bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Projected Burden of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis in Australia: A Population‐Level Analysis
Authors: Ackerman Ilana N. , Pratt Clare , Gorelik Alexandra , Liew Danny 
Published: September 2017

ObjectiveTo forecast the prevalence and direct health care costs of osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in Australia to the year 2030.MethodsAn epidemiologic model of the Australian population was developed. Data on the national prevalence of OA and RA were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2014–2015 National Health Survey. Future prevalence was estimated using ABS population projections for 2020, 2025, and 2030. Available government data on direct health care expenditure for OA and RA were modeled to forecast costs (in Australian $) for the years 2020, 2025, and 2030, from the perspective of the Australian public health care system.ResultsThe number of people with OA is expected to increase nationally from almost 2.2 million in 2015 to almost 3.1 million Australians in 2030. The number of people with RA is projected to increase from 422,309 in 2015 to 579,915 in 2030. Health care costs for OA were estimated to be over $2.1 billion in 2015; by the year 2030, these are forecast to exceed $2.9 billion ($970 for every person with the condition). Health care costs for RA were estimated to be over $550 million in 2015, including $273 million spent on biologic disease‐modifying antirheumatic drugs. Health care costs for RA are projected to rise to over $755 million by the year 2030.ConclusionOA and RA are costly conditions that will impose an increasing health care burden at the population level. These projections provide tangible data that can be used to map future health service provision to expected need.
Sub‐Micrometer Structure Formation during Spin Coating Revealed by Time‐Resolved In Situ Laser and X‐Ray Scattering
Authors: van Franeker Jacobus J. , Hermida‐Merino Daniel , Gommes Cedric , Arapov Kirill , Michels Jasper J. , Janssen René A. J. , Portale Giuseppe 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSolution‐processed thin polymer films have many applications, such as organic electronics and block‐copolymer nanofabrication. These films are often made by spin coating a solution that contains one or more solids and can show different phase‐separated structures. The formation mechanism of the droplet‐like morphology is studied here by processing polystyrene (PS) and a fullerene derivative ([6,6]‐phenyl‐C71‐butyric acid methyl ester, [70]PCBM) from o‐xylene. The final structure consists of [70]PCBM droplets partially embedded in a PS‐rich matrix showing interdomain distance of 100–1000 nm as determined from transmission electron microscopy and grazing incidence small angle X‐ray scattering (GISAXS). To elucidate the formation of these morphologies in real time, ultrafast in situ GISAXS coupled with laser interferometry and laser scattering is performed during spin coating. In situ thickness measurements and laser scattering show that liquid–liquid phase separation occurs at ≈70 vol% solvent. Subsequently, in only 100–400 ms, almost dry [70]PCBM domains start to protrude from the swollen PS‐rich matrix. These results are used to verify the ternary phase diagram calculated using Flory–Huggins theory. The discussed multitechnique approach can be applied to study fundamental aspects in soft matter such as phase separation in thin films occurring at very short time scales.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Zinc Glutarate Thin Films
Authors: Salmi Leo D. , Mattinen Miika , Niemi Teemu , Heikkilä Mikko J. , Mizohata Kenichiro , Korhonen Sanna , Hirvonen Sami‐Pekka , Räisänen Jyrki , Ritala Mikko 
Published: September 2017

AbstractDeposition of zinc glutarate thin films by atomic layer deposition is studied at 200–250 °C using zinc acetate and glutaric acid as the precursors. The films are characterized by UV–vis spectrophotometry, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and time‐of‐flight elastic recoil detection analysis. According to X‐ray diffraction, the films deposited at 200 °C are crystalline with a crystal structure matching to zinc glutarate. The elastic recoil detection analysis shows that the composition of the films is a close match to zinc glutarate. Catalytic activity of the films is demonstrated using the copolymerization reaction of propylene oxide and CO2.
Age at reproductive debut: Developmental predictors and consequences for lactation, infant mass, and subsequent reproduction in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Pittet Florent , Johnson Crystal , Hinde Katie 
Published: September 2017

