bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The genus Erythrina L.: A review on its alkaloids, preclinical, and clinical studies
Authors: Rambo Douglas F. , Biegelmeyer Renata , Toson Natally S.B. , Dresch Roger R. , Moreno Paulo Roberto H. , Henriques Amélia T.
Published: February 2019

Erythrina L. genus (Fabaceae) comprises about 115 species, and it has been extensively studied, mainly because of its alkaloids, which have pharmacological properties. References demonstrated that Erythrina spp. have a potential to act in the central nervous system, presenting anxiolytic and anticonvulsant properties already established. Phytochemical investigations confirmed the presence of tetracyclic alkaloids as the major compounds. However, other alkaloid classes have also been reported, including dimeric and trimeric substances, coupled through direct polymerization or two erythrinine units via an acetyl glucose. The present review covers the relevant literature from 1990 until 2017 and outlines the current data on chemical composition and preclinical and clinical studies on Erythrina species. Additionally, the quite striking analogy in the biosynthetic route of erythrin, morphinans, and Amaryllidaceae family alkaloids was also discussed.
Global exponential stability of 2D switched positive nonlinear systems described by the Roesser model
Authors: Tian Dadong , Liu Shutang , Wang Wen
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we aim to investigate the stability of 2D switched positive nonlinear systems with time‐varying delays in the Roesser model, which includes 2D switched positive linear systems as a special case. By using the average dwell time approach, we give a sufficient condition for the exponential stability of 2D switched positive nonlinear systems. The difficulty caused by the delays is overcome by introducing a model transform and the method used in this paper is different from conventional Lyapunov‐Krasovskii functional method. An explicit exponential bound on the decay rate is presented. We also extend the result to the general 2D switched linear systems, not necessarily positive. Finally, an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained result.
I2/K2S2O8: An Unprecedented Deoxygenating System for N‐Oxides and Sulfoxides
Authors: Raghuvanshi Dushyant Singh , Verma Narsingh , Gupta Atul
Published: February 2019

A novel and efficient metal‐free approach has been disclosed for the deoxygenation of amine N‐oxides to amines and sulfoxides to corresponding sulfides using the green and economical reagent I2/K2S2O8. Deoxygenation of pyridine N‐oxide, quinoline N‐oxide, N,N‐dialkylaniline N‐oxides, trialkylamine N‐oxides and aryl sulfoxides have been achieved in excellent yields. This method has been proven to be applicable to a wide range of substrates. A broad range of functional groups were well tolerated in this reaction system.
Nozzle‐Less Electrospun Nitrogen‐Doped Hollow Carbon Nanofibers as Enhanced Sensing Platform for Carbendazim Electrochemical Detection
Authors: Yang Pan , Pan Xinying , Wang Jingchuan , Yang Ruizhu , Chu Jian , Chen Huiyuan , Nan Hui , Yang Lijun , Zhao Xiaochong
Published: February 2019

Nitrogen‐doped hollow carbon nanofibers (N‐HCNFs) synthesized by nozzle‐less electrospinning were directly obtained, showing a rough surface and hollow structure. The as‐prepared N‐HCNFs exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity, good stability and low detection limit, which is a promising alternative applications in environmental protection.
A Concise Review on Pyridocoumarin/Azacoumarin Derivatives: Synthesis and Biological Activity
Authors: Patra Prasanta
Published: February 2019

Coumarins are important due to their versatile bio‐activity. Synthesised pyridocoumarin derivatives show remarkable biological activities including antifungal, antibacterial, antitumor, antiHIV, and antimicrobial activity. The present review aims to review a vast body of literature on different synthetic methodology mainly aza‐Diels Alder reaction, metal catalyzed cyclization and multicomponent reaction and bioactivity of pyridocoumarin derivatives as published during the period from 1997 up to 2017. The synthesised compounds have been reported in literature either by construction of pyridine, pyran or of both ring starting from suitable precursors.
Transition Metal Chelated Biopolymer Coated Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles as Highly Efficient, Stable, and Recyclable Nanocatalysts for Catalytic Bleaching
Authors: Yurdakul Merve , Oktem Huseyin Avni , Yilmaz M Deniz
Published: February 2019

The role of catalysts in the development of improved bleaching methods is of paramount scientific and industrial importance in the bleaching of raw cotton and laundry stains. Despite tremendous efforts, developing novel earth abundant metal nanocatalysts with high activity and stability remains a great challenge. Here, we demonstrate the successful formation of earth abundant transition metal‐chelated layer‐by‐layer hyaluronic acid/chitosan polyelectrolyte‐coated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Metal@PEM‐MSNPs) as novel bleaching nanocatalysts. Metal@PEM‐MSNPs have been tested for both the oxidative degradation of a natural plant dye in solution and tea‐ and beetroot‐ stains on cotton fabrics. While manganese and iron‐chelated PEM‐MSNPs (Mn2+@PEM‐MSNPs and Fe2+@PEM‐MSNPs) have little catalytic activity, cobalt‐chelated PEM‐MSNPs (Co2+@PEM‐MSNPs) display an unexpected, surprisingly high activity in the oxidation reaction under the same experimental conditions. The results suggest that Co2+@PEM‐MSNPs are excellent nanocatalytic systems for the low temperature bleaching (<30 0C) and the design strategy used in Metal@PEM‐MSNP nanocatalysts can further be extended to prepare a wide range of highly active self‐assembled bio‐inspired nanocatalysts for catalytic bleaching and other organic transformations.
Conversion of O‐Propargyl β‐enones to 2‐Allylidene 1,3‐Diones and Furan Derivatives via [3,3]‐Sigmatropic Rearrangement
Authors: Nagaraju Vemu , Raju Chittala Emmaniel , Purnachandar Dalovai , Rao Vaidya Jayathirtha , Karunakar Galla V.
Published: February 2019

