bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Recent highlights in electro‐driven separations‐ selected applications of alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in capillary electrophoresis and capillary electro‐chromatography
Authors: Guihen Elizabeth 
Published: March 2017

AbstractTo date, alkylthiol gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely used in electro‐chromatographic separation techniques as a viable alternative to traditional stationary phases. This is mainly due to their stability, chemical inertness, ease of functionality, increased phase ratio, ability to form self‐assembled monolayers. They also yield versatile stationary phases with highly specific targeted functionalities. At the nanoscale region, the chemical and physical properties of a molecule display different attributes to that of the parent molecules or material, hence these features can be harnessed in electro‐driven chromatographic separations. Application areas illustrating the use of AuNPs in separation science continue to grow and expand to cover many different kinds of analysis. The last decade has witnessed a successful trend in miniaturisation of chemical separation systems toward the micro and nanoscale ranges. Nanoparticle‐based stationary phases fit well with performing chemical separations on microfluidic and capillary platforms. In this review the theory of the use of alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in electro‐chromatographic driven separation methods will be discussed. This will be followed by details of recent and selected applications showing alkylthiol gold nanoparticles in capillary electrophoretic and open‐tubular electro‐chromatographic separations. This review will focus solely on alkylthiol based gold nanoparticles, therefore other kinds of chemical moieties bonded to gold nanoparticles are outside the scope of this review. Finally the future outlook of this exciting technology will be outlined in some detail in the final section.
Dorsomedial prefontal cortex supports spontaneous thinking per se
Authors: Raij T. T. , Riekki T. J. J. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractSpontaneous thinking, an action to produce, consider, integrate, and reason through mental representations, is central to our daily experience and has been suggested to serve crucial adaptive purposes. Such thinking occurs among other experiences during mind wandering that is associated with activation of the default mode network among other brain circuitries. Whether and how such brain activation is linked to the experience of spontaneous thinking per se remains poorly known. We studied 51 healthy subjects using a comprehensive experience‐sampling paradigm during 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging. In comparison with fixation, the experiences of spontaneous thinking and spontaneous perception were related to activation of wide‐spread brain circuitries, including the cortical midline structures, the anterior cingulate cortex and the visual cortex. In direct comparison of the spontaneous thinking versus spontaneous perception, activation was observed in the anterior dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Modality congruence of spontaneous‐experience‐related brain activation was suggested by several findings, including association of the lingual gyrus with visual in comparison with non‐verbal–non‐visual thinking. In the context of current literature, these findings suggest that the cortical midline structures are involved in the integrative core substrate of spontaneous thinking that is coupled with other brain systems depending on the characteristics of thinking. Furthermore, involvement of the anterior dorsomedial prefrontal cortex suggests the control of high‐order abstract functions to characterize spontaneous thinking per se. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3277–3288, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Assessment of biopsy‐proven liver fibrosis by two‐dimensional shear wave elastography: An individual patient data‐based meta‐analysis
Authors: Herrmann Eva , de Lédinghen Victor , Cassinotto Christophe , Chu Winnie C.‐W. , Leung Vivian Y.‐F. , Ferraioli Giovanna , Filice Carlo , Castera Laurent , Vilgrain Valérie , Ronot Maxime , Dumortier Jérôme , Guibal Aymeric , Pol Stanislas , Trebicka Jonel , Jansen Christian , Strassburg Christian , Zheng Rongqin , Zheng Jian , Francque Sven , Vanwolleghem Thomas , Vonghia Luisa , Manesis Emanuel K. , Zoumpoulis Pavlos , Sporea Ioan , Thiele Maja , Krag Aleksander , Cohen‐Bacrie Claude , Criton Aline , Gay Joel , Deffieux Thomas , Friedrich‐Rust Mireen 
Published: March 2017

