bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CD163 as a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of sepsis‐associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in critically ill children
Authors: Cui Yun , Xiong Xi , Ren Yuqian , Wang Fei , Wang Chunxia , Zhang Yucai
Published: July 2019

Objective

To investigate CD163 as an effective biomarker for identifying and predicting the outcomes of sepsis‐associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (SAHS) in children.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled presumed sepsis patients who had developed prolonged fever (>7 days), hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, and hyperferritinemia (>500 ng/mL) despite antibiotic therapy. Blood samples were collected within 24 hours after enrolment. A nested case–control study was performed. The number of patients who fulfilled the HLH‐2004 criteria, 28‐day mortality outcomes, and 90‐day mortality outcomes were recorded.

Results

Sixty‐nine patients were enrolled in the study. Significant increases in the levels of ferritin and soluble CD163 (sCD163) and the percentage of CD163‐positive peripheral blood mononuclear cells (mCD163) and decreases in fibrinogen levels and the percentage of natural killer cells (NK %) were observed in patients with SAHS (n = 23) compared with those of patients with sepsis (n = 46). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) for ferritin combined with sCD163 was superior to the AUC for either ferritin or sCD163 for distinguishing SAHS from sepsis. Moreover, sCD163 was a prognostic factor for 28‐day mortality (0.857 [0.659–1.000]).

Conclusions

sCD163 is a valuable biomarker for the differential diagnosis of SAHS from sepsis and effectively predicts 28‐day mortality in children with SAHS.
Inhibition of Anaplerotic Glutaminolysis Underlies Selenite Toxicity in Human Lung Cancer
Authors: Bruntz Ronald C. , Belshoff Alex C. , Zhang Yan , Macedo Jessica K. A. , Higashi Richard M. , Lane Andrew N. , Fan Teresa W.‐M.
Published: July 2019

Large clinical trials and model systems studies suggest that the chemical form of selenium dictates chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic efficacy. Selenite induces excess ROS production, which mediates autophagy and eventual cell death in non‐small cell lung cancer adenocarcinoma A549 cells. As the mechanisms underlying these phenotypic effects are unclear, the clinical relevance of selenite for cancer therapy remains to be determined. The authors' previous stable isotope‐resolved metabolomics and gene expression analysis showed that selenite disrupts glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and polyamine metabolism in A549 cells, potentially through perturbed glutaminolysis, a vital anaplerotic process for proliferation of many cancer cells. Herein, the role of the glutaminolytic enzyme glutaminase 1 (GLS1) in selenite's toxicity in A549 cells and in patient‐derived lung cancer tissues is investigated. Using [13C6]‐glucose and [13C5,15N2]‐glutamine tracers, selenite's action on metabolic networks is determined. Selenite inhibits glutaminolysis and glutathione synthesis by suppressing GLS1 expression, and blocks the Krebs cycle, but transiently activates pyruvate carboxylase activity. Glutamate supplementation partially rescues these anti‐proliferative and oxidative stress activities. Similar metabolic perturbations and necrosis are observed in selenite‐treated human patients' cancerous lung tissues ex vivo. The results support the hypothesis that GLS1 suppression mediates part of the anti‐cancer activity of selenite both in vitro and ex vivo.
Electronic effects on diaminocarbenes: a theoretical quest
Authors: Khorshidvand Neda , Kassaee Mohammad Z.
Published: July 2019

Following our recent steric studies on diaminocarbenes, here, electronic effects of symmetric acyclic, cyclic saturated, and cyclic unsaturated 2,4‐disubstituted structures (1X, 3X, and 5X, respectively) are compared with their asymmetric corresponding 2,5‐disubstituted isomers (2X, 4X, and 6X, respectively), at B3LYP/6‐311++G** level of theory (X = NH2, OH, OMe, SH, Ph, CN, CF3, NO2). Both symmetric and asymmetric species (1X‐6X) appear with singlet(s) ground states. These are suggested by the conductor‐like polarizable continuum model (CPCM) on both gas‐phase and solvent‐phase optimized structures. Regardless of X, singlet‐triplet energy gap (ΔES‐T) and band gap (ΔEH‐L) increase in going from acyclic to cyclic saturated and cyclic unsaturated structures (except 6X). More importantly, nucleophilicity (N) decreases (while electrophilicity, ω, increases) in going from acyclic to cyclic saturated and cyclic unsaturated structures for both symmetric and asymmetric carbenes. Acyclic 1X and 2X appear less stable than their corresponding cyclic 3X and 6X in the presence of either electron‐withdrawing or electron‐releasing substituents. The proton affinity (PA) increases in going from acyclic to cyclic saturated, while decreases in going to cyclic unsaturated structures for both symmetric and asymmetric carbenes. The calculated metal‐ligand isodesmic complexation energies, ΔEcom, indicate that 1X‐6X complexes have very strong M─(carbene) bonds. The trend of ΔEcom for symmetric series is 1X > 3X > 5X, while that for asymmetric appears as 6X > 2X > 4X. Atoms in molecules (AIM) wavefunction analysis shows internal hydrogen bondings for 1OH, 1OMe, 1CF3, 2Ph, and 4NO2. Hammett assessments are made on sensitivity of thermodynamic parameters of 1X to 6X toward electronic effects. Finally, basicity increases as a function of the carbenic bond angle for 1X to 6X. Hence, basicity increases in going from the unsaturated 5X and 6X (96°) to the saturated 3X and 4X (102°) and lastly to acyclic 1X and 2X (120°).
Local Government Performance, Cost‐Effectiveness, and Use of the Web: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Nicholls Tom
Published: July 2019

