bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Impurities and Oxidation on Hydroconversion of Waste Cooking Oil into Bio‐jet Fuel
Authors: Zhang Zongwei , Zhang Xiangwen , Wang Qingfa
Published: November 2019

The influences of impurities and oxidation evolution of waste cooking oil on the preparation of bio‐jet fuel via hydroconversion were studied. The hydrogenation active sites and acid sites were covered by heavy metals, sulfides, and basic nitrogen compounds, resulting in the increase of selectivity for bio‐jet fuel by decreasing the selectivity of diesel, aromatics, and iso‐alkanes. The effects of impurities, oxidation on the reaction pathway, and product distribution became more distinct with higher catalyst acidity. The evolution and variation of naphthalene, indan, and phenanthrene obtained from cyclic fatty acids influenced the properties of fuel or evoked the catalyst deactivation. This work will help to design new catalysts for selective conversion of waste cooking oil into bio‐jet fuel.
Self‐Supporting Electrode Composed of SnSe Nanosheets, Thermally Treated Protein, and Reduced Graphene Oxide with Enhanced Pseudocapacitance for Advanced Sodium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Kong Peng , Zhu Ling , Li Fengrong , Xu Guobao
Published: November 2019

A self‐supporting electrode composed of carbon‐coated tin selenide nanosheets, thermally treated protein, and reduced graphene oxide was prepared for sodium‐ion batteries via a protein‐assisted self‐assembly, cost‐efficient vacuum filtration, and subsequent low‐temperature annealing. During this process, the hierarchical three‐dimensional framework has been achieved, in which tin selenide nanosheets consisted of nanocrystals with diameter of about 5 nm, and confined in a highly conductive interconnected reduced graphene oxide network by thermally treated bovine serum albumin. The unique structure not only promises structural stability and the reaction kinetics of the electrode during charge‐discharge process, but also possesses substantial interfacial sites for Na+ redox reaction giving rise to additional pseudocapacitance. Therefore, the self‐supporting composite as anode exhibits an outstanding capacity of 617.5 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1, high rate capability of 213.8 mA h g−1 at 5 A g−1, and superior cyclic performance of 503.9 mA h g−1 at 0.1 A g−1 after 100 cycles. Therefore, the electrode materials have large potential in advanced sodium‐ion batteries in portable, flexible, and wearable electronics.
Hollow Structure VS2@Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) Architecture for Enhanced Sodium‐Ion Battery Performance
Authors: Qi Haimei , Wang Lina , Zuo Tiantian , Deng Shunlan , Li Qi , Liu Zong‐Huai , Hu Peng , He Xuexia
Published: November 2019

As a typical two‐dimensional (2D) layered material, (vanadium disulfide) VS2 has huge potentials for application in SIBs due to its large interlayer spacing and high conductivity compared to metal oxide or other 2D materials. Reduced graphene oxide (RGO) possesses exceptional electronic properties and large specific area favoring fast electron transport and rich redox sites. In this work, VS2 hollow flower spheres and RGO nanocomposites were developed for the first time, it was synthesized using a facile solvothermal method. Benefiting from the exceptional layered structure, when used as the anode material for SIBs at room temperature, the as‐prepared electrode material of VS2 hollow flower spheres @RGO (named as VS2 HFS/RGO) nanocomposites delivers a high reversible discharge specific capacity of around 430 mAh/g at current density of 100 mA/g, superior rate performance (2 A/g) and excellent cycling properties with the discharge capacity remained 350 mAh/g at 100 mA/g after 500 cycles. Results show that the kinetics of VS2 HFS/RGO nanocomposites were mainly a capacitive‐controlled storage process and the high capacity contribution were beneficial for good rate performance. This work could provide new approaches and potentials for exploring and searching high performances anode materials for the practical applications of SIBs.
Atomically Precise Lanthanide‐Iron‐Oxo Clusters Featuring the ϵ‐Keggin Ion
Authors: Zheng Xiu‐Ying , Du Ming‐Hao , Amiri Mehran , Nyman May , Liu Qiang , Liu Tao , Kong Xiang‐Jian , Long La‐Sheng , Zheng Lan‐Sun
Published: November 2019

Atomically precise molecular metal‐oxo clusters provide ideal models to understand metal oxide surfaces, self‐assembly, and form‐function relationships. Devising strategies for synthesis and isolation of these molecular forms remains a challenge. Here, the synthesis of four Ln‐Fe oxo clusters that feature the ϵ‐{Fe13} Keggin cluster in their core is reported. The {Fe13} metal‐oxo cluster motif is the building block of two important iron oxyhydroxyide phases in nature and technology, ferrihydrite (as the δ‐isomer) and magnetite (the ϵ‐isomer). The reported ϵ‐{Fe13} Keggin isomer as an isolated molecule provides the opportunity to study the formation of ferrihydrite and magnetite from this building unit. The four currently reported isostructural lanthanide‐iron‐oxo clusters are fully formulated [Y12Fe33(TEOA)12(Hyp)6(μ3‐OH)20(μ4‐O)28(H2O)12](ClO4)23⋅50 H2O (1, Y12Fe33), [Gd12Fe33(TEOA)12(Hyp)6(μ3‐OH)20(μ4‐O)32(H2O)12](ClO4)15⋅50 H2O (2, Gd12Fe33) and [Ln16Fe29(TEOA)12(Hyp)6(μ3‐OH)24(μ4‐O)28(H2O)16](ClO4)16(NO3)3⋅n H2O (Ln=Y for 3, Y16Fe29, n=37 and Ln=Gd for 4, Gd16Fe29 n=25; Hyp=trans‐4‐Hydroxyl‐l‐proline and TEOA=triethanolamine). The next metal layer surrounding the ϵ‐{Fe13} core within these clusters exhibits a similar arrangement as the magnetite lattice, and Fe and Ln can occupy the same positions. This provides the opportunity to construct a family of compounds and optimize magnetic exchange in these molecules through composition tuning. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS) and high‐resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HRESI‐MS) show that these clusters are stable upon dissolution in both water and organic solvents, as a first step to performing further chemistry towards building magnetic arrays or investigating ferrihydrite and magnetite assembly from pre‐nucleation clusters.
Explicit Construction of RIP Matrices Is Ramsey‐Hard
Authors: Gamarnik David
Published: November 2019

