bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Luminescent Polysilsesquioxane Obtained by Self‐Condensation of Anionic Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsequioxanes (POSS) and Europium(III) Ions
Authors: Marchesi Stefano , Bisio Chiara , Boccaleri Enrico , Carniato Fabio
Published: December 2019

The self‐condensation reaction of an anionic completely condensed polyhedral oligomeric silsequioxane (POSS) in the presence of different Eu3+ loadings generated an amorphous polysilsequioxane. The synthesis involves self‐condensation of POSS units and Eu3+ ions and can be carried out at room temperature in a mild acid solution (pH 5.5), followed by simple solvent evaporation under gentle conditions (80 °C). The materials exhibit good chemical integrity, appreciable luminescent properties, and their emission intensity increases by ca. 250 times after inclusion of 1,10‐phenanthroline groups in the structure. Furthermore, the final materials showed a very limited photodegradation of ca. 3 % after 1 h of light irradiation. These properties make these samples suitable for applications as sensors and light‐emitting components for luminescent devices.
Evaluation‐function modeling with neural networks for RoboCup soccer
Authors: Fukushima Takuya , Nakashima Tomoharu , Akiyama Hidehisa
Published: December 2019

The quality of decision making by a RoboCup soccer agent depends on a path‐planning and an evaluation function of a soccer field. In this paper, we employ a five‐layered neural network as the evaluation function. We examine the performance of the soccer agents with various features (ball coordinates and opponents’ positions). We found that the neural network model helps soccer agents to imitate an expert team's decision making.
A permutation approach to the analysis of spatiotemporal geochemical data in the presence of heteroscedasticity
Authors: Římalová Veronika , Menafoglio Alessandra , Pini Alessia , Pechanec Vilém , Fišerová Eva
Published: December 2019

This paper proposes a novel nonparametric approach to model and reveal differences in the geochemical properties of the soil, when these are described by space–time measurements collected in a spatial region naturally divided into two parts. The investigation is motivated by a real study on a space–time geochemical data set, consisting of measurements of potassium chloride pH, water pH, and percentage of organic carbon collected during the growing season in the agricultural and forest areas of a site near Brno (Czech Republic). These data are here modeled as spatially distributed functions of time. A permutation approach is introduced to test for the effect of covariates in a spatial functional regression model with heteroscedastic residuals. In this context, the proposed method accounts for the heterogeneous spatial structure of the data by grounding on a permutation scheme for estimated residuals of the functional model. Here, a weighted least squares model is fitted to the observations, leading to asymptotically exchangeable and, thus, permutable residuals. An extensive simulation study shows that the proposed testing procedure outperforms the competitor approaches that neglect the spatial structure, both in terms of power and size. The results of modeling and testing on the case study are shown and discussed.
Probabilistic predictive principal component analysis for spatially misaligned and high‐dimensional air pollution data with missing observations
Authors: Vu Phuong T. , Larson Timothy V. , Szpiro Adam A.
Published: December 2019

Accurate predictions of pollutant concentrations at new locations are often of interest in air pollution studies on fine particulate matters (PM2.5), in which data are usually not measured at all study locations. PM2.5 is also a mixture of many different chemical components. Principal component analysis (PCA) can be incorporated to obtain lowerdimensional representative scores of such multipollutant data. Spatial prediction can then be used to estimate these scores at new locations. Recently developed predictive PCA modifies the traditional PCA algorithm to obtain scores with spatial structures that can be well predicted at unmeasured locations. However, these approaches require complete data, whereas multipollutant data tend to have complex missing patterns in practice. We propose probabilistic versions of predictive PCA, which allow for flexible model‐based imputation that can account for spatial information and subsequently improve the overall predictive performance.
The untold story of commodity futures in China
Authors: Fan John Hua , Zhang Tingxi
Published: December 2019

We investigate the behavior of commodity futures risk premia in China. In the presence of retail‐dominance and barriers‐to‐entry, the term structure and momentum premia remain persistent, whereas hedging pressure, skewness, volatility, and liquidity premia are distorted by time‐varying margins and strict position limits. Furthermore, open interest, currency, and inflation premia are sensitive to institutional settings. The observed premia cannot be attributed to common risks, sentiment, transactions costs, or data‐snooping, but are related to liquidity, anchoring, and regulation‐induced limits‐to‐arbitrage. We highlight the distinctive features of Chinese futures markets and assess the challenges posed to theories of commodity risk premia.
TMPRSS4 Drives Angiogenesis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Promoting HB‐EGF Expression and Proteolytic Cleavage
Authors: Dong Zhao‐Ru , Sun Dong , Yang Ya‐Fei , Zhou Wei , Wu Rui , Wang Xiao‐Wei , Shi Kai , Yan Yu‐Chuan , Yan Lun‐Jie , Yao Cheng‐Yu , Chen Zhi‐Qiang , Zhi Xu‐Ting , Li Tao
Published: December 2019

Background and Aims

Heparin‐binding epidermal growth factor (HB‐EGF), a member of the epidermal growth factor family, plays a pivotal role in the progression of several malignancies, but its role and regulatory mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain obscure. Here, we report that transmembrane protease serine 4 (TMPRSS4) significantly enhanced the expression and proteolytic cleavage of HB‐EGF to promote angiogenesis and HCC progression.

