bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Non‐Uniform and Absolute Minimal Sampling for High‐Throughput Multidimensional NMR Applications
Authors: Li Dawei , Hansen Alexandar L. , Bruschweiler‐Li Lei , Brüschweiler Rafael 
Published: March 2018

AbstractMany biomolecular NMR applications can benefit from the faster acquisition of multidimensional NMR data with high resolution and their automated analysis and interpretation. In recent years, a number of non‐uniform sampling (NUS) approaches have been introduced for the reconstruction of multidimensional NMR spectra, such as compressed sensing, thereby bypassing traditional Fourier‐transform processing. Such approaches are applicable to both biomacromolecules and small molecules and their complex mixtures and can be combined with homonuclear decoupling (pure shift) and covariance processing. For homonuclear 2D TOCSY experiments, absolute minimal sampling (AMS) permits the drastic shortening of measurement times necessary for high‐throughput applications for identification and quantification of components in complex biological mixtures in the field of metabolomics. Such TOCSY spectra can be comprehensively represented by graphic theoretical maximal cliques for the identification of entire spin systems and their subsequent query against NMR databases. Integration of these methods in webservers permits the rapid and reliable identification of mixture components. Recent progress is reviewed in this Minireview.
Ion‐Molecule Reaction for the Selective Detection of Hydrocarbons in Diesel Exhaust Gas
Authors: Kaspar Marcel , Rabl Hans‐Peter , Mayer Wolfgang 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe hydrocarbons present in the diesel exhaust gas are analyzed. A mass spectrometer is used for the measurements, and it operates on the basis of an ion‐molecule reaction. This method is especially suitable because it is selective, is as free of fragments as possible, and is highly sensitive to the species that need to be measured. The study shows that numerous hydrocarbons in diesel exhaust gas can be identified. In particular, three molecules, ethyne, ethene and propene, were analyzed online in‐depth on an engine test bench under different engine operating conditions.
Development of aqueous two‐phase systems comprising poly ethylene glycol and dextran for purification of pullulan: Phase diagrams and fiscal analysis
Authors: Badhwar Parul , Kumar Punit , Dubey Kashyap Kumar 
Published: March 2018

AbstractPullulan is a commercially important Exopolysaccharide (EPS) with wide‐spread applications which is produced by Aureobasidium pullulans. The alternative α (1 4) & α (1 6) configuration in pullulan provides it the specific structural and conformational properties. Pullulan is currently being exploited in food, health care, pharmacy, lithography, cosmetics. The fermented broth is processed by organic solvent precipitation for isolation and purification of pullulan. In this study, we have tried to analyze the potential of aqueous two phase system as an alternate technique to extract pullulan from fermented broth. Including this viability of ATPS was also compared with conventional organic solvent precipitation system in terms of cost and time. It was found that ATPS process produced a higher yield of pullulan (80.56%) than organic solvent precipitation method (71.6%). ATPS was also found more economical and less time consuming method.
Ring‐Opening Metathesis Copolymerization of Cyclopentene Above and Below Its Equilibrium Monomer Concentration
Authors: Torre Michael , Mulhearn William D. , Register Richard A. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractCyclopentene (C) and norbornene (N) may both be enchained by ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). N homopolymerizes to essential completion, but C has a significant equilibrium monomer concentration, [C]eq = 1.17 m at 30 °C. While C cannot homopolymerize below [C]eq, it can still be enchained in copolymerizations with N. A terminal kinetic model, where one monomer shows depropagation competitive with propagation, well represents experimental data for the “living” ROMP copolymerization of C and N with a Mo‐based “Schrock‐type” initiator, covering a broad range of monomer feed ratios, both above and below [C]eq. Incorporating a penultimate unit effect on C depropagation increases the model's accuracy when both the monomers are dilute. Below [C]eq, polymerization halts when all N is consumed; above [C]eq, a C homopolymer block forms once all N is consumed. As polycyclopentene may be hydrogenated to linear polyethylene, such copolymerizations offer a facile route to polyethylene‐containing block copolymers from a single charge of mixed‐monomer feed.
Tadalafil attenuates hypotonicity‐induced Ca2+ influx via TRPV2 and TRPV4 in primary rat bladder urothelial cell cultures
Authors: Dong Xiao , Nakagomi Hiroshi , Miyamoto Tatsuya , Ihara Tatsuya , Kira Satoru , Sawada Norifumi , Mitsui Takahiko , Takeda Masayuki 
Published: March 2018

