bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A data‐driven, machine learning framework for optimal pest management in cotton
Authors: Meisner Matthew H. , Rosenheim Jay A. , Tagkopoulos Ilias
Published: April 2016

Despite the significant effects of agricultural pest management on crop yield, profit, environmental quality, and sustainability, farmers oftentimes lack data‐driven decision support to help optimize pest management strategies. To address this need, we curated a comprehensive data set that consists of pest, pest management, and yield information from 1498 commercial cotton crops in California's San Joaquin Valley between 1997 and 2008. Using this data set, we built a Markov decision process model to identify the optimal management policy of a key cotton pest, Lygus hesperus, that balances the tradeoff between yield loss and the cost of pesticide applications. Our results show that pesticide applications targeting L. hesperus are only economically optimal during the first 2 weeks of June, and pesticide applications were associated with increased risk of an unprofitable harvest. About 46% of the observations in our data set involved at least one pesticide application outside of this optimal window, demonstrating the need for a data‐driven approach to crop management. Sensitivity analyses on parameter perturbations and reduced data set sizes suggest that our methodology provides a robust policy‐making tool, even in noisy data sets.
Grassland compost amendments increase plant production without changing plant communities
Authors: Ryals Rebecca , Eviner Valerie T. , Stein Claudia , Suding Katharine N. , Silver Whendee L.
Published: April 2016

Compost amendment to grassland is a novel strategy proposed and demonstrated to increase ecosystem carbon (C) storage. However, the effects of compost applications on biomass production and plant diversity are not well known. We assessed impacts of a one‐time compost amendment over 4 yr on plant dynamics in two grazed grassland ecosystems in California: a coastal prairie and valley grassland. The valley grassland was dominated by exotic annual grasses and had significantly lower species diversity than the coastal prairie, which consisted of a mix of perennial and annual grasses and forbs. We observed large and persistent increases in aboveground biomass. Over the 4 study years, aboveground biomass from compost‐amended plots increased by 76% ± 21% at the valley grassland and 41% ± 21% at the coastal prairie, compared with controls. Plant N content was also greater from compost‐amended plots. There were no major shifts in species richness or abundance at either grassland site. Overall, plant communities at both grasslands were relatively resistant to the compost addition, but responses of some individual species were observed. Notably at the valley grassland, the abundance of forbs decreased slightly, while the abundance of grasses increased. The abundance of two noxious weeds did not change as a result of the compost amendment. Our results suggest that a single application of composted organic matter used to sequester C provided cobenefits to grassland plant dynamics. The compost amendments produced sustained increases in plant productivity and forage production as well as plant N content without greatly affecting the diversity of these exotic annual grasslands.
Overwintering seeds as reservoirs for seedling pathogens of wetland plant species
Authors: Crocker Ellen V. , Lanzafane Justin J. , Karp Mary Ann , Nelson Eric B.
Published: April 2016

Seed germination and seedling establishment are central to the distribution and abundance of plant species in wetlands. While fungal and oomycete pathogens are known to affect seed viability and emergence, relatively little is known about which fungi and oomycetes are associated with seeds in the soil or how these species affect seeds and seedlings. We characterized the fungi and oomycetes associated with overwintering seeds in wetlands and determined their potential to influence seed germination and subsequent seedling mortality. Fungi and oomycetes did not affect seed germination, despite the isolation of high frequencies of known seed and seedling pathogens in the fungal genera Alternaria, Peyronellaea, Epicoccum, and Fusarium. However, many of the most frequently isolated fungal species from overwintering seeds were highly virulent to seedlings. While both native and nonnative plant species were tested, we did not observe consistent differences in either seed germination or seedling susceptibility based on the invasive status of plants tested, contrary to what we expected given several established hypotheses for invasive success. The high seedling virulence of fungi from overwintering seeds coupled with the differential abundance of some of the more pathogenic fungi among seeds of different plant species, led us to the conclusion that the fungal pathogens that colonize seeds in the seed bank over winter are likely to strongly impact subsequent seedling establishment in wetlands the following spring despite not reducing overwintering seed germination in the seed bank or differently effecting invasive plant species.
Building a truly inclusive campus starts with student identity
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: April 2016

PHOENIX, ARIZ. — Making the transition to a postsecondary education institution is often a time of both great growth and potential alienation. Helping students identify as their authentic selves and creating a community built around helping students express that authenticity is a crucial part of retaining your students through to degree completion. In a session at the recent American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers conference, Praveen Shanbhag, a graduate of Stanford University and the founder of NameCoach, and Thomas Black, associate vice provost and university registrar at Stanford University, discussed how the implementation of Shanbhag's software can lead to a climate of increased inclusivity by allowing students to self‐identify their pronouns and also create an electronic directory for student name pronunciation, as well as some best practices for how Stanford is currently incorporating the software on campus. “We're helping students use language to express their identity,” Shanbhag said.
Risk factors for surgical site infection after supraclavicular flap reconstruction in patients undergoing major head and neck surgery
Authors: Goyal Neerav , Emerick Kevin S. , Deschler Daniel G. , Lin Derrick T. , Yarlagadda Bharat B. , Rich Debbie L. , Durand Marlene L.
Published: April 2016

Background

Surgical site infections can adversely affect flaps in head and neck reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the risk factors of surgical site infections in supraclavicular artery island flap reconstructions.

