bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communication Skills Training in Pediatric Oncology: Moving Beyond Role Modeling
Authors: Feraco Angela M. , Brand Sarah R. , Mack Jennifer W. , Kesselheim Jennifer C. , Block Susan D. , Wolfe Joanne
Published: January 2016

Communication is central to pediatric oncology care. Pediatric oncologists disclose life‐threatening diagnoses, explain complicated treatment options, and endeavor to give honest prognoses, to maintain hope, to describe treatment complications, and to support families in difficult circumstances ranging from loss of function and fertility to treatment‐related or disease‐related death. However, parents, patients, and providers report substantial communication deficits. Poor communication outcomes may stem, in part, from insufficient communication skills training, overreliance on role modeling, and failure to utilize best practices. This review summarizes evidence for existing methods to enhance communication skills and calls for revitalizing communication skills training within pediatric oncology.
Pressure‐induced crystallization of low density polyethylene on carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers
Authors: Depan Dilip , Hebert Brittany , Conlin Andrew , Chirdon William , Khattab Ahmed
Published: January 2016

In this study, low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) crystalline structures produced via a solution‐crystallization method on carbon nano‐fillers were characterized. The nano‐fillers used in this study are carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon nanofibers (CNFs). CNTs and CNFs were used to act as a nucleating surface for polymer crystallization. In the case of CNTs, we obtained nanohybrid shish‐kebab architecture by epitaxial crystallization. This is a unique way to bond polymer with nanofillers, in which the CNTs act as shish, while polymer act as kebabs. A pressure‐induced crystallization approach was employed to investigate the effects of crystallization time and pressure on the CNFs/LDPE nanohybrid structure and percent crystallinity. The morphology of the nanohybrids was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to quantify the amount of crystalline polymer. The LDPE crystals grown on CNTs had significant morphological differences from those grown on CNFs. The polymer crystals were found to periodically decorate the CNTs with a nanohybrid shish‐kebab (NHSK) architecture, in which CNTs acts as a shish, while LDPE crystals were arranged as circular disks on the CNTs. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:192–200, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers
Agreement between Medicare pharmacy claims, self‐report, and medication inventory for assessing lipid‐lowering medication use
Authors: Colantonio Lisandro D. , Kent Shia T. , Kilgore Meredith L. , Delzell Elizabeth , Curtis Jeffrey R. , Howard George , Safford Monika M. , Muntner Paul
Published: January 2016

Background

Medicare claims have been used to study lipid‐lowering medication (LLM) use among US adults.

Methods

We analyzed the agreement between Medicare claims for LLM and LLM use indicated by self‐report during a telephone interview and, separately, by a medication inventory performed during an in‐home study visit upon enrollment into the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. We included REGARDS participants ≥65 years enrolled in 2006–2007 with Medicare pharmacy benefits (Part D) from 120 days before their telephone interview through their medication inventory (n = 899).

Results

Overall, 39.2% and 39.5% of participants had a Medicare claim for an LLM within 120 days prior to their interview and medication inventory, respectively. Also, 42.7% of participants self‐reported using LLMs, and 41.8% had an LLM in their medication inventory. The Kappa statistic (95% confidence interval [CI]) for agreement of Medicare claims with self‐report and medication inventory was 0.68 (0.63–0.73) and 0.72 (0.68–0.77), respectively. No Medicare claims for LLMs were present for 22.1% (95%CI: 18.1–26.6%) of participants who self‐reported taking LLMs and 18.9% (15.1–23.3%) with LLMs in their medication inventory. Agreement between Medicare claims and self‐report was lower among Black male individuals (Kappa = 0.34 [95%CI: 0.14–0.54]) compared with Black female individuals (0.70 [0.61–0.79]), White male individuals (0.65 [0.56–0.75]), and White female individuals (0.79 [0.72–0.86]). Agreement between Medicare claims and the medication inventory was also low among Black male individuals (Kappa = 0.48 [95%CI: 0.29–0.66]).

Conclusions

Although substantial agreement exists, many Medicare beneficiaries who self‐report LLM use or have LLMs in a medication inventory have no claims for these medications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
USING CONSULTATION TO SUPPORT ENGLISH LEARNERS: THE EXPERIENCES OF BILINGUAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS
Authors: O'Bryon Elisabeth C. , Rogers Margaret R.
Published: January 2016

Through semi‐structured interviews, this study explored 11 bilingual school psychologists’ (BSPs) consultation experiences with teachers of English learners (EL) to determine referral concerns, recommendations made, challenges encountered, preparation experiences, and skills most needed. The most common referral issue concerned students’ academic performance and teachers’ attempts to parse out language acquisition difficulties from learning problems. Principal consultation challenges included the scarcity of trained professionals, teacher bias, and the stress of competing school priorities. BSPs relied most on their interpersonal skills and relationship building skills, as well as their knowledge of EL‐focused interventions and their problem identification skills. Recommendations to their monolingual school psychology colleagues included the need to actively seek out a) language and culture resources, b) relevant professional development opportunities, and c) consultations with fellow BSPs. Study limitations and implications are discussed.
Comprehensive study of pyrido[3,4‐b]pyrazine‐based D–π–a copolymer for efficient polymer solar cells
Authors: Wu Yu‐Qi , Chen Hsieh‐Chih , Yang Yun‐Siou , Chang Sheng Hsiung , Wu Pin‐Jiun , Chu Yen‐Yi , Wu Chun‐Guey
Published: January 2016