AimsTo investigate the localization of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) and the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of the PDE5 inhibitor tadalafil in signal transduction in the bladder urothelium.MethodsPDE5 expression in rat bladder tissues and cultured primary rat bladder urothelial cells was evaluated using immunochemistry and western blot assays. Ca2+ influx in cells exposed to isotonic solution, hypotonic solution, a selective transient receptor potential vanilloid 2 (TRPV2) channel agonist (cannabidiol), a selective TRPV4 channel agonist (GSK1016790A), a TRP cation channel melastatin 7 (TRPM7) channel agonist (PIP2), or a purinergic receptor agonist (ATP) in the presence or absence of 10 µM tadalafil was evaluated using calcium imaging techniques. We also evaluated stretch‐induced changes in ATP concentration in the mouse bladder in the presence or absence of 100 µM tadalafil.ResultsImmunochemistry and western blot analyses demonstrated that PDE5 is abundantly expressed in the bladder urothelium and in primary rat urothelial cells. Ca2+ influx induced by hypotonic stimulation, GSK1016790A, or cannabidiol was significantly inhibited by tadalafil, whereas ATP‐induced Ca2+ influx was unaffected by tadalafil. PIP2 did not induce Ca2+ influx. ATP release in tadalafil‐pretreated bladders significantly decreased compared to control bladders.ConclusionsTadalafil attenuates Ca2+ influx via TRPV4 and TRPV2, and inhibits ATP release in the bladder urothelium. These findings indicate that tadalafil functions as an inhibitor of urothelial signal transduction.
Chronic Stress and Impulsive Risk‐Taking Predict Increases in Visceral Fat over 18 Months
Authors: Mason Ashley E. , Schleicher Samantha , Coccia Michael , Epel Elissa S. , Aschbacher Kirstin 
Published: March 2018

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine whether baseline chronic stress and impulsive risk‐taking synergistically predict changes in visceral fat among healthy mothers in an observational, longitudinal, 18‐month study.MethodsA prospective cohort of 113 adult women (age, mean ± SD: 42.83 ± 4.70; BMI, mean ± SD: 24.86 ± 4.32; 74%,n = 84 white) completed assessments at baseline and 18‐month follow‐up. Chronically stressed mothers caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (“caregivers”;n = 72 participants) were compared with lower stress mothers caring for a neurotypical child (“controls”;n = 41). This study objectively assessed impulsive risk‐taking by using the Behavioral Analog Risk Task at baseline and assessed visceral fat at baseline and 18‐month follow‐up by using bioelectrical impedance (ViScan; Tanita Corporation, Tokyo, Japan).ResultsThe interaction of baseline chronic caregiving stress and impulsive risk‐taking predicted an 18‐month change in visceral fat, such that greater impulsive risk‐taking was associated with greater 18‐month increases in visceral fat among caregivers (ß = 0.423;P = 0.005) but not among controls (ß = −0.030;P = 0.802), both in unadjusted models and after accounting for covariates. Neither chronic stress nor impulsive risk‐taking independently predicted 18‐month changes in visceral fat.ConclusionsThe combination of high chronic stress and high impulsive risk‐taking may increase risk for visceral fat gain over time and therefore may be an important intervention target in obesity prevention.
Surfactant deficiency syndrome in an infant with a C‐terminal frame shift in ABCA3: A case report
Authors: Akil Nour , Fischer Anthony J. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractDeficiency in ATP binding cassette A3 (ABCA3) causes neonatal respiratory distress, hypoxemic respiratory failure, and interstitial lung disease. ABCA3 transports phospholipids into the lamellar bodies of type II alveolar cells, a critical step in alveolar surfactant production. We report a term infant with ABCA3 surfactant deficiency syndrome with the E292V (c.875A>T; p.Glu292Val) mutation in trans with a novel C‐terminal frame shift mutation (c.4938delC; p.Met1647fs). This mutation removes the final 58 amino acids and substitutes 33 incorrect amino acids. The frame shift spares membrane spanning and nucleotide binding domains, but disrupts a highly conserved C‐terminal domain, which includes sequence motifs necessary for the function of human paralogs ABCA1, ABCA4, and the bacterial homolog DrrA. This observation suggests the C‐terminal domain is also required for normal function of ABCA3.
Microfinance institutions fostering sustainable development
Authors: García‐Pérez Icíar , Muñoz‐Torres María Jesús , Fernández‐Izquierdo María Ángeles 
Published: March 2018

