bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Engineering of synthetic gene circuits for (re‐)balancing physiological processes in chronic diseases
Authors: Schukur Lina , Fussenegger Martin
Published: June 2016

Synthetic biology is a promising multidisciplinary field that brings together experts in scientific disciplines from cell biology to engineering with the goal of constructing elements that do not occur in nature for use in various applications, such as the development of novel approaches to improving healthcare management. Current disease treatment strategies are typically based on the diagnosis of phenotypic changes, which are often the result of an accumulation of endogenous metabolic defects in the human body. These defects occur when the tight regulation of physiological processes is disturbed by genetic alterations, protein function losses, or environmental changes. Such disturbances can result in the development of serious disorders that are often associated with aberrant physiological levels of certain biomolecules (e.g., metabolites, cytokines, and growth factors), which may lead to specific pathogenic states. However, these aberrant levels can also serve as biomarkers for the precise detection and specification of disease types. Clinical interventions are often conducted during the late stages of disease pathogenesis because of a lack of early detection of these physiological disturbances, which results in disease treatment rather than prevention. Therefore, advanced therapeutic tools must be developed to link therapeutic intervention to early diagnosis. Recent advances in the field of synthetic biology have enabled the design of complex gene circuits that can be linked to a host's metabolism to autonomously detect disease‐specific biomarkers and then reprogrammed to produce and release therapeutic substances in a self‐sufficient and automatic fashion, thereby restoring the physiological balance of the host and preventing the progression of the disease. This concept offers a unique opportunity to design treatment protocols that could replace conventional strategies, especially for diseases with complex and recurrent dynamics, such as chronic diseases. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2016, 8:402–422. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1345

This article is categorized under:

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Diagnostic Methods

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Therapeutic Methods

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
Systems physiology of the airways in health and obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Bates Jason H.T.
Published: June 2016

Fresh air entering the mouth and nose is brought to the blood–gas barrier in the lungs by a repetitively branching network of airways. Provided the individual airway branches remain patent, this airway tree achieves an enormous amplification in cross‐sectional area from the trachea to the terminal bronchioles. Obstructive lung diseases such as asthma occur when airway patency becomes compromised. Understanding the pathophysiology of these obstructive diseases thus begins with a consideration of the factors that determine the caliber of an individual airway, which include the force balance between the inward elastic recoil of the airway wall, the outward tethering forces of its parenchymal attachments, and any additional forces due to contraction of airway smooth muscle. Other factors may also contribute significantly to airway narrowing, such as thickening of the airway wall and accumulation of secretions in the lumen. Airway obstruction becomes particularly severe when these various factors occur in concert. However, the effect of airway abnormalities on lung function cannot be fully understood only in terms of what happens to a single airway because narrowing throughout the airway tree is invariably heterogeneous and interdependent. Obstructive lung pathologies thus manifest as emergent phenomena arising from the way in which the airway tree behaves a system. These emergent phenomena are studied with clinical measurements of lung function made by spirometry and by mechanical impedance measured with the forced oscillation technique. Anatomically based computational models are linking these measurements to underlying anatomic structure in systems physiology terms. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2016, 8:423–437. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1347

This article is categorized under:

Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Organ, Tissue, and Physiological Models

Physiology > Physiology of Model Organisms
A novel aceE mutation leading to a better growth profile and a higher l-serine production in a high-yield l-serine-producing Corynebacterium glutamicum strain
Authors: Guo Wen , Chen Ziwei , Zhang Xiaomei , Xu Guoqiang , Zhang Xiaojuan , Shi Jinsong , Xu Zhenghong
Published: June 2016

A comparative genomic analysis was performed to study the genetic variations between the l-serine-producing strain Corynebacterium glutamicum SYPS-062 and the mutant strain SYPS-062-33a, which was derived from SYPS-062 by random mutagenesis with enhanced l-serine production. Some variant genes between the two strains were reversely mutated or deleted in the genome of SYPS-062-33a to verify the influences of the gene mutations introduced by random mutagenesis. It was found that a His-594 → Tyr mutation in aceE was responsible for the more accumulation of by-products, such as l-alanine and l-valine, in SYPS-062-33a. Furthermore, the influence of this point mutation on the l-serine production was investigated, and the results suggested that this point mutation led to a better growth profile and a higher l-serine production in the high-yield strain 33a∆SSAAI, which was derived from SYPS-062-33a by metabolic engineering with the highest l-serine production to date.
Understanding Factors Associated with Postpartum Visit Attendance and Contraception Choices: Listening to Low-Income Postpartum Women and Health Care Providers
Authors: Henderson Vida , Stumbras Katrina , Caskey Rachel , Haider Sadia , Rankin Kristin , Handler Arden
Published: June 2016

