bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupling of Bond Breaking With State Transition Leads to High Apparent Detachment Rates of a Single Myosin
Authors: Dong C. , Chen B.
Published: March 2016

Quantifying interactions between motors and filaments is important for the understanding of intriguing emergent behaviors of motor–filament systems, which play critical roles in various biological processes. Recently, unusually high detachment rates of a myosin from actin were obtained with a force spectroscopy technique of an unprecedented spatial–temporal resolution. Here, we suggest that these high apparent detachment rates may be due to the inherent coupling between bond breaking and state transition, which can be common in protein–protein interactions. Based on a kinetic model for the chemomechanical cycle of single myosin, rates of bond breaking between myosin and actin at different nucleotide states are systematically calculated. These quantitative results indicate that myosins may adopt much higher transition rates than bond breaking rates at different nucleotide states under physiological conditions when applied forces are relatively low. This work also indicates that accurate biophysical models considering both protein unbinding dynamics and protein state transitions are required in order to properly interpret the experimental data when the ultrafast force-clamp spectroscopy technique is employed to study, for example, the DNA–protein interactions.
Positive-Drive Cam Mechanisms With a Translating Follower Having Dual Concave Faces
Authors: Hsu Kuan-Lun , Hsieh Hui-An , Wu Long-Iong
Published: March 2016

This article proposes a cam mechanism with a translating follower that has dual concave faces, and also demonstrates how to design such a mechanism. This is a positive-drive cam mechanism because the dual concave faces of the follower can simultaneously contact the cam at any instant. The contact forces and the contact stresses of the mechanism are analyzed to illustrate the nature and the capability of reducing contact stress of this novel follower. This cam mechanism is found to have lower contact stress over the constant-breadth and the constant-diameter cam mechanisms.
Classification and Kinematic Equivalents of Contact Types for Fingertip-Based Robot Hand Manipulation
Authors: Rojas Nicolas , Dollar Aaron M.
Published: March 2016

In the context of robot manipulation, Salisbury's taxonomy is the common standard used to define the types of contact interactions that can occur between the robot and a contacted object; the basic concept behind such classification is the modeling of contacts as kinematic pairs. In this paper, we extend this notion by modeling the effects of a robot contacting a body as kinematic chains. The introduced kinematic-chain-based contact model is based on an extension of the Bruyninckx–Hunt approach of surface–surface contact. A general classification of nonfrictional and frictional contact types suitable for both manipulation analyses and robot hand design is then proposed, showing that all standard contact categories used in robotic manipulation are special cases of the suggested generalization. New contact models, such as ball, tubular, planar translation, and frictional adaptive finger contacts, are defined and characterized. An example of manipulation analysis that lays out the relevance and practicality of the proposed classification is detailed.
A Computational Approximation to Model Variation in Cancellous Bone Screw Pull-Out
Authors: Piper A. , Brown C. J.
Published: March 2016

Cancellous bone screws are used to achieve good pull-out characteristics when connected to cancellous bone. This study examines some screw characteristics, including pitch and inner diameter, using a model of cancellous bone with a range of bone apparent densities (ADs). This was achieved using bone geometry based on microCT-scanned cancellous bone and converted into a geometric model using mimics® software. The finite element (FE) models were produced in ansys®. The calculated reaction force for pull-out of 0.2 mm shows the influence of design parameters. Change in the proximal half angle increased the stiffness by about 15% in line with the experimental findings of others. An increase in pull-out reaction force with an increase in bone AD was also observed. However, when a particular screw geometry in lower AD bone was modeled and then rotated through 180 deg on plan, a significant reduction in reaction force was noted. Further models with screws of similar geometry in the same location showed similar reductions in reaction force and hence pull-out stiffness. Examination of the geometry of the bone/screw interface indicates that in certain positions there is little cancellous bone to support the implant—leading to low pull-out reaction forces, which is very difficult to predict. The study also examined the effect of increasing the bone stiffness adjacent to the implant, and concluded that, even in bone of low AD, increases in pull-out stiffness might be achieved.
Device for Verifying the Patellar Cut During Knee Replacement Surgery
Authors: Rex Erica L. , Illical Emmanuel M. , Gaudelli Cinzia , Wylant Barry , Ho Karen C. T. , Person John G. , Anglin Carolyn
Published: March 2016

Cutting the kneecap (patella) in knee replacement surgery is challenging and can lead to pain and reduced function when done incorrectly. The presented device allows the surgeon to check the three-dimensional symmetry and thickness of the bone remnant before the operation is complete. Observations and measurements made on 36 resected artificial patellae and 16 resected cadaveric patellae matched well with computed tomography (CT) scans of the patellae with few exceptions; the exceptions should be addressable by changes in design and use. Average time to apply the device was 1 min.
European Project “Supercritical Water Reactor-Fuel Qualification Test”: Summary of General Corrosion Tests
Authors: Novotný Radek , Janík Přemysl , Toivonen Aki , Ruiz Anna , Szaraz Zoltan , Zhang Lefu , Siegl Jan , Haušild Petr , Penttilä Sami , Macák Jan
Published: March 2016

