bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Versatility in Slide‐Ring Gels: Influence of Co‐Threaded Cyclodextrin Spacers
Authors: Murakami Takuya , Schmidt Bernhard V. K. J. , Brown Hugh R. , Hawker Craig J.
Published: January 2017

We describe a one‐pot strategy for the fabrication of novel slide‐ring (SR) gels based on supramolecular polyrotaxane structures with cyclodextrin‐derived cross‐links and additional free cyclodextrin ring spacers co‐threaded onto the polymer backbones. Photoinitiated thiol‐yne click coupling leads to facile hydrogel fabrication from pseudo‐polyrotaxanes prepared in situ from β‐cyclodextrin derivatives and bifunctional polyethylene glycol (PEG). The obtained SR gels were characterized by NMR spectroscopy using a polyrotaxane model compound with the ratio of cyclodextrin sliding spacers to PEG backbone controlled by adjusting the feed ratio of the starting materials. This structural tuning leads to dramatic changes in the rheological properties, mechanical properties, and swelling behavior of the SR gels. In addition, the coupling of simple synthetic procedures with enhanced properties offers a versatile approach to novel elastomeric materials. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 55, 1156–1165
Crystallographic and mutational analyses of cystathionine β‐synthase in the H2S‐synthetic gene cluster in Lactobacillus plantarum
Authors: Matoba Yasuyuki , Yoshida Tomoki , Izuhara‐Kihara Hisae , Noda Masafumi , Sugiyama Masanori
Published: January 2017

Cystathionine β‐synthase (CBS) catalyzes the formation of l‐cystathionine from l‐serine and l‐homocysteine. The resulting l‐cystathionine is decomposed into l‐cysteine, ammonia, and α‐ketobutylic acid by cystathionine γ‐lyase (CGL). This reverse transsulfuration pathway, which is catalyzed by both enzymes, mainly occurs in eukaryotic cells. The eukaryotic CBS and CGL have recently been recognized as major physiological enzymes for the generation of hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In some bacteria, including the plant‐derived lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum, the CBS‐ and CGL‐encoding genes form a cluster in their genomes. Inactivation of these enzymes has been reported to suppress H2S production in bacteria; interestingly, it has been shown that H2S suppression increases their susceptibility to various antibiotics. In the present study, we characterized the enzymatic properties of the L. plantarum CBS, whose amino acid sequence displays a similarity with those of O‐acetyl‐l‐serine sulfhydrylase (OASS) that catalyzes the generation of l‐cysteine from O‐acetyl‐l‐serine (l‐OAS) and H2S. The L. plantarum CBS shows l‐OAS‐ and l‐cysteine‐dependent CBS activities together with OASS activity. Especially, it catalyzes the formation of H2S in the presence of l‐cysteine and l‐homocysteine, together with the formation of l‐cystathionine. The high affinity toward l‐cysteine as a first substrate and tendency to use l‐homocysteine as a second substrate might be associated with its enzymatic ability to generate H2S. Crystallographic and mutational analyses of CBS indicate that the Ala70 and Glu223 residues at the substrate binding pocket are important for the H2S‐generating activity.
Transport capabilities of environmental Pseudomonads for sulfur compounds
Authors: Zerbs Sarah , Korajczyk Peter J. , Noirot Philippe H. , Collart Frank R.
Published: January 2017

Sulfur is an essential element in plant rhizospheres and microbial activity plays a key role in increasing the biological availability of sulfur in soil environments. To better understand the mechanisms facilitating the exchange of sulfur‐containing molecules in soil, we profiled the binding specificities of eight previously uncharacterized ABC transporter solute‐binding proteins from plant‐associated Pseudomonads. A high‐throughput screening procedure indicated eighteen significant organosulfur binding ligands, with at least one high‐quality screening hit for each protein target. Calorimetric and spectroscopic methods were used to validate the best ligand assignments and catalog the thermodynamic properties of the protein‐ligand interactions. Two novel high‐affinity ligand‐binding activities were identified and quantified in this set of solute‐binding proteins. Bacteria were cultured in minimal media with screening library components supplied as the sole sulfur sources, demonstrating that these organosulfur compounds can be metabolized and confirming the relevance of ligand assignments. These results expand the set of experimentally validated ligands amenable to transport by this ABC transporter family and demonstrate the complex range of protein‐ligand interactions that can be accomplished by solute‐binding proteins. Characterizing new nutrient import pathways provides insight into Pseudomonad metabolic capabilities which can be used to further interrogate bacterial survival and participation in soil and rhizosphere communities.
Peptide hormones and lipopeptides: from self‐assembly to therapeutic applications
Authors: Hutchinson J. A. , Burholt S. , Hamley I. W.
Published: January 2017

