bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cutaneous immunopathology of long‐standing complex regional pain syndrome
Authors: Osborne S. , Farrell J. , Dearman R.J. , MacIver K. , Naisbitt D.J. , Moots R.J. , Edwards S.W. , Goebel A.
Published: February 2015

Background

Both increased mast cells numbers and raised immune mediator concentrations indicate immune activation in the affected skin of patients with early complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), but little is known about regional immune cell involvement in late‐stage CRPS. The aim of the current study was to determine skin immune cell populations in long‐standing CRPS.

Methods

Using 6‐mm skin punch biopsies from CRPS‐affected and non‐affected tissues, and a combination of chemical and immunofluorescence staining, we examined the density and function of key cell populations including mast cells, epidermal Langerhans cells (LCs) and tissue resident T‐cells.

Results

We found no significant differences in either overall immune cell infiltrates, or mast cell density between CRPS‐affected and non‐affected sub‐epidermal tissue sections, contrasting recent findings in early CRPS by other groups. However, CD1a+ LC densities in the epidermal layer were significantly decreased in affected compared to non‐affected CRPS limbs (p < 0.01). T‐cell clones isolated from CRPS‐affected sub‐epidermal tissues displayed a trend towards increased IL‐13 production in ELISPOT assays when compared to T‐cells isolated from non‐affected areas, suggesting a Th2 bias.

Conclusions

Immune cell abnormalities are maintained in late‐stage CRPS disease as manifest by changes in epidermal LC density and tissue resident T‐cell phenotype.
Volume changes and brain‐behavior relationships in white matter and subcortical gray matter in children with prenatal alcohol exposure
Authors: Gautam Prapti , Lebel Catherine , Narr Katherine L. , Mattson Sarah N. , May Philip A. , Adnams Colleen M. , Riley Edward P. , Jones Kenneth L. , Kan Eric C. , Sowell Elizabeth R.
Published: February 2015

Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) may have cognitive, behavioral and brain abnormalities. Here, we compare rates of white matter and subcortical gray matter volume change in PAE and control children, and examine relationships between annual volume change and arithmetic ability, behavior, and executive function. Participants (n = 75 PAE/64 control; age: 7.1–15.9 years) each received two structural magnetic resonance scans, ∼2 years apart. Assessments included Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC‐IV), the Child Behavior Checklist and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Subcortical white and gray volumes were extracted for each hemisphere. Group volume differences were tested using false discovery rate (q < 0.05). Analyses examined group‐by‐age interactions and group‐score interactions for correlations between change in volume and raw behavioral scores. Results showed that subjects with PAE had smaller volumes than control subjects across the brain. Significant group‐score interactions were found in temporal and parietal regions for WISC arithmetic scores and in frontal and parietal regions for behavioral measures. Poorer cognitive/ behavioral outcomes were associated with larger volume increases in PAE, while control subjects generally showed no significant correlations. In contrast with previous results demonstrating different trajectories of cortical volume change in PAE, our results show similar rates of subcortical volume growth in subjects with PAE and control subjects. We also demonstrate abnormal brain‐behavior relationships in subjects with PAE, suggesting different use of brain resources. Our results are encouraging in that, due to the stable volume differences, there may be an extended window of opportunity for intervention in children with PAE. Hum Brain Mapp 36:2318–2329, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Can managers empower nurse‐midwives to improve maternal health care? A comparison of two resource‐poor hospitals in Tanzania
Authors: Tibandebage Paula , Kida Tausi , Mackintosh Maureen , Ikingura Joyce
Published: February 2015

Maternal mortality is very high in Tanzania. Competent hospital care is key to improving maternal outcomes, but there is a crisis of availability and performance of health workers in maternal care. This article uses interviews with managers, nurse‐midwives, and women who had given birth in two hospitals providing virtually all the emergency maternal care in one Tanzania city. It contrasts women's experience in the two hospitals, and analyses interconnections with nurse‐midwives' and managers' experiences of working conditions. The conceptual literature on nurse empowerment identifies some key explanatory variables for these contrasts. Staff experienced less frustration and constraint in one of the hospitals; had more access to structurally empowering resources; and experienced greater congruence between job commitment and working culture, resulting in better work engagement. Conversely, nurse‐midwives in the other hospital were constrained by supply shortages and recurrent lack of support. Contrasting management styles and their impacts demonstrate that even in severely resource‐constrained environments, there is room for management to empower staff to improve maternal care. Empowering management practices include participatory management, supportive supervision, better incentives, and clear leadership concerning ward culture. Structural constraints beyond the capacity of health facility managers must however also be addressed. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emitter Uniformity and Application Efficiency for Centre‐ Pivot Irrigation Systems
Authors: Rajan Nithya , Maas Stephan , Kellison Rick , Dollar Monty , Cui Song , Sharma Sumit , Attia Ahmed
Published: February 2015

