bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Should HFE p.C282Y homozygotes with moderately elevated serum ferritin be treated? A randomised controlled trial comparing iron reduction with sham treatment (Mi-iron)
Authors: Ong Sim Yee , Dolling Lara , Dixon Jeannette L , Nicoll Amanda J , Gurrin Lyle C , Wolthuizen Michelle , Wood Erica M , Anderson Greg J , Ramm Grant A , Allen Katrina J , Olynyk John K , Crawford Darrell , Kava Jennifer , Ramm Louise E , Gow Paul , Durrant Simon , Powell Lawrie W , Delatycki Martin B
Published: August 2015

Introduction

HFE p.C282Y homozygosity is the most common cause of hereditary haemochromatosis. There is currently insufficient evidence to assess whether non-specific symptoms or hepatic injury in homozygotes with moderately elevated iron defined as a serum ferritin (SF) of 300–1000 µg/L are related to iron overload. As such the evidence for intervention in this group is lacking. We present here methods for a study that aims to evaluate whether non-specific symptoms and hepatic fibrosis markers improve with short-term normalisation of SF in p.C282Y homozygotes with moderate elevation of SF.

Methods and analysis

Mi-iron is a prospective, multicentre, randomised patient-blinded trial conducted in three centres in Victoria and Queensland, Australia. Participants who are HFE p.C282Y homozygotes with SF levels between 300 and 1000 μg/L are recruited and randomised to either the treatment group or to the sham treatment group. Those in the treatment group have normalisation of SF by 3-weekly erythrocytapheresis while those in the sham treatment group have 3-weekly plasmapheresis and thus do not have normalisation of SF. Patients are blinded to all procedures. All outcome measures are administered prior to and following the course of treatment/sham treatment. Patient reported outcome measures are the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS-primary outcome), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form V.2 (SF36v2) and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 short form (AIMS2-SF). Liver injury and hepatic fibrosis are assessed with transient elastography (TE), Fibrometer and Hepascore, while oxidative stress is assessed by measurement of urine and serum F2-isoprostanes.

Ethics and dissemination

This study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committees of Austin Health, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration

Trial identifier:NCT01631708; Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation after heart valve surgery: cost analysis of healthcare use and sick leave
Authors: Hansen T B , Zwisler A D , Berg S K , Sibilitz K L , Thygesen L C , Doherty P , Søgaard R
Published: August 2015

Background

Owing to a lack of evidence, patients undergoing heart valve surgery have been offered exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) since 2009 based on recommendations for patients with ischaemic heart disease in Denmark. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of CR on the costs of healthcare use and sick leave among heart valve surgery patients over 12 months post surgery.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide survey on the CR participation of all patients having undergone valve surgery between 1 January 2011 and 30 June 2011 (n=667). Among the responders (n=500, 75%), the resource use categories of primary and secondary healthcare, prescription medication and sick leave were analysed for CR participants (n=277) and non-participants (n=223) over 12 months. A difference-in-difference analysis was undertaken. All estimates were presented as the means per patient (95% CI) based on non-parametric bootstrapping of SEs.

Results

Total costs during the 12 months following surgery were €16 065 per patient (95% CI 13 730 to 18 399) in the CR group and €15 182 (12 695 to 17 670) in the non-CR group. CR led to 5.6 (2.9 to 8.3, p<0.01) more outpatient visits per patient. No statistically significant differences in other cost categories or total costs €1330 (−4427 to 7086, p=0.65) were found between the groups.

Conclusions

CR, as provided in Denmark, can be considered cost neutral. CR is associated with more outpatient visits, but CR participation potentially offsets more expensive outpatient visits. Further studies should investigate the benefits of CR to heart valve surgery patients as part of a formal cost-utility analysis.
Delayed-release prednisone improves fatigue and health-related quality of life: findings from the CAPRA-2 double-blind randomised study in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Alten Rieke , Grahn Amy , Holt Robert J , Rice Patricia , Buttgereit Frank
Published: August 2015

Objectives

Like morning stiffness, fatigue is a common, debilitating symptom of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Delayed-release (DR) prednisone is designed for evening administration (approximately 22:00) and releases 4 h later to coincide with the rise of nocturnal inflammatory cytokines associated with development of morning stiffness. The impact of DR prednisone on fatigue and other related patient-reported outcomes was analysed with data obtained from the Circadian Administration of Prednisone in Rheumatoid Arthritis (CAPRA) 2 study.

Methods

Patients with symptomatic RA (n=350) despite treatment with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) were randomised 2:1 to receive additional therapy with DR prednisone 5 mg or placebo once daily for 12 weeks. Fatigue was assessed using validated instruments: the fatigue scale of the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) and the vitality domain of the Short Form-36 (SF-36). General quality of life was assessed using the general score and individual domains of Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and SF-36.

