bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) with various polyethylene glycol chain lengths on starch plasticization and retrogradation
Authors: Zhang Kang , Wang Rong‐rong , Zhang Kai‐rui , Cheng Fei , Tian Yu , Lin Yi , Zhou Mi , Zhu Pu‐xin 
Published: November 2019

AbstractA series of hyperbranched poly(citric polyethylene glycol) (PCPEG) materials with varied polyethylene glycol (PEG) chain lengths as plasticizers were mixed with maize starch (MS) via cooking and film‐forming. The structure, pasting property, plasticization, aging property, moisture absorption and compatibility of plasticized starches were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, rapid viscosity analysis, tension testing, moisture absorption measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Compared with PEG and citric acid, PCPEG was more effective in promoting starch chain movement and inhibiting the retrogradation of starch film. Also, PCPEG/MS had smaller moisture content. The longer the plasticizer chain, the better were the aging resistance and moisture resistance of starch. But with an increase of PEG chain length, mechanical properties of PCPEG/MS deteriorated and the compatibility between PCPEG and MS decreased. The hyperbranched derivative of PEG with longer chain exhibited improved plasticization and compatibility with starch. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry
Rezafungin treatment in mouse models of invasive candidiasis and aspergillosis: Insights on the PK/PD pharmacometrics of rezafungin efficacy
Authors: Miesel Lynn , Lin Kun‐Yuan , Ong Voon 
Published: November 2019

AbstractRezafungin acetate is a novel echinocandin in clinical development for prevention and treatment of invasive fungal infections. Rezafungin is differentiated by a pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) profile that includes a long half‐life allowing once‐weekly administration, front‐loaded plasma drug exposures associated with antifungal efficacy, and penetration into deep‐seated infections, such as intra‐abdominal abscesses. In this series of in vivo studies, rezafungin demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of neutropenic mouse models of disseminated candidiasis, including infection caused by azole‐resistant Candida albicans, and aspergillosis. These results contribute to a growing body of evidence demonstrating the antifungal efficacy and potential utility of rezafungin in the treatment of invasive fungal infections.
Interpretation of the spectrum of eastward‐moving tropical convective anomalies
Authors: Roundy Paul E. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWave‐number‐frequency power spectrum analysis has been used as a primary tool to detect the ranges of wave numbers and frequencies about which observed convectively coupled equatorial waves are active. Previous works have suggested that activity in these waves clusters between roughly 12 and 60 m equivalent depths because spectral peaks normalized by dividing by a smoothed spectral background follow those ranges. Through a combination of wave‐number‐frequency power spectrum analysis, filtering and linear regression, this work shows that the traditional approach generates confusion because it conflates different, sometimes conflicting, signals from around the world that contribute to the same parts of the spectrum. Results also suggest that the traditional method leads us to ignore substantial power associated with variability structurally consistent with observed Kelvin waves but that occurs at lower frequencies. Wave signals at these frequencies are stronger than but similar to Kelvin wave signals coincident with the Kelvin peak in the normalized spectrum. Results suggest that the wave signal itself has red properties, possibly because more strongly convectively coupled waves propagate more slowly. The slower, more intense wave signals outside of the standard band would impact tangible weather signals and should not be ignored in operations. Instead, results support the view that disturbances labelled as Kelvin waves form a continuum with the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) and suggest that the whole region of the spectrum from the broadly recognized Kelvin band to the MJO should be considered together.
Self‐catalyzed keto‐enol tautomerization of malonic acid
Authors: Sutton Catherine C. R. , Lim Chia‐Yang , da Silva Gabriel 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWe demonstrate through quantum chemical calculations that the keto‐enol tautomerization of malonic acid can be catalyzed by the two tautomers of malonic acid itself. This self‐catalyzed process proceeds with a relatively low barrier (Gibbs energy ca. 13 kcal/mol in gas phase, 20 kcal/mol in aqueous phase), and involves the concerted transfer of two protons between the substrate and the carboxylic acid functionality of the malonic acid catalyst. This mechanism is expected to compete with the proton relay mechanism currently favored to explain the tautomerization of malonic acid in aqueous media. Malonic acid is an important constituent of secondary organic aerosol where the present chemistry may play a role in determining chemical composition.
GitHub's milestone tool: A mixed‐methods analysis on its use
Authors: Zhang Yang , Wang Huaimin , Wu Yiwen , Hu Dongyang , Wang Tao 
Published: November 2019

