bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Humidity‐Activated Shape Memory Effects on Thermoplastic Starch/EVA Blends and Their Compatibilized Nanocomposites
Authors: Sessini Valentina , Raquez Jean‐Marie , Lourdin Denis , Maigret Jean‐Eudes , Kenny José Maria , Dubois Philippe , Peponi Laura
Published: November 2017

In this work, a systematic study on the humidity‐activated shape memory properties of dual‐responsive shape memory bionanocomposites with both humidity‐ and thermally‐activated shape memory effects is reported. The study is performed through humidity‐mechanical cycles in an Instron machine with a temperature chamber equipped with an ultrasonic humidity generator. In particular, the bionanocomposites studied are based on blends of ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) and thermoplastic starch reinforced with natural bentonite. In our previous work, thermomechanical cycles are performed by using EVA‐induced crystallization and a preliminary humidity‐activated shape memory test is designed. Herein, the shape memory results of both blends and their nanocomposites reflect the very good ability to humidity‐activated recover of the initial shape with values higher than 80%. Moreover, the ability to fix the temporary shape of this systems is very good, especially when nanofillers are added. The compatibilizer effect of natural bentonite is demonstrated by means of different techniques such as scanning emission microscopy and mapping by confocal Raman spectroscopy.
Optimal targeting with entry
Authors: Liu Xingyi
Published: November 2017

We study an advertising agency's optimal choice of targeting technology with endogenous market structure, namely, when targeting changes firms' entry strategies into the advertising and product market. We show that the advertising agency faces a trade‐off between demand‐expansion and profit‐dissipation: The former arises as targeting induces more entry and increases the demand for advertising; the latter refers to that targeting relaxes competition by inducing more differentiation. We show that perfect targeting is not optimal for the advertising agency. Compared to social optimum, the advertising agency underinvests in targeting when investment cost is low and overinvests when targeting is costly.
Uncovering the hidden transaction costs of market power: A property rights approach to strategic positioning
Authors: Foss Kirsten , Foss Nicolai J. , Klein Peter G.
Published: November 2017

A central construct in competitive strategy research is market power, the ability to raise price above marginal cost. Positioning research focuses on attempts to build, protect, and exercise market power. However, this approach contains hidden assumptions about transaction costs. Parties made worse off by the exercise of market power can negotiate, bargain, form coalitions, and otherwise contract around the focal firm's attempts to appropriate monopoly profits—depending on transaction costs. We build on property rights economics to explain how transaction costs affect positioning and offer propositions about successful positioning in an environment with transaction costs.
Equilibrium configurations of mixture thin films undergoing large strains
Authors: Mariano Paolo Maria
Published: November 2017

We describe a mixture thin film as a membrane endowed with multiple out‐of‐tangent‐plane vectors at each point, with vector sequence defined to within a permutation to account for the mixing of the mixture components. Such a description is motivated by a proposal for an atomistic‐to‐continuum derivation of a representation of multiatomic layer thin films, a view not requiring the introduction of phenomenological parameters. Differences between that proposal and the model discussed here are the definition of the values of the layer‐descriptor map to within permutations and the explicit introduction of a bending‐like term in the energy. The out‐of‐tangent‐plane vectors satisfy a condition forbidding them to fall within the tangent plane after deformation. We consider a generic weakly surface‐polyconvex membrane energy and a quadratic bending term involving the out‐of‐tangent‐plane multiple vectors, a term which is also quasiconvex. Under appropriate energy growth assumptions and Dirichlet‐type boundary conditions, we prove existence of ground states, i.e., equilibrium configurations described by the solutions to balance equations. An obvious corollary is the existence of equilibrium configurations of single out‐of‐tangent‐plane vector Cosserat surfaces, a natural scheme for plates of simple materials.
Is overactive bladder microvasculature disease a component of systemic atheroscleorosis?
Authors: Yeniel Ahmet Ozgur , Ergenoglu Ahmet Mete , Meseri Reci , Kismali Erkan , Ari Anıl , Kavukcu Gulgun , Aydin Hikmet H. , Ak Handan , Atay Sevcan , Itil Ismail Mete
Published: November 2017

Aims

To evaluate the relationship between overactive bladder (OAB) and systemic atherosclerosis in a cohort of women.

Methods

In this case‐control study, we assessed atherosclerosis indicators, such as Framingham risk scores and carotid and femoral artery intima‐media thickness, and evaluated possible bladder wall responses to atherosclerosis using endovaginal color Doppler ultrasound and the detection of urinary cytokines in women with OAB and in controls. Quantitative assessment of blood perfusion at the bladder neck was performed using a method that allows for the dynamic monitoring of flow in a predefined region of interest at every point of the cardiac cycle. The independent samples t‐test was used to evaluate the relationship between OAB and the atherosclerotic findings when parametric conditions were met, and the Mann‐Whitney U test was used when parametric conditions were not met. Kendall's Tau was used to assess the correlation between OAB severity and the atherosclerotic variables. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

There were 74 OAB patients and 73 controls; in total, 147 women were evaluated. We found that all atherosclerosis indicators were significantly associated with OAB and that there was a significant relationship between OAB and decreased bladder neck perfusion. Additionally, there were correlations of OAB severity with systemic atherosclerosis and impaired vascular perfusion of the bladder.

