bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sensory quality of milk fat with low cholesterol content fractioned by molecular distillation
Authors: Berti Julia , Grosso Nelson R , Fernandez Héctor , Pramparo María C , Gayol María F
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Anhydrous milk fat (AMF) is a valuable ingredient in several industries, but its cholesterol content is a disadvantage because it is associated with several diseases. The objective of this study was to remove the largest possible amount of cholesterol from AMF by molecular distillation and to analyze the sensory properties of the obtained product. AMF was subjected to various molecular distillation arrangements.

RESULTS

The first set of experiments involved molecular distillations performed over a range of evaporation temperatures. Then, according to the outcome of the first set of experiments, a second set of experiments was carried out in order to study the effect of the feeding flow rate. Finally, the number of distillation stages was modified.

CONCLUSION

The best results were obtained in a three‐stage arrangement, in which ∼60% of cholesterol was removed with a 30.48% distillate yield. The sensory properties of this distillation cut were also the most similar to those of the untreated milk fat. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Multilayer emulsions as a strategy for linseed oil and α‐lipoic acid micro‐encapsulation: study on preparation and in vitro characterization
Authors: Huang Juan , Wang Qiang , Li Tong , Xia Nan , Xia Qiang
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

Linseed oil and α‐lipoic acid are bioactive ingredients, which play an important role in human nutrition and health. However, their application in functional foods is limited because of their instabilities and poor solubilities in hydrophilic matrices. Multilayer emulsions are particularly useful to protect encapsulated bioactive ingredients. The aim of this study was to fabricate multilayer emulsions by a high‐pressure homogenization method to encapsulate linseed oil and α‐lipoic acid simultaneously. Tween 20 and lecithin were used as surfactants to stabilize the oil droplets of primary emulsions. Multilayer emulsions were produced by using an electrostatic layer‐by‐layer deposition process of lecithin–chitosan membranes.

RESULTS

Thermal treatment exhibited that chitosan encapsulation could improve the thermal stability of primary emulsions. During in vitro digestion, it was found that chitosan encapsulation had little effect on the lipolysis of linseed oil and bioaccessibility of α‐lipoic acid. The oxidation stability of linseed oil in multilayer emulsions was improved effectively by chitosan encapsulation and α‐lipoic acid. Chitosan encapsulation could inhibit the degradation of α‐lipoic acid. A physical stability study indicated that multilayer emulsions had good centrifugal, dilution and storage stabilities.

CONCLUSION

Multilayer emulsion is an effective delivery system to incorporate linseed oil and α‐lipoic acid into functional foods and beverages. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Completeness of a functional system for surjective functions
Authors: Burrieza Alfredo , Fortes Inmaculada , de Guzmán Inmaculada Pérez
Published: January 2018

Combining modalities has proven to have interesting applications and many approaches that combine time with other types of modalities have been developed. One of these approaches uses accessibility functions between flows of time to study the basic properties of the functions, such as being total or partial, injective, surjective, etc. The completeness of certain systems expressing many of these properties, with the exception of surjectivity, has been proven. In this paper we propose a language with nominals to denote the initial and final sets of each function in a model in order to obtain a complete system for reasoning about surjective partial functions.
A Facile Strategy for Self‐Healing Polyurethanes Containing Multiple Metal–Ligand Bonds
Authors: Wang Zhenhua , Xie Chuan , Yu Changjiang , Fei Guoxia , Wang Zhanhua , Xia Hesheng
Published: January 2018

A metal–ligand crosslinked internal self‐healing polyurethane is developed using low‐cost and commercially available compounds. The mechanical, photoluminescent, and self‐healing properties can be governed by incorporating multiple metal–ligand crosslinks with weak and strong coordination bonds and varying the metal ion. In‐situ attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy reveals that the metal–ligand bond is cleaved during the damage process while metal ion is still coordinated with the ligand by stronger metal–pyridyl interaction. The multiple metal–ligand coordination facilitates the crosslinks to be fully reformed during the repairing process, leading to the superior self‐healing property.
Fabrication of Thermosensitive Cyclic Brush Copolymer with Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy for Anticancer Drug Delivery
Authors: Tu Xiao‐Yan , Meng Chao , Wang Yun‐Fei , Ma Li‐Wei , Wang Bao‐Yan , He Jin‐Lin , Ni Pei‐Hong , Ji Xiang‐Ling , Liu Ming‐Zhu , Wei Hua
Published: January 2018