Matrices Φ ∈ ℝn × p satisfying the restricted isometry property (RIP) are an important ingredient of the compressive sensing methods. While it is known that random matrices satisfy the RIP with high probability even for n = logO(1)p, the explicit deteministic construction of such matrices defied the repeated efforts, and most of the known approaches hit the so‐called sparsity bottleneck. The notable exception is the work by Bourgain et al. constructing an n × p RIP matrix with sparsity s = Θ(n1/2 + ϵ), but in the regime n = Ω(p1 − δ).

In this short note we resolve this open question by showing that an explicit construction of a matrix satisfying the RIP in the regime n = O(log2p) and s = Θ(n1/2) implies an explicit construction of a three‐colored Ramsey graph on p nodes with clique sizes bounded by O(log2p) — a question in the field of extremal combinatorics that has been open for decades. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
General Principles for the Validation of Proarrhythmia Risk Prediction Models: An Extension of the CiPA In Silico Strategy
Authors: Li Zhihua , Mirams Gary R. , Yoshinaga Takashi , Ridder Bradley J. , Han Xiaomei , Chen Janell E. , Stockbridge Norman L. , Wisialowski Todd A. , Damiano Bruce , Severi Stefano , Morissette Pierre , Kowey Peter R. , Holbrook Mark , Smith Godfrey , Rasmusson Randall L. , Liu Michael , Song Zhen , Qu Zhilin , Leishman Derek J. , Steidl‐Nichols Jill , Rodriguez Blanca , Bueno‐Orovio Alfonso , Zhou Xin , Passini Elisa , Edwards Andrew G. , Morotti Stefano , Ni Haibo , Grandi Eleonora , Clancy Colleen E. , Vandenberg Jamie , Hill Adam , Nakamura Mikiko , Singer Thomas , Polonchuk Liudmila , Greiter‐Wilke Andrea , Wang Ken , Nave Stephane , Fullerton Aaron , Sobie Eric A. , Paci Michelangelo , Musuamba Tshinanu Flora , Strauss David G.
Published: November 2019

This white paper presents principles for validating proarrhythmia risk prediction models for regulatory use as discussed at the In Silico Breakout Session of a Cardiac Safety Research Consortium/Health and Environmental Sciences Institute/US Food and Drug Administration–sponsored Think Tank Meeting on May 22, 2018. The meeting was convened to evaluate the progress in the development of a new cardiac safety paradigm, the Comprehensive in Vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA). The opinions regarding these principles reflect the collective views of those who participated in the discussion of this topic both at and after the breakout session. Although primarily discussed in the context of in silico models, these principles describe the interface between experimental input and model‐based interpretation and are intended to be general enough to be applied to other types of nonclinical models for proarrhythmia assessment. This document was developed with the intention of providing a foundation for more consistency and harmonization in developing and validating different models for proarrhythmia risk prediction using the example of the CiPA paradigm.
Impression management against early dismissal? CEO succession and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Liu Xin
Published: November 2019

This study builds on insights from both upper echelons theory and agency perspective to examine the effect on corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance of CEO succession. Drawing on prior literature on impression management and analyzing the CEO selection process, we argue that CEO successors are motivated to improve CSR performance as a tactic of impression management in the CEO succession context in the hope of securing their leadership against the early dismissal. Additionally, we explore the moderating effect of CEO characteristics, specifically age and origin, on the relationship between CEO succession and CSR. Based on a sample of 3360 firm‐year data in 736 Chinese listed companies from the period of 2008–2016, we find that CEO succession has a positive effect on post‐succession CSR and CEO age enhances the effect while CEO outside origin weakens this effect.
Ionic‐Liquid‐Modified Click‐Based Porous Organic Polymers for Controlling Capture and Catalytic Conversion of CO2
Authors: Cui Caiyan , Sa Rongjian , Hong Zixiao , Zhong Hong , Wang Ruihu
Published: November 2019