Results

The change from baseline to week 12 in FACIT-F score was statistically significantly different with DR prednisone/DMARD (3.8) versus placebo/DMARD (1.6; difference 2.2, p=0.0032). Improvement in FACIT-F score correlated positively with clinical response. Compared with placebo/DMARD, DR prednisone/DMARD showed a significantly greater improvement in SF-36 vitality score (5.6, p=0.001), physical component of SF-36 (2.3, p=0.0003) and general score with FACT-G (2.6, p=0.0233).

Conclusions

DR prednisone in addition to a DMARD significantly improves fatigue and other aspects of health-related quality of life in patients with symptomatic RA compared with DMARD treatment alone.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.govNCT00650078.
Aerobic interval exercise improves parameters of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and other alterations of metabolic syndrome in obese Zucker rats
Authors: Kapravelou Garyfallia , Martínez Rosario , Andrade Ana M. , Nebot Elena , Camiletti-Moirón Daniel , Aparicio Virginia A. , Lopez-Jurado Maria , Aranda Pilar , Arrebola Francisco , Fernandez-Segura Eduardo , Bermano Giovanna , Goua Marie , Galisteo Milagros , Porres Jesus M.
Published: August 2015

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a group of metabolic alterations that increase the susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been described as the liver manifestation of MS. We aimed to test the beneficial effects of an aerobic interval training (AIT) protocol on different biochemical, microscopic, and functional liver alterations related to the MS in the experimental model of obese Zucker rat. Two groups of lean and obese animals (6 weeks old) followed a protocol of AIT (4 min at 65%–80% of maximal oxygen uptake, followed by 3 min at 50%–65% of maximal oxygen uptake for 45–60 min, 5 days/week, 8 weeks of experimental period), whereas 2 control groups remained sedentary. Obese rats had higher food intake and body weight (P < 0.0001) and suffered significant alterations in plasma lipid profile, area under the curve after oral glucose overload (P < 0.0001), liver histology and functionality, and antioxidant status. The AIT protocol reduced the severity of alterations related to glucose and lipid metabolism and increased the liver protein expression of PPARγ, as well as the gene expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 (P < 0.001). The training protocol also showed significant effects on the activity of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, although this action was greatly influenced by rat phenotype. The present data suggest that AIT protocol is a feasible strategy to improve some of the plasma and liver alterations featured by the MS.
Pollination biology of Cleomella serrulata and Polanisia dodecandra in a protected natural prairie in southern Alberta, Canada
Authors: Higuera-Díaz Mónica , Manson Jessamyn S. , Hall Jocelyn C.
Published: August 2015

Flowering plants that attract a diverse range of pollinators represent a generalist pollination system. Studying these plants provides valuable information about accessibility of floral resources to pollinators, which is particularly important in areas where scarcity of flowers limits pollinator populations. Here, we describe the flowering phenology, reproductive biology, and visitor community of Cleomella serrulata (Pursh) Roalson & J.C.Hall and Polanisia dodecandra (L.) DC., two native species with generalist pollination systems and limited distribution in Albertan prairies. Although their flowers are similar, they differ in traits such as petal colour, inflorescence size, and nectar display. Both species were facultatively cross-pollinated and exhibited nocturnal anthesis but differed in nectar production patterns. Cleomella serrulata produced highest nectar volume in the morning and highest sugar concentration at noon, while Polanisia dodecandra produced highest nectar volume before noon but sugar concentrations were higher at sunset. We observed 150 insect taxa visiting the plants, with Hymenoptera and Diptera as the most frequent visitors for Cleomella serrulata and Polanisia dodecandra, respectively. We recorded the first nocturnal flower visitors for Cleomella serrulata and the first record of Nysson plagiatus (Cresson) for Alberta. Both plant species present effective nectar and pollen resources for pollinators at the study sites and may be useful in the maintenance of native pollinators in at-risk prairie ecosystems.
Chronostratigraphy of the Hottah terrane and Great Bear magmatic zone of Wopmay Orogen, Canada, and exploration of a terrane translation model
Authors: Ootes Luke , Davis William J. , Jackson Valerie A. , van Breemen Otto
Published: August 2015