Methods

Records of patients undergoing head and neck surgery from 2011 to 2014 with supraclavicular artery island flap reconstruction at a single specialty hospital were reviewed; surgical site infections ≤30 days postoperatively were noted.

Results

Of 64 patients, 86% underwent resection for malignancy, 55% previously received radiation. Sixty‐three percent of surgeries were clean‐contaminated. Seven patients (11%) developed recipient site surgical site infections, all in patients who underwent clean‐contaminated surgery for malignancy. There was no complete flap loss. No significant differences in demographics or perioperative factors were noted. Oral cavity and laryngeal reconstructions (p = .014) and clean‐contaminated surgery (p = .04) were factors associated with increased surgical site infection risk on univariate but not multivariate analysis. Patients with surgical site infections had longer hospitalizations (p = .003).

Conclusion

The supraclavicular artery island flap can be used for head and neck reconstruction with a low rate of surgical site infection. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1708–1716, 2016
Adjuvant radiotherapy versus concurrent chemoradiotherapy for the management of high‐risk salivary gland carcinomas
Authors: Mifsud Matthew J. , Tanvetyanon Tawee , Mccaffrey Judith C. , Otto Kristen J. , Padhya Tapan A. , Kish Julie , Trotti Andy M. , Harrison Louis B. , Caudell Jimmy J.
Published: April 2016

Background

Given the aggressive behavior of advanced salivary malignancies, the purpose of the current study was to explore the utility of adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in this population.

Methods

A retrospective study of salivary carcinomas treated from 1998 to 2013 with postoperative CRT (37 patients) or radiotherapy (RT; 103 patients) was completed.

Results

The decision to utilize adjuvant CRT versus RT was influenced by tumor grade and histology, cervical lymph node status, surgical margins, and perineural invasion. In both treatment cohorts, high locoregional control rates were obtained (79% for CRT vs 91% for RT; p = .031). Multivariate Cox regression analysis did not identify a difference in 3‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) with the use of CRT versus RT (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.783; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.396–1.549; p = .482).

Conclusion

Until prospective evidence is available, such as from Radiation Therapy Oncology Group 1008, the standard use of CRT for advanced salivary malignancies cannot be recommended. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1708–1716, 2016
Modeling a human hepatocellular carcinoma subset in mice through coexpression of met and point‐mutant β‐catenin
Authors: Tao Junyan , Xu Emily , Zhao Yifei , Singh Sucha , Li Xiaolei , Couchy Gabrielle , Chen Xin , Zucman‐Rossi Jessica , Chikina Maria , Monga Satdarshan P.S.
Published: April 2016

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) remains a significant therapeutic challenge due to its poorly understood molecular basis. In the current study, we investigated two independent cohorts of 249 and 194 HCC cases for any combinatorial molecular aberrations. Specifically we assessed for simultaneous HMET expression or hMet activation and catenin β1 gene (CTNNB1) mutations to address any concomitant Met and Wnt signaling. To investigate cooperation in tumorigenesis, we coexpressed hMet and β‐catenin point mutants (S33Y or S45Y) in hepatocytes using sleeping beauty transposon/transposase and hydrodynamic tail vein injection and characterized tumors for growth, signaling, gene signatures, and similarity to human HCC. Missense mutations in exon 3 of CTNNB1 were identified in subsets of HCC patients. Irrespective of amino acid affected, all exon 3 mutations induced similar changes in gene expression. Concomitant HMET overexpression or hMet activation and CTNNB1 mutations were evident in 9%‐12.5% of HCCs. Coexpression of hMet and mutant‐β‐catenin led to notable HCC in mice. Tumors showed active Wnt and hMet signaling with evidence of glutamine synthetase and cyclin D1 positivity and mitogen‐activated protein kinase/extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, AKT/Ras/mammalian target of rapamycin activation. Introduction of dominant‐negative T‐cell factor 4 prevented tumorigenesis. The gene expression of mouse tumors in hMet‐mutant β‐catenin showed high correlation, with subsets of human HCC displaying concomitant hMet activation signature and CTNNB1 mutations. Conclusion: We have identified cooperation of hMet and β‐catenin activation in a subset of HCC patients and modeled this human disease in mice with a significant transcriptomic intersection; this model will provide novel insight into the biology of this tumor and allow us to evaluate novel therapies as a step toward precision medicine. (Hepatology 2016;64:1587‐1605)
The influence of buffer system and biological fluids on the degradation of magnesium
Authors: Törne Karin , Örnberg Andreas , Weissenrieder Jonas
Published: April 2016

