bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disentangling recoding processes and evaluative associations in a gender attitude implicit association test among adult males
Authors: Jin Zheng
Published: March 2016

The course of male development of implicit gender attitudes between young age ( N = 30, age 17–26 years) and old age ( N = 34, age 56–78 years) was investigated. The findings demonstrated that younger males had a stronger implicit preference for females relative to males than did older participants, shedding light on the nature of age differences in gender attitudes in regard to implicit measures. Although younger and older participants demonstrated different levels of gender bias on an implicit association test (IAT), the application of the ReAL model [Meissner, F., & Rothermund, K. (2013). Estimating the contributions of associations and recoding in the implicit association test: The ReAL model for the IAT. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104(1), 45–69.] showed that evaluative associations of both female and male were activated at equivalent levels among both the young and old age groups, but younger males were more able to recode the female gender and a positive evaluation into common categories. Thus, the differences in attitudinal responses between younger and older males exaggerated the differences in the underlying evaluative associations with respect to gender and concealed the differences in recoding processes. These findings have important implications for the measurement and interpretation of implicit gender attitudes.
Eye-Movement Strategies in Developmental Prosopagnosia and “Super” Face Recognition
Authors: Bobak Anna K. , Parris Benjamin A. , Gregory Nicola J. , Bennetts Rachel J. , Bate Sarah
Published: March 2016

Developmental prosopagnosia (DP) is a cognitive condition characterized by a severe deficit in face recognition. Few investigations have examined whether impairments at the early stages of processing may underpin the condition, and it is also unknown whether DP is simply the “bottom end” of the typical face-processing spectrum. To address these issues, we monitored the eye-movements of DPs, typical perceivers, and “super recognizers” (SRs) while they viewed a set of static images displaying people engaged in naturalistic social scenarios. Three key findings emerged: (a) Individuals with more severe prosopagnosia spent less time examining the internal facial region, (b) as observed in acquired prosopagnosia, some DPs spent less time examining the eyes and more time examining the mouth than controls, and (c) SRs spent more time examining the nose—a measure that also correlated with face recognition ability in controls. These findings support previous suggestions that DP is a heterogeneous condition, but suggest that at least the most severe cases represent a group of individuals that qualitatively differ from the typical population. While SRs seem to merely be those at the “top end” of normal, this work identifies the nose as a critical region for successful face recognition.
Empirically Evaluating the Countermajoritarian Difficulty
Authors: Kastellec Jonathan P.
Published: March 2016

I conduct a quantitative evaluation of the “countermajoritarian difficulty” by examining the relationship between public opinion, state policy, and judicial review in constitutional challenges to state abortion statutes in the period before Roe v. Wade. I find that state and lower federal court judges tended to invalidate statutes in states with high levels of public support for moving policy away from the status quo, and judges did not strike down statutes in states where majorities firmly supported the status quo. These results suggest the importance of creating a role for state and lower federal courts in evaluating the countermajoritarian difficulty.
Constructing and Disputing Brand National Identity in Marketing Discourse
Authors: Kelly-Holmes Helen
Published: March 2016

Country-of-origin appeals create national identities for brands, thereby exploiting positive country-specific expertise. As a result of such marketing discourses, which utilize essentialized territory-language linkages, such practices become enregistered for consumers, and these linguistic fetishes are available as semiotic resources for the national identity branding of products. Contemporary consumers can play a role in creating, maintaining, and possibly challenging the national identity branding of products. This article reports on a recent campaign by brewer Stella Artois that used French to emphasize the brand’s Belgian origins and on consumers’ disputing this usage in a discussion of the campaign on YouTube. The case illustrates the stability of the semiotic resources of national identity branding and who is and is not allowed to use them and for which purposes. This becomes apparent when transgressing these unwritten rules is sanctioned by the audience for the ad, who seek restoration of predictability and stability in relation to borders and branding.
Judges Discover Politics
Authors: Bakiner Onur
Published: March 2016

When do judges initiate public action outside the courtroom? What kinds of political activities do they engage in? What are the consequences of their interactions with social and political actors? This article investigates judges’ efforts to influence law and policy as opinion leaders, protesters, and network builders. In light of recent devevelopments in Turkey, I argue that intrajudicial conflict, that is, the increasing salience of hitherto dormant tensions inside the judiciary, is the primary source of off-bench judicial mobilization. Participants in off-bench judicial mobilization seek to maintain, reform, or transform judicial institutions in ways that enhance their ideational and strategic goals.
The Nation Brand Regime: Nation Branding and the Semiotic Regimentation of Public Communication in Contemporary Macedonia
Authors: Graan Andrew
Published: March 2016