Approach and Results

A mechanistic analysis revealed that TMPRSS4 not only increased the transcriptional and translational levels of HB‐EGF precursor, but also promoted its proteolytic cleavage by enhancing matrix metallopeptidase 9 expression through the EGF receptor/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin/ hypoxia‐inducible factor 1 α signaling pathway. In addition, HB‐EGF promoted HCC proliferation and invasion by the EGF receptor/phosphoinositide 3‐kinase/Akt signaling pathway. The level of HB‐EGF in clinical samples of serum or HCC tissues from patients with HCC was positively correlated with the expression of TMPRSS4 and the microvessel density, and was identified as a prognostic factor for overall survival and recurrence‐free survival, which suggests that HB‐EGF can serve as a potential therapeutic target for HCC. More importantly, we provide a demonstration that treatment with the HB‐EGF inhibitor cross‐reacting material 197 alone or in combination with sorafenib can significantly suppress angiogenesis and HCC progression.

Conclusions

HB‐EGF can be regulated by TMPRSS4 to promote HCC proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis, and the combination of the HB‐EGF inhibitor cross‐reacting material 197 with sorafenib might be used for individualized treatment of HCC.
Focal Adhesion Kinase Promotes Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation by Regulating Plasma Membrane Localization of TGFβ Receptor 2
Authors: Chen Yunru , Li Qing , Tu Kangsheng , Wang Yuanguo , Wang Xianghu , Liu Dandan , Chen Chen , Liu Donglian , Yang Rendong , Qiu Wei , Kang Ningling
Published: December 2019

Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) induces hepatic stellate cell (HSC) differentiation into tumor‐promoting myofibroblast, although underlying mechanism remains incompletely understood. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is activated in response to TGFβ stimulation, so it transmits TGFβ stimulus to extracellular signal‐regulated kinase and P38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling. However, it is unknown whether FAK can, in return, modulate TGFβ receptors. In this study, we tested whether FAK phosphorylated TGFβ receptor 2 (TGFβR2) and regulated TGFβR2 intracellular trafficking in HSCs. The FAKY397F mutant and PF‐573,228 were used to inhibit the kinase activity of FAK, the TGFβR2 protein level was quantitated by immunoblotting, and HSC differentiation into myofibroblast was assessed by expression of HSC activation markers, alpha‐smooth muscle actin, fibronectin, or connective tissue growth factor. We found that targeting FAK kinase activity suppressed the TGFβR2 protein level, TGFβ1‐induced mothers against decapentaplegic homolog phosphorylation, and myofibroblastic activation of HSCs. At the molecular and cellular level, active FAK (phosphorylated FAK at tyrosine 397) bound to TGFβR2 and kept TGFβR2 at the peripheral plasma membrane of HSCs, and it induced TGFβR2 phosphorylation at tyrosine 336. In contrast, targeting FAK or mutating Y336 to F on TGFβR2 led to lysosomal sorting and degradation of TGFβR2. Using RNA sequencing, we identified that the transcripts of 764 TGFβ target genes were influenced by FAK inhibition, and that through FAK, TGFβ1 stimulated HSCs to produce a panel of tumor‐promoting factors, including extracellular matrix remodeling proteins, growth factors and cytokines, and immune checkpoint molecule PD‐L1. Functionally, targeting FAK inhibited tumor‐promoting effects of HSCs in vitro and in a tumor implantation mouse model. Conclusion: FAK targets TGFβR2 to the plasma membrane and protects TGFβR2 from lysosome‐mediated degradation, thereby promoting TGFβ‐mediated HSC activation. FAK is a target for suppressing HSC activation and the hepatic tumor microenvironment.
Advocating safe abortion: outcomes of a multi‐country needs assessment on the potential role of national societies of obstetrics and gynecology
Authors: de Vries Irene , van Keizerswaard Lisa Juanola , Tolboom Bianca , Bulthuis Susan , van der Kwaak Anke , Tank Jaydeep , de Koning Korrie
Published: December 2019

In 2019 the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) embarked on an initiative that aims to strengthen the capacity of 10 national societies of obstetrics and gynecology (ObGyn) in advocacy for safe abortion. In 2018 needs assessments that entailed a desk study, interviews, and stakeholder workshops were conducted in Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Panama, Peru, Uganda, and Zambia. The general aim of the needs assessments was to gain a deeper understanding of the contextual situation and identify the needs of ObGyn societies in relation to safe abortion advocacy. This paper provides a cross‐country analysis of the outcomes of the needs assessments and reflects on the capabilities, barriers, and opportunities to strengthen this role of ObGyn societies. Common barriers, such as unavailability of services, lack of technical guidance, unawareness and ambiguity about the legal framework, provider attitudes, and abortion stigma, pose challenges for ObGyn societies to work constructively on safe abortion advocacy. However, ObGyn societies have a strong position due to their strategic networks and technical credibility and can be a facilitator in healthcare providers’ advocacy role. Five strategies were developed to strengthen the capacity of ObGyn societies in safe abortion advocacy.
Contaminations in (meta)genome data: An open issue for the scientific community
Authors: De Simone Giovanna , Pasquadibisceglie Andrea , Proietto Roberta , Polticelli Fabio , Aime Silvio , J.M. Op den Camp Huub , Ascenzi Paolo
Published: December 2019

