bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bacteria‐driven production of alkyl nitrates in seawater
Authors: Kim Michelle J. , Michaud Jennifer M. , Williams Renee , Sherwood Byron Pedler , Pomeroy Robert , Azam Farooq , Burkart Michael , Bertram Timothy H.
Published: January 2015

Aircraft‐ and ship‐borne measurements have shown that the ocean is a large, diffuse source for short chain (C1–C3) gas phase alkyl nitrates (RONO2). Photochemical production of RONO2 has been demonstrated previously as a viable mechanism in surface waters; however, it cannot account for the observed depth profile of RONO2, suggesting an additional, dark RONO2 production mechanism. We present measurements of gas phase C1–C5 alkyl nitrates emitted from seawater in a controlled mesocosm experiment conducted under low‐light conditions in a glass‐walled wave channel. Ethyl and butyl nitrate emission rates from seawater are strongly correlated with the abundance of heterotrophic bacteria (R2 ≥ 0.89) and show no correlation to chlorophyll a concentration. Controlled flask experiments conducted using ambient and sterile seawater, inoculated with a heterotrophic bacterium, confirm that bacterial driven production of select RONO2 can proceed efficiently in the absence of light.
Ocean acidification along the 24.5°N section in the subtropical North Atlantic
Authors: Guallart Elisa F. , Fajar Noelia M. , Padín Xose Antonio , Vázquez‐Rodríguez Marcos , Calvo Eva , Ríos Aida F. , Hernández‐Guerra Alonso , Pelejero Carles , Pérez Fiz F.
Published: January 2015

Ocean acidification is directly related to increasing atmospheric CO2 levels due to human activities and the active role of the global ocean in absorbing part of this anthropogenic CO2. Here we present an assessment of the pH changes that have occurred along 24.5°N in the subtropical North Atlantic through comparison of pH observations conducted in 1992 and 2011. It reveals an overall decline in pH values in the first 1000 dbar of the water column. The deconvolution of the temporal pH differences into anthropogenic and nonanthropogenic components reveals that natural variability, mostly owed to a decrease in oxygen levels in particular regions of the section, explains the vertical distribution of the larger pH decreases (up to −0.05 pH units), which are found within the permanent thermocline. The detection of long‐term trends in dissolved oxygen in the studied region gains importance for future pH projections, as these changes modulate the anthropogenically derived acidification. The anthropogenic forcing explains significant acidification deeper than 1000 dbar in the western basin, within the Deep Western Boundary Current.
Longitudinal variations of the nighttime E layer electron density in the auroral zone
Authors: Luan Xiaoli , Wang Wenbin , Dou Xiankang , Burns Alan , Yue Xinan
Published: January 2015

Longitudinal variations of the nighttime E layer electron density (21:00–03:00 magnetic local time) in the auroral zone are investigated, and their sources are discussed in terms of auroral precipitation and solar radiation. The electron density data used in this study are retrieved from Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate radio occultation observations during 2006–2009 under quiet geomagnetic activity (Kp ≤ 3) and solar minimum conditions. The main conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) the nighttime E layer electron density had pronounced longitudinal variations in the auroral zone. These variations depended on season and had large hemispheric asymmetry for all seasons. In winter, relatively larger electron density was located in 120–310° magnetic longitude (MLON) in the northern hemisphere and in 170–360° MLON in the southern hemisphere, and greater maximum density occurred in the northern hemisphere than in the southern one. In summer and equinox, the longitudinal asymmetry was greater in the southern hemisphere. (2) The peaks of the E layer electron density along latitude generally occurred between 65° and 70° magnetic latitude in the auroral zone in all seasons for both hemispheres except for the sunlit sector of the southern summer. (3) The greater electron density in local winter in the auroral zone was generally associated with the more intense auroral precipitation intensity at roughly the same longitude, whereas the longitudinal patterns of the electron density were under the combined impact of both auroral precipitation and solar radiation in the local summer and equinoxes.
Observations of ionospheric F layer quadruple stratification near equatorial region
Authors: Tardelli A. , Fagundes P. R.
Published: January 2015

This paper presents and discusses the occurrence of F layer quadruple stratification (StF‐1, StF‐2, StF‐3, and StF‐4) during southern hemisphere winter season (June, July, and August 2002) and high solar activity condition, which was observed at Palmas (10.3°S, 48.3°W; dip latitude 5.5°S—near equatorial region), Brazilian sector. This is the first time that the formation of F layer quadruple stratification (StF‐1, StF‐2, StF‐3, and StF‐4) has been reported in the South American sector. The StF‐4 has a short lifetime compared with triple stratification/F3 layer, and it is antecedent and followed by triple/F3 layer stratification.
Vibrational modes of hydraulic fractures: Inference of fracture geometry from resonant frequencies and attenuation
Authors: Lipovsky Bradley P. , Dunham Eric M.
Published: January 2015