Capture and catalytic conversion of CO2 into value‐added chemicals is a promising and sustainable approach to relieve global warming and the energy crisis. Nitrogen‐rich porous organic polymers (POPs) are promising materials for CO2 capture and separation, but their application in the additive‐free catalytic conversion of CO2 into cyclic carbonates is still a challenge. Herein, a nitrogen‐rich click‐based POP (CPP) was developed for the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides in the absence of metal, solvents, and additives. The introduction of imidazolium‐based ionic liquids on the CPP host backbone could modulate the porosity, CO2 adsorption/desorption, CO2 selectivity over N2, and catalytic activity in the chemical transformation. A tentative catalytic pathway was proposed to account for the superior catalytic activity of the catalytic systems, in which the incorporated ionic liquid and porous properties of CPP synergistically contributed to the catalytic reaction. This study provides a platform to understand the cooperative effects of porous properties and nucleophilic anions on the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with epoxides.
Computational Analysis of Multiparametric Flow Cytometric Data to Dissect B Cell Subsets in Vaccine Studies
Authors: Lucchesi Simone , Nolfi Emanuele , Pettini Elena , Pastore Gabiria , Fiorino Fabio , Pozzi Gianni , Medaglini Donata , Ciabattini Annalisa
Published: November 2019

The generation of the B cell response upon vaccination is characterized by the induction of different functional and phenotypic subpopulations and is strongly dependent on the vaccine formulation, including the adjuvant used. Here, we have profiled the different B cell subsets elicited upon vaccination, using machine learning methods for interpreting high‐dimensional flow cytometry data sets. The B cell response elicited by an adjuvanted vaccine formulation, compared to the antigen alone, was characterized using two automated methods based on clustering (FlowSOM) and dimensional reduction (t‐SNE) approaches. The clustering method identified, based on multiple marker expression, different B cell populations, including plasmablasts, plasma cells, germinal center B cells and their subsets, while this profiling was more difficult with t‐SNE analysis. When undefined phenotypes were detected, their characterization could be improved by integrating the t‐SNE spatial visualization of cells with the FlowSOM clusters. The frequency of some cellular subsets, in particular plasma cells, was significantly higher in lymph nodes of mice primed with the adjuvanted formulation compared to antigen alone. Thanks to this automatic data analysis it was possible to identify, in an unbiased way, different B cell populations and also intermediate stages of cell differentiation elicited by immunization, thus providing a signature of B cell recall response that can be hardly obtained with the classical bidimensional gating analysis. © 2019 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in immunocompromised patients: Can it be Cryptococcus
Authors: Sood Ridhi , Tyagi Ruchita , Selhi Pavneet , Kaur Harpreet , Sood Neena
Published: November 2019

Cryptococcal meningitis commonly affects immunocompromised cases and can have varied presentation. In some instances, the presence of a plethora of inflammatory cells on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in an immunosuppressed patient can lead to further investigations, which unravel the presence of cryptococcal meningitis. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze the spectrum of CSF findings of immunosuppressed patients who were diagnosed to have cryptococcal meningitis. Retrospective analysis of CSF cytospin slides exhibiting pleocytosis and belonging to immunocompromised patients was performed, and these cases were found to have cryptococcal meningitis. Out of 932 cases of CSF (January 2016‐July 2017), 10 had pleocytosis and 5 of these 10 cases demonstrated spores of Cryptococcus. Male‐to‐female ratio was 1:1.5. All the patients were immunocompromised and had CSF leukocytosis. Lymphocytes and monocytes were present in all samples while only one case showed plasma cells. Spores of Cryptococcus were also noted in all the cases and highlighted on India Ink Preparation and Gomori Methenamine Silver stain. All the cases were positive for agglutination‐based cryptococcal antigen assay, except one where the test was not done. All immunosuppressed patients having pleocytosis in CSF were found to have cryptococcal infection. Therefore, pleocytosis in CSF in any immunosuppressed patient should raise the suspicion of cryptococcal meningitis. The pathologist and the clinician need to be vigilant in such scenarios to rule out any opportunistic infection and investigate the patient thoroughly for any underlying immunosuppression.
Responses of diversity, productivity, and stability to the nitrogen input in a tropical grassland
Authors: Verma Preeti , Sagar R.
Published: November 2019

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is a matter of serious concern for the structure and functioning of global ecosystems, but the effect of N application of species diversity (D), primary productivity (P), and stability (S) of tropical grassland ecosystems is not known. The present study reports the effects of different levels of N application on species composition, and the D, P, S, and their relationships in a tropical grassland. Within the experimental grassland, 72 1 × 1 m plots with 6 N‐input levels and with 12 replicates, were established in 2013. For 3 yr, different doses of urea as a source of N were applied to the plots. Data on individuals and biomass of each species were recorded and statistically analyzed. The study revealed that the N applied caused variations in species composition, D, P, and S. Below the 90 kg N dose, D was positively related to P and S while, above this level, the relations were negative due to N‐induced responses of species and functional group composition as well as biomass distribution among them. The optimum applied N levels for maximum D (50–60 kg N), P (120 kg N), and a positive relationship of S with D (up to 90 kg N treatment) suggested that the 90‐kg N dose could be the maximum dose of N that the grassland can tolerate. Hence, N application should not exceed the 90‐kg level for sustainability of the structure and functioning of tropical grassland ecosystems.
Highlighting convergent evolution in morphological traits in response to climatic gradient in African tropical tree species: The case of genus Guibourtia Benn.
Authors: Tosso Félicien , Doucet Jean‐Louis , Daïnou Kasso , Fayolle Adeline , Hambuckers Alain , Doumenge Charles , Agbazahou Honoré , Stoffelen Piet , Hardy Olivier J.
Published: November 2019

Adaptive evolution is a major driver of organism diversification, but the links between phenotypic traits and environmental niche remain little documented in tropical trees. Moreover, trait‐niche relationships are complex because a correlation between the traits and environmental niches displayed by a sample of species may result from (a) convergent evolution if different environmental conditions have selected different sets of traits, and/or (b) phylogenetic inertia if niche and morphological differences between species are simply function of their phylogenetic divergence, in which case the trait‐niche correlation does not imply any direct causal link. Here, we aim to assess the respective roles of phylogenetic inertia and convergent evolution in shaping the differences of botanical traits and environmental niches among congeneric African tree species that evolved in different biomes.

