bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of Green Multiple Emulsions Processing to Improve Their Physical Stability
Authors: García María Carmen , Muñoz José , Alfaro María Carmen , Franco José María
Published: March 2017

The effect of processing protocol on physical stability and the microstructure of water‐in‐oil‐in‐water multiple emulsions containing a mixture of two amphiphilic copolymers with opposed hydrophilic‐lipophilic balance as emulsifiers and a green solvent, 2‐ethylhexyl lactate, as the dispersed phase, has been assessed. Emulsions were obtained in at least two steps: a homogenization step by using a rotor‐stator device, followed by one or two homogenization steps carried out in a high‐pressure device that used microfluidizer technology. To study the microstructure and physical stability of these emulsions, a combination of different techniques, such as transmitted‐light optical microscopy, globule size distribution, viscous flow tests, and multiple light scattering measurements, were performed.
Simple Apparatus for the Measurement of Total Pressure of Polymer‐Solvent Mixtures
Authors: Pavlíček Jan , Bogdanić Grozdana , Wichterle Ivan
Published: March 2017

A new apparatus for determining the total pressure in binary systems with one nonvolatile component, such as polymer‐solvent mixtures, was designed. In contrast to the ebulliometric method, it enables measurement of the pressure above solutions across wider concentration ranges. The apparatus was tested on mixtures of water and poly(ethylene glycol). The tested polymers had three nominal molar weights. The measurements were correlated with the UNIQUAC‐free volume model described earlier and compared with the published data. The applicability of known predictive models on the measurements was also tested and it was found that the entropic free‐volume model yielded the best prediction of vapor‐liquid equilibria for the studied systems.
Hierarchical Growth of Supramolecular Structures Driven by Pimerization of Tetrahedrally Arranged Bipyridinium Units
Authors: Marchini Marianna , Baroncini Massimo , Bergamini Giacomo , Ceroni Paola , D'Angelantonio Mila , Franchi Paola , Lucarini Marco , Negri Fabrizia , Szreder Tomasz , Venturi Margherita
Published: March 2017

A shape‐persistent molecule, featuring four bipyridinium units, has been synthesized that upon reduction undergoes intermolecular pimerization because of the rigid architecture of the molecule. The pimerization process has been investigated by a variety of techniques, such as absorption measurements, EPR spectroscopy, as well as gamma and pulse radiolysis, and compared with the behavior of a model compound. Computational studies have also been performed to support the experimental data. The most interesting feature of the tetramer is that pimerization occurs only above a threshold concentration of monoreduced species, on the contrary to the model compound. Furthermore, there is an increase of the apparent pimerization constant by increasing the concentration of reduced bipyridinium units. These results have been interpreted by the fact that pimerization is favored in the tetrahedrally shaped molecule because of a cooperative mechanism. Each multiply reduced molecule can indeed undergo multiple intermolecular interactions that enhance the stabilization of the system, also leading to hierarchical supramolecular growth. The resulting supramolecular system formed by such intermolecular pimerization should exhibit a diamond‐like structure, as suggested by a simplified modeling approach. The intermolecular nature of the pimerization process occurring in the tetramer has been demonstrated by measuring the corresponding bimolecular rate constant by pulsed radiolysis experiments.
Probing the Backbone Topology of DNA: Synthesis and Properties of 7′,5′‐Bicyclo‐DNA
Authors: Evéquoz Damien , Leumann Christian J.
Published: March 2017

We describe the synthesis and pairing properties of the novel DNA analogue 7′,5′‐bicyclo(bc)‐DNA. In this analogue, the point of attachment of the connecting phosphodiester group is switched from the 3′ to the 7′ position of the underlying bicyclic sugar unit and is thus in a topological position that is inaccessible in natural DNA. The corresponding phosphoramidite building blocks carrying all natural nucleobases were synthesized and incorporated into oligonucleotides. From Tm experiments of duplexes with complementary DNA and RNA we find that single modifications are generally well tolerated with some variability as to the nature of the nucleobase. Fully modified oligonucleotides show low affinity for RNA and DNA complements. However, they form antiparallel homo‐duplexes with similar thermal stability as DNA. CD spectra of the homo‐duplexes show distinct changes in the helix conformation compared to natural DNA. A conformational analysis at the ab initio level of the mononucleosides revealed two minimal energy structures which primarily deviate in the conformation of the cyclopentane ring. Molecular dynamics simulation of a 7′,5′‐bc‐DNA homo‐duplex revealed a right‐handed structure with a smaller helical rise and a significantly wider minor groove compared to DNA. Interestingly, this duplex is characterized by an atypical, alternating 6′‐endo/6′‐exo conformational pattern of consecutive nucleotides which seems to be responsible for the poor binding to natural nucleic acids.
Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Asymmetric Desymmetrization through Inverse‐Electron‐Demand aza‐Diels–Alder Reaction: Efficient Access to Tetrahydropyridazines Bearing a Unique α‐Chiral Silane Moiety
Authors: Wei Liang , Zhou Yu , Song Zhi‐Min , Tao Hai‐Yan , Lin Zhenyang , Wang Chun‐Jiang
Published: March 2017