AbstractObjectivesThe age at which females initiate their reproductive career is a critical life‐history parameter with potential consequences on their residual reproductive value and lifetime fitness. The age at reproductive debut may be intimately tied to the somatic capacity of the mother to rear her young, but relatively little is known about the influence of age of first birth on milk synthesis within a broader framework of reproductive scheduling, infant outcomes, and other life‐history tradeoffs.Material and MethodsOur study investigated the predictors of age at first reproduction among 108 captive rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) females, and associations with their milk synthesis at peak lactation, infant mass, and ability to subsequently conceive and reproduce.ResultsThe majority of females reproduced in their fourth year (typical breeders); far fewer initiated their reproductive career one year earlier or one year later (respectively early and late breeders). Early breeders (3‐year‐old) benefited from highly favorable early life development (better juvenile growth, high dominance rank) to accelerate reproduction, but were impaired in milk synthesis due to lower somatic resources and their own continued growth. Comparatively, late breeders suffered from poor developmental conditions, only partially compensated by their delayed reproduction, and evinced compromised milk synthesis. Typical breeders not only produced higher available milk energy but also had best reproductive performance during the breeding and birth seasons following primiparity.DiscussionHere, we refine and extend our understanding of how life‐history tradeoffs manifest in the magnitude, sources, and consequences of variation in age of reproductive debut. These findings provide insight into primate reproductive flexibility in the context of constraints and opportunities.
New primate locality from the early Miocene of Patagonia, Argentina
Authors: Novo Nelson M. , Tejedor Marcelo F. , Pérez María E. , Krause J. Marcelo 
Published: September 2017

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this work is to present a new primate locality with evidence that increases the knowledge on the radiation of the extinct platyrrhine primates.Materials and methodsWe studied the new specimen and compared it to specimens identified as Mazzonicebus almendrae.ResultsThe new first and second molars were comparable to Mazzonicebus almendrae in all morphological details, allowing us to allocate the new specimen to M. almendrae and add comments on morphological variation in this species regarding the orientation of the labial cristae and development of the anterolingual cingulum. This new maxilla also present the first known M3 for the species.DiscussionThe new specimen increases our knowledge of the extinct platyrrhines from Patagonia. Their age and geographical distribution ranges from early to middle Miocene in an area between 40° to 47° of southern latitude.
Graphene Oxide Facilitates Solvent‐Free Synthesis of Well‐Dispersed, Faceted Zeolite Crystals
Authors: Li Hui , Liu Xing , Qi Siqi , Xu Linli , Shi Guosheng , Ding Yihong , Yan Xiaoying , Huang Yong , Geng Jianxin 
Published: September 2017