Background While there is considerable variability with respect to attendance at the postpartum visit, not much is known about women’s preferences with respect to postpartum care. Likewise, there is also limited information on providers’ practices regarding the postpartum visit and care including the delivery of contraception. To understand and address deficits in the delivery and utilization of postpartum care, we examined the perceptions of low-income postpartum women with respect to barriers to and preferences for the timing and location of the postpartum visit and receipt of contraception. We also examined providers’ current prenatal and postnatal care practices for promoting the use of postpartum care and their attitudes toward alternative approaches for delivering contraceptive services in the postpartum period. Methods Qualitative face-to-face interviews were completed with 20 postpartum women and in-depth qualitative phone interviews were completed with 12 health care providers who had regular contact with postpartum women. Interviews were coded using Atlas.ti software and themes were identified. Results Women believed that receiving care during the postpartum period was an important resource for monitoring physical and mental health and also strongly supported the provision of contraception earlier than the 6-week postpartum visit. Providers reported barriers to women’s use of postpartum care on the patient, provider, and system levels. However, providers were receptive to exploring new clinical practices that may widen the reach of postpartum care and increase access to postpartum contraception. Conclusion Approaches that increase the flexibility and convenience of postpartum care and the delivery of postpartum contraception may increase the likelihood that women will take advantage of essential postpartum services.
Nitro‐Oleic Acid Reduces J774A.1 Macrophage Oxidative Status and Triglyceride Mass: Involvement of Paraoxonase2 and Triglyceride Metabolizing Enzymes
Authors: Rosenblat Mira , Rom Oren , Volkova Nina , Aviram Michael
Published: June 2016

Nitro‐fatty acids possess anti‐atherogenic properties, but their effects on macrophage oxidative status and lipid metabolism that play important roles in atherosclerosis development are unclear. This study compared the effects of nitro‐oleic acid (OLA‐NO2) with those of native oleic acid (OLA) on intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, anti‐oxidants and metabolism of triglycerides and cholesterol in J774A.1 macrophages. Upon incubating the cells with physiological concentrations of OLA‐NO2 (0–1 µM) or with equivalent levels of OLA, ROS levels measured by 2, 7‐dichlorofluorescein diacetate, decreased dose‐dependently, but the anti‐oxidative effects of OLA‐NO2 were significantly augmented. Copper ion addition increased ROS generation in OLA treated macrophages without affecting OLA‐NO2 treated cells. These effects could be attributed to elevated glutathione levels and to increased activity and expression of paraoxonase2 that were observed in OLA‐NO2vs OLA treated cells. Beneficial effects on triglyceride metabolism were noted in OLA‐NO2vs OLA treated macrophages in which cellular triglycerides were reduced due to attenuated biosynthesis and accelerated hydrolysis of triglycerides. Accordingly, OLA‐NO2 treated cells demonstrated down‐regulation of diacylglycerol acyltransferase1, the key enzyme in triglyceride biosynthesis, and increased expression of hormone‐sensitive lipase and adipose triglyceride lipase that regulate triglyceride hydrolysis. Finally, OLA‐NO2vs OLA treatment resulted in modest but significant beneficial effects on macrophage cholesterol metabolism, reducing cholesterol biosynthesis rate and low density lipoprotein influx into the cells, while increasing high density lipoprotein‐mediated cholesterol efflux from the macrophages. Collectively, compared with OLA, OLA‐NO2 modestly but significantly reduces macrophage oxidative status and cellular triglyceride content via modulation of cellular anti‐oxidants and triglyceride metabolizing enzymes.
Hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α, vascular endothelial growth factor, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and endothelin‐1 expression correlates with angiogenesis in congenital heart disease
Authors: Yin Hsin‐Ling , Luo Chi‐Wen , Dai Zen‐Kong , Shaw Kai‐Ping , Chai Chee‐Yin , Wu Chun‐Chieh
Published: June 2016

In Taiwan, the average prevalence of congenital heart disease (CHD) is 13.08/1000 live births. Most children with CHD die before the age of 5 years; therefore, identifying treatment methods to extend the life of CHD patients is an important issue in clinical practice. The objective of this study is to evaluate the roles of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), and CD34 in CHD autopsy cases in comparison with autopsy cases without CHD. The study included 19 autopsy cases, which were divided into the following four groups: acyanotic CHD (n = 11), cyanotic CHD (n = 3), CHD associated with chromosomal abnormalities (n = 3), and complex CHD (n = 2). Heart specimens obtained from 10 autopsy cases without CHD were included as controls. Our results indicated that high percentages of HIF‐1α (100%), VEGF (89.5%), iNOS (78.9%), and ET‐1 (84.2%) expressions were observed in CHD autopsy cases and this was found to be significant. HIF‐1α induced by hypoxia could play a potential role in relating downstream gene expressions in CHD patients. Upregulation of VEGF by HIF‐1α could play an important role in triggering angiogenesis to protect myocardial cell survival in a hypoxic microenvironment. Therefore, HIF‐1α could be a significant prognosis marker in CHD and be a prospective candidate in the development of target therapy in cardiovascular diseases.
How far away are accurate equations of state determinations? Some issues on pressure scales and non-hydrostaticity in diamond anvil cells
Authors: Liu Lei , Bi Yan
Published: June 2016

