bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microbial players and processes involved in phytoplankton bloom utilization in the water column of a fast‐flowing, river‐dominated estuary
Authors: Smith Maria W. , Herfort Lydie , Fortunato Caroline S. , Crump Byron C. , Simon Holly M.
Published: March 2017

Fueled by seasonal phytoplankton blooms, the Columbia River estuary is a natural bioreactor for organic matter transformations. Prior metagenome analyses indicated high abundances of diverse Bacteroidetes taxa in estuarine samples containing phytoplankton. To examine the hypothesis that Bacteroidetes taxa have important roles in phytoplankton turnover, we further analyzed metagenomes from water collected along a salinity gradient at 0, 5, 15, 25, and 33 PSU during bloom events. Size fractions were obtained by using a 3‐μm prefilter and 0.2‐μm collection filter. Although this approach targeted bacteria by removing comparatively large eukaryotic cells, the metagenome from the ES‐5 sample (5 PSU) nevertheless contained an abundance of diatom DNA. Biogeochemical measurements and prior studies indicated that this finding resulted from the leakage of cellular material due to freshwater diatom lysis at low salinity. Relative to the other metagenomes, the bacterial fraction of ES‐5 was dramatically depleted of genes annotated as Bacteroidetes and lysogenic bacteriophages, but was overrepresented in DNA of protists and Myxococcales bacterivores. We suggest the following equally plausible scenarios for the microbial response to phytoplankton lysis: (1) Bacteroidetes depletion in the free‐living fraction may at least in part be caused by their attachment to fluvial diatoms as the latter are lysed upon contact with low‐salinity estuarine waters; (2) diatom particle colonization is likely followed by rapid bacterial growth and lytic phage infection, resulting in depletion of lysogenic bacteriophages and host bacteria; and (3) the subsequent availability of labile organic matter attracted both grazers and predators to feed in this estuarine biogeochemical “hotspot,” which may have additionally depleted Bacteroidetes populations. These results represent the first detailed molecular analysis of the microbial response to phytoplankton lysis at the freshwater–brackish water interface in the fast‐flowing Columbia River estuary.
The systematic review and meta‐analysis of free flap safety in the elderly patients
Authors: Üstün Galip Gencay , Aksu Ali Emre , Uzun Hakan , Bitik Ozan
Published: March 2017

Background

Prolonged mean life expectancy gives rise to a more populated and older patient group. With increasing number of cases during the past decades, older patients are regarded as candidates for microsurgical interventions. Whether advanced patient age is an independent risk factor for microsurgical reconstruction is still an ongoing matter of debate.

Methods

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE databases were screened for combination of the key words “elderly”, “geriatric”, “advanced age”, “free flap”, “microsurgery”, free tissue transfer" by using time limits between 1989 and 2015.

Results

According to results of the meta‐analysis, there was no significant difference in the flap success rates(P =.39, CI = 0.848 to 2.329) and surgical complication rates (P = .83, CI = 0.792 to 1.163) between the young and elderly patient groups. However, the systemic complication rates(P = .02, CI = 1.468 to 3.572), preoperative ASA scores(P < .0001, CI = 0.342 to 1.078), and mortality rates (P = .03, CI = 2.636 to 9.055) were found to be significantly higher in the elderly patients.

Conclusions

Although an increased rate of systemic complications and mortality has been associated with advanced age, our study results showed no significant difference between the flap success rates and surgical complications. A successful reduction in systemic complications would bring the risk level of reconstructive microsurgical interventions of the elderly patient group to the level of the young patient group. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 37:442–450, 2017.
Genetic determinants of adiponectin regulation revealed by pregnancy
Authors: Hivert Marie‐France , Scholtens Denise M. , Allard Catherine , Nodzenski Michael , Bouchard Luigi , Brisson Diane , Lowe Lynn P. , McDowell Ian , Reddy Tim , Dastani Zari , Richards J. Brent , Hayes M. Geoffrey , Lowe William L.
Published: March 2017

Objective

This study investigated genetic determinants of adiponectin during pregnancy to reveal novel biology of adipocyte regulation.

Methods

A genome‐wide association study was conducted in 1,322 pregnant women from the Hyperglycemia and Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Study with adiponectin measured at ∼28 weeks of gestation. Variants reaching P < 5×10−5 for de novo genotyping in two replication cohorts (Genetics of Glycemic regulation in Gestation and Growth N = 522; ECOGENE‐21 N = 174) were selected.

Results

In the combined meta‐analysis, the maternal T allele of rs900400 located on chr3q25 (near LEKR1/CCNL1) was associated with lower maternal adiponectin (β ± standard error [SE] = −0.18 ± 0.03 standard deviation [SD] of adiponectin per risk allele; P = 1.5
10−8; N = 2,004; multivariable adjusted models). In contrast, rs900400 showed only nominal association with adiponectin in a large sample of nonpregnant women (β ± SE = −0.012 ± 0.006; P = 0.05; N = 16,678 women from the ADIPOgen consortium). The offspring rs900400 T risk allele was associated with greater neonatal skinfold thickness (β ±SE = 0.19 ± 0.04 SD per risk allele; P = 4.1×10−8; N = 1,489) and higher cord blood leptin (β ± SE = 0.28 ± 0.05 log‐leptin per risk allele; P = 8.2
10−9; N = 502), but not with cord blood adiponectin (P = 0.23; N = 495). The T allele of rs900400 was associated with higher expression of TIPARP in adipocytes.