This article empirically assesses the relationship between government use of the web, service performance, and cost‐effectiveness. It tests and challenges the assumption, prevalent in government thinking and in the Digital Era Governance (DEG) quasi‐paradigm, that the delivery of web‐based public services is associated with better outcomes. English local government is used as a test case, for which (uniquely) good‐quality full‐population time‐series data for council performance, cost, and web quality are available. A new panel data set is constructed covering 2002–2008, allowing the actual relationship between web performance and council cost and quality to be estimated using dynamic regression models which control for both general changes over time and the time‐invariant differences between councils. Consistent growth is shown in the scope and quality of local government web provision. Despite this, and governmental enthusiasm for bringing services online, no association is found between web development and performance, or cost‐effectiveness. The article concludes that governments’ enthusiasm for citizen‐facing digital government is not supported by this empirical data, and that a skeptical view is warranted of DEG's advocacy of digitalization as a core focus for service improvement.
Countering Violent Extremism Online: The Experiences of Informal Counter Messaging Actors
Authors: Lee Benjamin
Published: July 2019

The online space is a haven for extremists of all kinds. Although efforts to remove violent and extremist content are increasing, there is a widely accepted need to also contest extremist messages with counter messages designed to undermine and disrupt extremist narratives. While the majority of academic focus has been on large and well‐funded efforts linked to governments, this article considers the experiences of informal actors who are active in contesting extremist messaging but who lack the support of large institutions. Informal actors come without some of the baggage that accompanies formal counter message campaigns, which have been attacked as lacking in credibility and constituting “just more government propaganda.” This has been noted by some of the wider countering violent extremism industry and the appetite for incorporating “real‐world” content in their campaigns seems to be rising. This article fills a gap in our knowledge of the experiences of informal counter messaging actors. Through a series of in‐depth qualitative interviews it demonstrates that, despite the potentially serious risks of incorporating greater levels of informal content, there is an appetite among informal actors to engage with formal campaigns where they can be selective over who they work with and maintain a degree of control.
Assessment of rock glaciers and permafrost distribution in Uttarakhand, India
Authors: Baral Prashant , Haq Mohd Anul , Yaragal Shivaprakash
Published: July 2019

We have compiled an inventory of 1004 rock glaciers for Uttarakhand State, India, using high‐resolution satellite data freely available on Google Earth. The inventory is used to analyze the origin, spatial distribution, geometry and dynamics of rock glaciers using a combination of optical remote sensing techniques with a geographic information system (GIS). Results show that development of rock glaciers in this region depends strongly on high elevation (> 4000 m a.s.l.) and slope aspect. Rock glaciers are more dominant towards the southern quadrant (S, SE, SW) than the northern quadrant (N, NE, NW). A large number (n = 608) of small (<0.5 km2) rock glaciers originating from glacial moraine indicates glacial retreat in this region as one of the major causes for the formation of such a large number of rock glaciers. Median elevation of intact rock glaciers indicates that climatic conditions above 4600 m a.s.l. are suitable for the existence of permafrost in this region and that the lower limit of discontinuous permafrost gradually increases from west to east. Despite mean annual air temperatures below 0°C, increasing mean temperatures during warmest quarter of the year could be a strong controlling factor for permafrost thawing in the region. Logistic regression modeling using WorldClim version 2 climate data sets and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land surface temperature (LST) data show that these models can produce fairly reliable estimates of permafrost probability in the studied area. MODIS LST climate data sets can be crucial for mapping and monitoring permafrost in the region.
Supervised classification of landforms in Arctic mountains
Authors: Mithan Huw Thomas , Hales Tristram Charles , Cleall Peter John
Published: July 2019

Erosional and sediment fluxes from Arctic mountains are lower than for temperate mountain ranges due to the influence of permafrost on geomorphic processes. As permafrost extent declines in Arctic mountains, the spatial distribution of geomorphic processes and rates will change. Improved access to high‐quality remotely sensed topographic data in the Arctic provides an opportunity to develop our understanding of the spatial distribution of Arctic geomorphological processes and landforms. Utilizing newly available Arctic digital topography data, we have developed a method for geomorphic mapping using a pixel‐based linear discriminant analysis method that could be applied across Arctic mountains. We trained our classifier using landforms within the Adventdalen catchment in Svalbard and applied it to two adjacent catchments and one in Alaska. Slope gradient, elevation–relief ratio and landscape roughness distinguish landforms to a first order with >80% accuracy. Our simple classification system has a similar overall accuracy when compared across our field sites. The simplicity and robustness of our classification suggest that it is possible to use it to understand the distribution of Arctic mountain landforms using extant digital topography data and without specialized classifications. Our preliminary assessments of the distribution of geomorphic processes within these catchments demonstrate the importance of post‐glacial hillslope processes in governing sediment movement in Arctic mountains.
Illegal wildlife trade and the persistence of “plant blindness”
Authors: Margulies Jared D. , Bullough Leigh‐Anne , Hinsley Amy , Ingram Daniel J. , Cowell Carly , Goettsch Bárbara , Klitgård Bente B. , Lavorgna Anita , Sinovas Pablo , Phelps Jacob
Published: July 2019