A significant portion of the intensively cultivated agricultural areas in the Southern Great Plains of the USA is located in the Texas High Plains. Agriculture in this region mainly depends on water from the vast underground Ogallala Aquifer. Due to excess withdrawal and a slow recharge process, groundwater levels are declining in many areas of the aquifer. Recently, regulations have been enacted in the Texas High Plains for restricting the amount of water pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer. In addition to pumping restrictions, conserving water by promoting irrigation systems with high application efficiency is also a priority. We investigated the emitted uniformity and application efficiency of 14 centre‐pivot irrigation systems in the Texas High Plains. Application efficiencies were in the range of 60–70% for mid‐elevation spray application (MESA) systems, 70–80% for low‐elevation spray application (LESA) systems, and greater than 90% for low‐energy precision application (LEPA) systems. Correction of the small number of defective emitters per system would not realize significant water savings. However, water savings could be realized by switching from MESA or LESA to LEPA, assuming the choice of crop allowed it. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cyclin‐Dependent kinase 5 targeting prevents β‐Amyloid aggregation involving glycogen synthase kinase 3β and phosphatases
Authors: Castro‐Alvarez John Fredy , Uribe‐Arias Alejandro , Cardona‐Gómez Gloria Patricia
Published: February 2015

Inappropriate activation of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) resulting from proteolytic release of the activator fragment p25 from the membrane contributes to the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, β‐amyloid (βA) aggregation, and chronic neurodegeneration. At 18 months of age, 3× Tg‐AD mice were sacrificed after either 3 weeks (short term) or 1 year (long term) of CDK5 knockdown. In short‐term‐treated animals, CDK5 knockdown reversed βA aggregation in the hippocampi via inhibitory phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase 3β Ser9 and activation of phosphatase PP2A. In long‐term‐treated animals, CDK5 knockdown induced a persistent reduction in CDK5 and prevented βA aggregation, but the effect on amyloid precursor protein processing was reduced, suggesting that yearly booster therapy would be required. These findings further validate CDK5 as a target for preventing or blocking amyloidosis in older transgenic mice. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mucosal contact points and paranasal sinus pneumatization: Does radiology predict headache causality?
Authors: Herzallah Islam R. , Hamed Maged A. , Salem Salem M. , Suurna Maria V.
Published: February 2015

Objectives/Hypothesis

The goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of mucosal contact points (MCP), concha bullosa (CB), and variable paranasal sinus (PNS) volumes among patients sent for rhinogenic headache workup as compared with controls.

Study Design

Retrospective study with case and control groups.

Methods

Fifty‐three adults with clear PNS computed tomography (CT) scans were included: 28 patients who have originally undergone PNS CT scan as part of sinus (rhinogenic) headache workup, and 25 controls in whom PNS CT scans were obtained for other purposes. All subjects were asked to report their symptoms using a headache scoring system. CT scans of all subjects were analyzed for presence of MCP, CB, as well as for volumes of maxillary, frontal, and sphenoid sinuses.

Results

MCP was found in 40% of controls, and in 50%, 50%, and 40% of mild, moderate, and severe headache groups, respectively. CB was found in 24% of controls, and in 33.3%, 58.3%, and 20%, of mild, moderate, and severe headache groups, respectively. Total volume of the measured PNS ranged from 23.9 to 81.4 cm3 (mean ± standard deviation [SD], 48.3 ± 15.8) in the control group and from 5.31 to 87.4 cm3 (mean ± SD, 43.6 ± 16) in the patient group. No statistically significant difference was found between groups regarding all studied variables.

Conclusions

Radiological identification of MCP, CB, or hyperpneumatized sinuses does not seem to be a predictor of headache causality. Further studies are required to identify clinical scenarios in which these variations may contribute to pain symptoms.

Level of Evidence

3b. Laryngoscope, 125:2021–2026, 2015
Germline deletions in the tumour suppressor gene FOCAD are associated with polyposis and colorectal cancer development
Authors: Weren Robbert DA , Venkatachalam Ramprasath , Cazier Jean‐Baptiste , Farin Henner F , Kets C Marleen , de Voer Richarda M , Vreede Lilian , Verwiel Eugène TP , van Asseldonk Monique , Kamping Eveline J , Kiemeney Lambertus A , Neveling Kornelia , Aben Katja KH , Carvajal‐Carmona Luis , Nagtegaal Iris D , Schackert Hans K , Clevers Hans , van de Wetering Marc , Tomlinson Ian P , Ligtenberg Marjolijn JL , Hoogerbrugge Nicoline , Geurts van Kessel Ad , Kuiper Roland P
Published: February 2015

Heritable genetic variants can significantly affect the lifetime risk of developing cancer, including polyposis and colorectal cancer (CRC). Variants in genes currently known to be associated with a high risk for polyposis or CRC, however, explain only a limited number of hereditary cases. The identification of additional genetic causes is, therefore, crucial to improve CRC prevention, detection and treatment. We have performed genome‐wide and targeted DNA copy number profiling and resequencing in early‐onset and familial polyposis/CRC patients, and show that deletions affecting the open reading frame of the tumour suppressor gene FOCAD are recurrent and significantly enriched in CRC patients compared with unaffected controls. All patients carrying FOCAD deletions exhibited a personal or family history of polyposis. RNA in situ hybridization revealed FOCAD expression in epithelial cells in the colonic crypt, the site of tumour initiation, as well as in colonic tumours and organoids. Our data suggest that monoallelic germline deletions in the tumour suppressor gene FOCAD underlie moderate genetic predisposition to the development of polyposis and CRC. © 2015 Authors. Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
Emotional processing in a ten‐session general psychiatric treatment for borderline personality disorder: a case study
Authors: Berthoud Laurent , Kramer Ueli , Caspar Franz , Pascual‐Leone Antonio
Published: February 2015