The equations of state (EOSs) of materials are the cornerstone of condensed matter physics, material science, and geophysics. However, acquiring an accurate EOS in diamond anvil cell (DAC) experiments continues to prove problematic because the current lack of an accurate pressure scale with clarified sources of uncertainty makes it difficult to determine a precise pressure value at high pressure, and non-hydrostaticity affects both the volume and pressure determination. This study will discuss the advantages and drawbacks of various pressure scales, and propose an absolute pressure scale and correction methods for the effects of non-hydrostaticity. At the end of this paper, we analyze the accuracy of the determined EOS in the DAC experiments we can achieve to date.
Ocho años de experiencia de tutores pares en ABP, en una Escuela de Medicina Chilena
Authors: Vidal Alejandra , Castillo Ricardo , Gómez Jorge
Published: June 2016

Introducción: La gran dificultad para implementar el ABP en la Escuela de Medicina de la Universidad Austral de Chile, fue el número insuficiente de profesores dispuestos a ser tutores de ABP. Para subsanar lo anterior, se diseñó un programa por tutorías de pares usando estudiantes de cursos superiores para aplicar la metodología de ABP.
Objetivo: Analizar la experiencia de los tutores por pares en este programa, entre los años 2007 y 2014.
Método: Estudio cualitativo, descriptivo y exploratorio. Corresponde a un estudio de caso intrínseco de las experiencias de tutores por pares. Las técnicas e instrumentos utilizados fueron un cuestionario con su encuesta y dos grupos focales con el mismo guion temático. Para la encuesta, se utilizó una escala Likert para evaluar las percepciones de los tutores respecto de la formación recibida, sus logros personales y su desempeño. En los grupos focales se realizó un análisis temático de los registros escritos obtenidos por los moderadores.
Resultados: Noventa y cinco estudiantes fueron entrenados como tutores por pares entre los años 2007 y 2014, de los cuales un 89.5% respondió la encuesta. Los resultados mostraron que el 84.7% de los tutores estuvo de acuerdo con la capacitación recibida y el 84.4% se mostró totalmente de acuerdo con la percepción de su desempeño. El ítem logro personal mostró las mayores respuestas (89.9%) para el ítem «acuerdo total». Las sesiones de grupo focal mostraron que ser un tutor es un gran aporte al desarrollo personal y profesional de los estudiantes.
Conclusiones: La tutoría por pares en ABP promueve en los tutores, la adquisición y práctica temprana de las competencias descritas en el perfil de egreso del estudiante de medicina, utilizar sus propias habilidades de auto-aprendizaje, la comunicación efectiva y la motivación para enseñar.
Enseñanza y aprendizaje de la cirugía
Authors: Porras-Hernández Juan Domingo
Published: June 2016

La cirugía es una disciplina médica orientada a la acción. Es una parte fundamental de todo sistema de salud. Su buena práctica puede tener un impacto positivo y significativo en el desempeño del sistema. Formar excelentes cirujanos requiere procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje explícitos y predecibles en sus resultados. En esta revisión se presentan tendencias contemporáneas en los enfoques y contenidos de los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje quirúrgicos, y su relevancia en la formación del médico general. Se discute además, la importancia del tutor quirúrgico y de la evaluación de destrezas a lo largo de la vida profesional del cirujano. Se concluye que la mejora de los procesos educativos en cirugía en nuestro país probablemente representarán una mejor salud para nuestra sociedad.
An Australian model of the First 1000 Days: an Indigenous-led process to turn an international initiative into an early-life strategy benefiting indigenous families
Authors: Ritte R. , Panozzo S. , Johnston L. , Agerholm J. , Kvernmo S. E. , Rowley K. , Arabena K.
Published: June 2016

Internationally, the 1000 days movement calls for action and investment in improving nutrition for the period from a child's conception to their second birthday, thereby providing an organising framework for early-life interventions. To ensure Australian Indigenous families benefit from this 1000 days framework, an Indigenous-led year-long engagement process was undertaken linking early-life researchers, research institutions, policy-makers, professional associations and human rights activists with Australian Indigenous organisations and families. The resultant model, First 1000 Days Australia, broadened the international concept beyond improving nutrition. The First 1000 Days Australia model was built by adhering to Indigenous methodologies, a recognition of the centrality of culture that reinforces and strengthens families, and uses a holistic view of health and wellbeing. The First 1000 Days Australia was developed under the auspice of Indigenous people's leadership using a collective impact framework. As such, the model emphasises Indigenous leadership, mutual trust and solidarity to achieve early-life equity.
Institutional Ownership and Corporate Philanthropic Giving in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Song Yuanyang , Gianiodis Peter T. , Li Yuanxu
Published: June 2016