An unprecedented copper(I)‐catalyzed asymmetric desymmetrization of 5‐silylcyclopentadienes with in situ formed azoalkene was realized through an inverse‐electron‐demand aza‐Diels–Alder reaction (IEDDA) pathway, in which 5‐silylcyclopentadienes served as efficient enophiles. This new protocol provides a facile access to the biologically important heterocyclic tetrahydropyridazines containing a unique α‐chiral silane motif and three adjoining stereogenic centers in generally good yield (up to 92 %) with exclusive regioselectivity, high diastereoselectivity (>20:1 diastereomeric ratio), and excellent enantioselectivity (up to 98 % enantiomeric excess). DFT calculations and control experiments further confirmed the proposed reaction mechanism.
Cardiomyopathy in patients after posttransplant cyclophosphamide–based hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Lin Chien‐Jung , Vader Justin M. , Slade Michael , DiPersio John F. , Westervelt Peter , Romee Rizwan
Published: March 2017

BACKGROUND

The use of posttransplant cyclophosphamide (PT‐Cy) has contributed significantly to the success of haploidentical hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Furthermore, several studies have shown promising results in the human leukocyte antigen–matched setting. However, the use of high‐dose cyclophosphamide has been associated with the development of cardiomyopathy. There is a paucity of data concerning posttransplant cardiac complications in patients undergoing PT‐Cy–based HCT.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of 176 patients undergoing HCT with PT‐Cy was performed. The overall survival, left ventricular ejection fractions, brain natriuretic peptide levels, and cardiac comorbidities were reviewed. The associations between comorbidities and the onset of heart failure were assessed with a Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Pretransplant cardiomyopathy was found in 16 patients (9.1%) but had no effect on their posttransplant overall survival. Thirty‐five patients (21.9%) developed posttransplant cardiomyopathy, which correlated with increased mortality, but this was not statistically different from the frequency‐matched non–PT‐Cy cohort. The majority of these cardiomyopathies occurred in the setting of an infectious milieu. An age greater than 60 years and an HCT comorbidity index score equal to or greater than 4 were the only risk factors that correlated with posttransplant cardiomyopathy.

CONCLUSIONS

The presence of pretransplant cardiomyopathy does not negatively affect overall survival for patients who undergo HCT with PT‐Cy. Furthermore, cardiomyopathy in PT‐Cy patients is not caused by PT‐Cy but is mostly concurrent with infectious complications and is associated with reduced overall survival. Traditional cardiovascular risk factors do not fully predict the occurrence of posttransplant cardiomyopathy. Future research is required to unravel predictive factors for cardiomyopathy after PT‐Cy–based HCT. Cancer 2017;123:1800–1809. © 2017 American Cancer Society.
Soy foods, isoflavones, and breast cancer
Authors: Kucuk Omer
Published: March 2017

Recent data from Asia and North America indicate that soy foods may decrease the risk of breast cancer and improve the results of treatment in patients with breast cancer. Studying soy foods and isoflavones promises to be an exceptionally fertile area for a wide range of cancer researchers. See also pages 2070–9.
Research on the detection of fabric color difference based on T‐S fuzzy neural network
Authors: Li Peng‐Fei , Ning Yu‐Wei , Jing Jun‐Feng
Published: March 2017

T‐S fuzzy neural network algorithm is used to establish the mapping relationship from the RGB space to the L*a*b* space, which avoids the complex process of color space conversion. Meanwhile, the block method is adopted to detect color difference of dyed fabric that is wide format and wide viewing angle. Color differences in different regions can be calculated with Color Measurement Committee color difference formula based on T‐S fuzzy neural network. Experimental results are in accordance with the spectrophotometer measurement, which proves that T‐S fuzzy neural network algorithm used in real‐time color detection process is effective and feasible. Workers can make corresponding adjustment on‐line according to the deviation to ensure the quality of fabric color and reduce the loss.
Chromatic adaptation to illumination investigated with adapting and adapted color
Authors: Phuangsuwan Chanprapha , Ikeda Mitsuo
Published: March 2017

The state of chromatic adaptation was investigated by using the two‐room technique. This technique involves a subject in a room who looks a white board in a separate test room through a window and judges the color of the window using the elementary color naming method. When the subject room is illuminated with a colored light and the test room with a white light, the window appears to be a very vivid color, for which the apparent hue depends on the color of the subject room. The color is referred to as the adapted color. The subject also evaluated the appearance of the illumination color of the subject room, which is called the adapting color. Two types of illuminating light in the subject room, fluorescent lamps with 7 colors and LED lamps with 19 colors, were employed. The adapting and the adapted colors were plotted on a polar diagram that was used in the opponent color theory, from which the hue angles were obtained. The hue angle difference between the two colors did not appear to be 180° except for one pair of adapting and the adapted colors, which implies that chromatic adaptation does not follow the opponent color concept. An improvement was achieved to explain the results by introducing complementary colors relation between the adapting and adapted color.
Liver Disease and Fibrosis Assessment in Substance Use–Related Disorders
Authors: Zeremski Marija , Martinez Anthony
Published: March 2017

