bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teriparatide Treatment Improves Bone Defect Healing Via Anabolic Effects on New Bone Formation and Non-Anabolic Effects on Inhibition of Mast Cells in a Murine Cranial Window Model
Authors: Zhang Longze , Wang Tao , Chang Martin , Kaiser Claire , Kim Jason D , Wu Tianyu , Cao Xiaoyi , Zhang Xinping , Schwarz Edward M
Published: May 2017

Investigations of teriparatide (recombinant parathyroid hormone [rPTH]) as a potential treatment for critical defects have demonstrated the predicted anabolic effects on bone formation, and significant non-anabolic effects on healing via undefined mechanisms. Specifically, studies in murine models of structural allograft healing demonstrated that rPTH treatment increased angiogenesis (vessels <30 μm), and decreased arteriogenesis (>30 μm) and mast cell numbers, which lead to decreased fibrosis and accelerated healing. To better understand these non-anabolic effects, we interrogated osteogenesis, vasculogenesis, and mast cell accumulation in mice randomized to placebo (saline), rPTH (20 μg/kg/2 days), or the mast cell inhibitor sodium cromolyn (SC) (24 μg/kg/ 2days), via longitudinal micro–computed tomography (μCT) and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM), in a critical calvaria defect model. μCT demonstrated that SC significantly increased defect window closure and new bone volume versus placebo (p < 0.05), although these effects were not as great as rPTH. Interestingly, both rPTH and SC have similar inhibitory effects on arteriogenesis versus placebo (p < 0.05) without affecting total vascular volume. MPLSM time-course studies in untreated mice revealed that large numbers of mast cells were detected 1 day postoperation (43 ± 17), peaked at 6 days (76 ± 6), and were still present in the critical defect at the end of the experiment on day 30 (20 ± 12). In contrast, angiogenesis was not observed until day 4, and functional vessels were first observed on 6 days, demonstrating that mast cell accumulation precedes vasculogenesis. To confirm a direct role of mast cells on osteogenesis and vasculogenesis, we demonstrated that specific diphtheria toxin-α deletion in Mcpt5-Cre-iDTR mice results in similar affects as SC treatment in WT mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that mast cells inhibit bone defect healing by stimulating arteriogenesis associated with fibrotic scaring, and that an efficacious non-anabolic effect of rPTH therapy on bone repair is suppression of arteriogenesis and fibrosis secondary to mast cell inhibition. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Queer signs: The women of the British projective test movement
Authors: Hubbard Katherine
Published: May 2017

As queer history is often hidden, historians must look for “signs” that hint at queer lives and experiences. When psychologists use projective tests, the search for queer signs has historically been more literal, and this was especially true in the homophobic practices of Psychology in the mid‐twentieth century. In this paper, I respond to Elizabeth Scarborough's call for more analytic history about the lesser known women in Psychology's history. By focusing on British projective research conducted by lesbian psychologist June Hopkins, I shift perspective and consider, not those who were tested (which has been historically more common), but those who did the testing, and position them as potential queer subjects. After briefly outlining why the projective test movement is ripe for such analysis and the kinds of queer signs that were identified using the Rorschach ink blot test in the mid‐twentieth century, I then present June Hopkins’ (1969, 1970) research on the “lesbian personality.” This work forms a framework upon which I then consider the lives of Margaret Lowenfeld, Ann Kaldegg, and Effie Lillian Hutton, all of whom were involved in the British projective test movement a generation prior to Hopkins. By adopting Hopkins’ research to frame their lives, I present the possibility of this ambiguous history being distinctly queer.
Flexible branch‐line coupler using rubber conductive Zoflex for conformal application
Authors: Samingan M. L. , Rahim S. K. A. , Sabran M. I. , Ramli M. R. , Babale S. A.
Published: May 2017

This letter presents the design of a flexible branch‐line coupler (BLC) using a rubber conductor (Zoflex) as the conductive element and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a substrate. The BLC is meant to operate at 6 GHz operating frequency. The use of PDMS material as a substrate for the BLC design adds a special characteristic of the PDMS on this passive microwave device. The PDMS has some unique properties such as transparency, durability, and lightweight. Moreover, its high electrical resistivity of 2.9 × 1014 Ω m and moderate dielectric constant of 2.7 make the PDMS a good substrate material for flexible devices. This desirable property gives the proposed device full range of flexibility and a great advantage in terms of durability without degrading the performance of the BLC. From the results obtained for bending and non‐bending conditions, it can be seen that within the frequency range of operation, both the return loss and the isolation are kept below the theoretical value of −10 dB. The slight difference observed in the simulated and measured FBWs is due the fabrication tolerances.
Global positioning system and distress signal frequency wrist wearable dual‐band antenna
Authors: Alkhamis R. , Wigle J. , Song H.
Published: May 2017

A wrist wearable antenna resonating on 406 MHz and 1.575 GHz frequencies is presented. Two π‐shaped designs with different substrates and different thicknesses are used. The antennas are to be integrated on a wearable personal locator beacon. The radiation pattern, return loss, VSWR, and SAR are simulated and measured.
Skin in the game: Does paying for obesity treatment out of pocket lead to better outcomes compared to insurance coverage?
Authors: Ard Jamy D. , Emery Matt , Cook Miranda , Hale Erica , Frain Annette , Lewis Kristina H. , Song Eunyoung
Published: May 2017

Objective

To determine whether insurance coverage for medical weight loss treatment was associated with different program engagement and weight loss outcomes compared to those who paid out of pocket.