In this study, we examine the effect of institutional ownership on corporate philanthropy in China, an emerging economy. Employing stakeholder identification and salience theory, we posit that institutional ownership positively influences corporate philanthropy, which varies for different types of institutional investors. We further argue that institutional ownership's influence is stronger when philanthropy is aligned with firm goals. Using data from Chinese publicly listed firms, we find a positive effect of institutional ownership on philanthropy, and this effect is stronger for domestic institutional owners when compared to foreign institutional owners, and long-term when compared to short-term institutional owners. We also find that the positive influence of institutional ownership is stronger in private firms and in regions with low institutional development – situations characterizing high alignment between philanthropy and firm goals. Our findings highlight the important role of institutional investors on corporate philanthropy decisions, which have implications for scholars studying and policy makers enacting corporate governance in emerging economies.
The First Global Merger Wave and the Enigma of Chinese Performance
Authors: McCarthy Killian J. , Dolfsma Wilfred , Weitzel Utz
Published: June 2016

The first five merger waves were US-led events. In this article we show that the largely over-looked sixth wave (2003–2008) emerged in all regions simultaneously. Because of this, and building upon interconnected literatures – which: (1) suggests that agency is a big predictor of merger performance; (2) distinguishes between three distinct governance traditions; and (3) argues that theAnglo-Saxonsystem puts the most effort into protecting investors and aligning interests, and theConfuciansystem the least – we predicted thatAnglo-Saxonacquirers would create value in the sixth wave, andConfucianacquirers would destroy it. We find the opposite to be true and show that Chinese acquirers, in particular, created the most value in the sixth wave. In attempting to explain why, we find that China outperformed its Asian neighbors while doing the same thing, and outperformed its Western peers while doing what the literature suggests that they shouldn't do. This not only points to the limits of the generalizability of the existing literature, but supports the suggestion that Chinese acquirers are ‘different’. We call, therefore, for additional research into understanding Chinese and Confucian acquirers using the standard comparative merger data.
Understanding the ‘Enigma’ of Chinese Firm Performance: Confucius and Beyond
Authors: Shapiro Daniel , Li Jing
Published: June 2016

McCarthy, Dolfsma, and Weitzel (2016) raise the important and interesting question of why what the authors refer to as Confucian acquirers, and in particular Chinese acquirers, tended to create value over the last decade relative to Western companies. The analysis by McCarthy et al. (2016), while restricted to an empirical examination of mergers and acquisitions, calls into question the general relevance and validity of standard, Western-based economic and strategic thinking, and calls for further research into the nature of Chinese and Confucian thought and the degree to which they contribute to our understanding of merger outcomes in China, and perhaps elsewhere. At the most general level, McCarthy et al. (2016) challenge us to consider the question of whether different conceptual foundations are necessary to understand the behaviour and performance of Chinese and other Asian firms. At the heart of this question is the issue of whether there are unique country effects, or group-of-country effects, that determine to a substantial degree firm performance, and if so, what is the nature of these effects?
Management and Organization Review Special Issue ‘Coopetition and Innovation in Transforming Economies’
Authors: Barney Jay B. , Dagnino Giovanni Battista , Corte Valentina Della , Tsang Eric W.K.
Published: June 2016

This Management and Organization Review (MOR) special issue on ‘Coopetition and Innovation in Transforming Economies’ aims to explore key features of the strategic relationship between coopetition and innovation in transforming economies. It is generally accepted that innovation can be a fundamental driver for economic growth, new sources of employment, and dwindling economic disparity. However, increasingly activities of innovation no longer take place primarily within the firm but are often the outcome of the overall set of relationships of the firm. The two phenomena of competition and cooperation have become more and more inter-related, thus creating new opportunities, affecting innovation and change. This reality is of special interest in the context of transforming economies’ transition to higher value adding economic growth and development due to, for example, the specific moderating or mediating role of national cultures and philosophical inspiration (e.g., Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) in shaping the coopetitive mindset (Dagnino, Di Guardo, & Padula, 2012) and the potential differentiation between countries and regional ecologies.
Diagram of states and morphologies of flexible-semiflexible copolymer chains: A Monte Carlo simulation
Authors: Zablotskiy Sergey V. , Martemyanova Julia A. , Ivanov Viktor A. , Paul Wolfgang
Published: June 2016

A single copolymer chain consisting of multiple flexible (F) and semiflexible (S) blocks has been studied using a continuum bead-spring model by Stochastic Approximation Monte Carlo simulations, which determine the density of states of the model. The only difference between F and S blocks is the intramolecular bending potential, all non-bonded interactions are equal. The state diagrams for this class of models display multiple nematic phases in the collapsed state, characterized through a demixing of the blocks of different stiffness and orientational ordering of the stiff blocks. We observe dumbbell-like morphologies, lamellar phases, and for the larger block lengths also Saturn-like structures with a core of flexible segments and the stiff segments forming a ring around the core.
Positional stability of field-reversed-configurations in the presence of resistive walls
Authors: Rath N. , Onofri M. , Barnes D. C.
Published: June 2016