This review describes the properties and activities of lipopeptides and peptide hormones and how the lipidation of peptide hormones could potentially produce therapeutic agents combating some of the most prevalent diseases and conditions. The self‐assembly of these types of molecules is outlined, and how this can impact on bioactivity. Peptide hormones specific to the uptake of food and produced in the gastrointestinal tract are discussed in detail. The advantages of lipidated peptide hormones over natural peptide hormones are summarised, in terms of stability and renal clearance, with potential application as therapeutic agents. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Peptide Science published by European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Nonlinear output‐feedback control of torsional vibrations in drilling systems
Authors: Vromen T. , van de Wouw N. , Doris A. , Astrid P. , Nijmeijer H.
Published: January 2017

This paper considers the design of a nonlinear observer‐based output‐feedback controller for oil‐field drill‐string systems aiming to eliminate (torsional) stick–slip oscillations. Such vibrations decrease the performance and reliability of drilling systems and can ultimately lead to system failure. Current industrial controllers regularly fail to eliminate stick–slip vibrations under increasingly challenging operating conditions caused by the tendency towards drilling deeper and inclined wells, where multiple vibrational modes play a role in the occurrence of stick–slip vibrations. As a basis for controller synthesis, a multi‐modal model of the torsional drill‐string dynamics for a real rig is employed, and a bit–rock interaction model with severe velocity‐weakening effect is used. The proposed model‐based controller design methodology consists of a state‐feedback controller and a (nonlinear) observer. Conditions, guaranteeing asymptotic stability of the desired equilibrium, corresponding to nominal drilling operation, are presented. The proposed control strategy has a significant advantage over existing vibration control systems as it can effectively cope with multiple modes of torsional vibration. Case study results using the proposed control strategy show that stick–slip oscillations can indeed be eliminated in realistic drilling scenarios in which industrial controllers fail to do so. Moreover, key robustness aspects of the control system involving the robustness against uncertainties in the bit–rock interaction and changing operational conditions are evidenced. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Finding the power to reduce publication bias
Authors: Stanley T. D. , Doucouliagos Hristos , Ioannidis John P. A.
Published: January 2017

The central purpose of this study is to document how a sharper focus upon statistical power may reduce the impact of selective reporting bias in meta‐analyses. We introduce the weighted average of the adequately powered (WAAP) as an alternative to the conventional random‐effects (RE) estimator. When the results of some of the studies have been selected to be positive and statistically significant (i.e. selective reporting), our simulations show that WAAP will have smaller bias than RE at no loss to its other statistical properties. When there is no selective reporting, the difference between RE's and WAAP's statistical properties is practically negligible. Nonetheless, when selective reporting is especially severe or heterogeneity is very large, notable bias can remain in all weighted averages. The main limitation of this approach is that the majority of meta‐analyses of medical research do not contain any studies with adequate power (i.e. >80%). For such areas of medical research, it remains important to document their low power, and, as we demonstrate, an alternative unrestricted weighted least squares weighted average can be used instead of WAAP. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of N‐Butyl‐N‐Methyl‐Morpholinium Bromide Ionic Liquid on the Conformation Stability of Human Serum Albumin
Authors: Kumari Meena , Singh Upendra Kumar , Singh Prashant , Patel Rajan
Published: January 2017

The present work reports the interaction of morpholinium based ionic liquid with the transporter protein, human serum album (HSA). The ionic liquids with morpholinium cationic groups are reported to be comparatively less toxic than other cationic groups of the ionic liquids such as imidazolium, pyridinium, piperidinium, pyrrolidinium etc. This work highlight the effect of N‐butyl‐N‐methyl‐morpholinium bromide, [Mor1,4][Br] ionic liquid on the structural stability of HSA. The effect was analyzed by using fluorescence, time resolved fluorescence, UV‐visible, CD spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking method. The results show that [Mor1,4][Br] binds with HSA through weak interactions in which hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces play major role. [Mor1,4][Br] has a binding site on HSA and binds in the hydrophobic pocket of subdomain IIA of HSA. It was observed that [Mor1,4][Br] retain native conformation of HSA upto certain concentration range. This study endows new insight for designing of such type of non‐toxic ILs that augments their protein stabilizing nature.
Thrombospondin‐1 and microRNA‐1 expression in response to multiwalled carbon nanotubes in alveolar epithelial cells
Authors: Pacurari M. , Kafoury R. , Turner T. , Taylor S. , Tchounwou P. B.
Published: January 2017