Adaptation of cyclic brush polymer for drug delivery applications remains largely unexplored. Herein, cyclic brush copolymer of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate‐g‐poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐st‐N‐hydroxyethylacrylamide)) (cb‐P(HEMA‐g‐P(NIPAAm‐st‐HEAAm))), comprising a cyclic core of PHEMA and thermosensitive brushes of statistical copolymer of P(NIPAAm‐st‐HEAAm), is designed and synthesized successfully via a graft‐from approach using atom transfer free radical polymerization from a cyclic multimacroinitiator. The composition of the brush is optimized to endow the resulting cyclic brush copolymer with a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) slightly above the physiological temperature, but lower than the localized temperature of tumor tissue, which is suitable for the hyperthermia‐triggered anticancer drug delivery. Critical aggregation concentration determination reveals better stability for the unimolecular nanoparticle formed by the cyclic brush copolymer than that formed by the bottlebrush analogue. The dramatically increased size with elevated temperatures from below to above the LCST confirms hyperthermia‐induced aggregation for both formulations. Such structural destabilization promotes significantly the drug release at 40 °C. Most importantly, the drug‐loaded cyclic brush copolymer shows enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity against HeLa cells than the bottlebrush counterpart. The better stability and higher therapeutic efficacy demonstrates that the thermosensitive cyclic brush copolymer is a better formulation than bottle brush copolymer for controlled drug release applications.
A boundary integral equation for the transmission eigenvalue problem for Maxwell equation
Authors: Cakoni F. , Ivanyshyn Yaman O. , Kress R. , Le Louër F.
Published: January 2018

We propose a new integral equation formulation to characterize and compute transmission eigenvalues in electromagnetic scattering. As opposed to the approach that was recently developed by Cakoni, Haddar and Meng (2015) which relies on a two‐by‐two system of boundary integral equations, our analysis is based on only one integral equation in terms of the electric‐to‐magnetic boundary trace operator that results in a simplification of the theory and in a considerable reduction of computational costs. We establish Fredholm properties of the integral operators and their analytic dependence on the wave number. Further, we use the numerical algorithm for analytic nonlinear eigenvalue problems that was recently proposed by Beyn (2012) for the numerical computation of the transmission eigenvalues via this new integral equation.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Peru using a vector‐host model: Backward bifurcation and sensitivity analysis
Authors: Barradas Ignacio , Caja Rivera Rocio Marilyn
Published: January 2018

The final goal of control policies in neglected vector‐borne diseases in developing countries is to protect humans. These vector‐borne diseases include leishmaniasis, dengue, chagas, and malaria. The traditional control measures for vector‐borne diseases, as with any other illnesses, suggest to reduce the basic reproduction number
below the value 1. This strategy is not necessarily sufficient when a backward bifurcation occurs. Because of its worldwide relevance, we are interested in modeling cutaneous leishmaniasis with Peru as a specific example. We use a vector‐host model with an extrinsic incubation period, which gives evidence that a backward bifurcation can occur under certain conditions. We estimate some parameters for the cutaneous leishmaniasis model in Peru. The uncertainty of the parameters suggests that we cannot guarantee the avoidance of a backward bifurcation range. It is important to be attentive to the appearance of phenomena that could make eradication more difficult. Local and global sensitivity analyses agree that
is most sensitive to the number of bites by a female sandfly and its natural mortality rate. The former dependency suggests very practical control policies.
Probabilistic resource pooling games
Authors: Schlicher Loe , Slikker Marco , Houtum Geert‐Jan van
Published: January 2018

We study a setting with a single type of resource and with several players, each associated with a single resource (of this type). Unavailability of these resources comes unexpectedly and with player‐specific costs. Players can cooperate by reallocating the available resources to the ones that need the resources most and let those who suffer the least absorb all the costs. We address the cost savings allocation problem with concepts of cooperative game theory. In particular, we formulate a probabilistic resource pooling game and study them on various properties. We show that these games are not necessarily convex, do have non‐empty cores, and are totally balanced. The latter two are shown via an interesting relationship with Böhm‐Bawerk horse market games. Next, we present an intuitive class of allocation rules for which the resulting allocations are core members and study an allocation rule within this class of allocation rules with an appealing fairness property. Finally, we show that our results can be applied to a spare parts pooling situation.
Modification of the quadratic 10‐node tetrahedron for thin structures and stiff materials under large‐strain hyperelastic deformation
Authors: Nguyen P. , Doškář M. , Pakravan A. , Krysl P.
Published: January 2018

The concept of energy‐sampling stabilization is used to develop a mean‐strain quadratic 10‐node tetrahedral element for the solution of geometrically nonlinear solid mechanics problems. The development parallels recent developments of a “composite” uniform‐strain 10‐node tetrahedron for applications to linear elasticity and nonlinear deformation. The technique relies on stabilization by energy sampling with a mean‐strain quadrature and proposes to choose the stabilization parameters as a quasi‐optimal solution to a set of linear elastic benchmark problems. The accuracy and convergence characteristics of the present formulation are tested on linear and nonlinear benchmarks and compare favorably with the capabilities of other mean‐strain and high‐performance tetrahedral and hexahedral elements for solids, thin‐walled structures (shells), and nearly incompressible structures.
No‐guess indirect optimization of asteroid mission using electric propulsion
Authors: Shen Hong‐Xin
Published: January 2018

