bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dispersal influences genetic and acoustic spatial structure for both males and females in a tropical songbird
Authors: Graham Brendan A. , Heath Daniel D. , Mennill Daniel J.
Published: October 2017

Animals exhibit diverse dispersal strategies, including sex‐biased dispersal, a phenomenon common in vertebrates. Dispersal influences the genetic structure of populations as well as geographic variation in phenotypic traits. Patterns of spatial genetic structure and geographic variation may vary between the sexes whenever males and females exhibit different dispersal behaviors. Here, we examine dispersal, spatial genetic structure, and spatial acoustic structure in Rufous‐and‐white Wrens, a year‐round resident tropical bird. Both sexes sing in this species, allowing us to compare acoustic variation between males and females and examine the relationship between dispersal and song sharing for both sexes. Using a long‐term dataset collected over an 11‐year period, we used banding data and molecular genetic analyses to quantify natal and breeding dispersal distance in Rufous‐and‐white Wrens. We quantified song sharing and examined whether sharing varied with dispersal distance, for both males and females. Observational data and molecular genetic analyses indicate that dispersal is female‐biased. Females dispersed farther from natal territories than males, and more often between breeding territories than males. Furthermore, females showed no significant spatial genetic structure, consistent with expectations, whereas males showed significant spatial genetic structure. Overall, natal dispersal appears to have more influence than breeding dispersal on spatial genetic structure and spatial acoustic structure, given that the majority of breeding dispersal events resulted in individuals moving only short distances. Song sharing between pairs of same‐sex animals decreases with the distance between their territories for both males and females, although males exhibited significantly greater song sharing than females. Lastly, we measured the relationship between natal dispersal distance and song sharing. We found that sons shared fewer songs with their fathers the farther they dispersed from their natal territories, but that song sharing between daughters and mothers was not significantly correlated with natal dispersal distance. Our results reveal cultural differences between the sexes, suggesting a relationship between culture and sex‐biased dispersal.
Nitrogen loss from karst area in China in recent 50 years: An in‐situ simulated rainfall experiment's assessment
Authors: Song Xianwei , Gao Yang , Green Sophie M. , Dungait Jennifer A. J. , Peng Tao , Quine Timothy A. , Xiong Bailian , Wen Xuefa , He Nianpeng
Published: October 2017

Karst topography covers more than 1/3 of the People's Republic of China in area. The porous, fissured, and soluble nature of the underlying karst bedrock (primarily dolomite and limestone) leads to the formation of underground drainage systems. Karst conduit networks dominate this system, and rainfall takes a crucial role on water cycle at China karst area. Nitrogen loss from the karst system is of particular concern, with regard to nutrient use efficiency as well as water quality, as much of the karst system, including steeply sloping terrain, is used for intensive agriculture. We use simulated rainfall experiments to determine the relationship between rainfall and nitrogen loss at typical karst slope land and then estimate nitrogen loss from the karst soil. The results show that both surface runoff and subsurface runoff have a significant linear correlation with rainfall at all studied sites. Subsurface runoff is larger than surface runoff at two karst sites, while the opposite is true at the non‐karst site. Exponential function satisfactorily described the correlation between rainfall and nitrogen concentrations in runoff. Nitrates accounted for 60%–95% of the dissolved nitrogen loss (DN, an index of N‐loss in this research). The estimated annual N‐loss load varies between 1.05 and 1.67 Tg N/year in the whole karst regions of China from 1961 to 2014. Approximately, 90% of the N‐loss load occurred during the wet season, and 90% of that passed through the subsurface. Understanding the processes and estimating N‐loss is highly valuable in determining long‐term soil security and sustainability in karst regions.
Temporal constraints on the potential role of fry odors as cues of past reproductive success for spawning lake trout
Authors: Buchinger Tyler J. , Marsden J. Ellen , Binder Thomas R. , Huertas Mar , Bussy Ugo , Li Ke , Hanson James E. , Krueger Charles C. , Li Weiming , Johnson Nicholas S.
Published: October 2017

Deciding where to reproduce is a major challenge for most animals. Many select habitats based upon cues of successful reproduction by conspecifics, such as the presence of offspring from past reproductive events. For example, some fishes select spawning habitat following odors released by juveniles whose rearing habitat overlaps with spawning habitat. However, juveniles may emigrate before adults begin to search for spawning habitat; hence, the efficacy of juvenile cues could be constrained by degradation or dissipation rates. In lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), odors deposited by the previous year's offspring have been hypothesized to guide adults to spawning reefs. However, in most extant populations, lake trout fry emigrate from spawning reefs during the spring and adults spawn during the fall. Therefore, we postulated that the role of fry odors in guiding habitat selection might be constrained by the time between fry emigration and adult spawning. Time course chemical, physiological, and behavioral assays indicated that the odors deposited by fry likely degrade or dissipate before adults select spawning habitats. Furthermore, fry feces did not attract wild lake trout to constructed spawning reefs in Lake Huron. Taken together, our results indicate fry odors are unlikely to act as cues for lake trout searching for spawning reefs in populations whose juveniles emigrate before the spawning season, and underscore the importance of environmental constraints on social cues.
Chlorobismuthates Trapping Dibromine: Formation of Two‐Dimensional Supramolecular Polyhalide Networks with Br2 Linkers
Authors: Adonin Sergey A. , Gorokh Igor D. , Abramov Pavel A. , Novikov Alexander S. , Korolkov Ilya V. , Sokolov Maxim N. , Fedin Vladimir P.
Published: October 2017