Methods

One‐year outcomes from an academic medical weight management program were used to compare two groups: employees (n = 480) with insurance coverage (“covered”) versus nonemployees (n = 463) who paid out of pocket (“self‐pay”). Demographics and weight were abstracted from medical records. Socioeconomic status was estimated using neighborhood demographics. Group differences in weight were analyzed using generalized linear modeling adjusted for age, baseline BMI, sex, program type, and neighborhood socioeconomic status.

Results

Covered patients were younger (46.5 ± 10.6 vs. 51.6 ± 12.5) with a lower BMI (38.5 ± 7.5 vs. 41.3 ± 9.9) compared to self‐pay (P < 0.001). Self‐pay patients resided in higher annual per capita income neighborhoods (+$4,545, P < 0.001). Program dropout was lower for covered patients (12.7% vs. 17.6%, P = 0.03). There was no significant difference in 12‐month weight loss between groups in adjusted models; covered patients lost 13.4%, compared to 13.6% for self‐pay.

Conclusions

Data from an academic medical weight management program suggest that individuals with access to insurance coverage for nonsurgical obesity treatment have lower levels of attrition and similar levels of participation and outcomes as those who pay out of pocket.
Leaders or Brokers? Potential Influencers in Online Parliamentary Networks
Authors: Esteve Del Valle Marc , Borge Bravo Rosa
Published: May 2017

The use of social media by parliamentarians is opening up a new communication arena. In Catalonia, where 85 percent of parliamentarians have a Twitter account, two questions emerge from this new social phenomenon. First, who are the opinion leaders of the parliamentarians’ online political networks, and second, do the characteristics of the Members of Parliament’ (MPs’) Twitter networks and the attributes of the parliamentarians influence the likelihood of forming communication ties? This article seeks to ascertain whether social media are challenging party politics and leadership in communication flows in Parliament. We used a social network analysis of relationships among the Catalan parliamentarians with Twitter accounts (115 of the 135 members) to reveal the potential influencers of the following–follower network. Exponential Random Graph models were employed to determine the endogenous (network) and exogenous (node attributes) factors facilitating MPs’ communication ties. We found evidence that Catalan MPs’ communication ties arise from network dynamics (reciprocity and popularity) and from MPs’ political position. We also discovered that new potential influencers, who are not official party leaders and do not play important roles in Parliament, are emerging as brokers within the Catalan parliamentary Twitter network.
Folding correction of ABC‐transporter ABCB1 by pharmacological chaperones: a mechanistic concept
Authors: Spork Matthias , Sohail Muhammad Imran , Schmid Diethart , Ecker Gerhard F. , Freissmuth Michael , Chiba Peter , Stockner Thomas
Published: May 2017

Point mutations of ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) proteins are a common cause of human diseases. Available crystal structures indicate a similarity in the architecture of several members of this protein family. Their molecular architecture makes these proteins vulnerable to mutation, when critical structural elements are affected. The latter preferentially involve the two transmembrane domain (TMD)/nucleotide‐binding domain (NBD) interfaces (transmission interfaces), formation of which requires engagement of coupling helices of intracellular loops with NBDs. Both, formation of the active sites and engagement of the coupling helices, are contingent on correct positioning of ICLs 2 and 4 and thus an important prerequisite for proper folding. Here, we show that active site compounds are capable of rescuing P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) mutants ∆Y490 and ∆Y1133 in a concentration‐dependent manner. These trafficking deficient mutations are located at the transmission interface in pseudosymmetric position to each other. In addition, the ability of propafenone analogs to correct folding correlates with their ability to inhibit transport of model substrates. This finding indicates that folding correction and transport inhibition by propafenone analogs are brought about by binding to the active sites. Furthermore, this study demonstrates an asymmetry in folding correction with cis‐flupentixol, which reflects the asymmetric binding properties of this modulator to P‐gp. Our results suggest a mechanistic model for corrector action in a model ABC transporter based on insights into the molecular architecture of these transporters.
Severe acute asthma caused by Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection
Authors: Endo Yoshinari , Shirai Toshihiro , Saigusa Mika , Mochizuki Eisuke
Published: May 2017

Asthma exacerbation is associated with respiratory infections, including those by viruses and atypical bacteria. We herein report a case of severe acute asthma in an adult caused by Chlamydophila pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae) infection. A 39‐year‐old woman without a history of asthma reported to the emergency department with progressive worsening of cough, shortness of breath, and wheezing with low oxygen saturation. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed patchy ground‐glass opacity and bronchial wall thickening. She was treated with systemic corticosteroids, inhaled short‐acting β2 agonists, aminophylline, doripenem, and levofloxacin. Through successful treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), her condition and the chest X‐ray and CT findings improved. Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection was confirmed by elevated paired serum C. pneumoniae‐specific IgA antibodies. Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection is an important cause of severe acute asthma. On CT, findings typical of C. pneumoniae pneumonia were noted.
Vollständige äquivalente Imperfektionsmethode für biege‐ und druckbeanspruchte Stahlträger
Authors: Hajdú Gábor , Papp Ferenc , Rubert Achim
Published: May 2017