Substance users have the highest prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection but have rarely been treated, largely because of their mistrust of the health care system, misconceptions about the consequences of the infection, and concerns regarding interferon‐related side effects. With the development of highly efficacious, interferon‐free therapeutic regimens without significant side effects, the concept of colocating HCV and substance use treatment would appear to be highly feasible. This process has been further facilitated by widespread clinical adaptation of noninvasive assays for fibrosis assessment, which could be performed routinely in substance use treatment facilities. The most commonly used noninvasive fibrosis assessment methods are serum marker indexes and transient elastography, both of which are very accurate in detecting cirrhosis or the absence of fibrosis, but much less successful in identifying intermediate fibrosis stages. The effect of drugs of abuse on the liver is not completely understood or sufficiently studied. There are no indications that heroin and cocaine affect fibrosis progression, but some recreational drugs (eg, alcohol and cannabis) can induce hepatic injury. In addition, knowledge gaps exist on the effect of impaired liver function on metabolism or transport of agents used to treat substance disorders as well as their interactions with HCV antivirals.
Drug‐ and Drug Abuse–Associated Hyperbilirubinemia: Experience With Atazanavir
Authors: Roy‐Chowdhury Jayanta , Roy‐Chowdhury Namita , Listowsky Irving , Wolkoff Allan W.
Published: March 2017

Hyperbilirubinemia is a common finding in individuals with a history of substance abuse. Although this may indicate a serious disorder of liver function, this is not always the case. An understanding of bilirubin formation, metabolism, and transport can provide a helpful approach to dealing with these patients. This is typified by studies of patients treated with the antiretroviral drug atazanavir. Atazanavir has been associated with hyperbilirubinemia in as many as one‐third of individuals for whom it has been prescribed, evoking concerns of hepatotoxicity. The studies in this report were designed to determine mechanisms by which this occurs. The data show that this drug inhibits the enzyme UDP‐glucuronosyl transferase‐1A1, responsible for conjugating bilirubin with glucuronic acid. This conjugation step is required for bilirubin excretion into bile, and when it is inhibited, bilirubin refluxes from the liver into the circulation, causing unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia. Other parameters of bilirubin formation, binding to albumin in the circulation, uptake into hepatocytes, and intracellular protein binding in hepatocytes were unaffected by atazanavir. The effect of atazanavir on serum bilirubin levels is reversible, consistent with lack of structural damage to the liver.
Ombitasvir/Paritaprevir/Ritonavir and Dasabuvir: Drug Interactions With Antiretroviral Agents and Drugs for Substance Abuse
Authors: King Jennifer R. , Menon Rajeev M.
Published: March 2017

AbbVie's 3 direct‐acting antiviral (3D) regimen containing ombitasvir, paritaprevir, ritonavir, and dasabuvir with and without ribavirin is approved for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 infection. Safe and efficacious antiviral regimens resulting in minimal to no drug–drug interactions (DDIs) with antiretrovirals are needed to ensure that patients coinfected with HCV and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) achieve 12‐week sustained virologic response rates similar to HCV‐monoinfected patients. Also, the prevalence of injection drug use history is high in both monoinfected and HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients. This review summarizes results from phase 1 DDI studies of the 3D regimen and antiretrovirals or drugs to treat substance abuse. Data suggest the 3D regimen is a viable option for HIV/HCV‐coinfected patients on antiretroviral therapy containing tenofovir/emtricitabine, abacavir/lamivudine, dolutegravir, raltegravir, or atazanavir. HCV‐infected patients receiving medications for substance abuse, particularly methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone, can also be treated with the 3D regimen.
Mechanisms and Consequences of Drug‐Drug Interactions
Authors: Greenblatt David J.
Published: March 2017

Medications used to treat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections present a special challenge with respect to the management of potential and actual drug‐drug interactions (DDIs). The HIV and HCV treatments may interact with each other, and also interact with drugs of abuse and/or with medications used to treat substance abuse. Possible mechanisms of these DDIs generally include induction or inhibition of activity/expression of human cytochromes P450, glucuronosyl transferases, or energy‐dependent transport proteins. These DDIs can be complex and time‐dependent in nature. Because time and resources available for new drug development are necessarily limited, not all potential DDIs can be evaluated via clinical pharmacokinetic studies in the course of development of HIV, HCV, and substance abuse treatments. Strategies are needed to refine existing in vitro models and screening techniques to allow more efficient targeting of resources to those clinical studies having the highest impact in terms of enhancing medication effectiveness and patient safety.
Autotuning CUDA compiler parameters for heterogeneous applications using the OpenTuner framework
Authors: Bruel Pedro , Amarís Marcos , Goldman Alfredo
Published: March 2017

A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a parallel computing coprocessor specialized in accelerating vector operations. The enormous heterogeneity of parallel computing platforms justifies and motivates the development of automated optimization tools and techniques. The Algorithm Selection Problem consists in finding a combination of algorithms, or a configuration of an algorithm, that optimizes the solution of a set of problem instances. An autotuner solves the Algorithm Selection Problem using search and optimization techniques.