Two D–π–A copolymers, based on the benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]‐dithiophene (BDT) as a donor unit and benzo‐quinoxaline (BQ) or pyrido‐quinoxaline (PQ) analog as an acceptor (PBDT‐TBQ and PBDT‐TPQ), were designed and synthesized as a p‐type material for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic cells. When compared with the PBDT‐TBQ polymer, PBDT‐TPQ exhibits stronger intramolecular charge transfer, showing a broad absorption coverage at the red region and narrower optical bandgap of 1.69 eV with a relatively low‐lying HOMO energy level at −5.24 eV. The experimental data show that the exciton dissociation efficiency of PBDT‐TPQ:PC71BM blend is better than that in the PBDT‐TBQ:PC71BM blend, which can explain that the IPCE spectra of the PBDT‐TPQ‐based solar cell were higher than that of the PBDT‐TBQ‐based solar cell. The maximum efficiency of PBDT‐TPQ‐based device reaches 4.40% which is much higher than 2.45% of PBDT‐TBQ, indicating that PQ unit is a promising electron‐acceptor moiety for BHJ solar cells. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 1822–1833
A μs‐Pulsed Dielectric Barrier Discharge Source: Physical Characterization and Biological Effects on Human Skin Fibroblasts
Authors: Tiede Regina , Hirschberg Joanna , Viöl Wolfgang , Emmert Steffen
Published: January 2016

As the field of plasma medicine eventually develops, safety aspects of biocompatible plasma sources are becoming ever more important for a safe usage of plasma devices as medical instruments. In this study physical and biological safety parameters of an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) source with a phosphate buffered saline‐electrode (PBS‐electrode) were analyzed. For a general characterization of this DBD device the dissipated power, rotational and electron energies, and reactive species were investigated. Cell vitality tests of human skin fibroblasts treated with the device directly and indirectly were performed using an MTS assay. Additionally, applying a host cell reactivation (HCR) assay fibroblasts' DNA repair capacity for plasma‐induced damages was examined. Our risk assessments indicate that this DBD device can be used safely in therapeutic applications.
Volatiles released by Chinese liquorice roots mediate host location behaviour by neonate Porphyrophora sophorae (Hemiptera: Margarodidae)
Authors: Liu Xian‐Fu , Chen Hong‐Hao , Li Jun‐Kai , Zhang Rong , Turlings Ted CJ , Chen Li
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND

The cochineal scale, Porphyrophora sophorae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea, Margarodidae), is one of the most serious arthropod pests of Chinese liquorice, Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Fabaceae), an important medicinal herb. The adult females tend to deposit the ovisacs in soil relatively far away from liquorice plants. After hatching, neonates move out of the soil and may use chemical cues to search for new hosts.

RESULTS

We collected and analysed the volatiles from soils with and without liquorice roots, and chromatographic profiles revealed hexanal, β‐pinene and hexanol as potential host‐finding cues for P. sphorae. The attractiveness of these compounds to neonates was studied in the laboratory using four‐arm olfactometer bioassays. The larvae showed a clear preference for β‐pinene over hexanal and hexanol, as well as all possible combinations of the three compounds. In addition, a field experiment confirmed that β‐pinene was significantly more attractive than hexanal and hexanol.

CONCLUSION

Newly eclosed larvae of P. sphorae exploit root volatiles as chemical cues to locate their host plant. β‐Pinene proved to be the major chemical cue used by P. sphorae neonates searching for roots of their host plant. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry
Modulation of the domain mode in GaN‐based planar Gunn diode for terahertz applications
Authors: Wang Ying , Yang Lin‐An , Wang Zhi‐Zhe , Hao Yue
Published: January 2016

This paper reports the modulation of the domain mode in the 2DEG channel of GaN HEMT‐like Gunn diodes by adjustment the electron concentration of the 2DEG near the cathode side. The enhancement of the electron concentration near the cathode side promotes the fast formation of the dipole domain layer and greatly reduces the dead zone length, which increases the RF output power. The employment of the recess layer near the cathode reduces the electron concentration of the 2DEG beneath it, which acts as a notch‐doped layer as in the bulk vertical diode. The reduction of the electron concentration of the 2DEG near the cathode promotes the formation of dual‐domain in one oscillation circle, which aims to enhance harmonic components of Gunn oscillation so as to minimize the use of frequency multipliers for SMMW and THz operation. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Threshold voltage engineering in GaN‐based HEMT by using La2O3 gate dielectric
Authors: Mi Minhan , He Yunlong , Hou Bin , Zhang Meng , Zhang Jincheng , Wang Chong , Ma Xiaohua , Hao Yue
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we presented AlGaN/GaN MIS‐HEMT with a 6‐nm ALD La2O3 as gate insulator. The gate leakage current had been greatly reduced at both positive and negative bias by using La2O3 gate dielectric. Threshold voltage for MIS‐HEMT moved +1 V toward positive direction compared with the Schottky gate HEMT (HEMT) demonstrating the negatively fixed charges at La2O3/AlGaN interface. Besides, the transconductance of MIS‐HEMT was not degraded. The stability of fixed and trap state introduced by La2O3 gate dielectric was discussed. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A Novel Variable Scale Grid Model for Temperature Self‐Adaptive Control: An Application on Plate Cooling Process after Rolling
Authors: Zhang Tian , Xie Qian , Wang Bingxing , Wu Zhiqiang , Wang Zhaodong , Wang Guodong
Published: January 2016

