bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New VDPM leaflet „Mauerwerk mit Dünnbettmörtel”
Authors: Kranzler Thomas , Hannig Antje , Meyer Udo
Published: December 2018

The German associations Verband für Dämmsysteme, Putz und Mörtel (VDPM), Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mauerziegel and Bundesverband Leichtbeton have published a new leaflet „Mauerwerk mit Dünnbettmörtel” [Masonry with thin‐layer mortar] [1]. This compact guide offers 8 pages of helpful tips and important information concerning the application of thin‐layer mortar with high‐precision masonry units or high‐precision blocks of lightweight concrete or clay. The leaflet contains terms and definitions, requirements for the thin‐layer mortar, the units and the masonry and the different forms of delivery of thin‐layer mortar. The main parts of the leaflet are the explanations of laying (levelling layer, blocklaying with thin‐layer mortar, working time, methods of application, head joints…). Notes regarding occupational health and safety protection complete the leaflet. The following article describes the essential content of the leaflet with further information.
Burglary resistance of highly insulated clay masonry
Authors: Frank Alexander , Meyer Udo , Küenzlen Jürgen H. R. , Haut Sandra , Sack Norbert
Published: December 2018

At the institute for window technology in Rosenheim (ift Rosenheim), extensive testing has been undertaken of the burglary resistance of building elements installed in insulated, monolithic fired clay masonry. For the usual 365 mm thick clay masonry units of compressive strength class 6 with a lightweight plaster of Type II, the burglary resistance class RC 2 recommended by the police in Germany was verified in all the investigated variants. With an additional render reinforced with textile mesh, the resistance class RC 3 was also achieved in all investigated variants. The results of the research project have been implemented in a proposed addition to Table NA.2 in the German national annex to DIN EN 1627.
A city‐scale assessment reveals that native forest types and overstory species dominate New York City forests
Authors: Pregitzer Clara C. , Charlop‐Powers Sarah , Bibbo Silvia , Forgione Helen M. , Gunther Bram , Hallett Richard A. , Bradford Mark A.
Published: December 2018

Cities are increasingly focused on expanding tree canopy cover as a means to improve the urban environment by, for example, reducing heat island effects, promoting better air quality, and protecting local habitat. The majority of efforts to expand canopy cover focus on planting street trees or on planting native tree species and removing nonnatives in natural areas through reforestation. Yet many urban canopy assessments conducted at the city‐scale reveal co‐dominance by nonnative trees, fueling debates about the value of urban forests and native‐specific management targets. In contrast, assessments within cities at site or park scales find that some urban forest stands harbor predominantly native biodiversity. To resolve this apparent dichotomy in findings, about the extent to which urban forests are native dominated, between the city‐scale canopy and site‐level assessments, we measure forest structure and composition in 1,124 plots across 53 parks in New York City's 2,497 ha of natural area forest. That is, we assess urban forests at the city‐scale and deliberately omit sampling trees existing outside of forest stands but which are enumerated in citywide canopy assessments. We find that on average forest stand canopy is comprised of 82% native species in New York City forests, suggesting that conclusions that the urban canopy is co‐dominated by nonnatives likely results from predominantly sampling street trees in prior city‐scale assessments. However, native tree species’ proportion declines to 75% and 53% in the midstory and understory, respectively, suggesting potential threats to the future native dominance of urban forest canopies. Furthermore, we find that out of 57 unique forest types in New York City, the majority of stands (81%) are a native type. We find that stand structure in urban forest stands is more similar to rural forests in New York State than to stand structure reported for prior assessments of the urban canopy at the city scale. Our results suggest the need to measure urban forest stands apart from the entire urban canopy. Doing so will ensure that city‐scale assessments return data that align with conservation policy and management strategies that focus on maintaining and growing native urban forests rather than individual trees.
Context‐dependent costs and benefits of tuberculosis resistance traits in a wild mammalian host
Authors: Tavalire Hannah F. , Beechler Brianna R. , Buss Peter E. , Gorsich Erin E. , Hoal Eileen G. , le Roex Nikki , Spaan Johannie M. , Spaan Robert S. , van Helden Paul D. , Ezenwa Vanessa O. , Jolles Anna E.
Published: December 2018

Disease acts as a powerful driver of evolution in natural host populations, yet individuals in a population often vary in their susceptibility to infection. Energetic trade‐offs between immune and reproductive investment lead to the evolution of distinct life history strategies, driven by the relative fitness costs and benefits of resisting infection. However, examples quantifying the cost of resistance outside of the laboratory are rare. Here, we observe two distinct forms of resistance to bovine tuberculosis (bTB), an important zoonotic pathogen, in a free‐ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population. We characterize these phenotypes as “infection resistance,” in which hosts delay or prevent infection, and “proliferation resistance,” in which the host limits the spread of lesions caused by the pathogen after infection has occurred. We found weak evidence that infection resistance to bTB may be heritable in this buffalo population (h2 = 0.10) and comes at the cost of reduced body condition and marginally reduced survival once infected, but also associates with an overall higher reproductive rate. Infection‐resistant animals thus appear to follow a “fast” pace‐of‐life syndrome, in that they reproduce more quickly but die upon infection. In contrast, proliferation resistance had no apparent costs and was associated with measures of positive host health—such as having a higher body condition and reproductive rate. This study quantifies striking phenotypic variation in pathogen resistance and provides evidence for a link between life history variation and a disease resistance trait in a wild mammalian host population.
Trade‐offs for butterfly alpha and beta diversity in human‐modified landscapes and tropical rainforests
Authors: Sambhu Hemchandranauth , Nankishore Alliea , Turton Stephen M. , Northfield Tobin D.
Published: December 2018