The main target of the EUROATOM FP7 project “Fuel Qualification Test for SCWR” is to make significant progress toward the design, analysis, and licensing of a fuel assembly cooled with supercritical water in a research reactor. The program of dedicated Work Package (WP4)-Prequalification was focused on evaluation of general corrosion resistance of three preselected austenitic stainless steels, 08Cr18Ni10Ti, AISI 347H, and AISI 316L, which should be prequalified for application as a cladding material for fuel qualification tests in supercritical water. Therefore, the experiments in support of WP4 concentrated on 2000-hr corrosion exposures in 25-MPa supercritical water (SCW) at two different temperatures 550°C and 500°C dosed with both 150 and 2000 ppb of dissolved oxygen content. Moreover, the water chemistry effect was investigated by conducting tests in 550°C SCW with 1.5 ppm of dissolved hydrogen content. At first, corrosion coupons were exposed for 600, 1400, and 2000 hrs in Joint Research Centre-Institute for Energy and Transport (JRC-IET), VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. (VTT), and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) autoclaves connected to the recirculation loop, allowing continual water chemistry control during the test. The following examination of exposed specimens consisted of weight-change calculations and detailed macro- and microscopic investigation of oxide layers using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). With respect to general corrosion results, all tested steels showed sufficient corrosion resistance in SCW conditions taking into account the conditions foreseen for future fuel qualification test in the research reactor in CVR Rez. When the results of weight-change calculations were compared for all three materials, it was found that the corrosion resistance increased in the following order: 316L<347H<08Cr18Ni10Ti. Results obtained in hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) did not indicate any significant beneficial effect compared to tests in SCW with 150 or 2000 ppb dissolved oxygen content. Additional tests were dedicated to investigation of the surface-finish effect. In these exposures, polished, sand-blasted, and plane-milled surface-finish techniques were investigated. The beneficial effect of surface cold work in particular of sand-blasting was clearly demonstrated.
Visual‐search observers for assessing tomographic x‐ray image quality
Authors: Gifford Howard C. , Liang Zhihua , Das Mini
Published: March 2016

Purpose:

Mathematical model observers commonly used for diagnostic image‐quality assessments in x‐ray imaging research are generally constrained to relatively simple detection tasks due to their need for statistical prior information. Visual‐search (VS) model observers that employ morphological features in sequential search and analysis stages have less need for such information and fewer task constraints. The authors compared four VS observers against human observers and an existing scanning model observer in a pilot study that quantified how mass detection and localization in simulated digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) can be affected by the number P of acquired projections.

Methods:

Digital breast phantoms with embedded spherical masses provided single‐target cases for a localization receiver operating characteristic (LROC) study. DBT projection sets based on an acquisition arc of 60° were generated for values of P between 3 and 51. DBT volumes were reconstructed using filtered backprojection with a constant 3D Butterworth postfilter; extracted 2D slices were used as test images. Three imaging physicists participated as observers. A scanning channelized nonprewhitening (CNPW) observer had knowledge of the mean lesion‐absent images. The VS observers computed an initial single‐feature search statistic that identified candidate locations as local maxima of either a template matched‐filter (MF) image or a gradient‐template MF (GMF) image. Search inefficiencies that modified the statistic were also considered. Subsequent VS candidate analyses were carried out with (i) the CNPW statistical discriminant and (ii) the discriminant computed from GMF training images. These location‐invariant discriminants did not utilize covariance information. All observers read 36 training images and 108 study images per P value. Performance was scored in terms of area under the LROC curve.

Results:

Average human‐observer performance was stable for P between 7 and 35. In the absence of search inefficiencies, the VS models based on the GMF analysis provided the best correlation (Pearson ρ ≥ 0.62) with the human results. The CNPW‐based VS observers deviated from the humans primarily at lower values of P. In this limited study, search inefficiencies allowed for good quantitative agreement with the humans for most of the VS observers.

Conclusions:

The computationally efficient training requirements for the VS observer are suitable for high‐resolution imaging, indicating that the observer framework has the potential to overcome important task limitations of current model observers for x‐ray applications.
The Effectiveness of Injury Prevention Programs for Youth and Adolescent Athletes
Authors: Weber Michelle L. , Lam Kenneth C. , McLeod Tamara C. Valovich
Published: March 2016

Clinical Question:

In youth and adolescent athletes, are jumping/plyometric exercises more effective than balance exercises in preventing sport-related injuries?

Objective:

The aim of this article is to examine the meta-analysis by Rössler et al.1 as it relates to the clinical question.

Conclusion:

Evidence in this meta-analysis suggests that injury prevention programs provide beneficial effects in injury reduction for youth and adolescent athletes. Prevention programs that contained jumping or plyometric exercises and were targeted toward females appeared to be especially beneficial for decreasing injury risk.
Occurrence, structure, and evolution of nitric oxide synthase–like proteins in the plant kingdom
Authors: Jeandroz Sylvain , Wipf Daniel , Stuehr Dennis J. , Lamattina Lorenzo , Melkonian Michael , Tian Zhijian , Zhu Ying , Carpenter Eric J. , Wong Gane Ka-Shu , Wendehenne David
Published: March 2016

Nitric oxide synthase is conserved in some species of algae, but not in land plants.
Improved glucose metabolism without skeletal muscle MED13
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: March 2016

