bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Nutraceutical Dehydrozingerone and Its Dimer Counteract Inflammation‐ and Oxidative Stress‐Induced Dysfunction of In Vitro Cultured Human Endothelial Cells: A Novel Perspective for the Prevention and Therapy of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Profumo Elisabetta , Buttari Brigitta , D’Arcangelo Daniela , Tinaburri Lavinia , Dettori Maria Antonietta , Fabbri Davide , Delogu Giovanna , Riganò Rachele
Published: December 2016

Atherosclerosis is characterized by endothelial dysfunction, mainly induced by inflammation and oxidative stress. Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production together with increased adhesion molecules and thrombogenic tissue factor (TF) expression on endothelial cells has a key role in proatherogenic mechanisms. Therefore downmodulation of these molecules could be useful for reducing the severity of inflammation and atherosclerosis progression. Dehydrozingerone (DHZ) is a nutraceutical compound with anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant activities. In this study we evaluated the ability of DHZ and its symmetric dimer to modulate hydrogen peroxide‐ (H2O2‐) induced ROS production in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). We also evaluated intercellular adhesion molecule‐ (ICAM‐) 1, vascular cell adhesion molecule‐ (VCAM‐) 1, and TF expression in HUVEC activated by tumor necrosis factor‐ (TNF‐) α. HUVEC pretreatment with DHZ and DHZ dimer reduced H2O2‐induced ROS production and inhibited adhesion molecule expression and secretion. Of note, only DHZ dimer was able to reduce TF expression. DHZ effects were in part mediated by the inhibition of the nuclear factor‐ (NF‐) κB activation. Overall, our findings demonstrate that the DHZ dimer exerts a potent anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and antithrombotic activity on endothelial cells and suggest potential usefulness of this compound to contrast the pathogenic mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis progression.
Arguments Reinforcing the Three-Domain View of Diversified Cellular Life
Authors: Nasir Arshan , Kim Kyung Mo , Da Cunha Violette , Caetano-Anollés Gustavo
Published: December 2016

The archaeal ancestor scenario (AAS) for the origin of eukaryotes implies the emergence of a new kind of organism from the fusion of ancestral archaeal and bacterial cells. Equipped with this “chimeric” molecular arsenal, the resulting cell would gradually accumulate unique genes and develop the complex molecular machineries and cellular compartments that are hallmarks of modern eukaryotes. In this regard, proteins related to phagocytosis and cell movement should be present in the archaeal ancestor, thus identifying the recently described candidate archaeal phylum “Lokiarchaeota” as resembling a possible candidate ancestor of eukaryotes. Despite its appeal, AAS seems incompatible with the genomic, molecular, and biochemical differences that exist between Archaea and Eukarya. In particular, the distribution of conserved protein domain structures in the proteomes of cellular organisms and viruses appears hard to reconcile with the AAS. In addition, concerns related to taxon and character sampling, presupposing bacterial outgroups in phylogenies, and nonuniform effects of protein domain structure rearrangement and gain/loss in concatenated alignments of protein sequences cast further doubt on AAS-supporting phylogenies. Here, we evaluate AAS against the traditional “three-domain” world of cellular organisms and propose that the discovery of Lokiarchaeota could be better reconciled under the latter view, especially in light of several additional biological and technical considerations.
Previously Unidentified Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in HIV/AIDS Cases Associate with Clinical Parameters and Disease Progression
Authors: Anokhin Vladimir V. , Bakhteeva Liliia B. , Khasanova Gulshat R. , Khaiboullina Svetlana F. , Martynova Ekaterina V. , Tillett Richard L. , Schlauch Karen A. , Lombardi Vincent C. , Rizvanov Albert A.
Published: December 2016

The genetic background of an individual plays an important role in the progression of HIV infection to AIDS. Identifying previously unknown or uncharacterized single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that associate with disease progression may reveal important therapeutic targets and provide a greater understanding of disease pathogenesis. In the present study, we employed ultra-high multiplex PCR on an Ion Torrent next-generation sequencing platform to sequence 23 innate immune genes from 94 individuals with HIV/AIDS. This data was used to identify potential associations of SNPs with clinical parameters and disease progression. SNPs that associated with an increased viral load were identified in the genes for the interleukin 15 receptor (IL15RA), toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), tripartite motif-containing protein 5 (TRIM5), and two killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR2DL1andKIR2DL3). Additionally, SNPs that associated with progression from HIV infection to AIDS were identified in two 2′-5′-oligoadenylate synthetase genes (OAS2andOAS3). In contrast, other SNPs identified inOAS2andOAS3genes, as well as in theTRIM5andKIR2DS4genes, were associated with a slower progression of disease. Taken together, our data demonstrates the utility of ultra-high multiplex PCR in identifying polymorphisms of potential clinical significance and further,identifies SNPs that may play a role in HIV pathogenesis.
In Vitro Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Ability and Cytotoxicity on Two Melanoma Cell Lines of a Benzylamide Derivative of Maslinic Acid
Authors: Pavel Ioana Zinuca , Danciu Corina , Oprean Camelia , Dehelean Cristina Adriana , Muntean Delia , Csuk René , Muntean Danina Mirela
Published: December 2016