Reactions between BiCl3, Br2, and chlorides of pyridinium (1), 4,4′‐propylenedipyridinium (2), or trimethylphenylammonium (3) in aqueous HCl lead to the formation of chlorobismuthate complexes trapping {Br2} in the solid state into two‐dimensional polyhalide supramolecular networks. The nature of non‐covalent Br···Cl interactions was studied by theoretical methods; estimated energies of these interactions are 1.9–6.0 kcal/mol.
Catalytic Tandem Reaction for the Production of Jet and Diesel Fuel Range Alkanes
Authors: Li Hu , Gui Zhenyou , Yang Song , Qi Zhiwen , Saravanamurugan Shunmugavel , Riisager Anders
Published: October 2017

Jet and diesel fuels are typically composed of C9‐C14 and C12‐C20 hydrocarbons, respectively, but the carbon‐chain length of sugar‐derived aldehydes and furanic compounds is no longer than C6. Here, a cascade catalytic process involving alkylation and hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of 2‐methylfuran (2‐MF) with different aldehydes is conducted to directly produce long‐chain alkanes with exclusive carbon number of C11‐C17 in overall yields of 50–84 %. Preliminary investigations on the alkylation of 2‐MF and formalin show that the relative density of Lewis and Brønsted acidic sites of zeolitic materials remarkably affect their catalytic activity and selectivity. Sn‐beta(12.5) with pronounced Lewis acidity (including the acid density and strength) exhibits higher catalytic performance in the alkylation than other zeolites, producing long‐chain oxygenates in 58–92 % yields. Even in aqueous solution, the Sn‐beta(12.5) catalyst can be reused for at least six reaction cycles with almost constant reactivity. More importantly, the co‐addition of Hf(OTf)4 with Pd/C greatly promotes C−O bond cleavage of the furan‐ring during the HDO process under mild reaction conditions, producing long‐chain alkanes in high yields of 84–94 %.
Ultra‐low Mass Sputtered and Conventional Catalyst Layers on Plasma‐etched Nafion for PEMFC Applications
Authors: Omosebi A. , Besser R. S.
Published: October 2017

This paper presents performance results for the use of plasma‐etched Nafion membranes to suppress polarization losses in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) configured from 0.1 mg cm−2 conventional Pt/C dispersion and 0.02 mg cm−2 ultra‐thin sputter‐deposited Pt catalyst layers. Four MEA configurations, namely, etched membrane‐conventional electrode, pristine membrane‐conventional electrode, etched membrane‐sputter electrode, and pristine membrane‐sputter electrode cells were explored, and their respective maximum power densities were ∼514.6, 417.9, 170.1 and 138.3 mW cm−2. The results demonstrated that independent of MEA fabrication approach, cells with O2 plasma treated membranes had reduced ohmic resistances and delivered superior performance over their pristine counterparts, validating the utility of membrane etching for achieving improved PEMFC performance.
The urban geoarchaeology of Benevento, Southern Italy: Evaluating archaeological potential
Authors: Amato Vincenzo , Ciarcia Sabatino , Rossi Amedeo , Santoriello Alfonso
Published: October 2017

The city of Benevento in the southern Apennines is located on a Pleistocene fluvial terrace almost entirely bordered by rivers. Its ancient history of human settlements dates back to the Samnitic age (fifth to third centuries B.C.). The urban landscape witnessed extensive transformation, especially during the Roman (fourth century B.C.–sixth century A.D.) and Longobard (6th–10th centuries A.D.) periods, largely as a result of destructive earthquakes and massive floods. As a consequence, large portions of the modern town were built on deep stratified archeological deposits that partially preserve the remains of previous settlements. In order to improve and expand our knowledge of the buried archaeological heritage of this town, archaeo‐stratigraphic data were integrated into a geographic information system format and database, the latter further supplemented by a detailed geomorphological study. This new dataset enabled a reassessment of the Benevento subsurface along with its archaeological assets, shedding new light on the archaeological potential of the urban area. Finally, a more reliable map of hidden cultural resources was developed, thus providing a useful tool for more suitable urban planning and project designs to help guide renovation of urban infrastructure.
Enhanced hepatogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells on liver ECM hydrogel
Authors: Wang Bo , Li Wuwei , Dean Derrick , Mishra Manoj K. , Wekesa Kennedy S.
Published: October 2017

Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM‐MSC) is a promising alternative cell source to primary hepatocytes because of their ability to differentiate into hepatocyte‐like cells. However, their inability to differentiate efficiently and potential to turn into myofibroblasts restrict their applications. This study developed a plate coating from the liver extracellular matrix (ECM) and investigated its ability in facilitating the BM‐MSCs proliferation, hepatic differentiation, and hepatocyte‐specific functions during in vitro culture. After 28‐day culture, BM‐MSCs on the ECM coating showed hepatocyte‐like morphology, and certain cells took up low‐density lipoprotein. Synthesis of albumin, urea, and anti‐alpha‐fetoprotein, as well as expression of certain hepatic markers, in cells cultured on ECM were higher than cells cultured on non‐coated and Matrigel‐coated plates. mRNA levels of CYP3A4, albumin, CK18, and CYP7A1 in cells on ECM coating were significantly higher than cells cultured on the non‐coating environment. In conclusion, viability and hepatogenic differentiation of BM‐MSCs cultured on both Matrigel and ECM coating were significantly enhanced compared with those cultured on non‐coated plates. Moreover, the liver ECM coating induced additional metabolic functions relative to the Matrigel coating. The liver ECM hydrogel preserves the natural composition, promotes simple gelling, induces efficient stem cell hepatogenic differentiation, and may have uses as an injectable intermedium for hepatocytes. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 829–838, 2018.
Hypophosphatemia, Severe Bone Pain, Gait Disturbance, and Fatigue Fractures After Iron Substitution in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case Report
Authors: Bartko Johann , Roschger Paul , Zandieh Shahin , Brehm Attila , Zwerina Jochen , Klaushofer Klaus
Published: October 2017

Intravenous infusions of different iron formulations are recognized as a cause of hypophosphatemia. Chronic hypophosphatemia can alter bone metabolism and bone material structure. As a consequence, osteomalacia may develop and lead to bone fragility. Herein, we report a patient with Crohn's disease presenting with persistent hypophosphatemia and insufficiency fractures while receiving regular iron infusions due to chronic gastrointestinal bleeding. Previously, the patient regularly received vitamin D and also zoledronic acid. The patient underwent bone biopsy of the iliac crest that showed typical signs of osteomalacia with dramatically increased osteoid volume and decreased bone formation. Analysis of the bone mineralization density distribution (BMDD) revealed a more complex picture: On the one hand, there was a shift to higher matrix mineralization, presumably owing to low bone turnover; on the other hand, a broadening of the BMDD indicating more heterogeneous mineralization due to osteomalacia was also evident. This is the first report on changes of bone histomorphometry and bone matrix mineralization in iron-induced osteomalacia. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
New lower bounds for t‐coverings
Authors: Horsley Daniel , Singh Rakhi
Published: October 2017

Fisher proved in 1940 that any 2‐ design with has at least v blocks. In 1975, Ray‐Chaudhuri and Wilson generalized this result by showing that every t‐ design with has at least blocks. By combining methods used by Bose and Wilson in proofs of these results, we obtain new lower bounds on the size of t‐ coverings. Our results generalize lower bounds on the size of 2‐ coverings recently obtained by the first author.
The role of temporal intervals on reinforcer accumulation
Authors: French Eric J. , Reilly Mark P.
Published: October 2017

Animals accumulate reinforcers when they forgo the opportunity to consume available food in favor of acquiring additional food for later consumption. Laboratory research has shown that reinforcer accumulation is facilitated when an interval (either spatial or temporal) separates earning from consuming reinforcers. However, there has been no systematic investigation on the interval separating consuming reinforcers from earning additional reinforcers. This oversight is problematic because this second interval is an integral part of much of the previous research on reinforcer accumulation. The purpose of the current study was to determine the independent contributions of these two temporal intervals on reinforcer accumulation in rats. Each left lever press earned a single food pellet; delivery of the accumulated pellet(s) occurred upon a right lever press. Conditions varied based on the presence of either an intertrial interval (ITI) that separated pellet delivery from the further opportunity to accumulate more pellets, or a delay‐to‐reinforcement that separated the right lever press from the delivery of the accumulated pellet(s). Delay and ITI values of 0, 5, 10 and 20 s were investigated. The delay‐to‐reinforcement conditions produced greater accumulation relative to the ITI conditions, despite accumulation increasing the density of reinforcement more substantially in the ITI conditions. This finding suggests that the temporal separation between reinforcer accumulation and subsequent delivery and consumption was a more critical variable in controlling reinforcer accumulation.
Qualitative analysis of multiple compounds in raw and prepared Semen Cassiae coupled with multiple statistical strategies
Authors: Yang Bing , Hu Jing , Zhu Xiaochai , Zhuang Yanshuang , Yin Fangzhou , Qin Kunming , Cai Baochang
Published: October 2017

In China, Semen Cassiae is used clinically to improve eyesight, relieve constipation, and to treat headache and dizziness. Prepared Semen Cassiae is obtained by stir‐frying raw Semen Cassiae until it turned dark brown, micro dilatancy, and overflow aroma. After processing, the therapeutic effects change—the purgation effect is alleviated and the hepatoprotective effect is enhanced. To explore the changes in chemical compositions of Semen Cassiae after processing and clarify the material basis of the changed therapeutic effects, an ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry coupled with automated data analysis software and statistical strategy was developed. As a result, 53 compounds in raw Semen Cassiae and 43 compounds in prepared Semen Cassiae were found, a total of 55 chemical compounds were identified. Principle component analysis and t‐test were processed by Markerview 1.2.1 software. Finally, 39 peaks were found to be the main contributors to the significant difference (p < 0.05) between raw and prepared Semen Cassiae. Compared with raw Semen Cassiae, 19 peaks showed a higher intensity in prepared Semen Cassiae, while the contents of 20 compounds in prepared Semen Cassiae were lower, most of which belonged to naphthopyrones glycosides and anthraquinone glycosides.
Cisplatin‐Rich Polyoxazoline–Poly(aspartic acid) Supramolecular Nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Peng , Yuan Kangjun , Li Cheng , Zhang Xiaoke , Wu Wei , Jiang Xiqun
Published: October 2017

