bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green synthesized silver nanoparticles demonstrating enhanced in vitro and in vivo antibiofilm activity against Candida spp.
Authors: Muthamil Subramanian , Devi Vivekanandham Amsa , Balasubramaniam Boopathi , Balamurugan Krishnaswamy , Pandian Shunmugiah Karutha
Published: February 2018

Candida species are opportunistic fungal pathogens, which are known for their biofilm associated infections on implanted medical devices in clinical settings. Broad spectrum usage of azole groups and other antifungal agents leads to the occurrence of drug resistance among Candida species. Most of the antifungal agents have failed to treat the biofilm mediated Candida infections. In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized using Dodonaea viscosa and Hyptis suoveolens methanolic leaf extracts and characterized by ultraviolet‐visible absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and Scanning electron microscopy, Dynamic light scattering, and Zeta potential analysis. The main goal of this study was to assess the AgNPs for their antibiofilm efficacy against Candida spp. through microscopic analysis and in vitro virulence assays. The results revealed that AgNPs strongly inhibited more than 80% biofilm formed by Candida spp. Furthermore, the AgNPs also reduced the yeast‐to‐hyphal transition, exopolysaccharide biosynthesis, secreted aspartyl proteinase production which are the major virulence factors of Candida species. This study reveals that biosynthesized AgNPs can be considered for the treatment of biofilm related Candida infections.
Cloning, expression, and characterization of thermal‐stable and pH‐stable agarase from mangrove sediments
Authors: Di Wenjie , Qu Wu , Zeng Runying
Published: February 2018

AgaM1, a β‐agarase belonging to glycoside hydrolases family 16 (GH16), was cloned from the environmental DNA of mangrove sediments. The gene agaM1 is 2136 bp in length and encodes a protein of 712 amino acids. The properties of recombinant AgaM1 (rAgaM1) were studied using prokaryotic expression. The optimum temperature and pH were 50 °C and 7.0, respectively, and rAgaM1 exhibited a high adaptability to wide ranges of temperature and pH. A relatively high activity was retained at from 30 to 60 °C and from pH 6.0 to 9.0. Thermal stability was showed more than 70% relative activity after pre‐incubation at 40 °C for 60 h. Outstanding pH stability were observed for rAgaM1 from pH 5.0 to 10.0 after pre‐incubation for 60 h. Thin‐layer chromatography revealed neoagarotetraose (NA4) and neoagarohexaose (NA6) were the end‐products of rAgaM1‐degraded agarose. Besides, rAgaM1 were found with a Km of 1.82 mg ml−1 and a Vm of 357.14 U mg−1 for agarose. The Km was smaller than those of most agarases reported previously. This discrepancy revealed the high affinity of rAgaM1 to agarose. Overall, the results indicated the potential of rAgaM1 in future industrial application.
Effects of bentonite Bgp35b‐p on the gut microbiota of mice fed a high‐fat diet
Authors: Lee Eun‐Sook , Song Eun‐Ji , Lee So‐Young , Park So‐Lim , Kim Daeyoung , Kim Daniel , Kim Jae‐Hwan , Lim Seong‐Il , Nam Young‐Do
Published: February 2018

BACKGROUND

Bentonite is a natural clay mineral with health‐promoting effects due to its high adsorption abilities with high cation‐exchange capacity. Previously, we found an anti‐obesity effect for Bgp35b‐p bentonite produced in South Korea, where its high adsorbent ability of dietary lipids possibly partially removed the lipidic environment in the gut (unpublished). It is hypothesized that Bgp35b‐p affects the intestinal microbial community, and thus the microbial changes were investigated via next‐generation sequencing targeting the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and bioinformatics using QIIME (Quantitative Insights Into Microbial Ecology) were performed on feces of C57BL/6 male mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) with the Bgp35b‐p.

RESULTS

The HFD caused microbial dysbiosis, characterized by a decrease in the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and an increase in abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. It was found that HFD + Bgp35b‐p led to significant changes in the microbial compositions of family‐level bacteria known as short‐chain fatty‐acid‐producing bacteria. The relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae was significantly increased, and the abundances of Clostridiaceae and Lachnospiraceae were decreased by HFD + Bgp35b‐p, shifting close to that in mice fed a normal diet.

CONCLUSION

Bgp35b‐p induced compositional changes in intestinal microbiota, which can be considered as a prebiotic effect, thus suggesting that bentonite may be a potential prebiotic functional supplement. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Regional‐based mitigation to reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions
Authors: Snow Nathan P. , Zhang Zhen , Finley Andrew O. , Rudolph Brent A. , Porter William F. , Williams David M. , Winterstein Scott R.
Published: February 2018

