bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Histological and reference system for the analysis of mouse intervertebral disc
Authors: Tam Vivian , Chan Wilson C.W. , Leung Victor Y.L. , Cheah Kathryn S.E. , Cheung Kenneth M.C. , Sakai Daisuke , McCann Matthew R. , Bedore Jake , Séguin Cheryle A. , Chan Danny 
Published: June 2017

ABSTRACTA new scoring system based on histo‐morphology of mouse intervertebral disc (IVD) was established to assess changes in different mouse models of IVD degeneration and repair. IVDs from mouse strains of different ages, transgenic mice, or models of artificially induced IVD degeneration were assessed. Morphological features consistently observed in normal, and early/later stages of degeneration were categorized into a scoring system focused on nucleus pulposus (NP) and annulus fibrosus (AF) changes. “Normal NP” exhibited a highly cellularized cell mass that decreased with natural ageing and in disc degeneration. “Normal AF” consisted of distinct concentric lamellar structures, which was disrupted in severe degeneration. NP/AF clefts indicated more severe changes. Consistent scores were obtained between experienced and new users. Altogether, our scoring system effectively differentiated IVD changes in various strains of wild‐type and genetically modified mice and in induced models of IVD degeneration, and is applicable from the post‐natal stage to the aged mouse. This scoring tool and reference resource addresses a pressing need in the field for studying IVD changes and cross‐study comparisons in mice, and facilitates a means to normalize mouse IVD assessment between different laboratories. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 36:233–243, 2018.
A database for traditional knowledge of weather and climate in the Pacific
Authors: Chambers Lynda E. , Plotz Roan D. , Dossis Tom , Hiriasia David H. , Malsale Philip , Martin David J. , Mitiepo Rossy , Tahera Khadiza , Tofaeono Tile I. 
Published: June 2017

ABSTRACTGrowing interest in traditional knowledge (TK), particularly in relation to the prediction of weather or climate extremes, raises issues concerning the appropriate storage and management of the information collected. The Traditional Knowledge Database (TK Database) for the storage and use of TK associated with weather and climate prediction in the Pacific was designed with the following principles in mind: (1) preservation of the knowledge, maintaining cultural context wherever possible; (2) respect for intellectual property and cultural sensitivities around data sharing and use; (3) appropriate system design, accounting for ongoing costs of system maintenance and often intermittent Internet access; and (4) moving beyond data preservation to ensure continued use and growth of the TK. The TK Database was successfully deployed to four countries in the south Pacific and is regularly used by their national meteorological services, and partner organizations, both to preserve TK related to weather and climate and as a tool to assist in monitoring the TK indicators. As the first database of its kind, the TK Database fills a critical gap in the appropriate storage and application of TK and provides an important foundation for future developments.
Effects of green tea on lipid metabolism in overweight or obese people: A meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Yuan Fen , Dong Hui , Fang Ke , Gong Jing , Lu Fuer 
Published: June 2017

ScopeThe effects of green tea on lipid metabolism were inconsistent. The objective of this meta‐analysis was to evaluate the effects of green tea on lipid metabolism in overweight or obese people.Methods and resultsWe searched randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing green tea with a control on lipid metabolism on PUBMED and WEB OF SCIENCE (January 1990 to September 2016), COCHRANE and EMBASE (updated to October 2016), and the Chinese databases CNKI, WanFang and CBMD. Twenty‐one articles studying 1704 overweight or obese subjects were selected for this meta‐analysis. The pooled results demonstrated that green tea significantly decreased plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels in overweight or obese people. The weighted mean difference was ‐3.38 mg/dl for TC (95% CI: ‐6.42, −0.33 mg/dL) and −5.29 mg/dL for LDL (95% CI: −7.92, −2.6 6 mg/dL), respectively. Green tea intake, however, showed no effect on plasma triglyceride (TG) and high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL) levels in overweight or obese people with a relatively high heterogeneity.ConclusionThe meta‐analysis shows that drinking green tea can lower plasma TC and LDL levels significantly. Nevertheless, green tea's effect on plasma TG and HDL must be further evaluated by additional high‐quality and large‐scale RCTs.
Imposition of essential boundary conditions in the material point method
Authors: Cortis Michael , Coombs William , Augarde Charles , Brown Michael , Brennan Andrew , Robinson Scott 
Published: June 2017