Oscillatory seismic signals arising from resonant vibrations of hydraulic fractures are observed in many geologic systems, including volcanoes, glaciers and ice sheets, and hydrocarbon and geothermal reservoirs. To better quantify the physical dimensions of fluid‐filled cracks and properties of the fluids within them, we study wave motion along a thin hydraulic fracture waveguide. We present a linearized analysis, valid at wavelengths greater than the fracture aperture, that accounts for quasi‐static elastic deformation of the fracture walls, as well as fluid viscosity, inertia, and compressibility. In the long‐wavelength limit, anomalously dispersed guided waves known as crack or Krauklis waves propagate with restoring force from fracture wall elasticity. At shorter wavelengths, the waves become sound waves within the fluid channel. Wave attenuation in our model is due to fluid viscosity, rather than seismic radiation from crack tips or fracture wall roughness. We characterize viscous damping at both low frequencies, where the flow is always fully developed, and at high frequencies, where the flow has a nearly constant velocity profile away from viscous boundary layers near the fracture walls. Most observable seismic signals from resonating fractures likely arise in the boundary layer crack wave limit, where fluid‐solid coupling is pronounced and attenuation is minimal. We present a method to estimate the aperture and length of a resonating hydraulic fracture using both the seismically observed quality factor and characteristic frequency. Finally, we develop scaling relations between seismic moment and characteristic frequency that might be useful when interpreting the statistics of hydraulic fracture events.
A City for Education
Authors: Ahmadi Ameena
Published: January 2015

Ameena Ahmadi is Architecture Manager at the Qatar Foundation, overseeing the development of the masterplan and facilities of Education City in Doha, a multi‐institution educational campus, incorporating schools and universities. Ahmadi describes how education is a significant cornerstone for Qatar's national transition ‘to a knowledge‐based’ economy from a ‘hydrocarbon‐based’ one. This is symbolised by substantial investment in the flagship Education City with its Arata Isozaki masterplan and its individual schools and universities designed by premier international architects.
Drawing on Sand: Cities in the Making
Authors: Velegrinis Steven , Katodrytis George
Published: January 2015

Steven Velegrinis, Director of Urban Design for Perkins+Will in Dubai, and Guest‐Editor George Katodrytis liken Gulf cities to the shifting sands that they sit upon. Showing urban development to be in a constant state of flux in the region, they highlight four key eras in the unprecedented rapid development of these cities.
New Hearts for Two Gulf Cities
Authors: Pallathucheril Varkki
Published: January 2015

Doha in Qatar and Sharjah in the UAE are both currently looking to their own heritage for inspiration in the redevelopment of their urban cores or hearts. Varkki Pallathucheril, an expert in urban planning and Professor at the College of Architecture, Art and Design at the American University of Sharjah (AUS), considers the impact challenges of this type of development.
Performative Urbanism: An Emerging Model of the Gulf
Authors: Katodrytis George
Published: January 2015

With the largest stretch of desert sand in the world, the UAE has an extreme climate and arid ecology. Previous to the postwar discovery of oil in the region, the built environment developed with low or no energy to be responsive to extreme climatic changes. Guest‐Editor George Katodrytis looks at the ways that a more performative approach might be employed in contemporary architecture to make it more culturally and climatically relevant.
A Field of Possibilities: The Post‐Oil Future of Bahrain
Authors: Al Sayeh Noura
Published: January 2015

Much of the continuing urban development of the Gulf region rests on the oil economy. What happens, though, when the oil runs out? What is the alternative model? Bahrain is already facing the depletion of the oil that supported its rapid growth. Noura Al Sayeh, the Head of Architectural Affairs at the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain, highlights how architecture might be developed to generate new urban forms that are economically viable and environmentally sustainable.
Human ecodynamics in the Mangareva Islands: a stratified sequence from Nenega‐Iti Rock Shelter (site AGA‐3, Agakauitai Island)
Authors: Kirch Patrick V. , Molle Guillaume , Nickelsen Cordelia , Mills Peter , Dotte‐Sarout Emilie , Swift Jillian , Wolfe Allison , Horrocks Mark
Published: January 2015

The Gambier Islands (French Polynesia) are noted for their extreme deforestation and low biodiversity in the post‐European contact period. We report on the archaeological and palaeoecological investigation of a stratified rock shelter (site AGA‐3) on Agakauitai Island, revealing a sequence of environmental transformation following Polynesian colonisation of the archipelago. Radiocarbon dates indicate use of the rock shelter from the 13th to the mid‐17th centuries, followed by a sterile depositional hiatus, and then final early post‐contact use (late 18th to early 19th century). Zooarchaeological analysis of faunal remains indicates rapid declines in local populations of seabirds, especially procellariids, as well as later increases in numbers of the introduced, commensal Pacific rat (Rattus exulans). Macro‐ and micro‐botanical evidence documents transformation of the island's flora from indigenous forest to one dominated by economic plants and fire‐resistant taxa. A multi‐causal model of dynamic interactions, including nutrient depletion due to seabird loss, most likely accounts for this dramatic ecological transformation.
Constitutive expression of McCHIT1–PAT enhances resistance to rice blast and herbicide, but does not affect grain yield in transgenic glutinous rice
Authors: Zeng Xiao‐Fang , Li Lei , Li Jian‐Rong , Zhao De‐Gang
Published: January 2015