In this paper, we implement an autotuner for the Compute Unified Device Architecture compiler's parameters using the OpenTuner framework. The autotuner searches for a set of compilation parameters that optimizes the time to solve a problem. We analyze the performance speedups, in comparison with high‐level compiler optimizations, achieved in three different GPU devices, for 17 heterogeneous GPU applications, 12 of which are from the Rodinia Benchmark Suite. The autotuner often beats the compiler's high‐level optimizations, but underperformed for some problems. We achieved over 2x speedup for Gaussian Elimination and almost 2x speedup for Heart Wall, both problems from the Rodinia Benchmark, and over 4x speedup for a matrix multiplication algorithm. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Zwitterionic Modification of Ultrasmall Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Reduced Protein Corona Formation
Authors: Pombo‐García Karina , Rühl Carmen L. , Lam Raymond , Barreto José A. , Ang Ching‐Seng , Scammells Peter J. , Comba Peter , Spiccia† Leone , Graham Bim , Joshi Tanmaya , Stephan Holger
Published: March 2017

Polyacrylic‐acid‐coated ultra‐small super‐paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were surface‐modified with low‐molecular‐weight sulfobetaines or 3‐(diethylamino)propylamine in order to generate nanoparticles with zwitterionic character (ZW‐NPs). The ZW‐NPs proved highly resistant to serum protein corona formation in vitro, as revealed by atomic force microscopy, SDS‐PAGE and proteomics analysis, and exhibited low cytotoxicity towards A431 and HEK293 cells. The presence of unreacted carboxylic acid groups enabled additional functionalization with fluorescent (Cy5) and radioactive [64Cu–dmptacn; dmptacn=1,4‐bis(2‐pyridinylmethyl)‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane] moieties. Overall, the ZW‐NPs represent promising platforms for the development of new multimodal diagnostic/therapeutic agents possessing “stealth” properties.
The Inverted U‐Shaped Relationship between Corporate Philanthropy and Spending on Research and Development: A Case of Complementarity and Competition Moderated by Firm Size and Visibility
Authors: Gao Yongqiang , Wu Jian , Hafsi Taïeb
Published: March 2017

Prior studies on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and innovation suggest either a competing or a complementary relationship between CSR and spending on research and development (R&D) activities. In this study, we unravel this puzzle by theorizing an inverted U‐shaped relationship between CSR in general and corporate philanthropy (CP) in particular, and R&D spending. Drawing mainly on stakeholder theory, we suggest that CP, by securing stakeholders’ support differently at different levels of spending, would first increase and then reduce R&D spending. Evidence from Chinese publicly traded companies during 2006–2015 well supports our arguments. In addition, we find this inverse U‐shaped non‐linear relationship between CP and R&D spending to be strengthened by firm visibility and weakened by firm size. This study has important theoretical and practical implications. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
ADMB: Application‐driven multihop broadcast for vehicular networks
Authors: Liu Fangqi , Liu Yanheng , Wang Jian , Deng Weiwen , Xu Shaoqing
Published: March 2017

Considering the strong correlation between packet's dissemination range and its originating application's benefit in vehicular networks, this paper introduces 2 new concepts of distance‐dependent application influence and time‐dependent application accuracy, both of which comprise the application profit. Then, we propose an application‐driven multihop broadcast (ADMB) method through hop‐by‐hop tradeoff between the application profit and network cost in deciding whether or not to relay the broadcast. The dynamic network states and elapsed broadcasting value are joined into the decision‐making process, by such way ADMB enables the cross‐layer joint optimization between application and network layers. Moreover, ADMB permits applications themselves to preferentially customize their desired dissemination distance and tolerant sensitivity to the time‐lag effect, which are characterized by influence coefficient and accuracy coefficient, respectively. Every relaying participant also could customize its priority consideration about application influence and accuracy as well as selfish extent in making decision. We perform extensive numerical calculations and simulations to investigate the applicability and use of ADMB against various combinations of application requirements and network parameters. The results show that ADMB can behave superiorly over the traditional fixed‐hop broadcast, fully use the restrictive network resources, and adaptively react to the time‐varying network context.
Parotid or carotid? Misled by site
Authors: Tyagi Ruchita , Munjal Manish , Kaur Pavneet , Kaur Harpreet , Sood Neena
Published: March 2017

We present an interesting scenario where a 64 years old male presented with a long standing painless, infra‐auricular swelling, which had progressively increased in size. Based on the site, the clinical impression was of a salivary gland lesion and FNAC was performed. The smears were unusually cellular and had necrotic background. The cytological diagnosis was a cystic neoplasm of salivary gland, possibly mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Warthin's tumor was also kept in differential. However, the radiological investigations, which were made available after the FNAC report were conflicting with cytological diagnosis of a malignancy and were characteristic of a carotid body tumor, generally a benign neoplasm. Surgical excision of the tumor with regional lymph node sampling was done and histopathological examination solved the puzzle by revealing metastasis of paraganglioma to right posterior triangle lymph nodes. This case is unique because of the unusual presentation of a malignant paraganglioma as an infra‐auricular swelling, which was clinically considered as a parotid tumor. The clinician as well as the pathologist need to be aware of such diagnostic pitfall. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:569–573. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Update on the cytologic features of papillary thyroid carcinoma variants
Authors: Pusztaszeri Marc , Auger Manon
Published: March 2017

