bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ralstonia solanacearum virulence in tomato seedlings inoculated by leaf clipping
Authors: Kumar R. , Barman A. , Phukan T. , Kabyashree K. , Singh N. , Jha G. , Sonti R. V. , Genin S. , Ray S. Kumar
Published: October 2016

Ralstonia solanacearum is a phytopathogenic bacterium that colonizes the xylem vessels of host plants leading to a lethal wilt disease. Although several studies have investigated the virulence of R. solanacearum on adult host plants, infection studies of this pathogen on the seedling stages of hosts are less common. In a preliminary observation, inoculation of R. solanacearum F1C1 on 6‐ to 7‐day‐old tomato seedlings by a simple leaf‐clip strategy resulted in a lethal pathogenic condition in seedlings that eventually killed these seedlings within a week post‐inoculation. This prompted testing of the effect of this inoculation technique in seedlings from different cultivars of tomato and similar results were obtained. Colonization and spread of the bacteria throughout the infected seedlings was demonstrated using gus‐tagged R. solanacearum F1C1. The same method of inoculating tomato seedlings was used with R. solanacearum GMI1000 and independent mutants of R. solanacearum GMI1000, deficient in the virulence genes hrpB, hrpG, phcA and gspD. Wildtype R. solanacearum GMI1000 was found to be virulent on tomato seedlings, whereas the mutants were found to be non‐virulent. This leaf‐clip technique, for inoculation of tomato seedlings, has the potential to be a valuable approach, saving time, space, labour and costs.
Anisotropy of dose contributions—An instrument to upgrade real time IMRT and VMAT adaptation?
Authors: Bratengeier Klaus , Holubyev Kostyantyn
Published: October 2016

Purpose

To suggest a definition of dose deposition anisotropy for the purpose of ad hoc adaptation of intensity modulated arc therapy (IMRT) and volumetric arc therapy (VMAT), particularly in the vicinity of important organs at risk (OAR), also for large deformations.

Methods

Beam's‐eye‐view (BEV) based fluence warping is a standard adaptation method with disadvantages for strongly varying OAR shapes. 2‐Step‐adaptation overcomes these difficulties by a deeper analysis of the 3D properties of adaptation processes, but requires separate arcs for every OAR to spare, which makes it impractical for cases with multiple OARs. The authors aim to extend the 2‐Step method to arbitrary intensity modulated plan by analyzing the anisotropy of dose contributions. Anisotropy was defined as a second term of Fourier transformation of gantry angle dependent dose contributions. For a cylindrical planning target volume (PTV) surrounding an OAR of varying diameter, the anisotropy and the dose‐normalized anisotropy were analyzed for several scenarios of optimized fluence distributions. 2‐Step adaptation to decreasing and increasing OAR diameter was performed, and compared to a usual fluence based adaptation method. For two clinical cases, prostate and neck, the VMAT was generated and the behavior of anisotropy was qualitatively explored for deformed organs at risk.

Results

Dose contribution anisotropy in the PTV peaks around nearby OARs. The thickness of the “anisotropy wall” around OAR increases for increasing OAR radius, as also does the width of 2‐Step dose saturating fluence peak adjacent to the OAR [K. Bratengeier et al., “A comparison between 2‐Step IMRT and conventional IMRT planning,” Radiother. Oncol. 84, 298–306 (2007)]. Different optimized beam fluence profiles resulted in comparable radial dependence of normalized anisotropy. As predicted, even for patient cases, anisotropy was inflated even more than increasing diameters of OAR.

Conclusions

For cylindrically symmetric cases, the dose distribution anisotropy defined in the present work implicitly contains adaptation‐relevant information about 3D relationships between PTV and OAR and degree of OAR sparing. For more complex realistic cases, it shows the predicted behavior qualitatively. The authors claim to have found a first component for advancing a 2‐Step adaptation to a universal adaptation algorithm based on the BEV projection of the dose anisotropy. Further planning studies to explore the potential of anisotropy for adaptation algorithms using phantoms and clinical cases of differing complexity will follow.
A study of the midpoint dose to CTDIvol ratio: Implications for CT dose evaluation
Authors: Li Xinhua , Yang Kai , Liu Bob
Published: October 2016

Purpose

In multidetector CT, the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) is reported for each scan series and dose conversion factors are used for the size‐specific dose estimate (SSDE) and scanner‐independent organ dose evaluation. This study aimed at examining the dependencies of conversion factors on scan length, tube voltage, and subject size. The results may be insightful for evaluating the dose from CT examinations with large variations in patient size and scan length.

Methods

A previously developed Monte Carlo simulation program was used to simulate single rotation axial scans of two standard CTDI phantoms [material polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), diameters 16 and 32 cm] and multiple water cylinders at five tube voltages (70, 80, 100, 120, and 140 kV). The resultant longitudinal dose profiles were used to calculate CTDIL(water)/CTDIw (PMMA), where L was dose integration length. The ratio was equal to the midpoint dose DL(0) (water) to CTDIvol ratio in a CT scan series with a scan length equal to L.