In recent years, the high throughput and the low cost of next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have led to an increase of the amount of (meta)genomic data, revolutionizing genomic research studies. However, the quality of sequencing data could be affected by experimental errors derived from defective methods and protocols. This represents a serious problem for the scientific community with a negative impact on the correctness of studies that involve genomic sequence analysis. As a countermeasure, several alignment and taxonomic classification tools have been developed to uncover and correct errors. In this critical review some of these integrated software tools and pipelines used to detect contaminations in reference genome databases and sequenced samples are reported. In particular, case studies of bacterial contaminations, contaminations of human origin, mitochondrial contaminations of ancient DNA, and cross contaminations are examined.
In utero and lactational exposure to triclocarban: reproductive effects on female rat offspring
Authors: Costa Nathália Orlandini , Borges Lorena Ireno , Cavalcanti Liara Freitas , Montagnini Bruno Garcia , Anselmo Franci Janete Aparecida , Kiss Ana Carolina Inhasz , Gerardin Daniela Cristina Ceccatto
Published: December 2019

Triclocarban (TCC) is an antimicrobial compound widely used in personal care products such as soaps, toothpaste, and shampoo. This agent is incompletely removed by wastewater treatment and represents an environmental contaminant. Recent studies have shown that TCC is associated with some endocrine disruptions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if TCC exposure during critical periods of development (gestation and lactation) could lead to adverse effects on reproductive and behavior parameters of female offspring. Pregnant female Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n = 8–11/group): Control; TCC 0.3 mg/kg (TCC 0.3); TCC 1.5 mg/kg; TCC 3.0 mg/kg (TCC 3.0); and treated daily by oral gavage from gestational day 0 to lactational day 21. The female pups (F1 generation) were weaned on post‐natal day 21 and included in the study. No litter‐mates were used for the same group. There was a decrease in estradiol levels in the TCC 0.3 and TCC 3.0 groups. Moreover, there was a decrease in progesterone levels and an increase in pre‐implantation loss in the TCC 3.0 group in adulthood. It is suggested, in this study, that the decrease in progesterone biosynthesis could interfere with implantation process. The exposure window to TCC is an important factor, as we found alterations only in the offspring.
Chitinous polymers: extraction from fungal sources, characterization and processing towards value‐added applications
Authors: Araújo Diana , Ferreira Inês C , Torres Cristiana AV , Neves Luísa , Freitas Filomena
Published: December 2019

Chitin, chitosan and their complexes with β‐glucan (chitin–glucan complex, CGC, and chitosan–glucan complex, ChGC) are value‐added polysaccharides extracted from the cell‐walls of many fungi. Commercial chitin and its deacetylated form, chitosan, are currently obtained from marine waste material, mostly animal sources (crustaceans and marine invertebrates), through harsh chemical procedures that have low reproducibility due to the variability of the composition of the sources and their seasonal character. These disadvantages are overcome by using fungi as sources of chitinous polymers. The extraction of chitin/chitosan from fungi cell‐walls has the great advantage of yielding products with stable composition and properties, using simpler procedures, with the added benefit of also generating CGC and ChGC, two copolymers that combine the proven properties of chitin/chitosan with those of β‐glucans. Over the last decades, fungal chitinous polymers have been the focus of extensive research that included optimization of the cultivation conditions of a wide range of species and the development of optimized extraction, purification and characterization techniques, as well as the demonstration of the biopolymers' biological properties, which include immunomodulatory, anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Given these properties, several attempts were made to develop applications for them in areas ranging from biomedicine and pharmaceuticals to food and agriculture. Despite their wide range of proven functional properties that include the ability to form different polymeric structures, as well as biological activity, fungal chitinous biopolymers are still underexplored. Nevertheless, these biopolymers hold great potential for development into valuable products or applications that are surely worth further investigation. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Sonographic appearances of retained surgical sponges in the abdomen and pelvis
Authors: Li Qiu Yang , Wang Long Xia , An Ning Yu , Xu Hong
Published: December 2019

Purpose

To describe the sonographic (ultrasound—US) features of retained surgical sponges (RSSs) and compare them with the pathological findings.

Methods

Ultrasound features of RSSs in nine patients (seven women and two men) identified between June 1996 and July 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. Patient characteristics including gender and age, location of the sponge, time interval until diagnosis, clinical presentation, and patient complaints were evaluated.

Results

The US appearances of RSSs could be classified into three types. Type I (five cases): an echogenic arc with a strong posterior shadow; type II (two cases): US appearance mimicked a cystic teratoma; type III (two cases): a cystic mass with zigzag‐shaped internal contents. CT and/or MRI showed a mass with density/signal intensity similar to that of the adjacent soft tissues.