This article analyzes the forms of metasemiotic regimentation that are inherent to any nation-branding project and examines their implications for the organization of publics and governance. Focusing on a state-sponsored nation-branding project undertaken in the Republic of Macedonia, the article argues that nation-branding strategies are best understood as interventions within and across public spheres. As illustrated in the article, the nation-branding project that developed around Skopje 2014—a spectacular urban renovation plan that transformed Macedonia’s capital—included both a public relations effort that targeted several external publics and also a campaign to shape how Macedonia was represented internal to the Macedonian public sphere. This inward-facing aspect of nation branding in Macedonia manifested through metapragmatic discourses that ascribed meaning to public speech and conduct based on their imagined impact on the nation-branding project. In analyzing how government-produced media sought to interpellate Macedonians as responsible for “living the brand,” the article interrogates how logics of nation branding can organize new demands on how and to whom one performs national identity and argues that such coordinated efforts to regulate public communication constitute a wider program of economic and social governance that can be glossed as a “nation brand regime.”
Legal Mobilization under Neo-corporatist Governance
Authors: Vanhala Lisa
Published: March 2016

Existing theory suggests that under neo-corporatist governance, civil society groups are less likely to take the state to court. However, a comparative analysis of the use of legal strategies across a number of environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) in France presents a counterintuitive finding. Drawing on new data on more than 200 cases taken by these ENGOs, the analysis finds that the groups that are most incorporated in policy making are also the most active litigants against the Environment Ministry in the Conseil d’Etat. This article tests a number of theoretical explanations to account for this result. It finds that the neo-corporatization of the rules determining access to justice as well as the presence of certain agent-level characteristics helps to explain when and why groups mobilize the law.
Rebranding Belfast: Chromatopes of (Post-)Conflict
Authors: Moore Robert
Published: March 2016

In 2007, Belfast City Council contracted with a London-based branding consultancy to develop a new brand identity for the city. The result was a new logo (a heart-shaped letter B), a bespoke typeface, and a set of brand guidelines designed to reflect “Belfast’s coming of age, the turning of a new page and the new shared enthusiasm which is palpable to all those who experience the city.” A key element of the rebranding was an official palette of sixteen colors to be deployed in association with the logo. Nonprimary hues with low saturation predominate in the new color scheme, which is overlaid upon a complex preexisting system of vivid sectarian color contrasts that mark, among other things, the partitioning of space in a “divided city.” Drawing on recent work in the semiotic anthropology of branding, the article shows that the rebranding of Belfast is part of a larger effort to frame recent histories of ethno-sectarian conflict in terms of “cultural” diversity.
Jeremiad or Weapon of Words?
Authors: Bryan Amanda C. , Ringsmuth Eve M.
Published: March 2016

Unable to directly control the policy articulated by the Supreme Court, dissenting justices are faced with the challenge of finding alternative ways to pursue their policy goals. We argue that one strategy available to them is to use their power over the language of a dissenting opinion to increase the media attention paid to a case. Our results show that cases with negative dissents attract more media coverage, which creates a variety of mechanisms through which a dissenter’s policy preferences could be realized, such as inducing Congress to take action, influencing public debate on the issue, and provoking further litigation. This finding ultimately suggests that dissenters, while disadvantaged, are not powerless to affect legal policy.
Comparison of air kerma measurements for tungsten anode based mammography x-ray beam qualities (EURAMET.RI(I)-S4.1)
Authors: Csete I , Büermann L , Gomola I
Published: March 2016

A comparison of the air kerma standards for x-radiation qualities used in mammography was performed between the PTB and the IAEA. Two reference-class ionization chamber types Radcal RC6M and Magna A650 of the IAEA and tungsten anode based beam qualities with Mo and Al external filtrations (W+Mo, W+Al) established at both laboratories were selected for the comparison. The calibration coefficients, N

K_air, were determined for the transfer chambers at the PTB in May 2015 and before and after this at the IAEA Dosimetry Laboratory. The results show good agreement, to be well within the 0.55 % standard uncertainty of the comparison. Correction factors to determine N

K_air for these beam qualities based on calibration in RQR-M mammography beam qualities, established according to the IEC 61267 standard, were also calculated for the Radcal RC6M, 10X5-6M, and Magna A650 types of chambers.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Dynamics of three-dimensional radiative structures during RMP assisted detached plasmas on the large helical device and its comparison with EMC3-EIRENE modeling
Authors: Pandya Shwetang N. , Peterson Byron J. , Kobayashi Masahiro , Ida Katsumi , Mukai Kiyofumi , Sano Ryuichi , Miyazawa Junichi , Tanaka Hirohiko , Masuzaki Suguru , Akiyama Tsuyoshi , Motojima Gen , Ohno Noriyasu
Published: March 2016

The resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) island introduced in the stochastic edge of the large helical device (LHD) plasma plays an important role in the stabilization of the plasma detachment (Kobayashi et al 2013 Nucl. Fusion
53 093032). The plasma enters in the sustained detachment phase in the presence of an RMP once the line averaged density exceeds a critical value with a given input power. During detachment the enhanced radiation from the stochastic edge of the LHD undergoes several spatiotemporal changes which are studied quantitatively by an infrared imaging video bolometer (IRVB) diagnostic. The experimental results are compared qualitatively and quantitatively with the radiation predicted by the 3D transport simulation with fluid model, EMC3-EIRENE. A fair amount of qualitative agreement, before and after the detachment, is reported. The issue of overestimated radiation from the model is addressed by changing the free parameters in the EMC3-EIRENE code till the total radiation and the radiation profiles match closely, within a factor of two with the experimental observations. A better quantitative match between the model and the experiment is achieved at higher cross-field impurity diffusion coefficient and lower sputtering coefficient after the detachment. In this article a comparison, the first of its kind, is established between the quantified radiation from the experiments and the synthetic image obtained from the simulation code. This exercise is aimed towards validating the model assumptions against the experimentally measured radiation.
Progress of long pulse discharges by ECH in LHD
Authors: Yoshimura Y. , Kasahara H. , Tokitani M. , Sakamoto R. , Ueda Y. , Ito S. , Okada K. , Kubo S. , Shimozuma T. , Igami H. , Takahashi H. , Tsujimura T.I. , Makino R. , Kobayashi S. , Mizuno Y. , Akiyama T. , Ashikawa N. , Masuzaki S. , Motojima G. , Shoji M. , Suzuki C. , Tanaka H. , Tanaka K. , Tokuzawa T. , Tsuchiya H. , Yamada I. , Goto Y. , Yamada H. , Mutoh T. , Komori A. , Takeiri Y.
Published: March 2016

Using ion cyclotron heating and electron cyclotron heating (ECH), or solo ECH, trials of steady state plasma sustainment have been conducted in the superconducting helical/stellarator, large helical device (LHD) (Ida K et al 2015 Nucl. Fusion
55 104018). In recent years, the ECH system has been upgraded by applying newly developed 77 and 154 GHz gyrotrons. A new gas fueling system applied to the steady state operations in the LHD realized precise feedback control of the line average electron density even when the wall condition varied during long pulse discharges. Owing to these improvements in the ECH and the gas fueling systems, a stable 39 min discharge with a line average electron density n
e_ave of 1.1  ×  1019 m−3, a central electron temperature T
e0 of over 2.5 keV, and a central ion temperature T
i0 of 1.0 keV was successfully performed with ~350 kW EC-waves. The parameters are much improved from the previous 65 min discharge with n
e_ave of 0.15  ×  1019 m−3 and T
e0 of 1.7 keV, and the 30 min discharge with n
e_ave of 0.7  ×  1019 m−3 and T
e0 of 1.7 keV.
First demonstration of rapid shutdown using neon shattered pellet injection for thermal quench mitigation on DIII-D
Authors: Commaux N. , Shiraki D. , Baylor L.R. , Hollmann E.M. , Eidietis N.W. , Lasnier C.J. , Moyer R.A. , Jernigan T.C. , Meitner S.J. , Combs S.K. , Foust C.R.
Published: March 2016

Shattered pellet injection (SPI) is one of the prime candidates for the ITER disruption mitigation system because of its deeper penetration and larger particle flux than massive gas injection (MGI) (Taylor et al 1999 Phys. Plasmas
6 1872) using deuterium (Commaux et al 2010 Nucl. Fusion
50 112001, Combs et al 2010 IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci. 38 400, Baylor et al 2009 Nucl. Fusion
49 085013). The ITER disruption mitigation system will likely use mostly high Z species such as neon because of more effective thermal mitigation and pumping constraints on the maximum amount of deuterium or helium that could be injected. An upgrade of the SPI on DIII-D enables ITER relevant injection characteristics in terms of quantities and gas species. This upgraded SPI system was used on DIII-D for the first time in 2014 for a direct comparison with MGI using identical quantities of neon.

This comparison enabled the measurements of density perturbations during the thermal quench (TQ) and radiated power and heat loads to the divertor. It showed that SPI using similar quantities of neon provided a faster and stronger density perturbation and neon assimilation, which resulted in a lower conducted energy to the divertor and a faster TQ onset. Radiated power data analysis shows that this was probably due to the much deeper penetration of the neon in the plasma inducing a higher core radiation than in the MGI case. This experiment shows also that the MHD activity during an SPI shutdown (especially during the TQ) is quite different compared to MGI. This favorable TQ energy dissipation was obtained while keeping the current quench (CQ) duration within acceptable limits when scaled to ITER.
Atomistic simulations of tungsten surface evolution under low-energy neon implantation
Authors: Backman Marie , Hammond Karl D. , Sefta Faiza , Wirth Brian D.
Published: March 2016

Tungsten is a candidate material for the divertor of fusion reactors, where it will be subject to a high flux of particles coming from the fusion plasma as well as a significant heat load. Under helium plasma exposure in fusion-reactor-like conditions, a nanostructured morphology is known to form on the tungsten surface in certain temperature and incident energy ranges, although the formation mechanism is not fully established. A recent experimental study (Yajima et al 2013 Plasma Sci. Technol. 15 282–6) using neon or argon exposure did not produce similar nanostructure. This article presents molecular dynamics simulations of neon implantation in tungsten aimed at investigating the surface evolution and elucidating the role of noble gas mass in fuzz formation. In contrast to helium, neon impacts can sputter both tungsten and previously implanted neon atoms. The shorter range of neon ions, along with sputtering, limit the formation of large bubbles and likely prevents nanostructure formation.
Fast-ion energy resolution by one-step reaction gamma-ray spectrometry
Authors: Salewski M. , Nocente M. , Gorini G. , Jacobsen A.S. , Kiptily V.G. , Korsholm S.B. , Leipold F. , Madsen J. , Moseev D. , Nielsen S.K. , Rasmussen J. , Stejner M. , Tardocchi M.
Published: March 2016