To produce new rice blast‐ and herbicide‐resistant transgenic rice lines, the McCHIT1 gene encoding the class I chitinase from Momordica charantia and the herbicide resistance gene PAT were introduced into Lailong (Oryza sativa L. ssp. Japonica), a glutinous local rice variety from Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China. Transgenic lines were identified by ß‐glucuronidase (GUS) histochemical staining, PCR, and Southern blot analyses. Agronomic traits, resistance to rice blast and herbicide, chitinase activities, and transcript levels of McCHIT1 were assessed in the T2 progeny of three transgenic lines (L1, L8, and L10). The results showed that the introduction of McCHIT1–PAT into Lailong significantly enhanced herbicide and blast resistance. After infection with the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, all of the T2 progeny exhibited less severe lesion symptoms than those of wild type. The disease indices were 100% for wild type, 65.66% for T2 transgenic line L1, 59.69% for T2 transgenic line L8, and 79.80% for T2 transgenic line L10. Transgenic lines expressing McCHIT1–PAT did not show a significant difference from wild type in terms of malondialdehyde (MDA) content, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the leaves. However, after inoculation with M. oryzae, transgenic plants showed significantly higher SOD and PPO activities and lower MDA contents in leaves, compared with those in wild‐type leaves. The transgenic and the wild‐type plants did not show significant differences in grain yield parameters including plant height, panicles per plant, seeds per panicle, and 1000‐grain weight. Therefore, the transgenic plants showed increased herbicide and blast resistance, with no yield penalty.
Long‐term adaptive response to high‐frequency light signals in the unicellular photosynthetic eukaryote Dunaliella salina
Authors: Combe Charlotte , Hartmann Philipp , Rabouille Sophie , Talec Amelie , Bernard Olivier , Sciandra Antoine
Published: January 2015

Productivity of microalgal cultivation processes is tightly related to photosynthetic efficiency, and therefore to light availability at the cell scale. In an agitated, highly turbid suspension,the light signal received by a single phytoplankton cell moving in a dense culture is a succession of flashes. The growth characteristics of microalgae under such dynamic light conditions are thus fundamental information to understand nonlinear properties of the photosynthetic process and to improve cultivation process design and operation. Studies of the long term consequences of dynamic illumination regime on photosynthesis require a very specific experimental set‐up where fast varying signals are applied on the long term. In order to investigate the growth response of the unicellular photosynthetic eukaryote Dunaliella salina (Chlorophyceae) to intermittent light exposure, different light regimes using LEDs with the same average total light dose were applied in continuous cultures. Flashing light with different durations of light flashes (△t of 30 s, 15 s, 2 s and 0.1 s) followed by dark periods of variable length (0.67 ≤ L:D ≤ 2) yielding flash frequencies in the range 0.017–5 Hz, were compared to continuous illumination. Specific growth rate, photosynthetic pigments, lipid productivity and elemental composition were measured on two duplicates for each irradiance condition. The different treatments of intermittent light led to specific growth rates ranging from 0.25 to 0.93 day−1. While photosynthetic efficiency was enhanced with increased flash frequency, no significant differences were observed in the particular carbon and chlorophyll content. Pigment analysis showed that within this range of flash frequency, cells progressively photoacclimated to the average light intensity. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1111–1121. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Direct measurement of local dissolved oxygen concentration spatial profiles in a cell culture environment
Authors: Kagawa Yuki , Matsuura Katsuhisa , Shimizu Tatsuya , Tsuneda Satoshi
Published: January 2015

Controlling local dissolved oxygen concentration (DO) in media is critical for cell or tissue cultures. Various biomaterials and culture methods have been developed to modulate DO. Direct measurement of local DO in cultures has not been validated as a method to test DO modulation. In the present study we developed a DO measurement system equipped with a Clark‐type oxygen microelectrode manipulated with 1 μm precision in three‐dimensional space to explore potential applications for tissue engineering. By determining the microelectrode tip position precisely against the bottom plane of culture dishes with rat or human cardiac cells in static monolayer culture, we successfully obtained spatial distributions of DO in the medium. Theoretical quantitative predictions fit the obtained data well. Based on analyses of the variance between samples, we found the data reflected “local” oxygen consumption in the vicinity of the microelectrode and the detection of temporal changes in oxygen consumption rates of cultured cells was limited by the diffusion rate of oxygen in the medium. This oxygen measuring system monitors local oxygen consumption and production with high spatial resolution, and can potentially be used with recently developed oxygen modulating biomaterials to design microenvironments and non‐invasively monitor local DO dynamics during culture. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2015;112: 1263–1274. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of Basic and Acidic Additives on the Separation of Some Basic Drug Enantiomers on Polysaccharide‐Based Chiral Columns With Acetonitrile as Mobile Phase
Authors: Gogaladze Khatuna , Chankvetadze Lali , Tsintsadze Maia , Farkas Tivadar , Chankvetadze Bezhan
Published: January 2015

