bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Phase II Study of ABT‐122, a Tumor Necrosis Factor– and Interleukin‐17A–Targeted Dual Variable Domain Immunoglobulin, in Patients With Psoriatic Arthritis With an Inadequate Response to Methotrexate
Authors: Mease Philip J. , Genovese Mark C. , Weinblatt Michael E. , Peloso Paul M. , Chen Kun , Othman Ahmed A. , Li Yihan , Mansikka Heikki T. , Khatri Amit , Wishart Neil , Liu John 
Published: June 2018

ObjectiveTo investigate the safety and efficacy of ABT‐122, a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)– and interleukin‐17A (IL‐17A)–targeted dual variable domain immunoglobulin, in patients with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) who have experienced an inadequate response to methotrexate.MethodsPatients (n = 240) were randomized to receive ABT‐122 (120 or 240 mg every week), adalimumab (40 mg every other week), or placebo in a 12‐week double‐blind, parallel‐group study. The primary efficacy end point was the proportion of patients achieving ≥20% improvement in disease activity according to the American College of Rheumatology response criteria (ACR20) at week 12. Secondary and exploratory 12‐week end points included 50% improvement (ACR50) and 70% improvement (ACR70) response rates, and proportion of patients meeting the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) response criteria for ≥75% (PASI75) and ≥90% (PASI90) improvement in skin scores among those with ≥3% of their body surface area affected by psoriasis.ResultsIn both ABT‐122 dose groups, ACR20 response rates at week 12 (64.8–75.3%) were superior to that in patients receiving placebo (25.0%) (P < 0.001) but similar to that in patients receiving adalimumab (68.1%). ACR50 and ACR70 response rates were also superior in both ABT‐122 dose groups (36.6–53.4% and 22.5–31.5%, respectively) compared to the placebo group (12.5% and 4.2%, respectively) (P < 0.05). Among eligible patients in the placebo, adalimumab, ABT‐122 120 mg every week, and ABT‐122 240 mg every week treatment groups, PASI75 responses were achieved in 27.3%, 57.6%, 74.4%, and 77.6% of patients, respectively, whereas PASI90 responses were achieved in 18.2%, 45.5%, 48.8%, and 46.9% of patients, respectively. Frequencies of treatment‐emergent adverse events, including infections, were similar across all treatment groups, causing no discontinuations. No serious infections or systemic hypersensitivity reactions were reported with ABT‐122.ConclusionDual neutralization of TNF and IL‐17A with ABT‐122 had efficacy and safety that was similar to, and not broadly differentiated from, that of adalimumab over a 12‐week treatment course in patients with PsA.
Asymptotic analysis and optimization of some insurance models
Authors: Bulinskaya Ekaterina 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe aim of the paper is to show how one can perform asymptotic analysis of models arising in insurance, finance, and other applications of probability theory and solve optimization problems. To this end, we consider two insurance models (one continuous‐time and one discrete‐time). The first one is a dual Sparre Andersen insurance model with dividends. It describes not only the functioning of a life insurance company dealing with annuities but also a venture capital investment company or the capital of a business engaged in research and development. The main attention is paid to investigation of a new strategy of dividends payment. The second model deals with short‐term credits in discrete‐time case. We focus here on the system optimization in the framework of cost approach. In other words, expected discounted n‐period costs are chosen as objective function. The optimal policy is obtained using dynamic programming. We introduce also the notion of asymptotic optimality and establish the form of asymptotically optimal policy. The model stability with respect to claim distribution perturbations is dealt with as well. Although we study only the simple cases, the methods proposed here can be useful for solving other optimization and stability problems.
Hydrazide functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for specific extraction of N‐terminal serine and threonine peptides