Conclusions

Decreased perfusion at the bladder neck, the Framingham scores in severe OAB, and the correlation between them suggest that OAB microvascular disease may be a component of systemic atherosclerosis rather than a separate process.
Synthesis and Liquid Crystalline Properties of Unsymmetrically Substituted Naphthalenediimides with a Polar Headgroup: Effect of Amide Hydrogen Bonding and Alkyl Chain Length
Authors: Ghule Namdev V. , Bhosale Rajesh S. , Bhosale Sidhanath V. , Srikanth Turlapati , Rao Nandiraju V. S. , Bhosale Sheshanath V.
Published: November 2017

A series of new unsymmetrically substituted naphthalenediimide (NDI) moieties NDI‐1 to NDI‐6 were synthesized. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by means of FT‐IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, ESI‐mass and HRMS spectroscopic measurements. UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy were employed to investigate the photophysical properties of the prepared compounds in solution and in the solid state. Using the onset of UV/Vis absorption, the optical band gaps were calculated. Cyclic voltammetry measurements were performed to study the electrochemical behavior and to calculate the LUMO energy levels. The thermal properties of NDI derivatives were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. The mesomorphic birefringent behavior of the NDI derivatives was investigated with polarizing optical microscopy. Among all of the studied NDI derivatives, only NDI‐1, NDI‐2, and NDI‐3 showed liquid crystalline texture, owing to the presence of an amide linkage for H‐bonding along with aromatic moieties for π–π‐stacking.
Performance health administration and the return of the French second empire
Authors: Simonet Daniel
Published: November 2017

In the French health care system, cost‐containment strategies have become the new priority. Novel instrumental values (e.g., benchmarking, incentivization or premiums, and Diagnostic‐Related Groups) and reforms of the hospital governance via the 2009 HPST Act served an austerity agenda at the expense of more patient‐centered approaches (e.g., patient choice and case management). Effecting actual changes proved more difficult than collecting data on the health system. Decision‐making powers are increasingly concentrated within the welfare elite at the expense of the medical profession. Hence, a return to the earlier French tradition of Jacobinism. Transparency has yet to be achieved.
Use of direct oral anticoagulants in the first year after market entry of edoxaban: A Danish nationwide drug utilization study
Authors: Pottegård Anton , Grove Erik L. , Hellfritzsch Maja
Published: November 2017

Objectives

To describe the early uptake of edoxaban; the fourth direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) to enter the market.

Methods

Using the Danish nationwide health registries, we identified new users of edoxaban (n = 609) from June 6 (day of marketing) through June 2017. For comparison, we also identified new users of dabigatran (n = 2211), rivaroxaban (n = 19 227), and apixaban (n = 14 736). Users were described regarding indication of use, previous anticoagulant experience, comorbidity, and co‐medication.

Results

The rate of edoxaban initiation increased to 2.0 per 100 000 person months in June 2017, compared with 6.3, 37.5, and 27.0 for dabigatran, rivaroxaban, and apixaban. Atrial fibrillation was the most common registered indication for edoxaban (67%) as well as the other DOACs (41–55%). Overall, users of edoxaban were comparable to users of other DOACs (median age 75 vs 72–76 years and 57% vs 53–59% males), except for a generally lower concomitant use of other drugs. Noticeably, 95% of edoxaban users had previously received anticoagulant treatment compared with 31% to 43% for new users of other DOACs, with 77% switching directly from another anticoagulant treatment to edoxaban (45% directly from VKA and 32% directly from DOACs).

Conclusions

While the use of edoxaban is still limited compared with other DOACs, it is increasing. The majority of edoxaban users switch to edoxaban from other anticoagulant treatments. Continued monitoring of the utilization of DOACs, including effectiveness and safety, is considered essential to the safe and rational use of these drugs.
Heat resistance of biobased materials, evaluation and effect of processing techniques and additives
Authors: Peelman Nanou , Ragaert Peter , Ragaert Kim , Erkoç Mustafa , Van Brempt Willem , Faelens Femke , Devlieghere Frank , De Meulenaer Bruno , Cardon Ludwig
Published: November 2017

The paper describes the effect of different manipulations (addition of fiber, nanoclay, nucleating agents and chain extender, blending, annealing, use of a higher mold temperature and stereocomplexation) on the heat resistance of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). Therefore, the differential scanning calorimetry profiles, the vicat softening temperatures and the degradation temperatures were measured and compared to standard PLA, PHB, and polypropylene (PP) as reference materials. Furthermore, a comparison between VST and HDT as parameters for heat resistance was made by examining the deformation during contact with hot water. Stereocomplexation and the use of a higher mold temperature seemed the best techniques to obtain PLA‐based materials with good heat resistance, while other manipulations had little to no effect on the processed biopolymer. The addition of chain extender to PLA and PHB had no effect on processed polymers, but it did improve the thermal degradation of PLA during processing. Furthermore, hot fill tests showed that higher VST values were more reliable as a heat resistant parameter than HDT values for these kinds of application. The VST values of PHB were similar to PP, suggesting that PHB also provides opportunities as a packaging material for food products that undergo a heat treatment. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:513–520, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Costs of an ostomy self‐management training program for cancer survivors
Authors: Hornbrook Mark C. , Cobb Martha D. , Tallman Nancy J. , Colwell Janice , McCorkle Ruth , Ercolano Elizabeth , Grant Marcia , Sun Virginia , Wendel Christopher S. , Hibbard Judith H. , Krouse Robert S.
Published: November 2017

