bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lateness Minimization in Pairwise Connectivity Restoration Problems
Authors: Averbakh Igor , Pereira Jordi
Published: September 2018

A network is given whose edges need to be constructed (or restored after a disaster). The lengths of edges represent the required construction/restoration times given available resources, and one unit of length of the network can be constructed per unit of time. All points of the network are accessible for construction at any time. For each pair of vertices, a due date is given. It is required to find a construction schedule that minimizes the maximum lateness of all pairs of vertices, where the lateness of a pair is the difference between the time when the pair becomes connected by an already constructed path and the pair’s due date. We introduce the problem and analyze its structural properties, present a mixed-integer linear programming formulation, develop a number of lower bounds that are integrated in a branch-and-bound algorithm, and discuss results of computational experiments both for instances based on randomly generated networks and for instances based on 2010 Chilean earthquake data.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2017.0796 .
Celebrity smiles, oral health and teen self-esteem
Authors: Pointer Rachel
Published: September 2018

Rachel Pointer considers dental care throughout the teenage years
Access to Abortion in Central Appalachian States: Examining County of Residence and County‐Level Attributes
Authors: O'Donnell Jenny , Goldberg Alisa , Betancourt Theresa , Lieberman Ellice
Published: September 2018

CONTEXT

Studies of how women's individual characteristics and place of residence are related to variability in gestational age at the time of abortion have not examined county of residence and county‐level characteristics. The county level is potentially meaningful, given that county is the smallest geographic unit with policy implications.

METHODS

Data on 38,611 abortions that took place in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia in 2012 were used to study the relationship between gestational age and county‐level attributes (e.g., metropolitan status and poverty). Three‐level hierarchical linear models captured individuals nested in county of residence, clustered by state of residence, and adjusted for individual characteristics and distance traveled to care.

RESULTS

Eight percent of the variation in gestational age at abortion was attributable to county‐level characteristics. Residents of counties characterized by persistent poverty obtained abortions 2.3 days later in gestation than those from counties not characterized by that level of economic hardship. Women living in nonmetropolitan counties obtained abortions 1.7 days later than those living in metropolitan counties, even after distance traveled and county‐level poverty were controlled for.

CONCLUSION

County of residence is relevant to gestational age at the time of abortion for women in these three states. Evidence that county‐level attributes are related to access adds insight to the consequences for women when the landscape of abortion service delivery shifts. Integrating county of residence into research on access to abortion services may be critical to capturing disparities in access.
Aberration-diverse optical coherence tomography for suppression of multiple scattering and speckle
Authors: Liu Siyang , Lamont Michael R. E. , Mulligan Jeffrey A. , Adie Steven G.
Published: September 2018

Multiple scattering is a major barrier that limits the optical imaging depth in scattering media. In order to alleviate this effect, we demonstrate aberration-diverse optical coherence tomography (AD-OCT), which exploits the phase correlation between the deterministic signals from single-scattered photons to suppress the random background caused by multiple scattering and speckle. AD-OCT illuminates the sample volume with diverse aberrated point spread functions, and computationally removes these intentionally applied aberrations. After accumulating 12 astigmatism-diverse OCT volumes, we show a 10 dB enhancement in signal-to-background ratio via a coherent average of reconstructed signals from a USAF target located 7.2 scattering mean free paths below a thick scattering layer, and a 3× speckle contrast reduction from an incoherent average of reconstructed signals inside the scattering layer. This AD-OCT method, when implemented using astigmatic illumination, is a promising approach for ultra-deep volumetric optical coherence microscopy.
Characterization of NAD(P)H and FAD autofluorescence signatures in a Langendorff isolated-perfused rat heart model
Authors: Lagarto João L. , Dyer Benjamin T. , Talbot Clifford B. , Peters Nicholas S. , French Paul M. W. , Lyon Alexander R. , Dunsby Chris
Published: September 2018

Autofluorescence spectroscopy is a promising label-free approach to characterize biological samples with demonstrated potential to report structural and biochemical alterations in tissues in a number of clinical applications. We report a characterization of the ex vivo autofluorescence fingerprint of cardiac tissue, exploiting a Langendorff-perfused isolated rat heart model to induce physiological insults to the heart, with a view to understanding how metabolic alterations affect the autofluorescence signals. Changes in the autofluorescence intensity and lifetime signatures associated with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) were characterized during oxygen- or glucose-depletion protocols. Results suggest that both NAD(P)H and FAD autofluorescence intensity and lifetime parameters are sensitive to changes in the metabolic state of the heart owing to oxygen deprivation. We also observed changes in NAD(P)H fluorescence intensity and FAD lifetime parameter on reperfusion of oxygen, which might provide information on reperfusion injury, and permanent tissue damage or changes to the tissue during recovery from oxygen deprivation. We found that changes in the autofluorescence signature following glucose-depletion are, in general, less pronounced, and most clearly visible in NAD(P)H related parameters. Overall, the results reported in this investigation can serve as baseline for future investigations of cardiac tissue involving autofluorescence measurements.
STUDY OF COMPONENT COMPOSITION OF MEDICINAL PLANT MATERIALS BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH MASS-SPECTROMETRIC DETECTION
Authors: Жестовская (Zhestovskaya) Елизавета (Elizaveta) Сергеевна (Sergeevna) , Антохин (Antokhin) Андрей (Аndrej) Михайлович (Mikhajlovich) , Таранченко (Taranchenko) Виктор (Viktor) Федорович (Fedorovich) , Василевский (Vasilevskiy) Сергей (Sergej) Валерьевич (Valer'evich) , Аксенов (Aksenov) Алексей (Аleksej) Вадимович (Vadimovich) , Аксенова (Aksenova) Юлия (Yuliya) Борисовна (Borisovna) , Ласкина (Laskina) Любовь (Lyubov') Юрьевна (Yur'evna) , Родин (Rodin) Игорь (Igor') Александрович (Аleksandrovich) , Шпигун (Shpigun) Олег (Oleg) Алексеевич (Аlekseevich)
Published: September 2018