Results

For water phantom diameters from 11 to 50 cm and scan lengths from 15 to 30 cm, the changes of DL(0)/CTDIvol from that of 120 kV and 20‐cm scan length were between −18.4% and 11.7%. This was consistent with the CTDIvol to SSDE conversion factors of AAPM Report No. 204. For scan lengths less than 15 cm, DL(0)/CTDIvol decreased considerably as L decreased. DL(0)/CTDIvol was shown to be 17.3%–31.4% lower for L = 5 cm than for L = 15 cm, when the tube voltage was 120 kV and phantom diameter ranged from 11 to 50 cm. As tube voltage increased from 80 to 140 kV, DL(0)/CTDIvol decreased at small diameters while it increased at large diameters. The change was 9.4% with a diameter of 18 cm and a scan length of 20 cm and 17.6% with a diameter of 40 cm and a scan length of 30 cm.

Conclusions

The midpoint dose to CTDIvol ratio varies widely across the clinical scan lengths from a few millimeters to about 1 m and varies moderately across tube voltages from 70 to 140 kV. The comprehensive data provided in the Appendix can be used for assessing the dose from short‐length scans and improving the dose evaluation in CT.
How to make a cocktail
Authors: Beltran Himisha
Published: October 2016

Systematic drug screening informs higher-order drug combinations in cancer.
Transferability and scalability of species distribution models: a test with sedentary marine invertebrates
Authors: Eger Aaron M. , Curtis Janelle M.R. , Fortin Marie-Josée , Côté Isabelle M. , Guichard Frédéric
Published: October 2016

We found the predictive accuracy of species distribution models (SDMs) for sedentary marine invertebrates to be dependent on the methodology of their application. We explored three applications of SDMs: first a model tested at a scale smaller than at which it was trained (downscaled), second a model tested at scale larger than its training scale (upscaled), and third a model tested at the same scale but outside the extent for which it was trained (transferred). The accuracies of these models were compared with the “reference” models that were trained and tested at the same scale and extent. We found that downscaled SDMs had higher predictive accuracy than reference SDMs. Transferred and upscaled models had lower predictive accuracy than their reference counterparts but still performed better than random, making them potentially acceptable alternatives where information is lacking for imminent decisions or in cost-restricted scenarios. Our results provide insights into the techniques available for researchers and managers developing SDMs at varying scales, with different species, and with different levels of initial information.
Linear and nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and refractive index changes in Morse quantum wells under electric field
Authors: Sakiroglu S.
Published: October 2016

In this paper, we investigate theoretically the effects of electric field on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of Morse quantum wells considering a two-level system. The effective mass approximation and the envelope function approach are used to calculate the energy levels and wave functions. The analytical expressions of the optical properties are obtained by using the compact density-matrix approach. The linear and third-order nonlinear optical absorption coefficients and the refractive index changes are investigated as a function of the incident photon energy for several configurations of the structural parameter and the applied electric field. Numerical results, presented for a typical GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well, reveal that the electric field has a significant effect on the optical characteristics of these structures and intersubband transitions can be modified by tuning the structural range parameter of the potential.
Hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp administered together with amino acids induces anabolism after cardiac surgery
Authors: Codère-Maruyama Takumi , Schricker Thomas , Shum-Tim Dominique , Wykes Linda , Nitschmann Evan , Guichon Céline , Kristof Arnold S. , Hatzakorzian Roupen
Published: October 2016

Cardiac surgery triggers an inflammatory stress response, leading to protein catabolism, a process that even high-dose insulin therapy alone cannot reverse. To determine whether hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp and perioperative amino acid (AA) supplementation improves whole body protein balance, 20 patients scheduled for elective coronary artery bypass grafting surgery were randomly assigned to have intra- and postoperative hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp, with or without intravenous AA supplementation. Primed continuous infusions of [6,6-2H2]glucose and l-[1-13C]leucine were used to quantify whole body protein and glucose metabolism before and after surgery. Adipose tissue and serum cytokines were also analyzed to measure their responsiveness to the anabolic effect of AA administration. During hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp, AA supplementation successfully stimulated whole body protein synthesis, resulting in a positive whole body protein balance after surgery (insulin: −13.6 ± 4.5 vs. insulin + AA: 2.1 ± 5.4 μmol·kg−1·h−1, P < 0.001). Endogenous glucose production was equally suppressed in both groups (insulin: 0.0 ± 3.8 vs. insulin + AA 1.6 ± 1.6 μmol·kg−1·min−1, P = 0.230). AA supplementation led to significant changes in serum and tissue IL-6 (insulin: 246.6 ± 111.2 vs. insulin + AA: 124.5 ± 79.3 pg/ml, P = 0.011). In conclusion, hyperinsulinemic-normoglycemic clamp technique, together with AA supplementation, can induce an anabolic state after open-heart surgery, as quantified by a positive whole body protein balance.
Image Matching Based on Local Phase Quantization Applied for Measuring the Tensile Properties of High Elongation Materials
Authors: Zhang Zhenjun , Li Fengji , Liu Min , Yadav Pawan Kumar
Published: October 2016