The influence of frequently used buffer system 4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)−1‐piperazineethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) compared to CO2/ on the corrosion of magnesium is investigated. Samples were immersed in simulated body fluid (m‐SBF) while monitored by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) for up to 30 days. In CO2/ the initial corrosion rate was 0.11 mm yr−1. An inner protective layer of magnesium oxide was formed within the first 30 min exposure and subsequently covered by an outer layer of apatite within 24 h. The corrosion mechanism thereafter is best described as passive pitting with a porosity of ∼10%. Using HEPES as buffer agent increased the corrosion rate to 3.37 mm yr−1. Cross sectional microscopy show a porous outer corrosion layer allowing rapid diffusion of aggressive ions through the film. Here the EIS results are best described by an active pitting model with an inner layer 5 to 10 times less protective compared to the inner layer formed without HEPES. Further the suitability of human whole blood and plasma as in vitro models for Mg degradation was evaluated. Mg corrosion caused coagulation after 24 h in both biological fluids. The corrosion during the first 24 h is similar to the corrosion in m‐SBF with HEPES. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1490–1502, 2017.
Periplasmic and extracellular production of cellulase from recombinant Escherichia coli cells
Authors: Yıldırım Zehra , Çelik Eda
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND

Secretory production of recombinant enzymes in E. coli has significant advantages in bioprocess development, such as simplicity of purification, preventing proteolytic degradation, and providing greater access to substrates such as cellulose that opens the path to consolidated bioprocessing.

RESULTS

In this study, an endoglucanase (Cel5A) from Fusarium graminearum was investigated for extracellular production in E. coli as a fusion to the YebF carrier protein, and compared with periplasmic production enabled by fusing the DsbA signal peptide to the N‐terminus of Cel5A. Yields of extracellular YebF‐Cel5A (175 mg L−1) were nearly 2‐fold higher than yields of periplasmic Cel5A. Periplasmic but not extracellular production of Cel5A increased ∼1.5‐fold following the addition of 0.4 mmol L−1 MgSO4 to the growth medium. While most of the divalent cations had an inhibitory effect on the periplasmic Cel5A activity, all cations tested enhanced the extracellular endoglucanase activity, with Co2+ having the highest activation (4.3‐fold increase). Moreover, YebF‐Cel5A had 20% higher residual activity than Cel5A following 1 h heat treatment.

CONCLUSION

The differences demonstrated for periplasmic and extracellular production of cellulases in E. coli provide the basis of bioprocess design parameters, paving the way to consolidated bioprocessing. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
The Synthesis of New Benzo[h]thieno[2,3‐b]quinoline‐9‐yl(aryl)methanone Derivatives
Authors: Poursattar Marjani Ahmad , Khalafy Jabbar , Rostampoor Azar
Published: April 2016

Novel derivatives of benzo[h]thieno[2,3‐b]quinoline‐9‐yl(aryl)methanone were synthesized in good yield and short reaction times by reaction of 2‐mercaptobenzo[h]quinoline‐3‐carbaldehyde with phenacyl bromides under basic conditions. All compounds were characterized using Fourier transform infrared, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, spectral data, and elemental analysis.
The practicality of using ozone with fruit and vegetables
Authors: Glowacz Marcin , Rees Deborah
Published: April 2016

The fresh produce industry is constantly growing as a result of increasing consumer demand. Food quality and safety management are still major issues for the supply chain. The use of ozone has been identified as a feasible solution to reduce microorganisms present in food, in this way extending the shelf‐life of fresh produce. A number of factors that may affect the efficiency of ozone treatment have been identified, e.g. microbial populations, ozone concentration and time of exposure, type of produce, temperature, relative humidity and packaging material, and they are briefly discussed. Furthermore, practical information derived from studies with ozone conducted by the authors and from their knowledge of the subject directs the reader's attention to the key aspects of ozone use under commercial conditions, i.e. from the practical point of view. Finally, one possible direction for future research with the postharvest use of ozone, i.e. the important role of fruit cuticle in response to this postharvest treatment, is indicated. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
30‐day hospital readmission following otolaryngology surgery: Analysis of a state inpatient database
Authors: Graboyes Evan M. , Kallogjeri Dorina , Saeed Mohammed J. , Olsen Margaret A. , Nussenbaum Brian
Published: April 2016

Objectives/Hypothesis

Determine patient and hospital‐level risk factors associated with 30‐day readmission for patients undergoing inpatient otolaryngologic surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

We analyzed the State Inpatient Database (SID) from California for patients who underwent otolaryngologic surgery between 2008 and 2010. Readmission rates, readmission diagnoses, and patient‐ and hospital‐level risk factors for 30‐day readmission were determined. Hierarchical logistic regression modeling was performed to identify procedure‐, patient‐, and hospital‐level risk factors for 30‐day readmission.

Results

The 30‐day readmission rate following an inpatient otolaryngology procedure was 8.1%. The most common readmission diagnoses were nutrition, metabolic, or electrolyte problems (44% of readmissions) and surgical complications (10% of readmissions). New complications after discharge were the major drivers of readmission. Variables associated with 30‐day readmission in hierarchical logistic regression modeling were: type of otolaryngologic procedure, Medicare or Medicaid health insurance, chronic anemia, chronic lung disease, chronic renal failure, index admission via the emergency department, in‐hospital complication during the index admission, and discharge destination other than home.