SummaryThere is increasing interest in the material point method (MPM) as a means of modelling solid mechanics problems in which very large deformations occur, e.g. in the study of landslides and metal forming; however, some aspects vital to wider use of the method have to date been ignored, in particular methods for imposing essential boundary conditions in the case where the problem domain boundary does not coincide with the background grid element edges. In this paper, we develop a simple procedure originally devised for standard finite elements for the imposition of essential boundary conditions, for the MPM, expanding its capabilities to model boundaries of any inclination. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that a method has been proposed that allows arbitrary Dirichlet boundary conditions (zero and nonzero values at any inclination) to be imposed in the MPM. The method presented in this paper is different from other MPM boundary approximation approaches, in that (1) the boundaries are independent of the background mesh, (2) artificially stiff regions of material points are avoided, and (3) the method does not rely on mirroring of the problem domain to impose symmetry. The main contribution of this work is equally applicable to standard finite elements and the MPM.
Topology optimization of continuum structures with stress constraints and uncertainties in loading
Authors: da Silva G. A. , Beck A. T. , Cardoso E. L. 
Published: June 2017

SummaryTopology optimization using stress constraints and considering uncertainties is a serious challenge, since a reliability problem has to be solved for each stress constraint, for each element in the mesh. In this paper, an alternative way of solving this problem is used, where uncertainty quantification is performed through the first‐order perturbation approach, with proper validation by Monte Carlo simulation. Uncertainties are considered in the loading magnitude and direction. The minimum volume problem subjected to local stress constraints is formulated as a robust problem, where the stress constraints are written as a weighted average between their expected value and standard deviation. The augmented Lagrangian method is used for handling the large set of local stress constraints, whereas a gradient‐based algorithm is used for handling the bounding constraints. It is shown that even in the presence of small uncertainties in loading direction, different topologies are obtained when compared to a deterministic approach. The effect of correlation between uncertainties in loading magnitude and direction on optimal topologies is also studied, where the main observed result is loss of symmetry in optimal topologies.
Three bounded proofs for nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming based on the Lyapunov stability theory
Authors: Huang Zhijian , Xiong Xuemei , Chen Wentao , Zhang Qin , Liu Yihua , Chen Yuli 
Published: June 2017

SummaryThe approximate dynamic programming needs 2 prerequisites to be an effective optimal control method. Firstly, it must be assured to be stable and convergent before application. Secondly, the control system should mainly be a nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output form. Thus, this paper introduces a nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming and proves that it is stable in Lyapunov sense, therefore it is convergent. Besides, the Lyapunov function design is also analyzed. These proofs are based on the Lyapunov stability theory in the form of the utility function of quadratic, square‐weighted sum, and absolute value. Thereafter, 3 typical control examples of nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming are offered to show their applications and verify the proofs. The proof overcomes the complex derivation, and the results contain 3 practical and systematic bounded proofs. It is for the first time that the proof focuses on nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming from the view of utility function. What is more, the results can also serve as an effective analysis and guide for the utility function design and the stability criterion of nonlinear multi‐input multi‐output approximate dynamic programming as well.
Singlet oxygen production and in vitro phototoxicity studies on fenofibrate, mycophenolate mofetil, trifusal, and their active metabolites
Authors: Molins‐Molina Oscar , Bresolí‐Obach Roger , Garcia‐Lainez Guillermo , Andreu Inmaculada , Nonell Santi , Miranda Miguel A. , Jiménez M. Consuelo 
Published: June 2017

