bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Facile Diethylene Glycol Reduction Method for the Synthesis of Ultrafine Pd/C Electrocatalyst with High Electrocatalytic Activity for Methanol Oxidation
Authors: Zhai Y. N. , He S. , Xiao X. , Wu Z. Q. , Li S. N. , Lee J. M. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe high‐quality carbon supported Pd nanoparticles (Pd/C) composites have wide applications in catalysis. In this work, we demonstrate an efficient diethylene glycol (DEG) reduction method for the synthesis of a Pd/C catalyst with high dispersion and small particle size. During the synthesis, no surfactants and halogen ions are introduced in the reaction system, and DEG efficiently acts as solvent and reducing agent, which results in a “clean” Pd surface. Meanwhile, compared to the classic ethylene glycol (EG) reduction method, the present DEG reduction method can produce the high‐quality Pd/C composites. As a result, the as‐prepared Pd/C electrocatalyst exhibits a large electrochemical active surface area and good electrocatalytic performance for the methanol oxidation reaction in an alkaline media, due to the high dispersion and small particle size. This result indicates the as‐prepared Pd/C electrocatalyst has potential applications in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells.
Simulation of laser welding using advanced particle methods
Authors: Hu Haoyue , Fetzer Florian , Berger Peter , Eberhard Peter 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThe process of laser welding is modelled using the meshless Lagrangian Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method. Significant physical effects during the welding process like heat conduction, surface tension, and the occuring phase transitions melting, solidification, and evaporation are considered in the model. By coupling an SPH code with a ray tracer that tracks the propagation of independent light rays in the capillary and calculates the locally absorbed intensity by means of geometrical optics, the laser‐material interaction is represented in detail, even for complex capillary geometries. Therefore, both heat conduction and deep penetration laser welding can be simulated using this co‐simulation approach. The model is able to predict the temperature distribution during the welding process and the dimensions of the resulting weld seam. Furthermore, the vaporisation threshold and deep penetration threshold can be estimated. The numerical results are validated by comparing the obtained threshold values with experimental data and an analytical approximation during seam welding of aluminum. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Bayesian vector autoregressive model for multi‐subject effective connectivity inference using multi‐modal neuroimaging data
Authors: Chiang Sharon , Guindani Michele , Yeh Hsiang J. , Haneef Zulfi , Stern John M. , Vannucci Marina 
Published: November 2016

AbstractIn this article a multi‐subject vector autoregressive (VAR) modeling approach was proposed for inference on effective connectivity based on resting‐state functional MRI data. Their framework uses a Bayesian variable selection approach to allow for simultaneous inference on effective connectivity at both the subject‐ and group‐level. Furthermore, it accounts for multi‐modal data by integrating structural imaging information into the prior model, encouraging effective connectivity between structurally connected regions. They demonstrated through simulation studies that their approach resulted in improved inference on effective connectivity at both the subject‐ and group‐level, compared with currently used methods. It was concluded by illustrating the method on temporal lobe epilepsy data, where resting‐state functional MRI and structural MRI were used. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1311–1332, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Neonatal neural networks predict children behavioral profiles later in life
Authors: Wee Chong‐Yaw , Tuan Ta Anh , Broekman Birit F. P. , Ong Min Yee , Chong Yap‐Seng , Kwek Kenneth , Shek Lynette Pei‐Chi , Saw Seang‐Mei , Gluckman Peter D. , Fortier Marielle V. , Meaney Michael J. , Qiu Anqi 
Published: November 2016

AbstractThis study aimed to examine heterogeneity of neonatal brain network and its prediction to child behaviors at 24 and 48 months of age. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography was employed to construct brain anatomical network for 120 neonates. Clustering coefficients of individual structures were computed and used to classify neonates with similar brain anatomical networks into one group. Internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems were assessed using maternal reports of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at 24 and 48 months of age. The profile of CBCL externalizing and internalizing behaviors was then examined in the groups identified based on the neonatal brain network. Finally, support vector machine and canonical correlation analysis were used to identify brain structures whose clustering coefficients together significantly contribute the variation of the behaviors at 24 and 48 months of age. Four meaningful groups were revealed based on the brain anatomical networks at birth. Moreover, the clustering coefficients of the brain regions that most contributed to this grouping of neonates were significantly associated with childhood internalizing and externalizing behaviors assessed at 24 and 48 months of age. Specially, the clustering coefficient of the right amygdala was associated with both internalizing and externalizing behaviors at 24 months of age, while the clustering coefficients of the right inferior frontal cortex and insula were associated with externalizing behaviors at 48 months of age. Our findings suggested that neural organization established during fetal development could to some extent predict individual differences in behavioral‐emotional problems in early childhood. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1362–1373, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Racial/ethnic differences in kindergartners' reading and math skills: Parents' knowledge of children's development and home‐based activities as mediators
Authors: Sonnenschein Susan , Sun Shuyan 
Published: November 2016