AbstractThe microfinance sector is considered an important contributor to the expansion of formal financial systems. It plays a significant role in sustainable development. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) as key actors in the microfinance sector require an organizational management framework that facilitates sustainable growth. The objective of this study is to define a balanced MFI sustainability approach that considers financial, environmental, social and governance dimensions as equally important. Through a clustering process, this research establishes the relationship between the various sustainability indicators provided by MixMarket, and it determines different MFI sustainability profiles. This research uses the Kruskal–Wallis method to characterize each group based on outreach, financial and risk indicators. The results show that there is no balance between the different sustainability areas, and lead to the conclusion that it is necessary to promote an integrative approach to foster sustainability management practices in the microfinance industry.
A Systematic Review of Sexual Distress Measures
Authors: Santos-Iglesias Pablo , Mohamed Bijan , Walker Lauren M. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBackgroundSexual distress is an important component of sexual dysfunction and quality of life and many different measures have been developed for its assessment.AimTo conduct a literature review of measures for assessing sexual distress and to list, compare, and highlight their characteristics and psychometric properties.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using Scopus and PubMed databases to identify studies that developed and validated measures of sexual distress. The main characteristics and psychometric properties of each measure were extracted and examined.OutcomesPsychometrically validated measures of sexual distress and a summary of relative strengths and limitations.ResultsWe found 17 different measures for the assessment of sexual distress. 4 were standalone questionnaires and 13 were subscales included in questionnaires that assessed broader constructs. Although 5 measures were developed to assess sexual distress in the general population, most were developed and validated in very specific clinical groups. Most followed adequate steps in the development and validation process and have strong psychometric properties; however, several limitations were identified.Clinical TranslationThis literature review offers researchers and clinicians a list of sexual distress measures and relevant characteristics that can be used to select the best assessment tool for their objectives.Strengths and LimitationsA thorough search procedure was used; however, there is still a chance that relevant articles might have been missed owing to our search methodology and inclusion criteria.ConclusionThis is a novel and state-of-the-art review of assessment tools for sexual distress that includes valuable information measure selection in the study of sexual distress and sexual dysfunction.
The Public Life of Private Law: Tort Law as a Risk Regulation Mechanism
Authors: KYSAR Douglas A 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAgainst the backdrop of contemporary climate change lawsuits, this article presents preliminary research findings regarding a remarkable and underappreciated moment in the common law pre-history of modern environmental, health, and safety regulation. The findings complicate the conventional academic story about the limited capabilities of tort law and its inevitable displacement by more institutionally robust and sophisticated forms of regulation. Section I offers a brief introduction, followed in Section II by a review of existing academic literature on the pros and cons of utilising tort law as a regulatory device. As will be seen, the consensus view seems to be that tort law is a clumsy and imperfect mechanism for addressing most environmental, health, and safety risks. Section III argues that the debate over tort law’s potential as a risk regulation mechanism ignores the distinctively private law history and character of that body of law, essentially asking tort to serve a purpose for which it was neither intended nor designed. Section IV then presents a case study of nuisance litigation in which the tort system achieves a remarkable and underappreciated risk regulation effect precisely by focusing narrowly on the traditional task of adjudicating alleged wrongs between private parties. Section V concludes.
Long-Term Impact of Universal Contact Precautions on Rates of Multidrug-Resistant Organisms in ICUs: A Comparative Effectiveness Study
Authors: Furuya E. Yoko , Cohen Bevin , Jia Haomiao , Larson Elaine L. 
Published: March 2018

