bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of gram‐positive bacteria in chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS)
Authors: Murphy Stephen F. , Anker Jonathan F. , Mazur Daniel J. , Hall Christel , Schaeffer Anthony J. , Thumbikat Praveen
Published: September 2018

INTRODUCTION

Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is a complex disorder that affects a large proportion of all men. A limited understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis is reflected by the absence of effective therapies. Although CPPS is deemed clinically non‐infectious with no well‐defined etiological role for microbes, bacteria is readily isolated from both healthy and patient prostate secretion and urine samples. Our laboratory has previously demonstrated that a specific gram‐negative bacterial isolate can induce CPPS‐like symptoms in mice. Here we aimed to expand on these findings examining the role of gram‐positive patient‐derived bacteria in CPPS.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of bacterial cultures from CPPS patients from a single center was performed. Gram‐positive bacteria were isolated from the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS) of three CPPS‐patients (pain inducers, PI) and one from a healthy volunteer (non‐pain inducer, NPI). These bacteria were inoculated intra‐urethrally in two mouse backgrounds and analyzed for their ability to induce tactile allodynia, voiding dysfunction, and colonize the murine prostate. Host immune responses to bacterial instillation were analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

PI strains (Staphylococcus haemolyticus 2551, Enterococcus faecalis 427, and Staphylococcus epidermidis 7244) induced and maintained tactile allodynia responses (200% increase above baseline) for 28 days in NOD/ShiLtJ mice. Conversely the healthy subject derived strain (Staphylococcus epidermidis NPI) demonstrated no significant pelvic allodynia induction. Intra‐urethral inoculation of the four bacterial strains into C57BL/6 mice did not induce significant increases in pain responses. Infected NOD/ShiLtJ displayed significant voiding dysfunction compared to their control counterparts. Colony counts of prostate tissues from both NOD/ShiLtJ and C57BL/6 mice at day 28 demonstrated that bacterial strains colonized equally well, including NPI. We also determined that mechanistically, the patient‐isolates induced prostate inflammation specifically involving T‐cells and monocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Gram‐positive isolates from CPPS patients showed enhanced ability to induce tactile allodynia compared to a single taxonomically similar gram‐positive strain isolated from a healthy control. Responses were shown to be dependent on host genetic background and not on colonization differences between strains.
X‐ray absorption signatures of hydrogen‐bond structure in water–alcohol solutions
Authors: Stetina Torin F. , Clark Aurora E. , Li Xiaosong
Published: September 2018

Despite fundamental importance, the experimental characterization of the hydrogen bond network, particularly in multicomponent protic solutions, remains a challenge. Although recent work has experimentally validated that the oxygen K‐edge X‐ray absorption spectra is sensitive to local hydrogen bond patterns in pure water and aqueous alcohol solutions, the generality of this observation is unknown—as is the sensitivity to the electronic structure of the alcohol cosolvent. In this work, we investigate the electronic structure of water solvated alcohol model geometries using energy specific time‐dependent density functional theory to calculate oxygen K‐edge X‐ray excitations. We find that the geometry of dangling hydrogen bonds in pure water is the main contributor to the pre‐edge feature seen in the X‐ray absorption spectra, agreeing with previous experimental and theoretical work. We then extend this result to solvated alcohol systems and observe a similar phenomenon, yet importantly, the increase of electron donation from alkyl chains to the alcohol OH group directly correlates to the strength of the core excitation on the dangling hydrogen bond model geometry. This trend arises from a stronger transition dipole moment due to electron localization on the OH group.
Strong Light–Matter Coupling as a New Tool for Molecular and Material Engineering: Quantum Approach
Authors: Kolaric Branko , Maes Bjorn , Clays Koen , Durt Thomas , Caudano Yves
Published: September 2018

When atoms come together and bond, these new states are called molecules and their properties determine many aspects of our daily life. Strangely enough, it is conceivable for light and molecules to bond, creating new hybrid light–matter states with far‐reaching consequences for thesestrongly coupledmaterials. Even stranger, there is no “real” light needed to obtain the effects; it simply appears from the vacuum, creating “something from nothing.” Surprisingly, the setup required to create these materials has become moderately straightforward. In its simplest form, one only needs to put a strongly absorbing material at the appropriate place between two mirrors, and quantum magic can appear. Only recently has it been discovered that strong coupling can affect a host of significant effects at a material and molecular level, which were thought to be independent of the “light” environment: phase transitions, conductivity, chemical reactions, etc. This review addresses the fundamentals of this opportunity: the quantum mechanical foundations, the relevant plasmonic and photonic structures, and a description of the various applications, connecting material chemistry with quantum information, entanglement, nonlinear optics, and chemical reactivity. Ultimately, revealing the interplay between light and matter in this new regime opens attractive avenues for various new technologies.
Transradial prostheses: Trends in development of hardware and control systems
Authors: Semasinghe Chathura Lakshan , Madusanka Dannangoda Gamage Kanishka , Ranaweera Ranaweera Kaluarachchige Pubudu Sampath , Gopura Ranathunga Arachchilage Ruwan Chandra
Published: September 2018

Background

Prosthesis is a wearable device that intends to provide the functionality and/or appearance of a missing body part. In the case of trans‐radial prostheses, the wearer or the trans‐radial amputee is fitted with an artificial wrist and a hand that is either mechanically or electro‐mechanically operated. Main aim is to enable the wearer to perform activities of daily living with minimal external assistance.

