bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investigating channel frequency selectivity in indoor visible‐light communication systems
Authors: Long Shihe , Khalighi Mohammad Ali , Wolf Mike , Bourennane Salah , Ghassemlooy Zabih
Published: September 2015

Channel characterisation for indoor visible‐light communication systems is revisited. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the channel frequency selectivity, or in other words, the significance of inter‐symbol interference (ISI) at the receiver and the necessity of channel equalisation to recover the transmitted data. The authors focus on the effect of the indoor channel by assuming no bandwidth constraint on the light‐emitting‐diodes and by considering a simple intensity modulation technique, excluding discrete multi‐tone modulation. The channel impulse response (CIR) is first simulated using the iterative site‐based method. Then, conventional metrics for evaluating channel frequency selectivity, that is, the root‐mean‐square delay spread and channel frequency response are investigated and their practical interest is discussed. The authors also consider the signal‐to‐ISI ratio (SIR), which they define based on the sampled (i.e. discrete‐time) signal at the receiver, and demonstrate its usefulness in determining the necessity of channel equalisation at the receiver. They consider several link scenarios in a medium‐size and a large room, and show the significance of the LOS components of CIR in determining the channel frequency selectivity. They also discuss the choice of the receiver filter and explain how it affects the SIR.
Multiband filter at adjustable free spectral range by convolution of transfer functions according to the Vernier effect
Authors: Ouariach Abdelaziz , Ghoumid Kamal , Malek Rachid , El Moussati Ali , Nougaoui Abdelkarim , Gharbi Tijani
Published: September 2015

In this study, the authors present the design, fabrication and characterisation of a filter multiband tunable consequence of a convolution product of two transfer functions. The device consists of two cavities arranged in tandem and realised in integrated optics. The second cavity is 10% shorter than the first one. These maximas of transmission are slightly moved away than those of the first one. The choice of the lengths of both close but uneven cavities put in the profit a Vernier effect between the two spectral characteristics the purpose of which is to increase the free spectral range (FSR), and therefore the tuning range. The filter design is discussed and its performance is introduced using measurements and simulations. Consequently, the process is validated by the design of a dual‐band filter with the resulting FSR multiplied by a factor of six as compared with that of a single Fabry–Perot. These results were verified theoretically and experimentally.
Output voltage control of inductive power transfer system based on extremum seeking control
Authors: Yuan Xiaofang , Zhang Yunling , Wang Yan , Li Zhongqi
Published: September 2015

Inductive power transfer (IPT) system facilitates contactless power transfer across an air‐gap through weak magnetic coupling. The controller design for IPT system is very difficult owing to load and system parameter variations, very high operation frequency, strong non‐linearity and discreteness. In this study, an extremum seeking control (ESC) strategy is proposed for the output voltage control of LCL‐type IPT system. The design of ESC strategy is regarded as a numeral optimisation problem; therefore, a parallel chaos optimisation algorithm will be applied to solve this numeral optimisation problem. In every iterative step of the ESC, the optimal target state is derived from extremum seeking sequence, which drives the operating conditions of system approaching to the target state with good performance. Several simulations and experiments are used to test the performance and the robustness of the proposed ESC strategy for IPT application.
Improved human respiration detection method via ultra‐wideband radar in through‐wall or other similar conditions
Authors: Wu Shiyou , Tan Kai , Xia Zhenghuan , Chen Jie , Meng Shengwei , Guangyou Fang
Published: September 2015

In this study, a quasi‐real‐time human respiration detection method with prominent signal‐to‐noise‐and‐clutter ratio (SNCR) improvement is proposed to increase performance of ultra‐wideband rescue radar under the low SNCR conditions such as through‐wall or other similar conditions. Three main steps of the proposed method are designed for the purpose of effectively removing stationary clutter, suppressing non‐stationary interference from other moving subject and improving the contrast between respiration response and clutter. Meanwhile, the proposed method satisfies the requirement of quasi‐real time as its time cost implemented in MATLAB is only 2 s. Experiments are carried out in through‐wall/floors/artificial‐ruin conditions, and results show that the proposed method outperforms the previously proposed method, and it can be a good choice for human respiration detection in complex scenarios due to the prominent SNCR improvement.
Assessment of DMSP turnover reveals a non-bioavailable pool of dissolved DMSP in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Li Chengxuan , Yang Gui-Peng , Kieber David J. , Motard-Côté Jessie , Kiene Ronald P.
Published: September 2015