We show that in a field-reversed-configuration, the plasma is unstable to either transverse or axial rigid displacement, but never to both. Driving forces are found to be parallel to the direction of displacement with no orthogonal components. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the properties of a resistive wall (geometry and resistivity) in the vicinity of the plasma do not affect whether the plasma is stable or unstable, but in the case of an unstable system determine the instability growth rate. Depending on the properties of the wall, the instability growth is dominated by plasma inertia (and not affected by wall resistivity) or dominated by ohmic dissipation of wall eddy currents (and thus proportional to the wall resistivity).
Renormalizable two-parameter piecewise isometries
Authors: Lowenstein J. H. , Vivaldi F.
Published: June 2016

We exhibit two distinct renormalization scenarios for two-parameter piecewise isometries, based on 2π/5 rotations of a rhombus and parameter-dependent translations. Both scenarios rely on the recently established renormalizability of a one-parameter triangle map, which takes place if and only if the parameter belongs to the algebraic number field K=Q(5) associated with the rotation matrix. With two parameters, features emerge which have no counterpart in the single-parameter model. In the first scenario, we show that renormalizability is no longer rigid: whereas one of the two parameters is restricted to K, the second parameter can vary continuously over a real interval without destroying self-similarity. The mechanism involves neighbouring atoms which recombine after traversing distinct return paths. We show that this phenomenon also occurs in the simpler context of Rauzy-Veech renormalization of interval exchange transformations, here regarded as parametric piecewise isometries on a real interval. We explore this analogy in some detail. In the second scenario, which involves two-parameter deformations of a three-parameter rhombus map, we exhibit a weak form of rigidity. The phase space splits into several (non-convex) invariant components, on each of which the renormalization still has a free parameter. However, the foliations of the different components are transversal in parameter space; as a result, simultaneous self-similarity of the component maps requires that both of the original parameters belong to the field K.
Magnetically tunable metamaterial perfect absorber
Authors: Lei Ming , Feng Ningyue , Wang Qingmin , Hao Yanan , Huang Shanguo , Bi Ke
Published: June 2016

A magnetically tunable metamaterial perfect absorber (MPA) based on ferromagnetic resonance is experimentally and numerically demonstrated. The ferrite-based MPA is composed of an array of ferrite rods and a metallic ground plane. Frequency dependent absorption of the ferrite-based MPA under a series of applied magnetic fields is discussed. An absorption peak induced by ferromagnetic resonance appears in the range of 8–12 GHz under a certain magnetic field. Both the simulated and experimental results demonstrate that the absorption frequency of the ferrite-based MPA can be tuned by the applied magnetic field. This work provides an effective way to fabricate the magnetically tunable metamaterial perfect absorber.
Magnetosonic shock wave in collisional pair-ion plasma
Authors: Adak Ashish , Sikdar Arnab , Ghosh Samiran , Khan Manoranjan
Published: June 2016

Nonlinear propagation of magnetosonic shock wave has been studied in collisional magnetized pair-ion plasma. The masses of both ions are same but the temperatures are slightly different. Two fluid model has been taken to describe the model. Two different modes of the magnetosonic wave have been obtained. The dynamics of the nonlinear magnetosonic wave is governed by the Korteweg-de Vries Burgers' equation. It has been shown that the ion-ion collision is the source of dissipation that causes the Burgers' term which is responsible for the shock structures in equal mass pair-ion plasma. The numerical investigations reveal that the magnetosonic wave exhibits both oscillatory and monotonic shock structures depending on the strength of the dissipation. The nonlinear wave exhibited the oscillatory shock wave for strong magnetic field (weak dissipation) and monotonic shock wave for weak magnetic field (strong dissipation). The results have been discussed in the context of the fullerene pair-ion plasma experiments.
Effect of solvents on the electro-optical switching of graphene oxide dispersions
Authors: Ahmad Rana Tariq Mehmood , Hong Seung-Ho , Shen Tian-Zi , Masud Aurangzeb Rashid , Song Jang-Kun
Published: June 2016

The electrical manipulation of graphene oxide (GO) alignment in aqueous dispersions is a useful technique with various applications. In particular, the electrical switching of GO particles can be used to devise optical birefringent liquid crystal displays. However, the electric switching of aqueous GO dispersions with a high ionic concentration requires driving voltages with high frequencies (∼10 kHz), which is a challenging limitation. We demonstrate that stable electro-optical switching can be achieved at low frequencies (100 Hz) using GO dispersions in organic solvents instead of water. The hydrodynamic flow of the solvent and the electrophoretic drift of the GO particles are hindered in the GO dispersions in organic solvents with lower dielectric constants. Moreover, the electro-optical performance of these GO dispersions is similar to the aqueous GO dispersions, despite the lower magnitude of the ionization ratio for the GO particle functional groups. These results are crucial for developing a liquid crystal display device using GO dispersions.
New orientations in the stereographic triangle for self-assembled faceting
Authors: Méndez-Camacho R. , Méndez-García V. H. , López-López M. , Cruz-Hernández E.
Published: June 2016