Plate cooling is a complex process so that it cannot be described by a fixed model. So, the mathematical model requires self‐adaptive ability to comply with the various parameters such as gauges and temperatures of plates. Considering the effect of influence factors on cooling process, an online variable scale grid (VSG) model for cooling is developed. VSG model builds a multi‐dimension space system where each dimension is determined by the effect of each factor on heat transfer. Every plate can find a corresponding point in the space, according to its own process conditions. To guarantee the higher precision of temperature control, it adopts dimensionless treatment for all the factors to avoid the errors caused by different physical units. In order to reduce the computational cost, the technologies of finite element meshing and centroid calculation have been applied. When a new plate comes, the correlations between the new one and historical samples, centroids are described by Euclidean distance. Finally, the target value is estimated through the distance‐weighted average method. The results of experiments and applications with real industrial data show that the proposed VSG is effective in the plate cooling control and has a wide application prospect.
Foxc1 Regulates Early Cardiomyogenesis and Functional Properties of Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Lambers Erin , Arnone Baron , Fatima Anees , Qin Gangjian , Wasserstrom J. Andrew , Kume Tsutomu
Published: January 2016

Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) hold great potential for regeneration of damaged myocardium, however the molecular circuitry that guides ESC differentiation into cardiomyocytes remains poorly understood. This is exemplified by the elusive role of the transcription factor, Foxc1, during cardiac development. The only known Foxc1 target during heart development is Tbx1. Because Foxc1 null mice contain heart mutations that are far more severe than Tbx1 null mice, it is likely that Foxc1 has additional regulatory roles during heart development. The goal of our study was to test whether Foxc1 is critical for ESC differentiation into functional cardiomyocytes through proper regulation of specific downstream gene networks. Converging evidence from Foxc1 deficient and overexpression ESC models reveals a close relationship between Foxc1 levels and early cardiomyogenic factors Isl1, Mef2c, and Nkx2.5 and also the production of functional cardiomyocytes. We show Foxc1 regulates early cardiomyogenesis during a specific window of differentiation, D4-D6. Through whole transcriptome RNA-sequencing analysis, we report pathways regulated by Foxc1 involved in cardiac function including actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion, tight and gap junctions, and calcium signaling. Our data indicate a novel Foxc1 direct gene target, Myh7, which encodes the predominant myosin heavy chain isoform, MHCβ, expressed during cardiac development. These data lead us to conclude that Foxc1 regulates both early cardiomyogenesis and the functional properties of ESC-derived cardiomyocytes. Our findings shed light on the molecular circuitry governing cardiomyogenesis that may lead to the development of better translational strategies for the use of pluripotent stem cells in regenerative medicine towards repairing damaged myocardium.
Do knowledge of uterine artery resistance in the second trimester and targeted surveillance improve maternal and perinatal outcome? UTOPIA study: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: García B. , Llurba E. , Valle L. , Gómez‐Roig M. D. , Juan M. , Pérez‐Matos C. , Fernández M. , García‐Hernández J. A. , Alijotas‐Reig J. , Higueras M. T. , Calero I. , Goya M. , Pérez‐Hoyos S. , Carreras E. , Cabero L.
Published: January 2016

Objectives

To ascertain whether screening for pre‐eclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) by uterine artery (UtA) Doppler in the second trimester of pregnancy and targeted surveillance improve maternal and perinatal outcomes in an unselected population.

Methods

This was a multicenter randomized open‐label controlled trial. At the routine second‐trimester anomaly scan, women were assigned randomly to UtA Doppler or non‐Doppler groups. Women with abnormal UtA Doppler were offered intensive surveillance at high‐risk clinics of the participating centers with visits every 4 weeks that included measurement of maternal blood pressure, dipstick proteinuria, fetal growth and Doppler examination. The primary outcome was a composite score for perinatal complications, defined as the presence of any of the following: PE, IUGR, spontaneous labor < 37 weeks' gestation, placental abruption, stillbirth, gestational hypertension, admission to neonatal intensive care unit and neonatal complications. Secondary outcomes were a composite score for maternal complications (disseminated intravascular coagulation, maternal mortality, postpartum hemorrhage, pulmonary edema, pulmonary embolism, sepsis), and medical interventions (for example, corticosteroid administration and induction of labor) in patients developing placenta‐related complications.

Results

In total, 11 667 women were included in the study. Overall, PE occurred in 348 (3.0%) cases, early‐onset PE in 48 (0.4%), IUGR in 722 (6.2%), early‐onset IUGR in 93 (0.8%) and early‐onset PE with IUGR in 32 (0.3%). UtA mean pulsatility index > 90th percentile was able to detect 59% of early‐onset PE and 60% of early‐onset IUGR with a false‐positive rate of 11.1%. When perinatal and maternal data according to assigned group (UtA Doppler vs non‐Doppler) were compared, no differences were found in perinatal or maternal complications. However, screened patients had more medical interventions, such as corticosteroid administration (relative risk (RR), 1.79 (95% CI, 1.4–2.3)) and induction of labor for IUGR (RR, 1.36 (95% CI, 1.07–1.72)). In women developing PE or IUGR, there was a trend towards fewer maternal complications (RR, 0.46 (95% CI, 0.19–1.11)).