This paper researches the optimal opportunities and trajectories for an asteroid‐Earth return mission and compares different options in terms of time length and reentry velocity. High specific impulse and steering capabilities of solar electric propulsion are exploited to perform deep space maneuvers. An indirect method based on the theory of optimal control is applied to find the trajectory that maximizes the final mass. The boundary value problem that arises from the application of the optimal control theory is solved by means of a shooting procedure based on Newton's method. In particular, the best opportunities to reach the Earth are first analyzed by searching a time‐free transfer that intercepts the Earth's orbit at the most favorable point; suitable launch windows are then determined. This technique shows significant benefit to define the initial solution that is required to start the optimization process so that no initial guess of adjoints is required for the optimization. Mission opportunities returning from asteroid Bennu (101955) are presented.
High strength injection molded thermoplastic composites
Authors: Azenha João , Gomes Marta , Silva Pedro , Pontes Antonio J.
Published: January 2018

The use of injection molding to impregnate fabric reinforcements and produce carbon or glass reinforced thermoplastic composites opens the way for high volume mass production at reasonable cost, high strength, and lightweight products. Variable mold temperature together with non‐standard injection parameters allows the proper impregnation of woven carbon and glass reinforcements with standard low viscosity polymers. Testing of the injected composite parts showed a clear increase in mechanical strength. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:560–567, 2018. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and characterization of alkaline‐soluble triazine‐based poly(phenylene sulfide)s with high refractive index and low birefringence
Authors: Fu Mao‐Chun , Murakami Yoshitaka , Ueda Mitsuru , Ando Shinji , Higashihara Tomoya
Published: January 2018

High‐refractive‐index (high‐n) polymers (HRIPs) with a high optical transparency are highly needed in advanced optoelectronic devices. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterization of a series of high‐n, transparent, totally colorless, and high‐sulfur‐containing poly(phenylene sulfide)s (PPSs) bearing a triazine unit. Two new triazine monomers T1 and T2 with hydroxyl and tert‐butyl acetate side chains, respectively, were designed and synthesized to develop PPSs with high‐n and high alkaline solubility. These PPSs were prepared by the single‐phase polycondensation from T1/T2 and commercial aromatic dithiols such as 4,4′‐thiobisbenzenethiol (TBT) and benzene‐1,3‐dithiol (BDT), achieving very high‐n up to 1.7530 at 633 nm, a high optical transparency (T% > 90% @400 nm) and low birefringence (Δn = 0.0014–0.0080), and exhibiting high potential on the application of high‐n photoresists. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 724–731
Influence of sodium dodecyl sulfate on the kinetics and control of RAFT/MADIX polymerization of acrylamide
Authors: Barthet Cécile , Wilson James , Cadix Arnaud , Destarac Mathias , Chassenieux Christophe , Harrisson Simon
Published: January 2018

Aqueous radical polymerizations of acrylamide were conducted in the presence of varying concentrations of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and two xanthate reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agents: the small, hydrophobic Rhodixan A1 and the oligomeric, amphiphilic PAm7‐XA1. The presence of SDS led to significant retardation of the polymerization, while the apparent activity of both RAFT/MADIX agents decreased as the SDS concentration increased. PAm7‐XA1 was affected to a lesser degree than Rhodixan A1, probably due to its lesser tendency to become sequestered in SDS micelles. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 760–765
Prevalence of burnout syndrome in oncology nursing: A meta‐analytic study
Authors: Cañadas‐De la Fuente Guillermo A. , Gómez‐Urquiza Jose L. , Ortega‐Campos Elena M. , Cañadas Gustavo R. , Albendín‐García Luis , De la Fuente‐Solana Emilia I.
Published: January 2018

Objective

To determine the prevalence of high levels of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and low personal accomplishment in nursing professionals in oncology services.

Methods

A meta‐analytical study was performed. The search was carried out in March 2017 in Pubmed, CINAHL, Scopus, Scielo, Proquest, CUIDEN, and LILACS databases. Studies using Maslach Burnout Inventory for the assessment of burnout were included.

Results

The total sample of oncology nurses was n = 9959. The total number of included studies was n = 17, with n = 21 samples for the meta‐analysis of emotional exhaustion and n = 18 for depersonalization and low personal accomplishment. The prevalence of emotional exhaustion and of depersonalization was 30% (95% CI = 26%–33%) and 15% (95% CI = 9%–23%), respectively, and that of low personal performance was 35% (95% CI = 27%–43%).

Conclusions

The are many oncology nurses with emotional exhaustion and low levels of personal accomplishment. The presence and the risk of burnout among these staff members are considerable.
Quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) analysis of plant‐derived compounds with larvicidal activity against Zika Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) vector using freely available descriptors
Authors: Saavedra Laura M , Romanelli Gustavo P , Duchowicz Pablo R
Published: January 2018

BACKGROUND

We have developed a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model for predicting the larvicidal activity of 60 plant‐derived molecules against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae), a vector of several diseases such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. The balanced subsets method (BSM) based on k‐means cluster analysis (k‐MCA) was employed to split the data set. The replacement method (RM) variable subset selection technique coupled with multivariable linear regression (MLR) proved to be successful for exploring 18 326 molecular descriptors and fingerprints calculated with PaDEL, Mold2 and EPI Suite open‐source softwares.