This study examines the effects of a borderline‐specific treatment, called general psychiatric management, on emotional change, outcome and therapeutic alliance of an outpatient presenting with borderline personality disorder. Based on the sequential model of emotional processing, emotional states were assessed in a 10‐session setting. The case showed an increase in expressions of distress and no change in therapeutic alliance and tended towards general deterioration. Results suggest emotional processing may play a lesser role in general psychiatric management in early phase treatment than previously hypothezised. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lattice pulling effect and strain relaxation in axial (In,Ga)N/GaN nanowire heterostructures grown on GaN‐buffered Si(111) substrate
Authors: Kong X. , Albert S. , Bengoechea‐Encabo A. , Sanchez‐Garcia M. A. , Calleja E. , Trampert A.
Published: February 2015

Transmission electron microscopy and spatially resolved electron energy‐loss spectroscopy have been applied to investigate the indium distribution and the interface morphology in axial (In,Ga)N/GaN nanowire heterostructures. The ordered axial (In,Ga)N/GaN nanowire heterostructures with an indium concentration up to 80% are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaN‐buffered Si(111) substrates. We observed a pronounced lattice pulling effect in all the nanowire samples given in a broad transition region at the interface. The lattice pulling effect becomes smaller and the (In,Ga)N/GaN interface width is reduced as the indium concentration is increased in the (In,Ga)N section. The result can be interpreted in terms of the increased plastic strain relaxation via the generation of the misfit dislocations at the interface.
Ab initio study of the low‐pressure phases of TiO
Authors: Olguí n D. , Vallejo E. , Rubio‐Ponce A.
Published: February 2015

A careful and detailed ab initio study of the structural properties and electronic band structures of some interesting crystal phases of TiO is presented in this work. Experimentally, at 460 K, TiO adopts the monoclinic phase, with space group C2/m, and exhibits semiconducting properties. After heating to approximately 514 K, this compound adopts the orthorhombic phase, space group Cmcm, and exhibits metallic behavior. To determine the ground state of TiO, density functional theory (DFT) with the local spin density approximation (LSDA) approach is used. The LSDA method is to take into account the highly correlated characteristics of the TiO system. The total energy as a function of volume is calculated for the and Cmcm crystal phases of TiO. Additionally, the structural parameters, , and , and the transition phase induced by applying hydrostatic pressure to this compound are studied using the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state and the calculated Gibbs free energy of the system. It was determined that the phase is the most stable phase at ambient pressure and that it is not possible to predict a transition phase induced by hydrostatic pressure.
Structure and strain variation in InGaN interlayers grown by PAMBE at low substrate temperatures
Authors: Bazioti C. , Papadomanolaki E. , Kehagias Th. , Androulidaki M. , Dimitrakopulos G. P. , Iliopoulos E.
Published: February 2015

We have considered the structural properties of InGaN thin interlayers with thicknesses from 1 up to 40 nm, grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) at substrate temperatures ∼500 °C. Quantitative high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) techniques were employed for the study of the structural characteristics and strain relaxation. Based on nanoscale strain measurements, it was determined that the indium content of the layers increased with increasing thickness under identical growth conditions. Layer thickness was larger than nominal up to the onset of strain relaxation. This behavior, as well as the roughening of the upper interface of the layers, was attributed to indium segregation. After the onset of plastic strain relaxation, indium incorporation increases at a slower rate with thickness. A multi‐quantum well (MQW) heterostructure deposited at low temperature exhibited roughening of the InGaN layers and indium accumulation at troughs, concurrent with low defect content, resulting in improved carrier localization.
Multi‐angle spectroscopic extreme ultraviolet reflectometry for analysis of thin films and interfaces
Authors: Danylyuk Serhiy , Herbert Stefan , Loosen Peter , Lebert Rainer , Schäfer Anna , Schubert Jürgen , Tryus Maksym , Juschkin Larissa
Published: February 2015

Modern nanotechnology is constantly raising demands to quality and purity of thin films and interlayer interfaces. As thicknesses of employed layers decrease to single nanometers, traditional characterization tools are no longer able to satisfy throughput, precision or non‐destructibility requirements. Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X‐ray reflectometry has not only demonstrated the ability to detect sub‐nm thickness variations but also was shown to be very sensitive to chemical composition changes. Since the laboratory radiation sources in this wavelength range often emit in a relatively broad spectral range, a spectroscopic EUV reflectometry has been developed with the added benefit of a rapid measuring time on the order of milliseconds to seconds. In this paper, the extension of the method to multi‐angle measurements will be presented. It allows to reduce a number of fit parameters in the analysis model, making the method suitable for complex samples of unknown composition. First experimental examples for Si‐based layer systems measured under grazing incidence angles between 2° and 15° will be demonstrated and discussed. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Integration of individual TiO2 nanotube on the chip: Nanodevice for hydrogen sensing
Authors: Enachi Mihail , Lupan Oleg , Braniste Tudor , Sarua Andrei , Chow Lee , Mishra Yogendra K. , Gedamu Dawit , Adelung Rainer , Tiginyanu Ion
Published: February 2015

