bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting the content of soil mineral nitrogen based on the content of calcium chloride‐extractable nutrients
Authors: Barłóg Przemysław , Łukowiak Remigiusz , Grzebisz Witold
Published: August 2017

Sustainable management of nitrogen (N) in crop production requires a multifactorial assessment of the soil inorganic nitrogen pool (Nmin). It is assumed that the reliable prediction of the total Nmin content requires data on the content of mineral N forms (NO3‐N, NH4‐N), the contents of other extractable macronutrients and the soil pH. This hypothesis was tested during three growing seasons on a production farm in Górzno, Poland. The contents of 0.01 M CaCl2‐extractable NO3‐N, NH4‐N, P, K, and Mg and the pH were measured in soil layers of 0–0.3, 0.3–0.6, and 0.6–0.9 m just prior to the start of spring vegetation of a given crop and immediately after its harvest (autumn). This study was conducted in 17 fields differing in cropping sequence (CS): 10 with oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) (OSR‐CS) and seven with maize (Zea mays L.) (SM‐CS) as the dominant crops. Principal factor analysis (PFA) was applied to explore and interpret patterns in data sets defined by the changeability in the content of Nmin in association with variability in contents of other CaCl2‐extractable nutrients. In spring, the first principal factor (PF1) for OSR‐CS was associated with phosphorus (P), whereas PF2 and PF3 were loaded by NO3‐N and NH4‐N, respectively. For SM‐CS, PF1 was loaded by both inorganic N forms, whereas PF2 and PF3 were loaded by potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and P. In autumn, the dominance of P as the key variable associated with the PFs was stronger in both CSs compared with those in the spring. The prediction of Nmin, in spite of the moderate strength of the PFs (“r” coefficients), can be conducted based on the inorganic N content. In spring, the reliable prediction of Nmin for the OSR‐CS requires data on both N forms. In the SM‐CS, the content of NO3‐N can be used as the sole Nmin predictor. In autumn, the variability in Nmin content can be explained based solely on the NH4‐N content. This was also the main factor affecting the variability in other soil fertility characteristics, such as the contents of K and Mg and the soil pH.
Effects of radio frequency and high pressure steam sterilisation on the colour and flavour of prepared Nostoc sphaeroides
Authors: Xu Jicheng , Zhang Min , An Yanjun , Roknul Azam SM , Adhikari Benu
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND

Nostoc sphaeroides has been used as a highly effective herbal medicine and dietary supplement for thousands of years. The desired dark green colour of fresh N. sphaeroides is converted into an undesirable dark brown during conventional high pressure (HP) steam sterilisation. Radio frequency (RF) sterilisation technology was used in this study to determine its effectiveness in sterilising N. sphaeroides and to achieve better preservation of natural colour and desirable flavour. Sterilisation was carried out using a 6 kW, 27 MHz RF instrument for 10, 20 and 30 min. The degree of microbial kill and the effects of RF sterilisation on colour and flavour were determined and compared with those obtained from HP steam (121 °C, 30 min) sterilisation.

RESULTS

The effects of RF sterilisation on colour and flavour (measured using electronic nose) parameters were significantly lower than that in HP steam sterilisation. The RF sterilisation carried out for 20 min achieved logarithmic reduction of bacterial population and met China's national standard while preserving the colour and flavour better.

CONCLUSION

Results of the present study indicated that application of RF sterilisation would improve the quality of sterilised N. sphaeroides and broaden its application in the food and health food industries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Novel Assessment (BlueDop) Device for Detection of Lower Limb Arterial Disease: A Prospective Comparative Study
Authors: Kordzadeh Ali , Hoff Mekhola , Tokidis Evripidis , King David H. , Browne Tom , Prionidis Ioannis
Published: August 2017

According to National Institute of Clinical Excellence guidelines, the ankle‐brachial pressure index coupled with a full clinical evaluation has been the mainstay of detecting peripheral arterial disease on its suspicion. However, this technique is not free of its own limitations in calcified arteries, ulcerative and diabetic patients. We introduce a new, novel, and effective assessment device (BlueDop) with a minimal learning curve that could overcome such barriers and serve as a valid replacement in perihospital settings.
Fingerprinting Sediment Sources After an Extreme Rainstorm Event in a Small Catchment on the Loess Plateau, PR China
Authors: Zhang Jiaqiong , Yang Mingyi , Zhang Fengbao , Zhang Wei , Zhao Tianyin , Li Yuanyuan
Published: August 2017