In recent years, high elongation materials are widely used. Therefore, it is important to investigate the tensile properties of high elongation materials for engineering applications. Video extensometer is equipment for measuring the materials’ tensile properties. It uses image processing technology to match data points and measures the actual deformation. However, when measuring high elongation materials, motion blur will appear on the collected images, which can affect the accuracy of image matching. In this paper, we proposed an image matching method which is based on Local Phase Quantization (LPQ) features to reduce the interference of the motion blur and improve the accuracy of the image matching algorithms as well. The experimental results on simulations show that the proposed initialization method is sufficiently accurate to enable the correct convergence of the subsequent optimization in the presence of motion blur. The experiment of uniaxial tensile also verifies the accuracy and robustness of the method.
Integrative Development of a TLR8 Agonist for Ovarian Cancer Chemoimmunotherapy
Authors: Monk Bradley J. , Facciabene Andrea , Brady William E. , Aghajanian Carol A. , Fracasso Paula M. , Walker Joan L. , Lankes Heather A. , Manjarrez Kristi L. , Danet-Desnoyers Gwenn-äel H. , Bell-McGuinn Katherine M. , McCourt Carolyn K. , Malykhin Alexander , Hershberg Robert M. , Coukos George
Published: October 2016

Purpose: Immunotherapy is an emerging paradigm for the treatment of cancer, but the potential efficacy of many drugs cannot be sufficiently tested in the mouse. We sought to develop a rational combination of motolimod—a novel Toll-like receptor 8 (TLR8) agonist that stimulates robust innate immune responses in humans but diminished responses in mice—with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD), a chemotherapeutic that induces immunogenic cell death.

Experimental Design: We followed an integrative pharmacologic approach including healthy human volunteers, non-human primates, NSG-HIS (“humanized immune system”) mice reconstituted with human CD34+ cells, and patients with cancer to test the effects of motolimod and to assess the combination of motolimod with PLD for the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Results: The pharmacodynamic effects of motolimod monotherapy in NSG-HIS mice closely mimicked those in non-human primates and healthy human subjects, whereas the effects of the motolimod/PLD combination in tumor-bearing NSG-HIS mice closely mimicked those in patients with ovarian cancer treated in a phase Ib trial (NCT01294293). The NSG-HIS mouse helped elucidate the mechanism of action of the combination and revealed a positive interaction between the two drugs in vivo. The combination produced no dose-limiting toxicities in patients with ovarian cancer. Two subjects (15%) had complete responses and 7 subjects (53%) had disease stabilization. A phase II study was consequently initiated.

Conclusions: These results are the first to demonstrate the value of pharmacologic approaches integrating the NSG-HIS mouse, non-human primates, and patients with cancer for the development of novel immunomodulatory anticancer agents with human specificity. Clin Cancer Res; 23(8); 1955–66. ©2016 AACR.
Appendicular skeletons of five Asian skink species of the genera Brachymeles and Ophiomorus, including species with vestigial appendicular structures
Authors: Andrade Julia B. , Lewis Ryshonda P. , Senter Phil
Published: October 2016

Vestigial biological structures provide an important line of evidence for macroevolution. They abound in the appendicular skeletons of limbless and reduced-limbed members of the skink subfamily Scincinae, which includes a predominantly Asian clade and a predominantly African clade. Reduced appendicular skeletons in the predominantly African clade have received much recent attention, but for most species in the predominantly Asian clade the appendicular skeleton has yet to be described. Here we provide descriptions of the appendicular skeletons of the reduced-limbed skinksBrachymeles bonitaeandOphiomorus blandfordi, the externally limbless skinkOphiomorus punctatissimus, and, for comparison, the pentadactyl skinksBrachymeles gracilisandB. talinis. We used x-ray radiographs to examine the skeletons of these species and to note similarities and differences in the previously-described appendicular skeletal morphology of related species. We found that inB. bonitaethe pectoral and pelvic girdles are unreduced, the proximal limb elements are reduced, and the distal limb elements are vestigial. InO. punctatissimusvestigial pectoral and pelvic girdles are present. InO. blanfordithe fifth metatarsal is vestigial. The phylogenetic distribution of morphological features related to appendicular reduction shows that multiple, parallel reduction events have taken place within each of these two genera. In addition, the anatomical distribution of element reduction and loss in these genera shows that the bones are reduced and lost in the same sequence in the predominantly Asian scincine clade as they are in other squamate clades. This suggests a common evolutionary mechanism for appendicular reduction and loss across the Squamata.
A new species of the hermit crab genus Turleania McLaughlin, 1997 (Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) from the East China Sea
Authors: Han Yuan-Yuan , Sha Zhong-Li , An Jian-Mei
Published: October 2016

A new species of the genusTurleaniaMcLaughlin, 1997,T. sinensissp. nov., is described and illustrated. This new species is morphologically similar toT. senticosa, but differs from that species in having nine pairs of quadriserial gills, and in having the ventromesial margin of the ischium of both chelipeds armed with large, prominent spines. This is the tenth species in this genus, and the first record of the genus from the China Sea. An identification key to species ofTurleaniais provided.
The Lived Experience of Spontaneous Altruism: A Phenomenological Study
Authors: Mastain Lisa
Published: October 2016