Conclusion

Approximately one out of 12 patients undergoing otolaryngologic surgery had a 30‐day readmission. Readmissions occur across a variety of types of procedures and hospitals. Most of the variability was driven by patient‐specific factors, not structural hospital characteristics.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 2016 127:337–345, 2017
Diet quality affects bait performance in German cockroaches (Dictyoptera: Blattellidae)
Authors: Ko Alexander E , Schal Coby , Silverman Jules
Published: April 2016

BACKGROUND

Bait formulations are widely used to control German cockroach (Blattella germanica) populations. To perform optimally, these formulations must compete favorably with non‐toxic alternative foods present within the insect's habitat. We hypothesized that the nutritional history of cockroaches and their acceptance or avoidance of glucose would affect their food preference and thus bait efficacy. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a controlled laboratory experiment, first providing glucose‐accepting and glucose‐averse cockroaches nutritionally defined diets and then offering them identical diets containing the insecticide hydramethylnon as a bait proxy to evaluate the effect of diets of differing macronutrient composition on bait performance.

RESULTS

The interaction between diet composition and bait composition affected the survival of adult males as well as first‐instar nymphs exposed to excretions produced by these males. Survival analyses indicated different responses of glucose‐averse and glucose‐accepting insects, but generally any combination of diet and bait that resulted in high diet intake and low bait intake reduced secondary kill.

CONCLUSIONS

This study represents a comprehensive examination of the effect of alternative foods on bait efficacy. We suggest that disparities between the nutritional quality of baits and the foods that are naturally available could profoundly impact the management of German cockroach infestations. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Legislative prediction with dual uncertainty minimization from heterogeneous information
Authors: Cheng Yu , Agrawal Ankit , Liu Huan , Choudhary Alok
Published: April 2016

Voting on legislative bills to form new laws serves as a key function of most of the legislatures. Predicting the votes of such deliberative bodies leads better understanding of government policies and generate actionable strategies for social good. However, it is very difficult to predict legislative votes due to the myriad factors that affect the political decision‐making process. In this paper, we present a novel prediction model that maximizes the usage of publicly accessible heterogeneous data, i.e., bill text and lawmakers' profile data, to carry out effective legislative prediction. In particular, we propose to design a probabilistic prediction model which archives high consistency with past vote recorders while ensuring the minimum uncertainty of the vote prediction reflecting the firm legal ground often hold by the lawmakers. In addition, the proposed legislative prediction model enjoys the following properties: inductive and analytical solution, abilities to deal with the prediction on new bills and new legislators, and the robustness to missing vote issue. We conduct extensive empirical study using the real legislative data from the joint sessions of the United States Congress and compare with other representative methods in both quantitative political science and data mining communities. The experimental results clearly corroborate that the proposed method provides superior prediction accuracy with visible performance gain.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Activity Is Regulated by Pten Phosphorylation Through a Niche-Dependent Mechanism
Authors: Li Jing , Zhang Jun , Tang Minghui , Xin Junping , Xu Yan , Volk Andrew , Hao Caiqin , Hu Chenglong , Sun Jiewen , Wei Wei , Cao Quichan , Breslin Peter , Zhang Jiwang
Published: April 2016

The phosphorylated form of Pten (p-Pten) is highly expressed in >70% of acute myeloid leukemia samples. However, the role of p-Pten in normal and abnormal hematopoiesis has not been studied. We found that Pten protein levels are comparable among long-term (LT) hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), short-term (ST) HSCs, and multipotent progenitors (MPPs); however, the levels of p-Pten are elevated during the HSC-to-MPP transition. To study whether p-Pten is involved in regulating self-renewal and differentiation in HSCs, we compared the effects of overexpression of p-Pten and nonphosphorylated Pten (non-p-Pten) on the hematopoietic reconstitutive capacity (HRC) of HSCs. We found that overexpression of non-p-Pten enhances the LT-HRC of HSCs, whereas overexpression of p-Pten promotes myeloid differentiation and compromises the LT-HRC of HSCs. Such phosphorylation-regulated Pten functioning is mediated by repressing the cell:cell contact-induced activation of Fak/p38 signaling independent of Pten's lipid phosphatase activity because both p-Pten and non-p-Pten have comparable activity in repressing PI3K/Akt signaling. Our studies suggest that, in addition to repressing PI3K/Akt/mTor signaling, non-p-Pten maintains HSCs in bone marrow niches via a cell-contact inhibitory mechanism by inhibiting Fak/p38 signaling-mediated proliferation and differentiation. In contrast, p-Pten promotes the proliferation and differentiation of HSCs by enhancing the cell contact-dependent activation of Src/Fak/p38 signaling.
C9orf72 Hexanucleotide Expansions Are Associated with Altered Endoplasmic Reticulum Calcium Homeostasis and Stress Granule Formation in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons from Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: Dafinca Ruxandra , Scaber Jakub , Ababneh Nida'a , Lalic Tatjana , Weir Gregory , Christian Helen , Vowles Jane , Douglas Andrew G.L. , Fletcher-Jones Alexandra , Browne Cathy , Nakanishi Mahito , Turner Martin R. , Wade-Martins Richard , Cowley Sally A. , Talbot Kevin
Published: April 2016