Vehicular collisions with large ungulates pose serious challenges for managing and conserving large ungulates throughout the world. Despite the global frequency, mitigation efforts are mostly limited to localized hotspots and not effective on broad scales. Our goal was to determine whether dynamic, regional attributes could inform broader focus for mitigation efforts. We applied a spatiotemporal dynamic model to examine the regional influences on white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)–vehicle collisions (DVCs) throughout the Midwest United States from traffic, abundance of deer, and composition and configuration of the landscape during 2000–2011. The regions included eco‐zones representing landscape dominated by shelter‐forage habitats with ubiquitous and abundant distribution of deer (i.e., forest‐agriculture matrix), landscape dominated by agriculture with sparse refugia (i.e., agriculture), and landscape dominated by forests with seasonal migration for deer (i.e., northern forest). We found little fluctuation in the factors affecting collisions through time but substantial differences among regions. In the forest‐agriculture matrix eco‐zone, fragmentation of the landscape was the most important predictor of collisions. In the agriculture eco‐zone, traffic and abundance of deer best predicted collisions. In the northern forest eco‐zone, the predictors of collisions were variable and likely related to winter severity and deer migration. This research provides new justification for broadening the focus of current mitigation measures to regional extents. In regions dominated by forest and agriculture, new policies that reduce habitat fragmentation should be the primary focus for reducing collisions. Reducing abundance of ungulates will have the most direct effect in regions dominated by agriculture. Finally, a variety of seasonal and local mitigation measures will be most effective in northern forests where large ungulates migrate. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Single Solvent‐Based Film Casting Method for the Production of Porous Polymer Films
Authors: Hossain Kazi M. Zakir , Felfel Reda M. , Ogbilikana Prince S. , Thakker Dhruma , Grant David M. , Scotchford Colin A. , Ahmed Ifty
Published: February 2018

A single solvent‐based film casting process for fabricating porous polymer films is developed in this study. The porous film is produced by mixing concentrated polylactic acid (PLA)/chloroform solution (20 wt%) and fresh chloroform solvent is followed by film casting. The average pore sizes of the films produced are seen to increase from 2.1 (±0.1) µm to 6.4 (±0.2) µm with increasing ratio of concentrated PLA solution and fresh solvent from 1:2 to 1:4. Functional groups of PLA after casting into porous film are confirmed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. Cytocompatibility studies (via Alamar Blue assessment) utilizing MG‐63 cells on the porous PLA films reveal an increase in cell metabolic activity up to 8 d postseeding. In addition, these direct cell culture studies show that the porous membranes support cell adhesion and growth not only on the surface but also through the porous structures of the membrane, highlighting the suitability of these porous films in tissue engineering applications.
Empirical single sample quantification of bias and variance in Q‐ball imaging
Authors: Hainline Allison E. , Nath Vishwesh , Parvathaneni Prasanna , Blaber Justin A. , Schilling Kurt G. , Anderson Adam W. , Kang Hakmook , Landman Bennett A.
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The bias and variance of high angular resolution diffusion imaging methods have not been thoroughly explored in the literature and may benefit from the simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) and bootstrap techniques to estimate bias and variance of high angular resolution diffusion imaging metrics.

Methods

The SIMEX approach is well established in the statistics literature and uses simulation of increasingly noisy data to extrapolate back to a hypothetical case with no noise. The bias of calculated metrics can then be computed by subtracting the SIMEX estimate from the original pointwise measurement. The SIMEX technique has been studied in the context of diffusion imaging to accurately capture the bias in fractional anisotropy measurements in DTI. Herein, we extend the application of SIMEX and bootstrap approaches to characterize bias and variance in metrics obtained from a Q‐ball imaging reconstruction of high angular resolution diffusion imaging data.

Results

The results demonstrate that SIMEX and bootstrap approaches provide consistent estimates of the bias and variance of generalized fractional anisotropy, respectively. The RMSE for the generalized fractional anisotropy estimates shows a 7% decrease in white matter and an 8% decrease in gray matter when compared with the observed generalized fractional anisotropy estimates. On average, the bootstrap technique results in SD estimates that are approximately 97% of the true variation in white matter, and 86% in gray matter.

Conclusion

Both SIMEX and bootstrap methods are flexible, estimate population characteristics based on single scans, and may be extended for bias and variance estimation on a variety of high angular resolution diffusion imaging metrics.
Probing cardiac metabolism by hyperpolarized 13C MR using an exclusively endogenous substrate mixture and photo‐induced nonpersistent radicals
Authors: Bastiaansen Jessica A. M. , Yoshihara Hikari A. I. , Capozzi Andrea , Schwitter Juerg , Gruetter Rolf , Merritt Matthew E. , Comment Arnaud
Published: February 2018

Purpose

To probe the cardiac metabolism of carbohydrates and short chain fatty acids simultaneously in vivo following the injection of a hyperpolarized 13C‐labeled substrate mixture prepared using photo‐induced nonpersistent radicals.

Methods

Droplets of mixed [1‐13C]pyruvic and [1‐13C]butyric acids were frozen into glassy beads in liquid nitrogen. Ethanol addition was investigated as a means to increase the polarization level. The beads were irradiated with ultraviolet light and the radical concentration was measured by ESR spectroscopy. Following dynamic nuclear polarization in a 7T polarizer, the beads were dissolved, and the radical‐free hyperpolarized solution was rapidly transferred into an injection pump located inside a 9.4T scanner. The hyperpolarized solution was injected in healthy rats to measure cardiac metabolism in vivo.