AbstractSocial coding site GitHub provides developers with many management tools to facilitate project maintenance and developer collaboration.Milestonetool, in particular, plays an important role in organizing and tracking progress on groups of issues or pull requests in a project. However, few research has analyzed the milestone tool, even though it has been used in practice for a long time. In this paper, we want to address this literature gap and present an ongoing work aimed at investigating the use of the milestone tool in GitHub open‐source projects. We conduct a mixed‐methods analysis in a large‐scale dataset of GitHub projects, to help developers gain some insights into the milestone tool, including its usage, benefits, and limitations. We quantitatively investigate the basic adoption of milestone tool and its correlation with project properties. We also survey developers to understand the reasons for using milestone tool or not and their perceptions of the milestone tool. We find that certain types of projects use milestone tool more than others. Adopting the milestone tool is associated with more commits, more releases, and more project popularity, but the current milestone tool also has some limitations. These observations can then be forwarded to the GitHub community for follow‐up and can result in them potentially making a better milestone tool.
Densely Populated Single Atom Catalysts
Authors: Wu Jiabin , Xiong Liukang , Zhao Bote , Liu Meilin , Huang Liang 
Published: November 2019

AbstractDeveloping highly efficient electrocatalysts with low cost is critical for the wide‐spread application of sustainable and renewable energy conversion technologies. Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their high catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. However, the high surface energy of the single atoms often results in an extremely low loading of metal atom catalysts with limited mass activity. In this context, densely populated SACs are more promising for practical applications due to their high active surface area and mass activity. Herein, the recent research progress of high loading (≥5 wt%) SACs for different electrocatalytic applications is summarized. An overview of various synthesis and characterization strategies of SACs is presented in this review. The influence of appropriate substrates on the preparation of high metal loading SACs is also discussed. In addition, this review provides valuable insights into the current challenges and future opportunities in the field of single‐atom catalysts.
The QCD topological charge and its thermal dependence: the role of the η′
Authors: Nicola A. Gómez , de Elvira J. Ruiz , Vioque-Rodríguez A. 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
We analyze the contribution of the η′ (958) meson in the first two non-trivial moments of the QCD topological charge distribution, namely, the topological susceptibility and the fourth-order cumulant of the vacuum energy density. We perform our study within U(3) Chiral Perturbation Theory up to next-to-next-to-leading order in the combined chiral and large-Nc expansion. We also describe the temperature dependence of these two quantities and compare them with previous analyses in the literature. In particular, we discuss the validity of the thermal scaling of the topological susceptibility with the quark condensate, which is intimately connected with a Ward Identity relating both quantities. We also consider isospin breaking corrections from the vacuum misalignment at leading order in the U(3) framework.
Interaction induced quasi-particle spectrum in holography
Authors: Song Geunho , Seo Yunseok , Kim Keun-Young , Sin Sang-Jin 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
It is often said that interactions destroy the particle nature of excitations. We report that, in holographic theory adding interaction term can create a new quasi particle spectrum, on the contrary. We show this by calculating the optical conductivity in a model with exact background solution and finding a new quasi-particle spectrum. Such new poles are consequence of some non-minimal interaction like Chern-Simon term. We also point out that the origin of the new peak in our example is the vortex formation by the anomalous magnetic moment induced by the interaction term.
The FASILA Score: A Novel Bio‐Clinical Score to Predict Massive Blood Transfusion in Patients with Abdominal Trauma
Authors: El‐Menyar Ayman , Abdelrahman Husham , Al‐Thani Hassan , Mekkodathil Ahammed , Singh Rajvir , Rizoli Sandro 
Published: November 2019

