. The cerebrovascular laminin immunoreactivity gradually disappears during development. The fusion of the glial and vascular basal laminae during development makes the laminin epitopes inaccessible for antibody molecules (Krum et al., 1991, Exp Neurol 111:151). The fusion is supposed to correlate with the maturation of the glio‐vascular connections. Glial development was followed by immunostaining for GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein), S100 protein, glutamine synthetase as glial markers and for nestin to visualize the immature glial structures. Our investigation focused on the period from postnatal day (P)2 to P16, on the dorso‐parietal pallium. In the wall of the telencephalon the laminin immunoreactivity disappeared between P5 and P10; in subcortical structures it persisted to P12 or even to P16. Its disappearance overlapped the period when GFAP‐immunopositive astrocytes were taking the place of radial glia. Despite the parallel time courses, however, the spatial patterns of the two processes were just the opposite: disappearance of the laminin immunoreactivity progressed from the middle zone whereas the appearance of GFAP from the pial surface and the corpus callosum. Rather, the regression of the vascular laminin immunoreactivity followed the progression of the immunoreactivities of glutamine synthetase and S100 protein. Therefore, the regression really correlates with a ‘maturation’ of astrocytes which, however, affects other astrocyte functions rather than cytoskeleton.
Molecular imaging in dementia: Past, present, and future
Authors: Laforce Robert , Soucy Jean‐Paul , Sellami Leila , Dallaire‐Théroux Caroline , Brunet Francis , Bergeron David , Miller Bruce L. , Ossenkoppele Rik
Published: July 2018

Molecular imaging techniques using 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose, amyloid tracers, and, more recently, tau ligands have taken dementia research by storm and undoubtedly improved our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. The ability to image in vivo the pathological substrates of degenerative diseases and visualize their downstream impact has led to improved models of pathogenesis, better differential diagnosis of atypical conditions, as well as focused subject selection and monitoring of treatment in clinical trials aimed at delaying or preventing the symptomatic phase of Alzheimer's disease. In this article, we present the main molecular imaging techniques used in research and practice. We further summarize the key findings brought about by each technique individually and more recently, as adjuncts to each other. Specific limitations of each imaging modality are discussed, as well as recommendations to overcome them. A nonvalidated clinical algorithm is proposed for earlier and more accurate identification of complex/atypical neurodegenerative diseases.
Enterprise-grade networks: the answer to IoT security challenges
Authors: Beecher Phil
Published: July 2018

The Internet of Things (IoT) is quietly transforming the way utilities, industrial firms and smart city stakeholders operate. Some sectors are certainly accelerating faster than others to an IoT-driven future. But one thing is true across the board: cyber-security remains the primary barrier to the success of projects, both in terms of technical challenges and getting all-important board-level buy-in. Enterprise-grade networks should therefore be a priority for organisations wanting to improve the quality of life of citizens, drive business efficiencies, lower costs and increase the reliability of systems and services.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is quietly transforming the way utilities, industrial firms and smart city stakeholders operate. Some sectors are accelerating faster than others to an IoT-driven future.

But one thing is true across the board: cyber-security remains the primary barrier to the success of projects, both in terms of technical challenges and getting all-important board-level buy-in. Enterprise-grade networks should therefore be a priority for organisations wanting to improve the quality of life of citizens, drive business efficiencies, lower costs and increase the reliability of systems and services, argues Phil Beecher of the Wi-SUN Alliance.
DevOps: finding room for security
Authors: Mansfield-Devine Steve
Published: July 2018

DevOps is everywhere, it seems. As one of the most ubiquitous trends in software development of the past few years, its adoption has been spurred on by promises of faster roll-outs, greater agility and responsiveness and significant gains in efficiency. With developers and operational staff collaborating on continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) workflows, software will be both more dependable and more aligned with business needs – so it's claimed. But as Meera Rao, a senior principal consultant at Synopsys, explains in this interview, there is a certain lack of clarity around what DevOps really means. And in the excitement about its claimed benefits, security is often overlooked.
Unsteady thrust, lift and moment of a two-dimensional flapping thin airfoil in the presence of leading-edge vortices: a first approximation from linear potential theory
Authors: Fernandez-Feria R. , Alaminos-Quesada J.
Published: July 2018

The effect of a leading-edge vortex (LEV) on the lift, thrust and moment of a two-dimensional heaving and pitching thin airfoil is analysed within the unsteady linear potential theory. First, general expressions that take into account the effect of any set of unsteady point vortices interacting with the oscillating foil and unsteady wake are derived. Then, a simplified analysis, based on the Brown–Michael model, of the initial stages of the growing LEV from the sharp leading edge during each half-stroke is used to obtain simple expressions for its main contribution to the unsteady lift, thrust and moment. It is found that the LEV contributes to the aerodynamic forces and moment provided that a pitching motion exists, while its effect is negligible, in the present approximation, for a pure heaving motion, and for some combined pitching and heaving motions with large phase shifts which are also characterized in the present work. In particular, the effect of the LEV is found to decrease with the distance of the pivot point from the trailing edge. Further, the time-averaged lift and moment are not modified by the growing LEVs in the present approximation, and only the time-averaged thrust force is corrected, decreasing slightly in most cases in relation to the linear potential results by an amount proportional to$a_{0}^{2}k^{3}$for large$k$, where$k$is the reduced frequency and$a_{0}$is the pitching amplitude. The time-averaged input power is also modified by the LEV in the present approximation, so that the propulsion efficiency changes by both the thrust and the power, these corrections being relevant only for pivot locations behind the midchord point. Finally, the potential results modified by the LEV are compared with available experimental data.