Results

Ultraviolet irradiation created nonpersistent radicals in a mixture containing 13C‐labeled pyruvic and butyric acids, and enabled the hyperpolarization of both substrates by dynamic nuclear polarization. Ethanol addition increased the radical concentration from 16 to 26 mM. Liquid‐state 13C polarization was 3% inside the pump at the time of injection, and increased to 5% by addition of ethanol to the substrate mixture prior to ultraviolet irradiation. In the rat heart, the in vivo 13C signals from lactate, alanine, bicarbonate, and acetylcarnitine were detected following the metabolism of the injected substrate mixture.

Conclusion

Copolarization of two different 13C‐labeled substrates and the detection of their myocardial metabolism in vivo was achieved without using persistent radicals. The absence of radicals in the solution containing the hyperpolarized 13C‐substrates may simplify the translation to clinical use, as no radical filtration is required prior to injection.
On structure preserving and circulant preconditioners for the space fractional coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations
Authors: Wang Jun‐Gang , Ran Yu‐Hong , Wang Dong‐Ling
Published: February 2018

When the implicit, conservative difference scheme with the fractional centered difference formula is employed to discretize the space fractional coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations, in each time step, we need to solve a complex symmetric linear system. The real part of the coefficient matrix is a symmetric Toeplitz‐plus‐diagonal matrix, whereas the imaginary part is the identity matrix. In this paper, a structure preserving preconditioner and a circulant preconditioner are proposed for such Toeplitz‐like matrix. Theoretically, tight bounds for eigenvalues of the preconditioned matrices are derived. Numerical implementations show that Krylov subspace iteration methods such as BiCGSTAB, when accelerated by the proposed preconditioners, are efficient solvers for solving the discretized linear system.
Prospective patient stratification into robust cancer‐cell intrinsic subtypes from colorectal cancer biopsies
Authors: Alderdice Matthew , Richman Susan D , Gollins Simon , Stewart James P , Hurt Chris , Adams Richard , McCorry Amy MB , Roddy Aideen C , Vimalachandran Dale , Isella Claudio , Medico Enzo , Maughan Tim , McArt Darragh G , Lawler Mark , Dunne Philip D
Published: February 2018

Colorectal cancer (CRC) biopsies underpin accurate diagnosis, but are also relevant for patient stratification in molecularly‐guided clinical trials. The consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) and colorectal cancer intrinsic subtypes (CRISs) transcriptional signatures have potential clinical utility for improving prognostic/predictive patient assignment. However, their ability to provide robust classification, particularly in pretreatment biopsies from multiple regions or at different time points, remains untested. In this study, we undertook a comprehensive assessment of the robustness of CRC transcriptional signatures, including CRIS and CMS, using a range of tumour sampling methodologies currently employed in clinical and translational research. These include analyses using (i) laser‐capture microdissected CRC tissue, (ii) eight publically available rectal cancer biopsy data sets (n = 543), (iii) serial biopsies (from AXEBeam trial, NCT00828672; n = 10), (iv) multi‐regional biopsies from colon tumours (n = 29 biopsies, n = 7 tumours), and (v) pretreatment biopsies from the phase II rectal cancer trial COPERNCIUS (NCT01263171; n = 44). Compared to previous results obtained using CRC resection material, we demonstrate that CMS classification in biopsy tissue is significantly less capable of reliably classifying patient subtype (43% unknown in biopsy versus 13% unknown in resections, p = 0.0001). In contrast, there was no significant difference in classification rate between biopsies and resections when using the CRIS classifier. Additionally, we demonstrated that CRIS provides significantly better spatially‐ and temporally‐ robust classification of molecular subtypes in CRC primary tumour tissue compared to CMS (p = 0.003 and p = 0.02, respectively). These findings have potential to inform ongoing biopsy‐based patient stratification in CRC, enabling robust and stable assignment of patients into clinically‐informative arms of prospective multi‐arm, multi‐stage clinical trials. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Is there any way to simultaneously enhance both the flame retardancy and toughness of polylactic acid?
Authors: Zhang Qingyu , Wang Wenjia , Gu Xiaoyu , Li Hongfei , Liu Xiaodong , Sun Jun , Zhang Sheng
Published: February 2018

Nowadays, numerous works have been undertaken to improve the fire resistance of polylactic acid (PLA). However, the presence of flame retardant usually shows a great destruction on the mechanical properties of PLA matrix, especially the toughness. This paper presents a new approach to simultaneously enhance both the flame retardancy and toughness of PLA by incorporating polyurethane‐microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (MCAPP). The prepared MCAPP was blended with PLA by melt compounding to prepare PLA/MCAPP composites. The results indicated that the introduction of 15% MCAPP increased the limiting oxygen index of PLA composites from 19.3% to 28.3%, upgraded the UL‐94 rating from no rating to V‐0, and decreased the peak heat release rate from 464.2 to 332.2 kW/m2. Even though the tensile strength of PLA composites was decreased to 53.8 MPa, the toughness was significantly improved, with elongation at break lengthened to 40.8% and notched impact strength increased to 2.95 kJ/m2. The possible mechanisms for both flame retardancy and toughness were also discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:932–941, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers
Common misconceptions of suspension: Ideas and alternatives for school leaders
Authors: Green Ambra L. , Maynard Deanna K. , Stegenga Sondra M.
Published: February 2018