AbstractBackgroundEarly identification of patients who may need massive blood transfusion remains a major challenge in trauma care. This study proposed a novel and easy‐to‐calculate prediction score using clinical and point of care laboratory findings in patients with abdominal trauma (AT).MethodsPatients with AT admitted to a trauma center in Qatar between 2014 and 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. The FASILA score was proposed and calculated using focused assessment with sonography in trauma (0 = negative, 1 = positive), Shock Index (SI) (0 = 0.50–0.69, 1 = 0.70–0.79, 2 = 0.80–0.89, and 3 ≥ 0.90), and initial serum lactate (0 ≤ 2.0, 1 = 2.0–4.0, and 2 ≥ 4.0 mmol/l). Outcome variables included mortality, laparotomy, and massive blood transfusion (MT). FASILA was compared to other prediction scores using receiver operating characteristics and areas under the curves. Bootstrap procedure was employed for internal validation.ResultsIn 1199 patients with a mean age of 31 ± 13.5 years, MT, MT protocol (MTP) activation, exploratory laparotomy (ExLap), and hospital mortality were related linearly with the FASILA score, Injury Severity Score, and total length of hospital stay. Initial hemoglobin, Revised Trauma Score (RTS), and Trauma Injury Severity Score (TRISS) were inversely proportional. FASILA scores correlated significantly with the Assessment of Blood Consumption (ABC) (r = 0.65), Revised Assessment of Bleeding and Transfusion (RABT) (r = 0.63), SI (r = 0.72), RTS (r = − 0.34), and Glasgow Coma Scale (r = − 0.32) and outperformed other predictive systems (RABT, ABC, and SI) in predicting MT, MTP, ExLap, and mortality.ConclusionsThe novel FASILA score performs well in patients with abdominal trauma and offers advantages over other scores.
Guideline-concordant chemotherapy in patients with hormone receptor-positive and node-positive, early breast cancer leads to better overall and metastases-free survival with limited benefit in elderly patients
Authors: Taubenhansl Clara , Ortmann Olaf , Gerken Michael , Inwald Elisabeth C. , Klinkhammer-Schalke Monika 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Purpose
The German guideline for breast cancer recommends using chemotherapy (CHT) in patients with hormone receptor-positive and node-positive, invasive breast cancer. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of CHT in this patient group on overall survival (OS) and distant metastases-free survival (DMFS), especially considering the 70-year threshold.

Methods
1772 patients from the clinical cancer registry Regensburg (Germany) with hormone receptor-positive and node-positive, invasive breast cancer diagnosed between 2003 and 2013 were analysed in a retrospective cohort study. OS and DMFS were evaluated by means of Kaplan–Meier and multivariable Cox-regression method. Results were further examined according to age at diagnosis.

Results
The comparison of 1544 patients with CHT to 228 patients without CHT showed a significant benefit for CHT regarding 5-year OS (91.3% vs. 76.8%) and 5-year DMFS (86.7% vs. 74.4%, both p < 0.001). Likewise, better OS and DMFS were seen in patients aged < 70 years using CHT compared to patients without CHT of the same age. Patients aged ≥ 70 years with CHT had a minimal benefit regarding 5-year OS compared to patients without CHT, but no advantage considering DMFS. All results were confirmed in multivariable analyses except for patients being ≥ 70 years of age.

Conclusion
Patients with hormone receptor-positive and node-positive, invasive breast cancer benefit from chemotherapy with regard to a significantly better overall and distant metastases-free survival, although chemotherapy use in patients aged ≥ 70 years results in a smaller benefit considering OS and no benefit considering DMFS.
Outcomes in diabetic macular edema switched directly or after a dexamethasone implant to a fluocinolone acetonide intravitreal implant following anti-VEGF treatment
Authors: Rehak Matus , Busch Catharina , Unterlauft Jan-Darius , Jochmann Claudia , Wiedemann Peter 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Aims
Fluocinolone acetonide (FAc) is an intravitreal corticosteroid implant approved for the second-line treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). This study compared outcomes of patients with DME switched directly to an FAc implant, versus indirectly via dexamethasone, after anti-VEGF therapy failure.