Two‐dimensional shear wave elastography (2D‐SWE) has proven to be efficient for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in small to moderate‐sized clinical trials. We aimed at running a larger‐scale meta‐analysis of individual data. Centers which have worked with Aixplorer ultrasound equipment were contacted to share their data. Retrospective statistical analysis used direct and paired receiver operating characteristic and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) analyses, accounting for random effects. Data on both 2D‐SWE and liver biopsy were available for 1,134 patients from 13 sites, as well as on successful transient elastography in 665 patients. Most patients had chronic hepatitis C (n = 379), hepatitis B (n = 400), or nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (n = 156). AUROCs of 2D‐SWE in patients with hepatitis C, hepatitis B, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease were 86.3%, 90.6%, and 85.5% for diagnosing significant fibrosis and 92.9%, 95.5%, and 91.7% for diagnosing cirrhosis, respectively. The AUROC of 2D‐SWE was 0.022‐0.084 (95% confidence interval) larger than the AUROC of transient elastography for diagnosing significant fibrosis (P = 0.001) and 0.003‐0.034 for diagnosing cirrhosis (P = 0.022) in all patients. This difference was strongest in hepatitis B patients. Conclusion: 2D‐SWE has good to excellent performance for the noninvasive staging of liver fibrosis in patients with hepatitis B; further prospective studies are needed for head‐to‐head comparison between 2D‐SWE and other imaging modalities to establish disease‐specific appropriate cutoff points for assessment of fibrosis stage. (Hepatology 2018;67:260‐272).
Water balance estimation under the challenge of data scarcity in a hyperarid to Mediterranean region
Authors: Sachse Agnes , Fischer Christian , Laronne Jonathan B. , Hennig Hanna , Marei Amer , Kolditz Olaf , Rödiger Tino 
Published: March 2017