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which accounts for 85–90% of all thyroid cancers, is generally an indolent tumor with long term survival rates >95%. A reliable definitive diagnosis of PTC is usually straightforward in fine needle aspirates of conventional PTC whenever the characteristic papillary and/or flat honeycomb sheet‐like architecture and the typical nuclear features of chromatin pallor, nuclear enlargement, crowding, grooves and pseudoinclusions are encountered. Conventional PTC, however, has diminished in relative frequency as compared to PTC variants, especially the noninvasive follicular variant of PTC, an indolent tumor which has recently been reclassified as “noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary‐like nuclear features” (NIFTP). These PTC variants are characterized by various architecture, cell type and shape, and stromal features, some of which can be recognized cytologically. Awareness of the cytomorphological spectrum and of the characteristic cytological features of these PTC variants is important to avoid diagnostic pitfalls. In this article, we review the different variants of PTC, including their cytomorphologic features, differential diagnosis, and salient molecular features. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:714–730. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma: A diagnostic challenge on cytology
Authors: Singh Kanika , Agarwal Charu , Pujani Mukta , Verma Pragya , Chauhan Varsha
Published: March 2017

Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (Ca ex PA) is a malignant neoplasm arising from primary or recurrent benign pleomorphic adenoma. It is rare with an annual incidence rate of 0.17 tumors per million. Histopathology remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of Ca ex PA, with only a handful of cases reported on cytology. In our case a 66‐year‐old male presented with the right parotid mass for 5 years rapidly increasing for the last 3 months. Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears showed malignant tumor cells in clusters along with benign myoepithelial cells in chondromyxoid background. Histopathologically, highly pleomorphic malignant epithelial cells in sheets along with foci of comedonecrosis and areas corresponding to benign pleomorphic adenoma were observed on careful scrutiny. Immunohistochemistry revealed positivity for cytokeratin (CK 7) and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 (GCDFP‐15) while CK5/6 and high molecular weight CK (34 βE12) were negative in the malignant tumor cells. So, the final impression was Ca ex PA with salivary duct carcinoma as malignant component. We hereby report this case to highlight the significance of FNAC in the diagnosis of Ca ex PA which can be easily missed on cytopathology. However, it is important to corroborate the cytological findings with clinical suspicion of malignancy as well as radiology. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2017;45:651–654. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Birth order and recalled childhood gender nonconformity in Samoan men and fa'afafine
Authors: Semenyna Scott W. , VanderLaan Doug P. , Vasey Paul L.
Published: March 2017

Having a greater than average number of older biological brothers is a robust correlate of male androphilia (i.e., sexual attraction and arousal to adult males). Previous investigations have sought to understand whether this fraternal birth order (FBO) effect is also systematically related to recalled indicators of childhood gender nonconformity (CGN). However, these investigations have relied on data from low‐fertility Western populations in which expressions of femininity in male children are routinely stigmatized and consequently, suppressed. The present study examined the FBO effect (among other sibship characteristics) and recalled indicators of CGN in Samoa, a high‐fertility population, whose members are relatively tolerant of male femininity. Indeed, Samoans identify feminine androphilic males as belonging to an alternative gender category, known locally as fa'afafine. The present study compared the sibship characteristics of 231 fa'afafine and 231 opposite‐sex attracted men from Samoa, as well as how these characteristics related to recalled CGN. Results replicated the well‐established FBO effect for predicting male sexual orientation, with each older brother increasing the odds of being androphilic by 21%. However, no relationship was found between the number of older brothers (or other siblings) a participant had and their recalled CGN. Although fa'afafine reported significantly more CGN than Samoan men, CGN did not mediate the FBO effect, nor did the FBO effect and CGN interact to predict male sexual orientation. These findings are consistent with previous studies suggesting that the FBO effect is associated with male sexual orientation, but not childhood female‐typical gender expression among androphilic males.
Lipids in maternal diet influence yolk hormone levels and post‐hatch neophobia in the domestic chick
Authors: de Haas Elske N. , Calandreau Ludovic , Baéza Elisabeth , Chartrin Pascal , Palme Rupert , Darmaillacq Anne‐Sophie , Dickel Ludovic , Lumineau Sophie , Houdelier Cécilia , Denis Isabelle , Arnould Cécile , Meurisse Maryse , Bertin Aline
Published: March 2017

We assessed whether the ratio of dietary n‐6/n‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) during egg formation engenders transgenerational maternal effects in domestic chicks. We analyzed yolk lipid and hormone concentrations, and HPA‐axis activity in hens fed a control diet (high n‐6/n‐3 ratio) or a diet enriched in n‐3 PUFAs (low n‐6/n‐3 ratio) for 6 consecutive weeks. Their chicks were tested for neophobia during the first week of life. We found higher corticosterone metabolites in droppings of hens fed the diet enriched in n‐3 and significantly higher concentrations of yolk progesterone, androstenedione, and estradiol in their eggs compared to controls. Chicks of hens fed the n‐3 enriched diet showed a lower body mass at hatch than controls and expressed higher neophobia when exposed to a novel object. These results add support to the hypothesis that the nutritional state of female birds produces variation in yolk hormone levels and engender maternal effects.
Parasympathetic reactivity and disruptive behavior problems in young children during interactions with their mothers and other adults: A preliminary investigation
Authors: Cooper‐Vince Christine E. , DeSerisy Mariah , Cornacchio Danielle , Sanchez Amanda , McLaughlin Katie A. , Comer Jonathan S.
Published: March 2017