Thrombospondin‐1 (TSP‐1) is a glycoprotein that plays a role in extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Previously, we have shown that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) regulate ECM components TGFβ and its target Col3A1 in alveolar epithelial cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of MWCNT on TSP‐1 and microRNA‐1 (miR‐1) in the regulation of TGFβ in ECM remodeling using alveolar epithelial A549 cells. A549 cells were treated with MWCNT (20 or 50 µg/mL) for 6 or 24 h and the expression of TSP‐1 and miR‐1, and the exogenous miR‐1 effect on cell morphology were analyzed. MWCNT induced in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner the expression of TSP‐1. miR‐1 was suppressed by MWCNT after 6 or 24 h of treatment regardless of the dose. TSP‐1 and miR‐1 negatively correlated with each other, r = −0.58. Exogenous administration of miR‐1 induced alveolar epithelial cell morphology changes including cell clustering, whereas inhibition of miR‐1 induced less cell to cell contact, cell rounding, and cellular projections. IntAct molecular network interactions analysis revealed that TSP‐1 interacts with 21 molecular factors including ECM genes, and molecules. These results indicate a relationship between that TSP‐1, MWCNT, and TGFβ, and suggest TSP‐1 may play a role in MWCNT‐induced TGFβ and ECM remodeling. Moreover, these data also suggest an inverse relationship between TSP‐1 and miR‐1 and a potential role of miR‐1 in MWCNT‐induced fibrotic signaling. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 32: 1596–1606, 2017.
Overview of Environmental Hazards and Health Effects of Pollution in Developing Countries: A Case Study of Nigeria
Authors: Babayemi Joshua O. , Ogundiran Mary B. , Osibanjo Oladele
Published: January 2017

Pollution has taken on a global dimension, and the effects are most obvious in developing countries. The effects take a toll on human health, animals, and vegetation, as well as on soil, air, and water quality. The objective of this article is to discuss the current relationships among pollution, environmental quality, and human health within the frame of anthropogenic activities in developing countries. In addition to personal observations, we review relevant literature on conditions throughout the developing world and case studies on conditions and activities in Nigeria. Key findings show the significant, adverse contributions to human health and environmental risk from current waste generation and handling practices, indoor and outdoor air pollution, wastewater and effluent generation and disposal, the hazardous nature and pollution

potential of wastes, and the human behaviors that contribute to pollution in developing countries. There is an urgent need to create awareness among the various segments of society of the human health hazards posed by pollution as well as a need for the comprehensive development and enforcement of appropriate policies to prevent a descent into an abyss of deteriorating human and environmental health.
Public attitudes towards psychiatry and psychiatric treatment at the beginning of the 21st century: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of population surveys
Authors: Angermeyer Matthias C. , van der Auwera Sandra , Carta Mauro G. , Schomerus Georg
Published: January 2017

Public attitudes towards psychiatry are crucial determinants of help‐seeking for mental illness. It has been argued that psychiatry as a discipline enjoys low esteem among the public, and a “crisis” of psychiatry has been noted. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of population studies examining public attitudes towards various aspects of psychiatric care. Our search in PubMed, Web of Science, PsychINFO and bibliographies yielded 162 papers based on population surveys conducted since 2000 and published no later than 2015. We found that professional help for mental disorders generally enjoys high esteem. While general practitioners are the preferred source of help for depression, mental health professionals are the most trusted helpers for schizophrenia. If respondents have to rank sources of help, they tend to favor mental health professionals, while open questions yield results more favorable to general practitioners. Psychiatrists and psychologists/psychotherapists are equally recommended for the treatment of schizophrenia, while for depression psychologists/psychotherapists are more recommended, at least in Europe and America. Psychotherapy is consistently preferred over medication. Attitudes towards seeking help from psychiatrists or psychologists/psychotherapists as well as towards medication and psychotherapy have markedly improved over the last twenty‐five years. Biological concepts of mental illness are associated with stronger approval of psychiatric help, particularly medication. Self‐stigma and negative attitudes towards persons with mental illness decrease the likelihood of personally considering psychiatric help. In conclusion, the public readily recommends psychiatric help for the treatment of mental disorders. Psychotherapy is the most popular method of psychiatric treatment. A useful strategy to further improve the public image of psychiatry could be to stress that listening and understanding are at the core of psychiatric care.
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders: a multilevel intervention framework and priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas
Authors: Liu Nancy H. , Daumit Gail L. , Dua Tarun , Aquila Ralph , Charlson Fiona , Cuijpers Pim , Druss Benjamin , Dudek Kenn , Freeman Melvyn , Fujii Chiyo , Gaebel Wolfgang , Hegerl Ulrich , Levav Itzhak , Munk Laursen Thomas , Ma Hong , Maj Mario , Elena Medina‐Mora Maria , Nordentoft Merete , Prabhakaran Dorairaj , Pratt Karen , Prince Martin , Rangaswamy Thara , Shiers David , Susser Ezra , Thornicroft Graham , Wahlbeck Kristian , Fekadu Wassie Abe , Whiteford Harvey , Saxena Shekhar
Published: January 2017

Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders (SMD) is a major public health challenge that warrants action. The number and scope of truly tested interventions in this area remain limited, and strategies for implementation and scaling up of programmes with a strong evidence base are scarce. Furthermore, the majority of available interventions focus on a single or an otherwise limited number of risk factors. Here we present a multilevel model highlighting risk factors for excess mortality in persons with SMD at the individual, health system and socio‐environmental levels. Informed by that model, we describe a comprehensive framework that may be useful for designing, implementing and evaluating interventions and programmes to reduce excess mortality in persons with SMD. This framework includes individual‐focused, health system‐focused, and community level and policy‐focused interventions. Incorporating lessons learned from the multilevel model of risk and the comprehensive intervention framework, we identify priorities for clinical practice, policy and research agendas.
Persistence of psychosis spectrum symptoms in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort: a prospective two‐year follow‐up
Authors: Calkins Monica E. , Moore Tyler M. , Satterthwaite Theodore D. , Wolf Daniel H. , Turetsky Bruce I. , Roalf David R. , Merikangas Kathleen R. , Ruparel Kosha , Kohler Christian G. , Gur Ruben C. , Gur Raquel E.
Published: January 2017