The accelerating expansion of human populations and associated economic activity across the globe have made maintaining large, intact natural areas increasingly challenging. The difficulty of preserving large intact landscapes in the presence of growing human populations has led to a growing emphasis on landscape approaches to biodiversity conservation with a complementary strategy focused on improving conservation in human‐modified landscapes. This, in turn, is leading to intense debate about the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in human‐modified landscapes and approaches to better support biodiversity in those landscapes. Here, we compared butterfly abundance, alpha richness, and beta diversity in human‐modified landscapes (urban, sugarcane) and natural, forested areas to assess the conservation value of human‐modified landscapes within the Wet Tropics bioregion of Australia. We used fruit‐baited traps to sample butterflies and analyzed abundance and species richness in respective land uses over a one‐year period. We also evaluated turnover and spatial variance components of beta diversity to determine the extent of change in temporal and spatial variation in community composition. Forests supported the largest numbers of butterflies, but were lowest in each, alpha species richness, beta turnover, and the spatial beta diversity. Sugarcane supported higher species richness, demonstrating the potential for conservation at local scales in human‐modified landscapes. In contrast, beta diversity was highest in urban areas, likely driven by spatial and temporal variation in plant composition within the urban landscapes. Thus, while improving conservation on human‐modified landscapes may improve local alpha richness, conserving variation in natural vegetation is critical for maintaining high beta diversity.
Size‐dependent mating pattern in a nuptial gift‐giving insect
Authors: Dorková Martina , Naďo Ladislav , Jarčuška Benjamín , Kaňuch Peter
Published: December 2018

The reproductive interests of females and males often diverge in terms of the number of mating partners, an individual’s phenotype, origin, genes, and parental investment. This conflict may lead to a variety of sex‐specific adaptations and also affect mate choice in both sexes. We conducted an experiment with the bush‐cricket Pholidoptera griseoaptera (Orthoptera, Tettigoniidae), a species in which females receive direct nutritional benefits during mating. Mated individuals could be assigned due to the genotype of male spermatodoses, which are stored in the female’s spermatheca. After 3 weeks of possible copulations in established mating groups which were random replications with four females and males we did not find consistent assortative mating preference regarding to body size of mates. However, our results showed that the frequency of within‐pair copulations (192 analyzed mating events in 128 possible pairwise combinations) was positively associated with the body size of both mated individuals with significant interaction between sexes (having one mate very large, association between body size and the number of copulations has weaken). Larger individuals also showed a higher degree of polygamy. This suggests that body size of this nuptial gift‐giving insect species is an important sexual trait according to which both sexes choose their optimal mating partner.
Rational Design of Porous TiO2@N‐Doped Carbon for High Rate Lithium‐Ion Batteries
Authors: Wang Guang , Qi Ying , Zhang Dawei , Bao Jian , Xu Li , Zhao Yan , Qiu Jingxia , Yuan Shouqi , Li Huaming
Published: December 2018

Considering the merits of natural biomass, a soybean is designed and applied as a green source for N‐doped carbon to fabricate a TiO2@N‐doped carbon (TiO2@NC) composite for lithium‐ion batteries (LIBs). The TiO2 nanoparticles are uniformly anchored on the surface of porous N‐doped carbon frameworks. As anode materials for LIBs, TiO2@NC exhibits excellent cycle performance and enhanced rate capacity. After 100 cycles at 1 C, the capacity can be maintained at 282.2 mAh g−1. In addition, it can even deliver a large reversible capacity of 155 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 5 C. These excellent results prove that the designed composite can be applied as a promising anode material for a lithium‐ion storage system with improved electrochemical performances.
Reduced capacity for empathy in corticobasal syndrome and its impact on carer burden
Authors: Southi Natalie , Honan Cynthia A. , Hodges John R. , Piguet Olivier , Kumfor Fiona
Published: December 2018

Corticobasal syndrome (CBS) is clinically characterised by a wide range of motor, cognitive, and behavioural features but remains challenging to diagnose accurately. Despite recent evidence supporting the presence of social cognition and emotion processing disturbances, few studies have explored the nature of empathic ability in CBS. This study aimed to (a) investigate the extent to which cognitive and affective dimensions of empathy are affected in CBS and (b) to determine the impact of such changes on carer burden. Empathic capacity was assessed in 29 CBS patients and 28 matched healthy controls. We employed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), an instrument measuring: (a) perspective taking, (b) fantasy, (c) empathic concern, and (d) personal distress. A significant change in both perspective taking and empathic concern was observed in CBS following disease onset. Furthermore, affective empathy deficits in CBS patients predicted higher levels of carer burden. Disturbances in both cognitive and affective empathy are present in CBS and lead to increased levels of carer burden.
Vascular response and intrastent thrombus in the early phase after drug‐eluting versus bare‐metal stent implantation in patients with ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction: An observational, single‐center study
Authors: Sato Nobuhiro , Minami Yoshiyasu , Shimohama Takao , Kameda Ryo , Tojo Taiki , Ako Junya
Published: December 2018

Background and Objectives

Second‐generation drug‐eluting stents (G2‐DES) are associated with a lower rate of acute and subacute stent thrombosis compared with bare‐metal stent (BMS) in the setting of ST‐segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In this study, our aim was to compare the vascular response and thrombus burden between G2‐DES and BMS in early‐phase STEMI.