Environmental context DMSP is one of the most important substrates for marine bacteria and its cycling contributes substantially to fluxes of carbon and sulfur in the ocean. Accurate determination of the concentration of DMSP available to bacteria is essential to quantifying DMSP consumption rates, and this work improves those determinations by identifying non-bioavailable pools of DMSP that have previously gone unrecognised. Improved estimates of DMSP consumption rates will lead to better understanding of its role in ocean food web and biogeochemical dynamics. Abstract Dissolved dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSPd) is an important substrate for marine microbes and a precursor of sulfur gases. We compared DMSPd turnover flux rates in coastal seawater measured with a 35S-DMSPd tracer to those obtained with the DMSP-uptake inhibitor glycine betaine (GBT). The 35S-DMSP tracer method yielded DMSPd turnover fluxes (35.7–215nM day–1) that were 1.7 to 152 times higher than those obtained in parallel samples with the GBT inhibitor method (0.34–21.6nM day–1). Tests confirmed that GBT functioned as planned by strongly inhibiting DMSPd degradation and that 35S-DMSPd gave accurate estimates of DMSPd loss rate constants. This left the initial DMSPd concentrations, determined by small volume drip filtration (SVDF) through Whatman GF/F filters (0.7-μm nominal retention) ([DMSPd]SVDF), as a potential cause of the discrepancy in rate estimates. Indeed, GF/F filtrate incubations showed that the initial [DMSPd]SVDF overestimated the bioavailable DMSPd concentrations for at least two reasons: (1) a significant fraction (10–37%) of DMSP passing through GF/F filters was in particles >0.2μm (likely bacteria) and therefore not dissolved, and (2) a significant pool (0.44–1.0nM) of operationally dissolved, non-particle DMSP ([DMSPd]<0.2μm), comprising 40–99% of [DMSPd]SVDF, was refractory to degradation on a time scale of days. The nature of this refractory DMSP is currently unknown. Accounting for DMSP-containing particles and the refractory DMSP pool in GF/F filtrates is necessary to obtain the true bioavailable DMSPd concentrations, which we estimate to be very low (0.006–1.0nM; mean of 0.41nM) in the coastal waters examined, and to avoid overestimation of DMSPd turnover fluxes when using the 35S-DMSP tracer technique.
Involvement of prolactin in the meloxicam-dependent inflammatory response of the gonadotropic axis to prolonged lipopolysaccharide treatment in anoestrous ewes
Authors: Herman Andrzej P. , Krawczyńska Agata , Bochenek Joanna , Antushevich Hanna , Herman Anna , Tomaszewska-Zaremba Dorota
Published: September 2015

An immune challenge can affect the reproductive process in females. Peripheral administration of bacterial endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide; LPS) decreases LH secretion and disrupts ovarian cyclicity. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of a cyclo-oxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor (meloxicam) on gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and LH secretion in anoestrous ewes during systemic inflammation induced by LPS. LPS (400 ng kg–1 per day) suppressed LH release. In three individuals, meloxicam (500 μg kg–1, i.v.) abolished LPS-induced LH suppression. In another three ewes LH was ineffective. Similar changes were observed in hypothalamic GnRH expression. The effect of meloxicam depended on the circulating level of prolactin: meloxicam abolished inflammatory-dependent suppression of GnRH and LH secretion when plasma prolactin levels were similar to those in untreated animals, but was ineffective in those with elevated levels of prolactin. We conclude that COX-2 inhibitors minimise the negative effect of inflammation on the reproductive system but that this effect may be antagonised by prolactin.
Viscosity of deeply supercooled water and its coupling to molecular diffusion
Authors: Dehaoui Amine , Issenmann Bruno , Caupin Frédéric
Published: September 2015

Significance

Water is the most ubiquitous liquid but also the most anomalous. In usual fluids far from their glass transition, viscosity and molecular diffusion are coupled through the Stokes–Einstein relations. For water, viscosity already starts decoupling from translational diffusion below

20
°
C

. Simulations have suggested a connection with the putative separation of supercooled water into two distinct liquid phases. Whereas experimental diffusion data extend far in the supercooled region, accurate viscosity data were lacking due to the readiness of supercooled water to crystallize under the slightest perturbation. Using Brownian motion of spheres suspended in water, we have measured its viscosity down to

−
34
°
C

without freezing. We find that whereas viscosity decouples increasingly from molecular translation upon cooling, it remains coupled to rotation.
Optimization of dose of collagen hydrolysate to prevent UVB-irradiated skin damage
Authors: Jimbo Nozomi , Kawada Chinatsu , Nomura Yoshihiro
Published: September 2015

Collagen hydrolysate (CH) was orally administered to UVB-irradiated hairless mice at doses of 20, 200–2000 mg/kg BW/day. The low dose of CH increased the skin hydration and reduced the transepidermal water loss on damaged skin. These results suggested the optimal dose of collagen to improve the UV-damaged skin condition.
ARF-GEF cytohesin-2/ARNO regulates R-Ras and α5-integrin recycling through an EHD1-positive compartment
Authors: Salem Joseph C. , Reviriego-Mendoza Marta M. , Santy Lorraine C.
Published: September 2015

When expressed in epithelial cells, cytohesin-2/ARNO, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for ARF small GTPases, causes a robust migration response. Recent evidence suggests that cytohesin-2/ARNO acts downstream of small the GTPase R-Ras to promote spreading and migration. We hypothesized that cytohesin-2/ARNO could transmit R-Ras signals by regulating the recycling of R-Ras through ARF activation. We found that Eps15-homology domain 1 (EHD1), a protein that associates with the endocytic recycling compartment (ERC), colocalizes with active R-Ras in transiently expressed HeLa cells. In addition, we show that EHD1-positive recycling endosomes are a novel compartment for cytohesin-2/ARNO. Knockdown or expression of GEF-inactive (E156K) cytohesin-2/ARNO causes R-Ras to accumulate on recycling endosomes containing EHD1 and inhibits cell spreading. E156K-ARNO also causes a reduction in focal adhesion size and number. Finally, we demonstrate that R-Ras/ARNO signaling is required for recycling of α5-integrin and R-Ras to the plasma membrane. These data establish a role for cytohesin-2/ARNO as a regulator of R-Ras and integrin recycling and suggest that ARF-regulated trafficking of R-Ras is required for R-Ras–dependent effects on spreading and adhesion formation.
Interallelic complementation provides functional evidence for cohesin–cohesin interactions on DNA
Authors: Eng Thomas , Guacci Vincent , Koshland Douglas
Published: September 2015