RESULTS

A robust QSAR model (, Strain = 0.20 and , Stest = 0.23) involving five non‐conformational descriptors was established. The model was validated and tested through the use of an external test set of compounds, the leave‐one‐out (LOO) and leave‐more‐out (LMO) cross‐validation methods, Y‐randomization and applicability domain (AD) analysis.

CONCLUSION

The QSAR model surpasses previously published models based on geometrical descriptors, thereby representing a suitable tool for predicting larvicidal activity against the vector A. aegypti using a conformation‐independent approach. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Approximate design and performance of the robust control charts for monitoring dispersion in Phase I
Authors: Saghir Aamir , Faraz Alireza
Published: January 2018

This article designs and studies the approximate performance of robust dispersion charts, namely, MAD chart, Sn chart, and Qn chart, in Phase I analysis (recently developed in the literature). The proposed limits are based on false alarm probability for monitoring the dispersion of a process in Phase I analysis. The charting constants are determined to achieve the required nominal FAP (FAP0). The performance of these structures is evaluated in (i) the attained false alarm rate and (ii) the probability of signals for out‐of‐control situations. The analysis shows that the proposed design of Phase I robust dispersion charts correctly controls the FAP and shows a good performance in detecting the shifts in the process variation. An illustrative example is used to explain the practical implementation of these limits.
The diversity of myeloid immune cells shaping wound repair and fibrosis in the lung
Authors: Florez‐Sampedro Laura , Song Shanshan , Melgert Barbro N.
Published: January 2018

In healthy circumstances the immune system coordinates tissue repair responses in a tight balance that entails efficient inflammation for removal of potential threats, proper wound closure, and regeneration to regain tissue function. Pathological conditions, continuous exposure to noxious agents, and even ageing can dysregulate immune responses after injury. This dysregulation can lead to a chronic repair mechanism known as fibrosis. Alterations in wound healing can occur in many organs, but our focus lies with the lung as it requires highly regulated immune and repair responses with its continuous exposure to airborne threats. Dysregulated repair responses can lead to pulmonary fibrosis but the exact reason for its development is often not known. Here, we review the diversity of innate immune cells of myeloid origin that are involved in tissue repair and we illustrate how these cell types can contribute to the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Moreover, we briefly discuss the effect of age on innate immune responses and therefore on wound healing and we conclude with the implications of current knowledge on the avenues for future research.
DNA binding in combination with capillary electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the rapid speciation analysis of mercury
Authors: Chen Yiquan , Chen Lian , Wang Xusheng , Xi Zhiming , Wu Yongning , Fu FengFu
Published: January 2018

We herein developed a method for the rapid speciation analysis of Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ by using specific DNA sequences to bind Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ together with capillary electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The specific DNA sequences can combine with Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ with different binding force, which makes the formed DNA‐Hg2+ and DNA‐CH3Hg+ conjugates possess different negative charges, and thus make Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ can be more easily and rapidly separated by capillary electrophoresis under reverse mode. Under the optimal conditions, the Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ can be baseline separated and detected by capillary electrophoresis‐inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry within 11 min with a detection limit of 0.12 and 0.10 ng/mL, respectively. With the help of the method, we have successfully determined Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ in dried fish muscle samples with a recovery of 95–101% and a relative standard deviation (n = 6) <5%. In comparison with previous capillary electrophoresis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry methods, the proposed method has shorter separation time and higher sensitivity under the same conditions of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Higher sensitivity and shorter separation time make our method a valuable technique to the speciation analysis of trace Hg2+ and CH3Hg+ in the environmental and food samples.
Quantification of sterols from carp cell lines by using HPLC–MS
Authors: Beck Alexander , Jordan Lisa Katharina , Herlitze Simon , Amtmann Anette , Christian Juergen , Brogden Graham , Adamek Mikolaj , Naim Hassan Y. , Maria Becker Anna
Published: January 2018

Cholesterol is a major constituent of cell membranes and exhibits together with its oxidation products (oxysterols) several essential cellular functions. Additionally, it was recently shown to play a role during virus replication in fish. To investigate the involvement of cholesterol and oxysterols, for example, during a viral infection in fish cells, quantitative analysis of these analytes from cell cultures is necessary. A fast method based on solvent extraction followed by reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry for quantitation of cholesterol and seven oxysterols from cells and culture medium is described in this work. Detection limits were in the low ng/mL range, and the intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were above 87% for all analytes. A cholesterol content of approximately 10 μg per 2 × 106 cells, exceeding the concentration of oxysterols by at least 103‐fold, was determined for common carp brain cells. Furthermore, using the method established here, an uptake of externally supplied 25‐hydroxycholesterol by fish cells and its conversion to 7a,25‐dihydroxycholesterol could be shown. In summary, this is the first report on quantification of cholesterol and oxysterols from fish cell cultures, which can help in exploring their function during viral infections.
Simultaneous quantification of nicotinamide mononucleotide and related pyridine compounds in mouse tissues by UHPLC–MS/MS
Authors: Martino Carpi Francesco , Cortese Manuela , Orsomando Giuseppe , Polzonetti Valeria , Vincenzetti Silvia , Moreschini Benedetta , Coleman Michael , Magni Giulio , Pucciarelli Stefania
Published: January 2018