Prospective evaluation of youths with early psychotic‐like experiences can enrich our knowledge of clinical, biobehavioral and environmental risk and protective factors associated with the development of psychotic disorders. We aimed to investigate the predictors of persistence or worsening of psychosis spectrum features among US youth through the first large systematic study to evaluate subclinical symptoms in the community. Based on Time 1 screen of 9,498 youth (age 8‐21) from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, a subsample of participants was enrolled based on the presence (N=249) or absence (N=254) of baseline psychosis spectrum symptoms, prior participation in neuroimaging, and current neuroimaging eligibility. They were invited to participate in a Time 2 assessment two years on average following Time 1. Participants were administered the Structured Interview for Prodromal Syndromes, conducted blind to initial screen status, along with the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and other clinical measures, computerized neurocognitive testing, and neuroimaging. Clinical and demographic predictors of symptom persistence were examined using logistic regression. At Time 2, psychosis spectrum features persisted or worsened in 51.4% of youths. Symptom persistence was predicted by higher severity of subclinical psychosis, lower global functioning, and prior psychiatric medication at baseline. Youths classified as having psychosis spectrum symptoms at baseline but not at follow‐up nonetheless exhibited comparatively higher symptom levels and lower functioning at both baseline and follow‐up than typically developing youths. In addition, psychosis spectrum features emerged in a small number of young people who previously had not reported significant symptoms but who had exhibited early clinical warning signs. Together, our findings indicate that varying courses of psychosis spectrum symptoms are evident early in US youth, supporting the importance of investigating psychosis risk as a dynamic developmental process. Neurocognition, brain structure and function, and genomics may be integrated with clinical data to provide early indices of symptom persistence and worsening in youths at risk for psychosis.
Has increased provision of treatment reduced the prevalence of common mental disorders? Review of the evidence from four countries
Authors: Jorm Anthony F. , Patten Scott B. , Brugha Traolach S. , Mojtabai Ramin
Published: January 2017

Many people identified as having common mental disorders in community surveys do not receive treatment. Modelling has suggested that closing this “treatment gap” should reduce the population prevalence of those disorders. To evaluate the effects of reducing the treatment gap in industrialized countries, data from 1990 to 2015 were reviewed from four English‐speaking countries: Australia, Canada, England and the US. These data show that the prevalence of mood and anxiety disorders and symptoms has not decreased, despite substantial increases in the provision of treatment, particularly antidepressants. Several hypotheses for this lack of improvement were considered. There was no support for the hypothesis that reductions in prevalence due to treatment have been masked by increases in risk factors. However, there was little evidence relevant to the hypothesis that improvements have been masked by increased reporting of symptoms because of greater public awareness of common mental disorders or willingness to disclose. A more strongly supported hypothesis for the lack of improvement is that much of the treatment provided does not meet the minimal standards of clinical practice guidelines and is not targeted optimally to those in greatest need. Lack of attention to prevention of common mental disorders may also be a factor. Reducing the prevalence of common mental disorders remains an unsolved challenge for health systems globally, which may require greater attention to the “quality gap” and “prevention gap”. There is also a need for nations to monitor outcomes by using standardized measures of service provision and mental disorders over time.
Tournaments for mutual exclusion: verification and concurrent complexity
Authors: Hesselink Wim H.
Published: January 2017

Given a mutual exclusion algorithm
MXd
for

d
≥
2

threads, a mutual exclusion algorithm for

N
>
d

threads can be built in a tree of degree
d
with
N
leaves, with the critical section at the root of the tree. This tournament solution seems obviously correct and efficient. The present note proves the correctness, and formalizes the efficiency in terms of concurrent complexity by means of Bounded Unity. If the tree is balanced, the throughput is logarithmic in
N
. If moreover
MXd
satisfies FCFS (first-come first-served), the worst case individual delay of the tournament algorithm is of order
N
. This is optimal.
Male mate choice in a sexually cannibalistic species: male escapes from hungry females in the praying mantid Tenodera angustipennis
Authors: Kadoi Mika , Morimoto Kotaro , Takami Yasuoki
Published: January 2017