Titania (TiO2) exists in several phases possessing different physical properties. In view of this fact, we report on three types of hydrogen sensors based on individual TiO2 nanotubes (NTs) with three different structures consisting of amorphous, anatase or anatase/rutile mixed phases. Different phases of the NTs were produced by controlling the temperature of post‐anodization thermal treatment. Integration of individual TiO2 nanotubes on the chip was performed by employing metal deposition function in the focused ion beam (FIB/SEM) instrument. Gas response was studied for devices made from an as‐grown individual nanotube with an amorphous structure, as well as from thermally annealed individual nanotubes exhibiting anatase crystalline phase or anatase/rutile heterogeneous structure. Based on electrical measurements using two Pt complex contacts deposited on a single TiO2 nanotube, we show that an individual NT with an anatase/rutile crystal structure annealed at 650 °C has a higher gas response to hydrogen at room temperature than samples annealed at 450 °C and as‐grown. The obtained results demonstrate that the structural properties of the TiO2 NTs make them a viable new gas sensing nanomaterial at room temperature. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Introduction of (2‐CF3)Phenyl Group via Nickel‐catalyzed C–Cl Bond Activation and Arylation
Authors: Peng Zheng , Sun Hongjian , Du Aiqin , Li Xiaoyan
Published: February 2015

A simple and mild catalytic arylation via C–Cl bond activation is described. The phenyl group containing a 2‐trifluoromethyl group was introduced into the aromatic imine molecules through C,C‐coupling reaction between chloroarenes and the organozinc reagent, bis(2‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)zinc, with tetrakis(trimethylphosphine)nickel(0) complex as an effective catalyst. Under catalytic conditions chlorinated benzalimines were quantitatively converted into the expected benzalimines with trifluoromethyl group(s).
Determining the influence of Itaipu Lake on thermal conditions for soybean development in adjacent lands
Authors: Wagner-Riddle C. , Werner S. S. , Caramori P. , Ricce W. S. , Nitsche P. , von Bertoldi P. , de Souza E. F.
Published: February 2015

Previous numerical simulations have suggested that the area adjacent to Itaipu Lake in Southern Brazil is significantly affecting the local thermal regime through development of a lake breeze. This has led to concerns that soybean growth and development, and consequently yield, has been affected by the creation of the artificial lake in this important agricultural region, but a systematic climatological study of the thermal effects of Itaipu Lake has not been conducted. The objectives of this study were to assess the spatial pattern of minimum and maximum air temperatures in a 10-km-wide area adjacent to Itaipu Lake as affected by distance from the water. Measurements were conducted over 3 years in seven transects along the shore of Itaipu Lake, with five weather stations placed in each transect. Phenological observations in soybean fields surrounding the weather stations were also conducted. Generalized additive models for location, scale, and shape (GAMLSS) analysis indicated no difference in the temperature time series as distance from water increased. Semivariograms showed that the random components in the air temperature were predominant and that there was no spatial structure to the signal. Wind direction measured over the three growing seasons demonstrated that, on average, the development of a lake breeze is limited to a few locations and a few hours of the day, supporting the temporal and spatial analysis. Phenological observations did not show differences in the timing of critical soybean stages. We suggest that the concerns that soybean development is potentially affected by the presence of Itaipu Lake are not supported by the thermal environment observed.
Psychological Impact of Predictive Genetic Testing in VCP Inclusion Body Myopathy, Paget Disease of Bone and Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: Surampalli Abhilasha , Khare Manaswitha , Kubrussi Georgette , Wencel Marie , Tanaja Jasmin , Donkervoort Sandra , Osann Kathryn , Simon Mariella , Wallace Douglas , Smith Charles , M.McInerney‐Leo Aideen , Kimonis Virginia
Published: February 2015

Inclusion Body Myopathy associated with Paget's disease of bone and Fronto‐temporal Dementia, also known as multisystem proteinopathy is an autosomal dominant, late onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in Valosin containing protein (VCP) gene. This study aimed to assess uptake and decision making for predictive genetic testing and the impact on psychological well‐being. Individuals who had participated in the gene discovery study with a 50 % a priori risk of inheriting VCP disease were sent a letter of invitation offering genetic counseling and testing and were also invited to participate in this psychosocial study. A total of 102 individuals received an invitation and 33 individuals participated in genetic counseling and testing (32.3 %) with 29 completing baseline questionnaires. Twenty completed the follow‐up post‐test Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire including 13 of the 18 who had tested positive. Mean risk perception at baseline was 50.1 %. Reasons for testing included planning for the future, relieving uncertainty, informing children and satisfying curiosity. At baseline, one quarter of the participants had high levels of anxiety. However, scores were normal one year following testing. In this small cohort, one third of individuals at 50 % risk chose pre‐symptomatic testing. Although one quarter of those choosing testing had high anxiety at baseline, this was not evident at follow‐up.
Ethnic Variations in Immigrant Poverty Exit and Female Employment: The Missing Link
Authors: Kaida Lisa
Published: February 2015