Objective

To measure incremental expenses to an oncologic surgical practice for delivering a community‐based, ostomy nurse–led, small‐group, behavior skills–training intervention to help bladder and colorectal cancer survivors understand and adjust to their ostomies and improve their health‐related quality of life, as well as assist family caregivers to understand survivors' needs and provide appropriate supportive care.

Methods

The intervention was a 5‐session group behavior skills training in ostomy self‐management following the principles of the Chronic Care Model. Faculty included Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurses (WOCNs) using an ostomy care curriculum. A gender‐matched peer‐in‐time buddy was assigned to each ostomy survivor. The 4‐session survivor curriculum included the following: self‐management practice and solving immediate ostomy concerns; social well‐being; healthy lifestyle; and a booster session. The single family caregiver session was coled by a WOCN and an ostomy peer staff member and covered relevant caregiver and ostomate support issues. Each cohort required 8 weeks to complete the intervention. Nonlabor inputs included ostomy supplies, teaching materials, automobile mileage for WOCNs, mailing, and meeting space rental. Intervention personnel were employed by the University of Arizona. Labor expenses included salaries and fringe benefits.

Results

The total incremental expense per intervention cohort of 4 survivors was $7246 or $1812 per patient.

Conclusions

A WOCN‐led group self‐help ostomy survivorship intervention provided affordable, effective, care to cancer survivors with ostomies.
A structural overview of mycobacterial adhesins: Key biomarkers for diagnostics and therapeutics
Authors: Squeglia Flavia , Ruggiero Alessia , De Simone Alfonso , Berisio Rita
Published: November 2017

Adherence, colonization, and survival of mycobacteria in host cells require surface adhesins, which are attractive pharmacotherapeutic targets. A large arsenal of pilus and non‐pilus adhesins have been identified in mycobacteria. These adhesins are capable of interacting with host cells, including macrophages and epithelial cells and are essential to microbial pathogenesis. In the last decade, several structures of mycobacterial adhesins responsible for adhesion to either macrophages or extra cellular matrix proteins have been elucidated. In addition, key structural and functional information have emerged for the process of mycobacterial adhesion to epithelial cells, mediated by the Heparin‐binding hemagglutinin (HBHA). In this review, we provide an overview of the structural and functional features of mycobacterial adhesins and discuss their role as important biomarkers for diagnostics and therapeutics. Based on the reported data, it appears clear that adhesins are endowed with a variety of different structures and functions. Most adhesins play important roles in the cell life of mycobacteria and are key virulence factors. However, they have adapted to an extracellular life to exert a role in host‐pathogen interaction. The type of interactions they form with the host and the adhesin regions involved in binding is partly known and is described in this review.
Structural insights into a thermostable variant of human carbonic anhydrase II
Authors: Kean Kelsey M. , Porter Joseph J. , Mehl Ryan A. , Karplus P. Andrew
Published: November 2017

Carbonic anhydrase is an enzyme of interest for many biotechnological developments including carbon sequestration. These applications often require harsh conditions, so there is a need for the development of thermostable variants. One of the most thermostable human carbonic anhydrase II (HCAIIts) variants was patented in 2006. Here, we report the ultra‐high resolution crystal structure of HCAIIts. The structural changes seen are consistent with each of the six mutations involved acting largely independently and variously resulting in increased H‐bonding, improved packing, and reduced side chain entropy loss on folding to yield the increased stability. We further suggest that for four of the mutations, improvements in backbone conformational energetics is also a contributor and that considerations of such conformational propensities of individual amino acids are often overlooked.
Spin‐Resolved PES and IPES Investigation of the Graphene/Ni(111) Interface
Authors: S. Jagadeesh Madan , Calloni Alberto , Bussetti Gianlorenzo , Duò Lamberto , Ciccacci Franco
Published: November 2017

The chemically inert graphene/Ni(111) interface represents an intriguing system where a magnetic sample is protected by a single layer of carbon atoms, which passivates the surface. Despite the fact that it has been the subject matter of many researches, inverse photoemission (IPES) data are still missing as well as a comparison with spin‐resolved photoemission (SR‐PES) spectra. Here, for the sake of completeness, we present both in situ SR‐PES and SR‐IPES spectra. We observe that normal emission and normal incidence data are dominated by the Ni features while characteristic signals from carbon arise at higher angles. The spin polarization of Ni bands, investigated here along the ‐ direction of the surface Brillouin zone, is only slightly affected by the graphene overlayer in both filled and empty states.
Proposition of an Environment Friendly Triple Junction Solar Cell Based on Earth Abundant CBTSSe/CZTS/ACZTSe Materials
Authors: Saha Uday , Alam Md. Kawsar
Published: November 2017