Nicotinamide, nicotinic acid, nicotinamide mononucleotide, nicotinamide riboside and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide represent key metabolites through which a variety of cellular processes is regulated. Here, we report a quantitative, simultaneous determination of nicotinamide mononucleotide, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and their pyridine precursors in several murine tissues using a high‐performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method based on reversed‐phase chromatographic separation. All the analytical steps, including sample preparation and compounds extraction, reversed‐phase liquid chromatographic separation and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry monitoring and identification, were optimized and validated in order to achieve low limit of quantification, high sensitivity and good robustness for metabolomic studies. In the analyzed tissues, we have quantified the compounds of interest, which were in the concentration range of picomoles/mg of wet tissue.
Robust estimation based on a novel family of arctan disparities and the limitation of the second order influence function
Authors: Dharmani Bhaveshkumar Choithram , Basu Ayanendranath
Published: January 2018

The article presents a new family of disparity measures based on the trigonometric
function. A subset of members from the proposed disparity family are shown to have excellent robustness properties against both inliers and outliers and are competitive with other popular disparities such as the Hellinger distance and the symmetric chi‐square. The most notable thing about the presented disparity is that the strong robustness properties of the corresponding minimum distance estimators are attained in spite of predictions to the contrary by not just the first order influence function but also the second order influence function. This demonstrates the limitation of even the second order influence analysis in predicting the robustness properties of a disparity. Several examples and numerical studies illustrate the aforementioned property. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High‐Efficient Preparation of Carboxymethyl Starch via Ball Milling With Limited Solvent Content
Authors: Zhou Mi , Shi Lei , Cheng Fei , Lin Yi , Zhu Pu‐Xin
Published: January 2018

Carboxymethyl starch (CMS) is successfully prepared via ball milling in the presence of limited amounts of solvent, monochloro acetate, or dichloroacetic acid. In the process, several factors affecting carboxymethylation reaction such as solvent, NaOH/ClCH2COONa ratio, ClCH2COONa/anhydroglucose unit (AGU) ratio, reaction time, and amount of dichloroacetic acid are investigated in terms of the degree of substitution (DS) for the CMS and the optimum conditions are established. Under this condition, the substitution degree of the prepared CMS is 0.65 and the reaction efficiency can reach up to 80%. Additionally, crosslinked carboxymethyl starch is prepared by using dichloroacetic acid as crosslinking agent in the same condition in order to increase the viscosity of CMS. The crystallinity of CMS is measured by X‐ray diffraction. And the results shows that the crystallinity of the product is decreased with the increasing milling time and substitution degree. FTIR and 1HNMR spectra indicates that the hydroxyl groups of starches are substituted by carboxymethyl groups. Our work provides a simple method for high‐efficient preparation of CMS via ball milling in the presence of monochloro acetate and dichloroacetic acid and has great potential for broadening the application of starch.
Sol‐Gel Synthesis and Fine Characterization of Hierarchically Porous and Multifunctional Silica‐Based Membranes
Authors: Ayral André
Published: January 2018

Rational design of thin films for improving their functional properties can result in complex architectures. This issue will be here illustrated in the case of sol‐gel derived hierarchically porous and multifunctional silica‐based membranes. Thin silica layers with isolated and randomly distributed macropores, isolated and ordered mesopores and an interconnected microporosity in the silica walls are thus obtained by combining different synthesis strategies. The impact of the overall porosity and of the pore size distribution on the mechanical properties of these layers is investigated coupling experimental measurements and numerical simulation. The extra porosity is used for providing a catalytic functionality by inserting Pt nanoparticles at predefined locations. Two methods are implemented to control the spatial distribution of the catalytic nanoparticles either in the mesopores or in the macropores. The catalytic performance of the resulting materials is tested. Organosilica thin films with isolated and ordered mesopores and an interconnected microporosity in the walls are also prepared and characterized in terms of adsorption and gas permeation. Numerical simulation of adsorption appears as a promising tool for understanding and predicting the properties of such films.
Positioning strategies and congruence in the positioning of high‐end indigenous and foreign retailers in sub‐Saharan Africa: An illustration from Ghana
Authors: Blankson Charles , Nkrumah Michael Fiifi , Opare Gertrude , Ketron Seth
Published: January 2018