The cohesin complex (Mcd1p, Smc1p, Smc3p, and Scc3p) has multiple roles in chromosome architecture, such as promoting sister chromatid cohesion, chromosome condensation, DNA repair, and transcriptional regulation. The prevailing embrace model for sister chromatid cohesion posits that a single cohesin complex entraps both sister chromatids. We report interallelic complementation between pairs of nonfunctional mcd1 alleles (mcd1-1 and mcd1-Q266) or smc3 alleles (smc3-42 and smc3-K113R). Cells bearing individual mcd1 or smc3 mutant alleles are inviable and defective for both sister chromatid cohesion and condensation. However, cells coexpressing two defective mcd1 or two defective smc3 alleles are viable and have cohesion and condensation. Because cohesin contains only a single copy of Smc3p or Mcd1p, these examples of interallelic complementation must result from interplay or communication between the two defective cohesin complexes, each harboring one of the mutant allele products. Neither mcd1-1p nor smc3-42p is bound to chromosomes when expressed individually at its restrictive temperature. However, their chromosome binding is restored when they are coexpressed with their chromosome-bound interallelic complementing partner. Our results support a mechanism by which multiple cohesin complexes interact on DNA to mediate cohesion and condensation.
Discovery of a vezatin-like protein for dynein-mediated early endosome transport
Authors: Yao Xuanli , Arst Herbert N. , Wang Xiangfeng , Xiang Xin
Published: September 2015

Early endosomes are transported bidirectionally by cytoplasmic dynein and kinesin-3, but how the movements are regulated in vivo remains unclear. Here our forward genetic study led to the discovery of VezA, a vezatin-like protein in Aspergillus nidulans, as a factor critical for early endosome distribution. Loss of vezA causes an abnormal accumulation of early endosomes at the hyphal tip, where microtubule plus ends are located. This abnormal accumulation depends on kinesin-3 and is due to a decrease in the frequency but not the speed of dynein-mediated early endosome movement. VezA-GFP signals are enriched at the hypha tip in an actin-dependent manner but are not obviously associated with early endosomes, thus differing from the early endosome association of the cargo adapter HookA (Hook in A. nidulans). On loss of VezA, HookA associates normally with early endosomes, but the interaction between dynein-dynactin and the early-endosome-bound HookA is significantly decreased. However, VezA is not required for linking dynein-dynactin to the cytosolic ∆C-HookA, lacking the cargo-binding C-terminus. These results identify VezA as a novel regulator required for the interaction between dynein and the Hook-bound early endosomes in vivo.
Geodetic model of the 2015 April 25 Mw 7.8 Gorkha Nepal Earthquake and Mw 7.3 aftershock estimated from InSAR and GPS data
Authors: Feng Guangcai , Li Zhiwei , Shan Xinjian , Zhang Lei , Zhang Guohong , Zhu Jianjun
Published: September 2015

We map the complete surface deformation of 2015 Mw 7.8 Gorkha Nepal earthquake and its Mw 7.3 aftershock with two parallel ALOS2 descending ScanSAR paths’ and two ascending Stripmap paths’ images. The coseismic fault-slip model from a combined inversion of InSAR and GPS data reveals that this event is a reverse fault motion, with a slight right-lateral strike-slip component. The maximum thrust-slip and right-lateral strike-slip values are 5.7 and 1.2 m, respectively, located at a depth of 7–15 km, southeast to the epicentre. The total seismic moment 7.55 × 1020 Nm, corresponding to a moment magnitude Mw 7.89, is similar to the seismological estimates. Fault slips of both the main shock and the largest aftershock are absent from the upper thrust shallower than 7 km, indicating that there is a locking lower edge of Himalayan Main Frontal Thrust and future seismic disaster is not unexpected in this area. We also find that the energy released in this earthquake is much less than the accumulated moment deficit over the past seven centuries estimated in previous studies, so the region surrounding Kathmandu is still under the threaten of seismic hazards.
Pain and Depressive Symptoms in Primary Care
Authors: Hirsch Jameson K. , Sirois Fuschia M. , Molnar Danielle , Chang Edward C.
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

Pain and its disruptive impact on daily life are common reasons that patients seek primary medical care. Pain contributes strongly to psychopathology, and pain and depressive symptoms are often comorbid in primary care patients. Not all those who experience pain develop depression, suggesting that the presence of individual-level characteristics, such as positive and negative affect, that may ameliorate or exacerbate this association.