Soil erosion is a severe problem on China's Loess Plateau due to its fine‐grained soils and the increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events. Accordingly, this study used a 100‐year frequency rainstorm dataset to analyse sediment deposition and sources in a 27‐km2 catchment with a dam field area of 0·14 km2 based on the hypothesis that sediments were intercepted by the dam (before collapse) during the rainstorm event and deposited in the dam field. This study applied composite fingerprinting, which revealed the sediment source contributions and estimated sediment deposition. Sediment deposition (626·4 kg m−2) decreased linearly or exponentially with increasing distance from the dam. Composite fingerprints based on the optimal parameters revealed relative sediment contributions of 44·1% ± 25·5%, 37·7% ± 35·0%, 9·0% ± 11·4% and 9·2% ± 11·5% by bare ground, croplands, grassland and forests, respectively. The 5‐year cumulative sediment deposition from normal rainfall was 2·3 × 104 t less than the extreme rainstorm. Bare grounds and croplands were the dominant sediment sources following both the extreme rainstorm and normal erosive rainfall events but varied at different areas of the check‐dam. Erosion patterns and start times depended on land use type, thereby affecting sediment profiles in the dam field. Furthermore, severe erosion from bare ground that were all gully slopes and gully walls occurred throughout the rainfall, whereas grasslands and forest erosion occurred earlier and croplands later. Finally, extreme rainfall promoted mass wasting on slopes, gully slopes and gully walls, which are important in determining extreme rainstorm erosion pattern variation. This study aimed to reveal erosion pattern variation under extreme rainstorm events. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions following Conversion of a Reclaimed Minesoil to Bioenergy Crop Production
Authors: Guzman Jose G. , Ussiri David , Lal Rattan
Published: August 2017

This study provides a comparative assessment of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when converting a reclaimed minesoil that was previously under meadow to miscanthus (Miscanthus × giganteus) and maize (Zea mays L.) land uses in Ohio, USA. Additionally, effluent from an anaerobic digester at rates of 0, 75, 150, and 225 kg N ha−1 rates was also assessed for C and nutrient fertilization. Results from the study show that land use conversion to maize had the highest net release of GHG equivalent of 6·6 Mg CO2equ ha−1 y−1, on average, across effluent application rates. Under miscanthus land use with no and high effluent application rates, net GHG equivalent on average was 4·3 Mg CO2equ ha−1 y−1, which was larger when compared with that under the meadow land use (1·6 Mg CO2equ ha−1 y−1). Miscanthus land use under medium rates of effluent application had similar net GHG equivalent (7·1 Mg CO2equ ha−1 y−1) to the maize land use. The application of effluent did increase CO2–C and N2O–N emissions; but increases in above‐ground–below‐ground biomass production (1·6 Mg C ha−1) in the meadow land use and C input from effluent retained in the soil in the miscanthus and maize land uses offset most of the effluent‐induced GHG equivalent emissions. Contribution of cumulative N2O–N to GHG equivalent emissions in general was 11% when no effluent was applied and 22% when effluent was applied across land uses. Findings from this study show that land use changes from antecedent meadow to maize and miscanthus during the first year of establishment would result in net increase of GHG emissions. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Radial fast interrupted steady‐state (FISS) magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Koktzoglou Ioannis , Edelman Robert R.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

To report a highly interrupted radial variant of balanced steady‐state free precession (bSSFP) imaging, termed fast interrupted steady‐state (FISS), for decreasing flow artifact as well as fat signal conspicuity with respect to bSSFP, and saturation effects vis‐à‐vis fast low‐angle shot (FLASH) imaging.

Methods

Numerical simulations, phantom studies, and human studies were conducted to examine the imaging contrast, off‐resonance behavior, and flow properties of FISS. Human studies applied FISS for cine cardiac imaging and ungated nonenhanced MR angiography (MRA) of the legs, neck, and brain. Comparisons were made with bSSFP and FLASH imaging.

Results

Simulations revealed that FISS retains the high signal levels of bSSFP for stationary on‐resonant spins, while reducing undesirable signal heterogeneity from flowing spins. Phantom studies agreed with the simulations, and showed that FISS reduces fat signal and flow artifact with respect to bSSFP imaging. FISS imaging in human subjects agreed with the simulations and phantom studies, and showed reduced saturation artifact compared with FLASH imaging.

Conclusion

FISS imaging reduces flow artifact and fat signal conspicuity with respect to bSSFP imaging, and ameliorates arterial signal saturation observed with FLASH imaging. Potential clinical applications include fat‐suppressed cine imaging and ungated nonenhanced MRA. Magn Reson Med 79:2077–2086, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.
Model reduction for LPV systems based on approximate modal decomposition
Authors: Luspay Tamás , Péni Tamás , Gőzse István , Szabó Zoltán , Vanek Bálint
Published: August 2017

The paper presents a novel model order reduction technique for large‐scale linear parameter‐varying (LPV) systems. The approach is based on decoupling the original dynamics into smaller dimensional LPV subsystems that can be independently reduced by parameter‐varying reduction methods. The decomposition starts with the construction of a modal transformation that separates the modal subsystems. Hierarchical clustering is applied then to collect the dynamically similar modal subsystems into larger groups. The resulting parameter‐varying subsystems are then independently reduced. This approach substantially differs from most of the previously proposed LPV model reduction techniques, since it performs manipulations on the LPV model itself, instead of on a set of linear time‐invariant models defined at fixed scheduling parameter values. Therefore, the interpolation, which is often a challenging part in reduction techniques, is inherently solved. The applicability of the developed algorithm is thoroughly investigated and demonstrated by numerical case studies.
DC‐Obesity: A New Model for Estimating Differential Lifetime Costs of Overweight and Obesity by Socioeconomic Status
Authors: Sonntag Diana , Jarczok Marc N. , Ali Shehzad
Published: August 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to quantify the magnitude of lifetime costs of overweight and obesity by socioeconomic status (SES).