Maslinic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene extracted from olives that has been systematically reported to exert several therapeutic effects, such as antitumoral, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties. Recently, new derivatives of maslinic acid have been obtained and expanded the spectrum of biological activities and improved the existing ones. The present study was meant to perform the in vitro assessment of the (i) cytotoxic effects of a benzylamide derivative of maslinic acid (“EM2”) (benzyl (2α, 3β) 2,3-diacetoxy-olean-12-en-28-amide) on B164A5 murine melanoma and A375 human malignant melanoma cell lines and the (ii) antimicrobial activity of the compound on several bacterial strains, respectively. We obtained a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect of EM2 that was particularly relevant to the murine cell line. As on the antibacterial activity, EM2 was tested on 10 bacterial strains Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and one fungus Candida albicans. A significant antimicrobial effect was recorded for Streptococcus pyogenes and Staphylococcus aureus.
Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Locally Delivered Vitamin C in the Treatment of Persistent Gingival Inflammation: Clinical and Histopathological Study
Authors: Yussif Nermin M. , Abdul Aziz Manar A. , Abdel Rahman Ahmed R.
Published: December 2016

Objective. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role and efficiency of the locally injected vitamin C in the treatment of persistent gingival inflammation.Design. Twenty adult patients with persistent chronic gingival inflammation were included in this study. The same dose of sterile vitamin C was injected in gingival tissues after the completion of phase I therapy. Gingival biopsies were taken after total resolution of inflammation. The specimens were examined histologically, using H&E stain.Results. Clinical evaluation revealed great improvement of the injected sites with recall visits. Histopathological results revealed marked decrease in inflammatory cells and epithelial thickness and a higher number of newly formed subbasal capillaries.Conclusions. Vitamin C is an effective adjunctive treatment in reducing various degrees of chronic gingival inflammation.
Lycopene Ameliorates Transplant Arteriosclerosis in Vascular Allograft Transplantation by Regulating the NO/cGMP Pathways and Rho‐Associated Kinases Expression
Authors: He Yunqiang , Xia Peng , Jin Hao , Zhang Yan , Chen Bicheng , Xu Ziqiang
Published: December 2016

Objective. Transplant arteriosclerosis is considered one of the major factors affecting the survival time of grafts after organ transplantation. In this study, we proposed a hypothesis of whether lycopene can protect grafted vessels through regulating key proteins expression involved in arteriosclerosis. Methods. Allogeneic aortic transplantation was performed using Brow‐Norway rats as donors and Lewis rats as recipients. After transplantation, the recipients were divided into two groups: the allograft group and the lycopene group. Negative control rats (isograft group) were also established. Histopathological staining was performed to observe the pathological changes, and the expression levels of Ki‐67, caspase‐3, Rho‐associated kinases, intercellular adhesion molecules (ICAM‐1), and eNOS were assessed. Western blotting analysis and real‐time PCR were also performed for quantitative analysis. Results. The histopathological staining showed that vascular stenosis and intimal thickening were not evident after lycopene treatment. The Ki‐67, ROCK1, ROCK2, and ICAM‐1 expression levels were significantly decreased. However, eNOS expression in grafted arteries and plasma cGMP concentration were increased after lycopene treatment. Conclusions. Lycopene could alleviate vascular arteriosclerosis in allograft transplantation via downregulating Rho‐associated kinases and regulating key factor expression through the NO/cGMP pathways, which may provide a potentially effective method for transplant arteriosclerosis in clinical organ transplantation.
The Effects of Urethane on Rat Outer Hair Cells
Authors: Fu Mingyu , Chen Mengzi , Yan Xiao , Yang Xueying , Xiao Jinfang , Tang Jie
Published: December 2016

The cochlea converts sound vibration into electrical impulses and amplifies the low-level sound signal. Urethane, a widely used anesthetic in animal research, has been shown to reduce the neural responses to auditory stimuli. However, the effects of urethane on cochlea, especially on the function of outer hair cells, remain largely unknown. In the present study, we compared the cochlear microphonic responses between awake and urethane-anesthetized rats. The results revealed that the amplitude of the cochlear microphonic was decreased by urethane, resulting in an increase in the threshold at all of the sound frequencies examined. To deduce the possible mechanism underlying the urethane-induced decrease in cochlear sensitivity, we examined the electrical response properties of isolated outer hair cells using whole-cell patch-clamp recording. We found that urethane hyperpolarizes the outer hair cell membrane potential in a dose-dependent manner and elicits larger outward current. This urethane-induced outward current was blocked by strychnine, an antagonist of theα9 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Meanwhile, the function of the outer hair cell motor protein, prestin, was not affected. These results suggest that urethane anesthesia is expected to decrease the responses of outer hair cells, whereas the frequency selectivity of cochlea remains unchanged.
Effect of the Lipoxygenase Inhibitor Baicalein on Muscles in Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Saul D. , Kling J. H. , Kosinsky R. L. , Hoffmann D. B. , Komrakova M. , Wicke M. , Menger B. , Sehmisch S.
Published: December 2016