The use of exclusionary discipline practices in schools has been well documented since the 1970s with the passing of the Safe Schools Act and implementation of zero‐tolerance policies. Despite research indicating the ineffectiveness of exclusionary practices, students continue to receive suspensions and expulsions at alarming rates. Additional research highlights that there may be misconceptions regarding the application of suspensions and their perceived functions and effectiveness on students and their families. The purpose of this article is to discuss common misconceptions regarding the effects of suspension and provide teachers, school psychologists, and administrators with proactive strategies for implementation in local systems to create positive school climates and optimize successful outcomes for all students and staff.
High efficiency plasma treatment of water contaminated with organic compounds. Study of the degradation of ibuprofen
Authors: Magureanu Monica , Mandache Nicolae Bogdan , Bradu Corina , Parvulescu Vasile I.
Published: February 2018

The degradation of ibuprofen in water by nonthermal plasma is studied using a pulsed corona discharge above liquid, generated in oxygen. The influence of pulse duration (50–430 ns FWHM) on removal efficiency and on mineralization was investigated. Complete removal of the target compound was achieved within 15–20 min plasma treatment and the mineralization degree reached 76% after 60 min. The energy efficiency was greatly enhanced by reducing pulse length: 20.2 g kWh−1 was obtained for 50 ns pulses at 90% IBP removal, more than one order of magnitude higher than the value for the longest pulses. Higher initial concentration of the target compound led to further improvement of the energy yield, but required more time to complete the degradation process.
Decoupling of ion‐ and photon‐activation mechanisms in polymer surfaces exposed to low‐temperature plasmas
Authors: Budde Maik , Corbella Carles , Große‐Kreul Simon , de los Arcos Teresa , Grundmeier Guido , von Keudell Achim
Published: February 2018

The modification of polypropylene (PP) by an argon plasma is emulated in a particle beam experiment. An ion beam deflector, used to steer argon ions from an electron‐cyclotron‐resonance (ECR) plasma source towards the sample, suppresses the UV and VUV photons generated in the plasma volume. The modification of PP surface by 200 and 500 eV ions is monitored by in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). One observes a transition from an initial region of fast etching to a steady state without chemical modification and lower etching rate. This behavior is attributed to the progressive graphitization at the surface due to ion bombardment. An anti‐synergism arises by adding UV photons because of cross‐linking of the polymer at the subsurface region, which renders the etch rate much smaller compared to the etch rate by ion only impact.
Advanced Synthesis on Lead‐Free KxNa(1−x)NbO3 Piezoceramics for Medical Imaging Applications
Authors: Garroni Sebastiano , Senes Nina , Iacomini Antonio , Enzo Stefano , Mulas Gabriele , Pardo Lorena , Cuesta‐Lopez Santiago
Published: February 2018

Ultrasonic imaging system is a non‐invasive medical imaging technique that has become one of the most widely used diagnostic tools in modern medicine for detecting prenatal anomalies and deep screening of biological tissues. One of the core components of the ultrasound system is represented by the probe where is located the transducer which produces mechanical energy in response to electrical signals, and conversely, produce electrical signals in response to mechanical stimulus. The ultrasound transducer in the probe is generally made of a piezoelectric ceramic material such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), which present two important limitations as the presence of toxic material as the lead, and low acoustic impedance ascribable to its high density. For these reasons, it is necessary to focus the research on new eco‐friendly piezoelectric materials with properties comparable with PZT. Among them potassium sodium niobate is considered as a leading lead‐free candidate to replace lead‐based piezoceramics, resulting the most promising. In this review, the most relevant and advanced synthesis approaches and the unique properties of this class of lead‐free piezoceramics are presented in detail.
Valence State of Pb in Transition Metal Perovskites PbTMO3 (TM = Ti, Ni) Determined From X‐Ray Absorption Near‐Edge Spectroscopy
Authors: Chen Kai , Mijiti Yimin , Agrestini Stefano , Liao Sheng‐Chieh , Li Xiang , Zhou Jianshi , Di Cicco Andrea , Baudelet Francois , Tjeng Liu Hao , Hu Zhiwei
Published: February 2018

We present a combined experimental and theoretical Pb‐L3 X‐ray absorption near‐edge spectroscopy (XANES) to investigate the chemical state of Pb in transition metal perovskites PbTMO3 (TM = Ti, Ni). A pre‐edge feature originated from the excitation of a 2p core electron to the 6s orbital is only observed in PbNiO3, from which the valence of Pb is determined to be Pb4+ with two 6s holes. However, no such 2p–6s related excitation was observed in PbTiO3, indicating the formation of Pb2+ with fully occupied 6s2 state in this materials. Our results demonstrate that this pre‐edge peak from dipole allowed 2p–6s transition is a sensitive finger‐print of the Pb valence state in solid state materials.
Deacetylation of Unactivated Amide Bonds in Heterocyclic Systems Using t‐BuOK
Authors: Yoo Minjin , Jung Kwan‐Young
Published: February 2018