Methods

In this review paper, hardware systems of state‐of‐the‐art trans‐radial prostheses have been briefly discussed. Focus is to provide an insight on the latest technologies employed in development of its mechanical systems: terminal devices, artificial wrist joints, and body attachments. In that context, latest hardware designs on terminal devices for grasping motion are presented as it is the primary function of trans‐radial prostheses. Hardware designs of prosthetic wrists and body attachments are also reviewed. Finally, latest trends and future directions on design of trans‐radial prostheses are explored and presented.

Conclusions

Size, shape, weight, durability, appearance, and functionality are the key factors that need to be considered when developing a trans‐radial prosthesis. Moreover, the current developments are moving closer to a human upper limb. However, the availability of these devices is minimum due to high‐tech involved and the high cost, which necessitates further development trans‐radial prostheses.
On the insertion time of random walk cuckoo hashing
Authors: Frieze Alan , Johansson Tony
Published: September 2018

Cuckoo Hashing is a hashing scheme invented by pervious study of Pagh and Rodler. It uses d ≥ 2 distinct hash functions to insert n items into the hash table of size m = (1 + ε)n. In their original paper they treated d = 2 and m = (2 + ε)n. It has been an open question for some time as to the expected time for Random Walk Insertion to add items when d > 2. We show that if the number of hash functions d ≥ dε = O(1) then the expected insertion time is O(1) per item.
Benzothiadiazole‐Based Diarylamines as a Fluoride Sensor: Prevention of Fluoride Induced Decomposition of Receptor Molecule by Complex Formation with Cu2+
Authors: Elavarasan Kumaravel , Saravanan Chinnusamy , Selvam Nagarajan Paneer , Easwaramoorthi Shanmugam
Published: September 2018

Benzothiadiazole based diarylamine TBT‐HH and its derivatives TBT‐HN and TBT‐HM, having an electron withdrawing nitro group and an electron donating methoxy group at para phenylamine position, respectively, were synthesized and used as a fluoride sensor. All the compounds show well‐defined visible color changes in the presence of fluoride ion; the orange colour of TBT‐HN becomes blue and the pink colored TBT‐HH and TBT‐HM becomes colourless. While the presence of F‐ red shifts the absorption maximum by 174 nm to the near IR region for comparatively electron deficient nitro substituent, for the electron rich receptors TBT‐HH and TBT‐HM blue shifted absorption was observed. 1H‐NMR titration experiments of all the receptors confirm deprotonation of the N−H proton by fluoride ion. The deprotonated state of the receptor was stabilized by electron withdrawing nitro substituent whereas that of electron donating substituents destabilizes the deprotonated state and subsequently leads to its decomposition, which is prevented by Cu2+ ion through the complex formation. This hypothesis has been used to develop sensor strips based on these compounds, which shows a color change in the presence of fluoride ion in aqueous solution. Our investigations suggest that the presence of suitable electron deficient substitution would lead to the deprotonation of the diarlyamines, which can subsequently be used for several applications. In rare cases, fluoride induced decomposition of molecules can be prevented by this kind complex formation reaction.
Synthesis and Antimicrobial Activity of New Isoxazolyl Benzo[1, 4] diazepine‐5‐one Derivatives
Authors: Ponduri Rajasekhar , Kumar Pramod , Vadali Lakshmana Rao
Published: September 2018

A series of novel isoxazolyl‐1,4‐benzodiazepine‐5‐ones 4 have been synthesized by the reaction of phenacyl isoxazolylamines 1 with o‐nitrobenzoic acids 2 to furnish different (E)‐N‐(3‐methyl‐5‐styrylisoxazol‐4‐yl)‐2‐nitro‐N‐(2‐oxo‐2‐phenylethyl)benzamides 3, which on treatment with Fe‐AcOH underwent reductive cyclization to afford the target compounds 4 a‐w. The newly synthesized compounds were characterized by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and HRMS analysis. The target compounds 4 a‐w were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial activity. Among the synthesized compounds, compounds 4 r, 4 s, 4 t, 4 u, 4 v and 4 w showed potent antimicrobial activity as compared with the reference drugs. Most of the newly synthesized title compounds have shown good to excellent antimicrobial activity.
Photoacoustic and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Bimodal Contrast Agent Displaying Amplified Photoacoustic Signal
Authors: Duan Yukun , Xu Yu , Mao Duo , Liew Weng Heng , Guo Bing , Wang Shaowei , Cai Xiaolei , Thakor Nitish , Yao Kui , Zhang Chong‐Jing , Liu Bin
Published: September 2018