A significant amount of research has been conducted examining the social, psychological and behavioral aspects of altruism (Post, Johnson, McCullough & Schloss, 2003), as well as the characteristics and practices of eminent altruists (Sorokin, 1950) but very little research has been done that seeks to understand the nature of the lived experience of spontaneous altruism. This study seeks to fill the gap left by traditional psychosocial research by using descriptive phenomenological methods (Giorgi, 1989) to reveal the structure and meaning of the lived experience of spontaneous altruism. Three participants wrote descriptions of situations in which they engaged in spontaneous acts of altruism. Altruism was defined as a motivational state with the ultimate goal of increasing another's welfare (Batson, 1991). These descriptions were then expanded and clarified through a follow up interview. The results of the phenomenological analysis produced a structure of the lived experience of spontaneous altruism consisting of 15 constituent themes. These themes detail the complex emotional, psychological and mental processes that work together in the experience of spontaneous altruism. They also point to the possible roles of love, spirituality, ego-autonomy and creativity in the experience of altruism.
A Phenomenological Investigation of the Experience of Ambivalence
Authors: Harrist Steve
Published: October 2016

Ambivalence, broadly defined as feeling more than one emotion at a time, is thought to be a central aspect of human experience and to play an important role in a range of psychological processes. Ambivalence is experienced in close relationships, identity development, social and political attitudes, decision-making behavior, anxiety states, as well as in psychotherapeutic change. Eight undergraduate students participated in phenomenological interviews that were transcribed and served as the basis for the investigation. The primary purpose of this paper is to shed light on the meaning of the experience of ambivalence by explicating the organizational relationships of its constituent meanings. The paper will also clarify the relation of ambivalence to important psychological processes and developmental transitions during young adulthood.
Attentiveness to Religious/Spiritual Coping and Meaning Questions of Patients
Authors: Pieper Joseph , Hijweege Nicolette , Smeets Wim
Published: October 2016

Illness is a bio-psycho-social-spiritual process. Physicians focus primarily on the physical level; but attention to the other levels — including the religious/spiritual level — is recommended. Research, predominantly conducted in theusa, indicates that the worldview of physicians determines their attentiveness to their patient’s religiosity/spirituality. This study investigates medical specialists in academic hospitals in the Netherlands. The study participants were 664 medical specialists from five Dutch academic hospitals. In the more secularised Netherlands, attention to the spiritual level also includes attention to meaningfulness, and related questions of meaning. Our research attempted to show the influence of the worldview of these specialists on their attention to the religiosity/spirituality of and questions of meaning raised by very ill patients. Religiosity/spirituality was operationalised in religious/spiritual coping activities. Meaning questions were measured by a self-constructed instrument. We found four clusters of relevant meaning questions: ‘end of life’, ‘God’, ‘attributions’ and ‘relationship with significant others’. Attentiveness to religious/spiritual coping was influenced by the salience of a worldview in the life of the medical specialists. No such influence was detected with regard to questions of meaning.
A Bottom-Up Approach to Vowel Systems: The Case of Yadu Qiang*
Authors: Evans Jonathan P. , Huang Chenglong
Published: October 2016

Examining vowel harmony processes at work in Yadu Qiang reveals the smallest set of features needed to account for vowel oppositions, hence vowel structure. Arguments are evaluated for binarity/unarity of features, and the roles of marginal and disappearing contrasts. A minimal set of features that accounts for vowel processes predicts the existence of abstract vowels, which are shown to be active in the vowel system. The required binary features are Front, A TR, and Low, while Round and Rhotic are unary features. The study draws paralleis with Hyman's (2003) analysis of Kalong, in which all vowel features are shown to be unary.
A GRAMMATICAL DESCRIPTION OF XUWEN : A COLLOQUIAL DIALECT OF LEI-ZHOU PENINSUL (part I)
Authors: Li Charles , Thompson Sandra
Published: October 2016

Les auteurs présentent une description synchronique de la phonologie et de la syntaxe d'un dialecte chinois parlé dans la péninsule de Lei-zhou et qui représente le résultat du mélange d'un dialecte Min et d'un dialecte Yue. Le système phonologique de ce dialecte est comparé avec le système du chinois ancien.
THE SEMANTICS AND PRAGMATICS OF ASSOCIATIVE DE IN MANDARIN DISCOURSE
Authors: CHAPPELL Hilary , THOMPSON Sandra A.
Published: October 2016

Nous examinons dans cet article l'emploi du morphème "associatif de en mandarin. Il s'agit de la première analyse de discours fondée sur un important corpus d'exemples écrits et parlés.

Nous nous servons d'un modèle probabiliste pour démontrer que la présence ou l'absence de de dans les phrases nominales associatives est un phénomène complexe qui est déterminé par l'interaction de variables linguistiques telles que (i) le facteur pragmatique de l'"information flow"; (ii) les propriétés sémantiques du nom principal et (iii) des propriétés structurelles et combinatoires de la phrase nominale.