Acetylation is a simple process for the protection of the amine moiety; however, deacetylation of C–N bond cleavage is challenging with use of common reagents. We herein describe the advanced and detailed examples of direct, rapid, and efficient N‐deacetylation in heterocyclic system using the general inorganic reagent t‐BuOK at 20 °C. The N‐acetyl group in the heterocyclic system was cleaved 80% in 10 minutes and the reaction was completed within 30 minutes by using t‐BuOK.
Determining the Optimized Interlayer Separation Distance in Vertical Stacked 2D WS2:hBN:MoS2 Heterostructures for Exciton Energy Transfer
Authors: Xu Wenshuo , Kozawa Daichi , Liu Yu , Sheng Yuewen , Wei Ke , Koman Volodymyr B. , Wang Shanshan , Wang Xiaochen , Jiang Tian , Strano Michael S. , Warner Jamie H.
Published: February 2018

The 2D semiconductor monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides, WS2 and MoS2, are grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and assembled by sequential transfer into vertical layered heterostructures (VLHs). Insulating hBN, also produced by CVD, is utilized to control the separation between WS2 and MoS2 by adjusting the layer number, leading to fine‐scale tuning of the interlayer interactions within the VLHs. The interlayer interactions are studied by photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and are demonstrated to be highly sensitive to the input excitation power. For thin hBN separators (one to two layers), the total PL emission switches from quenching to enhancement by increasing the laser power. Femtosecond broadband transient absorption measurements demonstrate that the increase in PL quantum yield results from Förster energy transfer from MoS2 to WS2. The PL signal is further enhanced at cryogenic temperatures due to the suppressed nonradiative decay channels. It is shown that (4 ± 1) layers of hBN are optimum for obtaining PL enhancement in the VLHs. Increasing thickness beyond this causes the enhancement factor to diminish, with the WS2 and MoS2 then behaving as isolated noninteracting monolayers. These results indicate how controlling the exciton generation rate influences energy transfer and plays an important role in the properties of VLHs.
Unraveling the Raman Enhancement Mechanism on 1T′‐Phase ReS2 Nanosheets
Authors: Miao Peng , Qin Jing‐Kai , Shen Yunfeng , Su Huimin , Dai Junfeng , Song Bo , Du Yunchen , Sun Mengtao , Zhang Wei , Wang Hsing‐Lin , Xu Cheng‐Yan , Xu Ping
Published: February 2018

2D transition metal dichalcogenides materials are explored as potential surface‐enhanced Raman spectroscopy substrates. Herein, a systematic study of the Raman enhancement mechanism on distorted 1T (1T′) rhenium disulfide (ReS2) nanosheets is demonstrated. Combined Raman and photoluminescence studies with the introduction of an Al2O3 dielectric layer unambiguously reveal that Raman enhancement on ReS2 materials is from a charge transfer process rather than from an energy transfer process, and Raman enhancement is inversely proportional while the photoluminescence quenching effect is proportional to the layer number (thickness) of ReS2 nanosheets. On monolayer ReS2 film, a strong resonance‐enhanced Raman scattering effect dependent on the laser excitation energy is detected, and a detection limit as low as 10−9m can be reached from the studied dye molecules such as rhodamine 6G and methylene blue. Such a high enhancement factor achieved through enhanced charge interaction between target molecule and substrate suggests that with careful consideration of the layer‐number‐dependent feature and excitation‐energy‐related resonance effect, ReS2 is a promising Raman enhancement platform for sensing applications.
Reusing process patterns in software process models modification
Authors: Hachemi Asma , Ahmed‐Nacer Mohamed
Published: February 2018

Process patterns offer proven solutions to reuse in process modeling. This reuse can take many forms; however, we are particularly interested in the form where patterns are merged with already existing process models to enrich or to correct them to satisfy certain constraints or to increase their efficiency.

We aim through the present work to propose an approach that proceeds the merging automatically. The difficulty is that some conflicts may arise between the pattern being reused and the model being modified, resulting in an incoherent process model.

We start this work by studying possible conflicts (especially that of first order), which can be encountered when merging, and then we propose an algorithm ensuring the automatic reuse and managing these conflicts. We highlight through a comparison the benefits of our proposal.

The difficulty of patterns reuse to modify existing models gives rise to very few works in the literature. Our approach aims to offer a possible solution that ensures conflicts management. Automating such form of reuse will enhance patterns exploitation within the software community, as well as it will open many perspectives based on process models merging.
Optimum discrete design of steel tower structures using optics inspired optimization method
Authors: Jalili Shahin , Husseinzadeh Kashan Ali
Published: February 2018

This paper presents an optics inspired optimization (OIO) method for optimum design of steel tower structures with discrete variables. Inspired by the optical characteristics of concave and convex mirrors, OIO tries to solve optimization problem. In OIO, the surface of the objective function to be minimized is considered as a reflecting wavy mirror consisting of peaks and valleys. To generate a new solution (artificial image point) from a given solution (artificial object/light point) in the search space, it is assumed that the artificial ray glittered from the artificial light point is reflected back artificially by the function surface in which each peak is considered as a convex mirror and each valleys is treated as a concave mirror. Then, the artificial image point is formed by the theory of optics in Physics, and a new solution is generated in the search space accordingly. Numerical experiments have been conducted on 4 benchmark design examples with discrete variables, and the results obtained by OIO are compared to those reported in the literature. The results show that OIO can produce high quality solutions and show a relatively fast convergence rate.
Raise Reading Volume Through Access, Choice, Discussion, and Book Talks
Authors: Fisher Douglas , Frey Nancy
Published: February 2018