Methods

Between May 2010 and August 2014, a total of 41 STEMI patients treated by either G2‐DES (n = 26; everolimus‐eluting stent [EES]: n = 15, zotarolimus‐eluting stent [ZES]: n = 11) or BMS (n = 15) and, with multivessel disease requiring additional percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), were prospectively enrolled. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging was performed at 1 month after stent implantation.

Results

Baseline clinical characteristics, except for age (61.5 ± 9.3 vs 69.3 ± 9.8, P = 0.01, t test), were comparable between patients with drug‐eluting stent (DES) and BMS. The incidence of residual thrombus after the stent implantation for STEMI was comparable between DES and BMS (7.7% vs 6.7%, P = 0.88, χ2 test). At 1 month, thrombus burden, defined as the mean thrombus area divided by the mean lumen area, was significantly smaller with DES than with BMS (median interquartile range (IQR), 1.2 (0.0, 1.0) vs 1.2 (0.0, 2.2), P = 0.04, Mann‐Whitney U test), despite a similar percentage of malapposed (median (IQR), 6.2 (2.4, 9.0) vs 2.6 (0.0, 5.8)%, P = 0.07, Mann‐Whitney U test) or uncovered struts (median (IQR), 6.8 (1.8, 13.1) vs 6.14 (2.8, 18.5)%, P = 0.45, Mann‐Whitney U test). No significant difference in thrombus burden was observed between EES and ZES.

Conclusions

Thrombus burden was significantly smaller with DES than with BMS at 1‐month follow‐up in STEMI cases, although the percentage of malapposed or uncovered struts was similar between the groups. This may partly explain the lower rate of acute and subacute stent thrombosis in G2‐DES that has previously been reported in the literature.
RETRACTED: Downregulation of long noncoding RNA SNHG1 inhibits cell proliferation, metastasis, and invasion by suppressing the Notch‐1 signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Cui Long , Dong Yadong , Wang Xiaochuan , Zhao Xin , Kong Chenchen , Liu Yangsui , Jiang Xinchun , Zhang Xinhui
Published: December 2018

Background

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has become the fourth most lethal among human cancers. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to play a role in the progression of a variety of cancers. However, the role of lncRNA SNHG1 in PC is not clear.

Methods

Real‐time Quantitative PCR Detection System (qPCR) was used to detect the expression of SNHG1 in PC cells. Then, the SNHG1 knockdown cell was constructed with si‐SNHG1. AsPC‐1 and PANC1 cells were used to analyze the ability of cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. MTT assay was used to analyze the proliferation ability. Transwell experiments and wound healing experiments were used to detect the capacity of invasion and migration. Finally, Western blot analysis was used to explore the mechanism of SNHG1 in PC.

Results

SNHG1 was significantly upregulated in PC cells. Knockdown of SNHG1 could obviously suppress cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, SNHG1 knockdown inhibited the activation of the Notch‐1 signaling pathway and inhibited the expression of N‐cadherin, Hes1, Vimentin, Notch‐1. The inhabitation was reversed when Notch‐1 was overexpressed in si‐SNHG1 cells.

Conclusion

The lncRNA SNHG1 promotes cell growth and metastasis in PC through activation of the Notch‐1 signaling pathway in PC.
Retracted: Deep integrative analysis of microRNA‐mRNA regulatory networks for biomarker and target discovery in chondrosarcoma
Authors: Sui Jinpo , Liu Qingkuan , Zhang Hongyan , Kong Ying
Published: December 2018

Chondrosarcoma (CHS) is a common malignant bone sarcoma and its occurrence increases with age. microRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs that participate in various biological processes and disease pathogenesis by targeting functional messenger RNA (mRNA). However, the modulation of miRNAs in CHS remains largely unknown. In this study, we performed integrative analysis to explore the expression profiles of miRNAs and mRNAs, together with their interaction networks in human CHS tissues and cell lines by RNA‐seq (miRNA and mRNA). A total of 133 and 796 differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs were identified (|Fold change| ≥ 2 and P‐value ≤ 0.5). miRNA‐mRNA regulatory interactions between 55 miRNAs and 242 mRNAs were screened by the Pearson correlation analysis and target prediction. mRNAs in the network were enriched to 145 Gene Ontology terms and 35 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Specifically, some key regulators (hub‐miRNAs) in the network (miR‐622, miR‐4539, miR‐145, miR‐25, and miR‐96) were suggested to play important regulatory roles in the pathogenesis of CHS. In addition, functional experiments validated that miR‐622 regulated CHS cell proliferation by targeting bone morphogenetic protein 1 (BMP1).
Extending spin‐symmetry projected coupled‐cluster to large model spaces using an iterative null‐space projection technique
Authors: Tsuchimochi Takashi , Ten‐no Seiichiro L.
Published: December 2018