Conclusions

These investigations of adipokines during pregnancy and early life suggest that rs900400 has a role in adipocyte function.
Efficient Discovery of Quality Control Markers for Gastrodia elata Tuber by Fingerprint‐Efficacy Relationship Modelling
Authors: Li Mingfang , Du Yuan , Wang Long , Jiang Lilong , Ma Xiaodong , Zhou Ping , Li Ping , Li Huijun
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Gastrodia elata tuber (GET) has been widely used in China as a famous herbal medicine. However, the quality control markers (QCMs) for GET still need further investigation.

Objective

To develop a rational strategy based on fingerprint‐efficacy relationship modelling to discover the efficacy‐related QCMs, using GET as a case study.

Methodology

The high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fingerprints of 13 batches of GET extracts were established and 10 common peaks were structurally characterised by HPLC coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (QTOF‐MS). The neuroprotective effects of GET samples were evaluated using the in vitro model of β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ25–35)‐induced PC12 cell death. The fingerprint‐efficacy relationship of chemical fingerprints and neuroprotective effects was linked by orthogonal projection to latent structure‐discriminant analysis (OPLS‐DA) model.

Results

The chemical combination of 5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐furaldehyde (5‐HMF), parishin B (PB) and parishin C (PC) was discovered and confirmed as QCMs of GET by the OPLS‐DA method. The selected QCMs allowed to evaluate the relative quality of GET samples.

Conclusion

This study has demonstrated that the rational strategy based on fingerprint‐efficacy relationship modelling might be generally applicable for the quality control of herbal medicines. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New targeted approaches for the quantification of data‐independent acquisition mass spectrometry
Authors: Bruderer Roland , Sondermann Julia , Tsou Chih‐Chiang , Barrantes‐Freer Alonso , Stadelmann Christine , Nesvizhskii Alexey I. , Schmidt Manuela , Reiter Lukas , Gomez‐Varela David
Published: March 2017

The use of data‐independent acquisition (DIA) approaches for the reproducible and precise quantification of complex protein samples has increased in the last years. The protein information arising from DIA analysis is stored in digital protein maps (DIA maps) that can be interrogated in a targeted way by using ad hoc or publically available peptide spectral libraries generated on the same sample species as for the generation of the DIA maps. The restricted availability of certain difficult‐to‐obtain human tissues (i.e., brain) together with the caveats of using spectral libraries generated under variable experimental conditions limits the potential of DIA. Therefore, DIA workflows would benefit from high‐quality and extended spectral libraries that could be generated without the need of using valuable samples for library production. We describe here two new targeted approaches, using either classical data‐dependent acquisition repositories (not specifically built for DIA) or ad hoc mouse spectral libraries, which enable the profiling of human brain DIA data set. The comparison of our results to both the most extended publically available human spectral library and to a state‐of‐the‐art untargeted method supports the use of these new strategies to improve future DIA profiling efforts.
Comparative proteomic analysis of trophoblast cell models reveals their differential phenotypes, potential uses, and limitations
Authors: Szklanna Paulina B. , Wynne Kieran , Nolan Marie , Egan Karl , Áinle Fionnuala Ní , Maguire Patricia B.
Published: March 2017

Trophoblastic cell lines are widely used in in vitro studies of placental function as a surrogate for primary trophoblasts. To date, no reference proteomics dataset exists to directly compare the shared and unique characteristics of these cells. Here, we performed comparative proteomic profiling of the BeWo and HTR8/SVneo cell lines using label‐free quantitative MS. A total of 1557 proteins were identified, which included 338 uniquely attributed to BeWo cells, and a further 304 specifically identified in HTR8/SVneo cells. Raw data are available via ProteomeXchange, identifier PDX005045. Of the 915 proteins expressed by both cell lines, 105 were of higher abundance in BeWo cells, while 199 proteins had a significantly higher expression in HTR8/SVneo cells. Comparative GO of unique and upregulated proteins revealed principal differences in cell junction/adhesion, catenin complex, spindle and microtubule associated complex, as well as cell differentiation. Our data indicate that BeWo cells express an epithelial proteome more characteristic of villous trophoblasts, whereas HTR8/SVneo cells embrace a mesenchymal phenotype, more characteristic of extravillous trophoblasts. This novel comparative proteomic profiling of these trophoblastic cell lines provides a useful platform for future investigations of placental function.
Calculation of standard viscoelastic responses with multiple retardation times through analysis of static force spectroscopy AFM data
Authors: López‐Guerra Enrique A. , Eslami Babak , Solares Santiago D.
Published: March 2017