We propose a triple junction CBTSSe/CZTS/ACZTSe solar cell using earth abundant and non‐toxic CBTSSe, CZTS, and ACZTSe as the primary absorbing layers for top, middle, and bottom cells, respectively. Using rigorous optoelectronic simulation, we analyze the performance of the proposed cell and vary absorber thicknesses in order to maximize its efficiency. The maximum obtainable efficiency is calculated to be 36.04% with 2.73 V open circuit voltage, 17.88 mA cm−2 short circuit current density, and 73.7% fill factor including Shockley–Read–Hall, surface and radiative recombination mechanisms. The maximum achievable efficiency can be obtained from an optimized device structure with 250, 300, and 1000 nm thicknesses of CBTSSe, CZTS, and ACZTSe, respectively. The design and analyses presented in this work would help in achieving highly efficient eco‐friendly inorganic solar cells.
Design of zinc porphyrin‐perylene diimide donor‐bridge‐acceptor chromophores for large second‐order nonlinear optical response: A theoretical exploration
Authors: Hu Zhubin , Sun Zhenrong , Sun Haitao
Published: November 2017

The electronic structures and second‐order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of a series of zinc porphyrin (ZnP)‐perylene diimide (PDI) donor‐bridge‐acceptor (D‐π‐A) molecules have been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT). The results show that these compounds possess excellent second‐order NLO properties and large static first hyperpolarizabilities (β0) values on the order of 103 – 104 esu−30. A DFT benchmark calculation of β0 value was first performed, confirming the optimally tuned range‐separated functionals (LC‐BLYP* and ωB97X*) can produce similar magnitudes for β0 as Møller–Plesset second‐order perturbation (MP2) calculations. The magnitudes of β0 values were studied as a function of different types of bridges: oligo‐p‐phenylenevinylene (OPV), carbon‐bridged oligo‐p‐phenylenevinylene (COPV), oligo‐thienylenevinylene (OTV), carbon‐bridged oligo‐thienylenevinylene (COTV), and also the length of π‐bridges. The calculated β0 values were found to be inversely related to the bond length alternation (BLA) values of various π‐bridges. Next, we found that the static β0 value of designed ZnP‐COTV1‐PDI molecule can be significantly enhanced by finely tuning the dihedral angles between the π‐bridge and ZnP donor or PDI acceptor. The calculated β0 value is also sensitive to the substitution positions of PDI, that is, ortho‐(α‐), bay‐(β‐), nitrogen‐(N‐). A two‐level model was proven to be useful for the qualitative description of the β0 values and further the substantial oscillator strength and the difference in transition dipole moments between the ground and excited state mainly contribute to the large β0 values. The presented work will be beneficial for potential applications of the ZnP‐PDI‐based chromophores in the optoelectronic devices and high‐performance NLO materials.
Toward separation of hydrogen isotopologues by exploiting zero‐point energy difference at strongly attractive adsorption site models
Authors: Wulf Toshiki , Heine Thomas
Published: November 2017

Recent reports on hydrogen isotope separation in metal‐organic frameworks are rationalized by the presence of undercoordinated metal sites. In this work, we screen undercoordinated divalent metals for their performance as hydrogen separating agents in common chemical environments (as free dications, as part of M2(HCOO)4 paddlewheels and in metal porphyrins). We calculate heat of adsorption and selectivity using the Langmuir model and the density‐functional‐based potential energy surface. Our calculations show a strong metal ion dependence of the adsorption energy in paddlewheels, but rather small impact of metal choice in stable porphyrins. D2‐over‐H2 selectivities reach top values of 12 for
paddlewheels, while only oxidatively unstable porphyrins incorporating Cr2+, V2+, and Ti2+ show high selectivities.
Correlation of bond metallicity measures to electronegativity for binary oxides
Authors: Kang Chol Jun
Published: November 2017

We have investigated alkali, alkaline‐earth, and rutile binary oxides within density functional theory (DFT) and Bader's atoms‐in‐molecules theory, focusing on properties of bond and ring critical points, and their relations to band gap and Pauling electronegativity. We find linear relations of kinetic energy density, electron density, and the gap divided by kinetic energy density at the bond critical points to the difference of Pauling electronegativities of the cation and oxygen anion. At the ring critical points of rutile compounds, we also find that some bond metallicity measures are linearly related to the difference of electronegativities. This study extends our knowledge about the relations between bond critical points, band gap, and electronegativity, but also shows for the first time a quantitative relation between quantities at the ring critical points and global properties of the compounds.
Relating microprocesses to macro‐outcomes in qualitative strategy process and practice research
Authors: Kouamé Saouré , Langley Ann
Published: November 2017

Research Summary: A common challenge among qualitative Strategy Process and Strategy‐as‐Practice scholars concerns the need to link micro‐level processes and practices to organizational‐level outcomes in order to make their research more managerially relevant. In this methodological article, we explore and evaluate different ways of addressing this challenge. We draw on a corpus of qualitative process and practice studies to develop and illustrate three micro–macro linking strategies associated with these perspectives: correlation, progression, and instantiation. The strengths and weaknesses of the different linking strategies are discussed, and opportunities for complementarity, combination, and development are proposed. The article reveals the distinctive but complementary contributions of Strategy Process and Strategy‐as‐Practice strands of scholarship to understanding how microprocesses affect macro‐outcomes.