Methods

Differential Costs (DC)‐Obesity is a new model that uses time‐to‐event simulation and the Markov modeling approach to compare lifetime excess costs of overweight and obesity among individuals with low, middle, and high SES. SES was measured by a multidimensional aggregated index based on level of education, occupational class, and income by using longitudinal data of the German Socioeconomic Panel (SOEP). Random‐effects meta‐analysis was applied to combine estimates of (in)direct costs of overweight and obesity.

Results

DC‐Obesity brings attention to opposite socioeconomic gradients in lifetime costs due to obesity compared to overweight. Compared to individuals with obesity and high SES, individuals with obesity and low SES had lifetime excess costs that were two times higher (€8,526). In contrast, these costs were 20% higher in groups with overweight and high SES than in groups with overweight and low SES (€2,711).

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that SES may play a pivotal role in designing cost‐effective and sustainable interventions to prevent and treat overweight and obesity. DC‐Obesity may help public policy planners to make informed decisions about obesity programs targeted at vulnerable SES groups.
Variability in Weight Change Early in Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment: Theoretical and Clinical Implications
Authors: Feig Emily H. , Lowe Michael R.
Published: August 2017

Objective

Response early in weight loss treatment predicts long‐term weight change. Weight variability, independent of absolute early weight change, may also relate to long‐term outcomes. This study examined whether weight variability early in treatment predicted later weight loss and maintenance.

Methods

Participants were 183 completers of a yearlong behavioral weight loss program (mean age = 51, 81% female, 69% white, mean BMI = 35  kg/m2). Weight variability was calculated using weights from the first 6 and 12 weekly treatment sessions. Multiple linear regressions examined whether weight variability predicted subsequent weight change 6, 12, and 24 months later.

Results

Weight variability over 6‐ and 12‐week periods predicted less subsequent weight loss at 12 months (6‐week: β = 0.18, P = 0.02; 12‐week: β = 0.33, P < 0.01) and 24 months (6‐week: β = 0.17, P = 0.03; 12‐week: β = 0.15, P = 0.05). Relationships held when adjusting for covariates. Weight variability was more strongly associated with 6‐month weight change in men than women (β = 0.27, P = 0.01).

Conclusions

Elevated weight variability early in a weight loss program predicted poor long‐term outcomes, possibly reflecting inconsistent weight control behaviors. Tracking weight variability could prove useful for improving treatment outcomes.
Incorporation of nanohydroxyapatite and vitamin D3 into electrospun PCL/Gelatin scaffolds: The influence on the physical and chemical properties and cell behavior for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Sattary Mansoureh , Khorasani Mohammad Taghi , Rafienia Mohammad , Rozve Hossein Salehi
Published: August 2017

Scaffold, an essential element of tissue engineering, should provide proper physical and chemical properties and evolve suitable cell behavior for tissue regeneration. Polycaprolactone/Gelatin (PCL/Gel)‐based nanocomposite scaffolds containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (nHA) and vitamin D3 (Vit D3) were fabricated using the electrospinning method. Structural and mechanical properties of the scaffold were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and tensile measurement. In this study, smooth and bead‐free morphology with a uniform fiber diameter and optimal porosity level with appropriate pore size was observed for PCL/Gel/nHA nanocomposite scaffold. The results indicated that adding nHA to PCL/Gel caused an increase of the mechanical properties of scaffold. In addition, chemical interactions between PCL, gelatin, and nHA molecules were shown with XRD and FT‐IR in the composite scaffolds. MG‐63 cell line has been cultured on the fabricated composite scaffolds; the results of viability and adhesion of cells on the scaffolds have been confirmed using MTT and SEM analysis methods. Here in this study, the culture of the osteoblast cells on the scaffolds showed that the addition of Vit D3 to PCL/Gel/nHA scaffold caused further attachment and proliferation of the cells. Moreover, DAPI staining results showed that the presence and viability of the cells were greater in PCL/Gel/nHA/Vit D3 scaffold than in PCL/Gel/nHA and PCL/Gel scaffolds. The results also approved increasing cell proliferation and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity for MG‐63 cells cultured on PCL/Gel/nHA/Vit D3 scaffold. The results indicated superior properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles and vitamin D3 incorporated in PCL/Gel scaffold for use in bone tissue engineering.
Validity of the days supply field in pharmacy administrative claims data for the identification of blister packaging of medications
Authors: Leong Christine , Sareen Jitender , Leslie William D. , Enns Murray W. , Bolton James , Alessi‐Severini Silvia , Katz Laurence Y. , Logsetty Sarvesh , Snider Carolyn , Berry Jason , Prior Heather J. , Chateau Dan
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Pharmacy claims data is often used in pharmacoepidemiology studies, but no studies to date have examined whether it was possible to identify the use of blister packs in these databases. We aimed to determine whether medications dispensed in days divisible by 7 are more likely to be blister packed than medications dispensed in other quantities.

Methods

Community pharmacies in Manitoba were invited to participate in a mail‐out survey to identify the use of blister packaging for up to 25 patients who had a solid oral medication dispensed from April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2014. Eligible medications were identified using the population‐based province‐wide retail pharmacy network. Algorithms for identifying the use of blister packaging were determined by comparing the proportion of fills that confirmed blister pack use between different days supply quantities.