This issue was addressed with the tree genus Guibourtia Benn. (Leguminosae and Detarioideae), which contains 13 African species occupying various forest habitat types, from rain forest to dry woodlands, with different climate and soil conditions. To this end, we combined morphological data with ecological niche modelling and used a highly resolved plastid phylogeny of the 13 African Guibourtia species.

First, we demonstrated phylogenetic signals in both morphological traits (Mantel test between phylogenetic and morphological distances between species: r = .24, p = .031) and environmental niches (Mantel test between phylogenetic and niche distances between species: r = .23, p = .025). Second, we found a significant correlation between morphology and niche, at least between some of their respective dimensions (Mantel's r = .32, p = .013), even after accounting for phylogenetic inertia (Phylogenetic Independent Contrast: r = .69, p = .018). This correlation occurred between some leaflet and flower traits and solar radiation, relative humidity, precipitations, and temperature range.

Our results demonstrate the convergent evolution of some morphological traits in response to climatic factors in congeneric tree species and highlight the action of selective forces, along with neutral ones, in shaping the divergence between congeneric tropical plants.
Efficient phenotypic sex classification of zebrafish using machine learning methods
Authors: Hosseini Shahrbanou , Simianer Henner , Tetens Jens , Brenig Bertram , Herzog Sebastian , Sharifi Ahmad Reza
Published: November 2019

Sex determination in zebrafish by manual approaches according to current guidelines relies on human observation. These guidelines for sex recognition have proven to be subjective and highly labor‐intensive. To address this problem, we present a methodology to automatically classify the phenotypic sex using two machine learning methods: Deep Convolutional Neural Networks (DCNNs) based on the whole fish appearance and Support Vector Machine (SVM) based on caudal fin coloration. Machine learning techniques in sex classification provide potential efficiency with the advantage of automatization and robustness in the prediction process. Furthermore, since developmental plasticity can be influenced by environmental conditions, we have investigated the impact of elevated water temperature during embryogenesis on sex and sex‐related differences in color intensity of adult zebrafish. The estimated color intensity based on SVM was then applied to detect the association between coloration and body weight and length. Phenotypic sex classifications using machine learning methods resulted in a high degree of association with the real sex in nontreated animals. In temperature‐induced animals, DCNNs reached a performance of 100%, whereas 20% of males were misclassified using SVM due to a lower color intensity. Furthermore, a positive association between color intensity and body weight and length was observed in males. Our study demonstrates that high ambient temperature leads to a lower color intensity in male animals and a positive association of male caudal fin coloration with body weight and length, which appears to play a significant role in sexual attraction. The software developed for sex classification in this study is readily applicable to other species with sex‐linked visible phenotypic differences.
Comparative analysis of microbiota along the length of the gastrointestinal tract of two tree squirrel species (Sciurus aberti and S. niger) living in sympatry
Authors: Reed Andrew , Pigage Jon C. , Pigage Helen K. , Glickman Cody , Bono Jeremy M.
Published: November 2019

Microbiota inhabiting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of animals has important impacts on many host physiological processes. Although host diet is a major factor influencing the composition of the gut micro‐organismal community, few comparative studies have considered how differences in diet influence community composition across the length of the GI tract. We used 16S sequencing to compare the microbiota along the length of the GI tract in Abert's (Sciurus aberti) and fox squirrels (S. niger) living in the same habitat. While fox squirrels are generalist omnivores, the diet of Abert's squirrels is unusually high in plant fiber, particularly in winter when they extensively consume fiber‐rich inner bark of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa). Consistent with previous studies, microbiota of the upper GI tract of both species consisted primarily of facultative anaerobes and was less diverse than that of the lower GI tract, which included mainly obligate anaerobes. While we found relatively little differentiation between the species in the microbiota of the upper GI tract, the community composition of the lower GI tract was clearly delineated. Notably, the Abert's squirrel lower GI community was more stable in composition and enriched for microbes that play a role in the degradation of plant fiber. In contrast, overall microbial diversity was higher in fox squirrels. We hypothesize that these disparities reflect differences in diet quality and diet breadth between the species.
Spatiotemporal variability of human–fire interactions on the Navajo Nation
Authors: Guiterman Christopher H. , Margolis Ellis Q. , Baisan Christopher H. , Falk Donald A. , Allen Craig D. , Swetnam Thomas W.
Published: November 2019