Sarcopenia, a loss of muscle mass accompanying osteoporosis, leads to falls and fall-related injuries. Baicalein, as a phytochemical agent, has an antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect in muscle. In this study, sixty-one female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into five groups: four groups were ovariectomized (OVX) and one control group was nonovariectomized (NON-OVX). Eight weeks after ovariectomy, three disparate concentrations (1 mg/kg body weight (BW), 10 mg/kg BW, and 100 mg/kg BW) of baicalein were applied subcutaneously daily in three OVX groups. Mm. soleus, gastrocnemius, and longissimus were extracted; their diameter, area, relation to body, and muscle weights as well as number of capillaries per fibre were recorded. In Mm. soleus and gastrocnemius, the baicalein effect (increasing number of capillaries per fibre) was proportional to the dose applied. The fibre diameters and area under baicalein treatment were significantly greater compared to OVX and NON-OVX groups. In M. longissimus, we observed a shift to type IIa fibres. Serum creatine kinase levels were significantly lower in highest baicalein concentration group. We conclude that baicalein can stimulate angiogenesis, though not fibre type-specific, in skeletal muscle and reduce the estrogen-related loss of fibre diameter and area in the skeletal muscle in rats. Therefore, a protective effect of baicalein on muscle cells can be assumed.
Gender-Specific Associations between Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Factors and Metabolic Syndrome in the Korean Population: Findings from the 2013 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Cho Kyoung Im , Kim Bo Hyun , Je Hyung Gon , Jang Jae Sik , Park Yong Hyun
Published: December 2016

We aimed to assess the gender-specific associations between psychological factors and socioeconomic status (SES) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) in Korean adults. We examined 4,689 Korean adults aged 20–79 years who participated in the 2013 Korean National Health Examination and Nutrition Survey. With regard to SES, occupation status (none, manual, and nonmanual), marital status (single, married, divorced, and widowed), and psychological factors (detection of stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal thoughts) were determined via questionnaires. Compared with married men, single and divorced men exhibited ORs (95% confidence interval [CIs]) for MetS of 0.45 (0.31–0.65) and 1.61 (1.02–2.55), respectively, after adjusting for covariates. However, this association was not significant in women. Compared with those in the lowest household income group and least educated group in women, the ORs for MetS in the highest income group and the most educated group were 0.63 (CI 0.46–0.86) and 0.46 (CI 0.32–0.67), respectively. Suicidal thoughts in men (OR 1.64, CI 1.03–2.61) and perceived stress in women (OR 1.26, CI 1.01–1.59) were associated with MetS. In this study, MetS has gender-specific associations with lower SES and psychological factors. Thus, gender-specific public health interventions based on SES and psychological factors are needed to prevent and treat MetS and reduce additional cardiovascular disease risk.
A Chaotic System with an Infinite Number of Equilibrium Points: Dynamics, Horseshoe, and Synchronization
Authors: Pham Viet-Thanh , Volos Christos , Vaidyanathan Sundarapandian , Wang Xiong
Published: December 2016

Discovering systems with hidden attractors is a challenging topic which has received considerable interest of the scientific community recently. This work introduces a new chaotic system having hidden chaotic attractors with an infinite number of equilibrium points. We have studied dynamical properties of such special system via equilibrium analysis, bifurcation diagram, and maximal Lyapunov exponents. In order to confirm the system’s chaotic behavior, the findings of topological horseshoes for the system are presented. In addition, the possibility of synchronization of two new chaotic systems with infinite equilibria is investigated by using adaptive control.
Reduced Plasma miR-146a Is a Predictor of Poor Coronary Collateral Circulation in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Wang Junnan , Yan Youyou , Song Dandan , Liu Bin
Published: December 2016

Coronary collateral circulation (CCC), an alternative blood supply for ischemic myocardium, improves survival rates among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there remains a lack of biomarkers to discriminate between patients with poor or good CCC. In this study, we aimed to observe the relationship between plasma microRNA-146a (miR-146a) levels and the coronary collateral circulation (CCC). Additionally, we aimed to explore whether the plasma miR-146a level could serve as a blood-based biomarker for CCC in patients with CAD. We measured the plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and miR-146a in patients with CCC by ELISA and real-time PCR, respectively, according to the Rentrop grades. The results showed that the plasma miR-146a level is significantly increased in CAD patients with good CCC and significantly decreased in those with poor CCC. In contrast, although VEGFA expression in patients followed a similar trend as the CCC, the differences between the groups were not statistically significant. There was a positive correlation between plasma miR-146a levels and the Rentrop grading. In addition, receiver operator characteristic analysis showed that miR-146a could be a potent biomarker for identifying patients with poor CCC.
A Bioequivalence Test by the Direct Comparison of Concentration-versus-Time Curves Using Local Polynomial Smoothers
Authors: Tian Suyan , Chang Howard H. , Orange Dana , Gu Jingkai , Suárez-Fariñas Mayte
Published: December 2016