Pour l'explication des résultats concernant les propriétés sémantiques du déterminant et du déterminé dans cette construction associative, nous employons également une hierarchie d'égocentricité et une théorie de l'iconicité.
Grammatonotus brianne, a new callanthiid fish from Philippine waters, with short accounts of two other Grammatonotus from the Coral Triangle
Authors: ANDERSON WILLIAM D., JR. , GREENE BRIAN D. , ROCHA LUIZ A.
Published: October 2016

In May 2014, a group of ichthyologists from the California Academy of Sciences and the Bishop Museum collecting fishes off the coast of Batangas, Luzon, Philippine Islands, obtained, in a depth of ca. 150 meters, four specimens of a species of Grammatonotus previously unknown to science. This new species, Grammatonotus brianne, is distinguishable from its described congeners by the following combination of characters: short anal-fin spines, rhomboid shaped caudal fin, lateral line usually disjunct, and live coloration. Herein we provide characters that distinguish callanthiids from other percoids and that distinguish Grammatonotus from Callanthias, the other genus in the family Callanthiidae, along with the description of the new species and short accounts of two other Grammatonotus, G. crosnieri and G. roseus, from the Coral Triangle.
Time-Varying Response of ENSO-Induced Tropical Pacific Rainfall to Global Warming in CMIP5 Models. Part II: Intermodel Uncertainty
Authors: Huang Ping
Published: October 2016

Anomalous rainfall in the tropical Pacific driven by El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a crucial pathway of ENSO’s global impacts. The changes in ENSO rainfall under global warming vary among the models, even though previous studies have shown that many models project that ENSO rainfall will likely intensify and shift eastward in response to global warming. The present study evaluates the robustness of the changes in ENSO rainfall in 32 CMIP5 models forced under the representative concentration pathway 8.5 (RCP8.5) scenario. The robust increase in mean-state moisture dominates the robust intensification of ENSO rainfall. The uncertain amplitude changes in ENSO-related SST variability are the largest source of the uncertainty in ENSO rainfall changes through influencing the amplitude changes in ENSO-driven circulation variability, whereas the structural changes in ENSO SST and ENSO circulation enhancement in the central Pacific are more robust than the amplitude changes. The spatial pattern of the mean-state SST changes—the departure of local SST changes from the tropical mean—with an El Niño–like pattern is a relatively robust factor, although it also contains pronounced intermodel differences. The intermodel spread of historical ENSO circulation is another noteworthy source of the uncertainty in ENSO rainfall changes. The intermodel standard deviation of ENSO rainfall changes increases along with the increase in global-mean surface temperature. However, the robustness of enhanced ENSO rainfall changes in the central-eastern Pacific is almost unchanged, whereas the eastward shift of ENSO rainfall is increasingly robust along with the increase in global-mean surface temperature.
Characteristics of a Spectral Inverse of the Laplacian Using Spherical Harmonic Functions on a Cubed-Sphere Grid for Background Error Covariance Modeling
Authors: Song Hyo-Jong , Kwon In-Hyuk , Kim Junghan
Published: October 2016

In this study, a spectral inverse method using spherical harmonic functions (SHFs) represented on a cubed-sphere grid (SHF inverse) is proposed. The purpose of the spectral inverse method studied is to help with data assimilation. The grid studied is the one that results from a spectral finite element decomposition of the six faces of the cubed sphere on Gauss–Legendre–Lobatto (GLL) points with equiangular gnomonic projection. For a given discretization of the cube in this form, as the total wavenumber of the test functions increases, there comes a point at which the cube’s eigenstructure fails to be able to replicate the spherical harmonic functions. The authors call this point a limit wavenumber in using the SHF inverse. In common with the authors’ previous research, the allowable total wavenumber of the SHF inverse increases more effectively with an enhanced polynomial order. The use of the eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the Laplacian, discretized on the grid spacing used in this study, to the Poisson equation is compared with the benchmark set by using the spherical harmonics solution to the problem. In terms of accuracy, the SHF inverse is superior to a direct inverse of the Laplacian using eigendecomposition. The feasibility of SHF inverse in operational implementation is examined under a massive computational environment.
Prevalence and Surgical Implications of Dural Enhancement at the Porus Acusticus in Vestibular Schwannomas
Authors: Patel Neil S. , Van Abel Kathryn M. , Link Michael J. , Driscoll Colin L. W. , Van Gompel Jamie J. , Neff Brian A. , Lane John I. , Carlson Matthew L.
Published: October 2016

Objective

Demonstrate the association of radiographic dural enhancement with increased tumor adherence at the porus acusticus, which may influence completeness of resection and facial nerve outcome.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Academic referral center.

Subjects and Methods

A total of 205 consecutive patients with histopathologically confirmed vestibular schwannoma (VS) were evaluated. Patients with tumors exhibiting dural enhancement on postgadolinium T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging were identified and compared with matched controls. Completeness of resection, intraoperative details, and facial nerve outcomes were analyzed.

Results

Excluding strictly intracanalicular tumors (n = 32, 16%) and those with NF2 (n = 10, 4.9%), the presence of dural enhancement was radiographically confirmed in 16 (9.8%) cases. Paired analysis did not reveal significant baseline differences between cases and controls. Subtotal resection was performed in 5 (31%) of the 16 patients with tumors exhibiting dural enhancement, in contrast to 1 (3%) of the matched controls (P =. 01). Four (25%) demonstrated increased tumor adherence at the porus acusticus intraoperatively, compared with 1 control (3%, P =. 04). Long‐term facial nerve function was similar between cases and controls (81% vs 84% House‐Brackmann I‐II function, P = 1.00).