Component composition of extracts 14 medicinal materials kinds was study by gas chromatography with mass-spectrometric detection for revealing of the marker compounds specific for particular plant species. Extraction of components from the investigated objects was carried out by extraction of dry ground raw material with ethanol. For the analysis of polar compounds, the extracts were further derivatized to give the corresponding trimethylsilyl derivatives. Identification of components was carried out using commercial (NIST11, Wiley14) and own custom mass-spectrometer libraries. A number of compounds with species specificity were found for Schisandra chinensis, Ginkgo biloba, Oplopanax elatus, Oplopanax horridus, Ferula soongarica, Epimedium brevicornu, Epimedium koreanu, Cnidium Monnieri, Tribulus terrestris. The possibility of practical application of identified marker compounds for establishing the authenticity and quality control of multicomponent plant gathering and biologically active food additives on the example of the analysis BAA «Vertera Endo mix», «REDTEST», «Devil’s Club» is shown. Based on the analysis of extracts Panax ginseng, Aralia mandshurica, Rhodiola rosea, Eurycoma longifolia and Eleutherococcus senticosus, it was not possible to identify marker compounds
THE PREPARATION OF FIBERS FOR CARDBOARD PRODUCTION
Authors: Мидуков (Midukov) Николай (Nikolaj) Петрович (Petrovich) , Ефремов (Efremov) Данил (Danil) Сергеевич (Sergeevich) , Куров (Kurov) Виктор (Viktor) Сергеевич (Sergeevich) , Смолин (Smolin) Александр (Аleksandr) Семёнович (Semyonovich)
Published: September 2018

The article presents the data about the preparation of recovered paper using dry method. The objective of this method of fiber preparation is to reduce water and energy consumption as well as obtaining higher physical and mechanical characteristics of the cardboard. There is used a dispergator parts of which are constructed with 3D printer. After dry defibration, the purification is carried out. Acquired finely dispersed, refined material is used to produce the three-layer cardboard – test-liner. According to standard methodologies, there were determined such mechanical parameters of multi-layer test-liner as breaking length, bursting strength.  Obtained results can be used to produce multi-layer testliner to reduce energy costs, as well as water consumption. As a result of this research, it turned out that using the method of preliminary dry dispersion of fibers, it becomes possible to reduce metal volume of the equipment as well as energy and water consumption. Previously, the mechanical grinding of recycled fibers was not carried out. Therefore the data presented in this article allow assess the cost of applying this method into the industry. The method of dry dispersion, which was carried out and studied in laboratory conditions, is not currently applied in the paper and cardboard industry of Russia, despite its advantages. In the future, it is planned to conduct repeated studies, with a view to the possible introduction of this method into the industry.
YOUNG WOOD OF SPRUCE AND BIRCH – COMPLETE RAW MATERIAL FOR PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY
Authors: Хакимова (Khakimova) Фирдавес (Firdaves) Харисовна (Kharisovna) , Хакимов (Khakimov) Роман (Roman) Рашидович (Rashidovich) , Носкова (Noskova) Ольга (Ol'ga) Алексеевна (Аlekseevna)
Published: September 2018