Results

Twenty‐seven out of 32 pharmacies that agreed to participate completed the survey. The total number of prescriptions in the analysis was 2045 of which 131 (6.4%) were dispensed in blister packaging. Overall, prescriptions dispensed in days divisible by 7 yielded a 72.5% sensitivity, 86.6% specificity, 30.3% PPV, and 97.9% NPV compared with prescriptions dispensed in other quantities. A 28‐day to 30‐day comparison yielded an 87.9% sensitivity, 96.1% specificity, 64.6% PPV, and 99.0% NPV.

Conclusion

While the NPV was high, the PPV for identifying blister packaging using the days supply field in pharmacy claims data was modest given the low prevalence in blister pack use. The best predictor occurred when 28 days was compared with 30 days.

KEY POINTS

Blister packs are arranged in 4 × 7 compartments and are often used to improve adherence, but no studies have examined whether it was possible to identify the use of blister packs using the days supply field in pharmacy claims data.

Findings show that a 28‐day supply yielded a high sensitivity and specificity for identifying the use of blister packaging compared with a 30‐day supply, but there is potential for misclassification.

Future studies directed at examining subgroups that are more likely to use blister packs and replication of findings using other data sources in other jurisdictions are encouraged.
Risks of newly onset hemorrhagic stroke in patients with neovascular age‐related macular degeneration
Authors: Lee Wan‐Ju Annabelle , Cheng Ching‐Lan , Lee Cheng‐Han , Kao Yang Yea‐Huei , Lin Swu‐Jane , Hsieh Cheng‐Yang
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is an eye disease causing blindness in the elderly. It shares many common possible pathogenic mechanisms with cardiovascular diseases. Many studies have discussed the association between AMD and stroke, but the results were inconsistent. Our aim was to determine the associations between neovascular AMD and the risk of stroke in the Taiwanese population.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study. We used claims data from National Health Insurance Research Database. Patients aged more than 45 years without stroke, myocardial infarction, or any AMD were selected from 2001 to 2008 and followed until 2010. The index date was defined as the date of nAMD diagnosis (ICD‐9 code, 362.52). The comparison group was patients without an nAMD diagnosis with age‐ and sex‐matched to nAMD subjects at a ratio of up to 10 to 1. Kaplan‐Meier survival analysis and Cox regression analysis were used. The incidence of stroke events (ICD‐9 codes, 430‐434) and their subtypes (hemorrhagic and ischemic) were primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes included acute myocardial infarction (AMI), composite AMI/stroke, and all‐cause mortality.

Results

Patients with nAMD had a higher risk of developing stroke, with an adjusted HR of 1.30 (95% CI, 1.01‐1.68). A higher risk for hemorrhagic stroke (HR, 1.70, 95% CI, 1.03‐2.83) was also found. No significant differences were observed in ischemic stroke, the composite of AMI/stroke, and all‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

Patients with nAMD had a significantly higher risk of developing stroke, which was driven mainly by the increased risk of developing the hemorrhagic subtype.
Bisphosphonate use and the risk of breast cancer: a meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Ou Ying‐Ju , Chiu Hui‐Fen , Wong Yun‐Hong , Yang Chun‐Chien , Yang Yi‐Hsin
Published: August 2017

Purpose

To summarize current evidence of the association of bisphosphonate use with breast cancer risk, we used a systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies to explore this issue.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Pooled relative risk (RR) estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random effects model.

Results

Bisphosphonate use was associated with a 16% lower breast cancer risk (pool RR0.84, 95%CI 0.77‐0.90, n = 8). A protective effect of bisphosphonate was found in cohort studies (RR 0.85, 95%CI 0.80‐0.90, n = 4) and case‐control studies (RR 0.78, 95%CI 0.64‐0.96, n = 4).We also found that the use of bisphosphonate resulted in a statistically significant reduction in all breast cancer risk (RR 0.87, 95%CI 0.81‐0.93) and greater reduction in invasive breast cancer risk (RR 0.78, 95%CI 0.68‐0.91) and contralateral breast cancer risk (RR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.20‐0.84).With respect to the type of bisphosphonate, we found that alendronate and etidronate resulted significant reduction in breast cancer risk. The short‐term use of bisphosphonate (<1 y) led to nonsignificant change (RR 0.93, 95%CI 0.86‐1.00), but a significant 26% reduction of breast cancer risk was noted with long‐term use (>1 y) (RR 0.74, 95%CI 0.66‐0.83).

Conclusions

Our results supported bisphosphonate as being effective in preventing breast cancer, including invasive and contralateral breast cancer. Furthermore, the long‐term use (>1 y) of bisphosphonate was more significant in lowering breast cancer risk.
Relationship between physicians' perceived stigma toward depression and physician referral to psycho‐oncology services on an oncology/hematology ward
Authors: Kim Won‐Hyoung , Bae Jae‐Nam , Lim Joohan , Lee Moon‐Hee , Hahm Bong‐Jin , Yi Hyeon Gyu
Published: August 2017

Objective

This study was performed to identify relationships between physicians' perceived stigma toward depression and psycho‐oncology service utilization on an oncology/hematology ward.