Despite widespread interest in poverty among recent immigrants and female immigrant employment, research on the link between the two is limited. This study evaluates the effect of recently arrived immigrant women’s employment on the exit from family poverty and considers the implications for ethnic differences in poverty exit. It uses the bivariate probit model and the Fairlie decomposition technique to analyze data from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Canada (LSIC), a nationally representative survey of immigrants arriving in Canada, 2000–2001. Results show that the employment of recently arrived immigrant women makes a notable contribution to lifting families out of poverty. Moreover, the wide ethnic variations in the probability of exit from poverty between European and non-European groups are partially explained by the lower employment rates among non-European women. The results suggest that the equal earner/female breadwinner model applies to low-income recent immigrant families in general, but the male breadwinner model explains the low probability of poverty exit among select non-European groups whose female employment rates are notably low.
Global efforts for effective training in fistula surgery
Authors: Elneil Sohier
Published: February 2015

Obstetric fistulas continue to be a problem in low‐ and middle‐income nations, affecting women of childbearing age during pregnancy and labor and resulting in debilitating urinary and/or fecal incontinence. Historically, this predicament also affected women in high‐income nations until the middle of the last century. This is not a “new world” crisis therefore, but simply one of economic and health development. In the last two decades, new global initiatives have been instituted to improve training and education in preventative and curative fistula treatment by developing a unified and competency‐based learning tool by surgeons in the field in partnership with FIGO and its global partners. This modern approach to the management of a devastating condition can only serve to achieve the WHO objective of health security for women throughout their life span.
Ecological consequences of the Guadalupian extinction and its role in the brachiopod-mollusk transition
Authors: Clapham Matthew E.
Published: February 2015

The Guadalupian (middle Permian) extinction may have triggered substantial ecological restructuring in level-bottom communities, such as turnover in dominant brachiopod genera or a shift from abundant brachiopods to mollusks, despite comparatively minor taxonomic losses. However, ecological changes in relative abundance have been inferred from limited data; as a result, constraints on important shifts like the brachiopod-mollusk transition are imprecise. Here, I reevaluate the magnitude of ecological shifts during the Guadalupian–Lopingian (G-L) interval by supplementing previous census counts of silicified assemblages with counts from non-silicified assemblages and global occurrence data, both sourced from the Paleobiology Database. Brachiopod occurrences are consistent with more pronounced faunal composition changes from the Guadalupian to Lopingian than among stages within those intervals, but only in Iran and South China, and not in Pakistan or a Tethys-wide data set. In Iran and South China, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity values comparing occurrence frequencies between adjacent stages were elevated across the G-L transition, although other intervals exhibited similarly large shifts. However, genus occurrence frequencies were less strongly correlated or were anti-correlated across the G-L transition, suggesting moderate faunal turnover among dominant brachiopod genera. In contrast to previous inferences from silicified faunas, abundances of brachiopods, bivalves, and gastropods remained consistent from the Guadalupian to Lopingian in non-silicified local counts and global occurrences, implying that the brachiopod-mollusk shift did not occur until the end-Permian extinction. Ecological and taxonomic consequences were both minor in level-bottom settings, suggesting that severe environmental perturbations may not be necessary to explain biotic changes during the Guadalupian-Lopingian transition.
Preservation is predictable: quantifying the effect of taphonomic biases on ecological disparity in birds
Authors: Mitchell Jonathan S.
Published: February 2015

Evolutionary inferences from fossil data often require accurately reconstructing differences in richness and morphological disparity between fossil sites across space and time. Biases such as sampling and rock availability are commonly accounted for in large-scale studies; however, preservation bias is usually dealt with only in smaller, more focused studies. Birds represent a diverse, but taphonomically fragile, group commonly used to infer environmental conditions in recent (Pleistocene and later) fossil assemblages, and their relative scarcity in the fossil record has led to controversy over the timing of their radiation. Here, I use simulations to show how even weak taphonomic biases can distort estimates of richness, and render variance sensitive to sample size. I then apply an ecology-based filtering model to recent bird assemblages to quantify the distortion induced by taphonomy. Certain deposit types, such as caves, show less evidence of taphonomic distortion than others, such as fluvial and lacustrine deposits. Archaeological middens unsurprisingly show some of the strongest evidence for taphonomic bias, and they should be avoided when reconstructing Pleistocene and early Holocene environments. Further, these results support previously suggested methods for detecting fossil assemblages that are relatively faithfully preserved (e.g., presence of difficult-to-preserve taxa), and I use these results to recommend that future large-scale studies include facies diversity along with metrics such as rock volume, or compare only sites with similar taphonomic histories.
W
Authors: Neumayer Eric , Plümper Thomas
Published: February 2015

In spatial econometrics,Wrefers to the matrix that weights the value of the spatially lagged variable of other units. As unimportant as it may appear,Wspecifies, or at least ought to specify, why and how other units of analysis affect the unit under observation. This article shows that theory must inform five crucial specification choices taken by researchers. Specifically, the connectivity variable employed inWmust capture the causal mechanism of spatial dependence. The specification ofWfurther determines the relative relevance of source units from which spatial dependence emanates, and whether receiving units are assumed to be identically or differentially exposed to spatial stimulus. Multiple dimensions of spatial dependence can be modeled as independent, substitutive or conditional links. Finally, spatial effects need not go exclusively in one direction, but can be bi-directional; recipients can simultaneously experience positive spatial dependence from some sources and negative dependence from others. The importance ofWstands in stark contrast to applied researchers’ typical use of crude proxy variables (such as geographical proximity) to measure true connectivity, and the practice of adopting standard modeling conventions rather than substantive theory to specifyW. This study demonstrates which assumptions these conventions impose on specification choices, and argues that theories of spatial dependence will often conflict with them.
Music Physicianers: Blues Lyric Form and the Patent Medicine Show
Authors: SANDLER MATT
Published: February 2015