In order to test if two chemically or pharmaceutically equivalent products have the same efficacy and/or toxicity, a bioequivalence (BE) study is conducted. The 80%/125% rule is the most commonly used criteria for BE and states that BE cannot be claimed unless the 90% CIs for the ratio of selected pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters of the tested to the reference drug are within 0.8 to 1.25. Considering that estimates of these PK parameters are derived from the concentration-versus-time curves, a direct comparison between these curves motivates an alternative and more flexible approach to test BE. Here, we propose to frame the BE test in terms of an equivalence of concentration-versus-time curves which are constructed using local polynomial smoother (LPS). A metric is presented to quantify the distance between the curves and its 90% CIs are calculated via bootstrapping. Then, we applied the proposed procedures to data from an animal study and found that BE between a generic drug and its brand name cannot be concluded, which was consistent with the results by applying the 80%/125% rule. However, the proposed procedure has the advantage of testing only on a single metric, instead of all PK parameters.
Beriberi Induced Cardiomyopathy Requiring Salvage Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation
Authors: Shah Aditya , Patel Samir , Kothari Sorabh , Denk Jennifer
Published: December 2016

Beriberi refers to a constellation of symptoms caused primarily by thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency. An acute and fulminant presentation of this rare condition has been described in the literature as “Shoshin” beriberi which is characterized by catastrophic cardiovascular collapse. Early recognition and treatment lead to dramatic improvements of symptoms. We present a case of thiamine deficiency-induced acute heart failure in a malnourished patient leading to cardiac arrest necessitating VA-ECMO (venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) with improvement in heart function secondary to thiamine administration.
Discharge Estimation for an Ungauged Inland River in an Arid Area Related to Anthropogenic Activities: A Case Study of Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China
Authors: Liu Shuang , Xie Zhenghui , Zeng Yujin
Published: December 2016

In the arid areas, the discharge in some reaches is unsurveyed, which makes related works trapped. It is important to estimate a long-term discharge in an ungauged river using available fragmentary data including those on human activities. In this work, the authors proposed a procedure of monthly discharge estimation for an ungauged inland river based on spatiotemporally discontinuous information, such as water diversion for irrigation, water allocation planning, and statistical relations of discharge at different locations. A typical ungauged river reach of Heihe River in northwestern China was selected as a case study. Monthly discharge from 1991 to 2007 at one gauged section was estimated using this procedure to validate the procedure, and the results show its potential in estimating discharge for an ungauged area. Monthly discharge from 1979 to 2014 at four unmonitored sections was estimated using the same procedure, and the trend analysis was conducted to check the facticity of the estimated discharge. The annual and monthly trends could well describe the effects of anthropogenic activities on the flow at different sections. In general, the method is feasible to provide support pertaining to water management or eco-hydrological researches and could be easily extended to other similar places.
Spectral Analysis of Dynamic PET Studies: A Review of 20 Years of Method Developments and Applications
Authors: Veronese Mattia , Rizzo Gaia , Bertoldo Alessandra , Turkheimer Federico E.
Published: December 2016

In Positron Emission Tomography (PET), spectral analysis (SA) allows the quantification of dynamic data by relating the radioactivity measured by the scanner in time to the underlying physiological processes of the system under investigation. Among the different approaches for the quantification of PET data, SA is based on the linear solution of the Laplace transform inversion whereas the measured arterial and tissue time-activity curves of a radiotracer are used to calculate the input response function of the tissue. In the recent years SA has been used with a large number of PET tracers in brain and nonbrain applications, demonstrating that it is a very flexible and robust method for PET data analysis. Differently from the most common PET quantification approaches that adopt standard nonlinear estimation of compartmental models or some linear simplifications, SA can be applied without defining any specific model configuration and has demonstrated very good sensitivity to the underlying kinetics. This characteristic makes it useful as an investigative tool especially for the analysis of novel PET tracers. The purpose of this work is to offer an overview of SA, to discuss advantages and limitations of the methodology, and to inform about its applications in the PET field.
A Rare Case of Clavicle Osteomyelitis in a Child and Literature Review
Authors: Chrysochoou Elisavet-Anna , Antachopoulos Charalampos , Badekas Konstantinos , Roilides Emmanuel
Published: December 2016