An expanded hexanucleotide repeat in a noncoding region of the C9orf72 gene is a major cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), accounting for up to 40% of familial cases and 7% of sporadic ALS in European populations. We have generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts of patients carrying C9orf72 hexanucleotide expansions, differentiated these to functional motor and cortical neurons, and performed an extensive phenotypic characterization. In C9orf72 iPSC-derived motor neurons, decreased cell survival is correlated with dysfunction in Ca2+ homeostasis, reduced levels of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, increased endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential. Furthermore, C9orf72 motor neurons, and also cortical neurons, show evidence of abnormal protein aggregation and stress granule formation. This study is an extensive characterization of iPSC-derived motor neurons as cellular models of ALS carrying C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeats, which describes a novel pathogenic link between C9orf72 mutations, dysregulation of calcium signaling, and altered proteostasis and provides a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of ALS and the related neurodegenerative disease frontotemporal dementia.
Cover Image, Volume 8, Issue 3
Authors: Gonzalez Solveyra Estefania , Szleifer Igal
Published: April 2016

The cover image, by Estefania Gonzalez Solveyra and Igal Szleifer, is based on the Overview What is the role of curvature on the properties of nanomaterials for biomedical applications?, DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1365.

image
Outbreak or Epidemic? How Obama’s Language Choice Transformed the Ebola Outbreak Into an Epidemic
Authors: Gesser-Edelsburg Anat , Shir-Raz Yaffa , Bar-Lev Oshrat Sassoni , James James J. , Green Manfred S.
Published: April 2016

Objective

Our aim was to examine in what terms leading newspapers’ online sites described the current Ebola crisis.

Methods

We employed a quantitative content analysis of terms attributed to Ebola. We found and analyzed 582 articles published between March 23 and September 30, 2014, on the online websites of 3 newspapers: The New York Times, Daily Mail, and Ynet. Our theoretical framework drew from the fields of health communication and emerging infectious disease communication, including such concepts as framing media literacy, risk signatures, and mental models.

Results

We found that outbreak and epidemic were used interchangeably in the articles. From September 16, 2014, onward, epidemic predominated, corresponding to when President Barack Obama explicitly referred to Ebola as an epidemic. Prior to Obama’s speech, 86.8% of the articles (323) used the term outbreak and only 8.6% (32) used the term epidemic. Subsequently, both terms were used almost the same amount: 53.8% of the articles (113) used the term outbreak and 53.3% (112) used the term epidemic.

Conclusions

Effective communication is crucial during public health emergencies such as Ebola, because language framing affects the decision-making process of social judgments and actions. The choice of one term (outbreak) over another (epidemic) can create different conceptualizations of the disease, thereby influencing the risk signature. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:669–673)
Hurricane Sandy Evacuation Among World Trade Center Health Registry Enrollees in New York City
Authors: Brown Shakara , Gargano Lisa M. , Parton Hilary , Caramanica Kimberly , Farfel Mark R. , Stellman Steven D. , Brackbill Robert M.
Published: April 2016

Objective

Timely evacuation is vital for reducing adverse outcomes during disasters. This study examined factors associated with evacuation and evacuation timing during Hurricane Sandy among World Trade Center Health Registry (Registry) enrollees.

Methods

The study sample included 1162 adults who resided in New York City’s evacuation zone A during Hurricane Sandy who completed the Registry’s Hurricane Sandy substudy in 2013. Factors assessed included zone awareness, prior evacuation experience, community cohesion, emergency preparedness, and poor physical health. Prevalence estimates and multiple logistic regression models of evacuation at any time and evacuation before Hurricane Sandy were created.

Results

Among respondents who evacuated for Hurricane Sandy (51%), 24% had evacuated before the storm. In adjusted analyses, those more likely to evacuate knew they resided in an evacuation zone, had evacuated during Hurricane Irene, or reported pre-Sandy community cohesion. Evacuation was less likely among those who reported being prepared for an emergency. For evacuation timing, evacuation before Hurricane Sandy was less likely among those with pets and those who reported 14 or more poor physical health days.

Conclusions

Higher evacuation rates were observed for respondents seemingly more informed and who lived in neighborhoods with greater social capital. Improved disaster messaging that amplifies these factors may increase adherence with evacuation warnings. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:411–419)
Reactive control of isolated unsteady streaks in a laminar boundary layer
Authors: Bade Kyle M. , Hanson Ronald E. , Belson Brandt A. , Naguib Ahmed M. , Lavoie Philippe , Rowley Clarence W.
Published: April 2016