Recently, we introduced an orbital‐invariant approximate coupled‐cluster (CC) method in the spin‐projection manifold. The multi‐determinantal property of spin‐projection means that the parametrization in the spin‐extended CC (ECC) ansatz is nonorthogonal and overcomplete. Therefore, the linear dependencies must be removed by an orthogonalization procedure to obtain meaningful solutions. Multi‐reference methods often achieve this by diagonalizing a metric of the equation system, but this is not feasible with ECC because of the enormous size of the metric, a consequence of the incomplete active space of the spin‐projected Hartree–Fock reference. As a result, the applicability of ECC has been limited to small benchmark systems, for which the ansatz was shown to be superior to the configuration interaction and linearized approximations. In this article, we provide a solution to this problem that completely avoids the metric diagonalization by iteratively projecting out its null‐space from the working equations. As the additional computational cost required for this iterative projection is only marginal, it greatly expands the application range of ECC. We demonstrate the potential of approximate ECC by studying the complete basis set limit of F2 and transition metal complexes such as NiO, Mn2, and [Cu2O2]2+, which have all been hindered by the prohibitively large metric size. We also identify the potential inadequacy of the molecular orbitals given by spin‐projected Hartree–Fock in some cases, and propose possible solutions. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
hsa_circRNA_0006528 as a competing endogenous RNA promotes human breast cancer progression by sponging miR‐7‐5p and activating the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Gao Danfeng , Qi Xiaowei , Zhang Xiufen , Fang Kai , Guo Zijian , Li Lihua
Published: December 2018

Emerging research has indicated that circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of non‐coding RNAs, play a vital role in human tumorigenesis and progression. Our previous results suggested that hsa_circ_0006528 (circ_0006528), a circRNA with an unknown function, mediates adriamycin resistance in human breast cancer cells. However, the role of circ_0006528 in breast cancer progression remains unknown. Here, we investigated the probable involvement of circ_0006528 in breast cancer. We analyzed a cohort of 97 patients and found that circ_0006528 expression was significantly upregulated in human breast cancer tissues compared with that in adjacent non‐tumorous tissues and was significantly associated with advanced tumor‐node‐metastasis (TNM) stage and poor prognosis. In addition, we found that in breast cancer cells, circ_0006528 could promote DNA synthesis and cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Downregulating circ_0006528 induced G2 phase arrest and cell apoptosis. Further mechanistic studies revealed that circ_0006528 could sponge endogenous miR‐7‐5p and inhibit its activity. We also identified Raf1, which activates the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway, as a target of miR‐7‐5p and determined that circ_0006528 promotes breast cancer growth, invasion, and migration by promoting the expression of Raf1 and activates the MAPK/ERK pathway. Thus, this study provides the first evidence of the circ_0006528/miR‐7‐5p/Raf1/MEK/ERK regulatory network in the development of breast cancer and suggests that circ_0006528 is a potential therapeutic target and prognostic predictor for breast cancer.
Approximation of multiplicative inverse undecic and duodecic functional equations
Authors: Senthil Kumar Beri Venkatachalapathy , Dutta Hemen
Published: December 2018

This paper describes the classical investigation of various stability results of multiplicative inverse undecic and duodecic functional equations pertinent to Ulam stabiity theory in non‐Archimedean fields via fixed point technique and then presents two refutations that the stability results are invalid for control cases.
On the existence and stability for noninstantaneous impulsive fractional integrodifferential equation
Authors: Sousa José Vanterler da Costa , Oliveira Daniela dos Santos , Capelas de Oliveira Edmundo
Published: December 2018

In this paper, by means of Banach fixed point theorem, we investigate the existence and Ulam–Hyers–Rassias stability of the noninstantaneous impulsive integrodifferential equation by means of ψ‐Hilfer fractional derivative. In this sense, some examples are presented, in order to consolidate the results obtained.
Appearance of Di‐ and Tripeptides in Human Plasma after a Protein Meal Does Not Correlate with PEPT1 Substrate Selectivity
Authors: Rohm Florian , Skurk Thomas , Daniel Hannelore , Spanier Britta
Published: December 2018

Scope

Peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) function is well understood, yet little is known about its contribution toward the absorption of dietary amino acids in the form of di‐ and tripeptides. In the present human study, changes in plasma concentrations of a representative oligopeptide panel are investigated after meat intake.

Methods and results

Based on a method for quantitative analysis of a panel of selected di‐ and tripeptides in biological samples, the kinetics of plasma changes of peptides derived from a widely accessible dietary protein source are described. The findings demonstrate postprandial changes of a whole spectrum of dipeptides of different size, charge, and polarity in peripheral blood in a dose‐dependent manner after consumption of chicken breast in healthy human volunteers. Although the substrate specificity of PEPT1 is well known, the spectrum of peptides appearing in blood cannot be matched to the affinity to PEPT1. Stability against hydrolysis by exo‐ and endopeptidases appears to be another factor influencing their presence in blood. In addition, the study shows that dipeptides, including gamma‐glutamyl‐peptides, as well as tripeptides are common components present in human plasma.