Societal Impact Statement

A wide variety of plant species are threatened by illegal wildlife trade (IWT), and yet plants receive scant attention in IWT policy and research, a matter of pressing global concern. This review examines how “plant blindness” manifests within policy and research on IWT, with serious and detrimental effects for biodiversity conservation. We suggest several key points: (a) perhaps with the exception of the illegal timber market, plants are overlooked in IWT policy and research; (b) there is insufficient attention from funding agencies to the presence and persistence of illegal trade in plants; and (c) these absences are at least in part resultant from plant blindness as codified in governmental laws defining the meaning of “wildlife.”

Summary

This review investigates the ways in which “plant blindness,” first described by Wandersee and Schussler (1999, p. 82) as “the misguided anthropocentric ranking of plants as inferior to animals,” intersects with the contemporary boom in research and policy on illegal wildlife trade (IWT). We argue that plants have been largely ignored within this emerging conservation arena, with serious and detrimental effects for biodiversity conservation. With the exception of the illegal trade in timber, we show that plants are absent from much emerging scholarship, and receive scant attention by US and UK funding agencies often driving global efforts to address illegal wildlife trade, despite the high levels of threat many plants face. Our article concludes by discussing current challenges posed by plant blindness in IWT policy and research, but also suggests reasons for cautious optimism in addressing this critical issue for plant conservation.
Being in the forest—A matter of cultural connections with a natural environment
Authors: Häggström Margaretha
Published: July 2019

Societal Impact Statement

Forests have a positive impact on the health and well‐being of humans. In this study, examination of the human–forest relationship reveals that the experience of being in a forest produces a larger, more nuanced, response than the simple experience of being in a forest itself. This larger experience can encompass an individual's past experiences, childhood memories, history, and connections to cultural representations, which signify a sense of belonging to the ‘more‐than‐human’ world. Insight into the relationships that humans have with forest environments will be important to educators and those wishing to draw attention to the botanical world.

Summary

It is known that forests have a positive impact on human health and well‐being. The aim of this study was to examine human relationships with forest environments on a different level. Specifically, how people in western Sweden relate to a particular place in a forest.

Data were collected using a questionnaire placed on a tree located in a specific forest setting over the course of a year. The results were examined from a phenomenological (the philosophical study of the structures of experience and consciousness) life‐world perspective that highlights the intersubjectivity and historicity of people's connections to a forest environment.

The results reveal that the experience of ‘being’ or ‘doing’ in a forest produces a larger, more nuanced, response than the simple experience itself. This complex response includes an individual's previous experiences, childhood memories, history and connections to cultural representations.

Examining and understanding more deeply the relationships that humans have with forests is important for those that aim to engage people with forests and the botanical world.
SERPINA1 gene polymorphisms in a population‐based ALSPAC cohort
Authors: DeLuca David S. , Poluzioroviene Edita , Taminskiene Vaida , Wrenger Sabine , Utkus Algirdas , Valiulis Algirdas , Alasevičius Tomas , Henderson John , Bush Andrew , Welte Tobias , Janciauskiene Sabina , Valiulis Arunas
Published: July 2019

Background

There is an association between persistent preschool wheezing phenotypes and school‐age asthma. These wheezing/asthma phenotypes likely represent clinical entities having specific genetic risk factors. The SERPINA1 gene encodes α1‐antitrypsin (AAT), and mutations in the gene are important in the pathophysiology of pulmonary diseases. We hypothesized that there might be an association between SERPINA1 gene polymorphisms and the risk of developing wheezing/school age asthma.

Objective

To examine 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of SERPINA1 (rs6647, rs11832, rs17580, rs709932, rs1243160, rs2854254, rs8004738, rs17751769, rs28929470, and rs28929474) and relate them to childhood wheezing phenotypes and doctor‐diagnosed asthma in the population‐based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort.

Methods

Wheeze data, reports of physician‐diagnosed asthma and data on the SERPINA1 gene SNPs, were available for 7964 children. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the associations between allele prevalence and wheezing and asthma phenotypes.Pvalues were adjusted to account for multiple hypotheses using the Benjamini‐Hochberg false discovery rate.

Results

Only within a subgroup of children with asthma who had no prior diagnosis of preschool wheeze was there a trend for association between rs28929474 (Glu342Lys, Pi*Z causing AAT deficiency;P = .0058, adjustedP = .058). No SNP was associated with wheezing and asthma in those with preschool wheeze.