AbstractWater budget analyses are important for the evaluation of the water resources in semiarid and arid regions. The lack of observed data is the major obstacle for hydrological modelling in arid regions. The aim of this study is the analysis and calculation of the natural water resources of the Western Dead Sea subsurface catchment, one which is highly sensitive to rainfall resulting in highly variable temporal and spatial groundwater recharge. We focus on the subsurface catchment and subsequently apply the findings to a large‐scale groundwater flow model to estimate the groundwater discharge to the Dead Sea.We apply a semidistributed hydrological model (J2000g), originally developed for the Mediterranean, to the hyperarid region of the Western Dead Sea catchment, where runoff data and meteorological records are sparsely available. The challenge is to simulate the water budget, where the localized nature of extreme rainstorms together with sparse runoff data results in few observed runoff and recharge events. To overcome the scarcity of climate input data, we enhance the database with mean monthly rainfall data. The rainfall data of 2 satellites are shown to be unsuitable to fill the missing rainfall data due to underrepresentation of the steep hydrological gradient and temporal resolution. Hydrological models need to be calibrated against measured values; hence, the absence of adequate data can be problematic. Therefore, our calibration approach is based on a nested strategy of diverse observations. We calculate a direct surface runoff of the Western Dead Sea surface area (1,801 km2) of 3.4 mm/a and an average recharge (36.7 mm/a) for the 3,816 km2 subsurface drainage basin of the Cretaceous aquifer system.
Concentrations, biological uptake, and respiration of dissolved acrylate and dimethylsulfoxide in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Tyssebotn Inger Marie B. , Kinsey Joanna D. , Kieber David J. , Kiene Ronald P. , Rellinger Alison N. , Motard‐Côté Jessie 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThe abundant marine organosulfur compound, dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) can be degraded to acrylate and dimethylsulfide (DMS), with some DMS further oxidized to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). Despite intensive study of DMSP and DMS in a variety of marine settings, the processes affecting acrylate and DMSO concentrations in marine waters are poorly known, particularly their loss from the dissolved phase through biological uptake. We measured the concentrations of dissolved acrylate (acrylated) and DMSO (DMSOd) in coastal and open‐ocean waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico during non‐bloom conditions and quantified the rates and kinetics of their biological uptake using 14C labeled substrates. Acrylated concentrations and uptake rates ranged from 0.8–2.1 nmol L−1 and 0.07–1.8 nmol L−1 d−1, respectively. Somewhat higher uptake rates were observed for DMSOd (0.27–3.9 nmol L−1 d−1) owing to higher DMSOd concentrations (5.5–14 nmol L−1). Both compounds were taken up by the microbial community with high affinity uptake systems, with similar Ks and Vmax values to those for other well‐studied biological substrates including amino acids and monosaccharides. However, median turnover times were relatively slow, 4.8 d for acrylated and 7.4 d for DMSOd. The slow acrylated turnover points to low supply rates of this compound to the dissolved phase, a finding consistent with previous observations that the microbial DMSP lyase pathway accounts for only a small fraction of dissolved DMSP degradation (and therefore acrylate production) in the Gulf of Mexico.
Using eDNA to determine the source of organic carbon in seagrass meadows
Authors: Reef Ruth , Atwood Trisha B. , Samper‐Villarreal Jimena , Adame Maria Fernanda , Sampayo Eugenia M. , Lovelock Catherine E. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractSeagrasses sequester globally significant amounts of carbon (C), which is stored mainly in the sediment. Both C fixation by the seagrass (autochthonous) and the trapping of organic matter that is derived from outside the ecosystem (allochthonous) contribute to seagrass sediment organic C (OC). However, due to limitations in current methods we do not yet fully understand which sources of C are most important to blue C ecosystems. We used environmental‐DNA (eDNA) to identify and estimate the contribution of floral sources to seagrass sediment OC sampled from three sites in Moreton Bay, Australia that differ in potential levels of autochthonous and allochthonous OC inputs. Using the plant barcode gene rbcL and a next‐generation sequencing platform we identified 150 plant operational taxonomic units in the sediment samples. We found that seagrass DNA composed on average 88% of the eDNA pool in the sediment samples. Allochtonous sources were primarily mangrove, saltmarsh, and freshwater marsh species, but the proportional contribution of other sources varied among meadows. Carbon and nitrogen (N) stable isotope mixing models suggested a lower autochthonous contribution than the eDNA data, but had high ambiguity due to indistinguishable isotopic values among some of the sources. Our study shows that eDNA can be an effective tool for identifying sources to sediment OC in blue C ecosystems and can be used in conjunction with stable isotope analysis to reduce ambiguity. Identifying the sources of OC to the sediments of blue C ecosystems is crucial for building robust and accurate C budgets for these systems.
Structure of the Y. pseudotuberculosis adhesin InvasinE
Authors: Sadana Pooja , Mönnich Manuel , Unverzagt Carlo , Scrima Andrea 
Published: March 2017

AbstractEnteropathogenic Yersinia expresses several invasins that are fundamental virulence factors required for adherence and colonization of tissues in the host. Within the invasin‐family of Yersinia adhesins, to date only Invasin has been extensively studied at both structural and functional levels. In this work, we structurally characterize the recently identified inverse autotransporter InvasinE from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis (formerly InvasinD from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis strain IP31758) that belongs to the invasin‐family of proteins. The sequence of the C‐terminal adhesion domain of InvasinE differs significantly from that of other members of the Yersinia invasin‐family and its detailed cellular and molecular function remains elusive. In this work, we present the 1.7 Å crystal structure of the adhesion domain of InvasinE along with two Immunoglobulin‐like domains. The structure reveals a rod shaped architecture, confirmed by small angle X‐ray scattering in solution. The adhesion domain exhibits strong structural similarities to the C‐type lectin‐like domain of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis Invasin and enteropathogenic/enterohemorrhagic E. coli Intimin. However, despite the overall structural similarity, the C‐type lectin‐like domain in InvasinE lacks motifs required for Ca2+/carbohydrate binding as well as sequence or structural features critical for Tir binding in Intimin and β1‐integrin binding in Invasin, suggesting that InvasinE targets a distinct, yet unidentified molecule on the host‐cell surface. Although the biological role and target molecule of InvasinE remain to be elucidated, our structural data provide novel insights into the architecture of invasin‐family proteins and a platform for further studies towards unraveling the function of InvasinE in the context of infection and host colonization.
The application of a blunt‐tip needle to suture the dorsal venous complex in robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wang Huiqing , Ye Chen , Guo Fei , Yang Bo , Xu Chuanliang , Sun Yinghao 
Published: March 2017