Conclusion

Besides amino acids, human peripheral blood contains numerous di‐ and tripeptides. The dietary source determines their abundance and composition.
On the properties of Sierpinski gasket fractal microstrip antennas
Authors: Jayasinghe Jeevani , Andújar Aurora , Anguera Jaume
Published: December 2018

A set of fractal microstrip patch antennas having a modified Sierpinski Gasket geometry is explored and compared with a genetically optimized patch. The resonant behavior, radiation patterns and the box‐counting dimensions of the antennas have been investigated in order to understand the miniaturization properties. Finally, the Sierpinski‐based antennas have been compared with a genetic optimized antenna.
Content of Poorly Absorbed Short‐Chain Carbohydrates (FODMAP) in Enteral Homemade Diets
Authors: Mezzomo Thais Regina , Sampaio Isabella Ruckl , Fiori Lize Stangarlin , Schieferdecker Maria Eliana Madalozzo
Published: December 2018

Background

Recent studies have shown that commercial enteral formulas with low FODMAP (FO, fermentable oligosaccharides; D, disaccharides; M, monosaccharides; AP, and polyols) content decrease diarrhea of individuals receiving enteral nutrition therapy (ENT). There is no information, however, regarding the content of FODMAP in homemade enteral formula. The objective of this study was to assess energy and macronutrient content, and to quantify the amount of FODMAP content in homemade enteral formula, commonly prescribed for home use after hospital discharge.

Methods

Recipes of homemade enteral formula were requested from all hospitals and healthcare centers in a Brazilian city, totaling 24 recipes. The diets were quantified in relation to their energy content, macronutrients, and FODMAP content.

Results

Of the 19 hospitals, 68.4% prescribe only commercial enteral formulas at the time of hospital discharge, and 31.6% prescribe homemade enteral formula, both conventional and commercial. The homemade enteral formula showed a variation from 700 to 3000 kcal/d. The macronutrient levels of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats were 49.0% ± 6.8%, 17.4% ± 3.1%, and 33.5% ± 6.2%, respectively. On average, homemade enteral formula had 58.5% of high FODMAP content, 7.1% of moderate content, and 34.5% of low FODMAP content, considering that milk is the main food responsible for the high content of FODMAP.

Conclusions

Homemade enteral formula presented adequate nutrition characteristics and is rich in FODMAP. It is important to consider FODMAP in enteral diets prescribed for individuals intolerant to these carbohydrates by individualizing the diet prescription.
An adaptive mesh‐adjustment strategy for continuum topology optimization to achieve manufacturable structural layout
Authors: Wang Hongxin , Liu Jie , Wen Guilin
Published: December 2018

This paper presents an adaptive mesh adjustment algorithm for continuum topology optimization method to describe the structural boundary using nonuniform isoparametric element. A criterion on the basis of the node movement is proposed; herein, the densities and coordinates of the nodes are defined to instruct the deformation of finite elements in subsequent optimization iterations. With such a scheme, the topology optimization can start from a regular mesh discretization then gradually yields an optimal design with clear structural boundaries. The element in the transition along the boundary is refined; on the contrary, the pure solid or void element is coarsen. The contribution of this work is to improve the resolution of the structural boundaries and decrease the percentage of transitional regions with the invariant design variable. Several 2D and 3D numerical examples indicate the effectiveness of our proposed method. Seen from the examples, the structural boundary become smoother and the intermediate densities have been reduced up to 70%. In addition, a design process based on the presented method is proposed to make the optimum solutions be fabricated conveniently and accurately by linking it with the 3D design software, ie, SolidWorks, which is also demonstrated in the numerical examples.
Influence of ZrO2 Incorporation on Sisal Fiber Reinforced Unsaturated Polyester Composites
Authors: Biswas Bhabatosh , Hazra Biplab , Sarkar Amitava , Bandyopadhyay Nil R. , Mitra Bhairab C. , Sinha Arijit
Published: December 2018

Sisal fiber along with ZrO2 particles dispersed unsaturated polyester (UP) composites were fabricated by compression molding technique. The filler contents were varied from 5 to 45 wt% with a gradual increase of 10%. The structural investigation was done using Scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Mechanical testing was performed through microhardness tester, tensile, flexural, and Izod impact test. The optimum mechanical properties were obtained at 35 wt% of filler incorporation within UP matrix followed by a slight deterioration at 45 wt%. Fractographic images of the composites display the phenomena of fiber pull‐out, debonding and breakage. The water absorption test was performed both at room temperature and boiling water temperature conditions. The thermal insulation measurement was performed by Kawabata method. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:2790–2801, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Getting the measure of diabetes: the evolution of the National Diabetes Audit
Authors: Young Bob
Published: December 2018