Conclusion

Analyzed SNPs in SERPINA1 are not associated with wheezing/asthma phenotypes. Only rs28929474, the most common pathologic SNP (Pi*Z) in the SERPINA1 gene, might be associated with a risk of developing school‐age asthma without exhibiting preschool wheeze.
Prediction of interresidue contacts with DeepMetaPSICOV in CASP13
Authors: Kandathil Shaun M. , Greener Joe G. , Jones David T.
Published: July 2019

In this article, we describe our efforts in contact prediction in the CASP13 experiment. We employed a new deep learning‐based contact prediction tool, DeepMetaPSICOV (or DMP for short), together with new methods and data sources for alignment generation. DMP evolved from MetaPSICOV and DeepCov and combines the input feature sets used by these methods as input to a deep, fully convolutional residual neural network. We also improved our method for multiple sequence alignment generation and included metagenomic sequences in the search. We discuss successes and failures of our approach and identify areas where further improvements may be possible. DMP is freely available at: https://github.com/psipred/DeepMetaPSICOV.
Pharmacokinetic variability of beta‐adrenergic blocking agents used in cardiology
Authors: Ågesen Frederik N. , Weeke Peter E. , Tfelt‐Hansen Peer , Tfelt‐Hansen Jacob ,   for ESCAPE‐NET
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic variability of beta‐adrenergic blocking agents used in cardiology by reviewing single‐dose and steady‐state pharmacokinetic studies from the literature. PubMed was searched for pharmacokinetic studies of beta‐adrenergic blocking agents, both single‐dose and steady‐state studies. The studies included reported maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) and/or area under the concentration curve (AUC). The coefficient of variation (CV%) was calculated for all studies, and a CV% <40% was considered low or moderate variability, and a CV% >40% was considered high variability. The Cmax and AUC were reported a total of 672 times in 192 papers. Based on AUC, metoprolol, propranolol, carvedilol, and nebivolol showed high pharmacokinetic variability (highest first), whereas bisoprolol, atenolol, sotalol, labetalol, nadolol, and pindolol showed low to moderate variability (lowest first). We have shown a high interindividual pharmacokinetic variability that varies markedly in different beta‐adrenergic blocking agents; the extreme being steady state ratios as high as 30 in metoprolol. A more personalized approach to the medical treatment of patients may be obtained by combining known pharmacokinetic information about variability, pharmaco‐genetics and ‐dynamics, and patient characteristics, to avoid adverse events or lack of treatment effect.
Efficacy of binary combinations between methyl salicylate and carvacrol against thrips Anaphothrips obscurus: laboratory and field trials
Authors: Lu Xiao‐Peng , Liu Jia‐Huan , Weng Hua , Ma Zhi‐Qing , Zhang Xing
Published: July 2019

BACKGROUND

Thrips Anaphothrips obscurus are one of the cosmopolitan major pests feeding on cereals and other grasses. In order to develop alternatives of chemical insecticides for thrips control, based on fumigant activity screening and evaluation of 22 essential oil (EO) compounds against the thrips, the binary interactions of methyl salicylate and carvacrol (MS‐C) with high fumigant toxicity were studied systematically by bioassay and field trials.

RESULTS

The bioassay results showed that six in 22 EO compounds had high fumigant toxicity against both the second‐instar nymphs and adults of A. obscurus, including methyl salicylate, carvacrol, thymol, trans‐cinnamaldehyde, diallyl trisulfide, and L‐perillaldehyde. Furthermore, the combination of methyl salicylate mixed with carvacrol at a volume ratio of 5:5 exhibited the most significant synergism against A. obscurus, with a poison ratio value of 1.32 and a co‐toxicity coefficient of 151.15. The optimal formulation of microemulsion (ME) was composed of 5% methyl salicylate, 5% carvacrol, 46% adjuvant and 44% deionized water. The result of dynamic light scattering and stability showed that MS‐C 10% ME was a transparent, single‐phase and homogeneous liquid system. Field trials indicated that the ME displayed a significant control efficacy of about 89.17% on thrips in peppers, and 82.59% in broad bean on the seventh day post application with a dosage of 600.0 g A.I hm–2, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The binary combination of MS‐C possesses strikingly synergistic action against thrips A. obscurus, and the MS‐C 10% ME has the potential to be developed as a botanical pesticide product for thrips control. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Spatial trajectories in early life: Moving on or returning home?
Authors: Zorlu Aslan , Kooiman Niels
Published: July 2019

This paper investigates the residential mobility patterns of young adults upon leaving home, with an emphasis on the role of life course events in determining return migration to the home region. Using longitudinal register data for the Netherlands, the analysis shows that parental ties serve as an anchor attracting returnees: young adults appear to return to their home region when their parents still live in the region. This is more pronounced for women. It seems that women are more likely to return to provide assistance to parents, and men's return is more motivated by receiving assistance. The return inclination of men is, for instance, primarily induced by family life events, such as having children and becoming a lone father. The propensity for return is lower for graduates, young adults with a higher income, and individuals originating from less urbanised areas.
Density Functional Theory Studies of the Metal–Insulator Transition in Vanadium Dioxide Alloys
Authors: Lu Haichang , Robertson John
Published: July 2019