Progress in photoacoustic (PA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) bimodal contrast agents has been achieved mainly by utilizing the imaging capability of single or multiple components and consequently realizing the desired application for both imaging modalities. However, the mechanism of the mutual influence between components within a single nanoformulation, which is the key to developing high‐performance multimodal contrast agents, has yet to be fully understood. Herein, by integrating conjugated polymers (CPs) with iron oxide (IO) nanoparticles using an amphiphilic polymer, a bimodal contrast agent named CP‐IO is developed, displaying 45% amplified PA signal intensity as compared to bare CP nanoparticle, while the performance of MRI is not affected. Further experimental and theoretical simulation results reveal that the addition of IO nanoparticles in CP‐IO nanocomposites contributes to this PA signal amplification through a synergistic effect of additional heat generation and faster heat dissipation. Besides, the feasibility of CP‐IO nanocomposites acting as PA‐MRI bimodal contrast agents is validated through in vivo tumor imaging using mice models. From this study, it is demonstrated that a delicately designed structural arrangement of various components in a contrast agent could potentially lead to a superior performance in the imaging capability.
Project productivity evaluation in early software effort estimation
Authors: Azzeh Mohammad , Nassif Ali Bou
Published: September 2018

The productivity factor has long been a key driver to estimate effort from Use Case Points (UCP) size measure, especially when historical dataset is absent. But, no one questions: Does productivity still matter when historical data are also available? To facilitate answering this question, the present paper studies the role of productivity from 2 perspectives. First, does learning productivity from historical data lead to better accuracy than using fixed productivity ratios? Second, what is the impact of ignoring productivity when estimating the effort from UCP? Five different models that use productivity factor have been used under different experimental settings and compared with some regression models that use only UCP size metrics. We found that dynamically learning and adjusting productivity from historical data are more efficient than using fixed productivity values. Moreover, using UCP size variables to estimate effort tends to be more accurate than using productivity and UCP variables. We also did not find any significant improvement when using UCP adjustment factors for measuring productivity. Finally, we conclude that the productivity factor is a good driver to generate effort estimate from UCP in the presence and absence of historical datasets. But using UCP size variables alone for predicting effort is more accurate than using productivity.
Integration of Sustainability Indicators and the Viable System Model Towards a Systemic Sustainability Assessment Methodology
Authors: Tong Anh , Calvo Javier , Haapala Karl R.
Published: September 2018

Reports on the progress of sustainability initiatives in industrial practice and academic research have increased over the past several decades, but organizations are still faced with challenges in defining what sustainability means to them, in assessing their sustainability performance, and in making decisions that allow them to develop as sustainable systems. The developmental milestones of sustainability are consistent with the post‐normal versus traditional science, where transdisciplinary and policy/action research are among the important approaches to be added to traditional analysis. This shift requires a new perspective to look at the problem at hand: we are no longer considering a group of users with common and self‐interested goals when defining the scope of sustainability studies. This new perspective, in turn, requires sustainability indicators that can capture largely diverse but relevant measurements to completely represent the different perspectives that must be fulfilled, as well as requiring new methodologies that focus on heuristics, systemic stability, control, and feedback, versus traditional optimization for mechanistic problems. The presented research attempts to build upon an established connection between sustainability and viability, that is, the Viable System Model offers a framework to map the self‐adapting mechanisms that allow a system to cope with its internal and external sustainability challenges. These capabilities can help the organization reach its sustainability goals. A sustainability assessment model that integrates both sustainability indicators and Viable System Model methodologies has been developed and is presented here. This model presents an effort towards integrated assessment, with a focus on dynamics, control, and feedback. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance of hollow concrete block masonry walls retrofitted with steel‐fiber and microsilica admixed plaster
Authors: Al‐Shugaa Madyan A. , Rahman Muhammad K. , Baluch Mohammed H. , Al‐Gadhib Ali H. , Sadoon Ahmed A. , Al‐Osta Mohammed A.
Published: September 2018

The weakness of existing unreinforced masonry (URM) wall buildings in resisting lateral loads is a matter of concern, especially in locations exposed to seismic hazards. In order to address this shortcoming, considerable research effort has been dedicated in the last few years on the strengthening techniques of existing URM structures. This paper presents the test results of four hollow concrete block walls, one as control, one using high steel‐fiber reinforced mortar admixed with microsilica (SFR‐MS) mortar in joints and the other two walls plastered with 10 mm thick SFR‐MS mortar on one and both sides of the wall, respectively. The shear capacity, stiffness, cracking patterns and failure modes of the walls were investigated. In addition, a nonlinear finite element simulation of the walls in an ABAQUS environment is presented and results compared with those obtained from the experimental investigations conducted. Modified analytical equations for predicting the shear capacity of masonry walls with plaster is proposed and results compared with the experimental and finite element simulation results of the investigated walls.
Reimagining English‐Medium Instructional Settings as Sites of Multilingual and Multimodal Meaning Making
Authors: Blair Alissa , Haneda Mari , Bose Frances Nebus
Published: September 2018