An efficient synthetic protocol was developed for the formation of 2‐allylidene 1,3‐diones in very good yields via [3,3]‐sigmatropic rearrangement of O‐propargyl β‐enones. Good yields of highly functionalized substituted furan derivatives were synthesized from O‐propargyl β‐enones under gold‐catalysis via intramolecular cycloisomerisation.
New Example of Metal‐Containing Monomers for Frontal Polymerization
Authors: Uflyand Igor E. , Zhinzhilo Vladimir A. , Dzhardimalieva Gulzhian I.
Published: February 2019

In the present work, new metal‐containing monomers based on copper(II) cinnamate (cinn), viz.: [Cu(cinn)2(bpy)(C2H5OH)], [Cu(cinn)2(phen)(H2O)2], and [Cu(cinn)2(tpy)(C2H5OH)2] (bpy = 2,2′‐bipyridine, phen=1,10‐phenanthroline and tpy=4′‐phenyl‐2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine) were synthesized. At the first time, it was shown that these metal‐containing monomers undergo frontal polymerization.
Physical injury, stress, and health: Protective role of dispositional optimism
Authors: Levy Sigal , Heruti Irit , Avitsur Ronit
Published: February 2019

Physical injuries are common occurrences that can have substantial implications for personal, emotional, and social functioning. A recent study reported higher prevalence of common illnesses and reduced health‐related quality of life (HRQL) in injury victims. Based on these findings, the present study examined the role of the antibody immunoglobulin A (IgA) and the stress hormone cortisol in the association between injury and health. Additionally, the role of daily life stress and dispositional optimism in this association was examined. Thirty‐seven victims of injury (e.g., fractures and burns) and 41 noninjured participants were assessed for cortisol and IgA levels and completed a battery of questionnaires assessing illness prevalence, HRQL, perceived stress, and optimism. Injured participants reported higher prevalence of illness and poorer HRQL compared with noninjured participants; however, changes in cortisol or IgA levels did not explain this increase in illness. Correlations between perceived stress and HRQL were stronger in injured participants compared with noninjured controls, indicating that injured individuals are more affected by stress. Dispositional optimism was lower in injured participants, and optimism buffered the negative effect of stress on HRQL. Accordingly, it is suggested that optimism played a protective role against the negative consequences of stress in injured individuals, thus improving HRQL.
Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 Thin‐Film Solar Cells Fabricated by Single‐Source Vapor Transport Deposition
Authors: Lu Shuaicheng , Zhao Yang , Wen Xixing , Xue Ding‐Jiang , Chen Chao , Li Kanghua , Kondrotas Rokas , Wang Chong , Tang Jiang
Published: February 2019

The properties of Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 alloy films can be continuously tuned by changing its composition, enabling potentially better device efficiency compared to the Sb2S3 or Sb2Se3 counterparts. Fabrication of Sb2(Se1−xSx)3 films with good uniformity and orientation are prerequisites to realize their full potential. Here, pure‐phase and high‐uniformity Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 absorbers are successfully produced via a vapor transport deposition method employing a single evaporation source. Increasing the travelling distance of vapor particles can improve the morphology and crystallinity of Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 films, and as a result, compact Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 films with strong preferential [221] orientation and uniform composition throughout the whole film are obtained. Further, the CdS surface is treated with H2O2 solution and a device with a champion efficiency of 6.30% is obtained, a new efficiency record for Sb2(Se1‐xSx)3 based thin‐film solar cells without a hole‐transporting layer.
Excellent Corrosion Resistance of Dual‐Phase Bimodal Stainless Steel
Authors: Saini Jaskaran , Arora Harpreet S. , Grewal Harpreet S. , Perumal Gopinath , Ayyagari Aditya , Salloom Riyadh , Mukherjee Sundeep
Published: February 2019

Bimodal microstructures in metals are attractive because they help in achieving high strength and good ductility simultaneously thereby circumventing the strength‐ductility paradox. However, there are few reports and limited understanding of the surface degradation behavior of bimodal alloys. Here, the authors report on the exceptional corrosion resistance of bimodal stainless steel developed using a simple single‐step processing route. The microstructure of bimodal steel comprises of fine martensite (≈200–400 nm) in a matrix of coarse austenitic grains (≈10 μm). The bimodal steel shows significantly lower corrosion rate of 0.001 mm/year in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution compared to 0.088 mm/year for commercially available SS316L stainless steel. The exceptional corrosion behavior of bimodal steel is attributed to favorable electronic properties of its passive layer. Formation of a depletion zone in the passive layer and higher chromium fraction limits the charge transport across metal‐oxide‐solution interface. The current microstructural design strategy is potentially transformative for developing high‐performance structural materials with superior corrosion resistance.
Garcixanthone D, a New Xanthone, and Other Xanthone Derivatives From Garcinia mangostana Pericarps: Their α‐Amylase Inhibitory Potential and Molecular Docking Studies
Authors: Ibrahim Sabrin Ragab Mohamed , Mohamed Gamal Abdallah , Khayat Maan Talaat Abdullah , Ahmed Sahar , Abo‐Haded Hany
Published: February 2019