AbstractZeolites with molecular dimension pores are widely used in petrochemical and fine‐chemical industries. While traditional solvothermal syntheses suffer from environmental, safety, and efficiency issues, the newly developed solvent‐free synthesis is limited by zeolite crystal aggregation. Herein, we report well‐dispersed and faceted silicalite ZSM‐5 zeolite crystals obtained using a solvent‐free synthesis facilitated by graphene oxide (GO). The selective interactions between the GO sheets and different facets, which are confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations, result in oriented growth of the ZSM‐5 crystals along the c‐axis. More importantly, the incorporation of GO sheets into the ZSM‐5 crystals leads to the formation of mesopores. Consequently, the faceted ZSM‐5 crystals exhibit hierarchical pore structures. This synthetic method is superior to conventional approaches because of the features of the ZSM‐5 zeolite.
Fabrication of polypropylene blends with excellent low‐temperature toughness and balanced toughness‐rigidity by a combination of EPR and SEEPS
Authors: Jia Erwen , Shangguan Yonggang , Xiong Junwen , Chen Feng , Zheng Qiang 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTTo overcome serious rigidity depression of rubber‐toughened plastics and fabricate a rigidity‐toughness balanced thermoplastic, a combination of styrene‐[ethylene‐(ethylene‐propylene)]‐styrene block copolymer (SEEPS) and ethylene‐propylene rubber (EPR) was used to toughen polypropylene. The dynamic mechanical properties, crystallization and melting behavior, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/EPR/SEEPS blends were studied in detail. The results show that the combination of SEEPS and EPR can achieve the tremendous improvement of low‐temperature toughness without significant strength and rigidity loss. Dynamic mechanical properties and phase morphology results demonstrate that there is a good interfacial strength and increased loss of compound rubber phase comprised of EPR component and EP domain of SEEPS. Compared with PP/EPR binary blends, although neither glass transition temperature (Tg) of the rubber phase nor Tg of PP matrix in PP/EPR/SEEPS blends decreases, the brittle‐tough transition temperature (Tbd) of PP/EPR/SEEPS blends decreases, indicating that the increased interfacial interaction between PP matrix and compound rubber phase is also an effective approach to decrease Tbd of the blends so as to improve low‐temperature toughness. The balance between rigidity and toughness of PP/EPR/SEEPS blends is ascribed to the synergistic effect of EPR and SEEPS on toughening PP. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45714.
Swelling behavior of polymeric membranes to metalworking fluids
Authors: Nguyen‐Tri Phuong , Tuduri Ludovic , Gauvin Chantal , Triki Ennouri , Vu‐Khanh Toan 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTIn some working places, such as metal manufacturing or automotive services, mechanical hazards commonly occur along with chemical hazards, particularly metalworking fluids (MWFs). The presence of these chemicals could modify the properties of gloves made from polymeric materials and thus reduce their protective properties against chemical contamination (solvent, MWFs) and mechanical risks (puncture and cutting). This work focused on determining the swelling characteristics and the resistance of six polymeric membranes which were exposed to seven industrial MWFs. We found that the swelling tests can be used to classify the potential of coating polymers in descending order of their resistance to MWFs: nitrile, polyurethane > poly(vinyl chloride), neoprene > butyl, latex. The analysis by multiple linear regression showed, for the first time, that the density or the viscosity‐gravity constant of the fluid and Hansen's solubility parameters of the polymers have a significant impact on the swelling of polymer. For the first time, two new multiple regression models have been proposed, to predict the swelling phenomena of polymers under various MWFs with an accuracy of ≈80%. The effect of temperature on mechanical properties and morphology of material was also examined. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45717.
Mitigating thermal runaway of lithium‐ion battery by using thermally sensitive polymer blend as cathode binder
Authors: Le Anh V. , Wang Meng , Noelle Daniel J. , Shi Yang , Qiao Yu 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTThermally sensitive binder (TSB) is developed as an internal safety mechanism of lithium‐ion battery (LIB). The TSB is a polymer blend of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and poly(vinylidene fluoride‐co‐hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF‐HFP). Compared with regular PVDF binder, the softening and swelling of TSB are more pronounced when temperature is above 110 °C. With the TSB, the cycling performance of LIB cell is not affected; upon nail penetration, the heat generation rate is significantly reduced. The crystallinity of TSB is an important factor. This technology may lead to the development of thermal‐runaway‐mitigating LIB cells. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45737.
Biodegradable polypropylene/thermoplastic starch nanocomposites incorporating halloysite nanotubes
Authors: Raee Ehsan , Kaffashi Babak 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTIn this work, polypropylene/thermoplastic starch (PP/TPS) with and without halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) was prepared via melt mixing in order to obtain environmentally friendly plastics. PP‐grafted maleic anhydride (PP‐g‐MA) was used to improve the compatibility among the highly incompatible polymers. The mechanical characterization showed a reduction in the tensile properties of the polymer when TPS increased; however, HNT successfully compensated for some of the observed losses. The results from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that HNT is an efficient reinforcement for the thermal stability improvement. TPS caused an increase in the storage modulus (G′) and the complex viscosity (η*) which marks a change in the viscoelastic properties of the system. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images showed the effective plasticization of starch and better dispersion of TPS in the presence of HNT. Some samples were also buried in the soil to measure their sustainability after their lifetime lapse. The results indicated that TPS improves the biodegradability of the PP/TPS system. PP considerably lowered the moisture uptake of TPS; nevertheless, HNT caused a slight increase in the moisture absorption. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45740.
Preparation of hybrid silicon materials microcapsulated ammonium polyphosphate and its application in thermoplastic polyurethane
Authors: Gao Weiying , Qian Xiaodong , Wang Shujun 
Published: September 2017