Acute clavicle osteomyelitis in children is rare representing <3% of osteomyelitis cases. We treated a 12-year-old boy who presented with acute pain in the right clavicle and high fever for 4 days. MRI showed abnormal signal in the right clavicle with periosteal reaction.Staphylococcus aureusisolated from blood was susceptible to methicillin, clindamycin, and macrolides. Clindamycin was given intravenously for 3 wks and orally for another 3 wks with no recurrence. We reviewed clavicle osteomyelitis cases in children searching PubMed English literature. From a total of 89 studies retrieved, only 6 fulfilled the criteria and were analyzed. Sixteen patients (56% female) were included with a median age of 9 yrs (range 2 wks–16 yrs). Osteomyelitis was hematogenous in most cases, withS. aureusbeing the most frequent cause, isolated from either blood or tissue. Symptoms included fever, swelling, and localized bone tenderness. Antimicrobial therapy lasted for 4–12 weeks (median 7.5). Three patients required drainage or curettage. Recurrence occurred in 1/16 cases (6.2%) and persistence of symptoms occurred to 2/16 cases (12.5%) reported before 90s with unknown antimicrobial susceptibility of the pathogen. Acute clavicle osteomyelitis mainly affects older children and has generally good prognosis.Staphylococcus aureusis most commonly implicated and surgery may be needed.
Metabolomic Characterization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis for Biomarker Discovery
Authors: Di Poto Cristina , Ferrarini Alessia , Zhao Yi , Varghese Rency S. , Tu Chao , Zuo Yiming , Wang Minkun , Nezami Ranjbar Mohammad R. , Luo Yue , Zhang Chi , Desai Chirag S. , Shetty Kirti , Tadesse Mahlet G. , Ressom Habtom W.
Published: December 2016

Background: Metabolomics plays an important role in providing insight into the etiology and mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This is accomplished by a comprehensive analysis of patterns involved in metabolic alterations in human specimens. This study compares the levels of plasma metabolites in HCC cases versus cirrhotic patients and evaluates the ability of candidate metabolites in distinguishing the two groups. Also, it investigates the combined use of metabolites and clinical covariates for detection of HCC in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods: Untargeted analysis of metabolites in plasma from 128 subjects (63 HCC cases and 65 cirrhotic controls) was conducted using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS). This was followed by targeted evaluation of selected metabolites. LASSO regression was used to select a set of metabolites and clinical covariates that are associated with HCC. The performance of candidate biomarkers in distinguishing HCC from cirrhosis was evaluated through a leave-one-out cross-validation based on area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve.

Results: We identified 11 metabolites and three clinical covariates that differentiated HCC cases from cirrhotic controls. Combining these features in a panel for disease classification using support vector machines (SVM) yielded better area under the ROC curve compared with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the combination of metabolites and clinical covariates as an effective approach for early detection of HCC in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Impact: Further investigation of these findings may improve understanding of HCC pathophysiology and possible implication of the metabolites in HCC prevention and diagnosis. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(5); 675–83. ©2016 AACR.
Long-term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Breast Cancer Incidence in the Danish Nurse Cohort Study
Authors: Andersen Zorana Jovanovic , Ravnskjær Line , Andersen Klaus Kaae , Loft Steffen , Brandt Jørgen , Becker Thomas , Ketzel Matthias , Hertel Ole , Lynge Elsebeth , Bräuner Elvira Vaclavik
Published: December 2016

Background: An association between air pollution and breast cancer risk has been suggested, but evidence is sparse and inconclusive.

Methods: We included 22,877 female nurses from the Danish Nurse Cohort who were recruited in 1993 or 1999 and followed them for incidence of breast cancer (N = 1,145) until 2013 in the Danish Cancer Register. We estimated annual mean concentrations of particulate matter with diameter <2.5 μg/m3 (PM2.5) and <10 μg/m3 (PM10), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at nurses' residences since 1990 using an atmospheric chemistry transport model. We examined the association between the 3-year running mean of each pollutant and breast cancer incidence using a time-varying Cox regression.

Results: We found no association between breast cancer and PM2.5 (HR, 0.99; 95% confidence interval, 0.94–1.10 per interquartile range of 3.3 μg/m3), PM10 (1.02; 0.94–1.10 per 2.9 μg/m3), or NO2 (0.99; 0.93–1.05 per 7.4 μg/m3).

Conclusions: Air pollution is not associated with breast cancer risk.

Impact: Exposure to air pollution in adulthood does not increase the risk of breast cancer, but more data on the effects of early exposure, before first birth, are needed. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(3); 428–30. ©2016 AACR.
This is My Body: Communion and Cannibalism in Colonial New England and New France
Authors: Cevasco Carla
Published: December 2016

Analyzing the material culture of English, French, and Native communion ceremonies, and debates over communion and cannibalism, this article argues that peoples in the borderlands between colonial New England and New France refused to recognize their cultural similarities, a cross-cultural failure of communication with violent consequences.
The Breakdown of Discourse: Post-Holocaust Jewish Identity and the Scholem-Arendt Exchange
Authors: Kaposi Dávid
Published: December 2016

This article examines the significance of the private-public exchange of letters between Gershom Scholem and Hannah Arendt in the wake of the Eichmann trial. Using rhetorical analysis, it considers the respective arguments concerning Jewish responsibility, the incompatible political-moral frameworks offered to underpin such judgments, and the extreme identities the correspondents construct for each other. In doing so, it identifies the ultimate significance of the exchange with the total breakdown of discourse it symbolically resulted in—in other words, with the consensus pertaining to the Holocaust leading to a complete incommensurability of the respective political-moral positions. Such a state of affairs is finally accounted for, paradoxically, in terms of the far-reaching agreement between Arendt and Scholem, reaching beyond politics and even identity: the total inescapability of Jewishness.
Three new species of Entoloma subgenus Nolanea from India based on morphology and molecular phylogeny
Authors: RAJ K. N.ANIL , MANIMOHAN PATINJAREVEETTIL
Published: December 2016