Es werden die Grundlagen und Vorgehensweise der vollständigen (oder globalen) äquivalenten Imperfektionsmethode zum Traglastnachweis biege‐ und normalkraftbeanspruchter Stahlträger als Alternative zum klassischen Biegedrillknicknachweis dargestellt. Die Tragfähigkeit des Trägers ergibt sich als Nachweis seines kritischen Querschnitts. Die Beanspruchungen sind durch Gleichgewicht am mäßig verformten System nach der Theorie II. Ordnung und unter Berücksichtigung der auf der relevanten räumlichen elastischen Eigenform basierenden, globalen, geometrischen Ersatzimperfektion zu berechnen. Deren maximale Amplituden werden an den folgende Basisfällen abgeleitet: beidseitig starr gabelgelagerter Einfeldträger mit konstantem Querschnitt, konstanter Normalkraft oder konstantem Biegemoment. Die Methode verlangt die Nutzung einer geeigneten Software, denn sie basiert auf FE‐Balkenelementen mit gekoppelter Biege‐ und Wölbkrafttorsion. Deren praktische Anwendung und ihre Genauigkeit werden Schritt für Schritt an numerischen Beispielen erläutert.
Plastische Querschnittstragfähigkeit von quadratischen und rechteckigen Hohlprofilen
Authors: Kindmann Rolf , Jonczyk Dominik , Knobloch Markus
Published: May 2017

Traditionell wird die plastische Querschnittstragfähigkeit von eckigen Hohlprofilen mit Näherungsformeln und vereinfachten Modellen bestimmt. Die Güte dieser Näherungen hängt von den Abmessungen h, b und t sowie darüber hinaus der Größe der Rundungen r in den Ecken ab. Mit diesen Näherungen wird die plastische Querschnittstragfähigkeit bei einigen Anwendungsfällen deutlich unter‐ oder überschätzt.

In dem vorliegenden Beitrag werden Tragfähigkeitsmodelle für eckige Hohlprofile entwickelt, bei denen die Abmessungen baupraktisch genau erfasst werden, was zu einer hohen Genauigkeit führt. Mit den neuen Tragfähigkeitsmodellen und Näherungen für vereinfachte Nachweise (Handrechnungen) können beliebige Kombinationen der Schnittgrößen N, Vy, Vz, Mx, My und Mz untersucht werden. Darüber hinaus wird die in der DIN EN 1993‐1‐1 angegebene Tragfähigkeitsbedingung hinsichtlich ihrer Genauigkeit und der Erweiterung des Anwendungsbereiches modifiziert.
Construction and water absorption capacity of a 3D network‐structure starch‐g‐poly(sodium acrylate)/PVP Semi‐Interpenetrating‐Network superabsorbent resin
Authors: Huo Quan , Liu Dong , Zhao Jingjing , Li Jianshu , Chen Rongna , Liu Suyan
Published: May 2017

A new semi‐interpenetrating network superabsorbent resin (semi‐IPN SAR), starch‐g‐poly (sodium acrylate)/PVP, with a three‐dimensional (3D) network structure constructed from a starch‐g‐poly(sodium acrylate) (starch‐g‐PNaA) network and linear poly(vinylpyrrololidone) (PVP) was synthesized by a free‐radical solution polymerization method in the presence of initiator ammonium persulfate (APS) and crosslinker N,N′‐methylene‐bis‐acrylamide (MBA). The synthesis conditions were systematically investigated. The optimum synthesis mass ratio of PVP, starch, APS, and MBA to AA was 20, 30, 1.25, and 0.15%, respectively, the neutralization degree of acrylic acid was 80%, and the reaction temperature was 60°C. Furthermore, the semi‐IPN SAR was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and three‐dimensional X‐ray diffraction microscopy (3D‐XRDM). FTIR and TGA results agreed that PNaA had been grafted onto the starch macromolecular chains and the starch‐g‐PNaA network was penetrated by linear PVP polymers by a hydrogen binding action. Moreover, the surface morphology of the resin exhibited apparent wrinkling due to the introduction of PVP. The 3D‐XRDM result further proved that the resin was provided with a three‐dimensional network structure. The introduction of PVP and the formation of the semi‐IPN structure greatly enhanced the water absorbency of the resin. The water and saline absorbency of the optimized material was improved to 2017.8 g/g distilled water and 89.7 g/g NaCl aqueous solution (0.9 wt%), respectively. Furthermore, kinetic analysis agreed that the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic model was fitted to describe a whole adsorption process, which indicated the adsorption process was not controlled by diffusion steps.
Synthesis and Molecular Structures of [Rh(η5‐C5H5)(coe)2] (coe =cis‐cyclooctene) and [Rh(η5‐C5H5)(cod)] (cod =cis,cis‐η4‐1,5‐cyclooctadiene)
Authors: Graf Marion , Böttcher Hans‐Christian , Mayer Peter , Scheer Manfred
Published: May 2017