Methods:

We assessed the potential moderating role of positive and negative affect on the pain-depression linkage. In a sample of 101 rural, primary care patients, we administered the Brief Pain Inventory, NEO Personality Inventory-Revised positive and negative affect subclusters, and the Center for Epidemiology Scale for Depression.

Results:

In moderation models, covarying age, sex, and ethnicity, we found that positive affect, but not negative affect, was a significant moderator of the relation between pain intensity and severity and depressive symptoms.

Discussion:

The association between pain and depressive symptoms is attenuated when greater levels of positive affects are present. Therapeutic bolstering of positive affect in primary care patients experiencing pain may reduce the risk for depressive symptoms.
Chronic Widespread Back Pain is Distinct From Chronic Local Back Pain
Authors: Gerhardt Andreas , Eich Wolfgang , Janke Susanne , Leisner Sabine , Treede Rolf-Detlef , Tesarz Jonas
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

Whether chronic localized pain (CLP) and chronic widespread pain (CWP) have different mechanisms or to what extent they overlap in their pathophysiology is controversial. The study compared quantitative sensory testing profiles of nonspecific chronic back pain patients with CLP (n=48) and CWP (n=29) with and fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) patients (n=90) and pain-free controls (n = 40).

Materials and Methods:

The quantitative sensory testing protocol of the “German-Research-Network-on-Neuropathic-Pain” was used to measure evoked pain on the painful area in the lower back and the pain-free hand (thermal and mechanical detection and pain thresholds, vibration threshold, pain sensitivity to sharp and blunt mechanical stimuli). Ongoing pain and psychometrics were captured with pain drawings and questionnaires.

Results:

CLP patients did not differ from pain-free controls, except for lower pressure pain threshold (PPT) on the back. CWP and FMS patients showed lower heat pain threshold and higher wind-up ratio on the back and lower heat pain threshold and cold pain threshold on the hand. FMS showed lower PPT on back and hand, and higher comorbidity of anxiety and depression and more functional impairment than all other groups.

Discussion:

Even after long duration CLP presents with a local hypersensitivity for PPT, suggesting a somatotopically specific sensitization of nociceptive processing. However, CWP patients show widespread ongoing pain and hyperalgesia for different stimuli that is generalized in space, suggesting the involvement of descending control systems, as also suggested for FMS patients. Because mechanisms in nonspecific chronic back pain with CLP and CWP differ, these patients should be distinguished in future research and allocated to different treatments.
Effects of Alzheimer Disease on the Facial Expression of Pain
Authors: Beach Paul A. , Huck Jonathan T. , Miranda Melodie M. , Foley Kevin T. , Bozoki Andrea C.
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

Facial expression may be a surrogate marker of pain in Alzheimer disease (AD) when self-report of pain is compromised. Recent studies have demonstrated increased pain sensitivity in AD; however, experimental pain studies analyzing facial expressions in AD are limited and report inconsistent results. The aims of this study were to examine facial expression of pain in AD patients and its relationship to sum-scored measures of multiple pain behavioral domains and subjective pain ratings.

Materials and Methods:

The Facial Action Coding System (FACS) was used to characterize facial expressions in 35 AD patients and 33 healthy seniors during pressure algometry. To improve pain specificity, facial responses were categorized as pain-relevant or pain-irrelevant before group analyses. We also assessed the relationship of AD severity to differential facial responsiveness by correlating FACS-based results with clinical pain scales (portions of the Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia scale and the Faces Pain Scale-Revised [FPS-R]).

Results:

No significant relationship was found between AD severity and FACS scores. Pain-relevant, but not irrelevant, FACS scores were increased in AD patients compared with seniors without AD. Pain Assessment in Advanced Dementia scale stimulus-response slopes were correlated with those of pain-relevant FACS and FPS-R in both the groups. Pain-relevant FACS slopes showed no relationship with those of the FPS-R in either group.

Discussion:

Pain sensitivity is increased across all severities of AD when measured using the FACS. Clinical observational pain scales support the relevance of facial expression as a partial compensatory pain communication modality for AD. However, measures of pain behavior that sum across objective coding of several domains provide a better indicator of subjective pain than measures of facial expression alone.
An Expedited Care Pathway with Ambulatory Brachial Plexus Analgesia Is a Cost-effective Alternative to Standard Inpatient Care after Complex Arthroscopic Elbow Surgery
Authors: Cruz Eng Hillenn , Riazi Sheila , Veillette Christian , Ami Noam , Niazi Ahtsham U. , Chin Ki Jinn , Chan Vincent W. S. , Perlas Anahi
Published: September 2015

AbstractAbstract

In a randomized, single-blinded study of 40 patients, an expedited care pathway with early hospital discharge followed by ambulatory brachial plexus analgesia and physiotherapy at home was a cost-effective alternative to 72 h of hospital admission after complex arthroscopic elbow surgery.

Background

Common standard practice after complex arthroscopic elbow surgery includes hospital admission for 72 h. The authors hypothesized that an expedited care pathway, with 24 h of hospital admission and ambulatory brachial plexus analgesia and continuous passive motion at home, results in equivalent elbow range of motion (ROM) 2 weeks after surgery compared with standard 72-h hospital admission.