Unraveling the effects of climate and land use on historical fire regimes provides important insights into broader human–fire–climate dynamics, which are necessary for ecologically based forest management. We developed a spatial human land‐use model for Navajo Nation forests across which we sampled a network of tree‐ring fire history sites to reflect contrasting historical land‐use intensity: high human use, primarily in the Chuska Mountains, and low human use, primarily on the central Defiance Plateau. We tested for and compared human‐ and climate‐driven changes in the fire regimes by applying change point detection, regression, and superposed epoch analyses. The historical fire regimes and fire–climate relationships reflect those of similar forests regionally and are similar between the two Navajo landscapes until the early 1800s. We then determined that a previously identified, localized, early (1830s) decline in fire activity was geographically widespread across higher human‐use sites. In contrast, fires continued to burn uninterrupted through this period at the lower use sites. Though the 1830s included significantly wet and cold periods that could have contributed to fire regime decline, human factors pose a more spatiotemporally consistent explanation. A rise in Navajo pastoralism in the 1820s–1830s was concentrated seasonally in the heavy use sites. By the 1880s, livestock numbers more than doubled, grazing became far more spatially widespread, and frequent fire regimes of Navajo forests collapsed. The last widespread fire recorded on either landscape was in 1886. In the Chuska Mountains, livestock and fire coexisted for over 50 yr between the initial 1832 fire decline and the end of frequent fires after 1886, an exceptional pattern in the western United States. Though unique in its timing, character, and spatial dynamics, the collapse of historical fire regimes in Navajo forests contributed to now over a century without frequent surface fire, leaving Navajo forests at risk for large, uncharacteristic high‐severity fires.
Selective depletion of plasma cells in vivo based on the specificity of their secreted antibodies
Authors: Cheng Qingyu , Pelz Andreas , Taddeo Adriano , Khodadadi Laleh , Klotsche Jens , Hoyer Bimba F. , Alexander Tobias , Thiel Andreas , Burmester Gerd‐R. , Radbruch Andreas , Hiepe Falk
Published: November 2019

Antibody‐mediated diseases affect more than 10% of the human population. For most, no cure is available, particularly when the pathogenic antibodies are secreted by long‐lived plasma cells resistant to conventional immunosuppressive therapies. Current therapeutic approaches target not only the plasma cells that secrete pathogenic antibodies, but also those providing protective antibodies. Here, in a murine model bearing long‐lived plasma cells secreting anti‐OVA and ‐chicken gamma globulin (CGG) antibodies, we describe the first‐time use of an antigen‐antibody (OVA/anti‐CD138 antibody) conjugate for in vivo labeling and selective ablation of plasma cells that secrete antibodies specific for the antigen OVA. The selective depletion also led to a stable reduction of the corresponding serum anti‐OVA antibody levels. In contrast, CGG‐specific plasma cells and circulating anti‐CGG antibody levels remained unchanged. The method described here should enable the development of unique causative treatment strategies for established antibody‐mediated diseases sparing humoral immunity.
Soft sensor based on 2D‐fluorescence and process data enabling real‐time estimation of biomass in Escherichia coli cultivations
Authors: Bayer Benjamin , von Stosch Moritz , Melcher Michael , Duerkop Mark , Striedner Gerald
Published: November 2019

In bioprocesses, specific process responses such as the biomass cannot typically be measured directly on‐line, since analytical sampling is associated with unavoidable time delays. Accessing those responses in real‐time is essential for Quality by Design and process analytical technology concepts. Soft sensors overcome these limitations by indirectly measuring the variables of interest using a previously derived model and actual process data in real time. In this study, a biomass soft sensor based on 2D‐fluorescence data and process data, was developed for a comprehensive study with a 20‐L experimental design, for Escherichia coli fed‐batch cultivations. A multivariate adaptive regression splines algorithm was applied to 2D‐fluorescence spectra and process data, to estimate the biomass concentration at any time during the process. Prediction errors of 4.9% (0.99 g/L) for validation and 3.8% (0.69 g/L) for new data (external validation), were obtained. Using principal component and parallel factor analyses on the 2D‐fluorescence data, two potential chemical compounds were identified and directly linked to cell metabolism. The same wavelength pairs were also important predictors for the regression‐model performance. Overall, the proposed soft sensor is a valuable tool for monitoring the process performance on‐line, enabling Quality by Design.
A novel weight coefficient calculation method for the real‐time state monitoring of the lithium‐ion battery packs under the complex current variation working conditions
Authors: Wang Shun‐Li , Fernandez Carlos , Xie Zheng‐Wei , Li Xiao‐Xia , Zou Chuan‐Yun , Li Qiang
Published: November 2019

A novel real‐time state monitoring method is proposed to realize the real‐time energy management of the lithium‐ion battery packs, which is conducted in the iterative computational calculation process by introducing an improved weighting factor‐unscented Kalman filtering algorithm. The accurate state monitoring treatment is investigated by applying a new iterate calculation thought, in which the improved weight coefficient parameter is constructed and its numerical stability is improved. Meanwhile, the recursive calculation is derived by using the real‐time measured factors, according to which the state‐of‐charge estimation is realized accurately. Aiming to adapt the complex current variation working conditions, the nonlinear treatment is introduced to construct the mathematical unscented transforming function. As can be known from the experimental results, the state‐of‐charge estimation accuracy is 98.34% under the complex current charge‐discharge working conditions. Meanwhile, the effective closed‐circuit voltage trackage is also investigated accurately and its tracking error is within 3.51% in the complex working conditions, which provides a good security guarantee for the reliable energy supply of the lithium‐ion battery packs.
Local buckling evolution mechanism of a buried steel pipe under fault movements
Authors: Zhang Jie , Chen Yang , Zhang Han
Published: November 2019