Methods

The study participants were 235 patients in an oncology/hematology ward and 14 physicians undergoing an internal medicine residency training program in Inha University Hospital (Incheon, South Korea). Patients completed the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), and residents completed the Perceived Devaluation‐Discrimination scale that evaluates perceived stigma toward depression. A total PHQ‐9 score of ≥5 was defined as clinically significant depression. Physicians decided on referral on the basis of their opinions and those of their patients. The correlates of physicians' recommendation for referral to psycho‐oncology services and real referrals psycho‐oncology services were examined.

Results

Of the 235 patients, 143 had PHQ‐9 determined depression, and of these 143 patients, 61 received psycho‐oncology services. Physicians recommended that 87 patients consult psycho‐oncology services. Multivariate analyses showed that lower physicians' perceived stigma regarding depression was significantly associated with physicians' recommendation for referral, and that real referral to psycho‐oncology services was significantly associated with presence of a hematologic malignancy and lower physicians' perceived stigma toward depression.

Conclusion

Physicians' perceived stigma toward depression was found to be associated with real referral to psycho‐oncology services and with physician recommendation for referral to psycho‐oncology services. Further investigations will be needed to examine how to reduce physicians' perceived stigma toward depression.
A versatile vector for mycobacterial protein production with a functional minimized acetamidase regulon
Authors: Magaña Vergara Christian , Kallenberg Christina Jana Louisa , Rogasch Miriam , Hübner Christian Gerhard , Song Young‐Hwa
Published: August 2017

Recombinant protein expression is a prerequisite for diverse investigations of proteins at the molecular level. For targets from Mycobacterium tuberculosis it is favorable to use M. smegmatis as an expression host, a species from the same genus. In the respective shuttle vectors, target gene expression is controlled by the complex tetra‐cistronic acetamidase regulon. As a result, the size of those vectors is large, rendering them of limited use, especially when the target proteins are expressed from multi‐cistronic operons. Therefore, in the current work we present a versatile new expression vector in which the acetamidase regulon has been minimized by deleting the two genes amiD and amiS. We assessed the functional properties of the resulting vector pMyCA and compared it with those of the existing vector pMyNT that contains the full‐length acetamidase regulon. We analyzed the growth features and protein expression patterns of M. smegmatis cultures transformed with both vectors. In addition, we created mCherry expression constructs to spectroscopically monitor the expression properties of both vectors. Our experiments showed that the minimized vector exhibited several advantages over the pMyNT vector. First, the overall yield of expressed protein is higher due to the higher yield of bacterial mass. Second, the heterologous expression was regulated more tightly, offering an expression tool for diverse target proteins. Third, it is suitable for large multi‐protein complexes that are expressed from multi‐cistronic operons. Additionally, our results propose a new understanding of the regulation mechanism of the acetamidase regulon with the potential to construct more optimized vectors in the future.
Supplementation with a Polyphenol‐Rich Extract, TensLess®, Attenuates Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness and Improves Muscle Recovery from Damages After Eccentric Exercise
Authors: Romain Cindy , Freitas Tomás T. , Martínez‐Noguera Francisco J. , Laurent Caroline , Gaillet Sylvie , Chung Linda H. , Alcaraz Pedro E. , Cases Julien
Published: August 2017

High‐intensity exercises are known to provoke delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Delayed onset muscle soreness typically occurs within the first 24 h, peaks between 24 and 72 h, and can last as long as 5–7 days post‐exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness is a multifactorial process involving both mechanical and biochemical components, associated with clinical features that may limit range of motion, and athletes seek for effective recovery strategies to optimize future training sessions. TensLess® is a food supplement developed to help manage post‐exercise recovery. The supplement has been investigated on 13 recreationally active athletes of both sex, during a randomized, double‐blind, and crossover clinical investigation, including a 3‐week washout period. The clinical investigation was based on the study of TensLess® effects for DOMS management and on the reduction of associated muscle damages following an eccentric exercise protocol. Supplementation with TensLess® induced significant decrease in DOMS perception (−33%; p = 0.008) as of the first 24 h; this was significantly correlated with a lowered release of muscle damage‐associated biomarkers, namely myoglobin, creatinine, and creatine kinase, for the whole length of the recovery period. Taken together, these positive results clearly indicate that post‐exercise supplementation with TensLess® may preserve myocytes and reduce soreness following eccentric exercise‐induced damages, and, accordingly, significantly shorten muscle recovery. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Are source groups always appropriate when sediment fingerprinting? The direct comparison of source and sediment samples as a methodological step
Authors: Pulley S. , Van Der Waal B. , Collins A.L. , Foster I.D.L. , Rowntree K.
Published: August 2017