AbstractSinglet oxygen photosensitization (studied by time‐resolved near‐infrared emission spectroscopy) and in vitro phototoxicity (by means of the 3T3 neutral red uptake assay) have been investigated for the prodrugs fenofibrate (FFB), mycophenolate mofetil (MMP), and trifusal (TFS) as well as for their active metabolites fenofibric acid (FFA), mycophenolic acid (MPA), and 2‐hydroxy‐4‐(trifluoromethyl)benzoic acid (HTB). The results show that FFB and its active metabolite FFA generate 1O2 with a quantum yield in the range 0.30 to 0.40 and show a photo‐irritation factor (PIF) higher than 40. By contrast, MMP/MPA and TFS/HTB are not photoactive in the used assays. These results correlate well with the previously reported in vivo phototoxicity in treated patients.
Substitution determination of Fmoc‐substituted resins at different wavelengths
Authors: Eissler Stefan , Kley Markus , Bächle Dirk , Loidl Günther , Meier Thomas , Samson Daniel 
Published: June 2017

In solid‐phase peptide synthesis, the nominal batch size is calculated using the starting resin substitution and the mass of the starting resin. The starting resin substitution constitutes the basis for the calculation of a whole set of important process parameters, such as the number of amino acid derivative equivalents. For Fmoc‐substituted resins, substitution determination is often performed by suspending the Fmoc‐protected starting resin in 20% (v/v) piperidine in DMF to generate the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct that is quantified by ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The spectrometric measurement is performed at the maximum absorption wavelength of the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct, that is, at 301.0 nm. The recorded absorption value, the resin weight and the volume are entered into an equation derived from Lambert–Beer's law, together with the substance‐specific molar absorption coefficient at 301.0 nm, in order to calculate the nominal substitution. To our knowledge, molar absorption coefficients between 7100 l mol−1 cm−1 and 8100 l mol−1 cm−1 have been reported for the dibenzofulvene–piperidine adduct at 301.0 nm. Depending on the applied value, the nominal batch size may differ up to 14%. In this publication, a determination of the molar absorption coefficients at 301.0 and 289.8 nm is reported. Furthermore, proof is given that by measuring the absorption at 289.8 nm the impact of wavelength accuracy is reduced. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Adjuvant Treatment with Qilin Pill for Men with Oligoasthenospermia: A Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Jin Xin , Man Changfeng , Gong Dandan , Fan Yu 
Published: June 2017

Qilin pill has been used in the management of oligoasthenospermia. This meta‐analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of Qilin pill as an adjunctive therapy on semen parameters in oligoasthenospermic men. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, CNKI, and VIP databases until June 2016. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated Qilin pill as an adjunctive therapy in oligoasthenospermic were included. Dichotomous data and continuous data were calculated as the risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) with their 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively. Eight RCTs involving 778 patients were identified. Adjunctive treatment with Qilin pill significantly improved the semen volume (MD 0.50 mL; 95% CI 0.42–0.59), sperm concentration (MD 5.01 × 106/mL; 95% CI 3.28–6.75), sperm motility (MD 7.54%; 95% CI 5.64–9.45), grade A sperm (MD 9.75%; 95% CI 4.05–15.45), serum testosterone level (MD 1.66 nM; 95% CI 0.40–2.92), and pregnancy rate (RR 1.46; 95% CI 1.08–1.99) during follow‐up. However, differences in the serum follicle‐stimulating and luteinizing hormone levels were not significant. Adjunctive treatment with Qilin pill significantly improves the sperm quality in patients with oligoasthenospermia. However, further trials are necessary to investigate the efficacy of Qilin pill on oligoasthenospermia‐induced male infertility. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Neuro‐Protective Effects of Resveratrol on Carbon Monoxide‐Induced Toxicity in Male Rats
Authors: Tabrizian Kaveh , Shahraki Jafar , Bazzi Mohadeseh , Rezaee Ramin , Jahantigh Hosseinali , Hashemzaei Mahmoud 
Published: June 2017

Acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning causes neurotoxicity through induction of necrosis, apoptosis, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. Resveratrol (RES) is a natural polyphenolic phytoalexin that exhibits neuroprotective effects in ischemia/reperfusion due to its anti‐apoptotic, anti‐necrotic and strong anti‐oxidant properties as well as its ability to activate pro‐survival pathways. In this study, rats were exposed to CO 3000 ppm for 1 h. Immediately after poisoning and on the next four consecutive days, RES (1, 5 and 10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally. On the fifth day, animals' brains were excised, and necrosis, lipid peroxidation level and the level of Akt, BAX and BCL2 expression were evaluated. The results showed that RES 10 mg/kg significantly reduced lipid peroxidation, but RES 1 and 5 mg/kg had no significant effect on this parameter. Furthermore, RES 5 and 10 mg/kg significantly increased Akt expression level, while BAX/BCL2 ratio was reduced by RES 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg. Moreover, RES reduced necrotic foci in the brain, but the best results were seen following treatment with RES 10 mg/kg. In summary, RES showed neuroprotective effect in CO‐poisoned rats as it decreased necrosis and BAX/BCL2 ratio and increased Akt expression levels. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emerging Market Firms' Internationalization: How Do Firms' Inward Activities Affect Their Outward Activities?
Authors: Li Haiyang , Yi Xiwei , Cui Geng 
Published: June 2017

Research summary: In this study we examine how an emerging market firm's inward international activities (“inward activities”) are related to its outward international activities (“outward activities”) by focusing on the role of the firm's gain from its inward activities. On the one hand, drawing upon the organizational learning perspective, we propose that a firm's gain from inward activities may facilitate its outward activities through improving its resource fungibility. On the other hand, we draw upon the prospect theory to propose that a firm's gain from inward activities may hinder its outward activities by discouraging the firm's top managers from taking risks that are inherent in outward activities. With detailed data from a sample of manufacturing firms in China, we find empirical support for both lines of arguments.Managerial summary: Are emerging market firms with higher inward gain more likely to engage in outward internationalization activities? We argue that it depends upon how a firm uses its gain from inward activities. If the firm can improve its resource fungibility (particularly organizational resource fungibility) from its inward gain, it is more likely to engage in outward activities. If the firm cannot improve its resource fungiblity, the answer is no. Our findings suggest that for emerging market firms, internationalization is not just a path toward new markets; instead, it reflects how these firms exploit and explore what they have learned from their interactions with foreign firms at home in foreign markets. Therefore, managers must think more strategically on developing (organizational) resource fungibility from their inward activities. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
iFogSim: A toolkit for modeling and simulation of resource management techniques in the Internet of Things, Edge and Fog computing environments
Authors: Gupta Harshit , Vahid Dastjerdi Amir , Ghosh Soumya K. , Buyya Rajkumar 
Published: June 2017

SummaryInternet of Things (IoT) aims to bring every object (eg, smart cameras, wearable, environmental sensors, home appliances, and vehicles) online, hence generating massive volume of data that can overwhelm storage systems and data analytics applications. Cloud computing offers services at the infrastructure level that can scale to IoT storage and processing requirements. However, there are applications such as health monitoring and emergency response that require low latency, and delay that is caused by transferring data to the cloud and then back to the application can seriously impact their performances. To overcome this limitation, Fog computing paradigm has been proposed, where cloud services are extended to the edge of the network to decrease the latency and network congestion. To realize the full potential of Fog and IoT paradigms for real‐time analytics, several challenges need to be addressed. The first and most critical problem is designing resource management techniques that determine which modules of analytics applications are pushed to each edge device to minimize the latency and maximize the throughput. To this end, we need an evaluation platform that enables the quantification of performance of resource management policies on an IoT or Fog computing infrastructure in a repeatable manner. In this paper we propose a simulator, called iFogSim, to model IoT and Fog environments and measure the impact of resource management techniques in latency, network congestion, energy consumption, and cost. We describe two case studies to demonstrate modeling of an IoT environment and comparison of resource management policies. Moreover, scalability of the simulation toolkit of RAM consumption and execution time is verified under different circumstances.
Microbial compositions and metabolic interactions in one- and two-phase partitioning airlift bioreactors treating a complex VOC mixture
Authors: Wu Chao , Xu Peilun , Xia Yinfeng , Li Wei , Li Sujing , Wang Xiangqian 
Published: June 2017