Three new species of Entoloma belonging to the subgenus Nolanea, E. brunneoumbonatum, E. luteodiscum and E. brunneoapplanatum, are described from Kerala State, India based on morphology and molecular phylogeny. Comprehensive descriptions, photographs, and comparisons with phenetically similar and phylogenetically related species are discussed. The nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) of the three species was sequenced and analyzed. The ITS-based phylogenetic analysis, performed using Maximum Likelihood (ML) method, supported both the novelty of these species and their infrageneric placement within the subgenus Nolanea. A key to the ten species of Entoloma subgenus Nolanea known from India is also provided.
Assessment of MISR Cloud Motion Vectors (CMVs) Relative to GOES and MODIS Atmospheric Motion Vectors (AMVs)
Authors: Mueller Kevin J. , Wu Dong L. , Horváth Ákos , Jovanovic Veljko M. , Muller Jan-Peter , Di Girolamo Larry , Garay Michael J. , Diner David J. , Moroney Catherine M. , Wanzong Steve
Published: December 2016

Cloud motion vector (CMV) winds retrieved from the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument on the polar-orbiting Terra satellite from 2003 to 2008 are compared with collocated atmospheric motion vectors (AMVs) retrieved from Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) imagery over the tropics and midlatitudes and from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery near the poles. MISR imagery from multiple view angles is exploited to jointly retrieve stereoscopic cloud heights and motions, showing advantages over the AMV heights assigned by radiometric means, particularly at low heights (<3 km) that account for over 95% of MISR CMV sampling. MISR–GOES wind differences exhibit a standard deviation ranging with increasing height from 3.3 to 4.5 m s−1 for a high-quality [quality indicator (QI) ≥ 80] subset where height differences are <1.5 km. Much of the observed difference can be attributed to the less accurately retrieved component of CMV motion along the direction of satellite motion. MISR CMV retrieval is subject to correlation between error in retrieval of this along-track component and of height. This manifests as along-track bias varying with height to magnitudes as large as 2.5 m s−1. The cross-track component of MISR CMVs shows small (<0.5 m s−1) bias and standard deviation of differences (1.7 m s−1) relative to GOES AMVs. Larger differences relative to MODIS are attributed to the tracking of cloud features at heights lower than MODIS in multilayer cloud scenes.
Skill and Skill Prediction of Cloud-Track Advection-Only Forecasting under a Cumulus-Dominated Regime
Authors: Srikrishnan Vivek , Young George S. , Brownson Jeffrey R. S.
Published: December 2016

The intermittency of solar power production is dependent on the evolution and advection of the nearby cloud field. A key problem related to solar energy integration is the improvement of 1-h-ahead forecasts to reduce the impact of intermittency on power systems operations. Many solar forecasts explicitly or implicitly assume Taylor’s hypothesis. While such advection-only forecasts can be presumed to be valid across sufficiently short time scales, it is not clear how rapidly the skill of such a forecast decays with increased lead time. As the goal is to improve the quality of 1-h-ahead forecasts, this work focuses on quantifying the skill of cloud-track wind-based cumulus-dominated cloud field forecasts with respect to lead time. No explicit connection is drawn to the quality of solar forecasts because of the importance of separating two potential sources of error: cloud field forecasting and radiative transfer estimation. It is found that the cumulus field forecast skill begins to asymptotically approach a minimum at lead times of beyond 30 min, suggesting that advection-only forecasts in a cumulus-dominated environment should not be relied upon for 1-h-ahead point forecasts used by radiative transfer methods to estimate solar power production. A first attempt at forming a probabilistic forecast that can quantify this increasing uncertainty when using advection-only methods is presented.
Improving Coastal Storm Evacuation Messages
Authors: Cuite Cara L. , Shwom Rachael L. , Hallman William K. , Morss Rebecca E. , Demuth Julie L.
Published: December 2016

Evacuation before severe coastal storms is a critical tool for keeping coastal residents safe. Effective messaging of evacuations could help save lives, but there is little evidence-based guidance on the advantages or disadvantages of specific messaging. Ideally, evacuation messages would convince those most at risk to evacuate and those who do not need to evacuate to stay in their homes. Using an online survey of 1716 coastal residents in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York, this study randomly assigned respondents to message conditions in each of two hypothetical storm scenarios. Results from the first scenario indicate that those who saw mandatory evacuation messages had higher evacuation intentions than those who saw advisory messages, and both of those messages resulted in slightly higher evacuation intentions than voluntary evacuation messages. However, voluntary messages resulted in lower evacuation intentions for those that did not live in evacuation zones compared to those who did live in evacuation zones, which may help reduce shadow evacuation. In the second scenario, identifying an evacuation area by the municipality name or the individual’s street name resulted in similar evacuation intentions across all participants. Messages identifying an evacuation area by “flood zone” or “flood-prone area” resulted in equally high evacuation intentions for those who believe they live in a flood zone, but these messages suppressed evacuation intentions for those who do not believe they live in a flood zone. This indicates that such messages could also be an effective approach for reducing shadow evacuation. Implications for risk communicators and emergency managers are discussed.
Stakeholder Theory: Seeing the Field Through the Forest
Authors: Berman Shawn L. , Johnson-Cramer Michael E.
Published: December 2016