Conclusions

Routine second‐trimester UtA Doppler ultrasound in an unselected population identifies approximately 60% of women at risk for placental complications; however, application of this screening test failed to improve short‐term maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Solvent Effect on the Assembly of Two Cadmium(II) Coordination Polymers Derived from 3,3′‐(Diazenediyl)dibenzoic Acid: Syntheses, Structures, Stabilities, and Photocatalytic Properties
Authors: Ma Feng‐Ji , Yu Cai‐Xia , Feng Xi , Hu Cui‐Fang , Shi Yun‐Feng , He Mei , Liu Lei‐Lei
Published: January 2016

Abstract. Two cadmium(II) coordination polymers, {CdL2[(CH3)2NH2]2·2DMF}n (1) and {[Cd3L4[(CH3)2NH2]2]·EtOH·2DMF}n (2) were synthesized from the solvothermal reactions of Cd(OAc)2·2H2O with 3,3′‐(diazenediyl)dibenzoic acid (H2L) in different solvents. Both complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, powder X‐ray diffraction, TG analysis, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In compound 1, central cadmium(II) atoms were linked with the surrounding L ligands to generate an infinite 1D chain with repeated rings. Compound 2 displayed a 3D threefold interpenetrating framework based on cage‐like [Cd3L6]8 species and exhibited a 41263 topological structure. The results demonstrated that the different solvents had significant effect on the construction of different coordination compounds from the same components. In addition, they exhibited excellent stability and good photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of methylene blue in aqueous solution under UV irradiation.
Crystal Structure of the Dietary Supplement Ferrous Glycine Sulfate
Authors: Dinnebier Robert E. , Runčevski Tomče , Hinrichsen Bernd
Published: January 2016

The crystal structure of ferrous glycine sulfate (a ferroglycine sulfate complex with chemical formula FeSO4(C2H5NO2), a compound extensively used as an iron dietary supplement, was refined from synchrotron X‐ray powder diffraction data. The crystal structure of an (so‐far unreported) isostructural manganese analogue was also structurally detailed by a Rietveld refinement against the corresponding X‐ray powder diffraction pattern. All studied compounds crystallize in the monoclinic P21 space group, building layers of metal cations coordinated by the oxygen atoms of sulfate groups and glycine ligands. Neighboring layers are parallel packed, bonded by hydrogen bonds. The coordination polyhedra around the cations can be regarded as distorted and elongated octahedral, presumably due to severe strains present in the crystal structure of the layers.
Oxidative Stability of Microencapsulated Kenaf Seed Oil Using Co‐extrusion Technology
Authors: Chew Sook‐Chin , Nyam Kar‐Lin
Published: January 2016

This study investigates the effect of microencapsulation (via co‐extrusion technology using high methoxyl pectin‐enhanced alginate as a shell formulation) on the storage stability and antioxidant properties of kenaf seed oil. Microencapsulated kenaf seed oil (MKSO) and unencapsulated oil were stored at 25 °C for 28 days and at 65 °C for 24 days. The oils were then subjected to stability and quality evaluation based on peroxide, p‐anisidine, and total oxidation values, conjugated diene and triene levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, free fatty acids, total phenolic content, and the radical scavenging activity assays of 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl and 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid). The results showed that there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in oxidation and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) of antioxidant activity in the unencapsulated oil while oxidation changes generally occurred more slowly in MKSO. It was demonstrated that the current microencapsulation method is a feasible approach to enhance oxidative stability of kenaf seed oil.
On the risks associated with wear quantification using profilometers equipped with skid tracers
Authors: Bellantonio M.
Published: January 2016

In this study a wear track was generated on aluminium by rubbing it against a hard steel ball. The generated wear track has a typical depth of 50 μm and exhibits marked ridges on its borders. The cross section profiles were measured using two different stylus profilometers equipped either with skidless or skid probes and compared to a skidless reference instrument. It was found that the use of a skid probe can introduce significant distortion of the measured wear track profiles and thus errors in wear quantification. The reason for that is attributed to the presence of the ridges that, by elevating the skid, alter artificially the reference height used for profile measurement.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Perirenal Pathology
Authors: Glockner James F. , Lee Christine U.
Published: January 2016

The perirenal space can be involved by a variety of neoplastic, inflammatory, infectious, and proliferative disorders. Magnetic resonance imaging is often an ideal technique for identification and staging of lesions arising within the perirenal space, with its superior soft tissue characterization as well as its ability to visualize extension into blood vessels and adjacent organs. This pictorial essay describes the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of a variety of pathologies which can arise from or involve the perirenal space, and provides a framework for categorization and differential diagnosis of these lesions.
In-School Sustainability Action: Climate Clever Energy Savers
Authors: Buchanan John , Schuck Sandy , Aubusson Peter
Published: January 2016