Methods

A randomized, single-blinded study was conducted after obtaining approval from the research ethics board. Forty patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated list of random numbers into an expedited care pathway group (24-h admission) and a control group (72-h admission). They were treated equally aside from the predetermined hospital length of stay.

Results

Patients in the control (n = 19) and expedited care pathway (n = 19) groups achieved similar elbow ROM 2 weeks (119 ± 18 degrees and 121 ± 15 degrees, P = 0.627) and 3 months (130 ± 18 vs. 130 ± 11 degrees, P = 0.897) postoperatively. The mean difference in elbow ROM at 2 weeks was 2.6 degrees (95% CI, −8.3 to 13.5). There were no differences in analgesic outcomes, physical function scores, and patient satisfaction up to 3 months postoperatively. Total hospital cost of care was 15% lower in the expedited care pathway group.

Conclusion

The results suggest that an expedited care pathway with early hospital discharge followed by ambulatory brachial plexus analgesia and continuous passive motion at home is a cost-effective alternative to 72 h of hospital admission after complex arthroscopic elbow surgery.
Activation of Adenosine Monophosphate–activated Protein Kinase Suppresses Neuroinflammation and Ameliorates Bone Cancer Pain
Authors: Song Huayuan , Han Yuan , Pan Cailong , Deng Xueting , Dai Wenling , Hu Liang , Jiang Chunyi , Yang Yanjing , Cheng Zhixiang , Li Fei , Zhang Guangqin , Wu Xuefeng , Liu Wentao
Published: September 2015

AbstractAbstract

Activation of adenosine monophosphate–activated kinase by resveratrol significantly inhibited spinal neuroinflammation in a rat model of bone cancer pain. Resveratrol also reduced pain-related behaviors in these animals.

Background

Activation of adenosine monophosphate–activated kinase (AMPK) has been associated with the inhibition of inflammatory nociception and the attenuation of morphine antinociceptive tolerance. In this study, the authors investigated the impact of AMPK activation through resveratrol treatment on bone cancer pain.

Methods

The nociception was assessed by measuring the incidence of foot withdrawal in response to mechanical indentation in rats (n = 8). Cytokine expression was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (n = 8). Cell signalings were assayed by western blot (n = 4) and immunohistochemistry (n = 5). The microglial cell line BV-2, primary astrocytes, and neuron-like SH-SY5Y cells were cultured to investigate the in vitro effects.

Results

Resveratrol and 5-amino-1-β-d-ribofuranosyl-imidazole-4-carboxamide, the AMPK activators, significantly attenuated bone cancer pain in rats with tumor cell implantation (TCI; threshold of mechanical withdrawal, resveratrol vs. vehicle: 10.1 ± 0.56 vs. 4.1 ± 0.37; 5-amino-1-β-d-ribofuranosyl-imidazole-4-carboxamide vs. vehicle: 8.2 ± 0.17 vs. 4.1 ± 0.37, mean ± SEM); these effects were reversed by the AMPK inhibitor compound C (compound C vs. resveratrol: 6.2 ± 1.35 vs. 10.1 ± 0.56, mean ± SEM). Resveratrol has an AMPK-dependent inhibitory effect on TCI-evoked astrocyte and microglial activation. The antinociceptive effects of resveratrol were partially mediated by the reduced phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases and decreased production of proinflammatory cytokines in an AMPK-dependent manner. Furthermore, resveratrol potently inhibited inflammatory factors–mediated protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling in neurons. Acute pain evoked by proinflammatory cytokines in the spinal cord was significantly attenuated by resveratrol.

Conclusions

AMPK activation in the spinal glia by resveratrol may have utility in the treatment of TCI-induced neuroinflammation, and our results further implicate AMPK as a novel target for the attenuation of bone cancer pain.
Regional Differences in Tear Film Stability and Meibomian Glands in Patients With Aqueous-Deficient Dry Eye
Authors: Koh Shizuka , Ikeda Chikako , Fujimoto Hisataka , Oie Yoshinori , Soma Takeshi , Maeda Naoyuki , Nishida Kohji
Published: September 2015

Objectives:

To noninvasively investigate regional differences in tear film stability and meibomian glands in patients with aqueous-deficient dry eye.

Methods:

Forty-nine dry eyes and 31 normal eyes were analyzed. A corneal topographer with a tear film scanning function was used for noninvasive tear film break-up time (NI-TFBUT) measurements and meibomian gland observations. The NI-TFBUT values and location of the first tear film break-up point were recorded in four quadrants. Meibomian gland loss was graded for each eyelid using meiboscores. Lid margin abnormality was scored from zero to four according to the number of existing abnormalities. The NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were compared between two groups, and regional differences in NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were analyzed. Also, the correlation between the NI-TFBUT and ocular surface examination results were investigated.

Results:

The NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores were significantly lower and higher, respectively, for the dry eye group than for the normal group. In the dry eye group, the occurrence rate for first tear film break-up was the highest in the inferior nasal quadrant, and the mean meiboscore was significantly higher for the upper eyelids than for the lower eyelids. The NI-TFBUT and lid margin abnormality scores showed a weak negative correlation, and the NI-TFBUT values and meiboscores showed no correlation.