The phytochemical investigation of the MeOH extract of Garcinia mangostana (mangosteen, Clusiaceae) pericarps affords a new xanthone namely, garcixanthone D (1,3,5,6,7‐pentahydroxy‐2,8‐bis(3‐methylbut‐2‐enyl)‐xanthone) (5), and four known metabolites: β‐mangostin (1), α‐mangostin (2), rubraxanthone (3), and garcinone E (4). Their structures are assigned using high resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet (UV), and infrared (IR) spectroscopic analyses, as well as through comparison with published data. The isolated metabolites are assessed for their α‐amylase inhibitory (AAI) potential. Compounds 4 and 5 have the highest activity, with a % inhibition of 93.8 and 85.6, respectively, compared to acarbose (96.4%, reference α‐amylase inhibitor). The molecular docking studies of the tested metabolites are expected to provide a rational explanation for the AAI activity results. Moreover, their pharmacokinetic parameters are assessed using Swiss ADME. It is noteworthy that compounds 4 and 5 have different binding poses compared to acarbose. They possess activity via different modes, such as H‐bonding, pi‐pi stacking, hydrophobic, and Van der Waal interactions. These data reinforce the health benefit of mangosteen as an alternative medicine to help to decrease postprandial glucose absorption. Therefore, mangosteen could have good potential for the treatment and/or prevention of diabetes and obesity.
X‐ray fluorescence analysis of samples simulating blood collected from uranium‐contaminated wounds
Authors: Izumoto Yukie , Matsuyama Tsugufumi , Ishii Kota , Sakai Yasuhiro , Oguri Yoshiyuki , Yoshii Hiroshi
Published: February 2019

Personnel working in nuclear fuel handling facilities incur a finite risk of injury and uranium contamination in any resulting wounds. The accidental absorption of uranium from the likes of wounds can lead to a significant degree of internal exposure due to its hazardous nature. Although an appropriate surgical resection of tissue in the contaminated wound is useful for suppressing the additional intake of uranium, the rapid quantification of uranium in the wound is required to avoid unnecessary surgery. For surface contamination, the detection of uranium is usually performed using an α‐particle counting method. However, in the case of wound contamination, most of the α‐particles emitted from the uranium cannot pass through the blood oozing from the wound. Therefore, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis has been proposed as an alternative means of detecting uranium contamination because X‐rays can pass through several millimeters of blood or soft tissue. In the present study, we developed a new methodology for the rapid detection of uranium in wounds that is based on an XRF analysis of contaminated blood collected on filter paper. With XRF, the detection limit for uranium in blood is 0.45 ppm. This value is lower than those of commercially available α‐survey meters by a factor of ~103. Thus, the proposed method could be adopted for the rapid, on‐site detection of uranium in wounds.
Real‐time Probing the Formation of [M(2,2‐bipyridine)2(NO3)3] (M = Ce, La, Tb) Complexes and Influence of Synthesis Parameters
Authors: Ströh Jonas , Ruiz Arana Laura , Polzin Philipp , Eliani Irma Vania , Lindenberg Patric , Heidenreich Niclas , Cunha César dos Santos , Leubner Sebastian , Terraschke Huayna
Published: February 2019

Despite the strong technological importance of lanthanide complexes, their formation processes are rarely investigated. This work is dedicated to determining the influence of synthesis parameters on the formation of [Ce(bipy)2(NO3)3] as well as Ce3+‐ and Tb3+‐substituted [La(bipy)2(NO3)3] (bipy = 2,2′‐bipyridine) complexes. To this end, we performed in situ luminescence measurements, synchrotron‐based X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR), and measured pH value and/or ion conductivity during their synthesis process under real reaction conditions. For the [Ce(bipy)2(NO3)3] complex, the in situ luminescence measurements initially presented a broad emission band at 490 nm, assigned to the 5d→4f Ce3+ ions within the ethanolic solvation shell. Upon the addition of bipy, a red shift to 700 nm was observed. This shift was attributed to the changes in the environment of the Ce3+ ions, indicating their desolvation and incorporation into the [Ce(bipy)2(NO3)3] complex. The induction time was reduced from 8 to 3.5 min, by increasing the reactant concentration by threefold. In contrast, [La(bipy)2(NO3)3] crystallized within days instead of minutes, unless influenced by high Ce3+ and Tb3+ concentrations. Monitoring and controlling the influence of the reaction parameters on the structure of emissive complexes is important for the development of rational synthesis approaches and optimization of their structure‐related properties like luminescence.
Existence of a class of variational inequalities modelling quasi‐static viscoelastic contact problems
Authors: Peng Zijia
Published: February 2019