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the impact of universal contact precautions (UCP) on rates of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in intensive care units (ICUs) over 9 yearsDESIGNRetrospective, nonrandomized observational studySETTINGAn 800-bed adult academic medical center in New York CityPARTICIPANTSAll patients admitted to 6 ICUs, 3 of which instituted UCP in 2007METHODSUsing a comparative effectiveness approach, we studied the longitudinal impact of UCP on MDRO incidence density rates, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. Data were extracted from a clinical research database for 2006–2014. Monthly MDRO rates were compared between the baseline period and the UCP period, utilizing time series analyses based on generalized linear models. The same models were also used to compare MDRO rates in the 3 UCP units to 3 ICUs without UCPs.RESULTSOverall, MDRO rates decreased over time, but there was no significant decrease in the trend (slope) during the UCP period compared to the baseline period for any of the 3 intervention units. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between UCP units (6.6% decrease in MDRO rates per year) and non-UCP units (6.0% decrease per year; P=.840).CONCLUSIONThe results of this 9-year study suggest that decreases in MDROs, including multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacilli, were more likely due to hospital-wide improvements in infection prevention during this period and that UCP had no detectable additional impact.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018;39:534–540
The neuropathological study of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein in the temporal lobe of schizophrenia patients
Authors: Marui Tomoyasu , Torii Youta , Iritani Shuji , Sekiguchi Hirotaka , Habuchi Chikako , Fujishiro Hiroshige , Oshima Kenichi , Niizato Kazuhiro , Hayashida Shotaro , Masaki Katsuhisa , Kira Junichi , Ozaki Norio 
Published: March 2018

AbstractObjectiveRecent studies based on the neuroimaging analysis, genomic analysis and transcriptome analysis of the postmortem brain suggest that the pathogenesis of schizophrenia is related to myelin-oligodendrocyte abnormalities. However, no serious neuropathological investigation of this protein in the schizophrenic brain has yet been performed. In this study, to confirm the change in neuropathological findings due to the pathogenesis of this disease, we observed the expression of myelin-oligodendrocyte directly in the brain tissue of schizophrenia patients.MethodsMyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) was evaluated in the cortex of the superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the hippocampus in 10 schizophrenic and nine age- and sex-matched normal control postmortem brains.ResultsThe expression of MOG was significantly lower in the middle layer of the neocortex of the STG and stratum lucidum of CA3 in the hippocampus in the long-term schizophrenic brains (patients with ≥30 years of illness duration) than in the age-matched controls. Furthermore, the thickness of MOG-positive fibre-like structures was significantly lower in both regions of the long-term schizophrenic brains than in the age-matched controls.ConclusionThese findings suggest that a long duration of illness has a marked effect on the expression of MOG in these regions, and that myelin-oligodendrocyte abnormalities in these regions may be related to the progressive pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
Nuclear transport inEntamoeba histolytica: knowledge gap and therapeutic potential
Authors: Gwairgi Marina A. , Ghildyal Reena 
Published: March 2018

AbstractEntamoeba histolyticais the protozoan parasite that causes human amoebiasis. It is one of the leading parasitic disease burdens in tropical regions and developing countries, with spread to developed countries through migrants from and travellers to endemic regions.UnderstandingE. histolytica’s invasion mechanisms requires an understanding of how it interacts with external cell components and how it engulfs and kills cells (phagocytosis). Recent research suggests that optimal phagocytosis requires signalling events from the cell surface to the nucleusviathe cytoplasm, and the induction of several factors that are transported to the plasma membrane. Current research in other protozoans suggests the presence of proteins with nuclear localization signals, nuclear export signals and Ran proteins; however, there is limited literature on their functionality and their functional similarity to higher eukaryotes.Based on learnings from the development of antivirals, nuclear transport elements inE. histolyticamay present viable, specific, therapeutic targets.In this review, we aim to summarize our limited knowledge of the eukaryotic nuclear transport mechanisms that are conserved and may function inE. histolytica.
Leg structure explains host site preference in bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) parasitizing neotropical bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)
Authors: Hiller Thomas , Honner Benjamin , Page Rachel A. , Tschapka Marco 
Published: March 2018