Authors: Saraji Mohammad , Yousefi Shila 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn this study, we present hydrazide functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as a sorbent prepared by a new and facile method. Scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared were used for characterizing the synthesized nanoparticles. The ability of the sorbent to extract N‐terminal serine and threonine peptides was evaluated. The peptides were modified by oxidation of the hydroxyl group in the 1,2‐amino alcohol structure before extraction. These aldehyde‐forms of peptides were specifically bonded to the hydrazide groups of the sorbent. The formed hydrazone bonds were cleaved in the presence of hydroxylamine reagent. Finally, the oximated peptides were released and quantified with a high‐performance liquid chromatography–diode array spectroscopy. The effects of experimental parameters including extraction time, elution time and elution volume on extraction efficiency were also investigated. The required time for the extraction process to reach equilibrium and elution time was only 8 h. The adsorption efficiency of the sorbent was 79 and 77% for peptides with N‐terminal serine and threonine, respectively. The sorbent showed good specificity for extracting the peptides. In addition, the extraction efficiency of the sorbent remained constant in the presence of a non‐N‐terminal serine and threonine peptide as interference.
Sodium metavanadate induced cognitive decline, behavioral impairments, oxidative stress and down regulation of myelin basic protein in mice hippocampus: Ameliorative roles of β‐spinasterol, and stigmasterol
Authors: Adebiyi Olamide Elizabeth , Olopade James Olukayode , Olayemi Funsho Olakitike 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIntroductionExposures to toxic levels of vanadium and soluble vanadium compounds cause behavioral impairments and neurodegeneration via free radical production. Consequently, natural antioxidant sources have been explored for effective and cheap remedy following toxicity. Grewia carpinifolia has been shown to improve behavioral impairments in vanadium‐induced neurotoxicity, however, the active compounds implicated remains unknown. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate ameliorative effects of bioactive compounds from G. carpinifolia on memory and behavioral impairments in vanadium‐induced neurotoxicity.MethodsSixty BALB/c mice were equally divided into five groups (A–E). A (control); administered distilled water, B (standard); administered α‐tocopherol (500 mg/kg) every 72 hr orally with daily dose of sodium metavanadate (3 mg/kg) intraperitoneally, test groups C, and D; received single oral dose of 100 μg β‐spinasterol or stigmasterol (bioactive compounds from G. carpinifolia), respectively, along with sodium metavanadate and the model group E, received sodium metavanadate only for seven consecutive days. Memory, locomotion and muscular strength were accessed using Morris water maze, Open field and hanging wire tests. In vivo antioxidant and neuroprotective activities were evaluated by measuring catalase, superoxide dismutase, MDA, H2O2, and myelin basic protein (MBP) expression in the hippocampus.ResultsIn Morris water maze, stigmasterol significantly (p ≤ 0.05) decreased escape latency and increased swimming time in target quadrant (28.01 ± 0.02; 98.24 ± 17.38 s), respectively, better than α‐tocopherol (52.43 ± 13.25; 80.32 ± 15.21) and β‐spinasterol (42.09 ± 14.27; 70.91 ± 19.24) in sodium metavanadate‐induced memory loss (112.31 ± 9.35; 42.35 ± 11.05). β‐Spinasterol and stigmasterol significantly increased exploration and latency in open field and hanging wire tests respectively. Stigmasterol also increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, decreased oxidative stress markers and lipid peroxidation in mice hippocampal homogenates, and increased MBP expression.ConclusionsThe findings of this study indicate a potential for stigmasterol, a bioactive compound from G. carpinifolia in improving cognitive decline, motor coordination, and ameliorating oxidative stress in vanadium‐induced neurotoxicity.
Pharmacokinetic Characteristics of Tofacitinib in Adult Patients With Moderate to Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis
Authors: Ma Guangli , Xie Rujia , Strober Bruce , Langley Richard , Ito Kaori , Krishnaswami Sriram , Wolk Robert , Valdez Hernan , Rottinghaus Scott , Tallman Anna , Gupta Pankaj 
Published: June 2018