Mediator complex subunit MED13 suppresses genes encoding proteins involved in glucose uptake and metabolism in skeletal muscle.
Efficacy and Safety of Pyronaridine-Artesunate for Treatment of Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in Western Cambodia
Authors: Leang Rithea , Canavati Sara E. , Khim Nimol , Vestergaard Lasse S. , Borghini Fuhrer Isabelle , Kim Saorin , Denis Mey Bouth , Heng Pisal , Tol Bunkea , Huy Rekol , Duparc Stephan , Dondorp Arjen M. , Menard Didier , Ringwald Pascal
Published: March 2016

Pyronaridine-artesunate efficacy for the treatment of uncomplicated
Plasmodium falciparum
malaria was assessed in an area of artemisinin resistance in western Cambodia. This nonrandomized, single-arm, observational study was conducted between 2014 and 2015. Eligible patients were adults or children with microscopically confirmed
P. falciparum
infection and fever. Patients received pyronaridine-artesunate once daily for 3 days, dosed according to body weight. The primary outcome was an adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) on day 42, estimated by using Kaplan-Meier analysis, PCR adjusted to exclude reinfection. One hundred twenty-three patients were enrolled. Day 42 PCR-crude ACPRs were 87.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 79.7 to 92.6%) for the overall study, 89.8% (95% CI, 78.8 to 95.3%) for Pursat, and 82.1% (95% CI, 68.4 to 90.2%) for Pailin. Day 42 PCR-adjusted ACPRs were 87.9% (95% CI, 80.6 to 93.2%) for the overall study, 89.8% (95% CI, 78.8 to 95.3%) for Pursat, and 84.0% (95% CI, 70.6 to 91.7%) for Pailin (
P
= 0.353 by a log rank test). Day 28 PCR-crude and -adjusted ACPRs were 93.2% (95% CI, 82.9 to 97.4%) and 88.1% (95% CI, 75.3 to 94.5%) for Pursat and Pailin, respectively. A significantly lower proportion of patients achieved day 3 parasite clearance in Pailin (56.4% [95% CI, 43.9 to 69.6%]) than in Pursat (86.7% [95% CI, 76.8 to 93.8%];
P
= 0.0019). Fever clearance was also extended at Pailin versus Pursat (
P
< 0.0001). Most patients (95.9% [116/121]) harbored
P. falciparum
kelch13
C580Y mutant parasites. Pyronaridine-artesunate was well tolerated; mild increases in hepatic transaminase levels were consistent with data from previous reports. Pyronaridine-artesunate efficacy was below the World Health Organization-recommended threshold at day 42 for medicines with a long half-life (90%) for first-line treatment of
P. falciparum
malaria in western Cambodia despite high efficacy elsewhere in Asia and Africa. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration number NCT02389439.)
Sequential Treatment of Biofilms with Aztreonam and Tobramycin Is a Novel Strategy for Combating Pseudomonas aeruginosa Chronic Respiratory Infections
Authors: Rojo-Molinero Estrella , Macià María D. , Rubio Rosa , Moyà Bartolomé , Cabot Gabriel , López-Causapé Carla , Pérez José L. , Cantón Rafael , Oliver Antonio
Published: March 2016

Traditional therapeutic strategies to control chronic colonization in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients are based on the use of a single nebulized antibiotic. In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic efficacy and dynamics of antibiotic resistance in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
biofilms under sequential therapy with inhaled aztreonam (ATM) and tobramycin (TOB). Laboratory strains PAO1, PAOMS (hypermutable), PAOMA (mucoid), and PAOMSA (mucoid and hypermutable) and two hypermutable CF strains, 146-HSE (Liverpool epidemic strain [LES-1]) and 1089-HSE (ST1089), were used. Biofilms were developed using the flow cell system. Mature biofilms were challenged with peak and 1/10-peak concentrations of ATM (700 mg/liter and 70 mg/liter), TOB (1,000 mg/liter and 100 mg/liter), and their alternations (ATM/TOB/ATM and TOB/ATM/TOB) for 2 (
t
= 2), 4 (
t
= 4), and 6 days (
t
= 6). The numbers of viable cells (CFU) and resistant mutants were determined. Biofilm structural dynamics were monitored by confocal laser scanning microscopy and processed with COMSTAT and IMARIS software programs. TOB monotherapy produced an intense decrease in CFU that was not always correlated with a reduction in biomass and/or a bactericidal effect on biofilms, particularly for the CF strains. The ATM monotherapy bactericidal effect was lower, but effects on biofilm biomass and/or structure, including intense filamentation, were documented. The alternation of TOB and ATM led to an enhancement of the antibiofilm activity against laboratory and CF strains compared to that with the individual regimens, potentiating the bactericidal effect and/or the reduction in biomass, particularly at peak concentrations. Resistant mutants were not documented in any of the regimens at the peak concentrations and only anecdotally at the 1/10-peak concentrations. These results support the clinical evaluation of sequential regimens with inhaled antibiotics in CF, as opposed to the current maintenance treatments with just one antibiotic in monotherapy.
Optimization of Polymyxin B in Combination with Doripenem To Combat Mutator Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Ly Neang S. , Bulman Zackery P. , Bulitta Jürgen B. , Baron Christopher , Rao Gauri G. , Holden Patricia N. , Li Jian , Sutton Mark D. , Tsuji Brian T.
Published: March 2016