Reading volume is an important consideration for teachers wanting to improve literacy outcomes for students. The authors begin by reviewing evidence for reading volume and the ways in which reading volume can be changed. They identify four factors—access, choice, classroom discussions of texts, and book talks—that composed an intervention designed to increase reading volume. The authors identified 44 teachers in grades 1, 3, and 5 to implement the reading volume program and monitored the impact and implementation with classroom observations and teacher interviews. The impact was generally positive, with teachers describing changes in reading volume, motivation, writing achievement, and other factors.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Approach for Formal Right and Left Hepatectomy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Tozzi Francesca , Berardi Giammauro , Vierstraete Maaike , Kasai Meidai , de Carvalho Luis Abreu , Vivarelli Marco , Montalti Roberto , Troisi Roberto Ivan
Published: February 2018

Background

Laparoscopic liver surgery is expanding worldwide, but further evidence is needed to assess safety and efficacy of laparoscopic major hepatectomy. The study analyzes perioperative outcomes of pure laparoscopic versus open major hepatectomies matched by the propensity score method.

Methods

From 2005 to 2017, 268 major hepatectomies were performed of which 73 were laparoscopic. After a 1:1 propensity score matching, 59 laparoscopic right and left hepatectomies were compared to 59 open. The matching was based on age, gender, year of procedure, BMI, ASA score, underlying liver disease, previous abdominal surgery, type of hepatectomy, preoperative chemotherapy, number, dimension and nature of lesions. An intention‐to‐treat analysis and a per‐protocol analysis were carried out.

Results

Mean surgical time was 315 min in the laparoscopic group and 292.5 min in the open group (p = 0.039); conversion rate in laparoscopy was 20.3%; blood loss was 480 ml (50–3000) versus 550 ml (50–2600), respectively, for laparoscopic and open (p = 0.577). Lengths of postoperative analgesia and hospital stay were shorter in the laparoscopic group (p = 0.0001 and 0.024, respectively). Postoperative complications occurred in 11.9% of laparoscopic cases and in 25.4% of open cases (p = 0.098). Median Comprehensive Complication Index was 26.2 (8.7–54.2) in the open group versus 20.9 (8.7–66.2) in open (p = 0.368). Per‐protocol analysis showed a better trend in favor of laparoscopy concerning surgical time.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic major hepatectomies are safe and feasible procedures allowing a similar complication rate with a shorter hospital stay and diminished postoperative pain with respect to the standard approach.
Autoregressive Generalized Linear Mixed Effect Models with Crossed Random Effects: An Application to Intensive Binary Time Series Eye-Tracking Data
Authors: Cho Sun-Joo , Brown-Schmidt Sarah , Lee Woo-yeol
Published: February 2018

As a method to ascertain person and item effects in psycholinguistics, a generalized linear mixed effect model (GLMM) with crossed random effects has met limitations in handing serial dependence across persons and items. This paper presents an autoregressive GLMM with crossed random effects that accounts for variability in lag effects across persons and items. The model is shown to be applicable to intensive binary time series eye-tracking data when researchers are interested in detecting experimental condition effects while controlling for previous responses. In addition, a simulation study shows that ignoring lag effects can lead to biased estimates and underestimated standard errors for the experimental condition effects.
Novel algorithms for 3D surface point cloud boundary detection and edge reconstruction
Authors: Mineo Carmelo , Pierce Stephen Gareth , Summan Rahul
Published: February 2018

Tessellated surfaces generated from point clouds typically show inaccurate and jagged boundaries. This can lead to tolerance errors and problems such as machine judder if the model is used for ongoing manufacturing applications. This paper introduces a novel boundary point detection algorithm and spatial FFT-based filtering approach, which together allow for direct generation of low noise tessellated surfaces from point cloud data, which are not based on pre-defined threshold values. Existing detection techniques are optimized to detect points belonging to sharp edges and creases. The new algorithm is targeted at the detection of boundary points and it is able to do this better than the existing methods. The FFT-based edge reconstruction eliminates the problem of defining a specific polynomial function order for optimum polynomial curve fitting. The algorithms were tested to analyse the results and measure the execution time for point clouds generated from laser scanned measurements on a turbofan engine turbine blade with varying numbers of member points. The reconstructed edges fit the boundary points with an improvement factor of 4.7 over a standard polynomial fitting approach. Furthermore, through adding artificial noise it has been demonstrated that the detection algorithm is very robust for out-of-plane noise lower than 25% of the cloud resolution and it can produce satisfactory results when the noise is lower than 75%.

Highlights Introducing novel boundary point detection algorithm and spatial FFT-based filtering approach. Enabling reliable detection of boundary points and smooth boundary reconstruction. FFT-based edge reconstruction works better than polynomial curve fitting. Optimally smoothed edges facilitate the direct use of tessellated models for CAM tasks. The new detection algorithm tolerates out-of-plane noise. The reconstructed edges fit well the detected boundary points.
Resultados clínicos e de imagem da abordagem da lesão de Hill-Sachs pela técnica de remplissage na instabilidade anterior do ombro
Authors: França Flávio , Godinho André , Carneiro Leal Diego , Mantovani Mateus , Frazão Rafael , Mariz Ricardo
Published: February 2018

Avaliar o resultado funcional da técnica de remplissage, a cicatrização da capsulotenodese do tendão infraespinal no defeito de Hill-Sachs, o grau de infiltração gordurosa do músculo infraespinal e sua força de rotação lateral no pós-operatório.