The spectral broadening of γ-rays from fusion plasmas can be measured in high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometry (GRS). We derive weight functions that determine the observable velocity space and quantify the velocity-space sensitivity of one-step reaction high-resolution GRS measurements in magnetized fusion plasmas. The weight functions suggest that GRS resolves the energies of fast ions directly without the need for tomographic inversion for selected one-step reactions at moderate plasma temperatures. The D(p,γ)3He reaction allows the best direct fast-ion energy resolution. We illustrate our general formalism using reactions with and without intrinsic broadening of the γ-rays for the GRS diagnostic at JET.
Aspect ratio scaling of the single helical states in the reversed field pinch plasmas
Authors: Paccagnella R.
Published: March 2016

In this paper a new idea to help to predict the aspect ratio scaling law for the toroidal mode number of the so called Single Helicity states in reversed field pinch (RFP) plasmas is presented. In particular it is shown that the pure electromagnetic response of a toroidal shell is ‘optimal’ when currents with specific pitches are excited on it and that this response depends on the shell aspect ratio. The pure electromagnetic passive toroidal shell response model, cannot however, be useful in predicting the handedness of the current which is related, instead, to the plasma magnetic field profiles and their on-axis stability properties.
On the diminishing process of Bálint Tóth
Authors: Kevei Péter , Vígh Viktor
Published: March 2016

Let

K
K

and

K
0

K_0

be convex bodies in

R

d

\mathbb {R}^d

, such that

K
K

contains the origin, and define the process

(

K
n

,

p
n

)

(K_n, p_n)

,

n
≥
0

n \geq 0

, as follows: let

p

n
+
1

p_{n+1}

be a uniform random point in

K
n

K_n

, and set

K

n
+
1

=

K
n

∩
(

p

n
+
1

+
K
)

K_{n+1} = K_n \cap (p_{n+1} + K)

. Clearly,

(

K
n

)

(K_n)

is a nested sequence of convex bodies which converge to a non-empty limit object, again a convex body in

R

d

\mathbb {R}^d

. We study this process for

K
K

being a regular simplex, a cube, or a regular convex polygon with an odd number of vertices. We also derive some new results in one dimension for non-uniform distributions.
Characters of equivariant 𝒟-modules on Veronese cones
Authors: Raicu Claudiu
Published: March 2016

Ford>1d>1, we consider the Veronese map of degreeddon a complex vector spaceWW,Verd:W⟶SymdW\mathrm {Ver}_d:W\longrightarrow \mathrm {Sym}^d W,w↦wdw\mapsto w^d, and denote its image byZZ. We describe the characters of the simpleGL(W)\mathrm {GL}(W)-equivariant holonomicD\mathcal {D}-modules supported on ZZ. In the case whend=2d=2, we obtain a counterexample to a conjecture of Levasseur by exhibiting aGL(W)\mathrm {GL}(W)-equivariantD\mathcal {D}-module on the Capelli type representationSym2W\mathrm {Sym}^2 Wwhich contains noSL(W)\mathrm {SL}(W)-invariant sections. We also study the local cohomology modulesHZ∙(S)H^{\bullet }_Z(S), whereSSis the ring of polynomial functions on the vector spaceSymdW\mathrm {Sym}^d W. We recover a result of Ogus showing that there is only one local cohomology module that is non-zero (namely in degree∙=codim(Z)\bullet =\textrm {codim}(Z)), and moreover we prove that it is a simpleD\mathcal {D}-module and determine its character.
Laguerre operator and its associated weighted Besov and Triebel-Lizorkin spaces
Authors: Bui The Anh , Duong Xuan Thinh
Published: March 2016

Consider the space

X
=
(
0
,
∞
)

X=(0,\infty )

equipped with the Euclidean distance and the measure

d

μ
α

(
x
)
=

x

α

d
x

d\mu _\alpha (x)=x^{\alpha }dx

where

α
∈
(
−
1
,
∞
)

\alpha \in (-1,\infty )

is a fixed constant and

d
x

dx

is the Lebesgue measure. Consider the Laguerre operator

L
=
−

d
2

d

x
2

−

α
x

d

d
x

+

x
2

\displaystyle L=-\frac {d^2}{dx^2} -\frac {\alpha }{x}\frac {d}{dx}+x^2

on

X
X

. The aim of this article is threefold. Firstly, we establish a Calderón reproducing formula using a suitable distribution of the Laguerre operator. Secondly, we study certain properties of the Laguerre operator such as a Harnack type inequality on the solutions and subsolutions of Laplace equations associated to Laguerre operators. Thirdly, we establish the theory of the weighted homogeneous Besov and Triebel-Lizorkin spaces associated to the Laguerre operator. We define the weighted homogeneous Besov and Triebel-Lizorkin spaces by the square functions of the Laguerre operator, then show that these spaces have an atomic decomposition. We then study the fractional powers

L

−
γ

,
γ
>
0

L^{-\gamma }, \gamma >0

, and show that these operators map boundedly from one weighted Besov space (or one weighted Triebel-Lizorkin space) to another suitable weighted Besov space (or weighted Triebel-Lizorkin space). We also show that in particular cases of the indices, our new weighted Besov and Triebel-Lizorkin spaces coincide with the (expected) weighted Hardy spaces, the weighted