Challenging the notion that English‐medium instruction (EMI) is necessarily an English‐only space, the authors argue for an alternative vision of EMI settings as spaces that benefit both emergent bi/multilinguals and their English‐monolingual peers. Given that the enactment of EMI varies according to the underlying language ideologies of the educators who implement it, the authors argue for the importance of shifting from deficit‐based monogolossic ideologies to more asset‐based heteroglossic ideologies and of creating heteroglossic “implementational spaces” (Hornberger, , p. 605). In such spaces, all students, particularly emergent bi/multilinguals, are encouraged to act as agents, strategically drawing upon the full range of their semiotic repertoires (Kusters, Spotti, Swanwick, & Tapio, ) in order to participate, learn, and contribute as full members of the classroom community. In this context, the critical question is how such heteroglossic practices can actually be enacted by teachers who are themselves not bi/multilingual. As a contribution to answering this question, the authors present two promising examples from two independently conducted qualitative studies, which were carried out in EMI mainstream classrooms in U.S. elementary schools, to show how such spaces might be actualized in practice. Then, using them as a point of reference, the authors discuss key issues in fostering and sustaining such spaces, and offer recommendations for teachers and teacher educators.
Longitudinal Vocabulary Development in an EMI International School Context: Learners and Texts in EAL, Maths, and Science
Authors: Coxhead Averil , Boutorwick T. J.
Published: September 2018

This article focuses on vocabulary in the context of English‐medium instruction at an international high school in Germany. Longitudinal testing was carried out using the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT) (Nation, ; Schmitt, Schmitt, & Clapham, ), with 468 participants tested on entry to their first year of secondary school (Grade 6, aged 10–11 years old) and annually thereafter from 2009 to 2015. Learners with the lowest scores on the high frequency (first 2,000 level) words of the VLT in Grade 6 were nonnative speakers, so they were given English as an additional language support. These learners reached mastery of the first 2,000 of the VLT by Grade 9. Nonnative speakers with higher scores on the VLT and native speakers had mastery of the 2,000 level from Grade 6, and all three groups scored similarly at the 3,000 level and academic sections of the test by Grade 10. A corpus‐based lexical analysis of representative textbooks in English as an additional language, maths, and science and learning materials from Grade 6 demonstrates the importance of high‐frequency vocabulary in these texts, and that learners need a large vocabulary to deal with these texts, particularly in maths and science.
Forum on English‐medium Instruction
Authors: Coleman Jim , Hultgren Kristina , Li Wei , Tsui Cheng‐Fang Cynthia , Shaw Philip
Published: September 2018

During the first half of 2017, four scholars who know English‐medium instruction (EMI) well and view it from different perspectives took part in a round‐robin exchange. The forum contributors answered six sets of questions on aspects of EMI: defining terms; learning English in an EMI environment; the political or policy framework; learning a subject in a second language; teachers working in a second language; and EMI and multilingual education. Below is a summary of their answers (a longer version can be found in the online version of this Forum as supplementary content). The questions were devised and the responses edited by Philip Shaw.
Pelvic organ prolapse in Caucasian and East Asian women: a comparative study
Authors: Cheung R. Y. K. , Chan S. S. C. , Shek K. L. , Chung T. K. H. , Dietz H. P.
Published: September 2018

Objective

Ethnicity has been suggested to be a significant risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse (POP); yet, pelvic organ descent in different ethnic groups, especially in Asian populations, is not well studied. The aim of this study was to compare prolapse stages, pelvic organ descent and hiatal dimensions between East Asian and Caucasian women presenting with symptoms of POP.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study of East Asian and Caucasian women presenting with symptoms of POP to a tertiary urogynecology clinic in, respectively, Hong Kong and Sydney. Demographic data, prolapse symptoms and prolapse stage were assessed. Physical examination was performed using the pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP‐Q) system. All women underwent transperineal ultrasound using Voluson systems. Offline analysis of four‐dimensional ultrasound volume data was performed at a later date, by one operator blinded to all clinical data, to ascertain pelvic organ descent and hiatal dimensions on Valsalva maneuver. Levator muscle avulsion was assessed in volumes obtained on pelvic floor muscle contraction. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with prolapse on clinical and ultrasound examinations.

Results

A total of 225 East Asian women were included between July 2012 and February 2014 from the Hong Kong clinic and 206 Caucasian women between January 2015 and July 2016 from the Sydney clinic. There was no significant difference in the overall staging of prolapse. However, in East Asian women, compared with Caucasians, apical compartment prolapse was more common (99.6% vs 71.8%, P < 0.001) and posterior compartment prolapse less common (16.9% vs 48.5%, P < 0.001) on POP‐Q examination. On Valsalva maneuver, the position of the uterus was lower in East Asian than in Caucasian women (−11.3 vs 1.35 mm, P < 0.001), while the rectal ampulla position was lower in Caucasians than in East Asians (−10.6 vs − 4.1 mm, P < 0.001). On multiple regression analysis, Caucasian ethnicity was a significant factor for lower risk of apical compartment prolapse on clinical assessment (odds ratio (OR), 0.01; P < 0.001) and on ultrasound (OR, 0.13; P < 0.001), and for a higher risk of posterior compartment prolapse on clinical assessment (OR, 4.36; P < 0.001) and of true rectocele on ultrasound (OR, 8.14; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

East Asian women present more commonly with uterine prolapse while Caucasians show more often posterior compartment prolapse. Ethnicity was a significant predictor of type of prolapse on multivariate analysis. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Classification with high dimensional features
Authors: Zou Hui
Published: September 2018

Rapid advances in technology have made classification with high dimensional features and ubiquitous problem in modern scientific studies and applications. There are three fundamental goals in the pursuit of a good high‐dimensional classifier: accuracy, interpretability, and scalability. In the past 15 years, a host of competitive high‐dimensional classifiers have been developed based on sparse regularization techniques. In this article, we give a selective overview of these classification methods.