Pipe is the main transportation way for oil and natural gas. Fault movement mainly caused by earthquake, which will induce pipe bending, tension and compression. Then oil or gas leakage appear. Based on the moving mechanism of strike‐slip fault and reverse fault, a numerical simulation model was employed to study the buckling evolution mechanism of the buried steel pipe under fault movements. The evolution processes of buried pipe under the fault moving action were analyzed, and the effects of pipe internal pressure, fault displacement, and pipe diameter‐to‐thickness ratio on the pipe buckling were discussed. The results demonstrate that there are three mechanical evolution stages on the pipe in the process of fault movement. High stress appears on the bending regions of pipe wall, and axial strain always fluctuates along the axial length. When the fault displacement is large, pipe collapsing and wrinkling patterns occur, which can be reflected by a sharp fluctuation of axial strain. The high‐pressure pipe under the action of reverse fault is prone to failure than the low‐pressure pipe. The pipe with a large D/t in the hanging wall is easier to be buckled than that with a small  D/t in the footwall. The results obtained can be used for the design and evaluation of buried oil and gas pipes.
The risk of betting on risk: Conditional variance and correlation of bank credit default swaps
Authors: Huang Xin
Published: November 2019

Credit default swaps (CDS) have been used to speculate on the default risk of the reference entity. The risk of CDS can be measured by their second moments. We apply a Glosten, Jagannathan, and Runkle (GJR)‐t model for the conditional variance and a Dynamic Conditional Correlation (DCC)‐t model for the conditional correlation. Based on the CDS of six large US banks from 2002 to 2018, we find that CDS conditional variance is asymmetric and leptokurtic. A positive innovation actually increases CDS conditional variance more than a negative innovation does. CDS conditional correlations have stayed elevated since the financial crisis, in contrast to the decreasing stock conditional correlations.
Risk factors of mortality in older patients with dementia in psychiatric care
Authors: Golüke Nienke M.S. , Geerlings Mirjam I. , van de Vorst Irene E. , Vaartjes Ilonca H. , de Jonghe Annemarieke , Bots Michiel L. , Koek Huiberdina L.
Published: November 2019

Objective

To examine the mortality risk, and its risk factors, of older patients with dementia in psychiatric care.

Methods

We constructed a cohort of dementia patients through data linkage of four Dutch registers: the Psychiatric Case Register Middle Netherlands (PCR‐MN), the hospital discharge register, the population register, and the national cause of death register. All dementia patients in PCR‐MN aged between 60 and 100 years between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2010 were included. Risk factors of mortality were investigated using Cox proportional hazard regression models with adjustment for age, sex, setting of care, nationality, marital status, dementia type, and psychiatric and somatic comorbidities.

Results

In total, 4297 patients were included with a median age of 80 years. The 1‐year, 3‐year, and 5‐year mortality were 16.4%, 44.4%, and 63.5%, respectively. Determinants that increased the 1‐year mortality were: male sex (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.49; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.26‐1.76), higher age (HR 1.08; 95% CI, 1.07‐1.09), inpatient psychiatric care (HR 1.52; 95% CI, 1.19‐1.93), more somatic comorbidities (HR 1.67; 95% CI, 1.49‐1.87), and cardiovascular disease separately (HR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.30‐1.82). Results for 3‐year and 5‐year mortality were comparable. Living together/married increased the 3‐ and 5‐year mortality, and Dutch nationality increased the 5‐year mortality. There were no differences in mortality with different types of psychiatric comorbidity.

Conclusion

Mortality of dementia patients in psychiatric care was high, much higher than mortality in the general older population. The results of this study should raise awareness about their unfavourable prognosis, particularly older patients, men, inpatients, and patients with more somatic comorbidity.
Ablation of Hmgb1 in Intestinal Epithelial Cells Causes Intestinal Lipid Accumulation and Reduces NASH in Mice
Authors: Gaskell Harriet , Ge Xiaodong , Desert Romain , Das Sukanta , Han Hui , Lantvit Daniel , Guzman Grace , Nieto Natalia
Published: November 2019

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a metabolic disorder in which poor nutrition and the gut‐to‐liver interaction play a major role. We previously established that hepatic high mobility group box‐1 (HMGB1) is involved in chronic liver disease. HMGB1 increases in patients with NASH and it is expressed in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC); yet, the role of intestinal HMGB1 in the pathogenesis of NASH has not been investigated. Thus, we hypothesized that IEC‐derived HMGB1 could play a role in NASH due to local effects in the intestine that govern hepatic steatosis. Control littermates and Hmgb1
ΔIEC mice were fed for 1 or 24 weeks a control diet or a high fat, high cholesterol (CHO) and fructose‐enriched diet (HFCFD). Hepatic and intestinal injury were analyzed. Hmgb1
ΔIEC mice were protected from HFCFD‐induced NASH after 1 or 24 weeks of feeding; however, they showed extensive atypical lipid droplet accumulation and increased concentrations of triglycerides (TG) and CHO in jejunal IEC together with lower TG and other lipid classes in serum. Olive oil or CHO gavage resulted in decreased serum TG and CHO in Hmgb1
ΔIEC mice, respectively, indicating delayed and/or reduced chylomicron (CM) efflux. There was significant up‐regulation of scavenger receptor class B type 1 (SR‐B1) and down‐regulation of apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB48) proteins, suggesting decreased lipid packaging and/or CM formation that resulted in lesser hepatosteatosis. Conclusion: Ablation of Hmgb1 in IEC causes up‐regulation of SR‐B1 and down‐regulation of ApoB48, leads to lipid accumulation in jejunal IEC, decreases CM packaging and/or release, reduces serum TG, and lessens liver steatosis, therefore protecting Hmgb1
ΔIEC mice from HFCFD‐induced NASH.
Evaluation of seasonal patterns of hydraulic redistribution in a humid subtropical area, East China
Authors: Sun Long , Yang Lei , Chen Liding , Yen Haw , Zhao Fangkai , Li Shoujuan
Published: November 2019