The work is devoted to increase in complexity of use of wood raw materials – one of the most important directions in solution to complying with the modern requirements of rational environmental management and environmental protection.Features of impregnation by bisulfite sulfite cooking acid and regularities of bisulfite delignification of young and ripe fir-tree and birch wood have been investigated. It is shown that young thin wood of both breeds becomes impregnated by bisulfite sulfite cooking acid much quicker, than ripe. The nature of delignification processes for young and ripe wood are identical, however intensity of processes is much lower for young wood.It has been established that cellulose derived from young wood is ground easier and has higher mechanical strength rates than from ripe. However cellulose from young wood is dehydrated slightly more difficultly and has the increased water-retaining what is connected with differences in sizes and properties of fibers of young and ripe wood.Cellulose yields of young and ripe wood differ insignificantly. Cellulose from young birch wood characterized by a somehow lowered owing due to the higher content of knots of this wood.Young wood is dignified by bisulfite cooking liquor without difficulties, but slightly more slowly in comparison with the corresponding ripe wood breed. The research results showed that the young (thin) fir-tree and birch wood of which is formed at cleaning cutting is the considerable reserve stock of wood raw materials which can be successfully utilized fibrous semi-finished products production, in particular in bisulfite cellulose.
ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OF HUMIC ETIOLOGY
Authors: Зыкова (Zykova) Мария (Mariya) Владимировна (Vladimirovna) , Логвинова (Logvinova) Людмила (Lyudmila) Анатольевна (Аnatol'evna) , Кривощеков (Krivoshchekov) Сергей (Sergej) Владимирович (Vladimirovich) , Воронова (Voronova) Олеся (Olesya) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Ласукова (Lasukova) Татьяна (Tat'yana) Викторовна (Viktorovna) , Братишко (Bratishko) Кристина (Kristina) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Жолобова (Zholobova) Галина (Galina) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Голубина (Golubina) Ольга (Ol'ga) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Передерина (Perederina) Ирина (Irina) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Дрыгунова (Drygunova) Лариса (Larisa) Александровна (Аleksandrovna) , Тверякова (Tveryakova) Елена (Elena) Никитична (Nikitichna) , Белоусов (Belousov) Михаил (Mikhail) Валерьевич (Valer'evich)
Published: September 2018

Dependance of antioxidant activity of the humic macromolecular compounds from their etiology and production method was learned by means of physical-chemical analysis methods – colorimetry with diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) as a stable radical, cathodic voltammetry, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. 18 native humic acids (HAs) were isolated by extraction from nine typical species of peats of the Tomsk region, that differ from each other by botanical composition, degree of decomposition and ash content. Two extragents were used: sodium hydroxide and sodium pyrophosphate. Although all 18 HAs samples exhibit antioxidant activity. At the same time there is a similar trend in the distribution of antioxidant activity, which is proved by Spearman's correlation analysis. А higher activity was noted for pyrophosphate HAs. Using methods of cathodic voltammetry and colorimetry with DPPH it was found that HAs show antioxidant activity by its mechanism, being a proton donor due to the presence of a large number of phenolic hydroxyls.EPR spectroscopy established that the HAs are traps of free radicals.
espanhol ao português
Authors: Pontes Valdecy Oliveira , Duarte Denísia Kênia Feliciano , Coan Márluce
Published: September 2018

Neste artigo, abordamos a tradução dos pretéritos perfeito simples e perfeito composto do Espanhol ao Português, conjugando pressupostos advindos da tradução funcional, do Funcionalismo linguístico e da metodologia de sequência didática. Aplicamos a dois grupos de estudantes de Espanhol, falantes nativos de Português, a metodologia de sequência didática à tradução de um fragmento do conto “¡Diles que no me maten!”, de Juan Rulfo. Após contato prévio com o conto, os alunos procederam à primeira tradução; seguiram-se módulos referentes aos valores temporais, aspectuais e modais dos pretéritos sob análise; por fim, houve a segunda tradução. Os dados das duas traduções foram comparados visando a demonstrar que conhecimentos adquiridos sobre os valores temporais, aspectuais e modais, durante a sequência didática, permitiram aos alunos aprimoramento da tradução, tornando o texto meta o mais próximo possível do texto base. Verificamos, outrossim, que equívocos de tradução decorrem, basicamente, do fato de os estudantes, na tradução do pretérito perfeito composto do Espanhol ao simples do Português, não inserirem marcadores temporais, não optarem por perífrases imperfectivas e desconsiderarem possibilidade de interpretação irreais.
fenômeno dêitico e o processo de flexão (pro)nominal na Libras
Authors: Lima Ediane Silva , Da Cruz Ronald Taveira
Published: September 2018

Neste artigo discorremos sobre o uso e a relação dos sinais dêiticos pessoais como responsáveis pelo processo de concordância verbal na Libras. Além de defendermos que, os sinais dêiticos se flexionam do mesmo modo que os sinais nominais, isto é, recebem itens sublexicais distintos para indicar um ou outro sentido, também apontamos que esses sinais, devido ao processo de evolução natural das línguas naturais, evoluem dando origem a novas formas, como o sinal do pronome possessivo NOSSO, já que na Libras encontramos sinais distintos para esse sentido de posse. Desse dado, aliado aos estudos de Meier & Lillo-Martin (2013), e pautados em teóricos como Meier (1990), Ferreira (2010), Thompson et al (2013) dentre outros, indicamos que esses sinais dêiticos vêm se incorporando, ao longo do tempo, aos verbos simples e ganham movimento no espaço neutro, indicados por moduladores espaciais, ou seja, transformam-se em verbos não simples – pois se deslocam espacialmente para concordar com o sujeito e/ou objeto. Esse fenômeno nos possibilitou ‘enxergar’ que o caráter gestual nessa língua, devido o ato de apontar, ganhou novas possibilidades de uso e de sentido, assumindo então várias funções, às vezes concomitantemente, como descrito por esses teóricos. Desse modo, concluímos que esses sinais possuem uma capacidade para se comportar do mesmo modo que os sinais lexicais, mas sem perder seu caráter dêitico de apontar, de indicar e de localizar. E que, portanto, são responsáveis pelo processo de concordância verbal seja incorporado aos verbos não simples seja quando acompanham os verbos simples.
Überlegungen zur Reliabilität der Buchstabenschreibung in frühneuhochdeutschen Handschriften
Authors: Hübner Julia , Politt Katja , Schutzeichel Marc
Published: September 2018