This article examines the employment of positioning strategies through the lens of international retailing for assessing congruence in the positioning of both indigenous and foreign retailers in Ghana. Six retailers—three indigenous and three foreign—are examined in a triangulated method, each through an in‐depth case study. The results show that the dominant positioning strategies consistently pursued by both indigenous and foreign retailers in Ghana are “service,” “reliability,” and “attractiveness.” Although indigenous retailers (relative to their foreign counterparts) employ more strategies, the majority of foreign retailers exhibit close‐to‐ideal congruence among managers' intentions, actual practice, and customers' perceptions. The findings show that foreign and indigenous retailers pursue varying positioning strategies in the marketplace, further complementing the utility of Western‐developed typologies of positioning strategies in a sub‐Saharan African marketplace. Moreover, the results reveal how indigenous retailers have embraced branding, further attesting to the changing and competitive nature of the Ghanaian marketplace.
Kernel‐based measures of association
Authors: Liu Ying , de la Pena Victor , Zheng Tian
Published: January 2018

Measures of association have been widely used for describing statistical relationships between two sets of variables. Traditionally, such association measures focus on specialized settings. Based on an in‐depth summary of existing common measures, we present a general framework for association measures that unifies existing methods and novel extensions based on kernels, including practical solutions to computational challenges. Specifically, we introduce association screening and variable selection via maximizing kernel‐based association measures. We also develop a backward dropping procedure for feature selection when there are a large number of candidate variables. The proposed framework was evaluated by independence tests and feature selection using kernel association measures on a diversified set of simulated association patterns with different dimensions and variable types. The results show the superiority of the generalized association measures over existing ones. We also apply our framework to a real‐world problem of gender prediction from handwritten texts. We demonstrate, through this application, the data‐driven adaptation of kernels, and how kernel‐based association measures can naturally be applied to data structures including functional input spaces. This suggests that the proposed framework can guide derivation of appropriate association measures in a wide range of real‐world problems and work well in practice. WIREs Comput Stat 2018, 10:e1422. doi: 10.1002/wics.1422

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Pattern Recognition

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Knowledge Discovery

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Multivariate Analysis
Implications of Stoma Formation as Part of Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy
Authors: Jacoby H. , Berger Y. , Barda L. , Sharif N. , Zager Y. , Lebedyev A. , Gutman M. , Hoffman A.
Published: January 2018

Background

Formation of protective stoma as part of cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS–HIPEC) may be an effective tool in reducing anastomotic leak incidence. Our aim was to evaluate the incidence and implications of stoma formation during CRS–HIPEC and to examine whether a creation of protective stoma reduces the postoperative morbidity.

Methods

A cohort retrospective analysis of all CRS–HIPEC procedures performed between 2004 and 2016 was conducted. Predicting factors for stoma formation were assessed by comparing all patients who underwent stoma formation to those who did not; both groups were then restricted to cases with ≥2 bowel anastomoses and compared in terms of perioperative outcomes in order to determine whether protective stoma confers a morbidity benefit.

Results

One hundred and ninety‐nine CRS–HIPEC procedures were performed on 186 patients. Thirty‐four patients (17%) underwent stoma formation, 24 of them as protective stoma. Formation of a stoma was correlated with higher peritoneal carcinomatosis index score (13.6 ± 8 vs. 9.5 ± 7.7, p = 0.007), larger number of organs resected (p < 0.001), greater number of anastomoses (p < 0.001), prolonged operative time (8.1 ± 2.7 vs. 6.6 ± 2.2 h, p = 0.002), and prolonged hospital stay (12 vs. 8.5 days, p = 0.001). In procedures requiring ≥2 anastomoses, formation of protective stoma reduced the anastomotic leak rate (6 vs. 37%, p = 0.025), the morbidity rate (6 vs. 41%, p = 0.017), and reoperation rate (0 vs. 28%, p = 0.03). Overall, 15 patients (44%) underwent stoma reversal, 3 of whom had a complication treated non‐operatively.

Conclusions

Protective stoma should be considered in extensive CRS–HIPEC procedures requiring two or more bowel anastomoses in order to reduce the postoperative morbidity rate.
Laws of Large Numbers for Non-Homogeneous Markov Systems
Authors: Vassiliou P.-C. G.
Published: January 2018

In the present we establish Laws of Large Numbers for Non-Homogeneous Markov Systems and Cyclic Non-homogeneous Markov systems. We start with a theorem, where we establish, that for a NHMS under certain conditions, the fraction of time that a membership is in a certain state, asymptotically converges in mean square to the limit of the relative population structure of memberships in that state. We continue by proving a theorem which provides the conditions under which the mode of covergence is almost surely. We continue by proving under which conditions a Cyclic NHMS is Cesaro strongly ergodic. We then proceed to prove, that for a Cyclic NHMS under certain conditions the fraction of time that a membership is in a certain state, asymptotically converges in mean square to the limit of the relative population structure in the strongly Cesaro sense of memberships in that state. We then proceed to establish a founding Theorem, which provides the conditions under which, the relative population structure asymptotically converges in the strongly Cesaro sense with geometrical rate. This theorem is the basic instrument missing to prove, under what conditions the Law of Large Numbers for a Cycl-NHMS is with almost surely mode of convergence. Finally, we present two applications firstly for geriatric and stroke patients in a hospital and secondly for the population of students in a University system.
Fungal succession and decomposition of Pinus densiflora snags
Authors: Fukasawa Yu
Published: January 2018