Conclusions:

Compared to normal eyes, aqueous-deficient dry eyes show significant regional differences in tear film stability and meibomian glands. Considering these regional differences, the overall observation of the ocular surface, including both upper and lower eyelids, will aid clinicians in understanding this condition better.
The Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Fatigue Scale for Children
Authors: Ho Ka Yan , Li William Ho Cheung , Lam Ka Wai Katherine , Chiu Sau Ying , Chan Chi-Fung Godfrey
Published: September 2015

Background:

The availability of a valid and reliable instrument that accurately assesses the level of fatigue among childhood cancer survivors is a prerequisite for developing and evaluating interventions designed to reduce fatigue. There is a lack of such an instrument for use in the Hong Kong Chinese context.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale for Children. In particular, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to examine its factorial structure.

Methods:

A convenience sample of 200 Hong Kong Chinese children surviving cancer was recruited in an outpatient clinic. The psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale for Children were assessed.

Results:

The content validity index was 0.83. There was a strong positive correlation between children’s level of fatigue and depressive symptoms (r = 0.53) and a strong negative correlation between children’s levels of fatigue and quality of life (r = −0.54). The mean levels of fatigue of the survivor group were significantly lower than those of those hospitalized with cancer, but significantly higher than those of their healthy counterparts. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that there were 3 factors underlying the Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale for Children.

Conclusion:

The study adds further evidence that the Chinese version of the Fatigue Scale for Children can be used as a reliable and valid tool in assessing cancer-related fatigue among Chinese children who have survived cancer.

Implications for Practice:

The translated scale can be used to develop and evaluate appropriate fatigue reduction interventions.
Azospirillum soli sp. nov., a nitrogen-fixing species isolated from agricultural soil
Authors: Lin Shih-Yao , Hameed Asif , Liu You-Cheng , Hsu Yi-Han , Lai Wei-An , Shen Fo-Ting , Young Chiu-Chung
Published: September 2015

An aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, rod or spiral-shaped diazotrophic bacterium (designated strain CC-LY788T), was isolated from agricultural soil in Taiwan. Strain CC-LY788Twas able to grow at 25–40 °C, pH 6.0–8.0 and tolerated NaCl to 2.0% (w/v). Positive for nitrogen fixation with the activity recorded as 6.5 nmol ethylene h− 1. Strain CC-LY788Tshowed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity toAzospirillum picisDSM 19922T(97.2%) andAzospirillum rugosumDSM 19657T(97.1%) and lower sequence similarities ( < 96.6%) to all other species of the genusAzospirillum. According to the DNA–DNA hybridization, the relatedness values of strain CC-LY788TwithA. picisDSM 19922TandA. rugosumDSM 19657Twere 51.1 ± 5.5% and 46.8 ± 2.1%, respectively. Strain CC-LY788Twas positive for the rapid identification of the genus-specific primer set. The respiratory quinone system was ubiquinone (Q-10) and the DNA G+C content was 69.8 mol%. The major fatty acids found in strain CC-LY788Twere C16 : 0, C18 : 12-OH, C14 : 03-OH/C16 : 1iso I (summed feature 2), C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c(summed feature 3), C18 : 0ante/C18 : 2ω6,9c(summed feature 5) and C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c(summed feature 8). Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic features, strain CC-LY788Trepresents a novel species of the genusAzospirillum, for which the nameAzospirillum solisp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CC-LY788T( = BCRC 80569T = JCM 18820T).
Idiomarina aquatica sp. nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from salterns
Authors: José León María , Martínez-Checa Fernando , Ventosa Antonio , Sánchez-Porro Cristina
Published: September 2015

Four bacterial strains, SN-14T, SN-4, M6-46 and M6-58B, were isolated from water of ponds of two salterns located in Huelva (Spain). They were Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and slightly curved rods. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the four strains belong to the genus Idiomarina, being related most closely to Idiomarina fontislapidosi F23T (98.4–98.0% sequence similarity), Idiomarina seosinensis CL-SP19T (98.3–98.0%), Idiomarina piscisalsi TPS4-2T (97.9–97.4%), Idiomarina baltica OS145T (97.5–97.4%) and Idiomarina zobellii KMM 231T (97.6–97.0%). The level of similarity with the type species of the genus, Idiomarina abyssalis KMM 227T, was 97.2–96.7%. The novel strains exhibited optimal growth at 5–10% (w/v) total salts, pH 7 and 37 °C. The major fatty acids of strain SN-14T were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c/C18 : 1ω6c, C16 : 0 and iso-C17 : 1ω9c/C16 : 0 10-methyl. The DNA G+C content range was 47.6–50.8 mol%. The level of DNA–DNA relatedness between strain SN-14T and I. fontislapidosi F23T was 13%, while those between strain SN-14T and the other three new isolates were between 77 and 99%. These data demonstrated that the four isolates constitute a novel species of the genus Idiomarina. Based on the phylogenetic, genotypic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, the four strains represent a novel species of the genus Idiomarina, for which the name Idiomarina aquatica sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SN-14T ( = CCM 8471T = CECT 8360T = LMG 27613T).
Qingshengfania soli gen. nov., sp. nov., a member of the order Rhizobiales isolated from the soil of a pesticide factory
Authors: Zhang Long , Zhou Qing-Xin , Song Man , Chen Xiao-Long , Xu Xi-Hui , Chen Kai , Li Shun-Peng , Jiang Jian-Dong
Published: September 2015