The mandate for living sustainably is becoming increasingly urgent. This article reports on the Climate Clever Energy Savers (CCES) Program, a student-centred, problem- and project-based program in New South Wales, Australia, aimed at enabling school students to identify ways of reducing their schools’ electricity consumption and costs. As part of the program, students apply for Department of Education and Communities funds to address issues of electricity usage, such as building or appliance modifications, or education campaigns. In particular, this article focuses on the systemic approach used to assist teachers and students in meeting the aims of the CCES program, the Sustainability Action Process (SAP). To ascertain the contribution and value of such a framework in achieving project outcomes and associated learning and attitudinal change, we investigated teachers’ and some students’ uses and opinions of the SAP via surveys (n= 434), 16 interviews, and analysis of documents such as student work samples and lesson outlines. Our research indicates that the SAP has been a highly effective, enabling and engaging tool in helping students to identify ways and means of reducing electricity consumption and evaluating their effectiveness, as well as identifying allies and other sources of assistance in carrying out their projects.
The Potential Impacts of Becoming a Parent on Practice
Authors: Cousins Carolyn
Published: January 2016

There are many experiences in working with vulnerable children and families that require reflective practice on the part of the practitioner in order to identify issues of crossover between the personal and the professional, and areas of transference and counter transference. This article suggests a particular challenge is presented in the process of the practitioner becoming a parent themselves. Those who have been working with children and families for much of their careers may find becoming a parent presents a range of conflicting and challenging considerations that need to be unpacked throughout the process of transition. The author has a background of working in child protection for over 20 years and became a parent herself just over 4 years ago. She provides clinical and group supervision to a wide range of practitioners as an external supervisor. This practice-based reflection piece draws on the author's experience, with inputs from supervisees and the examined literature, to identify some key themes. The issues raised suggest a need for more research and greater thoughtfulness around the impact of becoming a parent on practitioners themselves and on their practice.
Self-affine sets with fibred tangents
Authors: KÄENMÄKI ANTTI , KOIVUSALO HENNA , ROSSI EINO
Published: January 2016

We study tangent sets of strictly self-affine sets in the plane. If a set in this class satisfies the strong separation condition and projects to a line segment for sufficiently many directions, then for each generic point there exists a rotation${\mathcal{O}}$such that all tangent sets at that point are either of the form${\mathcal{O}}((\mathbb{R}\times C)\cap B(0,1))$, where$C$is a closed porous set, or of the form${\mathcal{O}}((\ell \times \{0\})\cap B(0,1))$, where$\ell$is an interval.
A Case Study Using 10Be-26Al Exposure Dating at the Xi’an AMS Center
Authors: Zhang Li , Wu Zhenkun , Chang Hong , Li Ming , Dong Guocheng , Fu Yunchong , Zhao Guoqing , Zhou Weijian
Published: January 2016

Exposure age dating using in situ10Be and 26Al is a very useful technique for dating fluvial terraces. This is especially true in semiarid regions where other methods suffer from a paucity of suitable dating materials. This article describes sample preparation procedures and analytical benchmarks established at the Xi’an Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) Center for the study of in situ10Be and 26Al. Four intercomparison samples were analyzed in the study, using an improved sample preparation method. The exposure age results are shown to be in good agreement with published data, and demonstrate the reliability of the dating method. This article also presents new 10Be and 26Al results from quartz samples collected from a series of fluvial terraces from Guanshan River, along the Qilian Shan, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The ages of three fluvial terraces from the Jinfosi site are shown to be (56.4±5.3) ka for T3, (10.7±1.0) ka for T2, and (7.2±1.0) ka for T1. The dating results are consistent with published data from the same region (10Be, 14C, and optically stimulated luminescence dating methods). A comparison of high-resolution climate records with age constraints for the terrace formation shows a close relationship between terrace formation and climate change.
Orbits of magnetized charged particles in parabolic and inverse electrostatic potentials
Authors: Bellan P. M.
Published: January 2016

Analytic solutions are presented for the orbit of a charged particle in the combination of a uniform axial magnetic field and parabolic electrostatic potential. These trajectories are shown to correspond to the sum of two individually rotating vectors with one vector rotating at a constant fast frequency and the other rotating in the same sense but with a constant slow frequency. These solutions are related to Penning trap orbits and to stochastic orbits. If the lengths of the two rotating vectors are identical, the particle has zero canonical angular momentum in which case the particle orbit will traverse the origin. If the potential has an inverse dependence on distance from the source of the potential, the particle can impact the source. Axis-encircling orbits are where the length of the vector associated with the fast frequency is longer than the vector associated with the slow frequency. Non-axis-encircling orbits are the other way around.
Evaluating the potential effectiveness of alternative management scenarios in ape habitat
Authors: IMONG INAOYOM , KÜHL HJALMAR S. , ROBBINS MARTHA M. , MUNDRY ROGER
Published: January 2016