The Paleoproterozoic Hottah terrane is the westernmost exposed bedrock of the Canadian Shield and a critical component for understanding the evolution of the Wopmay Orogen. Thirteen new high-precision U–Pb zircon crystallization ages are presented and support field observations of a volcano-plutonic continuum from Hottah terrane through to the end of the Great Bear magmatism, from >1950 to 1850 Ma. The new crystallization ages, new geochemical data, and newly published detrital zircon U–Pb data are used to challenge hitherto accepted models for the evolution of the Hottah terrane as an exotic arc and microcontinent that arrived over a west-dipping subduction zone and collided with the Slave craton at ca. 1.88 Ga. Although the Hottah terrane does have a tectonic history that is distinct from that of the neighbouring Slave craton, it shares a temporal history with a number of domains to the south and east — domains that were tied to the Slave craton by ca. 1.97 Ga. It is interpreted herein that Hottah terrane began to the south of its current position and evolved in an active margin over an always east-dipping subduction system that began prior to ca. 2.0 Ga and continued to ca. 1.85 Ga, and underwent tectonic switching and migration. The stratigraphy of the ca. 1913–1900 Ma Hottah plutonic complex and Bell Island Bay Group includes a subaerial rifting arc sequence, followed by basinal opening represented by marginal marine quartz arenite and overlying ca. 1893 Ma pillowed basalt flows and lesser rhyodacites. We interpret this stratigraphy to record Hottah terrane rifting off its parental arc crust — in essence the birth of the new Hottah terrane. This model is similar to rapidly rifting arcs in active margins — for example, modern Baja California. These rifts generally occur at the transition between subduction zones (e.g., Cocos–Rivera plates) and transtensional shear zones (e.g., San Andreas fault), and we suggest that extension-driven transtensional shearing, or, more simply, terrane translation, was responsible for the evolution of Bell Island Bay Group stratigraphy and that it transported this newly born Hottah terrane laterally (northward in modern coordinates), arriving adjacent to the Slave craton at ca. 1.88 Ga. Renewed east-dipping subduction led to the Great Bear arc flare-up at ca. 1876 Ma, continuing to ca. 1869 Ma. This was followed by voluminous Great Bear plutonism until ca. 1855 Ma. The model implies that it was the westerly Nahanni terrane and its subducting oceanic crust that collided with this active margin, shutting down the >120 million year old, east-dipping subduction system.
High-fat diet differentially regulates metabolic parameters in obesity-resistant S5B/Pl rats and obesity-prone Osborne-Mendel rats
Authors: Allerton Timothy D. , Primeaux Stefany D.
Published: August 2015

The current experiment tested the hypothesis that consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) would differentially affect metabolic parameters in obesity-prone Osborne-Mendel (OM) and obesity-resistant S5B/Pl (S5B) rats. In OM rats consuming a HFD, an increase in HFD intake, body mass, and percent fat mass, and a HFD-induced decrease in metabolic rate and energy expenditure were demonstrated. In S5B rats consuming a HFD, no change in percent body fat or HFD intake was demonstrated and HFD increased metabolic rate and energy expenditure. To assess whether HFD differentially altered skeletal muscle markers of metabolism in OM and S5B rats, the expression of the transporters, CD36 and GLUT4, and the energy sensors, AMPK and PPARγ, in the gastrocnemius muscle was measured. Oxidation and lipid accumulation in the gastrocnemius muscle was histologically determined. Consumption of a HFD decreased phosphorylated AMPK and PPARγ expression in the skeletal muscle of obesity-prone OM rats. Lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle was significantly higher in OM rats fed a HFD. Overall, these data suggest that the differential response to HFD on metabolic rate, energy expenditure, and phosphorylated AMPK and PPARγ in OM and S5B rats, may partially account for differences in the susceptibility to develop obesity.
Attenuation of oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic rabbits by allicin
Authors: El-Sheakh Ahmed R. , Ghoneim Hamdy A. , Suddek Ghada M. , Ammar El Sayed M.
Published: August 2015

Allicin, the active substance of garlic, exerts a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities and is considered to have potential therapeutic applications. The present study was designed to investigate the possible beneficial effects of allicin against oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Male New Zealand white rabbits were used in this study. Rabbits randomly received 1 of the following treatments: normal chow diet for 4 weeks, 1% high cholesterol diet (HCD), HCD plus allicin (10 mg/kg/day), or HCD plus atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/day). Blood samples were collected at the end of experimental diets for measurement of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TGs), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), C-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and superoxide dismutase (SOD). In addition, the aorta was removed for measurement of vascular reactivity, histopathological changes, intima/media (I/M) ratio, and immunohistochemical staining of both tumor necrosis-alpha (TNF-α) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB. HCD induced significant increases in serum TC, TGs, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), CRP, and MDA. Moreover, HCD caused significant decrease in serum GSH and SOD. In addition, aortic relaxation response to acetylcholine (ACh) was impaired. Immunohistochemical staining of aortic specimens from HCD-fed rabbits revealed high expression levels of both TNF-α and the oxidant-induced transcription factor, NF-κB. Allicin supplementation significantly decreased serum MDA and CRP, increased serum HDL-C, GSH, and SOD levels while nonsignificantly affecting HCD-induced elevations in serum TC and LDL-C. Additionally, allicin significantly protected against HCD-induced attenuation of rabbit aortic endothelium-dependent relaxation to ACh and elevation in I/M ratio. This effect was confirmed by histopathological examination of the aorta. Moreover, allicin has substantially beneficial effects on aortic expression of TNF-α and NF-κB compared with HCD-fed rabbits. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that allicin may be useful in reducing oxidative stress, inflammation, vascular dysfunction, and the aortic pathology in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.
First-principles calculations for the structural and electronic properties of GaAs1−xPx nanowires
Authors: Mohammad Rezek , Katırcıoğlu Şenay
Published: August 2015