Conclusion

The characteristic US findings along with a history of surgery can help reach a correct diagnosis of RSS.
Rainbow saturation of graphs
Authors: Girão António , Lewis David , Popielarz Kamil
Published: December 2019

In this paper, we study the following problem proposed by Barrus, Ferrara, Vandenbussche, and Wenger. Given a graph and an integer , what is , the minimum number of edges in a ‐edge‐colored graph on vertices such that does not contain a rainbow copy of , but adding to a new edge in any color from creates a rainbow copy of ? Here, we completely characterize the growth rates of as a function of , for any graph belonging to a large class of connected graphs and for any . This classification includes all connected graphs of minimum degree 2. In particular, we prove that , for any and , thus resolving a conjecture of Barrus, Ferrara, Vandenbussche, and Wenger. We also pose several new problems and conjectures.
Preliminary investigation on the molecular mechanisms underlying the correlation between VDR‐FokI genotype and periodontitis
Authors: Liu Kaining , Han Bing , Hou Jianxia , Meng Huanxin
Published: December 2019

Background

The only polymorphism that could change the protein structure in vitamin D receptor (VDR) is the FokI polymorphism (rs2228570). The FF genotype has the strongest transcriptional activity of VDR and is correlated with higher susceptibility to periodontitis. To reveal the possible molecular mechanisms for the correlation preliminarily, the influence of VDR‐FokI genotype on the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) in human gingival fibroblasts (hGFs) and human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) was investigated in this study.

Methods

hGFs and hPDLCs from 15 donors (five FF, seven Ff, and three ff) were treated with 1,25OH2D3, with or without the specific knockdown of VDR using siRNA. The mRNA and protein expression of OPG and RANKL were detected using real‐time PCR and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively.

Results

Both in hGFs and hPDLCs, 1,25OH2D3 could significantly induce the mRNA and protein expression of RANKL, and FF genotype had significantly higher induction than the other genotypes, however, neither 1,25OH2D3 nor VDR‐FokI had significant influence on the OPG expression. As a result, the RANKL/OPG ratio was significantly elevated under 1,25OH2D3 stimulation and FF genotype had the most remarkable elevation. When VDR was knocked down, all the differences among the three genotypes disappeared.

Conclusion

The strongest transcriptional activity of FF genotype might contribute to the strongest enhancement of RANKL expression and RANKL/OPG ratio in hGFs and hPDLCs stimulated by 1,25OH2D3, which might help to reveal the mechanisms of the correlation between FF genotype and susceptibility to periodontitis.
Effect of urease and nitrification inhibitors on ammonia volatilization and abundance of N‐cycling genes in an agricultural soil
Authors: Castellano-Hinojosa Antonio , González-López Jesús , Vallejo Antonio , Bedmar Eulogio J.
Published: December 2019

The effect of the combined application of urease and nitrification inhibitors on ammonia volatilization and the abundance of nitrifier and denitrifier communities is largely unknown. Here, in a mesocosm experiment, ammonia volatilization was monitored in an agricultural soil treated with urea and either or both of the urease inhibitor N‐(n‐butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) and the nitrification inhibitor 3,4‐dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP), with 50% and 80% water‐filled pore space (WFPS). The effect of the treatments on the abundance of bacteria and archaea was estimated by quantitative PCR (qPCR) amplification of their respective 16S rRNA gene, that of nitrifiers using amoA genes, and that of denitrifiers by qPCR of the norB and nosZI denitrification genes. After application of urea, N losses due to NH3 volatilization accounted for 23.0% and 9.2% at 50% and 80% WFPS, respectively. NBPT reduced NH3 volatilization to 2.0% and 2.4%, whereas DMPP increased N losses by up to 36.8% and 26.0% at 50% and 80% WFPS, respectively. The combined application of NBPT and DMPP also increased NH3 emissions, albeit to a lesser extent than DMPP alone. As compared with unfertilized control soil, both at 50% and 80% WFPS, NBPT strongly affected the abundance of bacteria and archaea, but not that of nitrifiers, and decreased that of denitrifiers at 80% WFPS. Regardless of moisture conditions, treatment with DMPP increased the abundance of denitrifiers. DMPP, both in single and in combined application with NBPT, increased the abundance of nitrification and denitrification genes.
Is N‐feedback involved in the regulation of nitrogenase activity in Medicago truncatula?
Authors: Sulieman Saad , Schulze Joachim , Mühling Karl H. , Tran Lam-Son Phan
Published: December 2019

To determine whether senescing leaves provoke an active nitrogen (N) remobilization that results in the reduction of nitrogenase activity, 60% of Medicago truncatula lower leaves were either darkened or individually excised for two weeks. Although a considerable amount of N was remobilized, N2 fixation activity was found to be increased to maintain the N source/sink balance, indicating an absence of the negative N‐feedback regulation of nitrogenase activity in the senescing M. truncatula.
Soluble levels of sCD40L and s4‐1BB are associated with a poor prognosis in elderly patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Lima Petrus M. A. , Torres Leuridan C. , Martins Mário R. , da Matta Marina C. , Lima Jurema T. O. , de Mello Maria J. G. , da Silva Luciana M. , Cintra Evandro B. , Lira Clara C. R. , da Fonte Eduardo J. A. , Forones Nora M.
Published: December 2019

Background and Objectives

The prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) has improved in the last decades, however, a lower overall survival persists in the elderly. The understanding of immunity changes in the elderly with CRC will allow the emergence of new treatments with higher response rates. 4‐1BB and CD40L, an immune checkpoint stimulator, play an important role in T‐cell responses and platelets. Our aim was to characterize the soluble levels of CD40L and 4‐1BB in CRC elderly patients.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was performed in 41 patients with CRC and 35 healthy elderly controls. Patients with CRC were divided into three groups according to staging: 13 patients with advanced tumor restricted to the organ (stages II); 16 patients with lymph node metastasis (stage III); and 12 patients with distant metastasis (stage IV).