The 2018 Arnold Bloom lecture reviewed the development of the National Diabetes Audit (NDA) and what its measurements tell us about contemporary diabetes care. From seeds sown by the St Vincent Declaration in 1988 a national system has been established for benchmarking diabetes care across primary care settings, among specialist services and between commissioning areas in England and Wales. Wherever possible the sources of the data are routinely recorded electronic records; this supports data quality and minimises participation burden. Some overall national improvements have been documented but so have areas of stagnation and deterioration. Most strikingly, however, has been the revelation of large differences between services and geographies. A variety of system changes (service re‐design) illustrate how appreciable improvements can be achieved. England and Wales now have a set of measurements of diabetes care that can focus change effort appropriately and support on‐going improvement. Arnold Bloom's old hospital provided a perfect example of NDA measurements that can quickly identify priorities for improvement at an individual service level. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons.
Anomalous point‐of‐care ketone reading following use of ethyl chloride spray as a topical anaesthetic during the treatment of a teenager with DKA
Authors: Young Adam , Hollowbread Andrew , Wayman Matthew
Published: December 2018

We present the case of an anomalous ketone reading in a 16‐year‐old female patient with type 1 diabetes following the administration of ethyl chloride spray as a topical anaesthetic. The patient presented in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and was agitated, distressed and combative. Assistance was sought in the ongoing management of the patient from the on‐call anaesthetic and intensive care team. The choice was made to use ethyl chloride spray as a topical anaesthetic. This was done in order to decrease the discomfort of capillary blood tests in an attempt to ameliorate the patient's agitation and distress. It was noted that when this spray was applied prior to point‐of‐care ketone concentration testing, a ketone reading out of context of the clinical picture was obtained.

There is no caution against using ethyl chloride spray in the product literature for the ketone meter used in our hospital, but there is guidance about cleaning the hands and test site with soap and warm water. This was briefly investigated by this team and anomalous ketone concentrations were reproduced in a healthy volunteer who had ketone levels checked pre‐ and post‐application of ethyl chloride spray. There is no current published literature regarding abnormal ketone results following application of topical anaesthetic agents. Therefore, based on this experience, caution would be advised in using topical anaesthetic agents prior to capillary blood sampling and emphasis placed on strict adherence to the manufacturer's guidance of cleansing the hands and test site with warm water and soap prior to capillary sampling. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons.
A Double‐Edged Sword: Complement Component 3 in Toxoplasma gondii Infection
Authors: Huang Wan‐Yi , Wang Ya‐Pei , Mahmmod Yasser S. , Wang Jun‐Jie , Liu Tang‐Hui , Zheng Yu‐Xiang , Zhou Xue , Zhang Xiu‐Xiang , Yuan Zi‐Guo
Published: December 2018

Sprague Dawley rats and Kunming (KM) mice are artificially infected with type II Toxoplasma gondii strain Prugniaud (Pru) to generate toxoplasmosis, which is a fatal disease mediated by T. gondii invasion of the central nervous system (CNS) by unknown mechanisms. The aim is to explore the mechanism of differential susceptibility of mice and rats to T. gondii infection. Therefore, a strategy of isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) is established to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the rats’ and the mice's brains compared to the healthy groups. In KM mice, which is susceptible to T. gondii infection, complement component 3 (C3) is upregulated and the tight junction (TJ) pathway shows a disorder. It is presumed that T. gondii‐stimulated C3 disrupts the TJ of the blood–brain barrier in the CNS. This effect allows more T. gondii passing to the brain through the intercellular space.
Functional Study of Carboxylesterase 1 Protein Isoforms
Authors: Wang Xinwen , Shi Jian , Zhu Hao‐Jie
Published: December 2018

Carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) is a primary human hepatic hydrolase involved in hydrolytic biotransformation of numerous medications. Considerable interindividual variability in CES1 expression and activity has been consistently reported. Four isoforms of the CES1 protein are produced by alternative splicing (AS). In the current study, the activity and expression of each CES1 isoform are examined using transfected cell lines, and CES1 isoform composition and its impact on CES1 activity in human livers are determined. In transfected cells, isoforms 3 and 4 show mRNA and protein expressions comparable to isoforms 1 and 2, but have significantly impaired activity when hydrolyzing enalapril and clopidogrel. In individual human liver samples, isoforms 1 and 2 are the major forms, contributing 73–90% of the total CES1 protein expression. In addition, the protein expression ratios of isoforms 1 and 2 to isoforms 3 and 4 are positively associated with CES1 activity in the liver, suggesting that CES1 isoform composition is a factor contributing to the variability in hepatic CES1 function. Further investigations of the regulation of CES1 AS would improve the understanding of CES1 variability and help develop a strategy to optimize the pharmacotherapy of many CES1 substrate medications.
Proteomics Analysis of Thermoplasma Quinone Droplets
Authors: Nagy István , Sun Na , Varga Sándor , Boicu Marius , Zinzula Luca , Kukolya József
Published: December 2018

A novel type of lipid droplet/lipoprotein (LD/LP) particle from Thermoplasma acidophilum has been identified recently, and based on biochemical evidences, it was named Thermoplasma Quinone Droplet (TaQD). The major components of TaQDs are menaquinones, and to some extent polar lipids, and the 153 amino acid long Ta0547 vitellogenin‐N domain protein.