Cisplatin‐rich supramolecular nanoparticles are constructed through the supramolecular inclusion interaction between the admantyl (Ad)‐terminated poly(aspartic acid) (Ad‐P(Asp)) and the β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD)‐terminated poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline). In the formation of the nanoparticles, the β‐CD/admantane inclusion complex integrates poly(2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline) and poly(aspartic acid) chains to form pseudoblock copolymers, followed by the coordination between carboxyl groups in P(Asp) block and cisplatin. This coordination interaction drives the formation of nanoparticle and enables cisplatin incorporated into the nanoparticles. The spherical cisplatin‐rich supramolecular nanoparticles have 53% cisplatin‐loading content, good stability, and effective inhibition of the cell proliferation when it is tested in H22 cancer cells. Near‐infrared fluorescence imaging of tumor bearing mice reveals that the cisplatin‐rich nanoparticles can target the tumor in vivo effectively.
The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway: Associations of miRNAs with dysregulated gene expression in colorectal cancer
Authors: Slattery Martha L. , Mullany Lila E. , Sakoda Lori C. , Wolff Roger K. , Stevens John R. , Samowitz Wade S. , Herrick Jennifer S.
Published: October 2017

The PI3K/AKT‐signaling pathway is one of the most frequently activated signal‐transduction pathways in cancer. We examined how dysregulated gene expression is associated with miRNA expression in this pathway in colorectal cancer (CRC). We used data from 217 CRC cases to evaluate differential pathway gene expression between paired carcinoma and normal mucosa and identify miRNAs that are associated with these genes. Gene expression data from RNA‐Seq and miRNA expression data from Agilent Human miRNA Microarray V19.0 were analyzed. We focused on genes most associated with CRC (fold change (FC) of >1.5 or <0.67) that were statistically significant after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Of the 304 genes evaluated, 76 had a FC of <0.67, and 57 had a FC of >1.50; 47 of these genes were associated with miRNA differential expression. There were 145 mRNA:miRNA seed‐region matches of which 26 were inversely associated suggesting a greater likelihood of a direct association. Most miRNA:mRNA associations were with factors that stimulated the pathway. For instance, bothIL6RandPDGFRAhad inverse seed‐region matches with seven miRNAs, suggesting that these miRNAs have a direct effect on these genes and may be key elements in activation of the pathway. Other miRNA:mRNA associations with similar impact on the pathway were miR‐203a with ITGA4, miR‐6071 withITGAV, and miR‐375 with THBS2, all genes involved in extracellular matrix function that activate PI3Ks. Gene expression in the PI3K/Akt‐signaling pathway is dysregulated in CRC. MiRNAs were associated with many of these dysregulated genes either directly or in an indirect manner.
BAG3‐dependent expression of Mcl‐1 confers resistance of mutant KRAS colon cancer cells to the HSP90 inhibitor AUY922
Authors: Wang Chun Yan , Guo Su Tang , Croft Amanda , Yan Xu Guang , Jin Lei , Zhang Xu Dong , Jiang Chen Chen
Published: October 2017

Past studies have shown that mutant KRAS colon cancer cells are susceptible to apoptosis induced by the HSP90 inhibitor AUY922. Nevertheless, intrinsic and acquired resistance remains an obstacle for the potential application of the inhibitor in the treatment of the disease. Here we report that Mcl‐1 is important for survival of colon cancer cells in the presence of AUY922. Mcl‐1 was upregulated in mutant KRAS colon cancer cells selected for resistance to AUY922‐induced apoptosis. This was due to its increased stability mediated by Bcl‐2‐associated athanogene domain 3 (BAG3), which was also increased in resistant colon cancer cells by heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) as a result of chronic endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Functional investigations demonstrated that inhibition of Mcl‐1, BAG3, or HSF1 triggered apoptosis in resistant colon cancer cells, and rendered AUY922‐naïve colon cancer cells more sensitive to the inhibitor. Together, these results identify that the HSF1‐BAG3‐Mcl‐1 signal axis is critical for protection of mutant KRAS colon cancer cells from AUY922‐induced apoptosis, with potential implications for targeting HSF1/BAG3/Mcl‐1 to improve the efficacy of AUY922 in the treatment of colon cancer.
MolProbity: More and better reference data for improved all‐atom structure validation
Authors: Williams Christopher J. , Headd Jeffrey J. , Moriarty Nigel W. , Prisant Michael G. , Videau Lizbeth L. , Deis Lindsay N. , Verma Vishal , Keedy Daniel A. , Hintze Bradley J. , Chen Vincent B. , Jain Swati , Lewis Steven M. , Arendall W. Bryan , Snoeyink Jack , Adams Paul D. , Lovell Simon C. , Richardson Jane S. , Richardson David C.
Published: October 2017