Development of spontaneous mutations in
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
has been associated with antibiotic failure, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to evaluate the pharmacodynamics of polymyxin B combinations against rapidly evolving
P. aeruginosa
mutator strains and to characterize the time course of bacterial killing and resistance via mechanism-based mathematical models. Polymyxin B or doripenem alone and in combination were evaluated against six
P. aeruginosa
strains: wild-type PAO1, mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient (
mutS
and
mutL
) strains, and 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-deoxyguanosine system (GO) base excision repair (BER)-deficient (
mutM
,
mutT
, and
mutY
) strains over 48 h. Pharmacodynamic modeling was performed using S-ADAPT and facilitated by SADAPT-TRAN. Mutator strains displayed higher mutation frequencies than the wild type (>600-fold). Exposure to monotherapy was followed by regrowth, even at high polymyxin B concentrations of up to 16 mg/liter. Polymyxin B and doripenem combinations displayed enhanced killing activity against all strains where complete eradication was achieved for polymyxin B concentrations of >4 mg/liter and doripenem concentrations of 8 mg/liter. Modeling suggested that the proportion of preexisting polymyxin B-resistant subpopulations influenced the pharmacodynamic profiles for each strain uniquely (fraction of resistance values are −8.81 log
10
for the wild type, −4.71 for the
mutS
mutant, and −7.40 log
10
for the
mutM
mutant). Our findings provide insight into the optimization of polymyxin B and doripenem combinations against
P. aeruginosa
mutator strains.
Fluoroquinolone and Third-Generation-Cephalosporin Resistance among Hospitalized Patients with Urinary Tract Infections Due to Escherichia coli: Do Rates Vary by Hospital Characteristics and Geographic Region?
Authors: Bidell Monique R. , Palchak Melissa , Mohr John , Lodise Thomas P.
Published: March 2016

This analysis of nearly 10,000 hospital-associated urinary tract infection (UTI) episodes due to
Escherichia coli
showed that fluoroquinolone and third-generation-cephalosporin resistance rates were 34.5% and 8.6%, respectively; the rate of concurrent resistance to both agents was 7.3%. Fluoroquinolone resistance rates exceeded 25% regardless of geographic location or hospital characteristics. The findings suggest that fluoroquinolones should be reserved and third-generation cephalosporins be used with caution as empirical agents for hospitalized patients with UTIs due to
E. coli
.
Cytotoxic and Inflammatory Responses Induced by Outer Membrane Vesicle-Associated Biologically Active Proteases from Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Mondal Ayan , Tapader Rima , Chatterjee Nabendu Sekhar , Ghosh Amit , Sinha Ritam , Koley Hemanta , Saha Dhira Rani , Chakrabarti Manoj K. , Wai Sun Nyunt , Pal Amit
Published: March 2016

Proteases in
Vibrio cholerae
have been shown to play a role in its pathogenesis.
V. cholerae
secretes Zn-dependent hemagglutinin protease (HAP) and calcium-dependent trypsin-like serine protease (VesC) by using the type II secretion system (TIISS). Our present studies demonstrated that these proteases are also secreted in association with outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and transported to human intestinal epithelial cells in an active form. OMV-associated HAP induces dose-dependent apoptosis in Int407 cells and an enterotoxic response in the mouse ileal loop (MIL) assay, whereas OMV-associated VesC showed a hemorrhagic fluid response in the MIL assay, necrosis in Int407 cells, and an increased interleukin-8 (IL-8) response in T84 cells, which were significantly reduced in OMVs from VesC mutant strain. Our results also showed that serine protease VesC plays a role in intestinal colonization of
V. cholerae
strains in adult mice. In conclusion, our study shows that
V. cholerae
OMVs secrete biologically active proteases which may play a role in cytotoxic and inflammatory responses.
Cigarette Smoke Attenuates the Nasal Host Response to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Predisposes to Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Mice
Authors: Shen Pamela , Morissette Mathieu C. , Vanderstocken Gilles , Gao Yang , Hassan Muhammad , Roos Abraham , Thayaparan Danya , Merlano Maria , Dorrington Michael G. , Nikota Jake K. , Bauer Carla M. T. , Kwiecien Jacek M. , Labiris Renee , Bowdish Dawn M. E. , Stevenson Christopher S. , Stämpfli Martin R.
Published: March 2016

Streptococcus pneumoniae
is a leading cause of invasive bacterial infections, with nasal colonization an important first step in disease. While cigarette smoking is a strong risk factor for invasive pneumococcal disease, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. This is partly due to a lack of clinically relevant animal models investigating nasal pneumococcal colonization in the context of cigarette smoke exposure. We present a model of nasal pneumococcal colonization in cigarette smoke-exposed mice and document, for the first time, that cigarette smoke predisposes to invasive pneumococcal infection and mortality in an animal model. Cigarette smoke increased the risk of bacteremia and meningitis without prior lung infection. Mechanistically, deficiency in interleukin 1α (IL-1α) or platelet-activating factor receptor (PAFR), an important host receptor thought to bind and facilitate pneumococcal invasiveness, did not rescue cigarette smoke-exposed mice from invasive pneumococcal disease. Importantly, we observed cigarette smoke to attenuate nasal inflammatory mediator expression, particularly that of neutrophil-recruiting chemokines, normally elicited by pneumococcal colonization. Smoking cessation during nasal pneumococcal colonization rescued nasal neutrophil recruitment and prevented invasive disease in mice. We propose that cigarette smoke predisposes to invasive pneumococcal disease by suppressing inflammatory processes of the upper respiratory tract. Given that smoking prevalence remains high worldwide, these findings are relevant to the continued efforts to reduce the invasive pneumococcal disease burden.
Intraductal carcinoma of prostate reporting practice: a survey of expert European uropathologists
Authors: Varma Murali , Egevad Lars , Algaba Ferran , Berney Daniel , Bubendorf Lukas , Camparo Philippe , Comperat Eva , Erbersdobler Andreas , Griffiths David , Grobholz Rainer , Haitel Andrea , Hulsbergen-van de Kaa Christina , Langner Cord , Loftus Barbara , Lopez-Beltran Antonio , Mayer Nick , Nesi Gabriella , Oliveira Pedro , Oxley Jon , Rioux-Leclercq Nathalie , Seitz Gerhard , Shanks Jonathan , Kristiansen Glen
Published: March 2016