Structural stability and electronic properties of GaAs[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) nanowires (NWs) in zinc-blende (ZB) ([Formula: see text] diameter [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Å) and wurtzite (WZ) ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Å) phases are investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). GaAs ([Formula: see text]) and GaP ([Formula: see text]) compound NWs in WZ phase are found energetically more stable than in ZB structural ones. In the case of GaAs[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] alloy NWs, the energetically favorable phase is found size and composition dependent. All the presented NWs have semiconductor characteristics. The quantum size effect is clearly demonstrated for all GaAs[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) NWs. The band gaps of ZB and WZ structural GaAs compound NWs with [Formula: see text] diameter [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Å and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]Å, respectively are enlarged by the addition of concentrations of phosphorus for obtaining GaAs[Formula: see text]P[Formula: see text] NWs proportional to the x values around 0.25, 0.50 and 0.75.
Instantons on hyperbolic four-space
Authors: Popov Maxim
Published: August 2015

The ADHM construction of instantons on four-sphere is extended to hyperbolic four-space of constant negative curvature.
New modes for massive Dirac field in higher-dimensional black holes
Authors: Sporea Ciprian A.
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we derive new modes for massive Dirac field in the background of a higher-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole. We use in our approach the Cartesian gauge defined in local frames. We work in the context of Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos and Dvali (ADD)-like theories, assuming that the Standard Model fields (fermions and bosons) live only on a (3+1)-dimensional brane and the extra dimensions of space can be large in size.
Role of lattice in YBCO superconductors studied by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Li L. , Guo C. Q. , Han J. X. , Yan Y. , Jin W. T. , Hao S. J. , Lin F. , Wei K. , Zhang H.
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we systematically studied Ca–YBCO [Formula: see text] and CaLa–YBCO [Formula: see text] systems by Raman spectroscopy. It is found that [Formula: see text] is closely related to the vibration of lattice. In the Ca–YBCO system, the phonons around 115 and 335 cm[Formula: see text] harden as the [Formula: see text] decreases. Oppositely, the 140 cm[Formula: see text] mode and the 220 cm[Formula: see text] mode soften. In the CaLa–YBCO system, the [Formula: see text] decreases gradually with the content of Ca and La. The Raman peak of 140 cm[Formula: see text] mode hardens and the 360 cm[Formula: see text] mode softens. Besides, the fluctuations of phonons of 210 cm[Formula: see text] mode and 575 cm[Formula: see text] mode were observed.
One-term parity bracket for braids
Authors: Manturov Vassily Olegovich
Published: August 2015

In previous papers (see e.g. [V. O. Manturov, Parity in knot theory, Mat. Sbornik201(5) (2010) 65–110]), the author realized the following principle for many knot theories: if a knot diagram is complicated enough then it reproduces itself, i.e. a subdiagram of any other diagram equivalent to it. This principle is realized by diagram-valued invariants [⋅] of knots such that [K] = K for K complicated enough. It turns out that in the case of free braids, the same principle can be realized in an unexpectedly easy way by a one-term invariant formula.
Enhancing Recommender Diversity Using Gaussian Cloud Transformation
Authors: Chen Jinpeng , Liu Yu , Li Deyi
Published: August 2015

The recommender systems community is paying great attention to diversity as key qualities beyond accuracy in real recommendation scenarios. Multifarious diversity-increasing approaches have been developed to enhance recommendation diversity in the related literature while making personalized recommendations to users. In this work, we present Gaussian Cloud Recommendation Algorithm (GCRA), a novel method designed to balance accuracy and diversity personalized top-N recommendation lists in order to capture the user's complete spectrum of tastes. Our proposed algorithm does not require semantic information. Meanwhile we propose a unified framework to extend the traditional CF algorithms via utilizing GCRA for improving the recommendation system performance. Our work builds upon prior research on recommender systems. Though being detrimental to average accuracy, we show that our method can capture the user's complete spectrum of interests. Systematic experiments on three real-world data sets have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed approach in learning both accuracy and diversity.
An Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Number Based Approach for Multi-Criteria Group Decision-Making Problems
Authors: Wang Jian-Qiang , Yu Su-Min , Wang Jing , Chen Qing-Hui , Zhang Hong-Yu , Chen Xiao-Hong
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a new approach is presented for solving multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problems, which is based on new arithmetic operations and the ranking rules of trapezoidal interval type-2 fuzzy numbers (IT2FNs). Firstly, the shortcomings of some existing arithmetic operations of trapezoidal IT2FNs are discussed along with their ranking methods, before some new arithmetic operations and ranking rules are proposed. Secondly, some new aggregation operators including the arithmetic averaging aggregation operator, the ordered weighted averaging aggregation operator and the hybrid weighted averaging aggregation operator for trapezoidal IT2FNs are also developed. Thirdly, a new approach for MCGDM problems is developed based on the proposed operators and ranking rules. Finally, an example is provided to illustrate the feasibility and validity of this new approach, and a comparison analysis referring to the same example is also presented.
A Pseudo-Polynomial Time Algorithm for a Special Multiobjective Order Picking Problem
Authors: Özpeynirci Özgür , Kandemir Cansu
Published: August 2015