The synthesis and structural characterization of the new olefinic complex [Rh(η5‐C5H5)(coe)2] (2) (coe =cis‐cyclooctene) is reported. The title compound could easily be prepared in good yield by reaction of [{Rh(μ‐Cl)(coe)2}2] (1) with an appropriate amount of thallium cyclopentadienide in THF at room temperature. Single crystals of2were grown fromn‐hexane and were analyzed by X‐ray crystallography. In a similar manner the compound [Rh(η5‐C5H5)(cod)] (4) (cod =cis,cis‐1.5‐cyclooctadiene) was obtained from [{Rh(μ‐Cl)(cod)}2] and thallium cyclopentadienide in THF at room temperature and was characterized by spectroscopic means as well as by X‐ray diffraction.
Caveolin‐1 is Markedly Downregulated in Patients with Early‐Stage Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Torrejón Blanca , Cristóbal Ion , Rojo Federico , García‐Foncillas Jesús
Published: May 2017

Background

Caveolin‐1 (CAV‐1), the main scaffold protein in caveolae, is frequently deregulated in human cancer. Of importance, this protein has been described to show tumor suppressor or oncogenic properties depending on the cell type and the stage of the disease. In fact, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be fully clarified due to discrepancies in the literature.

Methods

We analyzed CAV‐1 by western blot in a set of early‐stage CRC patients with paired tumor tissue and normal colonic mucosa available. CAV‐1 mRNA and expression levels of miR‐124, 133 and 802 were quantified by real‐time PCR.

Results

We found CAV‐1 strongly downregulated in 76.2% of tumor samples and associated with the subgroup of elderly patients (p = 0.027). We observed by real‐time PCR a lack of correlation between CAV‐1 mRNA and protein levels in some cases with CAV‐1 downregulated by western blot, and miR‐124 deregulation was identified as a potential contributing alteration to decrease CAV‐1 protein expression.

Conclusion

CAV‐1 is commonly downregulated in patients with primary CRC, which suggests its tumor suppressor role in early stages of this disease. Moreover, based on our findings, the previous discrepancies observed in different studies to date could be due to a complex posttranscriptional CAV‐1 regulation.
A comparative assessment of morphological and molecular diversity among Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. accessions in India
Authors: Jain Jyothi Ramesh , Timsina Bibechana , Satyan Kumudini Belur , Manohar Shiragambi Hanumantagouda
Published: May 2017

Genetic variation of 36Sechium eduleaccessions collected across 12 states in India was assessed using morphological traits and DAMD markers. Eighteen fruit morphological traits (both qualitative and quantitative) were evaluated to confirm the variations in the present collection. Quantitative traits showed major variations with respect to fruit weight (7.85–498.33 g/fruit), fruit length (5.8–15 cm/fruit), fruit diameter (6–28 cm/fruit) and length of the spine (0–5 cm). Qualitative traits were also diverse in fruit colour, shape, spine density, reticulation, flexibility of spine and furrow depth. The first six principle components showed 82.88% variation in the principal component analysis. The principal component analysis revealed that fruit weight, fruit width, fruit diameter, fruit shape, length of spine, spine density and furrow depth had a significant contribution to the total variation. The DNA analysis performed using DAMD primers were used for deducing the diversity at DNA level. The collection produced 102 bands out of which 97 were polymorphic and the percentage polymorphism ranged between 66.66 and 100 per primer. Discrete pattern of clustering was obtained using UPGMA method of complete linkage percent disagreement revealing high diversity among the collected accessions. Thus, the present study indicates that molecular and morphological marker map would improve our knowledge ofS. eduleand would facilitate efforts to breed improvedS. edulecultivars.
Characterization of Thiomonas delicata arsenite oxidase expressed in Escherichia coli
Authors: Teoh Wei Kheng , Salleh Faezah Mohd , Shahir Shafinaz
Published: May 2017

Microbial arsenite oxidation is an essential biogeochemical process whereby more toxic arsenite is oxidized to the less toxic arsenate. Thiomonas strains represent an important arsenite oxidizer found ubiquitous in acid mine drainage. In the present study, the arsenite oxidase gene (aioBA) was cloned from Thiomonas delicata DSM 16361, expressed heterologously in E. coli and purified to homogeneity. The purified recombinant Aio consisted of two subunits with the respective molecular weights of 91 and 21 kDa according to SDS-PAGE. Aio catalysis was optimum at pH 5.5 and 50–55 °C. Aio exhibited stability under acidic conditions (pH 2.5–6). The V
max and K
m values of the enzyme were found to be 4 µmol min−1 mg−1 and 14.2 µM, respectively. SDS and Triton X-100 were found to inhibit the enzyme activity. The homology model of Aio showed correlation with the acidophilic adaptation of the enzyme. This is the first characterization studies of Aio from a species belonging to the Thiomonas genus. The arsenite oxidase was found to be among the acid-tolerant Aio reported to date and has the potential to be used for biosensor and bioremediation applications in acidic environments.
Simulation-based education: what’s it all about?
Authors: Cleland Jennifer
Published: May 2017

None
Enhanced Time Out: An Improved Communication Process
Authors: Nelson Patricia E.
Published: May 2017

An enhanced time out is an improved communication process initiated to prevent such surgical errors as wrong‐site, wrong‐procedure, or wrong‐patient surgery. The enhanced time out at my facility mandates participation from all members of the surgical team and requires designated members to respond to specified time out elements on the surgical safety checklist. The enhanced time out incorporated at my facility expands upon the safety measures from the World Health Organization's surgical safety checklist and ensures that all personnel involved in a surgical intervention perform a final check of relevant information. Initiating the enhanced time out at my facility was intended to improve communication and teamwork among surgical team members and provide a highly reliable safety process to prevent wrong‐site, wrong‐procedure, and wrong‐patient surgery.
Radioactive Seed Localization Program for Patients With Nonpalpable Breast Lesions
Authors: Burroughs Judy , Fencl Jennifer L. , Wakefield Matthew C.
Published: May 2017