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is of great interest because it has a metal–insulator transition involving a change in structure and electronic structure. For certain applications, it is useful to vary the bandgap and the transition temperature. Although strain can be used, another method is to alloy VO2 with oxides such as GeO2 or MgO. Herein, density functional supercell calculations are carried out on these alloys. The bandgap of the alloys does not change because the band edges of the M1 phase consist of V 3d bands, where V is sixfold bonded. However, there is also a fivefold VO2/MgO structure with a much larger bandgap of up to 2.1 eV. For Ge alloying, the structure reverts to the rutile phase but with a bandgap, because GeO2 has a rutile phase. It is also found that hydrogen doping varies the oxide gap between 0 to 1 eV. The result is consistent with experimental observations and it gives an important view to explain the mechanism of alloying.
Correlation between the Estrada index and π‐electronic energies for benzenoid hydrocarbons with applications to boron nanotubes
Authors: Hayat Sakander , Imran Muhammad , Liu Jia‐Bao
Published: July 2019

In this article, we present an efficient computer‐based computational technique to compute the energy and Estrada index of graphs. It is shown that our computational method is more efficient and bears less computational and algorithmic complexity. We use our method to show the main result of this article, which asserts that the Estrada index correlates with the π‐electronic energies of lower benzenoid hydrocarbons with correlation coefficient 0.9993. This enhances the practical applicability of the Estrada index and warrants its further usage in quantitative structure activity relationships. We further apply our computational technique in computing the energy and Estrada index of two infinite families of boron triangular nanotubes. We perform simulation based on certain computer software packages to study the graph‐theoretic behavior of the obtained results. Our results help to correlate certain physicochemical properties of underlying chemical structures of these nanotubes.
Robust adaptive trajectory tracking control of underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles with prescribed performance
Authors: Li Jian , Du Jialu , Sun Yuqing , Lewis Frank L.
Published: July 2019

In this paper, a novel robust adaptive trajectory tracking control scheme with prescribed performance is developed for underactuated autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) subject to unknown dynamic parameters and disturbances. A simple error mapping function is proposed in order to guarantee that the trajectory tracking error satisfies the prescribed performance. A novel additional control based on Nussbaum function is proposed to handle the underactuation of AUVs. The compounded uncertain item caused by the unknown dynamic parameters and disturbances is transformed into a linear parametric form with only single unknown parameter called virtual parameter. On the basis of the above, a novel robust adaptive trajectory tracking control law is developed using dynamic surface control technique, where the adaptive law online provides the estimation of the virtual parameter. Strict stability analysis indicates that the designed control law ensures uniform ultimate boundedness of the AUV trajectory tracking closed‐loop control system with prescribed tracking performance. Simulation results on an AUV in two different disturbance cases with dynamic parameter perturbation verify the effectiveness of our adaptive trajectory tracking control scheme.
Nonparametric estimation of the spatio‐temporal covariance structure
Authors: Yang Kai , Qiu Peihua
Published: July 2019

Spatio‐temporal modeling is an active research problem with broad applications. In this problem, proper description and estimation of the data covariance structure plays an important role. In the literature, most available methods assume that the data covariance is stationary and follows a specific parametric form. In practice, however, such assumptions are hardly valid or difficult to verify. In this paper, we propose a new and flexible method for estimating the underlying covariance structure. Our proposed method does not require the covariance to be stationary or follow a parametric form. It can accommodate nonparametric space‐time–varying mean structure of the observed data. Under some mild regularity conditions, it is shown that our estimated covariance structure converges to the true covariance structure. The proposed method is also justified numerically by a simulation study and an application to a hand, foot, and mouth disease data.
Stress‐related mental health and growth among first‐time grandparents: The moderating role of family support
Authors: Sobol Shira , Ben‐Shlomo Shirley
Published: July 2019

Grandparents play a significant role in modern society, often while struggling to juggle the expectations, demands, and commitments of career and family. The current study examined the unique and combined contribution of stress‐related variables associated with multiple roles, such as work stress over commitment, economic stress, and grandchild care burden, to mental health and personal growth of first‐time grandparents. The study also examined the role of family support as a moderator of these associations. One hundred ninety‐seven first‐time Israeli grandparents were asked to complete a series of self‐report questionnaires. Higher levels of work‐related stress were associated with lower mental health, whereas grandchild care burden was associated with higher personal growth. Self‐mastery and family support contributed to the prediction of mental health. When family support was high, work commitment was positively related to mental health, and economic stress was positively related to personal growth. The findings point to the crucial role of family support in balancing and preserving resources that are important to the mental health of first‐time grandparents, while enabling grandparents to be challenged and thrive through their stressors. Therapists who meet with first‐time grandparents in the community should take these factors into account when assisting them in adjusting to their new role.
Spatial Organization in Proteinaceous Membrane‐Stabilized Coacervate Protocells
Authors: Li Junbo , Liu Xiaoman , Abdelmohsen Loai K. E. A. , Williams David S. , Huang Xin
Published: July 2019

As a model protocell, the membrane‐free coacervate microdroplet is widely utilized in functional studies to provide insights into the physicochemical properties of the cell and to engineer cytomimetic soft technologies; however, the lack of a discrete membrane contributes to its instability and limits further application. Herein, a strategy is developed to fabricate a hybrid protocell based on the self‐assembly of a proteinaceous membrane at the surface of coacervate microdroplets driven by a combination of electrostatic adhesion and steric/hydrophilic surface buoyancy. The semipermeable proteinaceous membrane can enhance coacervate stability obviously without compromising sequestration behavior. Significantly, such hybrid protocells demonstrate spatial organization whereby various functional enzymes can be located in discrete regions, which facilitates an on/off modulation for a cascade enzymatic reaction along with enhanced chemical communication between subpopulations.
Thermomechanical Analysis of Purging Plugs by Applying Fluid–Solid Conjugate Heat Transfer Modeling
Authors: Tan Fangguan , He Zhu , Jin Shengli , Cai Hui , Li Baokuan , Li Yawei , Harmuth Harald
Published: July 2019