While competing males and choosy females may be common in animal mating systems, male choice can evolve under certain conditions. Sexual cannibalism is such a condition because of the high mortality risk for males. In mantids, female body condition is associated with male mate preference, with fat females preferred, due to at least two reasons: females in poor nutritional condition are likely to attack and predate males, and fat females can potentially increase the number of offspring. Thus, the risk of cannibalism and female fecundity can influence male mating behavior. In this study, we attempted to separate these factors by using the praying mantidTenodera angustipennisto examine whether male preference for fat female mantids was based on avoiding sexual cannibalism (cannibalism avoidance hypothesis) or preference for female fecundity (fecundity preference hypothesis). The feeding regimes were experimentally manipulated to discriminate between the effects of female fecundity and female hunger status on male and female mating behaviors. We found that recently starved females more frequently locomoted toward the male, and that male abdominal bending was less intensive and escape was sooner from recently starved females. These female and male behavioral responses to female hunger condition may reveal male avoidance of dangerous females in this mantid.
Anxiety disorders and risk of stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Pérez-Piñar M. , Ayerbe L. , González E. , Mathur R. , Foguet-Boreu Q. , Ayis S.
Published: January 2017

Background

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problem worldwide. However, the evidence on the association between anxiety disorders and risk of stroke is limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis presents a critical appraisal and summary of the available evidence on the association between anxiety disorders and risk of stroke.

Methods

Cohort studies reporting risk of stroke among patients with anxiety disorders were searched in PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, Scopus, and the Web of Science, from database inception to June 2016. The quality of the studies was assessed using standard criteria. A meta-analysis was undertaken to obtain pooled estimates of the risk of stroke among patients with anxiety disorders.

Results

Eight studies, including 950,759 patients, from the 11,764 references initially identified, were included in this review. A significantly increased risk of stroke for patients with anxiety disorders was observed, with an overall hazard ratio: 1.24 (1.09–1.41), P = 0.001. No significant heterogeneity between studies was detected and the funnel plot suggested that publication bias was unlikely. Limited evidence suggests that the risk of stroke is increased shortly after the diagnosis of anxiety and that risk of stroke may be higher for patients with severe anxiety.

Conclusions

Anxiety disorders are a very prevalent modifiable condition associated with risk of stroke increased by 24%. This evidence could inform the development of interventions for the management of anxiety and the prevention of stroke. Further studies on the risk of stroke in patients with anxiety, and the explanatory factors for this association, are required.
Impact of height heterogeneity on canopy turbulence
Authors: Hamed A. M. , Sadowski M. J. , Nepf H. M. , Chamorro L. P.
Published: January 2017

The flow development above and within homogeneous and heterogeneous canopies was experimentally studied using particle image velocimetry in a refractive-index-matching channel. The experiments were designed to gain insight into the effect of height heterogeneity on the structure and spatial distribution of the turbulence. The homogeneous model (base case) is constituted of elements of height$h$arranged in a staggered configuration; whereas the heterogeneous canopy resembled a row canopy and consisted of elements of two heights$h_{1}=h+(1/3)h$and$h_{2}=h-(1/3)h$alternated every two rows. Both canopies had the same density, element geometry and mean height. The flow was studied under three submergences$H/h=2$, 3 and 4, where$H$denotes the flow depth. The experiments were performed at Reynolds number$Re_{H}\simeq 6500$, 11 300 and 12 300 and nearly constant Froude number$Fr\simeq 0.1$. Turbulence statistics complemented with quadrant analysis and proper orthogonal decomposition reveal richer flow dynamics induced by height heterogeneity. Topography-induced spatially periodic mean flows are observed for the heterogeneous canopy. Furthermore, and in contrast to the homogeneous case, non-vanishing vertical velocity is maintained across the entire length of the heterogeneous canopy with increased levels at lower submergence depths. Further alternations were induced in the magnitude and distribution of the turbulent kinetic energy, Reynolds shear stress and characteristics of the canopy mixing layer, evidencing enhanced mixing and turbulent transport for the heterogeneous canopy especially at lower submergence depths. Overall, the results indicate that heterogeneous canopies exhibit greater vertical turbulent exchange at the canopy interface, suggesting a potential for greater scalar exchange and a greater impact on channel hydraulic resistance than a homogeneous canopy of similar roughness density.
Quantifying performance in the medusan mechanospace with an actively swimming three-dimensional jellyfish model
Authors: Hoover Alexander P. , Griffith Boyce E. , Miller Laura A.
Published: January 2017

In many swimming and flying animals, propulsion emerges from the interplay of active muscle contraction, passive body elasticity and fluid–body interaction. Changes in the active and passive body properties can influence performance and cost of transport across a broad range of scales; they specifically affect the vortex generation that is crucial for effective swimming at higher Reynolds numbers. Theoretical models that account for both active contraction and passive elasticity are needed to understand how animals tune both their active and passive properties to move efficiently through fluids. This is particularly significant when one considers the phylogenetic constraints on the jellyfish mechanospace, such as the presence of relatively weak muscles that are only one cell layer thick. In this work, we develop an actively deforming model of a jellyfish immersed in a viscous fluid and use numerical simulations to study the role of active muscle contraction, passive body elasticity and fluid forces in the medusan mechanospace. By varying the strength of contraction and the flexibility of the bell margin, we quantify how these active and passive properties affect swimming speed and cost of transport. We find that for fixed bell elasticity, swimming speed increases with the strength of contraction. For fixed force of contractility, swimming speed increases as margin elasticity decreases. Varying the strength of activation in proportion to the elasticity of the bell margin yields similar swimming speeds, with a cost of transport is substantially reduced for more flexible margins. A scaling study reveals that performance declines as the Reynolds number decreases. Circulation analysis of the starting and stopping vortex rings showed that their strengths were dependent on the relative strength of activation with respect to the bell margin flexibility. This work yields a computational framework for developing a quantitative understanding of the roles of active and passive body properties in swimming.
The rise and rise of agricultural wage labour: evidence from Ethiopia's south,c.1950–2000
Authors: Negash Girma
Published: January 2017