Managerial Summary: Managers engage in a variety of strategic management processes and practices in order to develop and implement better strategies, achieve commitment to them from organization members, and ultimately improve organizational outcomes such as financial performance and competitive advantage. Qualitative research on these processes and practices is valuable because it can capture the detail and richness of strategic management as it is practiced in real organizations over time. Yet, it may not always be easy to see how this kind of research can derive useful knowledge about how these processes and practices actually affect outcomes. This article addresses this issue, identifying three methodological approaches (correlation; progression; instantiation) that can help scholars and managers understand these linkages, outlining their strengths and limitations.
Hematopoietic Substrate-1-Associated Protein X-1 Regulates the Proliferation and Apoptosis of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Through Akt Pathway Modulation
Authors: Guo Xin-Bin , Deng Xin , Wei Ying
Published: November 2017

Endothelial precursor cells (EPCs) are involved in vasculogenesis of various physiological and pathological processes. The proliferation and survival mechanism of EPCs needs to be explored further for the purpose of developing an effective glioma treatment. Hematopoietic substrate-1-associated protein X-1 (HAX-1) has been reported as an anti-apoptotic protein that plays an important role in several malignant tumors. However, the effect and mechanism of HAX-1 on EPCs remains unknown. This study aims to investigate the effect of HAX-1 on the proliferation and apoptosis of EPCs and explore its mechanism. According to our results, HAX-1 was overexpressed in EPCs. The results of clone formation and 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine proliferation assay showed that HAX-1 promoted multiplication of EPCs. Flow cytometry showed HAX-1 knockout cell cycle arrest mainly in G0/G1 phase. Apoptosis analysis showed that HAX-1 could protect EPCs from apoptosis in oxidative stress. Western blot assay indicated that HAX-1 could inhibit the activation of caspase cascade and reduce the expression of p21, Bcl-2-associated X protein, and p53. HAX-1 also enhanced the degradation rate and ubiquitination of p53 through the promotion of phosphorylation of proteins MDM-2 and Akt1. Co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent colocalization assays were performed to test the influence of HAX-1 on the interaction between Akt1 and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90), which is crucial for the activity of Akt1. In conclusion, this novel study suggests that HAX-1 could facilitate the Akt1 pathway through Hsp90, which led to a decline in the levels of p53, and finally promoted the proliferation and inhibited the apoptosis of EPCs.
Muscle
Authors: Wallis Jennifer
Published: November 2017

‘Muscle’ considers how late nineteenth-century asylum doctors incorporated physiological theories and methods into their work. This chapter draws attention to the wide-ranging physical effects of conditions such as general paralysis (neurosyphilis), which often had serious socio-economic consequences for patients and their families. In addition, ‘Muscle’ explores how—given contemporary associations between general paralysis and sexual immorality—the physical signs of disease were bound up with ideas about morality and willpower. Wallis recounts how Victorian asylum doctors investigated the muscles and their movements, considering contemporary medical technologies and methods of examination. This chapter concludes by looking at the role of the asylum patient in such examinations, arguing that in many cases the investigation of mental disease was a collaborative exercise between doctor and patient.
Bone
Authors: Wallis Jennifer
Published: November 2017

In ‘Bone’ Wallis shows how late-Victorian asylum doctors discussed and investigated bone fracture among asylum patients. Recounting the key contemporary explanations offered for such injuries, including violence by asylum attendants and the behaviour of patients themselves, this chapter goes on to explore how bones became the object of pathological investigation. It discusses the role of the coroner’s inquest and the post-mortem, as well as the role of new technologies that aimed to quantify the strength of bones. This chapter demonstrates that many asylum doctors found it difficult to conclusively prove that the bodies of asylum patients were fundamentally different to those of other people. The attention given to fractures in the asylum, though, is shown to have had practical effects on asylum care and administration.
Brain
Authors: Wallis Jennifer
Published: November 2017

‘Brain’ explores the centrality of the brain in late nineteenth-century asylum practice: it considers contemporary theories about the organ’s connections to the body, and how asylum doctors studied the brain in their search for physical evidence of mental disease. Wallis considers the key features that asylum doctors identified in the brain of general paralytic patients, exploring how these interacted with and shaped pathological practices. As the pinnacle of the investigation of the body in the Victorian asylum, the brain was an important organ. But, as Wallis shows, in examining and preserving the brain asylum doctors often had to evolve new practices to deal with the degenerated substance of the brain marked by mental disease.
Introduction: Why Do We Visualize Data and What Is This Book About?
Authors: Rau Roland , Bohk-Ewald Christina , Muszyńska Magdalena M. , Vaupel James W.
Published: November 2017