The separation of enantiomers of 16 basic drugs was studied using polysaccharide‐based chiral selectors and acetonitrile as mobile phase with emphasis on the role of basic and acidic additives on the separation and elution order of enantiomers. Out of the studied chiral selectors, amylose phenylcarbamate‐based ones more often showed a chiral recognition ability compared to cellulose phenylcarbamate derivatives. An interesting effect was observed with formic acid as additive on enantiomer resolution and enantiomer elution order for some basic drugs. Thus, for instance, the enantioseparation of several β‐blockers (atenolol, sotalol, toliprolol) improved not only by the addition of a more conventional basic additive to the mobile phase, but also by the addition of an acidic additive. Moreover, an opposite elution order of enantiomers was observed depending on the nature of the additive (basic or acidic) in the mobile phase. Chirality 27:228–234, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A new model for the viscosity of asphaltene solutions
Authors: Pal Rajinder
Published: January 2015

The modelling of viscosity of asphaltene solutions is a longstanding unresolved problem. A number of empirical and semi‐empirical viscosity models have been proposed. However, no single equation is found to adequately describe all the asphaltene systems. In this article, a new viscosity model for asphaltene solutions is developed taking into consideration the clustering of asphaltene nano‐aggregates. At low concentrations of asphaltenes, the asphaltenes are assumed to exist in the form of isolated “disk‐shaped” nano‐aggregates. At high concentrations, clustering of nano‐aggregates is allowed, resulting in an increase in the effective volume fraction of asphaltenes due to continuous‐phase immobilization within the clusters. A model is proposed to relate the effective volume fraction of asphaltenes to the actual volume fraction. The ratio of effective volume fraction to actual volume fraction of asphaltenes is dependent on the type of packing of nano‐aggregates within the clusters. The viscosity model is developed using the effective medium approach, taking into account the clustering of nano‐aggregates and the relationship between effective volume fraction and actual volume fraction of asphaltenes. Twenty‐one sets of literature data covering different sources of asphaltenes, different types of asphaltenes, different types of solvents, and broad ranges of temperature and volume fraction of asphaltenes, are used to validate the proposed model. All the viscosity data could be described very well with the proposed model assuming random close packing of nano‐aggregates within the clusters. Only intrinsic viscosity is required to predict relative viscosity of concentrated asphaltene solutions from the model.
Postoperative radiotherapy: Not all thymic malignancies are created equal
Authors: Rimner Andreas
Published: January 2015

The key finding of Omasa et al.'s study is that postoperative radiotherapy is associated with an improvement in recurrence‐free survival in patients with thymic carcinoma but not in patients with thymoma.
Postoperative radiotherapy is effective for thymic carcinoma but not for thymoma in stage II and III thymic epithelial tumors: The Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus Database Study
Authors: Omasa Mitsugu , Date Hiroshi , Sozu Takashi , Sato Tosiya , Nagai Kanji , Yokoi Kohei , Okamoto Tatsuro , Ikeda Norihiko , Tanaka Fumihiro , Maniwa Yoshimasa ,   for the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

The efficacy of postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) for thymic epithelial tumors is still controversial. Using the Japanese Association for Research on the Thymus (JART) database, this study was aimed at clarifying the efficacy of PORT for Masaoka stage II and III thymic carcinoma and thymoma.

METHODS

The JART database registered the records of 2835 patients collected from 32 Japanese institutions from 1991 to 2010. Thymic carcinoma and thymoma at stage II or III were extracted. The efficacy of PORT with respect to relapse‐free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) was evaluated with the Kaplan‐Meier method and Cox regression analysis.

RESULTS

There were 1265 patients in all: 155 thymic carcinoma cases (12.3%) and 1110 thymoma cases (87.7%). Eight hundred ninety‐five (70.8%) were at stage II, and 370 (29.2%) were at stage III. Four hundred three cases (31.9%) underwent PORT. PORT for stage II and III thymic carcinoma was associated with increasing RFS (hazard ratio, 0.48; 95% confidence interval, 0.30‐0.78; P = .003) but was not associated with OS (hazard ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.51‐1.75; P = .536). PORT for stage II and III thymoma was not associated with RFS or OS (P = .350). A subgroup analysis of stage III thymoma showed no factor associated with the efficacy of PORT.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, PORT did not increase RFS or OS for stage II or III thymoma but increased RFS for stage II and III thymic carcinoma. Cancer 2015;121:1008–1016. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Health behaviors of minority childhood cancer survivors
Authors: Stolley Melinda R. , Sharp Lisa K. , Tangney Christy C. , Schiffer Linda A. , Arroyo Claudia , Kim Yoonsang , Campbell Richard T. , Schmidt Mary Lou , Breen Kathleen , Kinahan Karen E. , Dilley Kim J. , Henderson Tara O. , Korenblit Allen D. , Seligman Katya
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Available data have suggested that childhood cancer survivors (CCSs) are comparable to the general population with regard to many lifestyle parameters. However, to the authors' knowledge, little is known regarding minority CCSs. This cross‐sectional study describes and compares the body mass index and health behaviors of African American, Hispanic, and white survivors with each other and with noncancer controls.

METHODS

Participants included 452 adult CCSs (150 African American, 152 Hispanic, and 150 white individuals) recruited through 4 childhood cancer treating institutions and 375 ethnically matched noncancer controls (125 in each racial/ethnic group) recruited via targeted digit dial. All participants completed a 2‐hour in‐person interview.