Background

It is unclear whether the reported variation in the diagnosis of intraductal carcinoma of the prostate (IDC-P) is due to variable interpretation of borderline morphology, use of different diagnostic criteria or both.

Aims

We sought to determine the degree of variation in the diagnostic criteria and reporting rules for IDC-P in prostate biopsies employed by expert uropathologists.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was circulated to 23 expert uropathologists from 11 European countries.

Results

Criteria used for diagnosis of IDC-P included solid intraductal growth (100%), dense cribriform (96%), loose cribriform/micropapillary with nuclear size >6× normal (83%) or comedonecrosis (74%) and dilated ducts >2× normal (39%). ‘Nuclear size’ was interpreted as nuclear area by 74% and nuclear diameter by 21%. Pure IDC-P in needle biopsies was reported by 100% and Gleason graded by 30%. All would perform immunohistochemistry in such cases to rule out invasive cancer. An IDC-P component associated with invasive cancer would be included in the determination of tumour extent and number of cores involved by 74% and 83%, respectively. 52% would include IDC-P component when grading invasive cancer. 48% would perform immunohistochemistry in solid or cribriform nests with comedonecrosis to exclude IDC-P (17% routinely, 30% if the focus appeared to have basal cells on H&E). 48% graded such foci as Gleason pattern 5 even if immunohistochemistry demonstrated the presence of basal cells.

Conclusions

There is a need for more clarity in the definition of some of the diagnostic criteria for IDC-P as well as for greater standardisation of IDC-P reporting.
Expanding the social media presence of theJournal of Neurointerventional Surgery: editor's report
Authors: Fargen Kyle M , Ducruet Andrew F , Hyer Madison , Hirsch Joshua A , Tarr Robert W
Published: March 2016

The use of social media is pervasive throughout society and serves many purposes. Traditional forms of advertising are being upended as vendors recognize the unique abilities of social media platforms to target their messages to specific customers. Peer reviewed medical and professional journals are beginning to develop their own initiatives using social media to advertize unique content. We present the nascentJournal of NeuroInterventional Surgeryexperience.
Many non-elite multisport endurance athletes do not meet sports nutrition recommendations for carbohydrates
Authors: Masson Geneviève , Lamarche Benoît
Published: March 2016

Little is known regarding the dietary intake of non-elite athletes involved in multisport endurance events. The primary objective of this observational study was to characterize the dietary intake of non-elite athletes participating in winter triathlon (snowshoeing, skating, and cross-country skiing), winter pentathlon (winter triathlon sports + cycling and running), Ironman (IM: swimming, cycling, running), and half-distance Ironman (IM 70.3) in relation with current sports nutrition recommendations. A total of 116 non-elite athletes (32 women and 84 men) who had participated in one of those events in 2014 were included in the analyses. Usual dietary intake was assessed using a validated online food frequency questionnaire. Participants (22–66 years old) trained 14.8 ± 5.3 h/week, on average (±SD). Only 45.7% [95% confidence interval, 36.4%–55.2%] of all athletes reported consuming the recommended intake for carbohydrates, with the highest proportion (66.7%) seen in IM athletes. On the other hand, 87.1% [79.6%–92.6%] of all athletes reported consuming at least 1.2 g protein·kg−1·day−1, while 66.4% [57.0%–74.9%] reported consuming more than 1.6 g protein·kg−1·day−1. The proportion of athletes consuming the recommended amount of protein was highest (84.6%) among IM athletes. There was no difference in the proportion of athletes achieving the recommended carbohydrate and protein intakes between men and women. These findings suggest that many non-elite multisport endurance athletes do not meet the current recommendations for carbohydrates, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritional education. Further research is needed to examine how underreporting of food intake may have affected these estimates.
One-dimensional quantum spin heterojunction as a thermal switch
Authors: Yang Chuan-Jing , Jin Li-Hui , Gong Wei-Jiang
Published: March 2016