We explore the physics of an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever tip interacting with a generalized viscoelastic sample containing an arbitrary number of characteristic times, when the cantilever's base is driven with constant velocity toward the sample. This mode of operation, often called static force spectroscopy (SFS), can be harnessed to thoroughly analyze time‐dependent viscoelastic information frequently overlooked in experiments. We generalize the solution of previous authors who have studied the standard linear solid model, and offer a solution applicable to any linear viscoelastic model. This generalization is crucial for the prediction of the model's response over wide ranges of time‐scale. As a demonstration, successful predictions of harmonic functions (e.g., loss tangent) over a wide frequency range are obtained through analysis of simulated SFS results. In addition, we show that analysis through the generalized solution and previous expressions is no longer valid when the force does not grow linearly in time, so we also deliver an alternate route for extracting the viscoelastic information, which does not rely on the force linearity assumption. Despite the large amount of theoretical content (included for theoretical rigor's sake), the practical user can also benefit from the new procedures offered and the corresponding explanations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2017, 55, 804–813
Fear of cancer recurrence: a significant concern among partners of prostate cancer survivors
Authors: van de Wal Marieke , Langenberg Simône , Gielissen Marieke , Thewes Belinda , van Oort Inge , Prins Judith
Published: March 2017

Objectives

The aims of the study were to (1) describe the prevalence of fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) in partners of prostate cancer (PCa) survivors; (2) to compare the proportions of high FCR in partners with high FCR in PCa survivors; (3) to explore partners' demographic and survivors' clinical characteristics associated with high FCR in partners; and (4) to identify the relationship between high FCR and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in partners.

Methods

Questionnaires were sent to partners of disease‐free PCa survivors. Outcomes included FCR severity (Cancer Worry Scale [CWS]) and HRQoL (RAND‐36). The t and chi‐square tests were used to compare partner FCR with survivor FCR. Regression analyses were performed to determine if demographic and clinical characteristics were significantly associated with partner FCR. The multivariate analysis of variance identified differences in HRQoL between partners with high and low FCR.

Results

Questionnaires were completed by 168 partners. Mean levels of FCR were comparable between partners and survivors (P = .144). Thirty‐five percent of partners reported high FCR (CWS ≥ 14) compared to 38% of PCa survivors (CWS ≥ 13) (P = .542). Higher survivor FCR and younger partner age were significantly associated with higher partner FCR. Partners with high FCR scored significantly lower on social functioning, emotional role functioning, mental health, general health, and vitality than those with low FCR (all P < .05).

Conclusions

Findings from this study illustrate that FCR is a significant concern for partners of PCa survivors. Clinicians should be aware of partner FCR when delivering care to men with PCa.
Dual role as a protective factor for burnout‐related depersonalization in oncologists
Authors: He Yi , Pang Ying , Zhang Yening , Fielding Richard , Tang Lili
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This study compared self‐reported burnout between dual‐role oncologists (oncologists who also do psychosocial work) and single‐role oncologists, to explore if dual role is protective against or a risk factor for burnout.

Methods

Dual‐role oncologists from across China (n = 131) were consecutively recruited via the Chinese Psychosocial Oncology Society and asked to identify single‐role oncologist peers (n = 168) working in the same institution. Participants completed an anonymous online questionnaire, which included measures of demographic and work characteristics, Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey, the Short Version Effort‐Reward Inventory, the Job Demands‐Resources (JD‐R) Scales, and Work and Meaning Inventory. Fully adjusted multivariate analyses compared burnout scores for the 2 groups.

Results

Group analysis revealed single‐role participants' scores indicated significantly poorer performance than dual‐role participants for depersonalization (DP), work‐family conflict (JD‐R demands scale), and decision authority (JD‐R scale). Single‐role participants showed an increased risk of DP. Higher effort‐reward imbalance ratio predicted greater DP in single‐, dual‐role and pooled participants, and emotional exhaustion (EE) in pooled‐ and dual‐role participants. Overcommitment was independently associated with EE in all 3 groupings, with JD‐R scores among pooled‐ and dual‐role groups, while higher decision authority scores were associated with decreased EE. Work and Meaning Inventory was associated with a decreased risk of DP among pooled and dual‐role participants.

Conclusion

Differences in burnout‐related DP scores between dual‐ and single‐role oncologists are consistent with a protective effect from a psychosocial orientation in oncologists.
Psychological and clinical correlates of posttraumatic growth in cancer: A systematic and critical review
Authors: Casellas‐Grau Anna , Ochoa Cristian , Ruini Chiara
Published: March 2017

Objective

The objective of this study is to describe major findings on posttraumatic growth (PTG) in cancer, by analyzing its various definitions, assessment tools, and examining its main psychological and clinical correlates.

Methods

A search in relevant databases (PsycINFO, Pubmed, ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science) was performed using descriptors related to the positive reactions in cancer. Articles were screened by title, abstract, and full text.