This work concerns the existence for a class of variational inequalities arising in quasi‐static frictional contact problems for viscoelastic materials. We first consider dynamic contact problems described by evolutionary variational inequalities with a small parameter in the inertial term. Then we study the asymptotic behavior of their solutions when the parameter tends to zero. Based on a time‐discretization technique and monotone operators theory, the inequalities are solved in the form of evolutionary inclusions in the framework of evolution triples. We show that the limit functions of dynamic problems are solutions to the quasi‐static variational inequalities. Applications of the abstract result to frictional contact problems with multivalued constitutive law and normal damped response are given. Moreover, some comments on nonmonotone boundary problem are presented.
No particle production in two dimensions: recursion relations and multi-Regge limit
Authors: Gabai Barak , Mazáč Dalimil , Shieber Andrei , Vieira Pedro , Zhou Yehao
Published: February 2019

Abstract

We introduce high-energy limits which allow us to derive recursion relations fixing the various couplings of Lagrangians of two-dimensional relativistic quantum field theories with no tree-level particle production in a very straightforward way. The sine-Gordon model, the Bullough-Dodd theory, Toda theories of various kinds and the U(N) non-linear sigma model can all be rediscovered in this way. The results here were the outcome of our explorations at the 2017 Perimeter Institute Winter School.
Frontotemporal dementia is the leading cause of “true” A−/T+ profiles defined with Aβ42/40 ratio
Authors: Pouclet‐Courtemanche Hélène , Nguyen Tri‐Bao , Skrobala Emilie , Boutoleau‐Bretonnière Claire , Pasquier Florence , Bouaziz‐Amar Elodie , Bigot‐Corbel Edith , Schraen Susanna , Dumurgier Julien , Paquet Claire , Lebouvier Thibaud
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Patients with positive tauopathy but negative Aβ42 (A−T+) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) represent a diagnostic challenge. The Aβ42/40 ratio supersedes Aβ42 and reintegrates “false” A−T+ patients into the Alzheimer's disease spectrum. However, the biomarker and clinical characteristics of “true” and “false” A−T+ patients remain elusive.

Methods

Among the 509 T+N+ patients extracted from the databases of three memory clinics, we analyzed T+N+ patients with normal Aβ42 and compared “false” A−T+ with abnormal Aβ42/40 ratio and “true” A−T+ patients with normal Aβ42/40 ratio, before CSF analysis and at follow‐up.

Results

24.9% of T+N+ patients had normal Aβ42 levels. Among them, 42.7% were “true” A−T+. “True” A−T+ had lower CSF tauP181 than “false” A−T+ patients. 48.0% of “true” A−T+ patients were diagnosed with frontotemporal lobar degeneration before CSF analysis and 64.0% at follow‐up, as compared with 6% in the “false” A−T+ group (P < .0001).

Discussion

Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is probably the main cause of “true” A−T+ profiles.
IWOA: An improved whale optimization algorithm for optimization problems
Authors: Mostafa Bozorgi Seyed , Yazdani Samaneh
Published: February 2019

The whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is a new bio-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm which is presented based on the social hunting behavior of humpback whales. WOA suffers premature convergence that causes it to trap in local optima. In order to overcome this limitation of WOA, in this paper WOA is hybridized with differential evolution (DE) which has good exploration ability for function optimization problems. The proposed method is named Improved WOA (IWOA). The proposed method, combines exploitation of WOA with exploration of DE and therefore provides a promising candidate solution. In addition, IWOA+ is presented in this paper which is an extended form of IWOA. IWOA+ utilizes re-initialization and adaptive parameter which controls the whole search process to obtain better solutions. IWOA and IWOA+ are validated on a set of 25 benchmark functions, and they are compared with PSO, DE, BBO, DE/BBO, PSO/GSA, SCA, MFO and WOA. Furthermore, the effects of dimensionality and population size on the performance of our proposed algorithms are studied. The results demonstrate that IWOA and IWOA+ outperform the other algorithms in terms of quality of the final solution and convergence rate.

Highlights The exploration ability of WOA is improved via hybridizing it with DE's mutation. A new adaptive strategy is utilized for balancing the exploration and exploitation abilities. Re-initialization is used to increase the diversity of population. Two improvements are presented for WOA through balancing its exploration and exploitation. The results show that the proposed algorithms can improve the performance of WOA significantly.
Parkinson’s Disease Is Associated with Risk of Sexual Dysfunction in Men but Not in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhao Shankun , Wang Jiamin , Xie Qiang , Luo Lianmin , Zhu Zhiguo , Liu Yangzhou , Luo Jintai , Zhao Zhigang
Published: February 2019

Background

Mounting evidence has emerged suggesting that patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) are susceptible to sexual dysfunction (SD).

Aim

To better clarify the relationship between PD and SD.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library database, and PsychINFO database were systematically searched for pertinent studies evaluating sexual function in the patients with PD. This systematic review and meta-analysis have been registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42018108714; http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO).

Outcomes

The association between PD and SD was assessed using relative risk (RR) with 95% CI. The quality of evidence was ranked by the GRADE profiler.

Results

11 observational studies met the predefined criteria for inclusion, enrolling 30,150 subjects from both the PD group and healthy control group (mean age 54.6–75.1 years). Synthesis results revealed that PD was associated with an elevated risk of SD in males (7 studies; 1.79; 95% CI = 1.26–2.54, P = .001; heterogeneity: I2 = 73.2%, P < .001). However, when restricted to female subjects, the combined RR from 3 eligible studies suggested a lack of significant association between PD and SD (RR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.64–2.61, P = .469; heterogeneity: I2 = 80.0%, P = .007). The GRADE profiler indicated the overall quality of the evidence was low in studies including males and very low in studies including females.