We study the thermal transport through a quantum spin-[Formula: see text] heterojunction, which consists of a finite-size chain with two-site anisotropic XY interaction and three-site XZX+YZY interaction coupled at its ends to two semi-infinite isotropic XY chains. By performing the Jordan–Wigner transformation, the original spin Hamiltonian is mapped onto a fermionic Hamiltonian. Then, the fermionic structure is discussed, and the heat current as a function of structural parameters is evaluated. It is found that the magnetic fields applied at respective chains play different roles in adjusting the heat current in this heterojunction. Moreover, the interplay between the anisotropy of the XY interaction and the three-site spin interaction assists to further control the thermal transport. In view of the numerical results, we propose this heterojunction to be an alternate candidate for manipulating the heat current in one-dimensional (1D) systems.
Half-metallicity and optoelectronic properties of V-doped zincblende ZnS and CdS alloys
Authors: El Amine Monir Mohammed , Baltache H. , Khenata R. , Murtaza G. , Ahmed R. , Ahmed Waleed. K. , Omran S. Bin , Bouhemadou A.
Published: March 2016

In this paper, spin-polarized density functional calculations on the structural, electronic, optical and magnetic properties of the zincblende structure of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] alloys at [Formula: see text] in the ferromagnetic (FM) ordering has been investigated. The study is accomplished using the full-potential (FP) linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbital (LAPW[Formula: see text]lo) self-consistent scheme of calculations. To incorporate the exchange correlation component in the total energy calculations of the crystal, Perdew–Burke and Ernzerhof (PBE) parameterization for the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) and GGA[Formula: see text]U are employed. Basically, for both alloys, to address their structural properties, we calculated their equilibrium lattice constants, bulk moduli as well as pressure derivatives. In general, from the analysis of the obtained electronic band structure of these alloys, the half-metallic nature of [Formula: see text] and nearly half-metallic nature of the [Formula: see text] alloy are demonstrated. The plotted density of states (DOS) curves project spin-exchange splitting energy [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] as generated by V-3d states. It has been clearly evident that the effective potential results for the spin-down case are more striking than for the spin-up case. In order to describe the magnetic behavior of these alloys, the exchange constants [Formula: see text] (valence band) and [Formula: see text] (conduction band) as well as the magnetic moment values are estimated. The calculated results of the magnetic moment show that the main source in the reduction of the local magnetic moment of V in the alloys in comparison with its free value is a [Formula: see text]–[Formula: see text] orbital hybridization and partial transfer to nonmagnetic sites of (Zn, S) and (Cd, S) in [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] alloys. In addition, a study concerning optical properties, such as the refractive index, reflectivity and absorption coefficients is performed to determine their potential for optical and optoelectronic devices.
Effect of external magnetic field on the co-existence of superconductivity and antiferromagnetism in rare earth nickel borocarbides (RNi2B2C)
Authors: Das Salila , Padhi Prakash Chandra
Published: March 2016

In this paper, we have studied the effect of external magnetic field in the co-existing phase of superconducting and antiferromagnetism (AFM) of rare earth nickel borocarbides. The AFM in these systems might have originated due to both localized “f” electrons as well as itinerant electrons which are responsible for conduction. On the other hand, superconductivity (SC) is due to spin density wave, arising out of Fermi surface instability. The AFM order is mostly influenced by hybridization of the “f” electron with the conduction electron. Here, we have obtained the dependence of superconducting energy gap as well as staggered magnetic field on temperature T and energy [Formula: see text] in a framework based on mean field Hamiltonian using double time electron Green’s function. We have shown in our calculation the effect of external magnetic field on superconducting and antiferromagnetic order parameters for [Formula: see text] in the presence of hybridization. The ratio of the calculated effective gap and [Formula: see text] is close to BCS value which agrees quite well with experimental results.
Physics with Polarized Targets in Storage Ring
Authors: Dmitriy Toporkov
Published: March 2016

The method of experiments with internal targets in the storage ring was proposed at the moment of creation of the first storage ring of charged particles. This method has demonstrated dramatic advances during the last 50 years. The most clearly visible progress can be seen in experiments with polarized gas targets. In this report we shall review: (a) the experiments on nuclear physics in the storage rings on the measure of polarization observables in different reactions with electron/positron and proton/deuteron beams, (b) the use of polarized gas targets in the storage ring for polarimetry of the circulated beams. The present status of the activity in this field of experimental physics is given.
Three Dimensional Imaging of the Nucleon — TMD (Theory and Phenomenology)
Authors: Liang Zuo-Tang
Published: March 2016

This is intend to provide an overview of the theory and phenomenology parts of the TMD (Transverse Momentum Dependent parton distribution and fragmentation functions) studies. By comparing with the theoretical framework that we have for the inclusive deep inelastic lepton-nucleon scattering and the one-dimensional imaging of the nucleon, I try to outline what we need to do in order to construct a comprehensive theoretical framework for semi-inclusive reactions and the three dimensional imaging of the nucleon. After that, I try to give an overview of what we have already achieved and make an outlook for the future.
Searches for the Role of Spin and Polarization in Gravity: A Five-Year Update
Authors: Ni Wei-Tou
Published: March 2016