Methods
This is a retrospective, single-center chart review. Patients were assigned to Group A (switched to FAc after anti-VEGF) or Group B (switched to dexamethasone and then to FAc after > 4 months). Charts were reviewed for best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central macular thickness (CMT), intraocular pressure (IOP) and cataract development.

Results
Forty-nine eyes were included. BCVA increased and CMT decreased with anti-VEGF (both groups), and dexamethasone (Group B only), but regressed after stopping treatment. With FAc, BCVA increased rapidly and significantly: increases were maintained up to 36 months (P < 0.001), except at 18 and 9 months in Groups A and B, respectively. Significant CMT reductions (P < 0.001) were evident after 3 months and maintained up to 36 months in both groups. IOP increase > 21 mmHg occurred in 14 patients (nine in Group A, five in Group B): all were sufficiently treated with IOP-lowering drops. Nineteen phakic eyes (73.1%) developed cataract: seven underwent phaco-emulsification (two in Group A, five in Group B).

Conclusions
Similar functional and anatomical improvements occurred in FAc-treated eyes, regardless of whether they first received dexamethasone or switched directly to FAc after anti-VEGF. Safety signals were consistent with corticosteroid class effects. Early switch to FAc could benefit patients who respond insufficiently to anti-VEGF.
Efficient materially nonlinear $$\mu$$FE solver for simulations of trabecular bone failure
Authors: Stipsitz Monika , Zysset Philippe K. , Pahr Dieter H. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractAn efficient solver for large-scale linear $$\mu \hbox {FE}$$μFE simulations was extended for nonlinear material behavior. The material model included damage-based tissue degradation and fracture. The new framework was applied to 20 trabecular biopsies with a mesh resolution of $${36}\,{{\upmu }\hbox {m}}$$36μm. Suitable material parameters were identified based on two biopsies by comparison with axial tension and compression experiments. The good parallel performance and low memory footprint of the solver were preserved. Excellent correlation of the maximum apparent stress was found between simulations and experiments ($$R^2 > 0.97$$R2>0.97). The development of local damage regions was observable due to the nonlinear nature of the simulations. A novel elasticity limit was proposed based on the local damage information. The elasticity limit was found to be lower than the 0.2% yield point. Systematic differences in the yield behavior of biopsies under apparent compression and tension loading were observed. This indicates that damage distributions could lead to more insight into the failure mechanisms of trabecular bone.
A step beyond landslide susceptibility maps: a simple method to investigate and explain the different outcomes obtained by different approaches
Authors: Xiao Ting , Segoni Samuele , Chen Lixia , Yin Kunlong , Casagli Nicola 
Published: November 2019

AbstractLandslide susceptibility assessment is vital for landslide risk management and urban planning, and the scientific community is continuously proposing new approaches to map landslide susceptibility, especially by hybridizing state-of-the-art models and by proposing new ones. A common practice in landslide susceptibility studies is to compare (two or more) different models in terms of AUC (area under ROC curve) to assess which one has the best predictive performance. The objective of this paper is to show that the classical scheme of comparison between susceptibility models can be expanded and enriched with substantial geomorphological insights by focusing the comparison on the mapped susceptibility values and investigating the geomorphological reasons of the differences encountered. To this aim, we used four susceptibility maps of the Wanzhou County (China) obtained with four different classification methods (namely, random forest, index of entropy, frequency ratio, and certainty factor). A quantitative comparison of the susceptibility values was carried out on a pixel-by-pixel basis, to reveal systematic spatial patterns in the differences among susceptibility maps; then, those patterns were put in relation with all the explanatory variables used in the susceptibility assessments. The lithological and morphological features of the study area that are typically associated to underestimations and overestimations of susceptibility were identified. The results shed a new light on the susceptibility models, identifying systematic errors that could be probably associated either to shortcomings of the models or to distinctive morphological features of the test site, such as nearly flat low altitude areas near the main rivers, and some lithological units.
Low-frequency and broadband vibration energy harvester driven by mechanical impact based on layer-separated piezoelectric beam
Authors: Cao Dongxing , Xia Wei , Hu Wenhua 
Published: November 2019