Purging plugs are important functional units in advanced steel‐making processes, which experience extreme heat exchange and temperature changes during the purging procedure. Fluid–solid conjugate heat transfer modeling is conducted to determine the inconstant and instantaneous heat transfer coefficients at slit walls. Further thermomechanical simulations are performed on the purging plug by assuming elastic material behavior. Dimensionless temperature change and stress analysis indicate that transverse tensile failure is highly likely at the area close to 0.323 m from the base of the frustum purging plug. A comparison with practical observations proves that thermomechanical modeling coupled with the fluid–solid conjugate heat transfer method is a useful approach for investigating purging plugs under practical service conditions, as well as other cases involving fluid–solid interactions.
Zur dehnungsbegrenzten Momententragfähigkeit von Flachdecken in Verbundbauweise
Authors: Schäfer Markus , Zhang Qingjie
Published: July 2019

In den letzten Jahren hat die Slim‐Floor‐Bauweise zunehmend an Bedeutung gewonnen, dies ist nicht zuletzt auf die Forderung nach schlanken Konstruktionen und einer Optimierung des Bauablaufs zurückzuführen. Die Bemessung solcher Bauteile kann jedoch nicht allein auf Grundlage der europäischen Regelwerke für den Verbundbau erfolgen. Es gelten einige Besonderheiten, die durch ergänzende Bemessungsregeln zu erfassen sind. Umfangreiche Untersuchungen verdeutlichen, dass eine Einstufung der Rotationskapazität und die Festlegung der Querschnittsklasse nicht allein basierend auf der Klassifizierung des Stahlquerschnitts erfolgen können, da der Beton bei derartigen Systemen einen wesentlichen Einfluss auf das Tragverhalten nimmt. In diesem Beitrag werden die Besonderheiten für kompakte Slim‐Floor‐Querschnitte im Rahmen der Biegebemessung erläutert.
Mechanisms of titanium dioxide nanoparticle‐induced oxidative stress and modulation of plasma glucose in mice
Authors: Hu Hailong , Fan Xingpei , Yin Yao , Guo Qian , Yang Daqian , Wei Xiangjuan , Zhang Boya , Liu Jing , Wu Qiong , Oh Yuri , Chen Kun , Feng Yujie , Hou Liping , Li Li , Gu Ning
Published: July 2019

Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) are reported to increase plasma glucose levels in mice at specific doses. The production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is potentially the most important factor underlying the biological toxicity of TiO2 NPs but the underlying mechanisms are unclear at present. Data from genome‐wide analyses showed that TiO2 NPs induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and ROS generation, leading to the inference that TiO2 NP‐induced ER stress contributes to enhancement of ROS in mice. Resveratrol (Res) effectively relieved TiO2 NP‐induced ER stress and ROS generation by ameliorating expression of a common set of activated genes for both processes, signifying that ER stress and ROS are closely related. TiO2 NP‐induced ER stress occurred earlier than ROS generation. Upon treatment with 4‐phenylbutyric acid to relieve ER stress, plasma glucose levels tended toward normal and TiO2 NP increased ROS production was inhibited. These results suggest that TiO2 NP‐induced ER stress promotes the generation of ROS, in turn, triggering increased plasma glucose levels in mice. In addition, Res that displays the ability to reduce ER stress presents a dietary polyphenol antioxidant that can effectively prevent the toxicological effects of TiO2 NPs on plasma glucose metabolism.
Low‐frequency dynamics of a floating wind turbine in wave tank–scaled experiments with SiL hybrid method
Authors: Azcona José , Bouchotrouch Faisal , Vittori Felipe
Published: July 2019

The design of floating wind turbines needs the validation of numerical models against measurements obtained from experiments that accurately represent the system dynamics. This requires solving the conflict in the scaling of the hydrodynamic and aerodynamic forces that arises in tests with wind and waves. To sort out this conflict, we propose a hybrid testing method that uses a ducted fan to replace the rotor and introduce a force representing the aerodynamic thrust. The force is obtained from a simulation of the rotor coupled in real time with the measured platform displacements at the basin. This method is applied on a test campaign of a semisubmersible wind turbine with a scale factor of 1/45. The experimental data are compared with numerical computations using linear and non‐linear hydrodynamic models. Pitch decays in constant wind show a good agreement with computations, demonstrating that the hybrid testing method correctly introduces the aerodynamic damping. Test cases with constant wind and irregular waves show better agreement with the simulations in the power spectral density's (PSD's) low‐frequency region when non‐linear hydrodynamics are computed. In cases with turbulent wind at rated wind speed, the low‐frequency platform motions are dominated by the wind, hiding the differences from hydrodynamic non‐linearities. In these conditions, the agreement between experiments using the proposed hybrid method and computations is good in all the frequency range both for the linear and the non‐linear hydrodynamic models. Conversely, for turbulent winds producing lower rotor thrust, non‐linear hydrodynamics are relevant for the simulation of the low‐frequency system dynamics.
Extremal and near-extremal black holes and near-CFT1
Authors: Moitra Upamanyu , Trivedi Sandip P. , Vishal V.
Published: July 2019