AbstractTofacitinib is an oral Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor. This study characterized the pharmacokinetics of tofacitinib in patients with psoriasis and evaluated the impact of patient factors on disposition. Pooled phase 2/3 data (2981 patients: 9735 concentrations, dose range: 2‐15 mg twice daily) up to 56 weeks were used for modeling. A one‐compartment model parameterized in terms of apparent oral clearance (CL/F), apparent volume of distribution, zero‐order absorption (duration, D), with interindividual variability and inter‐occasion variability terms, described tofacitinib pharmacokinetics. A full covariate model incorporated effects for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and baseline variables (body weight, Psoriasis Area Severity Index [PASI], C‐reactive protein [CRP], creatinine clearance [CrCl]). The parameter estimates (95%CI) for CL/F, Vd/F, and D in a typical individual (white, male, 86 kg, 46 years, CrCl 121 mL/min, PASI 19.8, and CRP 0.267 mg/dL) were 26.7 (25.9, 27.5) L/h, 125 (120.8, 128.3) liters, and 0.69 (0.646, 0.735) hours, respectively. Only CrCl led to clinically relevant changes in exposure. The analysis suggested no dosing modifications for age, body weight, sex, race, ethnicity, baseline PASI, or CRP based on the magnitude of exposure change. Dosing adjustments for renal impairment were derived from a separate phase 1 study.
Tracing of large‐scale actor systems
Authors: Ciołczyk Michał , Wojakowski Mariusz , Malawski Maciej 
Published: June 2018

SummaryIn large‐scale and distributed actor systems, there are situations where processing messages within one of the actors fails, often due to failures that had occurred earlier in the system. In such cases, tracing down the origin of the failure is difficult since existing monitoring tools only provide ways to collect metrics and statistical information about system execution. In this paper, we describe a new tool for tracing distributed actor systems, Akka Tracing Tool, a library that allows users to generate a trace graph of messages. To address the distributed nature of the environment, we proposed an efficient data collection mechanism based on the one‐way replication technique implemented in CouchDB, a popular document database. The tool was evaluated in a distributed environment of up to 50 nodes set up in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) computing cloud on a real application: car traffic simulation. The measured overhead when tracing all messages was between 39% to 45% on average. The library also proved to be scalable with respect to the number of nodes in the actor system and to be user‐friendly. Owing to these properties, we expect that the tool can simplify finding errors and speed up the development process of actor systems.
Tracking control with event‐triggered strategy for multi‐agent systems with noises
Authors: Tang Zhaojun , Li Chuandong 
Published: June 2018

SummaryThis paper is concerned with a tracking control problem of multi‐agent systems with noises. It is assumed that each agent in the network updates its state only at some discrete time instants, which determined by the event‐triggered condition, and the agents are affected by noises. In order to attenuate the effect of noises, consensus‐gain function is introduced in the control protocol. Centralized and decentralized event‐triggered protocols are proposed to ensure that the followers track the considered leader. With the help of matrix theory and Lyapunov method, sufficient conditions are derived to solve the mean square tracking control. Simulation results are provided to illustrate the theoretical results.
Common species distribution and environmental determinants in South American coastal plains
Authors: Silva Karla J. P. , Souza Alexandre F. 
Published: June 2018

AbstractCommon species correspond to most of the structure and biomass of ecosystems, but the determinants of their distributions and the extent of their overlap are still a matter of debate. Here, we tested the hypotheses that (1) common herbaceous and woody species do not respond individualistically to environmental factors, but rather form groups of species with similar environmental affinities (archetypes), and (2) if local communities comprised cohesive systems, then archetypes of common species will occupy distinct portions of the coast with little or no overlap. We used a large set of climatic and soil variables in restinga heath vegetation along ~9000 km of eastern South American coastal plains. We used species archetype models, a new statistical approach that clusters species based on their environmental responses. We found five herbaceous species archetypes and 11 woody species archetypes, all responsive significantly although weakly to a mixture of climatic and soil variables. In most cases, there was considerable spatial overlap of different archetypes rather than separation along the coastline. Common species form groups with similar environmental affinities, but that did not respond strongly to environmental factors. This suggests an important role for dispersal in the explanation of heath vegetation floristic variation. Local community composition is influenced by groups of species that are not unique to any region and overlap extensively. Restinga heath vegetation communities seem to be considerably individualistic rather than cohesive systems.
A frequency‐dependent and intensity‐dependent macroelement for reduced order seismic analysis of soil‐structure interacting systems
Authors: Lesgidis Nikolaos , Sextos Anastasios , Kwon Oh‐Sung 
Published: June 2018