Results

There were higher levels of soluble s4‐1BB and sCD40L in CRC elderly stage II patients when compared with healthy controls (P = .0009 and P < .0001, respectively), stage III patients (P = .008 and P < .0001, respectively) and stage IV patients (P = .007 and P < .0001, respectively).

Conclusions

We concluded that sCD40L and s4‐1BB molecules may be prognostic biomarkers, since the reduction in plasma levels of these molecules was associated with disease progression.
A metabolomics strategy for authentication of plant medicines with multiple botanical origins, a case study of Uncariae Rammulus Cum Uncis
Authors: Pan Huiqin , Yao Changliang , Yao Shuai , Yang Wenzhi , Wu Wanying , Guo Dean
Published: December 2019

Source authentication of herbal medicines was essential for ensuring their safety, efficacy and quality consistency, especially those with multiple botanical origins. This study proposed a metabolomics strategy for species discrimination and source recognition. Uncariae Rammulus Cum Uncis, officially stipulating the stems with hooks of five Uncaria species as its origins, was taken as a case study. Firstly, an untargeted MSE method was developed by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry for global metabolite characterization. Subsequently, data pretreatment was conducted by using Progenesis QI software and screening rules. The obtained metabolite features were defined as variables for statistical analyses. Principal component analysis and chemical fingerprinting spectra suggested that five official species were differentiated from each other except for Uncaria hirsuta and Uncaria sinensis. Furthermore, orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis was performed to discriminate confused two species, and resulted in the discovery of nine contributing markers. Ultimately, a Support Vector Machine model was developed to recognize five species and predict origins of commercial materials. The study demonstrated that the developed strategy was effective in discrimination and recognition of confused species, and promising in tracking botanical origins of commercial materials.
Assessment of land levelling effects on lowland soil quality indicators and water retention evaluated by multivariate and geostatistical analyses
Authors: Timm Luís Carlos , Pires Luiz Fernando , Centeno Luana Nunes , Bitencourt Dioni Glei Bonini , Parfitt José Maria Barbat , de Campos Alexssandra Dayanne Soares
Published: December 2019

Studies focusing on the impact of levelling on the management of available water for rice growth and on soil hydro‐physical quality indicators cultivated in lowland soils under aerobic conditions are still scarce. The objective of this study was to evaluate the levelling impact on soil water retention and soil quality indicators by multivariate and geostatistical analyses. A 10 × 10 m grid was used to sample the 0‐ to 20‐cm layer in a 1.0‐ha experimental field, before and after levelling. Sand and clay contents, macroporosity, bulk density (Bd), organic matter (OM), weighted average diameter of aggregates, and the water retention curve were measured. Available water capacity, structural stability, and S indexes and relative field capacity were calculated. Descriptive statistics, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, and geostatistical analysis were used. Maps of all data sets significantly correlated with Bd and OM after levelling were constructed using ordinary and indicator kriging. Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin and Bartlett tests were performed for factorial and principal component analyses which were used to reduce the dimensionality of data and of main principal component maps. Levelling negatively affected the majority of soil quality indicators, caused an increase of their spatial range, and an improved the goodness of fit of the semivariogram models used. The majority of variables were best fitted by the Gaussian model after levelling. Bd and OM probability maps were found to be useful tools for farmers wanting to utilize different strategies for topsoil management, with the goal of improving soil quality of levelled areas for future land recuperation operations.
Length-Based Assessment of an Artisanal Albulid Fishery in the South Pacific: a Data-Limited Approach for Management and Conservation
Authors: Filous Alexander , Lennox Robert J. , Clua Eric E. G. , Cooke Steven J. , Danylchuk Andy J.
Published: December 2019

Data-limited fisheries assessment methods have great potential to help inform small island communities on the status of their fisheries resources. In this paper, we provide a length-based assessment of an artisanal fishery that primarily targets spawning aggregations of Shortjaw Bonefish Albula glossodonta at Anaa Atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago of French Polynesia. We assessed the length-frequency distribution of the spawning stock across a 3-year period (2016–2018). During this time, male and female Shortjaw Bonefish were fully recruited to the fishery at age 4 and age 5, respectively. Fishing mortality was over two times the range of natural mortality for this species (i.e., 0.21–0.32), and based on these estimates of natural mortality, the annual spawning potential ratio of the population was between 7% and 20% across the sampling years. The majority of the catch was sexually mature, with 78, 95, and 95% of the annual female catch in 2016, 2017, and 2018, respectively, being equal to or greater than the length of first maturity (i.e., 48 cm FL). However, every fisheries indicator and biological reference point suggested that the fishery was overexploited and in need of management intervention. To this aim, the community of Anaa (1) established an Educational Managed Marine Area, which overlaps with the Shortjaw Bonefish migratory corridor adjacent to Tukuhora village and (2) instated a temporal rahui (a traditional conservation method) inside the Educational Managed Marine Area during the peak months of the spawning season.
Medical professionals and health care fraud: Do they aid or check abuse?
Authors: Goel Rajeev K.
Published: December 2019