Clinical Implications

The current meta-analysis indicated that men with PD were more likely to experience SD than those without PD. In female subjects, however, PD seemed to not be associated with a high prevalence of SD compared with healthy controls. Based on these findings, patients with PD should be routinely assessed for sexual functioning, especially males.

Strengths & Limitations

This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between PD and the risks of SD in both males and females. However, substantial heterogeneities were detected across the included studies.

Conclusion

A hazardous effect of PD for developing SD was detected in men but not in women. As a result, sexual function assessment and appropriate therapy are recommended for men with PD in clinical practice.
Sleep Quality, Duration, and Associated Sexual Function at Older Age: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Authors: Smith Lee , Grabovac Igor , Veronese Nicola , Soysal Pinar , Isik Ahmet Turan , Stubbs Brendon , Yang Lin , Jackson Sarah E.
Published: February 2019

Introduction

One factor that may plausibly be associated with sexual dysfunction is sleep disturbance. Like sexual problems, complaints of sleep disturbance increase with age and are commonly reported by older adults.

Aims

To examine associations between sleep quality, duration, and a range of sexual problems in a large, representative sample of older adults.

Methods

Data were from 2,568 men and 1,376 women (age ≥50 years) participating in Wave 6 of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2012–2013). Sleep quality, duration, and problems with erectile function, sexual arousal, and orgasmic experience were self-reported; associations were examined using logistic regression models. Covariates included age, ethnicity, partner status, wealth, limiting long-standing illness, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and depressive symptoms.

Main Outcome Measure

Participants self-reported problems with erectile function, sexual arousal, and orgasmic experience.

Results

In women, moderate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% CI 1.09–2.13, P = .013) and low sleep quality (OR = 1.70, 95% CI 1.24–2.32, P = .001) were associated with increased odds of arousal problems relative to high sleep quality. In men, moderate sleep quality was associated with increased odds of erectile difficulties (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.16–1.85, P = .001), the difference between low and high sleep quality did not reach statistical significance (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 0.97–1.58, P = .091). Sleep quality was not associated with difficulty achieving an orgasm in men, but in women low sleep quality was associated with increased odds of orgasmic difficulty (OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.18–2.25, P = .003). No associations between sleep duration and problems with sexual function were observed in women, but, in men, long sleep was associated with higher odds of difficulty achieving orgasm (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.04–2.95, P = 0.036) relative to optimal sleep duration.

Clinical Implications

Older adults presenting sleep problems should be screened for sexual dysfunction and vice versa.

Strength & Limitations

Strengths of this study include the large representative sample of older English adults, the assessment of several aspects of sexual dysfunction and sleep, and the inclusion of potentially important confounding variables into statistical models. However, the study was cross-sectional, meaning we were unable to ascertain the direction of the observed associations.

Conclusion

Sleep problems are associated with sexual dysfunction in older English adults, although some variation is noted between men and women.
MODEL THEORY AND MACHINE LEARNING
Authors: CHASE HUNTER , FREITAG JAMES
Published: February 2019

About 25 years ago, it came to light that a single combinatorial property determines both an important dividing line in model theory (NIP) and machine learning (PAC-learnability). The following years saw a fruitful exchange of ideas between PAC-learning and the model theory of NIP structures. In this article, we point out a new and similar connection between model theory and machine learning, this time developing a correspondence between stability and learnability in various settings of online learning. In particular, this gives many new examples of mathematically interesting classes which are learnable in the online setting.
Viral oncolytic immunotherapy in the war on cancer: Infection control considerations
Authors: Robilotti Elizabeth V. , Kumar Asmita , Glickman Michael S. , Kamboj Mini
Published: February 2019

Oncolytic viral immunotherapy is an emerging treatment modality for cancer that exploits in vivo replication and other viral properties to enhance immune killing of malignant cells. The potential for horizontal transmission of native or engineered oncolytic viruses creates several unique infection control challenges. In 2015, talimogene laherparepvec (TVEC) became the first agent in this class to gain FDA approval for treatment of melanoma, and several others are being developed. Although some data on the transmissibility of TVEC are available from clinical studies, the aftermarket or real-world experience remains limited. We conducted a PUBMED-based search of the medical literature focusing on the safety and risk of TVEC transmission to close contacts including healthcare workers. The findings are summarized in this review and are intended to provide infection preventionists with practical guidance on handling issues related to administration and care of patients receiving TVEC. Additionally, we describe the current mechanism for evaluating the risk related to similar new agents entering clinical trials at our institution. Development of standarized approaches for the safe administration and precautions for ongoing care, especially in immunocompromised patients, are essential to support the broad adoption of this novel therapy.
Susceptibility of Candida auris and Candida albicans to 21 germicides used in healthcare facilities
Authors: Rutala William A. , Kanamori Hajime , Gergen Maria F. , Sickbert-Bennett Emily E. , Weber David J.
Published: February 2019