Introduction: Why do we visualize data and what is this book about? The introductory chapter describes the three rationales to visualize data: exploration, confirmation and presentation, and discusses the developments in computer hardware, software and connectivity that were instrumental for the recent increased interest in visualizing data.
Summary and Outlook
Authors: Rau Roland , Bohk-Ewald Christina , Muszyńska Magdalena M. , Vaupel James W.
Published: November 2017

This chapter summarizes our main findings, it shows that the tools presented in this monograph can not only be applied to mortality but also to fertility, migration, or any kind of variable that can be classified by age and calendar time.
Surface Plots of Smoothed Mortality Data
Authors: Rau Roland , Bohk-Ewald Christina , Muszyńska Magdalena M. , Vaupel James W.
Published: November 2017

The surface maps of the previous chapter showed that random fluctuations can be quite large. The present chapter on smoothing mortality data explains how we smoothed the observed mortality with P-splines. We illustrate our smoothing results with the same set of countries as in the previous chapter for unsmoothed data.
Supersymmetric Rényi entropy and defect operators
Authors: Nishioka Tatsuma , Yaakov Itamar
Published: November 2017

Abstract

We describe the defect operator interpretation of the supersymmetric Rényi entropies of superconformal field theories in three, four and five dimensions. The operators involved are supersymmetric codimension-two defects in an auxiliary$$ {\mathbb{Z}}_n $$ℤngauge theory coupled toncopies of the SCFT. We compute the exact expectation values of such operators using localization, and compare the results to the supersymmetric Rényi entropy. The agreement between the two implies a relationship between the partition function on a squashed sphere and the one on a round sphere in the presence of defects.
Realization of a spontaneous gauge and supersymmetry breaking vacuum
Authors: Kobayashi Tatsuo , Omura Yuji , Seto Osamu , Ueda Kazuki
Published: November 2017

Abstract

It is one of the major issues to realize a vacuum which breaks supersymmetry (SUSY) and R-symmetry, in a supersymmetric model. We study the model, where the same sector breaks the gauge symmetry and SUSY. In general, the SUSY breaking model without gauge symmetry has a flat direction at the minimum of F-term scalar potential. When we introduce U(1) gauge symmetry to such a SUSY breaking model, there can appear a runaway direction. Such a runway direction can be lifted by loop effects, and the gauge symmetry breaking and SUSY breaking are realized. The R-symmetry, that is assigned to break SUSY, is also spontaneously broken at the vacuum. This scenario can be extended to non-Abelian gauge theories. We also discuss application to the Pati-Salam model and the SU(5) grand unified theory. We see that non-vanishing gaugino masses are radiatively generated by the R-symmetry breaking and the gauge messenger contribution.
Reverse engineering of mechanical parts: A template-based approach
Authors: Buonamici Francesco , Carfagni Monica , Furferi Rocco , Governi Lapo , Lapini Alessandro , Volpe Yary
Published: November 2017

Template-Based reverse engineering approaches represent a relatively poorly explored strategy in the field of CAD reconstruction from polygonal models. Inspired by recent works suggesting the possibility/opportunity of exploiting a parametric description (i.e. CAD template) of the object to be reconstructed in order to retrieve a meaningful digital representation, a novel reverse engineering approach for the reconstruction of CAD models starting from 3D mesh data is proposed. The reconstruction process is performed relying on a CAD template, whose feature tree and geometric constraints are defined according to the a priori information on the physical object. The CAD template is fitted upon the mesh data, optimizing its dimensional parameters and positioning/orientation by means of a particle swarm optimization algorithm. As a result, a parametric CAD model that perfectly fulfils the imposed geometric relations is produced and a feature tree, defining an associative modelling history, is available to the reverse engineer. The proposed implementation exploits a cooperation between a CAD software package (Siemens NX) and a numerical software environment (MATLAB). Five reconstruction tests, covering both synthetic and real-scanned mesh data, are presented and discussed in the manuscript; the results are finally compared with models generated by state of the art reverse engineering software and key aspects to be addressed in future work are hinted at.

Highlights A novel CAD reconstruction method fitting a CAD template model to mesh data. A feature-based parametric-associative modelling history is retrieved. Fitting process is controlled by a Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm. Accuracy of reconstructed models is comparable/better than state of the art results. Computational costs and required time are at the moment considerable.
GENERALIZED AMALGAMATION AND HOMOGENEITY
Authors: PALACÍN DANIEL
Published: November 2017

In this paper we shall prove that any 2-transitive finitely homogeneous structure with a supersimple theory satisfying a generalized amalgamation property is a random structure. In particular, this adapts a result of Koponen for binary homogeneous structures to arbitrary ones without binary relations. Furthermore, we point out a relation between generalized amalgamation, triviality and quantifier elimination in simple theories.
The food multimix concept: harnessing and promoting local composite complementary diets
Authors: Zotor F. B. , Amuna P.
Published: November 2017