This paper describes the current update on macromolecular model validation services that are provided at the MolProbity website, emphasizing changes and additions since the previous review in 2010. There have been many infrastructure improvements, including rewrite of previous Java utilities to now use existing or newly written Python utilities in the open‐source CCTBX portion of the Phenix software system. This improves long‐term maintainability and enhances the thorough integration of MolProbity‐style validation within Phenix. There is now a complete MolProbity mirror site at http://molprobity.manchester.ac.uk. GitHub serves our open‐source code, reference datasets, and the resulting multi‐dimensional distributions that define most validation criteria. Coordinate output after Asn/Gln/His “flip” correction is now more idealized, since the post‐refinement step has apparently often been skipped in the past. Two distinct sets of heavy‐atom‐to‐hydrogen distances and accompanying van der Waals radii have been researched and improved in accuracy, one for the electron‐cloud‐center positions suitable for X‐ray crystallography and one for nuclear positions. New validations include messages at input about problem‐causing format irregularities, updates of Ramachandran and rotamer criteria from the million quality‐filtered residues in a new reference dataset, the CaBLAM Cα‐CO virtual‐angle analysis of backbone and secondary structure for cryoEM or low‐resolution X‐ray, and flagging of the very rare cis‐nonProline and twisted peptides which have recently been greatly overused. Due to wide application of MolProbity validation and corrections by the research community, in Phenix, and at the worldwide Protein Data Bank, newly deposited structures have continued to improve greatly as measured by MolProbity's unique all‐atom clashscore.
Dual‐rate sampled‐data stabilization for active suspension system of electric vehicle
Authors: Meng Qinghua , Qian Chunjiang , Liu Rongjie
Published: October 2017

In this paper, we consider the dual‐rate sampled‐data state‐feedback control problem for an active suspension system of an electric vehicle. In the active suspension system, there exist 2 accelerometers to measure the heave acceleration of the sprung mass and the vertical acceleration of the unsprung mass, respectively. When the 2 accelerations are measured by sampled data under different sampling periods, the difficulty arising from the dual‐rate sampled data makes the active suspension stabilization problem challenging but interesting. In this paper, a linear hybrid stabilizer is proposed, which is implemented using dual‐rate sampled‐data state feedback. In order to deal with the more difficult stabilization problem under different triggering time instants, a coordinate transformation is proposed. A useful technical theorem is proposed in the stability analysis to show that the proposed hybrid controller can guarantee the states of the active suspension system being asymptotically stabilized or at least bounded to arbitrarily small domains. The experiment result is similar to the simulation result and indicates that the proposed active suspension controlling system is effective.
Surface characterization of medieval silver coins minted by the early Piasts: FT‐IR mapping and SEM/EDX studies
Authors: Pięta Ewa , Lekki Janusz , del Hoyo‐Meléndez Julio M. , Paluszkiewicz Czesława , Nowakowski Michał , Matosz Marta , Kwiatek Wojciech M.
Published: October 2017

An investigation of a numismatic collection of silver denarii from the early Piast dynasty was conducted using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The studied coins, minted between 995 and 1020 ad under the rules of Boleslaus the Brave and Mieszko II Lambert, belong to the collection of the National Museum in Kraków. Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy imaging and mapping have been used for recording a visual image of the surface chemistry based on vibrational spectra and accurately representing the distribution of chemical compounds, respectively. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy‐dispersive X‐ray analysis was used to study the surface topography of the coins and characterize their elemental composition. Differences in the distribution of the identified chemical compounds were detected in heterogeneous areas of the denarii. Corrosion effects, associated to many factors including the alloy composition, the metallographic structure, the manufacturing processes, and the environment were also observed and identified.
Experimental and Theoretical Efforts to Identify the Microstructural Transition of Water to Acetonitrile‐Based Reverse Micelle through Binary Compositions of Polar Solvents
Authors: Chowdhury Madhurima Paul , Kundu Kaushik , Bardhan Soumik , Kar Barnali , Chakraborty Gulmi , Saha Swapan K.
Published: October 2017

The present report was undertaken due to the scarcity of information regarding the microstructural transition from aqueous to acetonitrile (ACN)‐based non‐aqueous reverse micelles (RMs) stabilized by cationic didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) and anionic sodium bis(2‐ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) in cyclohexane. The synergistic solubilization capacity of corresponding polar solvent at a fixed composition and the nature of conductance plots in these RMs were markedly varied along with the composition of binary solvents (water and ACN at pure or mixed states) and the surfactant charge types (DDAB and AOT). The structural alteration in these RMs through water‐ and ACN‐rich compositions were studied by FTIR, where the results were explained in terms of molecular states of water and ACN inside RMs. The differential binding affinity of both polar solvents with the two surfactants was shown using ab initio calculations. The subsequent appearance and disappearance of aqueous nano‐pool was verified from UV‐Vis technique using CoCl2. The lack of H‐bonding ability on going from aqueous to ACN‐based RMs was evidenced from the temperature‐dependent DLS study along with the absorption profiles of 7‐hydroxycoumarin. The results showed how the microstructures and H‐bonding interactions inside RMs are dramatically altered by simply changing polarity of the solvents or the surfactant charge‐types. This report could be useful to understand the formation mechanism of two class of RMs.
A Structural Break Analysis of Fiscal Deficit Process in Nigeria
Authors: Usman Owolabi A. , Adebisi Dauda Gbolagade
Published: October 2017