RESULTS

Survivors and noncancer controls reported similar health behaviors. Within survivors, smoking and physical activity were found to be similar across racial/ethnic groups. African American and Hispanic survivors reported lower daily alcohol use compared with white individuals, but consumed unhealthy diets and were more likely to be obese.

CONCLUSIONS

This unique study highlights that many minority CCSs exhibit lifestyle profiles that contribute to an increased risk of chronic diseases and late effects. Recommendations for behavior changes must consider the social and cultural context in which minority survivors may live. Cancer 2015;121:1671–1680. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Trends in imaging after diagnosis of thyroid cancer
Authors: Wiebel Jaime L. , Banerjee Mousumi , Muenz Daniel G. , Worden Francis P. , Haymart Megan R.
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

The largest growth noted among differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) diagnosis is in low‐risk cancers. Trends in imaging after the diagnosis of DTC are understudied. Hypothesizing a reduction in imaging use due to rising low‐risk disease, the authors evaluated postdiagnosis imaging patterns over time and patient characteristics that are associated with the likelihood of imaging.

METHODS

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results‐Medicare database, the authors identified patients diagnosed with localized, regional, or distant DTC between 1991 and 2009. Medicare claims were reviewed for use of neck ultrasound, iodine‐131 (I‐131) scan, or positron emission tomography (PET) scan within 3 years after diagnosis. Trends in imaging use were evaluated using regression analyses. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the likelihood of imaging based on patient characteristics.

RESULTS

A total of 23,669 patients were included. Compared with patients diagnosed between 1991 and 2000, those diagnosed between 2001 and 2009 were more likely to have localized disease (P<.001) and tumors measuring <1 cm (P<.001). Use of neck ultrasound and I‐131 scans increased in patients with localized disease (P ≤.001 and P = .003, respectively), regional disease (P<.001 and P<.001, respectively), and distant metastasis (P = .001 and P = .015, respectively). Patients diagnosed after 2000 were more likely to undergo neck ultrasound (odds ratio, 2.15; 95% confidence interval, 2.02‐2.28) and I‐131 scan (odds ratio, 1.44; 95% confidence interval, 1.35‐1.54). Compared with 1996 through 2004, PET scan use from 2005 to 2009 increased 32.4‐fold (P≤.001) in patients with localized disease, 13.1‐fold (P<.001) in patients with regional disease, and 33.4‐fold (P<.001) in patients with distant DTC.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite an increase in the diagnosis of low‐risk disease, the use of postdiagnosis imaging increased among patients with all stages of disease. The largest growth observed was in the use of PET after 2004. Cancer 2015;121:1387–1394. © 2015 American Cancer Society.
Health‐related quality of life in lung cancer survivors: Latent class and latent transition analysis
Authors: Kenzik Kelly M. , Martin Michelle Y. , Fouad Mona N. , Pisu Maria
Published: January 2015

BACKGROUND

Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) heterogeneity among cancer survivors may mask subgroups (classes) with different limitations and long‐term outcomes. The authors determined the HRQOL classes that exist among lung cancer survivors, examined transitions among those classes over time, and compared survival outcomes of patients according to the classes present in the initial phase of care.

METHODS

Lung cancer survivors in the Cancer Care Outcomes Research and Surveillance Consortium completed EuroQol 5‐domain quality‐of‐life questionnaires 4.8 months (initial phase) and >1 year (survivorship phase) after diagnosis (n = 1396). Latent class analysis and latent transition analysis were used to determine HRQOL classes and transitions across time. Correlates of class membership were tested using multinomial logistic regression. Kaplan‐Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to compare survival across class membership.

RESULTS

Latent class analysis identified 4 classes at diagnosis and follow‐up: 1) poor HRQOL, 2) pain‐dominant impairment, 3) mobility/usual activities impairment, and 4) good HRQOL. Probabilities of remaining in the same class were .87, .85, .82, and .73 for classes 4, 1, 3, and 2, respectively. Younger age, lower income, lower education, comorbidities, and a history of depression/emotional problems were associated with a greater likelihood of being in classes 1, 2, or 3 at follow‐up. Patients in classes 1 and 3 had significantly lower median survival estimates than patients in class 4 (4.8 years, 3.8 years, and 5.5 years, respectively;P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Examining the heterogeneity of HRQOL in lung cancer populations allows the identification of classes with different limitations and long‐term outcomes and, thus, guides tailored and patient‐centered provision of supportive care.Cancer2015;121:1520–1528.©2015 American Cancer Society.
The isthmic nuclei providing parallel feedback connections to the avian tectum have different neurochemical identities: Expression of glutamatergic and cholinergic markers in the chick (Gallus gallus)
Authors: González‐Cabrera Cristian , Garrido‐Charad Florencia , Roth Alejandro , Marín Gonzalo J.
Published: January 2015