Abstract
Engineered microbial ecosystems in bioscrubbers for the treatment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been complicated by complex VOC mixtures from various industrial emissions. Microbial associations with VOC removal performance of the bioscrubbers are still not definitive. Here, one- and two-phase partitioning airlift bioreactors were used for the treatment of a complex VOC mixture. Microbial characteristics in both bioreactors were uncovered by high-throughput metagenomics sequencing. Results showed that dominant species with specialized VOC biodegradability were mainly responsible for high removal efficiency of relative individual VOC. Competitive enzyme inhibitions among the VOC mixture were closely related to the deterioration of removal performance for individual VOC. Relative to the mass transfer resistance, the specialized biodegrading functions of microbial inoculations and enzymatic interactions among individual VOC biodegradation also must be carefully evaluated to optimize the treatment of complex VOC mixtures in bioreactors.
Body mass index in midlife and dementia: Systematic review and meta‐regression analysis of 589,649 men and women followed in longitudinal studies
Authors: Albanese Emiliano , Launer Lenore J. , Egger Matthias , Prince Martin J. , Giannakopoulos Panteleimon , Wolters Frank J. , Egan Kieren 
Published: June 2017

AbstractIntroductionWe conducted a meta‐analysis of the conflicting epidemiologic evidence on the association between midlife body mass index (BMI) and dementia.MethodsWe searched standard databases to identify prospective, population‐based studies of dementia risk by midlife underweight, overweight, and obesity. We performed random‐effects meta‐analyses and meta‐regressions of adjusted relative risk (RR) estimates and formally explored between‐study heterogeneity.ResultsWe included 19 studies on 589,649 participants (2040 incident dementia cases) followed up for up to 42 years. Midlife (age 35 to 65 years) obesity (BMI ≥ 30) (RR, 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08–1.63), but not overweight (25 < BMI < 30) (RR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.96–1.20), was associated with dementia in late life. The association with midlife underweight (RR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.13–1.70) was potentially driven by residual confounding (P from meta‐regression = .004), selection (P = .046), and information bias (P = .007).DiscussionObesity in midlife increases the risk of dementia. The association between underweight and dementia remains controversial.
Remote operation and monitoring of a micro aero gas turbine
Authors: Diakostefanis M. , Nikolaidis T. , Sampath S. , Triantafyllou T. 
Published: June 2017

ABSTRACTInternet applications have been extended to various aspects of everyday life and offer services of high reliability and security at relatively low cost. This project presents the design of a reliable, safe and secure software system for real-time remote operation and monitoring of an aero gas turbine with utilisation of existing internet technology, whilst the gas turbine is installed in a remote test facilityThis project introduces a capability that allows remote and flexible operation of an aero gas turbine throughout the whole operational envelope, as required by the user at low cost, by exploiting the available Internet technology. Remote operation of the gas turbine can be combined with other remote Internet applications to provide very powerful gas-turbine performance-simulation experimental platforms and real-time performance monitoring tools, whilst keeping the implementation cost at low levels.The gas turbine used in this experiment is an AMT Netherlands Olympus micro gas turbine and a spiral model approach was applied for the software. The whole process was driven by risk mitigation.The outcome is a fully functional software application that enables remote operation of the micro gas turbine whilst constantly monitors the performance of the engine according to basic gas turbine control theory. The application is very flexible, as it runs with no local installation requirements and includes provisions for expansion and collaboration with other online performance simulation and diagnostic tools.