In this paper, the aim is to identify TaQD proteome components with 1D‐SDS‐PAGE/LC–MS/MS and cross reference them with Edman degradation. TaQD samples isolated with three different purification methods—column chromatography, immunoprecipitation, and LD ultracentrifugation—are analyzed. Proteins Ta0093, Ta0182, Ta0337, Ta0437, Ta0438, Ta0547, and Ta1223a are identified as constituents of the TaQD proteome. The majority of these proteins is uncharacterized and has low molecular weight, and none of them is predicted to take part in lipid metabolism. Bioinformatics analyses does not predict any interaction between these proteins, however, there are indications of interactions with proteins taking part in lipid metabolism. Whether if TaQDs provide platform for lipid metabolism and the interactions between TaQD proteins and lipid metabolism proteins occur in the reality remain for further studies.
Hydroxyl‐terminated Polybutadiene Curing by 1,3‐dipolar Cycloaddition of Energetic Nitrile N‐Oxides: Room Temperature Curing Property, Kinetics, Thermodynamics, and Propellant Combustion Characteristics
Authors: Lei Yonglin , Fan Yaqin , Huo Jichuan
Published: December 2018

5‐nitro‐1,3‐benzenedichloroaldehyde oxime was designed and synthesized to achieve room temperature curing of HTPB binders, and its structures were characterized. A new kind of 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition reaction system was formed by HTPB as main resin, 5‐nitro‐1,3‐benzenedichloroaldehyde oxime and triethylamine as curing agent. The results revealed that the formation of isoxazoline ring in cured HTPB elastomers mainly derived form the reaction of Nitrile N‐Oxide with cis alkene of HTPB, and the cured HTPB elastomers underwent three stages decomposition. The kinetic parameters and thermodynamic parameters for the 14 % curing agent's sample were obtained from the DSC data. The activation energy was computed to be 204.75 kJ mol−1 and pre‐exponential factor was 1.38×1023 s−1.The burning rate of the propellant showed that the propellant with HTPB cured by containing −NO2 Nitrile N‐Oxides (100 % HTPB, 14 % Nitrile N‐Oxides, 2 % Aluminum and 77 % Ammonium perchlorate, Curing at 25 °C for 5 days ) had a higher burning rate and pressure exponent compared to conventional HTPB propellant (100 % HTPB, 14 % toluene diisocyanate, Nitrile N‐Oxides, 2 % Aluminum and 77 % Ammonium perchlorate, Curing at 60 °C for 5 days). Therefore, the containing −NO2 Nitrile N‐Oxides curing system could be used as a novel promising curing system for HTPB‐based solid composite propellants.
Disulfide bridge formation influences ligand recognition by the ATAD2 bromodomain
Authors: Gay Jamie C. , Eckenroth Brian E. , Evans Chiara M. , Langini Cassiano , Carlson Samuel , Lloyd Jonathan T. , Caflisch Amedeo , Glass Karen C.
Published: December 2018

The ATPase family, AAA domain‐containing protein 2 (ATAD2) has a C‐terminal bromodomain, which functions as a chromatin reader domain recognizing acetylated lysine on the histone tails within the nucleosome. ATAD2 is overexpressed in many cancers and its expression is correlated with poor patient outcomes, making it an attractive therapeutic target and potential biomarker. We solved the crystal structure of the ATAD2 bromodomain and found that it contains a disulfide bridge near the base of the acetyllysine binding pocket (Cys1057‐Cys1079). Site‐directed mutagenesis revealed that removal of a free C‐terminal cysteine (C1101) residue greatly improved the solubility of the ATAD2 bromodomain in vitro. Isothermal titration calorimetry experiments in combination with the Ellman's assay demonstrated that formation of an intramolecular disulfide bridge negatively impacts the ligand binding affinities and alters the thermodynamic parameters of the ATAD2 bromodomain interaction with a histone H4K5ac peptide as well as a small molecule bromodomain ligand. Molecular dynamics simulations indicate that the formation of the disulfide bridge in the ATAD2 bromodomain does not alter the structure of the folded state or flexibility of the acetyllysine binding pocket. However, consideration of this unique structural feature should be taken into account when examining ligand‐binding affinity, or in the design of new bromodomain inhibitor compounds that interact with this acetyllysine reader module.
Interplay of cysteine exposure and global protein dynamics in small‐molecule recognition by a regulator of G‐protein signaling protein
Authors: Mohammadi Mohammadjavad , Mohammadiarani Hossein , Shaw Vincent S. , Neubig Richard R. , Vashisth Harish
Published: December 2018