Without early diagnosis and treatment, many lives are lost to breast cancer. Increased breast cancer awareness has facilitated research to guide health care providers toward improving patient outcomes. Research in diagnostic and treatment modalities has expanded to focus on improving the quality of life for patients with breast cancer who are living longer than expected. Providers can offer patients with nonpalpable breast lesions new screening techniques and improved treatment options, including radioactive seed localization lumpectomy. This treatment offers patients the potential for decreased tumor re‐excision for positive margins near the surgical site, a lower volume of excised breast tissue, decreased operative time, convenient surgical scheduling, and less pain. Additionally, radioactive seed localization lumpectomy can improve patient and staff member satisfaction.
Association Between Acute Pain and Hemodynamic Parameters in a Postoperative Surgical Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Asgar Pour Hossein
Published: May 2017

I conducted a prospective repeated‐measure study in the general surgery intensive care unit to investigate the associations among acute postoperative pain, analgesic therapy, and hemodynamic parameters. I selected 33 patients and recorded 84 episodes of pain. I measured intensity of pain and hemodynamic parameters after patients were transferred from the postanesthesia care unit to the general surgery intensive care unit, immediately before analgesic therapy and at 15, 30, and 45 minutes after analgesic therapy. Acute pain increased systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP); pulse rate (PR); and arterial oxygen saturation. Fifteen minutes after analgesic therapy, SBP and PR decreased, and DBP, MAP, and oxygen saturation increased. Thirty minutes after therapy, SBP, MAP, and PR decreased, and DBP and oxygen saturation increased. Forty‐five minutes after therapy, SBP, MAP, and PR decreased, and DBP and oxygen saturation increased. I saw no significant hemodynamic parameter changes during postoperative episodes of pain.
Clinical Issues—June 2017
Authors: Ogg Mary J. , Johnstone Esther M.
Published: May 2017

This Month

Defining a small amount of surgical smoke

Key words: surgical smoke, medical‐surgical vacuum system, suction tubing.

Assessment of hazardous medications

Key words: hazardous medications, safety data sheets, OSHA hazard communication.

Documentation of electrosurgical devices

Key words: electrosurgical device.

Developing an explant policy

Key words: explant, guideline, implant, policy.
Clinical evaluation of 34 cases treated with sequestrectomy: Minimum two year follow up
Authors: Aydin Murat , Sasani Mehdi , Oktenoglu Tunc , Durmaz Mehmet Ozan , Bozkus Hakan , Keskin Fatih , Ozer Ali Fahir
Published: May 2017

Highlights
Characteristics of a plasma wind tunnel for the development of thermal protection materials
Authors: Hong B. G. , Kang B. R. , Choi J. C. , Oh P. Y.
Published: May 2017

Thermal plasma wind tunnels with power of 0.4 MW and 2.4 MW have been constructed at Chonbuk National University (CBNU) in Korea. This facility is capable of producing a heat flux greater than 10 MW/m2, a level that is relevant for testing thermal protection materials that are used for re-entry vehicles in space transportation. A segmented arc plasma torch was adopted as a plasma source; this was designed to have high thermal efficiency and long life, and to produce a supersonic plasma flow with enthalpy greater than 10 MJ/kg. We investigated the characteristics of the supersonic plasma flow using intrusive and non-intrusive diagnostic systems. Ablation characteristics of potential thermal protection materials such as carbon/carbon composites and graphite were investigated with the plasma wind tunnel. Cracks and pores in the materials accelerated the erosion. For carbon/carbon composites, the pores grew and the cracks which occurred at the interfaces between the carbon fibres and the matrix propagated, while for the graphite, the erosion started at the pores and peeled off the surface.
The unbearable lightness of luck: Three sources of overconfidence in the manageability of nuclear crises
Authors: Pelopidas Benoît
Published: May 2017

Overconfidence in the controllability of nuclear weapons creates danger. The passing of the last elite witness of the most dangerous nuclear crisis, that is, the ‘Cuban Missile Crisis’, and the current Trump administration only make this more salient. In this context, this article reviews the scholarly literature about the limits of predictability and controllability of nuclear crises and investigates three failures of learning from them. Given that France displays in particularly acute form some of the sources of overconfidence in the controllability of nuclear crises that can been found in other nuclear armed states, this article offers the first study of the French experience and evolving interpretation of the Cuban missile crisis in comparative perspective, based on untapped primary material. In security studies, this article makes three contributions. First, the publication and interpretation of primary sources is a contribution in itself given the frequent misconceptions about nuclear dynamics due to theory-driven extrapolations. Second, it challenges a widespread assumption of automaticity linking a fear-induced deterrent effect and the presence of nuclear weapons. Third, empirically, this article studies part of a regime of valuation of nuclear weapons. It finally outlines a research agenda to take luck seriously in security studies.
Development of a live cell imaging method for mitochondria inTrebouxiaphotobionts
Authors: BRICKLEY Mark R.
Published: May 2017