Does stakeholder theory constitute an established academic field? Our answer is both “yes” and “no.” In the more than quarter-century since Freeman’s seminal contribution in 1984, this domain has acquired some of the administrative, social, and disciplinary trappings of an established field. Stakeholder research has coalesced around a unique intellectual position: that corporations must be understood within the context of their stakeholder relationships and that this understanding must grow out of the interplay between normative and social scientific insights. Yet, much of this domain remains an unexplored territory. In this article, the authors assess the progress to date toward field status and outline future directions for stakeholder research.
The Impact of Fiscal Policies on the Socioeconomic Determinants of Health
Authors: Mosquera Isabel , González-Rábago Yolanda , Bacigalupe Amaia , Suhrcke Marc
Published: December 2016

There has been considerable recent debate around the alleged impact of discretionary fiscal policies – especially austerity policies – on health and health inequalities. Assuming that most of the impact will have to run via the effect of fiscal policies on socioeconomic determinants of health (SDH), it is of interest to gain a further understanding of the relationship between fiscal policies and SDH. Therefore, the aim of this article is to review the recent evidence on the impact of discretionary fiscal policies on key SDH, i.e. income, poverty, education, and employment, in high income OECD countries. We find that there are no simple answers as to how fiscal policy affects those determinants of health. The effects of contractionary and expansionary fiscal policies on the analyzed SDH vary considerably across countries and will largely depend on the pre-crisis situation. Contractionary fiscal policies seem to have increased poverty, while their impact on income inequality will be influenced by the composition of the implemented measures. More empirical research trying to directly link fiscal policies to health outcomes, while taking into account of some of the mechanisms encountered here, would be worthwhile.
Morphological, thermo-mechanical, and thermal conductivity properties of halloysite nanotube-filled polypropylene nanocomposite foam
Authors: Demori Renan , Bischoff Eveline , de Azeredo Ana P , Liberman Susana A , Maia Joao , Mauler Raquel S
Published: December 2016

Studies about polypropylene nanocomposite foams are receiving attention because nanoparticles can change physical and mechanical properties, as well as improve foaming behavior in terms of homogeneous cell structure, cell density, and void fraction. In this research, the foaming behavior of polypropylene, polypropylene/long-chain branched polypropylene (LCBPP) 100/20 blend, and polypropylene/LCBPP/halloysite nanocomposites with 0.5 and 3 parts per hundred of resin (phr) is studied. The LCBPP was used to improve the rheological properties of polypropylene/LCBPP blend, namely the degree of strain-hardening. Transmission electron microscopy observation indicated that halloysite nanotube particles are well distributed in the matrix by aggregates. Subsequent foaming experiments were conducted using chemical blowing agent in injection-molding processing. Polypropylene foam exhibited high cell density and cell size as well as a collapsing effect, whereas the polypropylene/LCBPP blend showed a reduction of the void fraction and cell density compared to expanded polypropylene. Also, the blend showed reduction of the collapsing effect and increase of homogeneous cell size distribution. The introduction of a small amount of halloysite nanotube in the polypropylene/LCBPP blend improved the foaming behavior of the polypropylene, with a uniform cell structure distribution in the resultant foams. In addition, the cell density of the composite sample was higher than the polypropylene/LCBPP sample, having increased 82% and 136% for 0.5 and 3 phr of loaded halloysite nanotube, respectively. Furthermore, the presence of halloysite nanotube increased crystallization temperature (Tc) and slightly increased dynamic-mechanical properties measured by dynamic-mechanical thermal analysis. By increasing halloysite nanotube content to 3 phr, the insulating effect increased by 13% compared to polypropylene/LCBPP blend. For comparative purposes, the effect on foaming behavior of polypropylene/LCBPP was also investigated using talc microparticles.
Microcellular foaming by using subcritical CO2 of crosslinked and non-crosslinked LDPE/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Laguna-Gutierrez Ester , Escudero Javier , Kumar Vipin , Rodriguez-Perez Miguel A
Published: December 2016

The semicrystalline character of low density polyethylene adds severe difficulties to its foamability by a batch process in which the gas is dissolved into the polymer matrix under subcritical conditions. To improve the low density polyethylene foamability, two strategies have been used: the addition of nanoclays and a partial crosslinking of the polymer matrix. On the one hand, the use of nanoparticles is suggested because they act as heterogeneous nucleating sites reducing the cell size and increasing the cell density. On the other hand, crosslinking is also adopted as a solution because both the crystallinity (and hence, the gas solubility and diffusivity) and the extensional rheological properties of the polymer matrix are highly influenced by the crosslinking degree achieved. Results indicate that despite the fact that the presence of nanoclays deteriorates the rheological behaviour of the nanocomposites and, hence, the later foaming behaviour, the use of partially crosslinked polymer matrices allows achieving high expansion ratios (around 7.5) as well as enhanced cellular structures with cell sizes of approximately 15 µm.
Improving the extensional rheological properties and foamability of high-density polyethylene by means of chemical crosslinking
Authors: Laguna-Gutierrez Ester , Pinto Javier , Kumar Vipin , Rodriguez-Mendez Maria L , Rodriguez-Perez Miguel A
Published: December 2016