Choosing appropriate management strategies and effective conservation actions requires information about the future consequences of current conservation actions; however, this crucial information is rarely available to conservation planners. This study applies scenario planning and agent-based modelling (ABM) to assess the potential impact of alternative management strategies on future suitability and functional connectivity of Cross River gorilla (CRG) habitat in the Nigeria–Cameroon border region. The CRG population is small and fragmented, with many subpopulations and migration corridors located outside protected areas. This study used ABM to simulate human land use in the study area over a period of 15 years under different management scenarios and assessed the impact on future suitability and functional connectivity of CRG habitat. The simulations showed that a landscape approach with greater focus on interventions to change human behaviour towards conserving gorillas and sustainable forest use would result in greater improvement in habitat suitability and functional connectivity compared to focusing on improving law enforcement within existing protected areas. However, the best scenarios were when both law enforcement and behaviour change increased. The results highlight the importance of human behaviour change to conservation in human-dominated landscapes and can inform conservation planning and management of other species and in similar landscapes.
Percutaneous transcatheter snare vegetectomy in a child
Authors: Saltık I. Levent , Atik Sezen U. , Eroglu Ayşe G.
Published: January 2016

Surgical vegetectomy may be indicated in patients with unresolving sepsis, heart failure, recurrent embolism, or the presence of large vegetations >10 mm in size. Percutaneous vegetectomy using a snare may be a reasonable option instead of open-heart surgery in selected patients. We describe the case of a patient with operated tetralogy of Fallot and infective endocarditis who underwent vegetectomy via a percutaneous approach.
MATTHEW ARNOLD'S DIET
Authors: Thomas Kate
Published: January 2016

The objective of this articleis to connect Matthew Arnold, that statesman of culture, with a tin of Tate and Lyle's Golden Syrup, a by-product of industrial sugar refining that has been named Britain's “oldest brand.” Bringing the lofty to the low, the sage to the sweetener, is an exercise in willful materialism. Reading Arnold's “sweetness and light” literally, as comestibles, and “culture” as a term that engages the culinary, puts Arnold into conversation with revolutionary nineteenth-century materialist theorists, in particular the German philosopher Ludwig Feuerbach. Although not commonly read now, Feuerbach's work was translated by George Eliot and influential on that of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels: it is his materialism and his atheism that we see, modified, in their work. In his own time, he was also known for theories about diet and this article will, in part, show how these theories are inseparable from both his materialism and his atheism. True to its viscous, tacky nature, Golden Syrup arrives slowly and emerges late in my argument, but it will adhere Arnold to Feuerbach, and to an intellectual tradition that holds that what we eat, and whether and how we can eat, is as world-making as what we read. Sitting Feuerbach's self-avowed extreme materialism down at the table with Arnold's self-avowed extreme anti-materialism, I will show that they grapple with the same gods – the gods of Christianity, capitalism, and cultural immortality – and that they both conclude that we make and remake our world by digesting it.
“THE BLOOD OF OUR POOR PEOPLE”: 1848, INCIPIENT NATIONAL IDENTITY, AND THE FRENCH REVOLUTION IN ANTHONY TROLLOPE'SLA VENDÉE
Authors: Cove Patricia
Published: January 2016

In the late 1840s, as revolutionswept across Europe, Anthony Trollope wrote a novel portraying the Vendean War, a French civil war fought during the revolutionary decade.La Vendée: An Historical Romance(1850) depicts the conflict between centralised, revolutionary France led by the National Convention in Paris and the insurgent, royalist population of western France from the perspective of the royalist rebels.La Vendéeis one of Trollope's least read novels; yet Trollope's turn to the history of the 1790s in the context of renewed revolutionary movements in the 1840s demonstrates that the political and cultural stakes of the revolutionary period remained present in the minds of Victorians who confronted the possibility of European revolution for the first time in their own lives. Trollope draws on the interrelated democratic and nationalist movements that produced the 1848 revolutions in order to represent the royalist Vendeans as a victimised incipient nation, akin to other minor European nations struggling for sovereignty against their more powerful neighbours. Significantly, throughout the 1840s Trollope lived in Ireland, one such minor nation, and witnessed the Famine years and the consequences of Ireland's governance from London throughout that crisis first-hand. Using the conventions of the generically related national tale – a typically Irish genre – and the historical novel, Trollope works to establish sympathy for a marginalised Vendean community while containing revolution in the past by casting the royalist Vendeans as the true patriots and insurrectionists. However, although Trollope attempted to contain revolution by re-aligning it with the conservative, Vendean position,La Vendéeis fragmented by anxieties about the possibility of revolution in the late 1840s that disrupt his efforts to establish an authoritative, distanced historical perspective.
QUESTIONS FROM WORKERS WHO READ: EDUCATION AND SELF-FORMATION IN CHARTIST PRINT CULTURE AND ELIZABETH GASKELL’SMARY BARTON
Authors: Vargo Gregory
Published: January 2016

Although the Chartist organtheNorthern Starwas a careful observer of literary developments, especially concerning social-problem fiction, it failed to comment on the publication of Elizabeth Gaskell'sMary Barton, today the best-known literary work to treat Chartism. The popular and controversial novel about the consequences of an assassination committed by a disillusioned activist slipped by the radical paper unnoticed in the tumult of the fall of 1848. But theStarwas not as unfamiliar withMary Bartonas its initial silence suggests. Two years later, when the paper reviewedThe Moorland Cottage, it praised Gaskell's earlier book as “a powerful and truthful exposition of the evils inherent in the factory system,” adding that “the graphic manner in which the writer placed before the public the domestic, moral, and social results of factory life, brought down from the upholders of the factory system many sneers at her political economy and her sentimentalism; but none denied the unquestionable genius and superior discrimination of character and motives which pervaded the work” (Dec. 28, 1850).
The Importance of Atmospheric Nutrients in the Earth System
Authors: Shi Zongbo , Herbert Ross
Published: January 2016