Foram avaliados 25 pacientes com luxação anterior recidivante do ombro e lesão de Hill-Sachs com índice de Hardy maior do que 20%, submetidos à técnica artroscópica de remplissage com seguimento mínimo de um ano. Os pacientes foram submetidos a avaliação clínica (escores funcionais de Carter-Rowe e Walch-Duplay, medição de amplitude de movimento e força) e exame de ressonância magnética no ombro operado.

Dos pacientes, 88% e 92% apresentaram resultados bons ou excelentes nas avaliações funcionais pelos escores de Carter-Rowe e Walch-Duplay, respectivamente. Identificou-se diferença média de 1 kg a menos de força do membro operado em relação ao contralateral (p < 0,001) e diferença média de 10∘ em rotação lateral 1 e 2 (p < 0,001), novamente com o uso como referência do lado contralateral. Todos os pacientes submetidos a ressonância magnética apresentaram preenchimento de alto grau da lesão de Hill-Sachs pela capsulotenodese, assim como ausência ou mínima infiltração gordurosa no músculo infraespinal.

A técnica de remplissage apresentou resultados bons/excelentes nos escores funcionais, apesar da perda discreta de força e amplitude de rotação lateral com significância estatística. Foram observados resultados excelentes quanto à cicatrização da capsulotenodese e ao preenchimento do defeito de Hill-Sachs.
Two different R gene loci co-evolved with Avr2 of Phytophthora infestans and confer distinct resistance specificities in potato
Authors: Aguilera-Galvez C. , Champouret N. , Rietman H. , Lin X. , Wouters D. , Chu Z. , Jones J.D.G. , Vossen J.H. , Visser R.G.F. , Wolters P.J. , Vleeshouwers V.G.A.A.
Published: February 2018

Late blight, caused by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans, is the most devastating disease in potato. For sustainable management of this economically important disease, resistance breeding relies on the availability of resistance (R) genes. Such R genes
against P. infestans have evolved in wild tuber-bearing Solanum species from North, Central and South America, upon co-evolution with cognate avirulence (Avr) genes. Here, we report how effectoromics screens with Avr2 of P. infestans revealed defense
responses in diverse Solanum species that are native to Mexico and Peru. We found that the response to AVR2 in the Mexican Solanum species is mediated by R genes of the R2 family that resides on a major late blight locus on chromosome IV. In contrast, the response
to AVR2 in Peruvian Solanum species is mediated by Rpi-mcq1, which resides on chromosome IX and does not belong to the R2 family. The data indicate that AVR2 recognition has evolved independently on two genetic loci in Mexican and Peruvian Solanum species, respectively.
Detached leaf tests on potato cultivar ‘Désirée’ transformed with R genes from either the R2 or the Rpi-mcq1 locus revealed an overlapping, but distinct resistance profile to a panel of 18 diverse P. infestans isolates. The achieved
insights in the molecular R – Avr gene interaction can lead to more educated exploitation of R genes and maximize the potential of generating more broad-spectrum, and potentially more durable control of the late blight disease in potato.
RXLR effector diversity in Phytophthora infestans isolates determines recognition by potato resistance proteins; the case study AVR1 and R1
Authors: Du Y. , Weide R. , Zhao Z. , Msimuko P. , Govers F. , Bouwmeester K.
Published: February 2018

Late blight disease caused by the plant pathogenic oomycete pathogen Phytophthora infestans is one of the most limiting factors in potato production. P. infestans is able to overcome introgressed late blight resistance by adaptation of effector genes. AVR1 is an RXLR
effector that triggers immune responses when recognized by the potato resistance protein R1. P. infestans isolates avirulent on R1 plants were found to have AVR1 variants that are recognized by R1. Virulent isolates though, lack AVR1 but do contain a close homologue of AVR1, named
A-L, of which all variants escape recognition by R1. Co-expression of AVR1 and R1 in Nicotiana benthamiana results in a hypersensitive response (HR). In contrast, HR is not activated when A-L is co-expressed with R1. AVR1 and A-L are highly similar in structure.
They share two W motifs and one Y motif in the C-terminal part but differ in the T-region, a 38 amino acid extension at the carboxyl-terminal tail of AVR1 lacking in A-L. To pinpoint what determines R1-mediated recognition of AVR1 we tested elicitor activity of AVR1 and A-L chimeric and deletion
constructs by co-expression with R1. The T-region is important as it enables R1-mediated recognition of A-L, not only when fused to A-L but also via trans-complementation. Yet, AVR1 lacking the T-region is still active as an elicitor of HR, but this activity is lost when certain motifs are
swapped with A-L. These data show that A-L circumvents R1 recognition not only because it lacks the T-region, but also because of differences in the conserved C-terminal effector motifs.
Fostering Collaborative Synthetic Research in Archaeology
Authors: Altschul Jeffrey H. , Kintigh Keith W. , Klein Terry H. , Doelle William H. , Hays-Gilpin Kelley A. , Herr Sarah A. , Kohler Timothy A. , Mills Barbara J. , Montgomery Lindsay M. , Nelson Margaret C. , Ortman Scott G. , Parker John N. , Peeples Matthew A. , Sabloff Jeremy A.
Published: February 2018