TheTrebouxiaphotobiont freshly isolated fromXanthoria parietina(L.) Th. Fr. was used to develop a live cell chondriome (mitochondrial DNA) labelling method. In the initial phase six candidate dyes were tested and compared for mitochondrial labelling utility as assessed by the signal to noise ratio (SNR) of the mitochondrial signal to the adjacent cellular background in standardized confocal images of 30 labelled cells. DIOC7,JC-1 and MitoTracker orange (MTO) dyes showed some labelling ability. MTO had significantly higher utility than the other dyes. In a second phase, MTO concentration was optimized. The final labelling protocol was a 30 minute incubation with 1 μM of MTO. The resultant labelling was suitable for both widefield and confocal microscopy. Both 2D thresholding and 3D volume construction are demonstrated using the resultant data. The protocol can therefore be utilized for both qualitative research and for quantitative measurement of the chondriome inTrebouxiaphotobionts. This will facilitate a wide range of mitochondrial investigations in lichenology.
Age and growth of Franciscana dolphins from northern Argentina
Authors: Denuncio Pablo , Negri María Fernanda , Bastida Ricardo , Rodríguez Diego
Published: May 2017

Knowledge of growth patterns of an animal species is fundamental to understand their life history. This information is also used to help define population boundaries of threatened cetaceans, such as the Franciscana dolphin,Pontoporia blainvillei. A total of 108 Franciscana dolphins incidentally captured in artisanal fishing nets in estuarine and marine coastal waters of the northern part of the Franciscana Management Area IV (North FMA IV), Argentina, were studied. The objective of the present paper was to study age and growth parameters of Franciscanas from North FMA IV and to compare these parameters between estuarine and marine potential populations within this area. We used von Bertalanffy and Gompertz growth curves to model growth trajectories. The estimated asymptotic lengths demonstrated that Franciscana dolphins from this area were smaller (females: 136.3 cm and males, 122.1 cm) than southern FMA IV values previously published. They also showed the reverse sexual size dimorphism that is known across their range. However, the estimated asymptotic length was not statistically different between the estuarine and marine females within the study area. In spite of this, the fact that the northern forms of the FMA IV were smaller than the southern specimens supports the hypothesis of more than one population of the species within this management area. The North FMA IV has the highest reported mortality levels of Franciscana dolphins within the FMA IV; these results are relevant to the knowledge base of Franciscana dolphins in the region.
Seasonal variations in early life traits ofSindoscopus australis(Blennioidei: Dactyloscopidae): hatching patterns, larval growth and bilateral asymmetry of otoliths
Authors: Castillo-Hidalgo Gissella , Plaza Guido , Díaz-Astudillo Macarena , Landaeta Mauricio F.
Published: May 2017

Early life traits (ELT) of the sand-burrowing cryptic marine fishSindoscopus australis(family Dactyloscopidae) were compared between cohorts hatched during winter and spring 2013, in nearshore rocky reefs off central Chile. Pelagic larvae were similarly abundant during both periods, but larger larvae were collected during austral spring. The sagittal otolith microstructure and size analyses also indicated that size-at-hatch was larger (4.7 mm) for the winter cohort, but winter larvae experienced slower growth rates (0.145 mm day−1± 0.008). Conversely, larvae from the spring cohort hatched at smaller sizes (2.9 mm), but they grew faster (0.182 mm day−1± 0.008). Hatching periods were coupled with the lunar cycle; in winter, hatching events were related to neap tides (first and third quarter moon), increasing chances of self-recruitment. Meanwhile, during spring, hatching occurred during spring tides, particularly over the new moon, decreasing chances of larval mortality by predation. Otolith traits used to test asymmetry among cohorts showed inconsistent results. Only sagittal perimeter presented fluctuating asymmetry, showing higher variance for the winter cohort. We conclude that this burrowing species displays different reproductive tactics at a seasonal scale.
Electron acceleration by whistler pulse in high-density plasma
Authors: Singh A.K.
Published: May 2017

The acceleration of an electron by the ponderomotive force of a Gaussian whistler pulse in a magnetized high-density quantum plasma obeying Fermi–Dirac distribution is studied using the recently developed quantum hydrodynamic model. Effective acceleration takes place when the peak whistler amplitude exceeds a threshold value, and the whistler frequency is greater than the cyclotron frequency. The threshold amplitude decreases with ratio of plasma frequency to electron cyclotron frequency. The electron is accelerated at velocities of about twice the group velocity of the whistler.
HEADROOM BEYOND THE QUALITY- ADJUSTED LIFE-YEAR: THE CASE OF COMPLEX PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGY
Authors: van Nimwegen Kirsten J.M. , Lilford Richard J. , van der Wilt Gert J. , Grutters Janneke P.C.
Published: May 2017

Objectives: The headroom method was introduced for the very early evaluation of the potential value of new technologies. It allows for establishing a ceiling price for technologies to still be cost-effective by combining the maximum effect a technology might yield, the maximum willingness-to-pay (WTP) for this effect, and potential downstream expenses and savings. Although the headroom method is QALY-based, not all innovations are expected to result in QALY gain.

Methods: This study explores the feasibility and usefulness of the headroom method in the evaluation of technologies that are unlikely to result in QALY gain. This will be illustrated with the diagnostic trajectory of complex pediatric neurology (CPN).