Retinal inputs to the optic tectum (TeO) triggered by moving stimuli elicit synchronized feedback signals from two isthmic nuclei: the isthmi parvocelullaris (Ipc) and isthmi semilunaris (SLu). Both of these nuclei send columnar axon terminals back to the same tectal position receiving the retinal input. The feedback signals from the Ipc seem to act as an attentional spotlight by selectively boosting the propagation of retinal inputs from the tectum to higher visual areas. Although Ipc and SLu nuclei are widely considered cholinergic because of their immunoreactivity for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), contradictory findings, including the expression of the vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGluT2) mRNA in Ipc neurons, have raised doubts about the purely cholinergic nature of this nucleus. In this study, in chicks, we revise the neurochemical identity of the isthmic nuclei by using in situ hybridization assays for VGluT2 along with three cholinergic markers: the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), the high‐affinity choline transporter (CHT1) and ChAT. We found that neurons in the SLu showed strong mRNA expression of all three cholinergic markers, whereas the expression of VAChT mRNA in the Ipc was undetectable in our essays. Instead, Ipc neurons exhibited a strong expression of VGluT2 mRNA. Immunohistochemistry assays showed VGluT2 immunoreactivity in the TeO codistributing with anterogradely labeled Ipc axon‐terminal boutons, further supporting a glutamatergic function for the Ipc nucleus. Therefore, our results strongly suggest that, in the chick, whereas the feedback from the SLu to the TeO is indeed cholinergic, the feedback from the Ipc has a marked glutamatergic component. J. Comp. Neurol. 523:1341–1358, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mean square exponential synchronization for impulsive coupled neural networks with time‐varying delays and stochastic disturbances
Authors: Tang Ze , Park Ju H. , Lee Tae H. , Feng Jianwen
Published: January 2015

In this article, the mean square exponential synchronization of a class of impulsive coupled neural networks with time‐varying delays and stochastic disturbances is investigated. The information transmission among the systems can be directed and lagged, that is, the coupling matrices are not needed to be symmetrical and there exist interconnection delays. The dynamical behaviors of the networks can be both continuous and discrete. Specially, the time‐varying delays are taken into consideration to describe the impulsive effects of the system. The control objective is that the trajectories of the salve system by designing suitable control schemes track the trajectories of the master system with impulsive effects. Consequently, sufficient criteria for guaranteeing the mean square exponential convergence of the two systems are obtained in view of Lyapunov stability theory, comparison principle, and mathematical induction. Finally, a numerical simulation is presented to show the verification of the main results in this article. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 190–202, 2016
Extremal t‐apex trees with respect to matching energy
Authors: Xu Kexiang , Zheng Zhiqing , Ch. Das Kinkar
Published: January 2015

The matching energy of a graph is defined as the sum of the absolute values of the zeros of its matching polynomial. For any integer t≥1, a graph G is called t‐apex tree if there exists a t‐set
such that G − X is a tree, while for any
with
, G − Y is not a tree. Let
be the set of t‐apex trees of order n. In this article, we determine the extremal graphs from
with minimal and maximal matching energies, respectively. Moreover, as an application, the extremal cacti of order n and with s cycles have been completely characterized at which the minimal matching energy are attained. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 238–247, 2016
A delay decomposition approach for robust dissipativity and passivity analysis of neutral‐type neural networks with leakage time‐varying delay
Authors: Nagamani Gnaneswaran , Radhika Thirunavukkarasu , Balasubramaniam Pagavathi
Published: January 2015

This article presents the robust dissipativity and passivity analysis of neutral‐type neural networks with leakage time‐varying delay via delay decomposition approach. Using delay decomposition technique, new delay‐dependent criteria ensuring the considered system to be
‐γ dissipative are established in terms of strict linear matrix inequalities. A new Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional is constructed by dividing the discrete and neutral delay intervals into m and l segments, respectively, and choosing different Lyapunov functionals to different segments. Further, the dissipativity behaviors of neural networks which are affected due to the sensitiveness of the time delay in the leakage term have been taken into account. Finally, numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 248–264, 2016
Do shrubs reduce the adverse effects of grazing on soil properties?
Authors: Eldridge David J. , Beecham Genevieve , Grace James B.
Published: January 2015

Increases in the density of woody plants are a global phenomenon in drylands, and large aggregations of shrubs, in particular, are regarded as being indicative of dysfunctional ecosystems. There is increasing evidence that overgrazing by livestock reduces ecosystem functions in shrublands, but that shrubs may buffer the negative effects of increasing grazing. We examined changes in water infiltration and nutrient concentrations in soils under shrubs and in their interspaces in shrublands in eastern Australia that varied in the intensity of livestock grazing. We used structural equation modelling to test whether shrubs might reduce the negative effects of overgrazing on infiltration and soil carbon and nitrogen (henceforth ‘soil nutrients’). Soils under shrubs and subject to low levels of grazing were more stable and had greater levels of soil nutrients. Shrubs had a direct positive effect on soil nutrients; but, grazing negatively affected nutrients by increasing soil bulk density. Structural equation modelling showed that shrubs had a direct positive effect on water flow under ponded conditions but also enhanced water flow, indirectly, through increased litter cover. Any positive effects of shrubs on water flow under low levels of grazing waned at high levels of grazing. Our results indicate that shrubs may reduce the adverse effects of grazing on soil properties. Specifically, shrubs could restrict access to livestock and therefore protect soils and plants beneath their canopies. Low levels of grazing are likely to ensure the retention of soil water and soil carbon and nitrogen in shrubland soils. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Test–retest reliability of pain extent and pain location using a novel method for pain drawing analysis
Authors: Barbero M. , Moresi F. , Leoni D. , Gatti R. , Egloff M. , Falla D.
Published: January 2015

Background

Pain drawings (PDs) are an important component of the assessment of a patient with pain. The aim of this work is to present the test–retest reliability of a novel method of quantifying the extent and location of pain. Additionally, the association between PD variables and clinical features in patients with chronic neck pain (CNP) and chronic low back pain (CLBP) was explored.