Reliability issues emerge when investigating initials in transcriptions of ENHG manuscripts. Our goal is to demonstrate how a methodological framework of reliability classes affects and facilitates the evaluation of annotated corpus data based on existing text editions. We hypothesize that deviant measurements in the capitalization of sentence-internal word tokens occur when reliability classes and the representativeness of allographs are accounted for. Our data, derived from SIGS project annotations, shows that the capitalization mapped per part of speech can be represented by the size of a set of allographs, thus pointing out the importance of the letter as discrete factor for each text of the corpus.
Dual frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis to estimate hematocrit for prognosis of dengue fever in Indian children
Authors: Devarasu Neelamegam , Sudha Gnanou Florence
Published: September 2018

A noninvasive investigation to ascertain the hematocrit (HCT) or packed cell volume (PCV) was conducted on 44 hospitalized dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) subjects, male and female aged between 3 and 14 years using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Among the 44 subjects, 30 subjects were confirmed to be non-structural protein-1 (NS1) positive at the time of admission, whose blood investigations such as HCT level, platelet (PLT) count, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level were taken for the classification of risk as low risk (LR) and high risk (HR) DHF. Electrical conductivity of blood reflects a linear correlation with HCT. To provide a better and more accurate estimate of HCT, a dual frequency method is proposed to calculate the conductivities of plasma and blood cells. The resistance at 100 kHz is used to estimate the conductivity of blood cells and the impedance at 5 kHz to estimate the conductivity of plasma. Statistical analysis reveals that the HCT estimated using the proposed dual frequency method shows a significant difference with a single frequency (50 kHz) estimate of HCT and also shows a good correlation with the blood investigation results. In addition, statistical analysis of the proposed method on different fever subjects indicates a significant difference with DHF.
Analyzing the capability of PSP, PCT and sCD25 to support the diagnosis of infection in cancer patients with febrile neutropenia
Authors: García de Guadiana-Romualdo Luis , Jiménez-Santos Enrique , Cerezuela-Fuentes Pablo , Español-Morales Ignacio , Berger Mario , Esteban-Torrella Patricia , Hernando-Holgado Ana , Albaladejo-Otón María Dolores
Published: September 2018

Background

Early diagnosis of infection is essential for the initial management of cancer patients with chemotherapy-associated febrile neutropenia (FN). In this study, we have evaluated two emerging infection biomarkers, pancreatic stone protein (PSP) and soluble receptor of interleukin 2, known as soluble cluster of differentiation 25 (sCD25), for the detection of an infectious cause in FN, in comparison with other commonly used infection biomarkers, such as procalcitonin (PCT).

Methods

A total of 105 cancer patients presenting to the emergency department were prospectively enrolled. We observed 114 episodes of chemotherapy-associated FN. At presentation, a blood sample was collected for the measurement of PCT, PSP and sCD25. In order to evaluate the discriminatory ability of these markers for the diagnosis of infection, the area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves was calculated.

Results

Infection was documented in 59 FN episodes. PCT, PSP and sCD25 levels were significantly higher in infected patients. PCT was the biomarker with the highest diagnostic accuracy for infection (AUC: 0.901), whereas PSP and sCD25 showed a similar performance, with AUCs of 0.751 and 0.730, respectively. In a multivariable analysis, PCT and sCD25 were shown to be independently associated with infection.

Conclusions

Two novel biomarkers, PSP and sCD25, correlated with infection in cancer patients with chemotherapy-associated FN, but neither PSP nor sCD25 improved the performance of PCT. Based on the results obtained, the introduction of these novel biomarkers as a tool for the diagnosis of infection in this patient group is not recommended.
Protectionism and the EU Market for Corporate Control: Is It Possible to Get the Best of Both Worlds?
Authors: Mukwiri Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Recent reports of the Commission and the European Parliament have revisited the concerns of protectionism in the EU. This article discusses these concerns in light of the liberal and protectionist divide in the EU market for corporate control, focusing on the board neutrality rule during takeovers. The arguments advanced in this article are threefold. First, that liberal markets are likely to encourage takeovers, but breed short-termism. Second, that protectionist markets are likely to discourage takeovers, but facilitate long-termism. Third, that short-termism in the UK and the so-called protectionism in Germany are the result of entrenched policy choices made in those jurisdictions in regard to the interests they protect in regulating the market for corporate control. The article draws a conclusion that it is hard for the UK and Germany to get the best of both worlds, that is, the liberal market and long-termism.
Operative und strategische Elemente einer leistungsfähigen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur in den Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften
Authors: Bug Mathias , Liebig Stefan , Oellers Claudia , Riphahn Regina T.
Published: September 2018

Dieser Beitrag skizziert vor dem Hintergrund der Diskussionen um den Aufbau einer nationalen Forschungsdateninfrastruktur (NFDI) in Deutschland die Arbeitsweise und Merkmale des Rats für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsdaten (RatSWD). Im Mittelpunkt stehen die zwei zentralen Merkmale des RatSWD als unabhängiges Beratungsgremium von Datenproduzenten und wissenschaftlichen Datennutzenden einerseits und als organisatorischer Rahmen für ein dezentrales Netzwerk aus derzeit 31 akkreditierten Forschungsdatenzentren (FDZ) andererseits. Der RatSWD bildet damit den Rahmen für eine nutzergetriebene, nach außen sprechfähige und leistungsfähige, koordinierte Forschungsdateninfrastruktur in den Sozial-, Verhaltens- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften.