SummaryThe computational demand of the soil‐structure interaction analysis for the design and assessment of structures, as well as for the evaluation of their life‐cycle cost and risk exposure, has led the civil engineering community to the development of a variety of methods toward the model order reduction of the coupled soil‐structure dynamic system in earthquake regions. Different approaches have been proposed in the past as computationally efficient alternatives to the conventional finite element model simulation of the complete soil‐structure domain, such as the nonlinear lumped spring, the macroelement method, and the substructure partition method. Yet no approach was capable of capturing simultaneously the frequency‐dependent dynamic properties along with the nonlinear behavior of the condensed segment of the overall soil‐structure system under strong earthquake ground motion, thus generating an imbalance between the modeling refinement achieved for the soil and the structure. To this end, a dual frequency‐dependent and intensity‐dependent expansion of the lumped parameter modeling method is proposed in the current paper, materialized through a multiobjective algorithm, capable of closely approximating the behavior of the nonlinear dynamic system of the condensed segment. This is essentially the extension of an established methodology, also developed by the authors, in the inelastic domain. The efficiency of the proposed methodology is validated for the case of a bridge foundation system, wherein the seismic response is comparatively assessed for both the proposed method and the detailed finite element model. The above expansion is deemed a computationally efficient and reliable method for simultaneously considering the frequency and amplitude dependence of soil‐foundation systems in the framework of nonlinear seismic analysis of soil‐structure interaction systems.
Statistical Properties of the GRE® Psychology Test Subscores
Authors: Liu Yuming , Robin Frédéric , Yoo Hanwook , Manna Venessa 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe GRE® Psychology test is an achievement test that measures core knowledge in 12 content domains that represent the courses commonly offered at the undergraduate level. Currently, a total score and 2 subscores, experimental and social, are reported to test takers as well as graduate institutions. However, the American Psychological Association (APA) Board of Educational Affairs and the Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) have expressed a need for reporting new subscores. To meet such a demand, Educational Testing Service (ETS) content experts, in collaboration with the APA and CUDCP, proposed a new mapping of 12 content domains onto 6 subtest areas: biological; cognitive; social; developmental; clinical; and measurement, methodology, and other. In this study, we investigated the latent structure of the test and evaluated the statistical properties of the 6 subscores. Factor analyses showed that the test was essentially unidimensional. The disattenuated correlations among the 6 raw subscores were relatively high. However, when augmented with the total score, the subscores displayed low to moderate value added. Further, profile analyses showed that the augmented subscores displayed noticeably distinct profiles among test takers with the same total score. No evidence suggested that the content mapping of the 6 subscores was unreasonable. Additional validity research is needed to support the use of the 6 subscores, once their intended use is made clearer.
Coupling methods between finite element–based Boussinesq‐type wave and particle‐based free‐surface flow models
Authors: Mitsume Naoto , Donahue Aaron S. , Westerink Joannes J. , Yoshimura Shinobu 
Published: June 2018

SummaryWe develop one‐way coupling methods between a Boussinesq‐type wave model based on the discontinuous Galerkin finite element method and a free‐surface flow model based on a mesh‐free particle method to strike a balance between accuracy and computational cost. In our proposed model, computation of the wave model in the global domain is conducted first, and the nonconstant velocity profiles in the vertical direction are reproduced by using its results. Computation of the free‐surface flow is performed in a local domain included within the global domain with interface boundaries that move along the reproduced velocity field in a Lagrangian fashion. To represent the moving interfaces, we used a polygon wall boundary model for mesh‐free particle methods. Verification and validation tests of our proposed model are performed, and results obtained by the model are compared with theoretical values and experimental results to show its accuracy and applicability.
25 years of research and development at the Institute of Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling at Graz University of Technology
Authors: Schubert Wulf 
Published: June 2018