Methods

Fifty‐one patients with CLBP and 56 patients with CNP participated. Each patient shaded two consecutive PDs using a digital tablet. Software was developed to quantify the pain extent, to analyse the pain overlap between PDs and to produce pain frequency maps. Correlations were obtained between pain extent and clinical features including the level of pain intensity, disability, and psychological distress and cognitive function.

Results

The intraclass correlation coefficients for pain extent in CLBP and CNP were very high: 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95–0.98) and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87–0.98), respectively. The Bland Altman showed a mean difference close to zero: 5.4% pixels in CNP group and 3% pixels in the CLBP group. Significant correlations were observed between pain extent and pain intensity in CLBP and CNP and pain extent and disability in CNP. There was no relation between pain extent and the level of distress or cognitive function.

Conclusions

A novel method for the acquisition of PD was presented. Test–retest reliability of reporting pain extent and pain location was supported in people with CNP and CLBP. Future research is needed to establish psychometric properties of PD.
Time‐wave velocity analysis for early earthquake damage detection in buildings: application to a damaged full‐scale RC building
Authors: Rahmani Mohammadtaghi , Ebrahimian Mahdi , Todorovska Maria I.
Published: January 2015

An algorithm for time velocity analysis of building response is presented, which identifies the wave velocity of vertically propagating waves through the building and detects their changes. The algorithm is intended for use in SHM systems for rapid assessment of the structural health and integrity following an earthquake. The velocities are identified by an interferometric algorithm, which involves least squares fit of pulses in impulse response functions. An important feature of this method is that it is not sensitive to the effects of soil–structure interaction. The algorithm is applied to a 12‐story RC building in Los Angeles, lightly damaged by the San Fernando 1971 earthquake. The results of the time velocity analysis are critically compared with results of analysis of input power, interstory drift, and instantaneous frequency. The identified average vertical wave velocity was initially ~140 m/s for the NS and ~110 m/s for the EW response and reduced by ~26% and 32%, respectively. The detected reduction of the fundamental frequency of vibration was larger (~44% for the NS and 48% for the EW response). The difference is interpreted to be due to softening of the soil–foundation system, to which the identified frequency of vibration is sensitive. The change was larger in the lower half of the building (~31% for the NS and ~37% for the EW response) as compared with the upper half (~24% for the NS and ~27% for the EW response), consistent with the observed damage. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Data‐driven post‐earthquake rapid structural safety assessment
Authors: Goulet J. A. , Michel C. , Kiureghian A. Der
Published: January 2015

Earthquake‐prone cities are exposed to important societal and financial losses. An important part of these losses stems from the inability to use structures as shelters or for generating economic activity after the event of an earthquake. The inability to use structures is not only due to collapse or damage; it is also due to the lack of knowledge about their safety state, which prohibits their normal use. Because a diagnosis is required for thousands of structures, city‐scale safety assessment requires solutions that are economically sustainable and scalable. Data‐driven algorithms supported by sensing technologies have the potential to solve this challenge. Several ambient vibration monitoring studies of buildings, before and after earthquakes, have shown that the extent of damage in a building is correlated with a decrease in the natural frequency. However, the observed worldwide data may not be representative of specific cities due to factors such as construction type, quality, material, and age. In this paper, we propose a framework that is able to progressively learn the relationship between frequency shift and damage state as a small number of buildings in a city are inspected after an earthquake, and to use that information to predict the safety state of uninspected but monitored buildings. The capacity of the proposed framework to learn and perform prognosis is validated by applying the methodology to a city with 1000 buildings having simulated frequency shifts and damage states. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from Andros, Greece: constraints for the time of sediment accumulation in the northern part of the Cycladic blueschist belt
Authors: Bröcker Michael , Huyskens Magdalena , Berndt Jasper
Published: January 2015

The Attic–Cycladic Crystalline Belt in the central Aegean region represents a major tectono‐stratigraphic unit of the Hellenides. The essential geological, magmatic and tectono‐metamorphic features are well documented. Unresolved questions concern the time of sediment accumulation and litho‐ and/or tectono‐stratigraphic relationships across the study area. In order to address this issue we have studied siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks from Andros Island, northern Cyclades. The sampling strategy aimed at covering the complete age range recorded by the Andros metamorphic succession. Detrital zircon U–Pb dating of nine samples indicates maximum depositional ages of c. 260 Ma for the topmost part of the metamorphic succession and of c. 160–140 Ma for rock sequences below a prominent serpentinite belt that is interpreted to outline a major tectonic contact. These age constraints are in accordance with interpretations suggesting that the metamorphic rocks of Andros represent different tectonic subunits (Makrotantalon Unit and Lower Unit) that are separated by a thrust fault. Modification of the internal structure of the Lower Unit by tectonic stacking can currently not be ascertained. The new data for the Lower Unit corroborate the importance of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous sediment accumulation for the larger study area. In contrast to some of the neighbouring islands, no evidence for transfer of Late Cretaceous (c. 80 Ma) material into the Andros sedimentary environment was found. The most striking feature of the zircon populations of the Lower Unit is a remarkable age cluster at 250–200 Ma that documents the importance of Triassic igneous sediment sources. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The small GTPase Rab7 as a central regulator of hepatocellular lipophagy
Authors: Schroeder Barbara , Schulze Ryan J. , Weller Shaun G. , Sletten Arthur C. , Casey Carol A. , McNiven Mark A.
Published: January 2015