Patent medicine shows became popular in the United States around the turn of the twentieth century by selling their products alongside free musical and theatrical entertainments. The “doctors” promised a range of cures, but usually mixed their remedies with alcohol or narcotics – using the promise of health to evade religious authorities and law enforcement, even in dry counties. Many talented black performers toured with medicine shows, including a number of artists later associated with the blues. I argue that the medicine show had a decisive impact on the blues by providing not simply training in performance, but also an impetus for the notorious suggestiveness of its lyric code. The blues borrows from the medicine show its lawless appeal to ailments uncategorized and ignored by socially sanctioned experts.
CIVILIZED DEPRAVITY: EVANGELICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF EARLY-NINETEENTH-CENTURY CHINA AND THE REDEFINITION OF “TRUE CIVILIZATION”
Authors: Fischer Benjamin
Published: February 2015

In the first few decadesof the nineteenth century, the experience of missionaries among peoples as diverse as the ancient civilizations of India, the highly organized Zulu kingdoms, and the cannibal tribes of the South Seas had sparked a national debate concerning whether or not the “civilization of the heathen” was necessary before they could be converted, or whether Christianity would be the best means of civilizing them. Unresolved as far as public policy was concerned, this question entered discussions of the 1835 Select Committee on Aboriginal Tribes (British Settlements), a committee convened to address problems arising between British settlers and indigenous communities, including important trade sites in Australia, New Zealand, and the islands of the Pacific. As with several other areas where significant British imperial pressure never took the form of direct colonial rule, the trade ports in China fell outside the committee's explicit considerations. Along with forbidding foreign settlements, Chinese culture did not fit the terms or assumptions of the committee's conversation. Since the first Jesuit mission to China in the late sixteenth century, there had been little doubt in Europe that Chinese civilization was far advanced. As a tightly controlled bureaucratic state confident of its own position as the Middle Kingdom of the world, China simply did not work within the discourse of civilization. This essay explores one attempt to adjust the terms of that British discourse in order to accommodate a civilized China.
Effects of Thoracic Pressure Changes on MRI Signals in the Brain
Authors: Wu Paula , Bandettini Peter A , Harper Ronald M , Handwerker Daniel A
Published: February 2015

Cerebrovascular stressors, such as breath holding or CO2 inhalation, cause global magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal changes. In this study, we show that intrathoracic pressure changes cause rapid MRI signal alterations that have similar spatial patterns to the changes associated with breath holding or CO2 inhalation. Nine subjects performed the Valsalva maneuver during functional MRI data collection. Expiratory pressures ranged from 10 to 40 mm Hg. Breath holds ending on either inhalation or exhalation were also collected. The maximal and minimal functional MRI (fMRI) signal scaled with thoracic pressure load, and the overall amplitude of responses to the Valsalva varied, depending on brain tissue. Additionally, a Valsalva effort as short as 5 seconds yielded signal changes similar in spatial distribution and magnitude to a 20-second breath hold, suggesting potential applications of the Valsalva maneuver for calibrated fMRI experiments.
Chronic Monitoring of Vascular Progression after Ischemic Stroke Using Multiexposure Speckle Imaging and Two-Photon Fluorescence Microscopy
Authors: Schrandt Christian J , Kazmi SM Shams , Jones Theresa A , Dunn Andrew K
Published: February 2015

Monitoring the progression of the vascular structure and cerebral blood flow (CBF) after brain injury is vital to understand the neurovascular recovery process. Multiexposure speckle imaging (MESI) provides a quantitatively accurate technique for chronically measuring the postocclusion CBF perfusion of the infarct and peri-infarct regions in rodent stroke models, while multiphoton microscopy offers direct visualization of the microvascular structure. In this paper, we present imaging outcomes extending 35 days after photo-thrombotic occlusion, tracking the progression of the vasculature throughout this period. We compare MESI flow estimates within the unresolvable parenchyma with subsurface microvascular volume fractions taken with two-photon microscopy in the same regions to assess how the vascular density influences the surface-integrated MESI flow values. The MESI flow measurements and volume fractions are shown to have high correlations (r=0.90) within areas of recovering vasculature in the peri-infarct region. We also observe vascular reorientation occurring within the microvascular structure throughout the 35-day postocclusion period. With the combination of a chronic mouse model and relatively noninvasive optical imaging techniques, we present an imaging protocol for monitoring long-term vascular progression after photo-thrombotic occlusion with the potential to test the efficacy of rehabilitation and pharmacological therapies.
An analytical framework for optimizing variant discovery from personal genomes
Authors: Highnam Gareth , Wang Jason J. , Kusler Dean , Zook Justin , Vijayan Vinaya , Leibovich Nir , Mittelman David
Published: February 2015