The study examined the sustainability of fiscal policy process in Nigeria for the period 1961 to 2013, using ARDL cointegrating method between government revenue and government expenditure. The Bai-Perron multiple break point tests showed that there was structural shift in variables in 1981 which accounted for unsustainable fiscal deficit throughout the period. It was however, found that fiscal deficit before 1981(1961–1980) was weakly sustainable, while the estimation after 1981(1982–2013) indicated strong sustainability of fiscal policy in Nigeria. We therefore recommend that government should continue with the policies put in place by successive governments since 1982 to ensure stability of macroeconomics environment.
Main air pollutants and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yang Hong‐Jie , Liu Xin , Qu Chuan , Shi Shao‐Bo , Liang Jin‐Jun , Yang Bo
Published: October 2017

Objective

Previous studies of ambient air pollutants and ventricular arrhythmias in patients with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) have yielded mixed results, and the association between air pollution and ventricular arrhythmias in these patients remains unclear. This study aimed to assess and quantify the association between exposure to major air pollutants [CO, inhalable particles (PM10), SO2, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), O3, and NO2] and the presence of ventricular arrhythmia in patients with ICD.

Methods

The Medline, PubMed, Web of Science, Global Health Library, Virtual Health Library, Population Information Online (POPLINE), and New York Academy of Medicine Grey Literature Report databases were searched to identify studies analyzing the association between ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ICD and the abovementioned main air pollutants. Pooled estimates were generated using a random‐effects model or fixed‐effects model, according to the value of heterogeneity. Heterogeneity within studies was assessed using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Funnel plots, Egger's regression test, and Begg's rank correlation method were used to evaluate publication bias. Sensitivity analyses were also conducted to evaluate the potential sources of heterogeneity.

Results

After a detailed screening of 167 studies, seven separate studies were identified. Ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ICD were found to be positively, but not significantly, associated with CO, PM10, SO2, PM2.5, and NO2, with a pooled estimate [odds ratio (OR) associated with each 10 μg/m3 increase in pollutant concentration, except for CO, which was associated with each 1 mg/m3 increase in concentration] of 1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.92–1.17, P = 0.59] for CO, 1.01 (95%CI: 0.97–1.05, P = 0.55) for PM10, 1.09 (95%CI: 0.95–1.24, P = 0.22) for SO2, 1.07 (95%CI: 0.95–1.21, P = 0.25) for PM2.5, and 1.06 (95%CI: 0.98–1.14, P = 0.16) for NO2. No increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with ICD was found to be associated with O3 (OR = 1.00; 95%CI: 0.98–1.01, P = 0.56).

Conclusions

The results of this study provide little evidence that ambient air pollutants affect the risk of ICD discharges for treating ventricular arrhythmias.
Mobilizing Voters with Aggressive Metaphors
Authors: Kalmoe Nathan P.
Published: October 2017

How do personality traits condition the effects of campaign messages meant to mobilize voters? With two nationally representative US survey experiments, I show that common aggressive metaphors mobilize or demobilize voters depending on their traits. Aggressive metaphorsincreasethe mobilizing impact of motivations to participate among aggressive individuals butdecreasethat impact among low-aggression people. For example, the languagemobilizesstrong partisans with aggressive personalities butdemobilizesstrong partisans low in aggression. This heterogeneity showcases the nuanced power of metaphors in campaigns, reaffirms the importance of personality in political behavior, and reveals the hidden role of aggression in non-violent political behavior for the first time. In practice, theneteffects of aggressive metaphors can be positive, negative, or null depending on average traits in an audience.
FREDERICK THE GREAT AND JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT ON PHILOSOPHY, TRUTH, AND POLITICS
Authors: LIM SHIRU
Published: October 2017

The prize question of the Berlin Academy of Sciences for 1780, on the utility of deception, has attracted both controversy and scholarly interest. Yet very little attention has been dedicated to the question's peculiar beginnings in the correspondence between the philosopher and mathematician Jean Le Rond d'Alembert and Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, in a discussion concerning the expulsion of the Jesuits from France. This correspondence not only reveals the prize question's complex genealogy in long-standing debates on the true ends of philosophy, but also helps revise conventional frameworks for understanding the relationship between philosophy and politics in Enlightenment Europe. Far from an adornment intended to boost the ‘Enlightened’ credentials of an absolutist king, d'Alembert held the momentum in this relationship, and recruited Frederick to his own campaign of promoting publicly useful philosophy. ‘Philosophy’ here amounted to a commitment to the truth and its public defence, rather than subscription to or belief in a specific set of ideas or political reforms. Placing pressure on rulers to disavow deceitful politics, the far-reaching implications of this conception of philosophy for political life were no less ambitious than the agendas espoused by protagonists of a supposed ‘radical Enlightenment’.
PERFORMANCE OF OVID MEDLINE SEARCH FILTERS TO IDENTIFY HEALTH STATE UTILITY STUDIES
Authors: Arber Mick , Garcia Sonia , Veale Thomas , Edwards Mary , Shaw Alison , Glanville Julie M.
Published: October 2017

Objectives: This study was designed to assess the sensitivity of three Ovid MEDLINE search filters developed to identify studies reporting health state utility values (HSUVs), to improve the performance of the best performing filter, and to validate resulting search filters.

Methods: Three quasi-gold standard sets (QGS1, QGS2, QGS3) of relevant studies were harvested from reviews of studies reporting HSUVs. The performance of three initial filters was assessed by measuring their relative recall of studies in QGS1. The best performing filter was then developed further using QGS2. This resulted in three final search filters (FSF1, FSF2, and FSF3), which were validated using QGS3.