AbstractBat flies (Streblidae) are diverse, obligate blood-feeding insects and probably the most conspicuous ectoparasites of bats. They show preferences for specific body regions on their host bat, which are reflected in behavioural characteristics. In this study, we corroborate the categorization of bat flies into three ecomorphological groups, focusing only on differences in hind leg morphology. As no detailed phylogeny of bat flies is available, it remains uncertain whether these morphological differences reflect the evolutionary history of bat flies or show convergent adaptations for the host habitat type. We show that the division of the host bat into three distinct habitats contributes to the avoidance of interspecific competition of bat fly species. Finally, we found evidence for density-dependent competition between species belonging to the same ecomorphological group.
Allocation of attention to scenes of peer harassment: Visual–cognitive moderators of the link between peer victimization and aggression
Authors: Troop-Gordon Wendy , Gordon Robert D. , Schwandt Bethany M. , Horvath Gregor A. , Ewing Lee Elizabeth , Visconti Kari J. 
Published: March 2018

AbstractAs approximately one-third of peer-victimized children evidence heightened aggression (Schwartz, Proctor, &amp; Chien, 2001), it is imperative to identify the circumstances under which victimization and aggression co-develop. The current study explored two potential moderators of victimization–aggression linkages: (a) attentional bias toward cues signaling threat and (b) attentional bais toward cues communicating interpersonal support. Seventy-two fifth- and sixth-grade children (34 boys; Mage = 11.67) were eye tracked while watching video clips of bullying. Each scene included a bully, a victim, a reinforcer, and a defender. Children's victimization was measured using peer, parent, and teacher reports. Aggression was measured using peer reports of overt and relational aggression and teacher reports of aggression. Victimization was associated with greater aggression at high levels of attention to the bully. Victimization was also associated with greater aggression at low attention to the defender for boys, but at high attention to the defender for girls. Attention to the victim was negatively correlated with aggression regardless of victimization history. Thus, attentional biases to social cues integral to the bullying context differentiate whether victimization is linked to aggression, necessitating future research on the development of these biases and concurrent trajectories of sociobehavioral development.
PROJECTIVE STRUCTURES AND -CONNECTIONS
Authors: Pantilie Radu 
Published: March 2018

We extend T. Y. Thomas’s approach to projective structures, over the complex analytic category, by involving the$\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$-connections. This way, a better control of projective flatness is obtained and, consequently, we have, for example, the following application: if the twistor space of a quaternionic manifold$P$is endowed with a complex projective structure then$P$can be locally identified, through quaternionic diffeomorphisms, with the quaternionic projective space.
Wideband low-profile aperture-coupled circularly polarized antenna based on metasurface
Authors: Zheng Qi , Guo Chenjiang , Ding Jun 
Published: March 2018

AbstractIn this paper, a metasurface-based aperture-coupled circularly polarized (CP) antenna with wideband and high radiation gain is proposed and analyzed. The proposed antenna is comprised of coplanar waveguide coupling with 4 × 4 corner truncated square patches, which show compact size and low profile. The mechanism of the CP antenna is analyzed theoretically based on the mode analysis and equivalent circuit analysis. The parameters of feeding structure and truncated corner are studied and optimized to achieve wide impedance bandwidth (BW) and axial ratio (AR) BW. Finally, an overall size of 38.8 mm × 38.8 mm × 3.5 mm (0.71λ0 × 0.71λ0 × 0.064λ0 at 5.5 GHz) CP antenna is proposed and fabricated. The simulated results demonstrate that over 41.7% impedance BW (S11 < −10 dB) of 4.55–6.95 GHz and 3 dB AR BW of 5.05–6.15 GHz (fractional BW is about 19.6%) are achieved. In addition, the antenna yielded a broadside CP radiation with a high gain average about 7.5 dBic. Experimental results are in good agreement with the simulated ones.