AbstractThe Institute of Rock Mechanics and Tunnelling at the Graz University of Technology was founded in 1992. From the beginning, the primary focus of research and development was on Alpine tunnelling and slope stability issues, considering geological conditions and their impact on construction. The aim was to improve the current practice, as well as to reduce uncertainties. The research areas can be roughly grouped into rock mass characterization, improvement of monitoring data interpretation, ground behaviour assessment, as well as development and improvement of support elements. The research is documented in about 110 master theses and 30 doctoral theses, and approximately 350 papers.
Reaching for the Light
Authors: Kugler Sabine , Deuerling Steffi , Van Opdenbosch Daniel , Zollfrank Cordt 
Published: June 2018

AbstractIn the search for innovative ways of synthesising new materials, researchers are exploring a wide array of technologies and approaches – from sugar‐producing single‐celled organisms to biotemplates and 3D printing. In one novel technique, scientists are exploiting the sensitivity of microorganisms such as red algae and cyanobacteria.
Caregiver burden in Alzheimer's disease: Moderation effects of social support and mediation effects of positive aspects of caregiving
Authors: Wang Zhixin , Ma Caiyun , Han Hongjuan , He Runlian , Zhou Liye , Liang Ruifeng , Yu Hongmei 
Published: June 2018

ObjectivesAlthough there are many studies on the relationship between patient‐related factors and negative caregiver outcomes, the specifics of this relationship are poorly understood. We aimed to examine whether caregiver social support moderated the relationship between patient factors and negative outcomes for caregivers of community‐dwelling older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD), and whether positive aspects of caregiving mediated this relationship.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional study of patients diagnosed with AD from 2 hospitals and 3 communities in Taiyuan, China, and their caregivers. Latent moderated structural equations and the bias‐corrected percentile bootstrap method were used to estimate the parameters of moderating and mediating effects, respectively.ResultsSocial support significantly moderated the effects of AD patient cognitive function (P < 0.001) and depression (P = 0.001) on caregiver burden. Positive aspects of caregiving completely mediated the association between patient depression and caregiver burden (P = 0.006), caregiver anxiety (P = 0.007), and caregiver depression (P = 0.034).ConclusionsThe findings identify social support as a moderator and positive aspects of caregiving as a mediator of the relationship between patient‐related factors and negative caregiver outcomes. The results suggest that health care providers must offer more effective social support for caregivers. In addition, prompt identification of patient and caregiver emotional states could help to improve quality of life.
Global strategic context and CEO appointments: The importance of a global mind‐set
Authors: Thams Yannick , Chacar Aya , Wiersema Margarethe 
Published: June 2018

Research Summary: The appointment of a new CEO is among the most pivotal and visible decisions made by a board of directors. While prior research has surveyed the impact of performance and governance‐related factors on CEO selection decisions, our understanding of the implications of a firm's global context is limited. This article explores the influence of home country globalization, international diversification, and the undertaking of major cross‐border acquisitions on the appointment of a CEO with a global mind‐set. Using a sample of European and U.S. firms from the Global 500 ranking from 2005 to 2010, we find that companies are likely to match the characteristics of new CEOs with their global strategic contexts.Managerial Summary: In this article, we highlight the interplay between a firm's global context and CEO selection. Our findings indicate that executives aspiring to reach the C‐suite should be highly attuned to the imperatives of aligning their knowledge bases, mind‐sets, and perspectives to grasp the challenges faced by companies operating within a global context. From the board's perspective, the selection of a new CEO provides the opportunity to assess a firm's future strategic direction and enables the board to select an executive with the managerial capabilities required to address the challenges of globalization.