While our fascination with understanding the past is sufficient to warrant an increased focus on synthesis, solutions to important problems facing modern society require understandings based on data that only archaeology can provide. Yet, even as we use public monies to collect ever-greater amounts of data, modes of research that can stimulate emergent understandings of human behavior have lagged behind. Consequently, a substantial amount of archaeological inference remains at the level of the individual project. We can more effectively leverage these data and advance our understandings of the past in ways that contribute to solutions to contemporary problems if we adapt the model pioneered by the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis to foster synthetic collaborative research in archaeology. We propose the creation of the Coalition for Archaeological Synthesis coordinated through a U.S.-based National Center for Archaeological Synthesis. The coalition will be composed of established public and private organizations that provide essential scholarly, cultural heritage, computational, educational, and public engagement infrastructure. The center would seek and administer funding to support collaborative analysis and synthesis projects executed through coalition partners. This innovative structure will enable the discipline to address key challenges facing society through evidentially based, collaborative synthetic research.
Are Western-Educated Leaders Less Prone to Initiate Militarized Disputes?
Authors: Barceló Joan
Published: February 2018

Recent theories on the causes of war focus on how institutional and structural factors shape leaders’ decisions in foreign policy. However, citizens, policy-makers, and a growing number scholars argue that leaders’ background experiences may matter for both domestic and foreign policy choices. This article contributes to an emerging body of scholarship on leaders in international relations by showing how personal attributes influence the initiation of militarized disputes. Based on thesoft power theoryof international experiences and theimpressionable-years hypothesisof socialization, I theorize that leaders with the experience of attending a university in a Western democratic country should be less likely than non-Western-educated leaders to initiate militarized interstate disputes. I test this proposition by employing a new dataset, building on Archigos and LEAD, that includes background attributes of more than 900 leaders from 147 non-Western countries between 1947 and 2001. The results strongly support the hypothesis, even when accounting for leader selection, time-variant country and leader-level controls, other leaders’ background characteristics, and country and year fixed effects. This finding lends credence to the soft power thesis of academic institutions on international sojourners, and highlights the value of considering leaders’ experiences in analyses about international relations.
Friends, Neighbours, Townspeople and Parties: Explaining Canadian Attitudes toward Muslims
Authors: Gravelle Timothy B.
Published: February 2018

The 2015 Canadian federal election campaign put into focus relations between Muslim communities in Canada and wider Canadian society, featuring debates around banning the niqab, and a “barbaric cultural practices” hotline. At the same time, challenges in relations between Muslims and majority-group Canadians were not a new development in 2015: they had in the past faced periodic strains due to terrorism-related events, and attacks targeting Muslims in Canada. The Canadian case is in fact reflective of a challenge in intergroup relations facing several Western democracies. In light of this, what accounts for majority-group Canadians’ attitudes toward Muslims in Canada? Drawing on data from the 2011 and 2015 Canadian Election Studies and theories linking outgroup perceptions to intergroup contact (friends), local demographic context at both the micro-level (neighbours) and meso-level (townspeople), and political factors (parties), this article seeks to explain why majority-group Canadians hold alternately positive or negative views of Muslims.
Echinococcus multilocularis in a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in Turkey
Authors: Avcioglu Hamza , Guven Esin , Balkaya Ibrahim , Kirman Ridvan
Published: February 2018

Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of alveolar echinococcosis (AE), one of the most threatening zoonoses in Eurasia. Human AE is widespread in the Erzurum region of Turkey, but the situation of the disease in intermediate and definitive hosts is unknown. A Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) was killed in a traffic accident in the north of Erzurum, and was taken to our laboratory. Sedimentation and counting technique (SCT), DNA isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis were performed. The SCT results showed that the lynx was infected with E. multilocularis with a medium (745 worms) worm burden. The DNA of adult worms obtained from the lynx was analyzed with a species-specific PCR, and the worms were confirmed to be E. multilocularis by 12S rRNA gene sequence analysis. This is the first report of E. multilocularis from Eurasian lynx in Turkey.
Innovators and Implementers: The Multilevel Politics of Civil Society Governance in Rural China
Authors: Newland Sara A.
Published: February 2018

Early literature on China's civil society focused on organizations’ autonomy from the state. However, the precise ways in which these organizations are dependent on the state – and on individual officials – are less well understood. I argue that NGOs depend on different types of officials whose career incentives vary, with significant implications for relationships with non-state actors. One set of officials,innovators, seeks rapid promotion and uses civil society partnerships to gain higher-level attention. Innovators’ career goals lead them to provide support for NGOs; however, excessive reliance on innovators can force organizations to stray from their mission and can weaken their long-term position in a given locality. A second set of officials,implementers, seeks stability and security. Cognizant of the risks of partnering with non-state actors, these officials are sometimes forced by their superiors to engage with NGOs but see little personal benefit in doing so. These findings suggest the importance of China's multilevel political structure for state–society relations.