Results

Seventy‐two met the inclusion criteria. Most articles (46%) focused on breast cancer, used the PTG inventory (76%), and had a cross‐sectional design (68%). The PTG resulted inversely associated with depressive and anxious symptoms and directly related to hope, optimism, spirituality, and meaning. Illness‐related variables have been poorly investigated compared to psychological ones. Articles found no relationship between cancer site, cancer surgery, cancer recurrence, and PTG. Some correlations emerged with the elapsed time since diagnosis, type of oncological treatment received, and cancer stage. Only few studies differentiated illness‐related–life‐threatening stressors from other forms of trauma, and the potentially different mechanisms connected with PTG outcome in cancer patients.

Conclusions

The evaluation of PTG in cancer patients is worthy, because it may promote a better adaption to the illness. However, many investigations do not explicitly refer to the medical nature of the trauma, and they may have not completely captured the full spectrum of positive reactions in cancer patients. Future research should better investigate issues such as health attitudes; the risks of future recurrences; and the type, quality, and efficacy of medical treatments received and their influence on PTG in cancer patients.
Investigation of the structural, optical and electronic properties of Cu2Zn(Sn,Si/Ge)(S/Se)4alloys for solar cell applications
Authors: Zamulko Sergiy , Chen Rongzhen , Persson Clas
Published: March 2017

The crystalline structural, electronic and optical properties of the alloys Cu2ZnSn1−xGexS4, Cu2ZnSn1−xSixS4, Cu2ZnSn1−xGexSe4and Cu2ZnSn1−xSixSe4are calculated by first‐principles using both the generalized gradient approximation and a hybrid functional approach. We find that the electronic band structures are qualitatively very similar for these alloys. The band‐gap energyEg(x) (forx = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 0.875 and 1) increases almost linearly with Ge and Si substitution. However, for very Si rich Cu2ZnSn1−xSixS4alloys (but not for Cu2ZnSn1−xSixSe4) there is an abrupt increase ofEg(x) forx > 0.96. We therefore analyse this effect by calculating the electronic structures forx = 0.93, 0.96 and 1. We find that the Sn‐like states form localised density‐of‐states below the conduction band edge in Cu2ZnSn1−xSixS4, while corresponding states resonate more with the conduction bands in Cu2ZnSn1−xSixSe4. The effect in S‐based alloys is a direct consequence of the energetically high conduction band edge for Cu2ZnSiS4in combination with energetically low Sn‐like states. Furthermore, the calculated dielectric constants are relatively similar for all alloy configurations. Overall however, our results suggest that it is possible to use Si and Ge as alloying element in quaternary Cu2ZnSnS4to improve the photovoltaic properties.
Evaluation of tropical cyclones over the South China Sea simulated by the 12 km MetUM regional climate model
Authors: Liang Ju , Wang Changgui , Hodges Kevin I.
Published: March 2017

The ability of a newly developed non‐hydrostatic regional climate model (RCM) based on the Unified Model of the UK Met Office (MetUM) at a resolution of 12 km is examined for the simulation of tropical cyclone (TC) activity affecting the South China Sea and is compared with the current version of the MetUM RCM at the resolution of 25 km. The results show that both the 25 and 12 km models can reasonably simulate the TC‐associated large‐scale environments, while the 12 km model has a better ability to simulate the South Asian monsoon. Compared with the 25 km model, the 12 km model generally improves the simulation of track density and the radial wind structure of TCs. However, the annual cycle of simulated TCs show that both models tend to overestimate the TC frequency in May and November–January while underestimating the frequency in June–September. Compared with the 25 km model, the 12 km model produces fewer intense TCs with 10 m maximum wind speeds >30 m s−1. It is also found that both the 12 and 25 km models reproduce the observed modulation of TC activity associated with different phases of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) such as the reduced track density and accumulated cyclonic energy during El Niño events, while the 12 km model better captures the TC–ENSO response including the track density and the large‐scale environments than the 25 km model.
Idealized simulations of sea breezes over mountainous islands
Authors: Wang Chun‐Chih , Kirshbaum Daniel J.
Published: March 2017

High‐resolution simulations of diurnally heated airflows over mountainous islands are conducted to study the impacts of island terrain on sea‐breeze circulations. As the simulated island terrain height increases, the sea‐breeze front (SBF) propagates inland faster but its frontal circulation weakens dramatically, as does the sea‐breeze flow behind it. This sensitivity is interpreted through the frontogenesis budget in a SBF‐relative reference frame. The dominant frontogenetic term (the cross‐frontal convergence) weakens over taller islands, but this trend is offset by a similar weakening of the dominant frontolytic term (the front‐relative advection) to yield minimal sensitivity of the SBF baroclinicity to island terrain height. At first glimpse, this finding appears inconsistent with the systematic reduction in SBF circulation strength over taller islands. However, as the island height is increased, baroclinicity at the SBF becomes increasingly associated not with the front itself but with the ‘background’ baroclinicity associated with elevated heating over steeper island slopes. When this latter contribution is removed, a clear weakening of the SBF baroclinicity is recovered over the taller islands. Analysis of the cross‐frontal convergence budget indicates that this reduction in cross‐frontal convergence, and hence the SBF baroclinicity, is caused by an increased slope‐parallel buoyancy gradient. As the SBF migrates inland, this gradient preferentially accelerates the air ahead of the SBF up the slope, which weakens the convergence along the front. Finally, as shown by a simple scaling of the slope‐parallel momentum equation, the weakened sea‐breeze flow over taller islands is associated with a weaker onshore perturbation pressure gradient force, owing to the protrusion of the convective boundary layer into the stable free troposphere.
Functional role of the Tau protein in epithelial ovarian cancer cells
Authors: Yamauchi Aisa , Kobayashi Asami , Oikiri Hiroe , Yokoyama Yoshihito
Published: March 2017