Results: FSF1 (sensitivity maximizing) retrieved 132/139 records (sensitivity: 95 percent) in the QGS3 validation set. FSF1 had a number needed to read (NNR) of 842. FSF2 (balancing sensitivity and precision) retrieved 128/139 records (sensitivity: 92 percent) with a NNR of 502. FSF3 (precision maximizing) retrieved 123/139 records (sensitivity: 88 percent) with a NNR of 383.

Conclusions: We have developed and validated a search filter (FSF1) to identify studies reporting HSUVs with high sensitivity (95 percent) and two other search filters (FSF2 and FSF3) with reasonably high sensitivity (92 percent and 88 percent) but greater precision, resulting in a lower NNR. These seem to be the first validated filters available for HSUVs. The availability of filters with a range of sensitivity and precision options enables researchers to choose the filter which is most appropriate to the resources available for their specific research.
Pulse therapy combined with oral corticosteroids in the management of severe rheumatic carditis and rebound
Authors: Torres Renato P. A. , Torres Rômulo F. A. , Torres Rafael A. , Torres Rosângela S. L. A.
Published: October 2017

Objective

The aim of the present study was to describe the clinical course, laboratory tests, and the cardiac involvement in rheumatic carditis patients in functional class III and IV, submitted to pulse therapy combined with oral prednisone.

Methods

A total of 120 patients with severe carditis due to acute rheumatic fever were treatment with three cycles of pulse therapy combined with oral corticosteroids. The patients were followed up from the hospital admission until the end of the treatment and returned after 30, 60, and 90 days to control. The patients were evaluated by clinical, laboratory, and transthoracic echocardiogram.

Results

In total, 23 (19.2%) patients at first attack of rheumatic fever and 97 (80.8%) with recurrent carditis were evaluated. Cardiac surgery was performed in 8 (6.6%) patients. The patients showed improved laboratory and radiological parameters (p<0.001) and were discharged, 74 (61.7%) in functional class I and 46 (38.3%) in functional class II. Hospitalisation time ranged from 21 to 176 days, with a mean of 69.1 days. Reduction of left atrium and ventricle diameters was observed, measured by means of transthoracic echocardiography, at hospital admission and discharge (p<0.001). None of the patients experienced rebound.

Conclusions

The pulse therapy was effective in controlling severe rheumatic carditis and the oral corticosteroid prevented rebound episodes. Prolonged hospital stay was required for the clinical stabilisation of patients and to avoid the interruption of medication.
Comparison of the Optical Properties of Graphene and Alkyl-terminated Si and Ge Quantum Dots
Authors: de Weerd Chris , Shin Yonghun , Marino Emanuele , Kim Joosung , Lee Hyoyoung , Saeed Saba , Gregorkiewicz Tom
Published: October 2017

Semiconductor quantum dots are widely investigated due to their size dependent energy structure. In particular, colloidal quantum dots represent a promising nanomaterial for optoelectronic devices, such as photodetectors and solar cells, but also luminescent markers for biotechnology, among other applications. Ideal materials for these applications should feature efficient radiative recombination and absorption transitions, altogether with spectral tunability over a wide range. Group IV semiconductor quantum dots can fulfill these requirements and serve as an alternative to the commonly used direct bandgap materials containing toxic and/or rare elements. Here, we present optical properties of butyl-terminated Si and Ge quantum dots and compare them to those of graphene quantum dots, finding them remarkably similar. We investigate their time-resolved photoluminescence emission as well as the photoluminescence excitation and linear absorption spectra. We contemplate that their emission characteristics indicate a (semi-) resonant activation of the emitting channel; the photoluminescence excitation shows characteristics similar to those of a molecule. The optical density is consistent with band-to-band absorption processes originating from core-related states. Hence, these observations strongly indicate a different microscopic origin for absorption and radiative recombination in the three investigated quantum dot systems.
Invariant object recognition is a personalized selection of invariant features in humans, not simply explained by hierarchical feed-forward vision models
Authors: Karimi-Rouzbahani Hamid , Bagheri Nasour , Ebrahimpour Reza
Published: October 2017

One key ability of human brain is invariant object recognition, which refers to rapid and accurate recognition of objects in the presence of variations such as size, rotation and position. Despite decades of research into the topic, it remains unknown how the brain constructs invariant representations of objects. Providing brain-plausible object representations and reaching human-level accuracy in recognition, hierarchical models of human vision have suggested that, human brain implements similar feed-forward operations to obtain invariant representations. However, conducting two psychophysical object recognition experiments on humans with systematically controlled variations of objects, we observed that humans relied on specific (diagnostic) object regions for accurate recognition which remained relatively consistent (invariant) across variations; but feed-forward feature-extraction models selected view-specific (non-invariant) features across variations. This suggests that models can develop different strategies, but reach human-level recognition performance. Moreover, human individuals largely disagreed on their diagnostic features and flexibly shifted their feature extraction strategy from view-invariant to view-specific when objects became more similar. This implies that, even in rapid object recognition, rather than a set of feed-forward mechanisms which extract diagnostic features from objects in a hard-wired fashion, the bottom-up visual pathways receive, through top-down connections, task-related information possibly processed in prefrontal cortex.
Alzheimer’s disease and cigarette smoke components: effects of nicotine, PAHs, and Cd(II), Cr(III), Pb(II), Pb(IV) ions on amyloid-β peptide aggregation
Authors: Wallin Cecilia , Sholts Sabrina B. , Österlund Nicklas , Luo Jinghui , Jarvet Jüri , Roos Per M. , Ilag Leopold , Gräslund Astrid , Wärmländer Sebastian K. T. S.
Published: October 2017