Two Gram-stain negative, coccoid to oval-shaped, non-spore-forming bacteria (LR4T and LR4-1), isolated from the soil of a pesticide factory in Nanjing, China, were investigated for their taxonomic allocation by using a polyphasic approach. Both strains grew optimally at pH 7.0, 30 °C and in the absence of NaCl. Both strains were positive for catalase and oxidase activities. Q-10 was the predominant respiratory ubiquinone. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and two unknown aminolipids. The major fatty acids (>10 % of the total fatty acids) were C18:1ω7c/C18:1ω6c (summed feature 8) and C17:1 iso I/C17:1 anteiso B (summed feature 4). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons showed that the two isolates formed a distinct line within a clade containing the genera Chelatococcus, Bosea, Camelimonas, Salinarimonas, Psychroglaciecola, Microvirga, Methylobacterium, Albibacter, Hansschlegelia and Methylopila in the order Rhizobiales, with the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to Chelatococcus asaccharovorans TE2T (94.12 %), followed by Bosea thiooxidans DSM 9653T (93.25 %). Strains LR4T and LR4-1 were closely related on the basis of DNA–DNA reassociation and therefore represent a single novel species. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic data, strains LR4T and LR4-1 represent a novel species of a new genus in the order Rhizobiales, for which the name Qingshengfania soli gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the type species is LR4T ( = CCTCC AB 2015036T = KCTC 42463T).
Inference of complex population histories using whole-genome sequences from multiple populations
Authors: Steinrücken Matthias , Kamm Jack , Spence Jeffrey P. , Song Yun S.
Published: September 2015

There has been much interest in analyzing genome-scale DNA sequence data to infer population histories, but inference methods developed hitherto are limited in model complexity and computational scalability. Here we present an efficient, flexible statistical method, diCal2, that can utilize whole-genome sequence data from multiple populations to infer complex demographic models involving population size changes, population splits, admixture, and migration. Applying our method to data from Australian, East Asian, European, and Papuan populations, we find that the population ancestral to Australians and Papuans started separating from East Asians and Europeans about 100,000 years ago, and that the separation of East Asians and Europeans started about 50,000 years ago, with pervasive gene flow between all pairs of populations.
Improved metagenome assemblies and taxonomic binning using long-read circular consensus sequence data
Authors: Frank Jeremy A. , Pan Yao , Tooming-Klunderud Ave , Eijsink Vincent G.H. , McHardy Alice C. , Nederbragt Alexander J. , Pope Phillip B.
Published: September 2015

DNA assembly is a core methodological step in metagenomic pipelines used to study the structure and function within microbial communities. Here we investigate the utility of Pacific Biosciences long and high accuracy circular consensus sequencing (CCS) reads for metagenomics projects. We compared the application and performance of both PacBio CCS and Illumina HiSeq data with assembly and taxonomic binning algorithms using metagenomic samples representing a complex microbial community. Eight SMRT cells produced approximately 94 Mb of CCS reads from a biogas reactor microbiome sample, which averaged 1319 nt in length and 99.7 % accuracy. CCS data assembly generated a comparative number of large contigs greater than 1 kb, to those assembled from a ~190x larger HiSeq dataset (~18 Gb) produced from the same sample (i.e approximately 62 % of total contigs). Hybrid assemblies using PacBio CCS and HiSeq contigs produced improvements in assembly statistics, including an increase in the average contig length and number of large contigs. The incorporation of CCS data produced significant enhancements in taxonomic binning and genome reconstruction of two dominant phylotypes, which assembled and binned poorly using HiSeq data alone. Collectively these results illustrate the value of PacBio CCS reads in certain metagenomics applications.
Cortical idiosyncrasies predict the perception of object size
Authors: Moutsiana Christina , de Haas Benjamin , Papageorgiou Andriani , van Dijk Jelle A. , Balraj Annika , Greenwood John A. , Samuel Schwarzkopf D.
Published: September 2015