The classification of sediment source groups is often the least thoroughly considered part of a sediment fingerprinting methodology; however, the use of inappropriate source groups can be the cause of significant uncertainty. In many catchments, source groups based on land use or geology are a poor fit for their geomorphological processes and the nature of the tracers used. Against this context, this study directly compared the average percentage difference in the standardised concentrations of all tracers between a sediment sample and each individual source sample, to map the similarity between the properties of sources and sediment in 3 study catchments. The environmental significance of individual tracers and their similarity between individual samples were also examined in order to identify functionally important source groups. In the River Nene, UK, the mean percentage differences between source and sediment tracer concentrations were primarily controlled by the presence of distinctive ironstone and urban sources, which had very dissimilar properties to the target sediment. However, a generally consistent trend of certain source samples having more similar properties to multiple target sediment samples than others was also found; a finding that could not be identified when using conventional source groups. In the Sywell reservoir catchment, UK, sediment originated from throughout its catchment, apart from in the case of damaged road verges, and there was little indication of any major change in sediment sources through recent time. In the Vuvu catchment, South Africa, there was a larger contribution from distal igneous sources during high‐flow events. The trialled method, however, provided little advantage over the standard fingerprinting approach in this case, due to the existing good fit between catchment geomorphology, the tracers used, and the geological source groups. The method trialled herein can provide distinct advantages over the conventional fingerprinting approach and, although it should not replace it, provides a useful supplement by permitting an assessment of whether potential source groupings make best environmental sense and providing increased resolution of sediment provenance.
An adaptive end‐to‐end RTO calculation framework for DTNs with scheduled connectivity
Authors: Diamantopoulos Sotiris , Bezirgiannidis Nikolaos , Papastergiou Giorgos , Tsaoussidis Vassilis
Published: August 2017

In this work, we propose an end‐to‐end retransmission framework for dynamically calculating efficient retransmission time‐out intervals in delay‐tolerant networks (DTNs) with scheduled connectivity. The proposed framework combines deterministic and statistical information about the network state to calculate worst‐case estimates about the expected round trip times. Such information includes connectivity schedules, convergence layer protocols specifics, communication link characteristics, and network statistics about the maximum expected packet error rates and storage congestion. We detail the implementation of the proposed framework within the end‐to‐end application data conditioning layer proposed for the DTN architecture, realized by the Delay‐Tolerant Payload Conditioning protocol, as part of the Interplanetary Overlay Network–DTN reference implementation, and evaluate its performance in a complex deep‐space emulation scenario in our DTN testbed. Our results show that our approach achieves great accuracy in round‐trip time estimations and, therefore, faster retransmissions of lost data, in comparison to the statically configured retransmission mechanism of the original Delay‐Tolerant Payload Conditioning protocol. As a result, in‐order data reception rate and storage requirements on the receiver side are significantly improved, at minimum or even zero extra cost in transmission overhead due to duplicate transmissions.
RLNC in satellite networks: A cooperative scenario for delivering M2M traffic
Authors: Bacco Manlio , Gotta Alberto
Published: August 2017

The fraction of machine‐to‐machine traffic carried by satellite networks is increasing, and an efficient delivery is required in order to enable a large set of applications that can benefit from the advantages provided by the use of satellites. This work analyses the use of random linear network coding techniques in land mobile satellite channels to reliably deliver machine‐to‐machine traffic to mobile nodes in urban areas. The considered scenario takes into account a cooperative coverage extension in land mobile satellite vehicular networks, where the use of random linear network coding techniques can remove the need for any fixed equipment on the ground at least in urban environments, where the density of mobile nodes is typically high.
Group testing regression models with dilution submodels
Authors: Warasi Md S. , McMahan Christopher S. , Tebbs Joshua M. , Bilder Christopher R.
Published: August 2017

Group testing, where specimens are tested initially in pools, is widely used to screen individuals for sexually transmitted diseases. However, a common problem encountered in practice is that group testing can increase the number of false negative test results. This occurs primarily when positive individual specimens within a pool are diluted by negative ones, resulting in positive pools testing negatively. If the goal is to estimate a population‐level regression model relating individual disease status to observed covariates, severe bias can result if an adjustment for dilution is not made. Recognizing this as a critical issue, recent binary regression approaches in group testing have utilized continuous biomarker information to acknowledge the effect of dilution. In this paper, we have the same overall goal but take a different approach. We augment existing group testing regression models (that assume no dilution) with a parametric dilution submodel for pool‐level sensitivity and estimate all parameters using maximum likelihood. An advantage of our approach is that it does not rely on external biomarker test data, which may not be available in surveillance studies. Furthermore, unlike previous approaches, our framework allows one to formally test whether dilution is present based on the observed group testing data. We use simulation to illustrate the performance of our estimation and inference methods, and we apply these methods to 2 infectious disease data sets.
Facile Construction of Metal‐Free g‐C3N4 Isotype Heterojunction with Highly Enhanced Visible‐light Photocatalytic Performance
Authors: Meng Qingguo , Yuan Mingzhe , Lv Haiqing , Chen Zhen , Zhou Guofu , Chen Zhihong , Wang Xin
Published: August 2017

Carbon Nitride is considered as a promising photocatalyst material because of its unique properties such as environment‐friendly, suitable band gap and high stability. However, the photocatalytic activity of pristine g‐C3N4 was greatly hindered by the recombination of photo‐generated electron‐hole pairs. In this work, we provide an alternative method to address this problem by the construction of g‐C3N4 isotype heterojunction (CNH−T/CNH−U) structure, which was successfully synthesized by a facile protonation assisted hydrothermal method. Under the irradiation of visible light (λ > 420 nm), the CNH−T/CNH−U isotype heterojunction photocatalyst displays much higher photodegradation activity of organic dyes degradation and H2‐production activity than the pure CNH−T or CNH−U sample. This remarkably improved photocatalytic performance is attributed to the successful construction of CNH−T/CNH−U isotype heterojunction associated by protonation, which results in larger surface area and the more efficient separation of photo‐generated electron‐hole pairs, further investigated by electron paramagnetic resonance, photoluminescence, photocurrent measurement, and a series of active species trapping experiments.
Dicarboxylic Acids as Soft Templates for the Sol‐Gel Synthesis of Mesoporous Nano TiO2 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity
Authors: Bakre Pratibha V. , Tilve Santosh G.
Published: August 2017