Conclusion

Dural enhancement is present in approximately 10% of extracanalicular VS. Dural enhancement at the porus acusticus may represent hypervascularity, dural reaction, or infiltration, and portends increased tumor adherence and greater likelihood of subtotal resection to preserve facial nerve function. To our knowledge, this is the first series that reports the prevalence of this phenomenon in VS and the potential surgical implications. Recognition preoperatively may be valuable toward patient counseling.
Links Between Adolescents’ Relationships With Peers, Parents, and Their Values in Three Cultural Contexts
Authors: Tamm Anni , Kasearu Kairi , Tulviste Tiia , Trommsdorff Gisela
Published: October 2016

The study examined associations among adolescents’ perceived mother-child and father-child relationship quality (intimacy, conflict, and admiration), perceived peer acceptance, and their values (individualism and collectivism) in a sample of 795 Estonian, German, and Russian 15-year-olds. Adolescents from the three cultural contexts differed in terms of their relationships with parents and peers but were similar in valuing both individualism and collectivism highly. Individualistic values were positively linked to adolescents’ peer acceptance in individualistic cultures, whereas collectivistic values of adolescents were positively associated with the quality of their relationships with parents in all cultures. Across cultures, maternal and paternal admiration showed the strongest positive association with peer acceptance of adolescents. Among Estonian adolescents, further associations emerged: higher levels of intimacy with fathers and conflict levels in both mother-child and father-child relationship were related to adolescents’ lower peer acceptance. The results are discussed from a social-cultural perspective.
Paracetamol poisoning
Authors: Bates Nicola
Published: October 2016

Paracetamol is a very common and readily available analgesic, alone or in combination with other drugs in some cold and flu products. In dogs, paracetamol at low doses is metabolised to non-toxic metabolites, but these pathways become saturated in overdose, leading to metabolism by other pathways resulting in the production of toxic metabolites. Cats and ferrets lack the enzymes required for the safe metabolism of paracetamol and are therefore susceptible to lower doses. The characteristic picture of severe paracetamol poisoning is methaemoglobinaemia, cyanosis, anaemia and jaundice. Acetylcysteine is the antidote of choice in the management of paracetamol poisoning.
Equilibrium thermodynamics of wood moisture revisited: presentation of a simplified theory
Authors: Willems Wim
Published: October 2016

The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) of a wood specimen is known to be a function of the (absolute) temperature T and humidity h of the environment. In the present paper, it is directly derived from equilibrium thermodynamics that EMC is more specifically a function of the water chemical potential μ=RT ln h (Polanyi’s postulate). It is shown that wood moisture thermodynamics then becomes considerably simplified, allowing the calculation of the energy of wood-water interactions from the data of a single-temperature moisture adsorption. A critical comparative analysis on the theoretically calculated adsorption enthalpy and published data, obtained from isosteric and calorimetric measurements, is given. It is deduced from the theory that all bound moisture is non-freezing and that the heat capacities of bound and free wood moisture are equal.
Deriving the scale of finiteness from parasitic syncretism
Authors: Jablonska Patrycja
Published: October 2016

The aim of this paper is to establish the hierarchy of “finiteness” in Polish based on “morphological” considerations relating to syncretism and alternations, which were taken to be the interface between the lexicon and syntax. The paper focuses on parasitic stem syncretism within the paradigm of eight verb forms in Polish. The eight forms exhibit numerous stem syncretism patterns where one stem forms a “parasitic” base for the formation of another verb. The major point is to argue for a scale of degrees of finiteness rather than any categorical two-way distinction between finite and non-finite forms. The paper suggests various new topics for further research, e. g. how person hierarchy relates to the finiteness hierarchy.
Structural diversity in echinocandin biosynthesis: the impact of oxidation steps and approaches toward an evolutionary explanation
Authors: Hüttel Wolfgang
Published: October 2016

Echinocandins are an important group of cyclic non-ribosomal peptides with strong antifungal activity produced by filamentous fungi from Aspergillaceae and Leotiomycetes. Their structure is characterized by numerous hydroxylated non-proteinogenic amino acids. Biosynthetic clusters discovered in the last years contain up to six oxygenases, all of which are involved in amino acid modifications. Especially, variations in the oxidation pattern induced by these enzymes account for a remarkable structural diversity among the echinocandins. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of echinocandin biosynthesis with a special focus on diversity-inducing oxidation steps. The emergence of metabolic diversity is further discussed on the basis of a comprehensive overview of the structurally characterized echinocandins, their producer strains and biosynthetic clusters. For the pneumocandins, echinocandins produced by Glarea lozoyensis, the formation of metabolic diversity in a single organism is analyzed. It is compared to two common models for the evolution of secondary metabolism: the ‘target-based’ approach and the ‘diversity-based’ model. Whereas the early phase of pneumocandin biosynthesis supports the target-based model, the diversity-inducing late steps and most oxidation reactions best fit the diversity-based approach. Moreover, two types of diversity-inducing steps can be distinguished. Although incomplete hydroxylation is a common phenomenon in echinocandin production and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in general, the incorporation of diverse hydroxyprolines at position 6 is apparently a unique feature of pneumocandin biosynthesis, which stands in stark contrast to the strict selectivity found in echinocandin biosynthesis by Aspergillaceae. The example of echinocandin biosynthesis shows that the existing models for the evolution of secondary metabolism can be well applied to parts of the pathway; however, thus far, there is no comprehensive theory that could explain the entire biosynthesis.
Effect of Ovarian Hormone Therapy on Cognition in the Aged Female Rhesus Macaque
Authors: Kohama Steven G. , Renner Lauren , Landauer Noelle , Weiss Alison R. , Urbanski Henryk F. , Park Byung , Voytko Mary Lou , Neuringer Martha
Published: October 2016