Over the past two decades, increasing efforts have been made to find suitable nutritional products for managing particularly moderate forms of malnutrition following acute phase treatment, including the adoption of ready-to-use therapeutic foods. The challenge in meeting nutrient needs of normal growing young children and other vulnerable population groups with scant food supply has led us to explore the use of local, traditional and culturally adaptable food-based complementary foods employing the food multimix (FMM) concept. The present paper examined FMM as a concept to demonstrate how locally available composite complementary recipes were used to create highly nutritious recipes at low cost and improve nutrition among vulnerable individuals. The method employed a food-to-food fortification approach for recipe development making use of the ‘nutrient strengths’ of candidate ingredients. A range of different food recipes had been developed using a stepwise approach and combinations of foods from different populations and communities and packaged as 100 g recipe powders. Proximate and micronutrient analyses have been undertaken, optimised and the nutrient compositions compared with reference nutrient intakes for target groups. Examples of recipes and their nutrient profiles had been highlighted for different formulations showing different ingredients. Theoretical nutrient values were translated into practice based on data from intervention studies. The FMM approach using locally available food has held promise, and published evidence did indicate that the concept can contribute significantly to long-term food-based solutions to meeting nutrient needs of vulnerable groups in poor communities.
The “lost” Nollekens Relief of an imperial sacrifice from Domitian's Palace on the Palatine: its history, iconography, and date
Authors: Pollini John
Published: November 2017

Mainstream classical scholarship has long considered as lost a Roman “historical” relief, excavated in the earlier part of the 18th c. in the Palace of Domitian on the Palatine hill. Showing an emperor sacrificing, it is known as the Nollekens Relief after Joseph Nollekens, an accomplished British sculptor who came to possess it in the 18th c. Besides being a sculptor and painter, he was a sculptural restorer and dealer active between 1761 and 1770 in Rome, where he worked in the workshop of the sculptural restorer Bartholomeo Cavaceppi and in his own studio. The relief has been known chiefly from two engravings and a pen-and-watercolor drawing, all produced in the 18th c., but, rather than being lost, the relief has been hiding in plain sight in the Gatchina Palace near St. Petersburg. Its dimensions are 88 cm high x 139 cm wide. A recent visit to St. Petersburg established that the relief has been continuously in the Gatchina Palace since the late 1770s and that it had been damaged not only in antiquity but also during and after World War II. I also discovered that a cast of it existed by 1870 and that a photograph of the relief itself had appeared in an obscure Russian publication of 1914.
Conquest strategy and political discourse: new evidence for the conquest of Dacia from LiDAR analysis at Sarmizegetusa Regia
Authors: Oltean I. A. , Hanson W. S.
Published: November 2017

By the end of the 1st c. A.D., Dacia had been an intermittent thorn in Rome's side for almost two centuries. The ambitions of Burebista and the actions of his various successors continued to threaten Roman hegemony along the lower Danube, culminating in the rise of the powerful kingdom of Decebalus and a substantial Roman defeat in Moesia. Domitian sent troops against the Dacians to restore the dignity of Rome (85-86 and 88-88/89), but with mixed success, finally having to settle for buying peace at a substantial price in order to free himself to deal with threats to security in both Germany and Pannonia. No doubt both the costs involved and the perceived lack of success further contributed to the hostility of Roman authors towards Domitian and left unfinished business on the Danube frontier. It is no great surprise, therefore, that Dacia was the first area to which Trajan — to whom the attitude of contemporary sources (e.g., Pliny's Panegyricus) could not have been in greater contrast — turned his attention within three years of his accession.
Hypoxia induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition in colorectal cancer cells through ubiquitin-specific protease 47-mediated stabilization of Snail: A potential role of Sox9
Authors: Choi Bae-Jung , Park Sin-Aye , Lee Sung-Young , Cha Young Nam , Surh Young-Joon
Published: November 2017

During the metastatic phase, cancer cells require the dissolution of cadherin-mediated cell-cell adhesion and a dramatic re-organization of the cytoskeleton through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby acquiring migratory and invasive capabilities. In most tumors, EMT is accompanied by hypoxia. However, the intracellular signaling molecule that mediates hypoxia-induced EMT remained overlooked. By utilizing the microarray database system of the Cancer Genome Atlas, we identified ubiquitin-specific protease 47 (USP47), a deubiquitinating enzyme, as a potential mediator of hypoxia-induced EMT. Immunofluorescence staining of human colorectal tissue microarrays revealed that USP47 is overexpressed in colorectal adenocarcinoma tissues compared with normal adjacent tissues. The expression of USP47 was found to be elevated in three different human colorectal cancer cell lines. The enhancement of USP47 in colorectal cancer cells under hypoxic conditions induced the disassembly of E-cadherin and promoted EMT through deubiquitination of Snail. Silencing of USP47 accelerated the proteasomal degradation of Snail and inhibited EMT. Notably, hypoxia-induced USP47 upregulation was mediated by Sox9. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the role for USP47, as a novel target of Sox9, in the regulation of EMT and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells.
Trophic position and dietary breadth of bats revealed by nitrogen isotopic composition of amino acids
Authors: Campbell Caitlin J. , Nelson David M. , Ogawa Nanako O. , Chikaraishi Yoshito , Ohkouchi Naohiko
Published: November 2017