AbstractVibration energy harvesting is to transform the ambient mechanical energy to electricity. How to reduce the resonance frequency and improve the conversion efficiency is very important. In this paper, a layer-separated piezoelectric cantilever beam is proposed for the vibration energy harvester (VEH) for low-frequency and wide-bandwidth operation, which can transform the mechanical impact energy to electric energy. First, the electromechanical coupling equation is obtained by the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. Based on the average method, the approximate analytical solution is derived and the voltage response is obtained. Furthermore, the physical prototype is fabricated, and the vibration experiment is conducted to validate the theoretical principle. The experimental results show that the maximum power of 0.445 □W of the layer-separated VEH is about 3.11 times higher than that of the non-impact harvester when the excitation acceleration is 0.2 g. The operating frequency bandwidth can be widened by increasing the stiffness of the fundamental layer and decreasing the gap distance of the system. But the increasing of operating frequency bandwidth comes at the cost of reducing peak voltage. The theoretical simulation and the experimental results demonstrate good agreement which indicates that the proposed impact-driving VEH device has advantages for low-frequency and wide-bandwidth. The high performance provides great prospect to scavenge the vibration energy in environment.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Heat-Shock Protein 16.3 Induces Macrophage M2 Polarization Through CCRL2/CX3CR1
Authors: Zhang Yanhao , Li Shanshan , Liu Qianyi , Long Ruiying , Feng Jihong , Qin Huan , Li Mao , Liu Liping , Luo Junmin 
Published: November 2019

Abstract
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the pathogen of tuberculosis (TB), can survive in host macrophages and induce macrophages to M2 phenotype might result in latent MTB infection. During the latent phase, the expression of MTB heat-shock protein 16.3 (Hsp16.3) is markedly increased among most of bacterial proteins, but the role of Hsp16.3 in macrophage M2 polarization is not clear. In this work, we found that macrophages incubated with 100 ng/ml MTB Hsp16.3 increased the production of Arg-1, IL-10, TGF-beta, and CD206. These results showed that MTB Hsp16.3 may induce macrophage M2 phenotype. And the interaction of Hsp16.3 with macrophages was found to depend on chemokine receptors CCRL2 and CX3CR1. Additionally, we used overexpression and silencing techniques to further verify the effect of CCRL2 and CX3CR1 on MTB Hsp16.3-induced M2 polarization macrophages. Furthermore, we explored the downstream signaling molecules of CCRL2 and CX3CR1 and we found MTB Hsp16.3 altered the signal transduction of the AKT/ERK/p38-MAPK. Taken together, this study provides evidence that MTB Hsp16.3 promotes macrophages to M2 phenotype and explores its underlying mechanism.
Scheduling divisible loads with time and cost constraints
Authors: Drozdowski M. , Shakhlevich N. V. 
Published: November 2019

AbstractIn distributed computing, divisible load theory provides an important system model for allocation of data-intensive computations to processing units working in parallel. The main task is to define how a computation job should be split into parts, to which processors those parts should be allocated and in which sequence. The model is characterized by multiple parameters describing processor availability in time, transfer times of job parts to processors, their computation times and processor usage costs. The main criteria are usually the schedule length and cost minimization. In this paper, we provide the generalized formulation of the problem, combining key features of divisible load models studied in the literature, and prove its NP-hardness even for unrestricted processor availability windows. We formulate a linear program for the version of the problem with a fixed number of processors. For the case with an arbitrary number of processors, we close the gaps in the study of special cases, developing efficient algorithms for single criterion and bicriteria versions of the problem, when transfer times are negligible.
Quenched Normal Approximation for Random Sequences of Transformations
Authors: Hella Olli , Stenlund Mikko 
Published: November 2019

AbstractWe study random compositions of transformations having certain uniform fiberwise properties and prove bounds which in combination with other results yield a quenched central limit theorem equipped with a convergence rate, also in the multivariate case, assuming fiberwise centering. For the most part we work with non-stationary randomness and non-invariant, non-product measures. Independently, we believe our work sheds light on the mechanisms that make quenched central limit theorems work, by dissecting the problem into three separate parts.