Results: Our headroom analysis showed a large room for improvement in the current diagnostic trajectory of CPN in terms of diagnostic yield. Combining this with a maximum WTP value for an additional diagnosis and the potential downstream expenses and savings, resulted in a total headroom of €15,028. This indicates that a new technology in this particular diagnostic trajectory, might be cost-effective as long as its costs do not exceed €15,028.

Conclusions: The headroom method seems a useful tool in the very early evaluation of medical technologies, also in cases when immediate QALY gain is unlikely. It allows for allocating healthcare resources to those technologies that are most promising. It should be kept in mind, however, that the headroom assumes an optimistic scenario, and for that reason cannot guarantee future cost-effectiveness. It might be most useful for ruling out those technologies that are unlikely to be cost-effective.
Intersectoral action for health: preventing psittacosis spread after one reported case
Authors: FERREIRA V. L. , SILVA M. V. , BASSETTI B. R. , PELLINI A. C. G. , RASO T. F.
Published: May 2017

Zoonotic diseases are a significant health threat for humans and animals. To better understand the epidemiology, etiology, and pathology of infectious agents affecting humans and animals combined approaches are needed. Here we describe an epidemiological investigation conducted by physicians and veterinarians after a reported case of psittacosis. Upon admission suffering from respiratory distress syndrome in a hospital and with a history of bird contact, a female patient was serologically diagnosed with psittacosis. After the case notification, veterinarians were able to investigate the source of infection by detecting Chlamydia psittaci in her pet cockatiel. The bird was hospitalized and successfully treated. In addition, the establishment where the pet bird was purchased was traced and through molecular techniques other birds intended to be sold as pets tested positive for C. psittaci. As a result, sanitary measures were applied and the establishment then was closed down. The birds intended for the pet commerce were treated and retested with negative molecular results for C. psittaci, thus avoiding disease propagation. Reliable data about zoonotic diseases can only be generated through the application of multidisciplinary approaches which take into account the epidemiological factors and interactions of humans, animals and their environments as an integrated system.
Family environments and leukocyte transcriptome indicators of a proinflammatory phenotype in children and parents
Authors: Robles Theodore F. , Repetti Rena L. , Reynolds Bridget M. , Chung Paul J. , Arevalo Jesusa M. G. , Cole Steven W.
Published: May 2017

High conflict and low warmth in families may contribute to immune cells developing a tendency to respond to threats with exaggerated inflammation that is insensitive to inhibitory signaling. We tested associations between family environments and expression of genes bearing response elements for transcription factors that regulate inflammation: nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and glucocorticoid receptor. The overall sample (47 families) completed interviews, questionnaires, and 8-week daily diary assessments of conflict and warmth, which were used to create composite family conflict and warmth scores. The diaries assessed upper respiratory infection (URI) symptoms, and URI episodes were clinically verified. Leukocyte RNA was extracted from whole blood samples provided by a subsample of 42 children (8–13 years of age) and 73 parents. In children, higher conflict and lower warmth were related to greater expression of genes bearing response elements for the proinflammatory transcription factor NF-κB, and more severe URI symptoms. In parents, higher conflict and lower warmth were also related to greater NF-κB–associated gene expression. Monocytes and dendritic cells were implicated as primary cellular sources of differential gene expression in the sample. Consistent with existing conceptual frameworks, stressful family environments were related to a proinflammatory phenotype at the level of the circulating leukocyte transcriptome.
Cardiac MRI T1 mapping in unrepaired anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery
Authors: Hanneman Kate , Wald Rachel
Published: May 2017

A 29-year-old gravida1para1woman presented with increasing fatigue. Multi-modality imaging demonstrated the left coronary artery arising from the main pulmonary artery with large collateral vessels in the interventricular septum, in keeping with unrepaired anomalous left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. Cardiac MRI T1 mapping demonstrated globally elevated non-contrast T1 and extracellular volume fraction values, which suggested the presence of diffuse interstitial myocardial fibrosis. Cardiac MRI T1 mapping allows for a new dimension of myocardial characterisation, providing insight into subtle, diffuse abnormalities at the tissue level.
Leveraging bilingual terminology to improve machine translation in a CAT environment
Authors: ARCAN MIHAEL , TURCHI MARCO , TONELLI SARA , BUITELAAR PAUL
Published: May 2017

This work focuses on the extraction and integration of automatically aligned bilingual terminology into a Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) system in a Computer Aided Translation scenario. We evaluate the proposed framework that, taking as input a small set of parallel documents, gathers domain-specific bilingual terms and injects them into an SMT system to enhance translation quality. Therefore, we investigate several strategies to extract and align terminology across languages and to integrate it in an SMT system. We compare two terminology injection methods that can be easily used at run-time without altering the normal activity of an SMT system: XML markup and cache-based model. We test the cache-based model on two different domains (information technology and medical) in English, Italian and German, showing significant improvements ranging from 2.23 to 6.78 BLEU points over a baseline SMT system and from 0.05 to 3.03 compared to the widely-used XML markup approach.
The analysis of VERITAS muon images using convolutional neural networks
Authors: Feng Qi , Lin Tony T. Y. ,   for the VERITAS Collaboration
Published: May 2017

Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) are sensitive to rare gamma-ray photons, buried in the background of charged cosmic-ray (CR) particles, the flux of which is several orders of magnitude greater. The ability to separate gamma rays from CR particles is important, as it is directly related to the sensitivity of the instrument. This gamma-ray/CR-particle classification problem in IACT data analysis can be treated with the rapidly-advancing machine learning algorithms, which have the potential to outperform the traditional box-cut methods on image parameters. We present preliminary results of a precise classification of a small set of muon events using a convolutional neural networks model with the raw images as input features. We also show the possibility of using the convolutional neural networks model for regression problems, such as the radius and brightness measurement of muon events, which can be used to calibrate the throughput efficiency of IACTs.
Galaxy Classifications with Deep Learning
Authors: Lukic Vesna , Brüggen Marcus
Published: May 2017

Machine learning techniques have proven to be increasingly useful in astronomical applications over the last few years, for example in object classification, estimating redshifts and data mining. One example of object classification is classifying galaxy morphology. This is a tedious task to do manually, especially as the datasets become larger with surveys that have a broader and deeper search-space. The Kaggle Galaxy Zoo competition presented the challenge of writing an algorithm to find the probability that a galaxy belongs in a particular class, based on SDSS optical spectroscopy data. The use of convolutional neural networks (convnets), proved to be a popular solution to the problem, as they have also produced unprecedented classification accuracies in other image databases such as the database of handwritten digits (MNIST †) and large database of images (CIFAR ‡). We experiment with the convnets that comprised the winning solution, but using broad classifications. The effect of changing the number of layers is explored, as well as using a different activation function, to help in developing an intuition of how the networks function and to see how they can be applied to radio galaxy images.
Effects of mergers on non-parametric morphologies
Authors: Bignone Lucas A. , Tissera Patricia B. , Sillero Emanuel , Pedrosa Susana E. , Pellizza Leonardo J. , Lambas Diego G.
Published: May 2017

We study the effects of mergers on non-parametric morphologies of galaxies. We compute the Gini index, M20, asymmetry and concentration statistics for z = 0 galaxies in the Illustris simulation and compare non-parametric morphologies of major mergers, minor merges, close pairs, distant pairs and unperturbed galaxies. We determine the effectiveness of observational methods based on these statistics to select merging galaxies.
Challenges in Timeseries Analysis from Microlensing
Authors: Street R. A.
Published: May 2017

Despite a flood of discoveries over the last ~ 20 years, our knowledge of the exoplanet population is incomplete owing to a gap between the sensitivities of different detection techniques. However, a census of exoplanets at all separations from their host stars is essential to fully understand planet formation mechanisms. Microlensing offers an effective way to bridge the gap around 1–10 AU and is therefore one of the major science goals of the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission. WFIRST’s survey of the Galactic Bulge is expected to discover ~ 20,000 microlensing events, including ~ 3000 planets, which represents a substantial data analysis challenge with the modeling software currently available. This paper highlights areas where further work is needed. The community is encouraged to join new software development efforts aimed at making the modeling of microlensing events both more accessible and rigorous.
Starspot migration in close binaries: A fast parameters evaluation from large sky surveys
Authors: Debski B. , Zola S.
Published: May 2017

We developed a method that allows to classify the light curves of eclipsing binaries of the W UMa type (EW) with respect to their intrinsic variability. The algorithm measures several features of light curves, such as the amplitude of the O’Connell effect, the separation and location of maxima brightness as well as depths of the minima in subsequent orbital periods. This method is capable of distinguishing systems with presumed magnetic activity present from these without it, as well as recognizing systems with starspots migration and those with other types of intrinsic variability manifestation. The classification is done in an automatic way without a time consuming, visual inspection of light curves.
Uncertain Photometric Redshifts with Deep Learning Methods
Authors: D’Isanto A.
Published: May 2017

The need for accurate photometric redshifts estimation is a topic that has fundamental importance in Astronomy, due to the necessity of efficiently obtaining redshift information without the need of spectroscopic analysis. We propose a method for determining accurate multi-modal photo-z probability density functions (PDFs) using Mixture Density Networks (MDN) and Deep Convolutional Networks (DCN). A comparison with a Random Forest (RF) is performed.
Exploring the Parameter Space of Compact Binary Population Synthesis
Authors: Barrett Jim W. , Mandel Ilya , Neijssel Coenraad J. , Stevenson Simon , Vigna-Gómez Alejandro
Published: May 2017

As we enter the era of gravitational wave astronomy, we are beginning to collect observations which will enable us to explore aspects of astrophysics of massive stellar binaries which were previously beyond reach. In this paper we describe COMPAS (Compact Object Mergers: Population Astrophysics and Statistics), a new platform to allow us to deepen our understanding of isolated binary evolution and the formation of gravitational-wave sources. We describe the computational challenges associated with their exploration, and present preliminary results on overcoming them using Gaussian process regression as a simulation emulation technique.
Application of Compressive Sensing to Gravitational Microlensing Experiments
Authors: Korde-Patel Asmita , Barry Richard K. , Mohsenin Tinoosh
Published: May 2017

Compressive Sensing is an emerging technology for data compression and simultaneous data acquisition. This is an enabling technique for significant reduction in data bandwidth, and transmission power and hence, can greatly benefit space-flight instruments. We apply this process to detect exoplanets via gravitational microlensing. We experiment with various impact parameters that describe microlensing curves to determine the effectiveness and uncertainty caused by Compressive Sensing. Finally, we describe implications for space-flight missions.