Candida auris is an emerging fungal pathogen that is often resistant to major classes of antifungal drugs. It is considered a serious global health threat because it can cause severe infections with frequent mortality in more than a dozen countries. It can survive on healthcare environmental surfaces for at least 7 days and can cause outbreaks in healthcare facilities. Clearly, infection prevention strategies, such as surface disinfection, will be essential to controlling Candida transmission. Unfortunately, data on the activity of antiseptics and disinfectants used in healthcare to inactivate this pathogen are limited.1–5 In this study, we investigated 12 different disinfectants (ie, 8 low- and intermediate-level disinfectants in 2 dilutions of sodium hypochlorite and 5 high-level disinfectants/chemical sterilants) and 9 antiseptics commonly used in healthcare facilities for their antimicrobial activity against C. auris and C. albicans.
Impingement of high-speed cylindrical droplets embedded with an air/vapour cavity on a rigid wall: numerical analysis
Authors: Wu Wangxia , Wang Bing , Xiang Gaoming
Published: February 2019

The high-speed impingement of hollow droplets embedded with a cavity has fundamental applications in various scenarios, such as in spray coating and biomedical engineering. The impingement dynamics is modulated by the wrapping medium, different from that of denser solid droplets. With air and vapour cavities, the impingement of two kinds of hollow cylindrical droplets is simulated in the present study to investigate the morphology and physical mechanisms regarding droplet and cavity dynamics. The compressible two-phase Eulerian model is used to couple with the phase transition procedure. The results detail the evolution of droplets and collapsing dynamics of the two kinds of cavities. Processes are captured in which the impinging water-hammer shock wave interacts with the cavity, and vertical liquid jets are induced to impact the embedded cavity. For the case of the air cavity, a transmitted shock wave is formed and propagates inside the cavity. The air cavities are compressively deformed and broken into a series of small cavities. Subsequently, a range of intermittent collapsing compression wavelets are generated due to the interface collapse driven by local jets. As for the vapour cavity in the saturated state, initially, once it is impacted by the impinging shock wave, it gradually shrinks accompanied by local condensation but without generation of transmitted waves. Following the first interaction between the lower and upper surfaces of the cavity, the vapour cavity undergoes continuous condensation and collapse with repeated interface fusion. The vapour cavity finally turns into liquid water blended into the surroundings, and the strong collapsing shock waves are expanded inside the droplet. The radius ratios and initial impinging speeds are chosen to analyse the variation of the collapsing time, maximum collapsing pressure and mean pressure on the rigid wall. The pressure withstood by the wall due to the collapsing cavity increases with the initial size of the cavity and initial impinging speed. The maximum local pressures in the entire fluids and the mean pressure on the wall during the collapsing of the vapour cavities are higher than those for the air cavities.
Ice flow variations at Polar Record Glacier, East Antarctica
Authors: LIANG QI , ZHOU CHUNXIA , HOWAT IAN M. , JEONG SEONGSU , LIU RUIXI , CHEN YIMING
Published: February 2019

Relatively little is known about the physical mechanisms that drive the dynamics of the East Antarctic outlet glaciers. Here we conduct a remote-sensing investigation of the Polar Record Glacier (PRG), East Antarctica to analyze its ice flow acceleration, ice front variations and ice surface melting. Ice flow speeds at PRG increased by up to 15% from 2005 to 2015, with substantial interannual fluctuations. The ice velocities also showed seasonal variations, accelerating by up to 9% between September and January. Multiple mechanisms contribute to the observed seasonal variations: the initial acceleration may result from the lost back-stress provided by the sea ice in the austral spring and the later speedup relate to the surface meltwater that leads to weakened ice shelf and shear margins. The sensitivity of the PRG to oceanic forcing is confirmed by comparing the secular ice velocity increases with ocean temperatures. These measurements suggest that the dynamics of East Antarctic ice shelves are sensitive to melt at both the surface and base, at a range of timescales.
INDEPENDENCE IN GENERIC INCIDENCE STRUCTURES
Authors: CONANT GABRIEL , KRUCKMAN ALEX
Published: February 2019

We study the theory Tm,n of existentially closed incidence structures omitting the complete incidence structure Km,n, which can also be viewed as existentially closed Km,n-free bipartite graphs. In the case m = n = 2, this is the theory of existentially closed projective planes. We give an $\forall \exists$-axiomatization of Tm,n, show that Tm,n does not have a countable saturated model when m, n ≥ 2, and show that the existence of a prime model for T2,2 is equivalent to a longstanding open question about finite projective planes. Finally, we analyze model theoretic notions of complexity for Tm,n. We show that Tm,n is NSOP1, but not simple when m, n ≥ 2, and we show that Tm,n has weak elimination of imaginaries but not full elimination of imaginaries. These results rely on combinatorial characterizations of various notions of independence, including algebraic independence, Kim independence, and forking independence.
An acoustical analysis of the merger of /ɲ/ and /nj/ in Buenos Aires Spanish
Authors: Bongiovanni Silvina
Published: February 2019