Aim

The microtubule‐associated Tau protein is a marker of paclitaxel sensitivity in ovarian cancer. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the function of the Tau protein in epithelial ovarian cancer.

Methods

The correlation between Tau protein expression and the response to paclitaxel by using several ovarian cancer cell lines was investigated.

Results

A Western blot showed that the expression level of the Tau protein was the highest in the TOV112D cells. A cell‐counting kit showed that the proliferation rates were more inhibited in the cells with down‐regulated Tau protein than in the control cells, both with and without paclitaxel treatment. The proliferation rates of the control cells and the TOV112D cells also were compared with Tau protein overexpression. The level of cell proliferation was more inhibited in the cells that overexpressed the Tau protein, compared to the control cells, both with and without paclitaxel treatment. It was shown that both the down‐regulation and the overexpression of the Tau protein were related to the inhibition of TOV112D cell proliferation. Early and late apoptosis of the TOV112D cells that were transfected with Tau cDNA plasmid construct or Tau small interfering RNA significantly increased.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that the molecular targeting of the Tau protein could be a potential treatment for ovarian cancer.
Protein biomarkers for male artificial insemination subfertility in bovine spermatozoa
Authors: Harayama Hiroshi , Minami Kenta , Kishida Kazumi , Noda Taichi
Published: March 2017

Background

Although artificial insemination (AI) technique is an established biotechnology for bovine reproduction, the results of AI (conception rates) have a tendency to decline gradually. To our annoyance, moreover, AI‐subfertile bulls have been occasionally found in the AI centers. To resolve these serious problems, it is necessary to control the sperm quality more strictly by the examinations of sperm molecules.

Methods

We reviewed a number of recent articles regarding potentials of bovine sperm proteins as the biomarkers for bull AI‐subfertility and also showed our unpublished supplemental data on the bull AI‐subfertility associated proteins.

Main findings

Bull AI‐subfertility is caused by the deficiency or dysfunctions of various molecules including regulatory proteins of ATP synthesis, acrosomal proteins, nuclear proteins, capacitation‐related proteins and seminal plasma proteins.

Conclusion

In order to control the bovine sperm quality more strictly by the molecular examinations, it is necessary to select suitable sperm protein biomarkers for the male reproductive problems which happen in the AI centers.
Purified Cas9 Fusion Proteins for Advanced Genome Manipulation
Authors: Mircetic Jovan , Steinebrunner Iris , Ding Li , Fei Ji‐Feng , Bogdanova Aliona , Drechsel David , Buchholz Frank
Published: March 2017

The CRISPR/Cas9 system (CRISPR = clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) has rapidly become one of the most versatile genome manipulation technologies, and different methods to introduce the Cas9 nuclease activity into cells have been developed. The direct delivery of purified Cas9 protein complexed with a guide RNA as a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) has emerged as an advantageous approach, as it provides instant, but limited activity of the enzyme, thereby reducing off‐target cleavage. The usefulness of the CRISPR/Cas9 system has recently been extended by the generation of Cas9 or dead (d)Cas9 fusion genes. However, these systems have so far been mainly explored when delivered by expression plasmids. Here, a variety of purified Cas9 fusion proteins are generated, and their utility is tested in a number of assays. This work illustrates that Cas9 fused to green‐ or red‐fluorescent proteins can be usefully employed to increase the frequency of targeted cells when transfected as RNPs. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that purified dCas9 fused to a dual transactivation domain can potently activate gene expression when transfected as an RNP into embryonic stem cells. The results show that purified Cas9 fusion proteins are versatile and efficient reagents that facilitate advanced genome manipulation.
A model for the simultaneous prediction of the flexural and shear deflections of statically determinate and indeterminate reinforced concrete structures
Authors: Ramezansefat Honeyeh , Barros Joaquim , Rezazadeh Mohammadali
Published: March 2017

The deformability of the major part of reinforced concrete (RC) structures is the result of the flexural and shear deformations mainly caused by bending and shear diagonal cracking, respectively. However, the evaluation of the shear deformation contribution is relatively difficult due to the complexities involving the shear behavior of cracked RC elements. These complexities are even more complicated when structures are statically indeterminate, since the external and internal forces cannot be determined from direct application of the equilibrium equations. To address these issues, this study aims to develop a novel simplified analytical model based on the flexibility (force) method to predict the deflections of statically indeterminate RC structures up to their failure, which can be in bending or in shear. This analytical model considers the influence of flexural cracks on the shear stiffness degradation of an RC structure after concrete cracking initiation, and has a format adjusted for design practice. The good predictive performance of the analytical model is demonstrated by simulating experimental tests with RC elements where shear deformation has different level of contribution for the total deflection registered in these tests.
Hidden high rate of pre‐eclampsia in twin compared with singleton pregnancy
Authors: Francisco C. , Wright D. , Benkő Z. , Syngelaki A. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: March 2017

Objectives

To examine the gestational age at delivery in dichorionic (DC) and monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies, with and without pre‐eclampsia (PE), and to determine the relative risk of total and preterm PE compared with that in singleton pregnancies.