Abstract

We study the behaviour of extremal and near-extremal black holes at low energies and low temperatures and find that it can be understood from the near-horizon AdS
2 region. Our analysis includes charged matter and also goes beyond the S-wave approximation. We find that the leading behaviour at low energies arises from a mode linked to time reparametrisations and from phase modes arising from gauge fields. At somewhat higher energies, additional modes arising from higher partial waves can also be cumulatively significant. These results can be applied quite generally to cases where an AdS
2 × S

d
near-horizon geometry arises, including black holes in asymptotically AdS and flat space-times.
Morphological study of the labial sensilla in Nabidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha)
Authors: Taszakowski Artur , Nowińska Agnieszka , Brożek Jolanta
Published: July 2019

The study presents new data on the morphology and distribution of the labial tip sensilla of six species of two nabid subfamilies—Protosteminae and Nabinae (Heteroptera: Cimicomorpha), which were obtained using a scanning electron microscope. In both taxa, there are five morphologically distinct types of sensilla on the tip of the labium: peg sensilla with a terminal pore, nonporous peg sensilla, elongated placoid sensilla with wall pores (multiporous), and trichoid sensilla. In addition, oval plate sensilla with a terminal pore (Tp-opls) were observed in the genus Himacerus. Campaniform sensilla and nonporous chaetic sensilla were observed on the surface of the last segment of the labium in all of the studied species. Over a dozen trichoid sensilla were scattered on the last segment of the labium only in the genus Prostemma. Based on their external structure, it is likely that these sensilla are chemosensitive and mechanosensitive. The oval plate sensilla with a Tp-opls (gustatory) in Himacerus (Nabinae) represent a morphological novelty that probably evolved independently of other nabids.
Phase 1b study of a small molecule antagonist of human chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (PF-04136309) in combination with nab-paclitaxel/gemcitabine in first-line treatment of metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Noel Marcus , O’Reilly Eileen M. , Wolpin Brian M. , Ryan David P. , Bullock Andrea J. , Britten Carolyn D. , Linehan David C. , Belt Brian A. , Gamelin Eric C. , Ganguly Bishu , Yin Donghua , Joh Tenshang , Jacobs Ira A. , Taylor Carrie T. , Lowery Maeve A.
Published: July 2019

Background In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2)/chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) axis plays a key role in immunosuppressive properties of the tumor microenvironment, patient prognosis, and chemoresistance. This phase Ib study assessed the effects of the orally administered CCR2 inhibitor PF-04136309 in combination with nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine in patients with previously untreated metastatic PDAC. Methods Patients received PF-04136309 twice daily (BID) continuously plus nab-paclitaxel (125 mg/m2) and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) administered on days 1, 8, and 15 of each 28-day cycle. The primary objectives were to evaluate safety and tolerability, characterize dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), and determine the recommended phase II dose (RP2D) of PF-04136309. Results In all, 21 patients received PF-04136309 at a starting dose of 500 mg or 750 mg BID. The RP2D was identified to be 500 mg BID. Of 17 patients treated at the 500 mg BID starting dose, three (17.6%) experienced a total of four DLTs, including grade 3 dysesthesia, diarrhea, and hypokalemia and one event of grade 4 hypoxia. Relative to the small number of patients (n = 21), a high incidence (24%) of pulmonary toxicity was observed in this study. The objective response rate for 21 patients was 23.8% (95% confidence interval: 8.2–47.2%). Levels of CD14 + CCR2+ inflammatory monocytes (IM) decreased in the peripheral blood, but did not accumulate in the bone marrow. Conclusions PF-04136309 in combination with nab-paclitaxel plus gemcitabine had a safety profile that raises concern for synergistic pulmonary toxicity and did not show an efficacy signal above nab-paclitaxel and gemcitabine. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02732938.
Modelling the determinants of car-sharing adoption intentions among young adults: the role of attitude, perceived benefits, travel expectations and socio-demographic factors
Authors: Acheampong Ransford A. , Siiba Alhassan
Published: July 2019