AbstractDespite the growing body of research on parents' beliefs and practices, relatively little is known about the relations between parents' knowledge of children's development, home‐based activities, and children's early reading and math skills. This study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort to examine the differences in Asian, Black, Latino, and White children's early reading and math skills at kindergarten entry and whether parents' knowledge of children's development and home‐based activities mediate the relation. Parents' knowledge of children's development was assessed when children were 9 months. Home‐based activities, including home literacy and enrichment, were assessed when children were preschool age. Asian and White children started kindergarten with significantly higher reading and math scores than Black or Latino children. There also were significant differences across groups in the frequency of engagement in home literacy and enrichment activities. Associations between race/ethnicity and reading/math scores were mediated by parents' knowledge of children's development and home literacy activities. Discussion addresses the importance of parents' knowledge of educationally relevant activities and how to engage in such activities to foster children's reading and math skills and to close racial/ethnic gaps.HighlightsThis paper examined racial/ethnic difference in children's reading and math skills in kindergarten and explores whether parents' knowledge of children's development and home‐based activities mediate the relation between race/ethnicity and children's reading and math skills.By using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort, this study found that there were systematic racial/ethnic differences in parents' knowledge of children's development, home‐based activities, and children's reading and math skills at the start of kindergarten.Parents' knowledge of children's development and home‐based activities were found to mediate the association between race/ethnicity and children's reading and math skills for all groups.
The influence of particles on bioavailability and toxicity of pesticides in surface water
Authors: Knauer Katja , Homazava Nadzeya , Junghans Marion , Werner Inge 
Published: November 2016

Abstract

Environmental risk assessment is an essential part of the approval process for pesticides. Exposure concentrations are compared with ecotoxicological data obtained from standardized laboratory studies and, if available, from field studies to determine the risk of a substance or formulation for aquatic communities. Predicted concentrations in surface waters are derived using, for example, the European FOrum for the Co-ordination of pesticide fate models and their USe (FOCUS) or the German Exposit models, which distinguish between exposure to dissolved and particle-associated pesticide concentrations, because the dissolved concentration is thought to be the best predictor of bioavailability and toxicity. Water and particle-associated concentrations are estimated based on the organic carbon-water partitioning coefficient (KOC). This review summarizes published information on the influence of natural suspended solids on bioavailability and toxicity of pesticides to aquatic organisms (algae, invertebrates and fish), and the value of log KOC and log KOW (octanol-water coefficient) as sole predictors of the bioavailable fraction is discussed. The information showed that: 1) the quality and origin of suspended solids played an important role in influencing pesticide bioavailability and toxicity; 2) a decrease in toxicity due to the presence of suspended solids was shown only for pyrethroid insecticides with log KOW greater than 5, but the extent of this reduction depended on particle concentration and size, and potentially also on the ecotoxicological endpoint; 3) for pesticides with a log KOW less than 3 (e.g., triazines, carbamates, and organophosphates), the impact of particles on bioavailability and toxicity is small and species dependent; and 4) pesticide bioavailability is greatly influenced by the test species and their physiology (e.g., feeding behavior or digestion). We conclude that exposure of aquatic organisms to pesticides and environmental risk of many pesticides might be underestimated in prospective risk assessment, when predicted environmental concentration is estimated based on the KOC of a compound. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:585–600. © 2016 SETAC

Key Points
The quality and origin of the suspended solids (SS) and natural organic matter (NOM) played an important role in their effects on pesticide bioavailability and toxicity to aquatic organisms. A decrease in toxicity due to the presence of SS or NOM was most profound only for the well-studied group of highly hydrophobic pyrethroid insecticides, but the reduction varied strongly depending on the ecotoxicological endpoint. For pesticides with low and moderate hydrophobicity, studies did not reveal a consistent effect of SS or NOM on toxicity: in some cases toxicity was reduced, and in others it was even enhanced. The exposure of aquatic organisms in the environment might be underestimated when calculated dissolved concentrations based on the KOC are used in risk assessment.
Impact of sustained viral response postcurative therapy of hepatitis C‐related hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Manthravadi Sashidhar , Paleti Swathi , Pandya Prashant 
Published: November 2016