L
p

L^p

spaces or the weighted Sobolev spaces in Laguerre settings.
Chow groups of products of Severi-Brauer varieties and invariants of degree 3
Authors: Baek Sanghoon
Published: March 2016

We study the semi-decomposable invariants of a split semisimple group and their extension to a split reductive group by using the torsion in the codimension

2
2

Chow groups of a product of Severi-Brauer varieties. In particular, for any

n
≥
2

n\geq 2

we completely determine the degree

3
3

invariants of a split semisimple group, the quotient of

(

S
L

2

)

n

(\mathbf {SL}_{2})^{n}

by its maximal central subgroup, as well as of the corresponding split reductive group. We also provide an example illustrating that a modification of our method can be applied to find the semi-decomposable invariants of a split semisimple group of type A.
See More, Do More, Teach More: Surgical Resident Autonomy and the Transition to Independent Practice
Authors: Hashimoto Daniel A. , Bynum William E. , Lillemoe Keith D. , Sachdeva Ajit K.
Published: March 2016

The graduate medical education system is tasked with training competent and autonomous health care providers while also improving patient safety, delivering more efficient care, and cutting costs. Concerns about resident autonomy and preparation for independent and safe practice appear to be growing, and the field of surgery faces unique challenges in preparing graduates for independent practice. Multiple factors are contributing to an erosion of resident autonomy and decreased operative experience, including differing views of autonomy, financial forces, duty hours regulations, and diverse community health care needs. Identifying these barriers and developing solutions to overcome them are vital first steps in reversing the trend of diminishing autonomy in surgical residency training. This Commentary highlights the problem of decreasing autonomy, outlines specific threats to resident autonomy, and discusses potential solutions to mitigate their impact on the successful transition to independent practice.
Burned Adults Develop Profound Glucose Intolerance
Authors: Rehou Sarah , Mason Stephanie , Burnett Marjorie , Jeschke Marc G.
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Metabolic alterations after burn injury have been well described in children; however, in adult patients, glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity are essentially unknown. We sought to characterize metabolic alterations and insulin resistance after burn injury and determine their magnitude and persistence at discharge.

Design:

Prospective, cohort study.

Setting:

Tertiary burn centre.

Patients:

Nondiabetic adults with an acute burn involving greater than or equal to 20% total body surface area.

Interventions:

An oral glucose tolerance test was administered at discharge.

Measurements and Main Results:

Glucose, insulin, and C-peptide levels were measured to derive surrogate measures of insulin resistance and β-cell function, including quantitative insulin sensitivity check index, homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function, homeostasis model assessment of insulin sensitivity, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, and the composite whole-body insulin sensitivity index. Patients were grouped according to the degree of glucose tolerance: normal glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose/impaired glucose tolerance, or diabetes. Forty-five adults, 44 ± 15 years old and with 38% ± 14% total body surface area burned, underwent an oral glucose tolerance test at discharge. Median quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (0.348 [0.332–0.375]) and median homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (1.13 [0.69–1.45]) were abnormal, indicating insulin resistance and impaired insulin production at discharge. Two-thirds of patients (n = 28) met criteria for impaired fasting glucose/impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes.

Conclusions:

We have demonstrated that burn-injured adults remain hyperglycemic, are insulin resistant, and express defects in insulin secretion at discharge. Patients with lower burn severity (total body surface area, 20–30%) express similar metabolic alterations as patients with larger burns (total body surface area, ≥ 30%). Glucose tolerance testing at discharge offers an opportunity for early identification of burn patients who may be at high risk of prediabetes and diabetes. Our findings demonstrated that two-thirds of burn patients had some degree of glucose intolerance. With this in mind, surveillance of glucose intolerance post discharge should be considered. As hyperglycemia and insulin resistance are associated with poor outcomes, studies should focus on how long these profound alterations persist.
Guideline Adherence and Hospital Costs in Pediatric Severe Traumatic Brain Injury*
Authors: Graves Janessa M. , Kannan Nithya , Mink Richard B. , Wainwright Mark S. , Groner Jonathan I. , Bell Michael J. , Giza Christopher C. , Zatzick Douglas F. , Ellenbogen Richard G. , Boyle Linda Ng , Mitchell Pamela H. , Rivara Frederick P. , Wang Jin , Rowhani-Rahbar Ali , Vavilala Monica S.
Published: March 2016

Objectives:

Adherence to pediatric traumatic brain injury guidelines has been associated with improved survival and better functional outcome. However, the relationship between guideline adherence and hospitalization costs has not been examined. To evaluate the relationship between adherence to pediatric severe traumatic brain injury guidelines, measured by acute care clinical indicators, and the total costs of hospitalization associated with severe traumatic brain injury.

Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting:

Five regional pediatric trauma centers affiliated with academic medical centers.

Patients:

Demographic, injury, treatment, and charge data were included for pediatric patients (17 yr) with severe traumatic brain injury.