Fungal decomposition of coarse woody debris has an essential role in the biodiversity and carbon and nutrient dynamics in forest ecosystems. However, our knowledge of the effects of fungal species and within‐stem diversity on wood decay is limited. In this paper, I described the process of wood decay and fungal succession of pine (Pinus densiflora) snags using chronosequence method. The results showed that the decay process differed between sapwood and heartwood. Sapwood decayed faster than heartwood, despite their initial densities being the same. Sapwood decay occurred in two phases. The first phase involved a typical white‐rot process wherein acid‐unhydrolysable residue (lignin) and holocellulose decayed simultaneously. White‐rot species, such as Trichaptum abietinum and Phanerochaete sordida, were the dominant fungi and were likely the functional decomposers in this phase. The second phase involved selective decomposition of holocellulose. The dominant fungi in this phase included soft‐rot species, such as Trichoderma spp., that can decompose holocellulose in wood that was previously delignified by white‐rot species. In contrast to sapwood, heartwood experienced less loss of wood density and no clear change in lignocellulose composition, even in later stages of decay. Dominant fungi in heartwood included the latent inhabitants of living pine trees, such as Ascocoryne cylichnium, which is known to reduce colonization and wood decay by strong decomposers. These results suggest that, in addition to decay‐resistant chemicals present in heartwood, the differences in the fungal communities present in heartwood and sapwood were responsible for the differences in their decay rates.
A prognostic model of Alzheimer's disease relying on multiple longitudinal measures and time‐to‐event data
Authors: Li Kan , O'Brien Richard , Lutz Michael , Luo Sheng ,   The Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2018

Introduction

Characterizing progression in Alzheimer's disease is critically important for early detection and targeted treatment. The objective was to develop a prognostic model, based on multivariate longitudinal markers, for predicting progression‐free survival in patients with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods

The information contained in multiple longitudinal markers was extracted using multivariate functional principal components analysis and used as predictors in the Cox regression models. Cross‐validation was used for selecting the best model based on Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative–1. External validation was conducted on Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative–2.

Results

Model comparison yielded a prognostic index computed as the weighted combination of historical information of five neurocognitive longitudinal markers that are routinely collected in observational studies. The comprehensive validity analysis provided solid evidence of the usefulness of the model for predicting Alzheimer's disease progression.

Discussion

The prognostic model was improved by incorporating multiple longitudinal markers. It is useful for monitoring disease and identifying patients for clinical trial recruitment.
Data re-use for preliminary thermal-mechanical design of gas turbine engines
Authors: Lu Gan , Wang Feng , di Mare Luca , Moss Mike , May Gordon
Published: January 2018

Thermal-mechanical design is a time-consuming process even at its preliminary design stage. This is due to the large number of components and boundary condition data, the complexity of the geometry, and the iterative nature of the design process. The conventional design process separates the geometric and physical models and results in considerable human interventions during the design process. By assigning the breakpoints to engine assembly features as internal parameters, this article reports a novel feature-based design approach where the associated boundary conditions are represented parametrically along the feature geometric contours. They are updated automatically as per the geometrical changes, including topological changes, and hence bridging the gap between the geometric and physical models. The current approach enables data re-use of both the geometries and physical information from previous engine designs to generate new designs, dispensing with the excessive human interventions. Although the methodology is generic and applicable to other design scenarios, its capability is demonstrated in this article by some representative challenging industrial applications, sitting in the 2D preliminary gas-turbine design domain. The test cases show that the method can significantly reduce the time-cost of the iterative thermal-mechanical design flow.
Generations of Memory: Elements of a Conceptual Framework
Authors: Wydra Harald
Published: January 2018

This paper links memory to generations of meaning and argues that generational belonging mediates access to memory. Generations of meaning create memories because they connect experiences, beyond the lifetime of individuals, with the wider cultural existence of social communities. Such connections can be understood as a hermeneutic and relational process. Meaning is not a factor of causation, but is cumulative, as meanings are recollected across generational thresholds of experience. This paper conceptualizes such thresholds of experience through three lines of enquiry. First, generativity produces new carriers of culture and memory, which sustain perceptions of historical beginnings. Second, generational change is a condition of liminality and in-betweenness, which people work to transcend by mediating fractures and thus connecting past problem spaces to frameworks of anticipation. Third, narrative commitments emerge as memories are recollected across different temporalities, incommensurability, and forgetting. Memory is not the product of one determining generation, but relational, cumulative, and stretched out in time.
“Essential Collaborators”: Locating Middle Eastern Geneticists in the Global Scientific Infrastructure, 1950s–1970s
Authors: Burton Elise K.
Published: January 2018