Antecedent soil moisture or soil moisture status has a great impact on hydrological processes. Hydraulic redistribution (HR), a widely observed phenomenon, is defined as water distributed (typically at night) from moist soil to drier soil via plant roots, which plays an important role in soil moisture replenishment. Knowledge on seasonal patterns of HR and on the relationship between HR and soil water use is not fully understood. We investigated temporal variations in HR and total daily water use (Δθ) at stands of camphor and peach by monitoring soil moisture content in a humid region in eastern China. HR at the three locations reached its maximum values in summer (0.68 mm d−1 to 1.15 mm d−1) at depths of 15 cm and 35 cm. Redistributed water replenished 41% of water depleted in the soil at a 5–45‐cm depth. Interestingly, normalized HR (i.e., HR/Δθ) showed a constant pattern during the growing season implying it is independent of seasonal climate alterations. This also indicated that HR had a stable effect on the replenishment of daily water use. Positive linear relationships between HR and Δθ were found at three measuring locations (camphor: R2 = .35, p < .01; peach1: R2 = .57, p < .01; peach2: R2 = .63, p < .01), suggesting a relatively stable inherent linkage between HR and Δθ. This study suggested that hydrological processes involving soil moisture status or antecedent soil moisture, needs to take the HR effect into account across timescales from intraday to seasonal.
All that glitters is not gold: CEOs' celebrity beyond media content
Authors: Caiffa Marco , Farina Vincenzo , Fattobene Lucrezia
Published: November 2019

Mass media are known to be powerful in directing the public's attention towards specific issues, socially shaping individual's opinions and investors' behaviour in financial markets. Applying textual analysis, event study, and regression analysis methodologies on a large hand‐collected database of newspapers articles mentioning Italian listed companies' CEOs, chairmen, and vice‐chairmen, over a time span of 16 years, we observe how the content of newspaper articles, the visibility of directors, and the mention by the press of celebrity and not famous directors influence stock market prices. Results reveal that celebrity status is not necessarily associated with positive emotional responses: Besides the impact of the content of the news, visibility and celebrity are rather associated with a negative impact on investors' opinion; on the other hand, scarce visibility does not drive any additional effect on stock market prices.
PMCD: Platoon ‐ Merging approach for cooperative driving
Authors: Paranjothi Anirudh , Atiquzzaman Mohammed , Khan Mohammad S.
Published: November 2019

Platoon based communication in vehicular ad‐hoc networks (VANET) requires high co‐operation among platoon members to perform basic platoon maneuvers such as merging, splitting, and lane change. Accomplishing the platoon‐merge maneuver is still challenging due to the presence of strong interference caused by an unintended vehicle entering the middle of the platoon resulting in aborting the platoon‐merge maneuver without desired joining the vehicle. Previous researchers have analyzed the effect of interference in the platoon‐merge maneuver, but they did not provide a solution to accomplish the platoon merge arising from an unintended vehicle interferes in the middle of a platoon. We proposed an algorithm called platoon‐merging for cooperative driving (PMCD), which ensures effective platoon‐merge in all possible scenarios in VANET environment. Simulations were conducted using ns‐3 and simulation of urban mobility (SUMO) simulators. The results showed that PMCD provides the best performance at all vehicle densities and simulation times.
Full‐field swept‐source optical coherence tomography and neural tissue classification for deep brain imaging
Authors: Almog Ilan Felts , Chen Fu‐Der , Senova Suhan , Fomenko Anton , Gondard Elise , Sacher Wesley D. , Lozano Andres M. , Poon Joyce K. S.
Published: November 2019

Optical coherence tomography can differentiate brain regions with intrinsic contrast and at a micron scale resolution. Such a device can be particularly useful as a real‐time neurosurgical guidance tool. We present, to our knowledge, the first full‐field swept‐source optical coherence tomography system operating near a wavelength of 1310 nm. The proof‐of‐concept system was integrated with an endoscopic probe tip, which is compatible with deep brain stimulation keyhole neurosurgery. Neuroimaging experiments were performed on ex vivo brain tissues and in vivo in rat brains. Using classification algorithms involving texture features and optical attenuation, images were successfully classified into three brain tissue types.
Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Are Associated with Reduced Fracture Risk among Older Veterans with Dementia
Authors: Ogunwale Abayomi N , Colon-Emeric Cathleen S , Sloane Richard , Adler Robert A , Lyles Kenneth W , Lee Richard H
Published: November 2019

Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) have been noted to increase bone density and quality in mice. Human studies are limited but suggest an association with improved bone healing after hip fracture. We examined the relationship between AChEI use and fracture risk in a national cohort of 360,015 male veterans aged 65 to 99 years with dementia but without prior fracture using Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital, Medicare, and pharmacy records from 2000 to 2010. Diagnosis of dementia, any clinical fracture (excluding facial and digital), comorbidities, and medications were identified using ICD-9 and drug class codes. Cox proportional hazard models considering AChEI use as a time-varying covariate and adjusting for fall and fracture risk factors compared the time-to-fracture in AChEI users versus non-AChEI users. Potential confounders included demographics (age, race, body mass index), comorbidities associated with fracture or falls (diabetes, lung disease, stroke, Parkinson's, seizures, etc.) and medications associated with fracture or falls (bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids, androgen deprivation therapy [ADT], proton pump inhibitors [PPIs], selective serotonin receptor inhibitors [SSRIs], etc.). Competing mortality risk was considered using the methods of Fine and Gray. To account for persistent effects on bone density or quality that might confer protection after stopping the medication, we completed a secondary analysis using the medication possession ratio (MPR) as a continuous variable in logistic regression models and also compared MPR increments of 10% to minimal/no use (MPR 0 to <0.10). Among older veterans with diagnosis of dementia, 20.1% suffered a fracture over an average of 4.6 years of follow-up. Overall, 42.3% of the cohort were prescribed AChEIs during the study period. The hazard of any fracture among AChEI users compared with those on other/no dementia medications was significantly lower in fully adjusted models (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.75–0.88). After considering competing mortality risk, fracture risk remained 18% lower in veterans using AChEIs (HR = 0.82; 95% CI 0.76–0.89). © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research. Published 2019. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
H3K27 acetylation‐induced lncRNA EIF3J‐AS1 improved proliferation and impeded apoptosis of colorectal cancer through miR‐3163/YAP1 axis
Authors: Liu Dingsheng , Zhang Hong , Cong Jinchun , Cui Mingming , Ma Mingxing , Zhang Fangyuan , Sun Huayi , Chen Chunsheng
Published: November 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are found to be aberrantly expressed and pose significant impacts in colorectal cancer (CRC), the most prevalent type malignancy in the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to find out the regulation of lncRNA EIF3J antisense RNA 1 (EIF3J‐AS1) on CRC progression. Expressions of EIF3J‐AS1, microRNA‐3163 (miR‐3163), and Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1) in tissues and cells were evaluated by real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and Western blot analysis. Association of EIF3J‐AS1 with CRC prognosis was analyzed through the online bioinformatics tool GEPIA. The biological function of EIF3J‐AS1 in CRC was investigated by Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, caspase‐3 activity, and TUNEL staining. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network of EIF3J‐AS1/miR‐3163/YAP1 was determined by luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Results showed that EIF3J‐AS1 was upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, indicating poor prognosis of CRC patients. The silence of EIF3J‐AS1 led to reduced proliferation and facilitated apoptosis of CRC cells. Mechanistcally, EIF3J‐AS1 was upregulated by cAMP‐response element‐binding protein‐binding protein‐mediated histone H3 on lysine 27 acetylation (H3K27ac) at the promoter region, and EIF3J‐AS1 upregulated YAP1 expression through sponging miR‐3163 in CRC cells. In conclusion, we first found that H3K27 acetylation‐induced lncRNA EIF3J‐AS1 improved proliferation and impeded apoptosis of colorectal cancer through the miR‐3163/YAP1 axis, which might potentially provide a novel molecular‐targeted strategy for CRC treatment.
On the upper chromatic number and multiple blocking sets of PG(n,q)
Authors: Blázsik Zoltán L. , Héger Tamás , Szőnyi Tamás
Published: November 2019

We investigate the upper chromatic number of the hypergraph formed by the points and the ‐dimensional subspaces of ; that is, the most number of colors that can be used to color the points so that every ‐subspace contains at least two points of the same color. Clearly, if one colors the points of a double blocking set with the same color, the rest of the points may get mutually distinct colors. This gives a trivial lower bound, and we prove that it is sharp in many cases. Due to this relation with double blocking sets, we also prove that for , a small ‐fold (weighted) ‐blocking set of prime, must contain the weighted sum of not necessarily distinct ‐spaces.
Role of matrix metalloproteinase‐9 gene polymorphisms in glaucoma: A hospital‐based study in Chinese patients
Authors: Zhao Fengqiong , Fan Zongshan , Huang Xuewen
Published: November 2019

Background

Glaucoma is the irreversible vision loss and contributes second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) is involved with remodeling and destruction of extracellular matrix. Elevated MMP‐9 levels and various functional variants of MMP‐9 have been associated with glaucoma in different population. In the current investigation, we tested association of MMP‐9 common variants with different clinical categories of glaucoma in Chinese population.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled total of 396 glaucoma patients those reported to hospital comprising of 212 primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) cases and 184 primary open‐angle glaucoma POAG patients. In addition, 329 normal individuals from similar geographical areas were enrolled as healthy controls. Five common single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3918242, rs3918254, rs2250889, rs3918249, and rs17576) were genotyped by PCR‐RFLP. Plasma levels of MMP‐9 were quantified by ELISA.

Results

Heterozygotes (GC) and allele “G” for rs2250889 polymorphism were more frequent in PACG cases compared with healthy controls (GC: P < .0001, OR = 2.26; G: P < .0001, OR = 1.19). Similarly, heterozygous mutant and minor allele for rs3918242 polymorphism were more prevalent in POAG in comparison with healthy controls. Interestingly, distribution of rs17576 variant was statistically higher in both PACG and POAG cases than healthy controls. Furthermore, analysis of plasma MMP‐9 with MMP‐9 polymorphisms revealed significant association of rs2250889, rs3918242, and rs17576 with plasma levels of the protein.

Conclusions

MMP‐9 mutants are associated with elevated plasma MMP‐9 and predisposed to development of glaucoma.