Interventions:

Percent adherence to clinical indicators was determined for each patient. Cost-to-charge ratios were used to estimate ICU and total hospital costs for each patient. Generalized linear models evaluated the association between healthcare costs and adherence rate.

Measurements and Main Results:

Cost data for 235 patients were examined. Estimated mean adjusted hospital costs were $103,485 (95% CI, 98,553–108,416); adjusted ICU costs were $82,071 (95% CI, 78,559–85,582). No association was found between adherence to guidelines and total hospital or ICU costs, after adjusting for patient and injury characteristics. Adjusted regression model results provided cost ratio equal to 1.01 for hospital and ICU costs (95% CI, 0.99–1.03 and 0.99–1.02, respectively).

Conclusions:

Adherence to severe pediatric traumatic brain injury guidelines at these five leading pediatric trauma centers was not associated with increased hospitalization and ICU costs. Therefore, cost should not be a factor as institutions and providers strive to provide evidence-based guideline driven care of children with severe traumatic brain injury.
Enhanced call effort in Japanese tree frogs infected by amphibian chytrid fungus
Authors: An Deuknam , Waldman Bruce
Published: March 2016

Some amphibians have evolved resistance to the devastating disease chytridiomycosis, associated with global population declines, but immune defences can be costly. We recorded advertisement calls of male Japanese tree frogs (
Hyla japonica
) in the field. We then assessed whether individuals were infected by
Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis
(Bd), the causal agent of the disease. This allowed us to analyse call properties of males as a function of their infection status. Infected males called more rapidly and produced longer calls than uninfected males. This enhanced call effort may reflect pathogen manipulation of host behaviour to foster disease transmission. Alternatively, increased calling may have resulted from selection on infected males to reproduce earlier because of their shortened expected lifespan. Our results raise the possibility that sublethal effects of Bd alter amphibian life histories, which contributes to long-term population declines.
Estimating oxygen distribution from vasculature in three-dimensional tumour tissue
Authors: Grimes David Robert , Kannan Pavitra , Warren Daniel R. , Markelc Bostjan , Bates Russell , Muschel Ruth , Partridge Mike
Published: March 2016

Regions of tissue which are well oxygenated respond better to radiotherapy than hypoxic regions by up to a factor of three. If these volumes could be accurately estimated, then it might be possible to selectively boost dose to radio-resistant regions, a concept known as dose-painting. While imaging modalities such as
18
F-fluoromisonidazole positron emission tomography (PET) allow identification of hypoxic regions, they are intrinsically limited by the physics of such systems to the millimetre domain, whereas tumour oxygenation is known to vary over a micrometre scale. Mathematical modelling of microscopic tumour oxygen distribution therefore has the potential to complement and enhance macroscopic information derived from PET. In this work, we develop a general method of estimating oxygen distribution in three dimensions from a source vessel map. The method is applied analytically to line sources and quasi-linear idealized line source maps, and also applied to full three-dimensional vessel distributions through a kernel method and compared with oxygen distribution in tumour sections. The model outlined is flexible and stable, and can readily be applied to estimating likely microscopic oxygen distribution from any source geometry. We also investigate the problem of reconstructing three-dimensional oxygen maps from histological and confocal two-dimensional sections, concluding that two-dimensional histological sections are generally inadequate representations of the three-dimensional oxygen distribution.
Maximum margin classifier working in a set of strings
Authors: Koyano Hitoshi , Hayashida Morihiro , Akutsu Tatsuya
Published: March 2016

Numbers and numerical vectors account for a large portion of data. However, recently, the amount of string data generated has increased dramatically. Consequently, classifying string data is a common problem in many fields. The most widely used approach to this problem is to convert strings into numerical vectors using string kernels and subsequently apply a support vector machine that works in a numerical vector space. However, this non-one-to-one conversion involves a loss of information and makes it impossible to evaluate, using probability theory, the generalization error of a learning machine, considering that the given data to train and test the machine are strings generated according to probability laws. In this study, we approach this classification problem by constructing a classifier that works in a set of strings. To evaluate the generalization error of such a classifier theoretically, probability theory for strings is required. Therefore, we first extend a limit theorem for a consensus sequence of strings demonstrated by one of the authors and co-workers in a previous study. Using the obtained result, we then demonstrate that our learning machine classifies strings in an asymptotically optimal manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate the usefulness of our machine in practical data analysis by applying it to predicting protein–protein interactions using amino acid sequences and classifying RNAs by the secondary structure using nucleotide sequences.
Characterizations of matrix and operator-valued Φ-entropies, and operator Efron–Stein inequalities
Authors: Cheng Hao-Chung , Hsieh Min-Hsiu
Published: March 2016

We derive new characterizations of the matrix Φ-entropy functionals introduced in Chen & Tropp (Chen, Tropp 2014Electron. J. Prob.19, 1–30. (doi:10.1214/ejp.v19-2964)). These characterizations help us to better understand the properties of matrix Φ-entropies, and are a powerful tool for establishing matrix concentration inequalities for random matrices. Then, we propose an operator-valued generalization of matrix Φ-entropy functionals, and prove the subadditivity under Löwner partial ordering. Our results demonstrate that the subadditivity of operator-valued Φ-entropies is equivalent to the convexity. As an application, we derive the operator Efron–Stein inequality.
Monte Carlo model for electron degradation in xenon gas
Authors: Mukundan Vrinda , Bhardwaj Anil
Published: March 2016