In this study, we work on the order picking problem (OPP) in a specially designed warehouse with a single picker. Ratliff and Rosenthal [Operations Research31(3) (1983) 507–521] show that the special design of the warehouse and use of one picker lead to a polynomially solvable case. We address the multiobjective version of this special case and investigate the properties of the nondominated points. We develop an exact algorithm that finds any nondominated point and present an illustrative example. Finally we conduct a computational test and report the results.
Fostering Knowledge Reuse in Communities of Practice by Using a Trust Model and Agents
Authors: Soto Juan Pablo , Vizcaíno Aurora , Piattini Mario
Published: August 2015

Currently, knowledge management is a key issue for companies as it gives them a competitive advantage. A Community of Practice (CoP) is a means to encourage employees to manage knowledge and enables them to exchange knowledge and experience. Members of these communities, however, are often geographically distributed. This hinders the development of feelings of trust between their members, which limits knowledge reuse. Our proposal seeks to minimize the effect of lack of trust between CoP members, thereby fostering the exchange of knowledge. To achieve this goal, we propose a trust model to calculate trust among CoP members, along with a multi-agent architecture to automatically manage the trust model in a CoP. The agents calculate a trust value in each situation, taking the user’s profile into account. We also present a tool that recommends sources of knowledge and documents that are trustworthy.
A DIFFERENTIAL EFFECT OF GRAPHENE OXIDE ON THE PRODUCTION OF PROINFLAMMATORY CYTOKINES BY MURINE MICROGLIA
Authors: Chen Hui-Ting , Wu Hsin-Ying , Shih Chih-Hua , Jan Tong-Rong
Published: August 2015

Graphene oxide (GO) is a promising nanomaterial for application in a variety of biomedical fields, including neuro-oncology, neuroimaging, neuroregeneration and drug delivery. Microglia are the central macrophage-like cells critically involved in neuroimmunity. However, the interaction between GO and microglia remained mostly unknown. The present study investigated the influence of GO on the production of proinflammatory cytokines by microglia. Primary murine microglial cells were treated with GO (1–25 μg/mL) followed by stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h. The cell viability was measured by spectrophotometry using AlamarBlueⓇ. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The IL-1β converting enzyme (ICE) activity was measured using a specific fluorescent substrate. The activity of cathepsin B and the lysosomal permeability and alkalinity were determined by flow cytometry. Treatment with GO did not affect cell viability, but significantly suppressed the production of IL-1β. In contrast, the production of TNF-α was unaltered. In addition, the lysosomal permeability and alkalinity in microglia treated with GO were increased, whereas the activity of cathepsin B and ICE was decreased. Collectively, these results demonstrated that exposure to GO differentially affected the production of proinflammatory cytokines, which is associated with the modulation of the lysosomal pathway of cytokines processing.
Effect of Magnetic Field on Free Convection in Inclined Cylindrical Annulus Containing Molten Potassium
Authors: Afrand Masoud , Sina Nima , Teimouri Hamid , Mazaheri Ali , Safaei Mohammad Reza , Esfe Mohammad Hemmat , Kamali Jamal , Toghraie Davood
Published: August 2015

Three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulation of natural convection of an electrically conducting fluid under the influence of a magnetic field in an inclined cylindrical annulus has been performed. The inner and outer cylinders are maintained at uniform temperatures and other walls are thermally insulated. The governing equations of this fluid system are solved by a finite volume (FV) code based on SIMPLER solution scheme. Detailed numerical results of heat transfer rate, Lorentz force, temperature and electric fields have been presented for a wide range of Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 60) and inclination angle (0 ≤ γ ≤ 90). The results indicate that a magnetic field can control the magnetic convection of an electrically conducting fluid. Depending on the direction and strength of the magnetic field, the suppression of convective motion was observed. For vertical cylindrical annulus, increasing the strength of the magnetic field causes the loss symmetry, and as the consequence, isotherms lose their circular shape. With increasing the Hartmann number the average Nusselt number approaches a constant value. For vertical annulus, the effect of Hartmann number on the average Nusselt number is not prominent compared to the case of horizontal annulus.
Benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c′]Bis[1,2,5]Thiadiazole in Organic Optoelectronics: A Mini-Review
Authors: Tam Teck Lip Dexter , Wu Jishan
Published: August 2015

In this paper, organic optoelectronic research activities in the field of benzo[1,2-c;4,5-c′]bis[1,2,5]thiadiazole (BBT)-based materials are reviewed. Synthetic pathways to the BBT core and its computational studies are described. Collective observations from separate reports suggest open-shell biradical nature of BBT-based materials. Future research directions for these materials are also described.
Anisotropic strength and stiffness properties of some UK Coal Measure siltstones
Authors: Whittles D.N. , Yasar E. , Reddish D.J. , Lloyd P.W.
Published: August 2015