This article seeks to examine the dynamic transformation in the system of labour mobilization and the consequent intermingling of peoples of diverse cultural background in northern Sidama, Ethiopia. It investigates the different labour recruitment strategies deployed in the study area at different times, ranging from traditional to hired labour. In the former case, the household plays a major role in the recruitment and supply of agricultural labour, whereas in the latter case, ‘trans-locality’ reinforced by migration becomes central to the labour history of the region. In the 1940s and 1950s, Emperor Haile Selassie I granted large estates of land in the study area to absentee landowners who started schemes of commercial coffee farming. The subsequent expansion of commercialized coffee farming in a locality called Wondo Gänät (northern Sidama) from the 1950s onwards was responsible for the introduction of agricultural wage labour into the wider region. There was no local surplus labour to satisfy the labour needs of the new coffee farms. This void was later filled by Kembata, Hadiya and Wolayita migrant labourers who flocked into the study area from regions widely noted for their scarcity of arable land. This translocal movement of workers paved the way for the beginning of wage employment and eventually the commodification of farm labour in line with capitalist agriculture. Although commercial coffee plantations provided the initial stimulus for labour commodification in the study area, sugar cane-based cash cropping has helped it flourish even further. I argue in this article that the imperial land grants of the late 1940s and 1950s were an important milestone both for the agricultural history of the study area and for the organization of farm labour. Most importantly, I also argue that some of the social tensions and conflicts that often haunt contemporary northern Sidama are legacies inherited from the labour migrations of the 1950s and 1960s and the demographic heterogeneity that ensued.
Dash-peonage: the contradictions of debt bondage in the colonial plantations of Fernando Pó
Authors: Martino Enrique
Published: January 2017

Dashin pidgin English means an ancillary gift to an exchange. What happened when thedashbecame attached to the indentured labour contracts that the Spanish Empire brought from Cuba to their last colony, Spanish Guinea? On the island of Fernando Pó, which came to be almost wholly populated by Nigerian labour migrants, the conditional gift in the form of a large wage advance produced a particularly intense contradiction. In the historiography of unfree labour, the excess wage advance is thought to create conditions for the perpetuation of bondage through debt. However, in imperial contexts, the wage advance did not generate compliance and immobility; exactly the opposite – it produced unprecedented waves of further escalation and dispersed flight. Thedashwas pushed up by workers themselves and relayed by informal recruiters. Together they turned this lynchpin of indentured labour and debt peonage into a counter-practice that almost led to the collapse of the plantations in the 1950s. The trajectories of thedashled to a more pointed version of the foundational thesis of global labour history: namely, that it was actually free labour, not unfree labour, that was incompatible with labour scarcity-ridden imperial capitalism.
Negotiating eldercare in Akuapem, Ghana: care-scripts and the role of non-kin
Authors: Coe Cati
Published: January 2017

In contemporary Ghana, adult children are considered responsible for the care of aged parents. Within this idealized framework, two aspects of eldercare are overlooked. Firstly, such a narrative obscures the role of non-kin and extended kin in providing eldercare in southern Ghana historically and in the present. Secondly, it hides the negotiations over obligations and commitments between those who manage eldercare and those who help with an ageing person's daily activities. It is in this latter role that non-kin and extended kin are significant in eldercare, while closer kin maintain their kin roles through the management, financial support and recruitment of others. This article examines recruitment to eldercare and the role of kin and non-kin in eldercare in three historical periods: the 1860s, the 1990s and the 2000s, centred on Akuapem, in southern Ghana. In particular, I show that helping an aged person relies on previous and expected entrustments, in which more vulnerable, dependent and indebted persons are most likely to be recruited to provide care.
Two poems by D. A. Ọbasa
Authors: Akinyẹmi Akintunde
Published: January 2017

Many words in Yoruba frustrate trans-lingual transportation by the sheer complexity of their polysemic range. Such words are so culture-bound that they do not translate easily to English, especially when their metaphysical polyvalence in Yoruba has no equivalent in English. Therefore, my translation of Ọbasa's poems in the appendices below yields place to mediation, as I am constrained to try out or devise a series of strategies of transposition and transference, which in the words of Ọṣundare leads to ‘kiss and quarrel’ between the concerned languages. According to him, when two languages meet, they achieve a tacit understanding on the common grounds of similarity and convergence, then negotiate, often through strident rivalry and self-preserving altercations, their areas of dissimilarity and divergence.
The Constitutional (Im)balance between ‘the Market’ and ‘the Social’ in the European Union
Authors: Garben Sacha
Published: January 2017