Aerosol Impacts on Global Biogeochemical Cycles; Leeds, United Kingdom, 8 July 2015
Scientists Detect Wisps of Wind in Space
Authors: Zastrow Mark
Published: January 2016

In the near vacuum of low-Earth orbit, there are still faint tendrils of air—but measuring them is very tricky. A new study comparing two methods will make it a little easier.
Tracking Long-Term Changes in Global Sea Level Extremes
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: January 2016

Large-scale climate change may drive trends in extreme sea level events.
Climate Models Predict Diverse Arctic Ocean Shipping Routes
Authors: Stanley Sarah
Published: January 2016

As ice melts, multiple models yield more detailed route predictions than any single model alone.
Human-Made Fires Pollute Air with Ozone Half a World Away
Authors: Sullivan Cody
Published: January 2016

Fires in Africa and Southeast Asia contributed to western Pacific pollution, a study finds. Prior understanding attributed hefty levels of the harmful agent and greenhouse gas to natural processes.
Reduction of aberrant NF-κB signalling ameliorates Rett syndrome phenotypes in Mecp2-null mice
Authors: Kishi Noriyuki , MacDonald Jessica L. , Ye Julia , Molyneaux Bradley J. , Azim Eiman , Macklis Jeffrey D.
Published: January 2016

Mutations in the transcriptional regulator Mecp2 cause the severe X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder Rett syndrome (RTT). In this study, we investigate genes that function downstream of MeCP2 in cerebral cortex circuitry, and identify upregulation of Irak1, a central component of the NF-κB pathway. We show that overexpression of Irak1 mimics the reduced dendritic complexity of Mecp2-null cortical callosal projection neurons (CPN), and that NF-κB signalling is upregulated in the cortex with Mecp2 loss-of-function. Strikingly, we find that genetically reducing NF-κB signalling in Mecp2-null mice not only ameliorates CPN dendritic complexity but also substantially extends their normally shortened lifespan, indicating broader roles for NF-κB signalling in RTT pathogenesis. These results provide new insight into both the fundamental neurobiology of RTT, and potential therapeutic strategies via NF-κB pathway modulation.
High dose CD11c-driven IL15 is sufficient to drive NK cell maturation and anti-tumor activity in a trans-presentation independent manner
Authors: Polansky Julia K. , Bahri Rajia , Divivier Mylene , Duitman Erwin H. , Vock Christina , Goyeneche-Patino Diego A. , Orinska Zane , Bulfone-Paus Silvia
Published: January 2016

The common gamma (γc)-chain cytokine interleukin 15 (IL15) is a multifunctional immune-modulator which impacts the generation, maturation and activity of many cell types of the innate, as well as the adaptive immune system, including natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells. Using a new series of transgenic mice, we analyzed the in vivo potential of IL15 as an immune-regulator when available at different concentrations or delivery modes, i.e. soluble monomer or complexed to its specific receptor α (Rα)-chain. We have identified distinct effects on selected IL15-responsive populations. While CD8+ T cells required complexed forms of IL15/IL15Rα for full functionality, mature NK populations were rescued in an IL15/IL15Rα-deficient environment by high levels of CD11c-restricted IL15. These IL15-conditions were sufficient to limit tumor formation in a lung metastasis model indicating that the NK cell populations were fully functional. These data underline the potential of “free” IL15 in the absence of Rα-complex as a powerful and specific immuno-modulator, which may be beneficial where selective immune-activation is desired.
Molecular evolution of gas cavity in [NiFeSe] hydrogenases resurrected in silico
Authors: Tamura Takashi , Tsunekawa Naoki , Nemoto Michiko , Inagaki Kenji , Hirano Toshiyuki , Sato Fumitoshi
Published: January 2016

Oxygen tolerance of selenium-containing [NiFeSe] hydrogenases (Hases) is attributable to the high reducing power of the selenocysteine residue, which sustains the bimetallic Ni–Fe catalytic center in the large subunit. Genes encoding [NiFeSe] Hases are inherited by few sulphate-reducing δ-proteobacteria globally distributed under various anoxic conditions. Ancestral sequences of [NiFeSe] Hases were elucidated and their three-dimensional structures were recreated in silico using homology modelling and molecular dynamic simulation, which suggested that deep gas channels gradually developed in [NiFeSe] Hases under absolute anaerobic conditions, whereas the enzyme remained as a sealed edifice under environmental conditions of a higher oxygen exposure risk. The development of a gas cavity appears to be driven by non-synonymous mutations, which cause subtle conformational changes locally and distantly, even including highly conserved sequence regions.
Cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of heat killed Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) on various human cancer cell lines
Authors: Subramaniam Menaga , In Lionel L A , Kumar Ashutosh , Ahmed Niyaz , Nagoor Noor Hasima
Published: January 2016

Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) is a non-pathogenic mycobacterium, which has been tested on several cancer types like lung and bladder where tumour regression and complete recovery was observed. In discovering the potential cytotoxic elements, a preliminary test was carried out using four different fractions consisting of live bacteria, culture supernatant, heat killed bacteria and heat killed culture supernatant of MIP against two human cancer cells A549 and CaSki by 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazol)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Apoptosis was investigated in MCF-7 and ORL-115 cancer cells by poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and DNA fragmentation assays. Among four MIP fractions, only heat killed MIP fraction (HKB) showed significant cytotoxicity in various cancer cells with inhibitory concentration, IC50 in the range 5.6–35.0 μl/(1.0 × 106 MIP cells/ml), while cytotoxicity effects were not observed in the remaining fractions. HKB did not show cytotoxic effects on non-cancerous cells contrary to cancerous cells, suggesting its safe usage and ability to differentially recognize between these cells. Evaluation on PARP assay further suggested that cytotoxicity in cancer cells were potentially induced via caspase-mediated apoptosis. The cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of MIP HKB have indicated that this fraction can be a good candidate to further identify effective anti-cancer agents.
Muscle contraction phenotypic analysis enabled by optogenetics reveals functional relationships of sarcomere components in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Hwang Hyundoo , Barnes Dawn E. , Matsunaga Yohei , Benian Guy M. , Ono Shoichiro , Lu Hang
Published: January 2016

The sarcomere, the fundamental unit of muscle contraction, is a highly-ordered complex of hundreds of proteins. Despite decades of genetics work, the functional relationships and the roles of those sarcomeric proteins in animal behaviors remain unclear. In this paper, we demonstrate that optogenetic activation of the motor neurons that induce muscle contraction can facilitate quantitative studies of muscle kinetics in C. elegans. To increase the throughput of the study, we trapped multiple worms in parallel in a microfluidic device and illuminated for photoactivation of channelrhodopsin-2 to induce contractions in body wall muscles. Using image processing, the change in body size was quantified over time. A total of five parameters including rate constants for contraction and relaxation were extracted from the optogenetic assay as descriptors of sarcomere functions. To potentially relate the genes encoding the sarcomeric proteins functionally, a hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted on the basis of those parameters. Because it assesses physiological output different from conventional assays, this method provides a complement to the phenotypic analysis of C. elegans muscle mutants currently performed in many labs; the clusters may provide new insights and drive new hypotheses for functional relationships among the many sarcomere components.
Combination of the Manifold Dimensionality Reduction Methods with Least Squares Support vector machines for Classifying the Species of Sorghum Seeds
Authors: Chen Y. M. , Lin P. , He J. Q. , He Y. , Li X.L.
Published: January 2016

This study was carried out for rapid and noninvasive determination of the class of sorghum species by using the manifold dimensionality reduction (MDR) method and the nonlinear regression method of least squares support vector machines (LS-SVM) combing with the mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) techniques. The methods of Durbin and Run test of augmented partial residual plot (APaRP) were performed to diagnose the nonlinearity of the raw spectral data. The nonlinear MDR methods of isometric feature mapping (ISOMAP), local linear embedding, laplacian eigenmaps and local tangent space alignment, as well as the linear MDR methods of principle component analysis and metric multidimensional scaling were employed to extract the feature variables. The extracted characteristic variables were utilized as the input of LS-SVM and established the relationship between the spectra and the target attributes. The mean average precision (MAP) scores and prediction accuracy were respectively used to evaluate the performance of models. The prediction results showed that the ISOMAP-LS-SVM model obtained the best classification performance, where the MAP scores and prediction accuracy were 0.947 and 92.86%, respectively. It can be concluded that the ISOMAP-LS-SVM model combined with the MIRS technique has the potential of classifying the species of sorghum in a reasonable accuracy.
Apolipoprotein E epsilon 2 allele and low serum cholesterol as risk factors for gastric cancer in a Chinese Han population
Authors: Kang Ranran , Li Ping , Wang Tingting , Li Xinxiu , Wei Zichen , Zhang Zhenlian , Zhong Li , Cao Longlong , Heckman Michael G. , Zhang Yun-Wu , Xu Huaxi , Huang Changming , Bu Guojun , Chen Xiao-Fen
Published: January 2016

Apolipoprotein E (apoE) mediates lipid metabolism both in peripheral and in the brain. The human APOE gene has three polymorphic alleles that influence the risk for various types of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. A potential association between APOE allele and the risk for gastric cancer has been implicated, but the specific allele involved and potential associations with the subtype and the grade of cancer malignancy need further clarification. We screened the APOE genotype in 550 gastric cancer patients and 550 non-cancer control individuals and found that the presence of the APOE ε2 and lower serum total cholesterol are associated with an increased risk for gastric cancer (all P ≤ 0.0005). Interestingly, APOE ε2 is also correlated with increased risk for both intestinal and diffuse histotypes but not with TN classification or stage in gastric cancer patients, suggesting that APOE polymorphic alleles are associated with the risk of development but unlikely the progression of gastric cancer. Since ε2 carriers have lower levels of serum total cholesterol than non-ε2 carriers, our findings suggest that the increased risk for gastric cancer by APOE ε2 allele might be mediated through lowered serum total cholesterol levels.