Die Forschungsdateninfrastruktur der Sozial-, Verhaltens- und Wirtschaftswissenschaften ist als bundesweites, verteiltes und wachsendes Netzwerk arbeitsteilig angelegt. Das Netzwerk koordiniert disziplinübergreifend die Archivierung und Bereitstellung einer Vielfalt von Forschungsdaten, befördert institutionellen Wissensaustausch und erarbeitet gemeinsame Standards. Der RatSWD widmet sich der Öffnung von weiteren Datenschätzen aus Verwaltung, Forschung und Wirtschaft für die unabhängige Wissenschaft und entwickelt übergeordnete Standards zu Themen wie Datenschutz, Forschungsethik und nachhaltiger Förderpolitik. Den empirisch Forschenden stehen dadurch eine Interessenvertretung nach außen sowie ein stetig wachsendes Angebot an qualitativ hochwertigen Datensätzen zur Verfügung.
Mechanical response of marble epistyles under shear: numerical analysis using an experimentally validated model
Authors: Pasiou Ermioni D. , Kourkoulis Stavros K.
Published: September 2018

The mechanical response of the restored “connections” of the epistyles of the Parthenon Temple on the Acropolis of Athens is studied assuming that the interconnected epistyles are under shear loading mode. The study is implemented by taking advantage of a numerical model, properly validated on the basis of the data of a recent relative experimental protocol. The main difficulty while studying the specific problem is the co-existence of three materials of completely different mechanical behaviors, i.e. the brittle marble of the epistyles, the ductile titanium of the connector and the cement-based material filling the grooves of the marble in which the connector is placed. The interfaces of this three-material-complex are simulated as simple contact with friction, the coefficient of which is, also, experimentally determined. Taking advantage of the data provided by the numerical model the stress field developed in the connector and the surrounding marble volume is described. Moreover, the forces imposed by the connector on the surface of the groove are quantitatively determined. Furthermore, the model permits a quantitative comparison between the mechanical response of the interconnected epistyles in the presence or in the absence of the “relieving space”. It is definitely concluded that the alternative design of the “connections”, according to which a small portion of the connector’s web is left uncovered by the filling material (relieving space), offers serious advantages against the traditional design, in the direction of reducing the intensity of the stress field developed in the marble volume surrounding the connector, thus, contributing to the protection of the authentic building material of the monument in the case of overloading of the epistyles.
The RCEP and the Changing Landscape of World Trade
Authors: Chaisse Julien , Pomfret Richard
Published: September 2018

This article provides a detailed economic and legal analysis of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with regard to foreign investment with the objective to give an assessment of the impact of this new treaty on investment policies and flows in the Asia-Pacific region. Part One analyzes recent foreign direct investment flows in the ASEAN+ 6 countries, focusing on sectors of rapid growth and participation in global value chains and offers an overview of the RCEP rules on investment from an economic and legal perspective. Part Two analyzes the impacts of deep integration agreements on investment, as in the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement and RCEP’s rules on investment, with particular emphasis on the actual and potential role of small and medium-sized enterprises. The final section looks forward, with best case and plausible-scenario analysis of future impacts on FDI within RCEP, if deep integration progresses among the 16 countries.
Bismuth(III) bromide-thioamide complexes: synthesis, characterization and cytotoxic properties
Authors: Cakmak M. , Ozturk I.I. , Banti C.N. , Manoli M. , Moushi E. , Tasiopoulos A.J. , Grześkiewicz A.M. , Kubicki M. , Hadjikakou S.K.
Published: September 2018