We have developed a Monte Carlo model for studying the local degradation of electrons in the energy range 9–10 000 eV in xenon gas. Analytically fitted form of electron impact cross sections for elastic and various inelastic processes are fed as input data to the model. The two-dimensional numerical yield spectrum (NYS), which gives information on the number of energy loss events occurring in a particular energy interval, is obtained as the output of the model. The NYS is fitted analytically, thus obtaining the analytical yield spectrum (AYS). The AYS can be used to calculate electron fluxes, which can be further employed for the calculation of volume production rates. Using the yield spectrum, mean energy per ion pair and efficiencies of inelastic processes are calculated. The value for mean energy per ion pair for Xe is 22 eV at 10 keV. Ionization dominates for incident energies greater than 50 eV and is found to have an efficiency of approximately 65% at 10 keV. The efficiency for the excitation process is approximately 30% at 10 keV.
How social network structure affects decision-making inDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Pasquaretta Cristian , Battesti Marine , Klenschi Elizabeth , Bousquet Christophe A. H. , Sueur Cedric , Mery Frederic
Published: March 2016

Animals use a number of different mechanisms to acquire crucial information. During social encounters, animals can pass information from one to another but, ideally, they would only use information that benefits survival and reproduction. Therefore, individuals need to be able to determine the value of the information they receive. One cue can come from the behaviour of other individuals that are already using the information. Using a previous extended dataset, we studied how individual decision-making is influenced by the behaviour of conspecifics inDrosophila melanogaster. We analysed how uninformed flies acquire and later use information about oviposition site choice they learn from informed flies. Our results suggest that uninformed flies adjust their future choices based on how coordinated the behaviours of the informed individuals they encounter are. Following social interaction, uninformed flies tended either to collectively follow the choice of the informed flies or to avoid it. Using social network analysis, we show that this selective information use seems to be based on the level of homogeneity of the social network. In particular, we found that the variance of individual centrality parameters among informed flies was lower in the case of a ‘follow’ outcome compared with the case of an ‘avoid’ outcome.
Intensive aquaculture selects for increased virulence and interference competition in bacteria
Authors: Sundberg Lotta-Riina , Ketola Tarmo , Laanto Elina , Kinnula Hanna , Bamford Jaana K. H. , Penttinen Reetta , Mappes Johanna
Published: March 2016

Although increased disease severity driven by intensive farming practices is problematic in food production, the role of evolutionary change in disease is not well understood in these environments. Experiments on parasite evolution are traditionally conducted using laboratory models, often unrelated to economically important systems. We compared how the virulence, growth and competitive ability of a globally important fish pathogen,
Flavobacterium columnare
, change under intensive aquaculture. We characterized bacterial isolates from disease outbreaks at fish farms during 2003–2010, and compared
F. columnare
populations in inlet water and outlet water of a fish farm during the 2010 outbreak. Our data suggest that the farming environment may select for bacterial strains that have high virulence at both long and short time scales, and it seems that these strains have also evolved increased ability for interference competition. Our results are consistent with the suggestion that selection pressures at fish farms can cause rapid changes in pathogen populations, which are likely to have long-lasting evolutionary effects on pathogen virulence. A better understanding of these evolutionary effects will be vital in prevention and control of disease outbreaks to secure food production.
The viral polymerase inhibitor 7-deaza-2’-C-methyladenosine is a potent inhibitor ofin vitroZika virus replication and delays disease progression in a robust mouse infection model
Authors: Żmurko Joanna , Marques Rafael E. , Schols Dominique , Verbeken Erik , Kaptein Suzanne J.F. , Neyts Johan
Published: March 2016

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging flavivirus typically causing a dengue-like febrile illness, but neurological complications, such as microcephaly in newborns, have potentially been linked to this viral infection. We established a panel ofin vitroassays to allow the identification of ZIKV inhibitors and demonstrate that the viral polymerase inhibitor 7-deaza-2’-C-methyladenosine (7DMA) efficiently inhibits replication. Infection of AG129 (IFN-α/β and IFN-γ receptor knockout) mice with ZIKV resulted in acute neutrophilic encephalitis with viral antigens accumulating in neurons of the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, high levels of viral RNA were detected in the spleen, liver and kidney, and levels of IFN-γ and IL-18 were systematically increased in serum of ZIKV-infected mice. Interestingly, the virus was also detected in testicles of infected mice. In line with itsin vitroanti-ZIKV activity, 7DMA reduced viremia and delayed virus-induced morbidity and mortality in infected mice, which also validates this small animal model to assess thein vivoefficacy of novel ZIKV inhibitors. Since AG129 mice can generate an antibody response, and have been used in dengue vaccine studies, the model can also be used to assess the efficacy of ZIKV vaccines.