Energetically unstable crystalline surfaces, among their uses, can be templates for the growth of periodic arrays of one-dimensional (1D) nanoscale structures. However, few studies have explored self-assembled faceting on high-index (HI) planes inside the stereographic triangle, and extant studies have not produced any criteria for encouraging the formation of one-dimensional periodic arrays. In this Letter, by analyzing the MBE growth of homoepitaxial facets on (631)A GaAs, a HI plane inside the triangle, we present a criteria to produce highly uniform 1D periodic arrays on unexplored surfaces. These families of planes are those belonging to the lines connecting the energetically stable HI GaAs (11 5 2) plane with any of the (100), (110), and (111) planes at the corners of the stereographic triangle. This novel strategy can lead to new possibilities in self-assembling 1D structures and manipulating physical properties, which in turn may result in new HI- and 1D-based experiments and devices.
An evaluation and comparison of spatial modelling applications for the management of biodiversity: a case study on the fragmented landscapes of south-western Australia
Authors: Molloy Shaun W. , Davis Robert A. , Van Etten Eddie J. B.
Published: June 2016

Spatial modelling is increasingly being embraced by conservation practitioners and community groups to guide natural-asset management. Despite this boom in popularity, little guidance is often available on choosing the most applicable technique, and the relative merits and drawbacks of each approach. We present a case study in the biodiversity hotspot of south-western Australia where five forms of spatial modelling have previously been used by community conservation managers in this region: realistic GIS modelling, focal species, proximity analysis, Marxan and MaxEnt. We developed a set of criteria for effective spatial modelling and then evaluated each of these spatial-modelling techniques using these criteria. The criteria used in evaluating spatial-modelling tools were as follows: (1) capacity to quantify barriers to movement; (2) capacity to quantify habitat; (3) capacity to accurately predict target responses; (4) capacity to demonstrate how change will happen over differing time frames; (5) effectiveness of the tool within data limitations of a project; (6) ease to which outputs are understood; (7) utility of the tool within skill limitations of a project; and (8) efficacy within resource limitations of a project. None of the applications used met all criteria. When selecting spatial-modelling applications, a hybrid approach is advocated by using criteria that will reflect both the landscape-level conservation requirements and the capacity and objectives of conservation managers. To do this, we advocate using multiple modelling techniques to identify, quantify and ameliorate threats to meet the needs of regional biota.
Around the world in three alternations
Authors: Szmrecsanyi Benedikt , Grafmiller Jason , Heller Benedikt , Röthlisberger Melanie
Published: June 2016

We sketch a project that marries probabilistic grammar research to scholarship on World Englishes, thus synthesizing two previously rather disjoint lines of research into one unifying project with a coherent focus. This synthesis is hoped to advance usage-based theoretical linguistics by adopting a large-scale comparative and sociolinguistically responsible perspective on grammatical variation. To highlight the descriptive and theoretical benefits of the approach, we present case studies of three syntactic alternations (the particle placement, genitive, and dative alternations) in four varieties of English (British, Canadian, Indian, and Singapore), as represented in the International Corpus of English. We report that the varieties studied share a core probabilistic grammar which is, however, subject to indigenization at various degrees of subtlety, depending on the abstractness of the syntactic patterns studied.
Tradiciones, paradigmas y escuelas
Authors: Triviño Ascensión Hernández
Published: June 2016

After “discovering” a New World at the end of the 15th century, missionaries soon began to produce grammars of the languages spoken there. It can be said that ‘missionary linguistics’ was born and thus the nature of the American languages was becoming known. In this paper the author proposes to analyse a corpus of fifty-six grammars from Mesoamerica, i.e., the central region of the American continent. In the analysis, the author distinguishes five schools according to the established religious orders in New Spain: Franciscan, Dominican, Jesuit, Augustinian, and the secular Church. Although the grammars written in these schools are almost exclusively based on the Latin tradition, many of them contain innovative descriptions of the specific structures found in these Mesoamerican languages.
“Sanskrit has guided me to the Finnish language”
Authors: Sommer Łukasz
Published: June 2016

Herman Kellgren (1822–1856) was a Finnish Orientalist and national activist. He lived and worked at a time when the cultural and intellectual life of Finland was still dominated by Swedish, while Finnish, the majority language, was just beginning to make its way into the sphere of high culture and education. At an early stage of his career, Kellgren published several works on the Finnish language, in which national engagement meets fascination with Sanskrit. His accounts of Finnish are clearly evaluative; they seek to raise interest in Finnish and promote its prestige, both at home and abroad. One of the more significant inspirations discernible in his works on Finnish was the language philosophy of Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835). One of the challenges of the endeavor to describe Finnish in Humboldtian terms was determining the status of Finnish within Humboldtian hierarchies of language perfection – hierarchies which clearly favored inflection (as exemplified by Sanskrit) as a grammatical procedure and disfavored agglutination which is characteristic for Finnish. In his efforts to remain true to the spirit of Humboldt, and to present Finnish in a positive light, Kellgren insisted on labeling it as inflected rather than agglutinative.
The prosody of Focus and Givenness in Hindi and Indian English
Authors: Féry Caroline , Pandey Pramod , Kentner Gerrit
Published: June 2016