Searches for the role of spin in gravitation dated before the firm establishment of the electron spin in 1925. Since mass and spin, or helicity in the case of zero mass, are the Casimir invariants of the Poincaré group and mass participates in universal gravitation, these searches are natural steps to pursue. In this update, we report on the progress on this topic in the last five years after our last review. We begin with how is Lorentz/Poincaré group in local physics arisen from spacetime structure as seen by photon and matter through experiments/observations. The cosmic verification of the Galileo Equivalence Principle for photons/electromagnetic wave packets (Universality of Propagation in spacetime independent of photon energy and polarization, i.e. nonbirefringence) constrains the spacetime constitutive tensor to high precision to a core metric form with an axion degree and a dilaton degree of freedom. Hughes-Drever-type experiments then constrain this core metric to agree with the matter metric. Thus comes the metric with axion and dilation. In local physics this metric gives the Lorentz/Poincaré covariance. Constraints on axion and dilaton from polarized/unpolarized laboratory/astrophysical/cosmic experiments/observations are presented. In the end, we review the theoretical progress on the issue of gyrogravitational ratio for fundamental particles and the experimental progress on the measurements of possible long range/intermediate range spin-spin, spin-monopole and spin-cosmos interactions.
Symposium Summary
Authors: Milner Richard G.
Published: March 2016

The Stern-Gerlach experiment and the origin of electron spin are described in historical context. SPIN 2014 occurs on the fortieth anniversary of the first International High Energy Spin Physics Symposium at Argonne in 1974. A brief history of the international spin conference series is presented.
Λ/Λ̄ Longitudinal Spin Transfer from Asymmetric Nucleon s/s̄ Distribution
Authors: Du Xiaozhen , Chi Yujie , Ma Bo-Qiang
Published: March 2016

We investigate quark to [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] longitudinal spin transfers in the light-cone SU(6) quark sepctator-diquark model and try to analyze the possible origins for the spin transfer difference between them measured by the COMPASS collaboration. The intermediate heavier hyperon decay processes are considered, while the final hadron transverse momentum is also included. We find that after taking into account the asymmetric nucleon [Formula: see text] distribution effect, the results we get are qualitatively comparable with the difference of the COMPASS experimental data.
Measurement of Collins Asymmetries in Inclusive Production of Charged Pion Pairs at BESIII
Authors: Guan Yinghui
Published: March 2016

We present the preliminary results of the measurement of the azimuthal asymmetries of two charged pions in the inclusive process [Formula: see text] in the BESIII experiment. These asymmetries are attributed to the so-called Collins fragmentation function, which depict the behavior of a hadron produced from a transversely polarized quark. This spin-dependent function is an important input for the global analysis of extracting the transversity inside the nucleon. In addition, by comparison with the measured asymmetries at Belle, this measurement provides the first data to explore the [Formula: see text] evolution of the spin-dependent fragmentation function. This work is performed based on about 62[Formula: see text][Formula: see text] data collected with the BESIII detector at BEPCII at [Formula: see text]=3.65[Formula: see text]GeV.
Extraction of Transversity from COMPASS and Belle Data
Authors: Bradamante Franco
Published: March 2016

The valence transversity distributions of the u- and the d-quarks have been extracted point-by-point from single-hadron production and dihadron production data measured in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering and in [Formula: see text] annihilation. The transversity distributions are found to be compatible with each other and with previous analyses.
Key Future Measurements of TMDs at Jefferson Lab and Other Facilities
Authors: Allada Kalyan
Published: March 2016

Transverse-momentum dependent parton distribution functions (TMDs) provide a description of nucleon structure in terms of the parton transverse momentum and its transverse spin. At leading twist there are eight TMDs, each offering a unique feature of quarks in a polarized or an unpolarized nucleon. The Sivers distribution is one of the most interesting TMD due to its non-universality. It has been extracted using the data from semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering (SIDIS), but there is no data yet from spin-dependent Drell-Yan (DY) process. Such measurement will provide a crucial test of TMD formalism which predicts an equal magnitude and opposite sign for the Sivers function extracted from SIDIS and DY process. We will discuss key future measurements of TMDs using both SIDIS and DY process with a focus on Hall A SoLID SIDIS program at Jefferson Lab.
Transverse Single Spin Asymmetries of Forward π0 and Jet-like Events in s = 500 GeV Polarized Proton Collisions at STAR
Authors: Pan Yuxi
Published: March 2016

The large transverse single spin asymmetries (SSA) of high [Formula: see text] inclusive hadrons produced in polarized proton collisions are usually explained by means of collinear twist-3 multi-parton correlations. In this picture these asymmetries can originate from initial-state twist-3 parton distributions in the polarized proton and/or through the coupling between proton transversity and twist-3 fragmentation functions. The measurement of SSA for forward inclusive hadrons produced in [Formula: see text] collisions out to high transverse momentum helps to examine the validity and interplay of these initial- and final-state models. These models can be further explored by investigating the dependence of the SSA on event topologies. We present our latest status on the measurement of SSA for forward inclusive [Formula: see text] detected within [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] = 500 GeV [Formula: see text] collisions as well as its dependence on event topologies. We will also present our analysis of Sivers and Collins asymmetries for forward jet-like events consisting of multi-photon final states. The measurements are based on the data taken in 2011 with integrated luminosity [Formula: see text] 22 [Formula: see text].
Measurement of Boer-Mulders Function via Drell-Yan Process by SeaQuest Experiment at Fermilab
Authors: Nakano Kenichi
Published: March 2016