New bismuth(III) bromine compounds of the heterocyclic thioamides were prepared and structurally characterized. The reaction of heterocyclic thioamides with bismuth(III) bromide resulted in the formation of the {[BiBr2(μ2-Br)(MMI)2]2·CH3COCH3·H2O} (1), {[BiBr2(MBZIM)4]·Br·2H2O} (2), {[BiBr2(μ2-Br)(tHPMT)2]2·CH3CN} (3), {[BiBr2(μ2-Br)(PYT)2]2·CH3CN} (4) and {[BiBr2(μ2-Br)(MBZT)2]22CH3OH} (5) complexes (MMI: 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole, MBZIM: 2-mercaptobenzimidazole, tHPMT: 2-mercapto-3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-pyrimidine, PYT: 2-mercaptopyridine and MBZT: 2-mercaptobenzothiazole). The complexes1–5were characterized by melting point (m.p.), elemental analysis (e.a.), molar conductivity, Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), Fourier-transform Raman (FT-Raman), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and13CNMR) spectroscopy, UV-Vis spectroscopy and thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA). The molecular structures of1–5were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex2is a first ionic monomuclear octahedral bismuth(III) bromide, while the complexes1,3–5are the first examples of dinuclear bismuth(III) bromide derivatives. Complexes1–5were evaluated in terms of theirin vitrocytotoxic activity against human adenocarcinoma breast (MCF-7) and cervix (HeLa) cells. The toxicity on normal human fetal lung fibroblast cells (MRC-5) was also evaluated. Moreover, the complexes1–5and free heterocyclic thioamide ligands were studied upon the catalytic peroxidation of the linoleic acid by the enzyme lipoxygenase (LOX).
The Impact of New Drug Launches on Longevity Growth in Nine Middle Eastern and African Countries, 2007–2015
Authors: Lichtenberg Frank R
Published: September 2018

This study provides econometric evidence about the impact that new chemical entity (NCE) launches had on premature mortality from 17 diseases in 9 Middle Eastern and African countries during the period 2007–2015.

The greater the relative number of NCEs for a disease launched in a country, the greater the subsequent relative decline in premature mortality from that disease, controlling for the average rate of mortality decline in each country and from each disease.

An 8-year increase in the number of post-1992 NCEs ever launched is estimated to have reduced the number of years of potential life lost before age 75 (YPLL75) in 2015 by 9.5 %. This is approximately half of the 18.9 % reduction in YPLL75, and about one-third of the 29.7 % reduction in the premature mortality rate. In the absence of 8 previous years of NCE launches, 2.80 million additional YPLL before age 75 would have been lost in 2015.

Expenditure on new drugs per life-year below age 75 gained in 2015 from the drugs was $US 834. According to the standards of the WHO’s Choosing Interventions that are cost–effective project, new drugs launched in the nine ME&A countries were very cost–effective overall.
Graffiti slogans and the construction of collective identity: evidence from the anti-austerity protests in Greece
Authors: Serafis Dimitris , Kitis E. Dimitris , Archakis Argiris
Published: September 2018

This article examines the way that collective identity was discursively constructed during the anti-austerity protests of 28 and 29 June 2011 on the environs of the Greek Parliament. Drawing on the framework of critical discourse analysis, we study the interrelation between macro-level (dominant) values and views, and micro-level individual positions as expressed in graffiti slogans that appeared during the protests. The graffiti data comes from a personal archive which consists of 40 slogans, collected during June 2011. We conduct a systemic-functional analysis to scrutinize the transitivity structures of graffiti slogans, employing the notion of anti-language as central to the micro-level. We then draw on the notion of collective identity to frame the graffiti at the macro-level. Among our main findings is that the writers of graffiti slogans construct their collective identity on a two-fold oppositional axis: the first consists of the dominant institutions or “others,” which are negatively represented, while the second consists of a positively represented and inclusive in-group or “we.” The focus on graffiti has two manifest and interrelated goals: (a) to scrutinize the protesters’ semiotics in order to piece together their identity, thus avoiding subsequent hegemonic interpretations of the participants’ identity; and (b) to preserve the elaborate counter-reality constructed by these ephemeral messages against the official and “mainstream” discourses and their reality.
Dynamic Thermal Performance Measurements of Residential Wall Systems
Authors: Huygen Nathaniel , Sanders John P.
Published: September 2018

The use of a hot box apparatus allows for thermal performance testing of a specimen in both static and dynamic regimes. In the static (steady-state) regime, the thermal conductivity or R-value of a specimen can be obtained. In comparison, the specific heat capacity and thermal diffusivity data can be obtained during the transient regime. Additionally, if heat flux pads are employed in the hot box apparatus, it is possible to monitor the energy that passes through a specimen during thermal cycling. In the case of wall systems, it is of interest to compare the thermal performance of one system against another for the purpose of selecting suitable energy efficient structures. However, the nature of this comparison is not as simple as it would seem. In this study, the thermal performance of several wall systems were compared to evaluate their energy efficiencies relative to one another. Under steady-state conditions, it is valid to simply compare the R-values against one another assuming equivalent measurement conditions. However, we are actually interested in the real-world performance of these systems, and in this case, the comparison of R-values is not sufficient to fully characterize differences in actual thermal performance. For this reason, a 24-h cyclic thermal loading was employed that mimicked a day/night cycle. By measuring the energy transmitted through the wall, the energy required to maintain thermal comfort could be determined. This study aims to characterize the real-world thermal performance of several systems by using this method.
Proposal for an Improved Procedure and Interpretation of ASTM C1531 for the In Situ Determination of Brick-Masonry Shear Strength
Authors: Graziotti Francesco , Guerrini Gabriele , Rossi Andrea , Andreotti Guido , Magenes Guido
Published: September 2018