ABSTRACTSilica‐gel microencapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (SiOAPP), prepared by traditional sol–gel method, is still incompatible with polymer and easily attacked by moisture due to the presence of lots of hydroxyl group, so the traditional sol–gel method was optimized with polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) to improve the related properties of microcapsules in this study. The results showed that the SiOAPP process and shell shape had changed significantly, and the APP microcapsules with silica/silicone carbon composite shell (SiOCAPP) was successfully prepared. The hydrophobicity of SiOCAPP was much better than that of the SiOAPP, the water contact angle of SiOAPP was 54°, while the water contact angle of SiOCAPP could reach 111°. The property reinforcements of the SiOCAPP in thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were studied and compared with the TPU/SiOAPP composites. The time to ignition reduced by 2 s and the maximal peak of heat release rate (pk‐HRR) increased by 4.4%, but the average heat release rate and total heat release, respectively, reduced by 15.5% and 31.4%, which was a great improvement on the flame retardancy of TPU, and the char residue rate, which is related to the condensed flame retardant effect, increased by 10%. Besides, the tensile strength and elongation at break increased by 11.8% and 5.84%, respectively. Generally, the sol–gel method modified by PDMS provided an novel method to improve the comprehensive properties of APP. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 45742.
Instrumentierte Bauwerksüberwachung im Kontext historischer Bauten
Authors: Lehmann Frank , Schreiner Michael , Reinhardt Hans‐Wolf 
Published: September 2017

AbstractDie instrumentierte Bauwerksüberwachung erweitert die Möglichkeiten eines Ingenieurs hinsichtlich der Beurteilung von Tragwerken. Dabei ist dieses Werkzeug als Ergänzung zu anderen Prüfungen zu sehen, nicht als Alternative, da der Fokus der Messungen auf kurz‐ und langfristigen Veränderungen am Bauwerk liegt und nicht auf der Erfassung des Ist‐Zustands. Besonders bei historischen Bauten bieten sich entsprechende Überwachungen an, da zweifelsohne eine langfristige Erhaltung angestrebt ist. Die Autoren beschreiben in dem Artikel zuerst allgemein die Einbettung der Bauwerksüberwachung in die Bauwerksprüfung, gefolgt von einigen Überlegungen zu Monitoring an historischen Bauten. Zur Illustration wird dieses am Beispiel der instrumentierten Dauerüberwachung des Sommerrefektoriums im Kloster Bebenhausen gezeigt.
A sequential test for assessing observed agreement between raters
Authors: Bersimis Sotiris , Sachlas Athanasios , Chakraborti Subha 
Published: September 2017