The SeaQuest experiment is being carried out at Fermi National Accelerator Lab (FNAL) to investigate the nucleon structure with the Drell-Yan process. It utilizes the 120-GeV proton beam extracted from the FNAL Main Injector and targets of liquid hydrogen, liquid deuterium, carbon, iron and tungsten. The solid targets are used to measure the nuclear effects. This paper describes the flavor asymmetry of light anti-quark distributions in the proton ([Formula: see text]) and the angular distribution of Drell-Yan process. The Boer-Mulders function ([Formula: see text]) can be derived from the size ([Formula: see text]) of [Formula: see text] modulation. SeaQuest finished the second data-taking period in August 2014. Preliminary results of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are reported.
Parton Distribution Functions and One-Loop Matching
Authors: Ji Xiangdong , Zhang Jian-Hui , Zhao Yong
Published: March 2016

We discuss recent developments on computing a light-cone parton distribution from the large momentum limit of the hadronic matrix element of a space-like correlator, and present the one-loop matching condition connecting these two quantities. The matching condition is useful for extracting the former quantity from the latter, which is calculable on the lattice.
Initial Research of np Scattering with Polarized Deuterium Target at ANKE/COSY
Authors: Gou B.
Published: March 2016

The quasi-free np charge-exchange reaction [Formula: see text] has to be employed to extend the investigations of np scattering at ANKE to the highest energy available at COSY. As the proof-of-principle experiment, the initial research has been conducted at proton energy [Formula: see text] MeV using a polarized Deuterium target. The vector and tensor analyzing powers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] were measured for momentum transfers [Formula: see text] MeV/c. These data connect smoothly with the previous measurements at [Formula: see text] MeV/c performed using a polarized deuteron beam. The reported data are well reproduced by the impulse approximation using the SAID np amplitudes. The results therefore proves that it is possible to continue the np programme at higher energies at ANKE.
Role of Spin in NN → NNπ
Authors: Baru Vadim
Published: March 2016

The recent measurements of the reactions [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] by the ANKE collaboration at COSY are analyzed with the focus on the p-wave pion production amplitudes. These amplitudes are known to provide an important connection between [Formula: see text] and other low-energy few-nucleon reactions. The results of the recent partial wave analysis of the ANKE data are discussed and compared with the theoretical predictions.
Spin Density Matrix Elements in Exclusive Production of Omega Mesons at HERMES
Authors: Marukyan Hrachya
Published: March 2016

Exclusive electroproduction of [Formula: see text] mesons on unpolarized hydrogen and deuterium targets is studied at HERMES in the kinematic region of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. The data were accumulated during the 1996-2007 running period using the [Formula: see text] longitudinally polarized electron or positron beams at HERA. The determination of the virtual-photon longitudinal-to-transverse cross-section ratio shows that a considerable part of the cross section arises from transversely polarized photons. Spin density matrix elements are derived and presented in projections of [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text]. Violation of s-channel helicity conservation is observed for some of these elements. A sizable contribution from unnatural-parity-exchange amplitudes is found and the phase shift between those amplitudes that describe transverse [Formula: see text] production by longitudinal and transverse virtual photons is determined for the first time. Good agreement is found between the HERMES proton data and results of a pQCD-inspired phenomenological model that includes pion-pole contributions.
Polarization Observables in Few-Nucleon Scattering
Authors: Kistryn St. , Stephan E.
Published: March 2016

Systems composed of a few nucleons are subject of experimental studies for many years with the aim to gain precise information on the interaction between nucleons. Intermediate energies, below the threshold for pion production, deserve special attention: it is a region where comparison with exact theoretical calculations is possible, while the sensitivity to various aspects of interaction, like subtle effects of the dynamics beyond the pairwise nucleon-nucleon force, is significant. In addition to differential cross section, the observables related to nuclear polarization are studied, like vector and tensor analyzing powers, spin-correlation coefficients or polarization transfer coefficients. A brief survey of results of recent studies in few-nucleon systems is given.
Development of Neutron Polarization Measurement System for Studying NN interaction in Nuclear Medium
Authors: Yasuda J. , Wakasa T. , Dozono M. , Fukunaga T. , Gotanda S. , Hatanaka K. , Kanaya Y. , Maeda Y. , Maeda Y. , Miki K. , Nishio Y. , Noro T. , Ohnaka K. , Sakaguchi S. , Sakemi Y. , Sekiguchi K. , Tamii A. , Taguchi T. , Wada Y.
Published: March 2016

We have developed the neutron polarization measurement system to perform the first polarization-transfer measurement for the exclusive [Formula: see text] reaction. For the neutron polarization measurement, we have reconstructed the neutron polarimeter NPOL3. The NPOL3 system has been calibrated by using the polarized neutron from the [Formula: see text] reaction, and the resulting effective analyzing power is [Formula: see text]. For the exclusive measurement, the Large Acceptance Spectrometer (LAS) has been used for the recoil proton detection. The energy resolution of 6 MeV is achieved for separation energy, which is sufficient to separate the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] orbits for light nuclei.
High Precision Electon Beam Polarimetry
Authors: Dutta D.
Published: March 2016

Over the last three decades high precision electron beam polarimetry has been at the fore-front of progress made in leveraging the spin degrees of freedom in nuclear and particle physics experiments. We review the three main types of polarimeters, Compton, Møller and Mott, that are typically used in experiments. We discuss some of the recent results in high precision electron polarimetry and some of the new ideas that are being explored for future application at current and proposed accelerators.