The standardization and performance testing of analysis tools is a prerequisite to widespread adoption of genome-wide sequencing, particularly in the clinic. However, performance testing is currently complicated by the paucity of standards and comparison metrics, as well as by the heterogeneity in sequencing platforms, applications and protocols. Here we present the genome comparison and analytic testing (GCAT) platform to facilitate development of performance metrics and comparisons of analysis tools across these metrics. Performance is reported through interactive visualizations of benchmark and performance testing data, with support for data slicing and filtering. The platform is freely accessible at http://www.bioplanet.com/gcat.
A Dual-Intein Autoprocessing Domain that Directs Synchronized Protein Co-Expression in Both Prokaryotes and Eukaryotes
Authors: Zhang Bei , Rapolu Madhusudhan , Liang Zhibin , Han Zhenlin , Williams Philip G. , Su Wei Wen
Published: February 2015

Being able to coordinate co-expression of multiple proteins is necessary for a variety of important applications such as assembly of protein complexes, trait stacking and metabolic engineering. Currently only few options are available for multiple recombinant protein co-expression and most of them are not applicable to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts. Here, we report a new polyprotein vector system that is based on a pair of self-excising mini-inteins fused in tandem, termed the dual-intein (DI) domain, to achieve synchronized co-expression of multiple proteins. The DI domain comprises an Ssp DnaE mini-intein N159A mutant and an Ssp DnaB mini-intein C1A mutant connected in tandem by a peptide linker to mediate efficient release of the flanking proteins via autocatalytic cleavage. Essentially complete release of constituent proteins, GFP and RFP (mCherry), from a polyprotein precursor, in bacterial, mammalian and plant hosts was demonstrated. In addition, successful co-expression of GFP with chloramphenicol acetyltransferase and thioredoxin with RFP, respectively, further substantiates the general applicability of the DI polyprotein system. Collectively, our results demonstrate the DI-based polyprotein technology as a highly valuable addition to the molecular toolbox for multi-protein co-expression which finds vast applications in biotechnology, biosciences and biomedicine.
Identification of Two Structural Elements Important for Ribosome-Dependent GTPase Activity of Elongation Factor 4 (EF4/LepA)
Authors: De Laurentiis Evelina Ines , Wieden Hans-Joachim
Published: February 2015

The bacterial translational GTPase EF4/LepA is structurally similar to the canonical elongation factor EF-G. While sharing core structural features with other translational GTPases, the function of EF4 remains unknown. Recent structural data locates the unique C-terminal domain (CTD) of EF4 in proximity to the ribosomal peptidyl transferase center (PTC). To investigate the functional role of EF4's CTD we have constructed three C-terminal truncation variants. These variants are fully functional with respect to binding mant-GTP and mant-GDP as determined by rapid kinetics, as well as their intrinsic multiple turnover GTPase activity. Furthermore, they are able to form stable complexes with the 70S ribosome and 50S/30S ribosomal subunits. However, successive removal of the C-terminus impairs ribosome-dependent multiple turnover GTPase activity of EF4, which for the full-length protein is very similar to EF-G. Our findings suggest that the last 44 C-terminal amino acids of EF4 form a sub-domain within the C-terminal domain that is important for GTP-dependent function on the ribosome. Additionally, we show that efficient nucleotide hydrolysis by EF4 on the ribosome depends on a conserved histidine (His 81), similar to EF-G and EF-Tu.
An ensemble-averaged, cell density-based digital model of zebrafish embryo development derived from light-sheet microscopy data with single-cell resolution
Authors: Kobitski Andrei Y. , Otte Jens C. , Takamiya Masanari , Schäfer Benjamin , Mertes Jonas , Stegmaier Johannes , Rastegar Sepand , Rindone Francesca , Hartmann Volker , Stotzka Rainer , García Ariel , van Wezel Jos , Mikut Ralf , Strähle Uwe , Nienhaus G. Ulrich
Published: February 2015

A new era in developmental biology has been ushered in by recent advances in the quantitative imaging of all-cell morphogenesis in living organisms. Here we have developed a light-sheet fluorescence microscopy-based framework with single-cell resolution for identification and characterization of subtle phenotypical changes of millimeter-sized organisms. Such a comparative study requires analyses of entire ensembles to be able to distinguish sample-to-sample variations from definitive phenotypical changes. We present a kinetic digital model of zebrafish embryos up to 16 h of development. The model is based on the precise overlay and averaging of data taken on multiple individuals and describes the cell density and its migration direction at every point in time. Quantitative metrics for multi-sample comparative studies have been introduced to analyze developmental variations within the ensemble. The digital model may serve as a canvas on which the behavior of cellular subpopulations can be studied. As an example, we have investigated cellular rearrangements during germ layer formation at the onset of gastrulation. A comparison of the one-eyed pinhead (oep) mutant with the digital model of the wild-type embryo reveals its abnormal development at the onset of gastrulation, many hours before changes are obvious to the eye.
Conformational dynamics of α-synuclein: insights from mass spectrometry
Authors: Phillips Ashley S. , Gomes Alexandre F. , Kalapothakis Jason M. D. , Gillam Jay E. , Gasparavicius Jonas , Gozzo Fabio C. , Kunath Tilo , MacPhee Cait , Barran Perdita E.
Published: February 2015