Autophagy is a central mechanism by which hepatocytes catabolize lipid droplets (LDs). Currently, the regulatory mechanisms that control this important process are poorly defined. The small guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) Rab7 has been implicated in the late endocytic pathway and is known to associate with LDs, although its role in LD breakdown has not been tested. In this study, we demonstrate that Rab7 is indispensable for LD breakdown (“lipophagy”) in hepatocytes subjected to nutrient deprivation. Importantly, Rab7 is dramatically activated in cells placed under nutrient stress; this activation is required for the trafficking of both multivesicular bodies and lysosomes to the LD surface during lipophagy, resulting in the formation of a lipophagic “synapse.” Depletion of Rab7 leads to gross morphological changes of multivesicular bodies, lysosomes, and autophagosomes, consequently leading to attenuation of hepatocellular lipophagy. Conclusion: These findings provide additional support for the role of autophagy in hepatocellular LD catabolism while implicating the small GTPase Rab7 as a key regulatory component of this essential process. (Hepatology 2015;61:1896–1907)
Notch in memories: Points to remember
Authors: Marathe Swananda , Alberi Lavinia
Published: January 2015

Memory is a temporally evolving molecular and structural process, which involves changes from local synapses to complex neural networks. There is increasing evidence for an involvement of developmental pathways in regulating synaptic communication in the adult nervous system. Notch signaling has been implicated in memory formation in a variety of species. Nevertheless, the mechanism of Notch underlying memory consolidation remains poorly understood. In this commentary, besides offering an overview of the advances in the field of Notch in memory, we highlight some of the weaknesses of the studies and attempt to cast light on the apparent discrepancies on the role of Notch in memory. We believe that future studies, employing high‐throughput technologies and targeted Notch loss and gain of function animal models, will reveal the mechanisms of Notch dependent plasticity and resolve whether this signaling pathway is implicated in the cognitive deficit associated with dementia. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dorsal hippocampus infusions of CNQX into the dentate gyrus disrupt expression of trace fear conditioning
Authors: Pierson Jamie L. , Pullins Shane E. , Quinn Jennifer J.
Published: January 2015

The hippocampus is essential for the consolidation of some explicit long‐term memories, including trace conditioning. Lesions and pharmacological manipulations of the dorsal hippocampus (DH) have provided strong evidence for its involvement in the acquisition and expression of trace fear memories. However, no studies have specifically targeted DH subregions [CA1 and dentate gyrus (DG)] to determine their involvement in trace fear conditioning. In the present study, rats received bilateral cannulation targeting either the DG or CA1 of the DH. Following surgery, animals were trace fear conditioned. Forty‐eight hours following training, rats received bilateral infusions of the AMPA/kainate glutamate receptor antagonist, CNQX, or vehicle. Following the infusion, rats were placed in a novel context for the tone test. Rats that received CNQX into the DG froze significantly less during the tone and trace interval as compared to controls. Rats that received CNQX into the DH CA1 showed no difference in freezing during the tone or trace interval as compared to controls. These data support a role for the DG in the expression of trace tone fear conditioning. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Enhanced QSAR models for drug‐triggered inhibition of the main cardiac ion currents
Authors: Wiśniowska Barbara , Mendyk Aleksander , Szlęk Jakub , Kołaczkowski Michał , Polak Sebastian
Published: January 2015

The currently changing cardiac safety testing paradigm suggests, among other things, a shift towards using in silico models of cellular electrophysiology and assessment of a concomitant block of multiple ion channels. In this study, a set of four enhanced QSAR models have been developed: for the rapid delayed rectifying potassium current (IKr), slow delayed rectifying potassium current (IKs), peak sodium current (INa) and late calcium current (ICaL), predicting ion currents changes for the specific in vitro experiment from the 2D structure of the compounds. The models are a combination of both in vitro study parameters and physico‐chemical descriptors, which is a novel approach in drug–ion channels interactions modeling. Their predictive power assessed in the enhanced, more demanding than standard procedure, 10‐fold cross validation was reasonably high. Rough comparison with published pure in silico hERG interaction models shows that the quality of the model predictions does not differ from other models available in the public domain, however, it takes its advantage in accounting for inter‐experimental settings variability. Developed models are implemented in the Cardiac Safety Simulator, a commercially available platform enabling the in vitro–in vivo extrapolation of the drugs proarrhythmic effect and ECG simulation. A more comprehensive assessment of the effects of the compounds on ion channels allows for making more informed decisions regarding the risk – and thus avoidance – of exclusion of potentially safe and effective drugs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.