This article is categorized under:

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Knowledge Discovery
Space use, movements, and survival of pygmy rabbits in response to construction of a large pipeline
Authors: Edgel Robert J. , Larsen Randy T. , Whiting Jericho C. , Mcmillan Brock R.
Published: September 2018

Little is known about how energy development affects pygmy rabbits (Brachylagus idahoensis). We quantified space use, movements, and survival of pygmy rabbits before and after construction of the Ruby Pipeline in Utah, USA, from 2010 to 2012. For 18 rabbits captured in and near the pipeline right‐of‐way (ROW) 1 month before construction, 95% kernel home ranges and 50% core areas were ≥3.7 times smaller 1 month after construction. Additionally, those 18 pygmy rabbits shifted the center of 50% core areas away from the ROW following construction ( = 34 m, SD = 36.3, range = −11 to 119 m). Also, 95% kernel home ranges and 50% core areas for 40 rabbits captured in and near the ROW and monitored for 18 months after construction were ≥2.6 times smaller than estimates of similar space use for 25 rabbits in a reference area during the same time. Only 3 of 22 rabbits captured in or near the ROW before construction began crossed the ROW during the 18 months following construction. Weekly estimates of survival for rabbits in or near the ROW were similar before, during, and after construction; and similar to survival rates for rabbits in a reference area. Our results will contribute to biologists’ understanding of the influence of habitat removal and fragmentation associated with the construction of linear features on pygmy rabbits and their habitat. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.
Constrained BRST-BFV Lagrangian formulations for higher spin fields in Minkowski spaces
Authors: Reshetnyak A. A.
Published: September 2018

Abstract

BRST-BFV method to construct constrained Lagrangian formulations for (ir)reducible half-integer higher-spin Poincare group representations in Minkowski space is suggested. The procedure is derived by two ways: first, from the unconstrained BRST-BFV method for mixed-symmetry higher-spin fermionic fields subject to an arbitrary Young tableaux with k rows (suggested in Nucl. Phys.
B 869 (2013) 523, arXiv:1211.1273) by extracting the second-class constraints subsystem, Ô

α
 = (Ô

a
, Ô

a

+
), from a total super-algebra of constraints, second, in self-consistent way by means of finding BRST-extended initial off-shell algebraic constraints, Ô

a
. In both cases, the latter constraints supercommute on the constraint surface with constrained BRST operator Q

C
and spin operators σ

C

i

. The closedness of the superalgebra {Q

C
, Ô

a
, σ

C

i

} guarantees that the final gauge-invariant Lagrangian formulation is compatible with the off-shell algebraic constraints Ô

a
imposed on the field and gauge parameter vectors of the Hilbert space not depending from the ghosts and conversion auxiliary oscillators related to Ô

a
, in comparison with the vectors for unconstrained BRST-BFV Lagrangian formulation. The suggested constrained BRST-BFV approach is valid for both massive HS fields and integer HS fields in the second-order formulation. It is shown that the respective constrained and unconstrained Lagrangian formulations for (half)-integer HS fields with a given spin are equivalent. The constrained Lagrangians in ghost-independent and component (for initial spin-tensor field) are obtained and shown to coincide with the Fang-Fronsdal formulation for totally-symmetric HS field with respective off-shell gamma-traceless constraints. The triplet and unconstrained quartet Lagrangian formulations for the latter field are derived. The constrained BRST-BFV methods without off-shell constraints describe reducible half-integer HS Poincare group representations with multiple spins as a generalized triplet and provide a starting point for constructing unconstrained Lagrangian formulations by using the generalized quartet mechanism. A gauge-invariant Lagrangian constrained description for a massive spin-tensor field of spin n + 1/2 is obtained using a set of auxiliary Stueckelberg spin-tensors. A concept of BRST-invariant second-class constraints for dynamical systems with mixed-class constraints is suggested, leading to equivalent (w.r.t. the BRST-BFV prescription) results of quantization both at the operator level and in terms of the partition function.
Accounting for rainfall and the length of growing season in technical efficiency analysis
Authors: Gadanakis Yiorgos , Areal Francisco José
Published: September 2018