In situ evaluation of the mechanical properties of existing masonry structures can be a challenging problem because destructive in situ tests are not always feasible. Cohesion and friction coefficients of the mortar-brick interface are fundamental parameters to characterize the shear strength of brick-masonry walls: the slightly invasive in situ test called the “shove test” can be performed to establish rational values for these parameters as described in ASTM C1531, Standard Test Methods for In Situ Measurement of Masonry Mortar Joint Shear Strength Index. During the shove test, a jack pushes one brick of the wall horizontally, while two flatjacks impose a known vertical stress on the masonry portion surrounding the selected unit. In order to insert the horizontal jack and allow the brick to slide, the two adjacent bricks need to be removed, introducing discontinuities within the compression stress flow. At the same time, the service load acting on the pier imposes an additional compressive stress on the bed-joint interface. Moreover, sliding of the test brick would require vertical expansion of the restrained bed joint, resulting in further compression due to dilatancy. Knowing the actual stress distribution after removal of the two bricks and considering the service-load and dilatancy effects are essential to determine the actual compressive stress on the test unit and to derive the correct shear strength parameters from the force applied by the horizontal jack. However, current standards do not address these effects explicitly. The work presented in this paper, validated through in situ and laboratory tests and detailed numerical analyses, consists of an improved methodology for the execution and interpretation of the shove test that estimates the actual compressive stress on the selected brick and consequently provides a more rational interpretation of the shear resistance of the bed joints.
History of Cold-Formed Steel Framing Used as a Backing for Brick Veneer
Authors: Clark Charles B. , Fried Cortney L. , Bryja James
Published: September 2018

The last 50 years have seen many changes in the design and installation of the typical anchored brick veneer/cold-formed steel framing wall assembly. During that time, many groups have published and revised their design guidelines and recommendations for such assemblies. An extensive amount of testing and research has been undertaken to better understand different aspects of the assembly. This paper outlines the history of anchored brick veneer/cold-formed steel framing by specifically reviewing the testing and research conducted, the technical papers developed, and the changes in industry guidelines. Changes in wind load provisions during this period are also reviewed. This information serves as the background for the paper, “Addressing Maximum Design Deflection for Cold-Formed Steel Framing When Used as a Backing for Brick Veneer,” which presents a revised approach for determining maximum deflection for cold-formed steel framing supporting brick veneer.
Theta Bursts Precede, and Spindles Follow, Cortical and Thalamic Downstates in Human NREM Sleep
Authors: Gonzalez Christopher E. , Mak-McCully Rachel A. , Rosen Burke Q. , Cash Sydney S. , Chauvel Patrick Y. , Bastuji Hélène , Rey Marc , Halgren Eric
Published: September 2018

Since their discovery, slow oscillations have been observed to group spindles during non-REM sleep. Previous studies assert that the slow-oscillation downstate (DS) is preceded by slow spindles (10–12 Hz) and followed by fast spindles (12–16 Hz). Here, using both direct transcortical recordings in patients with intractable epilepsy (n= 10, 8 female), as well as scalp EEG recordings from a healthy cohort (n= 3, 1 female), we find in multiple cortical areas that both slow and fast spindles follow the DS. Although discrete oscillations do precede DSs, they are theta bursts (TBs) centered at 5–8 Hz. TBs were more pronounced for DSs in NREM stage 2 (N2) sleep compared with N3. TB with similar properties occur in the thalamus, but unlike spindles they have no clear temporal relationship with cortical TB. These differences in corticothalamic dynamics, as well as differences between spindles and theta in coupling high-frequency content, are consistent with NREM theta having separate generative mechanisms from spindles. The final inhibitory cycle of the TB coincides with the DS peak, suggesting that in N2, TB may help trigger the DS. Since the transition to N1 is marked by the appearance of theta, and the transition to N2 by the appearance of DS and thus spindles, a role of TB in triggering DS could help explain the sequence of electrophysiological events characterizing sleep. Finally, the coordinated appearance of spindles and DSs are implicated in memory consolidation processes, and the current findings redefine their temporal coupling with theta during NREM sleep.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTSleep is characterized by large slow waves which modulate brain activity. Prominent among these are downstates (DSs), periods of a few tenths of a second when most cells stop firing, and spindles, oscillations at ∼12 times a second lasting for ∼a second. In this study, we provide the first detailed description of another kind of sleep wave: theta bursts (TBs), a brief oscillation at ∼six cycles per second. We show, recording during natural sleep directly from the human cortex and thalamus, as well as on the scalp, that TBs precede, and spindles follow DSs. TBs may help trigger DSs in some circumstances, and could organize cortical and thalamic activity so that memories can be consolidated during sleep.
Angiopoietin/Tie2 Axis Regulates the Age-at-Injury Cerebrovascular Response to Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Brickler Thomas R. , Hazy Amanda , Guilhaume Correa Fernanda , Dai Rujuan , Kowalski Elizabeth J.A. , Dickerson Ross , Chen Jiang , Wang Xia , Morton Paul D. , Whittington Abby , Ahmed Ansar , Theus Michelle H.
Published: September 2018