This paper examines the role of health care professionals in combating health care fraud. It is not overall clear whether the share of the health professionals help control abuse. Using data across U.S. states, our econometric results show that greater employment of nurses consistently reduced health fraud, whereas more physicians did not have a significant impact. Further, more urbanized states and states with a greater proportion of the elderly experienced greater health scams. Identity thefts facilitated health care fraud, whereas different dimensions of health insurance (including the share of the population with Medicare, managed care, and no insurance) and hospital occupancy rates did not matter.
New York state human services nonprofits unite to boost funding
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: December 2019

Determined to not to be left out of the legislative equation while ensuring long‐term funding support for more than 1 million New Yorkers in need of life‐preserving services, more than 30 statewide nonprofit human services organizations have banded together to urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers for needed, appropriate funding.
Converses of the Jensen inequality derived from the Green functions with applications in information theory
Authors: Khan Shahid , Adil Khan Muhammad , Chu Yu‐Ming
Published: December 2019

Jensen integral inequality has got much importance regarding their applications in different fields of mathematics. In this paper, two converses of Jensen integral inequality for convex function are obtained. The results are applied to establish converses of Hölder and Hermite‐Hadamard inequalities as well. At the end, some useful applications in information theory of the obtained results are given. The idea used in this paper may inculcate further research.
Assessing Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Essentiality in Florida Pompano
Authors: Jackson Christopher J , Trushenski Jesse T , Schwarz Michael H
Published: December 2019

We evaluated the growth performance and fatty acid composition of juvenile Florida Pompano Trachinotus carolinus that were fed diets containing different combinations of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) to assess the relative importance of C18 PUFAs and long-chain (LC) PUFAs in meeting the essential fatty acid requirements of this species. Juvenile fish (mean ± SD =47.4 ± 0.6 g/fish) were fed diets containing different combinations of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs: a positive control containing menhaden fish oil, a negative control containing hydrogenated soybean oil, and experimental diets containing hydrogenated soybean oil amended with ethyl esters of 18:3(n-3); 18:3(n-3) and 18:2(n-6); 22:6(n-3); 22:6(n-3) and 20:4(n-6); or 20:5(n-3), 22:6(n-3), and 20:4(n-6). After 7 weeks, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and specific growth rate were significantly greater among fish that were fed the positive control feed in comparison with those that received the negative control feed. The addition of n-3 and/or n-6 PUFAs to the negative control formulation did not significantly improve performance in any case, although numeric improvements observed for weight gain and feed conversion ratio appeared to suggest some advantage from providing a complement of both n-3 and n-6 LC-PUFAs in the diet. Fatty acid composition varied significantly between all tissues, generally reflecting dietary fatty acid profiles. Tissue fatty acid profiles suggest that Florida Pompano have some ability to elongate and desaturate fatty acids and may be able to survive on diets containing C18 PUFAs, but they perform optimally when provided with LC-PUFAs directly.
Failure to rescue and 30‐day in‐hospital mortality in hospitals with and without crew‐resource‐management safety training
Authors: Bacon Cynthia T. , McCoy Thomas P. , Henshaw Daryl S.
Published: December 2019

Failure to rescue (FTR) occurs when a clinician is unable to save a hospitalized patient's life when they experience a complication that was not present on admission. Research suggests that a focus on patient safety, including implementing airline‐industry‐based‐crew‐resource management (CRM) training, can improve patient outcomes, however, the effects of CRM on FTR are unknown. This study examined FTR and 30‐day in‐hospital mortality (IM) outcomes in two hospitals to determine if differences existed in the treatment hospital (received CRM training) and the comparison hospital (did not receive CRM training). Researchers expected there would be lower rates of FTR and IM in the treatment hospital than the comparison hospital. The study utilized a matched two‐group comparison, cross‐sectional quasi‐experimental design. Over 10,000 patients (n = 10,823) comprised the study with 1,764 having at least one FTR complication. Adjusted odds of FTR were 2.9% higher for treatment versus comparison but these results did not reach significance. The adjusted odds of IM were 0.4% higher for treatment versus comparison but not significantly higher. Although the reasons for our findings remain unclear, previous researchers also found that CRM training improved staff outcomes but unexpectedly did not improve patient outcomes. CRM training may best be used to target changes in staff behaviors and improvement in staff outcomes. Refresher CRM training may be needed to prevent drifting back into longstanding behaviors. Reductions in FTR and patients with IM outcomes may require more comprehensive, multipronged interventions in addition to CRM training.
Fabrication of diatomite‐based microencapsulated flame retardant and its improved fire safety of unsaturated polyester resin
Authors: Chen Gang , Yu Yuan , Chen Zhiquan , Chen Zhongwei , Li Changxin , Zhang Qingwu , Chen Tingting , Jiang Juncheng
Published: December 2019