Studies of the effect of hormone therapy on cognitive function in menopausal women have been equivocal, in part due to differences in the type and timing of hormone treatment. Here we cognitively tested aged female rhesus macaques on (1) the delayed response task of spatial working memory, (2) a visuospatial attention task that measured spatially and temporally cued reaction times, and (3) a simple reaction time task as a control for motor speed. After task acquisition, animals were ovariectomized (OVX). Their performance was compared with intact controls for 2 months, at which time no group differences were found. The OVX animals were then assigned to treatment with either a subcutaneous sham implant (OVX), 17-β estradiol (E) implant (OVX+E) or E implant plus cyclic oral progesterone (OVX+EP). All groups were then tested repeatedly over 12 months. The OVX+E animals performed significantly better on the delayed response task than all of the other groups for much of the 12 month testing period. The OVX+EP animals also showed improved performance in the delayed response task, but only at 30 s delays and with performance levels below that of OVX+E animals. The OVX+E animals also performed significantly better in the visuospatial attention task, particularly in the most challenging invalid cue condition; this difference also was maintained across the 12 month testing period. Simple reaction time was not affected by hormonal manipulation. These data demonstrate that chronic, continuous administration of E can exert multiple beneficial cognitive effects in aged, OVX rhesus macaque females.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHormone therapy after menopause is controversial. We tested the effects of hormone replacement in aged rhesus macaques, soon after surgically-induced menopause [ovariectomy (OVX)], on tests of memory and attention. Untreated ovarian-intact and OVX animals were compared with OVX animals receiving estradiol (E) alone or E with progesterone (P). E was administered in a continuous fashion via subcutaneous implant, whereas P was administered orally in a cyclic fashion. On both tests, E-treated animals performed better than the other 3 experimental groups across 1 year of treatment. Thus, in this monkey model, chronic E administered soon after the loss of ovarian hormones had long-term benefits for cognitive function.
APOE-Sensitive Cholinergic Sprouting Compensates for Hippocampal Dysfunctions Due to Reduced Entorhinal Input
Authors: Bott Jean-Bastien , Héraud Céline , Cosquer Brigitte , Herbeaux Karine , Aubert Julien , Sartori Maxime , Goutagny Romain , Mathis Chantal
Published: October 2016

Brain mechanisms compensating for cerebral lesions may mitigate the progression of chronic neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which often precedes AD, is characterized by neuronal loss in the entorhinal cortex (EC). This loss leads to a hippocampal disconnection syndrome that drives clinical progression. The concomitant sprouting of cholinergic terminals in the hippocampus has been proposed to compensate for reduced EC glutamatergic input. However, in absence of direct experimental evidence, the compensatory nature of the cholinergic sprouting and its putative mechanisms remain elusive. Transgenic mice expressing the humanAPOE4allele, the main genetic risk factor for sporadic MCI/AD, display impaired cholinergic sprouting after EC lesion. Using these mice as a tool to manipulate cholinergic sprouting in a disease-relevant way, we showed that this sprouting was necessary and sufficient for the acute compensation of EC lesion-induced spatial memory deficit before a slower glutamatergic reinnervation took place. We also found that partial EC lesion generates abnormal hyperactivity in EC/dentate networks. Dentate hyperactivity was abolished by optogenetic stimulation of cholinergic fibers. Therefore, control of dentate hyperactivity by cholinergic sprouting may be involved in functional compensation after entorhinal lesion. Our results also suggest that dentate hyperactivity in MCI patients may be directly related to EC neuronal loss. Impaired sprouting during the MCI stage may contribute to the faster cognitive decline reported inAPOE4carriers. Beyond the amyloid contribution, the potential role of both cholinergic sprouting and dentate hyperactivity in AD symptomatogenesis should be considered in designing new therapeutic approaches.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTCurrently, curative treatment trials for Alzheimer's disease (AD) have failed. The endogenous ability of the brain to cope with neuronal loss probably represents one of the most promising therapeutic targets, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Here, we show that the mammalian brain is able to manage several deleterious consequences of the loss of entorhinal neurons on hippocampal activity and cognitive performance through a fast cholinergic sprouting followed by a slower glutamatergic reinnervation. The cholinergic sprouting is gender dependent and highly sensitive to the genetic risk factorAPOE4. Our findings highlight the specific impact of early loss of entorhinal input on hippocampal hyperactivity and cognitive deficits characterizing early stages of AD, especially inAPOE4carriers.
A RET-ER81-NRG1 Signaling Pathway Drives the Development of Pacinian Corpuscles
Authors: Fleming Michael S. , Li Jian J. , Ramos Daniel , Li Tong , Talmage David A. , Abe Shin-ichi , Arber Silvia , Luo Wenqin
Published: October 2016