This paper presents results from, and theory to support the anisotropic testing of a series of laminated Coal Measure siltstones. It was found that laminations within the siltstone units created an anisotropic fabric with varying strength and stiffness properties in relation to the orientation of the planes of lamination. New results are presented illustrating changes in triaxial, unconfined compressive, elastic modulus and tensile strength for ten orientations of the lamination plane. A number of anisotropic failure criteria are reviewed and then compared to the test results allowing the selection of the optimum method of characterising the siltstone strength anisotropy. The influence of lamination plane orientation on the tensile strength and Elastic Modulus was also assessed and analysed in relation to theoretical models.
Low density geochemical mapping and mineral exploration: application of the mineral system concept
Authors: Reimann Clemens , Ladenberger Anna , Birke Manfred , Caritat Patrice de
Published: August 2015

The mineral exploration industry is used to very high sample densities (100s to 1000s of samples/km
2
) for geochemical exploration in order to define drill targets. Lately, geoscience organizations in many countries have been geochemically mapping increasingly larger areas at progressively lower sampling densities (1 site/100 to 1 site/18 000 km
2
). A single ore body is too small a target and cannot be expected to be discovered at such low sample densities; indeed numerous deposits could be hidden within a 100 × 100 km grid cell. However, mineral systems, which include all geological ingredients and processes necessary for the generation of mineral deposits, form much larger targets that could be identified even at such low sampling densities. Examples from some European low density geochemical surveys where patterns emerged that may have implications for mineral exploration are shown and discussed. It is concluded that low density geochemical mapping holds great promise in the early stages of mineral exploration programmes in guiding subsequent effort into the more fertile regions. Interpretation of these maps, however, may need a different approach than that used in classical, high density mapping exercises, where only ‘high values’ of certain metals are the traditional target.
Anthropology of Ontologies
Authors: Kohn Eduardo
Published: August 2015

The turn to ontology, often associated with the recent works of Philippe Descola, Eduardo Viveiros de Castro, and Bruno Latour, but evident in many other places as well, is, in Elizabeth Povinelli's formulation, “symptomatic” and “diagnostic” of something. It is, I here argue, a response to the sense that sociocultural anthropology, founded in the footsteps of a broad humanist “linguistic” turn, a field that takes social construction as the special kind of human reality that frames its inquiries, is not fully capable of grappling with the kinds of problems that are confronting us in the so-called Anthropocene—an epoch in which human and nonhuman kinds and futures have become so increasingly entangled that ethical and political problems can no longer be treated as exclusively human problems. Attending to these issues requires new conceptual tools, something that a nonreductionistic, ethnographically inspired, ontological anthropology may be in a privileged position to provide.
Urban Political Ecology
Authors: Rademacher Anne
Published: August 2015

As urban environments transform across the globe, debates over urban nature and its future forms have introduced important critical questions. How, for instance, do we study emergent, dynamic configurations of nature and culture in cities? How do we conceptualize the city as a field site when urbanization encompasses the full spatial continuum from city to countryside? How do we understand the place of history in an environmental era often categorized as unprecedented? This article traces political ecology from its noncity origins to its present engagements with urban life and forms. It argues that ethnographic work both enriches and complicates recent debates about the urban past, present, and future, and it calls for more vigorous and refined anthropological engagement with the biophysical sciences, the theoretical and methodological challenges of scale, and the work of historical contextualization in the history-evasive era now widely known as the Anthropocene.
Biosensors for Cell Analysis
Authors: Zhou Qing , Son Kyungjin , Liu Ying , Revzin Alexander
Published: August 2015

Biosensors first appeared several decades ago to address the need for monitoring physiological parameters such as oxygen or glucose in biological fluids such as blood. More recently, a new wave of biosensors has emerged in order to provide more nuanced and granular information about the composition and function of living cells. Such biosensors exist at the confluence of technology and medicine and often strive to connect cell phenotype or function to physiological or pathophysiological processes. Our review aims to describe some of the key technological aspects of biosensors being developed for cell analysis. The technological aspects covered in our review include biorecognition elements used for biosensor construction, methods for integrating cells with biosensors, approaches to single-cell analysis, and the use of nanostructured biosensors for cell analysis. Our hope is that the spectrum of possibilities for cell analysis described in this review may pique the interest of biomedical scientists and engineers and may spur new collaborations in the area of using biosensors for cell analysis.
Advances in Antibody Design
Authors: Tiller Kathryn E. , Tessier Peter M.
Published: August 2015

The use of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutics requires optimizing several of their key attributes. These include binding affinity and specificity, folding stability, solubility, pharmacokinetics, effector functions, and compatibility with the attachment of additional antibody domains (bispecific antibodies) and cytotoxic drugs (antibody–drug conjugates). Addressing these and other challenges requires the use of systematic design methods that complement powerful immunization and in vitro screening methods. We review advances in designing the binding loops, scaffolds, domain interfaces, constant regions, post-translational and chemical modifications, and bispecific architectures of antibodies and fragments thereof to improve their bioactivity. We also highlight unmet challenges in antibody design that must be overcome to generate potent antibody therapeutics.
Social Rights Constitutionalism: Negotiating the Tension Between the Universal and the Particular
Authors: Brinks Daniel M. , Gauri Varun , Shen Kyle
Published: August 2015