To achive excellent fire resistance, new microcapsule flame retardants (DMCAD and DMPPD) were prepared using 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide combined with melamine cyanurate or melamine polyphosphate as the shell material and diatomite as the core material. The successful assembly of DMCAD and DMPPD was detailed characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectra, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Meanwhile, the flame retardancy and thermal stability of the unsaturated polyester resin (UPR)/DMCAD and UPR/DMPPD composites were also studied. The addition of DMCAD and DMPPD effectively improves the flame retardance properties of UPR, and the effect of DMPPD was better. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) of UPR/DMPPD‐3 increased by 11.6% when compared with that of UPR, and the sample achieved V‐0 rating. Moreover, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and the total heat release (THR) rate of UPR/DMPPD‐3 were reduced by 67% and 26%, respectively. Under nitrogen condition and air condition, UPR/DMPPD showed better thermal stability and char‐forming ability from the thermogravimetric (TG) results. Residual char of the UPR composites was systematically analyzed with SEM and XPS. Finally, the flame retardant mechanism of DMPPD was proposed.
Definition of cortical bone involvement in the staging of newly diagnosed pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma: A report from the International Working Group on Staging Evaluation and Response Criteria Harmonization (SEARCH)
Authors: Lewis Jocelyn , McCarten Kathleen , Kurch Lars , Flerlage Jamie E. , Kaste Sue C. , Kluge Regine , Stoevesandt Dietrich , Voss Stephan D. , Kelly Kara M. , Mauz‐Körholz Christine , Drachtman Richard A. , Metzger Monika L.
Published: December 2019

Background

The International Working Group on Staging Evaluation and Response Criteria Harmonization (SEARCH) seeks to provide a universally acceptable definition of cortical bone involvement in the staging of newly diagnosed pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma.

Procedure

A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed and Google Scholar with the search terms “Hodgkin lymphoma,” “osseous lesions,” “bony involvement,” and “pediatric.” Publications reviewed included case reports, retrospective analyses, and literature reviews. Each was evaluated for study design, number of participants, median age and age range at diagnosis, percentage of pediatric patients, criteria of interest definition, diagnostic tools, study objectives, and level of evidence. The final definition was based on the available data and consensus of the SEARCH working group.

Results

Twenty‐five papers specifically addressing cortical bone involvement in Hodgkin lymphoma met the inclusion criteria. Eighteen papers were case reports with literature reviews; the remainder were observational cohort studies. Of these, 14 included pediatric patients (aged 0‐21 years). The criteria for cortical bone involvement were not clearly defined in any paper, often varied within a study, and were inconsistent between publications.

Conclusions

The SEARCH group for Childhood, Adolescent, and Young Adult Hodgkin Lymphoma (CAYAHL) proposes the following criteria as defining cortical bone involvement: any cortical bone biopsy‐proven lesion; a positive bony window lesion on computer tomography (CT), with an FDG‐PET positive correlate in a patient with biopsy‐proven Hodgkin lymphoma, if there is no other typical skeletal pathology; auspicious skeletal lesions on FDG‐PET or magnetic resonance imaging should be confirmed by CT or Tc‐99m scan to distinguish cortical lesions from bone marrow involvement. Nodal masses that extend into bone with bony destruction are considered extranodal extension or “E” lesions and do not represent metastatic or stage IV disease.
Synthesis, aggregation and adsorption behaviour of a thermoresponsive pentablock copolymer
Authors: Parekh Paresh , Ohno Sayaka , Yusa Shin‐ichi , Lv Chao , Du Binyang , Ray Debes , Aswal Vinod Kumar , Bahadur Pratap
Published: December 2019

Poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO–PPO–PEO) triblock copolymer (Pluronic F127) was modified by introducing poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) at both the PEO ends, and the pentablock copolymer (PNIPAM41–F127–PNIPAM41, PN41) so prepared was characterized using gel permeation chromatography and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The degree of polymerization of NIPAM blocks at the two ends was 41. The solution behaviour and microstructure of PN41 aggregates in water were examined using UV–visible spectroscopy, micro‐differential scanning calorimetry and small‐angle neutron scattering (SANS) and compared with F127. Two lower critical solution temperatures (LCSTs) were observed for the pentablock copolymer, corresponding to PPO and PNIPAM blocks, respectively. The adsorption of PN41 on thiol‐grafted hydrophobic gold surfaces at various temperatures was investigated using a quartz crystal microbalance. It was found that the adsorption behaviour and mechanism of PN41 were mainly determined by the interactions of the pentablock copolymers with different chain conformations in dilute aqueous solutions at various temperatures. SANS measurements were used to determine the temperature‐dependent structural evolution of polymer micelles in aqueous solution. A NOESY study revealed that above the LSCT of PNIPAM, the interaction of PPO and PNIPAM protons increases and the distance between PPO and PNIPAM decreases. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Building strong foundations for educational achievement: Language assessments in early childhood education for deaf and hard of hearing children
Authors: Graham Patrick J. , Shuler‐Krause Elizabeth
Published: December 2019