Methods

This was a screening study for PE in twin pregnancies undergoing first‐trimester combined screening for aneuploidy and subsequently delivering two phenotypically normal live or stillborn babies at ≥ 24 weeks' gestation. The distribution of gestational age at delivery in DC and MC twins was determined and compared with that in singleton pregnancies from the same population. The relative risk for total and preterm PE in twins compared with singleton pregnancies was determined. Kaplan–Meier estimates of the cumulative incidence of PE in twin and singleton pregnancies, assuming no other cause for delivery, were determined and hazard ratios for twins relative to singletons were obtained from a Cox proportional hazards regression model.

Results

The incidence of PE in singletons was 2.3% (2162/93 297), in DC twin pregnancies was 8.1% (145/1789) and in MC twin pregnancies was 6.0% (26/430). Compared with singletons, the relative risk of total PE was 3.5 for DC twins and 2.6 for MC twins. Delivery < 37 weeks' gestation occurred in 5.5% of singletons, 46.5% of DC twins and 91.4% of MC twins. The incidence of preterm PE was 0.6%, 5.5% and 5.8% for singletons, DC twins and MC twins, respectively. Compared with singletons, the relative risk of preterm PE was 8.7 for DC twins and 9.1 for MC twins. In the Cox proportional hazards regression model, the hazard ratios for DC and MC twin pregnancies relative to singleton pregnancies were 14 and 23, respectively.

Conclusions

The relative risk of preterm PE in DC and MC twins is similar and substantially higher than in singleton pregnancies. In ongoing twin pregnancies, the high relative risk of PE may merit a higher intensity of monitoring than is routine for singleton pregnancies. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Camera angle and photographic identification of individual striped skunks
Authors: Theimer Tad C. , Ray Dylan T. , Bergman David L.
Published: March 2017

We tested whether striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, could be recognized based on variation in pelage patterns and whether camera position influenced that outcome. We presented 11 volunteers with 2 sets of 24 photographs taken between 1 January and 15 February 2015, one with animals photographed from the side, the other from above. Each set of 24 photographs included 9 pairs, with each pair representing 2 different images of the same animal. Volunteers scored twice as many correct matches and 4‐fold fewer false matches when photographs were taken from above. Regardless of camera position, the total number of unique skunks in each set was underestimated (83% of total from above, 75% from side), likely because some skunks had very similar pelage patterns. Our results indicate that variation in nose stripe, back stripe, dorsal and ventral tail pattern, and shape of tail can be used to recognize individual striped skunks but similarity in those characteristics among some individuals may cause total number of unique individuals to be underestimated regardless of camera orientation. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.
An application of temporal projection to interleaving concurrency
Authors: Moszkowski Ben , Guelev Dimitar P.
Published: March 2017

We revisit the earliest temporal projection operator

Π

in discrete-time Propositional Interval Temporal Logic (PITL) and use it to formalise interleaving concurrency. The logical properties of

Π

as a normal modality and a way to eliminate it in both PITL and conventional point-based Linear-Time Temporal Logic (LTL), which can be viewed as a PITL subset, are examined, as are stutter-invariant formulas. Striking similarities between the expressiveness of

Π

and the standard LTL operator

U

(‘until’) are briefly illustrated. We also formalise concurrent imperative programming constructs with and without

Π

, and relate the two approaches. Peterson’s mutual exclusion algorithm is used to illustrate reasoning with

Π

about a concrete programming example. Projection with fairness and non-fairness assumptions are both discussed. This all illustrates an approach to the analysis of such concurrent interleaving finite-state systems using temporal logic formulas with projection constructs to reason about correctness properties. Unlike conventional LTL formulas about concurrency which normally largely focus on global time, properties expressed in LTL combined with

Π

help to reveal and analyse important differing viewpoints involving global time and the local projected time seen by each individual process. Links between

Π

and another standard PITL projection operator, both suitable for reasoning about different time granularities, are demonstrated by showing the two operators to be interdefinable. We briefly look at other (mostly interval-based) temporal logics with similar forms of projection, as well as some related applications and industrial standards.
Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) in Individuals with Diabetes: A Systematic Review
Authors: Albalawi Zaina , Laffin Michael , Gramlich Leah , Senior Peter , McAlister Finlay A.
Published: March 2017

Background

Prevalence of diabetes in surgical patients is 10–40%. It is well recognized that they have higher rates of complications, and longer stays in hospital compared to patients without diabetes. Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) is an evidence‐based multimodal surgical care pathway that improves postoperative complications and length of stay in patients without diabetes. This review evaluates the evidence on whether individuals with diabetes would benefit from ERAS implementation.