The increasing importance of social rights language in constitutional texts and in the politics of social provision and human security has triggered a voluminous academic literature. Despite its global origins, we argue, social rights language goes through a process of vernacularization, through which it transforms and is transformed by local politics. The process begins when particular rights are included in constitutional texts and continues when local groups take hold of that language to express their particular aspirations. The struggle to realize social rights is a political one, grounded in and pursued through local structures of demand. In the course of that struggle, rights acquire local particularities. At the same time, the global origins and universal language of rights can open possibilities for subordinate groups to challenge the status quo. Whether or not social rights constitutionalism in the end improves the situation for these groups or simply reinforces the status quo depends on the outcome of this vernacularization process, rather than on any a priori features of social rights language or social constitutionalism.
Effectiveness and Social Costs of Public Area Surveillance for Crime Prevention
Authors: Welsh Brandon C. , Farrington David P. , Taheri Sema A.
Published: August 2015

Video surveillance, or closed-circuit television (CCTV), has become a highly popular and prevalent method of preventing crime in public space in many countries across the world. Although it often dominates the policy focus, questions have been raised about its effectiveness and social costs, as well as how it compares to alternative surveillance measures. A theoretical and programmatic understanding of surveillance draws attention to other widely used surveillance measures that perform a crime prevention function in public places. These include improved street lighting, security guards, place managers (e.g., bus drivers and parking lot attendants), and defensible space (i.e., changes to the built environment). This article reviews the research evidence on the effectiveness of the full range of public area surveillance measures and examines related social costs. It also serves to broaden the view of public area surveillance beyond the current narrow focus on CCTV.
The Semantic Properties of Free Indirect Discourse
Authors: Reboul Anne , Delfitto Denis , Fiorin Gaetano
Published: August 2015

Free indirect discourse has traditionally been described as a form of reported speech or thought. It seems to be a mixture of both direct discourse (in allowing exclamatives, interrogatives, etc.) and indirect discourse (in following sequences of tenses and pronouns). It has been the object of more interest from literary theorists than from linguists, though Banfield (1982) offered what is still the best syntactic description of the phenomenon, and contemporary semantic accounts have brought new insights into it. Schlenker (2004) made decisive progress in proposing an account of two contexts and indexical shifting. Maier (2015) proposes an alternative quotational analyses, which Eckardt (2015) rejects, going back to Schlenker's model, suitably amended to answer Maier's criticism. We present these theories, criticize them, and propose an extension of the Schlenker–Eckardt model.
Membrane-Coupled mRNA Trafficking in Fungi
Authors: Haag Carl , Steuten Benedikt , Feldbrügge Michael
Published: August 2015

Intracellular logistics are essential for delivery of newly synthesized material during polar growth of fungal hyphae. Proteins and lipids are actively transported throughout the cell by motor-dependent movement of small vesicles or larger units such as endosomes and the endoplasmic reticulum. A remarkably tight link is emerging between active membrane trafficking and mRNA transport, a process that determines the precise subcellular localization of translation products within the cell. Here, we report on recent insights into the mechanism and biological role of these intricate cotransport processes in fungal models such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and Ustilago maydis. In the latter, we focus on the new finding of endosomal mRNA transport and its implications for protein targeting, complex assembly, and septin biology.
Microbiology Meets Big Data: The Case of Gut Microbiota–Derived Trimethylamine
Authors: Falony Gwen , Vieira-Silva Sara , Raes Jeroen
Published: August 2015

During the past decade, meta-omics approaches have revolutionized microbiology, allowing for a cultivation-free assessment of the composition and functional properties of entire microbial ecosystems. On the one hand, a phylogenetic and functional interpretation of such data relies on accumulated genetic, biochemical, metabolic, and phenotypic characterization of microbial variation. On the other hand, the increasing availability of extensive microbiome data sets and corresponding metadata provides a vast, underused resource for the microbiology field as a whole. To demonstrate the potential for integrating big data into a functional microbiology workflow, we review literature on trimethylamine (TMA), a microbiota-generated metabolite linked to atherosclerosis development. Translating recently elucidated microbial pathways resulting in TMA production into genomic orthologs, we demonstrate how to mine for their presence in public (meta-) genomic databases and link findings to associated metadata. Reviewing pathway abundance in public data sets shows that TMA production potential is associated with symptomatic atherosclerosis and allows identification of currently uncharacterized TMA-producing bacteria.
Scientific Discoveries: What Is Required for Lasting Impact
Authors: Lømo Terje
Published: August 2015

I have been involved in two scientific discoveries of some impact. One is the discovery of long-term potentiation (LTP), the phenomenon that brief, high-frequency impulse activity at synapses in the brain can lead to long-lasting increases in their efficiency of transmission. This finding demonstrated that synapses are plastic, a property thought to be necessary for learning and memory. The other discovery is that nerve-evoked muscle impulse activity, rather than putative trophic factors, controls the properties of muscle fibers. Here I describe how these two discoveries were made, the unexpected difficulties of reproducing the first discovery, and the controversies that followed the second discovery. I discuss why the first discovery took many years to become generally recognized, whereas the second caused an immediate sensation and entered textbooks and major reviews but is now largely forgotten. In the long run, discovering a new phenomenon has greater impact than falsifying a popular hypothesis.
Scientific Misconduct
Authors: Gross Charles
Published: August 2015