Article Summary Line:

A robust cell-based antiviral assay was developed that allows to screen for and validate novel inhibitors of Zika virus (ZIKV) replication. The viral polymerase inhibitor 7-deaza-2’-C-methyladenosine (7DMA) was identified as a potent ZIKV inhibitor. A mouse model for ZIKV infections, which was validated for antiviral studies, demonstrated that 7DMA markedly delays virus-induced disease in this model.
Compound biological signatures facilitate phenotypic screening and target elucidation
Authors: Cabrera Alvaro Cortes , Lucena-Agell Daniel , Redondo-Horcajo Mariano , Barasoain Isabel , Diaz Fernando , Fasching Bernhard , Petrone Paula
Published: March 2016

We developed a statistical method, BIOSEA, able to identify molecules that are capable of reproducing a desired cellular phenotype, by scanning a large compound collection based on biological similarity. Our method leverages highly incomplete and noisy compound bioactivity signatures from historical high-throughput screening campaigns. We applied our approach in a phenotypic screening workflow and found novel nanomolar inhibitors of cell division that reproduce the mode of action of reference natural products. In a drug discovery setting, our biological hit expansion protocol revealed new inhibitors of the NKCC1 co-transporter for autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, we demonstrate BIOSEA’s capabilities to predict novel targets for old compounds. We report new activities for the drugs nimedipine, fluspirilene and pimozide applicable for compound repurposing and rationalizing drug side effects. Our results highlight the opportunities of reusing public bioactivity data for prospective drug discovery applications where the target or mode of action is not known.
Towards Consensus Gene Ages
Authors: Liebeskind Benjamin J. , McWhite Claire D. , Marcotte Edward M.
Published: March 2016

Correctly estimating the age of a gene or gene family is important for a variety of fields, including molecular evolution, comparative genomics, and phylogenetics, and increasingly for systems biology and disease genetics. However, most studies use only a point estimate of a gene’s age, neglecting the substantial uncertainty involved in this estimation. Here, we characterize this uncertainty by investigating the effect of algorithm choice on gene-age inference and calculate consensus gene ages with attendant error distributions for a variety of model eukaryotes. We use thirteen orthology inference algorithms to create gene-age datasets and then characterize the error around each age-call on a per-gene and per-algorithm basis. Systematic error was found to be a large factor in estimating gene age, suggesting that simple consensus algorithms are not enough to give a reliable point estimate. We also found that different sources of error can affect downstream analyses, such as gene ontology enrichment. Our consensus gene-age datasets, with associated error terms, are made fully available at so that researchers can propagate this uncertainty through their analyses (https://github.com/marcottelab/Gene-Ages).
Chromatin mobility after DNA damage is modified to enhance long distance explorations and minimize local resampling
Authors: Miné-Hattab Judith , Recamier Vincent , Izeddin Ignacio , Rothstein Rodney , Darzacq Xavier
Published: March 2016

The dynamic organization of genes inside the nucleus is an important determinant for their function. Using ultra-fast microscopy inS. cerevisiaecells and improved analysis of mean square displacements, we quantified DNA motion at time scales ranging from 10 milliseconds to minutes and found that following DNA damage, DNA exhibits distinct sub-diffusive regimes. In response to double-strand breaks, chromatin is more mobile at large time scales but, surprisingly, its mobility is dramatically reduced at short time scales. This effect is even more pronounced at the break. Such pattern of dynamics is consistent with a global increase in chromatin persistence length following DNA damage. Scale-dependent nuclear exploration is regulated by the Rad51 repair protein, both at the break and throughout the genome. We propose a model in which stiffening of the damaged ends by the repair complex, combined with global increased stiffness, act like a “needle in a decompacted ball of yarn”, enhancing the ability of the break to traverse the chromatin meshwork.
Whole genome sequencing identifies a novel factor required for secretory granule maturation inTetrahymena thermophila
Authors: Kontur Cassandra , Kumar Santosh , Lan Xun , Pritchard Jonathan K. , Turkewitz Aaron P.
Published: March 2016

Unbiased genetic approaches have a unique ability to identify novel genes associated with specific biological pathways. Thanks to next generation sequencing, forward genetic strategies can be expanded into a wider range of model organisms. The formation of secretory granules, called mucocysts, in the ciliateTetrahymena thermophilarelies in part on ancestral lysosomal sorting machinery but is also likely to involve novel factors. In prior work, multiple strains with defect in mucocyst biogenesis were generated by nitrosoguanidine mutagenesis, and characterized using genetic and cell biological approaches, but the genetic lesions themselves were unknown. Here, we show that analyzing one such mutant by whole genome sequencing reveals a novel factor in mucocyst formation. Strain UC620 has both morphological and biochemical defects in mucocyst maturation, a process analogous to dense core granule maturation in animals. Illumina sequencing of a pool of UC620 F2 clones identified a missense mutation in a novel gene calledMMA1(Mucocystmaturation). The defects in UC620 were rescued by expression of a wildtype copy ofMMA1, and disruption ofMMA1in an otherwise wildtype strain generated a phenocopy of UC620. The product ofMMA1, characterized as a CFP-tagged copy, encodes a large soluble cytosolic protein. A small fraction of Mma1p-CFP is pelletable, which may reflect association with endosomes. The gene has no identifiable homologs except in other Tetrahymena species, and therefore represents an evolutionarily recent innovation that is required for granule maturation.