This study is motivated by controlling transient growth and subsequent bypass transition of the laminar boundary layer to turbulence. In experiments employing a model problem, an active roughness element is used to introduce steady/unsteady streak disturbances in a Blasius boundary layer. This tractable arrangement enables a systematic investigation of the evolution of the disturbances and of potential methods to control them in real time. The control strategy utilizes wall-shear-stress sensors, upstream and downstream of a plasma actuator, as inputs to a model-based controller. The controller is designed using empirical input/output data to determine the parameters of simple models, approximating the boundary layer dynamics. The models are used to tune feedforward and feedback controllers. The control effect is examined over a range of roughness-element heights, free stream velocities, feedback sensor positions, unsteady disturbance frequencies and control strategies; and is found to nearly completely cancel the steady-state disturbance at the downstream sensor location. The control of unsteady disturbances exhibits a limited bandwidth of less than 1.3 Hz. However, concurrent modelling demonstrates that substantially higher bandwidth is achievable by improving the feedforward controller and/or optimizing the feedback sensor location. Moreover, the model analysis shows that the difference in the convective time delay of the roughness- and actuator-induced disturbances over the control domain must be known with high accuracy for effective feedforward control. This poses a limitation for control effectiveness in a stochastic environment, such as in bypass transition beneath a turbulent free stream; nonetheless, feedback can remedy some of this limitation.
Bounding Causal Effects in Ecological Inference Problems
Authors: Corvalan Alejandro , Melo Emerson , Sherman Robert , Shum Matt
Published: April 2016

This note illustrates a new method for making causal inferences with ecological data. We show how to combine aggregate outcomes with individual demographics from separate data sources to make causal inferences about individual behavior. In addressing such problems, even under the selection on observables assumption often made in the treatment effects literature, it is not possible to identify causal effects of interest. However, recent results from the partial identification literature provide sharp bounds on these causal effects. We apply these bounds to data from Chilean mayoral elections that straddle a 2012 change in Chilean electoral law from compulsory to voluntary voting. Aggregate voting outcomes are combined with individual demographic information from separate data sources to determine the causal effect of the change in the law on voter turnout. The bounds analysis reveals that voluntary voting decreased expected voter turnout, and that other causal effects are overstated if the bounds analysis is ignored.
Jeans instability of a rotating partially ionized and strongly coupled plasma with Hall current
Authors: Jain Shweta , Sharma Prerana
Published: April 2016

A generalized hydrodynamic model is used to analyse the growth rate of the Jeans instability of a partially ionized strongly coupled plasma incorporating the effects of rotation and Hall current. The general dispersion relation is determined for the propagation of magnetohydrodynamic waves using the normal mode analysis theory. The general dispersion relation is further discussed in four different combinations of rotation and propagation of the system to signify the importance of rotation and neutral particles on the growth rates and conditions of Jeans instability in hydrodynamic and kinetic regimes. The different types of waves are also described in these cases. The influence of rotation and neutral particles on growth rate of the Jeans instability is analysed numerically and shown graphically. The possible applications of the present work are found in ultracold neutral plasmas, white dwarfs, neutron stars etc.
Community-based conservation as a potential source of conflict around a protected area in Sierra Leone
Authors: LARSON LINCOLN R. , CONWAY APRIL L. , KRAFTE KATHLEEN E. , HERNANDEZ SONIA M. , CARROLL JOHN P.
Published: April 2016

Community-based conservation efforts are designed to foster local stewardship of important ecological resources. However, inequitable distribution of costs and benefits in communities surrounding protected areas can negatively impact livelihoods, increase wealth disparities and create conflict. To examine the potential for conflict between host communities involved in a community-based conservation program and neighbouring (non-host) communities, we explored local residents’ attitudes towards conservation at Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Sierra Leone. Intercept surveys (n = 368) were conducted in 18 villages (eight host, ten non-host) within 8 km of TIWS during 2010. Results revealed significant differences between residents of the host and non-host villages with respect to attitudes towards resource use and overall support for site protection. The most substantial discrepancies centred on perceived benefits associated with TIWS, and these drastically different perspectives generated a high potential for conflict. To minimize conflict and foster broader community support for conservation, managers must carefully consider how benefits associated with protected areas are communicated and distributed across protected area-proximate landscapes.
Bereavement Programs and Services in the Province of Alberta: A Mapping Report
Authors: Wilson Donna M. , Playfair Robyn
Published: April 2016

Cet exercice de cartographie en 2014 avait comme but d’ identifier et de décrire tous les programmes et services de soutien pendant le deuil dans la province entière de l’Alberta, et de les comparer aux ceux-ci disponibles quatre années d’avant. Le deuil est une expérience commune dans la vie, en particulier chez les personnes âgées, et le soutien est souvent nécessaire pour aider leur récupération. Nous avons cherché des informations sur les programmes et les services par le biais de recherches systématiques et la technique «boule de neige» est utilisée pour identifier les fournisseurs et les interviewer. Bien qu’une croissance considérable (330%), et une plus grande diversité parmi les fournisseurs, les programmes et les services, étaient évidente, nous avons découvert que les programmes de deuil ne sont plus encore financés par l’État. Au contraire, les programmes et les services existants proviennent maintenant de la base, avec des individus et des groupes communautaires offrant, pour la plupart, la conception et la fourniture de services de soutien aux personnes en deuil. Les programmes de deuil sont importants, en particulier pour les personnes âgées qui peuvent être les plus touchées par la mort d un être cher. Les résultats de ces programmes nécessitent une évaluation comparative. Si les gouvernements devraient fournir et / ou financer de tels programmes est une question qu’on doit également prendre en compte.
Sources of Occupational Stress Among Firefighter/EMTs and Firefighter/Paramedics and Correlations with Job-related Outcomes
Authors: Beaton Randal D. , Murphy Shirley A.
Published: April 2016

Introduction/Objective:

This paper reports the results of an initial effort to develop and test measure of the various sources of job-related stress in firefighter and paramedic emergenc service workers.