Scientific misconduct has been defined as fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism. Scientific misconduct has occurred throughout the history of science. The US government began to take systematic interest in such misconduct in the 1980s. Since then, a number of studies have examined how frequently individual scientists have observed scientific misconduct or were involved in it. Although the studies vary considerably in their methodology and in the nature and size of their samples, in most studies at least 10% of the scientists sampled reported having observed scientific misconduct. In addition to studies of the incidence of scientific misconduct, this review considers the recent increase in paper retractions, the role of social media in scientific ethics, several instructional examples of egregious scientific misconduct, and potential methods to reduce research misconduct.
Zinc dyshomeostasis during polymicrobial sepsis in mice involves zinc transporter Zip14 and can be overcome by zinc supplementation
Authors: Wessels Inga , Cousins Robert J.
Published: August 2015

Integrity of the immune system is particularly dependent on the availability of zinc. Recent data suggest that zinc is involved in the development of sepsis, a life-threatening systemic inflammation with high death rates, but with limited therapeutic options. Altered cell zinc transport mechanisms could contribute to the inflammatory effects of sepsis. Zip14, a zinc importer induced by proinflammatory stimuli, could influence zinc metabolism during sepsis and serve as a target for therapy. Using cecal ligation-and-puncture (CLP) to model polymicrobial sepsis, we narrowed the function of ZIP14 to regulation of zinc homeostasis in hepatocytes, while hepatic leukocytes were mostly responsible for driving inflammation, as shown by higher expression of IL-1β, TNFα, S100A8, and matrix metalloproteinase-8. Using Zip14 knockout (KO) mice as a novel approach, we found that ablation of Zip14 produced a delay in development of leukocytosis, prevented zinc accumulation in the liver, altered the kinetics of hypozincemia, and drastically increased serum IL-6, TNFα, and IL-10 concentrations following CLP. Hence, this model revealed that the zinc transporter ZIP14 is a component of the pathway for zinc redistribution that contributes to zinc dyshomeostasis during polymicrobial sepsis. In contrast, using the identical CLP model, we found that supplemental dietary zinc reduced the severity of sepsis, as shown by amelioration of cytokines, calprotectins, and blood bacterial loads. We conclude that the zinc transporter ZIP14 influences aspects of the pathophysiology of nonlethal polymicrobial murine sepsis induced by CLP through zinc delivery. The results are promising for the use of zinc and its transporters as targets for future sepsis therapy.
Associations and clinical relevance of aortic-brachial artery stiffness mismatch, aortic reservoir function, and central pressure augmentation
Authors: Schultz Martin G. , Hughes Alun D. , Davies Justin E. , Sharman James E.
Published: August 2015

Central augmentation pressure (AP) and index (AIx) predict cardiovascular events and mortality, but underlying physiological mechanisms remain disputed. While traditionally believed to relate to wave reflections arising from proximal arterial impedance (and stiffness) mismatching, recent evidence suggests aortic reservoir function may be a more dominant contributor to AP and AIx. Our aim was therefore to determine relationships among aortic-brachial stiffness mismatching, AP, AIx, aortic reservoir function, and end-organ disease. Aortic (aPWV) and brachial (bPWV) pulse wave velocity were measured in 359 individuals (aged 61 ± 9, 49% male). Central AP, AIx, and aortic reservoir indexes were derived from radial tonometry. Participants were stratified by positive (bPWV > aPWV), negligible (bPWV ≈ aPWV), or negative stiffness mismatch (bPWV < aPWV). Left-ventricular mass index (LVMI) was measured by two-dimensional-echocardiography. Central AP and AIx were higher with negative stiffness mismatch vs. negligible or positive stiffness mismatch (11 ± 6 vs. 10 ± 6 vs. 8 ± 6 mmHg, P < 0.001 and 24 ± 10 vs. 24 ± 11 vs. 21 ± 13%, P = 0.042). Stiffness mismatch (bPWV-aPWV) was negatively associated with AP ( r = −0.18, P = 0.001) but not AIx ( r = −0.06, P = 0.27). Aortic reservoir pressure strongly correlated to AP ( r = 0.81, P < 0.001) and AIx ( r = 0.62, P < 0.001) independent of age, sex, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and height (standardized β = 0.61 and 0.12, P ≤ 0.001). Aortic reservoir pressure independently predicted abnormal LVMI (β = 0.13, P = 0.024). Positive aortic-brachial stiffness mismatch does not result in higher AP or AIx. Aortic reservoir function, rather than discrete wave reflection from proximal arterial stiffness mismatching, provides a better model description of AP and AIx and also has clinical relevance as evidenced by an independent association of aortic reservoir pressure with LVMI.