Bats perform important ecosystem services, but it remains difficult to quantify their dietary strategies and trophic position (TP) in situ. We conducted measurements of nitrogen isotopes of individual amino acids (δ15NAA) and bulk-tissue carbon (δ13Cbulk) and nitrogen (δ15Nbulk) isotopes for nine bat species from different feeding guilds (nectarivory, frugivory, sanguivory, piscivory, carnivory, and insectivory). Our objective was to assess the precision of δ15NAA-based estimates of TP relative to other approaches. TPs calculated from δ15N values of glutamic acid and phenylalanine, which range from 8.3–33.1‰ and 0.7–15.4‰ respectively, varied between 1.8 and 3.8 for individuals of each species and were generally within the ranges of those anticipated based on qualitative dietary information. The δ15NAA approach reveals variation in TP within and among species that is not apparent from δ15Nbulk data, and δ15NAA data suggest that two insectivorous species (Lasiurus noctivagans and Lasiurus cinereus) are more omnivorous than previously thought. These results indicate that bats exhibit a trophic discrimination factor (TDF) similar to other terrestrial organisms and that δ15NAA provides a reliable approach for addressing questions about variation in the TP of bats that have heretofore proven elusive.
Clinical and immunopathological findings during long term follow-up in Leishmania infantum experimentally infected dogs
Authors: Abbehusen Melissa Moura Costa , Almeida Valter dos Anjos , Solcà Manuela da S. , Pereira Laís da Silva , Costa Dirceu Joaquim , Gil-Santana Leonardo , Bozza Patricia Torres , Fraga Deborah Bittencourt Moté , Veras Patrícia Sampaio Tavares , dos-Santos Washington Luis Conrado , Andrade Bruno Bezerril , Brodskyn Claudia Ida
Published: November 2017

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is caused byLeishmania infantum, which in the New World is transmitted byLutzomyia longipalpis. While prospective clinical and immunological assessments of dogs experimentally challenged withL. infantumhave been previously reported over a relatively short follow-up period, the long-term characterization of infected animals has not been performed to date. We evaluated dogs in a subclinical state for six years following experimental infection withL. infantumandLu. longipalpissaliva, via an intradermal route, to characterize clinical, parasitological and immunological parameters arising fromL. infantumexperimental infection. We also assess these parameters in a group of naturally infected animals. The immune profiles of the experimentally and naturally infected animals exhibited increases of IFN-γ, IL-6 and IL-18, and decreases in TNF, IL-2, IL-8 and CXCL1, compared to controls. Our results indicate that over a six-year follow-up post-challenge, subclinically infected dogs presented low CVL clinical scores despite the persistence ofLeishmaniaparasites in the lymph nodes, spleen and skin. Similarities observed among immune profiles in the context of experimental and natural infection seem to suggest that an enduring activation of the host immune response may lead to the control of parasite growth, thereby limiting disease severity.
New insight on the structural features of the cytotoxic auristatins MMAE and MMAF revealed by combined NMR spectroscopy and quantum chemical modelling
Authors: Johansson Mikael P. , Maaheimo Hannu , Ekholm Filip S.
Published: November 2017

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are emerging as a promising class of selective drug delivery systems in the battle against cancer and other diseases. The auristatins monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) and monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) appear as the cytotoxic drug in almost half of the state-of-the-art ADCs on the market or in late stage clinical trials. Here, we present the first complete NMR spectroscopic characterisation of these challenging molecules, and investigate their structural properties by a combined NMR and quantum chemical modelling approach. We find that in solution, half of the drug molecules are locked in an inactive conformation, severely decreasing their efficiency, and potentially increasing the risk of side-effects. Furthermore, we identify sites susceptible to future modification, in order to potentially improve the performance of these drugs.
BdorOBP2 plays an indispensable role in the perception of methyl eugenol by mature males of Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel)
Authors: Liu Huan , Zhao Xiao-Feng , Fu Lang , Han Yi-Ye , Chen Jin , Lu Yong-Yue
Published: November 2017

Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) is a fruit-eating pest that causes substantial economic damage to the fresh produce industry in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Methyl eugenol (ME) is a powerful attractant for mature males of B. dorsalis, and has been widely used for detecting, luring and eradicating B. dorsalis populations worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the olfactory perception of ME remains largely unknown. Here, we analyzed the differential proteomics profiling of the antennae between ME-responsive and ME-non-responsive males by using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ). In total, 4622 proteins were identified, of which 277 proteins were significant differentially expressed, with 192 up-regulated and 85 down-regulated in responsive male antennae. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis confirmed the authenticity and accuracy of the proteomic analysis. Based on the iTRAQ and qRT-PCR results, we found that the odorant-binding protein 2 (BdorOBP2) was abundantly expressed in responsive male antennae. Moreover, BdorOBP2 was significantly up-regulated by ME in male antennae. Mature males showed significantly greater taxis toward ME than did mature females. Silencing BdorOBP2 reduced mature males’ responsiveness to ME. These results indicate that BdorOBP2 may play an essential role in the molecular mechanism underlying B. dorsalis olfactory perception of ME.