Axon-Schwann cell interactions are crucial for the development, function, and repair of the peripheral nervous system, but mechanisms underlying communication between axons and nonmyelinating Schwann cells are unclear. Here, we show that ER81 is functionally required in a subset of mouse RET+mechanosensory neurons for formation of Pacinian corpuscles, which are composed of a single myelinated axon and multiple layers of nonmyelinating Schwann cells, andRetis required for the maintenance ofEr81expression. Interestingly,Er81mutants have normal myelination but exhibit deficient interactions between axons and corpuscle-forming nonmyelinating Schwann cells. Finally, ablatingNeuregulin-1(Nrg1) in mechanosensory neurons results in no Pacinian corpuscles, and anNrg1isoform not required for communication with myelinating Schwann cells is specifically decreased inEr81-null somatosensory neurons. Collectively, our results suggest that a RET-ER81-NRG1 signaling pathway promotes axon communication with nonmyelinating Schwann cells, and that neurons use distinct mechanisms to interact with different types of Schwann cells.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTCommunication between neurons and Schwann cells is critical for development, normal function, and regeneration of the peripheral nervous system. Despite many studies about axonal communication with myelinating Schwann cells, mostly via a specific isoform of Neuregulin1, the molecular nature of axonal communication with nonmyelinating Schwann cells is poorly understood. Here, we described a RET-ER81-Neuregulin1 signaling pathway in neurons innervating Pacinian corpuscle somatosensory end organs, which is essential for communication between the innervating axon and the end organ nonmyelinating Schwann cells. We also showed that this signaling pathway uses isoforms of Neuregulin1 that are not involved in myelination, providing evidence that neurons use different isoforms of Neuregulin1 to interact with different types of Schwann cells.
Neuregulin-Dependent Regulation of Fast-Spiking Interneuron Excitability Controls the Timing of the Critical Period
Authors: Gu Yu , Tran Trinh , Murase Sachiko , Borrell Andrew , Kirkwood Alfredo , Quinlan Elizabeth M.
Published: October 2016

Maturation of excitatory drive onto fast-spiking interneurons (FS INs) in the visual cortex has been implicated in the control of the timing of the critical period for ocular dominance plasticity. However, the mechanisms that regulate the strength of these synapses over cortical development are not understood. Here we use a mouse model to show that neuregulin (NRG) and the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB4 regulate the timing of the critical period. NRG1 enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses onto FS INs, which inhibited ocular dominance plasticity during the critical period but rescued plasticity in transgenics with hypoexcitable FS INs. Blocking the effects of endogenous neuregulin via inhibition of erbBs rescued ocular dominance plasticity in postcritical period adults, allowing recovery from amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation. Thus, the strength of excitation onto FS INs is a key determinant of critical period plasticity and is maintained at high levels by NRG–erbB4 signaling to constrain plasticity in adulthood.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTDespite decades of experimentation, the mechanisms by which critical periods of enhanced synaptic plasticity are initiated and terminated are not completely understood. Here we show that neuregulin (NRG) and the receptor tyrosine kinase erbB4 determine critical period timing by controlling the strength of excitatory synapses onto FS INs. NRG1 enhanced excitatory drive onto fast spiking interneurons, which inhibited ocular dominance plasticity in juveniles but rescued plasticity in transgenics with hypoexcitable FS INs. Blocking the effects of endogenous neuregulin via inhibition of erbBs rescued ocular dominance plasticity in adults, allowing recovery from amblyopia induced by chronic monocular deprivation. Thus, in contrast to prevailing views of the termination of the critical period, active maintenance of strong excitation onto FS INs constrains plasticity in adults.
Ballroom dancing is more intensive for the female partners due to their unique hold technique
Authors: Vaczi M , Tekus E , Atlasz T , Cselko A , Pinter G , Balatincz D , Kaj M , Wilhelm M
Published: October 2016

In this study, we tested the hypotheses that, relative to the maximum capacities, ballroom dancing is more intensive for females than males, and that the hold technique (female vs. male) regulates dancing intensity. Ten dance couples were tested in a maximal treadmill test, competition simulation, and stationary dance hold position. Peak heart rate and relative oxygen consumption were measured during the tests, except that oxygen consumption was not measured during competition simulation. Regardless of gender, heart rate increased similarly in the treadmill test and in the competition simulation. In the treadmill test, females achieved an oxygen consumption of 78% of the males (p < 0.05). Compared with males, females achieved 14% higher heart rate (p < 0.05) and similar oxygen consumption during the hold position. Heart rate during competition simulation relative to maximum was greater for females than males. Both heart rate and oxygen consumption measured during the hold, relative to maximum, were greater for females than males. It is concluded that lower class ballroom dancers perform at their vita maxima during competition simulation. Using heart rate as an intensity indicator, ballroom dancing is more intensive for females because of their unique hold technique.