Methods

MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and EMBASE searched with no language restrictions applied. Conference proceedings and bibliographies were reviewed. Experts in the field were contacted, and www.clinicaltrials.gov searched for ongoing trials.

Selection criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) looking at individuals with diabetes undergoing surgery randomized to ERAS® or conventional care. Non‐randomized controlled trials, controlled before–after studies, interrupted time series, and cohort studies with concurrent controls were also considered. Two authors independently screened studies.

Results

The electronic search yielded 437 references. After removing duplicates, 376 were screened for eligibility. Conference proceedings and bibliographies identified additional references. Searching www.clinicaltrials.gov yielded 59 references. Contacting experts in the field identified no further studies. Fourteen full articles were assessed and subsequently excluded for the following reasons: used an intervention other than ERAS®, did not include patients with diabetes, or used an uncontrolled observational design.

Conclusions

To date, the effects of ERAS® on patients with diabetes have not been rigorously evaluated. This review highlights the lack of evidence in this area and provides guidance on design for future studies.
Incorporation of Lamotrigine Drug in the PEO–PPO–PEO Triblock Copolymer (Pluronic F127) Micelles: Effect of Hydrophilic Polymers
Authors: Shaikh Sofiya , Ray Debes , Aswal V. K. , Sharma Rakesh K.
Published: March 2017

The hydrophobic drug Lamotrigine (LTG) shows low bioavailability after oral administration. Work has been performed to improve the aqueous solubility of LTG using the micelles of amphiphilic block copolymers. Polyethylene oxide‐ polypropylene oxide‐ polyethylene oxide triblock copolymers (PEO–PPO–PEO), known as Pluronic®, have been the subject of current interest due to the versatile structural possibilities of varying PEO/PPO ratios. Incorporation of LTG in the aqueous micellar solutions of Pluronic® F127 was investigated using UV–visible spectroscopy. The shapes and size of the micelles with and without LTG have been ascertained using dynamic light scattering and small angle neutron scattering experiments. Results show increase in the Pluronic® micellar size with hard sphere radius with the incorporation of LTG. The effect of hydrophilic polymers (PEG1500 and F68) on the LTG‐incorporated Pluronic® F127 micelles was also studied and found inefficient for enhancement of the solubility of LTG. Solid forms of LTG‐incorporated Pluronic® F127 micelles with and without hydrophilic polymers, coded as LPMs, were successfully prepared through the thin‐film hydration method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis have been used to ensure the compatibility of the LTG with Pluronic® F127 micelles in prepared LPMs. All the LPMs showed good incorporation efficiency, loading capacity and the sustained release profile of LTG. Results showed no specific improvement with the addition of hydrophilic polymers in the studied concentration range.
W(h)ither the Mainline? Trends and Prospects
Authors: Marcum John P.
Published: March 2017

Total membership in mainline Protestant denominations has been declining for half a century. Sharp decreases in the late 1960s and early 1970s were followed by more modest losses for the next 25 years, with sharper declines returning at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Analysis of denominational data on the components of change reveals two major factors linked to the most recent drop: departures of schismatic congregations in five denominations that have liberalized gay- and lesbian-related policies, and fewer individuals joining mainline denominations. Furthermore, child baptism rates are dropping and, in at least one denomination, the ratio of child professions of faith to child baptisms a decade earlier has fallen faster than membership over the past 13 years. These findings are largely consistent with previous research using national survey data that shows low fertility in the mainline, a drop in transfers into the mainline from more conservative churches, and general increases in the percent of the U.S. population with no religious affiliation. Together, the evidence strongly suggests continued mainline membership losses for the indeterminate future.
Altered visual repetition suppression in Fragile X Syndrome: New evidence from ERPs and oscillatory activity
Authors: Rigoulot Simon , Knoth Inga S. , Lafontaine Marc‐Philippe , Vannasing Phetsamone , Major Philippe , Jacquemont Sébastien , Michaud Jacques L. , Jerbi Karim , Lippé Sarah
Published: March 2017

Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder associated with cognitive and behavioural deficits. In particular, neuronal habituation processes have been shown to be altered in FXS patients. Yet, while such deficits have been primarily explored using auditory stimuli, less is known in the visual modality. Here, we investigated the putative alteration of repetition suppression using faces in FXS patients compared to controls that had the same age distribution. Electroencephalographic (EEG) signals were acquired while participants were presented with 18 different faces, each repeated ten times successively. The repetition suppression effect was probed by comparing the brain responses to the first and second presentation, based on task‐evoked event‐related potentials (ERP) as well as on task‐induced oscillatory activity. We found different patterns of habituation for controls and patients both in ERP and oscillatory power. While the N170 was not affected by face repetition in controls, it was altered in FXS patients. Conversely, while a repetition suppression effect was observed in the theta band (4–8 Hz) over frontal and parieto‐occipital areas in controls, it was not seen in FXS patients. These results provide the first evidence for diminished ERP and oscillatory habituation effects in response to face repetitions in FXS. These findings extend previous observations of impairments in learning mechanisms and may be linked to deficits in the maturation processes of synapses caused by the mutation. The present study contributes to bridging the gap between animal models of synaptic plasticity dysfunctions and human research in FXS.
CSR public policies in India's democracy: ambiguities in the political regulation of corporate conduct
Authors: Krichewsky Damien
Published: March 2017