It is widely accepted that assessment plays a role in monitoring the development of young children with special needs in early intervention/early childhood settings. The process of assessing young children's language skills often looks for delays within a solid language foundation. However, many children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) may not have a solid language foundation to assess, leading to inaccurate assessment. When we reframe how we assess language skills in children who are DHH, we ensure the assessment provides a comprehensive picture of the child's language development. It is important to modify language assessment tools where necessary while ensuring the assessment stays reliable and valid. It is critical to use multiple assessment tools to monitor the child's progress, including standardized assessments and assessment tools normed for DHH populations. Finally, it is crucial to monitor the child's skills in each language that they are using, regardless of which language is used most often. We explain why each of these factors needs to be considered in the assessment of young children who are DHH, will discuss the challenges of assessing this population, and will provide solutions to some of the challenges of assessing language skills in of young children who are DHH.
General personality dimensions, impairment and treatment response in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Authors: Samuels Jack , Bienvenu O. Joseph , Krasnow Janice , Wang Ying , Grados Marco A. , Cullen Bernadette , Goes Fernando S. , Maher Brion , Greenberg Benjamin D. , Mclaughlin Nicole C. , Rasmussen Steven A. , Fyer Abby J. , Knowles James A. , Mccracken James T. , Piacentini John , Geller Dan , Stewart S. Evelyn , Murphy Dennis L. , Shugart Yin‐Yao , Riddle Mark A. , Nestadt Gerald
Published: December 2019

General personality dimensions are associated with clinical severity and treatment response in individuals with depression and many anxiety disorders, but little is known about these relationships in individuals with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). Individuals in the current study included 705 adults with OCD who had participated in family and genetic studies of the disorder. Participants self‐completed the Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness Personality Inventory or Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness Five‐Factor Inventory‐3. Relationships between personality scores, and subjective impairment and OCD treatment response, were evaluated. The odds of subjective impairment increased with (unit increase in) the neuroticism score (odds ratio, OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01–1.04; p < 0.01) and decreased with extraversion scores (OR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.96–0.99; p < 0.01). The odds of reporting a good response to serotonin/selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (OR = 1.02; 95% CI = 1.01–1.04; p < 0.01) or cognitive behavioural therapy (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01–1.05; p < 0.01) increased with the extraversion score. The magnitude of these relationships did not change appreciably after adjusting for other clinical features related to one or more of the personality dimensions. The findings suggest that neuroticism and extraversion are associated with subjective impairment, and that extraversion is associated with self‐reported treatment response, in individuals with OCD. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate on the oxidation of caffeic acid benzyl ester: An electrochemical and theoretical study
Authors: Pantoja‐Hernández Maurizio A. , Alemán‐Vilis Josué A. , Sánchez Analilia , Salas‐Reyes Magali , López‐Bonilla Judith , Matus Myrna H. , Domínguez Zaira
Published: December 2019

The effect of the ionic liquid (IL), 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium acetate ([emim][AcO]) on the oxidation of (E)‐phenylmethyl‐3‐(3,4‐dihydroxyphenyl)‐2‐propenoate (commonly known as caffeic acid benzyl ester [CABE]) was analyzed through experimental and theoretical methods, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The obtained results demonstrated that the AcO− anion promotes the oxidation of the caffeic ester; this is because of the basic character of AcO−, which plays an important role to reduce the amount of energy required for the removal of one electron from the IL‐CABE complex. This suggests that a strong hydrogen bond is formed between this anion and the phenolic H─O. Even the presence of water in the mixture of CABE‐IL does not have a significant effect on the electrooxidation of the complex. Hence, it is possible to infer that CABE is more attached to [emim][AcO] than to the water molecules in the solvation sphere under the experimental conditions evaluated here. Other intermolecular interactions between CABE and IL also contribute to stabilize the resulting complex, e.g., van der Waals and cation‐π interactions, which were evidenced through the theoretical noncovalent interactions (NCI) methodology. The relevant role of basic anions in the extraction of phenolic compounds, using ILs, has been documented in the literature; it should be considered that the strength of the hydrogen bond formed between the phenolic H─O and the IL should not contribute to the oxidation of target compounds.
Application of Colloid Water Covering on Explosive Welding of AA1060 Foil to Q235 Steel Plate
Authors: Ming Yang , Hong‐hao Ma , Zhao‐Wu Shen , Junfeng Xu
Published: December 2019

To make industrial explosives suitable for explosive welding of metal foils, colloid water was used as a covering of explosives. The effect of the colloidal water thickness on the critical thickness of the explosives was investigated, and then AA1060 foil and Q235 steel plate were bonded using this method. Additionally, the bonding properties of the clad plate were studied through mechanical performance tests and microstructure observations. The results show that the colloid water can significantly reduce the consumption of explosives and avoid excess energy in foil weld, due to the low critical thickness of explosives in this condition. The AA1060/Q235 composite sheet shows an excellent bonding quality without macroscopic defects except for the boundary area, and no separation, tearing or fracture was observed under bending load. The microstructure results show a wave‐type metallurgical bonding between the two materials, with some melting zones in the crest. In addition, a hardening phenomenon near the AA1060/Q235 interface was revealed by microhardness and fractography studies on the tensile specimen.