In this study we have synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles by sol‐gel method utilizing different dicarboxylic acid modifiers viz. oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid and tartaric acid and compared their properties. The synthesized particles were characterized by Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV‐DRS), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) and Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) surface area measurement. The results indicate that the phase purity of the particles depend on the nature of precursor dicarboxylic acid. The synthesized samples were compared with Degussa P25 for photocatalytic activity by direct sunlight degradation of methylene blue. Samples prepared from malonic and glutaric acid precursors were found to show better photocatalytic activity than the P25 and were found to have maximum mesoporosity, smaller size and exclusive anatase phase.
Accurate Calculations of Rate Constants for the Forward and Reverse H2O + CO ↔ HCOOH Reactions
Authors: Vichietti Rafael Mario , Spada Rene Felipe Keidel , Silva Albérico Borges Ferreira da , Machado Francisco Bolivar Correto , Haiduke Roberto Luiz Andrade
Published: August 2017

The forward and reverse H2O + CO ↔ HCOOH reactions were investigated using high‐level methodologies in order to provide accurate thermodynamic and kinetic data between 200 and 4000 K. Geometries of reactants, transition state (TS), and product were determined with the Coupled Cluster Theory including single and double excitations (CCSD) along with the cc‐pVTZ basis set, whereas associated vibrational frequencies, zero‐point energies, and thermal corrections were scaled to consider anharmonicity effects. Besides, the description of electronic energies was improved by means of core‐valence correlation and iterative triple‐excitation contributions together with a complete basis set extrapolation (ECBS,Δ) in order to achieve accurate values of enthalpies, Gibbs energies, and rate constants. Such rate constants were estimated at the high‐pressure limit by variational TS treatments combined with different quantum tunneling approaches. Finally, modified Arrhenius’ equations were fitted between 700 and 4000 K from our most reliable results.
Silver Nanoparticles/Gelatin Composite: A New Class of Antibacterial Material
Authors: Singh Ashwani Kumar , Tripathi Manish , Srivastava Onkar Nath , Verma Rajiv Kumar
Published: August 2017

A simple and fast, one‐step, cost effective protocol for silver nanoparticle (AgNP) synthesis has been reported. AgNO3 is reduced using black cardamom (B.C.) extract to produce nanoparticles. Variable size nanoparticles were obtained by choosing the different composition of a reaction mixture comprised of AgNO3 solution and B.C. extract. Nanoparticle formation was monitored by the color change of reaction mixture as well as by UV‐Visible spectroscopy. AgNPs has been characterized thoroughly by XRD and TEM analysis for shape and size. A plausible mechanism for reduction of Ag+ has been proposed based on oxidation products of 1,8‐cineole, which is one of the major components of B.C. extract. A very important application of these AgNPs has also been shown by preparing AgNP‐gelatin composite to check its activity against different strains of bacteria. The results suggest excellent antibacterial activities of the above‐mentioned composite films, which can be further developed as antibacterial films for different purposes.
Effects of the Starch Indicator on the Buoyantly Unstable Iodate‐Arsenous Acid Reaction Front
Authors: Sebestikova Lenka , Simcik Mirek , Ruzicka Marek C.
Published: August 2017

Buoyantly unstable chemical fronts, which propagated in the iodate arsenous acid reaction system, were studied experimentally in 3D space and numerically in vertical 2D space. The fronts invaded the reaction solution from the left top corner in horizontal and vertical directions. Before the starch effects were examined condition under which friction did not influence the front propagation were found both experimentally and numerically. The critical solution depth and the critical distance between lateral walls, above which the front speed is not influenced by friction, were determined. Moreover, the results also show that the 2D simulations correspond to a vertically oriented plane placed the 3D experiments in 1/2 of the walls distance and along the x axis of the reactor. Importantly, those results also show that friction caused by the presence of solid side walls exclude pseudo 2D experiments to be compared with 2D simulations, when flow is involved. The effects of starch on the IAA fronts were studied experimentally at conditions, at which the friction did not influence the front propagation. Although the starch is used in very low concentrations as an iodine indicator, the experimental results show that starch presence strongly affects the dynamics of the liquid IAA reaction system. The presence of starch decreases the front velocity independently on the direction of the front propagation. Starch also affects the pattern formation. A possible mechanism is discussed.
Hydrogen Peroxide‐Induced Oxidative Dimerization of Wittig Reagents: Improving the Selectivity, Yield and Expanding to the Aryl System
Authors: He Wei , Lv Yue‐Guang , Hong Tian‐Yu , Tong Yuan‐Bo , Zhu Zhong‐Peng , Wei Qian , Guo Cun‐Yue , Yu Gui , Yang Jing‐Kui
Published: August 2017