An assessment of the balance between ‘the market’ and ‘the social’ by reference to the areas of social policy, the internal market and economic governance – Imbalance resulting from a consitutional displacement of the legislative process (EU and national) and instead decision-making by the judiciary and the executive – Proposals to address the imbalance by reinforcing the role of the EU legislative process and limiting other forms of European integration.
Proportionality and precautions in attack: The reverberating effects of using explosive weapons in populated areas
Authors: Robinson Isabel , Nohle Ellen
Published: January 2017

During an armed conflict, the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas has a devastating impact on civilians. Less visible than the direct effects of explosive weapons, but equally devastating, are the reverberating effects of the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. While there is growing consensus that parties to an armed conflict are legally obliged to take into account the reasonably foreseeable reverberating effects of an attack, particularly for the purposes of the rules on proportionality and precautions in attack, the precise scope of this obligation remains unclear. After setting out the legal arguments in support of the position that reasonably foreseeable reverberating effects must be taken into account, this article goes on to examine how such effects should be evaluated and how they must be avoided or minimized.
Vitamin D Daily short-term Supplementation does not Affect Glycemic Outcomes of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Chrysostomou Stavri
Published: January 2017

There is currently insufficient evidence of a beneficial effect to recommend vitamin D supplementation for optimizing glycemic status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Taking into consideration the significant extra-skeletal effect of vitamin D on pancreatic β-cell function and insulin secretion and the large number of scientific evidence supporting the inverse association between vitamin D status and hyperglycemia, this review article aims to examine whether vitamin D supplementation therapies are beneficial to patients with T2DM considering specific factors through randomized controlled trials (RCTs). EBSCOhost and Medline databases were searched from the beginning of 2009 until the end of 2014 for RCTs in patients with T2DM. Parameters, such as baseline vitamin D levels, frequency/dosage of supplementation, length of the study and type of supplementation, were independently assessed, based on their effect on glycemic status. Although all different types of supplementation were safe and effective in the achievement of vitamin D sufficiency in a dose-dependent way, the impact on glycemic status was different. 14 RCTs were included with daily supplementations ranging from 400-11.200 IU/daily, 40.000-50.000 IU/weekly and 100.000-300.000 IU/intramuscularly or once given, for a period from 8 to 24 weeks. Daily supplementation of vitamin D (up to 11.200 IU) showed no effect, whereas combined supplementation, with calcium (≥300 mg), and with vitamin D doses similar to the RDA, showed positive effects. Additionally, high weekly doses of vitamin D (40.000-50.000 IU) were effective on glycemic outcomes but available data are limited.
German guideline on the diagnosis and treatment of peripheral artery disease – a comprehensive update 2016
Authors: Lawall Holger , Huppert Peter , Espinola-Klein Christine , Zemmrich Claudia Silke , Ruemenapf Gerhard
Published: January 2017

Abstract. The prevalence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) is increasing worldwide and is strongly age-related, affecting about 20 % of Germans over 70 years of age. Recent advances in endovascular and surgical techniques as well as clinical study results on comparative treatment methods strengthened the need for a comprehensive review of the published evidence for diagnosis, management, and prevention of PAD. The interdisciplinary guideline exclusively covers distal aorta and atherosclerotic lower extremity artery disease. A systematic literature review and formal consensus finding process, including delegated members of 22 medical societies and two patient self-support organisations were conducted and supervised by the Association of Scientific Medical Societies in Germany, AWMF. Three levels of recommendation were defined, A = „is recommended/indicated”, B = „should be considered”, C = “may be considered”, means agreement of expert opinions due to lack of evidence. Altogether 294 articles, including 34 systematic reviews and 98 RCTs have been analysed. The key diagnostic tools and treatment basics have been defined. In patients with intermittent claudication endovascular and/or surgical techniques are treatment options depending on appropriate individual morphology and patient preference. In critical limb ischaemia, revascularisation without delay by means of the most appropriate technique is key. If possible and reasonable, endovascular procedures should be applied first. The TASC classification is no longer recommended as the base of therapeutic decision process due to advances in endovascular techniques and new crural therapeutic options. Limited new data on rehabilitation and follow-up therapies have been integrated. The article summarises major new aspects of PAD treatment from the updated German Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of PAD. Limited scientific evidence still calls for randomised clinical trials to close the present gap of evidence.
Tiny Creatures Form Massive, Bright Ring Around Antarctica
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: January 2017