Parasympathetic nervous system influences on cardiac functions—commonly indexed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)—are central to self‐regulation. RSA suppression during challenging emotional and cognitive tasks is often associated with better emotional and behavioral functioning in preschoolers. However, the links between RSA suppression and child behavior across various challenging interpersonal contexts remains unclear. The present study experimentally evaluated the relationship between child RSA reactivity to adult (mother vs. study staff) direction and disruptive behavior problems in children ages 3–8 with varying levels of disruptive behavior problems (N = 43). Reduced RSA suppression in the context of mothers’ play‐based direction was associated with more severe child behavior problems. In contrast, RSA suppression in the context of staff play‐based direction was not associated with behavior problems. Findings suggest that the association between RSA suppression and child behavior problems may vary by social context (i.e., mother vs. other adult direction‐givers). Findings are discussed in regard to RSA as an indicator of autonomic self‐regulation that has relevance to child disruptive behavior problems.
Hydrological‐niche models predict water plant functional group distributions in diverse wetland types
Authors: Deane David C. , Nicol Jason M. , Gehrig Susan L. , Harding Claire , Aldridge Kane T. , Goodman Abigail M. , Brookes Justin D.
Published: March 2017

Human use of water resources threatens environmental water supplies. If resource managers are to develop policies that avoid unacceptable ecological impacts, some means to predict ecosystem response to changes in water availability is necessary. This is difficult to achieve at spatial scales relevant for water resource management because of the high natural variability in ecosystem hydrology and ecology. Water plant functional groups classify species with similar hydrological niche preferences together, allowing a qualitative means to generalize community responses to changes in hydrology. We tested the potential for functional groups in making quantitative prediction of water plant functional group distributions across diverse wetland types over a large geographical extent. We sampled wetlands covering a broad range of hydrogeomorphic and salinity conditions in South Australia, collecting both hydrological and floristic data from 687 quadrats across 28 wetland hydrological gradients. We built hydrological‐niche models for eight water plant functional groups using a range of candidate models combining different surface inundation metrics. We then tested the predictive performance of top‐ranked individual and averaged models for each functional group. Cross validation showed that models achieved acceptable predictive performance, with correct classification rates in the range 0.68–0.95. Model predictions can be made at any spatial scale that hydrological data are available and could be implemented in a geographical information system. We show the response of water plant functional groups to inundation is consistent enough across diverse wetland types to quantify the probability of hydrological impacts over regional spatial scales.
A global database of nitrogen and phosphorus excretion rates of aquatic animals
Authors: Vanni Michael J. , McIntyre Peter B. , Allen Dennis , Arnott Diane L. , Benstead Jonathan P. , Berg David J. , Brabrand Åge , Brosse Sébastien , Bukaveckas Paul A. , Caliman Adriano , Capps Krista A. , Carneiro Luciana S. , Chadwick Nanette E. , Christian Alan D. , Clarke Andrew , Conroy Joseph D. , Cross Wyatt F. , Culver David A. , Dalton Christopher M. , Devine Jennifer A. , Domine Leah M. , Evans‐White Michelle A. , Faafeng Bjørn A. , Flecker Alexander S. , Gido Keith B. , Godinot Claire , Guariento Rafael D. , Haertel‐Borer Susanne , Hall Robert O. , Henry Raoul , Herwig Brian R. , Hicks Brendan J. , Higgins Karen A. , Hood James M. , Hopton Matthew E. , Ikeda Tsutomu , James William F. , Jansen Henrice M. , Johnson Cody R. , Koch Benjamin J. , Lamberti Gary A. , Lessard‐Pilon Stephanie , Maerz John C. , Mather Martha E. , McManamay Ryan A. , Milanovich Joseph R. , Morgan Dai K. J. , Moslemi Jennifer M. , Naddafi Rahmat , Nilssen Jens Petter , Pagano Marc , Pilati Alberto , Post David M. , Roopin Modi , Rugenski Amanda T. , Schaus Maynard H. , Shostell Joseph , Small Gaston E. , Solomon Christopher T. , Sterrett Sean C. , Strand Øivind , Tarvainen Marjo , Taylor Jason M. , Torres‐Gerald Lisette E. , Turner Caroline B. , Urabe Jotaro , Uye Shin‐Ichi , Ventelä Anne‐Mari , Villeger Sébastien , Whiles Matt R. , Wilhelm Frank M. , Wilson Henry F. , Xenopoulos Marguerite A. , Zimmer Kyle D.
Published: March 2017