Methods:

A 57-item paper and pencil measure of occupational stressor in firefighter/Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and firefighter/paramedics was developed and administered by anonymous mail survey.

Results:

More than 2,000 (50% rate of return) emergency service workers comple and returned the surveys. The responses of 1,730 firefighter/EMTs and 253 firefighter/paramedics were very similar in terms of the degree to which job stressors were bothersome. A factor analysis of replies yielded 14 statistically independent “Occupational Stressor” factors which together accounted for 66.3% of the instrument's variance. These Sources of Occupational Stress (SOOS) factor scale scores essentially did not correlate with a measure the social desirability test-taking bias. Finall SOOS factors were identified that correlated with job satisfaction and work-related morale of the respondents. Conflict with administration was the job stressor factor that most strongly correlated with reports of low job satisfaction and poor work morale in both study groups.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that firefighter and paramedic job stress is very complicated and multi-faceted. Based on this preliminary investigation, the SOOS instrument appears to have adequate reliability and concurrent validity.
Cross-language effects in bilingual production and comprehension: some novel findings
Authors: DEUCHAR MARGARET
Published: April 2016

This special issue began as a conference on Bilingual and Multilingual Interaction at Bangor University in 2012. The papers collected here all have novel elements, either because of their innovative methods, their unusual data, or their unexpected findings. They present findings from studies of bilinguals speaking six different pairs of languages, and use a range of methods including experiments, naturalistic observation and auditory judgment data. Despite the differences in subject matter and methodological approaches, all the papers demonstrate that bilinguals draw on resources which are different from those of monolinguals. They show that the two languages spoken by bilinguals have clearly discernible effects on one another, and that these effects can potentially be enhancing. Future research will no doubt build on the studies presented here and extend our understanding of cross-language effects in bilingual production and comprehension.
Southeast Asianwaxymaize (Zea mays L.), a resource for amylopectin starch quality types?
Authors: Stamp Peter , Eicke Simona , Jampatong Sansern , Le-Huy Ham , Jompuk Choosak , Escher Felix , Streb Sebastian
Published: April 2016

Amylose-free (waxy) maize has been a vegetable (cooked ears) and staple food in Southeast Asia for centuries, resulting in hundreds of landraces (LRs) across the region. The recessivewaxyallele induces soft grains with preferred cooking and flavour properties. We hypothesized that eating preferences resulted in the additional selection for different starch properties, reflected in altered starch granule morphology or amylopectin structure. A total of 41 LRs were available as starting material that had been used by different ethnic groups in Vietnam and Thailand. Unluckily, some LR were not purewaxy, but we successfully regained the original purewaxystatus for most. Twenty LR were chosen for analysis of starch traits according to their purity. Four differentwaxymutations were identified, including two unknown alleles. This is a strong proof for parallel independent selection ofwaxymaize in the region. Starch granule morphology and size were similar among all LRs. Gelatinization properties differed only betweenwaxyand wild-type LR, and allwaxyLR were comparable to a commercialwaxyhybrid. The fine structure ofwaxyamylopectin had fewer short chains compared with that in wild-type. So far, the differences observed in starch properties are likely associated exclusively with thewaxytrait. Despite the strong selection for amylose-free starch, there was no evidence for additional region wide selection for other special starch properties in our collection. In conclusion, all analyses did not encourage further targeted research on allelic variation of other starch metabolism genes for future use in the food and feed industry.
The Placenta in Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome and Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence
Authors: Couck Isabel , Lewi Liesbeth
Published: April 2016

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) and twin anemia polycythemia sequence (TAPS) are complications unique to monochorionic twin pregnancies and their shared circulation. Both are the result of the transfusion imbalance in the intertwin circulation. TTTS is characterized by an amniotic fluid discordance, whereas in TAPS, there is a severe discordance in hemoglobin levels. The article gives an overview of the typical features of TTTS and TAPS placentas.
Inhibitory interactions promote frequent bistability among competing bacteria
Authors: Wright Erik S. , Vetsigian Kalin H.
Published: April 2016

It is largely unknown how the process of microbial community assembly is affected by the order of species arrival, initial species abundances and interactions between species. A minimal way of capturing competitive abilities in a frequency-dependent manner is with an invasibility network specifying whether a species at low abundance can increase in frequency in an environment dominated by another species. Here, using a panel of prolific small-molecule producers and a habitat with feast-and-famine cycles, we show that the most abundant strain can often exclude other strains—resulting in bistability between pairs of strains. Instead of a single winner, the empirically determined invasibility network is ruled by multiple strains that cannot invade each other, and does not contain loops of cyclic dominance. Antibiotic inhibition contributes to bistability by helping producers resist invasions while at high abundance and by reducing producers’ ability to invade when at low abundance.
Self Calibrated Wireless Distributed Environmental Sensory Networks
Authors: Fishbain Barak , Moreno-Centeno Erick
Published: April 2016