Perception is subjective. Even basic judgments, like those of visual object size, vary substantially between observers and also across the visual field within the same observer. The way in which the visual system determines the size of objects remains unclear, however. We hypothesize that object size is inferred from neuronal population activity in V1 and predict that idiosyncrasies in cortical functional architecture should therefore explain individual differences in size judgments. Indeed, using novel behavioral methods and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) we demonstrate that biases in size perception are correlated with the spatial tuning of neuronal populations in healthy volunteers. To explain this relationship, we formulate a population read-out model that directly links the spatial distribution of V1 representations to our perceptual experience of visual size. Altogether, we suggest that the individual perception of simple stimuli is warped by idiosyncrasies in visual cortical organization.
The genome of the vervet (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus)
Authors: Warren Wesley C. , Jasinska Anna J. , García-Pérez Raquel , Svardal Hannes , Tomlinson Chad , Rocchi Mariano , Archidiacono Nicoletta , Capozzi Oronzo , Minx Patrick , Montague Michael J. , Kyung Kim , Hillier LaDeana W. , Kremitzki Milinn , Graves Tina , Chiang Colby , Hughes Jennifer , Tran Nam , Huang Yu , Ramensky Vasily , Choi Oi-wa , Jung Yoon J. , Schmitt Christopher A. , Juretic Nikoleta , Wasserscheid Jessica , Turner Trudy R. , Wiseman Roger W. , Tuscher Jennifer J. , Karl Julie A. , Schmitz Jörn E. , Zahn Roland , O'Connor David H. , Redmond Eugene , Nisbett Alex , Jacquelin Béatrice , Müller-Trutwin Michaela C. , Brenchley Jason M. , Dione Michel , Antonio Martin , Schroth Gary P. , Kaplan Jay R. , Jorgensen Matthew J. , Thomas Gregg W.C. , Hahn Matthew W. , Raney Brian J. , Aken Bronwen , Nag Rishi , Schmitz Juergen , Churakov Gennady , Noll Angela , Stanyon Roscoe , Webb David , Thibaud-Nissen Francoise , Nordborg Magnus , Marques-Bonet Tomas , Dewar Ken , Weinstock George M. , Wilson Richard K. , Freimer Nelson B.
Published: September 2015

We describe a genome reference of the African green monkey or vervet (Chlorocebus aethiops). This member of the Old World monkey (OWM) superfamily is uniquely valuable for genetic investigations of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), for which it is the most abundant natural host species, and of a wide range of health-related phenotypes assessed in Caribbean vervets (C. a. sabaeus), whose numbers have expanded dramatically since Europeans introduced small numbers of their ancestors from West Africa during the colonial era. We use the reference to characterize the genomic relationship between vervets and other primates, the intra-generic phylogeny of vervet subspecies, and genome-wide structural variations of a pedigreed C. a. sabaeus population. Through comparative analyses with human and rhesus macaque, we characterize at high resolution the unique chromosomal fission events that differentiate the vervets and their close relatives from most other catarrhine primates, in whom karyotype is highly conserved. We also provide a summary of transposable elements and contrast these with the rhesus macaque and human. Analysis of sequenced genomes representing each of the main vervet subspecies supports previously hypothesized relationships between these populations, which range across most of sub-Saharan Africa, while uncovering high levels of genetic diversity within each. Sequence-based analyses of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphisms reveal extremely low diversity in Caribbean C. a. sabaeus vervets, compared to vervets from putatively ancestral West African regions. In the C. a. sabaeus research population, we discover the first structural variations that are, in some cases, predicted to have a deleterious effect; future studies will determine the phenotypic impact of these variations.
Determinants of academic law libraries’ use, collections, and services among the faculty members: a case study of University of Peshawar
Authors: Khan Ghalib , Bhatti Rubina
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of academic law libraries’ use, collections and services among the faculty members of the University of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

– Keeping in view the objectives of the study, a survey based on a well-structured questionnaire was designed to collect data about law libraries’ usage, collection and services from the faculty members of 19 law colleges, including Law College, University of Peshawar, and 18 affiliated law colleges situated in the different geographical location of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Findings

– Results of the study indicate that most of the faculty members use law libraries for the issue and return of books and consult textbooks for their teaching and other academic activities. The overall results show the usage, collections and services of law libraries as somehow satisfactory.

Research limitations/implications

– The scope of this paper covers constituent college of the University of Peshawar and its 18 affiliated law colleges (Total 19), and the geographical area is restricted to the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The scope of this paper can be extended to additional private and public sector universities in Pakistan, as well as abroad.

Originality/value

– There are number of studies on the usage, collections and different library services, but this study is the first of its kind in Pakistan, specifically focusing on academic law libraries at a provincial level. This study will pave way to fulfill the demands of law faculty members and legal practitioners teaching in the legal institution of Pakistan.
Interviews with collection development managers
Authors: Cassell Kay Ann
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present interviews of two collection development managers: David Magier, Princeton University and Daniel Dollar, Yale University.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach was interviews.

Findings

– These interviews showed what goes into the thinking of collection development officers in large university libraries. There are probably more similarities than differences.

Originality/value

– This is the first of a series of interviews with collection development managers.
Calculating Web impact factor for university websites of Pakistan
Authors: Khan Arif , Idrees Haroon
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This study aims to explore the Web impact factors (WIFs) for websites of Pakistani universities. The paper discusses why revised Web impact factor (RWIF) is more meaningful than simple WIF. The study also attempts to rank the top-five websites of Pakistani universities by considering four different website ranking systems and compares the WIFs of university websites of other developing countries as well.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study calculates the RWIF for subject websites using two webometric tools. Open Site Explorer service (i.e. Developer Shed) and two commercial search engines, i.e. Google and Bing, were used to collect the data for examining the RWIF for subject websites.

Findings

– Collectively 41,960 web pages and 49,740 inlinks were found in top-ten Pakistani universities’ websites. The collective RWIF for subject websites comes to 1.185, which is at the top in comparison with other developing countries, i.e. India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Originality/value

– Calculating WIF for university websites in Pakistan and presenting the comparison with other types of website ranking system is a kind of first study conducted for Pakistani library websites. The study also presents alternate search strategy for data collection to calculate RWIF for websites.