Buenos Aires Spanish (BAS) is well known for the sound change that led the palatal obstruent to become a post-alveolar fricative. However, that obstruent is not the only palatal phoneme undergoing sound change in BAS. The present study investigates the production of /ɲ/ and /nj/ in BAS, which have been reported as merging (Malmberg 1950). Previous research suggests that some speakers produce a ‘traditional’ (alveolo)palatal nasal, while other speakers realize /ɲ/ with two distinct non-simultaneous constrictions: alveolar/postalveolar and palatal (Kochetov & Colantoni 2011). An acoustic analysis is based on the speech of 33 speakers (15 males, 17 females; from four age groups: 15–19 years old, 20–29 years, 30–45 years and 45+ years) and was obtained by measuring duration and formant contours in the tautosyllabic vocalic portion. Results reveal that /ɲ/ and /nj/ are not fully merged, as some speakers produce differences. Specifically, the results indicate that production differences between men and women disappear as age decreases, with female speakers being more innovative. Findings provide evidence that the sound change is still progressing and probably nearing completion, and show that the palatal system in BAS is losing the (alveolo)palatal nasal.
Nuclear diagnosis of the fuel areal density for direct-drive deuterium fuel implosion at the Shenguang-II Upgrade laser facility
Authors: Cui Bo , Fang Zhiheng , Dai Zenghai , Liu Hongjie , Wang Wei , Chen Jiabin , Bi Bi , Tian Chao , Liu Dongxiao , Wang Weiwu , Shan Lianqiang , Lu Feng , Li Gang , Zhang Faqiang , Zhang Bo , Zhang Zhimeng , Deng Zhigang , He Shukai , Teng Jian , Hong Wei , Gu Yuqiu , Zhang Baohan
Published: February 2019

In inertial confinement fusion experiments that involve short-laser pulses such as fast ignition (FI), diagnosis of neutrons is usually very challenging because high-intensity γ rays generated by short-laser pulses would mask the much weaker neutron signal. In this paper, fast-response scintillators with low afterglow and gated microchannel plate photomultiplier tubes are combined to build neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) spectrometers for such experiments. Direct-drive implosion experiments of deuterium-gas-filled capsules were performed at the Shenguang-II Upgrade (SG-II-UP) laser facility to study the compressed fuel areal density (〈ρR〉) and evaluate the performance of such nTOF diagnostics. Two newly developed quenched liquid scintillator detectors and a gated ultrafast plastic scintillator detector were used to measure the secondary DT neutrons and primary DD neutrons, respectively. The secondary neutron signals were clearly discriminated from the γ rays from (n, γ) reactions, and the compressed fuel areal density obtained with the yield-ratio method agrees well with the simulations. Additionally, a small scintillator decay tail and a clear DD neutron signal were observed in an integrated FI experiment as a result of the low afterglow of the oxygen-quenched liquid scintillator.
Trends in total fat and fatty acid intakes and chronic health conditions in Korean adults over 2007–2015
Authors: Song SuJin , Shim Jae Eun , Song Won O
Published: February 2019

Objective

To investigate trends in total fat and fatty acid intakes and chronic health conditions among Korean adults over nine years between 2007 and 2015.

Design

Cross-sectional, observational study using a stratified, multistage probability sampling design at a national level. Intakes of total fat and fatty acids were estimated from 24 h dietary recalls by sex and age groups. Trends of total fat and fatty acid intakes were determined by multiple linear regression after adjusting for covariates. Trends in age-standardized prevalence of obesity, hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriacylglycerolaemia were examined by sex.

Setting

Korea.

Participants

Population data of 47749 healthy adults (aged ≥19 years) derived from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2015.

Results

Over the survey period, daily intakes of energy and total, saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, n-3 and n-6 fats (grams and percentage of energy (%E)) increased steadily. In all sex and age groups, significant increases were seen in SFA intake from 9·9 g (4·7 %E) to 12·0 g (5·3 %E) and in MUFA intake from 9·9 g (4·6 %E) to 13·3 g (5·8 %E). The prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia increased from 10·7 to 17·9 % over the same period.

Conclusions

In Korean adults, total fat, SFA and other fatty acids have been increasing along with the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia. This information can help set adequate macronutrient and fatty acid distribution ranges in developing population-specific preventive strategies against diet-related illness.
An anthropometry-based equation of fat mass percentage as a valid discriminator of obesity
Authors: Castro-Porras Lilia V , Rojas-Russell Mario E , Villanueva-Sánchez Javier , López-Cervantes Malaquías
Published: February 2019

Objective

To develop a new predictive equation for fat mass percentage (%FM) based on anthropometric measurements and to assess its ability to discriminate between obese and non-obese individuals.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Mexican adults.

Participants

Adults (n275; 181 women) aged 20–63 years with BMI between 17·4 and 42·4 kg/m2.

Results

Thirty-seven per cent of our sample was obese using %FM measured by air-displacement plethysmography (BOD POD®; Life Measurement Instruments). The fat mass was computed from the difference between weight and fat-free mass (FFM). FFM was estimated using an equation obtained previously in the study from weight, height and sex of the individuals. The %FM estimated from the obtained FFM showed a sensitivity of 90·3 (95 % CI 86·8, 93·8) % and a specificity of 58·0 (95 % CI 52·1, 63·8) % in the diagnosis of obesity. Ninety-three per cent of participants with obesity and 65 % of participants without obesity were correctly classified.