AbstractObjectivesComplete haemostasis of the dorsal venous complex (DVC) is of great importance in robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of blunt‐tip needles in the surgery.MethodsCases of robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy were reviewed. If a blunt‐tip needle had been used to suture the DVC, the patient was recruited to the blunt‐tip group. If a regular needle was used, the patient was recruited to the control group. Patient characteristics and perioperative outcomes were recorded.ResultsOne hundred and nine cases were reviewed. A blunt‐tip needle was used to suture the DVC in 67 cases, and a regular needle in 42 cases. All characteristics of the two groups are comparable (p > 0.05). In 66 cases in the blunt‐tip group, no sutures or coagulations were needed when suturing the DVC, Five cases of DVC‐related bleeding were observed in the control group, which is higher than in the blunt‐tip group (p = 0.031). At the same time, no catheter was sutured in the blunt‐tip group. All patients were followed for at least six months. The continence rate in the blunt‐tip group is 89.6%, significantly higher than in the control group (73.8%, p = 0.031).ConclusionsUsing a blunt‐tip needle to suture the DVC may reduce DVC‐related bleeding and provide a better surgical field. It may be helpful in improving postoperative continence. However, its effect on positive margin at the apex still needs further investigation.
Seismic risk assessment of steel frames equipped with steel panel wall
Authors: Hu Yi , Zhao Junhai , Jiang Liqiang 
Published: March 2017

SummaryThis paper aims to conduct risk assessment on steel frame equipped with steel panel wall (SPWF) through probabilistic seismic demand analysis. First, cyclic test on a SPWF specimen with one‐third scale, one bay, and single story is performed, and the typical limit performance levels were determined in accordance with the test results and the stipulated in FEMA 356. Then, finite element models were built for a 12‐story steel frame and two 12‐story SPWF structures with different lateral stiffness ratio. The seismic performance of these models are investigated through nonlinear time–history analyses, and their limits capacities are determined from incremental dynamic analyses. Besides, fragility functions are developed for these models associated with 10%/50 years and 2%/50 years events, as defined in SAC project. Finally, the annual probabilities of each limits and the collapse probabilities in 50 years for the 3 models are calculated and analyzed, and the function associated with the collapse probability and lateral stiffness ratio is developed. The effectiveness of steel panel wall in reducing the seismic risk of the existing steel frame buildings is validated on the basis of the risk analyses.
Cardiac pathophysiology in twin–twin transfusion syndrome: new insights into its evolution
Authors: Wohlmuth C. , Boudreaux D. , Moise K. J. , Johnson A. , Papanna R. , Bebbington M. , Gardiner H. M. 
Published: March 2017

ABSTRACTObjectivesIn twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), unbalanced transfer of vasoactive mediators and fluid from the donor to the recipient cotwin alters their cardiovascular function. The aims of this study were to describe the impact of TTTS on fetal cardiac function in a large cohort of monochorionic–diamniotic (MCDA) pregnancies, and determine the early hemodynamic response to selective fetoscopic laser photocoagulation (SFLP).MethodsEchocardiography was performed in 145 MCDA pregnancies, including 26 uncomplicated MCDA, 61 TTTS Stages I+II and 58 TTTS Stages III+IV pregnancies, prior to SFLP for TTTS. Echocardiographic data after SFLP were available in a subset of 41/119 (34%) TTTS cases at a mean of 1.7 ± 1.9 days. Mitral (MAPSE) and tricuspid (TAPSE) annular systolic excursion, myocardial performance index (MPI), tissue Doppler velocities (E′, A′, S′) and filling pressures (E/E′) were measured and transformed into Z‐scores. Ventricular pressure was estimated from peak atrioventricular regurgitation velocity.ResultsLeft ventricular hemodynamics of the recipient twin were affected in early TTTS. In all stages of TTTS, left MPI and E/E′ of the recipient twin were elevated in comparison to those of the donor (all P < 0.05), with reduced recipient left S′ in TTTS Stages III+IV (P < 0.001). Ventricular pressure was elevated for gestational age (median, 42 mmHg (range, 20–65 mmHg)) in 11 of 14 recipients in which this parameter was measured. Between‐group difference in right ventricular E/E′ was significant only in TTTS Stages III+IV recipients compared with TTTS Stages I+II (P = 0.007) and uncomplicated MCDA (P = 0.041). Recipient left and right MPI decreased while S′, MAPSE and TAPSE increased after SFLP; in donors, left E/E′ and cardiac output increased.ConclusionsCardiac function of the recipient twin in TTTS is abnormal, even in the early stages of the disease. Left ventricular filling pressures are elevated and systolic function is decreased before abnormalities in the right heart become apparent. SFLP produces rapid hemodynamic improvement. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Researching climate change and community in neoliberal contexts: an emerging critical approach
Authors: Taylor Aiken Gerald , Middlemiss Lucie , Sallu Susannah , Hauxwell‐Baldwin Richard 
Published: March 2017