Animals can be important in modulating ecosystem‐level nutrient cycling, although their importance varies greatly among species and ecosystems. Nutrient cycling rates of individual animals represent valuable data for testing the predictions of important frameworks such as the Metabolic Theory of Ecology (MTE) and ecological stoichiometry (ES). They also represent an important set of functional traits that may reflect both environmental and phylogenetic influences. Over the past two decades, studies of animal‐mediated nutrient cycling have increased dramatically, especially in aquatic ecosystems. Here we present a global compilation of aquatic animal nutrient excretion rates. The dataset includes 10,534 observations from freshwater and marine animals of N and/or P excretion rates. These observations represent 491 species, including most aquatic phyla. Coverage varies greatly among phyla and other taxonomic levels. The dataset includes information on animal body size, ambient temperature, taxonomic affiliations, and animal body N:P. This data set was used to test predictions of MTE and ES, as described in Vanni and McIntyre (2016; Ecology DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1582).
Plasticity in nitrogen uptake among plant species with contrasting nutrient acquisition strategies in a tropical forest
Authors: Andersen Kelly M. , Mayor Jordan R. , Turner Benjamin L.
Published: March 2017

Nitrogen (N) availability influences the productivity and distribution of plants in tropical montane forests. Strategies to acquire soil N, such as direct uptake of organic compounds or associations with root symbionts to enhance N acquisition in exchange for carbon (C), may facilitate plant species coexistence and ecosystem N retention. Alternatively, rapid microbial turnover of soil N forms in tropical soils might promote flexible plant N‐uptake strategies and mediate species coexistence. We tested whether sympatric plant species with different root symbiont associations, and therefore potentially different nutrient acquisition strategies, partition chemical forms of N or show plasticity in N uptake in a tropical pre‐montane forest in Panama. We traced the movement of three15N forms into soil pools, microbes, and seedlings of eleven species differing in root traits. Seedlings were grown in a split‐plot field transplant experiment, with plots receiving equimolar mixtures of ammonium, nitrate, and glycine, with one form isotopically labeled in each block. After 48 h, more15N was recovered in microbes than in plants, while all pools (extractable organic and inorganic N, microbial biomass, and leaves) contained greater amounts of15N from nitrate than from ammonium or glycine. Furthermore,13C from dual‐labeled glycine was not recovered in the leaves of any seedling, suggesting the studied species do not directly take up organic N or transform organic N prior to translocation to leaves. Nitrogen uptake differed by root symbiont group only for nitrate, with greater15N recovery in plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations or proteoid roots compared to orchids. Some root trait groups differed in15N recovery among N forms, with greater nitrate uptake than ammonium or glycine by AM‐associated and N2‐fixing plants. However, only five of eleven species showed differences in uptake among N forms. These results indicate flexibility in uptake of N forms in tropical plants across root trait groups, with only a few species displaying weak preferences for a specific N form.
The Influence of Carbon Doping on the Structures, Properties, and Stability of Beryllium Clusters
Authors: Zhang Dan‐Dan , Wu Di , Yang Hui , Yu Dan , Liu Jia‐Yuan , Li Zhi‐Ru , Li Ying
Published: March 2017

The global minimum structures of the carbon‐doped Ben (n = 1–12) clusters are obtained at the B3PW91/6‐311+G(d) level and compared with those of pure beryllium clusters. It is found that the carbon dopant prefers to be located outside the host Ben cage and tends to be tetracoordinated. The evolution of the electronic and energetic properties of BenC is studied using the QCISD(T) method. Results show that the introduction of carbon doping strengthens intracluster interaction of beryllium clusters. Besides, the Be3C and Be8C clusters, with their particular stability, are considered as magic‐number clusters in the BenC series. Molecular‐orbital (MO) analysis indicates that both clusters have fully filled electron shells, whereas the contribution of the carbon atomic orbital leads to MO energy‐level disorder of the BenC clusters.
Metal Anticancer Complexes – Activity, Mechanism of Action, Future Perspectives
Authors: Alessio Enzo , Guo Zijian
Published: March 2017

Guest editors Enzo Alessio and Zijian Guo present an overview of the topics reported in the papers of this issue, listing the general trends that dominate the field of metal anticancer complexes. They provide an analysis of the development of this area of chemistry since its official start about 50 years ago, present the status quo and offer insights into future perspectives.
Direct Access to Indoles by IrIII‐Catalyzed C–H Functionalization of Acetanilides with Diazo Compounds
Authors: Patel Pitambar , Borah Gongutri
Published: March 2017

A one‐pot synthesis of indole derivatives from readily available acetanilides and diazo compounds was developed. This IrIII‐catalyzed C–H alkylation and annulation reaction proceeds under mild conditions and generates molecular nitrogen and water as byproducts. Various types of synthetically versatile N‐substituted indoles, including N‐acetyl, N‐pivolyl, and N‐benzoyl indoles, were prepared.
Bilateral analgesic effects of abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®) following unilateral administration in the rat
Authors: Favre‐Guilmard C. , Chabrier P.‐E. , Kalinichev M.
Published: March 2017

Background

In addition to inhibition of muscle and glandular hyperactivity, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) type A also interferes with pain processing. Previously, in a rat model of paclitaxel‐induced polyneuropathy, abobotulinumtoxinA (aboBoNT‐A) elicited analgesic effects not only in the injected paw, but also in the contralateral, non‐injected paw.

Methods

Here, we assessed bilateral analgesic effects of unilateral aboBoNT‐A in several chronic pain models in Sprague‐Dawley rats. Effects of aboBoNT‐A on the paw withdrawal threshold in response to mechanical pressure was assessed in models of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic polyneuropathy, chronic constriction injury (CCI)‐associated mononeuropathy, and bilateral carrageenan‐induced inflammatory pain.