Conclusions

The anthropometry-based equation obtained in the present study could be used as a screening tool in clinical and epidemiological studies not only to estimate the %FM, but also to discriminate the obese condition in populations with similar characteristics to the participant sample.
A Corpus-Based Analysis of V2 Variation in West Flemish and French Flemish Dialects
Authors: Lybaert Chloé , De Clerck Bernard , Saelens Jorien , De Cuypere Ludovic
Published: February 2019

This paper explores V2 variation in West Flemish and French Flemish dialects of Dutch based on an extensive corpus of authentic spoken data. After taking stock of the existing literature, we probe into the effect of region, prosodic integration, form and function of the topicalized constituent, form of the subject, and the number of constituents in the prefield on (non)inverted word order. This is the first study that carries out regression analysis on the combined impact of these variables in the entire West Flemish and French Flemish region, with additional visualization of effect sizes. The results show that noninversion is generally more widespread than originally anticipated, with unexpected higher occurrence of noninversion in continental West Flemish and lower frequencies in western West Flemish. With the exception of the variablenumber of constituents in the prefield, all other variables had a significant impact on word order: Clausal topicalized elements, elements that have peripheral functions, and elements that lack prosodic integration all favor noninverted word order. The form of the subject also impacted word order, but its effect is sometimes overruled by discourse considerations.
Debugging Non-ground ASP Programs: Technique and Graphical Tools
Authors: DODARO CARMINE , GASTEIGER PHILIP , REALE KRISTIAN , RICCA FRANCESCO , SCHEKOTIHIN KONSTANTIN
Published: February 2019

Answer set programming (ASP) is one of the major declarative programming paradigms in the area of logic programming and non-monotonic reasoning. Despite that ASP features a simple syntax and an intuitive semantics, errors are common during the development of ASP programs. In this paper we propose a novel debugging approach allowing for interactive localization of bugs in non-ground programs. The new approach points the user directly to a set of non-ground rules involved in the bug, which might be refined (up to the point in which the bug is easily identified) by asking the programmer a sequence of questions on an expected answer set. The approach has been implemented on top of the ASP solver wasp. The resulting debugger has been complemented by a user-friendly graphical interface, and integrated in aspide, a rich integrated development environment (IDE) for answer set programs. In addition, an empirical analysis shows that the new debugger is not affected by the grounding blowup limiting the application of previous approaches based on meta-programming.
Long-term prevalence and predictors of prolonged grief disorder amongst bereaved cancer caregivers: A cohort study
Authors: Zordan Rachel D. , Bell Melanie L. , Price Melanie , Remedios Cheryl , Lobb Elizabeth , Hall Christopher , Hudson Peter
Published: February 2019

Context

The short-term impact of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following bereavement is well documented. The longer term sequelae of PGD however are poorly understood, possibly unrecognized, and may be incorrectly attributed to other mental health disorders and hence undertreated.

Objectives

The aims of this study were to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of PGD three years post bereavement and to examine the predictors of long-term PGD in a population-based cohort of bereaved cancer caregivers.

Methods

A cohort of primary family caregivers of patients admitted to one of three palliative care services in Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study (n= 301). Sociodemographic, mental health, and bereavement-related data were collected from the caregiver upon the patient's admission to palliative care (T1). Further data addressing circumstances around the death and psychological health were collected at six (T2,n= 167), 13 (T3,n= 143), and 37 months (T4,n= 85) after bereavement.

Results

At T4, 5% and 14% of bereaved caregivers met criteria for PGD and subthreshold PGD, respectively. Applying the total PGD score at T4, linear regression analysis found preloss anticipatory grief measured at T1 and self-reported coping measured at T2 were highly statistically significant predictors (bothp< 0.0001) of PGD in the longer term.

Conclusion

For almost 20% of caregivers, the symptoms of PGD appear to persist at least three years post bereavement. These findings support the importance of screening caregivers upon the patient's admission to palliative care and at six months after bereavement to ascertain their current mental health. Ideally, caregivers at risk of developing PGD can be identified and treated before PGD becomes entrenched.
American Muslim Political Participation: Between Diversity and Cohesion
Authors: Chouhoud Youssef , Dana Karam , Barreto Matt
Published: February 2019

American Muslims’ increased societal salience has led to greater scrutiny of their political and social attitudes. Yet, systematic analyses of this population remain rare and tend to aggregate findings at a level that masks the community's diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a partial corrective, our paper provides a comprehensive demographic analysis of American Muslim political participation. Our conclusions, first, complement previous efforts to elaborate the influence of minority status on the core determinants of political participation. Second, they highlight the differential impact of these determinants within key American Muslim demographic subgroups, revealing the moderating effects of denomination, racial or ethnic background, and gender. As scholars and practitioners seek to better understand Muslims in America, our research suggests that there are myriad circumstances when this community's presumed cohesion gives way to meaningfully diverse perspectives and behaviors.
Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling
Authors: Tu Weichao , Li Wen , Albert J. M. , Morley S. K.
Published: February 2019

The “Quantitative Assessment of Radiation Belt Modeling” focus group was in place at Geospace Environment Modeling from 2014 to 2018. The overarching goals of this focus group were to bring together the current state‐of‐the‐art models for the acceleration, transport, and loss processes in Earth's radiation belts; develop event‐specific and global inputs of wave, plasma, and magnetic field to drive these models; and combine all these components to achieve a quantitative assessment of radiation belt modeling by validating against contemporary radiation belt measurements. This article briefly reviews the current understanding of radiation belt dynamics and related modeling efforts, summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the focus group, and discusses future directions.