The physical environment of farming systems is rarely considered when conducting farm level efficiency analysis, which is likely to lead to bias of performance measurements based on benchmarking methods such as Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). We incorporate variations of the physical environment (rainfall and length of growing season) through the specifications of the linear programming in DEA to investigate performance measurement bias. The derived technical efficiency estimates are obtained using a sub-vector DEA which ensures farms are compared in a homogenous environment (i.e. accounting for differences in rainfall levels amongst distinct farm units). We use the Farm Business Survey to analyse a representative sample of 245 cereal farms in the East Anglia region between 2009 and 2010. Efficiency rankings obtained from a standard DEA model and a non-discretionary DEA model that incorporates the variations in the physical environment. We show that incorporating rainfall and the length of the growing season as non-discretionary inputs into the production function had significantly altered the farm efficiency ranking between the two models. Hence, to improve extension services to farmers and to reduce biased estimates of farm technical efficiency, variations in environmental conditions need to be integral to the analysis of efficiency.
Referral Patterns for Dual-Energy Computed Tomography in Diagnosis and Management of Gout: Ten-Year Experience at a Canadian Institution
Authors: Gong Bo , Shojania Kamran , Khosa Faisal , Nicolaou Savvas
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To analyze the utilization, indications, and outcomes of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) gout imaging in clinical practice.

Methods

This retrospective study was ethics approved. Radiology reports of DECT gout scans between 2007 and 2016 were analyzed for trends of utilization, referral pattern, indication, and diagnosis.

Results

DECT gout referrals increased substantially (2007: 37; 2008: 72; 2016: 385; total: 1877). The largest number of referrals were from rheumatology (1160), emergency medicine (283), and family medicine (177). Most referrals (92%) were requested to aid an initial diagnosis of gout. Other reasons included estimating the disease burden (6%) or monitoring disease progression and effectiveness of treatment (2%). Rheumatology accounted for most referrals for the latter two reasons (81% and 97%). Imaging findings of urate presence were similar in referrals from rheumatology (62%), family medicine (62%), and other medical specialties (62%). The urate positive rates were slightly lower in referrals from emergency medicine (47%) and surgical specialties (41%). The most common differential diagnoses by referring specialties were calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) and other inflammatory or erosive arthritides (rheumatology, family medicine), CPPD and infections (other medical specialties), infections and fractures (emergency medicine), neoplasm and infections (surgical specialties).

Conclusions

The increasing utilization of DECT for gout imaging validates its clinical value. Varying clinical presentation could explain differences of urate positive rates among specialties. Our results support a multispecialty collaborative approach to the diagnosis and management of gout, with direct access to DECT gout imaging provided to various physician specialties.
A Trinity Analytical Framework for ISDS Reform
Authors: Shan Wenhua , Feng Yunya
Published: September 2018

The American Journal of International Law’s recent articles on the reform of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) make important contributions to ongoing debates. The article by Sergio Puig and Gregory Shaffer elaborates on the methods of investment dispute resolution—the various institutional innovations that states might pursue to improve the system. The essay by Anthea Roberts in turn explores the subjects of investment dispute resolution—states and their varying positions on reform. In our essay, we supply a third perspective by discussing the objects of ISDS—that is, the disputes themselves, which vary considerably from one case to another. We believe that considering methods, subjects, and objects together—what we refer to as a “trinity analytical framework”—could assist states as they formulate their positions in the reform process going forward. At the same time, we do not think that all reform options are equally meritorious, and we critique Puig and Shaffer's proposal for complementarity between municipal courts and international mechanisms as at best premature.
The Professionalization of Cryptology in Sixteenth-Century Venice
Authors: IORDANOU IOANNA
Published: September 2018

This article examines the evolution of cryptology as a business trait and a distinct state-controlled and -regulated profession in sixteenth-century Venice. It begins by briefly discussing the systematic development of cryptology in the Renaissance. Following an examination of the amateur use of codes and ciphers by members of the Venetian merchant and ruling classes, and subsequently by members of all layers of Venetian society, the article moves on to discuss the professionalization of cryptology in sixteenth-century Venice. This was premised on specialist skills formation, a shared professional identity, and an emerging professional ethos. The article explores a potential link between the amateur use of cryptology, especially as it had been instigated by merchants in the form of merchant-style codes, and its professional use by the Venetian authorities. It also adds the profession of thecifrista—the professional cipher secretary—to the list of more “conventional” early modern professions.
Turbulent wake behind side-by-side flat plates: computational study of interference effects
Authors: Dadmarzi Fatemeh H. , Narasimhamurthy Vagesh D. , Andersson Helge I. , Pettersen Bjørnar
Published: September 2018

The complex wake behind two side-by-side flat plates placed normal to the inflow direction has been explored in a direct numerical simulation study. Two gaps,

$g=0.5d$

and

$1.0d$

, were considered, both at a Reynolds number of 1000 based on the plate width

$d$

and the inflow velocity. For gap ratio

$g/d=0.5$

, the biased gap flow resulted in an asymmetric flow configuration consisting of a narrow wake with strong vortex shedding and a wide wake with no periodic near-wake shedding. Shear-layer transition vortices were observed in the wide wake, with characteristic frequency 0.6. For