The rise of public policies in the field of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) suggests a reassertion of state power over a phenomenon initially designed to weaken public authorities. But depending on policy objectives and underlying state-business relationships, CSR public policies seem to oscillate between the steering of corporate conduct towards political goals and the provision of political support to business interests. The present paper offers new perspectives on this ambiguity. Using social systems theory to guide a comparative study of two major Indian CSR policies, the analysis distinguishes two levels. At a functional level, the introduction of CSR in Indian regulatory politics produced more or less constraining expectations that open up opportunities for companies to participate in the performance of political functions. At an operational level, however, even a “mandatory” policy designed primarily according to political calculations let companies decidehowthey perform these functions. This persistence of voluntarism, which is supported by the semantic properties of “CSR,” consolidates the role of profit-driven calculations in the regulation of corporate conduct and, in the Indian case, in the redistribution of resources for social welfare. Research perspectives on the implications of CSR public policies for democracy are outlined in concluding remarks.
Talk Ain’t Cheap: Political CSR and the Challenges of Corporate Deliberation
Authors: Sabadoz Cameron , Singer Abraham
Published: March 2017

Deliberative democratic theory, commonly used to explore questions of “political” corporate social responsibility (PCSR), has become prominent in the literature. This theory has been challenged previously for being overly sanguine about firm profit imperatives, but left unexamined is whether corporate contexts are appropriate contexts for deliberative theory in the first place. We explore this question using the case of Starbucks’ “Race Together” campaign to show that significant challenges exist to corporate deliberation, even in cases featuring genuinely committed firms. We return to the underlying social theory to show that this is not an isolated case: for-profit firms are predictably hostile contexts for deliberation, and significant normative and strategic problems can be expected should deliberative theory be imported uncritically to corporate contexts. We close with recent advances in deliberative democratic theory that might help update the PCSR project, and accommodate the application of deliberation to the corporate context, albeit with significant alterations.
Animal roles and traces in the history of medicine,c.1880–1980
Authors: CASSIDY ANGELA , DENTINGER RACHEL MASON , SCHOEFERT KATHRYN , WOODS ABIGAIL
Published: March 2017

This paper argues for the need to create a more animal-centred history of medicine, in which animals are considered not simply as the backdrop for human history, but as medical subjects important in and of themselves. Drawing on the tools and approaches of animal and human–animal studies, it seeks to demonstrate, via four short historical vignettes, how investigations into the ways that animals shaped and were shaped by medicine enables us to reach new historical understandings of both animals and medicine, and of the relationships between them. This is achieved by turning away from the much-studied fields of experimental medicine and public health, to address four historically neglected contexts in which diseased animals played important roles: zoology/pathology, parasitology/epidemiology, ethology/psychiatry, and wildlife/veterinary medicine. Focusing, in turn, on species that rarely feature in the history of medicine – big cats, tapeworms, marsupials and mustelids – which were studied, respectively, within the zoo, the psychiatric hospital, human–animal communities and the countryside, we reconstruct the histories of these animals using the traces that they left on the medical-historical record.
Timothy Bottoms. 'Djabugay Country: An Aboriginal History of Tropical North Queensland'. St Leonard’s, NSW: ADen and Unwin, 1999. 138 + xxii pp. – ERRATUM
Authors: Evans Raymond
Published: March 2017

Timothy Bottoms. Djabugay Country: An Aboriginal History of Tropical North Queensland. St Leonard’s, NSW: ADen and Unwin, 1999. 138 + xxii pp. – ERRATUM
The value of non-pollen palynomorphs in interpreting paleoecological change in the Great Basin (Nevada, USA)
Authors: Tunno Irene , Mensing Scott A.
Published: March 2017

Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) are identifiable microfossils that survive chemical digestion during pollen extraction and appear in pollen slides. They represent important proxies and indicators of environmental change that can be integrated with pollen studies of landscape history. NPPs have been widely studied in Europe since the 1970s and regularly included in paleoecological studies, whereas in the United States only the most common NPPs have been routinely tallied. The aim of this study is to contribute to the validation of the use of NPPs in the reconstruction of landscape history. We analyzed NPPs in modern and fossil sediment samples from Stonehouse Meadow, located in Spring Valley in the eastern part of central Nevada. We present a total of 64 modern and fossil NPPs, with images and morphological descriptions given for all previously unknown NPPs and a selection of the most important known NPPs. The comparison of pollen and NPPs in the fossil sediments improves our interpretation of the ecological changes of the last 8000 yr.