Recent advances in sensory and communication technologies have made Wireless Distributed Environmental Sensory Networks (WDESN) technically and economically feasible. WDESNs present an unprecedented tool for studying many environmental processes in a new way. However, the WDESNs’ calibration process is a major obstacle in them becoming the common practice. Here, we present a new, robust and efficient method for aggregating measurements acquired by an uncalibrated WDESN and producing accurate estimates of the observed environmental variable’s true levels rendering the network as self-calibrated. The suggested method presents novelty both in group-decision-making and in environmental sensing as it offers a most valuable tool for distributed environmental monitoring data aggregation. Applying the method on an extensive real-life air-pollution dataset showed markedly more accurate results than the common practice and the state-of-the-art.
Electrostatically-guided inhibition of Curli amyloid nucleation by the CsgC-like family of chaperones
Authors: Taylor Jonathan D. , Hawthorne William J. , Lo Joanne , Dear Alexander , Jain Neha , Meisl Georg , Andreasen Maria , Fletcher Catherine , Koch Marion , Darvill Nicholas , Scull Nicola , Escalera-Maurer Andrés , Sefer Lea , Wenman Rosemary , Lambert Sebastian , Jean Jisoo , Xu Yingqi , Turner Benjamin , Kazarian Sergei G. , Chapman Matthew R. , Bubeck Doryen , de Simone Alfonso , Knowles Tuomas P. J. , Matthews Steve J.
Published: April 2016

Polypeptide aggregation into amyloid is linked with several debilitating human diseases. Despite the inherent risk of aggregation-induced cytotoxicity, bacteria control the export of amyloid-prone subunits and assemble adhesive amyloid fibres during biofilm formation. AnEscherichiaprotein, CsgC potently inhibits amyloid formation of curli amyloid proteins. Here we unlock its mechanism of action, and show that CsgC strongly inhibits primary nucleation via electrostatically-guided molecular encounters, which expands the conformational distribution of disordered curli subunits. This delays the formation of higher order intermediates and maintains amyloidogenic subunits in a secretion-competent form. New structural insight also reveal that CsgC is part of diverse family of bacterial amyloid inhibitors. Curli assembly is therefore not only arrested in the periplasm, but the preservation of conformational flexibility also enables efficient secretion to the cell surface. Understanding how bacteria safely handle amyloidogenic polypeptides contribute towards efforts to control aggregation in disease-causing amyloids and amyloid-based biotechnological applications.
Effectiveness of Multiple Blood-Cleansing Interventions in Sepsis, Characterized in Rats
Authors: Stojkovic Ivan , Ghalwash Mohamed , Cao Xi Hang , Obradovic Zoran
Published: April 2016

Sepsis is a serious, life-threatening condition that presents a growing problem in medicine, but there is still no satisfying solution for treating it. Several blood cleansing approaches recently gained attention as promising interventions that target the main site of problem development–the blood. The focus of this study is an evaluation of the theoretical effectiveness of hemoadsorption therapy and pathogen reduction therapy. This is evaluated using the mathematical model of Murine sepsis and the results of over 2,200 configurations of single and multiple intervention therapies simulated on 5,000 virtual subjects suggest the advantage of pathogen reduction over hemoadsorption therapy. However, a combination of two approaches is found to take advantage of their complementary effects and outperform either therapy alone. The conducted computational experiments provide unprecedented evidence that the combination of two therapies synergistically enhances the positive effects beyond the simple superposition of the benefits of two approaches. Such a characteristic could have a profound influence on the way sepsis treatment is conducted.
Constrained evolvability of interferon suppression in an RNA virus
Authors: Garijo Raquel , Cuevas José M. , Briz Álvaro , Sanjuán Rafael
Published: April 2016

Innate immunity responses controlled by interferon (IFN) are believed to constitute a major selective pressure shaping viral evolution. Viruses encode a variety of IFN suppressors, but these are often multifunctional proteins that also play essential roles in other steps of the viral infection cycle, possibly limiting their evolvability. Here, we experimentally evolved a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) mutant carrying a defect in the matrix protein (M∆51) that abolishes IFN suppression and that has been previously used in the context of oncolytic virotherapy. Serial transfers of this virus in normal, IFN-secreting cells led to a modest recovery of IFN blocking capacity and to weak increases in viral fitness. Full-genome ultra-deep sequencing and phenotypic analysis of population variants revealed that the anti-IFN function of the matrix protein was not restored, and that the Mdelta51 defect was instead compensated by changes in the viral phosphoprotein. We also show that adaptation to IFN-secreting cells can be driven by the selection of fast-growing viruses with no IFN suppression capacity, and that these population variants can be trans-complemented by other, IFN-suppressing variants. Our results thus suggest that virus-virus interactions and alternative strategies of innate immunity evasion can determine the evolution of IFN suppression in a virus.