In the aftermath of World War II, a new international infrastructure based on United Nations agencies took charge of coordinating global biomedical research. Through this infrastructure, European and American geneticists hoped to collect and test blood samples from human populations across the world to understand processes of human heredity and evolution and trace the historical migrations of different groups. They relied heavily on local scientific workers to help them identify and access populations of interest, although they did not always acknowledge the critical role non-Western collaborators played in their studies. Using scientific publications, personal correspondence, and oral histories, I investigate the collaborative relationships between Western scientists, their counterparts in the Middle East, and the human subjects of genetic research. I comparatively examine the experiences of Israeli and Iranian scientists and physicians engaged in genetic anthropology and medical genetics between the mid-1950s and the late 1970s, noting how they both applied nationalist historical narratives to their genetic data and struggled to establish the value of their local knowledge and scientific labor. I argue that the Israeli and Iranian experience of transnational scientific collaboration is representative of how Western scientists relegated their collaborators from “developing” regions to a subordinate positionality as collection agents or native informants. Meanwhile, within their own countries, the elite professional identity of Israeli and Iranian scientists granted them the authority to manipulate their research subjects, who often belonged to marginalized minority communities, and to interpret their biology and history within contexts of Jewish and Persian nationalism.
Leaching of EPTC and R-25788 in Soil
Authors: Buzio C. A. , Burt G. W.
Published: January 2018

Leaching of EPTC (S-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) plus R-25788 (N,N-diallyl-2,2-dichloroacetamide) through columns of four soils resulted in the separation of R-25788. Separation of R-25788 from EPTC was greater in coarser than in finer textured soils. When soil columns were placed under drying conditions for 6 days after leaching, R-25788 moved upward in the columns faster than EPTC.
Retardation of Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) Regrowth through Chemical Control of Vegetative Reproduction
Authors: Steward K. K.
Published: January 2018

Several chemicals were evaluated in the laboratory for their ability to inhibit growth of hydrilla [Hydrilla verticillata(L.f.) Royle] from tubers. Fenac [(2,3,6-trichlorophenyl)acetic acid] and dichlobenil (2,6-dichlorobenzonitrile) were effective in controlling regrowth in outdoor aquaria. In field tests, hydrilla regrowth was controlled for over 13 months by single applications of 34 kg/ha rates of fenac and over 48 months in one of three replicates treated with 11 kg/ha dichlobenil. Regrowth occurred in controls within 2 to 6 months. There were no differences in the number of viable propagules found in hydrosoil before and 13 months after treatments. Regrowth occurred from root-stocks and from tubers. Regrowth was associated with disappearance of the herbicides from water.
Life History and Ecology of Dwarf Spikerush (Eleocharis coloradoensis)
Authors: Yeo Richard R.
Published: January 2018

Dwarf spikerush [Eleocharis coloradoensis(Britt.) Gilly], a perennial aquatic plant, is composed of many individual rosettes connected by rhizomes. Each rosette has needlelike culms attached to a stalk, a crown with an apical meristem, and many fibrous roots. It reproduces by achenes, subterranean tubers, and crown tubers. Dwarf spikerush achenes were harvested three times in 1 yr after the water level had been manipulated to promote flowering. The annual yield of achenes following this treatment was 79 kg per ha. Subterranean tubers began to form in September and formation was maximum in October. Individual plants grown for 1 yr developed an average of 351 tubers. Maximum density of tubers formed in hydrosoil was 7 per cm2. Longevity studies showed that the percentage germination of achenes and tubers decreased, respectively, from 48 to 32% and from 100 to 46% when stored wet at 4 C for 4 yr. Plants grown for 6 months from a single subterranean tuber, rosette, or achene spanned 150, 127, and 99 cm, respectively. The species thrived in a wide range of water qualities and on soft hydrosoils largely made up of silt, clay, and organic matter. On plants immersed in 0 to 100% sea water for 1 month, culms were injured in 30% sea water and killed in 40% sea water. Surviving plants showed some new growth after transfer to fresh water. Some tubers were incubated in diluted sea water. They germinated in solutions up to 80% sea water. Plants grown in water under different light intensities grew best at the maximum of 3,900 lux. More rosettes, culms, and inflorescences were produced with a 14-h photoperiod than 11- or 17-h photoperiod. Dwarf spikerush displaced other species by invading them when growth of the other plants was suppressed. The erect crowded culms of dwarf spikerush mechanically resisted incursion of other aquatic plants.
Comparative Morphological Development of Cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) in Iraq
Authors: Al-Juboory B. A. , Hassawy G. S.
Published: January 2018

Field experiments were conducted over a 2-yr period to study the comparative morphological development of cogongrass [Imperata cylindrica(L.) Beauv.] ecotypes from 15 different locations throughout the three main regions of Iraq. Plant height and density of stands varied more than 2-fold. The number of flowering heads varied 11-fold for plants collected from the different locations. Mature leaf-blades varied in width from 4.7 to 6.9 mm. These distinct variations indicate the existence of different ecotypes of cogongrass in Iraq.