Different mass spectrometry approaches are combined to investigate the conformational flexibility of α-synuclein.
Nanomaterial-based biosensors using dual transducing elements for solution phase detection
Authors: Li Ning , Su Xiaodi , Lu Yi
Published: February 2015

This review describes the design principles of dual-transducer nanosensors and the recent advances in this field (“T” = target; “Trans.” in CL = Transducer).
Capacitance spectroscopy and density functional theory
Authors: Bueno Paulo R. , Feliciano Gustavo T. , Davis Jason J.
Published: February 2015

We relate capacitance spectroscopy with density functional theory, providing a theoretical description of redox capacitance and its electrostatic and quantum terms.
Combined steam and carbon dioxide reforming of methane over porous nickel based catalysts
Authors: Danilova M. M. , Fedorova Z. A. , Kuzmin V. A. , Zaikovskii V. I. , Porsin A. V. , Krieger T. A.
Published: February 2015

The phase composition and texture of nickel catalysts supported on a porous nickel ribbon with a MgO underlayer were studied.
Calibration methods in glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy: a tutorial review
Authors: Weiss Zdeněk
Published: February 2015

Calibration methods used in glow discharge optical emission spectrometry are reviewed.
Comparative proteomic analyses of urine from rat urothelial carcinoma chemically induced by exposure to N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine
Authors: Ferreira Rita , Oliveira Paula , Martins Telma , Magalhães Sandra , Trindade Fábio , Pires Maria João , Colaço Bruno , Barros António , Santos Lúcio , Amado Francisco , Vitorino Rui
Published: February 2015

Bladder cancer is estimated to be the ninth most common malignancy with a high rate of recurrence and progression despite therapy, early diagnosis being crucial for timely intervention.
Nickel nanoparticles assisted regioselective synthesis of pyrazoloquinolinone and triazoloquinazolinone derivatives
Authors: Singh Nongthombam Geetmani , Nagarajaprakash Rammamorthy , Rani Jims World Star , Kathing Chingrishon , Nongrum Ridaphun , Nongkhlaw Rishanlang
Published: February 2015

A detailed discussion on the synthesis, characterization and application of nickel nanoparticles in catalyzing Biginelli and Hantzsch type condensation.
Supramolecular architecture and photophysical and biological properties of ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl complexes
Authors: Bhat Satish S. , Revankar Vidyanand K. , Khan Ayesha , Butcher Raymond J. , Thatipamula Krishnachary
Published: February 2015

A two-dimensional cyclic hybrid water–chloride anionic network has been structurally characterized in a metal–organic matrix. DNA interactions and the cytotoxicity of ruthenium(ii) complexes have been studied.
High-yield nanosized (Si)AlPO-41 using ethanol polarity equalization and co-templating synthesis approach
Authors: Majano Gerardo , Raltchev Kolio , Vicente Aurelie , Mintova Svetlana
Published: February 2015

Control of the crystallite dimensions of the microporous aluminophosphate AlPO-41 (AFO-type framework structure), and the Si-containing analogue SAPO-41, was attained down to the nanometer scale under stable hydrothermal conditions in the presence of ethanol and a co-template.
Chemistry of aromatic polythioesters and polydithioesters
Authors: Abe Daisuke , Fukuda Yuichiro , Sasanuma Yuji
Published: February 2015

Aromatic polythioesters and polydithioesters with different numbers of methylene units have been synthesized and characterized in terms of solubility, crystallinity, glass transition, melting, thermal decomposition, molecular motion, and thermal transition.
A surface second harmonic generation investigation of volatile organic compound adsorption on a liquid mercury surface
Authors: Subir Mahamud , Eltouny Nermin , Ariya Parisa A.
Published: February 2015

Adsorption of benzene and toluene vapor on a liquid mercury surface, as probed by SHG spectroscopy, exhibit a non-Langmuirian behavior with lateral interaction being a major component of the adsorption mechanism.
RAFT synthesis of polyethylene glycol (PEG) and amino-functionalized amphiphilic copolymers for dispersing carbon nanofibers
Authors: Yu Zhiwei , Xu Kai , Fu Zien , Liu Xin , Zhang Youxiong , Peng Jun , Chen Mingcai
Published: February 2015

Quaternary copolymer dispersants containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and amino side chains were synthesized via RAFT and were used to non-covalently functionalize CNFs.
A sensitive and selective enzyme-free amperometric glucose biosensor using a composite from multi-walled carbon nanotubes and cobalt phthalocyanine
Authors: Devasenathipathy Rajkumar , Karuppiah Chelladurai , Chen Shen-Ming , Palanisamy Selvakumar , Lou Bih-Show , Ali M. Ajmal , Al-Hemaid Fahad M. A.
Published: February 2015

In the present study, a simple and sensitive amperometric enzyme-free glucose sensor was developed at a multiwalled carbon nanotube and cobalt phthalocyanine (MWCNT–CoTsPc) modified electrode.
High temperature and oil tolerance of surfactant foam/polymer–surfactant foam
Authors: Sun Lin , Pu Wanfen , Xin Jun , Wei Peng , Wang Bing , Li Yibo , Yuan Chengdong
Published: February 2015

Explored the effects of high temperature and crude oil on foam properties from the point of microscopic visualization.