$g/d=1.0$

, two simulations were performed, started from a symmetric and an asymmetric initial flow field. A symmetric configuration of Kármán vortices resulted from the first simulation. Surprisingly, however, two different three-dimensional instability features were observed simultaneously along the span of the upper and lower plates. The spanwise wavelengths of these secondary streamwise vortices, formed in the braid regions of the primary Kármán vortices, were approximately

$1d$

and

$2d$

, respectively. The wake bursts into turbulence some

$5d$

–

$10d$

downstream. The second simulation resulted in an asymmetric wake configuration similar to the asymmetric wake found for the narrow gap

$0.5d$

, with the appearance of shear-layer instabilities in the wide wake. The analogy between a plane mixing layer and the separated shear layer in the wide wake was examined. The shear-layer frequencies obtained were in close agreement with the frequency of the most amplified wave based on linear stability analysis of a plane mixing layer.
Maintaining grain yields of the perennial cereal intermediate wheatgrass in monoculture v. bi-culture with alfalfa in the Upper Midwestern USA
Authors: Tautges Nicole E. , Jungers Jacob M. , DeHaan Lee R. , Wyse Donald L. , Sheaffer Craig C.
Published: September 2018

Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium; IWG) is a perennial cereal crop undergoing development for grain production; however, grain yield declines of >75% are often observed after year 2 of the perennial stand and may be linked to soil nutrient depletion. Intercropping IWG with a perennial legume such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa) could benefit nutrient cycling while increasing agroecological diversity. Intermediate wheatgrass was established at five environmentally diverse sites in Minnesota, USA in (1) bi-culture with alfalfa, (2) non-fertilized monoculture and (3) monoculture fertilized annually in the spring with 80 kg N/ha. At northern sites where alfalfa growth was favoured, IWG grain yields were reduced in year 2 by growing IWG in bi-culture with alfalfa, relative to the monoculture systems. Across all sites IWG grain yield decreased by 90% in the non-fertilized monoculture, 80% in the fertilized monoculture and 65% in the bi-culture from year 2 to 4 and plant macronutrient concentrations decreased by 25–70%. In year 4, IWG grain yield was similar or greater in the bi-culture than the fertilized monoculture at three of the five sites and alfalfa biomass was correlated positively with grain yield, harvest index and nutrient uptake in the year 4 bi-culture. Chemical-nitrogen fertilization increased grain yields in year 2 but did not mitigate the decline in yields as stands aged. Intermediate wheatgrass in the bi-culture had similar yields and nutrient uptake and lower yield declines than the chemically fertilized stand at sites where alfalfa growth was maintained throughout the life of the stand.
From Light Microscopy to Analytical Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Focused Ion Beam (FIB)/SEM in Biology: Fixed Coordinates, Flat Embedding, Absolute References
Authors: Luckner Manja , Wanner Gerhard
Published: September 2018

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) has been in use for several years, however it has remained a costly method with difficult sample preparation. Here, we report a series of technical improvements developed for precise and cost-effective correlative light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB)/SEM microscopy of single cells, as well as large tissue sections. Customized coordinate systems for both slides and coverslips were established for thin and ultra-thin embedding of a wide range of biological specimens. Immobilization of biological samples was examined with a variety of adhesives. For histological sections, a filter system for flat embedding was developed. We validated ultra-thin embedding on laser marked slides for efficient, high-resolution CLEM. Target cells can be re-located within minutes in SEM without protracted searching and correlative investigations were reduced to a minimum of preparation steps, while still reaching highest resolution. The FIB/SEM milling procedure is facilitated and significantly accelerated as: (i) milling a ramp becomes needless, (ii) significant re-deposition of milled material does not occur; and (iii) charging effects are markedly reduced. By optimizing all technical parameters FIB/SEM stacks with 2 nm iso-voxels were achieved over thousands of sections, in a wide range of biological samples.
Autumn Warming No Longer Accelerating Carbon Loss in the North
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: September 2018

An analysis of Point Barrow’s 40-year record points to the importance of calculating the carbon cycle’s response to temperature during the northern latitudes’ non-growing season.
Inconsistent Response of Arctic Permafrost Peatland Carbon Accumulation to Warm Climate Phases
Authors: Zhang H. , Gallego‐Sala A. V. , Amesbury M. J. , Charman D. J. , Piilo S. R. , Väliranta M. M.
Published: September 2018

Northern peatlands have accumulated large carbon (C) stocks since the last deglaciation and during past millennia they have acted as important atmospheric C sinks. However, it is still poorly understood how northern peatlands in general and Arctic permafrost peatlands in particular will respond to future climate change. In this study, we present C accumulation reconstructions derived from 14 peat cores from four permafrost peatlands in northeast European Russia and Finnish Lapland. The main focus is on warm climate phases. We used regression analyses to test the importance of different environmental variables such as summer temperature, hydrology, and vegetation as drivers for nonautogenic C accumulation. We used modeling approaches to simulate potential decomposition patterns. The data show that our study sites have been persistent mid‐ to late‐Holocene C sinks with an average accumulation rate of 10.80–32.40 g C m−2 year−1. The warmer climate phase during the Holocene Thermal Maximum stimulated faster apparent C accumulation rates while the Medieval Climate Anomaly did not. Moreover, during the Little Ice Age, apparent C accumulation rates were controlled more by other factors than by cold climate per se. Although we could not identify any significant environmental factor that drove C accumulation, our data show that recent warming has increased C accumulation in some permafrost peatland sites. However, the synchronous slight decrease of C accumulation in other sites may be an alternative response of these peatlands to warming in the future. This would lead to a decrease in the C sequestration ability of permafrost peatlands overall.
Paleozoic Tectonic Setting and Paleogeographic Evolution of the Qin‐Fang Region, Southern South China Block: Detrital Zircon U‐Pb Geochronological and Hf Isotopic Constraints
Authors: Zhang Xinchang , Wang Yuejun , Clift Peter D. , Yan Yi , Zhang Yuzhi , Zhang Le
Published: September 2018