Dense algae populations in the Great Calcite Belt could cause carbon dioxide release from the ocean into the atmosphere.
High-throughput automated microfluidic sample preparation for accurate microbial genomics
Authors: Kim Soohong , De Jonghe Joachim , Kulesa Anthony B. , Feldman David , Vatanen Tommi , Bhattacharyya Roby P. , Berdy Brittany , Gomez James , Nolan Jill , Epstein Slava , Blainey Paul C.
Published: January 2017

Low-cost shotgun DNA sequencing is transforming the microbial sciences. Sequencing instruments are so effective that sample preparation is now the key limiting factor. Here, we introduce a microfluidic sample preparation platform that integrates the key steps in cells to sequence library sample preparation for up to 96 samples and reduces DNA input requirements 100-fold while maintaining or improving data quality. The general-purpose microarchitecture we demonstrate supports workflows with arbitrary numbers of reaction and clean-up or capture steps. By reducing the sample quantity requirements, we enabled low-input (∼10,000 cells) whole-genome shotgun (WGS) sequencing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and soil micro-colonies with superior results. We also leveraged the enhanced throughput to sequence ∼400 clinical Pseudomonas aeruginosa libraries and demonstrate excellent single-nucleotide polymorphism detection performance that explained phenotypically observed antibiotic resistance. Fully-integrated lab-on-chip sample preparation overcomes technical barriers to enable broader deployment of genomics across many basic research and translational applications.
The immunoreceptor NKG2D promotes tumour growth in a model of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Sheppard Sam , Guedes Joana , Mroz Anna , Zavitsanou Anastasia-Maria , Kudo Hiromi , Rothery Stephen M. , Angelopoulos Panagiotis , Goldin Robert , Guerra Nadia
Published: January 2017

Inflammation is recognized as one of the drivers of cancer. Yet, the individual immune components that possess pro- and anti-tumorigenic functions in individual cancers remain largely unknown. NKG2D is a potent activating immunoreceptor that has emerged as an important player in inflammatory disorders besides its well-established function as tumour suppressor. Here, we provide genetic evidence of an unexpected tumour-promoting effect of NKG2D in a model of inflammation-driven liver cancer. Compared to NKG2D-deficient mice, NKG2D-sufficient mice display accelerated tumour growth associated with, an increased recruitment of memory CD8+T cells to the liver and exacerbated pro-inflammatory milieu. In addition, we show that NKG2D contributes to liver damage and consequent hepatocyte proliferation known to favour tumorigenesis. Thus, the NKG2D/NKG2D-ligand pathway provides an additional mechanism linking chronic inflammation to tumour development in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our findings expose the need to selectively target the types of cancer that could benefit from NKG2D-based immunotherapy.
Microwave photon Fock state generation by stimulated Raman adiabatic passage
Authors: Premaratne Shavindra P. , Wellstood F. C. , Palmer B. S.
Published: January 2017

The deterministic generation of non-classical states of light, including squeezed states, Fock states and Bell states, plays an important role in quantum information processing and exploration of the physics of quantum entanglement. Preparation of these non-classical states in resonators is non-trivial due to their inherent harmonicity. Here we use stimulated Raman adiabatic passage to generate microwave photon Fock states in a superconducting circuit quantum electrodynamics system comprised of a fixed-frequency transmon qubit in a three-dimensional microwave cavity at 20 mK. A two-photon process is employed to overcome a first order forbidden transition and the first, second and third Fock states are demonstrated. We also demonstrate how this all-microwave technique can be used to generate an arbitrary superposition of Fock states. Simulations of the system are in excellent agreement with the data and fidelities of 89%, 68% and 43% are inferred for the first three Fock states respectively.
Disruption of cardiac cholinergic neurons enhances susceptibility to ventricular arrhythmias
Authors: Jungen Christiane , Scherschel Katharina , Eickholt Christian , Kuklik Pawel , Klatt Niklas , Bork Nadja , Salzbrunn Tim , Alken Fares , Angendohr Stephan , Klene Christiane , Mester Janos , Klöcker Nikolaj , Veldkamp Marieke W. , Schumacher Udo , Willems Stephan , Nikolaev Viacheslav O. , Meyer Christian
Published: January 2017

The parasympathetic nervous system plays an important role in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation. Catheter ablation, a minimally invasive procedure deactivating abnormal firing cardiac tissue, is increasingly becoming the therapy of choice for atrial fibrillation. This is inevitably associated with the obliteration of cardiac cholinergic neurons. However, the impact on ventricular electrophysiology is unclear. Here we show that cardiac cholinergic neurons modulate ventricular electrophysiology. Mechanical disruption or pharmacological blockade of parasympathetic innervation shortens ventricular refractory periods, increases the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia and decreases ventricular cAMP levels in murine hearts. Immunohistochemistry confirmed ventricular cholinergic innervation, revealing parasympathetic fibres running from the atria to the ventricles parallel to sympathetic fibres. In humans, catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, which is accompanied by accidental parasympathetic and concomitant sympathetic denervation, raises the burden of premature ventricular complexes. In summary, our results demonstrate an influence of cardiac cholinergic neurons on the regulation of ventricular function and arrhythmogenesis.