In a 2011 contribution to this journal, Walker examined the ways that community is routinely employed in carbon governance, suggesting the need for more critical approaches. Here, we characterize an emerging, critical approach to researching climate change and community in neoliberal contexts, focusing attention principally on the global north, where this body of research has emerged. This work recognizes communities as sites of contestation, difference, tension, and distinction, in which action on climate change can be designed to meet a range of political and public ends. It aims to uncover the political and social context for community action on climate change, to be alert to the power relations inside and outside of communities, and to the context of neoliberalism, including individualism, the will to quantify, and competition. Furthermore, research in this space is committed to understanding both the lived experience of the messy empirical worlds we encounter, and the potential agency coalescing in community responses to climate change. Much of the work to date, discussed here, has focused on communities working on climate change mitigation in the global north, in which the idea of community as a space for governance is gaining traction. We also comment on the positioning of these arguments in the context of long‐standing debates in the fields of ‘community‐based’ development, natural resource management, and adaptation in the global South. This discussion establishes a foundation from which to progress learning across fields and geopolitical boundaries, furthering critical thinking on ‘community.’ WIREs Clim Change 2017, 8:e463. doi: 10.1002/wcc.463This article is categorized under:

Perceptions, Behavior, and Communication of Climate Change > Behavior Change and Responses
Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Climate Science and Social Movements
Competitive Civilizing Missions: Hungarian Germans, Modernization, and Ethnographic Descriptions of theZigeunerbefore World War I
Authors: Davis Sacha E. 
Published: March 2017

AbstractThis article examines writings on theZigeuner(“Gypsies”) by three prominent Hungarian-German scholars—Johann Schwicker, Anton Herrmann, and Heinrich von Wlislocki—as responses to Magyarization pressures, which divided Hungarian-Germans by threatening the traditional privileges of some while offering others opportunities for social advancement. Hungarian and German elites alike castZigeuneras primitiveNaturvölkerin an effort to legitimize reform efforts. By writing about theZigeuner, scholars asserted competing Magyar and German models for modernization and reform. Passionate German nationalist Johann Schwicker called for theZigeunerto assimilate into Hungarian and Romanian culture, arguing that Germanization was beyond their reach, thereby asserting German culture's supposedly superior status as an elite culture. By contrast, Hungarian nationalist Anton Herrmann urged the Magyarization of theZigeunerto strengthen the Hungarian nation-state, denigrating the role of German and Romanian culture. Finally, Heinrich Wlislocki rejected all nationalist modernizing efforts, presenting theZigeuneras a romantic symbol of the premodern age. In all three cases, Schwicker's, Herrmann's, and Wlislocki'sZigeunerbore very limited resemblance to Romani lived experience. Collectively, the writings of these three scholars illustrate both the range of Hungarian-German responses to nationalist modernization, as well as the role of national disputes in shapingZigeunerkunde(“Gypsy Studies”).