Obtaining high-density polyethylene-based microcellular foams is a topic of interest due to the synergistic properties that can be obtained by the fact of achieving a microcellular structure using a polymer with a high number of interesting properties. However, due to the high crystallinity of this polymer, the production of low-density microcellular foams, by a physical foaming process, is not a simple task. In this work, the proposed solution to produce these materials is based on using crosslinked high-density polyethylenes. By crosslinking the polymer matrix, it is possible to increase the amount of gas available for foaming and also to improve the extensional rheological properties. In addition, the foaming time and the foaming temperature have also been modified with the aim of analyzing and understanding the mechanisms taking place during the foaming process to finally obtain cellular materials with low densities and improved cellular structures. The results indicate that cellular materials with relative densities of 0.37 and with cell sizes of approximately 2 µm can be produced from crosslinked high-density polyethylene using the appropriate crosslinking degree and foaming parameters.
High strain rate testing and modeling of a woven E-glass–vinylester composite in dry and saturated conditions
Authors: Hufner David R , Hill Susan I
Published: December 2016

The behavior of a woven E-glass–Vinylester composite in dry and seawater-saturated conditions was investigated for strain rates in the range of 0.001–100 s −1. Reliable data were obtained by conducting servo-hydraulic tests at high speed with DIC strain measurement. Issues related to inertial effects of the test system and controlling vibrational stress waves were resolved through a unique experimental setup and special attention to specimen geometry and fixturing. In addition, a rate-dependent constitutive model was adapted to characterize the elastic–viscoplastic response at various strain rates and validated by comparison to test data. The subject investigation demonstrates a viable methodology to identify strain rate sensitivities in high speed experiments and develop a representative material model for analysis of high rate phenomena.
Investigating the mechanical properties of layered graphene/polyoxymethylene nanocomposites prepared by the spray method
Authors: Asadollahi-yazdi Hamid , Shariati Mahmoud , Imam Ali , Ghatee Mojtaba
Published: December 2016

In this study, polyoxymethylene/graphene nanocomposites were fabricated by the spray layer-by-layer method. Mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength, Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio were measured. The addition of 2.4 wt.% graphene increased the ultimate tensile strength by 64% and the Young’s modulus by 103%. The tensile data are compared with those predicted according to the Halpin-Tsai equation. Dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer results showed an increase in storage modulus with increasing graphene weight percentage. Morphologies of the fracture surface of polyoxymethylene/graphene nanocomposite were observed by scanning electron microscopy.
Influence of fabric architecture and weaving parameter on the thermal conductivities of 3D woven composites
Authors: Zhao Yufen , Jiao Yanan , Song Leilei , Jiang Qian , Li Jialu
Published: December 2016

To investigate the effect of fabric architectures and weaving parameters on thermal conductivities of three-dimensional woven composites, the 2.5D angle-interlock woven composites, 2.5D angle-interlock (with warp reinforcement) woven composites, and 3D orthogonal woven composites were prepared. The thermal conductivities of these woven composites were measured by using transient hot-wire method in this study. It was indicated that the thermal conductivities of three-dimensional woven composites showed significant differences due to the distribution of continuous fibers in three-dimensional woven composites with different structures, which could influence the sum fiber content on the cross section of heat flow. More importantly, compared with 2.5D angle-interlock woven composites and 2.5D angle-interlock (with warp reinforcement) woven composites, 3D orthogonal woven composites exhibited better performance in thermal conductivity. Overall, it was concluded that the thermal conductivities of three-dimensional woven composites were influenced by the fabric architectures and weaving parameters, such as the volume fraction, density, and types of fibers. Furthermore, the volume fraction of fibers on the cross section of heat flow was the dominant factor for thermal conductivities of different woven composites.
Mode I fracture toughness of CFRP as a function of temperature and strain rate
Authors: Machado JJM , Marques EAS , Campilho RDSG , da Silva Lucas FM
Published: December 2016

Composite structures currently used in the automotive industry must meet strict requirements for safety reasons. They need to maintain strength under varied temperatures and strain rates, including impact. It is therefore critical to fully understand the impact behaviour of composites. This work presents experimental results regarding the influence of a range of temperature and strain rates on the fracture energy in mode I, GIC, of carbon fibre reinforced plastic plates. To determine GIC as a function of temperature and strain rate, double cantilever beam specimens were tested at 20, 80 and −30℃, with strain rates of 0.2 and 11 s−1. A complementary numerical study was performed with the aim of predicting strength using the measured values. This work has demonstrated a significant influence of the strain rate and temperature on GIC of the composite materials, with higher strain rates and lower temperatures causing a decrease in the GIC values.