Results

In diabetic polyneuropathy, aboBoNT‐A (15, 20 U/kg) reversed hyperalgesia in the toxin‐injected and non‐injected paws. In unilateral CCI‐exposed animals, 20 U/kg aboBoNT‐A given ipsilateral to the injury reversed mechanical hyperalgesia, while 30 U/kg aboBoNT‐A given contralateral to the injury had no effect. In carrageenan‐induced bilateral inflammatory pain, aboBoNT‐A (20, 30 U/kg) reversed hyperalgesia in both toxin‐injected and non‐injected paws.

Discussion

These results suggest that unilateral administration of aboBoNT‐A results in bilateral reduction in mechanical hyperalgesia across neuropathic and inflammatory pain conditions, bilateral activation of sensory neurons being prerequisite for its expression. Future studies involving effects on other sensory modalities as well as those evaluating diffusion and migration of the toxin away from the injection site can shed light on mechanisms of this phenomenon.

Significance

The results expand evidence on bilateral analgesic effects of aboBoNT‐A following unilateral administration across pain modalities, as the phenomenon is seen in more than one model of polyneuropathy as well as in a model of chronic inflammatory pain when the latter is rendered bilateral. The mechanism of bilateral analgesic effects of aboBoNT‐A may require activation of the peripheral sensory neurons and involve retrograde axonal transport of the toxin into the spinal cord.
Isothermal drying kinetics of oil palm trunk: Energy and shrinkage evaluation
Authors: Wan Nadhari Wan Noor Aidawati , Hashim Rokiah , Danish Mohammed , Sulaiman Othman , Abd. Karim Norani , Naim Ahmad Yahaya Ahmad , Saari Norhafizah
Published: March 2017

Oil palm trunk (OPT) is one of the alternative resources for building materials. This research investigated the drying characteristics of OPT blocks of dimension 43.91 mm × 19.73 mm × 15.82 mm by controlling the relative humidity under an isothermal condition. The isothermal temperature condition selected for this study were 25, 30, 35, and 40°C. The obtained drying data were applied to Logarithmic, Wang‐Singh, Page, Midilli‐Kucuk, Henderson‐Pabis, Newton, and Nadhari models. The drying kinetics were evaluated through these models. The suitability of these models was assessed based on the sum of square error, the coefficient of determination (R2), the reduced chi‐square (χ2), and root mean square error. The Nadhari model was found to be a suitable model for explaining the drying behavior of OPT at various isothermal temperature conditions. The effective diffusivity, drying rate, porosity, and shrinkage were found to be increasing with the increasing of isothermal drying temperature. The activation energy of OPT during drying was found to be 35.56 kJ/mol. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 36: 1244–1252, 2017
Experimental assessment of contact forces on a rigid base following footing uplift
Authors: Chen Yuanzhi , Larkin Tam , Chouw Nawawi
Published: March 2017

A number of investigations in the recent decades have shown that footing uplift can reduce the seismic loading on a structure. Guidelines to design a structure with seismic uplift capability have been proposed. However, these studies mainly focus on the structural response and neglect the impact forces on the footing from re‐contact between the footing and the supporting medium. A small number of computational studies of the induced forces on the footing have been performed. This paper presents the results of free vibrations and shake table tests on a single degree‐of‐freedom model of a bridge pier with footing uplift on a rigid base. Two support conditions are considered, that is, footing fixed to the base and footing free to uplift on a rigid base. Load cells were placed at the interface of the footing and rigid base to measure the contact forces during structural vibration. The footing responses of both flexible and rigid structures due to free vibration are compared. The results show that the flexibility of the structure has significant effects on footing uplift duration and amplitude and reduces the contact force, in some cases very significantly. The flexible structure was also subjected to harmonic base excitations. It is found that varying the characteristics of the excitation changes the uplift amplitude but does not affect the contact force significantly. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A provably secure RFID authentication protocol based on elliptic curve signature with message recovery suitable for m‐Health environments
Authors: Benssalah Mustapha , Djeddou Mustapha , Drouiche Karim
Published: March 2017

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a promising wireless emerging technology for automatic objects identification. This technology is widely deployed in numerous applications and is becoming popular in health‐care environments. Many health‐care services, such as patient monitoring, drug administration systems, and telecare medicine information systems, are automated and powered by the RFID technology. This rigorous redeployment is done to improve the quality and effectiveness of patient care and many other aspects. Henceforth, the confidentiality and privacy of the personal electronic health‐care information become progressively challenging. In this context, with more and more significant and rigorous security requirements, elliptic curve cryptography has been intensively suggested to design efficient RFID authentication protocols. In this paper, we propose a secure mobile RFID authentication protocol to increase the safety of the patient data records and the work efficiency of medical staff. Our proposal uses the elliptic curve signature with message recovery. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first time the elliptic curve signature with message recovery signature is introduced for RFID medical applications. The proposed protocol is validated using field programmable gate arrays) technology. In addition, via formal and informal security analysis, we show that our proposal could solve security weaknesses of some previously proposed protocols, provide mobility, privacy, scalability, and can be adapted for multiserver environment.