Cigarette smoking is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is associated with extracellular brain deposits of amyloid plaques containing aggregated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides. Aβ aggregation occurs via multiple pathways that can be influenced by various compounds. Here, we used AFM imaging and NMR, fluorescence, and mass spectrometry to monitor in vitro how Aβ aggregation is affected by the cigarette-related compounds nicotine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with one to five aromatic rings, and the metal ions Cd(II), Cr(III), Pb(II), and Pb(IV). All PAHs and metal ions modulated the Aβ aggregation process. Cd(II), Cr(III), and Pb(II) ions displayed general electrostatic interactions with Aβ, whereas Pb(IV) ions showed specific transient binding coordination to the N-terminal Aβ segment. Thus, Pb(IV) ions are especially prone to interact with Aβ and affect its aggregation. While Pb(IV) ions affected mainly Aβ dimer and trimer formation, hydrophobic toluene mainly affected formation of larger aggregates such as tetramers. The uncharged and hydrophilic nicotine molecule showed no direct interactions with Aβ, nor did it affect Aβ aggregation. Our Aβ interaction results suggest a molecular rationale for the higher AD prevalence among smokers, and indicate that certain forms of lead in particular may constitute an environmental risk factor for AD.
Low Levels of Fruit Nitrogen as Drivers for the Evolution of Madagascar’s Primate Communities
Authors: Donati Giuseppe , Santini Luca , Eppley Timothy M. , Arrigo-Nelson Summer J. , Balestri Michela , Boinski Sue , Bollen An , Bridgeman LeAndra L. , Campera Marco , Carrai Valentina , Chalise Mukesh K. , Derby Lewis Abigail , Hohmann Gottfried , Kinnaird Margaret F. , Koenig Andreas , Kowalewski Martin , Lahann Petra , McLennan Matthew R. , Nekaris Anna K. I. , Nijman Vincent , Norscia Ivan , Ostner Julia , Polowinsky Sandra Y. , Schülke Oliver , Schwitzer Christoph , Stevenson Pablo R. , Talebi Mauricio G. , Tan Chia , Tomaschewski Irene , Vogel Erin R. , Wright Patricia C. , Ganzhorn Jörg U.
Published: October 2017

The uneven representation of frugivorous mammals and birds across tropical regions – high in the New World, low in Madagascar and intermediate in Africa and Asia – represents a long-standing enigma in ecology. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain these differences but the ultimate drivers remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that fruits in Madagascar contain insufficient nitrogen to meet primate metabolic requirements, thus constraining the evolution of frugivory. We performed a global analysis of nitrogen in fruits consumed by primates, as collated from 79 studies. Our results showed that average frugivory among lemur communities was lower compared to New World and Asian-African primate communities. Fruits in Madagascar contain lower average nitrogen than those in the New World and Old World. Nitrogen content in the overall diets of primate species did not differ significantly between major taxonomic radiations. There is no relationship between fruit protein and the degree of frugivory among primates either globally or within regions, with the exception of Madagascar. This suggests that low protein availability in fruits influences current lemur communities to select for protein from other sources, whereas in the New World and Old World other factors are more significant in shaping primate communities.
Prognosis of Hippocampal Function after Sub-lethal Irradiation Brain Injury in Patients with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Sharon Chia-Ju , Abe Yoshifumi , Fang Pen-Tzu , Hsieh Ya-Ju , Yang Yung-I , Lu Tzu-Ying , Oda Shoji , Mitani Hiroshi , Lian Shi-Long , Tyan Yu-Chang , Huang Chih-Jen , Hisatsune Tatsuhiro
Published: October 2017

This work emphasizes the value of assessing hippocampal function by making a timely MRI-based prognosis following a minor dose of hippocampal irradiation after nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) radiotherapy. A quasi-experiment with case-control design and functional assessments (e.g., neuroimaging analysis with fMRI) was conducted to assess hippocampal function after radiotherapy. We delivered 70 Gy of irradiation to nasopharyngeal carcinomas by 6MV helical radiotherapy and collected data from twenty NPC patients and 24 healthy age-matched subjects. Inevitably, hippocampi also received an average dose of 6.89 Gy (range, 2.0–14 Gy). Seed-based functional connectivity of the hippocampus was applied to estimate the cognitive alteration by time before, one month, and four months after irradiation. Afterward, longitudinal-and-cross-sessional statistical inference was determined with time-dependent measurement analysis of variance (ANOVA) with controlled covariance. Over time, there were longitudinal changes in the functional connectivity of hippocampal-related cortices, including the right middle frontal lobe, left superior temporal lobe, and left postcentral gyrus. The findings indicate the presence of functional plasticity, demonstrating how minor irradiation affects functional performance during the early delayed phase of irradiation-induced brain injury.