Major cities in developing countries are increasingly becoming motorized. Thus, effective solutions to address the negative impacts that come with rising car-ownership are needed as part of an overall travel demand management strategy. In developed and emerging economies, shared-mobility in the form of car-sharing is becoming popular as potentially low-cost and environmentally sustainable alternative to car-ownership. Yet, our understanding of car-sharing adoption and diffusion factors in developing countries is limited. In this study, we fill this gap by examining car-sharing adoption intentions among young adults aged between 18 and 35 years in Ghana, Sub-Saharan Africa. Using structural equation modelling, we model car-sharing adoption intentions based on a framework that integrates individuals’ perception of the benefits of car-sharing, attitudes towards the environment and technology, trust of stewardship in car-sharing, perception of innovativeness of car-sharing, travel expectations and socio-demographic factors. We found that pro-technology and pro-environmental attitudes correlate positively with perceived benefits of car-sharing. Perceived benefits of car-sharing, in turn, has the largest predictive effect on intentions to car-share. Other factors, including individuals’ previous experience using Uber on-demand taxi services, gender, education, driver’s licensure and expectation of comfortable and fast travel options, all predict car-sharing adoption intentions. While there exists an interest in both station-based and free-floating car-sharing services, more of the would-be users favour the latter than the former. Also, majority of the potential adopters (62%) would join a car-sharing service within the first 1 year of its introduction. An important finding is that dissatisfaction with existing public transit services underpins car-sharing intentions, implying that relying on car-sharing alone to meet travel needs, without a holistic strategy of providing quality and affordable public transit services, could lead to unsustainable outcomes.
The Cahokian Crucible: Burning Ritual and the Emergence of Cahokian Power in the Mississippian Midwest
Authors: Baltus Melissa R. , Wilson Gregory D.
Published: July 2019

Much of what is known about the Indigenous city of Cahokia, located in and influential on the North American midcontinent during the eleventh through fourteenth centuries AD, derives from decades of salvage, research, and CRM excavations in the surrounding American Bottom region. We use this robust dataset to explore patterns of building conflagration that suggest these practices of burning were part of pre-Mississippian traditions that were bundled into new Cahokian landscapes during the early consolidation of the city. These bundled practices entangled sources of power that were at once political and religious, thus transforming the practices and meanings associated with terminating building use via fire.
Collective absorption of laser radiation in plasma at sub-relativistic intensities
Authors: Gu Y. J. , Klimo O. , Nicolaï Ph. , Shekhanov S. , Weber S. , Tikhonchuk V. T.
Published: July 2019

Processes of laser energy absorption and electron heating in an expanding plasma in the range of irradiances
$I\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}^{2}=10^{15}{-}10^{16}~\text{W}\,\cdot \,\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}^{2}/\text{cm}^{2}$
are studied with the aid of kinetic simulations. The results show a strong reflection due to stimulated Brillouin scattering and a significant collisionless absorption related to stimulated Raman scattering near and below the quarter critical density. Also presented are parametric decay instability and resonant excitation of plasma waves near the critical density. All these processes result in the excitation of high-amplitude electron plasma waves and electron acceleration. The spectrum of scattered radiation is significantly modified by secondary parametric processes, which provide information on the spatial localization of nonlinear absorption and hot electron characteristics. The considered domain of laser and plasma parameters is relevant for the shock ignition scheme of inertial confinement fusion.
Metric for attractor overlap
Authors: Ishar Rishabh , Kaiser Eurika , Morzyński Marek , Fernex Daniel , Semaan Richard , Albers Marian , Meysonnat Pascal S. , Schröder Wolfgang , Noack Bernd R.
Published: July 2019

We present the first general metric for attractor overlap (MAO) facilitating an unsupervised comparison of flow data sets. The starting point is two or more attractors, i.e. ensembles of states representing different operating conditions. The proposed metric generalizes the standard Hilbert-space distance between two snapshot-to-snapshot ensembles of two attractors. A reduced-order analysis for big data and many attractors is enabled by coarse graining the snapshots into representative clusters with corresponding centroids and population probabilities. For a large number of attractors, MAO is augmented by proximity maps for the snapshots, the centroids and the attractors, giving scientifically interpretable visual access to the closeness of the states. The coherent structures belonging to the overlap and disjoint states between these attractors are distilled by a few representative centroids. We employ MAO for two quite different actuated flow configurations: a two-dimensional wake with vortices in a narrow frequency range and three-dimensional wall turbulence with a broadband spectrum. In the first application, seven control laws are applied to the fluidic pinball, i.e. the two-dimensional flow around three circular cylinders whose centres form an equilateral triangle pointing in the upstream direction. These seven operating conditions comprise unforced shedding, boat tailing, base bleed, high- and low-frequency forcing as well as two opposing Magnus effects. In the second example, MAO is applied to three-dimensional simulation data from an open-loop drag reduction study of a turbulent boundary layer. The actuation mechanisms of 38 spanwise travelling transversal surface waves are investigated. MAO compares and classifies these actuated flows in agreement with physical intuition. For instance, the first feature coordinate of the attractor proximity map correlates with drag for the fluidic pinball and for the turbulent boundary layer. MAO has a large spectrum of potential applications ranging from a quantitative comparison between numerical simulations and experimental particle-image velocimetry data to the analysis of simulations representing a myriad of different operating conditions.
On negative association of some finite point processes on general state spaces
Authors: Last Günter , Szekli Ryszard
Published: July 2019

We study negative association for mixed sampled point processes and show that negative association holds for such processes if a random number of their points fulfils the ultra log-concave (ULC) property. We connect the negative association property of point processes with directionally convex dependence ordering, and show some consequences of this property for mixed sampled and determinantal point processes. Some applications illustrate the general theory.
A particle system approach to aggregation phenomena
Authors: Flandoli Franco , Leocata Marta
Published: July 2019

Inspired by a PDE–ODE system of aggregation developed in the biomathematical literature, we investigate an interacting particle system representing aggregation at the level of individuals. We prove that the empirical density of the individual converges to the solution of the PDE–ODE system.