Antiviral therapy with interferon based therapies (IBT) has shown potential in improving survival in patients who have undergone resection or locoregional therapy for hepatitis C‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCV‐HCC). However, this benefit has not been definitively ascribed to sustained viral response (SVR). Since IBT has been replaced with new directly acting agents (DAA), which are more efficacious in the treatment of HCV, we sought to better determine the prognostic impact of SVR in HCV‐HCC. A systematic search of MEDLINE and EMBASE from inception through October 2015 was performed to identify studies that described the impact of presence of SVR in patients who underwent curative treatment of HCV‐HCC. Summary hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was estimated for recurrence‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) utilizing a random‐effects model. After reviewing 858 abstracts, ten studies which included a total of 1,794 patients were selected and data was extracted. Of these ten studies, the impact of SVR on RFS and OS was reported in eight and seven studies respectively. In a meta‐analysis which included 1,519 patients, SVR was associated with improved OS (HR 0.18; 95% CI 0.11–0.29, I2 = 2%). We also found that SVR was associated with better RFS in a meta‐analysis (1,241 patients; HR 0.50; 95% CI 0.40–0.63, I2 = 0). In conclusion, SVR is associated with improved OS and RFS in patients with HCV who have undergone resection or locoregional therapy for HCC. Newer DAA therapies which offer increased tolerability and viral eradication should be considered as adjunctive therapy.
Effects of Aliovalent Anion Substitution on the Electronic Structures and Properties of ZnO and CdS
Authors: Shenoy Sandhya , Waghmare Umesh V. , Lingampalli S. R. , Roy Anand , Rao C. N. R. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractAliovalent anion substitution in ZnO, CdS, and related materials brings about drastic changes in their electronic structure and properties, making them colored, with a narrow band gap. Progressive substitution of N and F in ZnO leads to the formation of Zn2NF, with complete replacement of O with N and F. The band gaps of Zn2NF and O‐doped Zn2NF are smaller than the band gap in ZnO, because N 2p states create a new sub‐band above the valence band. Band‐edge energies of these compounds are thermodynamically favorable for water splitting. First‐principles calculations of P‐ and Cl‐substituted CdS and ZnS show the presence of a band just above the valence band, due to the p orbitals of the trivalent dopant, resulting in a noticeable reduction in the band gap of these materials. Such substitution of anions can be quite effective in engineering the valence band, and hence, in tuning the related properties of materials. Complete substitution of S with P and Cl in CdS should result Cd2PCl, but the resulting material is Cd2PCl1.5 or Cd4P2Cl3. Cd4P2Cl3 shows a band gap of 2.36 eV and a photoluminescence band at 580 nm. First‐principles calculations show it to be an effective photocatalyst for water splitting; it is shown experimentally to exhibit photocatalytic hydrogen evolution in the presence and absence of a sacrificial agent. Moreover, resilience to photocorrosion is a unique property of Cd4P2Cl3.
Modelling and trading the London, New York and Frankfurt stock exchanges with a new gene expression programming trader tool
Authors: Karathanasopoulos Andreas 
Published: November 2016

SummaryThe scope of this manuscript is to present a new short‐term financial forecasting and trading tool: the Gene Expression Programming (GEP) Trader Tool. It is based on the gene expression programming algorithm. This algorithm is based on a genetic programming approach, and provides supreme statistical and trading performance when used for modelling and trading financial time series. The GEP Trader Tool is offered through a user‐friendly standalone Java interface. This paper applies the GEP Trader Tool to the task of forecasting and trading the future contracts of FTSE100, DAX30 and S&P500 daily closing prices from 2000 to 2015. It is the first time that gene expression programming has been used in such massive datasets. The model's performance is benchmarked against linear and nonlinear models such as random walk model, a moving‐average convergence divergence model, an autoregressive moving average model, a genetic programming algorithm, a multilayer perceptron neural network, a recurrent neural network a higher order neural network. To gauge the accuracy of all models, both statistical and trading performances are measured. Experimental results indicate that the proposed approach outperforms all the others in the in‐sample and out‐of‐sample periods by producing superior empirical results. Furthermore, the trading performances are improved further when trading strategies are imposed on each of the models.
Osteogenic potential of stem cells‐seeded bioactive nanocomposite scaffolds: A comparative study between human mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone, umbilical cord Wharton's jelly, and adipose tissue
Authors: Kargozar Saeid , Mozafari Masoud , Hashemian Seyed Jafar , Brouki Milan Peiman , Hamzehlou Sepideh , Soleimani Mansooreh , Joghataei Mohammad Taghi , Gholipourmalekabadi Mazaher , Korourian Alireza , Mousavizadeh Kazem , Seifalian Alexander M. 
Published: November 2016