This paper reports the results of two identical experiments, one in Hindi and one in Indian English, that elicited semi-spontaneous sentences containing a focused agent or a focused patient. The primary aim of the experiments was to investigate the prosodic correlates of information structure in the two languages and to explain these correlates with a phonological model. The resulting phonological model proposes that focus is realized with enhanced correlates of phrasing and not with prominence, at least not of the same kind as languages using pitch accents. Secondary aims were to verify the ecological validity of similar data elicited with scripted speech (Patil et al. 2008) and to reflect on the place of Hindi and Indian English in a typology of intonation.
The ‘swift of foot’ construction and the phrase structure of the adjectival construct in Hebrew
Authors: Halevy Rivka
Published: June 2016

This article sheds new light on the puzzling phrase structure of complex adjectival phrases which are common in Semitic, specifically in Hebrew, and which are equivalent to Indo-European phrases such as‘swift of foot.’The article draws a clear distinction between these constructions and adjectival compounds such as‘swift-footed’, which are prevalent in major Indo-European languages but are absent from Semitic languages. The Hebrew construction under discussion is a genitival construct consisting of an adjective followed by a modifying noun in genitive status. The adjective is the head of the construction, but agrees in number and gender with a noun outside the construction. This construction has invited controversial analyses by different scholars, most recently in the framework of generative grammar. The present study construction is anchored in the framework of Construction Grammar. It nevertheless advances a morphosyntactic and semantic analysis of its inner composition. Functional aspects and the speaker’s perspectival choice in construing such attributive phrases are taken into account as well.
Rationality of Choices in Subsidized Crop Insurance Markets
Authors: Du Xiaodong , Feng Hongli , Hennessy David A.
Published: June 2016

The U.S. crop insurance market has several features that set it apart from other insurance markets. These include explicit government subsidies with an average premium subsidy rate of about 60% in recent years, and the legislative requirement that premium rates be set at actuarially fair levels, where the federal government sets rates and pays all costs related to insurance policy sales and services. Bearing these features in mind, we examine the extent to which farmers’ crop insurance choices conform to economic theory. A standard expected utility maximization framework is constructed to analyze trade‐offs between higher risk protection and larger subsidy payments. We decompose the effect of coverage level on expected utility into insurance, premium loading, and subsidy transfer effects where the loading effect vanishes if rates are actuarially fair. Given an actuarially fair premium, we infer that a rational farmer should choose either the coverage level with the highest premium subsidy or a higher coverage level. Evidence from a large insurance unit‐level dataset contradicts this theoretical inference, and so suggests anomalous insurance decisions. In a novel application of the mixed logit framework, we show that the probability an insurance product is chosen declines as out‐of‐pocket premium expenditures increase, even though higher values of these expenditures should reflect improved grower welfare. Premium expenditures appear to be more salient than the uncertain future benefits they support. We apply our regression to the recent trend yield adjustment innovation in crop insurance.
Effects of water on fingernail electron paramagnetic resonance dosimetry
Authors: Zhang Tengda , Zhao Zhixin , Zhang Haiying , Zhai Hezheng , Ruan Shuzhou , Jiao Ling , Zhang Wenyi
Published: June 2016

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a promising biodosimetric method, and fingernails are sensitive biomaterials to ionizing radiation. Therefore, kinetic energy released per unit mass (kerma) can be estimated by measuring the level of free radicals within fingernails, using EPR. However, to date this dosimetry has been deficient and insufficiently accurate. In the sampling processes and measurements, water plays a significant role. This paper discusses many effects of water on fingernail EPR dosimetry, including disturbance to EPR measurements and two different effects on the production of free radicals. Water that is unable to contact free radicals can promote the production of free radicals due to indirect ionizing effects. Therefore, varying water content within fingernails can lead to varying growth rates in the free radical concentration after irradiation—these two variables have a linear relationship, with a slope of 1.8143. Thus, EPR dosimetry needs to be adjusted according to the water content of the fingernails of an individual. When the free radicals are exposed to water, the eliminating effect will appear. Therefore, soaking fingernail pieces in water before irradiation, as many researchers have previously done, can cause estimation errors. In addition, nails need to be dehydrated before making accurately quantitative EPR measurements.
Hepatitis C Virus Treatment Access Among Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)-Coinfected People Who Inject Drugs in Guangzhou, China: Implications for HCV Treatment Expansion
Authors: Chu Carissa E. , Wu Feng , He Xi , Zhou Kali , Cheng Yu , Cai Weiping , Geng Elvin , Volberding Paul , Tucker Joseph D.
Published: June 2016

Background.  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment access among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/HCV-coinfected people who inject drugs is poor, despite a high burden of disease in this population. Understanding barriers and facilitators to HCV treatment uptake is critical to the implementation of new direct-acting antivirals.

Methods.  We conducted in-depth interviews with patients, physicians, and social workers at an HIV treatment facility and methadone maintenance treatment centers in Guangzhou, China to identify barriers and facilitators to HCV treatment. We included patients who were in various stages of HCV treatment and those who were not treated. We used standard qualitative methods and organized data into themes.