The thick Silurian siliciclastic sedimentary rocks in the Qin‐Fang region contrasting with their absence in surrounding regions have long been an enigma for the early Paleozoic geology of South China. Here we employ detrital zircon U‐Pb geochronology and Lu‐Hf isotope analysis of Cambrian to Devonian samples from the Qin‐Fang and adjacent regions to trace sedimentary provenance and to further constrain its tectonic setting. The similar age spectra of the Cambrian samples from both sides of the Qin‐Fang region imply that they should be derived from a common source(s), arguing against the presence of a Cambrian ocean in the Qin‐Fang region. However, the U‐Pb age patterns of these Cambrian samples, as well as from Silurian and Ordovician sandstones both from within and outside the Qin‐Fang region, differ significantly from those of a middle Devonian sample from the Qin‐Fang region, and Ordovician to upper Triassic samples from the Indochina Block. These results, in conjunction with regional geological information, indicate that the Yunkai Mountain, which is located adjacent to the Qin‐Fang region, must have been emerged above sea level in the middle Devonian. Meanwhile, it can also imply that the Qin‐Fang region should be a part of South China rather than being a segment of the Indochina Block. A two‐stage evolutionary history of the Qin‐Fang region is proposed, (1) an intracontinental basin mainly filled by materials eroded from east Gondwana and/or eastern Cathaysia Block during the early Paleozoic and (2) a foreland basin in the Yunkai Mountain region at least since the middle Devonian.
Relationships Between Lithospheric Structures and Rifting in the East African Rift System: A Rayleigh Wave Tomography Study
Authors: Adams A. , Miller J. , Accardo N.
Published: September 2018

The East African Rift System (EARS) provides a unique location for exploring factors influencing the development and maturation of continental rifting. In particular, the geographical relationships between Cenozoic rifts and Pre‐Cambrian lithospheric structures suggest that such preexisting structures exert an influence on early‐stage rift geometry and behavior. This study uses Rayleigh wave phase velocity at periods of 20 to 100 s to study lateral variability in the lithospheric structures of rift segments and preexisting structures in the central and southern EARS. The model is constructed using records of 789 earthquakes, recorded by a composite station array of 235 stations from nonconcurrent seismic networks between 1994 and 2015. In the central EARS, we observe fast velocities beneath the Tanzania Craton, isolated low‐velocity regions along the Western Rift Branch, and low velocities in all resolved portions of the Eastern Rift Branch, consistent with previous regional surface wave studies. South of the Tanzania Craton, we observe linear low‐velocity zones trending both southeast and southwest from the Tanzania Divergence Zone, suggesting a southern bifurcation of the Eastern Rift Branch. In the southern portions of the Western Rift Branch, the Malawi Rift borders fast velocities associated with the Bangweulu Block and Irumide Belt. Anomalously fast velocities in these regions persist to long periods, confirming the existence of cratonic lithosphere inferred from previous studies. Fast velocities observed beneath the Irumide Belt extend across the southernmost portion of the Malawi Rift, suggesting that strong lithosphere in this region may hinder the southern propagation of the rift.
Drivers of Oxygen Consumption in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Waters—A Stable Carbon Isotope Perspective
Authors: Wang Hongjie , Hu Xinping , Rabalais Nancy N. , Brandes Jay
Published: September 2018

We examined the stable carbon isotopic composition of remineralized organic carbon (δ13COCx) in the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGoM) using incubations (sediment and water) and a three‐end‐member mixing model. δ13COCx in incubating sediments was −18.1‰ ± 1.3‰, and δ13COCx in incubating near‐surface and near‐bottom waters varied with salinity, ranging from −30.4‰ to −16.2‰ from brackish water to full‐strength Gulf water. The average δ13COCx was −18.6‰ ± 1.8‰ at salinity >23. A three‐end‐member mixing model based on a multiyear data set collected in previous summer hypoxia cruises (2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2016) suggested that δ13COCx in near‐bottom waters across the nGoM (5–50 m) was −18.1‰ ± 0.6‰. The close agreement of δ13COCx obtained from the three independent approaches, that is, incubations of water column, surface sediments, and mixing model, suggests that 13C‐enriched organic matter of marine origin played the dominant role in near‐bottom water and benthic oxygen consumption in the nGoM shelf in summer.