Although age-at-injury influences chronic recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI), the differential effects of age on early outcome remain understudied. Using a male murine model of moderate contusion injury, we investigated the underlying mechanism(s) regulating the distinct response between juvenile and adult TBI. We demonstrate similar biomechanical and physical properties of naive juvenile and adult brains. However, following controlled cortical impact (CCI), juvenile mice displayed reduced cortical lesion formation, cell death, and behavioral deficits at 4 and 14 d. Analysis of high-resolution laser Doppler imaging showed a similar loss of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the ipsilateral cortex at 3 and 24 h post-CCI, whereas juvenile mice showed enhanced subsequent restoration at 2–4 d compared with adults. These findings correlated with reduced blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption and increased perilesional vessel density. To address whether an age-dependent endothelial cell (EC) response affects vessel stability and tissue outcome, we magnetically isolated CD31+ECs from sham and injured cortices and evaluated mRNA expression. Interestingly, we found increased transcripts for BBB stability-related genes and reduced expression of BBB-disrupting genes in juveniles compared with adults. These differences were concomitant with significant changes in miRNA-21-5p and miR-148a levels. Accompanying these findings was robust GFAP immunoreactivity, which was not resolved by day 35. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of EC-specific Tie2 signaling abolished the juvenile protective effects. These findings shed new mechanistic light on the divergent effects that age plays on acute TBI outcome that are both spatial and temporal dependent.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAlthough a clear “window of susceptibility” exists in the developing brain that could deter typical developmental trajectories if exposed to trauma, a number of preclinical models have demonstrated evidence of early recovery in younger patients. Our findings further demonstrate acute neuroprotection and improved restoration of cerebral blood flow in juvenile mice subjected to cortical contusion injury compared with adults. We also demonstrate a novel role for endothelial cell-specific Tie2 signaling in this age-related response, which is known to promote barrier stability, is heightened in the injured juvenile vasculature, and may be exploited for therapeutic interventions across the age spectrum following traumatic brain injury.
Emergence of Binocular Disparity Selectivity through Hebbian Learning
Authors: Chauhan Tushar , Masquelier Timothée , Montlibert Alexandre , Cottereau Benoit R.
Published: September 2018

Neural selectivity in the early visual cortex strongly reflects the statistics of our environment (Barlow, 2001; Geisler, 2008). Although this has been described extensively in literature through various encoding hypotheses (Barlow and Földiák, 1989; Atick and Redlich, 1992; Olshausen and Field, 1996), an explanation as to how the cortex might develop the computational architecture to support these encoding schemes remains elusive. Here, using the more realistic example of binocular vision as opposed to monocular luminance-field images, we show how a simple Hebbian coincidence-detector is capable of accounting for the emergence of binocular, disparity selective, receptive fields. We propose a model based on spike timing-dependent plasticity, which not only converges to realistic single-cell and population characteristics, but also demonstrates how known biases in natural statistics may influence population encoding and downstream correlates of behavior. Furthermore, we show that the receptive fields we obtain are closer in structure to electrophysiological data reported in macaques than those predicted by normative encoding schemes (Ringach, 2002). We also demonstrate the robustness of our model to the input dataset, noise at various processing stages, and internal parameter variation. Together, our modeling results suggest that Hebbian coincidence detection is an important computational principle and could provide a biologically plausible mechanism for the emergence of selectivity to natural statistics in the early sensory cortex.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTNeural selectivity in the early visual cortex is often explained through encoding schemes that postulate that the computational aim of early sensory processing is to use the least possible resources (neurons, energy) to code the most informative features of the stimulus (information efficiency). In this article, using stereo images of natural scenes, we demonstrate how a simple Hebbian rule can lead to the emergence of a disparity-selective neural population that not only shows realistic single-cell and population tunings, but also demonstrates how known biases in natural statistics may influence population encoding and downstream correlates of behavior. Our approach allows us to view early neural selectivity, not as an optimization problem, but as an emergent property driven by biological rules of plasticity.
Molecular and Genetic Evidence for the PDGFRα-Independent Population of Oligodendrocyte Progenitor Cells in the Developing Mouse Brain
Authors: Zheng Kang , Wang Chunyang , Yang Junlin , Huang Hao , Zhao Xiaofeng , Zhang Zunyi , Qiu Mengsheng
Published: September 2018

PDGFRα, specifically expressed by immature oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) in the CNS, plays a critical role in OPC proliferation and migration. However, it has been uncertain whether all cells of oligodendrocyte lineage are derived from the PDGFRα-expressing OPCs. In the present study, we uncovered a PDGFRα-independent oligodendrocyte lineage in the developing cortex. This OPC subpopulation originates from the local ventricular/subventricular zone after birth and contributes to the earliest mature oligodendrocytes in the cortex. PDGFRα signaling does not regulate the generation and differentiation of cortical OPCs. Fate-mapping studies in the PDGFRαCreER; Sox10-GFP/tdTom double-transgenic mice of either sex have further corroborated the PDGFRα-independent oligodendrocyte lineage. This study provides additional missing genetic evidence for PDGFRα-independent oligodendrocyte lineage in the developing hindbrain.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThis is the first report of a subpopulation of oligodendrocyte lineage in the developing mouse cortex independent of PDGFRα signaling. These oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are generated from the local ventral ventricular zone/subventricular zone after birth, and contribute to the earliest mature oligodendrocytes in the cortex.