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins play a pivotal role in regulation of G protein‐coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling and are therefore becoming an increasingly important therapeutic target. Recently discovered thiadiazolidinone (TDZD) compounds that target cysteine residues have shown different levels of specificities and potencies for the RGS4 protein, thereby suggesting intrinsic differences in dynamics of this protein upon binding of these compounds. In this work, we investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations the effect of binding of several small‐molecule inhibitors on perturbations and dynamical motions in RGS4. Specifically, we studied two conformational models of RGS4 in which a buried cysteine residue is solvent‐exposed due to side‐chain motions or due to flexibility in neighboring helices. We found that TDZD compounds with aromatic functional groups perturb the RGS4 structure more than compounds with aliphatic functional groups. Moreover, small‐molecules with aromatic functional groups but lacking sulfur atoms only transiently reside within the protein and spontaneously dissociate to the solvent. We further measured inhibitory effects of TDZD compounds using a protein–protein interaction assay on a single‐cysteine RGS4 protein showing trends in potencies of compounds consistent with our simulation studies. Thermodynamic analyses of RGS4 conformations in the apo‐state and on binding to TDZD compounds revealed links between both conformational models of RGS4. The exposure of cysteine side‐chains appears to facilitate initial binding of TDZD compounds followed by migration of the compound into a bundle of four helices, thereby causing allosteric perturbations in the RGS/Gα protein–protein interface.
Metyltetraprole, a novel putative complex III inhibitor, targets known QoI‐resistant strains of Zymoseptoria tritici and Pyrenophora teres
Authors: Suemoto Haruka , Matsuzaki Yuichi , Iwahashi Fukumatsu
Published: December 2018

BACKGROUND

Metyltetraprole is a new fungicide with a unique tetrazolinone‐moiety and a similar side chain to a known quinone outside inhibitor (QoI), pyraclostrobin. In this study we describe a unique bioactivity of metyltetraprole on QoI‐resistant strains of Zymoseptoria tritici and Pyrenophora teres.

RESULTS

Metyltetraprole exhibited potent antifungal activity against Ascomycetes; it was especially effective against Z. tritici and P. teres in seedling pot tests. Metyltetraprole was also effective in field tests with QoI‐resistant mutants. Antifungal activity tests using field strains of Z. tritici and P. teres showed that the performance of metyltetraprole was unaltered by QoI, succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI), and sterol 14α‐demethylation inhibitor (DMI) resistance. However, the mitochondrial activity test indicated that the compound inhibits the respiratory chain via complex III.

CONCLUSION

Metyltetraprole is a novel fungicide that is highly effective against a wide range of fungal diseases, including important cereal diseases. Although metyltetraprole most likely inhibits the respiratory chain via complex III, it remains effective against QoI resistant strains. Therefore, metyltetraprole is considered as a novel fungicidal agent for controlling diseases affecting cereal crops and overcoming pathogen resistance to existing fungicides. © 2018 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
Analysing sustainability changes in seaports: Experiences from the Gävle Port Authority
Authors: Lozano Rodrigo , Fobbe Lea , Carpenter Angela , Sammalisto Kaisu
Published: December 2018

Ports are under increasing pressure to become more sustainable. Although some ports have been including sustainability into their operations, this has been mainly done from economic and environmental perspectives and technological or policy‐related approaches, while there has been little research on organisational change management for sustainability. This paper analyses organisational change efforts for sustainability at the Port of Gävle, Sweden. Twenty‐three face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with various stakeholders. The findings show that there were differences in perception of sustainability; but similarities in the drivers for and the barriers to sustainability (with some key differences between the internal and external stakeholders). This research shows that, in their journey towards becoming more sustainable, ports have to take a holistic approach encompassing the four dimensions of sustainability (economic, environmental, social, and time); their stakeholders (internal and external); and legislative, technological, financial, cultural/social, voluntary initiatives, and organisational change management approaches.
Inequality and sustainable development: Insights from an analysis of the human development index
Authors: Castells‐Quintana David , Royuela Vicente , Thiel Fabian
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we connect two lines of research in the development economics literature: the analysis of the effect and transmission channels of inequality on economic development and the discussion about the necessity for a broader measure for development. We estimate the association between income inequality and the Human Development Index and its components in a panel of 117 countries over the period of 1970 to 2010. In doing so, we find evidence for (a) a negative long‐run association between inequality and human development and (b) different short‐run associations between inequality and different dimensions of human development: a positive one with economic development but a negative one with educational outcomes, hinting at particular transmission channels. In addition, we detect (c) that those associations can be even more pronounced in countries with low levels of development, reconciling seemingly conflicting findings in the literature.
DeBot: A novel network‐based mechanism to detect exfiltration by architectural stealthy botnets
Authors: Venkatesan Sridhar , Albanese Massimiliano , Chiang Cho‐Yu Jason , Sapello Angelo , Chadha Ritu
Published: December 2018

Malicious actors use networks of compromised and remotely controlled hosts, known as botnets, to execute different classes of cyberattacks, including exfiltration of sensitive data. Recently, we have observed a trend toward more resilient botnet architectures, departing from traditional centralized architectures and enabling botnets to evade detection and persist in a system indefinitely. Botnets can achieve resilience through architectural stealth, by establishing overlay networks that minimize exposure of malicious traffic to detectors. To address this problem, we propose a novel network‐based detection scheme, called DeBot, which identifies traffic flows associated with exfiltration attempts. The proposed solution intercepts traffic from different monitoring points and leverages differences in the network behavior of botnets and benign users to identify suspicious flows. To this aim, we first develop a mechanism to identify monitoring points that are likely to intercept a significant volume of malicious traffic. Then, we analyze flow characteristics to identify suspicious hosts and use periodogram analysis to identify malicious flows originating from those hosts. We evaluate the proposed approach against different botnets in the CyberVAN testbed and compare its performance against state‐of‐the‐art detection techniques. The results indicate that DeBot is effective in detecting botnet activity, thus enabling the identification and removal of bots.