Under the protection of nitrogen, the use of THF as best solvent can increase the yield or stereoselectivity of the H2O2 induced oxidation of Wittig reagents to give the corresponding dimerization products (trans‐alkenes) as the major or only product in better to good yields up to 98 %. This reaction can be expanded to the aryl system in the yield up to 94 % for homo‐coupled dimers or 58 % for cross coupled dimers. This result will expand the synthetic application scope of Wittig reagents and H2O2.
A Total Synthesis of the Cyclic Depsipeptide Chaiyaphumine‐A
Authors: Gholap Somnath S. , Ugale Sandip R.
Published: August 2017

The first total synthesis of Chaiyaphumine‐A, a cyclic depsipentapeptide isolated from Xenorhabdus SP. PB614 which showed good activity against Plasmodium falcifarum (IC50= 0.61 μM) has been described. The synthesis of Chaiyaphumine‐A was accomplished by solution phase fragment synthesis using protection, deprotection, coupling and cyclisation reactions. Five amino acids viz. L‐Threonine, D‐phenyl alanine, D‐Alanine, L‐Proline and L‐Tryptophan are assembled together by amide coupling reactions. The macrocylization of side chain (‐OH) of L‐ β Thr and C‐terminus of carboxylic acid from L‐Tryptophan to give Chaiyaphumine‐A in 12% yield. The spectroscopic data (1H‐NMR, 13C‐NMR, HRMS) confirmed the structure elucidation as reported in literature.
Synthesis of Lapachone Derivates via Ionic Liquid‐Mediated Tandem Knoevenagel/Diels‐Alder Reaction
Authors: Prado Karinne E. , Name Luccas L. , Oliveira Rayssa P. , Guadagnin Rafael C. , Pimenta Daniel C. , Pena Jesus M. , Cella Rodrigo
Published: August 2017

The use of ionic liquid (IL) in Tandem Knoevenagel/Diels‐Alder Reaction is an optimization method for one‐pot procedures, providing great results under mild conditions. In this paper, four new Lapachone derivatives were obtained using lawsone as substrate. The effects of the catalytic use of ionic liquids and catalysts in organometallic systems were evaluated. Several lapachone derivatives were obtained good to excellent yields.
Mesoscopic‐Functionalization of Silk Fibroin with Gold Nanoclusters Mediated by Keratin and Bioinspired Silk Synapse
Authors: Xing Yao , Shi Chenyang , Zhao Jianhui , Qiu Wu , Lin Naibo , Wang Jingjuan , Yan Xiao Bing , Yu Wei Dong , Liu Xiang Yang
Published: September 2017

Silk fibroin (SF) offers great opportunities in manufacturing biocompatible/partially biodegradable devices with environmental benignity and biomedical applications. To obtain active SF devices of next generation, this work is to demonstrate a new functionalization strategy of the mesoscopic functionalization for soft materials. Unlike the atomic functionalization of solid materials, the meso‐functionalization is to incorporate meso‐dopants, i.e., functional molecules or nanomaterials, quantum dots, into the mesoscopic networks of soft materials. In this work, wool keratin (WK) molecules were adopted as mediating molecules to incorporate gold nanoclusters (AuNCs), into the mesoscopic networks of SF. It follows from our analyses that the β‐crystallites between WK and SF molecules establish the binding between WK@AuNCs and the SF networks. The incorporated WK@AuNCs are electron rich and serve as electronically charged nano particles to bridge the growth of Ag filaments in bio‐degradable WK@AuNCs–SF memristors. The meso‐functionalization can greatly enhance the performance of SF materials and endows them with new functionalities. This can be highlighted by biocompatible/partly degradable WK@AuNCs functionalized SF resistive random‐access memories, having the enhanced resistive switching memory performance, and the unique synapse characteristics and the capability of synapse learning compared with neat SF devices, and of great importance in nonvolatile memory, analog circuits, and neuromorphic applications.
Reconstruction of the Systems Paradigm: A Study of Green Development in China from the Perspective of Process Philosophy
Authors: Yiyu Liu , Dongping Fan
Published: August 2017

The development of contemporary China is in a unique situation in which non‐linear system behaviors stem from complex interactions among elements, structure, function and environment of the Chinese social system. One of the important features of this complex situation is the unpredictability of system evolution at the edge of chaos. A fundamental dilemma for the Chinese social system in transition is how to build an appropriate management paradigm to adapt to this complex situation. Endeavours to transplant the ‘linear ideal model’ from Western society failed, and the ‘Simple Development Paradigm’, which once dominated Chinese society, is now in deep crisis. The serious environmental problems derived from these endeavours force China to build a new approach related to ‘green’ development. In this paper, process philosophy will be shown to provide us with tools for enlightening thought in building a paradigm to adapt to this complex situation. First, ontologically speaking, process philosophy helps us to understand interactions between human activity systems and natural systems from the perspective of time–space–matter relationship. Second, epistemologically speaking, process philosophy emphasizes the construction of ‘organismic’ knowledge at the level of a living community. Third, methodologically speaking, process philosophy attempts to rebuild a coexistence relationship between human activity systems and natural systems with a ‘prehension’ methodology. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.