Results.  Interview data from 29 patients, 8 physicians, and 3 social workers were analyzed. Facilitators and barriers were organized according to a modified Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research schematic. Facilitators included patient trust in physicians, hope for a cure, peer networks, and social support. Barriers included ongoing drug use, low HCV disease knowledge, fragmented reimbursement systems, HIV exceptionalism, and stigma.

Conclusions.  Expanding existing harm reduction programs, HIV treatment programs, and social services may facilitate scale-up of direct-acting antivirals globally. Improving integration of ancillary social and mental health services within existing HIV care systems may facilitate HCV treatment access.
Effect of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy on Outcome in Pediatric Acute Liver Failure*
Authors: Deep Akash , Stewart Claire E. , Dhawan Anil , Douiri Abdel
Published: June 2016

Objectives:

To establish the effect of continuous renal replacement therapy on outcome in pediatric acute liver failure.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Sixteen-bed PICU in a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital and specialist liver centre.

Patients:

All children (0–18 yr) admitted to PICU with pediatric acute liver failure between January 2003 and December 2013.

Interventions:

Children with pediatric acute liver failure were managed according to a set protocol. The guidelines for continuous renal replacement therapy in pediatric acute liver failure were changed in 2011 following preliminary results to indicate the earlier use of continuous renal replacement therapy for both renal dysfunction and detoxification.

Measurements and Main Results:

Of 165 children admitted with pediatric acute liver failure, 136 met the inclusion criteria and 45 of these received continuous renal replacement therapy prior to transplantation or recovery. Of the children managed with continuous renal replacement therapy, 26 (58%) survived: 19 were successfully bridged to liver transplantation and 7 spontaneously recovered. Cox proportional hazards regression model clearly showed reducing hyperammonemia by 48 hours after initiating continuous renal replacement therapy significantly improved survival (HR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.013–1.073; p = 0.004). On average, for every 10% decrease in ammonia from baseline at 48 hours, the likelihood of survival increased by 50%. Time to initiate continuous renal replacement therapy from PICU admission was lower in survivors compared to nonsurvivors (HR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.916–1.007; p = 0.095). Change in practice to initiate early and high-dose continuous renal replacement therapy led to increased survival with maximum effect being visible in the first 14 days (HR, 3; 95% CI, 1.0–10.3; p = 0.063). Among children with pediatric acute liver failure who did not receive a liver transplant, use of continuous renal replacement therapy significantly improved survival (HR, 4; 95% CI, 1.5–11.6; p = 0.006).

Conclusion:

Continuous renal replacement therapy can be used successfully in critically ill children with pediatric acute liver failure to provide stability and bridge to transplantation. Inability to reduce ammonia by 48 hours confers poor prognosis. Continuous renal replacement therapy should be considered at an early stage to help prevent further deterioration and buy time for potential spontaneous recovery or bridge to liver transplantation.
Structure, Organization, and Delivery of Critical Care in Asian ICUs*
Authors: Arabi Yaseen M. , Phua Jason , Koh Younsuck , Du Bin , Faruq Mohammad Omar , Nishimura Masaji , Fang Wen-Feng , Gomersall Charles , Al Rahma Hussain N. , Tamim Hani , Al-Dorzi Hasan M. , Al-Hameed Fahad M. , Adhikari Neill K. J. , Sadat Musharaf
Published: June 2016

Objectives:

Despite being the epicenter of recent pandemics, little is known about critical care in Asia. Our objective was to describe the structure, organization, and delivery in Asian ICUs.

Design:

A web-based survey with the following domains: hospital organizational characteristics, ICU organizational characteristics, staffing, procedures and therapies available in the ICU and written protocols and policies.

Setting:

ICUs from 20 Asian countries from April 2013 to January 2014. Countries were divided into low-, middle-, and high-income based on the 2011 World Bank Classification.

Subjects:

ICU directors or representatives.

Measurements and Main Results:

Of 672 representatives, 335 (50%) responded. The average number of hospital beds was 973 (se of the mean [sem], 271) with 9% (sem, 3%) being ICU beds. In the index ICUs, the average number of beds was 21 (sem, 3), of single rooms 8 (sem, 2), of negative-pressure rooms 3 (sem, 1), and of board-certified intensivists 7 (sem, 3). Most ICUs (65%) functioned as closed units. The nurse-to-patient ratio was 1:1 or 1:2 in most ICUs (84%). On multivariable analysis, single rooms were less likely in low-income countries (p = 0.01) and nonreferral hospitals (p = 0.01); negative-pressure rooms were less likely in private hospitals (p = 0.03) and low-income countries (p = 0.005); 1:1 nurse-to-patient ratio was lower in private hospitals (p = 0.005); board-certified intensivists were less common in low-income countries (p < 0.0001) and closed ICUs were less likely in private (p = 0.02) and smaller hospitals (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

This survey highlights considerable variation in critical care structure, organization, and delivery in Asia, which was related to hospital funding source and size, and country income. The lack of single and negative-pressure rooms in many Asian ICUs should be addressed before any future pandemic of severe respiratory illness.