AbstractBone regeneration is considered as an unmet clinical need, the aim of this study is to investigate the osteogenic potential of three different mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from human bone marrow (BM‐MSCs), umbilical cord Wharton's jelly (UC‐MSCs), and adipose (AD‐MSCs) seeded on a recently developed nanocomposite scaffold (bioactive glass/gelatin) implanted in rat animal models with critical size calvarial defects. In this study, after isolation, culture, and characterization, the MSCs were expanded and seeded on the scaffolds for in vitro and in vivo studies. The adhesion, proliferation, and viability of the cells on the scaffolds evaluated in vitro, showed that the scaffolds were biocompatible for further examinations. In order to evaluate the scaffolds in vivo, rat animal models with critical size calvarial defects were randomly categorized in four groups and treated with the scaffolds. The animals were sacrificed at the time points of 4 and 12 weeks of post‐implantation, bone healing process were investigated. The histological and immunohistological observations showed (p < 0.01) higher osteogenesis capacity in the group treated with BM‐MSCs/scaffolds compared to the other groups. However, the formation of new angiogenesis was evidently higher in the defects filled with UC‐MSCs/scaffolds. This preliminary study provides promising data for further clinical trials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 106B: 61–72, 2018.
Association of Muscle Weakness With Post-Fracture Mortality in Older Men and Women: A 25-Year Prospective Study
Authors: Pham Hanh M , Nguyen Sing C , Ho-Le Thao P , Center Jacqueline R , Eisman John A , Nguyen Tuan V 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

Osteoporotic fracture increases the risk of premature mortality. Muscle weakness is associated with both increased fracture risk and low bone mineral density (BMD). However, the role of muscle strength in post-fracture mortality is not well understood. This study examines the change of muscle strength measured at quadriceps (QS) before and after fracture and defines the relationship between muscle strength and post-fracture mortality. The study involved 889 women and 295 men (who were participating in the Dubbo Osteoporosis Study) who had at least one low-trauma fracture (ascertained from X-ray reports) after the age of 50 years. Median follow-up time was 11 years (range 1 to 24). To determine the change in muscle strength before and after a fracture, we selected a subset of 344 women and 99 men who had had at least two muscle strength measurements before the fracture event and a subset of 407 women and 105 men who had had at least two measurements after the fracture. During the follow-up period, 366 (41.2%) women and 150 (50.9%) men died. The annual rate of decrease in height-adjusted muscle strength before fracture was 0.27 kg/m (1.85%) in women and 0.40 kg/m (1.79%) in men. Strength loss after fracture was not significantly different from that before fracture. In women, after adjusting for baseline age and BMD, each SD (5 kg/m) lower height-adjusted pre- and post-fracture quadriceps strength was associated with a 27% (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07, 1.50) and 18% (HR = 1.18; 95% CI 1.01, 1.38) increase in post-fracture mortality risk, respectively. Similarly, in men, each SD (5 kg/m) lower height-adjusted pre- and post-fracture QS was associated with increased mortality before fracture (HR = 1.33; 95% CI 1.09, 1.63) and after fracture (HR = 1.43; 95% CI 1.16, 1.78). Muscle weakness accounted for 15% (95% CI 0.05, 0.24) of premature deaths after fracture in women and 23% (95% CI 0.11, 0.35) in men. These results indicate that in the older individuals, lower muscle strength is an independent risk factor for post-fracture mortality. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Sclerostin Antibody Administration Converts Bone Lining Cells Into Active Osteoblasts
Authors: Kim Sang Wan , Lu Yanhui , Williams Elizabeth A , Lai Forest , Lee Ji Yeon , Enishi Tetsuya , Balani Deepak H , Ominsky Michael S , Ke Hua Zhu , Kronenberg Henry M , Wein Marc N 
Published: November 2016

ABSTRACT

Sclerostin antibody (Scl-Ab) increases osteoblast activity, in part through increasing modeling-based bone formation on previously quiescent surfaces. Histomorphometric studies have suggested that this might occur through conversion of bone lining cells into active osteoblasts. However, direct data demonstrating Scl-Ab-induced conversion of lining cells into active osteoblasts are lacking. Here, we used in vivo lineage tracing to determine if Scl-Ab promotes the conversion of lining cells into osteoblasts on periosteal and endocortical bone surfaces in mice. Two independent, tamoxifen-inducible lineage-tracing strategies were used to label mature osteoblasts and their progeny using the DMP1 and osteocalcin promoters. After a prolonged “chase” period, the majority of labeled cells on bone surfaces assumed a thin, quiescent morphology. Then, mice were treated with either vehicle or Scl-Ab (25 mg/kg) twice over the course of the subsequent week. After euthanization, marked cells were enumerated, their thickness quantified, and proliferation and apoptosis examined. Scl-Ab led to a significant increase in the average thickness of labeled cells on periosteal and endocortical bone surfaces, consistent with osteoblast activation. Scl-Ab did not induce proliferation of labeled cells, and Scl-Ab did not regulate apoptosis of labeled cells. Therefore, direct reactivation of quiescent bone lining cells contributes to the acute increase in osteoblast numbers after Scl-Ab treatment in mice. © 2016 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Abstract
Sclerostin antibody rapidly increases osteoblast numbers, but the underlying cellular mechanisms responsible remain unknown. Kim et al. used two lineage tracing models to demonstrate the sclerostin antibody directly converts quiescent bone lining cells into active osteoblasts.