AbstractAssessing the agreement between two or more raters is an important topic in medical practice. Existing techniques, which deal with categorical data, are based on contingency tables. This is often an obstacle in practice as we have to wait for a long time to collect the appropriate sample size of subjects to construct the contingency table. In this paper, we introduce a nonparametric sequential test for assessing agreement, which can be applied as data accrues, does not require a contingency table, facilitating a rapid assessment of the agreement. The proposed test is based on the cumulative sum of the number of disagreements between the two raters and a suitable statistic representing the waiting time until the cumulative sum exceeds a predefined threshold. We treat the cases of testing two raters' agreement with respect to one or more characteristics and using two or more classification categories, the case where the two raters extremely disagree, and finally the case of testing more than two raters' agreement. The numerical investigation shows that the proposed test has excellent performance. Compared to the existing methods, the proposed method appears to require significantly smaller sample size with equivalent power. Moreover, the proposed method is easily generalizable and brings the problem of assessing the agreement between two or more raters and one or more characteristics under a unified framework, thus providing an easy to use tool to medical practitioners.
Recoding of synonymous genes to expand evolutionary landscapes requires control of secondary structure affecting translation
Authors: Escudero Jose A. , Nivina Aleksandra , Cambray Guillaume , López‐Igual Rocío , Loot Celine , Mazel Didier 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSynthetic DNA design needs to harness the many information layers embedded in a DNA string. We previously developed the Evolutionary Landscape Painter (ELP), an algorithm that exploits the degeneracy of the code to increase protein evolvability. Here, we have used ELP to recode the integron integrase gene (intI1) in two alternative alleles. Although synonymous, both alleles yielded less IntI1 protein and were less active in recombination assays than intI1. We spliced the three alleles and mapped the activity decrease to the beginning of alternative sequences. Mfold predicted the presence of more stable secondary structures in the alternative genes. Using synonymous mutations, we decreased their stability and recovered full activity. Following a design‐build‐test approach, we have now updated ELP to consider such structures and provide streamlined alternative sequences. Our results support the possibility of modulating gene activity through the ad hoc design of 5′ secondary structures in synthetic genes.
Neural correlates of Korean proverb processing: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors: Yi You Gyoung , Kim Dae Yul , Shim Woo Hyun , Oh Joo Young , Kim Sung Hyun , Kim Ho Sung 
Published: September 2017

AbstractIntroductionThe Korean language is based on a syntactic system that is different from other languages. This study investigated the processing area of the Korean proverb in comparison with the literal sentence using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, the effect of opacity and transparency of proverbs on the activation pattern, when familiarity is set to the same condition, was also examined.MethodsThe experimental stimuli included 36 proverbs and 18 literal sentences. A cohort of 15 healthy participants silently read each sentence for 6 s. A total of 18 opaque proverbs, 18 transparent proverbs, and 18 literal sentences were presented pseudo‐randomly in one of three predesigned sequences.ResultsCompared with the literal sentences, a significant activation pattern was observed in the left hemisphere, including the left inferior frontal gyrus, in association with the proverbs. Compared with the transparent proverbs, opaque proverbs elicited more activation in the right supramarginal gyrus and precuneus.ConclusionsOur study confirmed that the left inferior frontal gyrus mediates the retrieval and/or selection of semantic knowledge in the Korean language. The present findings indicated that the right precuneus and the right supramarginal gyrus may be involved in abstract language processing.
Enzymatic Addition of Alcohols to Terpenes by Squalene Hopene Cyclase Variants
Authors: Kühnel Lisa C. , Nestl Bettina M. , Hauer Bernhard 
Published: September 2017

AbstractSqualene–hopene cyclases (SHCs) catalyze the polycyclization of squalene into a mixture of hopene and hopanol. Recently, amino‐acid residues lining the catalytic cavity of the SHC from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius were replaced by small and large hydrophobic amino acids. The alteration of leucine 607 to phenylalanine resulted in increased enzymatic activity towards the formation of an intermolecular farnesyl–farnesyl ether product from farnesol. Furthermore, the addition of small‐chain alcohols acting as nucleophiles led to the formation of non‐natural ether‐linked terpenoids and, thus, to significant alteration of the product pattern relative to that obtained with the wild type. It is proposed that the mutation of leucine at position 607 may facilitate premature quenching of the intermediate by small alcohol nucleophiles. This mutagenesis‐based study opens the field for further intermolecular bond‐forming reactions and the generation of non‐natural products.